Book Review: A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

Publisher: Bethany House

Publish Date: October 15, 2011

Paperback, 424 pages 
Fiction, Historical, Christian, Romance
 ISBN: 978-0764206221

My Review:
Wow talk about being sucked right into a book.  Ms. Alexander managed to transport me right into post-Civil War Nashville within a few pages of A Lasting Impression.  And the only reason it took a few pages is the book starts off in New Orleans.

Right from the start I was enraptured by Claire Laurent.  So much tragedy has struck her life, yet she manages to keep rolling with the punches.  And yes she has done wrong but only because she had to and now she is trying to make a better life for herself in Nashville.  I like that Claire has a conscious and that it keeps telling her that she must tell her secret.  But of course, the story would not be a book if she told her secret right off.

I also really liked Sutton.  He is trying to put his life back together after tragedy as well.  He has no land, not much money and not much to fall back on besides his job with Mrs. Acklen.  However he finds himself falling for Miss Laurent as time passes.  But he has obligations and then there is that niggling bit of doubt about her as well.  Sutton  is a good strong male and I liked that about him.  He's at a place that he doesn't have much besides his job helping Mrs. Acklen but he enjoys that and he enjoys his time with Claire.  He also likes that Claire seems to see him for who he really is and she is one of the few people who really does.

The romance element was the obvious part of the story, but there is so much more to it than that.  I felt like each chapter I was unwrapping a present finding a new one beneath full of new surprises.  I loved learning new things about the Belmont mansion and about it's mistress, Mrs. Acklen.  The intrigue of Claire's secret following her around is always there too, and the reader is always wondering when that will come into play.  There are lots of delightful scenes of romance, happiness and some of sadness and all contribute to the overall feeling of this book.  It has the feel of a sweeping saga wrapped up in a pretty cover.

A Lasting Impression held my interest through the whole book.  I would often read 100 pages in a sitting with my two boys yelling and carrying on in the same room with me, yet I still felt like I was in Tennessee with the Acklens, Sutton and Claire.  It sweeps you away and doesn't let you down until you finish the last page.  And then the characters and places still stay with you after you close the book.  And you know with me, that is the mark of a good book.  This is my first Tamera Alexander book and I love finding new historical authors to read and she will surely be added to my list.

With wonderful themes of honesty, forgiveness and love of others, a plot that moves the book along quickly and characters I could identify with, A Lasting Impression did just that - it made a lasting impression on me.  And it's not one I will soon forget.  Claire, Sutton, the Acklens, Cordina, Eli, Zeke and many others will be remembered for quite some time as this delightful book continues to replay itself in my head.

My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:

A fake. A forger. More than anything, Claire Laurent longs for the chance to live an authentic life, to become the woman she wants to be. And she'll be given that choice. But will it come at too costly a price?

Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville only a year after the War Between the States has ended, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe. She considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But after he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged the man. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville's society, Claire believes her dream to create a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach--but only if her fraudulent past remains hidden.

The Federal Army has destroyed Sutton's home and confiscated his land, and threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him and to right a grievous wrong reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined--as well as the woman he loves.Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves--and each other--for who they really are.

About the Author: 

Tamera Alexander is a best-selling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers. Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in Nashville Tennessee, along with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious--and precocious--silky terrier.

For more information please visit www.tameraalexander.com  

Link to buy the book:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0764206222/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=sprightly-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0764206222&adid=1SZK3Y9GZE37X3HZPY6J

While Tamera and her book,  A Lasting Impression, are traveling across the country virtually (with a few international stops as well!), she will be hosting a Kindle Fire Giveaway (11/4 - 11/15) and preparing for a lavish Southern-Style Facebook Party (11/15) (dripping with hospitality, of course). She will be giving away Southern Food Baskets, books, and an array of other fabulous freebies! Don't miss a minute of the fun. Swoon!

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Brand New Kindle Fire (shipped as soon as it releases)
• A copy of A Lasting Impression and 3 other special books Tamera wants you to have (for Kindle)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on November 15th. Winner will be announced at A Lasting Impression Facebook Party on the 15th. Tamera will be wrapping up the A Lasting Impression celebration with an author chat and giving away Southern Food Baskets (Loveless Cafe Food Baskets, books, Amazon & Starbucks gift certificates, and copies of Christy Jordan's Southern Plate cookbook), six gift certificates to Starbucks and Amazon.com, and copies of A Lasting Impression! So grab your copy of A Lasting Impression (it's okay if you don't have one yet- you might win one!) and join Tamera on the evening of November 15th for an author chat, a trivia contest (How much do you know about the 1860's?) and lots of Southern-inspired giveaways (complete listing here).

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on the 15th!

FTC Information: I received this book through Litfuse Publicity for an honest review.

Book Review: Finding Somewhere by Joseph Monninger

Finding Somewhere by Joseph Monninger

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: November 8, 2011

Hardcover, 240 pages 
Fiction, Young Adult
 ISBN: 978-0385739429

My Review:
Finding Somewhere was a very captivating book.  It's a look at two girls who rescue/steal a horse and leave town to take the horse across the country to set it free. But at the same time they are escaping the small town life that they are imprisoned in and trying out their legs for the first time as well.

I enjoyed Finding Somewhere.  I thought the plot moved along at a good pace.  I enjoyed reading about the different towns Hattie and Delores went through.  I was also fascinated with their interactions with each other and with people they meet along the way.  It's not an action book but the plot keeps you turning the pages.  I pretty much read this in one sitting and really enjoyed it.

Hattie and Delores were interesting characters.  A GED program and their love of horses brought them together.  They are alike in a lot of ways that are explored in the book and they are different too.  I really enjoyed getting to know them through their conversations and through Hattie's thoughts.  They make a good pair and an interesting pair of friends.  I cared about them and wanted to know what would happen to them.  That is really what kept me turning the pages was the needing to know what would happen to them.

I feel Finding Somewhere is an enjoyable coming-of-age novel that I enjoyed from the first page until the last.  I haven't read any of Mr. Monninger's other books, but he will definitely be on my radar from now on.


My Rating: 4.5/5.0


About the Book:
Two girls: Best friends Hattie and Delores feel that life in their small New Hampshire town is a dead end.
One horse: Old and about to be put down, Speed gets a reprieve when Hattie and Delores decide to save him.
A road trip: Determined to set Speed free, Hattie and Delores drive him west in search of rangeland. But the road takes some unexpected turns as the girls get their own taste of freedom—and as they confront the reasons they left home.

About the Author: 

Website

Facebook

FTC Information: I received this book through Teen Book Scene for an honest review. 

November Giveaway Hop

It's time for another wonderful giveaway hop, this one hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and co-hosted by Tristi Pinkston.  Be sure and check out the over 200 other blogs on the hop for other great giveaways as well.

For my giveaway - you will get your choice of 3 books from my Giveaway Page and I will be adding more books to it this week as well.  Open to the US/Canada only (sorry my funds have been limited lately and I have Christmas for two boys to save up for).  Enter below using Rafflecopter, only your name and email is required, the other two entries are optional.  Thanks!

Teaser Tuesday (8)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Claire opened her mouth to accept when three jarring images flashed through her mind--of breaking the delicate china of her possible future employer, of spilling spiced tea all over Mrs. Bunting's best ensemble, and of not getting the job. Her mouth went dry at the thought of declining, but she shook her head. "No thank you, ma'am.  But thank you for your generosity."

From A Lasting Impression by Tamara Alexander





About A Lasting Impression

Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee her home, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe, who shows her kindness by not turning her in to authorities. But when he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged him. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville society, Claire believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach—but only if her past remains hidden.

The Federal Army destroyed Sutton's home, confiscated his land, and threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined—as well as the woman he loves.

Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves—and each other—for who they really are.

Book Tour and Review: Mercy Come Morning by Lisa Tawn Bergren

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Lisa T. Bergren

and the book:

Mercy Come Morning

WaterBrook Press; Reprint edition (August 16, 2011)

***Special thanks to Laura Tucker of WaterBrook Press for sending me a review copy.***

MY REVIEW:
I thoroughly enjoyed Mercy Come Morning.  I found it to be one of those books that tells a great story and teaches multiple lessons at the same time.  I enjoyed watching the character of Krista grow through the book, become more aware of her life, and her decisions and how she had let her early life rule her life for a long time.  I like how the author used the book of Christmas Carols with the personal notes to give Krista the look into her Mother's life since she could no longer talk to her Mother due to Alzheimer's.

The book  moves quickly moving back and forth from the past, from Krista's remembrances, her Mother's journal entries in the Christmas Carol book and what is going on in present day right before Christmas in her Mother's last days.  I liked how it went back and forth and how there were some startling revelations and some expected ones.  I really like how each revelation shapes Krista and her relationships and is key in developing the story in some way.  Ms Bergren crafts the story in a masterful way that keeps the reader turning pages and interested in what will happen to Krista.

I like that romance factored in as well.  Dane sounds like a wonderful man and he and Krista seem made for each other and Krista is the only one that doesn't seem to realize it.  She knows it, but for some reason she doesn't want to commit, but that is part of the story as well.  I love how the romance becomes a part of the story, it doesn't seem forced, it's just there and I like that.

Mercy Come Morning is a beautifully crafted story that teaches us about love.  Not only romantic love, but family love and forgiveness and how things are not always what we think them to be.  I also like how the book draws attention to Alzheimer's and raises awareness of this dreadful disease and the toll it takes on the people that have it and also on the family members and caregivers.  I think it also brings an awareness of new ways to treat Alzheimer's patients when around them which I think is a great thing to take away from the book. It's a wonderful story that I am glad I read and I will gladly read again given a chance.


My Rating: 4.5/5.0

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

LISA BERGREN is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than thirty books, with more than two million copies sold. A former publishing executive, she now splits her time working as a freelance editor and writer while parenting three children with her husband, Tim, and dreaming of the family’s next visit to Taos.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

There are no second chances. Or are there?

Krista Mueller is in a good place. She’s got a successful career as a professor of history; she’s respected and well-liked; and she lives hundreds of miles from her hometown and the distant mother she could never please. It’s been more than a decade since Alzheimer’s disease first claimed Charlotte Mueller’s mind, but Krista has dutifully kept her mother in a first-class nursing home.

Now Charlotte is dying of heart failure and, surprised by her own emotions, Krista rushes to Taos, New Mexico, to sit at her estranged mother’s side as she slips away. Battling feelings of loss, abandonment, and relief, Krista is also unsettled by her proximity to Dane McConnell, director of the nursing home—and, once upon a time, her first love. Dane’s kind and gentle spirit—and a surprising discovery about her mother—make Krista wonder if she can at last close the distance between her and her mother … and open the part of her heart she thought was lost forever.

“A timeless tale, to be kept every day in the heart as a reminder
that forgiveness is a gift to self.”
—PATRICIA HICKMAN, author of The Pirate Queen


Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press; Reprint edition (August 16, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307730107
ISBN-13: 978-0307730107

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

“She’s dying, Krista.”

I took a long, slow breath. “She died a long time ago, Dane.”

He paused, and I could picture him formulating his next words, something that would move me. Why was my relationship with my mother so important to him? I mean, other than the fact that she was a patient in his care. “There’s still time, Kristabelle.”

I sighed. Dane knew that his old nickname for me always got to me. “For what? For long, deep conversations?” I winced at the harsh slice of sarcasm in my tone.

“You never know,” he said quietly. “An aide found something you should see.”

“What?”

“Come. I’ll keep it here in my office until you arrive. Consider it a Christmas present.”

“It’s December ninth.”

“Okay, consider it an early present.”

It was typical of him to hold out a mysterious hook like that. “I don’t know, Dane. The school term isn’t over yet. It’s a hard time to get someone to cover for me.” It wasn’t the whole truth. I had an assistant professor who could handle things on her own. And I could get back for finals. Maybe. Unless Dane wasn’t overstating the facts.

“Krista. She’s dying. Her doctor tells me she has a few weeks, tops. Tell your department chair. He’ll let you go. This is the end.” I stared out my cottage window to the old pines that covered my yard in shadows. The end. The end had always seemed so far away. Too far away. In some ways I wanted an end to my relationship with my mother, the mother who had never loved me as I longed to be loved. When she started disappearing, with her went so many
of my hopes for what could have been. The road to this place had been long and lonely. Except for Dane. He had always been there, had always waited. I owed it to him to show. “I’ll be there on Saturday.”

“I’ll be here. Come and find me.”

“Okay. I teach a Saturday morning class. I can get out of here after lunch and down there by five or six.”

“I’ll make you dinner.”

“Dane, I—”

“Dinner. At seven.”

I slowly let my mouth close and paused. I was in no mood to argue with him now. “I’ll meet you at Cimarron,” I said.
“Great. It will be good to see you, Kristabelle.” I closed my eyes, imagining him in his office at Cimarron Care Center. Brushing his too-long hair out of his eyes as he looked through his own window.

“It will be good to see you, too, Dane. Good-bye.”

He hung up then without another word, and it left me feeling slightly bereft. I hung on to the telephone receiver as if I could catch one more word, one more breath, one more connection with the man who had stolen my heart at sixteen.

Dane McConnell remained on my mind as I wrapped up things at the college, prepped my assistant, Alissa, to handle my history classes for the following week, and then drove the scenic route down to Taos from Colorado Springs, about a five-hour trip. My old Honda Prelude hugged the roads along the magnificent San Luis Valley. The valley’s shoulders were still covered in late spring snow, her belly carpeted in a rich, verdant green. It was here that in 1862 Maggie O’Neil single-handedly led a wagon train to settle a town in western Colorado, and nearby Cecilia Gaines went so
crazy one winter they named a waterway in her honor—“Woman Hollering Creek.”

I drove too fast but liked the way the speed made my scalp tingle when I rounded a corner and dipped, sending my stomach flying. Dane had never driven too fast. He was methodical in everything he did, quietly moving ever forward. He had done much in his years since grad school, establishing Cimarron and making it a national think tank for those involved in gerontology. After high school we had essentially ceased communication for years before Cimarron came about. Then when Mother finally got to the point in her descent into Alzheimer’s that she needed fulltime institutionalized care, I gave him a call. I hadn’t been able to find a facility that I was satisfied with for more than a year, when a college friend had shown me the magazine article on the opening of Cimarron and its patron saint, Dane McConnell.

“Good looking and nice to old people,” she had moaned. “Why can’t I meet a guy like that?”

“I know him,” I said, staring at the black-and-white photograph.

“Get out.”

“I do. Or did. We used to be…together.”

“What happened?” she asked, her eyes dripping disbelief.

“I’m not sure.”

I still wasn’t sure. Things between us had simply faded over the years. But when I saw him again, it all seemed to come back. Or at least a part of what we had once had. There always seemed to be a submerged wall between us, something we couldn’t quite bridge or blast through. So we had simply gone swimming toward different shores.

Mother’s care had brought us back together over the last five years. With the congestive heart failure that was taking her body, I supposed the link between us would finally be severed. I would retreat to Colorado, and he would remain in our beloved Taos, the place of our youth, of our beginnings, of our hearts. And any lingering dream of living happily ever after with Dane McConnell could be buried forever with my unhappy memories of Mother.

I loosened my hands on the wheel, realizing that I was gripping

it so hard my knuckles were white. I glanced in the rearview mirror, knowing that my reverie was distracting me from paying attention to the road. It was just that Dane was a hard man to get over. His unique ancestry had gifted him with the looks of a Scottish Highlander and the sultry, earthy ways of the Taos Indians. A curious, inspiring mix that left him with both a leader’s stance and a wise man’s knowing eyes. Grounded but visionary. A driving force, yet empathetic at the same time. His employees loved working for him. Women routinely fell in love with him.

I didn’t know why I could never get my act together so we could finally fall in love and stay in love. He’d certainly done his part. For some reason I’d always sensed that Dane was waiting for me, of all people. Why messed-up, confused me? Yet there he was. I’d found my reluctance easy to blame on my mother. She didn’t love me as a mother should, yada-yada, but I’d had enough time with my counselor to know that there are reasons beyond her. Reasons that circle back to myself.

I’d always felt as if I was chasing after parental love, but the longer I chased it, the further it receded from my reach. It left a hole in my heart that I was hard-pressed to fill. God had come close to doing the job. Close. But there was still something there, another blockade I had yet to blast away. I would probably be working on my “issues” my whole life. But as my friend Michaela says, “Everyone’s got issues.” Supposedly I need to embrace them. I just want them to go away.

“Yeah,” I muttered. Dane McConnell was better off without me. Who needed a woman still foundering in her past?

I had to focus on Mother. If this was indeed the end, I needed to wrap things up with her. Find closure. Some measure of peace. Even if she couldn’t say the words I longed to hear.

I love you, Krista.

Why was it that she had never been able to force those four words from her lips?

Excerpted from Mercy Come Morning by Lisa Tawn Bergren Copyright © 2011 by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Weekly Preview & Giveaway (5)

Welcome to week five of my feature where I preview what I will be reviewing this week and also where you get a chance to enter to win one of the books I am reading this week plus two books from my giveaway page.  All you have to do to enter is leave your name and email in the Rafflecopter below.  All other entries are optional.  Open to US/Canada only, ends 11/12.  Only Circle of Secrets and Asenath are not up for grabs this week, they are ebooks.

First up last week's winner is: 

Donna @ The Happy Booker

Monday:

Mercy Come Morning by Lisa Tawn Bergren (FIRST Wild Card Tour)

There are no second chances. Or are there? 

Krista Mueller is in a good place. She’s got a successful career as a professor of history; she’s respected and well-liked; and she lives hundreds of miles from her hometown and the distant mother she could never please. It’s been more than a decade since Alzheimer’s disease first claimed Charlotte Mueller’s mind, but Krista has dutifully kept her mother in a first-class nursing home.

Now Charlotte is dying of heart failure and, surprised by her own emotions, Krista rushes to Taos, New Mexico, to sit at her estranged mother’s side as she slips away. Battling feelings of loss, abandonment, and relief, Krista is also unsettled by her proximity to Dane McConnell, director of the nursing home—and, once upon a time, her first love. Dane’s kind and gentle spirit—and a surprising discovery about her mother—make Krista wonder if she can at last close the distance between her and her mother … and open the part of her heart she thought was lost forever.

Tuesday:

Finding Somewhere by Joseph Monninger (Teen Book Scene)
Two girls: Best friends Hattie and Delores feel that life in their small New Hampshire town is a dead end.
One horse: Old and about to be put down, Speed gets a reprieve when Hattie and Delores decide to save him.
A road trip: Determined to set Speed free, Hattie and Delores drive him west in search of rangeland. But the road takes some unexpected turns as the girls get their own taste of freedom—and as they confront the reasons they left home.

A Lasting Impression by Tamara Alexander (Litfuse Publicity)

Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee her home, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe, who shows her kindness by not turning her in to authorities. But when he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged him. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville society, Claire believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach—but only if her past remains hidden.
The Federal Army destroyed Sutton's home, confiscated his land, and threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined—as well as the woman he loves.
Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves—and each other—for who they really are.

Wednesday:

Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little (Teen Book Scene)


Critically acclaimed author Kimberley Griffiths Little weaves a haunting story of friendship and family and the power of faith, once again set against the lush backdrop of the Lousiana bayou.
After her mother walked out on Shelby Jayne and her dad, Shelby thought she'd never speak to her mamma again. But with her dad leaving the country for work, it turns out she doesn't have a choice: Shelby has to move back into her mamma's house, deep in the heart of the Louisiana bayou.
Her new classmates tease and torment her, so Shelby's relieved to finally find a friend in Gwen, a mysterious girl who lives alone on the bayou. But Shelby can't help wondering if Gwen has something to do with the puzzling messages she finds hidden in the blue bottle tree behind her house. The only person who might be able to explain is her mamma -- but Shelby's not ready to ask. Not yet. It may take a brush with something from the beyond to help Shelby see that the power to put her own ghosts to rest is within her reach.
Kimberley Griffiths Little's haunting and powerful tale brings one girl's attempt to grapple with family, friendship, and forgiveness to beautiful, vivid life.

Thursday:

The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson (Revell)

The small town of Parrish Springs is not ready for Matilda Honeycutt. A strange older woman with scraggly gray hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda is certainly not the most likely person to buy the old Barton Building on the town's quaint main street. When it becomes apparent that her new shop doesn't fit the expectations of Parrish Springs residents, a brouhaha erupts. After all, Christmas is approaching, and the last thing the town needs is a junky shop run by someone who looks and acts like a gypsy. But as townsfolk venture into the strange store, they discover that old memories can bring new life and healing.

Once again, Melody Carlson delivers a Christmas story that will touch hearts and delight the senses. Sure to be a classic, The Christmas Shoppe is filled with the special magic the best Christmas stories share--that intangible mixture of nostalgia, joy, and a little bit of magic

Friday:

Asenath by Anna Patricio

Two Destinies...One Journey of Love

In a humble fishing village on the shores of the Nile lives Asenath, a fisherman's daughter who has everything she could want. Until her perfect world is shattered.

When a warring jungle tribe ransacks the village and kidnaps her, separating her from her parents, she is forced to live as a slave. And she begins a journey that will culminate in the meeting of a handsome and kind steward named Joseph.

Like her, Joseph was taken away from his home, and it is in him that Asenath comes to find solace…and love. But just as they are beginning to form a bond, Joseph is betrayed by his master’s wife and thrown into prison.

Is Asenath doomed to a lifetime of losing everything and everyone she loves?

The Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale by Elena Pasquali, Sophie Windham

Three forest trees dream of what they will one day become. One dreams of becoming a royal throne; one of being a ship that can withstand any storm; and one longs to stay in the forest and grow as tall as tall can be. When they are felled, it seems their dreams are over. But as each tree is crafted into a new item - a manger, a fishing boat, and a rugged cross - it becomes clear that through the role they play in one important life their hopes are more than fulfilled. This traditional folktale is accompanied by stylish artwork from a highly sought-after children's book illustrator, and will help set the Christmas and Easter stories into the overall context of the Christian faith.

In My Mailbox (8)

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

Another wonderful mailbox week, check out what came in this week.

Kiss of the Vampire by Cynthia Garner (Forever Romance - Grand Central Publishing)

Pub Date: Feb 1, 2012

Warriors of the Rift

Once a generation, the rift between the paranormal world and the human world opens, allowing supernatural entities to cross. Vampire, demon, or shapeshifter, they can save the world-or send it spiraling into chaos.
Half-demon, half-human, Nix de la Fuente is accepted by neither and mistrusted by both. Determined to prove she's more human than not, she devotes herself to solving crimes between the world's mortals and its most unsavory undead. But her latest case brings her face to face with the one vampire she could never resist . . .

Called in to investigate a string of violent murders, special agent Tobias Caine isn't interested in rekindling his relationship with Nix. Yet one look and the vampire knows his need for her is as strong as ever. Once, their all-consuming passion nearly cost Nix her fragile hold on her humanity. Now, as their hunger for one another intensifies, exposing them to an unimaginable danger, it could cost them both their lives.

The Marbled Swarm by Dennis Cooper (Harper Perennial)

Pub Date: Nov 1, 2011

Literary cult hero Dennis Cooper delivers his highly anticipated new novel. Written in a voice that is lush and intricate, The Marbled Swarm is Dennis Cooper’s most accomplished (and most beguiling) work to date. Cooper tells the story of a man who secretly influences his son to commit a grisly act. Justin Taylor, author of The Gospel of Anarchy, calls The Marbled Swarm “a mindbending masterpiece . . . vivid, slippery, ferocious, and rich with secrets. Nobody else could have written this novel and nothing else like it exists.” Cooper, following his collections Smothered in Hugs and Ugly Man, offers his fans the expansive novel they have been waiting for—one that will become a touchstone of outsider literature.

 Wayward Saints by Suzzy Roche (Voice)

Pub Date: Dec 27, 2011

Mary Saint, the rule-breaking, troubled former lead singer of the almost-famous band Sliced Ham, has pretty much given up on music after the trauma of her band member and lover Garbagio’s death seven years earlier. Instead, with the help of her best friend, Thaddeus, she is trying to piece her life together while making mochaccinos in San Francisco. Meanwhile, back in her hometown of Swallow, New York, her mother, Jean Saint, struggles with her own ghosts.
When Mary is invited to give a concert at her old high school, Jean is thrilled, though she’s worried about what Father Benedict and her neighbors will think of songs such as “Sewer Flower” and “You’re a Pig.” But she soon realizes that there are going to be bigger problems when the whole town—including a discouraged teacher and a baker who’s anything but sweet—gets in on the act.
Filled with characters that are wild and original, yet still familiar and warm—plus plenty of great insider winks at the music industry—Wayward Saints is a touching and hilarious look at confronting your past and going home again

The Time In Between by Maria Duenas (Atria Books)

Pub Date: Nov 8, 2011

The Time In Between is a word-of-mouth phenomenon that catapulted María Dueñas, a debut author, to the top of Spain’s bestseller lists.

This sweeping novel, which combines the storytelling power of The Shadow of the Wind with the irresistible romance of Casablanca, moves at an unstoppable pace. Suddenly left abandoned and penniless in Algiers by her lover, Sira Quiroga forges a new identity. Against all odds she becomes the most sought-after couture designer for the socialite wives of German Nazi officers. But she is soon embroiled in a dangerous political conspiracy as she passes information to the British Secret Service through a code stitched into the hems of her dresses. 

 Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep (Kensington Teen)

Pub Date: Nov 29, 2011

Logan Quinn was try­ing to kill me. My Spar­tan class­mate relent­lessly pur­sued me, swing­ing his sword at me over and over again, the shin­ing sil­ver blade inch­ing closer to my throat every time. A smile tugged up his lips, and his ice-blue eyes prac­ti­cally glowed with the thrill of battle...

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword..

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