A Bookish Libraria

"The Butterfly Clues"~OCD and Grief Crime-solving

2012-03-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

Published by: Egmont USA

Pages: 360+

Genre: YA Fiction

Book Summary:

Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.

But in the year since her brother Oren's death, Lo's hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as "Sapphire"--a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can't get the murder out of her mind.

As she attempts to piece together the mysterious "butterfly clues," with the unlikely help of a street artist named Flynt, Lo quickly finds herself caught up in a seedy, violent underworld much closer to home than she ever imagined--a world, she'll ultimately discover, that could hold the key to her brother's tragic death.
The Dame's Take :
Really great book. Not your typical YA novel that has to feature a paranormal story these days to work. I loved that about it! Penelope's wit and crime solving isn't driven by the supernatural. Very interesting to read the psychological "inner talk" of a hoarder and cleptomanic; as well as an OCD "tapper."

What about the author? Exemplary skills. Great character development. Smooth writing style that worked to create an easy flow to her story. She had a strong beginning and carried that through to the end. I loved her choosing the OCD in her protagonist, Penelope, almost a secondary "character" in this novel...very clever. Genius writing in the way she allowed the OCD to sometimes take over the horrors of a situation adding an additional heaviness and villainy to it. The resolutions of the disorder throughout the novel made it a superior and rare story with intelligent psychological importance. To me, it was as strong a storyline as the actual murder-solving. Easily as interesting and so exacerbated by the grief over her brother's death.

Favorite character? Flynt. He was an alive and commanding "Peter Pan" of Neverland. I found his artistic ways, his dumpster diving, his way of making life contented in simplicity irresistible. His quiet recognition of Lo's OCD and his willingness to follow her patterns to create a "safe place" for her made him a perfect foil. Flynt as the "rescuer" throughout, was a strong character in Ms Ellison's book and that was a key factor in the success of it. Happily, it was Flynt who was the loving element in Lo's life that helped her break through so many anxieties. It was fascinating to see the "lost boy" image in his character.

What about Lo's OCD? Frankly, although I've never seen anyone with this disorder in person, I felt completely paralyzed by it in reading. Ms Ellison made it a cloying and ever present part of her novel through Lo. I felt the pressure, the anxiety and constriction of Lo's compulsions when reading this book. At times, I found myself monitoring my breathing to copy Lo's counting and breathing, tapping the fingers of my left hand on my arm chair, nodding my head along with hers. I have never experienced a disorder like this so personally in reading. That is an incredible impact from a novel, I think! I actually became hindered by Lo's OCD for a few moments in time. It was a gripping experience. Ms Ellison's way of depicting it is nothing short of amazing.

Conclusion: "Butterfly Clues" is a phenominally written, beautifully crafted book that takes us to psychological places we may never have been exposed to. Solving the murder mystery strangely connecting Lo to the young stripper, Sapphire, moves this novel forward at a rapid speed. However, it's the drive to understand Lo's OCD that kept me intrigued and wondering if anyone would be able to help her manage it, and the loss of her precious brother, Oren.

5 stars for this very unique book.  Highly recommend

OUESTIONS FOR YOU:

1)   Have you known or do you know anyone with OCD?

2)   Penelope had the strong compulsion to steal small
      objects. How do you suppose this would have helped
     her anxiety?

Thank you for stopping by!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Spin" by Catherine McKenzie ~ I loved it!

2012-03-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

Published by: Harper Collins

Pages: 280

Genre: Fiction/Contemporary

Release date: March 7, 2012

Summary :

Publishers Weekly~

In her charming debut, Québecoise litigator McKenzie introduces readers to Kate, a woman approaching 30 who still lives like a college student, complete with the binge drinking, and is still waiting for her life to begin. She gets an interview for her dream job as a music writer at the Line magazine, but it happens to coincide with her 30th birthday, and she shows up to the interview still drunk from the previous night’s festivities. Blowing her one shot at career success sends Kate into a spiral she’s only brought out of by a call from the Line’s sister publication, Gossip Central, with a gig that’s right up her alley: they want her to go to rehab and write an undercover expose on a Lindsay Lohan–like celebrity named Amber. Kate’s stoked to get a reprieve, and a promise that if she does well, they’ll find a position for her at the Line, post-rehab. However, complications arise when Kate befriends Amber and soon realizes that the celebrity may not be the only one who needs to get sober. With fresh, fast-paced storytelling and a personable, self-deprecating protagonist, McKenzie whirls a perfectly indulgent tale. Agent: Abigail Koons, Park Literary Group

The Dame's Remarks :

"Spin" is a case of madcap mistakes and mishaps with a bit of misery thrown in. It's one of the funniest books I've read this season. It's also one of the most surprising. It's difficult to catch me off guard, but along with the protagonist, Katie, that irrepressible 30 year old, wanna-be 20ish-something girl trying to live her dream, I found myself in denial nearly to the end of this book! This is a story that will keep you up all night reading and relating.

Katie is a simply irresistible character. As Catherine McKenzie has drawn her, she's a happy drunk and the kind of friend you call when you want to have a good time. She's also the kind of friend who won't deny you much of anything you ask her for. This combination, mixed with Katie's lack of a true family anchor and belief in herself, are lethal. She tries to give herself some sort of base to feel good about in her grasp of music and her goal of writing for a "Rolling Stones" type of magazine. Generally, these goals are illusive in light of her sense of failure.

I love Ms McKenzie's beginning characterization of a young woman caught in a web of disillusionment. Katie knows she's spiraling out of control, but she's not sure how to stop it. The beautiful thing about McKenzie's portrait initially is that we see and are drawn in to Katie's strong sense of denial. Though we love Katie from the first introduction of her, we see it's going to be a sad commentary on a young woman who can't stop drinking long enough to grow up and face her demons. In my case, I loved Katie so much, I was sure she'd realize the drinking was holding her back and she'd quit as soon as she got her assignment! I found myself following her in denial. What a perfect place for a writer to take me! Genius!

When Katie finds herself on assignment for "Gossip Central" to get a scoop in rehab. on the famous actress of a highly touted prime time tv show, she's as caught off guard as we are to find that she might be in need of some rehab. herself! It's through her experiences befriending this young girl, the rehab's somewhat ridiculous therapist, a gorgeous "handler" of the actresses boyfriend, and some hilarious group therapy that we all get a sharper perspective. As Katie's understanding of herself develops, so does ours. This is some powerful writing.

I thought this was also a perfectly paced book. It had moments of enlightenment, and moments when I was so drawn down with Katie into her denial that I was sure everything was all right with her, and that the rest of the people, including the staff at Cloudspin Oasis, were cracked! It was beguiling, breathtaking in its truth-telling of alcohol and drug dependency's grip on people. I found myself laughing out loud at one point, and cringing with shared shame and sympathy a few minutes later. The mood swings- - spins of this novel are incredible and meaningful. So are the roads to healing.

"Spin" is one of the most clear and honest stories of the human condition of addiction, its repercussions, and its outcomes I've ever read. Its right up there with "Clean and Sober." Heart-warming and hilarious. This is a book that will have you spinning with sickness, love and laughter. You just have to read this book!

In addition to the book's story, Ms McKenzie has included a playlist of Katie's at the end of the book that will just floor you. So cool you'll be writing it down to download it!

Watch this video interview in which Catherine answers some inside information about "Spin." She talks about how she wanted to write a sort of comedy, how it's been opted for a movie, and how she likes to include pop art information and music in association with her books. A very interesting young writer!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Winners! "For the Love of Miss Austen~Valentine's Week Giveaway Extravaganza!"

2012-03-01T01:22:00.000-08:00

The Winners of our Miss Austen's

Valentine's Week Giveaway Extravaganza

Are In!!

Here they are:

1) "Caroline Bingley" by Jennifer Becton ~ Winner = Kaewink

2) "Midnight in Austenland" by Shannon Hale ~ Winner = Kelly

3) "Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion" by Janet Mullany ~

Winner = LibraryPat

4) "Jane Austen Made Me Do It" Compiled by Laurel Ann Nuttress~ Winner = Luthien/Evangeline

5) "Pies & Prejudice: Mother Daughter Book Club"

by Heather Vogel Frederick~

Winner = Sophia Rose

6) "Mr. Darcy's Bite" by Mary Lydon Simonsen ~

Winner = Rita

7) "Phantom of Pemberley" by Regina Jeffers ~

Winner = Sophia Rose (2xwinner!! :P )

Congratulations to all those who won.

And a big thank you to those who entered the giveaways,

and for those who follow my blog.

I appreciate so much your coming by to read

the reviews on these great

Austenish books.

I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Pictures of the Past" by Deby Eisenberg ~ Pre-WWII Historical Fiction

2012-02-29T07:15:00.000-08:00

Published by: Studio House Literary

Pages: 364

Genre: Fiction/Historical

Authors website: http://www.debyeisenberg.com/

Cover Rating :

Beautiful composition for this cover. The elegant frames fore-shadow an underlying story of art, the damask background gives a sense of opulence, as does the framed staircase. The Nazi banner, Eiffel Tower and the couple reminiscent of the 1940's tells the rest of the story. I love the font used and the entire layout. Sepia tones also date the pictures beautifully. Easily a book I would grab off the shelves to turn over and read more about, this is a title that grabs me.

Rating: A

Summary:

Pictures of the Past is a compelling saga sweeping through Chicago, Paris and Berlin, reliving events from pre-World War II Europe, but beginning in contemporary times. An Impressionist painting, hanging for decades in the Art Institute of Chicago and donated by the charismatic philanthropist Taylor Woodmere, is challenged by an elderly woman as a Nazi theft. Taylor’s gripping and passionate story takes us back to 1937. Sent to Paris on family business, he reluctantly leaves his girlfriend Emily, a spoiled debutante from Newport, Rhode Island. But once in Europe, he immediately falls in love – first with an Henri Lebasque painting, and then with the enchanting Sarah Berger of Berlin. After Taylor returns home, the Berger family becomes trapped in the Nazi web, and any attempts for the new lovers to be reunited are thwarted.

Interwoven with this narrative is the story of Rachel Gold, a beautiful and bright Chicago girl caught up in the times of the late 1960’s. Pregnant and abandoned by her boyfriend Court Woodmere, Taylor’s son, she moves to New York to live with her aunt, a Holocaust survivor. Years later, as the controversy surrounding the provenance of the painting becomes public, Rachel’s grown son is disturbed by his inexplicable familiarity with the work of art. And it is only Taylor Woodmere who can unravel the complicated puzzle of their lives.

With a heart-grabbing ending, Pictures of the Past is historical fiction at its best, giving a personalized window to the powerful events and intriguing venues of the eras. From a world torn by the horrors of war, a love story emerges that endures through years of separation.

The Dame's Review :
When I first decided I'd like to review "Pictures of the Past" I had some hesitation. I've read an assortment of books covering the holocaust over the last 40 some years, and felt I may have met my capacity with them. The stories often left me with a heaviness of heart. I'd lived most of my growing up years in Germany, even went to college in Munich, Germany, at the University of Maryland's extension campus, so it's a country that's very dear to my heart, and a people I'd come to love, as well. It has been difficult to separate the Nazi's from the kind people of Germany I'd come to know. I'm glad I did take a chance on this particular book, however, because it beautifully balances the good and the ugly. It tells a story that gives the safe and lovely side of a life in Berlin, and then the rising of an extremist group that overtakes the country like locust. I loved this book.

From the earliest words, Deby Eisenberg captured my heart. I could hear the inflection of the grandmother's voice. I could feel her indignation and her ire rising, and I could nearly sense the touches of her grand and great grandchildren as they gathered around to comfort her. Eisenberg is a masterful writer. She makes her story not only ring with truth, but resound with the vision of a cast of characters that you can well image actually existed.

The love story interwoven within the historical mysteries of the book are engrossing. I was so happy to read the details of transatlantic voyages, the beautiful cities both European and American of the pre-WW !! era, and the very interesting comments about Nazi art thefts. The mystery that's presented of old lovers, the painting's travels, and a family whose lives were changed by the Nazi terror is mesmerizing.

It goes without saying that I highly recommend "Pictures of the Past" to everyone. It's a great book on this era from several perspectives. Beautifully written, it's a timeless love story that's anchored by a painting that's etched in the minds of the lovers.

5 stars

About the Author :

As the leader of an established Chicago area Book Club, Deby Eisenberg challenged herself to write a novel that her avid readers could not put down and would love to discuss. With a Masters Degree from the University of Chicago, she is a former English teacher and journalist. Inspired by so many wonderful books and formidable authors, and drawing on her love of literary research, art, architecture, Jewish history, and travel in the United States and Europe, she tried to envision a multi-generational love story that would inform as well as entertain, that would broaden the mind and open the heart. Deby and her husband Michael, an obstetrician-gynecologist, live in Riverwoods, Illinois. They have three grown children and two grandchildren.

Appalachia~"There is No Hope Here" by Richard Biggs ~ Poverty and Hopelessness in the USA

2012-02-28T02:48:00.003-08:00

Published by: Creative Space

Available: eBook

Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

Genre: Fiction/Inspirational

Overview:

"There Is No Hope Here" is a true story (narrative non-fiction) about Julie Holland, who in 1995 began ministering to the poor in the rugged Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. The conditions she saw made her determined to help, so after spending a year delivering food and clothing, she decided to seek help with her mission. Soon, others joined and the Mission of Hope was born. There Is No Hope Here is marked by sadness and humor as a glimpse is offered into the eyes and souls of Appalachian poverty. It's the inspirational story of a woman's walk with God as she struggles with a life-threatening illness and tremendous cultural boundaries.

Through it all, she prevailed and today the Mission of Hope is one of most respected Christian charities in the southeast, serving over 17,000 people annually and offering college scholarships, along with mentoring programs. And it all began with one woman's determination.

Meet the Author:

Richard Biggs is 73, father of three and grandfather of 8, and a follower of Christ. He retired as an electrical engineer and has been a freelance writer for over a decade. He spent three years researching this book, his first entrance into narrative non-fiction.

The Dame's Word On It :

Some months back, I came across a note somewhere about Richard Biggs's book having to do with Appalachia and the poverty there. I have no idea today where or when or how I found it. I only know that the book so moved me upon an initial introduction that I had to read it in full, and wanted to review it for my readers. So, I contacted Mr. Biggs and began an email conversation with him about my roots in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, and how I was extremely interested in the subject of Appalachian families of the "back-country." Mr. Biggs was kind enough to send me his book, and I spent several hours lost in the poetic lilt of his writing, and in the story of a woman who left it all behind to care for those who are lost.

Unless you've seen a bit of poverty alongside the twists and turns of a mountain road in Appalachia, you can't imagine how people could live in some of the conditions they do. What we've heard of as a "burned out" house, a "broken down" shack, and even "trailer trash," didn't just come from the hateful jaws of an idiot jester, though it's been used in a vicious manner to slam and taint others cruelly. These things are often the reality of living conditions in Appalachia. Conditions that literally generations of children grow up in and perpetuate for lack of hope they can break the cycle.

When Julie Holland first visited the back-woods Appalachian people, she wasn't prepared for them and the poverty she encountered. She wasn't prepared for their pride or their suspiciousness of outsiders. She wasn't prepared for the fear she felt. And, she wasn't prepared for what she saw: the trash and filth they lived in, their look of hopelessness, their sense of humor amidst the chaos of their lives, and their faith despite all odds.

She came to understand that people growing up in poverty have not been taught the very basics of life skills, and often cannot pull themselves out of the oppressions of destitution and hopelessness to function in what we may consider a normal way. Many have tremendously low self-esteem, live with violence, and incessant hunger. Children raise children. These are some of the off-shoots of poverty and deprivation. And, these imprints are handed down from generation to generation; difficult to overcome, but not impossible with direction from those who will commit to helping them. After time, Julie realized she needed help.

Ms Holland's commitment to do something about it was herculean. When she founded the Mission of Hope, it was like throwing a pebble in an ocean of need. "There is No Hope Here" is her story as much as it is the Mission's story and the story of those she touched in her journey.

I think if you read this book, it will make such a difference in your life. I came away in silence, and I came away in tears. I came away remembering that it's not supposed to be our primary purpose as a Nation to care for the people of other countries. It's our responsibility and our commitment according to our earliest recorded national documents and creeds to care for those in need in our own country.  And, it's a part of our Christian heritage to "reach out to our neighbors before we extend our boundaries" to other places.

In light of this new political race, Mr. Biggs shakes his head, as do I, and we wonder if the candidates really know where the poor are and how to lift them out of inhumane conditions IN THIS COUNTRY ! It's at least as big a question we need to face as the national budget!

With that in mind,  please take a minute to view this video made by Mr. Biggs showing the children and people of Appalachia. It goes hand-in-hand with his book.

Click the link here:                            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YADzPbmfc5k

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Allegiance" by Cayla Kluver~A Legacy Trilogy Book 2 for YA's May Not Add Up

2012-02-27T23:10:00.001-08:00

Published by: Harlequin Teen

The Legacy Trilogy Book 2

Pages: 490

Genre: YA Fiction/Fantasy

Released: February 28, 2012

Book Cover Rating :

First impression: "pretty girl in messy dress." This is not the typical look of fantasy fiction covers: it has an actual picture on it. The young man and the horse leave nothing to the fantasy/imagination which may take something away from the YA girl who likes to fantasize. This seems to be a romance novel. To me, the picture is contrived because it's an obvious contemporary picture. Looks more historical romance than fantasy, which the novel purports itself to be. The scroll-work around the picture adds a lot in terms of design, although we nearly lose the name of the book. Don't care for the "weedy" treeline. Really odd: is that a car in the background? I'm left feeling slightly ill at ease about the whole thing. Rating: C-

Author: Cayla Kluver is eighteen years old, and lives with her family and her muse (Nina, her cat) in Wisconsin, where only the hardy survive. Legacy is her first novel.

The first edition of Legacy won first place in the 2008 Reader Views Literary Awards, and a bronze medal in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards for young adult fiction.

Summary:

Kirkus Reviews

A teen romance that delivers a softer, more innocent love story than the publisher's well-known adult tomes. The second book in the Legacy Trilogy, this text quickly introduces the forbidden love between Hytanica's newly crowned Queen Alera and Narian of Cokyri, which took root in the previous volume. Two major factors complicate this teenage love affair: Alera is married to King Steldor, and Narian has been forced to serve the Overlord of Cokyri, Hytanica's enemy. This background sets the stage for Alera's struggle with her role as queen and wife, which includes her lack of affection for her appointed husband and distaste for how women are unfairly treated, especially with regard to domestic violence. Alera's attitudes may make sense to the modern reader, but they sharply contrast with the narrative's medieval tone. Readers would benefit from reading series opener Legacy (2011) to understand the history of these two warring nations, Alera and Narian's relationship and the mystical powers of Cokyri's evil Overlord. Without this, many of the characters and their relationships to Alera blend easily and feel ill-formed. A formulaic, quick (if hefty) romance that creates believable suspense as Alera determines whether her allegiance is to her lover or kingdom.

The Dame's Review:

I was impressed to find that Ms Kluver's first book "Legacy" won such recognition. This 2nd book in her series seems to fall short of that sort of award-winning, I think. Such is often the way of 2nd and 3rd books in a series. And this is a publishing world in which authors are encouraged to produce a series when one fine book might suffice.

This is a book for older young adults in that it has a more complex storyline about male-female relationships. While it is about young people in their late teens and early 20's, they actually behave like much older adults, which is disconcerting to the reader who expected less implied sexuality.

I felt as if I were reading a sort of historical romance novel couched in a fantasy wrapper or vice versa, as well. Ordinarily I can adjust to his senario. However, in this case, it was difficult to keep my concentration focused on the "other worldliness," though I did like the characters very much. I simply felt the author was trying too hard to straddle both worlds without being clear which one she was in! I attribute this to her being a young author who doesn't have the experience necessary to focus one way or another. All in all, it made for a novel that was a bit wonkey.

The characters are interesting, the premise is good, and YAs will like the beautiful figures described. That may make you wonder why I would question anything at all...but you'd have to read the mismatch or believe me to understand what I mean.

Here's a twist: What appealed to me, but was actually out of place as well, was the young Alera standing up for herself against all the powerful men of the Kingdom. A daunting idea in the apparent "age" and time she found herself, and with the particularly violent and explosive temper of a husband who was King. I liked her spunk, but soon after she'd shown her strength a few times, I got bored with it, and kept wondering when she was going to loosen up a little! As women, we have to find a happy medium, and balance that with the understanding creatures we are, as well as keeping our individuality. Anger and violence from either gender is abhorrent, after all. Why should a woman get away with what a man shouldn't?

Without beating a dead horse, I just need to say that this book is a mixed bag. There are some good moments if you're interested in a historical romance...but if you want a well-developed fantasy novel, this isn't it. Since I didn't read the first book in this series, I didn't have all the background on Alera, the young woman Queen, and her sweetheart Narian, a great warrior from an opposing clan. But, that story is soon picked up in the reading of "Allegiance." You won't miss much if you don't read the first book. Alera's "allegiance" to her country is in contrast to her love for Narian...thus, the proverbial battle of love and war.

I cannot recommend this novel without reservation to my readers and friends. It's a novel with a good premise that wasn't given a clear follow-through, written by a novice writer with promise, I think. I have to say readers beware...at best a light reading distraction that may fail to please..

2 1/2 stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Sneak Peek! "Grave Mercy" by Robin LaFevers~YA Trilogy Begins!!

2012-02-27T22:05:00.003-08:00

Published by: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Genre: YA Fiction/Paranormal

Publication Date: April 3, 2012

Sneak Preview!!!

Sneaky Summary :

"Grave Mercy" by Robin LaFevers~ 1st book in the "His Fair Assassin Trilogy"

Escaping from the brutality of an arranged marriage, seventeen-year-old Ismae finds sanctuary at the convent of St. Mortain. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts -- and a violent destiny. She will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death -- yet in order to claim her new life, she must be willing to take the lives of others. But how can she deliver Death's vengeance against a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

"With characters that will inspire the imagination, a plot that nods to history while defying accuracy, and a love story that promises more in the second book, this is sure to attract feminist readers and romantics alike."

~Booklist, starred review

"Rich in historical detail, well-realized characters, political machinations, and enticingly prickly scenes between Ismae and Duval, LaFevers's complex tale incorporates magic both sparingly and subtly. This powerful first volume of the His Fair Assassin series should attract many readers."

~Publishers Weekly, starred review

Actually, please click this link to read the excerpt!! http://hmhbooks.com/gravemercy

Are you going to be ready for this one???

See more about "Grave Mercy" at the authors site:

http://robinlafevers.com/

*This sneak preview is brought to you by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in association with Netgalley.

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"At the Mercy of the Queen" by Anne Clinard Barnhill~Historical Fiction Epitomized!

2012-02-27T05:51:00.002-08:00

Published by: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 432

Also: Reading Group Information~About the Author, Behind the Novel

and Keep On Reading

Review: In cooperation with: Historical Fiction Virtual

Book Tours

About the Book :

"At the Mercy of the Queen" is a sweeping tale of sexual seduction and intrigue at the court of Henry VIII, a rich and dramatic debut historical about Madge Shelton, cousin and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.

At the innocent age of fifteen, Lady Margaret Shelton arrives at the court of Henry VIII and quickly becomes the confidante of her cousin, Queen Anne Boleyn. But she soon finds herself drawn into the perilous web of Anne’s ambition.

Desperate to hold onto the king’s waning affection, Anne schemes to have him take her guileless young cousin as mistress, ensuring her husband’s new paramour will owe her loyalty to the queen. But Margaret has fallen deeply in love with a handsome young courtier. She is faced with a terrible dilemma: give herself to the king and betray the love of her life or refuse to become his mistress and jeopardize the life of the her cousin, Queen Anne.

Meet the Author:

Anne Clinard Barnhill has been writing or dreaming of writing for most of her life. For the past twenty years, she has published articles, book and theater reviews, poetry, and short stories. Her first book, AT HOME IN THE LAND OF OZ, recalls what it was like growing up with an autistic sister. Her work has won various awards and grants. Barnhill holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Besides writing, Barnhill also enjoys teaching, conducting writing workshops, and facilitating seminars to enhance creativity. She loves spending time with her three grown sons and their families. For fun, she and her husband of thirty years, Frank, take long walks and play bridge. In rare moments, they dance.

For more information, please visit Anne Clinard Barnhill's website @ http://www.anneclinardbarnhill.comwebsite/W

The Dame's Review:

A sparkling account of the Tudor court, accompanied by the love story between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, as well as her cousin and lady-in-waiting, Margaret Shelton, will give you many hours of enjoyment. This is a familiar story, but it's couched in the intrigue of Margaret or Madge Shelton's coming to the court and finding her life compromised in vastly unexpected ways. Ms Barnhill's research is apparent throughout the novel in details that enhance the reading. I was surprised by some of the finest details I hadn't known, even after having read many a historical novel about the 1500's and the Tudor era. This is a novel that held my interest and kept me reading, though it absolutely falls within the historical fiction category and not historical romance.

While we get a passing description of each person involved in the story, I believe they could have been filled out more. I think this may be due to the focus which seemed more on historical interest. What happened is that I didn't get strongly attached to any one figure, but rather became more involved in the court intrigue and details of the life there than in the characters themselves. The romance between Madge Shelton and her sweetheart Arthur Brandon was courtly, but never quite reached a point that convinced me of anything passionate, for instance. And, I didn't feel the desperation of Anne Boleyn as she struggled to keep her king, her child or her head.

Though it absolutely held a sense of the language and cadence of the times, I found the dialog rote. However, strangely enough, that was also one of the things I enjoyed most in the reading. I cannot emphasize too much the translation of historical detail. So while this might be annoying in a novel meant to engage one in both history and romance, it just worked to create an atmosphere of the times for me. I found it easy to overlook a diaglog that was matter of fact or predictable in light of the truth it was telling.

I will say this, in closing, I thoroughly enjoyed "At the Mercy of the Queen" as a glimpse into the Tudor court's outwardly sumptuous, but terrifyingly political ways. It was a walk I loved taking in the historical fiction genre. I cannot recommend it as a book with emphasis on the romantic or character driven aspects, as I've said. Although it does include these elements, the best of the book lies in the author's ability to transport us to another time and the reality of the queen's and a lady-in-waiting's lives.

3 1/2 stars

Deborah/The Bookish Dame

For more information and other reviews of "At the Mercy of the Queen" go to: http://www.hfvirtualbooktours.blogspot.com/

*A copy of this book was given to me for a review of my honest opinion

"The Rebel Wife" by Taylor M. Polites~Historical Fiction At Its Best!

2012-02-24T07:38:00.003-08:00

This Review Brought To You By the Dame's Association with Tribute Book Tours

Published by: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 304

Genre: Fiction/Historical

Website: http://taylormpolites.com/

Blog: http://taylorpolites.blogspot.com/

Summary:

"The Rebel Wife" by Taylor M. Polites~

Set in Reconstruction Alabama, Augusta “Gus” Branson's is a young widow whose quest for freedom turns into a race for her life when her husband Eli dies of a swift and horrifying fever and a large package of money – her only inheritance and means of survival – goes missing. Gus begins to wake to the realities that surround her: the social stigma her marriage has stained her with, what her husband did to earn his fortune, the shifting and very dangerous political and social landscape that is being destroyed by violence between the Klan and the Freeman's Bureau, and the deadly fever that is spreading like wildfire. Nothing is as she believed, everyone she trusts is hiding something from her.

Meet the Author: Taylor M. Polites is a novelist living in Providence, Rhode Island with his small Chihuahua, Clovis. Polites’ first novel, The Rebel Wife, is due out in February 2012 from Simon & Schuster. He graduated in June 2010 with his MFA in Creative Writing from Wilkes University. He has lived in Provincetown, Massachusetts, New York City, St. Louis and the Deep South. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in History and French and spent a year studying in Caen, France. He has covered arts and news for a variety of local newspapers and magazines, including the Cape Codder, InNewsWeekly, Bird’s Eye View (the in-flight magazine of CapeAir), artscope Magazine and Provincetown Arts Magazine.

Polites is an extraordinary new talent in Southern fiction, and both the book and author are being embraced by the biggest names in Southern literature. Early readers of The Rebel Wife have been delighted by the echoes of Flannery O'Connor, Tennessee Williams, and Cormac McCarthy in this genre-subverting southern gothic novel with a more contemporary understanding of the stereotypes that were prevalent in Margaret Mitchell’s day. As you read The Rebel Wife, you'll find tattered fragments of Gone with the Wind and meet completely subverted versions of the white Southern Gentleman, the good Mammy, the conniving Scalawag, and the defenseless Southern Belle.

Polites was born in Huntsville, Alabama, the basis for the town of Albion in this book, and has been researching this novel since he was 15 years old, when he volunteered to work at a historic home there. He became obsessed with the Southern experience during the Civil War; read diaries, memoirs, and letters from that time; and ultimately imagined and mapped out the town of Albion, much like William Faulkner created his Yoknapatawpha County. He is deeply knowledgeable about the time and place he writes about and its literature, giving this book impeccable authenticity and authority.

We Must Interview Mr. Polites!! Or~Other queries from his book tour:

Question from http://themaidenscourt.blogspot.com/ tour interview:

Did you find it difficult to write from a female perspective? What led to the choice of a central female character rather than a male protagonist?

Yes! I did find it difficult. There were moments where I thought, “What am I doing trying to project myself into the body of a 29 year old woman in 1875? What on earth do I know about this?” But as a writer, too, I like a good challenge. It definitely put my imagination to work. I have always had a fascination with strong women characters from my first acquaintance with Scarlett O’Hara, at least (I was about 13). Women in fiction have always been a big draw for me—and real women from the Civil War period also fascinated me. There is a wealth of voices that remain to us in letters, diaries, memoirs and essays. From Louisa McCord, the firebrand conservative political philosopher of mid-19th century South Carolina, to her peer Mary Chesnut, the smart, ambitious and witty diarist who moved in the highest political circles during the war. There are Huntsville voices, too, that served as muse for me. The passionate and frank letters of Kate Fearn Steele to her husband, Matt, collected along with other family letters in Cease Not to Think of Me. And the vain Virginia Clay Clopton, who is changed by tragedy during the war and becomes the most ardent petitioner to the President during the imprisonment of her husband in Fortress Monroe. Her memoir, A Belle of the Fifties, tells her life story in her own words (more or less, she had a co-writer). Whenever I was going to sit down and write, I would open up Mary Chesnut’s diary or Kate Fearn’s letters and read passages to get a sense of the voice and view of these women.

When questioned by http://readingthepast.blogspot.com/

That he mentioned "Gone With the Wind" and its impact on Southern literature...What was his relationship with the book?

I first read Gone With the Wind in the seventh grade. We had a choice of books, but Gone With the Wind called to me. I played sick for most of that week so I could stay home and read it. I read it all the way through and then started it again, I was so bowled over. I read it again and again as I went through high school, at least fourteen times. It led me to read other books about the period, whether they were John Jakes’ North and South or Lonnie Coleman’s Beulah Land. I turned to original sources, too, like Mary Chesnut’s diary and the memoirs of Fanny Kemble from her stay on her husband’s Georgia Plantation, the memoirs of Susan Dabney Smedes of Mississippi and Sarah Morgan’s Louisiana diary.

In college, I continued reading, but pursued a more academic research into the South. There, I began to understand the disconnect between the “Old South” in many novels and the “Old South” as it really existed. That disconnect was initially difficult for me to reconcile. I didn’t want to know the truth, but it was undeniable. That is the pull of a romance, isn’t it? There is so much beauty to the daydream that you don’t want to let it go. There is something of that in Augusta, too.

Today, I respect Gone With the Wind as a great piece of storytelling and a very influential book, but I regret its representations of African-Americans and the sentimentalist viewpoint Mitchell takes (and can’t help but take). I will always be attached to Gone With the Wind, but I like the idea of having a counterpoint to read with it, like Alice Randall’s wonderful The Wind Done Gone.

The Dame's Interview w/ Mr. Polites :

1) First of all, please tell us a special something about what makes you "tick." When you aren’t writing, what are you doing?
I love history and I love to read. When I’m not writing, I’m usually reading history books—and all sorts of history. Ancient Rome, Renaissance France, American History, Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. I also read as much fiction as I can.
2) You chose a specific genre, a place and time to write about, what made you choose it?
I grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, a place that has a beautiful antebellum historic district. I read Southern books, like Gone With the Wind, and was captivated by the combination of these things, the physical world around me and the imaged one in books. As I grew older, I studied American history and in particular the history of the South. I learned that the stories that often went with the beautiful homes often left out a large part of the story. I wanted to write a book that had the same sense of drama and tension, but told a fuller version of the story, a version that might achieve the same feeling of myth, but with more honesty.
3) Please share with your readers where you like to write. Do you have a particular space or desk? What can you see from your desk? Do you have props you use to write from? What about special "charms?"
All I really need to write is quiet. Sometimes I like very low music. In writing this book, I had Philip Glass’ music from The Hours on over and over again—but it is like quiet, an inobtrusive wallpaper with a very soft heartbeat that went well with the mood of the story. I love libraries. I have spent many hours in different libraries, particularly the public library in Provincetown, Massachusetts, sitting on an upper floor at a table in front of a window that looks out over the harbor. There was something very meditative about looking out at the sky and water and the thin horizon line, something that worked with Glass’ music and the story I was writing.
4) In your opinion, what makes a book a great one?
The most successful books are ones that create a whole world that wraps the reader up. If you find yourself lost in the story, that is the mark of a great book.
5) Which author(s) most influenced your love of books from childhood?
The first book I remember reading where I really felt like I had been struck by lightning was Gone With the Wind. I had read other books kids read at that age and before, Superfudge and Rumblefish and others, but when I was 12 or so and read Gone With the Wind, that was life changing, all absorbing. I read Agatha Christie books obsessively during my eighth grade year, every single one of them. In high school, I moved on to Jane Austen and remember feeling that same sense of electricity when I read Pride and Prejudice, that sense of exquisite beauty in the voice and development of a character.
6) Read any good books in the past 6 months?
I have read a ton of great books in the last six months! Coming Up for Air by Patti Callahan Henry, The Butterfly’s Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe, The Healing by Jonathan Odell, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Scarlet Sister Mary by Julia Peterkin, Triple Time by Anne Sanow. All amazing, wonderful books—and that’s just a few!
7) Please share with us the underlying message of your book. What would you like your readers to take away after having read the book?
Every reader’s experience is going to be unique. That is part of what is wonderful about reading books—each person will bring their own perspective and take away different things from a single read. But The Rebel Wife tells the extended story of the Civil War, and if there is one thing I would like a reader to think about, it is that Reconstruction is not a stand-alone period, but fundamentally attached to the experience of the Civil War. Not everyone will agree with the struggle of Reconstruction as I have painted it, but I would hope that it would make people question the myths of this period that are still perpetuated. I would hope that it would make them think about how the aftermath of Reconstruction continued to echo through the twentieth century.
8) Were you able to keep your original title? What was it, if not?
There were a number of titles that we went through before settling on The Rebel Wife. My editor said that the title is often the most difficult part of a book, and I did find it very difficult. Those other titles were discarded for valid reasons. We should let them rest. The Rebel Wife is a title that is truly fitting to the story and contains layers of meaning that represent the book beautifully.
9) Is there a song or music in general that might best represent your book as a theme song?
That is a tough question! I don’t know of a single song that could represent the book, but music is very important to the story. I used many popular and spiritual songs in the book. My favorite is probably Balm in Gilead, which is such a beautiful spiritual. Also, I Can’t Stay Here By Myself, which is so haunting and sad. And the dance tune Sallie Goodin and the waltz Aura Lea, which was the basis for Elvis’ hit Love Me Tender.
10) If you could write your book again, what would you change?
Rather than rewriting this book, I am looking forward to writing the next! I hope I am not a writer who feels the need to rehash and revisit finished work. The manuscript is complete and I feel the story is complete, not requiring any changes. I learned an immense amount about writing, characters, plotting, and story from this experience and I look forward to putting all that I have learned to good use on the next!   I'm holding my breath until your next book comes out, too!!
11) What was the worst distraction you had to fight through while writing your book?
Doubt is always the biggest obstacle. I think this is true for many (if not all) writers, and it is very true for me. Spending so much time in your head when you are working on a book naturally leads to self-questioning: Why am I doing this? Is it any good? Will anyone care? Why should anyone care? But I work hard to manage that voice of doubt using journaling, meditation, exercise and the support of good friends.
12) What did you feel or think when you held the first copy of your book in your hands?
Receiving the box of copies (the galleys) with the cover on them and the text basically complete was a dream come true. This entire experience has been a dream come true. I have had the desire to write books for my entire life. The doubt I mentioned before comes very easily, especially your first time at writing. So to have fought through it and to have written a book that is getting the kind of support and interest that it has received is truly a gift beyond anything I could have realistically expected. I have truly accomplished the one key goal I have had for so many years—and now my goal is book number two!
13) Tell us a secret about your book we wouldn’t otherwise know, please!
When my editor first read the book and we had a conversation about it, she asked if there weren’t whispers of Gone With the Wind in it. I had written many little references of varying subtlety into the text and no one until then had remarked upon it. I thought, well, it will be my secret. It will be something I put into this story for myself. Needless to say, I was very surprised and very thrilled that she connected with those whispers and I hope there are many other readers who enjoy them, too.
Thank you for allowing us to spend time with you, and for bending to my nosy questions!!
Thank you so much for your great questions and your interest in The Rebel Wife!

The Dame's Final Words :
"The Rebel Wife" is an easily entertaining, enjoyable book, and I think many have forgotten that that's important any time we assess the value of literature; it is this singular reason we read at all. Without this primary component, no one would read. If a book cannot entertain, cause us to become "lost in it," in its "other world" liness, as Mr. Polites said so well, then it can't be called a "good book." As reviewers we sometimes forget this important factor, as it pales in comparison to our attempts at flowery and intelligent-groping descriptions... I'm happy to report this is a very good book.

I'm a Southern girl, born and bred, read all the books that Taylor mentions, did similar research, belonged to historical restoration foundations, you name it... I've had a bone-bred love of all things that made and still make the South what it is. My family's blood was spilled to build up and tear down and rebuild both the North and the South for many generations. I understand Mr. Polites heart and a bit of his soul in this book, I believe.

His cadence touches my heart. I hear it in his writing. The songs of the South...the speech... I hear and see the familiar peoples. My mind can see the church people, the hymns being hummed, the boy in the black suit ringing the bell down the dusty street proclaiming the death of Mr. Eli; it's in my blood. I can feel the heat of a summer day when the ice melts on your sweet tea before you can taste it. And I know the condescension of Southern men; particularly toward unprotected and unmarried women. I recognize the prejudices and the powers of those who seem to be the powerless. It delights my heart to read about strong women who overcome. How beautifully and craftily and quietly Taylor Polites has laid these things bare for us, and for those who can "see" and those who can "hear."

This book is not a new "Gone With The Wind," so I hope the expectation of that isn't found here. I love GWTW for what it is and what it represents of the Old South. It's a classic, and nothing will replace that wonderful book in American literature.  Rather, "A Rebel Wife" is a new interpretation. It touches upon the subtle ways peace and readjustment came to the South, and continues to be won there. I love it for what it has to say.   It's a worthy book, and it's a beautiful story.

5 stars                    Deborah/TheBookishDame*For other reviews of this excellent book, please see "The Rebel Wife" on tour at: http://www.tribute-books.com/

Warning! "The Legacy of Eden" by Nelle Davy will be forever scorched in your mind!

2012-02-22T16:41:00.001-08:00

Published by: Mira/Harlequin

Pages: 377

Bookgroup Discussion Questions

and Author Interview

Genre: Fiction

Book Cover Rating:

First impression tells me this is about American farmland. Dark, foreboding sky warns of a less than blissful "Eden." Best-selling author's blurb provides a glimpse into the story, as well. I like this type of novel.

The girl on the cover seems young adult. Does this mean it's not an adult fiction? That gives me pause...

Colors and Layout: The field is washed out against a too pale girl's skin. So it's jarring against the darker sky. Would have been more pleasing if the corn were more "golden." I like the general lay-out and the type scale.

I've not heard of the author. She's an unknown I'd have to take a chance on. But, all in all, I like the cover enough to look inside out of curiosity. Rating: C+

Summary:

For generations, Aurelia was the crowning glory of more than three thousand acres of Iowa farmland and golden cornfields. The estate was a monument to matriarch Lavinia Hathaway's dream to elevate the family name—no matter what relative or stranger she had to destroy in the process. It was a desperation that wrought the downfall of the Hathaways—and the once-prosperous farm.

Now the last inhabitant of the decaying old home has died—alone. None of the surviving members of the Hathaway family want anything to do with the farm, the land or the memories.

Especially Meredith Pincetti. Now living in New York City. For seventeen years Lavinia's youngest grandchild has tried to forget everything about her family and her past. But with the receipt of a pleading letter, Meredith is again thrust into conflict with the legacy that destroyed her family's once-great name.

Back at Aurelia, Meredith must confront the rise and fall of the Hathaway family…and her own part in their mottled history.

The Dame's Review:

"The Legacy of Eden" is nothing short of a mesmerizing novel. Once engaged, I couldn't stop reading it if I wanted to. Every word must drip from Nelle Davy's illusionary pen like silver. She is a word spinner--simply captivating and crushing your psyche from one sentence to the next. Her writing abilities are staggering. And this grotesque, family dynasty novel is of the best kind, reminiscent of Steinbeck's "East of Eden," and Jane Smiley's "A Thousand Acres." I expect great things from Nelle Davy's book and from her in the future.

Primarily this is a novel written from the perspectives of women. Women are complicated beings to begin with, and Nelle Davy creates her Hathaway characters with such complexity of feeling and depth that you can only believe they lived and breathed and acted just as she writes about them. For instance, Lavinia Hathaway, the damaged, psychotic and destructive matriarch of the family is so malevolent, she's difficult to comprehend without having inside information into her evil plots and manipulations. She's a triumph of a character! And, she is the center from which the story works. A vicious, devious, controlling woman who was the snake in the garden of Aurelia's eden, she
orchestrates the demise of her family for several generations. What a villian. This is an amazing accomplishment by an author. I've read so many books, and Lavinia is one of those similar to classical literature characters who you just don't forget.

"Hatred--it always comes down to that, doesn't it? But I've found that it's always at its most potent when it's laced with love." Lavinia Hathaway.

Meredith, the narrator and youngest of the three girl grandchildren of Lavinia, tells the story of their home, Aurelia, the farm that nurtured the Hathaway family for several generations. Like most family homes, it embodied the tragedies and dark sides of the family while it sustained them, and held them together in a dance macabe. Aurelia was the beautiful and the ugly...the harmful and the heart of their lives. Memories were made there and those memories for good and for bad are what "The Legacy of Eden" is about. Meredith also tells the intimate stories of each family member through the life details of her sisters, her grandmother and her aunt.

Nelly Davy takes simple tableaus such as the dinner table and creates powerful family scenes that crackle with the friction and horrors of a powder keg ready to ignite. She can make a subtle flick of a child's tongue over her teeth, and the gentle clatter of a tea spoon on a cup at the perfect moment in her dialog, send shivers through you. Nelly knows family dysfunction and she can dish it out in perfect cadence with her imaginative writing. It's just amazing to read.

When asked what inspired her to write her novel, Ms Davy said: "I was inspired by Robert Graves "I, Claudius," and the Katherine Anne Porter quote:

"In the richest houses, in the most comfortable homes, the best people do the worst things to each other."

This is a story set in a midwestern farm community in the 1930's to '70's. It seems a rather innocuous setting. But, it is an unimaginably envisioned tale of women and men who were acted upon by evil posing as good among them. It's the story of mothers and daughters and sisters. Of love and loyalty. Of the exiled and the escapees. It's the story of those who destoryed themselves and others. Of those who chose to forgive and those who chose never to forget. And, it's ultimately a novel that will leave you examining yourself and your own motives in life...which may be the goal of all great literature.

Don't miss this book.

5+ stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth~Sneak Peek!! Exclusive Excerpt!!

2012-02-22T13:33:00.001-08:00

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books/Harper Collins

Genre: YA Fiction/Dystopian Novel

Summary:

"Insurgent" ~ 2nd in the "Divergent" series by Veronica Roth

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

The Dame's Scoop !
After having snooped around, I discovered that Entertainment Weekly's 'Shelf Life' Section of February 21, 2012, has an exclusive sequel excerpt of "Insurgent." May I tell you there are 16 pages to the excerpt !!! I was so giddy with excitement!! This is a book I've been chomping at the bit waiting for since I read "Divergent" last year...reviewed it here, as well. So have most of us, I'm assuming.

The sequel excerpt and information is brought to us through the work of Breia Brissey. Shout out to her, and many thanks!! You will also find an excerpt of "Divergent" should you not have read that book.

HERE IS THE LINK

http://shelf-life.ew.com/2012/02/21/insurgent-exclusive-excerpt-veronica-roth/

Have fun... Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Incarnate" by Jodi Meadows~From an Adult Perspective

2012-02-22T02:36:00.002-08:00

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books/Harper Collins

Pages: 234

Genre: YA Fiction/Fantasy

Summary:

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

The Dame's Take On It :
If you could see me, you'd see a very puzzled look on my face right now. I wish I could tell you this is a book to rush out and get for a good read, but I can't. I can't because it's such a spin-up of things. On the one hand, it's a deeply moving and poignant story of love and redemption. But, on the other, it's a fantasy tale that has so many loose ends it just doesn't add up!   This is one that you'll just have to be the judge of yourself after reading my thoughts below.

Granted, this is YA fiction, but we've read a good deal of excellent fiction in this category that can stand up to anything in the general fiction genre. I'm reviewing this book from the perspective of whether an adult would enjoy reading it.

Jodi Meadows has real promise as an author. There are sparks of brilliance in her writing. Very magical and emotionally touching segments of this book that are exceptional and alive with feeling and truth. They are the very best qualities I found in reading "Incarnation," and they are found in the sections having to do with the direct relationship between the two main characters, Ana and Sam.   The way Sam coaxed and loved Ana from an abused and unloved child to a young woman who is guided out of that darkness into being strong enough to find herself and find love, is an amazingly beautiful story. There is a depth of tenderness written here that matches any I've read.

What didn't work, and what leaves me scratching my head wondering why it was even a part of such a wonderful novel is all the falderall over dragons, sylphs and other fantastic evil creatures (which we didn't even meet!). I understand this was possibly written as a fantasy novel and there were some lovely Chinese fairytale quality passages to the book, especially early on, but this degenerated quite a bit to a sort of strange side-story that interfered with the better story of Ana and Sam. The time settings were strange, as well. I kept wondering if it actually was a fantasy or a dystopian/futuristic society...there were hints of both. Then, I felt there were hints of Hinduism because of the reincarnation theme, but that didn't mesh with the Christ-like figure of J. who was supposed to have built the City, Heart, and acted as a savior to their world. Nor did it fit with Ana's scientist, gene-bending father who had a part in creating her as a newsoul. Confusion reigned in the book. Just too many unanswered questions and too many non-directions to give the book unity.

I ran through to the end because I wanted to confirm that this was either a strange novel, or that Ms Meadows was going to ultimately enlighten us so that I could report to you my findings. And, of course, I did want to know what happened between Ana and Sam...sort of. I won't say this was a waste of my day, altogether. But, I can't recommend you buy this book right now. You may want to wait for it to come out in paperback, or to check with your local library.   Sorry, it's not one of the best in YA fiction this year. Since I'm supposing there may be a sequel, I'll be thinking about the paperback/library copy of that, too, if I have time in my book stacks for the read.

3 1/2 stars because of its brighter love story parts

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Daughter of Smoke and Bone" and "Chime" named as SFWA Award Nominees!!

2012-02-20T16:19:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Laini Taylor, who on her personal website writes: "Daughter of Smoke and Bone has been nominated for the Andre Norton Award, which is the award given by the SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America) to a young adult book. It's the YA counterpart of the Nebula Award, which is one of those height-of-acheivement-in-the-field awards that one dreams of. Making the short list is such a thrill, and it is a daunting list of competitors, including the stunning Chime..."

Others: Andre Norton Award Nominees for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Books~

Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor (Viking Juvenile)
Chime, Franny Billingsley (Dial Books; Bloomsbury)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Hodder & Stoughton)
Everybody Sees the Ants, A.S. King (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
The Boy at the End of the World, Greg van Eekhout (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
The Freedom Maze, Delia Sherman (Big Mouth House)
The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Rae Carson (Greenwillow Books)
Ultraviolet, R.J. Anderson (Orchard Books; Carolrhoda Lab)

I've enjoyed so many of the YA and general fiction books in this genre this past couple of years. And this is an area of fiction I wouldn't have touched by yards before Harry Potter opened a new door for me. Kurt Vonnegut had slammed a door in my mind, or something! :[ I'm sorry Kurt fans, he wrote some weird syfy for a 17 yo to read in 1988!!

Happily, YA fiction has made a difference in my assessment of all syfy and fantasy novels. So, I'm much more open to "exploring new worlds" through them these days.

Who are your favorite authors in this genre? Which books have you liked best this past year? Which book turned you on to syfy/fantasy?

If you were nominating a best book such as those above, what would you choose???

Deb/TheBookishDame

"Under the Never Sky" by Vernoica Rossi ~ An Aurora Borealis of a Novel!

2012-02-20T01:03:00.002-08:00

Published by : Harper Collins

Pages: 276

Genre: YA Fiction/Syfy

Cover Rating :

Syfy, absolutely, with its raised and silvery title front and center. Not very turned on by the stick-figure of a girl walking out of an unattractive bramble of huge grapevines with hollywood lights panning skies behind her. Don't get that symbolism. Veronica Rossi's name could have used more "press." This isn't a very appealing cover and it doesn't tell us much even with the small header about dying... Rated: C

Synopsis:

Taken from: VOYA

When Aria, seventeen, a Dweller from the main pod of Reverie—a community formed during the Unity for inhabitants' safety— is expelled and abandoned to the Death Shop, her future appears bleak until rescue comes via Peregrine, a Savage or Outsider. Each has something the other wants; they strike an uneasy truce before journeying across dangerous wastelands on a quest. The story unfolds in a grippingly dystopian future, where heavens roil with the electrical Aether and occasionally rain funnels fire onto the ground; where Outsiders battle daily for survival—those Marked with a dominant Sense have some advantage; and where Dwellers enjoy easy comfort with abundant food and endless entertainment in virtual Realms—accessed with thought through the Smarteye device worn by all inhabitants. "Better than Real," the Realms offer richly vibrant sensory experiences in multi-dimensional virtual worlds, preferable to the Middle Gray of pod life. Contrasts between the Dwellers' carefully engineered existence and the Outsiders' primitive battles for survival, where even mating is left to chance, illustrate the divergent path each culture took and allow readers to compare these with 21st-century life and contemplate the consequences of present day decisions. The interwoven narratives of both male and female protagonists offer broad appeal; the plot allows for a sequel set in a rumored location with visible skies called the Still Blue. Already selling in more than twenty countries and with film rights optioned by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Rossi's first novel has the potential to be a blockbuster. Libraries, stock up to meet circulation demand. Reviewer: Cynthia Winfield

The Dame's Review :

My heart is still beating fast after having just put down this book. It is a mixed bag of a novel, so hold on to your horses as I try to convey to you what you might hope to find in it!

This isn't a book you can just breeze into and expect to put nothing into to get something out of. It's a book that demands a little thinking and some work on our part. In most cases I can only understand that if I think the author warrants that kind of respect. That is; if after having read a chapter or so of her work, I feel I can allow her a piece of my time. Or, if I know the author from reading one of her previous works. I found Veronica Rossi to be a respectable author, I allowed her the time.

Having said that, if you will allow for the ground work that must be laid for the story, you will be drawn into a multifaceted tale of dystopian terror and survival...wilderness and survival...and hope for a future of survival. It's also a love story with burrs. It's edgy and hard sometimes, and I loved the rough characters with their savage hearts. Beautifully written, imaginative and explosive dystopian novel with a heart!

Rossi has an amazing ability to imagine a world where one segment of mankind is encapsulated in technology for survival, never actually living in a real world anymore, and one segment is left to survive with their wits and instincts in a somewhat failing environment; both, subjected to natural catastrophes that can't be controlled: vicious weather patterns and viral strains that travel and mutate through the air. Of course, as in many dystopian novels, we can only imagine what has caused this breakdown in the world's environment. (Note to Selves!)

What kept me glued to the pages of this book was my love for the female character Rossi created. Aria, the young girl who is thrown from her safe "Dweller's" environment, into the "Death Shop" to die or survive, is a fabulous creation. She's wise, brave and quick-witted, learning how to survive with the help of Perry, an Outsider "Savage," who begrudgingly becomes her companion in a chase to return to her Pod. She wants to find her mother, and he wants to get his nephew back. Aria maintains a sense of herself and her independence though she's far outside her element. She's never been on the "outside," and she's never felt pain or experienced fear before. She learns survival skills willingly and with dedication in an effort to help others and to get back home. Rossi brings us through the awakening of Aria as a young woman and a warrior. She's the Eve of a Brave New World.

It's always such a joy ride for me when I find an author who champions a young woman as a strong warrior, one who is easily as capable or more so, than her male companions. Aria is also a gifted singer, and she has the heart of a woman. Her love, courage and perseverance made this novel enjoyable for me. I found myself cheering for her all the way. Wondering if I would have been as strong in her circumstances. Fearing I wouldn't be.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the other characters as well, especially Perry ~ who wouldn't fall in love with an oceanic, tangle-haired blond, green-eyed hunk with a falcon tatooed to his muscular back? :] Not to mention his tender heart and his ability to sense everything you wanted... And, that he'd fight to the death for you... Need I say more??? Other characters I loved like Roar, a charming George Clooney-type who's gorgeous, has the Audie gift of hearing, and is Perry's sworn friend; Marron, an Elton-Johnish privateer who loves "antiques," offers safety and befriends Perry and all; and Cinder, a churlish little boy who channels the firey, Aether skies. There are so many interesting and obnoxious creatures in this otherworld of Veronica Rossi's, you'll love to read about them.

I agree with the synopsis above, there's no wonder Warner Bros. has opted this for the screen. It's a fabulous novel with great heart. Veronica Rossi is a wonderful writer of this genre. I would certainly buy anything else she wrote.

All that being said, I have to give the book a lesser literary rating than I would ordinarily. The reason is because it does drag at the beginning, and it did take some time before I became involved with the characters. When I asked myself why I stuck with the book, it only had to be that the writing held promise as I mentioned before.

I do recommend "Under the Never Sky" with the caution that you may need to give some patience to the book at first. But, if you will be patient, this novel will transport you like few ever do.

4 stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

See what Vernoica Rossi has to say about her book!!

Giveaway!!! "Pies & Prejudice:The Mother-Daughter Book Club" by Heather Vogel Frederick

2012-02-18T04:40:00.001-08:00

Published by: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 371

Plus: Bookgroup Questions, Author's Notes

and an Excerpt/Preview of her next

Mother-Daughter Book Club book!

GIVEAWAY !!!

Heather is giving a copy of her book to the

winner drawn from entries by Feb. 29th

TO ENTER:

Please leave your name, an email address

and follow me on Google at the sidebar!

Good luck to everyone!

Summary of the Book:

From School Library Journal

Gr 6-9–Fans of the series will not be disappointed with this installment. With four effervescent heroines, several budding romances, an ambitious cooking venture, and a hefty pinch of drama, Pies has instant teen appeal, even more so if readers are Anglophiles. When Emma's family announces they are moving to England for a year, the book club selects Pride & Prejudice in honor of their adventure and keeps up regular meetings via webcam. Austen fans will appreciate the character nods: Emma deflects the advances of a Mr. Collins-like oaf, Megan falls for the amiable Simon Berkeley (aka Mr. Bingley), and Cassidy spends much energy detesting Tristan Berkeley, the obvious but nonetheless enjoyable Mr. Darcy character. For teens who may not recognize these parallels, the author makes them clear with quotes at the head of each chapter, as well as pointed comparisons made by the characters themselves. With interesting facts about Austen interspersed throughout, and a visit to relevant sites in England incorporated, this book makes an excellent introduction to one of the most masterful–and popular–writers of all time. Don't be surprised if 12-year-olds start checking out Pride & Prejudice after reading this teen-tailored adaptation.

The Dame's Review :

I was taken back to my youthful days of reading Nancy Drew novels when I picked up "The Mother-Daughter Book Club: Pies & Prejudice," not because it's written in an old-fashioned manner at all, but because it's so refreshingly written for girls. You can feel the wholesomeness of the characters lift right off the page, and that's such a wonderful quality, too. It's nostalgic for me as a grandmother. And it must be perfectly delightful for girls of 6-9th grades. A valuable commodity in today's world. I understand this is one of the last books dealing with the four teen aged friends in the Mother-Daughter Book Club, and it's been an amazingly popular series. I can see why after reading this fine book. Perhaps Ms Frederick will graduate the girls to a young adult level along with their readers!

Heather Vogel Frederick grew up in New England and spent her middle school years in Concord, Massachusetts, the town where the Mother-Daughter Book Club stories take place. Concord is a small town with a great deal of history attached to it. Concord Academy for girls, a very prestigious and historical school, is located there...a prep school Caroline Kennedy supposedly attended as a girl. The town is known for its close community and healthy New England ways, as well as its intellectual inhabitants living just outside of Boston. Interesting fodder for her Book Club girls and moms!

Ms Frederick is obviously an accomplished writer, including the "Patience Goodspeed" books, and she currently lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two sons. Before she became a prolific and beloved writer, she was a journalist. I'm sure she was fabulous at that job, as well!

What impresses me about Heather's writing is her ability to impart a wholly positive attitude through her four young girls as they surmount the inevitable crises in their lives. Surviving school and personal situations is never easy, but these girls and the handling of their personal relationships provides a firm guiding light for middle school readers. I enjoyed her showing how teen aged girls think and speak their truth. Really humorous passages!

The only critique I would have is that at times I felt they were a bit too juvenile for their supposed ages in their boy-girl relationships. There was a Pollyana attitude that sometimes took over scenes. Difficult to keep the delicate balance all the time of teen agers vs preteen audiences! For the most part though, my earlier evaluation stands.

While this story is great fun and may guide young readers toward a love for Jane Austen's novel, it also serves to remind us that friendships are very special in our lives. It shows girls that people may not always be what they appear to be on first impression. And, it supports the ultimate joys of reading!

If you're thinking of or are already in a mother-daughter book club, I highly recommend this book. Recently, I received a couple of notes from women wondering if I had suggestions for their groups. It's difficult to know what book may appeal to which levels these days. Heather Vogel Frederick's books in this series will absolutely appeal to the middle school aged group, I think. You'll find her books and many, many reviews on Amazon.com

4 stars

I thought this video on YouTube was interesting in someone's unauthorized casting of the four friends in the Book Club: :]

What books influenced you as a young reader?

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Adult Perspective: "Everneath" by Brodi Ashton~YA Goes General Fiction

2012-02-18T02:44:00.003-08:00

Published by: Balzer & Bray/Harper Collins

Pages: 240

Genre: YA Fiction/Paranormal

Cover Rating:

Let's face it, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this cover. It is perfection. It reeks of young adult delights; i.e., the beautiful girl dressed in her gorgeous flowing red dress that implies goddess-like qualities. Persephone is referred to on the cover, so there's no guessing there...fire and smoke included, and the script used in flaming red is the cherry on top! Dear Brodi Ashton's name is thrown in there almost as an after-thought. :] Rated: A+

Summary :

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.
As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.
Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.

The Dame's Review:
Compulsively readable, this book is electric with sinister plot and beautiful creatures both living and other-worldly. Brodi Ashton's primary character, Nikki Beckett, is vastly intelligent, savvy to teen aged angst and well aware of the intricacies of the Everneath...which is, by the way, that Underworld we may or may not be sent to in our afterlife. I was completely captivated by this novel. It carried me back to my days of mythological studies. 'Though this novel lent a whole new setting and a bit of a scramble on the Orpheus and Eurydice, or Persephone theme at times, it was a read I haven't experienced in quite a while. I enjoyed it immensely.

I have one bone to pick and that is that it was confusing and difficult to take in all the details about Ashton's Everneath, the Everlastings, the Feed, the Shades, etc., within the first chapter or two of the book. While I was trying to get a grip on who the main players were, this other information caused me to turn to some good old-fashioned note taking to keep all the names of people and things straight. Problem solved, but it might be an issue for some readers at the on-set of the novel. In terms of this, it shows a serious interest in symbolism.

Ashton's novel is so well contrived and so interesting that I couldn't allow that note taking to hold me back, however! I found the main characters of Nikki, her Everneath companion, Cole, and her "living side" high school hunk, Jack, completely beyond the pale. The struggles each of these three have; including, but not only, the problem of Nikki's decision to become an Everlasting or Immortal, so sharply written that I couldn't stop reading! I loved both of Nikki's love interests...how could she choose between them?? Gorgeous characters, interesting sub-characters, strange happenings all kept me turning pages as fast as I could.

Ms Ashton's debut with "Everneath" is a wonderful accomplishment. This book is not only a hit with the young adult community, but I'm sure those over 20's are going to snap it up, too, once the word gets out. She is a fantastic writer who has given us a novel with the same intrigue and momentum as a "Hunger Games" and/or "Wither," and I was thrilled to see that she left off with the clear indication of a sequel. The ending was excruciating! I don't want to wait for the 2nd book, please!!

This is a YA novel that I can recommend to my adult friends and readers. You'll be sure to enjoy the retelling of the Persephone myth, but on a modern, slightly more convoluted scale. It's a refreshing difference. Don't expect perfection or strict adherence to the myth...just enjoy the ride!!

4 stars

Enjoy this video, too!

What do you think? Going to try it?

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Giveaway Entry Reminder: "For the Love of Miss Austen: A Janeite Valentine's Week Extravaganza"

2012-02-17T00:59:00.001-08:00

Please Note: If you have left comments hoping to

enter any of the Giveaways

this week of the Jane Austen Review Giveaways~

Your entry cannot be processed without

an email address attached!!

Some of you have not left email addresses!!!

Please check to make sure your

Giveaway entry is complete!!!

Winners will be chosen

on February 29th

A possible inclusion in the Mystery Bundle!! :]

Thank you for following and joining

in the Giveaway fun

this Valentine's Week

Hugs,

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Mr. Darcy's Letter" by Abigail Reynolds~A Worthy Variation of "Pride & Prejudice"

2012-02-17T00:17:00.003-08:00

Published by: Intertidal Press

Pages: 262

Genre: Fiction/Historical Romance~Classic Variation

Ms. Reynold's website: http://www.pemberleyvariations.com/

Summary:

A lady's reputation is a fragile thing. If anyone ever discovered that Miss Elizabeth Bennet had received a letter from a single gentleman, she could be ruined... or forced to marry a man she detests. In this Pride & Prejudice variation, Elizabeth takes the safer course and refuses to read Mr. Darcy's letter of explanation. Returning home unaware of Wickham's true nature, Elizabeth confesses everything to him, putting both Mr. Darcy and herself in grave danger from Wickham's schemes.

Portrait of an Author: Abigail Reynolds is a lifelong Jane Austen enthusiast and a physician. In addition to writing, she has a part-time private practice and enjoys spending time with her family. Originally from upstate New York, she studied Russian, theater, and marine biology before deciding to attend medical school. She began writing From Lambton to Longbourn in 2001 to spend more time with her favorite characters from Pride and Prejudice. Encouragement from fellow Austen fans convinced her to continue asking "What if...?" which led to four other Pemberley Variations and her modern novel, Pemberley by the Sea. She is currently at work on another Pemberley Variation and a sequel to Pemberley by the Sea. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two teenaged children, and a menagerie of pets.

The Bookish Dame's Review :

What if Lizzy refused to read Darcy's letter of intent? And, what if she found Wickham to be a likely confidant? Oh, no!! A twisted and horrendous turn of fate for all concerned, perhaps. This variation by Abigail Reynolds is told with such strict adherence to the practical writings of Jane Austen that you can almost believe Miss Austen herself wrote another ending to "Pride and Prejudice!" I was cringing and worrying all the way to the end of this perfect rendition of the original, with a twist. Of all the authors who write variations and adaptations and such on our dear Jane's books, Abigail Reynolds is the real McCoy!! She's good enough to ghost-write, and that's the best compliment I can give her.

Take a few moments and visit her very extensive website where you can see and read about the collection of books she's written, read her reviews of other books written by Austen-worshippers, and learn a tremendous amount about Jane Austen and contemporaries. I can't hope to tell you all there is to find, nor can I hope this review would live up to what you'll find there.

You'll also want to follow Abigail on Facebook where she'll keep you up on all the latest books having to do with our Miss Austen subjects!

So, without holding you up further, please do yourself a favor and go to Abigail's website: http://www.pemberleyvariations.com/ and buy "Mr. Darcy's Letter" either on line at your favorite book store, or get a copy for your Kindle or Nook! This is a quick and exciting read. Don't worry like I did...it all turns out in the end!

5 peaceful stars!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Spare yourself 5 minutes to watch and listen to this most beautiful video:

"Jane Austen Made Me Do It..." Compiled by Laurel Ann Nattress ~ Valentine's Week Tiny Tidbits

2012-02-16T21:11:00.002-08:00

Published by: Ballentine Books/Random House

Pages: 434

A Compliation of Various Authors

Edited by: Laurel Ann Nattress

http://www.austenprose.com/

GIVEAWAY !!!

Laurel Ann Nattress is offering a signed

paperback copy of her book

TO Enter: Please leave a comment about

your favorite Jane Austen character, leave your name

and email address...and follow/friend me

on the sidebar

GOOD LUCK!

Giveaway Ends: Feb. 29th

Book Cover Rating:
I love this cover! Loved it from the moment I saw it! The Austenish girl peeking out from behind hot pink grosgrain ribbon with "Jane Austen Made Me Do It" all over it is genius. The ribbon crisscross is mindful of our fancy, decorative posting boards,. The smattering of faux calling cards with authors' names set randomly behind the ribbons is enough to call us in for the "buy;" these authors have rank!! And Laurel Ann Nattress's name as the Editor is a stand out with its pearl tipped straight pin. Absolutely A+

Overview:
JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart is a new short story anthology edited by Laurel Ann Nattress and available in trade paperback and eBook format.

This delightful collection inspired by Jane Austen—her novels, her life, her wit, her world—features an introduction and twenty-two never-before-published stories written by twenty-five authors from a diverse range of interests and writing experience; their uniting link is their admiration and love of the literary great, Jane Austen.
In Lauren Willig’s “A Night at Northanger,” a young woman who doesn’t believe in ghosts meets a familiar specter at the infamous abbey; Jane Odiwe’s “Waiting” captures the exquisite uncertainty of Persuasion’s Wentworth and Anne as they await her family’s approval of their betrothal; Adriana Trigiani’s “Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane” imagines a modern-day Austen giving her niece advice upon her engagement; in Diana Birchall’s “Jane Austen’s Cat,” our beloved Jane tells her nieces “cat tales” based on her novels; Laurie Viera Rigler’s “Intolerable Stupidity” finds Mr. Darcy bringing charges against all the writers of Pride and Prejudice sequels, spin-offs, and retellings; in Janet Mullany’s “Jane Austen, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!” a teacher at an all-girls school invokes the Beatles to help her students understand Sense and Sensibility; in Jo Beverley’s “Jane and the Mistletoe Kiss,” a widow doesn’t believe she’ll have a second chance at love . . . until a Miss Austen suggests otherwise; and one story from a debut voice, Brenna Aubrey, the Grand Prize winner of the Jane Austen Made Me Do It Short Story Contest.

Regency or contemporary, romantic or fantastical, each of these marvelous stories reaffirms the incomparable influence of one of history’s most cherished authors.

The Dame's Personal Favorite:
This was a tough one for me, and I really can't say I have an ultimate favorite, since I loved all the stories in this fabulous collection. The authors are hand-picked, just like you wish every book would be in a very special and newly discovered small bookstore you've ferreted out somewhere. These stories are like beautifully iced cupcakes at a tea party...just carefully crafted and delicately written without a word to spare. I will always cherish my personal volume and, I'm sure, will return to it over the years.That being said, I have chosen one story to talk about that I loved because it had to do with one of my very favorite Jane Austen characters, Captain Wentworth. Capt. Wentworth is a favorite because he's a man with so much heart and feeling. So earnest and caring, Wentworth is a man with undying devotion, his few heartfelt expressions to Anne Elliot stole my heart in "Persuasion" and in this story. He's a man who never forgot his love for Anne, and was willing to endure anything for her. I fell in love with him when his heart was laid bare and broken in "Persuasion." Such amazing verbal expressions...I'm still moved every time I read this Austen book or his quotes.

Because of her wonderful extension reminiscent of my favorite Austen story, I want to recommend "Waiting" to you by Jane Odiwe. Ms Odiwe is a writer who kept to the truth of Jane Austen's characters. She's an author whose books I'm dying to read after having a taste of her talents in this short story. While the whole of the tension between all the parties doesn't completely translate in this new adaptation, we get a hearty flavor of the original and enough to enjoy another few moments with them.

Jane Odiwe lives in North London and Bath with her husband, family and two cats. More than anything she loves a house full of people, music and good books, which is just as well, because that's the norm! She is the author of Effusions of Fancy, Lydia Bennet's Story, Willoughby's Return, and Mr. Darcy's Secret. When she isn't writing, she loves painting watercolors, expecially of Jane Austen and the world in which she lived.

In addition, I want to compliment Laurel Ann Nattress once again for the extraordinary gift of compiling this fabulous book of stories inspired by our Miss Austen. I've never read anything quite like it. Her choices of authors leaves no stone unturned. Only the best and the brightest are included in this collection. I don't know how Laurel Ann managed to find her way through what must have been a multitude of submissions!!

Others of my favorite stories include: Jane Austen's Nightmare by Syrie James; A Night at Northanger by Lauren Willig; and Intolerable Stupidity by Laurie Viera Rigler starring Lady Catherine de Bourgh as a Judge!!

All I can tell you is that this book needs to be on your Jane Austen shelf. What? You don't have an Austen shelf on your bookcase? Time you did.... And this is the short story collection to have.

5 stars!!

Hope you enjoy this video of Laurel Ann Nattress giving a talk about her book!!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Giveaway!! "Midnight in Austenland" by Shannon Hale ~ Extraordinarily Delightful!

2012-02-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

Published by: Bloomsbury

Pages: 272

Genre: Fiction/Mystery

Cover Rating:

I love this cover! Beautiful background of a Pemberleyish mansion at "midnight" and in moonlit night gives the hint of a mystery. It's further telling with the woman dressed in period clothing with a modern flashlight in her hands...a farse? Perfectly set in title w/ mixed font in gold oval topped with scroll hints at the mixture of past & present, as well. And the author's name is properly high-lighted...beneath, telling her already well-known books. This cover gives every insight into what you'd hope to find in the book! Rated: A+

GIVEAWAY !!!!!

Ms Hale is generously giving away

a hardback copy of

her "Midnight in Austenland" book!

To Enter this giveaway:

Simply leave your name and email in the comments

and follow/friend me on the sidebar!

Giveaway ends: February 29th

Good Luck!

Summary:

When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.
Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?
The follow-up to reader favorite Austenland provides the same perfectly plotted pleasures, with a feisty new heroine, plenty of fresh and frightening twists, and the possibility of a romance that might just go beyond the proper bounds of Austen's world. How could it not turn out right in the end?

Meet the Author: Ms Hale is the author of two previous novels for adults, "Austenland" and "The Actor and the Housewife." Her novels for young adults include the Newberry Award-winning bestseller "Princess Academy," the Books of Bayern series, and "Book of a Thousand Days," and she has cowritten two graphic novels for young readers, Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack, with her husband, Dean Hale. They live with their four small children near Salt Lake, Utah.

Interesting Facts from Shannon: In 2009, I began working on a screenplay of austenland with veteran screenwriter Jerusha Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre). Such fun! Things progressed, and in 2011, we shot the movie in England, directed by Jerusha and starring an outstanding cast.
Keri Russell - Jane
Bret McKenzie - Martin
JJ Feild - Mr. Nobley
Jennifer Coolidge - Miss Charming
Jane Seymour - Mrs. Wattlesbrook
Georgia King - Lady Heartwright
James Callis - Colonel Andrews
Ricky Whittle - George East
Rupert Vansittart - Mr. WattlesbrookCheck out her blog at: http://www.squeetus.com/ for more information on both Austenland and Midnight in Austenland, and to see trailers and such! Many of the characters above are found in "Midnight..."

For an excerpt to read of "Midnight in Austenland" go to:
http://www.squeetus.com/stage/mia_excerpt.pdf

The Dame's Review :
Witty, audacious, and high-spirited, you'll find this Austen-inspired book a travelog of the greatest fun! From the first pages I knew I was in for it. I like the smart, sarcastic tone of a woman scorned and flippant about it. There's plenty of that here. It was just good for the soul!

Although not much is given away in the book's summary above, I want to say that this book reminded me of the "murder mystery parties" we used to have in the early 1990's. Are any of you that old? LOL Parties when we would have a staged plot and the dinner guests would have to figure out what the details were and "who doneit." While this isn't the breadth and width of "Midnight in Austenland," as you can tell from the summary, it is a part of the novel and adds to the fun and mystery. The setting is an escape that Charlotte chooses in England to live in an Austenish inspired vacation village. Pure fun for all, including the reader!

Ms Hale is an experienced writer without a doubt. It's not difficult to see why she's the recipient of prestigious awards. Her book moves along at a rapid pace. The plot weaves in and out of Charlotte's attempts to carry off her Austenland character, her realistic thoughts, and her ever curious mind. She isn't actively seeking a love interest, but one never knows what strange connects can be made in a crazy alter-world.

Shannon Hale has created a wonderful, slapstick of a novel that's not to be missed. I was absolutely delighted in the reading!

5 Austenish stars!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

You don't want to miss this

GIVEAWAY !!!!

GIVEAWAY!! "Jane Austen:Blood Persuasion" by Janet Mullany ~ Loveable and Delectable!

2012-02-16T00:18:00.000-08:00

Published by: William Morrow/HarperCollins

Pages: 286

Genre: Fiction/Paranormal

Visit Author: http://www.janetmullany.com/

Find Janet also on Facebook and Twitter

Ms Mullany's Previous Novel

Prequel to "JA: Blood Persuasion"

GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Janet Mullany has generously offered to giveaway

a copy of her book!

TO ENTER:

Leave your name and email in the comments,

and follow/friend me on the sidebar!

WINNER ANNOUNCED Feb. 29th

Summary of "Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion"
It is 1810, and the Damned are out of favor—banished from polite society. Jane Austen’s old undead friends have become new neighbors, raising hell in her tranquil village just in time to interrupt Jane’s work on what will be her masterpiece. Suddenly Jane’s niece is flirting dangerously with vampires, and a formerly respectable spinster friend has discovered the forbidden joys of intimate congress with the Damned (and is borrowing Jane’s precious silk stockings for her assignations). Writing is simply impossible now, with murderous creatures prowling the village’s once-peaceful lanes. And with the return of her vampire characteristics, a civil war looming between factions of the Damned, and a former lover who intends to spend eternity blaming her for his broken heart, Jane is facing a very busy year indeed.

Meet the Author:

The author of Jane and the Damned, Janet Mullany was reared in England on a diet of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer and now lives near Washington, D.C. She has worked as an archaeologist, waitress, draftsperson, radio announcer, performing arts administrator, proof-reader, and bookseller.

The Dame's Interview with Ms Mullany:
Hi, Janet, I'm so happy you've agreed to an interview! I loved "Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion" and can't wait to find out more about you. It's always fun to pick an author's brain! Have some questions for you...Thanks so much for inviting me! Ask away …poem Austen wrote, "Mock Panegyric on a Young Friend," addressed to her niece Anna, who is one of the characters in the book:
1) First of all, please tell us a special something about what makes you "tick." When you aren’t writing, what are you doing?I read. I think it’s the most important thing a writer can do when not writing. I usually have something I’m reading on my kindle on the commute to the day job and something else I’m reading at night before I go to sleep. I also like music, particularly opera and baroque music although I don’t go to nearly as many live performances as I’d like.

2) You chose a specific genre, a place and time to write about, what made you choose it?Laziness. I thought I knew a lot about the Regency period, which in some respects I do, but for my Austen-vamp books I had to do a lot of research

.3) Please share with your readers where you like to write. Do you have a particular space or desk? What can you see from your desk? Do you have props you use to write from? What about special "charms?"I have an office that faces south west and gets a lot of light. It is also warm in the winter and cool in the summer—in other words, it’s the best room in the house! I share it only with the cat. I can see what’s going on outside in the street and there’s a large oak tree outside. I think the only item that qualifies as a prop or charm, other than the cat who inspires by sleeping, is my kitchen timer, which I use when I really have trouble getting going.

4) In your opinion, what makes a book a great one? A book you can reread and find something new in every time. Like Austen!

5) Which author(s) most influenced your love of books from childhood? C.S. Lewis—as I grew older I recognized the Christian symbolism but it didn’t bother me particularly (see the next question), Kipling (ditto the jingoism, but he’s such a great wordsmith), Rosemary Sutcliff, Edith Nesbit. They’re all writers I’ve reread as an adult.

6) Read any good books in the past 6 months?"To End All Wars" by Adam Hochschild, which is about the first world war; "The Magician’s Book" by Laura Miller about C.S. Lewis, "The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen" by Lindsay Ashford, and a reread of "Sense & Sensibility."

7) Please share with us the underlying message of your book. What would you like your readers to take away after having read the book?I’m very uncomfortable about fiction having messages. If a reader learns an important life lesson from my books I don’t even want to know because that would make me feel under some sort of moral obligation for future works. I’m writing mass market fiction and the goal is to entertain. I hope I’ve done that as well as leave readers fainting away from the beauty of my prose and urging their friends and family to buy a copy or two.

8) Were you able to keep your original title? What was it, if not?My original title was "Charms of Flesh and Bone," a line from a
Another world must be unfurled,
Another language known,
Ere tongue or sound can publish round
Her charms of flesh and bone.Oh, that is so absolutely charming, Janet! It fits so well with your book. Perfect!

9) Is there a song or music in general that might best represent your book as a theme song?Not really. I listened to quite a lot of opera and Bach while I was writing it, and I find choral music excellent for love scenes. Not quite sure why.   I agree with you. Something about Vampires and their gothic beauty is operatic. I've often wondered if Bach were a vampire!

10) If you could write your book again, what would you change?I would hate to have to write this book again! It was very hard to write. I think what I would do is spend more time in Chawton. There’s a lot of educated guesswork and peering at maps and I did visit Austen’s house and the Great House, but I should have spent a lot more time in the area.

11) What was the worst distraction you had to fight through while writing your book?My natural inclination to laziness and the siren call of the internet.

12) What did you feel or think when you held the first copy of your book in your hands?I find once I have the book in my hands the emotional connection isn’t really there. It’s become a product. It’s nice to touch the cover and to flip through and recognize what you wrote: at the same time it’s really the point of no return. I do, however, get very excited about seeing my books in libraries.   That's very interesting, Janet. No one has said that about seeing their book in a library before!

13) Tell us a secret about your book we wouldn’t otherwise know, please!I think it’s one of the sexiest books I’ve written. There’s very little explicit material but a lot of yearning and desire.   I agree! I didn't really understand that en sanglant when I first read that Jane experienced it in close connection with the "Damned" vampires. But, I soon got the full intention! It's a very sexy addition to an Austenesque book! :]

Thank you for bending to these busybody questions, Janet! It’s been a pleasure from my end of things!Thank you for having me visit

.The Dame's Review:
Exceptionally good reading, this novel of Jane Austen, her sister, Cassandra; her feisty little niece, Anna; her mother and their close friend and housekeeper, Martha, is set in the sleepy little village of Chawton. What shakes up an otherwise pleasant but routine existence for them is the new neighbors...renting Jane's brother's house. A family of vampires including Jane's creator, Fitzwilliam/Fitzpatrick, the handsome vampire who became Jane's "maker" when the French and English were battling and the help of the "Damed," those recognized as vampires, was required to win against the forces of Napoleon. Jane's worried about the safety of her family given the hunger and lack of morality of most of the vampires she knows! It's the push-pull of these gorgeous creatures, their blood lust ways and their enticings of the innocents vs. Jane's eagerness to protect and not fall back into her own vampiric ways that makes this a wonderful read. Not to mention Jane's love interests... :]

Janet Mullany's research is impeccable. But, more than that, she writes with such believability. Every scene is beautifully rendered; so much so that you can hear the china tea cups clink in Mrs. Austen's drawing room, and the see the crystal chandeliers gleam in the gothic ballroom of Fitzpatrick's house. I felt like swooning myself as she describes the dazzling vampire men. Who could resist them? I have such a weakness for dark and mysterious, dangerous men...especially vampires! Mullany knows how to create them, and she places them like gems in her Georgian vignettes. I love Jane Austen, but dress her up with a struggle over three main, gorgeous vampires of the "Damned" and I'm there for the asking every time!

Anything Mullany writes should be a must read for those who love "mash ups" of Miss Austen. In this case, the book is so entertaining, engrossing from the start, including a beloved cast of characters that all Janeites will be familiar with. It's not possible to be anything other than delighted to be reading "Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion."    I loved it, and tried to read it in one sitting. Would have accomplished that, if it hadn't been for a grandson who wanted to go swimming all day!

5 stars for this brilliantly vampirish Jane!

Valentine's Week! "A Modern Day Persuasion" by Kaitlin Saunders~An Adaptation of Jane Austen's Classic

2012-02-15T10:33:00.001-08:00

"....An Adaptation of Jane Austen's Classic"

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 251

Author's website: http://www.kaitlin-saunders.com/

Summary:

Nearly eight years ago, Anne’s family, specifically her father, convinced her that she was too young to wed and insinuated that her fiancé Rick was solely interested in her wealth and status. Against her better judgment, Anne agreed to postpone the marriage, only to watch the love of her life walk away, never to be heard from again. Since then, time has not been kind, and with the family fortune now gone and Anne unable to move on with her life romantically, she struggles to make a name for herself as a greeting card designer. However, a series of serendipitous events causes Rick to re-enter her life, and at the same time a new beau seeks to claim her affections. The question that needs answering, however, remains the same: Can Anne recover from her previous rejection and love again?

What they're saying about Kaitlin Saunders:
“Kaitlin Saunders’ vivid re-imagining of Jane Austen’s posthumous classic Persuasion is superb in its straightforward plotting and wonderful pace, hallmarks of Austen herself. Her considerable skill in rendering a contemporary adaptation demonstrates her profound understanding of the underlying material that only serves to deepen the pleasure of the experience. Capturing the aesthetic of a modern romantic comedy while retaining the depth of Austen’s turn-of-the-century social commentary is no small feat, and A Modern Day Persuasion accomplishes this task with an ease and aplomb that consistently delivers laughs while forever staying loyal to the themes and situations that made it such a rich story over one hundred years ago.”

The Dame's Review:
This is one of the more gentle adaptations I've read. Kaitlin Saunders adds her touch of kindness and inspirational renderings to this Austen-inspired tale of misbegotten lovers, which lends a wide-eyed naivete to her novel. This touch along with her simplistic manner of storytelling gives an air of believability to the whole. It could be a story about any one's sister or cousin! There is a certain intimacy in this novel for all of that, and it made the reading very special...like actually having a "modern day" Jane Austen alive and writing.

I found myself having strong feelings about Anne's predicament as the daughter and sister who is swept aside by the self-centeredness of others. And, I found myself having strong reactions to the struggles she encountered as she tried to make her way back to her sweetheart, Rick, after having lost him so many years before.

Ms Saunders knows how to tip the balance from comedy to heartbreak, from frustration to disappointment in such a subtle way. This is beautifully maneuvered throughout her book. What is also beautifully maneuvered is the love story of Anne and Rick as it triumphs over all the obstacles and roadblocks set before them...and finally, arrives...safe and sound after all their years apart.

You'll love this "...Modern Day Persuasion." It's romantic.

5 stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Giveaway!!~"Mr. Darcy's Bite" by Mary Lydon Simonsen~ Jane Austen Mash-up!

2012-02-14T08:16:00.044-08:00

Genre: Fiction/Paranormal

Available: Ebook and Hardcopy

Author Website: http://www.marysimonsenfanfiction.blogspot.com/

Giveaway!!!

Ms. Simonsen will be sending a paperback copy of "Mr. Darcy's Bite" to a lucky winner!

This giveaway is for US only.

To Enter: Just leave your name & email and "follow/friend" me on the sidebar.

Giveaway ends on Feb. 29th

Overview:

Mr. Darcy has a secret...

Darcy is acting rather oddly. After months of courting Elizabeth Bennet, no offer of marriage is forthcoming and Elizabeth is first impatient, then increasingly frightened. For there is no denying that the full moon seems to be affecting his behavior, and Elizabeth's love is going to be tested in ways she never dreamed...

Darcy has more than family pride to protect: others of his kind are being hunted all over England and a member of Darcy's pack is facing a crisis in Scotland. It will take all of Elizabeth's faith, courage, and ingenuity to overcome her prejudice and join Darcy in a Regency world she never knew existed.

Who Is Ms Simonsen:

Mary Lydon Simonsen is the author of two Regency Austen re-imaginings, The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy and A Wife for Mr. Darcy, and a Jane Austen historical romance, Searching for Pemberley, which was acclaimed by Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and RT Book Reviews. She is well loved and widely followed on all the Jane Austen fanfic sites, with tens of thousands of hits and hundreds of reviews whenever she posts. The author lives in Arizona.

The Dame's Take:

Dear misbegotten Darcy has a dilemma. He's been infected by a werewolf and has the misfortune of howling and prowling the grounds of Pemberley at every full moon. What a horrible prospect for his bride-to-be, and what a horrendous burden of guilt! He knows he must inform poor Elizabeth Bennet so she can make a decision whether she will marry the night creature he sometimes becomes, or not. And, he must ask her to take dangerous risks on his behalf. Such issues tax a gentleman's heart and mind!

Enlisting the kindly help of his sister Georgiana, along with others of the Austen crowd familiar to those who love her books, Darcy quietly and efficiently brings Elizabeth into the knowing fold. But can she learn to love and accept a dark and gruesome were? It's certainly not what she bargained for...

Mary Lydon Simonsen is a crafty author whose tongue-in-cheek prose gives us a lively and fun trek into the adventure of these Jane Austen characters as they slip the light paranormal. I love her brilliant mind and her wit. I also love her ability to maintain the true character of these special people of Miss Austen's while adding such a strange conundrum to the mix!

This is a fun and beguiling book. It's one any of those of you who love an Austen mash-up will find extremely well written. Miss Austen's beloved characters have a romp that's sometimes serious and sometimes humorous. Not a heavy book, but a captivating paranormal for a stormy night.

5 stars

*In additon:

Ms Simonsen's newest book is: "Becoming Elizabeth Darcy"
Here's a summary:

In 2010, American, Elizabeth Hannigan, suffering from the swine flu, falls into a coma and wakes up in the bed and body of Elizabeth Bennet Darcy. Beth soon realizes that the only way back to her life in the 21st Century is through the master of Pemberley, Jane Austen's Fitzwilliam Darcy. But first she must discover the dark secret that brought her to Pemberley in 1826 in the first place. Becoming Elizabeth Darcy is the story of love, loyalty, and loss, where a very modern woman is called upon to resolve the problems of Jane Austen's most beloved couple. If you loved "Lost in Austen," you will enjoy the time-travel novel, "Becoming Elizabeth Darcy."

Don't forget to leave your name with your email

for the GIVEAWAY!!!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

"Life Eternal" by Yvonne Woon~Dead Beautiful Series is Hot!!

2012-02-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

Published by: Hyperion
Pages: 408
Genre: YA Fiction/Paranormal/Suspense
Author's website: http://www.yvonnewoon.com/

Cover Rating:
Beautiful cover, but I'm not sure I know from the cover images exactly what the book is about. I can see it is coming from a cold and snow-encrusted region, the canary in a cage is an interesting image, and the stony arch denotes an entry into an aged place. Otherwise, the girl is just pretty and we aren't sure how she relates to the title. Love the font used and the proper placement of title and author, as well as the designation that this is one in the series of the Dead Beautiful novels. The black scroll and lettering against the white and pale blue background is beautiful. Rating: B+

SYNOPSIS:

Renée Winters has changed. When she looks in the mirror, a beautiful girl with an older, sadder face stares back. Her condition has doctors mystified, but Renée can never reveal the truth: she died last May, and was brought back to life by the kiss of her Undead soul mate, Dante Berlin. Now, her separation from Dante becomes almost unbearable. His second life is close to an end, and each passing day means one less that she will spend with the boy who shares her soul. Just when Renée has almost given up hope, she learns of the Nine Sisters—brilliant scholars who, according to legend, found a way to cheat death. She can’t shake the feeling that they are somehow connected to her dreams, strange visions that hint at a discovery so powerful, and so dangerous, that some will stop at nothing to protect it. Renée thought she knew the truth about life and death. But there is a secret woven through history that holds the only hope for Dante and Renée. Unless they find answers soon, their time together is doomed to be cut short

Yvonne Woon grew up in Massachusetts, where she attended Worcester Academy. She is currently a graduate student at Columbia University, obtaining a Masters of Fine Arts in fiction. Dead Beautiful is her first book

*Please find out more interesting things about Ms Woon on her website: www.yvonnewoon.com

The Bookish Dame Reviews:
Interesting book. It's the talent of a good author that draws you in to want to read more about her main character. It's the capability of a gifted author that makes a character come to life such that the reader almost believes she's in that character's skin! And, it's the genius of an author that plots a story from fantasy and couches it in a real world setting, then makes you believe it could actually happen! Yvonne Woon is an author of awesome talents just like these. She had me captivated with interest in her characters right from the beginning.

I enjoyed this story about "monitors," people born with the talent to sense death or the undead...and who are charged with the duty of tracking them and putting them to "rest." The central figure in "Life Eternal" is Renee Winters, a 17 year old, orphaned, "rebirthed" monitor who is suspected of being immortal after having died in a previous year at her school, and then becoming "reactivated." Although Renee was actually only switching souls with her boyfriend, Dante, (whom we can only know best after having read the 1st book in this Dead Beautiful Series) the rest of the Monitoring world, including her grandfather, isn't sure just what really happened to her. It's a central bone of contention in this book of the series, as is Renee and Dante's quest to keep themselves and their love alive.

Rich in detail and characterization, in a make-believe world in Maine and Montreal that actually seems possible at times, and in the depth of loving relationships between friends and family, this book is a very good read. I love fantasy, paranormals like this one! The ghoulish isn't made into too much a farse, it's made to feel close to real, and I love that. And, as an aside, I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Woon's references to the intellectual: libraries, book stacks, professorial types and such. Yummy reading highlights for a bookaholic...

If you're looking for an engaging, suspense read on the paranormal side with some kindly, intelligent figures and a very good storyline, this book is for you. Yvonne Woon is a snappy writer, young and upbeat with a smooth sense of dialog and a way with words. Her introduction of the Nine Sisters adds a welcomed depth to her series. It's great fun to read her book. And, I relish the fact that this is only the 2nd book in the series...the ending left me hanging on for the next one coming!! Good young adult fiction that adults will like very much. We need this series in our collection!

5 Stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

See Also:

This is the first book in the "Dead Beautiful Series" by Yvonne Woon

GIVEAWAY!! "Caroline Bingley" by Jennifer Becton~ May Reflect The "..itch" In All of Us!!

2012-02-13T09:34:00.000-08:00

Book: Caroline Bingley

Pages: 262

Author Jennifer Becton

Genre: Fiction/Jane Austen Mash-Up

Website: http://www.bectonliterary.com/

Author's Blurb:

Caroline Bingley: Jane Austen fans love to hate her. We cannot forgive her for attempting to separate her brother Charles from Jane Bennet, nor can we forget that she had her eye on Mr. Darcy. Moreover, Caroline can be catty, manipulate, and downright unpleasant. Pride and Prejudice left me wondering why Caroline would take such manipulative actions against her own family and friends and why she was such a shrew. So I delved into her psyche to find the answer, and--horror of horrors!--I actually found myself understanding and sympathizing with her. I couldn't help but wonder how she would cope once Jane and Elizabeth joined her social circle. What will she do next? And most importantly, can dear, sweet Caro ever find true love?

GIVEAWAY Included!!! Jennifer Becton is offering a free book: your choice of an ebook in an international contest!

Entry: Just leave a comment, your name and email address & follow me on the side bar.

How did you feel about Caroline?

Summary:

When Charles Bingley and Mr. Darcy made proposals of marriage to the Bennet sisters at the end of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Caroline Bingley was both distressed by her brother's choice of bride and humiliated by Mr. Darcy's rejection of her. And she made her objections known.

Now banished from her brother's household, Caroline must return to her mother's home in the north of England until she can make amends with both Bennet sisters. Desperate though Caroline may be to return to polite company, she absolutely refuses to apologize to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and instead, she seeks an alternative route back into society in the form of Mr. William Charlton, heir to a barony.

Through her connections with Mr. Charlton's sister Lavinia, Caroline begins to infiltrate the household in the hopes of securing the gentleman and his title for herself. However, she must also contend with her vexing emotions regarding Mr. Patrick Rushton, a once-wealthy landowner, and the meddlesome opinions of Mrs. Rosemary Pickersgill, the companion sent by her brother.

When all that Caroline has ever dreamed of attaining--an ancient family name, a title, and a home of her own--is finally within her reach, will she grasp for it even if it means disregarding the workings of her own heart? Or will she cast off the trappings of society and give herself to true love?

The Bookish Review:

I was drawn to this book because secretly, I've always sympathized with Caroline Bingley. Afterall, she saw Darcy first, she was friends with him first, and her brother was his best friend...didn't she have a right to feel she could be considered the obvious choice for his wife? I thought Darcy's leaving her in the cold was a bit heartless. And, Jane Austen's treatment of poor Caroline as a villianous, hateful creature seemed harsh. She was the jilted maiden, wasn't she?

Thus, Jennifer Becton's book, "Caroline Bingley" gave me hope that someone else held that sneaking suspicion that she wasn't all bad, but was only acting like "a woman scorned." A young woman whose social pressures got the best of her.

Ms Becton employs a wonderful, descriptive hand with her book. Caroline is very much in character as Austen presents her in the beginning, and she then grows into a more sane and understandable character as love and opportunity finally flow her way. At least, I think she does!!

Filled with a touch of the ironic and the forgiving spirit, this book will help you understand and, perhaps, learn to tolerate poor, grasping Caroline better. I, for one, had a great treat in reading the book! I'll never see Miss Bingley the same again!

Highly recommended as a continuation of "Pride and Prejudice" by a very talented writer.

5 stars

Who is Jennifer Becton?

Jennifer has worked in the publishing industry for twelve years as a proofreader, copy editor, and freelance writer. In 2010, she accepted the challenge to self-publish her first novel Charlotte Collins: A Continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Upon discovering the possibilities of the expanding ebook market, she created Whiteley Press, an independent publishing house, and has since sold more than 55,000 books. Caroline Bingley, Jennifer's second historical novel, was released in October 2011.

Jennifer also writes thrillers under the pseudo-pseudonym J. W. Becton. Absolute Liability, the first in the six-book Southern Fraud Thriller Series, made the Amazon Kindle Best Sellers list and spent three nonconsecutive weeks on the Indie Reader Best Sellers list. Death Benefits (SF2) is out now and At Fault (SF3) will be released in 2012. The Southern Fraud series blends suspense, humor, and Southern charm with just a touch of romance. If you enjoy reading humorous mysteries or watching TV crime dramedies like Castle or The Mentalist, you should like the Southern Fraud series. For more information on Jennifer's thrillers, visit http://www.jwbecton.com/.

Please stop by and check out her newest book on Amazon:

And read an excerpt:

http://www.scribd.com/embeds/76443304/content?start_page=1&view

"Outside the Lines" by Amy Hatvany~Loving When It's Hard To Do

2012-02-12T23:37:00.000-08:00

Published by: Washington Square Press

Pages: 384

Genre: General Fiction

Cover Rating :

Simple font and clear intro to title and author. I'm not sure it tells me much in terms of the picture, though. Book must have something to do with a father and little daughter. I like the soft colors of the cover. From the canvases stacked in the background, and facing the wall, I suspect the book has something to do with the dad being an artist. Peaks interest enough to read the back for a summary. Rated: B

Summary :

When Eden was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding out on the bathroom floor. The suicide attempt led to her parents’ divorce, and David all but vanished from Eden’s life. Since childhood, she has heard from him only rarely, just enough to know he’s been living on the streets and struggling with mental illness. But lately, there has been no word at all.

Now in her thirties, Eden decides to go look for her father, so she can forgive him at last, and finally move forward. When her search uncovers other painful truths—not only the secrets her mother has kept from her, but also the agonizing question of whether David, after all these years, even wants to be found—Eden is forced to decide just how far she’ll go in the name of love.

Author Intro.: Amy was born in Seattle, WA in 1972, the youngest of three children. She graduated from Western Washington University in 1994 with a degree in Sociology only to discover most sociologists are unemployed. Soon followed a variety of jobs – some of which she loved, like decorating wedding cakes; others which she merely tolerated, like receptionist. In 1998, Amy finally decided to sell her car, quit her job, and take a chance on writing books.

The Bookish Dame Reviews:

Sometimes it's good to color outside the lines. It leaves the confines of the ordinary and helps us break with the traditional ways of thinking and working through problems, and it causes us to "think outside the box," as they say...which helps us access our greatest creative, artistic potential. In some cases, however, being 'outside the lines' can mean walking just enough out of step of the norm that it makes one an "outsider," and a stranger to society. Love and lovers become distant, and society breaks off from the outsider leaving him isolated; often abandoned. Amy Hatvany addresses some of this outsider-ness and its effects on those who love the isolated ones in "Outside the Lines." It's a book I was so happy not to have missed reading. She is an author of astute comprehension of this relationship and the voids in those lives it can affect. She is an author capable of translating incredible feeling for us.

Ms Hatvany writes with such compassion and understanding of the heartbreak a child faces when she loses the father she loves. And, the earth-shattering fear she must have felt at finding her beloved father in a pool of blood, that preceded her losing him in other ways. It is the brutal thrust of that unconditional love of a child that causes Eden to cling to the hope of finding her father somewhat restored to health, and of regaining a loving relationship with him.

Mental illness is a life-threatening disease. It effects not only the sad and ravaged spirit of the ill person, but all of those who are closest to him or her. In child to parent relationships, it can have devastating and long-lasting effects that can prove crippling to the wholesome development of a child into adulthood. In Hatvany's book, she strives to present a story in which this struggle for healing of the spirit comes to complete the emotional health of Eden, herself. It's a journey that proves one often needs to be steely to cross into the unknown of human relationships...particularly into that area of those closest to us, and of those that are tenuous. And, it's a journey for Eden that starts out toward one goal, and finishes completing a totally different one.

I'm the child of a mentally ill parent; a father whom I adored as a little girl, and who escaped our reality into the closed cave of mental illness when I was four years old. He was never the same, though I tried all my life to "find him" and regain that loving relationship we had. I know some of the feelings and intentions of Amy Hatvany's story first hand.

Told in the most beautiful of prose, "Outside the Lines" is the kind of book that explores those things difficult to look at. Through her protagonist, Eden, she helps us find a way through the emotions and remembrances that may haunt us. Through Eden's journey we find mirrored some untold truths and harsh realities, and Amy brings her around to a fresher and renewed purpose and understanding of her father. As Eden finds a new center for her life, we come to see how she got there, and how she found acceptance that led to her own healing. What more can a novel hope to achieve?

This is a book I can recommend with whole-heart to everyone. I loved the book and its characters. It was refreshing that Amy Hatvany attempted to reach "outside the lines" for herself and for her readers.

5 stars

An Interview with Amy:

Hello, Amy, and welcome to A Bookish Libraria!
I’m so delighted you’ve agreed to allow us to get to know you and your book better through this quick interview. I have several questions!

First of all, please tell us a special something about your private life. When you aren’t writing, what are you doing? When I’m not writing, you can usually find me in the kitchen, whipping up something wonderful to feed my family or friends. Cooking is definitely another passion of mine. I think the biggest thing that makes me "tick" is personal growth – learning new things about myself and the world around me. The minute I stop doing that, I get bored!

You chose a specific genre, a place and time to write about, what made you choose it?With OUTSIDE THE LINES, I had a dream that sparked the idea of writing about a woman searching for her homeless father. I’m also very interested in the concept that a little madness often accompanies the creative life, so I was moved to explore that in the story.
Which author(s) most influenced your love of books from childhood? That’s a tough question! I was a huge reader as a child, up to ten books a week from the library, so picking out my favorites is a daunting task. Judy Blume, of course, influenced me, and probably the most haunting book I’ve ever read was Daphne Du Maurier’s REBECCA.
Please share with us the underlying message of your book. What would you like your readers to take away after having read the book?I think the most important message has to do with accepting people for who they are and the choices they make, even if they live differently than we do. I’d like readers to walk away with a different view of the homeless community; to perhaps re-evaluate any preconceptions they might have.
Were you able to keep your original title? What was it, if not?My original title was What You Wish For, but I am actually much happier with OUTSIDE THE LINES. It suits the overall story so well.

Read any good books in the past 6 months?You know, I’ve been so swamped writing and working on revisions, I haven’t had a lot of time to read and I miss it desperately!

In your opinion, what makes a book a great one?For me, personally, I have to become emotionally invested in the characters’ experiences. I need to care about and understand what happens to them, even if I might not always agree with their actions.

Please share with your readers where you like to write. Do you have a particular space or desk? I have a desk in an otherwise useless space in our home – though it’s kind of a thorough-fair for getting from the living room to the kitchen! The only thing I see when I’m sitting at my desk is my lap top and the stacks of manuscripts and notes all around me. My perfect environment for writing would actually be a room with no windows so I won’t get distracted. Is there a song or music in general that might best represent book as a theme song? Oh my, you are asking the wrong person about that! I don’t think musically at all – only in words! If you could write your book again, what would you change? Nothing. I’m very proud of it exactly as it is!

Tell us a secret about your book we wouldn’t otherwise know, please!
Hmm. Let’s see. The only thing I can think of is that I had never written from two separate viewpoints before this book, nor had I written from a male character’s point of view. Overall, I think my first attempt at these turned out well.

Great interview, Amy! Thank you for sharing with us.

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Giveaway Kick-Off Week! "The Phantom of Pemberley" by Regina Jeffers

2012-02-12T16:55:00.000-08:00

Giveaway Entry below for a 2 Book Mystery Package

with Serious Swag!!

Summary:

Happily married for over a year and more in love than ever, Darcy and Elizabeth can’t imagine anything interrupting their bliss-filled days. Then an intense snowstorm strands a group of travelers at Pemberley, and terrifying accidents and mysterious deaths begin to plague the manor. Everyone seems convinced that it is the work of a phan-tom—a Shadow Man who is haunting the Darcy family’s grand estate.

Darcy and Elizabeth believe the truth is much more menacing and that someone is trying to murder them. But Pem-berley is filled with family guests as well as the unexpected travelers—any one of whom could be the culprit—so unraveling the mystery of the murderer’s identity forces the newlyweds to trust each other’s strengths and work together.

     Written in the style of the era and including Austen’s romantic playfulness and sardonic humor, this suspense-packed sequel to Pride and Prejudice recasts Darcy and Elizabeth as a husband-and-wife detective team who must solve the mystery at Pemberley and catch the murderer—before it’s too late.

A Ghostly Review :
Regina Jeffers is a prolific author with much to say about our beloved Jane Austen and her characters. I think we'd be so bereft of continuations of our favorites were it not for her and her close keeping of the mannerisms and escapades of a blaze' Miss Austen. "The Phantom of Pemberley" is a story meant to be entertaining and read for the pure joy of visiting Darcy, Elizabeth and the usual suspects for a ghostly, murder mystery of a night out. But don't be fooled into thinking it's too light-hearted, there are bodies falling like flies--strange bedfellows and a storm to keep unlikely visitors trapped in a haunting.

You'll love reading this book. And, there are so many others of Ms Jeffers books to discover. She is a brilliant author who loves her subject, so Austen fans have a treasure trove to choose from.

More about her and her many books, and books she's reviewed can be found on her website at: http://rjeffers.com/

Read an excerpt of "The Phantom of Pemberley" here:
http://www.rjeffers.com/Excerpts/PhantomofPemberley.pdf

I hope you'll enter for the Mystery Giveaway! I wonder what you'd do if you were stuck in a snowstorm with the Darcy's at Pemberley only to be visited by a ghost and a murderer????

Just enter below!! The Giveaway ends Feb. 29th
                                            Good luck.... :]

*      ~        Here's the GIVEAWAY Doorway!!!   ~

Leave a comment with your name and email address, and please follow me at the sidebar!

Thanks for stopping by and come see the "Caroline Bingley" by Jennifer Becton review and Giveaway tomorrow!!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Giveaway Kindle: "Beyond Molasses Creek" by Nicole Seitz~Biracial Love & Kidnapping

2012-02-10T07:10:00.000-08:00

Published by: Thomas Nelson

Pages: Over 300

Genre: Fiction

Visit for the Giveaway: http://www.nicoleseitz.com/

Join Nicole and friends on the evening of February 16th for a Facebook Author Chat Party. She'll be talking about Beyond Molasses Creek, throwing out some trivia and giving away great prizes - including a Kindle Touch, some of her beautiful artwork and a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies for your book club/small group and a SKYPE chat with Nicole)!
Mark your calendar for 2/16/12 {5PM PST / 8PM EST} and come by for an evening of bookchat, making new friends and story sharing.

Let's Rate the Cover:

It must be said up front and with no surprise that I rarely review a book whose cover I abhor. This is no exception to that rule. I do love this cover. What's good about it: artwork, colors, patterns, placement of author's name, position of main images and fonts. The egret is a beautiful foil in balance to the girl holding her book. From the picture of the young woman, I get the feeling she's either prayerful or sad, or both. I'm curious because it's such a beautiful cover artistically. I think this cover makes us want read further. Rating: A

Overview:

Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship—he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.

As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.
A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.

About the Author:

Nicole Seitz is the author of several critically acclaimed novels - The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, and The Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Her paintings are featured on the covers of her books. Please see her website for view of her beautiful covers and artwork: http://www.nicoleseitz.com/

The Dame's Review:

I'm a huge fan of the exotic twist in a novel. I'm intrigued by books about women who do the unexpected/perhaps "wrong" thing in life by other's perceptions, reinvent themselves or survive a crisis and come out of it perhaps less "whole," but more wise and capable of real empathy. I also like a story that hints at travel to interesting places, along with an eventual coming home theme. Nicole Seitz offers all of that and more in "Beyond Molasses Creek." She is no novice to writing, and having come out of the very prestigious UNC Chapel Hill School of Journalism, you can believe that she understands how to convey her deepest thoughts. All of the above, plus amazing characterization makes her book top shelf. Let me state right up front that this is a book you'll be interested in reading; actually, it's a book worth savouring. I could not stop reading "Beyond Molasses Creek" from the Prologue to the end.

One of the most difficult things a Southern girl from a small town could ever face in the 1960's was interracial relationships. While Alley and Vesey shared the common bond of growing up together and finding their deep connection, this could never compensate for the overwhelmingly negative odds they faced in their community of a small town. Religion and "brotherly love" notwithstanding, their desire to be special friends could only bring disaster for them, and the only possible reaction for Alley of being an outcast in Molasses Creek. When a forced separation is imposed on their friendship, what follows is her escaping into travel to foreign countries, her eventual pregnancy out of wedlock, and the kidnapping of her beloved daughter.

It was heartbreaking to read about Alley's stolen daughter, Sunila's, harsh life in Nepal. Ms Seitz's grasp of the isolation of both mother and daughter and the emotional loss they felt was palpable. She provides us a good grasp of who Sunila is, her insecurities, and how she came to discover something more about her past.

Without spending time telling you the story of this book, let me say only that you who love a Southern woman's book will enjoy "Beyond Molasses Creek" very much. It is both a woman's story of love and independence, and a redemptive tale, and it's a story that will give you more than a small glimpse into the caring heart of a parent...especially a heavenly Parent. With roots in a Southern culture that harbors the strongest of human qualities for good and for bad, you will come to experience a universal sense of hope, I think, in relationships both natural and spiritual.

One of the things that spoke most sweetly to me was the symbolism of her father's dying and "calling her home" and his wanting to provide a resting place for her so she could stop "running." This part of the novel is so poignant and so beautifully rendered. And this is only one of the more touching parts of Ms Seitz's references to love, loyalty, forgiveness and redemption in this engaging book.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy an author of intelligence and fine storytelling. And to those who enjoy a woman's story...one with a strong woman character or two who is capable of overcoming adversity and loss to find her way "home." Like I did, you may come to love the waters of Molasses Creek, and you may find a word of inspiration there.

5 stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

*This review was provided in association with Litfuse Group, and a copy of the book was given to me for an honest review. Please visit the link for Litfuse to find more reviews of "Beyond Molasses Creek."

"The Star Child" by Stephanie Keyes

2012-02-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

This review brought to you by: Pump Up Your Book

Genre: Fiction/Paranormal

Ages: Adult and Young Adults

Author Website: http://www.stephaniekeyes.com/

The Book Summary:

Kellen St. James is just your average seventeen-year-old prodigy, but with a Yale degree, a photographic memory, and an addiction to everything 80s.
But what’s not so average about Kellen is the girl who’s been haunting his dreams for the last eleven years. When the sudden death of his grandmother takes him from the East Coast to the Irish Coast, he finds himself face to face with his own personal ghost and finds out that she’s just as real as he is. Plus she’s come spinning a tale about an ancient prophecy in which Kellen plays a key role.
Together they will travel through an underworld of faeries and demons, angels and gods, not to mention a really ticked off pack of wild dogs, all in order to save the world from darkness. But will they make it in time?

The Dame's Review:

This book was not what I'd hoped it would be when I first saw the write-up and cover. I've come to really enjoy paranormal/fantasy books, and I'm a particular fan of anything having to do with aliens from outer space. So, "Star Child" was a sure draw for me, but it didn't add up to the expectations I had. It proved to be something different entirely.

Stephanie Keyes is a fairly good writer. She kept my interest interest initially, and I was curious about her storyline and her characters who seemed to have a good start from the beginning. But soon the dialog became stilted, and I lost interest in the story. It was simply not an engaging or exciting book. On whole, the characters were flat.

I'm sorry to say this is a book I can't recommend whole-heartedly for most of my readers. But, I can say that those who enjoy a rather surface tale about a spirit guide, faerie and not too appealing fantasy creatures might like this book.

2 stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Author Intro.:

For the past twelve years, Stephanie Keyes has worked full time as a Corporate Educator and Curriculum Designer. She holds a M.Ed. from Duquesne University and and a B.S. in Management information Systems from Robert Morris University. Stephanie is a clarinetist, saxophonist, and vocalist, and is always making music somewhere at sometime. She credits her loving husband of ten years and her two sons for the completion and publication of The Star Child

Cover Rating:

First look this is obviously a book having to do with a young man coming from the stars overlooking the earth which works well with the title. The font looks appropriate, and it's appealing because it's not "too sweet." It gives the appearance of something metallic or "spaceship-like." I like that the author's name is clearly visible and the color is in tandem with the full cover impact. The dark silhouette of the trees and the lighter colored, starry sky gives the impression of a spaceship landing... Clear message of what this book entails. I love the cover! The only objection I would have is that the young man isn't really a "child," but is older. But, that just tells me the story is about his coming of age. Rating: B+

The Star Child Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

Please check out the other reviews on the following blogs for other perspectives!

Monday, February 6

Book reviewed at Moonlight Lace & Mayhem

Tuesday, February 7

Book reviewed at Coffee and a Keyboard

Wednesday, February 8

Book reviewed at Caitlyn Usher’s YouTube Channel

Thursday, February 9

Book reviewed at The Bookish Dame

Friday, February 10

Book reviewed at Minding Spot

Monday, February 13

Book reviewed at Family Reads

Wednesday, February 15

Book reviewed at Reviews From the Heart

Friday, February 17

Book reviewed at Krazy Book Lady

Monday, February 20

Book reviewed at Cocktails and Books

Wednesday, February 22

Book reviewed at Read All Over Reviews

Friday, February 24

Book reviewed at Live to Read

Monday, February 27

Book reviewed at Celtic Lady’s Reviews

Tuesday, February 28

Book reviewed at Reader Girls

Wednesday, February 29

Book reviewed at Country Bookshelf

"Defending Jacob" by William Landay~ Best Legal Suspense You'll Read This Year!

2012-02-08T00:24:00.000-08:00

Published by: Delacorte Press/Random House

Pages: 421

Genre: Fiction/Suspense

Author Website: http://www.williamlandy.com/

New Release

Cover Rating :
A serious cover that indicates this is really a legal novel. Letters on the cover are raised. This is an expensive cover. The large fingerprint is a good visual. Good image: slightly faded title that's indicative of legal manila folders when they're used long-term in trials. The cloudy skys over the apparently "everytown" affluent center are forboding. I like the silver-toned metallic cover and the blue-colored author's name which gives the subconscious message of police involvement. Small dark figure on the path is probably unnecessary. All together, a cover that denotes a legal thriller, making me want to know more. Rating: A+

About the Author:

The prosecutor's life is excellent on-the-job training for the writer's trade, novelist William Landay found. That, plus a fascination with his native Boston, provided much of what he needed to tell his kind of story

William Landay is the author of the novels Mission Flats and The Strangler. The first won the Dagger Award as best debut crime novel. The second was nominated for the Strand Magazine Critics Award as best crime novel of the year. His third novel, Defending Jacob, will be published January 31, 2012.

Here's An Interview With Mr. Landy:

Hello, Bill. Welcome to A Bookish Libraria! I’m so delighted you’ve agreed to allow us to get to know you and your book better through an interview.
Thank you. Happy to be here.
　
1) First of all, please tell us a special something about what makes you "tick." When you aren’t writing, what are you doing?
The short answer is: I have two young kids, boys aged 8 and 10. So when I’m not working, I’m generally tending to them in one way or another — driving them around, watching them play soccer or basketball, begging them to brush their teeth or pick up their dirty clothes or do their homework or stop bashing each other over the head.
In the little time that remains, I do have other interests. I love sports, as all Bostonians seem to. I love books and movies, as all writers seem to. Music, too, everything from rock to old blues, soul and jazz, though I’m no expert on any of these. I’m a bit of an insomniac and I tend to stay up late. I am interested in computers and technology, and art, photography, and design. I used to be a bartender, and I still like mixing cocktails for guests. That’s a pretty random list, I suppose.
As for a "special something," well, I’m not sure how special it is, but there’s this: I do the New York Times crossword puzzle every day. I’m not especially fast, but I have a stubborn, dogged personality, so I don’t give up. Which means that, on Friday and Saturday, when the crossword can be a bear, I sometimes get stuck trying to solve it even as my wife and kids move on with their day. I simply can’t pry myself away from a half-finished puzzle. Or a half-finished novel — but that’s a bigger problem.　
　
2) You chose a specific genre, a place and time to write about, what made you choose it?
Before turning to writing, I was an assistant D.A. — that is, a courtroom prosecutor — and my primary interest as a writer has always been in the human drama of crime stories. My first two novels were set squarely in the world of street crime. They are peopled with cops and criminals. All of which resulted in me being labeled a "crime writer."
The term never really fit. I always thought I was writing novels that happened to involve crime, rather than "crime novels." In any case, as time went on — I have been writing full-time about ten years now — my life became more about kids and family. I haven’t been in a courtroom in years. Nowadays I’m more likely to be watching a Saturday soccer game or a concert by the 5th grade chorus. So it was natural that I would want to combine these two strands in my life, the criminal justice system and the quieter life of raising kids in the suburbs. The result was Defending Jacob, a novel about a prosecutor and suburban Everydad whose son is accused of a murder.　
　
3) Please share with your readers where you like to write. Do you have a particular space or desk? What can you see from your desk? Do you have props you use to write from? What about special "charms?"
I do have a home office, but I don’t use it much. I have a hard time concentrating there. There are so many distractions at home: laundry to be folded, dishes to be washed, the Internet. It’s endless. Writing requires an extraordinary level of focus. It is not one of those jobs where, as Woody Allen said, "80% of success is just showing up." It requires deep focus, and I have better luck getting into "the zone" when I leave the house every morning like everyone else.
Like a lot of other writers, I like to work in coffee shops. The background noise there always forces me to concentrate. Also, working in public means that if I procrastinate — as I tend to do — someone will be there to witness it. It is helpful to feel watched, even if in reality most of the people in Starbucks aren’t interested in what some guy hunched over a laptop is doing over in the corner for hours on end.
I also work in libraries a lot. I live in Boston, which is blessed with two extraordinary libraries, the Boston Public Library and the Boston Athenaeum. The first is one of the finest public libraries in the country; the second is one of America’s oldest and most prestigious private libraries. Both are housed in architectural landmark buildings. It is inspiring just to walk into those places. For some reason I find it comforting, too, to be surrounded by the tens of thousands of books these libraries hold. The endless shelves don’t intimidate me ("Look at all these books? Who needs yours? It will be forgotten immediately!"). Quite the opposite, they take the pressure off ("Don’t be such a perfectionist! Just think of all the awful books that have come before you and been published anyway!").
For the record, I am sitting quite happily in the Boston Athenaeum as I write this.
　
4) In your opinion, what makes a novel a great one?
That is a very complex question. There are so many ways a novel can be "great." Let’s assume that by "great," you mean "enduring," books that stand the test of time.
If that is the measure of greatness, then we have to keep in mind that the current division between popular and "literary" fiction is a relatively recent phenomenon. A lot of our most respected highbrow authors were celebrities and bestsellers in their own lifetimes: Dickens, Twain, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, to some extent Mailer. For me, the highpoint had to be when Marilyn Monroe married Arthur Miller, the greatest starlet-and-dork couple in history, until Julia Roberts hooked up with Lyle Lovett.
The celebrity writer is now pretty much an extinct species. When writers enter the mainstream today, invariably they are genre or children’s writers, J.K. Rowling being the supreme example, or writers whose books have been made into movies.
As a result, today’s so-called "literary" novelists no longer even try for the mainstream. They simply do not consider their books popular entertainment. (The same high-low schism does not exist in TV, by the way, our most democratic art form. A smart series like "Mad Men" can be aimed both high and low. It can be wildly popular among mainstream audiences and highbrow critics alike.) Let’s be honest: a lot of our most admired literary books today aren’t much fun to read. They sneer at plot. They don’t bother to carpenter together a suspenseful story. Instead they offer lovely prose and exquisite explorations of their characters’ interior lives — and those are wonderful things. At the same time, plot matters. Story matters. I think a book cannot really be great — it cannot touch people’s hearts in the way our most beloved classics do — unless it has a powerful story, unless it works as drama. Novels are no different from any other dramatic form: their first obligation is to entertain.　
　
5) Which author(s) most influenced your love of books from childhood?
Lots. Let’s see: Fitzgerald for his romantic sensibility and his beautiful prose. Hemingway for fiber — as an antidote to all that romantic sensibility and beautiful prose. I loved Somerset Maugham for his worldliness, especially "The Razor’s Edge" and "The Moon and Sixpence." Graham Greene for the same reason, particularly "The End of the Affair." John le Carre' especially "A Perfect Spy." I liked thrillers, too. When I was little I had a collection called "Great Tales of Action and Adventure." It was a paperback that had stories like "The Most Dangerous Game" and "Leinengen Versus the Ants," and I read that one over and over.
But I was not a great reader, honestly. I wasn’t one of those kids who constantly had his nose in a book. That is probably why I put so much emphasis on plot and storytelling. I still need a good story to keep me interested, to this day.　
　
6) Read any good books in the past 6 months?
Adam Johnson’s "The Orphan Master’s Son" just blew me away. One of the great privileges of being a writer is you get to read advance copies of new books, so I read Johnson’s book a few months ago. I’ve been raving about it ever since. The book is everywhere at the moment, so I won’t bother to recap it for you here. Suffice it to say: read it. You won’t be sorry. I'm scheduled to read that one, too. Thanks for the recommendation!　
　
7) Please share with us the underlying message of Defending Jacob. What would you like your readers to take away after having read the book?
Oh my, the "underlying message"? Has any writer ever given you a straight answer to that question?
I like to think "Defending Jacob" — and any other book worth talking about — does not have a single message, underlying or otherwise. Or maybe it’s better to say, the best books have lots and lots of messages.
I will say this: readers are likely to come away from the novel with a new appreciation for their families. "Defending Jacob" recounts an ordinary family’s gradual disintegration under the unfathomable pressure of a murder charge against their 14-year-old son. For anyone with a family — which means all of us — that is not an easy thing to watch. All of the people around us, all our friendships and relationships, these are very fragile things. Appreciate the people around you. Take care of them. You wouldn’t want to imagine your life without them. In answer to your question, yes, authors do give me a straight answer to that...so did you! LOL
　
8) Were you able to keep your original title? What was it, if not?
Titles are so difficult. The original title for "Defending Jacob" was "Blood Guilty," which seemed impossibly clever to me at the time, with its double meaning of "guilty of bloodshed" and "guilty by inheritance." (A big piece of the book is the idea that violence may be, to some extent, a heritable trait — that people can inherit a genetic predisposition to violence the same way we can inherit athletic talent or blue eyes or anything else.) But "Blood Guilty" suggested a different kind of book — a bloodier one. Despite the subject matter, Defending Jacob does not include much violence.
I can’t even remember how many titles we churned through along the way. It seems every time I sent the book to my editor, it had a different title. At one point, my editor canvassed all the staff at Random House who had read early drafts of the book. She asked them for title suggestions. What I got back was a list of over 100 suggestions, which was, as you might imagine, less than helpful.
In the end, it was my editor who resolved the problem. As I was laboring to finish the last rewrite of the manuscript, she said, "I have the title, but I’m not going to share it with you until you hand in the manuscript." When I finally slogged my way to the end, she revealed it: "Defending Jacob," which had actually been an early candidate. I took it, not because it was the perfect, inevitable title, but because I was so damn tired of thinking about the whole thing. My reaction was not "That’s it!" It was more like "Whatever." But now that I’ve lived with it awhile, I love it.　
　
9) If you could write your book again, what would you change?Nothing. Not because the book is perfect — it certainly is not — but because it’s unhealthy for a writer to think that way. You can never go back. A novel is a performance. It is a product and a record of the particular time and place where the novelist is when he writes it. Inevitably a passage will reflect the moods and preoccupations of the particular day when it was written. Already, less than a year later, I am a different person. If I wrote "Defending Jacob" again today, no doubt it would be a different book.
It would not necessarily be a better book, either. I do not feel that with every book I am getting any better. Maybe I am, but I don’t feel that way. I have never walked away from finishing a novel with the sense that "Ah, I learned so much from writing that novel, the next one will be even better." In my experience, I feel like an absolute beginner every time I start a book. The challenge seems utterly overwhelming every time.
There is one sense in which I wonder about this "moment in time" aspect of the writing life. I came to writing late. I was 30 before I started writing any fiction at all, and I was 38 by the time I had a book accepted for publication. So I never wrote a book as a young man. There is no record of my angst-ridden, awkward teenage self. No bildungsroman. That is most assuredly no loss to literature. But to me, when I think about each of my novels as a snapshot of my thinking during the year or two of its writing, I sometimes wish I could hear the voice of my teenage self, just to recall what life felt like back then.　
　
10) Tell us a secret about your book we wouldn’t otherwise know, please!
Well, I have always made a point of announcing that my own two boys have absolutely nothing to do with Jacob Barber, the boy accused of murder in my novel. When you write in the first person as the father of a boy like Jacob, people naturally identify the author with the character. Understandable, but wrong.
With that said, I do live in a Boston suburb called Newton, where the murder takes place. There is indeed a local park called Cold Spring Park, depicted as the murder scene in "Defending Jacob." And my own home is suspiciously similar to the Barbers’ house.

Thank you for spending time on this interview, Bill, it was fascinating getting some inside information about you and "Defending Jacob."
Thank you.

The Dame's Review :
In short, this is an out-of-the-park hit, best-seller. While it's a great legal suspense/courtroom drama novel; believe me, it's so much more. Without hesitation I tell you, it is a book I was mesmerized by from the first paragraphs. If ever there was a book that should have Hollywood falling all over itself for movie rights, "Defending Jacob" is the one!

William Landy is a brilliant author of the most talented kind. I found myself nodding my head on many occasions in affirmation as his dialog rang true to my own experiences of: teen-aged boys, Facebook encounters, husband and wife relationships, the legal system, false friends and psychiatry. Every chapter seemed to pack a punch to the solar plexis. Every epiphany his main protagonist, Andy Barber, had hit me with equal impact. I rode in tandem with Mr. Landy's characters feeling their angst and their isolation, their frustrations and their over-whelming love and concern for a child in a seemingly no-win situation.

My skills fail me in conveying to you the depth of expression and fine writing quality of this author. It's obvious he's been around legal circles. It is exciting to read his book. He ignites your minds-eye. The story could have come off the headlines, but the psychological horrors Mr. Landy details that Jacob's parents go through are raw and real. It's terrifying because the senario could happen to any of us.

Without giving away any of the particulars, this novel with startle and leave you blind-sided on many counts. That's the mark of a fantastic suspense/thriller for me!

I hope everyone who reads my blog will understand how exceptional and exciting "Defending Jacob" truly is. I believe it will be a landmark book this year. Bill Landy is a writer who is, frankly, better than John Grisham and others in this genre.

5 shooting stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

*I was given an advanced reader's copy for an honest opinion of the book.

*This review was supported by Pump Up Your Books book tours.

K-Fire Giveaway& Review:"The Sound of Red Returning" by Sue Duffy~A Spy Series with Faith

2012-02-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

By Sue Duffy

1st in The Red Returning Series

Genre: Fiction-Spiritual/Thriller

Espionage

See Info. Below on Ms Duffy's Giveaway!!!

Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/8B9HT

Cover Rating:

This is a beautifully rendered cover. There's no doubt about the book's being a novel of intrigue. The deep reds are indicative of fury, energy and the Kremlin, which is featured in the background. I love the hint of the musical score in the background, as well, which tells us that music will play a big part in the story...as does the title "The Sound..." The exotic-looking woman is serious and her face as it is off-set on the cover, gives space and equal importance to the message of the other imagesl. The script used for the book title is elegant. Sue Duffy's name is nicely highlighted at the top banner of the novel, and the indication that this is the 1st in a series mark at the bottom of the cover is a clever touch. Beautifully designed cover that relays all it needs to to get a reader interested. I'm ready to read, aren't you? Rated: A

Author Profile:

Sue Duffy is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Moody Magazine, The Presbyterian Journal, Sunday Digest, and The Christian Reader. She is the author of Mortal Wounds (Barbour, 2001) and Fatal Loyalty (Kregel, 2010). Sue has also contributed to Stories for a Woman’s Heart (Multnomah). She and her husband, Mike, have three grown children.

Don't forget Sue Duffy and her publisher are offering a GIVEAWAY on her site for a Kindle Fire and her book now and until February 11th.

Summary :

After losing everyone she loves, concert pianist Liesl Bower has nowhere to go but to escape into her music. Searching for the peace she usually finds in her concertos and sonatas, Liesl can’t shake the feeling that she is being haunted by her past . . . and by someone following her. When she spots a familiar and eerie face in the audience of a concert she’s giving for the president in Washington, DC, the scariest day of her life comes back to her with a flash. It has been fifteen years since Liesl watched her beloved Harvard music mentor assaulted on a dark night in Moscow and just as long since the CIA disclosed to her that he’d been spying for Russia. She had seen that man--that eerie face--the night Professor Devoe was attacked. And now he’s back--and coming for her.

On the run and struggling to rely on the protection of CIA agent Ava Mullins and handsome newspaper reporter Cade O’Brien, Liesl learns she is the prey of an underground cell of Russian KGB agents determined to restore their country to its former Soviet might. But what she doesn’t know is that she is in possession of something--a piece of sheet music--that Russian intelligence is now frantic to find. Inside that music is a secret code, the hidden transcriptions of her deceased mentor, that clearly identify a Russian mole operating inside Israel’s Department of Defense, a mole with enough power and access to execute a daring assassination that no one would see coming.

Caught in a deadly conflict between American and Russian undercover agents, this innocent young pianist is just trying to survive her own personal trauma. Through it all, Liesl must learn that no matter how dark her world grows or how fiercely her enemies pursue her, God is still in control--if only she can yield herself to His grace.

Read an excerpt here: http://www.sueduffybooks.com/#!vstc1=books

You may find out more on Sue Duffy's Giveaway by visitng http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13452833

Let's Get To Know The Author Better:

Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. More than I care to admit. It’s pretty scary when you fit comfortably inside the head of your villain. But I couldn’t birth any character without imparting my DNA. That means I’m a little bit of everyone. A little Sybil-like.

When did you first discover that you were a writer? When my ninth-grade English teacher told me I was. So I became an advertising copywriter, newspaper writer, and magazine writer. And then I discovered I liked to make things up—not a respectable trait for a journalist. So I shifted into respectable fiction and conjured my first novel.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. In fiction, I used to read only Frederick Forsyth, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, Patricia Cornwell, John Le Carre, Ken Follett, and other high-suspense authors. Some of my women friends thought that strange. So I tried some of the sweeter, softer novels they liked—and decided to find new friends :-)
Now, though, my reading list is all over the place, from Joyce Carol Oates to Ted Dekker.

How do you choose your characters’ names? I was driving through the mountains alone when the storyline of my first novel sprang to mind. I pulled over as soon as I could to make a few notes and realized I was in a small cemetery. I took my characters’ names from the tombstones in front of me.
Since then, the names have come from more conventional sources: seed catalogs, legal notices, members of Congress, Olympic athletes, obits, phone books, old movies, cartoons. You know.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? Professionally: the publication of my first book. Personally: the publication of my first book. Mortal Wounds, in 1998. My second novel, Fatal Loyalty, was released last year. And now Kregel is launching my new series with the release of The Sound of Red Returning.

Here's the Dame's Review:

Very rarely will I pick up an inspirational novel having to do with espionage. What!? God and spying? Yet, there is much to be said about that very topic in history altogether, and in our own national history now and in the recent past. Prayerful men and women have guarded our country and the well-being of our people for centuries, and it's good when someone with the creative mind and writing skills of Sue Duffy takes up her proverbial pen and reminds us of that. "The Sound of Red Returning" is an excellent suspense novel, and it's not to be missed.

From the first gripping chapter until the last, you will find yourself flying through this book. I was surprised how much it caught my interest. I'm a huge fan of Nelson de Mille's early works in this genre, so a very hard-sell on nearly every woman author trying to break through on spy novels, and; jaded as I was, I tried "The Sound of Red Returning" with one eye squinted. How surprised I was to find that I really liked it.

Sue Duffy is an excellent writer. She has developed a very spine- chilling story and given us a female protagonist to be proud of. I loved her snappy dialog, her character development and the suspense she created. Great spy novel that gives us wonderful musical references, as well.

For a journalist who likes to "make up stories," I'd say Sue Duffy does very well for herself. I highly recommend this surprising and suspenseful novel. Perhaps changing my mind about women who write spy novels...

5 stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

*I was given a copy of this book for an honest review on my part.

Woman of Valor~Historical Novel: "The Turning of Anne Merrick" by Christine Blevins

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Published by: Berkley Publishing/Penguin Group

Genre: Historical Fiction

by Christine Blevins

Pages: 428

To Read an Excerpt: http://christineblevins.com/

Cover Rating:

This is a striking cover. Well balanced in all aspects, this cover tells us all we need to know about the book inside. The lovely woman is wearing a colonial style dress. Its feature image, a beautiful young woman in the time of the British and American Revolution and the caption about it being a "tale of love and espionage," state the full package. I love the vignette of the troups, the Autumn fields, the woods and the burning skies in the background. The woman's "Tory" red cape speaks to her being the spy. This is a publisher's dream of a cover and one an author can be proud of. It's clearly a historical fiction novel that those fans will snap up! Rated: A

Synopsis:

The new United States of America.
It’s 1777, and a fledgling country wages an almost hopeless struggle against the might of the British Empire. Brought together by a fateful kiss, Anne Merrick and Jack Hampton are devoted to each other and to their Patriot cause. As part of Washington’s daring network of spies, they are ready and willing to pay even the ultimate price for freedom.
From battlefields raging along the Hudson, to the desperate winter encampment at Valley Forge and through the dangerous intrigue of British-occupied Philadelphia, Anne and Jack brave the trials of separation, the ravages of war and an unyielding enemy growing ever more ruthless.
For love and for country, all is put at risk-and together the pair must call upon their every ounce of courage and cunning in order to survive.

Something About the Author:

Author Christine Blevins writes what she loves to read – historical adventure stories. The Turning of Anne Merrick is Christine's third novel, and the second in a three-book series set during the American Revolution and War of Independence. A native Chicagoan, Christine lives in Elmhurst, Illinois along with her best friend and husband Brian, and The Dude, their very silly golden-doodle. She is at work finishing her next book inspired by a lifelong fascination with the foundations of American history and the revolutionary spirit.

Getting to Know Ms Blevins:

Hi, Christine, I'm dying to talk to you about "The Turning of Anne Merrick."

1)Please tell us if there was a special person in your life who drew attention to the fact that you could write.
The urge to write came to me later in my life. I was in my forties when the writing bug bit, and quite frankly, though I thought I had a good story to tell, I had no idea whether or not I could actually write it at all, much less write it well. My husband Brian was right there encouraging me all the way. He is also the guy I bounce my story ideas off of, he’s my first reader, and always gives me great critique. I couldn’t do any of it without his support. He’s just a swell guy!

2) You chose a specific genre, a place and time to write about, what made you choose it?
A lifelong avid reader, I’ve read a wide array of genres, but historical fiction has always been my favorite, and I write the kind of books I like to read – adventure stories filled with action, set against a backdrop of vivid history. And though I read historical fiction from all manner of time periods and cultures, I suppose that because I am an American, I lean toward American history. That seems so simplistic, but that’s it.

3) Does the concept for your story come to you first or the characters?
So far, the place and time period have come first, but the characters are usually not too far behind.

4) In your opinion, what makes a book a great one?
A great book transports me to another time and place with a story and characters so compelling, at book's end I'm hoping there's a sequel.
5) If you were able to have dinner with one other author of any time period, who would it be? Why? There are so many authors whose work I enjoy and admire, that my answer for this question changes with the waxing and waning of the moon. Today I think I’d like to be in London on a rainy night, having meat pie and a nice glass of rum punch with Charles Dickens. Among the many questions I would have for him would be, "How on earth do you come up with those character names?"

6) Read any good books in the past 6 months? Unfortunately, while I’m writing, my reading time is completely consumed by non-fiction history books, first-person narratives and memoirs for research purposes. I purposefully stay away from fiction, so as not to become inadvertently influenced by another author’s voice.
　
7) Were you able to keep your original title? What was it, if not? I haven’t had a lot of luck getting my original titles to fly. Midwife of the Blue Ridge was originally titled Upland , but sales and marketing departments tend to want to follow successful naming trends. Lately, titles with some indication of "woman" tend to sell well – hence all the mistress, widow, wife, daughter, queen, courtesan, concubine, sister etc. on the shelves. The formula continued to prevail when coming up with a title for my second novel, The Tory Widow. The original title I used while working on this latest novel was Hearts of Oak (which is the title of a cool Revolutionary song). I wasn’t too surprised or heartbroken when the request for alternate titles came in, but I was surprised and pleased the publisher ended up choosing what was my favorite alternate on the long list, and we came to happy agreement on The Turning of Anne Merrick.

8) Is there a song or music in general that might best represent your book as a theme song? When I’m writing, I can’t listen to music that has any singing going on – I find it too distracting. I have a big collection of fiddle and bagpipe music that sends me back in time, and I also listen to soundtrack music that happens to suit the mood of whatever scene I’m writing at the time, and its not always historical. While working on Turning, I found myself listening to the music from the TV series Battlestar Gallactica, a lot!

9) If you could write your book again, what would you change?
Nothing. I really like it just as is.

10) Did you have to do any research you hadn’t expected?
I outline pretty thoroughly, but I always bump into something unexpected along the way that I feel compelled to insert into the story. For example, in Midwife, it was an odd surgical treatment to treat a victim of a scalping. While writing Turning, I was reading a day-by-day chronicle of camp life at Valley Forge, and I discovered several references to a soldier being court martialed and drummed out of service under the charge of sodomy. I found this so intriguing, and I developed a character based on the minimal information I uncovered on the officer who was drummed out.

11) Tell us about your cover. How did you determine what it would look like?
Authors don’t always have a lot of input on cover design. Being a graphic designer by trade, I am lucky enough to have had, within the publishers parameters, a lot of input for both Midwife and Tory. I was in the throes of finishing up the manuscript for deadline on Turning when my editor asked me for cover ideas. Too busy to give her request proper consideration, I asked my talented graphic designer husband and graphic designer daughter to pull together some sketches for me. The concept of Anne Merrick on the windswept hilltop in swirling cape was one created by my daughter Grace, and brought to final fruition by the fabulous James Griffin, the same artist who also provided the wonderful illustrations for my first two books.

12) Please tell us a secret about your book we wouldn’t otherwise know!
I won’t tell a secret, but I will say that the secret of why Pink Dunaway is missing the little finger on her left hand will be revealed in the book I’m working on right now – the third and last book in this American Revolution series.

Thank you for spending time with this interview, Christine. It’s so good to get to know you better. And, I look forward to reading and reviewing your other books in the very near future!

My Review of "The Turning of Anne Merrick":

Frankly, I can't say enough good things about this novel. I loved the characters, the historical references and such details as battlefield entertainments and writing utensils, the careful descriptions of spying mechanisms, and the way Christine Blevins brought us into the hearts of her characters. To me, the success of a book lies in the ability to capture thereader's mind through its characters who live and breathe their emotional and intellectual struggles. That's what Anne Merrick, Sally, Jack and others of this book do...live and touch your heart...they also can strike fear in you!

Ms Blevins is an historical fiction author I will always enjoy reading. She knows how to do her research, and she can couch that properly in suspense and fine storytelling. What more can we ask: an engaging book within a time frame that's interesting...which also includes a woman of valor?

I'm always looking for books that raise up women of great courage and intelligence. This is one of those books. Anne Merrick is a woman we can be proud of as a role-model. As a strong heroine contributing to our country's freedom, she often risks her safety and her personal attachments in light of the greater good. I so enjoyed this story featuring her as the central character.

Christine Blevins has written a few historical novels, which I'm making way to read and review in the coming months. It's going to be a pleasure. I hope you'll have an opportunity to read her book. Christine is a novelist different from many writers of historical fiction; she actually has a gift for writing. If you like historical fiction at its best, you'll love "The Turning of Anne Merrick." This is a literary novel. Not a boring minute of reading here.

5 stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame

*This review Tour was brought to you by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours at: http://hfvirtualbooktours.blogspot.com/ Please go to the website to see more reviews in thisTour.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

"The Katrina Trilogy Vol. 1 ~ The Gathering Storm" by Robin Bridges

2012-02-06T01:38:00.000-08:00

Published by: Delacorte Press/Random House Children's

Pages: 395

Genre: YA Fiction/Paranormal

Author's website:

Purchase: http://www.amazon.com/

Cover Rating: Upon first glance, what a beautiful cover which is obviously a Russian depiction of a girl...Katrina? The icy, light glistening swirls gives the impression that there's something magical in the book. I love the font chosen for this cover! I also love that the girl/model they chose is age appropriate to the book. Small nitpick: the author's name color is off; an icier blue would have worked better. The hidden thing about this cover is that it's very pleasing as you read it because it tells secrets you wouldn't otherwise know unless you were reading it. That's just plain fun. Rating: A+

Synopsis:

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.
The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

Read an Excerpt Here:

The Dame's Review:
Are you a Tolstoy fan? I loved War and Peace and Anna Karenina so Russian names don't intimidate me, nor does anything Russian. I cut my wisdom teeth in high school reading about Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. I love St. Petersburg and needlepointed a pillow or two to commemorate it. I've cried over the butchering of the Romanov Family and wondered about the girl called Anna who said she was the youngest surviving daughter of the bloodthirsty Russian rebellion.

But, if you aren't an aforementioned fan or a Russian history buff, or if you don't care for the complexities of their names and places and royalty...this book may be a tad taxing on you. You may have to flub the names a bit.

As for me; I found it an absolute treasure! Someone couldn't have handed me a Godiva chocolate-encrusted, faux Fabrege' egg with pastel icings on it to make me happier! I just ate this book up...and will someone please bring me Volume II of this series asap?

Robin Bridges may be a nurse, but she is also a fabulous writer with an imagination and uncanny ability to place paranormal characters into real Russian royalty as if they were born to it. Amazing literary talents. Her characters just gleamed off the page with magical qualities and intrigue. They are beautiful and dark, brittle as glass and soft as fur, frightening and furious. Just a melting pot of interesting and provocative people that I was so excited to meet and can't wait to continue to know more.

The settings Robin creates are dazzling and realistic. I felt the stifling heat of a ballroom lighted by candles and fireplaces...too cramped and crushed by too many bodies dancing furiously to gypsy-played music...too much danger and excitement for a young girl approached by a would-be blood drinker. Her street scenes, scenes of palaces and hospitals, opera houses and theatres are vivid and lush. Even her descriptions of the Princesses in their girl's school with their strict teachers fits her storytelling realism because the Smolny School actually existed in the 1800s.

I felt breathless when the fierce rival of the empress, the powerful and beautiful Maria Pavlovna, wife of the Grand Duke, was described in her deep purple ballgown and diamond tiara, dark violet eyes blazing, frightening and powerful as the queen faerie of The Dark Court. See this picture from Robin's website of what she may have looked like:

An actual picture of Maria Feodorovna of Russia, 1885

What particularly saved the day for me in this young adult novel, fit for adults, is the emphasis on Katiya's desire to be a doctor in a time when royal girls were trained and primed to be royal wives. This theme of an independent thinking young woman who has intellectual goals for her life is refreshing and unusual in paranormal/fantasy writing for YAs. I give Ms Bridges hundreds of "high 5s" for that alone in her fantastic book.

In summary, "The Katrina Trilogy..." is a wonderful read. It is a book I raced through, losing track of time when I only wanted to read a couple of chapters and go to bed! I was fascinated with the book because it tripped the fine line of reality and mixed it with the fanciful in such a remarkable way. It does that dance and has you enchanted before you know what's happened, and you can't put the book down. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, pure entertainment in the best sense of the word. Believe me when I say, you must read this one!

5 shimmering stars

PS: Special treats: Finding out what the Romanov Empress and Queen Victoria's favorite romance novel was. Finding out the Empress's favorite processional was from "The Snow Maiden" by Rimsky-Korsakov. Finding out what certain of the tarot cards mean. Etc...

Deborah/TheBookishDame