It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Nov 10

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Oh, my gosh! We are back on Monday again. How are the weeks flying by?

This was an exciting weekend. Three of my four buyers received the good news that their offers were accepted. I am waiting to hear back on the last one. I guess that means December will be another busy one for me. That's okay, sure beats being bored. 

The garden is now ready for winter. The garlic has been planted. I cut the last of the herbs. Cardboard and straw have been placed over the soil. The tulip and crocus bulbs have been planted. I invested in a composter this year, so I should have some compost to work into the soil next year.

Here are photos from last week:

The three cats hanging out in the Lil' Princess's bedroom

Saw a Patchy the Pirate (from SpongeBob SquarePants) portrait in a house this weekend

Christmas mugs at the local grocery store 

I made ham tetrazzini for supper on Sunday

In my reading world, I finished The Curiosities by W.H. Eatons. Check out my review here.  

I finished Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein. Loved it! Such a fun read. Look for my review coming soon. 

I continued with The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts. Need to finish this week. 

Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson will be done this week. 

I am not sure I will be able to read Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas during the holiday season. Too much going on. But I will do my best.

Eager to read Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron for a November review. 

Will be posting a First Chapter Review of A Quarterback for Christmas by Linda West soon.

As I head into the new year, my TBR pile will be my focus. As much as I enjoy VBTs, I need to cut back. (We will pretend I didn't say the same thing last year.) 

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

The world recently lost historical fiction author C. W. Gortner. I met Chris through Pump Up Your Book and have enjoyed reading his books for years. In his honor, I bought the second book in his Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles: The Tudor Conspiracy. 

Upcoming Events

• A Quarterback for Christmas by Linda West - Nov 13 (First Chapter Review)
• Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson - Nov 25 (Review)
• Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron - Nov 27 (Review)

This week's Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. We covered stories from New York, Maryland, and Florida this week. Check it out here.

My review of The Curiosities was posted at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection this week.

Laura's Little Houses was quiet except for me writing that I am working on Part 6 of the "Times Are Changing" Season 9 rewrite. 

Looking ahead, there will be no day off on the calendar this week. I expect it will slow down a bit the week of Thanksgiving. Hope you have a great day! 

Musing Monday - November 20

Musing Monday is hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker.  It is a weekly meme that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

I’m currently reading…
Up next I think I’ll read…
I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
I can’t wait to get a copy of…
I wish I could read ___, but…
I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK'S RANDOM QUESTION:   Do you like or dislike series books?


Happy Thanksgiving week, everyone! I hope your preparations are going well. Mine are very slow. Trying not to work, but I am working like a dog. House still isn't clean for me to host on Thursday and I can't even think about baking.

Enough of that stress. Let's talk books. If you visited lately you'll see I've been blogging more thanks to a little break in the real estate business. Not much of a break, but I'll take it. Be sure to read my review of When the Bishop Needs an Alibi by Vannetta Chapman. Love, love, love this series.

Speaking of series, I do like them. That said, I hate when life gets hectic and I can't keep up with a series. I've missed books by Karen White, Kathi Macias, Marilyn Meredith, C. W. Gortner and more that write books I absolutely adore. Even harder is when I come into a series in the middle and have to back track. That never seems to work out. That's why I've been so vigilant about Charlotte Hubbard's books. I know if I miss any one in a series I'll regret it and never catch up.

How about you? Do you prefer stand alone novels or series? Is there a series you're still trying to catch up on?

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

New Release: Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner

She revolutionized fashion and built an international empire . . . all on her own terms

Born into rural poverty, Gabrielle Chanel and her sisters are sent to a convent orphanage after their mother's death. The nuns of the order nurture Gabrielle's exceptional sewing skills, a talent that would propel the willful young woman into a life far removed from the drudgery of her childhood.

Burning with ambition, the petite brunette transforms herself into Coco, by day a hard-working seamstress and by night a singer in a nightclub, where her incandescence draws in a wealthy gentleman who becomes the love of her life. She immerses herself in his world of money and luxury, discovering a freedom that sparks her creativity. But it is only when her lover takes her to Paris that Coco discovers her destiny.

Rejecting the frilly, corseted silhouette of the past, Coco's sleek, minimalist styles reflect the youthful ease and confidence of the 1920s modern woman. As her reputation spreads, her couture business explodes, taking her into rarefied circles of society and bohemian salons. But her fame and fortune cannot save her from heartbreak as the years pass. And when Paris falls to the Nazis, Coco is forced to make choices that will haunt her always.

An enthralling novel about an entirely self-made woman, Mademoiselle Chanel tells the true story of Coco Chanel's extraordinary ambition, passion, and artistic vision.

Read an excerpt at https://www.facebook.com/CWGortner?sk=app_208195102528120

Purchase from:

Harper Collins
Amazon 
B&N
iBooks
Kobo
Google
Indiebound


A former fashion executive, C. W. Gortner is a lifelong admirer of Coco Chanel. His passion for writing led him to give up fashion, and his many historical novels have been bestsellers, published in more than twenty countries. He lives in San Francisco.

Visit the author online at www.cwgortner.com

Book Review: The Queen's Vow by C. W. Gortner

Filled with political conflict, religious tensions, intrigue, and romance, The Queen's Vow by C. W. Gortner portrays the early life of the woman known to history as Isabella of Castile.

Barely a teenager, Isabella and her brother, Alfonoso, are taken from their mother's home to live under the watchful eye of their half-brother, King Enrique, and his conniving queen. When Isabella becomes a pawn in a plot to dethrone Enrique, she is suspected of treason and held captive. At the age of seventeen, she finds herself heiress of Castile and is plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, while determined to wed the man she loves, Fernando, prince of Aragón.

Isabella and Fernando face difficult times: an impoverished Spain beset by enemies, the demands of the inquisitor Torquemada to punish relapsed conversos, and a declaration of war from the Moors. Isabella's resolve and courage are put to the test as she moves toward fulfilling her God-given destiny.

The Queen's Vow is such a superb book, I'm sorry I didn't read it sooner. I'm even more upset that it's finished, because I want to experience it all over again. Rich descriptions, stunning settings, and a fascinating plot filled with a host of historical figures spring to life through Gortner's masterful hand. While a bit of a slow starter for me, once the puzzle pieces were in place for Isabella to inherit the throne, I became totally engrossed. From the fights to secure her crown to wedding the man of her choosing at a time when women were not given the power to do so, Isabella proved a force to be reckoned with. Her deep faith and willingness to put herself in harm's way led to much admiration.

Reading The Queen's Vow also helped me to have a greater understanding of the origins of Gortner's earlier book, The Last Queen, which is about Isabella and Fernando's daughter, Juana, the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country's throne.

What I was pleased to see with The Queen's Vow is that Gortner ends it at a what I would say a perfect place. After years of war and division, Isabella can look toward the future.

Highly recommended!


Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books; Reprint edition (July 2, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345523970
ISBN-13: 978-0345523976

I received a free hardcover version of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

This is the 11th book I've read for the following challenge:

Available Now: The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner

Hunted by a shadowy foe in Bloody Mary’s court, Brendan Prescott plunges into London’s treacherous underworld to unravel a dark conspiracy that could make Elizabeth queen—or send her to her death in C.W. Gortner's The Tudor Conspiracy, Book 2 in The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles.

England, 1553: Harsh winter encroaches upon the realm. Mary Tudor has become queen to popular acclaim and her enemies are imprisoned in the Tower. But when she’s betrothed to Philip, Catholic prince of Spain, putting her Protestant subjects in peril, rumors of a plot to depose her swirl around the one person whom many consider to be England’s heir and only hope—the queen’s half-sister, Princess Elizabeth.

Haunted by his past, Brendan Prescott lives far from the intrigues of court. But his time of refuge comes to an end when his foe and mentor, the spymaster Cecil, brings him disquieting news that sends him on a dangerous mission. Elizabeth is held captive at court, the target of the Spanish ambassador, who seeks her demise. Obliged to return to the palace where he almost lost his life, Brendan finds himself working as a double-agent for Queen Mary herself, who orders Brendan to secure proof that will be his cherished Elizabeth’s undoing.

Plunged into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a mysterious opponent who hides a terrifying secret, Brendan races against time to retrieve a cache of the princess’s private letters, even as he begins to realize that in this dark world of betrayal and deceit, where power is supreme and sister can turn against sister, nothing—and no one—is what it seems.

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (July 16, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312658494
ISBN-13: 978-0312658496

PURCHASE AT:

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

IndieBound

Books-A-Million

Blackstone Audio

Random House

Reading Now - The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner

Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she is thrust into danger. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, until, at age seventeen, she finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man whom she has vowed to love yet is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragón.

As together they unite their two realms under "one crown, one country, one faith," Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor, Torquemada, even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, it will test Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny . . . .

From the glorious palaces of Segovia to the battlefields of Granada and intrigue-laden gardens of Seville, The Queen’s Vow sweeps us into the tumultuous forging of a nation and the complex, fascinating heart of the woman who overcame all odds to become Isabella of Castile.

Read an excerpt at http://cwgortner.com/TheQueensVow.html#excerpt

BUY:

Support Your Independent Bookseller at IndieBound

Also Available at:

Amazon.com Barnes & Noble IndieBound

Books-A-Million Blackstone Audio Random House

New Releases to Look Forward To

A new year brings with it new releases. Here are some upcoming books I'm looking forward to reading this year.

"Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner."

Coming in February!

"For much of her life, Anne Morrow, the shy daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has stood in the shadows of those around her, including her millionaire father and vibrant older sister, who often steals the spotlight. Then Anne, a college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family. There she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles's assurance and fame, Anne is certain the celebrated aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong.

Drawing on the rich history of the twentieth century—from the late twenties to the mid-sixties—and featuring cameos from such notable characters as Joseph Kennedy and Amelia Earhart, The Aviator's Wife is a vividly imagined novel of a complicated marriage—revealing both its dizzying highs and its devastating lows. With stunning power and grace, Melanie Benjamin provides new insight into what made this remarkable relationship endure."

Coming January 15th!

"Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of lovable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting-or stealing-whatever they want.

No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir-this time, Hale might be the mark.

Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy."

Coming in February!

"Orphaned after the death of her mother, eighteen-year-old Esther Chambers heads west in search of her only living relative. In the lawless frontier town of Century, Oregon, she’s met by her distant cousin, a laconic cattle rancher named Ferris Pickett. Pick leads her to a tiny cabin by a small lake called Half-a-Mind, and there she begins her new life as a homesteader. If she can hold out for five years, the land will join Pick’s already impressive spread. But Esther discovers that this town on the edge of civilization is in the midst of a range war. There’s plenty of land, but somehow it is not enough for the ranchers—it’s cattle against sheep, with water at a premium. In this charged climate, small incidents of violence swiftly escalate, and Esther finds her sympathies divided between her cousin and a sheepherder named Ben Cruff, a sworn enemy of the cattle ranchers. As her feelings for Ben and for her land grow, she begins to see she can’t be loyal to both. Little Century maps our country’s cutthroat legacy of dispossession and greed, even as it celebrates the ecstatic visions of what America could become."

Coming in July!

"Winter 1554. Brendan Prescott, spymaster to the Princess Elizabeth, has discovered that he is connected to the Tudors by blood as well as allegiance. Though his secret is known only by a few, it could be his downfall as he is called to London to protect the princess. Accompanied by his young squire Peregrine, he reluctantly leaves his sweetheart Kate behind - but in the city he discovers that no one is quite what they seem. What fate does Queen Mary intend for her sister? Is Robert Dudley somehow manipulating the princess, even though he is locked in the Tower? And should Brendan trust the alluring Sybilla, Mary's lady-in-waiting, who professes to be on his side? As he tries to unravel the mysteries of the Tudor court Brendan's life will be put in danger many times, and along the way he learns more about his own past."

Coming in July!

What upcoming releases are you eager to read?

Summer Reading

Summer means summer reading. Here are a few books I'm excited about.

For Ava Whalen, a new marriage and a move to St. Simons Island means a new beginning. But what she doesn’t realize is that her marriage will take her on an unexpected journey into the deep recesses of her past that will transform her forever…

For as long as she can remember, Ava Whalen has struggled with a sense of not belonging, and now, at thirty-four, she still feels stymied by her family. Then she meets child psychologist Matthew Frazier, and thinks her days of loneliness are behind her. After a whirlwind romance, they impulsively elope, and Ava moves to Matthew’s ancestral home on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia.

But after the initial excitement, Ava is surprised to discover that true happiness continues to elude her. There is much she doesn’t know about Matthew, including the mysterious circumstances surrounding his first wife’s death. And her new home seems to hold as many mysteries and secrets as her new husband. Feeling adrift, Ava throws herself into uncovering Matthew’s family history and that of the island, not realizing that she has a connection of her own to this place—or that her obsession with the past could very well destroy her future.

No one believed I was destined for greatness.

So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens—the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.

Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she and her brother are taken from their mother’s home to live under the watchful eye of their half-brother, King Enrique, and his sultry, conniving queen. There, Isabella is thrust into danger when she becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot to dethrone Enrique. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, torn between loyalties, until at age seventeen she suddenly finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man she loves yet who is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragon.

As they unite their two realms under “one crown, one country, one faith,” Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war, a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, one that will test all of Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny.

From the glorious palaces of Segovia to the battlefields of Granada and the intrigue-laden gardens of Seville, The Queen’s Vow sweeps us into the tumultuous forging of a nation and the complex, fascinating heart of the woman who overcame all odds to become Isabella of Castile.

When Julia’s brother announces that his dude ranch is haunted, she believes that someone is trying to sabotage his place and force him to sell. The mysterious happenings have to do with Superstition Mountain, the lost Dutchman’s goldmine, and the great Thunder God. Is it possible that the legend of the Thunder God is actually true? After a terrible thunderstorm, everyone begins to wonder. John and Julia quickly head to Mesa, Arizona and discover a few mysterious events. Will they find out who is behind these disasters before Uncle Kelly’s dude ranch is ruined? While Julia’s daughters, Sharlene and Faith, are busy helping their uncle save the ranch, April and Matthew are planning their wedding but everything seems to go wrong.

What books are you looking forward to reading this summer?

Favorite Historical Novels

I've always been fascinated with history. Mostly early American history, but I spread out to other eras and countries from time to time. Thanks to blogging, I have the chance to learn about many historical novels. Here are some of my favorites.

Loss of Innocence by Anne Newton Walther was one of the first books I read when I began reviewing. I didn't even have this blog yet, so I was reviewing for a book review site. Set during the French Revolution, it is a sequel to Walther's A Time for Treason. You can read my review here.

Faith and Honor by Robin Maderich is the first book in the author's Honor trilogy. Colonial America is one of my favorite settings for stories, and this eloquently written book captured the fashion, the language, and tense situation of Colonial Boston . You can read my review here.

I was introduced to the work of C.W. Gortner through Pump Up Your Book. I've reviewed his books and helped him promote two of them. It's hard for me to say one of his books is a favorite over the other, because his eloquent writing style and his attention to detail fill every one I've read. The Tudor Secret, however, appeals to my love of mysteries too.


Set during the summer of 1553, foundling Brendan Prescott's chance meeting with Princess Elizabeth pulls him into a world of danger and intrigue. The style of this one is a bit more casual than Gortner's usual fair, but it is a superbly told story that will captivate readers. My review can be found here.

Lovers of Tudor England will most likely know the work of Margaret George. C.W. Gortner turned me onto her work, and I helped the author promote her novel, Elizabeth I.  George set this novel thirty years into the queen's reign. This allowed me to rediscover a piece of history I am familiar with from my travels to North Carolina each summer, because in this novel, Sir Walter Raleigh visits Queen Elizabeth to announce the colony on Roanoke Island has disappeared. Recently, a new clue surfaced regarding the disappearance of this colony. You can read my review of Elizabeth I here. The giveaway, however, is over.

Blogging has also allowed me to find some great World War II and post-World War II novels.

A Despicable Profession by John Knoerle is set in 1946, when America is celebrating its victory over the Germans. This outstanding historical spy novel--while not my typical historical read--blew me away. I loved it beginning to end. I shared it with my father-in-law, who also enjoyed it. He liked it so much, I bought the first book in this series for him as a birthday gift. I'm trying to make room in my schedule to read that one too.


I believe Copper Fire by Suzanne Woods Fisher is the first World War II era novel I read for this blog. It is the second in her Copper Star Series, and the book that made me a fan of her work.

After Louisa Gordon receives a telegram from the International Red Cross Training Service that her young cousin, Elizabeth has been released from a German concentration camp, she decides to go to Germany to collect her cousin and bring her back to the States. She is also eager to discover the whereabouts of Nazi sympathizer, Friedrich Mueller, who fled Copper Springs, AZ. If you love strong heroines, this is a great book. You can read my review here.

There are many other historical novels I've enjoyed through the years, but to share all of them here would make this a novel in and of itself. I didn't include any of my favorite Civil War novels because there are so many the list needs a post all its own.

What are your top three favorite historical novels?  

Book Review: The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner

Be swept into a world of half-truths, lies, and murder in The Tudor Secret, by acclaimed historical novelist, C.W. Gortner.

It is the summer of 1553. The foundling, Brendan Prescott, who was raised by the powerful Dudley family, is summoned to court to be the squire to Robert Dudley. The Dudleys had never shown him any kindness in the past, so he approaches his new role with a heavy dose of trepidation.

A chance meeting with Princess Elizabeth finds Brendan drawn into the middle of the danger and intrigue that surrounds her world. Her brother, King Edward VI, is dying, and Elizabeth is determined to see him, despite those who wish to capture her and her half-sister, Princess Mary, to prevent them from ever taking the throne.

Brendan is promised the key to unlocking the secrets to his mysterious past; but with the help of an orphaned stable-boy and a lady-in-waiting, his primary goal is to protect Princess Elizabeth, at any and all cost.

I've read Gortner's The Last Queen and The Confessions of Catherine de Medici. I helped the author promote the latter of the two. Since the first book, I have been a huge fan of his work, so I was thrilled when he contacted me and requested my help in promoting his latest release.

While Gortner's previous novels have focused on strong women who defied convention, the spotlight of The Tudor Secret, is a fictional male character with a mysterious past who becomes an important player in protecting Princess Elizabeth and her half-sister Princess Mary. Though Elizabeth is a dominant figure throughout the story, for the first time, Gortner places his bet upon his a character of his own imagination to carry the day. And carry the day, he did.

Brendan is a sympathetic character from the start. A foundling, he was raised by the powerful Dudleys. It is odd that he would be brought to court by those who seemed to despise him. Brendan soon becomes entangled in a plot that involves the Dudleys, the dying King Edward VI, Elizabeth, and her protector, William Cecil. He is instantly taken by the Princess, and pledges his life to her service.

Along the way, Brendan meets Peregrine, an orphaned stable boy who brings back memories of his youth. Peregrine became one of my favorite characters. I'm hoping we see more of him as this series progresses.

Gortner has always had an eloquent style, but here he loosens the reins a bit and provides the reader with a lighter, and superbly told story of intrigue and suspense. When you believe you've uncovered the secrets, a new twist is introduced, which begs you to continue reading, no matter the hour.

I truly enjoyed The Tudor Secret and am eager for the release of the next book. Lovers of historical fiction, the Tudor era, and stories filled with action and suspense, will want to pick up a copy of this one.

Title:  The Tudor Secret (The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles)
Author:  C.W. Gortner
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN-10: 0312658508
ISBN-13: 978-0312658502
SRP:  $14.99 (paperback)

Also available in a hardcover, audio, and a Kindle edition.

The author paid me to promote The Tudor Secret through a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book! I received no monetary compensation to provide this review.

What Are You Reading?

Yes, that's me, buried underneath a pile of books.  LOL!  I keep saying I won't add to my TBR pile, but then I see all these great books I want to read. I have several books I'm reading for virtual book tours--some Pump Up Your Book's clients and some for others.

I recently read The Innocent by Vincent Zandri. He is a client of Pump Up Your Book--not my client, but he's been with us to promote a few books. When I heard he was touring again, I knew I had to read this one. Zandri has such a following. I needed to know why.

The Innocent is an excellent read. Gripping, raw, and edgy. It's is available in a Kindle edition for only 99 cents right now.

I finished The Tudor Secret (The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles) by C.W. Gortner a few days ago. I loved his The Confessions of Catherine de Medici and The Last Queen, so I knew I was going to read this one. I had the pleasure of helping him promote The Confessions of Catherine de Medici and will work with him on the The Tudor Secret. The latter features a fictional main character. The writing is superb and the plot intriguing. It's a must read.

Over the weekend I read, Angel Lost, the latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel by F.M. Meredith. This book will be available in March. Marilyn is also one of my clients. I've read all the Rocky Bluff P.D. books and this new one is great.

Next up, I'm reading Resurrection Garden (A Decade Series Mystery) by Frank Scully. This is Frank's first book, published by new Canadian e-Publisher, MuseItUp Publishing. I'm thrilled to have a chance to help Frank promote this first of several books we'll be seeing from him. Then after that, I need to read The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson: A Novel by Jerome Charyn, which is being released from W.W. Norton & Company on Valentine's Day. Dickinson is one of my favorite poets, so I hope this is a good book.

How about you? What did you just finish reading? What's up next?