Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.

Monday, October 11, 2010

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Oct 11, 2004)






What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too!

Currently Reading:

Dewey's Nine Lives by Vicki Myron
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Bathroom Book:
Surrender the Heart by M.L. Tyndall


Audio Book:

New this week:
The Waiting by Suzanne Woods Fischer
French Letters: Engaged in War by Jack W. London
Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner
Catching Moondrops by Jennifer Valent

Books Reviewed Last Week:
Last to Die by Kate Brady
Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis
The House on Malcolm Street by Leisha Kelly

Books Waiting to Be Reviewed:
Ah-Choo!: The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold by Jennifer Ackerman
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
The Big Dirt Nap by Rosemary Harris
Two Lethal Lies by Annie Solomon

Books that have been languishing here so long I will probably have to re-read to review!
Meet Me in Dreamland: A Lu-Chu and Lena Book by Steven McKinney, Valerie McKinney
Masked edited by Lou Anders

Ready - Set - Read!


Sunday, October 10, 2010

Mailbox Mayhem (Oct 4 - Oct 10)

Bison roam the Black Hills of South Dakota


In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren.  Mailbox Monday's host for October is Avis at She Reads and Reads. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!
SWAPPED:

by Scott Westerfeld
It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime.  Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance.  "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery.  And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras.  The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol.  Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes.  Popularity rules.
As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody.  An extra.  Her only chance to escape extra-land is to find a big story to kick -- something wild and unexpected.
Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it.  But the Sly Girls are hiding something bigger -- an explosive discovery that may change the face of the brave new world forever.  If Aya kicks this story, she'll be propelled into the world of fame, celebrity. . . and extreme danger.  A world she's not prepared for.

by Alyson Noel

Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him.  As Ever's powers increase, Damen's begin to fade after he is stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life.

Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, where she uncovers not only the secrets of Damen's past -- the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden -- but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time.  With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them -- or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker by the day. . .


FOR REVIEW:


by Jodi Thomas

In the two years since she claimed Harmony, Texas, as her home, eighteen-year-old Reagan Truman has found herself drawn to others who have made their way there, too.  Gabe Leary, for instance, whose plan to hide out in Harmony is dashed when he becomes the town hero.  then there's Liz Matheson: Vulnerable and fresh out of law school, Liz has never been needed by anyone -- until an unsettling encounter with Gabe changes everything.  And there's Liz's brother, volunteer fire chief Hank Matheson, who's starting to wonder whether the town's sheriff, Alex McAllen, will ever set the date to marry him.

As for Reagan, who's been shaped by the loneliness she's known most of her life, she's finally found a place she belongs -- and doesn't want anything to get in her way.  But when her life is put in jeopardy and the whole town comes together to save her, she'll discover that trusting the love that's come into our hearts is the greatest gift of all. . .


by River Jordan

What if you had the power to amend choices you made in the past? Would you do it even if it changed everything?

Mercy Land has made some unexpected choices for a young woman in the 1930s.  The sheltered daughter of a traveling preacher, she chooses to leave her rural community to move to nearby Bay City on the warm, gulf-waters of southern Alabama.  There she finds a job at the local paper and spends seven years making herself indispensible to old Doc Philips, the publisher and editor.  Then she gets a frantic call at dawn -- it's the biggest news story of her life, and she can't print a word of it.

Doc has come into possession of a curious book that maps the lives of everyone in bay City -- decisions they've made in the past, and how those choices affect the future.  Mercy and Doc are consumed by the mystery locked between the pages -- Doc because he hopes to right a very old wrong, and Mercy because she wants to fulfill the book's strange purpose.  But when a mystery from Mercy's past arrives by train, she begins to understand she will have to make choices that will deeply affect everyone she loves -- forever.



by Pat Brown with Bob Andelman

In 1990, a young woman was strangled on a jogging path near the home of Pat Brown and her family.  Brown suspected the young man who was renting a room in her house and quickly uncovered strong evidence that pointed to him -- but the police dismissed her as merely a housewife with an overactive imagination.  It would be six years before her former boarder would be brought in for questioning, but the night Brown took action to solve the murder was the beginning of her life's work.

Pat Brown is now one of the nation's few female criminal profilers -- a sleuth who assists police departments and victims' families by analyzing both physical and behavioral evidence to make the most scientific determination possible about who committed a crime.  Brown has analyzed many dozens of seemingly hopeless cases and brought new investigative avenues to light.

In The Profiler, Brown opens her case files to take readers behind the scenes of bizarre sex crimes, domestic murders, and mysterious deaths, going face-to-face with killers, rapists, and brutalized victims.  It's a rare, up-close, first-person look at the real world of police and profilers as they investigate crimes -- the good and bad, the cover-ups and the successes.




by Kerin Bellak-Adams

In AD/HD Success! Solutions for Boosting Self-Esteem, AD/HD expert Kerin Bellak-Adams presents a unique and practical method for working with children and adolescents who need to overcome some of the challenges that are frequently encountered in those with an AD/HD diagnosis.  Based on her extensive experience working with families, Bellak-Adams's proven techniques boost self-esteem while helping children achieve their full potential.

Developed for ages 7 to 17, this hands-on workbook provides motivational tools that help kids experience a dramatic shift in positive attitude toward themselves, aiding them in developing new behaviors that will allow them to flourish in and out of school.  Supporting exercises and worksheets help students learn time-management skills, improve communication with parents and teachers, develop accountability, increase self-discipline, and become aware of untapped strengths -- putting them on the path to lifelong success! 





Christmas is a time of celebration and wonder, a time to embrace longstanding traditions and establish new ones.  It's a time for meals filled with memories and heartwarming stories shared around the fireplace.  It's a time for worship, reflection, and remembrance of God's greatest gift.

Everything Christmas brings all of the best ideas for the holiday season together in one volume.  In this book, you'll find your favorite classic Christmas stories and a few new ones destined to join them.  You'll discover the most delectable holiday recipes, enjoy the words to treasured hymns and carols, and be encouraged by inspirational Christmas poems and the joy of the Nativity.

Organized by the days of Advent, Everything Christmas includes everything you need to make the holiday bright.  From decoration ideas to christmas trivia and humor -- it's all here!

Opening Everything Christmas is like opening a box full of Christmas cheer.


by Denise Burroughs







by Donita K. Paul

In a sleepy, snow-covered city, Cora Crowder is busy preparing for the holiday season.  As she searches for a perfect gift, a fortuitous trip to Warner, Werner, and Wizbotterdad's (a most unusual bookshop) leads to an unexpected encounter with co-worker Simon Derrick.  And the surprise discovery of a ticket for a truly one-of-a-kind Christmas Ball.

Every year, the matchmaking booksellers of the Sage Street bookshop host an enchanting, old-fashioned Christmas Ball for the romantic matches they've decided to bring together.

This year, wll Simon and Cora discover a perfect chemistry in their opposite personalities and shared faith?  Or will the matchmakers' best laid plans end up ruining everything this holiday?



by Jeannette Katzir


World War II has long since ended, and yet Jaclyn and her four brothers and sisters grow up learning to survive it.  Having lived through the Holocaust on the principle of constant distrust, their mother, Channa, dutifully teaches her children to cling to one another while casting a suspicious eye to the outside world.  When Channa dies, the unexpected contents of her will force her adult children to face years of suppressed indignation.  For Jacyln and her siblings, the greatest war will not be against strangers, but against one another.  Broken Birds, The Story of My Momila is Jeannette Katzir's achingly honest memoir of the enduring effects of war.  From her parents' harrowing experiences during the Holocaust to her own personal battles, Katzir exposes the maladies of heart and mind that those broken by war, inevitably and unintentionally pass down to the generations that follow. 




by Annie Greer and Tim Vandehey

Annie Greer has an uncanny ability to attract animal strangeness wherever she goes.  An animal chiropractioner, healer and behaviorist, Annie regularly finds herself in the middle of the most ridiculous, harrowing and hysterically funny situations -- prospecting for pigs in a region right out of "Deliverance," dealing with dogs that consume women's undergarments, tackling stray deer, soothing a beloved pig afflicted with agoraphobia, and that's only the beginning.  With her veterinarian husband, Kent, by her side, Annie's adventures are the stuff that laughter is made of.

Now, with her co-author Tim Vandehey, Annie has compiled 26 of her funniest tales in The Chimp Who Loved Me.  This collection is sure to leave you saying, "No way. Can't be true!"  But Annie really has sedated a cougar, been a human sheepdog and used kung fu on wild pigs.  She and Tim share a lifetime of bizarre, funny and loving anecdotes about sex, pee, poop and death -- in other words, the real world of animals and those who care for them.

20% of book sales go the ASPCA!



What Books Found A Home With You This Week?





The House on Malcolm Street by Leisha Kelly (Book Review)

Title: The House on Malcolm Street
Author: Leisha Kelly
Publisher: Revell/Baker

About the book: Leah and her young daughter Eliza, journey to Illinois to start a new life.  Leah has lost both her husband and her infant son in the last year.  Already suffering from an irrational fear of trains, it is a train accident that kills her husband.  She loses her son to illness.  Unable to find work or to provide any thing for Eliza, she takes her husband's Aunt Marigold up on her offer of a place to stay.

Aunt Marigold runs a boardinghouse, but it is really a refuge for those in need.  She doesn't often have a paying boarder, but just seeks to give back from what the Lord has given her. Already in residence is Josiah Walsh.  Though he calls her Aunt Mari, he is barely related to her through marriage.  She loves him like a son and he reciprocates.  Aunt Mari was his lifeline when he lost his wife and unborn child. 

Leah has been blaming God for the deaths in her family and is struggling with any kind of faith, while Eliza has faith enough for both of them. Aunt Mari has been praying that Leah and Josiah will be able to overcome their grief with each other's help.

My thoughts:  This was my first Leisha Kelly book and it was pretty good.  Even though it was a story based on tragedy and grief, it is full of love and acceptance and how God uses all circumstances for His good. I am hoping their is a follow up book as I would love to find out what happens with these characters!

Available September 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Baker in exchange for my review.~

Publisher/Publication Date: Baker, Sept 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3328-5
345 pages

Friday, October 8, 2010

Last to Die by Kate Brady (Book Review)

Title: Last to Die
Author: Kate Brady
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing/Hachette

About the book: I am going to cheat and use the book's synopsis as I read this awhile ago - I don't want to get any details wrong -

A ruthless killer hides in plain sight, someone no one believes is capable of murder. Within a week, six women will be murdered, all punished for their dark pasts. Detective Dani Cole is determined to track down this serial killer whose victims include a young woman she pulled out of a life of crime. Her investigation leads her to a photography foundation and the renowned photographer Mitch Sheridan, a man she she fell in love with years ago but has tried to forget. Dani and Mitch are instantly attracted to each other again, though their troubled pasts keep them from getting too close. Together, through the course of the investigation, they unearth a dark chain of deception that leads to a killer who is closer than they think.




My thoughts:  This was a very compelling book.  The pieces of the mystery came together slowly and the killer was unknown to me until the end.  I was impressed with the way the author dropped hints and  "wove" them all together.  It very much kept in the same style as One Scream Away which was a thriller involving Mitch's brother Neil Sheridan. She is definitely becoming one of my new favorite thriller writers! 


~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette in exchange for my review.~

Last to Die
Publisher/Publication Date: Grand Central Publishing/Sept 2010
ISBN: 978-0-446-54153-4
414 pages


Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis - Book Review and Giveaway!

Title: Simply Irresistible
Author: Jill Shalvis
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing/Hachette

My synopsis: Maddie and her two half-sisters, Tara and Chloe, have inherited an old inn from their mother in Lucky Harbor, Washington.  For Maddie, it has come at a perfect time as she has just broken up with her abusive boyfriend, which has also left her jobless and homeless.  She is looking for a fresh start and is hoping to make a home at the inn.  Unfortunately, her sisters aren't of the same mindset.  It soon becomes apparent that they want to sell the inn as quickly as possible and get back to their lives.

Maddie pulls into town while almost plowing down a man on a motorcycle.  He turns out to be Jax Cullen, master carpenter, town mayor, and resident hottie.  Of course Maddie finds this out in small doses, and as she has sworn off of men, tries her best to stay away from him.  Jax has some baggage of his own that he has been carrying around for five years, and is surprised at the power of attraction that he feels for Maddie.

In the weeks before Christmas, Maddie, Tara, and Chloe spend more time together than they have in their entire lives.  An affection develops that can only be found among sisters, and as much as Tara and Chloe continue to resist the idea of running the inn together, they grudgingly agree to give Maddie a temporary stay in selling it.

My thoughts:  I really enjoyed reading this book.  It is the first in a new series and of course, is Maddie's story.  I can't wait to find out more about the sisters and see how they are going to fit into the big picture.  I enjoyed seeing the change come about in Maddie and how she learned to stand on her own two feet.  Something I believe she probably did all along and just had not been aware of how much.  The chemistry between her and Jax is palpable and brought to mind the memory and excitement of those first days of attraction that one feels in a new romance. Seeing as how it is set before Christmas, this would be a fun holiday read.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hachette in exchange for my review.~


GIVEAWAY

I have 3 copies of Simply Irresistible to giveaway courtesy of Hachette books. There are a few ways to enter:



1. Sign up to be a follower of this blog - just let me know how you follow. (1 entry)

2. Follow me on twitter (@kherbrand) and tweet or use tweet button below. (1 entry)

3. Comment on any non-giveaway post and let me know. (1 entry)

All entries can be left in one comment, but must leave email address also! Giveaway open to US/Canada only - no PO boxes. Giveaway will end on Oct 29. Winners will have 48 hours to respond. Any unclaimed books will be given away on twitter at that time.

Publisher/Publication Date: Grand Central Publishing, Oct 2010
ISBN: 978-0-446-57161-6
311 pages

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Don't Forget About the Facebook Party tonight!

A Hope Undaunted Facebook Party

Facebook Party for A Hope Undaunted is tonight, Thursday, Oct 7 from 5pm - 6pm PST.  Come and join in the fun and win some great prizes!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

First Wild Card Tour: Surrender the Heart by Mary Lu Tyndall

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!


Today's Wild Card author is:


and the book:


Surrender the Heart

Barbour Books (August 1, 2010)

***Special thanks to MaryLu Tyndall and Camy Tang for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


M.L. Tyndall, a Christy Award Finalist, and best-selling author of the Legacy of the King’s Pirates series is known for her adventurous historical romances filled with deep spiritual themes. She holds a degree in Math and worked as a software engineer for fifteen years before testing the waters as a writer. MaryLu currently writes full time and makes her home on the California coast with her husband, six kids, and four cats. Her passion is to write page-turning, romantic adventures that not only entertain but expose Christians to their full potential in Christ. For more information on MaryLu and her upcoming releases, please visit her website or her blog.


Visit the author's website.
Visit the author's blog.



Product Details:

List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Barbour Books (August 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602601658
ISBN-13: 978-1602601659

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:


June 18, 1812, Baltimore, Maryland


“I would rather boil in oil than marry Noah Brenin.” Marianne tossed the silver brooch onto her vanity.

“Hold your breath and stay still.” Rose said from behind her. “Besides, it is only an engagement party, not a wedding.”

“But it is one more step to that horrid destination.” Marianne sucked in her breath as Rose threaded the laces through the eyelets on her stays. “Why must women wear these contraptions?”

“To look our best for the gentlemen in our lives.” Cassandra appeared on Marianne’s left, a lacy petticoat flung over one arm. With shimmering auburn hair and eyes the color of emeralds, Cassandra had no trouble looking her best for anyone.

Marianne huffed. “I have no care what any gentleman thinks of my appearance.”

“Which is why you are still unmarried at five and twenty.”

“Then what is your excuse at three and twenty?” Marianne arched a brow, to which Cassandra responded with a shrug. “I have not yet met a man worthy of me.” She grinned.

“Where on earth is your chambermaid?” Rose grunted as she squeezed Marianne’s rounded figure into the stays and tied the final lace tight. “Shouldn’t she be doing this?”

“I dismissed her.” Marianne waved a hand through the air. “I prefer to dress myself.” She hoped they didn’t hear the slight quaver in her voice. If only they knew that her mother had been forced to let the entire staff go and the ones here today were hired just for her betrothal party.

“There.” Rose finished her work and stepped back as Marianne took the petticoat from Cassandra and slipped it over her head.

“Truth is, I do not wish to marry—ever.” Marianne squared her shoulders as Cassandra slid behind her and latched the petticoat hooks.

Rose put her hands on her waist. “Noah Brenin is a fine man and a good catch.”

Marianne gazed at her friend and couldn’t help but smile at the motherly reprimand burning in her crystal blue eyes. Tall and slender, with honey blond hair, Rose turned many a head in Baltimore. Just like Cassandra.

But not like Marianne.

“He is a boor.”

“Why so low an opinion of him? Haven’t you and he been friends since childhood?” Rose cocked her head and gave Marianne a look of censure.

“I wouldn’t call it friendship, more like forced acquaintance. And my knowledge of him is precisely why I know him for the churlish clod he is.”

Gathering a cream-colored silk-embroidered gown from Marianne’s bed, Rose and Cassandra tossed it over her head and assisted her as she wiggled into it. She adjusted the ruffled lace bordering her neckline and circling her puffy sleeves. Cassandra handed her a jeweled belt which Marianne strapped around her high waist and buckled in front. She pressed down the folds of her gown, admiring the pink lace trailing down the front and trimming the hemline. After slipping on her white satin slippers, Marianne moved to the full length looking glass and paused to eye her reflection.

Plain. Despite the shimmering, glamorous dress, plain was the first word that came to her mind. Perhaps because that was how she had always been described. Brown hair, brown eyes, average height, a bit plump. Nothing remarkable, nothing to catch an eye.

Simply plain.

Which was precisely why, when the other girls her age were being courted, Marianne had preferred to spend her time caring for her ailing mother and younger sister, particularly after their father died. No whirlwind romances, no soirees, no grand adventures lit up the horizon for her. She had resigned herself to lead an ordinary life. An ordinary life for an ordinary girl.

“Come now, it won’t be so bad.” Rose brushed a lock of hair from Marianne’s forehead and then straightened one of the curls dangling about her neck. “You look as though you were attending your own funeral.”

“I dare say I feel as though I am.” Tired of staring into the mirror with the hope her reflection would transform into that of a beautiful woman, Marianne turned aside, picked up her silk gloves from the vanity and sauntered toward the window.

“I, for one, cannot wait to get married,” Rose said. “To the right man of course. He must be a good, honest, god-fearing man. A man who stays home, not a seaman. And he must be agreeable in all respects.”

“What about handsome?” Cassandra asked, and Marianne turned to see a blush creep up Rose’s neck.

“Well, yes, I suppose I would not be opposed to that.” Her blue eyes twinkled.

Facing the window, Marianne slid the white gloves onto her hands and tugged them up her arms. Shouts echoed from the street below, accompanied by the clip clop of horse hooves and the grating of carriage wheels. She brushed aside the curtain to see people running to and fro darting between carriages. A warm breeze, heavy with moisture and the smells of the sea, stirred the curtains. A bell rang in the distance, drawing Marianne’s attention to the maze of ship’s masts thrusting into the blue sky like iron bars of a prison. A prison that could not constrain the ravenous blue waters from feeding upon the innocent—an innocent like her father.

Rose and Cassandra joined her at the window as more shouts blasted in with the wind. “What is all the commotion about?” Cassandra pushed back the other side of the curtains.

“There have been rumors that President Madison will soon declare war on Britain,” Marianne said.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that.” Rose peered over Marianne’s shoulder. “War is such horrid business.”

“But necessary if the British insist on stealing our men from land and sea and impressing them into their Navy.” Marianne felt her ire rising. “Not to mention how they rouse the Indians to attack us on the frontier.”

“They want their colonies back, I suppose.” Afternoon sunlight set Cassandra’s red hair aflame in ribbons of liquid fire. “England never was good at losing.”

“Well they can’t have them.” Marianne’s voice rose with a determination she felt building within. Though she’d been born after the Revolution, she had heard the stories of oppression and tyranny enforced upon them by a nation across the seas whose king thought he had the right to dictate laws and taxes without giving the people a voice. But no more. “We won our freedom from them. We are a nation now. A new nation that represents liberty to the entire world.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Cassandra nodded with a smile. “Perhaps you should run for mayor?”

“A woman in public office?” Marianne chuckled. “That will never happen.”

The door creaked open, and Marianne turned to see her mother and younger sister slip inside.

Lizzie’s eyes widened and she rushed toward Marianne. “You look so beautiful, Marianne!”

Kneeling, Marianne embraced her sister. She held her tight and took a big whiff of the lavender soap with which their mother always scrubbed the little girl. “Thank you, Lizzie. I can always count on you for a compliment.”

“Now, Lizzie, don’t wrinkle your sister’s dress.” Marianne’s mother sank into one of the chairs by the fireplace and winced. The slight reminder of her mother’s pain caused Marianne’s heart to shrink. She squeezed her little sister again—the one beacon of joy in their house these past three years since Father died—and kissed her on the cheek. “You look very beautiful too.”

The little girl clutched her skirt and twirled around. “Do you really think so?” She drew her lips into a pout. “But when can I wear a dress like yours?”

“Come now, Lizzie,” Mother said. “You are only six. When you are a grown woman like Marianne, you may wear more elaborate gowns.” She gestured toward Rose and Cassandra. “Ladies, would you take Lizzie downstairs for a moment? I need a word with Marianne.”

“Of course, Mrs. Denton.” Rose took Lizzie’s hand. “Come along little one.”

Cassandra followed after them and closed the door.

Marianne sat in the chair beside her mother and gently grasped her hands. She flinched at how cold and moist they were. “How are you feeling, Mama?”

“Very well today, dear.” She looked down as if hiding something..

But Marianne didn’t need to look in her mother’s eyes to know she was lying. The sprinkles of perspiration on her forehead, the paleness of her skin, and the tightening of her lips when the pains hit spoke more clearly than any words.

Marianne squeezed her mother’s hands. “The medicaments are not working?”

“They will work. It takes time.” Her mother attempted a smile. “But let us not talk of that now. I have something more important to discuss with you.” She released a heavy sigh then lifted her gaze to Marianne’s. Though illness had stolen the glimmer from her eyes, it could not hide the sweet kindness of her soul. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

The truth of her words sliced through Marianne. She stared at the floral pattern woven into the carpet. “You know I do.”

“It isn’t fair of me to ask this of you.” Her mother’s voice rang with conviction and deep sorrow.

“You didn’t ask, Mama. I want to do this.” A truth followed by a lie. Marianne hoped the good canceled out the bad.

“Come now. You cannot fool me.” Mama said. “I know this is not the match you would choose.”

Releasing her mother’s hands, Marianne rose from the chair and sauntered toward the window. The rustle of her gown crackled through the air with conviction. “In truth, I would choose no match.” She turned and forced a smile. “So if I must marry, why not this man?”

Her mother gazed at her with such love and sorrow that Marianne felt her heart would burst. Once considered the most beautiful woman in Baltimore, Jane Denton, now withered away with the sickness that robbed her of her glow and luster and stole the fat from her bones, leaving her but a frail skeleton of what she once had been. The physicians had no idea what ailed her save that without the medicaments they administered, she would die a quicker and more painful death.

Tearing her gaze from the tragic vision, Marianne glanced out the window where it seemed as though the approaching evening only heightened the citizens’ agitation. “Marrying Noah Brenin will save us. It will save you.”

“But what of saving you?” Her mother’s sweet plea caressed Marianne’s ears, but she forced down the spark of hope that dared to rise at her mother’s question. There was no room for hope now, only necessity.

“You know if we continue as is, all that is left of our fortune will be spent in one year on your medicaments. Then what will we do? Without my dowry, no man will look my way, since that and our good name is all that has caught this particular fish upon the hook.” And without a husband to unlock her inheritance, her father had ensured that the seven thousand dollars would remain as far from her reach as if she did not own it at all.

“Perhaps you will meet another man—someone you love?” Her mother said.

“Mama, I am five and twenty.” Marianne turned and waved her hands over herself. “And plain to look at.” She gave a bitter laugh. “Do you see suitors lining up at our door?”

“You are too beautiful for words, dearest.” Her mother’s eyes beamed in adoration. “You just don’t know it yet.”

Shrugging off her mother’s compliment as the obligation of a parent, Marianne stiffened her back before she attempted to rekindle an argument long since put to death. “We could take what’s left of our money and fund a privateer, Mama.” Marianne glanced out the window at a mob that had formed down the street. “War is certain and our fledgling navy will need all the help it can get.”

Her mother’s nervous huff drew Marianne’s gaze. “It is far too much of a gamble. And gambling destroys lives”—a glaze covered her mother’s eyes as she stared into the room—“and families.”

Marianne grimaced. “I am not like Papa. I have heard these privateers can make a fortune while helping to defend our country.”

A breeze stirred a curled wisp of her mother’s hair as she gazed at Marianne with concern.

Marianne twisted the ring on her finger. “Down at the docks, merchantmen are already outfitted their ships as privateers. The call for investors goes out daily.” If only she could convince her mother, not only would Marianne not have to marry that clod, Noah, but she could do something to help this great nation of hers.

Her mother’s boney hands perched in her lap began to tremble. “We could lose everything. And what of Lizzie? I could not bare it.”

Shame drummed upon Marianne’s hopes. She had upset her mother when the doctor strictly instructed her to keep her calm.

“Perhaps a trade of some sort?” Mama offered. “I hear that Mrs. Pickersgill makes a decent living sewing ensigns.”

A blast of warm wind stirred the gauzy curtains and cooled the perspiration forming on Marianne’s neck. “Mama you know I have no skills. I’m not like other ladies. The last gown I attempted to sew fell apart. My cooking would drive the hardiest frontiersman back to the woods, and the pianoforte runs when it sees me coming.”

Mother chuckled. “You exaggerate, dearest.”

But Marianne could tell by the look in her mother’s eyes that despite the humorous delivery, her words rang true. Though a governess in her younger years and her mother in her later years had strived to teach Marianne the skills every proper lady should acquire, she had found them nothing but tedious. She possessed no useful skills, no talents. As her father had so often declared before his death. In essence, Marianne had nothing to offer. If her mother would not agree to fund a privateer, Marianne would have to accept her fate in marriage.

“I’m an old woman and will die soon anyway,” Mama said with a sigh. “But I must ensure you and Lizzie are cared for.”

Gathering her skirts, Marianne dashed toward her mother and knelt at her feet. “You must never say such a thing.”

“Do not soil your beautiful gown.” Her mother smiled and wiped a tear from Marianne’s cheek. “Perhaps we should simply trust God with my health and let His will prevail.”

Marianne laid her head on her mother’s lap like she used to do as a child. She had trusted her father, she had trusted God.

And they had both let her down—her and her mother.

Trust no longer came so easily. “I will not let you die, Mother. I cannot.” Her eyes burned with tears. “As long as I have my inheritance and a man who is willing to marry me, I promise you will be well cared for. And Lizzie too. That is all that matters, now.” Marianne lifted her gaze to her mother’s, feeling strength surge through her.

“And mark my words, Mama. Nothing will stand in my way. Especially not Noah Brenin.”

Monday, October 4, 2010

A Season of Seduction by Jennifer Haymore - Blog Tour Oct 4 - 15


by Jennifer Haymore
Touring Oct 4 - 15

Although the widowed Lady Rebecca has sworn off marriage, men are another matter.  London's cold winter nights have her dreaming of warmer pursuits -- like finding a lover to satisfy her hungry heart.  Someone handsome, discreet, and most importantly as uninterested in marriage as she is.  Someone like Jack Fulton.

A known adventurer and playboy, Jack seems like the perfect choice.  There's just one problem:  Jack isn't interested in an affair.  He needs the beautiful, mysterious Lady Rebecca to be his wife.  And he doesn't have much time to persuade her.  A secret from Jack's past is about to surface, and by Christmas Day, he'll be either married to Rebecca or dead.

FIVE FUN FACTS

1. After writing two books with Lady Rebecca as a young girl trying to find her place in the world, I loved writing about how she becomes a strong and independent woman in A Season of Seduction.


2. Cornwall, England, where Lady Rebecca’s property is, is one of those stark, windy places I always imagine as a setting for gothic novels. I have always wanted to write about it and visit it. Now that I have written about it and researched it, visiting is the next on the list!


3. I spent hours and hours researching the traveling time from London to Launceston, Cornwall while writing A Season of Seduction. I am always stymied by the amount of time it took to go from point A to point B using the various means of travel during this era. I’m trying to talk my husband into buying a horse for me just so I can be as accurate as possible! Unfortunately, so far, my husband is not convinced, but I’m still working on him…


4. In my last book, A Touch of Scandal, Lady Rebecca broke her arm in a carriage accident. Unfortunately, I know some things about broken arms, because my son has had two of them in two years! Lady Rebecca had the same break as my son’s first injury (a broken humerus just above the elbow), but she didn’t have access to modern medical care, so even after four years she’s still suffering from the repercussions in A Season of Seduction.


5. Christmas is my favorite day of the year, and I’d never imagined I’d be lucky enough to have the opportunity to write a historical romance set during the holiday season. Combine that with the special romance between Becky and Jack, and A Season of Seduction is definitely one of my favorites!


You can find Jennifer on twitter, Facebook and her website.


A Season of Seduction
Publisher/Publication Date: Grand Central Publishing/Oct 2010
ISBN: 978-0-446-54028-5
379 pages

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