Wings: A Novel of World War II Flygirls by Karl Friedrich... GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

From TLC Book tours... Sally Ketchum comes from dirt-poor farm folk. She has little chance of bettering her life until a mysterious barnstormer named Tex teaches her to fly—and becomes the first person worthy of her love. But Tex dies in a freak accident, leaving Sally to make her own way in the world. She enrolls in the U.S. military’s Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program, and in a special school located in West Texas begins learning to fly the biggest, fastest, meanest airplanes the military has to offer. She also reluctantly becomes involved with Beau Bayard, a flight instructor and aspiring writer, who seems to offer her everything she could want. But many people see no place for a “skirt” in the cockpit, and Sally soon finds herself pitted against a high-powered Washington lawyer who wants to disband the WASP once and for all. Their battle is a story of extraordinary women who broke society’s rules and became heroes, and of men who stood in their way.


Karl Friedrich was born and grew up in Tyler, Texas. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine and public relations writer, advertising copywriter, and photographer. A lifelong aviation fan, he got his first ride in an airplane at the age of five (“If I’d been six, I’d have had the sense to stay on the ground, as the thing was held together with rust and bailing wire,” he recalls.)
Karl’s friends who fly commercial, military or private aircraft, and his lifelong fascination with women who achieve great accomplishment despite the displeasure of men, provided the inspiration and impetus for Wings.
Karl and his wife live in Washington State.

You know Renee Zellwegger quote from Jerry McGuire... "You had me at Hello"? Well, this novel had me at the first chapter!


I wanted to read this novel for a few reasons. The two main reasons being that I knew little about the Flygirls of World War II and I am always intrigued when male authors write female protagonists. Look at this picture and tell me these girls aren't just a little bad @$$ but their hair still looks pretty darn good! They SO ROCK!!

The author uses historical fact and detail to weave a story that drew me in and taught me about the women who helped win WWII with little or no accolades. They were brash and sassy but also patriotic and determined to help our country in a great time of need.

The story is, obviously, set before my time but I related so much to these women and their wanting to become more than what society thought possible. It was these women, I believe, who knew that their place was where they were needed... even if that was the cockpit of a plane and not the kitchen. It was also these women who set in motion the road that so many modern women follow. They stepped out of what they were "supposed" to do and did what they loved and at which they excelled. As a mother of a teenage daughter, I am instilling that into her so that she knows there are no boundaries to what she wants to do... just as Sally and her Flygirls!

~~Thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours... http://tlcbooktours.com... for sending a copy of Wings: A Novel of World War II Flygirls by Karl Friedrich in exchange for this review.

~~~GIVEAWAY~~~

Lisa has also offered one copy of this wonderful novel as a giveaway to one of my readers! Just comment on this review and you'll be entered. But...be advised! This is a limited time only giveaway (as I'm getting ready to a flygirl, too! No, no... really I am! Okay, I'm not flying the airplane but I'll be flying IN the airplane...lol! The giveaway is open until Sunday 10-23-11 at midnight. I'll choose a winner on Monday! Good luck!

Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Love on the Line Bethany House (October 1, 2011) by Deeanne Gist


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After a short career in elementary education, Deeanne Gist retired to raise her four children. Over the course of the next fifteen years, she ran a home accessory and antique business, became a member of the press, wrote freelance journalism for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel, and acted as CFO for her husband’s small engineering firm--all from the comforts of home.

Squeezed betwixt-and-between all this, she read romance novels by the truckload and even wrote a couple of her own. While those unpublished manuscripts rested on the shelf, she founded a publishing corporation for the purpose of developing, producing and marketing products that would reinforce family values, teach children responsibility and provide character building activities.

After a few short months of running her publishing company, Gist quickly discovered being a "corporate executive" was not where her gifts and talents lie. In answer to Gist’s fervent prayers, God sent a mainstream publisher to her door who licensed her parenting I Did It!® product line and committed to publish the next generation of her system, thus freeing Gist to return to her writing.

Eight months later, she sold A Bride Most Begrudging to Bethany House Publishers. Since that debut, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, three RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.

Her latest releases, Beguiled, Maid To Match, and Love on the Line are now available.

Gist lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-eight years and their border collie. They have four grown children. Click here to find out the most up-to-the-minute news about Dee.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rural switchboard operator Georgie Gail is proud of her independence in a man's world ... which makes it twice as vexing when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder.


Dashing Luke Palmer is more than he appears though. He's a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers. Repairing telephones and tangling with this tempestuous woman is the last thing he wants to do.  But when his stakeout puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is on the line.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Love on the Line, go HERE.

I just love sweet, simple (and I truly mean this in the best possible way) romance novels. They are my "comfort" reads. I know exactly what to expect and thoroughly enjoy every page.

Deeanne Gist has created, at least in my opinion, the perfect niche in comfort reads. I have read several and always turn the last page with a smile on my face. She combines interesting plot lines with characters who are fully developed and puts them situations that are not so far-fetched and don't require a huge suspension of disbelief.

~Thanks to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for sending a copy of this novel. Please check out the website... http://christianfictionblogalliance.com/... for more tour stops.

First Line Friday... It's Back!!

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

"On the 24th of February, 1815, the look-out at Notre-Dame de la Garde signalled the three-master, the Pharaon from Smyrna, Trieste, and Naples."

The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas, Pere


I chose this novel because it's been in "my orbit" lately. Not only is it a classic that I have not read in since high school... it is the basis for one of my new favorite shows... Revenge! have you seen this show? It's so good and it just keeps getting better every week! It has also been picked up for a full season!

It's, obviously, about revenge and all that implies. There have been several references to The Count of Monte Cristo so I thought I'd read this classic novel after so many years... okay... decades! Because it's in "public domain", I downloaded it free on Project Gutenberg... and put it on my ereader. I'm looking forward to seeing what similarities there are between a centuries-old tale featuring as man imprisoned for something he did not do and a modern woman seeking revenge against the people who ruined her father. However, as Confucius says... "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

GIVEAWAY~India Black & The Widow of Windsor by Carol K. Carr~ GIVEAWAY!!!

Again, I'd like to thank Carol Carr for stopping by Bags, Books & Bon Jovi yesterday. She gave us an author's view of book blogs and how we are really becoming a voice in the way books are marketed.

But back to Black...lol... India Black and The Widow of Windsor, that is! As much as I loved the first book and I really did, I think I enjoyed this second book even more. It's difficult to put this series into one genre... it encompasses so many but I've come to think of them as "capers"... which is just a fun word to thrown around!

Reading this second installment, it's apparent that my favorite thing is just India's voice. She is irreverent and, basically, has no filter... if she's thinking it, she says it. I also love that she talks to me. Yes, I know she's a fictional character but she "breaks the fourth wall" (is that just a theatrical term or is it also a literary term?). There are times, usually in the midst of a rather sticky situation, that she directly addresses the reader. I LOVE this! It's not in every novel, let alone first person narrative where this would work. If it's not written well, it would completely take me out of the story. The way Carol Carr has written India talking to me just makes it feel like I'm along for the ride.

One thing that struck me, as I enjoyed this second "romp" (yes, that can be a corny word but it truly fits this great, great series!) was how the chapters ended. While not giving anything away... I don't like reading reviews that include spoilers... I realized that the last sentence of each was, more often than not, just so clever and made me want to immediately start the next chapter. I appreciate Ms. Carr's writing style as she keeps me reading well past my self-imposed stopping point. It's because of such wonderful writing that I read India Black and The Widow of Windsor in just a few days.

To read about Queen Victoria and The Royals, from a madam/spy's perspective gives a whole new appreciation to the phrase historical "fiction". India's observations are "spot on" (I wish I was cool enough to use that phrase in my day to day life... sadly, I'm not as cool as India and I sound silly if I try) and sometimes make me re-think what I know about the English monarchy. I know there is definitely artistic license involved but I can tell Ms. Carr has also taken great care to accurately portray (within the parameters of fiction, of course) all things Royal.

I have it on great authority that, indeed, the third India Black adventure is, as we speak, being written. Well, maybe not, as we speak, because it's early and I hope Carol is enjoying the day after her book's release :D Who knows where India and her, ahem, associates... yes, I guess we can call them associates... will lead us next. I know I will join them and I hope you will, too. If you don't... well, you "can go to the devil. It's all the same to me"... hmmm... where have I heard those words before?!?

~Thanks to Carol K. Carr for sending me a copy of India Black and The Widow of Windsor in exchange for my fair and thoughtful review~

But wait... there's more! Ms. Carr and the publisher of India Black and The Widow of Windsor have allowed me to give away a copy of this wonderful caper! You can enter by commenting on either this review or Carol's guest post(yesterday)... that's right you can have two entries! I will choose a winner on Thursday October 13th.

India Black & The Widow of Windsor by Carol K. Carr~ Guest Post

From the author's website... "Black is back— Her Majesty’s favorite spy is off to Scotland in this new adventure. When Queen Victoria attends a séance, the spirit of her departed husband, Prince Albert, insists she spend Christmas at their Scottish home in Balmoral. Prime Minister Disraeli suspects that Scottish nationalists plan to assassinate the Queen—and sends the ever resourceful India and the handsome British spy, French, to the Scottish highlands. French will take the high road, looking for a traitor among the guests—and India will take the low road, disguised as a servant in case an assassin is hiding among the household staff. India is certain that someone at Balmoral is determined to make this Her Majesty’s last Christmas..."

Today is the publication date for the much-anticipated, India Black & The Widow of Windsor by Carol K. Carr. It is the second book in in The Madam of Espionage series. India Black is a fresh voice in the mystery (although, really... it is SO much more) genre and with her motley crew of "associates", this series has quickly become one of my favorites! Hopefully, the third installment is "in the pipeline". Congratulations, Carol on this great series!

Carol has, graciously, stopped by Bags, Books & Bon Jovi to offer her thoughts, as an author, on the "phenomenom" that we hold so dear... book blogs! Welcome, Carol...
"Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Kathy. It's bloggers like you who have made a significant contribution to making my first novel, "India Black," a national bestseller. Given how kind the book blogging community has been to me, I thought I'd share a few thoughts about the internet, bloggers, and publicity.

By the time I signed a publishing contract, I had read enough about the industry to know that as a new author I wouldn't receive much assistance in promoting the book. The book tours would be reserved for the people who were already gracing the New York Times bestseller list and had sold hundreds of thousands of copies of previous books. Publicists will send your books to all the institutional reviewers (Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus, and the like) and may have accumulated a list of bloggers who have reviewed similar books in the past. They'll send the books to these folks as well. That pretty well constitutes the publisher's commitment to promotion for a first time author.

This is not a complaint about the industry or my publisher. It's just the way things are in the publishing world. As an author, you're going to have to devote time to publicizing your work. And here is where we offer a sacrifice to the gods of commerce and thank them for the internet in general and the book blogging community in particular.

I spent months before the publication of my first book reading book blogs and deciding who I would contact directly about reviewing "India Black." My criteria for choosing bloggers was fairly simple: I looked for people who read a variety of genres (as India Black skates across several, including mystery, romance, thriller and the useful if somewhat ambiguous "caper novel"), who wrote thoughtful reviews and gave honest opinions, and who did so without getting personal or snarky. The blogging community is a generous group of people and I am grateful to those to accepted a copy of the book and wrote reviews. I was delighted to watch the word of mouth travel around the web.

Do publishers pay attention to bloggers? You bet they do. When I received the copy edited version of "The Widow of Windsor," I was surprised and pleased to see that along with the usual institutional reviewers, a couple of bloggers were quoted on the inside cover as well. I think that speaks volumes about the power and scope of the blogging world. Book reviews are no longer entrusted to a small, elite group. The individual reader now has the ability to express his or her opinion and actually influence how books are received by the public.

Do I pay attention to bloggers? You bet I do. I read all the reviews, whether they're good, bad, or indifferent. I don't mind if a review points out things I could have done better. How can you improve without someone pointing out your errors? And I look at reviews as free market research. Reader reaction to "India Black" indicated that people wanted to know more of India's backstory. I have duly drawn out an elaborate family history for her, to be revealed over the course of a few books.

In short, I owe a lot to the blogging community, and bloggers like Kathy. Literary criticism (not that I'm writing literature, mind you) is now a democratic exercise, open to the people who matter most - the readers themselves."

Thanks, Carol for your kind words. Best of luck with India Black and The Widow of Windsor.

I will be posting my review of it tomorrow. If you're new to this series... you are in for a treat! Here is my review of it... http://bagsbooksandbonjovi.blogspot.com/2011/02/india-black-madam-of-espionage-mystery.html
You can also head to Carol's website... http://carolkcarr.com/... and get acquainted with India Black. She's someone you definitely must get to know!

I'm Really Not Obsessed!

Really... I'm not! I just ADORE leopard print!

These are my leopard print bags and accessories. When I wear leopard, I adhere strictly to the "one piece per outfit" rule. In my handbag, however... well, honestly, it's a jungle in there! It makes me very happy to look in my handbag and see all the leopard print. Right now, I have the pink/purple cosmetic bag (it has lip glosses, pocket anti-bacs and my shopping bag) and the silver and black cosmetic bag actually has... you guessed it... cosmetics. The other pink case holds my reading glasses (really cute "nerd" glasses that I bought at the Dollar Store... can't beat that price!) and the wristlet holds my sunglasses. Although, I don't always carry the ereader cover, I am using the leopard wallet.

Yes, you counted correctly... there are seven leopard print handbags! Each goes with a different outfit and I have been known to decide what to wear based on which bag I want to carry. What better way to make a basic outfit "pop" than to carry an awesome leopard purse!

Since I had a stay-at-home day today, I didn't carry a bag but I am, definitely, carrying one of these fun handbags tomorrow. And when I look inside, it'll make me purr with happiness to see all my leopard print accessories!

Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick

From the author's website... "Two very different women are linked by destiny and the struggle for the English crown. Matilda, daughter of Henry I, returns to England when her husband, the Emperor of Germany, dies. Her father promises her that she will succeed him, but at the same time marginalises her by marrying her to Geoffrey, the adolescent count of Anjou, more than ten years her junior. Despite her nightmare second marriage, Matilda remains unbowed and when her father dies, she is determined to win back her crown from her cousin Stephen who has usurped it. Adeliza, Henry's widowed queen and Matilda's stepmother, has become a good friend. Having been widowed, she now now marries William D'Albini, one of Stephen’s staunchest supporters. Both Adeliza and Matilda are strong in their own way, and prepared to stand firm for what they know is right. But in a world where a man's word is law, how can Adeliza obey her husband while supporting Matilda, the rightful queen? And for Matilda pride comes before a fall ...What price for a crown? What does it cost to be 'Lady of the English'?"


One of the best things about book blogs is discovering new authors. A lot of bloggers were saying wonderful things about Elizabeth Chadwick's novels. I was lucky to find one of her older books as a free ebook and I was hooked.

The writing is actually so good that I've read passages out loud to whoever was nearby. No, I'm not some crazy lady in the park... I read to my family. I think you get an even greater appreciation for quality writing by hearing it out loud.

Ms. Chadwick has taken on a challenge, in my opinion, that can make or break an author... writing a fictional account of actual people. I have read enough historical fiction to know that, sometimes, I need to suspend my disbelief. Sometimes, though, I want to truly believe that what I'm reading is real. Lady of the English pulled me in with its descriptive narrative and dialogue that was true to the characters who spoke it.

~~Thanks to Sourcebooks for providing a copy of Lady of The English in exchange for my review.~~

The Wedding Affair by Leigh Michaels

From Sourcebooks... "The Duke of Somervale’s sister is getting married and the ton is summoned from far and wide to the Duke’s estate for the wedding. But as the wedding draws nearer wedding bells is the last thing on guest’s minds.
Lady Olivia Reyne is struggling to pay her overdue rent and feed her young daughter and she feels she has no choice but to become a mistress to ease her financial troubles.
Penelope Townsend was married to the Earl to save his family from financial troubles. As they prepare for the wedding their marriage goes from a marriage-of-inconvenience to a passionate union.
Kate Blakeley fell in love with Andrew when she was seventeen but he left to fulfill his desires. When Andrew returns for the wedding old love sparks but will he be able to admit his true status?"

I've been on a Regency "kick" with my last few books and I'm totally rediscovering a genre that I really, really like.

Leigh Michaels is a new-to-me author... which is rather surprising because (again from Sourcebooks)... "she is the author of nearly 100 books, including 80 contemporary romance novels and more than a dozen non-fiction books. Over 35 million copies of her romance novels have been published by Harlequin. A six time RITA finalist, she has also received two Reviewer's Choice awards from Romantic Times, and was the 2003 recipient of the Johnson Brigham Award." How have I missed someone who has such a following?

The "ton" (pronounced tawn) provides such wonderful background characters, plot devices and settings. It is within this very rigid framework that this fun romance develops. I appreciated the way the stories of three couples... Duke of Somervale & Lady Reyne, Kate & Andrew, and Penelope & Charles... are woven together.

It's a given that we, as romance readers, know we'll read to the "happily ever after". So, it becomes crucial that the author make that journey enjoyable and somewhat "fraught with peril" (is that not just one of the greatest phrases ever?!?). Ms. Michaels captures exactly what I need to feel like reading a novel where, honestly, the ending is expected, is not a waste of my time. Her writing conveys thoughtfulness and the knowledge that her reader (and now... I count myself as one!) will not settle for a halfhearted attempt.

~~Thanks to Beth at Sourcebooks for sending a copy of The Wedding Affair in exchange for my review.~~

Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen

From the author's website..
"Meet Lord and Lady Smythe, England's preeminent spies. Their identities are guarded even from each other. After years of secrets and lies, their marriage is little more than a crumbling façade. But even love isn't as important as The Mission—to defeat Napoleon Bonaparte.
But what happens when the mission is complete?
Meet Lord and Lady Smythe, out of work spies. Lady Sophia Smythe will scream if she has to attend another tea party. Lord Adrian Smythe will hit someone if he's forced to while away another evening in Parliament. What are secret agents to do when the war is over?
There's one chance left to get back into the game. The prime minister needs a murder investigated. The problem? Two spies. One position.
All's fair in love and war."


Okay, here's a secret... I love "Brangelina"... okay, maybe that's not a secret. But, I do. I read gossip magazines just to see what they and their six children are doing.

So, when I had the opportunity to review a romance novel that had distinct parallels to Mr & Mrs Smith, the movie they were making when they fell in love, I knew I had to read it.

This book really had it all for me... romance (of course), pretty steamy scenes (you know what I mean...lol), intrigue, witty dialogue, a tight plot and, above all... interesting characters. I am seriously hoping that this is the first of a series... and, if not about Lord and Lady Spy... oops, I mean Lord and Lady Smythe :::looking around for any unwanted listeners::: than featuring some other colorful secondary characters.

Because Lord and Lady Spy is getting such great "buzz", Sourcebooks is offering this ebook for $.99. This fantastic price (I loved it so much I think it's worth every penny... even its paperback price) is only good for one week. Here's the link... http://www.sourcebooks.com/readers/browse-our-lists/ebook-specials.html

~~Thanks to Danielle at Sourcebooks for sending a copy of Lord and Lady Spy in exchange for my review.~~

Fairer Than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott

About the book... "Ann dreams of a marriage proposal from her poetic suitor, Eli-until Will Hanby shows her that nobility is more than fine words.
On a small farm in 19th-century Ohio, young Ann Miller is pursued by the gallant Eli Bowen, son of a prominent family. Eli is the suitor of Ann's dreams. Like her, he enjoys poetry and beautiful things and soon, he will move to the city to become a doctor.
Ann travels to Pittsburgh, accompanying her father on business. There she meets Will Hanby, a saddle-maker's apprentice. Will has spent years eking out an existence under a cruel master and his spirit is nearly broken. But Ann's compassion lights a long-dark part of his soul. Through his encounters with Ann's father, a master saddler, Will discovers new hope and courage in the midst of tremendous adversity.
When the Millers must return to Ohio and their ministry there, Will resolves to find them, at any cost. If Will can make it back to Ann, will she be waiting?
Read an excerpt here: http://www.rosslynelliott.com/books.php"


Win a custom made period dress ... and a KINDLE from Rosslyn Elliott!
Enter 9/1-9/20!

To celebrate the release of her debut novel, Fairer Than Morning, Rosslyn Elliott is giving away two fabulous prize packages. The first is brand new KINDLE in her Fairer Than Morning Kindle Giveaway. Then on September 20th she's giving away a $200 gift certificate toward a Custom-Made Historical Reproduction Dress (from Recollections) during the Fairer Than Morning Book Club Chat Party on Facebook! Sigh...romantic.
Fairer Than Morning is receiving wonderful reviews - Library Journal said, "A well-written historical series debut…". Read more reviews here.
Be sure to join the fun and enter the Kindle contest - 

One winner will receive:
* Kindle with Wi-Fi
* Fairer Than Morning (for Kindle)
To enter just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, giveaway ends on 9/19. Winner will be announced on 9/20 at Rosslyn's Book Club Facebook Party. Details and official rules can be found when entering the contest.
Then be sure to RSVP for Rosslyn's Facebook Party! During the party Rosslyn will be chatting with guests, hosting a book chat about Fairer Than Morning (don't worry if you haven't read the book yet - you could win a copy!) & historical Fiction, testing your trivia skills. She'll also be giving away that $200 gift certificate toward a FABULOUS custom-made period dress from Recollections!

As much as I love historical fiction, reading historical fiction based on real people makes it even better! I would never have guessed that this debut novel was rooted in history. I saw the "blurb" on the back cover and, immediately, read the afterward. Cheating? Maybe. But I think it added depth to the story. I read this book with the knowledge that, even though the "characters" are long gone... they really aren't. They live on in their descendants today. It has to be pretty cool to have a family history (even fictionalized as Fairer Than Morning) that readers, like me, can appreciate as a work of fiction but to family members bring their personal history alive.

I tend to ponder (love that word!) what draws me to a book. Yes, I'll admit I do judge a book by its cover... and Fairer Than Morning does not disappoint. Ann is the focus of the cover and, at my first glance, the only person. But, a closer look reveals Will's arm. This made me look back at Ann and then notice her almost"sly" smile.

The title also struck me. At first, I believed that it was, again, all about Ann. She's beautiful... definitely "Fairer Than Morning". As I read, I realized a deeper meaning to the title. I try never to "spoil" a novel in my review so I'll leave it to you to find out what I mean.

I'm excited to see a sequel will be published in February 2012. It's titled Sweeter Than Birdsong. Not only is that such a beautiful title but I'm looking forward to discovering its deeper meaning as well.

To read more reviews of Fairer Than Morning, please click on this link... http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13424909

Thanks to Amy at Litfuse Publicity Group and Rosslyn Elliott for providing me a copy of Fairer Than Morning in exchange for this fair and thoughtful review.

Shame The Devil by Debra Brenegan

From the author's website... "Shame the Devil is a novel based on the life and works of nineteenth-century American novelist, journalist and feminist, Fanny Fern. The book covers Fanny Fern’s life (1811-1872), but concentrates on the 1850s and 1860s when her literary career became established and her personal life was a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Fanny Fern was the most popular, highest paid, most published writer of her era. She outsold Harriet Beecher Stowe, won the respect of Nathaniel Hawthorne and served as literary mentor to Walt Whitman. She scrabbled in the depths of poverty before her meteoric rise to fame and fortune. She was widowed, escaped an abusive second marriage, penned one of the country’s first pre-nuptial agreements, married a third man eleven years her junior, and served as a 19th-century “Oprah” to her hundreds of thousands of fans. Fanny Fern’s weekly editorials in the pages of The New York Ledger over a period of about twenty years help to chronicle the myriad of controversial issues of her era while her novels, and the critical response to them, both in her day and through subsequent eras, make clear how America’s literary tradition began to and continues to define itself. This novel strives for historical accuracy, not only regarding Fanny Fern and the events of her life, but in regard to other historical figures of her time including Walt Whitman, Catharine Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Jacobs, Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, N.P. Willis and James Parton."

Ten Things to Love About Fanny Fern

By Debra Brenegan

1. Fanny Fern got years of education at a time when most women weren’t educated. Why? Because her dad found her too boisterous to have around the house. He sent her to boarding schools to see if they could control her. (They couldn’t.)

2. Fanny Fern didn’t betray her belief systems. When her father pressured her to conform to his religious beliefs, even as a child, she politely and firmly refused.

3. Fanny Fern recognized the value of nature. She immersed herself in the outdoors and found healing and solace in flowers, birds, hiking and tree climbing.

4. Fanny Fern believed it was okay for women to take their time choosing life partners. She shunned the system that raced infatuated couples to the altar and advocated getting to know a future partner over a period of time to ensure real compatibility.

5. Fanny Fern believed children should be raised, by both parents, with love and firmness rather than with sternness and rigidity. She was eons ahead of her era regarding healthy child rearing principles.

6. Fanny Fern believed all people should pursue individual passions and should be responsible for making their own life decisions and for supporting and taking care of themselves if they are able. For those unable to take care of themselves, Fern advocated liberal social justice programs to make sure nobody (the uneducated, the mentally ill, the imprisoned, the sick, the dying, the widowed and orphaned, the disabled, the poor, the unemployed, etc.) should fall between the cracks.

7. Fanny Fern divorced a man who abused her – she knew it was not her fault. Then she married a man who adored her – and he was 11 years younger than she was. She didn’t care what society thought about her choices. She did what was right for her.

8. Fanny Fern took pride in taking charge of her finances. She penned one of the country’s first prenuptial agreements and made her own decisions about investments, writing contracts and major purchases.

9. Fanny Fern picked out her own name and didn’t change it to someone else’s when she got married.

10. Fanny Fern often opened her house to many guests. She shared her joy, warmth and wisdom with anyone who needed or wanted it. But, when she was feeling ill, she didn’t act like a martyr – she took care of herself.


About the author...Debra Brenegan grew up in the Milwaukee area and graduated with a B.A. in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She worked as a journalist and taught at Milwaukee Area Technical College before beginning her graduate work. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing from The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she also taught. She teaches English and Women’s Studies at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. For her fiction, she has received a Ragdale residency and was a recent finalist for the John Gardner Memorial Fiction Prize, The Cincinnati Review’s Schiff Prose Prize, and the Crab Creek Review Fiction Prize. Her work has recently appeared or is forthcoming in Calyx, Tampa Review, Natural Bridge, The Laurel Review, RE:AL, The Southern Women’s Review, The Cimarron Review, Milwaukee Magazine, Phoebe, and other publications. Debra Brenegan’s novel, Shame the Devil, is a historical account of nineteenth-century American writer Fanny Fern (SUNY Press, Excelsior Editions). She is currently working on another novel, set in Missouri, and on a short story collection. During the school year, Debra lives in a 130-year-old house in Fulton with her husband, Steve, and their elderly cat. They spend summers and school breaks in their native Milwaukee. When not teaching, writing, spending time with family or driving back and forth to Wisconsin, Debra enjoys cooking, gardening, reading and traveling. You can visit her website at www.debrabrenegan.com or visit her at Twitter at www.twitter.com/dbrenegan or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/debra.brenegan; https://www.facebook.com/#!/shame.the.devil.book

Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey

About the novel... "Much has been written about Marie Antoinette, whose ascent to power-and steep downfall during the French Revolution― is legendary. But in BECOMING MARIE ANTOINETTE: A Novel, (Ballantine Books Trade Paperback Original; August 8, 2011), author Juliet Grey, who has written numerous nonfiction books about European royalty under the name Leslie Carroll, offers a fresh perspective on Marie Antoinette's young life, a topic mostly overlooked by historians until now. In this elegant and entertaining novel, Grey looks beyond the crown to the sacrifices a young, spoiled girl was compelled to make before she could become the queen of France who would leave an indelible mark on history.
In 1766, 10-year-old Austrian archduchess Maria Antonia learned that she would one day marry the heir to the throne of France, its dauphin Louis Auguste. Raised alongside her numerous siblings at the hands of the powerful and politically ambitious Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Maria Antonia underwent a startling makeover before leaving her homeland at the age of fourteen to marry the awkward teenage boy who would one day become king of France.. This grueling transformation included wearing sharp and painful corrective braces on her teeth (in the eighteenth century!), four-hour hairstyling sessions, and lessons in perfecting the Versailles Glide, the elegant mode of traversing the magnificent halls of the French palace. These historically accurate details bring this remarkable, often rocky and emotionally arduous coming-of-age story to fresh and vivid life.
Grey said Marie Antoinette's "young life was a long series of hurdles. She sailed over a few of them with grace and equanimity. But some she stumbled over." Amongst vivid scene in the Austrian imperial court in Vienna and the gilded splendor and manicured gardens of Versailles, we learn that Maria Antonia's relationships with everyone from her cold ambitious mother to her awkward teenage husband, were fraught with a dramatic tension all their own.
BECOMING MARIE ANTOINETTE is the first in a trilogy that will span the life of the reckless, powerful, and beautiful queen Marie Antoinette*

I'm a little ashamed to say that I know very little about Marie Antoinette's life before she became Queen. We all know her infamous quotes (be they true or historically exaggerated... we'll never know for sure) as well as her ultimate fate in the chaos that defined the French Revolution.

Becoming Marie Antoinette is such a well-written story of how a young Austrian Royal became Queen of France. Even though it is the first in a trilogy, it could be read as a stand-alone... not that one would want to miss out on the rest of the story. This is a hallmark of a great story-teller. Ms. Grey has crafted a story that almost made me forget how it will eventually end and take pleasure in Maria Antonia's young life.

I loved the descriptive writing that Ms. Grey used to set the scenes. It painted just the right atmosphere, shaping it and then moving into the heart of the scene. I have given up on authors who take forever to get to the "meat". Ms. Grey knows the delicate balance that most readers (including me!) crave.

I look forward to the sequels... following not only Maria Antonia's ultimately tragic journey to becoming one of history's most intriguing queens, Marie Antoinette, but her "everyday" life as a wife, mother and friend. Not everyone can relate to being a queen but, I think, we can all relate to the ordinary relationships that made her so interesting that we want to read about her more than three hundred years after her death.

~Thanks to Ashley Gratz-Collier, Publicist at Random House Publishing Group as well as Juliet Grey for sending me a copy of Becoming Marie Antoinette in exchange for my fair and thoughtful review.~

September 11th

Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin

From Litfuse... " Helen Carlisle is recovering from the death of her war hero husband in Sarah Sundin's, Blue Skies Tomorrow (Revell (Baker), August 1, 2011, ISBN: 0800734238, $14.99). Healing from the year, she runs into Lt. Ray Novak-a childhood crush. She has been surviving her loss through copious volunteering, but deep down she is troubled. How much longer can she do this? Is she living a lie? Was her dead husband a hero? How can she live with the past?
Lt. Novak faces his own life uncertainty as a dedicated officer who has postponed his calling to be a pastor for the duration of the war. His secondary passion to fly is quenched as an instructor, until he is deployed to Europe for a combat mission just as a romantic relationship with Helen is building.
As Helen tries to make ends meet back home and begins to confront the past, Ray encounters a deadly enemy of his own. Will they find the courage to face their challenges? Will the truth come out? Will hope and redemption ring true for Helen?
Sure to live up to the high praise of the previous books in the Wings of Glory series, Blue Skies Tomorrow completes the story of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in World War II, covering the infamous Port Chicago Explosion, which occurred close to Antioch, Calif., where Helen and the Novaks live, to victory in Europe."


In celebration of the release of Blue Skies Tomorrow, the final installment of the Wings of Glory series, Sarah is giving one lucky winner A Vintage Kindle Prize Package!

One winner will receive:

* Kindle with Wi-Fi

* Handmade vintage apron for you and a friend (see a photo here)

* Blue Skies Tomorrow (for Kindle)

To enter just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, giveaway ends on 9/10. Winner will be announced on 9/12 at Sarah Sundin's blog. Details and official rules can be found when entering the contest. Please visit her blog... http://www.sarahsundin.com/

You can purchase the book here... http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Skies-Tomorrow-Novel-Wings/dp/0800734238/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310054631&sr=sprightly-20

Wow! What can I say about Blue Skies Tomorrow?!? It was so, so very wonderful! I know I sound like a gushing fan... well, honestly, I am! This series is perfect! My only complaint is that Blue Skies Tomorrow is the concluding novel in the series. I'm sad to let go of these characters that I have come to admire, love and, yes, grieve for.

Ms. Sundin has such a wonderful gift for writing. She writes "small" scenes with as much care as she does for the scenes that keep the pages turning. World War II was not only a period in our history that changed our country but it was just "life". People still had to work, go to school and church as well as deal with its life-altering consequences. This is, I think, what I enjoyed most... watching these characters deal with it all. Yes, it can be tragic and devastating but, even in the midst of war and all that entails, there is still beauty, love and faith.

Faith is, obviously, a major part of this series. And, while Ms. Sundin writes it effortlessly, it is so important to the core of this novel. The characters, even in the most dire circumstance, believe that they are part of something profound and important.

I have to, again, mention how beautiful this novel's cover is! It is, in my opinion, art! It is so evocative of the period but it also evokes, especially for those who have read other books in the series, meaning. We begin the book with Helen and Ray in our mind's eye and travel their journey alongside them. The cover artist is a master at beautiful art and, I hope that Ms. Sundin's future novels have such beautiful covers.

I LOVE this series and am so very happy to have had the opportunity to read and review it!

Thanks to Amy at http://www.litfusegroup.com/ for sending me a copy of Blue Skies Tomorrow in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review. Thanks also to Ms. Sundin for writing such a wonderful series. I can only hope that she might, someday, return to these characters. If not, though, I will, most definitely, read (and love, I'm sure) her other works!

What Happens in Vegas by Natasha Deen

From the author's website... "It’s not that Binda Morningstar’s an idiot—the girl’s got more degrees than a thermometer—but there’s something about a crisis that makes her lose her mind…and accidently injure anyone within a ten foot radius. But if she’s going to rescue her boss from a cursed jewel, she’s going to have to keep it together. Unfortunately for her, the cop on the case, Corin Hawthorne, has her losing her mind and her heart…and if he gets anymore drool worthy, she’s going to lose her inhibitions, too. To save her boss and win her man, she’s got to outrun a mobster, outwit the YIFFS at a sex fetish convention, and outthink an ex-wife—and she’s got to do it all without breaking an arm or inadvertently hitting anyone with pepper spray…it’s all got Binda hoping that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."


About the author... "When I was little, there was only one thing I wanted to be: a superhero. But there came a day when my dreams were broken, and that was the day I realized that being a klutz was not, in fact, a super power, and my super weakness for anything bright and shiny meant a magpie with self-control could easily defeat me in a battle of wills. I turned to writing as a way to sharpen my mental super-hero skills. I don’t get to orbit the earth in a space station (and thank God, because I get sick on merry go round), but I do get to say things like: “Stand aside! This is a job for Writing Girl!!”

What Happens in Vegas is, literally, LOL funny. I read in bed every night, more often than not... annoying my husband with the turning of the pages. Well, that wasn't quite the case with this novel. Because I read it on my ereader, there was no turning pages. His annoyance came from the fact that I would randomly start laughing. What a great gift to be able to write humor effectively!

I'm not usually a fan of humorous mysteries as the humor, sometimes, seems forced or "added in". This book was real in its humor and I appreciated it. It was not slapstick but very much in keeping with Binda's adventures. Las Vegas is one of my favorite places and this novel captured it so well.

The "mystery" aspect was well-written and thought out. I didn't "figure it out" as I don't usually try to. I enjoyed this book to the end and then sat back and "put it together".


Thanks to Partners in Crime Tours and Natasha Deen for providing a copy of What Happens in Vegas in exchange for my review. Please check out their website... http://www.partnersincrimetours.net... for more What Happens in Vegas tour stops