Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Giveaway & Book Tour: Her Dear & Loving Husband by Meredith Allard

Today, I am kicking off the Her Dear and Loving Husband Tour with a book giveaway.

Book Description:
Publisher Copperfield Press (April 1, 2011)
Series: Loving Husband, #1 (trilogy)
Category: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Some Historical
Tour Date: September, 2013
ISBN: 9780615472607
Available in: Print & ebook,  268Pages
James Wentworth has a secret. He lives quietly in Salem, Massachusetts, making few ties with anyone. One night his private world is turned upside down when he meets Sarah Alexander, a dead ringer for his wife, Elizabeth. Though it has been years since Elizabeth’s death, James cannot move on.
Sarah also has a secret. She is haunted by nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials, and every night she is awakened by visions of hangings, being arrested, and dying in jail. Despite the obstacles of their secrets, James and Sarah fall in love. As James comes to terms with his feelings for Sarah, he must dodge accusations from a reporter desperate to prove that James is not who, or what, he seems to be. Soon James and Sarah piece their stories together and discover a mystery that may bind them in ways they never imagined. Will James make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Sarah and prevent a new hunt from bringing hysteria to Salem again?
Part historical fiction, part romance, part paranormal fantasy, Her Dear and Loving Husband is a story for anyone who believes that true love never dies.
Praise for Her Dear and Loving Husband:
“I thought the story was great. I did not want to put the book down. With all the twists and characters the book keeps you gripped to the edge of your seat. With a bit of romance mixed it makes a wonderful read. Reading about the witch trails added a mystical touch. Charles Dickens and Jane Austen even made their way into the read. This is a book I will re-read again and again”- Babs Book Bistro Website
“The historical facts regarding the Salem witch hunts, trials and executions served as the backbone for this interesting paranormal romance and i loved how author Meredith Allard wove her magic around them.  I also loved how the author’s use of modern English seamlessly flowed into 17th century speech when her characters Sarah and James relived their dreams and memories respectively. Magic, romance, mystery and suspense make Her Dear and Loving Husband a great read for me!”- aobibliophile Website
“With strong gothic flavor, this beautifully structured story captures the intensity and frenetic activity of the late 1600’s and the Salem Witch Inquisitions and trials. Graphic scenes and sequences are brilliantly depicted in small segments throughout the modern-day story. I enjoyed the tale and especially the secondary characters who sometimes provided levity during an otherwise often harrowing chronicle. This is a wonderfully spooky love story that is painstakingly researched and eloquently penned.- Laurie Jenkins, Laurie’s Paranormal Thoughts 
“If you like a bit of history, some paranormal goodness and a downright good story, look no further than Her Dear and Loving Husband for your next read.  Sarah’s past life is really what makes the story. I love the way Meredith brings her former life to us through the dreams/nightmares she has. She really brings her former life to life well.
I also love the modern day witches in the story. Jennifer and Olivia really help Sarah to find her true self. There’s a lot going on in this book, but everything is tied together nicely and the story is super enjoyable. There are so many books with vampires out there now, this is definitely one that is well worth reading. It is the first book in the “Her Loving Husband” series and once you read it you will want the next book immediately.”- Andrea Guy, A Chick Who Reads Website
“First of all, I loved this book! The “love conquers all things, including time” theme was absolutely delish for my locked in a closest hopeless romantic inside. And personally, my favorite character really was James. He is a wonderful combination of modern and traditional. He loves Sarah and Elizabeth, both for their individuality, their uniqueness. And he is willing to sacrifice everything to protect Sarah. How sexy is that? 
Sarah was a great character. She is a strong woman who has kept secrets for years, living a life that just hasn’t felt completely right. After moving, she begins to feel everything falling right into place; her life feels right when she is with James. 
I loved the development of not only the characters, but also the crisis. Can’t give too much away, but you can bet your next book that you will be on the edge of your seat wondering if all is going to turn out okay. Overall, this is an amazing book, and I really look forward to reading more by Ms. Allard. Highly recommend!”- Cana Elene, The Place of Reads Website
About Meredith Allard:
Meredith Allard has taught creative writing and writing historical fiction workshops at Learning Tree University, UNLV, and the Las Vegas Writers Conference. Her short fiction and articles have appeared in journals such as The Paumanok Review, Wild Mind, Moondance, Muse Apprentice Guild, The Maxwell Digest, CarbLite, Writer’s Weekly, and ViewsHound. She is the author of the Loving Husband Trilogy, Victory Garden, Woman of Stones, and My Brother’s Battle (Copperfield Press). She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit Meredith online at www.meredithallard.com.
Buy Her Dear and Loving Husband:
Thanks to the author, Meredith Allard, I am giving away one copy of Her Dear and Loving Husband. This giveaway is open internationally.  If in the U.S. there is the choice of print or ebook.  International will receive ebook.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Follow the Tour:
So Many Precious books Sept 3 Spotlight & Giveaway
VW Stitcher Sept 3 Review
Genuine Jenn Sept 4 Review
Book Snatch Sept 4 Interview & Giveaway
Crossroads Sept 5th Review
A Chick Who Reads Sept 6 Guest Post
Peeking Between the Pages Sept 9 Review & Giveaway
Books & Bindings Sept 10 Review
Books & Bindings Sept 10 Guest Post  & Giveaway
Books, Books & More Books Sept 11 Review
Mom With a Kindle Sept 12 Review
In This World of Books Sept 13 Review & Giveaway
Mina Burrows Sept 13 Guest Post
From the TBR Pile Sept 16 Review
Every Free Chance Sept 16 Guest Post & Giveaway
Open Book Society Sept 17 Review
My Seryniti Sept 18 Review
Talk Supe Sept 19 Review
Talk Supe Sept 19 Interview & Giveaway
My Cozy Corner Sept 20 Review
Giveaways & Glitter Sept 23 Review & Giveaway
Saving for 6 Sept 24 Review
Manic Mama of 2 Sept 25 Review
No Wasted Ink Sept 25 Interview
Moonlight Lace & Mayhem Sept 26 Review
Moonlight Lace & Mayhem Sept 27 Guest Post & Giveaway
My Precious Sept 27 Review
Broken Teepee Sept 30 Review & Giveaway
Romance & Inspirations Oct 1 Review
Faerie Tale Books Oct 2 Review
My Devotional Thoughts Oct 3 Review
My Devotional Thoughts Oct 4 Interview & Giveaway
Joy Story Oct 4 Review
My Self Confessions Oct 7 Review
My Self Confessions Oct 8 Guest Post
Rainy Days & Pajamas Oct 8 Review & Giveaway
New Age Mama Oct 9 Review
DWED Oct 10 Review
DWED Oct 11 Interview Chic Book Chick Oct 11 Review
Sweeps4Bloggers Oct 14 Review & Giveaway
Literary Winner Oct 15 Review & Giveaway

Posted by Teddy Rose at 6:00 AM 8 comments  

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Monday, September 2, 2013

Book Tour, Review & Giveaway: Arctic Fire by Paul Byers

Today, I am kicking off the Arctic Fire Tour with my review and giveaway.  
Book Description:
Publisher: Fortress Publications  (July 1, 2011)
Category: Thriller, Action Adventure,  & Literary Fiction
Tour Date: September, 2013
ISBN: 978-0615504070Available in: Print & eBook,  412 Pages
Wealthy entrepreneur Nigel Cain has devised an efficient new way to bring the earth’s most precious resource to the masses – clean water – by transporting massive man-made icebergs from the frigid arctic and delivering them literally to the doorsteps of millions.
Gabriel Pike works at a small engineering firm that has been awarded the task of giving the final safety approval to pilot the first gigantic block of ice into New York harbor.
A consummate showman, Cain has built a fabulous 5-Star hotel and casino high atop the iceberg so his celebrity guests and media elite can cover this spectacle from beginning to end. Pike is whisked away from his work-a-day world and dropped into the lap of luxury where he’s expected to simply rubber-stamp his inspection.
A brutal winter storms ravages the iceberg and exposes structural inconsistencies and hidden agendas that fill Pike with serious doubts about the true intentions of the project.  But a grisly double homicide on the ice puts the inspections on the back burner and sends Pike’s life spiraling out of control when he’s accused of being the jealous murderer in a lover’s triangle.
But Pike soon discovers that there is far more at stake than just his life. He uncovers a conspiracy more heinous than anything he could have imagined – a plot that will level a city, change the political face of America, and whose shockwaves will be felt around the world. Fate rests in his hands – if he can survive long enough to take action…
My Thoughts:
As the world fresh water supply is diminishing, Nigel Cain has solved the problem, or has he?  He is transporting a man made iceberg to New York Harbor to show the would his solution.  He has hired Gabriel Pike , from a small engineering firm to do the inspection for final approval to take the "ice cube" into the harbor.  
Sounds straight forward, right?  It's very far from it.  Many issues keep popping up while they are in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, making their way to New York.  Mostly due to a storm.  However, there are also murders and strange things happening as well.  Eventually Pike discovers a conspiracy that could bring down an entire city.  Can Pike save the day?
I had a lot of fun with this book.  I saw right away that Paul Byers is very fond of using similes   I found many of them very funny.  For example:
"Suddenly it hit him harder than a plate of bad sushi" or "By now, all the boats that had been circling the iceberg realized that something was wrong and they were scattering like cockroaches on a kitchen floor when the lights turned on."
Arctic Fire is a fast paced adventure that doesn't let up until the end.  Paul Byers has a sharp sense of humor and an eye for detail.  The science was explained but it did not slow down the fast moving plot. If you enjoy action/adventure thrillers, you will enjoy Arctic Fire!
4/5
I received the ebook copy of this book for my honest opinion.
About Paul Byers:
Paul grew up in Oregon on the shores of the mighty and mysterious Columbia River, and spent endless hours daydreaming on the beach in front of his house, making up stories about the ships from exotic ports all over the world that steamed up the river – what secret cargo might they be carrying; did they harbor spies who were on dark and exciting missions?
Later in adult life, he moved to another mysterious and provocative city – Las Vegas, just outside the famous Nellis Air Force base. After work he would sit on his porch and watch the fighters take off and land, igniting his imagination with visions of secret missions and rich speculation about what could possibly be hidden at Area 51.
After moving back to his native Pacific Northwest, Paul worked for the Navy and took every opportunity he could to speak with veterans from WWII to the Gulf War, listening to them swap stories and relate the experiences of a lifetime.
So it is this combination of a passionate love of history, a vivid “what if” imagination, and a philosophy of life that boils down to the belief that – there are few things in life that a bigger hammer won’t fix – that led Paul to become a writer of exciting, fact-based action-thrillers. His greatest joy is leaving his readers wondering where the facts end and the fiction begins.
Thanks to the author, Paul Byers, I am giving away one print copy of Arctic Fire.  The giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on October 2, 2013.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.

Buy Arctic Fire:
Follow the Tour:
So Many Precious Books Sept 2 Review & Giveaway
Book Lover’s Library Sept 3 Review
Book Lover’s Library Sept 4 Interview & Giveaway
She Treads Softly Sept 4 Review
Books, Books, & More Books Sept 5 Review
Books, Books, & More Books Sept 6 Interview & Giveaway
Cheryl’s Book Nook Sept 9 Review
Butterfly-o-Meter Books Sept 10 Review
Butterfly-o-Meter Books Sept 11 Guest Post
 My Shelf Confessions Sept 12 Review
 My Shelf Confessions Sept 13 Interview & Giveaway
Room Without Books is Empty Sept 16 Review
A Book & a Lattee Sept 17 Review
Green Mountain People Sept 18 Review
Thoughts in Progress Sept 18 Guest Post & Giveaway
Romance & Inspiration Sept 19 Review
Bloggin Bout Books Sept 20 Review
The News In Books Sept 23 Review
The News In Books Sept 24 Guest Post
Sweeps4Bloggers Sept 24 Review & Giveaway
Tales of a Book Addict Sept 25 Review
Joy Story Sept 26 Review
fundinmental  Sept 27 Review & Giveaway
Recent Reads Sept 30 Review & Giveaway
DWED Oct 1 Review


Posted by Teddy Rose at 6:00 AM 6 comments  

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Sunday, September 1, 2013

September Reviews For the 2013 ARC Reading Challenge

In August, we collectively read and reviewed 35 ARC's for a total of 269 ARC's, so far in 2013!  
Here are the standings so far:
Level Bronze (up to 12 Arcs):

Christine 10
Freda 9
Krista 7
Retha 4
Stacey 11

Working on Silver:
Amodini 16
Andrea 22
Darlene 23

Silver (24 ARCS):

Working on Gold:
Rebecca 25Teddy 25
Yvonne 24

Gold ( 30 ARCS):

Working on Platinum:

Platinum (35 ARCS):Lisa 42
Nicola 106

If you don't see yourself in the standings above, it is because you didn't leave a comment telling me how many books you read so far. You need to do this at the end of each month.

Please post the books you read in September or earlier for the challenge in Mr. Linky, below:
If you forgot to post book in any previous months, please post them in Mr. Linky below as well.

Please enter your name and the name of the book in this format: Name: (Your Name, Book Title and Author's Name) for example: (Teddy, Obsessive Reading by Helen Reader). 




Posted by Teddy Rose at 11:01 PM 5 comments  

Labels:

Giveaway Winners Galore

Thanks to everyone who entered the following giveaways! Winners, please reply to the email I sent you today within 48 hours to claim your books. After 2 days you will be disqualified and a new winner will be picked. Rafflecopter picks all winners using Random.org. 

Thanks again to the author, Ardash Vartparonian, for making this giveaway possible.
The winner is:
Patricia N.






Thanks again to Jessica Butler of  Berkley/NAL, Penguin Group USA, for making this giveaway possible.
The winner is:
BK Walker







Thanks again to Courtney Brach of Touchstone Publicity/Simon & Schuster, Inc, for making this giveaway possible.

The winner is:
Gina D.







Thanks again to Andrea DeWerd of Simon & Schuster, for making this giveaway possible.

The winner is:
 Anne S.







Thanks again to Sarah Gallo, summer intern of  Hyperion Books for making this giveaway possible.

The winner is:
Anne S.







Thanks again to Allie Bodack of  W. W. Norton & Company for making this giveaway possible.

The winner is:
Jackie R.







Thanks again to Veronica Grossman of  Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. for making this giveaway possible.

The winner is:
Anita Y.















Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:47 PM 4 comments  

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Guest Post: Cordillera Author, L. Benedict Dunn IV

Book Description:

 The Liberator's War has ended. King Landri Altard now reigns in the post-revolution Kingdom of Cordillera. With the unexpected death of his wife, Landri is forced to place his infant sons in the care of his most trusted allies. An early betrayal puts the identities of the young princes into question as well as others' allegiance to the Crown. This epic tale follows the lives of the princes as they travel across the Kingdom and encounter the different worlds they are destined to rule. Enemies lurk and alliances are strained as the aftermath of the revolution still lingers in the fragile Kingdom of Cordillera.

Guest Post by L. Benedict Dunn IV:
The Challenge of Realistic Fantasy

I love the fantasy genre. Always have. Dragons, elves, dwarves, goblins, trolls, etc. – the fictional worlds created in the genre are some of the most entertaining for me to get lost in. I think most who share this feeling can relate to enjoying reading about places that are, well, fantasies. The genre is built around taking the reader on a journey to places that could otherwise never exist if not for the mind of their creator. The rules of our universe do not apply in the fantasy realm and, for me, that is a big part of what makes it appealing. It is great to ‘get away’ and lose yourself in the fictional world of a fantasy novel.

Yet, at times I find myself being put off by the fantasy genre. While reading I sometimes find myself poking holes in the author’s world just as someone would sit in a movie theatre and point out inconsistencies of a film. There is a double standard that sometimes exists in the fantasy genre that allows the author to bend the rules of the universe when it is not convenient to the plot. Fantasy allows the author the liberty of choosing when and when not to enforce the rules of the universe they created. Then, at times, they use these magnificent rules to get themselves out of a situation that would otherwise be impossible to escape.

What I refer to is called deus ex machina. It is a plot device used where a seemingly unsolvable problem suddenly is solved by an unrelated or otherwise unexpected solution. Think of it as the main character being thrown out of an airplane with nothing to save them and then, out of nowhere, they see a parachute falling through the sky as well. They reach out, put it on, and land safely on the ground. Now, that is an extreme example, but the more you think about it, the more I think you will recall stories where something just as ridiculous happened.

I find that deus ex machina occurs more in a fantasy genre simply because there are no rules to adhere to. Sure, the parachute example could happen in the real world, but in the fantasy genre you need just one explanation: magic. That’s right. When magic exists, everything exists. People can come back to life, implements to save the hero/heroine can suddenly appear, and whenever your favorite character seems like they have no way out they can suddenly have their luck change without explanation.

The concept of dues ex machine is partly what inspired me to write a different kind of fantasy. I wanted to create a fictional world while keeping with the rules of our own. From this, the Cordillera series was born. It’s historical fiction meets fantasy. Everything in Cordillera, in theory, could happen in our own world. There is no magic, no mythical creatures, and everyone plays by the same rules.

In my opinion, keeping with the rules of reality makes it more difficult for an author to create and develop the characters and plot. So often one can ‘write themselves into a corner’ where there is no possible way for the story to continue without the assistance of something supernatural. Having magic or the rule bending of the fantasy genre to fall back on can make it quite simple for an author. In that case, it does not matter where your characters end up because there is always a way to get them out.


As I said, I love fantasy. I will continue to love it. I simply took it as a personal challenge to see if I could create an equally impressive world while staying within the confines of our own. It’s quite a contradiction to limit one’s imagination. Yet, I found it to be an enjoyable process that allowed the story to develop more organically and with more thought behind it. I think most authors can create fictional universes, but it’s the realistic fantasies that are the greatest challenge.

About L. Benedict Dunn IV:


Born in Burbank , California , Leo Dunn grew up in a family of six, with three sisters to call his siblings. He first developed his passion for writing after moving to the small town of Durango , Colorado as a young teen. With the mountains as his playground, Leo was able to explore and develop his imagination and love for rustic culture and ancient history. He continued such passions through college where he graduate with a BA in History from the University of Northern Colorado . His inspirations for the Cordillera series come from the alfresco Colorado life and a love of medieval fiction. He is excited to bring the world he has created to all who share such passions.



Posted by Teddy Rose at 6:00 AM 1 comments  

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