Bookish Rants or Raves: Turkey Thursdays, Black Fridays

Painting, “First Thanksgiving” by Jean Ferris

Ah, Thanksgiving. The day of turkey, pumpkin pie, parades, football, and James Bond marathons. This particular North American holiday, notably secular amongst several religious observances in the season, is quite fascinating to me. It’s origins are interesing–and though I won’t go into detail here and now, historians might describe its pragmatic establishment from the Protestent Reformation, and school children will speak of Pilgrims and native tribes playing nice with one another and sharing harvests in merriment.

Celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the U.S. (and the 2nd Monday of October in Canada), Thanksgiving is, of course, about giving thanks. It represents many delightful elements, and some curiously oxymoronic aspects. (More on the latter in a bit.) For those who enjoy food, it’s all about the cornucopia (pun intended) of rich, abundant, delicious dishes. Turkey, cornbread, greenbeans, corn, cranberry sauce (a must!), …

Interview with Donna Grant + Giveaway

Today we are happy to invite bestselling author Donna Grant to sit down with us to chat around (virtual) cupcakes and lattes. Donna is the author of several historical, paranormal and fantasy romances featuring big, strong, handsome Highlander alpha heroes *yum*, and her latest release Midnight’s Warrior, the 4th book in her Dark Warriors series will be published on November 27th, so mark your calendars. Read on and leave a comment to be entered to win a book by Donna Grant!

Stella:  Hi Donna, welcome to BLI! 😀 Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Donna: Hi, Stella! Thanks so much for having me. I’m a Texas girl who’s been writing since 1999 while I worked as an accountant. I have two great kids and a hero of my own who loves to travel everywhere with me.

Stella: Oh, travelling is the best, especially if he goes with you 😉 Could …

Review: Avatar: The Promise Part 2 by Gene Yuen Lang

Format read: paperback
Release Date: 4 April 2006
Length: 76 pages
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Formats available: paperback
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK)

 Blurb:
Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko continue the story right where the TV series left off! Aang and Katara are working tirelessly for peace when an impasse between Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei over Fire Nation colonies within the borders of the Earth Nation threatens to plunge the world back into war! Meanwhile, Sokka must help Toph prepare her hapless first class of metalbending students to defend their school against a rival class of firebenders! Written by Eisner winner and National Book Award nominee Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and drawn by Gurihiru …

Bookish Rants or Raves: Why do I read horrible books?

 

“Why did you bother finishing that if you hated it?”

I get asked this question quite a lot, and it is a fair one. So why do I read horrible books?

I have many reasons:
 I don’t like feeling my time was wasted
This seems contradictory but if I’ve spent a couple of days chipping away at a horrible book, I can’t just leave it. I have put in the time and effort to get this far and now I want to just finish and be done. I hate leaving books unfinished because I feel I still owe them an obligation. (I never claimed to be sane)

I want the right to have my say
I’m a book reviewer! I want to tell people about the books I read and I don’t make a habit of reviewing DNF’s. If I’m halfway through a book and I’ve been rolling my eyes and audibly sighing then I want …

Guest post by Karen Erickson + Giveaway

Today we are very happy to welcome back to Book Lovers Inc. Karen Erickson, author of many steamy and sensual romances who this time is celebrating the release of a tame, sweet and gentle romance! Read on to learn more about Jane’s Gift and what Karen thought of this new experience, and you could even win some terrific prizes, from Starbucks gift card to a Kindle Paperwhite! woohoo! 😀

Changing It Up
by Karen Erickson

I was first published in 2006—and it was a short erotic novella. As the years went on, I wrote hotter, and hotter…until I reached the pinnacle of hotness for me (Playing With Fire series anyone?). My voice naturally leans toward the sexier stuff and I really enjoy writing on the sexier side. But I must admit…I reached a point where I was feeling burned out.

Burned out on trying to out-hot …

Dual Review: Night Thief by Lisa Kessler

Format Read: ebook provided by the publisher
Number of Pages: 109 pages
Release Date: September 28, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Series: Night #1.5
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Formats Available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK) | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

After the fall of the Mayan civilization, Kane, an immortal Night Walker, has taken refuge in France for over 800 years. The modern world holds little interest for him until the night he meets the Golden Thief and is robbed of much more than his pocket watch.

Marguerite Rousseau is living a double life. By day she is the assistant to an eccentric French artist, Antoine Berjon, and by night she dons elegant evening gowns to woo French dignitaries before lifting their …

New Releases: November 19-25, 2012

Rogue Rider (Lords of Deliverance, #4)
by Larissa Ione
Genre: paranormal romance
Release date: November 20, 2012 by Grand Central

Description:

The prophecies were there but no one listened. Until now. They are the Lords of Deliverance and they have the power to ward off Doomsday…or let it ride.

Jillian Cardiff came to this remote mountain town to forget the demon attack that almost killed her. Instead, she rescues–and falls for–a gorgeous stranger who has no memory of anything other than his name. Handsome, charming and protective, Reseph seems like the kind of man that Jillian can trust. But with hints of a troubling history of his own, he’s also the kind of man that can be very dangerous…

Reseph may not know his background, or why he mysteriously appeared in Jillian’s life, but he knows he wants to stay. Yet when Jillian’s neighbours are killed and demon hunters arrive on …

Guest post by Jon Land

We are happy to welcome to BLI today beloved and renowned thriller author Jon Land, who is celebrating the release of Pandora’s Temple, the newest addition to his McCracken series, which features the return of its hero after 15 years! Please give him a warm welcome and read on to learn more about the inspiration behind the new book and why Jon decided to bring back his beloved hero after such a lengthy absence.

Okay, confession time. The truth behind the return of my original series hero Blaine McCracken was not based on planning or inspiration. It was based instead on seizing a fresh and wonderful opportunity based on another opportunity lost.

See, around a year and a half ago Clive Cussler parted ways with one of his long-time co-authors. Turned out my agent happened to represent another of those co-authors and was intimately aware of the opening as well as …

Review: On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Format read: ebook
Series: None
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 31, 2012
Number of pages: 414 pages
Publisher: NAL
Formats available: ebook, paperback
Purchasing Info:  Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK)

Book Blurb:

Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare…

Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well—until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.

Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he’s determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. Knowing how skittish she is about entering a relationship, Braden proposes …

Review: Lord Gray’s List by Maggie Robinson

Format read: eARC received from the author
Release Date: 30 October 2012
Number of pages: 352 pages
Publisher: Kensington Brava
Formats available: ebook, paperback
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s website, Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, Indie Bound, Book Depository

Blurb:

From duchesses to chamber maids, everybody’s reading it. Each Tuesday, The London List appears, filled with gossip and scandal, offering job postings and matches for the lovelorn—and most enticing of all, telling the tales and selling the wares a more modest publication wouldn’t touch.

The creation of Evangeline Ramsey, The London List saved her and her ailing father from destitution. But the paper has given Evie more than financial relief. As its publisher, she lives as a man, dressed in masculine garb, free to pursue and report whatever she likes—especially the latest disgraces besmirching Lord Benton Gray. It’s only fair she hang his dirty laundry, given that it was his …