SNOWED IN? SO READ! Giveaway Hop WIN 5 New Holiday Romances

Welcome to the SNOWED IN? SO READ! Giveaway Hop

This hop is hosted by 

Stuck in Books

There are around 30 blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts January 1st and ends on January 15th,  midnight. 

HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER:

Want to win this SET OF BOOKS?

Ends 1/15/14

US only,  PO Boxes OK!  

Open only to those who can legally enter

Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary.

You must be 13 or older to enter .

The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified.

The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

Giveaway was organized by BookHounds and sponsored by me.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Review PRINCESSES BEHAVING BADLY by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie @QuirkBooks

Book Description

Publication Date: November 19, 2013

You think you know her story. You’ve read the Brothers Grimm, you’ve watched the Disney cartoons, you cheered as these virtuous women lived happily ever after. But the lives of real princesses couldn’t be more different. Sure, many were graceful and benevolent leaders—but just as many were ruthless in their quest for power, and all of them had skeletons rattling in their royal closets. Princess Stephanie von Hohenlohe was a Nazi spy. Empress Elizabeth of the Austro-Hungarian empire slept wearing a mask of raw veal. Princess Olga of Kiev murdered thousands of men, and Princess Rani Lakshmibai waged war on the battlefield, charging into combat with her toddler son strapped to her back. Princesses Behaving Badly offers minibiographies of all these princesses and dozens more. It’s a fascinating read for history buffs, feminists, and anyone seeking a different kind of bedtime story.

About the Author
Linda Rodriguez McRobbie has written for the Boston Herald, Christian Science Monitor, CNN Money, US News & World Report, and Mental Floss. She lives in London with her husband, son, and cat.

Douglas Smith is an award-winning illustrator. He is perhaps best known for illustrating Gregory Maguire’s Wicked novels.

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS

LOVED IT

This book is a lot of fun and full of information in easily digested takes on princesses through out history.  There is no sugar coating these women.  Some are hussies,  villains, crazy and down-right smart.  Most of them are marginalized in some way by men, who sought their power and wealth.  Of course, since men historically have written the books on the past, it is hard to find the truth in what these women were actually like.  I truly enjoyed the chapter on the mad princesses.  It was Princess Juana of Spain that truly struck me as being painted as ill when the men in her life were just going for a power grab.

The stories could almost appear in People magazine since they paint these women as very interesting characters that try to get to the meat of the story rather than the glossing over by history.  I would love this to be a television series on the History Channel.  That would be such a wonderful take.  Each week could star a new historical princess from ancient to modern times.  And modern times are covered nicely here as well, with Britain's Princess Margaret and Diana noted.

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?  

Ends 1/6/14

US Only -  PO Boxes OK! 

Open only to those who can legally enter

Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded.

 No purchase necessary.

You must be 13 or older to enter .

The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified.

The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

Giveaway was organized by BookHounds and sponsored by the publisher 

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK by PIPER KERMAN @SPIEGELandGRAU

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2010

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES • #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424—one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times enraging, Kerman’s story offers a rare look into the lives of women in prison—why it is we lock so many away and what happens to them when they’re there.

About the Author
Piper Kerman is a vice president at a Washington, D.C.-based communications firm that works with foundations and nonprofits.

SOURCE:  PURCHASED

MY THOUGHTS - ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

I bought this book when it first came out for my book club, which promptly fell apart, so it sat on my shelf until I started watching the Netflix series.  I adore memoirs and this one hits all the right notes.  It follows Kerman as she makes her way through the judicial process after she is convicted for drugs and because of mandatory sentences, she ends up doing a year in federal prison.  What she finds behind bars is quite what she imagined and finds that the women she meets behind bars are more victims than hard core criminals. Although there are those as well, they seem to be in the minority.  

The way she approaches the people she meets in jail truly turns her whole thought process around and by the end of the book, she becomes a voice for those lost to unfair drug sentences.  There are some truly touching moments in the book as she connects with the other women and finds herself and even gets healthy considering the food is somewhat questionable.  Kerman also shines a light on how these women are treated and depending on the guard, it can be a decent experience or a true hell.  Overall, this book will open your eyes to what happens to women in prison.

Giveaway UNWHOLLY BY NEAL SHUSTERMAN for Bookhounds Facebook Fans *Signed*

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Giveaway Interview RESTLESS SPIRIT by SOMMER MARSDEN @sommer_marsden @SourcebooksCasa

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2013

I believe you can look at someone—maybe one someone in your whole life—and feel this instant connection. A zap like lightning."

When Tuesday Cane inherits a cozy lake house, she's not expecting to find love as part of her legacy. But how can she choose between Adrian, the loyal and über-sexy handyman she's known for years; the charming and wealthy Reed Green, a former TV star; and the mysterious Shepard Moore, an ex cage fighter?

The only way to know for sure is to try them all...

Surrounded by so many interesting men and erotic temptations, Tuesday as no intention of committing. But deep down she longs for that special, soul-deep connection. Only, which man can entice this restless spirit into finally settling

About the author!

OMG - SHE HAS A DACHSHUND! 

Sommer Marsden is wine-swigging, wiener-dog-owning author responsible for Boys Next Door, Restless Spirit, Learning to Drown, Base Nature and multiple other erotic novels. She currently writes erotica and erotic romance for HarperCollins Mischief, Ellora's Cave, eXcessica, Resplendence Publishing, Pretty Things Press and Xcite Books.

Sommer's short work can be found in over a hundred and thirty erotic anthologies including The Big Book of Bondage, Gotta Have It, Alison's Wonderland, Best Women's Erotica 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012, Lust at First Bite, Liaisons, Hurts So Good and Slave to Love ('11). She has written for Forum UK, Love Stories, Desire, Hustler Fantasies, and Penthouse Variations. 

Keep up with current news on her blog Unapologetic Fiction by visiting http://sommermarsden.blogspot.com

Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook * Blog 

PLEASE WELCOME SOMMER TO BOOKHOUNDS

1.       What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?

Bruce the Moose’s Loose Tooth. I have tried for years to find a copy but have failed!

2.       What are you reading right now?

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich. I’m a huge fan.

3.       How does your garden grow?

However it damn well pleases. We have multiple gardens and are still trying to fine tune how they want to be set up. Yes, how they want to be set up. Clearly, they are in charge. I have high hopes that we might actually get it right this coming spring.

4.       What is the last thing you Googled?

Heavy Horses.

5.       What makes you cringe?

The words flesh, belch, moist and several others. Also, anything to do with teeth. I am tooth phobic.

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?  

Ends 1/2/14

US Only - no PO Boxes

Open only to those who can legally enter

Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded.

 No purchase necessary.

You must be 18 or older to enter .

The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified.

The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

Giveaway was organized by BookHounds and sponsored by  the publisher 

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Interview WICKED LITTLE SECRETS by SUSANNA IVES @SusannaIves @SourcebooksCasa

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2013

It's Not Easy Being Good...

Vivacious Vivienne Taylor has finally won her family's approval by getting engaged to the wealthy and upright John Vandergrift. But when threatened by a vicious blackmail scheme, it is to her childhood friend that Vivienne turns; the deliciously wicked Viscount Dashiell.

When Being Wicked is so Much More Exciting...

Lord Dashiell promised himself long ago that his friendship with Vivienne would be the one relationship with a woman that he wouldn't ruin. He agrees to help her just to keep the little hothead safe, but soon finds that Vivienne has grown up to be very, very dangerous to all of Dash's best intentions.

Amazon





About the Author


Susanna Ives started writing when she left her job as a multimedia training developer to stay home with her family. Now she keeps busy driving her children to various classes, writing books, and maintaining websites. She often follows her husband on business trips around Europe and blogs about the misadventures of touring with children. She lives in Atlanta.


GoodReads - Website - Facebook  - Twitter 

PLEASE WELCOME SUSANNA TO BOOKHOUNDS

1.What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?

Dick and Jane, I’m not kidding. I was very slow learning to read and, to be honest, I memorized the book more than read it. But my four-year-old self was convinced that she could read “see Spot run. Run Spot run” and was pleased as punch.

2. What are you reading right now?


Here goes:

Emily Greenwood’s Gentlemen Prefer Mischief, Eloisa James’ When Beauty Tamed the Beast, Dennis Palumbo’s Mirror Image: A Danial Rinaldi Mystery, Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath.


3. How does your garden grow?


It doesn’t. The deer ate all the vegetables I planted. I need to remove all the borders and let the garden return to the lawn and grow tomatoes and cucumbers in containers on the deck (Can one grow cucumbers in a container? Hmm…)

(Mary -- yes you can!  I did on a tomato cage! Squash does really well like that too.)


4. What is the last thing you Googled?

I don’t remember, but it was something wholesome and intellectually stimulating, I’m sure.


5. What makes you cringe?

When someone runs their finger down a guitar or violin string.


6. Do you have a secret talent?

Supposedly, I can make some kick ass salad dressing.


7. Is there a song that really reminds you of your book?

I wrote a blog post about this topic on the Sourcebooks Casablanca Authors blog. I adore music and constantly have something playing on Spotify, Pandora, or Sirius XM. However, I was greatly distressed that none of my characters in Wicked Little Secrets had a song, not even a love song between the hero and heroine.

During the revision process, I was asked to rewrite a female character. For days, I tried to reimagine her, coming up with nothing and the deadline was approaching. Then one morning, I’m driving my kids to school and AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” came on. Suddenly, inspiration spewed forth. I cranked up the volume, dancing in the car seat, so happy. Then my kids made me turn it down.

So, the answer is AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” reminds me of my Victorian romance.


8. What was the easiest thing about writing this book?

Dialogue. I talk to myself very well.

9. Is there a word you love to use?

“Just” and “strange.” Many things in my book are just strange. And I start many sentences with “and.” And I have to go back and just delete all the strangeness.


10. Any real or imaginary pets?

I have a dog, nine gerbils, and a stray cat that comes around. The gerbils really aren’t mine but my daughter’s. She thought she had purchased two male gerbils. Turns out, she didn’t.

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?  

Ends 1/2/14

US Only - no PO Boxes

Open only to those who can legally enter

Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded.

 No purchase necessary.

You must be 13 or older to enter .

The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified.

The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

Giveaway was organized by BookHounds and sponsored by  the publisher 

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review THE TINY BOOK OF TINY STORIES (#3) by @hitRECord @ItBooks

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 2013

The universe is not made of atoms; it's made of tiny stories.

Featuring 82 contributors from the 35,905 contributions to the Tiny Stories collaboration on hitrecord.org


From Golden Globe Award–nominee Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his online creative coalition hitRECord, and in collaboration with the artist Wirrow, comes Volume 3 in the Tiny Book of Tiny Stories series.

To create The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, known within the hitRECord.org community as RegularJOE, directs thousands of collaborators to tell tiny stories through words and art. With the help of the entire creative collective, he culls, edits, and curates the massive numbers of contributions into a finely tuned collection.

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Volume 3 once again brings together art and voices from around the world to unite and tell stories that defy size.

Buy on Amazon


SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT


I am always amazed by the content in these stories, some as short as two words and the pictures that accompany them.  They relate more in few words than most authors can do in a thousand words.  I am always taken by how perfect these short stories are. I have read both prior books and these make wonderful gifts for even the most picky person.  If you are a fan of the Six Word Memoir books, this series is right up your ally.

Disclosure  I received this book from the publisher at no charge and in no way influenced my review.  If you are considering purchasing this book or anything else from Amazon, please use my link above since I earn a very small percentage of the sale which helps pay for shipping my giveaways!  

Review REPORT FROM THE INTERIOR by PAUL AUSTER @HenryHolt

Book Description

Publication Date: November 19, 2013

In the beginning, everything was alive. The smallest objects were endowed with beating hearts . . .


Having recalled his life through the story of his physical self in Winter Journal, internationally acclaimed novelist Paul Auster now remembers the experience of his development from within through the encounters of his interior self with the outer world in Report from the Interior.


From his baby’s-eye view of the man in the moon, to his childhood worship of the movie cowboy Buster Crabbe, to the composition of his first poem at the age of nine, to his dawning awareness of the injustices of American life, Report from the Interior charts Auster’s moral, political, and intellectual journey as he inches his way toward adulthood through the postwar 1950s and into the turbulent 1960s.


Auster evokes the sounds, smells, and tactile sensations that marked his early life—and the many images that came at him, including moving images (he adored cartoons, he was in love with films), until, at its unique climax, the book breaks away from prose into pure imagery: The final section of Report from the Interior recapitulates the first three parts, told in an album of pictures. At once a story of the times—which makes it everyone’s story—and the story of the emerging consciousness of a renowned literary artist, this four-part work answers the challenge of autobiography in ways rarely, if ever, seen before.


A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2013

Amazon

About the Author

PAUL AUSTER is the bestselling author of Sunset Park, Invisible, Man in the Dark, The Book of Illusions, and The New York Trilogy, among many other works. His books have been translated into forty-three languages. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS

LOVED IT

In this follow up to Auster's memoir, Winter Journal,  he continues his second person journey into his past.  Instead of more of the same, he goes more into what he was feeling while growing up and these feelings are something every baby boomer can relate to.  He has a fascinating take on the Kennedy assassination, growing up with movies and television.  Auster relates his first love, realizes that he is middle class, but not rich, and how his childhood has made him into what he is today.

This is a beautiful work, one that everyone can relate to in some way.  I think it will have more impact on the older generation since some of the memories are one that everyone shares that grew up in this time period.  The details come together much like one looks at a landscape, you notice the trees at first and then realize that there are flowers woven in.  It is all these little details that make up his life and make it so fascinating to read.  Anyone who loves memoirs, will enjoy this one.  

Disclosure  I received this book from the publisher at no charge and in no way influenced my review.  If you are considering purchasing this book or anything else from Amazon, please use my link above since I earn a very small percentage of the sale which helps pay for shipping my giveaways!  

Review WHAT THE DOG KNOWS by CAT WARREN @Cat_Warren @TouchstoneBooks

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2013

Cat Warren is a university professor and former journalist with an admittedly odd hobby: She and her German shepherd have spent the last seven years searching for the dead. Solo is a cadaver dog. What started as a way to harness Solo’s unruly energy and enthusiasm soon became a calling that introduced Warren to the hidden and fascinating universe of working dogs, their handlers, and their trainers.

Solo has a fine nose and knows how to use it, but he’s only one of many thousands of working dogs all over the United States and beyond. In What the Dog Knows, Warren uses her ongoing work with Solo as a way to explore a captivating field that includes cadaver dogs, drug- and bomb-detecting K9s, tracking and apprehension dogs—even dogs who can locate unmarked graves of Civil War soldiers and help find drowning victims more than two hundred feet below the surface of a lake. Working dogs’ abilities may seem magical or mysterious, but Warren shows the multifaceted science, the rigorous training, and the skilled handling that underlie the amazing abilities of dogs who work with their noses.

Warren interviews cognitive psychologists, historians, medical examiners, epidemiologists, and forensic anthropologists, as well as the breeders, trainers, and handlers who work with and rely on these remarkable and adaptable animals daily. Along the way, she discovers story after story that proves the impressive capabilities—as well as the very real limits—of working dogs and their human partners. Clear-eyed and unsentimental, Warren explains why our partnership with dogs is woven into the fabric of society and why we keep finding new uses for their wonderful noses.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author
Cat Warren is an associate professor at North Carolina State University, where she teaches science journalism, editing, and reporting courses. She lives with her German shepherd, Solo, in Durham, North Carolina.

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS:  ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

When Cat Warren gets a gorgeous German Shepherd, he is all parts uncoordinated, curious and needs a job.  Like most working breeds, shepherds are happiest when they have a job to do and when Warren takes her boy to a trainer she knows he needs a job, but she also knows that she physically couldn't keep up with a search and rescue team.  She had never really thought of a cadaver dog, but Solo, proves to be a standout early on.  And so, the pair have found a calling and not a likely one for the author.  Much like Mary Roach attacks a subject, Warren leaves no stone unturned in explaining the science and psychology behind these working dogs.  

First off, I got that "ewww" feeling when Warren describes exactly what Solo would be doing, but the whole story is just so fascinating and balanced between personal anecdotes with the science behind the skills, that I just couldn't put it down. The importance of these working dogs is not really that well known.  I have read Susannah Charleson's books about training service dogs and this gives a whole new facet to the interesting lives they have.  I admire people that have the time and patience to do the hard work that provide these services to help the public.  I know from being around my dachshund that the power of scent in dogs is amazing.  

Disclosure
I received this book from the publisher at no charge and in no way influenced my review.  If you are considering purchasing this book or anything else from Amazon, please use my link above since I earn a very small percentage of the sale which helps pay for shipping my giveaways!  

Review DUFFY'S WORLD by FAITH McCUNE @duffysworldbook

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2013

Duffy’s World is part memoir, part dog owner’s manual, and narrated primarily from a dog’s point of view. As Duffy’s owner chimes in with her own perspective, readers will recognize their own joys and challenges that mark the territory of the human/canine relationship. From eating anything and everything, to a profound fear of needles and bee stings, to being “released” from dog training school, Duffy’s never-ending zest for new experiences is the source of his owner’s greatest frustration and most profound life lessons.

Get this book for only 99 cents! Limited Time Only! 

Duffy's World: Seeing the World through a Dog's Eyes on Amazon!


About the Author
Faith McCune’s beloved father passed away when she was eight. Her first dog, Prince—a gift from her mother—helped her cope with the loss and brought joy into her heart again. Many years later, Duffy came into her life and reawakened her passion for dogs.

Source:  Author

My Thoughts Loved it

McCune decides she wants a puppy, and like most people, doesn't really consider the breed and all of the training necessary to bring up a dog. This book is about her experience bringing home an adorable Australian Shepherd and what it takes to have a wonderful companion and good canine citizen. I don't think she realized when she picked out this cute puppy that Aussies are one of the smartest breeds around. I didn't either when I got mine.  This story is part memoir, part puppy manual and a whole lot of fun!

Interspersed with the author's odyssey to train her pup, Duffy, she relates what she thinks her dog is thinking.  I know I have done this myself.  And once you get to know your dog and really communicate with them, you really do know what they are thinking.  The parts where Duffy "thinks" and told in his voice are fun and sweet.  I really had to laugh at how accurately she describes how how an Aussie thinks, they really are so intelligent.  I had no idea what I was getting into when I got my Blue, but he turned out to be the best dog ever after going through much of what McCune went through to train him.

Disclosure  I received this book from the publisher at no charge and in no way influenced my review.  If you are considering purchasing this book or anything else from Amazon, please use my link above since I earn a very small percentage of the sale which helps pay for shipping my giveaways!  

MIDWINTER'S EVE GIVEAWAY HOP Win $10 International!

Welcome to the MIDWINTER'S EVE Giveaway Hop

This hop is hosted by 

ME 

& 

I Am A Reader 



There are around 175 blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts December 21st and ends on December 31th,  midnight. 

HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER:


Your Choice:

OR 

(paypal only for international winners)

Want to win this gift code?

Ends 12/31/13

US only,  PO Boxes OK!  

Open only to those who can legally enter

Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary.

You must be 18 or older to enter .

The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified.

The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

Giveaway was organized by BookHounds and sponsored by me.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

$50 Giveaway THE BALBORITE CURSE by KRISTIAN ALVA @toobusyreading

The Balborite Curse


The Balborite Curse is the fourth book in Kristian Alva's bestselling Dragon Stones Saga.
After five years of fragile peace, things are changing rapidly. The dwarf kingdom is crumbling into civil war in the midst of the worst clan schism in a thousand years. With the clans weakened by infighting, the entire dwarf kingdom is vulnerable to attack.
Tallin Arai, the dragon rider, must leave the desert and the city he loves when someone puts a bounty on his head. He suspects the Balborites--a fanatic cult that trains deadly mageborn assassins. He sets out on a journey to save the dwarves from civil war and stop the Balborite assassins once and for all. Is Tallin strong enough to save them all?

Barnes & Noble * Amazon

Author Kristian Alva


Kristian Alva was born into a family of writers and teachers. She worked as a staff writer and a ghostwriter before publishing her own manuscripts. She now writes young adult and middle-grade fantasy full-time. She currently lives in California with her husband and sons. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading all genres, especially epic fantasy.

Website * Blog * Facebook

BookBlast $50 Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/5/14


Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Bruce's Review 1963 THE YEAR OF REVOLUTION by ARIEL LEVE and ROBIN MORGAN

Book Description

Publication Date: November 19, 2013

Ariel Leve and Robin Morgan's oral history 1963: The Year of the Revolution is the first book to recount the kinetic story of the twelve months that witnessed a demographic power shift—the rise of the Youth Quake movement, a cultural transformation through music, fashion, politics, and the arts. Leve and Morgan detail how, for the first time in history, youth became a commercial and cultural force with the power to command the attention of government and religion and shape society.

While the Cold War began to thaw, the race into space heated up, feminism and civil rights percolated in politics, and JFK’s assassination shocked the world, the Beatles and Bob Dylan would emerge as poster boys and the prophet of a revolution that changed the world.

1963: The Year of the Revolution records, documentary-style, the incredible roller-coaster ride of those twelve months, told through the recollections of some of the period’s most influential figures—from Keith Richards to Mary Quant, Vidal Sassoon to Graham Nash, Alan Parker to Peter Frampton, Eric Clapton to Gay Talese, Stevie Nicks to Norma Kamali, and many more.

About the Authors


Ariel Leve is an award-winning journalist who has written for such publications as the Guardian, the Financial Times Magazine, the Telegraph, the Observer, and the Sunday Times Magazine, where she was a senior writer on contract from 2003 to 2011. Her first book, It Could Be Worse, You Could Be Me, was a collection of her popular "Cassandra" columns, which ran weekly in theSunday Times Magazine for five years. She was short-listed for the British Press Awards three times for Interviewer of the Year (2005 and 2010) and Feature Writer of the Year (2008). She has been Highly Commended twice: Feature Writer (2008) and Interview of the Year (2010).



Robin Morgan has been an award-winning, London-based investigative journalist, foreign correspondent, and author for nearly forty years on assignments as diverse as the Middle East, Irangate, terrorism, and the fall of communism. He was Britain's Campaigning Journalist of the Year in 1982 and commended again in 1983. He headed up the Insight investigations team of the LondonSunday Times before becoming the longest-serving editor in chief of the Sunday Times Magazine. During his eighteen years at the helm, the magazine garnered scores of national and international writing, editing, and photographic awards. He has contributed to GQ, Esquire, and Departures magazine, among others, and has coauthored or edited more than a dozen books.

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

BRUCE'S THOUGHTS: 4 stars

1963 The Year of the Revolution by Ariel Leve and Robin Morgan uses the premise that 1963 was the year that society, culture and world events pivoted around post war England. It contains interviews with icons of the English musical scene to give subtext to the year as to relate their importance to 1963. In spite of its pretentiousness (in my opinion) the interviews give a personal view of each ones recollections of the life and times of the era and not how important it was. There was an inclusion of Americans in the book, but not enough to make me feel that this was the predominant English point of view. I grew up in the 60's and must have missed the world pivoting. Maybe the seismic shift had subsided by the time it got to Southern California.

$25 Giveaway Interview SPARKS THE MATCHMAKER by RUSSELL ELKINS @RussellsRitings @toobusyreading

Tour Schedule

Sparks the Matchmaker by Russell Elkins


Ollie just wants one thing. The girl.


Things haven’t been going so well with Anne lately, though; their relationship has become a perpetual study date, and Ollie’s roommates are starting to worry about him. How to fix things? Why, with a marriage proposal, of course.


Unfortunately for Ollie, his relationship with Anne has run out of gas. Life feels like it’s counting down to one. And that one is the only person in Ollie’s life he really cares about: Ollie. Perhaps, then, he should get over himself. But first he has to deal with Sparks, the irritating little Yankees fan who invades his life in order to “help” him. And while Keith, his best friend, is doing all he can to help, Ollie’s other friend Richie never fails to show up and threaten to ruin everything just by being himself. Never mind all the drama Sparks brings to the party by forcing Ollie to take a job actually helping people in need.


Will Ollie meet the girl? Will it be in history class? On a road trip to Colorado? Can he get over Anne, or should he try to mend the relationship? Should he pursue the new girl Sparks is trying to set him up with? As the strings of the puppeteer tangle with the strings of the heart, only one person can sort out the mess Ollie has made. It seems that the harder he tries, the more Ollie messes things up. Is Sparks a cruel manipulator, or is he really going to help Ollie find his match?

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Praise for Sparks the Matchmaker:


I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. How many "romance" novels do you read where the protagonist is male, or even where the author is male? At first, I thought that was going to be the unique focus of this story.


I was pleasantly surprised, though. The "Sparks" character was a completely unique take on things. Also, I tend to be one of those people who frequently predicts the endings of books and t.v. shows, etc., but I hadn't seen the ending of this story coming. It was a quick and easy read (which was just what I needed right now) but with plenty of intelligence and creativity woven into the story. I think I can say with confidence that even my teenage son would enjoy it, as well as my Mom. Looking forward to the next installment in the series.


Definitely not what I expected from a romantic comedy novel, but in a good way! Can't wait for the next one :)











Author Russell Elkins


Russell Elkins has become a leading expert on open adoption through first-hand experience that he now shares in Open Adoption, Open Heart. Russell regularly contributes to Adoption.com. He also writes his own blog at russellelkins.com to educate others in the struggles and beauties of open adoption.


Russell has always been a family man at heart, looking forward to the day when he could be a husband and a father. It took him a little while, but eventually his eyes locked onto a beautiful blonde, and he has never looked away. Russell and Jammie were married in 2004. They had the same goals for their home and didn't want to wait too long before starting their family. However, filling their home quickly with children wasn't in the cards, and they found themselves weighing their options to overcome problems with infertility. Their lives changed dramatically the day they decided to adopt.


Russell and Jammie have adopted two beautiful children, Ira and Hazel, and have embraced their role as parents through open adoption. Both are actively engaged in the adoption community by communicating through social media, taking part in discussion panels, and writing songs about adoption.


Russell was born on Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., in the fall of 1977. Along with his five siblings, he and his military family moved around a lot, living in eight different houses by the time he left for college at age 17. Although his family moved away from Fallon, Nevada, just a few months after he moved out, he still considers that little oasis in the desert to be his childhood hometown.


Even after leaving home, Russell always stayed close to his family. He shared an apartment with each of his three brothers at different times during his college career. They formed a band together back in the 1990s and still perform on a regular basis under the name of the Invisible Swordsmen.


After nearly a decade of college and changing his major a few times, Russell received his bachelor's degree in sociology from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He later graduated from Ameritech College where he learned the trade of being a dental lab technician. Russell now owns and operates Elkins Dental Lab located in Meridian, Idaho.

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Bogey and Mulligan 

1.       Do you have a secret talent?

I don't know if it's much of a secret, but I'm also a musician. I play in public two or three times a month- I'm a singer/guitar player. I suppose my secret talent would be disc golf (frisbee golf). I took first in state a few years back, but haven't played in four years (since my kids were born).

2.       Is there a song that really reminds you of your book?

It's not what ya got, but what ya give. It aint the life you choose, but the life you live. -Tesla 

3.       What was the easiest thing about writing this book?

I didn't have to worry about making anybody look bad. The previous two books I wrote to this one were about our true story with adoption (Open Adoption, Open Heart) and it was tough to tell of all the drama without sometimes painting some people in a bad light. 

4.       Is there a word you love to use?

I'm a poet at heart. I've written more poetry than I know what to do with. But it seems like, whenever I use words I'm really excited about, my editor shoots it down. He's fantastic though, so sometimes I win the argument and sometimes I let him win.

5.       Any real or imaginary pets?

I'm a dog lover. I have a boxer and a dachshund who both sit at my feet while I write. I love them to death.

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Ends 1/12/14





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Giveaway Excerpt DRAGON AWAKENED by JAIME RUSH @ForeverRomance @jaimerush @GrandCentralPub

DRAGON AWAKENED by Jaime Rush

December 17, 2013;
Forever Mass Market; $6.00; 978-1-4555-2322-1

Ruby Salazaar wants answers . . . and revenge. Her uncle has just been murdered before her eyes and the name he utters with his final breath -  Cyntag - leads Ruby into a world beyond her wildest imaginings. She soon learns that the dark, sexy Cyntag Valeron knows more about her than she does herself.

Ruby changed Cyn's life before she even knew who he was. Now she charges into his life, a beautiful woman full of fire and questions. Cyn knew this day would come, yet he couldn't foresee the danger -  and desires - Ruby would bring with her. He can teach her how to harness her newly awakened powers. But there is one force neither of them can control . . .

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Bookish

Cyntag slowly waved his hand in front of her face, his eyes staring straight into hers between his long fingers. “Crescents can identify one another by our eyes. Some are icy glitter, some swirling mist, and others burning embers.”

Her heart hitched. Hadn’t she seen a glow in his eyes?

He lowered his hand. “Moncrief cast an illusion spell to hide the magick in your eyes. You looked like a Mundane, a regular human. Now that he’s gone, the spell is wearing off. Soon it will be obvious to every Crescent who sees you.”

She walked over to a gilt-framed mirror on the side wall and stared at herself. No glow. He was full of it. “I don’t see anything like what you described.”

“Because you cannot see.” He came up behind her. “You have not been Awakened. Crescents are initiated in a ceremony at thirteen, when their powers begin to appear. It’s similar to those of many native tribes to celebrate a coming of age. But much more comes with being an Awakened Crescent.”

Thirteen. She remembered a gnawing hunger deep in her belly and vivid dreams filled with colors and longing and…dragons.

Cyntag brushed her bangs from her forehead, his thumb grazing the skin near her burn. “The orb did this?” She nodded, and anger shimmered over his face. “Unacceptable.”

“I thought so.”

He’d said it as though the attack on her was a personal affront to him. Like he owns you.

“Right now you’re like a baby chick fallen prematurely from the nest, without feathers developed enough to fly from danger or any way to fight enemies. Unable to even see them. You might get a glimpse now and then, but that won’t be enough.”

“You’re saying I have powers?” Could her disbelief be more clear? “Can I make one of those orb-lightning-bolt things?”

Another twitch of a smile. “Sorry, no. However, you are much more magnificent than mere magick.”

“I’m magnificent. Yeah.” She couldn’t help but glance down at herself. “Fine, how do I get…what’d you call it? Awakened?” Let’s play along.

“Considering the circumstances, only I can awaken your powers.”

Did his arrogance know no bounds? Dumb question, Ruby. “What do I have to give you for that?”

“You assume there’s a price?”

“There’s always a price.” She could see that he had one too.

He stepped closer, again breaching boundaries. She wouldn’t move away. If only she didn’t have to look up at him. Even being five-foot-eight, he was way taller. His heat reached out, beckoning her. She stiffened her stance. The dragon tattoo eyed her, but no, she did not see it move.

He waited until she drew her gaze back to his face. “The price is that once you see, you can never go back to being blind. Once you know, you can never forget. Once you experience your true nature, you can never ignore it.”

“Ignore what?”

He released a breath. “We’d better start with the small stuff.”

About Jaime Rush 

Things that go bump in the night have always fascinated Jaime Rush. Sometimes those things are human; other times, not so much. Now she has twisted them all together in the Hidden, a trilogy about humans with the essence of gods who walk the knife's edge between the glamour of Miami and a place filled with dark magick and dangerous beauty.

Jaime is the author of the Offspring series and also writes under the name Tina Wainscott. She is the bestselling author of eighteen romance novels. She lives in Southwest Florida with her husband, daughter, and cat.

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DRAGON AWAKENED – 15 winners will receive our Hidden prize pack, featuring a bound flip book of the first two novellas DRAGONMINE and DRAGON AWAKENED, a print copy of DRAGON AWAKENED, advanced copies of the next two books in the series, MAGIC POSSESSED and ANGEL SEDUCED, plus a series bookmark and a special Jaime Rush dog tag!

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Giveaway Excerpt REAVER by LARISSA IONE @LarissaIone @ForeverRomance @GrandCentralPub

REAVER by Larissa Ione

December 17, 2013;
Grand Central Publishing Mass Market; $8.00;
Reaver is an angel with a past, a record, and a less-than-heavenly attitude. Powerful enough to fight alongside the fiercest battle angels-and crazy enough to risk his wings on a one-way mission to hell-he's agreed to go where no angel has ever gone before . . . to steal the most seductive and dangerous prize of Satan himself.

Harvester is one of the Fallen, a once-heroic angel who sacrificed her wings to work as an undercover agent in hell. But now her cover has been blown, and she's doomed to an eternity of agonizing torture. Even if Reaver can snatch her away from Satan's lair, even if they can fight their way out of the underworld's darkest depths, there is one thing Harvester can never escape-her newfound thirst for an angel's blood. . .

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Bookish

“R-Reaver?”

Reaver held Harvester’s frail body tight against his as he navigated the final steps of a winding ledge that dropped them into a world of weird. “It’s me. It’s okay. We’re safe.”

Relatively safe, anyway. Relative meaning that they weren’t dead. Yet. He just hoped the same could be said for Tavin, Matt, and Calder. When he’d left them to sneak into Satan’s realm, they’d been engaged in a battle they’d initiated as a diversion. It had been a risky move, and Reaver could only pray they’d make it to the rendezvous point.

A hunter’s horn sounded in the distance and was answered by another, closer horn signal. Satan’s minions hadn’t gained ground, but they were spreading out. Damn.

He scanned the landscape of thorny plants, hills of blackened earth and trees, and twisted, abandoned structures. Nothing moved.

He looked down at Harvester, and as before when he first saw her hanging over a pit of acid, he felt sick to his stomach. He didn’t like Harvester even though he was grateful for the things she’d done, but she didn’t deserve this; her naked body too thin and mottled with bruises and ligature marks, her once silken black hair tangled and dull, and worst of all, missing her gorgeous green eyes.

Under ideal circumstances, an angel could heal from even the most heinous injuries within hours. But these were far from ideal circumstances, and Harvester’s source of power, her wings, had been severed. Without wings or medical assistance, it could take weeks, even months, for an angel’s body to fully heal.

“I can’t risk healing you more than I did,” he said. “My power isn’t reliable right now, and I could do more harm than good.”

“Reaver,” she croaked, as if he hadn’t spoken. “Why…how…”

“Shh.” He tucked her face into his chest, quieting her. “We’re going to meet up with some friends, and then I’ll answer all your questions.”

Reaver and the assassins had worked out a plan A and a plan B. Plan A had been shot to hell when iron gates had prevented Reaver from getting out of Satan’s realm to the south, where his companions would have been waiting. Now, with demons in pursuit, they were on their way to plan B. Hopefully Tav, Matt, and Calder had realized quickly that Reaver’s escape route had gone bad.

Inhaling the stench of rotten vegetation that permeated this section of Sheoul, he started away from the skeletons of some burned-out buildings and toward a mountain range as expansive as the Rockies. He moved swiftly, outrunning the sounds of pursuit and pausing once to blast a group of imps with a ball of lightning. The sphere struck the leader, and from there sent electrical strikes at each of the surrounding imps, frying them all in a handy eight-for-one.

Harvester slept in his arms, barely stirring when he stopped to listen for anyone following them. By the time they neared the plan B meeting site, Reaver was sure they’d lost the demons—temporarily. Reaver wasn’t naive enough to think they were off the hook. The demons chasing them were only the first wave, the security detail unlucky enough to be guarding the dungeon Harvester was kept in.

Once Satan got wind of this, if he hadn’t already, Reaver and Harvester were going to have legions of minions on their heels.

About the Author

A former meteorologist and EMT, Air Force veteran Larissa Ione now gets her daily dose of excitement from vampires, werewolves, demons, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. She lives in wintery Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat, and her hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

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1 winner will get our grand prize of a Kindle Fire and 4 winners will get a signed set of Larissa Ione’s Lords of Deliverance Series: Eternal Rider, Immortal Rider, Lethal Rider & Rogue Rider!

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