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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #110

 
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and is where we can talk about books we are looking forward to being released.
 
Fallen
 
Summary:
 
Fallen by Lia Mills - a remarkable love story amidst the ruins of the First World War and the Easter Rising

Spring, 1915. Katie Crilly gets the news she dreaded: her beloved twin brother, Liam, has been killed on the Western Front.

A year later, when her home city of Dublin is suddenly engulfed in violence, Katie finds herself torn by conflicting emotions. Taking refuge in the home of a friend, she meets Hubie Wilson, a friend of Liam's from the Front. There unfolds a remarkable encounter between two young people, both wounded and both trying to imagine a new life. Lia Mills has written a novel that can stand alongside the works of Sebastian Faulks, Pat Barker and Louisa Young.
Summary & Cover taken from
Goodreads.com
Length: 288 pages (Paperback)
Expected Publication Date: June 5th 2014 by Penguin Ireland 
 
Why I'm Waiting:
 
I don't read much historical fiction set in the early 1900s but the fact that this one is set in Dublin really caught my eye since I love fiction set in Ireland.

Sisters of Treason

Summary:

From the author of Queen’s Gambit, which People magazine called, “A must-read for Philippa Gregory fans,” a gripping historical novel about two sisters who tread as dangerously close to the crown as their tragic sister, Lady Jane Grey, executed after just nine days on the throne.

Early in Mary Tudor’s turbulent reign, Lady Catherine and Lady Mary Grey are reeling after the brutal execution of their elder seventeen-year-old sister, Lady Jane Grey, and the succession is by no means stable. In Sisters of Treason, Elizabeth Freemantle brings these young women to life in a spellbinding Tudor tale of love and politics.

Neither sister is well suited to a dangerous life at court. Flirtatious Lady Catherine, thought to be the true heir, cannot control her compulsion to love and be loved. Her sister, clever Lady Mary, has a crooked spine and a tiny stature in an age when physical perfection equates to goodness—and both girls have inherited the Tudor blood that is more curse than blessing. For either girl to marry without royal permission would be a potentially fatal political act. It is the royal portrait painter, Levina Teerlinc, who helps the girls survive these troubled times. She becomes their mentor and confidante, but when the Queen’s sister, the hot-headed Elizabeth, inherits the crown, life at court becomes increasingly treacherous for the surviving Grey sisters. Ultimately each young woman must decide how far she will go to defy her Queen, risk her life, and find the safety and love she longs for.

From “a brilliant new player in the court of royal fiction,” (People) Sisters of Treason brings to vivid life the perilous and romantic lives of two little known young women who played a major role in the complex politics of their day.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 448 pages (Hardcover)
Expected Publication Date: July 8th 2014 by Simon & Schuster

Why I'm Waiting:

I love books set in this era of English history and I've heard some absolutely wonderful things about this author's writing.
 
What are you waiting on?
 
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Library Loot #17

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.
 
The Haul:
 
Song of the AxeThe Edinburgh DeadThe AbominationThe Bat (Harry Hole, #1)The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #12)Lake of Sorrows (Nora Gavin, #2)All My Patients Kick and Bite: More Favorite Stories from a Vet's Practice Unwrapped Sky (Caeli-Amur, #1)
 
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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Teaser Tuesday #44

 Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
   
• 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.
 
Return To Atlantis (Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase, #8)
 
Summary:
 
American archaeologist Nina Wilde and her husband, ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase, are back for another heart-stopping, globe-spanning adventure in the latest New York Times bestselling series that “raises the bar to please adventure junkies who prefer to mainline their action” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

A MISSING SCRAP OF ANCIENT PARCHMENT.
THREE POLISHED PURPLE STONES.
AND FROM THE SUNKEN WORLD OF ATLANTIS:
THE GREATEST POWER ON EARTH.

Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase have stunned the world with their discoveries, from the legendary sword Excalibur to the golden city of El Dorado. Now, by bringing together three ancient statues from three different continents, Nina is about to tap into a colossal energy source—one not felt since the days of Atlantis.

But when the statues are stolen and Eddie is falsely accused of murder, forcing him to go on the run to hunt the man responsible, a violent struggle erupts among a secret, vastly powerful group that wants to control Nina and the earth energy. From a glittering, high-tech skyscraper in Japan to a harrowing chase beneath the Vatican and an underground military vault in Nevada, she and Eddie must piece together an astounding puzzle. For Nina Wilde is the key to a plot that will change the world forever. And Eddie is the key to keeping her alive.
Summary & cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 481 pages (Paperback)
Publication Date: August 28th 2012 by Bantam (first published November 8th 2011)
 
My Teaser:
Pg. 37
 
Atlantean artifacts and treasures had been recovered from the altar room by the IHA, but by far the most valuable of it's contents was still in place, Parts if the walls gleamed by divers' spotlights.
 
What's Your Teaser this Tuesday?
 
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Tuesday Jams #9

 
Tuesday Jams is a meme where you share your favourite songs. bands and the current song you're feeling and is hosted by Sharonda from Salacious Reads
  

 
I've been a fan of both Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace and Apocalyptica for years and lately I've been really playing the hell out of this one.
 
What are your Tuesday Jams this week?
 
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Monday, April 28, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #96

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Book Journey and is a great way for others to find out what you are planning to read this week and, best of all, see what others are reading
 
Read Last Week:
 
Haunted Ground (Nora Gavin, #1)Milk FeverThe Ark by Boyd MorrisonThe Vault by Boyd Morrison
 
Currently Reading:
 
Defy the NightReturn To Atlantis (Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase, #8)
 
Up Next:
 
This Crumbling Pageant (The Fury Triad #1)A Star for Mrs. Blake
 
What are your reading plans for this week?

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Quote-Tastic Monday #44

 
This one is simple and just about sharing your favorite quotes and the books they come from! Hosted by the FABULOUS Anna at Herding Cats & Burning Soup
 
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Hitchhiker's Guide, #2)
 
Summary:
 
Facing annihilation at the hands of the warlike Vogons is a curious time to have a craving for tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his curious comrades in arms as they hurtle across space powered by pure improbabilityband desperately in search of a place to eat.
Among Arthur's motley shipmates are Ford Prefect, a longtime friend and expert contributor to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the three-armed, two-headed ex-president of the galaxy; Tricia McMillan, a fellow Earth refugee who's gone native (her name is Trillian now); and Marvin, the moody android who suffers nothing and no one very gladly. Their destination? The ultimate hot spot for an evening of apocalyptic entertainment and fine dining, where the food (literally) speaks for itself.
Will they make it? The answer: hard to say. But bear in mind that the Hitchhiker's Guide deleted the term "Future Perfect" from its pages, since it was discovered not to be!
"What's such fun is how amusing the galaxy looks through Adams' sardonically silly eyes."
Summary & Cover taken from
Goodreads.com
Length: 250 pages (Paperback)
Publication Date: June 23rd 1997 by Del Rey (first published 1980)            
 
My Quote:

“The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy offers this definition of
the word "Infinite".
Infinite: Bigger than the biggest thing ever and then some.
Much bigger than that in fact, really amazingly immense, a
totally stunning size, "wow, that's big", time. Infinity is just so
big that by comparison, bigness itself looks really titchy.
Gigantic multiplied by colossal multiplied by staggeringly
huge is the sort of concept we're trying to get across here.”  
 
 
This is the second novel in the THGTTG series and I love it as much as I love the first. Douglas Adams was a hilarious writer.
 

*[Book Blitz] Old Town Country Romance Series by Savannah Young

 
 

Title: Wilde Riders
Series: Old Town Country Romance Series Book #1
Author: Savannah Young
Genre: Contemporary Romance

FOUR WILDE BROTHERS...ONE WILDE COUNTRY BAND

WILDE RIDERS is the first novel in a spicy new contemporary romance series about four sexy brothers, their small-town bar and their local country band. WILDE RIDERS can be read as a STAND ALONE NOVEL or as part of the SERIES.

Cooper Wilde spent his entire adolescence counting the days until he could escape rural northwest New Jersey. Now at 26, he can't believe he's coming back. But his late father's bar, Haymakers, is in financial trouble and his older brother, Jake, has asked for Cooper's help.

Riley Smith, 25, is fresh out of her Ivy League MBA program and wants to make an impression on her employer, H & C Bank. Her first solo assignment is a fraud investigation on a business loan they made to Haymakers.

Even though Old Town is less than 90 minutes from New York City, Riley feels like she's stepped into another world in this remote, one-bar town. Riley can't wait to do her business and get back to the city as quickly as her sports car will take her...until she meets Cooper Wilde. He's not like the other guys in this rural town and Riley feels inexplicably attracted to him.


If you like your trucks loud, your beer cold and your men hot...you'll love WILDE RIDERS.

   


*[Book Spotlight & Giveaway] Blood Magic (Soul Tracker #1) by T.G. Ayer



Title: Blood Magic
Series: Soul Tracker #1
Author: T.G. Ayer
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publication: April 28th, 2014 by Infinite Ink Books

My name is Mel Morgan and I'm a Tracker. I find people for a living. The people I help have no idea I know exactly how they feel because I've lost someone too. If only I could have found the one person I've been looking for all these years.

My current case is no ordinary abduction. Before long I'm neck deep in blood magic - the worst kind. I need the help of a necromancer if I'm to free the kid. Doesn't mean I have to like it.

When sexy djinn Saleem asks for help things get a little hot to handle. But how can I say no? Dodging demons and sorcerers are just part of my day job.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Excerpt

Missing people can be found. Not all missing people are found.
I was good, maybe even the best I knew of. I find people for a living. My business is dependent on people losing people. The idea didn't sit so well with me but it was what it was. Not that I needed to find people for a living. I could very well choose to find things. Finding cutting edge nuclear warheads stolen from the government, locating lists of undercover cops within drug cartels – I can do that. Do the job, find the target, no questions asked. But things held no interest for me. People did.

I find people. And I didn't play to lose.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Author Bio:

I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognise that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practise given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes... I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It's a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each others loves - it works wonderfully...

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands - I shall forever remain crosseyed.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Giveaway



Friday, April 25, 2014

*[Blog Tour Review & Giveaway] Milk Fever by Lissa M. Cowan

Milk Fever
 
Summary:
 
In 1789, Armande, a wet nurse who is known for the mystical qualities of her breast milk, goes missing. Céleste, a cunning servant girl who Armande once saved from shame and starvation, sets out to find her. A snuffbox found in the snow, the unexpected arrival of a gentleman and the discovery of the wet nurse’s diary, deepen the mystery. Using Armande’s diary as a map to her secret past, Céleste fights to save her from those plotting to steal the wisdom of her milk. Milk Fever is a rich and inspired tale set on the eve of the French Revolution- a delicious peek into this age s history. The story explores the fight for women/s rights and the rise in clandestine literature laying bare sexuality, the nature of love and the magic of books to transform lives.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 262 pages (Paperback)
Available Formats: Print/E-book
Publication Date: October 18th 2013 by Demeter Press
 
 When I first got the invitation for Milk Fever I had no idea it was written by a Canadian author until later when I googled Lissa M. Cowan and that is what made me sign up for the tour since I'm all about promoting Canadian authors, plus I've grown rather fond of historical fiction set in France so how could I resist?

I really enjoyed the way that the author told Celeste's story which was intertwined with that of her best friend, the nursemaid Armande who along with her father took in the young Celeste and taught her to read, write and most importantly use her mind in an era where intelligent women were frowned upon. I thought it was very interesting that she touched on the political undertones of the time with the French Revolution brewing in the background.

I also really enjoyed Celeste and Armande's characters. They were very different but were very well written and they seemed so close they were almost like sisters in many of the ways that they interacted with one another. I envy the bond that they have and found them to be very well developed and I enjoyed they're backstories very much. I also thought that the whole idea of Armande going missing was a good one though since I don't want to give anything away I'm going to refrain from mentioning any of the events that happen after she disappears, that my friends you'll just have to find out what Celeste is willing to do to find her beloved friend. I will say however, that she pulled out all the stops and used what meager resources she had to rise above her station as a meager peasant through the use of reading and writing.

Captivating and engrossing, I thought Milk Fever was a very well researched, well written novel that transported me to the late 1700's and had me reading late into the night in order to find out what would happen next.

I would recommend Milk Fever to any and all fans of historical fiction especially historical fiction set in France with a likable set of characters and an equally strong plot.

Really Enjoyed It!
★★★★
 
To "Like" Lissa  on Facebook CLICK HERE
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To "Follow" Lissa on Pinterest CLICK HERE
To become a "Fan" of Lissa on Goodreads CLICK HERE
To visit Lissa's Blog CLICK HERE
To visit Lissa's Website CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Kobo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via AmazonUK CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via The Book Depository CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE
 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18740008-milk-fever?ac=1

 
 Giveaway:
 

Friday 56 #20


This is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice If you'd like to join on the fun go to The Friday 56 

 Rules:
 
 *Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it
 
Return To Atlantis (Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase, #8)
 
Summary:
 
American archaeologist Nina Wilde and her husband, ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase, are back for another heart-stopping, globe-spanning adventure in the latest New York Times bestselling series that “raises the bar to please adventure junkies who prefer to mainline their action” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

A MISSING SCRAP OF ANCIENT PARCHMENT.
THREE POLISHED PURPLE STONES.
AND FROM THE SUNKEN WORLD OF ATLANTIS:
THE GREATEST POWER ON EARTH.

Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase have stunned the world with their discoveries, from the legendary sword Excalibur to the golden city of El Dorado. Now, by bringing together three ancient statues from three different continents, Nina is about to tap into a colossal energy source—one not felt since the days of Atlantis.

But when the statues are stolen and Eddie is falsely accused of murder, forcing him to go on the run to hunt the man responsible, a violent struggle erupts among a secret, vastly powerful group that wants to control Nina and the earth energy. From a glittering, high-tech skyscraper in Japan to a harrowing chase beneath the Vatican and an underground military vault in Nevada, she and Eddie must piece together an astounding puzzle. For Nina Wilde is the key to a plot that will change the world forever. And Eddie is the key to keeping her alive.
Summary & cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 481 pages (Paperback)
Publication Date: August 28th 2012 by Bantam (first published November 8th 2011)
 
My 56:
 
The waiter reappeared. "Not now," Larry snapped before continuing with bad grace: "All right, yes, I made a delivery to de Quesada in Colombia."
"Let me guess," Nina cut in. "Two Incan artifacts, one of which was made of solid gold and weighed about two tons?"

What's Your Friday 56?
 
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Feature & Follow #6

Increase Blog Followers
 
Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!
 
 Have any pets? Tell us or show us
 
Stormy - 17 years old -Female
 
Annie - 6 years old - Golden Retriever
 
Squirrel - 5 years old - Female
 
Cloud - 1 year - Male
 
Nemo (brown) Irwin (Grey) - 2 years old - Both Female Gerbils
 
Chimp - 1 year - Male Hamster


Sharkbait- Feeder Fish turned Pet

 
 
Sharkbait - Feeder Fish Turned Pet
Embedded image permalink
 
Plus we have a pet Budgie (bird) but I don't have a photo of her.
 
http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3809429
 
 
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