Spotlight On: The Harbormaster's Daughter by Heidi Jon Schmidt

Sunbathing (or in my case, burning :D), ice cream cones, mini golf, and sand between your toes--- these are all fun things to do in the summertime on Cape Cod. The Cape is a gorgeous, comfy place to spend a lazy summer; I've enjoyed time spent there with family and friends. But for 16-year-old Vita Gray, living in the beautiful vacation town of Oyster Creek is more of a nightmare than a vacation. Cape Cod native, and author of "The House On Oyster Creek", Heidi Jon Schmidt brings readers a beautifully written tale of life, love, and loss in "THE HARBORMASTER’S DAUGHTER".

Set in Cape Cod’s small fishing village of Oyster Creek, readers meet 16-year-old Vita Gray, the illegitimate daughter of Franco Neves, a married fisherman of Portuguese ancestry; and Sabine Gray, an art restorer from “the other side of the bridge.” When Sabine is brutally murdered, Vita is adopted by Sabine’s closest friend, LaRee Farnham, who carefully shields her from the knowledge of the murder, and the huge rifts it exposed in the community. Now a teenager, Vita begins to emerge from her shyness and isolation, and she starts to learn the candid truth about the murder of her mother.

Inspired by the tragic murder of Cape Cod resident Christa Worthington in 2002, which made huge headlines here in Massachusetts, Schmidt brings readers the tragic and hopeful tale of a young girl on a search to find her identity, and more importantly to find out who her mother truly was and why she was murdered. Not only is "THE HARBORMASTER’S DAUGHTER" a coming of age story of a teenage girl, but a novel about the rich history and complex geography of life on Cape Cod.

Readers everywhere will connect not only to the beautiful scenery of Cape Cod, but to young Vita Gray, who truly begins to find herself after the death of her mother and the struggles she endures living in a small town. "THE HARBORMASTER’S DAUGHTER" will have readers laughing, crying and most importantly, wanting more.

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THE HARBORMASTER'S DAUGHTER
By: Heidi Jon Schmidt
Publisher: NAL Trade Paperback Original
ISBN: 978-0-451237873
Genre: FICTION, CONTEMPORARY
Format: Trade Paperback
Length: 368 pages
Release Date: August 7, 2012


Book Blurb (from goodreads):

On a freezing January night, LaRee Farnham answers a knock at her door to find a policewoman holding three-year old Vita Gray, whose mother has just been murdered a few miles away. LaRee raises Vita with fierce love and attention, while trying to shield her from the aftermath of the murder, which has deeply divided the historic village of Oyster Creek.

Born out of wedlock, Vita is the product of the town’s two very different cultures: the hardworking fishing families of Portuguese descent and the "washashores” from the mainland who’ve drifted to the coast for its beauty. At sixteen, Vita is shy and isolated, estranged from her father and bullied at school, but she is determined to come out of herself, step by step.

When the shocking details of her past surface suddenly, Vita feels utterly betrayed by those closest to her, and the fraught tension between Oyster Creek’s two cultures comes to a head. LaRee must ask hard questions about herself as a mother, while Vita turns to unexpected avenues to find meaning and discovers that the truth is almost never found in black and white....

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Heidi Jon Schmidt is a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop and author of four books, "THE HOUSE ON OYSTER CREEK", "THE BRIDE OF CATASTROPHE", "DARLING?" and "THE ROSE THIEVES".

Her essays and stories have been published in The New York Times,The Atlantic, Grand Street, Yankee, The Boston Globe etc., and heard on National Public Radio. Her stories have been included in The O'Henry Awards, Best American Nonrequired Reading, Twenty under Thirty and others.

She is married to the writer RD Skillings, and has lived in Provincetown Massachusetts for 25 years--long enough that she dared to set "THE HOUSE ON OYSTER CREEK" among the oyster farms at the tip of Cape Cod.

The Washington Post Book World has said "It is impossible to disentangle the comic from the tragic in Schmidt's writing. She is incapable of cliche."

Find Heidi online at:

Website
Facebook
goodreads

Dusty Reads Link Up

 

Dusty Reads is a meme started by Giselle at Xpresso Reads featuring a book that has been sitting unread on your shelf for some time. Books don't have to be 'x' years old. If you've had the book for a few months without reading it, it's dusty! :D You can post on any day but Giselle and I usually post or put up a linky on Tuesdays. If you don't use the button, try to link back to this post or Giselle's so others will know how/where to link up.   

You can use the above button, the one below or create your own if you prefer.

If the link doesn't work, please let me know.

Micro-libraries, a new trend

It seems as if all of a sudden, every time I log into facebook or twitter, there's a new item about micro libraries. What is a micro library? According to this post, a micro library is a community curated outside library of free books. They can be located in mailboxes, cars, former phone booths, any available space easily accessible on or from the street. There are now different groups devoted to establishing these micro libraries throughout the US and I've even heard of a few outside of the US.

One such group is the Little Free Library; they have installed hundreds of micro-lending stations, largely on private properties around the United States and Canada. They also provide instruction in starting your own.

As I understand, these micro-libraries are not trying to replace traditional public libraries, but supplement. They are completely volunteer and donation based, community run and often innovative. While they lack the resources and support of a traditional library, the collections are eclectic, the hours are often 24/7, often no card is needed, and sometimes they're available in areas where traditional libraries are not.

I love libraries, and I love that in the US, libraries are free; you borrow a book, get to read it, return it and there's no fee. There may be fees for other services, depending on your library, but the access to a large collection of books, for free....it's an awesome concept. But even the traditional public library has it's drawbacks and it seems like the micro-libraries have the potential to supplement and fill needs that the public library can't. I'm delighted to see them spring up and I hope they continue to grow and flourish. 

For more info and some pics of micro-libraries, try here, here, here, and here.

The Sunday Post Mailbox & Recap #14

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. 
~this meme was inspired in part by - In My Mailbox~

It's a chance to share News. 

A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. 

I'm back in the land of the living! Woo Hoo! I even returned to work for a few hours on Friday and tomorrow I return full-time. Then next week, school closes for two weeks; one week is vacation for teachers and then the second week is out prep week for the new year. If all goes well, I'll have procedure number two during that week. It's not ideal, since I'll have to miss prep time but it does mean that they won't need to cover me in the classroom. I'll know more after I see the doctor on Tuesday. 

Being home was very dangerous for my kindle and my bookshelves. It was an ORGY! Kindle freebies, reviews both requested and unsolicited, library books, and another book won. *shakes head* It was almost too much of a good thing. 

Because there were so many, I am A) not listing them all, and B) only doing a few pictures. This post would be insane otherwise. I'm just listing the ones I'm most excited about.

Oh, and my new floors are in! They look really good and no more carpet! That'll be good for my allergies and my asthma. But, I had to stay at a friend's house while that happened and I was still recuperating. Not sure yet what I'll do as a thank you, but she's not a big reader so it won't be books.

2 reviews:  Wild Card by Moira Rogers  (and not a very good one at that. I may re-write it at some point) and The Book of Lost Fragrances by MJ Rose.

A cover reveal for upcoming PNR and UF books by DB Reynolds and Patricia Briggs.

A promo post to raise awareness and money for rescuing bunnies, still ongoing.

Review Copy Clean Up Challenge: Here's a link to my goals post, with an update on last week's accomplishments; I didn't do as well as I wanted but I still have time. 

Library

I saw "Pies and Prejudice" at another blog's Sunday Post last week and immediately requested it from my library. :) 

Review

 I requested a lot of books at NetGalley, fully expecting to be denied some. Yeah, that backfired; when I count on being rejected they surprise me and say "Here you go!". :D So, this is a sample of what I got, but not all. It's a mix of books for school and books for me, all for the blog.

Some unsolicited review books that I'll probably do:

Won

 This was another goodreads giveaway. I am impressed; I won two books in the past two weeks there and both arrived in under a week. It often takes a month or longer for books to arrive.

Kindle Freebies

So, by no means comprehensive, but a sampling of the week's goodies. I expect next week will be slower, which is good since I have a lot of reading and reviewing to do. :)

How was your week? Leave a link in the comments and I'll come by and visit.

Review of The Book of Lost Fragrances by MJ Rose

Publisher: Atria Books
Release date: March 13, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon      Barnes & Noble     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (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.

Reviewed By: Bea


Bea's Thoughts:

This was my first book by MJ Rose and I wasn't sure what to expect. It got a lot of hype, which often turns me off, but it sounded a little bit like a Phyllis Whitney or Nora Roberts book so I thought I'd try it.

It has a little of just about everything, for everyone: mystery, politics, current events, religion, reincarnation, intrigue, history, and romance! For the most part, the mix works though it's a lot to squish together. I was surprised at the predominance of the politics and current events; I had not gotten that impression from the book blurb. I also didn't realize it was part of her Reincarnationist series until I was poking around on goodreads for more info; that said, it worked perfectly fine as a stand alone.

I enjoyed learning more about perfume, it's history, how it's made, etc. and the historical flashbacks and reincarnation scenes were interesting. The religious/political/current events subplots worked less well; Rose made them work with the perfume plot but overall they felt grafted on and not a natural part of the story. She did seem to do a good job of research and also of not clubbing us over the head with information.

The romance portion of the story did not work for me at all. I should state that I am not a fan of exes reuniting; it so rarely works in real life and I've read damn few stories where I found it believable. Given what drove them apart, I didn't buy their getting back together not did I ever feel either the alleged passion or love.

Overall, this book was okay; I never really got invested in the characters or cared what happened. I'm not in a rush to read more by Rose, for whatever that may be worth.

I received a digital galley from the publisher for review.

Books for Bunnies

So, I like bunnies; they're cute, sweet (HUSH John! Your opinion is irrelevant :P) and like many animals, often mistreated. :( Now, whether an animal is a pet, destined for food, a working animal, what have you, there is NO, NO reason ever to mistreat them.

Books for Bunnies

Books for Bunnies is an event set up by the bloggers over at The Bunny’s Review and coordinated with the help of blogger Alchemy of Scrawl.

These two ladies have worked tirelessly in getting authors to donate eBooks for the event. Currently there are over 100 eBooks that have been donated, along with over 30 print books. Some of the print books are even signed by the author’s themselves.

The event is to help raise money for the House Rabbit Society. The House Rabbit Society (or HRS) is a 501 non-profit organization to help raise awareness and to rescue rabbits from animal shelters. Below is a little about the background of the HRS.

House Rabbit Society Background

House Rabbit Society is a national, nonprofit animal welfare organization based in Richmond, California. Our mission has two parts:
• Through our fostering program, volunteers rescue abandoned rabbits and find permanent adoptive homes for them.
• Through education, we seek to reduce the number of unwanted rabbits — and to improve bunnies' lives — by helping people better understand these often misunderstood companion animals.

In line with our mission, we are against the exploitation of rabbits.

Since HRS was founded in 1988, over 25,000 rabbits have been rescued through our foster homes across the United States. Many of these bunnies had run out of time at animal shelters and were scheduled for euthanasia; others had been deemed "unadoptable" because of age, health, or disposition. Because there is no time limit on our rescued rabbits, HRS foster parents are able to spend time getting to know each individual bunny and can then match him or her with an appropriate home. We neuter/spay all incoming rabbits, obtain any necessary veterinary care, and attend to their social needs.

In caring for so many diverse bunnies, our all-volunteer organization has learned a tremendous amount about their social, behavioral, and medical requirements. By sharing the collected information these rabbits have taught us, we are able to help other people improve their relationships with their rabbits. HRS provides educational materials to veterinarians and humane societies and helps individual rabbit people solve behavior and health problems, primarily through our web site, www.rabbit.org, and our quarterly publication, House Rabbit Journal.

Over the past 20 years, HRS has grown from 300 to more than 8,000 members, with local chapters and educators in over 30 states plus Canada, Italy, Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore. Our web site, www.rabbit.org, is accessed over 100,000 times a day by people in dozens of countries around the world.

We are asking people to donate money to the HRS at this link through Network for Good. The person that makes a donation will receive either an eBook or print book equal to the amount donated. There are books ranging in price from 99 cents to $27.00. There are several print copies of the books that have been autographed by the author.

The person that donates will receive an email thanking them for donating. That email needs to be forwarded to books4bunnys@bunnysreview.com. This will show the amount that has been donated. Please remember there is not any donation that is too small. Any amount will be greatly appreciated. (Even if it's only a dollar! Every bit helps ~ Bea) The HRS will use the money to either help pay for vet bills or help in finding a forever home for the hundreds of bunnies in their care.

Please if possible take a moment to donate a couple of dollars to the HRS you never know what bunny’s life you might be saving.

Suzie & The Bunnies - CupCake & Coale

Books for Bunnies




So please, take a minute and donate any amount you are able to help a rabbit. Yes, you too John.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveals! D.B. Reynolds and Patricia Briggs

Two hot new book covers were officially released this week, both by authors who are among my favorites. PNR author D.B. Reynolds has a novella releasing next week, "Betrayed", set in her Vampires in America world. "Betrayed" is a Cyn and Raphael story. D.B. commented in her blog post about the cover, "Plus, you can’t see it here, ‘cuz I don’t have the hi rez image yet, but Raphael’s eyes are black with a silver spark. So pretty." I'm looking forward to seeing those silver eyes!

Click on the covers for the goodreads synopsis.

The other new cover is "Frost Burned", the next Mercy Thompson book from Patricia Briggs. Sadly, it's not out until March 2013. That is a long time to wait. :( The cover was unofficially released by a European blog a few weeks but it's now official. Once again, it's by Daniel Dos Santos, who does amazing work.

Gorgeous covers, wonderful authors, good stories....I'm ready to read them NOW!

Review of Wild Card by Moira Rogers

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services (re-release)
Series: Down and Dirty #1
Release date: June 3, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon     Barnes & Noble    ARe

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

 As Alpha of the Lonely River Pack, Jack Owens is responsible for keeping the peace between what's left of the human population and the wolves who have taken over since the War. All wolves are his responsibility, even the ones like Virginia Howard who don't necessarily recognize his authority. Ginny's been a thorn in Jack's side since she took over her parent's operation and established herself as one of the area's premiere ranchers. The fact that she's everything he wants in a mate makes it hard to stay away from her, but any good hunter knows how to bide his time.

Ginny fights hard to maintain her independence from men, human and werewolf alike. The humans may not like having a woman as their chief competition, but they're not the ones determined to see her submit. When a group of angry wolves try to run her out of business, she's forced to accept Jack's assistance. But in saving her ranch, Ginny runs the risk of losing something far greater--her heart.



Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

I do enjoy the writing of the Moira Rogers; it's pretty much guaranteed by now that I'll like whatever they write. This series was released a few years ago, in 2008, but recently they regained the rights and re-released it. It's currently free at the above buying links.

Though "Wild Card" is short, Rogers manages to work in character development, story development and lay the groundwork for more stories. I didn't entirely buy into the motivation of the wolves attacking Ginny and in fact I thought it seriously undermined Jack's position as Alpha. But the Rogers team are too good to miss that, they do address his position and he's mistakes he's made. It's a quick, fun read; not their best but definitely worth a read.




I own this ebook.