Totally Postal Thursdays @ One Page At A Time

SapphireReads over at One Page at a Time has started a new meme asking what books we got in our mailboxes this week. I am going to play along and share with you all what I got in the mail.

Here are the Details about the Meme: Totally Postal Thursdays

List all the books you’ve received since last Friday and then tell us how you got them and where on your TBR list they will be.

Sorry I am a day behind on this! All my scheduled posts become drafts for some reason???

Here Are the Titles I got this Week:

For Review:
The Lion and the Swastika by Anna Bruni Benson
Discover Your Personal Beauty Profile by Carol Tuttle

What was in your mailbox this week?

Review: A Modest Proposal by Michele Ashman Bell

A Modest Proposal by Michele Ashman Bell
Book Description: All my life I had dreamed of changing the ordinary girl’s world of fashion by designing modest formal gowns—ones that you’d actually want to wear. With my super-hero stitching I would save you mothers and daughters crying in dressing rooms over yet another “the straps are just too small” prom dress. Don’t worry, I even thought of a catchy tagline for my brand: “Modest Is Hottest.” I told you I was good!

So I moved to New York and am finally living that dream . . . well, almost. I am at one of the top fashion companies, and my designs are definitely modest— but let’s face it, when it comes to outerwear, would you want to buy a skimpy trench coat? Didn’t think so.
Even though I don’t have my dream job, my family is a mess, and my love life stinks, I have a feeling things are going to change. I mean, they have to soon, or I’ll be forced to marry Jace. I did promise to become his wife only if I turned thirty and was still single, but I honestly didn’t think it was possible. Now twenty-nine, I’m cutting it way too close.
Right now I’m flying back to Utah for our Butterfly Girls reunion. And since it is the Mormon Mecca, I might find myself a modest proposal. Utah engagements can take mere weeks. Never mind, I’m not that desperate.
Really.
But maybe the girls can help. We’ve been best friends since high school. We Butterfly Girls are not the typical Pink Ladies, although we’ve definitely had our share of drama. We’ll laugh and cry over memories, from pageant glory to tragic endings, but the ones stored inside our butterfly box will surprise you most. We only open it when we’re all together, and our lives never seem the same after.

About the Author: What can I say, I'm a middle-aged mother of four, who, after ten years of hard work, perseverance and a lot (and I mean A LOT!) of rejection letters, finally got a book published. As a young girl I was a devoted journal keeper.  I would express my most personal thoughts and feelings in my journal in a way I could never express them verbally.  Coupled with my great love for reading it only seemed natural to become a writer.During the course of having and raising my children, as a beginning writer, I spent any free time I had writing and learning the craft.  I attended workshops and conferences, joined critique groups (I have the scars to prove it) and sent many of my stories and novels off to magazines and publisher, only to receive rejection after rejection.  I came close a few times, but something wasn't quite right.Still to this day I wonder why I didn't give up.  You'd think after ten years of rejections I'd finally get the message.  Actually I know why I kept writing, I couldn't not write.  It's in my blood.  When I get cut, ink comes out.  There's something so wonderful and fulfilling about the creative process of developing characters and storylines and pouring your heart out on paper that can't be matched by anything else.  I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to write.  And I want to encourage anyone who has the desire to write to never give up on their dream.  If you want it bad enough and are willing to work hard enough, you will become published.  I believe that with all my heart because that's exactly how it worked for me. I grew up in St. George, Utah, where a lot of my family still lives, but now reside with my husband and family in the Salt Lake City area.  My favorite thing to do is support my kids in their many interests.  Between basketball, ballet and piano lessons we squeeze a lot into a week, but I wouldn't have it any other way.If you have any questions you'd like me to answer, please feel free to email me.  And thanks, for all your support. 

Here's What I think: Modesty is the main theme of the book, and while it is about a proposal, the book really focuses more on the friendships that last a lifetimes and make life a more fulfilling endeavor. Bell has a rather long list of titles under her belt, ranging from chick lit to young adult. She has a great way with the written word. Normally I would expect a book of this size - well over 400 pages - to be somewhat long winded, but this thought never entered my mind except to not that it was not! I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series - Hometown Girl.

Disclaimer: Although I did receive a copy of the this title for review purposes, I was in no other way compensated to publish this post. These are my real and honest opinions.

If you are an author and/or publishing house and would like for me to publish a review of your book, please feel free to contact me at: polsen11atcomcastdotnet

 

Whatcha Reading Wednesdays October 13th, 2010

This week's Whatcha Reading Wednesday Teaser works like this:

Type the last sentence on page 45.

Remember to alert any Spoilers

You can participate by leaving your WRW teaser in a comment below, or you can make a post on your own blog and link back to this post in the linky below. Feel free to use the WRW graphic, just please be sure to link back to Busy Moms Who Love to Read.

"'Oh, and you can order off the kids menu, since you are acting like one.'"The Black Chronicle: Cry of the Fallen by Joel M. Andre

Review & Blog Tour: The Black Chronicles: Cry of the Fallen by Joel M. Andre

The Black Chronicles: Cry of the Fallen by Joel M. Andre

Book Description: On a warm summer afternoon, in Northern Arizona, a double homicide stains the ground with blood. Detectives are called out to handle the investigation, each plagued with their own internal demons, and aren't prepared for what they are about to find. Detective Lauren Bruni, faces a world of darkness and evil, as a demonic force begins to leash an attack on a small town. As the stakes begin to rise, so does the stunning truth, that not even Lauren can imagine. In a world where her life had started to fall apart, she must pick up the pieces and push forward in an effort to save those that she loves the most. Joel M. Andre takes the Horror genre and pushes the boundaries in a tale full of suspense, dark comedy and genuine horror.

About the Author: Joel M. Andre was born January 13, 1981. At a young age he was fascinated with the written word. It was at fourteen that Poe blew his mind, and Andre began to dabble with darker poetry. Between the years of 1999 and 2007, Joel was featured in various poetry anthologies and publications. In 2008 he released his first collection, "Pray the Rain Never Ends". Knowing there was something deeper and darker inside of his soul, Joel decided to take a stab at commercialism. Releasing the dark, tongue in cheek, "A Death at the North Pole", created a dark world that resulted from the death of Kris Kringle. Ultimately, it proved to be a tale of redemption. October of 2008 saw Joel release his second book, "Kill 4 Me." This was a tale that found Casey Dwyer being haunted by a spirit through text messages, and instant messaging. It was far more brutal than anything he had released before. Taking some time off and doing a lot of soul searching, Joel took things in a new direction and dabbled in the Fantasy Genre with, "The Pentacle of Light". This tale dealt with five major races battling for control of Earth, and the acceptance of their God. As times continue to change, so does the tales he has to tell. This October he will bring back Lauren Bruni in a prequel, and come 2011 there will be the next book in his Fantasy series "The Pentacle of Light". Currently, he resides in Arizona.

Here's what I think: Shocking is the best word to describe this book. From the storyline, to the author's talent this book was shockingly good! Even though it follows that much told main theme of good versus evil, it is new take on a wonderfully horrorific tale. The imagery is wonderful and the book jumps right into the meat of things right away. I love paranormal stories but they often walk a fine line between ridiculous and good reads. This is definately a good read as the story is written in such a manner that you can see it as plausible. If you are looking for a great horror books with lots of twists and turns, Cry of the Fallen is the book for you.

Disclaimer: Although I did recieve a copy of this title for review, I was in no other way compensated to publish this post.