Reviews!

To any authors/publishers/ tour companies that are looking for the reviews that I signed up for please know this is very hard to do. I will be stopping reviews temporarily. My husband passed away February 1st and my new normal is a bit scary right now and I am unable to concentrate on a book to do justice to the book and authors. I will still do spotlight posts if you wish it is just the reviews at this time. I apologize for this, but it isn't fair to you if I signed up to do a review and haven't been able to because I can't concentrate on any books. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time. I appreciate all of you. Kathleen Kelly April 2nd 2024

06 August 2014

The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani Blog Tour with Giveaway!



About the book:
In The Supreme Macaroni Company, Adriana Trigiani transports readers from the cobblestone streets of Greenwich Village to lush New Orleans to Italy and back again while exploring the tricky dynamics between Old World craftsmanship and New World ambition, all amid a passionate love affair that fuels one woman's determination to have it all.

For over a hundred years, the Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village has relied on the leather produced by Vechiarelli & Son in Tuscany. This ancient business partnership provides the twist of fate for Valentine Roncalli, the schoolteacher turned shoemaker, to fall in love with Gianluca Vechiarelli, a tanner with a complex past . . . and a secret.

But after the wedding celebrations are over, Valentine wakes up to the hard reality of juggling the demands of a new business and the needs of her new family. Confronted with painful choices, Valentine remembers the wise words that inspired her in the early days of her beloved Angelini Shoe Company: "A person who can build a pair of shoes can do just about anything." Now the proud, passionate Valentine is going to fight for everything she wants and savor all she deserves—the bitter and the sweet of life itself.

Romantic and poignant, told with humor and warmth, and bursting with a cast of endearing characters, The Supreme Macaroni Company is a sumptuous feast of delights: an unforgettable narrative about family, work, romance, and the unexpected turns of life and fate.


About the author:
Adriana Trigiani is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker. Her books include the New York Times bestsellerThe Shoemaker's Wife; the Big Stone Gap series; Very Valentine; Brava, Valentine; Lucia, Lucia; and the bestselling memoir Don't Sing at the Table, as well as the young adult novels Viola in Reel Life and Viola in the Spotlight. She wrote the screenplay for Big Stone Gap, which she also directed. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

Connect with Adriana here: adrianatrigiani.com
Twitter: @adrianatrigiani
Facebook: facebook.com/adrianatrigiani

Review to come!

Giveaway:
The publisher has consented to a giveaway for an autographed copy! Giveaway is for print copy only and open to US only. Please leave a comment below with your contact info to get a chance. Giveaway ends August 18th 2014.



Sleeping with the Crawfish by D.J. Donaldson Review!



Book Details

  • Paperback: 260 pages
  • Publisher: St Martins Mass Market Paper; First Edition edition (December 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312966814
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312966812

Andy Broussard, the plump and proud New Orleans medical examiner, obviously loves food.  Less apparent to the casual observer is his hatred of murderers. Together with his gorgeous sidekick, psychologist Kit Franklyn, the two make a powerful, although improbable, mystery solving duo.
Strange lesions found in the brain of a dead man have forensic pathologist Broussard stumped.  Even more baffling are the corpse’s fingerprints.  They belong to Ronald Cicero, a lifer at Angola State Prison… an inmate the warden insists is still there.  Broussard sends psychologist Kit Franklyn to find out who is locked up in Cicero’s cell.  But an astonishing discovery at the jail and an attempt on her life almost has Kit sleeping with the crawfish in a bayou swamp. And Broussard, making a brilliant deduction about another murder, may soon be digging his own grave.

D.J. Donaldson’s brilliant first-hand knowledge of forensics, combined with a sultry flavor of New Orleans, equals a series that provides “sheer pulse-pounding reading excitement”(The Clarion Ledger) and “genuinely heart-stopping suspense” (Publisher’s Weekly).  With ingenuity and authentic detail, Donaldson presents a first class forensic procedural within an irresistibly delectable mystery.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
D.J. Donaldson is a retired professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology.  His entire academic career was spent at the University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, where he published dozens of papers on wound-healing and where he taught microscopic anatomy to thousands of medical and dental students.
He is also the author of seven published forensic mysteries and five medical thrillers. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee with his wife and two West Highland terriers. In the spring of most years he simply cannot stop buying new flowers and other plants for the couple’s prized backyard garden.

My Thoughts
After having read a previous novel in this series, I was looking forward to reading Sleeping with the Crawfish. I was not disappointed either.  The pairing of Andy Broussard and Kit Franklyn is an odd match indeed. But I think that they work well together. Kit has left the Medical Examiner's office, feeling that this is not the profession for her especially after what happened in the previous novel, when her co worker Andy asks her to assist him with a new case. As soon as Kit agrees to help Andy, she finds that her life is in danger at every turn. Her car is run off the road and she nearly drowns trying to get out of her car. So who is after her and why? The more that Kit investigates the more corruption she is finding. Can she find out what happened to the dead man or even who he is without joining him in the morgue?

The writing is fast paced and the story line suspenseful, the characters are believable. The Andy Broussard / Kit Franklyn mysteries are definitely worth a read. You don't need to start off with the first book in the series but it does help I think to start at the beginning. You will not be disappointed. I highly recommend the books.

I received a copy of the book for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.

The Legacy by Melissa Delport Blog Tour!




One man obsessed with power.

One woman prepared to sacrifice everything to stop him.

One war that changed the world.

“World War Three lasted twelve days. Twelve days was all it took for mankind to devastate the planet and almost eradicate the human race. No victor emerged from the ashes and billions lost their lives.

We survivors lived through the bleakest of winters. A primal existence became the new order, and the little that remained of our humanity hung in the balance.

Then one man stood up and changed the world. I believed, as did everyone else, that he was the hero of our time, the man who had saved us from our own demise. His name is Eric Dane and he is the President of the New United States of America. 

He is also my husband, and my greatest enemy.

I grew up oblivious to the truth, until my father found me when I was nineteen years old. He told me about the many horrifying facts that our new leader kept hidden from us. And he told me that beyond the borders the Resistance grew and fought for freedom from the oppression that Eric Dane had imposed on us.

My name is Rebecca Davis. I am twenty-six years old, and in me the Resistance has found the ultimate weapon.”

A narrative of good and evil, love and passion, right and wrong – and at the centre of the story a strong woman who is prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause she believes in.

The Legacy is an action-packed, adrenalin-inducing thrill ride which will leave you riveted long after you have turned the last page.


Bio
Wife and mother of 3, Melissa Delport is the author of The Legacy Trilogy and the stand-alone self-published e.books Rainfall and The Traveler.
She graduated from the University of South Africa with a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 2000
At the age of twenty-four Melissa started a logistics company (Transmax) from the spare room of her flat and built it up to two fully operational depots in Durban and Johannesburg. Now, 10 years later, she has sold her business in order to write full time.
Melissa lives with her husband and three children in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
The Legacy (book 1 of The Legacy Trilogy) and The Legion (book 2) are available now and the final book, The Legend, will be released early 2015.
An avid reader herself, Melissa finally decided to stop ‘watching from the sidelines’ and to do what is her passion.
“I was driving home from work when inspiration struck, and a storyline started unravelling in my head. For a few days it was all I could think about and eventually I realised that the only way to get it out of my head, was to put it all down on paper. I started writing, and that was that.”
SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
The Legacy Trilogy Website: www.thelegacytrilogy.com
Publisher’s website: www.traceymcdonaldpublishers.com


TITLE: The Legacy
SERIES: Book 1 of The Legacy Trilogy
AUTHOR: Melissa Delport
PRINT ISBN: 978-0-620-59636-7
eISBN: 978-0-620-59637-4
PAGES: 366 pages
WORD COUNT: 99 160
GENRE: Speculative Fiction
MARKET: Adults (with crossover to the 16+ reader)
PUBLISHER: Tracey McDonald Publishers



BUY LINKS
Amazon.com - HERE
Amazon.co.uk - HERE
Barnes & Noble - HERE

Kobo - HERE

05 August 2014

Discounted Series from Sourcebooks!



Mary Wine’s fourth book in The Sutherlands series, The Highlander’s Bride Trouble pubs tomorrow, August 5. To celebrate, the first three books in The Sutherlands series will be dramatically discounted in their eBook formats.

The eBook prices for the series will be as follows:
·         The Highlander’s Prize FREE
·         The Trouble with Highlanders - $1.99
·         How to Handle a Highlander - $3.99
·         The Highlander’s Bride Trouble $6.99

This promotion will be active for 90 days. 



BASTARD ROYAL DAUGHTER, PAWN IN A DEADLY GAME

Sent to Scotland to be the king's mistress and produce an heir, Clarrisa of York has never needed a miracle more. But the brusque Highland laird who kidnaps her is a bit too rough to be considered divine intervention.

HE'LL DO ANYTHING TO THWART HIS KING

With rival lairds determined to steal Clarrisa from him and royal henchmen searching for her all over the Highlands, Laird Broen MacNicols has a mess on his hands. Worse yet, there's a magnetic attraction between them, although he's betrothed to another. But even an independent-minded lady like Clarrisa knows that a Highlander always claims his prize..


She Has Hardly Any Choices Left...

With her clan on the wrong side of the struggle for the Scottish throne, heiress Daphne Macleod, once the toad of the court, is out of options...

And They're All Dangerous...

Norris Sutherland once helped Daphne, but she walked away from him without a backward glance. Now she's in deep trouble and needs him more than ever. But he may be lost forever...unless she can somehow convince him to forgive her.


Moira Frazer is betrothed to a man who is old enough to be her father, but it's her duty to her clan to marry him, and she's determined to see this through…until she meets Gahan Sutherland.

Gahan knows this match is designed to start a feud between the clans, which is why he decides to stop the wedding. But when Moira awakens a passion within him that he never knew existed, he realizes that the outcome of this perilous situation will determine the future of his own happiness. 

As trust and honor clash with forbidden attraction, manipulations, rivalries, and schemes will threaten to blow the Highlands sky high…

Nareen Grant is confident, well-educated, and quick with a dagger. So when her brother, Kael, unknowingly sends her to live at a cousin’s secret brothel, she escapes to court where she meets the arrogant Highlander, Saer MacLeod…

Saer is considered savage even by most Highlanders. It will take an extraordinary woman to handle him, and Nareen enchants him like no one he’s met before. When a furious Kael threatens revenge against the cousin who wronged his sister, Saer knows its his one chance to win over Nareen and reclaim the respect his family deserves…and he’s going to take it

The Graham Saga by Anna Belfrage Book Blast!

Join Anna Belfrage as her beloved time-slip series, The Graham Saga, is featured around the blogosphere from July 28-August 15 with HF Virtual Book Tours and enter to win your own set of Books 1-6!

About The Graham Saga

The Graham Saga Series 

 This is the story of Alex and Matthew, two people who should never have met - not when she was born three hundred years after him. It all began the day Alex Lind got caught in a thunderstorm. Not your ordinary storm, no this was the mother of all storms, causing a most unusual rift in the fabric of time. Alex was dragged three centuries backwards in time, landing more or less at the feet of a very surprised Matthew Graham. In a series of books we follow the life and adventures of the expanding Graham family, both in Scotland and in the New World - and let me tell you it is quite an exciting life, at times excessively so in Alex' opinion. Sometimes people ask me why Alex had to be born in the twentieth century, why not make her a woman born and bred in the seventeenth century where the story is set? The answer to that is I have no idea. Alex Lind is an insistent, vibrant character that sprung into my head one morning and simply wouldn't let go. Seductively she whispered about terrible thunderstorms, about a gorgeous man with magic, hazel eyes, about loss and sorrow, about love - always this love, for her man and her children, for the people she lives with. With a throaty chuckle she shared insights into a life very far removed from mine, now and then stopping to shake her head and tell me that it probably hadn't been easy for Matthew, to have such an outspoken, strange and independent woman at his side. At this point Matthew groaned into life. Nay, he sighed, this woman of his was at times far too obstinate, with no notion of how a wife should be, meek and dutiful. But, he added with a laugh, he wouldn't want her any different, for all that she was half heathen and a right hand-full. No, he said, stretching to his full length, if truth be told not a day went by without him offering fervent thanks for his marvelous wife, a gift from God no less, how else to explain the propitious circumstances that had her landing at his feet that long gone August day? Still, dear reader, it isn't always easy. At times Alex thinks he's an overbearing bastard, at others he's sorely tempted to belt her. But the moment their fingertips graze against each other, the moment their eyes meet, the electrical current that always buzzes between them peaks and surges, it rushes through their veins, it makes their breathing hitch and ... She is his woman, he is her man. That's how it is, that's how it always will be.

Graham Saga Titles

Book One: A Rip in the Veil 
Book Two: Like Chaff in the Wind Book 
Three: The Prodigal Son 
Book Four: A Newfound Land 
Book Five: Serpents in the Garden 
Book Six: Revenge & Retribution 
Book Seven: Whither Thou Goest (November 2014) Book Eight: To Catch a Falling Star (March 2015)

About the Author

Anna BelfrageAnna was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result she's multilingual and most of her reading is historical- both non-fiction and fiction. Possessed of a lively imagination, she has drawers full of potential stories, all of them set in the past. She was always going to be a writer - or a historian, preferably both. Ideally, Anna aspired to becoming a pioneer time traveller, but science has as yet not advanced to the point of making that possible. Instead she ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for her most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career Anna raised her four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive… For years she combined a challenging career with four children and the odd snatched moment of writing. Nowadays Anna spends most of her spare time at her writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and she slips away into her imaginary world, with her imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in her life pops his head in to ensure she's still there. For additional information regarding Anna, her characters, extra scenes, and teasers for her next books, have a look at Anna's website at: www.annabelfrage.com. You can also find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Book Blast Schedule

Monday, July 28 
Broken Teepee 
Kincavel Korner 
bookworm2bookworm's Blog 
Tuesday, July 29 
So Many Books, So Little Time 
Wednesday, July 30 
A Bibliotaph's Reviews 
Thursday, July 31 
Book Drunkard 
Friday, August 1 
The Lit Bitch 
Saturday, August 2 
Book Nerd 
Sunday, August 3 
Literary Chanteuse 
Just One More Chapter 
Monday, August 4 
A Bookish Girl 
Historical Tapestry 
To Read, Or Not to Read 
Tuesday, August 5 
CelticLady's Reviews 
Wednesday, August 6 
The True Book Addict 
Thursday, August 7 
Impressions in Ink 
Friday, August 8 
A Bookish Affair The Mad Reviewer 
Saturday, August 9 
Historical Fiction Connection 
Monday, August 11 
Gobs and Gobs of Books 
Tuesday, August 12 
Pages of Comfort 
Wednesday, August 13 
History Undressed 
Thursday, August 14 
Passages to the Past 
Friday, August 15 
Mina's Bookshelf

Giveaway

To win a set of Anna Belfrage's Graham Saga (Books 1-6) please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Two winners will be chosen. Giveaway is open internationally!
Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on August 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter. Winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter on August 16th and notified via email. Winners have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.


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Price of Vengeance by Kurt D.Springs Book Spotlight!


Book information:

Series Title: Dreamscape Warrior
Book Title: Price of Vengeance (Book 1)
  Author: Kurt D. Springs
Publisher: Tate Publishing & Enterprises LLC
Release date: April 22, 2014
Word Count: 90400 (320 pages)
Formats: Paperback; mobi (through Amazon) & epub available         

Book blurb:

What is the Price of Vengeance? One could understand why Liam was angry. He was orphaned at the age of two by a group of giant carnivorous insects called the chitin. Adopted by High Councilor Marcus and his wife, Lidia, Liam was raised with their older son, Randolf in New Olympia, the last remaining city on the planet Etrusci. As an adult, Liam becomes a soldier. After being cut off from the city, Liam finds that there is an alien intelligence behind the chitin. To defeat it, he must discover who he is and how to use his powers. Then, Liam discovers that a traitor, responsible for his birth parents’deaths, had murdered his beloved foster parents. Will the price he has to pay in his quest for vengeance prove to be an even more unbeatable foe? 


Author Bio: 
Kurt D. Springs is presently an adjunct professor of anthropology and archaeology in New Hampshire. He holds a PhD. in anthropology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, as well as a Master of Literature in archaeology from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and a Master of Liberal Arts in anthropology and archaeology from the Harvard University Extension School. His main area of interest is megalithic landscapes in prehistoric Ireland.

              Excerpt 

Liam! What have you done!

Liam!

Marcus was in front of him. Liam stopped, confused.

What have you done? Marcus demanded.

Liam’s control faltered. “I’m sorry!” He wept.

You know our teachings on revenge, Marcus said sternly. Licinious will die in agony.

Suddenly, irrationally angry, Liam straightened. “How can you defend him after what he did? To you, to Mom, to my birth parents, to everyone we cared about?”

I’m not defending him, Marcus said quietly, but how does that make it right?

With a howl of despair and emotional agony, Liam dashed forward through the shade of his father, blindly running into the sewers.

One could understand why Liam was angry. He was orphaned at the age of two by a group of giant carnivorous insects called the chitin. Adopted by High Councilor Marcus and his wife, Lidia, Liam was raised with their older son, Randolf in New Olympia, the last remaining city on the planet Etrusci. As an adult, Liam becomes a soldier. After being cut off from the city, Liam finds that there is an alien intelligence behind the chitin. To defeat it, he must discover who he is and how to use his powers. Then Liam discovers that a traitor, responsible for his birth parents’ deaths, had murdered his beloved foster parents. Will the price he has to pay in his quest for vengeance prove to be an even more unbeatable foe?
Review Snippets:
“Kurt Springs takes us through an action-filled adventure of villains and monsters, of kindness and redemption, and searches the human soul for motives that transcend our tendency toward ‘getting even.’Does vengeance carry a price? Does it always carry a price?”
“This is an exhilarating story, full of action and adventure, and with no assurance that everything will turn out all right, even into the very last battle. Once started, this book is hard to put down. You will want to add this book to your library so you can read it again and again.”  --Patricia Scholes

It was a very well written book, with enough interesting characters, as well as a Bear-lizard who can communicate telepathically, to keep everything interesting. I loved the dreamscape where Liam meets Jarek and finds out about who he is, and all about his family. The plot was very well written with enough betrayals, twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.”
“Overall a very well written book. One I feel all Sci-fi and fantasy/paranormal readers will enjoy.” --Aoife Marie Sheridan

“I have to be honest... I was completely blown away by this book. Normally I don't read novels of this genre but Mr. Springs work has me rethinking my choices. The characters were impressively easy to relate too and the storyline keeps you captivated through the entire novel.”--A.C. Heller

“I rarely read sci-fi owing to a “technical detail” fatigue, but the prologue of this wonderful book started with the character dynamic, not an elaborate sci-fi world. I HAD to care. I had to know what was going to happen to my poor characters. 
“The author doesn’t bog the reader down with the technical aspects and the story is action focused. I would definitely read more from this author.”--Crystal Collier

“Move over ‘Star Wars’! ‘Prince of Vengeance’ by Kurt D. Springs is Published!”--LuAnn Worley Rockin’ Book Reviews

04 August 2014

August Kindle Giveaway!

It's time for August's $229 Kindle Giveaway Hosted by I Am A Reader. Enter to win 1 of 2 great prizes both valued at $229. Winner’s choice of a Kindle Fire HDX or $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 Paypal Cash! 

The first prize is available via the rafflecopter below. The 2nd is available only to those share this giveaway. You can find info on how to enter the 2nd giveaway in the rafflecopter.

  August Kindle 2014  


Win a Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash ($229 value)

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HDX (US Only - $229 Value)



  Or $229 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

  Or $229 in Paypal Cash (International)

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Sign up to sponsor the next Kindle Giveaway here: http://www.iamareader.com/category/kindle-giveaway-sign-ups  

Giveaway Details 1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HDX (US Only - $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International). There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire HDX 7", $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash. 
Ends 8/31/14   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 participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

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