Spotlight - The Near Miss by Fran Cusworth + Guest Post: Fate vs Choices + GIVEAWAY

Today we welcome Fran Cusworth, author of The Near Miss as she discusses Fate vs Choices. Welcome to One Book Shy of a Full Shelf Fran! 

TITLE:    The Near Miss

AUTHOR:     Fran Cusworth

INFO:    Fiction, 200 pages

PUBLISHED:   HarperCollins, 2015

GENRE:   General Fiction 

ABOUT:  Grace, hardworking and tired, wants another baby. But she's dealing with debt, a manic 4-year-old and a jobless husband determined to make his inventions into reality. Can they both get their way, or will competing dreams tear their marriage apart?

Eddy analyses risk for a living, but his insecurities have brought his own life to a halt. He won't let go of the flighty, unfaithful Romy, but will he ever risk believing in himself?

Melody is trying to raise her son Skip in the city while holding true to her hippie lifestyle. But will past mistakes and judgement from other parents force her to leave her beliefs behind?

This is a story about real life aspirations, and whether you can chase your dreams at the same time as raising children and paying the bills. It's about friendship, and how the people you meet in a moment can change your life forever.

EXCERPT:  Grace stood at the door of the waiting room and watched these three strangers, man, woman and child, and breathed a fresher air than the air she had left behind in the ward, where blue face masks and plastic tubing absorbed all the oxygen. Around them here, families gathered in little clumps, some staring at her with surly envy. They wanted in. Children wailed and coughed and grizzled. Grace went over to the man and woman.

‘She’s going to be okay,’ she told them. ‘She’s strained a ligament and bruised her foot.

But it’s relatively minor.’

‘Lucky,’ said the woman. She had extraordinary blue eyes.

‘Lucky you were there,’ said Grace steadily. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Melody. We just moved here last week. From up north.’

‘Where up north?’

‘A commune. Tuntable Falls. Have you heard of Nimbin?’

‘Of course,’ said Grace. Drop-out ’sixties scene, up in the rainforest mountains.

Explained the dreds. ‘I didn’t think there was anyone up there under sixty.’

‘Plenty,’ said Melody. ‘Their kids.’

‘You grew up there?’

‘No, here. Donvale. Most boring suburb in the world. Probably why I fled to Nimbin as soon as I could.’

Grace nodded. ‘Well, I for one am glad you came back! Hey, do you think you could both come for dinner one Saturday night? My husband Tom and I, and Lotte, we live just near the ice-cream shop. We would like to say thank you.’

The man beamed and looked absolutely delighted. ‘Can I bring my girlfriend?’

‘Of course.’ She looked at Melody. ‘Do you want to bring someone? Besides your son?’

‘Uh. Maybe.’

‘Is your car alright?’ It was the polite thing to ask, although Grace could not have cared less about the car. I do hope my child’s body didn’t dent your fender?

Eddy blushed. ‘It’s fine. We drove here in it, remember? From the scene of the crime.’

‘Oh, yes. Sorry.’

‘So to speak. Wasn’t really a crime.’ The man spoke hastily, as if sensing Grace’s burning guilt, and the two women turned as one to study him for a moment.

‘I’m so sorry,’ he said, his hand on his heart.

‘It wasn’t your fault,’ Grace said gloomily. It would have been nice to blame something other than her daughter’s lunacy, but in this case it was not possible. ‘She’s always been a runner. I’m just lucky you both have quick reflexes.’ She tore a corner from a magazine and wrote. ‘So here’s my address. I’ll see you.’

At her feet, the boy, who must have been Lotte’s age, shrieked and pointed. A tiny tin train peeled away from his feet and skittered across the floor merrily, over the linoleum, under seats and between feet, carving a straight line through the lives it passed. The hippy looked accusingly at the man.

‘You fixed it.’

He looked sheepishly proud, and crouched by the squealing, delighted child.

‘Yeah.’

~~~~~

The Near Miss is available now at:

AMAZON / KOBO / BARNES & NOBLE

~~~~~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Fran is a writer based in Melbourne, Australia. She worked as a newspaper journalist for twenty years, and recently had a midlife career crisis and retrained as a nurse. She won the Guy Morrison Prize for Literary Journalism in 2013. She is married with two children and she once lived in a commune, like Melody, and at another time she desperately wanted a second child, like Grace. Like Tom, she has pursued a few foolish dreams, and like Eddy, her courage has at times failed her. This is her fourth novel.

WEBSITE / TWITTER / FACEBOOK

~~~~~

Fate vs Choices

Fran Cusworth

In my new novel The Near Miss, a small child runs away from her irritable, uptight mother and onto the road outside a suburban ice cream shop. Cars crash, and the child is snatched up just in time by a dreadlocked woman in a flowing dress. A male driver (with an engagement ring in his pocket) who has just slammed on the brakes, triggering a chain of car crashes in the street behind him, stops with his heart racing and wonders whether the child was hit. These three adult strangers will meet as a result of a young child’s impulse and the relationships they form will go on to change all their lives.

I’ve always been fascinated by the way one decision, one impulsive move, one thought, can change the direction of our lives, and therefore the lives of those we come into contact with. Sometimes it’s tragic – people who will forever be haunted by thoughts of ‘what if we had never gone swimming that day’ – and sometimes it’s feeling blessed – what if I had never taken that turn, met that woman I married, entered that lottery. I met my own husband, now the father of my two sons, in a tiny country pub far from both our homes, and while our eyes had met across the room, it was he who plucked up the courage to approach and start a conversation before I left. What if he had never taken a deep breath and risked rejection? It’s something I remind my children; you are here because your father put himself out on a limb and took a risk. It was chance that we were in the same place at the same time; it was choice that brought us together.

What if is the question that drives all great stories, be they novel, film, or made up at a child’s bedside. We all have a lifetime to wonder about paths not taken. Is our life fate, or is it choice? I would say it’s a muddle of divine chance, and generally ill-informed decisions. Life itself seems to me incredibly, terrifyingly, beautifully random, and that’s why I love writing novels: I get to exert some control, to shake the rug out and tidy things up a bit. Except for those days when the characters start taking over and writing the story for me, as if to remind me that I was really never in control at all.

~~~~~

Fran will be awarding three (3) lucky winners an ecopy of The Near Miss at the end of this blog tour. Be sure to enter below and then check out the other stops to learn more and gain more entries. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLOG TOUR STOPS

November 2: Welcome to My World of Dreams
November 3: Straight from the Library
November 4: Room With Books
November 5: Stormy Nights Reviewing and Bloggin' - review only
November 6: Reviews by Crystal
November 9: Books Chatter
November 10: Rogues Angels
November 11: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
November 12: One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
November 13: Long and Short Reviews

~~~~~ 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 - Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva by Eliza Redgold + Giveaway

I'm really excited to welcome Eliza Redgold to One Book Shy of a Full Shelf today as she tours with her fantastic new story, Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva. 

TITLE:    Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva

AUTHOR:    Eliza Redgold

INFO:    Fiction, 320 pages

PUBLISHED:   St. Martins Griffin, 2015 

SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   We know her name. We know of her naked ride. We don't know her true story.

We all know the legend of Lady Godiva, who famously rode naked through the streets of Coventry, covered only by her long, flowing hair. So the story goes, she begged her husband Lord Leofric of Mercia to lift a high tax on her people, who would starve if forced to pay. Lord Leofric demanded a forfeit: that Godiva ride naked on horseback through the town. There are various endings to Godiva's ride, that all the people of Coventry closed their doors and refused to look upon their liege lady (except for ‘peeping Tom') and that her husband, in remorse, lifted the tax. 

Naked is an original version of Godiva's tale with a twist that may be closer to the truth: by the end of his life Leofric had fallen deeply in love with Lady Godiva. A tale of legendary courage and extraordinary passion,Naked brings an epic story new voice.

MY TAKE:    I definitely prefer this version of Godiva's story to any I've read in the past! Eliza Redgold has brought us a lovely, lyrical tale that puts Godiva's naked ride through Coventry into a whole new light. 

I was familiar with this story and the poem from Tennyson that immortalized it, but I never knew much more than that. It was fascinating for me to learn so much of the back story and some of the other characters and "off-shoots" such as the origins of the "Peeping Tom".  

It made me happy to think that Leofric might have felt remorse at forcing Godiva to make the ride. Their relationship was an interesting one and I enjoyed watching it grow and change as they came to learn more about each other. Their different upbringings and outlooks make for some colorful and volatile exchanges, but their attraction and feelings for each other were apparent from the star` 

The other characters were well written and added much to the story. Edmund is such a wild-card through most of the journey. I wasn't sure which way he was going until close to the end. 

The theme and threads of Saxon heritage and history were obviously well-researched. The actual history and the fictional parts were blended seamlessly into a beautiful story that is easy to read and hard to put down. I highly recommend it!  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Available now at: AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / POWELL'S BOOKS  THE BOOK DEPOSITORY / KOBO
~~~~~

Lady Godiva: The Woman Behind the Legend

This blog post comes to us from Eliza Redgold, author, academic and unashamed romantic. Her new novel Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva was released by St Martin’s Press in 2015.

“Were they real?” I’d asked my mother, half asleep, my arms twining her neck.

“Were who real, my sweet heart?”

“Beowulf. The heroes of the past.”

“They’re as real as you would have them be, Godiva. As real as love or courage or honor or kindness. Though we can’t see these things, they are all that matter.”

Her words floated back to me as the gleeman sang.

Quote from NAKED:A Novel of Lady Godiva

Lady Godiva is more than an historical figure. She’s a true legend.

Godiva of Coventry’s story is shrouded in history and mystery. Further back in time than the real-life eleventh century Countess Godgyfu, Lady Godiva is connected to ancient tales of saints and goddesses. Her story has lasted for thousands of years, to be transformed and re-told.

According to legend, Lady Godiva begged her husband Lord Leofric of Mercia to lift a high tax on her people, who would starve if forced to pay. He cruelly demanded a forfeit: that Godiva ride naked on horseback through the town. Though the legend has lasted for centuries, there’s dispute over exactly what if anything Godiva wore on her famous ride, or even if it occurred. Historical fact and a good story don’t always go hand in hand. Some historians certainly call it a myth. Yet there’s no doubt that Lady Godiva was a real person who lived in 11^th century Anglo-Saxon Engla-lond. Whatever the facts, she has remained captivating.

Countess Godgyfu (in the Anglo-Saxon version of her name) spent some of her life in what is now called the British Midlands. Anglo-Saxon Engla-lond was a tough time and place for a woman. Constant Danish invasion by those later called Vikings, though the Saxons called them Danes, occurred many times in the 10^th and 11^th century.

Records suggest that Godiva was more than equal to the challenges of her day. Her name appears in records as the only female landowner who retained her lands not only against the Danes but also later against the Norman invasion of 1066. It was also the right of Saxon noblewomen to approve their own husband – upheld by a ruling of King Canute, the Danish King on the throne in England at the time I set Godiva’s story.

History has been hard on Godiva’s husband, Lord Leofric of Mercia. In the legend Leofric is definitely the villain of the piece, ready to impose heavy taxes and to ignobly allow his wife to carry out her daring ride. Yet historical documents reveal that by the end of his life, Lord Leofric was a changed man. Ancient records suggest their marriage was a strong one, and may indeed have been a love match. Together they supported monasteries, built abbeys and churches, and aided the poor. The original cathedral in Coventry was founded by Godiva and Leofric.

It’s the legend of Lady Godiva’s ride that has stood the test of time. Rides as penitents like the one Godiva undertook were practiced in that period - though Godiva’s nakedness was certainly unique. By all accounts, whether fact or fiction, she was a unique woman. Her courage continues to inspire us, her story to be told, even after a thousand years.

Follow Eliza Redgold on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or subscribe to her newsletter

~~~~~

Thank you Eliza for that lovely look into the history of our heroine!

Eliza Redgold: Biography

ELIZA REDGOLD is an author, academic and unashamed romantic. She writes historical fiction (St Martin’s Press) and romance (Harlequin).

NAKED:A Novel of Lady Godiva was released internationally by St Martin’s Press New York in 2015. Her ‘Romance your Senses’ series of contemporary romances are published by Harlequin. They include Black Diamonds, Hide and Seek and Wild Flower. Eliza is also contracted to Harlequin Historical for two upcoming Victorian historical romances. Look out for Enticing Benedict Cole in November 2015.

Eliza Redgold is based upon the old, Gaelic meaning of her name, Dr Elizabeth Reid Boyd. English folklore has it that if you help a fairy, you will be rewarded with red gold. She has presented academic papers on women and romance and is a contributor to the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Romance Fiction. She was born in Irvine, Scotland on Marymass Day and currently lives in Australia.

~~~~~

Eliza is generously gifting one lucky winner a $20 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble! Be sure to enter below and then check out all of the other stops to learn more about this great book and earn more entries into the drawing!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Stops

November 2: Long and Short Reviews
November 4: Behind Closed Doors
November 5: Unabridged Andra's - promo
November 6: Punya Reviews... - promo
November 6: Book-o-Craze - promo
November 9: Musings of a Writer
November 10: The Romantic World of Leigh Anderson 
November 11: One Book Shy of a Full Shelf - review
November 12: Welcome to My World of Dreams
November 13: It's Raining Books
November 16: Hart's Romance Pulse
November 16: Liz Gavin's Blog
November 17: Louise Lyndon Romance Author Hear Me Roar
November 18: Christine Young
November 19: Books Chatter
November 20: The Reading Addict
November 23: Romantic Fanatic
November 24: Katherine Givens: Historical Romance Author
November 25: Queen of the Night Reviews
November 25: Rusticating in the Tropics
November 27: Susana's Morning Room

~~~~~ 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 - The History and Legend Behind Spirit of the Highway + GIVEAWAY

Yesterday I was thrilled to share a review with you of a lovely historical fiction: Spirit of the Highway by Deborah Swift. 

Today I am even more excited to have Deborah here at One Book Shy with a piece giving us an insight into the actual history behind the story. Welcome Deborah!

~~~~~~~~~~

The History and Legend Behind ‘Spirit of the Highway’         by Deborah Swift

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees.

The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas…’

So opens the Alfred Noyes poem, The Highwayman.

I loved that poem at school, and have remembered the opening lines ever since I was nine years old! So when I read about Lady Katherine Fanshawe – the noblewoman who was also a highwaywoman, I could hardly resist researching her fascinating life!  Whilst uncovering Katherine’s story I found that the real history and the legend did not always agree. For one thing, there are discrepancies about Katherine’s date of death and place of burial, and little survives of hard-core evidence as to her activities during the English Civil War.

Despite the legend, there is actually nothing of substance to link Lady Katherine with any sort of highway robbery, although it is likely that there was robbery and plunder on the roads at this period because of civil unrest; crimes that could have been attributed to her.

The legend however is irresistible. Two films have been based on the idea, both called ‘The Wicked Lady’, in 1945 and 1983. There was also another novel; The Life and Death of the Wicked Lady Skelton, loosely based on Katherine’s life. The fact that the legend has survived so long is a testament to its appeal.

But could I re-imagine it, paying attention to the facts whilst keeping true to the interest of the legend? Could I keep her exploits as a highwaywoman?

For my story I have drawn on both her real life, and aspects of the legend. Nowhere in the real history is Katherine’s lover, Ralph Chaplin, traceable, although he always features in the retelling of the legend as the person who persuaded her to robbery in the first place. For a novelist, these gifts of mysterious characters with no background fuel the imagination, and Ralph features in my novel and Spirit of the Highway is his story, told from his point of view. Of course I have tried to make him as real as possible, and, as many young men were at that time, excited to try new idealistic ways of living, following the break-down of the established order. Unfortunately I cannot escape the fact that he comes to a tragic end, although his restless spirit still wanders to protect his one true love!

I was concerned however, to pay attention to the real evidence, and – without giving too much away, to supply likely scenarios which could have led to the interpretation we have today. John Barber, on his excellent website on Lady Katherine, poses the idea that her life may have accrued some of the story of ‘Maude of Allinghame’ (1833), a Victorian ballad that tells the story of a noblewoman who robs a young suitor and later the Mayor of Redbourne. This seems to be a likely possibility, although parts of Katherine’s legend are undoubtedly true. She was forced to marry tragically early; her stepfather did squander her fortune; the real Markyate Manor does have a secret passage.

©http://www.petes-walks.co.uk/Chiltern%20Hills/Redbourn/redbourn1.htm

Suffice it to say, there is plenty of highway action in Spirit on the Highway – muskets, moonlight and a restless ghost.

About the Author

Deborah Swift is the author of three previous historical novels for adults, The Lady’s Slipper, The Gilded Lily, and A Divided Inheritance, all published by Macmillan/St Martin’s Press, as well as the Highway Trilogy for teens (and anyone young at heart!). Her first novel was shortlisted for the Impress prize for new novelists. She lives on the edge of the beautiful and literary English Lake District - a place made famous by the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge.

WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | 

GOOGLE+ | PINTEREST

~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you so much for sharing this with us Deborah. It is fascinating to see where the characters and tales are rooted. I also loved "The Highwayman" when I first heard it as a kid!

Readers, if you missed the review and spotlight yesterday, you can check it out HERE. You also still have plenty of time to enter the giveaway below - it ends tonight!!

    The Spirit of the Highway is available now at: 

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Along with the first book in the series:

Shadow on the Highway

 

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, October 26 Guest Post at Passages to the Past 

Tuesday, October 27 Review at Book Nerd 
Spotlight & Excerpt at Let Them Read Books 

Wednesday, October 28 Review at History From a Woman's Perspective 

Thursday, October 29 Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book 

Monday, November 2 Review at The Maiden's Court 

Tuesday, November 3 Spotlight & Excerpt at Brooke Blogs 

Thursday, November 5 Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Friday, November 6 Review at Bookramblings 
Review at Just One More Chapter 
Guest Post at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Giveaway

To win a signed paperback of Spirit of the Highway please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below. Three copies up for grabs! 

Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open internationally. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. 

enter here: >>>>> Spirit of the Highway

~~~~~ 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.

Spotlight - Love the One You're Witch by Randa Flannery with Guest Post & GIVEAWAY

Today I'm excited to welcome Randa Flannery to One Book Shy as she tours with Goddess Fish Promotions to celebrate her fun new book: Love The One You're Witch. Keep reading to learn more about the story along with some of the behind-the-scenes details from Randa. Be sure to stay with us to find out what she's planning on giving away to a lucky reader! Take it away Randa......

 Thank you so much for having me on One Book Shy today. I had been kind of stressing about what to write a guest post about lately when a friend pointed out that people probably didn’t really want to know about me, but wanted some interesting facts about the book. Most of the questions people have asked since the release of Love the One You’re Witch have been about Ana, the sassy heroine. While I absolutely love Ana, I felt kind of bad that Lucas was being left out. So I thought, for the interesting facts about Love the One You’re Witch, I would focus on the hero, vampire hottie, Lucas the Lucious.

Fact 1: Lucas was not the original male lead for this book. (gasp!) In the earlier drafts, I had a much different character for Ana, and a different sort of story entirely. He was much more mysterious and all Alpha. His pursuit of Ana was more aggressive. His name was Ben.

Ben, however, didn’t have a good chemistry with Ana. Don’t get me wrong, he was awesome. But they just didn’t mesh well. Ana would never put up with the more macho and silent but contemplative type, and he found her too flaky and annoying. Their dialogue seemed forced. It just wasn’t working. So Ben had to go. Don’t worry, I saved him for another story where he will be more appreciated.

Enter Lucas. Alpha? Yes. But not in the in-your-face-things-must-be-done-my-way-on-my-time sort of way. Ana can not be dictated to effectively. You do NOT want to be on the end of her revenge stick. Lucas is strong and capable, but not overbearing. He appreciates Ana’s snark, and while he doesn’t chase after her and insist she submit to him, he is no push over, either. He was the perfect match for the wacky witch.

Fact 2: Lucas was inspired by my husband. He looks nothing like him, sounds nothing like him, doesn’t even have the same accent or profession. But he uses a lot of the same cheesy lines!

Fact 3: Lucas is used to poke fun at romance novels and movies in general. When he uses those lines we’ve all read or heard a million times from romcoms and novels, Ana just laughs. Why? Because they’re ridiculous! Things like that don’t work in real life! My husband and I laugh because apparently if you whisper a line, it’s automatically sexier...but it’s not. It’s creepy. No woman is going to melt at your feet with that! So Lucas tries so hard to be the kind of romantic hero women love from books and movies, but they really belong in comedies...like this one.

Fact 4: Lucas has a snippet from his own point of view that has not been published...but may end up on the website sometime soon. Keep a look out for it at randaflannery.com!

Thanks again for having me and I hope you enjoyed the behind the scenes look at Lucas from Love the One You’re Witch! - Randa

Randa Flannery has an a degree in English and writes a variety of romantic fiction, including suspense, comedy, and urban fantasy. Randa is a member of the Romance Writers of America and lives as an expat with her husband and children in FuYang, China.

Website: www.Randaflannery.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/randaflannery

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorrandaflannery

~~~~~

Thank you so much for sharing with us Randa. I appreciate you chatting with us and have to admit that now I'm also looking forward to "meeting" Ben! 

TITLE:    Love the One You're Witch
AUTHOR:    Randa Flannery
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 131 pages
PUBLISHED:   Icasm Press, 2015
GENRE:   Paranormal Romance


ABOUT:   Sassy and snarky witch Anastasia Gregor does not work with vampires. Unfortunately, she forgot to tell her boss that. Now she's up to her neck (pun intended) in the night walkers as she attempts to help one family fix their love lives.

EXCERPT:  “Can you fix it?” She said it with a touch of desperation and I wondered how long this had been going on.

“I can if it’s a spell,” I offered. “How long has she been like this?”

“I’ve loved him forever!” the young vamp declared as she and Lucas finally made it to the couch. “And I will love him forever, no matter what you try to do to us!”

“It’s been about a month,” Lucas answered, frustration edging that smooth voice while she ran fingers through his hair. “She was fine one day, chatting and joking, completely normal. The next, she couldn’t keep her hands off of me.”

I nodded. “Yes, well, have you seen yourself? I think that may be the normal reaction for teenagers when confronted with...” I waved a hand at him. I stopped mid-gesture when I realized the silence around me was now more of a shock reaction than the discomfort of having the errant vamp pawing at her man. “Sorry, just trying to lighten things up,” I mumbled. This is why I didn’t like vampires. No sense of humor. Well, the trying to kill me thing was also a put-off. That in mind, I got back to business and refused to drool over Lucas any more. Or at least, I’d try.

Randa is generously giving away a $25 Giftcard to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble to one lucky winner. Enter below and GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~ 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.