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:  My son's 11th birthday was Friday and my sister got him the "NOW That's What I Call Party Anthems" CD and one of the CDs I bought him was "Queen's Greatest Hits" (yes, he has great taste in music) so we've been listening to those.  We also got him his own CD boom box.  That party anthems CD has some great dance songs on it!

Book finished: zero....zilch  =O(

Reading: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, The Waste Lands by Stephen King, Shakespeare's Coriolanus, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (the 2nd half of it)

On the Nightstand:  The Home by Scott Nicholson, Spooky Showcase by Alan Draven, a couple other review books (haven't picked which yet), Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (maybe)

Watching:  More new Christmas movies on Hallmark Channel and Lifetime this past weekend.  I'm in my element! Also, watched "The Return of the King" on Encore today.  Love that movie! And I'm beyond thrilled...I got free advance screening passes to "Life of Pi" on Thursday night!!! I can't believe it.  One of my most favorite books of all time.  I hope it's good!

Making:  I've had some nice fabric to recover the seats of my dining room chairs for years so I'm going to get started on that...hopefully this week, in between working on my book.  At least my house is clean.  We're also going to start putting up Christmas decorations this weekend.  Squeeee!

Grateful for:  My house being clean (as mentioned above) and for all the family and friends who helped to make Gabe's birthday party special on Saturday.

Looking forward to:  Well, not actually looking forward to it because it started today, but glad to be in it...my write-a-thon, Sit Down and Write 2.  It's not too late to SIGN-UP.  I'm still hoping it will help me catch up on my NaNoWriMo word count!

Also...have you seen?  I've posted the sign-ups and official dates for the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge! All the details HERE.

Picture:  I finally got my bookshelves put together after they sat in their boxes for months.  How do you like my corner window bookshelves nook?

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Since it's a very Christmas-y week of books,

I thought I would break out the Christmas mailbox pics!

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted by Bermuda Onion this month. 




FOR REVIEW:
From the publisher, Crown:
The Nutcracker  byE.T.A. Hoffman, Illustrated by, none other than, Maurice Sendak
A Christmas Home by Greg Kincaid

WON:
Christmas in Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis...from the lovely Martha at Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf...also, some bookmarks and a pen =O)

BOMC2:
A Winter Dream by Richard Paul Evans...another SQUEEEE!

Note:  Be prepared because my Christmas season officially starts, well...this weekend, so there will be a Christmas background up on this blog very soon (and probably also on my writing blog).  =O)

Happy Birthday, Gabe!

My son is 11 years old today! My, how time flies.  It seems just like yesterday he was just a little ole thing.  Why must they grow up so fast?  Happy birthday, Sweetie...I love you so.  You are a wonderful son.  Being your mom is the best thing in my life.

Cat Thursday: Authors and their cats (17)

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).

My favorite author, Anne Rice, and her kitty, Sugarplum.  This newest edition to Rice's household bears a striking resemblance to her other kitty, Oberon.  They could be twins.  Visit Anne's page on Facebook and check out all the pics of her gorgeous kitties.  

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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:  Nothing much really...a few Christmas tunes here and there. =O)

Book finished: The Passage by Justin Cronin, The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow by Juliet Grey

Reading: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, The Waste Lands by Stephen King, Shakespeare's Coriolanus, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

On the Nightstand:  The Home by Scott Nicholson, Spooky Showcase by Alan Draven, a couple other review books (haven't picked which yet), Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (maybe)

Watching:  I saw the newest "Resident Evil" movie over the weekend.  I didn't like it as well.  Too much fighting and shooting, not enough zombies.  LOL! I also watched "We Bought a Zoo" on HBO. What an inspiring movie.  Just a really great film! I also enjoyed the Christmas movie marathon on the Hallmark Channel all weekend and the two new Christmas movies they debuted, "The Christmas Song" and "Love at the Thanksgiving Parade."

Making: ...myself get this house in order for my son's birthday party this Saturday and also in preparation for the Christmas decorating to commence soon after.

Grateful for:  the election finally being over tomorrow.  Whatever the outcome, I'm just glad there will be no more bad blood (I hope) between people.

Looking forward to: my son's 11th birthday on Friday and his party on Saturday.  Also, the bag sale at my monthly book sale on Saturday.  Melissa's read-a-thon this weekend and my write-a-thon, Sit Down and Write 2, next week (you can still SIGN-UP).  Hopefully, the write-a-thon will help me get caught up on my NaNoWriMo word count!

Picture:  Yeah, that about sums it up...

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Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is being hosted by Bermuda Onion this month. 

Check out this lovely book I received from Titan Books.  I'm assuming for review.  My sons literally flipped their lids over this one.  One of their favorite video games.  I thought about reviewing this over at Castle Macabre, but a lot of this game has historical settings.  You should see the period dress and locales in the art work.  Watch for my review on this blog soon.

The Art of Assassin's Creed III

Read-a-Long, Read-a-Thon, Write-a-Thon News

TuesBookTalk Read-a-longs on Twitter (@tuesbooktalk  #tuesbooktalk) and on Goodreads has chosen literary/general fiction for our November read.  We have chosen the Pulitzer Prize winning novel Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.  Our first discussion is Tuesday, November 6 on Twitter at 9:30pm EST/8:30pm CST.  You do not have to join us on Twitter.  Feel free to share your thoughts in the Goodreads group if you can't make the chat on Twitter.  Get the full reading schedule HERE.  I apologize for being a bit late with this announcement, but this book is less than 300 pages long so it seems a manageable read.  Each section is only about 60 or so pages long.  I do hope you will join us!

Wallace at Unputdownables is hosting a read-a-long of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Doesn't she rock!?  I really wanted to read it again before I see the film in December.  If you'd like to join in, you can find out all the details HERE.

I'm hoping to join in on this, but it's only a month long and I'm not sure if I can read such a daunting book in such a short time.  I did want to read it before the film comes out so this is a tentative statement of intent to participate.  =O)  Look for more details soon at Historical Tapestry.

Melissa at Must Read Faster is hosting her birthday read-a-thon next weekend, November 10 and 11.  No official button yet, but I've offered to make her one so we'll see if she takes me up on it. =O)  Full details HERE.

Sit Down and Write 2 is coming in a little over a week! A write-a-thon that I think is a great companion to NaNoWriMo.  But it's not just for novel writers.  Do you have a bunch of reviews to catch up on?  You can do it during Sit Down and Write! I'm hosting over at my writing blog, Stories Inside.  All the details and sign up info are HERE.  Hope you will join me!

{Book Tour} Review and Giveaway: Tales of Splendor, Tales of Sorrow by Juliet Grey

Winner:  Anita Yancey

My thoughts:
Marie Antoinette's story is so well known to many of us so I would imagine writing about her life in new and fresh ways is a difficult task.  Fortunately, Juliet Grey does not have this problem.  I have always been interested in Antoinette's story.  As a child, I devoured every book I could find about her.  I truly believe that Ms. Grey has captured the essence of who Antoinette was.  A figure that has been much maligned in history who was actually a caring soul and someone who was loyal to her husband and to the country to which she became a transplant.  While reading, I was transported to that time and place.  The book really makes the reader feel as if she is part of the book.  The characters are so engaging and the dialogue is natural.  This is actually the middle book of a planned trilogy, with Becoming Marie Antoinette being the first.  I now must go back and read the first and then look forward longingly to the final book.  Well done, Juliet Grey!

About the book:
A captivating novel of rich spectacle and royal scandal, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow spans fifteen years in the fateful reign of Marie Antoinette, France’s most legendary and notorious queen.

Paris, 1774. At the tender age of eighteen, Marie Antoinette ascends to the French throne alongside her husband, Louis XVI. But behind the extravagance of the young queen’s elaborate silk gowns and dizzyingly high coiffures, she harbors deeper fears for her future and that of the Bourbon dynasty.

From the early growing pains of marriage to the joy of conceiving a child, from her passion for Swedish military attaché Axel von Fersen to the devastating Affair of the Diamond Necklace, Marie Antoinette tries to rise above the gossip and rivalries that encircle her. But as revolution blossoms in America, a much larger threat looms beyond the gilded gates of Versailles—one that could sweep away the French monarchy forever.

About the author:
Juliet Grey is the author of Becoming Marie Antoinette. She has extensively researched European royalty and is a particular devotee of Marie Antoinette, as well as a classically trained professional actress with numerous portrayals of virgins, vixens, and villainesses to her credit. She and her husband divide their time between New York City and southern Vermont.

Tour Schedule
Twitter Event Hashtag: #DaysOfSplendorVirtualTour

Publication Date: May 15, 2012 | Ballantine Books | 448p

GIVEAWAY

One copy of the book.  Open to US/Canada.  To enter, please leave a comment telling me your opinion of Marie Antoinette, good or bad, and leave your email address.  Giveaway will end on Friday, November 23 at 11:59pm CST.  Good luck!

  

Cat Thursday--Miss Mousie Update

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)

Once again, Miss Mousie is the star of Cat Thursday! I wanted to give you a quick update.  This was posted by Melissa on Miss Mousie's blog on Monday (re-posted with permission)....

Miss Mousie's surgery went well! We picked her up on Saturday morning. She's going back this morning to have the drain tubes removed from her ears. 

Although she is tired, she is happy to be home. She is eating, using her litter box and wanting as much attention as she can get. Yes, she's her same self which is such a relief.

The kids are a little scared of the way Miss Mousie looks. She looks very different with her head shaved, sutures in her ears and tubes sticking out dripping blood. Oh, and she has the dreaded collar on aka the cone of shame. She'll need to wear this until her stitches are removed. But no matter what she looks like, she's still our sweet girl!

If you've been keeping up with the updates on her Facebook page, we've decided not to post pictures of her right now. Cat lovers understand the effects of an invasive surgery like TECA, but we would hate for any pictures to be turned into memes. Miss Mousie deserves better. We are taking pictures to chronicle her journey, just not posting them at this time. We hope you understand.

Also, author Sue-Ellen Welfonder, who has been a key person in helping Miss Mousie, is running a contest in honor of Miss Mousie's surgery. Check it out on the Tartan Ink blog. Click here! 

Thanks again for all your support and prayers! They mean so much to Miss Mousie and all of us!

All of us who participate in Cat Thursday are wishing Miss Mousie a continued speedy recovery.  *hugs*

Soon...

Happy November!

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