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In My Mailbox: Week of April 21

In My Mailbox: Week of April 21

Title: Somewhere Between Black and White
Author: Shelly Hickman
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Romance, humor, family drama, with a touch of Buddhism. Sound interesting?

When approaching life’s problems, Sophie sees in black and white. That is, when they’re someone else’s problems. So when it comes to her sister, Sophie is sure she has all the answers, and offers them without hesitation. If only her sister would listen.

Then, through a series of chance encounters, she meets Sam, who is witty, kind, and downright unflappable. Sophie has the overwhelming sense that she’s known him before, and as a relationship builds between them, odd visions invade her mind. Though she tries to dismiss them, their persistence will not allow it.

As someone who is quick to judge others, she is intrigued by Sam’s ability to accept people as they are. She begins to see him as a role model, but try as she may, his accepting nature is difficult to emulate.

Will Sophie ever be able to put her hasty judgments aside and realize not every problem has a simple solution?

Title: Getting Skinny
Author: Monique Domovitch
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Owning a restaurant is as crazy for Nicky Landry as an alcoholic owning a bar. But despite having to cram herself into a body shaper to look decent in a dress, life is pretty good. She’s throwing the party of the year for her graduating doctor boyfriend, Rob, who she’s sure is going to propose—until his new girlfriend shows up at the party.
After ordering Rob to get his stuff out of her house and get lost, Nicky finds him faceup with her expensive Chroma knife sticking right out of his cheating heart.
As the prime suspect, Nicky is in hot water. And no matter how hard she tries to clear her name, her problems only mount. She’s convinced she can solve the murder—if only she can figure out the identity of the skinny person seen walking away with Rob after the party.
Getting “Skinny” won’t be easy for Nicky, but she never imagined it would be life or death…

Title: The Comedy Diva Diaries
Author: Kirsten Van Ritzen
Received: From Kirsten Van Ritzen
Synopsis: The Comedy Diva Diaries is the tale of a twenty-nine year old comedienne who gives herself an ultimatum: achieve success before her next birthday, or die trying.

Our sassy, deluded and insecure heroine endures disastrous stand-up gigs and humiliating TV commercial auditions. Her rich boyfriend, pampered pooch, flamboyant agent, dysfunctional family and back-stabbing rivals aren’t much help. On the brink of emotional collapse, Diva finds inspiration in a self help book, and makes the fateful decision to move across the continent in pursuit of the Hollywood dream.

Will Diva admit defeat? Or will she find fame and fortune before turning thirty?

Title: Call Me Zelda
Author: Erika Robuck
Received: Penguin Group
Synopsis: Everything in the ward seemed different now, and I no longer felt its calming presence. The Fitzgeralds stirred something in me that had been dormant for a long time, and I was not prepared to face it….

From New York to Paris, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald reigned as king and queen of the Jazz Age, seeming to float on champagne bubbles above the mundane cares of the world. But to those who truly knew them, the endless parties were only a distraction from their inner turmoil, and from a love that united them with a scorching intensity.

When Zelda is committed to a Baltimore psychiatric clinic in 1932, vacillating between lucidity and madness in her struggle to forge an identity separate from her husband, the famous writer, she finds a sympathetic friend in her nurse, Anna Howard. Held captive by her own tragic past, Anna is increasingly drawn into the Fitzgeralds’ tumultuous relationship. As she becomes privy to Zelda’s most intimate confessions, written in a secret memoir meant only for her, Anna begins to wonder which Fitzgerald is the true genius. But in taking ever greater emotional risks to save Zelda, Anna may end up paying a far higher price than she intended….

Title: What She Left Us
Author: Stephanie Elliott
Received: From Stephanie Elliott
Synopsis: Jenna and Courtney are dealing with the unexpected death of their mother in different ways. Jenna broke off her engagement to the man she thought she’d love forever, while Courtney headed back to college to take charge of a dorm-floor full of college students as a resident assistant.

Six months later, Jenna is fueled by panic over the news that the sisters may have the same disease that caused their mother’s death and she makes an irrational decision – she packs it up and heads to college to be with Courtney. The timing couldn’t be worse for Courtney, who’s discovering love for the first time with Mitch, a sexy guitar player who may just be off limits.

Emotionally unstable, Jenna wonders if she made the worst mistake of her life by breaking off her engagement with Darren, and when he shows up to make amends, she can’t help but second-guess her decision. But then there’s Clay, the compassionate bartender at Klippy’s who seems to understand everything Jenna’s going through. And those hazel eyes just seem to see right through to Jenna’s soul…

As the girls maneuver through their unpredictable futures, trying to manage their new health risks as well as tumultuous love lives, Courtney finds a disturbing photograph that indicates there may be more to their family than she ever imagined.

This stunning revelation could shatter the sisters to the very core, making them question everything they thought they knew about their family, their faith, their past and, most of all, each other.

Barrage of Books Event

I am excited to be participating in the Barrage of Books event, hosted by the fab author Lori Verni-Fogarsi! She has a lot planned for the release of her latest novel, Unexpecting, (including a blog tour with CLP Blog Tours!) so head over to her page to check it all out! My publishing company, Marching Ink, is also helping with the promotion by donating our very own tote – complete with copies of my latest novel The Green Ticket and Cat Lavoie’s amazing debut Breaking the Rules. There are also plenty of other totes and books up for grabs, so be sure to use the Rafflecopter to get entered! The Barrage of Books event is running through May 5, plenty of time to get entered to win!

Book Review: 12 Lessons by Kate Spencer

I received a copy of 12 Lessons by Kate Spencer in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:

Move over Bridget Jones, Stephanie Slater is in town and she doesn’t believe in psychics…yet! No one knows that beneath her groomed and successful persona Stephanie Slater is struggling to keep up the act. When an accidental psychic reading breaks open the cracks in her perfect life, it starts to unravel for all to see. Stephanie then starts the transformational journey to rebuild and reclaim her life lesson by lesson, month by month in a year like no other. Each of the 12 Lessons helps her to learn more about herself and gives this entertaining story a deeper and more profound meaning, as she works towards creating the life that she has always wanted… but will she make it in time? Can you really change your Destiny in one year?
Review:

I really, really enjoyed 12 Lessons by Kate Spencer and thought this book was like a breath of fresh air. This book inspires second chances and I absolutely loved the upbeat, optimistic and hilarious vibe that it produced. I loved Stephanie from the get go and loved watching her transformational journey and honestly, I think it is something that we should all do every once in a while. This book is heartfelt and author Kate Spencer does a great job at crafting amazing characters with great heart and charisma that they just hop off the screen. This book is an absolute gem and I highly recommend it.
Rating: 4.5 stars

Book Review: White Wind Blew by James Markert

I received a copy of White Wind Blew by James Markert in exchange for an honest review. The book takes place in the early 1920s…

Book Review: Sisters in the Mix by Joni Hilton

I received a copy of Sisters in the Mix by Joni Hilton in exchange for an honest review. Summary: Kate is an obsessive compulsive woman…

Blog Tour Sign Up: Untimed by Andy Gavin

Andy will be on tour in June/July with the YA/time travel romance novel Untimed. I am looking for book bloggers to post reviews, guest posts,…

On Tour: Flirting with Magick by Leigh Bennett

Leigh will be on tour April 22-May 13 with her novel Flirting with Magick When a new-age remedy fixes Abby Williams’ career rut, the twenty-five…

Author Profile: J.W. Bull

Author Name: J.W. Bull
Bio: J. W. Bull lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two sons. Although she has worked as a sous chef for Lavande Restaurant, she currently is a private violin teacher and a member of The Georgia Symphony. She is also finishing another novel, Musical Chairs, a mystery involving Maggie’s cousin—Molly Malone, plucky part-time symphony player and fulltime Irish fiddler. It’s a hilarious spoof on symphonies, Irish fiddling, and mysteries that continues the Malone saga.
See my 5 star review for Pickin’ Tomatoes!
Visit J.W.’s tour page!
Connect with J.W.!
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Facebook
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Buy the Book!
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Book Review: When Summer Comes by Brenda Novak

I received a copy of When Summer Comes by Brenda Novak in exchange for an honest review. Summary: One day, Callie Vanetta receives devastating news……