Spooktacular Giveaway Hop Starts NOW!

It's that time again for another fun and exciting giveaway hop hosted by Inspired Kathy at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Rhianna at The Diary of a Bookworm.  This Halloween inspired blog hop will run from October 24th until midnight October 31st.  At the time of this post, there are over 425 blogs participating!  That means lots of chances to win some great bookish goodies.  You can find the list HERE.
First I hope you will take the time to enter the drawing I am having here at One Book Shy. I will have two winners this time; one US/Canadian and one International.  I am keeping it super simple as there are a lot of blogs to check out on this hop.  Just fill out the simple form below with your name and email address and that's it!  No flaming hoops to jump through on this one :) 

Oh, in case you're wondering what the prizes are.  I will tell ya...
US/Canada winner will receive a $10 GC to Amazon.comInternational winner will receive a $10 credit to The Book Depository
Now continue on your way through this hop BUT...Just so you know, I will be having a 1000+ follower drawing in the next couple of weeks with 5 prize packages so you should plan on coming back for that!  Click on the box at the top right of the page to get email updates so you'll be one of the first to know when it happens.


~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Guest Post + Review - The Snowman's Revenge by Mark Smythe

Please welcome Mark Smythe, author of The Snowman's Revenge to One Book Shy as he tells us how the book came about.  

Why I Wrote the Book

A Joke

A religious man is on top of a roof during a great flood. A man comes by in a boat and says "get in, get in!"  The religious man replies, "No, I have faith in God, he will grant me a miracle."

Later, the water is up to his waist and another boat comes by and the guy tells him to get in again. He responds that he has faith in God and God will give him a miracle. With the water about chest high, another boat comes to rescue him, but he turns down the offer again because "God will grant me a miracle."

With the water at chin high, a helicopter throws down a ladder and they tell him to get in, mumbling with the water in his mouth, he again turns down the request for help, stating that a miracle of God will save him yet.

He arrives at the gates of heaven with broken faith and says to Peter, “I thought God would grant me a miracle and I have been let down."

St. Peter chuckles and responds, "I don't know what you're complaining about, we sent you three boats and a helicopter."

Explanation

If I’m even lucky enough to be invited to the gates of heaven, I didn’t want St Peter to say to me: “Hey Mark, we sent you some pretty good ideas, like that snowman book thing. Why didn’t you do anything with that?”

So, it was something that just HAD to be done. Despite the time and all of the work and the ongoing expenditures and all of the seemingly endless efforts required, it ……. just …….. had …….. to ……… be ……… done ………., regardless.

Besides, it was great fun and thoroughly enjoyable and a great learning experience, as well.

And, when I see the smiles on little faces, like when I read it to a classroom at our local elementary school, it certainly makes it all very much worthwhile.

Mark Smythe

BIO

Mark Smythe resides in a small, rural town located in the beautiful Southern geography of Western New York State. It is a lovely and quaint agricultural community, just South of Buffalo, New York.

He and his two children, Cassandra and Alexander, live on a picturesque, turn-of-the-century farm complete with a charming old white farmhouse, quaint red barns and wooden pasture fences.

Mark is an Interior Structural Fire Fighter with a local Volunteer Fire Department, and also works in the field of Bio-Oncology Diagnostics.

TITLE:    The Snowman's Revenge
AUTHOR:    Mark Smythe, illustrations by Mike Motz
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 44 pages
PUBLISHED:   Mark Smythe, 2008
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  If you were left out in the cold snow all by yourself, would you be mad? Of course you would! Well, this snowman is out for revenge, especially after he sees those kids in the nice warm house, eating cookies and drinking hot chocolate! So, let's see what happens in this delightful story, nicely flowing with rhymed verse, beautifully illustrated and quite humorous indeed. So lovable, it's sure to be an instant favorite and a timeless classic with "kids" of all ages.

MY TAKE:    This is the perfect book for reading to the younger crowd or having them read it back to you.  It is the story of a disgruntled snowman who is left out in the cold while the kids are having fun inside without him.  He sees them enjoying the warm house and even warmer cocoa that Mom makes and starts to get a little upset.  As he plots his revenge, nature takes its course and... you will just have to read the book for the rest.


A delightful tale that is a quick and easy read.  The illustrations are bright and colorful and are a perfect match to the rhythm of the story.  I think it would be a fantastic gift for the whole family this holiday season.  (I do caution against reading it to the really young as the snowman is a little bit scary when he's mad.)  Recommended for ages 4 and above.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Start your gift shopping now:  
Amazon, The Book Depository, Barnes & Noble

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Pub Across the Pond by Mary Carter

TITLE:    The Pub Across The Pond
AUTHOR:    Mary Carter
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 360 pages
PUBLISHED:   Kensington, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Author for Book Tour and Review

FROM GOODREADS:   Sometimes leaving home is the only way to find where you truly belong.

Carlene Rivers is many things. Dutiful, reliable, kind. Lucky? Not so much. At thirty, she's living a stifling existence in Cleveland, Ohio. Then one day, Carlene buys a raffle ticket. The prize: a pub on the west coast of Ireland. Carlene is stunned when she wins. Everyone else is stunned when she actually goes.

As soon as she arrives in Ballybeog, Carlene is smitten, not just by the town's beguiling mix of ancient and modern but by the welcome she receives. In this small town near Galway Bay, strife is no stranger, strangers are family, and no one is ever too busy for a cup of tea or a pint. And though her new job presents challenges--from a meddling neighbor to the pub's colorful regulars--there are compensations galore. Like the freedom to sing, joke, and tell stories and, in doing so, find her own voice. And in her flirtation with Ronan McBride, the pub's charming, reckless former owner, she just may find the freedom to follow where impulse leads and trust her heart--and her luck--for the very first time.


MY TAKE: The premise of an American woman winning her own pub in Ireland and having the chance to reinvent herself in that magical country had me jumping at the chance to read this lovely book.  I think many of us dream of having an opportunity like this.  Getting a chance to live it vicariously in a great book is as close as most of us will come to it.

Mary Carter did not disappoint me.  Her heart-warming story of a woman who is always there for everyone but herself was one that I couldn't put down.  I became very invested in Carlene's tale.  I enjoyed watching her grow into an independent woman who makes her own decisions and starts to finally live for herself.  On the other side, Ronan is fighting his head and his guilt in losing the pub to an American woman that he can't fight or hide his attraction to.  Their budding relationship draws the reader in quickly ~ along with all of the townspeople. 


The Irish town of Ballybeog makes me want to move there NOW.  I love how Ms. Carter brought the townspeople to life for me.  I could hear their voices in my head and imagine being right there in the middle of Uncle Jimmy's with her listening to them.  Character development is very much a strong suit for the author.  The residents of Ballybeog are very believable; I wanted so much more when I was done with the book.  I found myself laughing out loud at a few parts as well as tearing up a couple of times.  Along with the romance; descriptive scenery, fascinating characters and the magic of Ireland make this a must read story.


I highly recommend The Pub Across the Pond and look forward to reading more of Mary Carter's stories.  Thank you to the author and Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tours for including me on this tour.  You can find out more about Mary Carter by visiting her website at Mary Carter Books.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Grab yourself a copy:  

Amazon, Kindle, The Book Depository, Barnes & Noble, Nook

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson

TITLE:     Utterly Charming     
AUTHOR:    Kristine Grayson
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 308 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   In the tradition of New York Times bestselling author Susan Anderson, comes a fresh and funny story of eternal love that already has the romance world buzzing.


In this thoroughly unique and irresistible romantic romp from a talented new author, a struggling Seattle lawyer, desperate to keep her fledgling law firm from going under, takes a case involving a strange but incredibly attractive man. Before she knows it, all of Nora's wishes come true, along with the realization that her client is Prince Charming...the real Prince Charming. There's just one problem: despite being a gorgeous hunk, he's a 1,000 year old magician who still has to deal with a Sleeping Beauty and one wicked stepmother before he and Nora can have a future together.

MY TAKE:    Kristine Grayson has obviously been having fun taking beloved fairytales and legends and giving them settings in the present.  She has done it again by providing the age-old tale of Sleeping Beauty and her Prince Charming several fun twists and new possibilities.  


Earlier this year I read Wickedly Charming and fell in love with Ms. Grayson's storytelling.  I liked her explanation that there are several Prince Charmings!  They are all from the same family and are the heroes for many of the lovely Princesses in the tales.  


So on to Utterly...  Sleeping Beauty is really named Emma and has been in her glass coffin for 1,000 years - being fought over by Aethlelstan Blackstone the Wizard (aka Prince Charming) and her wicked witch stepmother Ealhswith.  Their epic battles have been waged these many centuries and will finally come to an end when the lawyerly Nora takes charge of the situation.


This was a fun romp through fairytale land with many characters popping up.  The Fates were a real hoot as they tried out modern Punk wear.  One of my favorites had to be Sancho Panza.  The magical dwarf was hysterical and frankly stole the show for me.  I want much more of him!  Another part that had me laughing was when Nora's mother's boyfriend Jeffrey Chawsir had to convince Sancho and Emma that he knew he wasn't that Geoffrey Chaucer since they had both known the famous author.  The fact that Jeffrey also happened to be a professor of medieval studies just added to the humor.


The love story that was supposed to be Aethlelstan/PC and Emma/SB wasn't quite what the legends had made of it.  When the wizard and his sidekick Sancho meet up with Nora for the first time, sparks start to fly and Blackstone finds out that he's met his match.  The romance was sweet and made for a light, enjoyable read.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

You can find your copy at:  

Amazon, Kindle, The Book Depository, Barnes & Noble, Nook

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Goblin King by Shona Husk

TITLE:    The Goblin King     
AUTHOR:    Shona Husk
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 319 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   Cursed by a Druid millennia ago, Roan lives a bleak existence in the Shadowlands, desperately trying to retain his soul and not succumb to the goblin horde. When a beautiful human summons him to grant a wish, he sees a glimmer of hope. But will she ever agree to be his queen?

MY TAKE:    I wasn't sure what to expect from a story that has a goblin as the romantic male lead.  My mental picture of what goblins look like was rather vivid.  I am glad to say that I have a new image in my mind thanks to Roan, the Goblin King.


Shona Husk has created a very un-fairytalelike fairytale romance.  Her characters are original and engaging.  I admit that I thought Eliza was a pain in the beginning.  She couldn't stand up for herself and somehow allowed herself to be placed in a very compromising situation.  Her own stupidity put her life in the hands of a man she didn't love or respect who was using and manipulating her for money. Her development and growth throughout the story was welcome and enjoyable.  I don't do well at all with weak female leads.


Roan was interesting and sexy, even when he was in his goblin form.  He had all of the right character traits that a woman wants in her hero:  honor, loyalty, intelligence, sex appeal, etc....  I was on his side from the very beginning and rooted for him to succeed.  


The Goblin King was a fun read that I enjoyed delving into.  For even more of this story, I was excited to find out that Summons: A Goblin King Prequel is now available for FREE at Amazon as well as for the Nook at Barnes and Noble. 
  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Grab yourself a copy: 

Amazon,  Kindle, The Book Depository, Barnes & Noble, Nook

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.