Friday Finds

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Friday Finds

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I recently read a review of this book at Drying Ink which was so enthusiastic that I went and preorderd it even though I haven't heard of this book or author before.  But I like the cover and a good review and a good cover is enough for me to want to give it a try.

The Alchemist of Souls by Anne Lyle

When Tudor explorers returned from the New World, they brought back a name out of half-forgotten Viking legend: skraylings. Red-sailed ships followed in the explorers’ wake, bringing Native American goods--and a skrayling ambassador--to London. But what do these seemingly magical beings really want in Elizabeth I’s capital?

Mal Catlyn, a down-at-heel swordsman, is seconded to the ambassador's bodyguard, but assassination attempts are the least of his problems. What he learns about the skraylings and their unholy powers could cost England her new ally--and Mal his soul.

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To my surprise I've discovered that I really enjoy space operas and this one by Elizabeth Moon looks good. I wasn't impressed with the one other book that I've read by Moon, The Sheepfarmer's Daughter, but I thought I'd give her the benefit of the doubt, since it was her first book, and see if her writing has improved over time.

 

Trading in Danger (Vatta's War #1) by Elizabeth Moon

Kylara Vatta is the only daughter in a family full of sons, and her father’s only child to buck tradition by choosing a military career instead of joining the family business. For Ky, it’s no contest: Even running the prestigious Vatta Transport Ltd. shipping concern can’t hold a candle to shipping out as an officer aboard an interstellar cruiser. It’s adventure, not commerce, that stirs her soul. And despite her family’s misgivings, there can be no doubt that a Vatta in the service will prove a valuable asset. But with a single error in judgment, it all comes crumbling down.

Expelled from the Academy in disgrace–and returning home to her humiliated family, a storm of high-profile media coverage, and the gaping void of her own future–Ky is ready to face the inevitable onslaught of anger, disappointment, even pity. But soon after opportunity’s door slams shut, Ky finds herself with a ticket to ride– and a shot at redemption–as captain of a Vatta Transport ship.

It’s a simple assignment: escorting one of the Vatta fleet’s oldest ships on its final voyage . . . to the scrapyard. But keeping it simple has never been Ky’s style. And even though her father has provided a crew of seasoned veterans to baby-sit the fledgling captain on her maiden milk run, they can’t stop Ky from turning the routine mission into a risky venture–in the name of turning a profit for Vatta Transport, of course.

By snapping up a lucrative delivery contract defaulted on by a rival company, and using part of the proceeds to upgrade her condemned vehicle, Ky aims to prove she’s got more going for her than just her family’s famous name. But business will soon have to take a backseat to bravery, when Ky’s change of plans sails her and the crew straight into the middle of a colonial war. For all her commercial savvy, it’s her military training and born-soldier’s instincts that Ky will need to call on in the face of deadly combat, dangerous mercenaries, and violent mutiny. 

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Every so often I like to take a break from my genre reading for a romance and when I saw that Julie James has a new book coming out, I immediately added it to my wishlist. You can never go wrong with a Julie James book.

About That Night by Julie James

HE’S PLAYING GAMES

Though Rylann Pierce tried to fight the sparks she felt for billionaire heir Kyle Rhodes the night they met, their sizzling chemistry was undeniable. But after being stood up on their first date, Rylann never expected to see him again. So when she finds herself face to face with Kyle in a courthouse nine years later, she’s stunned. More troubling to the beautiful Assistant U.S. Attorney is that she’s still wildly attracted to him.

BUT SHE’S MAKING THE RULES

Just released from prison, Kyle Rhodes isn’t thrilled to be the star witness in a high-profile criminal case — but when Rylann comes knocking at his door, he finds she may be the one lawyer he can’t say no to. Still as gorgeous and sharp-tongued as ever, she lays down the law: she doesn’t mix business with pleasure. But Kyle won’t give up on something he wants — and what he wants is the one woman he’s never forgotten...

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Favorite images from around the web

I got a Pinterest account this week which I am having a lot of fun with, "pinning" favorite images from the web to share with you and browsing through other people's favorite images as well. On the downside, I've been spending way too much time browsing through Pinterest when I should have been working.

So here are some of the images that I recently pinned and if you have Pinterest account you can follow mine here.

I have to get some of these cards made up because such friends are rare and very deserving of an appreciative card.

This picture reminds me of the many hours I used to spend swinging in a hammock and reading in my grandparents' forest- like backyard.

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I love anything to do with Calvin and Hobbes and this one, of an older Calvin who has outgrown Hobbes, gets me all emotional. Though I wonder who the little girl is since she looks a lot like Suzy...