Do Bloggers Play It Safe Too Often?

Posted April 25, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 6 Comments

I just wrote a brilliant post (if I do say so myself) — and put it back in the maybe, some day file. Because I second guessed myself. I hate when I do that.

I noticed something recently on one of the large, anyone can drop in a review places – and it bothered me. So I wrote a post about my feelings… and then I second guessed myself.

How often have you second guessed a post on your blog that wasn’t a review piece, but an opinion of your own? Are you brave and force through no matter what any other opinions might be? Or do you step back, take a second look and think… maybe I shouldn’t say this.

I want to be the first but more often am the second. And really, it’s just my opinion – it’s not like it’s brain surgery if I make a misstep someone dies. It’s a blog post, a discussion – my own opinion what do you think – kind of blog post. Yet I hesitate.

I think I hesitate because this isn’t a “big” blog. I mean, I’m relatively new, what right do I have to upset the apple cart. Do I really want to take the risk of losing readership when I’m still growing the blog? Or maybe I should be more concerned with being true to my own self and opinions on my own blog. Again, it is my opinion – if no one else agrees or even disagrees within 24 hours a hundred other new posts will have taken over my one opinion’s spot.

So why can’t I be braver? Why can’t I point out something that I see as wrong, instead of worrying about the opinion of others? I hate second guessing myself. And it needs to stop.

What about you? Do you hesitate? Do you post what is on your mind no matter what anyone else might think? Brave or Safe?

Review: Blood and Bone by Tara Brown

Posted April 25, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Blood and Bone
Series:
Author: Tara Brown
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
My Rating: 3 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

What would you do if your life was a lie—and everyone knew but you?

Jane has come a long way from the dark days of the horrific car accident that robbed her of many memories. Living the life of a shopgirl with a charming boyfriend—a handsome, green-eyed doctor named Derek—is so satisfying that she doesn’t want to revisit her past.

But the past insists on revisiting Jane. People keep thinking she’s Samantha, a dead girl who looks exactly like her. Now, Jane is determined to discover her connection to the girl, leading her to question everything from her relationship with Derek to her own sanity. Should she believe Rory, the man who insists she actually is Samantha? Or should she depend on Derek, who offers her love and shelter…but who may have other reasons for keeping her under wraps? Who is telling her the truth—and what are the others hiding?

Read on for my thoughts on Blood and Bone. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: The Bedding Proposal by Tracy Anne Warren

Posted April 24, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: The Bedding Proposal
Series: The Rakes of Cavendish Square #1
Author: Tracy Anne Warren
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance
Published: March 3, 2015
Publisher: Signet
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: Owned, Personal Collection
Synopsis:

Lord Leo Byron is bored with the aristocratic company he keeps; he needs a distraction, preferably in the form of a beautiful new female companion. So when he sets eyes on fascinating and scandalous divorcée Lady Thalia Lennox, he’s determined to make her intimate acquaintance. But the spirited woman seems to have no intention of accepting his advances no matter how much he chases—or how hard he falls….

Once a darling of Society, Thalia Lennox now lives on its fringes. The cruel lies that gave her a notoriously wild reputation have also left her with a broken heart and led to a solemn vow to swear off men. Still, Leo Byron’s bold overtures are deliciously tempting, and, for the first time, she finds herself wondering whether it just might be worth the risk to let the attractive rake into her life—and her bed.

Read on for my thoughts on The Bedding Proposal. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: A Match Made On Main Street by Olivia Miles

Posted April 24, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: A Match Made On Main Street
Series: Briar Creek #2
Author: Olivia Miles
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Forever
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

This kitchen isn’t big enough for both of them…

If there’s anything Anna Madison knows, it’s how to turn life’s lemons into a lemonade cocktail served in a vintage glass. So when her beloved Briar Creek café burns down, she sees it as an opportunity to start fresh. But the only kitchen available to her is in the diner down the street—owned by her sinfully sexy ex.

If Anna thinks she can take over his greasy-spoon kitchen with her high-end cuisine, Mark Hastings is about to set her straight fast. Their breakup is his biggest regret—not that he’ll ever admit it to her. Nope, he’d rather show her exactly what she’s been missing. With desire set on a high simmer, their menu is about to get a whole lot spicier.

Read on for my thoughts on A Match Made On Main Street. No true spoilers, promise.

Feature & Follow #10

Posted April 24, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 33 Comments

FeatureFollowParaAlison Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers — but you have to know — the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs! The rules are simple…Follow the Hosts and the Featured Blogs of the week – then do the blog hop, Follow those blogs that you don’t already and remember, if someone Follows you be sure to return the favor and Follow them right back.

This week’s Feature Blogs are: Mountain Rhinestones ~ and Book Yabber Be sure to check out their blogs and give them a Follow (if you aren’t already).

Because this blog does not have the ability to put up GFC I would appreciate a follow through Bloglovin’. Thanks so much.

This week’s question:

How did you come up with your blog title and address? Does it have a special meaning for you? – Suggested by The Paperback Princess.

Keeper Bookshelf came about when I combined two other book blogs that weren’t “clicking” with me. I knew what I wanted but it just didn’t feel right. A book read-aholic friend had come over and as usual was looking for new to her books to read – and like good, old friends do headed for my bookcases to start browsing like I own a library. I immediately called out “Keep away from the 4th shelf that’s my Keepers Bookshelf where all my favorites live”… and this website was born. There was a time when readers often called a good novel that they intended to read again as a “Keeper” – and it was a phrase I had used for years. So when it came time to finally put a new name on a website about books: Keeper Bookshelf was my only logical choice. Fortunately, GoDaddy had the domain name available and the rest is history.

So now that the mystery of how Keeper Bookshelf got it’s name ~ This is a blog hop people, let’s get hopping for books!

Review: His Defiant Princess by Kathleen O’Brien

Posted April 23, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: His Defiant Princess
Series: Royal Holiday #3
Author: Kathleen O’Brian
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: April 23, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

Brenna Tinley has decided to move to the Unified Isles of Cornetta, a fairy-tale kingdom just south of France in the Bay of Biscay to escape the recent tragedies in her personal life. The happiest summer she can remember was spent there, in the arms of a handsome, tender rascal who disappeared without a goodbye when Autumn came…

As fate would have it, the Royal House of Vicenza has engaged Brenna Tinley to clear up a public relations mess. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for this small-town American girl, but there’s only one problem. Her new employer, HRH Prince Ronan, aka her mystery summer lover of long ago, seems determined to pick up where they left off. Can Brenna work in the royal palace and not end up with a brand new broken heart?

Read on for my thoughts on His Defiant Princess. No true spoilers, promise.

Waiting on Wednesday #11

Posted April 22, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 22 Comments

“Waiting on” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating… cannot wait to get our hands on… having hissy fits at having to wait… you know, waiting for the book is exhausting work!

There are so many truly interesting novels coming out soon that it’s difficult to pick just one – but I have long been a Krewe of Hunters fan, and the next installment is out in June.

Where is Lara Mayhew?

Lara, a congressman’s media assistant, suddenly quits her job—and disappears on the way to her Washington, DC, apartment.

Novice FBI agent Meg Murray, a childhood friend of Lara’s, gets a message from her that same night, a message that says she’s disillusioned and “going home.” To Richmond, Virginia. Meg discovers that she never got there. And bodies fitting Lara’s description are showing up in nearby rivers… Could she be the victim of a serial killer?

Meg is assigned to work with special agent Matt Bosworth, a hard-nosed pro in the FBI’s unit of paranormal investigators—the Krewe of Hunters. They trace the route Meg and Lara took more than once in the past, visiting battlefields and graveyards from Harpers Ferry to Gettysburg. Places where the dead share their secrets with those who can hear… As Meg and Matt pursue the possibility of a serial killer, they find themselves in the middle of a political conspiracy. Is there a connection? And who—besides each other—can they trust?

I can always count on Heather Graham to give me a gripping mystery paranormal with a touch of romance mixed in. This is an amazing ongoing series and the wait is only about two months til this one releases. Looking forward to it so much.

Do You Twitter Your Reviews?

Posted April 22, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 8 Comments

While I haven’t been living in a cave recently – I know full well that I should be using Twitter more often than I have been.

So my goal is to get more comfortable and more active on Twitter when it comes to my book blogs. I certainly don’t think my every thought should be bombarding Twitter – but when a new review goes up I should be promoting these books by letting folks know about them.

I hesitate and that has been my downfall with Twitter. I really need to just jump in and see the results.

No one wants to feel stupid when trying new stuff, so I did what I always do when faced with a challenge – I researched it and read like crazy. And I found = Twitter for Dummies. Perfect! The “for Dummies” brand has just about anything and everything available so why not Twitter, too?

The article gave me some good, solid basic information. But I’d love to know more.

How do you use Twitter for your book review blogs? Do you tweet every review? Every event? How much is too much?

I’m certain I’m not the only one to not be using Twitter as well as I could be. So you Twitter experts out there – what’s your suggestions on how to best use Twitter for getting the word out about amazing novels, authors and blogs? I’d really love to know.

Review: All’s Fair in Love and Scandal by Caroline Linden

Posted April 21, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 4 Comments

Title: All’s Fair in Love and Scandal
Series: Scandalous 2.5
Author: Caroline Linden
Genre: Historical Romance
Published: April 21, 2015
Publisher: Avon
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: Owned, Personal Collection
Synopsis:

Nothing wagered…

Douglas Bennet can’t resist a good wager, especially not one that involves a beautiful woman. When a friend proposes an audacious plan to expose the most notorious woman in England, Douglas agrees at once. After all, it would be quite a coup to discover the true identity of Lady Constance, author of the infamous erotic serial scandalizing the ton, 50 Ways to Sin.

Nothing won…

Madeline Wilde is used to being pursued. For years she’s cultivated a reputation for being unattainable and mysterious, and for good reason: her livelihood depends on discretion. When Douglas turns his legendary charm on her, she dismisses him as just another rake. But he surprises her—instead of merely trying to seduce her, he becomes her friend…her confidant…and her lover. But can it really lead to happily-ever-after…or are they about to become the biggest scandal London has ever seen?

Read on for my thoughts on All’s Fair in Love and Scandal. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Driven to Date by Susan Hatler

Posted April 21, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Driven to Date
Series: Better Date Than Never #7
Author: Susan Hatler
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: February 22, 2014
Publisher: Hatco
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

Career-driven attorney, Jill Parnell, has worked long and hard to become a partner at Corbett, Gray, & Shaw. When the coveted position is given to the boss’s nephew, she does what any intelligent employee would do—attends a colleague’s wedding and schmoozes a high-powered partner at another law firm.

Her potential new boss has only one condition for her, that she demonstrate a personal life that will support a thriving career. Pretending to have a boyfriend is outside Jill’s comfort zone, but she invites the best man to act the part and Ryan is all-too eager to play her significant other. Sparks fly between them, but she reminds herself she’s only driven to date to get back on the partner track.

When Jill discovers Ryan is the lawyer who stole her promotion, her charade threatens to implode. But breaking off their pretend relationship could cost her the job of her dreams. And the more she gets to know Ryan, the more she’s tempted to tame the bad boy, and make him her own.

Read on for my thoughts on Driven to Date. No true spoilers, promise.

Teaser Tuesday #9

Posted April 21, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 2 Comments

teaser tuesday One of the fun parts of taking part in blog hops (aside from getting to visit new to me blogs) is finding great ways to interact with other book lovers. This is one:

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

“Why are you still alive?” The curious voice came from beside her because he was there watching, as he’d watched for hours. “Why don’t you give in? You know you want to just close your eyes and let go.”

She did. She wanted to close her eyes and pretend that she was just having a bad dream. A nightmare. When her eyes opened again, she’d be someplace different. Someplace without monsters.

He came closer to her, and she felt something slide into the sand with her. A knife. He liked to use his knife. It pricked her skin, but then he lifted the knife and pressed the blade against her skin.

“I can end this for you. Do it now. Just tell me…” His words were dark. Tempting. “Tell me that you want to die.”

I have just started this novel. That snippet is from the very beginning of the novel. We don’t know much – yet. But we know enough to be afraid.

Broken by Cynthia Eden

Ex-SEAL and LOST founder Gabe Spencer is accustomed to the unusual in his job. But when knockout Eve Gray steps into his office, he’s rattled. For the mysterious woman is a dead ringer for the heiress thought to be the latest prey of the serial killer who goes by the name Lady Killer.

When Eve awoke in an Atlanta hospital, her past was a blank slate. Then she recognized her own face in the newspaper and vowed to learn the truth. Determined to confront the nightmares hidden in her mind, she never expects to find a partner in Gabe.

As Gabe and Eve work together, their explosive attraction becomes irresistible. Gabe knows that his desire for Eve is growing too strong, bordering on a dangerous obsession, but nothing pulls him away from her. And when another Eve lookalike disappears, Gabe vows to protect Eve at all costs. While Eve may have forgotten the killer in her past, it’s clear he hasn’t forgotten her.

I went a little beyond 2 sentences. But that passage was just so striking – I knew it would be enough to grab my attention. How about yours? Leave me a link to your Teaser Tuesday – there is always room on the TBR pile for more.

Is Your Book Blog Mobile Friendly? Google Update is Tomorrow!

Posted April 20, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 0 Comments

mobile phones Google is rolling out another update to it’s algorithm tomorrow (April 21, 2015) This one seems to be focusing on our sites being mobile friendly. Can your site be read easily on a mobile phone, cell phone, tablet, etc.? There are, of course, other things in this update as well.

But this needs attention now. I just came back from checking all of my sites and all but one passed. I’ve fixed the one that didn’t. Blogger, WordPress, whatever platform you use – it does not matter. This is across the board. And important. Not hype, not trying to get views here – I am trying to let those that read my blog know that there is a change coming and we need to be ready for it now. It will affect traffic and page views if Google deems your site not mobile friendly.

There is an awesome post on BlogHer that addresses this – and the tool that I used to check my sites is available to anyone to use – that link is within the article.. Please take a moment and go read this post. 3 Things Bloggers Need To Do Before The Google Update Tomorrow.

Please, if only to educate yourself about what is going to happen tomorrow, go check out that post. Maybe everything is already perfect on your site. But isn’t it worth 2 minutes to check it out?

Cover Characteristics #4

Posted April 20, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 6 Comments

Cover Characteristic meme The ladies at Sugar and Snark are hosting a Cover Characteristic meme. Weekly a subject will be chosen and we search for book covers related to that week’s pick. Why not? I certainly have tons of book covers in my files (and I know how to find more *wink*).

This week’s choice is babies. Oh, my. Hmmm… ok, let me go through the files and see what I can find.

There is just something so hard to resist when a hot, alpha male is holding a fragile baby in his arms – so I didn’t resist. *wink* Enjoy.

The Baby Covers

The Nanny Bombshell Nillionaire Baby Dilemma His Baby Bond Claiming His Brother's Baby A Baby's Cry The Baby Book

Have You Started Roxy Sloane’s The Expose Yet?

Posted April 20, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Roxy Sloane has yet another winner with her new novel series The Expose.

Today’s release is the third installment – next week will be the conclusion.

And Holy Hotness Batman – this is an amazing story and couple.

I have the first, second and third installments of this one over on my exclusively Erotica book review blog.

Check it out – see if you’d like to pick this one up. But be aware, this is one hot, sensual, major sex involved story. Mature audiences, definitely.

Reviews are up at Smexy Does It.

Review: Cheaters Anonymous by Lacey Silks

Posted April 19, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Cheaters Anonymous
Series:
Author: Lacey Silks
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica
Published: April 21, 2015
Publisher: MyLit Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

We’re both addicted to sex, just not with each other.

High school friends – nothing more.
That was our promise to each other, because let’s face it, infidelity spreads like a disease.
Everybody cheats.
Period.
And it’s easier to remain friends than hurt the only person you ever cared about – or so we thought.

Read on for my thoughts on Cheaters Anonymous. No true spoilers, promise.