The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a best seller in 1931/32 and has been made into a film. The author was the first American woman to win a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938. Treated as a classic book it deals with life in rural China before the revolution. It shows the levels of respect given to individuals in this society. The book begins with the wedding preparations of a poor farmer and ends with his final return to the earth that he loved. In between is a story of family life around the precious earth.

Find the book here on Amazon

View all my reviews

“V” Vanguard of Hope by Kathy Steinemann

I read and reviewed this book for Kathy a while ago, you can read about the book http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-eQ and catch up with Kathy as she was also a guest author on the blog http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-eT

As this great challenge draws to an end, PLEASE keep writing your comments as our challenge relies on them.

 Letter of the alphabet: V

Vanguard of Hope

By Kathy Steinemann

LISETVILLE, 1890 — Murders are committed; homes are burned; family secrets are buried; an unexpected romance complicates lives. Amid the mystery and violence, a vigilante brigade emerges to administer justice.

Flowing through the intrigue and drama is a dark undercurrent that will touch your heart as you empathize with the victims.

What Readers are Saying:

“I am hooked. I do hope that I will be able to get all your novels.” – Lorene Charlton

“It’s not chick lit.” – A Male Reader

“This book keeps you in suspense right to the end. The dark underlying theme is tackled in a sensitive manner.” – S.L. Banks

“I started reading this novel to help quiet my mind at a late hour, but found myself still awake in the morning. Its intense read was much more than I expected. It has ‘all’ the elements from love, betrayal, suspense, and romance, to murder. ‘Vanguard  of Hope’ will touch everyone who reads it. If you’re a young adult or older, this excellent novel will awaken you
deep within your soul.” – Toni Gee

“The book was excellent! I really enjoyed reading it. I could not stop. Every chance I got, I was trying to sneak in just a couple more diary entries! I look forward to reading the next
book in the series. And I will most certainly be recommending this to others to read!” – Brandy Mayan-Rooks

Kathy tells us;

This novel addresses a few social issues that existed during the 19th century. Some of those issues have improved over time; one has not. The challenge in writing the book was to engage the reader in a plot with unexpected twists, while discussing a sensitive theme.

http://kathysteinemann.com/Books/Vanguard_of_Hope/               

Here are 5 links to more AtoZ Challengers;

http://stephenyhoughtlin.wordpress.com/

http://devotionals-margot.blogspot.co.uk/

http://maskedmom.blogspot.co.uk/

http://theblogdoesnotexist.blogspot.com.au/

http://annas-adornments.blogspot.co.uk/

“U” from the AtoZ Challenge

Today the letter on the challenge is “U”. My book today is “Under the Never Tree” by Veronica Rossi. As part of the daily challenge we are asking all readers of our post to leave a comment, thanks.

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she’s never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He’s searching for someone too. He’s also wild – a savage – but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other’s best hope for finding answers.

One reader wrote this about the book;

Despite the slow start, Under The Never Sky turned into a fast paced, thrilling ride which had me hooked. It’s tough, bloody and action packed at times with some heart stopping moments that kept me turning pages as fast as I could. Although I was baffled with the world to begin with, Rossi captures it so well that once you get it, it becomes believable, detailed and developed, so much so that while reading it I felt I was actually there. I would like to know what happened to make the world how it is in Under the Never Sky, as this isn’t
covered. Maybe that will come in following books in this series, which judging by the ending of this one promise to be every bit as good. If you like your
dystopia worlds bleak and ruthless with an action packed and fast paced plot, then I recommend Under The Never Sky.

Here are 5 randomly chosen links to other AtoZ Challengers;

http://autism-and-other-developmental-disorders.com/

http://partysmartypants.com/wordpress/

http://atozmcr.blogspot.co.uk/

http://nolagirlatheart.wordpress.com/

http://nwogenalogy.blogspot.co.uk/

Talk of the Playground book re-launch

I’ve just re-launched my first book with a brand new cover and a small edit on the story. A huge thanks to the team behind the scenes of this one! Let me know what you think of the new cover:

Find it here on Amazon ; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Talk-of-the-Playground-ebook/dp/B008HE75PO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366375192&sr=8-1&keywords=talk+of+the+playground

It’s also available to borrow for free if you are signed up with Amazon Prime.

“F” on the AtoZ Challenge

My book today is Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey. Please don’t forget to add a comment at the bottom of the blog as part of the challenge, Thanks. Sunday is a day off from the AtoZ Challenge, but I’ll have a book review for you from my own reading stack.

Letter: F for Finding Lucas

Buy links: Amazon-http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Lucas-ebook/dp/B007VIIU6A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363705602&sr=8-1&keywords=finding+lucas

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Finding-Lucas/book–wfpLcDV6keHZR-T80qCUg/page1.html?s=7ytK5hEjqEuuEEaeqbiaVA&r=1

Summary: Can you ever really go back to the past? After five long years of living with Derek, her former bad-boy-turned-metrosexual boyfriend, Jamie Ross finally reaches her breaking point. She’s had enough of his sneering disdain for her second-hand wardrobe, unusual family and low-paying job as the associate producer of Chicago’s sleaziest daytime talk show. When her new boss plans a segment on reuniting lost loves, Jamie remembers Lucas, her first love and the boy she’d lost ten years earlier. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, Jamie goes on a hilarious, disastrous and life changing hunt to track Lucas down. But are some loves best left behind?

Finding Lucas is about searching for love, but it’s also about a hilarious cast of family and friends who support Jamie in everything she does. Jamie, with her love of discount clothing and dislike for the color pink, is not your average romantic comedy heroine. She grows tremendously throughout the book, and I am always touched by the readers who connect with her. I recently changed the cover of Finding Lucas because I wanted a brighter color and an image that conveys how Jamie feels about Derek, her toxic boyfriend, and her hunt to track Lucas down. I hope I succeeded!

Here is what one reader thought about the book;

This is a brilliantly written book. Samantha has a terrific style of writing and she draws you in from the very first line. I highly recommended it! Finding Lucas is only one click away from your Kindle – go for it!! I would’ve rated this book 6 of those gold stars if it could’ve given me the option to do so! Thanks for a wonderful read Samantha Stroh Bailey!! I am so looking forward to reading your second book and eagerly await its release!!!

Here are links to 4 randomly chosen AtoZ Bloggers;

http://emptynestinsider.blogspot.co.uk/

http://petedenton.wordpress.com/

http://empire500.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.brindaberry.com/blog.html

“E” on the AtoZ Challenge

The letter “E” brings us a book written by Brianna McKenzie, Brianna was recently a guest author on the blog http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-l0

Brianna gives us some inside information about her book;

I’d like to tell you a secret about “Enchanted Heart”. This book is very dear to me because, as a child, one of my favourite places to visit was the Enchanted Rock. This pervasive pink, round rock juts out over the landscape of Texas near Fredericksburg. When we were little, we would climb to the top of the rock, shout into the canyon below, and then listen to the chasm yell back at us. I wanted to introduce this same childlike enchantment into one of my books but the perfect story never came to me. But then one night, I had a dream where
nearly the entire story unfolded before me. And one of the scenes was Marty and Caid professing their love for each other on top of the Enchanted Rock. This heart-warming story follows Marty and her twin sister Greta from their native country of Germany to central Texas while tragedy and misery shadow them until Fate brings hope to their Enchanted

Hearts. Links to the book are http://amzn.to/EnchantedHeart_US  and http://amzn.to/EnchantedHeart_UK

After emigrating from Germany at the age of seven, Marty Hirsch watched her father die on the arduous journey from the coast of Texas to the new settlement in New Braunfels. While Papa took his final breath, Marty assured him that she would fulfil the dream of owning the land that had been promised to him by the German Immigrant Society. And while she watched her twin sister Greta and Mama trudging the many miles to their new home, Marty vowed right then and there to bring them happiness, no matter the cost to her own contentment. As time passed, she struggled to fulfil that self-assigned task, but more tragedy assailed her in the form of miscarriages with her husband before he was killed in the Civil War. When their cousin convinced her and Greta to move westward to the new German settlement at Fort Concho on the San Saba River, Marty was ready for a change in her life. That change came when she encountered Aiden Kincaid McAllister, the handsome stranger who guided their wagon train to their new home. She found herself falling hopelessly in love with the dark-haired, blue-eyed stranger. But would that love last or would more tragedies cause Marty to give up on love altogether?

About the Author Brianna Lee McKenzie was born in Corpus Christi, Texas where she spent most of her childhood summers listening to Grandma Ruby tell stories of her adventurous life. Having nomadic parents, she never lived in any particular town for very long. Making friends was difficult in this situation, causing her to, at a young age, retreat into her own little world where the characters that she created were her companions. As she grew, she developed her ability to mentally visualize vivid scenes which she revisited later when she learned to take pen into hand. As an adult, she submitted several examples of her work to publishers, but was disappointed by rejection after rejection. But with encouragement from family and friends, she took that giant leap joining her new family at Fantasy Island Book Publishing. Brianna lives on a yacht on the Chesapeake Bay where she finds inspiration in the magnificent sunsets and the romantic gestures of her husband. Her ultimate goal is to make her family proud of her accomplishments. Selling books is just a blissful bi-product.

Here is what one reader thought about the book;

Enchanted Heart takes you on a really emotional journey from start to finish. The twin’s lives wrap themselves around your heart, and you just have to know what happens to them. Brianna builds up the tension slowly to begin with but little by little she leads you along many paths until you ultimately discover whether Marty and Greta find the peace and happiness they so richly deserve.

Todays randomly chosen links to other AtoZ Bloggers are;

http://tossingitout.blogspot.co.uk/

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.co.uk/

http://amloki.blogspot.co.uk/

http://kmdlifeisgood.blogspot.co.uk/

http://dlcruisingaltitude.blogspot.co.uk/

Guest author Carmen Stefanescu

Today my guest is Carmen Stefanescu, please join me in welcoming her to the blog and learning a little more about this author.

1) Tell me your name
Carmen Stefanescu
2) Where do you live?
Romania, better known as Dracula’s country, in Eastern Europe.
3)When did you start writing?
I started writing short satirical poems as a student. Then short stories. All were in my native tongue Romanian, as I am not a native English speaker. I lived all my life in Romania, known to many as Dracula’s country. After the fall of dictatorship in 1989, things changed a bit and the access to the Internet and the opening to the world helped me start publishing. Poems in English, first. Some of them were selected for a collection of contemporary English poems, Muse Whispers, and were published in 2001 and 2002. Now novels.

4)What type of books do you like writing the most?
Paranormal. I am fond of ghosts, reincarnation, past lives and karmic retribution. Not vampires even if I live in Dracula’s country. I believe that our soul is immortal. Should it be my fear of the eternity of nothingness? May be! I can’t really say.

5)Pass on 3 tips about writing or publishing.
1-Keep your writing clear and coherent, and avoid pretentious or overly formal language.
2-Ask someone else to read your writing and critique it.
3- Select the strongest nouns and verbs before you select adjectives and adverbs.
And above all: Read! Write! Read and write!
6)What was the last book that you read? How would you rate it?
The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap by Paulette Mahurin. 5 stars.
7)Now choose just one of your books and add a link to it.
Shadows of the Past.
http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=84&products_id=410
or
http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-of-the-Past-ebook/dp/B00AK2D9I8/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354874514&sr=1-15&keywords=shadows+of+the+past
Thank you for hosting my interview!
Carmen

Dear readers,

If you don’t know already, I’m taking part in the A to Z Challenge which starts on Monday (apologies to everyone who already know!) Please drop by and read my posts as I blog about books for 26 days in April using the alphabet.

Thanks

Rosie

NaNoWriMo

Now three-quarters of the way through National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and writers across the globe are busy writing their 50000 word novel in this exciting challenge.

The object of the exercise is to complete a new novel in just 30 days, upload it to the site, get it verified and you are a winner. Winners are shown on the winners page, they get a winners certificate and a web badge.

Check out more details on the link below and good luck everyone who is frantically typing away as you read this blog.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/about/hownanoworks