Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.
Showing posts with label Top Ten List. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top Ten List. Show all posts

Monday, April 8, 2013

Blog Tour: Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas (w/bonus Ten Books Nicole thinks should be movies!)

Tour Schedule



Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas

Retta Heikkinen knows the unspoken rule of society: love between androids and humans is forbidden. A simple enough edict until Hemingway Koskinen spends an evening charming her with his intense gaze, bewitching smile, and sparkling conversation that hints at so much more than the usual obsessions of high school boys. Rules were meant to be cast aside, especially when love beckons.

If only it were as simple as being in love.

Trouble is brewing, not just for Hemingway--for all androids. Secrets have been kept, lies propagated, and Retta soon discovers that a frightening future awaits thousands of androids if she doesn’t do something to stop it. Worse yet, she will lose the one love she’s ever endangered herself for: Hemingway.





Ten Books That Should be Made into Movies, or
"Dear Hollywood, Let Me Help You Out"

I like to write YA books, but I read a lot of other books as well. Many of the great new YA books are already being made into movies or have been done as movies. So my list is made up of books that have been passed up by Hollywood. Some are old and some are more recent. But trust me, these books would be great on film. 

1. Crossing to Safety, Wallace Stegner. Probably the best story about friendship in the entire universe. I read this novel regularly and I die every time. The prose is lyrical but not stifling, the story moves at a decent pace, and you never feel bored. At least I don't. But you do love Charity, Sid, Larry, and Sally.

2. Eye of the World, Robert Jordan. Well, really, Game of Thrones is nothing compared to this. I say that having never read Game of Thrones, so maybe that calls my judgment into question, but Jordan's work is a masterpiece and hey, it's finished now! Yes, it took Brandon Sanderson to wrap it up, but nevertheless, such a great series with a fine beginning.

3. We, Eugene Zamiatin. The best dystopia ever and done by the grandfather of the genre. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love D-503. Yes, I'm in love with a number!

4. Elantris, Brandon Sanderson. This is a different kind of fantasy with a good pace and plenty of intrigue, mystery, and several cinematic moments. The ending is amazing.

5. Blue Hearts of Mars, Nicole Grotepas (heh). My book. Well, why not? It would be GREAT as a movie.

6. Twenties Girl, Sophie Kinsella. Her books are usually fun, quick, and hilarious with a good love story too. I'd love to see this one as a movie and it would work really well.

7. The Crocodile on the Sandbank, Elizabeth Peters. This is the start of the Amelia Peabody series. I'm quite surprised they haven't been made into movies yet. They're hilarious and fun with a great mystery to move them along. I really see the guy who plays Niles in Fraser as Walter, Emerson's brother. If they stick to that, they'll be perfect!

8. Sister of My Heart, Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni. I loved this book. It's so colorful and mythical and it made me want to go to India so bad! I still do. I can see this story as a film and it would be dang beautiful. Please do it. Someone. Please.

9. Dragonflight, Ann McCaffrey. This really should be a movie. It's a great story with a female protagonist who overcomes her culture to become the most powerful woman. With CGI the way it is today, the dragons would be incredibly awesome indeed.

10. The Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson. This series has another female protoganist whose growth and development spans three books, with the absolute most amazing and epic ending of any series. I mean, I was stunned. And blown away. And just...mind-blown. Wait, did I already say that? I did. That's how mind-crippling it is. In a good way. All three books are phenomenal and should be films. 




Praise

"Nothing like I've read before. A true original story! Everything is so well described. Now if they could make a follow up book and movie, that would be great!" ~Mrs. Z (Amazon)

"I was addicted to this book from the beginning. Life on Mars was very real and not at all a sci fi world I didn't understand . . . I found myself rooting for Retta and Hemingway from the very beginning. Easy reading, couldn't put it down and had it read in a weekend. Waiting for a sequel!" ~TNielsen (Amazon)

"The ending of this book is exceptional. While it was different from what I imagined, the way the author brought in a shocking revelation was amazing. I probably reread the last chapter 3 times letting it sink in and the meaning behind it. It was truly beautiful . . . I would love to see more of Retta and Hemingway!" ~Kat Meyer, (Goodreads)

"I love how the author populated Mars . . . so descriptive and comprehensive . . . I could clearly picture everything as if I was seeing the movie &/or was along for the ride. . . . Retta, the main character, is strong, opinionated, and a great champion for her cause." ~Megan (Amazon)

"I had been in the worst reading slump ever and came across this on Goodreads and thought I'd give it a try. Well, I was pleasantly surprised on how funny and exciting and mysterious it was . . . Mei, Retta's bff, had me laughing out loud quite a bit as well as Retta herself. I'd definitely hang out with those two." ~Deanneluvbooks (Goodreads)



Blue Hearts of Mars has made it to the quarterfinals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

Readers are invited to download the excerpts (here) and rate and comment on the entries. So please, if you want to contribute, download and rate Blue Hearts! Your support is incredibly appreciated!

Or purchase the full version of the book here: Amazon









Author Nicole Grotepas

Nicole wrote her first fantasy novel in 7th grade on her mother's old Brother typewriter. It was never finished but it strongly resembled a Dragonlance plot and she's forever wondered what happened to the manuscript and Tonathan--the handsome elven protagonist. After living in Nashville where she worked as an editor, she returned to the Utah desert where she was raised. Nicole now lives near the Wasatch mountains with her husband. She writes and raises her son and three cats full time.









Tour Schedule


Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash (Internationally)

Signed Copy of Cinder & Blue Hearts of Mars (US only)

Ends 4/19/13



Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



Thursday, March 21, 2013

A Little Bit Cupid by Jennifer Shirk (My review and Jennifer's Little Bits of Paradise!)


Official Tour Stops

February 4, 2013
February 5, 2013
February 6, 2013
February 8, 2013
February 9, 2013
February 11, 2013
February 12, 2013
February 14, 2013
February 15, 2013
February 16, 2013
February 19, 2013
February 26, 2013
February 28, 2013
March 6, 2013
March 11, 2013
March 12, 2013
March 13, 2013
March 15, 2013
March 21, 2013
March 22, 2013
March 25, 2013
March 28, 2013

Title: A Little Bit Cupid

Author: Jennifer Shirk

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

About the Novella: Finding love should be easy, but wedding photographer Pheobe Ward knows better. When Cupid shows up on a crazy mission to help her—and save the world in the process—Phoebe realizes love might be even more complicated than she thought. Even with Cupid showing her Mr. Right, she can’t stop thinking about his best friend, Mr. Wrong.

Cal Crawford has never had time for love, but now he’s falling for Phoebe. Which means it’s got to be just plain wrong to set her up with his best friend, right? But even though seeing Phoebe with someone else will break his heart, he can’t walk away from her.
Phoebe can’t afford to choose the wrong guy with the fate of the world at stake. But maybe Cupid has it wrong. Maybe she has to rely just a little bit on Cupid, and a whole lot more on her heart.
Purchase Links
My thoughts: This was a really cute story and you should be able to read it in under an hour.  Even with the short format, you could still feel the attraction and the tension between Cal and Phoebe, and the forced attraction between Phoebe and Adam.  Story left me thinking about all the things that would be missing in my life if love didn't exist in the world.  Great little novella.   
Other books reviewed from this author: Kissing Kendall

~I received a complimentary ecopy of A Little Bit Cupid from Entangled Publishing in exchange for my unbiased review.~

About the author: Jennifer Shirk has a bachelor degree in pharmacy--which has in NO WAY at all helped her with her writing career. But she likes to point it out, since it shows romantic-at-hearts come in all shapes, sizes, and mind-numbing educations.

She writes sweet (and sometimes even funny) romances for Samhain Publishing, Avalon Books/Montlake Romance and now Entangled Publishing. She won third place in the RWA 2006 NYC's Kathryn Hayes Love and Laughter Contest with her first book, The Role of a Lifetime.
Lately she's been on a serious exercise kick. But don't hold that against her. 
Feel free to follow her on Twitter or become a friend on Facebook
Social Media Links:Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferShirk 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorjennifershirk 
Website: http://www.jennifershirk.com/ 
Blog: http://www.jennifershirk.blogspot.com/ 
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3112488.Jennifer_Shirk 

            Hi, all! Jennifer here!

Thanks so much to Books and Needlepoint for having me today!     

Some of you may or may not know that I have romantic comedy out now called A Little Bit Cupid. It's set in Boston, MA. Boston is not exactly what you would call "paradise" but it does happen to be one of my favorite cities in the U.S.

Want to know what places I DO consider paradise?

Oh, good! Because I have a list. And as of yet, I have never set a book in one of these places. Maybe it's time I change that!               

                                                Ten Places I Consider Paradise

10) Napa Valley Wine Country in CA --rolling hills, vineyards, and wine. So lovely that I've vacationed there FOUR times!

9) Charleston, SC--the lush plantations, the palm trees--and the food! The hubby and I totally ate our way through this city.

8) Bonita Springs, FL --where I go and visit the in-laws when they're in FL. 

7) Marblehead, MA--true New England feel along the water, quaint shops, and the birthplace of the Navy.

6) Glacier National Park, MT-- the mountains, the views, the clean air!

5) Puerto Rico-- the aqua-colored water, the great food--and no need for passports. :)

4) The Atlantis, in Nassau, Bahamas-- true heaven, all the amenities you could ever want and more. Vacationed there four times too!

3)Newport, RI all the yachts, the lovely New England coast, and the mansions. So pretty!

2) Ocean City, NJ Yes, little NJ has a piece of paradise in the south. BEST BEACH in the east coast, in my humble opinion.

1) Home Ha! Sorry, but I do tend to me a bit of a homebody. I love stay vacations the best!
And there's my list. Have you to been to any of these places?

Well, you should check them out. And you should also check out my romance A Little Bit Cupid--not paradise, but very sweet and fun!

Thanks for having me today!

What place do you consider paradise?

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Review and Top Ten: Melting the Millionaire's Heart (w/giveaway)

Title: Melting the Millionaire's Heart
Author: Linda Morris
Publisher: Ever After (Entangled Publishing)

About the Book:  Special-needs teacher Kayla Johnston writes off any shot at New Year's Eve romance when she's summoned to fundraising 
event for her school at the remote estate of a wealthy would-be-donor. But when a massive snowstorm hits and Kayla careens off the road, the sexy stranger who rescues her brings to mind cozy fireplaces and steamy midnight kisses…among other things.

Reclusive entrepreneur Ryan Langford may be missing his own fundraiser, but being marooned in a cabin with Kayla beats ducking a room full of people after his money any day. Too bad she's so irritated with the " gazillionaire" who ruined her New Year's Eve that he feels like he has to lie about his identity. But when the sparks fly and they fall into each other's arms, Ryan knows he's made a big mistake. Will she be able to trust him once the snow melts and the truth comes out?


Purchase Links

My thoughts:  For some reason I was irritated when I first started reading this book.  I don't know whether it was that Ryan was lying about who he was - or at the very least omitting information, or that Kayla was being so cavalier about a possible one-night stand.  However, I did warm up to the book, or really novella, as it is only 92 pages long.  

Ryan admits who he is the next morning, and as can be expected, Kayla is furious.  She is fearful that she has blown any chance for her school to receive the funds needed and that if her boss finds out she will be in bigger trouble.  

I read this book in one sitting and found it mildly entertaining.  It was predictable, but sometimes you need to read a book like that - especially if the rest of your world is in the midst of turmoil!


I asked Linda if she would share her Top Ten New Year's Resolutions with us:

Thanks for having me at Books and Needlepoint. One of those things is something that I'm not completely hopeless at.  My hat is off to crafters because I was apparently born without that gene. The only crafts I can do well are the ones you eat! So without further ado, here are my Top 10 New Year's Resolutions:
  • Lose weight. I'm not sure you can even compile a list of New Year's Resolutions without including this one. It's in there by default. In any case, I really need to, so that's in my top ten.
  • Read more. This one is pure pleasure. Between writing, working full time, and being a mom, my time is at a premium, but I always find time to read. This year, I want to do more.
  • Find an agent. This has been a long-term career goal, but this year, I hope I can pull it off.
  • Write at least one really good book. Hopefully more, but I'll start with one. 
  • Find a publisher home for my latest work-in-progress, a romantic contemporary about a workaholic CEO and an aimless woman who is trying to get her act together.
  • Buy a new dining room table to replace the one that my eight-year-old son has destroyed by doing a million science experiments, art projects, and board games on. (Kind of a boring resolution, but hey, you asked!)
  • Get on a plane. *Winces* I admit, I am deathly afraid of flying. It's been, um, many years since I've flown anywhere. Ironically, I used to be an airline employee, and ever since I left the industry, I haven't flown. But I I'd like to attend some conferences this year, so I'll have to put on my Big Girl Panties and get over it. I may also need to get some Xanax. It's that bad.
  • Make more pies.  I love baking, particularly pie-making, and I want to find more time for it. Luckily, my husband is always a willing test subject. The son is pickier but he's learning to love some pie, so there is hope for him yet. Hmmm, this might conflict with resolution #1. 
  • Marry Richard Armitrage. Okay, I have zero chance of pulling this one off, since I'm already happily married and I'll never meet Richard Armitrage. So, scratch that one. I'll just go see "The Hobbit" instead. I hear he plays a dwarf king.
  • Be nice to myself, and not get too upset if I can't achieve all these resolutions in 2013. After all, there's always 2014, right?
Thanks Linda for sharing with us!  We share a couple of the same resolutions - Lose weight (I am down 6 lbs!); Read more - this is a resolution ALL the time!  lol; Get on a plane - I also have a fear of flying - this didn't seem to start though until after I had children.  I have flown some places with my husband and this year I have to fly to a seminar without him in August - so we will see how that goes. . .

I am being allowed to give away one ecopy of Melting the Millionaire's Heart to one of my readers.  Please fill out the rafflecopter below to enter!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Review: Finding the Baby Jesus (with Top Ten list and Giveaway)


Tour Schedule


Finding the Baby Jesus by Kimball Fisher

After being forced to wear lederhosen for the annual holiday card picture, twelve-year-old Chris thinks that the least his parents can do is get him the Tony Hawk skateboard he wants for Christmas. But when he recovers the hand-carved Baby Jesus that everyone thought had been destroyed in a fire the year his Grandma died, Chris realizes that some gifts are even more important than skateboards.

When the author had to discontinue a cherished tradition of reading Christmas stories out loud with his family and holiday guests each week in December, he wrote Finding the Baby Jesus. He had been unable to locate enough meaningful stories that could be read in a single sitting with wiggly children.


My thoughts: This was a very quick read and the author did a nice job of going from one extreme of Christmas in the eyes of the world to Christmas in the heart.  Even better was that it was a child who went through this transformation, whose motives were completely pure at the end.  If it had been an adult, you sometimes wonder if there were ulterior motives in his gestures.


The author was kind enough to share with me his ten favorite gifts to give (or receive).

My wife and I have a tradition of making gifts for Christmas. My ten favorite home-made gifts (for giving or getting) include:

1- Scrapbooks. Reenie does this for me nearly every year. (Because I beg for them! Honest. On my knees.) I love her scrapbooks not only for her photographic and display artistry, but for the visual memories of our life together over the year. Priceless.
2- Poems. A non-holiday tradition we have is that I leave her a pillownote (so-called because of where I tuck them in secret) whenever I go out of town. That happens a lot. As a result, once in a long while I gather the poems and assemble them into a book to present as a Christmas gift. Yikes! That reminds me that this particular gift is long overdue. I just counted and there are 203 scraps of paper with a poem on them that she has sandwiched into the last book I made eons ago.
3- Food. I crave my sweetie's yam and apple casserole. And her apple crisp. And there's this one strawberry jello thingy that has lemon pudding in it. WOW. Oh, and just about anything with whipped cream.
4- Pens. I started making writing pens several years ago after Reenie bought me a lathe. My favorite type of pen to make (the experts, BTW, say "turn" instead of "make") is a cigar style pen out of cocobolo or burled walnut.
5- Stained glass windows. I think the windows are her favorite Christmas gift, although she will neither confirm nor deny this. She always says: "I love everything you make for me!" I've done some smaller ones of flowers (I like irises in blue tones). I also did a big one of Mt. Hood near our home in Portland that ended up being a gift multiple times. I took the window apart and reworked the design until I liked it. I do that with my books, too. I've been rewriting FINDING THE BABY JESUS for the last three Christmas seasons. I finally felt it was done this year.
6- Time. I love it when she gives me something for us to do together. One year she gave us golf lessons. Another year--and I really loved this--she gave us fly fishing lessons in the Provo river in Midway, Utah. We have a cabin there. (Midway is where I decided to locate the FINDING story.)
7- Furniture. Honestly, on the years when I do this I usually only have part of the present completed and hidden under a quilt with a promise to finish it before the next Christmas. But I've made a TV cabinet, head board, coffee table, jewelry case and some other stuff I can't think of right now. In fact our whole making a present tradition started on our first Christmas together because of furniture. We were poor graduate students with a $15.00 Christmas budget. After we got a tree, there was only enough money left for an angel eraser and some Smarties candies. My Mom saved the holiday by helping me refinish an old family drop leaf table to give to my bride to use for our kitchen.
8- One special apron. The first gift my wife ever made me. It's blue with my name on it. It's pretty worn, but I'm keeping it forever.
9- A game. Part of our tradition is to get a game every Christmas that we play before the end of the day. Technically, we buy it instead of making it, but we make the time to play it. That's the fun part, right?
10- My favorite gift is love. There is something so warm and wonderful about just being with my sweetheart on Christmas. I set up her card table and watch her work on a new jigsaw puzzle each year. It's nice seeing her in front of the fire, doing something she really enjoys. Makes me feel good to think about it all year long.



I love the tradition of making gifts to give for Christmas.  A few years ago I talked my family into drawing names for Christmas with the idea that we each had to make something for the person whose name they drew.  This tradition lasted about two years and then I was the only one who wanted to continue to make gifts. . .  Of course, I am the only one in the family who loves to do crafts - needlepoint, knitting, crochet, quilting.  What the rest of the family didn't get was that I just enjoyed seeing the time they put into their projects and the thoughtfulness - not really looking for the finished project.  By the third year they were getting creative and "making" reservations for dinner or the older girls were "making" time to watch their little brother.  So sadly, this tradition has died out with us for now.


Praise for Finding the Baby Jesus:

“Tender and true, this warm Christmas tale brought tears to my eyes.”

–Heather Vogel Frederick, author of the much-beloved Mother-Daughter Book Club series and Oregon Book Award winner for The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed

“A touching story that speaks to the importance of family, giving, and the true spirit of Christmas.”
–Matthew Kirby, author of Icefall, winner of the Edgar Allen Poe and the Pen Center USA Literary Awards for Children’s Literature

“Deeply moving. Poignant.”
–Deborah Halverson, former editor at Harcourt Children’s Books and author of Honk If You Hate Me, a Gayle McCandliss Literary Award Winner

"The perfect little book to tuck away with your Christmas things and bring out year after year to read with family. As mother to three boys, I can't imagine a better protagonist than Chris. His typical teenage attitude followed by the softening of his heart towards a friend teaches a poignant and very relatable lesson on the true meaning of Christmas."

–Amazon review

"After I read this short story I felt like I had read a novel--every sentence is packed with action and imagery. I was emotionally connected to the characters, and the story is touching. I didn't see the plot twist at the end coming! A great story to read every Christmas."

–Amazon review


Purchase






Author Kimball Fisher





Kimball Fisher writes novels for young readers. He is also a best-selling business author, professional speaker, and management consultant. Some of his past jobs include: sailboat builder, ghost writer (not as scary as it sounds), illustrator, and factory manager (more scary than it sounds). For fun he builds furniture, stained-glass windows, and writing pens.



He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities (with minors in English, Asian Studies, and Japanese), and a Master of Organizational Behavior degree from Brigham Young University. He and his amazing wife Reenie live in Portland, Oregon, where they have seen pheasants, coyotes, and a bobcat in their own backyard.



Links




Book Blast


Tour Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/26/12



Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.




a Rafflecopter giveaway






Tour Schedule

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2012/10/finding-baby-jesus-blog-tour.html





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