tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54544697330161191542024-03-15T20:10:17.170-05:00A Book Blogger's DiaryBooks, Reviews and MoreRashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.comBlogger1288125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-77309360939357155242018-03-06T14:08:00.000-06:002018-03-06T15:50:40.001-06:00Review - As You Wish by Jude Deveraux<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i>This book was received free, for review purposes.</i></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Series: A Summerhouse Novel (Book 3)<br>
Hardcover: 416 pages<br>
Publisher: MIRA (March 6, 2018)<br>
ISBN-10: 0778307611</td></tr>
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<b><i>Synopsis - </i></b><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One fateful summer, three very different women find themselves together in Summer Hill, Virginia, where they find they have much more in common than they realized…<br><br>Sixty-year-old Olivia’s first marriage was long and unhappy, but now she is a newlywed, thrilled to finally be starting her life with the man she’s always truly loved—even if they are getting a late start. Kathy is in her forties and married to a handsome, successful businessman. Theirs
would be a fairy-tale romance if it weren’t for one problem: he’s passionately in love with someone else! Twenty-something Elise is also in a troubled marriage, stuck with the man her wealthy parents chose for her. Now that he has a pregnant mistress, he seems willing to go to drastic lengths to take Elise out of the picture.<br><br>Though each of them wound up at the summerhouse for separate reasons, it’s not long before they begin to open up about their regrets, their wishes and their dreams. And when they’re presented with the opportunity of a lifetime—a chance to right the wrongs of their past—all three discover what can happen when dreams really do come true.</span></span></span><br>
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Readers, as you probably know, this is book #3 in the Summerhouse series. I haven't read the other books and while it's not immediately obvious, there is a sense of some things being repeated or carried over, which puzzled me until I realized this book was part of a series. Initially the story was really slow and disjointed and I almost didn't want to continue reading. But then I did and I liked it, generally speaking. Read on for an in depth review...<br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2018/03/review-as-you-wish-by-jude-deveraux.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-43908464859882670672015-02-04T16:58:00.000-06:002017-09-28T14:04:38.262-05:00The Martian by Andy Weir<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Have you ever picked up a book by an author you've never heard of, written in a genre that's not your usual cup of tea and with a title that reminds you of a cheesy sci-fi movie...and then ended up loving it? That's how it was with me and 'The Martian'.<br>
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The story is pretty straightforward. A manned mission to Mars goes wrong and the crew have to flee the surface in haste when a storm threatens to destroy their take-off vehicle. In the chaos, botanist/mechanical engineer Mark Watney is injured. Believing him to be dead, the crew takes off.<br>
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However, Watney is still alive. And he has every intention of "staying alive" (a song our hero adopts as his theme song - yes, Watney is funny that way). Mark Watney becomes the first Martian - a good humored, resourceful and<i><b> the one and only resident of Mars. </b></i>How he survives on a freezing cold planet with no help in sight and no way to communicate with Earth makes for a terrifically compelling read and the suspense and drama of if/how he ever gets back to Earth is breathtaking.<br>
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If I was in the habit of giving stars, I'd give this book 4 stars. Why not 5 stars, you ask? Read on...<br>
</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-martian-by-andy-weir.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-47012267282821917022014-01-29T01:00:00.000-06:002017-09-28T14:02:03.660-05:00Author Alison McQueen stops by...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Alison McQueen</b><i>,</i> author of <i>Under The Jeweled Sky</i></td></tr>
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Forbidden love set against the backdrop of a maharaja’s palace in post-World War II India is at the center of Alison McQueen’s new novel, <b>Under the Jeweled Sky</b> (Jan 21, 2014; $14.99 U.S.; Fiction; Trade Paper).<br>
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<i>Sophie Schofield always knew she would return to India. When she does in 1957, she is the new bride of ambitious British diplomat Lucien Granger and part of the glittering expatriate set that called New Delhi home following India’s partition.
But it’s not the country she fell in love with 10 years earlier and Sophie is soon confronted with the memory of her first love and its devastating consequences. The past still haunts her - the guilt she carries, the destruction wreaked upon her fragile parents, and the boy with the tourmaline eyes.</i><br>
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Join me in reading what Alison McQueen has to say about her research involving declassified diplomatic documents, and her love affair with India while writing this interesting book.<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif";"><br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2014/01/author-alison-mcqueen-stops-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-51313931473824745222013-10-08T19:11:00.003-05:002017-09-28T14:02:33.820-05:00Review - An Imperfect Witch by Deborah Geary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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You might be familiar with Deborah Geary's A Modern Witch series, featuring stories about a beloved clan of modern witches with lots of magic, enduring life lessons and a perfection that's to be read to be believed. Geary continues with the same characters in her new <i>Witch Central</i> series beginning with <b><span style="color: blue;"><i>An Imperfect Witch </i></span></b><i>(Ki<span itemprop="bookFormatType">ndle Edition</span>, </i><span itemprop="numberOfPages"><i>250 p, Fireweed Pub)</i>. </span><br>
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<span itemprop="numberOfPages">Read my review below to see why, despite my fondness for this author's works, I decided to stop reading this story.</span><br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-imperfect-witch-by-deborah-geary.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-30832902542634717402012-09-26T01:00:00.000-05:002017-09-28T14:03:17.164-05:00Author Benjamin Kane Ethridge & a Kindle Fire Giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today I'm happy to welcome <span style="color: #990000;"><b>Benjamin Kane Ethridge</b></span>, the Bram Stoker Award winning author of BLACK & ORANGE (Bad Moon Books, 2010), who's guest blogging here today. {<b>scroll down for the </b><b>giveaway</b>}<br>
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In his latest book, <span style="color: #990000;">BOTTLED ABYSS,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="border-left: 3em; border-right: 3em; text-align: justified;"> </span></span>Herman and Janet Erikson are going through a crisis of grief and suffering after losing their daughter in a hit and run. They’ve given up on each other. One afternoon their dog goes missing in the coyote-infested badlands behind their property. Herman goes to find the dog, completely unaware he’s on a hike to the River Styx, the border between the Living world and the world of the dead. What Herman discovers about the dark power contained in those waters will change his and Janet’s lives forever… </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>How to write by the seat of your pants: outline or no<br>by Benjamin Kane Ethridge</b></span></span></span></div>
</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2012/09/author-benjamin-kane-ethridge-kindle.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-3496356831168463882012-09-19T00:30:00.000-05:002017-09-28T14:18:02.946-05:00Author Karleen Koen stops by...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NDRLHBKIuXE/UFkVvOm56VI/AAAAAAAAA7c/hKgR7XOymww/s1600/9781402275906-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NDRLHBKIuXE/UFkVvOm56VI/AAAAAAAAA7c/hKgR7XOymww/s320/9781402275906-300.jpg" width="211"></a>Today I'm happy to welcome <a href="http://www.karleenkoen.net/" target="_blank">Karleen Koen</a>, the New York Times bestselling author of <i>Through a Glass Darkly</i>, <i>Now Face to Face</i>, and <i>Dark Angels</i>, who's guest blogging here today.<br>
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Her latest book, <b><i>Before Versailles</i></b> focuses on four intense months of King Louis’s young life. It’s the summer of 1661, and after the death of his prime minister, twenty-two-year-old Louis steps into governing France. He’s still a young man, and in a way quite inexperienced and shy, but also very determined, intelligent and headstrong. He’s used to having anything and everything his heart desires—land, women—including his brother’s wife.<br>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>Why did I write "Before Versailles"?</b></span><br>
<span style="color: blue;"><i>by Karleen Koen </i><b><br></b></span></div>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2012/09/author-karleen-koen-stops-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-56614871681397140562012-07-27T23:32:00.000-05:002017-09-28T14:18:17.613-05:00Review - The Last Victim by Karen Robards<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e5r0wNvGx-k/UBMiCzp2EYI/AAAAAAAAA0I/8VVrhLZmQyk/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e5r0wNvGx-k/UBMiCzp2EYI/AAAAAAAAA0I/8VVrhLZmQyk/s320/images.jpg" width="209"></a>I've read many books this summer (around 35+, so don't expect many reviews), but Karen Robards' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Victim-A-Novel/dp/0345535405/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343431142&sr=8-2&keywords=the+last+victim" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>The Last Victim</b></a> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>(Ballantine, Isbn-0345535405)</b></span> is one that I feel deserves a special response, an immediate review.<br>
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<u>One word summary</u> - Interesting<br>
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<u>One line Review</u> - An interesting mystery together with stellar characters and complex relationships, this book is one of my top five reads for this summer.<br>
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<i><u>Synopsis</u></i> : Fifteen years ago, young Charlie Stone was the only one to escape the Boardwalk Killer. Now an eminent psychiatrist whose speciality is serial killers, Charlie is called in by the FBI when a series of similar murders rock the town of Kill Devil Hills. Because of her ability to see the ghosts of those who've recently died violent deaths, Charlie is shocked to find that the ghost of her most recent patient, drop dead gorgeous serial killer Michael Garland who died in her arms, has attached to her and refuses to "go towards the light". As the killings escalate, Charlie finds in Garland a reluctant ally and a growing attraction that refuses to die, even as her head tells her that the living, breathing FBI Agent Tony Bartoli is a better prospect than the ghost whose kisses are killer. The resulting suspense holds the reader spellbound.<br>
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<span style="color: red;">Spoilers ahead - Beware! </span><br>
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(ps - the book releases August 7, 2012)</div>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2012/07/review-last-victim-by-karen-robards.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-19207361863403320722012-04-21T23:58:00.000-05:002017-09-28T14:18:29.160-05:00Review - Now You See Me by S J Bolton<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<u>One word summary</u> - Fantastic!<br>
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<u>One line Review</u> - S.J Bolton's pulse pounding, modern day Jack the Ripper murder mystery is about the BEST book I've read in a long long time, with enough complex psychological twists and turns to keep the reader guessing <span style="border-bottom: 2px dashed; text-decoration: none;"> literally</span> till the last chapter.<br>
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<u>Detailed (<i>& slightly more wordy and coma-inducing long :-</i>) Review</u> -<br>
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Just half an hour ago I finished reading S.J.Bolton's <b>Now You See Me</b> (Minotaur, 400p, Isbn-1250001633) which has been glued to my hands for the past day and a half as I was transported into a gory police procedural across an ocean to London where trainee detective Lacey Flint has a dying woman collapse on her. Things get considerably worse as it becomes clear a modern day Jack the Ripper is loose, moving about undetected and disemboweling victims with the same ease and brutality as the original himself. As the panic in London escalates, the Metropolitan police do their utmost to uncover the truth, which unexpectedly circles back to Lacey. <br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-now-you-see-me-by-s-j-bolton.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-53791080046074066572011-11-16T13:21:00.001-06:002017-09-28T14:20:09.312-05:00Review - Kill Alex Cross<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Alex Cross's beloved DC is in turmoil as Saudi terrorists unleash deadly
attacks upon the city at a time when all the alphabet agencies are already
scrambling about trying to locate the two kidnapped children of the President
of the United States. Is there a connection?<br>
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The misleading title, a two-pronged storyline that proceeds at two different
paces and with varying degrees of suspense, the overall similarity (at least of
the kidnap scenario) to a previous (and stellar) Alex Cross novel (Along Came a
Spider) and various questions unasked and/or unanswered make for an embarrassingly
tepid reading in James Patterson's latest <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Alex-Cross-James-Patterson/dp/0316198730/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0/181-6513417-4696005" target="_blank">Kill Alex Cross</a> (Little Brown & Co, 384p,
Isbn-0316198730).<br>
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There's no mistaking that the quality of Patterson’s writing continues to shrink along
with the length of his chapters.<br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-kill-alex-cross.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-83126944802182665432011-10-28T01:20:00.002-05:002011-10-28T01:20:00.693-05:00Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure by Diane Kelly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G1NIFoQn428/TmRG6gh0WHI/AAAAAAAAAx8/e9WkPwQ_GEE/s1600/space-back3-186x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G1NIFoQn428/TmRG6gh0WHI/AAAAAAAAAx8/e9WkPwQ_GEE/s1600/space-back3-186x300.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Death-Taxes-French-Manicure-Holloway/dp/0312551266?ie=UTF8&tag=aboblsdi-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure: A Tara Holloway Novel</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=aboblsdi-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0312551266" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1"><br>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>St.Martins, 384p, Isbn-0312551266</b></span><br>
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IRS very Special Agent Tara Holloway is out to nab every tax-cheating sob in the Dallas metroplex area, a job that's surprisingly not as safe and dreary as one might imagine. She's in the thick of things, literally kicking ass and shooting off bullets to keep the tax-evading hordes in line, all the while trying to keep her perfect French manicure intact.<br>
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While in the race to net her boss that magic number of $1million in recovered taxes, Tara gets involved romantically with a guy who seems perfect. If only he kept company with men who didn't have a history of cheating innocent people of their hard-earned bucks. Will Tara's perfect manicure survive the resulting war between her heart and her head?<br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/10/death-taxes-and-french-manicure-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-33466804205773815942011-10-15T00:11:00.000-05:002017-09-28T18:41:42.098-05:00Mitchell Maxwell's LITTLE DID I KNOW<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Mitchell Maxwell, a Tony Award-winning producer, director and 35-year veteran of the entertainment industry, has come out with his new novel, LITTLE DID I KNOW (Prospecta Press; October 5, 2011; $25.00) written in classic roman á clef style. This is a daring coming-of-age tale filled with romance, laughter, heartbreak and applause about a young entrepreneur who sets the stage for fledgling artists while living a life so many aspire to but never realize. Told with compassion and the kind of detail only a Broadway veteran like Mitchell Maxwell can provide, LITTLE DID I KNOW is a novel about being in the spotlight and embracing destiny in a single season.<br>
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<b>EXCERPT: </b><br>
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<i style="color: #073763;">Only a handful of us remained now that the late hour had become early dawn. My best friend, Secunda, who had acted confidently, brilliantly in many of our shows lamented, “Now what do we do? This ride can’t just end. Figure something out, Sammy.” <br><br> “Yeah, we need to keep that torch burning,” Secunda’s younger brother James added. He had been part of the journey, building great sets, solving problems only he knew existed, and always remaining sane. </i><br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/10/mitchell-maxwells-little-did-i-know.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-26525837093371548012011-10-04T15:27:00.000-05:002017-09-27T18:14:01.462-05:00Author Josi Kilpack stops by...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today I'm happy to welcome <b>Josi Kilpack</b> who's guest blogging here today. Josi is the author of fourteen novels, including <i>Sheep's Clothing</i>, which won the 2007 Whitney Award for Mystery/Suspense, and <i>Lemon Tart</i>, a 2009 Whitney Award finalist. <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Roll-Josi-S-Kilpack/dp/1609087453">Pumpkin Roll</a></b></i> is the sixth book in the popular Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series.<br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/10/author-josi-kilpack-stops-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-52171707311153072862011-09-14T00:57:00.009-05:002017-09-27T18:15:39.250-05:00Gabrielle Bernstein stops by...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm happy to welcome <a href="http://gabbyb.tv/?utm_source=BookBlogger">Gabrielle Bernstein</a> who's <a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2010/01/gabrielle-bernstein-brings-back-happy.html">once again</a> stopping by here with a guest blog post. <br>
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Her second book <b>Spirit Junkie: A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles </b>was published by Random House September 12. It’s part memoir and part road map: Gabby shares her journey toward becoming the full-on, inspirational Spirit Junkie that she is today, and she teaches her readers every lesson she learned along the way.<br>
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<b style="color: #3d85c6;">BECOME A SPIRIT JUNKIE</b></div>
</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/09/gabrielle-bernstein-stops-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-43372916641141674252011-09-06T19:14:00.001-05:002017-09-27T18:16:23.354-05:00Author NeonSeon stops by...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4XXffBocT0M/TmanAJN7I4I/AAAAAAAAAyA/hWvfU41iv6o/s1600/Shouty+Food+and+Fitness77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4XXffBocT0M/TmanAJN7I4I/AAAAAAAAAyA/hWvfU41iv6o/s1600/Shouty+Food+and+Fitness77.jpg"></a></div>
In the second children's book of the Life of Shouty series, Shouty goes from overweight and overwhelmed to fit and focused. <i><b>"Life of Shouty : Food and Fitness" by NeonSeon (</b></i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">32p, Ages:3-4, Pub:Rixkin, Isbn-0984206914) </span></b> promotes a healthy, active lifestyle and reminds us it's never to late to start making changes.<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></b><br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/09/author-neonseon-stops-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-85213302441728891652011-09-05T22:59:00.000-05:002011-09-05T22:59:00.567-05:00Review - Prey by Linda Howard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ballantine, Isbn-034550691X</td></tr>
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<i style="color: #666666;">In this captivating novel of romantic suspense, New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard brings us deep into the wild, where a smart and sexy outdoor guide and her ruggedly handsome competitor must join forces to survive—and avoid becoming what they never expected to be: PREY</i><br>
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Linda Howard's books are a general hit or miss for me. <b><i>Veil of the Night</i></b> is one book of hers that I still remember with fondness and that's the only reason I made it past the synopsis for this book. Reason - it screamed predictability and in that aspect I was proved right. What's different is Howard's treatment of it which makes it somewhat interesting. <br>
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I'm not saying I loved it, but then I didn't hate it either. <br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-prey-by-linda-howard.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-53901873033283338572011-09-01T21:15:00.007-05:002011-09-04T22:15:40.129-05:00Kill Me If You Can by James Patterson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Me-If-You-Can/dp/0316097543?ie=UTF8&tag=aboblsdi-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Kill Me If You Can" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0316097543&tag=aboblsdi-20"></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=aboblsdi-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0316097543" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Me-If-You-Can/dp/0316097543?ie=UTF8&tag=aboblsdi-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Kill Me If You Can</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=aboblsdi-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0316097543" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1"><br>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Little Brown, 384p, Isbn-0316097543</b></span><br>
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An assassin who calls himself the Ghost, shoots and kills a Russian mobster at Grand Central station in New York. In the resulting mayhem, Matthew Bannon, an impoverished ex-Marine turned art student, stumbles upon the dying mobster and soon walks away with a bag full of diamonds.<br>
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Prince, a bigwig in the Diamond Syndicate mob, wants his stolen diamonds back at all costs and the Ghost is re-hired, this time to kill Bannon and get back the diamonds. As a precaution, another expert killer is also set the same task. Who comes out on top and how makes for a somewhat entertaining, if highly predictable, read. <u><span style="color: red;">Spoiler + Cautionary note to all readers</span></u> -<b> <span style="color: #cc0000;">There are Incest scenes in this story</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000;">!</span><br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/09/kill-me-if-you-can-by-james-patterson.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-23589649331526417952011-08-18T00:54:00.000-05:002011-08-18T00:54:00.665-05:00Review - Sylvester: or The Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Georgette Heyer</span></b></td></tr>
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From the queen of Regency romance Georgette Heyer, <i><b>Sylvester: or The Wicked Uncle</b></i> is an enjoyable and witty story from start to finish.<br>
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Sylvester, the Duke of Salford, is a man of consequence and ready to marry. He has his pick of eligible London beauties; if only he couldn’t find flaws in them, which he does. Hearing of a girl from his beloved mother, he goes to see her. He’s disappointed to find Phoebe Marlow has neither beauty nor conversation. She also wants nothing more in life than NOT to marry him. He learns this when she runs off to London in harsh winter weather so as to avoid what she believes is an imminent proposal from him.<br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-sylvester-or-wicked-uncle-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-50827214177032653662011-08-17T03:28:00.000-05:002011-08-17T03:28:00.792-05:00Jeanette Baker visits...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today I'm happy to welcome <b>Jeanette Baker</b>, author of CATRIONA,<i><b> </b></i>who's guest blogging here today.<br>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JtF95n4PXK0/TksXL4iD_AI/AAAAAAAAAxk/QmaCCLYgJ-E/s1600/Catriona+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JtF95n4PXK0/TksXL4iD_AI/AAAAAAAAAxk/QmaCCLYgJ-E/s1600/Catriona+cover.jpg"></a><u><i>Synopsis</i></u> : Kate Sutherland has always felt out of step growing up in Southern California, but it isn’t until her adoptive mother’s death that she travels to Scotland to discover the truth about her heritage. There, with the help of a high-priestess of an ancient Scottish sect, she experiences the visions that reveal she is one of the twice-born and that five centuries before she walked the earth as Catriona Wells, daughter of an English earl and a Scots princess, first cousin to James IV of Scotland, English spy and harbinger of a shameful secret.<br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/08/jeanette-baker-visits.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-46891542607641807962011-08-11T00:58:00.010-05:002011-08-11T00:58:00.663-05:00Review - The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BC4_Zt6gZ8k/Th3BqD2SC6I/AAAAAAAAAt8/cp-YBadUZmI/s1600/the-quiet-gentleman-by-georgette-heyer-2011-x-200.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BC4_Zt6gZ8k/Th3BqD2SC6I/AAAAAAAAAt8/cp-YBadUZmI/s320/the-quiet-gentleman-by-georgette-heyer-2011-x-200.jpg" width="208"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sourcebooks Casablanca, 347p, ISBN: 1402238835</td></tr>
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Synopsis - <i style="color: #666666;">Returning to his family seat from Waterloo, Gervase Frant, seventh Earl of St Erth, could have expected more enthusiasm for his homecoming. His quiet cousin, stepmother, and young half-brother seem openly disappointed that he survived the wars. </i><br>
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<i>And when he begins to fall for his half-brother's sweetheart, his chilly reception goes from unfriendly to positively murderous.</i></div>
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Yes, this is a sort of a murder mystery, my dear Heyer fans. Or rather attempted murder, I should say (that's not a spoiler, for I'm sure you guessed the hero can't be murdered - right?). I feel the real mystery lies in the romance part of it, for till the end
the reader is left wondering who exactly will end up with whom. Not at all the usual sort of fare we've come to expect from this wonderful romance author of yester years, but one which she writes surprisingly well.<br>
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<a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-quiet-gentleman-by-georgette.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-88334537131599092832011-08-09T00:17:00.000-05:002011-08-09T00:17:00.971-05:00Review - Colors By Thierry Laval<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chronicle Books, board book, <br>
10p, ages Infant-3, <br>
Isbn-9780811879521</td></tr>
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Children can't get enough of color, but making them learn the names of these beloved colors is another task. Which is why I'm always happy to introduce my kid to the world of colors with simple, yet fun and informative books like this one.<br>
</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-colors-by-thierry-laval.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-5193873535188022332011-08-05T00:10:00.000-05:002011-08-05T00:10:00.457-05:00Review - Quinn by Iris Johansen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Martin's, 374p, <br>
Isbn-031265121X</td></tr>
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<i>As a former Navy SEAL turned cop, Joe Quinn has seen the face of evil and knows just how deadly it can be. When he first met Eve Duncan, he never expected to fall in love with a woman whose life would be defined by her dual desires to bring home her missing daughter and discover the truth behind her disappearance---no matter how devastating. With the help of CIA agent Catherine Ling, they make a shocking discovery that sheds new light on young Bonnie’s abduction and puts Quinn squarely in the crosshairs of danger. Eve’s first love, John Gallo, a soldier supposedly killed in the line of duty, is very much alive---and very much a threat.</i></div>
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<i>Emotionally charged, with one shock after another, Quinn reveals the electricity of Joe and Eve’s first connection, and how they fell in love in the midst of haunting tragedy. As their search takes them deeper and deeper into a web of murder and madness, Joe and Eve must confront their most primal fears . . . and test their resolve to uncover the ultimate bone-chilling truth. </i></div>
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All the books I've read so far in the Eve Duncan series have been interesting, with lots of emotional drama and ever increasing suspense. All these ingredients have been watered-down and recycled into <b>'Quinn'</b>'s lukewarm story.<br>
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</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-quinn-by-iris-johansen.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-89719405119722059892011-08-04T00:01:00.021-05:002011-08-04T00:01:04.612-05:00Review - Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sourcebooks Casablanca, 368p, ISBN:1402238797 </td></tr>
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To say that the beautiful and tempestuous Lady Serena is highly upset to find that her recently deceased (and highly eccentric) father, the Earl of Spenborough, left the care of her fortune and control over her marriage to her jilted fiancé Ivo Barrasford, the Marquis of Rotherham, is to understate the case. Too much time has elapsed since Serena broke her engagement to her childhood companion, Rotherham, (and that too after the invitations had been sent - such a <b><i>scandal</i></b>!) for them to feel anything but discomfort at this bit of posthumous matchmaking on the part of the Earl. Or so they both declare.<br>
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Used to commanding a large household and having acted as her father's hostess from a young age, energetic and politically-savvy Serena soon finds herself in doldrums when her life is suddenly reduced to a small Dower house with none but her father's young widow, Fanny, for company and a social sphere consisting of occasional visits from neighbors who'd been just casual acquaintances before. The only bright spots in Serena's life are visits from the Marquis which always set off verbal fireworks between them, leaving a timid Fanny much distraught, but which curiously leave Serena exhilarated. <br>
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When even Fanny begins to feel their quiet life is a dead bore, the two ladies decide to move to Bath for a welcome change. And suddenly things begin to get a little too exciting for words - the return of an old lover, a shocking engagement, an elopement, flaring passions and love intrigues complicate their lives like never before. What follows is an engaging drama of romance and wit from that mistress of the genre, Georgette Heyer. <br>
</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-bath-tangle-by-georgette-heyer.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-13397891471293206642011-08-03T00:18:00.000-05:002011-08-03T00:18:00.403-05:00Review - Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Otherworld, Book 12<br>
Dutton, Isbn: 0-525-95220-9</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<div style="color: #666666; text-align: justify;">
<i>Savannah Levine is in terrible danger, and for once she’s powerless to help herself. At the conclusion of <b>Waking the Witch</b></i><i>, Savannah swore that she would give up her powers if it would help a young girl. Little did she know that </i><i>someone would take her up on that promise.</i></div>
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<i>And now, witch hunting assassins, necromancers, half-demons, and rogue witches all seem to be after her. The threat is not just for Savannah; every member of the Otherworld might be at risk. While most of her fellow supernaturals are circling the wagons at a gathering of the council in Miami, Savannah is caught on the road, isolated from those who can protect her and unable to use her vast spell casting talent, the thing she counts on most. </i></div>
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<i>In a story that will change the shape of the Otherworld forever, </i><b>Spell Bound</b><i> gathers Elena, Clay, Paige, Lucas, Jaime, Hope, and others, who soon learn that the greatest threat to supernaturals just may come from within.</i></div>
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I was a tad disappointed with the previous book in this series, <b><i>Waking the Witch</i></b>, for it was the first book in the entire series that didn't have a true ending. Like most series, <i>Otherworld </i>books are best read in order so readers can make sense of who the characters are, their pasts, histories etc. But for all that, each book had a definite ending. <i><b>Waking the Witch</b></i> didn't (or at least, not a complete one) while <b>Spell Bound</b> just leaves the readers completely hanging. <br>
</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-spell-bound-by-kelley-armstrong.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-2689352028218988162011-08-02T00:52:00.000-05:002011-08-02T00:52:00.250-05:00Review - Animal Rummy by Bob Barner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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42 cards in drawer box</td></tr>
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<i>This fun and easy-to-play card game featuring Bob Barner's colorful and lively animal characters is sure to be a family favorite. Players try to gather as many of the same cards as possible to create sets of each animal, including panda bears, lions, elephants, and more! The oversized cards come in an elegant drawer box with a ribbon drawstring, making them durable for years to come.</i></div>
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Cards are always fun to play with whether sheltering inside from blistering heat, traveling somewhere or just driving. I'm not comfortable with introducing my kids to the traditional card games, but these animal cards are just the right alternative.<br>
</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-animal-rummy-by-bob-barner.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454469733016119154.post-14333646068077220512011-08-01T00:55:00.001-05:002011-08-01T00:55:00.748-05:00Review - Watch Me Die by Erica Spindler<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Martin's, 341p, Isbn-031236394X</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br></td></tr>
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<b>Synopsis</b> - <i><span style="color: #666666;">A priest murdered in his church…a homeless man slaughtered in a toilet... these are just the first of two seemingly unrelated murders plaguing a sweltering New Orleans. As the murders continue it becomes clear that glass restoration artist Mira Gallier is somehow at the heart of it. </span></i><br>
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<i>Whether she’s the one killing people and leaving weird Biblical quotes at the murder scenes or someone connected to her is, are the questions that plague the uneasy partnership of homicide detectives Spencer Malone and Karin Bayle. </i><br>
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<i>Meanwhile Mira is convinced her dead husband has come back to life. Could that be a clue?</i></div>
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Erica Spindler is at the top of her game in this edge-of-the-seat Hitchcockian psychological drama. Her skill is evident whether describing a character’s heart-rending survivor’s guilt, capturing the subtle nuances of a police partnership, or building an atmosphere of exponentially ominous tension. <br>
</div><a href="http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-watch-me-die-by-erica-spindler.html#more">Read more »</a>Rashmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04697648988688059076noreply@blogger.com0