Ross Poldark by Winston Graham Blog Tour + GIVEAWAY

If you’re a historical fiction buff, it’s your lucky day! We at Reflections are proud to be hosting today’s Poldark blog tour stop. Aimed to coincide with the start of the revamp of PBS’s hit series from almost 40 years ago, Poldark, a new generation of viewers will now experience the magic that is this saga. This Masterpiece Classic is based on the Poldark book series written by Winston Graham, which captivated readers around the world when it was originally released. Below is a description of the book one, Ross Poldark, as well as Demelza, the second work in the group. Also be sure to see below for details on how to enter to win your own copies of Ross Poldark and Demelza, or an Anglophile-themed grand prize pack!

Ross Poldark Book Blurb:

In the first novel in Winston Graham’s hit series, a weary Ross Poldark returns to England from war, looking forward to a joyful homecoming with his beloved Elizabeth. But instead he discovers his father has died, his home is overrun by livestock and drunken servants, and Elizabeth—believing Ross to be dead—is now engaged to his cousin. Ross has no choice but to start his life anew.

Thus begins the Poldark series, a heartwarming, gripping saga set in the windswept landscape of Cornwall. With an unforgettable cast of characters that spans loves, lives, and generations, this extraordinary masterwork from Winston Graham is a story you will never forget.

Demelza Book Blurb:

In the enchanting second novel in Winston Graham’s beloved Poldark series, Demelza Carne, an impoverished miner’s daughter Ross Poldark rescued from a fairground brawl, now happily finds herself his wife. But the events of these turbulent years test their marriage and their love. As Ross launches into a bitter struggle for the right of the mining communities, Demelza’s efforts to adapt to the ways of the gentry (and her husband) place her in increasingly odd and embarrassing situations. When tragedy strikes and sows the seeds of an enduring rivalry between Ross and the powerful George Warleggan, will Demelza manage to bridge their differences before they destroy her and her husband’s chance at happiness?

Against the stunning backdrop of eighteenth century Cornwall, Demelza sweeps readers into one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Author Bio:

Winston Graham (1908-2003) is the author of forty novels. His books have been widely translated and the Poldark series has been developed into two television series, shown in 22 countries. Six of Winston Graham’s books have been filmed for the big screen, the most notable being Marnie, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Winston Graham is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and in 1983 was awarded the O.B.E.

Grand Giveaway Contest

Win One of Three Fabulous Prizes

In celebration of the re-release of Ross Poldark and Demelza, Sourcebooks Landmark is offering three chances to win copies of the books or a grand prize, an Anglophile-themed gift package.

Two lucky winners will each receive one trade paperback copy of Ross Poldark and Demelza, and one grand prize winner will receive a prize package containing the following items:

(2 ) Old Britain Castles Pink Pottery Mugs by Johnson Brothers

(1) Twelve-inch Old Britain Castles Pink Pottery Plater by Johnson Brothersr

(1) London Telephone Box Tin of Ahmad English Breakfast Tea

(1) Jar of Mrs. Bridges Marmalade

(1) Package of Duchy Originals Organic Oaten Biscuits

(2) Packets of Blue Boy Cornflower Seeds by Renee’s Garden Heirloom

(1) Trade Paperback Copy of Ross Poldark & Demelza, by Winston Graham

To enter the giveaway contest simply leave a comment on any or all of the blog stops on the Ross Poldark Blog Tour starting July 06, 2015 through 11:59 pm PT, August 10, 2015. Winners will be drawn at random from all of the entrants and announced on the Buzz at Sourcebooks blog on August 13, 2015. Winners have until August 20, 2015 to claim their prize. The giveaway contest is open to US residents and the prizes will be shipped to US addresses. Good luck to all!

Winner Announced in the Bloodwitch Giveaway!

SO SO SO sorry for the delay in announcing the winner! One person has been chosen the winner in the Bloodwitch giveaway!

Congratulations to:

1. KyungMi who left a comment on May 26th

Please contact me with your mailing address by Friday, June 13, 2014 to claim your prize.

Thank you to all who participated and left comments!

Spotlight + GIVEAWAY: Bloodwitch (The Maeve’ra Trilogy #1) by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Looking for a new paranormal series to introduce to your young reader? How about Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’ new series, Maeve’ra? Thanks to Random House we have an ARC of the first book in the series, Bloodwitch to give away! The first installment is about loyalty, power, and the rules of survival. For instructions on how you can win a copy, follow the book and author blurbs below. Good luck!

From Goodreads:

A gripping tale about loyalty, power, and the quest for freedom
Vance Ehecatl was raised with every luxury he could imagine in a beautiful greenhouse within the powerful empire of Midnight. Vampires are the only guardians Vance has ever known since he was abandoned by his shapeshifter family as a baby quetzal, and he is grateful to them for generously providing for all of his needs. When an act of violence forces Vance from his sheltered home, he is startled to meet Malachi Obsidian, a fellow shapeshifter with conflicting ideas about Midnight and its leader, Mistress Jeshickah.

Malachi claims Vance is a bloodwitch, who Jeshickah and her trainers, Jaguar and Taro, are trying to control. Vance doesn’t know anything about the rare and destructive magic Malachi says he possesses, and he can’t believe Jeshickah would use it to hurt others. But when his friends begin falling ill, Vance starts to realize his perfect world may not be as flawless as it seems. Now Vance must decide who to trust-the vampires he’s always relied upon, or the shapeshifters who despise them.

About the Author

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes wrote her first novel, In the Forests of the Night, when she was thirteen. Other books in the Den of Shadows series are Demon in My View, Shattered Mirror, Midnight Predator, Persistence of Memory, Token of Darkness, and All Just Glass. She has also published the five-volume series The Kiesha’ra: Hawksong, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and a VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Selection; Snakecharm; Falcondance; Wolfcry, an IRA-CBC Young Adults’ Choice; and Wyvernhail. Her most recent novels are Poison Tree and Promises to Keep. Visit her at AmeliaAtwaterRhodes.com

Giveaway – Special thanks to Random House!

One lucky winner will have the opportunity to win an ARC of Bloodwitch by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes!  For your chance to win simply leave a comment below.  Comments will be accepted through midnight on Thursday, May 29, 2014.  A winner will be picked at random and announced on Friday, May 30, 2014.  Open to residents of the US and Canada only.  Good luck!

Winner Announced in the S.E.C.R.E.T Trilogy Giveaway!

One person has been chosen the winner in S.E.C.R.E.T. Trilogy Giveaway!

Congratulations to:

1. Anandee who left a comment on May 13th

Please contact me with your mailing address by Wednesday, May 28, 2014 to claim your prize.

Thank you to all who participated and left comments!

Spotlight + GIVEAWAY: The S.E.C.R.E.T. Trilogy by L. Marie Adeline

Thanks to Sullivan and Partners I have all three books in L. Marie Adeline’s S.E.C.R.E.T. trilogy to give away today! If you’re not familiar with the trilogy read the blurbs below. (Instructions for the giveaway follow!)

S.E.C.R.E.T. plot from Goodreads: 

Cassie Robichaud’s life is filled with regret and loneliness after the sudden death of her husband. She waits tables at the rundown Café Rose in New Orleans, and every night she heads home to her solitary one-bedroom apartment. But when she discovers a notebook left behind by a mysterious woman at the café, Cassie’s world is forever changed. 

The notebook’s stunningly explicit confessions shock and fascinate Cassie, and eventually lead her to S∙E∙C∙R∙E∙T, an underground society dedicated to helping women realize their wildest, most intimate sexual fantasies. Cassie soon immerses herself in an electrifying journey through a series of ten rapturous fantasies with gorgeous men who awaken and satisfy her like never before. As she is set free from her inhibitions, she discovers a new confidence that transforms her, giving her the courage to live passionately. Equal parts enticing, liberating and emotionally powerful, S∙E∙C∙R∙E∙T is a world where fantasy becomes reality.

S.E.C.R.E.T. Shared plot from Goodreads:

“I, Cassie Robichaud, solemnly swear to serve S.E.C.R.E.T. to the best of my abilities. I will do what is necessary, what is right and what is within my power to assist in the execution of sexual fantasies for our participant(s)…”

And so begins S.E.C.R.E.T. II, which opens with Cassie’s initiation into this mysterious organization, one that helps women experience their most potent sexual fantasies. Cassie spends the next year as a “S.E.C.R.E.T. member-at-large,” not quite a guide, she’ll assist Committee members (including two new ones, Kit DeMarco and Angela Rejean) in recruiting men and helping to execute a new inductee’s fantasies. 

After a false start with the first potential inductee, Cassie makes the acquaintance of Dauphine Gray, a 31-year old who works at the Funky Monkey vintage clothing store on Magazine Street in New Orleans. Geeky, gawky and easily distracted, Dauphine has no idea how attractive she really is because her face is forever in a book. Reading is her passion, music is her pleasure, and Dauphine’s all but given up on sex, especially after a painful rejection that still haunts her. Then Cassie and the women from S.E.C.R.E.T. show her it’s possible to reignite that flame.

Meanwhile, Cassie must work through her resentment over losing Will to Tracina and their future baby. But when paternity questions surface, Tracina threatens to expose Cassie’s S.E.C.R.E.T. membership to the one man both women love. Will Tracina expose Cassie to Will, and if she does, what will he make of his secret love’s S.E.C.R.E.T. life?

S.E.C.R.E.T. Revealed plot from Goodreads:

The only thing that Cassie Robichaud has ever really wanted is Will Foret, the love of her life. But when Will discovers that Cassie is part of S.E.C.R.E.T., an underground group devoted to helping women experience their deepest sexual fantasies, Will breaks it off. Heartbroken, Cassie dries her tears and devotes herself to helping the latest S.E.C.R.E.T. recruit, Solange Faraday. Cassie also reignites her relationship with sexy bad-boy Jesse, even if he can never love her as deeply as Will did. 

Meanwhile, beautiful, brilliant Solange, a local news anchor and divorced mom, has a great career but a wilting love life. She rekindles long-lost passions, going deeper and hotter than any other S.E.C.R.E.T. candidate before her. Will she find what her heart most desires? And when Will realizes he’s made a tragic mistake, will Cassie be able to forgive him? In the end, as both women blossom as sexual beings, they also discover that ecstasy and true love are closer than they ever imagined.

SECRET Revealed is the explosive, sensual and sexually charged finale to the bestselling S.E.C.R.E.T. trilogy

About the Author

L. Marie Adeline is the pseudonym for the best-selling author Lisa Gabriele, who has written both novels and non-fiction. She has also written Tempting Faith DiNapoli and the Almost Archer Sisters, both bestsellers. She also writes and produces for television and radio, and was the show runner on the Gemini and Screen award-winning CBC reality program, Dragons’ Den. Her essays and articles have appeared in several anthologies and in the New York Times Magazine, New York magazine, the Washington Post, Salon, Nerve, Glamour, Flare, Elle and Chatelaine. She was the original Dear Diary columnist for Vice Magazine. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, or on her website.

Giveaway – Special thanks to Sullivan and Partners!

One lucky winner will have the opportunity to win a paperback copy of each book in the S.E.C.R.E.T. trilogy by L. Marie Adeline!  For your chance to win simply leave a comment below.  Comments will be accepted through midnight on Tuesday, May 20, 2014.  A winner will be picked at random and announced on Wednesday, May 21, 2014.  Open to residents of the US and Canada only.  Good luck!

Winner Announced in The Tropic of Serpents (Memoirs of Lady Trent #2) Giveaway!

Sorry for the delay in picking a winner, but……. one person has been chosen the winner in The Tropic of Serpents Giveaway!

Congratulations to:

1. sarahwillott who left a comment on May 4th

Please contact me with your mailing address by Monday, May 19, 2014 to claim your prize.

Thank you to all who participated and left comments!

Spotlight + GIVEAWAY: The Tropic of Serpents (Memoirs of Lady Trent #2) by Marie Brennan

If you’re a fan of dragons you’re going to want to get your hands on this book. Thanks to Tor Books I’ve got one hardcover copy of Marie Brennan’s The Tropic of Serpents: A Memoir by Lady Trent to give away.

From Goodreads:

Attentive readers of Lady Trent’s earlier memoir, A Natural History of Dragons, are already familiar with how a bookish and determined young woman named Isabella first set out on the historic course that would one day lead her to becoming the world’s premier dragon naturalist. Now, in this remarkably candid second volume, Lady Trent looks back at the next stage of her illustrious (and occasionally scandalous) career.

Three years after her fateful journeys through the forbidding mountains of Vystrana, Mrs. Camherst defies family and convention to embark on an expedition to the war-torn continent of Eriga, home of such exotic draconian species as the grass-dwelling snakes of the savannah, arboreal tree snakes, and, most elusive of all, the legendary swamp-wyrms of the tropics.

The expedition is not an easy one. Accompanied by both an old associate and a runaway heiress, Isabella must brave oppressive heat, merciless fevers, palace intrigues, gossip, and other hazards in order to satisfy her boundless fascination with all things draconian, even if it means venturing deep into the forbidden jungle known as the Green Hell . . . where her courage, resourcefulness, and scientific curiosity will be tested as never before.

About the Author

Marie Brennan habitually pillages her background in anthropology, archaeology, and folklore for fictional purposes. She is the author of the Onyx Court series and the doppelgänger duology of Warrior and Witch, as well as more than thirty short stories. Find her online at her website here or on Twitter.

Giveaway – Special thanks to Tor Books!

One lucky winner will have the opportunity to win a hardcover copy of The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan!  For your chance to win simply leave a comment below.  Comments will be accepted through midnight on Saturday, May 10, 2014.  A winner will be picked at random and announced on Sunday, May 11, 2014.  Open to US residents only.  Good luck!

Winner Announced in the Three Princes Giveaway!

One person has been chosen the winner in the Three Princes giveaway!

Congratulations to:

1. Claire (BWB) who left a comment on April 22nd

Please contact me with your mailing address by Tuesday, May 6, 2014 to claim your prize.

Thank you to all who participated and left comments!

Spotlight + GIVEAWAY: Three Princes by Ramona Wheeler

If you’re a fan of books that fall under the categories of steampunk, Egypt, science fiction, or historical fiction then this giveaway is for you. Thanks to Tor Books we have a hardcover copy of Ramona Wheeler’s Three Princes to give away to one lucky winner.

From Goodreads:

Lord Scott Oken, a prince of Albion, and Professor-Prince Mikel Mabruke live in a world where the sun never set on the Egyptian Empire. In the year 1877 of Our Lord Julius Caesar, Pharaoh Djoser-George governs a sprawling realm that spans Europe, Africa, and much of Asia. When the European terrorist Otto von Bismarck touches off an international conspiracy, Scott and Mik are charged with exposing the plot against the Empire.

Their adventure takes them from the sands of Memphis to a lush New World, home of the Incan Tawantinsuyu, a rival empire across the glittering Atlantic Ocean. Encompassing Quetzal airships, operas, blood sacrifice and high diplomacy, Three Princes is a richly imagined, cinematic vision of a modern Egyptian Empire.

About the Author

Ramona Wheeler grew up an Army Brat, shuffling from library to library with every move. She has written extensively on ancient Egypt and comparative mythology and her “Ray and Rokey” stories appeared in Analog magazine from 1998 to 2004. She now resides in Massachusetts. You can find more out more on her website.

Giveaway – Special thanks to Tor Books!

One lucky winner will have the opportunity to win a hardcover copy of Three Princes by Ramona Wheeler!  For your chance to win simply leave a comment below.  Comments will be accepted through midnight on Monday, April 28, 2014.  A winner will be picked at random and announced on Tuesday, April 29, 2014.  Open to US residents only.  Good luck!

Winner Announced in the Revelations Giveaway!

One person has been chosen the winner in Revelations giveaway!

Congratulations to:

1. Bookjunkiekrystal who left a comment on April 14th

Please contact me with your mailing address by Friday, April 25, 2014 to claim your prize.

Thank you to all who participated and left comments!