Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd, Book review & GIVEAWAY

Publisher: Howard Books; Original edition (April 9, 2013)

ISBN-13: 978-1439183168

Synopsis:


From the acclaimed author of To Die For comes a stirring novel told that sheds new light on Elizabeth I and her court. 

Like Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, Sandra Byrd has attracted countless fans for evoking the complexity, grandeur, and brutality of the Tudor period. In her latest tour de force, she poses the question: What happens when serving a queen may cost you your marriage--or your life?

In 1565, seventeen-year-old Elin von Snakenborg leaves Sweden on a treacherous journey to England. Her fiance has fallen in love with her sister and her dowry money has been gambled away, but ahead of her lies an adventure that will take her to the dizzying heights of Tudor power. Transformed through marriage into Helena, the Marchioness of Northampton, she becomes the highest-ranking woman in Elizabeth's circle. But in a court that is surrounded by Catholic enemies who plot the queen's downfall, Helena is forced to choose between her unyielding monarch and the husband she's not sure she can trust--a choice that will provoke catastrophic consequences.

Vividly conjuring the years leading up to the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots, Roses Have Thorns is a brilliant exploration of treason, both to the realm and to the heart.

My thoughts:

History has taught us something of the English Court various intrigues, tumultuous political and religious plots yet I must credit Sandra Byrd's 'Roses Have Thorns' for bringing it just as vividly as a full screen movie seen through the eyes of young Elin of Sweden. 

Arriving in England in 1565 after months of hazardous traveling to reach the English soil, Elin Von Snakenborg discovers the stupendous world of the Tudors in all its glory. This is a time for New Age, a time of illumination, amazing discoveries and much treachery amongst nobles.
When the young Swede decides to remain at Court she soon becomes an intimate of the Queen herself. Elin is now known as Helena, Marchioness of Northampton, and we discover in her a most remarkable woman living in court yet struggling to retain some measure of privacy for herself and her family.

Sandra Byrd's story gives readers an idea of the entitlement of a lady in waiting position's, its multiple duties and much sought after power, yet also the sacrifices it ultimately required in such a tumultuous time. 

Anyone enjoying this time period will delight in all the glitter and myriad of details provided betwixt the pages including the footnotes and reading group guide. 

As for myself, as much as I love history, I found the overall plot somewhat prosaic despite its colourful ostentation.
I will summarize by saying I am relieved I did not live in such a troubled time!

4 Stars!


About the Author:

After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published more than forty books. Her adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named by Library Journal as a Best Books Pick for 2011 and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012. Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I published in April, 2013.

Sandra has also published dozens of books for tweens and teens. 

Visit her website (HERE)

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Sandra Byrd's novel compliments of the author and HOWARD BOOKS, the promoter!
I like to make it easy as you know by now. Just place a comment on this post by Midnight on 17th May 2013. Like everyone I like comments after all!
Using Random.org a winner will be chosen and his/her name will be announced on this blog on Saturday the 18th of May 2013. I will then forward the winner's name to the promoter! Voila!
 

Best wishes to all,

I received these books from HOWARD BOOKS as part of their blogger review program. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own. 

Can't Wait Willow! Book review & GIVEAWAY

Publisher: Ideals Children's Books (April 1, 2013)

ISBN-13: 978-0824956486

Synopsis:

Choose Right. Shine Bright.
The first book in a new series about helping children learn how to make good choices.
 
Willow is so excited that the Over-the-Top Circus has finally come to town! The only problem is that when left to make her own decisions, she can't say 'no' to her favorite things. On the way to the show, she is distracted by enticing treats and fun that she just can't turn down.

Willow arrives late and is sad to find that not only has she has run out of time, but money, and she won't be able to enjoy the pink cotton candy she's been dreaming of. Willow is given valuable advice and a second chance and is ultimately taught the lesson that sometimes in life you have to say 'no' to good things to end up with something great!

My thoughts:

Christy Ziglar brings us a wonderful book in the series Shine Bright Kids title Can't -Wait Willow!
Can't - wait Willow is all about choices and little ones will love to check out the beautiful illustrations and follow the little star indicative of the right and wrong choices made by Willow! Be prepare to read this one many times!

Sometimes it is very hard to say no and Willow's lesson in choosing the right thing will give Parents, Grandparents and children the perfect opportunity to learn together.

Part of a delightful series to provide education, entertainment and of course inspire little ones, this first book promises to be a hit with one and all!

Christy Ziglar admits she used to dream of joining the Circus as a child and Willow's anticipation of the Circus coming to town will ring a bell or two with most of us! A perfect opportunity follows for Willow to make her choice but she did not think ahead and soon must face the consequence!

Well written of course and including Luanne Marten's delightful illustrations, this book is well worth 5 stars!



About the Author:

Christy Ziglar is passionate about helping people shine their brightest! The founder of Shine Bright Kid Company, mother of twins, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and niece of legendary motivator and the world’s original optimist, Zig Ziglar, Christy hopes the Shine Bright Kids series will bring practical life skills and ageless wisdom to the next generation.

For more visit her website (HERE)

I am always thrilled to pass along quality books and this one is sure to please Mums and Dads, Grandparents and little ones everywhere!

Thanks to the generous offer of PROPELLER, I have the opportunity to offer one lucky winner a copy of Christy's book!

To enter is simple: Place a comment on this post and your name will be entered in the giveaway. Be sur eto include a way to contact you for winning confirmation.

You have until Midnight 17th May 2013 to enter. 
Using Random.org a winner will be chosen and his/her name will be posted on the 18th May 2013 on this blog!
Winner will be send a copy of the book as soon as I have confirmation of postal address!
Voila! Easy!!

I received this book from PROPELLER as part of their blogger review program. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own. 

Sweet Life, Apologies and Giveaways...

When life is slow and sweet, you tend to forget the rest of the world...
Outch!
Time however flies and I forgot to post the name of our winner for...

So with little fanfare but much apologies, here is the winner of Hey God, I've got some guy named Jonah in my stomach...(see review HERE)

Kayla Rice!

May 1, 2013 at 1:16 PM

This looks like a good read. Thank you for this review :) I am a new follower!!

Thank you for your patience Kayla! I will contact you shortly to get a postal address and the promoter will send you the book!

A word of thanks to FLYBY Promotions for all their heartfelt support and giveaways!

 

 

Note to Readers: Be sure to stop by for more giveaways in the next day or so!!

Ring The Bell DVD Winner announcement!

A few days ago I reviewed  an amazing inspirational DVD called RING THE BELL (see HERE) and now it is time to announce the winner!

Glogirl 

 

May 1, 2013 at 7:59 PM

 

'Sounds like a great family friendly movie! If this giveaway is open to Canada, please enter me.'

CONGRATULATIONS GLOGIRL!

I will contact you via email shortly to obtain your postal address and I hope you will enjoy the story and the music!

Thanks everyone for entering and be sure to check again for upcoming giveaways!

 

We Shall Not Sleep by Anne Perry, Book review

Publisher: Ballantine Books; First Edition edition (April 10, 2007)

ISBN-13: 978-0345456601

Synopsis:

Anne Perry’s magnificent Victorian mysteries established her as one of the world’s best known and loved historical novelists. Now, in her vividly imagined World War I novels, Perry’s talents “have taken a quantum leap” (The Star-Ledger), and so has the number of her devoted readers. We Shall Not Sleep, the final book in this epic series featuring the dedicated Reavley family, is perhaps the most memorably enthralling of all Perry’s novels.

After four long years, peace is finally in sight. But chaplain Joseph Reavley and his sister Judith, an ambulance driver on the Western Front, are more hard pressed than ever. Behind the lines, violence is increasing: soldiers are abusing German prisoners, a nurse has been raped and murdered, and the sinister ideologue called the Peacemaker now threatens to undermine the peace just as he did the war.

Then Matthew, the third Reavley sibling and an intelligence expert, suddenly arrives at the front with startling news. The Peacemaker’s German counterpart has offered to go to England and expose his co-conspirator as a traitor. But with war still raging and prejudices inflamed, such a journey would be fraught with hazards, especially since the Peacemaker has secret informers everywhere, even on the battlefield.

For richness of plot, character, and feeling, We Shall Not Sleep is unmatched. Anne Perry’s brilliantly orchestrated finale is a heartstopping tour de force, mesmerizing and totally satisfying.

 (1914 - Duty calls)

My thoughts:

I literally stumbled on this novel whilst researching WW1's German invasion of Belgium's coastal area not  knowing it was Book 5 of Anne Perry's fictional WW1 novels.
Anne Perry exemplify these rare authors who subtly brings you up to date on characters giving you the opportunity to catch up, very much appreciated in this case.

In 'We Shall Not Sleep' her mesmerizing narration brings us face to face with the horror of four years of trench warfare. It is now Octobre 1918, the Flanders fields resemble a waste land unimaginable and the stench of death hangs everywhere. Casualties are staggering, the face of the world changed for ever.

The 1914 flooding of the land effected by the Belgians as they opened the dikes have accomplished their purpose and slowed down the enemy's advance. Trench warfare betwixt Allied and the now dispirited enemy armies is still raging on, yet only a few days remains before the much anticipated Armistice.

Faced with barren towns, looted treasures and the ravage of constant bombardment, the mind boggling butchery of old fashioned military tactics have taken an unprecedented toll on both Armed forces and hapless civilians. Tension is high and for the Reavley family, the end cannot come soon enough. They paid a high price in trying to stop the cunning 'Peacemaker'. His failed attempt to sway the outcome of the war has only made him more determined to clout the upcoming Armistice by enabling the merging of Great Britain and Germany in one major imperial power and allowing the rise of Germany once again within a few years.

As a chaplain Joseph Reavley has seen his share of horrors and know his world will never be the same. The youngest of the Reavley's siblings and a volunteer ambulance driver, Judith has found a purpose in her life these last four years and wonders what awaits women like herself upon returning home. Matthew Reavley is a high ranking SIS man who believes he still has a chance to stop the traitor by helping the Peacemaker's German counterpart to cross the lines and expose the wily conspirator to the Prime minister.

But when a vicious murder is discovered nearby at the front, the Reavley's siblings face the knowledge the Peacemaker's has conspirators everywhere and he will stop at nothing to retrieve the treaty signed by the Kaiser, tangible proof of his ignominy and hidden by their father somewhere at home.

Leaving no dire aspect of such an horrendous timeline, the talented Anne Perry weaves a fast paced thriller that will have you turn page after page. As she describes the expectation of the upcoming Armistice, readers come to realize her daunting fictitious narrative sustain neither victor or loser, but reflects only a most humbling experience, that of spending a few pragmatic hours amongst those who gave it all in the name of honour and valour almost 100 years ago.

(1918 - The end is near)

Let me close this review with an excerpt of the 'measure' of a brave soldier:

'My grandfather fought Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. My father and I fought in the Crimea, battle of the Alma, 1854. I was twenty three. Heard General Campbell tell us: "There's no retreat from here men. You must die where you stand". He died in my arms. My son lost his legs in the Zulu Wars, 1879, at Rorke's Drift - hundred and thirty nine of us against five thousand Zulus. My grandson fell at Passchendaele. Fifty thousand we lost in the first day. ...It's not winning or losing that says who you are, it's the courage that makes you stand fast, with your eyes forward, and fight for what you love.'

For Arnold and all those who fought in the trenches, 5 Stars (and worth so much more!) 


About the Author:

Anne Perry is the bestselling author of two acclaimed series set in Victorian England: the William Monk novels, including Dark Assassin and The Shifting Tide, and the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels, including The Cater Street Hangman, Calandar Square, Buckingham Palace Gardens and Long Spoon Lane. She is also the author of the World War I novels No Graves As Yet, Shoulder the Sky, Angels in the Gloom, At Some Disputed Barricade, and We Shall Not Sleep, as well as six holiday novels, most recently A Christmas Grace. 

Visit her website (HERE)

And for those interested in WW1 events don't miss Anne's Trench warfare notes (HERE)

Note: You know the drill...Unless specifically stated, all opinions reflected are solely my own and were not requested!

For Pet Lovers Only...

For those of you who have yet to meet me, my name is Maira (from Chimaira) and yes, that's my true name!

Like all pets in this family, I was rescued (at the eleventh hour, truly!) and came on this Pacific NW island three years ago.

Mum says I'm all hair at 8.5 pounds and I'm called a long haired American Tabby or so they told Mum at the jail (pound)! My favourite spot? On her lap!

'Mac' is Mum's shadow but I am his. I just refuse to play Frisbee!

 

When Mum gets a parcel, I get first 'dibs'!

 Life is good!

Copycat!

Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn by Evangeline Kelley, Books review & GIVEAWAY

Publisher: Guideposts Books (April 1, 2013)

ISBN-13: 978-0824932473

Publisher: Guideposts Books (April 1, 2013)

ISBN-13: 978-0824932466

Synopsis:

Three sisters, a charming inn, hints of mystery and romance, and a gorgeous seaside setting. Summer reading at its finest!

In Sunflower Summer: 

Misty Harbor Inn officially opens, and Gracie Gold, the middle Marris sister, wrestles with an overwhelming decision. As the sisters learn the day-to-day workings of running an inn, Gracie counsels its first guests, newlyweds whose honeymoon seems to be ending before it begins. Meanwhile, Sam's discovery of a clue in a secret room sheds unflattering light on Hannah Montague, who vanished from the house more than one hundred years ago. And as Gracie and Caroline welcome guests to the inn, they are delighted to see how God uses it -- and them -- to deepen relationships and transform lives.

In Seaside Harmony:

When Caroline Marris joins her sisters, Gracie Gold and Sam Carter for a Nantucket Island getaway, she has no idea how it will change her life. The sisters stumble upon Misty Harbor Inn, the place their late mother loved so much, and Caroline talks her sisters into buying the beautiful but dilapidated inn. But can free-spirited Caroline stay focused enough to make opening the inn a reality?

Hand-drawn old postcards draw the sisters into the mystery of Hannah Montague, the young widow of the original owner. Can the sisters uncover the fate of this woman who disappeared in 1880? As Caroline and her sisters work together to make their mom's dream a reality, they bond in ways they never expected.


Readers will delight in the inviting setting and be enthralled by the adventures of these sisters who reunite to bring their mother's dream to reality.

My thoughts:

Sunflower Summer and Seaside Harmony, both novels part of the 'Postcards from Misty Harbor series', are drawn against the alluring scenery of quintessential Nantucket island. There we meet three sisters who purchase a dilapidated Victorian home with visions of restoring it to its original glory. The historical inn named the Misty Harbor Inn, soon opens its doors to guests as a B & B, a long time dream of their Mum now deceased. 
Childhood memories emerge, hopes and dreams identifieds whilst the three sisters plunge into the renovation of the old place with all their heart.


In their sixties, Caroline, Gracie and Sam bring each their own brand of talents to this endearing work of love and it is interesting to discover the three sisters individual personas as well as their perception of each other as they slowly bond again.

Let's face it, we have all dreamed of owning such a place and arrange it lovingly whilst welcoming guests, have we not? Think of the fun of meeting people coming and going in your own inn?!
There is however a lot more to it than we might imagine and Evangeline Kelley (actually the pen name for 4 different authors) describes the bittersweet ups and downs of owning a piece of history, complete with mysteries, including a disappearance in the 1800's! 

With just the right amount of details to pique our interest the renovation comes to life and answers are found if sought. As we are often reminded, the good Lord has something in store for each of us and the sisters are discovering their true self in these adventures.

Complete with interesting sub characters, a touch of sweet romance, a wonderful ol' Packard to transport guests and a delightful if mischievous Cocker Spagniel named Max, both easy to read novels are the perfect relaxing novels to tuck in your beach bag!

4 Stars!

Note to Readers: A confession must be made...This reader felt drawn immediately to Sunflower Summer's story and I would like to recommend you read the novels in order, with Seaside Harmony first! 

Landing page: 

http://litfusegroup.com/author/ekelley 

About the Author(s):

Evangeline Kelley is the pen name for the writing team of Patti Berg, Pam Hanson, Barbara Andrews, and Camy Tang, the four authors who collaborated to create Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn. Each of them has published novels individually, but this is their first series together.

Guideposts Books is celebrating the release of their new Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn series with a fun giveaway and a Facebook party on May 9th.

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A Nook HD
• Seaside Harmony and Sunflower Summer by Evangeline Kelley

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 8th. Winner will be announced at the Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn Author Chat Facebook Party on 5/9. 

Connect with Patti Berg, Pam Andrews, Barbara Hanson, and Camy Tang (who collaborated together under the pen name, Evangeline Kelley) for an evening of book chat, trivia, and fun! 

There will also be great giveaways (gift certificates, books, and more) as well as a sneak peek at the next book in the series!

So grab your copies of Seaside Harmony and Sunflower Summer and join readers just like you on the evening of May 9th for a chance to connect with the authors and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the books - don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 9th!

 

 I received these books from LITFUSE as part of their blogger review program. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.