Thursday, May 30, 2013

Cat Thursday: Nicknames


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)

This week is all about the nicknames we have for our cats. I'll start...


 Alice Anne
aka
Al
Allie
Big Al Steak & Onions
Fatty (we're mean)

Arya Snow
aka
Munchkin
Munch
Boop 
Ar

More nickname fun...
Image Credit

What do you call your babies?

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Easy-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.

Photobucket

Follow on Bloglovin

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

HFVBT: Of Fathers and Sons by Evan Ostryzniuk--Guest Post and {Giveaway}

Giveaway Winner--Charlotte Wills

Gi
Please welcome Evan Ostryzniuk as part of his virtual tour while promoting his novel, Of Fathers and Sons.

 How Niccolo d’Este became great

The grand historical figure that resides at the heart of my latest novel, Of Fathers and Sons: Geoffrey Hotspur and the Este Inheritance, is Niccolo d’Este (1383-1441), Marquis of Ferrara and future Renaissance Man. As an adult, he was a respected military commander, major patron of the arts, kingmaker in regional politics, rapacious consumer of knowledge, culture and women, and a brilliant swordmaster. He was one of few men who truly epitomized the age of the Renaissance. He has been lauded by contemporaries and historians alike, and left a powerful legacy. But what of his childhood?

Of Father and Sons delves into the lesser known story of how the boy became the man. Children, on the whole, are absent from the records of the time and poorly represented in historical fiction. Nevertheless, I endeavor to show the origins of not just any prince of the era, but the prince, the prototype ruler for Machiavelli. What research I was able to collect strongly suggested that the seeds of Niccolo d’Este’s greatness were very much sown in childhood. He was the only (illegitimate) son of the previous Marquis of Ferrara, who from the moment he donned the mantle of power at the tender age of ten years old was betrayed by a clique of vassals and threatened by his uncle. He was tutored by some of the best and most progressive minds of the day, took arms training from one of the European masters, and entered the cutthroat world of Italian politics while more of his contemporaries were still playing with their friends.

Of Fathers and Sons joins Niccolo at the most pivotal point in his life. His lands are being governed by a regency council; he has not completed his education or training; he has no battlefield experience; his allies are wavering; his uncle has just won a series of military encounters, depriving him of land and men. In short, he is comprehensively insecure, and so he cannot wait any longer to decide his own fate. Should he fight on? Should he hide behind the regency council? Should he run away? How might he satisfy his father’s legacy? When must he assert himself as ruler?

To recreate the life of Niccolo d’Este as a twelve year-old boy caught in the maelstrom of medieval intrigue, I studied his life as an adult, collected the few sources available about his childhood, plotted his whereabouts during these tumultuous months, reviewed the key decisions made during the early years of his rule, considered the unique situation of Ferrara, considered his enemies, and examined his father’s legacy. Then, from this mass of information I calculated his likely doubts and how he might have responded to them. Niccolo was wisely counseled, to be sure, but the failure of his regency council to end the threats to his rule up to the point of the beginning of the novel must have exasperated and frightened him.

Yet, during those crucial early months of 1395, somehow he was able to keep his act together, so to speak, then gain the advantage that saved his reign and propelled him into a fantastic career. There must have been a series of catalyzing events that transformed him. After all, he was heavily outnumbered, had lost a lot of territory, allies had not yet come to his aid, vassals were leaving him at an alarming rate, was bereft of practical experience, and was very young. I speculate that someone from outside his retinue had a brief but profound influence on him, pushing him to grow up fast and make tough decisions. After all, he married several times, was head of a papal army at the age of twenty, had one wife and son executed, made the University of Ferrara one of the best in Europe, was not afraid to take in refugee scholars and artists, and ensured that his lands were wealthy, strong and intact for his heirs. And that influence might have come from somebody like the wayward squire Geoffrey Hotspur.

About the book:
Publication Date: March 6, 2013
Knox Robinson Publishing
Hardcover; 330p
ISBN-10: 1908483156

Of Fathers & Sons is the second book in the English Free Company series set in the late Middle Ages. The English Free Company is led by Geoffrey Hotspur, an orphan-squire and ward of the mighty Duke of Lancaster, whose driving ambition is to become a knight and serve a great lord. Anyone who enjoys the stories of Bernard Cornwall and Jan Guillou will find more than an echo of their exuberant prose and lively characters in Of Fathers & Sons: Geoffrey Hotspur and the Este Inheritance. Supported with extensive research done by a professional historian, Of Fathers & Sons utilizes true personages and events to weave a vivid tapestry of this exciting time of transition.

Of Fathers & Sons: Geoffrey Hotspur and the Este Inheritance takes place in 1395 when the conflict between rival branches of the mighty Este family over the succession to the strategic Marquisate of Ferrara reaches its climax. The Este lands are vulnerable. The unexpected death of the powerful Marquis Alberto d'Este in 1393 has left his ten-year old son, Niccolo, as his sole direct heir. Though born out of wedlock, the pope himself legitimized the boy’s birth, but in an age when great lords ruled by the sword as much as by the laws of inheritance, having a boy lead the family can be a sign of weakness.

Made unhappy by the father, several Este vassals want to humble the son, and they see their opportunity in the essential weakness of Niccolo’s minority rule. Championing their cause is the head of a humiliated branch of the Este family who is not only a famous condottiere, but also a powerful captain of the ambitious lord of Milan. Fearing that civil war will lead to a shift in the already fragile balance of power in favor of the hated Milan, the city-states of Florence, Venice and Bologna combine to keep the Este inheritance in Niccolo’s hands. If Niccolo falls, the great powers of Italy will be plunged in to war.

Geoffrey and Niccolo are confronted by the same questions: How can an orphan find his place in a society informed by patriarchal relations? For how long must a son honor the wishes of his father? When does the boy become the man?

Before Henry won his miraculous victory at Agincourt, before the Borgias became infamous, before Constantinople fell to the Turks, there was Geoffrey Hotspur, a man as tall as Charlemagne and armed with a sword that rivaled Excalibur. With little money, fewer friends and no name, Geoffrey Hotspur has little choice but to forge his own path towards knighthood.

A thrilling continuation of the story of Geoffrey Hotspur and his English Free Company, Of Fathers & Sons: Geoffrey Hotspur and the Este Inheritance is at heart a squire’s tale of hope, adventure and ambition in a time of great uncertainty.


About the author:
Evan Ostryzniuk was born and raised on the prairies of western Canada. After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with a B.A. in History and Modern Languages and an M.A. in Modern History, Evan crossed the ocean to do post-graduate work at the University of Cambridge, concluding four years of research with a doctoral thesis on the Russian Revolution. He then found his way to Eastern Europe, where he took up positions as a magazine editor, university lecturer and analyst in the financial services sector before rising in the ranks of the local publishing industry to become Editor-in-Chief of a popular weekly.

Evan Ostryzniuk currently resides in Kyiv, Ukraine near a very large candy factory. He has travelled extensively, including the locations of his novels. Of Fathers and Sons: Geoffrey Hotspur and the Este Inheritance is his second novel.

www.evanostryzniuk.com


Visit other blogs on the tour--Tour Schedule
Twitter Hashtag: #FathersAndSonsTour

Watch for my review of Of Fathers and Sons...coming next week!


GIVEAWAY:
One hardcover copy of Of Fathers and Sons to a winner in the U.S. or U.K. Please leave a comment and be sure to leave a way to contact you if you win (email address, Twitter handle, etc). Last day to enter is Wednesday, June 19 at 11:59pm CST. Good luck!

Photobucket

Follow on Bloglovin

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

A Reading Life: Another month almost in the books


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:  The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner. I'm really enjoying it (if my CD player in the car would stop rejecting my burned CDs, that is).

Book finished (since 5/6): 

Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd (REVIEW)

Reading: 

Of Fathers and Sons by Evan Ostryzniuk (for review on Wednesday)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (If you are reading along with me on this book, I apologize for not posting the midway check-in. I'm so swamped right now with work and all. I will have a final post up this weekend)
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe (for TuesBookTalk)
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (read-a-long at Unputdownables)
The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry 
The Waste Lands by Stephen King
Silk Road by Colin Falconer
Archaeological Study Bible

Coming Up:  

Under the Dome by Stephen King (read-a-long)
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (my Classics Spin book)
Wildish by Robert Parry
Wicked by Gregory Maguire (maybe???)
Watership Down by Richard Adams (for TuesBookTalk)

Watching:  A show I really enjoy started its second season tonight. That's Longmire on A&E. You should definitely check it out. The Voice is winding down and my contestant is definitely Michelle Chamuel. She is SO talented (and it has nothing to do with her having the same name...LOL)! Shows I'm looking forward to this summer are The Killing (AMC), True Blood (HBO), Dexter (Showtime), The Bridge (FX), Falling Skies (TNT), In the Flesh and Copper (BBC American), Primeval: New World and Sinbad (SyFy Channel) and the Under the Dome (CBS) miniseries. I also have to mention that I finished watching all the episodes of Hemlock Grove Friday and Saturday on Netflix. It was SO AWESOME! I really hope they are going to make another season.

Making:  Still cooking, of course. I have perfected my from-scratch sugar cookies so I think I will be ready to make the dough good for rolling Christmas cookies this year. I made a really good Hearty Hamburger Stew last week and some beef enchiladas. This week I'm making a variation on lasagna and some chicken enchiladas in the crock pot. Oh, and I made some fritters with frozen hash brown potatoes. I used my zucchini fritters recipe and just substituted the hash browns. Delicious!

Grateful for: Summer vacation! Because that means I won't be doing three hours of driving every day. If you lived in Nashville, you would need a break too. Whew!

Looking forward to:  having an extra three hours each day to work on my novel. I just hope I use the time wisely and don't fall into my procrastination trap.

Picture(s): this isn't really a pic, but I love the saying so I have to share...


****************



Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted by 4 the Love of Books this month. (You can click the book covers in the BookBox to read book descriptions on Amazon)

BookBox: embed book widget, share book list

FOR REVIEW/BOOK TOURS:
from HFVBT--book tours--
Of Fathers and Sons by Evan Ostryzniuk

WON:
Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani...from Man of La Book

BETTER WORLD BOOKS:
The Magic of Believing by Claude M. Bristol

LIBRARY SALE:
The Ptolemies by Duncan Sprott
The Iron Lance by Stephen R. Lawhead
The Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis
The Secret Life of Josephine by Carolly Erickson
The Queen of Palmyra by Minrose Gwin
The Wasps, The Poet and the Women, The Frogs by Aristophanes

Photobucket

Follow on Bloglovin

Monday, May 27, 2013

Upcoming Events in June


TuesBookTalk Read-a-Longs on Twitter (@tuesbooktalk  #tuesbooktalk) and on Goodreads will be reading, Watership Down by Richard Adams, in June. Our first discussion will be on Tuesday, June 4.  Our chats take place on Twitter at 9:30pm ET/8:30pm CT on Tuesday nights (see hashtag above).  If you can't join us on Twitter, feel free to share your thoughts in the Goodreads group.  Get the full reading schedule HERE.  Hope you will join us!


Hosted by Coffee and a Book Chick May 25 - July 27.

Show us your copy! Audio or print?

I don't feel like taking a pic since I don't have a smart phone so I have to hook up the USB cable to download a pic. Ugh! However, I will be reading this tome (and I do mean tome) in hardcover...my own copy.

Have you read Uncle Stevie before?

But, of course! He is one of my fave authors. My favorite SK book is Bag of Bones, but I really love all his books that I've read (except Christine and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon). I love SK so much that I even host my own perpetual reading challenge, The Stephen King Challenge.

What are you familiar with about Under the Dome or Stephen King?

What I know about SK is a whole other blog post. I'm familiar with Under the Dome, as I started reading it last year so I'm already pretty far in. No catching up for me! Yay!

What are you looking forward to?

Finishing the book, or course. And definitely the miniseries!

WW Read-a-Thon

From the blog:
The Wicked Wildfire Read-A-Thon is a time when we all get together to dedicate the days of June 7-14 to as much reading as possible. You read as much as you can in order to get yourself a little further through that huge to-read pile! We know real life gets in the way and even if you can’t participate more than one day, you’re welcome to join in on the fun!

In the meanwhile, we will be hosting book-related challenges where you can win some awesome prizes and have a Twitter party at the hashtag #WWReadathon! You can posts updates on your blog, Twitter, Goodreads or Facebook — as long as the profile is public and we all can enjoy your reading progress!

Click the button above to sign up!

Mission to Read

From the blog:
Summer Solstice Read-a-thon is a 24 hr event taking place on the longest day of the year...June 21, 2013.

It was created by Rie @ Mission To Read and is cohosted by Melissa of Harley Bear Book Blog, Lindsay of The Novel Life, Kathrin of StackedNPainted, and Melina of The Pretty Nifty YA Reader.

The goal of this read-a-thon is to take advantage of all the extra daylight and read as much as you can! Mini challenges and a giveaway will be happening this day so make sure to check out any of the host's blog's the day of for more information.

Don't forget to chat with us at the twitter party 12pm CST #SSReadathon.

Click the button above to sign up!

What about you? Will you join us in reading Watership Down? Are you participating in any of these other events?

Photobucket

Follow on Bloglovin

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Cat Thursday: Some freaked out kitties


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 LOVE Faireset's cat videos!





Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Easy-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.


Photobucket

Follow on Bloglovin

Monday, May 20, 2013

Bout of Books 7.0 - Goals and Updates {Wrap-Up}

WRAP-UP IS BELOW--SCROLL DOWN

Updates (and any mini-challenges) are in the body of this post--scroll down

Bout of Books

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Wrap-Up
If you'll scroll down, you will see that I didn't keep up with my daily updates. That's because life got in the way (meaning: work) and I just didn't have time to update every day. I did get some reading done, but not nearly as much as I wanted to. I tried though.

Here's what I read:
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe (about 80 pages)
Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd (finished: 336 pages)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (50 pages)

Not too shabby, but not great either. Oh well, it is what it is. Here's to the next read-a-thon!

*************

Oh how I love week long read-a-thons! We all know that though, don't we? I have a lot of reading going on this month so this comes at the perfect time. My plans are to catch up on read-a-long books and read at least one complete book (maybe more...what? I can dream). Here's my list:

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe (read-a-long)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (read-a-long)
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (read-a-long)
Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd
The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry
Silk Road by Colin Falconer

I may or may not participate in mini-challenges. Depends on how I feel, but I'm SO ready to get my read on. Mojo don't fail me! 

Updates:

Mini-Challenge--Book Spine Poem Challenge at Escape Through the Pages




Roses Have Thorns upon
The Silk Road
but The Arrow Chest will
Never Let Me Go
so says 
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Monday
Books Finished Today: 0
Total # of Books Read: 0
# of Pages Read today:  94
# of Pages Read for week:  94
Books Read So Far:  Read-a-Long section in The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
Currently Reading:  Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd and The Hound of the Baskervilles
Notes: Not a stellar beginning, but I love my book spine poem. ;O)

Tuesday
Books Finished Today:
Total # of Books Read:
# of Pages Read today:
# of Pages Read for week:
Books Read So Far:
Currently Reading:
Notes:  

Wednesday
Books Finished Today:
Total # of Books Read:
# of Pages Read today:
# of Pages Read for week:
Books Read So Far:
Currently Reading:
Notes:  

Thursday
Books Finished Today:  
Total # of Books Read:
# of Pages Read today:
# of Pages Read for week:
Books Read So Far:
Currently Reading:
Notes:  

Friday
Books Finished Today:
Total # of Books Read:
# of Pages Read today:
# of Pages Read for week:
Books Read So Far:
Currently Reading:
Notes:

Saturday

Books Finished Today:
Total # of Books Read:
# of Pages Read today:
# of Pages Read for week:
Books Read So Far:
Currently Reading:
Notes:  

Sunday
Books Finished Today:
Total # of Books Read:
# of Pages Read today:
# of Pages Read for week:
Books Read So Far:
Currently Reading:
Notes:

Photobucket

Follow on Bloglovin

The Classics Spin #2--UPDATE


Our wonderful club/challenge, The Classics Club, is hosting The Classics Spin.

Full details, as outlined on TCC blog:

It’s easy. At your blog, by next Monday, May 20, list your choice of any twenty books you’ve left to read from your Classics Club list – in a separate post.

This is your Spin List. You have to read one of these twenty books in May & June. (Details follow.) So, try to challenge yourself. For example, you could list five Classics Club books you are dreading/hesitant to read, five you can’t WAIT to read, five you are neutral about, and five free choice (favorite author, rereads, ancients — whatever you choose.)

Next Monday, we’ll post a number from 1 through 20. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List, by July 1. We’ll have a check in or something in July, to see who made it the whole way and finished the spin book.

My spin list (view my entire Classics Club list HERE). I chose mine with Random.org and placed them in the categories accordingly.

Five I'm dreading (sort of):
1.  Silas Marner by George Eliot
2.  Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
3.  Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
4.  Villette by Charlotte Bronte
5.  The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

Five I can't wait to read:

*6.  The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver*
7.  The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
8.  The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble
9.  The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain
10. The Once and Future King by T.H. White

I'm neutral:

11. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby 
by Charles Dickens
12. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
13. The World According to Garp by John Irving
14. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
15. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles

Five free choices--rereads/favorite authors/other:

16. Little Women 
by Louisa May Alcott
17. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
18. Perfume by Patrick Suskind
19. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
20. The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd

What's on your spin list?


My Spin selection is The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

What was yours?

Photobucket

Follow on Bloglovin

Friday, May 17, 2013

HFVBT: Review--Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd {Giveaway}

Giveaway Winner - Lara Frame


My thoughts
I think what is best about historical fiction is the opportunity to find out about historical figures we know little or nothing about. This is the case in Sandra Byrd's new book, Roses Have Thorns, where we get to see the story of Elizabeth's Tudor court told from the point of view of Helena, Marchioness of Northampton. Helena comes to England from Sweden as Elin von Snakenborg and soon ingratiates herself with Queen Elizabeth. Helena is a very likable character. I enjoyed her kindness and wit throughout the book. What I liked the most though was the view of the queen through her eyes. Elizabeth is probably my favorite historical figure and the way she is portrayed in this book is how I feel she really might have been. Helena may have been Elizabeth's lady in waiting, but Byrd has portrayed the relationship between them with a light of friendship. This adds real charm and authenticity to the story. We get to experience Elizabeth as a flesh and blood human, not just a figure head. I was so very touched by this quote at the end when Elizabeth dies at the old age of 70:

"I knew she was at peace and with those she best loved: in the embrace of the Lord Jesus, then next, perhaps her Robin, and then finally, finally, resting enfolded in the arms of her mother."

That brought tears to my eyes. To know that you have made your mother so proud of you in what you did in your life and to finally see her again after so many years. I really hope that was true for Elizabeth.

This is the final book in Sandra Byrd's Ladies in Waiting series. I have the other two books (graciously sent to me by Ms. Byrd) and I can't wait to read them, even if I'm reading out of order. Ms. Byrd has a talent for telling a great story and creating characters we care about while preserving the historical details that surround the story. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

About the book
Publication Date: April 9, 2013
Simon & Schuster/Howard Books
Paperback; 336p
ISBN-10: 1439183163

From the acclaimed author of To Die For comes a stirring novel told that sheds new light on Elizabeth I and her court.Like Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, Sandra Byrd has attracted countless fans for evoking the complexity, grandeur, and brutality of the Tudor period. In her latest tour de force, she poses the question: What happens when serving a queen may cost you your marriage--or your life?

In 1565, seventeen-year-old Elin von Snakenborg leaves Sweden on a treacherous journey to England. Her fiance has fallen in love with her sister and her dowry money has been gambled away, but ahead of her lies an adventure that will take her to the dizzying heights of Tudor power. Transformed through marriage into Helena, the Marchioness of Northampton, she becomes the highest-ranking woman in Elizabeth's circle. But in a court that is surrounded by Catholic enemies who plot the queen's downfall, Helena is forced to choose between her unyielding monarch and the husband she's not sure she can trust--a choice that will provoke catastrophic consequences.

Vividly conjuring the years leading up to the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots, Roses Have Thorns is a brilliant exploration of treason, both to the realm and to the heart.

Praise for Roses Have Thorns

"In Roses Have Thorns Sandra Byrd has given the reader another amazing heroine to tell the intimate story of England's greatest queen, Elizabeth I. What a unique point of view and deeply moving story Helena von Snakenborg provides. Byrd is especially adept at blending political and private lives. This is a timeless women's friendship novel as well as a poignant love story to cherish--both the roses and the thorns." (Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Mistress of Mourning )

"There is something golden about this tale of Elin, an eager young woman in a strange land, diligent in her duty but alive to love. A tale gracefully told, even as it renders the terrors of treachery that form the crucible of Elin's hard-won wisdom. A heartfelt story of loyalty, longing, life-long friendship, and the many seasons of the heart." (Barbara Kyle, author of The Queen's Gamble and Blood Between Queens)

"Beautiful prose and masterful research combine to bring this fascinating tale to life, treating the reader to fully realized characters and providing an original window through which we can view Elizabeth's court. Ms. Byrd's work will stand as an unforgettable contribution to Tudor fiction." (D.L. Bogdan, author of The Forgotten Queen)


About the author
Sandra Byrd has published more than three dozen books in the fiction and nonfiction markets, including the first book in her Tudor series, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. Her second book, The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, illuminates the mysteries in the life of Henry's last wife.

For more than a decade Sandra has shared her secrets with the many new writers she edits, mentors, and coaches. She lives in the Seattle, Washington, area with her husband and two children. For more Tudor tidbits, please visit www.sandrabyrd.com. Follow Sandra Byrd on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.


Visit other blogs on the tour--Tour Schedule
Twitter Hashtag: #RosesHaveThornsVirtualTour

GIVEAWAY:
One copy of Roses Have Thorns and an Elizabeth I necklace (pictured below) to a winner in the U.S. only. Please leave a comment and be sure to leave a way to contact me if you win (email address, Twitter handle, etc). Last day to enter is Friday, June 7 at 11:59pm CST. Good luck!



Photobucket

Follow on Bloglovin

A copy of this book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for providing it.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Cat Thursday: Are Black Cats the funniest? You be the judge...



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)

A (hilarious) tribute to black cats everywhere...





Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Easy-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.

Photobucket

Follow on Bloglovin

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Premier Digital Publishing’s Fall Releases Signed ARC {Giveaway}!


Win Signed ARCs of Premier Digital Publishing’s Fall Releases. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter at the end of the post. Good luck!

3 Gates of the Dead

Jonathan Ryan is a novelist, blogger and theologian. “3 Gates of the Dead” follows Aidan Schaeffer, a young assistant pastor whose fiancé is a victim in a series of ritualistic killings. Aidan investigates but threatens to corrupt his very soul with the otherworldly truth behind the slaughter of innocents.

A Reign Supreme
Richard Crystal is a novelist, producer and accomplished jazz musician. In “A Reign Supreme” a musician discovers he is half-brother to a Kenyan King who needs his help to save his people from genocide and the greed of corrupted officials, when a copper deposit is found on their ancestral lands.

A Thousand Perfect Things
Kay Kenyon is the author of eleven science fiction and fantasy novels. “A Thousand Perfect Things” is set in an alternate 19th century Earth, where a war rages between scientific Anglica and magical Bharata. Tori Harding, an aspiring botanist must journey into the world of magics to claim her fate.

Board Stiff: Xanth #38
Piers Anthony is a New York Times bestselling author twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read by millions. In “Board Stiff” a young woman makes a wish for adventure and excitement because she is board stiff. The mischievous fates in turn transform her into a plank of wood. 

Charisma
Barbara Hall is an award-winning novelist and television producer. In “Charisma” Sarah Lange is plagued by heavenly voices and a desire to go “home”, after a near death experience. Frightened by her desire to die, she enlists Dr. David Sutton, a scientist who struggles to save Sarah and to believe.

Merrick
Ken Bruen is hailed as one of the most prominent Irish crime writers of the last two decades. “Merrick” is a noir crime story set in New York City about a rogue ex-cop from the Irish Guarda, who is actually a serial killer wanted for murder in Ireland.

No Way Out
A new Karen Vail novel from bestselling author Alan Jacobson. When a firebomb destroys an art gallery in London, FBI Profiler Karen Vail is sent overseas to work with Scotland Yard. Vail discovers the motive behind the attack—an explosive 440-year-old manuscript that political radicals will destroy at all costs.

Rubber Soul
Greg Kihn is a rock star, radio host and author. “Rubber Soul”, inspired by interviews that Greg conducted with The Beatles, is a rock murder mystery that takes readers on a ride through Beatlemania—from the early days in Liverpool to six sold out shows per night in Hamburg.

Soul Numbers
Michelle Arbeau is a celebrity numerologist, TV host and author. “Soul Numbers” teaches readers how to decipher the message behind any number sequence and how to apply that information to successfully navigate their lives. In these times of great global shifting, Arbeau’s Soul Numbers reveal the deeper meaning behind numbers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photobucket

Follow on Bloglovin
- See more at: http://www.techtrickhome.com/2013/02/show-comment-box-above-comments-on.html#sthash.TjHz2Px9.dpuf