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Book Excerpt: Surrender Your Love by Jessica Reed
Chick Lit Plus

Book Excerpt: Surrender Your Love by Jessica Reed

A penetrating ringing noise woke me up too soon. I groaned and covered my ears with my pillow, silently begging whoever was making such ungodly noise to shut it. It took me a moment to realize it was my alarm clock. I rolled on my side and knocked it over in the process. A male voice let out an amused snort. I sat up, instantly awake. My gaze settled on the guy on the left side of my bed, and I felt the telltale heat of a major blush rushing to my face. He was propped up on one elbow, one arm tucked beneath his head; his chiseled chest with dark hair trailing down his flat abdomen was on full display. The sheet covering his modesty left nothing to the imagination. In fact, it only managed to stir an unwelcome pull between my legs.
Not only was he strikingly good looking, he was also well endowed. A heady—yet dangerous combination—in a man. My tongue flicked over my suddenly dry lips as I pried my gaze away from the bulge that was evident beneath the thin sheet.
What was he doing in my bed? And why was he naked?
What do you think, stupid? It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. Just look at his smug grin.
I peered at his face. In the bright morning light falling through the window he looked younger than last night, but just as arrogant. His gorgeous lips curled into the most stunning smile I had ever seen. A panty-dropping smile, as Sylvie would have called it. I paled at the realization. Had I dropped my panties for him?
He regarded me with mild amusement in his smoldering eyes—the color of dark moss covered by a thin layer of opal mist. The way he looked at me, I felt as though he saw through my body and directly into my soul. No one had ever made me feel like that before. Then again, I had never met someone so electrically good-looking, but there’s a first time for everything.
“Are you ready for Round Two?” His voice dripped with insinuation. I had heard that hoarse voice before, but where? My brain fought to make a connection through the alcohol infused haziness clouding my memory retrieval system. And then it dawned on me.
“You were at The Black Rose. I was supposed to meet with Mayfield, but he sent you instead.”
His grin widened, revealing two strings of pearl white, even teeth.
Beautiful, strong teeth that nibbled on my neck and grazed the sensitive skin on my thighs.
Whoa, where did that come from? I shook my head lightly and tried to cling to the memory before my eyes, but it was gone already.
“Did we—” I gestured at his naked chest. My heart stopped beating for a moment as I waited for his assurance that it was all a misunderstanding, that I didn’t bang a stranger, because one-night stands weren’t my thing. Besides, I was in a relationship, albeit an open one, but cheating wasn’t my thing either. I wasn’t turning into Sylvie, was I? And I probably wasn’t so stupid to have banged the guy.
Mystery Guy opened his mouth to say something, closed it again, and in that instant I knew.
I was cheap, not least because I couldn’t even remember his name.
“Oh, God.” I jumped out of bed, vaguely realizing I wasn’t wearing anything, not even my panties—probably courtesy of his panty-dropping smile. Mortified, I pulled the sheet from him and covered my naked body, then scooped up what I assumed were his jeans from the pile of clothes scattering the floor and tossed them toward Mystery Guy. He caught them in midair but didn’t hurry to put them on. Well, he obviously was comfortable with his private parts on full display. Good for him.

April 23, 2013
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 21
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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.

April 21, 2013
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 14
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 14

Title: The Week Before the Wedding

Author: Beth Kendrick

Received: Penguin

Synopsis:
After enduring a chaotic childhood, Emily McKellips yearns for a drama-free life, complete with a white picket fence. Her dreams are about to come true: She has a stellar career, a gorgeous house, and a fiancé any woman would die for. But as friends and family arrive in picturesque Valentine, Vermont, for her wedding, an uninvited guest shows up.

Ryan is Emily’s first husband from a disastrous starter marriage. They wed on a whim, only to discover that combustible chemistry couldn’t ensure a happily ever after. But Ryan is no longer the headstrong boy she left behind. He’s now a successful film producer who just happens to be scouting a resort in Valentine with his adorable retriever in tow.

As the bridesmaids revolt and the mothers of the bride and groom do battle, Emily is surprised to discover new sides of both her ex and her fiancé. She thought she had life and love all figured out, but the next seven days might change her mind—and her heart.

Title: The Way Back to Happiness

Author: Elizabeth Bass

Received: Kensington

Synopsis: No one could blame Bev Putterman for becoming estranged from her sister. No one but Bev, anyway. Growing up, Diana was difficult and selfish yet always their mother’s favorite. And then came the betrayal that took away the future Bev dreamed of.

Yet if Diana caused problems while alive, her death leaves Bev in a maelstrom of remorse. She longs to provide a stable home for Diana’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Alabama. But between her commitment-phobic boyfriend and her precarious teaching position, Bev’s life is already in upheaval without an unruly teenager around.

All Alabama knows about Aunt Bev is what her mother told her–and none of it was good. They clash about money, clothes, boys, and especially about Diana. In desperation, Alabama sets out to find her late father’s family. Instead she learns of the complicated history between her mother and aunt, how guilt can shut down a life–and most important, how love and forgiveness can open a door and make us whole again. . .

Title: Wedding Night

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Received: TransWorld Books

Synopsis: Lottie is tired of long-term boyfriends who don’t want to commit to marriage. When her old boyfriend Ben reappears and reminds her of their pact to get married if they were both still single at thirty, she jumps at the chance…

Title: Family Pictures

Author: Jane Green

Received: St. Martins Press

Synopsis: From the author of Another Piece of My Heart comes Family Pictures, the gripping story of two women who live on opposite coasts but whose lives are connected in ways they never could have imagined. Both women are wives and mothers to children who are about to leave the nest for school. They’re both in their forties and have husbands who travel more than either of them would like. They are both feeling an emptiness neither had expected. But when a shocking secret is exposed, their lives are blown apart. As dark truths from the past reveal themselves, will these two women be able to learn to forgive, for the sake of their children, if not for themselves?

Title: The Apple Orchard

Received: Susan Wiggs

Received: Etch Communications

Synopsis: Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners. People like Annelise Winther, who refuses to sell her long-gone mother’s beloved necklace—despite Tess’s advice. To Annelise, the jewel’s value is in its memories.

But Tess’s own history is filled with gaps: a father she never met, a mother who spent more time traveling than with her daughter. So Tess is shocked when she discovers the grandfather she never knew is in a coma. And that she has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a hundred-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel.

The rest is willed to Isabel Johansen. A half sister she’s never heard of.

Against the rich landscape of Bella Vista, Tess begins to discover a world filled with the simple pleasures of food and family, of the warm earth beneath her bare feet. A world where family comes first and the roots of history run deep. A place where falling in love is not only possible, but inevitable.

And in a season filled with new experiences, Tess begins to see the truth in something Annelise once told her: if you don’t believe memories are worth more than money, then perhaps you’ve not made the right kind of memories.

Title: Love Me Anyway

Author: Tiffany Hawk

Received: St. Martins Press

Synopsis: When twenty-three-year-old Emily Cavenaugh’s marriage to her abusive high school sweetheart ends, she trades in her dull smalltown life for an all-access pass to see the world as a flight attendant. Hoping for a new start, she moves to San Francisco to bunk with six other new flight attendants. Among them is KC Valentine, a free spirit who encourages Emily to shed her mousy ways and start collecting experiences as exciting as her passport stamps. Emily soon follows KC’s advice a little too well, falling in love with an older, married co-worker named Tien, a father to two young girls. But as Emily and Tien become more deeply entangled, KC grows distraught. Neither her friends nor co-workers know the real reason she became a flight attendant: to find her father who abandoned her as a child. As Emily and KC fly from Vegas to Boston, San Francisco to London, Chicago to Delhi, each searching for love and acceptance, they’re torn between passion and moral conviction, freedom and belonging.

An assured debut from a former flight attendant, Love Me Anyway deftly captures the complexities of love, friendship, and family, the excitement and loneliness that come from living everywhere and nowhere, and the surprising detours life can take when you set out to discover the world.

April 14, 2013
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Book Review: From the Kitchen of Half Truth by Maria Goodin
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: From the Kitchen of Half Truth by Maria …

I received a copy of FROM THE KITCHEN OF HALF TRUTH by Maria Goodin in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:

If your mother can’t seem to tell the truth…how true is your life?

Meg May doesn’t know what’s true. And she needs to find out.

Imaginative and free-spirited, Meg’s mother created a life out of stories. Outlandish stories, really, the kind you can’t possibly believe—unless your mother won’t tell you anything else about your past. After all, how do you argue with someone who tells you that a spaghetti plant sprouted on your first birthday, that you used to take hot dogs for a walk, or that your father died in a tragic pastry-mixing accident?

But as charming as those stories are, they aren’t enough for Meg anymore. When her mother becomes ill, Meg decides she has to know the truth. As the two spend one last summer together, Meg can’t convince her mother to reveal a thing about who they used to be—or who they are now.
Review:

Oh you guys, you guys – this book is lovely. I was drawn in and held captivated from the very first chapter and I loved pretty much everything about this story. The premise of the book revolves around a mother and daughter relationship and I really, really enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters. Often times in life, we take things and people for granted and this book really examines this idea and runs with it. This book makes you think and remember things from your past and although it starts off fairly light, it picks up pace and really digs deep towards the middle and especially toward the end. From The Kitchen of Half Truth will bring you through a full swing of emotions and you will often times find yourself laughing and sometimes crying – but most importantly, your heart will ache with delight while reading. Such a wonderful debut and I can’t wait to see what Maria produces next.
Rating: 4.5 stars

April 12, 2013
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Book Review: Inferno by Kate Austin
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Inferno by Kate Austin

InfernoI received a copy of INFERNO by Kate Austin in exchange for an honest review.

This book begins with Dante (our main character) who is living successfully abroad in Europe and then one day, he receives a phone call home from his mother who is calling in backup to save the family restaurant. Dante returns home and gives it a go. He expected the hard work and dedication but he didn’t expect to hit it off so well with Elise, the florist that his dear sweet mom hired to help out as well. Elise struggles with the attraction too. For once she is doing exactly what she wants to do, but then Dante walks in and really shakes things up. The two of them fight hard to resist the attraction but will they succumb to it finally after all? Or will they be able to resist indefinitely?

This book was sweet and saucy all rolled into one. I really enjoyed Kate’s writing and thought that she did an excellent job setting the story up. At first, you think that things are going to be a little slow and predictable, but once Dante meets Elise, you know that you couldn’t be more wrong. I loved the instant attraction between the two and I think that Kate does a fabulous job at creating realistic situations and adding in a little flair and spice to really amp things up. I was rooting for Elise and Dante since they met and secretly hoped that they would figure a way to work things out and yet do what they want to do. And, without any spoilers, I think the author does an amazing job at satisfying the readers as well as keeping true to her story. Overall, this book is a really good read and a lot of fun.

Rating: 4 stars

April 12, 2013
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Book Review: Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society Jubilee by Carolyn Brown
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society Jubilee by Carolyn Brown

I received a copy of BLUE-RIBBON JALAPENO SOCIETY JUBILEE by Carolyn Brown in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Miss Clawdy’s Café has won the Jubilee blue ribbon every year since the dawn of time. This year, town matron Violet Prescott is going after that ribbon with an iron-clad determination only thinly disguised by her perfect coiffure and flawless manners, bless her heart.

It’s time for café owners Cathy and Marty and their best friend Trixie to pull out their secret weapon. And this is where a lifetime of friendship, combined with just the right recipe at just the right time, might carry the day—or blow everything to smithereens.

Welcome to Cadillac, Texas, where the jalapeños are hot, the gossip is hotter, and at the end of the day, it’s the priceless friendships that are left standing…

Review:

I was instantly smitten with the title, description and cover for this book and knew I would love it from the get go. Author Carolyn Brown pleases from the get go with trademark southern char, twang and hilarious wit. The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society Jubilee is a fun southern tale that delivers a very fun and authentic tale that could and would definitely take place in a small southern town. I loved the adventures of the women and I loved all of the gossip that went on. Friendship and family are key themes in this book and you can easily see how important they are to the main characters. I don’t really have any complaints because I enjoyed it so much. Full of sass and southern comfort, this book is a winner.

Rating: 4.5 stars

April 11, 2013
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 7
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 7

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

Aggravated Circumstances by Michele ShriverTitle: Aggravated Circumstances

Author: Michele Shriver

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: A family can be torn apart in an instant. Putting it back together is a harder task.

A relapsed addict opens the door to find a cop with a search warrant, setting off a chain of events that will cause four lives to intersect.

Devin Lenox has already lost one child to the system and this time she vows it will be different. If she’s going to make it, though, she’ll need something she’s never had before- someone on her side.

Her battle with depression behind her, Elisa Cahill looks forward to resuming her legal career. Devin’s case seems like the perfect opportunity to do that, and bury her own past demons in the process, at least if old grudges don’t prove to be her undoing.

Child protection worker Taylor Ross struggles to balance a social life with her demanding job and has little sympathy for people like Devin, at least at first. When Taylor starts to see Devin in a new light, she finds herself at odds with her superiors. Will she be willing to go to bat for Devin, and what price will she pay if she does?

Sarah Canfield is a compassionate judge who is not afraid to make difficult decisions, but will her past link to Devin undermine her objectivity and cause her to put her own family at risk?

A look inside the child welfare system, the people who work in it and the lives it impacts, Aggravated Circumstances is a story of despair, hope and recovery.

Meltdown by Tara ThompsonTitle: Meltdown

Author: Tara Thompson

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: NYSSA, internationally renown supermodel, is accustomed to turning heads. As a young girl, her flawless face attracted the wrong kind of attention. She escaped an abusive father and successfully navigated life’s seedy underbelly to become a runway renegade, although not without leaving her share of enemies behind. Lately she’s caught the eye of….

STEVE, handsome hometown hero and soon-to-be Governor of Texas. Unfortunately he’s already married. As Steve publicly dumps his perfect, former Miss Texas wife for Hollywood’s latest ‘It’ girl, his state faces the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression. Will he be able to turn things around, or is he too embroiled in his political sex scandal? His good friend and business partner….

DEMETRI, sexy hedge fund manager, is at the top of his professional game and tries to save his friend from near financial ruin. Yet he’s distracted by Steve’s new girlfriend, who just happens to be Demetri’s old flame. Years ago, Nyssa ran from him and he’s never forgotten her. But why is he still interested? Demetri’s dating….

AISLINN, a woman as brilliant as she is beautiful. Enjoying all the perks of having a billionaire boyfriend, she’s falling fast for Demetri and has no idea that she might be the one getting played. Although she bets big on Wall Street, the largest casino in the world, nothing is more risky than giving her heart away.

In this fun, juicy, glamorous novel, no one is exactly who they appear to be…
And all of them are heading for a MELTDOWN.

Who will rise from the ashes?

Crime and Passion by Chantel RhondeauTitle: Crime and Passion

Author: Chantel Rhondeau

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: A decorated police officer, more intent on justice than following the letter of the law, lands in trouble when a gorgeous schoolteacher finds a dead body on the beach. Officer Donovan Andrews knows how to have a good time—ask any woman in town. But when it comes to men abusing their wives or children, Donovan takes it upon himself to make them regret it. Madeline Scott is unlucky in love. All she wants is a quiet place to heal, away from cheating, womanizing men. However, her life is far from peaceful once she stumbles across the body and witnesses someone fleeing the scene. Terror spreads in Pleasant View when the small community hears a killer is on the loose. All evidence points to Donovan, and he realizes someone is trying to frame him. When troubling suspicions from his past surface, even fellow officers believe he’s guilty. Madeline might be the only person who can clear his name, but first he has to win her trust. The body count rises and no one is safe. The murderer makes it clear Madeline is next. Soon, Donovan’s whole world is focused on protecting her and keeping himself out of prison. The more time he spends with her, the harder it is to fight his growing attraction. However, she’s been burned by love, and convincing Madeline he’s interested in something more than hot sex may prove harder than keeping her alive.

Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny ColganTitle: Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe

Author: Jenny Colgan

Received: SourceBooks

Synopsis: Come and meet Issy Randall, proud owner of The Cupcake Cafe. Issy Randall can bake. No, more than that – Issy can create stunning, mouth-wateringly divine cakes. After a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe’s bakery, she has undoubtedly inherited his talent. When she’s made redundant from her safe but dull City job, Issy decides to seize the moment. Armed with recipes from Grampa, and with her best friends and local bank manager fighting her corner, The Cupcake Cafe opens its doors. But Issy has absolutely no idea what she’s let herself in for. It will take all her courage – and confectionery – to avert disaster …

The With of Little Italy by Suzanne PalmieriTitle: The Witch of Little Italy

Author: Suzanne Palmieri

Received: St. Martins

Synopsis: In Suzanne Palmieri’s charming debut, The Witch of Little Italy, you will be bewitched by the Amore women. When young Eleanor Amore finds herself pregnant, she returns home to her estranged family in the Bronx, called by “The Sight” they share now growing strong within her. She has only been back once before when she was ten years old during a wonder-filled summer of sun-drenched beaches, laughter and cartwheels. But everyone remembers that summer except her. Eleanor can’t remember anything from before she left the house on her last day there. With her past now coming back to her in flashes, she becomes obsessed with recapturing those memories. Aided by her childhood sweetheart, she learns the secrets still haunting her magical family, secrets buried so deep they no longer know how they began. And, in the process, unlocks a mystery over fifty years old—The Day the Amores Died—and reveals, once and for all, a truth that will either heal or shatter the Amore clan.

Changing LanesTitle: Changing Lanes

Author: Kathleen Long

Received: Finn Partners

Synopsis: Abby Halladay has the perfect life. Or, rather, she will…as long as everything goes exactly according to plan. Abby never leaves anything to chance—not her job as a syndicated columnist, not her engagement to her fiancé, Fred, and certainly not her impending wedding in Paris (New Jersey, that is).

Unfortunately for Abby, even the best-laid plans often go awry—like when Fred runs away to Paris (France, that is), her column is canned, and her dream home is diagnosed with termites. Forced to move back in with her parents and drive her dad’s cab, Abby’s perfect life has now officially become the perfect disaster.

Then a funny thing happens. Slowly but surely, Abby begins letting go of her dreams of perfection. As she does, the messy, imperfect life she thought she never wanted starts to feel exactly like the one she needs.

Poignant and heartfelt, Changing Lanes celebrates the unexpected joys of everyday life—and the enduring promise of second chances.

April 7, 2013
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Book Review: The Boy Next Door by Annabelle Costa
Chick Lit Review

Book Review: The Boy Next Door by Annabelle Costa

I received a copy of The Boy Next Door by Annabelle Costa in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:

Through middle school, high school, bad dates, and an ill-advised punk phase, Tasha has always been able to count on Jason. Since the day he moved in next door, he’s gone from the weird kid in a wheelchair to Tasha’s most trusted friend. But lives change and the friends are going in different directions. When Jason and Tasha rekindle their friendship, sparks fly. After years of being a wild soul, now the ex-lead of a band turned music teacher is just looking for a relationship to last.

When none other than Jason introduces her to a man who can give her what she wants, Tasha is on the verge of throwing passion and love away just so she can forget her troubled past and settle down. But Jason isn’t ready to give her up just yet.
Review:

I had so much fun reading The Boy Next Door and thought that Annabelle did such a fantastic job crafting such fun characters that are honest, flawed and easy to relate to . I loved the romance and thought it was very light and sweet. I also really, really liked the flashback scenes and thought that Annabelle did such a great job at going back and forth between time, which isn’t easily done and many authors struggle with. Overall, this book is really good and full of details. I was very impressed with this book and will definitely check out this author in the future.
Rating: 4 stars

April 5, 2013
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Interview with Evonne Wareham
Chick Lit Authors

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

April 3, 2013
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