Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer edited by Christina Boyd

Not too late to capture summer romance vibes with...

Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer
by KaraLynne Mackrory, Linda Beutler, Abigail Bok,
Karen M. Cox, J. Marie Croft, Natalie Richards,
Sophia Rose, Morgan K. Wyatt, Christina Boyd (Editor)
Published: 2015
Publisher: Meryton Press (Website | Blog
Genre: Romance, Short Stories, Jane Austen theme
Paperback: 228 pages

If you desire a little heat, a summer flirtation, or an escape to bask in your own private sun, this whimsical collection of original short stories is inspired by all things summer. In collaboration with some of Meryton Press’s most popular and award-winning authors, this anthology debuts other promising and emerging talent.

Contemporary and Regency alike, each romance was dreamt as a perfect summer refreshment to bring a smile to your own sun-kissed face.

• In KaraLynne Mackrory’s Shades of Pemberley, Mr. Darcy, with some fantastic assistance, discovers Elizabeth Bennet in a most unlikely place.

• Karen M. Cox’s Northanger Revisited 2015 modernizes Northanger Abbey at a fictionalized seaside in Georgia.

• Linda Beutler takes us to Paris as a young gentleman is schooled in the ways of amour in The Incomplete Education of Fitzwilliam Darcy.

• In Spyglasses and Sunburns, J. Marie Croft takes the Miss Bennets to the seaside where they chance upon handsome acquaintances.

• In Abigail Bok’s A Summer in Sanditon, a little sea bathing seems just the thing to cure what ails Anne de Bourgh.

• In Natalie Richards’ Midsummer Madness, an honest confession and a promise between strangers at a masque ball mend a misunderstanding.

• Sophia Rose re-imagines a modern-day Persuasion in Second Chance at Sunset Beach.

• In Morgan K Wyatt’s Dream Spinner, a near-death car accident and an unlikely trucker bring new perspective to a young co-ed’s life and love.

Lovely Books and Things - 12.16.17

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update
Linking up with:
Stacking the Shelves (details)
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~
I did some holiday shopping and sightseeing (of store holiday decorations) last week which will continue into this week. I may not buy anything else, but I am enjoying just walking amongst the holiday vibe.

Inspired by the Happy Planner, I started a list of goals for next year which I need to now organize and prioritize.

Current happy things:

1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
2. The Merriest by June Christy (holiday song)
3. Making soup with a blender stick - so easy
4. Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Star cookies from Trader Joe's

~*~
Bought:

Whitefly
by Abdelilah Hamdouchi
translated by Jonathan Smolin
-Mystery, Africa, Morocco
Amazon | Goodreads
JANUARY pick for face-to-face book club that reads foreign mysteries.


UNBOXING:

From Owlcrate package (details & signup):
OwlCrate is a subscription service that sends you magical monthly boxes tailored to a chosen theme. Each OwlCrate will contain one new Young Adult novel, as well as 3-5 other bookish treats to help you get your nerd on. @owlcrate

DECEMBER Box includes:
theme: Seize the Day

- Owlcrate info booklet, button and spoiler cards
- Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills (exclusive cover)
- Signed bookplate, letter and embroidered patch from author
- Wooden ornament inspired by Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon created by Juniper & Ivy Designs
- Soy candle inspired by The Names Tjeu Gave Us by Emery Lord created by Novelly Yours
- Double-sided bookmark inspired by The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky created by Little Inklings Designs
- Magnet inspired by Percy Jackson created by Ink & Wonder Designs
- Planner and reading journal inspired by Owlcrate created by Blue Star Press
- Tote bag inspired by the Harry Potter series created Bookworm boutique

Foolish Hearts
by Emma Mills
-Contemporary, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
When Claudia accidentally eavesdrops on the epic breakup of Paige and Iris, the it-couple at her school, she finds herself in hot water with prickly, difficult Iris. Thrown together against their will in the class production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, along with the goofiest, cutest boy Claudia has ever known, Iris and Claudia are in for an eye-opening senior year.

Smart, funny, and thoroughly, wonderfully flawed, Claudia navigates a world of intense friendships and tentative romance in this book about expanding your horizons, allowing yourself to be vulnerable, and accepting―and loving―people for who they really are.


OTHER things (kinda book-related):

Happy Birthday Jane Austen!
December 16
Celebrated Jane's birthday last weekend with JASNA. Along with cake and good cheer, the meeting included a wonderful guest speaker panel of Jane Austenesque writers moderated by DiAnn Ellis and starring Abigail Bok, Emmy Z. Madrigal, Jeanette Watts and Reina Williams.

Their books include:

An Obstinate, Headstrong Girl by Abigail Bok
Lord Harrigton's Last Doe by Emmy Z. Madrigal (currently working on a Northanger Abbey retelling)
Jane Austen Lied to Me by Jeanette Watts
Most Truly (Love at Pemberley #1) by Reina M. Williams

Book Blogger Hop
features a book related question
Sponsored by The Coffee Addicted Writer (details)
This week's prompt: Which book(s) would you like Santa to bring you this year?
(submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)

Ooo, I would like to see this under my tree...

Retribution Rails
by Erin Bowman
-Historical, Western, YA
just released: November 7, 2017
Amazon | Goodreads
Loved the first book and looking forward to this second in the series.


AND watched: on Netflix

Stranger Things (2016-present)
season one & season two
tv series
Creators: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
Stars: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder
-Drama, Fantasy, Horror | imdb| my rating: 5
When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back.

GREAT 1980's genre mystery, scifi, horror story.

A Christmas Prince (2017)
Director: Alex Zamm
Writers: Karen Schaler, Nathan Atkins
Stars: Rose McIver, Ben Lamb, Alice Krige
-Comedy, Romance, Christmas | imdb | my rating: 5
When a reporter goes undercover as a tutor to get the inside scoop on a playboy prince, she gets tangled in some royal intrigue and ends up finding love - but will she be able to keep up her lie?

FELL for this one like everyone else.


AND watched: in theatre

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (original title)
Director: J.J. Abrams
Writer: Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, Michael Arndt
Based on characters by: George Lucas
Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver
-Action, Adventure, Fantasy, SciFi | imdb | my rating: 5

Three decades after the Empire's defeat, a new threat arises in the militant First Order. Stormtrooper defector Finn and spare parts scavenger Rey are caught up in the Resistance's search for the missing Luke Skywalker.


Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (original title)
Director/Writer: Rian Johnson
Based on characters by: George Lucas
Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver
-Action, Adventure, Fantasy, SciFi | imdb | my rating: 5

Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order.

WENT to a fan double feature film screening for this super fun SciFi story. Loved the action and humor.

~*~
* checkout the sidebar for current giveaways

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

:-)

Stacking the Shelves - 8.8.15

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:

Tin House
Summer Reading issue
-magazine, fiction, poetry, etc.
Website
Freebie ebook:

Spin: (A Mafia Romance)
Corruption Series #1 (Songs of Corruption)
by CD Reiss
Amazon | Goodreads
Won from contest:

Sweet as Sin
(Bad Habit, #1)
by J.T. Geissinger
-New Adult, Music, Romance
courtesy of Goodreads
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> wheeee! sometimes the stars align ;-)

For Review:

If You Only Knew
by Kristan Higgins
-Chick-lit
courtesy of publisher
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads -enter giveaway, ends Aug 24
Pretty Baby
by Mary Kubica
Destination: Chicago
-Mystery, Thriller
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
Library:

The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship
by Arthur Ransome, Uri Shulevitz (Illustrator)
-Caldecott winner, Fairy Tale, Russian
Amazon | Goodreads
When the Czar proclaims that he will marry his daughter to the man who brings him a flying ship, the Fool of the World sets out to try his luck and meets some unusual companions on the way.

OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related

SEE who I picked for my JULY Literary Hunk of the Month (here)

AND binge watching:

Poldark
tv series, season one
-drama, historical, romance
Amazon | imdb
Ross Poldark returns home after American Revolutionary War and rebuilds his life with a new business venture, making new enemies and finding a new love where he least expects it.

=====> I stopped watching this when I started reading the first two books this month. Now I am catching up with the last few episodes.

~*~
* some of these 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

Preorder Never Said by Carol Lynch Williams,
a gripping new YA novel,
and be entered to win a $200 gift card!
For as long as she can remember, Sarah’s family life has revolved around her twin sister, Annie—the pretty one, the social one, the girl who can do anything. The person everyone seems to wish Sarah—with her crippling shyness—could simply become.

When Annie suddenly chops off her hair, quits beauty pageants, and gains weight, the focus changes—Annie is still the star of the family, but for all the wrong reasons. Sarah knows something has happened, but she too is caught in her own spiral after her boyfriend breaks up with her and starts hanging out with one of Annie’s old friends.
Annie is intent on keeping her painful secret safe. But when she and Sarah start spending time together again for the first time in years, walls start to break on both sides … and words that had been left unsaid could change everything.

Preorder now (here) and send your receipt to christelle@sparkpointstudio.com to enter!

Get extra entries when you share the news about Never Said on social and tag @BookSparks!

Tweet this: “Can’t wait to read NEVER SAID a new YA read on the @BookSparks YA Summer Reading Challenge! http://amzn.to/1ORhztH"

The giveaway ends August 24th, so preorder now for a chance to win a $200 Target gift card!