Hey friends,  

I have an awesome giveaway for you today!  It's an historical fiction mystery courtesy of Viking Publishing.  In addition to the book giveaway, I’m able to share with you a beautiful online book club kit that you’re welcome to download and share. This giveaway is sponsored by Viking Publishing so per their requirements, the giveaway is open for US and Canada only.  Viking Publishing will mail the book directly to the winner.

The giveaway will be open until June 11th at midnight EST.  Good luck! 

Happy Reading,
~Tamara

The Bookman's Tale, a literary mystery involving Shakespeare, antiquarian books, and a touch of romance.  Fans of Diane Setterfield, A. S. Byatt, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Joanne Harris—and anyone looking to embark on an exciting hunt for the “holy grail” of literary finds—will love The Bookman's Tale. 

Synopsis: A mysterious portrait ignites an antiquarian bookseller’s search through time and the works of Shakespeare for his lost love

Guaranteed to capture the hearts of everyone who truly loves books, The Bookman’s Tale is a former bookseller’s sparkling novel and a delightful exploration of one of literature’s most tantalizing mysteries with echoes of Shadow of the Wind and A.S. Byatt's Possession.

Hay-on-Wye, 1995. Peter Byerly isn’t sure what drew him into this particular bookshop. Nine months earlier, the death of his beloved wife, Amanda, had left him shattered. The young antiquarian bookseller relocated from North Carolina to the English countryside, hoping to rediscover the joy he once took in collecting and restoring rare books. But upon opening an eighteenth-century study of Shakespeare forgeries, Peter is shocked when a portrait of Amanda tumbles out of its pages. Of course, it isn’t really her. The watercolor is clearly Victorian. Yet the resemblance is uncanny, and Peter becomes obsessed with learning the picture’s origins.

As he follows the trail back first to the Victorian era and then to Shakespeare’s time, Peter communes with Amanda’s spirit, learns the truth about his own past, and discovers a book that might definitively prove Shakespeare was, indeed, the author of all his plays.

Publisher:  ACE
Release Date: First published March 30, 2010 / Audio unabridged edition released by Penguin Audio on March 30, 2010
Format: MP3 Audio
Pages: 342 (Hardcover) / Audio Length: Approx 9 hours
Narrator: Lorelei King
Source: Library Borrow via Overdrive
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Date: June 4, 2014
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Synopsis: When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...

Here we go again! Silver Borne takes us even further into the fae world.  Who knew that the fae could be so terrorizing? Well, if you read any books about the fae you know that they can be more than dangerous, especially fairy Queens. They are almost always very bad and that stands true for the villain of Silver Borne.  Mercy has something that the Fairy Queen desperately wants and she's not above trickery, kidnapping and brainwashing among other things to get it.

Before the fae roller-coaster begins, we find Samuel having a tough time, and it gets pretty bad for him. I always assumed that Samuel is a very strong person as his wolf is so dominant, but apparently he's not as strong as I thought.  With him teetering on the edge of no return, thanks to Mercy, things start looking up.  Towards the end of the book Samuel experiences a huge change in his personal life that I'm very happy to see. He deserves a slice of happiness.

Outside of Samuel, the rest of the cast of characters; including the wolf pack members, local vampires and fae, make for a more in-depth story and add a piece to the puzzle.  There are so many layers and connections among them that the character development among the secondary characters is impressive.

Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Format: ebook
Pages: 400 (Mass Paperback)
Source: Net Galley
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Date: June 2, 2014
Rating: 4 bookmarks 

Synopsis: Red is definitely my color. Good thing, because in my line of work, I end up wearing it a lot. 

Most people shy away from blood, but for an assassin like me— Gin Blanco, aka the Spider—it’s just part of the job. Still, it would be nice to get a night off, especially when I’m attending the biggest gala event of the summer at Briartop, Ashland’s fanciest art museum. But it’s just not meant to be. For this exhibition of my late nemesis’s priceless possessions is not only the place to be seen, but the place to be robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint as well. No sooner did I get my champagne than a bunch of the unluckiest thieves ever burst into the museum and started looting the place.

Unlucky why? Because I brought along a couple of knives in addition to my killer dress. Add these to my Ice and Stone magic, and nothing makes me happier than showing the bad guys why red really is my color.

This has been on my galley shelf for a year now. Just shameful! I know it.  I adore the Elemental Assassin series.  I overall liked Deadly Sting, but it wasn't my favorite.  The story picks up a one month after Widow's Web. This installment holds bigger problems than Gin and Owen's ongoing relationship woes. Murder and mayhem ensue thanks to Mab Monroe's estate. Even when dead, this chick is still somehow causing problems. 

Gin's in a semi stressed out state about her future with or without Owen. Add on top that an art gallery heist, a huge hostage situation, and an assassination attempt.  That mixed bag makes for a whole lot of trouble. Between evading death by the skin of her teeth and a rescue mission, Gin’s got her hands full.

What stood out as different about this installment from the others is that the majority of this book takes place all in one night. I liked the change of pace.  

I was starting to wonder if the story would touch on the recent relationship problems Gin and Owen had been having, eventually it did. The elephant in the room had to be addressed. Thankfully, Owen isn't as pitiful as I originally thought after the whole Selina thing went down in the Widow’s Web.  Is there hope for Gin and Owen? Maybe. Did Owen redeem himself? Nope, not really.  Do I like Owen again? Hmm...not quite. He's got some work to do and I hope Gin doesn't crumble like a love sick puppy.