Corked winners

THE WINNERS ARE

1 NATALIE W.
2 TABATHIA

I WILL BE EMAILING YOU SHORTLY

Sleep No More winners

THE WINNERS FOR SLEEP NO MORE

1 rubynreba

2 karenk

3 misskallie2000

I WILL BE EMAILING YOU SHORTLY IF I HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY.

Feddie Girl by Nona David review

From the back of the book:

Carlotta Ikedi (a.k.a Feddie Girl) has never liked school. Not in California. Not in Oklahoma. When her exasperated parents ships her off to boarding school- in West Africa- Carlotta faces a life, culture, and existence unlike anything she’s ever known.

School rules and regulation, rising bell, lights-out, manual labor, inspections, dinning time, perfects, punishments, mean bunkmates, and visiting days-it’s all here. But author Nona David takes Carlotta’s story a step further when her adventures lead to unfortunate incidents that threaten to drive her American family into the clutches of infidelity and organized crime/

Boarding school doesn’t get any better than this…..

For readers who’ve experienced the boarding school life, the adventures of Feddie Girl will bring those memories crashing back…For anyone else, get ready to see the world as Feddie Girl.

My thoughts:

At first I had a hard time getting into the flow of the book, but by the 2 chapter I couldn’t put it down. The action and adventure that comes pouring out of this book will hold readers attention and keep them glued to the book. With hilarious situations, and jaw dropping plots, Feddie Girl makes for the perfect suspenseful read that will both entertain and amuse. So find a comfy reading spot and prepare to be lost in the world created by author Nona David.

The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock Giveaway

The new Americana romance from bestselling author Dorothy Garlock, this time set against the backdrop of WWII. Sophie Heller's family immigrated from Germany to Victory, a small town in Illinois, before WWII began. Now that the war has affected the town, the townspeople discriminate against Sophie and her family. When a train derails, it is an accident but the Heller family is blamed. Coming to Sophie's rescue is a teacher from the high school, and despite their cultural differences, a romance starts to bloom.

Learn more at DorothyGarlock.com

I have 5 copies to giveaway thanks to Hachette Book Group.
Contest Ends March 31.

Please leave your name and a valid email address.
If you do not respond within a week after my email announcement I have the right to select another winner.
Open to residents of the US & Canada

Double Trouble by Susan May Warren Blog Tour

ABOUT THE BOOK
With one solved case under her belt, PJ Sugar is ready to dive into her career as a private investigator. Or at least a PI's assistant until she can prove herself to Jeremy Kane, her new boss. Suddenly PJ's seeing crime everywhere. But is it just in her head, or can she trust her instincts? When she takes on her first official case-house-sitting for a witness in protective custody-Jeremy assures her there's no danger involved. But it soon becomes clear that there is someone after the witness . . . and now they're after PJ, too

My Thoughts
PJ Sugar is back and once again she seems to have a knack for investigating. Deciding to stay put in her hometown, residing in her sisters spare bedroom PJ has started training as a private investigator, which in-turn has her family and boyfriend upset and worried. Working as a PI in training with her new boss Jeremy, her first is stand in for a woman in the witness protection service. PJ is determined not to mess this up although her knack for jumping to conclusions and being unable to say to helping people, has landed her in hot water. Not to mention the fact that someone is out to harm the woman she’s standing in for. With her super sleuth skills running high, PJ is out to find the culprit Although while filling in for Dally, PJ, with the help of her new friend the eccentric Gabby, realizes that no matter how hard one tries to succeed, no one can truly become a new person until they trust and rely fully on God. Finally her life is starting to come together the only thing left to sort out is whether or not she should marry Boone, the man she loved since high school or by chance will her new boss Jeremy finally claim his ‘princess’?



The PJ Sugar series has become my favorite series by Susan May Warren. Once again Susan has captured the everyday struggles with our faith that we all face. How many times have you found yourself in the same position as PJ, struggling within yourself with day to day decisions regarding following your own path or the path that God has chosen for you? I think that is one of the reasons why I have connect with the character’s in these books because they are true to life. Susan May Warren has a knack for creating amazing characters that stand out and stay with you, many of us can even pick out a few that we ourselves either went to high school with or live by. This book has truly inspired and uplifted me. It has also reminded me to “Draw with confidence to the throne of grace”. I cannot wait to tell people about this amazing book, and I will be looking forward to seeing what PJ Sugar get up to in the next book. Both books are the perfect mystery novels that will uplift, inspire and entertain the reader.


Favorite line that will stick with me:
“Every day the choices you make tell you who and what you are.”


ORDER DOUBLE TROUBLE HERE





Nothing but Trouble, A PJ Sugar Novel book 1

PJ Sugar knows three things for sure:
1) After traveling the country for ten years hoping to shake free from the trail of disaster that's become her life, she needs a fresh start.
2) The last person she wants to see when she heads home for her sister's wedding is Boone-her former flame and the reason she left town.
3) Her best friend's husband absolutely did not commit the first murder Kellogg, Minnesota, has seen in more than a decade.
What PJ doesn't know is that when she starts digging for evidence, she'll uncover much more than she bargained for-a deadly conspiracy, a knack for investigation, and maybe, just maybe, that fresh start she's been longing for.



My Thoughts

Everyone one has heard the old adage “you can’t go home again”, well PJ Sugar is about to test the saying. Returning home 10 years after being accused of a crime she didn’t commit, PJ wonders if she can rise from the ashes of her past and be noticed as the woman she’s become. Although trouble does seem to find her as she wonders if she will ever be able to shake the nickname nothing but trouble that her former flame and current boyfriend called her. When her best friends husband is accused of murder PJ delves into the world high crime as she begins her own investigation. All the while trying to prove that she has become a reliable and trust worthy daughter, sister, and friend.

Susan May Warren has created a believable cast of characters as well an amazing plot that not only offers mysteries and romance but spiritual guidance as well. PJ Sugar is a character that I believe anybody could relate to. You watch the character grow into her own confidence as she realizes that the life she had ten years ago is not the same as the one she is leading today. As she struggles with her faith, we are reminded that once you have been saved the old you is gone and a new you appears. I enjoyed that Susan May Warren has reinforced that statement as well as provided the comfort that we all falter, and that the Lord will be there to pick you up and dust you off. I never knew that I could receive such a blessing from reading a fictional mystery novel. Truly an amazing read that will lift your spirit and touch your heart.


ORDER NOTHING BUT TROUBLE HERE





ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year. Her larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com



CONTEST
One Grand Prize winner will receive a $150 SUPER SLEUTH prize package that includes:
Winner will be announced March 1

A brand new iPod Shuffle (perfect for those all-night stakeouts)
A $10 iTunes gift card (we recommend the ALIAS soundtrack)
A $10 Amazon gift card (why yes, they do sell spy pens)
A $10 Starbucks gift card (for fuel, obviously)
A pair of designer sunglasses (be stealthy AND super chic)
A gorgeous scarf from World Market (can also be used as a blindfold, and/or for tying up bad guys)
AND signed copies of both Nothing But Trouble & Double Trouble. (romance! danger! intrigue! sooo much better than Surveillance for Dummies!)
Enter Here





My thanks to LitFuse for providing a free copy of both books.

The Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer giveaway

Here's What the Publisher's have to say
What keeps women from being their best? Joyce has been helping women better themselves by helping identify emotional barriers and physical, mental, and spiritual obstacles in their lives for years. Now she provides another answer-confidence.

Our society has an insecurity epidemic, women in particular. Compensating by pretending to be secure-a common response-only leads to feelings of shame. Lack of self-confidence causes great difficulty in relationships of all kinds, and in marriage instances can even lead to divorce.

In THE CONFIDENT WOMAN, Joyce explores the seven characteristics of a woman with confidence, which include a woman who knows she is loved, who refuses to live in fear, and who does not live by comparisons. Joyce explains that confidence stems from being positive in your actions and living honestly, but most importantly from having faith, in God and in ourselves.

Book Details
Category: RELIGION
Format: TRADE PAPERBACK
Publish Date: 2/10/2010
Price: $13.99/$16.99
ISBN: 9780446558402
Pages: 272


I have three copies to giveaway.
Residents of US and Canada only.
Contest ends March 20

Contest thanks to Hachette Book Group

The Crazy School by Cornelia Read giveaway & review

Here's what the Publishers have to say
"Madeline Dare is like that wild smart-mouthed friend who blows into town, sweeps you off into a knife-edge adventure you never saw coming, and makes you laugh out loud even at the darkest, most intense moments. I can't wait to meet her again."
--Tana French, New York Times bestselling author of In the Woods

Recently settled in the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts, Madeline Dare now teaches at the Santangelo Academy, a boarding school for disturbed teenagers. But behind its ornate gates, she discovers a disorienting world where students and teachers alike must submit to the founder's bizarre therapeutic regimen. A chilling event confirms Maddie's worst suspicions, leading her to an even darker secret that lies at the academy's very heart. Now cut off from the outside world, Maddie must join forces with a small band of the school's most violently rebellious students--kids who, despite their troubled grip on reality, may well prove to be her only chance of survival.






Do you have a book group? Feel free to grab this book group guide to use.
1. Maddie is the only Santangelo Academy teacher who lives off campus. How does this affect her views of what is “normal”?

2. Wiesner tells Maddie she is “too whacked to maintain appropriate boundaries” and has issues with authority. Do you agree? Does anyone at Santangelo maintain “appropriate” boundaries?

3. Maddie claims she hates Mindy because she is so shallow. What does this assessment reveal about Maddie herself? How does the generally negative nature of Maddie’s worldview affect the outcome of this particular narrative?

4. Maddie wants to believe that Santangelo can “fix” her. What is broken in her life?

5. The school uses a lot of phrases such as “firing yourself ” and “doing a turn-in.” Many groups use language to create a shared sense of identity. When can this be beneficial, and when can this be dangerous?

6. What are the author’s views on therapy, as expressed by Maddie? Do you agree with her?

7. Why does Maddie stay on as a teacher at Santangelo? Is it only about the paycheck for her?

8. While he never appears in the novel, Maddie’s father is discussed twice during the course of the story. What impact do you think his mental illness has had on her development and on her issues with “authority”?

9. What might be different about this novel if Dean had a steady job? What do you think of his attitude about drug testing—is he standing up for individual rights, or should he put down the bong and get over himself already?

10. Could Maddie have been a more effective advocate for her students if she’d played by the Santangelo rules? What would this have meant for Fay and Mooney, specifically? Should she have “done a turn-in” with regard to their secret?

11. What impact has the advent of psychotherapeutic drugs such as Prozac had on the public perception of “talk therapy”?

12. Has the influence of such psychiatric authorities as Freud and Jung been diminished or enhanced by advances in our understanding of neurochemistry over the last two decades? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

13. How do you think Maddie will respond when she hears about the events of the final chapter? Did what happened change your perception of Wiesner and Sitzman?

14. Is the final word of the book, uttered by Sitzman, significant? Does its use here tie in with the discussion of campus prohibitions against it in chapter one? How would the novel be impacted if there were no profanity used by any of its characters?

Book Details
Category: FICTION
Format: TRADE PAPERBACK
Publish Date: 2/12/2010
Price: $13.99/$16.99
ISBN: 9780446198202
Pages: 352





About the author
Cornelia Read grew up in New York, California, and Hawaii. She describes herself as a reformed debutante who currently lives in Berkeley. This is her second novel. Her website is www.corneliaread.com.



I have 3 copies to giveaway on March 15.

Contest open to residents of the US and Canada only.
Leave your name and a Valid email address to enter
Contest thanks to Hachette Book Group

Winners of I am OZZY audio cd

THE WINNERS OF I AM OZZY AUDIO BOOK ARE THE FOLLOWING

1 ANISA PURDIN
2 409COPE
3 G.G.


I will be emailing you shortly.

Life Lessons From a Horse Whisperer blog tour review

ABOUT THE BOOK
A champion trainer and true horse whisperer, Dr. Lew Sterrett has used patience and a firm but gentle hand to earn the trust of more than 3,500 horses. In this book, Lew tells the stories of his work with these horses and the lessons each one has taught him. Sometimes heartbreaking and often uplifting, Lew has condensed his lifetime of learning into messages for the Christian life. Today, Lew shares these messages with more than 50,000 people each year through horse training presentations at Miracle Mountain Ranch and nationally through his Sermon on the Mount Ministry.

The author's engaging style and adroit mixture of well-tested anecdotes and thoughtful instruction make this a winning read-and not just for horse lovers.



MY THOUGHTS
Life Lessons From a Horse Whisper, was a very intriguing read that makes the reader take notice. Not only was the book filled with trivia pertaining to horses, it was filled knowledge on how we can have closer walk with the Lord. Growing up in the city, I was never exposed to horses, so I had no idea about their personality traits, it’s unbelievable how much we have in common with them. We as Christians often put up the same struggles with our Master as a horse does with his. Sometimes we are either too headstrong, or have simply be broken down by the events that have happened in our lives to place our trust in Jesus Christ. We have to slowly gain our footing and realize that He is their to love, and protect us, that he has given His life to redeem the unworthy. This book shows us how we can trust in the Lord. Defiantly a book I will pass along to my friends and family, I believe that everyone can benefit from reading this touching book.



MEET THE AUTHOR

A champion trainer and true horse whisperer, Dr. Lew Sterrett has used patience and a firm but gentle hand to earn the trust of more than 3,500 horses. Dr. Lew Sterrett (Ph. D) had little idea that his boyhood interest in horses would open doors internationally for speaking and training. During his years in 4-H, he savored many opportunities to train and show horses and earn national recognition. As a student leader at Penn State University he benefited from many mentoring relationships from which he received valuable training, experience and honors. This foundation provided a basis for an extensive horse career with a unique emphasis on training youth and community leaders.

Lew has served as the Executive Director of Miracle Mountain Ranch Missions, Inc. (MMRM) since 1977. MMRM, located in northwestern Pennsylvania, is home for a summer youth camp, and a leadership training center for youth, adult, and family groups. He has also promoted safety in public riding programs, serving as President of the Certified Horse Association for 7 years. A licensed pastor, certified Youth, Marriage and Family Counselor, he earned his PhD from North Tennessee Seminary in 2007

Find out more about Dr. Lew Sterrett on his website: http://www.sermononthemount.org/


Q&A WITH THE AUTHOR


1. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED WITH HORSES? AT WHAT POINT DID IT BECOME YOUR LIFE’S PASSION?

I was but eight when my neighbors got horses and then my sister followed suit. Somehow it struck a chord with me, for I had already been infatuated with the likes of Roy Rogers, Stony Burke, the Rifleman, etc. I rode my sister’s horse looking more like a peanut on an elephant than a cowboy on his steed, but I was hooked. From that time on this fantasy began to become a reality. When I was 14, I was asked to train for someone else. It was all downhill after that. In part because of my intense enjoyment of horses, in part it was my safe place from family issues, and in part because I begun to experience affirmation from others in what I did.


2. THE TITLE OF YOUR THIRD CHAPTER IS ‘ANYTHING WORTH DOING IS WORTH DOING POORLY’- WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

Of course this statement opposes the more popular line that ‘If anything is worth doing, it is worth doing well’. However we must understand that no one ever starts anything at the top of their game. Starting is often clumsy, messy, and many times, embarrassing. The key is ‘get started’ for you will never learn any younger, and you really have no place to go but up! The emphasis here is to learn how to take the initiative and to keep getting up when you fall.


3. YOU SUGGEST AT VARIOUS POINTS IN YOUR BOOK THAT TRAINING HORSES IS ABOUT TEACHING THEM TO TAKE SIMPLE STEPS. WHAT LESSONS CAN CHRISTIANS TAKE FROM THIS TRAINING?

“Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken the fat of rams’(Isaiah 15:23). Man often pursues unhealthy habits and poor decisions with impulse sacrifices. Perhaps people can be bought off for a time, but God values faithfulness over impulsiveness because faithfulness results in confidence. Little steps that are taken consistently bear far better fruit over the long haul than great talent; character prevails over skill. When applied to the home this produces harmony and growth.


4. YOU GREW UP IN THE CHURCH, BUT THEN STOPPED ATTENDING FOR A WHILE. WHAT BROUGHT YOU BACK?

Growing up in church no more makes one a Christian than standing in the barn makes one a horse. Without a personal intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit, Christianity is nothing more than a religious shell. I grew up in that void and until I came to Christ as a college student, none of it made a lot of sense. After my new awakening in Christ, I found a new hunger in and thirst for the Word, for fellowship and sound teaching.


5. WHAT DOES THE PHRASE “ASHES TO BEAUTY” MEAN TO YOU? AND HOW HAS WORKING WITH HORSES TAUGHT YOU THIS?

God the Creator is always in the business of redemption. In my opinion, we were a pretty poor purchase for the sacrifice of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. With all respect, I see Him as a garbage collector: He takes our garbage and in exchange offers forgiveness and cleansing. He gave His life as complete payment for our sin offering eternal life to all who would receive Him. What a deal! Only a fool would turn it down and that is precisely the point. Furthermore, He takes ashes of broken lives and gives us a purpose to do His good and perfect work. The testimony of His regenerate work in a person’s life parallels seeing that of a horse whose life was headed for destruction being restored to a place of useful and honorable service.


6. IF THERE IS ONE MESSAGE YOU WANT READERS TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOU BOOK, WHAT IS IT?

Every trainer wants a relationship with the horse. Man’s ways are opposite to God’s- we are deceitful and addictively self-absorbed-but God wants a relationship with us. To get there, God often has to corral us and get is to face the futility and deception of our own reasoning. Like the horse, we can’t ‘save ourselves.’ The story of this book is that not only does God want a relationship with every reader, but He has already sent the trainer, the Lord Jesus Christ, into our arena to speak our language and to elevate us to fellowship with him. It is our privilege to respond to Him in humility (repentance) and trust (faith) in His offer of forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe in Him for salvation.



BUY THE BOOK
READ AN EXCERPT

CONTEST!

Tweet the following to be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card & signed copies of Lew's book!


TWEET THIS: (must use hashtag #lewsterrett to be entered - no limit on entries! Tweet away!)

Life Lessons from a Horse Whisperer: not just for horse lovers! http://ow.ly/169ym RT to win $50 to @amazon #LewSterrett


I received my free review copy from LitFuse

Countess of Scandal Blog Tour Review & Giveaway

About The Book

As children, Eliza Blacknall and William Denton ran wild over the fields of southern Ireland and swore they would be friends forever. Then fate took Will away to England, while Eliza stayed behind to become a proper Irish countess.
Years later, Will finally makes his way home-as an English soldier sent to crush the Irish uprising. When he spies the lovely Eliza, he is captivated by the passionate woman she has become. But Eliza's passions have led her to join the Irish rebel cause, and Will and Eliza now find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous conflict.
When Ireland explodes in bloody rebellion, Will's regiment is ordered to the front lines, and he is forced to choose between his duty to the English king and his love for Eliza and their Irish homeland.

My Thoughts
I truly enjoyed this book. I found that I was hooked from the very beginning. With some of the previous romance novels that I have read I found the plot to be a little dry as well as the characters, with Countess of Scandal, it was the complete opposite, the plot was intriguing and the characters were well developed. Laurel McKee, also focused on a theme that was very prevalent in Ireland, many choose to side with the English in time of war, turning on their friends, family and those they loved. This story sheds light on that subject as well as offering readers a steamy romance. I cannot wait to read the forthcoming books in the Daughters of Erin Trilogy. For those who enjoy historical romance novels this is the book for you.


BOOK DETAILS
Category: FICTION, ROMANCE
Format: MASS MARKET
Publish Date: 2/1/2010
Price: $6.99/$8.99
ISBN: 9780446544788
Pages: 368


Here's Five Fun Facts about the book

1) When I was a teenager, my friends were mostly fan-girls for movie stars and rock musicians. Not me. I was a geeky history fan-girl for people like Madame de Pompadour, Marie Antoinette, Anne Boleyn, and Elizabeth I. (I had one friend who inexplicably liked Mary Queen of Scots! Despite the odds, we are still friends.) This made me a weird 14-year-old but has given me endless inspiration for stories. For Countess of Scandal, I looked at women like Mary Ann McCracken, Emily the Duchess of Leinster, and Margaret King.

2) As well as being a historical fan-girl, I’m a bona fide girly-girl, with secret guilty pleasures like Hello Kitty, bright pink shoes, and MAC lipgloss. That means I spend huge amounts of time researching my heroines’ wardrobes.

3) I had an inkling for the beginning of a story that would grow into Countess of Scandal years ago on a tour of the grand house Castletown outside of Dublin. Castletown was once owned by Lady Louisa Conolly, one of the famous Lennox sisters, and the home is stunningly gorgeous. The tour guide provided lots of information about the lives of the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy and what they faced in 1798. It just took me a while to meet the characters to fill the story!

4) I have no sisters and always sort of wanted one. I even made my poor little brother have tea parties with me when we were kids. Maybe that’s why I love writing connected stories about sisters.

5) I always create characters collages when I start a new book. This usually entails copious amounts of time online looking at photos of hunky actors. Very hard work, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice for my book! For Countess of Scandal, I was inspired by Rupert Friend in uniform in Pride and Prejudice, and I pictured Eliza as looking something like Rachel Weisz. (I also create soundtracks for books! Lots of Chieftains and the Young Dubliners for this book…)





About the Author

Laurel McKee lives in Oklahoma with a menagerie of two cats, a Pug, and a bossy miniature poodle, and loves dance classes, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network-even though she doesn't cook.








Would you like to win a copy? I have 5 to giveaway thanks to Hachette Book Group,
To enter please leave your name and a valid email address.
Contest Starts February 19
I will select the winners on March 19

The Last Song Winners

THE WINNERS FOR THE LAST SONG ARE THE FOLLOWING

1 TWIFANHEATHER
2 ELLIE
3 WANDA

I WILL BE EMAILING YOU SHORTLY


If you didn't manage to snag a copy no worries new contests will be posted shorlty.

Best Wishes & Happy Reading
Renee

Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Charts & Maps

Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, third edition, is an amazing study guide to add to your collection. With reproducible maps and charts that span the entirety of the whole Bible, this books makes an excellent study guide. Each chapter is divided into sections including author, date, themes & literary structure, each of those also contain sub categories, making this guide easy to use. Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, third edition, also contains timelines, color photos, and much more to enhance your Biblical studies.

I found that I could not put this book down once I opened it, there was so much information. I found that the temple diagrams, timelines, and genealogy was most fascinating. This amazing book would be helpful to those who are both studying the Bible for personal knowledge and those who are Biblical studies. I would recommend Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, third edition to everyone who has an interest in furthering their knowledge of the Bible. A great edition to your weekly Bible study, as well as the perfect gift to give.

Order your copy HERE

This book was provided by Book Sneeze

Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer review

Title: Beauvallet
Author: Georgette Heyer
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1-4022-1951-1
Format: Trade Paperback
Price: 13.99/17.99
Category: Historical Romance
Release Date: January 2010
Pages: 301

Description

A swashbuckling tale set in the second half of the 16th century, when Elizabeth was on the throne and the Spanish Armada ruled the waves. Sir Nicholas Beauvallet, pirate and nobleman, captures a Spanish galleon and discovers a lovely lady on board. Chivalrous to the core, he woos and wins her heart, then returns her and her father to their homeland, vowing to come after her—even though there's a price on his head and discovery of his identity will mean certain death. In the midst of much adventure, Beauvallet masquerades
as a Frenchman, is betrayed, and must fight his way to freedom while stealing the lady willingly away…
In her signature style, Heyer has mastered the vernacular of the time, bringing to life an era of daring heroism and harrowing adventure, all intertwined with a breathtaking love story.


My Thoughts

This was my first time reading a Georgette Heyer novel, and let me start by saying that I was not disappointed. From the first page to the very last Beauvallet was full of action and adventure, not to mention romance. Wrote in an Elizabethan era tone, with a rumbustious attitude that will have you ready to board a pirate vessel, this is the perfect novel for those seeking adventure. With lovable characters that captivate you, and an intriguing plot that will hold you captive until the very end, you will want to read this book straight through. Beauvallet is truly a book for those who love historical romance. I guarantee that by the end of this book a dashing pirate will have captured your heart.

About Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer’s sparkling novels have charmed and delighted millions of readers. She wrote over 50 books, including Regency romances, mysteries and historical fiction. She was legendary for her research, historical accuracy and her extraordinary plots and characterizations.

Georgette Heyer was known as the Queen of Regency romance. Her characters brilliantly illuminate one of the most exciting and fascinating eras of English history—when drawing rooms sparkled with well-dressed nobility and romantic intrigues ruled the day. Heyer’s heroines are smart and independent; her heroes are dashing noblemen who know how to handle a horse, fight a duel, and address a lady. And her sense of humor is superb.



This book was provided to me thanks to Sourcebooks.

Corked by Katheryn Borel review & giveaway

Description from the publishers

Meet Kathryn Borel, bon vivant and undutiful daughter. Now meet her father, Philippe, former chef, eccentric genius, and wine aficionado extraordinaire. Kathryn is like her father in every way but one: she's totally ignorant when it comes to wine. And although Philippe has devoted untold parenting hours to delivering impassioned oenological orations, she has managed to remain unenlightened. But after an accident and a death, Kathryn realizes that by shutting herself off to her father's greatest passion, she will never really know him


I have 3 copies to giveaway
Contest ends February 26
OPEN TO US RESIDENTS ONLY

To enter please leave your name and a valid email address

Contest brought to you by Hachette book group

The Swan Thieves audio book review & giveaway

Full Description
Psychiatrist Andrew Marlowe has a perfectly ordered life--solitary, perhaps, but full of devotion to his profession and the painting hobby he loves. This order is destroyed when renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient. In response, Marlowe finds himself going beyond his own legal and ethical boundaries to understand the secret that torments this genius, a journey that will lead him into the lives of the women closest to Robert Oliver and toward a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism.

Ranging from American museums to the coast of Normandy, from the late nineteenth century to the late twentieth, from young love to last love, THE SWAN THIEVES is a story of obsession, the losses of history, and the power of art to preserve human hope

I have 3 copies to giveaway.
Giveaway starts February 11
Giveaway ends March 31

Giveaway thanks to Hachette Audio

Sleep No More by Susan Crandall review &giveaway

Here's what the publishers have to say,

The night was always Abby Whitman's enemy. As a young girl she walked in her sleep, and one night, she started a fire that scarred her sister for life and left Abby with unbearable guilt . . . and a loneliness that echoes within her. Now Abby has begun blacking out again-with apparently fatal results. A car accident has killed the son of a prominent family. Even though the evidence seems to exonerate her, Abby is plagued by doubts-and soon by mysterious threats. Psychiatrist Dr. Jason Coble is intrigued by Abby and offers to help her explore the dark recesses of her mind.

My Thoughts

If you are looking for a suspenseful romance novel than Sleep No More is the book for you. I did have a bit of trouble getting into the book at first but I did find that more I read the more intrigued I became. It offered the right amount of thrills, chills, frills that accompany this genre writing, I found the characters interesting, and the plot held my attention after chapter 7. I would recommend this book to those who like a bit of mystery.




Five Fun Facts about Sleep No More
1) Susan has always had a deep seated fear of being stuck in a car submerged in water at night. She tapped into that fear when she wrote the accident scene in SLEEP NO MORE. To top it off, she set it in an ultra-creepy South Carolina Lowcountry swamp. This one kept her awake at night.

2) During her young childhood years, Susan’s daughter was a sleepwalker. Luckily there was an alarm on the house, and she never made it outdoors.

3) This book met its deadline even though during the last writing weeks Susan was battling a stomach virus. Therefore her “snack of the book” (see book pages on www.susancrandall.net for each book’s deadline snack) was box after box of mini-saltines.

4) Susan’s son is also a fiction writer. His first novel is almost finished.

5) Susan had some misconceptions about sleepwalking when she started developing this book. One of the main points she had wrong required her to totally adjust her plan for this story. Originally she’d intended to have Abby begin to recall scraps of memory as she worked with Dr. Jason Coble. As it turns out, sleepwalkers do not recall anything they do while sleepwalking. Research showed her the error of her ways.


Details
Category: FICTION, ROMANCE
Format: MASS MARKET
Edition: Forever Special Release
Publish Date: 1/1/2010
Price: $6.99/$8.99
ISBN: 9780446556842
Pages: 400

Contest Starts February 11
I will be giving away 5 copies on February 26

TO ENTER PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NAME AND A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS

Contest is open to residents of the US & Canada only.
Sorry P.O. Boxes will not be accepted.
Thanks to Hachette for allowing this contest

The Boleyn Wife by Brandy Purdy review

Many of us know the story of King Henry’s second wife Anne Boleyn by heart, even those who know little about the history of England could tell you of her fate. Although if you ask them about the events that led up to her demise, I am sure that, their answers will lack a key factor. Many fail to realize that Anne’s own sister-in-law, Jane Boleyn was the catalyst that led Anne and a small group of her friends to the scaffold. In “The Boleyn Wife”, author Brandy Purdy allows Jane Boleyn to recount the events leading up to her own demise in this poignant novel.

During her last stay in the Tower, Jane Boleyn begins to recall the events that have led up to her own demise. Falling in love with the dashing George Boleyn, Jane will stop at nothing until she has claimed him for her husband. Getting her wish, she soon discovers that the only woman her husband will ever love and care about is his sister, the devious Anne Boleyn. As Anne’s star begins to rise and her circle at court grows, Jane finds that she is on the outside looking in. Jilted by her husband Jane quietly gathers information pertaining to their affairs. Suddenly Jane finds herself in the position to use that knowledge against her greatest enemy Anne. Although by doing so Jane finds out that, she will lose more than she could have ever imagined. Not only has she doomed Anne and the group of men who surrounded her to suffer a traitor’s death, Jane has doomed her own husband to share their fate. She now has to endure the world she has created for herself. Plagued by the deeds she has done she spends her time severing the Queens that followed Anne. When Henry marries, his fifth Queen the young and daft, Katherine Howard, Jane is once more embroiled in the affairs of others. With the arrival of this new Queen who happens to be the niece of Anne Boleyn, Jane’s demise has been ushered in.

Reading “The Boleyn Wife” I was able to see things from the perspective of Jane Boleyn. I believe that Brandy Purdy has humanized her so that for once I actually felt a bit of sympathy for her plight. Although Brandy is keen to stating the fact that Jane was the author of her own demise, so readers see both sides of the world she created. Well researched and with the perfect blend of fiction, “The Boleyn Wife” will leave readers with something to talk about. A must read for those interested in Tudor fiction.

My thanks to the author for sending me a copy of The Boleyn Wife.

Winners of Black Tie Affair

THE WINNERS OF BLACK TIE AFFAIR ARE

1 TRACEY
2 BENITA
3 BETHIE
4 SUE A

I WILL BE EMAILING YOU SHORTLY.

If you did not snag a copy fear not for new giveaways will shortly be posted,

Best Wishes and Happy Reading

Angela Renee