Updates of interest!!

Smack me on the head and call me stupid! I would have posted this earlier but I worked (and worked DAMN hard on the weekend and came home and vegged both nights - though I did have time for some reading of a Very Good Book)

I forgot to mention in my previous post - The Good, The Bad, The Unread has a fascinating interview with Jennifer Ashley, the author of The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie and as a bonus, has FOUR ARC's to give away.

And.... SandyM also has a great review of this book. I'm not the only one who adores it :)


And in other news of interest....we have us another Crusader!! Stacy - fellow good Crusader that she is, pointed me in the direction of Beth Kery, author of Wicked Burn recently watched North and South - and loved it!!

This always gives me a thrill!!

And what is that you ask??

Why finding new Crusaders - that's what. I just recently found a new blog (which is always nice) and Keira of Love Romance Passion is our newest Crusader!

And of course that give me another excuse to post a video!!

Leavin' for the country, not sure when I'll be back again

It's Thanksgiving here in Canada and I'm off shortly to stay with sister Lisa for a day or two.

So Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian Blogger friends!

Thanksgiving in Canada
When is Canadian Thanksgiving?	In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October
How did Canadian Thanksgiving begin?	English navigator, Martin Forbisher was looking for a northern passage way to the Orient. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful in his quest but instead established a setttlement in present day Newfoundland. In 1578, Frobisher held a formal ceremony to give thanks for surviving the long journey. This is not only considered the first Canadian Thanksgiving but the first Thanksgiving in North America! Forbisher was later knighted and had an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Canada named after him, which is now known as Forbisher Bay.
How is Thanksgiving Celebrated in Canada?	To celebrate, Canadians have parades and family feasts (which includes eating turkey). Much like Thanksgiving in the United States, Canadian Thanksgiving is a time for sharing, loving and family reunions. It is a time to be thankful for the past harvest and a time of prayer for good crops in the coming year.

Let's Compare!
In Canada... Celebrated: Second Monday in October Why: To give thanks for a bountiful harvest of crops Year the first celebrated: 1578 On this day Martin Forbisher held a feast to give thanks for surviving his long journey	In the United States... Celebrated: Fourth Sunday in November Why: To give thanks for the bountiful harvest of crops Year the first was celebrated: 1619 On this day Pilgrims held a feast to thanks Squanto (Native American) who had helped the Pilgrims survive the new world by teaching them how to fish, grow corn and by being their interpreter

But before I go, I have to direct you to Lights, Camera.....History.
They have some cool stuff going on over there - and GREAT prizes!!

We Interrupt RWA News

to bring you the bestest news!!!

Yes peeps - back to the Crusade for a moment. We have us another Crusader. Shannon watched it and has joined The Team!!

Just a quick shout out

for all fellow Crusaders.
Be sure to stop by Carolyn Jean's blog. She is our latest Crusader. I don't know how the girl is doing it, but she's parceling out her North and South viewing. She actually STOPPED it halfway through episode 3!!
I was looking through YouTube for another video to post. Is it just me or do there seem to be more every single time I check?
Anyway - since the obsession has never really gone away, here are a few more in honour of our latest Crusader



And keeping in mind that some have not seen this yet who may want to, here's another one that I don't think has spoilers


Now!! I really must kick my ass in gear, get away from YouTube and get to work!

Anna Campbell is a North and South Crusader!

Did you know many of our favorite authors are also fans of North and South? Avon historical romance author, Anna Campbell is a die hard fan of North and South and the handsome and swoon worthy Richard Armitage. The woman apparently has good taste! ;)

I asked her if she had any opinions about this movie and the man we have all come to love. Anna so kindly responded to my inquiry and she had this to say:

“Ah, what can I say about the magic that is 'North and South' and the gorgeous Richard Armitage? Well, what can I say that hasn't already been said by his legion of rabid female fans? Not that I'm rabid!! No, no. Not me. I'm a purely sensible female fan! Yeah, right.

I was a latecomer to N&S. I was away overseas when it was first on in Australia
and silly me didn't bother to video it. We get a lot of BBC adaptations and I
didn't know the book so nothing warned me this was going to be something extra
special. Then people started talking about how wonderful the serial was and
particularly how wonderful the hero was. Being a technophobe, I didn't at that
stage own a DVD so I didn't actually find out for myself what I'd missed until
the ABC, bless them, replayed N&S very late on Saturday nights last year.

Oh, Mamma!

Is that show a feast for romantics or what? And isn't John Thornton the
quintessential hero? He knows what he feels for Margaret almost from the moment
he meets her and nothing sways him. His love even leads him to betray his
principles and he's a man of incredibly strong principle (I love a man of honor
as a hero, sigh!). Yes, he's a bit of a rough diamond but the emphasis is on
'diamond' here. It's even refreshing to have a working man as hero rather than a
languid aristocrat like Mr. Darcy, much as I'm fond of Darcy too!

The romance builds and builds through hurt and misunderstanding and denial and
attraction. Until the best bit of all - that last kiss on the railway platform
when symbolically, she's going south and he's going north. I think it's the
tenderness of that scene that gets me every time. He holds her head as he kisses
her as if he has the whole world caught in his hands and he wants to treat it
right. What can I say? It's magic!”

And so the crusade marches on!

In other sad news, I had to return my copy of North and South to the library with only 50 more pages to read!! About 5 other people were waiting and I couldn't renew the book. And I am up to the point when Mrs. Thorton goes to Margaret because she thinks Margaret has been having late night nookie with strange men. Hopefully I will be able to get the book back and find out how it ends and if John and Margaret find love together!

For now I leave you with this:

Katiebabs