August Monthly News

Welcome to the August edition of monthly news!
I participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Check it out for a laugh, and please give if you can. Thank you.

BOOKS:

1. The Eternity Cure - Julie Kagawa (recommend)
2. An Amish Garden: Anthology (recommend)
3. Beyond the Pale: Anthology (recommend)
4. The Fragrance of Crushed Violets - Cathy Bryant (recommend)
5. Cress - Marissa Meyer (HIGHLY recommend)
6. Daughter of Darkness - V.C. Andrews (recommend)

MOVIES:

1. Rio 2 (recommend)

Yearly Total:  59 Books, 10 Products & 22 Movies

Book of the Month:

Book of the Year:

BLOGGER/MONEY-MAKING RESOURCES:
1. BlogTrain 
2. SwagBucks 
3. Sponsored Tweets 
4. GiftHulk 
5. SocialSpark 
6. Moo Business Cards
7. Blogdash 
8. Unique Rewards
9. Mad Mimi
10. Honest Insite
11. Glitter Network
12. Wantable
13. LinkVehicle

14. SnapSaves

15. Zarop

SPECIAL POSTS:

1. ThisLife by Shutterfly
2. Reebok Maleficent Giveaway
3. Dorm Room Decor from Posterjack

ALPHABE THURSDAYS Favorite Poetry:
A Girl's Garden - Robert Frost
Boat Beneath A Sunny Sky - Lewis Carroll
Carpe Diem - William Shakespeare
Dream within a Dream - Edgar Allen Poe
Echo - Christina Rossetti
Flower Garden - Wayne Jarus
God Gave A Loaf To Every Bird - Emily Dickinson
How Do I Love Thee - Elizabeth Barrett Browning
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
Just After Rain - Ross Clark

Kin - Maya Angelou

Little Bo Peep (nursery rhyme)

Million Man March - Maya Angelou

Nothing Gold Can Stay - Robert Frost
Only A Dad - Edgar A. Guest

CHALLENGES FAILED:

1. Monthly Keyword Challenge

CHALLENGES COMPLETED:

1. 2014 ARC Reading Challenge
2. 2014 Women Challenge
3. 2014 Romance Reading Challenge
4. 2014 Review Pile Challenge
5. 2014 Read Your Freebies Challenge

**No compensation was received for posting. Opinions are owned by this site.

#59: Daughter of Darkness - V.C. Andrews

When I was a little girl, Daddy told me never to fear the dark. “We exist because of the darkness,” he told me. “All of you are daughters of darkness.”

Beloved bestselling author V.C. Andrews’s passion for vampires comes to spellbinding life in a long-awaited novel of dark desires as all-consuming—and forbidden—as in Flowers in the Attic. One night, with the sound of a young man’s scream, high school senior Lorelei discovers that her stern but loving father, who adopted Lorelei and her sisters as infants, is no ordinary man. He has raised his beautiful girls for one purpose: to lure young men into their world of shadows. Like her sisters, Lorelei has been trained in the art of seduction and warned never to fall in love. But when she meets a handsome and charming classmate, she boldly defies her family and follows her heart—even if love is a poison. . . .

• Kindle: 1720 KB
• Print Length: 405 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (October 26, 2010)
• ASIN: B003UYUROM

AMAZON US  |   AMAZON CA   |   AMAZON UK

AUTHOR BIO:

With the publication of her first novel, FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC, Virginia Andrews became a bestselling phenomenon. Since then, readers have been captivated by more than forty novels in the Virginia Andrews' series. Her novels have sold over 100 million copies worldwide and been translated into 22 languages.

My review for The Unwelcomed Child

My review for Flowers in the Attic

My review for Forbidden Sister

My review for Secrets in the Attic

My review for Flowers In The Attic

My review for the film adaption of Flowers In The Attic, released in 2014

REVIEW:

I've read a lot of V.C. Andrews books, but this one reaches up high on the creeptastic list! I love creepy stories and this one definitely fits that bill.

I like Lorelei a lot. She asks a lot of questions because she senses things just ain't right. Some people get turned off by such inquisitiveness, but in this case, it is quite admirable.

I wasn't surprised in the least by the outcome, but was totally surprised by the ending. I figured it would be filled with a lot more fluffy stuff than what it had. I was happy that things were left wide open, and yet not dangling off a cliff, for the next book, Daughter of Light.

Can't wait to read that one and see what happens next. I am hooked! 

Suspense fans, get a copy!

5/5

**No compensation was received for posting. I read a free copy from BookShout. Opinions are owned by this site. Compensation is received if a purchase is made from the links in the post.

Blasting About: Thirty Two Going on Spinster (With #Giveaway)

Freda's Voice is happy to be blasting about Thirty Two Going on Spinster. Sounds like a fun read! Be sure to check out the giveaway at the end. Good luck!

Thirty-Two Going on Spinster by Becky Monson

Julia Dorning is a spinster, or at least on the road to becoming one. She has no social life, hates her job, and lives in her parent’s basement with her cat, Charlie.

With the arrival of Jared Moody, the new hire at work, Julia’s mundane life is suddenly turned upside down. Her instant (and totally ridiculous) crush on the new guy causes Julia to finally make some long-overdue changes, in hopes to find a life that includes more than baking and hanging out with Charlie.

But when the biggest and most unexpected change comes, will the new and improved Julia be able to overcome it? Or will she go back to her spinster ways?

Purchase your copy for just $2.99!!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes * Kobo

Praise for Thirty-Two Going on... Spinster

"Oh my, oh my. I have just finished wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes. This is seriously funny."

~Julie Darley (Never judge a Book by its Movie)

"This was a refreshing change of pace for me to read. Some good clean romance was found in it’s pages and that is a rare find these days. It was some great chick-lit. I would not have thought this was Becky’s debut book, it was so well done."

~Liberty Ann (SnifferWalkBooks)

Author Becky Monson

By day, Becky Monson is a mother of three young children, and a wife. By night, she escapes with reading books and writing. In her debut novel, Becky uses humor and true-life experiences to bring her characters to life. She loves all things chick-lit (movies, books, etc), and wishes she had a British accent. She has recently given up Diet Coke for the fiftieth time and is hopeful time will last... But it probably won't. Becky runs a large book club on Facebook called "This Chick Reads".

Facebook * Website * Twitter * Pinterest * Goodreads * Blog

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 9/30/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**No compensation was received for posting. This post is part of a promotional tour. Freda's Voice is not responsible for the giveaway.

#58: Cress - Marissa Meyer

In this third book in Marissa Meyer's bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and prevent her army from invading Earth.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl trapped on a satellite since childhood who’s only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s being forced to work for Queen Levana, and she’s just received orders to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is splintered. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price than she’d ever expected. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai, especially the cyborg mechanic. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has. 

• Kindle: 974 KB
• Print Length: 560 pages
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (February 4, 2014)
• ASIN: B00F1QX7W6

AMAZON US   |   AMAZON CA   |   AMAZON UK

Author Bio:

Marissa Meyer lives near Seattle with her husband and their three cats. She's a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, color-coordinating her bookshelf...) and will take any excuse to put on a costume. She may or may not be a cyborg.

Follow her blog or sign up for her newsletter at http://www.marissameyer.com.

Read my review for Glitches.

Read my review for Cinder.

Read my review for The Queen's Army.

Read my review for Scarlet.

Read my review for The Little Android

REVIEW:

Just when I started thinking how nicely this book brings the story together, it goes and leaves me hanging again. That's okay though. I could read about these characters endlessly.

I need to stress how bad these books need to be made into a tv series or movies. Hello, Mr. Director, are you listening to me?? They came to life in my mind and I'd love to see it visually on screen too.

I still love Cinder. She is literally the coolest cyborg ever! This is coming from someone who generally doesn't get into science-fiction. I guess that's a sure sign it's good reading.

I can't wait for more. Each of the fairytale retellings connect and yet are so different. I seriously can't get enough. I urge all of you to try them too!

5/5

**No compensation was received for posting. I won the copy provided for review. Opinions are owned by this site.

The Friday 56

Welcome to Week 192!

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

AMAZON

My hand rose to my neck, finding the thin silver chain that rested there, tracing the image of the tiny metal cross beneath my shirt. And just like that, all memories of him came rushing back.











**No compensation was received for posting. This is a meme post. Compensation is received if a purchase is made from the links.

Only A Dad

Only a dad with a tired face,

Coming home from the daily race,

Bringing little of gold or fame

To show how well he has played the game;

But glad in his heart that his own rejoice

To see him come and to hear his voice.

Only a dad with a brood of four,

One of ten million men or more

Plodding along in the daily strife,

Bearing the whips and the scorns of life,

With never a whimper of pain or hate,

For the sake of those who at home await.

Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,

Merely one of the surging crowd,

Toiling, striving from day to day,

Facing whatever may come his way,

Silent whenever the harsh condemn,

And bearing it all for the love of them.

Only a dad but he gives his all,

To smooth the way for his children small,

Doing with courage stern and grim

The deeds that his father did for him.

This is the line that for him I pen:

Only a dad, but the best of men.

~ Edgar A. Guest

Alphabe Thursdays

A Girl's Garden

Boat Beneath A Sunny Sky

Carpe Diem

Dream within a Dream

Echo

Flower Garden

God Gave A Loaf To Every Bird

How Do I Love Thee

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Just After Rain

Kin

Little Bo Peep

Million Man March

Nothing Gold Can Stay

**No compensation was received for posting. This post is part of a weekly meme.

Q&A & #Giveaway with Juliana Maio

Juliana Maio was born in Egypt but was raised in France. She completed her higher education in the United States, receiving her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Juris Doctor degree from UC Hastings.

Juliana practices entertainment law in Los Angeles. Prior to that she served as vice president of worldwide corporate and business affairs for Triumph Films, a joint venture between Columbia Pictures and Gaumont Films.

Juliana co-founded Lighthouse Productions, an independent film and television company. She has spoken both domestically and abroad about the Arab Spring. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, film producer Michael Phillips. They have a daughter.

Visit her website, Facebook and Twitter @julianamaio1

Please tell readers about your current book.

City of the Sun is a romantic thriller set in Egypt in 1941. It follows an American journalist who came to  Cairo to report on the war in North Africa. Mixing true historical events and characters with a fictional story of love and espionage, the novel deals with a little known, yet pivotal moment in history. I wanted the novel to entertain as well as to inform.

Who or what inspires your writing?

I was born in Egypt, but expelled from the country during the Suez Crisis when I was a child. I wanted to understand my Egyptian Jewish roots, so I delved into it and was so fascinated with what I learned that I had to write about it.

When did you know you would be a writer?

I wanted to be a writer since I was 7 years. I loved storytelling and being transported to another world. I also wanted to change the world. So I became a lawyer!  Now I found my way back to writing... and I still want to change the world!

How long did it take you to write your first novel?

13 years! The research was huge and never ending. But I loved every second of it.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

That you have to shut yourself off from the world. 

Do you have any writing rituals?

I like to write in the morning, have a cup of tea next to me and try to shut off the phones!

Have you written anything else?

I wrote a couple of screenplays. Also as a college student I wrote a play.

Any advice to aspiring writers?

You must be passionate about writing, or do something else.

Who are your favorite Authors?

I grew up in France and must admit to a bias toward the French classic authors. I love Balzac, Goethe and Victor Hugo for the romantics; Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir for the existentialists. But I also love Michael Crichton. His writing is so visual.

What are your favorite books, or which book has impacted you the most?

"The Stranger" by Albert Camus had a huge impact on me. It is in many ways a chilling novel. It is totally devoid of sentimentality, but ultimately shows you how one should not judge our fellow men.

What are you currently reading?

I'm reading Alaa al Aswany's new novel: "The Automobile Club."  Al Aswany is a master when it comes to describing Egyptian society, and the human condition in general.  

A NOTE FROM JULIANA

Dear readers:

I wrote this novel hoping to transport you to another world. An exotic and fascinating world, a world I fell in love with. You'll be surprised at the riches awaiting you there. Come take the journey... 

AND NOW THE GIVEAWAY

2 copies are up for grabs if you live in the US!

Full terms & conditions are at the bottom of the form.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway





**No compensation was received for posting.

Blasting About: For Love or Country (With #Giveaway)

Freda's Voice is happy to be part of this book blast for For Love or Country. Be sure to check out the giveaway below. Good luck!

For Love and Country

When A Man Is Torn Between Honoring His Country And The Woman He Loves, The Best Option Might Be To Choose Both.



When Maggie du Woernig willfully ignores her parents’ admonitions and entangles herself with Nik Koenig, she is certain he’s the only man who will make her happy. Blind to Nik’s real intentions, she throws herself recklessly into a situation that could not only destroy her life but compromise the safety of her country.



Han Heinrich has resigned himself to working in the castle stables, mostly as an excuse to have contact each day with Maggie. His aspirations for a more fulfilling career seem fruitless, in spite of his father’s position as the duke’s highest advisor. But when Han learns about Maggie’s precarious situation, he is willing to sacrifice everything to protect the woman he loves, and to save the country he would die for. He only hopes that someday Maggie will forgive him.

Purchase your copy:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

iTunes * Google Play * Kobo

Praise for The Horstberg Saga:

I completely enjoyed this book. The character development is fantastic. The author has a great sense of emotional storytelling that wraps you into the story as if you know,and can fully relate to the characters. This is the kind of story that touches the heart and the spirit. Well done. I look forward to the next chapter in the Horstberg Saga.
This book kept me so interested, I had a hard time putting it down. Suspense, love without smut, emotions that so relate to everyday life. This author touched on it all. Such in depth understanding of human emotions with the characters.
Firstly, I loved that this was a VOLUME! And what a great story to really sink my teeth into and get settled in with for more than just one sitting!
Well written and thoroughly satisfying.




Author Elizabeth D. Michaels

Elizabeth D. Michaels began writing at the age of sixteen, immersing herself ever since in the lives created by her vivid imagination. Beyond her devotion to family and friends, writing has been her passion for nearly three decades. While she has more than fifty published novels under the name Anita Stansfield and is the recipient of many awards, she boldly declares The Horstberg Saga as the story she was born to write, with many volumes in the works. She is best known for her keen ability to explore the psychological depths of human nature, bringing her characters to life through the timeless struggles they face in the midst of exquisite dramas.

Website * Blog * Facebook

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 9/26/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


**No compensation was received for posting. This post is for a promotional tour. Freda's Voice is not responsible for the giveaway.

Dorm Room Decor from Posterjack

Posterjack is a Canadian online photo printing company that is based in Toronto, Ontario. 

With school season upon us, some of our kids are heading off to college or university, and we are trying to find ways to keep them connected to home. 

Posterjack has 5 photo art tips to make the most of the small space.

1. Make it feel bigger with reflections - Metal Prints and Lacquer Frames catch and reflect light which can make a space feel bigger.

2. Make a statement - on oversized Poster makes a statement and also creates a focal point, tricking the eye into thinking the room is bigger than it is.

3. Create continuity - use a collection of Canvas Prints that have the same soft colours and are the same size for a natural flow throughout the room.

4. Add personality without the paint - create a great accent wall without the paint or damage with Peel & Sticks.

5. Inspiration boards - create a collage of all the people, places and things that inspire you – perfect for above a desk or workspace.

Decorating a dorm with photo art from Posterjack is as easy as 1,2,3:

1. Upload a photo

2. Select your print and size

3. Sit back as Posterjack delivers right to your door

The best part is, they guarantee the work! Here is an example, check out my previous experience with Posterjack.

**No compensation was received for posting. A credit was received to create photo art, however, it did not influence opinions in any way. Opinions are owned by this site.

Teaser Tuesdays

AMAZON

I nodded and hurried after him, and together we walked across the snowy yard, toward the field and the tangled woods beyond. Back toward the road, and the trail that would take us to Eden.

**No compensation was received for posting. This is part of a weekly meme.