Monday, August 29, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? August 29, 2016


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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Another very busy week at work and at home. University classes started last week and the library where I work got super busy. It is so wonderful that the students find the library a necessary place to be. 

The weekend was filled with family again; grandson sleepover on Friday night and Papa taught him how to ride his bike, daughter sleepover on Saturday and Sunday (she had surgery a month ago so it was nice to spend some time with her as she recuperates), family fun and a firepit on Saturday, and then a granddaughter's birthday party on Sunday. Whew! 

And I have a road trip planned for next weekend to see my sister and I am most excited about having some long stretches of car time to get in some audio book listening. Oh, and seeing her too. Ha! Have a great week and  happy reading! 

What I'm currently reading/listening to

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How Meg West Was Won
by Libby Mercer
I've read this author before and this one sounds like a fun read.

An Ex to Grind in Deadwood (Deadwood #5)
by Ann Charles
(audiobook)
Book #7 just came out! Yay!!

What I recently finished

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Between Heaven and Earth
by T.J. Rudolph
New to me author but the synopsis grabbed my attention. My thoughts will be posted soon.

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Out of Practice (Breakup Doctor #4)
by Phoebe Fox
Love this series!

What I am going to read next

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The Bookshop on the Corner
by Jenny Colgan

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?


Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Book Spotlight Giveaway! With My Body by Nikki Gemmell


I have sooooo many books! I have a ton of print books and probably even more e-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. There are a lot of different reasons that I might be letting some of my books go, the biggest one is that when we moved a little over 2 years ago I discovered how many books I really do have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy them.

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This is another ARC that I received from my daughter when she moved. I actually read this book when it came out in 2012. You can read my thoughts here.  

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

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With My Body

With My Body by Nikki Gemmell 
Series: (Bride Trilogy #2)
ARC, 480 pages
Published June 19th 2012 by Harper Perennial 

A wife, a mother of three, she has everything a woman should want—and yet she has gone numb inside. Locked in a never-ending cycle of chores, errands, and mealtimes, she cannot find a way to live her life with the honesty and passion that once drove her. Even her husband, whom she loves, has never truly touched the core of her being. Only one person has ever come close.

In desperation, she returns to the memory of an old love affair—a transformative relationship with consequences she has never fully resolved. Revisiting her past, she will begin an exhilarating journey into her sexuality while finally confronting the hidden truths of her heart.

Exquisitely lyrical, bold, and seductive, With My Body is a thought-provoking exploration of family, sex, marriage, and love—the love we give, withhold, and surrender to.


About the author


Nikki Gemmell is the best-selling author of thirteen novels and four works of non-fiction. Her books have been translated into 22 languages. She was born in Wollongong, New South Wales and lived in London for many years, but has now returned to Australia.

Her distinctive writing has gained her critical acclaim in France, where she's been described as a "female Jack Kerouac". The French literary magazine Lire has included her in a list of what it called the fifty most important writers in the world – those it believes will have a significant influence on the literature of the 21st century.

Connect with Nikki

 Website | Facebook | TwitterGoodreads




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Thursday, August 25, 2016

On Tour: Cold, Cold Heart by Karin Slaughter ~ My Thoughts


Cold, Cold Heart


Cold, Cold Heart by Karin Slaughter
Release Date: August 23, 2016
Published by Witness Impulse
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Format: Ebook

First comes love.

Then comes marriage.

Then comes revenge.

In this sensational short story from the bestselling author of The Kept Woman and Pretty Girls, fifty-two-year-old Pam has done her utmost as a loyal wife to her now ex-husband John. He dropped her cruelly . . . but with a terminal illness about to claim his life, Pam now sees an opportunity to settle the score, in a way that no one—not their children, not her ex, and certainly not the reader—will see coming . . .

Surprising, suspenseful, and diabolically clever, Cold, Cold Heart offers old fans and new readers alike a taste of the writer Gillian Flynn calls “one of the finest crime novelists at work today.”


My thoughts about Cold, Cold Heart ~~

(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 line.)

First line—'Even now, she could still feel the ice in her hand, a stinging, biting cold that dug into her skin like a set of sharp teeth.'

I have read two previous books by Karin and have loved them both. When I saw that Cold, Cold Heart was going on tour, I just had to sign up! Karin's books are so captivating, intense, and unique.  

Cold, Cold Heart is a short story, but it is a big story that grabbed me from the very first line. It is a 'sit on the edge of your seat' kind of book that has an ending that you won't see coming. 

I personally think that, as a writer, it would be challenging to write a short story well enough to make your readers become vested in the storyline and the characters. Karin is a terrific writer who is able to make her readers feel very comfortable with her characters, readers who will want to cheer for the good guys and boo the bad guys. She has now become one of my 'must read' authors. 

I highly recommend this book as a fast, intense read that will make you feel that revenge is sweet. 

About the Author


Karin Slaughter is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including the Will Trent and Grant County series and the instant New York Times bestselling standalones, Cop Town and Pretty Girls. There are more than 35 million copies of her books in print around the world.


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Pump Up Your Book!

Tour Schedule 


Monday, August 22 
Book featured at What is That Book About
Tuesday, August 23
Book reviewed at Stormy Nights Reviewing
Wednesday, August 24
Book featured at Celticlady's Reviews
Thursday, August 25
Book reviewed at The Book Bag
Friday, August 26
Book featured at Harmonious Publicity
________
Monday, August 29
Book featured at Cover2Cover
Tuesday, August 30
Book featured at Literal Exposure
Wednesday, August 31
Book featured at Write and Take Flight
Thursday, September 1
Book featured at The Review From Here
Friday, September 2
Book featured at The Writer's Life
________
Monday, September 5
Book reviewed at I'm Shelf-ish
Tuesday, September 6
Book featured at The Dark Phantom
Wednesday, September 7
Book featured at Voodoo Princess
Thursday, September 8
Book featured at The Literary Nook
Friday, September 9
Book featured at A Title Wave
________
Monday, September 12
Book reviewed at fuonlyknew
Tuesday, September 13
Book featured at  Authors and Readers Book Corner
Wednesday, September 14
Book reviewed at Fallen Over Book Reviews
Book featured at CBY Book Club
Book featured at Mello and June
Book reviewed at Fundinmental
Thursday, September 15
Book featured at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews
Book featured at The Bookworm Lodge
Book featured at Deal Sharing Aunt
Friday, September 16
Book reviewed at Freda's Voice
Saturday, September 17
Book reviewed at Cheekypee Reads and Reviews
Sunday, September 18
Book reviewed at Ali the Dragonslayer
Monday, September 19
Book reviewed at Pretty Little Book Reviews
Book reviewed at The Book Tree
Book featured at Tez Says


Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Rainbow Panda and the Firecracker Fiasco by Eileen Wacker ~ My Thoughts

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Rainbow Panda and the Firecracker Fiasco

Rainbow Panda and the Firecracker Fiasco by Eileen Wacker
Illustrated by Alan Low
Series: Fujimini Adventure Series # 6
Kindle Edition, 56 pages
Published February 7th 2013 by ONCEKids

Today most of the pandas are preparing for the New Year’s celebration. They are sweeping and cleaning, planting flowers and writing wishes on ribbons. But Rainbow Panda really wants to be a hero and has an explosive plan. Can Rainbow Panda convince others to join him? Will he become a hero or just get everyone in a lot of trouble?


My thoughts about Rainbow Panda and the Firecracker Fiasco ~~

Rainbow Panda and the Firecracker Fiasco is a very delightful, colorful story. I love Rainbow Panda, even though he does cause a little trouble. He's just trying to help and to have a little fun. My grandchilden and I had a wonderful time reading this book together and I am sure it will be one we will read over and over again. 


Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Monday, August 22, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? August 22, 2016


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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We have had some beautiful weather lately and I spent most of Sunday morning sitting on the patio, reading. It was heavenly and so relaxing. Saturday was filled with family events and made for a long day and no reading time so it was nice to have that time Sunday morning. I hope you have a great week and are able to enjoy some nice weather, wherever you are. Happy reading!  

What I'm currently reading/listening to

31543120
Out of Practice (Breakup Doctor #4)
by Phoebe Fox
Love this series!

An Ex to Grind in Deadwood (Deadwood #5)
by Ann Charles
(audiobook)
Wonderful to listen to.

What I recently finished

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The Beekeeper's Ball (Bella Vista Chronicles #2)
by Susan Wiggs
Book club pick and I really enjoyed it.

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Cold, Cold Heart: A Short Story
by Karin Slaughter
Very quick read, one of my must-read authors now. My thoughts will be posted on Wednesday.

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Eleanor & Park
by Rainbow Rowell
Awesome story!

What I am going to read next

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Between Heaven and Earth
by T.J. Rudolph
New to me author but the synopsis grabbed my attention.

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?


Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Book Spotlight Giveaway! The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart


I have sooooo many books! I have a ton of print books and probably even more e-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. There are a lot of different reasons that I might be letting some of my books go, the biggest one is that when we moved a little over 2 years ago I discovered how many books I really do have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy them.

****************************

This is another ARC that I received from my daughter when she moved. I had never heard of this series, even though there are four books out. It's not really something I would read but it does look interesting. I am sure one of you will enjoy it! 

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

19593966

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict (The Mysterious Benedict Society 0.5) by Trenton Lee Stewart 
ARC, 470 pages
Published April 10th 2012 by Little, Brown and Company

Before there was a Mysterious Benedict Society, there was simply a boy named Nicholas Benedict. Meet the boy who started it all....

Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict has more problems than most children his age. Not only is he an orphan with an unfortunate nose, but he also has narcolepsy, a condition that gives him terrible nightmares and makes him fall asleep at the worst possible moments. Now he's being sent to a new orphanage, where he will encounter vicious bullies, selfish adults, strange circumstances -- and a mystery that could change his life forever. Luckily, he has one important thing in his favor: He's a genius.

On his quest to solve the mystery, Nicholas finds enemies around every corner, but also friends in unexpected places -- and discovers along the way that the greatest puzzle of all is himself.


About the author

Trenton Lee Stewart

Trenton Lee Stewart is the author of the award-winning, bestselling Mysterious Benedict Society series for young readers, as well the adult novel Flood Summer. He lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Connect with Trenton

Goodreads | Amazon




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Friday, August 19, 2016

With Love from the Inside by Angela Pisel ~ My Thoughts

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With Love from the Inside

With Love from the Inside by Angela Pisel
Print and e-book, 320 pages
Published: August 9th 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

Angela Pisel’s poignant debut explores the complex relationship between a mother and a daughter, and their quest to discover the truth and whether or not love can prevail—even from behind bars.

Grace Bradshaw knows the exact minute she will die. On death row for murdering her infant son, her last breath will be taken on February 15 at 12:01 a.m. Eleven years, five months, and twenty-seven days separate her from the last time she heard her precious daughter’s voice and the final moment she’d heard anyone call her Mom. Out of appeals, she can focus on only one thing—reconnecting with her daughter and making sure she knows the truth.

Secrets lurk behind Sophie Logan’s big house and even bigger bank account. Every day when she kisses her husband good-bye, she worries her fabricated life is about to come crumbling down. No one knows the unforgivable things her mother did to tear her family apart—not her husband, who is a prominent plastic surgeon, or her “synthetic” friends who live in her upscale neighborhood.

Grace’s looming execution date forces Sophie to revisit the traumatic events that haunted her childhood. When she returns to her hometown, she discovers new evidence about her baby brother William’s death seventeen years ago—proof that might set her mother free but shatter her marriage forever.

Sophie must quickly decide if her mother is the monster the prosecutor made her out to be or the loving mother she remembers—the one who painted her toenails glittery pink and plastered Post-it notes with inspiring quotes (“100 percent failure rate if you don't try”) all over Sophie’s bathroom mirror—before their time runs out.


My thoughts about With Love from the Inside ~~

(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 line.)

First line—'The police took 'normal' away from me the moment they came rushing into William's hospital room. They dragged me from his crib while my helpless baby lay hooked up in his crib, struggling to breathe, needing his mother. I have been to doctor after doctor, but no one would listen to me when I tried to tell them something wasn't right.'

This book grabbed me from the very first chapter and I found myself not wanting to put it down. I was torn between the life Grace was living now, life on death row with other murderers and the life she lead before, as a loving wife and mother. How can this be the same person? Is she really the monster that everyone says she is?

And then there is Sophie, Grace's daughter. She is leading a secret life, so ashamed of the mother who she thought loved her. No one can know that her mom is a baby killer, not even her husband. With Love From the Inside was a story that quickly captured my attention and I devoured it. I can't wait to read more from Angela Pisel.

Thank you to First to Read for a copy of With Love from the Inside in exchange for my honest opinion.

About the Author

Angela Pisel

I love to write. When I don’t have my laptop or iPhone in front of me, I transcribe the pages of my day-to-day existence in dramatic detail that I (usually) keep confined to the few inches that live between the sides of my mostly straightened hair.

I decided to write my first novel after my obsession with TV trials led me to research women on death row. I didn’t find what I thought I’d find—how people end up where they end up continues to mesmerize me.

I was born in the Midwest, but have set up homes across the country after marrying my love who happened to be an Army physician. We have chosen to call North Carolina home.

The word I hear the most and adore more than any other is “MOM.” I have four kids who have the extraordinary gift of making me giggle, sniffle, cover my ears, and melt my heart all while attempting to get through our evening meal. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Connect with Angela


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Thursday, August 18, 2016

Release Day! Good Things Anthology by 10 Amazing Authors #GoodThingsBlast


Good things come from unexpected places...

Magic and mayhem. Vampires and gods. Cops and werewolves. The binding thread of mysticism in the modern world and acts of kindness, small and large, random and focused. Join these ten authors as we travel through their worlds.

All of the author proceeds from the sales of this anthology will go to the Random Acts Organization, sponsoring kindness throughout the world. This is not official Random Acts merchandise, but is a fundraising project under permission from the charity.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: August 18, 2016
Charity: Random Acts of Kindness


Available in digital and print on Amazon!

Join the GOOD THINGS release day party on


happening August 18-20!


A. STAR (DIANTHA JONES)

Diantha Jones loves writing fantasy books filled with adventure, romance, and magic. She's the author of the Oracle of Delphi series, the Mythos series, and the Djinn Order series (as A. Star). When she isn’t writing or working, she is reading or being hypnotized by Netflix. She is a serious night-owl and while everyone else is grinning in the warmth and sunlight, she’s hoping for gloominess and rain. Yeah, she’s weird like that.


ANGELA B. CHRYSLER


Angela B. Chrysler is a writer, logician, philosopher, and die-hard nerd who studies theology, historical linguistics, music composition, and medieval European history in New York with a dry sense of humor and an unusual sense of sarcasm. She lives in a garden with her family and cats.

In 2014, Ms. Chrysler founded Brain to Books: the marketing promotional engine and online Encyclopedia for authors. A passionate gardener and incurable cat lover, Ms. Chrysler spends her days drinking coffee and writing beside a volume of Edgar Allan Poe who strongly influences her style to this day. When Ms. Chrysler is not writing, she enables her addictions to all things nerdy, and reads everything she can get her hands on no matter the genre. Occasionally, she finds time to mother her three children and debate with her life-long friend who she eventually married. Her writing is often compared to Tad Williams. Her influences are Edgar Allan Poe, The Phantom of the Opera, and Frankenstein.


J. KIM MCLEAN

Kim’ love of reading came after her mother introduced her to Tolkien and the Hobbit, followed by Lord of the Rings. She also lovingly blames her mother for her love of Science Fiction and Fantasy, thanks to being raised on Star Trek. Kim has always had a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until she finished with graduate school (where she earned a Master’s of Science in Geology) that she found she could focus her imagination into creating her own characters and stories. Much of her writing has been for various play by email or forum role play universes, though Kim does hope this will be the first of many more stories she writes for publication.

When not writing, Kim can be found snowboarding, hiking, or doting on her furry beasts.

DARIEL RAYE


Dariel Raye is an award-winning author of powerful IR/MC (Interracial/Multi-cultural) paranormal romance and dark urban fantasy with alpha male heroes to die for and strong heroines with hearts worth winning. Her stories tell of shifters, vamps, angels, demons, and fey (the Vodouin variety). Dariel is currently writing three series: “Dark Sentinels” (wolf shifters), “Orlosian Warriors” (Vampire-like Nephilim), and “Gateway” (a crossover erotic paranormal suspense with romantic elements).
For more about Dariel, follow her blog or visit her website. She also publishes a new release newsletter. If you enjoyed this book, please post a review on review sites. You can also follow her and contact her on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.


MIA DARIEN


Born a Connecticut Yankee in nobody's court, Mia Darien grew up to brave snow and talk fast. She started reading when she was three and never looked back, soon frequently falling asleep with a book under her cheek. (Something she still does, though these days it?s her Nook as often as a paperback.)

At eleven, she discovered Night Mare by Piers Anthony and entered the world of grown-up fantasy fiction and it was all over from there. She started writing at fourteen, then met vampires as a teenager and the concept for what would become Adelheid was soon born. Epic fantasy remains her first love, but she enjoys writing whatever stories come to mind in any genre.

Now she loves both writing and helping her indie community with her freelancing. A geek till the end, she enjoys role-play by email games and World of Warcraft when she has the time. Married to her very own Named Man of the North, she lives with him, their mini-tank (also known as their son) and pets, who usually act more childish than the child.


ABIGAIL OWEN


Award-winning paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen was born in Greeley, Colorado, and resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two adorable children who are the center of her universe.

Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

CRYSTAL G. SMITH

Born a small town Missourian, Crystal grew up in a time where reading was used for her escape from the everyday worries of a young girl. She then began developing ideas of how she would write a book and what she would do with her characters. Soon, idea came to typewriter and then thankfully computers.

Her love of reading is not centered on one specific genre, but with her writing, she has a tendency to stay with the romance genre. Whether it be modern day romance or paranormal romance, and a lot of steamy, she enjoys writing a story where characters find love in one another no matter how twisted their lives.

She has written several stories for charity to date and continues to write novellas and novels. She is an indie author with a large imagination and even larger heart. She is married with four children, (even though two of them have four legs). She works full-time as a pediatric nurse and when she isn’t acting goofy with family, you can find her reading or writing.


KAT JAMESON

Kat Jameson has been having just plain wicked thoughts for about as long as she’s been writing, so it seemed like a very natural progression that the two would end up together. She is a woman who seems perfectly average on the outside, but believes in a great capacity for the power of love and the joy of sex and thinks constraints should be put on neither so long as everyone involved is happy. So that’s what she writes about.


CHRISTI RIGBY

Christi Rigby lives in Colorado with her husband and her two teen boys, rounding out the group is a bernese mountain dog and an old orange cat that can't seem to sleep in the morning past the need for some kibble at 5 am, then returns to the bed after it has been vacated but the owners. She has written a number of short stories for publication and is working on her first book to be published. When she is not writing at a keyboard she is always writing in her mind, so to say writing is her real life over the job she holds would be a fair representation. An avid guide along the path to geekdom for her children and friends, she is a fan of comic books, any number of Science Fiction/Fantasy television shows and movies, computer and console gaming, and just about anything Scandinavian or British Isles in nature. One day she hopes that her choice to make writing her life will lead to a visit to the Isle of Man.

JESSICA NICHOLLS


Jessica Nicholls is originally from Northern Illinois. She lived in the Northwest of England for just over ten years, where she studied and had her children. Jessica still lives overseas with her husband and two school age kids. Running, reading and watching films are her favourite hobbies. She loves spirits, passionate love stories, vampires, shape shifters, mythology and almost anything historical. The most important thing for her is for a story to feel real, something to genuinely escape into. Writing the type of stories she would enjoy reading is a passion.


Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

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