Welcome to Book Lovers Paradise

Welcome to my attempt at blogging. I am a true to heart bibliophile. Here I will discuss and review books as I read them. You are welcome to do the same. The only rules are no profanity, no politics, no religion, and have fun!
Donna

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

GODDESS BORN...

                                      02_Goddess Born

Publication Date: May 29, 2014
Carina Press
eBook; ISBN: 9781426898365

Genre: Historical/Fantasy/Paranormal/New Adult

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2013 RWA Golden Heart© Finalist
2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist

The power to heal is her divine gift, the fear of discovery, her mortal curse.

Selah Kilbrid is caught between two worlds. A direct descendant of the Celtic goddess Brigid, she is bound by Tuatha Dé law to help those in need. Yet as a human, she must keep her unique abilities hidden or risk being charged for a witch. In 1730 Pennsylvania, the Quaker community of Hopewell has become a haven for religious freedom—and fanaticism—and there are those who would see her hanged if the truth were revealed.

For eighteen years, Selah safely navigates the narrow gap between duty and self-preservation, until the day a prominent minister uncovers her secret. Obsessed with her power, Nathan Crowley disregards her betrothal to a distant cousin from Ireland and demands marriage in exchange for his silence. Selah stalls for time, but when news reaches the Colonies of her cousin’s death, time has run out.

Rather than submit to Nathan, Selah coerces a stranger to pose as her husband. It’s a good plan—her only plan—even though Henry Alan harbors his own dark secrets. But when she returns to Hopewell a married woman, the real fight has just begun. As unseen forces move against her, Selah doesn’t know which poses the greater danger—a malignant shadow closing in from outside or the internal fire that threatens to consume her heart.

Book Two in the Goddess Born series will be published in November 2014 and Book Three in June 2015.

Buy the eBook


Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Carina Press


About the Author03_Kari Edgren



Kari Edgren did not dream of becoming a writer. Instead, she dreamed of everything else and was often made to stay inside during kindergarten recess to practice her letters. Despite doting parents and a decent school system, Ms. Edgren managed to make it through elementary school having completed only one book cover to cover – The Box Car Children, which she read approximately forty-seven times. Things improved during high school, but not until she read Gabrielle Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude in college, did she truly understand the power of a book.

Ms. Edgren aspires to be a Vulcan, a world-acclaimed opera singer, and two inches taller. She resides in the Pacific NW where she spends a great deal of time torturing her husband and children with strange food and random historical facts. Ms. Edgren hasn’t stopped dreaming, but has finally mastered her letters enough to put the stories on paper.

For more information please visit Kari Edgren's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Sign Up for Kari Edgren's Newsletter.

Goddess Born Blog Tour Schedule


Monday, September 22
Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, September 23
Review at By the Book Reviews
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, September 24
Review at The Readers Hollow
Interview at Manga Maniac Cafe

Thursday, September 25
Review at Book Babe

Friday, September 26
Review at Curling Up With a Good Book

Sunday, September 28
Spotlight & Excerpt at Casual Readers

Monday, September 29
Review at Unabridged Chick
Review at The Mad Reviewer

Tuesday, September 30
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, October 1
Review & Excerpt at Book Lovers Paradise

Thursday, October 2
Review at Books, Etc.
Review at 100 Pages a Day - Stephanie's Book Reviews

Friday, October 3
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Monday, October 6
Review at Bookish
Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection

Tuesday, October 7
Spotlight & Giveaway at The Flashlight Reader

Wednesday, October 8
Review at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, October 9
Review at The True Book Addict

Friday, October 10
Review at CelticLady's Reviews

Monday, October 13
Review at Book Nerd
Interview at The Maiden's Court

Tuesday, October 14
Review at I'd So Rather Be Reading

Wednesday, October 15
Review at Let Them Read Books

Thursday, October 16
Review at A Book Geek
Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Friday, October 17
Review at Historical Tapestry

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my thoughts:

This book has a bit of everything! Truly something for everyone. There is romance, history, suspense, and a bit of supernatural power. Witch hunts and sword fights. I told you, something for everyone.

I really enjoyed this book. I was drawn in from page one. The main character, Selah Kilbrid is a different kind of girl. She is 'goddess born'. A descendant of an Irish goddess. She must keep this a secret from others who fear anyone different than themselves. She resides in a Quaker community in Pennsylvania. 

Selah is a strong willed young woman, you will instantly love her, whether you agree with her or not. Kari Edgren has created a wonderful character in Selah. 

Henry Alan, a young indentured servant who becomes Selah's make believe husband is a powerful character in his own right. From the very beginning, the reader knows there is more than meets the eye with Henry. I won't give anything away, but his story will just fascinate you. He is a fabulous character and you can feel him falling in love with Selah throughout the book. 

I think any lover of historical fiction will fall in love with this book. I look forward to more by this author. 


I give this book 5 stars because it contains everything I look for in a book.



and now we have a special excerpt from GODDESS BORN

Excerpt 1  
I didn’t stop running until Brighmor was well out of view. With my heart pounding, I ducked out of sight behind a large oak tree to wait. A good ten minutes passed before my heart finally slowed, and I felt confident that Henry hadn’t followed me. Returning to the narrow pathway, I walked at a more leisurely pace, throwing the occasional furtive look over my shoulder as I went deeper and deeper into the woods to the manmade alcove that had been built right into the sidhe, or small earthen mound.                 
Years ago my grandparents had carved away enough dirt to stack large rocks three feet high, forming a wall in the shape of a half-moon. It measured about twelve feet from end to end with an arc deep enough to accommodate my full height if I were inclined to lie down. In the middle of the arc stood an altar, hewn from a piece of gray granite that had been sealed to the earth by my grandmother’s blood mixed with a handful of sacred dirt brought over from the Old World. Green and brown lichen grew on the stones, and dense foliage pushed up along the perimeter, ready to spill over into the clearing.     
            With the rock wall behind me, I knelt down at the altar and set the dried herbs on the smooth stone surface, charred black from countless fires. Finding the flint, I struck it repeatedly to release a shower of white sparks over the bundle. As it started to smolder, fragrances of cowslip, angelica, and goat’s rue rose up. With a long, deep breath, I pulled the smoke inside, letting it inundate my senses. Then I began to recite the ancient words in preparation to cross over.   

Brigid Buadach, Buaid na fine, Siur Rig nime, Nar in duine, 
Eslind luige, Lethan breo.  Riar na n-oiged, Oibel ecnai, 
Ingen Dubthaig, Duine uallach, Brigid buadach, Brigid 
buadach.

The physical world began to waver. Keeping my voice to a low monotone, I repeated the Gaelic words. At the end of the third repetition, the trees and stones, the smoldering bundle, all flickered in and out of view, then disappeared altogether as my soul passed into to the Otherworld. 
                For a moment, there was nothing more than thick gray mist and the memory of burning herbs. I stepped out of the mist into the warm sunlight at the edge of Brigid’s garden, free of the night and my body that remained kneeling at the altar.



Monday, September 29, 2014

RAPUNZEL, RAPUNZEL LET DOWN YOUR HAIR.....

02_Bitter Greens 
Publication Date: September 23, 2014 | Thomas Dunne Books | Hardcover; 496p | ISBN-10: 1250047536
Genre: Historical/Fantasy/Fairy-Tale Retellings

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about the book

The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens... After Margherita’s father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition. Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does. Award-winning author Kate Forsyth braids together the stories of Margherita, Selena, and Charlotte-Rose, the woman who penned Rapunzel as we now know it, to create what is a sumptuous historical novel, an enchanting fairy tale retelling, and a loving tribute to the imagination of one remarkable woman.

Praise for Bitter Greens

“Kate Forsyth’s Bitter Greens is an enthralling concoction of history and magic, an absorbing, richly detailed, and heart-wrenching reimagining of a timeless fairytale.” —Jennifer Chiaverini, New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival

 “See how three vividly drawn women cope with injustice, loneliness, fear, longing. See how they survive—or perpetrate—treachery. Surrender yourself to a master storyteller, to delicious detail and spunky heroines. Bitter Greens is a complex, dazzling achievement.” —Susan Vreeland, New York Times bestselling author of Clara and Mr. Tiffany and Girl in Hyacinth Blue

 “A magical blend of myth and history, truth and legend, Bitter Greens is one of those rare books that keeps you reading long after the lights have gone out, that carries you effortlessly to another place and time, that makes you weep and laugh and wish you could flip forward to make sure it all ends happily ever after—but for the fact that if you did so, you might miss a line, and no line of this book should be missed.” —Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of The Ashford Affair 

“Kate Forsyth wields her pen with all the grace and finesse of a master swordsman. In Bitter Greens she conjures a lyrical fairytale that is by turns breathtaking, inspiring, poetic, and heartbreakingly lovely. Set like a jewel within the events of history, it is pure, peerless enchantment.”—New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn

 “Bitter Greens is pure enchantment–gripping and lyrical. From the high convent walls where a 17th century noblewoman is exiled, to a hidden tower which imprisons an innocent girl with very long hair, to the bitter deeds of a beautiful witch who cannot grow old–Kate Forsyth weaves an engrossing, gorgeously written tale of three women in search of love and freedom. A truly original writer, Forsyth has crafted an often terrifying but ultimately redemptive dark fairy tale of the heart.”—Stephanie Cowell, American Book Award-winning author of Claude & Camille

 “Kate Forsyth’s Bitter Greens is not only a magnificent achievement that would make any novelist jealous, it’s one of the most beautiful paeans to the magic of storytelling that I’ve ever read.”—C.W. Gortner, author of The Queen’s Vow and The Confessions of Catherine de Medici

 "Threads of history and folklore are richly intertwined to form this spellbinding story. Kate Forsyth has excelled herself with Bitter Greens. Compulsively unputtdownable."—Juliet Marillier, national bestselling author of Flame of Sevenwaters and Heart’s Blood

Buy the Book

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Kate Forsyth 1 About the Author

Kate Forsyth wrote her first novel at the age of seven, and is now the internationally bestselling & award-winning author of thirty books, ranging from picture books to poetry to novels for both adults and children. She was recently voted one of Australia's Favourite 20 Novelists, and has been called 'one of the finest writers of this generation. She is also an accredited master storyteller with the Australian Guild of Storytellers, and has told stories to both children and adults all over the world. Her most recent book for adults is a historical novel called 'The Wild Girl', which tells the true, untold love story of Wilhelm Grimm and Dortchen Wild, the young woman who told him many of the world's most famous fairy tales. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, 'The Wild Girl' is a story of love, war, heartbreak, and the redemptive power of storytelling, and was named the Most Memorable Love Story of 2013. She is probably most famous for 'Bitter Greens', a retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale interwoven with the dramatic life story of the woman who first told the tale, the 17th century French writer, Charlotte-Rose de la Force. 'Bitter Greens' has been called 'the best fairy tale retelling since Angela Carter', and has been nominated for a Norma K. Hemming Award, the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Fiction, and a Ditmar Award. Her most recent book for children is 'Grumpy Grandpa', a charming picture book that shows people are not always what they seem. Since 'The Witches of Eileanan' was named a Best First Novel of 1998 by Locus Magazine, Kate has won or been nominated for numerous awards, including a CYBIL Award in the US. She's also the only author to win five Aurealis awards in a single year, for her Chain of Charms series – beginning with 'The Gypsy Crown' - which tells of the adventures of two Romany children in the time of the English Civil War. Book 5 of the series, 'The Lightning Bolt', was also a CBCA Notable Book. Kate's books have been published in 14 countries around the world, including the UK, the US, Russia, Germany, Japan, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Poland and Slovenia. She is currently undertaking a doctorate in fairytale retellings at the University of Technology, having already completed a BA in Literature and a MA in Creative Writing. Kate is a direct descendant of Charlotte Waring, the author of the first book for children ever published in Australia, 'A Mother's Offering to her Children'. She lives by the sea in Sydney, Australia, with her husband, three children, and many thousands of books. For more information please visit Kate Forsyth's website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Bitter Greens Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, September 15 Guest Post & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
  Tuesday, September 16 Review at Kinx's Book Nook Review & Giveaway at Bookish

Wednesday, September 17 Review & Giveaway at Literary, etc Review & Giveaway at Book Drunkard

Thursday, September 18 Review & Giveaway at Build a Bookshelf Review & Giveaway at The Eclectic Reader

  Friday, September 19 Review at The Maiden's Court Review & Giveaway at Icey Books

Monday, September 22 Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway at A Dream Within a Dream Spotlight at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, September 23 Review at Book Dilettante Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway at SurLaLune

Wednesday, September 24 Review at Caroline Wilson Writes Review, Interview, and Giveaway at Ink Gypsy Review, Interview, and Giveaway at The Lit Bitch

Thursday, September 25 Review & Giveaway at No BS Book Reviews Interview & Giveaway at Just One More Chapter

Friday, September 26 Review at The Gilmore Guide to Books Review at Must Read Faster

Monday, September 29 Review at Book Lovers Paradise Review & Giveaway at Bookworm Blues

Tuesday, September 30 Review at The Life & Times of a Book Addict Review & Excerpt at Books-n-Kisses Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

  Wednesday, October 1 Review at One Book at a Time Review at Book-alicious Mama Review & Giveaway at Mina's Bookshelf Review & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

  Thursday, October 2 Interview at Layered Pages Review & Giveaway at Oh Magic Hour

Friday, October 3 Review at Bibliophilia, Please Review & Giveaway at Gone Pecan

  Sunday, October 5 Review at Carole's Ramblings

  Monday, October 6 Review at Book Babe Review at A Bibliotaph's Reviews Interview, Excerpt, & Giveaway at Harlequin Junkie

  Tuesday, October 7 Review at A Chick Who Reads Review & Giveaway at The Pretty Good Gatsby

  Wednesday, October 8 Review at So Many Books, So Little Time Review & Giveaway at My Friends Are Fiction

  Thursday, October 9 Review at Jorie Loves a Story

  Friday, October 10 Review at Mel's Shelves Review & Giveaway at No More Grumpy Bookseller Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Monday, October 13 Review at 100 Pages a Day - Stephanie's Book Reviews Review & Giveaway at Layers of Thought

Tuesday, October 14 Review & Giveaway at Words and Peace Review & Giveaway at Beth's Book Reviews

  Wednesday, October 15 Review at Crossroad Review Review at My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews

  Thursday, October 16 Review at Cheryl's Book Nook Review at CelticLady's Reviews

  Friday, October 17 Review at Mary Gramlich Review at She Reads Novels .

Monday, October 20 Interview & Giveaway at The Reading Frenzy
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my thoughts:
Remember the tale of Rapunzel?  Well if you liked that story, you will love this book.  But beware, this is not a Disneyfied version of the story.  This is an ADULT version of the tale.  Told from the viewpoint of the author of the story, the witch and the girl we now know as Rapunzel, this is a fascinating tale.  You will be on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what happens.   

I loved reading this story.   Loved the character of Margherita.  Her point of view was my favorite.  She is an innocent child (at first) caught up in the strange witchcraft of a woman afraid of aging.   

Throughout the novel, we meet a few interesting historical characters, Titian, The Sun King of France and more!   

I give this book 5 stars, but I caution the reader, it is an adult book.  There are adult themes and situations.

REMEMBER...THIS IS AN ADULT NOVEL...