Bookin' with Bingo

LET'S GET COZY: CAKE ON A HOT TIN ROOF - A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-02-02T00:30:00.001-05:00

CAKE ON A HOT TIN ROOF

A Piece of Cake Mystery

BY JACKLYN BRADY

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Pastry chef Rita Lucero's Mardi Gras party turns funereal when one of her guests is found dead after a public fight with her uncle-leaving Rita no choice but to find the real killer and clear her uncle's name..

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jacklyn Brady (aka Sherry Lewis) writes the Piece of Cake Mystery Series, which features a pastry chef in New Orleans. As Lewis, she writes the Senior Sleuth Fred Vickery Mystery Series which features a retiree who enjoys sleuthing.

Q&A WITH AUTHOR JACKLYN BRADY ABOUT THE PIECE OF CAKE MYSTERY SERIES:

1) A SHEETCAKE NAMED DESIRE, the first book in your new series, introduces us to the Zydeco Cakes shop. Tell us about your interest in cakes. Are you a baker yourself?

I’m an amateur baker and an avid fan of various cake shows on TV, but I certainly don’t rise to the level of a professional. But I don’t let my shortcomings slow me down. I love experimenting with recipes and decorating techniques when I have the time.

2) How did you go about creating the spunky pastry chef protagonist, Rita Lucero?

Recently I moved to the Gulf Coast region after a lifetime in the Rocky Mountain west. At about the same time, I began this series and decided on New Orleans for the setting. I knew it would be difficult for me to believably make Rita a native of New Orleans, so I decided to let her learn about her new world along with me. Everything about this area is different from what she’s used to: the people, the weather, the food . . .

Rita’s Hispanic heritage was never a question. I knew she was Hispanic before I knew her name. I’ve spent a lot of time within the Hispanic community and I’m excited to have a chance to use what I’ve learned over the years in Rita’s life.

Beyond that, I had to spend a lot of time listening to Rita and letting her reveal herself to me as she was ready. When I began working with this book, I originally thought that Rita had parents back in New Mexico. I didn’t realize her parents died when she was a young girl until I caught myself writing about their deaths while I was in Rita’s head.

For me, writing is a great deal like acting. I try not to make up things for my characters. Instead, I try to get into character and get myself out of the way.

3) Zydeco Cakes is located in New Orleans. Do you have a special connection to the city?

No special connection, although I have always been fascinated by the city, its history and its diversity. I love the rich cultural experiences you can find there, and the resilience of the people who live there. Since moving to this area, I’ve met quite a few people who are natives of New Orleans, and I’ve been impressed by their warmth and friendliness, and their willingness to answer whatever questions I throw at them. To a person, when I’ve asked what they want the world to know about their town, they’ve said, “the unity.” I hope I can convey that through this series of books.

4) What are some of your favorite books or authors?

I’ve long been a fan of Agatha Christie. A collection of her works will always be on my keeper shelf. I also love Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels and Lawrence Block’s Bernie Rhodenbarr series. I enjoyed Sarah Graves’ Home Repair is Homicide series and have recently been enjoying some of Tami Hoag’s work. Of course, there are many more authors whose work I love, but there’s not room to list them all.

With all those mysteries on the list, my favorite book of all-time is John Adams by David McCullough. It makes me want to be a better person.

5) Can you tell us a little bit about what’s in store for Rita in her next adventure?

CAKE ON A HOT TIN ROOF will be out in February 2012, and it takes place in the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras. Thanks to her mother-in-law, Miss Frankie, Rita finds that she’s been volunteered to host a party for the Krewe of Musterion. Having found the baby in last year’s King Cake, Philippe was on-tap to host, but his death left an opening, and Rita is expected to fill it. Between work and the party, she has enough on her plate, but when her Uncle Nestor and Aunt Yolanda show up unexpectedly it’s almost more than Rita can handle.

Then local car salesman and minor celebrity Big Daddy Boudreaux turns up dead at Rita’s Mardi Gras party after a public fight with her uncle. Rita has no choice but to find room in her busy schedule to prove the killer isn’t Uncle Nestor. But there’s a parade of suspects—and not much time to find out who wanted Big Daddy in a big coffin.

Thanks to Berkley Prime Crime Newsletter for this Q&A. Sign up for their newsletter HERE.

OTHER BOOKS BY JACKLYN BRADY and aka SHERRY LEWIS:

Jacklyn Brady writes the PIECE OF CAKE MYSTERIES that include:

Jacklyn Brady also writes as Sherry Lewis. Here are some books from her SENIOR SLEUTH FRED VICKERY MYSTERY Series:

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT BERKLEY & PENGUIN BOOKS, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS PIECE OF CAKE MYSTERY SERIES,

CAKE ON A HOT TIN ROOF, TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT CAKE ON A HOT TIN ROOF THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK... DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: "LIKE" JACKLYN BRADY'S FACEBOOK PAGE HERE AND LEAVE A COMMENT THERE ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT JACKLYN BRADY 'S BLOG HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST,FEBRUARY 17

GOOD LUCK!

WEDNESDAY MEANS WINNERS!.

2012-02-01T22:30:00.084-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S
WINNERS' ANNOUNCEMENT!

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
BY EMAIL AND HAVE UNTIL NOON,
FEBRUARY 3, TO REPLY WITH THEIR
INFORMATION OR A NEW WINNER
WILL HAVE TO BE CHOSEN!

**************************************

DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL

BY STEPHANIE McAFEE

THANKS TO MY GOOD FRIENDS AT

PENGUIN/NAL, I HAVE ONE COPY OF

DIARY OF A MAD FAT GIRL,
TO GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY READER

THE WINNER IS:

#95 Maureen

*****************************************

WILD, WILD DEATH

A PEPPER MARTIN MYSTERY

BY CASEY DANIELS

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD

FOLKS AT PENGUIN AND BERKLEY,

I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS EXCITING COZY

MYSTERY, WILD, WILD DEATH, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:
#59 Bethie

***********************************************

MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY

BY ROBERT BARCLAY

THANKS TO MARY AND THE GOOD

PEOPLE AT HARPER COLLINS, I

HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS LOVELY

BOOK TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#61 Colleen Turner

*************************************

AGATHA CHRISTIE

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY GIFT PACK

INCLUDING A MOUSE PAD AND

THANKS TO DANIELLE AND THE FINE

PEOPLE AT HARPER COLLINS, I HAVE

THIS GREAT AGATHA CHRISTIE GIFT

PACK TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE READER

THE WINNER IS:

#179 bloggingmom

*************************************************

DREAMLAND

BY ALLISON NOEL

READ BY KATHLEEN MCINERNEY

THANKS TO ESTHER AND FRIENDS AT

MACMILLAN AUDIO BOOKS , I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS YOUNG ADULT AUDIO BOOK TO

GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER

THE WINNER IS:

#62 Jolee

**********************************************

HOW TO BE A BEST

FRIEND FOREVER

BY DR. JOHN TOWNSEND

THANKS TO BABS AND THE GOOD

PEOPLE AT WORTHY PUBLISHING AND

PR by the BOOK, I HAVE THREE COPIES

OF THIS FASCINATING BOOK TO GIVE

AWAY TO THREE LUCKY READERS

THE WINNERS ARE:

#8 holdenj
#49 lag123
#57 Marci
**********************************************

AN APPETITE FOR MURDER

A Key West Food Critic Mystery

BY LUCY BURDETTE

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT NAL & PENGUIN BOOKS, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS NEW MYSTERY SERIES,

AN APPETITE FOR MURDER, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#16 mamabunny13

********************************************

THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE - OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT!

2012-02-01T00:01:00.026-05:00

THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE

OSCAR Nominated Animated Short

Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, “Morris Lessmore” is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor. Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story. Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation) award winning author/ illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a new narrative experience that harkens back to silent films and M-G-M Technicolor musicals. “Morris Lessmore” is old fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.

“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” is one of five animated short films that will be considered for outstanding film achievements of 2011 in the 84th Academy Awards ®.

Film Awards Won by “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” to date:

· Cinequest Film Fest: Best Animated Short
· Palm Springs International ShortFest: Audience Favorite Award
· SIGGRAPH: Best in Show

Thanks to Shelf Awareness (sign up to receive your copy in my left hand column) for my introduction to this wondrous film, and to Vimeo and the HUFFINGTON POST for the information and links. I am sure the other nominated short films are nice as well but this would get my vote for sure. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It tugged at my heart and went straight to my loving of reading and books, all at once. ENJOY "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" below, or go over to Moonbot Studios' website to see it.

"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Would love to hear any comments you may have about this movie as well as about this kind of post, which is different than my normal book/giveaway posts. Thank you!

THE SUMMER GARDEN: AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH SHERRYL WOODS AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-31T00:01:00.005-05:00

THE SUMMER GARDEN

BY SHERRYL WOODS

ABOUT THE BOOK:

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Sherryl Woods proves once more that home is always where the heart is.

Falling for “Maddening Moira” O’Malley was the unexpected highlight of Luke O’Brien’s Dublin holiday. So when she pays a surprise visit to Chesapeake Shores, Luke is thrilled...at first. A fling with this wild Irish rose is one thing, but forever? Maybe someday, but not when he’s totally focused on establishing a business that will prove his mettle to his overachieving family.

Given Luke’s reaction, Moira has some soul-searching of her own to do. Scarred by her father’s abandonment, she wonders if Luke, with his playboy past, is truly the family man she longs for. Adding to her dilemma, she’s offered and amazing chance at a dream career of her own.

Deep down, though, Moira knows home is the real prize, and that love can be every bit as enchanted as a summer garden.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

With two other careers to her credit before becoming a novelist and four states in which she's lived for extended periods of time, Sherryl Woods has collected friends and memories, along with way too much unnecessary junk.

"The friends are the only things I've brought with me through the years that really matter," she says. "I could probably live without one more chintz teacup, another tin-litho sandpail or another snowglobe, but I need those friends."

Author of more than 100 romance and mystery novels, Sherryl Woods grew up in Virginia. Over the years she had lived in Ohio and Florida, as well as California. Currently she divides her time between Key Biscayne, Florida and Colonial Beach, Virginia, the small, river-front town where she spent her childhood summers.

A graduate of Ohio State University School of Journalism, Sherryl spent more than ten years as a journalist, most of them as a television critic for newspapers in Ohio and Florida. For several years she also coordinated a motivational program for the more than 8,000 employees at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center.

Her first book, RESTORING LOVE, was published in 1982 by Dell Candlelight Ecstasy under the pseudonym of Suzanne Sherrill. Her second book, SAND CASTLES, under the pseudonym of Alexandra Kirk, was published later that same year by Bantam. She began using her own name when she moved to the Second Chance at Love line at Berkley Publishing. In 1986, she began writing full-time and also began her long career at Silhouette Books with the Desire title NOT AT EIGHT, DARLING, set in the world of television which she covered for so many years.

In addition to her more than 75 romances for Silhouette Desire and Special Edition, she has written thirteen mysteries — nine in the Amanda Roberts series and four in the Molly DeWitt series.

When she's not writing or reading, Sherryl loves to garden, though she's not at her best on a riding lawn mower. She also loves tennis, theater, and ballet, even though her top spin has long since vanished, she's never set foot on a stage, and she's way too uncoordinated to dance. She also loves baseball and claims anyone who's ever seen Kevin Costner in "Bull Durham" can understand why.

"Like" Sherryl Woods on Facebook HERE.

"Q&A" WITH SHERRYL WOODS:

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS TO GET TO KNOW SHERRYL WOODS!

1. Describe your book in five words or less.

Satisfying finale for the O'Briens!

2. How did the title for your book come about?

Several pivotal scenes in the book take place in Nell's beautiful garden. For me, The Summer Garden evoked that setting.

3. What was the inspiration behind your book?

Luke, the last of the O'Brien grandchildren, needed his own story. I wanted to explore what it would be like to be the youngest in a family of over-achievers and, of course, all readers of the series knew he couldn't possibly end up with the manipulative Kristen Lewis. In Moira, I hope I found the perfect challenging soulmate for him.

4. At what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I'm still trying to figure out if that's what I want to be. I certainly didn't have an inkling it was a possibility until I was into my 30s!

5. Who are some of your favorite authors?

I love lots of the writers who write books similar to mine -- family and community oriented stories with a distinct voice and some humor. Among my favorites are Jan Karon, Carla Neggers, Robyn Carr, Debbie Macomber, Susan Wiggs, JoAnn Ross. I also love a number of mystery series, including those by Sue Grafton, Earlene Fowler, Earl Emerson, and most recently Louise Penny.

6. What are some of your favorite books?

I suppose on my all-time favorite list I'd put Little Women and the Little House on the Prairie series, which take me back to the days when my Mom read to me. Recently I was blown away by The Help and sobbed my way through the closing pages of a wonderful upcoming book by Emilie Richards called One Mountain Away.

7. What advice do you have for people who want to get into the writing business?

Put your butt in a chair and write! Then be prepared to re-write. Listen with an open mind to criticism. And find one professional -- agent, editor or a fellow writer -- whose advice you trust implicitly. For me that's been my agent, Denise Marcil, with whom I've worked almost my entire career.

8. What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?

Without going into details that could spoil it, I'd have to say the final scene. For me it was the perfect finale -- lots of emotion, a few chuckles, maybe even a tear or two!

9. Did you model any of your characters after anyone in particular?

Not that I'll ever admit to!

10. How do you keep your characters fresh after so many books?

Whenever I'm creating characters for a new book or series, I approach them as I would a person I've just met, slowly peeling back layers and getting to know them. The world is filled with fascinating people and, as I'm constantly reminded, each one has a unique background or perspective.

11. What are you currently reading?

Louise Penny's latest, A Trick of the Light. I just finished Lover's Leap by Emily March.

12. If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing?

Retired!! I've already had three other careers -- journalist and critic, hospital program administrator, and bookstore owner. I'm not sure I have a new challenge left in me.

13. What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

Actually writing the story is the easiest. I love sitting down every day and getting caught up with my characters and the world they live in. The hardest is dealing with all of the many other aspects of publishing, all of which are incredibly important to the process of getting books into the store and sold.

14. If your book were turned into a movie, which actors/actresses would you like to play the main characters?

That's a really difficult question for me. I just want to meet Kevin Costner, but I'm not sure there's a role for him in this story!

15. Can you tell us three things about yourself that you can't find on the Internet?

Isn't everything somewhere on the Internet these days? If it's not, it's probably something I don't want revealed.

16. What do you love to do when you're not writing?

My favorite things are reading, which there's never enough time to do, gardening, which also involves the dreaded weeding, and going to the movies. I also enjoy the hard-fought Scrabble games I play with friends on various vacations. Sadly, though, I'm an easy mark. I always lose.

17. Is it difficult to write about another country, such as Moira's homeland, Ireland?

I doubt I would ever write about a foreign country if I hadn't been there. A recent trip to Ireland, though all too brief, gave me just enough of a feel for Dublin, at least, to feel totally comfortable writing about it.

18. You often write series/trilogies. Do you prefer that to stand-alone titles?

I absolutely love getting to create a world for a series or a trilogy and having the chance to go back and be with those characters over time. Once I've established that world and the people in it, the writing flows so much more quickly. That said, there are some stories that lend themselves to a stand-alone -- Flamingo Diner, Seaview Inn, Mending Fences to name a few. These all had serious topics that I felt worked most effectively in the stand-alone format.

19. Who is your favorite character from the Chesapeake Shores series?

I'd have to say Nell in many ways is my favorite. She's so strong and wise and non-judgmental. I've been fortunate to have some very wise older women in my life just like her.

20. The women characters you create are usually strong, independent-minded women. Are they based on anyone in particular?

Not on any one person, though I think my mom was definitely the role model for my own independent and strong-willed -- okay, stubborn -- personality, though many say I picked up a double dose of the stubborn gene from my dad. My aunt, who died last spring at 98 and my mom's friend who was 99 when she passed away -- all shared similar traits and were role models for me, as well, and perhaps for my characters.

21. Is there anything specific you would like to say to readers while we have you here today?

I absolutely love hearing from you, especially via my Facebook fan page. You can link to that from my website -- www.sherrylwoods.com. You can also email me directly from the website.

22. What do you have coming up in the future?

I'm so excited about the return of the Sweet Magnolias this summer. Not only will there be three new books -- Midnight Promises (July), Catching Fireflies (August) and Where Azaleas Bloom (September) -- but there will be a Sweet Magnolias cookbook in September as well. It was written with a real southern chef, Teddi Wohlford, whose recipes have my mouth watering just thinking about them. If you love to cook and have been dying to try some of the delicious dishes mentioned throughout the series, this is your chance! Mark your calendars.

JUST A FEW OTHER BOOKS BY SHERRYL WOODS:

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ERIC AND PLANNED

TELEVISION ARTS, I HAVE TWO COPIES

OF THIS NEWEST SHERRYL WOODS BOOK

FOR TWO OF MY LUCKY FOLLOWERS

(THE SUMMER GARDEN IS OUT

TODAY, JANUARY 31!)

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT THE SUMMER GARDEN THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT SHERRYL WOODS' WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 17

GOOD LUCK!

LET'S GET COZY: IF FRIED CHICKEN COULD FLY - AUTHOR INTERVIEW, RECIPE, AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-30T00:01:00.039-05:00

IF FRIED CHICKEN
COULD FLY

A Country Cooking School Mystery

BY PAIGE SHELTON

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Isabelle “Betts” Winston loves teaching the secrets of mouth-watering country food in her hometown, Broken Rope, Missouri—famous for its past of outlaws, knife battles, and hangings. But when an all-too present murder threatens the start of tourist season, Betts must find a way to solve it without getting burned...

At Gram’s Country Cooking School, Betts and Gram are helping students prepare the perfect dishes for the Southern Missouri Show-Down, the cook-off that draws the first of the summer visitors. Everything is going smoothly until they discover the body of local theater owner Everett Morningside in the school’s supply closet. And then Everett’s widow points an accusatory finger at Gram...

Betts must do everything she can to clear Gram’s name and keep the cook-off preparations on schedule—all while worrying about a mysterious cowboy only she seems to be able to see and talk to. And after shots are fired at her, Betts has to dig deep into Broken Rope’s history to find the modern-day killer—before the last piece of chicken is served...from the BERKLEY CRIME JANUARY NEWSLETTER

A RECIPE FROM PAIGE SHELTON:

Shockingly Simple Champagne Cake

"A couple blocks from my high-school-and-college years’ home in Des Moines, Iowa, was a place called Barbara’s Bakery. It was only a short time after we moved to Des Moines that I found Barbara’s and their amazing “Champagne Cake.” I fell in cake-love at first bite. I left Des Moines after college, and I have craved that cake ever since. As I finished If Fried Chicken Could Fly I put some extra effort into trying to duplicate Barbara’s recipe, but it was to no avail. I did come up with a yummy champagne cookie that I included in the book, but, sadly, the cake just didn’t come together.  However, even after the book was turned in, I wasn’t able to give up the quest."

Paige finally nailed this recipe and here it is!
INGREDIENTS:
CAKE: 
1 package white cake mix 
(You need a “three egg” mix. I just use Betty’s, and it has pudding in the mix.)    

1 (3 1/2 oz.) package white chocolate pudding mix (Adding this ingredient is what I think magnifies all the delicious flavors. It’s subtle, but I can tell it’s there.)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream  
3 eggs 
1 cup chilled champagne  
(I don’t even like the taste of champagne, but I LOVE what it does to a cake. And, I like my champagne-cake champagne like I like my bubblegum: cheap, pink and sweet.)
Red food coloring

FROSTING:
1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons champagne
Silver dragees (edible/decorative balls – some people like silver edible glitter, but I’m team-dragee all the way.)  
Red food coloring  

DIRECTIONS:

1)Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of two 9 inch pans.  

2)Except for the food coloring, put all the cake ingredients into a bowl. Stir to combine, beat until blended, and then beat for 4 minutes at low speed. 3)While you’re beating at low speed, add some drops of red food coloring until you achieve a nice pink. I use gel food coloring and it takes me a good four drops to get to pink.     

4)Bake in the two greased and floured pans at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool about 5 minutes and then turn out to cool on rack.

5)After cake is completely cooled, place all frosting ingredients except for the food coloring into a bowl. Beat to combine and then start adding drops of food coloring until you again have a nice pink – for me this is also about 4 good-sized drops. Beat until stiff peaks form.   

6)Spread the frosting in between the layers  

7)Then frost the entire cake, and sprinkle the dragees on top:    

The recipe also makes about 30 cupcakes. I cut the frosting in half for cupcakes which leaves me scraping the bowl for the last few, but I find it’s wise not to have extra frosting hanging around. I can’t resist the stuff.

Paige's recipe was taken from MYSTERY LOVER'S KITCHEN BLOG.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Paige Shelton spent lots of years in advertising but now writes novels full time. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and son. When she’s up early enough, one of her favorite things is to watch the sun rise over the Wasatch Mountains. IF FRIED CHICKEN COULD FLY is the first book in her new series A Country Cooking School Mystery.

As a kid, Paige moved around a bunch, but went to both high school and college in Des Moines, Iowa. She moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1988.

After college, she spent many years working in advertising, mostly for the local Salt Lake City newspapers. Her attempts to become a published writer began in 1997, but it wasn’t until 2008 that the first contracts with her agent and Berkley Prime Crime were signed. Her pile of rejections is quite impressive. You can read about Paige's "Road to Becoming a Published Author" HERE. I found it VERY inspiring!

Also, be sure and check out Paige on social media and her blog:
----"Like" Paige on her Facebook page
----Blog: Radicle Root

AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR PAIGE SHELTON:

1. Welcome, and thank you for agreeing to an interview for BOOKIN‘ WITH BINGO. Is there any personal information you would like to start out with today?

Thank you, Bingo, it’s great to be here!

I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, with my husband and our seventeen-year-old son. I spent lots of years in advertising, but now I write full-time.

2. Where did you get the inspiration or idea for this book?

The “Gram’s Country Cooking School” idea was sparked during a brainstorming session with my editor. It was probably only natural that memories from my own grandmother’s kitchen surfaced and little things from my childhood started to show up in the story. So, I’d have to say that after the spark, it was childhood memories, family stories, and locations from where my grandparents lived – Rolla, Missouri – that served as some inspiration. Mostly, though, the characters drove the story, telling me very clearly where they thought it needed to go.

3. How did the title of your book come about?

I haven’t come up with any of my Farmers’ Market series titles, but right before I started writing IF FRIED CHICKEN COULD FLY, the title popped (kind of like a light bulb, actually) into my mind. In fact, the titles for the first three books of the series popped all at once. The second book will be IF MASHED POTATOES COULD DANCE and the third book will be IF BREAD COULD RISE TO THE OCCASION.

4. Do you see yourself in your characters? Which characters are easiest or more difficult to write?

I don’t see myself at all, which is strange because they are all me in one way or another. They all have distinct personalities and can be very insistent on which direction they want to go. I find it’s best not to fight them too much. Some characters just appear without any warning. In fact, Jerome, the ghost in IF FRIED CHICKEN COULD FLY did just that. I was relieved when my editor liked him, because both he and I wanted him to stay.

5. What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out? What are you currently reading?
The books that have had a profound impact on me are:

Some of the usual suspects - LITTLE WOMEN, Nancy Drew and Little House books.

Also – OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon, the first Sookie book by Charlaine Harris, and FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC by V.C. Andrews.

Oddly (an Amazon review calls it the best trashy novel ever written), FLOWERS might be the book that impacted me the most. I read it when I was pretty young, and, boy was it creepy. But it made me fully realize that books can be about anything at all, even stuff that’s creepy. Of course, since then I’ve read many other books that have reinforced this, but FLOWERS was the first one.

I’m currently reading Stephen King’s “11/22/63” and enjoying it.(BINGO'S NOTE: I am also currently reading Stephen King's book and loving it!)

6. What is the next or current book/project you are working on?

I’m working on Farmers’ Market 5, and Cooking School 3. I just turned in Farmers’ Market 4 and Cooking School 2.

7. What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don’t know?

I love football! My dad was a football coach when I was growing up, so I spent a lot of time at games. I have continued to be a fan, though there’s not a specific team (well, other than my son’s high school team, of course) that I cheer for. I just like watching the game.

8. Do you own an eReader of any kind and how do you feel about their impact on books, as well as you as an author?

I own two Nooks and enjoy them both, although I also still buy books. I think it’s exciting to be living right in the middle of the transition to the digital age. I suspect that at some point books will only exist in museums which is too bad – I can’t imagine not knowing the way a book feels in your hands and the way the binding, paper and ink smell. But people who love to read will still read, and my hope is that as books continue to be only a click away, people will read even more. And more readers just make the world a better place. I think I’m most sad about what the digital age is doing to bookstores. I don’t have the solution, but I hope there’s a way for them to continue to stay in business. The passing of time will answer those concerns – I hope positively.

9. What is your advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?

Never, ever give up. It took a long time and lots of rejection before I was published. No one’s path is the same, but if you keep writing and keep believing in yourself, you will get there.

Thank you so much, Bingo, and I hope you and your readers have a wonderful 2012!

And Thank YOU, Paige, for taking time to do this interview!

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD

FOLKS AT PENGUIN BOOKS, I HAVE TWO

COPIES OF THIS FUN MYSTERY SERIES,

IF FRIED CHICKEN COULD FLY, TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT IF FRIED CHICKEN COULD FLY THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING IN THE AUTHOR INTERVIEW ABOVE. IF YOU COULD ASK PAIGE A QUESTION, WHAT MIGHT IT BE?

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT PAIGE SHELTON 'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: "LIKE" AND COMMENT ON PAIGE SHELTON'S FACEBOOK PAGE HERE ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY OR ABOUT THIS NEWEST BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 15

GOOD LUCK!

BRUNCH WITH BINGO: YUMMY - A COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY

2012-01-29T00:01:00.149-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S

"BRUNCH WITH BINGO DAY"
I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THIS SUNDAY'S
BINGO BRUNCH BOOK CHOICE IS....

YUMMY

Desserts You Can Make in 5-30 Minutes

BY CAROLINE BREWESTER

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Brewester’s compilation of simple, elegant, and original desserts for every taste and occasion is organized by preparation time. Helpful photographs illustrate dish presentations. Ginger-Poached Rhubarb with Real Custard is a 15-minute treat and a simple way to prepare this summer vegetable; chocolate lovers will appreciate Chocolate Freezer Squares, a 20-minute dessert featuring dark-chocolate chips, shortbread cookies, pistachios, and raisins. Reach for this cookbook when you want a fabulous dessert but have little time.

A lot easier than they look, these 200 desserts will fool your friends and family and give you extra time to make the rest of the meal flawless. In just 10 minutes you can whip up a Raspberry and Hazelnut Eton Mess (which is a “divine traditional English combination of cream, fruit, and crushed meringues”) or a batch of exquisite Rosewater and Almond Creams topped with rose petals. Even more pressed for time? Try any of the tasty 5-minute options. Or dazzle your guests with dreamy Chocolate and Mint Mousses that are good to go in a mere half-hour. Chapters in Caroline Brewester’s Yummy are arranged by the time it takes to make each treat. And, yes, every 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-minute dessert is yummy!

"The title truly says it all!" Nigella Lawson.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Caroline Brewester is a food writer and stylist and the author of DBP's Recipe Scrapbook. She has worked with such notable culinary stars as Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Annabel Karmel. She has contributed to numerous magazines and publications, including Good Food, Olive, Radio Times and Square Meal, and has appeared on UKTV's Great Food Live.

Caroline Brewester was put through the hoops in BBC2's Masterchef Goes Large and fought her way to the finals and second place. However, her performance, food knowledge and skills, mixed with her determination to become the best, really impressed the judges, and she ended up working with both of the Masterchef judges on various food projects.

Caroline has always been passionate about food but has worked as a stockbroker in the City of London for several years in the past. Having been a fervent home cook and dinner party giver, she eventually realised that this was not the path for her and gave up the high-flying career to try her hand as a Masterchef contestant and forge a future in food.

At the same time, she enrolled in Leith's School of Food & Wine, as well as a food writing course, and is working on behind-the-scenes projects with foodies like John Torode and writing articles for food magazines.

SAMPLE RECIPES FROM YUMMY:

Raspberry Sponge Drops

Made with a sponge cake mixture but dropped free-form onto baking sheets, these can be stacked to make lovely towers layered with cream and berries.

Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS:
55g butter, softened
4 tbsp caster sugar
55g self-raising flour
1 egg
1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
250ml double cream
1 tsp icing sugar, plus extra to serve
175g raspberries

DIRECTIONS:
• Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the butter, caster sugar, flour, egg, vanilla extract and salt in a bowl and beat, using an electric mixer, for 2-3 minutes, until just combined.

• Drop 12 tablespoonfuls of the mixture on to the baking sheets, spacing well apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Carefully slide the parchment and sponge drops on to wire racks and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

• Meanwhile, put the cream and icing sugar in a bowl and whip, using an electric mixer, until stiff peaks form. Put 1 sponge drop on each of four plates and divide half the whipped cream over them. Nestle half of the raspberries into the cream and then layer again. Top with the remaining sponge drops and serve dusted with icing sugar.

*************************************************************

Black-Bottomed Lime Cheesecakes

The lime and dark chocolate combination is slightly unusual but delicious. The chocolate in the cheesecake base helps the biscuit crumbs and butter to firm up very quickly.

INGREDIENTS:

75g/2 1/2oz digestive biscuits
40g/1 1/2oz butter
2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
115g/4oz/scant 1/2 cup cream cheese
Finely grated zest of 2 limes
Juice of 1 1/2 limes
2 tbsp icing sugar
100ml/3 1/2fl oz/1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp double cream

DIRECTIONS:

1) Put a baking sheet in the freezer to chill. Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush to fine crumbs, using a rolling pin. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat, then remove from the heat, add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Stir in the biscuit crumbs until well coated, then press the mixture firmly into the bases of four 9cm/3 1/2in loose-bottomed tart tins.

2) Put the tart tins on the chilled baking sheet and freeze for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put the cream cheese in a large bowl and beat, using an electric mixer, for 1–2 minutes until smooth. Reserve a generous pinch of the lime zest for decoration and add the rest to the cheese, along with the lime juice and icing sugar. Beat until just combined, then add the cream and beat for 1–2 minutes until smooth and thickened. Spoon the cheesecake
mixture over the biscuit bases and freeze for 10 minutes.

3) Carefully loosen the bases from the tins and lift out. Dip a palette knife in hot water, wipe dry and use it to transfer the cheesecakes to four plates. Serve sprinkled with the reserved lime zest.

GIVEAWAY

I HAVE ONE COPY OF THE LATEST EDITION
OF THIS YUMMY COOKBOOK TO GIVE AWAY

TO ONE LUCKY WINNER!

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO WIN YUMMY FROM WHAT YOU LEARNED ABOVE, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A "YUMMY" TREAT YOU WISH YOU COULD MAKE IN 5-30 MINUTES

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE CURRENT GIVEAWAY YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY ON EACH IN ORDER TO RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 13

GOOD LUCK!

ARE YOU LISTENING? HOME FRONT: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-28T00:15:00.002-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S"

ARE YOU LISTENING? DAY"

I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY'S

AUDIO BOOK CHOICE.....

HOME FRONT

BY KRISTIN HANNAH

READ BY MAGGI-MEG REED

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The blockbuster bestselling author of Night Road and Firefly Lane delivers a masterful novel that explores the sacrifices of one American family and illuminates the true cost of honor, duty, and love. In her bestselling novels Kristin Hannah has plumbed the depths of friendship, the loyalty of sisters, and the secrets mothers keep. Now, in her most emotionally powerful story yet, she explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage with this provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war.

All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost. . . .

Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life---children, careers, bills, chores---even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then an unexpected deployment sends Jolene deep into harm’s way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a solider she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own---for everything that matters to his family.

At once a profoundly honest look at modern marriage and a dramatic exploration of the toll war takes on an ordinary American family, Home Front is a story of love, loss, heroism, honor, and ultimately, hope.
To hear an exerpt from this audio book, HOME FRONT, visit the Macmillan Audio Book website HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kristin Hannah is the New York Times bestselling author of novels including Night Road, Firefly Lane, True Colors and Winter Garden. She was born in Southern California and moved to Western Washington when she was eight. A former lawyer, Hannah started writing when she was pregnant and on bed rest for five months. Writing soon became an obsession, and she has been at it ever since. She is the mother of one son and lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii.

ABOUT THE READER:

Maggi-Meg Reed has performed as an actress and singer both on and off Broadway. She is the narrator of numerous popular audiobooks including Alex Kava's One False Move, Sebastien Japrisot's A Very Long Engagement, and Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife. Maggi-Meg is a multiple Audie nominee, Earphones winner, and AudioFile Featured Narrator. In 2008, she was named the Best Voice in Fiction & Classics by AudioFile magazine. Her voice is also heard on television and radio commercials across the country. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

JUST SOME OTHER BOOKS FROM KRISTIN HANNAH:

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
Kristin Hannah writes magnificent books with intricate characters that deal with all kinds of relationships. When I read my first book by Kristin, FIREFLY LANE, and placed it in my “Top Ten Books List” right beside Wally Lamb’s SHE’S COME UNDONE, I knew this was an author whose work I would always read and enjoy. However, with HOME FRONT, Kristin Hannah has far exceeded my expectations. I believe this is her best work yet.

The relationship Kristin Hannah deals with in HOME FRONT is one between a woman and her husband, her children, her job, her best friend, and even herself. Jolene Larsen had a dreadful young life growing up with alcoholic parents and that was when she first began to learn to shield herself from hurt. When Jolene’s parents were killed in an automobile crash, she was just shy of 18 and didn’t want to go into foster care. She sought out a young lawyer’s advice on how she could stay in her home until she graduated high school which she did. Jolene then joined the army, attended flight school and ultimately became a helicopter pilot. Jolene made a lifelong best friend there in Tami and they live parallel lives even into marriage and children. Theirs is an undeniably close and loyal friendship that most would envy.

Michael Zarkades is the lawyer who Jolene must have made quite an impression on when she went to him for help after her parents died. When they reconnect, he remembers her and Michael admires the fiercely positive woman Jolene has become. Their relationship and love grows resulting in marriage, and two daughters, Betsy, 12, and Lulu, who is an adorable four-year-old. Michael has recently lost his father and so is now in charge of the family law practice while his Greek mother, Mila, “Yiayia” to the girls (just like I am to my grandson), is such a well written and fleshed out character whose part is also important in the story.

However, Michael is having trouble dealing with his father’s death, and it seems like Jolene doesn’t understand. She always sees the glass half-full, “turn that frown upside down”, and tries to gloss over his feelings rather than face them and cause any pain. It is at this point in the story that things really take off. Michael loses his temper at Jolene and push comes to shove and a possibly irrevocable break in the marriage occurs. Timing being everything, it is also when Jolene finds out that her unit is being deployed to Iraq. As a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the National Guard, she and Tami, both must leave and both play it down to their families rather than worry them. Michael is not happy about this as he has always been against Jolene’s career anyway, and also certainly against the war. Thus Jolene leaves without the understanding and compassion she hoped for from her family, and Michael is left to now take over for Jolene.

What happens to Michael and Jolene while she is away is just one more twist in the story that keeps you turning pages, or in my case, listening far into the night at the wonderfully read audio book. Jolene’s carefully tended life seems to be coming apart but she has yet to face the real problems. Tragedy strikes and it is at this point in HOME FRONT that Hannah’s narrative takes on an even more serious tone and subject matter. Her research and talent are quite evident as she holds the reader hostage to find out what is coming next. Believe me, there is plenty coming and most of it, you do not see, but you will certainly feel.

The murder case that Michael is working on when Jolene returns has given him new perspective, only to contrast with a seriously changed Jolene coming home to her family. Things are so far from what they were before Jolene left, it will shock you. Who Jolene and Michael become is woven so well into the story line that I physically ached for them. Everyone is affected by these changes from Jolene and Michael, to Betsy and Lulu, and many others in their lives. I must say Yiayia Mila is the one constant in the story and I adored her character especially. Kristin Hannah’s use of Greek traditions and food are spot on and an important part of the story. Once again bringing it all back to relationships, Hannah has given readers a relevant and inspirational story. Don’t miss HOME FRONT which will be out January 31, and thank you, Kristin Hannah, for once again raising the bar!

GIVEAWAY
THANKS TO ESTHER AND THE SUPER

PEOPLE AT MACMILLAN AUDIO BOOKS,

I AM THRILLED TO OFFER TWO COPIES

OF THIS AMAZING AUDIO BOOK,

HOME FRONT BY KRISTIN HANNAH!

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: READ ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK ABOVE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT HOME FRONT THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS AUDIO BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT KRISTIN HANNAH'S WEBSITE HERE..THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE AND BE SURE AND CHECK OUT 'FUN FACTS'!

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH AND YOU WILL GET AN ENTRY FOR EACH ONE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 13

GOOD LUCK!

ALL THE FLOWERS IN SHANGHAI: A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-27T00:01:00.252-05:00

ALL THE FLOWERS

IN SHANGHAI

BY DUNCAN JEPSON

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Readers previously enchanted by Memoirs of a Geisha, Empress, and the novels of Lisa See will be captivated by Duncan Jepson’s marvelous debut, All the Flowers in Shanghai. Evocative, sweeping, yet intimate historical fiction, Jepson’s novel transports us to a China on the brink of revolution, and witnesses this colorful, tumultuous world through the eyes of a woman forced into a life not of her choosing and driven to seek a bitter revenge. This epic journey into the heart of Asia is sure to mesmerize fans of Shanghai Girls and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

For every young Chinese woman in 1930s Shanghai, following the path of duty takes precedence over personal desires.

For Feng, that means becoming the bride of a wealthy businessman in a marriage arranged by her parents. In the enclosed world of the Sang household—a place of public ceremony and private cruelty—fulfilling her duty means bearing a male heir.

The life that has been forced on her makes Feng bitter and resentful, and she plots a terrible revenge. But with the passing years comes a reckoning, and Feng must reconcile herself with the sacrifices and terrible choices she has made in order to assure her place in the family and society—even as the violent, relentless tide of revolution engulfs her country.

Both a sweeping historical novel and an intimate portrait of one woman’s struggle against tradition, All the Flowers in Shanghai marks the debut of a sensitive and revelatory writer.
PRAISE FOR ALL THE FLOWERS IN SHANGHAI:

“Jepson...evokes time and place well as he describes the life of privilege that Feng comes to take for granted only to have her life veer dramatically and be overtaken by the Great Leap Forward.”

— Booklist

“[Jepson] does a solid job of voicing a female character.”— Library Journal “Strong on detail and emotional intensity.”— Kirkus Reviews “[A] riveting storyline.”— Publishers Weekly “Poignant and elegantly written.”— Romantic Times "An accomplished first novel. Duncan Jepson magically inhabits the life of a young Chinese woman in 1930s Shanghai, following Feng’s unlikely evolution from neglected second daughter to first wife of the rich and powerful Sang family and her unexpected epilogue. I thoroughly enjoyed this book."—Janice Y. K. Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Piano Teacher

“Breathtaking….A great work that will move its readers.”
—Hong Ying, international bestselling author of Daughter of the River

“The life of this novel’s main character is splintered into thousands of pieces, each of them reflecting the changes of Chinese history, yet all of them coming out in Duncan Jepson’s poetic, passionate writing.”

— Qiu Xiaolong, author of the Inspector Chen mysteries

“A beautifully poetic story. Duncan Jepson creates a poignant set of characters and follows the journey of one woman who attempts to stop the cycle of history in the only way she knows how, but with dire consequences.” --Geling Yan, author of The Banquet Bug ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Duncan Jepson is the award-winning director and producer of five feature films. He has also produced documentaries for Discovery Channel Asia and National Geographic Channel. He was the editor of the Asia-based fashion magazine West East and is a founder and managing editor of the Asia Literary Review. A lawyer by profession, he lives in Hong Kong.To read more about Duncan Jepson, visit his bio on his website HERE.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MARY AND THE GOOD

PEOPLE AT HARPER COLLINS, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF THIS FASCINATING

BOOK TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT ALL THE FLOWERS IN SHANGHAI THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT DUNCAN JEPSON WHEN YOU VISIT HIS WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 9

GOOD LUCK!

BLOGIVERSARY WINNERS!

2012-01-26T19:00:00.003-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S

THIRD BLOGIVERSARY GIVEAWAY
WINNERS' ANNOUNCEMENT!

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
BY EMAIL AND HAVE UNTIL NOON,
JANUARY 28, TO REPLY WITH THEIR
INFORMATION OR A NEW WINNER
WILL HAVE TO BE CHOSEN!

THREE COZY MYSTERIES WINNER!

ROYAL PAINS BY D.P. LYLE,

PLAN BEE BY HANNAH REED,

and IT TAKES A WITCH Y HEATHER BLAKE

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD PEOPLE

AT PENGUIN AND BERKLEY/NAL, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF EACH OF THESE WONDERFUL

COZY MYSTERIES TO ADD TO THE GIFT

PACK PRIZE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER!
#NOTE: Winner had to have entered under all 3 books!

THE WINNER IS:

#56 (and #62, then#59) misskallie2000

THREE SPECIAL CHILDREN'S BOOKS!

SWORDBIRD BY NANCY YI FAN,
POLAR BEAR, POLAR BEAR, WHAT DO YOU HEAR? BY
BILL MARTIN, JR. and ERIC CARLE
and I SPY ULTIMATE CHALLENGER BY
JEAN MARZOLLO and WALTER WICK

I LOVE ALL THREE OF THESE BOOKS AND

AS A FORMER READING TEACHER, AND NOW

A GRANDMOTHER, I CAN TELL YOU THAT

KIDS REALLY LOVE THEM. SADLY, I HAVE

ONLY ONE SET TO GIVE AWAY THIS
TIME TO ONE LUCKY WINNER!

THE WINNER IS:

#101 Bethie

MURDER IN A BASKET

An India Hayes Mystery

BY AMANDA FLOWER

THANKS TO AMANDA FLOWER, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF THIS SOON TO BE RELEASED

INDIA HAYES MYSTERY, MURDER IN A BASKET,

TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER

THE WINNER IS:

#115 lag123

PERFECT FOR MY BLOGIVERSARY, ALL

THREE OF DARYNDA JONES' AWARD-WINNING

PARANORMAL SERIES AUDIO BOOKS, INCLUDING

THE LATEST SOON TO BE RELEASED ON JANUARY 31!

FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT,

SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT

and THIRD GRAVE DEAD AHEAD

BY DARYNDA JONES

THANKS TO ESTHER AND FRIENDS AT

MACMILLAN AUDIO BOOKS , I HAVE ONE OF

EACH TITLE OF THIS FABULOUS DARYNDA

JONES AUDIO BOOK TRILOGY TO

GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER

THE WINNER IS:

#89 Sue Farrell

FAMILY MOVIE TIME GIVEAWAY

"ICE AGE: DVD TRILOGY

ALL THE MOVIES ARE RATED PG

I AM EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER

A PRIZE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

ALL THREE DVD'S FROM THE HILARIOUS

ICE AGE MOVIES...AND JUST IN TIME

FOR THE 4TH MOVIE COMING OUT IN 2012!

THE WINNER IS:
#61 Steve Capell

JUNIOR'S DESSERT

COOKBOOK

75 RECIPES FOR CHEESECAKES, PIES,

COOKIES, CAKES, AND MORE

BY ALAN ROSEN AND BETH ALLEN

I AM SO THRILLED (AND HUNGRY)

AS I WRITE ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY!

I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS AMAZING

JUNIOR'S DESSET COOKBOOK TO GIVE

AWAY MYSELF TO ONE LUCKY WINNER

AND...

MR. ROSEN HIMSELF WAS IN TOUCH WITH

ME AFTER SEEING THIS POST AND NOT ONLY

DONATED THE BOOK AND ONE FOR MY FAMILY,

BUT WE CAUGHT UP ON THE TIME MY DAD

WORKED THERE! I WAS THRILLED!

THANK YOU MR. ROSEN

AND JUNIOR'S!!!

WHAT A LOVELY WAY TO END MY BLOGIVERSARY!

THE VERY LUCKY WINNER IS:

#75 Jolee

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE AND...

LET'S GET COZY! ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE - A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-26T00:01:00.158-05:00

ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE

A Bibliophile Mystery

BY KATE CARLISLE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Brooklyn's chance to restore a rare first edition of Beauty and the Beast seems a fairy tale come true-until she realizes the book last belonged to an old friend of hers. Ten years ago, Max Adams fell in love with a stunning beauty, Emily, and gave her the copy of Beauty and the Beast as a symbol of their love. Soon afterward, he died in a car crash, and Brooklyn has always suspected his possessive ex-girlfriend and her jealous beau.

Now she decided to find out who sold the book and return it to its rightful owner-Emily. With the help of her handsome boyfriend, Derek Stone, Brooklyn must unravel a murder plot-before she ends up in a plot herself...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Golden Heart and Daphne du Maurier Award winning author Kate Carlisle spent over twenty years working in television production as an Associate Director for game and variety shows, including The Midnight Special, Solid Gold and The Gong Show. She traveled the world as a Dating Game chaperone and performed strange acts of silliness on The Gong Show. She also studied acting and singing, toiled in vineyards, collected books, joined a commune, sold fried chicken, modeled spring fashions and worked for a cruise ship line, but it was the year she spent in law school that finally drove her to begin writing fiction. It seemed the safest way to kill off her professors. Those professors are breathing easier now that Kate spends most of her time writing near the beach in Southern California where she lives with her perfect husband.

A lifelong love of old books and an appreciation of the art of bookbinding led Kate to create the Bibliophile Mysteries, featuring rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery and murder. Kate is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. She loves to drink good wine and watch other people cook.

Despite the appearance of overnight success, Kate's dream of publication took many, many years to fulfill. If you're wondering why, visit Kate's website HERE to find out more!

ABOUT MAIN CHARACTER: "BROOKLYN WAINWRIGHT'S WORLD":

This map is actually an interactive one from Kate' s website if you go HERE. You can see many of main character Brooklyn Wainwright's favorite places from her books like HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER and THE LIES THAT BIND.

MORE BIBLIOPHILE MYSTERIES FROM KATE CARLISLE:

#1: HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER

and #2 IF BOOKS COULD KILL

#3: THE LIES THAT BIND

and #4 MURDER UNDER COVER

#5: ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE, due out FEB. 7

AND #6, PAGES OF SIN, A BIBLIOPHILE

eMYSTERY NOVELLA OUT NOW!

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD

FOLKS AT PENGUIN BOOKS, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS NEW BIBLIOPHILE MYSTERY

ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE, TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT KATE CARLISLE 'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 9

GOOD LUCK!

WEDNESDAY MEANS WINNERS!

2012-01-25T22:20:00.001-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S
WINNERS' ANNOUNCEMENT!

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
BY EMAIL AND HAVE UNTIL NOON,
JANUARY 27, TO REPLY WITH THEIR
INFORMATION OR A NEW WINNER
WILL HAVE TO BE CHOSEN!

**************************************

CINDER

The Lunar Chronicles

BY MARISSA MEYER

THANKS TO MY GOOD FRIENDS

AT MACMILLAN, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF CINDER, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#34 Carol N Wong

******************************************

GHOUL INTERRUPTED

A Ghost Hunter Mystery

BY VICTORIA LAURIE

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT NAL & PENGUIN BOOKS, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS VICTORIA LAURIE MYSTERY,

GHOUL INTERRUPTED, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#129 samantha35

**************************************************

NEED YOU NOW

BY JAMES GRIPPANDO

THANKS TO DANIELLE AND MY GOOD

FRIENDS AT HARPER COLLINS, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF THIS THRILLER TO

GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY READER

THE WINNER IS:

#181 CherylS22

*****************************************

GUN GAMES

A Decker/Lazarus Novel

BY FAYE KELLERMAN

THANKS TO CHELSEY AND THE GOOD
FOLKS AT HARPER COLLINS AND
MORROW, I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS
EXCITING THRILLER TO GIVE
AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER

THE WINNER IS:

#119 Bethie

*****************************************

AFFAIRS OF STEAK

A WHITE HOUSE CHEF MYSTERY

BY JULIE HYZY

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT BERKLEY AND PENGUIN, I HAVE ONE COPY

OF THIS WHITE HOUSE CHEF MYSTERY,

AFFAIRS OF STEAK, TO GIVE AWAY

THE WINNER IS:

#139 Tina

******************************************

THE CUPCAKE DIARIES

BY KATHERINE KALLINIS

& SOPHIE KALLINIS LAMONTAGNE

I AM EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE

A COPY OF THE CUPCAKE DIARIES

TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE FOLLOWER!

THE WINNER IS:

#8 Renee

*********************************************

WATCH FOR BLOGIVERSARY WINNERS TOMORROW!

THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-25T00:01:00.104-05:00

THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY

BY MARGOT LIVESEY

ABOUT THE BOOK:

When her widower father drowns at sea, Gemma Hardy is taken from her native Iceland to Scotland to live with her kind uncle and his family. But the death of her doting guardian leaves Gemma under the care of her resentful aunt, and it soon becomes clear that she is nothing more than an unwelcome guest at Yew House. When she receives a scholarship to a private school, ten-year-old Gemma believes she's found the perfect solution and eagerly sets out again to a new home. However, at Claypoole she finds herself treated as an unpaid servant.

To Gemma's delight, the school goes bankrupt, and she takes a job as an au pair on the Orkney Islands. The remote Blackbird Hall belongs to Mr. Sinclair, a London businessman; his eight-year-old niece is Gemma's charge. Even before their first meeting, Gemma is, like everyone on the island, intrigued by Mr. Sinclair. Rich (by Gemma's standards), single, flying in from London when he pleases, Hugh Sinclair fills the house with life. An unlikely couple, the two are drawn to each other, but Gemma's biggest trial is about to begin: a journey of passion and betrayal, redemption and discovery, that will lead her to a life of which she's never dreamed.

Set in Scotland and Iceland in the 1950s and '60s, The Flight of Gemma Hardy—a captivating homage to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre—is a sweeping saga that resurrects the timeless themes of the original but is destined to become a classic all its own.

PRAISE FOR THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY:

“In The Flight of Gemma Hardy, Margot Livesey offers a new telling of Jane Eyre, for which no contemporary writer is better suited. As always, Livesey's prose is a garden of pleasures: precision here, lyricism there, wit and compassionate insight throughout.”—Amy Bloom, author of Away and Where the God of Love Hangs Out

“Margot Livesey’s The Flight of Gemma Hardy is the portrait of a delicate, iron-willed girl, an orphan and a heroine in the grand tradition. The writing is at once wholehearted and razor sharp, but here as in all of Livesey’s novels, the real treasure is her gift for exploring the unreduced human psyche with all its radiant contradictions, mercurial insights, and desperate generosities.” — David Wroblewski, author of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Margot Livesey grew up in a boys' private school in the Scottish Highlands where her father taught, and her mother, Eva, was the school nurse. After taking a B.A. in English and philosophy at the University of York in England she spent most of her twenties working in shops and restaurants and learning to write. Her first book, a collection of stories called LEARNING BY HEART, was published by Penguin Canada in 1986. Since then Margot has published seven novels: HOMEWORK, CRIMINALS, THE MISSING WORLD, EVA MOVES THE FURNITURE, BANISHING VERONA and THE HOUSE ON FORTUNE STREET and THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY.

Margot has taught at Boston University, Bowdoin College, Brandeis University, Carnegie Mellon, Cleveland State, Emerson College, the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Tufts University, the University of California at Irvine, the Warren Wilson College MFA program for writers, and Williams College. She has been the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the N.E.A., the Massachusetts Artists' Foundation and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Margot is currently a distinguished writer in residence at Emerson College. She lives with her husband, a painter, in Cambridge, MA, and goes back to London and Scotland whenever she can. Alice Sebold says, "Every novel of Margot Livesey's is, for her readers, a joyous discovery. Her work radiates with compassion and intelligence and always, deliciously, mystery."

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:

Critics have likened THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY by author Margot Livesey to be inspired by JANE EYRE. While there are several similarities, I read the book as I felt it should be read just as any other book. I found the basic story of Gemma Hardy to be not too different from many I have read over all including Cinderella, to really simplify things. However, it was Livesey’s treatment of this story that made the difference. Using the first person narrative to tell the story gives readers a different slant than say a lot of description from third person narrators may have.

I learned about the places and times of Gemma from her own words and deeds. Becoming an orphan and losing her beloved parents while living in Iceland, she becomes the charge of her aunt and uncle in Scotland. Gemma likes the uncle who seems to adore her but he also dies leaving Gemma with the evil step-mother, oops, which would be the aunt, I mean. Treated so poorly, the young girl is miserable and seems to have no place to turn. However, when she has the chance to go to a boarding school on a scholarship, she is overjoyed to be getting away. Of course, poor Gemma, once again finds things aren’t as she had hoped for in life, and she is there under the tutelage of a tyrant of a headmistress. When even this awful situation falls through, as the school goes out of business, Gemma, now eighteen, sees her freedom at last. But freedom is not free as Gemma finds and she takes a position as an au pair with an older man, Hugh Sinclair, who needs her services for his young niece, Nell. Gemma’s feelings for Sinclair and his in return take a surprising, or perhaps not, twist. Just when you think you know what will become of Gemma, things change suddenly again, and Gemma lives out what was for me the best part of her life, and the story overall.

While Gemma is well developed and an easy-to-like main character, the others are not. I do think had they been detailed more, these characters would have been easier to love or hate or that is, to care about at all. But overall, THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY is an interesting read and Margot Livesey is an author I would want to read more from.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO DANIELLE AND MY GOOD

FRIENDS AT HARPER COLLINS, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF THIS FASCINATING BOOK

TO GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY READER

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT THE FLIGHT OF GEMMA HARDY THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT AUTHOR MARGOT LIVESEY ON THE "FUN STUFF" SECTION OF HARPER COLLINS WEBSITE ABOUT THE AUTHOR HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 4

GOOD LUCK!

LET'S GET COZY: DIE JOB - A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-24T00:03:00.195-05:00

DIE JOB

A Southern Beauty Shop Mystery

BY LILA DARE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

After an attempted murder at a supposedly haunted plantation, the ladies of Violetta's beauty salon unravel secrets that link a high school student, a centuries-old crime, and the roots to a very dark mystery.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Author of the Southern Beauty Shop mysteries, Lila Dare was born in Georgia and has lived in Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia. Although she has never worked in a beauty shop, she frequents salons and likes to tell her stylist: “Surprise me.” Maybe that’s why she looks nervous in her photo. She currently lives west of the Mississippi with her husband, two daughters and dog, and misses Southern cooking and friendliness, but not the humidity.

Laura DiSilverio: "I'm the author of the Swift Investigations and Mall Cop mystery series. After twenty years as an Air Force intelligence officer – serving as a squadron commander, with the National Reconnaissance Office, and at a fighter wing – I retired to parenting and writing full-time. Spying was easier."

....And yes, Laura is also Lila Dare!

To read more about the real Laura DiSilverio/Lila Dare, visit Laura's website HERE!

**OTHER BOOKS IN THE SOUTHERN BEAUTY SHOP MYSTERY SERIES:**

VISIT LILA/LAURA'S WEBSITE HERE TO SEE OTHER BOOKS WRITTEN BY LAURA

GIVEAWAY
THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT BERKLEY PRIME CRIME & PENGUIN

BOOKS, I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS FUN

MYSTERY, DIE JOB, TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT DIE JOB THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT "LILA DARE" 'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 4

GOOD LUCK!

THE LOOK OF LOVE: AUTHOR MARY JANE CLARK, A REVIEW, AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-23T00:30:00.002-05:00

THE LOOK OF LOVE

A Piper Donovan Mystery

BY MARY JANE CLARK

ABOUT THE BOOK:

New York Times bestseller Mary Jane Clark introduced readers to professional wedding cake decorator and amateur sleuth Piper Donavan in her acclaimed mystery novel To Have and To Kill. Piper’s back in The Look of Love, on cake creating assignment at a West Coast luxury spa for the wealthy and famous—where nip and tuck and murder are offered in equal measures. Clark really hits her stride with The Look of Love, providing a winning recipe for delectable mystery that combines chills, twists, humor and often very romantic suspense in the bestselling vein of Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark, Faye Kellerman, Elizabeth Lowell, and Jayne Ann Krentz. She even includes scrumptious pastry recipes and fabulous cake design tips.

Piper Donovan accepts when the owner of Elysium, an exclusive spa and plastic surgery center, offers her an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to create a dazzling and unique wedding cake. The job also gives Piper the time and distance she needs to sort out her feelings for handsome FBI agent Jack Lombardi.

The ultra-luxurious spa caters to the rich and famous in need of a little “refreshing”—a nip here, a tuck there, a little Botox, a little detox. Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, Elysium seems picture-perfect: the grounds, the staff, even the guests. But no sooner does Piper arrive than a guest is brutally murdered in one of the private bungalows. Someone, it seems, wants to make sure Elysium’s beautiful director, Jillian Abernathy, never gets to walk down the aisle. Piper soon discovers that beneath the glamorous surface of this idyllic oasis lies an ugly truth—and a cold-blooded plan for murder.

PRAISE FOR THE LOOK OF LOVE:

“She understands how to hang on to her audience. Her characters are the sorts with whom many readers identify.”

— USA Today Clark fans will enjoy the short chapters, interconnected plotlines, and multiple points of view, all of which keep the pages turning.— Booklist Piper Donovan, professional cake decorator, actress and amateur sleuth, is back. A multilayered plot filled with murder, a taste of jealousy and a healthy dose of madness and mistaken identity is frosted liberally with a rich confection of humor and romantic suspense.— Romantic Times BOOKclub

"In a manner strikingly reminiscent of the author’s famous ex-mother-in-law, everything turns out in time for the diminished wedding party to enjoy a cake made from “the best pumpkin bread they have ever tasted.”

— Kirkus Reviews

Touches of humor keep the mystery light, the baking subplot keeps it cozy, and there is enough going on with family and Piper’s newly developing relationship to keep it real.… Clark’s fans and readers who enjoy mysteries in the vein of Mary Higgins Clark may want to check this out.— Library Journal ABOUT THE AUTHOR:New York Times bestselling author Mary Jane Clark has written 12 novels, all set in the high stakes world of broadcast journalism. She worked at CBS News headquarters in New York City for three decades, her experience there leading her to create KEY, a fictional television network. What her characters can get involved in as they cover their assignments is as varied as the stories on the morning or evening news. Her media thrillers are published in 22 languages. Fast-moving, unpredictable, and always changing, the television news world offers a never-ending stream of ideas for Clark’s books. Her writing style has been described as “clear and speedy.” Influenced by years of writing television news stories, where every second counts, she gets right to the action in her suspense novels, in which every word is a clue. The assignments Clark has completed in the real news world have informed her writing. Covering the 1992 National Presidential Conventions led to the idea for her first book, Do You Want to Know a Secret? Producing stories on the auction of the estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and the Princess Diana dress sale planted the seeds for Do You Promise Not to Tell? Assignments to write and produce obituaries on world leaders and entertainment personalities grew to become Let Me Whisper in Your Ear. On-air correspondents shared their experiences of being stalked by demented fans for Close to You. Covering an approaching hurricane on Florida’s Gulf coast was the premise for Nobody Knows. The anthrax scares at all three U.S. network news headquarters in the autumn of 2001 inspired Nowhere to Run. A love for Rhode Island led to the KEY News morning news show spending a week among the historic mansions of Newport in Hide Yourself Away. More recently, the high-profile shuffle of competitive network new anchors led to When Day Breaks, and the seed for It Only Takes a Moment came from childhood memories and fears of the kidnapping cases her father investigated. The daughter of a FBI agent, Clark grew up in Westwood, New Jersey, and graduated from the University of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two grown children and lives in New Jersey and Florida. She spends her time researching her next novel, writing, concocting new plots while walking the beach, decorating ,and supporting causes close to her heart, including research for a cure or treatment for fragile X syndrome.
Q & A WITH MARY JANE CLARK:

Q: This is your tenth novel and it is as exciting as ever. How do you keep your writing fresh?
A: The world I've chosen to write about helps keep the writing fresh, I hope. Network television news offers a steady stream of suspenseful situations. What the characters can get involved in as they go out and cover their stories pretty well knows no bounds. Anthrax scares, hurricanes, political intrigue, art forgery, disappearances, murders…the potential situations are as varied as the news each morning. Every book is a fresh story, filled with different suspects with different motives.

Q: What inspired you to begin writing?
A: I had written non-fiction for years in the form of news stories for television broadcast. It was only after I became a single mother that I decided to try my hand at fiction. The kids were really little at the time and I'd write early in the morning before they got up, after they went to bed at night and whenever they weren't with me. It took me two years to write the first book, two years to re-write it and then the manuscript sat on a shelf in my closet for another two years before it finally sold.

Q: You work for CBS News; do you draw a lot of inspiration from your work there? What is one of the most exciting stories you worked on? Is fact truly stranger than fiction?
A: Having worked at CBS News for almost three decades, of course, I am influenced by my experience there. It is an exciting world, full of the unexpected. Over the years, I've had the privilege of working on so many things: presidential conventions, papal visits, royal weddings, celebrity funerals, terrorism attacks, executions, fires, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. The news world never gets boring. Every day brings fresh developments, a different set of unexpected, almost unbelievable circumstances. So many times, a story will break and I'll turn to a colleague and say, "We couldn't make this up."

Q: Your son has Fragile X syndrome. What is it?
A: Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited cause of mental impairment, ranging from mild learning disabilities to severe mental retardation. It's also the most common known inherited form of autism. Symptoms can include average IQ of 75 or less, debilitating sensory issues, seizures, limited speech, poor gross and fine motor skills and behavioral outbursts.

I unknowingly carried the Fragile X gene and passed it on to David.

Q: Many of your books have included Fragile X syndrome in some way. How do you hope to raise awareness through your public persona?
A: While it is nearly as common as muscular dystrophy or cystic fibrosis, many people have never even heard of Fragile X syndrome. I want to help get the word out there.

In my first book, Do You Want to Know a Secret, a character with Fragile X held the key to the mystery. I have my characters attend Fragile X fundraisers and I've been dedicating books to those who struggle with Fragile X syndrome. In fact, When Day Breaks features a woman who bought the right to be a character in the book at Fragile X fundraising auction in Pittsburgh last year.

To read all the interesting questions and answers with Mary Jane Clark, visit the Harper Collins Author Interview HERE.

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
Mary Jane Clark gives readers an easy to enjoy mystery set amidst the glamour that is home to the likes of the real housewives of Beverly Hills. Not quite chick-lit, but just as enjoyable, this Piper Donovan mystery takes Piper to the land of glitz galore and a health resort located in the Hollywood Hills. Elysium is an elite spa, as well as celebrated plastic surgery center. The owner invites Piper to come visit and create an impressive, one of a kind wedding cake for Elysium’s director, his daughter Jillian Abernathy, who is soon to be married. With an invitation to also partake in all that Elite has to offer and all expenses included, how can Piper turn this down? What a gig, she thinks, and it will also give her time to think about her own life and where she wants to go from here personally and professionally. Piper’s desire to be an actress also finds being in Los Angeles is a good place for her to check on that part of her future plans as well.

Jillian, as well as her famous family, have many adversaries who want to stop this wedding, mostly to get back at her father. Before long, Piper finds herself lumped in with this group and a target as well. Piper is alerted early on when a worker is found dead in one of the cabins at the spa.

It seems that Jillian’s housekeeper had facial burns resulting from having acid thrown in her face and so she was being treated at Elysium. Esperanza was only answering the door at Jillian’s home when this happened but now the danger has spread to the spa as well. Sharing information that she may know more about the attacker, early on we find Esperanza murdered while in the supposed safety of the spa. The spa houses many enemies who Clark has woven into the narrative thus giving readers much to think about as far as who it could be that wants to get back at Jillian’s family so much.

Mary Jane Clark has created several complicated as well as fun characters and her short chapters keep the story moving as readers will want to read “just one more chapter” to find out another clue. Piper is a likable protagonist and one you find yourself rooting for. I especially always enjoy when an author brings food into the story and Clark does indeed include some delicious pastry recipes and marvelous cake designing ideas. Although the plot does have several suspects to consider, I found it easier than most to figure out whom the real villain in THE LOOK OF LOVE is. I was probably lucky but you should read this book to see if you feel the same way.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO A GREAT TEAM AT

WILLIAM MORROW PUBLISHING,

I HAVE ONE NEW, HARD BACK
COPY OF THIS PIPER DONOVAN

MYSTERY TO GIVE AWAY!

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT THE LOOK OF LOVE THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT MARY JANE CLARK BY VISITING HERE WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 4

GOOD LUCK!

LET'S GET COZY AT BRUNCH WITH BINGO: AN APPETITE FOR MURDER - A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-22T00:01:00.006-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S

"BRUNCH WITH BINGO DAY"
TODAY, I HAVE A DIFFERENT KIND

OF BRUNCH BOOK, BUT IT INCLUDES FOOD!

GIVEAWAY ENDED
AN APPETITE FOR MURDER

A Key West Food Critic Mystery

BY LUCY BURDETTE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Hayley Snow's life always revolved around food. But when she applies to be a food critic for a Key West style magazine, she discovers that her new boss would be Kristen Faulkner-the woman Hayley caught in bed with her boyfriend! Hayley thinks things are as bad as they can get-until the police pull her in as a suspect in Kristen's murder. Kristen was killed by a poisoned key lime pie. Now Hayley must find out who used meringue to murder before she takes all the blame.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lucy Burdette is the author of the Key West food critic mystery series, launching in January 2012 with AN APPETITE FOR MURDER (NAL.)

Lucy’s alter-ego, clinical psychologist Roberta Isleib, has published eight mysteries including the golf lover’s mystery series and the advice column mysteries. Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime, and a past-president of Sisters in Crime.

You can follow Lucy on Twitter or Facebook

A RECIPE FROM LUCY BURDETTE:

"RAVISHING RHUBARB CAKE"

Rhubarb-Strawberry Coffee Cake

with Streusel Topping

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 cup milk or buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups rhubarb, chopped

1 cup strawberries, chopped

For the topping:
1/4 C. butter
1/3 C brown sugar
3 TBSP flour
4 TBSP rolled oats

DIRECTIONS:

Cream the butter and sugar, and add the egg. Sift together flour and baking soda and add to creamed mixture with the milk and vanilla. Fold in the rhubarb and strawberries. Pour into greased 9 x 11″ pan. Blend topping ingredients until pea-sized with a pastry blender and sprinkle on top of the cake.

Bake at 350 for 30-35″

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KAYLEIGH AND THE GOOD FOLKS

AT NAL & PENGUIN BOOKS, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS NEW MYSTERY SERIES,

AN APPETITE FOR MURDER, TO GIVE AWAY

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT AN APPETITE FOR MURDER THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT LUCY BURDETTE 'S WEBSITE/BLOG HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, JANUARY 30

GOOD LUCK!

BFF BLOG TOUR WEEK! HOW TO BE A BEST FRIEND FOREVER: PREVIEW, PERSONAL STORY AND GIVEAWAY

2012-01-21T00:01:00.196-05:00

GIVEAWAY ENDED
HOW TO BE A BEST

FRIEND FOREVER

BY DR. JOHN TOWNSEND

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The best-selling author of Boundaries (over 2 million copies sold) helps readers break through relationship barriers and reveals the eight vital skills necessary for building long-term, rewarding friendships. Includes study guide for individuals and groups.

Our world has diluted the meaning of friendship, but the reality is, there’s nothing like the sustaining strength of true-blue, forever friends. Still, many people are convinced that they’ll never find such lifelong connections—or that they don’t need them.

In this encouraging book, best-selling author and psychologist John Townsend delivers hope and help for making these relationships a reality—and for making them even better. Townsend’s simple but profound concepts are sure to transform readers’ relationships and keep them from missing out on one of life’s greatest and most essential joys: the joy of having a best friend.

Having a best friend is so important in our lives, and research overwhelmingly proves that our life depends on them. The absence and presence of them affects our physical and mental health – even our finances. In a world of diluted friendships, from "besties" to Facebook friends, friendships of convenience and "specialty" BFs, how do we find and keep them?

In How to Be a Best Friend Forever: Making and Keeping Lifetime Relationships (Jan. 2012, Worthy Publishing), clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr. John Townsend shows us the sustaining strength of forever friendships, helps us break through barriers, and reveals eight vital skills necessary for building long-term, rewarding friendships.

The book covers things like:

The anatomy of a B.F.F. and 3 must-have qualities
How to find and keep a BFF
Learning to connect deeply in a friendship
The trouble with family or spousal BFFs
Does Facebook make friendships better?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. John Townsend is a psychologist, speaker and leadership coach. He has authored or coauthored over 20 books, selling 5 million copies, including the 2 million-unit bestseller Boundaries and Leadership Beyond Reason. He cohosts the nationally syndicated daily radio program NewLifeLive! heard on over 160 markets nationwide, with a listening audience of 3 million. Dr. Townsend and his family live in Southern California.

AN EXCERPT FROM HOW TO BE A BEST FRIEND FOREVER:
Five Best Friendship Rules to Live By
Adapted from How to Be a Best Friend Forever by Dr. John Townsend

Is there room for more than one BFF in your life?
While some people prefer to have a #1 friend, Dr. Townsend says we need more than one best friend because each person brings a certain set of qualities to a relationship. Variety is the spice of life and BF should be a plural term.

What about best friends of the opposite sex?
Dr. Townsend says, exercise caution. Sharing feminine and masculine viewpoints helps balance us, grow us, and make us better people, but close opposite-sex relationships can bring fear and insecurity into our romantic relationships. If that's the case, both people should spend time with the BF, so the other person feels safe, loved, and assured that everything is on the up and up.

What if your spouse or your sister is your BFF?
You might be limiting your own growth because you are operating in a closed system. And if your husband or wife is your best friend, you risk smothering them and your marriage. Dr. Townsend encourages connections outside the comfort zone of family.

To read more from HOW TO BE A BEST FRIEND FOREVER, check out the Worthy Publishing Website section on the book HERE for a PDF of all of Chapter One.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO BABS AND THE GOOD

PEOPLE AT WORTHY PUBLISHING AND

PR by the BOOK, I HAVE THREE COPIES

OF THIS FASCINATING BOOK TO GIVE

AWAY TO THREE LUCKY READERS

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT HOW TO BE A BEST FRIEND FOREVER THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT DR. JOHN TOWNSEND ON HIS AUTHOR'S PAGE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, JANUARY 30

GOOD LUCK!

ARE YOU LISTENING? DREAMLAND - AN AUDIO BOOK GIVEAWAY

2012-01-20T00:01:00.028-05:00

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S"

ARE YOU LISTENING? DAY"

I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY'S

AUDIO BOOK CHOICE.....

GIVEAWAY ENDED DREAMLAND

BY ALLISON NOEL

READ BY KATHLEEN MCINERNEY

ABOUT DREAMLAND, THE AUDIO BOOK:

Riley’s finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer’s dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver, an entire dream can be created in a studio and sent to the dreamer. But Dreamweaving was outlawed decades ago, and the studio was boarded up. Thinking it’s her only way to reach out to her sister, Riley goes in search of the old studio. There she finds a ghost boy, who’s been creating and sending nightmares to people for years. In order to stop him and reach out to Ever, Riley is going to have to confront and overcome her own fears.

PRAISE FOR DREAMLAND:

“…Kathleen McInenery was great. Although her voice didn’t necessarily sound like that of a 12 year old, she nailed the intonation and emotion behind the words.” – YA LitWit Blog

“Although intended for young adults, Dreamland will appeal to listeners of all ages and is highly recommended for public library audiobook collections.” – The Midwest Book Review

“Kathleen McInerney’s narration is just killer. In earlier books, I had mostly read Riley as being spunky and sassy, but the narrator really brings out her girly side, and her awe at all the magical things that surround her.” – All Consuming Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alyson Noël is the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of Faking 19, Art Geeks and Prom Queens, Laguna Cove, Fly Me to the Moon, Kiss & Blog, Saving Zoë, Cruel Summer, and the Immortals series including Evermore, Blue Moon, Shadowland, Dark Flame, and Night Star, as well as the Immortals spin-off series beginning with Radiance. With over 2 million copies in print in the US alone, her books have been published in 35 countries and have won awards including the National Reader's Choice Award, NYLA Book of Winter Award, NYPL Stuff for the Teenage, TeenReads Best Books of 2007, and Reviewer's Choice 2007 Top Ten, and have been chosen for the CBS Early Show's "Give the Gift of Reading" segment, and selected for Seventeen Magazine's "Hot List" and Beach Book Club Pick. She lives in Laguna Beach, California.

ABOUT THE READER:

Kathleen McInerney has performed in New York and around the United States in both classical and contemporary theater. Her credits also include television commercials, daytime drama, radio plays, and animation voice-over. She has narrated numerous audiobooks by bestselling authors such as Emily Giffin, Danielle Steel, Jeffrey Stepakoff, and Linda Castillo. In reviewing Linda Castillo’s Sworn to Silence, published by Macmillan Audio, AudioFile magazine has stated, “Kathleen McInerney tells this story with a clipped, unemotional delivery well suited to Castillo's well-pruned yet descriptive sentences. McInerney moves smoothly from the present to the past and back again as Kate battles her demons while trying to stop a grisly serial killer.”

OTHER BOOKS IN THE RILEY BLOOM SERIES:

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ESTHER AND FRIENDS AT

MACMILLAN AUDIO BOOKS , I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS YOUNG ADULT AUDIO BOOK TO

GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: READ ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK ABOVE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT DREAMLAND THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS AUDIO BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT ALYSON NOEL'S RILEY BLOOM WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH AND YOU WILL GET AN ENTRY FOR EACH ONE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 27

GOOD LUCK!