Book Spotlight and a Giveaway! First Friends by Marcia Willett

First Friends

First Friends by Marcia Willett
Paperback, 402 pages
Published August 8th 2006 by Thomas Dunne Books

Cass and Kate meet at school--and are firm friends for the rest of their lives. Both marry naval officers, but Cass's infidelity has far-reaching consequences for her children--and Kate's. Many of the characters in "First Friends" (published in the UK as "Those Who Serve")""reappear in later Marcia Willett novels, and we meet their children as well.

As always, Marcia Willett's wise understanding of love, loss, marriage, and parenthood is conveyed with honesty, generosity, and compassion.

About the author

Marcia began her career as a novelist when she was fifty years old. Until then she had been an avid reader and had never considered writing. When her writer husband, Rodney, suggested that she should—she laughed and dismissed the whole thing out of hand.  However, after months of nagging she agreed, for the sake of peace and quiet, to see what she could do. 

Eventually, she handed Rodney the manuscript of her first novel and said, ‘Right, I’ve written it—now you sell it’. So he did.

Since that first novel Marcia has written twenty more under her own name as well as a number of short stories. She has also written four books under the pseudonym ‘Willa Marsh.’ She is, as you would expect, working on another novel.

Success has not been limited to this country: she is now published in sixteen other countries - with contracts for books to be published in two others - and has been in the bestseller lists of both Germany and Greece. 

So how should her books be described? 

Marcia is a born storyteller and her books are beautifully written which makes them easy to read. Even so, they will challenge the thoughtful as they deal with the eternal problems that face everyone and often call for great strength of character if they are to be overcome. 

A Week in Winter and The Children’s Hour were both selected by Readers Digest for inclusion in their ‘of Love and Life’ series and Marcia won their Magnum award for their most popular writer in 2002. Perhaps the title of that series says it all.

Connect with Marcia

Website | Goodreads | Amazon 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Fumbulgrumbul by Jason Sandberg

Fumbulgrumbul

Fumbulgrumbul by Jason Sandberg

ebook, 25 pages

Published June 21st 2014 by Jason Sandberg eBooks

Meet Mister Fumbulgrumbul. You'll see him when he fumbles, you'll hear him when he grumbles. When a poodle comes after his cookies, you know that hilarity will ensue. This richly illustrated rhyming picture book will be enjoyed over and over, by parent and child alike! 

"This book is anchored by the rhyming comedic tale of a man attempting to keep some cookies away from a poodle. The supplementary challenge I set for myself was to work subplots into a Picture Book without making the narrative confusing for a Preschool audience. I did this by parading whimsical and fantastic supporting characters through the backgrounds of the pages. These charming sight gags should add a secondary level of enjoyment to the reading experience." - Jason Sandberg

My thoughts about Fumbulgrumbul ~~ 

Fumbulgrumbul was so enjoyable to read and to look at. Not only is there the cute story about Mister Fumbulgrumbul and his precious cookies but there are the awesone illustrations. I love it when illustrators add extra 'stuff' to their pages to entertain the reader right along with the words on the page. And Jason does both in his books!

A book really captures my heart when I can spend extra time on a page looking to see what else is there for me to find. I loved all the images that floated by the main scene on each page, images which were not even part of the story but added so much to my enjoyment of the book. And the reflections in the water? Superb!! Because of that depth of detail on each page, this book can be enjoyed by all.  

Thanks, Jason, for another fabulous, fun, and beautiful story!

About the author 

“I’m a Fine Artist who also wants to produce the ‘missing books’ from my childhood, the books I wished I’d had.”

Jason Sandberg, born in Minneapolis in 1971, acquired a love of drawing after discovering the artwork of Jacob Kurtzberg. His paintings have been exhibited in Minneapolis and Manhattan. Art Historian Scott McCloud classified his work as “uncategorizable.”

Connect with Jason

Website | Amazon | Facebook | Twitter

Purchase Fumbulgrumbul

Click here

I just love this!! 

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

The City by Dean Koontz

The City 

The City by Dean Koontz
Hardcover, 416 pages
Published July 1st 2014 by Bantam

#1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz is at the peak of his acclaimed powers with this major new novel.

The city changed my life and showed me that the world is deeply mysterious. I need to tell you about her and some terrible things and wonderful things and amazing things that happened . . . and how I am still haunted by them. Including one night when I died and woke and lived again.

Here is the riveting, soul-stirring story of Jonah Kirk, son of an exceptional singer, grandson of a formidable “piano man,” a musical prodigy beginning to explore his own gifts when he crosses a group of extremely dangerous people, with shattering consequences. Set in a more innocent time not so long ago, The City encompasses a lifetime but unfolds over three extraordinary, heart-racing years of tribulation and triumph, in which Jonah first grasps the electrifying power of music and art, of enduring friendship, of everyday heroes.

The unforgettable saga of a young man coming of age within a remarkable family, and a shimmering portrait of the world that shaped him, The City is a novel that speaks to everyone, a dazzling realization of the evergreen dreams we all share. Brilliantly illumined by magic dark and light, it’s a place where enchantment and malice entwine, courage and honor are found in the most unexpected quarters, and the way forward lies buried deep inside the heart.

My thoughts about The City ~~ 

I have to admit that I have not read a Dean Koontz book in quite while. I used to devour them all. I am not sure why or when I stopped picking up his books. When I saw this one offered on NetGalley, I thought it was time to get back into the DK groove. 

I loved The City and the way that Koontz can still hold my attention with a great, suspenseful story. It reminded me of the reason that I read all of his books in the past. The story is just so wonderful as well as being suspenseful and I didn't want to stop reading. What a fabulous concept for a story - a city taking on a persona and appearing to a young boy who just wants to save his little part of the world. How magical is that?

'Two years would pass before she told me that she was the could of the city made flesh.' 

'But the city was as well a place of wonder, of magic dark and light, magic of which my eventful life I had much experience, including one night when I died and woke and lived again.'

And have you ever had a butter-side-up day? I love this! 

'As for the butter-side-up day: Each morning, he makes one extra slice of toast with breakfast, lays it on his kitchen table, and in a contrived-casual way, he knocks it to the floor. If it lands butter side up, he eats it with pleasure, confident that the day will be good from end to end. If it lands butter side down, however, Malcom throws the toast away, wipes up the butter, and goes about his day with heightened awareness of potential danger.'

Now that I have Koontz on my radar and have been reminded again how much I enjoy reading his stories, I am definitely going to be watching for his books to come out.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from NteGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

About the author

Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Dean R. Koontz has also published under the names Leigh Nichols, Brian Coffey, David Axton, Owen West, Deanna Dwyer and Aaron Wolfe.

Dean lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Anna, and the enduring spirit of their golden, Trixie.

Connect with Dean 

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

WWW Wednesdays July 2, 2014

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

Clicking on the book covers will take you to Goodreads for more information about the books listed below.

What are you currently reading?

The Rose Master by Valentina Cano
OMG - sooo good!

Second Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn
I loved book #1 of this trilogy!

Portrait of a Dead Guy by Larrisa Reinhart (audio-book)
I've already read books #2 and 3 of this series. Now I am going back to where it all started, with book #1. I just love Cherry! 

What did you recently finish reading?

The City by Dean Koontz
Great Koontz story! I'll post my thoughts tomorrow.

Dark Witch by Nora Roberts (audio-book)

The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy #1

This is a great audio-book with an amazing narrator. Not your normal Nora Roberts story.

What do you think you will read next?

The Breakup Doctor by Phoebe Fox
Looks like a fun read!

What's on your WWW this week?

Leave me a comment and

I'll stop by to check out your reads.

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Freedom to Read Giveaway Hop!

A huge Thank you! goes out to Mary at BookHounds and Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer for hosting this wonderful hop. There are over 120 blogs signed up so there are a lot of chances to win! 

And since this is the Freedom to Read Hop, I am giving one lucky person the freedom to read any book they choose! (as long as it is under $15 and as long as Amazon or The Book Depository can send to you)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

And now go hop on over to more blogs for more chances to win!!