SNARKY MAMMA

Blog Tour Review: All's Fair in Love and Scandal

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

All's Fair in Love and Scandal
Caroline Linden
Scandalous Series Bk# 2.5
Releases 4.21.2015
Avon Impulse

Author:

Caroline Linden was born a reader, not a writer. She earned a math degree from Harvard University and wrote computer software before turning to writing fiction. Ten years, twelve books, three Red Sox championships, and one dog later, she has never been happier with her decision. Her books have won the NEC Reader’s Choice Beanpot Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award, and RWA’s RITA Award. Since she never won any prizes in math, she takes this as a sign that her decision was also a smart one. Visit her online at www.carolinelinden.com

Buy Links:

· Avon: http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062419071/alls-fair-in-love-and-scandal

· Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alls-fair-in-love-and-scandal-caroline-linden/1121234715?ean=9780062419071

· Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Alls-Fair-Scandal-Caroline-Linden/dp/0062419072

· iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/alls-fair-in-love-and-scandal/id965949882?mt=11

Caroline Linden brings readers back into Regency London and a scandalous author is writing riveting tales of romance that are spreading across the streets and into the homes, of well, just about any lady.

Who writes these tantalizing tales? What sort of person could fills these pages with stories of intrigue and vice? You are about to find out!

From Love and Other Scandals and It Take a Scandal readers have been dying to know who writes the novels 50 Ways to Sin throughout this series. Guiding all sorts of women and young ladies into visions of improprieties and sleepless nights, someone is weaving the tales that are so desired though the homes of London and this story will tell all. With wit and humor Caroline Linden brings us this story:

Nothing wagered…
Douglas Bennet can’t resist a good wager, especially not one that involves a beautiful woman. When a friend proposes an audacious plan to expose the most notorious woman in England, Douglas agrees at once. After all, it would be quite a coup to discover the true identity of Lady Constance, author of the infamous erotic serial scandalizing the ton, 50 Ways to Sin.
Nothing won…
Madeline Wilde is used to being pursued. For years she’s cultivated a reputation for being unattainable and mysterious, and for good reason: her livelihood depends on discretion. When Douglas turns his legendary charm on her, she dismisses him as just another rake. But he surprises her—instead of merely trying to seduce her, he becomes her friend…her confidant…and her lover. But can it really lead to happily-ever-after…or are they about to become the biggest scandal London has ever seen?

Lady Constance is a writer that everyone wants to discover, but as her secret is revealed will she be able to stand up to society and its restrictions? Who will unravel her mystery?

This time we find two opposing and imposing characters Douglas Bennet and Madeline Wilde who will be tousling more than their clothing together, also their wits. When Douglas takes a wager to discover who the author behind a scandalous serial, he get more than he wagered in the strong willed heroine Madeline. As both forces struggle from their attraction and their secrets what comes of their adventure could ruin either.

All's Fair in Love and Scandal is a fabulous addition to the Scandalous Series. Written along as with the first two books in the series, Madeline's character's viewpoint is a delightful read. Filling the pages with her fears and feats, Madeline is riddled with the past of her previously passes husband and the limited bounds of widowhood, and yet yearns to unleash herself. Will Douglas Bennet get past her fierce exterior to find the woman underneath who craves even more than 50 Ways to Sin?

So keep open an afternoon, and here is a snippet to lure you into Scandal:

Excerpt:

“Quite a crush, isn’t it?” He gave Mrs. Wilde his winning smile, the easy, friendly one that soothed anxious nerves and made women of every age and rank like him.

She turned at his voice behind her. Something like mirth glimmered in her eyes. “Indeed.”

“I hardly know a soul here tonight.” He lowered his voice but without leaning toward her. Leaning put women on guard. A low voice made them lean toward him, which he much preferred. “It’s rather intimidating, to tell the truth.”

“You?” She arched one golden brow. “You don’t seem the sort to be easily intimidated.”

Douglas grinned. He knew he was a big fellow. Women tended to like it once they got to know him. “Rubbish. I’m petrified just looking at the elegance of this assembly.”

Her lovely lips curved. Her head tipped toward him, just a little. Her dark eyes gleamed. “I don’t believe you.”

“It’s true,” he protested. “My heart is racing, my knees are unsteady. Look—see how my hand trembles.” He caught her hand in his, tensing his muscle to produce the tiniest tremor in his hand, and then relaxing it. “Ah. Your touch has healing power, I see.”

She left her hand in his, but that slight smile tugging at her mouth grew a bit wider. “It’s not flattering to a woman, to say her touch calms a man’s heart and body. Usually she wishes it were the other way around.”

His heart did skip a beat at that. She was a flirt; excellent. He adored flirts. Douglas stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. “It only stilled the terror, my dear. I suspect you could elicit an entirely different sort of tremor.” He lifted her hand and brushed the faintest kiss over her knuckles. “We must be introduced.”

“I fear there’s no one here in this quiet corner who will do it.” Her eyes seemed to grow darker as he drew one finger across her palm.

“Then I will risk being appallingly rude and present myself.” He bowed over her hand, his eyes never leaving her face. “Douglas Bennet, at your service.”

“Yes, I know.”

“You do?” He smiled in delight. “Then we should become acquainted…”

“Mr. Douglas Bennet,” she repeated, her voice changing just enough to freeze him in place. “Son and heir of Sir George Bennet, baronet. A very handsome title, an even handsomer fortune. An unrepentant rake, gambler, brawler, and sometime rogue. Your mother wants you to marry; you couldn’t be less interested. Your taste runs to tavern maids and opera dancers, preferably French. Your sister wed your bosom friend Lord Burke, much to your disgust, although no one quite knows if you pity your sister or your one-time friend more.” She tilted her head and smiled as he stared at her, blank-faced with shock that was rapidly turning to indignation. “What have I forgotten? Oh, yes—you love a good wager. What was the one that sent you over here: a wager to get me into your bed?” She slipped her fingers from his slackened grip. “If it was…you’ve already lost. I hope you didn’t stake a large amount.”

“It was merely for the pleasure of a dance,” he said, hiding his temper behind a flat tone.

She laughed. By God, she had a beautiful laugh, throaty and soft, the sort that made a man want to amuse her so he could hear it again. “I doubt it. But then, you’re also accustomed to losing, aren’t you?” She sank into a graceful curtsey, giving him one last view of her matchless bosom. “Good evening, sir.” She turned and walked away, unhurried, unaffected.

He was still standing there, pulsing with unexpected desire and insulted pride, when Spence slung an arm around his neck. “Rough luck,” he said, his voice brimming with amusement. “She’s a cold one.” He grinned and slapped Douglas’s shoulder. “Five quid, gone in a blink.”

Douglas turned a black look on the man. “You didn’t say when.”

Spence raised his eyebrows, still grinning like a cardsharp. Come to think of it, he usually looked like that, right before he took someone’s money. Douglas had won and lost to Spence with equanimity—for the most part—but tonight he wanted to punch his friend. Spence had deliberately dared him to an impossible task, sending him over to be humiliated and rejected. And now he wanted five pounds. “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t say when.” Douglas bit off each word. “She rejected me tonight, but there’s always tomorrow night, and the next, and the next after that.”

A scowl darkened Spence’s face for a split second before he threw up his hand. “You’re right! I didn’t. Let’s say…within a fortnight. That ought to be enough time to work up some charm and get between the fair widow’s legs.”

“You wagered for a dance, not a tupping.”

“Well.” Spence’s eyes glittered. “I thought I wagered for tonight. Allowances must be made.” When Douglas said nothing, Spence leaned closer. “You’re not afraid, are you? Not going soft in the head like Burke? The woman gutted you and denied you in front of all society, man. Look around.” He swept one arm toward the rest of the room. “Don’t you think half the people here guessed why you sought her out? And now they see her leaving alone, and you looking like she took your ballocks with her.”

Against his will, Douglas’s eyes caught on Madeline Wilde as she made her way toward the doors. Damn, she was beautiful. He had wanted to dance with her, and probably get her into bed as well, even though she was not, as she had so baldly pointed out, his usual type of woman. She was…something more.

As if she could hear his thoughts, she paused at the top of the short flight of stairs leading out of the ballroom. She glanced back over her shoulder, and her eyes met his. For a moment he felt again a bolt of lust—unwanted this time—and her lips curved, as if she knew. She lowered her chin and smiled in a coy, entrancing way, as if they shared secrets—or as if she dared him to uncover hers. With breathtaking nerve, she pursed up her lips as if in a kiss, and touched one finger to them.

He took a harsh breath as she turned and continued on her way, her emerald skirts swaying bewitchingly. “Why her?”

“Why not her?”

Douglas set his jaw. “You had her marked from the moment we stepped into this room. I saw you watching her, Spence. A former lover? Was I supposed to exact some revenge or retribution by asking the lady to dance?”

“The courtesan’s daughter?” The other man’s lip curled. “Hardly a former lover of mine. I have higher standards than that.”

Not really, in Douglas’s opinion. Spence liked married women who couldn’t impose on his freedom, and who often wished to keep their liaisons secret. That was hardly what one could call a refined requirement. Still, Douglas hadn’t known she was a courtesan’s daughter. He made a mental note to find out more about that.

“She appeared respectable enough to me,” he said.

“To you,” repeated Spence with an edge of condescension. “Compared to a tavern wench with rounded heels, she might be. To the rest of us…” He snapped his fingers at a passing footman and took a glass of wine from the man’s tray. “You really ought to improve your taste, Bennet.”

Douglas let that go. He did like tavern wenches. They were friendly and earthy, nothing delicate or prim about them. They were more willing to be adventurous in bed, and they demanded so much less of him—financially and emotionally—than any other woman would.

“But why her?” he asked again, circling back to his main question. “Just for the sport of it? Or did you simply want the pleasure of seeing me turned down flat?”

Spence didn’t reply for a moment. His eyes were sharp and calculating. “How plump are your pockets at the moment?” he finally asked.

“Reasonably,” said Douglas. He’d been gone from town for a month overseeing repairs at one of his father’s estates, to the great benefit of his purse. Still, it was a few weeks to quarter day, when his father paid out his allowance. He could always find a use for more money.

Spence lowered his voice. “I suspect our lovely Mrs. Wilde of being more than she appears. And if I’m right, there’s two thousand quid to be had.”

Douglas’s eyebrows shot up. “What is she, a spy?”

“Of some sort,” muttered Spence. “You aren’t acquainted with a little piece of rubbish called 50 Ways to Sin, are you?”

“No.”

“Get a copy. It’s a pamphlet of a most…intriguing nature.” A cunning smile split his face. “I suspect you’ll enjoy it.”

That smile put him on guard. Douglas might not be the most discerning fellow, but he wasn’t stupid, and he knew Spence too well. “If you insist—not that it answers my question about why you wanted me to charm my way into Mrs. Wilde’s good graces.”

“The authoress is unknown. I daresay even you’ll guess why when you read it. But she’s piqued more than one man’s pride with her scandalous pen, and there’s a bounty out for her name. Mrs. Wilde seems a very likely candidate.” He shrugged. “If you can unmask her, I’ll split the bounty with you.”

Douglas folded his arms and looked at Spence through narrowed eyes. “I should seduce the woman, gain her confidence, presumably enough to be admitted to her boudoir, where I would have to search for some proof that she writes this pamphlet. And for that, you’ll take half the money? Not so, Spence, not so.”

His friend’s hooded eyes flashed. “Very well. Forget I said anything.”

Douglas shrugged. “Hard to do that. Who staked the bounty?”

Spence hesitated.

“If the bloke’s serious about finding the author, he can’t be too secretive about it.”

“Lord Chesterton,” said Spence with obvious reluctance. “He felt she identified him too clearly in one story and he’s livid.”

“Identified? She didn’t use his name?”

Spence looked impatient. “No, she uses obviously false names.”

“Then how did he recognize himself?”

His friend smirked again. “Find a copy and see if you can deduce that yourself.”

Douglas wondered what on earth this story was, that would drive Lord Chesterton to such an action. The man was as correct and polite as anyone could be, distantly connected to the King and as stiff as a piece of kindling. Now he’d placed a public bounty on a woman’s head? What could Mrs. Wilde—if she was in fact the author—have written about him? Two thousand pounds was a small fortune, and certain to attract a fair amount of attention.

Of course, that also made it a much more interesting contest.

“Three to one,” he said after a moment’s thought.

“Eh?”

“Three to one split, if we take the bounty.” He glanced at Spence. “You’re the one, obviously.”

“Two to three,” countered the other man.

“Do it yourself, then.”

Spence muttered a few curses under his breath, but stuck out his hand. “Done.”

Douglas shook on it, already anticipating his next meeting with the wily widow. “Done.”

Spotlight on Susanna Kearsley

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

Conde Nast Traveler had this great photo and article up when I was trolling Scottish Highland Photos

It was too beautiful not to head up this post with it.

If by chance, you are unfamiliar with Susanna Kearsley's work, do go find one at your local bookstore or library.

A Desperate Fortune releases earlier this month and I stalked the mail for several days pining the arrival because this author can blend history and light romance together. I love these books in print. I have a lot of ebooks (darn one click purchases, I do so love you) but not only are they great to hold in your hand, but they are also gorgeous. And the row on my shelf catches my eye often. That is why I reread Kearsley with a vengeance.

A blend of modern and Jacobite rebellion period (Holy Outlander TV time also!) and I have a fabulous brogue Scotsman and lass speaking in my mind while I absorb this book.

With vivid description author Susanna Kearsley captures present and past through the eyes of two very different period and personality characters. There is some hot kissing, because when there is like one kiss in these books, we swoon. And some hand holding - be still my beating heart! But do not get discouraged romance lovers because even through the author doesn't get hot and heavy with her characters, oh my, the light romance will captivate you and give warm feels. The history is well entwined throughout the story line so a reader doesn't get the bogged down in history and with the present day aspect of the book, readers will also get the feel of what present day places hold within them historical elements.

A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley9781492602026 * $16.99/TP * ON-SALE: April 7, 2015
For nearly three hundred years, the cryptic journal of Mary Dundas has lain unread. Now, amateur code breaker Sara Thomas has been sent to Paris to crack the cipher.
Jacobite exile Mary Dundas is filled with longing—for freedom, for adventure, for the family she lost. When fate opens the door, Mary dares to set her foot on a path far more surprising and dangerous than she ever could have dreamed.
As Mary’s gripping tale is revealed, Sara is faced with challenges that will require letting go of everything she thought she knew—about herself, about loyalty, and especially about love. Though divided by centuries, these two women will be united in a quest to discover the limits of trust and the coincidences of fate.

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is known for her meticulous research and exotic settings from Russia to Italy to Cornwall, which not only entertain her readers but give her a great reason to travel. Her lush writing has been compared to Mary Stewart, Daphne du Maurier, and Diana Gabaldon. She hit the bestseller lists in the U.S. with The Firebird (a RITA winner) as well as, The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden (both RITA finalists and winners of RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards). Other honors include National Readers' Choice Awards, the prestigious Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, and finaling for the UK's Romantic Novel of the Year Award. Her popular and critically acclaimed books are available in translation in more than 20 countries and as audiobooks. She lives in Canada, near the shores of Lake Ontario.

Read the First Two Chapters HERE

But wait! There is more:

Sourcebooks has a fabulous giveaway going throughout these Blog Tour Spots

5) lucky winners will receive from Sourcebooks Susanna Kearsley's entire BACKLIST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When An Accidental Wallflower Arrives

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Diary of an Accidental Wallflower
Jennifer McQuiston
Releasing 2.24.2015
384 pgs
Avon Books

Buy : Powells BN.Com Amazon

Blurb:

Pretty and popular, Miss Clare Westmore knows exactly what (or rather, who) she wants: the next Duke of Harrington. But when she twists her ankle on the eve of the Season’s most touted event, Clare is left standing in the wallflower line watching her best friend dance away with her duke.
Dr. Daniel Merial is tempted to deliver more than a diagnosis to London's most unlikely wallflower, but he doesn’t have time for distractions, even one so delectable. Besides, she's clearly got her sights on more promising prey. So why can’t he stop thinking about her?
All Clare wants to do is return to the dance floor. But as her former friends try to knock her permanently out of place, she realizes with horror she is falling for her doctor instead of her duke. When her ankle finally heals and she faces her old life again, will she throw herself back into the game?
Or will her time in the wallflower line have given her a glimpse of who she was really meant to be?

This Author:

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Find Out More:

For a Great Listen and fun time listen to an author interview online.
PodCast from Smart Bitches Trashy Books HERE

Romance Revelry: It Started With A Scandal

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

We are on Tour with Avon Books Blog to bring to you readers and excerpt into Julie Anne Long's Pennyroyal Green Series It Started with a Scandal!

As the tenth book in the series, It Started with a Scandal will readers into the plight of our misfortuned heroine trying to keep herself employed with her son, and the Lord who find her in his house trying to change him. If you are new to this series, enjoy! there is a lot of great dialog and crafty characters to delight you. Long standing readers of the Pennyroyal Green Series, delight in continuing characters and frumpy Lords!

About IT STARTED WITH A SCANDAL:

Lord Philippe Lavay once took to the high seas armed with charm as lethal as his sword and a stone-cold conviction: he’ll restore his family’s fortune and honor, no matter the cost. Victory is at last within
reach—when a brutal attack snatches it from his grasp and lands him in Pennyroyal Green.

An afternoon of bliss brings a cascade of consequences for Elise Fountain. Shunned by her family and ousted from a job she loves, survival means a plummet down the social ladder to a position no woman has yet been able to keep: housekeeper to a frighteningly formidable prince.

The bold and gentle Elise sees past his battered body into Philippe’s barricaded heart . . . and her innate sensuality ignites his blood. Now a man who thought he could never love and a woman who thought she would never again trust must fight an incendiary passion that could be the ruin of them both.

Our Thoughts On:

There are many great historical romance series out there, and some have as long of a set as The Pennyroyal Green Series, but few can keep up with characters as charming, dangerous and doomed, as Julie Anne Long’s. It Started With a Scandal is a fresh book in her line of the series with two characters that have been damaged in their lives and are both looking for a fresh start in their ways.

Elise Fountain made a mistake many years ago, one of the heart, that brought her scandal and misfortune in life, and she is trying to live up to her own expectations and that of keeping her son. There are not many who see a woman of worth this loose morals in this series, but Elise doesn’t let society keep her down, no she takes the reins with her latest job, housekeeping for a new Lord in town.

Lord Philippe Lavay does what he wants. He is like the epitome of the Mysterious Loner Dude, grumbling away in his dark rooms, with his dark mood and dangerous past. His days of fighting for his kin and country are over, and the damage done to his person haunts him while he has driven himself out of society. Cantankerous and prone to destructive moods within his household, Lord Lavay has driven his previous housekeeper away and finds himself face to face with Elise Fountain.

Pride goeth before a fall, always. She possessed many fine qualities, but she could also be perverse and obstinate, which even those who had claimed to love her were forced to admit. She would not be defeated by this man.

Elise and Lord Lavay both come heads to heads in this books, at first glance Lavay seems to dislike everybody. Elise doesn't let his attitude get to her, this may be her last job that she can take and keep her son Jack with her. Elise isn’t going to let some pouting Lord push her around, but while trying to get Lord Lavay out of his slump Elise find herself caught in a position more dangerous than just being fired again, she finds herself caring for Lavay more and more each day. Lavay himself has cast away the idea of finding love, and while he tries his best to keep away from his new housekeeper, he finds her creeping into his gruff exterior one cup of willow bark tea and massage at a time.

Now previous readers of the Pennyroyal Green Series will see the return of several characters throughout this book. Lord Lavay was the person who was rescued by Lyon in London, and Olivia returns also. Also Seamus Duggan returns from A Notorious Countess Confesses charming readers with his roguish appeal. And fans of I Kissed an Earl will find the return of Violet Redmond and her husband the Earl of Ardmay Asher Flint. So fans of previous books will get a little glimpse at some of their favorite characters.

Where We Share an Excerpt!

Now as part of this tour we are participating in sharing Chapter 1 of It Started with a Scandal, and this will be part 3 of the excerpt, so if you want 1-2 then below the excerpt will be listed previous blogs holding the first two parts of Chapter 1.

IT STARTED WITH A SCANDAL CHAPTER ONE PART THREE

Philippe glanced up in time to see Mrs. Fountain take a quick little extra step at the doorway of his chamber as she departed. It looked suspiciously like the beginning of a...frolic. He frowned. God, how the little details of the running of a household bored him. Odd, when the details involved in running a ship were so very similar and he relished those. It was just that one was a job for a man, and one was a job for a woman. Her doubted Mrs. Fountain was that woman. Why should she succeed when three others had already failed? He'd sacked two of them and the third had fled. He of course already knew certain things about her—the things the worthy Mrs. Winthrop had chosen to divulge, anyhow—that she was capable of the job, at the very least—and the fact that the quality of her character had allegedly been endorsed by the Redmonds. His closest friend, the Earl of Ardmay, happened to be married to a member of that esteemed family If there was any advantage to all of the people and events that had led to his convalescent exile in Pennyroyal Green, Sussex, England—cutthroats and kings, seductions and beheadings, exquisite pleasure and excruciating pain, sword fights, gun fights, pirate fights, the utter destruction of his way of life until all that was left of him was the stony-cold, ruthless determination to restore it—it was that he could read people as fluently and swiftly as he read five languages. Questions were merely a way to distract his subject while he quietly summed them up.. Mrs. Fountain's posture, her diction, her ability to look him in the eye and string together formal, persuasive English sentences, to use a word like “politics”...all of it betrayed more breeding than the usual housekeeper possessed. She was proud. Proud people often did excellent work; proud people often thought they were above their work. Proud people would find it difficult ot use the servant's stairs. His intuition told him she had a temper. And she blushed and pet the furniture, as if she'd never seen velvet before. Mrs. Fountain, was also, he suspected, a trifle desperate. He knew a bit about desperation. But whilst she spoke, a spiral of glossy black hair had escaped from its bondage of hairpins and settled against her temple like a treble clef. She didn't seem to be aware of it. It was so at odds with her precise speech and rigid spine that his mind had blanked and he'd almost forgotten what he was about to say. He'd almost forgotten to even think. He sighed. He'd unnerved her. It didn't matter. She would doubtless be gone within a fortnight, and hopefully the desperate Mrs. Fountain wouldn't take the rest f his silver with her. Charm had begun to seem superfluous in light of other urgencies. Certainly it had been no defense against the band of cutthroats who'd attacked him in London and left him with a lot less blood, a little less money, few more scars, and in debt to the last person on earth to whom he wished to owe his life. And he always, without fail, honored his debts. He stood again, slowly, stiffly and turned toward the window. The rain had ceased, and the sun was beginning to drop, and the sky was blushing. Pink had rushed into Mrs. Fountain's cheeks when he'd told her she could have the job. It had been rather like the sun rising to illuminate a delicate landscape. He'd ducked his head, feigning distraction, to spare her dignity. But not before he'd noticed a tiny impression, a dimple, in her chin. He'd imagined pressing the tip of his finger into it, just so. Perhaps further indication that he was right to ease up on his laudanum.

END IT STARTED WITH A SCANDAL CHAPTER ONE PART THREE! To read the rest of Chapter One, check out these blogs:

3/23—

Pretty Sassy Cool EXCERPT PART 1

Wild Wordy Women EXCERPT PART 1

3/24—

Book Flame EXCERPT PART 1

Booklovers for Life EXCERPT PART 1

3/25—

Supernatural Snark EXCERPT PART1

Paulette’s Papers EXCERPT PART 1

3/26—

Urban Girl Reader EXCERPT PART 2

Eater of Books EXCERPT PART 2

3/27—

Buried Under Romance EXCERPT PART 2

3/28—

Toot’s Book Reviews EXCERPT PART 2

Doing Some Reading EXCERPT PART 2

Ramblings from this Chick EXCERPT PART 2

On The Author:

About JULIE ANNE LONG

USA Today bestselling author JULIE ANNE LONG originally set out to be a rock star when she grew up (and she has the guitars and fringed clothing stuffed in the back of her closet to prove it), but writing was always her first love. Since hanging up her guitar for the computer keyboard, her books frequently top reader and critic polls and have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Rita, Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice, and The Quills, and reviewers have been known to use words like “dazzling,” “brilliant,” and “impossible to put down” when describing them. Julie lives in Northern California.

Visit Julie at http://www.julieannelong.com, http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieAnneLong, or twitter.com/JulieAnneLong

Where to buy IT STARTED WITH A SCANDAL

HarperCollins: http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062334848/it-started-with-a-scandal

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Started-Scandal-Pennyroyal-Green/dp/0062334824/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/it-started-with-a-scandal-julie-anne-long/1121318431

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/it-started-with-a-scandal/id894875818?mt=11

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Julie_Anne_Long_It_Started_with_a_Scandal?id=eWmdBAAAQBAJ

Waiting on Wednesday: A Novel of the Others

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 21:00:00 +0000

It's Wednesday and the only thing I am pining for this minute is:

Visions of Silver
Anne Bishop
Releases March 3rd 2015
Penguin, Roc

Blurb:

The Others freed the cassandra sangue to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before—both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.
Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.
For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep…

If you are unfamiliar with this series, it is some great paranormal. Visions of Silver will be the third book in the series, and they just keep getting better.

Anne Bishop has been weaving tales of paranormal and fantasy for years and with each new series or book that comes from her pen, readers can know there is epic world building and a super plot thickening with each edition.

There is a Excerpt on Anne Bishop's site HERE

There is an epic author tour going on in March with Patricia Briggs and Anne Bishop.

More info HERE
March 3, 7:00 PM
University Book Store
4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105

March 4, 7:00 PM
Powell’s
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005

March 5, 7:30 PM
Mysterious Galaxy
5943 Balboa Ave.
Ste 100
San Diego, CA 92111

March 6, 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
721 Gravois Road
Fenton, MO 63026

March 7, 4:30 PM
Murder By the Book
2342 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005

March 8, 3:00 PM
Hastings
1425 George Washington Way
Richland, WA 99354

What The Post: Dating Advice from Love By The Book

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 21:23:00 +0000

Sometimes there comes a time when one must change the way you are doing things in life....
For Lauren Cunningham this time she is changing the way she begins dating again and she begins by taking her advice from a book.

Now wait, there are many dating advice books from throughout the ages but Lauren decides to take on the 1995 release of The Rules by Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider, the 1928 release of The Technique of the Love Affair, Not Tonight, Mr. Right from 2007, The Art of Dating by Evelyn Mills Duvall released in 1958, Belle de Jour's Guide to Men published in 2009 by Belle de Jour, Manners for Women by Mrs. Humphrey written in 1897, and lastly, book eight Find a Husband After 35 by Rachel Greenwald.

Many humorous parts of the book also revolve around Lauren acquiring theses books, and what it is like getting around the dating pool and trying to conform to a variety of dating standards across time from all of these titles.

Melissa Pimentel brings a heroine to readers who is trying to discover something about herself and how she relates in the world after moving into London and the dating pool. Getting over a breakup is bad enough but an ex who keeps hanging around can only spell trouble. '

From blind dates, to bad dates across all types of men and establishments readers will enjoy Pimentel's wit and humor as she showcases many of the troubles that women face trying to find Mr. Right, if he is even out there.

Book Blurb:

An American living in London, Lauren is intelligent, beautiful and loves to party. So why can't she convince a man she isn't after something more serious than scrambled eggs and goodbye in the morning?
Determined to snare some regular male affection, she embarks on a project: each month she will follow the rules of a different dating guide - from refusing to pay the bill to chatting up every man in her path - and will switch seamlessly to the next book at the end of each month.
Lauren's love life is about to get scientific . .

Author:

Website: http://www.melissapimentel.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/melispim
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissa.pimentel.798
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8333885.Melissa_Pimentel

Order: powells bn.com amazon

Around the Web:
And How it All REALLY HAPPENED: Love By The Book Link HERE
and here is a Q&A Where Melissa Tells All HERE from Book Page

Swoon Worthy Readings

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 23:03:00 +0000

Going Back in time -

This past month we have gone back in time....
To the Regency Era and author Julia Quinn!

While cleaning the house in December, I found a hidden cache of books from when we moved, and they were my Julia Quinn Collection. Surprisingly there were a few new books in my recent acquisitions and thus I need to have a while Bridgerton and Smythe-Smith read-through to catch up.

If you are a historical fan, these books are for you.
If you love reading romance, then these books are for you.

Julia Quinn has woven an amazing group of families together across these two series that are full of fun and snarky dialog, witty heroines, stuffy but complex heroes, and many many adventures. Every book was a fresh read for me, and these characters develop all throughout the 9 Bridgerton Novels and the 4 Smythe-Smith books.

The Four Smythe-Smith Books capture the reader into the lives of the heroines of the Smythe-Smith family. From unicorns, to musicals, deathly plays and steaming libraries, these books will take the evening away to a earlier time of tea and dancing. Each book is filled with adventures and strong ladies and their families struggling to overcome one thing or another on their paths to fulfilling their destinies.

The Bridgertons - This close knit family has been capturing readers hearts since 2000. Filled with fabulous characters and dangerous damsels and harrowing heroines, and lusty dukes, demanding brothers and let us not forget the mothers who fill the pages with their intentions. Whew! There is something for everything within the Bridgerton books that will keep you reading until the very last page and make you pine for more. Everybook holds a engaging story that is fulfilling unto the end.

So if you have not met the Bridgertons or the Smythe-Smith's I encourage you to pick up a read, and of them in fact..... and get lost midst these great families.

Slack Friday: Begins Now, Get Prepped

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 14:00:00 +0000

SLACK FRIDAY: NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Avoid crazed shopping crowds! Keep calm and carry on at home with these great Merr-E Holiday Treats from Pocket Star eBooks!

Sometimes do you dread the oncoming Holiday Season and all of the lines and traffic that ensues with the impending holidays? Well take some time off, it's Friday, but not That Friday or Black Friday which brings us back to the primordial hunter gatherer days. Enjoy a hot read for a cold Fall/Winter night from Pocket Books.

THE PERFECT GIFT

Dani-Lyn Alexander

November 17, 2014

$.99

SUMMARY:

’Tis the night before Christmas… and businessman and single father Jason is scrambling to find the dollhouse of the season for his seven-year-old daughter Emily. But when he finally strikes gold at an obscure toy store, he’s met with resistance—literally, as a beautiful woman named Leah is grabbing onto the dollhouse box from the other side of the aisle, determined to get the same Christmas present for her own daughter.

Desperate not to let the other win, Jason and Leah forge a pact: stay together until they find the same dollhouse at a different toy store. It sounds simple, but ten stores and many hours later, they still come up empty. They might not be finding another dollhouse, but they sure are finding a lot to talk about and, as their mutual attraction grows, the unlikely pair finds the greatest holiday gift of all—love.

EXCERPT:

Ten minutes. Jason had ten minutes to make the twenty-minute trip across town. He’d never be on time for his meeting. He stared at his watch as if it would tell him something different this time. Acid rolled in his stomach. Well, they’d just have to wait. Christmas Eve was tomorrow and he had to take care of getting Emily’s present. Truthfully, he should have gotten it already, but between working, looking after the house, and taking care of Emily, he had little time left over for anything else.
The only thing Emily had asked for this year was the Little Family Dollhouse. She’d get other gifts, too, of course, but he had to be sure to have that one. A coworker he’d spoken to before he left the office had told him how popular the house was with girls Emily’s age. Every little girl she knew either had one or had put it at the top of her list for Santa. Apparently now it was almost impossible to find. She’d suggested this small, out-of-the-way toy store that specialized in hard-to-find items. So here he was, sitting in a traffic jam, hoping it wasn’t too late to get what he needed. Impatience threatened to strangle him. He glanced again at the clock on the dashboard.
Emily was mature for seven, so he knew she’d accept that he couldn’t find the dollhouse. Still, he didn’t want her to be disappointed. Since Karen’s death, he’d raised her on his own, and so far it had proved to be the most challenging, most rewarding thing he’d ever done, and he desperately wanted to do it right.
The traffic light turned red, and Jason ground his back molars. Not one car had moved while the light was green. Not. One. Car. City traffic was the last thing he needed right now. He clutched the steering wheel tightly and dropped his head onto his clenched fists. This was ridiculous. Who would schedule a lunchtime meeting all the way across town on the day before Christmas Eve? His boss, that’s who. How could he possibly get all of this done? He rubbed his temples with the heels of his hands. Didn’t these people need to be at work or something? The motorist behind him hit the horn—again—and Jason couldn’t help but wonder what the man was beeping at. There was nowhere to go. No doubt he was just voicing his frustration. While Jason could certainly feel his pain, the constant honking was grating on his nerves.
Spotting a gap in the traffic, he darted to the right as soon as the light changed. He whipped around the next corner and slipped into a parking spot only two blocks from the toy store. Figuring he was lucky to get this close, he locked the car and jogged the two blocks. The freezing-cold drizzle not only soaked him but also coated the sidewalk with a thin sheet of ice. Since he was dressed for work in his suit and hard-soled dress shoes, the going wasn’t easy. Slipping when he turned to enter the store, he went down hard. His feet slid out from under him and he hit the wet sidewalk, scraping his chin on the step, tearing a hole in the knee of his pants, and soaking himself in the process.

Could this day get any worse? Even as the thought crossed his mind, things indeed got worse. As he pushed himself up, he caught a glimpse through the front door of the toy store. Although a few customers still browsed inside, the clerk was already putting the key into the lock. Oh, no! She can’t. Clutching the handrail tightly, he hurried up the two front steps to the door, grabbing hold of it before she could turn the key.

“I’m sorry, sir. We’re closing early today. I’m flying down to Florida to visit family for the holidays.”

Soaking wet, shivering in the cold, he could certainly appreciate her hurry to head south, but he had to get into that store. “Please. I just need one thing. It’s really important. I promise I’ll only be a minute.”

Apparently, the woman could tell he was having a rough day, because she gave him a sympathetic look as she held the door open and gestured for him to enter.

“Thank you so much.”

He looked around, quickly locating the girls’ section and headed straight for the aisle that held the dollhouses. The store was small but crowded with merchandise, and it took him several trips up and down the aisle to realize the dollhouse he needed wasn’t there. Great. Now what would he do? He hated disappointing Emily. Shoving his fingers through his hair in frustration, he turned to leave.

Unbelievable. He took a deep breath to ease the disappointment pressing like a weight against his chest. Just when he thought this day couldn’t get any worse, he spotted it. The Little Family Dollhouse. It sat on the end of the aisle, pushed against the back of the shelf, and there was only one left. Wary of his slippery shoes on the wet floor, he moved cautiously but quickly toward the shelf. Breathing a sigh of relief, he grabbed the box, turned to head for the register, and . . . met with resistance. Snapping back around, he pulled again. Once more the box was yanked away from him. He held tight to the dollhouse as he peered around the corner of the aisle at the other set of fingers holding onto his prize. A small, delicate hand had managed an incredibly tight grip on the box. His gaze slid up the arm and into the biggest, bluest, most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. The breath caught in his throat.

LEAH GRIPPED THE dollhouse as tightly as she could and stared into eyes that had to be made from melted chocolate. She’d never seen such amazing eyes, and her gaze held his.

“I’m sorry. I need to get this dollhouse.” He still hadn’t taken his eyes from hers.

She smiled her best smile. “I’m sorry, too, but I had it first.”

“Look,” he started, smiling back at her, the expression filling his eyes with even more warmth, and Leah’s heart melted a little bit. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I really need to have this dollhouse.”

His eyes might have melted her heart, but there was no way she was letting go of this box. Motherhood prevailed. She’d called all over the city looking for this dollhouse, and now that she’d found it, nothing could make her part with it, not even a pair of eyes she could easily lose herself in.

“This is the only thing my daughter asked for this year. I must have it.” Her grin faltered for just a second before she plastered it firmly back in place. Then she pulled her gaze away from his eyes, effectively removing any temptation she might have felt to release her hold on the box.

Having been so enthralled by his eyes, she’d somehow missed taking in the rest of him, and the sight that greeted her now left her momentarily speechless. He was a mess. His gray pin-striped business suit was soaking wet, dirty, and torn. Wet hair stuck up in thick, dark clumps along one side of his head. A large scrape marred his very sexy chin.

All right, don’t go there. Wow, he really was having a bad day.

He exhaled one of those annoyed male sighs she knew so well. “Look, let’s be reasonable here. I already had the box in my hand when you grabbed hold of it.”

“Actually, I had my hand on it first, and then you grabbed it.” Her smile wavered as she started to realize he might not release his hold.

“Okay, I’ll pay you the cost of the dollhouse if you’ll let me have this one.”

The dollhouse cost over a hundred dollars, and she had to admit the money would come in handy. Her job as a receptionist didn’t pay much. The only reason she hadn’t looked for the gift sooner was that she’d had to wait for her final paycheck before Christmas. Although she was tempted to accept his offer, she still held tight.

Allison hadn’t asked for anything else for Christmas. Leah had to have the dollhouse for her.

“I’m sorry. Even though your offer is very generous”—you jerk—“I’m afraid I can’t accept. My daughter is only seven, and this is the only thing she asked for this year. I have to have it for her. I’ve already been all over the city looking for it. I’m sure you can understand.”

She mentally kicked herself even as the words left her mouth. Maybe he hadn’t realized how impossible these things were to find. If Mr. Chocolate Eyes thought he’d be able to find another one, she might have a better chance of getting him to release his hold on the box. He forked his free hand through his hair. Good grief. No wonder it was so messy.

“Okay, let’s be reasonable.” He took another long breath, his wet clothes clinging to broad shoulders. “Only one of us can have the dollhouse. I understand your position. I have a seven-year-old as well. This dollhouse is the only thing she put on her list for Santa this year. She’d be so disappointed if it wasn’t under the tree. Please, is there any way I can talk you into letting me have it?”

“We’re obviously both in the same position. As adults, surely we can resolve this somehow.” She couldn’t help but wonder what he’d do if she just yanked the box out of his hand and ran. The only problem being she’d have to stop and pay for it. She couldn’t just run out of the store. Or could she? She glanced toward the front door and chewed on her bottom lip. She could always come back in later, after he’d gone, and pay for it. Of course, if the owner called the police and they caught her before she could come back, she’d spend Christmas in jail.

Definitely not an option. Allison didn’t have anyone but her mother and had never known her father. He’d taken off the day he found out Leah was pregnant. Right now Allison was with Leah’s parents in Ohio. She’d be home tomorrow, though, and Leah had to be at the airport to pick her up, not sitting in a jail cell for petty theft. No, she couldn’t run.

He was still staring at her, apparently thinking her silence meant she was contemplating his offer. “All right, maybe we could—”

“Excuse me.” The sales clerk didn’t appear to be the least bit amused. She stood with her arms folded across her chest, her foot tapping and a scowl on her face. “Sir, I let you in because you told me you just needed one thing. You said you’d only be a minute. I have to lock up now or I’m going to miss my flight.”

“We seem to have a misunderstanding here.”

At least he had the good grace to blush when he explained the situation.

“I don’t really care who gets the dollhouse. In one minute I’m locking that door and I won’t sell it to either of you.” She turned her back on them and walked away, effectively ending any argument
either of them could come up with.

When the Christmas music stopped and the lights flipped off a minute later, Leah panicked. “Come on. I really need to have this. Neither of us is going to get it if you don’t let go. Now.” Desperation nearly choked her. “Maybe we can find another one somewhere else, but we’re definitely not going to find two. Let me have this one and I’ll help you find another one.”

He appeared to be as surprised as she was by the offer, but he still didn’t let go.

“I’m leaving.” The clerk’s voice rang out, sounding completely annoyed.

“No,” they cried in unison.

“I’ll tell you what.” The man quickly glanced at the clerk and then back at her. “We’ll split the cost of this one and go together to look for another one. Then we’ll split the cost of that one, and we’ll each end up with a dollhouse.”

The rattle of keys made Leah’s decision. “Fine. You’re on.”

AUTHOR:

Dani-Lyn Alexander is a native New Yorker. She was born in Rome, New York, then moved to Rosedale, and finally to Long Island. She still lives on eastern Long Island with her husband and three children. Please visit http://www.danilynalexander.com/.

Or looking for a Christine Feehan Night?

ROCKY MOUNTAIN MIRACLE

Christine Feehan

November 17, 2014

$3.99

SUMMARY:

When Cole Steele, a womanizer rumored to have killed his father, meets Maia Armstrong, a veterinarian rumored to practice magic, the sizzling romance could melt all the snow on his Wyoming ranch. And when an injured horse brings them together, Cole can’t help but believe that Maia casts spells on animals—and men. What else could explain the burning passion he feels for her and the thawing of his heart just in time for Christmas?

EXCERPT:

Cole Steele could hear the screams coming from the room down the hall. He knew those nightmares intimately, because the demons also visited him every time he closed his own eyes. He was a grown man, hard and disciplined and well able to drink his way through the night if necessary, but Jase was just a young teenager. Guilt edged his anger as he made his way through the dark to the boy’s room. He should have done something, to spare his half brother the horrendous legacy of his own past.
In truth, he hadn’t been in touch with his father for years. It hadn’t occurred to him that his father would remarry a much younger woman and produce another child, but he should have considered the possibility, not just dropped off the face of the earth. Cole shoved open the bedroom door. Jase was already fully awake, his eyes wide with the terror of his memories. Something twisted hard and painfully in Cole’s chest.
“I’m here, Jase,” he announced unnecessarily.He wasn’t good at soothing the boy. He had been born and bred in roughness and still had a difficult time being gentle. Worse, Jase barely knew him. He was asking the teenager to trust him in spite of his reputation and the rumors of attempted murder flying freely through the town. It was no wonder the boy regarded him with some suspicion. “I hate Christmas. Can’t we just make it go away?” Jase asked. He threw back the covers and paced across the room, the same edgy tension in his teenage body that Cole had in abundance as a grown man. Jase was tall and gangly, like a young colt, all arms and legs, looking a bit like a scarecrow in flannel pajamas.He had Cole’s dark hair, but his eyes must have been his mother’s, as they were a deep, rich brown. Right now, his eyes were wide with terror, and he turned away to hide his trembling.
Cole felt as if he were looking at himself as a youngster, only Jase had poured himself into books and Cole had become a hellion. Cole knew what it was like to hide the bruises and the terror from the rest of the world. He had grown up living in isolation and hiding, and he still lived that way, but he would be damned if this boy would endure the same.
“Did he shoot your dog for Christmas?” Cole asked bluntly. “That’s what he did for me the last time I wanted to celebrate the holiday like my friends. I haven’t ever wanted a Christmas since.He also beat the holy hell out of me, but that was insignificant next to the dog.”
Jase faced him slowly. The horror was still all too stark in his eyes. “I had a cat.”

“I’ll bet he said you weren’t tough enough and that only sissies needed pets and Christmas. He wanted you to toughen up and be a man. Not get attached to anything.”
Jase nodded, swallowing an obvious lump in his throat.

“He did a lot of things.”

“You have burn marks? Scars from cuts? He liked to whip me with a coat hanger. And when I didn’t cry, he took to using other things.”

“I cried,” Jase admitted.

“I did too, at first. He was a mean son of bitch, Jase. I’m glad he’s dead. He can’t touch you anymore. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you the nightmares go away because I still have them. We both lived in hell and he had too much money for anyone to want to believe us.” Cole rubbed his hands through his thick black hair.

“He was sick, Jase. I got out, changed my name thinking he’d never find me, and stayed as far from him as I could possibly get. That’s no excuse. I should have kept tabs on him. Maybe I could have gotten you away from him.”

Jase shook his head. “He never would have let me go.”

“You know what they’re all saying, don’t you? They think I had something to do with his death.”

Jase nodded, his eyes suddenly wary. “I’ve heard. Why did you come back?”

“I was named your guardian in his will. It was the first I’d heard of you. I didn’t know you existed until five months ago. I knew he must have done the same thing to you and your mother that he did to me and mine. I thought I could protect you, at least until you’re old enough to live on your own. I figured I would be a better guardian than anyone else the court might appoint or that our father had named if I didn’t accept.”

Dawn was creeping in through the huge plate-glass window. Cole watched the sun come up. It was cold, and the ground outside was covered with several feet of snow, turning the hills into a carpet of sparkling crystals. “You hungry?”

“Are you cooking?”

Cole managed a lazy shrug even though he really wanted to smash something. It was always there, that volcano inside him, waiting to erupt. The thought of his father, the time of year, it wasn’t all that difficult to bring rage to the surface. “I thought we’d go into town and give them all something more to gossip about.”
Jase met Cole’s eyes squarely. “They say you killed the old man and that you’re planning to kill me next. Sixtyfour million dollars is a lot of money, twice as much as thirty-two.”

“They do say that, don’t they?” Cole said. “And don’t forget the ranch. It’s worth twice that easily, maybe more with the oil and gas deposits. I haven’t actually checked into how much yet.”His eyes had gone ice-cold, a piercing blue stare that impaled the boy. “What do you say, Jase? Because in the end, you’re the only one that counts as far as I’m concerned.”
Jase was silent a long time. “I say I’m glad you came back. But I don’t understand why he left us the money and the ranch when he hated us both so much. It doesn’t make any sense.” He looked around the enormous room, frowning.

“I keep expecting him to show up in the middle of the night. I’m afraid to open my eyes because I know he’s standing over the bed, just waiting.”

“With that smile.”Cole’s voice was grim.

Jase nodded, a small shudder betraying the fact that he wasn’t as calm as he tried to seem. “With that smile.” He looked at Cole. “What do you do when the nightmares come?” He punched his fist into his pillow. Once. Twice. “I hate this time of year.”

Cole felt a sharp pain in his chest and the familiar churning in his gut. His own hand balled into a fist, but he tamped down the smoldering anger and hung on to control for the boy’s sake. “I drink. I’m your guardian, so I have to say that’s not allowed for you. At least not until you’re a hell of a lot older.”

“Does it work?”

“No,” Cole said grimly. Honestly. “But it gets me through the night. Sometimes I go to the workout room or the barn. I hung a heavy bag in both places, and I beat on them until my hands hurt. Other times I take the wildest horse we have and go out into the mountains. I run the hills, using the deer trails, anything to make me so tired I can’t think anymore.”

“None of that works either, does it?” Jase had tried physical activity as well, but he was finding that talking quietly with his half brother was helpful. More helpful than anything else he’d tried. At least one person believed him. And one person had gone through the same torment. It created a bond in spite of the ugly rumors that surrounded his tough, harder-than-nails half brother.

Cole shook his head. “No, none of it works, but it gets you through the night. One night at a time. He’s dead, Jase, and that’s all that matters.”

Jase took a deep breath. “Did you kill him?”

“No, but I wish I had. I used to lie awake at night and plan how I’d do it. That was before Mom died. Then I just wanted to get out.” Cole studied the boy’s face. “Did you kill him?” He concentrated his gaze on the boy. Every nuance. Every expression, the way he breathed. The flick of his eyes. The trembling of his hands.

Jase shook his head. “I was too afraid of him.”

Cole let his breath out slowly. He had stayed alive using his ability to read others, and he was fairly certain that Jase was telling the truth. Jase had been in the house when someone had shot Brett Steele right there in his own office. He wanted to believe that the boy wasn’t involved in Brett Steele’s death. Cole wasn’t certain how he would have handled it if Jase had admitted he’d done it, and for a man in Cole’s profession, that wasn’t a good thing.

“Cole, did he kill your mother?” For the first time, Jase sounded like a child rather than a fourteen-year-old trying to be a man. He sank down onto the bed, his thin shoulders shaking. “I think he killed my mother. They said she was drinking and drove off the bridge, but she never drank. Never. She was afraid to drink. She wanted to know what was happening all the time. You know what he was like, he’d be nice one minute and come after you the next.”

Brett Steele had been a sadistic man. It was Cole’s belief that he had killed for the sheer rush of having the power of life and death over anything, human or animal. He’d enjoyed inflicting pain, and he had tortured his wives and children and every one of his employees. The ranch was huge, a long way from help, and once he had control over those living on his lands, he never relinquished it. Cole knew he’d been lucky to escape.

“It’s possible. I think the old man was capable of paying everyone off from coroners to police officers. He had too much money and power for anyone to cross him. It would be easy enough for a medical examiner to look the other way if there was enough money in bribes. And if that didn’t work, there were always threats. We both know the old man didn’t make idle threats; he’d carry them out.”

Jase met his brother’s stare directly. “He killed your mother, didn’t he?”

“Maybe. Probably.” Cole needed a drink. “Let’s go into town and get breakfast.”

“Okay.” Jase pulled a pair of jeans from the closet. They were neatly hung and immaculately clean, just like everything else in the room.“Who do you think killed him? If it wasn’t either of us, someone else had to have done it.”

“He made a lot of enemies. He destroyed businesses and seduced as many of his friends’wives as possible. And if he killed anyone else, as I suspect he must have, someone could have known and retaliated. He liked to hurt people, Jase. It was inevitable that he would die a violent death.”

“Were you surprised he left you the money and guardianship over me?”

“Yes, at first. But later I thought maybe it made sense. He wanted us to be like him. He had me investigated and found I spent time in jail. I think he believed I was exactly like him. And the only other choice of a guardian he had was your uncle, and you know how much they despised one another.”

Jase sighed.“Uncle Mike is just as crazy as Dad was. All he talks about is sin and redemption. He thinks I need to be exorcised.”

Cole swore, a long string of curses. “That’s a load of crap, Jase. There’s nothing wrong with you.” He needed to move, to ride something hard, it didn’t matter what it was. A horse, a motorcycle, a woman, anything at all to take away the knots gathering in his stomach. “Let’s get out of here.”

He turned away from the boy, a cold anger lodged in his gut. He detested Christmas, detested everything about it. No matter how much he didn’t want the season to start, it always came. He woke up drenched in sweat, vicious laughter ringing in his ears. He could fight the demons most of the year, but not when Christmas songs played on the radio and in every store he entered. Not when every building and street displayed decorations and people continually wished each other “Merry Christmas.” He didn’t want that for Jase. He had to find a way to give the boy back his life.

Counseling hadn’t helped either of them. When no one believed a word you said, or worse, was bought off, you learned to stop trusting people. If Cole never did another thing right in his life, he was going to be the one person Jase would know he could always trust. And he was going to make certain the boy didn’t turn out the way he had. Or the way their father had.

The brothers walked through the sprawling ranch house. The floors were all gleaming wood, the ceilings open-beamed and high. Brett Steele had demanded the best of everything, and he got it. Cole couldn’t fault him on his taste.

“Cole,” Jase asked, “why were you in jail?”

Cole didn’t break stride as he hurried through the spacious house. At times he wanted to burn the thing down. There was no warmth in it, and as hard as he’d tried to turn the showpiece into a home for Jase, it remained cold and barren.

Outdoors it was biting cold. The frost turned the hills and meadows into a world of sparkling crystal, dazzling the eyes, but Cole simply ignored it, shoving his sunglasses onto his face. He went past the huge garage that housed dozens of cars—all toys Brett Steele had owned and rarely ever used—to go to his own pickup.

“I shouldn’t have asked you,” Jase muttered, slamming the door with unnecessary force. “I hate questions.”

Cole paused, the key in the ignition. He glanced at the boy’s flushed face. “It isn’t that, Jase. I don’t mind you asking me anything. I made up my mind I’d never lie to you about anything, and I’m not quite certain how to explain the jail time. Give me a minute.”

Jase nodded. “I don’t mind that you’ve been in jail, but it worries me because Uncle Mike says he’s going to take you to court and get custody of me. If I lived with him, I’d spend all my life on my knees, praying for my soul. I’d rather run away.”

“He can’t get you away from me,” Cole promised, his voice grim. There was a hard edge to the set of his mouth. He turned his piercing blue gaze directly on his young half brother. “The one thing I can promise is I’ll fight for you until they kill me, Jase.” He was implacable, the deadly ruthless stamp of determination clear on his face.“No one is going to take you away from me. You got that?”

Jase visibly relaxed. He nodded, a short jerky gesture as he tried to keep his emotions under control. Cole wasn’t certain if that was good or bad. Maybe the boy needed to cry his eyes out. Cole never had. He would never give his father the satisfaction, even when the bastard had nearly killed him.

It was a long way to the nearest town. There had been numerous guards at the ranch when his father was alive, supposedly for security, but Cole knew better. Brett had needed his own private world, a realm he could rule with an iron fist. The first thing Cole had done was to fire all of the ranch hands, the security force, and the housekeeper. If he could have had them prosecuted for their participation in Brett’s sadistic depravities, he would have. Jase needed to feel safe. And Cole needed to feel as if he could provide the right atmosphere for the boy. They had interviewed the new ranch hands together, and they were still looking for a housekeeper.

“You, know, Jase, you never picked out one of the horses to use,” Cole said.

Jase leaned forward to fiddle with the radio. The cab was flooded with a country Christmas tune. Jase hastily went through the stations, but all he could find was Christmas music and he finally gave up in exasperation. “I don’t care which one I ride,” Jase said, and turned his head to stare out the window at the passing scenery. His voice was deliberately careless.

“You must have a preference,” Cole persisted. “I’ve seen you bring the big bay, Celtic High, a carrot every now and then.” The boy had spent a little time each day, brushing the horse and whispering to it, but he never rode the bay. Jase’s expression closed down instantly, his eyes wary. “I don’t care about any of them,” he repeated.

Cole frowned as he slipped a CD into the player. “You know what the old man was all about, don’t you, Jase? He didn’t want his sons to feel affection or loyalty to anything or anyone. Not our mothers, not friends, and not animals. He killed the animals in front of us to teach us a lesson. He destroyed our friendships to accomplish the same thing. He got rid of our mothers to isolate us, to make us wholly dependent on him. He didn’t want you ever to feel emotion, especially affection or love for anything or anyone else. If he succeeded in doing that to you, he won. You can’t let him win. Choose a horse and let yourself care for it. We’ll get a dog if you want a dog, or another cat. Any kind of pet you want, but let yourself feel something, and when our father visits you in your nightmares, tell him to go to hell.”

“You didn’t do that,” Jase pointed out. “You don’t have a dog. You haven’t had a dog in all the years you’ve been away. And you never got married. I’ll bet you never lived with a woman. You have one-night stands and that’s about it because you won’t let anyone into your life.” It was a shrewd guess.

Cole counted silently to ten. He was psychoanalyzing Jase, but he damned well didn’t want the boy to turn the spotlight back on him. “It’s a hell of a way to live, Jase. You don’t want to use me as a role model. I know all the things you shouldn’t do and not many you should. But cutting yourself off from every living thing takes its toll. Don’t let him do that to you. Start small if you want. Just choose one of the horses, and we’ll go riding together in the mornings.”

Jase was silent, his face averted, but Cole knew he was weighing the matter carefully. It meant trusting Cole further than perhaps Jase was willing to go. Cole was a big question mark to everyone, Jase especially. Cole couldn’t blame the boy. He knew what he was like. Tough and ruthless with no backup in him. His reputation was that of a vicious, merciless fighter, a man born and bred in violence. It wasn’t like he knew how to make all the soft, kind gestures that the kid needed, but he could protect Jase. “Just think about it,” he said to close the subject. Time was on his side. If he could give Jase back his life, he would forgive himself for not bringing the old man down as he should have done years ago. Jase had had his mother, a woman with love and laughter in her heart. More than likely Brett had killed her because he couldn’t turn Jase away from her. Jase’s mother must have left some legacy of love behind.

Cole had no one. His mother had been just the opposite of Jase’s. His mother had had a child because Brett demanded she have one, but she went back to her modelthin figure and cocaine as soon as possible, leaving her son in the hands of her brutal husband. In the end, she’d died of an overdose. Cole had always suspected his father had had something to do with her death. It was interesting that Jase suspected the same thing of his own mother’s death.

A few snowflakes drifted down from the sky, adding to the atmosphere of the season they both were trying so hard to avoid. Jase kicked at the floorboard of the truck, a small sign of aggression, then glanced apologetically at Cole.

“Maybe we should have opted for a workout instead,” Cole said.

“I’m always hungry,” Jase admitted. “We can work out after we eat. Who came up with the idea of Christmas anyway? It’s a dumb idea, giving presents out when it isn’t your birthday.And it can’t be good for the environment to cut down all the trees.”

Cole stayed silent, letting the boy talk, grateful Jase was finally comfortable enough to talk to him at all. “Mom loved Christmas. She used to sneak me little gifts. She’d hide them in my room. He always had spies, though, and they’d tell him. He always punished her, but she’d do it anyway. I knew she’d be punished, and she knew it too, but she’d still sneak me presents.” Jase rolled down the window, letting the crisp, cold air into the truck. “She sang me Christmas songs. And once, when he was away on a trip, we baked cookies together. She loved it. We both knew the housekeeper would tell him, but at the time, we didn’t care.”

Cole cleared his throat. The idea of trying to celebrate Christmas made him ill, but the kid wanted it. Maybe even needed it, but had no clue that was what his nervous chatter was all about. Cole hoped he could pull it off. There were no happy memories from his childhood to offset the things his father had done.

“We tried to get away from him, but he always found us,” Jase continued.

“He’s dead, Jase,” Cole repeated. He took a deep breath and took the plunge, feeling as if he was leaping off a steep cliff. “If we want to bring a giant tree into his home and decorate it, we can. There’s not a damn thing he can do about it.”

“He might have let her go if she hadn’t wanted to take me with her.”

Cole heard the tears in the boy’s voice, but the kid didn’t shed them. Silently he cursed, wishing for inspiration, for all the right things to say. “Your mother was an extraordinary woman, Jase, and there aren’t that many in the world. She cared about you, not the money or the prestige of being Mrs. Brett Steele. She fought for you, and she tried to give you a life in spite of the old man. I wish I’d had the chance to meet her.”

Jase didn’t reply, but closed his eyes, resting his head back against the seat. He could still remember the sound of his mother’s voice. The way she smelled. Her smile. He rubbed his head.Mostly he remembered the sound of her screams when his father punished her.

“I’ll think about the Christmas thing, Cole. I kind of like the idea of decorating the house when he always forbade it.”

Cole didn’t reply. It had been a very long few weeks, but the Christmas season was almost over. A couple more weeks, and he would have made it through another December. If doing the Christmas thing could give the kid back his life, Cole would find a way to get through it. The town was fairly big and offered a variety of latenight and early-morning dining. Cole chose a diner he was familiar with and parked the truck in the parking lot. To his dismay, it was already filled with cars. Unfolding his large frame, he slid from the truck, waiting for Jase to get out.

“You forgot your jacket,” he said.

“No, I didn’t. I hate the thing,” Jase said.

Cole didn’t bother to ask him why.He already knew the answer and vowed to buy the kid a whole new wardrobe immediately. He pushed open the door to the diner, stepping back to allow Jase to enter first. Jase took two steps into the entryway and stopped abruptly behind the high wall of fake ivy. “They’re talking about you, Cole,” he whispered. “Let’s get out of here.”

The voices were loud enough to carry across the small restaurant. Cole stood still, his hand on the boy’s shoulder to steady him. Jase would have to learn to live with gossip, just as he’d learned to survive the nightmare he’d been born into.

“You’re wrong, Randy. Cole Steele murdered his father, and he’s going to murder that boy. He wants the money. He never came around here to see that boy until his daddy died.”

“He was in jail, Jim, he couldn’t very well go visiting his relatives,” a second male voice pointed out with a laugh. Cole recognized Randy Smythe from the local agriculture store. Before he could decide whether to get Jase out of there or show the boy just how hypocritical the local storeowners could be, a third voice chimed in.

“You are so full of it, Jim Begley,” a female voice interrupted the argument between the two men. “You come in here every morning grousing about Cole Steele. He was cleared as a suspect a long time ago and given guardianship of his half brother, as he should have been. You’re angry because your bar buddies lost their cushy jobs, so you’re helping to spread the malicious gossip they started. The entire lot of you sound like a bunch of sour old biddies.” The woman never raised her voice. In fact, it was soft and low and harmonious. Cole felt the tone strumming inside of him, vibrating and spreading heat. There was something magical in the voice, more magical than the fact that she was sticking up for him.His fingers tightened involuntarily on Jase’s shoulder. It was the first time he could ever remember anyone sticking up for him. “He was in jail, Maia,” Jim Begley reiterated, his voice almost placating.

“So were a lot of people who didn’t belong there, Jim. And a lot people who should have been in jail never were. That doesn’t mean anything. You’re jealous of the man’s money and the fact that he has the reputation of being able to get just about any woman he wants, and you can’t.” A roar of laughter went up. Cole expected Begley to get angry with the woman, but surprisingly, he didn’t. “Aw, Maia, don’t go getting all mad at me. You aren’t going to do anything, are you? You wouldn’t put a hex on my . . . on me, would you?”

The laughter rose and this time the woman joined in. The sound of her voice was like music. Cole had never had such a reaction to any woman, and he hadn’t even seen her.

“You just never know about me, now do you, Jim?” She teased, obviously not angry with the man. “It’s Christmas, the best time of the year. Do you think you could stop spreading rumors and just wait for the facts? Give the man a chance. You all want his money. You all agree the town needs him, yet you’re so quick to condemn him. Isn’t that the littlest bit hypocritical?”

Cole was shocked that the woman could wield so much power, driving her point home without ever raising her voice. And strangely, they were all listening to her. Who was she, and why were these usually rough men hanging on her every word, trying to please her? He found himself very curious about a total stranger—a woman at that. “Okay, okay,” Jim said. “I surrender, Maia. I’ll never mention Cole Steele again if that will make you happy. Just don’t get mad at me.”

Maia laughed again. The carefree sound teased all of Cole’s senses, made him very aware of his body and its needs. “I’ll see you all later. I have work to do.”

Cole felt his body tense. She was coming around the ivy to the entrance. Cole’s breath caught in his throat. She was on the shorter side, but curvy, filling out her jeans nicely. A sweater molded her breasts into a tempting invitation. She had a wealth of dark, very straight hair, as shiny as a raven’s wing, pulled into a careless ponytail. Her face was exotic, the bone structure delicate, reminding him of a pixie.

She swung her head back, her wide smile fading as she saw them standing there. She stopped short, raising her eyes to Cole’s. He actually hunched a little, feeling the impact in his belly. Little hammers began to trip in his head, and his body reacted with an urgent and very elemental demand. A man could drown in her eyes, get lost, or just plain lose every demon he had. Her eyes were large, heavily lashed, and some color other than blue, turquoise maybe, a mixture of blue and green that was vivid and alive and so darned beautiful he ached inside just looking at her.

Jase nudged him in the ribs.

Cole reacted immediately. “Sorry, ma’am.” But he didn’t move. “I’m Cole Steele. This is my brother, Jase.” Jase jerked under his hand, reacting to being acknowledged as a brother.

The woman nodded at Cole and flashed a smile at Jase as she stepped around them to push open the door.

“Holy cow,” Jase murmured. “Did you see that smile?” He glanced up at Cole. “Yeah, you saw it all right.”

“Was I staring?” Cole asked.

“You looked like you might have her for breakfast,” Jase answered. “You can look really intimidating, Cole. Scary.” Cole almost followed the woman, but at the boy’s comment he turned back. “Am I scary to you, Jase?”

The boy shrugged. “Sometimes. I’m getting used to you. I’ve never seen you smile. Ever.”

Cole raised his eyebrow. “I can’t remember actually smiling. Maybe I’ll have to practice. You can work with me.”

“Don’t you smile at women?”

“I don’t have to.”

AUTHOR:

Christine Feehan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of thirty novels, including the Carpathians, the Ghostwalkers, the Leopard People, and the Drake Sisters series. Her books have been published in multiple languages and in many formats including palm pilot, audiobook, and ebook. She has been featured in Time magazine andNewsweek, and lives in Cobb, California.

Please visit http://www.christinefeehan.com/.

Romance Revelry: Four Night's With The Duke by Eloise James

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 23:14:00 +0000

Four Nights with the Duke
Desperate Duchesses #8
Eloise James
Releases March 31, 2015

Blurb:

As a young girl, Emilia Gwendolyn Carrington told the annoying future Duke of Pindar that she would marry any man in the world before him—so years later she is horrified to realize that she has nowhere else to turn.
Evander Septimus Brody has his own reasons for agreeing to Mia’s audacious proposal, but there’s one thing he won’t give his inconvenient wife: himself. Instead, he offers Mia a devil’s bargain… he will spend four nights a year with her.
Four nights, and nothing more. And those only when she begs for them. Which Mia will never do.
Now Vander faces the most crucial challenge of his life: he must seduce his own wife in order to win her heart—and no matter what it takes, this is the one battle he can’t afford to lose.

Let's Sum It Up:

Mia and Vander are an epic pair. We are going to romance on the Desperate Duchesses in the world for a minute.

Is there a Happy Ever After?
I would like to think so. I would like to think that sometimes after impossible things, something breathtaking and fearless can happen and that the past can be overcome.

Eloise James knows how to rock a heroine's world. She knows the right writing recipe to keep us readers pining for more from her series. Honestly here there is so much fodder here from Eloise James's series and the Desperate Duchesses to keep me in a puddle of feels for a week. What these ladies stories bring are tales of woe turned triumph. There is a honest man out there for everyone.

Can love hurt? Sometimes there is pain that someone may cause another, in Four Nights with the Duke it is a love poem that strickens Mia's love life for years, but will she overcome scaring actions from callus youths permanently ruin her?

Was India, Lady X, from Three Weeks with Lady X takes readers on a marriage chase that is filled with a wealthy working woman finding the right match for her clients, and maybe herself in the process? Need we dare speculate where this may be going? But as we sit down to read these harrowing tales of heroines on paths of struggles we keep reading these books because like children we are hungering for these tales of Happily Ever After!

I could heat a house with my romance novels all Winter if need be and we were snowed in and I needed fire wood, but I can read them all again and again and get that warm feeling from the snarky playful interactions between characters and their struggles. I don't need a fire, I have the internal readers fire. The pages are like horses racing as I flip them fast scouring the pages for redemption, trust, tryst and the closure and romance that keeps the industry booming. We are like desperate readers, duchesses in our own hearts.

So while I love this series and I desperately hope there are many more tales, since they do never get old, pick up Four Nights with the Duke to see if only four nights a year could soothe these two souls playing with fire. It comes in stores Spring 2015 so pre-order for your heart's content.

For More:
Eloise James Website
Facebook
Twitter
Tumbler

What I Found on the Internets: Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 22:52:00 +0000

Survive a Sharknado: And many other Unnatural Disasters

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 00:03:00 +0000

There is the possibility of a disaster everyday, but some disasters you may never imagine coming, so how do you prepare yourself for those? Not for the weak, How to Survive a Sharknado and other Unnatural Disasters will let you know that there are more horrors out there than you ever imagined!
Filled with such helpful information such as:
*Did you remove the sword from the stone, even after we warned you not to? - can you stop the rock monster?
*Don't take pictures of the Elecktrokraken.- Survival is more important than page views or retweets.
*Make Apocalyptic Drinks - recipes included.
*Attempt to navigate out of the Whalestrom.

Filled with so much information that you may never have thought you needed to know, this guide will help you prepare for the end of times. From bees, bears and gators be prepared my fellow readers. You never know what is coming.
You never know what you may need to know for what is coming.

About The Book:

How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters
Andrew Shaffer
Released: 7.8.14
Three Rivers Press

Blurb:

Sharks Are Flying at Your Head at 300 mph. How Will You Survive?
In the apocalyptic world we live in, Mother Nature is angry. Danger waits at every turn, and catastrophes like the Los Angeles sharknados have taught us that we need to be ready for anything. Too many lives have already been lost.
But fear not. How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters is the first and only comprehensive guide to surviving the very worst that Mother Nature can throw our way. Inside this life-saving reference, you’ll find:
• Vital information about dozens of unnatural disasters and ungodly monsters that can injure, maim, or kill you, from arachnoquakes and ice twisters to piranhacondas and mega pythons;
• Easy-to-understand survival tips for avoiding a bloody demise;
• Inspirational words of wisdom from survivors, including Fin Shepard and April Wexler;
• Useful resources, such as the Shepard Survival Assessment Test (S.S.A.T), and much more.
With this essential book in hand, you too can be a hero who laughs in the face of calamity while saving friends and family. Or you can just avoid getting savagely ripped apart by a sharktopus. Either way, you’ve been warned. Now be prepared

* recieved a copy of this book for review purposes. no gain, much hilarious pain in reading with gusto. totally getting prepared for so many unnatural disasters looming in the future.

Teaser Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 13:00:00 +0000

This Tuesday's Book Tease:

Unmarked
The Legion Series
Kami Garcia
Releases 10.7.2014
Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Blurb:

He is here... and he could be anyone.

Kennedy Waters lives in a world where vengeance spirits kill, ghosts keep secrets, and a demon walks among us–a demon she accidentally set free.

Now Kennedy and the other Legion members–Alara, Priest, Lukas, and Jared–have to hunt him down. As they learn more about the history of the Legion and the Illuminati, Kennedy realizes that the greatest mystery of all does not belong to any secret order, but to her own family. With the clock ticking and the life of someone she loves hanging in the balance, Kennedy has to ask the question she fears most: what is it about her past that has left her Unmarked?

Tease:

The boy I knew was gone.
The one caged before me was a monster.
And I was the one who had to kill him.

Kami Garcia brought out some awesomesauce with The Legion Series, and so far Unmarked has been remarkable.

Idols was definitely a fabulous start to a brave new series and after reader's delved into Beautiful Creatures, The Legion keeps up reading and wanting more and more from this author.

Previous Book In The Series:

Unbreakable
Kami Garcia
Little Brown Books for Young Readers.
Released 10.1.2013

Monday Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 05:15:00 +0000

Book In Hand:

Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James

What We Read:

Snow Falling on Bluegrass by Molly Harper
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Mass
He's So Fine by Jill Shavis

Monday Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 06:12:00 +0000

Book In Hand:

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Audiobook:

While We Watched by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

an audio download through the Sync Summer Audiobook Program

Where We Fell Off The Earth.... but have returned

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 21:56:00 +0000

I want to think that when life gives you challenges, well you can make lemonade or some crap..... but really sometimes it takes way too much work. Or working. Or not sleeping. Maybe some of all of the above?

I was gone, but now I am found.
Technology has returned to my homestead and there is only 95% of my day holding me back, but I am reigning in that 5% before the school year works its way back into my schedule.

So now back to regularly scheduled programming......

OnTour: Rose And The Lost Princess + Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 10:00:00 +0000

Rose and the Lost Princess
Rose Series Bk#2
Holly Webb
Released 4.1.14
Sourcebooks

Now an apprentice magician, Rose is asked to help find a very special missing person
Turning the worn pages of her spell book, Rose can't believe how much her life has changed. Once a poor orphan, she is now an apprentice to the king's chief magician. But when the country's beloved princess vanishes, everything changes. As rumors of dark magic fly through the city, the king asks Rose for help. She must find the missing princess, before all is lost.

Rose has had a hard start in life from being an orphan to now a magician’s apprentice. But from scullery maid to having magic is proving to have hard beginnings. Being a friend to a princess has taken a turn for the worse for Rose, and with dark magic encroaching upon her life, Rose is struggling to balance her power with her obligations.

Instead of being revered for aiding their country magicians are now deemed dangerous and having to be identified with their government. Rose’s teacher Mr. Fountain, the magician to the King, is now scrutinized and Rose is trying desperately to find what dark magics are afoot that has stolen the Princess from her kingdom.

Will Rose find the Princess, or will her countrymen’s fears take hold of the populous cause grave implications for any magic user, especially Rose. While living at the home of her teacher Mr. Fountain, Rose is finding people’s anger towards magicians escalating, but also she is feeling animosity at home also being a maid, because the staff at her household is beginning to fear and hate her. With her trusty friend Gus the cat, Rose journeys to find out what magician has stolen away her city’s children and especially her friend the Princess.

Finding the answer to what happened to the missing children will be a shocker to some, and was surely devastating to Rose, but she gets down to the bottom of this evil and helps to correct many wrongs. Rose is a strong and unlikely character. Having a past of being an orphan has only helped to keep Rose on the tips of her toes, and her trial an errors really being out her humanity. With magic using prejudice on the rise, Rose is feeling the hostility in town from the citizens.

What really caught me about Rose’s character in this middle grade read was that she works hard to get what she wants, compared to her upbringing and situations in life. Even when she is not as enthusiastic as she could be in some circumstances, Rose perseveres in her determination and pries out the truth in what is happening to her kingdom and her friends. Rose wants a good future and she works hard to create it. While some parts of the books felt slow, I remind myself that this is also a middle grade book, so progression does not need to be profound. Many more points of the story need to be addresses, like her parents, but that leaves lots of fodder for other books.

Rose has the potential to be a great heroine in her stories. In her first book, Rose, Rose triumphed over an evil wizard and really captivated readers of many ages. Rose and the Lost Princess begins after Rose has finished and Rose is being recognized for her magic but also persecuted as the citizens of her town begin to fear magic users and their ability to harm mundane humans. Even the household that she lives in is struggling with the possibilities of evil wizards, not that Rose is one, but with wizards in proximity, people are beginning to bring themselves the fear of their friends. Being a maid and a magician seems a lot to Rose, but rescuing a princess now? That needs to be done.

Holly Webb has created a fabulous middle grade read with a believable heroine and sidekick cat, but also a driven plot and creative characters. From front to back this book holds readers’ interests and carries with it the hunger that other books will answer some crucial questions for readers.

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Reads: The Here and Now

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 13:00:00 +0000

This Friday our Book In Hand is:

Ann Brashares had us by the seat of our pants growing up with The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Series and now she is taking readers into a dystopian twist with:

There Here and Now
Ann Brashares
Releases 4.8.2014
Delacorte Press

Pre-Order: BN Amazon

Blurb from the Publisher:

An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.
Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.
This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.
Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.
But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

Here is Ann Talking with Random House

WoW: Magic Breaks

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 13:00:00 +0000

We are hot on their tail with the upcoming release of Magic Breaks this July.

As Magic Rises ended there was so much going on and the tides are turning for Kate and Curran. Readers can never get enough of Curran, or at least I know I never get enough, so Magic Breaks pulls us back into the story as Roland is vying for power and Kate's responsibilities are piling up. But here is hope and surely hell to pay.

Magic Breaks
Ilona Andrews
Releases 7.29.14
Ace
ISBN: 9780425256220

Blurb from the Publisher:

No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: if there’s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it…
As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.
As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear…

Cover Love: The Hidden Legacy is Coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 19:00:00 +0000

Hold onto your garments ladies, this book is HOT. Or at least the cover is.

Ilona Andrews has been keeping readers occupied with her alpha males and kick ass female characters for years. From her Kate Daniels series to The Edge these reads are always hot off the shelf and keep readers at the edge of their seats in action and romance.

BURN FOR ME by Ilona AndrewsOn-sale 10/28/2014 | ISBN: 9780062289230 #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews launches a brand new Hidden Legacy series, in which one woman must place her trust in a seductive, dangerous man who sets off an even more dangerous desire… Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career-a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn’t sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.
Then she’s kidnapped by Connor “Mad” Rogan-a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.
Rogan’s after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she’s getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world.

Pre-Order Links:

· http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/burn-for-me-ilona-andrews/1118611576?ean=9780062289230

· http://www.amazon.com/Burn-Me-Hidden-Legacy-Novel-ebook/dp/B00I7V11WU

Are We The Only Ones Thinking This Cover is Hawt? Nope!

It is such a gorgeous, distinctive cover, melding together unique paranormal aspect of the world and the sizzle of the relationship between Mad Rogan and Nevada. It's rare when the cover captures a scene from the book exactly the way the author had imagined it. You learn to resign yourself to it. Covers aren't meant to be a literal representation of the narrative, but BURN FOR ME is. It actually shows a pivotal scene, especially when combined with the aerial view splashback. If you read the book, you'll know exactly what I mean. When I got the cover file, I sent it to a friend. She emailed back in minutes. The email said, "Who did you sacrifice to Cover Gods to get this?"

—Ilona Andrews on her reaction to the cover for BURN FOR ME

BURN FOR ME is a slight departure from Ilona Andrews’ other bestselling urban fantasy series. There’s still the trademark snappy dialogue/narrative and action-packed scenes, but there’s a stronger romance thread here that we wanted to get across right away with this cover. Our hero Rogan is not just hot and sexy, but he’s powerful. Like kill-you-with-a-stare powerful. And Nevada is just as strong, only she doesn’t realize her full potential yet. So I wanted to show off our couple, have that intimacy between them and not lose any kickass-ness (I know, not a real word, sorry). The background with the exploding buildings around them…the idea was Ilona’s and the execution is just exquisite.

—Erika Tsang, Ilona’s Editor extraordinaire

So keep your eyes open on the 28th of October release of Burn For Me, or find a Pre-Order and stalk the mail man (insert my own maniacal laugh since that is my plan) and close yourself away to read this beauty since I bet you will not be able to stop turning pages on this one.

Teaser Tuesday: April Fool's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 14:18:00 +0000

This Tuesday I Pay Homage to April Fool's Day and all things internet.

I am sad to say that Whole Foods Market has evidently grown to hip and like all hipsters, they are over that which they inspired: fun with food on April Fool'd Day.
Whole Foods Market used to run a whole new webpage this day with great recipes like 7 Layer Dumpster Dip, Insects Raised with Compassion, Action Figures:

But this year they did NOTHING.

Google Trumps us all with:

Bill Clinton is even Fool's-ing us with:

Monday Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 13:39:00 +0000

Book In Hand:

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott
Rose and the Lost Princess by Holly Webb

What We Read:

Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop
Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolamore
Dangerous by Shannon Hale
Enchanting the Beast by Kathryne Kennedy
There Here and Now by Anne Brashares
The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Hitting the Bookstore For:

The Ring and The Crown by Melissa De La Cruz

It is funny because while I was finally able to spend a lot of evening time reading this past week, it had more to do that I had to keep up with the farm and all of our goats that are due to kid this week making many late hours with a book in hand.

Scott Westerfeld Releases Afterworlds in 2014!

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 13:00:00 +0000

Afterworlds
Scott Westerfeld
Releases: 9.23.2014

Here is another author if you haven't read you have been MISSING OUT on.

After his earth shattering series release of the UGLIES Series, Scott Westerfeld steampunked his way with the Leviathan Series and haunted readers with Peeps, Midnighters and So Yesterday.

Now he brings us Afterworlds....

Blurb:

Darcy Patel has put college and everything else on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. Arriving in New York with no apartment or friends she wonders whether she's made the right decision until she falls in with a crowd of other seasoned and fledgling writers who take her under their wings…

Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, a suspenseful thriller about Lizzie, a teen who slips into the 'Afterworld' to survive a terrorist attack.

But the Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead and as Lizzie drifts between our world and that of the Afterworld, she discovers that many unsolved - and terrifying - stories need to be reconciled. And when a new threat resurfaces, Lizzie learns her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she loves and cares about most.

With this upcoming book there is somewhat little known to readers about what we will expect, but here is Afterworlds in news online:

Scott Westerfeld's Website: http://scottwesterfeld.com/
Children's Book Council had a special on it HERE
EW Just posted the cover HERE
Publisher's Weekly had an awesome post HERE

So get excited my friends! Westerfeld is coming hot off the presses again!

Garth Nix Does It Again: CLARIEL

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 13:00:00 +0000

If you have not read the Abhorsen Trilogy you are truly missing out in reading life.

Pre-Order:
Barnes and Noble: BN.COM
Amazon: Here

Author Garth Nix has created the Old Kingdom Chronicles Over the years:

Sabriel
Lireal
Abhorsen

and through the series we have seen triumph and despair over and over again, richly woven into these characters who are struggling with not only themselves but also their world. Through fabulous world building and dynamic characters readers are entwined in this story and are fascinating in every direction that Garth Nix takes us.

With the upcoming release of Clariel we get a prequel some 600 years before Sabriel and find out how all of this magic went down.

Blurb From the Publisher:

Clariel is the daughter of the one of the most notable families in the Old Kingdom, with blood relations to the Abhorsen and, most importantly, to the King. When her family moves to the city of Belisaere, there are rumors that her mother is next in line for the throne. However, Clariel wants no part of it—a natural hunter, all she ever thinks about is escaping the city’s confining walls and journeying back to the quiet, green world of the Great Forest.

But many forces conspire against Clariel’s dream. A dangerous Free Magic creature is loose in the city, her parents want to marry her off to a killer, and there is a plot brewing against the old and withdrawn King Orrikan. When Clariel is drawn into the efforts to find and capture the creature, she discovers hidden sorcery within herself, yet it is magic that carries great dangers. Can she rise above the temptation of power, escape the unwanted marriage, and save the King?

Blurb From the Author: (From Inside A Dog)

CLARIEL is my next YA novel, returning to the Old Kingdom. It takes places about six hundred years before the events of SABRIEL, and is the story of a goldsmith's daughter who also happens to be the grand-daughter of The Abhorsen. Caught up against her will in the internal politics of the Kingdom, she finds herself drawn to forbidden magics . . .
The release date of the book has just been set. It is September 2014 and will almost certainly be simultaneous in the USA, Australia/NZ and the UK from my various publishers. Translations will follow more slowly, I expect.
Here are the first couple of paragraphs from the Prologue and Chapter One, respectively. (They may change slightly or even a lot, as I am still revising and responding to the editorial process.)

Prologue

Old Marral the fisherman lived in one of the oddest parts of Belisaere, the ancient capital of the Old Kingdom. A proud city with high walls to defend against living foes, and rushing aqueducts to keep out the Dead, one tiny corner of the great metropolis lay outside the protection of both wall and water.

Known to all simply as The Islet, it was a rocky island just beyond the city’s south-east sea tower. Joined to the mainland by a rough stone causeway save at the highest tides, the island was inhabited by the poorest of the poor, the fisher-folk who had lost their boats, or drank too much, or had suffered some calamity that kept them from the city’s more prosperous fishing harbour further to the north.

Chapter One

The house was one of the best in Belisaere, high on the eastern slope of Beshill. It boasted five floors, each with a broad balcony facing east, and on top there was a pleasant roof garden. This delivered a view over the lesser houses on the slope below, and past them across the red roofs of the buildings that clustered closely on the valley floor on either side of the Winter Road. Beyond the houses was the seven-tiered Great Eastern Aqueduct and its lesser companion, the city wall, its feet almost in the water. Beyond it lay the glittering expanse of the Sea of Saere, now dotted with those slower, straggling fishing boats that were coming late to Fish Harbor, hours after the rest of the fleet had returned to unload their catch with the dawn.
Clariel stood at the intricately carved marble railing on the edge of the roof garden, with the sun on her face and the cool sea breeze ruffling her shorn-at-the-neck jet-black hair, and wondered why she couldn’t like the view, the house, or indeed, the whole city of Belisaere.

What We Saw Online USA Today Releases The Iron Trial Cover + Excerpt

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 02:55:00 +0000

Oh My Goodness!
Holly Black and Cassandra Clarke bust out in this awesome new series of the Magisterium!

USA Today just released the cover and an Excerpt on their site HERE <-------- all="" and="" date.="" epic="" for="" made="" me="" p="" release="" that="" this="" totally="" wanton="" was="">
Set to hit stores September 9th, 2014 from Scholastic Readers are all abuzz on what will be happenining with this 5 book series.

Authors:

Cassandra Clare: http://www.cassandraclare.com/
Holly Black: http://hollyblack.tumblr.com/
http://www.blackholly.com/

Blurb:

From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a riveting new series that defies what you think you know about the world of magic.
From two bestselling superstars, a dazzling and magical middle-grade collaboration centering on the students of the Magisterium, an academy for those with a propensity toward magic. In this first book, a new student comes to the Magisterium against his will -- is it because he is destined to be a powerful magician, or is the truth more twisted than that? It's a journey that will thrill you, surprise you, and make you wonder about the clear-cut distinction usually made between good and evil.

WoW: Historicals

noreply@blogger.com (Teril) — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:00:00 +0000

Liar Temptress Soldier Spy
Karen Abbott
Four Women Undercover in the Civil War
Releases 9.3.2014
Civil War

Blurb:

Karen Abbott illuminates one of the most fascinating yet little known aspects of the Civil War: the stories of four courageous women—a socialite, a farmgirl, an abolitionist, and a widow—who were spies.
After shooting a Union soldier in her front hall with a pocket pistol, Belle Boyd became a courier and spy for the Confederate army, using her charms to seduce men on both sides. Emma Edmonds cut off her hair and assumed the identity of a man to enlist as a Union private, witnessing the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The beautiful widow, Rose O’Neale Greenhow, engaged in affairs with powerful Northern politicians to gather intelligence for the Confederacy, and used her young daughter to send information to Southern generals. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Richmond abolitionist, hid behind her proper Southern manners as she orchestrated a far-reaching espionage ring, right under the noses of suspicious rebel detectives.
Using a wealth of primary source material and interviews with the spies’ descendants, Abbott seamlessly weaves the adventures of these four heroines throughout the tumultuous years of the war. With a cast of real-life characters including Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, General Stonewall Jackson, detective Allan Pinkerton, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and Emperor Napoleon III, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy draws the reader into the war as these daring women lived it.

Waiting ON . . .

So what has my attention on this title this week, was how extensive I have been looking into our reading material for the 2014-2015 district school year. While the lists of what teachers are looking for came in I have been struggling to find suitable materials through all of our K-12 grades. When this book popped up on my radar I was thrilled, because it touches on topics that I have had a hard time digging through the reading material for.