Giveaway of Two Patricia Bracewell Books - Shadow Of The Crown & The Price Of Blood

Two Giveaways 

CONTEST HAS ENDED

Paperback edition of:

SHADOW ON THE CROWN 

Winner of Shadow on the Crown is:
 
#4 - Shannon

 CONGRATS!!

and 

New Hardcover:

 THE PRICE OF BLOOD

Winner of The Price of Blood is:

#14 - Mary

CONGRATS!!
 

 

Patricia Bracewell’s debut novel SHADOW ON THE CROWN introduced readers to the story of Emma of Normandy in 11th-century England, a time when daughters were traded like pawns and fear of the supernatural governed the actions of men.  

THE PRICE OF BLOOD continues Emma’s story in the second installment of the trilogy based on The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle—one of the only written records to emerge from the time period.

THE PRICE OF BLOOD the second in the Queen Emma trilogy can be read as a standalone, and will appeal to fans of Philippa Gregory, Hilary Mantel, and George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series.

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USA Entries ONLY

Enter here to win SHADOW ON THE CROWN.

Enter here to win THE PRICE OF BLOOD.

Two different contest, and two different winners.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This should be fun:

Pat will be tweeting out interesting #AngloSaxonFact throughout February. 

You can follow her at @PatBracewell

Patricia Bracewell grew up in California where she taught literature and composition before embarking upon her writing career. 

She has always been fascinated by English history, which led to her studying Anglo-Saxon history at Downing College, Cambridge University. 

She has two grown sons and lives with her husband in Oakland, California.

 

One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis

Leaving her husband and child both physically and emotionally?  What would make Emily, a happily married woman, just leave one day without a trace and make a new life for herself?

Emily renamed herself Cat, moved into a run down house, and made new friends that really were not her style, but she didn't go back even as she second-guessed her decision especially when she thought of Ben and Charlie.

ONE STEP TOO FAR went back and forth between Emily/Cat's childhood and her current life as well as going back and forth between all of the main characters.  None of the characters were likable.  They all had some addiction or problem.

When you reach page 100 or so, hints about what happened to make Cat leave are introduced. The hints are usually flashbacks or simply Cat's thoughts at the time.

Just as the first hundred pages were a bit slow, the rest of the book will have you turning the pages and reading as fast as you can. 

ONE STEP TOO FAR pulls you in and makes you want to find out what was going on with Cat and to find out her secret.  It didn’t pull me in enough, though, to say I enjoyed the read.  It was too much all over the place.

ONE STEP TOO FAR was confusing and unconventional but definitely creative in style.  I was lost at times.  3/5

Give Books NOT Roses Giveaway January 31 - February 14

  Books For Your Valentine!!

One Lucky Valentine will receive TWO books and a chocolate bar!!

Best of Luck!!  

USA Entries Only

Enter HERE

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Dear  Reader:

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! The crisp, cool air feels a little sweeter and stores are filling their shelves with greeting cards and candies. But instead of sharing the usual gifts, the way to someone’s heart can be through a story (and maybe a little bit of chocolate). 

Hachette Book Group is offering a “Give Books, Not Roses” Valentine’s Day giveaway for those of you who want to express your admiration for friends, family, and loved ones.

Love Gently Falling written by Melody Carlson is a romantic novella about the power of Valentine’s Day and how one woman discovers love while at the same time saving her family’s business. Successful hairstylist to the stars Rita Jensen returns to her hometown in Chicago after receiving news that her mother has suffered a stroke. Though Rita must come up with a plan to save her mother’s salon, the oncoming holiday and her undeniable feelings for an old classmate become quite a distraction.

Keys of Heaven is the second book in Adina Senft’s Healing Grace trilogy. Amish widow Sarah Yoder helps her community by creating teas and tinctures from the herbs she grows. She struggles to find love with an Amish man, and she doesn’t know what to do about her attraction to her friend Henry Byler, who has turned away from her beliefs. Sarah’s story will show anyone that romantic love is not the only love that matters.

Valentine’s Day is an internationally celebrated day of romance, dating back to the 5th Century. But today, love touches our lives in so many different ways. Whether you are dedicating the day to your good friends or your life partner, treat them to these wonderful stories of courage, kindness, and love.

Sincerely,  


Christina Boys
Editor of LOVE GENTLY FALLING and KEYS OF HEAVEN 

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Love Gently Falling by Melody Carlson

 

Rita Jansen is living her dream in Hollywood when her father calls with news that her mother is sick. When she gets home to Chicago, Rita finds her mother is facing a long recovery and could lose the family-owned salon. As Rita takes her mother's place at work, she also finds herself renewing a friendship with her classmate Johnny and is surprised by how far he will go to help her.

Keys of Heaven by Adina Senft

Sarah Yoder is learning to help the people in her Amish community as a Dokterfraa, creating teas and tinctures from the herbs she grows. But her latest patient seems to have a problem that can't be resolved. Meanwhile, Sarah's relatives attempt a little matchmaking between her and a new visitor. This is the second book in the Healing Grace series (the first, Herb of Grace, received a 4 stars from RT Book Reviews!).

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You can buy either book at the sites below:

LOVE GENTLY FALLING

Books-A-Million:  http://bit.ly/1xu5YKK

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1xX5cWD

ChristianBook.com: http://bit.ly/1yuAhiW

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1F7LXvY

KEYS OF HEAVEN

Barnes & Noble:http://bit.ly/13yw0BI

Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/1uTtqMg

Amazon:http://amzn.to/1uGiYJ9

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The 11 Types Of People You Meet In Book Club - Courtesy of Bustle.com

When I found this article on Bette Lee Crosby's Site, I just had to share.

What type are you?  Find out here.

I think I qualify as The Quiet Kind.  I read every book but don't have much to say.  I just listen.  :)

Book Image Courtesy of:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/that-old-book-smell-is-a-mix-of-grass-and-vanilla-710038/?no-ist

 

Winter, Winter, Winter

Snow has arrived in Pittsburgh, but nothing compared to what New York and other Northeastern states are going to get.

Stay safe if you are affected.

Here are two shots.  One out of my front door and one out of the back door.  I love seeing the bushes and trees covered.

This may cool off anyone who is having hot temperatures.  :)

Are you getting any snow?


 

Spotlight and Giveaway of LOST AND FOUND IN PRAGUE by Kelly Jones

Praise for Kelly Jones:

“Kelly Jones is a wonderful writer, and definitely one to watch.”

—Nicholas Sparks

On January 6,  2015, Berkley is thrilled to publish LOST AND FOUND IN PRAGUE by Kelly Jones. 

Kelly Jones, the author of The Woman Who Heard Color transports readers to a dreary Good Friday in Prague, where a mysterious death sets off a tangled chain of events that inexorably draws three strangers together—and forever changes their lives…

Just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, aspiring journalist Dana Pierson joined the hordes of young people traveling to Eastern Europe to be a part of history. There, she and her best friend were swept up in the excitement of the revolution. Twenty years later, Dana returns to the city of her youthful rebellion to reconnect with her old confidant, who never left the city. But the visit that was reserved for healing intimacies and giddy reminiscences is marred by a strange death in one of Prague’s most famous churches—and an even more peculiar mystery surrounding it…

In a city where the past is never far from the present, Dana must work with a conflicted Italian priest and a world-weary Czech investigator to unlock dark secrets hidden in Prague’s twisted streets. But the key to solving the puzzle may lie in memories of Dana’s long-ago visit, even as she is forced to face the reality of a more recent loss… 

Please complete this form to enter the giveaway.

USA ONLY.

Best of luck to all entrants. 

January 20 through January 27

Book Stairs - What Book/Books Would You Put On Yours?

I am sure everyone has seen this, but wanted to share it.  I found the photo on Facebook.

This was the accompanying text from Facebook:

A Mighty Girl 

Love this amazing idea for transforming a staircase into an art space showcasing your favorite books!

Which beloved books would you include on your own book staircase?

Be sure to see the books I would choose.  They are at the bottom of the post.

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If you're new to A Mighty Girl and are looking for high-quality, girl-empowering stories to introduce to your children, you can find over 2,000 titles - ranging from fairy tales to biographies to puberty guides - for both children and teens in our book collection. 

By mousing over the "Books" link on our main menu bar, you'll open our book directory and quickly be able to visit the categories that most interest you. You can also sort any section on A Mighty Girl by recommended age using the age filter on the left menu.

To start exploring our girl-empowering book collection, visit A Mighty Girl at http://www.amightygirl.com/books

For more incredible book art or for creative ideas on how to store and display children's books, visit our "Book Art & Display" board on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/amightygirl/book-art-display

The location of the stairs on the left is unknown; the stairs on the right are located in the The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum.

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The two books without links were pre-blogging days and have no review, but let the books speak for themselves if you have read them.

I would add these books to my staircase:

Shadow of the Wind
The Forgotten Garden
The Island House
The Wife, The Maid, and The Mistress 
The Wishing Tide
What The Lady Wants
The Forgotten Seamstress
Delicious
The Lavender Garden
The House of Serenades
The Twelfth Child
The Paris Architect

Not sure what order I would put the books in, but it wouldn't matter because it would be awesome to see the titles EVERY day as I climbed the stairs. 

It is difficult to choose isn't it? 

What would you choose whether you have stairs or no stairs?