On My Shelves is a weekly post at The Book Faery Reviews which shares THREE books from our personal collection. These books could be favorites, books to be read as soon as possible for our own enjoyment, as well as books to be read soon for scheduled reviews.

Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own.  ~William Hazlitt

HERE ON EARTH BY ALICE HOFFMAN - The bestselling author of Turtle Moon and Practical Magic tells her most seductive and mesmerizing tale yet—the story of March Murray, who returns to her small Massachusetts hometown after nineteen years, encountering her childhood sweetheart…and discovering the heartbreaking and complex truth about their reckless and romantic love.

From bestselling author Alice Hoffman comes Here on Earth, a spellbinding tale of love and obsession. After nearly twenty years of living in California, March Murray, along with her fifteen-year-old daughter, Gwen, returns to the small Massachusetts town where she grew up to attend the funeral of Judith Dale, the beloved housekeeper who raised her. Thrust into the world of her past, March slowly realizes the complexity of the choices made by those around her, including Mrs. Dale, who knew more of love than March could have ever suspected; Alan, the brother whose tragic history has left him grief-stricken, with alcohol his only solace; and Hollis, the boy she loved, the man she can’t seem to stay away from. Erotic, disturbing, and compelling, Here on Earth is the dramatic and lyrical account of the joys of love, and the destruction love can release.

ICE QUEEN BY ALICE HOFFMAN - From the bestselling author of Practical Magic, a miraculous, enthralling tale of a woman who is struck by lightning, and finds her frozen heart is suddenly burning.

Be careful what you wish for. A small town librarian lives a quiet life without much excitement. One day, she mutters an idle wish and, while standing in her house, is struck by lightning. But instead of ending her life, this cataclysmic event sparks it into a new beginning.

She goes in search of Lazarus Jones, a fellow survivor who was struck dead, then simply got up and walked away. Perhaps this stranger who has seen death face to face can teach her to live without fear. When she finds him, he is her opposite, a burning man whose breath can boil water and whose touch scorches. As an obsessive love affair begins between them, both are forced to hide their most dangerous secrets–what turned one to ice and the other to fire.

A magical story of passion, loss, and renewal, The Ice Queen is Alice Hoffman at her electrifying best.

LORD OF THE DEAD BY TOM HOLLAND - Wandering with his friend Hobhouse in the mountains of Greece, Byron is drawn to the beauty of a mysterious fugitive slave whose pale, slim body and burning, black-fringed eyes arouse his lust; soon Byron is utterly entranced, and his fate is sealed. The supreme sensualist embarks on a life of adventure even his genius could not have foreseen – that of the world’s most formidable vampire. Chosen to enjoy powers beyond those any vampire has ever known, Byron enters a dark, intoxicating world, traversing centuries of long-lost secrets, ancient arts, and scorching excesses of evil. From the Levant to London’s salons, from the frozen Alps to the dark languors of Venice, he drinks deeply of terror and sex, ever more desperate to destroy his need for the most forbidden of desires. But his diversions, delicious and cruel, are suffused with the rich scent of doom. Byron’s gift is also his torment: an all-consuming thirst that withers life at the root, damning those he loves…

Drawing on the facts of Byron’s flamboyant, tortured life, as well as clues in the mysterious, dark imagery of his poetry, Holland paints a portrait of the poet as an aristocrat of remarkable beauty and deadly charm with a shocking, bloody secret.

All book summaries are from Barnes & Noble.

Dust billowed over her bare feet, warm as the sun caressing her bare arms.  Climbing the steep hill up into the cloudless blue sky she considered what she would tell her mother about her new friends in grade three.  They liked the pretty summer dress her mother had made, especially the cherries scattered along the hem.

She thought about the chores waiting for her when she arrived home.  The hens would reluctantly allow her to snatch their eggs from under their warm bottoms.  Peas needed to be picked and potatoes dug up for supper.  She didn’t mind.  Nor did she mind the almost two mile walk home from school.  If she was outside, no matter the weather, she was happy.

It wasn’t until she reached the crest of the hill that she saw him.  It was a shock.  He was walking in the same direction as she.  Why hadn’t she seen him on the road ahead of her before? If he had come through the fields, she would have noticed.  She sized him up as being a stranger having unusual clothes.  He walked leisurely.  Nervously, she raced on past the stranger.  He called to her.

In spite of being shy and not allowed to speak to strangers, the young girl quickly lost her fear.  After a brief conversation, she walked down the driveway to her home.  It suddenly struck her that this was no ordinary stranger.  She ran back to the road, but the stranger was gone.  It was then she knew she had met her guardian angel, or in later years, known as her spirit guide. Throughout her life, his special message for her remained unchanged and guided her, even at her darkest behavior.

That was the beginning of a journey down the road of the paranormal.  Several years later, her guardian angel saved her from drowning. Lying on the bottom of a lake, exhausted from trashing to stay afloat, she heard him say, “If you stand, you can breathe.”  She had just enough strength to straighten her legs before passing out.  Her nose was just above the water.

She went on to experience space/time travel, telepathy, and connecting with higher beings.  Later, she became a healer, sending healing energy on the wings of a higher power to people and animals across the planet.  In her practice of meditation and shamanic journeys, she travelled to dimensions that defy description.  Her experiences beyond the physical realm have profoundly affected her view of her life’s journey, and beyond.

Yes, the young girl was Feather Stone.

ABOUT  THE AUTHOR…As a Canadian, Feather Stone was allowed the freedom to explore a kaleidoscope of infinite ways of being human.  The only restrictions imposed by her parents were that racism was not acceptable and deliberately causing suffering to any other being or creature for any reason was not tolerated.  Upon meeting her spirit guide when she was a child, Feather’s life became a journey of experiencing the paranormal.  Through her practice of meditation, Reiki, and study of Shamanism, she’s been able to shift to dimensions that defy description.

On February 15, 2002, Feather was honoured to receive the Exemplary Service Medal from Lieutenant Governor Lois Hole (representative of HRH Queen Elizabeth II) for her service as a paramedic with Edmonton’s Emergency Response Department.  She and her husband are now enjoying retirement and loving their sheltie, Jasper, and two cats, Smokey and Leo.

Her motto?  Change your thinking, change your life.

Website | Blog |  Facebook | Twitter |GoodReads

Caught in a reckless attempt to stop Dark forces, Sidney Davenport, a young, rule breaking, spirited member of the secret paranormal community of Guardians, finds herself imprisoned on a naval ship and slated for execution. Her struggle with the unfamiliar emotions of fear and anger becomes even more complicated when she can no longer fight her attraction to the very man who has orders to perform her execution.

Captain Sam Waterhouse, a meticulous naval captain who’s suspected of treason, teeters on a precipice between Darkness and Light. When he receives an unusual prisoner, a paranormal journey begins to unravel his disciplined life. All the while, humanity is unknowingly at great risk when two Dark forces team up to acquire control of an elusive power. Sidney and Sam attempt to quiet their powerful feelings for each other, only to discover they can save each other, and in doing so, they might even save the world.

Through stunning imagery, an intricate and adventurous plot, and a strong cast of characters, Feather Stone gives readers a fascinating glimpse into the future—a future that is chilling, yet full of hope. – FROM AMAZON

• Paperback: 277 pages
• Publisher: Omnific Publishing; 1ST edition (2011)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005PJ04RK

BUY THE BOOK… Barnes & Noble | Omnific Publishing | Amazon | Goodreads

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS… And now the giveaway! As part of the NURTURE Your Book Tour, we’re giving away ONE copy of THE GUARDIAN’S WILDCHILD by Feather Stone to a lucky commentor of this post. This giveaway runs now through the end of the month and is open to those with a U.S/Canadian mailing address.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you’ve read it, what did you think about it? Good mix of history and the paranormal? Did you remain engaged from beginning to end not wanting to put the book down as if you might actually miss something?

Sovereign Power. Eternal Pleasure.

Revealed at last in this new vampire saga for the ages: the true, untold story of the “Virgin Queen” and her secret war against the Vampire King of England. . . .

On the eve of her coronation, Elizabeth Tudor is summoned to the tomb of her mother, Anne Boleyn, to learn the truth about her bloodline—and her destiny as a Slayer. Born to battle the bloodsucking fiends who ravage the night, and sworn to defend her beloved realm against all enemies, Elizabeth soon finds herself stalked by the most dangerous and seductive vampire of all.

He is Mordred, bastard son of King Arthur, who sold his soul to destroy his father. After centuries in hiding, he has arisen determined to claim the young Elizabeth as his Queen. Luring her into his world of eternal night, Mordred tempts Elizabeth with the promise of everlasting youth and beauty, and vows to protect her from all enemies. Together, they will rule over a golden age for vampires in which humans will exist only to be fed upon. Horrified by his intentions, Elizabeth embraces her powers as a Slayer even as she realizes that the greatest danger comes from her own secret desire to yield to Mordred . . . to bare her throat in ecstasy and allow the vampire king to drink deeply of her royal blood.

As told by Lucy Weston, the vampire prey immortalized in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this spellbinding account will capture your heart and soul—forever.

• Gallery Books, December 2010
• Trade Paperback, 320 pages
• ISBN-10: 143919033X
• ISBN-13: 9781439190333

BUY THE BOOK… Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Powell’s Bookstore

The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor Vampire… by cosproductions

Book summary taken from Simon & Schuster.

She had just turned twenty.

She was spending the night at our house so we could take her to Hope Center the next morning. The center was only a mile from where we lived, while Shyloh’s parents lived nearly an hour away. Shyloh had to be at Hope Center at 8:00 sharp for intake in the morning, so we had offered to take her.

Late that night, I heard her sobbing and rushed to her room. She had gotten a call on her cell and learned that her boyfriend was dead. He had died of an overdose. He, too, had been planning to go into treatment, in a different rehab facility. The two of them had great plans for their life together after they both “graduated” from rehab. Shyloh had been telling me all about their plans earlier that evening.

For Tim, that life was never to be.

For Shyloh, the hard work was just beginning.

Shyloh tells her story in WAKING UP HAPPY, and so does her mother – my daughter – Andrea.

I’ll never forget the times when Andrea was a teen and I was wakened in the middle of the night by calls saying that she had nearly died. Several times she overdosed on alcohol and ended up in a coma. We didn’t know if she would survive with brain damage – or if she would survive at all. Once she was found lying outside in the winter cold, where she would have frozen to death if she hadn’t – just by chance – been found.

Leaving Shyloh at Hope Center that morning was wrenching – as much as it had been leaving Andrea at a similar facility when she was fifteen. I couldn’t imagine how Shyloh would manage the huge weight of her grief over Tim’s death, while far from her friends and family and recovering from her addiction at the same time.

But Shyloh did the work, learned the lessons she needed to learn, and rose from the ashes of her previous life in a way I could never have imagined. She began attending meetings at a place called Connections, an oasis of recovery here in Madison, Wisconsin.

As I got to know others at Connections, I realized that all of them had stories that were begging to be told. Like my grandaughter Shyloh – like my daughter Andrea – like me myself – they had faced a crossroads, changed their lives completely, and learned to live with joy and purpose.

I began interviewing people and writing down their stories. While each person had chosen a different path, their journeys had many things in common with my own.

Ever since I’d quit drinking in 1984, I had been collecting exercises, tips, and wisdom to help me forge a new life. Along the way, I had uncovered a few secrets about change. First, I had learned that profound change was, indeed, possible. I had also discovered that it didn’t happen as quickly as I wanted. At first I was constantly frustrated at my turtle-like pace. But then I found the most important secret of all. If I did just one tiny thing differently each day, those small changes, in time, added up to a totally different life. One by one, I left my addictions and bad habits behind. And one day, I realized I was waking up happy.

WAKING UP HAPPY fell into place as I blended people’s stories with the exercises and steps that had worked for them and for me. Each time one of the storytellers in WAKING UP HAPPY learned a lesson in their life, I added activities that readers could do to make those same changes in their lives.

I realized that the book would be helpful not only to those recovering from addictions but to anyone who wanted to make a change in their life. I saw that the strategies for change were similar whether a person wanted to quit smoking, spending too much money, eating the wrong foods, continuing an unhealthy relationship, biting their nails, or compulsively and rudely checking their text messages while with their friends.

Even people who are very successful in their lives are often so invested in working and achieving that they destroy their relationships and let stress ruin their health. Stress can lead to early death. So it can be life-changing to replace overwork with calming, self-enhancing habits.

It became clear to me that by combining the true stories of people who had changed their lives, along with the strategies that had led to real change, I could provide keys that everyone could use to become their best selves and live the most fulfilling lives possible.

And now that WAKING UP HAPPY has been published and I have been hearing from readers, I cannot tell you how amazing it is to watch others pick up those keys and unlock the doors just waiting to swing open.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Juliana (Jill) Muehrcke is the award-winning author of many books and articles. Founder and editor of the international magazine Nonprofit World (snpo.org), she has studied at the University of Colorado and the University of Michigan and has a BA degree, specializing in English and psychology, from the University of Washington. Jill is listed in Who’s Who (MarquisWhoswho.com). In her spare time, she enjoys teaching yoga and eating ethnic food. For many years, in several cities, including Seattle, Honolulu, and Madison, she has written restaurant reviews.

Her latest book is Waking Up Happy: A Handbook of Change with Memoirs of Recovery and Hope.

You can visit her website at www.WakingUpHappyBook.com.

Listen to Jill on the Joy Cardin Show at http://wpr.org/search/ideas_program_search.cfm?StartYear=3&keyword=muehrcke&x=0&y=0.

No matter what kind of change you want to make in your life, this book holds the keys. As inspirational as it is practical, this first-of-a-kind handbook focuses on the positive steps of recovery and change. Powerful, absorbing, and beautifully written, it tells people’s true stories, the turning points that changed their lives, and their secrets to waking up happy, along with exercises you can follow to create a new life for yourself.

Brave and honest, Jill Muehrcke’s memoir and the stories of others recovering from addictions, habits, and intolerable situations are filled with triumphs and epiphanies, as well as concrete, step-by-step advice and guidance.

Lessons learned are summarized into secrets you can use to forge your own life-changing journey. The book ends with 365 Steps on Your Journey – one simple step for each day of the year. If you do just one thing from this book every day, you’ll see dramatic growth.

• Publication Date: Dec 07 2011
• ISBN/EAN13: 0960297871 / 9780960297870
• LCCN: 2011925975
• Page Count: 286

BUY THE BOOK… Createspace

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…We’re giving away ONE copy of WAKING UP HAPPY by Jill Muehrcke to a lucky reader of this post. This giveaway is open to those with a US/Canadian mailing address and runs through the month of May. Winners will be notified as a reply to their entry in Rafflecopter, on The Book Faery Reviews Facebook Page, and within the RSS feed email that goes out Monday-Friday. Winners are typically announced within a couple of days after the end of the month.

To enter this giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget (if you are unable to use the widget for whatever reason, email thebookfaeryreviews@gmail.com and we’ll happily manually add your entries in).

However, my son said to me, “Don’t you know, Mom, that God wouldn’t have made you a writer if he didn’t think you could do it.” Okay, so how do you quit after that? You don’t! I didn’t. I went on to write Murder Uncorked and got an agent and within two weeks had a three book deal with Penguin. I wound up selling nine books with them. After six years of writing for them, I ventured off into the world of Indie publishing and have never looked back.

I am writing under a pen name for my thrillers because they are so different from my mysteries. They are a separate “brand”. This way a reader doesn’t get confused when they download a Michele Scott book versus an A.K. Alexander book.

I was wondering who else is using pen names out there and if so, what is your reasoning? If you’re not a writer, does it matter to you as long as you know what the book is about, or does it help you to be able to recognize which name delineates the type of book you will be reading? Do you think it’s a good idea?

Thank You!

Cheers,
Michele

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…I started writing when I was nine-years-old. I used to write short stories on my dad’s notepads. One day he read one and he said to me, “You are a writer.” It stuck. My dad is still my biggest supporter and he is also my mentor in many ways. I went to college at The University of Southern California. My parents though didn’t think that “creative writing” at USC was a major that would likely be lucrative in the long run, so I figured I would be logical and look at writing in the journalistic field. God (the Universe), etc. had a different plan for me. Soon after I graduated from USC I gave birth to my first son. He was six weeks premature and he had some health issues, which caused me to decide that going into a career at that time would not benefit my son. So, I stayed home with him and I wrote my first book. That first book is tucked away in a box somewhere because it’s pretty darn bad, but it gave me the confidence I needed to know that I could start, write, and finish a book. From that point on, it took me twelve years to become a published author and several manuscripts. It has been a wonderful and amazing process, and although many challenges have presented themselves along the way, I have never quit writing. It is my passion!

My other passion is Horses. These amazing animals are very dear to my heart and I have been known to take in “strays.” My daughter and I are very active in the horse world. My daughter is involved in pony club and three day eventing.

I enjoy work with other writers when I can , especially kids. I designed a program for young writers to help them learn how to write short stories and picture books to writing complete novellas for older kids. I have mentored several students now and it’s a joyful experience to see young writers and their creative minds at work. It is something I am working on expanding with some local teachers in my area.

Family and friends are extremely important to me. I am the proud mother of three amazing kids who have always supported me and are just great, awesome human beings (yes, I know I sound like every mother in the world about their kids, but I really mean it). My husband is my best friend and a very patient man, which is a real positive—he is married to a writer after all. We also have three dogs, a kitty, and eight horses.

When not writing, riding, or being a taxi-cab driver for my youngest, I try to find time to do a little yoga, meditate or cooking. I love cookbooks and cooking!

A.K.’s recent release is Daddy’s Home. You can visit her website at www.michelescott.com/books/ak-alexander.

A KILLER STALKS HIS PREY…
A calculating and deadly killer is in search for what he terms as his perfect family. Preying upon single mothers and their innocent children, the police have dubbed him “The Family Man.”

HE WATCHES THEM…HE TAKES THEM…
He plays out his role as the perfect father. When things don’t go so perfect in his insane fantasy world, the family man kills.

HOLLY JENNINGS IS ON THE CASE…
Crime Scene Investigator Holly Jennings of the San Diego Police Department is determined to track him down and see that justice is served. With Holly being a single mother herself, this man’s crimes are deeply personal to her, and turn more so when a friend and her daughter become the latest victims of “The Family Man.”

Along with tracking an evil killer, Holly is dealing with her own internal demons. She is raising her daughter Chloe alone after the death of her husband–a death she feels guilty for.

To complicate her life further, Holly is doing her best to avoid possibly falling in love again with charming veterinarian Brendan O’Neil. As Holly delves deeper into solving the murders, she finds herself being sucked into a game of cat and mouse by “The Family Man,” that may lead her down a dark path too horrible to bear. One that may cost her gravely-her family, her new found love, and even her life.

• File Size: 421 KB
• Print Length: 282 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1456332015

BUY THE BOOK… Amazon Kindle

THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Thanks to Michele Scott through the Pump Up Your Book Tour, we’re giving away ONE copy of DADDY’S HANDS to a lucky reader.

When one killer falls for another

Agent: Misha
Profile: Highly trained in every method the assassins guild has to offer. Always goes by the book.

Agent: Rikki
Profile: Rogue assassin who kills only to rid the world of hardened criminals. Hates organizations. Always does it her way.

Love becomes a matter of life and death

Misha’s mission is to get Rikki to join the guild or give up her guns. He completely underestimated the effect she would have on him…and what heat and chaos they could bring to each other…

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (March 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402262825
• ISBN-13: 978-1402262821

BUY THE BOOK… Amazon | Barnes & Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Kris DeLake is one of writer Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s many pen names. In addition to writing as Kris DeLake in romance, Rusch also writes romance as Kristine Grayson (who specializes in paranormals) and Kristine Dexter (who prefers romantic suspense). In mystery, Rusch writes as Edgar- and Shamus-nominee Kris Nelscott. In science fiction and fantasy, Rusch goes by her real name. Under that name, she’s a bestseller in many countries, and a double Hugo winner. To find out more about Rusch and her various names, go to her website, kristinekathrynrusch.com

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Oh is this one a mind(and body)-blowing futuristic hot tale filled with danger, passion, multiple identities, and discovered truths! Right from the beginning all the way to the end I wanted in on the action (all the action…heehee). Rikki is one bad-ass woman and Misha- well, let’s say I wouldn’t mind being tracked down by this hot assassin! Can two assassins from different backgrounds with different goals learn to trust the other in order to find out the truth? Could they ever give up all they’ve known and trust their hearts for their future? You’ll just have to read it. Oh yes, I recommend this fun and steamy adventure. And I’m definitely look forward to reading more about Rikki’s “Jack” when that’s ready which I believe is next in the Assassins Guild series.

READ AN EXCERPT

A NetGalley ebook was provided in exchange for an honest review.

An exquisite tale that explores the intricate nature of a mother’s heart. The Courtesan’s Lover draws you close and whispers in your ear. In the tradition of Sarah Dunant and Marina Fiorato, a compelling and vibrant tale from an up-and-coming fresh voice that readers will want to savor. – FROM AMAZON

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402265883
• ISBN-13: 978-1402265884

BUY THE BOOK… Amazon | Barnes & Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR… Gabrielle Kimm was born in the north of Scotland, the third of four daughters, but grew up in Sussex. During her late-teens and twenties, she studied and worked in Reading, London and Oxford but then moved back to Sussex, where she’s been ever since, living between the sea and the South Downs, where big skies meet open countryside and where, if you are a seafarer (which she’s not) the tides in the creeks bossily dictate what you can do when, on a daily basis.

She has a BA in English Language and Literature, from the University of Reading, a PGCE in English from the University of Oxford, and an MA in Creative Writing (Distinction) from the University of Chichester.

She’s married with two daughters (currently twelve and sixteen) and a grown-up stepson, and they share their lives with an elderly and charming Lakeland Terrier.

She first thought she might like to be a novelist when she was a child, and her mother bought her a copy of a book called ‘The Far Distant Oxus’, written by two schoolgirls: Katharine Hull and Pamela Whitlock. (The book was re-issued by Fidra Books last year.) She was entranced by it, and it began a longing in her to write her own novel. Being only twelve, and the two authors being fourteen and fifteen, she reckoned then that she had at least two years in which to fulfill her ambition! But as her first novel hits the shelves, some thirty six years later, perhaps in hindsight she has to admit that that assessment was just a little optimistic …

Her time is now divided between her family, her writing and teaching English at a local school. - Edited and taken from author’s website

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Gabrielle Kimm brings back one of her characters from The Last Duchess, Francesca Felizzi, the former mistress to the Duke of Ferrara. The Courtesan’s Lover can be read as a stand alone as Francesca is now a sought after Courtesan living a life of luxury and raising her two twin daughters. She has beauty, ambition, smarts, and power over men yet lacks real love until meeting a certain young man and soon after his father. She realizes she wants more and to have it must give up what she’s known. This realization and need to change brings anger to some she must reject which brings danger to her and her girls. Will she and her girls survive the dangers and will she finally have genuine love returned?  I recommend you to follow along the pages to discover what Francesca discovers in the end. For those afraid of what they’ll encounter among the pages because of the title, do not fear, it’s only enough to help you understand the lifestyle but not enough to have you blushing too hard. Kimm does an excellent job with giving you just enough.

READ THE EXCERPT

On My Shelves is a weekly post at The Book Faery Reviews which shares THREE books from our personal collection. These books could be favorites, books to be read as soon as possible for our own enjoyment, as well as books to be read soon for scheduled reviews.

Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own.  ~William Hazlitt

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES BY DEBORAH HARKNESS - Sometimes scholars should be more careful: Youthful researcher Diana Bishop briefly consults an medieval alchemical manuscript; then, after jotting down a few notes, sends it back to its prison in the stacks. Unfortunately for Diana, her quick dabbling has unleashed a long suppressed curse—and now only she can break the spell. Carefully researched, this debut novel will appeal to fans of historical novel infused with strong paranormal elements.

MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE BY KAREN HARPER – A bold and intriguing novel about the woman who was William Shakespeare’s secret wife, by the national bestselling author.

As historical records show, Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton was betrothed to William Shakespeare just days before he was forced to wed the pregnant Anne Hathaway. Here, Anne Whateley takes up her pen to tell the intimate story of her daring life with Will. Obliged to acknowledge Will’s publicly sanctioned marriage, Anne Whateley nevertheless follows him from rural Stratford-Upon-Avon to teeming London, where they honor their secret union, the coming together of two passionate souls. Persecution and plague, insurrection and inferno, friends and foes all play parts in Anne’s lively tale.

Spanning half a century of Elizabethan and Jacobean history, and sweeping from the lowest reaches of society to the royal court, this richly textured novel tells the real story of Shakespeare in love.

THE SECRET OF LOST THINGS BY SHERIDAN HAY - Eighteen years old and completely alone, Rosemary arrives in New York from Tasmania with little other than her love of books and an eagerness to explore the city. Taking a job at a vast, chaotic emporium of used and rare books called the Arcade, she knows she has found a home. But when Rosemary reads a letter from someone seeking to “place” a lost manuscript by Herman Melville, the bookstore erupts with simmering ambitions and rivalries. Including actual correspondence by Melville, The Secret of Lost Things is at once a literary adventure and evocative portrait of a young woman making a life for herself in the city.

All book overviews come from Barnes & Noble.

AMELIA GREY: Thank you! I’m pleased you keep asking me back. I don’t ever get tired of talking about writing. I love it and of course I love to talk about my books on your fabulous site!

I’ve always wanted to know how author’s come up with their pen names. Are they personally chosen or chosen for you? And is there a reason it’s done when the author’s picture is posted on their site or book? I’ve found many with different names BUT are clearly the same person. In your case, you’ve written romance novels under the current name Amelia Grey, previously as Gloria Dale Skinner in the early 90′s, and also as Charla Cameron from the early 90′s (I’m assuming you no longer write under those name). Was there a reason for the name changes when the genre remained the same? And is there even a reason for a pen name when an author’s picture is still used on marketing materials?

AMELIA GREY: Oh, that is a very good question. When I sold my first book I published it under Gloria Dale Skinner back in 1990. It was a historical and was being published by Warner Books. But a funny thing happened along the way to the first book coming out. I sold a contemporary book to Harlequin and at that time Warner didn’t want me using my name on a contemporary book so I had to take a pen name. My daughter’s name is Charla and my son is Cameron so that is how I took the name Charla Cameron. I only wrote that one contemporary book because I was contracted to write a historical every nine months and didn’t have the time to write more. Later, when I sold a Magnolia Road book to Pinnacale, I was still writing as Gloria Dale Skinner and once again I had to take another name so I chose the same name of Charla Cameron. I don’t think publishers are as worried about authors competing within different houses now, but at the time, if you were contracted with two houses most of them wanted you to write under different names.  When I decided to leave America Historicals and write Regency I moved to Berkley Books and my editor suggested that since Gloria was known as a writer of American Historicals why not start in a new country with a new name. It sounded like a good idea to me I suggested the name Amelia Gray. I thought it sounded very British and my editor said it will when we spell Gray the way the English do–Grey. So that’s how I became Amelia Grey and ten books later I’m still Amelia.

Let’s talk about book re-issue. As an outsider (but more an insider than the usual book reader) “re-issue” makes one automatically wonder if they call it re-issue because there was an issue to begin with? Course I’m sure that’s not really the case with most book re-issues, at least when it comes to the writing. (Sorry, my ADHD mind wanders occasionally when something makes me think about something else.)

The real question…When it comes to re-issues with new covers to suit the current time and trends, are you involved with the cover design in any way and do you and your editors revisit the story and make changes or add to it?  I would think that a re-issue is a good time to take all the previous feedback from your readers to make a story more memorable. Another question I have on the topic of re-issue- is it typical to re-issue mainly when you switch publishers? Or only if the new publisher buys the rights from the old publisher?

AMELIA GREY: You are full of good questions today!  I published five Regencys for Berkley and then had to stop writing for a couple of years for family reasons. When I started writing again, I sold to Sourcebooks. I asked Berkley for the rights back to my first five books and when I got them, I resold them to Sourcebooks. So it’s usually the author who re-sales her books to new publishers.  Now, Sourcebooks is re publishing my first five Amelia Grey books. They are publishing one new book and one reprint each year to give me two books out a year. They have to put new covers on the reprints because covers remains with the publisher, only the book is returned to the author. And, yes, Sourcebooks always asks me to give them cover ideas, even with my reprints. As in my latest book A Gentleman Says “I Do” I suggested that the heroine should be holding a piece of parchment with writing on it behind her back and that’s exactly what they did. And I need to add that Sourcebooks has given me fabulous covers for my reprints. As far as tweaking the old books, yes we can do that to some extent, but usually there isn’t the time to make large changes or to completely rewrite a book even if we wanted to. But there is always some things we want and need to change before the book is reprinted.

Have you ever thought about writing something completely different from what you’re known to write as? Or maybe you’re already or have done that under another pen name. Has it ever crossed your mind or has anyone suggested you try another genre all together different?

AMELIA GREY: I love romance. It’s all I want to write. Last year I published a nonfiction book called Fall In Love Like A Romance Writer as Amelia Grey. I asked well-known authors to tell me their own true love stories and then I made a collection of their responses. It turned out to be a wonderful book. So I enjoyed doing that but I don’t have the desire to write anything that isn’t a romance book.

OK, enough about your “multiple personalities” and book re-issues …I know we need to talk about your latest book today. So let’s make the 4th question be about that.

A Gentleman Says “I Do” comes out this month and it’s the 5th novel in The Rogues’ Dynasty series – Tell us about this particular story in the series and how you came up with the plot (I know. typical question that I’m sure you’ve answered hundreds of times…but it still has to be asked.:-)) If I was a publisher, what would your pitch be to get me excited about your novel?

AMELIA GREY: I think the best way to do that is to give you the blurb synopsis I gave to my editor. It sold her on the book and hopefully your readers will be just as excited and ready to read the book as she was:

A Gentleman Says “I Do”

Iverson Brentwood has finally met his match. Catalina Crisp heats his blood like no other in his history as a confirmed bachelor.  She is the most beautiful and alluring young lady he’s ever encountered, and her lovely countenance has stopped him dead in his tracks. But no matter how attracted he is to the intriguing Catalina, he can’t give into his desire to possess her in every way… for she is the daughter of the man he’s sworn to destroy.

Catalina’s father is a well-known poet and a writer, but wastrel whose disappearances continuously put their household one step away from destitution.  Something drastic must change, so it is with quill in hand, that Catalina completes her father’s latest parody of the twins Iverson and Matson Brentwood’s spectacular arrival in London.  When the writing hit the streets and parlors of London , it’s not long before a darkly handsome man is at her door, looking for her father.

Seeing the dashing rogue in the flesh, Catalina wishes she could write her way out of Iverson Brentwood’s life. And yet, for a bewildering moment as her heartbeat races and her throat goes dry, dallying with the rake seems like the perfect fictional escape—and it’s all she can do not to throw her arms around him and give into the madness of the intriguing man.     

And before we close…a bonus question…What’s the most unique question you’ve been asked by an interviewer? (I promise, I won’t get upset if it’s none of mine. Promise.)

AMELIA GREY: It has to be when it was a series of questions that I could give short answers about me. Let me find the interview and I’ll copy and paste some of it here. It was just a lot of fun and nothing serious about them.

My favorite book is:

Charlotte’s Web.  I know not a romance but a favorite carried over from childhood.

My favorite movie is:

“Enemy At The Gates, Braveheart, Gladiators, Dances With Wolves, Last of the Mohicans, and too many more to list here.

The author who influences me the most is:

Amanda Quick’s

If I received a free trip to anywhere in the world where would I visit:

London, England!

My favorite historical time period is:

Regency!

Mr. Darcy or Mr. Rochester:

Mr. Darcy

Chocolate or Strawberry

Strawberry

There were a few others but you get the picture. It was fun to answer 20 quick questions about me. And as you can see sometimes with movies you can’t settle on just one. Since I answered this interview a few years ago, there are movies I could add to it. For instance, I saw Hugo over the Christmas holidays and absolutely LOVED it!

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day chatting with us! It’s always a delight to have you here and I look forward to future books and re-issues I’ve not yet read. Come back soon!

AMELIA GREY: Thank you, thank you! I so enjoy being here and your questions were great!

I love to hear from readers. Please contact me at ameliagrey.com, ameliagrey@comcast.net, or find me on www.Facebook.com/AmeliaGreyBooks 

It tells the story of twins Rebecca and Hephzibah, one beautiful and one disfigures. Trapped with their loveless parents, they dream of a normal life. But when one twin tragically dies, the other must find a way to escape. Because if she doesn’t, she’ll end up like her sister…Told from alternating perspectives, this is a powerful and moving story exploring the domestic horrors that can unfold in secret behind ‘respectable’ doors and features one of the most memorable heroines in contemporary fiction. – FROM YOUTUBE

Doesn’t that summary have you wanting to find out more?! Someone! Get me Reid!

He spends an amazing amount of effort to get to one particular feeder, stretching, hanging upside down, falling off and getting back on. While I admire his tenacity, he isn’t very smart: The same food is laid out plentifully on two easily accessible feeders nearby.

He makes this much harder than it should be.

If you’ve ever found yourself doing this, too, your busy schedule keeping you from enjoying each day, consider these tips:

• Slow down. You can’t do everything. When you say “no” to one thing, you say “yes” to something else.
• Identify what gives you energy and what drains your energy.  Look for ways to do more things you enjoy and to trim the drainers.
• Be clear about What’s Most Important in your life. Schedule time for family and friends, to take a trip, learn something new or enjoy a hobby. If time with children or grandchildren is a priority, put it on your calendar, so that it doesn’t slip away.
• Don’t panic when you get swamped. Allow yourself a “get-it-done-hour” and focus on your to-do list, checking off as many things as you can. 
• Be aware of how much time you spend on distractions, such as online wandering.  We waste a lot of time on things that don’t matter, neglecting more important or enjoyable activities.
• Deal with nagging problems. Often you can take care of small hassles more simply than you realize.  Make a list of issues you deal with again and again. Pick the one that slows you down the most and find a solution.

Have lots of fun along the way, and don’t make life harder than it needs to be. I’d love to hear your tips on how to slow down and enjoy each day more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Author Judy Christie loves to help busy people slow down and enjoy each day more – in her series of novels about Green, Louisiana, and her Hurry Less Worry Less nonfiction books. Judy started her writing career as the editor of The Barret Banner in elementary school and has kept a journal since she was nine (and still has all of them). She likes wandering around flea markets, walking in the park near her North Louisiana home and visiting friends and family on her vintage green Kitchen Couch. Her most recent books are Downtown Green, fifth in the Green series, and Hurry Less Worry Less for Moms.

For Judy’s free tips on how busy moms can hurry less and worry less, listen to her weekly podcast: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hurry-less-worry-less/id435253514.

Visit her website at www.judychristie.com, Twitter  and the Official Tour Page.

Busy moms know the feeling. They’re constantly trying to fit everything – work, laundry, family fun, shuttle service, you name it – into 24-hours. They want to enjoy each day with their family but sometimes feel like they’re in quicksand and don’t know how to get started on a new path.

Author Judy Christie offers hope, inspiration, practical ideas and reminders of how important it is to step back and take a fresh look at your life in Hurry Less, Worry Less for Moms. The book includes a study guide for group or individual use.

Take a deep breath and refresh your life or that of a busy mom you know with chapters such as: A Map for Mom: Being the person you are meant to be; Organization versus Procrastination; Prayerful Not Fretful; and Making Choices, Facing Changes.

BUY THE BOOK… Amazon | Kindle Store | Barnes & Noble

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS… We’re giving away ONE copy of HURRY LESS WORRY LESS FOR MOMS by Judy Christie to a lucky reader of this post. This giveaway is open to those with a US/Canadian mailing address and runs through the month of May. Winners will be notified as a reply to their post comment (email does go out when there is a reply on their original comment), on The Book Faery Reviews Facebook Page, and within the RSS feed email that goes out Monday-Friday. Winners are typically announced within a couple of days after the end of the month.

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For seven years the Babylonian princess Tiamat has waited for the mad king Nebuchadnezzar to return to his family and to his kingdom. Driven from his throne to live as a beast, he prowls his luxurious Hanging Gardens, secreted away from the world.

Since her treaty marriage at a young age, Tia has lived an opulent but oppressive life in the palace. But her husband has since died and she relishes her newfound independence. When a nobleman is found murdered in the palace, Tia must discover who is responsible for the macabre death, even if her own is freedom threatened.

As the queen plans to wed Tia to yet another prince, the powerful mage Shadir plots to expose the family’s secret and set his own man on the throne. Tia enlists the help of a reluctant Jewish captive, her late husband’s brother Pedaiah, who challenges her notions of the gods even as he opens her heart to both truth and love.

BUY THE BOOK… Amazon | Christianbook | Barnes & Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Tracy started her first novel at the age of eight and has been hooked on writing ever since. After earning a B.A. in English Literature at Rowan University, she spent ten years writing drama presentations for church ministry before beginning to write fiction. A lifelong interest in history and mythology has led Tracy to extensive research into ancient Greece, Egypt, Rome and Persia, and shaped her desire to shine the light of the gospel into the cultures of the past.

She has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Italy, researching her novels and falling into adventures.

Visit the author’s website.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…A little slow at first but excellent once I got over some confusion and had to re-read parts. Lots of secrets within the palace are exposed as Tiamat learns more about her father, the King and about God. I really liked princess Tiamat and doubt any wouldn’t. She was so open, honest, kind-hearted, simplistic, and truly genuine. Even the reading group questions at the end were good to read through and think about afterwards. For those who enjoy reading Christian historical fiction, I’m sure you will enjoy reading about the Tiamat.

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

***Special thanks to Ruthie Dean of Thomas Nelson for sending me a review copy.***

My latest book cover crush find is Born Wicked, book 1 of The Cahill Witch Chronicles by Jessica Spotswood. I do believe I’m going to have to hunt down the author and bring her on over to The Book Faery Reviews. The eyes of the girl on the cover captivates me and seduces me to find out more. I mean seriously, doesn’t her look beckon to you?

Blessed with a gift…cursed with a secret.

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship – or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood – not even from each other.

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (February 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399257454
• ISBN-13: 978-0399257452

Book summary comes from Amazon.com.

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the ‘life’ they’ve been assigned. What they don’t realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz’s establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel’s path and a warrior’s plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that’s ripping them apart.

BUY THE BOOK… Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | PDF via Payloadz (through PayPal)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.

Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made;and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.

She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.

Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.

The Angel Chronicles:  Website | Facebook

Until Next Time: GoodReads

Amy Lignor: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Blog | GoodReads

FROM ONE OF THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS REVIEWER, EVA…Well Matt and Emily have sure had their workout between earth and heaven. The training they have had to endure before even being able to occupy a body, then of course the learning curve of the human life they have chosen. It confused me a little bit as they kept bouncing in between their human and heavenly lives and who was who, but I kept up pretty good. I really liked this book and hope the author comes out with a sequel to it. It made me think if our current life on earth, and what is going to happen when its our turn to die. Does anybody else believe in reincarnation? For anybody else reading this book, I hope you all enjoy it.

An e-copy was received in exchnage for an honest review as part of Tribute Books blog tour.

Pump Up Your Book Promotion is currently running a virtual book blog tour with the author. You can find out more information here.