Running from Secrets is a young adult (or YA) fantasy e-book. If you like dark fantasy about possessed queens, wind chimes with a secret code, naked paintings, mysterious professors, gutsy girls, and even a Dark Lord…. you’re going to LOVE Running from Secrets.
  Bethany has never felt as alone as she feels in Linwood—until she dreams up Chime, a woman on the run because of a magic crime she didn’t commit. The dreams get more and more urgent, so Bethany tries to banish them by writing them down, only to discover she’s stumbled into the role of unwitting controller of Chime’s world.
  Chime is real here, and so is the possessed queen, minion army, mysterious professor, Vault Five, wind chimes with a secret code, child’s rhyme that can kill, the naked painting, and other things Chime’s story leads her to.
  She has to fix the story without erasing Chime and her world, because if she erases Chime, she will die as well.

 

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU PUBLICLY FOLLOW THIS
  BLOG (IF NOT, GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT ON RIGHT SIDE).

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU BECOME A FACEBOOK
  FOLLOWER OF STEPHANIE VOID.

*EBOOK EDITION*
*INTERNATIONAL*
*NO P.O. BOXES*

*GIVEAWAY ENDS MAY 30th AT 6PM EST*
WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RANDOM.ORG
AND NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL AND WILL
AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

DISCLAIMER / RULES
Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
agent and/or author. This blog hosts the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

This week’s question:
This week’s musing asks…

The local Catholic school board is closing its school libraries, and parents and teachers –and even the students– are in an uproar. Budget cuts demanded that the board choose something to get rid of… they choose libraries. As such, many librarians have lost their jobs. And, the board is moving the books to the classrooms, instead. They feel that it is a good solution.
What do you think? Should the schools be without an actual “library” room? Is this a good solution?
My answer:
  This is a hard question for me on so many levels.  One my boys have been out of school for quite a few years, I understand the economy is hitting everyone hard, the new world of technology and what I consider, and this is my opinion only, common sense.  My first reaction was my experience to “the library and it’s use” when I was in school and what my sons would tell me when they were in school.  It was used as a “free period” to socialize.  Any reference material was always done after school at the Public Library.  And with my boys, once we had a PC, reference was done in the comfort of home.  Access to books, again, was always through the Public Library.
  I don’t know if removing libraries is a good move, but in this economy, I do feel budget cuts are necessary.  And it’s not only libraries.  My mother and sister resided in an assisted living facility subsidized by the Catholic Diocese, and due to the economy and costs had to close the doors.  Some people had been living there for more than 10 years, it was their home and now had to find somewhere else to live. I had to find a new facility for my mother and sister, and unfortunately not one facility I looked at compared to where they were living.
  Because of having to deal with something of that magnitude, a library to me, does not seem as important when there are other means of getting books and reference material.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”
                              The Hachette Book Group                 Doubleday

                                                  

            From Authors

                         (galley)                        (galley)

Yes!!!  The secret is out.  Some of the best visitors are those that stop by here, but then, I am quite biased.  Why else would I be getting requests from authors that they would like to stop by, visit and tell us about their newest book.  Today, we have just such a guest.  So, please help me in welcoming YA author, Ms. Stephanie Void !!

She loves hearing from readers; you can contact her at her website: stephanievoid.com.

1) TIME FRAME- I can get a book available to readers in a fraction of the time a publishing house would. Publishing houses can take up to 2 years to get a book on the shelves. All I have to do is put it together in the proper formats, and I’m done.
2) DISILLUSIONMENT- After reading some pretty terrible books and finding out that some of them were almost immediately snapped up for publication, I’ve largely lost my faith in the publishing industry as a quality filter. If I can’t trust publishing houses and agents to screen out the sub-par fiction, then what are they for?
3) CONTROL- I can design my own cover (I’m a graphic designer) if I want, and can keep the book the way I want it. It’s 100% MY vision, not that of an overstressed editor.
4) OWNERSHIP- The books are mine. If I want to give you a free e-book, I can.
5) MONEY- Amazon gives me 70% of the cover price. My royalties from a publishing house would be a mere fraction of that. I can charge you less and still make more money. We both win.
6) STICKING IT TO THE MAN- Being indie makes the rebel in me smile.
7) CHANGING INDUSTRY- People don’t just buy books at their local bookstores anymore. Now there are e-books and e-readers, even I-Pod applications that let you read books on the go. And sales are going up. This is the future.

Running from Secrets is a young adult (or YA) fantasy e-book. If you like dark fantasy about possessed queens, wind chimes with a secret code, naked paintings, mysterious professors, gutsy girls, and even a Dark Lord…. you’re going to LOVE Running from Secrets.

Bethany has never felt as alone as she feels in Linwood—until she dreams up Chime, a woman on the run because of a magic crime she didn’t commit. The dreams get more and more urgent, so Bethany tries to banish them by writing them down, only to discover she’s stumbled into the role of unwitting controller of Chime’s world.

Chime is real here, and so is the possessed queen, minion army, mysterious professor, Vault Five, wind chimes with a secret code, child’s rhyme that can kill, the naked painting, and other things Chime’s story leads her to.

She has to fix the story without erasing Chime and her world, because if she erases Chime, she will die as well.



  Running from Secrets is a young adult (or YA) fantasy e-book. If you like dark fantasy about possessed queens, wind chimes with a secret code, naked paintings, mysterious professors, gutsy girls, and even a Dark Lord…. you’re going to LOVE Running from Secrets.
  Bethany has never felt as alone as she feels in Linwood—until she dreams up Chime, a woman on the run because of a magic crime she didn’t commit. The dreams get more and more urgent, so Bethany tries to banish them by writing them down, only to discover she’s stumbled into the role of unwitting controller of Chime’s world.
  Chime is real here, and so is the possessed queen, minion army, mysterious professor, Vault Five, wind chimes with a secret code, child’s rhyme that can kill, the naked painting, and other things Chime’s story leads her to.
  She has to fix the story without erasing Chime and her world, because if she erases Chime, she will die as well.

 

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU PUBLICLY FOLLOW THIS
  BLOG (IF NOT, GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT ON RIGHT SIDE).

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU BECOME A FACEBOOK
  FOLLOWER OF STEPHANIE VOID.

*EBOOK EDITION*
*INTERNATIONAL*
*NO P.O. BOXES*

*GIVEAWAY ENDS MAY 30th AT 6PM EST*
WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RANDOM.ORG
AND NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL AND WILL
AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

DISCLAIMER / RULES
Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
agent and/or author. This blog hosts the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

This week’s question:
This week’s musing asks…

The local Catholic school board is closing its school libraries, and parents and teachers –and even the students– are in an uproar. Budget cuts demanded that the board choose something to get rid of… they choose libraries. As such, many librarians have lost their jobs. And, the board is moving the books to the classrooms, instead. They feel that it is a good solution.
What do you think? Should the schools be without an actual “library” room? Is this a good solution?
My answer:
  This is a hard question for me on so many levels.  One my boys have been out of school for quite a few years, I understand the economy is hitting everyone hard, the new world of technology and what I consider, and this is my opinion only, common sense.  My first reaction was my experience to “the library and it’s use” when I was in school and what my sons would tell me when they were in school.  It was used as a “free period” to socialize.  Any reference material was always done after school at the Public Library.  And with my boys, once we had a PC, reference was done in the comfort of home.  Access to books, again, was always through the Public Library.
  I don’t know if removing libraries is a good move, but in this economy, I do feel budget cuts are necessary.  And it’s not only libraries.  My mother and sister resided in an assisted living facility subsidized by the Catholic Diocese, and due to the economy and costs had to close the doors.  Some people had been living there for more than 10 years, it was their home and now had to find somewhere else to live. I had to find a new facility for my mother and sister, and unfortunately not one facility I looked at compared to where they were living.
  Because of having to deal with something of that magnitude, a library to me, does not seem as important when there are other means of getting books and reference material.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”
                              The Hachette Book Group                 Doubleday

                                                  

            From Authors

                         (galley)                        (galley)

I would like to explain how this came to fruition. Hubby and I were having a discussion about the old days, (for the young’ens reading this..a little history lesson) but before the dark age. When Sundays were special and had traditions and rituals. Sunday mornings Church, come home to a big gravy (sauce) cooking on the stove, a big Sunday dinner, then either off to visit relatives/friends or wait for relatives/friends to drop by. We would spend the afternoon sitting around the table, talking, catching up, having coffee, pizza, calzones, etc etc, dessert. And now, how sad, all those traditions are gone. And then I got to thinking, why not have something similar here on my blog. This past year, I have met so many amazing and wonderful people (some I now call friends) through blogging, and how I am in awe of what they do and accomplish. How much respect I have for them, for their honesty, integrity, credibility and so enjoy when a bit of their personality shines through. So every Sunday, here at my place, the coffee will be on, the dessert is on the table and friends will be stopping by. And I will be rolling out the red carpet for my Sunday Shining Star Blogger guest.

I was told when I first found this community of book blogging that “book bloggers were the nicest bloggers there are” and I have never forgotten those words. And over the past year, I have truly met the nicest people. I also believe, even though we live behind a screen, a bit of our personality shines through. That is one of the reasons I am having so much fun with this weekly event, and hoping you are too, because we are getting to know those “nicest bloggers” around and about bloggyland a little bit better.

If any of you notice a change in Jeff (Lori’s hubby aka Dollycas’s Thoughts) it is because he has had 3 weeks off and is well rested.  So he delivered the pastry and early, however, I do think a few pieces are missing…hmmmmmm?????

I am sure today’s guest is known by so many of us as she has been blogging for many years.  But today we get to know her a little bit better, which I know I am looking forward to.  Since Sunday’s Shining Star has been on vacation for a few weeks, I am going to start right away by introducing our special Blogger, NISE from UNDER THE BOARDWALK

*When and why did you start blogging?
I first created a blog profile and blog to have an “identity” in order to comment on other blogs as myself rather than anonymous with no intention of starting my own. One thing lead to another and I started posting. My first blog was more about my family and my faith. I discovered that I had a hard time coming up with things to write about and slowed down posting on my first blog. My book blog started as a place to do meme, giveaways, contests, etc and turned into a forum to keep track of what I’ve read. Once I got to know that there were other book bloggers out there, the rest is as they say, “history”. Not that my family and faith are not important, but I’ve found my niche in book blogging. Now and then I still post on my other blog.

*How and what made you decide on the name of your blog?
I thought about some of my favorite things in order to come up with a name. I live on Lake Michigan and love our beach and boardwalk. Two places I would rather be which led to the song Under The Boardwalk that I then used for my blog name.

*What would you say is the main content of your blog?
Anything and everything about my reading life.

*If books, what genres do you mostly read?
I honestly do not have an answer. I read so many books from many genres. My favorites are historical fiction, suspense/thrillers and anything about women/families and their relationships.

*How often do you post?
Three to Five times a week

*What are some of the things that you love about blogging?
The community. Discovering new authors. Discovering new bloggers. Sharing the enthusiasm of reading with others.

*What are some of the negatives?
At times it can be a time consumer. I can get so caught up in it that I lose track of time and things that need to get done are ignored.

*Name 1-3 favorite items/postings that you have/do on your blog?
I enjoy participating in different memes that other bloggers host.

It is my goal to review every book I’ve read.

*Any advice you would give to new bloggers?
There is never a dumb question and most bloggers are more than willing to help you figure things out or tell you how they did “that”.

*What draws you to follow someone’s blog?
Shared reading interests.

*Do you have any “pet peeves” that other bloggers do?
None really, everyone does things differently.

*Would you plase share 5-7 things about the person behind the screen so that we get to know the “real” you!!

My very flexible day job is a Church secretary that I’ve enjoyed for 20 years.

My husband and I have been married 30 years.

Our children are young adults, two are not quite out of the nest. I have a daughter and two sons.

I recently celebrated my 50th birthday.

Besides reading I love to travel and go out to lunch with my friends.

Thank you Nise for being my guest today and sharing a little bit of yourself with us all.  I personally am amazed by this phenomenal blogger at the number of books she reads and reviews she writes in one week lol.  But not only that, she is a kind and genuine person which comes through in the comments that she leaves on blogs and emails she sends.  She is devoted to faith and family.  All traits that definitely make her a Shining Star!!!!!

I would like to explain how this came to fruition. Hubby and I were having a discussion about the old days, (for the young’ens reading this..a little history lesson) but before the dark age. When Sundays were special and had traditions and rituals. Sunday mornings Church, come home to a big gravy (sauce) cooking on the stove, a big Sunday dinner, then either off to visit relatives/friends or wait for relatives/friends to drop by. We would spend the afternoon sitting around the table, talking, catching up, having coffee, pizza, calzones, etc etc, dessert. And now, how sad, all those traditions are gone. And then I got to thinking, why not have something similar here on my blog. This past year, I have met so many amazing and wonderful people (some I now call friends) through blogging, and how I am in awe of what they do and accomplish. How much respect I have for them, for their honesty, integrity, credibility and so enjoy when a bit of their personality shines through. So every Sunday, here at my place, the coffee will be on, the dessert is on the table and friends will be stopping by. And I will be rolling out the red carpet for my Sunday Shining Star Blogger guest.

I was told when I first found this community of book blogging that “book bloggers were the nicest bloggers there are” and I have never forgotten those words. And over the past year, I have truly met the nicest people. I also believe, even though we live behind a screen, a bit of our personality shines through. That is one of the reasons I am having so much fun with this weekly event, and hoping you are too, because we are getting to know those “nicest bloggers” around and about bloggyland a little bit better.

If any of you notice a change in Jeff (Lori’s hubby aka Dollycas’s Thoughts) it is because he has had 3 weeks off and is well rested.  So he delivered the pastry and early, however, I do think a few pieces are missing…hmmmmmm?????

I am sure today’s guest is known by so many of us as she has been blogging for many years.  But today we get to know her a little bit better, which I know I am looking forward to.  Since Sunday’s Shining Star has been on vacation for a few weeks, I am going to start right away by introducing our special Blogger, NISE from UNDER THE BOARDWALK

*When and why did you start blogging?
I first created a blog profile and blog to have an “identity” in order to comment on other blogs as myself rather than anonymous with no intention of starting my own. One thing lead to another and I started posting. My first blog was more about my family and my faith. I discovered that I had a hard time coming up with things to write about and slowed down posting on my first blog. My book blog started as a place to do meme, giveaways, contests, etc and turned into a forum to keep track of what I’ve read. Once I got to know that there were other book bloggers out there, the rest is as they say, “history”. Not that my family and faith are not important, but I’ve found my niche in book blogging. Now and then I still post on my other blog.

*How and what made you decide on the name of your blog?
I thought about some of my favorite things in order to come up with a name. I live on Lake Michigan and love our beach and boardwalk. Two places I would rather be which led to the song Under The Boardwalk that I then used for my blog name.

*What would you say is the main content of your blog?
Anything and everything about my reading life.

*If books, what genres do you mostly read?
I honestly do not have an answer. I read so many books from many genres. My favorites are historical fiction, suspense/thrillers and anything about women/families and their relationships.

*How often do you post?
Three to Five times a week

*What are some of the things that you love about blogging?
The community. Discovering new authors. Discovering new bloggers. Sharing the enthusiasm of reading with others.

*What are some of the negatives?
At times it can be a time consumer. I can get so caught up in it that I lose track of time and things that need to get done are ignored.

*Name 1-3 favorite items/postings that you have/do on your blog?
I enjoy participating in different memes that other bloggers host.

It is my goal to review every book I’ve read.

*Any advice you would give to new bloggers?
There is never a dumb question and most bloggers are more than willing to help you figure things out or tell you how they did “that”.

*What draws you to follow someone’s blog?
Shared reading interests.

*Do you have any “pet peeves” that other bloggers do?
None really, everyone does things differently.

*Would you plase share 5-7 things about the person behind the screen so that we get to know the “real” you!!

My very flexible day job is a Church secretary that I’ve enjoyed for 20 years.

My husband and I have been married 30 years.

Our children are young adults, two are not quite out of the nest. I have a daughter and two sons.

I recently celebrated my 50th birthday.

Besides reading I love to travel and go out to lunch with my friends.

Thank you Nise for being my guest today and sharing a little bit of yourself with us all.  I personally am amazed by this phenomenal blogger at the number of books she reads and reviews she writes in one week lol.  But not only that, she is a kind and genuine person which comes through in the comments that she leaves on blogs and emails she sends.  She is devoted to faith and family.  All traits that definitely make her a Shining Star!!!!!

A Drop Of The Hard Stuff by Lawrence Block

ISBN-13: 9780316127332
At the request of Mulholland Books, an ARC TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review.
  Synopsis (borrowed from B&N): Grandmaster Lawrence Block brings his greatest character, Matthew Scudder, back into action in his most personal case.
  Matthew Scudder is finally on the straight and narrow when he runs into “High-Low” Jack Ellery, a childhood friend from the Bronx. In Scudder, Jack sees the moral man he might have become. In Jack, Scudder sees the hard-won sobriety he hopes to achieve.
  Then Ellery, following to the letter the dictates of Alcoholics Anonymous’ infamous twelve steps, is shot down while attempting to atone for past sins, and Scudder is drawn into a murder investigation that threatens to upset his path toward recovery—and get him killed in the process.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: When I initially read the synopsis of this book, I felt that it was definitely a match for me, being in the genre of suspense, which is my favorite preference of books to read. It was also the first book that I had read by this author and also not realizing that this novel was one of many in a series. Before stating my thoughts and opinion, I would like to add a caveat. I did do some research on different sites such as B&N and GR to read other reviews and the majority were very good. I say this because not every book is the same for every reader. And the following is my opinion, and my opinion only. I read 50+ pages and had to put this book aside. I felt that it was an effort to continue to read. To me, it was very dry reading, whereas nothing truly “grabbed” me. I am not sure if it could be that I never read any of the books in the series or any other books by this author. Unfortunately, this book went into the DNF pile.