Saturday, December 31, 2016

Book Review: Sisters One, Two, Three by Nancy Star

Hi all,

Sisters One, Two, Three is an Amazon First Read this month and the one I chose as my free selection as a Prime Member. The title drew me in, and the story kept me reading. Here is more about this novel and my review.


Sisters One, Two, Three

Nancy Star


Book Description:

After a tragic accident on Martha’s Vineyard, keeping secrets becomes a way of life for the Tangle family. With memories locked away, the sisters take divergent paths. Callie disappears, Mimi keeps so busy she has no time to think, and Ginger develops a lifelong aversion to risk that threatens the relationships she holds most dear.

When a whispered comment overheard by her rebellious teenage daughter forces Ginger to reveal a long-held family secret, the Tangles’ carefully constructed web of lies begins to unravel. Upon the death of Glory, the family’s colorful matriarch, and the return of long-estranged Callie, Ginger resolves to return to Martha’s Vineyard and piece together what really happened on that calamitous day when a shadow fell over four sun-kissed siblings playing at the shore. Along with Ginger’s newfound understanding come the keys to reconciliation: with her mother, with her sisters, and with her daughter.

At turns heartbreaking, humorous, and hopeful, Sisters One, Two, Three explores not only the consequences of secrets—even secrets kept out of love—but also the courage it takes to speak the truth, to forgive, and to let go.

Publish Date: January 1, 2017
Lake Union Publishing

Pre-Order Now:


Paperback


 
My 5-Star Review:

All families have secrets, some more than others. But keeping family secrets as a child can shape you as an adult, and not in a positive way. Sisters Ginger and Mimi find that a childhood filled with loss and secrets has made them who they are today, and causes them to push away the very people they love.

In Sisters One, Two, Three, author Nancy Star expertly weaves us through the past and the present, following the family as they once were and are today. The characters are colorful and flawed: the erratic, dramatic mother, Glory, the four children, and the father, trying but unable to hold it all together. As tragedy strikes, the losses gnaw away at the family, and unable to deal with them, they simply never speak of them. But as the years go by, the two sisters develop personalities that counter their upbringing, and life isn’t any easier because of it.

Sisters One, Two, Three is a unique, compelling story that you will not soon forget. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading a family drama novel.

 

 
About the Author:

Novelist, essayist, and former movie exec, Nancy Star is so happy her new novel, SISTERS ONE, TWO, THREE, will be launched soon! Her previous books include CARPOOL DIEM, a spot-on comic novel about a downsized consultant with a fierce determination to navigate and win in the cut-throat world of competitive child-rearing; UP NEXT and its sequel, NOW THIS, two funny and satisfying mysteries featuring a TV talk-show producer turned detective; and BURIED LIVES, a psychological suspense novel that still gives her nightmares.

In total, Nancy’s novels have been translated into French, Dutch, German and Japanese, optioned for television, chosen as a Literary Guild alternate and Mystery Guild Signature Series Selection. In addition to her novels, her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Family Circle, and Diversion Magazine.

Before turning full-time to her fiction writing addiction, Nancy worked for over a decade as an executive in the movie business. At the Samuel Goldwyn Company she was charged with scouting New York and London for original material from books, plays, and pitches, as well as acquiring finished independent films for release. Prior to her stint at Goldwyn, Nancy was Story Editor at The Ladd Company where she got to work on many great films including some of her all-time favorites, Blade Runner, Body Heat and the Right Stuff. Her years spent working with writers and directors helping to bring their stories to the screen was her great privilege and pleasure.

But after being spotted in meetings agreeing with writers far too often, she realized it was time to leave the movie business and turn to her own writing. She did this even after over-hearing a well-known screenwriter tell a publicist who was quitting to take up writing full time, “My condolences.” She has never looked back.

Nancy is a member of the Author’s Guild, Mystery Writers of America and Women’s Media Group. Once upon a time—as a film executive—she was a member of The Groucho Club in London and would very much like to be invited back.

You can visit Nancy online at: http://nancystarauthor.com
https://www.facebook.com/Nancy.Star.Author
https://twitter.com/NancyStarAuthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/189596.Nancy_Star
https://www.instagram.com/nancystarauthor/

 

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Cover Reveal ~ One Wrong Turn: A Novel by Deanna Lynn Sletten

Hi all,

I'm so excited to share with you the new cover for my upcoming novel ONE WRONG TURN. It will be available June 20, 2017 from Lake Union Publishing. I love this story and am so happy to be able to share it with you.  


  
One Wrong Turn
 

 
Book Description:

Author Deanna Lynn Sletten returns with an unforgettable novel about one man’s crisis of self and his greatest act of love.

The words “I’m her husband” roll off Clay Connors’s tongue, but with his ex-wife lying in a coma—and no assurance that she’ll awaken—he knows he’s perilously close to losing everything. A singular, terrifying accident has left Jess Connors suspended between life and death. Now Clay is reunited with the family he hasn’t seen for two years, including the daughters he left behind.

Clay should have been there for his family. He never should have stayed away so long. The alcohol that took over his life destroyed everything but a shred of his self-preservation. Sober and haunted, Clay revisits the memory of love, marriage, and how his life unraveled. He hopes that by trying to reconnect with the daughter who blames him and the daughter who barely knew him, he can find a light of hope in this darkest hour. As his family faces its most grueling, emotional test yet, Clay must summon the courage to make right what was wrong—and find forgiveness from his harshest judge: himself.
 

Women's Fiction/Romance

Lake Union Publishing
Publish Date: June 20, 2017



Pre-order Now:




I think you are all going to love this story. Be sure to pre-order now so you don't miss it the day it comes out.

Cheers,
Deanna

Friday, November 25, 2016

2016 Happy Holiday Giveaway! Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card and More!

2016 Happy Holiday Giveaway!

12/25/16 Update:
The winners have been notified and gift cards have been sent out. Winners are:
Brenda H - $100
Amanda G - $25
Gloria W - $25
 
Thank you all for entering. Don't worry if you didn't win - I will have many more giveaways in the future.
 
Update:The contest is now over. Thank you to everyone who entered. I will announce the winners as soon as they have been notified. 

Welcome everyone to my annual

Happy Holiday Giveaway!

In appreciation to all my friends and readers who have encouraged and supported me throughout the year, I want to take this chance to say
Thank You!

And what better way than to give away prizes?

So here it is

The 2016 Happy Holiday Giveaway!

Grand Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card

2nd Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card

3rd Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card

Use the Raffelcopter below to enter.

Good luck!




Contest Details:

The contest dates are 11/25/2016 through 12/23/2016
United States, United Kingdom, and Canadian Residents are eligible to enter only.
(I adore my readers all over the world and am sorry I cannot expand this to all countries.)
Prizes are in U.S. dollars or equivalent.

Winners will be notified by email and be given 48 hours to respond. If a winner does not respond within that 48 hour time period, another winner will be drawn. No Exceptions.







Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Book Review: Say Goodbye for Now by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Hi all,

I've said it before but it's worth saying again - I love books by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Her characters are real, flawed, and manage to find their way into your heart. Her latest novel, Say Goodbye for Now, is no different. Here is more about the novel and my review.
 
 
Say Goodbye for Now

Catherine Ryan Hyde

 

Book Description:

On an isolated Texas ranch, Dr. Lucy cares for abandoned animals. The solitude allows her to avoid the people and places that remind her of the past. Not that any of the townsfolk care. In 1959, no one is interested in a woman doctor. Nor are they welcoming Calvin and Justin Bell, a newly arrived African American father and son.

When Pete Solomon, a neglected twelve-year-old boy, and Justin bring a wounded wolf-dog hybrid to Dr. Lucy, the outcasts soon find refuge in one another. Lucy never thought she’d make connections again, never mind fall in love. Pete never imagined he’d find friends as loyal as Justin and the dog. But these four people aren’t allowed to be friends, much less a family, when the whole town turns violently against them.

With heavy hearts, Dr. Lucy and Pete say goodbye to Calvin and Justin. But through the years they keep hope alive…waiting for the world to catch up with them.

 
Publish Date: December 13, 2016

Lake Union Publishing



 

My Five-Star Review:

Four lonely people find each other in a small, Texas town in the stifling time-period of 1959. When Pete finds a hurt dog/wolf on the side of the road, he takes the animal to Dr. Lucy, who lives alone on a small ranch and cares for injured and unwanted animals. Reluctantly, she helps the dog, and soon, her life becomes complicated as she becomes involved in the lives of Pete, his new friend, Justin, and then Justin’s father, Calvin. Normally, this would be a good thing, but in 1959, a white woman befriending an African American man and his son was not very well accepted. And the people of the town make their feelings loud and clear.

 
Author Catherine Ryan Hyde once again brings together a unique cast of characters who aren’t looking for anything or anyone to change their lives and then slowly find each other and can’t help but grow close. She creates perfectly flawed characters who sneak into your heart and make you care about them. And she takes on a tough topic with grace and candor. Say Goodbye for Now is not about perfect people living perfect lives—and that is why it is such an amazing story.

 

About the Author:

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of 30 published and forthcoming books, including LEAVING BLYTHE RIVER, ASK HIM WHY, WORTHY, THE LANGUAGE OF HOOFBEATS, TAKE ME WITH YOU, WHERE WE BELONG, WHEN I FOUND YOU, WALK ME HOME, SECOND HAND HEART, DON'T LET ME GO, and WHEN YOU WERE OLDER.

An avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer, she has released her first book of photos, 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE: PHOTOS FROM A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.

She is co-author, with publishing industry blogger Anne R. Allen, of HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE: A SELF-HELP GUIDE.

Her novel PAY IT FORWARD was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than 23 languages for distribution in over 30 countries. The paperback was released in October 2000 by Pocket Books and quickly became a national bestseller. Simon & Schuster released PAY IT FORWARD: YOUNG READERS' EDITION in August of '14. It is suitable for kids as young as eight. A special Fifteenth Anniversary Edition of the original PAY IT FORWARD was released in December of '14

LOVE IN THE PRESENT TENSE enjoyed bestseller status in the UK, where it broke the top ten, spent five weeks on the bestseller lists, was reviewed on a major TV book club, and shortlisted for a Best Read of the Year award at the British Book Awards. Both BECOMING CHLOE and JUMPSTART THE WORLD were included on the ALA's Rainbow List, and JUMPSTART THE WORLD was a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards. WHERE WE BELONG won two Rainbow Awards in 2013 and THE LANGUAGE OF HOOFBEATS won a Rainbow Award in 2015.

New Kindle editions of her backlist titles FUNERALS FOR HORSES, EARTHQUAKE WEATHER AND OTHER STORIES, ELECTRIC GOD, and WALTER'S PURPLE HEART are now available. Also available is THE LONG, STEEP PATH: EVERYDAY INSPIRATION FROM THE AUTHOR OF PAY IT FORWARD, her first book-length creative nonfiction.

More than 50 of her short stories have been published in The Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train and many other journals, and in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts and the bestselling anthology Dog is my Co-Pilot. Her stories have been honored in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the Tobias Wolff Award and nominated for Best American Short Stories, the O'Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. Three have been cited in Best American Short Stories.

She is founder and former president (2000-2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation, and still serves on its board of directors. As a professional public speaker she has addressed the National Conference on Education, twice spoken at Cornell University, met with Americorps members at the White House and shared a dais with Bill Clinton.

For more information and book club questions, please visit the author at catherineryanhyde.com

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Enter to Win a $500 Amazon Shopping Spree!

The winner of this giveaway was announced by
The Kindle Book Review:
 
Congrats to Valerie Miller, the winner of our $500 Amazon Shopping Spree
 
Thank you to everyone who entered.
 
 
Enter to win a $500 Amazon Shopping Spree!
 
 

Imagine winning a $500 Amazon shopping spree this year!
 
For a chance to WIN, enter the $500 Black Friday Giveaway at The Kindle Book Review--the #1 site for reader giveaways. This site gives away thousands of dollars in Amazon gift cards and Kindle products all year long! Click here to enter.
 
Contest Dates: November 17th - 27th 
 
 
 
Also sponsored by am array of authors including my novel,
 
Finding Libbie
 
 
Available now on
 
 
 
 
Be sure to enter. Good luck!
 
 
 
 




Friday, November 4, 2016

Nominations for The 50 Best Indie Books of 2016!


Hi all,


Please nominate Walking Sam

I want to ask you a favor. Would you please nominate my romance WALKING SAM for Read Freely's 50 Best Indie Books of 2016? It's easy and quick to do and you do not have to buy anything.

Please CLICK HERE to go to the nomination page. 

 
Nominations end November 18th.
 
 
Here is more about the award and a way for YOU to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card just for nominating my book!
 
screen-shot-2013-12-19-at-12-15-35-pm
The 50 Best Indie Books of the Year award is one of the most popular and prestigious prizes available to indie authors. It recognizes the very best self-published fiction and, as winners are chosen by popular vote, the best-loved too.

There will also be prizes for 3 lucky readers. We will select 3 voters at random and mail them $50 Amazon gift cards – just in time for Christmas! We’ll also send everyone our newsletter of the best book offers.



Please Nominate Walking Sam!
 
Thank you.
 
Walking Sam

Genre: Romance

Author: Deanna Lynn Sletten 






Sunday, October 9, 2016

Book Review: Christmas in America: Historical Romance Anthology


Hi all,

If Holly Bush writes a book or story, then I want to read it. I love her historical romances. So when she offered me a copy of the anthology her newest story is in, I jumped at the chance to read it. Here is more about the book and my thoughts.

 

Christmas in America: Historical Romance Anthology
Authors: Holly Bush, Piper Huguley, Joanna Shupe, Donna Thorland

 

Book Description:

The celebration of Christmas is a magical time for love. A new anthology filled with America's rich history and Christmas traditions from four of your favorite historical romance authors.

“Christmas at Mount Holly” by Donna Thorland

The Jerseys, December 23rd, 1776 - The American Revolution is on the brink of total collapse. The Rebels have lost New York, the Continental Army has endured a disastrous retreat through New Jersey, and Washington is about to lose what remains when enlistments expire on New Year’s Eve. The cause needs a miracle, but Christmas is a time for wonders: as Angela Ferrers—the woman known to history as the Widow of Mount Holly—will discover when she sets a honey trap for Hessian Colonel Count Carl Emil Urich von Donop, only to find herself ensnared in mutual attraction.

“Miracle on Ladies’ Mile” by Joanna Shupe

New York, 1895 - After losing his beloved wife, department store owner Alexander Armstrong seems incapable of anything other than work, despite his ache to be a better father to his daughter. When the pair encounters Grace, a charming shop girl designing the store’s Christmas window displays, he struggles to accept that perhaps miracles do happen in the most unlikely of places…

“The Cowboy’s Christmas” by Piper Huguley

Smithson, Oklahoma Territory, 1893 - Postponing her missionary trip to Africa, apprentice teacher Serena Newcomb must travel west to face the unrequited love of her past -- rebel cowboy Baxter Smithson. Banished from his Georgia home for the crime of falling in love with the wrong woman, Baxter is surprised that his Christmas gift is a grown-up Serena, ready to confront him for ignoring his duty and to show him that the true meaning of Christmas is love.

“Into the Evermore” by Holly Bush

Virginia, 1842 - Eleanor McManus, upright daughter of a minister, is rescued from kidnappers somewhere in the deep forest wilderness by a rough and tumble fur trader, Beauregard Gentry. With his help, Eleanor makes her way back to her intended groom who declares her soiled, and she finds herself alone, pressured to make life decisions without benefit of family or others she can trust. Beauregard and Eleanor agree to begin a life together, build their legacy together, and their growing devotion to each other is witnessed one cold, crisp Christmas morning.

 
Buy now:



 

My 5-Star Review:

I’ll be completely honest here – I only read Holly Bush’s story in this anthology. But if the others are even half as good as hers is, then you are in for an amazing read.

 
Set in 1842, Into the Evermore starts out running and keeps up a good pace throughout. Eleanor McManus, the daughter of a devout minister, has been taken captive in the wilds of Virginia after her parents and siblings are murdered. Just as she is about to be sold to some ungainly men, Beauregard Gentry comes to her rescue. He escorts her to the nearest town where her betrothed decides she is unfit after what has happened to her. Again, Beau comes to her aid by helping her bury her family and then finds her a decent place to stay for the time being. As the two grow close, they decide to begin a life together.

 
Into the Evermore is the first in a new series by Holly Bush. It sets the stage nicely for the next installment. I truly enjoy Holly’s writing style and her expert dialogue. It’s easy and enjoyable to picture in your mind what her words are painting. I’m looking forward to this series and highly recommend you read this anthology.

 

Check out my other reviews of Holly Bush’s books:


 
Contract to Wed

 
The Maid’s Quarters

 
Her Safe Harbor

 
Charming the Duke

 
Cross the Ocean

 
Romancing Olive

 
Reconstructing Jackson

 

Cheers,

Deanna

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Book Review: Faithful by Alice Hoffman

Hi all,

If you love a book with deep drama and desperate characters, this one is for you. Although it can be heavy at times, I still enjoyed this novel by author Alice Hoffman. Here is my review.


Faithful

Alice Hoffman

 

Book Description:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and The Dovekeepers comes a soul-searching story about a young woman struggling to redefine herself and the power of love, family, and fate.

Growing up on Long Island, Shelby Richmond is an ordinary girl until one night an extraordinary tragedy changes her fate. Her best friend’s future is destroyed in an accident, while Shelby walks away with the burden of guilt.

What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithful is the story of a survivor, filled with emotion—from dark suffering to true happiness—a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world. A fan of Chinese food, dogs, bookstores, and men she should stay away from, Shelby has to fight her way back to her own future. In New York City she finds a circle of lost and found souls—including an angel who’s been watching over her ever since that fateful icy night.

Here is a character you will fall in love with, so believable and real and endearing, that she captures both the ache of loneliness and the joy of finding yourself at last. For anyone who’s ever been a hurt teenager, for every mother of a daughter who has lost her way, Faithful is a roadmap.

Alice Hoffman’s “trademark alchemy” (USA TODAY) and her ability to write about the “delicate balance between the everyday world and the extraordinary” (WBUR) make this an unforgettable story. With beautifully crafted prose, Alice Hoffman spins hope from heartbreak in this profoundly moving novel.

 

 
Publish Date: November 1, 2016

Buy now on:



 

My 5 Star Review:

Life can change in an instant and that is exactly what happens one night to sixteen-year-old Shelby Richmond on an icy highway. She may have been the one to walk away from the accident, but she is just as damaged as her best friend who is left in a coma. Shelby struggles to find a way to continue living when she feels completely at fault for her friend’s situation. She feels cold and unlovable, unable to face the world. And as time goes by and she slowly rejoins life – if rather reluctantly – she soon finds a way to connect with others whose lives haven’t been easy either.

This story is not for the faint of heart. If you are looking to for a feel-good story – this one isn’t for you. It’s raw and emotional, and digs into your heart. But between the beautiful writing and the interesting characters, you just can’t stop turning the pages.

A hauntingly beautiful story of finding yourself after the worst thing can happen.

 

 
About the Author:

 
Alice Hoffman was born in New York City on March 16, 1952 and grew up on Long Island. After graduating from high school in 1969, she attended Adelphi University, from which she received a BA, and then received a Mirrellees Fellowship to the Stanford University Creative Writing Center, which she attended in 1973 and 74, receiving an MA in creative writing. She currently lives in Boston and New York.

Hoffman's first novel, Property Of, was written at the age of twenty-one, while she was studying at Stanford, and published shortly thereafter by Farrar Straus and Giroux. She credits her mentor, professor and writer Albert J. Guerard, and his wife, the writer Maclin Bocock Guerard, for helping her to publish her first short story in the magazine Fiction. Editor Ted Solotaroff then contacted her to ask if she had a novel, at which point she quickly began to write what was to become Property Of, a section of which was published in Mr. Solotaroff's magazine, American Review.

Since that remarkable beginning, Alice Hoffman has become one of our most distinguished novelists. She has published a total of eighteen novels, two books of short fiction, and eight books for children and young adults. Her novel, Here on Earth, an Oprah Book Club choice, was a modern reworking of some of the themes of Emily Bronte's masterpiece Wuthering Heights. Practical Magic was made into a Warner film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Her novel, At Risk, which concerns a family dealing with AIDS, can be found on the reading lists of many universities, colleges and secondary schools. Her advance from Local Girls, a collection of inter-related fictions about love and loss on Long Island, was donated to help create the Hoffman (Women's Cancer) Center at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA. Blackbird House is a book of stories centering around an old farm on Cape Cod. Hoffman's recent books include Aquamarine and Indigo, novels for pre-teens, and The New York Times bestsellers The River King, Blue Diary, The Probable Future, and The Ice Queen. Green Angel, a post-apocalyptic fairy tale about loss and love, was published by Scholastic and The Foretelling, a book about an Amazon girl in the Bronze Age, was published by Little Brown. In 2007 Little Brown published the teen novel Incantation, a story about hidden Jews during the Spanish Inquisition, which Publishers Weekly has chosen as one of the best books of the year. In January 2007, Skylight Confessions, a novel about one family's secret history, was released on the 30th anniversary of the publication of Her first novel. Her most recent novel is The Story Sisters (2009), published by Shaye Areheart Books.

Hoffman's work has been published in more than twenty translations and more than one hundred foreign editions. Her novels have received mention as notable books of the year by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, Library Journal, and People Magazine. She has also worked as a screenwriter and is the author of the original screenplay "Independence Day" a film starring Kathleen Quinlan and Diane Wiest. Her short fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe Magazine, Kenyon Review, Redbook, Architectural Digest, Gourmet, Self, and other magazines. Her teen novel Aquamarine was recently made into a film starring Emma Roberts.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Book Review: Letters from Paris by Juliet Blackwell

Hi all,

I was lucky enough to get a copy of this amazing novel ~ Letters from Paris by Juliet Blackwell ~ and I'd love to share it with you. It's a must read for anyone who loves a good story and great writing!
 
 
Letters from Paris

Juliet Blackwell
 
 
Book Description: 

After surviving the accident that took her mother’s life, Claire Broussard has worked hard to escape her small Louisiana hometown. But these days she feels something is lacking. Abruptly leaving her lucrative job in Chicago, Claire returns home to care for her ailing grandmother. There, she unearths a beautiful piece of artwork that her great-grandfather sent home from Paris after World War II.

At her grandmother’s urging, Claire travels to Paris to track down the century-old mask-making atelier where the object, known only as “L’Inconnue”—or The Unknown Woman—was created. Under the watchful eye of a surly mask-maker, Claire discovers a cache of letters that offers insight into the life of the Belle Epoque woman immortalized in the work of art. As Claire explores the unknown woman’s tragic fate, she begins to unravel deeply buried secrets in her own life.

 
Buy now on:



 
My 5 Star Review:

Beautiful. Intriguing. Captivating. These three words just begin to describe how I felt about this novel. The writing, the setting, and the storyline were all beautiful. The characters were intriguing. And what Claire uncovers in Paris is captivating. It is a story that holds your attention and keeps you wanting more.

Claire’s life in Chicago does not give her all she desires so when her grandmother becomes ill, she goes home to Louisiana, the place she once couldn’t wait to flee. There, she is confronted with her sad childhood and finds the mask in the attic where she used to hide, the mask of the beautiful lady who she’d confide all her secrets and desires to. Her grandmother tells her she should go to Paris to find answers about the mystery of the lady of the mask. With nowhere else to go, Claire heads to Paris and embarks on an adventure. What she finds is a brusque but intriguing mask-maker, a long-hid secret, and even a secret from her own past that startles her to her core.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a well-written story with wonderful characters and an intriguing story. Escaping to Paris for a few hours isn’t too bad either.

 
(I received this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.)

 
 

About the Author:

Juliet Blackwell was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, the youngest child of a jet pilot and an editor. She graduated with a degree in Latin American studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and went on to earn master’s degrees in anthropology and social work. While in graduate school, she published several articles based on her research with immigrant families from Mexico and Vietnam, as well as one full-length translation: Miguel León-Portilla’s seminal work, Endangered Cultures. Juliet taught medical anthropology at SUNY–Albany, was producer for a BBC documentary, and worked as an elementary school social worker. Upon her return to California, she became a professional artist and ran her own decorative painting and design studio for more than a decade. In addition to mainstream novels, Juliet pens the New York Times bestselling Witchcraft Mysteries and the Haunted Home Renovation series. As Hailey Lind she wrote the Agatha Award–nominated Art Lover’s Mysteries series. She makes her home in northern California, but spends as much time as possible in Europe and Latin America.
 
 
I hope you'll give this book a try!
 
Cheers,
Deanna

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Finding Libbie Release Day Blitz & Blog Tours!



It's finally here!
 
FINDING LIBBIE Release Day.
 
I'm so excited to finally be able to share my latest novel with everyone.
 
First, be sure to pick up your copy of Finding Libbie on Amazon in the following formats:


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Now, the fun begins! Starting today,
Finding Libbie is on tour.

See the schedules below and follow along.

I hope you'll take a moment to stop by one or all of them and leave a comment. 
 
Enjoy! 
 
Here are the schedules for the Blitz and Blog Tours!

 
 
 
 
Finding Libbie Book Blog Tour
Hosted by TLC Blog Tours
 
September 6th - October 12th
 
Click here for the schedule or follow below.
 
Tuesday, September 6th: Bookchickdi

Thursday, September 8th: Reading Reality

Wednesday, September 14th: From the TBR Pile

Thursday, September 15th: Back Porchervations

Friday, September 16th: A Chick Who Reads

Monday, September 19th: Ms. Nose in a Book

Wednesday, September 21st: Mama Vicky Says

Monday, September 26th: All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

Tuesday, October 4th: Kahakai Kitchen

Wednesday, October 5th: Books and Bindings

Thursday, October 6th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Friday, October 7th: View from the Birdhouse

Monday, October 10th: Snowdrop Dreams of Books

Wednesday, October 12th: Write Read Life
 
 
Finding Libbie Release Day Blitz
Hosted by CLP Blog Tours
 
This is a one day blitz on September 6th
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Finding Libbie Book Blog Tour
Hosted by CLP Blog Tours
September 6th - 9th
 
September 6 - Chick Lit Plus
September 8 - The Book Sirens
September 9 - Granny Loves to Read

 Thanks everyone! I hope you enjoy reading
Finding Libbie!
 

Saturday, September 3, 2016

The Box on the Shelf

 
 
A memory box. We all have one. It might be a shoebox under your bed, or a plastic container in your closet. It may have sat in your basement or attic for years, out of sight but not completely forgotten. But it’s there. And when you open it—magic!

No two memory boxes are alike. One might contain photos from childhood, another memorabilia from college years. It may have your pins and awards from high school or a dried up corsage from prom. Maybe it contains your baby shoes and Kindergarten awards. Maybe it holds your sport trophies. They are all different, but they all have something in common. These are the boxes that, when you open them, transport you back to a place and time when you were your happiest, saddest, or maybe both. They bring back memories of a different you—younger, or stronger, or happier—a time or place that meant something special to you then, and now. Your memory box may even bring you back to the feeling of first love, or first heartbreak.

A memory box is what inspired me to write my latest novel, Finding Libbie. One day I opened a box of memories—not mine but someone else’s—and I actually felt the entire story of Finding Libbie wash over me in a matter of seconds. The memories in that box were strong and rich and heartbreaking. Just like my story.

No, the memories in the box were not Jack and Libbie’s story—not even close. But the feelings that arose from the contents of the box are what gave me the story. A story of a love so strong, yet lost too soon. A story of one women’s search for a happy ending.

Do you remember what’s in your memory box? Maybe it’s time to take it out, dust it off, open it, and feel all those magical feelings again.


 
Finding Libbie: A Novel
 
Coming September 6, 2016
 
Pre-order now!
 
 
 


Sunday, August 28, 2016

Book Review: Broken Pieces by Kathleen Long

Hi all,

I’ve read several of Kathleen Long’s novels and have enjoyed them very much, so when the opportunity to read her latest, Broken Pieces, came up, I jumped at it. Here is more about her novel and my review.

 

Broken Pieces

Kathleen Long

 

Book Description:

Destiny Jones is doing just fine on her own, thanks. From her thriving one-woman carpentry business to the loving support of her small-town community, Destiny has constructed a life as sturdy and polished as her best cabinets. Twenty years ago, Destiny’s world collapsed when her mother died and her father, Albert, abandoned his daughter to pursue acting in New York. His devastating exit taught Destiny a lesson in self-reliance that has kept her safe—and alone—ever since.

Now Albert Jones is back, begging for a second chance. Destiny suspects he’s simply staging another performance, starring himself as the prodigal father. Should she act on her misgivings? Or listen to her inner child, who still yearns for a family? When Albert divulges a shocking secret, Destiny’s life will again be turned upside down.

Kathleen Long’s warm, wise novel reveals the armor that has protected us in the past is often the very thing we must shed to fully live and love.

 
 
Buy now:

 
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My 5 Star Review:

I’ll just say it: Broken Pieces is Kathleen Long’s best novel to date! I have read several of her other novels, and this one is my favorite. The author takes us on a journey of family, broken promises, secrets, and redemption, and drops a surprise in our laps when we least suspect it. Brilliant!

I liked the main character, Destiny Jones, immediately. She has learned the hard way not to depend on or get close to others, and has succeeded in her life despite a sad childhood. Yet, she isn’t bitter. She lives in a small town and has close friends who she cares about. You can’t blame her when her absentee father arrives one day and she’s not thrilled about it. From there, the story flourishes and stretches, pushing limits and warming the reader’s heart. An absolute must read if you love a great family drama.

 
(I received an advance copy of Broken Pieces from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.)

 

About the Author:

 
A long time ago, in an elementary school far, far away, a very young Kathleen scribbled a story idea in her journal. Then she wrote another, and another. She added several poems, the lyrics to a song or two, a love letter to David Cassidy, and so on and so on.

While her early writings never saw the light of day, many of her later works did. And while she did not marry David Cassidy, Kathleen did marry her own Prince Charming. Together, they are raising one drama queen and one obedience-challenged border collie mix in a kingdom divided between suburban Philadelphia and the Jersey shore.

Kathleen is the RITA® nominated, RIO Award and two-time Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence winning author of fourteen novels of contemporary romance, suspense and women's fiction. Her additional honors include National Readers Choice, Holt Medallion, and Booksellers Best award nominations.

She divides her time between plotting her next book, bribing her little one to pick up her toys, and begging the dog to heel. Life is good. Very, very good.

 

See my review of Kathleen Long’s novel Counting Stars

 

Cheers,

Deanna