My Mini-Vacation Comes To A Close

Posted March 9, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 3 Comments

blue eyesThis past week my son was up in Boston for the PAX-East Convention/Event.  And I got to stay home for six glorious days totally on my own.  Total Freedom – and it’s gonna be back to life as usual in about 22 hours.  So… I’m doing this post which is kind of an odd one perhaps.  But I’m going to be brave and surge ahead with it.

I’ve been working very steadily on this blog for the last couple months.  It’s shaping up into something that I can be proud of, and I certainly am enjoying the community.  I have a lot of things to do still – but I no longer feel quite as overwhelmed as I did on January 2, 2015 when I made the decision to get back to what I loved doing – reading books and talking about them.  I even branched out and made a new blog totally about my love of Paranormal novels, movies and television series.  Haunted Bookshelf.  That is a work very much in process, but I don’t care if it takes months to get it just where I want it – it’s a labor of love for something I truly enjoy, so time isn’t all that important.

I’ve learned a lot in two months.  NetGalley.  Twitter.  Facebook Page.  Yet, there are moments when I look at my handwritten list of things I still need to do – like yesterday – that I heave a huge sigh and wonder if I’ll ever be finished.  And the truth is that I probably won’t because new things are constantly becoming a part of my life now.  As long as it’s fun, then I don’t mind the learning process.

I’m still trying to find my own personal “voice” for this blog.  It’s still early stages so I know it will eventually all come together.

I’d like to take this moment to thank those folks who have taken the time to stop and comment – whether it was on a meme or just about a review I did.  I appreciate the time, I really do.

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Review: The Infinite by Lori M. Lee

Posted March 8, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

The InfiniteTitle:  The Infinite
Series:  Gates of Thread and Stone (book 2)
Author:  Lori M. Lee
Genre:  Fantasy
Published:  March 10, 2015
My Rating:  3 stars
Source:  NetGalley

Story Blurb:

Kai always believed the only danger to the city came from within. Now, with a rebel force threatening the fragile government, the walls have become more of a prison than ever.

To make matters worse, as Avan explores his new identity as an Infinite, Kai struggles to remind him what it means to be human. And she fears her brother, Reev, is involved with the rebels. With the two people she cares about most on opposite sides of a brewing war, Kai will do whatever it takes to bring peace. But she’s lost her power to manipulate the threads of time, and she learns that a civil war might be the beginning of something far worse that will crumble not only Ninurta’s walls but also the entire city.

In this thrilling sequel to Gates of Thread and Stone, Kai must decide how much of her humanity she’s willing to lose to protect the only family she’s ever known.

Read on for my thoughts on the sequel to Gates of Thread and Stone – The Infinite.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Review: Bachelor At Her Bidding by Kate Hardy

Posted March 8, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 2 Comments

Bachelor At Her BiddingTitle:  Bachelor At Her Bidding
Series:  Montana Born Bachelor Auctions (novella book 2)
Author:  Kate Hardy
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  February 27, 2015
My Rating:  4 star
Source:  NetGalley

Story Blurb:

Your date with Parisian-trained chef Ryan Henderson promises you’ll get the best meal of your life cooked especially for you. His Red Velvet cheesecake is to die for – but we know he has even better desserts up his sleeve…

How to win a girl in ten cakes…

When Dr. Rachel Cassidy comes back to Marietta with a broken heart and a divorce under her belt, going to a Bachelor Auction fundraiser doesn’t sound like her idea of a good time – and when her sister and friends “buy” her a dinner date with sexy Parisian-trained pastry chef Ryan Henderson, that sounds even worse.

Ryan doesn’t have time for dating – he’s put his dreams to one side and come back to Marietta to look after his sick grandmother. But when he agrees to help a charity fundraiser by offering to cook a special meal to one lucky bidder, he gets more than he bargains for and discovers a woman he might just dare to let himself fall in love with.

Then tragedy strikes, just when Rachel and Ryan think they might have a future, opening up old scars and pushing them apart.

And if they’re to stand a chance of getting back together, then Ryan’s going to have to be seriously inventive. Can he win the love of his life with ten cakes?

Read on for my thoughts on Bachelor At Her Bidding.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Stacking the Shelves #7

Posted March 7, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 14 Comments

StackingTheShelvesStacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Hosted at Tynga’s Reviews If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

I swore I was gonna be good this past week.  *sigh*  But you know all about those best laid plans, right?  It’s that 1-click-addiction to free ebooks and the under $3.00 clicks that get me in so much trouble.  Plus I just might have gone a bit crazy on NetGalley’s Read Now section when I saw a couple series there… 80% level comes and goes so easily.  🙁   Ah, well.  At least they all qualify for the TBR Challenge ‘cos most were ones I’ve wanted for a while now.

From Amazon there was:

A Quick BiteAir Boundearth boundThe Witch Who Cried WolfFalling For A Wolf

And from the Read Now section at NetGalley I was tempted by:

Deja DateThe Catalain book of SecretsGetting It right

It could have been a lot worse.  And thankfully, a large majority are novellas so the reading will go fast.  Does anyone have a cure for the 1-click-blues?  😉

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Review: Bound To The Bachelor by Sarah Mayberry

Posted March 7, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Bound To The BachelorTitle:  Bound To The Bachelor
Series:  Montana Born Bachelor Auction (book 1)
Author:  Sarah Mayberry
Genre:  Contemporary Romance (novella)
Published:  February 20, 2015
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley

Story Blurb:

Your date with Marietta local Beau Bennett includes a day on the slopes at Big Sky Resort, complete with a sumptuous meal in the Resort’s fanciest fine dining restaurant and door-to-door transport. Dig deep to secure the attentions of one of Montana’s most eligible – and elusive – bachelors.

Lily Taylor knows Beau Bennett dislikes her, but that won’t stop her from asking him to volunteer for the Bachelor Auction she’s organized to help her friend Molly provide for her tragically injured son, Josh. If Beau’s gorgeous face, piercing blue eyes and chiseled body inspires the women of Marietta to dig into their pockets for a good cause, then Lily will do whatever it takes to secure his participation.

Beau Bennett isn’t sure how he wound up on the auction block being eyed up by hundreds of eager women, but he knows who to blame for it – Lily Taylor, the sexy, distracting, off-limits best friend of his kid sister. As far as he’s concerned, the sooner this nightmare is over, the better.

The last thing either of them expects is for Lily to wind up bidding on – and winning – Beau, or that their date will lead to Beau stepping in to save Lily when her past comes back to haunt her. As Beau does his best to keep Lily safe, they discover that maybe they don’t dislike each other quite as much as they thought.

In fact, maybe it’s just the opposite…

Read on for my thoughts on Bound To The Bachelor.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Review: Married To A Perfect Stranger by Jane Ashford

Posted March 7, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Married To A Perfect StrangerTitle:  Married To A Perfect Stranger
Series:
Author:  Jane Ashford
Genre:  Historical Romance, Regency Romance
Published:  March 3, 2015
My Rating: 4 stars
Source:  NetGalley

Story Blurb:

Mary Fleming and John Bexley are the “white sheep’ of their large families, written off as hapless, boring—and thus suitable for each other. But they’re no sooner married than John is sent off on a two-year diplomatic mission.

Upon his return, John and Mary find that everything they thought they knew about each other is wrong. They’ve changed radically during the long separation. They have to start all over. It’s surprising, irritating—and somehow very exciting…

Read on for my thoughts on Married To A Perfect Stranger.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Feature & Follow #7

Posted March 6, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 34 Comments

FeatureFollowParaAlisonGain 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!

This week’s Feature Blog is:  Mischievous Reads  and  Diane’s Book Blog.  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.

FetureFollowbloglovinBloglovin button

This week’s question:

Do you have any furry friends? Share a picture!

I share an apartment with one son, two cats and at last count 37 fishies.  Do they all count?  😉

Okay, okay – so the fish are out, but here are my two cats.

Charlie- who is now 18 years old.  Our grey striped, tabby cat – who rules the house, even though his run is now more like a stroll.  He has the unblinking “My water dish is empty, Human!”  stare down to a Oscar winning performance.

Charlie

And Leia – who is about to turn 3 (but shall never outgrow her terrible 2’s stage, I’m convinced.)  Leia is an Alpha cat wannabe, but despite her size (she’s double the size of Charlie) the true ruler only needs to do a one side of the mouth snarl in Leia’s direction and she falls down and exposes her belly to be washed or scratched.  *rolls eyes*  Cats and their dynamics gotta love ’em.

Leia 10

So what are you waiting fo?  Here’s the Hop – get hoppin’.  🙂

 

 

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I Cross My Heart

Posted March 5, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Today has been a day of memories.  This song always makes me cry.  From the 1992 movie Pure Country, here’s George Strait singing I Cross My Heart. — tell me you didn’t tear up, just a  little.

 

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Review: My Blood Runs Blue by Stacy Eaton

Posted March 5, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

My Blood Runs BlueTitle:  My Blood Runs Blue
Series:  My Blood Runs Blue (book 1)
Author:  Stacy Eaton
Genre:  Paranormal
Published:  Original April 1, 2011  Reissue:  December 30, 2014
My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Source:  NetGalley

Story Blurb:

“I’m still a cop, and my blood runs blue.” Officer Kristin Greene has always felt that something was missing from her life. Even though her job with the Fawn Hollow Township Police Department keeps her busy, she continues to feel as if there is something else out there she is meant to be doing. Kristin finds herself investigating a homicide where a young woman has had her throat ripped brutally out. As she begins to dig for the answers, she finds herself thrown into a world she never knew existed.

When Julian and Alexander crash into her life, she finds herself being pulled into a love triangle that has been going on longer than she has been alive. Kristin in determine to figure out who they are and why they keep calling her Calista. Join Kristin as she fights to learn the truth about the recent murder, the two seductive men who have entered into her life and the real truth about herself in a suspenseful tale that weaves paranormal into to the realistic world of law enforcement.

Read on for my thoughts on My Blood Runs Blue.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts #2

Posted March 5, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 2 Comments

unConventionalBookViews_Meme-ThirstyThursdayHungryHeartsThere is a fun new meme going on over at (un)Conventional  Book Views.  Lexxie is hosting the Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts weekly list of food and drink.  ;)  More specifically what food or drink from a recent read of yours would you like to try or never in a million years touch.  You can find details, sorta rules and the sign up linky by clicking on the graphic or on the bold link above.

I have been trying so hard to be aware of food while reading.  It is turning into a more difficult habit to cultivate than I thought it would.  But, I’m working on it.

So I finally have one for this week.

After ordering a chocolate martini, I drank about half of it before I felt eyes on the back of my neck.  My body stiffened as the scent of cinnamon reached my sensitive nose.  With all the smells of the food it was a wonder that I could pick up on the slight tang in the air.  A smile crossed my lips quickly before I was able to control it and erase it from my lips. ~ from My Blood Runs Blue by Stacy Eaton.

 

“I’m still a cop, and my blood runs blue.” Officer Kristin Greene has always felt that something was missing from her life. Even though her job with the Fawn Hollow Township Police Department keeps her busy, she continues to feel as if there is something else out there she is meant to be doing. Kristin finds herself investigating a homicide where a young woman has had her throat ripped brutally out. As she begins to dig for the answers, she finds herself thrown into a world she never knew existed. When Julian and Alexander crash into her life, she finds herself being pulled into a love triangle that has been going on longer than she has been alive. Kristin in determine to figure out who they are and why they keep calling her Calista. Join Kristin as she fights to learn the truth about the recent murder, the two seductive men who have entered into her life and the real truth about herself in a suspenseful tale that weaves paranormal into to the realistic world of law enforcement.

My Blood Runs Blue

A paranormal romance reissue that I recently picked up.  A lovely tale of vampires and reincarnation which talks a lot about scents and smells.  Seems cinnamon is a common scent among vampires.  *laughs*  I’ve never had a chocolate martini – no clue what it would taste like.  I should find out, huh?

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Review: Nora Roberts Land by Ava Miles

Posted March 4, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Nora Roberts LandTitle:  Nora Roberts Land
Series:  Dare Valley (book 1)
Author:  Ava Miles
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  July 2, 2013
My Rating:  4 outta 5 stars
Source:  personal collection, owned

Story Blurb:

Journalist Meredith Hale’s ex-husband claimed her Nora Roberts addiction gave her unrealistic expectations about marriage, and she believed him. All dreams of happily ever after—or Nora Roberts Land as her mother calls it—went up in smoke. But when her family asks her to temporarily help their Dare Valley, Colorado newspaper, she decides it’s time to change her life and prove her ex wrong. She’s determined to find her own small-town Nora Roberts hero, prove that true love exists, and publish a story about her quest.

War correspondent Tanner McBride has just returned stateside to work for a major newspaper, and the last thing he expects is blackmail. Yet, before he can even unpack, he’s headed to Colorado. His assignment? Make his boss’s ex-wife fall for him and then break her heart. Her article about discovering love à la Nora might air dirty laundry about her marriage to the media mogul, threatening his senate run. The mogul wants Meredith stopped, and he makes sure Tanner has no choice in the matter.

When the two meet, the sparks between them are undeniable. Meredith, who vowed never to date another journalist, begins to succumb. Could Tanner be her Nora Roberts hero? As they work together to uncover the truth behind a suspicious death, the depth of their feelings unfolds and both realize they’ve kept their secrets for far too long. But before the truth can be revealed, their investigation takes a deadly turn, one that might make Meredith’s personal Nora Roberts Land go up in flames.

Read on for my thoughts on Nora Roberts Land.  No true spoilers, promise.

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