Carol's Notebook

Thanks to Bermudaonion's Weblog for hosting this weekly event. Head over there to play along. My words today are from Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny.   macadam- pavement made of layers of compacted broken stone, now usually bound with tar or asphalt. "Now the road was of macadam, but I didn't recognize the place at all."   halberd- a shafted weapon with an axlike cutting blade, beak, and apical spike, used esp. in the 15th and 16th centuries. "Then we washed up in the outbuilding, beeped the horn at the gate, and waited till a man with a halberd hanging over his right shoulder came and opened it for us."   What new words did you run across this week?...

Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share with us two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. You also need to share the title of the book that you're getting your "teaser" from...that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given. Please avoid spoilers! My teaser is a snippet of conversation: "Unless you put the claw marks on the wall, you have nothing to be sorry about." "You can't possibly work in here until we Lysol the whole place." "Either that or an exorcism." -pg. 86, Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along....

Thanks to Marcia at The Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday. I found one book in my mailbox this week, but I think it'll be a great one. I won it at Peeking Between the Pages. Thanks, Dar!   Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross For a thousand years men have denied her existence--Pope Joan, the woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to rule Christianity for two years. Now this compelling novel animates the legend with a portrait of an unforgettable woman who struggles against  restrictions her soul cannot accept. When her older brother dies in a Viking attack, the brilliant young Joan assumes his identity and enters a Benedictine monastery where, as  Brother John Anglicus, she distinguishes herself as a scholar and healer. Eventually drawn to Rome, she soon becomes enmeshed in a dangerous mix of powerful passion and explosive politics that threatens her life even as it elevates her to the highest throne in the Western world.   What books found their way to your...

I thought I’d let you know some of the giveaways I ran across this week. As always, my current giveaway is listed on my sidebar and make sure you check out West of Mars- Win a Book! where there's always a ton of links to great contests, interviews and guest posts. Summer of Two Wishes by Julia London, at Seductive Musings (ends tonight, August 22, US and Canada, no PO boxes) Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji, at Savvy Verse & Wit (ends August 24, International) The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King, at Stop, Drop & Read (ends August 31, International) School of Fear or The Makedown by Gitty Daneshvari, at Stop, Drop & Read (ends August 31, North America and Europe) Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev, at Life After Jane (ends August 31, International) The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, at Wordsmithonia (ends August 31, International) The White Queen by Philippa Gregory, at Booking Mama (ends September...