Too Too Many Tutus by Suzanne Davis Marion

Too Too Many Tutus by Suzanne Davis Marion

Illustrated by Marj Hales

Christina has a bit of a problem- she's on her way to ballet class, but can't decide which tutu to wear! She just has too many! They are all beautiful and each tutu offers its own wonderful adventures! Christina finally lays all the different tutus out on her bed and begins to imagine the wonderful places she could dance... "If I wore my blue tutu I could whirl and twirl under the bright blue sky. I could dance on the beach beside the blue sea, and all the fish and sea birds could watch me dance..." The pink tutu has Christina dancing among the beautiful roses, the yellow tutu has her dancing in the sunshine with the yellow butterflies , besides the sunflowers and the daisies. As Christina reflects on each color tutu, Marj Hales beautiful pastel watercolors dance off the page and into our hearts... Finally Christina's mom points out that if Christina wore her white tutu, she would be wearing all the colors, because white is made up of all the colors of the rainbow! A wonderful book for the little girls in our life. The story & illustrations should inspire the imaginations of your little ones with a wonderful sense of the beauty of nature that surrounds us. A sweet story and beautifully illustrated, Too Too Many Tutus will have you smiling and remembering back when you played in an imaginary world! A charming book! It sure charmed me!

Author Suzanne Davis Marion graduated from the University of Arizona and from the University of Houston Moores School of Music. She is a singer, pianist and teacher AND she has a business called Lullabies by Suzanne where she creates personalized lullabies and play songs for children! You can learn more at Lullabies by Suzanne. Illustrator Marj Hales graduated from Concordia College in Minnesota and received a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of Oklahoma. She is known for her happy watercolors of bright florals & whimsical animals... Too Too Many Tutus is 32 wonderful pages and was published in February.

I want to thank Suzanne Davis Marion for sending me a copy so that I could review this for my readers! Where sometimes we girls have too too many tutus too!

Swimsuit by James Patterson ...Audio Book .......Giveaway!.......

Swimsuit by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

It's to Die For....

And It's An Audio Book Giveaway!

A heart-pounding story of fear and desire, SWIMSUIT transports listeners to a chilling new territory where the collision of beauty and murder transforms paradise into a hell of unspeakable horrors.....

The beach will never be the same for you again...

A Breathtakingly beautiful supermodel disappears from a swimsuit photo shoot at the most glamorous hotel in Hawaii. Only hours after she goes missing, Kim McDaniel's parents receive a terrifying phone call...

Ex-cop Ben Hawkins, now a reporter for the LA.Times, gets the McDaniels assignment. The ineptitude of the local police force defies belief - Ben has to start his own investigation for Kim Daniels to have a prayer. And Ben to have the story of his life...

All the while, the killer sets the stage for his next production...

This audio book has it all! A great story AND a great narrator! The story grabbed me from the start, but the narrator really brought the story alive for me! Christian Rummel narrates Swimsuit and has a good voice, good timing and really reads the book with feeling! I really enjoyed listening to Christian reading it. I listened intently as the story got more and more intense. This audio book is also unabridged! Which is a BIG plus! With 6 CD's we get the WHOLE story, not an edited one! If you've never given an audio book a try start with this one! If you like audio books this will not disappoint you! Would you like to listen to an excerpt? Here's the LINK. Check out James Patterson's website HERE for more info on Swimsuit! And check out Hachette Audio Books for more great audio books HERE!

NOW for the Giveaway! I have 3 copies of James Patterson's audio book Swimsuit for a giveaway to my readers courtesy of Anna B. of Hachette Book Group. Thank you Anna for the opportunity to share this wonderful audio book!

To Enter this giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*For another entry, follow my blog and leave a comment to let me know you just became a follower. (if you already are a follower you will get an extra entry!)

*For another entry Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

*For an extra entry in your comment tell if you ever listen to audio books and if yes share a favorite with us! ( I'll list all the suggestions later on!)

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only.(No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publishers. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on July 25th. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

**P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand Blog Tour!

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrad

Get lost in a good summer read!

About the Book...

"Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed...."

Right from the start, when we look at the cover of the book, we are prepared for sandy beaches and lazy days on the island of Nantucket... Find a comfortable place and settle in for a good story! One of friendship, grief & forgiveness... sprinkled with secrets and lies... Everything is tightly woven together so we can wrap ourselves into the story of Greg & Tess, The Chief & Andrea, Addison & Phoebe, Jeffery & Delilah. Elin Hilderbrand moves back and forth in the story to show us how the friendships of our 4 main couples developed and how some of their lives were intertwined before they were the couples they became... Their relationships were complicated and became more so after the tragic death of Tess & Greg, who made up part of "The Castaways" the nickname the couples gave themselves as they vacationed together, laughed together and lived in the wake of each others lives. Elin really lets us get to know the characters as we read about their desires and fears in relationship to themselves, their spouse and the others. Each character has a "speaking" part in the book as the story develope's and we see each characters perspective. Almost like taking a peak at a diary. Her writing is great! The characters feel real! A perfect summer read! I enjoyed it immensely! Want to learn more? Here's the link to The Castaways.Thank you Miriam of Hachette Book Group for a copy of this wonderful book to review!

A Little About Elin....

Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Please follow Elin to her website here for more information about a great giveaway going on right now!, joining the online book club to discuss The Castaways or one of her other fabulous books, and even the recipe for the original Castaways Cocktail, The Surfsider!

Today Chick with Books is hosting Elin Hilderbrand's Blog Tour for The Castaways! There are plenty of stops along the way, please check out the other blogs hosting The Castaways:

http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/

http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com/

http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/

http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/

http://www.foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com/

http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/

http://aseaofbooks.blogspot.com/

http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com/

http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/

http://www.brimfulcuriosities.com/

http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com/

July 7

http://booknaround.blogspot.com/

http://www.sheistoofondofbooks.com/

http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/

http://bfishreads.blogspot.com/

http://hiddenplace.wordpress.com/

http://www.bellasnovella.com/

http://www.acircleofbooks.blogspot.com/

http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/

http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/

http://abookishmom.blogspot.com/

http://bermudaonion.wordpress.com/

July 8

http://debbiesworldofbooks.com/

http://www.reviewfromhere.com/

http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com

http://frommipov.blogspot.com/

http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com/

http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/

http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/

http://cindyloveofbooks.blogspot.com/

http://jennsbookshelf.blogspot.com/

http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com/

July 9

http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/

http://thisbookforfree.com/

http://www.ultimatebookhound.blogspot.com/

http://redladysreadingroom-redlady.blogspot.com/

http://bookfoolery.blogspot.com/

http://www.linussblanket.com/

http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/

http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot.com/

http://brainlair.blogspot.com/

http://danys-san.blogspot.com

http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/

July 10

http://www.myspace.com/darbyscloset

http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/

http://imbookingit.wordpress.com/

http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/

http://www.morbid-romantic.net/

http://nisefunpages.blogspot.com/

http://tvandbookaddict.blogspot.com/

http://allisonsatticblog.blogspot.com/

http://wrightysreads.blogspot.com/

http://frugalplus.com/

http://www.mgpblog.com

**P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

One Scream Away... by Kate Brady! Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway!

One Step Away...One Breath Away... One Scream Away!

Congratulations to Cheri, Cherise, Donna, Beth & April! They each won a copy of One Scream Away! Thanks to EVERYone who entered and joined the fun!

One Scream Away by Kate Brady... Review & Giveaway

One step away...

Seven years ago Beth Denison was attacked by a killer named Chevy Bankes. Since then, she's created a new life for herself and her daughter, one far removed from the night that ended in an awful tragedy. But now Bankes is out of prison, and his chilling phone calls tell Beth he's coming for her

.One breath away...

Ex-FBI agent Neil Sheridan is driven to investigate a chain of murders that are eerily similar to a disturbing case from his past. When the killer's trail dead-ends at Beth's doorstep, Neil finds a beautiful woman with a secret she'll do anything to keep. Yet even as Beth surrenders to Neil's protection - and then his embrace - she can't tell him why Bankes hungers to hear her scream, and why she'll soon consider doing the unthinkable: face Bankes alone.

One Scream Away grabs you from the start and will not let you go! A thrilling ride of suspense with unforgettable characters , an exciting story with twists & turns that will leave you holding your breath. This debut novel by Kate Brady a real page turner!

From the first paragraph in the book: A Chilly night with just a wedge of moon, mist brewing on the water and congealing in gullies... No sound but the strangled sobs of a woman about to die..." The writing is fluid and the story is well paced. The suspense builds up along the way as we watch killer Chevy Bankes get closer and closer to reaching his target, Beth Dennison, and leaving a trail of dead women behind. We are drawn in immediately and with the frightening phone calls to Beth along the way, we begin to feel the terror of a killer hunting us down... I loved this book! I could not put it down once I started it. "Leave the lights on" Scary, it held my attention and it will hold yours! Want to learn more? Here's a link to more of One Scream Away!

A Little about Kate...

When Kate isn't creating psycho serial killers and plotting grim murders, she is a choral conductor and assistant professor of music education! After being snow bound one day at school & spending an afternoon reading, she asked herself " I wonder if I could do that.." And the rest as they say is history. Would you like to learn more about Kate? Here's a link to a little more about Kate!

About the Giveaway:

Courtesy of Anna Balasai of Hachette Books I have 5 copies of One Scream Away for a giveaway! Thanks Anna!

Here's how to Enter:

• Leave a comment with your email address for one entry!
• For another entry become a follower and leave a comment telling me you just became a follower! (if you're already a follower you'll get an extra entry by entering!)
• for another entry blog of tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link in your comment.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only.(No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publishers. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on July 25, 2009. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email...) Good Luck!

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

Be sure to check out the other stops on The One Scream Away Blog Tour...

Darby's Closet, Yankee Romance Reviewers, Review From Here, Debbie's World of Books, Starting Fresh, Wendy's Minding Spot, Marta's Meanderings, Chic Book, Chick, Bloody Bad Book Blog, Readaholic, Morbid Romantic, Bookin' with Bingo, Books and Needlepoint, Drey's Library, Pudgy Penguin Perusals, I'm Booking It, Book Soulmates, Just Jennifer Reading, My thoughts...your thoughts?, Seductive Musings, All About {n}, My Friend Amy, This Book for Free, Cheryl's Book Nook, My Guilty Pleasures

Happy Independence Day! And remembering the women of liberty...

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

These words are probably the best known in American History and are part of The Declaration of Independence... They have been used over and over thru-out history to fight prejudice and inequality that still exists to this day. George Washington, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin are names that we are all familiar with, associated with this great document and included in the larger list known as our founding fathers (although Washington did neither sign or help frame the Declaration of Independence he is still included in the list as a major player in shaping our countries' destiny!) ... But are you familiar with The "Founding Ladies"? The women that sacrificed for our indendence? One such woman was Margaret Corbin, who, after her husband was killed, "moved into his battle station and fought bravely, sustaining three gunshot wounds, until the British captured the post." Or Mercy Otis Warren who "wrote hundreds of pamphlets that educated the masses and turned many supporters of the Crown to the cause of the patriots".

These women and others are brought to light in Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation written by Cokie Roberts. "Roberts introduces a variety of women, mostly wives, sisters or mothers of key men, exploring how they used their wit, wealth or connections to influence the men who made policy".

So, for your "Independent" reading today... enjoy a bit of history and remember to thank our Founding Fathers And Mothers!

*Interested in reading this with a book group? There is a reading guide available too! For more information on the book click here: Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation. And here :for the reading guide.

**P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

Knight of Desire by Margaret Mallory........ Blog Tour! Book Review & Giveaway!

Knight of Desire Blog Tour & GIVEAWAY!

Be Swept Away in a time where an honorable knight named William will steal your heart.... Knight of Desire

Who's getting swept away? CONGRATs to Rachie2004, aitmama, LadyVampire, LibraryGrinch, and throuthehaze for winning copies of Knight of Desire! AND Thanks to everyone who joined in on the fun!

About the Book...

Fearless in Battle

"His surcoat still bloody from battle, William FitzAlan comes to claim the strategic borderlands granted to him by the king. One last prize awaits him at the castle gates: the lovely Lady Catherine Rayburn.

Tender in Bed!

Catherine risked everything to spy for the crown. Her reward? Her lands are declared forfeit and she is given this choice: marry FitzAlan or be taken to the Tower. Catherine agrees to give her handsome new husband her body, but she's keeping secrets, and dare not give him her heart. As passion ignites and danger closes in, Catherine and William must learn to trust in each other to save their marriage, their land, and their very lives."

On a cool October night a beautiful young girl sneaks out into the stables to take a last ride before she is to be married.... She surprises a young knight sleeping in the stable... it is an encounter that neither one of them will ever forget.... And neither will you! This is a wonderful story! Rich with passion and great characters! Catherine is a strong willed independent woman, even as a young girl. Beautiful & smart! William FitzAlan is noble, kind, loyal, brave and gorgeous! Their romance is sizzling! Their marriage is complicated... Catherine's first marriage was to a cruel, abusive man. Not knowing anything other than the pain & suffering she felt at the hands of her first husband, she is afraid to put her trust in William ( in bed & in his heart). Unable to avoid the "inevitable", she is ultimately surprised & delighted at the passion between them! And slowly they try to resolve the other issues in their lives- the secrets that still separate them & the trust they must put in eachother to survive the turmoil around them.

Knight of Desire is a historical romance and Margaret Mallory certainly did her homework! The setting for Knight of Desire is 600 years ago during the Welsh rebellion, when the welsh were fighting to take over as much of England as possible. Knight of Desire has everything you'd want in a great story: political intrigue, love, lust, loyalty & friendship and plenty of suspense! You will not be able to put it down! I couldn't! I became totally absorbed in the lives of William & Catherine! And I have 5 copies of Knight of Desire to give away!!!

A Little About Margaret Mallory...

Why write about medieval times?..People often ask me how I happened to choose the early 1400’s as the setting for my first book, KNIGHT OF DESIRE. What more exciting period could I find? I have a king who usurped the throne from his cousin, rebellions and traitorous plots everywhere, and one of England’s greatest kings is a prince who is beginning to show the man he will become.

In truth, I love history and would be happy writing stories set in different times and places. What I particularly like about the medieval period—besides all the adventure an

d political intrigue—is that it lends itself so well to stories with themes of honor and loyalty. And then there are the knights, of course...

A Little More Personal...

Margaret Mallory started out as a Midwest girl. Except for two years in Africa, she grew up in small towns in northern Michigan. Not long ago, she surprised (shocked?) her friends and family by abandoning her legal career—and steady job—to write novels. She is thrilled to spend her days writing stories of love and adventure, instead of going to endless meetings. After all, she has always loved romantic tales, heroic deeds, and happy endings. And, at long last, she can satisfy her passion for justice by punishing the bad and rewarding the worthy—in the pages of her novels. Want to learn more about Margaret? Check out her Website !

About the Giveaway:

Courtesy of Anna Balasai of Hachette Books I have 5 copies of Knight of Desire for a giveaway! Thanks Anna!

Here's how to Enter:

• Leave a comment with your email address for one entry!
• For another entry become a follower and leave a comment telling me you just became a follower! (if you're already a follower you'll get an extra entry by entering!)
• For another entry Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and leave me a comment with the link.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only.(No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publishers. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on July 18, 2009. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email...) Good Luck!

Be sure to check out the other stops on The Knight of Desire Blog Tour...

Readaholic, This Book for Free, Must Read Faster, Yankee Romance Reviewers, This That and Other Things, Book Soulmates, The Epic Rat, Foreign Circus Library, Happily Forever After, Love Impossible, Morbid Romantic, Books and Needlepoint, Bookin with Bingo, A Journey of Books, Seductive Musings, Alpha Heroes, All About {n}, Anna's Book Blog, Marta's Meanderings, Review from Here, Starting Fresh, Maria's Space, Darby's Closet

*P.S. This book is Kindle Ready! (not part of the giveaway though!)

The Kindle Chronicles....

Do you own a Kindle? I know there are a few of you out there lifting your eyes off your Kindle screen for just a moment! As you probably know I own a Kindle.... But I still do LOVE the feel of a 'real' book in my hand and would never give that up. That said, it's always nice to get a free book (or practically free)... and I thought I would highlight some great "contemporary" Kindle book deals available right now. This is also a great opportunity to try out some new authors! These choices happen to be from Amazon.com....

Paranoia by best selling author Joseph Finder is a corporate thriller. Adam Cassidy works as a low level employee in a high-tech corporation & hates his job. He does a little "high-tech" favor for a friend and finds himself in a bit of "high-tech" trouble... Free until Sept. 18th!

The Grove by new author John Rector is a psychological suspense novel he wrote and distributed on Kindle... " the last time farmer Dexter McCray went off his medication, someone wound up dead. So, after waking from an alcoholic blackout to discover his tractor stuck in a ditch and the body of a teenage girl in the cottonwood grove bordering his cornfield, things look worryingly familiar..." available for .99! **This month John signed a deal to publish his next book The Cold Kiss! If you like The Grove, look for The Cold kiss coming out in hardback sometime in 2010!

Dark Fever by Time-travel-romance author Karen Marie Moning turns from her usual to a darker gothic suspense. "MacKayla "Mac" Lane is a small-town southern girl living a life of suntans and shopping. All that changes when her sister dies in Ireland and a cryptic message on Mac's cell phone raises disturbing questions about the nature of her sister's death..." Free until Oct. 1st!

Loving a Lost Lord by historical romance writer Mary Jo Putney is the first of a dazzling series that introduces the Lost Lords- maverick childhood friends with a flair for defying convention. Each is about to discover the woman who is his perfect match-but perfection doesn't come easily, even for the noble Duke of Ashton. . .

Battered by the sea, Adam remembers nothing of his past, his ducal rank, nor of the shipwreck that almost claimed his life. However, he's delighted to hear that the golden-haired vision tending his wounds is his wife. Mariah's name and face may not be familiar, but her touch, her warmth, feel deliciously right. . . even though it shouldn't! Priced at $4.76 now! (was free...)

For Love of Mother Not by Sci-Fi author Alan Dean Foster, who is well known for his novels of movies like Alien and The Transformers as well as a bunch of great scienc fiction. This book is the start of the story of Pip & Flinx which after 35 yrs. and 14 novels ended this year. The series centers on the companionship of a mini dragon and a young street boy who travel thru many adventures in the fictional land called Moth. A fun series even for non sci-fi lovers!... Free for now!

A little bit of everything here: thriller, suspense, historical romance, romantic suspense, and sci-fi... Clicking on the book titles will bring you to the kindle book download on Amazon! Keep your eyes out for "Kindle Ready!" tags at the bottom of all my review and giveaway posts... so all my Kindle readers don't feel left out! I'm also going to review some great classics available on Kindle, and thought I'd make the Kindle Chronicles a regular feature on my blog. Remember, most everything here is available in paper too!

Happy reading (and downloading....),
Suzanne