My Workout Routine: December 2013
I’ve been doing the same fitness routine for about 2 years now, and I’ve decided to switch it up. No, I’m not doing the same…
Chick Lit Plus
Celebrity gossip, articles on fashion, health, fitness, and beauty.
January 2014 New Releases
Contributor: Allie January is the month of resolutions and new beginnings. For me, it’s also a month of hibernation with bowl games, NFL playoff games,…
CLP Blog Tours Novel Spotlight: The Holdout by Laurel Osterkamp
Laurel is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and The Holdout Robin wanted to win The Holdout, a cutthroat reality TV show, so she gave…
In My Mailbox: Week of January 5
Title: Storm in a B Cup
Author: Lindy Dale
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: ophie Molloy has Breast Cancer. She didn’t think it was cancer to begin with, she thought it was another cyst. She also didn’t think it would be the catalyst for a series of life changing events, none of which involved chemotherapy.
Within months of her diagnosis, Sophie loses not only her right breast but her boyfriend of three years, her house and her so-called best friend. Her life goes from great to bad, then ugly, and nothing can make it better, not even the crazy care packages her mother keeps sending from Melbourne.
To make matters worse, Sophie fears she’s developing a crush on the plastic surgeon that will be reconstructing her breast. Dr. Hanson has the bedside manner of an angel and the looks to match. He’s so caring and compassionate, Sophie begins to believe he cares about her in a most non-doctor-patient kind of way. But he doesn’t, of course. He’s merely her doctor. Or does he?
Title: Limconcello Yellow
Author: Traci Andrighetti
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: From debut author, Traci Andrighetti, comes a tale of murder, mayhem, and meddling Sicilian grandmas…
Francesca “Franki” Amato is a tough-talking rookie cop in Austin, Texas—until an unfortunate 911 call involving her boyfriend, Vince, and a German female wrestler convinces her once and for all that she just isn’t cut out for a life on the police force. So Franki makes the snap decision to move to New Orleans to work at her friend Veronica’s detective agency, Private Chicks, Inc. But Franki’s hopes for a more stable life are soon dashed when Private Chicks is hired by the prime suspect in a murder case to find out what really happened to a beautiful young boutique manager who was found strangled to death with a cheap yellow scarf. When she’s not investigating, Franki is hoping to seduce handsome bank executive Bradley Hartmann, but most of her time is spent dodging date offers from a string of “good Italian boys”—make that not-so-good aging Italian men—that her meddlesome Sicilian grandma has recruited as marriage candidates. As Mardi Gras approaches and the mystery of the murdered shop girl gets more complicated, Franki must decipher the odd ramblings of a Voodoo priestess to solve both the murder and the mystery of her own love life.
Title: Private Air
Author: Billie Bates
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: When Sienna Harris joined the Australian Air Force as a flight attendant for the Prime Minister, she thought she’d hit the glam-job jackpot. But three years of weapons training, outback destinations, and a cheating fighter pilot fiancé, and she’s realized it’s not so fabulous after all. Time to embark on a new adventure, this time to the prestigious world of international VIP aviation.
Sienna and her best friend leave behind their small-town lives for a glitzy career flight attending on a Saudi prince’s private jet. Money, parties, designer clothes, and exotic locations fill the job description, while the sexy pilot, Ted, makes it hard for Sienna to obey the “no fraternizing” rule.
But even the most opulent of journeys can hit turbulence. Sienna’s boss, the appearance-obsessed chief stewardess, issues diuretics and Botox with the uniforms and catering orders, and the prince is a man who’s never told no. Underneath its lush appearance, could this desert oasis be more of a muddy puddle?
The Devil Wears Prada meets Pan Am in this fun frolic to the glamorous side of air travel, inspired by the author’s own experience as a VIP flight attendant in Saudi Arabia and Europe.
Title: The Wind Whisperer
Author: Krista Holle
Received: Krista Holle
Synopsis: At fifteen, Anaii is the most important member of her tribe—and the most mysterious. Ever since Anaii can remember, the spirits of the wind have whispered of fertile hunting grounds and imminent enemy attacks. But when her people are ambushed by a brother clan without any apparent cause, the spirits remain eerily silent.
As the village prepares to retaliate, Anaii is pressured by her best friend, Elan, to marry him. It’s an old plea—Elan has spent a lifetime loving her, but Anaii only sees a childhood playmate out of an imposing warrior. Stifled by Elan’s insistence, Anaii escapes into the forest where she meets Jayttin, the beautiful son of the enemy chief.
Enamored by Jayttin’s carefree spirit and hope for peace, she repeatedly sneaks away to be with him, but when her deception is discovered, Elan is devastated. Pledging his lifelong affection, Elan gives her a passionate kiss, and Anaii begins to see her friend in a new light.
While Anaii is tormented over which man she must choose, the wind whispers of a new threat that could destroy both tribes. Only a union will afford a chance at survival, but the reality of that union is based on one thing—which man Anaii chooses to die.
Title: Essence
Author: Mackenzie Lucas
Received: Mackenzie Lucas
Synopsis: All Haven Jameson ever wanted was to own a little piece of paradise. Now, she does, having established a successful luxury spa in St. Augustine, Florida. But when the property next door is sold to a mega developer and his pro-golf celebrity brother, who design trendy, bustling playgrounds for the rich and famous, she fears her dream could slip away. Confronted by her late husband’s infidelity, Haven learns everything she believed about her marriage was a lie; so she finally sets aside her grief and opens her heart to loving the widowed pro-golfer who is her biggest professional competition. In the end, Haven discovers that living a safe, loveless life is far worse than embracing passion and taking a chance on a man who’s vowed never to love again. And that, sometimes, the best paradise of all can be found inside our own hearts.
Book Giveaway: Sweet Expectations by Mary Ellen Taylor
Daisy McCrae knows that change can be sudden—and devastating. And while it doesn’t have to be a bad thing, change has the power to turn…
In My Mailbox: Week of December 29
Title: The Art of Letting Go
Author: Anna Bloom
Received: Anna Bloom
Synopsis: One year. One woman. One Diary. One question: Can you ever stop history from repeating itself, and if you could, what would you do to stop it?
When Lilah McCannon realises at the age of twenty-five that history is going to repeat itself and she is going to become her mother—bored, drunk and wearing a twinset—there is only one thing to do: take drastic action.
Turning her back on her old life, Lilah’s plan is to enrol at university, get a degree, and prove she is a grown-up.
As plans go, it is a good one. There are rules to follow: no alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys, and no going home. But when Lilah meets the lead singer of a local band and finds herself unexpectedly falling in love, she realises her rules are not going to be the only things hard to keep.
With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces a barrage of new challenges: Will she ever make it up the Library stairs without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking vodka?
Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? And, most importantly, can she become the grown-up that she desperately wants to be?
With her head and her heart pulling her in different directions, can Lilah learn the hardest lesson that her first year of university has to teach her: The Art of Letting Go?
Title: The Vanishing
Author: Wendy Webb
Received: Hyperion
Synopsis: When Julia Bishop is left widowed, friendless, and penniless by the suicide of her Ponzi-scheming husband, a.k.a. “the Midwestern Bernie Madoff,” she has no one to turn to. So when the mysterious Adrian Sinclair appears at her door, she takes him up on his crazy offer to employ her as a caretaker to his mother, the famous gothic author Amaris Sinclair, who the world believes to be dead. Like Amaris before her, Julia “vanishes” from her old life to Havenwood, the beautiful Scottish castle on Lake Superior that the Sinclairs call home. Her new position seems too good to be true… and Julia starts to wonder if maybe it is. Why are the doors to the library always closed? Why does Havenwood feel so familiar? And if no children live there, why does Julia keep hearing a small voice sing, “Jack and Jill went up the hill / To fetch a pail of water…”
Title: Hard Hats and Doormats
Author: Laura Chapman
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Lexi Burke has always been a stickler for following rules and procedures. As a human resources manager for a leading Gulf Coast chemical company, it’s her job to make sure everyone else falls in line, too.
But after losing out on a big promotion–-because her boss sees her as too much of a yes-woman––Lexi adopts a new policy of following her heart instead of the fine print. And her heart knows what it wants: Jason Beaumont, a workplace crush who is off limits based on her previous protocol.
While navigating a new romance and interoffice politics, Lexi must find the confidence to stand on her own or face a lifetime of following someone else’s orders.
Who says nice girls have to finish last?
Title: The Art of Falling
Author: Kathryn Craft
Received: BookSparks PR
Synopsis: Now that her dreams are in tatters, Penny must find a way to rebuild what is broken
All Penny has ever wanted to do is dance–and when that chance is taken from her, it pushes her to the brink of despair, from which she might never return. When she wakes up after a traumatic fall, bruised and battered but miraculously alive, Penny must confront the memories that have haunted her for years, using her love of movement to pick up the pieces of her shattered life.
Kathryn Craft’s lyrical debut novel is a masterful portrayal of a young woman trying to come to terms with her body and the artistic world that has repeatedly rejected her. The Art of Falling expresses the beauty of movement, the stasis of despair, and the unlimited possibilities that come with a new beginning.
A New Favorite: Cuties
Recently, my husband and I have become addicted to cuties. When he first mentioned buying them, I asked, “What in the hay is a cutie?” I was hoping for chocolate or a new type of ice cream. Turns out, it’s an orange. Or a Clementine. Well, it’s a round fruit that’s orange in color and is citrusy. Got it? Yeah, I didn’t either. As someone who doesn’t like oranges, I turned my nose up at the thought of eating one. Because that’s what a cutie is, right? My husband persuaded me to give it shot, saying it’s not an orange, really, but something similar, and people who don’t like oranges are said to like cuties. So I agreed to give it a shot, and I’m happy to report I honestly like them. Love them actually. Sometimes I eat four a day, and I don’t feel guilty about it. It’s a fruit, it’s packed with Vitamin C, and it’s free of cholesterol, sodium, and trans fat. And that makes me one happy girl. The cuties are easy to peel, they’re small and a perfect snack size, and good for you – really, winners all around. My husband and I always look for the bags that have smaller cuties in them, because we think the smaller ones are easier to peel and simply taste better. These last for a long time in our fridge, and we always have them in stock. So if you’re looking good for a good-for-you snack, check out the cuties. You’ll love this mini-orange….this Clementine…this is fruit. Whatever it is, I’m just happy to eat it!
In My Mailbox: Week of December 22
Title: Be Careful, It’s My Heart
Author: Kait Nolan
Received: Kait Nolan
Synopsis: The best things happen while you’re acting…
The historic Madrigal theater, in the heart of downtown Wishful, is about to close its doors forever. A last ditch fund-raising effort, a production of White Christmas, is probably the only thing that could bring Tyler Edison out of retirement. She fell in love on that stage, but when Brody Jensen abandoned her, she lost the heart to sing and dance for the crowd. Maybe it’s time to take that back…
It seems like pure chance when Brody’s job, which has taken him all over the world, brings him back to his little hometown to oversee his boss’s latest secret project. Brody’s looking for closure, planning to sell the house his parents left him and finally put his past, and his memories of Tyler, behind him. What better way than to be a part of this last show? Even though his leading lady is surely long gone…
Put on your dancing shoes, auditions start at six o’clock.
Title: The Wedding Dress Club
Author: Lisa T. Snow
Received: Lisa T. Snow
Synopsis: Beyond the gray cubicle walls, a world of fantasy awaits. Six diverse co-workers escape the pressures of family, relationships, and office politics by finding refuge in a bridal salon, where the quirky, open-minded owner allows them to try on wedding gowns – for fun. Only Olivia is getting married – but all have access to the dreamy dresses at Antoinette’s. Through weddings, quinceañeras, and the stress of working for a billion-dollar cosmetics company, co-workers find companionship and common ground, pushing social boundaries in the most unlikely of places: a bridal salon.
Title: Mercy Snow
Author: Tiffany Baker
Received: Grand Central Publishing
Synopsis: In the tiny town of Titan Falls, New Hampshire, the paper mill dictates a quiet, steady rhythm of life. But one day a tragic bus accident sets two families on a course toward destruction, irrevocably altering the lives of everyone in their wake.
June McAllister is the wife of the local mill owner and undisputed first lady in town. But the Snow family, a group of itinerant ne’er-do-wells who live on a decrepit and cursed property, have brought her–and the town–nothing but grief.
June will do anything to cover up a dark secret she discovers after the crash, one that threatens to upend her picture-perfect life, even if it means driving the Snow family out of town. But she has never gone up against a force as fierce as the young Mercy Snow. Mercy is determined to protect her rebellious brother, whom the town blames for the accident, despite his innocence. And she has a secret of her own. When an old skeleton is discovered not far from the crash, it beckons Mercy to solve a mystery buried deep within the town’s past.
In My Mailbox: Week of December 15
Title: Something Yellow
Author: Laura Templeton
Received: CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: It has been thirteen years since Holly’s nine-year-old sister, Rachel, disappeared without a trace.
It has been thirteen years since Holly left her hometown.
It has been thirteen years since Holly’s first love and high school boyfriend, Houston, was the only suspect.
Now another nine-year-old girl has disappeared.
Holly is back, and so is Houston—never charged and still proclaiming his innocence.
Can she trust him . . . should she trust him?
Title: Sex in the Title
Author: Zack Love
Received: Zack Love
Synopsis: New York City, May 2000. The Internet bubble has burst, and Evan’s boss fires him with an email. The next day, his girlfriend dumps him, also via email. Afraid to check any more emails, Evan desperately seeks a rebound romance but the catastrophes that ensue go from bad to hilariously worse. Fortunately, Evan meets someone whose legendary disasters with females eclipse even his own.
To reverse their fortunes, they recruit their friends into a group of five guys who take on Manhattan in pursuit of dates, sex, and adventure. With musings about life, relationships, and human psychology, this quintessential New York story about the search for happiness follows five men on their comical paths to trouble, self-discovery, and love.
Title: How to Survive Your Sisters
Author: Ellie Campbell
Received: Ellie Campbell
Synopsis: A wonderfully warm and witty debut novel about family secrets and
sibling rivalry.
The four MacLeod sisters are no strangers to sisterly rivalry and with one of
them about to be married, there are bound to be fireworks. Perfectionist
Natalie wants the ‘wedding of the year’. Harassed mother, Milly, just wishes
her bridesmaid’s dress wasn’t the size of a tent. Career-obsessed Avril
secretly moons over a married man and world traveler, Hazel, the youngest,
yearns to be taken seriously. Forced together for the first time in years, and
with an unexpected guest stirring up old resentments, squabbles are inevitable.
But when tragedy strikes things really fly apart – as some shocking skeletons
emerge rattling from the crowded MacLeod closet…
Title: Sugar Spun Sister
Author: Anna Garner
Received: Anna Garner
Synopsis: Life isn’t exactly sweet for Cricket Whittier. Her boss hates her, her work is soul-destroying, and the sexy guy she’s hooking up with doesn’t want to date her. But this girl is far from hopeless. When Cricket’s in the kitchen with her ice cream maker and a few choice ingredients, her troubles slip away as she becomes a delectable dessert-designing powerhouse. She loves it so much, she dreams of opening her own ice cream shop one day.
As it turns out, “one day” just might be closer than she thinks. Propelled by the help and encouragement of her best friends, Lindsay and Nora, Cricket starts making plans to set up shop. Which is easier said than done what with the internal squabbling, the sky-high costs, her parents forecasting failure and her increasingly complicated love life. Despite all these hurdles, will Cricket be able to make her sweet dreams come true?
