Table Manners by Mia King - the latest on Deirdre & Kevin + a book contest

I'd come across Good Things by Mia King in the library a few months ago and loved it! I hid away in my room for a few hours and emerged with that happy feeling from a very satisfying book. I couldn't wait for Mia's sequel, Table Manners.

When we returned from Chicago last weekend, I was so excited to find my own copy of Table Manners waiting for me at home.


Synopsis:

Mia King's Table Manners opens just a few months after the first novel, Good Things, ended.

Deirdre has her television show up and running but her gourmet cookie line is stalled in production. Deirdre's friend William is preparing for his commitment ceremony with his live-in partner. Lindsay is recovering from illness but has lost interest in her diner Wishbone. While Kevin and Deirdre are still very much in love, the sudden appearance of Kevin's ex-fiancee Sabine causes Deirdre anxiety.

Is Deirdre's happy ending starting to unravel?

Review:

I had loved Good Things and was so excited to read the sequel Table Manners. But just as I was about to start, I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy the sequel as much as the first book because Good Things was just so fun. I couldn't see how Mia King could add to Deirdre and Kevin's love story. I was wrong again!

Table Manners does just that! In Table Manners, Deirdre continues to care for her many friends, bond with Kevin's family, and support Kevin with the same humor and spirit that made endeared her to readers in Good Things. Meanwhile, Sabine and Marla Banks add just enough spice to the story for us to worry.

If you enjoy books that incorporate food into the plot, you'll love that food is an important part of the story in Mia King's books. As in Good Things, this book includes recipes of dishes mentioned in the novel. Here are some of the recipes you'll find: Leek and Proscuitto Tart, Summer Beef Bourguignonne Skewers, Pan-Seared Rainbow Trout with Warm Summer Tomato-Olive-Caper Salad, Hunan-Style Marinated Lamb Lollipops with Nicoise Vegetable Ragout, Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Seasonal Fruit, Green Tea Tart with Lychees and Raspberries, Macarons Chocolat, Sparkling Pomegranate Lemonade, Lemongrass Green Tea, Lychee Martini with Crystallized Ginger.

I highly recommend Table Manners to anyone looking for a fun love story. It's a great summer read! If you haven't read Good Things yet, start the love story from the beginning. Here's the link to my review of Good Things.

Publisher: Berkley Trade (August 4, 2009), 336 pages.
Courtesy of the author and publisher.

Thank you so much for the review copy and the opportunity, Mia King, Angela and Penguin Press!

Visit Mia King's blog to sign up for a chance to win ALL THREE of her books at http://www.miaking.com/?page_id=1330

Mia King has generously sponsored a contest for 2 copies of Table Manners.

CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, visit Mia King's website and tell me something that you learned about Mia.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower or become a follower of Mia King's blog. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.
3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader or blogger or by email and let me know that you do.
4. For another extra entry, follow me on Twitter or become a follower of miaking on Twitter. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry.
5. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.
6. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 6 pm on September 30, 2009.

Book Review: Across the Pond by Storyheart

Review of Across the Pond by Storyheart

Synopsis:

Fourteen-year-old Brit Fred Squire was not excited for his first visit to the US with his father's friends. Aside from a tiresome school assignment of compiling the Americanisms he comes across and their British equivalents, Fred is nervous about meeting Brittany, his host family's teenage daughter.

But from the moment they meet, it's clear that Fred and Brittany, a.k.a. "Brit", click. Brit makes Fred's Americanisms assignment fun. With their shared sense of humor, love of music and sports, the two become fast friends. Brit introduces Fred to life in America - the slang, the mall, her friends, American food, and baseball. Fred even helps Brit handle her one big fear. Before they realize it, the visit is over but hopefully, Fred and Brit's friendship won't be.

Review:

I really loved this book! Fred is funny, sympathetic and hugely likable. All the characters had well defined personalities and the writing was so fun that it took me a while to realize that the book is a romance. Across the Pond doesn't feel like a contemporary YA romance as much as an updated romance similar to Fifteen by Beverly Cleary. Each scene in the book is fun and diverting, and with Fred as the protagonist, I feel that people of all ages would enjoy Across the Pond.

I highly recommend Across the Pond to anyone looking for a light, fun read. I think that even young boys will enjoy the book's humor and plot. I'm passing on my copy to my nieces - and am sure that they'll enjoy this book as much I did!

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation; 1st edition (September 25, 2008), 120 pages.
Courtesy of Bostick Communications.

Thank you so much, Bostick and Storyheart for this opportunity!

Friday 56: Week 12

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 this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog and to Storytime with Tonya and Friends at http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Here's mine:

Fearing for James's life, he rushed over to break up the fight. Although the mangolomera never weakens, it can be neutralized for short periods using green vines from a sweet potato plant. You know how Superman becomes weak at the sight of those shiny green crystals? The same is true for magic people and sweet potatoes, I don't know why.

Anyway, the second Phiri saw my father arrive, he shouted to him, "Mr. Kamkwamba, PLEASE ...some vines for my head! I don't want to kill this man!"

-The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba

Blog Tour of Rita Herron's Dark Hunger Starts Today! Plus a book giveaway

Welcome to the Dark Hunger Blog Tour on Starting Fresh! I'm excited to welcome Rita Herron and celebrate the publication of her newest Demonborn novel, Dark Hunger.

Synopsis:
A paranormal thriller and love story, Rita Herron introduces us to reporter Annabelle Armstrong whose current assignment is to uncover the mystery behind the dangerous Quinton Valtrez. Annabelle suspects that Quinton is a killer but must follow him to find proof. The night that they meet, Quinton surprises her. Not only does Annabelle find herself deeply attracted to him, but she watches him save lives during an emergency. Quinton isn't what she'd expected but she has enough sense not to get romantically involved with him. As it becomes apparent that the first emergency was a bomb attack, Annabelle works with Quinton to find the killer before more destruction follows.

Quinton Valtrez is painfully aware of his demon blood. He has been subjected to training and discipline to overcome his dark side since he was a orphaned as a child. Quinton chose a job with a secret government agency that maximizes his skills and innate talents. When Annabelle Armstrong tracks him looking for a story, she becomes a risk to his secrets and his group. Quinton is ordered to kill her. But Quinton rebels and saves her instead.

Throw into this mix, Quinton's father, the demon Zion, who wants his sons to join forces in his play for power. Zion authorizes his minions to take action that will force Quinton and his brothers to accept their heritage.


Review:
As a paranormal romance, Dark Hunger is full of action and suspense. Throughout the novel both Annabelle and Quinton battle their attraction to each other. Quinton doesn't come across as a dark character despite the warnings and his history. It may be that Annabelle softens him or that he hasn't realized his good side. I found Quinton's slow self acceptance to be the most interesting part of the book and look forward to the next book in the series.
Warning: Dark Hunger has a number sexually explicit scenes.

Publisher: Forever (August 1, 2009) 320 pages.
Courtesy of Hatchette Books Group.

About the Author, courtesy of the publisher's website:

Rita Herron is an award-winning author of more than 30 romantic suspense novels for Harlequin and Dorchester. In 2007 alone, she was nominated for two Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards, including a Career Achievement Award.

Learn more on Rita Herron's website at http://www.ritaherron.com/


Participating Blogs:
http://yankeeromancereviewers.blogspot.com/ - Aug. 9 to 22 review and giveaway
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/ - Aug. 9 review and giveaway
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com - Aug. 10 Q&A, review and giveaway
http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com/ - Aug. 10 giveaway
http://hotdealsbybec.com - Aug. 10 giveaway
www.trishasbookshelf.blogspot.com - Aug. 11 review and giveaway
http://reesspace.blogspot.com - Aug. 11 review and giveaway
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/ - Aug. 12 giveaway
www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com - Aug. 12 Q&A, review, and giveaway
http://justjenniferreading.blogspot.com - Aug. 13 review and giveaway
http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/ - Aug. 13 Q&A and giveaway
http://www.wrightysreads.blogspot.com - Aug. 13 review and giveaway
http://nightdweller20.wordpress.com - Aug. 14 review and giveaway
http://www.startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/ - Aug. 14 review and giveaway
http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/ - Aug. 14 giveaway
http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com - Aug. 15 Q&A, review and giveaway
www.myspace.com/darbyscloset - Aug. 16 review
http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com/ - Aug. 17 Q&A, review and giveaway
http://jeannesgifts.blogspot.com - Aug. 18 review and giveaway
www.cheekyreads.com - Aug. 18 Q&A and giveaway
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com - Aug. 19 review and giveaway
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/ - Aug. 20 review and giveaway
www.thisbookforfree.com - Aug. 20 Q&A, review and giveaway
http://aparkavenueprincess.blogspot.com/ - Aug. 21 review and giveaway
www.morbid-romantic.net - Aug. 21 Q&A, review and giveaway
http://fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com - Aug. 22 giveaway
www.my-book-views.blogspot.com - Aug. 22 Q&A, review and giveaway
http://jmomfinds.amoores.com/ - Aug. 22 review and giveaway
http://www.mgpblog.com
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com

CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, please recommend a book with a love story.

Rules:

1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email, no entry.

2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.

3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader or blogger or by email and let me know that you do.

4. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.

5. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 6 pm on August 31, 2009.

Thank you so much to Anna and Hatchette Books Group for the chance to join the blog tour and for sponsoring the contest!

Contest Highlights

I don't usually do a round up for contests but always appreciate coming across these lists on other sites. I've finally been catching up on my googlereader and came across these generous and interesting contests.

Princess Bookie has an amazing contest that ends 8/24. Please mention that I'd referred you.
The winner gets:
1. Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick ARC
2. Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen ARC
3. Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters ARC
4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater ARC
5. Troy High by Shana Norris ARC
6. Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott ARC
7. Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn ARC
8. Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker
9. Death by Series by Linda Gerber (3 books total)
10. a 5 dollar giftcard from Walmart (you can buy yourself half of a book with it, lol)
11. 3 Sarah Dessen books ( Just Listen, This Lullaby, Someone Like You)
12. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
13. Fire By Kristin Cashmore ARC
14. Last but not least, I have some extra amazon cards, so I will also include a preorder for CATCHING FIRE BY SUZANNE COLLINS. It will be shipped to on or around Sept 1st (whenever they ship it) AND a book of your choice (under $15.00 please and it can be a preorder as long as it comes out in September-so many good books get released)

Aside from the prizes above, there are special prizes if you can name the titles of these books. Head over to Princess Bookie at http://cutelittlecindy.blogspot.com/2009/08/another-contest_12.html to sign up.



Win Katherine Neville's The Eight or The Fire on Nikola's Book Blog ends on 8/28. Sign up at http://cunninghamfan.blogspot.com/2009/08/giveaway-eight-and-fire-by-katherine.html

Win Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz by Belinda Acosta at Peeking Between the Pages - ends 8/30.
Sign up at http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/2009/08/guest-post-giveaway-with-belinda-acosta.html


Lost in A Book Super End of Summer + Birthday Contest - not certain when this ends, so drop by soon! Please mention that I'd referred you.

Here's what you can win:

1. ARC of Shiver
2. ARC of How to Say Good-bye in Robot
3. ARC of As You Wish
4. ARC of Give Up the Ghost
5. ARC of Lipstick Apology
6. ARC of Devoured
7. ARC of The Sweetheart of Prosper County
8. Hardcover copy of Eyes Like Stars
9. Hardcover copy of Hannah (Daughters of the Sea)


Bloody Bookaholic is throwing The Mega Palooza Contest - ends 9/ 27
To celebrate over 200 followers and half a year of blogging, here are the books to be split among 3 winners:

- Signed copy of Dreaming Anastasia + Goodies

- Hardback Another Faust

- Hardback Prophecy of the Sisters

- ARC Eyes Like Stars + Backstage Pass Bracelet and some Theater-Theme Swag.

- ARC The Dark Divine

- ARC Hush Hush

- ARC Give Up The Ghost

- ARC Ash

- ARC Behind Every Illusion

- ARC Shiver

- ARC The Demon's Lexicon

- ARC Betraying Season

- ARC Any Given Doomsday

- Dead Until Dark

- Gossip Girl 1st Book

- The Black Tatto + poster

- Vampire Academy

- Frost Bite, a Vampire Academy Novel.

- Shadow Kiss, a Vampire Academy Novel.

- Blood Promise, a Vampire Academy Novel.

Sign up here http://bloodybookaholic.blogspot.com/2009/08/mega-palooza-contest.html

The Ballad ARC contest sponsored by the author Maggie Stiefvater - end Friday 8/21
Sign up at http://maggiestiefvater.blogspot.com/2009/08/finally-ballad-arc-contest.html


Prizes:
1) One advanced review copy of BALLAD, mailed immediately upon end of contest
2) One finished copy of BALLAD, mailed when I get my copies (September)
3) One OTHER finished copy of BALLAD, mailed when I get my copies
4) A frame of the winner's choice from the video



Presenting Leonore - Giveaway of Bloomsbury YA Prize Pack of 8 Books ends 8/31

Check out the covers below! Sign up at http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2009/08/bloomsbury-ya-prize-pack-win-8-books.html

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

GirlForce by Nikki Goldstein

Sprout by Dale Peck

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Forest Born by Shannon Hale
The Waking: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall

Prophesy of the Sisters Event on Aug 19th in NYC

Cupcake Witch is helping host an event for Prophecy of the Sisters and a book giveaway.

If you're planning to be in NYC on Wed. August 19th stop by at Jefferson Market Library for the End of the Summer Party with guest Michelle Zink.

Event details:
Wednesday August 19th at 4pm
the Jefferson Market Library
425 6th ave @ 10th street



Michelle Zink author of Prophecy of the Sisters



Live music performed by Kenneth Zink




If you'd like to win a copy of Prophesy of the Sisters, head over to Traveling To Teens - contest ends on 8/28.
http://travelingtoteenstours.weebly.com/1/post/2009/08/prophecy-of-the-sisters-contest.html#comments

Winners of The Imposter's Daughter by Laurie Sandell

Winners of The Imposter's Daughter by Laurie Sandell

minsthins carlos - confirmed
hurdler4eva - confirmed
zenrei57 - confirmed
firebee - confirmed
madamerkf - confirmed

I've notified the winners and they have until Saturday evening to send me their mailing addresses. Thanks for participating! Thanks again to Anna and Hatchette Books Group for sponsoring the giveaway!

Book Review: Cookie by Lisa Woomer

"Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a girl named Cookie. Well, actually, her name was Catherine Isabelle Marie Jenkins, but everyone just called her Cookie."

So begins this children's book about a little girl who only ate cookies. She ate them for every meal and refused to try anything else. Broccoli, spaghetti, or fish were definitely out. Her parents warned her that if she didn't stop with the cookies, she'd turn into one. She laughed. Until one day, she did.

Cookie is a fun book that I'm sure that kids and their parents will enjoy. The illustrations are very well done and fun, and the narrative is even better. Inside the playfulness of the book is a message of nutrition and the book opens the door to talk about nutrition with kids.

Publisher: Outskirts Press (March 17, 2009), 28 pages.
Courtesy of Bostick Communications and the author.

Thank you so much to Bostick Communications and Lisa Woomer for this opportunity!

Book Giveaway: On the Line by Serena Williams

Thanks to Anna and Hatchette Books Group, I'm excited to announce a giveaway of On the Line by Serena Williams.

About the Book, courtesy of the publisher:

One of the biggest stars in tennis, Serena Williams has captured every major title. Her 2009 Australia Open championship earned her the #1 world ranking for the third time in her illustrious career - and marked only the latest exclamation point on a life well and purposefully lived. As a young girl, Serena began training with an adult-sized racquet that was almost as big as her. Rather than dropping the racquet, Serena saw it as a challenge to overcome-and she has confronted every obstacle on her path to success with the same unflagging spirit. From growing up in the tough, hardscrabble neighborhood of Compton, California, to being trained by her father on public tennis courts littered with broken glass and drug paraphernalia, to becoming the top women's player in the world, Serena has proven to be an inspiration to her legions of fans both young and old. Her accomplishments have not been without struggle: being derailed by injury, devastated by the tragic shooting of her older sister, and criticized for her unorthodox approach to tennis. Yet somehow, Serena always manages to prevail. Both on the court and off, she's applied the strength and determination that helped her to become a champion to successful pursuits in philanthropy, fashion, television and film. In this compelling and poignant memoir, Serena takes an empowering look at her extraordinary life and what is still to come.

About the Author:

Serena Williams is one of the top athletes in tennis and in all of sports. At the age of 27, she has captured every major title. Growing up in Compton, CA, she was trained by her father on the public tennis courts before rising up the tennis ranks. Serena has wide-ranging interests aside from tennis, including starting her own fashion line and opening a school for children in Africa.

Daniel Paisner is the author or co-author of more than forty books. He has collaborated on seven New York Times best-selling titles, including Denzel Washington's A Hand to Guide Me, Whoopi Goldberg's Book and Geraldo Rivera's Exposing Myself. He lives in Port Washington, NY.

CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, tell us something that you are thankful for.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.
3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader or blogger or by email and let me know that you do.
4. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.
5. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 6 pm on August 31, 2009.

Thank you so much to Anna and Hatchette Books Group for sponsoring another wonderful giveaway!

Winners of Tamed by a Laird by Amanda Scott

Winners of Tamed by A Laird by Amanda Scott

1. nfmgirl - confirmed
2. libneas ianna - confirmed
3. throuthehaze - confirmed
4. wadesherry - confirmed
5. megalon Luvdayliliesfirebee - confirmed
   

Congratulations! I've forwarded the winners' details to the publisher. Thanks so much for participating!

Thank you to Anna and Hatchette Books Group for sponsoring this giveaway!

Book Giveaway: How To Tame A Modern Rogue by Diana Holquist

If you noticed the sudden surge in giveaways - I just wanted to give a huge thank you to Anna and Hatchette Books Group for all their generous support!

Here's one last book contest. Enter to win How To Tame A Modern Rogue by Diana Holquist.


About the Book, courtesy of the publisher:

Commitment-phobic Sam Carson has only dated model-gorgeous women. But one stolen kiss from a plain-Jane schoolteacher and he's hell-bent on stripping away her floral dresses and teaching her the art of being bad. If only her good-girl ways didn't make him want to be a better man...

Ally Giordano is at the end of her rope. Her beloved grandmother actually believes that she's living in her favorite romance novel in Regency England and Ally doesn't have the heart to set her straight. But now Granny Donny's last wish is for a retreat to the country and Ally can't refuse her...until she demands that Sam accompany them. And though his smiles turn her knees into jelly, Ally knows better than to trust a playboy...and she definitely knows better than to try to change one. Or does she?

About the Author by the Author, courtesy of Amazon:

I love to write. That's pretty much all I do. Ask my family about the undone laundry, the unbought groceries, and the fact that I rarely find time to get dressed in the morning. Actually, if you train your family right, they won't notice any of these things. "Popcorn for dinner again, Mom! Cool," say my filthy children. God bless them, they don't know what panty hose are. Oh, my poor husband. What else is there to know about me? I love kids. I love cats. I love chocolate (not necessarily in that order). And I love to hear from readers. So you can log on to my Web site at www.dianaholquist.com and let me know what's on your mind!

CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, name one of your favorite romance novels, romance writers or love stories.

Rules:

1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.

2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.

3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader or blogger or by email and let me know that you do.

4. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.

5. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 6 pm on August 31, 2009.

Thank you so much for this giveaway, Anna and Hatchette Books Group!

Book Giveaway - So Into You by Sandra Hill

Thanks to Anna and Hatchette Books Group, we have a contest for this fun romantic comedy So Into You by Sandra Hill.

About the Book, courtesy of the publisher:

Angel Sabato has been in love with best friend Grace O'Brien for 10 years--but he's only just realized it. Too bad she doesn't take him seriously when he tells her about his feelings. Reeling from the rejection, Angel hightails it out of town.

Now Grace is left to wonder if her problems from the past are keeping her from opening herself to love. But she brushes these "useless" musings aside, concentrating instead on the work she's doing as an apprentice to folk healer Tante Lulu and keeping up with the old woman's good deeds.

Such as starting a foundation to help families still homeless after Hurricane Katrina. One family consists of 5 children who lost their parents. The eldest, only seventeen, has been struggling to take care of her siblings and lying like heck to the state agencies in order to keep everyone together. Tante Lulu and Grace take the children under their wings and decide the foundation will build a house for them.

Re-enter Angel, who helps with the construction. Unbeknownst to Grace, Tante Lulu has decided to try her hand at matchmaking again. And Tante Lulu has never failed before!

About the Author, courtesy of the publisher:

Sandra Hill lives in the middle of chaos, surrounded by a husband, four sons, a live-in girlfriend, two grandchildren, a male German Shepherd the size of a horse, and five cats. Each of them is more outrageous than the other. Sometimes three other dogs come to visit. No wonder she has developed a zany sense of humor. And the clutter is neverending: golf clubs, skis, wrestling gear, baseball bats and gloves, tennis rackets, mountain climbing ropes, fishing rods, bikes, exercise equipment. . . .

Sandra and her stockbroker husband, Robert, own two cottages on a world-renowned fishing stream (which are supposed to be refuges), two condos in Myrtle Beach (which are too far away to be used), and seven Dominoes Pizza stores (don't ask!). One son and his significant other had Sandra's first grandchild at home with an Amish midwife. Another son says he won't marry his longtime girlfriend unless they can have a Star Wars wedding. Another son at twenty-three fashions himself the Donald Trump of Central Pennsylvania. A fourth son . . . well, you get the picture.

Robert and Sandra love their sons dearly, but Robert says they are boomerangs: They keep coming back. Sandra says it must be a sign of what good parents they are, that the boys want to be with them.

No wonder Sandra likes to escape to the library in her home, which is luckily soundproof, where she can dwell in the more sane, laugh-out-loud world of her Cajuns. When asked by others where Sandra got her marvelous sense of humor, her husband and sons just gape. They don't think she's funny at all.

Sandra is a USA Today, New York Times extended and Waldenbooks bestselling author of fifteen novels and four novellas. All of her books are heavy on humor and sizzle.

Little do Sandra's husband and sons know what she's doing in that library. ::grin::

Read more about her books on Sandra Hill's website at http://www.sandrahill.net/SoIntoYou.html

CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, just comment below.

Rules:

1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.

2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.

3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader or blogger or by email and let me know that you do.

4. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.

5. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 6 pm on August 31, 2009.

Thank you so much for this giveaway, Anna and Hatchette Books Group!

Book Giveaway - Close Encounters of the Third Grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood by Phillip Done

Thanks to Anna and Hatchette Books Group, we are giving away Close Encounters of the Third Grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood by Phillip Done!

About the Book, courtesy of the Publisher:

A twenty-year veteran of the classroom, elementary school teacher Phillip Done takes readers through a lively and hilarious year in the classroom. Starting with the relative calm before the storm of buying school supplies and posting class lists, he shares the distinct personalities of grades K-4, what he learned from two professional trick or treating 8-year-old boys, the art of learning cursive and letter-writing, how kindergartners try to trap leprechauns, and what every child should experience before he or she grows up.

These charming, sweet, and funny tales of Mr. Done's trials and triumphs as an award-winning schoolteacher will touch readers' hearts and remind them of the true joys of childhood. We all have that one special, favorite grade school teacher whom we fondly remember throughout our adult lives - and every teacher also has students whom they will never forget. This is the perfect book for teachers, parents, and anyone else who is looking for a lighthearted, nostalgic read.


About the Author:

Phillip Done knows it is a child’s birthday without looking at the calendar, that broken candy canes do not taste as good as unbroken ones, that peanut M&Ms spark in the microwave (Peeps do not), and that measuring the diameter of an Oreo cookie is more fun than measuring the diameter of a coffee can lid. After pumping up his 500th red rubber ball, he decided it was time to write it all down. Hence, 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny and Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood were born.

A veteran of twenty-plus years in the classroom, Done is a five-time champion of the staff watermelon-eating contest and was nominated for the Disney Teacher of the Year Award. He took a pie in the face at this year’s school talent show and was honored as a Teacher of the Year in California. When not searching for envelopes for newly pulled teeth or making rain parkas out of Hefty bags on rainy field trips, Phil accepted the prestigious Charles Schwab Distinguished Teacher Award from Charles Schwab himself. (He refrained from asking Mr. Schwab if Intel was a good buy.)

Born in San Jose, California, he grew up in Sunnyvale, attended Fremont High School, and studied music and education at San Jose State University. He currently lives in Mountain View, California. His passions are teaching, old movies, and garage sales. His writing has also appeared in Real Simple, Instructor, Parent and Child, and NEA Today.

Read more about Phillip Done and his books on Phillip Done's website at http://www.phillipdone.org.php5-12.websitetestlink.com/index.php

CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, share something about your favorite grade school teacher. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 6 pm on Sept. 15, 2009.

Thank you so much to Anna and Hatchette Books Group for generously sponsoring this giveaway!

Book Giveaway - Friends Like These by Danny Wallace

I'm excited to host a giveaway of Friends Like These by Danny Wallace. The giveaway is sponsored by Anna and Hatchette Books Group!



About the Book, from the publisher:

Danny Wallace has friends. He has a wife and goes to brunch, and his new house has a couch with throw pillows. But as he nears 30, he can't help wondering about his best childhood friends, whose names he finds in a long-forgotten address book. Where are they now-and where, really, is he?

Acting on an impulse we've all had at least once, he travels from London to Berlin, Tokyo,
Australia, and California, risking rejection and ridicule to show up on his old pals' doorsteps. Memories of his 1980s childhood-from Michael Jackson to Ghostbusters-overwhelm him as he meets former buddies who have blossomed into rappers and ninjas, time-traveling pioneers, mediocre restaurant managers, and even Fijian royalty.

Danny's attempt to re-befriend them all gives remarkable new resonance to the age-old mantra,
"friends forever!"

About the Author:

Danny Wallace is the author of The Yes Man, now a film starring Jim Carrey. He has hosted various television shows and starred in BBC documentaries. Currently, he has a weekly radio show on XFM in London, and three of his books have been bestsellers in the UK.


This contest is sponsored by Anna and Hatchette Books Group - thank you so much for these generous giveaways!

CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, please share a story about getting in touch with an old friend. The best storytellers will win. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 6 pm on August 31, 2009.

Audio Book Giveaway - Daniel X by James Patterson

Thanks to Anna and Hatchette Books Group, we have a giveaway of James Patterson's Daniel X.


About the Book, courtesy of the publisher:

All's quiet in the small town of Holliswood, the television sets a-glow in every home. But not all is as perfect as it seems.

A terrifying outlaw has just arrived in town, with the goal of throwing it into chaos--and filming the pandemonium for the fellas back home.

Only one person can stop him and his thugs from destroying the city and everyone living there. Daniel X assembles an all-star team of his own creation, but not even he could imagine the enormity of this made-for-TV-villain's powers.

About the Author:

The subject of a recent Time magazine feature called, "The Man Who Can't Miss," James Patterson is the bestselling author of the past year, bar none, with more than 16 million books sold in North America alone. In 2007, one of every 15 hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title. In total, James's books have sold an estimated 150 million copies worldwide. He is the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children's lists and is the only author to have five new hardcover novels debut at #1 on the list in one year — a record-breaking feat he’s accomplished every year since 2005. To date, James Patterson has had nineteen consecutive #1 New York Times Bestselling Novels, and holds the New York Times record for most bestselling titles by a single author (40 total).

Patterson is a champion of reading and the founder of the PageTurner awards, which seek to spread the excitement and joy of books and reading in the United States. James's first foray into family fiction, the critically acclaimed Maximum Ride series, debuted on the New York Times list at #1 and remained there for 12 straight weeks. The series has so far made appearances on The New York Times bestsellers lists 87 times, proving that kids of all ages love page turners.

Patterson is the creator of the #1 new detective series of the past dozen years, featuring "Alex Cross" and including the Hollywood-adapted "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls," starring Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman. He is also the creator of the #1 new detective series of the past five years, featuring Lindsay Boxer and the other members of the Women's Murder Club, from which the ABC television drama series is adapted. He has authored books behind six films on the Hollywood fast-track, including the upcoming Maximum Ride movie from Avi Arad, the producer of X-Men and Spiderman. Most recently, New Regency Pictures has optioned The Dangerous Days of Daniel X, James’s newest family Pageturner due out in July of 2008.

He is the author of novels — from The Thomas Berryman Number (1976) to Honeymoon (2005) — that have won awards including the Edgar, the BCA Mystery Guild's Thriller of the Year, the International Thriller of the Year award, and the Reader’s Digest Reader’s Choice Award.

One of Forbes magazine's Celebrity 100, James appeared as a guest star on the popular FOX TV show "The Simpsons" in March, 2007.

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter, please tell us which James Patterson you like most or if you haven't read any of his novels, mention which one you would like to read and why. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 6 pm on August 31, 2009.

Thank you so much to Anna and Hatchette Books Group for sponsoring this giveaway!

Audiobook giveaway - The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

Thanks to Anna and Hatchette Books Group, we can give away 3 audiobooks of The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand.

About the Book, courtesy of the publisher:

Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.

Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life.

About the Author, courtesy of the publisher:

Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.


CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, share a summer memory or tell us something that you are thankful for. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 6 pm on August 31, 2009.

Thanks so much to Anna and Hatchette Books Group for generously sponsoring this giveaway!

Audiobook giveaway - The Ravens by George Dawes Green

Thanks to Anna and Hatchette Books Group, Starting Fresh can giveaway 3 copies of The Ravens by George Dawes Green.

About the Book, courtesy of the publisher:

When Shaw McBride and Romeo Zderko drive into the small town of Brunswick, Georgia, their only thought is to fix their car's leaky right tire and continue on to Key West, Florida, away from their dead-end jobs as computer technicians in Ohio. But when Shaw discovers that the 318 million dollar Georgia State Lottery has just been claimed by an ordinary Georgia family, he sees an opportunity - he and Romeo will blackmail the Boatwright family for half their winnings and ditch their deadbeat lives for good.

Disguised as a state lottery representative, Shaw enters the Boatwright's home and holds the family hostage, while Romeo patrols the town, staking out the homes of the family's loved ones, should the Boatwrights refuse to comply with their demands. But Shaw isn't your average criminal out to make a quick buck. Instead, he has a grand messianic vision and he'll stop at nothing to see it through -- and soon, the Boatwrights find themselves living a Flannery O'Connor American nightmare from which they can't properly awaken.

At once frightening, comic, and suspenseful, RAVENS is a wholly original and utterly compelling novel from one of our most talented writers.

About the Author:

George Dawes Green is the author of the highly acclaimed novel The Caveman's Valentine, as well as a poet whose work has appeared in The Ontario Review, Carolina Quarterly, and other literary publications. He lives in Key West, Florida.

CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, share a book recommendation or tell us something that you are thankful for.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.
3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader or blogger or by email and let me know that you do.
4. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.
5. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 6 pm on August 31, 2009.

Thank you so much to Anna and Hatchette Books Group for sponsoring another wonderful giveaway!

Book Blog Tour with Shawn Klomparens, author of Two Years, No Rain

I'm excited to be part of the Book Blog Tour for Two Years, No Rain. Please welcome the author Shawn Klomparens. This is his second novel - it's light, touching, funny and a wonderful read!

Review of Two Years, No Rain by Shawn Klomparens

Synopsis:

At the start of the novel, Andy Dunn is working as a radio weatherman in sunny Southern California and the weather hasn't changed much - it's close to two years with no rain. But in Andy's life, things are changing fast. Andy's faced with the tail end of a divorce and his wife has just moved out of their house, with much of their furniture. Andy applies for a voice over position with a children's production company a few days before he downsized from his weatherman job. When his new job comes through, Andy finds himself in a different place: good job, getting fit, and finally about to start a romance with the beautiful and married Hillary Hsing, who he's admired and been daily textmates for almost two years.

Soon enough Andy's job with Bing! the Childrens Production group starts to flourish, just as his weight drops. Andy may finally have a chance with love interest Hillary Hsing. With his intervention and diplomatic skills, Andy's helped his niece and his sister come to a truce of sorts. Andy's luck and life is starting to change.

Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed Two Years, No Rain. Even during his most difficult moments and in the embarrassing situations, Andy is funny and likable. That the novel has a male protagonist with such a clear sympathetic voice might be unusual - Andy gets into emergencies and situations that I've never read in other novels. This adds to the freshness and fun of the book.

The main characters are carefully, well developed and very likeable. I felt that the depiction of Andy's friendship with his niece Hannah was an unexpected treat in the book. I loved the scenes where Andy and Hannah would chat while logging in Hannah's driving hours and the many times that Andy would smooth things over between Hannah and her mother. It made me think of my Tito Tony in Boston who was always there for me when I left my family and the Philippines for Phillips Exeter Academy at fifteen. This was a time before the internet and mobile phones, so to talk to my mother I faced the 12 hour time difference and painfully expensive phone calls from the one phone in the Academy Building that allowed outgoing international calls. I wrote many letters, but it would take over a month for a response. So when I had immediate pressing concerns, it was a relief to have my Tito Tony who like Andy, never acted as a parent, but was someone smart and sensitive who would talk me through difficult times.

I thoroughly enjoyed Two Years, No Rain and highly recommend it as a heartwarming, hilarous, and atypical read!

Publisher: Delta (June 23, 2009), 384 pages.
Courtesy of TLC Book Tours and the author.

Thank you so much to Lisa and TLC Book Tours, and to Shawn Klomparens for having Starting Fresh on your Book Blog Tour!

About the Author, courtesy of his website:

Shawn Klomparens was born squarely in the palm of Michigan in the winter of 1970, and grew up between there and Central Ohio. After studying English and Geological Sciences in the beautiful foothills of Appalachia at Ohio University, he moved to Jackson, Wyoming for what he thought would be a one year break from graduate work, and has been there ever since. Learn more about the author on his Shawn Klomparens website at http://www.shawnklomparens.com/


Participating blogs

Tuesday, July 7th: Book, Line, and Sinker

Monday, July 13th: Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, July 15th: Anniegirl1138

Friday, July 17th: Bermuda Onion

Tuesday, July 21st: Suko’s Notebook

Wednesday, July 22nd: Stephanie’s Confessions of a Book-a-holic

Monday, July 27th: Life In The Thumb

Wednesday, July 29th: Cindy’s Love of Books

Thursday, July 30th: Raging Bibliomania

Monday, August 3rd: Chic Book Chick

Tuesday, August 4th: Planet Books

Monday, August 10th: Bookworm with a View

Wednesday, August 12th: Starting Fresh

Thursday, August 13th: Pop Culture Junkie

Tuesday, August 18th: Books on the Brain – Summer Reading Series

Thursday, August 20th: Book-a-Rama

Book Review: The Green Green Pear by Manjula Naraynan

The green Green Pear by Manjula Naraynan



Synopsis:

Written and colorfully illustrated for young children, The Green Green Pear by Manjula Naraynan is the story of a Green Green Pear that desperately wanted to be something else. Surrounded by other colorful things, the Green Green Pear looks longingly at the other colorful fruits, at the useful computer, the animals, beautiful flowers, and would see their beauty.

One night, the Green Green Pear comes across a shooting star and makes a wish. He becomes something else, but still isn't happy. The next night, encountering another shooting star, he makes another wish and transforms into something else...this goes on for several nights. Until the Green Green Pear recognizes something about himself and suddenly, he is happy.

Review:

The book is colorfully illustrated and carefully thought out. The Green Green Pear would be a good book for children learning colors, sounds, food names, and learning to read. It also has an important message of self acceptance.

Publisher: AuthorSolutions (June 3, 2009), 32 pages.

Courtesy of Bostick Communications and the author.

Thank you so much, Bostick Communications and Manjula Naraynan!

Color Me Brown Book Challenge by Color Online

I discovered Color Online's Color Me Brown Book Challenge. Though I fear that I might be entering more challenges than I can handle, I couldn't resist signing up for this.

August: Color Me Brown Book Challenge

Here are the terms:

Read and review POC books through the month of August. Color Online will have a random drawing for 3 reviewers at the end of the challenge. Contest limited to US residents. Doesn't it sound like fun? To sign up, visit Color Online at

http://coloronline.blogspot.com/2009/07/august-color-me-brown-book-challenge.html

My first entry is Damas, Drama and Ana Ruiz.

Book Review: Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz: A Quinceanera Club Novel by Belinda Acosta

Review of Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz: A Quinceanera Club Novel by Belinda Acosta

Synopsis:
At the start of Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz, we meet fourteen year old Carmen and her young mother Ana Ruiz. Ana struggles to handle her recent separation from her husband, the demands of her work, and her daughter Carmen's increasing volatility. Carmen blames her mother for her parents' separation and doesn't hesitate to tell her so. Ana suggests the quinceanera as a way to breach the growing divide, but Carmen doesn't seem interested in the quinceanera and takes every opportunity to exclude her mother. It is fortunate that Ana's niece Bianca steps up to act as peacekeeper and party planner. Carmen's older brother Diego, also plays a big role keeping the peace as he comes to terms with his father's absence.

The planning and the quinceanera serve as a backdrop to the ongoing family drama of Ana and her husband Esteban, their children Carmen and Diego, the lovely Bianca, and the rest of their family.

Review:

Before I started Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz, I had suspected that the book would spend much of its time with teenagers and their concerns. It was a delightful surprise to find that the novel followed the mother Ana Ruiz and not the daughter Carmen.

Belinda Acosta's writing is funny, heartwarming and touching at the same time. The characters are carefully and sympathetically drawn - you can't help but care for each of them. I particularly enjoyed reading about the close friendship between Ana Ruiz and her childhood friend, Bianca and her love for her family, Diego and his kindness towards his mother.

Belinda Acosta does a wonderful job giving you each person's story and hinting at how things work out for them in the future. The book was beautifully done - and I am so looking forward to the next in the series. I plan to give my copy to my mother and hope that she enjoys it as much as I did.

Note: There are a few Spanish phrases in the novel. I had a few semesters of Spanish close to twenty years ago and recall very little, but you don't need any knowledge of Spanish to understand the few phrases sprinkled in the book. You can make out the expressions from their context in the book. Enjoy!

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (August 11, 2009), 336 pages.
Courtesy of Hatchette Books Group.

Thank you so much to Miriam and Hatchette Books Group!

Dar at Peeking Between the Pages has a giveaway for Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz until the end of August - visit http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/2009/08/guest-post-giveaway-with-belinda-acosta.html to sign up. Please mention that I'd referred you.

Drey's Library is holding a giveaway for Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz until 8/27 visit http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/2009/08/tour-giveaway-131-damas-dramas-and-ana.html Please mention that I'd referred you.

This Book For Free is holding a giveaway for Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz until 9/10 visit http://thisbookforfree.com/?p=1222 Please mention that I'd referred you.

Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz: A Quinceanera Club Novel! Guest Post by debut author Belinda Acosta

I am so excited to have a guest post by Belinda Acosta, on the eve of her debut novel, Damas, Dramas, and Anna Ruiz: A Quinceanera Club Novel.

About the Author, courtesy of her publisher:

Belinda Acosta lives and writes in Austin, Texas where she is a columnist for the Austin Chronicle. Her non-fiction has appeared in Poets & Writers, Latino USA, the Radio Journal of News and Culture, AlterNet, the San Antonio Current, and Latino Magazine. She is a member of Macondo, the writers' collective launched by acclaimed writer Sandra Cisneros. She loves knitting, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, chips & salsa, mariachi (good, make your soul leap from your body, mariachi); conjunto music (todo old school), and given the opportunity, will square dance. Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz is her first novel.


Without further ado, here's Belinda Acosta!

When I was contacted about writing a series on quinceañeras I had just reviewed Julia Alvarez’s nonfiction book, Once Upon a Quinceañera for The Austin Chronicle. So, the subject was in high on my radar. What intrigued me about the subject was similar to what intrigued Alvarez, I think: What does it mean to be a woman today? Is there something about the Latina experience that is unique? Why have a ritual to mark this “passage”? Where did the tradition stem from? And on and on and on. I find it amusing that I did not have a quinceañera, I had never been to one prior to writing this book, and I don’t have any children. I do know, from first hand experience, how complicated the relationship between mothers and daughters can be. Part of what makes Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz stand out is that it focuses on that relationship—the good and the bad, hopefully, with heart and candor.

Macondo (www.macondofoundation.org) is a writing collective started by Sandra Cisneros—fifteen years ago, I think. It’s changed over time and has several facets, but its core purpose is to gather socially engaged writers for a week of workshops, seminars, readings, and other events. Sandra and writers like Andrei Codrescu, Dorothy Allison, and John Phillip Santos have led workshops in the past. Last year, I co-led an “MFA or No MFA” seminar. This year, I co-led a seminar on how to get freelance jobs in newspapers and magazines. The website has an official description, but for me, it’s a touchstone where I know I will meet other writers who share the same love of the written word, are passionate about their work, and know that there is really nothing else we can do but be the crazy scribblers that we are. Macondo is family, it’s summer camp, it’s a time to work, a time to play, a time to celebrate, a time to remind yourself of what matters to you as a writer, what you value, and most importantly—why you write. Macondo really is as Sandra says, “a homeland for writers.”

—Belinda Acosta, August 10, 2009


Visit Belinda Acosta's website at http://qclubbooks.blogspot.com/ to learn more about the author and Damas, Dramas & Ana Ruiz: A Quinceanera Club Novel.

Dar at Peeking Between the Pages has a giveaway of Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz until August 30. Sign up here - http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/2009/08/guest-post-giveaway-with-belinda-acosta.html

Drey's Library is holding a giveaway for Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz until 8/27 visit http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/2009/08/tour-giveaway-131-damas-dramas-and-ana.html Please mention that I'd referred you.

This Book For Free is holding a giveaway for Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz until 9/10 visit http://thisbookforfree.com/?p=1222 Please mention that I'd referred you.

Book Giveaway: Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

Danielle and Sourcebooks are sponsoring a giveaway of ONE copy of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange.

CONTEST DETAILS:

Please tell us your favorite romantic character in a novel and what you like about him or her. Please include your email address so I can get in touch with you if you win. Limited to U.S. and Canada only. Contest ends at 5 pm on August 31, 2009.

Book Review: Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

Synopsis:

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre continues the stories of Jane Austen's main characters from Pride and Prejudice from the night before the double wedding of Fitzwilliam Darcy to Elizabeth Bennett and of Charles Bingley to Jane Bennett.

After the ceremony, Elizabeth and Darcy head to Europe for their honeymoon. As Darcy introduces Elizabeth to his friends and experiences in the continent, something feels wrong to Elizabeth. Unsure about the source of her misgivings, Elizabeth begins to wonder about the strength of their bond to each other. Through Elizabeth's letters to her sister Jane, we learn of Elizabeth's increasing anxiety. While there are hints that the problems between Darcy and Elizabeth are of an unusual nature, Amanda Grange's depiction of their characters remains similar to Austen's original.


Review:

This is Amanda Grange's latest entry into the creative interpretation of Pride and Prejudice and my first time to read a creative interpretation of this sort. To be honest, I wasn't sure how much of a purist I would turn out to be. I enjoyed reading Amanda Grange's characterization of Elizabeth and Darcy because she captured their personalities and interaction so well. For those willing to imagine Elizabeth and Darcy taking an odd turn into an alternative reality, this book is an enjoyable read. You have your beloved characters in a new setting.

I highly recommend Mr. Darcy, Vampyre to those who enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and would be interested in exploring different directions that Elizabeth and Darcy might take, particularly those who enjoy vampire stories along the lines of Anne Rice.

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (August 1, 2009), 320 pages.

Courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark.

Thank you so much to Danielle for this opportunity!

Visit Amanda Grange's website at http://www.amandagrange.com/to read more about Mr. Darcy, Vampyre and her other novels.