So little time...: November 2012

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Mr. Darcy Bites Back by Mary Lydon Simonsen

Ahh...It feels good to be back with my favorite couple! I’ve been asked to review many good books lately that are not Austenesque, but I always love to come home! Today, I am reviewing Mary Simonsen's new book, and she is graciously giving one e-book copy of Mr. Darcy Bites Back to one lucky person! All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter below!

From the back jacket:

As Mr. and Mrs. Darcy approach the first anniversary of their marriage, they look upon their life together very much as an idyll. With one exception. Their lives will always be ruled by the lunar cycle as the Master of Pemberley is a werewolf.

As Darcy prepares his wolf pack for nightfall, an unsettling rumor is being spread in the village that a phantom Ghost Buck has appeared in Wentside Woods on the Darcy estate. Because Darcy does not believe the stag exists, he wants to know who started the rumor—and why. Is it possible that someone has learned of his darkest secret and is trying to draw him out?

My Review:

This is a fun peek into the lives of Darcy and Elizabeth! I read Mr. Darcy’s Bite last year; you can read my review here. The story continues in Mr. Darcy Bites Back where we visit the Darcy’s about a year after they are married...

Someone is spreading rumors about a huge deer the locals call “Ghost Buck." Interestingly, the Ghost Buck has only been spotted in the woods near Pemberley. Darcy has always tried hard to keep people out of his woods. Now, he is concerned the rumors will bring more poachers to the area to trap this elusive deer, thus adding more danger to him and his pack by being spotted, or worse, caught in the teeth of a steel trap. Darcy is anxious to solve this mystery.

As if that’s not enough, Darcy also has to deal with a new member of his pack, Marcel, a young man, a loner who trusts no one. With no guidance, he has had trouble adjusting to his life as a wolf, and because of those troubles, he has a lot of pent-up anger. The Council is hoping Darcy can help him adjust to his new life and to learn to be part of a pack.

While Darcy is working to figure out where the rumors are originating, Elizabeth and Georgiana have teamed up to solve the mystery on their own.

I loved the mention of Antony, Lord Fitzwilliam! He is at Rosings, most likely hiding out from his creditors. I can only imagine how he is getting along with Lady Catherine! Now, that could be a good story all on it own!

If you enjoyed Mr. Darcy’s Bite, I think you will enjoy Mr. Darcy Bites Back! Even if, you haven’t read the first I think you’ll be alright reading this alone. Mary does give a little of the back story at the beginning and then a few times through out the story. This is a novella, so it does concentrate on this one event.

As always, Mary has written another enjoyable read!

4 out of 5 stars.

I was provided a copy of Mr. Darcy Bites Back for my honest review.

You can buy a paperback or e-book copy. Or fill out the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win an e-copy!

Connect with Mary:

Twitter: @MarySimonsen

Facebook

Blog: Austen Inspired Fan Fiction

Austen Authors

~~~GIVEAWAY!~~~

Here it is! Your chance to win an e-book copy (Nook or Kindle) of Mr. Darcy Bites Back! Fill in the Rafflecopter form below! The last day to enter is December 5, 2012. This is open internationally. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to enter the rafflecopter for your chance to win an e-book copy of Mr Darcy Bites Back, and leave a comment.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Guest Post, Giveaway and a Freebie!

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to let you know I'm over at Indie Jane with my review of All My Tomorrows by Colette Saucier. They are also having a giveaway over there. You have a chance to win either an e-book copy or a paperback copy of All My Tomorrows!

Next, I wanted to let you know, Mary Simonsen's book, Becoming Elizabeth Darcy kindle e-book is ~~free~~ at Amazon for the next three days, ~~November 27th, 28th and 29th!~~ ~ SALE IS OVER.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Blog Tour/Review: A Texan's Choice by Shelley Gray

About A Texan's Choice

When notorious outlaw Scout Proffitt wins a rundown ranch in west Texas, he expects to find the home he’s never had. Instead, he finds a run-down shack, a barn in dire straits…and a lovely woman who’s in no hurry to give up her ranch.

When Scout discovers that Rosemarie has nowhere else to go, he reluctantly allows her to stay with him for two weeks until she can find another home. But soon the locals get involved and insist they marry.

Determined to do at least one thing right in his life, he marries Rose. Then people from his past come back and give him an offer he can’t refuse. If things go well, he can make a fresh start. If not, he’ll be even worse off than before.

Which was something he never thought possible…

My Review:

Next to Regency, Historical Romance stories set in the American West are one of my favorite to read. I was very happy to get a chance to read A Texan’s Choice. I was intrigued to see how Gray would turn a gunslinger into a hero, and I was delighted with the results!

Rosemarie has always felt like an outsider in her own home. Her mother has never forgiven her for the death of her little brother. It was an accident, but that doesn’t matter. Now, her father was dead, and her mother was leaving her to go to live with her sister and brother-in-law, leaving her at the mercy of a killer.

Scout Proffit was a gunfighter who had run with the Walton Gang. Men feared him. He had come to claim the ranch he had won in a card game a couple of months back. What he found when he got there was a run down ranch and Rosemarie. With no place to go, Rosemarie asks if she can stay on at the ranch until she can find another place to go. Reluctantly, Scout agrees. When the town folks find out they are alone on the ranch, they insist that Scout and Rosemarie marry.

Deep down Scout is a decent man. He didn’t start out wanting to be a killer, but out of desperation he had become one, and he found he was good at it - real good. He was surprised how easy it was to shut off his feelings, and walk away from those he killed. When he realizes Rosemarie’s family is abandoning her, Scout feels a strong need to protect her. I love Scout and how he softens up to Rosemarie.

Another man who also ran with the Walton Gang is Russell Champion. Russell was tired of an outlaw’s life. He wanted to be able to walk the streets without worrying about the law coming after him. Then there is Miles Grant, owner of Circle Z ranch, he too struggled with low self-esteem. He worked hard to earn the trust of his hands at the ranch, but he still felt as if he needed to prove himself worthy of that trust and have their respect. When trouble comes to call, can these three men come together and break free of their pasts?

I liked Scout and Rosemarie's story. I love that whole damsel in distress and the strong, handsome,...gunslinger, in this case, who comes along and saves the day! I also enjoyed Mile's story. I really liked his feisty housekeeper, Annebeth. I liked how she bosses Miles around and always knows what's going on around town and at the ranch.

Even though, this is the third book of the series, and I have not read the first two, I didn’t feel as if I were missing anything. So, I would say this story can stand alone. But now I want to read A Texan’s Promise and A Texan’s Honor!

4 out of 5 stars.

I received a copy of this book for my honest review.

ABOUT SHELLEY GRAY

Shelley Gray’s first Amish novel, Hidden, was nominated for the Inspirational Readers Choice award. Her bookSimple Gifts won the Reviewers Choice Award. Shelley’s novel, The Protector, recently made the New York Timesbestseller list. Her novels have won the prestigious HOLT Medallion Award, the Reviewers Choice Award, and been highlighted in the Philadelphia Enquirer, Time Magazine, and USA Today. She’s also been interviewed on NPR as well as numerous regional radio stations. In addition, her novels have made both the USA Today and New York Times Bestsellers lists.

Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor’s degree in English literature and elementary education and later obtained her master’s degrees in educational administration. She now lives in southern Ohio and writes full time.

Her latest book is the Christian historical fiction, A Texan’s Choice.

You can visit Shelley’s website at www.shelleyshepardgray.com.

Connect with Shelley: Facebook | Goodreads

Purchase A Texan’s Choice: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook.com | Abingdon Press

A Texan’s Choice Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

Monday, November 5

Book Review at Splashes of Joy

Tuesday, November 6

Book Review & Book Giveaway at Colletta’s Kitchen Sink

Wednesday, November 7

Book Review at Legacy of a Writer

Thursday, November 8

Book Review at 4 the Love of Books

Friday, November 9

Book Review & Book Giveaway at Reviews From the Heart

Interview at 4 the Love of Books

Monday, November 12

Book Review at WV Stitcher

Tuesday, November 13

Book Review at The Book Connection

Wednesday, November 14

Book Review at Book Club Sisters

Thursday, November 15

Book Review at Everyday Is An Adventure

Book Review at Mocha with Linda

Friday, November 16

Book Review at The Bunny’s Review

Monday, November 19

Book Review at Maureen’s Musings

Tuesday, November 20

Book Review at Cafe Lily Book Reviews

Wednesday, November 21

Book Review at Books Books the Magical Fruit

Thursday, November 22

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Friday, November 23

Interview at The Writer’s Life

Monday, November 26

Book Review at So Little Time…

Book Review at Kaisy Daisy’s Corner

Tuesday, November 27

Read-A-Chapter at As the Pages Turn

Friday, November 30

Book Review & Book Giveaway at Christian Book Review Blog

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Blue Rose in Chelsea By Adriana Devoy

Wow! I loved this story! Blue Rose in Chelsea was so much more than I thought it was going to be! From the magical connection between Evan and Haley, and the deep friendships that are everlasting, to brotherly love.

The story begins September of 1988. Haley and her brother Dylan are on their way to a friend’s house when Haley spots a blue rose that she believes is a sign of a miracle to come. Soon after, she meets Evan Candelier.

Haley wants to experience life, not just read about it in books, so she drops out of Princeton. Her plan is to one day write “The Great American Novel”. Her brother, Dylan, who she spends a lot of time with, pesters her to get a job. With her genius IQ, he can’t believe she dropped out of college.

Evan was formerly a dancer with the American Ballet Theatre and is now trying to break into acting. He is slow to reveal himself to people, and it takes a while for Haley to get to know him, but the connection between them is palpable. There were so many times they would get close then he would pull away and leave. Haley was good at sabotaging the relationship too, by saying something totally opposite of what she felt.

I love that Dylan and Haley spend so much time together! She goes out with him and his friends, and he watches over her, but at times he can be a little overbearing. Dylan recognizes the strong energy between Haley and Evan, but he doesn’t understand it. He thinks Evan will only hurt Haley, and tries to keep them apart. I like that he is protective of Haley. What can I say? ...I just love Dylan! He’s smart, a hard worker, knows what he wants and goes after it. He has a strong presence that makes people respect him.

Another character I loved was Sinclair! He is a costume designer and makes amazing outfits for Haley to wear. Haley tells him everything that is going on with her and Evan. He gives her advice and is always there for her. I love that he quotes the Red Queen from Alice Through the Looking Glass. It always fits in to the conversation!

There is so much about this story I liked. I love the fashion of the 80s, and the sights and culture of the city. I love that Careen (Haley’s cousin) calls her husband Mr. Palmer, from Sense and Sensibility “due to his affinity for dry and amusing commentary", and that Haley is a Jane Austen fan! I found myself laughing out loud often as I was reading Blue Rose in Chelsea and getting choked up a few times too. It was more than a romance, and I really liked the relationship between Dylan and Haley and the deep friendship she had with Sinclair. From the beginning of the story, I was hooked!

I would highly recommend this modern fairytale set in Manhattan.

5 out of 5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.

Buy a copy here.

About the Author:

Adriana Devoy is the author of four novels, including Blue Rose in Chelsea (2004), a Cinderella story set in 1980s Manhattan, and The Pollen Path (1996), which follows the lives and loves of three young women in a seaside town. Forthcoming are The Theory of Faeries (2010), and the middle grade novel, In the Garden of Goodwill.

Adriana credits her love of books to her mother, who took her to the Brooklyn Public Library as a little girl and encouraged her to roam the stacks to choose her own stories. Adriana studied English literature, classical ballet, and classical piano. She also enjoys yoga, organic gardening, reading mystical literature, and rescuing cats.

Connect with Adriana:

Facebook author page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adriana-Devoy-author-page/308796129216176?fref=ts

Amazon author page:

amazon.com/author/adrianadevoy

Twitter:

@AdrianaDevoy

Contact info:

adrianadev@aol.com

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Book Tour/Review: Out of the Blue by Lisa Maliga

Book Blurb:

Sylvia Gardner is a naïve cashier who lives with her mother in Richport, Illinois. Upset with being dumped by her first boyfriend; she later falls in love with an English actor after watching him on a TV show. For two years she researches Alexander Thorpe's life and career, saving her money to travel to his Cotswolds village, intent on meeting him. Staying in the village's only hotel, she gets room and board in exchange for working at the Windrush Arms Hotel. Complications ensue when the drunken hotelier, Harry Livingstone, takes a fancy to Sylvia. As in her fantasies, Sylvia and Alexander get together—but with unexpected results.

My Review:

Sylvia Gardner leads a pretty mundane life. At 19, after breaking up with her boyfriend, she becomes infatuated with a British actor, Alexander Thorpe. As a result, Sylvia learns everything she can about him. She knows that he lives in a little village in England, and decides to save her money so she can meet him. Two years later, in 1981, Sylvia leaves her home in Illinois, boards a plane, and goes to England to find Alex.

I found the story to be a little melancholy for me. Sylvia is lost. She has dropped out of college and is working in a library. She doesn’t really know what she wants to do with her life. She sees some of the kids she went to school with, from the jock, with a promising career ahead of him, who loses it all when he goes to jail, to the good Christian girl, who has an unplanned pregnancy, all going down paths they didn’t intend to go down. She wants more from life than that, but what? One thing, she feels she needs to meet Alexander Thorpe. Some how that will make her life complete.

I liked the quaint little village Sylvia is at in England, and the interesting characters at Windrush Arms Hotel, but they all seemed to be struggling with their own misfortunes. One of them is Harry Livingstone, the hotel owner, his wife ran off years before, now he is overweight and is drunk most of the time. Then there is Phoebe, with a degree from Bristol University she Is much too qualified to be working as the barmaid. My favorite and the one person I would have liked to see more of was Peter O’Neill, I loved his Irish accent, and he was much more of Sylvia’s age. Still, he, like the other men in this story, only seem to have one thing on their minds - sex.

I admire that Sylvia wants more out of life and takes the initiative to do something about it, even if it’s to travel to England and meet the man of her dreams. It did kind of creeped me out with how much older Alex is than Sylvia. I'm not sure, but I think he is about 20 or 30 years older than Sylvia. I did get used to the age difference, and Alex grew on me. Sylvia and Alex do have some sort of psychic connection that draws them to one another.

I liked how at the end of the story Maliga jumped ahead many years ahead, to tell what some of the characters are doing at the exact time and day. A quick snap shot of what they are doing with their lives. From Sylvia’s old boyfriend in high school, to Phoebe, the girl who worked at the Windrush Arms Hotel when Sylvia was there.

Out of the Blue does have a happy ending, and I was so happy it did!

3 out of 5 stars.

I received a copy of Out of the Blue for my honest review.

Buy Links:
Buy the Amazon Kindle version: Out of the Blue

Buy the Amazon UK Kindle version: Out of the Blue
Buy the Barnes & Noble Nook version: Out of the Blue
Buy the Barnes & Noble Nook UK version: Out of the Blue
Buy the Kobo version: Out of the Blue
Buy the Smashwords version: Out of the Blue

About the Author:

Lisa Maliga has been writing ever since she learned how to put crayon to paper back in kindergarten. Since then, she has learned to type and uses a laptop, citing it as way more convenient.
A fan of taking digital photos, you will find some of them on her website and in her nonfiction books. The masthead is a shot of the Pacific Ocean taken at sundown. Variations of this photo are seen on the covers of North of Sunset and her short story collection, South of Sunset. As an avid squirrel-watcher, all photos in Squirrels in the Hood were taken by the author.