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Showing posts from November, 2009

Giveaway - The Gate House by Nelson DeMille (closed)

CONGRATS TO LUCKY WINNER - BRENDA! In The Gate House New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille delivers the long-awaited follow-up to his classic novel The Gold Coast . When John Sutter's aristocratic wife killed her mafia don lover, John left America and set out in his sailboat on a three-year journey around the world, eventually settling in London. Now, ten years later, he has come home to the Gold Coast, that stretch of land on the North Shore of Long Island that once held the greatest concentration of wealth and power in America, to attend the imminent funeral of an old family servant. Taking up temporary residence in the gatehouse of Stanhope Hall, John finds himself living only a quarter of a mile from Susan who has also returned to Long Island. But Susan isn't the only person from John's past who has reemerged: Though Frank Bellarosa, infamous Mafia don and Susan's ex-lover, is long dead, his son, Anthony, is alive and well, and intent on two miss

Blog Tour - Buckley's Story by Ingrid King (& a Giveaway!)

Readers, please join me welcoming Ingrid King, author of Buckley's Story who's guest blogging here today, as part of her virtual tour from Pump Up your Book Promotion ! Buckley’s Story is the story of how one small cat changed the author’s life in ways she never could have imagined. In this warm-hearted memoir, Ingrid King shares the story of Buckley, a joyful, enthusiastic and affectionate tortoiseshell cat she meets while managing a veterinary hospital. Writing about Cats – Amber’s Story One of the questions most frequently asked of me since the release of Buckley’s Story – Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher has been why Buckley? What was so special about this particular cat, rather than any of the other cats who have been part of my life, that inspired me to write a book about her? You’ll have to read the book to find out how she changed my life in ways I never could have imagined by teaching me universal lessons about opening my heart and living a joyful life.

Review - Creature ABC by Andrew Zuckerman

Creature ABC Ages 4-8, 120 p, Chronicle Books, Isbn-0811869784 An elegant addition to any library, this deluxe alphabet book features 120 pages of Andrew Zuckerman's breathtaking wildlife photography. From alligator to zebra, each featured animal boasts two striking studio portraits against a clean white background, offering a unique up-close view of the animal kingdom. Readers can flip to a helpful glossary in the back for extra information. From the sleek beauty of a smiling hippo to the powerful majesty of a roaring lion, this gorgeous new book is both a stunning work of art and a ferociously fun way for young animal-lovers to learn their ABCs. The book is good. The glossy photos - the details in them as if the creatures were about to leap off the pages - were just perfect! I just wish all the letters were represented by the appropriate creature. Don't get me wrong - most of them are, but some aren't. Like N is for nocturnal creatures (which is more the category t

Anna Campbell talks about Captive of Sin (& a Giveaway - closed)

Anna Campbell decided to become a writer shortly after she learned to walk. Then she discovered romance novels and realized she just had to be a romance writer and tell stories about love and hope and triumph through adversity, not forgetting gorgeous, passionate men. Her latest romance, Captive of Sin , tells the tale of two tortured souls who, despite the odds, find a once-in-a-lifetime love. More from lovely Anna herself... Something’s Gotta Give by Anna Campbell  Hello, everyone at A Book Blogger's Diary ! Thank you so much for having me as your guest today to talk about my latest historical romance from Avon, Captive of Sin , which came out in November. Growing up, I was addicted to the movies of Hollywood’s golden age. One of my favorites was DADDY LONG LEGS starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron. Lovely romantic story, gorgeous dancing and a brilliant score by Johnny Mercer, including the famous “Something’s Gotta Give”, the irresistible force meeting the immovable

A Century of Flavors (& a Giveaway! - closed)

CONGRATS TO LUCKY WINNER - CAROL! A Century of Flavors The Cookbook Marketplace, 127p, Isbn:9780979599101 The delightful aroma of the kitchen during the holidays – with smells of cinnamon, peppermint, chocolate and vanilla – is a scent that many associate with long lived memories. The holiday season is a perfect time to create flavorful memories with your family and loved ones. Nielsen-Massey Vanillas A Century of Flavors cookbook provides us with a variety of holiday recipes. Vanilla Carmel Corn Crunch can be made with a young chef, while Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes is a perfect side to a family’s main course. This vanilla-inspired cookbook, published by family-owned Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, celebrates the exciting nuances of one of America’s most-loved and versatile ingredients – pure vanilla. It is filled with 50 of the most tantalizing recipes, highlighting the intricate, yet delicate flavors of pure vanilla and is written for the novice cook as well as the seasoned chef.

Author Guest Post - Eva Etzioni-Halevy (& a Giveaway - closed)

CONGRATS TO LUCKY WINNER - CYNTHIA Readers, please join me welcoming Eva Etzioni-Halevy , author of The Triumph of Deborah who will be guest blogging here today! Eva is a professor emeritus of political sociology at Bar- Ilan University in Israel. The search of her roots led her to the discovery of the rich world of the Bible, and to the intention of bringing it to life for contemporary readers through the writing of Biblical novels . How the Fascinating Women of the Bible Can Empower us Today A while ago, I participated in a symposium on women of the Bible at which a lady in the audience asked: Why should we be interested in biblical women? They were concerned mainly with marriage and bearing sons, while we, today, have so many more ambitions for our lives. But this is very challenging question, is based on a misconception. While the women of the Bible lived thousands of years ago, in essence we are still similar to them in our hopes and anxieties. Hence listening to thei

Wendy Tokunaga Guest Blog & Giveaway

CONGRATS TO LUCKY WINNER - CARRIE! The San Francisco Chronicle called her debut novel,  Midori by Moonlight 1 , a “ terrific first nove l.” Now Author Wendy Tokunaga is back with her second book, Love in Translation , which again explores the themes of Japan and Japanese culture and being a stranger in a strange land, which have played a major role in her life and writing. I now turn the stage over to Wendy, who's here telling us all about :   Love and Songs in Translation As someone whose second novel has just come out, it may surprise you that when I was young, my dream wasn’t to be a writer; I wanted to be a rock star. The only writing I did was songwriting for the bands I put together on my quest to become the next Joan Jett, Blondie or Pat Benatar. At the same time I’d become mad for Japan and Japanese culture and was studying the language. When I heard about something called karaoke, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. The Japanese actually invented karaoke

A Conversation with Donna VanLiere

Donna VanLiere is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Christmas Hope series, with over 2 million books in print. Her next novel in this series, The Christmas Secret (304p, St.Martins Press) , combines the heartbreaking with the humorous to tell a story that illuminates the true meaning of Christmas. Q. What inspired the storyline of The Christmas Secret? A. I know several single mothers (my own sister is a single mother) and I watch how they struggle and try to juggle every aspect of life. A couple of those women have had horrendous ex-husbands and I've sat alongside of them as they cry and try to cope with all the emotions involved in that fractured relationship. Being a single mother is the most difficult job on earth! Q. You deal with some difficult subjects: grief, heartbreak, even drug addiction. How do you handle writing about these topics? A. I pull from real people who have walked down similar roads. My husband and I are curre

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - Audiobook Review & Giveaway - closed

CONGRATS TO LUCKY WINNER - EMILY! "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy. I was in a hurry when I opened this audiobook and didn't realize at first it was the author herself reading it out loud! It certainly made for a unique reading experience, and that made it all the more fulfilling somehow. I hadn't read the paper version of the novel and was unprepared for the gamut of emotions the story takes a listener through. I

True Blue by David Baldacci - Audiobook Review and Giveaway (closed)

CONGRATS TO LUCKY WINNER - FREDA! Mason "Mace" Perry was a firebrand cop on the D.C. police force until she was kidnapped and framed for a crime. She lost everything-her badge, her career, her freedom-and spent two years in prison. Now she's back on the outside and focused on one mission: to be a cop once more. Her only shot to be a true blue again is to solve a major case on her own, and prove she has the right to wear the uniform. But even with her police chief sister on her side, she has to work in the shadows: A vindictive U.S. attorney is looking for any reason to send Mace back behind bars. Then Roy Kingman enters her life. Roy is a young lawyer who aided the poor until he took a high-paying job at a law firm in Washington. Mace and Roy meet after he discovers the dead body of a female partner at the firm. As they investigate the death, they start uncovering surprising secrets from both the private and public world of the nation's capital. Soon, what bega

Blog Tour - Dianne Castell's Hot and Irresistible

Once again, I'm very happy to welcome Best selling author, Dianne Castell , on the blog tour of her lastest book, Hot and Irresistible . This virtual tour comes courtesy Pump Up Your Book Promotion . And I received a copy of this book for hosting this tour.       Why I am a Closet Southern Belle One of the reasons I wrote Hot and Bothered and Hot and Irresistible was I wanted to set a book in the South, the real South. It has a flavor all its own from the way folks talk...How’s your mamma and daddy?...to the food...anything that has a stick of butter and cup of cream has got to be delicious! Just ask Paula Deen...to the way gals and guys behave. So my question today is... Are you a closet Southern Belle? Now you ask, Okay what the dickens makes a Southern Belle? Well, I just happen to have a little list... Do you never wear white after Labor Day or before Easter Do you own a strand of real pearls and wear them with pride Always drink sweet tea and love it when th

Blog Tour - Dark Stranger by Susan Sizemore (& Giveaway - closed)

CONGRATS TO LUCKY WINNER - SUE!         Readers, please join me welcoming New York Times and USA Today bestseller Susan Sizemore , author of Dark Stranger who's guest blogging here today! DARK STRANGER (Pocket Star, 384 pp, Isbn:978-1416562139) is a fun, fresh "extra" in the Vampire Primes romance series, featuring a vampire hero who rescues a captured human princess-in-disguise in a futuristic paranormal world. But don't worry! This also makes a great stand-alone. Thanks to Sarah of Pocket Books, I was able to request Susan to write about how difficult or different it is to write a vampire into a futuristic romance and here is her great response! I've been asked to blog about how difficult it is to write a vampire into a futuristic romance. This is a fantastic topic! First off, I have to say that I do not believe in "real" vampires. It's my job to make myself and readers believe in the fictional vampires I create. It's not just the