Battle of the Book Boyfriends

Battle of the Book Boyfriends
February 10-16, 2014
hosted by Kelly Oram
more details and giveaway offers here
Curious about these boys?

Visit Kelly's site to learn more about each here.

I'm partial to...

CHECK OUT Ryan's bio here
Want to find out which Kelly Oram Boy is best for you? – Take the quiz and enter to win the signed Kelly Oram Book of your choice! Kelly Oram's FACEBOOK

READ more about these fellows here...

GET one of Kelly's Valentine specials here

Happy release: Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes

Queen of Hearts
Volume One: The Crown
by Colleen Oakes
release date: February 14, 2014
As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah's days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts--and the love of her life.

When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she's ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It's up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.

Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinah's furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath.

Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. But be warned...not every fairytale has a happy ending. This is the story of a princess who became a villain.

To celebrate the release, BookSparks is giving away an iPad mini, a heart-themed Incase iPad mini jacket and an autographed copy of Queen of Hearts. Enter here to WIN an iPad mini (10-extra bonus points if you pre-order)!

Join in on the social media fun by tagging BookSparks in your posts on Facebook and Twitter with #TheQueenIsComing and #QueenOfHearts, and share as many posts as possible! And if you received an advanced copy of the book, share your most Queen-worthy snapshot of you and the book on Instagram by tagging BookSparks and #QueenOfHearts.

Romance is in the Air Giveaway Hop

Romance is in the Air Giveaway Hop
Featuring Young Adult & Clean Adult Romance
February 8th to 14th
Hosted by
and I Am A Reader Not A Writer
Rachael Anderson

The Thorn and the Blossom:
A Two-Sided Love Story
by Theodora Goss
illustrated by Scott McKowen
One enchanting romance. Two lovers keeping secrets. And a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever.

When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she didn’t know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he didn’t know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself . . .

The Thorn and the Blossom is a remarkable literary artifact: You can open the book in either direction to decide whether you’ll first read Brendan’s, or Evelyn’s account of the mysterious love affair. Choose a side, read it like a regular novel—and when you get to the end, you’ll find yourself at a whole new beginning.

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

Open to all.

Offer ends: February 14, 2014

TO DO:

Please answer the following question in comments.

1. May I send you an email invitation to a future virtual book event on my site?

2. If so, which themes would you be interested in?

Jane Austen
Mystery
Paranormal
Steampunk

AND, leave your email.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

note to authors: feel free to contact me directly vvb32@yahoo.com if you are interested in being featured in one of the virtual book event themes listed above

* What is a virtual book event? a celebration of books and authors that are in keeping with a theme which may include guest posts and giveaways. Audience participation is encouraged and most welcome. (see past events here)


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

complete HOP list here

Lights of Aurora by Theresa McClinton

Lights of Aurora
by Theresa McClinton

Visit Theresa:
Amazon -kindle is currently $0.99
B&N
All Romance eBooks
Kobo
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Pinterest
Twitter

Published: 2013
Publisher: Noor Press
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, YA
Paperback: 246 pages
Rating: 3.5

After the discovery of her ancient Maya bloodlines, eighteen-year-old Ashley Coreandero is faced with a daunting responsibility. She must protect the stone of Muuk’Ich while Sarian, the underworld general, relentlessly drives her to the brink of insanity.

As the winter solstice approaches, it brings an onslaught of unexpected side effects. Ashley must seize control over her supercharged powers, while dealing with the overwhelming suspicion that her boyfriend, Arwan, is hiding a secret so dark it could destroy them both.

With the arrival of a surprise houseguest, Ashley’s deepest fears about Arwan are confirmed. And when middleworld deities intercede, the group of gifted Maya descendants are confronted with hardships they never saw coming—including an enemy more deadly than they have ever faced.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned—but when that woman has no soul and a taste for revenge, they will need the powers of every surviving ancestor simply to stay alive.

The Stone Legacy series:
Stone Guardian
Escaping Darkness, Novella 1.5
Lights of Aurora
13th Street, Novella 2.5 - coming soon

My two-bits:
I was at a loss by not reading book one in this series first - could be why it was hard to connect with the characters. Although the 2-3 main characters were presented well enough in this book, the other characters who were established in book one felt peripheral and did not mean much to me in this book.

Plenty of action and hints of romance in South American settings.

The mystery of the stone, Ashley's powers and Arwan's secret kept me wondering to the end.

Wanna give this one a try?

--~ eBook Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
WIN a copy of this eBook!

Open to all.

Offer ends: February 16, 2014

TO DO: (2-parts)

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

OR

Tweet about this giveaway.

OR

Recommend this post 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.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

~*~
* giveaway courtesy of Lights of Aurora tour.

Stacking the Shelves - 2.1.14

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!

~*~
Just these two...

But excited to mention them!

Library:

The Secret History
by Donna Tartt
audio version
Narrated by: author
-thriller
Written richly. A whodunit as a opposed to a whodunit. I wanted to read this before reading Donna's latest, The Goldfinch.

~*~
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 #45.

Orfeo
by Richard Powers
-literary, music
The National Book Award-winning author of The Echo Maker delivers his most emotionally charged novel to date, inspired by the myth of Orpheus.

"If Powers were an American writer of the nineteenth century...he'd probably be the Herman Melville of Moby-Dick. His picture is that big," wrote Margaret Atwood (New York Review of Books). Indeed, since his debut in 1985 with Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance, Richard Powers has been astonishing readers with novels that are sweeping in range, dazzling in technique, and rich in their explorations of music, art, literature, and technology.

In Orfeo, Powers tells the story of a man journeying into his past as he desperately flees the present. Composer Peter Els opens the door one evening to find the police on his doorstep. His home microbiology lab — the latest experiment in his lifelong attempt to find music in surprising patterns — has aroused the suspicions of Homeland Security. Panicked by the raid, Els turns fugitive. As an Internet-fueled hysteria erupts, Els — the "Bioterrorist Bach" — pays a final visit to the people he loves, those who shaped his musical journey. Through the help of his ex-wife, his daughter, and his longtime collaborator, Els hatches a plan to turn this disastrous collision with the security state into a work of art that will reawaken its audience to the sounds all around them. The result is a novel that soars in spirit and language by a writer who "may be America's most ambitious novelist" (Kevin Berger, San Francisco Chronicle).

~*~
* 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