To Read, or Not To Read

THE SERPENT KING (On sale March 8, 2016 / $17.99 / Ages 14 & up) by singer-songwriter Jeff Zentner In this emotional story, the son of a Pentecostal preacher faces his personal demons as he and his two outcast friends try to make it through their senior year of high school in rural Forrestville, Tennessee, without letting the small-town culture destroy their creative spirits and sense of self. Drawing from his own roots growing up in the south, Zentner’s debut is haunting, heartbreaking, and hopeful, and is  in the vein of beloved novels The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Looking for Alaska, and Eleanor & Park.
Check out the annotated pages by Jeff Zentner 





PRAISE for THE SERPENT KING
One of Paste Magazine’s “10 Most Anticipated YA Books of 2016”
“Zentner’s prose wraps you up like a warm, Southern hug and packs the punches of a sweaty country brawl...The Serpent King is a debut you won’t be able to resist or forget. The Southern Boy in me savored every syllable and the reader in me f…

Yesterday, a friend of mine introduced me to her mother. She told her mother about my blog and my job and explained that her mother was a big reader too. Her mother then proceeded to ask me what I was currently reading. I told her at the moment I wasn't reading anything. Which is a strange thing for me to say or even admit. But it's true. For the past few months my life has been in emotional turmoil and for the past few weeks my life has been turned upside down. And because of it, I find myself unable to enjoy the pleasure of a good book.

Please forgive me if my words seem wooden because I feel wooden. Over a year ago my mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. She had her kidney removed and her prognosis was good. The doctor believed he had removed all the cancer. Six months ago, she found out that the cancer was back, so she started chemo. At first the chemo didn't seem to affect her much. She was still able to do all the things she normally did--but it didn't last.

…

The Vatican Princess: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia by C.W. Gortner Publication Date: February 9, 2016 Ballantine Books Hardcover, Ebook, Audiobook 400 Pages Genre: Historical Fiction
Infamy is no accident. It is a poison in our blood. It is the price of beinga Borgia.Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias fascinated and terrorized 15th-century Renaissance Italy. Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty s ambitions. Slandered as a heartless seductress who luredmen to their doom, was she in fact the villainess of legend, or was she trapped in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and survival?With the ascension of the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, the new pope s illegitimate children his rival sons, Cesare and Juan, and beautiful  young daughter Lucrezia assume an exalted position in the papal court. Privileged and adored, Lucrezia yearns to escape her childhood and play a part in her family s fortunes. But Rome is seduct…

Q&A with Maia Chance - Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna
1)Describe Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna in 140 characters or less.
Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna is a fun, adventurous, and romantic historical mystery set in a secret-riddled French chateau in 1867.
         2.)What is your idea of perfect happiness?
           Happiness for me is spending time outside somewhere beautiful, with my husband, kids, and dog.
3.)What’s your favorite part of Ophelia’s quirky personality?
I like the way Ophelia compensates in creative and gutsy ways for her lack of a good formal education.  She’s smart and resourceful and she uses her unusual skill set—farm girl, circus performer, actress—to help solve the mystery.
4.)Which living person do you most admire?
My husband, actually.  He is an unusually gifted person who overcame significant disadvantages and obstacles to get where he is today.  And he gives the best pep-talks!
5.)What inspired you to marry fairytales and mystery?
I was searching for someth…

DARKNESS HAS FALLEN, AND SHE ALONE WILL SEE THE LIGHT.
With her mother’s life hanging in the balance, Scarlett is devastated – and done with being in the dark. She wants answers, all of them.

But when was her pursuit of the truth ever straightforward?

Pulling a single thread impels a great unravelling. And each revelation will force Scarlett to rethink what she thought she knew about the Ceruleans, the Fallen, her family – herself.

All that came before was a mere prelude to this, the last journey. From London to Twycombe to Hollythwaite to Cerulea, Scarlett will be stalked by the ghosts of what has been, what may have been and what may come to pass. Until she reaches the place where it all began, and it all must end.

But in the final reckoning, none will survive unscathed. And some will not survive at all.

In this explosive conclusion to The Ceruleans series, all must be defined by their actions: sinner, saint… or something more beautiful entirely? 

Excerpt
I kissed Luke then. I kissed…

"WE HAVE YOUR SISTER."

Liz Cantrell is terrified when she receives a call from a man holding her newlywed sister captive - and she's convinced her sketchy brother-in-law's involved. Willing to pay any price for her sister's freedom, Liz flies to Niagara Falls with the ransom: an uncut diamond necklace worth millions. But the moment she lands, a handsome, world-weary Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent takes her into custody. Blake Fallon's determined to catch a ruthless diamond smuggler - and the pretty antiques dealer trying to save her sister could be just the break his case needs. But as they team up to rescue Liz's sister and trap the criminal mastermind, a desperate stand-off will threaten everything they hold precious - including their lives.

Northern Border Patrol: Keeping the US-Canada border safe.



Liz Cantrell to be played by Jade Bryce. I love the color of her hair here and the determined look in her eyes.



Blake Fallon to be played by Milo …

The Vatican Princess: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia by C.W. Gortner Publication Date: February 9, 2016 Ballantine Books Hardcover, Ebook, Audiobook 400 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction



Infamy is no accident. It is a poison in our blood. It is the price of being a Borgia.

Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias fascinated and terrorized 15th-century Renaissance Italy. Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty’s ambitions. Slandered as a heartless seductress who lured men to their doom, was she in fact the villainess of legend, or was she trapped in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and survival?

With the ascension of the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, the new pope’s illegitimate children—his rival sons, Cesare and Juan, and beautiful young daughter Lucrezia—assume an exalted position in the papal court. Privileged and adored, Lucrezia yearns to escape her childhood and play a part in her family’s fortunes. But Rome is seducti…

Title: Dreaming Death (Palace of Dreams #1)
Author: J. Kathleen Cheney
Publisher: ROC
Published: February 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-451-47293-9
Paperback, 400 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Publisher






Summary: Shironne Anjir's status as a sensitive is both a gift and a curse. Her augmented senses allow her to discover and feel things others can’t, but her talents come with a price: a constant assault of emotions and sensations has left her blind. Determined to use her abilities as best she can, Shironne works tirelessly as an investigator for the Larossan army.

A member of the royal family's guard, Mikael Lee also possesses an overwhelming power—he dreams of the deaths of others, sometimes in vivid, shocking detail, and sometimes in cryptic fragments and half-remembered images.

But then a killer brings a reign of terror to the city, snuffing out his victims with an arcane and deadly blood magic. Only Shironne can sense and interpret Mikael’s dim, dark dreams of the murders. And what the…

Writing Space Tour
Thanks for having me on the blog today! When I got the request to show my work space I have to admit to a shudder…showing my workspace means cleaning it up!!  But since it was one of my new year’s resolutions, I can now say I completed that task by February!
So here we have it….
First, of course, is my desk. A staple for every writer and an essential tool to getting the work done. (Of course, you could also interchange this photo for one of my kitchen table or a Starbucks table and you’ve got a fair picture of me pending the day of the week!) Second is my computer. Even more essential than the desk, my little workhorse is one of my prized possessions. I rarely go anywhere without it and I love knowing I can get back into my story at any time.
Finally, I’d be lost without my reward at the end of the day. There’s nothing like a glass of wine – if
it’s with family or friends it’s even better – as a chance to unwind and relax.
I hope you enjoyed the quick tour. And tha…

Daughter of Destiny (Guinevere's Tale, Book One) By Nicole Evelina Publication Date: January 1, 2016 Lawson Gartner Publishing eBook & Paperback; 326 Pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy



What Camelot Means to MeI was a guest on a podcast not long ago and one of the interviewers asked me why I think interest in Camelot endures. While Camelot itself doesn’t become a location in my Guinevere’s Tale series until the second book, I’d love to explore my thoughts in-depth here as background to why I wanted to retell a story that’s been told hundreds of times already.
Camelot is so ingrained in our culture that when you say the word, powerful images immediately come to mind. For some, it’s the Kennedy family and their tragic saga, images of a perfect family with a “cursed” bloodline. For others, like me, it’s castles and crowns, knights in shining armor and forbidden love. You see, I was raised on stories of King Arthur and his court and cut my teeth on the musical Camelot. I may not have …