Giveaway: Have You Met Nora? by Nicole Blades

Have You Met Nora?
by Nicole Blades
-Women's Fiction
Amazon | Goodreads
First sentence(s):
Nora opened her eyes and stared through the darkness at the ceiling.

She’s blossomed from wealthy surgeon’s beautiful daughter to elegant socialite to being the top fashion stylist in the country. And Nora Mackenzie is only days away from marrying into one of New York’s richest, most powerful families. But her fairy tale rise is rooted in an incredible deception—one scandal away from turning her perfect world to ashes...

What no one knows is that Nora is the biracial daughter of a Caribbean woman and a long-gone white father. Adopted—and abused—by her mother’s employer, then sent to an exclusive boarding school to buy her silence, Nora found that “passing” as a white woman could give her everything she never had. Every golden opportunity she seized and every deception she worked kept that powerless, forgotten girl forever in the past.

Now, an ex-classmate who Nora betrayed many years ago has returned to her life to even the score. She’s a woman who won’t be bought off, reasoned against, or pleaded with. Her machinations are turning Nora’s privilege into one gilded trap after another. Running out of choices, Nora must decide how far she will go to protect a lie or give up and finally face the truth.

Q&A with the author:

What inspired you to write Have You Met Nora? Are there other works of fiction or nonfiction that serve as sources for your inspiration?

I've always been deeply interested in identity, more specifically, how someone organizes their entire spirit around being something and claiming all that goes with it out loud—a chef, an activist, a runner, a writer, a survivor. In so many instances, claiming your title involves a significant moment when it becomes undeniably clear how essential it (running, cooking, writing, etc.) is to who you are and how you want the world to view you. For so many people, that capital-M moment involves stepping out of a comfort zone and putting your faith in this identity, ready to decent it to those who may doubt your assertion, question your selfhood. "I don't care what anyone says, this is me." That—the person who moves through the world with that level of commitment to their identity, to their vocation—that's what intrigues me.

Nor is a flawed heroine. What do you think is her biggest strength?

I like flawed characters. I like digging around their broken parts and trying to trace where the first cracks started. Nora is carrying around all of these shattered pieces, some of them barely held together by string. But as wounded as she is, there is also resilience to her. That she's made it to her late 20s despite everything that happened in her life—both of her making and at the hands of others—shows incredible fortitude. Another strength is her ability to fully give and receive love from her fiancé Fisher Beaumont. Considering her background, there's bravery in that act alone.

Find out more about this book and author:
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--~ Book Giveaway ~--
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Offer ends: December 11, 2017

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Lovely Books and Things - 11.25.17

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

~*~
This post that covers the last three weeks as I am doing some catchup after returning from vacation last week. Had a lovely time in Singapore and Bali and picked up some books from each for my souvenirs.

Happy things:

1. Turkey time with friends and family
2. Catching up on sleep
3. Sharing stories

~*~
Bought:

Sugarbread
by Balli Kaur Jaswal
-Contemporary Fiction, Singapore
Amazon | Goodreads
GOT this in Singapore which was recommended at BooksActually bookstore.

Beauty Is A Wound
by Eka Kurniawan
-Historical, Magical Realism, Bali
Amazon | Goodreads
GOT this in Ubud, Bali which was recommended at Periplus bookstore.

Bali Undercover
by Malcolm Scott
-Social conditions, Bali
Amazon | Goodreads
GOT this at the Bali airport which was recommended at Periplus bookstore.

Are You Alive?
My Journey of Hope
by Valerie Barlow
-Memoir
courtesy of the author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
GOT this as a gift after meeting and lunching with Valerie. She's so cool!


For Review:

Have You Met Nora?
by Nicole Blades
-Women's Fiction
courtesy of Wunderkind -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

The Tercentennial Baron
by Will Damron
narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds
-Fantasy, YA, Scotland
courtesy of Forte Business Consulting -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads | Smashwords | Audible

OTHER things (kinda book-related):

Book Blogger Hop
features a book related question
Sponsored by The Coffee Addicted Writer (details)
This week's prompt: What's your immediate feeling when entering a bookstore, as compared to how you feel when entering a department store?
(submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)

LOVE looking at every nook and cranny in a bookstore to see what all it there.


AND watched: on DVD

My Cousin Rachel (2017)
Director/Adaptation: Roger Michell
Based on the novel by: Daphne Du Maurier
Stars: Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Holliday Grainger
-Drama, Mystery, Romance | imdb | my rating: 5
A young Englishman plots revenge against his late cousin's mysterious, beautiful wife, believing her responsible for his death. But his feelings become complicated as he finds himself falling under the beguiling spell of her charms.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: seven. game of thrones. Iain Glen

Loved the time period and setting is presented. I liked how the cousin Rachel kept me off balance. I gotta re-watch this.

Frank (2014)
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Screenplay: Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan
Based on news article: Jon Ronson
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Fassbender
-Comedy, Drama, Music | imdb | my rating: 4
Jon, a young wanna-be musician, discovers he's bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: twenty. true detective. Travis Hammer

Travis Hammer appears briefly as a tree surgeon. I was not sure what I was getting into with this movie as the big paper-mâché head gives off a campy vibe. But this was a surprisingly good film. And Michael Fassbender and Maggie Gyllenhaal sing!

American Psycho (2000)
Director/Screenplay: Mary Harron
Screenplay: Guinevere Turner
Based on the novel: Bret Easton Ellis
Starring: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux
-Crime, Drama | imdb | my rating: 5
A wealthy New York investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: thirteen. ally mcbeal. Justin Theroux

Does well in capturing the decadent 80s with a synth and pop soundtrack that buffers the doings of a psycho killer. Ick.

A Knight's Tale (2001)
Director/Writer: Brian Helgeland
Stars: Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Rufus Sewell
-Action, Adventure, Romance | imdb | my rating: 5
After his master dies, a peasant squire, fueled by his desire for food and glory, creates a new identity for himself as a knight.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: six. firefly. Alan Tudyk

Renaissance times with a modern beat made this highly entertaining tale.

Drive (2011)
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Screenplay: Hossein Amini
Based on book: James Sallis
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston
-Crime, Drama | imdb | my rating: 5
A mysterious Hollywood stuntman and mechanic moonlights as a getaway driver and finds himself in trouble when he helps out his neighbor.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: eighteen. rizzoli and isles. Tina Huang

A bit of the gritty side of L.A. that wears you down. Ryan Gosling's character does some fast and fancy driving on L.A. streets - what a concept ;-)


AND watched: on airplane

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Director/Writer: James Gunn
Based on comic by: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana
-Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | imdb | my rating: 4
The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: eleven. knight rider. David Hasselhoff.

Fun sequel with more backstory. Kid Groot was adorable.

Baby Driver (2017)
Director/Writer: Edgar Wright
Stars: Ansel Elgort, Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm
-Action, Crime, Music | imdb | my rating: 4
After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: four. downton abbey. Lily James

In for a sweet ride which includes a blaring soundtrack.

Daddy, You, Daughter, Me (2017)
Director: Hyung Hyup Kim
Stars: Je-Moon Yoon, So-Min Jung, Il-hwa Lee
-Comedy, Drama, Family, South Korea | imdb | my rating: 5
In this the daughter used to spend time with her father when she was a child but when she grew up her relation with his father became weak ...suddenly a new twist came in their life which caused them to understand each other again...with this new twist many things happen...

CUTE freaky friday-like family comedy.

Part-time Spy (2017)
Director/Writer: Deok-Soo Kim
Stars: Ye-won Kang, Chae-Ah Han
-Action, Comedy, South Korea | imdb | my rating: 5
Jang Young-Sil (Kang Ye-Won) barely lands a job at the NSA (National Security Agency). She is hired as a contract worker to write positive comments for the NSA. Na Jung-An (Han Chae-Ah) is a detective who often uses foul language. They carry out an infiltration operation to recover money that was stolen from her boss in a voice phishing scheme.

COOL look into the work situation for women in South Korea.

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

:-)

Happy Release: Have You Met Nora? by Nicole Blades

Have You Met Nora?
by Nicole Blades
-Women's Fiction
Release date: October 31, 2017
Amazon | Goodreads
HAVE YOU MET NORA? is a juicy and compelling story about reinvention and the lengths we go to conceal our former selves. Nora’s painful childhood secrets begin to haunt her picture-perfect life as a promising fashion designer and fiance of a privileged, yet loving man. The novel explores how the mistakes of our past can have a significant impact on our future. At the end of the novel, you will be asking yourself, would you do what Nora did to protect her future?

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

Nora opened her eyes and stared through the darkness at the ceiling. Three twenty-eight, she thought, before rolling up off her back a little and craning her neck to look just past Fisher’s shoulders at the blue numbers on the clock by his nightstand. He was dead asleep, the rhythmic flow of his deep breathing like white noise. The numbers gleamed: 03:41 AM. Close enough, she thought, and returned to the ceiling. Although Nora had long been an early riser—she couldn’t remember a time when she had slept later than the sun—this was different.

She eased the covers off and slid out from under Fisher’s muscled arm, moving slow and steady toward the edge of the bed. She hopped down, landing with a soft thud and then froze, shifting her eyes back to Fisher. No change. Not even a break in the beat. Nora grabbed her iPhone and padded along the hall. The moon, pushing through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, provided more than enough light for Nora to find the handle to the mini champagne fridge that Fisher bought for her last year. Nora gave the half-drunk bottle of Armand de Brignac—a gift from a client—her deepest bow with prayer hands before grabbing it and shutting the fridge door with her foot. She pulled the orange stopper from the bottle, letting it drop to the floor, and started typing into her phone on her way to the bathroom at the far end of the penthouse. Nora waited until she was inside the empty, freestanding tub before taking her first, long swig from the bottle. She rested her phone on the ledge of the tub and pressed a button on a remote that sent the massive blinds skyward. Nora stayed there in the empty basin, soaking in the city’s glow, and waited.

Her phone buzzed and vibrated against the acrylic. She took another sip before answering it.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” a croaky voice said.

Nora shook her head. “I’m just—”

“Nervous? You’re just nervous, hon. It’s pre-wedding jitters. You’re fixin’ to get married to that gorgeous, big-dicked, super hot bastard in twenty-two—no—twenty-one days and you’re feeling anxious. That’s all. No Biggie Smalls.”

“Jenna, I’m sitting in an empty tub, pounding old champagne straight from the bottle and staring out the fucking window. Do you really think it’s necessary to remind me that there are twenty-two days—”

“Technically it’s twenty-one—”

“Jesus, fine, twenty-one days. It’s twenty-one days before the wedding. I’m aware. My whole entire body is aware. We’re all very aware.”

“Deep breaths, sweetheart. You’re freaking out. This is what freaking out looks like on all normal women,” Jenna said. Her Southern twang, though soft, still tickled Nora. “You’re just different. It’s foreign territory for you.”

Nora stopped mid-swig, her arm wobbling and then dropping with the weight of the bottle into her lap. “What does that mean?” she said, squinting her eyes and bracing her body.

“Nothing, just, I don’t know...I mean you’re always even and calm; it’s preternatural,” Jenna said. “No matter what’s going on, you’re on like perma-chill. It’s automatic for you. No headless chicken stuff.” A chuckle. “It’s why we kept calling you I.Q. when we first met you. Ice Queen.”

Jenna’s full creaky cackle made Nora move the phone away from her ear and level it on the ledge of the tub. She could still hear Jenna from that distance, but pushed speaker anyway and went back to drinking her champagne. Nora reclined, cradling the bottle into her chest. “Ice Queen? Seriously? And here I was thinking you were dazzled by my smarts.”

“Oh, we were. Totally. By your smarts, for sure, and also your long legs, your frat-boy mouth, your perky tits, them Kelly Ripa arms, and your entire wardrobe, espesh the shoes. Plus, you speak fluent French—I mean, fucking French—and you’re the first white girl I’ve ever met who can actually dance. Like, legit, Beyoncé-backup-dancer dance. Need I go on?”

“Yes. You need. Come on, I’m practically perfect,” Nora said, the beginnings of a laugh tickling her throat.

“Practically?” Jenna said, yawning. “Okay, so we’ve thoroughly covered your Boss Bitch status. It’s why Fish is locking you down so fast, while those eggs are still viable.” Nora’s expanding grin disappeared, replaced by a clenched jaw and gnashed teeth. “What I need clarity on is: Why are dry-tub drinking again?”

“How did you know I’m in the tub?”

“Echoes, booby. Also, I’ve got you pretty much figured out. You’re not the QB on this play. What’s the wedding planner’s name again, Gloria? Glenda? Whatever. She’s the quarterback. She’s the one calling all the plays, and you’re watching from the sidelines and it’s driving you bananz”

“First, are you talking sports at me?”

“A little,” Jenna said through her teeth.

“You’re still hooking up with that sports writer guy?”

“A little.”

“Wait, isn’t he the one who sent you the dick pic when you asked to see his new coffee table?”

“Well, it was pretty impressive...the coffee table.”

“Jesus, Jenna. What needs to happen to get you out of these dating app traps? Nothing but dumpster fires on there.”

“Hold up, I met Sports Guy the old school way, my dear: at a bar, not on a dating app,” Jenna said. “You kidding me? My filters are tight. He would’ve never made the cut.”

“What about the one who called you from rehab on what was supposed to be your third date?”

“Oh, that whole thing was about me trying to be charitable. I’m from Texas. It’s how we do.”

“Father-God, you need prayer,” Nora said, closing her eyes and leaning her head back in the tub.

About the author: Nora is your reckless, drunk-texting, gal pal. She’s also your talented colleague with the cute and kind beau. Except Nora Mackenzie has dark childhood secrets she’s too afraid to share even with her best friend Jenna. This contemporary novel tackles the idea of identity and race, facing the wrongs of our past, and fiercely protecting our futures.