Happy Independence Day & Happy Blogiversary The Book Connection

Wishing you all a happy and healthy Independence Day. We are also celebrating 13 years of blogging at The Book Connection, even though I started blogging a few years earlier at a different blog. I hope you enjoy reading the posts here as much as I enjoy sharing this information with you.

Here's to many more blogging years!

Pre-order now: Casting Call for the Corpse by Heather Haven

Super sleuth, Lee Alvarez, finds a dead man wearing a tuxedo in a friend’s bathtub during a soiree for San Francisco’s VIPs. And not just any friend, but an internationally acclaimed actress who recently came to live in San Francisco. And not just any bathtub, but a bathtub residing inside one of Alamo Square’s famed Painted Ladies, recently bought by said actress.

The police believe it’s the actress friend who done the man in. After all, it’s her house and her tub. And another man died under suspicious circumstances around her recently. Both romantic encounters, doncha know. The actress must be guilty.

Or is she?

For ace detective Lee Alvarez, the timing couldn’t be worse. She is supposed to go off in celebration of her 6-month wedding anniversary with her hunky hubby. Paris is calling!

Or is it?

Her long-time friend, plus her mother – She Who Must Be Obeyed – thinks she should stick around and find out who the real killer is. So Lee, family, handsome hubby, and Tugger, the cat, are on the job. But Lee’s nose is itching. Which means not one of the suspects is telling the truth.

Or not all of it. Lee soon uncovers threatening letters, sullen playwrights, dead bodies, and a criminal web of jewel thieves, all treading the boards of her friend’s latest musical. This is showbiz?

File Size: 2231 KB
Print Length: 295 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: The Wives of Bath Press (August 1, 2020)
Publication Date: August 1, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B08BR6H1GV

Pre-order here!

Book Review: Inspired Mama by Sez Kristiansen

A guide to intentional living for mothers is what readers find in Inspired Mama by Sez Kristiansen.

Stressed and overworked, Sez finds herself in a fetal position on her son's bed, alone because her husband has taken their child and disappeared to let her figure out what's going on with her, and fearing she is losing her mind.

If nothing else in this book were relatable, the opening to Inspired Mama reminds all mothers how vulnerable we are. Feeling responsible for our happiness, and for everyone else's, we put ourselves last and limp through life talking down to ourselves when we can't balance all our roles. Kristiansen wants to help you change all that.

Inspired Mama is about living an intentional life. It's about freedom of mind, life, and comfort zones. Through journaling, meditating, becoming mindful, practicing gratitude, finding a community to inspire and empower you, and more,  you can learn to live an authentic life tailor-made for you.

Intentional living is important because, without out that practice, we can find ourselves trapped into living lives that may make us unhappy and resentful. Kristiansen's book is a great place to get started. She shares her story and offers advice on moving you forward. In addition to her helpful advice, you'll find inspiring quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

Check out Inspired Mama to see if it's right for you.

Paperback: 165 pages
Publisher: TCK Publishing (January 19, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1631610783
ISBN-13: 978-1631610783

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Welcome back to Tuesday. I am not sure I am ready for this post. I am really bad about staying on top of new and upcoming releases because I have so many books at home I haven't read yet. I will have to put my thinking cap on.

I've seen this around a lot of places and it sounds superb.

I love books based on true stories--in this case, a woman who helps save hundreds of Jewish children during World War II.

I have always enjoyed Alex Trebek. He seems so sensible and down to earth. 

Because sometimes you need to laugh.

My kids have said this to me once or twice. I'm too young, but it doesn't stop them.

Sounds like another great Karen White book.

I've always liked Patricia Heaton. 

Who doesn't like money hacks?

Reminds me of A Christmas Carol.

This book sounds excellent and very timely. 

So, what's on your list? What are you eager to read in the second half of 2020?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?- June 29

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Happy Monday from the Outer Banks. I hope you had a nice weekend. I am doing my best not to work too much while we are away, but I know several things will command my attention today.

Here is what my reading world looks like:

I posted my review of this book on Sunday. You can read it here.

I am not sure which book I will start next, but it will be one of these.

My vacation time reading is often all over the place. I am dedicated to reading, but if something doesn't capture my attention, I might shift to something else. 

Does your reading change when you're away? Do you prefer different kinds of books or do you feel freer to abandon something that isn't working for you?

Book Review: The Guests on South Battery by Karen White

Melanie, Jack, and their family and friends are back in the fifth installment of Karen White's Tradd Street series, The Guests on South Battery.

Realtor Melanie Trenholm reluctantly returns to work after her maternity leave  ends. She is thrilled, however, when a new client wishes to sell a home she recently inherited on South Battery Street.

Melanie's mother is familiar with the house, which belonged to a long-time friend of hers. The new owner, Jayne Smith, has no family of her own, so she is surprised she inherited the place. From the very first meeting at the house, Melanie knows spirits call the house on South Battery home...and not all of them want their secrets revealed.

Wow! I just finished this book and can't wait to read the next one. White proves she can weave a superb story filled with twists and turns, family secrets, and paranormal elements to keep the reader turning page after page until the very end.

In this story, Melanie's relationships are tested in numerous ways. It's great to see her evolving as a wife and mother, but so many of the things she has struggled with remain. Jack is having issues of his own, and both of them continue to keep an eye out for what Marc Longo is up to. Readers will see more of Melanie's mom, Ginette, in this story, and it is their connection that makes coping with the spirits in the house on South Battery possible. The ending of The Guests on South Battery also sets up the next book nicely. Though this is a stand-alone novel, I highly recommend starting at the beginning.

Readers of southern fiction, paranormal mysteries, and stories involving family secrets will want to pick up this one.

Series: Tradd Street (Book 5)
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley; Reprint edition (August 28, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399584706
ISBN-13: 978-0399584701

I bought this book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Shelf Control - June 24

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves sponsored by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. Here's how to jump on board:

• Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
• Add your link in the comments!
• Link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your own post.
• Check out other posts, and…

This week I am featuring a Kindle freebie from my TBR pile.

BLURB: In the early months of 1775, war is brewing in the American colonies. Although frightened, eighteen-year-old Betsy Russell of Menotomy Village, Massachusetts, wants to be prepared in case of attack by British troops. Her father, prosperous farmer Jason, is the fourth generation of Russells on this land yet their very rights as British Colonials are being stripped away one by one. Will the King of England take their land as well?

Tensions are growing here in the countryside west of Boston and the outbreak of battle seems a certainty. Jason desperately wants to protect his family his wife, children and grandchildren and their future. Betsy makes every attempt to be prepared for the worst. But not even the American militia could have predicted the bloody massacre that was about to occur right on the Russells' doorstep. If Betsy loses everything she holds dear, are the rights of all the Colonists endangered?

Fields of the Fatherless is based on a true story.

DATE BOUGHT: 5/28/18 (not as long as many on my list)

WHY I BOUGHT IT: Historical fiction is a genre I truly enjoy reading and writing. This is also one of my favorite time periods.

I am concerned for the marketability of this genre in light of current events. Will we need to forgo historical accuracy in order to sell this genre of fiction in the future? Will authors find themselves boycotted for their portrayal of the times in which their characters live?

In 2017, Literary Hub ran an article where 10 writers of historical fiction weighed in on the genre being more important than ever. I wonder if the slant of this article would be the same if released now.

Prejudice, in any form, has no place in the world. It never has. Using history as a way to teach about the mistakes of the past and encourage us not to repeat them remains important. That doesn't seem to be the sentiment these days. Maybe that's an outdated approach.

Do you read historical fiction? What do you like best about it?