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Sharing our love for authors, and the stories they are inspired to tell.

More Lovely Gifts From ‘Astraea Press’

Yvonne6 min readMarch 17, 201312 comments

Picture of an English red post boxMailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house during the last week.

Be warned that Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Mailbox Monday, is currently ‘on tour’ and being hosted by a different blogger each month.

Your host for March 2013 is: Caitlin over at ’Chaotic Compendiums’

So why not stop by, leave a link to your own Mailbox Monday post, oh! and don’t forget to leave a comment for Caitlin, after all, we all like to receive them!

This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

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My mailbox this week, is again entirely thanks to Stephanie Taylor, of Astraea Press. Astraea was formed in 2010 when Stephanie saw the need for a non erotic, e-publisher that offered wholesome reads but still maintained the quality of mainstream romance.

The first titles for Astraea were launched in February 2011, with just a handful of participating authors, (some of whom I reviewed for) representing a scant one or two genres of fiction writing. Now, in February 2013, celebrating its second birthday, Astraea has gone from strenth to strength, boasting a healthy stable of authors, representing seven individual genres of non erotic titles.

As part of the birthday celebrations and to thank their loyal customers and authors, Astraea have been giving away two books every day for the entire month of February, courtesy of Mark Coker and the gang at ‘Smashwords’, the world’s largest distributor of indie books.

Clutz that I am, I didn’t discover this great daily offering until well into the month, however I have still managed to acquire some excellent titles over the last few days … in fact I have needed two ‘Mailbox Monday’ posts to let you know about them all!

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Day 25 – ‘New Bay Wedding’ by Nell Dixon

Emma has been busy organizing her older brother’s lovelife but now Noah plans to turn the tables on his meddlesome match-making sister.

But is Ian the best man for this very particular bridesmaid?

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Day 25 – ‘No Room At The Inn’ by B.G. Lashbrooks

Greta Nole loved the old hotel more than any other place on earth. If the new owners close it down, she’d be out of a job and her beloved hotel would be gone forever. She’d do whatever she had to do to get the hotel in tiptop shape before the new owner arrived after Christmas. But first she had to survive Stormzilla, the nastiest snowstorm to hit southern Indiana in years.

Owen Levi III had no clue why his father would buy such a relic as the Jubilee–and then send Owen out there to check it out so close to Christmas. Had his dad finally lost his mind? The hotel was nothing more than an albatross around Levi Industries’ neck and the only recommendation Owen could make was to tear it down! Quick. Owen’s staring out the window, mentally going over what would need to be done to even get the hotel habitable when he sees an idiot woman walking through the storm. When she trips and hits her head Owen’s outside to rescue her faster than he can think.

Greta and Owen have tangled over hotels before, and neither would ever admit defeat!

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Day 26 – ‘The Samurai’s Garden’ by Patricia Kiyono

Hiro Tanaka prepared for a life as a samurai warrior. But his world changed when Japan’s feudal system was abolished by the Emperor. Now, he must find a new vocation. Disillusioned with fighting and violence, he travels alone, going north to the island of Hokkaido. Many other samurai wander through the country and are known as ronin. Some have forsaken their honorable way to prey on the less fortunate.
 
Hanako Shimizu experienced first-hand the devastation caused by these disreputable wanderers. The previous winter, they raided her farm and killed her husband. Now, she needs to rebuild but has no money and no prospects — except for the dubious intentions of the town merchant.
 
When Hiro, tired of his wandering, encounters Hanako in the market, arguing with the merchant, he poses as her late husband’s cousin then offers to help her on the farm in exchange for a place to stay. Working on the land, Hiro finally finds the peace he has been seeking. But the reappearance of the rogue ronin, led by an unscrupulous leader from Hiro’s past, forces him to take up his swords again. But now, the stakes are higher.
 
This time, he’s fighting from the heart.
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Day 28 – ‘A Lot Like a Lady’ by Kay Springsteen and Kim Bowman
Ladies’ maid, Juliet Baines has gotten herself into a pickle by agreeing to go to London and taking the place of her mistress and best friend, Annabella Price, stepsister to the Duke of Wyndham. After all, what does a servant know about being a lady? But Juliet soon finds that pretending to be a lady isn’t nearly as hard as guarding her heart against the folly of wanting a man who’s completely out of reach.
 
Graeme “Grey” Roland Dominick Markwythe, Sixth Duke of Wyndham, approaches his duties as a nobleman with great dedication and meticulous care. And he’s a man who is not easily fooled…except when he tries to convince himself he’s not utterly and madly in love with the beautiful imposter who has turned his life upside down. Will society and his responsibilities to his noble status keep him from opening his heart to the woman he loves?
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I am really looking forward to reading all of these great sounding books, however if I was forced to choose just one, then I guess ‘The Samurai’s Garden’ has the premise that intrigues me the most.

Share your new finds this week, I can’t wait to stop by and check them out!
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Written by
Yvonne

I can’t remember a time, even as a child, when I haven’t been passionate about books and reading.
I began blogging, when I realised just how many other people out there shared my passion for the written word and I have been continually amazed at the wealth of books that are available and the amount of great new friends I have made, from literally 'The Four Corners Of The World'.

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12 comments

    • Hi Elizabeth,

      ‘The Samurai’s Garden’ caught my eye right away and I didn’t have to think twice about whether to download it, or not!

      ‘A Lot Like A Lady’, also caught my attention, with its different storyline and alluring cover.

      I am sure that I shall enjoy them all, it is very seldom that I end up with a book that I don’t enjoy, or can’t finish!

      Thanks for stopping by and have a good week.

      Reply

    • Hi Harvee,

      I have to say that ‘The Samurai’s Garden’ caught my eye straight away, both for its intriguing storyline and the great cover art. Patricia is already an established published author, however this is her first full length historical romance, so I am looking forward to getting acquainted with her.

      Thanks for taking the time to comment, your thoughts are always appreciated.

      Reply

    • Hi Gautami,

      It is good to have you stop by again, I hope that all is well with you?

      This last couple of weeks have been the first really full mailbox posts I have had for some time, so I am enjoying it while it lasts.

      Mind you, if I only get one book a week, but that one is a quality read, then I am happy!

      Reply

    • Hi Tracy,

      ‘The Samurai’s Garden’ certainly seems to be the book which is catching everyones attention today, although the excellent and diverse selection from Astraea makes choosing one book over another, very difficult.

      Thanks for taking the time to stop by, your visits are always most welcome/

      Reply

    • Hi Mary Ann,

      luckily these are the genres of stories that I can occasionally slot in between my author review requests and my own favourite genres of murder / mystery/ thriller. They are always handy to have as a standby and I have some really intriguing storylines amongst them.

      Thanks for stopping by and have a good week.

      Reply

    • Hi Irene,

      Many of the authors in the Astraea portfolio, are quite new on the scene and many are introducing debut novels. I quite enjoy reading and reviewing for new authors, as I never really know what kind of experience I am going to have and it is also good to find a publisher who is clearly so passionate about her job.

      Thanks for visiting today, your comments are appreciated and I hope that you have a good week.

      Reply
Written by Yvonne
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I can’t remember a time, when I haven’t been passionate about books. My library collection is mostly fiction, from a diverse range of genres and authors.

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