Monday, March 31, 2014

Winners for March pt2


Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended March 27, 2014
during the Mental Health Giveaway Hop event

Thanks to all contestants!

~*~

Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan
Winner: Mippy

~*~

* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses within two weeks.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar


Saturday, March 29, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - 3.29.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

For Review:

Always Emily
by Michaela MacColl
-Bronte theme, historical, mystery, YA
-received a 2nd copy
-will give this away with on my review post
courtesy of publisher
Thanks Lara!

fyi: you can download the first three chapters now thru April 7 here:

Amazon/Kindle | Barnes&Noble/Nook
Apple iBookstore | Googe Play | Kobo

Medusa
Heroines of Classical Greece
by S.D. Hines
-mythology
courtesy of author
Thanks S.D. & Ken!

Life Lived Twice
by Sherrie Wouters
-fantasy, new adult, romance
courtesy of author
Thanks Sherrie!

Moon at Nine
by Deborah Ellis
-LGBTQ, Middle East
courtesy of publisher
Thanks Casey!

~*~

Library:

The Golem and the Jinni
by Helene Wecker
-historical fantasy
Listening to the audio version: This has an interesting mix of Jewish and Arab folklore and mythology.

Jane
by April Lindner
-Bronte theme, gothic romance, YA

I am curious to read this re-telling of Jane Eyre. Also, I wanted to read this before reading the second book in the series, Catherine which is a re-telling of Wuthering Heights. The paperback will be released this August.

Catherine
by April Lindner
-Bronte theme, gothic romance, YA

~*~

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Guest post for Glamour by Andrea Janes

Glamour
by Andrea Janes
Just released: February 2014
Amazon | Goodreads

Stealing the life she's always wanted is as easy as casting a spell.

Townie.

That's what eighteen-year-old Christina Sundy is. All year round she lives in a one-stoplight town on Cape Cod, and when summer comes, she spends her days scooping ice cream for the rich tourists she hates. So when one of them takes a job in the ice cream shop alongside her, she's pissed. Why does a blonde and perky Harvard-bound rich girl like Reese Manning want to scoop ice cream anyway?

Something else weird is happening to Christina: tiny blue sparks seem to be shooting off her fingers. It isn't long before she realizes the truth about herself—she's actually a powerful hereditary witch. But her newfound powers are too intense for her to handle and, in a moment of rage, she accidentally zaps Reese into another dimension.

So that no one will notice that the rich girl has disappeared, Christina casts a disguising spell, or "glamour," and lives Reese's life while she tries to find a retrieval spell. But as the retrieval spell proves harder than anticipated, and as she goes about living Reese's life without anyone on the outside noticing the switch, Christina realizes that there's nothing to stop her from making the glamour permanent... except, of course, her fellow witches, a 16th century demon, and, just maybe, her own conscience.


~*~

About the author:

Andrea Janes writes horror, dark comedy, thrillers, and historical slapstick. She is the author of Boroughs of the Dead: New York City Ghost Stories. She is also a licensed NYC tour guide, and offers a variety of ghostly tours around the city.

Her many obsessions include New York City history, old photographs, Mabel Normand, all things nautical, and beer.

She maintains a personal blog over at Spinster Aunt, where she discusses these obsessions in more detail than is probably healthy.

~*~

Guest post:

I was asked to share any “interesting witchy tidbits” I came across during my research for GLAMOUR. The truth is, I didn’t do very much research at all. I based the witchcraft scenes in the book partly on witchcraft histories I’ve ben familiar with since I was a child, partly on some books by Scott Cunningham that I’d read when I went through a “teen witch” phase of my own some twenty years ago, and the rest I just sort of intuited from my own set of general beliefs about how the universe works.

I’ve always been really interested in witches for some reason. When I was little my dad took me to the Salem Witch Museum; maybe that started it. I also used to go to the library as a child and read everything I could on the European witch trials. I remember sitting in the kid’s section hiding low down in the stacks and surreptitiously reading about thumbscrews and the rack. With me, the attraction of witches and witchcraft is and has always been atavistic and intense and inexplicable.

As a teen I read the sort of how-to books that I deride a bit in GLAMOUR, instructional stuff. In truth, I see no harm in these books. I enjoyed my time as a teen “witch,” taking ritual baths and then prancing about the backyard wearing a black robe that was a castoff costume from a former dance recital (for a performance to a techno remix of the Phantom of the Opera theme song if you can believe it). I must have looked pretty hilarious; I do remember everyone in my family making fun of me, though my mom was cool and let me plant an herb garden in the backyard, and poppies, too. Anyway, I remembered a lot about ritual and witchcraft and Wicca so that when it came time to write GLAMOUR, it came quite easily.

In terms of whether witchcraft is “real” or not, I think there are some legitimate psi phenomena that are actually coming into play during the casting of a spell, such as telepathy or psychokinesis. If you look at Christina’s initial spellcasting in GLAMOUR, it’s much more akin to psychokinesis than it is to what we think of as witchcraft. Incidentally, a lot of my knowledge of psi phenomena comes from listening to (and being a guest on) The Psi Show, an internet radio run by two paranormal investigators. I got to know them through my work leading ghost tours in New York City, and I’ve learned a lot from them. You can listen to my show on witchcraft here.

I do think that if you believe in something in your very marrow, it might be possible to alter events in a small way. I think that, used in combination with other things, the force of willpower is very real. I don’t think Harry Potter-type spells or the types of spells Christina casts in the book are possible. That being said, the famous English witch Sybil Leek was supposed to have been able to raise fire and raise the wind. She also kept a pet blackbird called Mr. Hotfoot Jackson!

I don’t claim to know how magic works or how the universe works, but I do have my own set of beliefs. There are many different types of witchcraft, from folk magic to voudon to Wicca and Neopaganism. Pagans originally were just “country-dwellers.” That’s what the word pagan means. Think of the original old woman in the country cottage making potions and poultices. Whether you’re using arcane knowledge passed down from your granny, or just basic botany, you are in some sense tapping into the energy of the universe and that is in itself a kind of magic. It’s easy to cross the line into being a raving idiot and believing in stuff like The Secret, which I find nauseating, but if you can pull back a bit from that, it is possible to behave nicely with the universe. I don’t believe in god and I don’t call myself a pagan, but if you offer me the choice between a church and a wooded grove, I’ll choose the forest every time.

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of tour ~--

signup to win this book
-ends April 1

~*~

* giveaway courtesy of book tour - check out the other stops here for more details on this book and goodies sponsored by World Weaver Press.


Friday, March 28, 2014

The Collector of Dying Breaths by MJ Rose

The Collector of Dying Breaths
by MJ Rose

Visit MJ:
Amazon
BookExcerpt
Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter

Just released: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: France, Historical, Thriller
Hardback: 384 pages
Rating: 5

From the internationally bestselling author, a lush and imaginative novel that crisscrosses time as passion and obsessions collide

Florence, Italy—1533:

An orphan named René le Florentin is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici’s perfumer. Traveling with the young duchessina from Italy to France, René brings with him a cache of secret documents from the monastery where he was trained: recipes for exotic fra­grances and potent medicines—and a formula for an alchemic process said to have the poten­tial to reanimate the dead.

In France, René becomes not only the greatest perfumer in the country, but also the most dangerous, creating deadly poisons for his Queen to use against her rivals. But while mixing herbs and essences under the light of flickering candles, René doesn’t begin to imag­ine the tragic and personal consequences for which his lethal potions will be responsible.

Paris, France—The Present:

A renowned mythologist, Jac L’Etoile—trying to recover from personal heartache by throw­ing herself into her work—learns of the sixteenth-century perfumer who may have been working on an elixir that would unlock the secret to immortality. She becomes obsessed with René le Florentin’s work—particularly when she discovers the dying breaths he had collected during his lifetime.

Jac’s efforts put her in the path of her estranged lover, Griffin North, a linguist who has already begun translating René le Flo­rentin’s mysterious formula. Together they confront an eccentric heiress in possession of a world-class art collection, a woman who has her own dark purpose for the elixir . . . for which she believes the ends will justify her deadly means.

This mesmerizing gothic tale zigzags from the violent days of Catherine de Medici’s court to twenty-first-century France. Fiery and lush, set against deep, wild forests and dimly lit cha­teaus, The Collector of Dying Breaths illuminates the true path to immortality: the legacies we leave behind.


A Novel of Suspense series:
The Book of Lost Fragrances
Seduction
The Collector of Dying Breaths

My two-bits:

Another great read in this scent series!

Of the three so far, I like this book the best. Like in the other books, two parallel stories are told - one in the past and one in the present. In this instance, the past gives a historical account of Catherine de Medici which I found fascinating. Although, just a bit of Catherine's behind-the-court life is portrayed - her relationships with her astrologer and perfumer. So now, I am curious to read more about her to get the full picture.

The present story continues the story (since book one) about the main character, Jac, who has nose that can literally pick apart ingredients in a perfume scent. I was glad to see her character growth. Loved how she was able to resolve issues she had in regards to her special abilities and also her love life.

Again, the focus of scents, perfume creation, history and its affects are highlighted in this story which were equally fascinating to read about. Some of the ingredients used for aphrodisiac related perfumes were eye-brow raising ;-)

The mystery and idea of dying breaths kept me glued.

~*~

Guest post: Q&A with MJ Rose

1. What attracted you to France and to researching the world and history of French perfumes which are a focus in your new book, “The Collector of Dying Breaths” and also in your novels, “The Book of Lost Fragrances and Seduction?”

When I worked in Mad Men land I  had the opportunity to work a new fragrance from the very first days of naming it through to full up TV commercials we shot in Hong Kong and edited at the Lucas Ranch. It was a 40 million dollar launch that culminated with the spots running on the Oscars.

During all that, I became intrigued and besotted with everything about the 8th art, as fragrance is called, and it’s a passion that’s never left. But I didn’t know about the history of fragrance before and found it fascinating. As for France – my great grandmother was French and my heritage has always been important to me. Besides, as Audrey Hepburn says “Paris is always a good idea,” and I completely agree.

2. Since scent has been called the most powerful memory trigger, how do fragrances tie in to your books?

I am fascinated with how the past influences the present. From a psychological point of view, a historical, and even mystical one.

So since the memory center of the brain sits next to the olfactory center of the brain, scent stimulates memories of the past as nothing else can. From there it was just a jump to thinking scent might stimulate even older memories… past life memories.

3. Jac L’Etoile, your main character takes “trips” into the past that are triggered by scents—which makes sense for her character since she was trained during childhood in formulating perfumes. Did you find accounts of people who had similar olfactory experiences or did your imagination produce this persuasive story telling device?

Throughout history shamans and mystics have burned hallucinogenic incenses as aides to help them visit other realms and experience past life memories.  The blue lotus – which can be found in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings – is just one such essence priests from that time used to enter into trances.


4. In “The Collector of Dying Breaths,” you explore how fragrance was brought to France in the 16th century. Who was responsible?

Catherine de Medici was a fascinating young Italian woman who came to France at fourteen years of age to marry one of the crown princes. She brought her perfumer and her astrologer with her.

René le Florentin was apprenticed at the Officina Profumo–Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, one of the world’s oldest pharmacies which was founded in 1221 in Florence by the Dominican Friars who made herbal remedies and potions.

He created scents and creams for the young Catherine de Medici. When the fourteen-year-old duchessina traveled to France to marry the prince, she took René with her.

René and Catherine are credited with bringing perfume to their newly adopted country.

5. Is Catherine de Medici’s use of poison to rid herself of enemies based on historical fact?

Yes, although there are of course questions about how many people she had poisoned. For instance there are rumors she had her daughters’ mother in law poisoned. But we know for sure that Catherine had her perfumer, René Le Florentin create innovative and well disguised poisons for her to use on her enemies.

6. You write in both “The Collector of Dying Breaths,” “Seduction” and “The Book of Lost Fragrances” about the L’Etoile family of perfumers in France. Were the fictional L’Etoiles based on a real family of French perfumers or did they arise from your imagination?

The Guerlain family, which opened their doors to business in 1826, created many of my favorite perfumes, and so in a way they were a great inspiration, but the L’Etoile family’s loves, tragedies and triumphs are all pure invention.

7. Was collecting someone’s dying breath something people actually did in the past or was this idea something of your creation as a fiction author?

We don’t know where this concept originated or if anyone in the Renaissance suspected such a thing was possible. But it’s not a far stretch from the well- documented and centuries-old alchemical search for immortality through the breath concept.

We do know that in the twentieth century, automotive magnate Henry Ford and the great inventor Thomas Edison, who both believed in reincarnation, supported the idea that in death, the soul leaves the body with its last breath.

In fact, Edison’s dying breath, collected by his son, Charles, is in fact on display at the Edison Winter Home in Fort Myers, Florida.

8. Why have a signature scent made? And do you think more people today are having signature fragrances designed for them?

To be memorable. To have a man lean across a table and say quietly, I love how you smell. To celebrate your uniqueness. To stand out. To revel in your creativity. In a world of sameness to not be the same as anyone else. There are so so many reasons. And yes I do think that the smaller the world gets, the more we tend to look for ways to express our individuality.

9. Your first Jac L’Etoile novel inspired a perfume, Âmes Soeurs, the Scent of Soul mates by Joya Studios. How did this partnership come to be?

When I was writing the first Jac  book – to keep in the world of scent – I burned a lot of candles. When I finished writing, I gave a copy of the book to the perfumer who’d created the candles that had inspired me the most. Frederick Bouchardy. (Joya Studios).

After he read the novel he contacted me and we met for tea in the Peninsula Hotel in NYC. He told me he loved the book and wanted to create his version of the fragrance at the heart of the novel. I was so astonished and honored, I actually started to cry.

Bouchardy even named the fragrance after one in the book: Âmes Sœurs the scent of soul mates. It has hints of Frankincense, Myrrh, Orange Blossom and Jasmine. I think it has a smoky uncommon finish that suggests the past and the future, and lost souls reunited.

10. What scents evoke memories for you?

Shalimar - it was the only perfume my mother wore – so just one whiff and she’s there – all around me. It makes me so happy and so sad at the same time.

Pine – I love to walk in the woods and the scent of pine inspires me. There is something fresh and yet ancient and primeval about it.

Popcorn- Whenever I smell it I remember the first  magical time I ever went to the circus with my dad when I was little.
Chocolate – makes me think of Paris. I don’t think I ever had great chocolate till I went to Paris.

Perfume with Lemon –makes me think of high school. We all wore Jean Nate or Love – both lemon based.

Coffee – when I smell coffee I think of New York – my hometown – the energy is the smell of fresh brewed, really really good coffee.

11. What are some of  your favorite perfumes and what tones (scents) do they contain?

Vol de Nuit by Guerlain but only vintage – Wood, Iris , Vanilla, Spices, Green notes

Orchidee Vanille Eau de Parfum by Van Cleef & Arpels – Vanilla, almond and chocolate, litchi, Bulgarian rose and violet.

Coromandel by Chanel  - a true oriental with Amber tones.

Galconda by JAR – the perfumer has never revealed what the tones are but I smell cinnamon, jasmine and carnation and heaven.

12. Besides being an international bestselling author, you are also recognized as a pioneer in the publishing world? What breakthroughs have you made in this area?

Getting published has been an adventure. I self-published Lip Service late in 1998 after several traditional publishers turned it down. Editors had loved it, but didn't know how to position it or market it since it didn't fit into any one genre.

Frustrated, but curious and convinced that there was a way to market it, I set up a web site where readers could download her book for $9.95 and began to seriously market the novel on the Internet.

After selling over 2500 copies (in both electronic and trade paper format) Lip Service became the first e-book and the first self-published novel chosen by the LiteraryGuild/Doubleday Book Club as well as being the first e-book to go on to be published by a mainstream New York publishing house.

I was also the first person to create the concept of  virtual book tours – or blog tours as they are known now – doing one in 1999.

As well I was the first author to create a book trailer, in 2000 and the first to have group blog in 2001. 
13. You are a founding board member of International Thriller Writers and are its current co-president with Lee Child. How does the organization and its annual event “Thrillerfest” which is conducted in New York City differ from any other organizations and events

We have a mantra at ITW – when we imitate we fail, when we innovate we succeed. So our goals have been to keep making our efforts and  events unique. We have the largest “craft fest” where authors can come to learn the craft from masters like David Morrell, Doug Preston, Steve Berry, Joseph Finder, Lisa Gardner, and more. We also have the largest “agent fest” in the world. Over 60 agents come to Thrillerfest to hear pitches from authors. For fans, we offer a $10 gift certificate to get them into the book room buying books and unlike most events every single registered author has his or her books for sale.

~*~

About the author:

M.J. Rose, is the international bestselling author of 13 novels;Lip Service, In Fidelity, Flesh Tones, Sheet Music, Lying in Bed, The Halo Effect, The Delilah Complex, The Venus Fix,The Reincarnationist, The Memorist, The Hypnotist, The Book of Lost Fragrances, and Seduction.
Rose is also the co-author with Angela Adair Hoy of How to Publish and Promote Online and with Randy Susan Meyers of What to Do Before Your Book Lauch.

She is a founding member and board member of International Thriller Writers and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. She runs the popular blog; Buzz, Balls & Hype.

Getting published has been an adventure for Rose who self-published Lip Service late in 1998 after several traditional publishers turned it down. Editors had loved it, but didn’t know how to position it or market it since it didn’t fit into any one genre.

Frustrated, but curious and convinced that there was a readership for her work, she set up a web site where readers could download her book for $9.95 and began to seriously market the novel on the Internet.

After selling over 2500 copies (in both electronic and trade paper format) Lip Service became the first e-book and the first self-published novel chosen by the LiteraryGuild/Doubleday Book Club as well as being the first e-book to go on to be published by a mainstream New York publishing house.

Rose has been profiled in Time magazine, Forbes, The New York Times, Business 2.0, Working Woman, Newsweek and New York Magazine.

Rose has appeared on The Today Show, Fox News, The Jim Lehrer NewsHour, and features on her have appeared in dozens of magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and abroad, including USAToday, Stern, L’Official, Poets and Writers and Publishers Weekly.

Rose graduated from Syracuse University and spent the ’80s in advertising. She was the Creative Director of Rosenfeld Sirowitz and Lawson and she has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

She lives in Connecticut with Doug Scofield, a composer, and their very spoiled dog, Winka. [from her website]

--~ Giveaway courtesy of tour ~--

WIN $25 Amazon Gift Card

Open to all.

Offer ends: April 6, 2014

TO DO:

EARN 1 entry in this contest tour if you share about this book on TWITTER or FACEBOOK.

COMMENT with link to your post.

INCLUDE your email address.

* NOTE: one participant will be randomly selected and sent to the author who will include the name in the main contest pool from which she will draw 2 winners

* WIN a copy from Goodreads -ends April 21.

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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~*~

* review copy and giveaway courtesy of book tour - check out the other stops here for more details on this book and goodies sponsored by France Book Tours.


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan

Glitter and Glue
by Kelly Corrigan

Visit Kelly:
Amazon
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Instagram
Twitter

Just released: Feb 2014
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Memoir
Hardback: 240 pages
Rating: 3.5

From the author of The Middle Place comes a new memoir that examines the bond—sometimes nourishing, sometimes exasperating, occasionally divine—between mothers and daughters.

When Kelly Corrigan was in high school, her mother neatly summarized the family dynamic as “Your father’s the glitter but I’m the glue.” This meant nothing to Kelly, who left childhood sure that her mom—with her inviolable commandments and proud stoicism—would be nothing more than background chatter for the rest of Kelly’s life, which she was carefully orienting toward adventure. After college, armed with a backpack, her personal mission statement, and a wad of traveler’s checks, she took off for Australia to see things and do things and Become Interesting.

But it didn’t turn out the way she pictured it. In a matter of months, her savings shot, she had a choice: get a job or go home. That’s how Kelly met John Tanner, a newly widowed father of two looking for a live-in nanny. They chatted for an hour, discussed timing and pay, and a week later, Kelly moved in. And there, in that house in a suburb north of Sydney, 10,000 miles from the house where she was raised, her mother’s voice was suddenly everywhere, nudging and advising, cautioning and directing, escorting her through a terrain as foreign as any she had ever trekked. Every day she spent with the Tanner kids was a day spent reconsidering her relationship with her mother, turning it over in her hands like a shell, straining to hear whatever messages might be trapped in its spiral.

This is a book about the difference between travel and life experience, stepping out and stepping up, fathers and mothers. But mostly it’s about who you admire and why, and how that changes over time.


My two-bits:

This memoir focuses on the "glue" which is the author's mother through experiences away from home.

I found that this book got me thinking about relationships between parents and children and its effect on parenthood. And of course, questioning what both my parents mean to me.

--~ Book Giveaway ~--

signup to win this book

~*~

* review copy courtesy of publisher

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - 3.22.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

Bought:

Crudrat
by Gail Carriger
-short stories, sci-fi, YA
ebook and audio from Kickstarter campaign

Freebie:

Finding Cinderella
by Colleen Hoover
ebook courtesy of publisher
Thanks!
get a copy here while offer lasts

Library:

Portlandia
A Guide for Visitors
by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein
-humor, tv
Picked this one up because I have been binging on the show and loving it. The book is pretty much an episode of the show in book form. Funny stuff ;-)

A Game of Thrones:
The Graphic Novel: Volume One
by Daniel Abraham, George R.R. Martin
Been loving the book and tv series and wanted to try the graphic novel version as I can't get enough of this epic fantasy story which is so rich in details.

~*~

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Friday, March 21, 2014

A World of YA Fantasy HOP

Keep The Magic Alive
a w o r l d o f y a f a n t a s y
Global Blog Event Hop
March 21 - April 4, 2014
complete details here

--~ Book Giveaway ~--

Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.


WIN my ARC copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: April 4, 2014 --> extended to April 7

TO DO:

VISIT the author here.

RETURN here and tell me something you found of interest there.

AND, leave your email.

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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Now hop-a-long for more goodies...






Thursday, March 20, 2014

Mental Health Giveaway Hop

Mental Health Giveaway Hop
March 20-27, 2014
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Reading in Twilight
complete HOP list here

~*~

Having a teen daughter can be tough and times. Below is a book that inspired me in regards to mother and daughter relationships.

Also, quick tips can be found in this article:

15 Insights on Improving Mother-Daughter Relationships
by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.

1. Make the first move.
2. Change yourself.
3. Have realistic expectations.

READ the complete list with details here

~*~

Glitter and Glue
by Kelly Corrigan
Just released: Feb 2014

From the author of The Middle Place comes a new memoir that examines the bond—sometimes nourishing, sometimes exasperating, occasionally divine—between mothers and daughters.

When Kelly Corrigan was in high school, her mother neatly summarized the family dynamic as “Your father’s the glitter but I’m the glue.” This meant nothing to Kelly, who left childhood sure that her mom—with her inviolable commandments and proud stoicism—would be nothing more than background chatter for the rest of Kelly’s life, which she was carefully orienting toward adventure. After college, armed with a backpack, her personal mission statement, and a wad of traveler’s checks, she took off for Australia to see things and do things and Become Interesting.

But it didn’t turn out the way she pictured it. In a matter of months, her savings shot, she had a choice: get a job or go home. That’s how Kelly met John Tanner, a newly widowed father of two looking for a live-in nanny. They chatted for an hour, discussed timing and pay, and a week later, Kelly moved in. And there, in that house in a suburb north of Sydney, 10,000 miles from the house where she was raised, her mother’s voice was suddenly everywhere, nudging and advising, cautioning and directing, escorting her through a terrain as foreign as any she had ever trekked. Every day she spent with the Tanner kids was a day spent reconsidering her relationship with her mother, turning it over in her hands like a shell, straining to hear whatever messages might be trapped in its spiral.

This is a book about the difference between travel and life experience, stepping out and stepping up, fathers and mothers. But mostly it’s about who you admire and why, and how that changes over time.


PeekAbook:



--~ Book Giveaway ~--

WIN my review copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: March 27, 2014

TO DO:

WATCH the video above.

LEAVE a comment.

AND, leave your email.

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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Now hop-a-long for more goodies...

complete HOP list here

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Donna of the Dead by Alison Kemper (with giveaway)

Donna of the Dead
by Alison Kemper

Visit Alison:
Amazon
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter

Just released: March 4, 2014
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Genre: Paranormal, YA, Zombies
ebook: 271 pages
Rating: 5

Donna Pierce might hear voices, but that doesn’t mean she’s crazy. Probably.

The voices do serve their purpose, though—whenever Donna hears them, she knows she’s in danger. So when they start yelling at the top of their proverbial lungs, it’s no surprise she and her best friend, Deke, end up narrowly escaping a zombie horde.

Alone without their families, they take refuge at their high school with the super-helpful nerds, the bossy class president, and—best of all?—Liam, hottie extraordinaire and Donna’s long-time crush. When Liam is around, it’s easy to forget about the moaning zombies, her dad’s plight to reach them, and how weird Deke is suddenly acting toward her.

But as the teens’ numbers dwindle and their escape plans fall apart, Donna has to listen to the secrets those voices in her head have been hiding. It seems not all the zombies are shuffling idiots, and the half-undead aren’t really down with kids like Donna…


Series:
Donna of the Dead
Dwight of the Living Dead - tba

My two-bits:
I had a good time with this zombie apocalypse survival teen tale. Although it did not completely explain the why and how of the zombie creation, the survival aspects were interesting to ponder.

Do not be fooled by the cover image. There was not much time for kissy-kissy action while trying to survive zombies all around. However, romance and humor provides fuel to this fast-paced story.

Donna, the main character, undergoes a sort of coming-of-age and coming-of-hero which is what kept me glued. Nothing like zombies to push people out of their comfort zone to do outrageous things for the best.

About the author:

Alison Kemper grew up in South Florida, the only girl on a street with eleven boys. She spent most of her childhood paddling a canoe through neighborhood canals and looking for adventure.

She usually found it.

Sometimes the police were involved. And large dogs. And one time, a very territorial snake.

She now lives in North Carolina and writes books. The books often include girls having adventures. With boys. Cute boys. And cute dogs too. But no cute snakes. Never cute snakes.

Her debut novel, Donna of the Dead, will be published by Entangled Teen in 2014 and followed by two companion novels.

She loves to meet new people and talk books, so send her a friend request or connect with her on Twitter and Instagram.

--~ Giveaway courtesy of tour ~--


15 Zombie Swag Bags that include $5 Amazon card, Donna of the Dead mints (don't get caught with zombie breath) and exploding eye gumballs (they squirt red goo when you bite into them, but are surprisingly delicious)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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The tour continues...

3/19/2014- Curling Up With A Good Book- Interview
3/20/2014- The Phantom Paragrapher- Review
3/20/2014- Imagine a World- Excerpt
3/21/2014- Mom With A Kindle- Review
3/21/2014- Comfort Books- Guest Post

* review copy courtesy of book tour - check out the other stops here for more details on this book and goodies sponsored by RockStar Book Tours.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Cover reveal: Always Emily by Michaela MacColl

Always Emily
A Novel of Intrigue and Romance
by Michaela MacColl
release date: April 8, 2014

Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they're not there yet.

First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor's death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle— before someone else gets killed.


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* thought I would mention another Bronte themed book that will be released next month 

* I have read Jane Eyre. And, I have watched the movie adaptations of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Been reading to read more Bronte works which are in my tbr pile. I am curious to know if you have read any Bronte novels. If so, which?

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Cover reveal: Catherine by April Lindner

Catherine
by April Lindner
Release date (paperback): August 19, 2014
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Book Depository

I am super excited to be able to help spread the word about the new cover for the paperback edition of CATHERINE by April Lindner which will be available this August.

Both covers are amazing but convey something very different with the image and colors. And I’m thrilled to be able to welcome April Lindner to the blog with a post discussing them both.

There is also a giveaway for an Amazon eGift Card. Just scroll to the bottom of this post for details and to enter.

While CATHERINE’s paperback release is still a few months away, if you purchase the eBook edition now, it comes with the new cover. And if you’re a fan of the first cover, the hardback copy is still available to purchase.

Both covers rock, but which one is your favorite?

Catherine
by April Lindner
Hardcover: January 1, 2013

Catherine is tired of struggling musicians befriending her just so they can get a gig at her Dad's famous Manhattan club, The Underground. Then she meets mysterious Hence, an unbelievably passionate and talented musician on the brink of success. As their relationship grows, both are swept away in a fiery romance. But when their love is tested by a cruel whim of fate, will pride keep them apart?

Chelsea has always believed that her mom died of a sudden illness, until she finds a letter her dad has kept from her for years -- a letter from her mom, Catherine, who didn't die: She disappeared. Driven by unanswered questions, Chelsea sets out to look for her -- starting with the return address on the letter: The Underground.

Told in two voices, twenty years apart, Catherine delivers a fresh retelling of the Emily Brontë classic Wuthering Heights, interweaving a timeless forbidden romance with a captivating modern mystery.


About the Author:

April Lindner is the author of three novels: Catherine, a modernization of Wuthering Heights; Jane, an update of Jane Eyre; and Love, Lucy, due out in January, 2015.

She also has published two poetry collections, Skin and This Bed Our Bodies Shaped. She plays acoustic guitar badly, sees more rock concerts than she’d care to admit, travels whenever she can, cooks Italian food, and lavishes attention on her pets—two Labrador retriever mixes and two excitable guinea pigs. A professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University, April lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The Guest Post:

Promises, Promises: Judging a Book by Its Cover
By April Lindner

We’ve all been told that you can’t judge a book by its cover. And yet some of us book lovers can’t help ourselves; there’s nothing like a gorgeous cover to lure us in. More often than not, an enticing cover is the main thing that moves me to pick up a book I’ve never heard of, to start paging through it, giving the first few paragraphs a chance to seal the deal—or not.

So for me the most exciting moment in the whole bookmaking occurs when a book’s future cover appears in my inbox. I click on the thumbnail, and wait breathlessly as the image blooms onto my computer screen. Only then can I imagine my manuscript as a book—on a shelf, or, better still, in the hands of a reader. I know the cover will set the book’s tone. And it will make promises—hopefully the right ones.

All of this explains why I’m so thrilled by the new cover of Catherine’s paperback edition, due out in August. Don’t get me wrong: I love the original Catherine cover. Lush and dramatic, it makes certain promises—ones I believe the book keeps. The elegant model in her kickass stance promises a strong female protagonist. (Actually, the book has two alternating strong female narrators—Catherine and her daughter Chelsea.) And the background, with the iconic Flatiron Building rising up through the mist, promises the book’s Lower Manhattan setting will be as important as its characters. The title typeface—bold and purple—promises a confident, free-spirited heroine—exactly how I see Catherine herself.

But the new paperback cover—already available to readers who download the Ebook-- makes a different set of promises. On it, a boy and a girl hold each other in the shadows of a graffiti-covered underpass. They gaze at each other in rapt wonder, their shoulders, neck and heads echoing the shape of a heart. Secret romance, this cover says. It promises love against the odds. The scene is gritty—less glamorous than the cityscape on the original—but this grittiness befits the book’s main setting, a post punk night club on the Bowery. The title’s typeface is still bold, but its peachy color underscores the sweet and optimistic innocence of this couple’s embrace.

Inspired by the classic romance Wuthering Heights, Catherine is a story of star-crossed love interwoven with mystery. Its soundtrack is the post-punk music played by Catherine’s boyfriend, Hence. And the new paperback cover captures that complex mood exactly, I think. In fact, when it popped up on my computer screen for the first time, I almost swooned. There it was, in front of me: almost exactly the picture I saw in my imagination as I wrote the book.

An author can hope for nothing more than that.

--~ Giveaway courtesy of tour ~--

WIN A $15 Amazon eGift Card to ONE winner.

Open to all.

Offer ends: March 25, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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* I like the hardcover image. And you - which image do you like?

* This reveal is sponsored by Rockstar Book Tours.


Saturday, March 15, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - 3.15.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

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For Review:

Zombie, Indiana: A Novel
by Scott Kenemore
-zombies
courtesy of publisher, Edelweiss
Thanks !

~*~

Library:

Hyperbole and a Half:
Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and
Other Things That Happened...
by Allie Brosh
-humor, memoir
I'm finding this dark humor hilarious! And loving the illustrations.


The Book of Awesome
by Neil Pasricha
-humor
Finding it fun to read a couple of this collection of awesome bits daily for a smile.


When She Woke
by Hillary Jordan
-dystopia
Listening to the audio of this. It is so eerie (((shivers))).

~*~

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers


Friday, March 14, 2014

A Love Letter to the City by Stephen Powers

A Love Letter to the City
by Stephen Powers
Just released: February 2014

Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Genre: Art
Paperback: 176 pages
Rating: 4.5

Series:
Steve Powers: A Love Letter for You
A Love Letter to the City by Stephen Powers

Stretched across city walls and along rooftops, Stephen Powers's colorful large-scale murals sneak up on you. "Open your eyes / I see the sunrise", "If you were here I'd be home," "Forever begins when you say yes."


What at first looks like nothing as much as an advertisement suddenly becomes something grander and more mysterious—a hand-painted love letter at billboard size.


Combining community activism and public art, Powers and his team of sign mechanics collaborate with a neighborhood's residents to create visual jingles— sincere and often poignant affirmations and confessions that reflect the collective hopes and dreams of the host community.


A Love Letter to the City gathers the artist's powerful public art project for the first time, including murals on the walls and rooftops of Brooklyn and Syracuse, New York; Philadelphia; Dublin and Belfast, Ireland; São Paolo, Brazil, and Johannesburg, South Africa.


My two-bits:
Love letters, indeed, short and to the point. Loved the concept for this art project which incorporated words in art form. I found the background stories behind the photographed pieces helped me better understand and appreciate the project. The stories also provided some explanation as to what I was looking at and how it related to each city.

~*~

* review copy courtesy of publisher

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday - 3.12.14


I'm waiting for...

Elusion
by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam
to be released: March 18, 2014

The mind-blowing beginning of a futuristic series about the seductive nature of a perfect virtual world and how far one girl will go to uncover the truth behind the illusions.

A new technology is sweeping the country. To enter Elusion®, you need an app, a visor, and a wristband and you'll be virtually transported to an exotic destination where adventure comes without the complications or consequences of real life. When there are accusations that Elusion is addictive and dangerous, Regan is determined to defend it and is pulled into incredible new worlds to discover deeply buried truths and to make the ultimate choice between love and loyalty. . . .

Full of thrilling mystery, romance, and intriguing technology, this Inception-inspired thriller is perfect for fans of dystopian and sci-fi novels such as Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, Matched by Ally Condie, and Partials by Dan Wells.


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* Waiting on Wednesday is sponsored by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

* this book is currently on tour - details here


Sunday, March 9, 2014

Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington

Liv, Forever
by Amy Talkington

Visit Amy:
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Website
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To be released: March 11, 2014
Publisher: SOHO Teen
Genre: Mystery, Paranormal, YA
Hardback: 288 pages
Rating: 5

When Liv Bloom lands an art scholarship at Wickham Hall, it’s her ticket out of the foster system. Liv isn’t sure what to make of the school’s weird traditions and rituals, but she couldn’t be happier. For the first time ever, she has her own studio, her own supply of paints. Everything she could want.

Then she meets Malcolm Astor, a legacy student, a fellow artist, and the one person who’s ever been able to melt her defenses. Liv’s only friend at Wickham, fellow scholarship kid Gabe Nichols, warns her not to get involved, but life is finally going Liv’s way, and all she wants to do is enjoy the ride.

But Liv’s bliss is doomed. Weeks after arriving, she is viciously murdered and, in death, she discovers that she’s the latest victim of a dark conspiracy that has claimed many lives. Cursed with the ability to see the many ghosts on Wickham’s campus, Gabe is now Liv’s only link to the world of the living. To Malcolm.

Together, Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm fight to expose the terrible truth that haunts the halls of Wickham. But Liv must fight alone to come to grips with the ultimate star-crossed love.


PeekAbook:



My two-bits:
I really enjoyed this ghost tale that that incorporated some romance and humor in a sad tale.

The story had a nice flow and fast pace that kept me curious to the end as mysteries should do.

The characters were developed and portrayed well. Each ghost embodied their time periods and plight with interesting descriptions.

Loved how the concept of ghosts and ghostly doings was presented. This story got me thinking as to whether or not I would ever want to be contacted by a ghost. Still thinking on it...

--~ Book Giveaway ~--

WIN my ARC copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: March 30, 2014

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ADD this book to your Goodreads Want To Read list.

OR

Tweet about this giveaway.

OR

Recommend this on Google using the mini-button at end of this post (g+1).

2. TELL me what you did in comments.

AND, leave your email.

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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* review copy courtesy of book tour sponsored by SOHO Teen.


Saturday, March 8, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - 3.08.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

For Review:

A Love Letter to the City
by Stephen Powers
-art
just released: Feb 2014
courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press
Thanks Jaime!

Donna of the Dead
by Alison Kemper
-paranormal, YA, zombies
courtesy of RockStar Book Tours
Thanks!

Going Over
by Beth Kephart
-romance, YA
courtesy of Chronicle Books
Thanks Lara!

~*~

Library:

Eleanor & Park
by Rainbow Rowell
romance, YA


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* reviewed books may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

 
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