On Tour: Eighty-Eight Keys by Catherine Lavender
Catherine will be on tour April 8-22 with her novel Eighty-Eight Keys Leah is a young woman who is trying to break free from a…
Book Review: The Bad Girls Club by Kathryn O’Halloran
I received a copy of The Bad Girls Club by Kathryn O’Halloran in exchange for an honest review.
When three women are seated together randomly at a wedding, they don’t know yet what fate has in store for them. With nothing in common but dissatisfaction with their lives and resentment toward the beautiful bride, Poppy, they are brought together by a risque prank. Together Imogen, Juliette and Beth decide to form the Bad Girls Club. They put into play a few simple rules – and each girl must complete a dare that takes them out of their comfort zones. Imogen flutters with danger as she dares to have the one man that she shouldn’t. Juliette has a complete transformation. And Beth enjoys being in control and being a bad girl. Are they ready to finally take the leap and become bad girls forever?
I had so much fun reading The Bad Girls Club! When Kathryn originally contacted me, she mentioned that her book was a cross between Sex and the City and the Fifty Shades franchise, and she hit it spot on. This book is hilarious and has some really great scenes that will leave you laughing out loud long after you’ve finished reading the lines. I think Kathryn did such an amazing and fun job creating such great female characters that form such a wonderful bond with one another. These gals are a riot and I loved their friendship! Overall, this book is really fun and I think that any gal looking for a fun and slightly raunchy read will definitely enjoy this book!
Rating: 4/5 stars
Book Review: Marriage Matters by Cynthia Ellingsen
I received a copy of Marriage Matters by Cynthia Ellingsen in exchange for an honest review. This story follows three lovely ladies – June, Kristine, and Chloe – as they prepare for their wedding. For June this will be her second marriage, after her husband’s passing years prior. For Kristine, a vow renewal after twenty-five years of marriage with husband Kevin, and for Chloe, her first trip down the aisle. The three women are also family, June being the grandmother to Chloe and leader of the pack. It is her idea for a triple wedding, but she doesn’t realize both her daughter and granddaughter are having doubts. Kristine is worried that her marriage to Kevin won’t survive if he keeps traveling for work, and Chloe wonders if fiancé Geoff loves her for her – or wants her as a mother for his young daughter. She also keeps having feelings for her best friend Ben…
What a sweet story! I really took a liking to June, who is clever, loving, and quite the prankster! I loved reading about her sly ways, but it was also clear she loved her family deeply. Kristine I wasn’t always so crazy about. She just seemed too ready to throw in the towel on her marriage, and I didn’t quite always get her reasoning. Poor Chloe was just confused, and found herself caught up in the excitement of wedding planning, trying on dresses, and taste-testing cake. It was fairly obvious who she was supposed to end up with, but watching her journey was a fun one. I had a great time reading this story, loved the family values that are written in, and think you should read this one!
4 stars
Future Tour: Meeting Miss Mollie by Di Jones
Di will be on tour June 3-24 with her chick lit novel Meeting Miss Mollie She’s the Agony Aunt who has it all. Except for…
Interview with Evonne Wareham
When did you know writing was for you?
I’ve been writing stories ever since I was in school. It took a long while for me to realize that not everyone did it!
How would you describe your book?
The genre is paranormal romantic suspense – or paranormal romantic thriller. In the UK it tends to be called a thriller. It’s paranormal because of humans with special powers – mind reading – not because of creatures like vampires. It’s about two people who are caught up in a plot that centres around their special skills, and an attempt by a shadowy organisation to take advantage of them. In the course of overcoming the threat, they find each other – but it is not a smooth process.
What was the hardest part of the writing process for you?
I enjoy writing, but even so it is not always easy to keep going. 90,000 words is a long journey! You do sometimes get tired along the way. I tend to invent complex plots, so sometimes keeping track of who is where, and what they are doing, gets a bit complicated.
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you as an author?
I’m often told that people are surprised by my books, as romantic suspense is not such a well known genre in the UK – so I’d like people to know that if they pick up one of my books they are going to get a love story mixed with crime and scary stuff.
What does your daily schedule look like?
All over the place! I don’t write on a regular basis with a daily word target. I spend a lot of time planning and researching and then I like to write in blocks and keep going until the end.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?
Keep at it! Determination to keep improving as a writer and to keep submitting to agents and editors is vital. A few authors have success in their careers without ever having a rejection, but for the rest of us the ability to bounce back is part of the tool kit.
What is your favorite book?
I don’t really have one – there are so many authors I admire, in so may different styles, I could never chose. If I had to pick an author who has enthralled me for a long time, it would probably be Shakespeare, and then it would have to be the collected works.
Favorite movie?
Possession – the film made from A S Byatt’s novel. I love the way the stories of the Victorian writers and the present day researchers who are investigating them are intertwined, and it also has a number of my favourite actors in it.
Who is your favorite literary character?
Again it’s difficult to chose – but I do have a weakness for the villains in Elizabethan and Jacobean plays – there are some wonderful portraits of evil and corruption. I blame them, in part, for the darker side of my writing. I love the theatre, and it gets into the fabric of my work.
Who is your writing inspiration?
All the great American romantic suspense authors – Nora Roberts, Karen Rose, Tami Hoag, Linda Howard – I could go on. I just love the genre.
What is your must have beauty product?
Moisturizer. I’m a sucker for all the promises on the jar and I adore ones that have a nice smell.
What advice would you give yourself ten years ago? Any words of wisdom?
I’d tell myself to keep trying and keep learning. It took me a long time to become a published author, but I amassed a lot of experience on the way that is in
Blog Tour Sign Up: Somewhere Between Black and White by …
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?
Book Review: An Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone …
I received a copy of AN INQUIRY INTO LOVE AND DEATH by Simone St. James in exchange for an honest review.
Oxford student Jillian Leigh works day and night in hopes of keeping up her grades and excelling in school. She finds out one day that her uncle Toby, a renowned ghost hunter, is killed and reluctantly, she must leave at the beginning of the school term in order to head to Rothewell to pack up his belongings. Almost immediately eerie things start to take place and they gradually worsen until they reach a terrifying new level. Jillian becomes convinced that an evil spirit is trying to enter the house … and is it relevant to her uncle’s death? She begins to wonder if he possibly uncovered something that he shouldn’t have. But, just as she begins to dig in deep into investigating, the handsome Scotland Yard inspector, Drew Merriken, leaves her with more questions than answers – and a little something else, too. Will she ever track down the answers and uncover the truth?
I really, really enjoyed this book and definitely appreciated the historical aspect and feel of an era that is unlike today. An Inquiry Into Love and Death is reminiscent of an old timey ghost story, filled with ghosts, secrets, suspense, conspiracy and heart stopping romance. Simone does a great job at creating really great characters that jump off the page and I was a fan of Jillian from the get go. Now, I have to be honest and say that I am not a fan of scary stuff in the slightest and thought that this book would be too much for me, but I was pleasantly surprise to see how much I enjoyed it. The details and the scenery are vivid and I loved the suspense/mystery factor. Overall, this book was a very enjoyable read that I think most people would enjoy. I definitely think you should give it a try.
Review: 4.5 stars
Book Review: Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift by Kathleen …
I received a copy of Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift by Kathleen Anderson & Susan Jones in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Embrace your inner Jane and find a new way of life in thrift!
Jane Austen knew that wealth and grandeur had little to do with happiness, and that fashionable new dresses and reticules to impress Mr. Darcy simply were not the path to fulfillment—especially when one accrues debt in the process. It’s as true today as it was then . . .
Whether you have a fortune or not, you’re well advised to make the most of your income—and save for your future. Now, using the timeless wisdom and example of Jane Austen’s memorable heroines, this book offers everything the modern lady needs to know about:
*Clever investing
*Keeping up appearances on a budget
*Giving and receiving graciously
*Finding treasures at flea markets and church rummage sales
*Planning a party that only looks extravagant
*And more
Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift shows how to make your circumstances significantly less reduced, and how to live a life of elegant economy and joyful generosity—whether you’ve as much as Emma Woodhouse or as little as Miss Bates.
Review:
I was looking forward to the book, thinking it might be a fun twist on self-help or how-to books, but unfortunately I found it a little dull. I couldn’t stay interested and really struggled to stay focused on the tips. My favorite sections were probably the wedding and hosting categories, but all the others just kind of blended into one. I like the concept of the book, but the delivery just wasn’t there for me.
2 stars
On Tour: A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn …
Kathy will be on tour April 8-22 with her novel A Good Kind of Knowing Sera Taylor’s store is the one place in Lakeville, Texas,…
