Monday, September 24, 2018

Join in the fun EVERY TUESDAY


Join in EVERY TUESDAY at 2:30 on Book Studio 16’s Facebook Page.

Mary Ann Petyak, The Book Queen, was talking about the Olive Editions of classics last Tuesday, and I wanted to share the ones I won during The Harper Collins Winter 2017 Blogger Preview Event.

Watch last week’s presentation with Mary Ann for details about the Olive Editions.  

There are GORGEOUS covers on mine and on the ones featured last week.

Go HERE if you missed it.

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Happy Fall



What a lovely place to sit and read.

What book would you be reading here?

I would read a book by Kate Morton or Louise Penny.  😊


Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Review, Spotlight, and Giveaway of THE LOST CAROUSEL OF PROVENCE by

Photo Source
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All information in this post other than my review is courtesy of Danielle Keir of Berkley|Penguin Random House.
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Celebrating Juliet Blackwell's book:

THE LOST CAROUSEL OF PROVENCE

with a REVIEW and GIVEAWAY


An artist lost to history, a family abandoned to its secrets, and the woman whose search for meaning unearths it all in a sweeping and immersive women’s fiction tale.

Told from the varying perspectives of Cady Drake (present day), wood carver Maëlle Tanguy (1900), and château owner Fabrice Clement (1945), Blackwell brings us another captivating tale painted with sophistication and authenticity. 

Perfect for fans of World War II era France, THE LOST CAROUSEL OF PROVENCE is an emotionally evocative story that seamlessly weaves together themes of family, identity, self-discovery, and love.
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Advanced Praise: 

Narrating from several perspectives, Blackwell weaves together a tale of love lost, repressed passion, and finding a sense of belonging that should utterly charm and delight readers new to her and current fans alike.”Booklist 

“Plan your trip to Provence now. In this meticulously researched novel, Juliet Blackwell deftly navigates three time periods, taking us from contemporary California to both The Belle Époque and Nazi-occupied France as she spins a story as charming as an antique carousel.”—Sally Koslow, author of Another Side of Paradise

“An untrusting American orphan meets a dysfunctional French family—and each turns out to possess wisdom that helps the other to heal from old, old wounds. With crystalline imagery, vivid characters and lively prose, Juliet Blackwell redefines what family means, in a way that will touch readers long after they've read the last page.”—Stephen P. Kiernan, author of The Baker’s Secret
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About The Book:
An artist lost to history, a family abandoned to its secrets, and the woman whose search for meaning unearths it all in a sweeping and expressive story from the New York Times bestselling author of Letters from Paris.

Long, lonely years have passed for the crumbling Château Clement, nestled well beyond the rolling lavender fields and popular tourist attractions of Provence. Once a bustling and dignified ancestral estate, now all that remains is the château's gruff, elderly owner and the softly whispered secrets of generations buried and forgotten.
 
But time has a way of exposing history's dark stains, and when American photographer Cady Drake finds herself drawn to the château and its antique carousel, she longs to explore the relic's shadowy origins beyond the small scope of her freelance assignment. As Cady digs deeper into the past, unearthing century-old photographs of the Clement carousel and its creators, she might be the one person who can bring the past to light and reunite a family torn apart.
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About the Author:

Juliet Blackwell is the pseudonym for the New York Times bestselling author of Letters from Paris and The Paris Key. In addition to writing the beloved Witchcraft Mystery series and the Haunted Home Renovation series, she also co-authored the Agatha Award nominated Art Lover's Mystery series with her sister.
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MY REVIEW:
Who wouldn’t want to go to Paris and photograph carousels? 

Cady was excited to head to Paris when she received the assignment especially since her interest in carousels had begun when she was a child and found Gus. 

Gus was a carved carousel rabbit with a secret Cady found hidden inside Gus when he accidentally broke open.  The hidden secret had a story of its own, and turned into a mystery that haunted Cady to solve.

Cady was used to mysteries and secrets since her childhood was spent in the foster system.  She was moved from one foster home to another with no parents to be found.  When she met Maxine and found Gus, though, they seemed to give her some stability and interest in antiques.

THE LOST CAROUSEL OF PARIS follows Cady back and forth from her childhood to present day with the history behind the carousel rabbit marvelously added in as well.


I enjoyed the history of European carousels and learning about a famous carousel maker Monsieur Gustave Bayol and his company in Angers, France.

THE LOST CAROUSEL OF PARIS allows the reader to get a free trip to Paris and to experience the beautiful landscape and people of Southern France both present-day and past.

This book will appeal to those who enjoy France, antiques, warm-hearted characters, the Provencal countryside, chateaus, and European history during WWII.

A charming, heart-warming read.    

The characters were lovely, and the story line was creative, uplifting, and positive. 

France, carousels, lovable characters, and a marvelous story line.  

LOVED the book...ENJOY if you read it...I know you will.  5/5 

This book was given to me free as an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. .  All opinions are my own.
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GIVEAWAY:

I am partnering with Danielle Keir of Berkley|Penguin Random House for this giveaway: 

Contest has ended.  

Our winner is Carla from Alabama.

Congrats, Carla!!

Thanks to all who entered.

USA ONLY

September 18 - 25

ENTER HERE
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Tuesday, September 18, 2018

EVERY TUESDAY at 2:30




Join in the discussion with the amazing Mary Ann Petyak EVERY Tuesday at 2:30 on Facebook's Book Studio 16.

This is from today's presentation - September 18.

All previous presentations can be viewed on the page.

Hope to see you there.

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

BOOKS YOU LOVED


Why not join in the fun or take a look at this post from Carole's Chatter that lists books the participants LOVED!!

Go here to see the list.

Happy Looking and Happy Adding To Your TBR. 😀

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Lies by T. M. Logan


Can lies be deadly?  Can lies ruin your life? Can lies be undone?

I think we know the answer to those questions, and Joe definitely knew the answer to two of these questions.  His life was turned upside down because of lies his wife was telling him and lies that someone else was spreading about him.

Finding out your wife has been cheating on you for the past five months and then having to deal with what someone was doing to your life via social media is what Joe was dealing with.

How could this be happening and how could one person be orchestrating it alone. Someone had to be helping each other to bring Joe down.

LIES doesn't immediately pull you in, but once it does you won't be able to put the book down. The tension mounts with the turn of each page.

And…the ending...WOW!!

This is a must-read end-of-summer treat.


LIES will also have you considering canceling all of your social media accounts.  4/5

This book was given to me as an ARC
by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. .  All opinions are my own.