Sunday, July 17, 2011

In My Mailbox - July 17, 2011


In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. To see this weeks list of participants go here.

I get a number of books that come in that I don't get to right away but deserve to be recognized on the blog so that is what I plan on doing.

I received some great books this week.  Tell me which one you are most interested in for a chance to win one of these books! (US/Canada only, ends 7/25/2011, book may be shipped later so I can read it)  The ARC tour books are not part of the giveaway, sorry.

Winner from week #2:   Mona who wanted Full Moon Bride but still has her choice from any books here.

Winner from  week #3:  Margaret (singitm@...) who I believe wants In Search of Rose Notes, but still has search has her choice of any books here.

I forgot to link up week 2 so there were no entries.  Those books are open to win this week as well so you can post those as a win this week, the post can be found here.


For Review:
It's the First Day of School . . . Forever! by R. L. Stine
Publication Date:  July 19, 2011

On the first day of school, Artie falls out of his bed and hits his head. Hard. He tells his mom he’s dizzy and she says:
“You’re just worried about your first day in a new school.”

At breakfast, his little brother, Eddie, splashes syrup in his hair, and there’s no time to wash it. Artie has to go to school with syrup-hair. And then, on the way there, he gets splashed by a puddle that makes him look like he wet his pants. It’s not just the first day of school; it’s the worst day of school.

On the second day of school, Artie falls out of bed and hits his head. Hard. He tells his mom he’s dizzy and she says:
“You’re just worried about your first day in a new school.”

Huh? Today is just like the day before. Can Artie find a way to change it, before it’s the first day of school…forever?


To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boelyn by Sandra Byrd
Publication Date: August 9, 2011


To Die For, is the story of Meg Wyatt, pledged forever as the best friend to Anne Boleyn since their childhoods on neighboring manors in Kent. When Anne’s star begins to ascend, of course she takes her best friend Meg along for the ride. Life in the court of Henry VIII is thrilling at first, but as Anne’s favor rises and falls, so does Meg’s. And though she’s pledged her loyalty to Anne no matter what the test, Meg just might lose her greatest love—and her own life—because of it.

Meg's childhood flirtation with a boy on a neighboring estate turns to true love early on. When he is called to follow the Lord and be a priest she turns her back on both the man and his God. Slowly, though, both woo her back through the heady times of the English reformation. In the midst of it, Meg finds her place in history, her own calling to the Lord that she must follow, too, with consequences of her own. Each character in the book is tested to figure out what love really means, and what, in this life, is worth dying for.

Though much of Meg’s story is fictionalized, it is drawn from known facts. The Wyatt family and the Boleyn family were neighbors and friends, and perhaps even distant cousins. Meg’s brother, Thomas Wyatt, wooed Anne Boleyn and ultimately came very close to the axe blade for it. Two Wyatt sisters attended Anne at her death, and at her death, she gave one of them her jeweled prayer book—Meg.

Tout Sweet: Hanging Up My High Heels for a New Life in France by Karen Wheeler
Publication Date: August 1, 2011

 In her mid-thirties Karen has it all: a career as a fashion editor, a handsome boyfriend, a fab flat in west London and an array of gorgeous shoes. But when her 'plus one' leaves, she wonders if there is more to life than high fashion. So, she hangs up her Manolos and waves goodbye to her city lifestyle, deciding to go it alone in a run-down house in rural Poitou-Charentes, western France. Once there, she encounters a host of new friends and unsuitable suitors, soon learning that true happiness can be found in the simplest of things - a bike ride through the countryside on a summer evening, or six glasses of Pinot in a neighbour's garden. If you've ever dreamed of chucking away your BlackBerry and downshifting, "Tout Sweet" is perfect summer reading.

The Colonel's Lady by Laura Frantz
Publication Date: August 1, 2011


In 1779, when genteel Virginia spinster Roxanna Rowan arrives at the Kentucky fort commanded by Colonel Cassius McLinn, she finds that her officer father has died. Penniless and destitute, Roxanna is forced to take her father's place as scrivener. Before long, it's clear that the colonel himself is attracted to her. But she soon realizes the colonel has grave secrets of his own—some of which have to do with her father's sudden death. Can she ever truly love him?

Readers will be enchanted by this powerful story of love, faith, and forgiveness from reader favorite Laura Frantz. Her solid research and deft writing immerse readers in the world of the early frontier while her realistic characters become intimate friends.

The Lost by Caridad Pineiro
Publication Date: August 1, 2011


Adam Salvatore is no ordinary millionaire. The heir to an ancient race possessing a dark, powerful magic, he can shapeshift and create energy. His gifts make him a living weapon and have forced him to live in seclusion. But now an inhuman force hunts down Adam-just when he finds someone who makes him feel more human than he ever imagined possible . . .

Home from combat in Iraq, Bobbie Carerra wants only peace, yet soon joins Adam in a terrifying battle against paranormal enemies who hide in plain sight. She's drawn to his strength of mind and body; he's attracted to her courage and intoxicating energy. Their scorching passion can either transport them to the heights of ecstasy or-if Adam's powers rage out of control-destroy them. But when an invisible brotherhood tightens its nets and someone Adam trusts betrays him, only a heartrending decision can save them.




Cover Interview: Janet Ruth Smith and The Babysitter Murders

 Today I have Janet Ruth Young who is here to answer questions about her book cover for The Babysitter Murders.  So check it out and come back tomorrow and see my review of The Babysitter Murders.



1. What were your first thoughts when you saw the cover the first time?

I liked the role reversal. Normally, the babysitter would be throwing the child in the air.  Here the child seems to be throwing the sitter in the air, which suggests that the child is more stable than the adult. That’s unsettling in a good way.

2. Did you have any say in your cover?


Yes. Originally I thought Dani would have to be shown as a strawberry blonde. But once you’ve read the story and look at the cover again, this image makes more sense. I discussed the hair color with my editor and we decided to leave the image as is.

3. If you could add one thing to the cover what would it be?

A subtitle. Originally the whole title was “The Babysitter Murders: A Tale of Obsession.”  The subtitle fell by the wayside, and although I didn’t much care about losing it, it would have given readers a hint about Dani’s illness and conveyed some of the themes. Dani has her own obsessions, but nearly everyone in the book is obsessed with something. And as the story builds, hundreds—perhaps thousands—of people become obsessed with Dani.

The Babysitter Murders


4. What do you think is most eyecatching about your cover?


As I said above, the role reversal. I also liked the color of the type and the fact that the word MURDER is under the ground like a dead body. In terms of catching the book buyer’s eye in bookstores, the type treatment on the spine really jumps out, too.

5. What do want the cover to tell people picking up your book?


“Something is wrong here, and it will take you a while to learn what that is. So suspend your assumptions.”

Thanks Janet Ruth Young for joining us today - make sure and check out this great book!