I'm too stupid to write a review.

I told Bea I'd have a review ready for today and I fully intended to.  I've had plenty of time and several good books to spark my interest, so despite the throbbing sinus headache, and the warm bed calling me I fully intended to sit down and write a review.

Then it happened.  My sweet supportive husband reminded me, just as I carried or little man to his bed, that the Early Intervention people would be here first thing in the morning to do an in home interview with me.  We had the first evaluation to see if he really was behind on learning to speak or if he was just one of those kids who have never needed to speak.  They accepted that he's behind on just talking, that we aren't letting his daycare raise him, we're not neglecting him, etc, so now we're at the in home portion.  Yay.  The lady I spoke to told me not to clean up, as they wanted to see his everyday environment, but tonight is my Saturday.  It's the day I usually clean a little, then go to bed early and get up and clean some more while my son and husband are out of the house.  I'm not supposed to clean especially for the interview, but it's my day to clean.  Where's the line of 'normal' and 'oh-my-god-someone-is-coming-to-visit' in this case?

Crap sticks.  Crap, crap, crappity crappertons.

So I start cleaning up.  Then I realize something: Bea's asleep, there's no explaining where I went and why I promised something I wasn't going to deliver on.

So I break out some Adult Power Words.  Y'know the four letter kind, they get used freely and with great feeling, then I realize that this is more procrastination and get back to work

I've vacuumed, straightened the play room slightly (furniture/large toys need to be adjusted after the vacuuming), there's a load of dishes running, counters are wiped down, stove top is cleaned, laundry is piled up ready to go, and the bathrooms are calling my name while holding up toilet brushes and scrubbing bubbles.

I'm taking a break to write this while the latest dose of decongestant starts doing it's job, in the hopes that you'll all forgive me for being such a flake.   I apologize for being so bad with my time management.  I really should have had a pretty little review up for you guys today.  

Okay, enough of this form of procrastination, the bathrooms won't clean themselves.  Wish me luck.

Liz, the lazy lady of (no) leisure

P.S.  If you're feeling generous allow me to hide behind you when Bea comes to kick my ass for this.

Give Away & New Release Celebration for Mary Jo Putney!

Romance author Mary Jo Putney has two books this spring, "The Rake", out now and "No Longer A Gentleman", out April 24th. "The Rake" is a re-release, with a new cover, while "No Longer A Gentleman" is brand new.

To celebrate the release of the books, BookTrib and Surroundings Flowers and Events have joined together. There will be 10 winners and a grand prize winner. The 10 winners will each get a copy of both books. The grand prize winner will receive the books AND three consecutive months of exquisite fresh flower arrangements delivered to their door. To enter that giveaway, click on the image below.

But wait! There's more! Thanks to BookTrib, I also have copies of both books to give away to one lucky person. You can enter both giveaways to up your chances of winning the books. If you want the flowers, make sure to enter BookTrib's giveaway.

The giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada.
You must be 18 years old to enter.
Read my Giveaway Policy before entering.

Excerpt from Paris In Love: A Memoir by Eloisa James

Romance author Eloisa James, who has been on the New York Times best seller list several times, released a memoir of her time living in Paris, France. It came out on April 3rd, and today I have an excerpt available for you to read, thanks to Random House. Enjoy!

Book Blurb: 

Paris in Love: A Memoir by Eloisa James, New York Times Best Selling Author chronicles her joyful year in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

In 2009, New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James took a leap that many people dream about: she sold her house, took a sabbatical from her job as a Shakespeare professor, and moved her family to Paris. Paris in Love: A Memoir chronicles her joyful year in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

With no classes to teach, no committee meetings to attend, no lawn to mow or cars to park, Eloisa revels in the ordinary pleasures of life—discovering corner museums that tourists overlook, chronicling Frenchwomen's sartorial triumphs, walking from one end of Paris to another. She copes with her Italian husband's notions of quality time; her two hilarious children, ages eleven and fifteen, as they navigate schools—not to mention puberty—in a foreign language; and her mother-in-law Marina's raised eyebrow in the kitchen (even as Marina overfeeds Milo, the family dog).

Paris in Love invites the reader into the life of a most enchanting family, framed by la ville de l'amour.

In addition to the excerpt below, there's a video up on YouTube where she talks about why she moved to Paris and her time there:

Excerpt: Paris in Love by Eloisa James (an excerpt)

IT'S OFFICIAL! I'M GETTING MY LUNGS BURNED.

I know, I know, most people don't get excited about being burned. Hey, you already know I'm weird. :P

But THIS burning is good for me. As I posted back in January, there is now a surgical procedure available for people with severe asthma that involves sticking a specially designed catheter tube down the lungs and burning off layers of smooth muscle. This should result in fewer asthma flares and attacks, and the ones that do occur should be milder. It's not a cure, but it should make life a little easier.

The surgery was only approved in 2010 in the US (I'm not sure if it's available outside of the US yet) and, unfortunately, is not covered by insurance companies yet. But, my regular asthma specialist referred me to a doctor at a research hospital who is running a follow up study. The study is a 5 year long study; the study pays for the surgery and then follows me for 5 years afterwards to track what the results are. The surgery is done in 3 parts, each one approximately three weeks after the preceding one. So, since January I've been seeing the new specialist, following the regimen she laid out for me, and undergoing tests. The research parameters for being accepted into the study are strict and if you don't fall exactly within them, you don't get in. Well, I made it! I'm sick enough to need the surgery, healthy enough to undergo it, and my test results fell within the study protocols.

The only hitch is that I can't have the procedure until July at the earliest. There's two reasons: 1) I have to be healthy for 60 days and 2) I was on prednisone too frequently between July of 2011 and January of this year. That puts me slightly over the acceptable number of incidences so we have to wait several months. If I do have an asthma episode that requires me to be on prednisone, it won't disqualify me; it will postpone the surgery date.

So, for the next three months, I will be a paranoid hermit. I'm heading into prime allergy season and my allergies trigger my asthma. My apartment windows are closed, it won't be too much longer before I turn on the A/C, and I will spend as little time outside as I possibly can. That last will be tricky when I'm at work, I'll need to find a balance.

Three more months. Oh please oh please oh please!!!

Guest Review of The Bitter Seed of Magic by Suzanne McLeod

Publisher: Ace
Series: Spellcrackers #3
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Buying Links: Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from back cover):

For Once, Genny’s life seems quiet. Finn, her sexy boss, isn’t pushing for a decision on their relationship, the seductive vampire Malik al-Kahn has vanished into the shadows and the witches have declared that Genny is no longer a threat. But she knows it’s probably just the calm before the magical storm.

Then a teenage faeling is fished out of the River Thames, dead and bound with magic, and Genny is called in to investigate. Her search exposes age-old secrets that might be better left buried. And when another faeling disappears, Genny is suddenly in a race against time to stop a deadly curse from claiming its next victim: Herself.

Teaser:

 

‘Chomping the sorcerer’s soul was more an instinctive kind of revenge thing,’ I said blandly, ‘payback for the evil bitch sacrificing me.’ See? I have teeth too, oh dogmother.

‘I have already told you, child. I am not here to kill you.’ The phouka’s ears twitched in disapproval, the air wavered around her and Grianne took her human form. She sat next to me, dressed in one of her usual silvery-gray Grecian numbers. Her long, sharp features aligned in a haughty frown. ‘My responsibility here is only to my charge.’

Reviewed By: J.A. Campbell, guest reviewer

Julie's Thoughts:

The Bitter Seed of Magic is the third book in the Spellcrackers series set in London England. Genny is London’s only full Sidhe resident, and though she can’t cast magic, she’s very good at Cracking it. She works for Spellcrackers.com pulling apart or Cracking spells and glamours and otherwise helping to keep the citizens safe from magical abuse. The first two books introduce us to Genny’s strong nature and intelligence as well as setting up a rich and entertaining world where vampires and other supernatural creatures are part of everyday life.

In The Bitter Seed of Magic we learn that London’s Fae population is dieing, or fading away, because of a curse laid upon them by a vengeful Fae queen. They are unable to have children, and the curse must be lifted, but even the queen who laid the curse can’t fix it. The Fae have turned to Genny, as London’s only Sidhe, to Crack the curse. They believe that the only way to fix it is for Genny to have a child of her own, and that this will restore their own fertility. Genny has no desire for her own child but the Fae have lined up suitors, regardless of her wishes, while other powerful creatures have done their best to prevent her from becoming pregnant. Genny is determined to Crack the curse another way and searches for some clue. Meanwhile London’s Fae are being murdered and Genny’s on the case to figure out why. She’s aided by sexy Finn her Satyr boss, dangerous Malik, the vampire who thinks he owns her, and Tavish the Kelpie who’s motivations are rarely clear. The list of people who try to stop her is too long to name.

I really enjoy the first two books in the Spellcracker.com series and this book was no exception. Each novel is a stand-alone murder mystery with a lot of sexy characters and some really interesting subplots, but I’d highly recommend reading them in order. I really like how Suzanne McLeod’s world incorporates the fae as well as vampires, witches and other supernaturals. Each race is richly described and the characters’ motivations or mysteriousness makes sense within the context of the story. Ms. McLeod does a good job of adding in hints to the mysteries, both the main plot of the book, and all the subplots as the book goes on at just the right pace to keep the pages turning.

Genny’s sarcasm is entertaining and her lack of angst is very refreshing. She takes care of those she feels responsible for and does her best to do her job and Crack the curse using whatever resources she has available. The mystery she has to solve takes more than just luck though and she comes across as a highly intelligent character.

I highly recommend this series to people who love a good fresh take on the Urban Fantasy genre. 

The reviewer owns this book. 

**Julie writes fantasy novels. When she’s not out riding her horse, she can usually be found sitting in front of her computer with a cat on her lap and her dog at her side. Her first novel, Senior Year Bites, is available from Decadent Publishing and the sequel is currently under contract. You can find out more at www.writerjacampbell.com

Tribute Books Blog Tour Review of The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality by Gahan Hanmer

 

Publisher: TwoHarbors

Release Date: April 2, 2012

Buying Links: Barnes & Noble     My Book Orders      Amazon

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

Sometimes it's funny how fast things can change, and sometimes it's not... 

Welcome to Albert Keane's beautifully designed medieval kingdom nestled in a completely isolated river valley in the Canadian wilderness. Peaceful, happy, and prosperous, it takes nothing from the modern world, not so much as a single clock.

There is a castle, of course, and a monastery. There is even a pitch dark, rat-infested dungeon - because you simply have to have one if you are trying to rule a feudal kingdom!

Farmers work the land, artisans ply their trades, monks keep school and visit the sick, and nobody (well, almost nobody) misses the modern world at all.

So why has Jack Darcey - actor, wanderer, ex-competitive fencer - been tricked and seduced into paying a visit? And why hasn't anyone told him that the only way to leave is a perilous trek across hundreds of miles of trackless wilderness without a compass or a map?

Because a tide of fear and violence is rising from the twisted ambitions of one of King Albert's nobles, and Albert's fortune teller believes that Jack could turn the tide - if he lives long enough.

Teaser: 

She let me go then; and if you don't think I felt totally crazy, you have to remember that I was dressed fro head to foot as a medieval warrior, and with what I had on my horse thrown in, I was carrying about two hundred pounds of armor and weapons and standing in the middle of some impossible kingdom on the farthest edge of reality. I wasn't in any state to make a rational decision about anything, but in my gut I knew that going back to Marysville wasn't an option, whether or not that could be accomplished anyway. The life I had left behind didn't seem attractive or even real anymore. It was more like a half-remembered dream. The only solid ground I had in the world was right under my feet, I couldn't say that I was actually in love with Albert's kingdom, but I was certainly intrigued and amazed by what I had already seen, and I had been anxious to begin my quest because I wanted to see more. So I knew in my gut that my course was set, dangerous as it obviously now appeared to be.

Reviewed By: Bea

My Thoughts:

At times this book, it reminded me of "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" - the modern man (modern for when the book was published) who finds himself in a medieval kingdom and has to adapt, that same character becoming enmeshed in political intrigues, and the choices that a moral adult has to make. Of course, in ACYIKAC, the main character travels back in time whereas in The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality takes place in one time period but two very different cultures.

Jack Darcey is down on his luck, not sure where his life is going or what he is doing, when an employee of an old prep school friend shows up and drags him to his friend, Albert Keane's, house. Albert spins him a story of his new kingdom up in Canada and sells Jack on joining him there. Of course, the situation isn't quite what Albert, King Albert actually, presented it, but Jack, now Sir Jack, a knight of the realm, finds that he likes life in King Albert's Kingdom - it reminds him in some ways of camping but minus any of the modern accouterments. It's a simpler way of life and one that lets him, in his role of knight, to indulge his protective streak and play hero. But soon, it's not just playing; life in the kingdom has it's violent side and people, regardless of lifestyle, are still capable of greed, jealousy, cruelty and violence. As Jack is still learning how things work in the kingdom, he becomes embroiled in politics and what seemed an idyllic paradise turns into a nightmare.

Hanmer presents a clear look at ideals, dreams and reality and how the choices we make define us. At times, the characters are a little too good to be real and the commoners seem a little too happy with their, admittedly chosen, rural lifestyle. But overall, Hanmer writes real, believable, engaging characters and I was drawn into the story fairly quickly. Events played out realistically in my opinion and his depiction of prison life in the dungeon and the lasting effects it has on a person were chilling while not graphic.

"The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality" is an engrossing, quick read that blends politics, action, romance, a hint of religion, with some psychological insight into modern life. It's a serious book but not heavy, an enjoyable afternoon's read.

Blog Tour Site
Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook

I received a print ARC for review as part of a blog tour.

In My Mailbox #25

 

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren. It's a way to share and highlight all the books we receive, even if we don't review them. l share books that I buy, that I receive for review, get from the library, borrow from a friend, etc.

My TBR shelf on goodreads currently stands at 476; I started the week at 475, read 4, and added 5.

Click on the covers to see the goodreads descriptions.

Won

The publisher did a Twitter giveaway to celebrate the release of the omnibus edition and I was one of the lucky tweeps who won a copy.

Bought

Kindle Freebies

Review

I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK. I am practically delirious with joy at receiving an e-galley for review. Ashfall was a very good book and the author, Mike Mullin, is a wonderful person.

This is part of a blog tour. In addition to reviewing it, I'll be posting an excerpt as part of a scavenger hunt on July 17th.

While I got some excellent books this week, the week as a whole was rotten, with the highlight being two infected teeth and the absolute worst was the death of a co-worker and friend. I hope you all had a better week than I did.

To everyone celebrating Easter today, Happy Easter! and blessed be.