Month: November 2012

Literary Friday ya’ll….

Friday- end of the month. Tomorrow is December 1- which means 24 days till Christmas day. So line up those pictures with Santa, listen to some Christmas music, and enjoy the holiday season.

1. Deep South Magazine took last week off from their #literayfriday post due to the holidays-but is back up and running for this week. Included in today’s #literaryfriday is how to donate a new or used book to victims of Hurricane Sandy, a review of The Cutting Season (a book on DSM Fall/Winter Reading List), links to the “Best of 2012” book lists, and news that Robin O’Bryant’s Ketchup is a Vegetable: And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves is 99 cents for November 30, 2012 (TODAY Only!)

2.Robin O’Bryant– author of Ketchup Is A Vegetable has been hosting giveaways all week to say “Happy Birthday, Ketchup!” If you haven’t won a giveaway, have rotten luck, dislike Facebook- whatever the reason-do not despair- Robin’s book Ketchup is 99 cents today! Sit back with a copy of Ketchup is Vegetable, a glass of wine and prepare to laugh until you cry!

3. Tomorrow, December 1, at Lemuria Books- Peggy Sweeney-McDonald will be signing copies of Meanwhile, Back at Cafe Du Monde: Life Stories about Food. I plan on attending and will be doing a blog post about the event later next week.

4. What are you reading for #fridayreads? I’m reading Peach of a Murder by Livia J. Washburn. Not just loving it, but attempting to give it a fair shake!

5. I just finished Broken Harbor by Tana French- and while from the jacket cover description I expected to LOVE it, I was at times not loving it. It took some turns that I wasn’t digging. But, it was still a pretty good book. If you’ve read Broken Harbor, let’s discuss!

6.December 1-8 is Cozy Mystery Week! If cozy mysteries are your type of books- then join Jenn’s Bookshelves for Cozy Mystery Week! Cozy Mystery Reviews will also be celebrating Cozy Mystery Week- giveaways, recipes, authors dropping by!

7. If you’re a fan of Cleo Coyle Coffeehouse Mystery Books (like I am!) the wait for the newest book in the series is not much longer! December 4 Holiday Buzz will be released! Yay!

8. Be sure and stop by She Reads today- Man in the Blue Moon is being discussed all day over there!

9. Oh and if you love Pinterest (and come on- who doesn’t?) check out Deep South Mag’s Pinterest page!

Happy Reading!

 

 

Village Blend…..

Village Blend- the home of Clare Cosi (also her workplace!) Village Blend has been home to many people over the years- artists, writers and more- it’s a landmark in the Coffehouse Mystery series.

Cleo Coyle uses the letters in the alphabet to make beautifuly descriptive sentences to not only describe Village Blend, but to make the reader practically see Village Blend in their minds. After reading a book of hers, I always wish I could go to a place like Village Blend for coffee and treats.

Village Blend is not only a landmark in the Coffeehouse Mystery series- it’s essentially as much as a character as Clare. It’s the place where the characters gather for work, for investigating, for hanging out- it’s the kind of place that a cozy needs in the series. Familiar, comfortable, enjoyable.

Now if there was only a Village Blend close to me- I could be so happy reading books and drinking coffee!

 

The Theme Song to Man in the Blue Moon by Michael Morris

Don’t forget tomorrow Novemeber 30th- all DAY long She Reads will be hosting their online book club discussion of Michael Morris Man in the Blue Moon. It’s all day long, so feel free to stop in anytime- ask a question, make a comment, find out what other people are thinking of Man in the Blue Moon!

Before the online discussion tomorrow, read the article about Michael Morris Man in the Blue Moon theme song. Find the song and listen to it- see if the music takes you to era of Man in the Blue Moon.

Links for Michael Morris Man in the Blue Moon and the She Reads Online Discussion:

Man in the Blue Moon

The Theme Song for Man in the Blue Moon

A Room of His Own: The Writing Space of Michael Morris

New Online Discussion Schedule

Come- join She Reads for the November  discussion of Michael Morris latest book- Man in the Blue Moon!

Thankfulness…..

I’m not doing the whole Facebook “Day #: I’m thankful for these things”- not because I don’t believe that it’s a good idea, but mainly because the people who really know me already know the things that I’m thankful for. But for the people who read my blog- you may not know some of the things I’m thankful for- so here goes:

1. Books- without books (whether it’s real books or e-books) a world without books would be a sad place.

2. Photos- I’m the girl with the camera. Always. I take tons of pictures. Why? Because one day- when I’m sitting around in elderly years I want to be able to look back and see the proof that life rocked. Maybe it wasn’t always all glittery and sunshine, rainbows and unicorns- but hopefully the pics will show that life was good more than it wasn’t.

3. Journals- I don’t keep one in particular, I have a few different that I write in. 99% of what I blog, tweet, facebook, etc about is ME. The real me. The me that I want to be recognized, understood, loved, etc- however; there are times when I need a place to write that only I’ll see. Maybe self-doubt is creeping in, maybe I’m unsure if anyone will understand- but mostly I worry that someone will dismiss my thoughts/worries. This is when a journal comes in handy.

4. Erin from Deep South Mag. Ever since she started following me tweets from my first SPQ wkend, a great twitter friendship has formed. When I finally got to meet her over the summer- it was so weird putting a face to a person that I’ve “known” for over 2 years. Erin- thank you for all you have done- the encouragement with my blog, book recommendations, and more. xoxo

5. Robin O’Bryant- could be considered at the center of much good news. Through her, I found out about Joshilyn Jackson coming to Turnrow Books for luncheon book signing. So I went- got to meet Joshilyn Jackson and Robin O’Bryant- then the girl sitting beside me started talking- her name was Keetha and surprise- we live in neighboring towns. Finding someone that lived near me to talk books with was nice- then joining Keetha and her book club worked out even better. Keetha introduced me to Books on the Nightstand podcasts, and told me about Booktopia in Oxford. So I signed up and met even more ladies who rock: Dawn, Michelle, Jana, Cathy, Jennifer, and Suzanne (these are just a few of the wonderful Booktopia people I met). Not to mention the Booktopia authors- Susan Gregg Gilmore and Ellen F. Brown are tops in my book for how they acted towards me and the sweet gift they gave me! But back to Robin being at the epicenter of this- after seeing Robin rave about Kimberly Brock’s book The River Witch- I knew I had to read it-and we started following each other on Twitter. Which led to me getting to know her and becoming part of She Reads Blog Network- and finding another group of people to talk books with.

5. Various authors such as Erika Marks, Erika Robuck,Nichole Bernier Jenn McKinlay, Lucy Burdette, Cleo Coyle, and Alison Pace. xoxo to all you ladies for responding to social media, for writing great books- books that make you think, transport you to another time, a book that is like a warm and cozy sweater- just makes you feel good and happy.

6. Deidre (aka Yankeefan2975) a Twitter friend that is up to date on Days of Our Lives, books and movies. She makes the Twitter fun!

7. Naturally,  family and true friends 🙂 They make life good!

8. Zeke, my beautiful dog. He was great, he loved me and he instinctively knew when a hug or doggy grin was needed to brighten the day. I still miss him every day; but at least not as much as I did when he first passed away.

xoxo

Confessions and Giveaways…

With so many great bloggers out in the internet world, finding and reading them can be hard. I’d been hearing for sometime about this one blogger- Jen of People I Want to Punch in the Throat- but for multiple reasons had not made it to her blog to see what the fuss was about. Even after Robin O’Bryant- the author of the humorous Ketchup is a Vegetable: And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves– I still meant to read Jen’s blog, but just had not. Yesterday, though, Robin posts a link to Jen’s book Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat and I bought it for 2 reasons: 1. becasue it was 99 cents! and 2. Becasue I’d been meaning to check her out, and I adore people who can be real about the holidays (because let’s face it: if there isn’t at least 1 person at your holiday get together that you don’t want to punch in the throat- then you must be on some good meds or have the tolerance of a saint- I’m just saying.) So back to the book- bought it, begin reading it, loving it. The story of the McDonald’s toy was worth the 99 cents alone! Also included is the story of Elf on the Shelf that went viral and made Jen a big deal- while I don’t have the Elf on the Shelf (no kids)- I can feel the pain of the mom’s who have to deal with the Elf.

Currently, Spending Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat is still 99 cents- it’s a Black Friday special- so I’ll assume that at the end of Cyber Monday, the price will go back to original. Do yourself a favor- buy this book. Have a laugh. The holidays are coming up y’know- having something funny in your life will make any holiday dysfuncion seem so much easier to handle.

For the giveaways, back to Robin O’Bryant. Her book Ketchup is a Vegetable:And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves turns a year old this week. So Happy Birthday, Ketchup! In honor of the birthday and becasue Robin is just that kind of nice- she’s giving away 10 copies of Ketchup this week on her Facebook page- go “like” her for more details about the giveaways. Also, one day this week she plans on Ketchup being marked down to a low, low, low price- the book is hysterically funny- Robin’s got a way with words- and the stories about the girls; well they are great. Robin is the kind of person you want to be BFF with if you have kids or even are thinking of having them!

Ketchup is Vegetable: And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves is book that mom’s to be should read, women getting married should probably be given it as well. Even single girls find it funny (I loved it!)

A quick wrap up of other thoughts:

1. Reading Tana French’s Broken Harbor– I’d been loving it, then some chapters started to drag, and back to loving it (I think)- There is a section of the storyline that if it does not get resolved in the good way or becomes very relevant to the storyline- I’m not going to be pleased. Overall, I’ve been enjoying the book, though.

2. Read Notorious Nineteen yesterday. Not bad, however, nowhere as near as good as the first several of the Stephanie Plum series. At this point- even though I’m a Cupcake fan- I don’t care who she picks. I feel that the series either needs a big shake-up or ending.

3. A Peach of a Murder by Livia J. Washburn- a gift from my brother- he picks out different cozy books for me to read as part of my birthday gifts. Usually he has good taste- he’s introduced me to Cleo Coyle and others- this one, though, is dragging. Will finish it, but can’t say that I’ll pick another in series.

 

Hemingway’s Girl by Erika Robuck

Hemingway’s Girl by Erika Robuck is a historical fiction novel that absolutely should be on a reader’s “to be read” list. The book has it all: love, anger, drama, family situations, sadness, despair and hope.  Grab a copy of this book and get sucked into the world of Mariella and Hemingway’s Key West.

Mariella is the bread-winner of the family. Her father has passed away, she has 2 sisters and a mother that need food and a roof over their heads. When Mariella meets Hemingway- she’s drawn to him- his ways, his life. Mariella is hired as a maid at Hemingway’s house- and through that becomes friends and immersed in Hemingway and his family’s life.

Hemingway and Mariella have a relationship that not many can understand- they understand each other on levels that aren’t apparent to many. This becomes a source of stress for others. When Mariella gets involved with Gavin- a man that is quite dear to her- her relationship with Hemingway evolves.

Gavin is everything that Hemingway is not- and yet, both men have a pull on Mariella. Will Mariella cross a line with Hemingway- a man that understands her in ways others can’t? Or will she stay with Gavin- a man that is more like her- hardworking, salt of the earth?

With a hurricane heading toward Key West, Mariella gets drawn further in the world of Ernest Hemingway and his family- while struggling to take care of her own family. Will this hurricane solidify the things that are important to Mariella?

Hemingway’s Girl– this book was fantastic. The emotions I felt while reading, the anger at Hemingway and his selfish ways, the fear and sadness I felt for Mariella- this book has something for everyone. Read Hemingway’s Girl– enjoy a story about Hemingway and his Key West.

You Tell Your Dog First by Alison Pace

You Tell Your Dog First by Alison Pace is a book that is about Alison’s adorable dog Carlie. Carlie is the latest of dogs in Alison’s life, but the first one she’s had since she’s been living in NYC (due to finding a dog-friendly apartment).

Carlie is Alison’s best friend, her “person”, the sounding board for day to day life and more. Alison writes the stories of her and Carlie’s life- their day to day interactions with each other, Alison’s family and friends, the general public, and romantic interests in Alison’s life. Each story is sprinkled with humor and the life lessons of loving a dog.

As the book goes on, the reader sees that Carlie has opened Alison to more chances, experiences and people than Alison could have had without Carlie. As I read the book, I fell in love with Carlie- her antics, her love for Alison, just her ways- made Carlie the best. Carlie will melt dog-lover’s hearts with the stories Alison writes.

This book is not all about Carlie, though- Alison learns about things in her own life-family, happiness and love. Things that Alison knew (but is so much sweeter with Carlie at her side).

You Tell Your Dog First– a must for a dog lover, a love song to Carlie, and sprinkled with humor, love and life lessons. Buy it. Read it. Love it.

Image

Zeke- my “you tell your dog first” dog.

Reading Alison Pace’s book, You Tell Your Dog First, has brought forth a flurry of emotions: happiness, sadness and many more.

Zeke

Alison writes of her love for Carlie and the antics that Carlie finds herself in. I love Carlie. Carlie is a happy little dog, a dog that comes into your heart and make a day seem brighter.However, as I’m reading You Tell Your Dog First– I’m reminded of my own recently deceased dog, Zeke. I try to focus on the good memories, but somedays I’m still beside myself.

While I’ve always had dogs, I learned at an early age that things can happen to dogs (getting hit by vehicles, eating the neighbor’s rat poison, and being dognapped) are just a few of the heartaches I suffered over the years. Then Zeke came into my life. He was my brother’s dog first, but over the years- he became more of my dog. Zeke was a boxer- a beautiful dog. Caramel colored, chocolate-y ears, and white places on his feet. When he loved you, you knew it. A doggy grin that stretched for miles, a bunny hop run when he was happy, leaning on you when he wanted some petting- while Zeke could not talk- he was clear in his requests.

Zeke was also a camera lover- and my personal model for many pictures. He would see my camera and begin to pose- sometimes looking away from the camera in a stoic, yet majestic way. Sometimes smiling that doggy smile. He even liked props- glasses, hats, and other things.

Zeke knew everything. He knew when I was happy, sad, mad, hurt. He knew when I needed to pet him to distract me from worrying or when I needed him to come over for a hug.

While sometimes it may have crossed that mind that I wished Zeke could talk, it was probably best that he could not. As we could have wrote a tell-all book. Not that he would have- becasue that was not in Zeke’s nature. He was protective of me and I was of him.

One day, I’ll have another dog. A dog that I’ll love. A dog that will get multiple pictures taken of. A dog that will have pillows and creature comforts.  But Zeke- Zeke will always be my original “you tell your dog first” dog.

Literary Friday ya’ll..

It’s been a week- people- have had some sickness in the family (been spraying Lysol like it’s my BFF), perusing my brother’s wedding pictures, and beginning to get crafty for our holiday pictures.

But today’s Friday and it’s time to relax and anticipate the weekend:

1. Deep South Magazine will have Tweet chat with Janis Owens, author of American Ghost, from 1-2 pm CST TODAY. Be there and use #southernlit to participate!

Deep South Magazine and their weekly #literaryfriday- early reveal of Erika Robuck’s new book cover Call Me Zelda (it’s a great cover!), National Book Awards and news about Gillian Flynn and a new book deal!

2. A couple of giveaways that I posted about yesterday are still going on- How to Eat a Cupcake and The Mermaid Collector are being given away by 2 other blogs that I like to read. For more information on the giveway, read my post HERE.

3. On Black Friday- Amazon will have 25 Kindle Books on sale! While the complete list is not known, Kimberly Brock’s The River Witch will be $1.99 on Black Friday. Buy it. Read it. Devour it. You’ll gain a new appreciation for pumpkins, unconventional families, and stories that help a person heal.

4. I’m reading Alison Pace’s You Tell Your Dog First– and I love Carlie and Alison. Carlie is quite the little dog and while I cried the first few chapters of the book thinking about my recently deceased, Zeke, I will say that Carlie and her antics have put a smile on my face in the latest chapters I’ve read. I’m not finished yet, but so far- this books is heartfelt, heartwarming, and an ode to dog lovers everywhere- and a love song to Carlie.

5. My #fridayreads are Alison Pace’s You Tell Your Dog First & Erika Robuck’s Hemingway’s Girl.

6. My #payitforwardwithcozymystery is Jenn McKinlay and her Library Lover’s cozy series. Recently discovered them and I love them! Check them out if you like good cozy books with great settings and characters!

Happy Reading and have a great weekend!

How to Eat a Cupcake & The Mermaid Collector Giveaways!

Two new giveaways on blogs that I read that are worth mentioning:

A Novel Review is giving away a copy of Erika Marks’s 2nd book, The Mermaid Collector to a lucky reader. Ya’ll already know how much I love The Mermaid Collector– so strongly encouraging readers to enter. The book is worth it. Trust me.For more information on The Mermaid Colector, here is my previous review.

A Woman, a wife and a mom is giving away a copy of How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue. I’ve never read this book, but the description sounds interesting.