tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71818392024-03-22T08:48:30.909-05:00A Word's WorthA Word's Worth originally started as more a holding-place for memorable quotes (books, movies, conversations), with random musings about books or movies. Evolving into a truer book blog, it now features reviews and reading-related posts. Also featured are writings that the blogger finds relevant, creative, interesting, or simply decides to post.Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.comBlogger423125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-73346838243073314682014-04-21T13:30:00.000-05:002014-04-21T13:30:01.277-05:00Cover Reveal: He + She<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I'm super excited to be part of the cover reveal for Michelle Warren's upcoming new release HE + SHE ... And if that name seems familiar, she wrote the fantastic WANDER DUST trilogy. Since I absolutely loved those books, I'm very must looking forward to this one!<br />
Check out the gorgeous cover, tantalizing synopsis, links for further info and a rafflecopter giveaway below!<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>HE is trying to piece together his broken life.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>SHE is running away from her wedding day.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>TOGETHER, their world is a beautiful lie.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>APART, their world is a perfect mess.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>He + She is a free-spirited romance about soul-awakening, second chances, heartbreak, and hopeful beginnings.</b></span><br />
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About the Amazing Author:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3bUfZay4iCNOn-zeTnrpf7dLjkZvb2m7e42eUTwcra118G-hVqRh2wXq35yCe8o1Gn6qYTy5tJpBScGRtyxkNKRoa7X0DoVXaoIu-sHHIcVXMDgrv84-7lLeHRkSBB5ON4Fg/s1600/Michelle_Warren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3bUfZay4iCNOn-zeTnrpf7dLjkZvb2m7e42eUTwcra118G-hVqRh2wXq35yCe8o1Gn6qYTy5tJpBScGRtyxkNKRoa7X0DoVXaoIu-sHHIcVXMDgrv84-7lLeHRkSBB5ON4Fg/s1600/Michelle_Warren.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
Michelle Warren didn't travel the road to writer immediately. She spent over a decade as professional Illustrator and designer. Her artistic creativity combined with her love of science fiction, paranormal and fantasy led her to write her first YA novel, Wander Dust. Michelle loves reading and traveling to places that inspire her to create. She resides in downtown Chicago.<br />
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Connect with Michelle!<br />
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<li><b><a href="http://www.michelle-warren.com/">Website/Blog</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-Warren-Author">Facebook</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4097828.Michelle_Warren">Goodreads</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://twitter.com/MMichelleWarren">Twitter</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://instagram.com/mmichellewarren">Instagram</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://mmichellewarren.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Warren/e/B006JNHCNU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1397662457&sr=8-1">Amazon Author Page</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/michellewarren/">Pinterest</a></b></li>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7f88e19/" id="rc-7f88e19" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-72234339282124793682014-03-31T08:30:00.000-05:002014-03-31T09:09:07.709-05:00Blog Tour: The Grudge Keeper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Grudge Keeper<br />
Mara Rockliff & Eliza Wheeler (illustrator)<br />
Peachtree, 2014<br />
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Yet another pretty picture book from Peachtree, with a fun story that has a hidden nugget of a lesson.<br />
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The town of Bonnyripple doesn't hold grudges. Not a single one of the townspeople has to - because Cornelius, the Grudge Keeper, keeps them all neatly tucked away and out of the people's hair. This system works nicely, until a huge windstorm that creates a ginormous pile of old grudges that buries Cornelius. As the people come together to rescue their grudge keeper, they realize that they can actually dispense of the grudges altogether and not even have Cornelius store them. This makes a much happier town, of course, and the new friendliness keeps Cornelius company after his grudge keeping duties go awry.<br />
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The illustrations are beautiful, fun to look at and full of quirky little details. And the vocabulary! My geeky heart loves the vocabulary, and I look forward to seeing a whole host of little people using big words after reading <em>The Grudge Keeper</em>. Definitely a "keeper" book.<br />
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<i>Book provided by publisher for review.</i><br />
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For more blog tour fun, swing by <a href="http://peachtreepub.blogspot.com/">the Peachtree blog</a>, where a complete schedule will be posted!Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-89519726493818560112014-03-26T09:30:00.000-05:002014-03-26T09:30:02.074-05:00Princess in the Opal Mask<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Princess in the Opal Mask<br />
Jenny Lundquist<br />
Running Press, 2013<br />
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Part fairy tale, part classic literature (blurb suggests <em>Man in the Iron Mask</em>, which I haven't read, but it makes me think of <em>Prince and the Pauper</em>), this is a story of intrigue and spunk. And, thankfully, just the first installment -- because I've got to know what happens next!<br />
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First we meet Elara, orphaned as a young child, and being raised in a not-so-wonderful environment. When she is given a mysterious old book by the local schoolmaster - who is promptly arrested by royal officials - she is determined to find the answers to her questions. And her identity. Thick in the mix of all the intrigue and mystery is the Princess in the Opal Mask (her real name is Wilha, but people rarely refer to her by name). Nobody ever sees the Princess's face, and rumor has it if she looks at you unmasked, you are cursed. When Elara and Wilha meet, startling things are revealed.<br />
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Faced with a difficult truth and an increasingly complicated reality, Elara and Wilha must come to terms with their new identities. What ensues is a dangerous adventure that tests the courage and loyalty of both girls, as well as helping them find their <em>true</em> selves. As they navigate the tricky waters of international relations, to say nothing of interpersonal relationships!, the girls find themselves stretching and growing into their new positions and roles. It's an interesting, engaging story and I enjoyed watching Elara and Wilha grow and interact. I'm very interested in seeing how things will play out in <em>The Opal Crown</em> later this year.<br />
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<em>Book provided by publisher for review</em>.Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-60593460567501187282014-03-14T10:00:00.000-05:002014-03-14T10:00:06.298-05:00Writing Process Blog HopIn a lovely, roundabout fashion, I have been tagged in the Writing Process Blog Hop that's floating around the interwebz. You can read Jennifer Becton's <a href="http://bectonliterary.com/2014/03/06/writing-process-blog-hop/">post here</a>, and get an inside peek at what she does to write the Southern Fraud thrillers (they're the only thrillers I read, and you can catch my reviews <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2012/08/2-for-1-review-southern-fraud.html">here</a> and <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/05/at-fault.html">here</a>). If you didn't know I write ... well, surprise! I do! Not only do I have a fiction project or two up my sleeve, but I also do a lot of writing for the Library.<br />
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<b>What am I working on?</b><br />
I have several things bouncing around in my brain, some in various stages of completion, others existing solely in my head, but the one I'm most actively working on (aka: what I've written the most of) is the WIP I've affectionately dubbed #EnchantedDarcy. It's an idea that came to me, answering the question "what if Jane Austen wrote fairy tales?" And, of course, I'm using <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> as my first experiment. Because how can you go wrong with Darcy???<br />
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<b>How does my work differ from others in my genre?</b><br />
There are a lot of Austenesque novels available, and there are a lot of fairy tale revisions out there too. But I haven't seen anything that combines the two. Which is fun, because I'm getting to play with all these ideas in my head and not worry about it being compared to something else.<br />
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<b>Why do I write what I do?</b><br />
Because the story is in my head, and it must come out. <-- a="" and="" can="" cool="" have="" i="" it="" like="" movie="" out="" p="" play="" s="" see="" share="" story="" such="" that="" the="" this="" to="" truth.="" whole=""><br />
<b>How does my writing process work?</b><br />
I get an idea, from somewhere - a dream, a random thought, a phrase - and it starts growing and developing. I "write" everything in my head first, until I can see the story, follow it from beginning to end and see the nuances and detail, until I know the characters on a personal level. And then ... I write. I like to write from the beginning and go straight through, but with #EnchantedDarcy I hit a point where I just really wanted to skip ahead and write some of the more awesome scenes - so I opened a new document and have been. I'll piece them together with the necessary material to weave them into the rest of the story later.<br />
I don't outline, but I have been known to jot down short narratives - like a super condensed summary/short story version of the larger idea in my head - just so I can keep the story straight. I tend to do this for things I'm going to come back to in the future, rather than projects I'm actively working on. I have written character sketches before, but found that my characters can't evolve if I've written them down - I like to let them grow and change as I learn their story. So I just ... visualize everything, I guess. It's really all in my head until I start writing it. And that's a little scary on some level, especially when I hear how others (many of whom write things I lurve) write and develop stories ... <br />
Also, I should probably point out that while I am prolific when I actually sit down to write, I am a very slow writer - I think I get distracted. Or something. Point being, I don't often make myself sit down and just <b>write</b> the way I should. My goal for 2014 is to FINALLY finish my Darcy tale, and then explore whatever else I've got going.<br />
I love to write to music, but I've also discovered I write well to a steady hum of voices. I clocked some of my best word counts on afternoons when I'd write the last bit of my workday, to the backdrop of a particular professor's very enthusiastic Western Civilization lectures. (This was at my old job, obviously). Since I don't have access to those entertaining lectures, music has to fill the gap.<br />
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And I was supposed to tag another writer or two, and I totally failed. We had a massive ice storm the end of last week that made us lose power for most of the weekend ((dude, it's the South, in March!)), and this has been an absolutely ridiculous week ... So. #EpicFail on my part. Oops. But definitely track down some of the other posts - there's a lot of interesting writing stuff to be discovered.<br />
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Now you know my secret: I'm a writer.<br />
Do you write?</-->Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-82281563407091933102014-03-12T08:00:00.000-05:002014-03-12T08:00:06.889-05:00Blog Tour: Lost for Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lost for Words<br />
Natalie Russell<br />
Peachtree, 2014<br />
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Another stellar picture book from Peachtree, with bright, whimsical illustrations and a cast of amusing animals. (I've decided I am a definite sucker for animals in kiddie books). So glad I got to be a part of this blog tour, because this book is a definite keeper!<br />
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All of Tapir's friends have a way with words. Giraffe writes beautiful poetry, Hippo writes thrilling stories with dashing heroes and damsels in distress, and Flamingo has the ability to write make-you-cry songs. But Tapir can't find his words, no matter how hard he tries - he has a brand new notebook and everything! Then one day, pondering deep thoughts, Tapir discovers how he can tell his stories. Not everyone can use words the same way, or even at all - and not everyone can <i>draw</i>.<br />
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A simple story, a fun story (especially since we get to see examples of everyone's writing!), a good reminder story. We all have different talents and giftings, and just like our endearing animal buddies discover, each way is special and beautiful - and when we combine all our gifts? Wow. What fun to be had, what stories to be told!<br />
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<i>Book provided by publisher for review</i>.<br />
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For more blog tour fun, visit:<br />
<ul>
<li>Monday: <a href="http://www.sallysbookshelf.blogspot.com/">Sally’s Bookshelf</a> </li>
<li><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1270790499" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">Tuesday</span></span>: <a href="http://itsabouttimemamaw.blogspot.com/">It’s About Time Mamaw</a> </li>
<li>Wednesday: <a href="http://www.chatwithvera.blogspot.com/">Chat with Vera</a> </li>
<li>Thursday: <a href="http://www.toliverstotexas.com/">Tolivers to Texas</a> and <a href="http://www.kid-lit-reviews.com/">Kid Lit Reviews</a> </li>
<li>Friday: <a href="http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/">Geo Librarian</a> </li>
</ul>
Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-64172777321297496682014-03-10T08:30:00.000-05:002014-03-10T08:30:03.582-05:00Geek's Guide to Dating<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Geek's Guide to Dating<br />
Eric Smith<br />
Quirk Books, 2013<br />
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This book ... oh man, where do I even begin? It's a book you might pick up on a whim, because the cover is eye-catchingly fun, and if you flip through its pages, there are "classic videogame" illustrations. As you skim through it, you'll probably chuckle at some of the headings, references, and quotable passages within. Once you're hooked, you'll realize this is actually a very handy - and helpful - dating resource guide for the ... socially challenged, but endearing, geek crowd.<br />
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While this is targeted toward (male) geeks, as a geekette I was able to appreciate much of what Smith had to say. A lot of it is universal, and some you just have to tweak your perspective, look on the flipside. (Also, as a girl, it offered unique insight into the mind of the geek, which made several things <em>make so much sense</em>, re: the way various geeks in my life have behaved. Double bonus!) Smith presents very sound, practical advice to help geeks navigate (and <b>understand</b>) the dating game - and does so with an easy-to-read style that demonstrates some pretty geektastic (read: awesome) humor. It's the kind of "useful" book that you actually enjoy reading, because it's fun. And did I mention the super cute illustrations? In a nutshell, this is quite probably the best dating book I've ever read, and I can think of several people who will also appreciate it.<br />
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<i>Book provided by publisher for review</i>.Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-71951644400957165042014-03-07T09:00:00.000-05:002014-03-07T09:00:01.556-05:00"A Captain America & Loki Fangirl"One of the funnest quirky perks of my job is "getting paid to check out [insert fangirl crush <i>de jour</i> here]". The phrase was first uttered, re: Caspian, and made my [guy] friend's eyebrows raise dramatically. His response cracked me up even more than my own offhand comment had, and I've played with it ever since. When I'm checking out said items (and let's face it, they're almost always DVDs) to patrons I've got a good rapport with, sometimes I'll make comments about said movies or characters. For example:<br />
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One of the regulars came in and checked out <i>Captain America</i>, and I was like "Captain Americaaaa" (at the time of this writing, and the exchange, I'm under the influence of a hotdog-induced migraine. Life is interesting). She asked if I liked the <i>Avengers</i>, and my enthusiastic reply: "Oh yeah. I am a Captain America and Loki fangirl!"<br />
She looked at me in disbelief, before asking "<i>Loki</i>?!"<br />
I laughed, and confessed "yep, Loki."<br />
"But he's horrible! So -- so -- mean!"<br />
"I know, but ... he's Loki. I just love him. I have from the beginning when I read the myths -- but yeah. Loki."<br />
We then talked about the viewing adventure of the whole <i>Avengers</i> cannon, and I've seen <i>Thor: The Dark World</i>, but she hasn't yet, so she asked if Loki managed to redeem himself, <b>somehow</b>, in that one.<br />
"Mmhmm, yep. He does," I smiled.<br />
She left still not quite certain about my choice of fangirl crushes, teehee.<br />
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Then I started thinking, because it's quiet this afternoon (Wednesday, if you're curious), and like I said, I've got hotdog hangover going on ... and it's a thought I had last week actually, when I was watching <i>Thor: TDW</i>, and that is this ... The whole Captain America/Superman fangirl thing I have going on? It's totally at odds with the Loki/Han Solo thing. They're like sun and shadow, chocolate and salt. And yet ... it also sort of works.<br />
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Think about it: Captain America and Superman? They're the Nice Guys. The really, really Nice Guys. Chivalrous. Honorable. Trustworthy. Straight-arrow types. The kind you're really happy to take home to meet the parents and grandparents. Often underrated and under-appreciated, these are the guys who make you feel safe and cherished and content. The older I get, the more I appreciate the Nice Guys - both on screen and page, and in real life.<br />
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Now please take a gander at Exhibit B: The Bad Boys. Loki, Han Solo, Flynn Rider ... We first meet these guys and they're scoundrels. Conflicted. Not necessarily dudes your parents are going to approve of. And yet, there's more to them than the "villainy" (that's a fun word). There's depth. Layers. Heart. They've got histories that have shaped them, and character development that takes them ... beyond. There are a lot more Loki, Han and Flynns in the world than Cap'n and Supermans. Sadly.<br />
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I'm not sure where this thought is taking me, actually ... Maybe I just like talking about my fangirl crushes. My cast of superheroes ... But it's interesting all the same. And that's what Friday ramble posts are all about.<br />
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Next week, I'll be sharing my answers for the Writing Process Blog Hop thing going on, I was tagged by <a href="http://bectonliterary.com/2014/03/06/writing-process-blog-hop">Jennifer Becton</a>!Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-22396664125208424152014-03-05T08:00:00.000-05:002014-03-05T09:36:48.125-05:00Blog Tour: Churchill's Tale of Tails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Churchill's Tale of Tails<br />
Anca Sandu<br />
Peachtree, 2014<br />
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This is one of those super cute animal books that kids love (and okay, so do adults), because it has awesome illustrations and a funny little main character. But it also has a sweet little lesson woven into the mix. You know it's there, but it's not overwhelming - it just works in and with the story. And that, my reading friends, is the perfect way for a picture book to be!<br />
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Churchill is a piggy with a very fine tail. He loves his tail, and he loves his life - books and tea parties and adventures. So when his tail goes missing one day, he is very, very sad. Until he starts trying on other tails for size, and gets carried away with all the different tails and how they make him feel. We're talking zebra, alligator, elephant, peacock (my personal favorite) - <strong>tails</strong>, my friends. Tail collecting is a fun thing, but it pretty much takes over Churchill's life until he has an encounter with a super scary shadowy monster ... which is a bird wearing his tail on its head. Yep, you read that right. So as the tale gets neatly wrapped up, and tails find proper homes, Churchill remembers all the fun he had before he started collecting tails. And, of course, it all ends happily ever after.<br />
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The story made me smile, but I <em>loved</em> the illustrations. So, so much. They're just plain fun! In short, this is a cute book with an important little life lesson tucked in all the fun, and kids and adults alike will appreciate Churchill and his tails.<br />
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<i>Book provided by publisher for review.</i><br />
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<span style="color: black;">For more blog tour fun, visit:</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Monday: <span><a href="http://www.sallysbookshelf.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.sallysbookshelf.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com</a> & <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://itsabouttimemamaw.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">http://itsabouttimemamaw.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></span></span><br />
<span><span style="color: black;">Tuesday: <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.readingtoknow.com</span></a> </span></span></span><br />
<span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Thursday: <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.toliverstotexas.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.ToliversToTexas.com</span></a> <span style="color: black;">&</span> <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.kid-lit-reviews.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.kid-lit-reviews.com</span></a></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: black;">Friday: <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">http://geolibrarian.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com/</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></span></span></span></span>Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-80998141729872577942014-02-27T09:00:00.000-05:002014-02-27T09:00:04.352-05:00Views from the Depths<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Views from the Depths<br />
Jessica Grey<br />
Tall House Books, 2013<br />
<br />
I'm a bit of a Jessica Grey fangirl. Aside from the fact we're self-appointed, long-lost sisters, she has a knack for storytelling that keeps me spellbound. As with her previous collection of fairy tale shorts, Grey has taken familiar, beloved fairy tales and turned them inside out. Unlike <em><a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/01/views-from-tower.html">Views from the Tower</a> </em>however, <em>Views from the Depths</em> has a dark edge to its tales.<br />
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Grey has delved deep into the psyche of pivotal characters in four classic tales (The Little Mermaid; Snow White; Twelve Dancing Princesses; and Beauty and the Beast), finding answers to the questions you didn't know you needed to ask. These deeply personal glimpses reveal the truth behind the sparkling glass dome of "happily ever after" ... They're darker, at times almost unnerving, but never overwhelming. Never too dark. There's always a whisper of hope -- a shimmer of light peeking around the corner, reminding you that the story isn't over yet.<br />
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Also, her "Beauty and the Beast"? Ah-mazing.<br />
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<i>eARC provided by author for review</i>.Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-3982035386136193822014-02-24T07:30:00.000-05:002014-02-24T07:30:03.804-05:00Blog Tour: Love at First Slight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.leatherboundreviews.blogspot.com/2014/02/love-at-first-slight-by-j-marie-croft.html"><img alt="http://www.leatherboundreviews.blogspot.com/2014/02/love-at-first-slight-by-j-marie-croft.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslBCp_s872PjS8MOn1CkcUQ9vGCjVDbaDgbuM9FOg1LP85-e2oDcyVWzyecM7cTNQlEEioBoXDXSxdglc5hlaUNrviCPx7ZLsvJp_EUjvQl1Fa3uLX4TsFXSbhau05DohrjA9/s1600/LaFS+Blog+Tour+Banner+copy.png" /></a></div>
I am super excited to be a stop on the blog tour Jakki put together for J Marie Croft's new book <i>Love at First Slight</i>! Click on the banner above to see the full schedule, and check out my review below.<br />
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Love at First Slight<br />
J Marie Croft<br />
Meryton Press, 2013<br />
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This is one of those books that is just plain fun. Croft took the familiar and beloved tale of <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>, and gave it a fresh new update that is sure to make you laugh out loud. (I did, the cats were frightened). She keeps the original context, it's a historical, Regency novel - and the key scenes definitely do happen. You know, important stuff like the ill-fated first encounter at the Assembly, and a visit to Rosings Park - not to mention the surprise encounter on Pemberley's grounds. But everything plays out with an entertaining flair and a whole new flavor. You see, all the gender roles have been reversed in Croft's rendition.<br />
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Admittedly, it's a little unusual at first glance: No Mr Darcy! But once you start reading, and the five Bennett brothers take over, it works. Our Darcy is now Elizabeth - a much sought-after heiress with a fortune beyond belief. Her starcrossed lover is the middle Bennett brother, William. (He. Is. Awesome. Also a reverend). Mr Bennett is prone to nervous complaints and has an urgent need to marry off his five sons to rich wives. It is Casper Bingley who is after Miss Elizabeth Darcy, and his sister Jane - a wealthy widow - catches the attention of Charles Bennett. Mr Collins is himself, however he has a sister who is ... a force to be reckoned with. And then there is Sir de Bourgh and his sickly son Andrew. Seriously, this gender-switching works so much better than I'd have expected - and the added hilarity of knowing these characters as other characters amplifies the fun.<br />
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The story itself follows the pattern of the familiar original -there are misunderstandings, bad decisions, rash words, fierce encounters. With the different gender roles, the way things play out at the end is a little different, but I found it refreshing and not un-Jane. I love Lizzy, and really, really love Will Bennett. At times irreverent, always carefully fun and light, this is definitely a worthy addition to the Austenesque collection. <br />
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<i>Book provided by publisher for review</i>.Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-27051322138338807802014-02-12T09:00:00.000-05:002014-02-12T11:23:03.398-05:00Blog Tour: Porcelain Keys (Excerpt)Today I am pleased to present another excerpt to whet your reading appetite! If you can't tell from the banner, the cover of <em>Porcelain Keys</em> is simply beautiful. You can feast your eyes on a bigger image in just a minute, but first, a synopsis for you:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Aria's life is full of secrets--secrets about her mother's death, her father's cruelty, and her dream to go to Juilliard. When Aria meets Thomas, he draws out her secrets, captures her heart, and gives her the courage to defy her father. But when tragedy strikes and Thomas disappears, Aria is left alone to transform her broken heart's melody into something beautiful. Porcelain Keys is a captivating love story that will resonate long after the last page is turned.</span></blockquote>
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Intriguing, no?<br />
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Pair that synopsis with this cover, and then I'm pretty sure you'll be racing down the page to devour the excerpt ...<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 20pt; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;">Excerpt from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Porcelain
Keys</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aria
has just spent the night in her neighbor’s tree house—a secret and secluded
place where she goes to hide when she needs to get away from her dad’s
volatility. No one has lived in her neighbor’s house for a couple years, so she
thinks she can stay in the tree house without being discovered.</i></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></i><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I awoke to a creaking sound, like
wood bending under the weight of a heavy foot. But when I opened my eyes, there
was no one there. Only a blue jay perched on the threshold of the doorway, his
plumage vibrant in the early morning light. He tilted his crested head and
stared at me curiously with one eye, then ruffled his feathers before going
still again. He appeared to be listening, waiting expectantly for something.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wanting to sleep longer, I shut my
eyes. Every joint in my body ached as if I’d hiked a mountain the day before. The
blue jay called again, a musical whistle that sounded like a rusty old swing. I
picked out the notes and the melodic interval. </span><i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Italic;">B-flat
to G, </span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;">I thought, </span><i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Italic;">a minor third. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;">He
repeated the call again and again, but soon another creak silenced him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I sat up in my sleeping bag, my ears
suddenly attuned to the sounds outside the tree house. Weak wood whining against
the strain of pressure. The tread of a shoe gripping the edge of a step.
Labored breathing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Someone was climbing to the tree
house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The blue jay’s crest bristled
outward in warning, and in one movement I shed the sleeping bag and shot to my feet.
The bird beat its wings and let out a hawk-like scream before flying up into
the rafters, trapping itself along with me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My first thought was that Dad had
finally found my hidden sanctuary. If he saw me here, I could never come back.
As stealthily as I could manage, I scooped up my sleeping bag and receded into
a shallow space behind a tall cabinet. My sleeping bag bulged around the
corner, and I hooked my leg around it and drew it as close to my body as possible.
The sounds of the blue jay’s escape attempts only added to my anxiety. A thump
against a window, a clatter against the roof, an ear-piercing warning call.
Every now and then I saw a flash of blue feathers in the rafters. My heart beat
as wildly in my chest as the trapped bird’s wings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A shadow stretched from the doorway
across the floor, and I held my breath and stiffened my body, hoping Dad would
take a quick glance, then go on his way. But instead I heard the creak of
steps. They were slow and tentative, and were coming closer. My lungs burned
for want of new air, and I eased the stale air out and silently drew in more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another step closer. Too close. I
guessed he was right around the corner of the cabinet. If I moved a fraction of
an inch, he would hear me. My muscles cramped up from </span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;">being
tense for so long, but I couldn’t release them without being discovered. I
heard one more step, then my stomach contracted as someone stepped into my line
of vision.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It wasn’t Dad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Regular;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was a boy, tall with dark,
tousled hair. His back was to me, but a moment later he turned to face me and
his eyes locked with mine. The look of surprise I expected to see was strangely
absent. Instead, his expression seemed to say, </span><i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: AGaramondPro-Italic;">Oh,
there you are.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br />
<strong>Meet the Author:</strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">SARAH BEARD is the author of Porcelain Keys, a YA contemporary romance. She has a degree in communications from the University of Utah and splits her time between writing and raising three energetic boys. She is a cancer survivor and a hopeless romantic. She enjoys reading and composing music, and lives with her husband and children in Salt Lake City, Utah. You can follow Sarah on twitter at </span><a href="http://twitter.com/authorsarahb"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">@authorsarahb</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">, or on </span><a href="http://facebook.com/authorsarahbeard"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. Her website is </span><a href="http://www.sarahbeard.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">www.sarahbeard.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">.</span></div>
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<strong>Buy Links:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Porcelain-Keys-Sarah-">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/porcelain-keys-sarahbeard/">Barnes & Noble</a>Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-34521979706195407652014-02-07T09:00:00.000-05:002014-02-07T09:00:12.287-05:00Olympic Fever Strikes Again!You guys. The Olympics are back!!!!!! Please imagine me bouncing up-and-down in my chair, grinning like the little girl who just won a trip to Disney and a lifetime supply of chocolate. Yeah. That big. I <i style="font-weight: bold;">love</i> the Olympics. I've been watching them pretty much my entire life, with my first Olympic memories involving Kristi Yamaguchi winning gold in 1992. Since then, I've been hooked ... My appreciation of the various sports has evolved as I've grown older. At first, I was drawn solely to the pageantry and grace of figure skating and gymnastics, yearning to have a quarter of the coordination necessary to "do that." Eventually I became interested in track-and-field (which has since waned a bit), then fell hard for the "X Games" sports and swimming. Right now, as it stands, the only Winter Games sport I detest is hockey, though my decided favorites are snowboarding, skating (all disciplines), and freestyle skiing (X Games, anyone?).<br />
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Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a bit of a sports junkie to begin with. It used to not be so -- the Olympics were the only thing "athletic" I really cared about until the end of high school, when I fell long and hard for football. Eventually I became enamored with the NCAA basketball tournament (but only tourney ball!), and most recently picked up a weird interest in the World Series. But the Olympics have always been something special -- a time that allows me to flaunt my American pride a little higher, to feel like I'm part of one huge group of people cheering for the same much smaller group of people who are fighting for honor and glory and the title of "Champion." It's a sense of community that is distinctly national, while also bringing together the world in a universal community. The music, the flair, the pomp and ceremony, the prestige. I love it. And I love Team USA. And I love that every two years, I can put things on hold and curl up to watch the world come together in something so huge, so filled with tradition, and know the world is watching with me.<br />
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I've blogged about my Olympic viewing experiences. The last several Games, I've live-texted with friends in different states, trading both excessively subjective commentary as well as technically objective analysis. This year ... things feel different. Oh, I'm psyched out of my mind, and fully prepared to feel like a zombie at work the next two weeks from staying up too late watching coverage. But my friends -- they're not. Some of them never watch the Olympics (<i>how that stayed secret for the 7+ years we've been friends, I don't know</i>), others just don't want to watch <b>these</b> Olympics. Oh, there are a few fellow Olympic faithfuls, but I'll have a far smaller circle of buddies with whom to gush over things with. Important things. Like breaking down all the technical elements and "What were they <i>thinking</i>?!" aspects of figure skating costuming. (This is serious stuff, y'all.) And we can't forget the breathtaking daredevilry of snowboarders, and watching the face of American snowboarding attempt to earn his third straight gold. (If you don't know who I'm talking about ... I pity you.) This year there are NEW SPORTS to contend and contest, and that's guaranteed to be worth dissecting.<br />
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It's these little, silly things, as well as the big, momentous, actually-important things that make the Olympics so great, and hold me spellbound.<br />
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To each his own, I suppose, but this girl will be faithfully watching -- and cheering.<br />
Because it's <b>The Olympics</b>. And I can't imagine doing anything else.Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-55464714767526679472014-01-29T10:30:00.000-05:002014-01-29T10:30:02.677-05:00Amanda's Beau (Excerpt)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1382644252l/18714978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1382644252l/18714978.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
Amanda’s Beau<br />
by Shirley Raye Redmond<br />
<br />
Now available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amandas-Beau-Shirley-Raye-Redmond-ebook/dp/B00G2V3O9A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1390406433&sr=1-1&keywords=amanda%27s+beau">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amandas-beau-shirley-raye-redmond/1117208695?ean=2940148705116">Barnes and Noble</a>, and <a href="http://www.astraeapress.com/#!/~/product/category=662252&id=29072201">Astraea Press</a><br />
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The year is 1905. It is autumn in the village of Aztec in New Mexico territory. Amanda Dale is burdened with the responsibility of caring for her widowed sister—an invalid--and Ella’s two children—one a premature infant. Schoolteacher Gil Gladney is handsome, intelligent, and God-fearing. He is drawn to Amanda, but feels he cannot propose marriage until he is able to purchase the ranch he has been saving for. When Gil and his pupils discover the relics of an ancient culture among the ruins outside the village, Gil contacts an old college friend. The possibility of an archeological excavation excites the community of cash-strapped farmers, eager to earn extra money working on the site. When a rabid skunk reels through the excavation site, threatening the lives of Amanda and her nephew Rex, Gil realizes that life is short and the possibility of true happiness can be fleeting. In the end, Amanda learns to trust God to provide the happily-ever-after ending she’s been praying for.<br />
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Excerpt from <em>Amanda's Beau</em>:<br />
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Chapter 1<br />
Village of Aztec,<br />
New Mexico Territory--1905<br />
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The baby was nestled snugly inside the large roasting pan. Wrapped in a bit of blue flannel blanket, she reminded Amanda Dale of an oversized tamale. The pan had been set upon the open door of the hot oven so that the premature infant could absorb the life-saving heat. She is so little, Amanda thought with a clutch of fear. She bent over the pan to peer into her niece’s tiny face—a face not much larger than a silver dollar.<br />
“Do you think she’ll die?” 10-year-old Rex asked. Bonita, the large red dog, stood beside him, her long tongue hanging out of her open mouth. Amanda noted the anxiety in her nephew’s voice. She didn’t answer at first. Born almost two months early, the baby had been quite small and barely strong enough to suckle. Tufts of dark hair now sprang from the top of her little head like scraggly sprouts. Her tiny limbs appeared so fragile that Amanda was reluctant to carry the infant without first placing her on a pillow. Ella hadn’t even bothered to name the child yet. When Rex started calling the baby Minnie, Amanda did too. After all, the tiny girl was no bigger than a minute, Gil Gladney had declared the first time he’d seen her.<br />
With a heavy sigh, Amanda shoved thoughts of the handsome schoolteacher, out of her mind and filled the medicine dropper with warm milk. She couldn’t afford to indulge in romantic daydreams. Not this busy September morning. Perhaps not ever.<br />
“Aunt Mandy, is she going to die?” Rex repeated.<br />
“Not if I can help it,” Amanda replied. She gently pressed the tip of the medicine dropper into the baby’s small rosebud mouth. Minnie puckered a bit, trying to suck. Small and feeble, the infant made frail, pitiful sounds like a mewling kitten.<br />
“How is Mama this morning?” Rex asked.<br />
“As well as can be expected,” Amanda replied, shrugging. Glancing at him, she noted the anxiety etched on his young face. Her heart ached for him. He’d endured a lot of grief for one so young. “Your mother is sick in her heart and in her mind. It takes a lot of time to heal in those places.” She did wish Ella would make more of an effort though. Sometimes she had to resist the urge to go in there and shake some sense into her younger sister. Of course, she’d never tell Rex that. Changing the subject, she asked, “Did you feed the chickens?”<br />
“That’s all I ever do--take care of those stupid chickens!” he snapped.<br />
“Watch your tone with me, young man!” Amanda warned. <br />
Rex sighed. “Yes, ma’am. I didn’t mean nothing by it. I fed the chickens and filled the pans with fresh water too.”<br />
“Anything, you didn’t mean anything by it,” she said, correcting his grammar.<br />
He shrugged a shoulder. “ I spend so much time out there, I should move my cot into the chicken house.” With another shrug, he added, “Ozzie Lancaster calls me Chicken Boy.” <br />
Amanda bit her lip and tried not to laugh. </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To connect with Shirley, check out <a href="http://www.shirleyrayeredmond.com/">her website</a> -- or visit her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shirley-Raye-Redmond-Author/533496973399344">on facebook</a>! </div>
Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-87559484478807694252014-01-24T10:30:00.000-05:002014-01-24T10:45:07.892-05:00Reading by the NumbersLong before I was a book blogger - or knew what that was - a couple friends and I kept track of the books we read. On facebook, of all places. It was a hotly contested battle, and I reigned as Queen every year (no really, I kicked major reading butt, mwuhaha). As I started blogging, I shifted my record keeping to here and eventually began to integrate Goodreads more. Their challenge widget is so nifty! <br />
<br />
The other day I started thinking: I know what my recent reading has been like, I can look at the stats on Goodreads, but what was I reading in college? In grad school? Back when this all started ... I dug up the old facebook notes, and found out!<br />
<ul style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2007: 77 books, 24084 pages</span></li>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2008: 58 Books, 18124 pages</span></li>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2009: 64 books, 21333 pages</span></li>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2010: 76 Books, 25128 pages</span></li>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2011: 78 Books, 23679 pages</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Not too shabby, especially considering the end of college and all of grad school are covered in those years. Apparently 2012 was the magic year to shift everything over to Goodreads, so the most recent numbers are:</span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 20px;">2012: 83 Books, 24723 pages</span></span></li>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 20px;">2013: 83 Books, 25899 pages</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Again, I don't feel that's too shabby. Even if I did have to step down as reigning champ in 2013. I bow to Steven's vacuum reading, and the resulting amazing numbers (151 books, 49137 pages!). Honestly, when I think about all the Crazy Big Things that happened in 2013, I'm a little surprised I managed to read as much as I did, let alone beat my personal page number record. I'm shooting for 100 again this year (I like the maths), but I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't make it. The numbers show I've never made it to 100 ... but as fun as the numbers are (Mum says I really should have majored in math), that's not what reading is about.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">Reading is for fun. Sometimes an escape - a realization that came startlingly clear to me last week while I took a hiatus from fiction. I've got to find the balance between reading because it's what I love and is a great way to spend lunch hours and/or wind down from the day, and turning to a book when I don't want to deal with whatever is going on in life. I've taken back reading for pleasure - there won't be nearly as many "for review" titles, as we've discussed already, and I'm going to spend 2014 reading What I Want To Read. (I have a sneaking suspicion this might raise my final counts).</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">I plan to continue my experiments with audiobooks this year ... I do love my music in the car, but it's fun to work in an "extra" story too. And I desperately need to catch up on eBooks ... my poor Kindle is loaded with books I've stashed away in a virtual no-man's land, and I must be more diligent about reading these treasures. I should probably also try to resist the impulse to check out every awesome looking book that comes across the Library desk and read my own ... Since I brought home an entire trilogy last Friday, as soon as they transitioned from "in cataloging" to "checked in," I'm failing on that point already. Ah well, it's early yet.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;">Looking back at the titles and authors I've read - remembering some books and drawing a blank on others - I'm very interested in seeing how 2014 will develop as a year of reading ...</span>Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-63056891798240330102014-01-17T09:00:00.000-05:002014-01-17T09:00:12.084-05:00My Word of the Year ...... I've never formally adopted a "word for the year" before, at least not in January. I used to pick a word that I would try and embrace for the coming year on my birthday (in July), seeing my age as more a "definer" than a calendar year. Last year, I unofficially claimed "NEW" as my word or theme for the year - looking back, it was a bit of a battlecry, the fierce determination to break out of the same-ol' and move into the next, NEW, chapter(s) of life. It worked, ha. As mentioned <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-looking-ahead.html">briefly earlier this week</a>, 2013 was a year of many changes for me - most of them big. You know, the life-altering kind. I loved almost every minute of it, but some things definitely got lost in the blur. My year sped by at a rate that'd challenge Han Solo's <em>Falcon, </em>and I am still adjusting to the fact it is now 2014 and <strong><em>a whole year</em></strong> has gone by.<br />
<br />
This year, I decided to declare an official word of the year, inspired in part by seeing my friends talking about their words on the interwebz, as well as <a href="http://www.kraftykash.net/">Krafty Kash</a> offering a discount on a personalized vintage dictionary necklace featuring your 2014 word. (Yes, I confess to being swayed by wordy jewelry). Deciding what my word would be ... now that was far more difficult than I anticipated. Since they all sort of linked together, I decided to share some of my "almost words" ...<br />
<br />
My honest-to-goodness first impulse was "Elven," but I was fairly certain that would not exist in dictionaries ... Maybe I'll make myself an Elven necklace somewhere along the line this year.<br />
<br />
In terms of serious word deliberation, I began with "treasure," in direct response to feeling like last year flew by too fast, wanting to treasure the moments in 2014. This shifted minutely to "savor," as well as "ponder" and "wonder." I toyed with the idea of "dance" or "breathe," to remind myself to take time to just enjoy. (I also considered "enjoy" for that matter). As I thought about where I've come, and where I'd like to go, I was very close to picking "story," but that's how I view life in general and as such can't be limited to a single year. I was tempted by "dare" and "experiment," to stretch my dreams and find new ones; and "grace" was a very real contender - to walk in grace daily, receiving it with a grateful heart and giving it freely. And then, everything fell into place and I simply <em>knew</em> what my word for 2014 was.<br />
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<br />
It encompasses all of the reasons I liked the other words, with the added bonus of being a key component in that favorite-of-all-favorites fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast." While we're on that subject, isn't this quote the most amazing ever?<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://staceyjayya.blogspot.com/">Stacey Jay</a> rocked my world, as I literally read myself into 2014 with <em>Of Beast and Beauty</em>.<br />
<br />
Beauty.<br />
In 2014, I will try and find beauty in all things. All. Things. <br />
Beauty in the waiting times, when it seems life is stalling out and I've reached the end of the story.<br />
Beauty in the every day: a stunning sunset; the stark silhouette of a tree against a winter sky; the way the stars shine brightest on clear, cold nights; laughing until I can't breathe with friends; baby giggles and kissing chubby cheeks.<br />
Beauty in knowing who I am, and Who has called me His own.<br />
Beauty in friendships, and the glorious vulnerability of trusting others.<br />
Beauty in the words I read, the things I see, the dreams that grow.<br />
Beauty in the music that stirs my soul and sets my heart at ease - or makes me feel brave and fierce.<br />
Beauty in the stillness, and in the dance.Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-13515200918706983592014-01-15T07:30:00.000-05:002014-01-15T07:30:02.572-05:002014: Looking AheadWhew, two weeks into the new year, and I'm just getting around to posting about my goals/ideas/philosophies for 2014. It's been that kind of a start, y'all. Not bad, just zany.<br />
<br />
To begin, by looking back ...<br />
... 2013 was an amazing year for me. My official-unofficial word of 2013 was NEW, and boy did that come true! The 3rd day of the year, I was offered (and accepted) my dream job, and it kept getting better! Over the course of 365 days, I got new wheels, I found a new church - and made quite a few new friends, who I already know will be there for a time to come. There were babies born and relationships started, naturally expanding my personal circle(s). NEW was definitely a year-long theme. Of course, with all the new beginnings, there were also some endings ... Those are always tough, it's hard to say goodbye, even when you're leaving because dreams are coming true. But, in good book-speak, chapters - and books - must end at some point, so you can go on to the next. (Skipping ahead to read what's coming before you get there doesn't work so well in real life ...)<br />
<br />
This blog maintained fairly well, until the fall, when it started to slip further and further "behind." As I was thinking about that, and starting to think about how I was going to approach 2014, I came to some conclusions ...<br />
<br />
... I'm backing away from the "review" aspect. With a few exceptions: <a href="http://nancykelleywrites.com/">Nancy Kelley</a>, <a href="http://authorjessicagrey.com/">Jessica Grey</a> and <a href="http://bectonliterary.com/">Jennifer Becton</a> will always be reviewed, because their writing kicks tail and makes me many kinds of happy. I'm also planning to continue my relationship with Peachtree and Quirk publishers, as well as Candlewick (for whom I'm dreadfully behind on reviewing, oops). These are my favorite publishing houses (teehee), and I get to pick exactly what I want to review. Outside of these parameters, I am probably <b>not</b> accepting "for review" titles - if I do, it will be a special exception for something I simply cannot turn down.<br />
<br />
That said, here's what you can expect for 2014 ...<br />
... Catching up on my backlog of books! Which, unfortunately, does feature many titles I accepted for review. I'm debating whether I will post reviews sort of "as I read them," or sprinkling them throughout the year. There are also <i style="font-weight: bold;">so many books</i> I want to read <i>for me</i> - and this is a big part of why I'm not doing the review thing. I want to read my books. I want to be able to check out twelve new arrivals from the library and sit down and read them all without talking myself out of it because I have other things I "need" to read. And I don't want to feel like I <i>have</i> to read-for-the-blog. I've always said that this blog is, first and foremost, about me - it's supposed to be <b>fun</b>. When I start feeling bad because I'm getting behind, or not doing as much as I could/should/would like to be doing, then it's not fun anymore. When it's not fun anymore, things have to change. (Wow, I felt a little like those anti-cable commercials there, ha).<br />
<br />
There will still be books <b>and</b> posts! I'll review books I'm in love with, or have comments to make about, as well as those mentioned above. I'm also going to take part in (select) blog tours/blasts, primarily on a promo basis: I'll happily feature covers, release info, excerpts, or guest posts - but generally not reviews. Something else I'm planning to add (and excited about) are more personal-ish posts. I want to <i style="font-weight: bold;">talk</i> to you, tell you things ... Goofy stories, random reading (or writing) tangents, share giddy fangirling over new books/movies/shows. I'm toying with the idea of having these be "Friday things," but it's open for evolving and tweaking.<br />
<br />
There's my glance into the future ... at least as regards blogging here. We'll see how it works, and go from there ...Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-34487112504647401062014-01-07T07:30:00.000-05:002014-01-07T10:11:34.237-05:002013: Book Survey<span style="font-family: inherit;">I saw this posted on <a href="http://haveimaginationwillwrite.blogspot.com/2013/12/2013-end-of-year-book-survey.html" target="_blank">Melissa's blog</a>, loved it, and decided to do it myself ... I also swung by <a href="http://effortlesslyreading.com/2013/12/2013-end-of-year-book-survey/" target="_blank">Effortlessly Reading's original post</a> (where Melissa saw it), and added a few extra questions. Now, to think about these answers ...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Best Book You Read In 2013?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">FAIRY TALE: Atone by Jessica Grey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">CONTEMPORARY YA: Just One Day by Gayle Foreman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">CONTEMPORARY ADULT: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (somewhat random selection, there were too many good ones)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">HISTORICAL: The Gilded Chamber by Rebecca Kohn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">CLASSIC: The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn’t?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Jane Austen Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo ... It just wasn't what I wanted it to be.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Grounded by Angela Correll -- Way better than I anticipated (is that horrible to admit? haha)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Um ... I honestly have no idea. That's a horrible answer, but it's true ... I did a lot of library-pushing of books I've not read yet (yes, that's weird, but hey - it works!) ...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Best series you discovered in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Hero's Guide series by Christopher Healy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm in love with the League of Princes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Let's go with Karen Kingsbury ... since I read her for the first time, and managed to knock out three of her novels</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Uh ... Shannon Hale's graphic novel fairy tale retellings: Calamity Jack and Rapunzel's Revenge</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta ... I had a major book hangover when I finished it (at some ridiculous midnight hour), and was desperate to start Quintana of Charyn as soon as possible</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hmm ... Either Atone by Jessica Grey (I've read it several times over already) or The Silmarillion by Tolkien</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen, because it's fun and summery</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">11. Most memorable character in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Nicholas Hunt, from Atone by Jessica Grey.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Can I take the easy way out and say "All the classics?" Because, really, they are all gorgeously written ...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hmm ... Excellent question, and I'm not sure I have an answer ... Actually, let's go with one I bailed on: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I was trying to listen to it on CD, because a friend keeps nagging me to read it, and I just couldn't take it. I suffered through a disc, and couldn't take anymore ... It was a big impact, just not a positive one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Either The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery or North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">I thoroughly enjoyed both (which was all-but guaranteed going into the reading), it just took me a while - and outside motivation - to read them. Glad I did, though!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"A smuggler with a lover's kindly heart,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A gambler with a noble spirit brave."</span><br />
Han Solo, William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Longest: Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Shortest: I ... have no idea? Double Click by Lisa Becker, maybe?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Atone by Jessica Grey.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One word for you: Mirror.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Beren <span style="font-family: inherit;">and </span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Lúthien, from the Silmarillion</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Considering I had a lot of read-again-authors, I'm sort of doing a random selection pick here and going with .... Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson - a beautifully satisfying sophomore novel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">The Chance by Karen Kingsbury</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If my rough count is correct: contemporary! There's a surprise ... Fantasy was second, with historical fiction significantly less than I would have guessed. Hmm, maybe my reading trends are shifting a bit ...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Nicholas. Hunt.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">For all the reasons.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">23. Best 2013 debut you read?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not sure what debuts I read ... Oh! The Geek's Guide to Dating by Eric Smith!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">I'm going with The Silmarillion, since I dreamed about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?</span><br />
The Geek's Guide to Dating by Eric Smith!<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Gilded Chamber by Rebecca Kohn - this one just sort of drifted across my radar, and was excellent</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some questions about looking into 2014 ...</span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?</span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">Since I'm filling this out post-January 1st, that's easy answer: Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay.</span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">It was an awesome way to start 2014's reading journey.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All of them? No, really, I can think of several, including-but-not-limited-to: Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw; The 3rd Keeper of the Lost Cities Book; The Here and Now; Solving for Ex ...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?</span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">Hmm ... I'm thinking Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge ... I love Beauty and the Beast retellings, and this one's been lurking on the radar for a while.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Aspire by Jessica Grey, even if it might not strictly be considered a series-ender.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The One by Kiera Cass, because I have <b>got</b> to know if America gets with the program or not!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?</span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">Catch up on things! Both my actual, literal To Read stacks, as well as catching up on books I've missed.</span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">And reread some others ... Like an extended journey through Middle Earth.</span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">I also hope to always have one eBook in-progress, because my Kindle books get very "lost"</span>Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-33403575607829545472014-01-01T14:00:00.000-05:002014-01-01T14:00:00.732-05:002013: Another Year of Bookish AdventuresThis year, instead of breaking out ebooks from other monthly reads, I'm going to include them in the main listing and just mark 'em "(ebook)". I'm also going to mark books I've reviewed for the blog(s) at work with an * after the listing. I will still place "unfinished" and picture books in their own lists, but I think this will help things stay a little more organized. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>January</b></span><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/03/all-things-new.html" target="_blank">All Things New</a>: Lynn Austin<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/03/turning-pages.html" target="_blank">Turning Pages</a>: Tristi Pinkston<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/02/out-of-blue.html" target="_blank">Out of the Blue</a>: Lisa Maliga (ebook)<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/02/blog-tour-all-for-song.html" target="_blank">All for a Song</a>: Allison Pittman<br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><b>February</b></span><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/03/blog-tour-natural-history-of-dragons-q.html" target="_blank">A Natural History of Dragons</a>: Marie Brennan<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/03/never-gone.html" target="_blank">Never Gone</a>: Laurel Garver (ebook)<br />
- Safe Haven: Nicholas Sparks<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/03/loving-miss-darcy.html" target="_blank">Loving Miss Darcy</a>: Nancy Kelley (ebook)<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/03/attempting-elizabeth.html" target="_blank">Attempting Elizabeth</a>: Jessica Grey (ebook)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: lime;"><b>March</b></span><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/04/liberty.html" target="_blank">Liberty</a>: Annie Laurie Chechini (ebook)<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/03/blog-tour-bitter-greens.html" target="_blank">Bitter Greens</a>: Kate Forsyth<br />
- The Blue Castle: LM Montgomery<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>April</b></span><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/05/froi-quintana.html" target="_blank">Froi of the Exiles</a>: Melina Marchetta<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/05/north-and-south.html" target="_blank">North and South</a>: Elizabeth Gaskell<br />
- Being Friends with Boys: Terra Elan McVoy *<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/05/froi-quintana.html" target="_blank">Quintana of Charyn</a>: Melina Marchetta<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/05/summerset-abbey-double-review.html" target="_blank">Summerset Abbey</a>: TJ Brown<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/05/summerset-abbey-double-review.html" target="_blank">Summerset Abbey: Bloom in Winter</a>: TJ Brown<br />
- Wedding Night: Sophie Kinsella<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/04/blog-tour-eyes-of-everia.html" target="_blank">The Ryn</a>: Serena Chase (ebook)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: cyan;"><b>May</b></span><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/05/at-fault.html" target="_blank">At Fault</a>: JW Becton (ebook)<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-fairest-beauty.html" target="_blank">Fairest Beauty</a>: Melanie Dickerson<br />
- Time Between Us: Tamara Ireland Stone *<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/06/rapunzels-revenge-calamity-jack.html" target="_blank">Rapunzel's Revenge</a>: Shannon Hale & Co<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/06/rapunzels-revenge-calamity-jack.html" target="_blank">Calamity Jack</a>: Shannon Hale & Co<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/06/heros-guide-to-saving-your-kingdom.html" target="_blank">The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom</a>: Christopher Healy<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/05/strands-of-bronze-and-gold.html" target="_blank">Strands of Bronze & Gold</a>: Jane Nickerson<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/06/seraphina.html" target="_blank">Seraphina</a>: Rachel Hartman<br />
- Shadow and Smoke: Rachel Wetsriru *<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><b>June</b></span><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/06/towering.html" target="_blank">Towering</a>: Alex Flinn<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-karmic-connection.html" target="_blank">The Karmic Connection</a>: Libby Mercer (ebook)<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-movement-of-stars.html" target="_blank">The Movement of Stars</a>: Amy Brill<br />
- Out of this Place: Emma Cameron<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/07/second-chance-summer.html" target="_blank">Second Chance Summer</a>: Morgan Matson<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/07/double-click.html" target="_blank">Double Click</a>: Lisa Becker (ebook)<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-elite.html" target="_blank">The Elite</a>: Kiera Cass<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/08/mini-reviews.html" target="_blank">Just One Day</a>: Gayle Forman<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>July</b></span><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/08/revenge-wears-prada.html" target="_blank">Revenge Wears Prada</a>: Lauren Weisberger<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/08/mini-reviews.html" target="_blank">Scarlet</a>: Marissa Meyer<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/08/mini-reviews.html" target="_blank">The Chance</a>: Karen Kingsbury<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/09/jane-austen-goes-to-hollywood.html" target="_blank">Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood</a>: Abby McDonald<br />
- Limits: Steph Campbell & Liz Reinhardt (ebook)<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/08/william-shakespeares-star-wars.html" target="_blank">William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily A New Hope</a>: Ian Doescher<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>August</b></span><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/09/mini-reviews-augbooks-edition.html" target="_blank">Beautiful Day</a>: Elin Hilderbrand<br />
- An Abundance of Katherines: John Green (audiobook)<br />
- The Moon and More: Sarah Dessen<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/09/mini-reviews-augbooks-edition.html" target="_blank">Frogged</a>: Vivian Vande Velde<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-silmarillion.html" target="_blank">The Silmarillion</a>: JRR Tolkien<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/09/mini-reviews-augbooks-edition.html" target="_blank">Jane Austen Marriage Manual</a>: Kim Izzo<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>September</b></span><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/10/mini-reviews.html" target="_blank">Gorgeous</a>: Paul Rudnick<br />
- Pride & Prejudice: Jane Austen (audiobook)<br />
- True Love: Jude Deveraux<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/10/mini-reviews.html" target="_blank">Lola and the Boy Next Door</a>: Stephanie Perkins<br />
- Longest Ride: Nicholas Sparks<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/10/mini-reviews.html" target="_blank">Mouse with the Question Mark Tail</a>: Richard Peck<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/09/blog-tour-blackmoore.html" target="_blank">Blackmoore</a>: Julianne Donaldson<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/12/atone.html" target="_blank">Atone</a>: Jessica Grey (ebook)<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/12/mini-reviews.html" target="_blank">Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle</a>: Christopher Healy<br />
- Sense & Sensibility: Jane Austen (audiobook)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">October</span></b><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/10/blog-tour-grounded.html" target="_blank">Grounded</a>: Angela Correll<br />
- Letters from Skye: Jessica Brockmole<br />
- Small Town Girl: Ann H Gabhart<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/12/mini-reviews.html" target="_blank">The Sweetest Spell</a>: Suzanne Selfors<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/10/blog-tour-life-in-outer-space.html" target="_blank">Life in Outer Space</a>: Melissa Keil<br />
- King's Mountain: Sharyn McCrumb<br />
- The Rosie Project: Graeme Simsion<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/12/mini-reviews.html" target="_blank">Moonrise</a>: Cassandra King<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">November</span></strong><br />
- Starry Night: Debbie Macomber<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/12/lying-to-meet-you.html" target="_blank">Lying to Meet You</a>: Anna Garner (ebook)<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/12/mini-reviews.html" target="_blank">Fangirl</a>: Rainbow Rowell<br />
- Southern as a Second Language: Lisa Patton<br />
- Princess in the Opal Mask: Jenny Lundquist<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/11/blog-tour-seeing-light.html" target="_blank">Seeing Light</a>: Michelle Warren (ebook)<br />
- The Bridge: Karen Kingsbury<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/12/blog-tour-over-it.html" target="_blank">Over It!</a>: Sarah Billington (ebook)<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #38761d;">December</span></strong><br />
- Little Women: Louisa May Alcott (audiobook)<br />
- Fifteen Minutes: Karen Kingsbury<br />
- Cold Spell: Jackson Pearce<br />
- The Gilded Chamber: Rebecca Kohn<br />
- VIII: H.M. Castor<br />
- Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor: Lisa Kleypas<br />
- Geek's Guide to Dating: Eric Smith<br />
- Trouble with Cowboys: Denise Hunter<br />
<br />
Picture Books:<br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/02/blog-tour-are-dinosaurs-dead-dad.html" target="_blank">Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad?</a><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/03/blog-tour-prairie-chicken-little.html" target="_blank">Prairie Chicken Little</a><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/03/blog-tour-tiger-in-my-soup.html" target="_blank">Tiger in my Soup</a><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/04/blog-tour-claude-in-city.html" target="_blank">Claude in the City</a><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/08/blog-tour-king-of-small-things.html" target="_blank">King of Small Things</a><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/09/blog-tour-claude-at-circus.html" target="_blank">Claude at the Circus</a><br />
- <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/10/blog-tour-where-is-baby.html" target="_blank">Where is Baby?</a><br />
<br />
Reading started out a bit slow, and picked up steam once the year was underway. Reviewing on the other hand, took a definite turn for the worse. A lot more mini-reviews, and more than a few books I just didn't review at all. At first, the fact I wasn't reviewing bugged me a little. Then I remembered: this is my blog, and it's supposed to be fun. Yes, there are a couple of those November/December reads I read for review -- and those reviews <i>will</i> be posted soon. But the others? They were reading for <i>me</i>. That said, if you want to talk about any of them, I'd be more than happy to discuss!<br />
<br />
Anywhosers. That's my 2013 at a glance. I'll be reflecting further on the year, as well as outlining some of the big changes coming for 2014, in days to come ... so stay tuned, my little flock of faithful readers.Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-11429755597569954112013-12-31T07:30:00.000-05:002013-12-31T07:30:01.345-05:00Mini ReviewsToday's selection of mini reviews is a motley crew (when are they ever not?), and presented in order of "age" ... from middle grades to women's fiction. It's an interesting ride.<br />
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Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle<br />
Christopher Healy<br />
Walden Pond, 2013<br />
<br />
I am a little in love with this series. Or maybe it's the Princes Charming. Or the fact that Healy is taking such well-known fairy tales and turning them on their head in ways so topsy-turvy (and perhaps a little insane) you can't help but laugh to yourself. I'm still a fan of Liam. I think he's such a wonderful fairy tale hero, even in this mishmash version, and he grows as a character. After all the ups and downs and twists and turns and absolutely ridiculous things that have happened to the League, I maintain a secret hope that future installments will find the correct Prince-Princess pairings ... because there are definitely better pairings than the original tales dictate, among this posse anyway.<br />
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<em>Book provided by my local library.</em><br />
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Sweetest Spell<br />
Suzanne Selfors<br />
Walker, 2012<br />
<br />
Emmeline is a dirt-scratcher who escapes death. Twice. Some would consider that a blessing, but the people in Emmeline's village have always viewed her as a curse of sorts: with her deformed foot and the strange way cows follow her around. After a flood ravages her home and sends Emmeline downriver, she finds refuge in the home of a local dairyman's family. The Oaks take Emmeline in, despite her dirt-scratcher heritage, and with surprising compassion help her blossom and grow. And discover the sweetest of all surprises: Emmeline can make the mythical chocolate that once made Anglund famous. With the uncovering of this gift comes a journey that will tax every ounce of Emmeline's new-found strength and courage, rooted in the surprising foundation of Owen Oak's love.<br />
<br />
A twisting, turning, surprising story that blends magic and love and <b>chocolate</b> and subterfuge and history and legend in such a complex tapestry. Emmeline is a worthy heroine, and Owen grows to become a true hero in his own right. And that cover, you've got to appreciate that cover.<br />
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<em>Book provided by my local library.</em><br />
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Fangirl<br />
Rainbow Rowell<br />
St Martin's Griffin, 2013<br />
<br />
As a late-twenties professional, I am coming to terms with the fact that I am a fangirl. Geek I've been okay with for more than a decade. Fangirl has taken some getting used to. Which is one reason I enjoyed this read so very much. Because Rainbow has presented the whole enchilada of fangirling: the good, the tough, the iffy, the mesmerizing. Cath is a college freshman -- and twin to Wren, who is the pretty, spunky, popular, outgoing one. As if one of those labels wasn't hard enough, compound the two; then add a dose of fangirl social anxiety, and Cath is a character you immediately want to give a mug of cocoa and tell her everything will be okay. She grows a lot, in what I think is not only a pretty good tale about life as a fangirl, but also a true take on the freshman experience. It's a hard year, where a lot of growing happens. Or it was for me anyway, and definitely was for Cath.<br />
<br />
And then there's Levi! Oh, Levi. I want to pick him up and tuck him in my pocket for keeps, precious. We wants him.<br />
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<em>Book provided by my local library.</em><br />
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Moonrise<br />
Cassandra King<br />
Maiden Lane Press, 2013<br />
<br />
Ever since I met her at a scholarship luncheon, I'm always eager to pick up Cassandra's latest novel. Of course, there's usually a wait between reads, but that's okay. Writing about Southern women, in the heart of The South, her novels are normally ones that make me think. They're not fluffy, and <i>Moonrise</i> was actually a little intense. It has its dark shadows, its mysteries, its very real real-world-issues. The intricacies of long-standing relationships muddled and marred when one member dies and another marries in -- further complicated by the secluded realm of the Southern Elite. It was a little bit of an odd read for me, in that the characters were so much older than myself, but it's set in Highlands! Highlands!! I love that area, and I've always enjoyed reading about the people who Summer in mountain retreats I can only dream of. Not my favorite King novel, but not a complete disaster either.<br />
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<em>Book provided by my local library</em>.Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-17839388013902459342013-12-20T07:30:00.000-05:002013-12-20T07:30:02.757-05:00The Silmarillion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Silmarillion<br />
JRR Tolkien<br />
Houghton Mifflin, 2001 (originally published 1977)<br />
<br />
Oh. Stars. As a Tolkien fan for literally half my life, I'd never read <em>The Silmarillion</em>. Friends have talked about how tough a read it is, that it took three tries (or more) to finally slog through. They cautioned me about my pre-reading enthusiasm, and hoped I wouldn't be disappointed. Readers, I fell in love. From the earliest pages, I was caught hook, line and sinker. Head over heels.<br />
<br />
I'm not even going to try to write a "formal" review. This isn't a book to be "reviewed" -- it's a book to be read, to be absorbed, to be loved. Richly, intricately detailed <em>The Silmarillion</em> is the history of Middle Earth's most awesome residents: the Elves. (Okay, so there's quite a bit of basic Middle Earth history too, but let's be honest: It's all about the Elves). At the risk of sounding like a mad woman, at times I felt as if I was reading my own history; that's how deeply I connected with this book. It's a novel, but not. It's a tome of history, but not. It's a collection of short stories, but not. It's, quite simply, Tolkien. With characters to love, to honor, and to abhor. With so many minute details and complex family relations that things become muddled even as they fall into clarity. It sets up the Tolkien most of us "know" with astonishing cohesiveness. <br />
<br />
I think, having read <em>The Hobbit</em> and <em>Lord of the Rings</em> several times before, and thereby coming into this reading having some knowledge of the significance of what was happening, aided greatly in my understanding. The plan now is to reread those books again (very soon, we hope, since I read this back in August (oops)), and see what new elements I pick up on.<br />
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<em>Book provided by my personal library</em>.Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-18627663905820956752013-12-17T07:30:00.000-05:002013-12-17T07:30:01.189-05:00Lying to Meet You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lying to Meet You<br />
Anna Garner<br />
2013<br />
<br />
Is it easier to meet people if you're already in a relationship, than when you are single? It's a question Chloe and lifelong pal Ethan debate, and decide to put to test. The theory is that by pretending to be in a relationship with each other (top secret, nobody is allowed to know it's all a front!), they will each be able to meet and attract potential romantic partners. Crazy and complicated, I know, but also somewhat hilarious. Once the "relationship" starts, Chloe's already busy life gets even more packed: between dates with Ethan, cooking classes with her best friends, and filming a reality show -- not to mention designing and planning the next seasons' lines for her clothing boutique -- Chloe's life is hectic. But it's also awesome: her boutique is doing well and promising much for the future; she's having more fun hanging out with Ethan than she expected; and she's met her Mr. Maybe -- a fellow judge on the reality show. As the fall spins into the holidays, everything seems to be playing out perfectly, especially when Chloe realizes that hottie judge William Shannon appears to be very interested in her. For all intents and purposes, it appears that Chloe is about to get everything she ever wanted. Or is she?<br />
<br />
This was a fun, fast read. Chloe is a character you want to cheer for, and Ethan is the perfect best bud. Chemistry sparks, tension builds, characters surprise you -- it's got everything! The only "eh" moment for me was how fast everything ended. It felt like things almost got wrapped up too fast, but maybe that's just me. Regardless, it's a fun chick lit read.<br />
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<em>eARC provided by author for review</em>.Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-66792769963964805862013-12-12T07:30:00.000-05:002013-12-12T07:30:03.660-05:00Atone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Atone<br />
Jessica Grey<br />
Tall House Books, 2013<br />
<br />
I'm going to try very, very hard not to have this review be Exhibit A of Fangirl vs. Sensible Thought. But I can't make any promises. Every time I read this story (I had the extreme honor of being a beta reader), I fall a little harder in love with it ... with the characters, with the setting, with the very story itself. What is <em>Atone</em>, you ask? It's the sorta-sequel to <em>Awake</em>, in that it picks up several years later and features many of the same issues and people. But it's Becca's time to sparkle, and her story is a reimagining of "Beauty and the Beast" -- set in Grey's beloved [contemporary] Los Angeles. There's so much more to this retelling though ... In fact, there's so much of <em>Atone</em> that you've simply <strong>got</strong> to experience for yourself, that maybe I will indulge in a little fangirling after all.<br />
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If you read <em>Awake</em>, you're familiar with both the magical connection existing between Becca, Alex and Lilia, and the ... "interest" that former supervisor Nicholas Hunt has in that magic. You also know that there is no love lost between Nicholas and Becca. At all. So you're probably going to be as surprised as Becca was to find out she's his emergency contact; and then to realize she actually does care about his fate once she discovers him. As I said, it's "Beauty and the Beast," so you know in your head what's going to happen. But that doesn't take away from the reading -- Becca and Nicholas have so much animosity: extreme passions, just waiting to shift from one bent to another. As a beast, Nicholas is ... well, in a word: amazing. (I may or may not have left a lot of "wolf whistle" comments while beta reading). He's fierce and conflicted, and he develops so much as a character. As does Becca, who has to deal with not only the Becca-Nicholas/Fae-Beast dynamic, but also recognize and address her own issues. She's kickass, but she's a teensy bit flawed. Which is why we love her.<br />
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The way things play out, in terms of pacing, is quick. But with such powerful magic at work, you expect quick. Quick makes sense. Plus, you really want to get to the ending. Oh man, the ending. It is incredible. And there's just a lingering sense of what is to come in the next novel, which will be Lilia's story. Good times, people. Good times. And definitely one of my favorite reads of the year.<br />
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<em>eARC provided by author for review.</em>Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-15085798034924519742013-12-05T07:30:00.000-05:002013-12-05T07:30:01.651-05:00Blog Tour: Over It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://blogtours.yareads.com/2013/10/17/tour-sign-kiss-2-sarah-billington/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://blogtours.yareads.com/2013/10/17/tour-sign-kiss-2-sarah-billington/" border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAU0ZO4D3FIVB9rCmzo4il91YyXsEvsM09ueRph-IOoAazNNDsGWm_kY0xzpCujSmSvBtAEtaN5tRMi9TkV5YSjRtFTg4-0DBh0Px_LFxY6lp4z3iJyU1KAAuXUC4kVYcmF0Dn/s400/over-it-blog-tour-banner-300x129.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Today I'm happy to be a tour stop for Sarah Billington's latest release: Over It. You may remember <a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2012/04/blog-tour-kiss-off-top-10-man-bands.html" target="_blank"><i>The Kiss Off</i></a>, which was a lot of fun to read -- well, this is the story of what happens next. And whew, is it a crazy ride! Don't forget to click on the banner and see the whole tour schedule! And there's a giveaway too, because we all know those are awesome.</div>
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First, here's the official synopsis (and purchase links), to whet your appetite ...</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small; line-height: 17.27px;"><b>Warning: Sexual References, occasional coarse language.</b></span></div>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small; line-height: 17.27px;">Teen Youtube song writing sensation Poppy Douglas's lead singer boyfriend Ty's been criss-crossing the country and living it up on tour for months while Poppy has been stuck in the boring suburbs, finishing out the school year.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small; line-height: 17.27px;">But it's Summer now, and the best thing just happened: Poppy's royalties for writing the hit song The Kiss Off just came in. She's minted, and she knows just what she's going to blow it on.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small; line-height: 17.27px;">Ty's band Academy of Lies are headlining a summer music festival, and Poppy is taking her girlfriends along for the best weekend of their lives. It's all organized: the weekend is going to be full of camping under the stars, backstage passes, VIP rooms and partying like rock stars, not to mention some long awaited one-on-one time with America's favorite front man.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small; line-height: 17.27px;">Except, when someone drops out of the trip and Poppy takes the opportunity to mend a broken friendship, it doesn't quite go according to plan. And when she meets her boyfriend's BFF from another band, the paparazzi form their own totally wrong conclusions. There's also the matter of Ty's 'super fan' stalker, but the less said about her the better.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small; line-height: 17.27px;">The biggest test of all comes in the form of an opportunity too good to pass up. But will insecurities and jealousy stand in Poppy's way? Can Poppy and Ty's relationship even survive it?</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small; line-height: 17.27px;">Life is about to get much more complicated for Poppy Douglas, but what can you expect when your boyfriend is a rock star?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: small; line-height: 17.27px;">Connect on <span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15736197-over-it" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span>; or get from <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/370464" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Smashwords</span></b></a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Over-Kiss-Off-Sarah-Billington/dp/148404794X/ref=la_B004WQVGTC_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385510943&sr=1-3" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Amazon</b></span></a>! </span><br />
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1364764179l/15736197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1364764179l/15736197.jpg" width="131" /></a>Over It</div>
Sarah Billington<br />
2013<br />
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This is a whirlwind of a story, mostly taking place over the course of one crazy weekend: a musical festival at the beach, where Academy of Lies are getting their first really major show. Poppy manages to convince her parents to let her go, under the chaperone-age of nerdy cousin Hamish (who isn't so nerdy anymore), and takes Nikki and Maddie along too - hoping to force a friendship (not so smart). With high hopes for music and quality time with Ty, Poppy has no idea what's in store for her and her posse ... Like the attention she herself receives as Poppy Douglas, the YouTube songwriting sensation and girlfriend of hott musician. And a songwriting offer entirely out of the blue, that makes her reevaluate everything. She definitely did not prepare to deal with a "super fan" stalking Ty, or the intensity of their reunion. Suddenly everything isn't a happy-go-lucky daydream, and once again Poppy finds herself dealing with serious issues.<br />
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<i>Over It</i> is a fun read, a great weekend-at-the-beach read (literally), but it has its very serious moments too, much like <i>The Kiss Off</i>. Mature moments, where Poppy & Co. must deal with very real world issues. As such, it's like a PG-13 movie: great, but a little edgy. Not in a bad way, just edgy. I mean, these are rock stars we're talking about after all - teenage rock stars, to boot. I feel like Poppy is growing in this novel, and look forward to seeing where she goes next.<br />
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<i>eARC provided by author for review</i>.<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e6b07559/" id="rc-e6b07559" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-6764337531727235222013-11-18T08:00:00.000-05:002013-11-18T10:12:00.925-05:00Blog Tour: Seeing Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShvtJS1E1OsWgaAC8EHeVi6XwTSsN5E0b8JGpgR_YJUMaquVC22l-xuEJ9_bPHz0b0LRC8btdmaJmuJ0TO52rPlWcXGOJybtnFpsaFaf0c06CxA9fxtvmQBaiA-RPkjYU-bzM/s1600/Seraphina+Parrish+Trilogy+Tour+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShvtJS1E1OsWgaAC8EHeVi6XwTSsN5E0b8JGpgR_YJUMaquVC22l-xuEJ9_bPHz0b0LRC8btdmaJmuJ0TO52rPlWcXGOJybtnFpsaFaf0c06CxA9fxtvmQBaiA-RPkjYU-bzM/s400/Seraphina+Parrish+Trilogy+Tour+Banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Today I am super excited to be a blog tour stop for <em>Seeing Light</em>, the third (and final) installment in Michelle Warren's amazing Seraphina Parrish trilogy! Since this is the third in a very-connected-trilogy, this review will be a little different for two reasons:<br />
#1: You really need to read books 1 (<em><a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-tour-wander-dust_13.html" target="_blank">Wander Dust</a></em>) and 2 (<a href="http://awordsworth.blogspot.com/2013/01/protecting-truth.html" target="_blank"><em>Protecting Truth</em></a>) to really understand and appreciate everything that's going on in <em>Seeing Light</em>. I mean, really.<br />
#2: I've got to be extremely careful not to give spoilers ... as with her previous books, Michelle has an amazing talent for storytelling - pacing, building tension, surprising you out of nowhere. I was careful to avoid other reviews/spoilers myself, and I feel it only fair to return the favor.<br />
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That said, you can check out my reviews for the previous books above, and you can start the series for free ((for a limited time!)).<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wander-Seraphina-Parrish-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0063GW2WE/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1366149346&sr=8-1&keywords=wander+dust" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Wander-Seraphina-Parrish-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0063GW2WE/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1366149346&sr=8-1&keywords=wander+dust " border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_abnzyeg6v3zs662nPPKALhi1_oO7gYs9-VtpqKZR0ydoR78gP2BP42cDb75Ufvv46OV14pI8lTVkM8swTzDr3qkbtixjodlW2x1KQEq8zL7m5Gnl3PXc6Hbg-aQilAjd4Xf/s400/FREE-Banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Seeing Light<br />
Michelle Warren<br />
2013<br />
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Whew. Michelle Warren has done it again, you guys. Picking up not long after <em>Protecting Truth</em> leaves off, we find Sera and her team (Bishop and Sam) once again living dangerously. As she continues to push back against the Society, Sera discovers more about what's "behind the scenes". What she discovers isn't pretty, and her fierce independence (those in authority might call it rebellion) prompts her to join in the covert fight to right the wrongs and end the secretive power of the Society. Wandering to places and times she has no "legitimate business" being, Sera - and her team - realize just how deep the corruption and web of deception go. But even as she fights to end the way of life she and her fellow Wanderers are trapped in, Sera wonders what will happen if she succeeds.<br />
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Mixed in all this, there's still a lot of intense emotion from the whole Turner-Bishop fiasco, and the raw grief that broke all our hearts in <em>Protecting Truth</em> is a very present factor. I love this element, even as it made me sad -- it makes Sera seem real, human. She's a pretty gifted and fierce Wanderer (or dun-dun-duh: Watcher, and that's all the spoiler you get, mwuahaha!), and it's easy to forget she's just a teenager. She's still a kid, really, and her heart is warring to be heard. So watching her sort through all the tangled emotions, fighting to discern whether what she feels is truly her heart or merely her Society-programmed destiny? It's good. It adds a lovely dimension to an already incredible story. And of <em>course</em>, Bishop is amazing. Because he always is, even when he's angry and hurting. The characters are incredibly vibrant and integral to making this complex fantasy work, and Michelle has created people who I don't want to forget.<br />
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<em>eARC provided by author for review</em>.<br />
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For more to whet your appetite, check out the book trailer:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Zfbfc12RmzU" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<strong>And there's a giveaway!</strong><br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7f88e16/" id="rc-7f88e16" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181839.post-26359176783114161212013-11-12T07:30:00.000-05:002013-11-12T09:23:42.642-05:00Guest Review + Q&A + Giveaway!<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, I've got something super special in store for you -- and it's something I'm really excited about! One of my college buddies, who is also a huge reader (actually, this year he's kicking my butt on the reading front, which has us both shocked), has started <a href="http://rainydayreadinglist.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">a book blog</a> of his own, and is hosting his first author event. What's so cool about it, is he's also able to cross-post his content, and I'm getting to host my first ever guest review! As well as some other cool stuff. So sit back, and enjoy the awesome ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">White Fire</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Preston & Child</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Grand Central, 2013</span><br />
Review by Steven White<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The RECAP:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Corrie Swanson needs to make a huge splash on her thesis, as
she’s competing in John Jay College’s Rosewell Prize for Outstanding thesis and
a junior, like her, has never won before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a few failed attempts to pitch ideas to her advisor, a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>conversation with the College’s
museum/library coordinator leads her to an interesting tale: Oscar Wilde, famed
author, heard tales of bear attacks in Roaring Fork, Colorado, in which the
bears devoured the victims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thinking
that she could provide a huge contribution to research in the area of animal
markings left on bones, she forces her advisor’s hand into approval and sets
out to the rich tourist trap of a town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The ski resort city, while at first seeming to be friendly and willing
to lend her a hand, soon closes the proverbial doors on her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things escalate, leaving Corrie in prison for
a simple B&E, and Pendergast steps in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Good thing too, because Corrie’s discoveries reveal that it was
something other than a bear that ate those miners a century before… and soon, a
serial arson killer joins the fray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
slow burn becomes a raging fire and a race against time as three massive
storylines, along with a Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle thread, reach
an explosive, fiery finish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The REVIEW:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wow, what a ride!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This might just be my favorite entry to the series since Book of the
Dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to say there haven’t been some
great books since the end of the Diogenes trilogy,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but this one really raises the bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fast-paced, chock full of murders, Sherlock
Holmes, shocking twists near the end, great new characters, and even a moment
of Pendergast showing some real emotion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are three main storylines in White Fire:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Corrie’s thesis project, based around the bodies of 9
miners who had been killed and eaten by *something* in the 1870s, when the town
was still a huge mining area rather than a ritzy ski resort -- and the powers
controlling the town fighting against her solving the mystery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. A serial killer and arsonist, murdering townie after
townie and burning their bodies and their homes, as Pendergast works with local
law enforcement (who are in over their heads with said killer) to catch them as
soon as possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. The search for a lost Sherlock Holmes story that Conan
Doyle wrote after hearing a disturbing tale from Oscar Wilde at a chance dinner
meeting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">All three of them are done well and integrated seamlessly
into one big novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ending is
cringeworthy, in a good way… it will have you on the edge of your seat as you
await the conclusion, which ties up well, and hopefully has brought a new
character into our beloved cast of recurring players.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Overall, I give this story a 5 out of 5
stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my favorite reads of the
year, and one of my favorite entries of the series, right up there with Still
Life with Crows, Book of the Dead, and my personal number one, Cabinet of
Curiosities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>ARC provided by publisher for review.</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And now, for a Q&A session between my buddy and two of his favorite authors!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHeDumzEHkiSlr_xbKG9qvckpxuRLGEZaMd3LYMrEzbW3ecOnKZUddts4baw2aCw6_C96X1yn90Ch4F9i8JJVFYU3dEXvVo2foFDFHDL5bJ0is2XdbZC6vBamsymR-WWLL8oa/s1600/PrestonChild+new+author+photo+credit+Deborah+Feingold+(hi+res).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHeDumzEHkiSlr_xbKG9qvckpxuRLGEZaMd3LYMrEzbW3ecOnKZUddts4baw2aCw6_C96X1yn90Ch4F9i8JJVFYU3dEXvVo2foFDFHDL5bJ0is2XdbZC6vBamsymR-WWLL8oa/s400/PrestonChild+new+author+photo+credit+Deborah+Feingold+(hi+res).JPG" width="257" /></a></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>First,
thank you so much for writing one of my favorite series of all times and
providing years and hundreds of hours of enjoyable reads (and rereads!), and
for taking the time out to answer a few questions for your fans!</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Preston & Child:</strong> Thank you for having us and
for all those kind words! We look forward to your questions.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>1.
In <em>White Fire</em>, you decided to create a chance encounter between Oscar Wilde and
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that ended up being the missing link that Pendergast
needed to solve the case. What led you to choose these two authors? Was it
nerve-wracking to write an “offical” Sherlock Holmes tale to include in <em>White
Fire’s</em> plot, with the permission of the Conan Doyle estate of course? Was it
hard to jump into the mindset of an author long dead and try to make it sound
like it was in his voice? What did the estate think of your idea and eventual
story? Was Sherlock Holmes any inspiration during your creation and development
of Pendergast?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Linc</strong>: By happenstance, I learned about a true
incident in which Conan Doyle had dinner with Oscar Wilde at a posh London
hotel. This was mind-blowing; I couldn’t imagine two more different writers.
What could they have talked about? I knew there was a book in there somewhere,
and an immediate brainstorming session with Doug brought the bones of that book
together.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yes,
it was a little nerve-wracking to write an officially sanctioned Sherlock
Holmes story. Holmes was, after all, one of the numerous inspirations for
Pendergast (as you surmise). And the Estate needed to see the opening of the
story before they would give permission. So for a week I did little but
surround myself with actual stories from the Holmes canon. Then I took a deep
breath and forged ahead with the first draft. Luckily, with Doug’s help,
everything worked out splendidly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Doug</strong>: It was amazing to see how the idea
developed. Once Linc had come up with the opening concept, I suggested a
setting of Aspen, Colorado, because I thought the idea of Pendergast in his
black suit and vicuña overcoat knocking around that chic and fashionable ski
resort, like a fish out of water, was just too good to pass up. (We eventually
changed the name of the town to Roaring Fork, because we wanted to alter some
historical and geographical details.) I also suggested a back-story involving
man-eating grizzly bear attacks, the digging up of a historic cemetery to make
way for development, and a serial arsonist burning down multi-million dollar
mansions—with the families inside. All these elements were woven together to
create a seamless story. It was a great example of our writing partnership
working at its most creative pitch.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>2.
As a team, you both put a lot of thought into your titles. I remember
submitting ideas for <em>Two Graves</em>, but then loving the final title so much better
than my suggestions. What other ideas were thrown out while writing <em>White Fire</em>,
and what made you settle on <em>White Fire</em>?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Linc</strong>: Our working title for the book was BANE.
Our publisher wasn’t happy with that, and so we started the process of bouncing
possible titles back and forth. At the time, I was reading the biography of a
famous horror writer, and at one point in it the title of a very old book—I
believe it was a collection of poetry, but I’m not even sure it was ever
published—was mentioned in passing. That title was WHITE FIRE. It seemed
perfect to me for our use, referencing as it did both the snowstorm and the
dreadful arsons that together dominate the story (in addition to being an
arresting image on its own.) Our publisher agreed.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>3.
I’m constantly trying to get new readers to join the Pendergast fan club. I
want the series to keep going for years to come! I sometimes have trouble
describing the series to them though, as it’s so many things -- mystery,
thriller, history lesson, detective novel, horror story, techno/supernatural
tale… If you had to describe your works for a new set of readers, how would you
describe it?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Doug</strong>:
We have the same trouble ourselves, and I’ve noticed that bookstores put the
books all over the place in various sections. The Pendergast books contain a
taste of all those genres. But what brings it all together is the unique
character of Pendergast himself, who is a man out of his time, the embodiment
of old-fashioned values, codes of conduct, and civility that have largely been
lost in the modern age—combined with a strong sense of justice, a hatred of
bullies, and a love of fine food and wine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>4.
Do you plan on bringing back the new character, Stacy? I really liked her! What
about some of our other cast members, like Nora Kelly, Margo Greene, Viola
Maskelene, or others? We all know you’ll bring D’Agosta and Hayward back in the
future already! Haha! What about Diogenes? Any chance he escaped death and will
return?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Doug</strong>:
After all these novels, we’ve created a kind of alternate reality, populated
with a wide cast of characters. Stacy is a wonderful character and I would love
to see her in another book, so I would say that is quite possible. Margo plays
a major role in the Pendergast book we are now writing. Nora will surely appear
in the future. Viola Maskelene… Well, maybe I shouldn’t tell you this, but her
relationship with Pendergast is firmly over, and she will not appear in a
future book. As for Diogenes, I will only say this… did anyone see his dead
body?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>5.
Is the next Pendergast book in the works already? Any tidbits you can share
about that one?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Linc</strong>: I wish I could, but we’re keeping the
details close to the vest for the time being. We can confirm, however, that it
will be a standalone book, and not the start of a trilogy.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Doug</strong>: A hint: a terrifying sequence takes place
in the ruins of an abandoned resort on the shores of the Salton Sea in
California…</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>6.
You’ve also co-written other books together, most recently the Gideon Crew
novels. When can we expect a third installment of that exciting series? Will
there ever be any more of a crossover other than Eli Glinn’s presence?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Doug</strong>: Yes, and the next Gideon Crew novel,
entitled THE LOST ISLAND, will be published in the late summer of 2014. It is a
story involving an ancient illuminated manuscript, a mysterious map, and a
harrowing journey through an isolated and forgotten corner of the Caribbean
Sea.</span></div>
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Gideon series, and there will be what we think is a huge crossover into one of
our early novels. Our projected title alone probably says it better than I
could: BEYOND THE ICE LIMIT.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>7.
Do you plan on releasing any more short stories like Extraction? It was a fun story,
and a good way to help satiate some of your fans’ ravenous hunger for more
Pendergast!</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Doug</strong>:
Absolutely. We are working on some wild ideas for a Pendergast story. Those who
subscribe to our newsletter, “The Pendergast File,” will get advance notice. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.prestonchild.com/faq/pendergastfile/Not-your-ordinary-newsletter-;art232,296"><span style="color: blue;"></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.prestonchild.com/faq/pendergastfile/Not-your-ordinary-newsletter-;art232,296">http://www.prestonchild.com/faq/pendergastfile/Not-your-ordinary-newsletter-;art232,296</a></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null"></a></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">8</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">.
Mr. Child, I read The Third Gate last year and really loved it! Any plans on
writing another book with Jeremy Logan? I very much enjoyed his character and
would love to see him return! Or maybe one of the protagonists from Terminal
Freeze or Deep Storm?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Linc:</strong> Thank you so much! Yes, I am hard at work
on another novel featuring the ‘enigmalogist’ Jeremy Logan, and I’m very
excited about how it’s progressing.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>9.
Mr. Preston, I’d love to see another book starring Wyman Ford soon, or maybe a
return of Tom and Sally in one of those Wyman Ford books. Any updates on when
we’ll get another Ford book?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Doug</strong>:
Yes. My next solo novel, entitled THE KRAKEN MISSION, will be published in May
of 2014. It stars Wyman Ford.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>10.
Lastly, as both of your started out as editors, do you have any tips on writing
for other aspiring authors? Did that experience as editors help you in your own
writing, or did you prove, like doctors, to be a “terrible patient” if you
will?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Again, thank you so much for taking the time out of your
busy schedules of writing and being awesome to answer a few questions for your
fans! We (and by we, I definitely mean *ME!!!*) can’t wait for more Pendergast,
and honestly, anything else with Preston or Child on the cover. Thanks for a
fantastic new installment in the epic saga that is the Pendergast series, and
for more Corrie!</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Doug</strong>:
Our experience as editors definitely helped. Honestly, seeing what doesn’t work
in other people’s manuscripts is a great help, so we know what to avoid. That
may be even more valuable than figuring out what works. As for tips, my advice to
the aspiring writer is to write every day. Just as violinists must practice daily
and marathon runners must run, writers must write. It seems obvious, but you
would be surprised at how many writers only sit down to work once or twice a
week. You have to do it every day and you have to carve out a sacred, inviolate
period of time to do it in, and be sure your family and friends are instructed
not to disturb you during that time! My second tip is to get involved in a
writers’ group, where you read and critique each other’s work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank
you for the great questions and for all your kind words about our books! We
love interacting with readers through email, which we answer</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.prestonchild.com/faq/contact/Contact-the-Authors;art137,173"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.prestonchild.com/faq/contact/Contact-the-Authors;art137,173">http://www.prestonchild.com/faq/contact/Contact-the-Authors;art137,173</a></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null"></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="font-family: inherit;">and</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> through our Facebook page</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PrestonandChild"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">https://www.facebook.com/PrestonandChild</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, so I don't know about you, but I'm a little intrigued. And I don't even read these books! I love when people are excited about stories -- whether it's stories they're writing, or stories they're reading. Enthusiasm is the best advertising. And as if all this hasn't been enough awesome, there's also a GIVEAWAY! Yup, you can enter to win one of three copies of <em>White Fire</em>! Just follow the instructions in the rafflecopter below, and good luck!</span></div>
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<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Rebecca (RivkaBelle)http://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998385496336450noreply@blogger.com0