"The After Wife" by Gigi Levangie Grazer ~Not for Widows!

SUMMARY : 

Gigi Levangie Grazer, the New York Times bestselling author of The Starter Wife, returns with a hilarious and spirited tale of love—both lost and found.

L.A. is no place for widows. This is what forty-four-year-old Hannah Bernal quickly discovers after the tragic death of her handsome and loving husband, John. Misery and red-rimmed eyes are little tolerated in the land of the beautiful. But life stumbles on: Hannah’s sweet three-year-old daughter, Ellie, needs to be dropped off at her overpriced preschool, while Hannah herself must get back to work in order to pay the bills on “Casa Sugar,” the charming Spanish-styled bungalow they call home.

Fortunately, Hannah has her “Grief Team” for emotional support: earth mother and fanatical animal lover Chloe, who finds a potential blog post in every moment; aspiring actress Aimee, who has her cosmetic surgeon on speed dial; and Jay, Hannah’s TV producing partner, who has a penchant for Mr. Wrong. But after a series of mishaps and bizarre occurrences, one of which finds Hannah in a posh Santa Monica jail cell, her friends start to fear for her sanity. To make matters worse, John left their financial affairs in a disastrous state. And when Hannah is dramatically fired from her latest producing gig, she finds herself in danger of losing her house, her daughter, and her mind.

One night, standing in her backyard under a majestic avocado tree, in the throes of grief, Hannah breaks down and asks, “Why?” The answer that comes back—Why not?—begins an astounding journey of discovery and transformation that leads Hannah to her own truly extraordinary life after death.

Praise for Gigi Levangie Grazer and The After Wife

“Hilariously funny and profoundly wise, The After Wife is for anyone who’s ever been married or widowed, in debt or in love. I could not put it down: a fabulous read!”—Nancy Thayer, author of Summer Breeze

“[Grazer is] a quick-witted beach book queen.”—The New York Times

“Jackie Collins with a sense of humor.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Grazer’s entertaining satire is sure to spice up any occasion.”—Publishers Weekly



The Bookish Dame Reviews :

Pardon me while I wonder what all the big hoopala is over this book!  It's funny and sassy for some, I get that, but it's such a farce about being widowed it bearly deserves a comparison to real life. I really disliked it.

To begin with we're brought into the happy bedroom scene where the protagonist and her soon-to-be-dead husband are enjoying a wonderful moment of marital bliss and where she is happily counting her blessings.  The next chapter, we're fighting off sentences, trite and meant to be hilarious about her gay worker/bff's idea of staging her beloved's funeral like a Liz Taylor entourage.  The book just deteriorates from there in my opinion. 

Of course, I guess I find nothing funny about the death of a husband and the aftermath.  Call me a stick in the mud.  I couldn't wrap my mind around how funny it was for a little girl to lose her daddy and wonder when he'd come back. 

This is a book, I think, for those who haven't experienced the loss of a loved one in their lives.  It's a book of jokes and funny takes on LA types...CA movie scene types...those who have a cavalier view of families or wives who have to live with the "after" of a dead spouse and father. Laughable?

Like I said, not my cup of tea....  A waste of my time.  I couldn't finish it.  Good to know Gigi Levangie Grazer hasn't been widowed, she'd never have written such a book if she were.  It's just not funny.

Deborah/The Bookish Dame

Read More

"What Happened To My Sister" by Elizabeth Flock

SUMMARY : 

From the author of Me & Emma comes a dazzling novel of two unforgettable families bound together by their deepest secrets and haunted pasts—perfect for fans of The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes and The Book of Bright Ideas.

 

Nine-year-old Carrie Parker and her mother, Libby, are making a fresh start in the small town of Hartsville, North Carolina, ready to put their turbulent past behind them. Violence has shattered their family and left Libby nearly unable to cope. And while Carrie once took comfort in her beloved sister, Emma, her mother has now forbidden even the mention of her name.

When Carrie meets Ruth, Honor, and Cricket Chaplin, these three generations of warmhearted women seem to have the loving home Carrie has always dreamed of. But as Carrie and Cricket become fast friends, neither can escape the pull of their families’ secrets—and uncovering the truth will transform the Chaplins and the Parkers forever.


PARTICULARS OF THE BOOK :
Published by:  Random House Publishing Group
Pages:  304
Author:  Elizabeth Flock
Genre:  General Fiction


ABOUT THE AUTHOR :
New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Flock is a former journalist who reported for Time and People magazines and worked as an on-air correspondent for CBS. She is the author of several acclaimed novels, including But Inside I’m Screaming and Me & Emma. She lives in New York City.


THE BOOKISH DAME'S REVIEW :

This is a tough one to review.  I found this novel a mixed bag, frankly.  It's one of those books that needs to sit with you a while before you get the total impact of it.  Told from the perspective of a child, the author takes the dialog completely to the format of a child's, making the reading disjointed and confusing in places. Very child-like. It often seemed ADHD propelled, as one of the characters was portrayed...though the main character who was telling the story wasn't supposed to be.  This made for an uncomfortable read.  I frankly didn't care for it.

What kept me reading was wondering what ever became of Emma, the "imaginary" or real little sister of protagonist Carrie.   And, I wanted to find out how on earth little Carrie would be rescued from her life of torture and abuse. 

Other than a shallow exploration of the dark dysfunction of her family, Carrie's NC "hill billie" background was never really integrated into her or her mother's characterization except for the occasional "ain't."   This was an opportunity missed, I thought, and could have led to a better developed story all together.

What was distressing and depressing about this book was the horrific and profuse details of physical assault and emotional abuse of a child.  Carrie is viciously abused by her mother and we read it in the most blistering of details time and again throughout the novel.  I found this to be just continuous and over done in the book.  Could have done with fewer examples and made the same point.

Other directions of the book such as the Ford's grandmother Chaplin's strange focus on being related to Charlie Chaplin and the manifestations of that were just bizarre!  I felt it had little bearing on the greater story being told.  Would have made for a much better book had it been left out completely.  I'm not sure if it was meant to lighten the otherwise horrendous downer of the book; to me, it just seemed silly in comparasion.

I had to skim the last nearly 100 pages to find out the resolution of the book.  It's not something I like to do, nor is it something I do on any sort of regular basis.  As I said, I only found myself doing it to find out what really happened to Emma and how they were going to get Carrie out of her abusive situation.

Do I recommend the book?  Not sure.  Maybe as a library borrow...   I warn that it does have explicit details of physical abuse of a child.


2 stars                              Deborah/TheBookishDame




  HERE'S AN EXCERPT:

CHAPTER ONE

Carrie Parker

If you’re reading this, I must be dead and maybe you’re going through this notebook hunting for clues. It always bugs me when I’m looking real hard for something and after a long time it turns up right under my nose where it was the whole time, so I’m going to tell you right here in the beginning all I know for certain. It may or may not make sense right now but who knows, maybe it will later on.

The first certain thing I know is that Richard’s not ever gonna hurt Momma again. The second thing is that I had a sister named Emma. Here’s what else I know: we were moving to my grandmother’s house but now we’re not. Momma says in the river of life I’m a brick in her pocket, and I’m not sure what that has to do with her changing her mind, but Momma is most assuredly not driving in the direction of Gammy’s house. So until I figure it all out, the number one most important thing you need to know so you can tell ever-body is that I, Caroline Parker, am not crazy.

I don’t care what anybody says—I’m not. I swear. People think I cain’t hear them say things when I’m in town like shh, shh, shh—there goes that Parker girl bless her crazy little heart but I’m not deaf, y’all. I’m just a kid. I’m not peculiar or crazy as an outhouse rat. And I’m gonna prove it once and for all. You wait and see. They’ll be lining up to say sorry and they’ll ask for a hug or something embarrassing like that but the best part’ll be when ever-body finally admits they’re wrong about me. I’m gonna do ever-thing right from now on. I’m gonna be like the other kids. I’m gonna be the best daughter in the whole wide universe—so good Momma’s not going to believe it. Just you wait and see.

Read More

"The Orchardist" by Amanda Coplin ~ Powerful Read!

SUMMARY : 
 

Publishers Weekly

The implacable hand of fate, and the efforts of a quiet, reclusive man to reclaim two young sisters from their harrowing past, are the major forces at play in this immensely affecting first novel. In a verdant valley in the Pacific Northwest during the early years of the 20th century, middle-aged Talmadge tends his orchards of plum, apricot, and apples, content with his solitary life and the seasonal changes of the landscape he loves. Two barely pubescent sisters, Jane and Della, both pregnant by an opium-addicted, violent brothel owner from whom they have escaped, touch Talmadge’s otherwise stoic heart, and he shelters and protects them until the arrival of the girls’ pursuers precipitates tragic consequences. Talmadge is left with one of the sisters, the baby daughter of the other, and an ardent wish to bring harmony to the lives entrusted to his care. Coplin relates the story with appropriate restraint, given Talmadge’s reserved personality, and yet manages to evoke a world where the effects of two dramatic losses play out within a strikingly beautiful natural landscape. In contrast to the brothel owner, Michaelson, the other characters in Talmadge’s community—an insightful, pragmatic midwife; a sensitive Nez Perce horse trader; a kindly judge—conduct their lives with dignity and wisdom. When Della fails to transcend the psychological trauma she’s endured, and becomes determined to wreak revenge on Michaelson, Talmadge turns unlikely hero, ready to sacrifice his freedom to save her. But no miracles occur, as Coplin refuses to sentimentalize. Instead, she demonstrates that courage and compassion can transform unremarkable lives and redeem damaged souls. In the end, “three graves side by side,” yet this eloquent, moving novel concludes on a note of affirmation. Agent: Bill Clegg, WME Entertainment. (Sept.)


ABOUT THE BOOK :
Publisher:  Harper Collins
Pages:  448
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Author  Amanda C


ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

Amanda Coplin was born in Wenatchee, Washington. She received her BA from the University of Oregon and MFA from the University of Minnesota. A recipient of residencies from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and the Omi International Arts Center at Ledig House in Ghent, New York, she lives in Portland, Oregon.

Find out more about her here:  Amanda Coplin


THE BOOKISH DAME REVIEWS :

A rare treasure of a novel.  "The Orchardist" is one of those you'll read like enjoying a box of chocolates...slowly, just to savor every morsel of the story and the fine writing.  This is a book you'll want to capture and keep on your shelves to recall days spent visualizing the orchards of Northwestern America, and the hearts of incredible characters that will live on in your mind.  I love family sagas when they're written by a gifted author who can drop you down in the setting and with the people of the story.  This is a novel like that.  You shouldn't miss it this year. 

Story development and plot are so absorbing.  I was tortured by the hard life and gentle heart of Talmadge, the orchardist, but more so by the background and broken spirits of Della and Jane, the girls who escaped unimaginable torment to find shelter like stray cats on his farm.  Their story is blindingly bear in its open wounds~vulnerable and raw with emotion.  I found myself cringing and crying with them at their most horrific, heartbreaking stops along the story.  Michaelson is a despicable antihero. What powerful writing!

Amanda Coplin is a young woman who is wise beyond her years.  She writes with such brilliance and imagination.  Her characters just breathe tension, love, hatred, vulnerability, wisdom and life.  It was a wonderful experience to read her book.

Highly recommended to everyone.  This is a powerful novel of love and redemption.

5 stars             Deborah/TheBookishDame


"The Orchardist" is available here:  Barnes and Noble

Read More

"River's End" by Melody Carlson ~ Inspired Fiction

SUMMARY :

Anna’s dream of a successful river inn is fully realized, but her family is still fractured—until forgiveness, patience, and unfailing love merge their lives back together again.

Long Description:

In the final story of the Inn at Shining Waters, Anna’s granddaughter Sarah is struggling to find herself. And in an attempt to escape her parents’ dysfunctional lives, Sarah travels away from all that is familiar. But her grandmother’s love and the pull of the river draw Sarah back. Still it’s not an easy journey to find the healing and forgiveness that’s needed to reunite and strengthen this broken family together again.

288 pages

You can visit Melody online at www.melodycarlson.com.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

I was recently honored in Chicago with the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Receiving this award made me stop and look back over my writing “career” and I found it hard to believe that I’ve been writing (professionally) for more than twenty years. How is that even possible? Before I got serious about writing I tended to flit from one “career” to the next. I never lasted at one thing for more than a few years. Although I learned a lot of interesting things in my diverse occupations, I could never find something I loved doing enough to imagine doing it for the rest of my life. However, I had always loved writing. I just never dreamed I could make a career of it. And even now—with more than 200 books published and more than five million books sold—I am more amazed than anyone. How did that happen?

One book at a time. Just like so many other things in life, one step at a time, one day at a time, this writing career happened one book at a time for me. And it continues to do so.

I’m the first one to admit that it’s amazing to do what you love for a living. And I feel very blessed that I can do that. But it’s only because of you (my readers) that I’m able to write as a livelihood. The connection we have—and I experience this connection regularly through the fabulous emails and letters I receive—is what really keeps me going. I love hearing your reactions to my stories and characters, and I so appreciate you taking the time to write to me. Thank you—thank you—thank you! On the same token, I want to thank every single one of you (even the ones who don’t write to me) for reading my books. That too is part of our connection. And I hope in the next twenty years that we will continue to stay connected.

I try to keep up with the emails and letters and facebook messages, but because I’m always working on a new book, it’s very easy to get behind. Like right now...I am way behind. But I hope you know that as I write new books, creating new characters with new problems, I am thinking of you and I’m hoping that I’m making something you’ll enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing.

 

 

Visit her website at www.melodycarson.com.

 

 

Ms Carlson Visits A Bookish Libraria with a Guest Post :

Question:                       Does life imitate art?

 

I love how my art sometimes imitates life and life imitates art, and I’m surprised at how many times I write a book and later on find almost the exact things occurring in my own life. Or occasionally they are happening even before, but I just never put two and two together. I experienced this recently in the book River’s End.

 

While writing the final book in my Inn at Shining Waters trilogy, which is inspired by a real location (the Siuslaw River in Oregon) I was trying to find out where the coastal river had originally entered the ocean (back before the late 1800’s when the river’s jetties were built to make smoother passage for ship traffic). I wanted to know where the ‘river’s end’ had been because something very special was happening in the book at the river’s end. I’d tell you, but that would give away part of the story.

 

Anyway, I drove up and down the road that goes along the river and the jetties, but the best I could do was guess. Then shortly after I finished the book, I was privileged to enjoy a biplane ride and while in the air, the pilot was pointing out various spots of geographical interest. And straight out of the blue (literally) he showed me where the original route of the river had traveled to the sea—and I could see it from the air. To my delighted surprise, I discovered that the river used to end right beside where our little beach cabin is located—right where I’d written most of River’s End.

 

At the time my husband, who had completely rebuilt this cabin, was just finishing up an addition (a small sunroom) and I decided to call that space the River’s End. To honor the Siuslaw (both the river and tribe) I used Native American inspired décor and photographs to complete the room. Now I don’t want to give too much away, but if you read River’s End, you’ll discover how spot-on that was to the story—and yet I missed it while writing. But there it was life imitating art imitating life....

 

Thank you for sharing this insight into your writing, Melody!

 

More About Melody: 

Melody Carlson is one of the most prolific novelists of our time. With around 200 books published and sales topping 5 million, she writes primarily for women and teens. She’s won numerous honors and awards, including The Rita, The Gold Medallion and Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Some of her books are being considered for TV movies and film.

 

Find another of her books in this series called "River's Call"

 

 

 

Pick up your copy of River’s End at Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Rivers-End-Shining-Water-Series/dp/142671274X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1346430774&sr=8-4&keywords=melody+carlson

 

Pick up your copy directly from the publisher:  http://abingdonpress.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=7212

 

Book Excerpt:

Despite halcyon skies and only a slight sea breeze, the air felt chilly today. Or maybe it was just her. Anna pulled her cardigan more tightly around her as she looked out over the sparkling river. Perched on the hand-hewn log bench, she stared blankly toward the river and surveying her old faithful dugout canoe, let out a long weary sigh. She’d gotten up extra early this morning. Planning to paddle the Water Dove upriver, she’d wanted to soak in the sunshine, breathe the fresh summer air, clear the cobwebs from her head, and gather her strength for the day.
She’d imagined paddling hard and steady upstream and finally, after her arms grew tired, she would turn the canoe around and allow the river’s current to carry her back home…back to Clark and Lauren and the Inn at Shining Waters. But now she felt it was useless…futile even. She simply didn’t have the strength to pull the dugout down the riverbank and into the water. Planting her elbows on her knees she leaned forward and buried her face in her hands. A praying position, and yet she had no words. Nothing left to pray. Already she felt emotionally drained and it was still early morning. How would she ever make it through this painful day…her beloved granddaughter’s eighteenth birthday? It didn’t seem possible that Sarah would’ve been eighteen by now.
More than two years had passed since Sarah had vanished from their lives. As far as they knew she’d run off with her boyfriend Zane. She’d only been sixteen—just a child—and yet old for her years. Anna had tried to appear strong, hoping that eventually Sarah would return to them. In the meantime, she put her energies into working hard alongside Clark and Lauren. The three of them, connected in their silent grief, cooperated with each other as they kept the inn going and thriving, making constant improvements, increasing the business, faithfully serving the never-ending roster of eager guests.
It was for the sake of these guests, and even more so for her family, that Anna had maintained a positive outlook as she went through her daily routines. But beneath her veneer of hopeful confidence, the concerns for her granddaughter’s welfare had dwelled in the shadows. How was it possible that Sarah had so completely disappeared? Without a word—not a single letter or phone call—the sixteen year old had seemingly vanished from the face of the earth. And for two years, despite her family’s best efforts to locate her, Sarah was not to be found. What did it mean?
Anna’s unspoken fear was that Sarah had come to serious harm…that perhaps she was even dead. Otherwise, she surely would’ve contacted them. At least, Clark had said early on, she would’ve contacted Anna. Because, as he pointed out, the bond between Anna and her granddaughter had always been a strong one—symbiotic. Besides that, Anna felt it uncharacteristic for Sarah to be so selfish and inconsiderate to cut them off so completely. Even in adolescence and amidst her parents’ marital troubles, Sarah had been thoughtful and mature. She wasn’t the sort of person to intentionally put others through such pain and misery. As hard as it was to face it, the only logical explanation was that something had happened to the girl. Something tragic.
Still, no one ever voiced these mute terrors. Saying the words out loud would make it seem too real. And so Anna and the others had clung to the hope that Sarah was alive…that she had simply chosen to separate herself from her family and that someday she would return. But as months passed, and as one year slipped into the next, Sarah’s name was spoken much less frequently. And if her name was mentioned, there was always an uncomfortable pause that followed…a quiet awkward moment would linger before the conversation resumed itself.
But realistically—as painful as it would be—it might be easier if they were informed Sarah was actually deceased. At least they could properly grieve for her then. They could hold a memorial service to remember her and to celebrate the years of her life that had been so sweet…so innocent…so pure. Perhaps they might even build a monument of sorts…at the very least a special plaque or carved stone—they could set it right here by the river and it would be a quiet place where they could come to think and to grieve and to remember Sarah’s short but beautiful life in their midst.
Anna sat up straight now, gazing out over the river again. But in lieu of the crisp and clear diamond sparkles on the surface, she now saw a blurry watercolor image instead. It all looked murky and distorted…and hot tears ran freely down her cheeks. She hated to be weak like this…to give into this kind of sadness and despair. But it all seemed so senseless…so unfair…that a grandmother should outlive her granddaughter. It was just wrong. She pressed her lips together, using the palms of her hands to wipe away her tears. This would not do. She had to remain strong today.

Read More

"Tame A Wild Bride" by Cynthia Woolf~Wild Western!

SUMMARY : 

Rosie Stanton climbed on a west-bound train to answer his ad for a wife and mother, everything she wants to be.  But Tom Harris lied.  He doesn’t want a wife, merely a mother for his two abandoned children and a cook and cleaner for his ranch.

​

Betrayed once, he’s vowed never to let another woman into his heart.  Sexy Rosie upsets all his plans and threatens to invade his scarred heart.  How will he maintain his vow to keep his hands off her as she charms his children, his cow hands, his life?

ABOUT THE BOOK :

Release Date: July 31, 2012

Pages:  267

​Genre: Romance, Western

Formats:Kindle/Nook/Paperback
Purchase:  Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Bride-western-romance-Series-ebook/dp/B008QNVC14/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344622476&sr=8-1&keywords=tame+a+wild+bride

Author's Website Link: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog Link: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog

GETTING TO KNOW CYNTHIA BETTER :

Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden.  She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

​

She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write.  Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates.  She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories.  In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. 

​

Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded the she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years. In 2001, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she'd attend.  One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker.  Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing.  She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn't looked back.


A BOOKISH LIBRARIA IS HAPPY TO BRING YOU THIS GUEST POST!

What Inspired Me to Write My Book

by Cynthia Woolf

I started this series because of the way my parents met.  Dad was a cowboy on a working ranch that also catered to people to stay there.  It wasn’t like a dude ranch because there weren’t activities as such.  No participating in cattle drives or anything like that.  It was just a place for people to come and stay.

My mother was a nurse made to a young boy with asthma.  Today they would call her a nanny.  Anyway, she and the boy came up for the summer to the ranch in Creede from Texas.  The boy could breath better in the drier air, cleaner air that was to be found at the altitude of Creede.

There was a dancehall across the road from the ranch.  Mother attended one night and met Dad.  They saw each other for the summer then Mother had to return to Texas with her young charge.  She and Dad wrote back and forth for several months.  Dad finally asked Mom to marry him.  She came up to Creede and stayed with Dad’s brother and sister-in-law for the night.  They drove to Taos the next day and got married.  That was in March of 1942.

The ranch in Creede is where I set my first Tame book, Tame A Wild Heart.  My new book isn’t at the ranch itself but is in the same valley as the first one. 

Creede is a beautiful part of the country.  High in the mountains, it was a silver mining town until the boom went bust.  Somehow it managed to survive and is now a thriving little community will lots of shops in the storefronts from the 1890’s. 

I took my mother back with me when I was doing the research for the book.  The ranch still looked the same to her.  She pointed out the buildings and what they used to be, like the ice house.  The brother of the owners of the ranch when Mom was there was still living on a home next to the ranch.  It still has people who come up for the summer, many with standing reservations each year.

The year following our visit, the widow of the brother donated the ranch to Mineral County for open space, meaning that it will never be developed into houses and will always be there for the enjoyment of the people of Mineral County and visitors like me.

 

 

THE BOOKISH DAME REVIEWS :

 

 

It's been a very long time since I've read a real western novel so I thought I'd give this one a try when Black Lion Virtual Books presented it to me.  I'm glad I did.  It took me on a nostalgic trip to my younger days...John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara...old western movies and when times were simpler and love was love. 

 

Cynthia Woolf is a born storyteller in the old-fashioned sense.  She's one who knows how to grip you from the first pages and carry you through without giving you a minute to draw your breath.  I literally read this book in one sitting.  It moves in lightening speed! 

 

Her plot is not complicated but her main characters are.  Rosie is a woman any of us would be proud to know and call a role model.  Tom's sexiness bleeds through...  I liked him, lots!!!

 

While this is not a book with a serious story line or a deep secret to tell, it is; nevertheless, very entertaining to read.  As I said above, it took me on a very happy trip to my younger days and I liked that.

 

For lovers of Harlequin Romance novels set in the west, this is the perfect book!

 

3 stars for a fun read.             Deborah/TheBookishDame

 

 

 

Please follow "Tame A Wild Bride's" virtual book tour via Black Lion Virtual Book Tours
here:

 

Tame a Wild Bride by Cynthia Woolf (Full Tour)

http://www.blackliontours.com/#!tame-a-wild-bride-tours/cnvp

Sept 24 - Reviews by Molly/review

Sept 26 - The Bookish Dame/review and guest post

Sept 27 - Nothing Better than a Book/review

Sept 28 - Cait Lavender, Cowgirl Writer/review
Sept 29 - Black Lion Tour Blog/wrap-up

 

Read More

"Bride of New France" by Suzanne Desrochers

SUMMARY :  Transporting readers from cosmopolitan seventeenth-century Paris to the Canadian frontier, this vibrant debut tells of the struggle to survive in a brutal time and place. Laure Beausejour has been taken from her destitute family and raised in an infamous orphanage to be trained as a lace maker. Striking and willful, she dreams of becoming a seamstress and catching the eye of a nobleman. But after complaining about her living conditions, she is sent to Canada as a fille du roi, expected to marry a French farmer there. Laure is shocked by the primitive state of the colony and the mingling of the settlers with the native tribes. When her ill-matched husband leaves her alone in their derelict hut for the winter, she must rely on her wits and her clandestine relationship with an Iroquois man for survival.

PARTICULARS OF THE BOOK :
Published by:  W.W. Norton & Company
Pages:  288
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Author:  Suzanne Desrochers
Purchase the book:  Barnes and Noble


ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

Suzanne Desrochers, of French Canadian descent, is writing a PhD thesis at King's College, London, on the migration of women to North America.  She lives in Toronto.


THE BOOKISH DAME REVIEWS:

Oh, I really loved this book!  First of all, who wouldn't love the cover?  It spoke to me from the book shelf...  The woman's profile so mysterious and dark and then edged all around like a cut out, gilt paper snowflake.  I had to pick it up. 

And listen to the first quote inside:

                 "But what shall I tell you of migrations when in this empty sky
                               the precise ghosts of departed summer birds
                                                still trace old signs."

                                                                                      Leonard Cohen
                                                            "The Sparrows," In Let Us Compare Mythologies

Poetic and beautiful?  Yes, and so is the book.


Suzanne Desrochers doesn't write like a novelist, particularly.  She's obviously a researcher who is working on her thesis, as is expressed right up front.  But what she has is a heart for her research material.  She has a sensibility for it, and she's translated that to her story in a most magnificent way. 

While her plot development rests safely in the hands of history, Ms Desrocher is called upon to create the life of her protagonist Laure Beausejour within the confines of the times in Paris and then in Montreal in its savage and New World days.  The story is absorbing in fine details of the asylum Laure has to bear as a child, the ship she must sail in and her ultimate sufferings as a lonely and mistreated wife in the barrens of Canada.

What's lacking in this otherwise gorgeous novel is real heart and emotion.  It really pains me to say that I didn't feel the strong emotions that should have been evoked from some of the dire circumstances presented.  There were many examples of human suffering, and several examples where great love and passion are told.  But the maturity of writing that would cause a reader not just to read about these passions, but to actually experience them along with the characters was missing in this book.  I chalk it up to being a debut novel from a very brilliant student of migration of women to North America.   She had lovable characters in mind and a great story to tell about them, but the heart of the emotions seemed difficult to pull off in every case.  Sometimes it did work, but many opportunities were missed.

The author shows much promise in this book, however.  I loved reading the story.  It was beautiful and absorbing as a tale of hardship and love...the struggles of women in the early days of populating North America.  Days when sailing across the Atlantic was as dangerous as flying to the moon, and the prospect of finding a husband in Canada was as frightening as finding one in Afghanistan.  My heart went out to Laure, her darling friend and her heroic lover.

This is a book well worth the reading.  I'm so glad I took a chance on it.  I highly recommend it, and I hope Ms Desrochers will continue with her novel writing.  She shows great promise!  I'll be buying her next book...

PS:  Lovers of needlework will love the references to Laure and her handwork in this book!!

4.5 stars              Deborah/TheBookishDame

Read More

GIVEAWAY!! "Dream Lover" by Suzanne Jenkins~Romance With A Kick!

SUMMARY :  

Kirkus Reviews

A man's infidelity rocks the lives of many New York women five months after his death, as former lovers discover that he was infected with more than just an electric personality. Jenkins' sequel to Don't You Forget About Me explores a new set of women linked to financial giant Jack Smith. Pam Smith, grieving her husband's death, suffers the haunting news that she is infected with AIDS. She searches for a way to cope with the pain Jack caused as she comforts the other women Jack infected during their estranged marriage. A cast of sympathetic characters filters in and out of the Smith household, illustrating the complexity of a marriage that seemed tranquil on the surface but was furious and unpredictable underneath. More than six women, including Pam's sister, Marie, and Jack's co-worker Sandra, had affairs with Jack. Pam, meanwhile, cannot help but wonder why she is extending herself to those who deceived her, taking on the responsibility Jack should have endured had he lived to see his own path of destruction. Jenkins blends Pam's omniscient narration with monologues from each of the secondary characters, providing resolution and a range of perspectives on Jack, Pam and life with AIDS. While each character brings his or her own drama and complexity, they unite in a blend of love and hate for the toxic yet irresistible Jack. Jenkins shows the reader all sides of Jack, even the tender and vulnerable: Maryanne, one of Jack's girlfriends, has a daughter with birth defects, with whom Jack had a close relationship and for whom he established a large trust fund. A gritty, realistic portrait of the aftermath of deceit.


PARTICULARS OF THE BOOK :
Published by:  CreateSpace
Pages:  317 paperback
Author website: Suzanne Jenkins
Find her book on:  Amazon

MORE ABOUT SUZANNE :

I live in the west Michigan lakeshore area with my husband of forty-three years, who is a saint, by the way, and two dogs: Nicky, an elderly Boston terrier, and Oscar, a six-year-old mixed shepherd-type doggie. We have two aged sheep, Spot and Slick, cousins from New Jersey.

She's fast at work on other novels!!


The Dame's Review :

Well, Suzanne's done it again with more of the saga of Babylon and Jack's very prolific love life...which was heretofore unbeknownst to his devoted wife Pam.  I read this book in the same wonder I read her previous novel "Pam of Babylon" which I reviewed  a couple of months ago.
This one is the third book in the series, and it has only gotten more detailed and better as it's gone along!

The only thing I still can't realistically grasp is how Jack got away with having so many lovers and how poor Pam could be so willing to continue to accept them into her home for their explanations and "pouring out of their hearts."  I was widowed and the only thing I would do if it happened to me would be to be very curious about the whole thing.  Otherwise, I'd never have the openness and willingness to be a "mother nature" that Pam seems to be in all of Suzanne's books.  This is something I've found hard to swallow in her novels.  Really makes me cringe at some of the lovers.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the writing and reading about Jack's exploits and how he managed to budget time with his many affairs of the heart and lust.  Just amazing juggling acts!  I personally found him a reprehensible character.  But, I loved the characters of Pam and Maryanne.  Particularly Maryanne who was a champion from the start in her innocence and willingness to do the right thing once she found out about the philandering Jack.

For those of us who love to follow a book that's juicy without being too sexually explicit, this is the one for you.  Suzanne Jenkins writes a very interesting and entertaining book.  Although I'm not a fan of Jack's, I think it's interesting that I care enough to dislike him.  Which only means that he's real to me!  That's how well she writes.

4 stars                 Deborah/TheBookishDame

GIVEAWAY!!!

 

Win a copy of "Pam of Babylon" and "Dream Lover"

 

Just follow me on GFC on the Sidebar at the right...

 

and leave your email address

 

 

GIVEAWAY  ENDS  SEPT. 30th!!!   So Hurry!

 

US and Canada only, please

 

Read More

Kindle Fire Giveaway!! "The Angel and The Brown-Eyed Boy: Tales From Earth's End" by Sandy Nathan



 

SUMMARY:  Tomorrow morning, a nuclear holocaust will destroy the planet. Two people carry the keys to survival: A teenage boy and an intergalactic traveler.

By the late 22nd century, the Great Recession of the early 2000s has lead to a worldwide police state. A ruined United States barely functions. Government control masks chaos, dissenters are sent to camps, and technology is outlawed. War rages while the authorities proclaim the Great Peace.

Finally it all breaks down. We’re in New York City on the eve of nuclear Armageddon. In the morning, ultimate destructive forces will wipe out all life on earth. Only Jeremy Edgarton, a 16-year-old, tech genius and revolutionary; and Eliana, the angelic, off-world traveler sent to Earth on a mission to prevent her planet’s death, can save the world.  Join Eliana and Jeremy as they begin a quest to save two doomed planets … and find each other.

You can visit Sandy online at www.SandyNathan.com.

 

A BOOKISH LIBRARIA WELCOMES MS NATHAN WITH THIS GUEST POST :

WHAT MAKES VISIONARY FICTION VISIONARY?

Sandy Nathan  © 8/28/2012

 

I write visionary fiction. A while back, I was surprised when one of my books was reviewed as science fiction. And then it happened again, and again. Earlier, my book Numenonwas reviewed as fantasy. I was shocked. To me, it was a write up of my meditation experience.

Now, I don’t really care. You can read my books as whatever you want, be it sci-fi, fantasy, or visionary.  Even so, I’d like you to know how I define visionary fiction and what about my books puts them in that category.

To me, visionary fiction rests on a core of moral principle. St. Thomas Aquinas’ famous maxim, “Do good and avoid evil,” spells it out about as clearly as it gets. Visionary fiction contains a moral core and a belief in the ability of individuals and society to evolve in a positive fashion, overcoming evil and generally setting the world right.

Does this mean that visionary fiction is by nature a Polly-Anna-ish or The Secret-ishexercise in “Keep up a cheery front and everything will be groovy in the sweet bye and bye”?

Some visionary fiction fits that mold and has been very well received by readers. This includes some of the best-known examples of the genre. That “happy ever after” quality fits the needs and expectations of many readers.

But! What if you aren’t the typical reader? What if you want a message with a wallop? A message with teeth, that addresses the hard issues you face in your life?

I’m like that. I hate anything easy, simpering, obvious, trite, and watered-down. My writing reflects my preferences. It contains violence, sexual situations, strong language, and doesn’t give away its ending until it ends. Happy endings are not guaranteed in my work. I’d give my novels an R rating if they were movies. (Though they’re way, way less violent than stuff I’ve seen on TV and in the movies. Like the TV series 24 and the smash hit book and movie, The Hunger Games.)

So what about this? Is my work visionary fiction? Should I make it sweeter or tone it down? Call it something else?

I’d like to share a story with you. I was at a meditation retreat a few years back. Some of us participants had corralled one of the monks in a hallway between meditation sessions and bombarded him with questions.

Someone asked, “Why do some people have very calm and undramatic spiritual paths, whereas other people have huge spiritual experiences and their lives go up and down and all over the place?”

The monk answered with something like, “Different people have different lives and spiritual needs. Some people live very quiet lives. They have spiritual realizations that are subtle and deep. Their spiritual experiences reflect this. They may be very profound, but they’re not showy. These people are absolutely on a spiritual path. They get what they need in quiet ways.”

On the other hand, he said, “Some people’s spiritual experiences are huge––dramatic lights, visions, voices, feeling like the hand of God has reached down to re-orientate their lives. These experiences fit the personalities of the people having them. Their lives are often tumultuous. They may have had abusive or traumatic experiences to overcome.

“The various types of spiritual experience fit the people who have them. One isn’t better than the other.  If you have subtle experiences, you don’t have to long for a whopper. Whatever experience you have is fine. The important thing is that you live in such a way that you have the experiences.”

That was one of the most useful teachings I’ve ever gotten. I am a person who has very large spiritual experiences, usually in connection with trauma or loss. I’ve always wanted to be one of those contained, tranquil, angelic babes that you see floating around in spiritual circles.

But it just isn’t me. That isn’t how my soul operates or my artistic vision, either. Years ago, I produced sculpture. Dynamic, emotion-filled pieces that won prizes in art shows. I longed to produce something gentle. I did, too! One piece. That was it.

When I began writing, my work was illuminated by spirit and filled with light. Also some of the nastiest bad guys and most hideous situations you’ll ever see. Jungians call that working on the dark side, and prize it. Some critics of my work haven’t been so kind.

The thing is, we write what we’re given. I have lived through some situations so horrifying that I will never talk about them. Directly. My fiction is a way of working through my emotional debris. It’s not always bright and shiny. It may not show humanity pointing in an upward direction––right then.

But the moral core is there, and so is my abiding belief that at least some of us are on the good road. The road of spirit and light.

Some people needthe grittier type of material I write. My work is for people who have been impacted by alcoholism, drug abuse, or mental illness. This could be their own illness, addiction, or disease or what they’ve had to face due to evil perpetrated upon them by others. My writing is for those lovely, blissful souls who have the smooth path, but like a thrill now and then. It’s also for those of us who know the other side.

It’s for those who know what can happen, and also know that the scars can be erased and the trauma overcome if you’re willing to work.

So that’s the source of my stories.

About Sandy Nathan:

Sandy Nathanwrites to amaze and delight, uplift and inspire, as well as thrill and occasionally terrify. She is known for creating unforgettable characters and putting them in do or die situations. She writes in genres ranging from science fiction, fantasy, and visionary fiction to juvenile nonfiction to spirituality and memoir.

“I write for people who like challenging, original work. My reader isn’t satisfied by a worn-out story or predictable plot. I do my best to give my readers what they want.”

Mrs. Nathan’s books have won twenty-two national awards, including multiple awards from oldest, largest, and most prestigious contests for independent publishers. Her books have earned rave critical reviews and customer reviews of close to five-star averages on Amazon. Most are Amazon bestsellers.

Sandy was born in San Francisco, California. She grew up in the hard-driving, achievement orientated corporate culture of Silicon Valley. Sandy holds Master’s Degrees in Economics and Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling. She was a doctoral student at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and has been an economic analyst, businesswoman, and negotiation coach, as well as author.

Mrs. Nathan lives with her husband on their California ranch. They bred Peruvian Paso horses for almost twenty years. She has three grown children and two grandchildren.

Her latest books are The Angel & the Brown-Eyed Boy, Lady Grace: A Thrilling Adventure Wrapped in the Embrace of Epic Loveand Sam & Emily: A Love Story from the Underground,which are all part of the Tales from Earth’s End series.

You can visit her website at www.sandynathan.com.

Visit her blogs: http://sandranathan.netand http://yourshelflife.com(blog for writers)  http://talesfromearthsend.com (series blog)

Follow her on Twitter:  www.twitter.com/sandyonathan

Friend her on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/sandy.nathan.author

To purchase a paperback copy of Sandy Nathan’s The Angel & the Brown-eyed Boy at Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Brown-eyed-Boy-Sandy-Nathan/dp/0976280906

Purchase at Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-angel-the-brown-eyed-boy-sandy-nathan/1028502802?ean=9780976280903

"The Angel and the Brown-Eyed Boy" is~

Winner of Four National Awards:

●        2011 IPPY (Independent Press) Award Gold Medal in Visionary Fiction.

●        2011 Indie Excellence Award in Visionary Fiction (Winner of Catergory)

●        Best Books of 2011, USA Book News:

1. Winner, New Age Fiction
2. Finalist Fantasy/Sci-Fi

308 pages

You can visit Sandy online at www.SandyNathan.com.

Book Excerpt:

When the girl appeared on the sidewalk, the edges of her body and clothing were fuzzy, as though all of her hadn’t arrived. She looked up and down the street, the way a person would if she’d forgotten an address or lost her way.
Her hair was frizzed and matted, sticking out akimbo. She was thin, had a dirty face, and wore a scratchy coat that was far too big. Its sleeves were rounded little capes; her arms stuck out of them like chopsticks protruding from a napkin. The coat slipped off her shoulders, first to one side, then the other. She hitched it up and kept walking. When she walked, the coat opened to reveal her feet and lower legs.
Her thin socks, trimmed with grayed lace, were pulled up to make a ruffle below her knees. Pink satin laces held up the socks, their Xs snaking up her shins from her shoes. She looked pretty much like everyone she saw, except for her shoes. Long pink ballet slippers stuck out from beneath her coat, as improbable as roses sprouting from the cement.
Eliana made her way along the sidewalk, knowing that she was dirty, feeling the grit in her hair and on her skin. When she had reached the planet’s atmosphere, clothes and all sorts of things had rushed at her with great force, tossing her over and over. Dirt had come, too. She had found the clothes she needed and put them on the way her teachers had shown her. Then her people had put her where she was.
Humans passed, but no one stopped or said anything to her. A paper blew against her leg. More dirty papers blew and piled up everywhere. Streaked and grimy buildings rose near her. Writing in different colors covered their walls. She looked carefully, but couldn’t make out the words. She’d learned to read and write English, but those words mystified her.
“Hey, you!” a person said loudly.
“Yes?” She spoke to a human for the first time, politely bowing. The human was dirty like Eliana, with torn clothes and matted hair. She couldn’t tell if it was a he or a she.
“Get out of here!” the ragged person shouted. “You don’t belong here.” Eliana cowered, but the stranger rushed past her, clawing at something Eliana couldn’t see. “Stay away,” the human said, and then stood with feet braced, shouting, “Get out of here, all of you. Stay away!” The human hadn’t seen Eliana at all.
The girl realized that her people were right; they had put her where no one would notice her. Now she needed to tell them that she had arrived. She raised one foot, turning it gracefully and resting it easily on the other knee. She flicked the shoe with her finger, listening. A trill of clear notes deep within her brought the hint of a smile. She held the coat closed and stood still. She was where she was supposed to be. It had begun.
She fingered the piece of paper in her pocket. Her map. Beneath it, in the pocket’s depths, was the notebook. What was written on it would get her where she needed to go. She had all she needed.
She walked a long way along the hard path. More humans passed her. To her left, gray, inert structures rose high in the sky, blocking the sun. She touched the see-through parts of their lower levels, looking at the humans inside. They looked at each other with darting eyes, speaking rapidly. Everyone outside rushed frantically, noticing nothing. They didn’t see her, just as her people had said.
Eliana choked when a very large carrier passed, spewing a foul odor. The carrier floated above the hard surface where the vehicles moved. Her teachers had told her about the floating. Though she couldn’t see it, a force lived under the machines that made them go. It would kill her if it touched her. She didn’t know what kill meant; kill did not exist in her world. Her mother had explained that she would be like a dead pet. She had seen dead pets before they whisked them away. Motionless husks. She moved away quickly. Better get on with her purpose. She didn’t have much time.
A man with a round stomach and a gray hat walked out of an opening in the ground with many others. He walked like he had a mission. His coat was the same scratchy stuff as hers, but it was buttoned up and looked new. He looked new; his face was ruddy and clean. His shoes reflected the pale sunlight. The trill of notes resounded in her mind once again.
He was the one! She stood in front of him to make him stop. She hoped he could comprehend her speech.
“Will you help me?” she said, working to form the strange words.

 

 

 

Rafflecopter for Kindle Fire Giveaway :  Visit http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/08/28/pump-up-your-book-presents-tales-from-earths-end-virtual-book-publicity-tour-kindle-fire-giveaway/  to fill out the form!!!

 

 

Good Luck to my readers!!! 



Read More