Month in Review ~ June 2015

Hey, Everyone! It's time to look back to see what my June looked like! Month in Review is a monthly meme hosted by Kathryn @ Book Date! 

Books Read:

Hearts Stolen by Caryl McAdoo
Forever Yours by Robin M. Helm
Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
Suddenly Mrs. Darcy by Jenetta James
Slated by Teri Terry
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Reviews:


Steampunk Darcy by Monica Fairview








Newly Purchased Books: 

Shutter by Courtney Alameda
Devoted: A Novel by Jennifer Mathieu
Joyride by Anna Banks
Sweet by Emmy Laybourne
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
Monument 14 - Savage Drift by Emmy Laybourne
Monument 14 - Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne

Books Received for review:

Mr. Darcy's Rival by Kara
The One That I Want by Marilyn Brant
Emma Know All by Laura Briggs and Sarah Burgess

Sewing Project:

Messenger Book Bag

Bookish Adventure:

I went into LA for the Fierce Tours book signing at The Last Bookstore. You can read all about it here. It was a fun day!


It's been a busy June! I've also been back home visiting the family. Road trip!! 

How about you? How's your June been?

Mistaking Her Character Virtual Book Tour ~ Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hello! Today I have the lovely Maria Grace visiting with an excerpt from her new book 

Mistaking Her Character!

Book blurb          

Lady Catherine de Bourgh is prepared to be very generous when it comes to medical care for her sickly daughter, Anne – generous enough to lure noted physician Dr. Thomas Bennet to give up his London practice and move his family to Rosings Park. But his good income comes with a price: complete dependence on his demanding patroness’s every whim.   

Now the Bennet family is trapped, reliant on Lady Catherine for their survival. Their patroness controls every aspect of the Bennet household, from the shelves in the closet to the selection of suitors for the five Bennet daughters. Now she has chosen a husband for headstrong Elizabeth Bennet– Mr. George Wickham. 

But Lady Catherine’s nephew, Fitzwilliam Darcy, is not so sure about his aunt’s choice. He is fascinated by the compassionate Elizabeth who seems to effortlessly understand everyone around her, including him. Lady Catherine has other plans for Darcy, though, and she forbids Elizabeth to even speak to him. 

As Anne’s health takes a turn for the worse, Darcy and Elizabeth are thrown together as Dr. Bennet struggles to save Anne’s life. Darcy can no longer deny the truth – he is in love with Elizabeth Bennet. But Lady Catherine will do anything to stop Darcy from marrying her – even if it means Elizabeth will lose everything she loves.

Book excerpt

“You will forgive me, your ladyship, but on this point, I must disagree.”

What was that? Elizabeth started and sat up very straight. Mama never contradicted Lady Catherine.

“Disagree? Disagree? On what basis can you possibly disagree with me?”

“I have three living daughters, your ladyship, and experienced seven lying-ins. I have far and away more experience in all things related to motherhood.”

“Experience alone does not make you an expert—”

Mama’s words had that tone, the one that never ended well. Jane and Elizabeth rose and hurried toward the other ladies.

Charlotte sat between Mama and Lady Catherine while Georgiana looked on with wide eyes and a creeping pallor.

“I should think, Mrs. Bennet, that married to a man of science, you would be quick to recognize science is the best arbiter of experience.”

“I thought you believed to be the arbiter of experience.” Mama’s pitch climbed an octave, rapier sharp to make her point.

Had Mama not learned? It was unwise to remind Lady Catherine of opinions she had declared previous to a current conversation.

“Indeed it is, in some things. But in other matters, like this, it is science. And science dictates—”

What are you Reading? ~ June 24, 2015

What are you Reading? is my weekly Wednesday meme! You are welcome to join me, just answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll be reading next?

What am I currently reading? I'm currently reading The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. It's so good! I was going to read the second book of the Slated series, but I went on a road trip and had an audiobook of this. I love how you can switch to reading it when you get to your destination! 




What did I recently finish reading? I finished reading Slated by Teri Terry. This was good! It did leave me with unanswered questions, so I'm definitely going to have to read the next in the series!  







What do I think I'll be reading next? I'm not sure. I may have to read the next in the Testing series, Independent Study, depending on how the book leaves me hanging, or the next in the Slated series. I also have Kara Louise's new book, Mr. Darcy's Rival to read too - I might need a change of pace! ;) 




FTC Disclaimer: Links to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided I will receive a small commission. Thanks!

What are you reading? Do you get a little adventurous and try a new genre during the summer? or stick to old favorites? 

Forever Yours by Robin M. Helm ~ Review & Giveaway!

Forever Yours (Yours by Design, #3) by Robin M. Helm 

Publication Date: April 5th, 2015  
Pages: 327
Received: paperback from author 
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed Forever Yours by Robin M. Helm. This is the third and final book in the Yours by Design series. Beware! This is a continuing storyline, and you need to read Accidentally Yours (Bk 1) and Sincerely Yours (Bk 2) before reading Forever Yours. But lucky you, they are all out now so you can read them all without having to wait!!

They say history repeats itself and in this case it does…or close to it! I liked the clever way Ms. Helm modernized certain events from Regency Pride & Prejudice to fit into the present day. Because in the 21st century, who would care if Lydia and Wickham ran off and eloped?!

The story begins in Book 1 with Fitzwilliam Darcy and Will Darcy suffering an accident at the same time…only 200 years apart, and during the accident they switch places.  Fitzwilliam wakes up in a modern hospital not understanding modern technology, and Will finds himself in Kent, 1795, Rosings Park.

As the story progresses, and the excitement builds, I found that the switching back and forth between centuries and men began to wear on me. It broke the flow of the story way too much for me. There are two different stories going on here; Will in the 1800s and Fitzwilliam in the 21st century. I really feel like maybe it would have been better to write two books - one for each man. 

It's interesting how the character development throughout the books changed my opinion of them. For example, I did not like Fitzwilliam in the first book. At all. But by the third book, he was as I liked him to be. I felt the same about Lance Bingley. I felt he was just plain rude in the beginning.

My favorites from the Regency period were Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mrs. Bennet.  I was surprised by Mrs. Bennet. She was much kinder, and she really cared about Elizabeth.  

I enjoyed Forever Yours! In the end, the stories wrap up nicely, with much excitement in both centuries! 

FTC Disclaimer: I received a paperback of the book from the author for my honest review.

Buy: Amazon
Add to Goodreads

 Accidentally Yours (Yours by Design Book 1) is on sale right now for Kindle! I'm not sure how long the sale will last. Check the price before you buy!

FTC Disclaimer: Links to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provide, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!

My review for Accidentally Yours (Book 1)

My review for Sincerely Yours (Book 2)

Connect with Robin M. Helm

twitter • facebook • website

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

Happy news! Robin Helm is generously giving away one (1) paperback (U.S. only) and one (1) e-copy (Internationally) of Forever Yours. To win one of these prizes, just fill out the Rafflecopter below and leave a comment!

Thank you, Robin! 

• One person will win choice of paperback or e-copy (Kindle format) of Forever Yours - U.S. only.
• One person will win an e-copy (Kindle format) of Forever Yours - open Internationally.
• Last day to enter: June 29, 2015.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Please, leave a comment! We'd love to hear from you! Remember, to enter the giveaway you MUST fill out the Rafflecopter (shown above). If you need help entering, email me by clicking on the email icon at the top of the sidebar. Thanks!

My Bookish Adventure in LA

So, two week ago today, I went to a book signing at The Last Bookstore in LA. What an incredible store! The upstairs has all these cubbyholes full of books. You need to check it out if you are ever in LA. 

We went there for the Fierce Reads Book Tour. I specifically went to see Emmy Laybourne, author the Monument 14 series. She has a new book out called Sweet. But I was in for a surprise! I also met three other fantastic authors! Courtney Alameda, Anna Banks and Jennifer Mathieu. It turns out I've reviewed one of Jennifer's books, The Truth About Alice! 

Courtney Alameda, Anna Banks, Emmy Laybourne and Jennifer Mathieu.
Sorry, Emmy, you are blurry! 

Their discussion was fascinating! I love hearing about how they got started, what inspired their books, and finding out a little about each of them! They had me laughing at their stories!

Needless to say, I bought each of their new books and had them sign them. Shutter by Courtney Alameda, Devoted: A Novel by Jennifer Mathieu, Joyride by Anna Banks, and Sweet by Emmy Laybourne. 

FTC Disclaimer: Links to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provide, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!

Besides Emmy's new book Sweet, I also bought paperbacks of her Monument 14 series because I only had them on my Kindle before. 

Before the book signing event, we (my son and I) had a delicious lunch at the Artisan House. 

To make the adventure complete, we took the train to LA and rode the subway. It was a fantastic day! 

Have you had any bookish adventures recently??

Sun-Kissed Blog Tour ~ Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hey, Everyone! This summer is starting off with some pretty awesome reads! I have quite a few guest posts coming up! 

As part of the Sun-Kissed Blog Tour, J. Marie Croft is here with an excerpt of her short story that is in Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer.

___________________________________________________________

Men bathed in the nude in a separate area 200 yards away from the women

and were known to observe them bathing through a spyglass.

(~Sharon Wagoner, Jane Austen’s Regency World Magazine)

~ THE REGENCY ENCYCLOPEDIA ~

____________________________________________________________

The above quotation inspired J. Marie Croft to write a romantic-comedy for the Meryton Press Summer Lovin’ anthology (now available as Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer).  

In that short story, some of our favorite Pride and Prejudice characters are in Sandfirthstrand (a fictional seaside resort) rather than at Pemberley during the summer of 1812.

It is inevitable that a single man

in possession of a good telescope

must behave somewhat sheepishly

in an excerpt from Joanne’s:

Spyglasses and Sunburns

“... then I dined at the Thyme & Tyde and viewed the oil painting of the cove. The scenery hereabouts is quite charmingly picturesque.” Darcy picked up a newspaper and glanced at the front page. “Did you see any interesting sights in your travels?”

“What do you mean?” The mahogany box holding his spyglass was hugged close to Bingley’s chest. One moment he met his friend’s gaze challengingly, and the next he could not look him in the eye.

“I am merely curious.” Darcy glanced up from the newspaper and waited. And waited. Raising his eyebrows, he prompted, “So?”

“So what?” Bingley fidgeted with the case’s clasp.

“Did you do or see anything noteworthy today?”

Beet red, Bingley narrowed his eyes, trying to discern whether there was suspicion in Darcy’s expression or inflection. “Why? I mean—Why, I did a bit of bird watching, is all.”

“Good heavens, man. You must have been out in the sun too long. You are behaving quite barmy, and your face is burnt again.” Darcy looked away for a moment and then back at Bingley’s pale countenance. “Well, I thought it was red. Merely a trick of the light, I suppose.”

What are you Reading? ~ June 17, 2015

What are you Reading? is my weekly Wednesday meme! You are welcome to join me, just answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll be reading next?

What am I currently reading? I am just starting Slated by Teri Terry. Fun! I'm looking forward to reading this series!









What did I recently finish reading? I finished two books this week. I finished Suddenly Mrs. Darcy by Jenetta James. I loved this Pride and Prejudice variation! Hopefully, I will have a review written soon.






I also read Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari. This was an okay dystopian. I enjoy it and read through it pretty quickly. 







What do I think I'll be reading next? Well, if I like Slated I will move on to the next book in the series which is Fractured: A Slated novel, Book 2 By Teri Terry. :)






FTC Disclaimer: Links to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided I will receive a small commission. Thanks!


What are you reading? Are you planning any different reads for the summer?

Mini Bloggiesta ~ June 2015

Hey, Everyone! This weekend there's a Mini Bloggiesta going on! What's a Bloggiesta you ask?? It's a time set aside to work on your blog. Whatever that may be; general maintenance, adding a new gadget, learning a new technique, or just catching up on reviews. You get the added support of fellow bloggers who are there cheering you on and answering questions on twitter @Bloggiesta #Bloggista. To sign up click here. 

If you are new to blogging, or want to start a blog and don't know what to do, this is a great place to start! 

There are some great resources for bloggers at the Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge page. 


For this Mini Bloggiesta, I have a short list:

• Change links and button for Dystopia Reading Challenge. (A new host, Cornerfold, took over for Blog of Erised.) ~ Worked on this earlier this morning.
• Work on 2 reviews. ~ Finished one. :/
• put together guest post.  ~ Finished! 
• catch last half of Twitter chat. ~ Didn't make it home in time. :(
• cheer on fellow Bloggiesta participants! ~ commented on about 10 or more blog posts. :)

There it is! A short list for a short weekend! But I'll be happy if I get it all done! ;) I'll update this list as I complete a task. 

That's my plan for the weekend. Do you have any plans? 

What are you Reading? ~ June 10, 2015

What are you Reading? is my weekly Wednesday meme! You are welcome to join me, just answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll be reading next?

What am I currently reading? I am just starting Suddenly Mrs. Darcy by Jenetta James. In this Pride and Prejudice variation, Mr. Darcy is accused of compromising Elizabeth, and she is forced to marry him. As one of my favorite scenarios, this story sounds promising!! 






What did I recently finish reading? I was up late into the night finishing Forever Yours: Yours by Design, Book 3 by Robin M. Helm. This one started out slow for me, but it's very exciting in the end!!







What do I think I'll be reading next? I'm not sure. It's the beginning of summer vacation for us, so I think I'll read something from my dystopian pile! I'll let you know next week! 


FTC Disclaimer: Links to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided I will receive a small commission. Thanks!


What are you reading?

Holiday Romance Short Story Contest!

Hey, Everyone! Meryton Press is having another short story contest! Woot! The theme for this one is Holiday Romance! Below you can find some information and links for the contest. 

 Meryton Press is conducting a contest to find the best short stories.

The theme of the contest, “Holiday Romance,” represents the season from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. The interpretation of the theme is left to the writer’s imagination; the story may have the season as an incidental backdrop or may highlight the warmth and goodwill of the holidays. It may be a romance set entirely before a fire on a cold winter’s night, the plight of a young couple hosting their first family Thanksgiving, or the mystery of an anonymous holiday philanthropist with a reporter hot on his tale. So many holidays, so many stories: Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve…

Any genre is acceptable as long as there is ROMANCE. Austenesque is a plus but is not required. In other words, so long as there is a commonly accepted or acceptable interpretation of the theme embedded in the plot, it works for us. However, this contest is not for children’s stories. Our target audience is readers over 18 years old.

The contest will be open for submissions from 9:00 a.m., June 15, 2015 (US Pacific Time) until 11:59 p.m., July 15, 2015 (US Pacific Time)

The contest will be judged by a panel of independent judges, and the results will be announced around Labor Day 2015.

A long list of entries will be selected for final judging by a panel of expert editors and reviewers. All entries on the long list will receive a letter with constructive criticism on how the story could have been improved. Four winners will be selected from the long list and will be awarded prizes.

First Prize:

• US$150
• Professional editing of entry
• Blog tour inclusion
• Priority submission of a longer work
• Four copies of published anthology

3 Runners up:

• US$100
• Professional editing of entry
• Blog tour inclusion
• Publication in the anthology
• Two copies of published anthology

In addition, all four winning entries will be published in an anthology planned for late autumn 2015. The anthology will include not only the four winners but stories from Meryton Press’s popular and award-winning authors. 

The Summer Lovin’ Short Story Contest volume resulting from the contest held earlier this year has now been published as Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer.

For detailed guidelines and rules, please refer to http://merytonpress.com/anthology/ (or the PDF file).

So, if you are interested in writing a short story for the contest, head over to Meryton Press! 

What are you Reading? ~ June 3, 2015

What are you Reading? is my weekly Wednesday meme! You are welcome to join me, just answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll be reading next?

What am I currently reading? I'm currently reading Forever Yours: Yours by Design, Book 3 by Robin M. Helm. I'm anxious to see how this series ends as it had a continuing storyline through all the books. 







What did I recently finish reading? I finish reading Hearts Stolen (Texas Romance Series Book 2) by Caryl McAdoo. I really enjoyed the first third of the book, then it dragged and felt redundant to me. I found the end anticlimactic. Plus, I was left with unanswered questions at the end. 





What do I think I'll be reading next?  I hope to read Suddenly Mrs. Darcy by Jenetta James, but I may need to squeeze in a different book between the two Austenesque books. So, we'll see! :)







FTC Disclaimer: Links to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided I will receive a small commission. Thanks!

Are you reading any good books?