Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

Dec 16, 1775 - July 18, 1817

Thank you Jane for Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, Sense and Sensability, and Northanger Abbey! Hope you are enjoying Jane Austen week, with a bit of Jane inspired books. I will link up all the reviews this week here at the end of the week, and in the meantime enjoy more contemporary books inspired by Jane Austen's popularity! And don't be shy, share your favorite Jane Austen book here! Tell me what other Jane inspired book you've read and liked! And of course you can always share your Birthday wishes with Jane!

Happy reading! And Happy Birthday Jane!

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange... A Review

A legendary and immortal love story ...

for a legendary and immortal couple...

a test of love that will take them to hell and back...

Girl loves Boy... Boy loves girl... Boy has BIG secret... and FANGS! I know what your thinking, but I'm talking about... Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange! It is a wonderful gothic adventure! If you love Jane Austen, you will already feel right at home as the story opens on the morning of the wedding of Elizabeth Bennet and the brooding Mr. Darcy. It is to be a joint wedding, the sister she is closest with, Jane, is marrying her Mr. Bingley...

But things seem a bit off after the vows... Elizabeth writes to her sister, "...Tell me, Jane, is marriage what you thought it would be?" Elizabeth is perplexed by her new husbands "quirks"... First he doesn't seem happy, has he regrets so soon? Secondly, he doesn't seem to want to "consummate" the marriage, actually seeming to avoid her! (That certainly doesn't seem too normal!). And finally, there seems to be something on his mind... Something BIG! Hmmm, wonder if it has anything to do with those fangs? Mr. Darcy thus whisks his new wife off to unexpected places, visiting strange relations...

My dearest Jane,

My hand is trembling as I write this letter. My nerves are in tatters and I am so altered that I believe you would not recognise me. The past two months have been a nightmarish whirl of strange and disturbing circumstances, and the future . . .

Jane, I am afraid. If anything happens to me, remember that I love you and that my spirit will always be with you, though we may never see each other again. The world is a cold and frightening place where nothing is as it seems. It was all so different a few short months ago. When I awoke on my wedding morning, I thought myself the happiest woman alive . . .

Unlike a lot of the Jane Austen "Vampire" inspired spin-offs, this book is not just written as a humorous take on Pride & Prejudice, although it was a fun book to read! It is a wonderfully written alternative take on Mr. Darcy and why he is such a dark, handsome, brooding character! Written in a style similar to Jane Austen's writing, it is a well written page turner that you will truly enjoy! The characters come alive and so does the scenery around them! Ms. Austen would definitely have a smile on her face as she read this book! I know I did! If you love Jane Austen and the occasional vampyre, pick up Mr. Darcy, Vampyre! You won't be sorry! Thank you to Danielle of Sourcebooks for sending me this wonderful book to review! Mr. Darcy was never a more interesting character!

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

Memoir Mondays... We start the Jane Austen Birthday Week with The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James!

What if, hidden in an old attic chest, Jane Austen's memoirs

were discovered after hundreds of years?

What if those pages revealed the untold story of a life-changing love affair?

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James... From the Publisher, "The premise behind this spellbinding novel, which delves into the secrets of Jane Austen's life, gives us untold insights into her mind and heart. Jane Austen, her sister Cassandra, and their mother are left homeless and nearly penniless when Jane's father dies. Although Jane's brothers pitch in to offer financial support, Jane still lacks privacy and a settled place in which to live and write. She has long since give up her dream of becoming a published author.

On a fateful trip to Lyme, Jane meets the well-read and charming Mr. Ashford, a man who is her equal in intellect and temperament. The two fall deeply in love. Inspired by the people and places around her, and encouraged by Mr. Ashford's faith in her, Jane begins revising Sense and Sensibility, a book she began years earlier, hoping to be published at last.

Written in a compelling and witty style that echoes Austen's own, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen stays faithful to the facts of Jane Austen's life, while revealing the untold story of Jane's impassioned, life-changing love affair. At the same time, the novel showcases Jane's struggle with her own talent—and offers a possible scenario for the inspiration behind some of her most beloved romantic tales."

This book has gotten so much positive buzz! And since it is Memoir Monday, Jane never wrote really wrote her memoirs, and we are celebrating Jane Austen's birthday this week, I thought we could all enjoy this "memoir" that is written so convincingly in Jane's style! Syrie James did extensive research to truly understand all things Austen, and writes,

"I felt a great responsibility to remain true to Jane Austen's known history, and to accurately represent not only her, but her real-life friends and family members. It was a challenge to interweave my love story with the known dates, times, places and facts of Jane Austen's life. When I was finished, I hoped it would be difficult for even the most discerning Jane Austen scholar to determine where fact ended and fiction began."

Read more about her research at her website HERE. There is even a Reader's Guide HERE, for book clubs interested in reading The Memoirs of Jane Austen as a group! Would you like to read an excerpt? Here's a link to CHAPTER ONE. And this book is Kindle Ready too!

Stop by the rest of the week for more books based on the writings of Jane Austen! And Celebrate Jane this week- her birthday is Dec. 16th!

The Sunday Salon... Children's Holiday Books We Can all Love... And an iPhone App just for the Season!

What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake...

The snow has finally fallen in Connecticut, which means throwing another log in the woodstove, settling down with

a great book and waiting for the Holidays to come! The celebration of Chanukah, the triumph of light over darkness, started Friday night! Happy Chanukah to everyone who celebrates! And Christmas is right around the corner! I was thinking about some of the great children's books that I enjoy reading this time of year, and some of the new books that look to be a wonderful addition to the season! So this weeks Sunday Salon will be about great Childrens books perfect for reading together this time of year... Plus, for you iPhone users, there are some great Holiday Apps! One of them is a "story Advent calendar" that is so much fun! We'll talk about that afterwards... Now onto the books...

The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradion by Carol Aebersold & Chanda Bell... It seems like this book (and elf) has made a big splash this year in all the bookstores, but the book has been around since 2007. The book is charming! And comes packaged with an elf who looks just like the elf from the story! The Elf is Santa's helper and has the responsibility to report to Santa nightly the behavior of the children in the house he arrives at. (Naughty or Nice!) Each morning when the elf returns from the North Pole the job of the children is to find him! He'll be somewhere different each morning! The children aren't allowed to touch him because the magic might go away, and Santa may not hear him any longer, but the children can talk to the elf and tell him all their "secrets & wishes" for Christmas! On Christmas eve the elf's job is done and off he goes to live with Santa again until next year! There is even a special place online to register your elf's name, because everyone needs a proper name! Carol and Chanda are mother & daughter and wrote this charming book from the Christmas tradition they had in their home. The story is written in rhyming verse and the illustrations are beautiful! Carol Aebersold also writes, "Unwittingly, the tradition provided an added benefit: it helped the children to better control themselves. All it took was a gentle reminder that the "elf is watching"!

The Snowman's Song: A Christmas Story by Marilee Joy Mayfield... "The Snowman's Song is an enchanting tale of longing and fulfillment. A little snowman yearns to sing Christmas carols, but is desolate because he hasn't a voice. From the kindness of others, he dares to believe in the impossible and experiences a Christmas miracle. Beautifully told in melodic verse, this inspirational story shows that impossible dreams do come true and reminds us of the true reason for the season." The illustrations look beautiful and this heartwarming story includes a bonus CD contains a reading of the entire story told in the author s voice.

The Mitten retold and illustrated by Jan Brett... The Mitten is A Ukrainian Folktale retold by Jan Brett with her breathe-taking illustrations! This year is the 2oth anniversary of Jan Brett's retelling of The Mitten! And with good reason- it's a wonderful story! The tale is about a little boy "Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing. One by one, woodland animals find the mitten and crawl in; first a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse, and what happens next makes a wonderfully funny climax."

Have you read any of these wonderful books? What other books are your Holiday favorites?! It's nice to relax with one of these children's books... Bringing back the wonder of the season through the beauty of the written word... and now for a 21st century Christmas treat...

A-Story-A-Day Advent Calendar iPhone App... A 21st century advent calendar! What a cute App for the iPhone! This Advent Calendar is not filled with a treat behind each door, but a story! And these are stories by Charles Dickens, O'Henry, Louisa May Alcott- all with a Holiday theme! Each day you press on the door you are opening and a story will appear. You turn the pages with a stroke of your finger. And there's NO Cheating! You can't open a door that is meant for 3 days from now! Here are some of the stories, the rest we'll have to find out together...The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, A Country Christmas by Louisa May Alcott, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by by L. Frank Baum, Christmas in Poganuc by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I'm a little behind in downloading this, but that just means I can read more stories while I catch up! For $1.99 any reader would appreciate it! Plus the iTunes App store has wonderful Christmas stories to download for free on your iPhone!

Have a wonderful Sunday! And a wonderful week! Happy reading... Suzanne

*P.S. Next week is Jane Austen's Birthday! We'll be celebrating with "Jane Austen Week"! Reviews and suggestions on all sorts of Austen inspired books and some great Jane Austen books! So stop by next week to see the great selection!

My Secret Santa Gift Arrived! ...Book Bloggers Holiday Swap

My Secret Santa Gift Arrived!!

There was a special package in my mailbox yesterday! It was from my Secret Santa! The Book Blogger Holiday Swap is an annual Secret Santa gift exchange between book bloggers, now in its third year. In November we submit our names and the wonderful bloggers who organize the swap email your Secret Santa recipient. Then the fun begins! Of course all of us bloggers read a LOT, so choosing a bookish gift may seem daunting, but we secretly search the reading lists and blogs of our recipients and have fun buying for that special person!

MY Secret Santa was Becky from misspriss.org! I LOVED what Becky sent me for my gifts! First she picked out a book, Beg, Borrow, Steal, a writers life by Michael Greenberg! A perfect gift! First our town had read this past Sept. Michael's book Hurry Down Sunshine for our One Book One Community read and I had wanted to read this newest book of his! And secondly I love memoirs and this book is about his life and "the life" of a writer! And Becky also gave me a beautiful journal! The binding makes it look just like a book when it's on a shelf! There's also a nice leather bookmark that is sewn into the binding so I won't lose my place or the bookmark! I look forward to writing all my bookish thoughts in it!

Here's a photo of my gifts...

What's also nice about the Book Bloggers Holiday Swap is meeting new bloggers. I had never 'met' Becky before, but after a nice note enclosed in my special package I was able to find her blog and enjoyed "getting to know her" through her writing (which is great) and her posts! I'll be emailing her now to say a Thank you! and a hello!

Happy Holidays! Suzanne

Books Gardens & Dogs Interview and WorldWide Giveaway!

Books Gardens & Dogs Interviews Chick with Books Furry Companion!

And As a Treat (Not Doggie Treat)...

There is an Worldwide Giveaway for a Puppy Calendar Too!

BlackJack, Bj to his friends & family, has made the big time! In his first interview he reveals his view on Doggie Clothes, Squirrels and Books to Chew! Mary a dog lover, book lover and who has the fabulous Blog Books Gardens & Dogs has a cute regular post where she interviews the dogs of bloggers! Dusty, Pugsly and even that famous fictional dog Enzo from The Art of Racing in The Rain have all sat down in their favorite spot and chatted with Mary about how they feel about Food, Haircuts and World Domination! Here are a few of the questions BJ answered,

Mary... "Dog Trainers: Friend or Foe?

BJ... "Dog trainer was for my mommy- I had my own ideas!"

Mary... "What book would like to chew the cover off?"

BJ... " I would chew the cover off and the book itself of Training Your Dog: The Step-by-Step Manual by Joachim Volhard! Who does he think he is writing a book like that!" (psst... that's the book over there to the right!)

Stop by Books Gardens & Dogs and read BJ's full interview! Check out the other Doggie Interviews , and check out the rest of her blog with reviews and giveaways! Speaking of Giveaways... As a special treat, for us humans not the doggies, Mary is having a WORLDWIDE Giveaway for a puppy calendar!

Here is the LINK where you can enter the giveaway! The contest ends on 12/19/09! Good Luck! Oh, and BJ says "Woof"!

Knight of Pleasure by Margaret Mallory! Blog Tour & Giveaway!

Knight of Pleasure

Historical Romance that Sizzles

by Margaret Mallory

Ladies, this one is for YOU!

THE GREATEST PASSION
Lady Isobel Hume is an expert swordswoman who knows how to choose her battles. When the king asks her to wed a French nobleman to form a political alliance, she agrees. But

that's before the devilishly charming Sir Stephen Carleton captures her heart-and tempts her to betray her betrothed, her king, and her country.

IS WORTH THE GREATEST PERIL
Sir Stephen Carleton enjoys his many female admirers-until he dedicates himself to winning the lovely Isobel. So when a threat against the king leads Isobel into mortal danger, Stephen has a chance to prove that he is more than a knight of pleasure...and that love can conquer all.

The year is 1409, Northumberland England, when we meet 13 year old Isobel sword fighting with wooden swords outside the walls of Hume Castle as the boys her age were practicing inside with real swords... "Twas so unfair!" she complained. And so we get a small glimpse into the little girl with spunk, who will grow into an amazing woman!

Betrothed to an old man at age 13, losing all her lands and inheritance by the devilish trickery of a boy she knew in her youth, and who had grown into quite a man, upon her husbands death, and finally falling in love with a man she should resist! This story has got it all!

Margaret Mallory is one of my favorite authors of historical romance! I first read her when she published her book, Knight of Pleasure, which is the first book in this series "All the King's Men". Her writing is fabulous, making you feel you are actually in 15th century England! Her thorough historical research is evident. Her characters leap from the page... and the romance sizzles! We first met Sir Stephen Carleton in the first book, Knight of Desire, as the younger brother of William FitzAlan, the hunk who stole the show and won the hand of the girl! Stephen had a "hero's heart" at the age of 13, and showed us the meaning of gallantry! Margaret Mallory loved the character Stephen so much she just had to give him his own book!

I loved this book! It's not necessary to have read the first book Knight of Desire to enjoy Knight of Pleasure, but I would pick that one up too! Would you like to read a little excerpt of Knight of Pleasure? Here's the link to Margaret Mallory's website where you can read a little! How about winning a copy of Knight of Pleasure?! Courtesy of Anna of Hachette Book Group I have 5 copies to give away! 5 of my lucky readers are going to win one! Here's how...

To Enter this giveaway...

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

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the right! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me 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 publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on Dec. 26th. 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!

This is part of the Knight of Pleasure Blog Tour! Here are some of the other Blogs participating in the tour...

http://froggaritavillesbookcase.blogspot.com/

www.bibliophilicbookblog.com

http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com

http://libslibrary.blogspot.com/

http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com

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

http://www.brokenteepee.blogspot.com

http://www.saveyspender.com

http://blog.lyndacoker.net

http://bridget3420.blogspot.com

http://www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com

http://myoverstuffedbookshelf.blogspot.com/http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com

http://alphaheroes.blogspot.com

http://razloversbookblog.blogspot.com/

www.findthetimetoread.blogspot.com

http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/

http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/

MARGARET MALLORY recently surprised her friends and family by abandoning her legal career-and her steady job-to write tales of romance and adventure. At long last, she can satisfy her passion for justice by punishing the bad and rewarding the worthy-in the pages of her novels, of course. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two college-age children. KNIGHT OF DESIRE was her first book, KNIGHT OF PLEASURE is her second.

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!