Laid Bare by Cathryn Fox

eBook Erotica Novella

Laid Bare is my first experience reading anything written by Cathryn Fox. 

I enjoyed reading this erotica novella about a mermaid named, Ella, who comes ashore to fall in love with the man who captivated her heart for the past fifteen years! Laid Bare is a quick read that I finished off in a couple of hours.

Excerpt as follows from Cathryn Fox's website:

Ella, a mermaid from Dualii, a kingdom deep below the sea, has returned to the quaint coastal town of Crystal Cove, Nova Scotia, a place where she'd once saved a drowning boy. Except when she sees the teenager from her past, she knows he is anything but a boy. He is a man, one who taunts her body and heart in the most inexplicable ways and has her questioning her very future.

As he stands naked beneath the full moon Ella knows she must have him—before she returns home and succumbs to her arranged marriage. Despite the rules set in place for her kind, rules to protect the identity of her people, she decides a blatant seduction is in order. With her body beckoning his touch, Ella lays herself bare as everything inside her urges her to experience his personal brand of lovemaking—just once—before she wipes his mind of their encounter and returns to her underground world forever.

The writing in Laid Bare was well done. I enjoyed the storyline and character development in Laid Bare and would recommend it to those who like reading erotica novellas and of course, a storyline pertaining to mermaids!

I'd give Laid Bare an overall rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Friday Finds # 17

Friday Finds is a book meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Friday Finds is a chance to share and show off the books you discovered during the week and would like to add to your reading list...
Or a place to simply feature the books you've actually purchased throughout the week and have added to your to be read pile!
 
This week I added two new book titles to my ever growing book collection!

I purchased a bargain priced copy of Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The title of this book sounded intriguing, so decided that I would purchase Nina Sankovitch's book.

Additionally, I purchased a copy of What the Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs by Cat Warren over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend as well. I initially discovered Cat Warren's nonfiction book earlier this year and featured it in a blog post I wrote on Tuesday, October 1, 2013. I love dogs and am intrigued by the sense of smell and how they work with their human companions.

Which books have you purchased recently? Are they for yourself or to give as a holiday gift?

The Bookstore at the Vedanta Temple in Santa Barbara

The Bookstore at the Vedanta Temple, Santa Barbara

I love visiting bookstores. I visited The Bookstore at the Vedanta Temple in Santa Barbara, California earlier this week.

First off let me say that both the temple and the bookstore are off the beaten path... But don't let that stop you from visiting The Bookstore at the Vedanta Temple!

Vedanta Temple

What struck me the most about both the Vedanta Temple & Bookstore is the beautiful landscape surrounding both buildings. The architecture of each building is amazing and the view of the Pacific Ocean off in the distance is amazing. What a peaceful place to visit and hang out in.

I learned the following information from the about page from The Bookstore at the Vedanta Temple website:

Quietly nestled against a scenic mountain range, the Vedanta center in Santa Barbara overlooks the Pacific ocean. A convent of seven nuns oversees the maintenance of the 45-acre property, manages the bookstore and facilitates public activities at the temple. Activities include daily worship, meditation and vesper services, Sunday lectures, and pujas (special worship services).

Dedicated in 1956, the temple has received several awards for its design, and is a special point of interest for architects from around the world. The temple is open daily to the public.
The Bookstore at the Vedanta Temple is located next to the temple. It is well-stocked with religious classics and hard-to-find books on the major religions of the world. The store also carries incense, religious statues, music and imported gifts.

The Bookstore at the Vedanta Temple looks like it is located inside a former residence. The bookstore offers beautiful views of the surrounding property. I enjoyed perusing the two rooms filled with books, cashmere shawls, jewelry, clothing, singing bowls and other decorative elements. The selection of items offered for sale was awesome. Also, the staff on hand was friendly and knowledgeable. I enjoyed my visit to The Bookstore at the Vedanta Temple in Santa Barbara!

Beautiful Bell

The Bookstore at the Vedanta Temple Store Hours: 

Monday -Saturday 11:00am to 5:00pm
Sunday 10:00am to 1:00pm
Closed on Wednesdays

Telephone & Fax Numbers:

805.969.5697
805.565.0837 (fax) 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, California

Rear Entrance to Vroman's Bookstore

Okay. it's no secret that I love visiting independent bookstores! Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, my husband and I made a brief 30 minute visit to Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, California on our drive home from visiting our families over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Vroman's Bookstore is an amazing place to visit! I enjoyed our brief time spent there. I wish now that we had been able to spend more time visiting this amazing bookstore. But we needed to head home.

I loved the layout of Vroman's Bookstore, the friendly staff members, the large selection of books and gifts, staff picks, in-store displays and so much more! Vroman's Bookstore is large for an independent bookstore and is two stories. Free parking can be found in a large parking lot behind Vroman's Bookstore. There is even a coffeehouse next to Vroman's Bookstore and boy, did the coffee smell delicious!! 

Vroman’s Bookstore was founded in 1894 by Adam Clark Vroman and the bookstore has long and wonderful history. To learn more about Vroman's Bookstore, visit their About page.

Don't worry, I didn't leave Vroman's Bookstore empty handed. I purchased a book from my wish list!! 

Until my next post, happy reading!

2014 Audiobook Challenge

 

I'm really excited about participating in the 2014 Audiobook Challenge hosted by The Book Nympho and Hot Listens as I've really come to enjoy listening to audiobooks in 2013!

Please join me in participating in the 2014 Audiobook Challenge by signing up to participate!!

Until my next post, happy listening!!

BookBub --- Do you Enjoy Free or Discounted eBooks?

I recently learned about the BookBub website. If you're into eBooks, this may be the website for you. So, what exactly is BookBub??

According to their website, BookBub defines themselves as follows:

BookBub is a free daily email that notifies you about deep discounts on acclaimed ebooks. You choose the types you'd like to get notified about — with categories ranging from mysteries to cookbooks — and we send great deals in those genres to your inbox.

BookBub doesn't actually sell books. We simply alert you by email to fantastic limited-time offers that become available on retailers like Amazon's Kindle store, Barnes & Noble's Nook store, Apple's iBookstore, and others. Book publishers offer deals at these sites for promotional purposes, and our staff works with them to determine the best ones to feature to our members.

BookBub features ebooks ranging from top-tier publishers to critically acclaimed independent authors. Our team of experts makes sure that we're only featuring great deals on quality books that you'll love.

Until my next post, happy reading!

How do you feel about novels that are posthumously published??

What do you think about novels that are published posthumously?? Should they be published?? Are the novels that are published posthumously any good?? These are the questions that have come to mind for me after coming across an article titled Better Off Dead: 10 Posthumous Novels That Should Have Never Been Published by Joshua Chaplinsky.

I personally can't recall reading any novels that have been published posthumously, so am not the person who can answer any of the questions I've posed above. What are your thoughts on the subject?

White Christmas by Emma Lee-Potter

eBook Edition

I finished reading White Christmas by Emma Lee-Potter on my iPad over the Thanksgiving weekend holiday. White Christmas is a novella and is approximately 60 pages in length.

I enjoy reading holiday themed romance novellas at the holiday time, which is why I had selected White Christmas to read this weekend.

It was a quick read, which was great as most of the time was spent with family. But the storyline and characters were mediocre at best. I didn't feel like White Christmas was not much of a romance.

I give White Christmas a 3 stars out of 5 stars rating.

Below is an over view of a White Christmas, which I found on Amazon:

Everyone dreams of a White Christmas.

But nobody dreams of one quite as much as Hal Benson.

An out-of-work actor, Hal has been hired as a stand-in weather forecaster by a ratings-chasing news channel. Hal couldn't care less whether it rains or not. It is just a job.

But then he meets Lizzie Foster. A rival weather forecaster, on a far more serious channel, Lizzie is bright, determined, fascinated by meteorology - and very, very beautiful.

She is the complete opposite of Hal.

And yet sometimes opposites attract.

After meeting at a conference - and after a spark develops between them - Lizze and Hal make a bet live on air.

Will it snow on Christmas Day?

But as the big day approaches, their relationship turns out to be as unpredictable as the weather. And sometimes as stormy.

Whilst everyone else is unwrapping presents, Hal and Lizzie are looking to the clouds for signs of snow. Will Hal and Lizzie overcome their meteorological differences - and find true love?

Have you read any holiday themed books, novellas or short stories now that the holidays are upon us?

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

"A book is like a garden carried in the pocket." Chinese Proverb