Holiday Of Surprises Giveaway Event Week #3

 Hosted By:
Holiday Contest and Sweeps
Co-Hosted By:

Java John Z's
A Medic's World
Here We Go Again, Ready?
Networking Witches
Michigan Savings and More
The Parenting Patch
Peanut Butter and Whine
Tales From A Southern Mom
The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves
Deliciously Savvy
My Devotional Thoughts
Intelligent Domestications
Life in a House of Testosterone
Simply Sherryl
A Lucky Ladybug
Everyday Southwest
Central Bargains & Giveaways
The Stuff of Success
What The Buzz Is All About
My Silly Little Gang  
  

 

Welcomes You To The

Holiday Of Surprises Giveaway Event Week # 3

1 Grand Prize Winner

Enter Giveaway Here
 Prizes:

Ergo Chef Cutlery

Crimson G10 6" Santoku Knife

 

 This Ergo Chef CRIMSON 6" Santoku Knife features our patented design for proven comfort and less strain. The handles is custom crafted from G10 fiberglass composite material for superior durability that surpasses all other plastic composites. The blade is designed with hollow grounds for less stick and smooth cuts with a precision ground & polished blade. Slice & chop all your vegetables and fruit with ease and less effort.

Read My Ergo Chef Products Review By Clicking Here



Viatek Consumer Products 

Smart Touch Can Opener

Smart Touch is the easiest way to open a can, bottle and jar without any mess. Just place on the can, touch the button and away it goes! Manual can openers require twisting and turning, and are almost impossible for people with arthritis and joint pain. With the Smart Touch, twist off even the toughest bottle caps effortlessly, plus the unique handle design gives you all the leverage you’ll need.

Smart Touch opens cans of all sizes and shapes without leaving sharp edges like ordinary can openers. The uniquely designed blade clamps down on the lid from the side, leaving behind a smooth, dull surface. And with its strong magnetic contact point, the lid never falls into the can.

Smart Touch fits easily in any drawer, saving counter space. Plus, it’s easy to clean with its detachable, dishwasher safe blade.

Eat Smart 

EatSmart Precision Pro Food Thermometer

The Precision Pro Food Thermometer allows users to easily grill or roast food to just the right temperature. Simply insert the stainless steel probe into the thickest part of the meat and in 5 seconds or less, the proprietary sensor registers an extremely accurate internal food temperature. The illuminated backlit LCD display is easy to read and the “hold” feature allows you to lock in the current temperature to ensure an accurate reading. This food thermometer comes with a built-in temperature guide right on the casing, so you will always know when your meat is cooked to a safe, proper temperature.
Features
EatSmart InstaRead Technology - Measurements in 5 econds or Less!
Temperature Range -40F - 450F.
Resolution of .1 degree F
Easy to read LCD display with illuminated blue backlight
3" probe with 1.5mm step downtip and splash-proof design
Measurement Modes: Fahrenheit / Celsius
Hold Feature - Lock in temperature for safe reading
Splash-proof design
FDA and NSF Certified
Auto Calibrated; Runs on 1 CR2032 battery (included)



QMT Windchimes

 Arias Elite 35" Windchime

 
Like the slightly smaller 30" chime, this chime is ideally sized for various settings. It is small enough to contribute to the overall theme on a patio or balcony, yet large enough to draw the eye in a vaster garden setting. It can comfortably withstand the weather of any season with a look that is both rustic and elegant.

Overall Length (Inches): 35"
Number of Tubes: 6
Hand-Tuned to Scale: E
Length of Longest Tube (inches): 18 1/2"
Weight: 4.00 lbs
Brand: Arias Elite

Click Here To Read The Full Arias Elite 2014 Review 

Standard Concession Supply

 

Sitting Santa Claus Inflatable

New Christmas Inflatable......Sitting Santa Inflatable. Versatile Cute and Adorable Sitting Santa Christmas Inflatable. Great for indoor or outdoor use. This three foot Santa is great for indoor plant nurseries, home or office Christmas parties, bowling allies, trade shows, recreation centers, and many other indoor our outdoor locations.

Comes with a small, but powerful blower to inflate the Air blown and keep it inflated. 
Internal lights create a glowing night-time display. 
Tough light-weight nylon is weatherproof and fade-resistant. 
Stakes and tethers, Spare bulb & fuse and complete instructions are included.

Dei Fratelli

 Dei Fratelli Holiday Gift Pack

 Assortment of Six Dei Fratelli Products

Click Here For The Complete Dei Fratelli Review

Uniquely Greek

Assortment of 4 Uniquely Greek Cheese Spreads

Fire Roasted Red Pepper

Simply Spinach

Spicy Buffalo

Imported Kalamata Olive

They use only the finest all-natural ingredients in our feta cheese spreads. From delicious sandwich and hamburger toppers to healthy cheese recipes, you’re gonna love the flavor. Try us ... we'll be a hit at your next party

Click Here To See The Great Selection of Spreads

 

Mill Creek Entertainment

Holiday TV Classics

49 episodes of holiday-themed programming from some of your favorite classic television shows. You'll truly enjoy the holidays with the likes of Jack Benny, Liberace, Bob Cummings, Betty White, Ozzie & Harriet Nelson, Raymond Burr and many others. Sit back and relax with the family while you watch such classic shows as The Adventures of Long John Silver, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Red Skelton Show, Dragnet, Sherlock Holmes and Racket Squad. Celebrate the season with you favorite television stars and shows!

 4 Movie Holiday Set

 4-Movie Holiday: Christmas is Here Again/George and the Christmas Star/The City That Forgot About Christmas/The Snow Queen

This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with
Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This
Giveaway is valid in the Continental United States Only and Entrants
must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway will end at 12:00 AM

Monsters All The Way Down by Ryan McSwain Spotlight!

Title: Monsters All the Way Down
Author: Ryan McSwain
Publisher: Pithos Publishing
ISBN (softcover): 0990460770
ASIN (Kindle): B00N70Z58M
Pages: 314

Released September 5, 2014

After a routine DNA background check, Brennan Wade is on the run for murders he does not remember committing. Pursued by a shadow agency, he fights to clear his name and catch the true killer. Brennan forges an uneasy alliance with Joan Runciter, the only woman to survive an attack, and together they delve into a world of secret history and ancient horror. As the body count rises and his true nature is revealed, Brennan must decide if the world’s salvation is worth his own corruption.

Monsters All the Way Down contains an intriguing blend of Philip K. Dick’s mind-bending paranoia and H. P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror. Ryan McSwain uses complex characters and familiar ideas to craft a story full of twists to keep you guessing right up to the end and beyond.

For fans of Neil Gaiman, Philip K. Dick, H.P. Lovecraft, Supernatural, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

About the Author:

Ryan McSwain lives in Amarillo, Texas, with his wife and their two children.Monsters All the Way Down is his first published novel. His next book should be available in 2015.

Book Information Page
About Me
Amazon Link

Goodreads page

Sample (first 3 chapters/18 pages)

Amazon links:

Amazon Link: Monsters All the Way Down softcover

Amazon Link: Monsters All the Way Down for Kindle

My Name is Bryan by Stacy Lynn Carroll Spotlight with Excerpt!!

My Name is Bryan by Stacy Lynn Carroll If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump too? Bryan chose to dive. Moments later, as he lay on the beach, unable to move his arms or legs, two questions ran through his mind: Would he walk again? And would he ever have kids? Based on the incredible true story of life, love, and never giving up.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Smashwords * Kobo

Praise for the book: "I plowed through his story, amazed at how he could so easily accept something that would destroy anyone else and just move forward with such a positive attitude. I don't give many 5 stars, but it's well-earned. This book really touched me. It's the kind of story that stays with you for a long time." --Amazon customer "I actually love stories like this. Ones that show the power of the human spirit and what love and determination can achieve. I cried multiple times while reading this but they were a happy sort of hopeful tears. If you are looking for something uplifting and motivational read this heart-felt story of love and hope." --Inspired Kathy ;) "You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wring your hands in frustration, and you won't be able to put it down to go to sleep as you keep waiting to read about Bryan's happily ever after. This is one of those books that stick with you long after you've finished reading it." --Bookmom "Each chapter begins with an inspirational quote to lead the reader into the goodness, hardship, unconditional love, and humor that is Bryan's life. The 30 year journey the reader takes runs smoothly page after page. You will cry and you will laugh. You will want to hug Nedra and Bryan when you are finished." --Kriss A.

Follow the Blog Tour hosted by I Am A Reader October 29th to November 14th

    
  
Book Trailer

   

 

Author Stacy Lynn Carroll Stacy Lynn Carroll has always loved telling stories. She started out at Utah State University where she pursued a degree in English. Go Aggies! She then finished her BA at the University of Utah (to be closer to her then boyfriend, now hubby) where she got an emphasis in creative writing. After college she worked as an administrative assistant, where she continued to write stories for the amusement of her co-workers. When her first daughter was born, and with the encouragement of a fortune cookie, she quit her job and became a full-time mommy and writer. It seemed like fate when Matt and Stacy married. She was a writer, and her father-in-law had a story that demanded to be written. She and her husband have three children, two Corgis, and a fish named Don.

Website * Twitter * Pinterest * Facebook

Read an Excerpt!

The sun was scorching now, with the temperature at 100 degrees and steadily climbing. Despite the heat, Bryan’s face grew paler by the hour. His tongue felt swollen and rough, like sandpaper rubbing against the roof of his mouth. It was harder and harder for him to stay awake. His mom remained steadily by his side, waking him each time he began to doze. His friends continued to try and make him smile and laugh, but he didn’t return the smile as easily. The waiting was pure agony. His body tingled occasionally, but it was becoming less and less frequent. He had been trying to get his foot, a finger, anything to move, but he was becoming increasingly tired and the concentration it required was exhausting. He had to stop thinking about his stationary limbs and focus his mind on staying awake.

Carol Jean looked at her watch for probably the millionth time. Glenn left seventeen hours earlier. She stared up at the bright blue sky, squinting into the sunlight, and straining her ears for any sign of hope. All she could hear were the voices of youth all around her and an occasional bird. She couldn’t see even a cloud in the sky and pretend the helicopter was hiding behind them.

One of the EMTs approached her cautiously. “Do you want us to start preparing a raft?”

“I just . . .” She looked to the sky again and found nothing. “No, but yes.”

The EMT nodded. “I’ll have my guys start moving supplies around to make room, just in case.”

Carol Jean waved him away and placed a hand on Bryan’s forehead. His pale, clammy skin had become beet red and cracked in a matter of hours. Her palm seared from his touch. She grabbed her bottle and dripped the last remaining drops onto the crusty sock. Bryan’s lips were cracked and stained with dried blood. He didn’t even react to the sock being placed on his mouth. His eyes were closed, his breathing shallow. They were out of time.

3.) Nedra stood in the open doorway of Room 213, studying the new patient. Born and raised in California, she could only assume she was staring at a fellow Californian. Everything from his shaggy, sandy-blonde hair to his tanned skin screamed surfer boy. She hadn’t meant to stare, but his good looks caught her off guard. Now she realized she had been staring too long, but thankfully he hadn’t seemed to notice.

“You gonna come in, or you helping hold up that door frame?”

Or not. Nedra straightened up and brushed off her shirt before approaching his bed and that playboy smile. “So what are you in for?” she asked, leaning against the metal frame of his bed.

“I was cliff diving. It was the best swan dive of my entire life! Unfortunately, I didn’t have the best landing.” Bryan made a loud popping sound with his mouth. “Then a short six weeks later and I am here. So, what do we need to do to get this party started?”

“Just a minute, superman, you may be out of traction now, but that doesn’t mean you can dive straight into physical therapy.”

  Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/21/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Midnight Eclipse by Arial Burnz Blog Tour!

Title: Midnight Eclipse

Author: Arial Burnz 

Genre: Paranormal Romance with a historical twist

Series: Bonded by Blood Vampire Chronicles but each book can be read as a stand alone.

Release Date: November 11, 2014

Publisher: Mystical Press      

Synopsis 

Book 4 – Shetland Islands, 1734 – Shapeshifting Pirates

This paranormal adventure contains a sexy vampire and a kick-ass wolf-shapeshifting heroine. It also contains lots of other sexy shape shifters, has strong romantic elements with HOT love scenes, and swashbuckling pirate action.

Broderick MacDougal follows the familiar yearning of his soul to a fierce warrior who is as seductive as a siren at sea – and she is just as deadly. The world of the supernatural opens to Broderick as he not only finds himself in the midst of an ancient war of shape shifters, the devious Cordelia Harley has re-entered his life and has a few of her own surprises.

Born into a hated race of Norse werewolves, Celina Hunter knows all too well the dangers of trusting anyone other than her two brothers. And yet the survival of her family hinges on trusting the strangely familiar Broderick MacDougal, a natural enemy of her kind…yet one her tribe’s Shaman advisors confirm is her soul mate. Enemy or not, Celina slips into the spell of this vampire’s promises of eternal love, gambling with all she holds dear.

Broderick and Celina are bound by a curse, but having come this far through the centuries, Broderick is not about to risk his chance at having his soul mate for eternity. The price, however, may be more than Celina is willing to pay as there is more at stake than just her immortal soul. Click to Tweet  

                                          Special Price of .99 Cents.

Release Day ONLY

 Amazon  **  BarnesandNoble  **  eBooks  **  Smashwords

Midnight Eclipse Character

The Bonded By Blood Vampire Chronicles by Arial Burnz is the saga of Broderick MacDougal following the soul of his true love through the centuries. There are six books planned for the series and this tour highlights the characters featured in the first three books and in the upcoming release Midnight Eclipse – Book 4 – which features Norse shapeshifting pirates. 

Bio: Broderick “Rick” MacDougal

• Born: April 4, 1450
• Crossed Over: October 11, 1486
• Height: 6′ 3″
• Weight: 220 lbs (15.7 stones)
• Role: Hero and Main Character of the Bonded By Blood Vampire Chronicles

Born with a sword in his hand and raised in the Highlands…

…Broderick is a rugged Scotsman through and through! Son to Hamish and Moira, he was the elder of his two siblings – Maxwell the middle son, and Donnell the youngest. In 1478, Broderick’s mother died in battle beside her sons and husband during a raid orchestrated by Angus Campbell and his father Fraser. At Moira’s funeral, Hamish MacDougal threw himself from the highest tower of the MacDougal estate. Though his sons had tried to talk him down, Hamish could not be swayed from his deed and shouted, “’Tis my fault she is dead! I’ve brought this upon all of you,” before he fell to his death.

Broderick and his brothers had to forge on with their lives and occupied themselves with building their own estates. Maxwell and Donnell both married and had children while Broderick focused on finishing his own holdings of Glenstrae, where he eventually settled in with his own wife, Evangeline. However, during a May Day celebration in 1485 at his manor – with his brothers and their families in attendance – Angus Campbell attacked the estate and slaughtered all in attenance, leaving Broderick for dead. Evangeline escaped and was rescued by a convent. Rescued by Cordelia Lynn Harley and with her assistance, Rick crossed over into immortality a year later, seeking revenge against his clan enemy. Traveling as a Gypsy in a caravan of wagons, he hid his vampiric nature by using his immortal gifts to tell fortunes while he searched for Angus Campbell, who is also a vampire.

Rick is a very accomplished painter, and gets to indulge in this pastime when he isn’t fighting for those he loves.

Most Popular Quote from Broderick MacDougal

“I want the taste of you on my soul.”

Facts About Broderick MacDougal NOT in the Books

1.       The Gypsies Broderick traveled with had a wide circuit of cities they visited. The countries in which they camped were Scotland, England, Wales, across the channel and along the coast of France, Spain, Portugal, around the southern coast of Spain, through France again to Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark before they turned around and went back along the coast and across the channel to return to England and their trek started all over again. This is why it took nine years before Broderick was back in Scotland after he first met Davina when she was thirteen years old. And many years before Broderick joined this band of Gypsies, Amice rescued little Nicabar Mendoza, a young pick-pocket in Barcelona who got in over his head with the authorities.

 About Arial Burnz

Arial Burnz has been an avid reader of paranormal and fantasy for over thirty years. With bedtime stories filled with unicorns, hobbits, dragons and elves, she succumbed to crafting her own tales, penning to life the magical creatures roaming her dreams. Having a romantic husband who’s taught her the meaning of true love, she’s helpless to weave romance into her tales. Now she shares them with the world. Arial Burnz lives in Southern California, with her husband (a.k.a. her romance novel hero)—who is also, quite coincidentally, a descendant of Clan MacDougal.  

Connect with Arial

Website

Facebook Author Page

Twitter: @arialburnz

Google+ Profile

Google+ Author Page

GoodReads

Pinterest

Giveaway 

Arial is also giving away a single Grand Prize of…

A $100 Amazon, B&N or iTunes gift card – winner’s choice

A signed set of Books 1-4 of the Bonded By Blood Vampire Chronicles

Winner will be chosen on 11/21/2014. Everyone who participated in any stops on the Midnight Eclipse tours (VIP Club members or not) will be entered for the grand prize drawing. The more you participate, the more chances you have to win. Use the Giveaway Tools buttons below to earn extra chances to win by tweeting, following and liking. For Official Contest Rules, click here.

Entry-Form

A Far Gone Night by John Carenen Blog Tour!!

Publication Date: September 9, 2014
Neverland Publishing
Formats: eBook, Paperback

Genre: Mystery Series: A Thomas O'Shea Mystery (Book Two)

READ AN EXCERPT.

Suffering from insomnia, wise-cracking tough guy Thomas O'Shea goes for a late-night stroll through the peaceful streets of Rockbluff, Iowa, and finds himself pausing downtown on the bridge that spans the Whitetail River. When he glances downstream, something catches his eye…something that looks like a body. He scrambles down to the riverbank, pulling the body of a young girl from the water. The girl is naked, with two bullet holes in the back of her head. Ever suspicious of law enforcement, O’Shea chooses not mention the bullet holes when Deputy Stephen Doltch, on routine patrol, discovers him at the river's edge. When the coroner's report lists the cause of death as "drowning," Thomas goes into action.

Confronting the coroner, he is met with hostility. But then the coroner and his wife disappear, along with the body of the dead girl. Once again, Thomas gears up to find answers that will reveal who put the bullets in the girl's head, why she was killed, and her identity, which may hit a little too close to home.

Teaming up with his friend Lunatic Mooning and Clancy Dominguez, an old buddy from his Navy SEAL days, Thomas and the other two men join together to bring justice to the dead girl, a quest that takes them to the Chalaka Reservation in Minnesota, seedy businesses adjacent to the Chalaka Casino, and straight into the world of organized crime.

A fast-paced story, laugh-out-loud moments and familiar, quirky characters from Carenen's debut novel, Signs of Struggle, contribute once again to the complex world of Thomas O'Shea. Enter…if you dare.

About the Author

John Carenen, a native of Clinton, Iowa, graduated with an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing from the prestigious University of Iowa Writers Workshop and has been writing ever since. His work has appeared in numerous popular and literary magazines, and he has been a featured columnist in newspapers in North and South Carolina. A novel, Son-up, Son-down was published by the National Institute of Mental Health.

His debut Thomas O'Shea mystery novel, Signs of Struggle, was published in October of 2012. A Far Gone Night, the long- anticipated sequel, continues the exploits of the enigmatic protagonist and the quirky characters of Rockbluff, Iowa.

John is currently an English professor at Newberry College in Newberry, South Carolina. He and his wife live in their cozy cottage down a quiet lane in northern Greenville, South Carolina. He is a big fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Boston Red Sox.

For more information please visit John Carenen's blog. You can also connect with him on Facebook and Goodreads.

Read an Excerpt, then visit other blogs on the tour schedule!

$250 Fall Into Cash Giveaway!

25 fabulous bloggers, authors and publishers have joined with me to offer you one fabulous prize.

1 lucky winner will win $250 in Paypal cash!

Sponsor List

I Am A Reader

Author A.B. Whelan

Auggie Talk

Barefoot by the Sea

Author Kimber Leigh Wheaton

MoreThanaReview

Simple Wyrdings

YA Author Fabio Bueno

Hearts On Sleeves Book Blog

Hope To Read

Jennifer Faye, Romance Author

Julie Coulter Bellon

Kate Tilton, Connecting Authors & Readers

Khamneithang

Owl Always Be Reading

SFK Books

Pauline Creeden, Author

Sarah Ballance

BookBunnyPR

Aubrey Wynne: Romance Through The Ages

Award-winning Author Kim Cresswell

Krysten Lindsay Hager, Author

Rockin’ Book Reviews

Taking Time for Mommy – Books and Movies

Rae Lori

This giveaway was organized by me.  To sponsor the next giveaway please sign up here:  http://www.iamareader.com/category/giveaway-sponsor-sign-ups
Giveaway Details

 http://www.iamareader.com/2014/10/fall-cash-250-paypal-cash-giveaway.html

$250 Paypal Cash

Ends 11/15/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

The Spoils of Avalon by Mary F.Burns Book Tour!

Publication Date: November 1, 2014
Sand Hill Review Press
Paperback; 300p
ISBN: 978-1937818289

Series: A John Singer Sargent/Violet Paget Mystery (Book One)
Genre: Historical Fiction/Historical Mystery



The death of a humble clergyman in 1877 leads amateur sleuths Violet Paget and John Singer Sargent into a medieval world of saints and kings—including the legendary Arthur—as they follow a trail of relics and antiquities lost since the destruction of Glastonbury Abbey in 1539. Written in alternating chapters between the two time periods, The Spoils of Avalon creates a sparkling, magical mystery that bridges the gap between two worlds that could hardly be more different—the industrialized, Darwinian, materialistic Victorian Age and the agricultural, faith-infused life of a medieval abbey on the brink of violent change at the hands of Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell.

First in a new series of historical mysteries, The Spoils of Avalon introduces two unlikely detectives and life-long friends—beginning as young people on the verge of making their names famous for the next several decades throughout Europe and America: the brilliant and brittle Violet Paget, known as the writer Vernon Lee, and the talented, genial portrait painter John Singer Sargent.

Friends from the age of ten, Paget and Sargent frequently met in the popular European watering places and capitals, frequenting the same salons and drawing rooms in London, Rome, Paris, Florence, Venice, Vienna and Madrid. Both were possessed of keen minds and bohemian tendencies, unorthodox educations and outsized egos (especially Paget). Their instant, natural bonding led them to address each other as “Twin”, and they corresponded frequently when they were apart.

Henry James once described Violet Paget as having “the most formidable mind” of their times, and he was an active fan and patron of John Sargent, introducing him to London society and his own inner circles of literary and artistic genius.

Watch the Book Trailer

Praise for The Spoils of Avalon

“An artist, a writer, a murder, a mysterious tome, a dissolving time, a crime, Arthurian legends, ancient saints books and bones. Burns’ prose drives and is sublime, with characters and settings that live on in your mind. This is an original historical mystery connecting the Age of Industry with the Age of Miracles.” - Stephanie Renée dos Santos, forthcoming novel: Cut From The Earth

Buy the Book

Amazon

About the Author

Mary F. Burns is the author of PORTRAITS OF AN ARTIST (Sand Hill Review Press, February 2013), a member of and book reviewer for the Historical Novel Society and a former member of the HNS Conference board of directors. A novella-length book, ISAAC AND ISHMAEL, is also being published by Sand Hill Review Press in 2014. Ms. Burns’ debut historical novel J-THE WOMAN WHO WROTE THE BIBLE was published in July 2010 by O-Books (John Hunt Publishers, UK). She has also written two cozy-village mysteries in a series titled The West Portal Mysteries (The Lucky Dog Lottery and The Tarot Card Murders).

Ms. Burns was born in Chicago, Illinois and attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where she earned both Bachelors and Masters degrees in English, along with a high school teaching certificate. She relocated to San Francisco in 1976 where she now lives with her husband Stuart in the West Portal neighborhood. Ms. Burns has a law degree from Golden Gate University, has been president of her neighborhood association and is active in citywide issues. During most of her working career she was employed as a director of employee communications, public relations and issues management at various San Francisco Bay Area corporations, was an editor and manager of the Books on Tape department for Ignatius Press, and has managed her own communications/PR consulting business, producing written communications, websites and video productions for numerous corporate and non-profit clients.

Ms. Burns may be contacted by email at maryfburns@att.net. For more information please visit Mary Burns's website. You can also connect with Mary on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, or read her blog posts at:

www.jthewomanwhowrotethebible.com
www.literarygracenotes.blogspot.com
www.portraitsofanartist.blogspot.com
www.sargent-pagetmysteries.blogspot.com
www.genesisnovel.blogspot.com

The Spoils of Avalon Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, November 3
Review at Buried Under Books

Tuesday, November 4
Review at Book Dilettante

Wednesday, November 5
Review at History From a Woman's Perspective

Friday, November 7
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Monday, November 10
Review at Just One More Chapter
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Tuesday, November 11
Review at Layered Pages
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

Wednesday, November 12
Guest Post at Passages to the Past

Thursday, November 13
Review at Curling Up By The Fire

Friday, November 14
Interview at The Maiden's Court

Monday, November 17
Review & Interview at Jorie Loves a Story
Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Tuesday, November 18
Review at Impressions in Ink

Wednesday, November 19
Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Thursday, November 20
Review & Giveaway at Beth's Book Reviews

Friday, November 21
Review at Bibliotica

City of Ladies by Sarah Kennedy Spotlight with Giveaway!!

CITY OF LADIES 
by Sarah Kennedy
Publication date: October 21, 2014
Knox Robinson Publishing
ISBN:  ISBN: 978-1-910282-09-0 

Historical fiction; 6x9; $27.99

It’s midwinter in 1539, and former nun, Catherine Havens Overton, has just given birth to her second child, a daughter. The convent in which she was raised is now part of her husband's lands, lands that once belonged to Catherine's family. With a son, Robert, and her new daughter, Veronica, her life as the mistress of a great household should be complete.

But Henry VIII’s England has not been kind to many of the evicted members of religious houses. And in order to protect her old companions from the hostilities, Catherine has gathered about her a group of former nuns in hopes of providing them a chance to serve in the village of Havenston, her City of Ladies.

Catherine’s past haunts her. Her husband begins to suspect that Robert is not his child. Then the women of Overton House begin to disappear and one of them is found brutally murdered nearby. Seizing the moment, under the pretense of ensuring her safety, William forces Catherine to enter service at Hatfield House where the young Elizabeth Tudor lives.

Reluctantly, Catherine obeys, only to find herself serving not only the Protestant Elizabeth but also the shamed Catholic Mary Tudor. As the murders in Yorkshire continue to mount and her loyalty to the Tudor sisters grows more complicated, Catherine must uncover the secret of the killer and save her City of Ladies

“Having chosen William Overton, Catherine Havens Overton, in Book Two of the Cross and the Crown series, now struggles to manage her wifely duties in his house, where her extraordinary gifts in physic and healing are feared as witchcraft as well as sought after by all, creating a difficult and dangerous situation. Filled with drama, suspense, vivid scenes and larger-than-life characters, City of Ladies fast becomes impossible to put down….Kennedy is clearly as gifted as her main character, almost supernaturally at home in the 16th century as she combines the striking vocabulary of the time with her own poetic talents to create a rich and original tapestry of language. Such writing! Sarah Kennedy brings a lost world blazingly to life.”—Lee Smith

“….In City of Ladies Kennedy takes her place with Daphne du Maurier, Anya Seton, Rosemary Sutcliff, and Hilary Mantel as writer of superb historical fiction.” —Suzanne Keen, author of Empathy and the Novel

 Sarah Kennedy holds a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature from Purdue University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College.  The author of seven books of poems as well as The Altarpiece, book one in The Cross and the Crown series, she has received individual artist grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, as well as an award for scholarship from the National Endowment for the Humanities. She teaches at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia. Her website is http://sarahkennedybooks.wordpress.com/.

Giveaway!
Offering one(1) copy of the book for giveaway. US/Canada only.
Please leave a comment letting me know, what is your favorite era in history or your favorite historical fiction novel if you have one. Giveaway starts November 11th - December 2nd.