Thursday, August 27, 2009

Blog Tour: Back-To-School Fiction Tour (and winner for giveaway!)

I have been thoroughly enjoying myself the last couple of weeks while reading the books included in the Back-To-School Fiction Tour. They have been fun and quick reads and that's some of my favorite kind of books!

The first one I read was this: You can purchase the book HERE.

Talk about fun! The basis of the book was Miss Eugenia Cooper who reads dime store novels & wants to experience her very own "wild west" adventure. Due to some circumstances that she manipulates, she gets just what she wants! I found myself smiling throughout reading it. It was a quick read - I think it only took me a couple of days - but I must admit to not getting a ton done around my house while I was reading it. ;-)

Summary for The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper

The future is clearly mapped out for New York socialite Eugenia “Gennie” Cooper, but she secretly longs to slip into the boots of her favorite dime-novel heroine and experience just one adventure before settling down. When the opportunity arises, Gennie jumps at the chance to experience the Wild West, but her plans go awry when she is drawn into the lives of silver baron Daniel Beck and his daughter and finds herself caring for them more than is prudent–especially as she’s supposed to go back to New York and marry another man.

As Gennie adapts to the rough-and-tumble world of 1880s Colorado, she must decide whether her future lies with the enigmatic Daniel Beck or back home with the life planned for her since birth. The question is whether Daniel’s past–and disgruntled miners bent on revenge–will take that choice away from her.


Author Bios:

Kathleen Y’Barbo is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than thirty novels, novellas, and young adult books, with more than a half-million in print. A graduate of Texas A&M University, she is currently a publicist with Books & Such literary agency.


Then I picked up this one: You can purchase the book HERE.

Another really fun read! It reminded me somewhat of the Yada Yada Prayer Group books. There is a rather large cast of characters and I did find myself flipped to the back cover occasionally to see who was who. It wasn't until I was reading another blog that is doing the tour as well that I realized this was book two in a series! The book stands alone very well, but now I do want to get the first book to read.

Summary for The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love

Once a month, the six women of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society gather to discuss books and share their knitting projects. Inspired by her recently-wedded bliss, group leader Eugenie chooses “Great Love Stories in Literature” as the theme for the year’s reading list–a risky selection for a group whose members span the spectrum of age and relationship status.


As the Knit Lit ladies read and discus classic romances like Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, and Pride and Prejudice, each member is confronted with her own perception about love. Camille’s unexpected reunion with an old crush forces her to confront conflicting desires. Newly widowed Esther finds her role in Sweetgum changing and is surprised by two unlikely friends. Hannah isn’t sure she’s ready for the trials of first love. Newcomer Maria finds her life turned upside-down by increasing family obligations and a handsome, arrogant lawyer, and Eugenie and Merry are both asked to make sacrifices for their husbands that challenge their principles.


Even in a sleepy, southern town like Sweetgum, Tennessee, love isn’t easy. The Knit Lit ladies learn they can find strength and guidance in the novels they read, the love of their family, their community–and especially in each other.


Author Bios:

RITA Award-winning Beth Patillo combines her love of knitting and books in her engaging Sweetgum series. Pattillo served churches in Missouri and Tennessee before founding Faith Leader, a spiritual leadership development program.


I'm currently half-way through this one: You can purchase the book HERE.

This particular book is a bit heavier in content but I'm still enjoying it so far. I'll have a better opinion of it when I'm done.

Summary for Rose House

A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting, and one woman’s search for hope.


Still mourning the loss of her family in a tragic accident, Lillian Diamon finds herself drawn back to the Rose House, a quiet cottage where four years earlier she had poured out her anguish among its fragrant blossoms.


She returns to the rolling hills and lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley in search of something she can’t quite name. But then Lillian stumbles onto an unexpected discovery: displayed in the La Rosaleda Gallery is a painting that captures every detail of her most private moment of misery, from the sorrow etched across her face to the sandals on her feet.
What kind of artist would dare to intrude on such a personal scene, and how did he happen to witness Lillian’s pain? As the mystery surrounding the portrait becomes entangled with the accident that claimed the lives of her husband and children, Lillian is forced to rethink her assumptions about what really happened that day.


A captivating novel rich with detail, Rose House explores how the brushstrokes of pain can illuminate the true beauty of life.


Author Bios:

Tina Ann Forkner is the author of Ruby Among Us. Originally from Oklahoma, she now lives with her husband and three children in Wyoming, where she serves on the Laramie County Library Foundation’s board of directors.


I truly enjoyed all three of these books. I'll certainly be looking for more from these authors.

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Winner from the last blog tour is Ali!!! You won the copy of North! Or Be Eaten. Be sure to get me your mailing address & I'll get your copy out to you.

Sorry all, I was not given the opportunity for giveaways this time. I am, however, sending my copies to a deployed solider.


Disclaimer: I am not paid for these reviews. I am given copies of the books to read in exchange for my review. Of course, this arrangement works well for me since I love to read!

1 comment:

  1. Yay! I'm so glad Ali won...I love seeing how my friends have picked up on my OTHER friends' blogs and how we all connect!

    ReplyDelete

Oh thank goodness! I'm not here all alone. Thanks for leaving me a comment. It helps that I'm not always talking to myself. Right? Hello?