Jul 6 2012
Daily Deals: Medieval, Contemporary and Christian Fiction (there is no theme here)
Colters’ Promise by Maya Banks. $ 2.99
From the Jacket Copy:
In COLTER’S PROMISE, with the help and love of the three Colter brothers, Lily overcame the odds of a tragic past. They taught her new ways to love and new dreams to share. The life she’s built with them is better than anything she could have imagined. Now is a time to celebrate with a long-awaited family reunion. And this holiday will be a very special one, filled with priceless gifts and the promise of love.
A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury. $ 2.99
From the Jacket Copy:
Cody Gunner has no use for real love. Abandoned as a child by the person he needed the most, he swears he will never allow himself to love again. Ali Daniels denies love as well. Carrying a terrible secret, she lives life to the fullest, taking risks and refusing relationships. When Cody and Ali meet, their first instincts are to hide behind their emotional walls, seemingly doomed to repeat the patterns they have established for most of their lives. But their attraction is too strong, and soon they’re doomed in another way, for neither can avoid falling in love, regardless of the consequences. Only after three years–a thousand tomorrows later–do they realize at what cost their relationship comes. In the end, they must decide if love is worth the ultimate price.
Lord of Vengeance by Lara Adrian. $ .99
From the Jacket Copy:
LORD OF VENGEANCE
Taken captive by Gunnar Rutledge, a dark knight sworn to destroy her father, Raina d’Bussy must teach forgiveness to a man who knows no mercy and lives only to exact revenge on his enemy. But time in Gunnar’s keep stirs an unwanted passion in Raina, and something far more perilous, when she finds herself falling in love with the one man she should never desire.
For Gunnar, vengeance is all that matters. He seeks the ultimate price from his enemy’s beautiful young daughter, claiming Raina as his hostage. But the proud beauty defies him at every turn, tempting him like no other. Setting out to break Raina’s glorious spirit, Gunnar instead finds himself bewitched by her goodness, her strength. Can he seize the justice he is due without losing Raina forever?
Winner of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Medieval Romance of the Year
HOLT Medallion Finalist for Best Historical Romance of the Year
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot. $ .
From the Jacket Copy:
The stories of a young veterinarian making his way in the rugged English countryside—and of the people and animals he met along the way In the rolling dales of Yorkshire, a simple, rural region of northern England, a young veterinarian from Sunderland joins a new practice. A stranger in a strange land, he must quickly learn the odd dialect and humorous ways of the locals, master outdated equipment, and do his best to mend, treat, and heal pets and livestock alike. This witty and heartwarming collection, based on the author’s own experiences, became an international success, spawning sequels and winning over animal lovers everywhere. Perhaps better than any other writer, James Herriot reveals the ties that bind us to the creatures in our lives.
One of the most beloved books of our time–the first book of warm tales of the Yorkshire Dales from the kindly animal doctor. A national bestseller and a world treasure.
Send to Kindle
Jul 06, 2012 @ 14:12:07
You’re not imagining things Jane. All Creatures Great and Small ran on PBS for years.
Jul 06, 2012 @ 14:25:34
The first book in my League of Second Sons series, RIPE FOR PLEASURE, is on sale for $2.99 until the end of the month.
B&N
http://bit.ly/LCsNCe
Amazon
http://amzn.to/LCtlrK
Sony
http://bit.ly/N1cB0e
Kobo
http://bit.ly/Ru9fDh
Jul 06, 2012 @ 14:26:49
But it wasn’t the real James Herriott your mom would have had the crush on, it would be British actor Christopher Timothy, who played him in the series. I read somewhere that Herriott had to use a pseudonym (real name Alf Wright) because vets were forbidden to advertise and he was still practicing when he wrote the books. I always thought he was lucky because his pseudonym sounded so much more appealing.
Jul 06, 2012 @ 14:31:00
Wasn’t All Creatures Great and Small with Peter Davison, the 5th Doctor? Or one of the Whovian verse characters?
Nevermind about Peter Davison. I just remember hearing him about something in the Who circles. (Didn’t pay much attention since I disliked Five for the most part.)
Jul 06, 2012 @ 14:33:49
@Hell Cat: Yes. Peter Davidson. The Doctor with the celery stick in his jacket (or was that a frock coat?). Anyway, he played Tristan, the dissolute veterinarian younger brother of the vet (Siegfried?) who owned the practice.
Jul 06, 2012 @ 15:22:00
I somehow missed that Jane already profiled RFP earlier this week. ARGH! Feel free to delete my message. Sorry about that.
Jul 06, 2012 @ 15:27:28
@carmen webster buxton: I don’t think that was the reason. Our vet, Eddie Straiton, wrote a series of books similar to Herriot’s (though sadly not nearly as popular), under his own name. I think Herriot just preferred to keep the anonymity of himself and his clients.
Jul 06, 2012 @ 15:29:20
@Isobel Carr: Ripe for Pleasure was featured in the July 4th Daily Deals.
Jul 06, 2012 @ 15:55:40
The Veterinary Association didn’t allow Herriott to publish the books under his real name until he retired, for reasons of professional integrity and confidentiality. His real name was Alf White, and he was Scottish, but he transplanted to the Yorkshire Dales. He took his pen name from a football goalkeeper.
I loved all those books and I have the originals of some, falling apart now. I shared them with my mother, who gave me her Miss Read books, about a village schoolteacher in the fifties. Miss Read also didn’t use her real name, Dora Marie Saint, and sadly, she died very recently, although she’d retired from writing years before.
For a lovely, gentle read, I’d recommend them both. Both authors skirt their real life experiences (I was delighted to find out there was a real Tricki-Woo!) but fictionalize them.
Jul 06, 2012 @ 17:47:38
James Herriott also wrote a fantastic series of beautifully illustrated picture books for children. It’s been my go to gift for young kids for years. Do the Look Inside thing on Amazon, you won’t regret it :)
http://www.amazon.com/James-Herriots-Treasury-Children-Creatures/dp/0312085125/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341614710&sr=1-3&keywords=All+Creatures+Great+and+Small+James+Herriot
Jul 06, 2012 @ 18:56:25
@Liz: Those are lovely illustrations and remind me so much of the TV show. I’d watched most of it while growing up but went ahead and rewatched it through Netflix a few years ago. Some of the later episodes got a bit repetitive – they seemed to recycle plots whenever a new vet showed up – but you can’t beat Trickie – Woo.
Jul 06, 2012 @ 21:09:12
@Jane: On Christian fiction — You just have to give Karen Witemeyer’s ‘To Win Her Heart’ a try. I am not even remotely religious, but a friend recommended the book and I adored it so much. The ex-con hero really melted my heart. She has a new book out (Short Straw Bride) and I am eager to read that, too.
Jul 07, 2012 @ 11:14:30
I second the Karen Witemeyer rec. Her books are great. There was a television show on in England this last winter that dramatised Herriot’s days in vet school in Scotland–he seemed like a bit of a loveable rogue, at least in his younger days!
Jul 07, 2012 @ 12:39:04
Herriot’s/Wight’s veterinary office was in Thirsk and can be visited still, as far as I know. I’d heard from a friend who lives there that locals would read the books, convinced he was writing about them, which caused all kinds of uproar. Wonderful books.