Veronica's 'Views

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Free Kindle Books!

Free for kindle through May 11th! I enjoyed this look at 1st Century Rome under the persecution of Nero.

Amazon

Free for kindle!

Amazon

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Free and Sale Kindle Books!

Free for kindle through June 30th!

Amazon

Free for kindle!

Amazon

Only .99 for kindle!

Amazon

Only 1.99 for kindle!

Amazon

Friday, May 3, 2013

This is a very enjoyable story about one woman's determination to save her father's candy-making business. Lucy Kendall returns from a year abroad planning to create the perfect candy and finally prove that she belongs in the business. Charlie Clarke has a chance for a new path since his estranged father came back into his life and hired him to work at his candy-making business. If he can just prove himself a good businessman, maybe he can finally make his father proud. Unfortunately, these are rival businesses and though Charlie and Lucy are immediately attracted to each other, realizing their fathers are enemies makes them enemies too, at least in Lucy's mind. They become thorns in each others' sides as they come up with new ideas to outsell the other.

This is a well-written, entertaining story. I enjoyed the amusing circular conversations and the clever scenarios Charlie sometimes stumbled into. I loved that we got to see both of their viewpoints equally. They both felt like very real, flawed people. I liked the themes of grace and forgiveness, both for yourself and other people. The romance was good, but I wished there would have been a bit more. Make sure you have some candy on hand because you'll definitely want some while reading this sweet story. Check it out!

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Poison by Jordyn Redwood

This is an intriguing mystery involving a young woman who survived the murder of half her family by her step-father. He claimed that someone named Lucent made him do it, but everyone believed he was just a hallucination. Now, seven years later, Keelyn is confronted by a man who claims to be Lucent, threatens her, and says he's with her estranged sister who is now missing. She takes in her toddler niece, but danger follows them at every turn as the bodies keep piling up and someone watches her. Keelyn wonders if her fiance can handle this new addition to their life, along with wondering about the things he's not telling her. She also volunteers with abused women and is an expert in reading body language, so she gets involved in trying to find a missing woman's children and trying to figure out if the woman is involved herself.

I found this story fascinating, especially Keelyn's reading of people's body language. From using it for cases to trying to figure out the people in her life, it made for a compelling study. I also liked the details to the police procedure and the non-stop suspense. This is book two in the Bloodline Trilogy, but I didn't feel lost not having read the first one. I'll definitely be looking for more of her books!

I received this book free from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Free Kindle Books!

Free for kindle May 2nd & 3rd! I'll be posting a review of this tomorrow!

Amazon

Free for kindle!

Amazon

Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd

This is an interesting, eye-opening look at the royal family, especially Queen Elizabeth, in the latter half of the 1500s. Based on real people, this book tells the story of Elin von Snakenborg, who leaves her home and court of the princess in Sweden to settle in England. She becomes part of the court of Queen Elizabeth I after there are some complications involving her planned marriage to Lord Northampton. Over the course of many years, she becomes a very good friend to the queen while political intrigue and threats of rebellion are a day-to-day occurrence. Will her Protestant queen be overthrown by her Catholic half-sister, Mary, Queen of Scots? Two men will vie for her love, but can she trust either of them? When she's forced to choose between her queen and her husband, what will the consequences be?

I learned a lot about the inner workings of court and what it would have been like to be a part of it and I would definitely not have liked it! I understand better the motivations of the queen and the pressure she was under every day, not to mention the pressure the ladies and others around her felt, too. I got a little confused with all of the names mentioned, especially since a few had the same name. The story felt a bit formal and I wished for a little more emotion from Elin, but it also made sense for the setting. It felt difficult for me to relate to her, especially since I can't understand why someone would have chosen this life. I liked the romance and the attention to detail made the story come to life. Check this out if you like historical fiction, especially about the royal family!

I received this book free from Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, in exchange for an honest review.

Check out the giveaway over at Sandra's blog: http://sandrabyrd.com/blog/books-and-blooms-giveaway/

Link to order Roses Have Thorns: http://amzn.to/XHX5LJ

About the author:

After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published more than forty books. Her adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named by Library Journal as a Best Books Pick for 2011 and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012. Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I, will publish in April, 2013.

Sandra has also published dozens of books for tweens and teens.

A former textbook acquisitions editor, Sandra has also published many nonfiction articles and books. She is also passionate about helping new writers develop their talent and their work toward traditional or self publication. As such, she has mentored and coached hundreds of new writers and continues to coach dozens to success each year.

Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more, or to invite Sandra to your bookclub via Skype.

Connect with Sandra on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sandrabyrd

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandrabyrdwrites

Connect with Sandra on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/SandraByrdBooks