Author:  Stephenie Meyer
Series:  Twilight (Book 2)
ISBN:  9780316024969
563 pages

Book Description:

The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

My Thoughts:

I resisted reading the Twilight books for a really long time.  I'm not really into the whole vampire, paranormal thing and this series didn't seem like something that would hold my interest.  After talking with family members who urged me to read the books, I read Twilight.  I was surprised that I actually enjoyed the story.  So, on vacation this past week, I picked up New Moon.  I literally devoured this book in two days.  I have nothing but good things to say about this book.  I loved it more than Twilight!!  Great story, great characters, great everything!!  I really enjoyed Jacob in the first book, so I was excited to have him play a larger role in this story.  Great book and I am already reading book 3, Eclipse!! 

If you are resisting reading this series, don't hold off.  I am not a paranormal reader by any means, but these books really hold my interest and I have loved both Twilight and New Moon.  I highly recommend them!

Author:  Hannah Friedman

Young Adult/Memoir

ISBN:  9780757307751
255 pages

Book Description:

"When everything sucks,
change everything . . .

And that's exactly what Hannah Friedman set out to do in an ambitious attempt to bust out of a life of obscurity and absurdity and into an alternate world of glamour, wealth, and popularity.

Being dubbed 'That Monkey Girl' by middle school bullies and being pulled out of sixth grade to live on a tour bus with her agoraphobic mother, her smelly little brother, and her father's hippie band mates convinces Hannah that she is destined for a life of freakdom.

But when she enters one of the country's most prestigious boarding schools on scholarship, Hannah transforms herself into everything she is not: cool. By senior year, she has a perfect millionaire boyfriend, a perfect GPA, a perfect designer wardrobe, and is part of the most popular clique in school, but somehow everything begins to suck far worse than when she first started. Her newfound costly drug habit, eating disorder, identity crisis, and Queen-Bee attitude lead to the unraveling of Hannah's very unusual life.

Putting her life back together will take more than a few clicks of her heels, or the perfect fit of a glass slipper, in this not-so-fairy tale of going from rock bottom to head of the class and back again."

My Thoughts:

It took me a couple of chapters to get into this memoir, but after that, the pages just flew by.  I really enjoyed reading about Hannah's experiences.  It's an honest look into the life of Ms. Friedman, where pretty much everything sucks, including family, mean girls, friends, high school, diets, love, sex, education, home, college, drugs, epilogues, and writing!  I was personally touched by the Postscript:  Writing Sucks part at the very end of the book.  As an aspiring author (someday), I found that I really identified with Hannah and her struggles with writing.  It really makes me think that I CAN do this.  Thank you for giving me that sage advice, Hannah.  You have no idea how badly I needed to hear it!

A quick, fun romp through the teenage years.  EVERYTHING SUCKS is a great story that definitely does not suck!

Author:  Wendy Roberts
Series:  Ghost Dusters Mysteries (Bk 1)

ISBN:  978-0451222688
272 pages

Book Description:

"Sadie Novak's got the kind of job that kills cocktail chatter dead: she owns Scene-2-Clean a crime scene cleanup company. And if wiping up after murders weren't spooky enough, she can also see and talk to the ghosts of the victims...

When grieving relatives hire Sadie and her employee, ex-cop Zack Bowman, to clean up after the murder-suicide of Trudy and Grant Toth, Sadie figures she's bound to meet at least one chatty ghost. But Kent, the man Sadie first encounters at the scene, is very much alive, so much so, that Sadie soon finds herself agreeing to a date with him. Then a real ghost shows up, the oddly silent spirit of Trudy, who seems determined to prove her husband's innocence, and inspires Sadie to track down the real killer. But as she scours the crime scene, Sadie quickly realizes she's in way over her head, that Kent has a strange connection to the dead couple, and that someone wants her to give up the ghost -- for good."
 
My Thoughts:
 
I am so excited to have found another great mystery series to add to my "must-read" list!  I loved this first book in the series.  For those of you looking for a light, cozy mystery, however, this is not it.  I found it to be much darker than a regular cozy would be.  The main character, Sadie, is a crime-scene cleaner, so you can only imagine what some of the subject matter is!  Just be forewarned about that!!  There is great chemistry between her employee, Zack, and Sadie and I'm very interested to see how that "relationship" progresses!  This is a great start to the series and I am looking forward to reading more!!

Prologue
by Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, Author of Bending Toward the Sun: A Mother and Daughter Memoir

"Mommy, I was afraid that you died."

"I didn't die. Sleeping. I was sleeping." Holding my cell phone, I propped myself up on the pillow and regained my bearings. I was in an elegant hotel room in Washington, D.C. Judging from the burning sensation in my eyes, I had not been asleep for long.

"I was so worried when you didn't answer the phone." My daughter's small voice trembled.

"I answered the phone, honey. We're talking."

"Not until the fourth ring.

Her sadness and the demands I knew were soon to follow sent blood rushing to my temples. "Mikaela, I'm fine."

"I can't stay here, Mommy."

I took a deep breath and thought fast. My voice softened. "I just dropped you off a few hours ago. We talked about the fact that the first night might be an adjustment. What did you do this evening?"

"Nothing. I didn't eat. I just cried."

She was in Bethesda, about twenty minutes away. "Honey, it was a big honor to be chosen for this leadership conference. You were so excited about going, you have a good friend there, you'll learn all about government, and -- "

"Mommy, please! Take me home! I'm only eleven years old, and I'm not ready for this. Please."

"Mikaela, you are ready. You'll be so proud of yourself for sticking it out. What do you want to bet you'll love it there by the end of the five days?"

She was sobbing now. "I won't. I hate it! I don't even feel like myself here. I'm hiding in the bathroom so I don't wake up my roommates, worrying that you're going to die!"

"I'm not going to die. Not for fifty more years at least."

"You don't know that for sure."

I was afraid she would say that. "You're right, I don't. But I eat healthy foods, I exercise, I wear sunscreen, and I don't drink and drive, so I should live for a very long time, right?"

"Can you at least come over here to give me a hug goodnight?"

It's a trap. She'll never let me leave without her. If I had just flown out of town this afternoon, we would not be having this negotiation. "It won't help, sweetie. You'll just miss me more if you see me." By now my head was aching.

"I won't. I swear."

I was not surprised by her determination, but I held firm. "No."

"You just don't understand," she said angrily.

"Yes, I do." I did understand. She was in pain, a kind with which I was all too familiar, and I could alleviate her anxiety just by jumping into a taxi. But it would be a mistake. Even though she had always been apprehensive about being away from me, she had made significant strides as of late. She'd been nervous about a recent two-night class trip to northern California, but had gone anyway and had ended up having a great time. I was certain that this new adventure would also surprise her, and provide further evidence that she could survive without me. After all, she was a survivor. She came by that honestly.

I grew up in 1960s suburban Los Angeles, part of a family who was living the American Dream. My parents raised my siblings and me in a friendly, safe, and well-kept community. Every home on the block and every kid looked more or less the same, with a smattering of ethnic diversity to break the monotony. I loved sports, especially baseball, made friends easily enough, and was a good student. My family ate dinner together nearly every night and took occasional vacations, just like the other families we knew.

Yet some things were different in our family. My mother believed that I could be president of the United States, but she hoped I could make the leap to high office directly from my cozy bedroom, where she knew I was safe. My mother didn't like me to smile at strangers, play outside after dusk, visit friends whose parents weren't nurturing enough, and most importantly, be far away from her. While I bristled at these restrictions, I lived by them. I knew that my mother's fears were birthed by tragedy. She carried wounds whose power I could never comprehend.

I think of my mother as a modern-day Anne Frank. Both my mother and Anne Frank spent two years in hiding during the Holocaust, while the Nazis searched for them. Both were forced to live in an attic with their families, which was highly unusual. Jewish children were rarely able to hide with their families during the Holocaust, and typically, hidden Jews spent only a short time in any one place. My mother and Anne Frank both were kept alive, in large part, because of the courage and kindness of gentile friends. In my mother's case, a Polish farmer and his wife sheltered a bewildered five-year-old girl and fourteen members of her family, including an infant.

There were many similarities between my mother and Anne Frank. But my mother was the only one fortunate enough to survive. For decades, readers have wondered what Anne Frank might have become, had she survived. My mother's coming-of-age story may provide some indirect insight, as well as a glimpse of the long-term impact of the Holocaust on the children who were directly affected by it.

I've begun this book with my mother's story. Her memories from early childhood are unusually detailed, although surely idealized at times. I've taken some creative liberties in reconstructing dialogue, but always with an eye toward accurately reflecting the spirit of the conversations my mother recalled, and the manner in which she remembered family members speaking to one another. In addition to relying solely on the memory of my mother, I was also able to interview six other relatives who hid with her in the attic.

I will never forget the evening my mother and I spent in the living room of my mother's first cousin Sally. Four women, all in their sixties, who had hidden together in an attic as young children, a half century earlier, were sharing recollections. Given how rare it was for children to survive the Holocaust, such a family reunion was highly unusual. And then there was my mother's eighty-six-year old uncle, Max. He had never wanted to share his memories, but that evening, he found himself leading the discussion.

Where most Holocaust narratives conclude, this one gathers momentum.  Some of my mother's most unsettling recollections stemmed from the period right after Germany surrendered to Allied forces during World War II. My mother's story illuminates the fallout of the Holocaust as her family wandered throughout Europe for five heartbreaking years before coming to America. Her spirit, deep faith, and endurance against all odds provide powerful -- and inspiring -- evidence of the resilience of the human spirit.

In the second and third parts of this book, my mother's story becomes our joint account, narrated in my voice, and eventually includes my daughter, Mikaela. The stories of three generations merge in these pages, just as our hopes and dreams have so often in my life. Although my mother's and my experiences bear virtually no similarity, it is in the overlapping shadows that we find common ground. My mother's traumas became my nightmares. Not a day went by in balmy Los Angeles that I didn't feel lashed by what she suffered through in Poland during the war. On the other hand, my mother's hopes and aspirations also sowed the seeds for my ambition and my achievements.

Over countless breakfasts as a child I asked my mother the same questions about her past -- the few that I knew to ask. What was it like to wake up that morning and see tanks outside your house? What did you eat inside the attic? Did you have meals with your mommy and daddy when you were hiding? If the answers could ever make sense to me, I believed, my world would finally feel safe. After traveling back to Poland to meet the family who hid my mother, to sit in the attic where her childhood disappeared like an ice cube on a feverish brow, and then spending nearly a decade writing this book, I finally began to understand where my mother came from and how her experiences transformed her. I had to research further, however, to see just how the trauma of my mother's past had been transmitted to me, and then to my children.

My husband and I had always encouraged our children to be adventurous.  I worked vigilantly to prevent my fears from interfering with the messages I communicated to them. Even my daughter, who was more tentative than my son and stepson about separating from me, had always cheerfully rebounded as soon as we were reunited. I was surprised, therefore, when her anxiety did not diminish after she returned home from her leadership trip to Washington, D.C.

There was something particularly resilient about the strain of fear Mikaela seemed to have inherited. I came to see that while scientists had found a way to prevent the virulent AIDS virus from passing, in utero, from mother to daughter, no such barrier had yet been discovered to prevent the effects of trauma from being transmitted across generations. I learned that as a result of trauma passing from one generation to the next, it was not unusual to find children of Holocaust survivors, or the "Second Generation," as we came to be known, weighed down by feelings of loss, guilt, and anxiety, and trapped in a dynamic of mutual devotion and overprotection between parent and child. And clearly the fallout extended to a third generation. Like me, Mikaela, too, seemed to be trapped in the vortex of a tragedy that had taken place a half century before she was born.

As for exactly how such trauma might be transferred from one generation to the next, researchers have proposed a variety of theories. Psychoanalytic approaches suggest that emotions that couldn't be consciously dealt with by Holocaust survivors themselves have been passed down to their children. Sociological theories focus on the connection between a survivor's beliefs and fears and their child-rearing practices. Other researchers have looked to the family unit as a whole to ascertain the impact of the Holocaust survivors' experience on their children. They found, for example, that in tightly knit survivor families, attempts by children to establish boundaries are often viewed as a threat to the family's unity.

Finally, other researchers have proposed that memories of fear can actually be carried across generations through biochemistry. Children of Holocaust survivors have been found to have lower than average levels of the stress hormone cortisol, just like their traumatized parents. They also are more likely than average to suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder when exposed to a traumatic event, and more likely to view a non-life-threatening event, such as illness or separation from a loved one, as traumatic. This approach helps explain why children growing up in the same household but with different combinations of genes could be affected so differently by a parent's trauma -- why I was more fearful of leaving home than my sister, why my daughter was more fearful of separation than my son. These various theories regarding the intergenerational transmission of posttraumatic stress left me hopeful that we might find new ways to lessen its most harmful effects.

For my mother, at seventy years old, completing this book was bittersweet. Just after she had stoically finished taking me through her life, barely flinching at the most intimate, disturbing details, she plunged into a deep depression. I was left wondering if this project had been a mistake. Thankfully, my mother recovered, and her optimism and hunger for adventure returned. She reminded me that her primary motivation for creating this memoir had never been to help her cope. This book was intended to help others better understand the Holocaust and its impact, and hopefully to also shed light on the potential complications resulting from other tragedies taking place today, around the world. This book was written with the hope that children and grandchildren of trauma survivors -- as well as others facing their own challenges -- might find inspiration in my mother's courageous story.

Last summer, I agreed to teach a course on the Holocaust at my son Gabriel's high school. One of the teachers at the school, a friend who had grown up in Sri Lanka, came to our house for dinner before the semester began. Between margaritas and slices of homemade pizza, he casually asked me, in his perfect Oxford-bred English accent, if I knew the Latin root of the word holocaust. "Some of my students will be in your course, and they'll quiz you on this right off the bat," he explained.

I searched my memory. In the past decade I had read scores of books and viewed countless documentaries on the Holocaust. I knew dates of Allied bombings, numbers of victims at each camp, and the names of heroes, villains, and those in between. I was certain I had come across the origins of the word along the way, but it escaped me. If I confessed ignorance, my erudite Sri Lankan friend, who had left behind a successful investment banking career, would be convinced that his Oxford education was superior to my American one. For the sake of the team, I took a guess. I deduced that holo sounded like whole, and that caust had to do with destruction.

"Something like total destruction?" I asked.

"Close."

Yes, I thought.

"But not quite." He told me that holocaust, in Latin, means "burned offerings." It stems from the Greek words holo (which as I had guessed did mean "whole") and caust("burned"). In ancient times, the priests of the Hebrew Temple in Jerusalem would offer animal sacrifices to God. Holocaustum, in biblical Latin, referred to those offerings to God that were burned in their entirety at the altar, leaving no meat for consumption. Centuries later in the United States, the crematoria of Auschwitz brought the word holocaust to mind. It became synonymous with the destruction of European Jews by the Germans.

Thinking about that ancient definition, I realized it was not an entirely accurate description of what took place during World War II.  The fire of hate that the Nazis lit did not consume everything. The earth was scorched, but from the blackened ground new seeds sprouted.  Their genes had been affected by the intensity of the heat, but grow they did, and thrive they would, as my mother would put it, "bending toward the sun." This book is for those whose hopes have been dashed, or burned beyond recognition. It is for those who may have been born too late to witness the most traumatic event they would ever experience. And it is for those who are interested in exploring the blurry lines between good and evil, hope and despair, and mothers and daughters. It is evidence that despite the depth of pain and horror we may experience, the will of the human spirit is irrepressible, and the blessing of life, of a new day in the sun, will ultimately prevail.

The above is an excerpt from the book Bending Toward the Sun: A Mother and Daughter Memoir by Leslie Gilbert-Lurie. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2009 Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, author of Bending Toward the Sun: A Mother and Daughter Memoir

Author Bio

Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, author of Bending Toward the Sun: A Mother and Daughter Memoir, is a writer, lawyer, teacher, child advocate, and a member and past President of the Los Angeles County Board of Education. Gilbert-Lurie also is a founding board member and immediate past President of the Alliance for Children's Rights, a non-profit legal rights organization for indigent children, chair of the education committee for the Los Angeles Music Center, and a board member of several schools including Sierra Canyon and New Visions Foundation.  Finally, she has just completed serving as a member of the mayor's task force charged with developing a new cultural plan for the City of Los Angeles.

Previously, Leslie spent close to a decade as an executive at NBC, where, at various times, she oversaw NBC Productions, Comedy, wrote television episodes, and co-founded a new NBC in-house production company, Lurie-Horwits productions. As a lawyer, Leslie worked briefly at the law firm of Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg and Tunney and served as a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Law Clerk. She is a graduate of UCLA and UCLA School of Law.

Leslie lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, daughter and step-son.

For more information please visit http://www.bendingtowardthesun.com/

Thank you to the author, Shauna Roberts, for offering one copy of her new book, Like Mayflies in a Stream, for my blog contest!

The winner is:

ludeluh at yahoo dot com

The winner will have 48 hours to contact me with mailing information or I will have to choose another winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Authors:  Leslie Gilbert-Lurie with Rita Lurie
Hardcover
ISBN:  978-0-06-173476-2
352 pages

Book Website:  bendingtowardthesun.com


Book Description from Amazon:

"A miraculous lesson in courage and recovery, Bending Toward the Sun tells the story of a unique family bond forged in the wake of brutal terror. Weaving together the voices of three generations of women, Leslie Gilbert-Lurie and her mother, Rita Lurie, provide powerful—and inspiring—evidence of the resilience of the human spirit, relevant to every culture in every corner of the world. By turns unimaginably devastating and incredibly uplifting, this firsthand account of survival and psychological healing offers a strong, poignant message of hope in our own uncertain times.

Rita Lurie was five years old when she was forced to flee her home in Poland to hide from the Nazis. From the summer of 1942 to mid-1944, she and fourteen members of her family shared a nearly silent existence in a cramped, dark attic, subsisting on scraps of raw food. Young Rita watched helplessly as first her younger brother then her mother died before her eyes. Motherless and stateless, Rita and her surviving family spent the next five years wandering throughout Europe, waiting for a country to accept them. The tragedy of the Holocaust was only the beginning of Rita's story.

Decades later, Rita, now a mother herself, is the matriarch of a close-knit family in California. Yet in addition to love, Rita unknowingly passes to her children feelings of fear, apprehension, and guilt. Her daughter Leslie, an accomplished lawyer, media executive, and philanthropist, began probing the traumatic events of her mother's childhood to discover how Rita's pain has affected not only Leslie's life and outlook but also her own daughter, Mikaela's.

A decade-long collaboration between mother and daughter, Bending Toward the Sun reveals how deeply the Holocaust remains in the hearts and minds of survivors, influencing even the lives of their descendants. It also sheds light on the generational reach of any trauma, beyond the initial victim. Drawing on interviews with the other survivors and with the Polish family who hid five-year-old Rita, this book brings together the stories of three generations of women—mother, daughter, and granddaughter—to understand the legacy that unites, inspires, and haunts them all."

My Thoughts:
 
I am in awe of this book.  I found it beautifully written, first from the perspective of Rita (Ruchel), then her daughter, Leslie, and then a combined narrative in the final third of the book, with sprinklings of Mikaela (Leslie's daughter) as well.  I was thoroughly enmeshed in this story.  I felt so connected to all the key characters and could not put the book down.  Although, I cannot identify with the Holocaust in a personal nature, the events and feelings were so vividly written that I felt like I was part of the story. 
 
What I found especially intriguing was that the psychological trauma of the Holocaust has managed to weave into the fabric of the family even two generations later.  I can attest to the fact that a parent's psychological trauma has a real and lasting impact on their own children's lives, even though the trama happened before their children were born.  I am able to relate in a very strong way to this part of the story and I felt myself saying "Oh my gosh - I'm not the only one who feels/thinks/does that!"
 
I feel very strongly about this story and I highly recommend this to everyone out there.  This book will have a lasting impact on me.
 
Please stop by tomorrow for an except from the book!
 
Jennifer
Signup for Leslie Gilbert-Lurie's author updates from Harper Collins!

Thank you to Sarah at Pocket Books for providing my blog with two copies of Breaking the Bank to give away to two lucky readers!!

The winners are:
geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com
teakettle58atyahoodotcom  DID NOT RESPOND WITHIN 48 HOURS
The new winner is:  s.mickelson at gmail dot com  DID NOT RESPOND WITHIN 48 HOURS

The new winner is:  jennala @ cfl . rr . com

Each winner will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail or I will have to select another winner! 

Thank you for entering my contest!!  :)

Author:  Katarina Mazetti

Book Description:

An international sensation, this addictively readable tale asks the question: Why is it so impossible to get a relationship between two middle-aged misfits to work? The answer lies in the story of Shrimp, a young widowed librarian with a sharp intellect and a home so tidy that her jam jars are in alphabetical order; Benny, a gentle, overworked milk farmer who fears becoming the village's Old Bachelor; and an unlikely love that should not be as complicated as it seems. Reminiscent of the works of Carol Shields, this quirky, humorous, beautifully told novel breathes new life into the age-old conundrum that is love.

MY THOUGHTS:

This is a cute, but bizarre story about two people hopelessly in love, but unable to come to terms with their relationship.  I find it interesting that they meet in a cemetery of all places!  But, that just adds another dimension to the story.  I see that there is a sequel, but it has not yet been translated into English.  I was left a bit disappointed with the ending, so I am looking forward to reading the follow-up story in hopes that it will answer some of my questions!  This is a quick read at only 208 pages, so I'd recommend it for a light, fast story.

Thank you to everyone who entered my contest for a set of 5 books in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month!!  And, a big thank you goes out to Hachette Books for allowing me to sponsor this fantastic giveaway!!  Each winner will receive a set of 5 books, which includes:

1.Zumba® by Beto Perez with Maggie Greenwood-Robinson  ISBN: 0446546127

2.Evenings at the Argentine Club By Julia Amante  ISBN: 0446581623

3.Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz By Belinda Acosta  ISBN: 044654051X

4.Tell Me Something True By Leila Cobo  ISBN: 0446519367

5.Amigoland By Oscar Casares  ISBN: 0316159697
 
Each winner will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail or another winner will be chosen!
 
The 5 winners are:
 
jlcstewart {AT} earthlink {DOT} net
 
dd {DOT} bookgoddess {AT} gmail {DOT} com  Did not respond - another winner was chosen!
 
pbclark (at) netins (dot) net
 
bstilwell12 (at) comcast (dot) net
 
nancyecdavis (AT) bellsouth (DOT) net

NEW WINNER:  deb55106(at)gmail(dot)com
 
Congratulations to the winners!!!

Author:  Shauna Roberts
Publisher:  Hadley Rille Books
Publication Date:  October 5, 2009

Book Description courtesy of shaunaroberts.com/mayflies.html:

At the dawn of civilization, one woman must risk her life and her reputation to save her family and society itself from destruction.

Within the walls of ancient Uruk on the bank of the Euphrates, more than fifty thousand people live, love, work, and play, ruled over by King Gilgamesh and protected by their patron goddess, Inanna.
But civilization is precarious. At any moment, the armies of other cities could fall upon them, a spring flood could wash away the city, famine could strike, or, the Sumerians believe, the capricious and vengeful gods could punish any or all for the sins of a few.

Although the tall, strong, and handsome Gilgamesh epitomizes manly physical perfection, in other ways he falls far short. His subjects fear him, and for good reason, because he has become a bored and restless tyrant.

The people cry out to the gods for relief. The elegant, sophisticated priestess Shamhat fears Gilgamesh's growing wildness will attract the wrath of the gods. She wants to protect Inanna and her temple, as well as free the people of Uruk from Gilgamesh's oppression, but she fears the repercussions for her and her son if she acts against the out-of-control king.

Then word comes to Uruk of a wild man living in the desert, a man the equal of Gilgamesh in size and strength. The king thinks the wild man can relieve his boredom and restlessness and sends someone to bring him back to court. But the person he has chosen, Shamhat, has her own agenda: She believes the wild man can humble the arrogant king.

Enkidu the wild man becomes a pawn in the struggle between Gilgamesh and Shamhat, and the future of Uruk hangs in the balance.

Like Mayflies in a Stream is a historical novel set 4,700 years ago in Sumer, in what is now southern Iraq.

Here is my interview with first-time novelist, Shauna Roberts!

1. First of all, Congratulations on the publication of your first novel, Like Mayflies in a Stream! This must be an incredibly exciting time for you!

Thank you, Jennifer! And thank you for inviting me to visit your blog. You guessed right—this is an exciting time. It will be even more exciting once I hold the book in my hand and see that it’s real. Being a published novelist still feels like a dream.

2. How long have you been writing?

I wrote my first short story in elementary school, but didn’t stick with fiction. I’ve spent most of my life writing nonfiction, first in graduate school, then at scientific magazines, and then, since 1990, as a freelance medical and science writer.

I always kept a dream in my heart, though, of being a novelist one day. My aunt, Janet Louise Roberts, was a successful romance writer, and I knew from watching her journey that my trip to being a novelist would likely be long and hard. So I kept putting off getting started. When my mother died in 2000, it was a big kick in the butt. I realized that my life could be cut unexpectedly short, too. That’s when I seriously started writing and then selling short stories—science fiction, fantasy, romance.

3. Where did the idea for Like Mayflies in the Stream come from?

I had had a couple of stories in anthologies published by Hadley Rille Books, so they were familiar with my writing. When I heard they were starting a new series of archaeology-related novels written by archaeologists, I gathered up my courage and contacted the editor. He encouraged me to submit some ideas. I had recently reread the “Epic of Gilgamesh” and loved it, so one of the ideas I submitted was a retelling of the epic from the viewpoint of the priestess who tames Enkidu the wild man. The editor liked that idea, and so Like Mayflies in a Stream was born.

Although the book was inspired by the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” one can read and enjoy it without any knowledge of the epic or of Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq). Love, abuse of power, and courage transcend countries and centuries.

4. What drew you to write about this period in history?

I have been fascinated by ancient Mesopotamia since high school. Imagine building civilization from the ground up, without any previous civilization to draw on, without even knowing if it was possible! The ancient Mesopotamians invented so many of the basics—writing, accounting, literature, schools, laws, beer, mass production, the pottery wheel, irrigation, the big city—the list goes on and on. Look around today, and you’ll see little in our culture that is original or new. In ancient Mesopotamia, everything was.

5. How long did it take you to pen this novel?

I turned it in to the publisher 3-1/2 months after I started writing it. That’s actual butt-in-chair, hands-on-keyboard time. I spent three months mapping out the story and getting to know the characters in my head as well as reading a lot of books and articles. I thought I knew ancient Mesopotamia well, but when it came to the minutiae of everyday life, I discovered I knew very little. I ended up researching everything from barter economies to beermaking, furniture to funeral customs, weapons to women’s occupations.

6. What does your typical writing day look like?

Ideally, I am in my office by 9 am and I stop for the day by 6 pm, Monday through Friday. However, neither nonfiction writing nor fiction writing can really be stuffed into a regular workweek all the time. I work evenings and weekends when something unexpected happens to throw me off schedule, which happens, unfortunately, all too frequently.

Unlike many writers, who religiously write fiction every day if only for a few minutes, I don’t mentally switch gears easily. So I write in chunks instead. One day I may write fiction for ten hours straight; another day, I may work on a nonfiction article; yet another day I may research or make phone calls or update my account book. The breaks between my fiction writing days are useful for “marination”; my subconscious comes up with many good ideas during those breaks that I would not have if I were consciously working on my story every day.

7. What type of books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favorite books or authors you'd like to share with us?

In nonfiction, I read primarily biography and history, with a soupçon of science and world religions. My current interests are the Middle East (7000 BCE to 1500 CE), the European Middle Ages (particularly Medieval Spain), and the history of religions.

In fiction, my favorites are fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction (mainstream, historical mystery, and historical romance). But because I buy nearly all the books my friends write, I read all kinds of fiction—women’s fiction, Western fiction, horror, magic realism, mainstream.

Authors I love and would like to introduce your readers to are:

•Barbara Hambly. This woman is amazing; she’s written several types of fantasy, historical mystery, horror, and now historical fiction set in 18th and 19th century America. I recommend them all.

•Guy Gavriel Kay. He writes long, complex fantasies set in worlds based closely on real historical periods. For example, my favorite book of his, The Lions of Al-Rassan, is based on the legend of El Cid and is set in a land resembling Medieval Spain (al-Andalus).

•Brandon Sanderson. His Mistborn series (Mistborn, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages) is a masterpiece of worldbuilding and constantly surprises.
Also, I suggest for your readers who think they don’t like fantasy two novels by Madeleine E. Robins: Point of Honour and Petty Treason. Both are about a “fallen woman” who becomes a swordmistress and solves crimes in a fantasy land much like Regency England.

8. Are you currently working on any other projects?

I’m working mainly on promoting Like Mayflies in a Stream so I can reach as wide an audience as possible. My next project is to revise the stories I wrote at the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Workshop this past summer and send them out. Meanwhile, I have an idea for my next novel and am tumbling plot ideas and characters in my head.

9. Finally, if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? :)

Oh my gosh, the world is so big! I can’t possibly narrow my choice down to one place. But I can say I would love to go to Iraq to see the ancient archaeological artifacts in the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad once it reopens and to visit the ruins of cities I read about while researching Like Mayflies in a Stream.

CONTEST!!

Ms. Roberts has graciously offered to provide one copy of her new book, Like Mayflies in a Stream, to one lucky reader of this blog!

Here's how to enter:

•Leave a comment with an e-mail address for +1 entry (I have to be able to reach you if you win!!). If you do not leave your e-mail address, your entry will be disqualified!

For extra BONUS entries, you may do the following:
•Follow my blog for +1 extra entry (let me know that you did!)

•Blog about this contest for +1 extra entry (leave a link so I can come check out your blog)

•Add me to your Blog Roll for +1 extra entry (leave a link so I can come check it out!!)

•Follow me on Twitter for +1 extra entry (let me know that you did!)

•Tweet about this contest for +1 extra entry (maximum one tweet per day; one extra entry per tweet)

Only USA Residents are eligible to win. No P.O. Boxes!

Contest will run until October 22!

Thank you for the wonderful interview and giveaway, Shauna! 

Blog readers:  Learn more about Shauna by visiting her website and blog!  Like Mayflies in a Stream is now available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Author:  Yona Zeldis McDonough

Book Description:

MONEY ISN'T EVERYTHING
Mia Saul is down on her luck. Dumped by her husband, jettisoned from her job, and estranged from her adored older brother, she and her young daughter, Eden, have had to make a downscale move to a crummy apartment, where their neighbors include a tough young drug dealer and a widower who lets his dogs use the hallways as their own personal litter box. Juggling a series of temporary jobs, wrangling with her ex-husband over child support, and trying to keep pace with Eden's increasingly erratic behavior have left Mia weary and worn out.

EXCEPT WHEN IT IS
So when a seemingly functional ATM starts handing Mia thousands and thousands of dollars -- and not deducting the money from her account, because it sure isn't in there -- she isn't about to give it back. Her newfound cash stash opens up a world of opportunity, and a whole lot of trouble. Worried friends, family, and in-laws start questioning her judgment about everything, and the cops really, really want to know where all that cash is coming from. And then there's Patrick, a man Mia most definitely would never have met if things hadn't spun out of control. Mia is beginning to think that maybe somebody, somewhere, is trying to teach her a lesson about what matters in life, and what doesn't....

My Thoughts:
 
I loved this book!  While Mia's choices were somewhat questionable as I read the book, I still really enjoyed it.  I wasn't sure if I would like the character of Mia since she didn't do what "I" morally would have done in that situation.  It took me a bit of time to get into it and to try and understand where she was coming from.  I mean, if an ATM suddenly spit out an extra $100 bucks and it didn't show on your receipt, what would you do?  I'd run right into the bank!!  Mia justifies keeping the money and not telling anyone about it.  And as her newfound money machine spits out more and more money, Mia finds herself embroiled in some seedy situations, with the police hot on her tail.  How will the story end??  I guess you'll have to read it and find out!!  This is a very enjoyable book that I definitely recommend!

And, to make things a bit sweeter, Pocket Books is allowing readers of this blog the opportunity to win one of two copies of BREAKING THE BANK!  Here's how you can get your entry!

• Leave a comment with an e-mail address for +1 entry (I have to be able to reach you if you win!!). If you do not leave your e-mail address, your entry will be disqualified!

For extra BONUS entries, you may do the following:

• Follow my blog for +1 extra entry (let me know that you did!)
• Blog about this contest for +1 extra entry (leave a link so I can come check out your blog)
• Add me to your Blog Roll for +1 extra entry (leave a link so I can come check it out!!)
• Follow me on Twitter for +1 extra entry (let me know that you did!)
• Tweet about this contest for +1 extra entry (maximum one tweet per day; one extra entry per tweet)

Only USA Residents are eligible to win.  No P.O. Boxes!

Contest will run until October 19!

I'd like to thank Sarah Reidy from Pocket Books for allowing me to participate in the Blog Tour and for the review book and giveaway, too!

Author:  Laura Levine
Series:  Jaine Austen, Writer-for-Hire (Bk 4)
247 pages

Book Description:

Freelance writer Jaine Austen is not your typical Los Angelino. She's not rich, she's not thin, and she's definitely not starstruck. She is a sarcastic, sometime-sleuth who's never met a carb she didn't like...or a mystery she couldn't solve...If clothes make the man, then what do Jaine's elastic-waist pants and T-shirts make her? A fashion nightmare, according to her neighbour, Lance. She doesn't expect Lance - who works in the designer shoe department at Nieman Marcus - to understand...which is how she ends up visiting his favourite boutique, Passions. While the couture is definitely not for Jaine, the staff's gossip is. Tiny orange-haired clerk Becky starts complaining about her co-worker Giselle - a.k.a. "Frenchie" - a brittle blonde who, when she's not making fun of customers behind their backs, adds extra-marital notches to her Chanel belt. Though Jaine doesn't land a new look, she does land a new job when Passions' owner gives her a chance to write their new magazine ads. But when Jaine arrives the next morning to pitch her ideas, she finds Frenchie pitched over, stabbed in the neck by one of her own stilettos. Now all Jaine has to do is figure out who hated Frenchie the most, in a case of death by designer knock-off...

My Thoughts:

Another quick, enjoyable cozy mystery featuring writer-for-hire, Jaine Austen.  This time Jaine finds herself investigating the death of Frenchie, a nasty co-worker who ends up with a stiletto stuck in her neck.  But who did it and why?  Again, every character seems to be a suspect and as Jaine investigates Frenchie's husband, boyfriend, co-workers, and boss, she finds herself becoming a target of a stiletto-wielding killer.  But will Jaine figure it out before it's too late??

I really enjoy this series, but reading them back-to-back, they seem very formulaic.  So, it will probably be a while before I read the next one.  I definitely recommend them, though! 

Title:  Bo's Cafe
Authors:  John Lynch, Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol
Book Website:  http://www.boscafe.com/
Read an excerpt

Book Description:
High-powered executive Steven Kerner is living the dream in southern California. But when his bottled pain ignites in anger one night, his wife kicks him out. Then an eccentric mystery man named Andy Monroe befriends Steven and begins unravelling his tightly wound world. Andy leads Steven through a series of frustrating and revealing encounters to repair his life through genuine friendship and the grace and love of a God who has been waiting for him to accept it. A story to challenge and encourage, BO'S CAFE is a model for all who struggle with unresolved problems and a performance-based life. Those who desire a fuller, more authentic way of living will find this journey of healing a restorative exploration of God's unbridled grace.

My Thoughts:
Unfortunately, due to a death in my family, I got very behind with my reading, so I am still in the process of reading this book, but I wanted to post my thoughts so far for the blog tour.  This book is so easy to read and keeps the reader engaged and wanting to know what will happen next.  I'm actually enjoying it more than THE SHACK!  I'm definitely looking forward to finishing this book and posting my final thoughts.  For those of you who read THE SHACK, I highly recommend this book.  It brings forth a positive message and really makes you think about your life.

Thank you to Miriam from Hachette Books for providing me with this review copy and allowing me to participate in the blog tour!