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.

{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!

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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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.

Banned Books Week: Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Why are books challenged?
Often challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from “inappropriate” sexual content or “offensive” language. The following were the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom:

1. the material was considered to be "sexually explicit"
2. the material contained "offensive language"
3. the materials was "unsuited to any age group"

Although this is a commendable motivation, Free Access to Libraries for Minors, an interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (ALA's basic policy concerning access to information) states that, “Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources.” Censorship by librarians of constitutionally protected speech, whether for protection or for any other reason, violates the First Amendment.

As Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., in Texas v. Johnson , said most eloquently:
If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.

...from ala.org

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

I read this book several years ago, before I started blogging.  It was a wonderful historical novel focusing on the relationship between the painter, Johannes Vermeer, and a servant girl who turns out to be the model for the famous painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring."  The novel explores the household of Vermeer, with his scores of children and a wife who is perpetually pregnant.  They live from painting to painting, so to speak.  Relying on patrons for their livelihood and falling back on the mother-in-law's purse strings in between.  Needless to say, the mother-in-law is very much in control in the household.  Griet comes to work as a servant and slowly ingratiates herself with the master (Vermeer).  He makes her his assistant and eventually, she models for him.  As his assistant, she grinds the materials for the paints and this passage from the book shows how beautiful the writing is:

I came to love grinding the things he brought from the apothecary--bones, white lead, madder, massicot--to see how bright and pure I could get the colors. I learned that the finer the materials were ground, the deeper the color. From rough, dull grains madder became a fine bright red powder and, mixed with linseed oil, a sparkling paint. Making it and the other colors was magical.

However, Vermeer's wife is not happy about the arrangement because she senses his feelings for the girl, although they were never intimate, and things take a turn for the worse.  Let's just say that Griet does not continue in the household.  Griet does have a love interest her age and this is the only place in the book where a sexual encounter occurs so the book is not overtly sexual.  I will say that it is sensual.

It is a wonderful work of historical fiction, albeit speculative.  What if there really was a servant girl who posed for the painting and knew the intimate workings of the Vermeer household and was companion to the artist himself?  Very little is known about Vermeer historically and there in lies the beauty of historical fiction.  It allows us to imagine what his life might have been like.  And Chevalier's descriptions of life in 17th century Delft come across very accurately.  I will say that this book led me to Vermeer's art and he has become one of my favorite painters.  I adore his paintings.

The Milkmaid, c. 1659/60

Girl with the Pearl Earring has not been challenged (or banned) in the United States, as far as I could tell in my research.  However, it was banned in Iran.  According to the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom:

Banned in Iran (2006).  "The new government intends to take positive steps for reviving neglected values and considering religious teachings in the cultural field." Source: Jan. 2007, p. 35. 

Not really sure what that means, but I'm assuming that the sensual quality of the book and the one act of sexual intercourse are too much for their religious values.

I'm reminded of "Sex in the City 2" when Carrie and the girls travel to Abu Dhabi, a city with similar Muslim customs as Iran.  They get into mischief because of Samantha's blatant promiscuity and demonstrative behavior.  They are rescued by a group of Muslim women who share their sense of style under their black robes and these women also have a secret book club where they read books banned in their country.  I can imagine these women reading Girl with a Pearl Earring in secret. *smile*

Read a full description of the book at Goodreads

A big thanks to Sheila at Book Journey for hosting this important event!

Cat Thursday

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 good one for a Star Wars geek like me!

Lori (Psychotic State) shared this awesome video on Facebook.  Hilarious!

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I'm late to the Bloggiesta party!

Final Update:
The tasks I completed are crossed off on my list below.  I didn't get it all done, but I'm happy with what I accomplished in a busy weekend.  I also completed the "Changing your RSS Feed" task at Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Books and the "Use a Website Grader" task at Smash Attack Reads.

I'd like to thank our hostesses once again.  I'm looking forward to the next one!

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This is the first spare moment I've had to post my starting line post! My life is quickly spiraling out of control.  Aargh! Anyhoo, what shall I be doing for this illustrious event, hosted by the lovely ladies at There's a Book and It's All About Books?  Here we go (but I'm not committing to anything...I have commitment issues lately):

• New blog header (and button, perhaps)--yes, I think it's time for a change Reconfigured the new button...check!
• Update the header at Historical Fiction Connection (my blog with Marie)
• I might back up at least one of my blogs...I know I need to, but it will depend on how long it takes
• Update my calendar
• Update my reading challenge stats at my challenge blog partially done
• Get posts ready for FrightFall read-a-thon (starts Monday) at Seasons of Reading and Season of the Witch at Castle Macabre
• Plan and announce sign-up for Sit Down and Write 2 in November
• Put together sign-up posts for some events I want to participate in
• Get post ready for the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge
• Post the final post for the Wolf Hall read-a-long...Yes, I'm THAT behind!
• Pick winners for two giveaways that have been over for weeks (see line above)

Ole!