Weekly Finds: 5/8/10

Rooms: A Novel - (Nook)

Electronic overview: A young software tycoon inherits a coastal Oregon home that is really a physical manifestation of his soul being used by God to heal the man's greatest wounds.






Tyger Tyger: A Goblin Wars Book - (electronic galley)

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures - goblins,shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty - are hunting Teagan.  Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried.  Her life isn't in danger.  In fact, it's perfect.  She's on track for a college scholarship.  She has a great job.  She's focused on school, work, and her future.  No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives.  Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself.  he has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile.  And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too...and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind.  Finn knows a thing or two about fighting.  Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right.  The goblins are coming.

The Mermaid's Mirror - (electronic galley)

There's something drawing Lena to the water.  It's making Lena sleepwalk to the beach.  It's compelling her to surf even if it means putting herself in grave danger and going against her father's wishes.

A woman emerges from the waves - a woman with a silvery tail.

She has a message.


She has a key.


When Lena finds a brown leather sea chest and uses the key to unlock it, she has no choice but to look into the watery depths of her secret past through the mysterious mermaid's mirror...Lena's life will never be the  same.

The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette (Young Royals) - (electronic galley)

History paints her as a shallow party girl, a spoiled fashionista, a callous ruler.  Perhaps no other royal has been so maligned - and so misunderstood - as Marie-Antoinette.

From the moment she was betrothed to the dauphin of France at age fourteen, perfection was demanded of Marie-Antoinette.  She tried to please everyone - courtiers, her young husband, the king, the French people - but often fell short of their expectations.  Desperate for affection and subjected to constant scrutiny, this spirited young woman can't help but want to loet loose with elaborate parties, scandalous fashions, and unimaginable luxuries.  But as Marie-Antoinette's lifestyle gets ever-more recklessly extravagant, the peasants of France are suffering from increasing poverty - and becoming outraged.  They want to make the queen pay.

In this latest installment of her acclaimed Young Royals series, Carolyn Meyers reveals the dizzying rise and horrific downfall of the last queen of France.  Includes historical notes, an author's note, and a bibliography.


Daughters of the Witching Hill - (electronic galley)


Daughters of the Witching Hill brings history to life in a vivid and wrenching account of a family sustained by love as they try to survive the hysteria of a witch-hunt.

Bess Southerns, an impoverished widow living in Pendle Forest, is haunted by visions and gains a reputation as a cunning woman.  Drawing on the Catholic folk magic of her youth, Bess heals the sick and foretells the future.  As she ages, she instructs her granddaughter, Alizon, in her craft, as well as her best friend, who ultimately turns to dark magic.  When a peddler suffers a stroke after exchanging harsh words with Alizon, a local magistrate, eager to make his name as a witch finder, plays neighbors and family members against one another until suspicion an dparanoia reach frenzied heights.

Sharrat interweaves well-researched historical details of the 1612 Pendle witch-hunt with a beautifully imagined story of a strong woman, family, and betrayal.  Daughters of the Witching Hill is a powerful novel of intrigue and revelation.

Nightshade (Discarded Heroes) - (electronic galley)

Soldiers all across the globe are returning to their families after brutal tours of duty.  They are discharged from the service...and on their own.  Meet Max Jacobs, one of these discarded heroes, as he faces a wall of failure - in his career, his friendships, and his marriage.  Failing again - this time to end his life - he is offered a thread of a hope.  Are covert government operations the answer for him, or will they only bring more danger and dissension upon his broken family?


The Red Siren: Charles Towne Belle Series, Book 1 (Truly Yours Romance Series #29) - (electronic galley)

You'll be swept away by this latest historical romance by bestselling author M. L. Tyndall.  Faith Westcott is a lady by day and a pirate by night.  Can she garner the riches she so desperately needs before her secret is revealed?  Captain Dajon Waite is determined to catch the fiery redhead who has been pillaging the Carolina coast.  When Faith invites his courtship, she hopes his infatuation will shield her true identity and keep other suitors at bay.  Can she love a godly captain win her heart, or will she be forced to marry Sir Wilhelm Carteret, a man obsessed with taking her to wife?

The Blue Enchantress (Charles Towne Belles) - (electronic galley)

Get swept away in a high-tide of romance and adventure from the acclaimed author M. L. Tyndall.  Trying to forget a painful past, Hope Westcott plunges into Charles Towne society trying to find love and acceptance.  Captain Nathaniel Mason is determined to build his shipping business and doesn't need a romantic entanglement especially with a woman like Hope.  When Hope's adventure-seeking puts her freedom and her life in jeopardy, will Nathaniel turn his back or follow God's voice and sacrifice everything to save her?