BOOK BLAST & GIVEAWAY - FIGHTING FOR THE EDGE BY JENNIFER COMEAUX

Fighting for the Edge

Two friends. Two dreams. One night that changes everything… Ice dancer Aubrey London scoffs at romance. She’s focused on winning a medal at the upcoming Olympics and uses that as her excuse to avoid serious relationships. But when she and longtime friend Chris Grayden are thrown together by unforeseen circumstances, Aubrey finds herself questioning everything she's ever known about love, complicating her life both on and off the ice. Pairs skater Emily Petrov embraces romance. She and her husband Sergei still act like honeymooners two years after their wedding. As Emily’s coach, Sergei provides constant support while she prepares to challenge for gold at the Olympics. But Sergei’s support might not be enough to help Emily overcome the one challenge she never saw coming. With the Games only weeks away, Emily and Aubrey are on the verge of realizing their dreams. But one snowy, stormy night sets in motion a series of events that will test them in ways they never imagined, giving them more to fight for than Olympic medals.  

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Praise for Fighting for the Edge "Emily and Aubrey's final challenge is Jennifer Comeaux's greatest victory. Both touching and suspenseful, Fighting for the Edge is a game changer that will have fans of the series giving both the characters and the author a standing ovation once they've turned the last page. If I could pass out medals, Jennifer would earn gold for writing my favorite romance of all time." - Jenna at Jenna Does Books "Jennifer Comeaux puts you in the action, makes you smell the ice and hear the roar of the crowd during the nail-biting competitions, and she's a master at creating first love jitters in your stomach from the steamy scenes that are so hot without being explicit." - Christina Jean Michaels, author of Epiphany  

MAURIZIO MALAGNINI, AN ITALIAN IN PARADISE - INTERVIEW WITH THE COMPOSER OF "THE PARADISE" SOUNDTRACK

Are you enjoying The Paradise on BBC One or Masterpiece PBS? Have you noticed how beautiful its soundtrack is? My guest today is the composer of the wonderful music accompanying Denise and Moray's story. His name is Maurizio Malagnini. He  is an Italian composer based in London whose work spans drama, animation, documentaries. His music has been broadcast internationally on the main European networks BBC1, BBC2, ITV, MTV, SKY, RAI. He has produced his scores for the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, L'Ensemble dell'Opera di Roma and his own ensemble, Cinema Paradiso. 

Maurizio has composed scores for popular BBC Series such as "The Body Farm" and The Paradise (Series 1 and 2). Could this lovely costume series be the same without his brilliant score?  I’m sure you have noticed how good the soundtrack for Denise and Moray’slove story is! Are you ready to meet its composer? Welcome Maurizio Malagnini at Fly High and enjoy our little chat below. By the way, don't forget that The Paradise series 2 goes on BBC1 every Sunday night and, if you live in the US,  season 1 is going to end soon on PBS Masterpiece. 

Maurizio Malagnini rehearsing with the BBC Concert Orchestra

What’s the life of an Italian living in London like? Hard? Very hard? Not hard at all? I mean, are there things you miss terribly or can you easily cope with the differences ?

SPOTLIGHT ON ... THE MARLOW INTRIGUES SERIES BY JANE LARK: THE PASSIONATE LOVE OF A RAKE & THE ILLICIT LOVE OF A COURTESAN

The Passionate Love of a Rake

Just released! This is book two in the Marlow Intrigues series from exciting new author, Jane Lark. If you love historical romance, you must have a look at this "Spotlight on ... " post. And, by the way, Jane Lark is my guest blogger at my other blog too, My Jane Austen Book Club.  Have a look at her piece about The Theatre Jane Austen attended in Bath. It's really interesting. 

Blurb

The only woman who had power over notorious rake Robert Marlow was now walking away from him, again. He'd heard Sutton had died, and known Jane was free, but he'd always thought his desire would only be for revenge, not her. Yet here he was, unable to deny what he felt for her… what he’d never felt for any other woman…

Read an excerpt  

“You are such a liar, Jane.”

His tone was no longer angry, but it held a cynical humor, and the pupils in his eyes had widened, large dark onyx circles darkening his gaze with long dark lashes defining it.

A warm ache settled somewhere in her chest then spiraled to her womb like a rolling penny when his lips lowered to hers, catching at them gently, a soft caress.

She echoed it without thought. Her eyes closed as he continued to kiss her, and she opened her mouth when his tongue touched her lips. Her very bones melting, her arms reached about his neck, and her bodypressed against him, and then he stopped and pulled away.

Her eyelids lifted. She faced a knowing smile and felt the chill of his desertion.

“As I thought, a lie, Your Grace, all of it. You do want me. Like it or not, Jane. Admit it or not. You want me. You are found out, my dear.” His eyes narrowed as he continued. “But why not admit it. I cannot make you out. And there I presume is the dilemma which has you so distracted and upset. Whatever it is that prevents you admitting it, I mean.”

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY - HUDSON LIGHTS, POP MUSIC GETS CLASSY

Music instead of books this weekend.

Read about this new band, watch their video below and good luck in the giveaway!

Tour Schedule

BOOK BLAST, MY REVIEW AND $100 AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY - JAWBREAKER BY JOLENE STOCKMAN

My review

Teenagers aren’t the easiest  people you can find yourself dealing with. It’s the word of an expert,  meaning someone with long-lasting experience not someone with an answer to any question.  As  a teacher to teenagers, I’m still and continuously looking for answers, tips and suggestions to help me cope with their complexity.  This is why I found this little book (17,000 words), which is  meant to help teenagers,  quite helpful to myself and my purpose. 

The Jawbreaker: Unlock the (U)niverse  by Jolene Stockman is a guide aimed at leading young adults to self –awareness and self-confidence with a step-by-step analysis of their most common attitudes to themselves, to others and to life in general (You, Change, Knowing, The Glow), which also includes a set  of practical exercises and activities (Mind Games) targeting single specific goals.

“You are a million moments. You have created yourself bit by bit and layer by layer, every day since you were born. You are a jawbreaker” … This is the starting point,   a really spot on  image chosen by the author. She  wants the readers to figure themselves out like jawbreakers.  And jawbreakers  are sweet, colourful but really hard to break.   I found it a brilliant metaphor.

Honestly,  I think this book might help any reader, not only demographic audience, to build up their strength and it might show them their own story in a whole new way. Try it yourself!

“You can help others in the world more by making the most of yourself than in any other way” (Earl Nightingale)  

NOVEMBER KINDLE FIRE GIVEAWAY - TWO WINNERS!

This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER GIVEAWAY EVENT! Bloggers & Authors have joined together and each chipped in a little money towards a Kindle Fire HDX 7".

All New Kindle Fire HDX 7" Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HDX (US Only - $229 Value)

JENNY BARDEN, THE LOST DUCHESS - GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY

Jenny Barden

Another great guest at Fly High! today. I've invited awesome historical fiction writer,  Jenny Barden,  to present her upcoming great novel here (it'll be out in just 2 days in the UK - 7th November), because I know that you like me love and appreciate well-written,  thrilling historical fiction. Let's welcome Jenny and, please, take your chances to win a signed first edition copy of her The Lost Duchess. This amazing giveaway is open world wide and ends on 14th November. 

Thank you so much, Maria, for giving me an opportunity to say a little about my forthcoming release, The Lost Duchess, which was no more than a concept in outline when you interviewed me for this site in October last year. 

Several of your followers said then that they loved the idea of an Elizabethan romantic adventure, and that there was going to be a sequel to Mistress of the Sea, so I hope they'll be attracted to this next book, which features Kit Doonan (Will's brother in Mistress of the Sea), and Emme Fifield, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, whose relationship deepens in the thick of an action-packed adventure when they join Sir Walter Raleigh's expedition to found the first permanent English colony in America. Here's what my publishers have to say about The Lost Duchess:

LOVE IN TOUCH BLOG TOUR - LOVE BEYOND BARRIERS: INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LUCY MAY LENNOX + GIVEAWAY

I've had the opportunity to ask author Lucy May Lennox a few questions about her latest novel, Love in Touch. She's taken the time to answer and the result is the following interesting chat about love beyond the barriers of disability: a very beautiful,  unusual love story. Read the interview and don't forget there's a giveaway attached to this blog tour!  (see rafflecopter form below)

Your novel  "Love in Touch" presents an unusual love story,   told with great sensitivity . Were you inspired by real people and facts?

Thanks! The plot and main characters are not directly based on real events or people. But I have known a few people with vision loss and hearing loss. Some of the details and interactions are based on real conversations that I've had or heard about. For instance, years ago I knew a guy who worked at a TTY relay,  typing/reading phone conversations between hearing and Deaf people. He would regularly relay to the Deaf customer comments the hearing people made that they assumed were not to be passed on, like when a guy muttered "Oh, it's that deaf asshole." My friend dutifully typed it out, which caused a heated exchange. But later on he got a commendation. That story made me think a lot about what interpretation really is.

I should say also, I based a lot of the minor characters on people I know. It's so much easier that way to create real, rounded characters.

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS - MEET MELISSA MCCLONE & KATHERINE GARBERA + GIVEAWAY

Best selling authors Melissa McClone and Katherine Garbera have written and just released two lovely Christmas novellas. They are my guests today and have both answered my questions about the upcoming festivities. It's never to early to talk Christmas! Don't you think so? Read their answers and get your chances to win their books in the rafflecopter form below.  The giveaway is open internationally, there will be two winners ( 1 e-book each),  deadline November 12th. Good luck, everyone! 

My questions for both are: Christmas is coming soon! What are your favorite decorations? How do you decorate?

Melissa McClone: 

I love Nativity scenes. They are my favorite decoration. One that's pretty much dog and cat proof goes under the tree. A snow globe nativity goes on the shelf. We also have a nativity fountain. Small ornament sized ones hang in the tree. Medium and larger ones can be found all over the house. I'm always on the lookout for Nativities. I usually have at least one in each room.

I go all out decorating. Decking the halls, so to speak, usually takes me a day or two, not counting the tree. First, I take down pictures from the wall and pack away everything that's on our built-in shelves and windowsills. Then I pull out our Christmas decorations, books and DVDs. We have boxes and boxes of them. I start with the Advent wreath then hang garland on the banister and fireplace mantle and swags on all the windows. Dept. 56 villages used to go on the windowsills until we got a kitten that thought they were her play toys. Now she must content herself with the tree, which we leave up for a least a week with no garland (wood cranberry beads) or ornaments so she can climb and nap in the branches to her hearts content before we decorate it. Advent calendars are hung upstairs and downstairs. Besides a tree upstairs, the kids each have a small one in their bedrooms.  We have lots of shelf sitters, stuffed animals, snowmen, snow globes and other knickknacks. My kids also know if something isn't where it was the year before!  

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: DIGITAL LIBRARIES, OLD BOOKS & NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Like many of you I  initially  resisted the  invasion of e-books and e-readers  into our safe world made of shelves crammed with  printed books. I really didn’t accept such a dramatic  change and looked at the new strange objects with great suspicion. I couldn’t think of a book without its  reassuring smell of dusty paper or its smooth,  black- inked white pages. Anyway, again like many of you,  I had to surrender, to accept their presence in my life and even recognize their charms and practicality. I can now honestly say that I love e-books, though differently than my unforgettable first love, printed books.

Though I still treasure the hundreds of books I’ve been collecting all my life through on my shelves, I’ve recently discovered how easy and incredible is to have your favourite titles, all of them and even more, stored in your iPad or e-reader and be able to keep them  hidden  in your own handbag . That means you can always carry them with you and everywhere!  

What  I  want to share with you today is one of my latest  precious discoveries, related to my relatively new love for e-books. It’s a real treasure for someone like me with a high interest in classic literature and drama. It's ForgottenBooks,  an online digital library with thousands of books that can be of great interest to avid readers, students, academics and scholars of several different fields.