Julia (The Good Life series) by Sarah Krisch

A failed actress, twenty-something Julia McCarthy begins writing a fictionalized blog as a form of self-therapy. Based on her carefree summers at her grandparents’ farm, she never expects her little experiment to garner a viral following, but it does. Boy, does it ever.

Now, with thousands of loyal blog followers, and a syndication deal with the Chicago Herald, Julia is approached by GreenTV to adapt her blog into a TV show. The producers see her as a “Rachel Ray on the Prairie-type”. She sees herself as a fraud.

In Julia’s fictional world, she’s successful. She can pay her bills on time. Heck, she even has a fictional gorgeous husband and charming little boy. Ready to realize her dreams, Julia returns to her grandparents’ farm to shoot the TV pilot.

Brad Taylor is definitely not her type: he’s rugged, sensible, and oh-so smug about learning that Julia’s blog is a farce. As the manager of her grandparent’s farm, Brad doesn’t have time to deal with whimsical women who don’t even know how to cook.

Julia can’t allow her attraction to Brad to distract her, not when her dreams are about to come true. But are these truly her dreams, her good life?

A fun, fast (150 pages) contemporary romance

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Romance

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with Sarah Krisch on Facebook

Spring Bloggiesta 2014 To-Do List!

Hello all, so I am participating in another Bloggiesta.  For those of you who are wondering what this word means:

In short, Bloggiesta is a blogging marathon revolving around ticking off those items on your to-do list and improving your blog while in the good company of other awesome bloggers doing the same thing. Our awesome mascot Pedro (Plan. Edit. Develop. Review. Organize) is ready to break out the nachos, enchiladas, drinks, mariachi music and whack a pinata or two! It’s nothing short of an awesome fiesta!

Source: http://www.bloggiesta.com/

So, this is it!  I am signing up for the spring cleanup and am setting up certain targets for the next four days.


My Task List:

• Finish writing at least 1 pending review.
• Finish reading at least 1 review copy.
• Schedule Top Ten Tuesday posts for the next two weeks.
• Finish writing the discussion post for this week.
• Participate in at least 1 mini challenge.

Are you interested in participating in Bloggiesta this Spring?

Awesome Idea: Bookish Bingo

I am new to participating challenges.  Actually, I am trying to be a good girl this year and avoid participating in them.  But, I really really can't avoid this one.  It's AWESOME, how can I ignore it?

So, here it is:  "Bookish Bingo" from the girls at "Great Imaginations".

Every three months, they will publish a new bingo card for us all to fill out.  On it will be seasonal tasks (like "a book about Christmas" during the winter months). For each completed task, we will check off one of your bingo squares.  If we make bingo in the allotted time, we will be entered into a giveaway! (Giveaway is international, for a book of the winner's choice.)

Rules:

• Sign-ups close on April 9th.
• All reading and reviewing must fall between April 1st and June 30th.
• One square per book.  For instance, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is both the first in a series, and a YA book, but it can only count for one square.
• Extra entries can be earned with multiple bingos or by filling out the whole card!

BINGO CARD OF APRIL, MAY AND JUNE

There are 24 squares.  I will be filling this page as and when I decide on a particular book and striking them out when I am done!

Green cover ---
Birds on Cover ---
Set During Winter ---
New-to-you Author --- Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
A Romance ---
Featuring Recovery ---
Child Narrator --- Maggie Malone and the Mostly Magical Boots by Jenna McCarthy, Carolyn Evans
Set in the Caribbean ---
Latino MC ---
About plants and wilderness ---
Has been made into a movie ---
Flower in title or in cover --- The Midnight Spell by Rhiannon Frater, Kody Boye
Spring Release ---
Set in California or Florida ---
Featuring Travel ---
April, May or June in Title ---
Strong Parent-Child Relationships ---
Set in high school ---
Written by a woman --- The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #12)
1st in a Series --- The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Yellow Cover ---
Starts with S, P, R, I, N or G --- Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
A YA Book ---
Zombies! ---

So, what do you think about this awesome challenge?

Book Feature: Bangkok Transit by Eva Fejos

Bangkok: a sizzling, all-embracing, exotic city where the past and the present intertwine. It’s a place where anything can happen… and anything really does happen. The paths of seven people cross in this metropolis. Seven seekers, for whom this city might be a final destination. Or perhaps it is only the start of a new journey? A successful businessman; a celebrated supermodel; a man who is forever the outsider; a young mother who suddenly loses everything; a talented surgeon, who could not give the woman he loved all that she desired; a brothel’s madam; and a charming young woman adopted at birth. Why these seven? Why did they come to Bangkok now, at the same time? Do chance encounters truly exist?

Bangkok Transit is a Central European best-seller. The author, Eva Fejos, a Hungarian writer and journalist, is a regular contributor to women’s magazines and is often herself a featured personality. Bangkok Transit was her first best-seller, which sold more than 100,000 copies and is still selling. Following the initial publication of this novel in 2008, she went on to write twelve other best-sellers, thus becoming a publishing phenomena in Hungary According to accounts given by her readers, the author’s books are “therapeutic journeys,” full of flesh and blood characters who never give up on their dreams. Many readers have been inspired to change the course of their own lives after reading her books. “Take your life into your own hands,” is one of the important messages the author wishes to convey.

Try it for yourself, and let Eva Fejos whisk you off on one of her whirlwind journeys… that might lead deep into your own heart.

About Eva Fejos, the author of Bangkok Transit

- Eva Fejos is a Hungarian writer and journalist.

She:

- has had 13 best-selling novels published in Hungary so far.

- Bangkok Transit is her first best-seller, published in 2008.

- has won several awards as a journalist, and thanks to one of her articles, the legislation pertaining to human egg donation was modified, allowing couples in need to acquire donor eggs more easily.  

- spends her winters in Bangkok.

- likes novels that have several storylines running parallel.

- visited all the places she’s written about. 

- spent a few days at an elephant orphanage in Thailand; and has investigated the process of how Thai children are put up for adoption while visiting several orphanages. 

- founded her own publishing company in Hungary last year, where she not only publishes her own books, but foreign books too, hand-picked by her. 

- Her books published in Hungary thus far are:

Till Death Do Us Part (Holtodiglan) | Bangkok Transit | Hotel Bali | Chicks (Csajok) | Strawberries for Breakfast (Eper reggelire) | The Mexican (A mexikói) | Cuba Libre | Dalma | Hello, London | Christmas in New York (Karácsony New Yorkban) | Caribbean Summer (Karibi nyár) | Bangkok, I Love You (Szeretlek, Bangkok) | Starting Now – the new edition of Till Death Do Us Part (Most kezdődik) | Vacation in Naples – the English version will be published in summer, 2014 (Nápolyi vakáció)

To be published in spring of 2014: I Waited One Hundred Nights (Száz éjjel vártam)

Bangkok Transit (English version): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HDIT4UY

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Women’s Fiction, Contemporary

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with Eva Fejos on Facebook & Twitter

Have you EVER been to book signings?

Credit: Laini Taylor's Website

Do you know about book signings or BEA, which almost every reader seem to talk about?  If you haven't heard of one, this is where you get to meet your authors and publishers in person.  This is where you fulfill one of your major life dreams by finally seeing the new and old authors who you have been worshiping for so long.

What?  You have never been to book signings?  Not even one?  Seriously?

Well, you are not alone and I am pretty sure you are with the majority of bookaholic population.

Book signings are something I have only seen through the pictures in my feeds.  And yes, I am upset about it. Well, who wouldn't?  I want to see my favorite author at least once in my lifetime.  They are my heroes and the opportunity to meet them is something I never had.

As far as I know, none of my favorite authors tour in India (or other non-US/Canada territory).  I am following all the publishers in India by their social media links and none of them are ready to get the authors who are from other countries to visit here.  And I understand their problem.  They think their fan base is majorly located in US/Canada.  And they may be right.  I can't seem to get the statistics.  So, where does that leave the fans from other country? Disappointed, upset and jealous.

Yes, but that still doesn't stop us from stalking following him/her through all the blogs and news.  Yay to all the selfless and forgiving fans!  We rock! ;-)

Can't the authors and publishers just think about doing a tour in other countries just at least once in two years or so?  * sighs *

Just in case, by great luck, if I have the opportunity to meet with my favorite author, what will I do?  Well, that's the topic for another day..

You tell me now.. have you ever felt like this?  Or you just don't care about author signings and seeing the author who you have idolized all this time doesn't matter?

So, that's it! I am doing this..

After a post on why I can't do discussion posts, I decided to give it a try.  So my first official discussion post starts tomorrow..

And although I am planning to post at least one discussion post every week,  I think I would do myself a favor and do what I can.  Because keeping a schedule at blogging, although great,  creates pressure.  I am trying to avoid that at all costs.

And I am planning to do another feature about mobile apps!  I am trying to keep this one per week too!  But again, let's see.. :-)

Thanks for the support that you gave to my earlier post.

Freebies & Deals! Here we go.. (11 March 2014)

Another week of reading has started.  Hope you are all enjoying the week.  Today, I have some great Kindle deals for you! 

So, here we go..  Happy reading!

Forever & Always
Author: Jasinda Wilder
Buy @ Amazon
Price: FREE

Ever,

These letters are often all that get me through week to week. Even if it’s just random stuff, nothing important, they’re important to me. Gramps is great, and I love working on the ranch. But…I’m lonely. I feel disconnected, like I’m no one, like I don’t belong anywhere. Like I’m just here until something else happens. I don’t even know what I want with my future. But your letters, they make me feel connected to something, to someone. I had a crush on you, when we first met. I thought you were beautiful. So beautiful. It was hard to think of anything else. Then camp ended and we never got together, and now all I have of you is these letters. S**t. I just told you I have a crush on you. HAD. Had a crush. Not sure what is anymore. A letter-crush? A literary love? That’s stupid. Sorry. I just have this rule with myself that I never throw away what I write and I always send it, so hopefully this doesn’t weird you out too much. I had a dream about you too. Same kind of thing. Us, in the darkness, together. Just us. And it was like you said, a memory turned into a dream, but a memory of something that’s never happened, but in the dream it felt so real, and it was more, I don’t even know, more RIGHT than anything I’ve ever felt, in life or in dreams. I wonder what it means that we both had the same dream about each other. Maybe nothing, maybe everything. You tell me.

Cade ~ ~ ~ ~

Cade,

We’re pen pals. Maybe that’s all we’ll ever be. I don’t know. If we met IRL (in real life, in case you’re not familiar with the term) what would happen? And just FYI, the term you used, a literary love? It was beautiful. So beautiful. That term means something, between us now. We are literary loves. Lovers? I do love you, in some strange way. Knowing about you, in these letters, knowing your hurt and your joys, it means something so important to me, that I just can’t describe. I need your art, and your letters, and your literary love. If we never have anything else between us, I need this. I do. Maybe this letter will only complicate things, but like you I have a rule that I never erase or throw away what I’ve written and I always send it, no matter what I write in the letter.

Your literary love,

Ever 

POKE ME!: A no-nonsense guide to Online Dating & Offline Loving
Author: Kabir Chopra
Price: FREE
Buy @ Amazon

In an age where we depend on the Internet for our shopping, banking, and entertainment, doesn't it make sense to start dating online too? Whether you're a newbie to the online dating world, or a seasoned flirter, "POKE ME!" is the sarcastic kick-in-the butt you need to get off your computer, and onto the dance floor.

We'll teach you how to:
- Make a kick-ass profile
- Take an awesome profile picture
- Write messages that will steal hearts
- NOT to be an idiot online

Welcome to the magical world of online dating.

The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree (The Outlaw King)
Author: S. A. Hunt
Price: FREE
Buy @ Amazon

When Ross comes home from Afghanistan, he reels at the news that his father Ed Brigham, a famous fantasy author, has died. After the huge funeral, Ross investigates his father's death, accompanied by two of his father's fans--film student Sawyer and Florida beachcomber Noreen. Together, they discover a passage that leads them to the desolate reaches of Destin, the outlaw-infested parallel world in Ed's gunslinger novels. There they meet the Kingsmen, the warrior gunslinger caste of Destin and find themselves the target of a plot by the Muses themselves to bring the final act of humanity to a close.

Inspired by the classics he grew up with such as A Wrinkle in Time and The Neverending Story, and evocative of Stephen King's fantasy-western epic The Dark Tower, the first volume of S. A. Hunt's The Outlaw King is the visionary beginning of a series spanning from modern-day Earth to the sands of an exotic parallel world, where a climactic battle will take place on the shores of consciousness...and challenge the rules of the written word itself.

Sea Scoundrel (Knave of Hearts)
Author: Annette Blair
Price: FREE
Buy @ Amazon

--Lady Patience Kendall crossed the sea to marry, but her intended died before she arrived. Penniless and stranded, she found only one way to get home: Bring rich American Misses to England to find them titled husbands. At the ship, she realized their mothers expected each to wed the Marquess of Andover. She'd have to seek an introduction. On the journey, Captain Grant St. Benedict was anything but friendly. Just because her girls caused a few mishaps? Grant had never met a woman more irritating, or more desirable, than the Lady Patience Kendall. But however dangerous his interest, he couldn’t resist teaching the delicious distraction that independence was nothing to passion.

A history of SEA SCOUNDREL: In 1999, the book, LADY PATIENCE, needed to be cut in half to fit the Precious Gem Line for Kensington Publishing. Now, here in its full award-winning, uncut glory for the first time is the story of the Sea Captain and his Lady.

SEA SCOUNDREL, Knave of Hearts, One
PROPER SCOUNDREL, Knave of Hearts, Two
CAPTIVE SCOUNDREL, Knave of Hearts, Three
HOLY SCOUNDREL, Knave of Hearts, Four

Review Quotes for SEA SCOUNDREL:

“The love story between the Captain and his lady is simply marvelous. The dialogue is witty and the girls’ shipboard antics will have you laughing out loud. Don’t miss this one.” Suzanne Coleburn, The Belles & Beaux of Romance

“This lighthearted romance interlaced with humorous, zany, shipboard antics, charming repartee, matchmaking, and sensual love scenes, will delight any lover of historical romance.” Sofia, Calico Trails Review

“Ms. Blair's writing is as smooth as a fine Kentucky bourbon. Sexy ... fun ... top notch entertainment. ” Debbie, Romance Reader at Heart

Bio: A New York Times best selling author, Annette Blair left her job as a Development Director and Journalism Advisor at a private New England prep school to become a full time writer. At forty books and counting, she added cozy mysteries and bewitching romantic comedies to her award-winning historical romances. She also stepped into the amazing world of self-publishing.

Awards:
1997 RWA Golden Heart Finalist
1991 A Heart of the Rockies Award
1991 A Dallas Area Romance Authors Award

For more freebies, please refer my Facebook page.

*** The price posted above is true at the time of posting. (11th March 2014) ***

Top Ten Favorite "Fairy Tale Retellings"

As always, Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by  the girls at "The Broke and the Bookish".

It's not a secret that I can't resist a book that is even loosely based on a fairy tale.  So, here is my Top 10 favorite fairy tale retellings.

1.  Cinder

2.  Cruel Beauty

3.  The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back

4.  A Bite's Tale

5.  Atone: A Fairytale

  

6.  My Fair Godmother

7.  My Epic Fairy Tale Fail

8.  The Fairy Tale Detectives

9.  Thorn

10.  Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

 

 

Does any of the above interest you?  Or do you have different list?  Please share with me..I always love to read new retellings..

Guest Post: What Inspired Me to Write My First Book.by Ramz Artso

Since early childhood, I’ve always been a storyteller. I’d always come up with an extra episode or two of my favorite cartoons or try to picture a day in the life of some random animal – like a rabbit, for instance, or a fox. When I turned a little older, somewhere around eight, I think, I began drawing. More often than not, my ‘masterpieces’ would consist of screenshots, if you will. Anywhere from four to twelve slots would fit on one sheet of A4 paper, and together, they would tell some simple, short story. I usually drew UFO battles and racing cars, as well as evil witches dancing around cauldrons on broomsticks.

When teenage years came knocking on my door, I began considering becoming a director. But that was a long shot, so I started reading instead. Reading made me realize that I could write down my thoughts and create worlds, and after having read Harry Potter, I got so inspired that I decided to give it a try. I had nothing to lose after all, only my dreams. It took a lot of plotting and rewriting, but in the end, I had roughly two hundred pages entitled Eldar Cornavian. For various reasons I’m not going to state here, the book never saw the light of day.

Time passed and I grew older. Writing was no longer a priority in my life, as socializing with my peers was much more exciting. But the tumult of teenage years sizzled out and it just so happened that the event coincided with my watching of Christopher Nola’s Inception. It inspired me so much, I immediately took to concocting a new plot before hitting the keyboard and bringing my ideas into existence. Sometime later, I was done writing Peter Simmons and the Sovereign, which I later split into three different books, entitled Peter Simmons and the Vessel of Time, Peter Simmons and the Sarpian Triplets, and Peter Simmons and the Sovereign. I’ve done so much thinking and plotting that it’s safe to say you can expect at least another five Peter Simmons installments. If they catch on, that is.

In addition to everything that’s been said, I also like to point out that writing is a cathartic experience for me. I have so many ideas clogging my mind that I just can’t do without sharing my stories with the world. The notion of awakening emotions within people is titillating; it’s one of the main things about creative writing that keeps me going. I love scribbling, and don’t know what I’d do without it. Storytelling is my passion. It’s my life, and I really mean it.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Young Adult, Action and Adventure, Coming of Age, Sci-fi

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with  Ramz Artso on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://ramzartso.blogspot.com/

Guest Post: Ingredients of a Great Thriller by Kim Cresswell

Every now and then you read a novel that has you glued to the story because the action is moving at warp-speed and you're swept way not wanting to stop reading until you know how it turns out.

The tension rises and you ride along with the characters feeling every blow right up until the climax.

In my opinion, the main ingredient in a great thriller is emotion. If you feel the story in your heart and gut then the author has done his or her job.

A great thriller is unpredictable. What if the FBI agent leading a murder investigation is the killer?

A great thriller has deadlines—the ticking clock. Will the FBI agent be caught before he kills again?

A great villain is a must-have in any thriller—a villain that stirs feelings of hatred, fear, disgust and sometimes empathy in the reader.

A main character who is worthy to fight the villain and hopefully win.

The setting and the action must also be believable for the reader because if the reader doesn't believe, the story will end.

In Lethal Journey, my heroine Lauren Taylor, is a New York district attorney. She's taking on the most important and dangerous case of her career, prosecuting mob boss, Gino Valdina and it's not going to be an easy journey for her. All she has to do is stay alive!

As the story progresses, it's unpredictable, has deadlines, a villain who evokes fear, hatred and empathy, and a heroine and hero who are physically and emotionally worthy to battle the villain to the end.

 Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Thriller

Rating – PG-18

More details about the author

Connect with Kim Cresswell on Facebook and Twitter

Website http://kimberleycresswell.wordpress.com/

Why should I NOT do discussion posts???

If you have been following book blogs for quite some time now, you would have noticed a wide shift in the nature of the posts.  There are more ramblings and discussion posts than reviews.  And I can understand the reason.  The audience likes this type of show and this stage is easier to put.

Discussion posts take your time, yes, but not so much as the reviews.  While reviewing by itself is time consuming, just imagine the time taken to read a 300 page book.  So, yes, I understand why people shift to discussion posts than reviews.

And there is another main reason.  Irrespective of the discussion topic, a good discussion is focused on major group of people who can relate to what you are talking about.  This is the place where reviews lose their luster.  Reviews are more like recommendations nowadays, especially when you review ARCs.

And if ask me personally, I would read more discussion posts than reviews.

So, why am I telling you all this?  Because for a very very long time, I have been wanting to start blogging discussion posts.  Then why didn't I start it?  Because there are many things that is holding me back.

1.  Fear

Credit: Falibo

I am an Indian.   I am not from English speaking community.  You will know how accents and dialects change from region to region.  While I am good with communicating in English with my people, facing the global audience with my dialect is something I am fearing about.  Do you not think that this will make a difference?

2.  Introvert

Credit: The Viral Media Lab

I am shy, but I have so much to say.  Every time I see some discussions, I feel like I should do a post about this too, because I have a lot to say about it.  But then again, I am afraid to share.  I am afraid of what my friends and family will think about if I tell something that they don't approve or understand.  This has been holding me for some time, but not anymore.

3.  Approval

Credit: Metro

As much as I love to think that this is my blog and I can write whatever I want, I still want the support of my audience.  But, I am not going to worry about this much, because that depends more on me.  My target audience may change, but that's a risk every blogger has to take, don't you think?

4.  Time

Credit: Ohio Citizen Action

I am in a full time job.  You know what I am going to say next.  Yes, between my family and work, I have very little time to read and blog.  You can see the decreased frequency of my posts to confirm this.  But, I believe that if I love something, I can MAKE time for it.

That's it!  I have been blogging for more than two years now and I want to do something different, apart from reviews.  Do you think I can try doing discussion posts?   Or do you think I should just quit the thought and go on?  (Just the thought of the second question makes me sad. :-(  but please be honest.)  What should I do?  Suggestions please....

Cover Reveal: Contact by Laurisa White Reyes @HallowedInkPres‎

Today, I am happy to participate in the cover reveal for "Contact", a YA urban fantasy novel, from Hallowed Ink Press.

Title: Contact

Author: Laurisa White Reyes

Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy

Expected Release Date: June 23rd, 2014

Publisher: Hallowed Ink Press

It takes only half a second…
 …Like those commercials where a crash test dummy rockets forward at high speed and slams into a wall.
…In that instant, every thought in Emma Lynn Walsh’s head collides with mine—every thought, memory, hope, disappointment and dream.
…I open my eyes to see Dr. Walsh peering at me, a puzzled expression on her face.

“Let—go—of—me,” I order though clenched teeth.

Mira wants to die. She’s attempted suicide twice already, and failed. Every time she comes in contact with another person, skin to skin, that person’s psyche uploads into hers. While her psychologist considers this a gift, for Mira, it’s a curse from which she cannot escape.

To make matters worse, Mira’s father is being investigated in the deaths of several volunteer test subjects of a miracle drug. Shortly after Mira’s mother starts asking questions, she ends up in a coma. Although her father claims it was an accident, thanks to her “condition” Mira knows the truth…but proving it just might get her killed!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After earning her B.A. in English in 1995, Laurisa White Reyes spent many years writing for newspapers and magazines before gathering enough courage to live her dream of writing novels. Contact is her third published book. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in creative writing, is a book editor for Hamilton Springs/Xchyler Press, and is the Editor-in-chief of Middle Shelf Magazine. She lives in Southern California with her husband and five children.

Contact the author at

• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5244611.Laurisa_White_Reyes
• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Laurisa-White-Reyes/e/B006IL8HUK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lwreyes
• Blog: http://laurisareyes.blogspot.com
• Web: http://www.laurisawhitereyes.com

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