Books, Reading

Special Feature: Paperback Release: The Chalice (The Crown #2) by Nancy Bilyeau

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Special Feature: Paperback Release: The Chalice (The Crown #2) by Nancy Bilyeau

Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing Nancy Bilyeau’s thrilling historic fiction novel The Chalice!

I am excited to announce Touchstone Books is now releasing The Chalice in paperback!  (On-sale March 18, 2014; $16.00 paperback; 978-1-4767-0866-9; Touchstone Books).

I am also posting a giveaway for the paperback novel so check my giveaway posting for details!

The Chalice is the second in Bilyeau’s The Crown series. In The Chalice, Bilyeau returns to the story of Joanna Stafford, a young aristocratic nun whose cloistered way of life came crashing down when King Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries.

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Giveaway, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Collector of Dying Breaths (Reincarnationist #6) by M.J. Rose

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Collector of Dying Breaths (Reincarnationist #6) by M.J. Rose

Jac L’Etoile is still struggling to come to terms with her gift of reincarnation and channeling the past lives of those around her.

She still doesn’t believe in her abilities and isn’t quite comfortable using them, though those around her encourage her to do so.

She is called to France by her brother, Robbie, who is a well known perfumer and of late has been dabbling in the occult aspect of his profession.

Robbie is dying and he wants to share his latest project with Jac–how to collect dying breaths to reanimate the spirit. He has been working with an eccentric and wealthy couple trying to unlock the key to the dying breaths theory when he suddenly falls ill.

Jac steps in to take his place when she begins to question the ethical values of the couple. However, curiosity wins out and Jac continues to work on the project at the ancient French chateau of Rene le Florentine–royal perfumer of Catherine de Medici.

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Queen Elizabeth’s Daughter by Anne Clinard Barnhill

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Mary Sheldon has grown up in the glittering court of Queen Elizabeth I. Mary is an orphan and as a young cousin to the Queen, she is taken in as a ward and raised at court.

Over the years, the Queen has groomed Mary for a prestigious marriage, perhaps to a prince to secure an alliance.

Mary has been taught by the best tutors and has even serves on Queen Elizabeth’s council meetings.

She is well prepared to be in a prestigious marriage but she longs for love. The Queen’s ideal match would be a prince or at the very least, an Earl. Edward, the Earl of Oxford, would make a splendid match for Mary.

He is powerful, handsome, and rich…all traits that the Queen admires and desires for Mary. However, Mary has other ideas. When she looks at the Earl, she sees all these qualities yes, but she also sees that he is cruel and she refuses to marry him.

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Books, Giveaway, Reading

Announcement: Winner: The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Announcement: Winner: The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma

And the winner of The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma is…..

Carl S (tweeted about giveaway)

The winner will be notified via email.

Thank you to everyone who entered and a huge thank you to the publisher for making this giveaway possible!

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin

In the Lake District of northern England, the estranged Earl of Askew has returned to his crumbling country estate after years abroad.

He has run out of money and needs to start selling off some of his belongings to pay for his eccentric life style and habits.

He places a call to a well respected auction house in London, Hardy’s, and Gerald Stanton and his apprentice Joanna (Jo) Roswell, are dispatched to the estate to evaluate some of the finer pieces.

Jo’s mother has just died in a terrible plane crash and she welcomes the opportunity to throw herself back into her work.

When Jo and Gerald arrive at the rambling estate of Thirlbeck, they are met with a colorful cast of inhabitants.

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