GIVEAWAY!! Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

In honor of BEA, I'm giving away one gently read (once) copy of Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard.  

It all begins with a stupid question: Are you a Global Vagabond? No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.  Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.  But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.  Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry to this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.




 
Contest is open to US and Canada only and ends on June 10!  Just fill out the rafflecopter form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also...if your interested, I have a giveaway for a signed copy of Tempest Unleashed by Tracy Deebs

HERE

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. Click on the picture to be taken to Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

 

 

Read Last Week: 

• Body and Soul by Stacey Kade
• Her Highness, The Traitor by Susan Higginbotham
• Tempest Unleashed by Tracy Deebs

 

Currently Reading:

• Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London

 

Up This Week: 

• Silver-Tongued Devil by Jaye Wells
• Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan

Introductions First! Armchair BEA Interview!

For those of your joining me for Armchair BEA...WELCOME!  For those of you who don't know what it is, please visit http://www.armchairbea.com/.  This is my second year participating and I'm really excited.  But, I'm also sad because that means I'm not in NYC again :(   One day...I promise myself.

First things first, a little about myself!

Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

My name is Page.  I live in very rural area.  I have 2 little girls ages 6 and 4.  I'm a preschool teacher.   I've been blogging for almost 3 years.  I originally started because I wanted a place to record my thoughts and to maybe connect with others who liked books as much as I did.

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?

My favorite book so far is actually a series.  It's the River of Time series by Lisa Tawn Bergren

If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?

I would love to have dinner with Stephen King.  The man has always fascinated me.  I might not read his works much anymore, but he's always been a favorite.

  What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years?

I love the mutual love of books that we all share, even if we read different genres.  I find books that I might never hear about if it weren't for other bloggers.  I love how I can read other reviews and see the points they make, even if I liked the book and they didn't (or vice versa).

I do think we need to work on personal relations sometimes.  There are times you can tell that the book blogging community is more dominated by women.  We can be very petty about things.  But we can also be very passionate.


Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?

I read a lot more young adult now than I ever did.  I don't know if I would have ever considered it outside of book blogging.  I also read a lot more urban fantasy/paranormal romance.  It wasn't a genre that I ever even looked at.  

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!  It's hosted by Tynga's Reviews!

For Review:

• Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel (Random House and Netgalley)
• The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter (Harlequin Teen and Netgalley) 
• Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells (Hachette and Netgalley)

Swapped:  

• Shadow Mirror by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Library:  

• Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

Review - The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2) by Kady Cross

Title: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

Author: Kady Cross

Series: 2nd (The Girl in the Steel Corset)

Pages:  416

Published: May 22nd 2012 by Harlequin 

ISBN: 9780373210534

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Description: In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous. Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves. One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens. 

I Give This ...

I wasn't sure if I was going to read this.  I had a hard time with the first in the series but not for reasons most people would think.  I strictly had an issue with the steam punk aspect of the story.  I was beginning to think that the genre wasn't for me.   But, I decided to give it one more shot.

Maybe it's because there's a little less steam punk elements in this book, or maybe it's something else.  Either way, I liked this book way more than the first.  I liked that Jasper gets a lot of mention in this book.  He's got a really interesting past and we really get to see that.  The people he used to associate with in the US compared to the people he came to associate with in England show the difference in his values and what was important to him.  I like to see that kind of change in a character.  His devotion to Mei is also sweet and the fact that he is willing to go to such lows to keep her safe shows how much she meant to him.

I  love the development of the relationships of the other characters.  I sometimes wanted to bop Griffin and Finley on the head.  They are both too stubborn and refuse to recognize how they feel about each other.  But, it also makes for excellent tension in the book.  Sam and Emily are also very sweet.  The gang as a whole is becoming more comfortable together.  I love that.

The action of the story is really interesting.  Dalton is a great villain.  I love how he pushes the others because it makes for some great scenes.  I love the part in 5 points were Jasper has to take on a gang and then the leader (who is a scorned ex).  It's just exciting.

After this installment, I will be reading the next.  I'm so glad I decided to give this series another try!   

Interview with Genevieve Graham author of Sound of the Heart

One Book At A Time is happy to have Genevieve Graham here today!  I asked her why she liked writing Historical Fiction and this is how she replied ....

I was NOT a good history student. I took history in high school because I had to, and I slept through most of those classes. What could be so fascinating about stuff that happened hundreds of years ago? What difference did that make to me?

After I had our daughters, I was constantly on the go and had no time to read. It wasn’t until our oldest was eight or so that my mother handed me a book which neither of us knew was going to change my life. And no, it wasn’t self-help or anything like that. It was Gabaldon’s “Outlander”.

I had never experienced anything like that: words that reached out of the page and grabbed me, taking me on journeys I never could have dreamed. I wept, I laughed, I stared openmouthed in amazement, and it certainly didn’t hurt our sex life. I ripped through every one of her books in the series … then read ‘em again. And again. I read them four times each, then listened to the unabridged audio after that - three times. I read everything I could find that looked to be along those same lines after that, including Sara Donati’s “Wilderness” series, books by Penelope Williamson, Jennifer Roberson … and then I decided to write my own. I’d never done it before, but I never planned on anyone but me ever seeing it. Where to start … Scotland? Why not? Diana sure made it appealing. The Highlands: a wilderness bursting with adventures untold. Plus, my ancestry is Scottish, so what could be more perfect for my foray into writing?

I think what I love most about writing Historical Fiction is that it tells stories which supposedly happened years ago, right? Well, no one alive today lived back then (unless you’re into reincarnation, and I’m not even going to go there). So theoretically, no one can tell me that the historical stories I’m writing did NOT actually happen.

When I write, I feel an urging, a sense of direction, almost “voices” in my head (and no, I don’t THINK I’m crazy …). The story almost writes itself. Which makes me wonder ... Could I be telling a story that already happened? Could these people have once lived? Because I have no idea where the ideas come from. It’s as if they come to me from somewhere else. From someTIME else, maybe?

The thing about historical fiction is: you can’t tell me it didn’t happen. And I love imagining that the adventures my characters share with me were real, and I’m right in the middle of them. That’s the point of all fiction, right? To make the reader part of a story that might have happened. But with historical fiction, the stories take me back to a time I would never otherwise see with my own eyes. A rugged, romantic, other-worldly kind of place.

Yes, some history is dull. Some history teachers can be pedantic (remember Ferris Bueller’s teacher? LOL) But I’ll never get tired of history again. Now I can’t get enough. And it’s an honour to be able to share it with all of you!

Why do you like Historical Fiction?

Genevieve Graham graduated from the University of Toronto in 1986 with a Bachelor of Music in Performance (playing the oboe). While on a ski vacation in Alberta, she met her future husband in a chairlift lineup and subsequently moved to Calgary to be with him. They have recently settled in a small, peaceful town in Nova Scotia with their two beautiful daughters.  Writing became an essential part of Genevieve’s life a few years ago, when she began to write  her debut novel, Under the Same Sky. The companion novel, Sound of the Heart, will be in stores  May 1, 2012.

CONNECT ONLINE

www.genevievegraham.com

www.facebook.com/GenevieveGrahamAuthor

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4505583.Genevieve_Graham

twitter.com/GenGrahamAuthor

Review - Sound of the Heart by Genevieve Graham

Title: Sound of the Heart

Author: Genevieve Graham

Series: Companion to Under The Same Sky

Pages: 336

Published: May 1st 2012 by Berkley Trade 

ISBN: 9780425247341

Source: Sent by author for honest review

Description: Dougal MacDonnell, a fierce warrior from the Highlands of Scotland, is able to hear the thoughts of other men and dream how the future will unfold. Devastated by the loss of his family during the Battle of Culloden in 1746, he fosters a deep hatred for the English. But when Glenna, the love of his life and a Scottish outlaw, is captured and shipped overseas, Dougal is forced to join an English army made of vanquished Scots. Now fighting on the side of his sworn enemies, he embarks on a journey that will take him across the seas to the colonies. There he will risk everything for the chance to find his true love.

I Give This ...

I was a little hesitant to read this at first because I haven't read the companion novel.  I wasn't sure how much they were connected and if it really mattered.  I decided to read it anyway just because I liked the idea of it.  And well... I like stories set in the Scottish Highlands.

I was immediately thrown into a very familiar battlefield.  I half expected to meet Jaimie from Outlander in these opening pages.   It actually had a very similar feel to that story.  I liked Dougal from the moment we meet him.  I love the sense of family we get and how he immediately knows something is wrong because of who is standing beside him.  It doesn't take long from the real battle to begin because we all know what happens at Culloden.  

I thought it was interesting that Dougal was just as concerned for the well being of others as he was for his own.  It doesn't take him long to make a friend with the same beliefs as his own and for them to take a young pair of boys under their wings.  In return, those boys help them escape.  But, sadly only two make it out alive.  

For the longest time, I wondered when we would be Glenna.  She seemed like she should be someone we meet in the opening pages.  When we finally do, it really seemed like a "duh moment" to me.  The clues were all there.  I didn't understand her at first, but her actions began to make sense.  She was doing the only thing she knew for most of her life.  It became harder and harder to shake off that lifestyle.  

I actually think the only downfall of this novel was that is could have been longer.  A lot of time is covered in this book and a few events just barely glanced over.  It never felt long and I was disappointed when it ended.  I will be seeking out the companion book though.  I think it might hold some answers to the questions that I have!