Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Monday, October 29, 2012

22 on 22 Read-a-Thon--Plans and Updates

*Sticky Post...please scroll down for newer updates*


Final Update:
Not much more than what's listed below, unfortunately.  Didn't get much reading done on the trip to Kentucky on Saturday and then Sunday, back in Nashville, we had cake for my other grandmother's 85th birthday.  But, as always, I LOVE read-a-thons! Thanks to the ladies at Pages of Forbidden Love for hosting.

1. What was your favorite part of this read-a-thon?  The reading is always my favorite part, even if I don't get as much done as I planned.
2. Did you enjoy the mini challenges? yes, very much! They were simple and didn't take too much time.
3. What was your least favorite part of this read-a-thon?  N/A
4. Anything I should do differently if I were to host another read-a-thon?  I thought it was great just the way it was. =O)
Day Five--Update
What I've read:  
60 pages of The Passage by Justin Cronin
30 pages of The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King
Notes:
As usual, things aren't going as planned.  Busy work week and then two events at my son's school...his music recital last night and tonight is Fall Festival.  Not much time for reading.  I'm going to Murray, KY on Saturday to scatter my Grandmother's ashes, but I will be able to do a bit of reading in the car there and back.

Day Four Mini-Challenge--Movie Cast



I'm currently reading the entire Dark Tower series (my read-a-long runs through next July) and we have talked about who we would cast as Roland, The Gunslinger.  There have been many suggestions, but I still stick to my ideal for the role.


Christian Bale--I just think he looks the part.  Plus, he has just the right amount of toughness and is able to play complex characters well.  Roland is definitely a complex character.

Day Three Mini-Challenge--Waiting on...



From wonderful storyteller and author of the bestselling phenomenon The Christmas Box, a new holiday novel based on the story of Joseph and the coat of many colors.Joe is forced out of the family business by his jealous siblings. Moving on to another company, he soon becomes chief advisor to the CEO. But when the economy turns, Joe’s siblings need his help to save the family business.

Based on the Old Testament story about Joseph and the coat of many colors and including a love story, A Winter Dream can be embraced for its message of forgiveness by believers and nonbelievers alike.

Why I'm waiting...
Anyone who knows me, knows my love for Christmas books and Richard Paul Evans is one of my favorite authors of Christmas fiction.  Ever since The Christmas Box, I've been a huge fan.

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Yes, the glutton for read-a-thon punishment is at it again! The 22 on 22 Read-a-Thon is being hosted by Pages of Forbidden Love.  Here are the details from their blog:

Bianca is turning 22 on Oct 22nd so we here at Pages of Forbidden Love decided to honor her birthday with a week long Read-a-Thon. This is the first ever Read-a-Thon that we have hosted so we are very excited to try to host the best one we can. So please join us for a week of fun, challenges, prizes, and lots of reading! There is no pressure to read a certain amount of books during this Read-a-Thon, it is strictly for fun to celebrate a birthday!

Prizes will include anything from ARCs to $10 book of choice from the book depo.

Click the links or the button above to sign-up.

My reading plans:
The Passage by Justin Cronin (try to finish, but at least get caught up for tomorrow night's chat)
The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King (another to finish)
Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman (get caught up)
The Witch's Trinity by Erika Mailman
The Home by Scott Nicholson

My updates will appear just below the button.  This will be a sticky post.

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Thursday, October 25, 2012

Cat Thursday: Halloween Fun--Week Two


Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats.  Enjoy! (share your post in the Mr. Linky below)

Since next Thursday, Halloween will be over....HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! I've put together some cute and funny pics this week...and one that is a bit scary, in a funny way.  Have fun!







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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Random Read-a-Thon--Plans and Updates


Final update:
 I did so bad on this read-a-thon, it doesn't even warrant mentioning.  Another read-a-thon started yesterday so I will be signing up for it.  It's a week long so hopefully I'll have more success.  We shall see!

Oh yes, another read-a-thon! A lovely random little reading event hosted by April at My Shelf Confessions from now (actually 10/19 at 12:00am EST) until Tuesday, 10/23 at 12:00am EST.  So, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday! Yes, it's about 2:30am here and yes, I'm still up...reading The Drawing of the Three (yes, I'm behind on the read-a-long I'M hosting...I'm a terrible, terrible get-behind-on-everything-person) so I can finally post the discussion for the read-a-long.  I'm also supposed to be joining in on a discussion of Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman tomorrow at Historical Fiction Connection for our read-a-long there.  Guess what...yup, behind on that one too.  *hangs head in shame*  Okay, so April says this is totally random so you can sign up anytime (click the button) and read whatever you want.  Twitter hashtag is #randomRAT

What I'm reading...

  • The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King--I'm on page 121.  I need to read to page 277 by Sunday.
  • Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman--need to read to page 197...TOMORROW (actually today)
  • The Passage by Justin Cronin--on page 201.  Need to be to page 631 by Tuesday night.  Ugh! Great book though. =O)
  • The Witch's Trinity by Erika Mailman--Yup, I'm hosting a witchy reading challenge this month at Castle Macabre...and haven't even read one witchy book.  I hope to get this one read so I can squeeze in one or two more.  Yeah, I'm stupidly optimistic.
  • The Home by Scott Nicholson--another one I'd like to get in before the end of the month
Updates will be above all this mumbo jumbo, just below the button.


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Monday, October 22, 2012

TTBA Weekly News and Mailbox Monday

This feature was inspired by It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and also by The Sunday Salon.

Listening To:  No new music at this time, but Rudolph Day is Thursday so I expect there will be more Christmas music on the agenda.

Book finished: none (sad)

Reading: The Drawing of the Three (Dark Tower #2) by Stephen King, The Passage by Justin Cronin, Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman.

On the Nightstand:  The Witch's Trinity by Erika Mailman, The Home by Scott Nicholson, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow by Juliet Grey.

Watching:  The last presidential debate (ugh) and the Lions/Bears game on Monday Night Football. Yes, I'm a Lions fan (Michigan native here). "Dancing with the Stars" was good. Loved the group routine to "Call Me Maybe" (love that song). "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" starts tonight...can't wait! I saw "Lawless" over the weekend, based on the true story of the Bondurant brothers who were bootleggers in Virginia during prohibition, which starred Shia Lebouf, Tom Hardy (great, great role!), Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce. Based on the book, The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant.  Excellent film...I recommend it.  I will definitely be reading the book.

Making: plans for NaNoWriMo....researching, outlining, etc.  Also, Sit Down and Write 2, a write-a-thon for writing whatever you need to write...your novel, stories, book reviews...is set for November 12 - 25.  Click HERE or the button for details and sign-up.

Grateful for:  people like Adam at Roof Beam Reader who completely summed up in this post why I'm a Democrat and why I'm voting to re-elect President Obama.

Looking forward to: my son's fourth grade music recital this week.  He has a singing solo and a speaking part!

Picture:  It has to be a cat pic! This one is nice and scary (and funny) for Halloween, shared with me by Irene Palfy on Facebook.



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Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted at the Mailbox Monday blog this month.   (You can click the book covers in the BookBox to view the book(s) on Amazon)

BookBox: embed book widget, share book list

WON
On a Farther Shore:  The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson by William Souder...from Ryan at Wordsmithonia

FOR REVIEW
Guardians of Stone by Anita Clenney...from publicist (unsolicited)
Cupid's Christmas by Bette Lee Crosby...from the author

LIBRARY SALE
Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
The White Mare by Jules Watson
The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Dimiter by William Peter Blatty
The Borgias: Two Novels in One Volume by Jean Plaidy
--Madonna of the Seven Hills
--Light on Lucrezia
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (autographed!)
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Cat Thursday: Halloween Fun--Week One



Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats.  Enjoy! (share your post in the Mr. Linky below)

I almost forgot about my yearly Halloween Cat Thursday posts! I know...what's up with that?  The next two weeks are dedicated to Halloween cat goodness!






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Monday, October 15, 2012

TTBA Weekly News and Mailbox Monday

This feature was inspired by It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and also by The Sunday Salon.

New format for TTBA Weekly News.  I've seen this used by Lisa at Lit and Life and Tobe at Wading Through the Ocean of Life so I thought I would give it a go.  I changed it up a bit to suit my style. =O)

Listening To:  I checked out three Christmas CDs at the library, Carole King "A Holiday Carole," Scott Weiland "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," and Amy Grant "The Christmas Collection" plus I bought two at the library sale a couple of weeks ago, Peter Kater "Xmas Ecstasy" and Mary Chapin Carpenter "Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas."  I also picked up System of a Down "Hypnotize" at the library sale on Saturday.

Book finished: Oxford Whispers by Marion Croslydon

Reading: The Drawing of the Three (Dark Tower #2) by Stephen King, The Passage by Justin Cronin, Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman.

On the Nightstand:  The Witch's Trinity by Erika Mailman and possibly a couple other witchy books for my Season of the Witch challenge at Castle Macabre.  The Home by Scott Nicholson

Watching: What don't I watch?  LOL! There are so many great shows on right now.  Loved the Season 3 premiere of "The Walking Dead" last night.  On the movie front, I saw "Sinister" over the weekend and it scared the beJesus out of me! I'm going to review it on Castle Macabre this week.  A definite must-see.  Another must-see that I saw last night..."Brave."  What a wonderful movie!

Making: Nothing crafty at the moment, but I am making a list of what I need to get done.  I have to plan for Sit Down and Write 2 in November and get my novel plans in order for NaNoWriMo.  Yes, I think I may take the plunge again. *face palm*

Grateful for:  What a wonderful birthday I had thanks to my family.  And for all the well-wishes I received here and over on Facebook.

Looking forward to: getting my house in order so I can start decorating for Christmas in November.

Picture:  These are the gifts my sister sent me for my birthday.  Two porcelain Harlequin dolls, one with a Christmas outfit and the other with Halloween.  Also, an old tea tin with a historical image and a TY ghost Beanie Baby named Sheets.  So sweet of her!




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Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted at the Mailbox Monday blog this month.   (You can click the book covers in the BookBox to view the book(s) on Amazon)

BookBox: embed book widget, share book list

BookBox: embed book widget, share book list

WON
Bella Fortuna by Rosanna Chiofalo...from Booktrib

FROM THE AUTHOR FOR FUTURE REVIEW
To Die For by Sandra Byrd
HISTORICAL FICTION VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR
Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow: A Novel of Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey
FOR REVIEW
North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus by Candace Jane Kringle
DOLLAR TREE
25 Days, 26 Ways to Make This Your Best Christmas Ever by Ace Collins
The White Witch by Janet Graber
BOOKMOOCH
Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings
GOODWILL
The Sound of Paper:  Starting from Scratch by Julia Cameron
LIBRARY SALES
Abraham Lincoln: Quotes, Quips, and Speeches
The White Garden: A Novel of Virginia Woolf by Stephanie Barron
A Flaw in the Blood by Stephanie Barron
Mrs. Shakespeare: The Complete Works by Robert Nye
The Green Age of Asher Witherow by M. Allen Cunningham
The Heretic's Wife by Brenda Rickman Vantrease
He Is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson
The Place of Truth (Stone of Light 4) by Christine Jacq
Desiree by Annemarie Selinko
In Great Waters by Kit Whitfield
No Will But His: A Novel of Kathryn Howard by Sarah A. Hoyt
Deception's Daughter by Cordelia Frances Biddle
Certain Poor Shepherds: A Christmas Tale by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson
Fragile Beasts by Tawni O'Dell
The Nude by Dorothy McFalls
Esther's Gift by Jan Karon
The Mitford Snowmen by Jan Karon

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Saturday, October 13, 2012

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon--Starting, Mini-Challenges and Updates


Last night, I shared with you my goal for the read-a-thon and that is to read IT and that's IT.  Yup, I'm at it again! LOL! And here I am having overslept and almost three hours past start time.   Oh well, 9:30am start time it is!

THE END
I tried...I really did.  It seems I'm just not cut out for this 24 hour read-a-thon business.  This may be my last, unless the next one falls on a date when I have no other plans and I can devote the entire 24 hours to reading.  I ended up reading for a grand total of approximately 3 hours and only read about 50 pages.  That's just sad.  Looks like I'll be putting it away to read another at another time.  I'm sorry IT-along participants. =O(

1.  Which hour was most daunting for you?  Hour 20 because I promptly fell asleep and didn't wake up until after 7am.
2.  Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?  IT is a high interest book.  I just think it's probably too long for a 24 hour read-a-thon
3.  Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?  This might make some people mad, but I think there are way too many mini-challenges and it takes away from the reading.  For those of us who are slow readers and it's too hard NOT to participate in them.
4.  What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?  I like the prizes being back, even if I didn't win one.  =O(  JK
5.  How many books did you read?  less than one...much less
6.  What were the names of the books you read?  IT by Stephen King
7.  Which book did you enjoy most?  N/A
8.  Which did you enjoy least?  N/A
9.  If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?  N/A
10.  How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?  See my answer above.  There are going to be some contributing factors on whether I participate or not.  I would be a reader again, if I do participate.
UPDATES
I am royally tanking this read-a-thon.  I'm not surprised.  It always falls on a busy weekend for me.  Plus, I'm really terrible at 24 hour read-a-thons.  May as well face it! Now I'm just getting so tired. =O(

What hours is this update for: 13 - 18
Time read:  I'm not even sure, not much--too many distractions
Pages read:  15 (sad, very sad)
Cumulative time read: 3 hour--approx.
Cumulative pages read: 45
Mini-Challenges:  Stacy's Time Flies, Challenging Book Challenge, Six Word Celebration   
Blogs visited:  2


Mid-Event Survey
1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?  I'm doing fine because I've been out all day.  Just got home.   Didn't get any reading done during my outing, unfortunately.
2) What have you finished reading?  Still working on IT3) What is your favorite read so far?  See above
4) What about your favorite snacks?  N/A5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love!  nope, but I will

What hours is this update for: 6 - 12
Time read:  nothing to report
Pages read:  nothing to report
Cumulative time read: 1 hour
Cumulative pages read: 29
Mini-Challenges:  Book Blogger Bingo  
Blogs visited:  0

What hours is this update for: Hours 3 and 4
Time read:  1 hour
Pages read:  29
Cumulative time read: 1 hour
Cumulative pages read: 29
Mini-Challenges:  Oldies but Goodies, Turn to Page 
Blogs visited:  6

I'm headed out for the first of my birthday outings.  I will be reading when I can and will keep track of time and pages read.  See you later!


*I will update from this post.  All updates will appear just above this line*

Introductory Questionnaire
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?  
I'm reading from Nashville, Tennessee
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Since I'm only reading one 1000 page book, that would be IT by Stephen King
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Going to pick me up some candy today so THAT would be it as well. =O)
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
Mom of two boys, avid reader, writer, virtual assistant and full-time procrastinator.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
I'm not sure what I'll do differently.  I may participate in less mini-challenges and focus on the reading more, especially since I'm going to be gone for a good part of the day.

My update template:
What hours is this update for:
Time read:
Pages read:
Mini-Challenges:
Blogs visited:

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Dewey's, Here Be Dragons and Let's Read Plays!


It's that time again! Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon! Even though I have a busy weekend, I still want to participate as much as I can.  My birthday is on Monday so this is my official birthday weekend.  Tomorrow, I'm going to my monthly library sale and...happy birthday to me...they're having a half price sale.  Woot! After that, Mom is taking me out to eat for our birthday lunch and then we're going to see "Sinister."  I am so psyched for that movie! On Sunday, I'm going to the Southern Festival of Books to hear Damien Echols speak and then going out to eat for my official birthday dinner with the entire family (my darling boys) and then we're going to the cheap movie theater to see "Brave" and probably "The Dark Knight Rises."  And I'm off work Monday, so what a great birthday! Anyhoo, the read-a-thon starts bright and early for me at 7:00am and I have one goal and one goal only.  That's right, folks...I'm reading IT.  Yes, Stephen King's IT.  That gigantic tome that I was supposed to be reading for the IT-along for several weeks now, but haven't had the time.  Wouldn't it be great if I could actually finish IT?  HaHa...too funny...finish it...IT.  Yeah, I'm already tired.  Okay, so 7:00am...and the book will be accompanying me on my outing tomorrow...will snatch as much reading time as I can while I'm out and about.  We shall see how IT goes. *snicker*


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Yes! I have been wanting to read this for ages.  We, Marie and I, are hosting a read-a-long at Historical Fiction Connection.  You should join us! Dates are October 13 through November 2.  Visit this POST for the full schedule.

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Let's Read Plays! Let's do, shall we?  A fun year with classic plays--November 2012 - October 2012
Hosted by Fanda Classiclit and Ngidam Buku  Click the button for all the details and to sign-up.

Here's my list:

Nov '12 Shakespeare's Tragedy--Coriolanus
Dec '12 Shakespeare's Comedy--The Tempest
Jan '13 freebie--Richard III
Feb '13 Shakespeare's History--Henry V
Mar '13 Greek--Antigone
Apr '13 Shakespeare's Comedy--Merry Wives of Windsor
May '13 Shakespeare's Tragedy--Troilus and Cressida
Jun '13 Oscar Wilde--Salome
Jul '13 Other author--Saint Joan
Aug '13 Shakespeare's Comedy--Measure for Measure
Sep '13 freebie--Macbeth
Oct '13 Shakespeare's Tragedy--Titus Andronicus

I'll be reviewing here, of course, and keeping track at my challenge blog.


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Friday, October 12, 2012

{Book Tour} Review--Oxford Whispers by Marion Croslydon {plus contest}


OXFORD WHISPERS


By

Marion Croslydon


Two star-crossed lovers in the English Civil War

A painting with haunting powers

A murderous ghost back for revenge

Madison LeBon is dead set against the dead. She has vowed to ignore her Voodoo-stamped heritage and the psychic gift passed down through her Louisiana family. The world of the living is where she wants to belong.

But her resolution shatters when the ill-fated lovers in a painting—the subject of her first history class at Oxford—begin to haunt her. The lovers warn her against their own nemesis, a Puritan from the English Civil War.

In misty present-day Oxford, Madison embarks on a quest to unravel the secrets of the past and understand her personal bond with the painting. To protect herself, she must learn to accept her gift before life imitates art, in all its tragedy.

College becomes more complicated when she falls hard for Rupert Vance, a troubled aristocrat and descendant of one of the characters in the painting.

With the spirit of a murderer in hot pursuit, Madison comes to realize that her own first love may be doomed…

Based on a real Pre-Raphaelite painting, Oxford Whispers is full of romance, drama and suspense.

Fall in love for the first time… Again.


About the author:
I am a true citizen of the world. I was born in West Africa, grew up in the South of France, and studied in Vienna, Paris, Berlin, Cape Town, and Oxford before finally settling down in London. This wide variety of cities has provided lots of inspiration for my writing. Talk about culture exposure!

In addition to being an author, I work as an entrepreneur, wife and mother-of-one but spend a good deal of time with books, DVDs and listening to my mp3 player; all for the sake of inspiration, of course. My debut series, The Oxford Trilogy, has been a blast to write because I can indulge in my favorite types of music: Country and English rock.

My main goal as a writer is to make readers dream bigger and cause their hearts to beat a little faster. Since my writing is all about sharing dreams and stories, I love connecting with fellow readers and authors.

Visit the author:
www.marioncroslydon.com 
www.twitter.com/mcroslydon
www.facebook.com/marioncroslydon
www.youtube.com/user/marioncroslydon.




My thoughts:
Oxford Whispers has a premise that I really like in a book.  A contemporary novel which is also a historical novel, as it switches back and forth from the present to the past.  There is also the edition of a famous pre-Raphaelite painting that adds to the mystery of the past.  I'm a sucker for books that derive a story from famous paintings.  The story of Madison and Rupert and how they are tied to the past are depicted in the William Shakespeare Burton painting, The Wounded Cavalier.  Gorgeous painting (see below).  So, of course, the parts of the book that tell of the past were what drew my interest.  Unfortunately, I wish I could have felt more of a connection with the modern day characters of Madison and Rupert.  Madison especially just came across too good to be true to me.  A Louisiana girl who has a voodoo heritage, who went to Yale and at one point she says she's from Boston and that she has an ancestor who was in the Salem witch trials.  I guess the ancestor from Salem had to be introduced to explain Madison's connection to the past in England.  And then there's Rupert, a suave, aristocratic man who smokes cigarettes like the Marlboro man.  It just doesn't fit.  Maybe I just don't read enough paranormal romance to understand how this type of book works, but I just found the interaction of the characters corny and contrived.  But again, that is only in regards to the contemporary characters.  The historical parts of the book were good.  It was easy to sense the Puritanical time that the author was depicting and the strife of the English Civil War.  In all, I would say to give this one a read if you like historical novels and switches from past to present.  That is enough to make the book worthwhile.

Note:  It has been pointed out to me that the character who is from Boston and has the Salem ancestor was not Madison, but, in fact, was Jackson.  I do apologize to the author for that misstep.  I totally read that part wrong!

The Wounded Cavalier--William Shakespeare Burton, 1855

GIVEAWAY:
Marion will be giving away a $20 New Adult Reading pack --i.e. selected NA titles on Amazon to one commenter on the tour)! Check out all the stops on the TOUR for more chances to win.

Click the button to visit the tour schedule:


Thanks to Goddess Fish for having me on the tour!

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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Cat Thursday: Authors and their cats (16)


Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! (share your post in the Mr. Linky below)

The second Cat Thursday of each month is Authors and their Cats Thursday.  Each time I will feature an author and their cat(s).

This month I have an extra special author and cat to feature.  I'd like to thank Anna at Herding Cats and Burning Soup for telling us about Miss Mousie and her author owner, Melissa McClone.  Melissa graciously agreed to take time out of her busy writing schedule to share Miss Mousie's story.  Please give them a warm welcome!



Miss Mousie and I want to thank Michelle for having us on Cat Thursday. I'm so happy for the opportunity to tell readers at The True Book Addict about my sweet girl.

Miss Mousie is my 14 year-old foster from the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society (WCGHS) in Washington. Fostering a senior cat was my Valentine's present from my husband. Is that not the best V-day gift for a crazy cat lady/Harlequin Romance writer?

Right away, Miss Mousie claimed her spot on the cat tree, one on the back of the Great Room chair and another on our bed. Nothing bothered her, including our Norwegian Elkhound, three kids or other cats. I was told Miss Mousie was mellow and didn't do much, but she loves to play and chase things, too!

Her favorite person in our house is my husband aka daddy. She watches him work and waits for him to come home when he's away. Miss Mousie ignores me unless I have food or her brush in hand. And when I'm on deadline…Miss Mousie won't leave me alone!

In August, after I returned from the RWA National Conference in Anaheim, I took Miss Mousie to the vet. She'd lost some weight, wasn't eating or acting like herself. She'd always had polyps in her ears (an incurable condition) but the vet told us they had worsened. Miss Mousie also had a severe, painful ear infection.

Her vet said Miss Mousie needed TECA (total ear canal ablation) surgery. If she couldn't have the surgery, the vet said humane euthanization would be his recommendation due to the pain associated with ear issues.

The estimate for the surgery was $5000. Expensive, yes, especially for a senior foster cat, but I couldn't let Miss Mousie go without at least trying to raise the money. I asked the WCGHS if I could fundraise for her. They gave me permission and opened a PayPal account especially for Miss Mousie.


I'd never done anything like this. A group of writer friends brainstormed ideas with me. One suggested asking authors to write about their cats. I thought it was perfect and http://helpmissmousie.blogspot.com was born.

Miss Mousie's blog went live at the end of August. Twenty-four authors from different genres provided posts about their cats. More authors helped us by contacting other writers and asking them to share Miss Mousie's story with their readers. We also received a lower surgery estimate from another clinic. By the end of September we had raised enough money to cover Miss Mousie's TECA! We're just waiting for Miss Mousie to get over a cold so we can schedule her surgery.

So many cat loving authors and readers have helped Miss Mousie. I've been so touched by the outpouring of support, everything from sharing posts and retweets to donating money and writing posts for her blog.

Miss Mousie definitely touched a few hearts out in the Internet the way she touched ours!

What an inspiring story! Thanks again for sharing, Melissa.  Please keep us posted on Miss Mousie's surgery. 


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Sunday, October 7, 2012

Review Copy Wipeout--Goals and Updates


I signed up for this challenge awhile back, but haven't had a chance to post about it.  Finally...here's my post! This challenge is hosted by Kate and Kristen at The Book Monsters.  The stated goal is to read as many of our remaining 2012 review copies as possible before the end of the year.  At this point, this is the list I would like to finish by the end of the year.  We shall see!

2012

Oxford Whispers by Marion Croslydon
Four Sisters, All Queens by Sherry Jones
The Taker by Alma Katsu
The Reckoning by Alma Katsu
The Forest Laird: A Tale of William Wallace by Jack Whyte
Sherlock Holmes: The Army of Dr. Moreau by Guy Adams

This list is from 2011 and doesn't count for the challenge, but I'm going to be trying to read some of them as well.  Starred titles are priority.

To Serve a King by Donna Russo Morin
*To Be Queen by Christy English
The Companion of Lady Holmeshire by Debra Brown
*Silk Road by Colin Falconer
Bending the Boyne by J.S. Dunn
Blood and Silk by Carol McKay
*The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry
*The Greek Maiden and the English Lord by Patty Apostolides
White Seed by Paul Clayton
*The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe
*Unrest in Eden by Florence B. Weinberg
*The Secret of a Spicy Jalapeno by Charlie Courtland

Progress:  Check in dates
October 15th--Oxford Whispers
October 29th
November 12th
November 26th
December 10th
December 24th
December 31st

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Wish me luck! I'm going to need it.

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