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1 Year Blogoversay giveaway

July 31, 2011 By

 

Tomorrow is my 1 year blogoversary.  Thanks to all of my followers and friends for the support over the months. I don’t know what I would have done with out some of your help.  I have learned a lot over the months and even opened a new blog ( not book related per say ).  

I thought a good giveaway would be in order.  I am sure you are ready to know what it is.

 

 

**Mandatory you must be a gfc follower to be entered**

Please fill out the form below there are several extra entries.  You can get up to 20 entires.   The rules are in the form below.

Barb
Filed Under: Blogoversay, Giveaway Tagged With: ,

New blog for giveaways, coupons, freebies and deals

July 30, 2011 By

Hey everyone I just opened up my 2nd blog that has nothing to do with books :) . I will have giveaways, contests, freebies, deals, and more. Hope to see you follow over there as well.

Barbsbargainbin

Barb
Filed Under: Misc Tagged With: , , ,

New Review of Cruelty to Innocents by CK Webb & DJ Weaver

July 27, 2011 By

 

 

What if you were in your car alone with your small child and you came upon an emergency scene? Would you stop to help? What if, while you are trying to assist a victim of an accident or mugging, you left your young child alone in the car, thinking he or she would be safe. What if, instead of help, the call to 911 brought a terrifying, sinister result?

 Someone’s abducting children from 911 emergency scenes in Aberdeen Maryland, while their parents call for help and lend aid to accident victims. Someone who’s also listening in, is a monster and vicious child abductor. In the midst of the chaos and confusion of the scene, that monster slips in and steals the innocent children leaving behind no trace for authorities. 

Sloanne Kelly is unprepared for what awaits in her hometown as she travels back to Maryland. Her goddaughter is one of the victims and the clock is ticking. Together with her best friend and a local fireman, Shawn Tyler, Sloanne will face the most insidious of criminals and fight to recover the children before there is anymore, Cruelty to Innocents.

 

Format: Kindle Edition

File Size: 463 KB

Publisher: Suspense Publishing (May 25, 2011)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services

Language: English

ASIN: B0052TMF02

 

My 2 cents:

 

This was a bone chilling read for me.  As one who has kids I would be terrified if I stopped to help someone who was having a heart attack get help to call 911 and when all is said and done my child is gone.  One minute they are right behind you and the next vanished.  

 Sloanne gets help from her dad’s ex partner to help her search for her god daughter.  The clues start coming in and they have noticed that children start to vanish only from 911 calls that have come in.   Can they save Danni in time?  

 This story will grab you, suck you in before you even know it.  You can relate to Sloanne and how she feels.  Putting the book down was no option for me as I wanted to know who was taking these children and was it someone the small town knew?

 The characters are all well done the setting is remarkable you actually think you are there with them.  The emotion in the story takes your breath away.  You can tell the author has a great imagination and creativity.  I will be looking for more books along the way.

Barb
Filed Under: Book Reviews for 2011 Tagged With: , ,

New Review of Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler

July 27, 2011 By


One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 AM, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life—from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26. Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man’s quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today—the Old Order Amish.

 

Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; Reprint edition (June 28, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1414339364

ISBN-13: 978-1414339368

 

My 2 cents:

 

I have been reading a lot of Amish stories here lately as it is like a different world for me.  I was fascinated with Ira’s account of his 10 year struggle with his life as being Amish.  Through Ira’s eyes I got to see more of what they believe in, how things work and how it is common for people who are Amish to struggle with the beliefs.  

 I was taken in from the first page I wanted to know how it really is on the inside.  Ira shows us how hard it is and heart wrenching to want to stay with the people he loves, but yet wants the freedom as well.

This book is a real eye opener in a good way.  The Amish are human just like us and do make mistakes.  

This would be a great book for any teenager struggling to find out who they are and their own relationships.   I know I am saving this book for my own boys to read.  

I received this book from Tydale Publishing Blogger Review Program and I was not require to write a positive review these are my own opinions. 

Barb
Filed Under: Book Reviews for 2011 Tagged With: , , ,

Authors & Reviewers

July 27, 2011 By

 

I love being a reviewer, meeting new authors and other bloggers.  I have made some pretty good friends in the past year, but that is not what I want to talk about today.  

 I would like to talk about emails you receive from Authors and or publishers requesting a book review.

 

Here lately I have been getting a lot of book review requests which isn’t anything new.  So you are asking now, “ok Babs what is the big deal you are getting requests that is what you want”.   Yes, you are right that is what I want.  However, getting my name wrong is not what I want.  My name is on the blog in several places even the tittle.   I got an email yesterday, from an author who addressed me as Mrs Weaver.  I don’t even know who Mrs. Weaver is or where he got the name from.  I can venture a good guess, the author was copying and pasting and forgot to change the name.  

I can understand we are all human and make mistakes.  What I can not understand is why it is happening so much lately.  This past week I have gotten 5 with wrong names.  I do not answer these emails at all.  It might sound harsh, but when I get snail mail and  it is addressed to someone else, I don’t open it, email is no different.

 

In my opinion,  if the author wants the reviewer to take his or her time to read their book, then the author should take their time and  get our name right when addressing us.    It doesn’t take that long to look at the reviewrs blog and guidelines for a request.    Just like authors, reviewers do talk back en forth and word will get out if you repeatedly make mistakes.

When I get a request from an author I got investigating.  If they leave their blog url I will go look around to know the author a bit better.  What they are like, what their interests are etc.  At that time I will follow their site, twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and any place else that might interest me.  It comes in handy after you have posted their review.   

On a reviewers point when you respond to the author either to say ok about the book, send them a link to the review please get their name right.  Nothing is worse then making an author mad.  Like I stated earlier despite what many may think authors do talk to other authors.  You don’t want to get a bad rep and your blog go down hill.  

What about you, have you had the same experience?  What did you do?  Do you ignore the email or respond?  Please keep in mind these are just my opinion and how I handle my own blog.   I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

 

Barb
Filed Under: Author and Reviewer Q & A Tagged With: , ,

Guest Joyce DiPastena & Giveaway

July 25, 2011 By

Please help me welcome Joyce to the blog today.  Joyce has been kind enough to offer a giveaway of her book Loyalty’s Web to a lucky commenter.  You can see details below.

 

 

Babs….Have you always wanted to be a writer?

 

Joyce: I never pictured myself as a writer growing up. Even when I began dabbling with writing round about junior high school, I never thought of it as “writing”. I just had all these stories going on in my head and wanted to find a way to make them more concrete by turning them from images into words that I could read back to myself again and again. These images and stories were almost always influenced by characters in historical novels or movies or even from history itself. From the beginning, a love of history and writing seemed to go hand in hand with me. It wasn’t until college that I begin to move from “dabbling” to seriously studying “how to write”. I never took any writing classes, but I began buying books on writing and reading writing magazines and trying to apply their advice to improve my writing skills.

 

 

 

Babs…..What would you like your readers to get out of Loyalty’s Web? I know after reading the book I am interested in more about the medieval times.

 

Joyce: I definitely wanted to share my love of history and the Middle Ages with my readers! But I enjoyed playing with the themes of honor, integrity, and yes, loyalty, as well. Another thing I found fascinating as I wrote was exploring the complicated relationships, the emotional tugs and pulls that exist within a family. We all have them in one way or another. None of us spring into the world independently, so neither do my characters. But let me state that I never begin a book with the intention of presenting certain themes. I start with characters and a problem, and the characters reveal the themes to me as we write the book together. :-) Still, I’m always reluctant to say, “My book was about this or that.” In the end, I want readers to draw from my books whatever touches them the most.

 

Babs…..Do you have a current project in he works?

 

Joyce: I just submitted a new manuscript to my publisher called Dangerous Favor, based on the characters of Etienne and Therri from Loyalty’s Web. I’m still waiting to hear if they’re going to accept it. (Fingers crossed hard!) 

 

Babs…..Do you have a ritual when you are writing?  ie coffee, music, food etc

 

Joyce: I write best in complete silence. Just me and the characters inside my head. LOL! Music distracts me, because I find myself straining to listen, even if it’s to instrumental music. So silence works best. I don’t usually eat while I’m writing, although there have been times when I’ve resorted to a handful of Hershey Kisses to keep myself awake.

 

Babs…..Hobbies outside or writing?

 

Joyce: I love to read and play the piano. I have a few favorite TV programs, and of course I spend too much time on the internet. LOL! 

 

Babs….What book or books are you currently reading?

 

Joyce: I’m almost finished reading Counting the Cost, by Liz Adair. It’s a historical novel set in New Mexico during the Great Depression. A bit of a departure from what I usually read, I’m not usually fond of 20th Century settings. Next on my TBR list is a Regency romance by Wanda Luce, called Lydia. Regencies are one of my favorite sub-genres, so I’m looking forward to checking out Wanda’s book.

 

Babs….If you could be one character from one of your books who would it be?

 

Joyce: Well, given that none of my characters enjoy modern-day conveniences, such as indoor plumbing, I’m not sure I’d like to be any of them. ;-) I love visiting with them, though, as long as I can come back to the 21st century at the end of the day.

 

Babs…Favorite drink?

 

Joyce: I usually drink water, just to cut down on the whole calorie thing. But when eating out, I consider it a treat to drink pink, strawberry, or raspberry lemonade.

 

Babs…..What is your favorite ice cream?

 

Joyce: French vanilla with chocolate chips and roasted almonds at Coldstone Creamery. I love being able to mix nuts into my chocolate chip ice cream!

 

Babs….What is your favorite food?

 

Joyce: Oooo, I’d have to say chocolate chip cookies. Especially if they’re homemade, right out of the oven. Yum! (Curiously, though, unlike the ice cream, I prefer my cookies without nuts. LOL)

 

Babs…Anything else you would like to add?  ( links to any blogs/sites to follow etc)

 

Joyce: Your readers can learn more about my books and find a list of suggested book club questions for Loyalty’s Web on my website at http://www.joyce-dipastena.com. My JDP NEWS blog (http://jdp-news.blogspot.com) keeps readers up to date on “what I’m up to now”, and I share some of my research sources and techniques on my Medieval Research with Joyce blog (http://medievalresearch.blogspot.com). And I want to add my thanks to you for reviewing Loyalty’s Web and interviewing me today!

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions and being a guest on the blog.

Babs

Giveaway details:  Ends  at midnight EST 8-2-11

The winner will be chosen from the comments.  One winner will receive a kindle copy of Loyatly’s Web OR if you don’t have a kindle Joyce will send a print copy and autograph it for you as well.  Be sure to leave a meaningful comment for Joyce to be considered.  You do NOT have to be a follower to enter.  If you like the blog it would b nice, but not required.


Barb
Filed Under: Author Interviews, Giveaway Tagged With: , , , ,

Winners of DeAnna Knippling’s giveaway

July 23, 2011 By

The winners of the giveaway are:

Lisa Richardson

Denise Z

Barb
Filed Under: Giveaway winners, Misc Tagged With:

Winner of Julie Hyzy’s Giveaway

July 21, 2011 By

 

Margaret is our winner loved her comment

 

Margaret you are the winner !  Congrats.  Winner has been notified of her win.

Barb
Filed Under: Giveaway winners Tagged With:

Guest Elizabeth Aston, Review & Giveaway

July 19, 2011 By

Please help me welcome one of my favorite ” Darcy ” authors Elizabeth Aston to the blog today.  We won’t be talking about Darcy I am afraid.  Maybe we can convince  Elizabeth to come back another time just for that.

 

First I would like to share my review of  The World, The Flesh & The Bishop ( The Mountjoy’s )

Within the hallowed precincts of the imaginary cathedral city of Eyot, mischief brews.

This is the England of Wodehouse and Trollope, where wickedness lurks beneath the superb self-confidence of the upper classes. An England of ancient walls and winding streets, where gossip and scandal abound in the vestry of the cathedral, in the drawing rooms of Georgian houses, and in the state rooms of the castle.
Escape into another world, another time, enjoy a diverting love story and delight in the company of an fascinating cast of characters:

The wild and forceful Mountjoys, whose family have lived at Mountjoy Castle for centuries.
Runaway single mother Quinta, struggling to bring up her rebellious young daughter.

Lydia, granddaughter of the formidable Lady Wray, who flees to Eyot when her boyfriend jilts her.

Mathematician Titus, who finds in Eyot a different kind of chaos to the equations of his professional life.

And Sylvester, a flamboyant, world-renowned cellist, who lives in Midsummer Hall with his witchy, second-sighted housekeeper Lily.

Format: Kindle Edition

  • File Size: 522 KB
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Attica Books (April 12, 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B004WPPEXM
My 2 cents:
This is the first of the Mounjoy series and what a read it was, I was pleasantly surprised.  I have read all of Elizabeth’s Darcy books and wasn’t sure what the writing style would be for the Mountjoy series.  

I have to say I had a hard time putting this book down.  I have to say the three Grace’s were a hit.  They fix flowers in the Cathedral and are the biggest gossipers.   Lydia and Quntia are two good friends, but yet the opposite of each other.  They struggle to find their place in life.   Things seem to go from bad to worse as the story goes along.

The characters are wonderful and flow with each other.  Elizabeth’s style flows amazingly well through out the book.  This will be a series worth reading and watching out for.

 

 Now for the interview & Giveaway

Today Elizabeth is here to talk about The Mountjoy Series.  Elizabeth has been nice enough to offer a giveaway of Children of Chance (a prequel to the Mountjoy series ) .  Look for information below.

Babs….Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Since I hit my teens. But I didn’t get around to writing that first novel for years and years. I thought of myself as a novelist and I was always writing this and that, and then two things happened. My best friend joked that I was a novelist in search of a novel, and I read a story (on a train journey) that was so mediocre I wanted to scream. And I thought, I can do better than that. So I did.

 

Babs…..What would you like your readers to get out of your books?

 Enjoyment, entertainment, enchantment. And amusement at the follies and foibles of humanity.

 

Babs…..Do you have a current project in the works? I do hope another Darcy book.

 Yes, I’m finishing another book in my Darcy series, set rather earlier than the previous ones, during the Napoleonic wars. 

( Babs is thrilled about this )

 

Babs…..Do you have a ritual when you are writing?  ie coffee, music, food etc

 I know I’m on the end stretch when I start longing for a peculiarly English sweet (candy) called sherbet lemons. They’re so sharp they take the roof off my mouth as I suck my way through them. Otherwise, I can’t begin to write without my morning cup of Illy coffee. I’m a morning writer, unless pushed. Afternoons and evenings are for editing, revising and plotting new things.

 

Babs…..Hobbies outside or writing?

 I do tapestry needlework, but when I tell you it’s taken me three years to not finish a Kaffe Fassett cushion cover, you can tell I’m an amateur. Other than that, I love to travel.

 

Babs….What book or books are you currently reading?

 Apollo’s Angels, a completely fascinating history of ballet by Jennifer Homans. I like ballet, but don’t know a lot about it. This is as much a cultural history of Europe as it is about dance and I’m enjoying it immensely. I tend to read non-fiction when I’m writing my own novels, or children’s books – I’ve just been re-reading some of Diana Wynne-Jones’s novels with great pleasure.

 

Babs….If you could be one character from one of your books who would it be?

 Valdemar, from the Mountjoy novels! He’s a life force, and so wicked and so completely himself.

 

Babs…Favorite drink?

 Coffee. Espresso or strong with cream or iced; red wine with meals.

 

Babs…..What is your favorite ice cream?

 Chocolate. Dark chocolate. 

 

Babs….What is your favorite food?

 Spanish and Italian. Savoury rather than sweet, and meat rather than fish.

 

 Babs…Anything else you would like to add?  

 http://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Aston/e/B001HCTYPM/ (US); http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elizabeth-Aston/e/B001HCTYPM (UK).

 

Giveaway details:  Ends 7-25

Elizabeth has been kind enough to offer one commenter a ebook copy of her book Children of Chance a prequel to the Mountjoy series.  You do not need to be a follower of my blog to enter.  It is appreciated if you do and I will follow back.  Please make your comment meaningful ( not nice interview etc. ).  Thanks for stopping by.

Barb
Filed Under: Author Interviews, Book Reviews for 2011, Giveaway Tagged With: , , ,

Giveaways ending soon

July 19, 2011 By

Here are a few giveaways that are about to end:

Julie Hyzy ends 7-20

DeAnna Knippling ends 7-21

 

 

 

Barb
Filed Under: Giveaway, Giveaways Tagged With:
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