Blog Tour: The House--With Kindle Giveaway

The House by Anjuelle Floyd

About the Book:  On receiving the very thing she wants—a divorce and the power to sell their house—over which they have fought the past year—Anna Manning learns that Edward, her soon-to-be ex-husband is dying from cancer.

A faithful wife for three decades, and stay-at-home mother of four children, Anna endured Edward’s constant absence due to travel for his international real estate firm and numerous extra-marital affairs. With their children now adults, Edward has less than six months, possibly three, to live.

Anna takes him home to die in the house she has fought so vigorously to sell. But letting go of someone who has caused so much pain in your life doesn’t come easily. Edward has changed. There are Anna and Edward’s four children, three of whom who are married and struggling to endow their families with meaning and purpose.

News of Edward’s terminal illness provokes her to understand the present, rooted in a wellspring of the past and pouring into a future without him.

The House shows what happens when one adopts the belief that: All hold regret and are seeking forgiveness. Our salvation rests in the hands of others—most particularly the ones we love, and who have treated us wrongly.

About the Author:  Anjuelle Floyd is a wife of twenty-eight years, mother of three, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in mother-daughter relations and dream work.

A graduate of Duke University, she received her MA in Counseling Psychology from The California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco. She has attended the Dominican Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley, California, and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, Port Townsend, Washington. She has received certificates of participation from The Hurston-Wright Writers’ Week and The Voices of Our Nations Writing Workshops.

A student of Process Painting for the last decade, Anjuelle has participated in The Art of Living Black Exhibitions 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 held at the Richmond Art Center, Richmond, California.

Anjuelle facilitates writing groups and provides individual consultation of fiction projects. She also gives talks on The Need for Family, the Writing Process as a Path Toward Self-discovery and Healing.

My Thoughts:  I thought the premise of this novel sounded interesting so I chose to participate in Ty Webbin's blog tour of it.  While at times I saw glimpses of what this story could have been, I did not like Ms. Floyd's writing style at all, and I do not believe the book lived up to its potential.  I never connected with the characters and found some of the inter-relationships to be implausible.  However, a search for other reviews shows that my opinion is not universal.  Mind Fog Reviews gives it 5/5.  Misha rated it 10/10.


WIN A FREE KINDLE!
To celebrate the release of her novel, The House, author Anjuelle Floyd is offering a (1) Kindle Wi-Fi (retail value: $139.00) as a part of her promotional blog tour. A WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED DECEMBER 1, 2010.

TO REGISTER ONLINE - http://bit.ly/TheHouseKindleGiveaway

For More Information

· Visit the author online at http://www.anjuellefloyd.com
· View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/TheHouseBlogTour

Monday Memes

Mailbox Monday is hosted this month by Knitting and Sundries.  It is where book bloggers gather to share what the mail added to our stacks this week.  My stack grew quite a bit.  My first package was from Bell Books and contained three books:    

Sweetie:   

For shy, stuttering Melissa, the wild mountain girl named Sweetie is a symbol of pride and strength. But to many in their Appalachian town Sweetie is an outcast, a sinister influence, or worse. This poignant and haunting story takes readers deep inside the bittersweet heart of childhood loyalties. A West Virginia native, Kat Magendie came home to Maggie Valley via South Louisiana, where she reclusively writes and co-edits/publishes The Rose & Thorn online journal. Visit her at www.kathrynmagendie.com

Twas The Night

“Christmas or Bust!”What do a Blue Angels pilot, a bounty hunter and an ex-NFL football player have in common? The three bad-boy bachelors of Snowdon, Maine have to make a friend’s Christmas Eve wedding on time or die trying! They’re willing to risk anything to make that happen—even dashing through the snow in the goofiest bus on Earth, bright red and filled with a bunch of merry, meddling senior citizens known as the Santa Brigade. All too soon, these men will have met their matches in three special women: a woman from their past, a forest ranger so hot she ought to be declared a fire hazard, and a woman on the run. Ho, ho, OH!While serving up holiday cheer with the Santa Brigade, the guys will discover ‘tis the season for good will and folly. Wise men or not, they are well and truly caught, which means these roguish St. Nicks are willing to jingle a few bells along the way if that’s what it takes to find what they truly want for Christmas nestled in their beds after the stockings are stuffed and the gifts placed under the tree.

and

Life from Scratch (I couldn't find an image or an Amazon link) is written by a blogger and is the story of a recently divorced woman who took a year off of work to "find" herself.  In the process, she learns to cook and blogs about her experiences.  I loved it and will do a full review soon.

My other package this week was from Bethany House.  They too sent me three books:

Hatteras Girl

There are two things twenty-nine-year-old Jackie Donovan asks God for: an honest, wonderful man to marry, and to own a bed-and-breakfast in the Outer Banks region. In the meantime, Jackie works for Lighthouse Views magazine, writing articles about other local business owners, and intrepidly goes on the blind dates set up by her well-meaning but oh-so-clueless relatives. There's one specific property Jackie dreams of purchasing: the Bailey Place, a fabulous old home where Jackie spent many happy childhood afternoons, a place that has now fallen into disrepair because of its outrageous price tag. When Jackie meets handsome Davis Erickson, who holds the key to the Bailey Place, Jackie is sure God has answered both her prayers. But as Jackie learns some disturbing details about Davis's past, she begins to question her own motivation. Will she risk her long-held dreams to find out the truth?  I enjoyed this one, and here is my review.

Rush of Wings, A: A Novel

When fragmented images and unfocused panic force Noelle St. Claire to flee her wealthy, sheltered life in New York, she gains sanctuary on a ranch in the Rocky Mountains. There Noelle finds solace in the breathtaking scenery she paints. But as the attentions of two brothers, Rick and Morgan Spencer, breach the wall she hides behind, the past she yearns to escape becomes a menacing threat from which she can no longer hide. Award-winning and bestselling author Kristen Heitzmann has skillfully created a story resonating with emotion and depicting a poignant spiritual journey.

Amy Inspired

Life has not turned out the way that writer and creative writing instructor Amy expected. Despite the fact that she has carefully transcribed her life ambitions in several thousand lists, Amy has yet to check off anything from her “Things to Do Before Thirty” list, which includes getting published and finding someone tall and decent to marry. Instead, Amy shares an apartment with an eccentric writer/waitress named Zoe and a somewhat vagrant artist named Eli, while she catalogs the rejection letters she has received from publishers all across the country. Real-life author Pierce has created a thoroughly relatable protagonist, a flawed woman facing modern-day dilemmas and conflicts of faith, thus bringing a welcome dose of contemporary reality to the Christian fiction genre. With just the right amount of humor to leaven this tale about the plight of a single Christian woman today, Pierce provides readers of Melody Carlson or Neta Jackson with a new author to be inspired by. --Elizabeth Ponder

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is hosted by Book Journey and in it, book bloggers talk about what they read last week and what they plan to read this week.

I read Life From Scratch mentioned above, but since I don't have a graphic, I asked for one.  Hopefully I'll get the review up soon.  I also read and reviewed Hatteras Girl.  

Christmas at Harrington's was a sweet Christmas novel and it will be featured soon in a blog tour.

The House is the story of a couple who were almost divorced--until she, who had initiated the divorce due to his constant cheating, learned that he was dying.  My review will publish Monday, and the author is giving away a Kindle.

I published tours of A Perfect Blend and Joy to the Word:  Advent Activities for Families.  I reviewed A Family Dinner and I'm giving away a copy of it.  I also published a review of Montana Glory, which I am also giving away.  

My plans for the week are to finish the rest of the books last week brought.

Hatteras Girl: Book Review

Hatteras Girl

Hatteras Girl is a charming story of Jackie, a young woman who is 29 at the beginning of the book and 30 at the end.  Like many single women, she wants to be married.  Like some 30 year olds, she wonders if she will ever achieve her career goals.  Her goal is to own a particular bed and breakfast and so far she has had no luck in trying to find the owner.  One day her boss sends her to interview a Realtor, and she finds that he is not only handsome and charming, he also knows about "her" bed and breakfast.  Will she get the guy?  Will she get the B&B?

Other characters include her best friend and roommate, Minnie, who is the mother of a four year old.  Minnie's husband was killed a year ago in a boating accident.  Jackie and Minnie used to play at the B&B as kids and dreamed of owning it together.  Minnie's son Zane is a cutie who misses his dad and is suffering from a lack of attention from his mom, who has to work two jobs to make ends meet.  Minnie's mom, Irvy, is in a nursing home following a stroke, but tried hard to warn Jackie about something.  Buck waits tables at her favorite eatery.  Buck and her brother were high school friends, and he is a good friend to have.

This is a light and fluffy romantic novel.  It is classified as Christian fiction which in this case means that it is mentioned that the characters go to church weekly and there are a few references to God's will.  Of course God works everything out in the end.  If you like "women's fiction", you'll probably like this one, whether or not you usually like Christian fiction, since the Christian elements are few and subtle.  Grade:  B

I'd like to thank Bethany House Book Reviewers for sending me a complimentary copy of this book.  I was specifically told that negative reviews were acceptable.  

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

I'd like to welcome you to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival.What did you post about this week?  Create a post entitled "Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival and in it highlight your posts from this week.  Include a link to this post.  Then, sign Mr. Linky so we can all check it out.  Don't forget to visit other folks.  If you'd like a weekly reminder to post, join our yahoogroup. 

I got on a roll last Sunday and tried recipes from three cookbooks, and reviewed the cookbooks.  They are:  The Clinton Street Baking Company, James Beard's American Cookery, and The Family Dinner.  I'm giving away a copy of The Family Dinner, so be sure to enter.  

Last Saturday I had a wonderful day of being with old and new friends and I blogged about it. 

I reviewed Letters to Ethan, a book that would make a good graduation or confirmation gift.  Finally, I posted a blog tour, which includes the first chapter, of Kathleen Basi's Advent book, Joy to the World.  Kathleen is a regular here at Sunday Snippets and if you have young kids, I highly recommend her book.