Holidays at Pemberley or Third Encounters by Alexa Adams

Holidays at Pemberley or Third Encounters:
A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice Concludes
by Alexa Adams

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Just released: September 2013
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Genre: Jane Austen
Paperback: 186 pages
Rating: 4

Charlotte smiled from across the room at the man's obvious devotion to her friend. Such attachment was very charming, undoubtedly, and when it came to an end, as it was most certain to do, they would have abundant good fortune to keep the inevitable aggravations with each other to a minimum. Both a Christmas celebration and conclusion to Tales of Less Pride & Prejudice, Holidays at Pemberley begins where First Impressions ends, with the marriage Fitzwilliam Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet, and spans the course of Second Glances to conclude their story.

As the Darcys enjoy their first years of marriage, Charlotte Lucas is often invited to join them. Watching as the Bennet sisters, one by one, marry to both outrageous advantage and with great affection, her only ambition remains independence and respectability, stubbornly blind to the virtues of a love match. Miss Lucas thinks she has found an acceptable husband in David Westover, rector of Kympton and determined bachelor, but he remains oblivious to the implications of befriending a Miss Lucas. It may mean some heartbreak, but if Mrs. Darcy's pragmatic friend will only surrender to Cupid, she may find wild fantasies do come true, even for ladies dangerously close to thirty.

Series:
First Impressions
Second Glances
Third Encounters (Holidays at Pemberley)

My two-bits:
Immerse yourself in Jane Austen-speak with this wonderful retelling.

Love this series in which Pride and Prejudice character hookups change (except for Darcy and Elizabeth) with interesting beginnings of their own.

This third book has a focus on Elizabeth's friend, Charlotte Lucas and new love interest, David Westover.

What makes this book especially delightful to read this time of year is the holiday theme and all its descriptive finery and doings.

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
WIN a copy of this book!

Open to US only.

Offer ends: December 22, 2013

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 author

Stacking the Shelves - 12.14.13

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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Kindle: for $1.99

A Plague of Zombies:
An Outlander Novella
(Lord John Grey)
by Diana Gabaldon
For Review:

Waking Up Dead
by Margo Bond Collins
paperback copy courtesy of author
Thanks Margo!

Jet Black and the Ninja Wind
by Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani
courtesy of author
Thanks Leza!
Gift: from fellow blogger

Two Moons of Sera
(Omnibus Edition)
by Pavarti Tyler
Thanks Freda of Freda's Voice!
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Library:

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories
Volume 1
by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Such a cute gem of a book with illustrations and ditties to think on.

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From Powell's Indiespensable club package (details):
Powell's subscription club delivers the best new books, with special attention to independent publishers. Signed first editions. Inventive, original sets. Exclusive printings.... Every six weeks, another installment to read and admire.

Plus, every package is stocked with exciting surprises!

This is package #44.

The Best of McSweeney's
edited by Dave Eggers
(McSweeney's)
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* most of these will 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

Ruby Heart by Cristelle Comby

Ruby Heart
The Neve & Egan cases - Volume 2
by Cristelle Comby

Visit Cristelle:
BookExcerpt
Website
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Ruby Heart blog tour

GET your copy: Amazon
Just released: September 2013
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre: Mystery, New Adult
Paperback: 290 pages
Rating: 4.5

When elderly client Doris Hargrave informs private investigator Alexandra Neve that her beloved antique ruby heart necklace has gone missing for the second time in a period of over sixty years, Alexandra knows this is no ordinary jewelry theft. The ruby heart is a family heirloom and the only thing that connects an ailing Mrs Hargrave to her parents, who were murdered during the Holocaust.

To solve the case, Alexandra and her business partner, blind history professor Ashford Egan, must sift through obscure Holocaust documents to find out the truth. It’s that way that they learn of a secret World War II-era love affair which could hold the key to all the answers they are looking for. Meanwhile, Egan is under immense pressure from the university to quit his private investigating business, and Alexandra is afraid that a man she trusts will leave her. Again.

When Alexandra begins to receive anonymous threats and her flat is vandalised, this all becomes personal. Knowing that there is someone out there to hurt her, Alexandra vows to find that elusive ruby heart if it’s the last thing she ever does.

Series:
Russian Dolls
Ruby Heart
Danse Macabre - release in 2014

My two-bits:
A tough girl and a Mr. Nice guy team up in this mystery series that includes some history on WW2 and art. There are a couple action segments that add an element of danger.

I fell in love with this private investigation duo. Their interaction and respect for each other is a nice draw to continue to follow them. Also, the fact that one of the PI's is blind presents an extra challenge while on cases which puts an interesting twist on things. Actually, all the main characters are likable in a comfy way.

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About author:
Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where she still resides.

Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

Ruby Heart is her second new-adult novel, and she’s hard at work on the next titles in the Neve & Egan series.

--~ Giveaway courtesy of tour ~--
WIN $25 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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* if you would be interested in reading my review copy, leave a comment with your email by Dec 22, 2013
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Contest has ended - winner is here

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* review copy and giveaway courtesy of Ruby Heart tour - check out the other stops for more details on this book and goodies here.

Stocking Stuffer Giveaway: The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen

The Twelve Clues of Christmas
A Royal Spyness Mystery
by Rhys Bowen
She may be thirty-fifth in line for the throne, but Lady Georgiana Rannoch cannot wait to ring in the new year—before a Christmas killer wrings another neck…

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me—well, actually, my true love, Darcy O’Mara, is spending a feliz navidad tramping around South America. Meanwhile, Mummy is holed up in a tiny village called Tiddleton-under-Lovey with that droll Noel Coward! And I’m snowed in at Castle Rannoch with my bumbling brother, Binky, and sourpuss sister-in-law, Fig.

So it’s a miracle when I contrive to land a position as hostess to a posh holiday party in Tiddleton. The village is like something out of A Christmas Carol! But no sooner have I arrived than a neighborhood nuisance, a fellow named Freddie falls out of a tree, dead…. Dickensian, indeed.

Freddie’s merely a stocking stuffer. On my second day in town, another so-called accident turns up another mincemeat pie—and yet another on my third. The village is buzzing that a recent prison break could have something to do with it… that, or a long-standing witch’s curse. I’m not so sure. But after Darcy shows up beneath the mistletoe, anything could be possible in this wicked wonderland.

--~ eBook Giveaway ~--
WIN a Kindle version of this!

Open to all.

Offer ends: December 22, 2013

TO DO:

TELL me something you like about the holiday season.

OR

TELL me a christmas-related joke.

AND, leave your email

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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Life Is But A Dream by Brian James

Life Is But A Dream
by Brian James

Visit Brian:
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Published: 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Genre: YA
Hardback: 240 pages
Rating: 5

Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it's the world that's crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she'll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? her decision may have fatal consequences.

Brian James calls Life is But a Dream "the most intense book I've written. Bringing this unique character to life and seeing the world through her eyes, with all its beauty and confusion, was an immense challenge that I hope is just as rewarding to read as it was to write." Intense--yes. Unforgettable--definitely.

Zombie sighting:
I shurg as the colored pencil glides easily over the paper. — You know why. They think people spend too much time with stuff like that. — I turn around and roll my eyes up in my head like a zombie and hold my hands up pretending to grab for Kayliegh. — It controls your mind and rots your brains. — I growl and we both crack up laughing.
-chapter 5, page 52

My two-bits:
This was a beautifully told story. It is told from the perspective of a young adult with a mental illness. The protagonist describes surreal scenes juxtaposed against her painful reality that made me empathize with her and her predicament.

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* review copy courtesy of author

* part of virtual book event: Night Night