Review: Bluebonnet Bride

Book Title: Bluebonnet Bride

Author: Colleen Coble

Series: Butterfly Palace #1.5

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, short stories

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Pub Date: April 1, 2014

Disclaimer: I got this e-book from BooklookBloggers for an Honesty Review.

Description: At the turn of the 20th century, Elli Korpela boards The Baltic with hundreds of eager women, all seeking new beginnings and brighter futures in America . . . as mail order brides.

Escaping a forced engagement, Elli seeks refuge in a faraway marriage, desperately needing her new life with a Texan named Nathan White to be safer than the one she left behind in Finland. And as she glimpses her future husband and his darling niece at the train station, she instantly knows her risk will prove the best decision she’s ever made.

Until he became the guardian of four-year-old Hannah, Nathan White never took an interest in marriage, arranging a mail order wife to simply love and care for his orphaned niece. That is, he never took an interest until he laid eyes on the beautiful Elli Korpela.

After a fairytale ceremony in the gardens of the grandest estate Elli’s ever seen, a place called Butterfly Palace, their peaceful beginning takes a disquieting turn as an intruder brutally attacks Elli in the middle of the night. Nathan intervenes, but the devil escapes unidentified, leaving Elli to face two chilling possibilities: either the attack was arranged by strike workers in Nathan’s employ or her shadowy past followed her into the present – and across the sea.

As the danger mounts, Elli and Nathan must face their enemy together, fighting to stay alive – and fighting to stay man and wife.

Reviews: Goodreads/Shelfari/Barnes & Noble

My Thoughts:

This mystery is somewhat fun to read about. There a mystery that keep you interested in the book. I wonder what is to happen for this couple and family. Who is behind the attacks? Why would they want to attack. Will Elli or even Nathan going to solve this. So far this book has me want get the other books in the series. My first reaction is good so far. I would rate this 4 stars or 4 Rats in my case. I would recommend the author Colleen Coble to others if they asked. I want you to decide if this for you or anyone else to read. Just because I liked it does not mean that you like it. It is up to you.

Interview around the Globe “Voting”

Interview Around the Globe Voting Poll #1

Mary HanksStan MorrisJudy GillJim Vuksic

VoteView ResultsPolldaddy.com

Here are the Authors you can vote for. Mary E. Hanks, Stan Morris, Jim Valsic, Judy Gill. I have linked up their Interviews for you to look at and decided. Please vote in my poll to let me know who want to be Interviews Around Globe Month. I will need to do this until we have top 12.

Mary E. Hanks: Interview

Stan Morris: Interview

Judy Gill: Interview

Jim Vuksic: Interview

Please vote in the Poll and leave your comments.

Bluebonnet Bride

Book Title: Bluebonnet Bride

Author: Colleen Coble

Series: Butterfly Palace #1.5

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, short stories

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Pub Date: April 1, 2014

Disclaimer: I got this e-book from BooklookBloggers for an Honesty Review.

Description: At the turn of the 20th century, Elli Korpela boards The Baltic with hundreds of eager women, all seeking new beginnings and brighter futures in America . . . as mail order brides.

Escaping a forced engagement, Elli seeks refuge in a faraway marriage, desperately needing her new life with a Texan named Nathan White to be safer than the one she left behind in Finland. And as she glimpses her future husband and his darling niece at the train station, she instantly knows her risk will prove the best decision she’s ever made.

Until he became the guardian of four-year-old Hannah, Nathan White never took an interest in marriage, arranging a mail order wife to simply love and care for his orphaned niece. That is, he never took an interest until he laid eyes on the beautiful Elli Korpela.

After a fairytale ceremony in the gardens of the grandest estate Elli’s ever seen, a place called Butterfly Palace, their peaceful beginning takes a disquieting turn as an intruder brutally attacks Elli in the middle of the night. Nathan intervenes, but the devil escapes unidentified, leaving Elli to face two chilling possibilities: either the attack was arranged by strike workers in Nathan’s employ or her shadowy past followed her into the present – and across the sea.

As the danger mounts, Elli and Nathan must face their enemy together, fighting to stay alive – and fighting to stay man and wife.

Reviews: Goodreads/Shelfari/Barnes & Noble

My Thoughts:

This mystery is somewhat fun to read about. There a mystery that keep you interested in the book. I wonder what is to happen for this couple and family. Who is behind the attacks? Why would they want to attack. Will Elli or even Nathan going to solve this. So far this book has me want get the other books in the series. My first reaction is good so far. I would rate this 4 stars or 4 Rats in my case. I would recommend the author Colleen Coble to others if they asked. I want you to decide if this for you or anyone else to read. Just because I liked it does not mean that you like it. It is up to you.

Interview around the Globe “Voting”

Here are the Authors you can vote for. Mary E. Hanks, Stan Morris, Jim Valsic, Judy Gill. I have linked up their Interviews for you to look at and decided. Please vote in my poll to let me know who want to be Interviews Around Globe Month. I will need to do this until we have top 12.

Mary E. Hanks: Interview

Stan Morris: Interview

Judy Gill: Interview

Jim Vuksic: Interview

Please vote in the Poll and leave your comments.

Interview the Globe Voting Period

Here is the rules for all voting periods for this Interaction.  Bloggers and Readers are allow to vote for any of of the authors listed. You may pass this voting to other friends and ask them to vote. Please be kind and talk to each other nicely. The authors volunteered to be interview and to interact with this kind of fun. I want to make it fun for all though involved. Authors are allow to promote their own interview their pages, Facebook and so on. They are allow to ask their friends to vote for them.  Voting period for the month of June is June 26, 2014 though July 1, 2014.

Bloggers and Readers Rules:

1. You may vote for one author only.
2. Vote in poll
3. Leave comments
4. You may ask friends to vote.
5. Be kind
6. Have fun

Authors Rules:

1. Promote your Interview on your page, Goodreads, Facebook
2. Be fair
3. Ask friends to vote for you
4. Be kind

Voting starts June 26, 2014 and Ends July 1, 2014

Interviews Around the Globe Voting Period

Here is the rules for all voting periods for this Interaction.  Bloggers and Readers are allow to vote for any of of the authors listed. You may pass this voting to other friends and ask them to vote. Please be kind and talk to each other nicely. The authors volunteered to be interview and to interact with this kind of fun. I want to make it fun for all though involved. Authors are allow to promote their own interview their pages, Facebook and so on. They are allow to ask their friends to vote for them.  Voting period for the month of June is June 26, 2014 though July 1, 2014.

Bloggers and Readers Rules:

1. You may vote for one author only.
2. Vote in poll
3. Leave comments
4. You may ask friends to vote.
5. Be kind
6. Have fun

Authors Rules:

1. Promote your Interview on your page, Goodreads, Facebook
2. Be fair
3. Ask friends to vote for you
4. Be kind

Voting starts June 26, 2014 and Ends July 1, 2014

Interviews Around the World with Jim Vuksic

Today at Interview Around the Globe we have our next author Interview. Before we get into the Interview with our last  interview for the month. If you decide that you want to contact him. Their information is in the post.

This is the last interview for the month of June. Let introduce our Author.

Welcome to “Interviews Around the Globe” with our author Jim Vuksic. Welcome Jim. We will just go ahead and jump on into the Interview.

You can Contact Stan Morris at these sites:

Publisher’s Author Website: http://jimvuksic.tateauthor.com/
Goodreads Profile: Jim Vuksic

Describe your *Latest/Recent* book in 20 Words or Less?

“Levels” – A social experiment to eliminate bad behavior has created a perfect world; or perhaps it hasn’t. The reader must decide.

Where or how did you come up with the idea for your story (in this book)?

Sixty-plus years of living in an imperfect world while contemplating what it would take to eliminate the root causes of the world’s imperfections eventually morphed into the inspiration for the novel “Levels”.

How important are names to you in your book(s)? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you that you?

Names were selected from a list of those most familiar to me personally and each was assigned as determined by me to be best suited to each particular character’s personality and temperament.

Which of your characters (in this book) is your favorite and Why?

Jonathan, the main character and narrator of the story, which is written in the first-person.

Jonathan, an imperfect person living in a supposedly perfect world; displays human traits with which, for better or worse, I and many readers can personally identify.

Was there a certain scene *in this book* that was harder for you to write than others?

 Yes. A scene in which one of the characters, while holding the hand of a close friend who has just been killed, is expressing his sense of personal loss, helplessness, and emotional trauma.

It is based upon an actual personal experience.

If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?

Since the story covers a 3-decade period in the lives of the characters, at least two actors would have to be used to play each one – first as a child, and then as an adult.

To be honest, I have not even contemplated a movie version of the book, so I have given no thought whatsoever to which actors might be chosen.

What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?)

My least favorite publishing experience came about while learning and participating in the conceptual editing phase; during which I was truly humbled to discover that the completed, polished manuscript, of which I had been so proud, was not yet complete nor polished.

Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you to write? What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?

The authors who have inspired me to write are Stephen King, Jean M. Auel, Gary Jennings, and Cormac McCarthy.

My advice to apiring authors is to expend whatever time and effort is necessary to acquire the technical writing and story telling skills needed to produce a high-quality work that will be well-received by your targeted audience and upon which you will be proud to attach you name.

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?

I read every review of my novel. To do otherwise would be a disservice to the reviewer.

Whether a rating or review is positive, negative, constructive, or even hurtful, one must remember that it is only an opinion and that one opinion is as good as another. Allow every opinion to serve as a learning experience and utilize each to continuously improve upon whatever you do in life.

What are you working on now? What is your next project?

I am sixteen pages into a potential sequel to “Levels”. However, it will be submitted for publication only if “Levels” is determined to be commercially successful by the publisher and that a sequel may be equally successful.

Bonus Question: Characters often find themselves in situations they aren’t sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?

I was once asked by another author to read their book and offer my honest opinion.

It was riddled with misspellings, bad grammar, and improper punctuation. I tried to avoid an embarrasing situation by being as diplomatic and constructive as possible in wording my concerns. The effort did not succeed. The author was very upset and hasn’t talked to me since.

Thank you for taking part. Your responses were good to read. I would like to thank Jim for coming by Interviews Around the Globe. There is going to be a post with theses first 4 authors for the first voting period. This period is for all bloggers and readers to vote for one author. This period will start Thursday 26, 2014 through Tuesday July 1, 2014. More info in this post to come.

Interviews Around the World with Judy Gill

Today at Interview Around the Globe we have another Author Interview. If you decide that you want to contact her. Their information is in the post.

Welcome two our second week. Lets just right into it.First let introduce our Author.

Welcome to “Interviews Around the Globe” with our newest author Judy Gill. Welcome Judy. Come and Meet Judy Gill and then I will jump into the Interview.

You can Contact Judy Gill at these sites:

Websites: www.judyinthejungle.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judygg
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/672831.Judy_Griffith_Gill
Twitter: @semitica

Describe your *Latest/Recent* book in 20 Words or Less?

Winter on Storn can kill. To survive outside the ship, refuge is mandatory. Some will live, but not all.

Where or how did you come up with the idea for your story (in this book)?

Ideas are everywhere. I hate cold, snowy winters and have lived through five. But the memories persist. Writing them helps hold back the nightmares.

How important are names to you in your book(s)? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you that you?

As a general rule, names just come to me. In REFUGE, however, each has a specific use–the first syllable, arbitrarily assigned by the servos at birth, followed by the letter combination identifying which Auto Lactation Chamber the newborn was placed in. Hence, Trin, reared through his first 366 days of life in ALC “T” suspended from wheel “O”, is known to all as “Trinto”.

Which of your characters (in this book) is your favorite and Why?

I had to think about this for a while, but discovered my favorite is Starta, the villain, because he was such fun to write. He’s a total jerk, self-serving, officious, the kind of bureaucrat we all love to hate. The servos would have done the entire population of the planet Storn a big favor if they’d dropped him from the birthing tank on the way to his ALC.

Was there a certain scene *in this book* that was harder for you to write than others?

 Yes. One of my primary characters had to die. I fought against it, but there was no real choice so I made it as terrible and as dramatic as I could manage, then softened the next scene to make it as touching as I could.

If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?

Starta–Alfie Allen. Ansel–Marina Sirtis. Trinto–Rob Lowe. Lartek–Morgan Freeman

What was your favorite part to write and why?

The last scene. I’d braided all the trailing ends together and could envision the scene as if it was being enacted before me. The group of battered survivors, the improvisations they’d made to create an atmosphere of some comfort, and the strangers arriving, seemingly out of nowhere. The responses of the group, the reactions of the strangers. I loved weaving that together.

Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you to write?

Many authors–so many I can’t keep track, but those who come to mind immediately are Heinlein, McCaffrey, and Elizabeth Lowell.

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?

I read some of them because if someone tells me I got a really good one, I post it on my website. I never respond to them on the site where they appear. A book is what it is. Some will like it, some will not. What matters is that I feel satisfied by the way it worked out.

What are you working on now? What is your next project?

I’m writing the second book in The Chronicles of Storn (REFUGE is the first.) The third is yet to come as well.

Bonus Question: Characters often find themselves in situations they aren’t sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?

Me, personally, or one of my characters? If you’re asking about what I do in a really tough situation, say someone’s trying to mug me, the last time that happened, I stared at the guy and laughed out loud because it felt totally surreal. I mean, I’m a woman, five-foot-two, who wears no jewelry, doesn’t dress in designer clothes, and rides an old, rickety bicycle to get where I’m going in Costa Rica. I said, “Do I look like I have anything you’d want?” The poor guy just sighed and went in search his next victim. I figure one of my characters would likely do something similar. (And probably speak the native tongue as poorly as I do.)

Thank you for taking part. Your responses were entertaining to reading. while I read your responses. I felt like I wanted to pick it up and read it. That was a first for me. I would like to thank Judy for coming by Interviews Around the Globe.

Interviews Around the Globe with Stan Morris

Today at Interview Around the Globe we have our second Author Interview. Before we get into the Interview with our second interview. So let me start this interview. If you decide that you want to contact him. Their information is in the post.

This something new to me. So please bear with me. I hope to get better has I do it. For our second Author Interview. I was contacted. to do this. Let introduce our Author.

Welcome to “Interviews Around the Globe” with our second Author Stan Morris. Welcome Stan. We will just go ahead and jump on into the Interview.

You can Contact Stan Morris at these sites:

Websites: http://warmhawaiian.wix.com/survivingthefog,https://sites.google.com/site/stanandrene/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Surviving-the-Fog/247365665471675
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/104197033279710118346
Twitter: https://twitter.com/morriss003
Pintrest: http://www.pinterest.com/morriss003/

Describe your *Latest/Recent* book in 20 Words or Less?

My most recent book was What’s In My Shorts? which is a compilation of my short stories.

Where or how did you come up with the idea for your story (in this book)?

There are three main stories in this collection. The Qrim Chieftain is a fantasy about a barbarian chieftain who vows revenge on the princess who scorned him. San, the Amphibian is about an amphibian who acquires a servant girl from a planet with the unlikely name of Earth.
I honestly don’t remember when or how these stories occurred to me.
The third story is New Friends. This was a self challenge to see if I could write a story that skirted the boundary between the sensual and the erotic.

How important are names to you in your book(s)? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you that you?

The names I use are important. I used Gayiana so it could be changed by the chieftain to Gaysha and later to Gayshal. Each name designates her status; princess, slave girl, lover.
In San, I wanted names that suggested water, such as Splo and Flippi.
In New Friends, from the beginning, I planned for Chastity, Faith, and Hope.

Which of your characters (in this book) is your favorite and Why?

Nilda the protagonist from New Friends is my favorite. Her story is that of a girl who hungers for friends and willingly comes under the domination of a couple of her classmates. But her need to love changes them. It was a joy to slowly evolve her.

Was there a certain scene *in this book* that was harder for you to write than others?

 There are several disturbing scenes in New Friends, but the hardest to write was a scene in Qrim in which Gaysha exposes herself so her people will accept that they have a new barbarian leader. It was not easy to explain the justification for that.

If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?

I don’t know, but I was impressed by Elle Fanning’s acting in Super 8. I also like the boy who plays Carl in The Walking Dead.

What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?)

As with many writers, I do not enjoy the marketing process. I’m getting used to it, but it is difficult to get buzz for a book in the myriad of books presently being published. I use social media a lot.

Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you to write?

I have been inspired by many writers, but Robert Heinlein and Jayne Ann Krentz were the most important. Pamela Morisi writes books that treat religious characters sympathetically without comic book characterization, and I like that.

I have two pieces of advice for writers. First, always have more than one piece going, so you can switch if you are not in the mood to write about one. Second, if you plan to write a series, write at least two before publishing the first, and then make the first book free. This will help you get your name and book known to readers.

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?

I read my reviews very carefully, and I take to heart constructive criticism. I’m not happy to have errors in my books, but I’m happy when readers bring those to my attention. I usually don’t respond, but now and then, I give in to temptation.
A writer should ignore a review that amounts to name calling.

What are you working on now? What is your next project?

I’m presently working on three books in the Surviving the Fog series. These are Howard the Red, Douglas Lives, and Sasha and Kim. They are offshoots of Surviving the Fog, my most popular book.

Bonus Question: Characters often find themselves in situations they aren’t sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?

I don’t find myself in dangerous situation nowadays, but when I was young, I used to hitchhike. That was dangerous. I’ve been in cars with criminals, drug users, and sexual predators. I stayed cool and got out at the first opportunity.

Thank you for taking part. Your responses were fun reading. I enjoyed them myself. I would like to thank Stan for coming by Interviews Around the Globe.

Interviews Around the World with Stan Morris

Today at Interview Around the Globe we have our second Author Interview. Before we get into the Interview with our second interview. So let me start this interview. If you decide that you want to contact him. Their information is in the post.

This something new to me. So please bear with me. I hope to get better has I do it. For our second Author Interview. I was contacted. to do this. Let introduce our Author.

Welcome to “Interviews Around the Globe” with our second Author Stan Morris. Welcome Stan. We will just go ahead and jump on into the Interview.

You can Contact Stan Morris at these sites:

Websites: http://warmhawaiian.wix.com/survivingthefog, https://sites.google.com/site/stanandrene/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Surviving-the-Fog/247365665471675
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/104197033279710118346
Twitter: https://twitter.com/morriss003
Pintrest: http://www.pinterest.com/morriss003/

Describe your *Latest/Recent* book in 20 Words or Less?

My most recent book was What’s In My Shorts? which is a compilation of my short stories.

Where or how did you come up with the idea for your story (in this book)?

There are three main stories in this collection. The Qrim Chieftain is a fantasy about a barbarian chieftain who vows revenge on the princess who scorned him. San, the Amphibian is about an amphibian who acquires a servant girl from a planet with the unlikely name of Earth.
I honestly don’t remember when or how these stories occurred to me.
The third story is New Friends. This was a self challenge to see if I could write a story that skirted the boundary between the sensual and the erotic.

How important are names to you in your book(s)? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you that you?

The names I use are important. I used Gayiana so it could be changed by the chieftain to Gaysha and later to Gayshal. Each name designates her status; princess, slave girl, lover.
In San, I wanted names that suggested water, such as Splo and Flippi.
In New Friends, from the beginning, I planned for Chastity, Faith, and Hope.

Which of your characters (in this book) is your favorite and Why?

Nilda the protagonist from New Friends is my favorite. Her story is that of a girl who hungers for friends and willingly comes under the domination of a couple of her classmates. But her need to love changes them. It was a joy to slowly evolve her.

Was there a certain scene *in this book* that was harder for you to write than others?

 There are several disturbing scenes in New Friends, but the hardest to write was a scene in Qrim in which Gaysha exposes herself so her people will accept that they have a new barbarian leader. It was not easy to explain the justification for that.

If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?

I don’t know, but I was impressed by Elle Fanning’s acting in Super 8. I also like the boy who plays Carl in The Walking Dead.

What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?)

As with many writers, I do not enjoy the marketing process. I’m getting used to it, but it is difficult to get buzz for a book in the myriad of books presently being published. I use social media a lot.

Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you to write?

I have been inspired by many writers, but Robert Heinlein and Jayne Ann Krentz were the most important. Pamela Morisi writes books that treat religious characters sympathetically without comic book characterization, and I like that.

I have two pieces of advice for writers. First, always have more than one piece going, so you can switch if you are not in the mood to write about one. Second, if you plan to write a series, write at least two before publishing the first, and then make the first book free. This will help you get your name and book known to readers.

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?

I read my reviews very carefully, and I take to heart constructive criticism. I’m not happy to have errors in my books, but I’m happy when readers bring those to my attention. I usually don’t respond, but now and then, I give in to temptation.
A writer should ignore a review that amounts to name calling.

What are you working on now? What is your next project?

I’m presently working on three books in the Surviving the Fog series. These are Howard the Red, Douglas Lives, and Sasha and Kim. They are offshoots of Surviving the Fog, my most popular book.

Bonus Question: Characters often find themselves in situations they aren’t sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?

I don’t find myself in dangerous situation nowadays, but when I was young, I used to hitchhike. That was dangerous. I’ve been in cars with criminals, drug users, and sexual predators. I stayed cool and got out at the first opportunity.

Thank you for taking part. Your responses were fun reading. I enjoyed them myself. I would like to thank Stan for coming by Interviews Around the Globe.