Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Review & International Giveaway Catherine by Sigrid Weidenweber


Inside the Heart and Mind of a Great Monarch

This is the story of Catherine the Great of Russia and how she became great.  She was born as Sophie Fredericka Augusta on April 29, 1729 in the impoverished Duchy of Anhalt-Zerbst.  At the age of 14 the German princess was brought to Russia by her mother, to marry Grand Duke Peter.  The future successor of the Russian throne.  She was then given the name of Catherine.


The marriage between Catherine and Peter was loveless, to say the least and it wasn't until 1754 that their first son, Paul was born.  The Empress at the time, Elizabeth took Paul from Catherine and raised him herself.  


When Empress Elizabeth died, Grand Duke Peter became Peter III on December 25, 1761.  However. he was a downright mean monarch and on June 28, 1762 Catherine was able to overthrown Peter III and became Empress Catherine.


When she took over, the coffers were almost empty.  However she was able to turn that around and write legislation to make it easier for the average citizen to live.  She was eventually know as Great.  There is great detail of her own inner workings both as a monarch and a lover.  She had many men in her life who she was romantically involved with.  When one favourite fell out of her favour, there was another to replace him.


This was a very long ebook, of 853 pages.  I was very thankful that it was given to me as an ebook for that reason.  This is a detailed historical fiction novel of Catherine from birth to death.  I really enjoyed it for the most part but found myself taking on the role of editor as I read it.  In my opinion it could have been cut down by 200 pages or more and have been a better book for it. 


That said, this was a very touching account of Catherine the Great.  When I started the book I knew very little about her but as I turned the pages I began to empathise with her and care what happened to her.  This would be a great book for those who are interested in Russian history and Catherine the Great. 


This is Book one of a trilogy titled The Volga Flows Forever.


3.5/5


Thanks to MediaGuests for this ebook and inviting me to be part of the tour.

The Tour Stops:
Nov. 2 – She Reads – She Blogs, review
Nov. 3 – Carabosse’s Library, review
Nov. 5 – Musings From Inside the Hobbit Door, review
Nov. 7 – In the Pages…, review
Nov. 8 – My Sea of Books, feature and giveaway
Nov. 10 – The Book Connection, interview
Nov. 11 – This That and the Other Thing, review
Nov. 14 – Wyn is Reading Books, review
Nov. 15 – A Good Day To Read , review
Nov. 17 – Sunflower Faith, review
Nov. 26 – Curling Up by the Fire, guest post
Nov. 27 – Curling Up by the Fire, review
Nov. 28 – The True Book Addict, review, guest post,

Now for the giveaway:  Thanks to Cheryl Christensen of Media Guest, I am giving away one ebook copy.

To Enter:
Leave a comment with your email address, so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:  (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).

+10 Join Superpoints (Click to read instructions, here)
+3 Old or new follower of this blog.
+3 Old or new follower on Twitter (@teddyrose1).
+2 Tweet about this Giveaway (Up to 1 time per day) 
+3 Be my friend on Facebook (Teddy Rose).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy).
+3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+ 3 for following my Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
+4 for filling out the  Tour Host Interest Form (please do this if you have a book blog and you are serious about wanting to be a tour host)
+ 5 if you have been a tour host for Premier Virtual Author Book Tours (please specify which tour)
+2 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)

That's 46 or more possible entries!  Tthis giveaway is open Internationally.
The winner's mailing address: No P.O. Boxes
Only one entry per household/IP address

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, December 13th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.



Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:01 AM 57 comments  

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

Giveaway: The Family Affair by Leon H. Gildin (Sequel to The Polski Affair)

Thanks to Kortney Tenaglia of SparkPoint Studio, I am giving away one print copy of The Family Affair.

Book Description: 


In The Polski Affair, which won Mr. Gildin the International Book Award, he tells a remarkable story of haunting secrets and the guilt of survival set against the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto. 


In The Family Affair, it is some two years since Anna Adler returned from a reunion of the survivors of the Hotel Polski in Warsaw. At the reunion, she was applauded for her courage in testifying against Nazi Col. Peter  Hauptmann at his war crimes trial. But Anna's obsession with what took place at the hotel during her period of imprisonment continues to haunt her. And when new members of Anna's family are discovered, she is both overjoyed and tormented. For Anna, the ties that bind run deeper than she cares to remember. The Family Affair explores human frailties and tells a tale of explosive revelations that have the power to both unite and divide Anna's family for years to come. 
         

About Leon H. Gildin:


Leon H. Gildin is an award-winning author, producer and retired entertainment attorney. While practicing law in New York for more than 40 years, Mr. Gildin served as general counsel to actors, writers and composers, produced on and off-Broadway, and collaborated with authors and musicians in the development of scripts and musical material for the stage. 


His award-winning production credits include Appear and Show Cause, a story inspired by the desegregation of the U.S. Army at which time Mr. Gildin was serving oversees. Appear and Show Cause opened the season at the Cleveland Playhouse in 1982, and he then co-produced the same off-Broadway, winning the Audelco Award. 


He is the executive producer of TV documentaries, including The Secret Army, a documentary about the religious conflict in Ireland, purchased by Viacom for international distribution. Also to his credit is Theresienstadt, Gateway to Auschwitz: Recollections from Childhood, which received a Blue Ribbon Award from the American Film and Video Festival. 


In 2000, Mr. Gildin authored a non-fiction work entitled You Can't Do Business (or Most Anything Else) Without Yiddish, published in both hard and soft cover by Hippocrene Books, New York. The book discusses the amount of Yiddish spoken in contemporary English by both Jews and non-Jews alike resulting from Eastern European immigration at the start of the 20th Century.  
   

Mr. Gildin is the 2010 International Book Awards winner in the Historical Fiction category for his book, The Polski Affair, published by Diamond River Books, Canada. According to Professor Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, the Head of Jewish Studies at Arizona State University, "The Polski Affair is a gripping tale that illustrates the moral ambiguity of the Holocaust and the struggle of ordinary people to retain their humanity under extraordinary circumstances." The Polski Affair was released in Hebrew translation by a major Israeli publisher in 2011.


The award-winning story continues in The Family Affair, scheduled for release in print and e-book on Amazon and Smashwords in November 2011. This sequel to The Polski Affair tells of the fortuitous discovery of new family members, explores human frailties and reveals secrets that have the power to both unite and divide a family for years to come.  
  

Mr. Gildin is not quite retired, always in creative pursuit of his next compelling writing project. He resides in Paradise Valley, Arizona, with his wife, Gloria. For more information on Mr. Gildin and his works, visit http://www.leongildin.com/.  

Right now, you can buy The Polski Affair for $1 at Smashwords.com with the following coupon code: RZ73B This offer expires on December 23, 2011.

To Enter for a chance to win The Family Affair:
Leave a comment with your email address, so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:  (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).

+3 Old or new follower of this blog.
+3 Old or new follower on Twitter (@teddyrose1).
+2 Tweet about this Giveaway (Up to 1 time per day) 
+3 Be my friend on Facebook (Teddy Rose).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy).
+3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+ 3 for following my Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
+4 for filling out the  Tour Host Interest Form (please do this if you have a book blog and you are serious about wanting to be a tour host)
+ 5 if you have been a tour host for Premier Virtual Author Book Tours (please specify which tour)
+2 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)

That's 36 or more possible entries!  This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada.
The winner's mailing address: No P.O. Boxes
Only one entry per household/IP address

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.

This giveaway will end on Sunday, December 11th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.



Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:00 PM 38 comments  

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Friday, November 25, 2011

International Giveway: A Gentle Thief by Amanda Dickson

Thanks to Cheryl Christensen of Media Guests, I am giving away one ebook copy of A Gentle Thief.

Book Description:

Maddie Johnson loved Shakespeare. Unlike everybody else she knew growing up, she seemed to understand him, enjoy him, more with every reading. It was partly because of this love that she drove from her home in rural Pennsylvania to college at Southern Utah University, home every summer to the Utah Shakespearean Festival. It was partly that, and partly the desire to get as far away as possible. Maddie thought being in Utah would help her forget, that the stark beauty of the scenery and the power of the metaphor would be enough to clear her. They weren’t.

In her freshman year, she met and, after graduation, married a much older man, Robert Able, the first person Maddie had ever known who understood her love of Shakespeare. 

At 21, Maddie felt too young to be married. At 23, she felt too young to be divorced. Maddie was found dead on New Year’s Day, clutching a gun to her chest. Everyone assumed she committed suicide. Everyone except her father.

A Gentle Thief is Maddie’s story, and that of her father and the young attorney he hires who becomes devoted to him and the truth of his cause.

A Gentle Thief is a book nearly 20 years in the making, inspired by a case the author worked on while a lawyer.

About Amanda Dickson:

Amanda Dickson is a radio announcer, author, newspaper columnist, and speaker based in Salt Lake City. Amanda earned her B.A. in English and her Juris Doctorate at the University of Utah. She practiced law for a brief time before returning to her first love of radio. Amanda taught Mass Communication Law at the University of Utah, becoming a favorite professor among the students. Amanda published her first book in the fall of 2007, Wake Up to a Happier Life. Her second book, Change It Up, came out in October of 2009. Her new book, Friends for Life, is due out in January of 2012. Amanda is married and the step-mother of three children. She is also the indulgent mother of two children.

To Enter:
Leave a comment with your email address, so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:  (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).

+3 Old or new follower of this blog.
+3 Old or new follower on Twitter (@teddyrose1).
+2 Tweet about this Giveaway (Up to 1 time per day) 
+3 Be my friend on Facebook (Teddy Rose).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy).
+3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+ 3 for following my Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
+4 for filling out the  Tour Host Interest Form (please do this if you have a book blog and you are serious about wanting to be a tour host)
+ 5 if you have been a tour host for Premier Virtual Author Book Tours (please specify which tour)
+2 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)

That's 36 or more possible entries!  This giveaway is open internationally, if you can receive a kindle book gifted.  For those in the U.S. or Canada, you have the choice of print copy or Kindle.
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.

This giveaway will end on Friday, December 9th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:01 AM 86 comments  

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Giveaway: The Greenhouse by Audur Ava Olafsdottir

Thanks to Emily LaBeaume of Wunderkind PR, I am giving away one copy of The Greenhouse.


Book Description:

Not long after his mother dies tragically in a car accident, twenty-two year-old Lobbi, a brilliant student, leaves behind his studies, his father, an autistic brother, and memories of his mother to become a gardener. Leaving his native, infertile Iceland, he sets out to restore the once-renowned monastic gardens of a remote village monastery. Amongst his luggage he carries three rose cuttings from the rare eight-petal rose he and his mother cultivated and a photo of the young daughter he has only seen a few times, a child accidentally conceived in a brief encounter in his mother’s greenhouse with Anna, a girl he hardly knew. Like all quests, however, Lobbi is about to find out that oftentimes the destination is the journey itself.

After persevering through an emergency appendectomy once on the continent, Lobbi  sets out, meeting many people whose kindness helps him on his way. Once at the monastery, he immediately sets to work transforming the garden under the watchful eye of a cinephile monk. Surprised by a visit from Anna and his daughter, he finds himself not only caring for the garden, but his daughter as well. Tentatively, Lobbi and his daughter establish a loving relationship as they feel their way into each other’s lives, their bond warm, unique, and fragile. Lobbi discovers the varied roles and joys of being a man: fatherhood, cooking, and the love of nurturing a family, all the while retaining his identity as a son, a brother, a lover, and…a gardener.

About the Author:

Audur Ava Olafsdottir was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. She is a lecturer in the history of art at the University of Iceland, a director of the University of Iceland Art Collection, and has curated art exhibitions in Iceland and abroad. She is the author of three novels, a book of poetry, and a play. Olafsdottir is available upon request for interviews and is the first of ten Icelandic novelists to be published by AmazonCrossing in celebration of her country’s role as the guest of honor at the 2011 Frankfurt Book Fair.

As a translator and playwright, Brian FitzGibbon has a particular passion for the translation of fiction.  With experience that spans over twenty years, he has translated a vast array of film scripts, treatments, stage plays, and novels, working exclusively into English from Italian, French, and Icelandic.  His translation of the Icelandic cult novel 101 Reykjavik by Hallgrimur Helgason, published by Faber & Faber in the UK and Scribner in the US in 2002, was hailed by the Guardian as “dazzling” and the New York Times as “lucid.”

To Enter:
Leave a comment with your email address, so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:  (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).

+3 Old or new follower of this blog.
+3 Old or new follower on Twitter (@teddyrose1).
+2 Tweet about this Giveaway (Up to 1 time per day) 
+3 Be my friend on Facebook (Teddy Rose).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy).
+3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+ 3 for following my Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
+4 for filling out the  Tour Host Interest Form (please do this if you have a book blog and you are serious about wanting to be a tour host)
+ 5 if you have been a tour host for Premier Virtual Author Book Tours (please specify which tour)
+2 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)

That's 36 or more possible entries!  This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada.
The winner's mailing address: No P.O. Boxes
Only one entry per household/IP address

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.

This giveaway will end on Wednesday, December 7th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.



Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:01 AM 32 comments  

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

International Giveaway and Review: The Accidental Activist by Alon Shalev

The Accidental Activist is loosely based on the Mc Libel case in London that took place in the 1990's.  Like the real case, the character, Suzie and other protesters took  on a big corporation distributing leaflets about their poor environmental practise and poor working conditions.  The corporation sued for libel.  Back then, people who were sued for libel were not given a public defender but this eventually changed because of this case.  

This is a story of courtroom drama with a bit of romance thrown in.  Matt was a computer geek who happened to meet Suzie by chance.  It was instant love.  When she got sued for Libel from a big oil corporation he found a way to help her with the assistance of his co-workers/ friends.  Back then, websites were very new but they developed a website to get the word out.  This was the first political website as far as it was known.  Matt and his co-workers were basically fired from their jobs for setting it up.

I couldn't help but root for Matt and Suzie throughout the book and the courtroom drama was gripping.  It even had a bit of sardonic humor in it.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more character development but the story itself was great.  Alon Shalev has explained that he likes to write "transformational fiction where ordinary people are drawn into fighting a social injustice and in doing so experience a life-shifting internal change."  He succeeded using Matt as his transformational character.

If you're looking for a John Grisham like thriller that puts the main character in peril, this book is not for you.  However, if you want a well written courtroom drama with British humor and style, I highly recommend this book.

4/5

Please note that I am the coordinator of The Accidental Activist Tour but it in no way influenced my opinion of the book.  My review is my honest and true feelings of the book.  I was not paid for my review.


Also reviewed by:

Me and Reading
Alchemyofscrawl
Books and Things
Bound and Determined to Find a Good Read
Words I Write Crazy
Butter-o-Meter Books
Mad Moose Mama
Popcorn Reads

To Enter:
Leave a comment with your email address, so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:  (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).
+10 Join Superpoints (Click to read instructions, here)
+3 Old or new follower of this blog.
+3 Old or new follower on Twitter (@teddyrose1).
+2 Tweet about this Giveaway (Up to 1 time per day) 
+3 Be my friend on Facebook (Teddy Rose).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy).
+3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+ 3 for following my Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
+4 for filling out the  Tour Host Interest Form (please do this if you have a book blog and you are serious about wanting to be a tour host)
+ 5 if you have been a tour host for Premier Virtual Author Book Tours (please specify which tour)
+2 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)

That's 46 or more possible entries!  Tthis giveaway is open Internationally.  If you live in the U.S. or Canada, you have the choice of print or ebook.  If you live internationally you receive the ebook version.
The winner's mailing address: No P.O. Boxes
Only one entry per household/IP address

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, December 6th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:01 AM 68 comments  

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Friday, November 18, 2011

Giveaway: Great Scotts and Highland Heat Tour

Thanks to Jennifer Reese of Grand Central Publishing, I am giving away three sets of the two books below.

The books are:

Highland Hero by Amanda Scott:

When Scotland’s Queen Annabella dies, her devastated niece, Lady Marsaili Cargill, takes charge of the seven-year-old prince James, who is second in line to the throne. But rumors abound that the King’s brother—the Duke of Albany—will stop at nothing to fulfill his ambition to govern Scotland. But before Marsi can help the young prince escape to the safety of St. Andrews Academy, she will need to confront the men seeking to use her—and accept the help of the King’s devoted master archer, Sir Ivor Mackintosh. With traitors and assassins all around, Marsi and Ivor must risk all for the little prince James, while hoping for a future that will allow their love to flourish.

The Sinner by Margaret Mallory:

Alex MacDonald is known for his skill as a warrior, his prowess with women, and his vow to never take a wife. But now his chieftain has asked him to make the ultimate sacrifice: wed Glynis MacNeil, a lass famed throughout the Highlands for her exquisite beauty—and defiant ways. Familiar with heartbreak, Glynis refuses to fall for another handsome scoundrel. Yet when Alex’s past sins force an unlikely union, Glynis gives in to temptation and becomes his wife. Will their newfound passion be strong enough to fight the enemy that threatens their home, their clan, and their very lives?

To Enter:
Leave a comment with your email address, so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:  (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).

+3 Old or new follower of this blog.
+3 Old or new follower on Twitter (@teddyrose1).
+2 Tweet about this Giveaway (Up to 1 time per day) 
+3 Be my friend on Facebook (Teddy Rose).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy).
+3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+ 3 for following my Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
+4 for filling out the  Tour Host Interest Form (please do this if you have a book blog and you are serious about wanting to be a tour host)
+ 5 if you have been a tour host for Premier Virtual Author Book Tours (please specify which tour)
+2 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)

That's 36 or more possible entries!  Tthis giveaway is open to U.S.and Canada.
The winner's mailing address: No P.O. Boxes
Only one entry per household/IP address

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.

This giveaway will end on Friday, December 2nd, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.



Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:02 AM 158 comments  

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