Happy Release: Fatal Legislation by Ellen Butler

Fatal Legislation
(Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 2)
by Ellen Butler
-Mystery | Goodreads
Release date: December 11, 2018
Lawmaking can be a murderous affair.

If any day calls for a soothing glass of wine, it’s today.

One moment, Capitol Hill lobbyist Karina Cardinal is having a heated discussion with Senator Harper, who just torpedoed her latest health care legislation initiative. The next, after a cryptic remark, the senator is dead at her feet. Hours later, she’s still so rattled she wakes to a freezing apartment because she forgot to close her back door. Or did she?

When her boyfriend, FBI cybercrimes expert Mike Finnegan, is suddenly reassigned to work a new case, he’s got bad news and worse news. The bad: the senator’s death was no heart attack—it was assassination by a hacker disabling his pacemaker. Worse: Karina’s a “person of interest”.

Certain that status could change to “suspect” at any moment, Karina begins her own back-channel investigation into who could have wanted the senator dead. Of course, in Washington, that means playing politics and following the money trail. A trail that leads to more murders…and possibly leaving the door open for a killer to change her status to “dead.”

Winners for June

Here is the winner for giveaway that
ended May 31, 2018

Thanks to all contestants!
~*~

Isabella's Painting
(Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1)
by Ellen Butler
-Mystery
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads | giveaway
Winner: Midnight Cowgirl

~*~
* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the signup link

* 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

* if not this time, maybe next time

Isabella's Painting by Ellen Butler

Isabella's Painting
(Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1)
by Ellen Butler

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Website
Facebook | Instagram
Twitter

Just released: May 2, 2018
Publisher: Power to the Pen
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Paperback: 280
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
The Nantucket style mini-mansion loomed in front of me like a bad dream, its glittering twinkle-lights and festive greenery seeming to mock my utter lack of holiday cheer.

Peeling back layers of lies could save a masterpiece…or reveal a killer.

After a long week lobbying on Capitol Hill, all Karina Cardinal wants to do is chill with Netflix and her boyfriend, Patrick Dunne. Instead, she’s slipping her aching feet into red stilettos for his parents’ annual holiday bash. When she accidentally interrupts Patrick’s father in his study, her embarrassment is tempered by suspicion that Martin Dunne and his dapper, secretive guest are hiding something. Maybe the painting she barely glimpses right before it disappears behind a secret panel.

An internet search raises her curiosity to full-blown alarm. If she’s right, Martin is in possession of a stolen masterpiece. Infamous because everyone close to it has turned up dead. As in Mafia-style-execution dead.

As she’s chewing over which instinct to follow—back off while she still can, or dig deeper for the truth—she crosses paths with FBI agent Mike Finnegan. An old friend and not-quite flame from her college days. When she looks into his warm, mocha eyes, she’s tempted to tell him everything.

Trouble is, she’s already being watched. And the next move she makes could destroy innocent lives…including her own.

PeekAbook:



My two-bits:

This mix of mystery and romance led me into the art world and introduced art heists. Loved the feature of Vermeer as he tops my list of favorite artists.

As the protagonist is not a detective, it was interesting to see how she went about uncovering the mystery with her resources and skills.

There is an FBI connection who is a friend from college days and with sparks of romance that crackle when they interact - makes for a great start for further adventures with the two.

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
WIN an ARC copy of this book!

Open to US only.

Offer ends: May 31, 2018

TO DO:

TELL me your favorite painting or artist in comments with your email.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author

Lovely Books and Things - 5.5.18

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

~*~
HAPPY THINGS:

1. Reading short stories from The New Yorker magazine
*** Happy Short Story Month ***

2. Meeting friends for dinner

3. Trying out a new coffee cafe - treated myself to a Lavender Latte, Milk & Cereal Toast (with Lucky Charms, butter and condensed milk) and a book from my latest haul

~*~
For Review:

Isabella's Painting
(Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1)
by Ellen Butler
-Mystery
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
STAY TUNED: I have an extra copy of this to give away on the review post later this month.

Brave New Girl
(Brave New Girl #1)
by Rachel Vincent
-Dystopia, YA
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Strange New World
(Brave New Girl #2)
by Rachel Vincent
-Dystopia, YA
Release date: May 8, 2018
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Dark Tales
The Call of Cthulhu
by H. P. Lovecraft
illustrated by Dave Shephard
-Horror, Graphic Novel
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

UNBOXING:

From Deep Readers Club (website & instagram):

The Deep Readers Club is a new monthly book box for the #bookworm who wants to be moved by the books they read. Each box follows a theme around a certain feeling and includes a literary novel and 3-5 bookish goods.

GOING backwards. I ordered this box which was released earlier this year as I liked the theme and contents.

January theme: Nostalgia
-Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
-Sugar cookie candle by Cornerfolds Candles
-Lavendar and rose petals by Sweet Nostalgia Herbal Tea by Boondock Enterprises
-Bookmark designed by Three Schatze
-Dot paged notebook by Cognitive Surplus
-Art print by Footnotes Studio

Tell the Wolves I'm Home
by Carol Rifka Brunt
-Historical, LGBTQ, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

An emotionally charged coming-of-age novel, Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again.


AND watched: in theatre

Lives Well Lived (2018)
Director: Sky Bergman
-Documentary | imdb | my rating: 5
Lives Well Lived celebrates the incredible wit, wisdom and experiences of adults aged 75 to 100 years old. Through their intimate memories and inspiring personal histories encompassing over 3000 years of experience, forty people share their secrets and insights to living a meaningful life. These men and women open the vault on their journey into old age through family histories, personal triumph and tragedies, loves and losses - seeing the best and worst of humanity along the way. Their stories will make you laugh, perhaps cry, but mostly inspire you.

PROVIDES inspiration for creating a happy future.


AND watched: on Netflix

Alias Grace (2017)
tv series, season one
Director: Mary Harron
Based on book by: Margaret Atwood
Stars: Sarah Gadon, Edward Holcroft
-Biography, Crime, Drama, Canada | imdb | my rating: 5
In 19th-century Canada, a psychiatrist weighs whether a murderess should be pardoned due to insanity.

LOVED this adaptation of another Atwood novel. She makes a cameo appearance in one of the episodes.


AND watched: online

Breathless (1960)
À bout de souffle (original title)
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Writer: François Truffaut
Based on book by:
Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg
-Crime, Drama, Classic | imdb | my rating: 4
A small-time thief steals a car and impulsively murders a motorcycle policeman. Wanted by the authorities, he reunites with a hip American journalism student and attempts to persuade her to run away with him to Italy.

FULL of easter eggs of popular 1950s films. Artsy and incorporates jazz.


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

Thanks for stopping by :-)

The Brass Compass by Ellen Butler

The Brass Compass
by Ellen Butler

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Guest post about book
Website | Facebook
Twitter
YouTube

Just released: March 20, 2017
Publisher: Power to the Pen
Genre: Action, Historical, WWII
Paperback: 356
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
Unbeknownst to me, my training started as a child, long before the Nazis came to power, before the war, and before my stay at the prestigious Swiss finishing school, Château Mont-Choisi in the idyllic town on Lausanne. Had my mother realized the path her machinations put me on, I doubt she would have ever let me out of her sight.

A beautiful American spy flees into the night. On her own, she must live by her wits to evade capture and make it to the safety of the Allied forces. Lily Saint James grew up traveling the European continent, learning languages as she went. In 1938, her mother’s abrupt death brings her back home to Washington, D.C., and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Lily comes to the attention of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Her knowledge of German, French, and Italian makes her the perfect OSS Agent, and her quick thinking places her as a nanny in the household of an important German Army Colonel, where she is able to gather intelligence for the Allies. After her marketplace contact goes missing, she makes a late-night trip to her secondary contact only to find him under interrogation by the SS. When he commits suicide, she flees into the frigid winter night carrying false identification papers that are now dangerous and a mini film cartridge with vital strategic information. In order to survive, Lily must make it out of Germany, into the hands of Allied-controlled France, through a path fraught with peril.

PeekAbook:



My two-bits:

Lots of spy related action set during WWII with a dash of romance.

The heroine was pulled through various scrapes and sticky situations with panache. She was likable and had me rooting for her the whole way.

Got to learn a bit about the OSS and their efforts.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author

Lovely Books and Things - 6.24.17

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

~*~
Neglected to post last weekend as it was time to retrieve the young one from the college dorm. So nice to have the kid home again.

Lots of review books came in over the last two weeks. I am set for the next couple months.

And yet, I still request and pickup books from the library ;-)

~*~
For Review:

Lady of the Tarot
(Reign of Tarot Book 2)
by Juli D. Revezzo
-Historical, Gothic, France
audio version
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads | Audible
THIS is a download from audible.com. It is my first experience using this service.

The Darkest Promise
by Gena Showalter
-Paranormal, Romance
courtesy of tour by BookSparks - Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
THE paranormal romance reading continues this month with this latest. Also, another first for me... although I have mentioned Gena in a previous post regarding her Alice in Wonderland zombie series, I have yet to read her works.

That Crazy Perfect Someday
by Michael Mazza
-Women's Fiction, Sports
courtesy of Wunderkind -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
THE surfing aspect of this story is what caught my attention.

Perfectly Oblivious
by Robin Daniels
-YA, Humor
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
THE premise for this sounds really cute.

The Baller
A Down and Dirty Football Novel
by Vi Keeland
-New Adult, Romance
courtesy of Romance Read-of-the-Month Club -Thanks!
BarnesNoble | Goodreads
AHHH, so behind with my romance book club reading.

Life Would Suck Without You
A Girlfriend Memoir
by Jennifer Preuss
-Memoir, Humor
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
THIS looks like a fun one.

The Brass Compass
by Ellen Butler
-Historical Fiction
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
LOOKING forward to reading the doings of female spies in this one.


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

JUNE Box includes:
theme: Make It Out Alive (dystopia)
- Owlcrate spoiler card with creepy mysterious tinge
- Owlcrate button - monthly theme
- The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson
- Signed bookplate, letter and sticker sheet from author
- New World Rising by Jennifer Wilson
- Magnet inspired by An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir created by Little Inklings Design
- Bookmark inspired by A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas created by Hey Atlas Creative
- Bath bomb inspired by Divergent by Veronica Roth created by Fizzy Fairy Apothecary
- Sleep mask inspired by zombies from Archie McPhee
- Patch inspired by The Giver by Lois Lowry created by Laserbrain Patch Co.

The Sandcastle Empire
by Kayla Olson
-Dystopia, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Before the war, Eden’s life was easy. Then the revolution happened, and everything changed.

Now a powerful group called the Wolfpack controls the earth and its resources. And even though Eden has lost everything to them, she refuses to die by their hands. She knows the coordinates to the only neutral ground left in the world, a place called Sanctuary Island, and she is desperate to escape to its shores.

Eden finally reaches the island and meets others resistant to the Wolves. But the solace is short-lived when one of Eden’s new friends goes missing. Braving the jungle in search of their lost ally, they quickly discover Sanctuary is filled with lethal traps and an enemy they never expected.

This island might be deadlier than the world Eden left behind, but surviving it is the only thing that stands between her and freedom.

New World Rising
by Jennifer Wilson
-Dystopia, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Worlds collide in debut author Jennifer Wilson's graphic dystopian series where Divergent meets Mad Max. Since witnessing her parents' murders at the age of eleven, Phoenix's only purpose in life has been to uphold her mother's dying words - to be strong and survive. But surviving outside of The Walls - outside of The Sanctuary - is more like a drawn-out death sentence. A cruel and ruthless city, Tartarus is run by the Tribes whose motto is simple, "Join or die."

Refusing to join and determined to live, Phoenix fights to survive in this savage world.

But who can she trust, when no one can be trusted? Not even herself...

The first of a trilogy, New World Rising is an epic tale of survival, instinct, trauma, and the extraordinary power of human connection.


OTHER things (kinda book-related):

Heroine Training
Jane Austen Theme (details)
hosted by Xandra
at Crown and Crumpet
LOVED this mashup of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice themed tea party. There was much talk of P&P, Harry Potter and books with delicious tea and treats!

Check out Xandra's details for other literary tea party gatherings.


AND watched: in theatre

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2016)
Director: Steve James
Starring: Neil Barofsky, Ti-Hua Chang, Margaret Colin
-Documentary | imdb | my rating: 5
A small financial institution called Abacus becomes the only company criminally indicted in the wake of the United States' 2008 mortgage crisis.

After the show, we were treated to Q&A with the producer, Mark Mitten, and the Sung family. Topics of fraud, business dealings and justice relating to this family and case were fascinating to learn about.

FYI: This will be presented on PBS later this year.

Okja (2017)
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Writers: Bong Joon Ho, Jon Ronson
Starring: Seo-Hyun Ahn, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano
-Action, Adventure, Drama, South Korea | imdb | my rating: 5
Meet Mija, a young girl who risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend - a massive animal named Okja.

AS a fan of Bong Joon Ho's previous works, I totally enjoyed this latest creation. Definitely gets you thinking of the bond between man and animal.

Fans of The Walking Dead tv show will be thrilled to see Steven Yeun as part of this cast.

FYI: This will be available on Netflix later this year.


AND watched: online

Maya Angelou and Still I Rise (2016)
Directors: Bob Hercules, Rita Coburn Whack
-Documentary, Biography, History | imdb | my rating: 5
The first feature documentary about the remarkable writer, poet, actress, activist Maya Angelou.

INSPIRING, amazing and versatile woman. This documentary covered Maya's life from start to finish.

AND watched: on DVD

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (2012)
Directors: Matthew Akers, Jeff Dupre
-Documentary, Biography, History | imdb | my rating: 5
A documentary that follows the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

ANOTHER amazing woman artist. Wordless human connections.

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

:-)

Happy Release: The Brass Compass by Ellen Butler

The Brass Compass
by Ellen Butler
-Historical Fiction
Released: March 30, 2017
Amazon | Goodreads
A beautiful American spy flees into the night. On her own, she must live by her wits to evade capture and make it to the safety of the Allied forces.

Lily Saint James grew up traveling the European continent, learning languages as she went. In 1938, her mother’s abrupt death brings her back home to Washington, D.C., and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Lily comes to the attention of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Her knowledge of German, French, and Italian makes her the perfect OSS Agent, and her quick thinking places her as a nanny in the household of an important German Army Colonel, where she is able to gather intelligence for the Allies. After her marketplace contact goes missing, she makes a late-night trip to her secondary contact only to find him under interrogation by the SS. When he commits suicide, she flees into the frigid winter night carrying false identification papers that are now dangerous and a mini film cartridge with vital strategic information. In order to survive, Lily must make it out of Germany, into the hands of Allied-controlled France, through a path fraught with peril.

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Ellen Butler
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Hidden Figures of the OSS
Sabotage. Seduction. Couture dresses with hidden pockets. All were techniques and tools used by female spies recruited by the Office of Secret Services (OSS) during World War II. These women were critical to Allied success and audiences have been thrilled by their exploits in novels and on the screen, yet their very real accomplishments have been ignored for generations.

This year the OSS marks the 75th anniversary. Just in time for that celebration The Brass Compass, a book set during WWII, places one female spy in the spotlight.

The novel reveals the extreme dangers agents faced when Lily St. James, the heroine of The Brass Compass, parachutes behind enemy lines, destroys rail lines, and infiltrates a high-ranking Nazi household. The Brass Compass is the latest story to celebrate the uncompromising intelligence and composure displayed by real operatives. From Greta Garbo in the film “Mata Hari” to Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, audiences are riveted by the tough-and-tender ways women approach espionage. These fictions reflect reality.

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor spurred President Franklin D. Roosevelt to create one overarching espionage office, formalizing it on June 13, 1942. Scrambling to cobble together an effective system, the OSS recruited without prejudice. Race, religion, gender, or formal education had no impact on ability. Like St. James, often the people who became field agents were bilingual having spent time living abroad. According to CIA historian Linda McCarthy, the war department knew that women excelled at infiltrating enemy networks and organizing resistance movements. In The Brass Compass, St. James calls on her training as well as her wits to fulfill a number of these roles, and like many of the agents who parachuted behind enemy lines in France, her life expectancy in the field is about six weeks.

Fortunately, OSS spies had a specially designed arsenal. They used single-shot Liberator pistols, button compasses, and escape maps printed on silk. Espionage equipment tailored for female spies included secret pockets, codes embedded in compact mirrors, and suicide pills disguised in jewelry. St. James makes use of false documents, hidden compartments and a tiny matchbox style camera invented by the OSS. Even with this specialized equipment, she must be clever or the tiniest slip might prove fatal.

Of the 13,000 employees working for the program in 1944, nearly 35% were women. Roughly 1,500 female agents were deployed overseas. By allowing women to utilize their natural talents and their specialized training, the OSS preserved freedom worldwide.

~end

Guest post created for event by Ellen Butler
© 2017. All rights reserved.

About the author:

Ellen Butler is the award-winning author of The Brass Compass, a novel about a female OSS agent behind enemy lines. Butler is a member of the OSS Society and her grandfather was a WWII cryptographer. The Brass Compass was inspired by the brave women who served in the OSS.

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Book Trailer
Website | Facebook
Twitter | YouTube

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Ellen Butler
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~