In My Mailbox - 3/4/12

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren to share whatever books and bookish goodies that you've bought, borrowed, won, or been gifted and have thus entered your home the previous week. You can show off books that you are excited about and it's also a great opportunity to showcase books that you may not actually have the time to read or review. 

ARC of 172 Hours on the Moon - Johan Harstad 

ARC of Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver

Paperback of The Liar Society - Lisa Roecker

Hardcover of Graffiti Moon - Cath Crowley 

 (I have been dying to find out what happens to Lena & Alex! I already read and loved Graffiti Moon...so happy to add it to my bookshelf!)

Signed Paperback of The Legacy of Eden - Nelle Davy

Signed Hardcover of A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness 

I loved A Discovery Of Witches....so happy so have a signed copy!!!

What came "in your mailbox" this week??

Review Copy Cleanup [Challenge 1] - Show Off Your Pile

The Show Off Your Pile Challenge is very simple. All you have to do is share what you are planning to read (or have read already!) this month during the Review Copy Cleanup. Feel free to take a photo of your TBR pile you are aiming to devour this month - or if you don't have a camera at hand or you're reading ebooks, just make a list of your books or post the cover image. Not only can we then spy on you what you're reading, but you can also win some very cool books in the first giveaway of the Cleanup!

Here are my Hard copies for review.  I doubt I will finish all of them...but hopefully at least half!!  I just finished Switched this morning...and I am in the middle of The Book of Lost Fragrances!

And here are my e-books (again I'll be happy to finish half and the rest will be for April!):

What are you trying to get read this month??

Guest Post: Darcia Helle Author of Into The Light

I am happy to welcome Darcia Helle to Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf today!!

What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?

It’s not possible to remain sane, particularly if you are an indie author. Here’s why:

You have to write in your “spare” time. This means you stop watching television, spending time with family, and sleeping. (Incidentally, the psychotic episodes caused by sleep deprivation are excellent inspiration for writing suspense and thrillers.)

In your other spare time (otherwise used for eating, showering, doing laundry and, in some cases, breathing), you have to learn how to promote your books without offending and/or irritating everyone around you. During this process, you will scour the Internet for ideas, waste money on ads that don’t work, and be told you cannot market your books in certain places because you are “indie” and therefore not a “real” author. Readers will ridicule and often harass you for promoting your work, even while you’re giving it away free. 


Yet, at the same time, these readers will happily download and read the free book they have just berated you for promoting.

You must possess an ego capable of enduring constant beatings. People who hate you will inevitably yell louder than those who love you.

You have to be Internet savvy, able to understand and implement the various formatting requirements for print and ebooks. Be aware that each ereader has its own unique formatting requirements, meaning you will need to format every book multiple times. A law degree is helpful for deciphering the endless pages of contracts for each endeavor. An accounting degree is necessary in the event you actually make money and need to claim income and expenses on your taxes.

Let’s not forget that, throughout all this, you are walking around with a batch of characters competing for attention in your head. They will insist you get out of bed at 2 a.m. to write a scene. They will refuse to bend to your will, causing you to rewrite the first six chapters to better fit their motives. Inspiration will strike in the midst of a conversation and your friends might not understand your sudden need for paper and pen. You will have more ideas than time, a drawer full of unfinished projects, a desk lined with sticky notes, and a stupid smile on your face because you love what you do.

This all proves that indie authors must be insane.


~~Darcia Helle

The Book: 

Max Paddington refuses to go into the light until he finds his killer. This presents a dilemma, since Max is even less competent as a spirit than he was as a live person. No one sees or hears him and he can't manage to get anywhere or do anything on his own.

Joe Cavelli is a private investigator, living an ordinary life. Then one day he walks across a parking lot, gets yelled at by a ghost, and his life only gets stranger from there.

Max and Joe team up to find Max's killer. In the process, they form an unlikely friendship and change each other's lives in ways they never expected.

The Author:

My name is Darcia Helle. I write because the characters trespassing through my mind leave me no alternative. I have what I call writers’ A.D.D. I lack discipline, sometimes lack direction, and always have too many characters in my head competing for attention.


QuietFury Books is my website. I designed and constructed it myself, which was an interesting adventure for someone who knew only basic HTML at the onset. I have included excerpts and information on my my novels. You’ll find free downloads, contests, book trailers and random bits of writing. I also added a few pages unrelated to my writing. Hopefully they will provide entertainment and a few smiles.


I’d love to hear from you! You can contact me at Darcia@quietfurybooks.com.

Find Darcia: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Find Into The Light: Goodreads | Amazon | BN 

A Chat with Heather Boyd, Author of Engaging the Enemy

Welcome & thank you so much for joining us today, Heather!  

1. Please start by telling us a little bit about yourself.


Hi. Thanks for having me on your blog. I’m a Heather (but not the kind of Heather depicted in the movie Heather’s) Australian, married to my childhood sweetheart, mother to two boys and one bossy cat, tech nerd (we don’t count gadgets around here anymore), fan of chocolate in all its forms, Smurf Farmer. Oh, and I’m a writer.


2. When did you know that you wanted to write professionally and how did you take the leap to get into the business?


I’ve been a reader all my life but I’m a late bloomer with writing. I started writing in 2008, long after the influence of teachers and school had worn off. I started writing for fun, longhand, on a boring holiday and kept scribbling for nine months without feedback of any kind. When I found a critique group in November that year, I discovered that I didn’t know enough about story structure. LOL But I’m a persistent girl and learned quickly. I had a short story published under contract in 2010, One Wicked Night, and I kept writing new material. In 2011, after pondering the decision for over a year, I took the leap into self publishing. I now have a dozen books published under my name.


3. Can you tell me a little bit about Engaging the Enemy and what inspired it?


Engaging the Enemy is the first book in my new regency series, The Wild Randalls. The series is about three brothers, and one hot-headed sister, torn apart by the machinations of their own family and the lengths they will go to find each other and their place in society again. Engaging the Enemy is Leopold Randall’s story as he returns to Romsey Abbey, home of his young cousin, the Duke of Romsey, in search of information. But nothing at Romsey is as he expects and his whole life is turned upside down by what he discovers there.


There isn’t one single thing that inspired the series. I’ve always been fascinated by what people will do for power and wealth, and when you combine that with the amazing great houses found in England, and dip into the study of inheritance laws, your imagination takes over. Leopold would inherit the title of Duke of Romsey and everything that goes with it should the current child duke of Romsey die. 


4. What do you hope that readers take way with them after reading your book?


I hope they feel happy honestly. It’s one of the things I love about reading romance books myself. No matter how shitty my day has been a romance novel can make me feel a whole lot better. I strive to do that for others.


5. I find it interesting to know what environment authors find most productive… Do you use a pen and paper or laptop? Quiet room at home or bustling café? Basically, what gets your creative juices flowing?


I can type faster than write (and have a better chance of reading it later) so I use a desktop computer and a laptop instead of a pen. I write at home. Since I have a laptop as well, I’m not restricted to place - my office, comfy lounge chair, bed, outside - if there is not too much glare. I’ve tried writing in a café but I’m easily distracted and a little self-conscious. 


6. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?


The best compliment was hearing that a reader and her partner read a story of mine together in bed. The most frustrating: criticism that a story wasn’t long enough even when it’s tagged as a short story in the description. 


7. What book is currently on your nightstand? And who are some of your favorite authors?


I don’t read as much as I should lately. No where near as much as I used to and my TBR pile is about to topple. On my night stand at the moment are three books: Samantha Grace’s Miss Hilary Schools a Scoundrel, Sami Lee’s Born Again Virgin, and Jane Charles’ His Not So Sensible Miss. The rest are hiding under the bed, and on my ereader, so my husband won’t notice them.


8. What do you like to do when you're not writing? 


Is there such a thing? LOL I’m fond of old things so I like markets and antique stores. New and Secondhand Bookstores are great, too. I have a family and they keep me busy. My hubby is a mad car racing fan and I’ve taken to watching the Australian V8 Supercars with him. The racing season is about to begin this weekend actually and I’m ready to support my team. Go DJR Car 17! 


9. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?


Write the story through to the end. Then start the next one. Finish it too. Repeat process multiple times. Writers write. Constantly. Somewhere in there, show someone your work and consider their feedback. You do not have to take everything they say as gospel but good feedback can help you write the next story better and in a shorter time frame. If you want to be an author of one story, that’s fine. But if you want a decent income from your writing then you have to crack your own whip and produce completed stories.
  
10. What can we expect from you next?


Right now I am working on book 2 of the Wild Randalls series. Forsaking the Prize starts on the same night Engaging the Enemy ended. I shouldn’t say much more than that, otherwise major spoilers would ensue for those who haven’t read Engaging the Enemy yet. 






And now for a little bit of fun:)


This or That?




Coffee or Tea?  Both


Sweet or Salty? Sweet


Beach or Lake?  Lake


Winter or Summer? Winter


Cats or Dogs?  Both, as long as the dog is small.


Zombies or Vampires?  Vampires


Country or City?  City


Shower or Bath?   Bath


Morning or Evening? Morning


M&Ms or Skittles? M&M’s 


Trains or Planes? Both


Comedy or Drama?  Comedy

The Book:

Engaging the Enemy

Book 1 - The Wild Randalls

Release Date: February 14, 2012

Every great family has a few secrets best left unspoken. The wild Randall’s of Hampshire excel at them.

A duchess should be regal, aloof and the image of calm elegance. But those words have never applied to Mercy Randall, Duchess of Romsey. A widow and mother of a young duke, Mercy is lonely and floundering to keep the estate afloat. When she discovers the existence of Leopold Randall, her husband’s estranged cousin, Mercy commits to help him locate his missing siblings if he’ll return the estate to order. Although cautioned against trusting a man who would inherit everything should her son die, she impetuously hands over the estate to Leopold’s care in the hope of keeping him near.

Leopold Randall, heir to the young duke, has returned to Hampshire to demand information regarding the fate of his missing siblings. Unfortunately, the Duchess of Romsey is clueless about them, yet her struggle to maintain the estate tugs at Leopold’s sense of duty. At her insistence, he steps in to bring order to chaos while searching for hints to his family’s whereabouts amongst the old duke’s papers. Yet the duchess tempts him in ways best unspoken. He fights to hide his weakness for her and a shameful past that could see him banished again. But when Leopold discovers a threat against the duchess and young duke’s life, he must join forces with the temptress to protect his last known relative.

About the Author:

Heather Boyd is the author of erotic romance with an historical bent. A fan of regency England settings, she writes m/f and m/m stories that push the boundaries of propriety and even break the laws of that time. Brimming with new ideas, she frequently wishes she could type as fast as she can conjure up new storylines. Heather lives with her testosterone-fuelled family north of Sydney.

Her published work include: The Distinguished Rogues (Chills, Broken & Charity), The Hunt Club Chronicles (Almost an Equal, Barely a Master & Hardly a Stranger) and short erotic romance One Wicked Night, In the Widow's Bed, Love Me Tender, Wicked Mourning and The Almack’s Alternative.

Connect with Heather:  Website | Twitter | Facebook

Check out her books:  Goodreads |Smashwords | Amazon

Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge MARCH Review Link Up

Thanks to everyone who's joined in on the fun and signed up for the 2012 Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge!!!  And if you haven't signed up yet---What are you waiting for???  Go to the sign up post here!  The sign up post has all the details about the challenge as well as some great reading suggestions!

TO LINK OTHER MONTHS REVIEWS - CLICK HERE

This is the official post where we can share info about what we've been reading for MARCH.  Please link up your reviews, leave any additional comments below, and we can visit each other's posts and see what great Witchy books are out there!!!  Remember...you can link to a blog post or to a Goodreads/Amazon/Librarything/BN/Smashwords review etc.

(And remember...every review that you link up counts as an entry for the prize at the end of the year!)

Link Up Your MARCH Witchy Reviews Here! Where it asks for Your Name: Please list Title, Author, & Your Name (& Blog)

Book Review: I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

I've Got Your Number: A Novel


Title:  I’ve Got Your Number 
Author:  Sophie Kinsella 
Reading level: Adult
Genre:  Chick Lit
Size:  448 pages
Release Date:  Feb. 14th 2012 
Publisher: Random House
Stand Alone or Series: Stand alone
Source: NetGalley

First Line:  "Perspective. I need to get perspective."

Summary (from GoodReads):

I've lost it. The only thing in the world I wasn't supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It's been in Magnus's family for three generations. And now, the very same day his parents are coming, I've lost it. The very same day. Do not hyperventilate Poppy. Stay positive!!

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry the ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her 'happy ever after' begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring but in the panic that followed, she has now lost her phone. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

Well, perfect except the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton doesn't agree. He wants his phone back and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life.

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other's lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents... she soon realises that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

Favorite Quotes from the Book:


:)


<3


I can't think about it for too long, because I get all upset and panicky, so I allow myself only a tiny snippet of worry at a time. I've had my quota for this evening.


Sam pauses, right behind me.  there's an unbearable fragile beat as I wait for him to shatter the quiet.  But it's as though he feels the same way. He says nothing. All I can hear is the gentle sound of his breathing. Slowly his arms wrap around me from behind.

My Thoughts:


This was my first Sophie Kinsella read and I was absolutely charmed from the very first page.  The character of Poppy Wyatt is one that I feel most women can easily relate to.  She's flawed and insecure yet impulsive and mouthy at at once.  The author does an amazing job of capturing the realities of what we all think and feel at one time in our lives or another and imbuing Poppy with those emotions!


The supporting cast are also a pleasant surprise running the gambit from a less that ideal fiance and in-laws, to the assortment of friends...some true...some not so true.  And the pace of the novel is perfect... keeping things moving along while peppering in moments of hilarity, reality, uncomfortability, and incredible sweetness. I was laughing non stop and enjoyed every minute.

The budding romance that develops of all things via text messages between Poppy and Sam was incredibly sweet and somehow believable.  I think I fell a little in love with him myself as I felt so much like Poppy while reading this!


The only downside for me were the footnotes...not that I didn't enjoy reading them, but it was a bit difficult toggling back and forth on an e-reader.  With a print copy though I feel they'd only enhance the read.


This was an amazing delightful read that I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish and when I did I was left with only one question...  


Why in the world did I wait so long to read Sophie Kinsella??

Was it worth my Time? 

Teaser Tuesdays - The Book of Lost Fragrances by MJ Rose

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Summary from Goodreads:

A sweeping and suspenseful tale of secrets, intrigue, and lovers separated by time, all connected through the mystical qualities of a perfume created in the days of Cleopatra—and lost for 2,000 years. 

Jac L’Etoile has always been haunted by the past, her memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up surrounded by as the heir to a storied French perfume company. In order to flee the pain of those remembrances—and of her mother’s suicide—she moves to America, leaving the company in the hands of her brother Robbie. But when Robbie hints at an earth-shattering discovery in the family archives and then suddenly goes missing—leaving a dead body in his wake—Jac is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind. 

Back in Paris to investigate her brother’s disappearance, Jac discovers a secret the House of L’Etoile has been hiding since 1799: a scent that unlocks the mysteries of reincarnation. The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses history, passion, and suspense, moving from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris. Jac’s quest for the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past.the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past

Teaser:

"Two hundred people were killed in the last two weeks. And we have all the blood on our hands.” - pg 56*

 What's your teaser today?




*Quote taken from an ARC and subject to change

Book Excerpt & Giveaway: Destined to Fail by Samantha March

The Book:

Jasmine Jones is ready to begin her new life as a college student, and is ecstatic to have best friend Abby by her side. But weeks into their new college life, Abby drops the bomb- she is pregnant, and dropping out of college. Jasmine can’t handle the fact that Abby is wasting her opportunity to get an education, and going back to her cheating, abusive boyfriend. She struggles to move on from her friendship with Abby, but befriends two new girls at college. Everything seems back on track for Jasmine- great new friendships and roommates, a strong relationship with boyfriend Nate, and excelling at her college courses. But Jasmine’s newfound happiness is shattered when her pregnancy test comes out positive. Does she have to drop out of college now and become a young mother? Will Nate stay with her? How can she afford a child? Jasmine’s life has been filled with obstacles and challenges along the way- from a missing father, sexual and physical abuse, and addictions that tore her family apart. With this latest setback, Jasmine fears her life will always be a struggle. Destined to Fail is one woman’s story about overcoming adversity in life, about taking the negatives and finding a positive, and about never giving up hope.

An Excerpt:

Splat. Vomit hit the water in the toilet, landing with a sickening sound, splashing tiny droplets back up towards my face. I tried to lift my head farther from the stool, but my body felt so weak it didn’t want to respond. I threw up until I was retching, heaving noises coming from somewhere deep in my stomach. Tears rolled down my cheeks and landed in the tainted toilet water.

I had thrown up almost every day for the past three weeks. Maybe longer, I was starting to lose track. I got sick mostly in the mornings, sometimes throughout the day, and even at nights. Certain smells seemed to trigger the virus––eggs Cari cooked in the morning or the cheap frozen steak meal Kiley frequented. The worst part of being sick was the body exhaustion and dizziness. Those symptoms made it hard to go to class and I had been missing more days than usual.

I also started my new job just two weeks prior, working in the Activities Center. John’s friend Logan had put in a good word for me and I was overjoyed to be working on campus. But I had to ask Logan to cover for me twice because I was too sick to go in. That couldn’t keep happening.

I had gone to the doctor after I missed the first day of work. My unfamiliar Des Moines doctor checked my throat and questioned my eating patterns, and sent me off with a prescription to help ease the symptoms of a particularly nasty flu virus that was going around school campuses and daycares. Swallowing horse pills twice a day did nothing to help.

Now I was alone in my college apartment on a Thursday night. Cari left for a house party and Kiley had gone back to her hometown to introduce John to her parents. After I finished vomiting, I leaned back against the bathroom wall, the cold tiles sending goosebumps down my arms. Sweat dripped down my temples, running a river down my chin. I didn’t even sweat that much when I worked out. I grabbed a towel and dabbed at my forehead, willing myself to take deep breaths. I knew what I had to do.

The Author:

Samantha March fell in love with books at a young age. Thanks to her mother and grandmother, both avid readers, Samantha followed in their footsteps. Field trips to the library highlighted her week, and she went on to do volunteer work at her local library while in middle school. Her early works closely resembled characters from The Baby-Sitters Club and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movies. In high school, Samantha excelled in writing courses and even the mundane tasks of writing history papers. 

A slew of real work wake-up calls caused Samantha to shelve her dream of becoming an author. She took what she considered the practical route and enrolled in a business college in Des Moines, Iowa, where she graduated with honors in 2009. But her thoughts of writing never dissolved. In October of 2009, Samantha started the book blog ChickLitPlus.com. From her small blog, Samantha met fellow readers and writers who pushed her to continue her goal of becoming published. 

Destined to Fail is the debut novel from Samantha March, and will be published by Marching Ink in November 2011. Samantha currently lives in West Des Moines, IA with her boyfriend and jumbled cast of friends who help inspire her writing. Besides reading, writing, and ChickLitPlus responsibilities, Samantha enjoys sports- especially the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs- and will never refuse ice cream.

Find Samantha: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Find Keeper of my Heart: Goodreads | Amazon | BN 

The Giveaway:

A Destined to Fail E-book is up for grabs!

Cover Reveal: LUMINOSITY by Stephanie Thomas

LUMINOSITY (Luminosity, #1) by Stephanie Thomas 

Release date:  September 11, 2012

Blurb:

"My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was
immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At
the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings.
And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t
been the same since.

The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the
Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from
everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us
all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.

But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling
in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I
think I’ve already helped them win."

Paperback Available for Pre-Order from Amazon Here

Add to your Goodreads TBR Here

Check out Stephanie Thomas Here

In My Mailbox - 2/26/12

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren to share whatever books and bookish goodies that you've bought, borrowed, won, or been gifted and have thus entered your home the previous week. You can show off books that you are excited about and it's also a great opportunity to showcase books that you may not actually have the time to read or review.

Added to my Bookshelf for Pleasure:

Hardcover of Supernaturally – Kiersten White (Oops-I’d best get myself a copy of Paranormalcy now!)Paperback of Minding Frankie – Maeve BinchyMovie Tie-in Paperback of The Woman in Black – Susan Hill 

Paperback of Swamplandia! – Karen Russell

Paperback of The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady – Elizabeth Stuckey-French

Paperback of A Visit from the Goon Squad – Jennifer Egan

Paperback of I Remember Nothing – Nora EphronPaperback of To The End of the Land – David GrossmanPaperback of Lord of Misrule – Jaimy Gordon

Added to my Bookshelf for Review:

 Boardbook God Gave Us Love – Lisa Tawn Bergren