February Reads and Review Dates

​Books read and review dates listed below:​ 

AFTER ANNA by Lisa Scottoline - 4/18 - Loved it.

THE OTHER MOTHER by Carol Goodman - 3/29 - Odd but good.

THE ELIZAS by Sara Shepard - 4/26 - Twisty and good.

THE NEW NEIGHBORS by Simon Lelic - 4/10 - Strange but good.

WHEN NEVER COMES by Barbara Davis - 5/1 - Lovely.

THEN SHE WAS GONE by Lisa Jewell - 4/19 - Good.

THE HUSBAND HOUR​ by Jamie Brenner​ - 4/24 - An OK read. 

How was your reading month?

Giveaway Celebration of Enigma by Catherine Coulter

Photo Source

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All information in this post is courtesy of Jean Anne Rose - Depty Directory of Publicity - Simon & Schuster Books.

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To celebrate the upcoming trade paperback release of #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Catherine Coulter’s ENIGMA Gallery Books is offering two copies to two USA entries.

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In a starred review of ENIGMA, Publishers Weekly said, “Bestseller Coulter is at the top of her game in her FBI thriller…Twists and turns galore in both investigations ensure there’s never a dull moment.”

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Now Available in Trade Paperback!

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

CATHERINE COULTER

“Bestseller Coulter is at the top of her game in her FBI thriller…

Twists and turns galore in both investigations ensure there’s never a dull moment.”

--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

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About The Book:

ENIGMA, the highly anticipated twenty-first FBI Thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter, is now available in trade paperback (Gallery Books; February 27, 2018; $16).

Agents Savich and Sherlock are presented with two baffling mysteries. Working with Agent Cam Wittier (Insidious) and New York-based former Special Forces agent Jack Cabot, they must race against the clock to catch an international criminal and solve the enigma of the man called John Doe.

A Distraught Mother…

Kara Moody’s perfect pregnancy turns into a nightmare when her newborn son is nowhere to be found in her Georgetown hospital. FBI agents Savich and Sherlock think they’re investigating an abduction, but soon discover their case is tangled in a web of medical mystery that could make immortality possible.

An Irish Killer…

Liam Hennessy, notorious thief and one of the FBI’s most wanted, has escaped into the deep woods of the Appalachians—and when he wants to be hidden, few can find the Manta Ray.

Special agents Jack Cabot and Cam Wittier are sent to find him, but they find something else entirely.

An FBI team running out of time…

As each agent tirelessly pursues their prey, the clock is ticking. The odds grow ever slimmer that Kara Moody will ever see her baby again. Savich and his team will have to go way beyond the ordinary if they are to solve the cases of a lifetime.

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About The Author:

Catherine Coulter is the author of the New York Times bestselling FBI Thrillers and coauthor with J.T. Ellison of the New York Times bestselling thriller series A Brit in the FBI.  She lives in beautiful Sausalito, California.

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Giveaway:

The contest has ended.

CONGRATS TO Caroline and Becky.

Thank for stopping and entering everyone.

I am partnering with Simon & Schuster for this giveaway of TWO copies of the book.

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Do you re-read books?

Do you re-read books?

I have never re-read a book.

Too many books out there to read for the first time.  😍😍😍

NetGalley

I joined NetGalley in 2015 but really didn't use it that much until late in 2016.

I have read 37 books as of today.  I prefer print, but sometimes it is nice to not have to carry around a book.

How long have you been on NetGalley, and how many books have you read?

It will be fun to see numbers because I KNOW I am a newbie.  😍

Sunburn by Laura Lippman

Two men, more added on, one woman, many lies and a lot of deceit.

SUNBURN has your brain burning to find out what is really going on.

Polly has just left her husband, Gregg, and her daughter, Jani, while they were at the beach.  She had it planned, but we don't know why.

Gregg was ready to leave the marriage, but Polly took off first.

Adam is also mysterious because we don't know what he is up to since he showed up at the same time Polly did and decided to hang around and work at the same place Polly found a job.

The suspense continues non-stop as secrets come out and Polly keeps manipulating and planning.  She has a secret she won’t tell and things she needs to take care of.  

Surprises continue to pop up, and the intrigue intensifies as Polly continues to secretly and mysteriously do what she does best.

Wow...Ms. Lippman has outdone herself with this book.

Absolutely loved it...the entire storyline and ending were great!!

Ms. Lippman has written another psychological page turner which is going to be a favorite.  

SUNBURN is truly a masterpiece of suspense!! One of her best. 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher, Bookperk, PageTurners, and Edelweiss in return for an honest review.

Giveaway of PURPLE TURTLE GRADED READERS

THE PURPLE TURTLE GRADED READERS 

LEVEL 1 BOXED SET & GIVEAWAY (Open thru Feb 21, 2018)

GO TO THE LINK BELOW AND FILL OUT THE FORM.

THIS IS A FRIEND'S GIVEAWAY AND POST.

GOOD LUCK!!

http://bit.ly/2GfkNsK

The first thing you will notice when you open the shipping box is the bright colorful box set cover. That alone should make you smile. Then you open the set box and there are three stacks of four books – 12 books in total.

The books are sized perfectly for little hands – 4 inches x 6 inches. These books are perfect for beginning readers.

But the educational aspects go wider than that. They teach colors, counting, action words, shapes, the five senses, and more.

Each little book has colorful crisp illustrations that immediately made me smile.

There are 22 pages in each book – a fun, educational story followed by a few pages of educational activities.

The books in Level 1 are: • Purple’s New Shoes • The Lost Bag • The Animal Parade • A Family Visit • The Runway Wagon • Purple Makes Soup • Music for Melody • Counting Insects • Biggy’s Bad Manners • A Day with Purple • What is That Smell? • A Surprise for Roxy

Have YOU.....

Have you read any of these books?

I took one of my shelves and split it into three different shelves since the photo was too wide.

I LOVED all of these books.

Looking forward to seeing what you have have read.

Giveaway and Review of Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

The Perez girls were the talk of the town for many reasons.

The day they had to leave Cuba was not pleasant but a necessary event.

We meet the girls when their family was prosperous and in power, and then we move to when the granddaughter of Elisa Perez, Marisol, comes back to Havana as a grown woman and a journalist to find a place to spread her grandmother’s ashes in her beloved Cuba.

What her granddaughter finds is a box that her grandmother had buried and was told to keep for Marisol.  What Marisol finds inside the box is upsetting and reveals something no one ever knew or perhaps something Elisa never told anyone.

Marisol is determined to find out more, but is warned about the danger of looking into someone's past.

Ms. Chantell has a mesmerizing effect on you as you read about the adventures and lives of the Perez girls and of living in Cuba then and now.

Her descriptions of the scenery, the kitchens, the food, and simply everything is detailed, beautiful, and exquisite.

Let’s not forget that absolutely gorgeous cover, and remember that no book can be complete without a little bit of love and romance.

The book was a lesson in the history of Cuba and its people. If you have an interest in the history of Cuba, NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA will be a book you won't want to miss. 

The secret that Marisol finds out about her grandmother is sweet but heartbreaking.  

ENJOY if you read NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA.  4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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GIVEAWAY:

Contest has ended, and our winner is Tera from Michigan.

CONGRATS!!

Thanks to everyone who stopped and to everyone who entered the giveaway.

USA ONLY

FEBRUARY 14 - 21

ENTER HERE

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❤️ Valentine's Day!! ❤️

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Here's to love, laughter, and many good books to read.  

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Where The Wild Cherries Grow by Laura Madeleine

A lost woman, an estate in shambles, a diary, and the South of France.   Who doesn't love all of these things...especially a diary.

Bill Perch was left to the task of finding Emeline Vane by searching the run down family estate for clues about what happened to her. When he arrived, he found trees growing out of the roof and a total mess.  Where is Emeline after all of these years, and why has Hallerton House been left in such a state?

When Bill entered the house, he did find a room of boxes and papers and began his search there. When he dug into a floor board and found a diary with Emeline's name on it, he knew his search was most likely over, and that he hit the jackpot. Bill was happy but also sad because he truly and unfortunately had become attached to Hallerton House and Emeline.

I was very curious to see what Bill would find in those musty papers and diary, and if he could find out where Emeline went.  For me, looking through old papers would be such fun.

I always enjoy books that move back and forth in time and have treasures to search through as the pieces of an earlier age are put together to get to the truth or mystery.

WHERE THE WILD CHERRIES GROW was an incredible read for me.  I became engaged with the characters and the setting. 

Oh to be there on Bill's journey and to be with Emeline, Clemence, and Aaro to smell the delicious aromas, taste the food, and see the beautiful landscape.  The description of the food will have your mouth watering.

Ms. Madeleine has a smooth, beautiful writing style that pulled me in and kept me intrigued with the story line.

The ending was marvelous.  5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

I just finished this fantastic thriller last night.

There was so much tension, I didn't want to stop reading.

Everything was PERFECT until Anna.

If you get a chance to read this book, you won't want to stop reading either

Photo Editing Apps

I have found some amazing photo-editing apps.

I have been using Pic-Collage, Typorama, and TypiMage the most.  You can type in a word for an idea and photos are generated. You can add your own words to the photo.

You can also use your own images and add frames and other things of your own to any photo.

I really like the different photo arrangements that are available.

What do you use?

Can you recommend some that you use?  

THANKS.

DID YOU KNOW?

I found this post and information on the LITSY app.

The day's prompt was #nakedhardcovers.

This was quite interesting, and I wanted to share.

I didn't know this fact, did you?

What YOU Should Do BEFORE Posting on Your Blog!!

I found this on my FACEBOOK page, and wanted to share.

These are NOT my ideas.  They are Melyssa Griffin's.

The SEVENTEEN ideas can be found here.

THANKS, Melyssa.

I do a few of these, what about you?

Review and Giveaway of As Bright As Heaven by Susan Meissner

From a small town in Pennsylvania as a family rolling tobacco leaves for a living to Philadelphia as a family living and working in a funeral home.

The Brights made a big change from their quiet life in Quakertown to the noisy, big city of Philadelphia.  Both the city and the job Thomas Bright had were quite different from what they were used to.

The girls had to leave their friends and make new ones, but most folks weren't interested in being friends with a funeral director's daughter.  Pauline Bright was always solemn and quiet since the death of her infant son, but she seemed a bit better but different in Philadelphia.

Along with the change in their lives comes Thomas going off to war and then the Spanish flu arriving full force and killing thousands.

AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN has the reader following and becoming immersed in the lives of the Bright family.  They were a sweet, unassuming family that you will want to be a part of and to get to know better.

The reader will also learn about The Spanish Flu and its devastation of the population around the world.  If you are like me, you will do research of your own about the Spanish Flu.

Ms. Meissner has written another touching book that teaches us some history as well as teaches us about the goodness of mankind and its generosity in times of a crisis.

Another marvelous, heartfelt read by Ms. Meissner you won't want to miss. You will fall in love with the characters and won't want the book to end.

AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN has a beautiful story line, beautiful research, and beautiful characters.

You will also need a few tissues.  5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher, NetGalley, and BookishFirst.  I received an ARC.  All opinions are my own.

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Giveaway:

I am partnering with Penguin Random House for This Giveaway.

Giveaway has ended...thanks to all who entered.

CONGRATS TO OUR WINNER - Linda from Oklahoma!!

USA ONLY

FEBRUARY 1 - 8