Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you and your family are enjoying a Happy Thanksgiving!

Review: Fruits of the Spirit Coloring Book

Ok, two months in a row, I was sent a coloring book to review and share with you!

 So I colored one of them and am sharing it here!  

This one is gorgeous.  It is a Christian one with bible verses.  

Each page was just beautiful.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary!  Today, 4 years ago, I married the perfect guy.  He puts up with my crazy and loves me through it all.  It has been an interesting 2016 and I am glad we have had each other through this year!

I went back into my photos to find something that I have never put anywhere and I just love these two!

  

Happy Birthday mom!

Happy Birthday to the mom 

who spurred my love of reading and who is my partner in bookish crime!

A new imprint!

Rarely do I do much more than review and chat about the books I am reading on this blog, but there is some exciting bookish news with one of my favorite publishing houses!

MIRA books is launching a new imprint that sounds right up my alley and I look forward to reading/stalking all of their catalogs!

The new imprint will be called Park Row Books and in the last paragraph of the press release below they highlight some of the authors already signed to the imprint and they are some of my favorite authors!

Every paragraph in this ramble has ended with an exclamation mark because I am more than excited, may be dancing that a dedicated imprint for good reading is on its way!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INTRODUCING PARK ROW BOOKSA New Literary Fiction Imprint from MIRA Books

New York, NY, July 1, 2016—MIRA Books announced today the official launch of Park Row Books, an exclusive line of thought-provoking and voice-driven novels by both celebrated and new authors. Park Row Books will be led by Margaret Marbury, Vice President, General Fiction Editorial, and Erika Imranyi, Executive Editor. Park Row Books will publish unique voices and powerful stories that inspire discussion. Inaugural titles are slated for release in summer 2017.

“With the success of MIRA’s rapidly expanding literary fiction program, we decided to establish a dedicated imprint that focuses on the incredible novels we are publishing,” said Marbury. “Park Row Books allows us to create new opportunities for talented literary writers who want a boutique publishing experience with the support of a powerhouse commercial publisher.”

“We are aggressively growing our imprints that publish hardcover and trade paper original fiction,” said Loriana Sacilotto, Executive Vice-President, Global Publishing and Strategy at Harlequin. “Park Row Books is acquiring powerful and compelling novels by talented writers who are looking for a house that will shine a spotlight on their titles.”

The name Park Row Books was inspired by the landmark street that runs through downtown Manhattan and ends at the Woolworth Building, the former home of Harlequin’s New York office for many years. Once known as “Printing House Square” and the location of many of New York’s major newspapers, Park Row has a rich heritage of fostering free expression, creative ideas and important voices.

“MIRA Books has a long history as an industry leader when it comes to publishing commercial fiction,” said Imranyi. “The passion and innovation of the MIRA team is second to none and we have seamlessly parlayed our strengths as a commercial publisher into our literary fiction program. It is a great privilege to be spearheading the expansion of MIRA’s powerful list with the launch of Park Row Books, which will be an exciting destination for talented literary voices whose books have broad mainstream appeal.”

The launch title for Park Row Books is the blockbuster debut novel The Improbable Flight of Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig, which Park Row acquired in a significant preemptive deal. The highly anticipated novel follows a recently adopted teenager with autism who is desperately plotting to get herself kidnapped by her birth mother. Told in an extraordinarily fresh and wholly unique voice, The Improbable Flight of Ginny Moon is a compulsively readable and unforgettable story about finding a place to belong in a world that doesn’t always add up. It will be published around the world in 11 territories and counting.

Park Row Books will also be home to the much-buzzed-about new novels by New York Times bestselling authors Mary Kubica and Heather Gudenkauf. Kubica’s book, a psychological thriller about a young widow’s pursuit of the truth in the wake of the devastating crash that took the life of her husband, takes readers inside the dark, twisted corners of a psyche plagued by grief. Her first novel, The Good Girl, has sold over half a million copies and has been published in two dozen territories worldwide. Gudenkauf’s next book, a high-concept crime thriller about a protagonist with profound hearing loss, features the bestselling author’s most compelling heroine to date. Gudenkauf’s first novel, The Weight of Silence, was an instant New York Times bestseller, spending 22 weeks on the list.

Other exciting titles forthcoming from Park Row Books include When I Think of You, from award-winning journalist and bestselling author Karma Brown, exploring how a woman’s life falls apart over a random act of courtesy; Hanna Who Fell from the Sky, a breakout literary novel set in the fascinating and unknown world of a polygamist society from award-winning Canadian author Christopher Meades; Undertow, by British journalist Elizabeth Heathcote, the much-buzzed-about debut domestic thriller in the vein of The Widow; and a new novel from Phaedra Patrick, the author of wildly acclaimed The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, that follows a down-on-his-luck jeweler whose life is changed when his estranged teenage niece makes a surprise visit to his quiet village.

Agents with manuscripts that feature strong, unique voices and groundbreaking content with mainstream appeal may send material to Erika Imranyi or Park Row Books editor Liz Stein.

About MIRA Books

MIRA Books is an imprint of Harlequin and features a lineup of some of the bestselling authors across North America as well as industry-anticipated debut authors. MIRA Books is committed to publishing the very best in commercial fiction, including women’s fiction, suspense and psychological thrillers, literary bestsellers, and historical. In 2015, 24 MIRA Books titles placed on bestseller lists (New York Times, USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly) for a total of 194 weeks. MIRA publishes approximately 100 books per year in hardcover, mass-market and trade paperback formats. 

About Harlequin

Harlequin (Harlequin.com) is one of the world’s leading publishers of books for women, with titles issued worldwide in as many as 34 languages and sold in up to 102 international markets. The company publishes more than 110 titles monthly and more than 1,300 authors from around the world. Harlequin is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, the second-largest consumer book publisher in the world, and has operations in 11 countries. For more information, please visit Harlequin.com and Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks. Follow Harlequin on Twitter:@HarlequinBooks.

#  #  #

Media Contacts:

Melanie Dulos                                                                                                   Shara Alexander

Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications                                             Director, Publicity

Harlequin                                                                                                            MIRA Books/Park Row Books

(416) 391-7008                                                                                                   212-207-7902

melanie.dulos@HarperCollins.com                                                          shara.alexander@HarperCollins.com

Let's take a break!

source

In 5 and a half years of blogging, I haven't taken a break.  Through a wedding, honeymoon, major job projects, and buying and renovating a home, I have kept up reading and reviewing.  

This week I am out of town for my 6th corporate retreat that sits mostly on my shoulders and this one has been the biggest with 450 employees attending and the feeling that it could really be the last.  

SO I am going to take a week break here from reviewing and I will be back in February with reviews and hopefully so more bookish things as my job may quiet down a little!

Happy Thanksgiving!

source

I hope today is a day where your heart and home are full of family and friends!  Our home is full of family and our fur family!  It is a holiday where my husband and I always host and love having our house just full.

Happy Halloween

source

Out of all the holidays, Halloween is a little low on my list, not into dressing up and things.  BUT I do love some creepy books, so for this Halloween tell me your most recent or favorite creepy book!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to my husband!  

He doesn't make many appearances on the blog and he may roll his eyes at the amount of books that arrive at our house on a weekly basis, but he is definitely supportive of this crazy blog habit!

My Birthday!

For my birthday this year my mom and I went out the night before to a book signing for Jennifer Weiner.  We are both big fans and love to go to book signings where we both adore the author!  

The event was at the DC Jewish Community Center and Jennifer Weiner kindly provided treats to enjoy and mom and I can't say no to a macaroon!

I love to do things with my mom for birthdays - spending time together is priceless!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to my Mom!  My bookish partner in crime!

Also, an early Happy FIRST Birthday to my niece Payton.  Tomorrow she turns the big ONE!

Miss Emma's Birthday!

My husband and I spent the weekend with one of our nieces - Miss Emma Otey.  We took her to her first baseball game - the Nationals.  

She got a special treat to visit my husband on the job!

We ate lots of treats and had a great weekend! 

TV show review: Resident Advisors

source

Resident Advisors is a show produced by Elizabeth Banks and her husband Max Handelman and written by an author who has made a few appearances here at Kritters Ramblings - Taylor Jenkins Reid.  

Taylor Jenkins Reid an author that I have come to love and when I heard she had her hand in a tv show I was intrigued; even more so when I found out that it was based on the college experience and resident advisors.  I was a RA and to see a tv show through the eyes of an interesting set of college goers must be entertaining.

So through Hulu Plus I was able to watch the first 7 episodes and they did not disappoint.  Although my college experience was a few years ago and with the invent of smart phones and social media, college may be a little different, the core of the resident advisor experience is still the same!

I loved how the show starts with a moment that will be a culmination in the 7th episode and each episode starts with another blurp from the 7th episode and then each episode has a theme from drinking to sex on campus - I loved it.  I also enjoyed that there are 5 resident advisors and they are from different walks of life and that felt real, there are many different types of resident advisors.

I loved this show and would definitely recommend it for my age group and below - its just fun!

Interview: Samantha Lien -

Samantha Lien is owner of Roger Charlie, a company that specializes in publicity and management for creative professionals - particularly authors, musicians and small businesses. Through her years of experience in marketing and management for a variety of industries, she has curated an abundant network of contacts in the music and literary world, and loves working to support those who value a more personal approach through communications so that they can stay focused on their craft. She’d love to hear from you, and invites you to be in touch directly through email (sam@rogercharlie.com) or via any of her social media platforms (available on her website).

1.  What do you find yourself rambling about?

Oh, I laugh because anywhere I go - whether it be dinner with friends, a business lunch or a night out on the town, or conversation always wraps back around to entertainment; the best new book, movie, album, celebrity. You name it, and I tend to somehow always direct the conversation there. That’s how I really knew I wanted to pursue my own company to focus on what I do - it just flows right into everyday life, and so I really enjoy it!

I also really love chatting about travel. I have a rolling list of states that I cross off, and aim to hit at least 3 new ones each year.  I just visited Texas for the first time for my birthday, and am going to Kentucky for the Derby in May. I still need to come up with a 3rd for 2015!

2.  What do you love about working with authors/publicists/publishing companies?

I have a Masters of Business and Entertainment Management from the University of Colorado - Denver, and as I went through the program, I found it so neat that there was finally a way to meld the two together.  All business is hard work, but when you enter a creative field like literary, music or the arts, it takes that to a whole new level! Everyone is so passionate and dedicated to a great outcome for all parties  involved, and I really admire the drive and tenacity of everyone putting forth 100% in that team effort.

3.  What do you love about working with bloggers?

You are all the best! Believe it or not, my first introduction to the literary world was BEA in New York City in 2011, so I got to connect with some of the most well-known bloggers all over the country right off the bat.  For me, I love that it’s like having an extended network of friends that always want to talk about the next good book, and again, it goes back to the passion of those in the industry. You do this all because you love it, and that drives me to keep great content coming! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a rough day, and a blogger has sent over a random e-mail just to say ‘hi,’ or update me on a book they enjoyed, and it totally makes my day!

4.  What do you read?  Favorite genres/books?

I’m all over the place, really, and if I really enjoy an author, I’ll stick with them through thick and thin. I’m so guilty of reading 5 books at one time, mostly because if I’m not grabbed within the first 35-40 pages, then I tend to be pretty slow to start.  I’m either a binge reader in one sitting, or take months to finish something.

If I really enjoy an author, I’ll stick with them through thick and thin, and usually tend to bust through a book in one sitting. I love mysteries, which I think goes back to my days of Encyclopedia Brown and the original Nancy Drew novels with my mom growing up.

I’m also a sucker for a good comedic romance (like One Day or Bridget Jones’s Diary), love some of the classics (The Great Gatsby, Slaughterhouse-Five) or a book written from a really unique standpoint. About 10 years ago, I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and just recently saw that it had been made into a play in NYC while I was there on my honeymoon in December. I wish I would have had time to see it and the creativity behind making that into a live performance!

Really though, my absolute favorite would have to be a great memoir (usually celebrity) or self-help that has a humorous approach, as I’m big on self-improvement. Steve Martin’s biography is still one of the funniest books I’ve ever read - but I am also a crazy huge fan of his!

5.  What are you most excited for this new endeavor?

I’m really looking forward to expanding into new territories and keeping the creative juices flowing on new ideas and approaches to market individuals and small businesses! There really is no magic formula in publicity, and so I love the constant learning and brainstorming it takes to create a successful result. It’s so fun to work with authors, musicians and small business owners who think the same way, and I can’t wait to see what develops in 2015!

Thank you for the interview, Kristin! :)

National Readathon Day!

Casper mattress company is an interesting new concept - a mattress that comes in a box!  They have all sizes and I have the queen size on my wishlist!

They are pairing up with National Readathon Day to promote reading in a bed and I am a fan of books and beds!

As most of you know I have a sweet little pup who loves to curl up and read with me and night time reading in bed is a favorite of ours!

I live with two pups who get into things and a husband who is a non reader and non book lover, so only one book stays at a time on my nightstand and it is always the book I am currently reading, so at this moment I have The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant.

BUT I am a lucky girl who has a library full of books, so all of my books live in that room!

I am excited to spend a few hours today reading along with others who are participating in National Readathon Day.

Are you participating?  What is your favorite spot to read?

Merry Christmas

source

To each and everyone!

Animal Welfare week

Pawlease help us celebrate Animal Welfare Week (October 5-11) and National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week (November 2-8) with DOGHOUSE and the Gin & Tonic Mystery Series by L.A. Kornetsky!

Praise for the third Gin & Tonic Mystery, Doghouse:

“Infamously nosy Ginny Mallard may be unlicensed as an investigator, but she has begun to make a name for herself as the unofficial champion of the tongue-tied.  In the third installment of L.A. Kornetsky’s Gin & Tonic Mystery series, Doghouse finds Ginny getting herself tied up in a possible underground dogfighting ring.  With help from her bartender friend Teddy Tonica, his tabby cat and Ginny’s Shar Pei puppy, they have to figure out what’s going on before someone else gets hurt.”

—Cat Fancy Magazine, November 2014 issue

“Human and animal characters are equally appealing.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.”  I Love a Mystery

“Doghouse is a crafty mystery with engaging characters and countless unknowns…L.A. Kornetsky makes mysteries inventively delightful, and Doghouse entertains with wit and cleverness.”  Single Titles

“I recommend it to those that really like animals and cozy mysteries.”  Books and Things

“The third Gin & Tonic “researchtigations” is an appealing anthropomorphist amateur sleuth enhanced by life in a cheerful neighborhood bar. The lead humans and their animal owners remain fresh leads while the case proves bloody in the ring and the bar.”  The Mystery Gazette

“Sniffing out clues…L.A. Kornetsky brings back Ginny Mallard and her barLibrary Journal

tender friend Teddy Tonica, along with Ginny's pet shar-pei puppy and Teddy’s tabby cat, for their third outing in Doghouse.” 

Praise for the second Gin & Tonic Mystery, Fixed:

“[Fixed] is the second foray into the lives of a very unlikely pair of investigators; unlikely and a whole lot of fun…Collared was the first title that introduced this extremely fun ‘family and friends’ grouping, and the author has come back with a sequel that will truly make Gin & Tonic a well-known duo! Very light-hearted, this is a great book. Any reader who likes the ‘cozy’ avenue will love this mystery, with a little bit of cat and dog language thrown in for fun.”  Suspense Magazine

Praise for the first Gin & Tonic Mystery, Collared:

“The plot moves quickly, enhanced by smart dialog and good characterizations…Recommended for purchase where pet mysteries are popular.”  Library Journal

Summary of Doghouse:

Amateur sleuths Ginny Mallard and Teddy Tonica and their furry partners prove in L.A. Kornetsky’s DOGHOUSE (Pocket Books; July 22, 2014; $7.99) that twelve legs are better than four when it comes to solving a risky new case in the third novel from the “entertaining” (Library Journal) Gin & Tonic mystery series.  At her favorite Seattle bar, professional concierge Ginny Mallard can always count on a perfectly mixed gimlet and a friendly welcome for her shar-pei, Georgie, from resident cat, Penny.  On this visit, Ginny gets an unexpected bonus.  One of the regulars asks her and her sometime partner, bartender Teddy Tonica, to save an old friend who’s facing eviction.  This is no simple landlord spat.  Rumors abound of an underground dogfighting ring on the premises—a crime guaranteed to get Gin’s hackles up. Gin and Teddy want to believe the old man is innocent of all charges, thought a new piece of evidence suggests otherwise.  Penny and Georgie keep their noses to the ground as they help their humans investigate the vicious animal rights case.  But the truth is buried deep, and digging it up will unearth dangerous complications for owners and animals alike.

Author Guest Post:

I’m getting ready for a move, and part of that is decluttering.  Getting rid of things – objects, old paperwork – that I don’t need to haul with me any more.

But in a folder of otherwise no-longer-needed papers, there’s a sheet I’m keeping.  It’s from the ASPCA, and it documents my adoption of the kitten once known as Minna, who became my beloved Pandora, gone now a little over a year.

There’s no point to keeping the sheet of paper.  All it does is say that I paid x amount for a 4 month old female tiger kitten, spayed.  But throwing it out isn’t an option, either.  Because this was the first connection I had to Pandora, the first contract we made with each other: I would give her food, shelter, care, and a lap when she wanted it.  I would give her a home.  And in return, she gave me such love and companionship, letting her go at the end was no less a pain than losing a human friend.

I don’t have documentation from Indy-J, who was found on the street as a weeks-old kitten, and lived a long and adventurous life before cancer took her in 2000.  But Pandora’s adoption paper will go in the current file, along with the papers for  our current residents, Boomerang (aka Boomer you idiot), and Castiel the Kitten of Thursday (aka DamnitCas).

Because you keep the important moments, the documents that say “this is how you changed my life.”

(and some of you may note that I invite disaster in the renaming of my cats.  You would not be wrong.  But where’s the fun of living with Sir Napsalot?)

About the author:

L. A. Kornetsky is the author of two previous Gin & Tonic mysteries.  She lives in New York City with two cats and a time-share dog, and also writes fantasy under the name Laura Anne Gilman.  She welcomes visitors to www.lauraannegilman.net,@LAGilman and Facebook L-A-Kornetsky.

Happy Fourth of July!

source

Taking a break from the normal program to celebrate the Fourth of July!  

Are there any books that you have read recently that make you appreciate the US of A?  

Concindentally, I read Grand Central by an assortment of historical fiction authors and it made me think of New York and all the people that have had their first steps in to the US be in New York.  

I reviewed the book here, just two days ago.

BEA - Book Blogger Con 2014 in review

Book Blogger Con took place on Wednesday, May 28th.  And this time mom and I decided to come in a day early and really experience the full day of Book Blogger Con.  

Usually, I am an overtly positive person and especially so on this blog, as I like to spread positive vibes, but this post may be a little on the negative side, so just sending out a warning!

Let's start with the negative so we can end with the positive!  Most of the panels at Book Blogger Con were not the most productive for me as a blogger of 4 years.  There was a panel that I attended, no need to name names, but was more beginner than it was advertised.  

BUT the panel that I was probably both most looking forward to AND most disappointed by was the vlogging panel.  First, let me say I am a huge fan of vloggers and love watching booktube, so I couldn't wait to see the relationship between vlogging and blogging and would really putting time and effort into my youtube channel affect this blog - my big question wasn't answered.  And you want to know why?  Because there were no stinkin bloggers on the panel NOT A ONE.  The panel was full of a podcaster and three booktubers but NONE had a blog to help answer the big question about the relationship between each and would putting the time into one affect the other.  Why at a BLOGGER conference was not a panel member a true blogger?  

The panel that I loved most was the one that I went just to confirm the information I already had - the advertising piece.  I have done a little advertising here and recently joined Litbreaker ad network, so I was a bit familiar, so attending the panel wasn't for new information, but to confirm my current information.  This panel met my expectations which sadly was the best I got at BEA Book Blogger conference.  All of the members of this panel did a fantastic job of presenting information in the perfect way.
  
I spent most of the time brainstorming ideas for my blog which is the most positive thing I can say.  I have a lot of great ideas, some of which you may see on this blog and others have to do with my social media connected with this blog.    

Book Blogger Con  - I am not sure I will be in attendance next year.  Maybe if experienced bloggers were on the panel to give real hard advice from the trenches then I may reconsider.

Did you attend Book Blogger conference?  Thoughts?

BEA - books books books!

The amount of books promoted at BEA is beyond what you can imagine!

Here are just a few that I am excited to see and maybe get while at BEA.

I am a huge fan of Randy Susan Meyers, so not only am I glad that she is coming out with another book, but that she will be at BEA so I can fangirl!  

Mary Alice Monroe may have a long line, but I am going to be right in it because I am excited to grab this book at the end of May and take it with me on a much needed beach trip!

I am a fan of the thriller, so I had to find at least one in the schedule to get giddy over and put on my must find list!  I have been eyeing this book for awhile and may do about anything to get it!





And maybe for a nephew or niece!