New Authors – Seeking New Escapes Reading Challenge 2015

Posted February 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

By following so many amazing book blogs I have discovered tons of new novels I want to read. Many are by authors unknown to me – so joining in on this challenge is perfect for my education and reading enjoyment this coming year.

New Authors – Seeking New Escapes a 2015 reading challenge is being hosted again by Literary Escapism. You can find the signup page, rules & suggestions plus the linky by following the link above or clicking on the graphic.

I am truly looking forward to a new year of brand new to me authors, exciting new novels to explore and perhaps finding new auto buy favorite authors along the way, too.

I have created a sub-page under Challenges to keep track of my progress this year. That can be found HERE if you’d like to find suggestions from my list. It just makes keeping track so much easier for me if I keep all the Challenges separate.

I’m going for the 25 new authors goal. How about you? Check it out, might as well have some fun while you discover new authors throughout the year. 🙂

Gothic Reading Challenge 2015

Posted February 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

The Gothic Challenge and Read-Along 2015 is hosted over at Books Under The Bed.

You can join in as well by following the link above. It will take you to the signup and rules page.

I have wanted to add different genres to the novels I read. There are so many good books around, but I often don’t read them because they do not fall into my “normal reading” material. So I thought I’d change it up a bit this year by joining Challenges that not only challenge me to read a set number of books – but to try new ones as well.

I will be keeping track of my progress on my sub-page, The Gothic Reading Challenge 2015.

I believe I can hit the Level 1 of 1 to 5 books this year. Maybe more, we’ll see.

2015 Fur & Fangs Reading Challenge

Posted February 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Hosted by Phantasmic Reads and Novel Heartbeat – click on the graphic or on the written links to be taken to the signup page.

This year I discovered Challenges (see this page for proof of my addiction) .. and they all sound fun… and I”m going to be reading anyway so why not.

I know, right now, that 40% of my reading in 2015 is going to involve vampires, werewolves and shifters in many forms. It’s what I read. So joining in on the 2015 Fur & Fangs Reading Challenge was a natural choice.

The rules are simple. You can find them on the signup page through the links above.

My list of Fur & Fangs novels that I’ve read will be on a sub-page HERE. (it’s just easier for me to keep track of)

If you love reading about the creatures of the night (and day) be sure to check out this Challenge. I’m certain that you’d have fun, too.

Stacking the Shelves #4

Posted February 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 8 Comments

StackingTheShelves Stacking 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!

It wasn’t a huge haul for this week. In fact this post is a day late because of working on the blog – it’s a major pain to combine two blogs into one. Anyway, here’s my short haul for the week of January 24 – 31.

Viper Game by Christine Feehan GhostWalker Wyatt Fontenot knows the price he paid for the secret military experiments that gave him his special catlike abilities. After all, he left his bayou home a healer and came back a killer. While Wyatt and his GhostWalker brother Gator may have known exactly the sort of game they were getting into, Wyatt never anticipated where it would lead — or to whom.

Viper Game CF The swamps hold many mysteries, but few are as sinuously seductive as Le Poivre de Cayenne. The woman the locals call Pepper is every bit as enigmatic as the three little girls she’s desperately trying to protect. From what, Wyatt is soon to discover. Right now Pepper needs a man like Wyatt. Passionately. But her secrets are about to take them both deeper into the bayou than either imagined — where desire is the deadliest poison of all.

The Warning Sign M Marlowe The Warning Sign by Mia Marlowe

Sara’s been hurt. Badly. Her cheating ex has her doubting everything about herself. But after graduating from Boston College, she’s trying to start fresh with a new job. A new guy in her life seems more complicated than she needs right now.

But Ryan’s too hot to pass up. Too bad he brings new problems to the table. Which is something Sara totally doesn’t need–especially after she figures out an accidental drowning wasn’t so accidental and ends up on a mob hitman’s “to do” list.

And the only cop who’ll believe her is her cheating ex…

And from NetGalley:

Soul Crossed (of Demons and Angels book 1) by Lisa Gail Green Josh lived a reckless, selfish life, so upon his death, escaping the eternal torments of Hell by assuming the role of a powerful, soul-corrupting demon is an easy choice. His first soul assignment doesn’t seem too hard: the mortal Camden is already obsessed with weapons, pain, and torture. If only Josh wasn’t distracted by Cam’s beautiful friend, Grace.

Grace never expected to die violently at age sixteen, but now she’s an Angel, responsible for saving a soul. She can already see past Camden’s earthly flaws, so the job should be be easy. If only that handsome, playboy Josh would stop getting in the way.

It’s forbidden for an Angel to be with a Demon, so if Josh and Grace stop resisting each other, the results would be disastrous.

And only one can claim Cam’s soul.

Kittens Can Kill (A Pru Marlowe Pet Noir) by Clea Simon The dead don’t keep pets. So when animal behaviorist expert Pru Marlowe gets a call about a kitten, she doesn’t expect to find the cuddly creature playing beside the cooling body of prominent Beauville lawyer David Canaday.

Heart attack? His three adult daughters angrily blame drug interactions, feline allergies—and each other. And begin to feud over their father, his considerable estate, and that cute ball of fluff. While the cause of death is pending, each sister has an axe to grind –with arguments that escalate when David’s partner reads out the will.

Pru’s special sensory talents and sensitivity to animals that caused her to flee the cacophony of Manhattan for the quiet Berkshires add further problems. The local vet is overwhelmed with money running out. There’s that needy Sheltie and some invasive squirrels? But the dead man’s kitten, his former partner, and his troublesome family keep drawing “wild-girl” animal psychic Pru back in.

Despite the wry observations of her trusty tabby Wallis, now the wrongfully accused kitten’s guardian, and the grudging compliance of her cop lover, this may be one time when Pru can’t solve the mystery or save the kitten she wants to believe is innocent. A single witness knows the truth about that bright spring morning. How far can Pru investigate without risking her own hidden tale?

I have to admit that when I saw the cover for Kittens Can Kill I immediately pictured my ragdoll Leia on that cover – it looks so much like her. Only Leia is a hefty 25 pounds of muscle and fluff. But she was a cute little kitten like that one, once.

So that’s my haul for the week. What did you add to your growing piles. 🙂

Review: In Serena’s Web by Kay Hooper

Posted January 31, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

In Serena's Web KH This is one of Kay Hooper’s earlier Loveswept novels.

Title: In Serena’s Web
Series: Hagen Series #1
Author: Kay Hooper
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: 1987 Original Loveswept #189 (reissue March, 2010)
Source: own

At twenty-six, Serena Jameson is a handful—brilliant, manipulative, and passionate, at least when it comes to righting the wrongs of the world. Her father, a renowned computer magnate, is worried about Serena’s impetuous nature—as well as a far more tangible threat—and entrusts a colleague, handsome Brian Ashford, to ferry her on a trip across the country. But as usual, Serena has ideas of her own.

A novice in affairs of the heart, Serena asks Brian to give her a crash course in seduction so that she can tame the notorious womanizer Joshua Long. But what starts as a simple lesson in love becomes a complex erotic dance, as both men find themselves caught in the snares of Serena’s undeniable wiles. Is Serena trying to attract her declared target or her teacher? Who is really ensnaring whom? And can she finish weaving her web before the mysterious cabal eager to kill Serena’s father manages to succeed—over her dead body?

For the times (1987) this novel was written for, In Serena’s Web was a light-hearted, fast-paced romance for the Loveswept line which featured mostly this formula for their romance novels.

This is the original cover. In Serena's web original Yeah, I know. 🙂

One thing I am grateful to the Loveswept line is the fact that they sent so many new, wanting to be published, struggling writers out into the reading world who went on to write, for the most part, vastly different styles of novels. And far, far more in depth characters and world-building. The writer Kay Hooper who wrote this novel is the same person who now writes the Bishop paranormal crime fighting novels. The two styles of writing and novels could not be further apart.

I put this post up for mostly memory sake. At one time Loveswept and similar publishing houses of the time period, were mostly what I read. At that time, they were good stories. Now. A trip down memory lane to a so-so story that I would not pick up to read today.

Guess I’ve moved on to other novel styles as well.

Oh Serena? Well she was a manipulative, spoiled brat who got two men hot for her and then picked one for a happily ever after. Yeah, pure formula.

Review: Nothing but Velvet by Kat Martin

Posted January 31, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Get ready for another Historical Romance romp.

Title: Nothing but Velvet
Series:
Author: Kat Martin
Genre: Historical Romance
Published: Original July 1997 (reprint: October 28, 2014)
Source: owned

From the glittering ballrooms to the scaffold’s dark shadow,
Lovely Velvet Moran has renounced all thoughts of love. To save her family from ruin, she will wed the hard-faced Duke of Carlyle. But instead of becoming a nobleman’s bride, Velvet finds herself a notorious highwayman’s prize—her resolve to escape his forest lair warring with the wicked heat sparked by his caresses.

the path of temptation keeps unfolding…
Falsely branded a murderer, Jason Sinclair has secretly returned to clear his name and stop the wedding that would deny him his stolen dukedom. In an outlaw masquerade, he’ll kidnap this sensuous minx and detain her as long as is necessary. But can he bridle the surge of passion that has captured his soul…and could imperil them both?

This is the Kat Martin that I love. Historicals with want to root for them to fall and stay in love characters, a deep storyline, of course sexiness and a satisfying conclusion.

Original Cover from 1997

This is a re-issued novel. So buy it for the new cover if you want – but know what you are buying. Nothing but velvet small orig

Read on for my thoughts on Kat Martin’s Nothing but Velvet. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Plaid to the Bone by Mia Marlowe

Posted January 31, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Plaid to the Bone is the prequel novella in the Spirits of the Highlands series.

Title: Plaid to the Bone
Series: Spirits of the Highlands
Author: Mia Marlowe
Genre: Historical Romance
Published: August 2013
Source: owned

A Bride Comes to Bonniebroch

But Cait Grant is hardly dreaming of wedded bliss. As a duty to her father, she must marry Adam Cameron, laird of Bonniebroch. And then, because of a blood oath to her clan, she must murder him…

If only her new husband weren’t so devilishly handsome. If only she didn’t have to play the loving wife for one long, languorous month. If only she didn’t surrender to his softly sensual touch, she would be able to fulfill her oath. If only she didn’t fall in love…

Cait and Adam’s love story was a joy to read.

Marriages are not always welcomed as a love match in the 1500’s. Often they are politically based on territory or simply keeping the enemy close through marriage. Unfortunately for Cait and Adam this is how their marriage started out.

Although it was a marriage of convenience, Adam believed that in time and with mutual respect it could blossom into a deep affection, if not love for he and Cait. To this end he gave his new bride time to get to know him, or as much as he could considering how much he wanted her.

Cait, on the other hand, doesn’t expect much from this marriage at all. Except to become a widow rather quickly. After one month of marriage, Cait has made a promise to kill Adam. If she can now… dammit, why did she have to go and fall in love with him?

Who wins in the end?

It’s a short love story, so there is not a lot of time to develop Cait and Adam as fully as I would have liked. But with it’s magical touches, tormented love and triumph at the end it was a very good read that sets up the following novels in the series. (Plaid Tidings and Once Upon a Plaid)

Why? Because of the curse.

Plaid to the Bone is available at Amazon on the Kindle.

Review: Plaid Tidings by Mia Marlowe

Posted January 31, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Plaid Tidings is the second installment of Mia Marlowe’s Spirit of the Highlands series.

Title: Plaid Tidings

Author: Mia Marlowe

Genre: Historical Romance, Christmas Romance, Paranormal

Published: October 1, 2013

Source: owned personal copy

Christmas in the Highlands…

Not any dashing English lord’s idea of a good time. But now that Lord Alexander Mallory has won a Scottish estate in a hand of cards, he is the unlikely laird of the wild, snowy Bonniebroch. Worse yet, the ancient pile of stones comes with a betrothal. To a fiery red-headed virgin. And a curse. Alex will have his hands full honoring the first, seducing the second and breaking the third … all by Twelfth Night.

What happens when you mix up a

a handsome former spy for the crown
a beautiful, if unknown to the former spy, betrothed
a betrothed who talks to her own personal ghost
his own, newly discovered personal ghost
an evil curse that has a time limit on being lifted
a hot, sexy couple who can’t keep their hands off each other

You get Plaid Tidings, of course. 🙂

This is a delightful, funny and sexy romp of a story. And I’m not going to say a lot about the story, which is odd considering this blog. I just think that to say too much would take away from the enjoyment of reading about Alexander and Lucinda’s romance, and the crazy, fun, and loving things that happen at Bonniebroch.

It helps a bit to have read Plaid to the Bone, which is a novella set much earlier than this current story. You don’t have to in order to enjoy Plaid Tidings, I just think it would give you a bit of background to some of the events in this love story. You will love Brodie. Just saying – you will. 🙂

I have a container full of only Christmas books. I usually pull this out around November to get myself in the mood for the holiday season. This is in that container. Because I enjoyed it enough to re-read it every Yuletide.

Plaid Tidings is available at Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

Review: Once Upon A Plaid by Mia Marlowe

Posted January 31, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

A wife may be courted, too…

Many would count Katherine Douglas fortunate indeed. Laird William Douglas is broad-shouldered, gentle-handed, everything a lass could dream. But after four years of marriage, Katherine still knows little of what goes on in his heart. And she has yet to bear him an heir. The distance between them is too great—and so she flees over the snowy highlands to Glengarry Castle, home of her childhood, to set her husband free.

But William won’t let his wife slip away without a fight. Before long, he’s at her father’s threshold himself, witness to the rumbles of discontent in Glengarry, the bright joy of Yuletide at a family hearth, and the hidden needs of his own beloved…

Once Upon A Plaid is the third installment of The Spirit of the Highlands series by Mia Marlowe. (Plaid to the Bone, Plaid Tidings are the first two)

This historical romance deals with a subject not often covered in romance novels of any genre. Infertility. It is a heartbreaking subject for any couple who want to have children with all their heart. Imagine how emotional the inability of a wife to bear children for her husband was in olden times – when the need for an heir often cause women to lose their husbands if not their heads.

Be prepared for an emotional story.

Read on for my thoughts on Once Upon A Plaid. No true spoilers, promise.

Please Excuse The Mess This Upcoming Weekend

Posted January 30, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

book pile This post is an apology to all those that get updates from Keeper Bookshelf through Bloglovin’

I’m sorry for blowing up your feed.

🙁

I have a weekend planned of major updating posts and adding new reviews from a website I no longer keep active. It’s moving day around here. And things might get ugly. Between putting up new reviews here, on Goodreads – adding reviews from an older website – well, you might get more updates than you’d like from me.

I promise it’s only going to happen this weekend (in about 4 hours when I’ll start) Then it will be finished.

Please don’t unfollow me because I broke your feed. I’m sure the nice folks at Bloglovin’ can fix it. 😉 Thanks, you’re the best.

Feature & Follow #3

Posted January 30, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 32 Comments

FeatureFollowParaAlison 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: A Writer’s Dark Corner

Today’s Question up for discussion is:

Hard print (real thing) or Kindle/Nook, which is your favorite?

I love the feel of a physical book. The weight of it, the smell, and the anticipation of opening it up to the first page. I will always buy some favorite author’s novels in “real” books to keep on my bookcase(s) and know that “old friends” live there to visit at any time. Yet. I love my Kindle for the convenience of having a new book in moments (no dragging myself out on release day to the store through storm, snow and such) is such a pull to use my Kindle more. And the E-reader is so easy to take with me. I can read in line, during lunch, when stuck in traffic. I enjoy the portability of a really huge novel on a lightweight Kindle. So, I can’t give a real answer to this one because I love them both.

Now it time to get following – hope you find awesome new blogs today. 🙂

Because this blog cannot use GFC – I prefer Bloglovin’ please.