I mentioned before my break that there would be changes to this blog. I’m delighted that almost all of it has been done, though it was all extremely easy and absolutely makes my life as a blogging mom so much easier. It also gives me more time to read, which is amazingly nice. The Mother’s Corner is Semi-Closed As I mentioned, I’m cutting back on the motherhood posts. The Mother’s Corner is still accessible, but I won’t be posting my Finding Magic in Motherhood series anymore, nor will I be posting quite as many parenting-related posts. As much as I had enjoyed writing about being a mom, I don’t find…
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The Lily Cafe Digest #10
Wow, an entire cycle of 6 weeks of posting done completely during the quarantine/isolation/stay at home thing because of COVID-19. It’s been…something. Fun some days, not so fun other days. It all depends on whether or not the Kindergartener wants to do school from home that day and whether the toddler has sufficient activities to get her through a morning where I have to teach her older brother. But I haven’t completely lost my mind. Yet. I mean, California isn’t as bad as it could be thanks to our governor and the mayor of LA county. We shut down quickly and now our county is slowly reopening. The school year,…
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Book Review: The Dragon Princess by Paris Hansch
Title: The Dragon Princess Author: Paris Hansch Publisher: Origin Publications Publication date: April 5, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Summary: Before she can be crowned empress of the empire, the princess goes missing. Two years later, Anadrieth is on the brink of war with neighboring Lanadrin. Without a reigning dragon couple, the empire is teetering on the edge. Lord Alexander works tirelessly to find a way to divert war while also shielding his younger siblings, Adelia and Anton, who themselves find they have unique talents and abilities. But with a mysterious Mistress pulling strings to make the empire dance the way she wants it to, the siblings may find themselves in greater trouble than they realized, unless the…
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Book Blog Tour – Excerpt: The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill
The Lily Cafe is thrilled to participate in the book blog tour for The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill, a light summery read set on the gorgeous Amalfi Coast in Italy. Anyone up for some imaginary travel? Title: The Summer Villa Author: Melissa Hill Publisher: MIRA Books Publication date: April 28, 2020 Genre: Women’s Fiction When a little white lie becomes the story of your life, what if the truth comes out? For three woman, it’s a life-changing trip: one finds the man of her dreams, another discovers inspiration amidst Italian food and culture, while a chance encounter with a handsome local ushers in the ultimate life change for the third. But most importantly, it’s the…
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The Lily Cafe Digest #9
Well, the past six weeks have been interesting. Let’s see. As soon as I came back from my week-long blogging break at the end of February, my daughter and I were involved in an unexpected, unfortunate incident that completely knocked me down for about a week or so. And then the coronavirus spread to the States and now has us all in a stranglehold. My state is under a Safer at Home order, so, other than about 3 walks, I’ve been inside for the past 3 weeks. So, yeah, fun six weeks. My best friend moved to China several years ago, so I had a bad feeling the coronavirus would…
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The Lily Cafe Digest #8
Well, that was fast. My first blogging break of the year is here. I contemplated whether I should continue to take breaks every 6 or so weeks and decided that, yes, I should. Not only do they give me a bit of breathing space, but it gives me time to really turn my focus back to my family. Also, as an introvert, interacting with people, even if it’s over the Internet, is exhausting and I really need to recharge. The most important thing I learned I needed to do was to just take some time to pause, to stop, to come to a standstill so I can look back and…
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Book Review: Master of Sorrows by Justin T. Call
Title: Master of Sorrows Author: Justin T. Call Publisher: Blackstone Publishing Publication date: February 25, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Summary: Annev wants nothing more than to become an Avatar, basically an Academy-trained thief who retrieves magical artifacts. But he has a secret that, if revealed, would absolutely spell his death. The only member of the Academy who lives with an outside mentor, he also trains to be a priest, but it only brings the different ideologies each brings into conflict. Annev, though is good at almost everything and, by being incredibly smart, he manages to achieve his goal, just in time for his small, hidden village to be attacked and his secret revealed. Described as the story…
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Book Blog Tour – Review: The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet
The Lily Cafe is thrilled to participate in the book blog tour for The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet. Title: The Unwilling Author: Kelly Braffet Publisher: MIRA Publication date: February 11, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Summary: Judah’s sole job in life is to not die. To die would mean certain death for the Lord of the City’s heir. Born on the same night, Judah and Gavin share an incredible bond: they experience each other’s emotions and physical ails as though they were their own. If one is injured, the other displays the same injury. Judah is a young woman with no family, a foundling taken in at birth, a young woman Lord Elban, Gavin’s father, detests but cannot rid himself…
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Book Review: Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie
Title: Been There, Married That Author: Gigi Levangie Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Publication date: February 11, 2020 Genre: Women’s Fiction Summary: Agnes Murphy Nash has been married to big shot movie producer Trevor Nash for over a decade, but Trevor has decided he needs out of the marriage. Completely caught off guard, Agnes does the only sensible thing and chooses to fight tooth and nail for custody of their tween daughter Pep (short for Penelope), hoping that giving in on everything else won’t prolong their Hollywood-style divorce. Unfortunately, Trevor is determined to make her life a living hell, throwing wrenches into her life so he comes out looking his best. But, with a trio of Spanish…
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Book Blog Tour – Excerpt: The Third to Die by Allison Brennan
The Lily Cafe is thrilled to participate in the book blog tour for The Third to Die by Allison Brennan, the first book in a thriller series featuring a troubled female police detective from L.A. and an ambitious FBI special agent heading up the new Mobile Response Team. Title: The Third to Die Author: Allison Brennan Publisher: MIRA Publication date: February 4, 2020 Genre: Mystery and Thriller New York Times bestselling author and gifted storyteller Allison Brennan’s new standalone thriller features a troubled female police detective and an ambitious FBI special agent who wind up at the center of a ticking-clock investigation into a diabolical serial killer. Brennan’s novel will launch a book-a-year series featuring a fabulous…
