Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Cameron Vaux is literally losing his mind and he needs to find the “Book of Days” before it is too late.  Both his dying father and dying wife refer to this book as God’s life history of everyone in the world even showing the future whether you want to see it or not.  Cameron takes a quest to a remote town in Oregon to find the book that will help him fulfill his father’s and wife’s last wish, but he finds that there are people in the town who will stop at nothing to get their hands on it.

Ann Bannister is the host of an outdoor program and a foster sister to Cameron’s deceased wife.  Cameron contacts Ann asking for her help in finding the book and even though she thought it was folly to see him again considering she has been secretly in love with him for years, she agrees to help.  But she has a secret of her own.  Her mother was raised in this same town and she wants to find out why she abandoned her so many years ago.

This is an interesting Christian fiction/mystery where the characters are well-rounded and the storyline is very engaging.  In other words, it’s a page turner.

Thank you to Mr. Rubart and LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer’s program for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

How many witches does it take to make a family?  Lauren finds out the hard way.  A successful realtor in Chicago with a knack for finding the right home for the right client, Lauren finds herself thrown into an online Witches Chat Room filled with crazy women who are convinced she is a witch.  Little does she know that these “crazy women” will send their best mind witch, Jamie, to scope out her powers.  Jamie on the other hand, meets Lauren’s best friend Nat and sees their future in full color.

This story is very clever and imaginative and I was excited to read about all the different kind of witches: mind witches, channeling witches, kitchen witches, etc.   The idea of having a Witches Chat Room is a hoot and Jamie’s family is delightful.  There are witches of all ages, shapes and sizes in the family which leads to mischief, fun and most importantly, love.

I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it to people who are tired of reading the same old witch stories and want a new experience that will enfold them into a funny and clever way of looking at witches.

Thank you to Ms. Geary and Library Thing Member Giveaways for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Davina Montgomery is a lovely and caring woman and has a dangerous secret.  She is the eldest daughter of King James of England and has been cloistered away in St. Christopher’s Abbey all of her life.  Men close to the King have found out her hiding place and have sent an army to kill her.

Robert MacGregor is a rugged and brave highlander who happened to save Davina from a massacre at the Abbey and now no one will get in his way to protect her, not even the King.

Davina and Robert’s story is about obligation, sacrifice and most of all a love that knows no bounds.  They typically butt heads in the beginning, but realize the strength and beauty of each other and fall in love.

I liked the story, but not a lot.  I guess I am jaded in that I have read many highlander romances and found this one lacking the conflict between lovers that I like so much.  I felt that they fell in love too fast for my taste.  Perhaps it was also the narrator’s voice, Carrington MacDuffie, that I couldn’t quite get used to.  However, I liked the supporting characters, Finn and Will, and would enjoy reading their stories in the Children of the Mist series.

Keye Street is a recovering alcoholic, former behavioral specialist for the FBI and currently a private detective including a process server and bail recovery agent in Atlanta, Georgia. Needless to say, her job is very unpredictable at best and currently the infamous Wishbone Killer has a personal connection with her.  Street’s friend and confidant, Lieutenant Aaron Rauser, is in charge of the Wishbone Killer case and is concerned about Keye’s safety and welfare.  Especially when it is suspected that the killer may know her better than she thinks.

The events are a bit predictable, but the characters are interesting enough to keep the storyline moving.  Will Keye Street solve the case before it’s too late and will the killer be someone she cares about?  You’ll have to read it and see.

Thank you to Amanda Kyle Williams, Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

Ex-Delta Force officer, Cavanagh is assigned to protect a seriously overweight and extremely nervous biochemist named Daniel Prescott who has invented a dangerous drug to induce fear in everyone including those trained to feel no fear.  Unfortunately, appearances can be deceptive.  Cavanagh finds himself alone and fighting for his life and trying to track down Prescott, the man he was supposed to protect, but who turned out to be more dangerous than the people who wanted Prescott dead.

If you like action and adventure, this book is for you.  I found this book to be a very good suspense thriller and it definitely kept me on pins and needles wondering if Cavanagh was going to blow off his promise to protect Prescott and just kill the bastard.

David Morrell is a Canadian novelist from Kitchener, Ontario, who has been living in the United States for a number of years. He is best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become a successful film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. More recently, he has been writing the Captain America comic books limited-series The Chosen.  For more information go to the author’s page at http://www.davidmorrell.net/.

This is the fourth book in the Outlander series and Claire and Jamie’s new adventures are in the Americas.  They travel with Ian Murray (Jamie’s nephew) to North Carolina where they meet Jamie’s Aunt Jocasta at River Run.  Even though Aunt Jocasta wants to leave Jamie her estate, he prefers to settle at Fraser’s Ridge which it is more secluded and something he can call his own .  Of course, Claire and Jamie  run into Indians and bears on the way and meet interesting characters as well.

In addition to Claire and Jamie’s story, Brianna (Claire and Jamie’s daughter) and Roger Wakefield MacKenzie (distant ancestor of Dougal MacKenzie and Gilles Duncan) join the adventures by doing some time travel themselves.  Brianna goes back on her own from the 1970′s to the 1770′s to warn Claire and Jamie about a historical fact that she finds out and Roger discovers where Brianna has gone and and follows her.

Of course I love this series, but I thought the whole Jamie/Roger misunderstanding and the search for him took too long.  However, that won’t stop me from continuing on to the next in the series, The Fiery Cross.  As always, Davina Porter is a fantastic narrator and I recommend trying out the books on CD.  They are excellent!

The second book in Phillip Thomas Duck’s Excuse Me, Miss series follows Terri Welker who photographs philandering men in the act for James Boston Investigations.  One day she finds out that the man who raped her several years ago is dead and the life and the man she left behind on that terrible day have come back to haunt her.

Mr. Duck’s continues his interesting short fiction series in the world of infidelity and suspense.  Another strong, but vulnerable woman with past secrets.

Thank you to Mr. Duck for giving me the opportunity to review his book.

This is a self-help or wellness  guide that “moves you through  life’s holes without getting stuck in them”.  Containing analogies to Swiss cheese, the guide  explains the Swiss Cheese Metaphorical Tool Kit which includes 10 symbolic items to use as tools to help you with certain “holes” in your life.  There is advice from the Swiss Wiz (the wise one) and the Swiss Cheese Fairy (“she is the beauty inside of you”) and there are examples of what not to do by the infamous Stinky Cheese which resembles a person who is pessimistic about life (“a loser, a cracked egg”).  The client examples and the “Ask the Therapist” sections are informative and cartoons, quotes from famous people, and images abound in this book to keep the guide fun, but by no means, unimportant. It focuses on your wellness and how you interpret things in life and how to become more positive about challenging situations such as overeating, bad decisions, and relationships.

I have read similar self-help guides, but I like that this one focuses on one’s wellness in body and mind and I like the twist on Swiss  to keep it more interesting.  I particularly like their extra slice advice of “each day is a chance to start anew”.

Judy and Lora are trained psychotherapists and wellness trainers.  For more information on The Swiss Cheese Theory of Life please visit their web site at www.theswisscheesetheoryoflife.com

Thank you to Judith Belmont and Lora Shor for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

Margret Snow is lonely and figuratively lost at sea.  After the tragic loss of her husband, Charles, she loses interest in her promising job of dressing windows at her friend Emily’s art gallery and at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City.   Instead, she is a secret, amateur taxidermist by night, finding small dead birds in the city parks and near buildings to take home and stuff.  “[She] always had a Baggie in her pocket, just in case she found something fallen.”  Margret’s fascination with birds started with her Grandfather Milton who was a birder and entomologist who took her bird watching when she was young.

Jacobs’ writing is poetic and very descriptive, especially in the way she describes Margret’s love of birds.  “To find them and lift them off the ground.  To hold them weightless in her hand.  To smooth with the side of a finger the nape of a broken neck.  It filled Margret, this ownership of something that cannot be owned.”

This is a novel about a woman with an unusual hobby, but the story is good and encourages you to find out what happens to Margret and her bird collection.  I also enjoyed the detailed descriptions of Margret’s window dressing projects.  A fascinating job unto itself.

Thank you to Laura Jacobs and  LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers for giving me the opportunity to review this book.  You may find more information on Laura Jacobs at http://www.laurajacobs.info/.

Welcome to my first author interview.  I’m thrilled to present Stephan Labossiere, author of the intriguing How to Get a Married Woman to Have Sex With You…If You’re Her Husband.  A title sure to catch everyone’s eye.  My book review is on my home page.

Biography: Stephan Labossiere is a man on a mission to help men and women experience more successful and authentic relationships. He knows firsthand how challenging the male and female dynamic can be and strives to bridge the gap of communication between the sexes. The only male in a family of three older sisters, one of whom is his twin, Stephan has learned early on to take the time to understand and embrace the inner workings of a woman’s mind.

Stephan grew up in Miami, Fl before moving to and settling in Atlanta, Ga. He has worked as an entrepreneur for the past ten years and, most recently, has served as a Life Coach as well as a relationship consultant to married and dating couples. In addition, Stephan is a motivational speaker conducting speaking engagements with topics such as personal and spiritual growth, financial stability and relationships. “How To Get A Married Woman To Have Sex With You…If You’re Her Husband” is his first book in a series aimed to break down the barriers and turn the battle of the sexes into nothing more than a pillow fight with a mutually pleasing ending. You can visit Stephan Labossiere’s website at http://www.StephanL.com/

What is your book about?

My book is about closing the communication gap between men and women, and therefore helping both sides have more satisfying and fulfilling relationships. Its also about helping men understand their women better and assist in decreasing the issue of a lack of sex that many married men complain about. A lot of women do not want to have to tell their partners what they need to do, they feel you should have figured it out by now or just know. Unfortunately, men are still left in the dark about some of the real reasons they aren’t getting the amount of sex they want. This book will help in eliminating this issue.

How long does it take you to research a book like this?

Honestly, I didn’t do a lot of formal research. It was based on my dealings and many conversations with people about their relationships. Really, most of us have heard enough jokes about lack of sexual activity after marriage to know that it really does exist, and is far from funny when you or someone you know is dealing with the problem. I think we take it too lightly and some act (mainly women lol) like it isn’t a big deal, but it really is.

What was your most interesting finding?

To me, one of the most interesting things I came across in the process of putting this together was the fact that so many men do not grasp or believe in the concept of a connection outside the bedroom having anything to do with what is happening in it. I mean I had a group of men just laugh at me and give me “this guy is ridiculous” looks when I tried to point that concept out. It just goes to show how different the thinking of men and women are.

Can you tell us a bit about what made you decide to share this guide with the world?

I just simply want to see more people in happy fulfilling relatiionships. GOD inspired and directed me to write this book, because marriage is so important to society and it needs help. We have created such a negative view on it, when in reality marriage is very beautiful and rewarding. We as people just need to take the time to learn and implement the things that can allow us to give and recieve what we deserve, need, and desire from our unions, So i wanted to do my part in making this possible.

It says in your bio that you are doing a series of books.  Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Yes, I am currently working on part 2 of this series which will address what women need to understand when it comes to there men and how to get more out of there marriages. I also plan to release a book aimed at helping single / unmarried women address what I believe are their issues, and what is holding them back from having a successful relationship.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

It wasn’t really about wanting to be a writer. I just felt that I had a message that I wanted to get out, and that I believed could help many people. In school I despised writing lol and till this day I struggle with it. My focus is to get as many people to hear what I believe needs be said, and hope that it can contribute to improving there lives. So if the question was “when did you decide you wanted to be heard” then I would say it was when I realized that helping people was my purpose, and that GOD blessed me with a good understanding of men, women, and relationships.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Just getting it all down on paper, and staying focused long enough to complete the piece I was writing on any given day. I am more of a speaker, and I constantly question if what I am writing is coming across effective enough. I just had to trust in my product, and trust GOD to lead me in putting the words together.

Since there are probably some aspiring authors that will read this, can you tell us a bit about your road to publication?

Well I started off focused on going the self published route. After talking to my brother-in-law fellow author Braxton Cosby I decided to take a shot at finding a literary agent. I figured I have nothing to lose, and if all fails I will simply self publish. So I did my research and sent out about 8-10 query letters (not much). I recieved only a couple responses, but none were willing to take on a book with my angle. While waiting for that process, a friend told me about an associate that owned a publishing company. So I went ahead and submitted a query letter to them (Firefly Publishing) and she liked the idea and agreed to work with me. So there you have it, that is the path I had to take and I am grateful for the things I learned in the process of exploring all of my options.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

For more information on me and my book you can visit http://www.StephanL.com/.

What was the worst summer job you’ve ever had?

Hmmm fortunately I haven’t really had any bad jobs lol. If I had to choose one, I would have to say it was being a Jr. Accountant at a high end jewelry store in Miami Beach, FL. What made it so bad was that my boss was a tyrant. I mean seriously, he would chew you up and I have seen him make countless employees cry after ripping them to shreds. Being young I was constantly nervous and scared to feel his wrath. It wasn’t the most comfortable situation, but I will say it was a necessary experience. He was a good guy at his core, and I learned a lot about life and myself by being there. So though it was terrifying working there, I can honestly say it helped me evolve into the man I am today.

Older Posts »