The International Giveaways Café (61)

Good morning all and welcome back to our Saturday morning bookish giveaway hangout. So, I have a bit of a confession to make. We always have some great giveaways here at Book Lovers Inc but sometimes, I forget to add them to the list 🙁 You can find them on the sidebar though, which is a great back up for my forgetful days, right? Plus, there’s the ones added by all of you out there too (

Around the Bookish World: Week-in-Review

Welcome to this week’s news post. It has been an eventful one with the long anticipated release of J.K Rowling’s first adult book although its critical response and the ebook edition were not positive.  Barnes and Noble have released the details of their new tablets as well as a content platform and our usual books to watch out for and news.

Barnes and Noble have released the details of their new Nook tablets. There will be two tablets – a 7 inch edition (Nook HD $199)   and a 9 inch edition (Nook HD+ $269), although their specs doesn’t vary much away from the recently launched Kindle Fire or the Google Nexus.  The Digital reader has a full and in-depth coverage of the devices at their site. The Nook tablets will also have their own content platform but unlike Apple, Google and Amazon who has a much better library of …

Wishlist: The Tickle my Funny Bone Edition

Laughter is awesome, cathartic. To me, it’s not exactly the same thing as happiness, though the two do intersect to a great degree (the former can be a manifestation of the latter). You can be sad, afraid, angry, solemn, and still laugh. Nervous laughter, frustrated laughter, hysterical laughter, subtle laughter, amused laughter. Since laughter can incite a measure of happiness, even if momentary, I love to find it in the stories I read. Sometimes a good, dark and broody story is perfect for curling up on a rainy day…but not today. Having things to laugh about feel like a great propect right about now. Goodness knows that these days, we can all stand to have moments of laughter. Below are just a few books, in nonfiction and fiction, that I wish to read as soon as possible–either once I get the time, or once the book is released. It’s …

Guest Post by Amber Lynn Natusch + Giveaway

Today we’re here to welcome Amber Lynn Natusch to Book Lovers Inc.  Amber Lynn is stopping by today as part of her Got Caged? tour to give us a glimpse into her favorite scenes from Caged.  And also a peek into the anxiety producing moments that an author experiences when confronted with the request for a guest post! Who knew?

Please welcome Amber Lynn and don’t forget to check at the end of the post for the details on our giveaway!

When I was asked to compose a guest blog post, I had no idea what to write. As an author, it was an especially low moment. Then a great friend suggested that I take an excerpt from the first novel in my series, Caged, and explain what I loved about it. Genius! Times like this illustrate my need for a team of levelheaded people around me―an entourage of rational thinkers.

The unfortunate …

Bookish Rant: How Much Does an Ebook Cost?

When you go to your bookseller of choice and buy an ebook, it costs whatever the dealer says it costs. Anything from free to $14.99 or the equivalent per country.

The real caveat isn’t the different currency, the “trick” is in that three-letter-word “buy”. Because as we all know but conveniently forget, we don’t buy our ebooks, or any electronic media, including software. We license it from the supplier. Which means that they can set the terms of the license.

Back to the question of the cost of an ebook. The price to an individual, meaning you and me, is what the seller (Amazon, B&N, Book Depository, etc.) says it is. Because that’s the arrangement that those suppliers have made with the publishers. You remember the publishers, and that little anti-trust lawsuit problem they have with the U.S. Government about, you guessed it, the price of ebooks? (If not, see

Guest Post by Claire Ashgrove + Giveaway

Today I’m really thrilled to welcome back to Book Lovers Inc Claire Ashgrove, author of one of my currently favorite paranormal series out there, The Curse of the Templars. Claire stops by today as part of her Blog Tour to celebrate her newest release in the series, Immortal Surrender and discuss with us about relics! Please welcome Claire and don’t forget to check at the end of the post for the details on our giveaway 🙂

The Sudarium of Oviedo
by Claire Ashgrove

Hi all! Thanks for having me here today. Let’s talk about relics, shall we? Specifically, the Sudarium of Oviedo. What is this elusive piece of cloth I incorporated into Immortal Surrender?

Well, some of you already know that the Sudarium of Ovideo is a bloodstained cloth, similar to the Shroud of Turin, that was recorded in The Gospel of John to be wrapped around the head of Christ …

Guestpost by Zoë Archer: Love Those Cowboys! + Giveaway

Today we are happy to welcome Zoë Archer on Book Lovers Inc! Zoë will tell us about her book Lady X’s Cowboy and why she loves Cowboys. Join the fun and you may win a copy of the book. Let’s give a warm welcome to Zoë!

What is it about the cowboy hero that’s so damned appealing? Why do so many of us love to see them in movies, on television, and read about them?

For starters, the outfit’s pretty sexy. Rugged clothes? Check! Leather chaps that accentuate the butt? Check! Cool hat that casts mysterious shadows over a man’s eyes? Check! And a man on horseback is definitely alluring, especially if the territory he’s riding over is rough and dangerous—but he can handle himself and his mount (heh). Cowboys have to be physically strong to do their work, so you already know he’d going to be fit, …