Wow, yesterday was a great day...

Got notified that my blog was nominated for two BBAW awards: Best General Review Blog and Most Extravagant Giveaways! I am humbled and thrilled to be included with so many wonderful, creative and interesting blogs! Congratulations to all the nominees and a thousand thank yous to those of you who nominated The Tome Traveller's Weblog, you are the best! I love my readers and commenters! Heaps of love to Amy from My Friend Amy, who is the creator and inspiring leader of BBAW, and everyone on the BBAW panels who are devoting their time to this year's awards. Book Blogger Appreciation Week will be September 14-18.

Also yesterday, I finally got high speed Internet installed! May not sound so exciting but to me it was. I'm not sure how I managed to blog all of this time using my poky old dial up connection, but I can tell you that there will be more posts, more reviews, more everything now that I don't have to wait years (well, it FELT like years) for pages to load! I haven't been very good at commenting, either, up til now. Some blogs won't even load on a dial up connection and I would frequently wait ten or fifteen minutes just to make a comment. So, needless to say, I didn't make all that many. I know I'm not the last person in the world to make the switch but sometimes it felt like I was! Now I have zippy zippy zippy service, YAY!

(Edited to add that I was just notified that I was nominated in a third category, Best Blog Name! Thank you all, this is so exciting....)

Here's something new and different!!

I recently received The Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis from the publisher. It is a novel about Catherine de Medici and the publisher has created an exclusive mini e-book to accompany the novel. Such a cool and interesting idea! I'm posting it here - enjoy!

"Catherine de Medici has been considered history’s most ruthless and cunning queen. Even today, it is commonly accepted that Catherine resorted to astrology and black magic to keep her family, and herself, in power at all costs. Here, for the first time, bestselling author Jeanne Kalogridis (author of THE DEVIL'S QUEEN) opens the pages of history to reveal some of Catherine’s favorite black magic spells and dark charms in the 'BOOK OF BLACK MAGIC: The Devil’s Queen Grimoire'..."

Open publication - Free publishing - More spells

Giveaway: Sand Sharks by Margaret Maron

I just love it when a great new mystery comes out, especially when it is one in a wonderful series. Just out is Margaret Maron's Sand Sharks and Miriam at Hachette Book Group has provided me with five copies to give away (thank you, Miriam!)! Here's a bit more about the latest in the author's Deborah Knott series--this synopsis is from the publisher:

When Judge Deborah Knott travels to Wrightsville Beach for a summer conference for North Carolina District Court Judges, she stumbles upon the body of one of her colleagues. Meanwhile, Deborah's husband, Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant, is in Virginia with his son, tying up loose ends left by the death of his first wife. When another judge is found murdered at the conference, it soon becomes evident that Deborah may be the killer's next target. Her relaxing trip to the seaside soon transforms into a harrowing experience, and she must summon all of her strength and investigative expertise to track down the culprit before she becomes the next victim.

To enter, just leave me a comment here. The winner will be drawn at random and must have a US or Canada mailing address, no PO Boxes please. Enter thru midnight eastern on September 4. Below are some ways for you to earn extra entries. Please leave ONE comment for each thing you choose to do. You can combine your comments together if you like but please do not leave multiple comments for the same extra thing (for example, one comment if you fave at Technorati or subscribe via Feedburner, not three). Thank you for visiting and entering!!

+1 become a follower (current followers automatically included)
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Review & Blog Tour: Summer of Two Wishes by Julia London

Macy Lockhart has been through the ringer. Her beloved husband was killed in Afghanistan while on deployment there with the Army. After two years of trying to find a reason to get out of bed in the morning, she met Wyatt Clark, who pulled her out of her deep grief. She fell in love with him and married him, happy to move on with her life.

She has been married for seven months and is busy preparing for a charity function that she is hosting for a Veterans organization when an Army official walks up the drive. He has news, big news. Macy's first husband, Finn Lockhart, is not dead. He has been a captive of the Taliban for the last three years and has just escaped and made his way back to the Coalition troops. He is coming home!

Macy is elated, as anyone would be. But she knows that things will be difficult, how is she to break the news to Finn that she has remarried? She couldn't be happier that Finn is alive, but she is horribly confused about what she should do next. Once Finn is home, Macy moves out of the house she shared with Wyatt and in with her aunt, to give herself time to think. She has two husbands. She has never stopped loving Finn but she loves Wyatt, too, and can't stand to see either man hurt. Whatever she decides, lives will be changed.

Finn's life blood was always his sprawling ranch, Two Wishes. The land has been in his family for generations. It was never a huge money maker, but he loved the life and they were happy there. When Finn was dead, Macy tried to continue to run the ranch, but she just could not manage it herself. She eventually moved to town and when she met Wyatt, a land developer, she agreed to sell it. When Finn comes back, the land is just days from being sold to a company that will be building a resort.

Will Macy choose Wyatt, who can give her every material thing? Finn is starting over from scratch, the ranch is in disrepair and has no stock. He has no money to start it up again and it will be a lot of hard work to get things off the ground. Is she willing to go back to a life of hard work and struggle? Whatever she decides, hearts will be broken and someone will be unhappy.

This improbable but not impossible scenario makes a wonderful plot for this enchanting romance. The Texas setting comes alive with the author's descriptive prose and the characters seem to spring off of the page. I was rooting for poor Finn from the beginning, but there are a lot of surprises in this story and I enjoyed every twist and turn. A great summer read, take it with you to the beach or on vacation, it is a refreshing contemporary romance.

Summer of Two Wishes is published by Pocket Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-4708-2

My thanks to Sarah at Pocket Books for providing this book! Here are the rest of the blog tour participants:

My Book Views
Book Soulmates
A Journey of Books
Just Jennifer Reading
All About {n}
My Guilty Pleasures
Bookin’ with Bingo
Starting Fresh
Booksie’s Blog
Readaholic
Cheryl’s Book Nook
Bella’s Novella
Frugal Plus
Eclectic Book Lover
One Person’s Journey Through A World Of Books
Foreign Circus Library
My Own Little Corner of the World
Alpha Heroes
Pudgy Penguin Perusals
Seductive Musings
Bibliophiles ‘R Us
Park Avenue Princess
Power in the Blog
Books and Needlepoint

Review and Giveaway: The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

In 1464 Elizabeth Woodville is a twenty seven year old widow with two young sons. Her family have been staunch supporters of the Lancastrians and her father and brothers have fought numerous battles in the wars that have raged since the death of Edward III, called the Cousins' War since the rival claimants for the throne are all cousins, descendants of the late King. Elizabeth lost her husband in one of the battles and her lands and income reverted to the ultimate victor, the new York king, Edward IV.

Elizabeth is not a woman to sit by and allow events to happen to her. She knows that she is one of the most beautiful women in the country, so she contrives a meeting with the new King to ask for the return of her lands. He is well known to be swayed by an attractive face, and Elizabeth proves to be no exception. But she has something that others don't, a mind that matches her beauty and intrigues Edward from the moment he meets her. He marries her, despite every single one of his supporters being against the match, despite her family's position against him in the recent wars, despite everything.

Though the time they live in is turbulent and dangerous, they truly love each other and have a fruitful marriage that is blessed with many children. As Queen of England, Elizabeth is in a position of power, she would be less than human if she did not use her position to better the lives of those she loves. Her relatives receive honors and wealth, the family's rise creates ill will and outright enemies. She and her mother are both accused of witchcraft as the tide of opinion swells against them. Though both she and Edward rule in the hope of peace, they are unable to escape the factions that crave power. The Cousins' War is far from over.

This is the Philippa Gregory that we love! It is a fantastic historical novel about that most reviled English Queen, Elizabeth Woodville. I have never read any book, fiction or non, that does not portray her as a scheming bitch. Here, at last, is a balanced look at a woman who rose to the pinnacle of power in her world. Did it take some plotting? Yes, of course it did, no one got anywhere in those days without some scheming. Could she be nasty, petty, ambitious? Yes, to those too. She was envied, she was beautiful, she was fighting for the people she loved: her husband and children. The picture here is of a normal woman, not perfect, not evil. Just doing what she thought she had to do to save her family and ensure their place in the world. There is no question that her reputation was spread by people who hated her. The world will never know the truth, but the great fun of historical fiction is the speculation, and the author does that here, giving us another exceptional story.

This book is the first in a planned trilogy that will revolve around the Cousins' War and relate the events from different points of view. The next book will be The Red Queen and will be the story of Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry Tudor. I can't wait to read it, I'm excited about it already! One person in history that comes off looking worse than Elizabeth Woodville is definitely Margaret Beaufort! Again, always portrayed as a nasty you-know-what. Writing about the same time period from the points of view of rival factions is just an inspired idea! More, please!!

For more information about the author and all of her books, please visit her website.

The White Queen is published by Touchstone. ISBN 978-1-4165-6368-6



I have one copy to give away! To enter, just leave me a comment here. The winner will be drawn at random and must have a US or Canada mailing address. Enter thru midnight eastern on September 1. Below are some ways for you to earn extra entries. Please leave ONE comment for each thing you choose to do. You can combine your comments together if you like but please do not leave multiple comments for the same extra thing (for example, one comment if you fave at Technorati or subscribe via Feedburner, not three). Thank you for visiting and entering!!

+1 become a follower (current followers automatically included)
+1 tweet giveaway on twitter or blog about it
+3 fave this blog at Technorati (click on the little green box on the left sidebar)
+3 subscribe via Feedburner

Review and Giveaway: Bloody Good by Georgia Evans

September, 1940. The plucky citizens of rural England have adapted to wartime life. Everyone uses blackout curtains, rides bicycles to save gasoline and takes in children from the cities or families whose homes have been damaged by bombings. Alice Doyle, the local doctor in the town of Brytewood, in Southeast England, administers what aid she can to the residents of her area. After having been up all night delivering twins, she comes across an injured man in Fletcher's Woods. She doesn't hesitate to bring him home with her, so she can care for him at her clinic.

Too bad the man she helps isn't a man at all, but one of four vampires employed by the Nazis and dropped into the English countryside to attack from the inside. When the ambulance that she has called finally arrives, the man has inexplicably disappeared. Alice's sweet Grandmother, who she lives with, invites the ambulance drivers in for a cup of tea. One of them is a nice young man named Peter Watson. Or he seems nice enough, but when Alice finds out that he is a Conscientious Objector she loses all respect for him. A healthy young man like him should be out there fighting, like her brothers are.

The disappearing man was the first odd occurrence, but there are soon more. Alice and her nurse, Gloria, have their hands full and desperately need some assistance. Their prayers are answered when a first aid assistant is assigned to them. It turns out to be none other than Peter Watson. Alice will have to find a way to work with the man, despite her personal feelings.

The vampires have their plans, and soon they are putting them in action. Fortunately for the citizens of Brytewood, there is some truth to the old folklore tales that everyone has been raised on. Magic still exists in England, though it has long since been dressed in a veil of normalcy. Take Alice's Gran, for instance. She is Pixie, a centuries old magical race and Alice is, too, though her rational mind refuses to believe it. And the old Sergeant in the village is a dragon. He rarely uses his dragon shape now, but he is still in command of his powers and is ready and willing to use them in defence of his beloved country.

If the Nazis think they have a monopoly on the supernatural, they are sadly mistaken. The vampires they have recruited are far from the only creatures in this war and they will find that their task is much harder than they had anticipated. The humans have far more help than they ever realized, but they will need every bit of it to defeat the greatest evil that the world has ever known.

This book is a wonderful combination of historical fiction, romance, fantasy and paranormal. I was immediately interested in the World War II setting and I loved the imaginative use of the folklore of England. I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading the next two books in the series, Bloody Awful and Bloody Right. The only complaint I have is that the book should have been proofread more carefully. I received a finished copy and found quite a few typos and context errors that would have been caught by a good proofreader. Otherwise a very entertaining, delightful book!

Bloody Good is published by Kensington. ISBN 978-0-7582-3481-0

I have an extra paperback copy to give away! To enter, just leave me a comment here. This contest is open WORLDWIDE! The winner will be drawn at random, enter thru midnight eastern on August 31. Below are some ways for you to earn extra entries. Please leave ONE comment for each thing you choose to do. You can combine your comments together if you like but please do not leave multiple comments for the same extra thing (for example, one comment if you fave at Technorati or subscribe via Feedburner, not three). Thank you for visiting and entering!!

+1 become a follower (current followers automatically included)
+1 tweet giveaway on twitter or blog about it
+3 fave this blog at Technorati (click on the little green box on the left sidebar)
+3 subscribe via Feedburner

Review & Giveaway: Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham

Once again, excellent historical novelist Susan Higginbotham brings the fourteenth century to life, this time with the story of Bess de Montacute and Hugh le Despenser. She told the story of Hugh's parents in her previous book, The Traitor's Wife (which I reviewed in April, click the title or here to read my review) and she seamlessly picks up the threads for this part of the tale.

Thirteen year old Bess de Montacute is very unhappy to learn that her parents have chosen a husband for her. Her misery is complete when she learns that her intended husband is none other than Hugh le Despenser, whose father and grandfather were both executed as traitors. On top of that, he is twenty years older than she is. She detests him before they ever even meet.

For his part, Hugh has had a hard time of it. He was a prisoner for years after his father was killed and has done his best to show the King that he is loyal and worthy. His saving grace has been Emma, his childhood friend and lover for many years. She hasn't got the birth or wealth he needs to help him regain his family's lost place and so she refuses to marry him herself. With an aching heart, Hugh and Emma agree to sever their romantic relationship but remain close friends.

Though their marriage is frosty at first, Bess and Hugh gradually warm to each other and their growing relationship has a lovely tenderness to it. The many obstacles they encounter serve to draw them close together until neither can imagine why they had the feelings they both did at first.

This book is quite different from The Traitor's Wife , it is both shorter and less complicated. There are fewer outside characters and the tangles of court life are largely avoided. The stars of this story really are Hugh and Bess and their relationship, so the title is completely appropriate. The reader gets a rich, focused tale of complex emotional weight that is has a totally different feel than her first book did but is just as satisfying. I love Susan Higginbotham's books and am so looking forward to her next one!

Please visit the author's website for more information on her books and her fantastic blog for all kinds of cool historical stuff (it is one of my favorite blogs, always something interesting there!).

Hugh and Bess is published by Sourcebooks. ISBN 978-1-4022-1527-8

This review is part of a blog tour. Here is a list of the rest of the participating blogs:

Musings of a Bibliophile (7/28)
Passages to the Past (8/1)
My Friend Amy (8/1)
Reading Adventures (8/2)
Jennifer's Random Musings (8/2)
Peeking Between the Pages (8/3)
Historical Novels.info (8/3)
Grace's Book Blog (8/4)
The Written World (8/5)
Mrs. Magoo Reads (8/5)
Historical Fiction (8/6)
Jenn's Bookshelf (8/6)
Beatrice (8/8)
Book Addiction (8/9)
Steven Till (8/10)
Medieval Bookworm (8/11)
Carla Nayland (8/11)
The Literate Housewife Review (8/12)
Diary of an Eccentric (8/13)
Bookfoolery and Babble (8/14)

I have an extra paperback ARC copy to give away! To enter, just leave me a comment here. This contest is open WORLDWIDE! The winner will be drawn at random, enter thru midnight eastern on August 22. Below are some ways for you to earn extra entries. Please leave ONE comment for each thing you choose to do. You can combine your comments together if you like but please do not leave multiple comments for the same extra thing (for example, one comment if you fave at Technorati or subscribe via Feedburner, not three).

+1 become a follower (current followers automatically included)

+1 tweet giveaway on twitter or blog about it

+3 fave this blog at Technorati (click on the little green box on the left sidebar)

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Good luck everyone and many thanks to Sourcebooks for sending this to me for review!

Giveaway: Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross

I recently received a copy of Pope Joan from the author and it looks fascinating! August is shaping up to be a great month for Historical Fiction!! Here's a synopsis of the book from the Pope Joan website:

As its title reveals, the novel is based on the life of one of the most fascinating, extraordinary women in Western history--Pope Joan, a controversial figure of historical record who, disguised as a man, rose to rule Christianity in the 9th century as the first and only woman to sit on the throne of St. Peter.

Brilliant and talented, young Joan rebels against the medieval social strictures forbidding women to learn to read and write. When her older brother is killed during a Viking attack, Joan takes up his cloak and identity, goes to the monastery of Fulda, and is initiated into the brotherhood in his place. As Brother John Anglicus, Joan distinguishes herself as a great Christian scholar.

Eventually she is drawn to Rome, where she becomes enmeshed in a dangerous web of love, passion, and politics. Triumphing over appalling odds, she finally attains the highest throne in Christendom.

Pope Joan is a sweeping historical drama set against the turbulent events of the 9th century -- the Saracen sack of St. Peter's, the famous fire in the Borgo that destroyed over three-quarters of the Vatican, the Battle of Fontenoy, arguably the bloodiest and most terrible of medieval conflicts. The novel is a fascinating vivid record of what life was really like during the so-called Dark Ages, as masterwork of suspense and passion that has as its center an unforgettable woman, reminiscent of Jean Auel's Ayla, Jane Austen's Emma, and other heroines who struggle against restrictions their souls will not accept.

There is a movie in the works, which has already completed filming and should be in theaters later this year. It must be incredibly exciting for the author to see her work translated to the screen!

Donna has generously provided me with a copy to give away, which she will sign and personally inscribe with any message the winner would like! To enter, just leave me a comment here. This contest is open WORLDWIDE! The winner will be drawn at random, enter thru midnight eastern on August 19. Below are some ways for you to earn extra entries. Please leave ONE comment for each thing you choose to do. You can combine your comments together if you like but please do not leave multiple comments for the same extra thing (for example, one comment if you fave at Technorati or subscribe via Feedburner, not three).

+1 go to the Pope Joan website, look around and sign the guestbook or sign up for email updates.
+1 become a follower (current followers automatically included)
+1 tweet giveaway on twitter or blog about it
+3 fave this blog at Technorati (click on the little green box on the left sidebar)
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Good luck everyone! Many thanks to Donna for providing the book for the giveaway!!