November Challenge Wrap Up

Wrap Up

I went a bit nuts this year with challenges; I hope I can accomplish them all. The only one I'm not tracking is my goodreads reading challenge; all the rest I'll include in my monthly wrap up post.

November I had 4 challenges in addition to my year-long ones: the 30 Day Blog Ahead challenge, the Month of Giving Thanks, and NetGalley November. There was also the Ho Ho Ho Read-A-Thon which was 6 days long. I did well with that one. :)

Grab a drink, get comfy, and get ready!

Ho Ho Ho Read-A-Thon - Goal - 7

On the Naughty List by Lori Foster, et al
Christmas with a SEAL by Tawny Weber
Maybe This Christmas by Sarah Morgan 
The Heart of Christmas by Brenda Novak 
Christmas Gift That Keeps Wagging - review to come
Her Holiday Man by Shannon Stacey- review to come
I'm Dreaming of an Undead Christmas by Molly Harper- review to come

Quote-Tastic And Review of A Little Christmas Jingle by Michele Dunaway

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks 
Series: Man of the Month #1
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 7, 2014 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | ARe* | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads ~

Women, men, stray dogs—everyone's looking for love this holiday season. Sometimes all it takes is a LITTLE CHRISTMAS JINGLE to get into the spirit. . . 

Kat Saunders doesn't believe in miracles—though she sure could use one. She's devoted to her veterinarian business, and all she wants for Christmas is for her practice to include a no-kill shelter. But amidst all the holiday hoopla she forgot about getting the required permits...and time is running out. Just when Kat fears her dream career is DOA, a to-die-for handsome detective shows up at the vet with a desperate puppy. Could it be that Jack Donovan—otherwise known as Mr. December on the Sexy Public Servants Charity Calendar—is the answer to her prayers? He agrees to help Kat with her legal needs, and she will do whatever it takes to express her appreciation. But could this Man of the Month also end up being Kat's true love for all days? A kiss beneath the mistletoe may be all it takes to find out.

Sunday Book Share #118

 

 I'm participating in The Sunday Post, hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer; Showcase Sunday hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea; Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews; and Bought Borrowed and Bagged, hosted by TalkSupe. All of these memes are about sharing the print and digital books received and/or posts and events on the blog.

I had a busy, busy week with editing, beta reading, and promoting several of my author clients plus the day job. I got behind when I developed a multi-day stomach and intestinal bug, oh joy. The week ended on a high note with two Christmas parties on Saturday. In the afternoon, I went to author Penny Watson's holiday bash just outside of Boston. I got to meet her, Laura K. Curtis, and a bunch of new to me authors. In the evening my friend Elizabeth had her annual holiday get together. I am all partied out, lol. I iz old. :P Today, I have a ton of work to do for my other part-time job with BTSemag, and some reviews to write for the Nook.

SPOTLIGHT & EXCERPT: A Bluestocking's Christmas & Other Historical Romances by Lindsay Downs

Historical romances aren't my usual read but I know some of you are fans and the author of the books I'm spotlighting today is using some of his book proceeds to help a couple of authors who are battling cancer. Since fighting cancer is something I'm always help to with, I offered to host him and his books on the Nook. I met Lindsay through Astraea Press when I was an editor there and worked on one of his contemporary novels, "Emily Dahill CID Part Two".

Two AP authors are dealing with cancer currently. To assist them and their families during this difficult time Lindsay will give one of them the royalties for November from the sale of his Christmas regency, "A Bluestocking’s Christmas". The other will be given the royalties from his three self-published books; "The Masked Lady and The Murder", "The Guilty Countess" and "The Earl’s Spitfire".  He will be giving them the money, not donating it to a fund they might have set up.

How to Build Literacy, Support Community, & Make Magic Happen All in One Day by Jenny Milchman, A Guest Post

Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day

A.K.A

How to Build Literacy, Support Community, & Make Magic Happen

All in One Day

In 2010 I had two young children whom I was bringing to story hour at our local bookstore almost every week. After all, what better activity to do with kids? It was enriching, fun, even relaxing. I didn’t have to feel guilty when I drank that 700 calorie butterscotch latte from the coffee bar. I was running back and forth between adult fiction and the flower-flocked children’s section—working off the calories for sure.

My kids probably didn’t realize it was as much of a treat for me as for them. Which started me thinking—were other parents in on this secret? How many children knew the pleasure of spending time in a bookstore?

The Friday 56 Night Shift by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Lisa Shearin, and Milla Vane

This is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join in the fun go to The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

I'm trying to decide what to read next; I just finished a couple of thrillers. I decided to grab the nearest unread book, and that was an urban fantasy/paranormal romance anthology,  "Night Shift". The quote is from page 56  in the paperback, which is the first story, "Secrets at Midnight"  by Nalini Singh.

"Frenchie, huh?" she said, once they were on their way again, the laughter in her tone welcome.
"I really need to strangle him. Surely, my folks wouldn't notice one less son."

GIVEAWAY AND EXCERPT from THE EYES OF VENGEANCE by Teri Riggs

Author Teri Riggs is back today with an excerpt from her newest romantic suspense, "The Eyes of Vengeance".  As a child, Teri made up her own bedtime stories. When her children came along, Teri always tweaked the fairy tales she told her daughters, giving them a bit more punch and better endings when needed.

Now she spends her days turning her ideas into books. She lives in Marietta, GA with her husband.

Find Teri Online:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Teri-Riggs/e/B00F2KYWHK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Teri-Riggs/329379907142621

Twitter: @TeriLRiggs

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/terilriggs