Pop Culture Saturday - Other Holidays on March 17

Aloha!   The winner from last week's blogs is Danny! We just returned from the Big Island of Hawaii just in time for St. Patrick's Day!   I was curious what else happened on March 17.  On this day in history ...


In 1337, Edward, the Black Prince, became the Duke of Cornwall, creating the first Duchy in England.  Prince Charles is the current Duke of Cornwall.

In 1780, George Washington granted the Continental Army a holiday "as an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence."   Ireland won its independence in 1921.

In 1992, South Africa voted to end apartheid, 68.7% to 31.2%. 

Do you have anything planned today for St. Patrick's Day, the Duke of Cornwall, George Washington, or South Africa?   One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs will win a book choice from my convention stash.   This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Friday, March 23, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Saturday, March 24.


Mahalo,


Kim in Hawaii

March Madness continues here at SOS Aloha! All commenters in March will be entered into a special drawing for prizes from RT in Chicago. 3 US, 3 Canadian, and 3 international readers will win a package with books and goodies.
Comments can be made at:

- SOS Aloha, sosaloha.blogspot.com
- Aloha On My Mind, alohaonmymind.blogspot.com
- My guest posts for the Reading Reviewer (Tue, Thur, and Sat) at marygramlich.blogspot.com

I'll post the winners of March Madness on Monday, April 2.

 

Mary’s Musings...about DEATH, ISLAND STYLE by Maggie Toussaint

While I was reading MaryBeth’s story in DEATH, ISLAND STYLE by Maggie Toussaint the song STRONGER by Kelly Clarkson got into my head.  MaryBeth literally picks herself up from one disaster to another and makes something out of herself sans late husband who it turns out is not quite as late as she thought.

I am proud to let you know that I received a copy of DEATH, ISLAND STYLE from the author herself Maggie Toussaint  to be given away.  To be eligible to win please leave a comment on  “a Little Victory from this week?” then come back on Sunday – March 18^th to see if you have won.  Please remember if you do not come back, you will not know if you won, because I am going to need your address. 

As always I wish you happy reading, encourage you to turn a negative into a celebrated Little Victory, come back to see what book I am reviewing and offering up for a giveaway.  Do not forget to cast your positive votes for me on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Your vote matters and I greatly appreciate my followers!

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REVIEW from "The Reading Reviewer"

 

DEATH, ISLAND STYLE by Maggie Toussaint

What sticks more your prior life or sand between your toes?

Starting over is never easy and MaryBeth Cashour is living proof of that.  After her husband’s tragic death, she discovers he left her with nothing but the shirt on her back.  Recovering from that she goes home to struggle through the final days of her mother’s life.  MaryBeth has been kicked, hard but she is going to be stronger from this she just knows that for sure.

MaryBeth knows she can start life fresh in the small coastal town she now lives in, running the local craft store.  The other thing MaryBeth knows is that there is a dead guy on the beach in front of her.  Can things get any worse; probably she seems to be a magnet for trouble these days.

The police think she is involved, her late husband may not be dead at all, the mob is coming after her, and the pharmacist next door really does present a nice view from the back.  When nothing in life adds up anymore, you can always count on friends.  The friends may be new but still good people helping MaryBeth out with some great advice and even better brownies.  Trying to dodge trouble is proving harder than one might think.  MaryBeth gets closer to some answers and yet further away from the facts that were the life she once lived.  If her husband is not dead is she still married or maybe the woman in the other room is his wife now that MaryBeth had him declared dead?  Too many questions lead to a headache and tears over a situation she has no control and is getting worse by the second.

What a great ride Maggie Toussaint takes her readers on.  This book has mystery, suspense, some romance, and a touch of daring all from our leading woman, MaryBeth!

Mary's Musings...THE SECOND TIME WE MET by Leila Cobo

To say THE SECOND TIME WE MET by Leila Cobo is a moving read is a gross understatement it is amazing.  I know at some point in our lives everyone is thinking about why I do things in a particular way.  If you do not have a clear picture of your DNA do you always wonder," what's up with that.”  I see these peculiar habits in my siblings and feel that there is something we have between us.  Yet there are unique traits only I have that perhaps my birth order can explain, I just do not know.  Yet is it as uncomplicated as that or is there more and I take it for granted since I know who my birth parents are? 

There are so many parts of this book that brought me close to tears being a mother that has such a close relationship to my sons as Asher and his mother do.  So toward the end of the book when Asher is run down he calls his birth mother and pours his heart out to her it pushed me from might cry to did cry.  A mother is a mother is a mother and we love our children regardless of whether we gave birth to them or not.  You are part of me and always will be through good times and bad. 

I received a copy of THE SECOND TIME WE MET by Leila Cobo from Grand Central Publishing to be given away.  To be eligible to win please leave a comment on  “what is your most unique trait that has you stand apart from you family?” then come back on Sunday - March 18th to see if you have won.  Please remember if you do not come back, you will not know if you won, because I am going to need your address. 

 

As always I wish you happy reading, encourage you to turn a negative into a celebrated Little Victory, come back to see what book I am reviewing and offering up for a giveaway.  Do not forget to cast your positive votes for me on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Your vote matters and I greatly appreciate my followers!

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REVIEW from "The Reading Reviewer"

THE SECOND TIME WE MET by Leila Cobo

Does our search for answers ever stop? 

When you are adopted I am sure the question of "who am I really" is always in the back of your mind.  Asher Stone gave this some thought over the 21 years of his life, but not seriously, until the day he almost died.  Everything came too close to being taken away and even though his adopted parents are a source of unconditional love, Asher has to know "who am I really.” 

After he made the decision to find out why his mother and father decided another life was better than what they could offer the hunt becomes an obsession.  The adventure that Asher goes on to Bogotá, Columbia with his girlfriend is one fraught with as many barriers as answers to his search.  His birth mother was the master of guarding secrets and has literally disappeared into thin air.  No one seems to know where she is or what happened which is a problem that slows down the hunt but does not stop it.  There are people that remember bits and pieces that can be built into a whole story revealing a life that was led and the possible location of where she has gone. 

One must always be careful of what you will find at the end of a quest.  Will the answers be full of promise or is there despair behind that closed door.  Asher cannot help but wonder if the answer he seeks is not one that should be sought, perhaps when someone is hiding there is a reason for it and you should let it go. 

The book that Leila Cobo has written is absolute brilliance.  She takes the reader through every step of the emotional journey that Asher goes through and makes you feel as if you are there holding his hand through it all.  Ms. Cobo elaborates with clarity what could have been as much as much as what is making sure readers never lose the important point of view, elaborating the story from all sides, and reminding us how much we take for granted.  We are all curious about our DNA regardless of who raised us because there is something that makes us unique as much as it makes us a part of something.

Mary’s Musings...about LESSONS IN LOVING A LAIRD by Michelle Marcos

When Michelle Marcos asked if I could read and review her new book LESSONS IN LOVING A LAIRD the two-second interval between receipt of email and sending of email with a huge YES may have been too long to wait for an answer.

Michelle has the most colorful way of writing to the extent that you feel you are standing there listening to conversations.  That the brush of lips for just that brief moment is something you can see yourself spying on.  This is what separates Michelle from the rest – the ability to take the written word and turn it into a visual sensation every reader enjoys.

I received one copy of LESSONS IN LOVING A LAIRD by Michelle Marcos

from St. Martin’s Press to be given away.  To be eligible to win please leave a comment.  What I am asking today is “how did love come into your life?”  Come back on Sunday – March 18th to see if you have won.  Please remember if you do not come back, you will not know if you won, because I am going to need your address. 

As always I wish you happy reading, encourage you to turn a negative into a celebrated Little Victory, come back to see what book I am reviewing and offering up for a giveaway.  Do not forget to cast your positive votes for me on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Your vote matters and I greatly appreciate my followers!

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REVIEW from "The Reading Reviewer"

LESSONS IN LOVING A LAIRD by Michelle Marcos

Do all of our scars heal or are we destined to carry them with us forever?

Life was never easy for Shona MacAslan but she is so close to gaining her freedom and living life on her own with her twin sister.  Shona has watched everything she loved be taken away and left her with horrible memories and an even worse future destined to be fulfilled by her enemies.  Nothing will part her from her twin sister not even the new Laird of Ballencrieff, Conal MacEwan.  Conal is making decisions that will alter everything about Shona’s life and she is going to fight him with every stubborn and spiteful bone in her body.

Without her consent Shona finds herself still living an indentured servant’s life living on Conal’s estate.  Shona is never one to let opportunity pass her by she immediately starts a formulating a plan that will set her and her twin sister free.  Conal left a flourishing medical career to take over these lands and make them something his son will be proud to inherit.  There is obligation but also the need to forget the past and the life his late wife left him to recover from. Fortunately, Conal sees very quickly Shona’s intelligence and decides to tap her ideas with long-term suggestions with short-term gains to make the estate solvent again.  Conal is also sees Shona’s beauty and loves the shape of her sensuous lips even when those awful words come out of them.

The biggest problem with plans is they always have the possibility of falling apart when someone else’s agenda over rides yours.  Shona’s idea for love and freedom unravel as the front door opens to accusing statements and a situation that Conal will have to resolve to save his estate, reputation, and future for his son.  There has to be another way around this but right now all Shona sees is the life she wanted drifting away and the past coming back to haunt her in ways she never expected.

Michelle Marcos has completely blown me away with the magnificence of this book.  Every reason I read historical romance is provided between the pages of this story.  There are fascinating characters, plots that overlay the subplots, and a romance that will make you weep with joy it is so beautiful.

Contest Winners for Week Ending 03-10-12

This is going to be a strange winners Sunday because (1) I am late posting; and (2) two of my contest winners are being picked by other people.

Kim Adams went on vacation and in all the stress of getting herself and the boys organized did not tell me who she Picked as the winner for The Yoga Club.  I will get with her and we will notify the winner.

Author Mal Olson has picked two winners - one for the book and one for the eBook so contact me Carol L and Marybelle!

However the winner for Sarah MacLean's A Rogue by Any Other Name is Diane D in Florida. 

Reminder to some past winners

I need your address to send you the books

Stella Cameron and Cynthia Garner winners were donnas; miss kallie2000; and Tammy S.  

Jeanne you won the Sophia Nash Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea

Mary’s Musings...about A ROGUE BY ANY OTHER NAME by Sarah MacLean

When A ROGUE BY ANY OTHER NAME showed up on my door I was very excited to read this book.  I am a fan of Sarah MacLean and has no thought that I would not love this book. 

It is a fresh storyline and while it is emotionally draining to read because you ache with this man’s painful past it is also uplifting to see his soul literally rise from the fires of potential damnation by the love from the right woman. 

I have one (1) copy of A ROGUE BY ANY OTHER NAME by Sarah MacLean

to be given away which I received from Avon, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers.  To be eligible to win please leave a comment on “the addiction that you just cannot give up.”  Come back on Sunday – March 11^th to see if you have won.  Please remember if you do not come back, you will not know if you won, because I am going to need your mailing address. 

As always I wish you happy reading, encourage you to turn a negative into a celebrated Little Victory, come back to see what book I am reviewing and offering up for a giveaway.  Do not forget to cast your positive votes for me on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Your vote matters and I greatly appreciate my followers!

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REVIEW from "The Reading Reviewer"

A ROGUE BY ANY OTHER NAME by Sarah MacLean

The First Rule of Scoundrels

What am I to do when I will not allow my addition for you to be cured?

Revenge is the bitter taste left in your mouth that you cannot wash out.  The need for some sort of punishment upon the source that brought this pain to you must be obtained.  Taking back what was stolen from him is the fuel that keeps Michael, the Marquess of Bourne moving through every day.  When Lady Penelope Marbury a childhood friend has the ability to give Michael back everything family, possession he lost not even having to marry her will stop this acquisition.  Michael will not ever love her because he knows he is not worthy of Penelope but that does not stop him from using her to bring an end to this game of chance he has been playing with is sanity.

Penelope relinquishes her right to an opinion to save her sisters from doomed marital choices driven by her past problems.  She loved the child Michael was but seeing the man he has become frightens her and Penny wonders if she is the one that can save his disgraced soul.  Michael has rebuilt his life but through less than reputable means, and having Penelope forces him to make choices that will help him gain his objective but cause some pain along the way.  Having been literally thrown from grace all those many years ago, the Ton has long since turned their back on Michael.  For all the pieces to fit properly Michael must figure out how get back into society's good graces, and prove his marriage is real and a true love match.

Their time together is filled with wishes, hopes, adventure, and sadness as Michael refuses to let Penny into the one place she desperately desires, his heart.  He welcomes her into his bedroom but not without much cost to his conscious and fills him with the fear that this woman is worth so much more to him that any amount of payback he will ever possess.

Sarah MacLean has started this new series off with a home run and I look for every book that follows to be as big as amazing.  This book from the cover to the very last word is filled with love, compassion, yearning, and dreams that the reader cannot wait to see how it all plays out.

International Women's Day

Aloha! Today is International Women's Day! From its website, www.internationalwomensday.com,

International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies [such as women's rights].

Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.

The United States even designates the whole month of March as 'Women's History Month'.

So make a difference, think globally and act locally !! Make everyday International Women's Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.

The Washington Post offers ten ways to celebrate (at this link). This is the one I suggest:

“Join Me on the Bridge” is a campaign for women’s equality that started with Rwandan and Congolese women, who met on a bridge joining their two countries as a demonstration that women could build bridges of peace. This year, women will march on bridges in London, Boston, San Francisco, Toronto and New York for International Women’s Day.

What would you like to see change for women?  I'd like to see the media change its attitude towards romance!  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs will win a book choice from my convention stash.   This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Friday, March 16, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Saturday, March 17.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

This will be my last guest post 'til Saturday, March 17.  My family is joining the Boy Scouts on the Big Island for Spring Break.

March Madness continues here at SOS Aloha! All commenters in March will be entered into a special drawing for prizes from RT in Chicago. 3 US, 3 Canadian, and 3 international readers will win a package with books and goodies.

Comments can be made at:

- SOS Aloha, sosaloha.blogspot.com
- Aloha On My Mind, alohaonmymind.blogspot.com
- My guest posts at the Reading Reviewer (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) at marygramlich.blogspot.com

I'll post the winners of March Madness on Monday, April 2.

Mary’s Musings...with Guest blogger Mal Olson

Writer's Inspiration by Mal Olson

People always ask where writers get their ideas. Mine pop up everywhere.

A phrase from song may spark an idea for a scene, and a movie or a book title can start a plot racing through my mind. Likewise, plain-old-everyday-life-experiences and not-so-plain-old-everyday-people often kick my muse in the shin.

Trips are always a treasure-trove of inspiration.  Exploring breathtaking fjords along the Norwegian Sea and discovering the folklore of huldras inspired the first book of my Adrenaline Series (still in the works). One such huldra is said to hang out around a spectacular waterfall that cascades over the craggy cliffs between Myrdal and Flam along the Flamsbana Railway. The heroine in this story happens to be portraying a huldra when the hero first sets eyes on her.

                

I chose my heroine’s profession in the second book of the Adrenaline Series because of a friend who is a medical technician. This novel's setting was inspired by many trips to my favorite place on Earth, the Canadian Rockies, especially British Columbia and the Banff area.

After participating in our local Sheriffs Citizen's Academy, I decided the hero for my work in progress would be a handsome Field Training Officer assigned to mentor the heroine, an intriguing, female rookie. Much inspiration for Rambo in this story came from an adventure with a breeder who trains Belgian Mailinois in New Mexico.

The short story ME AND BRAD evolved after I met the above-mentioned four-legged heroes. The feel-good romance features a forlorn Belgian Malinois, a kind-hearted young woman who adopts him, and a sexy sheriff who falls for both of them. It is free at www.malolson.com, Smashwords, Amazon's Kindle Store, and most ebook sellers.     

Katrice, an Air Force pilot, came knocking on the door (in my head) one day, and I just had to introduce her to Benjamin Thigpen, a former Delta Force operative and character from my debut novel. Voila, a pulse-pounding romantic suspense short story exploded on the page. You will find DANGER ZONE, a free read, at all of the above ebook sellers as well as on my website.

While plotting SHADOW OF DECEIT, my debut romantic suspense, memories of a neighbor’s three-legged feline inspired Trivet, the heroine's cat, who plays an important role in Shannon Riedel's survival. And years of news articles headlining the search for and taking down of Oshama Bin Laden pricked my creative juices when giving life to the terrorist who haunts Tony Crazaniak in this adrenaline kicked thriller—SHADOW OF DECEIT, released by the WILD ROSE Press March 7, 2012.   

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I received a copy of SHADOW OF DECEIT from Mal Olson to be given away.  To be eligible to win please leave a comment on  “do you forgive yourself from prior mistakes?” then come back on Sunday – March 11^th to see if you have won.  Please remember if you do not come back, you will not know if you won, because I am going to need your address. 

As always I wish you happy reading, encourage you to turn a negative into a celebrated Little Victory, come back to see what book I am reviewing and offering up for a giveaway.  Do not forget to cast your positive votes for me on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Your vote matters and I greatly appreciate my followers!

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REVIEW from "The Reading Reviewer"

SHADOW OF DECEIT by Mal Olson

Can we have enough faith in ourselves to recover from our mistakes?

When the worst has been thrown at you the thought that anything could be more horrid is inconceivable.  But what if everything you thought about your life and your husband may be a house built on smoke and mirrors.

Shannon Riedel lost everything she valued in the blink of an eye.  Now some stranger claims that her late husband left a very valuable item with her and he wants it now.  Shannon cannot imagine what her late husband was involved in but the FBI is convinced she does and sends in Special Agent Tony Crazaniak to flush out the truth one way or another.  Shannon fights his interrogation every step of the way but when the determined stranger tries numerous times to resolve the issue by running her down Tony proves he has taken a side and believes her innocence.

The complications and problems that arise from Tony's interest in Shannon are worth every second because when she kisses him Tony knows that he has met his match for more than right now, he is looking at forever.  Shannon wants desperately to free her heart and let herself love Tony, but she also has to clear her late husband's name.  Even with Tony's help, it is proving to be difficult as all the evidence keeps building against him and grief turns to anger against the life she thought she had.  

In the end, the discoveries are eye opening, the mystery astounding, and true heroes show themselves.  Not knowing or believing that her life could take so many wrong turns Shannon knows that her decisions made about Tony are right.  Through it all Shannon and Tony find a way to keep moving forward and make a future of what they have which means releasing the past guilt.

Mal Olson writes with the perfect combination of mystery, suspense, and romance to keep every reader pleased with the turn of the page.  I enjoyed the characters because they revealed so much in a few words and loyalty, which is something I admire in my stories.