BlogFest 2010 My Giveaways

Welcome to BlogFest 2010 at My Reading Room.  I am thrilled to participate and can't wait to travel around to other blogs as well.  If this is your first time here, please take a few minutes and look around.  Add me as a Google Friend if you wish, check out my sidebar for other giveaways and check out some of my reviews.

Enough of the welcome speech - let's get to what you came here for - the giveaway.  I have to be honest and say I almost forgot about BlogFest, so I was scrambling at the last minute to make this post, but I do have some good books up for grabs.  It's simple to enter, just fill out the form.  Giveaway is open to the US/Canada only (sorry international, money is tight) and it ends at 11:59pm on the 9/12.  I'll announce the winners early next week.  So what can you win?

There will be three winners and your choices are:


An ARC of The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

  
An ARC of Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie


An ARC of You by Charles Benoit

Winners

I know  - it's been a week and a half since these giveaways have ended, but it's been crazy here.  So without further ado, here  are the winners:

CarolNWong

Cheryl F

Chey

holdenj

misskallie2000

elaing8 - already won
dor

JoAnna

tetewa

All winners will be notified shortly by email and will have until Monday at 6pm EST to reply with their addresses or I will draw another winner.

Thank  you to Hachette Books for both of these giveaways, and thanks to all of  you who commented.  I have more giveaways coming in the next few weeks as life begins to fall into place again and I can devote time to the blog.

Mini Book Review: The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

 
The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Publish Date: November 3, 2009

Paperback, 400 pages


Confession time:  I was fully planning on having this book done today for  my tour date even though I received the book last week.  I couldn't wait to dig into this one.  What I didn't realize is this isn't a book you just rush through, this is a book to savor and savor it I will, so today you get a mini-review with a full review to follow when I finish the book.

Mini Review:
Why I read this: I have been wanting to read this one since it came out - the cover it's beautiful, the description sounds exciting.  So when I was offered a chance through Pump Up Your Book Promotion, I said yes.

How is the novel driven:  From what I have read so far, primarily character, though there is action, there is murder, mayhem and suspense, but mainly this is about Luciano.


My thoughts:  I did start this book with my usual reading mentality - blow through it quickly, enjoy it enough and be done with it.  However, this is not what The Book of Unholy Mischief allows you to do.  I got sucked into the descriptions and would daydream and picture Venice at the time of the book.  I created the looks of Luciano and his friends in my mind.  I envisioned the kitchen Luciano works in and the streets he runs through.  The chefs house and so much more.  The book takes you from the seedy side to the wealthy and Luciano straddles both worlds by working in the kitchen of a wealthy and important man.  The intrigue is just starting to build, but I have a feeling it will be great.  If the rest of the book is half as good as the beginning, then it will still be a wonderful book and I know it will exceed my expectations.

Beautifully written, The Book of Unholy Mischief takes you back to Venice and the beginning of the Renaissance and tells a tale of intrigue and suspense. 



About the Book:
It is 1498, the dawn of the Renaissance, and Venice teems with rumors of an ancient book that holds the secret to unimaginable power. It is an alchemist's dream, with recipes for gold, immortality, and undying love. Everyone, rich and poor alike, speculates about the long-buried secrets scrawled in its pages and where it could possibly be hidden within the labyrinthine city. But while those who seek the book will stop at nothing to get it, those who know will die to protect it.
As a storm of intrigue and desire circles the republic that grew from the sea, Luciano, a penniless orphan with a quick wit and an even faster hand, is plucked up by an illustrious chef and hired, for reasons he cannot yet begin to understand, as an apprentice in the palace kitchen. There, in the lavish home of the most powerful man in Venice, he is initiated into the chef's rich and aromatic world, with all its seductive ingredients and secrets.

Luciano's loyalty to his street friends and the passion he holds for a convent girl named Francesca remain, but it is not long before he, too, is caught up in the madness. After he witnesses a shocking murder in the Palace dining room, he realizes that nothing is as it seems and that no one, not even those he's come to rely on most, can be trusted. Armed with a precocious mind and an insatiable curiosity, Luciano embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth. What he discovers will swing open the shutters of his mind, inflame his deepest desires, and leave an indelible mark on his soul.

Rich with the luxurious colors and textures of Venice, The Book of Unholy Mischief delights the senses and breathes fresh life into an age defined by intellectual revival and artistic vibrancy. A luminous and seductive novel, it is, at its heart, a high-spirited tribute to the fruits of knowledge and the extraordinary power of those who hold its key. In a world of violence and intrigue, who guards the truth?

About the Author:
Elle Newmark is an award-winning writer whose books are inspired by her travels. She and her husband, a retired physician, have two grown children and five grandchildren. They live in the hills north of San Diego.

Her Website

FTC Information: I received this book through Pump Up Your Book Promotion for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Book Tour: The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

 

***My review is coming later today, but for now read more about The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark.  Be sure and check out the other tour sites as well. ***

About Elle Newmark

Elle Newmark is an award winning writer whose books are inspired by her travels. She prowled the back streets of Venice to cook up The Book of Unholy Mischief and explored India by car and elephant to conjure The Devil’s Wind. She calls California home.

For more information on Elle or her work visit http://www.ellenewmark.com/

About The Book of Unholy Mischief

It is 1498, the dawn of the Renaissance and Venice teems with rumors of an ancient book that hold the secrets of unimaginable power. Rich and poor alike speculate abouthe the long buried secred tht might be scrawled in its pages and where the book might be hidden in the labyrinthine city. While those who seek the book will stop at nothing to get it, those who know will die to protect it.

As a storm of intrigue percolates in Her Most Serene Republic, Luciano, a penniless orphan, is plucked off the street by the doge’s chef and taken in as the chef’s apprentice. In the palace kitchen Luciano is initiated into the chef’s rich and mysterious world where recipes are more than they seem.

It is not long before Luciano is caught up in the madness. Torn between loyalty to his street friends and his passion for Francesca, a convent girl, Lucianco’s worthiness is tested. Armed with a precicious mind and insatiable curiosity, Luciano embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth. What he discovers will swing opent he shutters of his mind, inflalme his deepest esires, and leaven an indelible mark on his soul.

Read the Excerpt

My name is Luciano ― just Luciano. I’m Venetian by birth, old now and chained to my memories, compelled to return, link by link, seeking clarity.

There’s a matter about which I am sworn to secrecy, but times have changed since I took my oath. In my lifetime, I’ve witnessed man’s emergence from centuries of darkness. Great thinkers have unlocked our minds, and great artists have opened our eyes and our hearts. Some are calling it a renaissance ― a rebirth ― and it will reverberate far into the future because of a miraculous new invention called the printing press. Perhaps, now, it would be a disservice to the advancement of knowledge to remain silent. Perhaps the pendulum has swung a full arc, and the time has come for me to speak. If I proceed with caution … well, those who have ears let them hear.

The intrigue took place in my youth, when I served as an apprentice to the doge’s chef in Venice. I first suspected some unholy mischief when the doge invited an uncouth peasant to dine with him in the palace. In the time-honored tradition of servants everywhere, I assumed my post behind the slightly open service door to the dining room in order to spy, and I marveled at the sight of them together: the doge, chief magistrate of the Most Serene Republic of Venice, gracious and bejeweled, sat with his guest, a bewildered paesano with calloused hands, dirt under his fingernails, and unwashed hair that had been hastily wetted and pushed off his face to show respect.

THE BOOK OF UNHOLY MISCHIEF’S VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ‘10 TOUR SCHEDULE

Tuesday, September 7
Guest Blogging at My Reading Room

Wednesday, September 8
Book Reviewed at My Reading Room

Thursday, September 9
Book Reviewed at Andilit

Friday, September 10
Book Reviewed at Must Read Faster

Monday, September 13
Book Reviewed at Marta’s Meanderings
Interviewed at Diva’s Bookcase

Tuesday, September 14
Guest Blogging at Marta’s Meanderings
Book Reviewed at Diva’s Bookcase

Wednesday, September 15
Book Reviewed at Girls Just Reading

Thursday, September 16
Book Reviewed at Rundpinne

Friday, September 17
Guest Blogging at A Book Blogger’s Diary

Monday, September 20
Book Reviewed at The Book Tree

Tuesday, September 21
Book Reviewed at My Reading Table

Wednesday, September 22
Guest Blogging at My Reading Table

Thursday, September 23
Book Reviewed at ‘Til We Read Again

Monday, September 27
Book Reviewed at To Read or Not to Read

Tuesday, September 28
Book Reviewed at 2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews

Wednesday, September 29
Book Reviewed at Book Reviews by Buuklvr81

Twitter Party for Firelight by Sophie Jordan

I read Firelight and loved it (my 4.5/5.0 review is here) and hope to participate tomorrow night in this twitter party.  If you haven't done a twitter party before, you should - they are a lot of fun.

Here's the official word straight from A Bookworm's Haven Blog:

I am so excited for this!  The details are all in the button above, but here are a couple  of more things you might want to know:

We are going to meet up on twitter (perhaps use a tweetchat site to make it easier) and we are going to hang out with author Sophie Jordan and discuss her new book ‘Firelight’. There will be trivia, some swag packs to win, and some finished copies of the book to giveaway as well. It’s going to be an evening filled with fun plus you can ask Sophie Jordan your questions.  Be on twitter at 9pm EST and when you are tweeting use the hashtag #Draki in order to participate!  Please spread the word and the button!  Special thanks to Bookalicious and @themarco for the help with building the party and the button!

Guest Post: Author Elle Newmark (The Book of Unholy Mischief)

Please help me welcome author Elle Newmark today to My Reading Room.  She's the author of The Book of Unholy Mischief and is stopping by for the guest post today and I will have a review and tour post up tomorrow.  Elle is touring the blogosphere with Pump Up Your Book Promotions this month so be sure and check out where she will be next.  Thank you so much Elle for joining us today.

   

I’m guessing that women read this blog. Maybe it’s the pink background or the plush book buddy, or maybe it’s just that smart. Anyhoo, I’d like to share a woman’s fantasy.

Imagine wearing a velvet, pearl-studded Renaissance gown, walking into a marble palace on red carpet, and seeing a smiling crowd raise their glasses—to you!

Now imagine this: It happened to me, and it was un-friggin believable.

Last January I went to Venice for the launch of the Italian edition of my Renaissance novel, The Book of Unholy Mischief, where they immediately took me to the Atelier of Venetian costume designer—a fantasy world of silks and brocades, gold masks and feathered headpieces. The first dress I tried was too tight and I felt fat. The second was too big and I felt thin. The third fit and I felt like Goldilocks. It was an extravaganza of royal blue velvet, heavy with pearls and glass gems.

That night my dresser (yes I said, my dresser) slid the pearl and jewel encrusted velvet over my head and I slipped my arms into enormous puffed sleeves. I held onto a chair while she tugged hard at the back laces and asked, “Can you breathe?” I gasped, and she loosened it. With the fabulous gown on I floated through the hotel like a grand lady; I could hear the beaded train swishing behind me as I headed for the waiting water taxi.

At the palazzo, I climbed marble stairs covered in red carpet and lined with flickering votive candles. I entered a high room glowing under Venetian glass chandlers and full of beautiful people. My publisher introduced me: “Signori, l’autrice”—Ladies and gentlemen, the author. The sommelier handed me a glass of champagne while cameras flashed and flashed. It was a Paris Hilton moment, but I am not Paris Hilton. I am the author, and that is fine with me—in fact, it’s a dream come true.

At dinner I sat next to a Prince of Venice (for real) a handsome man in a tux. Naturally, he was charming. The centerpieces were plump green grapes and pomegranates the size of softballs, both fruits that figure prominently in my book. I was touched by this attention to detail, but the biggest surprise came next: A Venetian chef had recreated a dinner from my novel.

We ate warm mozzarella in an exquisite crust, buttered gnocchi in a crisp cheese cup, and veal in the mysterious Sauce Nepenthes—a sauce that did not exist anywhere but in my book until that night. For dessert we were served bones of the dead, delicate Italian cookies tipped in chocolate, and as we ate them, my publisher read the scene in which my characters ate those cookies. The crowd applauded, and the prince turned to me and said, “Brava.” Everyone in that room loved my writing! It was the high point of my evening, if not my life.

After dinner, my escort held my train as I descended the marble steps, but my regal mein was tarnished when I had to hike up the billowing gown and stand on a wooden chair to get into the water taxi. It took two strong men to get me into the boat, but at 1 a.m. I walked into my hotel room exhausted and grateful. I freed myself from the gorgeous gown, took a deep breath, fell into bed and slept like a stone. The queen was dead; long live the author.

What are you Reading Monday - September 6

Come post weekly and see what others are reading too just so you can add to your tbr - I always do! For more information see Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books and join in!

Books Completed Last Week 

• Manifest by Artist Arthur (review) 
• Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler (review)
• Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers (review)
• The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff (review)
• God is in the Pancakes by Robin Epstein (review)

Reading Now:

• Definitely Dead (audible on my Kindle)
• Tough Customer by Sandra Brown (audiobook in car)
• The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark (review)
• Crusade by  Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie (review)

Next:

• She's Gone Country by Jane Porter
• Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette
• The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
• Candor by Pam Bachorz
• Last to Die by Kate Brady
• Re-read of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins to prepare for:
• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Reviews completed this week (books read before this week):

• Firelight by Sophie Jordan
• A Change of Heart by Shari Mauer
• Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder
  

Other books still need to review:

• Wings by Aprilynne Pike (library) 
• The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (mine)  
• The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz
• Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs (audiobook)
• Matched by Ally Condie (review)
• Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs (audiobook) 
• Evermore by Alyson Noel (library)  
• Spells by Aprylynne Pike (library) 
• The Candidates: Delacroix Academy by Inara Scott (review) 
• Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford (review)
• Nightshade by Andrea Cremer  (review)

Summary -

Wow - Hurricane Earl made this an interesting week.  I did get some reading done during the storm though.  Thankfully it stayed off our coast, but there was a day there that I was really worried.  I hope Earl continues to stay off the coast and damage is minimal up and down the east coast.

Earl meant my kids were out of school two days and I worked from home one of those which made for a busy and overwhelming day.  My blogging suffered for sure because after trying to concentrate and work with two boys unhappy with each other, the last thing I wanted to do was compose reviews and blog posts.  Here's hoping that next week gets back to normal and I can get some of my backlog of reviews done.

Best of the week:  Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers, oh my this book had it all, hot boys, a girl with spunk, demons, angels and a lot of fun.  Frannie was such a great character, she really made the book and I look forward to  more books from Ms. Desrochers.