This is the year that I’m taking my blog to the next level.  No more being shy or hesitant about jumping in feet first on stuff.  I’m in this thing for the long haul.

I’m just wondering where everyone writes or blogs.  I have this blog Keeper Bookshelf and another one of the same name at Blogspot.  Why?  Well it seemed like a good idea at the time.  Now I’m wondering if I’m taking on too much.  Even though they are the same name and same type of content – maybe, oh – I dunno yet.  I’m still working through that.  Hence this post.

There are a couple other places that I’ve joined lately where doing a blog as part of those platforms is an option too.  I just don’t want to get too scattered and lose momentum on this, my main and most important spot on the internet, ya know?

Still getting out there and being known for good, informative, interesting blogging is important too.

I am starting to give short recommendation types of posts at Goodreads and Amazon.  Yet again, keeping the content fresh and not the exact same is one of my concerns.

So, if you don’t mind sharing.  Where all do you blog or post your thoughts on books you’ve read?  I’d really like to know.  (not trying to steal ideas, just wanting to learn)

Thanks 🙂

Well, okay it’s not actually Friday since I’m joining in a wee bit late so I hope you’ll forgive a slight delay on this first FF.

I am really excited to be taking part and I sincerely thank the hosts for making this possible for all of us book-aholics.

I love books.  Reading them.  Reading about them on other blogs.  I can’t get enough.  If I had been better about posting a review for every book I’ve read since I started this blog – I’d have an overloaded blog… but that changes this year.  New books, new blogs (people) to follow and much more about the books I’ve read this year.

So this week’s questions was basically Do you have duplicates of the same book and why.

I don’t actually own duplicate books, yet.  I’m a huge Nora Roberts fan (as if you couldn’t tell by the review posts on her books I’ve done)  🙂  So when I recently learned that her Three Sisters Island trilogy was going to be re-released this year with stunning new covers – well that is an automatic buy for me.  My current copies are getting a bit beat up from the re-reads.

Update:  As I was wandering around some really great blogs I realized that I do have more duplicates than I thought.  Some of Maggie Shayne’s series Wings in the Night.  I have the originals but also picked up a couple of the re-issues.  Plus there are the books on my Kindle that are there for easy transport when I’m out and about with a spare minute to read.  Yeah.  More than I thought.  🙂

Right now I plan on spending most of my day clicking on book blog links.  I’m sure that I am going to find so many new viewpoints, books that I didn’t even know existed and lots of people to follow.

I hope you enjoy your time here.  For me, following me over at bloglovin’ is easiest for me and thanks too.

Our hosts FF posts are here:

Parajunkee

Alison Can Read

And I’ve added the linky code so that you can “hop” around some more.

Once more, thank you for visiting, I hope you found something to like and that you’ll stop back again.

I have been wanting to apply at Netgalley for some time now.  My blog is growing but it’s not huge… yet.  So I hesitated.  Waited ’til the time was right.  Stalled.

And today I just went for it.

Nothing ventured nothing gained and all that strengthen yourself talk, ya know?  🙂

Truth is I love books – reading them, checking out the covers, holding them in my hand – just the love of books has been with me for years.  I never want to lose that addiction to the printed word, to escaping to another world, another time, another place.

I want to express that enjoyment, that love to you and have you get caught up in the magic too.

Can’t wait to do my first review through Netgalley.   Hopefully real soon.

I just joined Bloglovin‘ and I am loving it!

Have you checked it out yet?  So many blogs to follow in tons of categories.  Plus it puts your blog out there for other folks to find and follow as well.  And after all, every one of us who has created a blog (with all the craziness involved) wants to have people come and visit us.  You know it’s true.  🙂

I just know that I’m gonna be spending hours there checking out blogs in all of my interests, not just about books.  :).

Long, long ago before there were sparkly vampires.  In the days of imagination taking flight through an author’s words only.  There was the Wings in the Night series by Maggie Shayne.

I have three all time favorite series or ongoing novels.  Wings in the Night was the first in that list – the other two were added years later.  I go back and re-read these books all the time, so it really is no surprise to me that the brainstorm for Throwback Thursday on Keeper Bookshelf starts off with this, my all time favorite vampire series and now ongoing series.

And now I have to add one more series to that list since now there is the new series Wings In The Night: Reborn!

My favorite character from all the novels has to be Rhiannon.  She is strong, sexy, regal and one seriously badass vampire.  And she is also the hostess of the new(ish) website devoted to these fantastic creatures at WingsInTheNight.com created by Maggie Shayne.  If you’re a new or old, devoted fan you will want to check out that new website.

Over at Amazon.com there are two really great deals on Ms. Shayne’s earlier Wings in the Night novels.  In the bundles of Wings in the Night bundle part 1 and Wings in the Night bundle part 2 you’ll find six novels (in each part equals 12 great  novels) for your Kindle or using a reading app. for your desktop at a really great price.  Honest, I went over and got them in e-reader format for myself just to have then safe on my computer where they will live forever.  🙂

(and yes those are affiliate links in the above paragraph)

Individual reviews of the novels making up the entire Wings in the Night series will come in a later post on Keeper Bookshelf.  For right now, I wanted you to be introduced (or reminded) of this awesome series and encourage you to check them out.

May all your nights be twilight-filled.

Reissue/Reprint Wednesday is a new feature here born from a discovery today that a long-time, often re-read trilogy is being re-released in trade size format with brand new covers.

Yay!  I re-read this trilogy at least once a year.  To me it is just that good, I get caught up in the lives of these three women and their men and I must revisit them.  (in truth, my original copies are now getting a bit frayed so this is really good news)

This feature also comes out of annoyance at buying novels that I already own! Grrrr!  I cannot stand it when I’m pulled in by a new cover, thinking “Oh, how did I miss this one?” only to discover that — it’s on my bookshelf already.  Novels are reprinted or reissued all the time, so it’s hard to keep up with them all, but I’m going to showcase one or two a week in the hopes that it helps someone else from buying a duplicate copy of something they already read.

So to start this feature, the reissue novels of this week are:

The Three Sisters Island Trilogy

Dance Upon The Air (January 2015)

When Nell Channing arrives on charming Three Sisters Island, she believes that she’s finally found refuge from her abusive husband—and from the terrifying life she fled so desperately eight months ago…

But even in this quiet, peaceful place, Nell never feels entirely at ease. Careful to conceal her true identity, she takes a job as a cook at the local bookstore café—and begins to explore her feelings for the island sheriff, Zack Todd. But there is a part of herself she can never reveal to him, for she must continue to guard her secrets if she wants to keep the past at bay. One careless word, one misplaced confidence, and the new life she’s so carefully created could shatter completely.

Just as Nell starts to wonder if she’ll ever be able to break free of her fear, she realizes that the island suffers under a terrible curse—one that can only be broken by the descendants of the Three Sisters, the witches who settled the island back in 1692. And now, with the help of two other strong, gifted women—and the nightmares of the past haunting her every step—she must find the power to save her home, her love…and herself.

Heaven and Earth (May 2015)

Ripley Todd just wants to live a quiet, peaceful kind of life. Her job as a sheriff’s deputy keeps her busy and happy, and she has no trouble finding men when she wants them—which, lately, isn’t all that often. She’s perfectly content, except for one thing: she has special powers that both frighten and confuse her—and though she tries hard to hide them, she can’t get them under control…

Distraction soon arrives in the handsome form of MacAllister Booke—a researcher who’s come to investigate the rumors of witchcraft that haunt Three Sisters Island. Right from the start, he knows there’s something extraordinary about Ripley Todd. It’s not just her blazing green eyes and her sultry smile. There’s something else. Something he can detect, but she’ll never admit. Fascinated by her struggle with her amazing abilities, he becomes determined to help her accept who she is—and find the courage to open her heart.

But before Ripley and Mac can dream of what lies in the future, they must confront the pain of the past. For Three Sisters shelters centuries of secrets—and a legacy of danger that plagues them still…

Face the Fire (June 2015)

Mia Devlin knows what it’s like to love with your whole heart—and then watch your love walk away. Years ago, she and Sam Logan shared an incredible bond built on passion, legend, and fate. But then one day he fled Three Sisters Island, leaving her lost in memories of the magic they shared—and determined to live without love…

The new owner of the island’s only hotel, Sam has returned to Three Sisters with hopes of winning back Mia’s affections. He is puzzled when she greets him with icy indifference—for the chemistry between them is still sizzling and true. Angry, hurt and deeply confused, Mia refuses to admit that a passion for Sam still burns up her heart. But she’ll need his help—and his powers—to face her greatest, most terrifying challenge. And as the deadline for breaking a centuries-old curse draws near, they must take the first steps toward destiny—and come together to turn back the dark…

(descriptions are from the back cover of each book)

These new covers are simply stunning, and represents each of the three “sisters” in this trilogy very well (in  my opinion).  I cannot wait for these.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Nell, Ripley and Mia before then may I suggest that you treat yourself to these reissued novels when they hit the bookstores throughout 2015.  I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.  🙂

I admit it.  I have a serious case of book envy going on now.  Yesterday and this morning I went through the list of blogs taking part in the Stacking the Shelves meme over at Tynga’s Reviews.

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

Not only did I find some really interesting new (to me) book blogs to follow — but the books.  Oh, the books.  And this is only January.  My book envy is going to go supernova come July!

I saw at least 50 books that I really want to read.  50.  Whew, that’s a lot of reading material plus what is in my to read pile.  And we both know that there will be more fantastic novels coming out soon so what’ a book-aholic to do?

The best we can.  Really.  I love reading, I love putting together this website telling you about the books I’ve read.  But, in all honesty, it is so hard to keep current being a one woman blogger here.

When a book really grabs me I can finish it in one day, maybe two.  An average book reading time for me is between two or three days.  Then there are the ones that just drag because I cannot get into the book – at all.  I hate, really hate, to not finish a book.  It might not be to my taste, but someone poured their heart and soul into creating it and I probably plopped down my hard earned money to buy it — so I should finish it.  So I usually completely read most novels in  my piles.  I may not love it, but someone else might so I feel obligated to read, review and let the comments fall where they may around here.

Yet there is that occasional one that I simply cannot read one more word of.  I’m sorry to those authors, but the book stinks.  Badly.  The one thing I will not do on this website is name those DNF books.  I can’t because someone created it and someone else might find it to be the most awesome book they have ever read.  I do not want my experience with DNF books to influence someone else.

I can hear some people say, “If it stinks you should tell people”.  Okay, maybe.  But, here’s the thing.  I have never, ever been able to finish War and Peace.  I cannot connect to that book.  On the other hand, I read Gone With The Wind once each and every year.  Both are considered classic novels and worth reading at least once by many people.  So who am I to say that a book stinks and belongs in a did not finish pile when someone, somewhere may think it’s a new classic?

My reading schedule for this year is simple.  I vow to get to the bottom of my To-Be-Read pile and do my best to keep up with currently released novels.

I know I am going to suffer from book envy throughout the year – I accept that.  But, I plan to do a lot of reading, reviewing and posting this year… because of my serious book envy (or in spite of it.)  🙂

How ’bout you?  Are you visiting book blogs and just drooling over novels that you want in your to-read-pile?   (me too)

I absolutely loved this novel and am so looking forward to the next book in the series.

Here is the book blurb from Goodreads:

All of London knows the Duke of Rutherford has position and wealth. They also whisper that he’s dissolute, devilish, and determinedly unwed. So why, everyone is asking, has he hired a governess?

When Miss Lily Russell crosses the threshold of the Duke of Rutherford’s stylish townhouse, she knows she has come face to face with sensual danger. For this is no doting papa. Rather, his behavior is scandalous, and his reputation rightly earned. And his pursuit of her is nearly irresistible—but resist she must for the sake of her pupil.

As for the duke himself, it was bad enough when his unknown child landed on his doorstep. Now Lily, with her unassuming beauty, has aroused his most wicked fantasies—and, shockingly, his desire to change his wanton ways. He’s determined to become worthy of her, and so he asks for her help in correcting his behavior.

But Lily has a secret, one that, if it becomes known, could change everything . . .

• Series: Dukes Behaving Badly
• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (November 25, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062352202
• ISBN-13: 978-0062352200
• Got my copy as a gift from a friend

Read on for my review of The Duke’s Guide to Correct Behavior – no true spoilers, promise.

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