The Woman With A Purple Heart by Diane Hanks - Release week!

If you enjoy historical fiction, especially WWII, you're going to want to pick up a copy of Diane Hanks' just released debut novel - The Woman With A Purple Heart. 

And if you're wondering - the answer is yes' The book is "Based on the breathtaking true story of Lieutenant Annie Fox, the first woman to be awarded the Purple Heart for combat as a result of her heroism at Pearl Harbor"

Here's more from Source Landmarks: 

"In November 1941, Annie Fox, an Army nurse, is transferred to Hickam Field, an air force base in Honolulu. The others on her transport plane are thrilled to work in paradise, but Annie sees her new duty station as the Army's way of holding the door open to her retirement. But serving her country is her calling and she will go wherever she is told.

On December 7, Annie's on her way to work when the first Japanese Zero fighter plane flies low over Hickam's Parade Ground. The death and destruction that follow leave her no time to process what's happening. She rallies her nurses, and they work to save as many lives as they can. But soon their small hospital is overwhelmed. Annie drives into Honolulu to gather supplies, nurses, and several women who will donate blood. However, the nurses are Japanese Americans, and the blood donors are prostitutes. 

Under Annie's leadership and working together in unexpected ways, they make it through that horrific day, when one of the Japanese American nurses and Annie's friend, Kay, is arrested as a suspected subversive. As Hickam tries to recover, Annie works to find her friend and return Kay to her family. But Annie's love for her country is put to the test. How can she reconcile the American bravery and resilience she saw on December 7 with the prejudice and injustice she witnesses just a few months later?" Sounds like a great read! See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Woman With A Purple Heart.

"Diane Hanks was inspired to write The Woman With A Purple Heart because she first saw the name Annie Fox when she was a medical writer working on a project about VA’s Annie App, which is used to send text messages to veterans about self-care. Hanks discovered the app was named after Lt. Annie Fox, and she considered it a shame that the first female recipient of the Purple Heart was not widely known. Thus, The Woman With A Purple Heart was born."

"Diane Hicks has a BFA and MA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston, MA. She was first published in an anthology of short stories titled How the Weather Was when she was in graduate school; then she took a detour in

screenwriting. The detour lasted a few decades and resulted in several honors that

included winning the PAGE International Screenwriting Award Grand Prize with a drama pilot, in addition to one of her screenplays being featured on the prestigious Black List and making the inaugural GLAAD List. The Woman With A Purple Heart is based on Diane’s screenplay titled Hickam." You can find Diane on Facebook.

The Stranded - Sarah Daniels

I love YA fiction for my 'slouch on the couch' escapist reading. My latest is Sarah Daniels' excellent debut YA novel - The Stranded.

Dystopian and post apocalyptic fiction are some of my favorite genres. Daniels has imagined a world set in 2094. Thousands of people were caught out on the European ship Arcadia and were denied permission to land on the shores of the Federated States when another pandemic hit. So they've been on the cruise ship for over forty years. New generations have no idea what it feels like to be on land. But they have a plan to try and find out....

Daniels' descriptions are detailed and bring the ship to life. The claustrophobic rooms holding more people than they were ever meant to, the rusty and decrepit machinery, gangs in the below decks, broken everything, shortages and more. At the same time, there are 'futuristic' items being used in a number of ways - health and weaponry. 

And who's in charge? Not the captain, but a cruel, brutal officer of the Federated States. You're going to love to hate him for sure. And who are you going to be on board with? (Unintended pun, but I like it) The resistance and the teens who have a plan - Esther, her boyfriend Alex, her sister May and friend Nik. Your loyalty to one or more of the teens will change as the plot moves forward. I have to say that May was my favorite. There's some romance, but it's not overdone. There's a large group of supporting character, all with a role to play. Action and danger drive the book forward and kept me rapidly turning pages. 

If you've liked the movie/series of Snowpiercer and the Hunger Games books, you'll enjoy The Stranded. I did! This book is listed as Stranded #1 - I will be watching for #2. I'm eager to see what's next - there's more story to be told. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Stranded. 

The Last Party - Clare Mackintosh

Bestselling author Clare Mackintosh's newest book, The Last Party, has just released. 

Rhys Lloyd, a partner in a contentious luxury home development close to a small village in Wales, is found dead on On New Year's Eve, in his condo in that development. 

The village is on the dividing line between England and Wales and jurisdiction is murky. Two investigators are tasked with the case - local copper DC Ffion Morgan and English based DC Leo Brady.

The Last Party has a 'locked' room feel to it. The village is small, with everyone in each other's pocket. There is only a small group of condo dwellers as well. We come to know all of the possible suspects through gossip, flashbacks and an ever changing point of view. Honestly, each and every one of them has a reason to not like Rhys...but to kill him? My answer for the whodunit changed with every revelation. There are some really good twists throughout the book as well. I like being kept guessing in a book, especially in a murder mystery. The timeline does flip from present to past and back, so watch the chapter titles.

The setting is well described and I could easily imagine the water, the forest, the village and The Shores.

The two leads are very different from each other in their methodology, creating more than a little friction. At the same time, both are struggling within their personal lives. I enjoy knowing more about the protagonists as it gives the characters more depth. It looks like we might be seeing more of DC Morgan. The Last Party is listed as DC Morgan number one. But I really hope Ffion is also part of future books. 

Another great tale from Mackintosh. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Last Party. (Gentle readers - there are some trigger situations.)

And There He Kept Her - Joshua Moehling

And There He Kept Her is Joshua Moehling's debut novel.

Moehling kicks off his tale with a 'grab you by the throat' opening prologue. Two small town Minnesota teens break into the house of a old man. We're not quite sure what they're after, but things definitely don't go as planned....

We then meet new on the job, Acting Sherriff, Ben Packard. He's got ties to the town and his own secrets that he keeps close to his chest. I quite liked Ben as a lead character. He's smart and more than capable. Moehling has given him an interesting personal life as well. The supporting cast gives us a very competent woman deputy and another deputy not so on the ball. The residents of Sandy Cove are eclectic. And truthfully, it's not a town I would want to live in. 

Moehling has penned a dark, gritty tale. From the publisher: "They thought he was a helpless old man. They were wrong." There's lots of ways for the book to unfold from that initial premise. As readers, we know what's happened in the basement, even as Ben tries to piece things together. Having the advantage of the two narratives definitely ramps up the tension. (Gentle readers - this one may not be the book for you.) 

There's a satisfying ending to And There He Kept Her. But, there's also a door left open for an unanswered question from the past. So, it sounds like there will be another book with Ben Packard - one I would happily pick up. See for yourself - read an excerpt of And There He Kept Her. 

Free - Lauren Kessler

Free is the new book from award winning author Lauren Kessler. 

The cover provides a good guess as to what's inside - which is a fascinating, eye-opening look at what happens after an incarcerated person is released from prison. The statistics alone tell a story. 

"With just five percent of the world's population, the United States accounts for close to 25 percent of the world's prison population." "...on any given day one-third of adult Americans are either incarcerated, on probation, or on parole."

And building on that - "Nearly half of all who are released are rearrested within the first year, and two-thirds are rearrested within the first three years." So what happens when an incarnated person is released? How are they prepared? What help is available pre and post release? After reading Free, I can see where there are cracks in the system and a set of stumbling blocks just waiting. What can we as a society or as an individual do? 

Kessler has opted to combine the investigative bit with a window into the personal lives of six released prisoners and their 're-entry' journey over the course of a few years. How do you measure success? Being released is not equal to free. I found the stories of the six people to be compelling, especially that of  Sterling Cunio. Those personal stories illustrated the hurdles or re-entry well.  

Kessler's writing is forthright, knowledgeable and compassionate. Free is a thought provoking book that will have you thinking... See for yourself - read an excerpt of Free.

Giveaway - Speed of Life - Carol Weston

Carol Weston's new middle grade novel, Speed of Life, has just released.(Movie rights have already been sold!) And I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader!

What's it about? From the publisher, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky:

"Sofia lost her mother eight months ago, and her friends were 100% there for her. Now it's a new year and they're ready for Sofia to move on.

Problem is, Sofia can't bounce back, can't recharge like a cellphone. She decides to write Dear Kate, an advice columnist for Fifteen Magazine, and is surprised to receive a fast reply. Soon the two are exchanging emails, and Sofia opens up and spills all, including a few worries that are totally embarrassing. Turns out even advice columnists don't have all the answers, and one day Sofia learns a secret that flips her world upside down.

Speed of Life is the heartbreaking, heartwarming story of a girl who thinks her life is over when really it's just beginning. It's a novel about love, family, grief, and growing up." Read an excerpt of Speed of Life.

"Carol Weston has been the Dear Carol advice columnist at Girls’ Life since 1994. Her sixteen books include Ava and Pip (which the New York Times called “a love letter to language”), Ava and Taco Cat, Ava XOX, The Diary of Melanie Martin, and Girltalk, which came out in a dozen languages. Weston has been a guest on The Today Show, The View, and Oprah, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, Parenting, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, and Seventeen. She has had over 45 letters to the editor in The New York Times. Carol studied literature at Yale, graduating summa cum laude, and has an MA in Spanish from Middlebury. She lives in Manhattan." You can connect with Carol on her website, like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

And if you'd like to read Speed of Life, enter to win a copy using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends April 22/17.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Dogs - Allan Stratton

Our selection librarian at work highlighted Allan Stratton's latest YA novel The Dogs, as one to watch for in the coming months. I just finished it - and I agree - it was good! (Sourcebooks Fire is giving away two copies - the entry link is at the end of the post)

Cameron and his mom are always moving - on the run from Cameron's Dad. Their latest home is an old farmhouse, one that has a dark history. And that history seems to be reaching into the present....can Cameron trust what he thinks he's seeing? Can he trust what his Mom has told him about his Dad? And what's that he seeing out by the barn......

Stratton has created a great teen protagonist in Cameron - he's believable in his thoughts and actions.  Stratton expertly builds the tension slowly as Cameron questions what he's seeing and what is really happening. The reader has just as many questions - because it could all be in Cameron's mind. Is he mentally ill? Is his mother lying? Or could it possibly be real?

All the right elements are in place for a suspenseful read - old house with a sealed attic, moldering boxes in the basement that hint at the previous occupants, a taciturn old farmer next door, rumours and urban legends all add up to a spooky read.

Those who read YA fiction will enjoy The Dogs. It is at the younger end of the spectrum as Cameron is only fourteen.  (But this adult reader was completely caught up from first to last page.) Stratton tackles a number of serious issues throughout the book as well - mental illness, domestic abuse and bullying in an thoughtful and age appropriate manner.  Read an excerpt below or online.

"I go up to my bedroom. It’s at the top of the living-­room stairs, next to a small bathroom and near the big room over the kitchen. That’s the room Mom thought I’d pick, and I would have, except for the trapdoor in the ceiling. It’s sealed up with nails and paint. When I saw it, I asked Mom what she thought was up there.
“An attic.”
“Yeah, but what’s in it?” I pictured a dried-­up body, half eaten by mice. I mean, who seals up an empty attic? Anyway, that’s why I didn’t choose the big room. If I don’t see the hatch, it’s easier not to think about what’s on the other side.
The bedroom I picked came with an oak desk, a wooden chair, a night table with a lamp, and a metal-­frame bed. The mattress is new, unlike the wallpaper, which is stained and peeling along the seams near the window. Under the peels are layers of older wallpaper, one with little orange canaries on it. The window over my desk is the one good thing about my room. Looking out, I can see the barn with the fields all around and the woods in the distance. At night, the stars and the glow of the porch-­lamp light up bits of the barn and the first row of cornstalks.
I start to do my homework. Pretty soon, though, I’m looking out the window, watching the stars come out and trying to forget my life. I wonder who all are staring up at the moon right now. Are they wondering the same thing?
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch something moving by the barn. When I look, it disappears. Wait. There it is again at the cornfield. Some movement, some thing.
I count to twenty. Nothing. I relax. Then—­did that stalk move? I turn off my light so whatever’s out there can’t see in.
It’s probably just a breeze.
Or Mr. Sinclair. Or Cody and his gang.
Don’t be nuts. If it’s anything, it’s an animal. A coyote or a dog.
The dogs. I close my curtains. If I don’t look out, whatever’s there will go away. But I can’t not look. I sneak a peek. Nothing. Wait. By the barn. Is that a boy?
I blink. The boy is gone.
My eyes scan the barn. There’s a missing board up in the loft area. The more I stare, the more I think I see the boy staring back at me from the shadows behind the hole. He’s maybe ten, very pale, and he’s wearing one of those old Davy Crockett hats with the raccoon tail hanging from the back. Are those freckles on his cheeks?
Don’t be crazy. The barn’s too far away to see stuff like that.
The face disappears. I stare till I see double. The face swims back into view.
This is too weird. I close my eyes and try to clear my head by thinking about the bus and the Cheerios between Benjie’s teeth. When I open my eyes, everything’s normal. There’s no face. Nothing. Just the night.
And that’s how it stays.
I close my curtains, get ready for bed, and crawl under the covers. I hate the way I scare myself. It’s always the same and it’s always stupid. And the scared-­er I get, the more I talk to myself, which is even stupider.
Besides, even if there was a boy in the barn, what’s scary about that? Maybe he just likes exploring places like I do. Still, it’s weird he’s on our property, especially so late. I wonder where he lives. Who says he lives anywhere? Who says he’s real? What parents let a kid that young wander around at night?
Mom knocks on my door. “Cameron?”
“Yeah?”
“May I come in?”
“Sure.”
I know she wants to give me a good-­night hug, but I told her to stop it when I was twelve, so she just stands in the doorway. “I know you didn’t mean anything. You’ve had a hard day. I’m sorry I overreacted.”
I hate it when she’s all understanding. It makes me feel like an even bigger jerk. “That’s okay. Mom, I really am sorry.”
“I know.” She pauses. “’Night, then. I love you.”
I want to say the l-­word back, but I feel dumb, so I just say,
“You too.”
Mom closes the door. I go to turn off my lamp and get flashes of Mr. Sinclair and the dogs and the kid I maybe saw in the barn. What’s out there in the dark, circling the house when we’re asleep? What could be out there?
I leave the light on."

Allan Stratton is an internationally published playwright and author. His awards include a Michael L. Printz Honor Award, multiple ALA picks and the Independent Publisher Book Award. You can connect with Allan Stratton on his website.

Sourcebooks Fire is giving away two copies of The Dogs by Allan Stratton. Enter using their Rafflecopter form below.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners!

And the randomly chosen winner of a copy of Watched by C.J. Lyons, courtesy of Sourcebooks is:

Benish!

And the randomly chosen winner of a copy of Loop by Karen Akins, courtesy of St. Martin's Press is:

rubynreba!

Congratulations! I've contacted you both by email for your mailing address. Please respond within 48 hours. After that time, a new winner will be chosen. Keep your eye on the sidebar for other great giveaways!

Giveaway - Watched - C.J. Lyons

I've got a chilling giveaway today.....Watched, the latest from C. J. Lyons.

What's so chilling? From the publisher, Sourcebooks:

"Based on actual crimes, WATCHED is a chilling thriller/mystery that is ripped from the headlines. Any teen’s cellphone or computer can provide access to hackers who remotely control webcams. These web cappers thrive on grabbing incriminating screen capture photos and videos and using them to blackmail unsuspecting victims. In WATCHED Jesse is leading the life of a normal sixteen-year-old until he finds himself the victim of a capper known as King. So far, he’s given in to King’s demands in order to protect his family. But now King wants something from Jesse that’s too horrible to contemplate—and if he doesn’t get it, he’ll kill Jesse’s little sister. Terrified and helpless, the answers to Jesse's prayers arrives in the form of a plain manila envelope. Inside there's a phone number and a note: I can help." Read an excerpt of Watched.

"CJ Lyons has lived most of her life on the edge. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-one novels, former pediatric ER doctor CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart.

She has assisted police and prosecutors with cases involving child abuse, rape, homicide and Munchausen by Proxy. She has worked in numerous trauma centers, on the Navajo reservation, as a crisis counselor, victim advocate, as well as a flight physician for Life Flight and Stat Medevac.

Her novels have won the International Thriller Writers prestigious Thriller Award, the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Golden Gateway, Readers’ Choice Award, the RT Seal of Excellence, and Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense." You can keep up with C.J. Lyons on Facebook.

If Watched sounds like a book you'd like to read, simply leave a comment to be entered into a random draw for one copy. Open to US and Canada, no PO boxes please. Ends Nov. 8/14.

Before I Wake - C.L. Taylor

Before I Wake is C. L. Taylor's debut novel. And I have to tell you - it's really good.

Present day. Susan sits by a hospital bed, hoping her comatose daughter will wake up. It was a dreadful accident, Charlotte stepping out in front of the bus like that. Or so Susan thought until she found Charlotte's diary - and the cryptic line - "This secret is killing me."

Taylor then cuts the narrative to the past and we are privy to Susan's diary, before she married and had Charlotte. The journal is troubling and worrisome, giving the reader a good idea of where Susan's life might be headed. We want to shake Susan out of her fantasy world but we can only keep reading as things deteriorate.

And just at a pivotal moment, Taylor switches back to the present. Susan needs to know the secret her daughter was keeping. Maybe, just maybe, by discovering the truth, she can help Charlotte wake up. But her attempts to ferret out the truth have her lying to her husband, badgering Charlotte's friends and more. She begins to dig up small tidbits of information, but no one believes her. In fact, they all think she's having an 'episode'. After all, it wouldn't be the first time would it?

Present day Susan is an unreliable narrator We just never really know if she is telling the truth or telling the truth as she imagines it to be. But her earlier diary is quite the opposite. And is in fact, quite frightening in the scenario that Taylor portrays.

Taylor's characters are all quite well drawn and definitely evoke reactions from the reader. Although the main plot idea has been done before, Taylor adds enough spin to make it her own. I quite enjoyed the past and present timeline and the cliffhanging chapter endings. The suspense starts in the first few pages and doesn't let up until the very end. (Although, it did keep me reading long past the time I should have shut off the light.)

Before I Wake was an excellent psychological suspense read. Taylor herself has a degree in psychology and that knowledge is used very effectively at building her story, in both timelines.

A recommended read and I'll be watching for Taylor's second book.

Read the first chapter of Before I Wake. You can find C. L. Taylor on Facebook and on Twitter.

Don't Want to Miss a Thing - Jill Mansell

Things are getting busy with life lately (and I've been spending a lot of time with murder mysteries!) so I decided I needed a nice light, fun, feel-good, read. And I knew just the author to pick up! Jill Mansell always delivers a wonderfully warm chick lit read.

Don't Want to Miss a Thing is her latest North American release.

I was surprised in the first pages - this time 'round we have a male lead character. Dexter is a 'player' - he's got the looks, the money and no lack of female company in London. When his older sister Laura gives birth to her daughter Delphi, Dex falls in love for the first time in his life. Then the unthinkable happens - Laura dies. With no partner she names Dex as Delphi's guardian. Dexter is hesitant - he just doesn't believe he can raise this little girl...but he loves Delphi dearly.

He decides to permanently move to his weekend home in a small village in the Cotswolds. His new neighbours welcome him to the community and next door neighbour Molly offers to help out with Delphi. And could there be a little spark between Molly and Dex? The village is full of wonderfully warm, real, eclectic characters, each with their own story - and their own romantic entanglements.

Mansell's characters range from teenagers to older adults and those in between. Each  one is wonderfully drawn. Every reader will find a character that they can identify with and root for. It's impossible not to be drawn into their world and their lives. You begin to imagine yourself sitting on the stool in the local café, catching up on the local gossip.

Mansell is a master of the rom com story. Although we have lots of will they, won't they, near misses and close encounters, we know that in the end, things will turn out just as we want them to. (But Mansell still injects a dose of reality with some of the situations.) Really, who doesn't love a happy ending. And with Jill Mansell, the trip to that happy ending is oh, so enjoyable!

Don't Want to Miss a Thing was a wonderful, warm read - a perfect get away from it all tale filled with love and laughter.  Absolutely recommended. Read an excerpt of Don't Want to Miss a Thing.
You can keep up with Jill Mansell on Facebook and on Twitter.

Giveaway - Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe

The Meet Me at the Cupcake Café Sugary Sweet Spotlight 

"It is no wonder that the flirty and frothy food-themed novel, Meet Me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan is an international success: with relatable characters and scrumptious recipes at the start of each chapter, Meet Me at the Cupcake Café is pure delight to women’s fiction readers everywhere. This summer, Colgan is bringing her hilarious and heartfelt stories—with a dash of deliciousness—to the United States! To celebrate, Sourcebooks is giving away copies of this book ALL MONTH LONG!

 

Each day this month, look for opportunities to win a print copy of Meet Me at the Cupcake Café with bloggers all over the book blogging community. Additionally, there will be a few guest blogs and interviews with Jenny sprinkled throughout—a great way to get to know a new author! "

Meet Me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan - July 2013

Baking is in Issy Randall’s blood. Growing up above her grandfather’s bakery taught Issy that a delicious pastry could make any day better. So when she’s laid off from her desk job—by the man she thought was her boyfriend, no less—Issy knows now is the time to start her own little café.

Armed with her grandfather’s tried and true recipes, as well as her own new dishes, Issy’s new dream job should be a piece-of-cake, right? But managing a café, delivering products on time and trying to have a new love life aren’t exactly going as Issy planned. And when her ex comes back into the picture, perhaps with his own motives, Issy’s search for the perfect pastry and a groundbreaking idea to save her café are much more than she bargained for…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jenny Colgan was a fussy eater as a child and didn’t even begin to learn to cook until she was 21, when her then boyfriend tried to teach her a few basics purely out of exasperation. While she is now able to make a variety of good, wholesome food for her family, she still can’t make scones. A former columnist for The Guardian, Jenny contributes regularly to national BBC radio and is the bestselling author of more than eleven novels, including The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris (coming out in the US in early 2014). She is married with three children and lives in London and France. For more information, please visit http://www.jennycolgan.com/ and follow her on Twitter, @JennyColgan.

 

Follow along all month long for a chance to win a copy of this highly-anticipated and deliciously delightful new novel! To be entered, simply leave a comment with the name of your favourite sweet treat! Open to US and Canada. A randomly chosen winner will be selected July 28/13.

7/1 Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

7/2 Celtic Lady’s Reviews

7/3 Books-N-Kisses

7/3 Chick Lit Central INTERVIEW

7/4 A Bookworm's World

7/5 Delighted Reader

 

Weekend

7/15 The Bookish Babe

7/16 The Reading Café

7/17 Book Hounds

7/17 Cocktails and Books INTERVIEW

7/18 Peeking Between the Pages

7/18 Fresh Fiction GUEST BLOG

7/19 Jenny Loves to Read

7/19 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Weekend

7/22 Anna's Book Blog

7/23 Ramblings from This Chick

7/24 Books and Quilts

7/24 A Bookish Affair

7/25 Broken TeePee

7/26 Thoughts in Progress

Weekend

7/29 Books and Needlepoint

7/30 The Reading Reviewer

7/31 Reading Between the Wines

BONUS GIVEAWAYS IN AUGUST!!!

8/1 Book of Secrets

8/2 Luxury Reading

Weekend

8/5 Radiant Light

8/6 Ruby’s Reads

8/7 Caffeinated Book Review

8/8 The Romance Dish

8/9 My Book Addiction and More

Winner - The List Lover's Guide to Jane Austen

And the lucky winner of a copy of The List Lover's Guide to Jane Austen by Joan Strasbaugh, courtesy of Sourcebooks is:

 

Freda Mans!

 

Congratulations!

 

I've contacted you by email for your mailing address.

Please respond within 72 hours.

 

Thanks to all who entered - check the sidebar for ongoing giveaways.

Giveaway - A Royal Pain - Megan Mulry

It’s time to play A Royal Pain Baby Name Game! To celebrate Megan Mulry's upcoming July release, If the Shoe Fits, Sourcebooks would like to know what you think the name of Will and Kate’s new addition will be! One reader will win a cop of Megan’s first book A Royal Pain. Simply leave a comment below with your boy name or girl name prediction to be entered. Open to US and Canada. Ends July 6th.

If The Shoe Fits:

"The only thing worse than being in the spotlight is being kept in the dark. With paparazzi nipping at his heels, Devon Heyworth, rakish brother of the Duke of Northrop, spends his whole life hiding his intelligence and flaunting his playboy persona. Fast cars and faster women give the tabloids plenty to talk about. American entrepreneur Sarah James is singularly unimpressed with "The Earl" when she meets him at a wedding. But she's made quite an impression on him. When he pursues her all the way across the pond, he discovers that Miss James has no intention of being won over by glitz and glamor—she's got real issues to deal with, and the last thing she needs is larger-than-life royalty mucking about her business..."

A Royal Pain:

"A life of royalty seems so attractive...until you're invited to live it... Smart, ambitious, and career driven, Bronte Talbot started following British royalty in the gossip mags only to annoy her intellectual father. But her fascination has turned into a not-so-secret guilty pleasure. When she starts dating a charming British doctoral student, she teases him unmercifully about the latest scandals of his royal countrymen, only to find out—to her horror!!—that she's been having a fling with the nineteenth Duke of Northrop, and now he wants to make her...a duchess? In spite of her frivolous passion for all things royal, Bronte isn't at all sure she wants the reality. Is becoming royalty every American woman's secret dream, or is it a nightmare of disapproving dowagers, paparazzi, stiff-upper-lip tea parties, and over-the-top hats?"

Giveaway - The List Lover's Guide to Jane Austen - Joan Strasbaugh

Calling all Jane Austen fans! Thanks to the generous folks at Sourcebooks, I have a brand new 'Jane' book to giveaway! But this one's a little different....

The List Lover's Guide to Jane Austen by Joan Strasbaugh.

 

From the publisher:

"Her life, her work, her legacy—step into the world of the incredible Jane Austen. It's Jane like you've never seen! Through fun and breezy lists, discover everything there is to know about Jane Austen, the sassy literary genius we know and love. Learn her likes and dislikes, her haves and have-nots, where she traveled, how she lived, and who she knew. The List Lover’s Guide is incredibly detailed and offers readers an in-depth look at the context of Ms. Austen’s life from birth to her final days, and expands upon why she is still so relevant today in both literature and life. Anyone who loves or appreciates Jane’s smart, timeless literature will devour this text and will refer to it again and again."

With a wealth of little-known and fascinating information, find out:

•Her friends and her beaux
•Every place she lived or visited
•Books in her library
•Her quirks
•The last lines of everything she wrote
•and much more!

Here's a short one for you..... What was Jane's pet peeve?

Pet Peeve: Untidiness

"Mary does not manage matters in such a way as to make me want to lay in myself. She is not tidy enough in her appearance; she has no dressing-gown to sit up in; her curtains are all too thin, and things are not in that comfort and style about her which are necessary to make such a situation an enviable one. Elizabeth was really a pretty object with her nice clean cap put on so tidily and her dress so uniformly white and orderly." - Jane Austen to Cassandra, November 1798.

Sound like a book you'd like to have on your shelves? Simply leave a comment to be entered. Open to US and Canada. Closes June 29/13.

Thinking of You - Jill Mansell

Well, my summer beach bag wouldn't be complete without Jill Mansell's latest North American release - Thinking of You.

I do love a good chick lit read and British author Mansell never fails to deliver.

Ginny's daughter Jem is on her way to university and that leaves the divorced Ginny with an empty nest, time on her hands and some extra finances needed. She ends up with a new roommate, a new job and a new man in her life. Sounds perfect doesn't it? But....

Jem too, has a new set of roommates, a new job and a new man. But...

What I liked about Thinking of You was the two story lines from two different age perspectives. Mansell has done this in a number of her books. I think this makes her books more appealable to a larger audience. Mansell does an great job writing from each viewpoint.

Ginny was of course a character you'd love to count among your circle of friends - generous and good hearted but with enough insecurities to make her 'real'. And a best friend who's a little over the top - Carla. I have to say I didn't really ever warm up to Carla at all - not before or after 'the incident'. Ginny's ex-husband Gavin was fun and I enjoyed his scenes very much. Jem was portrayed well - a young girl out on her own for the first time experiencing the heartache and heartbreak of youth. And I really enjoyed the scenes of Mom visiting the university - I've lived those and they had me laughing out loud.

There are a few situations where I thought " Oh really, no one would fall for that" or some situations that were a bit too fortuitous, but then I gave my head a shake and reminded myself that it's chick lit. A place not to take things too seriously. A place where love is lost, love is found, friendships are made and tested and happy endings are the norm. In locations and places you'd like to live and work. So, while most of us will never live the lives of chick lit characters, we can visit, daydream and enjoy some escapist reading on a sunny day in the porch swing with Jill Mansell. Read an excerpt of Thinking of You.

You can find Jill Mansell on Facebook and on Twitter.

Giveaway - Oh The Things My Mom Will Do... - Marianne Richmond

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Sourcebooks I have a wonderful giveaway to offer you today!

Author/Artist Marianne Richmond has just released her newest book - Oh the things my mom will do.....

"From the publisher:

"What a child sees as everyday routine is anything but for a mom! Oh, the Things My Mom Will Do is a celebration of the unpredictable adventure that is motherhood with its sometimes silly, always heartfelt, and wonderfully important moments—all rooted in love. This sweet and amusing book will have book moms and kids smiling with recognition while spotlighting all the different ways a mom shows her devotion."

 

And that's not all - I also have a copy of Marianne's board book - If I Could Keep You Little to giveaway as well.

"Beloved author and illustrator Marianne Richmond has touched the lives of millions for nearly two decades through her award-winning books, greeting cards, and other gift products that offer people the most heartfelt way to connect." Check out some of Marianne's Mother's Day craft ideas - a pillowcase or a journal.

 

One lucky reader will win a copy of both books. Open to US and Canada - simply leave a comment to be entered. Ends Saturday May 18/13.
Happy Mother's Day!

 

A Walk in the Park - Jill Mansell

It seems like there has been nothing but rain, rain and more rain lately. So, I decided that yet another rainy day was the right time to pick something light and fun to read. Jill Mansell's latest book - A Walk in the Park - was the perfect antidote for all that rain.

Lara was just sixteen when her father kicked her out of the family home, but her stepmother had a hand in that decision. So she left Bath, England without a word to anyone - not her best friend Evie or her boyfriend Flynn. Lar never told Flynn the secret she had been hoping to tell him that night.....that secret is now eighteen years old and her name is Gigi.

When her father dies, Lara returns for the funeral, where the family solicitor delivers shocking news. The home she grew up in was not her father's house. Instead it belonged solely to her deceased mother and ownership now passes to Lara. Gigi has taken to Bath and decides they should move into the house. Lara has her doubts, but agrees.

You can see it coming, can't you? Yes, Lara does run into Flynn again....

And from here on in Mansell weaves another humourous, heartwarming tale full of charming, quirky characters, missed cues, missed communications and missteps.

As always, it's impossible not to love the lead character in Mansell's novels. Lara is just the kind of person you'd love to have as a best friend. I enjoyed the lead character being a little older this time round.  But Jill involves all demographics in her stories. A Walk in the Park also touches on older love, same sex relationships and friendship. But all of the characters have some traits in common - they're warm, funny, loving and well, just plain nice. The kind of people you'd love to surround yourself with. Mansell allows to escape into a world where although, not nice things sometimes happen, happy ever after endings do win out after all. (The philanderer was even hard to hate!)

Yes, you know everything will turn out the way you want it to in the end, but that never detracts from my enjoying each and every page. If you're looking to lose yourself for the day in a modern fairytale of sorts, pick up the latest from my absolute favourite chick lit author - Jill Mansell. You won't be disappointed! Read an excerpt of A Walk in the Park. You can find Jill on Facebook and on Twitter.

Winner - Marrying Up

And the lucky winner of a copy of Marrying Up by Wendy Holden, courtesy of the great folks at Sourcebooks is:

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Giveaway - Marrying Up - Wendy Holden

Here's a giveaway for all you chick lit fans!

"Can’t get enough of that royal fever? Do you find yourself still Youtube-ing clips of Will & Kate’s big day? Don’t worry, Sourcebooks has you covered!

Named a “Cinderella story for the beach bag”, Sourcebooks is extremely excited to be releasing Wendy Holden’s new book, Marrying Up in August!

 Marrying Up has all of the crazy love, eye-opening snobbery, and naked ambition to create a juicy cocktail worthy of any royal. After all, what’s a relationship without a title and a tiara?"

From the publisher:

"Beautiful but broke student Polly and scheming social climber Alexa may have grown up in the same place, but they couldn't be more different. Polly's just fallen for Max, a handsome country vet. But Alexa can't be bothered with love—any guy with a pedigree will do, mind you, as long as he comes with a title, a mansion, and a family tiara.

Alexa wiggles her way into friendship with Florrie, a clueless aristocrat who could support entire countries with her spare change. Suddenly the grandest doors swing open for Alexa, and a new life is so close she can taste it. Polly could care less about Max's money, but his mysterious habit of disappearing scares her. What's he hiding?

Razor sharp in its wit, and as fresh as newlywed royals, Marrying Up reveals how sometimes a rags–to–riches story can rip a girl to shreds—and how sometimes the rewards of love aren't always what you expect."

"Who is North America’s very own Royal Couple? Is it old time favorite Brangelina? Or perhaps the new comers Kim Kardashian & Kanye West, aka Kimye?"  Leave your suggestion in a comment to be entered. Open to US and Canada. This one's short and sweet readers - ends Sat. Aug 11th. Please make sure you leave a contact - either through your blog or an email address. Good luck! Check the sidebar for ongoing giveaways.