Blog Tour Spotlight: The Making of Nebraska Brown by Louise Caiola

 

Tour Schedule

The Making of Nebraska Brown by Louise Caiola

The last thing eighteen-year-old Ann Leigh remembers is running from her boyfriend in a thick Nebraska cornfield. This morning she’s staring down a cool Italian sunrise, an entire continent from the life she once knew. The events of the eighteen months in between have inexplicably gone missing from her memory. All at once she’s living with Tommy, an attractive, young foreigner asking for her continued love. Though he’s vaguely familiar, she recalls a boy named Shane in America who she reluctantly agreed to marry. Juggling a new world while her old one is still M.I.A is difficult enough without the terrifying movie scenes spinning a dizzy loop in her mind: glimpses of a devastating house fire, a romance gone wrong, an unplanned pregnancy, and a fractured family – each claiming to be part of who she once was – a girl and a past somehow discarded. Ann Leigh must collect the pieces of herself to become whole again, but she doesn’t know who to trust especially when Tommy’s lies become too obvious to ignore. And above all, her heart aches to discover what became of the child she may or may not have given birth to. The Making of Nebraska Brown tells the story of one girl’s coming apart from the inside and the great lengths she’ll go to reclaim herself and find her way home.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

Friday Hops, 2/28/14

This hop is hosted by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. Every week bloggers answer a question and then visit other blogs that are participating.  This week's question is from Silver's Reviews:

Have you stopped accepting books from either authors or publishers to try to catch up? If not, do you think you would ever do that?   

A: Yes. I am actually not accepting any new review books right now since I'm over my head with what I need to get read. It's not helping that I don't have any time to read right now so I'm falling behind.

Blog Tour: Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn (Spotlight)

Tour Schedule

 

Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn

Skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue... and, of course, kissing.

The Third Daughter of the Queen wants her birthday to arrive so she'll be free to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon may force her to accept a barbarian prince's proposal for a peace-brokering marriage. Desperate to marry the charming courtesan she loves, Aniri agrees to the prince's proposal as a subterfuge in order to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she does not love. Third Daughter is the first book in the The Dharian Affairs Trilogy (Third Daughter, Second Daughter, First Daughter). This steampunk-goes-to-Bollywood (Bollypunk!) romance that takes place in an east-Indian-flavored alternate world filled with skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue. And, of course, kissing.

Teaser Tuesdays #78

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

Friday Hops, 2/21/14

This hop is hosted by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. Every week bloggers answer a question and then visit other blogs that are participating.  This week's question is from Silver's Reviews:

This annoys me, how about you? When I click on a blogger's name and it goes to their profile and I see more than one blog listed, how do you know which one to visit? I usually don't visit.   

A: This doesn't happen too much with me since people tend to leave their blog links with their comments. The few occasions that I had to click on the blogger's name to check out their blog have not been that bad. I have not encountered too many people with multiple blogs. Those that I have, I read the titles of each blog and click on the one that sounds more "bookish" to me. Of course, I rather not do this so it's not often that I click on a blogger's name. I only do so when I REALLY want to visit their blog.

Spotlight: A Reign Supreme by Richard Crystal

Tour Schedule

A Reign Supreme by Richard Crystal 
When a copper deposit is discovered on the land of the Makenda tribe in eastern Kenya, a young king, Ule Samanga, is told to relocate his people to a refugee camp in Nairobi or risk imprisonment. When all appears lost, the young king discovers the existence of Curtis Jackson, a mysterious half-brother presently living in New York. Believing this unexpected news is an omen from the spirit of his ancestors, he eagerly seeks his help to save their sacred tribal homeland. A struggling mortgage broker and former jazz prodigy, Curtis initially has no interest in developing a relationship with his newly found African family. But when he’s presented with an intriguing business offer, he embarks on a journey to Africa that becomes a spiritual odyssey, changing him in ways he never imagined. In this assured debut, Richard Crystal weaves a complex story of contemporary moral imperatives conceived during Obama’s victorious election as America’s first black President. Themes of corporate malfeasance and exploitation will resonate with readers of The Constant Gardener and Blood Diamond. But beyond the various political machinations, readers will find a heartwarming story infused with the strains of Coltrane, the history of jazz and the enduring power of family.

Children's Book Review: Baby Julia Feeds the Moon by Jason Sandberg

Baby Julia Feeds the Moon by Jason Sandberg 

In a small house, on a small hill, there lives a small baby with a big heart. Her name is Julia and when she discovers that the moon is hungry she's determined to help! This lovingly crafted bedtime story is filled with twinkling stars and pixie wings. Baby Julia Feeds the Moon will bring your child smiles and sweet dreams!

Buy it from Amazon • Add to Goodreads 

Teaser Tuesdays #77

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

Book-to-Movie: The Great Gatsby (2013)

Director:

Baz Luhrmann   

Writers: Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce   

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton

This was a very interesting adaptation of the classic book by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby. I've seen the older film over ten years ago and I've read the book twice, once in high school and last year before the 2013 film came out. I have to say that I enjoyed this adaptation tremendously.

The imagery of this film was what I loved best about it. Baz Luhrmann creates movies with a hint of weirdness that catches an audience's attention. I've enjoyed his previous films before because of this strangeness that he adds to them and The Great Gatsby was not an exception. Everything was over-the-top: grand parties, shocking behavior, decorative costuming, and exaggerated acting. My eyes wanted to capture everything that was presented to me and I did not want to move in fear that I would miss something.

Review: A Tricky Game by Seraphima Bogomolova

A Tricky Game is a psychological novella telling the story of a young enigmatic woman, who finds herself involved in an edgy game of three men, whose genuine intents, second agendas, and secret longings become closely intertwined with her own destiny, creating unexpected twists that place her in front of challenging life choices.

In Moscow, Russia, an aluminium magnate, Kazimir Stankevitch, enters into an unwritten agreement with a seductively attractive young woman, Angela Moreaux, whom he secretly desires. Later that night, as she returns home from a nightclub, a shot is fired at her. While in the hospital she receives a visit from a silent masked incognito, whose true intentions she is yet to discover. At the same time, her unsuspecting associate meets in the Ritz with an elderly Swiss gentleman who delivers to him a mysterious letter. As the stakes in the game go higher, the young woman is confronted with life choices that will challenge her in unexpected ways.

Website|Amazon

Spotlight with Excerpt: Blood and Fire by Tori L. Ridgewood

What chance does one witch have against five vampires? Alone, not much. But Rayvin’s allies are gathering…

The battle between good and evil supernatural forces heats up in the long, cold November nights of the former mining town. But how will Rayvin’s motley crew of spellcasters and shapeshifters cope when they discover the threat they face is even greater than they imagined?

Blood and Fire is available for sale on Amazon, Smashwords, and Lulu.

Review: Valley of Darkness Part 1 by A.B. Whelan

After months of amazing adventures and secrecy, Molly and Victor find peace in each other’s arms. Adam’s memory has been erased. The secret of the Arkanians is safe. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

But Molly is robbed of her short-lived happiness when a devastating tragedy strikes her family, shattering her entire existence. Faced with a terrifying future, she feels that there is nothing left for her on Earth but an insensitive aunt and her little brother, while Arkana promises a place where she might find happiness and purpose again.

Victor tries to convince Molly to move to his village in Arkana, where they can live together in secret. But Molly refuses to live in the shadows. She wants to be a Sentinel and join the fight against the Terrakas. But getting into the Academy requires more than a pretty face.

Amazon * B&N

Cover Reveal: Blackout by Alecia Stone

Blackout (T.O.E. Trilogy, Book 2)

by Alecia Stone

Release Date: March 19, 2014

Centrinian Publishing Ltd

I enjoyed the first book and I'm looking forward to this one!

Summary from Goodreads:

Audiobook: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Read by Neil Gaiman 

Synopsis: A brilliantly imaginative and poignant fairy tale from the modern master of wonder and terror,The Ocean at the End of the Lane is Neil Gaiman’s first new novel for adults since his #1 New York Times bestseller Anansi Boys.

This bewitching and harrowing tale of mystery and survival, and memory and magic, makes the impossible all too real...

Teaser Tuesdays #76

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

New Cover Reveal for Desire by B.L. Wilde

*Announcement* 

New Cover for Desire, The Seductors Series #1 

By B.L.Wilde

Cover designed by Jo Matthews at Written Elegance.

Children's Book: Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Rosie and her best friend, Bailey, don't always get along, that's true. But Granny Torrelli seems to know just how to make things right again with her interesting stories and family recipes. It's easier to remember what's important about love, life, and friendship while Granny Torrelli makes soup.

My Thoughts: Food can make people come together and become closer. In this book, the making of soup played an importance in the story. I found Granny Torrelli Makes Soup to be a very cute read and I liked how it was told through making a dish. 

Friday Posts, 2/7/14

This hop is hosted by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. Every week bloggers answer a question and then visit other blogs that are participating.  This week's question is:

What is the highest number of books you received in one day either in the mail or from UPS or FedEx?
  

Review: Outcast by Cheryl Brooks (18+)

Synopsis: Sold into slavery when his planet was destroyed, Lynx was enslaved in a harem. He is a favorite due to his feline gene, which gives him remarkable sexual powers, but after ten years, Lynx is exhausted.

Thrown out without a penny, Lynx is bitter and anti-female. He emigrates to a new planet but can only find a job with a female rancher.

Bonnie's boyfriend has left with all their money and she needs help with the ranch. Lynx is cynical, but honest, and though he has made it clear that he wants no part of a romantic relationship, Bonnie can't resist him. She finds out about his impotence and becomes determined not to let such a beautiful and sensual young man go to waste...

Spotlight with Excerpt: Wind and Shadow by Tori L. Ridgewood

Tori L. Ridgewood’s new book Wind and Shadow: Book One of the Talbot Trilogy, published by Melange Books, was released on June 20, 2013.

After a series of misadventures including being accused of attempted murder in high school, Rayvin Woods, a photographer and natural witch, left her hometown of Talbot in Northeastern Ontario, hoping to start her life over and never return. Ten years later, circumstances force her back to face her past and her former crush Grant Michaels.

Malcolm de Sade, a cunning vampire, escapes from an underground prison looking for vengeance. His accidental release unleashes his hunger and ambition on a small, sleepy town. Rayvin’s power is all that stands between de Sade and his domination of Talbot, and beyond.

Grant Michaels, a police officer, thought Rayvin was a murderer. He will do whatever it takes to protect the community he loves from danger... but will he learn to trust his heart, and the word of a witch, before it's too late?

Teaser Tuesday #75

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

Audiobook: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Read by August Ross

Synopsis: It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

2014: Jan. Wrap-up + Feb. Plans

Woo hoo!!! I can't believe how well I did for the first month of this new year! I am so proud of myself especially with all the craziness that has been going on at home. Here's what I got read:

Children's Non-Fiction Review: A Drop of Water by Walter Wick

Synopsis: The most spectacular photographs ever created on the subject of water appear in this unique science book by Walter Wick. The camera stops the action and magnifies it so that all the amazing states of water can be observed - water as ice, rainbow, stream, frost, dew. Readers can examine a drop of water as it falls from a faucet, see a drop of water as it splashes on a hard surface, count the points of an actual snowflake, and contemplate how drops of water form clouds.

My Thoughts: This was a very neat book. I came across it over at one of my co-worker's bookshelves in her classroom. The cover immediately caught my attention because of the cover. Water art really catches my attention so I immediately picked this up. I was completely captivated by it.

This neat book gave intriguing information about water. It described and gave examples of the different forms of water as well as what what one can do with it. Though these were scientific based, all the information was written in a simplistic way so that anyone could understand it, especially children. Challenging words were explained and it did not feel as if this was a science text. It might not have given the exact details of what water is comprised of, but it gave the gist of it. 

Guest Post: Melika Lux on City of Lights

What would you risk for the love of a stranger?

Ilyse Charpentier, a beautiful young chanteuse, is the diva of the 1894 Parisian cabaret scene by night and the unwilling obsession of her patron, Count Sergei Rakmanovich, at every other waking moment.

Though it has always been her secret desire, Ilyse’s life as “La Petite Coquette” of the Paris stage has turned out to be anything but the glamorous existence she had dreamt of as a girl. As a young woman, Ilyse has already suffered tragedy and become estranged from her beloved brother, Maurice, who blames her for allowing the Count to drive them apart.