Friday, September 28, 2018

Book Review: Appointment in Prague by Michael & Kathleen McMenamin

A thrilling historical novel with a non-nonsense heroine is what you'll find in Appointment in Prague by Michael & Kathleen McMenamin.

Mattie McGary has a grudge. Though she has promised her husband not to volunteer for any other dangerous assignments, she decides to assist in her godfather Winston Churchill's operation to execute SS General Reinhard Heydrich. Her godfather would never have approved of her involvement either. She now has six-year-old twins to consider. When the operation fails, Mattie conceives her own plan to kill Heydrich, putting herself in greater danger than even she realizes.

Wow! This is an action-packed, intense story that brings the reader right into the world of WWII espionage. Well-developed characters, a tough heroine, and great attention to historical detail fills these pages. The cliffhanger ending lets you know that Mattie's story is far from over and that new dangers lurk behind the corner.

My only gripe is the omniscient narrator telling me things that will happen in the future. It's a personal bias of mine, so I can't fault the authors. I just find it draws me out of the story and away from the present happenings.

That aside, this is a superb read and I would want to go back and check out previous Mattie adventures.


Paperback: 158 pages
Publisher: First Edition Design Publishing (June 11, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1506906338
ISBN-13: 978-1506906331

I received a free copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.






Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Shelf Control - Sep 26



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…
Have fun!

Here's another Kindle freebie from my ridiculous TBR pile. Love the cover on this one.


BLURB:  Mexico in 1918 was a dangerous place to live. Disease was ravaging village after village. Young Sofia's parents decided to take what was left of their family and brave a perilous midnight crossing into the United States, hoping to save the lives of their remaining children. They did not anticipate the hardships that lay ahead of them. After a family tragedy, Sofia is sent to live with a well-to-do aunt in Phoenix. Sofia's father assumes this is for the best, that his sister would educate her and treat her as a daughter. He could not have known it would plunge her into a life of hard labor and bad relationships with the wrong men. Hungry for love, her first lover leads to a daughter, Eva, born out of wedlock. When he abandons her and their baby, another unsavory man is quick to come to her rescue. But when he tries to convince Sofia to leave what little family she has left to go west with him, to work in the fields of California, she is torn. Weighing what few options are available to her, she believes she has no choice but to go with him. If only that was the lone circumstance in which she had no choice. Sofia's difficult, yet inspiring life unfolds over the next twenty years, through a series of highs and lows, with her devoted, headstrong daughter by her side. As a young woman, Eva hopes to avoid the mistakes her mother made with men, but she is not always able to steer clear of them. When life becomes dangerous and unbearable for Sofia, will Eva and her beau be able to save her, or will Sofia have to save them? This poignant and gripping drama plays out from 1918 to 1960, and is full of love and heartbreak, prejudice and betrayal, lovers, friends and family. It is inspired by the true stories written in Debra Burroughs' book CARMEN.

DATE BOUGHT: 2/2/12 - Ashamed to admit I forgot all about this one.

WHY I BOUGHT IT:  I like to read stories of people coming to America. This sounds like a very emotional story, which also appeals to me. 

What is a book from your TBR pile?

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Book Blast and Giveaway: Sweet Christmas Kisses 5



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Fill your holiday stocking with love and 9 sweet romance novellas, from USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and award-winning authors.
Sweet Christmas Kisses 5 brings you heartwarming contemporary romances that celebrate the joy of the season around the world, including in snowy Maine and the sun-kissed skies of Florida, the mountains of Colorado, small-town Illinois and South Carolina, New York to San Francisco, and even the glittering lights of Paris and the old-world charm of Florence. The Sweet Christmas Kisses 5 bundle features all-new, standalone novellas that will make you smile and fill your heart with the Christmas spirit.



***** 


Christmas With The Poker Group by Beate Boeker, USA Today Bestselling Author. After losing her beloved grandmother and getting dumped by her boyfriend, Sabrina is left feeling like Scrooge this Christmas. She makes a plan to survive the holidays in Florence, only to realize her grieving grandfather has a plan of his own. One that involves the crazy Mantoni family and the distractingly handsome man she’s determined to avoid. It’s beginning to look a lot like a tricky Christmas.


About the Author: Beate Boeker is a USA Today bestselling author with a passion for books that brim over with mischief & humor. She writes sweet, sophisticated romantic fiction and cozy mysteries, many of them set in beautiful Italy. While “Boeker” means “books” in a German dialect, her first name Beate can be translated as “Happy” . . . and with a name that reads “Happy Books,” what else could she do but write novels with a happy ending?

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS



Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beate-Boeker-153573758044433/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeateBoeker

Website: http://www.happybooks.de

Newsletter: http://www.happybooks.de/newsletter



*****


Christmas With The Carmichaels by Christine Bush, USA Today Bestselling Author. Widow and retiree Gabby is ready for a rocking chair. At least according to her daughter. Except maybe she’s not. After getting stranded in a Maine snowstorm with a silver-haired fox, Gabby might find the courage to say “yes” to life once more, and find a Christmas love she never expected.

About the Author: Christine Bush is an award-winning author of many sweet romances, mysteries, and novellas. When she’s not writing, she can be found teaching Psychology at a local college, working as a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, or (mostly) spending time with her twelve grandchildren.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christineabush

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Christine_Bush

Website: http://christinebush.com




*****


The Mistletoe Bachelor Auction by Milou Koenings, USA Today bestselling author. When a supermodel with a string of bad news boyfriends “wins” a volunteer firefighter at a charity bachelor auction, Rose and Ryan might both discover they’ve found their perfect Christmas match. A fun and romantic holiday tale set in the fictional town of Green Pines, Illinois.

About the Author: USA Today bestselling author Milou Koenings writes heartwarming romance novels because sweet stories with happy endings are like chocolate – they bring joy to the world and so make it a better place. She’s lived all over the world, working as an editor and newspaper columnist, but loves staying home with her family most of all. She's the author of the Green Pines Romance series.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MilouKoenings

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MilouKoenings

Website: https://www.miloukoenings.com

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/milousnewletter



*****

Sweet Peppermint Kisses by Josie Riviera, USA Today Bestselling Author. Sometimes the best gifts are hiding right under your Christmas tree. His emotions were once trampled flat. Can he throw his heart over the fence toward the ultimate Christmas gift—a future filled with love? A holiday tale about the healing power of love, set in the charming fictional town of Cherish, South Carolina.


About the Author: Author Josie Riviera writes Historical, Inspirational, and Sweet Romances. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband. They share their empty nest with an adorable Shih Tzu who constantly needs grooming and an old house forever needing renovations.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Josie.Riviera

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Josieriviera

Website: https://josieriviera.com/


*****

Christmas In Paris by Roxanne Rustand, USA Today Bestselling Author. Kindergarten teacher Heather thought all her dreams were coming true—until she was jilted by her fiancĂ© three months before their Christmas wedding. Since the honeymoon to Paris is already paid for, Heather determines to go sans groom and have a great time, no matter what. Love is not part of her travel plans, but when a handsome young doctor literally runs into her on the street, the magic of Christmas in Paris may cause a change of heart.

About the Author: USA Today bestselling author Roxanne Rustand is the author of thirty-five traditionally published novels, plus four indie novels. She was a Golden Heart finalist twice, and a Golden Heart winner in 1995. She has won two RT Magazine Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and was nominated for an RT Magazine Career Achievement Award. Her earlier books were secular, but she now writes sweet indie romance, and inspirational romance for Love Inspired.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Roxanne.Rustand

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoxanneRustand

Website: http://www.roxannerustand.com

Newsletter: http://roxannerustand.com/newsletter-signup



*****

Second Chance Christmas by Kristin Wallace, USA Today Bestselling Author. Ten years ago, Mia Reynolds and Win Barrington spent one magical Christmas together—until lies and manipulation tore them apart, and left Mia to raise a daughter all on her own. Now, both are back in their hometown of Palm Cove, Florida just in time for the holidays. Once they uncover the truth about what happened, can Mia and Win rediscover love and celebrate a Second Chance Christmas with their daughter?

About the Author: Kristin Wallace is a USA Today bestselling author of inspirational, contemporary and women’s fiction filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith.” Her popular series include the Covington Falls Chronicles and Shellwater Key Tales.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS


Facebook: http://facebook.com/KristinWallaceAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/KWallaceAuthor

Website: http://kristinwallaceauthor.com

Newsletter: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/wMWhn



*****


Ghosts From Christmas Past by Mary Alford, Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling Author. She was the love of his life, until a tragic accident on Christmas Eve left Charlotte Swenson in a coma. For eight years, Sheriff Dylan Parker of Bitter Creek, Colorado has held on to the hope that somehow his love will find a way back to him. And when Charlotte opens her eyes, just days before Christmas, Dylan can’t help but believe a holiday miracle may grant his every wish.

About the Author: Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Mary Alford was inspired to become a writer after reading such romantic suspense greats as Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney. Creating characters and throwing them into dangerous situations that test their faith was a challenge, but 2012 Mary received “the call” to publish her first book — a dream come true. Today, Mary writes Christian romantic suspense, and small-town contemporary romances.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryAlfordAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maryalford13

Website: http://maryalford.net


*****


Christmas Pizza To The Rescue by Jean C. Gordon. When a freak winter storm strands them alone at the Team Macachek barracks in Central New York, champion motocross racer Royce Evans and out-of-work investigative reporter turned pizza deliverer Samantha Linder strike a bargain that benefits them both. But when it appears Sam has broken the agreement, will the spirit of Christmas be strong enough to save their blossoming holiday love?

About the Author: Award-winning sweet and inspirational author Jean C. Gordon writes what she knows best — small-town, happily-ever-afters set in her native Upstate New York.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JeanCGordon.Author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanCGordon

Website: https://www.jeancgordon.com/

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2wFYzPq



*****

The Love Clause by Liwen. Y. Ho. He needs a fake girlfriend to advance his career. She needs a pretend date to keep her mom off her case during the holidays. The solution to both of their problems? A contractual relationship with one clause: neither of them can fall in love. A Christmas tale set in romantic San Francisco that will cause this reluctant couple to rethink the “no love” clause.

About the Author: Liwen Y. Ho writes sweet and inspirational romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots). She lives in California with her family and blogs about life as a recovering perfectionist.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS



Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2square2behip/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/2square2behip

Website: http://www.2square2behip.com/

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bt2nEL



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten Tuesday: Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Haven’t Read



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.

I have been so awful about participating in this meme. It's one of my favorites. It just takes me so much time to put together, I never seem to get there. I'm trying to find ways to make it work better for me and my hectic schedule.


This week's topic: Top Ten Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Haven’t Read

There are just so many of those, where do I start? Here are ones that quickly come to mind.












What are some books by your favorite authors you haven't read yet?

Monday, September 24, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Sep 24




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.

What this week's meme should say for me is "What are you NOT reading?" That would be a longer list. So busy, busy with work right now. Accepted offer this weekend, new listing today, another new listing coming up soon, a closing on Wednesday...real estate is the majority of my life. Good thing I love it.

In between selling houses, I need to finish reading this book for a review due at the end of the week.



Then I need to finish this one next.


Another review comes in November for this book and the next one in December.




Not sure what else I can squeeze in before the end of the year. What are you reading right now?

Thursday, September 20, 2018

New Release: Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets by Jill Kemerer (Link to Giveaway)


A nanny at Christmastime...

Will she find love in this Wyoming Cowboys novel?

Six weeks on a ranch caring for quadruplets--aspiring nurse Ainsley Draper's prepared for a busy Christmas. When the children's handsome uncle opens the door, her task gets extra complicated. Marshall Graham is upholding his promise to look after his twin sister, the babies' mom. But as family loyalty clashes with new love, will the perfect present include a future with Ainsley?


Visit Jill's website to enter the giveaway!

Purchase from:


Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Interview with Charlene Whitman, Author of Wyoming Tryst


The author of “heart-thumping” Western romance, Charlene Whitman spent many years living on Colorado’s Front Range. She grew up riding and raising horses, and loves to read, write, and hike the mountains. She attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins as an English major. She has two daughters and is married to George “Dix” Whitman, her love of thirty years.

The Front Range series of sweet historical Western romance novels (set in the 1870s) includes Wild Horses, Wild Hearts, set in Laporte and Greeley. Colorado Promise, set in Greeley, Colorado; Colorado Hope, set in Fort Collins; Wild Secret, Wild Longing, which takes readers up into the Rockies, Colorado Dream (Greeley), and Wyoming Tryst, set in Laramie, WY.


WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS




Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up in California but lived in Colorado for some time. I rode horses since I was little and always loved Westerns, playing cowboys with my brothers. My fondest memories are the ones at my summer camp in the mountains, where I rode horses through pastures and across rivers and sensed what it must have been like to live in the old West, in a simpler time and place, without the fast pace of life we experience now.

When did you begin writing?

I’ve been writing ever since I can remember. I wrote poems, short stories, and prose from childhood. I didn’t consider writing novels into well into adulthood though.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I usually write a few months out of the year, and when I sit down to write a novel, I’ll do that nearly full-time for a few months until the book is done.


What is this book about?

Wyoming Tryst is a close parallel story to Romeo and Juliet, opening with the same scene ideas and following the plot closely, though set in 1878 in Laramie, WY, between two feuding ranching families. However, my characters get into all kinds of Western scrapes, including running afoul with the law and the heroine being tossed into the state penitentiary. And don’t worry—it has a happy ending, though the climax is almost identical to the tragic moments in the Bard’s play.

What inspired you to write it?

I’m a big Shakespeare fan (who wouldn’t be?), and I loved the challenge of adapting his play into a Western story. Plus, I saw a “cowboy” version of Comedy of Errors at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival that was so hilarious, I just had to do my own version of Shakespeare in the Old West.

Who is your favorite author?

I have a lot of favorites, but for Westerns, no one matches Zane Grey. I feel my writing and love of setting are similar to his, and Riders of the Purple Sage is one of my favorite novels, even though written nearly a century ago.

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

I self-publish my Front Range series, so it’s been fairly easy publishing.

If you knew then what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

I would have started writing novels a long time ago, and I would have first studied novel structure.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

All my books are available on Amazon exclusively (Kindle), and all the full-length novels are also available in print/paperback.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

Take the time to study novel craft, attend workshops, study best sellers in your genre. Don’t get too far in the writing without getting a writing coach or an editor to help you. Critique groups are often counterproductive because they are usually made up of people who don’t have expertise in novel writing and/or publishing. Always get your work edited and proofread before submitting or publishing.

What is up next for you?

No doubt there will be a book 7 in The Front Range series, again set in Laramie.

Is there anything you would like to add?

While my novels can be read in any order, it’s best to start at the beginning, with the prequel novella, Wild Horses, Wild Hearts. If you sign up for my mailing list, you will get that book for free! From there, I hope you’ll be hooked and immerse yourself into the world I’ve created in the 1870s. I do a lot of research and try to make my stories as authentic as possible. They are sweet romance (no sex), and have complex characters and deep themes. Enjoy!




Shelf Control - Sep 19



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…
Have fun!

Here is another one of those Kindle freebies from long ago sadly languishing on my device.


BLURB:  You think you've got it all figured out. You're sure you know whodunit. Not this time. These mystery stories will have you questioning everything and changing your guess until the very last page is turned.

Detective John Lewis encounters a unique cast of characters throughout each A Hint of Murder story. One reader said, "I couldn't stop reading once I started." Another said, -"The clues are all there, and there's an AHA! moment...Even I couldn't figure out who the killer was."

The Writer

Bestselling author Alicia Fairfield has captured the attention of a killer who is recreating the murders from her books. The guilt over the loss of these innocent lives drives Alicia to the brink of despair. How close to the edge will she go before she can stop the menacing evil?

The Doctor

Russell Morgan had it all: good looks, the perfect woman, and a rewarding career as a respected physician. But when his patients start turning up dead, his world begins to crumble. If this murderer isn't stopped, everything the good doctor has worked so hard to build will be destroyed.

The Bouncer

Disillusioned nightclub bouncer Bobby Crane feels like nothing more than a glorified errand boy. He longs to be a professional singer, but just when he's offered a big break, a man is found dead and a witness claims to have spotted Bobby's car at the victim's house.

★★BONUS MYSTERY★★ "Homeless" will leave you with a smile, and a twist so surprising you never saw it coming.

Plus a free sample of the thriller/mystery Vigil-Annie

DATE BOUGHT: 6/4/12 - It's only been a little while. :)

WHY I BOUGHT IT: It's hard to pass up 3-in-1. That goes for cookies, packages of hair ties, and stories. In addition, I love stories about writers, so the first story caught my eye. I also like books with AHA! moments.


What book has been on your Kindle the longest?

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Book Review: Finding Hope in the Darkness of Grief by Diamante Lavendar

Filled with inspiration and stunning artwork, Finding Hope in the Darkness of Grief by Diamante Lavendar will touch your heart and help you find hope amidst the pain. As someone who has lost both of her children, Lavendar shares her insights and what she has learned through her healing process with readers in the hope of helping others.

Finding Hope in the Darkness of Grief is a beautiful book. Most selections are short, so you can easily read one and take time to contemplate its meaning and how it touches you. The calming lavender color of the interior pages is a nice contrast against the artwork and black text. This is a book you hold on to and take out when you need it. I look forward to more of Ms. Lavendar's work.

Paperback: 74 pages
Publisher: Balboa Pr (June 16, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1982205687
ISBN-13: 978-1982205683

I received a free copy of this book from the author through Poetic Book Tours. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.



Blog Tour Schedule:
Aug. 20: Jorie Loves A Story (Review)
Aug. 24: The Soapy Violinist (Review)
Aug. 27: Jorie Loves A Story (Interview)
Sept. 1: The Book Lover’s Boudoir (Review)
Sept. 6: Wall-to-Wall Books (Review)
Sept. 11: Ethereal Pages (Guest Post)
Sept. 12: Diary of an Eccentric (Poem)
Sept. 18: The Book Connection (Review)

Follow the blog tour with the hashtag #FindingHopeinDarknessofGrief #DiamanteLavendar




Monday, September 17, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Sep 17




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.

Welcome to the last official summer Monday. This weekend will bring New England into the Autumn season. None of the trees have started changing over to their fall colors yet, but it remains warm around here.

As far as books go, I am in the middle of this seasonal goody.



I'm going to have to stop that for a bit so I can read this historical thriller for a virtual book tour at the end of the month.


After that, I'm free to read what I want until November when I am reviewing this mystery. 


What's going on in your reading world? 

Sunday, September 16, 2018

WWII Non-fiction: Code Girls by Liza Mundy


Recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges, more than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to Washington and learned the meticulous work of code-breaking. Their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives, and gave them access to careers previously denied to them. A strict vow of secrecy nearly erased their efforts from history; now, through dazzling research and interviews with surviving code girls, bestselling author Liza Mundy brings to life this riveting and vital story of American courage, service, and scientific accomplishment.

Praise for Code Girls

"Mundy is a fine storyteller.... A sleek, compelling narrative.... The book is a winner. Her descriptions of codes and ciphers, how they worked and how they were broken, are remarkably clear and accessible. A well-researched, compellingly written, crucial addition to the literature of American involvement in World War II."―Kirkus (starred review)

"Similar to Nathalia Holt's The Rise of the Rocket Girls and Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures, this is indispensable and fascinating history. Highly recommended for all readers."―Library Journal (starred review)

"Mundy's fascinating book suggests that [the Code Girls'] influence did play a role in defining modern Washington and challenging gender roles--changes that still matter 75 years later."―Washingtonian

"Code Girls ... finally gives due to the courageous women who worked in the wartime intelligence community."―Smithsonian.com

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Hachette Books; 2nd prt. edition (October 10, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316352535
ISBN-13: 978-0316352536


Purchase from:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Indiebound
iBooks

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Shelf Control - Sep 12



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…
Have fun!

With Halloween coming up and the holidays not far behind, this seemed like a good choice for my next Kindle freebie spotlight.


BLURB: Detective Lauren Bruni has dealt with death for her entire life. She has watched it ruin lives, and brought people closer together. Her job taught her to separate fact from fiction. But on a cold December day, all Lauren had believed in would be shattered and tossed aside. Thrust in a world unlike any she has seen before, she investigates a prominent figure's grisly murder, and searches for answers along a strange new set of people. With a killer watching her every move in the background ready to strike again at a moments notice. What is the secret of the death at the North Pole, and what is the larger horror at hand? Life lessons are learned and a realization that sometimes the most real things in this world, are the ones we believe in the least.

DATE BOUGHT: 12/24/11 Gee, it's been a while, huh?

WHY I BOUGHT IT: I had read a seasonal short story by this author a couple weeks before I ordered this one. I loved his style and jumped at the chance to pick up this one. Sadly, it got lost in my Kindle list. I hadn't gotten my Kindle Fire yet--though I would the following day and then sync them up. I actually find it easier to keep track of titles on my Kindle 2nd Generation than my Kindle Fire. I like the freedom of setting up collections and filing them.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Remembering September 11th

In remembrance of those whose lives were lost and in gratitude for all those who responded and volunteered, we pause our blogging for the day.


Photo credit: ShareFaith

Monday, September 10, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Sep 10




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.

We find ourselves experiencing some cooler weather on this happy Monday. After a couple of weeks of horrendous heat, these temperatures are a blessing.

I've been busy with real estate and family, so not a ton of reading going on. Here's the list:

Reviewed this one



Read this one in anticipation of a VBT


Reading this now



Up next? 




What are you reading? Hope you have a wonderful week.

Book Review: Scene of the Crime by Jennifer Chase

Contaminated crime scenes, twists and turns, and a dash of romance are the recipe for an engaging crime story. Forensic expert Chip Palmer and DA Inspector Kate Rawlins join forces again to assemble the clues and capture a killer, which makes them prime targets.

Scene of the Crime by Jennifer Chase is a complex story with numerous twists and turns. Told from multiple points of view, there is a fair amount of backstory, which slowed the pace a bit more than I prefer in a murder mystery. The plot, however, was great. The romantic tension between Chip and Kate was well done. With a bit more editing and some elimination of the backstory, this will be a superb read. I would be curious to read other titles by the author to compare them.


File Size: 1000 KB
Print Length: 320 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: JEC Press (May 16, 2018)
Publication Date: May 16, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07D47VPQP


I received a digital copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinion, which I have not been compensated for in any way.






Thursday, September 6, 2018

Coming in September: The Personality Brokers by Merve Emre


An unprecedented history of a personality test devised in the 1940s by a mother and daughter, both homemakers, that has achieved cult-like status and is used in today's most distinguished boardrooms, classrooms, and beyond.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is the most popular personality test in the world. It has been harnessed by Fortune 100 companies, universities, hospitals, churches, and the military. Its language--of extraversion vs. introversion, thinking vs. feeling--has inspired online dating platforms and BuzzFeed quizzes alike. And yet despite the test's widespread adoption, experts in the field of psychometric testing, a $500 million industry, struggle to account for its success--no less to validate its results. How did the Myers-Briggs test insinuate itself into our jobs, our relationships, our Internet, our lives?

First conceived in the 1920s by the mother-daughter team of Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, a pair of aspiring novelists and devoted homemakers, the Myers-Briggs was designed to bring the gospel of Carl Jung to the masses. But it would take on a life of its own, reaching from the smoke-filled boardrooms of mid-century New York to Berkeley, California, where it was honed against some of the twentieth century's greatest creative minds. It would travel across the world to London, Zurich, Cape Town, Melbourne, and Tokyo; to elementary schools, nunneries, wellness retreats, and the closed-door corporate training sessions of today.

Drawing from original reporting and never-before-published documents, The Personality Brokers examines nothing less than the definition of the self--our attempts to grasp, categorize, and quantify our personalities. Surprising and absorbing, the book, like the test at its heart, considers the timeless question: What makes you you?

Pre-order here!

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Doubleday (September 11, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385541902
ISBN-13: 978-0385541909

I've taken this test and I'm fascinated with personalities and why people act the way they do. I just added this to my Goodreads Want to Read list. What do you think of this one?

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Coming in October: One Day in December by Josie Silver


Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away.

Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.

Print Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Broadway Books (October 16, 2018)
Publication Date: October 16, 2018
Sold by: Random House LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B079KW3F8P


Pre-order from:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble