MONDAY FROM THE INTERIOR: MAILBOX MONDAY & WHAT ARE YOU READING? — MARCH 26

Welcome to another Monday from the Interior, in which we share about the books we received in the mail (or bought), and talk about our bookish week, past and future.

Mailbox Monday for March is hosted by Anna, at Diary of an Eccentric.

What Are You Reading? is led by Sheila, at Book Journey.

MAILBOX MONDAY:

This week brought four review books to my mailbox!  Much better than last week….

1.  Arranged, by Catherine McKenzie (Amazon Vine)

Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, close friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share her life with, however, she just can’t seem to get it right. When her latest relationship implodes, and her best friend announces she’s engaged, Anne impulsively calls what she thinks is a dating service—only to discover that it’s actually an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. Anne initially rejects the idea, but the more she learns about the service, the more she thinks: Why not? After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world; maybe it could work for her.

A few months later, Anne is traveling to a Mexican resort, where, over the course of a weekend, she meets and then marries Jack. And initially, everything seems to be working out. . . .

2.  The Chaperone, by Laura Moriarty (Amazon Vine)

A captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in 1922, and the summer that would change them both.

Only a few years before becoming a famous actress and an icon for her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita to make it big in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle is a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip. She has no idea what she’s in for: Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous blunt bangs and black bob, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will change their lives forever.

3.  The Return of Edgar Cayce, by C. Terry Cline, Jr. (Publicist)

In early 2011 Terry Cline sat down at his computer after finishing his latest novel. He was astonished to see text flowing onto the screen as he typed. But the words were not his and he soon realized the text was in fact coming from the world famous prophet and psychic Edgar Cayce. Who died in 1945. This book is what was communicated from Mr. Cayce to Terry Cline during a few weeks in 2011. The message is clear and strong and will give everyone who reads it a new positive perspective on life, death, and the people around them.

4.  Heiress without a Cause, by Sara Ramsey (Publicist)

One title to change his life… A disgraced son with a dark reputation, William “Ferguson” Avenel is content to live in exile – until his father dies in the scandal of the Season. With rumors of insanity swirling around them, his sisters desperately need a chaperone. Ferguson thinks he’s found the most proper woman in England – and he won’t ruin her, even if he secretly desires the passionate woman trapped beneath a spinster’s cap. One chance to break the rules… Lady Madeleine Vaillant can’t face her blighted future without making one glorious memory for herself. In disguise, on a London stage, she finds all the adoration she never felt from the ton. But when she’s nearly recognized, she will do anything to hide her identity – even setting up her actress persona as Ferguson’s mistress. She’ll take the pleasure he offers, but Madeleine won’t lose her heart in the bargain. One season to fall in love… Every stolen kiss could lead to discovery, and Ferguson’s old enemies are determined to ruin them both. But as their dangerous passion ignites their hearts and threatens their futures, how can an heiress who dreams of freedom deny the duke who demands her love? ***Reviews for Heiress Without A Cause*** “Book one of the Muses of Mayfair begins a promising new series with artistic women who must perform their vocations as males. Mad and Ferguson mature as a couple and help those around them through their problems.” -Donna M. Brown, 4 star review RT Book Reviews “…A feisty independent heroine tames an arrogantly handsome hero in this Regency romance filled with witty banter and dicey situations. Ramsey snares her readers from the first as she shares the secret thoughts and longings of her characters through sensuous imagery and creative dialogue…”

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WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Our Monday reading event encompasses the world of blogging and reviewing.  It’s our chance to really enjoy what the community of bloggers is doing throughout the week.

It was a good week in terms of reading and writing, and I wrote some blog posts, like Niggling Thoughts & Feelings (Excerpt).

Then a couple of days later, I wrote Detail:  When It’s Too Much.

Yesterday, after watching this DVD that took me to another part of the country, I wrote The Interior Life of a Southern Family.

I worked some more on my edits of  Interior Designs…(final tweaks, perhaps?)

Review:  Blue Monday, by Nicci French

Review:  After Diana, by Christopher Andersen

Review:  Home Front, by Kristin Hannah

Review:   Spin (e-book), by Catherine McKenzie

What’s Up Next? (Click titles or covers for more info.)

1.  Good-Bye and Amen, by Beth Gutcheon

2.  Lone Wolf, by Jodi Picoult

3.  Witch Woman (e-book), by Jeanette Baker

4. The  Secret Garden (e-book), by Frances Hodgson Burnett

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And that’s my week!  What’s your week look like? Come on by and share….