The Book Bag

Sunday, April 22, 2018

It's My Birthday! And a #Giveaway to Celebrate!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Yep, another year has come and gone.
And I'm another year older.

Today, April 22nd is my birthday!

I love celebrating birthdays and I want to party with you! And ... I'm going to give one of you a present.

Comment on this post with your best birthday greeting to me and you could win any book you want (up to $15) from either Amazon or The Book Depository, if they deliver to you.

So that means this one's INTERNATIONAL!!

Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you, in case you're the winner.

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Saturday, April 21, 2018

Book Spotlight Giveaway! Easter's Lilly by Judy Serrano

I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures.

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Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

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Easter's Lilly

Easter's Lilly by Judy Serrano
Series: Book #1 of 6
Paperback, 298 pages
Published December 16th 2010 by Black Rose Writing

It was Easter Sunday; the day Lilly's life went from safe and comfortable to dangerously unfamiliar. Her transformation takes her from a small town girl having an affair with a low ranked gangster in the Montiago crime syndicate, to a woman of grace and fortitude married to the head of the organization. Easter's Lilly is an inspired journey from the idyllic to the darker side of self-discovery. Read as the over-privileged brothers embark on their journey that twists and turns down the road of unbridled passion in this first book of the series.

This e-book is FREE right now on Amazon. Check the price before ordering, I'm not sure how long it's available for free.

FREE

About the author

Judy Serrano holds a Master of Arts in English from Texas A&M University, Commerce. She is the owner of Make Cents Editing Service, and was an adjunct professor at a local college. Currently she teaches high school English and is a freelance writer for certain on-line publications. Judy also writes romantic suspense and paranormal romance novels. She is the author of The Easter’s Lilly Series,The Linked Series, and Ivy Vines, Visions.

Although originally form New York, Judy resides in Texas with her husband, four boys, four dogs and now two cats. She sings and plays guitar when she has time and enjoys singing with her very musical family in church when she is able. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Judy

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Bridal Girl by Meredith Schorr ~ My Thoughts #HeneryPress #NetGalley

Bridal Girl

Bridal Girl by Meredith Schorr
Series: Blogger Girl #3
Print and ebook, 267 pages
Expected publication: April 24th 2018 by Henery Press

Sassy book blogger-turned-author, Kim Long, thought her life couldn’t get any pinker when she received a two-book publishing deal and a marriage proposal in the same night.

If only she could drown out the conflicting opinions of her overzealous bridal party.

If only everyone would adore her first book—or she’d take Nicholas’s advice and stop reading reviews.

If only Nicholas’s past would remain there rather than threaten their future.

The pressure is on and the clock is ticking. Will Kim ever write “The End” on her sophomore novel? And, will she and Nicholas make it down the aisle to say those two precious words: “I do?”

Put on your reading glasses, fill your champagne flute and prepare to laugh with (and sometimes at) Kim as she rewrites her happy ending until it’s worthy of five pink champagne flutes.

My thoughts about Bridal Girl ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—

"SEVEN MONTHS UNTIL "I DO"

Two stars: Fluffier than a bag of marshmallows.

Dentists all over the world rejoice: A Blogger's Life might make your teeth fall out. Popular book blogger Kim Long's debut novel has about as much depth as a Kardashian sister.

Published one hour ago by Thirsty Reader

And so this book review starts the new chapter in the life of Kim Long—blogger, new novelist, and soon to be bride. I have loved Kim since I first met her in Blogger Girl and have watched her mature and grow as her life changes.

Kim finds herself struggling with all the demands on her right now, the wedding that is not planning itself and the novel that is not coming along like she would like. And she's got deadlines for both! But she still has her wonderful, quirky group of friends who help ground her when she starts spiraling out of control and loses all confidence in herself and her relationship with her fiancé.

I just absolutely loved Bridal Girl, and adore this whole series. This is chick-lit at its best! And I can't help wondering if there will be more books coming, because in real life, the story doesn't end with a wedding. What da'y say, Meredith?

I received an ARC of this book from the author via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

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Books 1 & 2 in this fun series.

And aren't these covers just adorable?

You can read my thoughts here and here.

These novels can be read as a sequel or as a standalone.

About the Author

Meredith Schorr

A born and bred New Yorker, Meredith Schorr discovered her passion for writing when she began to enjoy drafting work-related e-mails way more than she was probably supposed to. After trying her hand penning children's stories and blogging her personal experiences, Meredith found her calling writing romantic comedy, women's fiction, and contemporary young adult fiction. She secures much inspiration from her day job as a hard-working trademark paralegal and her still single (but looking) status. Meredith is a loyal New York Yankees fan, an avid runner, and an unashamed television addict.

Connect with Meredith

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

April Kindle Deal! Drawing Lessons by Patricia Sands ~ UK and Australia

Drawing Lessons is in the April Great Reads promotion in Australia and the UK from April 15 to May 15!

Grab it now for this fabulous price!!

"Simply gorgeous 5 stars

ByBella TOP 500 REVIEWER on 2 February 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

Wow. What an astonishingly touching story! I love how poetically this author writes. There was so much heart, so much beauty in this story. From the saddest situation imaginable grew something truly divine. So refreshing to read something that managed to paint such colourful images without being overly descriptive, and so wonderful to read something that blended all different kinds of people of all ages so beautifully. An absolute triumph from Patricia Sands."

Drawing Lessons was the first book by Patrica Sands that I read and I loved it!

You can read my thoughts here.

Goodreads ~ The author of the Love in Provence series returns to the South of France with a poignant portrait of a woman who must learn how to create a new life for herself…

Sixty-two-year-old Arianna arrives in the South of France for a two-week artists’ workshop full of anticipation but burdened by guilt. Back home in Toronto, she has been living with the devastating diagnosis of her husband’s dementia and the heartbreak of watching the man she has loved for decades slip away before her eyes. What does her future hold without Ben? Before her is a blank canvas.

Encouraged by her family to take some time for herself, she has traveled to Arles to set up her easel in the same fields of poppies and sunflowers that inspired Van Gogh. Gradually, she rediscovers the inner artist she abandoned long ago. Drawing strength from the warm companionship and gentle wisdom of her fellow artists at the retreat—as well as the vitality of guest lecturer Jacques de Villeneuve, an artist and a cowboy—Arianna searches her heart for permission to embrace the life in front of her and, like the sunflowers, once again face the light.

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Monday, April 16, 2018

Release Day! Broken Wide by Susan Kaye Quinn

Happy Release Day!

Broken Wide

Broken Wide by Susan Kaye Quinn
Series: Mindjack: Zeph #3
Print and ebook, 313 pages
Published April 16, 2018

All he wanted was peace; all he had was hope.

Zeph had spent half his life hiding what he was—keeping his mindjack powers away from dangerous men and running away from everyone he loved to keep them safe. Now that his life is finally coming together—his mom and sister are safe; the girl he loves in his arms—the world is falling apart. The mindreader backlash against jackers is growing daily. Jacker-bigot politicians are stoking fear and gaining power. And jackers on the Fronter’s Purity list are winding up dead on the streets outside Jackertown.

Even the Jacker Freedom Alliance is tearing itself apart.

All Zeph wants is a chance to build a life with Tessa—but even she is losing faith. If there’s no peace between jackers and readers, what future could they have? Then a protest goes terribly wrong, the president starts talk of a Jackertown siege, and a MINDWARE CEO races to develop a dangerous mind-blasting technology. It seems foolish to even hope for peace, but one thing becomes very clear—the only way to put the world back together is to bring down the powerful people breaking it apart.

The conclusion to the bestselling Mindjack: Zeph series, where daring to hope for peace could be the most radical—and dangerous—move of all.

MINDJACK SERIES—Check them out here on Goodreads!
Kira's Story
Open Minds (Book 1)
Closed Hearts (Book 2)
Free Souls (Book 3)
Mindjack Short Story Collection, Novella Box Set (Book 4)

Zeph's Story
Locked Tight (Book 1)
Cracked Open (Book 2)
Broken Wide (Book 3)
The Locksmith (Book 4)

Congratulations Susan

on the release of book #6 in the Mindjack Series,

Broken Wide!

I love this series!

About the author

Susan Kaye Quinn is a rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author who now uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. Her works range from young adult science fiction to adult future-noir, with side trips into steampunk and middle grade fantasy. Her bestselling novels and short stories have been optioned for Virtual Reality, translated into German, and featured in several anthologies.

She writes full-time from Chicago, inventing mind powers and dreaming of the Singularity.

Chat with her about our coming robot overlords on Facebook.

Find all of Susan's books on Amazon

Click here for a FREE story!

Connect with Susan

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? April 16, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

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Oh my gosh! We had a blizzard this past weekend. The wind was unbelievable! And the snow just wouldn't stop. Everything in pretty much the whole state (South Dakota) was closed down. We even had a snow plow/sand truck stuck in front of our house. How does that happen?

Both interstates in the state were closed for most of Friday and all day Saturday. And we're supposed to get more snow in the middle of the week through the weekend. I'm not sure if our trip to the Black Hills is going to happen now. So bummed! The snow needs to stop.

Here are a couple of pictures I took on Saturday to capture the craziness of the weekend.

This is our front window with a plant in front of it. The snow was stuck to the window when we got up Saturday morning. I thought this made a very interesting picture.