To Read, or Not To Read

Death Sits Down to Dinner (Lady Montfort Mystery #2) by Tessa Arlen Publication Date: March 29, 2016 Minotaur Books Hardcover & Ebook; 320 Pages Genre: Historical Mystery Filled with deceptions both real and imagined, Death Sits Down to Dinner is a delightful Edwardian mystery set in London. Lady Montfort is thrilled to receive an invitation to a dinner party hosted by her close friend Hermione Kingsley, the patroness of England’s largest charity. Hermione has pulled together a select gathering to celebrate Winston Churchill’s 39th birthday. Some of the oldest families in the country have gathered to toast the dangerously ambitious and utterly charming First Lord of the Admiralty. But when the dinner ends, one of the gentlemen remains seated at the table, head down among the walnut shells littering the cloth and a knife between his ribs. Summoned from Iyntwood, Mrs. Jackson helps her mistress trace the steps of suspects both upstairs and downstairs as Her

About the Book Think you have a lot of pressure on your shoulders? Nick Gautier was born to bring about the end of the world . . . it's not easy being the heir of a demon overlord. But Nick is determined to thwart his destiny and get into a good college. To be more than his genetics and prophecy foretell. No one is ever going to tell this stubborn Cajun who and what he really is. Or how to live his life. Not even the Fates of the Universe. But now that he and his team of ancient gods and demons have claimed the Eye of Ananke and he sees the missteps of the future, he has to battle the demons within that are far deadlier and more treacherous than any he's battled before. All the while his arch nemesis is back and determined to reclaim his place as the harbinger for Armageddon. Even if it means killing Nick and barbecuing everyone he loves to do so. Excerpt  Hanging his head, he pushed his chair back to face her. “ What do you want me to s

  It’s important for fiction writers to be able to visualize their characters. At least that’s what I tell my husband when he side-eyes me while I stare at pics of hot guys on google. A romance writer needs her inspiration, now doesn’t she? When I was writing my debut novel I knew I wanted a dark, brooding hero. Also I knew I wanted him to have a beard. But I can hear you saying “No, Lenora. You can’t do that! It’s the Regency, yo!” Yeah, I know, I know. But dear reader, I GAVE HIM THAT BEARD! At least for a few pages. In the second chapter his valet shaves it off J Anyway, I have a thing for bearded guys. And my latest obsession is Michiel Huisman. I’ve been stalking him following his career since I discovered him on the fabulous show Orphan Black. He’s the inspiration for James, Duke of Harland, the bad boy pirate duke hero of HOW THE DUKE WAS WON. I’ve spent countless hours googling him. For research purposes, of course! And here’s why… Source:   http://tvline.

When It Rained at Hembry Castle (The Hembry Castle Chronicles, Book 1) by Meredith Allard Publication Date: January 28, 2016 Copperfield Press Paperback & eBook; 465 Pages Series: The Hembry Castle Chronicles Genre: Historical Fiction/Literary From Meredith Allard, author of the bestselling Loving Husband Trilogy, comes When It Rained at Hembry Castle, a lush historical novel set in Victorian England. Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey, it's the story of an aristocratic family, a mysterious death, secrets that dare not be told, and the wonder of falling in love. When the 8th Earl of Staton dies, his eldest son, the unreliable Richard, inherits the title and the family’s home—Hembry Castle. The Earl's niece, the American-born Daphne, is intrigued by Edward Ellis, a rising author with a first-hand knowledge of Hembry Castle—from the servants’ hall. And Edward, though captivated by the lovely Daphne, has his own hurdles he must overcome. Can Richard come

When Liora’s brother is kidnapped as thinly-veiled trap, she follows with the intent of springing it on her own terms. But her plans fall away when she finds that the danger has a greater reach than she could have imagined. Waylaid and nearly dead, Liora finds herself fighting for not only her life, but for mortalkind. If she succeeds, she could thwart the paramount threat to the Macrocosm and those she loves; if she fails, mortalkind will fall at her side. Yet the price of survival may be far greater than Liora is willing to pay. “How far will you go to protect your human? How many lives will you take to save the one you love?” Liora spoke the truth she saw in the Cherum’s gaze. “All of them.” Amazon for paperback & ebook   Barnes&Noble for ebook Smashwords for all ebook formats :  Cheree Alsop is an award-winning, best-selling author and the mother of a beautiful, talented daughter and amazing twin sons who fill every day with joy and lau

Title: Why Not Me Author: Mindy  Kaling Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Published: September 15, 2015 MP3, 4 hours, 57 minutes ISBN13: 9780553551778 Genre: Nonfiction, Humor Source; Bought Summary In Why Not Me?, Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it's falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in lonely places, attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behavior modification whatsoever, or most important, believing that you have a place in Hollywood when you're constantly reminded that no one looks like you. Mindy turns the anxieties, the glamour, and the celebrations of her second coming-of-age into a laugh-out-loud funny collection of essays that anyone who's ever been at a turning point in their life or career can relate to. And those who've never been at a turning point can skip to the parts where she talks about meeting Bradley Co

What I'm Reading Death Sits Down to Dinner by Tessa Arlen. I read the first book in the series, Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman , last year. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to read this book as well. The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder .  I'm only about 50 pages in. It's really enjoyable so far. What I Finished Reading When It Rained at Hembry Castle  by Meredith Allard.  My review will be up soon. Julian Fellowes's Belgravia Episode 1: Dancing into Battle (Julian Fellowes's Belgravia Series) Julian Fellows ( Downton Abbey ) has a new series of books coming out. These are short novellas in the style of Dickens. You can read the first one for free. I also bought the audio. It wasn't free, but it was less than a dollar, so I still consider it a steal. What I'm Watching Still watching Gilmore Girls . Still on season two. Still loving it! Netflix released season 2 of Unbreakabl

Title: Wonder Woman At Super Hero High Author Lisa Yee Publisher: Random House Kids Published: March 1, 2016 Hardcover, 240 pages ISBN: 9781101940594 Genre: Children's Fiction Source: Publisher Summary: This groundbreaking new middle grade series follows DC Comics' most iconic female Super Heroes and Super-Villains . . . as high schoolers. At Super Hero High, the galaxy's most powerful teens nurture their powers and master the fundamentals of what it means to be a hero. My Thoughts: Lisa Yee has a pretty extensive literary career, including writing some of the popular America Girl books. I was thrilled to learn about the new DC Superhero Girls book series. Especially since I have a daughter who happens to like superheros. It's great to see some of the female characters brought to the forefront. Personally, I grew up watching reruns of Linda Carter playing Wonder Woman, and I loved it.  In this book Wonder Woman, or as her friends affecti

What I'm Reading I'm reading this for an upcoming book tour. Here's a quick blurb:  When the 8th Earl of Staton dies, his eldest son, the unreliable Richard, inherits the title and the family’s home—Hembry Castle. The Earl's niece, the American-born Daphne, is intrigued by Edward Ellis, a rising author with a first-hand knowledge of Hembry Castle—from the servants’ hall. And Edward, though captivated by the lovely Daphne, has his own hurdles he must overcome. Can Richard come to terms with his title before bringing ruin on his family? Will Edward and Daphne find their way to each other despite the obstacles of life at Hembry Castle? Very Downton Abbeyish!  I grew up watching reruns of Little House on the Prairie, so I'm so excited to read this! What I Finished Reading Lost Among the Living by Simone St. James What I'm Watching I'm on season two of Gilmore Girls. I'm so excited to learn that Melissa McCart

Title: Lost Among The Living Author: Simone St. James Publisher: NAL Published: April 5, 2016 Paperback, 337 pages ISBN: 9780451476197 Genre: Historical Fiction Source: Publisher Summary: England, 1921. Three years after her husband, Alex, disappeared, shot down over Germany, Jo Manders still mourns his loss. Working as a paid companion to Alex's wealthy, condescending aunt, Dottie Forsyth, Jo travels to the family’s estate in the Sussex countryside. But there is much she never knew about her husband’s origins…and the revelation of a mysterious death in the Forsyths’ past is just the beginning… All is not well at Wych Elm House. Dottie's husband is distant, and her son was grievously injured in the war. Footsteps follow Jo down empty halls, and items in her bedroom are eerily rearranged. The locals say the family is cursed, and that a ghost in the woods has never rested. And when Jo discovers her husband’s darkest secrets, she wonders if she ever real

A s part of the 2016 Classics Challenge, this month's twitter discussion is on children's classics. This chat will take place  Saturday 9th April 2016 at  8pm  GMT under the hashtag    #ChatClassics . There's still time to sign up if you haven't already. In the meantime, I thought I'd list some of my favorite books from this genre. The Secret Garden by Frances Hogson Burnett  This book made me wish that I had a secret garden or just a private place to go as a child . . . and also as an adult. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White  My mother gave me this book as an Easter present when I was a child, and I loved it. My sister received Trumpet of the Swan , and when we finished reading our books, we swapped and continued to do so for many years. I also like Stuart Little . The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis I bought my first copy of this book at my school book fair. I fell instantly in love with this story. In fact, every