Hunted by Elizabeth Heiter

Photo Credit: Goodreads

This book was sent to Traveling With T in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Hunted

Evelyn Baine is criminal profiler with the FBI. Evelyn has wanted to work with the FBI for many years- and her star is rising and she’s making quite a reputation for herself. When called in to profile the Bakersville Burier, Evelyn knows she must work hard to create a profile before too many innocent people are killed. What Evelyn does not count on is how the Bakersville Burier will change her life- and how deeply it will affect her. Continue reading →

Tuesday Mashup

Tuesday Mashup: Crafty, Bloggy, Giveaways and more!

Giveaways:

Always With A Book is giving away The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers.

Luxury Reading is giving away The Comfort of Lies, as well.

Bookfan is also giving away a copy of The Comfort of Lies!

* The Comfort of Lies is a really good book- and with it’s recent paperback release, if you missed out on during it’s hardcover phase- I urge you to get a PB copy (or maybe you’ll win a copy!) Continue reading →

Starter House by Sonja Condit

Photo Credit: Goodreads

This book was sent to Traveling With T in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Starter House

Lacey and Eric, a young married couple, are looking for a house. Their 2 will becoming 3 in a short few months and both Lacey and Eric desire a place of their own to raise their child, in a neighborhood that has good schools and a nice look. Lacey, though, wants a house with character- not a square cookie-cutter house- a house with character. When Lacey sees this 1 house and finds out that it is for sale- she falls in love with the house. Eric is happy because it’s in the neighborhood they want, is in their price range, and makes Lacey happy. Too bad neither of them really listened to the real estate agent when she tried to discourage them from buying the house.

Shortly after moving in, Lacey begins having difficulty with her pregnancy- and is concerned. She and Eric begin making alternative arrangements- Lacey sleeping downstairs, her mother moving in temporarily and Lacey trying to keep stress to a minimum. Still, Lacey feels uneasy. The house, at times, has a different feel to it- not warm and welcoming; but dark and mysterious. There is a little boy who Lacey keeps seeing… in her house. This boy, Drew, appeals to Lacey and her teacher/maternal instincts. But, slowly, she begins to pick up on things- that Drew is not what he seems. That Drew is a jealous child and quick to anger- which Lacey finds out the hard way.

Determined to get to the bottom of what has happened in this house and the story of Drew- Lacey begins to look for clues. What she finds is dark and chilling. Will Lacey be able to put an end to evil in the house- before she and her baby pay the ultimate price?

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

This is Sonja Condit’s first book and while I enjoyed it- I was a bit conflicted at times. Sonja’s characters- Lacey and Eric, I did not completely connect with either. Lacey, at times, seemed like she was cracking up and Eric, was an obsessive workaholic.

The story is compared to The Thirteenth Tale and since I have not read that book, I can’t accurately say if Starter House is like that book. I was a bit worried that it would be too scary- similar to the movie, The Conjuring, but it was not super-scary. Starter House has more of a creepy vibe- and Sonja Condit does that very well.

Would I recommend? Yes. Was it perfect? No. But, Starter House kept me flipping pages because I had to know what happened in that house- and if or when it would ever end.

*Thanks to William-Morrow for sending Traveling With T STARTER HOUSE. Above thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

Cover Reveal: Paris, Rue des Martyrs by Adria J. Cimino

Today, today, TODAY…. It’s a Cover Reveal day! Yes, readers of Traveling With T- we are the first to see the cover of Paris, Rue des Martyrs by Adria J. Cimino!

How did we get so lucky?

The details: Adria contacted me a few weeks ago after hearing about my love of cover reveals (seriously- cover reveals are like the sweetest candy to me- nothing but love for a cover reveal!) I’ve taken part in them in a group effort- but this was a first to be asked to be the blogger who gets to reveal the cover. I wasted no time in telling Adria I was in- and we started the process of emailing and working out logistics. Continue reading →

Guest Post: Lucy Burdette reveals her character, Hayley Snow, 2014 resolutions

Hayley Snow is a character that Lucy Burdette created. And I don’t like to play favorites- but Hayley is in my top 5 fav cozy mystery characters. Maybe it’s her food critic job, or the fact that she has been unlucky in love (and I can relate). Perhaps, it’s because she rides a scooter everywhere and I think that is so cool. But, maybe, just maybe- it’s Hayley and her love of having her tarot cards read. Continue reading →

Literary Friday ya’ll…..

I know. I know. I KNOW. It’s Sunday. Don’t worry, T is not confused about the day of the week. But I did not get to mention #literaryfriday on Friday because…..Little Baby Owl and I were spending the day together- and she only takes kindly to technology when it’s being used to take pictures & Tweet about visiting her- Baby Owl ain’t got no time for blogging.

So, I’m going to catch ya’ll up on some #literaryfriday with 2 mentions from Deep South Magazine since I missed the week before #literaryfriday because I was in Granbury, TX (more on that later and probably a pic of my fetch hat. And yes, I use the word fetch (“Gretchen, stop trying to make fetch happen. It’s not going to happen!”) Continue reading →

Futuristic Friday: What Books Are You Looking Forward To Reading?

Hello and welcome all to the first Futuristic Friday hosted by Traveling With T and Katie from Doing Dewey. I’m pretty excited to unveil this new jointly hosted feature (and I hope you are excited to read and see what it is all about!)

What is Futuristic Friday?

Back in 2013, I was thinking about starting a new feature. I toyed around with the idea of a Throwback Thursday- but was unsure that I could maintain that on a semi-regular basis. I also wanted a partner- someone I could trust to help me with the feature, someone who could be a good bloggy person to chat with, perhaps someone who was the yang to my yin. I started thinking about all the bloggy people I interact with and Katie kept popping in my head- she’s got a broad reading taste, I knew her from She Reads, and I enjoyed talking with her. And days later, Futuristic Friday was born!

January Selections:

Doing Dewey’s Futuristic Friday Picks for January

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Katie from Doing Dewey thought these books looked good to her for January:

The Rise of the Tudors, The Last Enchantments, Me, Myself and Why, Cruel Beauty, and Company Man

Traveling With T’s Futuristic Friday January Picks

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Traveling With T (me!) thought these books looked good for January:

The Wife, The Maid, and The Mistress, What Nora Knew, The Secret of Magic, This Dark Road to Mercy, and In the Blood. Continue reading →

Guest Post: Allison from The Book Wheel reveals her 2014 Resolutions

Today, I have Allison from The Book Wheel guest posting about her New Year Resolutions. Allison is a great blogger- always on the cutting edge and she runs her blog like an efficient business. I could just sit and listen to Miss A talk for hours about her plans!

Read on for her New Year Resolutions (maybe you’ll be inspired- I was!)

Allison at The Book Wheel- New Year Resolutions

Hi Travelers! My name is Allison and I blog over at The Book Wheel about books, politics, and other shenanigans. I’m so excited that Tamara has asked me over to share with you my New Year’s Resolutions. This year is the first time “get healthier” and “lose weight” isn’t on my list because, frankly, I never follow through with them. And if I do, it’s by accident and not because of any direct efforts on my part. Plus, I already gave up soda! So, this year my resolutions are as follow:

Read more award winning books. This isn’t an official challenge or anything, but I find that I often miss out on the award winners because I’m bogged down with other books I need to read. This year, I’m going to try to read the nominees before the winners are announced and, if I miss one or two, read them once they do win.
Take less author requests. I know, I know. This one sounds so callous. But I get roughly 5-10 author requests per day and, as much as I’d like to read them all, I simply can’t. This past year I learned that saying yes to everyone also means that I rarely have time to read the books already on my shelf, like the award winners.
Spend less time online by focusing on the task at hand. This is going to be hard because I run a website, but I really need to streamline my online time. I have a bad habit of blogging while watching television, which then takes 10x longer, and I can easily waste a day on something that should have taken me an hour. That wasted times mean less time for studying, hanging with my husband, and reading.
Put down the iPhone when I’m at home. This one goes hand-in-hand with my previous resolution. I also have a nasty habit of keeping my phone on and near my at all times and it needs to stop. When I’m spending time with my husband (even if it’s just watching TV), I am going to put my phone on silent and in the other room. Maybe I’ll get a home phone for emergencies, but I really need to stop relying on my phone when I already have an iPad and MacBook. I’m *considering* removing my social media apps from my phone, but that sounds so scary!

Did you pick up any resolution ideas from Allison? I hope so! Tell me in the comments if you did!

Guest Post: Alison Law talks how 2014 is the year to be “Imperfect”

Alison Law is a force to be reckoned with. Alison is a marketing genius. Smart as a whip- and kind! Alison, besides being you know busy with school, Alison Law Communications, and other things- also finds time to be a member of She Reads (where she lovingly made a master list of She Reads bloggers for Twitter- there is that marketing mind!) I asked Alison if she had time to write a guest post- and she agreed. And her post, about permission to be imperfect, is honest and heartwarming.

Alison Law resolves to be Imperfect in 2014

This Year I Resolve to be Imperfect

I am an achievement and self-improvement junkie, so the approach of a New Year sends my already-active brain into overdrive. As I write this—on December 31—my dining room table has become a cluttered command center of “let’s do everything bigger and better in 2014!” Business and personal finance books, goals worksheets and planning materials intermingle with new health insurance cards and New Year’s greeting cards. I hover on the cusp of greatness and I love it.

I can ignore my crime scene of an office and chores today because I’ll be reborn as a meticulous cleaning machine in less than 12 hours. I can eat these Totino’s pizza rolls (with real pepperoni seasoning!), corn chips and French onion dip until I pop today, because when that smartphone strikes midnight, a virtuous and health-conscious Alison will take the keys from me, and my calorie record will be expunged.

The reason that we stay up way past our bedtimes, wearing cardboard party hats and tiaras that leave glitter rashes on our foreheads, is that we (the collective pronoun) love change within our control. We’re in love with the idea of a clean slate, a fresh start and all the other clichés for tidy beginnings. Possibility is intoxicating. Potential is out there, just waiting for us to sidle up next to it and give it a scratch behind the ear.

That’s why I wasn’t a bit surprised to learn in this New York Times article that human beings get a bigger jolt of happiness from planning their vacations than actually going on the trips. Anticipation is a lusty bedfellow to the inner control freak who thinks she can plan everything terrific that can possibly happen in the next twelve months until it’s impossible for the mundane or bad stuff to coexist. This myth appeals to every part of my borderline-OCD personality, but it is just a horrible lie. Because if there’s anything I’ve learned (earned) in my almost 40 years of living on this planet, it’s this: when you resolve to be perfect—at cleaning, eating, exercising, etc.—you’re setting yourself up for utter failure.

Therefore, in terms of resolutions, I’m going to relish the reading and planning that always accompanies my greeting a New Year; I always learn a lot and appreciate those embers that keep my intellectual fires stoked. 2013 was a wonderful year in a lot of ways, but it had its painful moments, too. Enough moments to remind me that I need to leave room in my crazy life for the unexpected crazy. No planning can defeat the uninvited crazy, so I’m just going to make up the guest room and put out the nice towels for it. There’s still plenty of room for dreams and goals, but my aspirations have a better shot when I evict perfectionism and let the unplanned have run of the house.

If you liked Alison’s post, here is bio, here is Alison Law Communications, and Alison’s other website, Southern Spines (which is a treat to read!)

Guest Post: Erin Bass from Deep South Magazine shares her resolutions & learns the power of “no”

Erin Bass. Southern Lit. Supporter of blogs. Amazing writer. Smart and savvy. Erin’s mind is always ticking away- and her features on Deep South Magazine are incredible. She has her finger on the pulse of Southern Lit.

A tweet from Erin while I was at my first Sweet Potato Queen weekend back in 2011 started our friendship- and it has grown beyond just a Twitter friendship. I trust Erin with my thoughts about blogging and books and more.

Erin Bass of Deep South Magazine talks about saying “no”

“Saying No in 2014”

I’ve been thinking a lot this past year about resolutions and changes I’d like to make in 2014. I know, why wait until the end of the year to try and do better when I could have been making changes all along? Because some of us (me) need that extra push and the excuse of a holiday to get motivated. As I get older, I find it helps to spend time reflecting on the past year and setting goals for things I want to accomplish in the future. Resolutions in my thirties have become about getting things done (but not just for the sake of crossing them off a list), having no regrets and living life to the fullest.

Since an online magazine doesn’t run itself, work is always a priority. I’m thankful that my work is something I enjoy, but I’m always trying to improve. In 2014, I want to be more focused on what I’d like to accomplish for Deep South. It’s easy to get sidetracked by the vast amount of emails, story pitches and ideas we receive. Again, I’m thankful that readers are enthusiastic enough to send an email and make suggestions for stories, but we can’t accept all of them. I need to really consider what fits with our mission and what will help us grow in the coming year.

Accomplishing this and sticking with it will take some forethought and planning, something I’m spending the first week of January doing. As most Southerners know — especially Southern women — it’s hard to say “no.” We are people pleasers and were raised to be polite and agreeable. The word “no” isn’t really in our vocabulary, and it’s difficult for me to risk disappointing someone by saying it. Heck, it was difficult just to turn on my “out of office” the week of New Year’s, but I needed some time to regroup.

What I’ve been conscious of this past year is that by saying “yes” all the time, I’ve become overcommitted and not able to enjoy anything. While doing one of the many things I’ve said yes to, I’m thinking about my next commitment and how many tasks are still left undone. I’m not present in the moment, and I’m resentful toward the person I’ve said yes to. The only person to blame for this is myself.

So, in 2014 — as gracefully and politely as possible — I will be saying no a lot more. No, I can’t bring a dish to yet another dinner or even attend said dinner. No, I won’t be able to attend that charity function, luncheon or networking event. Instead, I’m going to spend time doing things that are meaningful to me and actually enjoy them while I’m doing them.

I’ll take time to finish that short story I started at the beginning of last year and maybe even write another one. I’ll enjoy lunch with an old friend and not be thinking about getting to my next commitment. I’ll crack open that book that just arrived in the mail and take an hour to curl up and read on the couch without the distraction of an email or text. If I do attend that dinner, it will be because I want to and I’ll enjoy the company while I’m there.

It’s hard to not feel selfish about this resolution, but I’ve come to realize that saying no is about extending some of that “yes” to ourselves. I realize that I don’t need to tell myself yes every time I want another piece of chocolate or glass of wine, but I do need to give myself permission to slow down and put work aside sometimes. Often, like in the case of a good book or developing a friendship with someone I’ve interviewed or met through Twitter, work and pleasure intermingle. It’s in these moments that I truly enjoy my life and work.

Hopefully saying no to those empty obligations and yes to those moments that really enrich my life will make 2014 an even better year for myself and Deep South.

If you don’t read Deep South Magazine– check it out!