1- Deanna

2- Deanna

3- Deanna

4- Deanna

5- Icedream

6- Icedream

7- Icedream

8- Icedream

9- Melissa

10- Melissa

11- Melissa

12- Melissa

13- Belle

14- Belle

15- Linna

16- Suzana

17- Nicole

18- Nicole

19- Mindy

20- Angela

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22- Heather

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25- Brenda

26- Belinda

27- Jason

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29- Deedles

30- Jessica

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34- Jessica

35-  Teresa

36- Pamela S.

37- Nicole D.

38- Lisette

39- Valorie

40- Valorie

41- Valorie

42- bridget3420

43- Bina

44- Bina

45- Bina

46- Christina

47- Carlene

48- Jennifer C.

50- Kim

51- Sarah Z.

52- Sharon A.

53- Sheila Deeth

54- Sheila Deeth

55- Sheila Deeth

56- Sheila Deeth

WOW! What an awesome response!!! And the winner is…

Random Number Generator

Here is your random number:

11

Timestamp: 2009-06-12 02:41:41 UTC

Congratulations Melissa!!! I have your email address, I will be in touch with you shortly!!!

Come back on the 15th, I will have NEW giveaway for you!!!

Secrets of the Tudor Court

The Pleasure Palace

This is the first of the series and looks very good, I will let you know. This starts out when Henry VII is still on the throne…

Beautiful. Seductive. Innocent. Jane Popyncourt was brought to the court as a child to be ward of the king and a companion to his daughters — the princesses Margaret and Mary. With no money of her own, Jane could not hope for a powerful marriage, or perhaps even marriage at all. But as she grows into a lovely young woman, she still receives flattering attention from the virile young men flocking to serve the handsome new king, Henry VIII, who has recently married Katharine of Aragon. Then a dashing French prisoner of war, cousin to the king of France, is brought to London, and Jane finds she cannot help giving some of her heart — and more — to a man she can never marry. But the Tudor court is filled with dangers as well as seductions, and there are mysteries surrounding Jane’s birth that have made her deadly enemies. Can she cultivate her beauty and her amorous wiles to guide her along a perilous path and bring her at last to happiness?

Catherine of Aragon by Jean Plaidy… I have heard alot about Jean Plaidy and I am excited to read another book about Katharine of Aragon. I read ‘The Constant Princess’ by Philippa Gregory and really liked how she was portrayed. I still need to write a review for that book, I started ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ but it didn’t keep my interest for some reason. Maybe because I watched the movie first, I’m not sure…

For the first time in paperback—all three of Jean Plaidy’s Katharine of Aragon novels in one volume.

Legendary historical novelist Jean Plaidy begins her tales of Henry VIII’s queens with the story of his first wife, the Spanish princess Katharine of Aragon.

As a teenager, Katharine leaves her beloved Spain, land of olive groves and soaring cathedrals, for the drab, rainy island of England. There she is married to the king’s eldest son, Arthur, a sickly boy who dies six months after the wedding. Katharine is left a widow who was never truly a wife, lonely in a strange land, with a very bleak future. Her only hope of escape is to marry the king’s second son, Prince Henry, now heir to the throne. Tall, athletic, handsome, a lover of poetry and music, Henry is all that Katharine could want in a husband. But their first son dies and, after many more pregnancies, only one child survives, a daughter. Disappointed by his lack of an heir, Henry’s eye wanders, and he becomes enamored of another woman—a country nobleman’s daughter named Anne Boleyn. When Henry begins searching for ways to put aside his loyal first wife, Katharine must fight to remain Queen of England and to keep the husband she once loved so dearly.

The Last Queen by CW Gortner

This one is about Katharine of Aragon’s older sister Juana. I think it will be very interesting to learn more about her…

One of history’s most enigmatic women tells the haunting, passionate story of her tumultuous life. Juana of Castile is just thirteen when she witnesses the fall of Moorish Granada and uniting of the fractured kingdoms of Spain under her warrior parents, Isabel and Fernando. Intelligent and beautiful, proud of her heritage, Juana rebels against her fate when she is chosen as a bride for the Hapsburg heir – until she arrives in Flanders and comes face-to-face with the prince known as Philip the Fair, a man who will bring her the greatest of passions, and the darkest despair. One by one, tragedy decimates Juana’s family in Spain. Suddenly, she finds herself heiress to Castile – a realm on the verge of chaos, prey to avaracious nobles and scheming lords bent on thwarting her rule. Juana vows to win her throne, until the betrayal of those she loves plunges her into a ruthless battle of wills – a struggle of corruption, perfidy, and heart-shattering deceit that could cost her the crown, her freedom, and her very life. From the somber majesty of Renaissance Spain to the glittering courts of Flanders, France and Tudor England, Juana of Castile reveals her life and secrets in this captivating historical novel of romance, grandeur, power and treachery by the acclaimed author of “The Secret Lion.”

The same author has another book out called ‘The Secret Lion’ It starts out while Edward VI is on the thrown. I have way too many books to read! I don’t know where to begin. I did take a break from historical fiction and read ‘Holly’s Inbox’ This is a fun chick lit! I will give a review this week. It was a fun and easy read, I didn’t have to think hard!

Holly Denham has a lot on her plate. It’s her first day as a receptionist at a busy London corporate bank and, frankly, she can’t quite keep up. Take a peek at her email and you’ll see why: what with her crazy friends, dysfunctional family, and gossipy co-workers, Holly’s inbox is a daily source of drama. But it’s the laughter, friendship, and a hint of romance that keep Holly going.

Don’t forget about my giveaway that ends on Wednesday! I have had a huge response, I’m glad that Random.org will be making the decision for me.

Also, I have a new guy on my list (you know the one). I’ve had to bump off Superman (Tom Welling) for Henry Cavill (Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk) on ‘The Tudor’s’ series! Oh my! He can eat crackers in my bed any day!!!

So I will leave you with a little bit of eye candy, but I will be back to review ‘The Constant Princess’ and ‘Holly’s Inbox’.

What are some good historical fictions that you have read? I would love to hear from you!!!

I decided to Google the meaning of ‘Viva La Vida’ today to find out exactly what the song was about. I was suprised when at first it seemed like everyone was just guessing the meaning which ranged from Napolean to Jesus,, a then even further that it symbolized drug abuse. I knew it had to have something to do with the ‘French Revolution’ from the album cover, but then the words Viva La Vida are spanish, meaning ‘Live the Life’ or if you are born and raised in Mexico the phrase translates to ‘Long Live Life’.

The answer finally came to me in my google search, Chris Martin, in an interview revealed the true meaning of ‘Viva la Vida’. It is the story of ‘Louis XVI‘ the King of France and Navarre. Husband to Marie Antoinette. He lived from 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793. He was the only King of France to be executed.

The title of the song is from the painting by Frida Kahlo that is also titled ‘Viva la Vida’. The painting is the cover art on this album.

Here are the words to the song and the music video to go along with it… enjoy and Viva la Vida!!!

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
“Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Diana Gabaldon

The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution, the long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. Men lie dead in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest.

With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and Crown. But from his wife Jamie knows that three years hence the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the result will be independence — with those loyal to the King either dead or in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny clipping from The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports Jamie’s death, along with his kin. For once, he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future.

Bravo!!! I loved this book, it was right up there with ‘Outlander and Voyager’. Where ‘The Fiery Cross’ was a little slow and drawn out ‘A Breath of Snow and Ashes’ was fast paced and exciting. It never stopped and they went from one adventure to the next. A lot of pieces of the puzzle were put together, there was a little bit of suspense and I laughed out loud many times. Oh, and I had a few good cries too. Claire continues to amaze me, she is such a strong character. Again, her medical advances thrilled me and Brianna was a lot more likeable in this book. She was always inventing new things to make life easier on ‘Frasier’s Ridge’. You learn a lot more about Jocasta in this book and a few unwelcome characters are back and some are introduced. I thought it was a fabulous read and I can’t wait for the next book to come out in September.

I give this book a 5, I loved every page!

Now that I have read the whole series I would love to discuss it with some of you! I have a Book Club on GoodReads called ‘Hodge Podge Book Club’ with Outlander discussions. Discuss a book at a time or the whole series!

Favorite quotes…

Ian opened one eye a slit.
“Has anyone ever told you what a comical fellow ye are, Uncle Jamie?”
“No.”
Ian closed the eye.
“That’s as well, because ye’re not.”

“If I die,” he whispered in the dark, “dinna follow me. The bairns will need ye. Stay for them. I can wait.”

I regarded him gently over my own bowl of stew. He was very large, solid, and beautifully formed. And if he was a bit battered by circumstance, that merely added to his charm.
“You’re a very hard person to kill, I think,” I said. ”That’s a great comfort to me.”
He smiled, reluctant, but then reached out and lifted his glass in salute, touching it first to his own lips, then to mine.
“We’ll drink to that, Sassenach, shall we?”

“Ian, there is a woman in my bed,” he said in Gaelic, trying to match his nephew’s calm tone.
“There are two of them, Uncle Jamie.” Ian sounded amused, damn him! “The other will be down by your feet. Waiting her turn.”
That unnerved him, and he nearly lost his grip on the captive hand.
“Two of them! What do they think I am?”
The girl giggled again, leaned over, and bit him lightly on the chest.
“Christ!”

Then Jamie’s hand came down upon the dirk, snatching it away, and I saw as from a great distance that the light fell on his hand, gleaming wet with blood smeared past the wrist. Random drops shone red, dark jewels glowing, caught in the curly hairs of his arm.
“There is an oath upon her,” he said to Arch, and I realized dimly that he was still speaking in Gaelic, though I understood him clearly. “She may not kill, save it is for mercy or her life. It is myself who kills for her.”

He’d led her through the morning light in that clearing, a blood-soaked Adam, a battered Eve, looking upon the knowledge of good and evil. And then he had wrapped her in his plaid, picked her up, and walked away to his horse.

Jamie inhaled deeply, then let his breath out slowly, coughing slightly from the smoke.
“Aye, well,” he said. ”So we’re down by one print shop and one thief—but four whores to the good. D’ye think that a fair exchange, Sassenach?”

“You wouldn’t. He wouldn’t.” The lawyer was staring at the brooch in Roger’s hand, his heavy face gone pale.
“Oh, I expect he would, if ye mean Uncle Jamie,” Ian Murray said.  “He’s fond of his daughter, aye?”
“Nonsense.”  The lawyer was making a game attempt to bluff it out, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off the brooch. “Fraser is a gentleman.”
“He’s a Highlander,” Roger said brutally.

Marked

After she is Marked, 16-year-old Zoey Redbird enters the House of Night and learns that she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is mis-using her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny— with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Betrayed

Zoey has managed to settle in at the House of Night and come to terms with the vast powers the Goddess Nyx has given her. Just as she finally feels she belongs, the unthinkable happens: human teenagers are being killed, and all evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves.

Giveaway good thru June 10th. Here are the ways you can get your name into the drawing.

1- Leave a comment in my comments section

2- Follow me on Twitter (Let me know you Twitter Id in comments)

3- Twitter about this Giveaway (Let me know that you did in comments)

4- Snag my advertisement and wear it on your blog (Let me know that you did this and make sure I have your blog url)

Have fun and Good Luck!!!

The Fiery Cross

Diana Gabaldon

The fiery cross, once used to summon Highland clans to war, now beckons readers to take up Diana Gabaldon’s fifth installment in the Outlander series featuring the time-traveling Frasers. Historical fiction fans who have waited four long years since the publication of Drums of Autumn will thrill to Gabaldon’s trademark detail and sensuality, both displayed liberally throughout the nearly 1,000 pages of The Fiery Cross. In this pre-Revolutionary War period, Claire Fraser and her husband, Jamie, have crossed oceans and centuries to build a life together in the bucolic beauty of North Carolina. But tensions both ancient and recent threaten not only Claire and James, but their daughter, Brianna, her new husband, Roger, and their infant son, Jemmy, as well as members of their clan.

This is a HUGE read. The longest book of the series, this was definitely my hardest one to get through. Sometimes it felt really slow but then important parts happened that you will need to remember for the next book. Diana Gabaldon, as usual, is so descriptive you feel as though you are there, part of their clan if you will. You feel the hurt and the joy that the characters go through. I really like the character of Roger and feel like he just has gotten the short end of the stick. He risked his life to find Brianna and has been through torture ever since. I’m still trying to figure out if Brianna is worth it. Yes, she is strong minded like her father, which is not a bad thing but I find her spoiled and self centered.

The fact that Jamie knows the outcome of the Revolutionary War, he has to figure out at what time he is a loyalist and when it is safe to switch to the other side so that he will not lose his property after the war. It is interesting to me how he trys to maintain both sides.

Claire has come far in some medical advances and her and Brianna become very inventive. It is very interesting to see what Claire will come up with that is similar to modern medicine.

Some characters return and new ones are introduced, this is definately an important book even though there are parts that I felt you really have to just get through.

I give this book a 3 1/2. It was probably my least favorite of the series.

Favorite quotes…

“To see the years touch ye gives my joy, Sassenach,” he whispered, -”for it means that ye live.”

“You bloody, unspeakable, infuriating–” His smile was startling, a white grin in the ruddy face.
“If ye call me a Scot, Sassenach, then I know I’m going to live.”

“When the day shall come, that we do part,” he said softly, and turned to look at me, “if my last words are not ‘I love you’— ye’ll ken it was because I didna have time.”

Let the book fall open to a random page

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Hosted by Should Be Reading

Those years turned. I grew older. I waited. I was constant. It was all I could be.

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

It’s Tuesday Where are you? Hosted by An Adventure in Reading

I am in England, I know I have to leave England. I have failed in fulfilling my late husband’s death bed promise. I have been betrayed by everyone around me. I was supposed to be the Queen of England and now I am no one.

I started reading ‘The Constant Princess’ by Philippa Gregory, since The Outlander I am very interested in historical fiction. I also read a little bit of ‘North and South’, I guess we will see which one I read first.

I received my first ever Advanced Reading Club book last week. I’m still not sure exactly how it works so I won’t mention the title just yet but it looks like a great book. I also received ‘The Outlandish Companion’ and ‘The Time Travelers Wife’ in the mail. The Outlandish Companion is HUGE! It’s as big as the rest of the books. Definately worth the purchase. I just wish there was another one for the last 2 books. Reading the companion explained a few things that I either missed or didn’t quite understand. Come back tomorrow for my full review on the last 2 books of ‘The Outlander’ series and my next giveaway!!!

Speaking of comfortable in his own skin, Kris did an amazing performance with Keith Urban (swoon). I always forget what an awesome performer Keith Urban is. I absolutely loved their performance of ‘Kiss The Girl’ with Kris and Keith Urban. I think they both have this awesome ability to make you think they are singing right to you. Sigh, did I say SWOON! I wonder if this means that he will go down the country road. I certaintly hope so. No matter which genre he goes into I will be looking forward to his first album!!!

Did you miss American Idol last night? Who did you want to win. Or maybe you haven’t been following American Idol this year. I have to say it was my favorite year. In case you did miss it, here is a video of Kris’ journey this year and his performance with Keith Urban! Swoon!!!

Deanna (ibeeeg)

I will send you an email Deanna to request your address!!! Congratulations!

Come back at the end of this week for the announcement of my 2nd giveaway!