Thanks to Danielle Dill of Berkley/NAL , I am giving away one print copy of Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts.
Description of Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts
The new Guardians Trilogy novel from the #1 New York Timesbestselling author of Stars of Fortune.
To celebrate the rise of their new queen, three goddesses of the moon created three stars, one of fire, one of ice, one of water. But then they fell from the sky, putting the fate of all worlds in danger. And now three women and three men join forces to pick up the pieces…
Mermaid Annika is from the sea, and it is there she must return after her quest to find the stars. New to this world, her purity and beauty are nothing less than breathtaking, along with her graceful athleticism, as her five new friends discovered when they retrieved the fire star.
Now, through space and time, traveler Sawyer King has brought the guardians to the island of Capri, where the water star is hidden. And as he watches Annika in her element, he finds himself drawn to her joyful spirit. But Sawyer knows that if he allows her into his heart, no compass could ever guide him back to solid ground…
And in the darkness, their enemy broods. She lost one star to the guardians, but there is still time for blood to be spilled—the mermaid’s in the water and the traveler’s on the land. For she has forged a dangerous new weapon. Something deadly and unpredictable. Something human.
About Nora Roberts
Photo Credit: Berkley
Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. She is also the author of the bestselling In Death series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.
Giveaway of Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts
This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on July 8, 2016 at midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
I have been a vegan for over 25 years and even though I am way past my college years, I was curious to see what the recommendations for college students was for eating. During my college days, I was vegetarian, not vegan which, was a good thing as there were already too many limitations to what I could find in the cafeteria in my dorm! I lived on a pathetic salad bar and pizzas that I had delivered on almost a daily basis.
I sure wish this cookbook would have been around when I was in college. Although, my dorm didn’t have a microwave which, many of these recipes require. I am sure there is easy access to one now a days. I did however, have a small refrigerator in my room where I stored my leftover pizza. How did you reheat it, you ask? I didn’t, I ate it cold! LOL!
The advice to vegan college students in this cookbook is good. It goes over what students should keep in their “pantry” and points out some of the things they might be able to get in their cafeteria. Some of the ingredients weren’t even around back when I was in college, such as the vegetarian meat alternatives. We have come a long way!
None of the recipes require a stove, just a microwave. However, there were some that required a blender. How much space do they think students have in a dorm room? LOL! The need a refrigerator/freezer, microwave, and blender. Plus they need a space to prepare the food. I can tell you that my room was tiny and I had a roommate.
I tried making a few of the recipes myself including the ‘Breakfast Parfait’ ‘Pancake In a Mug’, and ‘Freshman Frittata’. The parfait was the easiest and taste good. The pancake in a mug was acceptable, if a stovetop isn’t an option but it was a bit on the rubbery side. I didn’t care for the frittata at all. I don’t know about you but I like my frozen hash browns, brown in oil, in a skillet. They turn out as you would expect in a microwave, mushy!
Would I recommend ‘PETA’s Vegan Cookbook’. Yes, I would for students living in a dorm or somewhere that they don’t have access to a stove, etc. As a student, you need to make do with what you have access to and this book will help students find and make vegan meals so they won’t starve.
3/5
I received the ebook format for my honest opinion via Net Galley.
It’s no secret that I am a fan of C. W. Gortner, so when I saw the change to grab a ebook for review of his latest historical fiction, I jumped. This time Gortner’s focus is on the very famous Marlene Dietrich ( December 27, 1901-May 6, 1992).
Marlene Dietrich was born and raised in Germany. She studied violin under pressure from her mother but really wanted to be an actress. After being told at the music conservatory by the same music teacher she had an affair with, that she wasn’t good enough to play professionally, she gave up lessons. However, for a short while she does play for a burlesque company, until she was fired. She played fine but she was the only woman in the orchestra and her colleagues complained that her legs were driving them crazy.
Soon she moves in with a new lover, this time, a female. With the encouragement of her Uncle’s mistress and her new lover, she starts taking acting lesions. She also gets dancing parts in cabarets. She soon starts getting bit acting parts in plays too. Then she meets her future husband, Rudi, who works in the film industry and gets her a screen test. Eventually she gets her first movie part. Her and Rudi also have a daughter together but soon Marlene is invited to Hollywood and signs a contract. This is just as things are heating up in Germany and the stage is being set for World War II. She is glad to get out of there!
Soon she also gets her husband, their daughter, and Rudi’s mistress out of Germany and moves them to France and then once that is no longer safe, to the U.S.
In the mean time, her movie career is taking off and she has supporting and lead roles with famous actors. She has affairs with some of the leading men, including Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Cary Grant. At the same time, Hitler is working hard to lure her back to Germany and even threatens her remaining family living in Germany. What does she do? She joins the U.S.O and performs for U.S. soldiers, of course! She later meets General George Patton and has a brief affair with him but really she wants him to get her into Germany at the war’s end, so she can check on her family. She is devastated when she sees the state of the country she grew up in.
This book is told in chronological order. At times, I wanted her teenage and young adult years to move at a faster pace but once her career started, the book really picked up. I am not one to judge people by who they sleep with, I judge them on their accomplishments and Marlene Dietrich accomplishes a lot. She not only builds a career for herself but she braves war zones to comfort solders fighting for her new country. She is am inspiration!
I highly recommend ‘Marlene’ to historical fiction fans. Although this is a fictionalized account, if is well researched and I recommend it to those who enjoy biographies of famous people as well.
4/5
I received the ebook version for my honest review.
About C. W. Gortner
C.W. Gortner holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California, as well as an AA from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco.
After an eleven year-long career in fashion, during which he worked as a vintage retail buyer, freelance publicist, and fashion show coordinator, C.W. devoted the next twelve years to the public health sector. In 2012, he became a full-time writer following the international success of his novels.
In his extensive travels to research his books, he has danced a galliard at Hampton Court, learned about organic gardening at Chenoceaux, and spent a chilly night in a ruined Spanish castle. His books have garnered widespread acclaim and been translated into twenty-one languages to date, with over 400,000 copies sold. A sought-after public speaker. C.W. has given keynote addresses at writer conferences in the US and abroad. He is also a dedicated advocate for animal rights, in particular companion animal rescue to reduce shelter overcrowding.
Half-Spanish by birth and raised in southern Spain, C.W. now lives in Northern California with his partner and two very spoiled rescue cats.
Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts
Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts
PETA’S Vegan College Cookbook
Marlene by C. W. Gortner