Elements by Aprilisa
It’s Monday! What are you reading?
Welcome to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! Hosted by Book Journey
Last Week:
This Week:
Finn Rising by Paul W. Newman
Fin Rising is a romantic mystery and black comedy set in Ireland. Fin McGrath loves and fishes in equal measure, and when the twists of the present cause the questions of the past to arise suddenly, he begins to wonder where the truth lies. Will the dark twists of the past be finally revealed? Will Fin have everything or nothing? Will love be reborn or lost again, this time, forever?
Dark Fever by Karen Marie Moning
“My name is MacKayla, Mac for short. I’m a sidhe-seer, one who sees the Fae, a fact I accepted only recently and very reluctantly.
My philosophy is pretty simple – any day nobody’s trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven’t had many good days lately. Not since the walls between Man and Fae came down. But then, there’s not a sidhe-seer alive who’s had a good day since then.”
When MacKayla’s sister was murdered, she left a single clue to her death, a cryptic message on Mac’s cel phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed – a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae.
As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysteriou Jericho…while at the same time, the ruthless V’lane – an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women – closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: to find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book – because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control both worlds in their hands.
Project Darcy by Jane Odiwe
Floats the Dark Shadow by Yves Fay
Audiobook:
Cold Days by Jim Butcher
HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!
After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.
He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.
Guess which Mab wants first?
Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.
Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…
His soul
What are you reading this week?
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Review: The Cats of Savone
The Cats of Savone
Written by David-Michael Harding
Published in November 2013 by Q&CY Books
260 pages
Short Stories
Received from the author in exchange for an honest review
The Cats of Savone is a compilation of eight extremely moving short stories. Each one is unique with its own message of strength and compassion; and one has hint of the supernatural. I enjoyed each story and couldn’t wait to start the next one.
Cats of Savone tells the story of how a cat can bring hope and humanity to a group of inmates who are lost in the brutality of prison life. It is so very true how an animal, whether it is a cat or a dog, can soften a person’s heart. Gretchen, the prison’s cat, becomes an integral part of prison life. The loyalty and love she receives from her inmates is quite touching.
Black Men in Bright Blue takes place during the Civil War where aiding runaway slaves can bring grave consequences. Rachel Justice, a ten-year little girl, who happens to be the daughter of a plantation and slave owner, is confronted with the inhumaneness of slavery. She digs deep and finds a very brave heart within her little body. She figures out, with the help of her mother, what is right and what is wrong. This story is a very powerful depiction of life on a plantation and one little girl’s coming to terms with it.
Forever Beneath the Celtic Sea is a sad story about decisions; one captain’s bad decision that started a war with the United States. This is a good depiction that just following orders has serious ramifications and can haunt you forever.
The History of West Texas According to Henry Brass is one of my favorite stories. I really enjoyed reading about his life and adventures in West Texas. Henry is a true Texian and proud of it. I, also, appreciated Henry’s need to pass on his life lessons to a younger generation. Whit truly valued Henry’s life and benefited from his brief friendship with Henry. Even though theirs was a very short friendship, it still had lasting effects.
St. Alden’s is my other favorite story of this collection. I love the supernatural and this story had a touch of it. It is full of good versus evil; light versus darkness. It is also about acceptance and forgiveness; and one young couple taking up a magical mantle that is very hard to believe and accept. This story is full of mysticism with a great all-out fight between the powers of good and evil. It will keep you riveted.
The Junket is a nice little story about a mentally challenged man looking for “painted ladies” in Vegas. At its heart, it’s a tale of loneliness and acceptance with two very unlikely people finding each other. Their desperation to overcome isolation and rejection, they find a connection that you grow to companionship.
My Boo Radley is an interesting little baseball which reminded me a little bit of The Sandlot. I love sports stories that promote the love for the game. However, this story is quite sad that is full of regret. The E-man is viewed as a monster due to a tragic accident. But he loves baseball and he teaches a young baseball player how to throw a screw ball. The young man feels tremendous guilt over not doing more for the E-Man when he gave him so much. Life is full of rejection and regret which is the core of this story.
The Jazz Bridge wasn’t my favorite story and that’s why I’m talking about it last. I really don’t have a lot to say about it. It didn’t really touch me that way the other stories did.
Overall, The Cats of Savone is a wonderful book of stories. Each one is so different and you want to read more from each one.
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HFVBT Book Blast & Giveaway: The Chalice
The new novel The Chalice, by Nancy Bilyeau, sends readers on a page-turning historical quest. Set in Henry VIII’s England, the story is driven by plot twists, deceptions, spiritual searching and romantic tension. Readers fall in love with protagonist Joanna Stafford, a Catholic novice forced to leave her priory and find her answers. “She is strong and determined and very likable,” says one blogger. “Exhilarating,” says Good Housekeeping, and “The novel is riveting and provides fascinating insight into into the lives of displaced nuns and priests, with fully realized characters,” says RT Book Reviews. Launching in paperback on March 18 and available in ebook too.
The Chalice
by Nancy Bilyeau
Publication Date: March 18, 2014
Touchstone Publishing
Paperback; 496p
ISBN-10: 1476708665
Series: Joanna Stafford, Book Two
Genre: Historical Mystery
Between the crown and the cross stands one woman…
IN 1538, ENGLAND is in the midst of bloody power struggles that threaten to tear the country apart. Aristocrat-turned-novice Joanna Stafford knows what lies inside the king’s torture rooms and risks imprisonment when she is caught up in an international plot targeting the king. As the power plays turn vicious, Joanna understands she may have to assume her role in a prophecy foretold by three different seers.
Joanna realizes the life of Henry VIII, as well as the future of Christendom, are in her hands—hands that must someday hold the chalice that lies at the center of these deadly prophecies…
Praise for The Chalice
“A brilliant and gripping page-turner…A fascinating blend of politics, religion, mysticism and personal turmoil. Well-researched and filled with sumptuous detail, it follows Joanna’s early life from Bilyeau’s début novel, The Crown, but this book easily stands on its own. Bilyeau fills in the blanks from her earlier work while leaving the reader both wanting to read the first book and eagerly awaiting the next. This is a must-read for lovers of historical fiction.” – Free Lance-Star
“English history buffs and mystery fans alike will revel in Nancy Bilyeau’s richly detailed sequel to The Crown.” – Parade
“The novel is riveting, and provides fascinating insight into the lives of displaced nuns and priests during the tumultuous Tudor period. Bilyeau creates fully realized characters, with complex actions and emotions, driving the machinations of these historic personages.” – RT Book Reviews, (Top Pick)
“The human and political battles of Henry VIII’s reformation are brought to exhilarating life in The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau.” – Good Housekeeping UK, April 2014
“Bilyeau sends her plucky former novice back into the intrigue-laden court of Henry VIII.” – Entertainment Weekly
“Bilyeau continues from her first novel the subtle, complex development of Joanna’s character and combines that with a fast-paced, unexpected plot to hold the reader’s interest on every page . . . history and supernatural mysticism combine in this compelling thriller.” – Historical Novel Society
“Joanna Stafford is a young novice caught up in power struggles familiar to readers of Hilary Mantel and C.J. Sansom, but with elements of magic that echo the historical thrillers of Kate Mosse.” – S.J. Parris, author of ‘Heresy,’ ‘Prophecy’ and ‘Sacrilege’
“[A] layered book of historical suspense.” – Kirkus Reviews
“The Chalice is an engrossing mix of the complicated politics of the Reformation with the magical elements of the Dominican order, and Joanna–fiery, passionate, determined to honor what she thinks God wants her to do–is a fascinating character. Fans of historical mysteries, Tudor politics and supernatural fiction will all be pleased by the broad scope, quick-moving plot and historical integrity of Bilyeau’s second novel.” – Shelf Awareness
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About the Author
Nancy Bilyeau has worked on the staffs of InStyle, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Ladies Home Journal. She is currently the executive editor of DuJour magazine. Her screenplays have placed in several prominent industry competitions. Two scripts reached the semi-finalist round of the Nicholl Fellowships of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Her screenplay “Zenobia” placed with the American Zoetrope competition, and “Loving Marys” reached the finalist stage of Scriptapalooza. A native of the Midwest, she earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. THE CROWN, her first novel, was published in 2012; the sequel, THE CHALICE, followed in 2013.
Some earlier milestones: In 1661, Nancy’s ancestor, Pierre Billiou, emigrated from France to what was then New Amsterdam when he and his family sailed on the St. Jean de Baptiste to escape persecution for their Protestant beliefs. Pierre built the first stone house on Staten Island and is considered the borough’s founder. His little white house is on the national register of historic homes and is still standing to this day.
Nancy lives in New York City with her husband and two children.
Author Links
Sign up for Nancy Bilyeau’s Newsletter.
Nancy Bilyeau Gives an Inside Peek Behind THE CHALICE
Book Blast Schedule
Monday, March 17
Tuesday, March 18
Wednesday, March 19
Thursday, March 20
Friday, March 21
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HFVBT: The Collector of Dying Breaths
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Publication Date: April 8, 2014
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Atria Books Hardcover; 384p
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ISBN-10: 1451621531
From one of America’s most imaginative storytellers comes a passionate tale of love and treachery, spanning the days of Catherine de Medici’s court to the twenty-first century and starring a woman drawn back, time and again, to the past.
In 1533, an Italian orphan with an uncanny knack for creating fragrance is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici’s perfumer. To repay his debt, over the years René le Florentine is occasionally called upon to put his vast knowledge to a darker purpose: the creation of deadly poisons used to dispatch the Queen’s rivals.
But it’s René’s other passion—a desire to reanimate a human breath, to bring back the lives of the two people whose deaths have devastated him—that incites a dangerous treasure hunt five centuries later. That’s when Jac L’Etoile—suffering from a heartache of her own—becomes obsessed with the possibility of unlocking Rene’s secret to immortality.
Soon Jac’s search reconnects her with Griffin North, a man she’s loved her entire life. Together they confront an eccentric heiress whose art collection rivals many museums and who is determined to keep her treasures close at hand, not just in this life but in her next.
Set in the forest of Fontainebleau, crisscrossing the lines between the past and the present, M.J. Rose has written a mesmerizing tale of passion and obsession. This is a gothic tale perfect for fans of Anne Rice, Deborah Harkness, and Diana Galbadon.
The Collector of Dying Breaths is a wonderful book of intrigue, sensuality and deadly passion. This totally mesmerized me and I couldn’t put it down. I was caught in its fire and I couldn’t put it down.
In the beginning, Jac is in denial and pain. She isn’t able to accept her abilities or her life. However, by trying to fulfill her brother’s experiments she is able to finally accept who she is and not live her life in fear. She has found her passion again and it is a deep and sensual passion. Her connection with Griffin is incredibly passionate and romantic. It is timeless.
Rene is an excellent and moving character. I love the scents he seemed to create. Ms. Rose’s description of each fragrance seemed to real and vivid. Each fragrance brought so much passion!
Now, Melinoe is a great villainous character. She is obsessive and broken. Her live revolves around her collections and her obsession to remain with them. She cares not for people; only her prized possessions. Her brother, Serge, knows of her character and still remains by her side. Their life is so tragic; beginning, middle and end.
The Collector of Dying Deaths is a must read for any true romantic. It is full of love, hate, obsession and finally fulfillment. It is to die for. I will end with my favorite line of the book:
The secret, which is not so secret after all, is that people who we love live in our hearts, in the beat of our blood.
Praise for The Collector of Dying Breaths
“History, mystery, ambition, lust, love, death and the timeless quest for immortality…a riveting tale of suspense.” – B.A.Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of The Art Forger
“Mysterious, magical, and mythical…what a joy to read!” – Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author
Buy the Book
Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes & Noble
About the Author
M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of fourteen novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors – Authorbuzz.com. The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose’s novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype. She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.
Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.
For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
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