Glubbery Gray: The Knight-Eating Beast by Beth Kander and Bret Kenyon

Hi there!

Welcome back to the weekend edition of Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're stepping back into the playroom for a children's book title that's fit for all ages.  It's a cross between a counting primer and a storybook with an adventure thrown in for good measure.  How does it all turn out?  Ah, well that's what we're about to find out.  Ladies and gents, gentle folk and knights-in-training, today's book of choice is....

Glubbery Gray:  The Knight-Eating Beast

A Counting Book (With a Beast)

by

Beth Kander and Bret Kenyon

Illustrated by

Jesse Labbe

9781589608676

Pelican Publishing

If you can't tell from the cover, this is QUITE the unusual read.  I mean really, how often does one anticipate a knight-eating monster to out with maths?  Yeah, that's what I thought...pretty much never and yet that's just what he does here, in his own way.  *ahem*  Let's just say that the adventure begins with EIGHT brave knights leading one Glubbery Gray across the lands to his new "home" and ends with but ONE knight sharing his newly learned mottos.  *gulp*

Though storybook in form, quite a bit actually goes down between the pages.  I mean, we start with EIGHT and progressively lose one, then another, and another and...well, you see the pattern...but the knights don't just up and disappear.  There's a reason for their removal from the caravan and it's initials happen to be G.G.  No imagination is lost when it comes to their disappearances and each one is creatively unique.  One knight learns to watch his suggestion of a snack around a hungry beast.  Another now knows that singing too loudly may irritate those around them.  Yet another will always remember to keep at least one eye open when napping round a beast.  There's nary an instance that won't make you gasp or chuckle but all in good fun.  Moving on....

Stating it again and yet it deserves restating, from the moment I saw the cover, I knew I had to check this one out.  The illustrations are whimsical with a color palette that matches well with the characters portrayed.  With each turn of the page not only is the story moved forward (and one more knight meeting a curious end...eek!), but the eyes are snared by the action unfolding.  Even the wandering eye of more reluctant readers can't help but be caught by Glubbery moving through the ranks, or that smart little knight on the end evading his grasp.  It's a wonderful marriage of word and image that makes for a unique and memorable experience.  

So, whether you learned your numbers many moons ago or you're just trying to grasp the concept of 8 minus 1...minus 1...minus 1....this is a read you've got to check out.  You'll come for the story and stay for the illustrations but in either case, you'll be glad you came. Enchant you and yours today by adding this book to your MUST READ list!

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About the authors...

An award-winning writer and playwright, Beth Kander is the community outreach director for Mad Genius, Inc., a creative agency. She is involved in a wide variety of theater and arts organizations and was named a Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Arts Fellow. A graduate of Brandeis University and the University of Michigan, Kander lives in Jackson, Mississippi.

Bret Kenyon is a national sales assistant for CBS-affiliate WJTV in Jackson, Mississippi. He has worked as a youth pastor, executive director of Covenant School of the Arts, commercial actor, and freelance writer. He and his wife, Rachael, live in Jackson, Mississippi.

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About the illustrator....

Jesse Labbé is an independent artist who has worked as a concept artist for a film and video production company. He attended the Art Institute of Dallas and has authored and illustrated a graphic novel, with more projects underway. A frequent exhibitor at Comic-Con conventions, Labbé enjoys music, hiking, and karaoke. He lives in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

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Special thanks to Bergen at Pelican Publishing Company for the review copy.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their full catalog, be sure to stop by their official site, friend them on Facebook, or connect via Twitter.  This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!

Fantasy Friday with... The Scholar, the Sphinx, and the Fang of Fenrir by A.R. Cook!

Hi gang!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, I'm flying high thanks to a few wonderful authors I've recently conversed with (you know who you are) and the day's selected title.  It comes to us from an author who cut her teeth on books from a young age, even becoming a bookseller for a while in a chain store that I've very familiar with, and is bringing true Fantasy reads to the Young Adult genre.  Take it from me, the self proclaimed reader-of-many-things-but-high-fantasy-generally-isn't-one-of-them, it's reach is much wider than the niche group the cover and/or title may speak to.  Without further adieu, ladies and gents, today's book of choice is....

The Scholar, the Sphinx and the Fang of Fenrir

by

A.R. Cook

9781910282076

Mithras Books

About the book...

Two years after saving Acacia, the last living sphinx, from the night goddess Nyx, David Sandoval is happily married and settled down to a quiet life in Paris. But soon new monsters are after him from the other side of the Curtain, which separates the human world from the world of myth and legend. David discovers that a world-devouring creature, Fenrir, has broken free of his prison and is hunting Acacia for something she possesses and if he gets it, he can finally fulfill his fate to consume all existence. Reluctantly leaving behind his loving wife, David heads off in search of Acacia and his friend Gullin, the Master Huntsman who is trained to slay the most dangerous beasts ever known. But there is great evil afoot. Madness itself wants to claim David, for what purpose, no one knows. And there is rumor than an old adversary has returned, quite different from the last time David and Acacia saw him... Those enemies are nothing, however, compared to the new incarnation of Nyx, whose desire for the most prized gift of all--Fenrir’s ability to destroy any world--will make him stop at nothing to attain it. The new god also knows what to do to ensure David will not interfere with his plans, as the young man did with the previous Night goddess. Old friends and new allies band together in this continuing adventure of the Scholar and the Sphinx, as both their worlds could soon come to an end.

AMAZON   |    BAM   |    B&N

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Being book 2 of a soon to be trilogy, it is HIGHLY recommended by this reader that you suck it up and READ BOOK 1 FIRST!  That's not to say you won't enjoy this one on its own, but everything makes much more sense if one has the background created from the first adventure.  Now, moving forward....

David "the Scholar" is BACK...and so are the baddies out to get him.  And his friends.  And his wife.  Oh, and pretty much ANYONE that tries to help him put an end to the proposed end of days occurring right now on BOTH sides of the Curtain.  Yep.  It's pretty dire.  Thank goodness David has a good head on his shoulders, a heart that beats true, and friends that would see him through to the end....even if some of them barely give that impression (more on that later).  It also helps that he saved the little wedding gift that Acacia left for him at the end of book 1 (< - see why it's important to read the first installment?).  They are definitely going to come in handy now not to mention the fact that they are actually much more than they seem; a statement that can be applied to almost everyone and everything in the story.  Things turn pretty bleak for David and company, but just when all seems lost, a ray of hope dawns like a new day.  Will it be enough to release both the magical and human realms from the fate that's been woven for them?  It might be....but that doesn't mean it's time to call it a WIN.  (Oh, you sneaky author you....that ending!  Ugh!  Where is book 3?  I NEED book 3, STAT!)  Suffice it to say that the story line will enchant, ensnare, and leave you ready for more.

The darkness and light BOTH have roles in this story, as do many legends, fables, and myths.  It's one of those surprising reads that you not only enjoy for pure entertainment value, but you also learn a little something along the way.  From Nyx to the sphinx, spirit guides to the legend of Odin, there is something to pick up for every reader.  Speaking of those fabled persona though, I gotta say it...Baba Yaga was a hoot!  I mean, okay...she's a witch of fabled legends that's suppose to be responsible for all sorts of tomfoolery and dark deeds, but you know what?  Actions speak louder than words and right here, right now, she's ACE in my book.  She had me laughing with her off the cuff remarks, cringing at her outbursts, and rooting for her to actually be one of the good one's when the final page of the book was turned.  Did it turn out that way?  My lips are sealed but trust me, you're gonna LOVE her character...as well as that of her cat.  

Continuing in the vein of characters, the usual suspects show up including Acacia (as beautiful and strong as ever), Gullin (a drink happy chap but with strength of body AND heart), and Tanuki (as feisty as ever).  There are a few that are unable to make an appearance thanks to the evil taking hold of the world beyond the Curtain.  Oh, that evil wears many a familiar face too, my friends.  From the new face of Nyx to Nico, and of course the world thirsty beast Fenrir out for revenge and more.  They are certainly shudder worthy.  

So, although 'Geras, Elli, and Baba Yaga sat down to play a hand of Bastra' may sound like the beginnings of a rather odd joke, it's actually one of many moments of mirth that are sprinkled throughout a wonderful YA Fantasy read I would highly recommend.  It has danger (giant, scary, rip-your-heart out Fenrir!).  It has love, both returned and unrequited.  It has unexpected friendships and uncommon strength found in the most unlikely places.  It'll keep you turning pages well into the night and leave you holding your breath as the last one turns.  My only dislike would be the cover.  I know, I know; we don't judge a book by its cover.  I totally adhere to that but I have to be honest, whereas Book 1 caught my attention, the same could not be said for this one.  Since I am not normally a pure fantasy reader, had I not known the author's work previously, I probably wouldn't have picked it up.  Sad but true.  That's one of many things I love about the book blogging community.  You can get to know reads that you might not have considered otherwise simply because a site you frequent or heard about, happened to feature it.  Recommended read for YA and Fantasy fans alike.  There's nothing to stop you here, except your own imagination.

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About the author....

A native of Riverside, Illinois, A.R. Cook  currently resides in Gainesville, Georgia, and is the author of The Scholar and the Sphinx YA book series beginning with "The Scholar, the Sphinx and the Shades of Nyx," with the sequel "The Scholar, the Sphinx and the Fang of Fenrir" released Dec. 2014. She also has short stories published in the anthology "The Kress Project" from the Georgia Museum of Art, and the fairy-tale collection "Willow Weep No More" from Tenebris Books. Several of A.R.'s short stories and short plays have been awarded honorable mentions in various magazines, such as Toasted Cheese Literary Journal and Writer's Digest. From 2009-2013, A.R. was the book review columnist for the Gainesville Times, one of the most widely distributed newspapers in northeastern Georgia.

SITE   |   BLOG   |   TWITTER   |    FACEBOOK

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Special thanks to author A.R. Cook for the SIGNED copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this release, the first, or the grande finale (COMING SOON!), be sure to stop by her official site, friend her on Facebook, or follow along on Twitter.  This title was released December 2014 via Mithras Books, the YA imprint of Knox Robinson Publishing, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  

Until next time...happy reading!

REDUCE-REUSE-RECYCLE: Glamorous Garbage by Barbara Johansen Newman

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're sliding on over to the Storybook category for a little reduce reuse recycle fun.  It comes to us via Blue Slip Media (~waves~) from an author who's known for her colorful works filled with messages good for the soul.  We've met  her once upon a time when we checked out her AMAZING collection of Glamorous Glasses, and we're about to discover a whole new world of fabulosity that's all about using what you've already got in a whole new way.  Ready freddy?  Here we go!  Today's book of choice is...

Glamorous Garbage

by

Barbara Johansen Newman

9781620916261

Boyd Mills Press

At first sound, the title isn't necessarily something that screams WONDERFUL READ AHEAD.  I totally hear you on that one, but take one look at the cover with Bobbie and Joanie peering out at you and you'll be SOLD!  

This wonderful duo is back again and ready to shine a light on a whole new world of fun...UP-cycling!  Perhaps you've heard of it?  Well, if so...great, you'll be ahead of the curve.  If you haven't, then get ready to have your eyes opened to a whole new world of creativity.  It all begins with the discovery that Bobbie's room isn't just "comfortable", it's downright cluttered.  Now, we're not talking about being ready for an episode of Hoarders, but at the rate she was going, it would get there eventually.  ~eyes own room of book mountains~  Joanie nudges her enough to take action, and action turns into...a bigger case of clutter catastrophe.  It literally takes Joanie walking out on her one day for her to realize the project was bigger than herself.  Seeking reinforcements, she calls upon dear old Mom and together they sort things through, come up with a solid plan, and execute it to a WONDER-FILLED end.

The combination of story and lively illustrations makes this an approachable read for all ages with a message that couldn't be more timely.  In this day and age, reduce-reuse-recycle is not simply for the aging hippies or trendy set, but the world twice over.  We've finally reached a stage where people on a LARGER scale are joining in the "save the world" hubbub and by up-cycling things that might have otherwise been discarded completely, they get to live a whole new life (that's not even mentioning the fact that it can be so much FUN to do!).  So, what will you re-purpose today?  If you need some ideas, this amazing duo is ready to help!  Just check out the site for some ways to get started!

Special thanks to Barbara and Sarah at Blue Slip Media for the review copy as well as the chance to bring this title to you!  (THANKS!)  For more information on this promotion, those on the horizon, the publisher, the author, or even ways that YOU can join in the up-cycling fun, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title was released just this month via Boyds Mills Press, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!

A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're diving between the pages of a book I read the end of last month but couldn't find the time nor the words to review.  Now, before you go jumping to any conclusions, it was not that bad...but rather THAT GOOD!  Ladies and gents, get ready to meet a book that stole the words from my fingertips, today's book of choice is....

A Memory of Violets:

A Novel of London's Flower Sellers

by

Hazel Gaynor

9780062316899

William Morrow Paperbacks

About the book...

"For little sister. . . . I will never stop looking for you."

1876. Among the filth and depravity of Covent Garden's flower markets, orphaned Irish sisters Flora and Rosie Flynn sell posies of violets and watercress to survive. It is a pitiful existence, made bearable only by each other's presence. When they become separated, the decision of a desperate woman sets their lives on very different paths.

1912. Twenty-one-year-old Tilly Harper leaves the peace and beauty of her native Lake District for London to become assistant housemother at one of Mr. Shaw's Training Homes for Watercress and Flower Girls. For years, the homes have cared for London's orphaned and crippled flower girls, getting them off the streets. For Tilly, the appointment is a fresh start, a chance to leave her troubled past behind.

Soon after she arrives at the home, Tilly finds a notebook belonging to Flora Flynn. Hidden between the pages she finds dried flowers and a heartbreaking tale of loss and separation as Flora's entries reveal how she never stopped looking for her lost sister. Tilly sets out to discover what happened to Rosie—but the search will not be easy. Full of twists and surprises, it leads the caring and determined young woman into unexpected places, including the depths of her own heart.

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Magnificent. Exquisite. All words I could use to describe this work and I still wouldn't even come close to my true feelings for it.

The author takes you out of your perfect reading nook and places you right on the streets of  London among the flower selling girls.  Smell the air, so fragrant...in more ways than one. Look around, taking in the sharp contrast of beauty to be seen in the landscape both nature and man-made. Hear the calls of the girls as they ask you to spare a tuppence for the bunches and bundles they carry...all of which shall go to satisfying their guardians in hopes of keeping a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs for one more day.

 It's both heart breaking and heart achingly good from start to finish with so much growth in between you won't believe your eyes.  For as different as the two sets of sisters were, you couldn't help but feel close to them both.  Though the time and circumstances differ between their lives, the similarities are apparent enough to see how alike the stories of their hearts truly are.  You mourn the losses, share in their joys, welcome the warmth of a sunny afternoon, and shy from the chill of an unknown breeze.  There isn't a point in time that you fall out of step with either the present or the past despite the fact that they are being revealed side by side.  As the pieces come together and the picture grows clearer, things you only believed might be true take final form to surpass your expectations once again. 

Overall, I would say this is a must read novel in my opinion.  Whether you're a fan of Historical Fiction or not, the story at its core will capture you heart and soul with its beauty, its heartbreak, and its unending mission to prove that love can survive anything and distance is merely an allusion.  Admittedly, I have a copy of Ms. Gaynor's first novel in my personal Mount TBR.  Looks like I just might have to go spelunking to unearth it sooner rather than later.

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About the author...

Hazel Gaynor's 2014 debut novel The Girl Who Came Home—A Novel of the Titanic was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. A Memory of Violets is her second novel.

Hazel writes a popular guest blog 'Carry on Writing' for national Irish writing website writing.ie and contributes regular feature articles for the site, interviewing authors such as Philippa Gregory, Sebastian Faulks, Cheryl Strayed, Rachel Joyce and Jo Baker, among others.

Hazel was the recipient of the 2012 Cecil Day Lewis award for Emerging Writers and was selected by Library Journal as one of Ten Big Breakout Authors for 2015. She appeared as a guest speaker at the Romantic Novelists' Association and Historical Novel Society annual conferences in 2014.

Originally from Yorkshire, England, Hazel now lives in Ireland with her husband and two children.

SITE   |   TWITTER   |   FACEBOOK   |   PINTEREST

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Special thanks to Onalee at William Morrow Paperbacks for the review copy.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, their full catalog, the publisher, or the author, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title celebrated its book birthday February of this year via William Morrow Paperbacks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!

Sometimes it's just best to...Keep the Ends Loose by Molly D. Campbell

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Can you believe March is already halfway over?  I mean in the blink of an eye April will be here, then May, June, and the whole rest of the year.  Is it just me or is 2015 moving along at a faster pace? I suppose the passage of time is the same everywhere in the world, it's the person's perception of its passing that changes things.  Case in point, today's reading selection.

It comes to us via the author herself as published with The Story Plant, a fine publisher of some truly worthwhile reads.  The genre it claims is Young Adult (but teetering on Adult) Fiction.  The narrator herself certainly fits the former category while the story owns the latter with all the complications that love, life, and little ones can bring...or due to the passage of time, not so little ones.  Ladies and gents, get ready for a love triangle...um, square, sorta....that is about to blow the lid off one family, press pause on another, and possibly end a coupling that was never even confirmed, all seen through the eyes of 15 year old  Miranda.  Today's book of choice is...

Keep the Ends Loose

by

Molly D. Campbell

9781611882049

The Story Plant

About the book...

Miranda Heath is a quirky fifteen-year-old with cinematic dreams and a safe, predictable family. That is until she decides to pull at the loose end that is the estranged husband her aunt never divorced. What seemed like the best way to allow her aunt to get on with her life sets off a series of events that threaten to turn Mandy’s world upside down. Suddenly, she’s embarking on adventurous road trips, becoming the center of an increasingly unstable household, meeting surprising strangers, and seeing everyone she knows in new ways. Sometimes loose ends just want to stay loose. But what happens if they want to unravel completely?

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To put it simply, this is a story about life, love, and how ungodly twisted, torn up, right, and wrong it can go.  Oka, so perhaps that's NOT so simple but neither is the story.

 Every character seems connected to someone else whether through blood, or friendly interests (interpret that as you will).  Once upon a time, Winnie liked Frank, and Iris fancied Roy.  The fellas however had other interests and things got all swapped around; Winnie with Roy and Iris with Frank.  The two pairs were married, children were had and lost, with one couple calling it quits, just unofficially.  It seems that the actual divorce for Aunt Iris was never followed up on thereby landing her potential new relationship with Don in a predicament less than predicted.  (Are you following?  Good!)  Winnie decides to take on the world with her children, Miranda and Adam, and her daughter's friend Barley, in tow.  That equates to tracking down one Frank Fletcher to finish what was begun ages ago.  But wait a second...you thought I merely meant the divorce now didn't you?  He he he....think again.  There's much more bubbling beneath her friendly personality and it's about to reach a boiling point.  Don't even think about removing the heat because there's no turning back.

To say more, would ruin the plot, but suffice it to say that the whole family is in for a BIG surprise...even those that already thought they knew all the details.  All I can say is that Roy, Miranda's husband and the children's father, is a saint for keeping things mum but also letting things run their course with minimal interference.  God bless the fella.  Winnie is a busy body but she has a good heart.  Iris is a little too hands off for my taste but at the same time, I could easily see myself following her lead.  Frank Fletcher is a man trapped by his past, present, and future...now if he can only work his way out of this proverbial paper bag before it bursts into flames.  Adam is a hot headed teenage boy, nuff said...under normal circumstances, however in this case he is served a HUGE bowl of What-The-Henry so you know, some of his stronger emotions can be excused.  (Emphasis on SOME.  At a point, you still become a butt.)  Barley is the voice of reason in this trying time, even when she's just short of slapping them into reality.  Though she may not be able to face the facts about her own personal interests, she's more than happy to bring her second family back to its center.  Then there's Miranda.

Miranda is a nut to crack.  She's a good kid, means well, and loves her family in spite of itself.  She comes to terms with things quicker than I would have thought even if some of her motivation was simply to have things back to normal.  She cares about others, even her brother, recognizes the gift that is her Dad and spends the appropriate amount of time thinking about the bigger things in life as most teens will.  My only issue is despite all of these attributes, I never really connected with her.  I'm not certain if it was the fact that at times she sounded much younger than her 15 years or perhaps the image we are given of her being such an innocent contrasting with the sprinkling of profanity, drinking, and innuendos tossed about.  Something just didn't click though I really REALLY wanted it to.

So, in conclusion, though the lead character and I wouldn't have been besties, the story was strong enough to make an impression on its own.  The title serves as a reminder that although having things all tied up nice and neat is nice, sometimes it's best to let things ride...or at the very least, more interesting. Recommended for older fans of Young Adult as well as readers of the Adult Fiction genre because there is certainly something in there for both crowds and it's winding tale should not be missed.

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About the author...

Molly writes from her pantry, often in pajamas. She exercises regularly, despite the fact that she has sustained numerous injuries involving barbells and exercise balls. She successfully raised two gorgeous daughters, who both pay their own bills. Molly can also be found at: http://momswhoneedwine.com.

Molly has few interests other than reading books and writing, although she and her husband did attempt clog dancing with disastrous results.  A huge fan of HGTV, Molly has been known to watch marathon sessions of “Househunters” while leafing through magazines and snacking.  Molly’s husband has an accordion band. The neighbors have started a collection to fund soundproofing for the Campbell’s basement.

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Special thanks to author Molly D. Campbell and the staff of The Story Plant for the review copy as well as the chance to bring this story to you.  (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the publisher, the author, or other works that might tickle your fancy, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!

BLOG TAKEOVER Day Two: The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

So, we're in DAY TWO of the takeover and thus far, everything is going swell.  What's that?  Yes, you read that right...swell.  What can I say?  I'm getting in the right frame of mind for today's review that just so happens to take place back in the 1960s. Swell seemed a fitting description.  Anywho...yesterday, we featured the author, today we're spotlighting her work in a review of my adventure through the pages.  Ready to read all about it?  Here goes!  Today's book of choice is...

The Bookseller

by

Cynthia Swanson

9780062333001

Harper

About the book....

A mesmerizingly powerful debut novel about the ways in which past choices can irrevocably define the present—and the bittersweet confrontation of what might have been.

1962: It may be the Swinging Sixties in New York, but in Denver it's different: being a single gal over thirty in this city is almost bohemian. Still, thirty-eight-year-old Kitty Miller has come to terms with her unconventional single life. She was involved, once—with a doctor named Kevin—but when things didn't work out the way she had hoped, she decided to chart her own path. Now she dedicates herself to the bookstore she runs with her best friend, Frieda, returning home each evening to her cozy apartment. Without a husband expecting dinner, she can enjoy last-minute drinks after work with her friends; without children who need to get ready for school, she can stay up all night reading with her beloved cat, Aslan, by her side.

Then the dreams begin.

1963: Katharyn Andersson is married to Lars, the love of her life. They live in a picture-perfect home in a suburban area of Denver, close to their circle of friends. It's the ideal place in which to raise their children. Katharyn's world is exactly what Kitty once believed she wanted . . . but it exists only when she sleeps.

At first, Kitty enjoys her nighttime forays into this alternate world. Even though there is no Frieda, no bookstore, no other familiar face, Kitty becomes increasingly reluctant to open her eyes and abandon Katharyn's alluring life.

But with each visit to her dreamworld, it grows more real. As the lines between the two worlds begin to blur, Kitty faces an uncertain future. What price must she pay to stay? What is the cost of letting go?

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When I originally read about this book, I couldn't help but think...I've seen this concept before.  A lead character is living one life during the day but at night, once they fall asleep, they become someone completely different.  Now, we're not talking about daydreams, wishes, and hopes here; we're talking actually living ANOTHER life.  Curious?  Yes.  Hard to wrap your mind around?  Definitely...and yet here, it works.  But what happens when one reality becomes aware of the other?  Better still, how to determine which is the "dream" and which is reality?  Oh, there are clues along the way but trust me, you'll be so caught up in everything transpiring that they'll only become clear in hindsight.  

So, with one leading lady living as she is and could have been, to whom does your favor fall?  The author gives us a choice and makes both appealing in turn.  For me, it was Kitty...whether or not that was the proper choice, I can't reveal (sorry, you'll have to read it to find out for yourself).  Though her life felt stilted in many ways lacking passion in some areas, it was much smoother sailing overall.  Her friendships were deeper.  Kindness radiated from her as well as her genuine interest in helping.  I loved how she took on the job of unofficial tutor to the neighbor boy and the bookstore she ran with Frieda was AWESOME!  Sure, it didn't pull in the big bucks and they were barely treading water, but they were living the dream..*chuckle*. (sorry, inside joke).  Katharyn had the love connection Kitty only dreamed of along with the family ties she couldn't have imagined if she tried, but she also had loss, sorrow, and heartache to boot.  Feelings of inadequacy ran rampant.  That uncertainty of what to do despite the fact that we are adults seemed to rule her days.  It was heart warming and heart breaking to read but made the journey that much more complete.

In conclusion, it's a cautionary tale of how dangerous it can be to live our lives purely in our minds.  We must take each day and make it our own, for better or worse.  Kitty did, as did Katharyn, and it got them where they needed to be.  How about you?  What will YOU make of your reality today?

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About the author...

Cynthia Swanson is a writer and a designer of the midcentury modern style. She has published short fiction in 13th Moon, Kalliope, Sojourner, and other periodicals; her story in 13th Moon was a Pushcart Prize nominee. She lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and three children. The Bookseller is her first novel.

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Special thanks for Meg at Tandem Literary for the ARC for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publicity team, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title was released earlier this month via Harper, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time....happy reading!

It's a BLOG TAKEOVER starring Author Cynthia Swanson!

Hi gang!

Welcome back to the weekend edition of Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today is the start of a TWO DAY blog takeover.  That's right!  Courtesy of Tandem Literary, today and tomorrow, we're letting a recent Harper release run rampant on the blog.  So, get ready, because we're going no holds barred, all out fun and featuring a fictitional rendering of an unrealized dream from the author's own reality...and perhaps you and yours too (*raises hand*).  

The book is The Bookseller, and the writer behind the work is Cynthia Swanson.  Who would have thought she had previously entertained  life as a bookseller?  I mean gosh, what a STRANGE dream, right?  ~whistles~  I mean, I know my friend and I would have never imagined doing something like that...for long at least. *ahem* Anywho, let's get on with the show and inside the mind of the one, the only, author Cynthia Swanson!

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I Always Wanted to Own an Indie Bookstore! (Who Didn’t?)

 By Cynthia Swanson, Author of The Bookseller (Harper, March 2015)

Author Cynthia Swanson,
via Glenda Cebrian Photography

Back when I was young(er), single, and living in Boston, my best friend and I hatched a scheme to move to Burlington, Vermont and open a little bookstore. We would host author readings and have a small bakery out back, where we would make homemade cookies and sell those with coffee and tea, and have some tables set up so people could buy their books and their refreshments and hang out, and…and…and…

Well, you get the idea. We thought it marvelous and original. We went on a few reconnaissance missions to Burlington to scope out potential store locations. Neither of us had ever lived in Vermont, nor did we know anything about the business of selling books. It just seemed like a wildly romantic and adventurous thing for a couple of book-loving twentysomethings to do.

I’m sure you’re rolling your eyes about now. As you can likely guess, the bookstore in Burlington never happened. I moved to Colorado; my friend stayed in Boston. More than twenty years later, we’re both fortunate enough to have creative professions - hers as an inventor/artist, and mine as a novelist.

One of the wonderful things about writing fiction is that you can live vicariously through your characters. I never realized my bookstore dream, but Kitty, the main character in my novel The Bookseller, makes that dream into reality. The year they turned 30, Kitty and her best friend Frieda established a small bookstore called Sisters’ Bookshop. When the story opens, it’s a few years later - 1962 - and Sisters’ is struggling to stay in business as people take their shopping dollars out of small, urban neighborhoods and into large suburban shopping malls.

Nightly, Kitty begins to dream about another life - one in which Sisters’ is no longer and she and Frieda are not on speaking terms. Instead, Kitty is a married to the love of her life and has beautiful children and a stylish home. Is this the life she would have chosen, had she been given a choice? Can we make those life-changing decisions for ourselves - or does fate decide for us?

The Bookseller is about many things, but ultimately it’s about our choices in life. The concept emerged from a personal dream of mine that was never realized - but that seed grew into a story about how our lives take unexpected twists and turns, and we might not end up exactly where we thought we would.

Of course, I can't foresee what's to come, but from the vantage point of today, I don't think bookstore ownership is in my future. (But who knows? Look at Ann Patchett, author of numerous novels and non-fiction works, and now co-owner or Parnassus Books in Nashville. In her essay "The Bookstore Strikes Back," Patchett says she never set out to own an indie bookstore, either. But there she is.)



So I can’t say what will happen. What I do know is - now that The Bookseller is in print - I’ve realized another lifelong goal: that of becoming a published novelist. And I treasure this role every bit as much as I would have loved owning that little bookstore in Vermont.

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Thank you so much for sharing Ms. Swanson!

I love how even though your dream as taken a new form, you haven't written off the possibility completely.  After all, if there were no bookstores in the world, you know, the actual brick and mortar type, it would be a sad, sad, SAD world indeed.

~sniff~

Special thanks to Meg at Tandem Literary for the chance to share this guest post with all of you.  (THANKS!)  This title is available now via Harper, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  Be sure to stop by tomorrow as I step between the pages and share my reading adventure RIGHT HERE on the site.

Until next time...happy reading!

BLOG TOUR: Guest Post with Author Tonya Kappes + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Follow that black cat!

Walk under that ladder.

Shatter that mirror into a THOUSAND pieces.

It's FRIDAY THE 13TH 

...and we're not afraid of it, now are we?

*just kidding*

Seriously though, we are playing host to a Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour winding its way through the blogsphere right now starring a title that...may sound familiar.  Do remember a few weeks back a particular review featuring the work of author Tonya Kappes?  It was for A Ghostly Undertaking, the book on tour today, and introduced us to all the fun to come in the Ghostly Southern Mystery series.  Well, I had SO much fun with the read, when I saw this tour coming through, I knew I had to join the fun...only this time, in a NEW way!  

That's right, it's GUEST POST time!  Ready to read all about the dreaded "Funeral Trauma" from our leading lady herself?  READY?  Set?  READ!

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Straight Talk on Funeral Trama

Funeral Trauma? What in the world is the Funeral Trauma?

It’s exactly what I got! Well…at least that is what I thought I had.

Let me take you back.

My name is Emma Lee Raines and I’m the undertaker of Eternal Slumber Funeral Home in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky. Yes, it’s a little morbid job, but job security at best. Not to mention it’s a family business.

Back to the Funeral Trauma.

I had been working on Ruthie Sue Payne’s funeral. Just like her name Payne, Ruthie was a pain in the land of the living as the gossip queen of our little town. Needless to say, Ruthie’s gossip was not going to be missed.

I had just finished putting out the chairs for Ruthie’s layout when I decided to walk across the town square to Artie’s Meat and Deli to grab me some lunch. Out of nowhere, the hard plastic Santa Artie stuck on top of the deli roof, slide off and knocked me out cold.

When I woke up in the hospital, I was sure I had gone with Ruthie to the great beyond, the big guy in the sky, because she was standing right next to me just as if she was alive. My sister, my granny, and my doctor were standing there too, making me even more confused.

I wasn’t dead. I was alive!

I told Doc about Ruthie standing right there between us and he said I had the Funeral Trauma. I had been around dead people all my life and it had now gotten to me. He was wrong!

“I’m telling you, I was murdered.”

Ruthie’s voice escalated. She pointed her bony finger at me. “You are going to help me get to the other side by figuring out who killed me.”

“Other side?”

“Great beyond. The light. The big guy in the sky.” Ruthie looked up to the ceiling, and then back to me. “I can’t cross over until I can rest eternal. And that means catching my killer.”

“Killer?” The sound of it made me more worried than scared. Was there really a killer on the loose in Sleepy Hollow? Or was there just one person out to get Ruthie Sue Payne and why?

“Fine.” I bit my lip. I couldn’t believe what
I was about to say. I paused and thought one more second before I spoke. “If trying to find out who killed you will get you out of here and not let everyone think I have a case of the ‘Funeral Trauma’ I’ll do it.”

I reached over and picked up one of Ruthie’s memorial cards and the pen from the visitor log. “Tell me what you remember.” 

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For years, USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes has been self-publishing her numerous mystery and romance titles with unprecedented success. She is famous not only for her hilarious plotlines and quirky characters, but her tremendous marketing efforts that have earned her thousands of followers and a devoted street team of fans. HarperCollins and Witness Impulse is thrilled to be publishing this insanely talented and wildly successful author for the first time with 

A GHOSTLY UNDERTAKING (Witness Impulse; February 24, 2015; $7.99 mass market), the first in her hilarious and spooky Ghostly Southern series.

Sign up for Tonya’s newsletter, view book trailer, and upcoming news on Tonya’s website, Tonyakappes.com.

Connect with Tonya:

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Special thanks to author Tonya Kappes for the fab share and Lori over at Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on anything that crossed your mind throughout the post, feel free to click on the links included above.  This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

For your chance to win a copy to call your own, just CLICK HERE to fill out the Rafflecopter form and you're in!

Until next time....happy reading!