tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13190322752930105022024-03-05T19:35:50.008-08:00Booktalk & MoreAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.comBlogger1671125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-77077182886971664362016-05-19T07:00:00.000-07:002016-05-19T07:01:37.339-07:00Belgravia Blog Tour - Episode 7: A Man of Business<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61HBnhqDmdf6C3jZ23tG847li_-I8x1HYq4XnsEp0hy-IZ_Bh5eiXo2pXPNG_qrpyBuIaGWeALTx28YJCaHxJmfBf-oiGIMV5wGGRB1htCZPUXcxaJYftDpXxJnPN_0JOyU-dj-B4jMk/s1600/Belgravia_blog-tour_vertical-II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61HBnhqDmdf6C3jZ23tG847li_-I8x1HYq4XnsEp0hy-IZ_Bh5eiXo2pXPNG_qrpyBuIaGWeALTx28YJCaHxJmfBf-oiGIMV5wGGRB1htCZPUXcxaJYftDpXxJnPN_0JOyU-dj-B4jMk/s320/Belgravia_blog-tour_vertical-II.jpg" width="128" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Award winning creator/writer of </i></b><b>Downton Abbey<i> presents his latest endeavor, </i><a href="http://www.julianfellowesbelgravia.com/">Julian Fellowes’<i> </i>Belgravia</a><i>, a new book
blending the Victorian-era serialized novel with modern technology.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Julian Fellowes</span><i style="font-family: inherit;">’ Belgravia</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> will be featured in a progressive
blog tour April 14-June 16, 2016. Similar to a “progressive dinner party,”
where a group of friends each make one course of a meal that moves from house
to house with each course, a “progressive blog tour” is the same concept
applied to the Internet. Eleven historical fiction bloggers and authors are
participating, each taking one episode of the novel and offering a recap and
review for that week. As a participant, you will follow the tour and join in
the read-along and conversation. A fabulous give-away contest, including three
(3) hardcover copies of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Julian Fellowes’
Belgravia</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> will be open to those who join the festivities. </span></div>
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Please visit <a href="http://www.riskyregencies.com/2016/05/12/julian-fellowes-downtown-abbey-has-a-novel/">Risky Regencies</a> to learn more about last week's installment, Episode 6: A Spy in Our Midst, and be sure to read on for my review of Episode 7: A Man of Business and details on the giveaway!<br />
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We are now well over halfway through <i>Belgravia</i> and well and truly immersed into the world of the Trenchard and Bellasis families. In true trademark Julian Fellowes fashion, the journey thus far has been replete with twists, turns, and intrigue aplenty, as the hidden product of a Napoleonic War-era affair between the late Sophia Trenchard and Edmund Bellasis comes to light -- to all but the subject in question, the unwitting focus of the matron of each respective family's furious maneuvering.<br />
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This episode of <i>Belgravia</i> is perhaps my favorite yet, as so much of the secrets, discovery, and social machinations that have been set in place in the previous installments begin to bear fruit, the ripple effect of calculated decisions and reckless gambles playing out in the lives of each character. This installment opens with a rare moment of accord between Caroline Brockenhurst -- Edmund's mother -- and Anne Trenchard -- Sophia's mother. These two very different women are bound together in an unlikely alliance by a moment of passion between their children years earlier that produced Charles Pope, enterprising mill owner and unknowing -- and illegitimate -- heir to two prosperous families.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>“She did not
think it would take much longer for the story to come out, after which Edmund’s
memory would be, if anything, enhanced and Sophia Trenchard’s would be ruined.”</i></span></blockquote>
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The secret that binds together the Trenchards and the Brockenhursts is one that cannot be kept long, as Caroline's enthusiastic and very public patronage of Charles has already started to raise eyebrows within her social circle. Given the inevitability of such a disclosure, Anne seizes the opportunity to join Caroline and Lady Maria Grey, the bright and vivacious young woman rather unfortunately engaged to John Bellasis, Caroline's nephew and the Brockenhurst heir.<br />
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The secrets simmering beneath the surface of the visit inform the tone of this episode, as Caroline and Anne each long to openly acknowledge their relationship to Charles and celebrate, through him, the restoration of some small part of their long-lost children. And Maria, despite her engagement, cannot help but respond to the simmering attraction between her and Charles, especially when as compared to her relationship with her intended, John, their every interaction speaks of a potential marriage of two equal, enthusiastic minds.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>“His father
a soldier, she was thinking, and the cousin of a churchman…what was wrong with
that? He might not be a catch, but he was at least a gentleman.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">John, having received intelligence as to Caroline's whereabouts from her maid, Ellis, makes an unwelcome interruption to the otherwise cozy visit, eager to learn anything he can that will help him destroy Charles. For, despite his ignorance of their familial connection, he views Charles a a wholly unwelcome rival to be disposed of, a usurper making free use of the money he already views as his own thanks to the assumption he will inherit the Brockenhurst fortune. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Following the visit, Anne leaves for Glanville, the Trenchard family's country estate, with John, Oliver, and Susan in tow. Her time in Charles's presence, hearing his enthusiasm for his life and work has left her at peace, and now she finds herself willing to accept the coming social storm that would result when Charles's true identity was revealed, as surely it must.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>“But she was quite certain it was her
engagement and her rank that were holding him back. She was not so sheltered
that she could not see when a man was attracted to her, and she was confident
she could bring Charles up to the mark when she wanted to.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“She
had admitted for the first time that she was planning a true mésalliance for
herself.” </i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, Maria does the unthinkable. Determined to defy her family's wishes and bring an end to her engagement to John Bellasis, she takes her romantic future in her own hands and requests a meeting with Charles. This section of the episode absolutely made my heart sing, as when it comes to historical fiction I love nothing quite so much a love story between social opposites. This scene, more than any other to date in <i>Belgravia</i>, reminded me of the romance of <i>Downton Abbey</i> and the spark that peppered each of that series' memorable romances.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“She loved
him. And he loved her back. She had acknowledged him as her lover. That was all
he really needed to know. If she did break his heart, it would be worth it for
this moment. What came next he couldn’t guess at, but he loved and was loved in
return. For now, that was enough.”</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This episode is a study in contrasts, from the tension between the aristocratic old money of the Brockenhursts (and their correlating ability to absorb potential scandal as a routine matter of course) and the new money springing from trade and industry represented by the Trenchards and James's ever-evolving business interests. Likewise there is the exploration of women's roles in society, here between the expectations a woman such a Mary faced (marriage and children) and those she craved (love, travel, business interests). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>"You are a
model of dynamism and industry and yet, unlike most people in your way of life,
you were not born to it."</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNrDsBt_YQeSOzpfUQ5bZi0q3iQEZZK80DvRmdOFNyHS4dXjveJ3ZRKW5V3yjfFN16scFBo_83ZejponPWxEdZPGMVjB2RUNGooUDmXbhlrsCqAaFYV4ADUF2imlLBgq2IOw5ZDfv1AE/s1600/Belgravia+Julian+Fellowes+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNrDsBt_YQeSOzpfUQ5bZi0q3iQEZZK80DvRmdOFNyHS4dXjveJ3ZRKW5V3yjfFN16scFBo_83ZejponPWxEdZPGMVjB2RUNGooUDmXbhlrsCqAaFYV4ADUF2imlLBgq2IOw5ZDfv1AE/s320/Belgravia+Julian+Fellowes+2016.jpg" width="209" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Both Mary and Charles, in particular, represent a marriage of the two social facets, the aristocracy and the lower -- though socially upwardly mobile -- class, those who make their fortune in trade and industry. Charles exists at the nexus of the aristocracy and the burgeoning Industrial Revolution, a man -- though he does not yet know it -- born to privilege, but driven to make his own way in the world. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It has been challenging to review a single installment of this story rather than discussing the entire tale as a whole. But that has been part of the appeal of this form of serialized storytelling, as with each successive installment I've grown increasingly invested in the world and characters Fellowes has crafted within the pages of <i>Belgravia</i>. Stylistically this novel is something of a departure from current historical fiction offerings, more narrative driven than I'm used to, much like the classic serialized novels that inspired <i>Belgravia</i>'s inception. As such, the first episode started slowly for me, but with each successive week as the story unfolded and characters developed, I have found myself increasingly eager to learn what happens next!</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are only four episodes left before <i>Belgravia</i> finishes, so there's still time to catch up if you haven't yet delved into Fellowes's latest world of romance and intrigue. If you've been reading along as episodes are released, I'd love to hear your thoughts -- favorite characters, most wished-for comeuppance (a clue: I cannot WAIT until John gets what has to be coming to him!), or thoughts on this release format. And if you haven't yet tried <i>Belgravia</i>, I would love to hear what intrigues you about this story. Be sure to check in at <a href="http://mimimatthews.com/">Mimi Matthews</a> next week for a discussion of episode 8!</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Giveaway
Contest<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Win a
Copy of <i>Julian Fellowes’ Belgravia</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In
celebration of the release of <i>Julian
Fellowes’ Belgravia</i>, Grand Central Publishing is offering a chance to win
one of the three (3) hardcover copies of the book! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To enter the giveaway contest, simply leave a comment
on any or all of the stops on the <b><i>Julian Fellowes’ Belgravia</i> Progressive
Blog Tour</b> starting April 14, 2016 through 11:59 pm PT, June 22, 2016.
Winners will be drawn at random from all of the comments and announced on <a href="https://austenprose.com/">Austenprose.com</a> June 23, 2016. Winners have until June 30, 2016 to
claim their prize. The contest is open to International residents and the books
will be shipped after July 5, 2016. Good luck to all!</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.79px;">April 14 – </b><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.79px;"><a href="https://austenprose.com/2016/04/14/julian-fellowes-belgravia-episode-1-dancing-into-battle-recap-review/" style="color: #6699cc;">Austenprose.com</a></b><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.79px;">: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.79px;">Episode 1: Dancing into Battle</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>April 14 – </b><a href="http://www.edwardianpromenade.com/books/julian-fellowes-belgravia-episode-2-a-chance-encounter/" style="color: #6699cc;"><b>Edwardian Promenade</b></a><b>: </b>Episode 2: A Chance Encounter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>April 21 </b><b style="line-height: 20.79px;">– </b><b style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 20.79px;"><a href="http://flyhigh-by-learnonline.blogspot.com/2016/04/julian-fellowes-belgravia-progressive.html" style="color: #6699cc;">Fly High!</a></b><span style="line-height: 20.79px;">: Episode 3: Family Ties</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.79px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>April 28 - <a href="http://calicocritic.blogspot.com/2016/04/belgravia.html" style="color: #6699cc;">Calico Critic</a></b>: Episode 4: At Home in Belgrave Square</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>May 5 -- <a href="http://luxuryreading.com/belgraviafellowes/" style="color: #6699cc;">Luxury Reading</a>: </b>Episode 5: The Assignation</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>May 12 -- <a href="http://www.riskyregencies.com/2016/05/12/julian-fellowes-downtown-abbey-has-a-novel/" style="color: #6699cc;">Risky Regencies</a>:</b> Episode 6: A Spy in our Midst</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>May 19 -- Booktalk & More Too: </b>Episode 7: A Man of Business</span></div>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.79px;"><b>May 26</b> – <a href="https://mimimatthews.com/">Mimi Matthews</a>: Episode 8: An Income for Life</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.79px;"><b>June 02</b> – <a href="http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.com/">Confessions of a Book Addict</a>: Episode 9: The Past is a Foreign Country</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.79px;"><b>June 09</b> – <a href="http://lauragerold.blogspot.com/">Laura’s Reviews</a>: Episode 10: The Past Comes Back</span></span><br />
<b style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.79px;">June 16</b><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.79px;"> – </span><a href="http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/" style="line-height: 20.79px;">Gwyn Cready</a><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.79px;">: Episode 11: Inheritance</span></div>
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This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-24806175743915753952015-08-29T14:48:00.002-07:002015-08-29T14:48:54.550-07:00Review: Love's Awakening by Laura Frantz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYElcX_mmsgvrR1lHkeW2WTwllE5WPVtyCLGMgx950f98Zr52vWTNSaiR1tWbwRg4Lyc4T-Kf6fN_A9w4qfRvHUOM7UQLy93a3W8O-CWXwBPiV99N26youONTgFaBOTQCw3KJs-Jz3Gs/s1600/Loves+Awakening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYElcX_mmsgvrR1lHkeW2WTwllE5WPVtyCLGMgx950f98Zr52vWTNSaiR1tWbwRg4Lyc4T-Kf6fN_A9w4qfRvHUOM7UQLy93a3W8O-CWXwBPiV99N26youONTgFaBOTQCw3KJs-Jz3Gs/s320/Loves+Awakening.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Awakening-Novel-Ballantyne-Legacy/dp/0800720423/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440882751&sr=8-1&keywords=love%27s+awakening">Love's Awakening</a></i> (The Ballantyne Legacy #2)<br />
By: Laura Frantz<br />
Publisher: Revell<br />
ISBN: 978-0-8007-2042-1<br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
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Elinor "Ellie" Ballantyne, just twenty years old and the jewel of her father's heart, flees finishing school and the matchmaking mamas of Philadelphia society, hungry for home and purpose. She is determined to shed some measure of her sheltered upbringing and embrace the Ballantyne steel of her heritage, vowing to make her own way in the world. But much has changed in her absence, and Ellie is ill-prepared for the simmering tensions between the pro-slavery and abolitionist movement, nor the depth of her family's involvement in the latter. However, the greatest danger may hail from the most unexpected quarter -- losing her heart to the son of the enemy -- the engmatic, and wholly unsuitable, Jack Turlock.<br />
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The rivalry between the Ballantynes and unscrupulous, whiskey-making Turlocks hails from Silas Ballantyne's early days in Pittsburgh, becoming further embittered when Isabel O'Hara, daughter of Silas's one-time friend and mentor, marries into the Turlock clan in a fit of pique when Silas chose Eden as his bride. And from that point, the die was cast: the Ballantynes respectable and virtuous, the Turlocks and their famed hell-raising ever a thorn in their -- and all respectable society's -- side.<br />
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Jack would like nothing more than to shed his family's unsavory reputation and start afresh. But ever aware of what he's seen and done, he was resigned to the burden of his familial heritage of violence and deceit, until a chance encounter with Ellie awakens feelings he'd long thought buried. Ellie's innocence and guileless acceptance of him as he is awakens in Jack the audacity to hope for a finer, better life. When his father and brother's plans threaten to destroy everything Ellie holds dear, Jack is left with a choice: the life he was raised to or faith in the God the Ballantynes claim and His promise of redemption.<br />
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While I like to stay current with favorite authors, it has been such a treat to lose myself in each successive installment of The Ballantyne Legacy without that pesky year-long wait between releases. Though the much-loved Silas and Eden are absent for half the novel, their presence is ever felt, underscoring Frantz's thesis of the heritage of faith, inherited through generations.<br />
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The Jack and Ellie relationship is not only one of my favorite tropes in romantic fiction -- adversaries to lovers -- but it is a gorgeously-wrought exploration of inheritance and choice. Colored with shades of Romeo and Juliet's warring families, Jack and Ellie's blossoming attraction is, at first blush, nought but an impossible dream. Separated by a gulf of familial rivalry and distrust, political ideologies, and most crucially, faith, here Frantz sketches a love story all the more memorable because of the transformative power of faith at its heart.<br />
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<i>Love's Awakening</i> has a two-fold meaning -- Jack and Ellie, certainly, but also the agape love of one human being to another regardless of race or creed. The sacrificial love those who claim Christ are called to live each day is woven throughout each page, as Frantz places her characters in the eye of the storm brewing over slavery. The Ballantynes and Jack participate in the early skirmishes between pro-slavers and abolitionists in Pennsylvania of the 1820's seeds of the great conflict to come later in the century that would rend the nation in two. As Jack quickly discovers, the Ballantynes' abolitionist efforts are a call to action, a study in the cost, danger, and rewards of putting faith in action.<br />
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Frantz has always delivered emotionally intense novels. Her heart-stopping romances are a hallmark of her work, as is her unparalleled ability to bring the past to life on the page, all on display here. But in <i>Love's Awakening</i>, in the final oact of Ellie and Jack's story she delivers her most action-packed epic yet. It is no exaggeration to say that my heart was racing as I breathlessly turned the pages, eager to see the finale unfold in all its high stakes, cinematic grandeur.<br />
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Like it's predecessor, <i>Love's Awakening</i> is a story of inheritance, both for good and ill. The Ballantyne Legacy is an unflinchingly honest study of faith and choice and the power of both to resound through future generations. A stunning romance, suspense, and heartbreak -- this is Frantz at her finest. I cannot wait to discover what's in store for the final Ballantyne installment!<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>About the book:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
In the spring of 1822, Ellie Ballantyne leaves finishing school and returns to the family home in Pittsburgh only to find that her parents are away on a long journey and her siblings don't seem to want her to stay. Determined to stand her ground and find her place in the world, Ellie fills her time by opening a day school for young ladies.<br />
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But when one of her students turns out to be an incorrigible young member of the Turlock family, Ellie knows she must walk a fine line. Slaveholders and whiskey magnates, the Turlocks are envious of the powerful Ballantynes and suspicious of their abolitionist leanings. As Ellie becomes increasingly entangled with the rival clan -- particularly the handsome Jack Turlock, she finds herself falling in love with an impossible future. Will she betray her family and side with the enemy?<br />
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Masterful storyteller Laura Frantz continues to unfold the stirring saga of the Ballantyne family in this majestic tale of love and loyalty. This is the Ballantyne Legacy.<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-51166486668642231662015-08-05T12:11:00.000-07:002015-08-05T12:11:13.920-07:00Ross Poldark Blog Tour - UPDATE!The blog tour celebrating the Poldark novels and miniseries may have ended, but the grand prize contest is still open! The grand prize (hosted by <a href="http://www.sourcebooks.com/buzz/the-buzz-sourcebooks/">Sourcebooks</a>) now includes a DVD copy of the new PBS series!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dzd9r5eYvcLCXzEiV0jcOJf05uei6D3YQln1QiUAghaP2q_2LXpq4btByvwsvZPbuepTD7OiU9WPLzRjWTqobQo2ZlUfbU17LMC2xbncA8TgJ00V6r1TsG5HQOG3eFmLGhNdTev5DbA/s1600/Poldark+Blog+Tour+Giveaway+Updated+x+500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dzd9r5eYvcLCXzEiV0jcOJf05uei6D3YQln1QiUAghaP2q_2LXpq4btByvwsvZPbuepTD7OiU9WPLzRjWTqobQo2ZlUfbU17LMC2xbncA8TgJ00V6r1TsG5HQOG3eFmLGhNdTev5DbA/s320/Poldark+Blog+Tour+Giveaway+Updated+x+500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm turning off comments for this post and directing you to <a href="http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-ross-poldark-blog-tour-excerpt.html">my entry in the blog tour, an excerpt from the first novel</a>. You'll find all of the contest details <a href="http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-ross-poldark-blog-tour-excerpt.html">there</a>! Good luck!<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-49414857751461479192015-08-05T10:08:00.002-07:002015-08-05T10:09:20.031-07:00Review: Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirZumuLMFLjUUdIECLDL7NNHiKxsoOHQ0BLsKtqYmagfOFatUHA42aE6OiTNe7diD4yCQxd09inE6etWbFJ54C-j6hgnl6Lpb2fHjZ108AFNpAAvOFxOPp4Ip3xFR9A43s0CZw-kFcQA/s1600/9780800720414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirZumuLMFLjUUdIECLDL7NNHiKxsoOHQ0BLsKtqYmagfOFatUHA42aE6OiTNe7diD4yCQxd09inE6etWbFJ54C-j6hgnl6Lpb2fHjZ108AFNpAAvOFxOPp4Ip3xFR9A43s0CZw-kFcQA/s320/9780800720414.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Reckoning-Novel-Ballantyne-Legacy/dp/0800720415/ref=sr_1_5_twi_2_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1438794179&sr=1-5&keywords=laura+frantz">Love's Reckoning</a></i> (The Ballantyne Legacy #1)</div>
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By: Laura Frantz</div>
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Publisher: Revell</div>
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ISBN: 978-0-8007-2041-4</div>
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<b>Review:</b></div>
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Eden Lee longs to make a fresh start in Philadelphia, to escape her father Liege's temper and her sister Elspeth's selfish machinations. Her fiery hair and family reputation mask a quiet spirit that hungers after God, desiring nothing more than the freedom to exercise her fledgling faith freely. But before she can make good on her dream of escape, her blacksmith father's new apprentice arrives, setting into motion plans of marriage and familial expectations that threaten to derail Eden's closely guarded dreams.</div>
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Silas Ballantyne has plans of his own to head west once his apprenticeship is finished, dreams he is determined shall not be thwarted by his contentious master or his tempting daughters. However, Silas finds himself irresistibly drawn to Eden's sweet spirit in defiance of Liege and Elspeth's determination to ensnare the talented blacksmith in a web of deceit. As love blossoms between Silas and Eden, fostered by whispered stairwell meetings and exchanged scraps of scripture, the long-latent embers of jealousy between Liege's daughters ignite. When all they hold dear is threatened, Silas and Eden are forced to decide if their faith and love is enough to withstand the heartache that would see their hoped-for future destroyed,</div>
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It has been far too long since I've lost myself within the pages of a Laura Frantz novel. Reading <i>Love's Reckoning</i> was akin to water falling on dry land, a balm to my soul sorely in need of Frantz's craftsmanship and heart. The first installment in a multi-generational family epic, <i>Love's Reckoning</i> is replete with Frantz's trademarks: carefully-crafted characters, a heart-rending love story, and a nearly tactile sense of time and a nearly tactile sense of time and place. Within these pages, late 18th-century Pennsylvania springs to life with color and depth. If a novel is her canvas, Frantz paints with the skill of a master.</div>
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Here Frantz blends shades of the Cinderella story with a familial and romance dynamic reminiscent of the biblical saga of Jacob, Esau, Rachel, and Laban. Eden is a classic Cinderella figure, the family drudge who still maintains her sweet spirit. In less capable hands, seeing the abuse she endures at the hands of family members could have made her seem weak. But instead, Eden is an intricately wrought portrait of one who chooses again and again the sacrifice of kindness and belief with no expectation of reward (much like the recent live-action version of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1661199/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Cinderella</a>). </div>
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While Silas is cast in the role of prince/redeemer, both he and Eden's character arcs are colored with shades of Jacob's story (with Elspeth cast alternately as Esau and Leah, in the most extreme forms of that character archetype). Their journey is a fight for an inheritance beyond what the eye can see -- a twin legacy of earthly and spiritual favor. Theirs is a story of lives the enemy to all believers would see destroyed (John 10:10), of potential unrealized and dreams unfulfilled. But in the pain of circumstance, those dreams, once surrendered and yielded to the God who first planted them within their hearts, blossom into a gorgeously wrought illustration of redemptive promise (Joel 2:25).</div>
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For those who crave realism in inspirational fiction or wonder if it even exists, they need look no further than here for one such example. While <i>Love's Reckoning</i> is everything I crave in historical romance -- research, depth, passion -- within these pages lies a tale of emotional abuse, a physical assault, and shattered dreams. Frantz never exploits the very real heartache her characters endure, but within the framework of their circumstances sketch a story of hope and redemption with compassion and sensitivity. </div>
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Authors like Frantz are why I believe so strongly in the possibility of inspirational fiction. This is a wildly entertaining tale, yes, epic in its scope and intimate in its emotional reckoning, a sweeping saga in every sense that term implies. But more than that, Silas and Eden's story is one of hope and a faith at times no bigger than a grain of mustard seed, and the ability of that faith in action to transform and redeem the most broken among us.</div>
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<b>About the book:</b></div>
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On a bitter December day in 1784, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of blacksmith Liege Lee in York County, Pennsylvania. Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship quickly and move west. But because he is a fast worker and a superb craftsman, Liege endeavors to keep in in Lancaster by appealing to an old tradition: the apprentice shall marry one of his master's beautiful daughters.</div>
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Eden is as gentle and fresh as Elspeth is high-spirited and cunning. But are they truly who they appear to be? In a house laced with secrets, each sister seeks to secure her future. Which one will claim Silas's heart -- and will he agree to Liege's arrangement?</div>
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In this sweeping family saga, one man's choices in love and work, in friends and enemies, set the stage for generations to come, This is the Ballantyne Legacy.</div>
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<b>Note to blog readers: </b>I in no way, shape, or form expected to be posting a book review <a href="http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com/2015/08/hiatus.html">TWO DAYS after declaring a blog hiatus</a>, but I finished this book and literally couldn't help myself. No promises going forward, but we'll see how things go. ;-)</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-80825304275229455382015-08-03T10:52:00.002-07:002015-08-03T10:52:53.224-07:00hiatusHello, bloggers! As you might guess from the title of this post, this is making official what's been the state of the blog for the better part of a year (at least). I'm calling an official hiatus on book reviewing and regular blogging through the end of the year. Quite simply I don't currently have the time, and instead of being something I enjoy, the idea of reviewing in the long format I'm used to and love is right now more of a burden and stress, and who needs that, am I right? Also, I need to rediscover reading -- and processing my reaction to the written word -- afresh without the (self-imposed, I know...but the struggle of those self-imposed deadlines is real!) pressure of producing regular blog content.<br />
<br />
I may still pop in from time to time, but any pretense of expecting to catch up or once again adopt a regular blogging schedule needs to be off the table for me mentally, for the time being at any rate.<br />
<br />
I plan on still remaining active on <a href="https://twitter.com/booktalkandmore">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1416312-ruth">GoodReads</a>, so if we haven't connected on those platforms please come find me! :) After all, just because I'm not blogging regularly doesn't mean I still won't want to talk about books or British television!! :)<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-60833425170671395202015-07-23T07:00:00.004-07:002015-07-23T07:00:59.431-07:00New Spectre Trailer!!A new trailer for <i>Spectre</i> dropped yesterday and it is GLORIOUS.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LTDaET-JweU" width="400"></iframe><br />
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Needless to say I cannot WAIT for my James Bond/Daniel Craig fix come November. :)<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-85803755519205597872015-07-22T06:46:00.000-07:002015-07-22T06:46:04.630-07:00Ant-Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1V6w5ERu9njDGRmJGG2FGy2i2PNPMJ0KC3e6ZgPlNYHrK3MzjklRTNaYrrvWtpGu-v86yevHHd8DuDXR0LuEmKO7JJqvYk3HY81JMb9FfHY3xfa9rz0hxMzUgKeECwU23_w-KH4ZwSA/s1600/antman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1V6w5ERu9njDGRmJGG2FGy2i2PNPMJ0KC3e6ZgPlNYHrK3MzjklRTNaYrrvWtpGu-v86yevHHd8DuDXR0LuEmKO7JJqvYk3HY81JMb9FfHY3xfa9rz0hxMzUgKeECwU23_w-KH4ZwSA/s320/antman.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<br />
I had the chance to review <i>Ant-Man</i>, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and you can read my thoughts at <a href="http://www.breakpoint.org/features-columns/articles/entry/12/27850#.Va6zm2snMDA.twitter">BreakPoint</a>! I thought the movie was a lot of fun and Paul Rudd is, as per his norm, pretty delightful. ;-) If you've seen <i>Ant-Man</i> I'd love to hear your thoughts!<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-82904077932322677362015-07-11T14:35:00.001-07:002015-07-11T14:36:24.469-07:00Once Upon a Time @ Comic-ConCame back this afternoon to tons of fantastic spoilers about the upcoming fifth season of <i>Once Upon a Time</i> -- this Dark Swan storyline is going to be sooooo good!! Here's a few videos and links.<br />
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Comic-Con video - "The Dark Swan" - No new footage here, but Ginnifer Goodwin's narration tracing Emma's journey is absolutely heartbreaking.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DxLloCA6UBs" width="400"></iframe><br />
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<a href="http://www.tvguide.com/news/once-upon-a-time-comic-con-brave-dark-swan/">First look at...MERIDA</a>!! Can't wait! Also, a chilling video clip featuring the introduction of Dark Swan, in what looks to be Rumple's old Enchanted Forest jail cell...or very like it. I have to think Jennifer Morrison is going to enjoy the chance to play a dark Emma. Also, the black feathers in the promo? FAB work there.<br />
<br />
TVLine has <a href="http://tvline.com/2015/07/11/once-upon-a-time-comic-con-panel-brave-merida-season-5-spoilers/">more info and spoilers</a> from the panel.<br />
<br />
And finally, this <a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid3303744355001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAA0Xi_s~,r1xMuE8k5Nz1HmLGrVlkxGTUBUM_JtH-&bctid=4348632054001">links to the video</a> shown at the panel penned by <i>Once</i>-screenwriter Jane Espenson...and it is absolutely HILARIOUS.<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-31162581923024934722015-07-11T13:55:00.000-07:002015-07-11T13:55:23.527-07:00Star Wars @ Comic-ConAbsolutely loved seeing the Comic-Con reel for <i>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</i> -- I may or may not have teared up a few times:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CTNJ51ghzdY" width="400"></iframe><br />
<br />
And <a href="http://www.vulture.com/2015/07/after-38-years-harrison-ford-is-a-star-wars-fan.html?mid=fb-share-vulture">this article</a> is absolutely wonderful, about Harrison Ford embracing his role in the <i>Star Wars</i> fandom after nearly forty years.<br />
<br />
December can't get here soon enough, and I promise I'm not just saying that because it's hot enough to fry eggs on the sidewalk today... :P<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-87535936662499514952015-07-09T17:19:00.003-07:002015-07-09T17:19:57.938-07:00Sherlock Special - First Look!Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Watson (Martin Freeman) back in their original Victorian setting? This may be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen...well, this week at any rate. ;-) I hate the wait between new <i>Sherlock</i> episodes, but this clip makes me realize anew how much this show makes it worth the wait.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m1Asbi4APb0" width="400"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-30611159159898017342015-07-09T17:13:00.003-07:002015-07-09T17:13:56.525-07:00Doctor Who Series 9 Trailer!Thank you, Comic-Con for new <i>Doctor Who</i> footage! Can't wait until September 19th!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fi3nJBlJs48" width="400"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-85513448888535486102015-07-07T04:58:00.000-07:002015-08-05T12:07:06.072-07:00The Ross Poldark Blog Tour - Excerpt & Contest Info!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOK9eJ5bRUAQ-Er8x96zmyPK0NMpLuKTBKO1tB0CbLz3yAmhtMF7TPL5X_uUUVLbFR2c5q2Nkx7TL5Mg-g9rVDvWsK6kBv-166gIb2idMoqjhZx8Uk9SPPfF6DJmIIRLsVxATDOy__qII/s1600/Poldark-500x200+v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOK9eJ5bRUAQ-Er8x96zmyPK0NMpLuKTBKO1tB0CbLz3yAmhtMF7TPL5X_uUUVLbFR2c5q2Nkx7TL5Mg-g9rVDvWsK6kBv-166gIb2idMoqjhZx8Uk9SPPfF6DJmIIRLsVxATDOy__qII/s320/Poldark-500x200+v2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As I promised <a href="http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-ross-poldark-blog-tour-intro.html">yesterday</a>, today I'm thrilled to share an exclusive excerpt from <i>Ross Poldark</i> with you as part of the Ross Poldark Blog Tour! Following the excerpt, read on for information on the blog tour giveaway hosted by Sourcebooks Landmark. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKxijzIiKkwzpLVuAHRnO0AUKPMTAVdEnKVHs0kMy5ii-yiK9vPWD3V8IDkjdTUCyOTVnkvNXyXEuBnL8kIQZPfXjaivKiI7ISjnt5ivMb6MKfp3IPUM8nKzTUJf4RD3sVkMl-s71ZRI/s1600/Ross+Poldark+Novel+of+Cornwall+Winston+Graham+Sourcebooks+cover+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKxijzIiKkwzpLVuAHRnO0AUKPMTAVdEnKVHs0kMy5ii-yiK9vPWD3V8IDkjdTUCyOTVnkvNXyXEuBnL8kIQZPfXjaivKiI7ISjnt5ivMb6MKfp3IPUM8nKzTUJf4RD3sVkMl-s71ZRI/s320/Ross+Poldark+Novel+of+Cornwall+Winston+Graham+Sourcebooks+cover+2015.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>Excerpt from Chapter 2 of <i>Ross Poldark</i>:</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ross came into a company quite
unprepared for his arrival. When his figure showed in the doorway, one after
another of those at the table broke into words of surprise. Elizabeth and
Francis and Verity and Dr. Choake were on their feet; Charles lay back grunting
and inert from shock. Cousin William-Alfred polished his steel spectacles,
while Aunt Agatha plucked at his sleeve mumbling, “What is it? What’s to do?
The meal isn’t over.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ross screwed up
his eyes until they grew used to the light. Trenwith House was almost on his
way home, and he had not thought to intrude on a party.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">First to greet
him was Verity. She ran across and put her arms around his neck. “Why, Ross
dear! Fancy now!” was all she could find to say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Verity!” He
gave her a hug. And then he saw Elizabeth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Stap me,” said
Charles. “So you’re back at last, boy. You’re late for dinner, but we’ve some
apple tart left.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Did they lame
us, Ross?” said Dr. Choake. “A pox on the whole war. It was ill-starred. Thank
God it’s over.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Francis, after a
short hesitation, came quickly around the table and grasped the other man’s
hand. “It’s good to see you back, Ross! We’ve missed you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s good to be
back,” said Ross. “To see you all and—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The color of the
eyes under the same heavy lids was the only mark of cousinship. Francis was
compact, slim, and neat, with the fresh complexion and clear features of
handsome youth. He looked what he was: carefree, easy-going, self-confident, a
young man who has never known what it was to be in danger or short of money, or
to pit his strength against another man’s except in games or horse-play.
Someone at school had christened them “the fair Poldark and the dark Poldark.”
They had always been good friends, which was surprising, since their fathers
had not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This is a
solemn occasion,” said Cousin William-Alfred, his bony hands grasping the back
of his chair. “A family reunion in more than name. I trust you’re not seriously
wounded, Ross. That scar is a considerable disfigurement.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, that,” said
Ross. “That would be of no moment if I didn’t limp like Jago’s donkey.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He went around
the table greeting the others. Mrs. Chynoweth welcomed him coldly, extending a
hand from a distance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Do tell uth,”
lisped Polly Choake, “thome of youw exthpewiences, Captain Poldark: how we
lotht the wa’, what theethe Amewicanth awe like, and—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt;">“Very like us, ma’am. That’s why we lost it.” He had reached Elizabeth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well, Ross,”
she said softly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His eyes feasted
on her face. “This is most opportune. I couldn’t have wished it different.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I could,” she
said. “Oh, Ross, I could.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“And what are
you going to do now, my lad?” asked Charles. “It’s high time you settled down.
Property don’t look after itself, and you can’t trust hirelings. Your father
could have done with you this last year and more—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I almost called
to see you tonight,” Ross said to Elizabeth, “but left it for tomorrow.
Self-restraint is rewarded.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I must explain.
I wrote you, but—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why,” said Aunt
Agatha, “Lord damn me if it isn’t Ross! Come here, boy! I thought you was gone
to make one of the blest above.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Reluctantly Ross
walked down the table to greet his great-aunt. Elizabeth stayed where she was,
holding the back of her chair so that her knuckles were whiter even than her
face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ross kissed Aunt
Agatha’s whiskery cheek. Into her ear he said, “I’m glad to see, Aunt, that
you’re still one of the blest below.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She chuckled
with delight, showing her pale brownish-pink gums. “Not so blest, maybe. But I
wouldn’t want to be changing just yet.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The conversation
became general, everyone question-ing Ross as to when he had landed, what he
had done and seen while away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Elizabeth,”
said Mrs. Chynoweth, “fetch me my wrap from upstairs, will you? I am a little
chilly.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, Mother.”
She turned and walked away, tall and virginal, groped with her hand for the oak
banister.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That fellow
Paynter is a rogue,” said Charles, wiping his hands down the sides of his
breeches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“If I was you I
should throw him out and get a reliable man.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: .1pt;">Ross was watching Elizabeth going up the stairs. “He was my father’s
friend.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Charles shrugged
in some annoyance. “You won’t find the house in a good state of repair.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It wasn’t when
I left.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well, it’s
worse now. I haven’t been over for some time. You know what your father used to
say about coming in the other direction: ‘It is too far to walk and not far
enough to ride.’”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: .1pt;">“Eat this, Ross,” said Verity, bringing a piled plate to him. “And <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>sit here.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ross thanked her
and took the seat offered him between Aunt Agatha and Mr. Chynoweth. He would
have preferred to be beside Elizabeth, but that would have to wait. He was
surprised to find Elizabeth there. She and her mother and father had never once
been to Nampara in the two years he had known her. Two or three times he
glanced up as he ate to see if she was returning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Verity was
helping Mrs. Tabb to carry out some of the used dishes. Francis stood plucking
at his lip by the front door; the others were back in their chairs. A silence
had fallen on the company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It is no easy
countryside to which you return,” said Mr. Chynoweth, pulling at his beard.
“Discontent is rife. Taxes are high, wages have fallen. The country is
exhausted from its many wars, and now the Whigs are in. I can think of no worse
a prospect.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Had the Whigs
been in before,” said Dr. Choake, refusing to be tactful, “none of this need
have happened.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ross looked
across at Francis. “I’ve interrupted a party. Is it in celebration of the peace
or in honor of the next war?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thus he forced
the explanation they had hesitated to give.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No,” said
Francis. “I—er—the position is—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We are
celebrating something far different,” said Charles, motioning for his glass to
be filled again. “Francis is to be married. That is what we’re celebrating.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“To be married,”
said Ross, slicing his food. “Well, well, and who—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“To Elizabeth,”
said Mrs. Chynoweth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There was
silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ross put down
his knife. “To—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“To my
daughter.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Can I get you
something to drink?” Verity whispered to Elizabeth, who had just reached the
bottom of the stairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No, no… Please
no.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh,” said Ross.
“To…Elizabeth.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We are very
happy,” said Mrs. Chynoweth, “that our two ancient families are to be united.
Very happy and very proud. I am sure, Ross, that you will join with us in
wishing Francis and Elizabeth all happiness in their union.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Contest Info:</b></span></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Win One
of Three Fabulous Prizes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">In
celebration of the re-release of <i>Ross Poldark</i>
and <i>Demelza</i>, Sourcebooks Landmark is
offering three chances to win copies of the books or a grand prize, an
Anglophile-themed gift package. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Two
lucky winners will each receive one trade paperback copy of <i>Ross Poldark</i> and <i>Demelza</i>, and one grand prize winner will receive a prize package
containing the following items: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">(2
) Old Britain Castles Pink Pottery Mugs by Johnson Brothers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">(1)
Twelve-inch Old Britain Castles Pink Pottery Plater by Johnson Brothersr<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">(1)
London Telephone Box Tin of Ahmad English Breakfast Tea <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">(1)
Jar of Mrs. Bridges Marmalade<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">(1)
Package of Duchy Originals Organic Oaten Biscuits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">(2)
Packets of Blue Boy Cornflower Seeds by Renee's Garden Heirloom (1) Trade
Paperback Copy of <i>Ross Poldark</i> & <i>Demelza</i>, by Winston Graham<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="p" style="text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">To
enter the giveaway contest simply leave a comment on any or all of the blog
stops on the Ross Poldark Blog Tour starting July 06, 2015 through 11:59 pm PT,
August 10, 2015. Winners will be drawn at random from all of the entrants and
announced on the </span><a href="http://www.sourcebooks.com/buzz/the-buzz-sourcebooks/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Buzz at Sourcebooks</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> blog on August 13, 2015. Winners have
until August 20, 2015 to claim their prize. The giveaway contest is open to US residents
and the prizes will be shipped to US addresses. Good luck to all!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><b>Click <a href="http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-ross-poldark-blog-tour-intro.html">HERE</a> or <a href="http://www.sourcebooks.com/buzz/ross-poldark-a-demelza-blog-tour.html#comments">HERE</a> for a list of all stops on the tour. Good luck!</b></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-73406698313005091032015-07-06T09:37:00.001-07:002015-07-06T09:37:18.417-07:00The Ross Poldark Blog Tour - Intro!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zvHZjagAP31IY5GG_qgZdaiWeXYe9hYXCJc-tgQM51mcG5P09DtimPxrHtj3VR3VHWbMr4ePRScMmj37gL20M_8oEHh39w4zdInLJkspNhsbwFt2oxVXWDVanDmaUPG4A5yrRPmcdO4/s1600/Poldark-500x200+v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zvHZjagAP31IY5GG_qgZdaiWeXYe9hYXCJc-tgQM51mcG5P09DtimPxrHtj3VR3VHWbMr4ePRScMmj37gL20M_8oEHh39w4zdInLJkspNhsbwFt2oxVXWDVanDmaUPG4A5yrRPmcdO4/s320/Poldark-500x200+v2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Today I am thrilled to announce the start of the <a href="http://www.sourcebooks.com/buzz/ross-poldark-a-demelza-blog-tour.html#comments">Ross Poldark Blog Tour</a>! Speaking of Ross, how are we all enjoying <i>Poldark</i> on <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece">Masterpiece</a>? We ARE enjoying <i>Poldark </i>yes? And if not -- well for goodness' sake catch up people! These stories are the BEST!! Historical fiction catnip, a swoon-worthy, brooding hero -- need I say more? I thought not. :)<br />
<br />
Here's some information about the books and the tour (and what would a blog tour be without a giveaway, am I right?). And come back tomorrow when I share an exclusive excerpt and information about the giveaway!<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“<i>If Jane Austen met Charlotte Bronte and they
drank too much port, the </i>Poldark Saga<i>
would be their literary love child.</i>” — </span><a href="http://poldarkian.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Poldarkian.com</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Captain Ross
Poldark rides again in the new Sourcebooks Landmark tie-in editions of <i>Ross Poldark</i> and <i>Demelza,</i> the first two novels in the acclaimed <i>Poldark Saga</i> by Winston Graham, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>adapted into
the inaugural season of the new Masterpiece Classic PBS’s series <i>Poldark</i>, airing June 21 – August 2 on
PBS.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In
celebration,</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">July 6th
through August 3rd, The Ross Poldark Blog Tour will visit thirty popular book
blogs specializing in historical, romance and Austenesque fiction. Featuring spotlights,
previews, excerpts and book reviews of these two acclaimed historical fiction
novels, the tour will also offer readers a chance at a fabulous giveaway
contest including copies of the books and a stunning Anglophile-themed prize
package.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaPmbQTtJmSZTrehTWni3JShrE6McbVIPRLMLga_6lcHDt7jOVE__RPlgKk8cKS97zPlQ1EbSi_SezKas1ocLhFE6-xN8td15HhmUZo0iWrdE7_7YKladzNNy9BIlVehiVfVemFAm1Kg/s1600/Ross+Poldark+Novel+of+Cornwall+Winston+Graham+Sourcebooks+cover+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaPmbQTtJmSZTrehTWni3JShrE6McbVIPRLMLga_6lcHDt7jOVE__RPlgKk8cKS97zPlQ1EbSi_SezKas1ocLhFE6-xN8td15HhmUZo0iWrdE7_7YKladzNNy9BIlVehiVfVemFAm1Kg/s320/Ross+Poldark+Novel+of+Cornwall+Winston+Graham+Sourcebooks+cover+2015.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the first
novel in Winston Graham’s hit series, a weary Ross Poldark returns to England
from war, looking forward to a joyful homecoming with his beloved Elizabeth.
But instead he discovers his father has died, his home is overrun by livestock
and drunken servants, and Elizabeth—believing Ross to be dead—is now engaged to
his cousin. Ross has no choice but to start his life anew.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Thus begins
the </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Poldark</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> series, a heartwarming, gripping saga set in the
windswept landscape of Cornwall. With an unforgettable cast of characters that
spans loves, lives, and generations, this extraordinary masterwork from Winston
Graham is a story you will never forget.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAZDrrLT_pMDYsIl6_8UPVACOX3n5eWdhvuqKiY3eOhaFaRq7G_6eZ2kAyDOsli_C78y2TCMSi9SmHR2QoefcUtzv9dk_CZE6dpdHoLgHtFxsjGMCtpLsEFqf4ZgdOc3WyKlaquxkA9o/s1600/Demelza+A+Novel+of+Cornwall%252C+1788-1790+by+Winston+Graham+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAZDrrLT_pMDYsIl6_8UPVACOX3n5eWdhvuqKiY3eOhaFaRq7G_6eZ2kAyDOsli_C78y2TCMSi9SmHR2QoefcUtzv9dk_CZE6dpdHoLgHtFxsjGMCtpLsEFqf4ZgdOc3WyKlaquxkA9o/s320/Demelza+A+Novel+of+Cornwall%252C+1788-1790+by+Winston+Graham+2015.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the
enchanting second novel in Winston Graham’s beloved <i>Poldark</i> series,
Demelza Carne, an impoverished miner’s daughter Ross Poldark rescued from a
fairground brawl, now happily finds herself his wife. But the events of these
turbulent years test their marriage and their love. As Ross launches into a
bitter struggle for the right of the mining communities, Demelza’s efforts to
adapt to the ways of the gentry (and her husband) place her in increasingly odd
and embarrassing situations. When tragedy strikes and sows the seeds of an
enduring rivalry between Ross and the powerful George Warleggan, will Demelza
manage to bridge their differences before they destroy her and her husband’s
chance at happiness?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Against the
stunning backdrop of eighteenth century Cornwall, Demelza sweeps readers into
one of the greatest love stories of all time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">AUTHOR BIO:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Winston
Graham (1908-2003) is the author of forty novels. His books have been widely
translated and the <i>Poldark</i> series has
been developed into two television series, shown in 22 countries. Six of
Winston Graham's books have been filmed for the big screen, the most notable
being <i>Marnie</i>, directed by Alfred
Hitchcock. Winston Graham is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and in
1983 was awarded the O.B.E.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">THE ROSS POLDARK BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 06 </span><a href="http://thesecretunderstandingofthehearts.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My
Jane Austen Book Club</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
(Preview)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 07 </span><a href="http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Booktalk & More</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Excerpt) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 08<b> </b></span><a href="http://janegs.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Reading, Writing, Working, Playing</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 09 </span><a href="http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">vvb32 Reads</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Preview)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 10<b> </b></span><a href="https://thepaigeturnerblog.wordpress.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Paige Turner</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 10 </span><a href="http://tamaraausten77.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My Kids Led Me Back To P & P</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Excerpt)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 11 </span><a href="http://austenprose.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Austenprose</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> (Review)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 12 </span><a href="http://lauragerold.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Laura's Reviews</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Preview)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 13 </span><a href="http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Peeking Between the
Pages</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 13 </span><a href="http://lifeand100books.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Reflections of a Book Addict</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Preview)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 14 </span><a href="http://livingreadgirl.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Living Read Girl</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 15 </span><a href="http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Confessions of a Book
Addict</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> (Review)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 16<b> </b></span><a href="http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">vvb32 Reads</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 17 </span><a href="https://thepaigeturnerblog.wordpress.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Paige Turner</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> (Review)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 18 </span><a href="http://heidenkind.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Truth, Beauty, Freedom & Books</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Preview)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 19 </span><a href="http://marie-antoinettequeenoffrance.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Marie Antoinette’s
Gossip Guide</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
(Excerpt)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 20 </span><a href="http://lauragerold.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Laura's Reviews</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 20 </span><a href="http://calicocritic.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Calico Critic</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 21 </span><a href="http://candy-m.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So Little Time…So Much to Read</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Excerpt)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 21 </span><a href="https://poofbooks.wordpress.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Poof Books</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Excerpt)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 22 </span><a href="http://babblingsofabookworm.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Babblings of a Bookworm</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 23 </span><a href="http://austenprose.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Austenprose</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review) <b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 24 </span><a href="http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Peeking Between the
Pages</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 25 </span><a href="http://forloveofausten.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My Love for Jane Austen</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Excerpt)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 25 </span><a href="http://livingreadgirl.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Living Read Girl</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 26 </span><a href="http://delightedreader.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Delighted Reader</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 27 </span><a href="http://thesecretunderstandingofthehearts.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My
Jane Austen Book Club</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
(Review)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 27 </span><a href="http://austenesquereviews.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Austenesque Reviews</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> (Review)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 27 </span><a href="http://lauragerold.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Laura's Reviews</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 28 </span><a href="http://she-is-too-fond-of-books.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">She Is Too Fond Of Books</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> (Review)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 29 </span><a href="http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">English Historical
Fiction Authors</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
(Preview)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 30 </span><a href="http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">vvb32 Reads</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 30 </span><a href="http://babblingsofabookworm.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Babblings of a Bookworm</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 31 </span><a href="http://cozynookbks.wordpress.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CozyNookBks</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Excerpt)<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Aug 01 </span><a href="http://calicocritic.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Calico Critic</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Aug 01 </span><a href="http://moreagreeablyengaged.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">More Agreeably Engaged</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Aug 02 </span><a href="http://balletbookworm.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Scuffed Slippers Wormy Books</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> (Review)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Aug 03 </span><a href="http://www.romantichistoricalreviews.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Romantic Historical
Reviews</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(Review)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Aug 03 </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.psychoticstate.net/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Psychotic
State Book Reviews</span></b></a></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">(Review)<b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Remember to check back tomorrow to read an excerpt from <i>Ross Poldark</i> and for information on the giveaway hosted by Sourcebooks Landmark!</span></b></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-21303983908229760832015-07-06T09:13:00.002-07:002015-07-06T10:29:05.252-07:00Review: Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKaiON4QdZMr5pxdMObJTc4erSBIisejsVA0nFv0-DRqrCsU6oD2nQphxaiIZRbHLM7Cml3Dgs10amwNr2RvZBw7b1pLA9nZk6jdyOvZbnkXMZV17b3MN0fXTYA_qyRtzFtMwkig33JU/s1600/Palace-of-Spies-New-Cover1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKaiON4QdZMr5pxdMObJTc4erSBIisejsVA0nFv0-DRqrCsU6oD2nQphxaiIZRbHLM7Cml3Dgs10amwNr2RvZBw7b1pLA9nZk6jdyOvZbnkXMZV17b3MN0fXTYA_qyRtzFtMwkig33JU/s320/Palace-of-Spies-New-Cover1.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Palace-Spies-Sarah-Zettel-ebook/dp/B00AUZS6CE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1436187908&sr=1-1&keywords=palace+of+spies">Palace of Spies</a></i> (Palace of Spies #1)<br />
By: Sarah Zettel<br />
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers<br />
ASIN: <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">B00AUZS6CE</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Review:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Margaret "Peggy" Preston Fitzroy had few friends and few prospects. Following her father's disappearance and her mother's subsequent death, at the tender age of eight Peggy was left saddled with the burden of her dubious parental antecedents. Sent to live off the largesse of aunt and uncle, she serves as a companion to their only daughter, Olivia. While she and Olivia become fast friends, now sixteen Peggy is ever more increasingly aware of her tenuous status in her uncle's household. When he arranges a wholly unsuitable engagement solely for the purpose of ridding himself of an unwanted familial expenditure, Peggy's refusal to comply sees her cast on the streets with little more than the clothes on her back.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Her only hope is to pursue the acquaintance of Mr. Tinderflint, a gentleman who claimed to have been her mother's friend and expressed a keen interest in doing the daughter a good turn, should her fortune and interest desire. Through Tinderflint and his asssociates Mr. Peele and Mrs. Abbott, Peggy becomes a reluctant player in an intrigue reaching the crown itself. The unlikely trio train Peggy to infiltrate the court of George I by assuming the identity of the recently -- and secretly -- deceased Lady Francesca Wallingham. Assuming that lady's position as maid of honor to Caroline, Princess of Wales, Peggy would then be ideally placed to pass intelligence on the doings and intrigues of the court to her trio of spymasters.</span></span><br />
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With no other option, Peggy accepts, embarking on the most dangerous game of her young life -- and quickly learning that everything she was taught about her predecessor was a life. In a court riddled with Jacobite spies, where lord and lady alike jockey for position and favor, one misstep in this intrigue could cost Peggy her life. But in this great game of kings and pretenders, the most important player of all may turn out to be a masquerading maid.<br />
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Thanks to its youthful protagonist and candy-colored cover, <i>Palace of Spies</i> is positioned and marketed as a young adult novel, but like the best stories it transcends categorization -- this is a frothy spy caper, yes, but solidly grounded in its historical context. Those who look to the television show <i>Reign</i> and its ilk would do better to look within these pages for their historical drama fix. For while Zettel brings the 18th century royal English court to life with enough beautiful, bright young things and romantic intrigue to satisfy the most die-hard historical soap opera aficiando, hers are not merely modern characters dressed in period costume. Peggy is quite intelligent and forward-thinking, but Zettel is careful to make her very much a girl of her time, well aware of the social expectations vis-a-vis women in the world in which she lived.<br />
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Zettel peppers the narrative with facts on dress, make-up, hair, and court customs and procedure, grounding the incredible adventure Peggy finds herself involved in historical fact and realities. For those who cut their teeth on stories of aristocratic intrigue as I did, such as <i>The Scarlet Pimpernel </i>or <i>The Man in the Iron Mask</i>, there is much to love in watching Peggy's dangerous chess mach of political intrigue unfold. Except here, unlike most classic tales featuring male protagonists, a heroine is center stage, arguably ill-equipped but a determined survivor, her greatest assets her quick wit and keen intelligence.<br />
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Peggy is the type of heroine I absolutely adore -- smart, resourceful, and compassionate. Part Nancy Drew, part Peggy Carter, with a dash of an Austen heroine's sensibilities, Peggy's first adventure in George I's court is perfect gateway historical fiction. <i>Palace of Spies</i> has all the energy and rapid pacing of modern filmmaking, grounded in history and character development sure to leave readers craving more. There's the promise of romance with Matthew Reade, the handsome artist's apprentice, a blossoming relationship rife with swoon-worthy sparks, but more importantly built on a foundation of friendship and mutual regard. Between Matthew and her cousin, Peggy has formed an unlikely team with which to tackle the mightiest political forces of her day -- a team I can't wait to see in action in future installments! <i>Palace of Spies </i>is a breezy, fast-paced read set in a time period too little explored in historical fiction, laced with intrigue and historical flavor, a welcome addition to YA lit and above all, a rollicking <i>fun</i> read.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">About the book:</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don't.</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she's impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love . . .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">History and mystery spark in this effervescent series debut.</span></div>
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This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-87577464242867972882015-06-23T17:41:00.000-07:002015-06-23T17:41:35.010-07:00Review: The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXypZWJ7GCadPlQF2ZOVY9hlWK2gGCtZf8cSjuVOaaHCgbRMOdJNW_Hl5QcEBakY7pMcAdwb2LtLdNwiAyVhuZldYLjTjXacG7Jm9hwXz9mCIWTjM6-fwlAsUqPpCGWrQR4vFNNfM2_zc/s1600/inner+circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXypZWJ7GCadPlQF2ZOVY9hlWK2gGCtZf8cSjuVOaaHCgbRMOdJNW_Hl5QcEBakY7pMcAdwb2LtLdNwiAyVhuZldYLjTjXacG7Jm9hwXz9mCIWTjM6-fwlAsUqPpCGWrQR4vFNNfM2_zc/s320/inner+circle.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Inner-Circle-Brad-Meltzer/dp/1455561398/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=">The Inner Circle</a></i> (The Culper Ring #1)<br />
By: Brad Meltzer<br />
Publisher: Grand Central<br />
ISBN:<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">978-1455561391</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><b>Review:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Working in the National Archives, surrounded by documents both anecdotal and critical to to the history of the United States, Beecher White was content to revel in his role as a guardian of history -- never a player. The past possesses a comforting finite quality, one Beecher has found himself increasingly retreating towards since the dissolution of his engagement and the future he'd thought was within his reach. Until one day, Clementine Kaye, the childhood crush he'd never been able to forget, comes whirling back into his life with the force of a hurricane. Eager to impress her and prove that he's more akin to the adventurous side of Indiana Jones than that famous fictional archaeologist's bookish and professorial "day job," he agrees to help her find her long-lost father. But a simple records request turns complicated when, on impulse, he agrees to let her in one of the top-secret vaults where high-profile guests -- in this case, the President -- can request and review documents. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">But Beecher's rule-breaking impulse backfires when an accident in the vault uncovers something they were never meant to find -- a centuries-old, gutted dictionary that may have once belonged to George Washington. Washington, the founder of the legendary spy network the Culper Ring, known for hiding messages in plain sight, under the most innocuous of pretexts. But if the dictionary is a message, it raises the question of who would be trying to reach the president in one of his most secure, private locations...or, who could the president be trying to reach outside normal channels, and why? When the security guard who let him into the vault turns up dead, Beecher finds himself thrust into the fight of his life to discover the meaning behind the dictionary, uncovering a web of conspiracies and cover-ups reaching the highest levels of government. When everyone has something to lose, who can he trust...for one thing Beecher is sure of, no one can take on a sitting president and emerge unscathed...</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Those who have been reading my reviews for a while may note that </span><i style="line-height: 19px;">The Inner Circle</i><span style="line-height: 19px;"> is somewhat out of my reading norm. But having heard Brad Meltzer on the radio last week promoting the third installment of his Culper Ring series, I knew I had to check these books out. The concept sounded too irresistibly akin to the <i>National Treasure</i> movies, which I loved. This was a reading gamble that paid off. I cannot remember the last time I read a novel so quickly -- over the course of four days I could barely bring myself to put this book down. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><i>The Inner Circle</i> is a highly readable, thoroughly entertaining blend of history, mystery, and suspense. Sure, it's arguably unrealistic and convoluted, but I found myself enthralled by every twist and turn. (Though, seriously, a chapter is not two pages long. And most of these "chapters" are. But it does give you the sense that you're reading the book faster, I suppose...) If more political thrillers of this ilk were made into television shows or films I would be <i>so there</i>. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This is entertaining, escapist fiction that should drive anyone who finds themselves intrigued by what they find within its pages to their history books. And the best part, for me at any rate, is the sense one gets of excavating history's secrets right alongside Beecher in his adrenaline-fueled quest for the truth. Comparing this series to an <i>Indiana Jones</i> film feels on target, but rather than physical exploits in far-flung lands, Meltzer gives us a thirty-something, bookish hero whose most remarkable quality is arguably that he is so <i>average</i>. Beecher, for all his mistakes, embodies the idea that given the chance the most ordinary individual is capable of being a world-changer. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">If this book has a fault, it's that it perhaps tries too hard to be clever. The puzzle Meltzer sets forth within these pages contains enough twists, turns, and red herrings to give one whiplash, and occasionally the ultra-short chapters -- including viewpoint changes and flashbacks -- make the narrative feel choppy and disconnected. That said, I still devoured every word...and any book that I literally can't put down deserves all credit for not just holding my attention but <i>captivating</i> it. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><i>The Inner Circle</i> is an incredibly fun, roller-coaster ride of an introduction to Meltzer's work, and I look forward to exploring his backlist -- especially catching up with Beecher's second and third adventures. Meltzer writes with a cinematic flair, the result a blend of <i>NCIS</i>-style suspense and <i>The West Wing</i>'s political intrigue. If you're looking for a summer read blending history and cutthroat political intrigue, look no further...the only problem you may run into is finding time to sleep. :)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><b>About the book:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">There are stories no one knows. Hidden stories. I love those stories. And since I work in the National Archives, I find those stories for a living.</i><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Beecher White, a young archivist, spends his days working with the most important documents of the U.S. government. He has always been the keeper of other people's stories, never a part of the story himself...</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Until now.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">When Clementine Kaye, Beecher's first childhood crush, shows up at the National Archives asking for his help tracking down her long-lost father, Beecher tries to impress her by showing her the secret vault where the President of the United States privately reviews classified documents. After they accidentally happen upon a priceless artifact - a 200 hundred-year-old dictionary that once belonged to George Washington, hidden underneath a desk chair, Beecher and Clementine find themselves suddenly entangled in a web of deception, conspiracy, and murder.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Soon a man is dead, and Beecher is on the run as he races to learn the truth behind this mysterious national treasure. His search will lead him to discover a coded and ingenious puzzle that conceals a disturbing secret from the founding of our nation. It is a secret, Beecher soon discovers, that some believe is worth killing for.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Gripping, fast-paced, and filled with the fascinating historical detail for which he is famous, THE INNER CIRCLE is a thrilling novel that showcases a brilliant author writing at the height of his craft.</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-3949990846817746822015-06-19T11:36:00.000-07:002015-06-19T11:36:14.113-07:00This weekend on Masterpiece...It is a BIG weekend on Masterpiece, y'all! I am SO EXCITED. Sunday night sees the premiere of both <i>Poldark</i> and <i>The Crimson Field</i> (FINALLY!).<br />
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<i>Poldark</i>, for those not in the know, is based on a series of Winston Graham novels detailing the life, loves, and dramas of Ross Poldark, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, recently returned to his home in Cornwall. This is the stuff of period drama GOLD, my friends! The original <i>Poldark</i> series from the 1970s, starring Robin Ellis (<a href="https://twitter.com/booktalkandmore/status/609173102061322240">WHO ONCE TALKED TO ME ON TWITTER</a>), was a breakout smash hit and helped launch the Masterpiece brand.<br />
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Earlier this month I started watching the first series of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/POLDARK-COMPLETE-COLLECTION-Poldark/dp/B005X5XIMO/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1434738149&sr=1-2&keywords=poldark">Classic Poldark</a> and was immediately hooked. Trust me, people, do not let film quality or changes in filming styles put you off -- this is a drama that has HELD UP. And not only held up but still has the ability to shine and captivate new viewers (like yours truly) with its pacing, characterizations, and energy. I'm about a fourth of the way through the second series and it is just as fantastic!<br />
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I've also been reading the first novel, aptly entitled <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ross-Poldark-Novel-Cornwall-1783-1787-ebook/dp/B003D8V7DK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1434738252&sr=1-1&keywords=ross+poldark">Ross Poldark</a></i>, and I have a very serious question for the universe here: WHERE HAS THIS BOOK BEEN ALL MY LIFE? I cannot BELIEVE I am just NOW discovering these amazing, thoroughly entertaining stories! This first book was published in friggin' 1945...so it's been out there and I've (sadly) been living in a black hole of Poldark-deprivation. BUT NO MORE...and I am here to shout from the blogging rooftops that these stories are very much Ruth-approved! Seriously, if you love history, romance, intrigue, social commentary...this book has it all, and in SPADES. Go forth and read, my friends!<br />
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(Just because I can, here is the cover of the gorgeous, recently released Sourcebooks tie-in edition! Beautiful, no?)<br />
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Aidan Turner...SWOON. (I realize this is a controversial statement, but he was the best thing for me in the <i>Hobbit</i> films. *whew* I feel so much better now that that's out there...) ;-)<br />
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Here are a couple of trailers and clips:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yC-rx-lMb24?list=PLzkQfVIJun2JyXk_mLcWx5Q8HuR-vjUqk" width="400"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jgh0cCz6j-M?list=PLzkQfVIJun2JyXk_mLcWx5Q8HuR-vjUqk" width="400"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EAzEcp4RiNs?list=PLzkQfVIJun2JyXk_mLcWx5Q8HuR-vjUqk" width="400"></iframe><br />
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I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!<br />
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Following <i>Poldark</i> we get the premiere of <i><a href="http://www.pbs.org/program/crimson-field/">The Crimson Field</a></i>, a six-part series following the lives of nurses on the fields of World War I. It's my understanding that this was originally envisioned as a multi-season series, but was not renewed...so hopefully it doesn't end on too much of a cliffhanger. But I think the subject matter is fascinating and the cast is fantastic, so I'm looking forward to checking this out. Here's a preview:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_EYNLHHrWHY" width="400"></iframe><br />
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Enjoy! And watch (and read) ALL THE POLDARK THINGS. Totally worth it, promise. :)<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-106742533280746312015-06-05T07:38:00.000-07:002015-06-05T07:38:35.715-07:00resetThis is probably the most obvious statement in the world to anyone who knows me or has read this blog for any length of time, but here you go: my reading/reviewing game has been way off. I mean <i>WAY</i> off. I can be something of a completest, so when I started to fall behind on reviews <i>last summer</i> my reading slowed to a crawl, in part, I think, because I kept telling myself I'd "catch up" eventually. Add in various personal, work, and family issues, and the backlog just kept growing as fast as my TBR pile. Well today my friends we are letting that pipe dream go. :)<br />
<br />
What follows is my attempt to "review" some of the books that have been queued for ages. There are novels that I'd like to discuss in more depth, but at this point that will probably require a re-read in order to do them justice, so they are not represented here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikHPsPXQKZIJ5g9Hn_WK3aUoqlpS56raMcjO7DFOzi2HRKq87cybrm4ThLJ0Tuw2xovufBRQGBfvFDerFDksFqeKt4FTaVo2sIfDnppxoQKGFGHFYmlfQwobFNGz2Vh7Pyv7F2ykoce0/s1600/something+strange+and+deadly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikHPsPXQKZIJ5g9Hn_WK3aUoqlpS56raMcjO7DFOzi2HRKq87cybrm4ThLJ0Tuw2xovufBRQGBfvFDerFDksFqeKt4FTaVo2sIfDnppxoQKGFGHFYmlfQwobFNGz2Vh7Pyv7F2ykoce0/s200/something+strange+and+deadly.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13572554-something-strange-and-deadly">Something Strange and Deadly</a></i> by Susan Dennard:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Philadelphia 1876. The Dead are rising. A zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor Fitt. Whoever controls the Dead Army has her brother. She avoids her mother's choice of husband for the lab of Spirit Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel. The situation threatens her reputation, and the lives of everyone in the city.</span></span><br />
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Spunky female heroine, late nineteenth century setting, gorgeous dress on the cover, and ZOMBIES. I liked Eleanor, liked the concept...but ultimately this book wasn't for me...far too much zombie-related gore (which is ironic, since I <i>love</i> the CW show <i>iZombie</i> with everything in me). 3 Stars.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxB7pRhsmwdbtWjhRKfVAw7-9Zs56WZYiRhG0Hhw0R1VnucSOCra-sUzSy4afRlYZ6FxbxjqeX68hlCkEzlv4SaXENjmx6TFPJU1QgYsGDJ0tlnD1hIjjKhyF9SruSIE1CGVr22JWTIg/s1600/imarriedtheduke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxB7pRhsmwdbtWjhRKfVAw7-9Zs56WZYiRhG0Hhw0R1VnucSOCra-sUzSy4afRlYZ6FxbxjqeX68hlCkEzlv4SaXENjmx6TFPJU1QgYsGDJ0tlnD1hIjjKhyF9SruSIE1CGVr22JWTIg/s200/imarriedtheduke.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>
<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18939878-i-married-the-duke">I Married the Duke</a></i> by Katharine Ashe:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">I Married the Duke</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"> begins the Prince Catchers series by Katharine Ashe, award-winning author of historical romance.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">Arabella Caulfield, one of three orphaned sisters, has clung to an ancient gypsy prophecy as the only way to save her family from endless heartbreak. Now she has twelve days to reach a remote French castle and fulfill her destiny: to marry a prince.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">Along the way, Arabella meets Lucien Westfall, decorated naval captain and the new Duke of Lycombe. She thought he was a pirate. He thought she was a governess. Two wrongs have never made such a scandalously perfect right.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">Readers of Regency romances and the works of Eloisa James and Lisa Kleypas will fall in love with the Prince Catchers books by Katharine Ashe.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">While I thought the "gypsy prophecy" conceit unnecessarily stretched the bounds of credulity, Ashe is a gorgeous writer. Articulate prose, well-drawn characterizations, and a lush romance make this a memorable read. </span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">I look forward to revisiting Ashe's world and discovering the stories of Arabella's sisters. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">4 Stars.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQNSpxdd43OQfY1vLkGJ70nzy9C95_9YcmCDgf3F3b8tmtY85gDc2p691dlb_1OGx1NB-aU-QQMuU1NUXhBEGHEwHghMc28ke9h1mgz8-b1goYmqM8LrjLXVHDgXOrjLCEtCrmqDxv8Q/s1600/endless+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQNSpxdd43OQfY1vLkGJ70nzy9C95_9YcmCDgf3F3b8tmtY85gDc2p691dlb_1OGx1NB-aU-QQMuU1NUXhBEGHEwHghMc28ke9h1mgz8-b1goYmqM8LrjLXVHDgXOrjLCEtCrmqDxv8Q/s200/endless+night.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12166717-endless-night">Endless Night</a></i> by Agatha Christie:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When penniless Michael Rogers discovers the beautiful house at Gypsy’s Acre and then meets the heiress Ellie, it seems that all his dreams have come true at once. But he ignores an old woman’s warning of an ancient curse, and evil begins to stir in paradise. As Michael soon learns: Gypsy’s Acre is the place where fatal “accidents” happen.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I wanted to read <i>Endless Night</i> after seeing the deliciously creepy Masterpiece <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2166494/">adaptation</a> (which inserted Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple into the storyline). This has to rank as one of Christie's best standalone mysteries, a masterful study in the use of the unreliable narrator from the Queen of Crime. Well worth reading for a fresh perspective on Christie's capabilities, especially if -- like me -- you tend to gravitate towards Poirot or Marple stories. 4 Stars.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcWteZHdNyoVy7m2RxXWjHWLf9HLSxLJPVjqDxPb4g9oYvwWH_2yPoGn3NAWQEwUh3tJ24DMQRAwgiSjLdn9eRbnt0i0Ss93BUSi-ILbQxkF7BhSyuT0r38dxP_pLXUaX1iCprb1bZss/s1600/deathcomestopemberly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcWteZHdNyoVy7m2RxXWjHWLf9HLSxLJPVjqDxPb4g9oYvwWH_2yPoGn3NAWQEwUh3tJ24DMQRAwgiSjLdn9eRbnt0i0Ss93BUSi-ILbQxkF7BhSyuT0r38dxP_pLXUaX1iCprb1bZss/s200/deathcomestopemberly.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12980723-death-comes-to-pemberley">Death Comes to Pemberley</a></i> by P.D. James:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">A rare meeting of literary genius: P. D. James, long among the most admired mystery writers of our time, draws the characters of Jane Austen’s beloved novel </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Pride and Prejudice</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> into a tale of murder and emotional mayhem.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy’s magnificent estate. Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable. Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house. They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles. Elizabeth’s sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy’s sister Georgiana. And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered. A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley. She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered. With shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Inspired by a lifelong passion for Austen, P. D. James masterfully re-creates the world of </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Pride and Prejudice,</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> electrifying it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted crime story, as only she can write it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I love mysteries and I love Jane Austen, particularly <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>, so theoretically this book should be full of win, no? Alas, that was not to be. I wanted to read this prior to the premiere of the Masterpiece <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Ftitle%2Ftt2951788%2F&ei=GbBxVfDIA4XEogT50oDIBA&usg=AFQjCNFfpU1Y9DU2jFcBJV-TNzZFEzZeJA&sig2=vfB7fVqM6odKtFau7K7jFA&bvm=bv.95039771,d.aWw">adaptation</a> last fall, and let me tell you that film is superior in every way in my view, particularly as regards pacing and characterization. There are moments in this book that I liked, particularly James's view of an older and more settled Darcy and Elizabeth (even stripped as they are of the spark they possess in Austen's work), but the execution was so uneven that in the end I was left wondering why James was considered such a popular mystery author to begin with and with no desire to further investigate her work. When a book clocks in at a a mere 300-odd pages and that feels about 30% too long, you have a problem. 2 Stars.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Well, this is all the catch-up I have time for at the moment. Going forward there may be more short review posts, but I really hope I can also get back into the rhythm of writing longer, more in-depth pieces as well. </span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-44322471236326374742015-06-04T07:37:00.001-07:002015-06-04T07:37:32.336-07:00Macbeth trailerTo be honest I'd kind of forgotten this was coming (which begs the question, how do I, a Shakespeare/Michael Fassbender loving person forget something like this?!), but it looks fantastic!!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pwicAUoPiHg" width="400"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-83688127510274921892015-06-04T06:13:00.003-07:002015-06-04T06:13:52.600-07:00New Rogue Nation trailer!This wins the day if not the week if not the month!! I can't wait for this to release!!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F-qBD17wwrQ" width="400"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-84722501991520155072015-05-20T11:45:00.001-07:002015-05-20T11:45:37.937-07:00Coming soon: Love Finds You in Charm!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCdo0hSAyyl-AXTm-RQiB81GGRJK8Pvk0dLFkPEpfBU7M5ijt2ojhnGhCu1UcsPdIgSajZUEnS0Z1QWLJQqVWfXHrtarmgvsMGvL7zRDL3hba4rcwEOeC7X7tiXSUKFq-zArCeqwqE1k/s1600/lovefindsyouincharm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCdo0hSAyyl-AXTm-RQiB81GGRJK8Pvk0dLFkPEpfBU7M5ijt2ojhnGhCu1UcsPdIgSajZUEnS0Z1QWLJQqVWfXHrtarmgvsMGvL7zRDL3hba4rcwEOeC7X7tiXSUKFq-zArCeqwqE1k/s320/lovefindsyouincharm.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">A YOUNG
AMISH WOMAN MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">TWO PATHS,
TWO LOVES <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">IN THE ORIGINAL
UP PREMIERE MOVIE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">LOVE FINDS YOU IN CHARM<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt;">A
FOLLOW-UP TO THE HIGHEST RATED UP PREMIERE MOVIE EVER:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt;">“LOVE
FINDS YOU IN SUGARCREEK”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt;">Based on
the Novel by Best-Selling Author</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt;"> </span></b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Annalisa-Daughety/e/B002FRGTU6/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1"><b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Annalisa Daughety</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt;">Premieres Exclusively
on Sunday, June 7 at 7 p.m. EDT / 6 p.m. PDT <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ATLANTA
</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">–
<b>April 14, 2015</b> – Building on the
success of last year’s UP original film <i>Love
Finds You in Sugarcreek</i>, the original UP Premiere Movie <b><i>Love
Finds You In Charm</i></b> (#LoveFindsYou) is a romantic drama about a beautiful,
young Amish woman – seemingly with it all – who jumps at the chance to spend
autumn in scenic Charm, Ohio with relatives and finds herself pulled between
two worlds and two men. The movie stars
Trevor Donovan (<i>Texas Rising,</i>
“90210”), Danielle Chuchran (<i>Dr. Seuss’
The Cat in the Hat</i>, UP’s <i>Nowhere Safe</i>), Drew Fuller (“Army Wives,”
“Charmed”), Tiffany Dupont (“Greek,” “The Bedford Diaries”). <b><i>Love Finds You In Charm</i></b> exclusively premieres
on <b>Sunday, June 7 at 7 p.m. EDT</b> <b>/ 6 p.m. PDT. </b>This romance is the second in UP’s “Love
Finds You” movie franchise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Filmed in Charm and Sugarcreek, Ohio,
the heart of Amish country, the movie was directed Terry Cunningham (UP’s <i>Love Finds You In Sugarcreek</i>, <i>Jack Hunter and the Lost Treasure of Ugarit</i>),
and produced by George Shamieh and Mission Pictures in association with
Guideposts. Based on the popular novel
by best-selling author </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Annalisa-Daughety/e/B002FRGTU6/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Annalisa Daughety</span></a><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (“Walk in
the Park” series, <u>Wedding to Remember</u>), the adapted screenplay was
written by Bryar Freed-Golden (UP’s April 12<sup>th</sup> film <i>The Music In Me</i>, <i>Paper Angels</i> and <i>Love Finds
You In Sugarcreek</i>). The ensemble
cast also includes Kaitlyn Sapp (UP’s <i>Love
Finds You In Sugarcreek</i>), Dawn Lafferty (<i>Reversal, Timequest</i>), Kellen Boyle (<i>Beautiful Sin</i>, <i>Chasing Death</i>),
Rohn Thomas (<i>The Ides of March</i>, <i>The Mothman Prophecies</i>) and newcomers
Meg Wittman, Belle Fockler and Nick Petrus.
Features the original song, “Be Here,” performed by singer-songwriter
Katie Herzig (whose music is frequently featured on “Grey’s Anatomy”) and written
by Herzig, Seth Jones & Catt Gravitt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Young
Emma Miller (Danielle Chuchran) would appear to be lucky. This beautiful Amish
girl has a loving family and the community’s most eligible young man, Jacob
(Kellen Boyle), wants to marry her. But she
has more on her mind than buggies, bonnets and making her special goat cheese –
Emma is secretly obsessed with Jane Austin’s <u>Pride and Prejudice</u> and
restlessly longs for adventure and travel.
When given the opportunity to spend the season helping her widowed cousin
Lydia (Meg Wittman) in scenic Charm, Ohio, Emma jumps at the chance. There she meets
an <i>Englischer</i>, librarian Kelly
Bennett (Tiffany Dupont), who has come to town to escape her chaotic life. Despite their differences, the two become
fast friends. Settling into her cousin’s
farm, Emma finds Noah (Trevor Donovan) – a striking, well-read, young Amish man
who helps work the farm – intriguing, yet vexing. So when
Emma’s cheese attracts the attention of a local bed-and-breakfast and a handsome
wine-and-cheese blog editor, Andy (Drew Fuller), she finds herself pulled
between two worlds and two men. Emma
must decide whether to stay amongst the Amish, or leave behind everyone and
everything she’s ever known to venture out into the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Following up on the tremendous
success of last year’s <i>Love Finds You In
Sugarcreek</i> on UP, <b><i>Love Finds You in Charm </i></b>is a
spectacularly shot romantic drama, filled with strong values as expressed
through Amish traditions and faith," said Barbara Fisher, senior vice
president of programming, UP. “Actress
Danielle Chuchran radiantly expresses Emma’s restless journey, and she has real
chemistry on screen with romantic leads Trevor Donovan and Drew Fuller, who
represent the two paths from which Emma has to choose.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="GMCstyle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="GMCstyle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">Author Annalisa Daughety (</span><a href="http://www.annalisadaughety.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">www.annalisadaughety.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">) writes contemporary
fiction set in historic locations. After graduating from Freed-Hardeman
University, she spent time working as a park ranger for the National Park
Service. This experience led her to write the Walk in the Park series – each
book in the series is set in a different national park. Annalisa has written several Love Finds You™
novels, including <u>Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio</u>, <u>Love Finds You in
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania </u>and <u>Love Finds You at Home for Christmas</u>. After 37 years of singlehood, she finally
found her happily ever after in 2013. She
and her husband live in rural Arkansas and are learning the art of chicken and
goat farming. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="GMCstyle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="GMCstyle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">The “Love Finds You™” book
series was launched in October 2008 by Guideposts imprint Summerside Press with
the goal to give readers a taste of local life across America. Each of the almost 60 novels to date – by
revolving authors, including Daughety – draws
on the compelling history or unique character of a real place, such as Charm,
Ohio. Learn more at </span><a href="http://www.shopguideposts.org/love-finds-you"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">www.ShopGuideposts.org/love-finds-you</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="GMCstyle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The
first movie in UP’s “Love Finds You” franchise was the hit </span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">Love Finds You In
Sugarcreek</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">,
a romantic mystery/suspense drama set in Amish country, starring Tom Everett
Scott (<i>That Thing You Do!,</i>
“Southland”), Sarah Lancaster (“Chuck,” “Everwood”) and Golden Globe<sup>®</sup>-
and BAFTA-nominated actress Kelly McGillis (<i>Witness</i>,
<i>Top Gun</i>). </span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Filmed in </span><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">Sugarcreek, Ohio, </span></strong><b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">Love Finds You In
Sugarcreek </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">debuted exclusively on UP on </span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif";">June 1, 2014.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Follow the cast and talent from
the film at:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.uptv.com/">www.UPtv.com</a> and <a href="http://www.lovefindsyouin.com/">www.lovefindsyouin.com</a> and on Twitter @lovefindsyouin<a href="https://twitter.com/LoveFindsYouIn">https://twitter.com/LoveFindsYouIn</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Trevor
Donovan on Twitter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/TrevDon" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">@TrevDon</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Danielle
Chuchran on Twitter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/DaniChuchran1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">@DaniChuchran1</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Drew
Fuller on Twitter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/drewfuller" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">@drewfuller</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Tiffany
Dupont on Twitter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/TrevDon" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">@TrevDon</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Meg
Wittman on Twitter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/MegMWittman" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">@MegMWittman</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Kellen
Boyle on Twitter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/KellenBoyle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">@KellenBoyle</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Katie
Herzig on Twitter </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="https://twitter.com/KatieHerzig" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">@KatieHerzig</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Annalisa Daughety on Twitter </span><a href="http://annalisa_/" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">@annalisa_</span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> and online at </span><a href="http://www.annalisadaughety.com/" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">www.annalisadaughety.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">TThe book is currently on sale for $1.99 across all e-book platforms! But as we all know I'm partial to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Finds-You-Charm-Ohio-ebook/dp/B006VCM9KA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1432147274&sr=1-1&keywords=love+finds+you+in+charm">Kindle</a>. :) </span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-59632420664107891702015-05-13T16:43:00.001-07:002015-05-13T16:43:17.952-07:00Supergirl - 1st look!Oh my word, <a href="https://youtu.be/Lm46-envrHo">this looks amazing</a>. So much better than I ever anticipated!! Can't wait!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lm46-envrHo" width="400"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-39539833914493583372015-05-12T07:51:00.000-07:002015-05-12T07:51:21.963-07:00The Cat-vengers<a href="https://youtu.be/wwcJpMUK5WA">This</a> made me laugh so hard. Enjoy! :)<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wwcJpMUK5WA" width="400"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-26927137441488497582015-05-11T18:37:00.002-07:002015-05-11T18:37:30.765-07:00Review: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYRtufFkWw1fGtpgemylBrEg1DoPEfqb0o8VsV3rFt8E_v5LwnnaKA7lwhWpP5lo48CP7sw_A4oXFmC6OcbUzzEcCAKVloAnvWithmeLfaF4N_FZTPUCAaQKgC2DbOvoNgYxa5d2Vr6g/s1600/chocolate+chip+cookie+murder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYRtufFkWw1fGtpgemylBrEg1DoPEfqb0o8VsV3rFt8E_v5LwnnaKA7lwhWpP5lo48CP7sw_A4oXFmC6OcbUzzEcCAKVloAnvWithmeLfaF4N_FZTPUCAaQKgC2DbOvoNgYxa5d2Vr6g/s320/chocolate+chip+cookie+murder.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Cookie-Murder-Hannah-Swensen-ebook/dp/B00DRLXE5W/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1431392789&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=joanna+fluke+chocolate+chip">Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder</a></i> (Hannah Swenson #1)<br />
By: Joanne Fluke<br />
Publisher: Kensington<br />
ASIN: <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">B00DRLXE5W</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Review:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Hannah Swenson divides her time between running The Cookie Jar, sleepy Lake Eden's popular cookie-centric bakery, and dodging her mother's attempts to see her (finally) married off. Her quiet life is upended when Ron LaSalle, The Cookie Jar's dairy deliveryman and local football hero is found murdered behind her shop. Thanks to the proximity of the crime and with her cookies scattered all over the crime scene, Hannah feels a personal responsibility to see the perpetrator brought to justice. Her amateur investigative efforts uncovers a web of unexpected secrets hiding beneath Lake Eden's sleepy veneer of respectability. And one wrong question could see this cookie-loving connoisseur slip dangerously out of her depth.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">After watching the <a href="http://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/murder-she-baked-a-chocolate-chip-murder-mystery">recent Hallmark adaptation</a> of this novel I was inspired to check out the source material. Fluke's first installment in her long-running bakery-themed series is an appealing confection of sweet desserts peppered with a dash of murder. This is a classic cozy -- small town setting, quirky cast of characters, mouth-watering food, and a dash of the mysterious. Hannah is an appealing heroine, equally at home within the tropes of a lite mystery or that of a single woman's dating travails. I love the fact that she's a (for the most part) smart, independent businesswoman who also happens to love chocolate and her cat and is fairly content in her single status (though of course open to change, preferably not engineered by her meddling mother). </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I'm a bit torn as to how to rate this book, because I feel my enjoyment of it was hampered by knowing the eventual outcome from the film -- the flip side being that I would have never picked this book up had I not seen the movie (and there are at least four cookie recipes in here that I'm dying to try!). The road to discovering the identity of the killer menacing Lake Eden is a circuitous, rather predictable one. A cozy mystery isn't supposed to drag, but the pacing felt off and the investigative rabbit trails Hannah follows began to wear thin and have me questioning her alleged smarts by the novel's final act. That said, I loved seeing Hannah's relationship with her polar-opposite sister develop and strengthen over the course of the novel. I also appreciated how Fluke touched on subjects of domestic abuse with the frankness and sensitivity such material warrants while staying true to the overall lighter tone of the book.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">This is a cute, fast read, though more skimmable and less engaging than I'd hoped. That said, contemporary cozy mysteries are somewhat outside my reading norm, and I can see the appeal of the conceit Fluke has captured within these pages -- spunky heroine + sweets + mystery = endless possibilities, much like the recipes Hannah loves to develop for her shop. There is the promise of romantic possibilities here, as the local dentist and the new detective compete for Hannah's affections (right now I'm pulling for the detective, but with eighteen books and counting in this series I have little hope that triangle is anywhere close to a resolution), and the day-to-day workings of her business provide an enjoyable -- dare I say <i>tasty</i> -- framework to the series. This isn't a world I'll revisit any time soon, but the next time I'm in the mood for some fluffy, sugary-inspired escapism, I'll keep Hannah's further adventures in mind.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>About the book:</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Joanne Fluke’s bestselling </span><i style="background-color: white;">Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder </i><span style="background-color: white;">is coming to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries as </span><i style="background-color: white;">Murder She Baked</i><span style="background-color: white;">: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder Mystery starring Alison Sweeney, Cameron Mathison, Gabriel Hogan and Barbara Niven.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Take one amateur sleuth. Mix in some eccentric Minnesota locals. Add a generous dollop of crackling suspense, and you've got the recipe for this delicious new mystery series featuring Hannah Swensen, the red-haired, cookie-baking heroine whose gingersnaps are almost as tart as her mouth and whose penchant for solving crime is definitely stirring things up.</span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hannah already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother's attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden's most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah's famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can't get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn't watch her back, Hannah's sweet life may get burned to a crisp.</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-17684384760008638312015-04-29T14:20:00.001-07:002015-04-29T14:20:56.936-07:00The Age of Adaline<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-6IMM90VpSij4sxNrld_kiMS-1goGquUzFpjCFTY1vQkthiCFFZzsXmNx5FhAzkdSqQlO_GWJBbECUcliVcukCNpjZ5oMFtbBkli1i8Dj0Yr72dcYVbPEc59zA3U5p4KZVHkemVFfIY/s1600/AgeofAdalinePoster640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-6IMM90VpSij4sxNrld_kiMS-1goGquUzFpjCFTY1vQkthiCFFZzsXmNx5FhAzkdSqQlO_GWJBbECUcliVcukCNpjZ5oMFtbBkli1i8Dj0Yr72dcYVbPEc59zA3U5p4KZVHkemVFfIY/s1600/AgeofAdalinePoster640.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
Last week I had the opportunity to see <i>The Age of Adaline</i>, and today my review is up at <a href="http://www.breakpoint.org/features-columns/articles/entry/12/27285">BreakPoint</a>! Check it out if you get a chance - and if you've seen the film (or plan to) I'd love to hear your thoughts!<br />
<br />
(Spoiler: Blake Lively is gorgeous, Michel Huisman will make you swoon, but in my view Harrison Ford steals the show.) :)<div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1319032275293010502.post-69410675017187109492015-04-29T14:20:00.000-07:002015-04-29T14:20:18.290-07:00In defense of Hawkeye...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aQ27iS1mkuo" width="400"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">
This content is exclusive to Booktalk & More (http://booktalkandmore.blogspot.com). </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11986319237275869540noreply@blogger.com0