I used a stamplistic stamp…amazing stamps!! Mounted it on a spellbinders die added ribbon and stickles.
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!!
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Christmas In May!
Posted in Cards, Christmas, Scrapbooking, Stamping
Tagged cards, scrapbooking, spellbinders, stamping
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Off Balance by Terez Mertes Rose
Off Balance, Book 1 of Ballet Theatre ChroniclesBy Terez Mertes Rose
Genre: Women’s fiction (with YA crossover), performing arts related
Book Description:
Alice thinks she’s accepted the loss of her ballet career, injury having forced her to trade in pointe shoes onstage for spreadsheets upstairs. That is, until the day Alice’s boss asks her to befriend Lana, a pretty new company member he’s got his eye on. Lana represents all Alice has lost, not just as a ballet dancer, but as a motherless daughter. It’s pain she’s kept hidden, even from herself, as every good ballet dancer knows to do.
Lana, lonely and unmoored, desperately needs some help, and her mother, back home, vows eternal support. But when Lana begins to profit from Alice’s advice and help, her mother’s constant attention curdles into something more sinister.
Together, both women must embark on a journey of painful rediscoveries, not just about career opportunities won and lost, but the mothers they thought they knew.
OFF BALANCE takes the reader beyond the glitter of the stage to expose the sweat and struggle, amid the mandate to sustain the illusion at all cost.
Review
I love reading dancing books. I like to critique and see if the author actually knows anything about dancing. This author does! She is very much in the know about ballet and how a ballet career works. I also like the title of this novel. It fits the story very well.
Alice and Lana have experienced life altering changes. This throws them both off balance (see, fits!!!). Through these experiences, both women discover many aspects about themselves and their families.
This novel started a little slow but, picked up nicely and was extremely enjoyable.
Author Bio:
Terez Mertes Rose is a writer and former ballet dancer whose work has appeared in the Crab Orchard Review, Women Who Eat (Seal Press), A Woman’s Europe (Travelers’ Tales), the Philadelphia Inquirer and the San Jose Mercury News. She reviews dance performances for Bachtrack.com and blogs about ballet and classical music at The Classical Girl. She makes her home in the Santa Cruz Mountains with her husband, son and too many cats. She loves good food, good wine, and a good (but not too hard) adult ballet class. She also publishes under the name Terez Rose.
Author website: http://www.terezrose.com
Author blog site: http://www.theclassicalgirl.com
Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/terez.rose
Blogger Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheClassicalGirl?pnref=lhc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClassicalGrrl
Amazon order page: http://amzn.to/1bEGmmY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13853310.Terez_Mertes_Rose
Beach Man by Annabel Foxx
Beach Man
By Annabel Foxx
Genre: Sexy Contemporary Romance; steamy romance
Publication Date: MARCH 30, 2015
Book Synopsis:
Kim is a former dancer, who feels trapped in a loveless marriage to a jealous wealthy older man. He blames her for crippling him in an auto accident that he himself caused. They live in a gorgeous beach house in the town of Scorpio Beach, an up-and-coming beach town on Long Island.
Kim strives to make the marriage work, despite her husband’s blame, verbal abuse and bitterness.
During a heat wave, Kim meets a wickedly handsome man on the beach. She fights not to want him, not to want a new life and not to fall in love. But Derek is seductive and irresistible—a former soldier who recently comes to town to start a landscaping business. Kim falls hard for him, and he becomes addicted to her.
Although Kim wants a divorce, her husband finds out about their affair, and devises a plot to destroy them both. They must struggle to survive a web of lies, deceit and dangerous passion.*
*(Due to adult themes and sexual content, this book is recommended for mature readers.)
REVIEW
This one hot, steamy read! A 10 on the heat meter!!
Kim and Derek have a special attraction that Kim fights from the very beginning. She cannot fight it for long. Kim falls hard and fast! When her husband finds out, things get dicey!
The characters seemed a little one demensional, the conversations were a little stiff. But, if you are looking for a good,hot beach read….THIS IS IT!
Annabel’s bio:
I love to read and write novels. I’m also a loner, who loves to drink copious amounts of coffee–and I won’t turn down a good bourbon if it’s offered by a handsome man… or indeed, by any kind and generous man.
I’m a Scorpio, and I love the beach. I have a background in graphic design and creative writing. My mother kept diaries and wrote short stories about Christmas, old lovers and travel.
My cat, Count Elvis, loves cognac and Pop Tarts.
Reading on the beach is one of the great delights of life. Sun, sea and sand. Ahhh… and then I pick up a book and dive into a story. I love everything gold: golden tans, golden hair, golden sunsets and golden earrings.
My husband, Dane, is a diver and sun worshiper.
Follow the author:
Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/1IvrKS0
Website: http://annabelfoxx.wix.com/annabelfoxx
The Summer’s End by Mary Alice Monroe #XOXperts
Overview
In the powerful and heartwarming conclusion to her bestselling Lowcountry Summer trilogy, New York Times author Mary Alice Monroe brings her readers back to the charm and sultry beauty of Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, to reveal how the pull of family bonds and true love is as strong and steady as the tides.
It is summer’s end and Sea Breeze, the family’s beloved estate on Sullivan’s Island, must be sold. It is an emotional time of transition as Mamaw and the three sisters each must face loss and find a new place in the world.
Harper, the youngest sister, arrived at Sea Breeze intending to stay only a weekend, but a rift with her wealthy, influential mother left her without direction or a home. During this remarkable summer, free from her mother’s tyranny and with the help of her half sisters, Harper discovered her talents and independent spirit.
But summer is ending, and the fate of Sea Breeze hinges on Harper’s courage to decide the course of her own life. To do so she must release her insecurities and recognize her newfound strengths. She must accept love fully into her life—the love of Mamaw, Carson, and Dora, the love of Sea Breeze and the lowcountry, and most of all, the love of a Wounded Warrior who has claimed her heart.
The third book in Mary Alice Monroe’s trilogy that brims with “stories that touch the mind and heart of her readers” (Huffington Post), The Summer’s End follows three half sisters bound by love for their grandmother and the timeless beauty and traditions of the lowcountry.
Review
I fell in love with this series on the first book, The Summer Girls. When I started this novel, I felt like I was reuniting with old friends.
Harper, Carson and Dora are three half-sisters who experience many life changing issues and continue to grow in strength. Relying on the love of family, these three overcome many obstacles.
I love how Mary Alice Monroe keeps her characters so genuine. The sisters fight and get on each other’s nerves, just like all families! Then, they make up and build on the strength of each other to survive.
The setting is another favorite. I can just smell the marshes and the sea. I can picture the wildlife and feel the sun! I am visiting this place SOON!!
If you are looking for the perfect beach read, this is it!! Excellent characters and the low country setting make it a great summer read!
I received this novel from the author for an honest review. 
Purchase here
Graduation 2015!!!
This is a sizzix flip it card. I also used a stamp from Close to My Heart for the banner. I cut the banner to match the stamp from Close To my Heart Artiste cricut cartridge.
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!!!
The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg
Overview
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Elizabeth Berg has written a lush historical novel based on the sensuous Parisian life of the nineteenth-century writer George Sand—which is perfect for readers of Nancy Horan and Elizabeth Gilbert.
At the beginning of this powerful novel, we meet Aurore Dupin as she is leaving her estranged husband, a loveless marriage, and her family’s estate in the French countryside to start a new life in Paris. There, she gives herself a new name—George Sand—and pursues her dream of becoming a writer, embracing an unconventional and even scandalous lifestyle.
Paris in the nineteenth century comes vividly alive, illuminated by the story of the loves, passions, and fierce struggles of a woman who defied the confines of society. Sand’s many lovers and friends include Frédéric Chopin, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Liszt, Eugène Delacroix, Victor Hugo, Marie Dorval, and Alfred de Musset. As Sand welcomes fame and friendship, she fights to overcome heartbreak and prejudice, failure and loss. Though considered the most gifted genius of her time, she works to reconcile the pain of her childhood, of disturbing relationships with her mother and daughter, and of her intimacies with women and men. Will the life she longs for always be just out of reach—a dream?
Brilliantly written in luminous prose, and with remarkable insights into the heart and mind of a literary force, The Dream Lover tells the unforgettable story of a courageous, irresistible woman.
Review
I am ashamed to say, I have never read a book written by George Sands. I have added her to my never ending TBR list and will be reading her very soon. She was an amazing woman, ahead of her time.
George Sands accomplished so much during a time period when women were not supposed to succeed. She lived outside the constraints of society and her achievements were astounding.
While this is a very well written novel, I found it a little boring. I much preferred to read about her triumphs and less about her sexual exploits.
I received this novel from Netgalley for an honest review.
Purchase here
The Bone Tree by Greg Iles
OVERVIEW
#1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles continues the electrifying story he began in his smashing New York Times bestseller Natchez Burning with this highly anticipated second volume in an epic trilogy of blood and race, family and justice.
Southern prosecutor Penn Cage is caught in the darkest maelstrom of his life. The heartbreaking but seemingly straightforward death of his father’s African-American nurse, Viola Turner, has fractured Penn’s family and turned Dr. Tom Cage into a fugitive from justice. And in the search for his father and his reasons for running, Penn has unwittingly started a war with a violent offshoot of the KKK, the Double Eagles, whose members seem to know much more about Tom’s past than Penn or his mother ever did.
Desperately following his father’s trail, Penn finds himself in a maze of mirrors, beset on all sides by a family of criminals and corrupt police whose power reaches into the highest levels of state government. To even the odds, Penn must rely on allies whose objectives are very different from his own. FBI special agent John Kaiser sees Tom Cage as the key to closing not only countless civil rights murders, but also the ultimate cold case: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Penn’s fiancée, journalist Caitlin Masters, is chasing the biggest story of her career and believes Tom can lead her to evidence of America’s most secret, shameful history. In the end, all roads will lead to the mysterious Bone Tree, a legendary killing site that may conceal far more than the remains of the forgotten.
Penn now knows that the death of Viola Turner is a door to the darkest chapters of America’s past. In the civil rights battleground that was 1960s Mississippi and Louisiana, powerful men had audacious, sweeping agendas, and their violent race murders concealed a conspiracy that ran wide and deep, involving the New Orleans Mafia, a Double Eagle hit squad, and a world- altering murder in Dealey Plaza in 1963. And if the FBI can be believed, somehow Dr. Tom Cage stands at the center of it all.
Enthralling, captivating, and utterly engrossing, The Bone Tree is a masterpiece of modern suspense and the next novel in the monumental trilogy that Greg Iles was born to write.
REVIEW
I don’t know where to start….this series just keeps getting better and better!
This is not a beach read. This is not a normal, fast-paced Greg Iles tale. This is what I call a “smart” read. It is an intricate, sophisticated plot. If you blink you will miss something important. You can’t let your guard down for a minute. And for the life of me…I cannot figure out what Tom Cage is hiding. I have suspicions but no real proof.
Greg Iles’ characters are exceptional. They make mistakes, make wrong decisions, are judgemental. In other words, they are so real!! I think this is why his stories take on a life of their own and pull the reader in so quickly. Everyone makes mistakes in judgement and therefore, there is a true connection between the character and the reader.
The intricate details intertwined throughout this story, along with the characters, leave the reader contemplating long after the story is finished. This is not a tale soon forgotten! I cannot wait for the final installment. Sadly I must wait a year!!
I want to give this 10 stars!!! But, five will have to do!
PURCHASE HERE
Happy Mother’s Day!!
Here is a card I made with the Stamplistic stamps. I love this butterfly stamp. It is gorgeous. I added sticklers and jewels.
This is the inside of the card.
This is an odd size card. It is a 5 and 1/4 by and 4 and 1/2. I used my envelope punch (the handiest tool ever!!) to create an envelope to fit!!
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!! HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!
The Curse of Anne Boleyn by C.C. Humphreys – BOOK SPOTLIGHT AND GIVEAWAY
The Curse of Anne Boleyn
By C.C. Humphreys
Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN: 9781402282300
$14.99 Trade Paperback
Purchase The Curse of Anne Boleyn here:
Amazon | B&N | BAM | IndieBound | Kobo
“If you like Bernard Conwell’s Grail Quest series, you’ll love The French Executioner and The Curse of Anne Boleyn. To my mind Cornwell is good, but Humphreys is better.”—Sally Zigmund, Historical Novels Review (UK)
From the masterful C.C. Humphreys, comes the captivating sequel to The French Executioner.
Nearly twenty years have passed since Anne Boleyn died at the hands of her slayer and savior, Jean Rombaud. All he wants is to forget his sword-wielding days and live happily with his family. Yet her distinctive six-fingered hand, stolen at her death—and all the dark power it represents—still compels evil men to seek it out.
When Jean’s son, Gianni, joins the Inquisition in Rome and betrays all his father worked for, Jean discovers that time alone cannot take him—or his son—far from his past. But he never expected his whole family, especially his beloved daughter Anne, to become caught up once more in the tragic queen’s terrible legacy.
From the savagery of way in Italy to the streets of London and Paris and the wilds of North America, The Curse of Anne Boleyn sweeps readers into a thrilling story that puts love, loyalty, and family to the ultimate test.
“With The French Executioner, Humphreys established himself as a quality purveyor of historical detail and vigorous action…This unusual story line is dispatched with consummate skill.”
—Good Books Guide (UK)
About the Author
Chris (C.C.) Humphreys is an actor, playwright, fight choreographer and novelist. He has written nine historical fiction novels including The French Executioner, runner up for the CWA Steel Dagger for Thrillers; Vlad – The Last Confession, the epic novel of the real Dracula; and A Place Called Armageddon. His latest YA novel is The Hunt of the Unicorn. His work has been translated into thirteen languages.
Website: http://cchumphreys.com.
Twitter: @HumphreysCC https://twitter.com/HumphreysCC
An Excerpt from THE CURSE OF ANNE BOLEYN by C.C. Humphreys
The freezing mist seemed to pool thicker about the chapel doors, yet no one seemed anxious to seek shelter from it. Tucknell fiddled with the keys in his hand, the three laborers leaned on shovels and picks, avoiding each other’s eyes. Even Thomas felt a reluctance to proceed. Outside the iron-studded doors, the frigid air was at least connected to the world of the living, their footprints in the frost a trail back to light and warmth. Ahead, within the darkness, lay a deeper cold – the realm of the dead. And they were there to violate that realm.
After a few moments watching plumes of breath stripe the night, Thomas shifted, made to speak, to command. Before the breath could become a voice in him, the warder pulled him slightly to one side, whispered, “Sir. Let me ask of you once more. Beg of you. Do not do this. It is a sin.”
“I have my orders, Tucknell. And you have yours. You saw the signature on the papers. This command comes from the Queen herself.”
It was not strictly true, but the officer was not to know that. He drew back, seeking Thomas’s eyes.
“I know our gracious sovereign Mary has little reason to love… she who lies here. But to thus despoil her tomb?” His voice softened. “You are an Englishman, sir, and a gentleman I can tell. Let us spare an English lady further humiliation.” Off Thomas’s silent stare he cried, “For Jesu’s sake, man, hasn’t she suffered enough?”
Thomas leaned in, so his voice, softened now, beguiling, would not carry to the waiting, shifting men.
“I do not like this either, man. But we have had reports that this woman may have taken something with her to the grace. Something that may… be of use to Her Majesty.”
Tucknell’s face twisted, as if containing a violent struggle. “She took nothing with her save a prayer book and the clothes she wore. I know, sir, because I was there.” The struggle overpowered him. “I know because I helped to kill her and to bury her afterward. May God have mercy on my soul!”
“Amen.”
Thomas watched a tear that had nothing to do with the harsh wind run from this tough soldier’s eye, and wondered at the power this woman, dead nearly twenty years, still had over the living. A power to be turned into a weapon for the Catholic cause, so his superiors in the Society of Jesus believed. But only if he, Thomas Lawley, did his duty now.
“Come, Master Tucknell. You have merely to show me the way. If there is sin after that, it is I, and I alone, that will commit it.” The soldier before him hardened, the tears withdrawn. Without another word he turned to the door and fitted into its lock the largest of the keys he carried. It grated there, with a cry like that of the raven defending its cache of food. The doors, in contrast, swung open, as silent as on any tomb.
Rafflecopter Giveaway
3 copies of THE CURSE OF ANNE BOLEYN by CC Humphreys
Open until June 1, 2015
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Kathleen’s Undressed by Celia Kennedy
OVERVIEW
In Book Two of the Accidental Series, the vivacious women from Charlotte’s Restrained join Kathleen in Paris, France for Fall Fashion Week! Pairing Prada with Armani, and Proenza Schuler with Betsy Johnson, playing dress-up with the most prestigious credit card in your purse is a whole lot of fun. Kathleen, Hillary, Marian, and Tiziana mingle with celebrities, royalty, and the fashion elite as they critique the next season’s collections.
But wait, where is Charlotte? Will Des Bannerman, The King of Romantic Comedies make an appearance? What happened to Ted and Liam? You’ll find out as Kathleen entertains her friends in her beloved City of Lights.
What should be a frivolous week of ooh’ing and ah’ing everything from lingerie to lipstick, is about to take a turn. Kathleen has secrets. Dark secrets her friends would be devastated to learn!
Against the backdrop of runway shows, the Champs Elysees, the Roman Coliseum, and the Space Needle, twists and turns take place, attempting to draw Kathleen out of the shadows and into the light. This remarkably complex woman, full of hidden surprises, meets her match in Sébastien Langevin, who urges her to reveal all.
Will Kathleen continue deceiving her friends at the risk of their friendship — or reveal the truth at the risk of herself? The true meaning of friendship and love, along with a healthy dose of fashion and laughter, can be found in Kathleen’s Undressed, The Accidental Enigma!
REVIEW
I love to read a book where you feel like you are part of the cast!! It is very difficult for an author to achieve this. Celia definitely makes the reader feel a part of this story. All the girls in this book are lively and have a high time! I had a high time right along with them.
Kathleen is a complicated character that is missing something in her life. She refuses to admit this until it is absolutely necessary. Kathleen battles to find her happy ending… Will her friends stick by her? Will she take a chance?
This is an emotionally intense and thought provoking read.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Celia Kennedy was born in Wurzburg, Germany on a military base. Her parent’s penchant for traveling has stuck with her, she’s lived in and traveled through several countries.
The imagined world has always fascinated Celia. She has studied Art History, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, and Architecture. Her thirteen year career at UW in Seattle ended in 1996. Not wanting to be homeless, she left the academic world and worked as a Landscape Architect, married the love of her life, became a mom, has been PTA President, and both Boy and Girl Scout Leader.
The unimaginable wealth in her life is the most fascinating thing to her.
Her love of travel, the designed and natural world, friendship, self-discovery, wine, chocolate, AND love are the foundation of her life and books.
Celia is the author of:
Charlotte’s Restrained, The Accidental Stalker http://amzn.to/1BcpYUN
Kathleen’s Undressed, The Accidental Enigma http://amzn.to/1CFmubd
Venus Rising http://amzn.to/1FoKQeQ
Cupid on the Loose Anthology (Sugar, It’s Cold Outside) http://amzn.to/1wEGNaJ
Fools Rush In Anthology (April’s Fool) http://amzn.to/1FWEVxd
May The Fourth Anthology (Tears In The Rain) – Not yet released
To Be Named Summer ChickLit Anthology (Meriwether Over The Barrel) – Not yet released
She is currently writing book three in The Accidental Series – Marian’s Misdirected, The Accidental Roadie
Currently she lives in Washington State with the loves of her life.
LINKS
Amazon Author Page – http://www.amazon.com/Celia-Kennedy/e/B00AW5KEZO
Website: www.celiakennedy.weebly.com
Blog: www.womanreinventsself.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMKAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KennedyCelia
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/celiakennedy/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106475224814075459757/posts
PURCHASE HERE
reecaspieces 