Free Ebook for Kindle and Nook! Mar 29

Hi, everyone!

I've found a great free ebook available for free for Kindle and Nook!

"Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark" by Ridley Pearson
 

Kindle

Nook
 

Hurry and grab this one while it is still free!

"A Year with Six Sisters' Stuff" Review and Tour Wide Giveaway

"A Year with Six Sisters' Stuff: 52 Menu Plans, Recipes, and Ideas to Bring Families Together"
by Six Sisters' Stuff

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Release Date: March 25, 2014
Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Summary from goodreads.com:

What's for dinner?" Three words every mom dreads.
Don't panic! The Six Sisters are here to help you answer that question. The Sisters have gathered together more than 150 of their most popular recipes for entrees, side dishes, and desserts and have combined them into 52 stress-free menus of perfectly prepared three-course meals.
Filled with delicious tried-and-true family favorites and oh-so-easy-to-make dishes, A Year with Six Sisters' Stuff features all-new recipes using basic ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Each menu is designed to make your dinner plans as easy as possible—and with such wide variety and a photograph accompanying every recipe in the book, you can easily mix and match menus to create a year's worth of dinner ideas.
In addition, the Sisters share some of their favorite family dinner traditions and crafts, as well as 52 dinner conversation starters, a list of pantry staples, and, food storage plan for beginners.
So what's for dinner? Whatever you'd like.

My Review:

Wow, there a LOT of recipes in this book! And the best part about all of them is how easy they seem to cook! Another thing that I love about all the recipes is that the sisters use ingredients that are actually familiar. If they aren't already in our pantry, they are easy to buy at at the store. No scratching my head and saying, "Now where would I find that?" or even worse, "What is that?" All of these dishes are made with everyday ingredients, and usually only a handful of ingredients, not a whole shopping list-yay!

As I mentioned, there are really a lot of recipes in this book. There are 52 menu plans, each plan has a main dish, a side dish, and a dessert. That's over 150 yummy, do-able recipes! There are so many that I just can't wait to try! The Crispy Onion Chicken gives you the similar texture and flavor of chicken nuggets or fried chicken, but without frying! I may try the Crunchy Black Bean Tacos later this week, they sound delicious! The Cheddar Cheese Biscuits are another recipe that I know I will try soon. They look similar to the ones that are pretty famous at a certain seafood restaurant, and I can't believe how EASY they look to make!

Many of the recipes involve a slow-cooker, which I am not that comfortable with yet, but it does seem like a really easy way to make dinner. Slow-cooker fans will really love this book, but don't worry, there are plenty of other recipes that don't use a slow-cooker too.

The family dinner ideas are short and sweet, and are a nice little addition to the recipes. My favorite idea is the "Crazy Dinner" Tradition, where the kids get to pick the dishes, with no restrictions! How fun!


Bottom Line: This is a great addition to any cookbook collection. The recipes seem amazingly simple and look delicious too!

GIVEAWAY RULES

This is a TOUR-WIDE giveaway sponsored by the publisher! They will be giving away 10 copies of the book from entrants on the entire tour, not just this stop.

All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

• The publisher is responsible for Rafflecopter info and for prizing. The publisher will contact you if you are the winner, I am just hosting the Rafflecopter as one of the blog tour stops.
• Prizes will be mailed out by the publisher

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday 249

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and it is a way to show off the books you can't wait to be released!!

This week I chose: 

"Tides"
by Betsy Cornwell

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Release Date:  June 4, 2014

When high-school senior Noah Gallagher and his adopted teenage sister, Lo, go to live with their grandmother in her island cottage for the summer, they don’t expect much in the way of adventure. Noah has landed a marine biology internship, and Lo wants to draw and paint, perhaps even to vanquish her struggles with bulimia. But then things take a dramatic turn for them both when Noah mistakenly tries to save a mysterious girl from drowning. This dreamlike, suspenseful story—deftly told from multiple points of view—dives deeply into selkie folklore while examining the fluid nature of love and family.

I love mermaids, selkies, and anything similar, and this sounds so unique. I love the brother-sister relationship that we see here and the exploration of family bonds.

What are you waiting for this week???

Sunday Shout Out 47

Recently, I introduced a new feature here at In the Hammock on Sundays. It's called "Sunday Shout Out" and it's a place where I can give a special shout out to those publishers and authors who have sent me books over the week, as well as those bloggers who have hosted contests that I've won! I'll also be giving shout outs to any other cool books, blogs or bookish news that I've spotted during the week.

For Review

"Deceiving Lies" by Molly McAdams

Also, this week I joined Tumblr. I've been wanting to for a long time and I finally did it! Do any of you have Tumblr blogs as well? Mine is just starting up and I don't have a lot there yet, but I'm finding a lot of cool bookish tumblrs to follow so far! I will be posting both bookish and vintage-y goodness on my page :)

 

If you do have a Tumblr, please leave me a link and I'll come follow you!

http://inthehammockblog.tumblr.com/

What books did you receive this week?

Giveaway: "Close Pursuit"

"Close Pursuit"
by Cindy Dees
Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Release Date: Feb 25, 2013

Summary from goodreads:

On the run and under fire…

Providing medical relief in a war-torn region helps Alex Peters forget his past and focus on the job—delivering babies. Less easy to overlook is his blonde comrade-at-arms, who knows nothing of the trouble he's running from. Katie McCloud makes the assignment bearable, although her perky innocence proves to be an arousing distraction. Then, as combat explodes around them, their only option is flight.

A kindergarten teacher seeking adventure, Katie hoped this humanitarian mission—and the mysterious, sexy doctor sharing it—would push her out of her comfort zone. With Alex, she starts taking tantalizing risks and becoming the survivor she knew she could be.

But back on U.S. soil, Alex and Katie face a new threat, and this time they're the target. Forced into close confines, neither can believe the other isn't the intended mark. With only each other to depend on—and suspect—Alex and Katie can't avoid the simmering attraction between them. But to stay alive, they'll have to trust more deeply than ever before…

GIVEAWAY RULES

The publisher has generously provided a copy of this book for a lucky reader of my blog.

All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

• US and CAN only
• Prizes will be mailed out by the publisher
• Must be 18 or over 

• Ends Mar 27

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Giveaway is sponsored by the publisher, I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher.

Waiting on Wednesday 248

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and it is a way to show off the books you can't wait to be released!!

This week I chose: 

"Winterspell"
by Claire Legrand

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date:  Sep 30, 2014

The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince . . . but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted--by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets--and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed--if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.

The Nutcracker!!!! Omigod, omigod, omigod!!!!! Need I say more??

What are you waiting for this week???

Review and Q&A: "The Trouble with Honor"

"The Trouble with Honor"
by Julia London

Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Release Date: Jan 28, 2014
Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Summary from the publisher:

Desperate times call for daring measures as Honor Cabot, the eldest stepdaughter of the wealthy Earl of Beckington, awaits her family’s ruin. Upon the earl’s death she and her sisters
stand to lose the luxury of their grand home—and their place on the pedestal of society—to
their stepbrother and his social-climbing fiancée. Forced to act quickly, Honor makes a devil’s
bargain with the only rogue in London who can seduce her stepbrother’s fiancée out of the
Cabots’ lives for good.
An illegitimate son of a duke, George Easton was born of scandal and grows his fortune through
dangerous risks. But now he and Honor are dabbling in a perilous dance of seduction that puts
her reputation and his jaded heart on the line. And as unexpected desire threatens to change
the rules of their secret game, the stakes may become too high even for a notorious gambler
and a determined, free-spirited debutante to handle.

My Review:

This book was a fun and fluffy historical romance that I think fans of the genre will really enjoy. The heroine, Honor, is a bit on the stubborn side, but I think the storyline is fun and different enough to overlook that issue. The almost 'love triangle' storyline with Monica was well done and seemed real and three dimensional instead of just a plot device.

The author's writing style does take some getting used to at first, but I think it will really appeal to fans of the regency romance genre. The he said/she said banter is very reminiscent of the regency queen herself-Jane Austen.

In some ways, Honor's youthfulness is appealing, but unfortunately she crosses over into 'immaturity' at some times. However, it is quite believable that a lot of young women in that time especially with her family and security would act the very same way. It is so easy to get caught up in her somewhat fluffy and frivolous drama though, because the author's writing style captures the regency dramatics so well! Honor's sisters were a great addition to the story and I can see readers wanting to devour the upcoming books in series and read all about all of the Cabot sisters.


Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5

Bottom Line: This is a fun, fluffy regency romp that will appeal to fans of regency romance at it's best.

Q & A with Julia London: (questions provided by HQN)

1.       Historical fiction requires so much detail. How do you research your books?

I minored in history and took several classes in British history.  And now, I’ve written so many historicals set in Regency London—which is essentially a 10 to 15 year period of British history (depending on who defines it), that at this point, I feel like I’m my own mini-expert.  I have a pretty good reference library, sources picked up through the years when travelling or just running across them in bookstores.

2.       Tell us about a typical day in the life of Julia London.

Prepare yourself for wild ride.  I start the day by reading email and social media.  That sounds like it could be work-related, but nine times out of ten, I find myself going down the Huffington Post rabbit holes.  I also look over my agenda for the day.  This is nothing fancy, but usually something written on a notebook that says. “You must kill yourself if you don’t write ten pages on X project.  Don’t argue.”  Once I’ve done that, I take my fat dog Moose out for a run in the mornings or there will be hell to pay.  Then, at last, I settle down to work on whichever book needs the work that day.  It just so happens my creativity usually subsides right around lunchtime.  How convenient!  I’ll stop there, grab some lunch and check my emails, voicemails and social media sites at the same time.  After lunch I’ll work some more.  I try and get to yoga a few times a week in the afternoons.  I take care of the business part of writing—answering emails, answering Q&As like this, etc., in the evening.  After that?  Probably some reality TV, and then rinse and repeat.  I am boring myself.  Have I bored you yet?

3.       The women in your book all have very strong personalities and tend to break out of the mold society has set for them. Do you draw on personal experience when writing about this?

That’s an interesting question.  I left home at 18 and went out into the world, putting myself through college and then moving to Washington, DC for a job.  My parents were ranchers/farmers and they were very upfront about this:  at the age of 18, you go to college, or you get a job—but one way or the other we were leaving the nest.  So I chose college, having a very strong aversion to work, haha.  I had a confident personality, too—I had to, or I never would have had the courage to go out and tackle my life.  So I guess I do relate to women who go out in the world and follow their hear.  However, the women I write about had an advantage over me—they came from privilege and etiquette classes.  I think occasionally I could be a bull in a china shop.

About Julia:
Julia London is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly best selling author of more than a twenty romantic fiction novels. She is the author of the popular Desperate Debutante andScandalous historical romance series, including the upcoming The Last Debutante, the fourth and final book in the Secrets of Hadley Green series. She is also the author of several contemporary women’s fiction novels with strong romantic elements, including Summer of Two Wishes, One Season of Sunshine, and Light at Winter’s End.
Julia is the recipient of the RT Bookclub Award for Best Historical Romance and a four-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. She lives in Austin, Texas.
Julia’s website: http://julialondon.com/about/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JuliaFLondon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuliaLondon
Book Info:
Title: The Trouble with Honor Author: Imprint:  Price: $7.99 U.S. / $8.99 CAN. Release: March 2014 Format: PBMM ISBN: 9780373778454 E-ISBN: 9781460327098

Purchase links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Honor-Hqn-Booksebook/dp/B00FBZKZI6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392751599&sr=8-1&keywords=the+trouble+with+honor
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-trouble-with-honor-julialondon/1116240444?ean=9780373778454
Indie Bound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373778454
Harlequin: http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=50817

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday Shout Out 46

Recently, I introduced a new feature here at In the Hammock on Sundays. It's called "Sunday Shout Out" and it's a place where I can give a special shout out to those publishers and authors who have sent me books over the week, as well as those bloggers who have hosted contests that I've won! I'll also be giving shout outs to any other cool books, blogs or bookish news that I've spotted during the week.

For Review

"The Promise" by Robyn Carr 

 

"Until We Touch" by Susan Mallery

"Never Surrender" by Lindsay McKenna

"No River Too Wide"by Emilie Richards

What books did you receive this week?