From Sourcebooks..."The bad boy of her past... A successful attorney in a posh London neighborhood, Meghann McCarthy thought she'd escaped the slums of Belfast forever. Until Michael Devlin needs her help. Years before, her love for the Irish charmer had nearly torn her apart, but now he's part of a past she never wants to revisit. However, she can't leave him defenseless against a murder charge—even if uncovering the truth puts her life in danger too. She'll risk everything to save Michael—and she's not the first of her family to put it all on the line for a man she loves. As Meghann delves further into Michael's case, further into the history that binds them so irrevocably, she slips into the unfolding drama of centuries before...of another woman's desperate fight to free her rebel husband from the clutches of Queen Elizabeth. Stakes are high, but the reward is the love of a lifetime. And the Irish never give up."
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine..., that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: Believing The Lie by Elizabeth George. From the author's website..."Inspector Thomas Lynley is mystified when he's sent undercover to investigate the death of Ian Cresswell at the request of the man's uncle, the wealthy and influential Bernard Fairclough. The death has been ruled an accidental drowning, and nothing on the surface indicates otherwise. But when Lynley enlists the help of his friends Simon and Deborah St. James, the trio's digging soon reveals that the Fairclough clan is awash in secrets, lies, and motives. Deborah's investigation of the prime suspect—Bernard's prodigal son Nicholas, a recovering drug addict—leads her to Nicholas's wife, a woman with whom she feels a kinship, a woman as fiercely protective as she is beautiful. Lynley and Simon delve for information from the rest of the family, including the victim's bitter ex-wife and the man he left her for, and Bernard himself. As the investigation escalates, the Fairclough family's veneer cracks, with deception and self-delusion threatening to destroy everyone from the Fairclough patriarch to Tim, the troubled son Ian left behind."
This novel was actually released yesterday but I'm still waiting on it as I won't be able to go to the bookstore until Friday.
If you'd read this blog, you know that I love Elizabeth George. Her Thomas Lynley mysteries are pretty close to perfection... the settings, the dialogue, the mystery, and, of course, the characters are written with a style that transcends the genre and proves that mysteries can be literate and intellectual and can still be so enjoyable.
LOVE this! Because the Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in a STUNNING eleven second overtime TD... the mayor of Pittsbugh had to "Tebow" in front of the Pittsburgh skyline.
From CNN..."This is not something I ever thought I'd have to do, and it certainly wasn't something I was looking forward to," Ravenstahl said. "However, we're good sports here in Pittsburgh, and I want to congratulate Denver on a great win."
I have a soft spot in my heart for the Steelers... I have had a crush on Bill Cowher for years... since he was defensive coordinator for the Chiefs. It's silly, I know and, even though my husband is a Cowher fan, he laughs every time I swoon (GREAT word... don't you think?) watching NFL Today pregame show.
There's something to be said for a man sporting a little scruff wearing sunglasses and a cap with a football team logo on it :D
I think I'm the last person I know to watch this... everyone (including my Mom) is watching the second season premiere and I just finished watching the first episode. I love this period of history
The story is so layered, the costumes are beyond fabulous and the cast is perfection! Especially... Mr. Bates... I think I have a crush on him! Apparently, so do a lot of Downton Abbey's female viewers. I "googled" him and it seems that he has quite a following. Those of you who watch Downton Abbey, probably understand this... those of you who don't...WHAT ARE WAITING FOR...?!?
M asked the other day if I'd take her to see the new Beauty & The Beast. There was a time, when she was younger, that she was almost obsessed with it. She watched it almost every day but had never seen it in the theater. So, we decided to see it on Monday, January 16th when she doesn't have school. To make things even better, I just found out that there is a sequel to Tangled... titled Tangled Ever After. The short animated film will play before Beauty & The Beast.
The little girl in me is very excited! And the little girl (well, she's not so little anymore) that I live with is too!
From the author's website... "LEGACY OF THE LIGHT is a historical thriller. It is the story of two generations of lighthouse keepers at Race Rock Lighthouse off the shore of New London, Connecticut. The action takes place in 1907 and a generation later, much of it the day of the great Hurricane of 1938. LEGACY is a story of how the past influences the present, of fathers and sons, failure, guilt, love, and redemption. As the story unfolds, men and women visit the lighthouse and objects wash up on its rocks. Storms bear down on this man-made island in the middle of the sea, and those trapped at Race Rock -- the keeper, his fiancee, and a mysterious stranger -- must fight the forces of nature and the demons within that threaten to destroy them. LEGACY OF THE LIGHT takes readers into a fast-paced story full of twists and turns. * * * In 1907, Nathaniel Bowen is the lighthouse keeper at Race Rock. Believing the remote lighthouse is no place to raise a child, his wife leaves with their son, Caleb. Nathaniel continues on alone, but on the night of a ferocious winter storm, fails in his duty. A generation later, Caleb has returned to Race Rock as its keeper. On September 21, 1938, his fiancee, Jennifer Hays, visits Race Rock with an ultimatum. A mysterious stranger, Eliot McPherson, also arrives at the lighthouse, his intentions unclear. That afternoon, the worst hurricane in New England history his the area. Caleb, Jennifer and Eliot are trapped on Race Rock. The tension mounts as they battle the storm and their own conflicts. They are also trying to unravel a puzzle created by Caleb’s father that could dramatically change all their lives. All the while, ships at sea in the nightmarish storm are searching for Race Rock’s beacon to guide them to safety. The final part of LEGACY unfolds after the storm. The events and mysteries set in motion in Part 1 and 2 are resolved, and the fates of Caleb, Jennifer and Eliot revealed."
When I read a review that starts... "This book sucked me in from the very beginning"... I immediately become a little leery and brace myself for the oncoming "gushing".
Well, honestly... this novel did just that and deserves all the "gushing" it gets! From its perfect cover to the well-written story, this novel is probably one of my favorites of 2011. Mr. Gipstein has written a story that is not just suspenseful but weaves family drama with a natural disaster thrown in. It sounds like a lot for a book but because it is so well written, it creates a story that is truly difficult to stop reading.
The characters are real... they are good and they are flawed. Each one adds dimension to the story in a way that shows that Mr. Gipstein took care to write them. Each was important to the novel and there were no "throwaway" characters nor characters that became "caricatures". That is a huge reading peeve of mine... when the author fills scenes with those characters and doesn't take care to create "real" characters. Mr. Gipstein has populated Legacy of the Light with characters that I could vividly imagine helping the story flow without taking me out of it, thinking "wow, 'Character X' reminds me of 'Character Y' in the novel I read last week."
Speaking of characters, the hurricane itself was written almost as a character and I loved that! The author weaves in the hurricane adding another layer to an already fantastic story. He does it in such a way as to not make Legacy of the Light read like a textbook. Not ever having been in a hurricane, I learned enough about them to feel the danger it presented in the story. It was the perfect character/plot device to ratchet the suspense to a conclusion that made me sorry when I turned the last page.
~Thanks to Lynn Cppotelli at Smith Publicity, Dog Ear Publishing and the author, Todd Gipstein for providing a copy of Legacy of the Light in exchange for my honest and thoughtful review.~
J went back to school yesterday. M started back today. As much as I love my kids and love having them home...it's kind of nice to get back in the routine and have our house back to normal! Even our cat, Henry, seems to relish getting back to the routine.
I do kind of miss our Christmas tree, twinkling behind me as I sit here... well, it's only 356 days until next Christmas...lol!
I have been on a quest for the olive green purse. I have one which I like... don't love, though. It's suede so I don't wear it in the summer and there are two front pockets... which I don't really like. So, I'm on the hunt for a new one that I can wear any season. I have the perfect olive green shirt and matching accessories so the bag is a must :D
I have checked Ebay every day as well as other online and brick & mortar stores. Could not find anything that I loved for a price I am willing to pay. Today, it dawned on me that I had not been to TJ Maxx. I had a few minutes before book club tonight so I went shopping... and walked out with the perfect handbag at a really great price! Only there's a slight issue.... it's not olive green or any shade of green, actually. It's black with gold hardware. That wouldn't be an issue but I have two almost identical bags... black satchels with gold hardware... including the one I carried yesterday. I love it, though! It is embossed and has a lot of gold hardware and side zippers with tassels. I even took the tags off and carried it to book club.
Speaking of book club... everyone enjoyed the book... except me. I didn't read it! Even though it was a fast, fun read (according to what was said about it), I just didn't get to it. No worries, though... we're not a group that takes attendance or requires that the book is read. We do, however, discuss every aspect of the book, including the ending. So, it's up to each person if they want to join the discussion. I've found that if I haven't read the book, listening to the discussion actually adds to my enjoyment of it. Yes, I may know "who dunnit" but I might also pick up on something I may missed if it weren't for a comment I heard.
So... I finally saw the American version today. I watched the original Swedish version about a year ago.
I liked them both but Noomi Rapace (the original Lisbeth) was more like the Lisbeth I envisioned as I read. On the flip side, I thought Daniel Craig was a better Mikael Blomkvist.
I'm happy that I had read the book before I saw either movie. It is a very layered story that neither film could accurately capture. So, to have read it, I understood things that were alluded to or just left out of the films. The ending of the American version was not what I expected as it was completely different than the book & the original Swedish version. Had I not read the book, it would have been a satisfactory ending. Honestly, though... it was a little disconcerting. I preferred the things were "wrapped up" in the book. I knew immediately who was sending the pictures to Henrik.
I guess all three (the novel and both film versions) had their strengths and weaknesses, but, as it should be... the book triumphs in the end.
I carried my Vera Wang black satchel tote. I have had this bag for quite a while and just love it! I seriously wish I had it in other colors! I do carry a lot and everything fits in perfectly with room left over. I carry a big bag to the movies as I always have a book (or now my Kindle or tablet) to keep busy if I'm waiting on someone. Although, today... they arrived first and saved a seat for me. Good thing, too... the theater was packed! We chose to go today, thinking that it would less busy as the holidays are over. I guess everyone else had the same idea!
I hope this New Year's Day finds you and those you love happy and healthy!
I carried my Coach Carly today. I hadn't carried it in quite a while and it looked rather lonely sitting on the shelf of my purse closet. So, I switched my silver jewelry for gold (to match the bag's hardware. Yes, I'm matchy-matchy like that) and carried it instead of the one I had planned to.
I am reading V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton. I have been reading this series since A is for Alibi was published and am getting a little sad that Kinsey only has her W, X, Y mysteries before her Z finale.
Did you hear about the internet rumour that Jon Bon Jovi had passed away? It's probably not a surprise that I am extremely relieved that this was all a hoax! He posted this "proof of life" before taking his family to celebrate Christmas in St. Bart's. I think he looks pretty darn good for not being dead...ROFL!! And, yes... I forgive him for wearing a Patriots cap!
From Amazon... "Petty thief Birdie Kaminsky has arrived in Liberty, Ohio to steal a treasure hidden since the Civil War. She’s in possession of a charming clue passed down in her family for generations: Liberty safeguards the cherished heart. The beautiful thief wants to go straight. She secretly admires the clue’s author, freedwoman Justice Postell, who rose above the horrors of slavery to build a new life in Ohio. According to family lore, Justice left South Carolina at the dawn of the Civil War. Heavy with child, she carried untold riches on her journey north. As Birdie searches for the treasure, she begins to believe a questionable part of the story: a tale of love between Justice and Lucas Postell, the French plantation owner who was Birdie’s ancestor. If the stories are true, Justice bore a child with Lucas. Some of those black relatives might still live in town. Birdie can’t help but wonder if she’s found one—Liberty’s feisty matriarch, Theodora Hendricks, who packs a pistol and heartwarming stories about Justice. Birdie doesn’t know that an investigative reporter who has arrived in town will trip her up—as will her conscience when she begins to wonder if it’s possible to start a new life with stolen riches. Yet with each new clue she unearths, Birdie begins to discover a family history more precious than gems, a tradition of love richer than she could imagine."
I have posted before about how cool it is to have authors contact me. They want me to read their novel and review it here. I'm very choosy and turn down more than I accept. I love finding new authors this way. Christine Nolfi is a new-to-me author who I probably never would have discovered but am so happy that I did.
Treasure Me is the first in the Liberty series. That said... I can't wait to read the second... Second Chance Grill.
Ms. Nolfi intertwines Birdie's story with that of Justice. Her writing flows and doesn't rely on gimmickry or unbelievable plot devices to tell this interesting story that, at its heart, is a love story. She also writes secondary characters that flesh out the story and have me looking forward to the next book!
I liked Birdie's story but I loved Justice's! Her name struck me... how sad that a slave (even a former slave) carried a name whose ideal was denied to her. She rose to her name and became a character that I have thought of often.
~~Thanks again to Christine Nolfi for offering Treasure Me in exchange for this review.
One of the cool things about writing my blog is being contacted by authors. They have poured their heart and soul into writing their "Great American Novel". Many, then, take it upon themselves to get the word out about their book. This is where I come in. They send me their book, in the hopes that I will like it and review it favorably.
One of these authors is Karen Baney. She wrote a wonderful historical series, The Prescott Pioneers... which I loved! She has now written a contemporary romance, Nickels, which is being released today. I'm excited to help Karen launch this novel and can't wait to hear what you think about it. I will be reviewing Nickels in January but... until then... here's more about it...
"I am so excited to announce the release of my fourth novel, Nickels. This contemporary romance takes readers on a journey filled with laughter and tears. Set in the Phoenix Metro Area of Arizona, the story follows the life of Niki Turner and Kyle Jacobs... Niki Turner has finally arrived. Her career as a Software Engineer is soaring—she has just been offered the company’s most sought after account, Helitronics. Life would be perfect, if she could stop her roommate from playing matchmaker. Then Kyle Jacobs mysteriously re-enters her life. As painful memories resurface, his presence turns her life upside down and threatens to waylay her career. She must find a way to work with him—after all, he’s the helicopter flight consultant for the new flight control system she’s coding. Can she forget the past and see him as the new man he has become? Or will her resentment keep her from finding what she has always been searching for?"
Karen Baney, in addition to writing Christian historical fiction and contemporary novels, works as a Software Engineer. When she’s not busy writing, she enjoys traveling the state of Arizona with her husband, exploring museums and the picturesque landscapes the state has to offer. Her faith plays an important role both in her life and in her writing. Karen and her husband make their home in Gilbert, Arizona, with their two dogs. She also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University.
Visit Karen at her website: http://www.karenbaney.com on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Baney-Books/138412459527446 or on Twitter http://twitter.com/karen_baney
Please join bestselling author Karen Baney and 9 other Christian authors as they celebrate the release of Nickels. http://womensliterarycafe.com/content/december-2011book-launch-nickels
If you are interested in...
~ an honest and thoughtful review of your novel... mysteries, historical and contemporary fiction and romance are my favorite genres
~ an interview
~ a guest post
~ a sponsored giveaway
... posted on Bags, Books & Bon Jovi, please email MyHandbagHabit@AOL.com
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I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles. - Audrey Hepburn
As my blog title says, three of my very favorite things are Bags, Books and Bon Jovi. Of course, family and friends are high on that list, but, not every entry will include them. This is my place in cyberspace...
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