On Tour: Death on Heels by Ellen Byerrum
Ellen will be on tour March 12-April 2 with her novel Death on Heels When fashion reporter Lacey Smithsonian moved to Washington, D.C., from rugged,…
Home Front by Kristin Hannah
Oh boy. I knew I was going to be in for a ride with Home Front, the latest from Kristin Hannah, because well – it was Kristin Hannah. And that was exactly what happened. While I couldn’t stop reading the book, I made myself put it down because I wanted to stop crying! The emotions that swirled through me while reading left me a bit exhausted when I finally finished the story. But what a book. A five star review all the way. Shall I finally get to the review?
Michael and Jolene Zarkades are a married couple whose happiness is slowly disappearing. After twelve years of marriage, two children and hectic work schedules, there is a clear gap between husband and wife. But they are about to face the biggest challenge yet when Jolene gets deployed to the war. As a Blackhawk pilot with the National Guard, it is her duty to go, and Jolene and best friend Tami – also a Blackhawk pilot – head to Iraq together. Michael now faces being Mr. Mom at home, a job he isn’t happy about. Never one to support his wife being a soldier, Michael is furious Jolene abandons him – and tells her he doesn’t love her just before she leaves. While Jolene and Tami fight for their lives on a daily basis in Iraq, Michael tries to hold his family together back home. A horrific accident will change all the characters involved, and push them to the brink as they valiantly try to find their way home.
Hannah clearly put an insane amount of research into writing this book. From describing Iraq and what the soldiers go through to the families that are without a parent to what happens when the heroes come home is so eye opening. I have family in the military – my brother-in-law actually deploys this month to Afghanistan – so this book really hit me hard. I will say if you have a loved one deployed or soon to be deployed, I suggest you wait on reading this. Parts were hard for me to get through. But the story is so beautiful written, so masterful when it comes to creating characters, that this book has to be on your to-read list. Another 5 star review for Kristin Hannah from me!
[Rating: 5]
On Tour: Amber Eyes by Jolyn Palliata
Jolyn will be on tour March 12-April 2 with her novel Amber Eyes After an accident, one she shouldn’t have walked away from, Lexi’s life…
On Tour: Binding Arbitration by Elizabeth Marx
Elizabeth will be on tour March 12-April 2 with her novel Binding Arbitration Through the corridors of the Windy City’s criminal courts, single mother, Libby…
Miracle’s Pain – Secrets Of My Soul Part II by …
Miracles Pain by JT Keitt opens with Patricia Ann Hall … and she has a secret. We watch as she journeys deep into her past…
Interview with Zoey and Claire Kane
How difficult is it to write as a team?
Writing as a team is a lot of fun. It’s actually not that difficult. But it wouldn’t work with just anybody. Writing with my mom gives me freedom to feel like I can argue over a scene until it is just right… and boy can we argue. If we are arguing, we have to banter until we’re giving each other high fives in excitement. By the time we agree, we are so excited that our high fives get screwed up and we end up whacking each other or get nothing but air.
When did you know writing together was the right decision?
We entered a 3 Day Novel contest. It was so much fun sitting side-by-side typing, and occasionally stopping for a meeting of the minds. We gave each other goose bumps with our scenes, so we knew then it was right.
What is the most rewarding part of being published?
The most rewarding part is receiving comments from people who like our stories. Of course, we like them, because we wrote them. But for others to say they like them, too, that is validation.
Where does the inspiration for your novellas come from?
Mom and I live crazy, adventurous lives for inspiration and we love bouncing ideas off each other.
Do you have a writing routine you try to stick to?
Zoey now does most of the writing and she likes to type 5 pages at a time! Woo! I come in and insert scenes, help make sure the pacing and flow is just right and offer my 2 cents along the way. Almost every day we have a meeting.
How important do you think blogs and/or social media are to authors?
We just set up a blog and are awaiting followers to sign up (hint, hint), and our Twitter account is @Zoey_Claire
I think it is extremely important. Twitter helped us with the blog tour and it has helped so many other authors.
What is your advice for aspiring writers?
My best advice is to let loose, let yourself type out the scenes with excitement. Lose yourself in the romance, adventure, mystery and intrigue.
What do you like the most about the first in the mystery series, The Riddles of Hillgate?
Well, for one, the name and the cover! I love it. If I had to choose a scene, it would be the one where Mom and I are sneaking up on a killer in the middle of a rain storm, outside the mansion.
What do you like most about the second in the series, Cruise to Murder?
There is so much I love about Cruise to Murder. If I had to pick something, I guess it would be the continual excitement throughout. Our books are no way slow paced. You won’t be skimming pages of our mysteries. There’s just too much fun going on.
Last thoughts for our readers?
Visit our blog to enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card giveaway: http://zoeyandclaire.blogspot.com/ And thank you, Samantha, for interviewing us on your beautiful blog.
About Zoey and Claire:
Claire has a Masters in Journalism, was Editor for Eye Witness Magazine and can’t make Irish Rum Cookies to save her life.
Zoey has dabbled in modeling, is a licensed real-estate agent, seeks for treasures (great and small), and is often underestimated.
Together, Zoey and Claire are a mother-daughter mystery solving duo. During their downtime, they dream of island men whisking them away.
(Claire and Zoey are also fictional, and their authors are a real life mother and daughter who use their names as pseudonyms. Don’t tell them that, though.)
February Birchbox Review
February’s Birchbox was my favorite so far! I had three favorite products this month, and my March box has just been shipped so I can’t wait to get that. Read my reviews and sign up to receive your own Birchbox each month!
“Birchbox delivers the best products and the best insider secrets, without any fuss. Every month Birchbox members will receive a curated box of luxe beauty samples. Each box will span beauty categories and deliver exciting products that fit into both your day-to-day routine, and into those days when you want to turn up the drama a notch.”
1. BENTA Berry G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream – Loved this product! It was a thick cream that smells like berries and left my face feeling soft. I read in the information that this is actually a uni-sex product, but I have to say I thought it was much more feminine due to the scent. I also read in the information that the product just became available statewide, which is pretty interesting. I would definitely purchase more of this!
2. Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint – Another favorite for February! Jouer has been featured in all my previous boxes, and this brand is quickly becoming a fave of mine. I wear moisturizer every day, and always with a SPF – even in the winter. This product has SPF 20 included, and makes my skin look dewy and smooth. It gives just the right amount of tint to my look so I can skip any bronzer that I would normally put on, and I would recommend this product!
3. Violent Lips Lip Tattoo – this is one that I wasn’t so sure about. To be honest, I never tried this product because I really have no interest in it. The tattoo’s are basically like a lipstick, but they stick on to your lips and our pretty over the top. Mine came as silver with sparkles in them – not something I think would fly in Iowa. These were a little too out there for my taste.
4. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant – My third favorite in the box! I thought this one was pretty unique, it’s actually a powder that you put on your hands and then add water to it and apply to the face. The product is made to smooth skin, clear dead cells, and remove any buildup and debris on the face. It smells kind of like oranges too, and I really enjoy using this!
5. Supersmile Powdered Mouth Rinse – I wasn’t a real big fan of this product. I’m big on whitening my teeth, and I thought the powder mixture combined with the whiten teeth and get fresh breath all in one would end up being a favorite, but that wasn’t the case. Actually using it wasn’t so bad, but it made my teeth feel really grimy afterwards. I would actually brush my teeth to try to get rid of the feeling after I was done using it, because I couldn’t stand what my teeth felt like. Not one I would recommend.
Interview with Dina Silver
CLP Q&A with Dina Silver:
When did you know writing was for you?
By the time I went away to college, I knew I wanted to write professionally. I studied Journalism and thought I would be a news reporter one day. Could still happen?
One Pink Line is such an emotional story, and I’ve read that it’s based on
true events in your life. What was it like creating these characters and
their journey?
One Pink Line was actually inspired by my girlfriend’s life story. And while the book is pure fiction, many of the instances throughout the book closely parallel her life and her wonderful little family. Woven into the novel are also many of my own life experiences, including stories from high school and college. It was really a lot of fun to create characters based on people from my past.
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Probably feeling the need to fill a number quotient. I don’t mean daily, more like overall. Sometimes my stories are better told with fewer words, but I feel the need to ‘fill space’ so to speak. A habit I’m trying to break.
What are your favorite genres to read?
My tastes are all over the board. Anything from murder mysteries to historical romance. I also consider myself a ‘bestseller reader.’ I like to read what’s popular and stay current with what other readers are chatting about.
What do you want readers to take away from your story?
Great question. There are so many different emotions, as you mentioned, that the story touches on, but ultimately what initially drew me to it was the underlying love story between Ethan and Sydney. My hope would be that people truly enjoy it for that reason. I, myself, am a sucker for a great love story and I really wanted to do justice to that part of the theme.
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?
Unfortunately, very important. People who like to read also tend to like to chat about it, blog about it, and connect with other readers and writers. Can you be successful in reaching an audience without social media? Sure, but it will be much more of a challenge.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?
• If people you trust give you criticism, take it.
• Get a killer cover for your book. Don’t just have your brother-in-law design one for you because he knows how to use Photoshop.
• Don’t just get involved in social media, engage in it
• Stay active on Goodreads.
• Reach out to book bloggers.
• Once your book is out there being read, ask people to leave reviews for it on Amazon. You’ll be surprised how many people don’t even realize that it’s an option.
Forged in Fire by Trish McCallan
Trish McCallan is on tour with CLP Blog Tours. Forged in Fire starts with Beth Brown having a premonition. She dreams of a plane hijacking and many brutal murders. Unsure if she is losing her mind or if her dream means something, she heads to the airport – and finds the sexy stranger from her dream that she saw get killed. Lieutenant Commander Zane Winters is a man with true psychic abilities. Zane sees the dead bodies of his two friends and platoon buddies while they are waiting for their flight, and knows something is about to go horribly wrong on the plane. Beth and Zane soon team up to get the flight grounded, and that sets off a series of breath-taking events to try to find out who is involved in the elaborate plan.
I flew through Forged in Fire like it was nobody’s business. It’s a good mystery, good love story, and a fun twist with the psychic abilities thrown in there. Beth and Zane’s romance is insanely hot and I really enjoyed McCallan’s writing style. The only real downfall I found was that there were still so many questions after I closed the book. This is the first in a series so I know those questions will eventually be answered, but I still felt like I needed a little bit more before I read the final page. Other than that, I definitely recommend this book, and will be looking forward to the next book, Forged in Ice.
[Rating: 4]
