Saturday, March 13, 2010

Giveaway of Laura Rider's Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton

Valerie and Hatchette Book Group are sponsoring a giveaway of Laura Rider's Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton.

About the Book, courtesy of the Publisher:
Laura and Charlie Rider have been married for twelve years. They share their nursery business in rural Wisconsin, their love for their animals, and their zeal for storytelling. Although Charlie's enthusiasm in the bedroom has worn Laura out, although she no longer sleeps with him, they are happy enough going along in their routine.

Jenna Faroli is the host of a popular radio show, and in Laura's mind is "the single most famous person in the Town of Dover." When Jenna happens to cross Charlie's path one day, and they begin an e-mail correspondence, Laura cannot resist using Charlie to try out her new writing skills. Together, Laura and Charlie craft florid, strangely intimate messages that entice Jenna in an unexpected way. The "project" quickly spins out of control. The lines between Laura's words and Charlie's feelings are blurred and complicated, Jenna is transformed in ways that deeply disturb her, and Laura is transformed in her mind's eye into an artist. The transformations are hilarious and poignant, and for Laura Rider, beyond her wildest expectations.

About the Author:
Jane Hamilton is the author of The Book of Ruth, winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award for first fiction, and A Map of the World, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Both The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World have been selections by Oprah's Book Club. Her latest novel, When Madeline Was Young was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. She lives with her family in Wisconsin. Learn more about her at www.janehamiltonbooks.com

Reading Group Guide:
1. Laura muses that "she could only be her ultimate self when she was alone." She isn't the only one who has a clear "real" self and a constructed self. In what ways do the characters create new personas? Are these personalities convincing? Are they necessary?

2. Does Laura have the talent to be a writer? Are there rules that writers must follow, as she believes? Is Jenna correct when she suggests that it's impossible to write without a historical knowledge of what has come before you?

3. How does the first interaction between Charlie and Jenna at the side of the road set the tone for their relationship? What changes and what remains the same once Laura is involved?

4. It is made clear during her interview with Jenna and again at the writers' conference that Laura is not terribly knowledgeable about books and writing. Was she also naive to involve her husband with another woman? What other characters display inexperience or ignorance?

5. Charlie and Laura are similar to Jenna and Frank in that both couples' passion for one another has cooled after years of marriage. In what other ways are the couples similar? How are they different?

6. How has e-mailed affected correspondence? How has it affected writing in general? What opinions would Charlie, Laura, and Jenna each have on the topic?

7. When Charlie thinks back to his childhood and his life with Laura, he recognizes Prairie Wind Farm"had never been his goal, in part because he'd never had any particular goals." If not his job, what else drives Charlie? What other examples are there of the gap between desire and reality?

8. Is a "conscious romance" possible? What kind of relationship would that be like?

9. Is it possible that Laura did, in fact, mean to paste Jenna's e-mail, whether Laura realizes it consciously or not? Why would she have done it intentionally? Why is her reaction to the e-mail being sent out so different from Charlie's and Jenna's reaction?

10. Laura Rider starts a list of what women want. What would be on your list?

11. Who, in the end, has the uper had in the Jenna Faroli Radio Show interview with Laura Rider? Or do neither or both have the upper hand?

12. Is any character responsible for Jenna and Charlie's affair? Who or what would be the cause according to Laura? Jenna? Charlie?

13. What is the attraction, either romantic or not, between Charlie, Jenna, and Laura? What does each of them provide to each of the others?

14. In this satire, are all the characters skewed equally?

15. What does Hamilton seem to be saying about the writing life? Are writers necessarily ruthless?

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter please just recommend a book one of your favorite books of 2009.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on April 15, 2010.

Thank you so much to Valerie and Hatchette Book Group for sponsoring this giveaway!

Giveaway of Apologize, Apologize by Elizabeth Kelly

Valerie and Hatchette Book Group are sponsoring a giveaway of Apologize, Apologize by Elizabeth Kelly.

About the Book, courtesy of the Publisher:
Apologize, Apologize! takes us into the perversely charmed world of the Flanagans and their son, Collie (His parents named him after their favorite breed of dog.) Collie comes of age on Martha's Vineyard, trying to make sense of his wildly wealthy, hyper-articulate, resolutely crazy family members: a philandering father, incorrigible brother, pigeon-racing uncle, radical activist mother, and a domineering media mogul grandfather (accused of being a murderer by Collie's mother). As Collie searches for his place in the world, he suffers insurmountable loss and grapples for bravery as he struggles to cope with people he has no choice but to love.

About the Author:
Elizabeth Kelly is a magazine editor and award-winning journalist with several Canadian National Magazine Awards and nominations to her credit. Her writing has appeared in many prominent Canadian newspapers and magazines. Her column work was selected to appear in the 2003 edition of Writing Prose, Oxford Press.

Check out the Reading Group Guide.



Reading Group Guide:

  1. Throughout this account of Collie Flanagan's life (so far), he appears to be the only conventional - or perhaps even sane - member of his family. However, the novel is told from his perspective. Do you feel like you can trust what he's saying?
  2. What do you think of Collie's mother? Does she seem to have lived a life of passion or is she defined only by her rebellion against her aristocratic roots?
  3. Should Collie have gone in after Bingo and the others, knowing as he did that there was no hope?
  4. In one interview, Elizabeth Kelly referred to Bingo as "representative of full-blown adolescence, but in all its glory," and as something of a heroic character as well. What do you make of him?
  5. Elizabeth Kelly has clearly had a lot of fun creating the hilarious and often manic characters at the heart of the novel. How did you react to the various Flanagan family blowouts? Did you more often cringe or laugh out loud?
  6. Talk about the role of money in this novel: who has it and who doesn't; how it can be a motivator, or stunt one's ambitions; how it insulates the Flanagans, yet forces them into the limelight; and so on.
  7. "Dignity is the last refuge of scoundrels," Collie's father was known to say, and he certainly was one to put himself into undignified positions, despite his charm and sharp clothes. What do you make of him as a man, and as a father?
  8. Who is your favorite character in this novel, and why?
  9. Collie and Bingo have a relationship that's not always straightforward, yet at its heart is a strong sibling love. What does each expect, and receive (or not), from the other?
  10. What was Collie hoping to achieve in El Salvador? Did he change as a result of his experiences there?
  11. What are Collie Flanagan's personal strengths? Were there small events that stood out for you as monumental in terms of proving his character?
  12. More than any other member of the Flanagans, Collie has a close -- if complex -- relationship with his grandfather, Peregrine Lowell. Why is that so? How has their relationship developed by the end of the novel?
  13. The Flanagans inhabit a world of elite privilege, yet are so self-absorbed you can't help but wonder whether they'd even notice if the rest of humanity ceased to exist. Does Collie rise above all that, or is he just like the rest of them?
  14. Collie's father has knack for showing up wildly drunk for even the most staid of events, including the funerals held for his wife and son. Talk about how his disappearances and arrivals function in the novel.
  15. Whenever anyone talks to Collie about the events of the day Bingo and his mother died, they always get the details wrong. What is Kelly saying about living up to the expectations of others in this novel? Should Collie have stood up for himself more often?
  16. The Flanagans are a wild and wildly humorous bunch, and even their seemingly unwarranted jabs at Collie are terrific. Discuss the role of cutting humor and over-the-top judgment in the novel.
  17. At the end of the novel, Collie appears to have come to terms with his family, or at least seems to have achieved some measure of peace. What does the future hold for Collie Flanagan?

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter please just share why you'd like to win this book.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on April 15, 2010.

Thank you so much to Valerie and Hatchette Book Group for sponsoring this giveaway!

Giveaway of This One is Mine by Maria Semple




About the Book, courtesy of the publisher:
Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life--except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap.

About the Author, courtesy of Maria Semple's website:
Maria Semple spent her first two years in Spain where her father had gone to write a play, but instead ended up writing the pilot for the TV series Batman. They packed up for Los Angeles, where Maria mainly remembers being driven around the hills in a Mercedes convertible with the latest Stephen Sondheim playing on 8-track. Wanting to expose the children to a change of seasons, her parents moved the family to Aspen in the early seventies. There, Maria became an expert skier, pot-smoker and delinquent. She was sent away to boarding school at Choate Rosemary Hall and loved every minute of it.

College was at Barnard, where Maria had big plans of becoming a novelist or an English teacher. Those dreams got derailed when she sold a movie script to Twentieth Century Fox just after graduation and moved to LA. She got into TV when her friend Darren Star-- whom she'd met on the ski slopes in Aspen years earlier-- gave her a job on Beverly Hills 90210. Thus began a fifteen-year career in television, writing for good shows like Ellen, Saturday Night Live, Mad About You and Arrested Development. And bad shows nobody needs to know about.

She had a baby and quit television. When it was time to get back to work, she resisted Hollywood and gave novel-writing a try. THIS ONE IS MINE is the result. Writing it was the most fun work experience of her life.

Maria, her boyfriend and their daughter have since left LA for Seattle where Maria's at work on her second novel. Find out more on Maria Semple's website at http://www.mariasemple.com/index.html

Listen to an interview with Maria at Blog Talk Radio.

Check out the Reading Group Guide for This One is Mine.

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter please share why you'd like to win this book.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on April 15, 2010.

Thank you so much Valerie and Hatchette for sponsoring this giveaway!

Giveaway of Slip of the Knife by Denise Mina

Valerie and Hatchette Book Group are sponsoring a giveaway of Slip of the Knife by Denise Mina. I thoroughly enjoyed Denise Mina's Still Midnight and am so looking forward to reading this!

About the Book, courtesy of the publisher:
Paddy Meehan is no stranger to murder--as a reporter she lives at crime scenes--but nothing has prepared her for this visit from the police. Her former boyfriend and fellow journalist Terry Patterson has been found hooded and shot through the head. Paddy knows she will be of little help--she had not seen Terry in more than six months. So she is bewildered to learn that in his will he has left her his house and several suitcases full of notes. Drawn into a maze of secrets and lies, Paddy begins making connections to Terry's murder that no one else has seen, and soon finds herself trapped in the most important--and dangerous--story of her career.

About the Author:
Denise Mina is a "fearless" (GQ) writer "of stunning talent and accomplishment" (Publishers Weekly) and "the crown princess of crime" (Val McDermid). She is the author of Garnethill, which won the John Creasey Memorial Prize for best first crime novel, Exile, and Resolution. She lives in Glasgow.

The Reading Group Guide for Slip of the Knife has a few spoilers - so instead of writing it out in full, please head here to download a PDF version.

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter please share whether you've read any Tartan Noir and which books and authors you've enjoyed. Or just share why you'd like to win this book.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on April 15, 2010.

Thank you so much Valerie and Hatchette for sponsoring this giveaway!

Giveaway of The Girl She Used To Be by David Cristofano

Valerie and Hatchette Book Group are sponsoring a giveaway of 3 copies of The Girl She Used To Be by David Cristofano. It sounds like a fascinating read - sign up for the giveaway below.


About the Book, courtesy of the Publisher:
When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her parents witnessed an act of violence so brutal that it changed their lives forever. The federal government lured them into the Witness Protection Program with the promise of safety, and they went gratefully. But the program took Melody's name, her home, her innocence, and, ultimately, her family. She's been May Adams, Karen Smith, Anne Johnson, and countless others--everyone but the one person she longs to be: herself. So when the feds spirit her off to begin yet another new life in another town, she's stunned when a man confronts her and calls her by her real name.

About the Author:
David Cristofano has earned degrees in Government & Politics and Computer Science from the University of Maryland at College Park and has worked for different branches of the Federal Government for over a decade. His short works have been published by Like Water Burning and McSweeneys. He currently works in the Washington, D.C. area where he lives with his wife, son and daughter. The Girl She Used To Be is his first novel.

The Reading Group Guide:

From the first sentence of the story, the narrator asks you to take part in the action. Why do you suppose David Cristofano decided to tell this story in the first person from the point of view of a woman? Who would have more at stake in witness protection, a man, a woman or child?

Early in the novel, Melody appears conflicted in having feelings for both Sean and Jonathan. What is driving her need for affection? When does she realize she has made a decision? What solidifies this decision?

At various points in the novel, the reader is given a glimpse into the previous six identities Melody has had. Which identity acts as a turning point? What event occurred that changed the trajectory of her life?

The roles of good and evil are repeatedly swapped in Melody's life. Do both sides -- the Feds and the Mafia -- possess both good and evit, or are they really polar opposites of each other? How does Melody influence your view of each side?

Though romantically inexperienced, Melody longs to be noticed by both Sean and Jonathan, trying ways to capture their eyes. In what ways has she felt invisible to men for her whole life How has she overcompensated?

Due to her constant relocation, lack of parental guidance and inability to form lasting relationships, Melody has the body of a woman but the emotional and experiential psyche of a girl. How is this dangerous? What additional problems does this pose for her, given the life she must lead? How does it influence her interaction with all of the men in her life?

Melody's initial interplay with every authority figure -- Farquar, Sean, Donovan, Sanchez -- is semi-hostile. What makes Melody react this way? How does Jonathan's influence have her responding differently by the time she meets his family?

Melody and Sean share a few conversations that expose the failings of WITSEC for both the protectors and protected. From each of their points of view, how is the system not working? How does it work as intended? How is WITSEC more or less vital to the Justice Department today?

Jonathan tries to distinguish himself from his Mafia ties in several ways. How has he successfully achieved this? In what ways is hie a typical Mafioso?

Melody is scarred by the explicit violence she witnesses at age six. Repeatedly, she attempts to rid Jonathan of his reactionary viciousness to seemingly topical problems. Though later in the story she finds security in his violent behavior. What changes her mind? Would you react the same way? Why or why not?

Throughout the entire novel, the importance of identity is explored. How is the life Melody has led different from that of a foster child? Of a prisoner? Of an individual living under communist rule? How are they the same?

How do the tangible things in Melody's story -- the food, clothes, cars, hotels -- reflect her happiness, security, and satisfaction? Are these things metaphorical or incidental? Would her story be different if things were reversed? Why or why not?

Being in WITSEC for twenty years has had a negative impact on Melody. In what ways has it made her stronger?

What is the significance of the chapter titles? How do they differ? What is the special significance of the final chapter's title?


CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter please just share why you'd like to win this book.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on April 15, 2010.

Thank you so much to Valerie and Hatchette Book Group for sponsoring this giveaway!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Book Blog Tour of Cara Elliott's To Sin With A Scoundrel + Giveaway

Welcome to the Book Blog Tour of Cara Elliott's To Sin with A Scoundrel!








To Sin With A Scoundrel Review:
To Sin With A Scoundrel is the first in the Circle of Sin series by Cara Elliott. Historical romances are a guilty pleasure of mine and I particularly like stories with misunderstood, dashing, cynical lords and "overly intelligent", brave, and slightly socially awkward heroines. I enjoyed To Sin With A Scoundrel from the very beginning and am eagerly awaiting the next book in the Circle of Sin series.

Lady Ciara Sheffield is a bluestocking who regularly meets with fellow bluestockings who call themselves the "Circle of Sin." Each member has her own special expertisse and Ciara is skilled in ancient languages, archeology, chemistry, and biology and it sounds like most sciences. Ciara is a young widow and her husband's family has aggressively been seeking the guardianship of her son in order to control his assets. They've tried bringing a murder case against her and are not above resorting to violence. Ciara and her friends decide that the best way to protect Ciara and her son is for her to rely on the protection of a wealthy and powerful man. They select one of the most interesting and notorious rakes, the Earl of Hadley, to come to Ciara's rescue. Together, Ciara and Hadley make a great team and turn To Sin With A Scoundrel into a fun, romantic read!

ISBN-10: 044654129X - Mass Market Paperback $6.99
Publisher: Forever; Original edition (March 1, 2010), 384 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

Author Bio:
Cara Elliott has a BA and an MFA in Graphic Design from Yale University and now works as the creative director of a lifestyle sporting magazine, a job which lets her combine her love of the printed word with her love of art. She feels very fortunate in that her work allows her to travel to interesting destinations around the world. Her favorite spot is London, where the funky antique markets and used book stores offer a wealth of inspiration for her stories.

Cara shares some of the interesting facts that she learned while doing research for To Sin With A Scoundrel. In Cara's own words:

Research is always a fun part of writing a Regency-set historical romance. In To Sin With a Scoundrel, my heroine is the object of nasty gossip because she dares to be smart so I had a fascinating time visiting London and exploring the lives of real-life scandalous women. Here are a few of the interesting things that I learned:

1. Over 20,000 satirical prints were published in London between 1770 and 1830, and the famous artists were even more ruthless than our modern paparazzi at showing the celebrities of the day at their worst!

2. Lord Byron’s daughter, Augusta Ada Byron King, the Countess of Lovelace, was a mathematical genius—in fact, the U.S. Defense department has named one of its computer programs “ADA” in her honor.

3. You can find amazing original miniatures of Regency beauties and buck of the ton at antique markets on Portobello Road . . . but they don’t come cheap!

4. You can tell what regiment a Guardsman belongs to by the arrangement of the buttons on his red tunic.

5. If I could choose a dream house in London, I would love to live in Apsley House, the Duke of Wellington’s private residence, and throw a tea party using all the incredible silver and china that was given to him by a grateful Europe for winning the Battle of Waterloo.

Cara Elliott and fellow author Lauren Willig are teaching a seminar on Historical Romance Literature at Yale University this year. You can learn more about it at Romance B(u)y the Book and at Cara Elliott's website at http://caraelliott.com. Cara has offered the syllabus on her website - check out her recommendations.

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter please share a recommendation for Cara's seminar on Historical Romance - name the book, author and why you'd choose this book.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on April 15, 2010.

Participating Sites:

http://thecajunbooklady.blogspot.com/ Feature, Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://sumanam.wordpress.com/ Feature, Review, Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://reesspace.blogspot.com Feature, Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://www.thehappylittlewren.com Feature, Giveaway, Q&A 3/2/2010
http://zestynachos.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://sexywomenread.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/2/2010
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/3/2010
http://fictionvixen.com Feature 3/3/2010
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/3/2010
http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/3/2010
http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com Feature, Giveaway, Guestpost 3/4/2010
www.mgpblog.com Review, Giveaway 3/4/2010
http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com Giveaway, Q&A 3/4/2010
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/4/2010
http://myfoolishwisdom.com Review, Giveaway 3/4/2010
http://www.saveyspender.com Review, Giveaway 3/4/2010
http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/ Feature, Review, Giveaway, Guest Post 3/5/2010
http://smexybooks.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/5/2010
http://mom2mycrazy2.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/6/2010
http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/7/2010
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/ Feature, Giveaway 3/8/2010
http://www.takingtimeformommy.com Review, Giveaway 3/8/2010
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/8/2010
http://frugalplus.com/ Review, Giveaway 3/9/2010
http://www.saveyspender.com Review, Giveaway 3/9/2010
http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/10/2010
http://thisbookforfree.com Review, Giveaway, Q&A 3/10/2010
http://digiscrapping.net/blog Review, Giveaway 3/10/2010
http://www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com Feature, Review, Giveaway 3/11/2010
http://www.eclecticbooklover.com Review 3/11/2010
http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com Review, Giveaway 3/11/2010
http://whole-new-you.com Feature, Review 3/11/2010
http://triciareads.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/11/2010
http://razloversbookblog.blogspot.com/ Feature, Giveaway 3/11/2010
http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/12/2010
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/12/2010
http://brokenteepee.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010
http://www.startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010
http://www.rundpinne.com Review, Q&A 3/13/2010
www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010
http://www.renees-reads.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010
www.bibliophilicbookblog.com Feature, Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010
http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 3/13/2010

Thank you so much to Anna and Hatchette Book Group for this review opportunity and sponsoring this giveaway!

Book Review of Susan Kearney's Jordan

Jordan is the third in Susan Kearney's Pendragon Series. Anna and Hatchette Book Group are sponsoring a giveaway of 5 copies of Jordan. The giveaway ends on March 31, head here to sign up.



The blurb:
Vivianne Blackstone devotes herself to her career, putting her love life on hold. Her latest project is a spaceship designed to protect Earth from the deadly Tribes. But its engineer, the alluring Jordan McArthur, now threatens both her job and her wary heart. . .

Jordan's past goes back to King Arthur, and he must find the ancient artifact that can save the galaxy. Vivianne's ship is his best hope, but convincing the fiercely independent beauty won't be easy. Especially when the passion flaring between them burns through their defenses - and love is the last thing they need to survive.

Review:
The third in Susan Kearney's Pendragon series, Jordan is my favorite so far. The story centers on the mystery of Jordan and his relationship to the Holy Grail and the Staff and how these unique items can help save Earth from the Tribes. It helps to have read the earlier books in the series, because they help explain the world that Jordan and Vivianne live in and what they're fighting.

There is plenty of action as Jordan and Vivianne travel through space and explore strange planets to find the clues and artifacts that they need to create a weapon strong enough to fight the invading Tribes. But there is an equal part of romance and rather explicit love scenes as well. Overall, Jordan is a fun escape.

ISBN-10: 0446543330 - Mass Market Paperback $6.99
Publisher: Forever; 1 edition (March 1, 2010), 416 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author, courtesy of her website:
Susan Kearney, a native of New Jersey, writes full time and has sold books to the industries' top publishing houses — Grand Central, Tor, Simon & Schuster, Harlequin, Berkley, Leisure, Red Sage and Kensington. As an award winning author, Kearney earned a Business Degree from the University of Michigan. Kearney's knowledge and experience spans throughout the romance genre, and her fifty plus books include contemporary, romantic suspense, historical, futuristic, science fiction and paranormal novels. She resides in a suburb of Tampa—with her husband, kids and Boston terrier. Currently she's plotting her way through her 54th work of fiction. Learn more at Susan Kearney's website at http://www.susankearney.com/

Thank you so much to Anna and Hatchette Book Group for this review opportunity and sponsoring the giveaway!

Book Review of R.C. Ryan's Montana Legacy

Here's J.C. Ryan's latest novel - it's the first in the series involving three McCord cousins who have roots in Montana. Anna and Hatchette Books Group are sponsoring a giveaway of 5 copies of Montana Legacy - so, head over to here to sign up.



Review:
The McCord cousins were closer than brothers when they lived on their grandfather's sprawling cattle ranch in Montana. It was a working ranch and prosperous but the family's legacy also included a long lost treasure in buried gold. This treasure which was generally regarded as the McCord curse because of the obsession that fell on the different generations - each trying to find what had long been buried and lost.

The day of Gabriel McCord's funeral was painful for everyone, but particularly hard on Jesse McCord. Of the three grandchildren, he was the one who had stayed on the ranch with his grandfather. Aside from the deep loss, he dreaded having to deal with his cousin who never bothered to keep in contact or drop in to visit them over the years. There was his cousin Zane McCord who moved to California when he was a child. Zane stayed out West and became a famous actor in his own right, but never once reached out or came back to visit. Then there was Wyatt, whose parents took him traveling. Even after the accident that killed them, Wyatt continued on his travels - working on ships, all sorts of jobs in far off places - but never headed home. As Jesse, Wyatt and Zane find themselves living on the ranch together, they slowly adjust to their shared responsibilities and rediscover their old friendships. The friendship between the cousins is one of the interesting subplots of Montana Legacy. It's clear that R.C. Ryan intends to give each of the cousins their own fleshed out stories - their banter and camaraderie certainly adds to the fun of Montana Legacy.

The novel centers on Jesse and Amy Parrish, his longtime and long lost love. It's clear from the start that they're both still attracted to each other and that they still care about one another, but it isn't until the very end of the novel that we learn what has kept Jesse and Amy apart for years. Montana Legacy has twists and turns, a mystery and danger - as well as a fun, satisfying romance.

ISBN-10: 0446548618 - Mass Market Paperback $6.99
Publisher: Forever; 1 edition (March 1, 2010), 304 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author, courtesy of the publisher:
New York Times bestselling author R.C. Ryan has written more than ninety fiction novels, both contemporary and historical. Quite an accomplishment for someone who, after her fifth child started school, gave herself the gift of an hour a day to follow her dream to become a writer.
The Lost, an anthology of stories by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, and R.C. Ryan writing as Ruth Ryan Langan was published in Fall 2009. Ms. Ryan’s story, “The Legacy,” is an exciting tale of intrigue and other-worldly adventure.

In a career spanning more than twenty years, Ms. Ryan has given dozens of radio, television, and print interviews across the country and Canada, and has been quoted in such diverse publications as the Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan. She has also appeared on CNN News, as well as Good Morning America. Learn more at R.C. Ryan's website at http://www.ryanlangan.com/about.html

Listen to an interview with R.C. Ryan at Blog Talk Radio at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/grandcentralpub/2010/03/10/interview-w-rc-ryan-author-of-montana-legacy

Friday 56: Week 36 - Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko










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 from Gennifer Choldenko's Al Capone Does My Shirts:

"Umbilical cord! And shut up about Mom's privates, Theresa!" Jimmy orders.

I look for a second at Annie. Something about the way that she's concentrating makes me think she's paying more attention to us than to her work. "How do you do, Annie?" I say in my most charming voice.

"Hello, Moose." She doesn't look up.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Book Giveaway of Jordan by Susan Kearney

Anna and Hatchette Book Group are generously sponsoring a giveaway of 5 copies of Susan Kearney's Jordan!



About the Book, courtesy of the publisher:

A DANGEROUS MISSION
Vivianne Blackstone devotes herself to her career, putting her love life on hold. Her latest project is a spaceship designed to protect Earth from the deadly Tribes. But its engineer, the alluring Jordan McArthur, now threatens both her job and her wary heart . . .

AN UNDENIABLE DESIRE
Jordan's past goes back to King Arthur, and he must find the ancient artifact that can save the galaxy. Vivianne's ship is his best hope, but convincing the fiercely independent beauty won't be easy. Especially when the passion flaring between them burns through their defenses - and love is the last thing they need to survive...

About the Author, courtesy of her website:
Susan Kearney, a native of New Jersey, writes full time and has sold books to the industries' top publishing houses — Grand Central, Tor, Simon & Schuster, Harlequin, Berkley, Leisure, Red Sage and Kensington. As an award winning author, Kearney earned a Business Degree from the University of Michigan. Kearney's knowledge and experience spans throughout the romance genre, and her fifty plus books include contemporary, romantic suspense, historical, futuristic, science fiction and paranormal novels. She resides in a suburb of Tampa—with her husband, kids and Boston terrier. Currently she's plotting her way through her 54th work of fiction. Learn more at Susan Kearney's website at http://www.susankearney.com/

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter please just share why you'd like to win this book.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on March 31, 2010.

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

Book Giveaway of Montana Legacy by R.C. Ryan

Anna and Hatchette Book Group are generously sponsoring a giveaway of 5 copies of Montana Legacy, which looks like a fun read!


About the Book, courtesy of the publisher:
They're the McCords...three rugged, sexy cowboy cousins who'll inherit the family range--if they seek the treasure hidden on it. But even more precious are the women who can tame their wild hearts...

She was the one person who shook Jesse McCord's quiet determination. She was the only one he ever let in, body and soul. Then suddenly Amy Parrish was gone and the oldest McCord cousin devoted his life to the family ranch. Now Amy is back, offering help to Jesse find the McCord gold. Yet Jesse's not about to give her a second chance, and he hopes his pride will protect him from her irresistible charms. But under the wide prairie skies a dangerous, unseen enemy is fast closing in, threatening Amy and Jesse's very lives and the promise of their ...Montana Legacy

About the Author:
New York Times bestselling author R.C. Ryan has written more than ninety fiction novels, both contemporary and historical. Quite an accomplishment for someone who, after her fifth child started school, gave herself the gift of an hour a day to follow her dream to become a writer.
The Lost, an anthology of stories by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, and R.C. Ryan writing as Ruth Ryan Langan was published in Fall 2009. Ms. Ryan’s story, “The Legacy,” is an exciting tale of intrigue and other-worldly adventure.

In a career spanning more than twenty years, Ms. Ryan has given dozens of radio, television, and print interviews across the country and Canada, and has been quoted in such diverse publications as the Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan. She has also appeared on CNN News, as well as Good Morning America. Learn more at R.C. Ryan's website at http://www.ryanlangan.com/about.html

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter please share why you'd like to win this book.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on March 31, 2010.

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

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Book Blog Tour of Waking Up in the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Waking Up in the Land of Glitter: A Crafty Chica Novel

The blurb:
With glue guns, glitter, twigs, or yarn, the ordinary can become extraordinary . . . especially at La Pachanga. Owned by Estrella "Star" Esteban's family, the restaurant has a rep for two things: good food and great art. La Pachanga brings people together-even when it looks like they couldn't be further apart.

One ill-fated evening, Star jeopardizes her family's business, her relationship with her boyfriend, and her future career. To redeem herself, she agrees to participate in a national craft competition, teaming up with her best friend, Ofelia-a secretly troubled mother whose love for crafting borders on obsession-and local celebrity Chloe Chavez-a determined television personality with more than one skeleton in her professional closet. If these unlikely allies can set aside their differences, they'll find strength they never knew they had, and learn that friendship, like crafting, is truly an art form.

Review:
Waking Up in the Land of Glitter: A Crafty Chica Novel is partly about crafting and largely about friendship, love, and finding your purpose. Its the story of Chloe Chavez, the glamorous and ruthless TV reporter that covers crafting segments, even though she can't stand crafting. It's equally about the frustrated housewife and avid crafter Ofelia. Ofelia turns to crafting to bring beauty and order in her life, but her enthusiasm overtakes her talent. The third and key character is Star or Estella who started out wanting to be an artist but somehow ended up running the marketing end of her family's business.

The story opens with Chloe interviewing Star about the recent vandalism to an important mural on Star's family's business. While Chloe and Star immediately dislike each other, they both live and work in Phoenix and keep running into each other. The CraftOlympics bring Chloe, Star, and Ofelia together, and they make a few more solid friends along the way. Together and individually, these characters find their way and give us a story of friendship, love, and being true to yourself.

Waking Up in the Land of Glitter is a heartwarming, fun read.
ISBN-10: 0446509248 - Paperback $13.99
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (March 1, 2010), 336 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author, courtesy of the publisher:
Kathy Cano-Murillo is a lifelong writer and artist. Her crafts have been carried by hundreds of retailers including Bloomingdales, Target, and Hallmark. She is a former entertainment reporter for The Arizona Republic, and has authored seven books including Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing. She is the founder of CraftyChica.com, a wildly popular web site to inspire women to brighten their lives with clever craft ideas. She has a web series on LifetimeTV.com, and can be seen on HGTV and DIY Network.

Participating Blogs:
March 8

http://naughtysecretaryclub.blogspot.com/
http://nilkibenitez.blogspot.com
http://thecajunbooklady.blogspot.com/
http://foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com
http://booksnyc.blogspot.com
http://brokenteepee.blogspot.com
http://katiesnestingspot.blogspot.com/
http://therempels4.blogspot.com

March 9
http://frugalplus.com/
http://readingatthebeach.com
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com
http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com
http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/

March 10
http://www.rundpinne.com
http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com
http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com
http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com
http://blesstheirheartsmom.blogspot.com
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.comhttp://www.booksrusonline.com

March 11
http://a-long-the-way.blogspot.com
http://aseaofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://thedmlibrary.blogspot.com
http://reviewfromhere.com
http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com
http://www.frommipov.blogspot.com
http://imbookingit.wordpress.com
http://reesspace.blogspot.com

March 12
http://www.renees-reads.blogspot.com/
http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com
http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com
http://www.thedivinemissmommy.com
http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com

Book Blog Tour of The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran & Giveaway

When I heard about Johanna Moran's The Wives of Henry Oades, I was very excited to become part of the book blog tour. I've been fascinated by New Zealand and had considered moving there when R decided to take a job there in 2005. The Wives of Henry Oades is partly a story about life in New Zealand in the 1800s and largely a story about love, loss, loyalty, and family. Spolier alert: This review reveals key points in the plot!

The Wives of Henry OadesThe blurb:
When Henry Oades accepts an accountancy post in New Zealand, his wife, Margaret, and their children follow him to exotic Wellington. But while Henry is an adventurer, Margaret is not. Their new home is rougher and more rustic than they expected—and a single night of tragedy shatters the family when the native Maori stage an uprising, kidnapping Margaret and her children.

For months, Henry scours the surrounding wilderness, until all hope is lost and his wife and children are presumed dead. Grief-stricken, he books passage to California. There he marries Nancy Foreland, a young widow with a new baby, and it seems they’ve both found happiness in the midst of their mourning—until Henry’s first wife and children show up, alive and having finally escaped captivity.

Narrated primarily by the two wives, and based on a real-life legal case, The Wives of Henry Oades is the riveting story of what happens when Henry, Margaret, and Nancy face persecution for bigamy. Exploring the intricacies of marriage, the construction of family, the changing world of the late 1800s, and the strength of two remarkable women, Johanna Moran turns this unusual family’s story into an unforgettable page-turning drama.

Review:
When I first began The Wives of Henry Oades, I was quick to sympathize with Margaret Oades. Her husband accepted a three year post in New Zealand for three years and she soon found herself leaving her family and life in England. Pregnant, unwell, and on a long sea voyage with her children, and the one friend that she makes dies on the long journey. Like many European wives, Margaret Oades has a difficulty adjusting to live in isolated Wellington, but she tries to make the best of her situation. Even when her husband signs up for another term, Margaret focuses on her family.

When an incident at Henry's workplace results in an unexpected Maori attack, it's Margaret and her children that suffer the most. Margaret and the children survive despite terrible odds. When the family is finally reunited, Margaret is shocked to discover that Henry has remarried a much younger lady. The families join together, shocking their Berkeley neighbors who file repeated charges of bigamy against Henry and the two Mrs. Oades.

While Mrs. Nancy Oades is much younger than Margaret, she proves understanding of Margaret's predicament. The friendship and respect that develops between Margaret and Nancy is one of the best parts of the story.

The Wives of Henry Oades doesn't read like non-fiction or a debut novel, Johanna Moran has written a gripping account of life for women in the 1800s.

ISBN-10: 034551095X - Paperback
Publisher:
Ballantine Books; Original edition (February 9, 2010), 384 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher and TLC Book Tours.
About the Author, courtesy of the publisher:
Johanna Moran comes from a long line of writers and lawyers. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her husband, John. The Wives of Henry Oades is her first novel.
Learn more on Johanna Moran's website at http://johannamoran.com/MeetJohanna.html


CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter please share why you'd like to win this book.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on March 31, 2010.

Thank you so much to Johanna Moran, Random House and TLC Book Tours for this review opportunity and for sponsoring the giveaway!

Book Review of Denise Mina's Still Midnight


The blurb:
Alex Morrow is a cop by Glasgow, Scotland. She isn't new to the police force -- or to crime --- but there is nothing familiar about the call she has just received.

On a still night in a quiet suburb of the city, armed men have slipped from a van into a house, demanding a man who is not, and has never been, inside the front door. In the confusion that ensures, one family member is shot and another kidnapped, the assailants demanding an impossible ransom. Later, the same van is discovered abandoned and burnt out in the woods beside the highway. Is this all an amateur crime gone horribly wrong, or something much more unexpected?

On the case, Alex navigates an urban underworld steeped in every gradation of crime -- drugs, robbery, murder, and religious bigotry -- crossing paths with a brotehr who may or may not be at hte center of it all. All the while, she's negotiating the politics of a police force, a sordid local history, and a marriage every bit as as complicated as the burglary she's trying to solve.

Review:
I'd heard Tartan Noir thrown about and found this definition from the Double Tongued Word Wrester Dictionary: "Scottish detective fiction, or Tartan Noir as it’s called, with its brooding sensibility, brutal humor and fixation on the nature of guilt and punishment, has more in common with the Russian novel than it does with traditional detective writing." Set in Glasgow, Still Midnight falls within this umbrella of Tartan Noir with the flawed detective hero, Alex Morrow.

Alex Morrow, is prickly, slightly socially awkward, and a brilliant woman detective. As she unsuccessfully navigates politics in the police department, you can't help but wince. While things don't come easy for Alex Morrow, she's in her element piecing together disparate facts, interviewing hostile witnesses, and reconstructing what may have happened.

In Still Midnight, it's not just Alex Morrow and the other detectives that draw you in. Denise Mina's other characters - the criminals and the victims - are complex, interesting, and three dimensional. Still Midnight is my first time to read a Denise Mina novel and I highly recommend it. I was drawn in by the characters, enjoyed the twists and turns, and am looking forward to my next Denise Mina novel.

ISBN-10: 0316015636 - Hardcover $24.99
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books (March 22, 2010), 352 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author, courtesy of the publisher:
Denise Mina is the author of Slip of the Knife, The Dead Hour, Field of Blood, and the Garnethill trilogy, Garnethill, Exile, and Resolution. She won the John Creasey Memorial Award for best crime novel. She lives in Glasgow.

Thank you so much to Miriam and Hatchette Book Group for this review opportunity!
CymLowell

Monday, March 8, 2010

Read an E-Book Week: March 7 to 13

I stumbled across a post on Barnes & Noble's website that mentioned Read an E-book week. This link will direct you to publishers and bookstores that are offering free and/or deeply discounted downloads for e-books.

http://www.ebookweek.com/ebook_store.html

Some of the sites offer a free e-book each day. I'm off to check out the sites now!

Winner of The Last Surgeon by Michael Palmer

The Last Surgeon








Congratulations to Jason @ All World Auto! I've emailed him and he has until 6 pm on Wednesday to send me his mailing address. Thank you for participating and to Michael Palmer for generously sponsoring this giveaway!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Book Review of Karen Rose's Silent Scream

After having read I Can See You, Kill For Me, and Scream For Me, I was very excited to review Karen Rose's next thriller with Detective Olivia Sutherland, Silent Scream.

Silent Scream (book #11)

The blurb:
When a teenage girl dies in a suspicious fire, Detective Olivia Sutherland is assigned to track down the arsonist. Then she discovers something more sinister: a vicious blackmailer who preys on young people and murders without hesitation. Making her work even harder is sexy firefighter David Hunter. He's not only sharing the case but sparking memories of their long-ago night of passion, when feelings were left unspoken and hearts were broken.

David has his own ghosts, and a million regrets. But while he and Olivia try to face the wall of pain between them, a diabolical puppet master is pulling strings to make a group of twentysomethings do his bidding. Soon Olivia and David are scouring the city for a calculating criminal who seems tantalizingly close--and is moving in for the kill.

Review:
If you enjoy detective thrillers with strong woman lead characters, I highly recommend Karen Rose's novels in general, and her latest novel, Silent Scream, in particular.

Silent Scream opens with young misguided students participating in an ecoterrorist attack against condo developers. But when there is an unexpected hitch, the college students find themselves trapped, forced into progressively worse situations.

While Silent Scream has violent moments, its strength is in Karen Rose's weaving of psychological suspense and the carefully crafted twists and turns. She slowly releases details, as you gradually piece together clues, you discover who the killer might be - but the whole picture is never fully revealed. If you're looking for a fun, fast-paced, thriller - Silent Scream will not disappoint!

ISBN-10: 0446538361 - Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (June 1, 2010), 608 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author, courtesy of Amazon:
Karen Rose is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romantic suspense. Her novel I'm Watching You was the recipient of the Romance Writer's of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005. Two of Karen's other titles have been RITA finalists. Her novels have been translated into eight languages.

Her eighth novel and hardcover debut, Scream for Me was released in May 2008.

A former chemical engineer and high school teacher, Karen lives in Florida with her family and their cat, Bella, and dog, Loki. For more information on Karen or her books, please visit www.karenrosebooks.com

Thank you so much to Miriam and Hatchette Book Group for this review opportunity!

Book Review of Cornelia Read's Invisible Boy

Invisible Boy
The blurb:
The smart-mouthed but sensitive runaway socialite Madeline Dare is shocked when she discovers the skeleton of a brutalized three-year-old boy in her own family's weed-ridden cemetery outside Manhattan.

Determined to see that justice is served, Madeline finds herself examining her own troubled personal history, and the sometimes hidden, sometimes all-too-public, class and racial warfare penetrating every level of society in the savage streets of New York City during the early 1990s. She is aided in her efforts by a colorful assemblage of friends, relatives, and new acquaintances, each one representing a separate strand of the patchwork mosaic city politicians like to brag about. The result is an unforgettable narrative that relates the causes and consequences of a vicious crime to the wider relationships that connect and divide us all.

Review:
Invisible Boy is the third of Cornelia Read's stories involving the quirky, struggling socialite Madeline Dare. Unlike The Crazy School which is part amateur mystery, Invisible Boy is largely focused on Madeline Dare, her family and her life which I found to be a more interesting read.

From the earlier novels, we know that Madeline Dare's family ranks high in the Social Register and that her Mayflower legacy largely trumps her current poor financial situation. Though Madeline shares a cramped and no-frills (read: slightly rundown) apartment off of Union Square with her husband, her sister Pagan and her friend Sue, her connections and legacy still open doors. While she faces slights and snubs, Madeline handles things with her brand of grace and humor. I found Cornelia Reed's description of old prep school friendships especially effective and added to my appreciation and understanding of Madeline. Madeline's sense of justice also comes across well in Invisible Boy; she is willing to face all sorts of risks to bring Teddy Underhill's killers to justice.

Overall, I liked enjoyed Invisible Boy. This third story reveals more of Madeline Dare's history and personality, which works to her advantage.

ISBN-10: 044651134X - Hardcover $24.99
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (March 30, 2010), 432 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author, courtesy of her website:
Cornelia Read knows old-school WASP culture firsthand, having been born into the tenth (and last) generation of her mother's family to live on Oyster Bay's Centre Island. She was subsequently raised near Big Sur by divorced hippie-renegade parents. Her childhood mentors included Sufis, surfers, single moms, Black Panthers, Ansel Adams, draft dodgers, striking farmworkers, and Henry Miller's toughest ping-pong rival.

At fifteen, Read returned east, attending boarding school and college on full scholarship. While in New York, she did time as a debutante at the Junior Assemblies, worming her way back into the Social Register following her expulsion when a regrettable tantrum on the part of her mother's boyfriend's wife landed them all on "Page Six" of the New York Post.

Today, her Bostonian Great-Grandmother Fabyan's Society of Mayflower Descendants membership parchment is proudly displayed at the back of Read's tiny linen closet in Berkeley, California. She has twin daughters, the younger of whom has severe autism.
Learn more on Cornelia Read's website at http://www.corneliaread.com/index.html

Thank you so much to Miriam and Hatchette Book Group for this review opportunity!
CymLowell