Bookin' with Bingo

ARE YOU LISTENING? HOME FRONT: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-28T00:15:00.002-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S"

ARE YOU LISTENING? DAY"

I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY'S

AUDIO BOOK CHOICE.....

HOME FRONT

BY KRISTIN HANNAH

READ BY MAGGI-MEG REED

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The blockbuster bestselling author of Night Road and Firefly Lane delivers a masterful novel that explores the sacrifices of one American family and illuminates the true cost of honor, duty, and love. In her bestselling novels Kristin Hannah has plumbed the depths of friendship, the loyalty of sisters, and the secrets mothers keep. Now, in her most emotionally powerful story yet, she explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage with this provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war.

All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost. . . .

Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life---children, careers, bills, chores---even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then an unexpected deployment sends Jolene deep into harm’s way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a solider she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own---for everything that matters to his family.

At once a profoundly honest look at modern marriage and a dramatic exploration of the toll war takes on an ordinary American family, Home Front is a story of love, loss, heroism, honor, and ultimately, hope.
To hear an exerpt from this audio book, HOME FRONT, visit the Macmillan Audio Book website HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kristin Hannah is the New York Times bestselling author of novels including Night Road, Firefly Lane, True Colors and Winter Garden. She was born in Southern California and moved to Western Washington when she was eight. A former lawyer, Hannah started writing when she was pregnant and on bed rest for five months. Writing soon became an obsession, and she has been at it ever since. She is the mother of one son and lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii.

ABOUT THE READER:

Maggi-Meg Reed has performed as an actress and singer both on and off Broadway. She is the narrator of numerous popular audiobooks including Alex Kava's One False Move, Sebastien Japrisot's A Very Long Engagement, and Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife. Maggi-Meg is a multiple Audie nominee, Earphones winner, and AudioFile Featured Narrator. In 2008, she was named the Best Voice in Fiction & Classics by AudioFile magazine. Her voice is also heard on television and radio commercials across the country. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

JUST SOME OTHER BOOKS FROM KRISTIN HANNAH:

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
Kristin Hannah writes magnificent books with intricate characters that deal with all kinds of relationships. When I read my first book by Kristin, FIREFLY LANE, and placed it in my “Top Ten Books List” right beside Wally Lamb’s SHE’S COME UNDONE, I knew this was an author whose work I would always read and enjoy. However, with HOME FRONT, Kristin Hannah has far exceeded my expectations. I believe this is her best work yet.

The relationship Kristin Hannah deals with in HOME FRONT is one between a woman and her husband, her children, her job, her best friend, and even herself. Jolene Larsen had a dreadful young life growing up with alcoholic parents and that was when she first began to learn to shield herself from hurt. When Jolene’s parents were killed in an automobile crash, she was just shy of 18 and didn’t want to go into foster care. She sought out a young lawyer’s advice on how she could stay in her home until she graduated high school which she did. Jolene then joined the army, attended flight school and ultimately became a helicopter pilot. Jolene made a lifelong best friend there in Tami and they live parallel lives even into marriage and children. Theirs is an undeniably close and loyal friendship that most would envy.

Michael Zarkades is the lawyer who Jolene must have made quite an impression on when she went to him for help after her parents died. When they reconnect, he remembers her and Michael admires the fiercely positive woman Jolene has become. Their relationship and love grows resulting in marriage, and two daughters, Betsy, 12, and Lulu, who is an adorable four-year-old. Michael has recently lost his father and so is now in charge of the family law practice while his Greek mother, Mila, “Yiayia” to the girls (just like I am to my grandson), is such a well written and fleshed out character whose part is also important in the story.

However, Michael is having trouble dealing with his father’s death, and it seems like Jolene doesn’t understand. She always sees the glass half-full, “turn that frown upside down”, and tries to gloss over his feelings rather than face them and cause any pain. It is at this point in the story that things really take off. Michael loses his temper at Jolene and push comes to shove and a possibly irrevocable break in the marriage occurs. Timing being everything, it is also when Jolene finds out that her unit is being deployed to Iraq. As a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the National Guard, she and Tami, both must leave and both play it down to their families rather than worry them. Michael is not happy about this as he has always been against Jolene’s career anyway, and also certainly against the war. Thus Jolene leaves without the understanding and compassion she hoped for from her family, and Michael is left to now take over for Jolene.

What happens to Michael and Jolene while she is away is just one more twist in the story that keeps you turning pages, or in my case, listening far into the night at the wonderfully read audio book. Jolene’s carefully tended life seems to be coming apart but she has yet to face the real problems. Tragedy strikes and it is at this point in HOME FRONT that Hannah’s narrative takes on an even more serious tone and subject matter. Her research and talent are quite evident as she holds the reader hostage to find out what is coming next. Believe me, there is plenty coming and most of it, you do not see, but you will certainly feel.

The murder case that Michael is working on when Jolene returns has given him new perspective, only to contrast with a seriously changed Jolene coming home to her family. Things are so far from what they were before Jolene left, it will shock you. Who Jolene and Michael become is woven so well into the story line that I physically ached for them. Everyone is affected by these changes from Jolene and Michael, to Betsy and Lulu, and many others in their lives. I must say Yiayia Mila is the one constant in the story and I adored her character especially. Kristin Hannah’s use of Greek traditions and food are spot on and an important part of the story. Once again bringing it all back to relationships, Hannah has given readers a relevant and inspirational story. Don’t miss HOME FRONT which will be out January 31, and thank you, Kristin Hannah, for once again raising the bar!

GIVEAWAY
THANKS TO ESTHER AND THE SUPER

PEOPLE AT MACMILLAN AUDIO BOOKS,

I AM THRILLED TO OFFER TWO COPIES

OF THIS AMAZING AUDIO BOOK,

HOME FRONT BY KRISTIN HANNAH!

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: READ ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK ABOVE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT HOME FRONT THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS AUDIO BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT KRISTIN HANNAH'S WEBSITE HERE..THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE AND BE SURE AND CHECK OUT 'FUN FACTS'!

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH AND YOU WILL GET AN ENTRY FOR EACH ONE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 13

GOOD LUCK!

ALL THE FLOWERS IN SHANGHAI: A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-27T00:01:00.252-05:00

ALL THE FLOWERS

IN SHANGHAI

BY DUNCAN JEPSON

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Readers previously enchanted by Memoirs of a Geisha, Empress, and the novels of Lisa See will be captivated by Duncan Jepson’s marvelous debut, All the Flowers in Shanghai. Evocative, sweeping, yet intimate historical fiction, Jepson’s novel transports us to a China on the brink of revolution, and witnesses this colorful, tumultuous world through the eyes of a woman forced into a life not of her choosing and driven to seek a bitter revenge. This epic journey into the heart of Asia is sure to mesmerize fans of Shanghai Girls and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

For every young Chinese woman in 1930s Shanghai, following the path of duty takes precedence over personal desires.

For Feng, that means becoming the bride of a wealthy businessman in a marriage arranged by her parents. In the enclosed world of the Sang household—a place of public ceremony and private cruelty—fulfilling her duty means bearing a male heir.

The life that has been forced on her makes Feng bitter and resentful, and she plots a terrible revenge. But with the passing years comes a reckoning, and Feng must reconcile herself with the sacrifices and terrible choices she has made in order to assure her place in the family and society—even as the violent, relentless tide of revolution engulfs her country.

Both a sweeping historical novel and an intimate portrait of one woman’s struggle against tradition, All the Flowers in Shanghai marks the debut of a sensitive and revelatory writer.
PRAISE FOR ALL THE FLOWERS IN SHANGHAI:

“Jepson...evokes time and place well as he describes the life of privilege that Feng comes to take for granted only to have her life veer dramatically and be overtaken by the Great Leap Forward.”

— Booklist

“[Jepson] does a solid job of voicing a female character.”— Library Journal “Strong on detail and emotional intensity.”— Kirkus Reviews “[A] riveting storyline.”— Publishers Weekly “Poignant and elegantly written.”— Romantic Times "An accomplished first novel. Duncan Jepson magically inhabits the life of a young Chinese woman in 1930s Shanghai, following Feng’s unlikely evolution from neglected second daughter to first wife of the rich and powerful Sang family and her unexpected epilogue. I thoroughly enjoyed this book."—Janice Y. K. Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Piano Teacher

“Breathtaking….A great work that will move its readers.”
—Hong Ying, international bestselling author of Daughter of the River

“The life of this novel’s main character is splintered into thousands of pieces, each of them reflecting the changes of Chinese history, yet all of them coming out in Duncan Jepson’s poetic, passionate writing.”

— Qiu Xiaolong, author of the Inspector Chen mysteries

“A beautifully poetic story. Duncan Jepson creates a poignant set of characters and follows the journey of one woman who attempts to stop the cycle of history in the only way she knows how, but with dire consequences.” --Geling Yan, author of The Banquet Bug ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Duncan Jepson is the award-winning director and producer of five feature films. He has also produced documentaries for Discovery Channel Asia and National Geographic Channel. He was the editor of the Asia-based fashion magazine West East and is a founder and managing editor of the Asia Literary Review. A lawyer by profession, he lives in Hong Kong.To read more about Duncan Jepson, visit his bio on his website HERE.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MARY AND THE GOOD

PEOPLE AT HARPER COLLINS, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF THIS FASCINATING

BOOK TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT ALL THE FLOWERS IN SHANGHAI THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT DUNCAN JEPSON WHEN YOU VISIT HIS WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 9

GOOD LUCK!

BLOGIVERSARY WINNERS!

2012-01-26T19:00:00.003-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S

THIRD BLOGIVERSARY GIVEAWAY
WINNERS' ANNOUNCEMENT!

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
BY EMAIL AND HAVE UNTIL NOON,
JANUARY 28, TO REPLY WITH THEIR
INFORMATION OR A NEW WINNER
WILL HAVE TO BE CHOSEN!

THREE COZY MYSTERIES WINNER!

ROYAL PAINS BY D.P. LYLE,

PLAN BEE BY HANNAH REED,

and IT TAKES A WITCH Y HEATHER BLAKE

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD PEOPLE

AT PENGUIN AND BERKLEY/NAL, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF EACH OF THESE WONDERFUL

COZY MYSTERIES TO ADD TO THE GIFT

PACK PRIZE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER!
#NOTE: Winner had to have entered under all 3 books!

THE WINNER IS:

#56 (and #62, then#59) misskallie2000

THREE SPECIAL CHILDREN'S BOOKS!

SWORDBIRD BY NANCY YI FAN,
POLAR BEAR, POLAR BEAR, WHAT DO YOU HEAR? BY
BILL MARTIN, JR. and ERIC CARLE
and I SPY ULTIMATE CHALLENGER BY
JEAN MARZOLLO and WALTER WICK

I LOVE ALL THREE OF THESE BOOKS AND

AS A FORMER READING TEACHER, AND NOW

A GRANDMOTHER, I CAN TELL YOU THAT

KIDS REALLY LOVE THEM. SADLY, I HAVE

ONLY ONE SET TO GIVE AWAY THIS
TIME TO ONE LUCKY WINNER!

THE WINNER IS:

#101 Bethie

MURDER IN A BASKET

An India Hayes Mystery

BY AMANDA FLOWER

THANKS TO AMANDA FLOWER, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF THIS SOON TO BE RELEASED

INDIA HAYES MYSTERY, MURDER IN A BASKET,

TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER

THE WINNER IS:

#115 lag123

PERFECT FOR MY BLOGIVERSARY, ALL

THREE OF DARYNDA JONES' AWARD-WINNING

PARANORMAL SERIES AUDIO BOOKS, INCLUDING

THE LATEST SOON TO BE RELEASED ON JANUARY 31!

FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT,

SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT

and THIRD GRAVE DEAD AHEAD

BY DARYNDA JONES

THANKS TO ESTHER AND FRIENDS AT

MACMILLAN AUDIO BOOKS , I HAVE ONE OF

EACH TITLE OF THIS FABULOUS DARYNDA

JONES AUDIO BOOK TRILOGY TO

GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER

THE WINNER IS:

#89 Sue Farrell

FAMILY MOVIE TIME GIVEAWAY

"ICE AGE: DVD TRILOGY

ALL THE MOVIES ARE RATED PG

I AM EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER

A PRIZE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

ALL THREE DVD'S FROM THE HILARIOUS

ICE AGE MOVIES...AND JUST IN TIME

FOR THE 4TH MOVIE COMING OUT IN 2012!

THE WINNER IS:
#61 Steve Capell

JUNIOR'S DESSERT

COOKBOOK

75 RECIPES FOR CHEESECAKES, PIES,

COOKIES, CAKES, AND MORE

BY ALAN ROSEN AND BETH ALLEN

I AM SO THRILLED (AND HUNGRY)

AS I WRITE ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY!

I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS AMAZING

JUNIOR'S DESSET COOKBOOK TO GIVE

AWAY MYSELF TO ONE LUCKY WINNER

AND...

MR. ROSEN HIMSELF WAS IN TOUCH WITH

ME AFTER SEEING THIS POST AND NOT ONLY

DONATED THE BOOK AND ONE FOR MY FAMILY,

BUT WE CAUGHT UP ON THE TIME MY DAD

WORKED THERE! I WAS THRILLED!

THANK YOU MR. ROSEN

AND JUNIOR'S!!!

WHAT A LOVELY WAY TO END MY BLOGIVERSARY!

THE VERY LUCKY WINNER IS:

#75 Jolee

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE AND...

LET'S GET COZY! ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE - A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-26T00:01:00.158-05:00

ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE

A Bibliophile Mystery

BY KATE CARLISLE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Brooklyn's chance to restore a rare first edition of Beauty and the Beast seems a fairy tale come true-until she realizes the book last belonged to an old friend of hers. Ten years ago, Max Adams fell in love with a stunning beauty, Emily, and gave her the copy of Beauty and the Beast as a symbol of their love. Soon afterward, he died in a car crash, and Brooklyn has always suspected his possessive ex-girlfriend and her jealous beau.

Now she decided to find out who sold the book and return it to its rightful owner-Emily. With the help of her handsome boyfriend, Derek Stone, Brooklyn must unravel a murder plot-before she ends up in a plot herself...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Golden Heart and Daphne du Maurier Award winning author Kate Carlisle spent over twenty years working in television production as an Associate Director for game and variety shows, including The Midnight Special, Solid Gold and The Gong Show. She traveled the world as a Dating Game chaperone and performed strange acts of silliness on The Gong Show. She also studied acting and singing, toiled in vineyards, collected books, joined a commune, sold fried chicken, modeled spring fashions and worked for a cruise ship line, but it was the year she spent in law school that finally drove her to begin writing fiction. It seemed the safest way to kill off her professors. Those professors are breathing easier now that Kate spends most of her time writing near the beach in Southern California where she lives with her perfect husband.

A lifelong love of old books and an appreciation of the art of bookbinding led Kate to create the Bibliophile Mysteries, featuring rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery and murder. Kate is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. She loves to drink good wine and watch other people cook.

Despite the appearance of overnight success, Kate's dream of publication took many, many years to fulfill. If you're wondering why, visit Kate's website HERE to find out more!

ABOUT MAIN CHARACTER: "BROOKLYN WAINWRIGHT'S WORLD":

This map is actually an interactive one from Kate' s website if you go HERE. You can see many of main character Brooklyn Wainwright's favorite places from her books like HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER and THE LIES THAT BIND.

MORE BIBLIOPHILE MYSTERIES FROM KATE CARLISLE:

#1: HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER

and #2 IF BOOKS COULD KILL

#3: THE LIES THAT BIND

and #4 MURDER UNDER COVER

#5: ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE, due out FEB. 7

AND #6, PAGES OF SIN, A BIBLIOPHILE

eMYSTERY NOVELLA OUT NOW!

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD

FOLKS AT PENGUIN BOOKS, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS NEW BIBLIOPHILE MYSTERY

ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE, TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT KATE CARLISLE 'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 9

GOOD LUCK!

WEDNESDAY MEANS WINNERS!

2012-01-25T22:20:00.001-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S
WINNERS' ANNOUNCEMENT!

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
BY EMAIL AND HAVE UNTIL NOON,
JANUARY 27, TO REPLY WITH THEIR
INFORMATION OR A NEW WINNER
WILL HAVE TO BE CHOSEN!

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

CINDER

The Lunar Chronicles

BY MARISSA MEYER

THANKS TO MY GOOD FRIENDS

AT MACMILLAN, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF CINDER, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#34 Carol N Wong

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

GHOUL INTERRUPTED

A Ghost Hunter Mystery

BY VICTORIA LAURIE

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT NAL & PENGUIN BOOKS, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS VICTORIA LAURIE MYSTERY,

GHOUL INTERRUPTED, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#129 samantha35

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

NEED YOU NOW

BY JAMES GRIPPANDO

THANKS TO DANIELLE AND MY GOOD

FRIENDS AT HARPER COLLINS, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF THIS THRILLER TO

GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY READER

THE WINNER IS:

#181 CherylS22

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

GUN GAMES

A Decker/Lazarus Novel

BY FAYE KELLERMAN

THANKS TO CHELSEY AND THE GOOD
FOLKS AT HARPER COLLINS AND
MORROW, I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS
EXCITING THRILLER TO GIVE
AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER

THE WINNER IS:

#119 Bethie

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

AFFAIRS OF STEAK

A WHITE HOUSE CHEF MYSTERY

BY JULIE HYZY

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT BERKLEY AND PENGUIN, I HAVE ONE COPY

OF THIS WHITE HOUSE CHEF MYSTERY,

AFFAIRS OF STEAK, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#139 Tina

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

THE CUPCAKE DIARIES

BY KATHERINE KALLINIS

& SOPHIE KALLINIS LAMONTAGNE

I AM EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE

A COPY OF THE CUPCAKE DIARIES

TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE FOLLOWER!

THE WINNER IS:

#8 Renee

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

WATCH FOR BLOGIVERSARY WINNERS TOMORROW!

THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-25T00:01:00.104-05:00

THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY

BY MARGOT LIVESEY

ABOUT THE BOOK:

When her widower father drowns at sea, Gemma Hardy is taken from her native Iceland to Scotland to live with her kind uncle and his family. But the death of her doting guardian leaves Gemma under the care of her resentful aunt, and it soon becomes clear that she is nothing more than an unwelcome guest at Yew House. When she receives a scholarship to a private school, ten-year-old Gemma believes she's found the perfect solution and eagerly sets out again to a new home. However, at Claypoole she finds herself treated as an unpaid servant.

To Gemma's delight, the school goes bankrupt, and she takes a job as an au pair on the Orkney Islands. The remote Blackbird Hall belongs to Mr. Sinclair, a London businessman; his eight-year-old niece is Gemma's charge. Even before their first meeting, Gemma is, like everyone on the island, intrigued by Mr. Sinclair. Rich (by Gemma's standards), single, flying in from London when he pleases, Hugh Sinclair fills the house with life. An unlikely couple, the two are drawn to each other, but Gemma's biggest trial is about to begin: a journey of passion and betrayal, redemption and discovery, that will lead her to a life of which she's never dreamed.

Set in Scotland and Iceland in the 1950s and '60s, The Flight of Gemma Hardy—a captivating homage to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre—is a sweeping saga that resurrects the timeless themes of the original but is destined to become a classic all its own.

PRAISE FOR THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY:

“In The Flight of Gemma Hardy, Margot Livesey offers a new telling of Jane Eyre, for which no contemporary writer is better suited. As always, Livesey's prose is a garden of pleasures: precision here, lyricism there, wit and compassionate insight throughout.”—Amy Bloom, author of Away and Where the God of Love Hangs Out

“Margot Livesey’s The Flight of Gemma Hardy is the portrait of a delicate, iron-willed girl, an orphan and a heroine in the grand tradition. The writing is at once wholehearted and razor sharp, but here as in all of Livesey’s novels, the real treasure is her gift for exploring the unreduced human psyche with all its radiant contradictions, mercurial insights, and desperate generosities.” — David Wroblewski, author of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Margot Livesey grew up in a boys' private school in the Scottish Highlands where her father taught, and her mother, Eva, was the school nurse. After taking a B.A. in English and philosophy at the University of York in England she spent most of her twenties working in shops and restaurants and learning to write. Her first book, a collection of stories called LEARNING BY HEART, was published by Penguin Canada in 1986. Since then Margot has published seven novels: HOMEWORK, CRIMINALS, THE MISSING WORLD, EVA MOVES THE FURNITURE, BANISHING VERONA and THE HOUSE ON FORTUNE STREET and THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY.

Margot has taught at Boston University, Bowdoin College, Brandeis University, Carnegie Mellon, Cleveland State, Emerson College, the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Tufts University, the University of California at Irvine, the Warren Wilson College MFA program for writers, and Williams College. She has been the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the N.E.A., the Massachusetts Artists' Foundation and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Margot is currently a distinguished writer in residence at Emerson College. She lives with her husband, a painter, in Cambridge, MA, and goes back to London and Scotland whenever she can. Alice Sebold says, "Every novel of Margot Livesey's is, for her readers, a joyous discovery. Her work radiates with compassion and intelligence and always, deliciously, mystery."

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:

Critics have likened THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY by author Margot Livesey to be inspired by JANE EYRE. While there are several similarities, I read the book as I felt it should be read just as any other book. I found the basic story of Gemma Hardy to be not too different from many I have read over all including Cinderella, to really simplify things. However, it was Livesey’s treatment of this story that made the difference. Using the first person narrative to tell the story gives readers a different slant than say a lot of description from third person narrators may have.

I learned about the places and times of Gemma from her own words and deeds. Becoming an orphan and losing her beloved parents while living in Iceland, she becomes the charge of her aunt and uncle in Scotland. Gemma likes the uncle who seems to adore her but he also dies leaving Gemma with the evil step-mother, oops, which would be the aunt, I mean. Treated so poorly, the young girl is miserable and seems to have no place to turn. However, when she has the chance to go to a boarding school on a scholarship, she is overjoyed to be getting away. Of course, poor Gemma, once again finds things aren’t as she had hoped for in life, and she is there under the tutelage of a tyrant of a headmistress. When even this awful situation falls through, as the school goes out of business, Gemma, now eighteen, sees her freedom at last. But freedom is not free as Gemma finds and she takes a position as an au pair with an older man, Hugh Sinclair, who needs her services for his young niece, Nell. Gemma’s feelings for Sinclair and his in return take a surprising, or perhaps not, twist. Just when you think you know what will become of Gemma, things change suddenly again, and Gemma lives out what was for me the best part of her life, and the story overall.

While Gemma is well developed and an easy-to-like main character, the others are not. I do think had they been detailed more, these characters would have been easier to love or hate or that is, to care about at all. But overall, THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY is an interesting read and Margot Livesey is an author I would want to read more from.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO DANIELLE AND MY GOOD

FRIENDS AT HARPER COLLINS, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF THIS FASCINATING BOOK

TO GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY READER

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT AUTHOR MARGOT LIVESEY ON THE "FUN STUFF" SECTION OF HARPER COLLINS WEBSITE ABOUT THE AUTHOR HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 4

GOOD LUCK!

LET'S GET COZY: DIE JOB - A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-24T00:03:00.195-05:00

DIE JOB

A Southern Beauty Shop Mystery

BY LILA DARE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

After an attempted murder at a supposedly haunted plantation, the ladies of Violetta's beauty salon unravel secrets that link a high school student, a centuries-old crime, and the roots to a very dark mystery.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Author of the Southern Beauty Shop mysteries, Lila Dare was born in Georgia and has lived in Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia. Although she has never worked in a beauty shop, she frequents salons and likes to tell her stylist: “Surprise me.” Maybe that’s why she looks nervous in her photo. She currently lives west of the Mississippi with her husband, two daughters and dog, and misses Southern cooking and friendliness, but not the humidity.

Laura DiSilverio: "I'm the author of the Swift Investigations and Mall Cop mystery series. After twenty years as an Air Force intelligence officer – serving as a squadron commander, with the National Reconnaissance Office, and at a fighter wing – I retired to parenting and writing full-time. Spying was easier."

....And yes, Laura is also Lila Dare!

To read more about the real Laura DiSilverio/Lila Dare, visit Laura's website HERE!

**OTHER BOOKS IN THE SOUTHERN BEAUTY SHOP MYSTERY SERIES:**

VISIT LILA/LAURA'S WEBSITE HERE TO SEE OTHER BOOKS WRITTEN BY LAURA

GIVEAWAY
THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT BERKLEY PRIME CRIME & PENGUIN

BOOKS, I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS FUN

MYSTERY, DIE JOB, TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT DIE JOB THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT "LILA DARE" 'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 4

GOOD LUCK!

THE LOOK OF LOVE: AUTHOR MARY JANE CLARK, A REVIEW, AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-23T00:30:00.002-05:00

THE LOOK OF LOVE

A Piper Donovan Mystery

BY MARY JANE CLARK

ABOUT THE BOOK:

New York Times bestseller Mary Jane Clark introduced readers to professional wedding cake decorator and amateur sleuth Piper Donavan in her acclaimed mystery novel To Have and To Kill. Piper’s back in The Look of Love, on cake creating assignment at a West Coast luxury spa for the wealthy and famous—where nip and tuck and murder are offered in equal measures. Clark really hits her stride with The Look of Love, providing a winning recipe for delectable mystery that combines chills, twists, humor and often very romantic suspense in the bestselling vein of Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark, Faye Kellerman, Elizabeth Lowell, and Jayne Ann Krentz. She even includes scrumptious pastry recipes and fabulous cake design tips.

Piper Donovan accepts when the owner of Elysium, an exclusive spa and plastic surgery center, offers her an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to create a dazzling and unique wedding cake. The job also gives Piper the time and distance she needs to sort out her feelings for handsome FBI agent Jack Lombardi.

The ultra-luxurious spa caters to the rich and famous in need of a little “refreshing”—a nip here, a tuck there, a little Botox, a little detox. Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, Elysium seems picture-perfect: the grounds, the staff, even the guests. But no sooner does Piper arrive than a guest is brutally murdered in one of the private bungalows. Someone, it seems, wants to make sure Elysium’s beautiful director, Jillian Abernathy, never gets to walk down the aisle. Piper soon discovers that beneath the glamorous surface of this idyllic oasis lies an ugly truth—and a cold-blooded plan for murder.

PRAISE FOR THE LOOK OF LOVE:

“She understands how to hang on to her audience. Her characters are the sorts with whom many readers identify.”

— USA Today Clark fans will enjoy the short chapters, interconnected plotlines, and multiple points of view, all of which keep the pages turning.— Booklist Piper Donovan, professional cake decorator, actress and amateur sleuth, is back. A multilayered plot filled with murder, a taste of jealousy and a healthy dose of madness and mistaken identity is frosted liberally with a rich confection of humor and romantic suspense.— Romantic Times BOOKclub

"In a manner strikingly reminiscent of the author’s famous ex-mother-in-law, everything turns out in time for the diminished wedding party to enjoy a cake made from “the best pumpkin bread they have ever tasted.”

— Kirkus Reviews

Touches of humor keep the mystery light, the baking subplot keeps it cozy, and there is enough going on with family and Piper’s newly developing relationship to keep it real.… Clark’s fans and readers who enjoy mysteries in the vein of Mary Higgins Clark may want to check this out.— Library Journal ABOUT THE AUTHOR:New York Times bestselling author Mary Jane Clark has written 12 novels, all set in the high stakes world of broadcast journalism. She worked at CBS News headquarters in New York City for three decades, her experience there leading her to create KEY, a fictional television network. What her characters can get involved in as they cover their assignments is as varied as the stories on the morning or evening news. Her media thrillers are published in 22 languages. Fast-moving, unpredictable, and always changing, the television news world offers a never-ending stream of ideas for Clark’s books. Her writing style has been described as “clear and speedy.” Influenced by years of writing television news stories, where every second counts, she gets right to the action in her suspense novels, in which every word is a clue. The assignments Clark has completed in the real news world have informed her writing. Covering the 1992 National Presidential Conventions led to the idea for her first book, Do You Want to Know a Secret? Producing stories on the auction of the estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and the Princess Diana dress sale planted the seeds for Do You Promise Not to Tell? Assignments to write and produce obituaries on world leaders and entertainment personalities grew to become Let Me Whisper in Your Ear. On-air correspondents shared their experiences of being stalked by demented fans for Close to You. Covering an approaching hurricane on Florida’s Gulf coast was the premise for Nobody Knows. The anthrax scares at all three U.S. network news headquarters in the autumn of 2001 inspired Nowhere to Run. A love for Rhode Island led to the KEY News morning news show spending a week among the historic mansions of Newport in Hide Yourself Away. More recently, the high-profile shuffle of competitive network new anchors led to When Day Breaks, and the seed for It Only Takes a Moment came from childhood memories and fears of the kidnapping cases her father investigated. The daughter of a FBI agent, Clark grew up in Westwood, New Jersey, and graduated from the University of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two grown children and lives in New Jersey and Florida. She spends her time researching her next novel, writing, concocting new plots while walking the beach, decorating ,and supporting causes close to her heart, including research for a cure or treatment for fragile X syndrome.
Q & A WITH MARY JANE CLARK:

Q: This is your tenth novel and it is as exciting as ever. How do you keep your writing fresh?
A: The world I've chosen to write about helps keep the writing fresh, I hope. Network television news offers a steady stream of suspenseful situations. What the characters can get involved in as they go out and cover their stories pretty well knows no bounds. Anthrax scares, hurricanes, political intrigue, art forgery, disappearances, murders…the potential situations are as varied as the news each morning. Every book is a fresh story, filled with different suspects with different motives.

Q: What inspired you to begin writing?
A: I had written non-fiction for years in the form of news stories for television broadcast. It was only after I became a single mother that I decided to try my hand at fiction. The kids were really little at the time and I'd write early in the morning before they got up, after they went to bed at night and whenever they weren't with me. It took me two years to write the first book, two years to re-write it and then the manuscript sat on a shelf in my closet for another two years before it finally sold.

Q: You work for CBS News; do you draw a lot of inspiration from your work there? What is one of the most exciting stories you worked on? Is fact truly stranger than fiction?
A: Having worked at CBS News for almost three decades, of course, I am influenced by my experience there. It is an exciting world, full of the unexpected. Over the years, I've had the privilege of working on so many things: presidential conventions, papal visits, royal weddings, celebrity funerals, terrorism attacks, executions, fires, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. The news world never gets boring. Every day brings fresh developments, a different set of unexpected, almost unbelievable circumstances. So many times, a story will break and I'll turn to a colleague and say, "We couldn't make this up."

Q: Your son has Fragile X syndrome. What is it?
A: Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited cause of mental impairment, ranging from mild learning disabilities to severe mental retardation. It's also the most common known inherited form of autism. Symptoms can include average IQ of 75 or less, debilitating sensory issues, seizures, limited speech, poor gross and fine motor skills and behavioral outbursts.

I unknowingly carried the Fragile X gene and passed it on to David.

Q: Many of your books have included Fragile X syndrome in some way. How do you hope to raise awareness through your public persona?
A: While it is nearly as common as muscular dystrophy or cystic fibrosis, many people have never even heard of Fragile X syndrome. I want to help get the word out there.

In my first book, Do You Want to Know a Secret, a character with Fragile X held the key to the mystery. I have my characters attend Fragile X fundraisers and I've been dedicating books to those who struggle with Fragile X syndrome. In fact, When Day Breaks features a woman who bought the right to be a character in the book at Fragile X fundraising auction in Pittsburgh last year.

To read all the interesting questions and answers with Mary Jane Clark, visit the Harper Collins Author Interview HERE.

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
Mary Jane Clark gives readers an easy to enjoy mystery set amidst the glamour that is home to the likes of the real housewives of Beverly Hills. Not quite chick-lit, but just as enjoyable, this Piper Donovan mystery takes Piper to the land of glitz galore and a health resort located in the Hollywood Hills. Elysium is an elite spa, as well as celebrated plastic surgery center. The owner invites Piper to come visit and create an impressive, one of a kind wedding cake for Elysium’s director, his daughter Jillian Abernathy, who is soon to be married. With an invitation to also partake in all that Elite has to offer and all expenses included, how can Piper turn this down? What a gig, she thinks, and it will also give her time to think about her own life and where she wants to go from here personally and professionally. Piper’s desire to be an actress also finds being in Los Angeles is a good place for her to check on that part of her future plans as well.

Jillian, as well as her famous family, have many adversaries who want to stop this wedding, mostly to get back at her father. Before long, Piper finds herself lumped in with this group and a target as well. Piper is alerted early on when a worker is found dead in one of the cabins at the spa.

It seems that Jillian’s housekeeper had facial burns resulting from having acid thrown in her face and so she was being treated at Elysium. Esperanza was only answering the door at Jillian’s home when this happened but now the danger has spread to the spa as well. Sharing information that she may know more about the attacker, early on we find Esperanza murdered while in the supposed safety of the spa. The spa houses many enemies who Clark has woven into the narrative thus giving readers much to think about as far as who it could be that wants to get back at Jillian’s family so much.

Mary Jane Clark has created several complicated as well as fun characters and her short chapters keep the story moving as readers will want to read “just one more chapter” to find out another clue. Piper is a likable protagonist and one you find yourself rooting for. I especially always enjoy when an author brings food into the story and Clark does indeed include some delicious pastry recipes and marvelous cake designing ideas. Although the plot does have several suspects to consider, I found it easier than most to figure out whom the real villain in THE LOOK OF LOVE is. I was probably lucky but you should read this book to see if you feel the same way.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO A GREAT TEAM AT

WILLIAM MORROW PUBLISHING,

I HAVE ONE NEW, HARD BACK
COPY OF THIS PIPER DONOVAN

MYSTERY TO GIVE AWAY!

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT THE LOOK OF LOVE THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT MARY JANE CLARK BY VISITING HERE WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 4

GOOD LUCK!

LET'S GET COZY AT BRUNCH WITH BINGO: AN APPETITE FOR MURDER - A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-22T00:01:00.005-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S

"BRUNCH WITH BINGO DAY"
TODAY, I HAVE A DIFFERENT KIND

OF BRUNCH BOOK, BUT IT INCLUDES FOOD!

AN APPETITE FOR MURDER

A Key West Food Critic Mystery

BY LUCY BURDETTE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Hayley Snow's life always revolved around food. But when she applies to be a food critic for a Key West style magazine, she discovers that her new boss would be Kristen Faulkner-the woman Hayley caught in bed with her boyfriend! Hayley thinks things are as bad as they can get-until the police pull her in as a suspect in Kristen's murder. Kristen was killed by a poisoned key lime pie. Now Hayley must find out who used meringue to murder before she takes all the blame.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lucy Burdette is the author of the Key West food critic mystery series, launching in January 2012 with AN APPETITE FOR MURDER (NAL.)

Lucy’s alter-ego, clinical psychologist Roberta Isleib, has published eight mysteries including the golf lover’s mystery series and the advice column mysteries. Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime, and a past-president of Sisters in Crime.

You can follow Lucy on Twitter or Facebook

A RECIPE FROM LUCY BURDETTE:

"RAVISHING RHUBARB CAKE"

Rhubarb-Strawberry Coffee Cake

with Streusel Topping

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 cup milk or buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups rhubarb, chopped

1 cup strawberries, chopped

For the topping:
1/4 C. butter
1/3 C brown sugar
3 TBSP flour
4 TBSP rolled oats

DIRECTIONS:

Cream the butter and sugar, and add the egg. Sift together flour and baking soda and add to creamed mixture with the milk and vanilla. Fold in the rhubarb and strawberries. Pour into greased 9 x 11″ pan. Blend topping ingredients until pea-sized with a pastry blender and sprinkle on top of the cake.

Bake at 350 for 30-35″

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT NAL & PENGUIN BOOKS, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS NEW MYSTERY SERIES,

AN APPETITE FOR MURDER, TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT AN APPETITE FOR MURDER THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT LUCY BURDETTE 'S WEBSITE/BLOG HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, JANUARY 30

GOOD LUCK!

BFF BLOG TOUR WEEK! HOW TO BE A BEST FRIEND FOREVER: PREVIEW, PERSONAL STORY AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-21T00:01:00.195-05:00

HOW TO BE A BEST

FRIEND FOREVER

BY DR. JOHN TOWNSEND

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The best-selling author of Boundaries (over 2 million copies sold) helps readers break through relationship barriers and reveals the eight vital skills necessary for building long-term, rewarding friendships. Includes study guide for individuals and groups.

Our world has diluted the meaning of friendship, but the reality is, there’s nothing like the sustaining strength of true-blue, forever friends. Still, many people are convinced that they’ll never find such lifelong connections—or that they don’t need them.

In this encouraging book, best-selling author and psychologist John Townsend delivers hope and help for making these relationships a reality—and for making them even better. Townsend’s simple but profound concepts are sure to transform readers’ relationships and keep them from missing out on one of life’s greatest and most essential joys: the joy of having a best friend.

Having a best friend is so important in our lives, and research overwhelmingly proves that our life depends on them. The absence and presence of them affects our physical and mental health – even our finances. In a world of diluted friendships, from "besties" to Facebook friends, friendships of convenience and "specialty" BFs, how do we find and keep them?

In How to Be a Best Friend Forever: Making and Keeping Lifetime Relationships (Jan. 2012, Worthy Publishing), clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr. John Townsend shows us the sustaining strength of forever friendships, helps us break through barriers, and reveals eight vital skills necessary for building long-term, rewarding friendships.

The book covers things like:

The anatomy of a B.F.F. and 3 must-have qualities
How to find and keep a BFF
Learning to connect deeply in a friendship
The trouble with family or spousal BFFs
Does Facebook make friendships better?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. John Townsend is a psychologist, speaker and leadership coach. He has authored or coauthored over 20 books, selling 5 million copies, including the 2 million-unit bestseller Boundaries and Leadership Beyond Reason. He cohosts the nationally syndicated daily radio program NewLifeLive! heard on over 160 markets nationwide, with a listening audience of 3 million. Dr. Townsend and his family live in Southern California.

AN EXCERPT FROM HOW TO BE A BEST FRIEND FOREVER:
Five Best Friendship Rules to Live By
Adapted from How to Be a Best Friend Forever by Dr. John Townsend

Is there room for more than one BFF in your life?
While some people prefer to have a #1 friend, Dr. Townsend says we need more than one best friend because each person brings a certain set of qualities to a relationship. Variety is the spice of life and BF should be a plural term.

What about best friends of the opposite sex?
Dr. Townsend says, exercise caution. Sharing feminine and masculine viewpoints helps balance us, grow us, and make us better people, but close opposite-sex relationships can bring fear and insecurity into our romantic relationships. If that's the case, both people should spend time with the BF, so the other person feels safe, loved, and assured that everything is on the up and up.

What if your spouse or your sister is your BFF?
You might be limiting your own growth because you are operating in a closed system. And if your husband or wife is your best friend, you risk smothering them and your marriage. Dr. Townsend encourages connections outside the comfort zone of family.

To read more from HOW TO BE A BEST FRIEND FOREVER, check out the Worthy Publishing Website section on the book HERE for a PDF of all of Chapter One.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO BABS AND THE GOOD

PEOPLE AT WORTHY PUBLISHING AND

PR by the BOOK, I HAVE THREE COPIES

OF THIS FASCINATING BOOK TO GIVE

AWAY TO THREE LUCKY READERS

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT HOW TO BE A BEST FRIEND FOREVER THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT DR. JOHN TOWNSEND ON HIS AUTHOR'S PAGE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, JANUARY 30

GOOD LUCK!

ARE YOU LISTENING? DREAMLAND - AN AUDIO BOOK GIVEAWAY

2012-01-20T00:01:00.028-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S"

ARE YOU LISTENING? DAY"

I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY'S

AUDIO BOOK CHOICE.....

GIVEAWAY ENDED DREAMLAND

BY ALLISON NOEL

READ BY KATHLEEN MCINERNEY

ABOUT DREAMLAND, THE AUDIO BOOK:

Riley’s finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer’s dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver, an entire dream can be created in a studio and sent to the dreamer. But Dreamweaving was outlawed decades ago, and the studio was boarded up. Thinking it’s her only way to reach out to her sister, Riley goes in search of the old studio. There she finds a ghost boy, who’s been creating and sending nightmares to people for years. In order to stop him and reach out to Ever, Riley is going to have to confront and overcome her own fears.

PRAISE FOR DREAMLAND:

“…Kathleen McInenery was great. Although her voice didn’t necessarily sound like that of a 12 year old, she nailed the intonation and emotion behind the words.” – YA LitWit Blog

“Although intended for young adults, Dreamland will appeal to listeners of all ages and is highly recommended for public library audiobook collections.” – The Midwest Book Review

“Kathleen McInerney’s narration is just killer. In earlier books, I had mostly read Riley as being spunky and sassy, but the narrator really brings out her girly side, and her awe at all the magical things that surround her.” – All Consuming Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alyson Noël is the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of Faking 19, Art Geeks and Prom Queens, Laguna Cove, Fly Me to the Moon, Kiss & Blog, Saving Zoë, Cruel Summer, and the Immortals series including Evermore, Blue Moon, Shadowland, Dark Flame, and Night Star, as well as the Immortals spin-off series beginning with Radiance. With over 2 million copies in print in the US alone, her books have been published in 35 countries and have won awards including the National Reader's Choice Award, NYLA Book of Winter Award, NYPL Stuff for the Teenage, TeenReads Best Books of 2007, and Reviewer's Choice 2007 Top Ten, and have been chosen for the CBS Early Show's "Give the Gift of Reading" segment, and selected for Seventeen Magazine's "Hot List" and Beach Book Club Pick. She lives in Laguna Beach, California.

ABOUT THE READER:

Kathleen McInerney has performed in New York and around the United States in both classical and contemporary theater. Her credits also include television commercials, daytime drama, radio plays, and animation voice-over. She has narrated numerous audiobooks by bestselling authors such as Emily Giffin, Danielle Steel, Jeffrey Stepakoff, and Linda Castillo. In reviewing Linda Castillo’s Sworn to Silence, published by Macmillan Audio, AudioFile magazine has stated, “Kathleen McInerney tells this story with a clipped, unemotional delivery well suited to Castillo's well-pruned yet descriptive sentences. McInerney moves smoothly from the present to the past and back again as Kate battles her demons while trying to stop a grisly serial killer.”

OTHER BOOKS IN THE RILEY BLOOM SERIES:

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ESTHER AND FRIENDS AT

MACMILLAN AUDIO BOOKS , I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS YOUNG ADULT AUDIO BOOK TO

GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: READ ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK ABOVE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT DREAMLAND THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS AUDIO BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT ALYSON NOEL'S RILEY BLOOM WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH AND YOU WILL GET AN ENTRY FOR EACH ONE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 27

GOOD LUCK!

BAFFLING BINGO MYSTERY DAY: AGATHA CHRISTIE AUTOBIOGRAPHY PLUS A BONUS GIFT PACK GIVEAWAY

2012-01-19T00:01:00.129-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S
"BAFFLING BINGO DAY"
I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THIS THURSDAY'S
MYSTERY BOOK CHOICE IS.....

GIVEAWAY ENDED
AGATHA CHRISTIE

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Agatha Christie died on 12 January 1976, having become the best-selling novelist in history. Her autobiography, published in 1977 a year after her death, tells of her fascinating private life, from early childhood through two marriages and two World Wars, and her experiences both as a writer and on archaeological expeditions with her second husband, Max Mallowan. Not only does the book reveal the true genius of her legendary success, but the story is vividly told and as captivating as one of her novels.

PRAISE FOR AGATHA CHRISTIE: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

‘Wonderfully easy to read and engrossing.’

--The Times
‘The best thing she has ever written.'

-- Woman’s Own
‘Agatha Christie’s most absorbing mystery – the story of her own unusual life. She has put it all on record: her early romances; a broken (and a happy) marriage; strange events on the path to roaring success.’

--Daily Mail
‘A wonderful book – written with a delight in the gradual unfolding of 75 years through the eyes of an exceptional old lady and writer.’

--Financial Times

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born on 15 September 1890 in Torquay, England. Her father, Frederick, was an outgoing American with an independent income. Her mother, Clara, was rather shy; Agatha resembled her greatly in personality. There were two other children - Madge and Monty, both older than Agatha.

Although Madge received a formal education, Clara decided Agatha should not. She intended that Agatha be taught to read when she was eight; however, by the age of five Agatha had already taught herself to read.

The rest of her education was through a mixture of tutors, part-time schooling and French finishing schools. She also trained as a singer and pianist and had it not been for her extreme shyness, she had the talent to have made this her career.
...To finish reading this fascinating biography from AGATHA CHRISTIE's OFFICIAL WEBSITE, go HERE.

BONUS PRIZE:

THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE by AGATHA CHRISTIE

Agatha Christie’s first ever Miss Marple mystery, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.

’Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe,’ declared the parson, brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, ‘would be doing the world at large a service!’

It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth. And one which was to come back and haunt the clergyman just a few hours later. From seven potential murderers, Miss Marple must seek out the suspect who has both motive and opportunity.

PLUS, THE WINNER OF THE TWO BOOKS WILL ALSO RECEIVE A FUN AGATHA CHRISTIE MOUSE PAD!

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO DANIELLE AND THE FINE

PEOPLE AT HARPER COLLINS, I HAVE

THIS GREAT AGATHA CHRISTIE GIFT

PACK TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE READER

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOVE ABOUT AGATHA CHRISTIE: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND/OR THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS GIFT PACK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT THE AGATHA CHRISTIE WEBSITE BY GOING HERE..THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE!

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH AND YOU WILL GET AN ENTRY FOR EACH ONE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 27

GOOD LUCK!

WEDNESDAY MEANS WINNERS!

2012-01-18T22:00:00.001-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S
WINNERS' ANNOUNCEMENT!

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
BY EMAIL AND HAVE UNTIL NOON,
JANUARY 20, TO REPLY WITH THEIR
INFORMATION OR A NEW WINNER
WILL HAVE TO BE CHOSEN!

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

SEE MIX DRINK

A Refreshing Simple Guide to Crafting

the World's Most Popular Cocktails

BY BRIAN D. MURPHY

THANKS TO ANNA AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS DELIGHTFUL BOOK TO

GIVE AWAY TO ONE OF MY READERS

THE WINNER IS:

#31 Margaret

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

THE LAST WORD

A BOOKS BY THE BAY MYSTERY

BY ELLERY ADAMS

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD

FOLKS AT PENGUIN AND BERKLEY/NAL,

I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS WONDERFUL

COZY MYSTERY, THE LAST WORD, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#95 scottsgal

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

THE STARLITE DRIVE-IN
BY MARJORIE REYNOLDS

THANKS TO MARY AND THE GOOD FOLKS AT
WILLIAM MORROW PAPERBACKS, I HAVE ONE
COPY OF THIS AWARD WINNING, WONDERFUL
NOVEL TO GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY READER!...
AND I MYSELF HAVE AN EXTRA COPY TO
ADD TO THE GIVEAWAY!

THE WINNERS ARE:

#268 (#68 ON SECOND PAGE) LAMusing
#44 Beachreader

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

THREE DEBBIE MACOMBER BOOKS

FOR ONE WINNER FOR MY

THIRD BLOGIVERSARY GIVEAWAY!
THEY ARE:

8 SANDPIPER WAY

HANNAH'S LIST

TRADING CHRISTMAS

THANKS TO KIM AND EVERYONE AT

NANCY BERLAND PUBLIC RELATIONS

WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME SO KINDLY ALL

THIS TIME, I HAVE 3 OF BESTSELLING AUTHOR

DEBBIE MACOMBER'S BOOKS TO GIVE AWAY

TO ONE VERY LUCKY WINNER
THE LUCKY WINNER IS:
#92 CherylS22
****************************************************

MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-18T00:01:00.030-05:00

GIVEAWAY ENDED
MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY

BY ROBERT BARCLAY

ABOUT THE BOOK:

From the author of If Wishes Were Horses comes a novel of long-buried secrets and self-discovery, showing us that sometimes what goes unsaid is more powerful than words. . . .

Chelsea Enright never expected to inherit her grandmother's lakeside cottage deep in the Adirondacks—a serene getaway that had been mysteriously closed up decades ago. This is no simple bequest, however, because when Chelsea finds her grandmother's WWII diaries, she's stunned to discover that they hold secrets she never suspected . . . and they have the power to turn her own life upside down.

Even more surprising is the compelling presence of local doctor Brandon Yale, and Chelsea soon finds her "short stay" has stretched into the entire summer. She cannot put this cottage and her family's past behind her easily—and the more she learns about the woman her grandmother truly was, the more Chelsea's own life begins to change . . . and nothing will ever be the same again.

PRAISE FOR MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY:

“I normally do not read male authors but someone recommended [Barclay] and all I can say to her is thank you.”
—Fresh Fiction

With his powerfully emotional debut, If Wishes Were Horses, author Robert Barclay immediately joined the ranks of Nicholas Sparks, Richard Paul Evans, and Robert James Waller. His second novel of love and hope, More Than Words Can Say, only confirms his place among them. A profoundly moving multi-generational family story centered around a woman’s return to her late grandmother’s lake cottage in the Adirondacks and the long-buried secrets she uncovers there,More Than Words Can Say will linger long in the heart and memory.

--HarperCollins Publishers

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After graduating from Colgate University with a B.A. in Economics and a minor Art History, Robert J. Barclay enjoyed a successful career in business, and served as chairman of his industry-related consulting group. After selling his business and moving from upstate New York to Florida (and with some rather successful prodding by his wife), he was able to finally devote his full attention to something he had always wanted to do: write a book. Rob lives in sunny south Florida. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys weightlifting, Shotokan Karate, and going to the beach to do absolutely nothing.

Robert Barclay is the author of the novel If Wishes Were Horses.

MY REVIEW:
Robert Barclay gives readers a love story with an entertaining twist in his latest book, MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY. Chelsea Enright, thirty-three years old, has just lost her grandmother when she finds herself in somewhat of an odd situation. Taking place in 1999, Chelsea learns her grandmother, Brooke, has left Chelsea her mountain home in the Adirondacks. This is the same home that Gram never returned to once she left many years ago, and so Chelsea decides to fulfill her grandmother’s last wish as well as satisfy her own curiosity.

Chelsea learns that in order to receive her inheritance, she must visit the home and find a tin box that is hidden in the small bedroom under the floorboards. After she reads through the findings in the tin box, only then can she decide to keep or sell the property.

Chelsea travels to the mountains and the lovely lake deciding a few days up there may just be what she needs to clear this all up. However, what Chelsea doesn’t plan on is finding herself enchanted by the amazing landscapes and the serenity she finds in the mountains. She also has no way of knowing she may just fall in love with more than just the scenic mountains once she gets there. Enter one Brandon Yale, a doctor who lives nearby. He meets Chelsea and finds in her a way of healing his painful past. They become close and even share in the reading of the diaries. In them, they find Brooke just married and while her husband is away in training, she goes to the cottage to spend this time alone. However, while there she meets a handsome artist and photographer, Greg, who just happens to live next door. Due to a physical disability, he was unable to join the war effort.

The best part of the novel for me was the narrative that is told back and forth between Chelsea and Grandmother Brooke. The tin box revealed World War II diaries that create comparisons for Chelsea between her life and Brooke’s. Robert Barclay offers a great deal of description of the characters, setting, and even the food, so readers are able to identify with the lives of those in the book. I do think at times there may have been too much description that took away somewhat from the flow of the story but the back and forth narratives kept my attention well enough. I enjoyed the sweet stories of both women and although there was a twist I saw coming, I still liked the book. A nice romance is often hard to find and this is one that I think is not only entertaining but appropriately written. It made for a good night‘s read.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MARY AND THE GOOD

PEOPLE AT HARPER COLLINS, I

HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS LOVELY

BOOK TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT ROBERT BARCLAY ON THE "FUN STUFF" SECTION OF HARPER COLLINS WEBSITE ABOUT THE AUTHOR HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, JANUARY 27

GOOD LUCK!

LET'S GET COZY: WILD, WILD DEATH - A GIVEAWAY

2012-01-17T00:01:00.002-05:00

GIVEAWAY ENDED
WILD, WILD DEATH

A PEPPER MARTIN MYSTERY

BY CASEY DANIELS

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Her job has been cut, she's low on cash, and her detective sometime- boyfriend refuses to even talk about her ability to see the dead and solve their murders. So Pepper is most certainly down for a vacation to get her spirits up. But when her cute scientist friend Dan is kidnapped, Pepper soon stumbles upon another deadly mystery that brings her to New Mexico. And she's after a clever murderer-one whose idea of Boot Hill has nothing to do with Jimmy Choo.

OTHER BOOKS IN THE PEPPER MARTIN MYSTERY SERIES BY CASEY DANIELS:

NIGHT OF THE LOVING DEAD

Heiress-turned-cemetery-tour-guide Pepper Martin is not happy to discover that a local reality TV show, Cemetery Survivor, will be filmed at Cleveland’s Monroe Street Cemetery-and she has to be a part of it. To make matters worse, the ghost of a wrongly convicted killer needs Pepper’s help to clear his name. But digging for the truth could put her in grave danger.

DON OF THE DEAD

She sees dead people, Beautiful, smart, and chic, Pepper Martin never had to work a day in her life — until her surgeon daddy was convicted of fraud, her wealthy fiancé took a powder, and the family fortune ran bone dry.
Suddenly desperate, the inexperienced ex-rich girl was forced to take the only job she could get: as a tour guide in a cemetery. But a grave situation took a turn for the worse when a head-on collision with a headstone left her with an unwanted ability to communicate with the disgruntled deceased . . . and now Pepper has a whacked Mafia don demanding that she hunt down his killers — and threatening to haunt her until she does.

A HARD DAY'S FRIGHT

What happened to a teenager named Lucy one night in 1966 after a Beatles concert? She rushed the stage, kissed Paul, started home with her friends, and was never seen again-until cemetery guide and unintentional PI to the dead Pepper Martin sees her as a ghost. Lucy’s spirit can’t rest in peace until her body is found and buried. But how will Pepper track down a missing corpse after forty-five years?

TOMB WITH A VIEW

Cemeteries come alive for amateur sleuth/reluctant medium Pepper Martin.

Cleveland’s Garden View Cemetery is hosting a James A. Garfield commemoration. For tour guide and reluctant medium Pepper Martin this means that’s he’ll surely be hearing from the dead president himself. And when she’s assigned to help plan the event with know-it-all volunteer and Garfield fanatic Marjorie Klinker, she’ll wish Marjorie were dead…too bad someone beats Pepper to it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I learned to love mysteries early thanks to my dad, a Cleveland Police detective who enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes stories and spent his days off searching for stolen cars. Often on those trips, I was in the back seat and to this day, I have Dad to thank for my knowledge of some less-than-savory parts of the city. Later, I read my way through every mystery story I could get my hands on. Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle are still among my favorites.

I have a degree in English, experience as a journalist and writing teacher, and lots of ideas for more Pepper Martin mysteries. When I’m not writing, I’m usually with my family and our two dogs, Ernie, an adorable Airedale pup, and Oscar, a rescued Jack Russell who spends far too much time watching TV. I enjoy knitting, gardening and of course, stomping through cemeteries in search of history, stories and inspiration. © 2011 Casey Daniels

To read more about Casey Daniels visit her website where I found this information about her by going HERE.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD

FOLKS AT PENGUIN AND BERKLEY,

I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS EXCITING COZY

MYSTERY, WILD, WILD DEATH, TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT WILD, WILD DEATH THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT CASEY DANIELS' WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY ON EACH TO RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, JANUARY 27

GOOD LUCK!

WEDNESDAY MEANS WINNERS! ...USUALLY BUT NOT TODAY!

2012-01-16T21:45:00.005-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S
SPECIAL MONDAY
WINNERS' ANNOUNCEMENT!

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
BY EMAIL AND HAVE UNTIL NOON,
JANUARY 18, TO REPLY WITH THEIR
INFORMATION OR A NEW WINNER
WILL HAVE TO BE CHOSEN!

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

DOUBLE BOOKED FOR DEATH

A BLACK CAT BOOKSHOP MYSTERY

BY ALI BRANDON

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD

FOLKS AT BERKLEY AND PENGUIN, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF THIS FIRST IN THE SERIES,

DOUBLE BOOKED FOR DEATH, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#122 ellie

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

THAT SUMMER PLACE
A DELIGHTFUL ANTHOLOGY

BY DEBBIE MACOMBER,

SUSAN WIGGS, and

JILL BARNETT
I THOUGHT DURING THE BUSY HOLIDAYS,

WE COULD ALL USE A JOYOUS NOVEL LIKE

THAT SUMMER PLACE. HOWEVER, I ONLY

HAVE ONE COPY FOR A LUCKY WINNER

THAT WINNER IS:

#164 MRWriter

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

THE NINE LIVES OF CHRISTMAS

BY SHEILA ROBERTS

THANKS TO ESTHER AND FRIENDS AT

MACMILLAN AUDIO BOOKS , I HAVE TWO

COPIES OF THIS WONDERFUL HOLIDAY AUDIO

BOOK TO GIVE AWAY TO TWO LUCKY READERS

THE WINNERS ARE:

#192 misskallie2000

#47 Sue Farrell
***************************************************************

LOST DECEMBER

BY RICHARD PAUL EVANS

I THOUGHT RICHARD PAUL EVANS'

LOST DECEMBER WAS THE PERFECT

BOOK TO OFFER ON THIS PAST

BLESSED CHRISTMAS EVE. I HAVE

ONE COPY FOR A LUCKY WINNER

THE WINNER IS:

#43 lag123

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

NIGELLA CHRISTMAS

Food, Family, Friends, Festivities

BY NIGELLA LAWSON

I AM EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE

NIGELLA CHRISTMAS TO GIVE

AWAY TO ONE LUCKY FOLLOWER

THE WINNER IS:

#130 holdenj

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

HICKORY SMOKED HOMICIDE

A MEMPHIS BBQ MYSTERY

BY RILEY ADAMS

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD

FOLKS AT BERKLEY AND PENGUIN, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF THIS MEMPHIS BBQ MYSTERY,

HICKORY SMOKED HOMICIDE, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#33 Kaye

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

CROPS AND ROBBERS

A FARMERS' MARKET MYSTERY

BY PAIGE SHELTON

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD
FOLKS AT BERKLEY AND PENGUIN, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF THIS EXCITING MYSTERY,

CROPS AND ROBBERS,TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#27 Karen B

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

ANGEL CONDEMNED

A BEAUFORT & COMPANY MYSTERY

BY MARY STANTON

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD

FOLKS AT PENGUIN, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS THRILLER, ANGEL
CONDEMNED, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#147 mamabunny13

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

LOVE IN A NUTSHELL

BY JANET EVANOVICH

& DORIEN KELLY

THANKS TO ESTHER AND FRIENDS AT

MACMILLAN AUDIO BOOKS , I HAVE TWO

COPIES OF THIS FUN AUDIO BOOK TO

GIVE AWAY TO TWO LUCKY READERS

THE WINNERS ARE:

#203 (#3 ON SECOND PAGE) rubynreba

#171 Margie
************************************************

DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-16T00:01:00.098-05:00

GIVEAWAY ENDED
DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL

BY STEPHANIE McAFEE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Graciela "Ace" Jones is mad-mad at her best friend Lilly who cancels their annual trip to Panama City for mysterious reasons; at her boss Catherine for "riding her ass like a fat lady on a Rascal scooter;" at her friend Chloe's abusive husband; and especially at Mason McKenzie, the love of her life, who has shown up with a marriage proposal three years too late. Ace is never mad, though, at her near-constant companion, an adorable chiweenie dog named Buster Loo.

Ace's anger begins to dissipate as she takes matters into her own hands to take down Chloe's philandering husband-and to get to the bottom of a multitude of other scandals plaguing Bugtussle, Mississippi. Then, she starts to realize that maybe Mason deserves a second chance after all.

With a sharp and distinctive voice, Stephanie McAfee delivers a hilarious and fast-paced tale about Ace Jones and her two best friends-thick as thieves and tough as nails-navigating Southern small-town politics and prejudices, finding love, and standing up for each other all the way.

PRAISE FOR DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL:

“Diary of a Mad Fat Girl is bawdy, sexy southern fried fun. McAfee makes a powerhouse debut that readers will love.”

—Valerie Frankel, Author of It's Hard Not to Hate You and Four of a Kind

"[Ace Jones] will grab you by the shirtfront and take you with her on her ride....Diary of Mad Fat Girl is pure fun."

—Rachael Herron, Author of Wishes & Stitches

"Ace Jones is my kind of girl: Her outsize appetite for life, plus a dangerously low tolerance for losers, get her into one impossible fix after another."
—Sophie Littlefield, Author of A Bad Day for Scandal

"Ace Jones is a hoot!"

—Wendy Wax, Author of Ten Beach Road

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Like Elvis, I was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. And while I'm not the King (or Queen) of anything that I know of, I do have a white steed, a noble knight, and a royal court. Ok, I'm lying. I have a brown chiweenie, a buck wild toddler, and if we line our "Cars" cars up just right...

I have lived in the Wild Wild West, but don’t live there anymore because I discovered that some people belong in the south and I am one of those people. Humidity, as it turns out, is not such a bad thing after all. Neither are thunderstorms. Plus I have a deep love and genuine appreciation for normal sweet tea, fresh seafood, SEC football, and large bodies of salty water. So now I live in Florida.

I have a B.A. in English from the University of Mississippi and I'm a life-long fan of the Ole Miss Rebels (despite their current rash of ridiculous and embarrassing problems). I also have an M.A. in Secondary Education from the University of Alabama, which gives me the right yell “Roll Tide!” every now and then. Despite my solid educational background, my work history is what you might call checkered (if you wanted to be nice). It ranges from dispatching at my father’s trucking company to teaching high school Spanish to temping at a technology consulting firm in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Another thing about me: One day, I decided to write a book. Ten years later, I wrote it. It’s called Diary of a Mad Fat Girl and I think it’s pretty funny. Maybe you might think it's funny too!

Now let's move on to the almost unbelievable part of the story:

I self-published Diary of a Mad Fat Girl on Christmas Day of 2010, then listed it on Barnes & Noble’s Pubit! and Smashwords a few weeks later.

In March of 2011, it showed up at #31 on the New York Times Bestseller list in combined print and e-book fiction where it lasted two weeks. That same week, it debuted at #17 in e-book fiction, and hung on there for twelve weeks.

How’s that for crazy?

Now I write full-time, along with taking care of the buck-wild toddler of mine.

ENJOY MORE FROM AUTHOR STEPHANIE MCAFEE AT HER WEBSITE HERE!

MY REVIEW/THOUGHTS ON DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL:
Stephanie McAfee’s DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL was a book that I read for fun after completing a long, hectic week preparing seven posts for my blogiversary. Also, I am enjoying, but also working on reading a couple of physically, and emotionally, heavy books so something light in every way fit the bill for me. DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL called out to me and I am glad I answered that call as it made for a quick and fun afternoon read!

As far McAfee’s writing, I think one must keep in mind that this is the author’s first book, however, she also has a three book deal with the publisher who obviously recognizes her talent, and knows with each book, certain writing skills will develop more fully. I think one to work on would be character development because on the surface, some readers may not like Ace, or her overuse of offensive language. With a fleshed out, deeper personality, readers might understand Ace better and be more accepting of her, and thus McAfee will probably improve this character over time. I still liked her and she made me laugh!

Personally, I not only laughed out loud but think I needed DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL right about now. When McAfee writes about subjects I can relate to like dressing for comfort as opposed to for looks, or the necessity of going to a gym, Ace was often right in line with my thoughts, or at least funny enough to make me laugh and not care if she was politically correct or not! The fact that Ace was a “go-gettum” type gal who although originally angry at just about everybody including the love of her life Mason and her friend Chloe, gets over it and takes matters into her own hands. Having that cute pup of hers helped get my seal of approval, as well. Ace is the kind of friend that some of us just might need at times. I thought the plot line moved well, even if it was a little far fetched sometimes, but then again, it wouldn’t have been a light, easy read if I was made to contemplate issues too deeply. I think a little happy ending book is good for all of us from time to time and helps us to not take things so seriously. I am sure others will disagree, but for me, DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL was just plain entertaining! I will be anxious to see how Stephanie McAfee’s career progresses as she appears to be a very energetic “go gettum” gal herself! Thanks for the fun, Stephanie!

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MY GOOD FRIENDS AT

PENGUIN/NAL, I HAVE ONE COPY OF

DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL,
TO GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY READER

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, JANUARY 27

GOOD LUCK!