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

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Mailbox Monday 4-6-2009

It is time for another edition of Mailbox Monday hosted by The Printed Page or In Your Mailbox hosted by The Story Siren. I am trying to get caught up on books that I have received in the mail, but have not featured here yet - so here are all the books that I received in February and March from blogger giveaways!

Speaking of giveaways - be sure to check my right sidebar for current giveaways - there will be more added throughout the month of April!






The Suburban Dragon by Garasamo Maccagnone was won from Shannon at Confuzzled Books. I got to choose which book I wanted from Shannon's books. I chose this one for my 4 year old son. He was so excited when I told him that he had gotten a book in the mail. Now when the UPS man comes, he always asks me where his book his! (Hint, hint to any children's book publishers who would like book reviews! (: ) This book is about 3 children whose mother is kidnapped by a dragon on a boring, rainy day.







Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson was won from In Bed With Books.

From Fantastic Fiction: Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend's restless spirit.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, best-selling author Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.




Sway by Zachary Lazar was won from Wendy at Wendy's Minding Spot.

From the back cover: At the razor's edge of an era, the worlds of the Rolling Stones and Charles Manson accidentally converged. Sway is the story of those two forces and how they became entwined in the last days of the 1960s. It is the story of the young Rolling Stones - beating out their new sound and their new identities in freezing apartments and tiny clubs - and it is the story of Bobby Beausoleil, a handsome drifter under a dangerous influence. With uncanny artistry, Zachary Lazar weaves scenes from these real lives into a true but heightened reality, making superstars human and demons palpable and restoring mythic events to the scale of daily life.




Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman was won from Mari at Mari Reads.

From the back cover: Something mysterious is happening in Skeleton Creek. Something scary. Something sinister.

Ryan came close to it . . . and nearly died. Now he's trapped in his house. He can't trust anyone -- not even himself.

He is forbidden from seeing his best friend, Sarah. So while Ryan is isolated and alone, she plunges back into the mystery, putting her life on the line to get to the truth.

Ryan is desperately trying to write down the full story. And while he does, Sarah takes videos of what she finds, then sends him the links so he can watch.

Together, they discover: The past is dangerous. The present is haunted. And the future is deadly.





American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld was won from Lisa at Books on the Brain.

From the back cover: A kind, bookish only child born in the 1940s, Alice Lindgren has no idea she will one day end up in the White House, married to the president. In her small Wisconsin hometown she learns the virtues of politeness, but a tragic accident when she is seventeen shatters her identity and changes the trajectory of her life. More than a decade later, when the charismatic son of a powerful Republican family sweeps her off her feet, she is surprised to find herself admitted into a world of privilege. And when her husband unexpectedly becomes governor and then president, she discovers that she is married to a man she both loves and fundamentally disagrees with - and that her private beliefs increasingly run against her public persona. As er husband's presidency enters its second term, Alice must confront contradictions years in the making and face questions nearly impossible to answer.




Drood by Dan Simmons was won from Carey at The Tome Traveller's Weblog.

From the inside cover: Drood is the name and nightmare that obsesses Charles Dickens for the last five years of his life.

On June 9, 1865, Dickens and his mistress are secretly returning to London, when their express train hurtles over a gap in a trestle. All of the first-class carriages except the one carrying Dickens are smashed to bits in the valley below. When Dickens descends into that valley to confront the dad and dying, his life will e changed forever. And at the core of that ensuing five-year nightmare is. . .

Drood. . .the name that Dickens whispers to his friend Wilkie Collins A laudanum addict and lesser novelist, Collins flouts Victorian sensibilities by living with one mistress while having a child with another, but he may be the only man on Earth with whom Dickens can share the secret of . . .

Drood. Increasingly obsessed with crypts, cemeteries, and the precise length of time it would take for a corpse to dissolve in a lime pit, Dickens ceases writing for four years and wanders the worst slums and catacombs of London at night while staging public readings during the day, gruesome readings that leave his audiences horrified. Finally he begins writing what would have been the world's first great mystery masterpiece, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, only to be interrupted forever by. . .

Drood.

Based on actual biographical events, Drood explores the still-unresolved mysteries of one of our greatest writer's dark final days in a profoundly original tale that confirms Lincoln Child's assessment of New York Times bestselling author Dan Simmons as "a giant among novelists."





The Terror by Dan Simmons was won from Kalea at Enroute to Life.

From the back cover: The men on board the HMS Terror - part of the ill-fated 1845 Franklin Expedition - are entering a second summer in the Arctic Circle without a thaw, stranded in a nightmarish landscape of ice and desolation. Endlessly cold, they struggle to survive with poisonous rations and a dwindling coal supply. But their real enemy is even more terrifying. There is something out there in the frigid darkness: an unseen predator staking their ship, a monstrous terror clawing to get in.




Staging Your Comeback by Christopher Hopkins was won somewhere but somehow I can't find from whom!
  • From the back cover: Known as The Makeover Guy from his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and other national television programs, Christopher Hopkins believes that as they age, women become more beautiful but often feel less attractive. He's out to change that. For more than twenty years he's encouraged women who feel like they have taken a backseat to everything and everyone else to come out of the shadows and take center stage. Now it's your turn. Using Christopher's step-by-step strategies and detailed advice, you will learn to:
  • Restore your hair with your ideal cut, color, and style.
  • Revamp your wardrobe to flatter a changing body.
  • Refresh your face with "visible lift" makeup techniques.
  • Renew your spirit and maintain your look using Christopher's revival guide.



The Renewal by Terri Kraus was won from Cathy at Word Vessel

From the back cover: A Single mom, a struggling carpenter, and two hearts in need of renewal.

Leslie Ruskin has just purchased the historic Midlands Building, which - like her life - needs a little renovation. She and her five-year-old daughter are starting over after a devastating divorce - but standing on the sidewalk looking up at the seedy downtown brownstone, Leslie wonders if she's done the right thing. It needs work. A lot of work.

Jack Kenyon, a master carpenter, is starting over too. Beginning his own construction business, he seems to be the perfect man for the project. But haunted by loneliness, his past failures, and the lost relationship with his own young daughter, Jack finds it difficult to maintain his sobriety.

As Leslie struggles to manage as a single mom, work begins; she's thrilled when the commercial space rents to experienced restaurateurs and excited when the renovation exposes a mystery on the first floor. But even as Jack an Leslie discover a growing attraction, Jack's old demons begin to surface. Will the whole project derail - or will they find the renewal their lives so desperately need?





Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford was won from Katrina at Stone SouP.

From the inside cover: In the opening pages of Jamie Ford's stunning debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.

This simple act takes Henry back to the 1940s, when his world was a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who was obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While "scholarshipping" at the exclusive Ranier Elementary, where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship - and innocent love - that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. After Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end and that their promise to each other will be kept.

Forty years later, Henry Lee, certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko, searches the hotel's dark, dusty basement for signs of the Okabe family's belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot even begin to measure. now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice: words that might explain the actions of his nationalistic father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.

Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.


Polly Dent Loses Grip by S. Dionne Moore was won at Lena Nelson Dooley's blog - A Christian Writer's World.

From the cover: Who says exercise is good for one's health? Certainly not Polly Dent!

Polly Dent Loses Grip on the treadmill and takes a fatal spill that's ruled an accident.

While helping her mother-in-law move into Bridgeton Towers Assisted Living & Nursing, LaTisha Barnhart's nose smells trouble simmering. The residents' gossip is revealing all kinds of motives for murder.

Can LaTisha stay on her achin' feet, and one step ahead of the villain, long enough to solve yet another crime?




The Moment Between by Nicole Baart was won at Trish Perry Books.
From the back cover: Abigail Bennett was completely in control of her life. But then tragedy pushed her to the brink of something she's never experienced: obsession. Now, she's given up everything she's ever worked for to chase down the object of that obsession. His name is Tyler Kamp.

As Abigail follows him across the border into Canada, her journey is awash in memories of family and childhood, especially those of her younger sister Hailey. Even as Abigail races into her future, her past continues to pull her back. Only when she is brought to the edge of her obsession will she be able to come to terms with the tragedy that ignited it.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

I Am Feeling Loved!

Thank you so much to all the bloggers who take the time to read and comment on my posts - and thank you even to you that I don't know about, but who just stop by to read. I would like to know about you though, and would love to add you to my blog roll.

I have been trying to add everyone whose little picture appears in my left side bar under the followers. If your picture is there, but you do not see your blog down below in the blog roll - please let me know and I will fix that!

If you would like to be added to my blog roll - but aren't in my followers yet, or maybe follow through a feed or email, just click on the little button and follow me. I will see you are new and get you added!

I have been given 3 new awards in the last few weeks! I love it when I see these pop up in my mailbox!





The first one was from Mo at Unmainstream Mom
Reads.
She awarded me the I Love Your Blog award.

To keep this award moving, here are the rules:

Add the logo of the award to your blog.
Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
Add links to those blogs on your blogs.
Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

I am awarding this to:
Alyce - At Home With Books
Wendy - Caribou's Mom
Jaime - Confessions of a Bibliophile
Katrina - Stone SouP
Chris - Stuff As Dreams Are Made On
Jessica - The Bluestocking Society




Jennifer of Jennifer's Book Blog awarded me The Splash Award!



The Rules:
1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress, or inspire you.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom your received your Splash award.

This award goes to:
An Iowa Mom
Kathy - Bermudaonion
Amy - My Friend Amy
Shelleen - Shelleen's Musings
Sweetsue
Tammy - Tammy's Book nook
The Book Muncher
Carey - The Tome Traveller's Weblog
Wendi - Wendi's Book Corner



From A Bookish Mom I also received The Lemonade Stand Award!

The Rules:
1) Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post
2) Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude
3) Link to your nominees within your post
4) Let the nominees know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog
5) Share the love and link to the person from who you received your award

I am giving this award to:
Jen - Devourer of Books
Jennifer - Just Jennifer Reading
Relz Reviews
Stacie - Simply Stacie
Peg - Sips 'n Cups Cafe
Sharonanne - Sharon Loves Books and Cats
Kim - Sophisticated Dorkiness
Tonya - Storytime with Tonya
Kelly - The Novel Bookworm
Jessie - Vanderbilt Wife

Please check out all of these fabulous blogs and maybe they will become your favorites too!

March Round Up of Books and a Look at April

I feel like I am so late posting this! Between 2 sick kids, me getting sick, 2 birthdays (my husband's and mine) and Spring Break - all of which happened in the last 7 days - I feel like I have been neglecting visiting all you wonderful bloggers! So on to the round-up so we can start fresh with April!

I only read 9 books in March - which is 3 less than February, yet February had more days - what gives there? Oh well - I did have one that I DNF and it clogged me up for a couple of days as I tried to get through it. I did finish reading one on April 1 though - so it will make my April numbers better!

  1. This Side of Heaven - Karen Kingsbury
  2. The Kingmaking - Helen Hollick
  3. The Stones - Eleanor Gustafson
  4. Marked by Passion - Kate Perry
  5. Diamonds in the Shadow - Caroline B. Cooney
  6. Scream - Mike Dellosso
  7. Katt's in the Cradle - Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell
  8. Yesterday's Embers - Deborah Ramey
  9. Deadly Charms - Claudia Mair Burney

This equals 3436 pages read. Now I see my discrepency - this is 300 more pages than February - duh - longer books!

If you have read and reviewed any of the above books - or any books from my archive - please leave me your link and I will add it to my review!

I had one challenge end in March which I completed - this was the Well-Seasoned Reader.

Here is a list of challenges and progress - you will see that some of them are completed, but I am not going to do a wrap up on them until they are officially over.


Christian Readers Challenge 21/5 - Completed
Book Awards Challenge 6/10
Unshelved Reading Challenge 0/3
Daring Book for Girls 3/9
Themed Reading Challenge 0/4 (6)
Numbers Challenge 0/5
The Countdown Challenge 26/45
Outlander Challenge 0/7
Genre Challenge 8/12
Whitcoull's Challenge 1/7
Chunkster 3/6
Series Challenge Season 3 2
9 Books from '09 7/9
100+ Reading Challenge 35/100
18th and 19th Century Women Writers 0/4
2009 ARC Reading Challenge 27 - Completed
2009 Chick Lit Challenge 16/10 - Completed
2009 Pub Challenge 12/9 - Completed
2009 Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge 4/12
999 Challenge 33/81
A to Z Challenge (authors) 13/26
A to Z Challenge (titles) 11/26
Art History Reading Challenge 0/6
Audiobook Challenge 2/12
Celebrate the Author challenge 0/12
Centuries Reading Challenge 0/4
Colorful Reading Challenge 2/9
Daniel Defoe 0/2
Decades '09 0/9
Dewey's Books Reading Challenge 1/6
Harlequin/Silhoutte Challenge 0/5
John Steinbeck 0/2
New Author Challenge 29/50
Read Your Name Challenge 6/8
Romance Reading Challenge 10/5 - Completed
Sarah Dessen 0/2
Science Book Challenge 1/3
Scott Westerfeld 0/2
Seconds Challenge 3/12
Serial Readers Challenge 8
Support Your Local Library 8/50
What's in a Name 2/6
World War II Challenge 0/5
YA Challenge 9/12
Young Readers 59/12 - Completed
5 Under 35 0

Books coming up for April:

Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark - Donna Lea Simpson (already finished)
An Offer You Can't Refuse - Jill Mansell (already finished)
Rachel's Tears - Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott
The Boneman's Daughter - Ted Dekker
Fatal Illusions - Adam Blumer
The Girl She Used to Be - David Cristofano
Unquiet Bones - Mel Starr
The Lost Hours - Karen White
So Not Happening - Jenny B. Jones
New York Debut - Melody Carlson
Fire Me - Libby Malin
Wild Highland Magic - Kendra Leigh Castle
Fragile Eternity - Melissa Marr
Outcasts United - Warren St. John
Sag Harbor - Colson Whitehead
Big Sid's Vincati - Matthew Biberman

I currently have some giveaways posted -

Do Over

Bobbi Brown Living Beauty

How Not to Look Old

10 Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustration of Faith

Look for giveaways for these books coming up soon:

An Offer You Can't Refuse

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming

Dear Mom

Mama's Got a Fake I.D.

Enduring Justice

I am also going to host my first author (or possible authors, if I can get my act together!) - But Karen White author of The Lost Hours will be here the end of the month - so be sure to watch for her!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Bobbi Brown Living Beauty Giveaway!

Thanks to Anna and Hachette Books - I have up to 5 copies of Bobbi Brown Living Beauty by Bobbi Brown (with Marie Clare Katigbak) to give away!

Bobbi Brown began the trend toward natural-looking cosmetics with a simple philosophy: Women want to look and feel like themselves, only prettier and more confident. Today, top editors at elite fashion magazines--including In Style, Vogue, Allure, and Harpers Bazaar--revere her, and celebrities and millions of regular women throughout the world swear by her beauty advice. Now Bobbi Brown has written THE book redefining beauty for women over 40, BOBBI BROWN LIVING BEAUTY. In this refreshing look at beauty and aging, Bobbi offers specific makeup tricks for a stunning face--showing how makeup can solve most of the flaws that many women go under the knife to fix. In fact, the right makeup can create an even skin tone, lift the cheeks, plump a smile...even take years off any woman's face. The key is to use makeup to enhance each woman's best features and showcase her natural beauty. With step-by-step makeup instructions and quotes from beautiful women like Marcia Gay Harden, Vera Wang, Susan Sarandon, and Lorraine Bracco, Bobbi Browns natural, celebratory approach to aging will enlighten and inspire women everywhere.

Go here to read an excerpt.

Now for the rules!
  1. Must be a resident of U.S. or Canada.
  2. No P.O. boxes.
  3. Giveaway will run until Friday, April 24th at midnight.
  4. I will be giving away 3 copies if I get at least 30 people entered. For each 15 after that there will be an extra book - up to 5 books total.

How do you enter? (ALL ENTRIES MUST LEAVE EMAIL ADDRESS!)

  1. Just leave me a comment!
  2. For 2 additional entries - blog or twitter and leave a link back here.
  3. For 2 more entries - sign up as a follower over on the left, where I can see your little picture!
  4. If you already follow - either by RSS feed, email, etc - let me know and you will get your extra entries also.
  5. Maximum of 5 entries possible.

The Friday 56 4-3-2009


Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


"Exactly," said Lacey. "What else do you want, Fran? Sex, deceit, unfair dismissal . . . Like Andy says, it's biblical."
(from Ultimatum by Matthew Glass)

Friday Finds 4-3-2009

Here are my finds for this week - only three as I am still a little under the weather. Thank you to everyone for both the birthday wishes and the get well wishes!



Bedlam South by Mark Grisham and David Donaldson

I just found this one yesterday from At Home With Books.

From the back cover:

Set in the heart of the Confederacy, Bedlam South is the story of ordinary people who fought and suffered, and loved and lost during the Civil War. The novel begins and ends in an insane asylum outside Richmond, Virginia, as it interweaves the fates of its characters in a panoramic view of the Civil War. The asylum's chaos and internal strife echo the military and personal battles taking place over four years.

The story begins in 1862, when Dr. Joseph Bryarly leaves England to head Richmond's Wingate Asylum, run by the sadistic and scarred Captain Samuel Percy. Bryarly launches his own war battling the Captain on behalf of the inmates, while also battling his own demons. On the frontlines near Fredericksburg, seventeen-year-old Zeke Gibson joins his brother, Corporal Billy Gibson. In the midst of heavy fighting, they are separated. Each embarks on a path that will take him deep into lunacy and a struggle for survival as the war progresses and their fates become intertwined with Dr. Bryarly's.






Coventry by Helen Humphreys

I found this at Fresh Ink Books.
Humphreys's lethargic latest depicts the intertwining lives of two British women during the world wars. Harriet and Maeve meet on the streets of Coventry, England, in 1914. Both are of troubled mind: Harriet's husband has just left for the battlegrounds of France, and Maeve can't shake a deep sense of loneliness. The women share laughs on a bus ride, but afterwards their lives continue on different paths. Harriet's husband, Owen, goes missing (and is presumed killed) in action, and Harriet spends the next two decades mourning his loss. Maeve becomes pregnant out of wedlock and works a string of odd jobs to raise her son, Jeremy. In the chaos of the German bombing of Coventry in 1940, Harriet befriends Jeremy, who, at 22, stirs intense memories of Owen. Together, they search the town for Jeremy's mother and forge an intense bond. Humphreys's characters are given to poetic tendencies that occasionally yield interesting insights on the nature of loss and change, though the cast tends toward the indistinct and the narrative feels too in service of the historical record. (Feb.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.




Etta by Gerald Kolpan

I found this one at Booking Mama.

Beautiful, elusive, and refined, Etta Place captivated the nation at the turn of the last century as she dodged the law with the Wild Bunch, led by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Her true identity and fate have remained a mystery that has tantalized historians for decades. Now, for the first time, Gerald Kolpan envisions this remarkable woman’s life in a stunning debut novel.

Kolpan imagines that Etta Place was born Lorinda Jameson, the daughter of a prominent financier, who becomes known as the loveliest of the city’s debutantes when she makes her entrance into Philadelphia society. Though her position in life is already assured, her true calling is on horseback. She can ride as well as any man and handle a rifle even better. But when a tragedy leads to a dramatic reversal of fortune, Lorinda is left orphaned, penniless, homeless, and pursued by the ruthless Black Hand mafia.

Rechristened “Etta Place” to ensure her safety, the young woman travels to the farthest reaches of civilization, working as a “Harvey Girl” waitress in Grand Junction, Colorado. There, fate intervenes once more and she again finds herself on the run from the ruthless Pinkerton Detective Agency. But this time she has company. She soon finds herself at the legendary hideout at Hole-in-the-Wall, Wyoming, where she meets the charismatic Butch Cassidy and the handsome, troubled Harry Longbaugh, a.k.a. the Sundance Kid. Through a series of holdups and heists, Etta and Harry begin an epic and ultimately tragic romance, which will be the greatest of Etta’s life. Then, when Etta meets the young and idealistic Eleanor Roosevelt, her life is changed forever.

Blending a compelling love story, high adventure, and thrilling historical drama, Etta is an electrifying novel. With a sweeping 1900s setting, colorful storytelling, and larger-than-life characters, Etta is a debut that is both captivating and unforgettable. (description from Amazon)



What great books did you find this week?? Stop over at Should Be Reading and share yours!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Donna Lea Simpson (Book Review)

Title: Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark
Author: Donna Lea Simpson
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Available: Apr 1, 2009
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Why read: Sourcebooks ARC - thanks Danielle!

Lady Anne is not the typical "lady" of the late 1700's. She tried to be the hair-brained, I-need-a-husband lass, but when her fiance dies, it is a blessing for her. Having been left a considerable amount of money by her paternal grandmother, she decides she would rather be single and not have to hide her intelligence and quick wit. Not being a beauty, she doesn't have to worry about fending off any would-be suitors.

When Lydia, a dear friend and her deceased fiance's sister, writes her and begs her to come, Lady Anne immediately responds. Lydia hinted at there being mysterious things going on at Darkefell Castle and the possibilities of a werewolf. Unfortunately Lydia fails to tell the rest of the household of Lady Anne's imminent arrival.

Since there is no carriage to take Lady Anne from the post house to the castle, and it is nearing dusk, she sets out on foot. As darkness descends, she hears a howl and a woman's screams. Trying to find the woman in the dark seems futile, until, as luck would have it, she stumbles over her body - but it is too late. She continues to make her way to the castle and arrives, unannounced, covered in blood with questions already arising.

The Marquess of Darkefell is a brooding handsome man who finds Lady Anne to be very bothersome. She insists on prying into his family's secrets - secrets he wishes to remain hidden. At the same time, her seemingly unflappable resolve and calm around him has him mystified. He has never met a woman who has been immune to his charms. He is also entertained by her quick wit and intelligence.

I highly recommend this book. Donna Lea Simpson's writing style is very engaging and draws you in immediately. She gives great descriptions of both countryside and characters.

She had dressed her bonnet with some of the purple tulips from her crushed bouquet, and as they nodded above her shadowed face, she looked both absurd and oddly adorable. He glanced at the path then back at her. It was true her nose was a little too long and her chin too pointed. There was a faint equine suggestion about the nose and generous mouth. Her color was good, though, and her dark hair glossy; she glowed with health and vivacity. (from Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark, p 207, uncorrected copy)

"But cultivated gardens have their place, my lord," she said, ambling toward the eddy, a swirling, shadowed pool at the base of the waterfall. She stood on a humped hillock of moss and stared, admiring the sparkle of sunlight on the drops that scattered as a rivulet hit a rock. Mist billowed from the force of the falls and bedewed her cheeks. (from Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark, p 215, uncorrected copy)



You can almost feel the tension that Lord Darkefell feels when he is around Lady Anne - and her optimism in the face of crises abounds. I really enjoyed Lady Anne and am glad that I will get to read more of her in the future. Donna Lea Simpson has two more books coming out with Lady Anne - Lady Anne and the Ghost's Revenge and Lady Anne and the Gypsy Curse.

Be sure and read these other reviews for this book:

Medieval Bookworm
Peeking Between the Pages
Marta's Meanderings
The Tome Traveler's Blog
Cheryl's Book Nook

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Sick

My daughter was sick on Saturday. My son got sick on Monday. - and yep, it caught me today. I will be back when I am feeling better...

How Not To Look Old - Giveaway!


In honor of my birthday yesterday, Hachette is allowing me to giveaway 3 copies of How Not To Look Old! (Ok ok – April Fools – they are not letting me do it because of my birthday – but just because they are great!)

Here is a little about the book: Charla Krupp knows that aging sucks! So she's here to help. It's every woman's dream: looking hip, sexy, fresh, and pretty--whether you're in your 30's, 40's, 50's, or 60's. Now it's every woman's necessity: looking younger will help you hold onto your job and your partner--particularly when everyone around you seems half your age. It's about making the ultimate "to-do" list of LITTLE beauty and fashion changes that pay off BIG TIME.

Charla Krupp, beauty editor and expert, known for her real woman's approach to looking fabulous, offers brutally frank and foolproof advice on how not to look old.

Read an excerpt.

Now for the rules!

  1. Must be a resident of U.S. or Canada.
  2. No P.O. boxes.
  3. Giveaway will run until Friday, April 24th at midnight.
  4. I will be giving away 3 copies if I get at least 30 people entered. For each 15 after that there will be an extra book - up to 5 books total.

How do you enter? (ALL ENTRIES MUST LEAVE EMAIL ADDRESS!)

  1. Leave a comment telling me your age - (No that is an April Fool's joke again - just leave me a comment.)
  2. For 2 additional entries - blog or twitter and leave a link back here.
  3. For 2 more entries - sign up as a follower over on the left, where I can see your little picture!
  4. If you already follow - either by RSS feed, email, etc - let me know and you will get your extra entries also.
  5. Maximum of 5 entries possible.

Jantsen's Gift - WINNERS!

winners >_

Congratulations go out to Martha E, Valorie, MJ, Olympian Lady and Sharon!

You have each won a copy of Jantsen's Gift. You have all been emailed. Please send me your mailing address within 72 hours or I will need to pick new winners!

Please spread the word - I will be hosting 3 more giveaways from Hachette and 3 giveaways from Multnomah later this week!

Wondrous Words 4-1-2009



Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. To join in the fun, post your words on your blog and then leave a message over at Bermudaonion's Blog!

My words this week are from Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Donna Lea Simpson.

1. Stygian - Used like this: Stunted trees near the post-house huddled in stygian shadows, and shutters blotted out any light from the interior fire and lamps.

Definition: Gloomy and dark. Infernal; hellish.

2. palanquin - Used like this: King Irusan, sensed an admirer and so allows me to serve as his palanquin.

Definition: A covered litter carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers, formerly used in eastern Asia.

3. bruited - Used like this: There were ladies in society who kept a list of all eligible men, and he was on it, though never the first, for his abhorrence of marriage was well known and bruited about town as an example of his eccentricity.

Definition: To spread news of; repeat.

4. amour propre - Used like this: A woman of humble appearance needed all the help a talented hairdresser could summon so her image at that moment was shocking to Anne's modest amour propre.

Definition: self-esteem

5. crenellated - Used like this: "There," he said, pointing to the dark tower, a dry-moated, crenellated castle keep, "is the original section, the keep."

Definition: Having battlements.

6. phaeton - Used like this: Anne glanced toward the castle and noted a phaeton with a standing horse; she hadn't noticed it as her attention was turned toward the ruined section.

Definition: A light, four-wheeled open carriage, usually drawn by a pair of horses.

7. nacre - Used like this: Dew clung to her skin, giving it the sheen of nacre, and her pink tongue, darting out to wet her trembling lips, was a silly little enticement.

Definition: mother-of-pearl

8. sallies - Used like this: You make humorous comments, and I laugh at your sallies, Lady Anne.

Definition: A sudden quick witticism; a quip.

9. dudgeon - Used like this: He departed in high dudgeon.

Definition: A sullen, angry, or indignant humor.

10. pounce pot - Used like this: It had inside a multitude of drawers holding ink bottles, quills, sealing wax, seals, paper, a pounce pot, sand to fill it with, and a pen knife.

Definition: Pounce pots provided a means of drying ink once it had been written on a page. They were small containers with perforated tops (like pepper pots) that contained a powdery material that was sprinkled on the just written text to dry any excess moisture.

I could go on and on this week - I have learned many new words from this book!

Waiting on Wednesday: Once Upon a Fastball

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Once Upon a Fastball by Bob Mitchell

Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Available: April 28, 2009

Description: Your legacy is in the Attic.


The words leap from the cryptic poem left for Harvard professor Seth Stein by his Papa Sol, the doting grandfather who vanished without a trace two years earlier. It was Papa Sol who instilled an unquenchable passion for baseball in Seth’s soul; it was Sol who also ignited Seth’s obsession with history, spinning fabulous tales of times and people long gone.


Seth is still searching for answers to Papa Sol’s disappearance when the poem leads him to a scuffed, yellowed baseball resting in a box handmade by his grandfather. A single touch of the rough leather thrusts Seth through the swirling vortex of history onto the streets of 1950s Brooklyn, and then to the greatest baseball game ever played, the Bobby Thomson “Shot Heard ’Round the World” play-off classic. In this surreal, sepia-toned site of past glory, Seth begins a wondrous, life-changing odyssey to find the answers he so desperately seeks.


Suspenseful, thought-provoking, funny, and poignant, this beautifully crafted novel is a joyous tribute to our inspiring and timeless national pastime, and a rare treasure for all those who love baseball.


What are you waiting for? Waiting on Wednesdays is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge Wrap-Up


Today is the final day of the Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge. It was required that you read 3 books. The books had to have a food name in the title OR be about cooking/eating OR have a place name in the title OR be about one (or more) person's travel experience OR be about a specific culture OR be by an author whose ethnicity is other than your own. They also needed to be middle-grade on up.
I was able to do four books:
  1. Lessons From San Quentin - Bill Dallas (Place name in title)
  2. The Spring of Candy Apples - Debbie Viguie (Food in title)
  3. Trail of Crumbs - Kim Sunee (about food/eating, food in title, and author different ethnicity than mine)
  4. The Fruit of My Lipstick - Shelley Adina (Food in title)

This was a fun challenge and I am glad that I participated. Thank you Book Nut for hosting!

Where Are You? 3-31-2009



I have gone to visit my friend at Darkefell Castle. She has written to me to tell me there are strange things going on - and has hinted at there being a werewolf! It is strange alright - the evening I arrived, there was no carriage to transport me to the castle! I had to walk, in the dark, and managed to stumble over a dead body! (Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Donna Lea Simpson)


Where is your reading taking you? Stop over at Adventure in Reading and share!

Teaser Tuesday 3-31-2009


TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

But only if you see one close up, out of the water, do you get any real sense of how enormous it is, for then all that is normally concealed, the gigantic bulk of the ship that is under the waterline, becomes visible. It went up, and up and up, until I thought its very top was lost in the clouds. (Stone's Fall by Iain Pears - uncorrected proof, p 235)

I have a giveaway ending today! Jantsen's Gift Sign up is easy! I am also giving away 10 Things I Hate About Christianity - it is ending when I get 10 entries, and Do-Over is ending 4/20.

Happy Birthday!



TO ME!

And now, here is how they say it around the world!

Chestit Rojden Den! (Bulgarian)

Sun Yat Fai Lok! (Cantonese Chinese)

Hau'oli la hanau! (Hawaiian)

Yom Huledet Sameiach! (Hebrew)

Ilanga elimndandi kuwe! (Zulu)

Joyeux Anniversaire! (French)

Lá breithe mhaith agat! (Gaelic - Irish)

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! (German)

Fortuna dies natalis! (Latin)

No matter how you say it - it all means the same thing!

I share my birthday with the following people:

Ewan McGregor

Al Gore

Rhea Perlman

Gabe Kaplan

Christopher Walken

Richard Chamberlain

Shirley Jones

Leo Buscaglia

Rene Descartes

Is it anybody else's birthday today?

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