TBR Read-a-Thon Wrap Up

The read-a-thon has come to a close. I did not have much time to read, but I completed the two books I planned to read plus another one. All three were fantastic, some of the best I have read recently, and I could hardly put them down or get anything else done the entire time I was reading them.

Book 1: Orphan's Song by Gillian Adams
Date finished: September 18
Format: ebook
Pages: 304
Rating: 5 stars

Book 2: Oath of the Brotherhood by C. E. Laureano
Date finished: September 20
Format: ebook
Pages: 435
Rating: 5 stars

Book 3: The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen
Date finished: September 23
Format: paperback
Pages: 440
Rating: 5 stars

Final Stats: 
Total books finished: 3
Total pages read: 1179

Read-Through: A Time to Die

The sequel to A Time to Die, called A Time to Speak, will be released on October 16, 2015. In honor of the second book's release, the author asked me and two other ladies to plan and host a read-through of the first book, A Time to Die. Think of it like an online book-club, in which a bunch of people get together to read and chat about a particular book. The read-through will take place on Goodreads as a part of the new fan page for the series. Weekly discussions will be held every Saturday for 8 weeks.

Schedule

October 3: Chapters 1-5
October 10: Chapters 6-11
October 17: Chapters 12-17
October 24: Chapters 18-23
October 31: Chapters 24-28
November 7: Chapters 29-33
November 14: Chapters 34-38
November 21: Chapters 39-43

About the Book

I cannot say enough about A Time to Die. Aside from being my favorite book of the year, A Time to Die won the Carol Award and was a finalist for both the Clive Staples Award and the Christy Award. A Time to Die touches on deep topics while capturing the reader in adventure and a little bit of romance. The book is amazing and I would love to read it with you! If you are interestd, you can join the read-through here.

Description

A Time to Die

Nadine Brandes

Out of Time Series #1

Synopsis from Goodreads:

How would you live if you knew the day you'd die?

Parvin Blackwater has wasted her life. At only seventeen, she has one year left according to the Clock by her bedside. 

In a last-ditch effort to make a difference, she tries to rescue Radicals from the crooked justice system. But when the authorities find out about her illegal activity, they cast her through the Wall -- her people's death sentence. 

What she finds on the other side about the world, about eternity, and about herself changes Parvin forever and might just save her people. But her Clock is running out. 

Amazon | Goodreads

Are you interested? Have you read A Time to Die? What do you think of it? Have you ever done anything like a read-through before?

Fall Reads

This fall, there are a number of exciting new books coming out! Here are the Top Ten on my list!

October 1, 2015

The Keepsake by Suzy Vittelo

I recently came across this book and it looks simply fantastic, don't you think? I'm just going on the cover and the description, though. 

October 6, 2015

Luther and Katharina by Jody Hedlund

This book is by an author I have read and enjoyed. I am curious to see how she will portray the romance between Martin Luther and his wife Katharina, a former nun.

October 6, 2015

Cinderella's Shoes by Shonna Slayton

The dress has been kept safe for centuries, as told in book one. But what happened to Cinderella's shoes?

October 15, 2015

The Sound of Silver by Rachelle Rea

The continuation of Gwyn and Dirk's tale: Will their romance and Gwyn's newfound faith survive the difficulties ahead?

October 16, 2015

A Time to Speak by Nadine Brandes

Book one, A Time to Die, became my favorite book of the year when I read it in March. Needless to say, I am excited for the release of book two, especially after that cliffhanger. In fact, I and a couple other ladies are forming a read-through of book one at the request of the author in order to prepare readers for book two. Super exciting! The read-through begins October 3rd.

October 20, 2015

A Refuge at Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

The inspiration for this stand-alone series came from the TV series Downton Abbey, or so I am told. So, if you enjoyed the show, this might just been the series for you.

November 10, 2015

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Of course, one must not forget to include the highly anticipated conclusion to the Lunar Chronicles. A cyborg Cinderella and her band of sci-fi, fairy-tale revolutionaries won the attention of more people than one might have originally expected.

November 17, 2015

The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

Another of Melanie Dickerson's historical fairy-tale rewrites--Rapunzel, I presume? Although, you never know what other fairy-tale might be written into the story.

November 17. 2015

Blades of Accession by Breeana Puttroff

This is, what, the seventh book in the series? Every time the author says she is done with the series, she changes her mind and writes more. There is just so much more to Quinn, William, and their friends' stories. I am enjoying every single book.

December 1, 2015

The Painter's Daughter by Julie Klassen

Last but definitely not least is The Painter's Daughter. If this book is any bit as fantastic, romantic, and mysterious as The Silent Governess or The Secret of Pembrooke Park, it is well worth the time spent reading it. 

What books are you looking forward to reading this fall? Do any on this list interest you?

Cover Reveal: The Keepsake

The Keepsake (The Empress Chronicles #2)

by Suzy Vitello

Release Date: December 1st 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

In this second Empress Chronicles book, Liz and Sisi continue their intertwined journey through time. On the heels of discovering a magical locket in the empress diary, Liz comes to understand its very special power: the wearer must speak the truth. Not only that, but it turns out that there are three lockets, each with their own magic and power.

Meanwhile, Sisi realizes that she’s communicating with a girl who lives 150 years in the future. A girl who knows what awaits her if she marries the emperor: lack of personal freedom and a legacy that will refer to her as the "reluctant empress."

With the world's future hanging in the balance, the two heroines must work together to thwart Lola, whose ambition to rule the Habsburg Empire will rewrite history, and lead to a terrifying new version of reality.

Book One:

(click on image for Goodreads link)

About the Author

Suzy Vitello is a proud founding member of a critique group recently dubbed The Hottest Writing Group in Portland, and her short stories have won fellowships and prizes (including the Atlantic Monthly Student Writing Award, and an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship).

Suzy's young adult novels, THE MOMENT BEFORE and THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES are available wherever books and ebooks are sold.

An e-chapbook of some of her stories, UNKISS ME, can be found here

Author Links:

   

Book Blitz: Illuminate

Description

Illuminate (The Light Key Trilogy #3)

by Tracy Clark 

Release Date: 09/21/15

Entangled Teen

320 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Can one girl be the light in a world spiraling toward darkness?

Haunted by the loss of her loved ones, Cora Sandoval, one of the remaining few of an extraordinary race known as Scintilla, holds the key to disentangling the biggest conspiracy in human history...and its link to the fate of the human race. As Cora follows a trail of centuries-old clues and secrets, she collides with a truth not only shocking, but dangerous.

With enemies both known and unknown hot on her trail, Cora must locate each of the ancient clues hidden in the art, religions, and mythologies of humankind. And through it all, she must keep her heart from being torn apart by the two boys she loves most. One is Scintilla, one is Arazzi.

Save herself. Save the Scintilla. Save the world.

Or die trying…

Buy Links:

Books in this series:

(covers linked to Goodreads)

 

Buy Links for Scintillate:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iBooks

Buy Links for Deviate:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Tracy Clark is a young-adult writer because she believes teens deserve to know how much they matter and that regardless of what they’re going through, they aren’t alone. In other words, she writes books for her teen self.

She grew up a “Valley Girl” in Southern California but now lives in her home state of Nevada, in a small town at the base of the Sierra Foothills. Her two children teach her the art of distraction and are a continuous source of great dialogue. She’s an unapologetic dog person who is currently owned by a cat.

Tracy was the recipient of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Work in Progress Grant. A two-time participant in the prestigious Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program where she was lucky enough to be mentored by bestselling author, Ellen Hopkins, who taught her so much about the art of writing and cured her of her ellipsis addiction.
Her debut novel was inspired by her enchantment with metaphysics as a teen, seeing it as the real magic in life. Tracy is a part-time college student, a private pilot, and an irredeemable dreamer.

Author Links:

   

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon Update

So far, I accomplished the minimum of what I desired to do--I finished reading both Orphan's Song by Gillian Adams and Oath of the Brethren by C. E. Laureano. Both of the books were amazing and I had been at the top of my list for a while now. I'm glad I read them and look forward to the next books in the series.

Book Tour: Inheritance

Description

The Inheritance

Marianne Perry

Synopsis:

The Inheritance tells the story of a family disintegrating from conflicting loyalties in Calabria, Italy. Set during the period 1897 to 1913, the region was subject to earthquakes and tsunamis; the land harsh and poverty the norm. Superstition clashed with religion and a class system ruled the people. Calabria is the perfect backdrop for the tragedy that unfolds in The Inheritance.

Caterina is an atypical woman, and The Inheritance chronicles her life from birth to young womanhood. Born with an inheritance of loss into a society that has predetermined what she can and cannot do, she vows to live a life of her choosing. Caterina refuses to allow the limits of her gender, the constraints of her class and the demands imposed by those in power to stand in her way. Caterina remains steadfast in her commitment to become the woman she imagines. Her decisions ignite conflicts and fuel a chain of events that result in dire consequences for all whose path she crosses.

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Chapters/Indigo

About the Author

Family dynamics, genealogical research to solve ancestral mysteries and international travel are Marianne Perry’s priorities. A second-generation Canadian-Italian, she is the author of The Inheritance, a historical fiction set in Calabria, Italy from 1897 to 1913 inspired by her grandmother’s early life in Calabria. With a thirty-year career in education and communications, Marianne holds a Master of Education Degree from The University of Western Ontario (Canada).

A past member of the Board of Trustees, the Canadian National Arts Centre Corporation, she has also published non-fiction genealogical articles throughout North America. As a girl, Marianne fell in love with The National Geographic Magazine and dreamt of exploring the world. With her recent visit to Antarctica, she achieved her goal of stepping foot on every continent. The mother of two grown children, Marianne and her husband live on the shores of the St. Mary’s River, which drains Lake Superior on the outskirts of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. She continues to research family history and write non-fiction genealogical articles. In addition, she is working on her second novel and planning further adventures.

Marianne blogs about genealogy, travel, family and writing on her website. Visit her at http://www.marianneperry.ca. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Goodreads.

Connect with the author:    Website   ~   Twitter   ~    Facebook

Author Interview

Why did you write The Inheritance?

Family mysteries intrigue me and I wanted to understand why my paternal grandmother, Nana Caterina left Calabria, southern Italy in 1913 as a young woman; sailed on a steamship across the Atlantic Ocean; landed at Ellis Island, New York; settled in Canada and never returned to her homeland. Our large family knew scant about Nana’s early life so I started genealogical research to investigate her history. I eventually travelled to her ancestral village and The Inheritance is a tale inspired by my discoveries.

Why is there a photo of a crumbling stone cottage on the book cover?

Authenticity is important to me as a writer and I snapped this photograph on a research trip to Calabria. The crumbling stone cottage was located in the mountains near my Nana Caterina’s ancestral village and it is in the vicinity where The Inheritance is set. The image is intrinsic to Caterina’s life as a peasant in this novel and I felt a personal photograph would also give the reader a sense of my values.

Tell me about the cameo brooch Caterina inherits.

My mother has long suffered from dementia and I cherish a cameo brooch that I inherited from her. It belonged to her Sicilian-born father but she knows nothing about its origin. The clasp is broken and the brooch, fragile. I have long been haunted by the milky carving of the elegant lady depicted and it seemed the perfect gift to symbolize the ailing Anna Marino’s quasi-maternal affection for Caterina.

What do you hope the reader will gain from reading The Inheritance?

Travel informs us about the world and I included a map of Calabria at the beginning of the book as a guide for readers. The region is less well known than Tuscany, for example, and I hoped my book might stimulate interest in exploring this part of Italy. Everyone has family mysteries and I included a genealogical resource section with practical information to help readers solve theirs.

Where do you write?

I have a den dedicated to writing and genealogical research with windows fronting Lake Superior in our Northern Ontario, Canada country home. I believe in positive energy and every item in the room honours family, cherished mementos and treasured books. I have travelled to the seven continents and there is a map of the world on the wall on which I record places I have visited.

Giveaway

3 print copies of The Inheritance (Canada & USA)

2 ebook (kindle) copies (Canada & USA)

3 $15 Amazon gift cards (International) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

Sept 7 - Library of Clean Reads - review / giveaway

Sept 7 - 3 Partners in Shopping - review / giveaway

Sept 8 - Olio by Marilyn - review / author interview / giveaway

Sept 8 - Singing Librarian Books - review / author interview / giveaway

Sept 9 - The Autistic Gamer - review

Sept 10 - Griperang's Bookmarks - review / guest post / giveaway

Sept 11 - Il Mio Tesoro - review / author interview

Sept 14 - allthingsbookie - review / giveaway

Sept 14 - Working Mommy Journal - review / giveaway

Sept 15 - View from the Birdhouse - book spotlight / giveaway

Sept 15 - FLY HIGH! - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

Sept 16 - The Things We Read - review

Sept 16 - Zerina Blossom's Books - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Sept 17 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review / author interview / giveaway

Sept 17 - 100 Pages a Day - review / giveaway

Sept 18 - Vic's Media Room - review

Sept 21 - Book Stop Corner - review / author interview / giveaway

Sept 21 - Book Nerd - review

Sept 22 - Essentially Italian - review / giveaway

Sept 22 - #redhead.with.book - review / giveaway

Sept 23 - Italophilia - book spotlight / author interview

Sept 23 - Studentessa Matta - review / giveaway

Sept 24 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review

Sept 25 - Book and Ink - review / guest post

Sept 27 - Writers and Authors - book spotlight