Posted in Book Release, fiction, Interview, women on March 20, 2024

 

 

Synopsis

 

In this heartfelt story about how the places we run from hold the answers to our deepest challenges, the death of her grandmother brings a young woman home, where she must face the past in order to become the heir of not just the family restaurant, but her own destiny.

Violeta Sanoguera had always done what she was told. She left the man she loved in Colombia in pursuit of a better life for herself and because her mother and grandmother didn’t approve of him. Chasing dreams of education and art in New York City, and with a new love, twenty-eight-year-old Violeta establishes a new life for herself, on her terms. But when her grandmother suddenly dies, everything changes.

After years of being on her own in NYC, Violeta finds herself on a plane back to Colombia, accompanied at all times by the ghost of her grandmother who is sending her messages and signs, to find she is the heir of the failing family restaurant, the very one Abuela told her to run from in the first place. The journey leads her to rediscover her home, her grandmother, and even the flame of an old love.

 

 

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Praise

 

“From the moment Vi stepped off the plane in Barranquilla, I felt as if I had come along for the journey. The wonderful descriptions of the town, its people, and Caminito’s traditional Colombian dishes made me wish I was visiting for real. I especially enjoyed the supernatural element to this emotional story about going back home to discover who you were always meant to be.” ―Annette Chavez Macias, bestselling author of Big Chicas Don’t Cry

The Waves Take You Home is a tender, generous novel that sings with the rhythms of family, food, and love. A warm and wise meditation on the ghosts of lives unlived that challenges familiar immigrant narratives and resounds with the voices of three unforgettable women. María Alejandra Barrios Vélez conjured a world I didn’t want to leave.” ―Katie Gutierrez, national bestselling author of More Than You’ll Ever Know

“It’s hard to put down an international love triangle, especially one featuring ghosts and a quest to save a family’s legacy set along the Caribbean coast! Every page in The Waves Take You Home sizzles with life and lush descriptions. I grew nostalgic as I read for the sights and smells of Colombian street food and culture. It’s a love story, deeply invested in all the ways love defines us―love for family, childhood crushes, tradition, and especially a well-cooked meal.” ―Adriana E. Ramírez, author of Dead Boys, winner of the PEN Fusion Award, and author of the forthcoming novel The Violence

 

 

Interview with Maria

 

 

What inspired you to write THE WAVES TAKE YOU HOME?

 

In 2020, my Abuela’s health declined, as she started to lose her battle with cancer. Due to the pandemic, I couldn’t visit Colombia and say goodbye. My worst fear had happened, and I was left with immense grief. My Abuela, and her stories, were central to my life and shaped my vision of the world. For me, she represented home and although I had left Colombia, it remained in my heart.

The idea for a novel started to take shape during that year as I reflected on how my relationship to my Abuela and her memory would live on. After she died, I was left with the idea of her as a ghost. Not in the classic sense, but she remained someone with whom I constantly spoke. I would wonder what she would do or how she would react to a situation, and sometimes I could sense her by my side. I wanted this book to embody that idea, that you always carry your ancestors with you, and even if you can’t see them, they’re still rooting for you.

I also knew in my bones I wanted this book to be inspired by the stories of the women in my family, and I wanted it to be centered around my interests and what I knew. Like Toni Morrison said, I wanted to write the book I wanted to read. So, I started writing about a family of women, food, cooking, Barranquilla and New York. This is what I knew. I also wanted to write about what scared me, and the feeling that my two lives were growing farther away from each other and the repercussions of this pull. There’s an immense amount of sacrifice with the decision of choosing one life instead of the other.

 

Doña Emilia, Vi’s Abuela, is central to the plot of the story. What do you think is the role of the matriarch in the book?

 

The matriarch in many Latin American cultures is everything. She is the center of the family, the decision maker, the voice of reason and warnings, and a representation of the past; how a particular family unit has lived until now. I think Doña Emilia is the key in acknowledging what has come before for these characters (a past of heartbreak, fear, and struggle), but she is also the one who ultimately leads Vi to examine her life and her choices, and to encourage Vi not repeat the mistakes she made.

 

Generational trauma is another theme discussed in THE WAVES TAKE YOU HOME. Why is this theme important to address?

 

It’s interesting because as I get ready for the book launch, I’ve been reflecting on my writing path. I didn’t grow up writing consistently like many other writers do, and I wasn’t a good reader until I was fourteen or so. But I was always a good listener.

My Abuela would tell me stories about her life, and the life of women in our family. And these stories were always so complete in my head, like the classic tragedies: they were stories with a beginning, a middle, and an end and with one single message: that’s what you get for trusting, for being a pendeja. There are stories about us and our families that we are always listening to, and that lead us to believe things about who we are, and who we could become. It makes it seem like we’re trapped in these ideas and concepts that sometimes aren’t the right fit.

I wanted to show the stories in the Sanoguera family that they tell each other, and I wanted Vi to confront them in order to finally ask a question that we sometimes never ask: What do I think? And what do I believe to be true? And now that I know that, how will I respond?

 

How did you approach the magical realism in the story? What was it like creating a ghost as a character?

 

I grew up surrounded by ghost stories. My Abuela was my best friend, and my caretaker during the day when I was a child. She would tell me all kinds of stories, but my favorite kind would involve ghosts. She had a very matter-of-fact way of talking about ghosts, as if they existed and were just another fact of life.

The greats of magical realism Allende, Marquez, Esquivel, always approach the magical elements in the story as they are, not as something to explain or dissect. Staying true to my Abuela, and my own family history, I also didn’t want to explain it. I was more interested in the readers feeling alongside Vi. I should add that this is the way of my culture. We tell ghost stories with interest and curiosity, without worrying about convincing the audience if they are real or not.

 

There are so many delicious dishes featured in the book! Are these family recipes? What made you decide to include them in your debut novel?

 

Yes! My Abuela’s side of the family is from Spain, and one of the things that was passed down from that heritage was the food. I grew up at my Bisabuela and Abuela’s side watching them cook sopa de bolli (a velvety broth with tender rib and a side of potatoes and green beans you bathe in olive oil), coca bread (a delicious thick pizza with onions, bell peppers, paprika and plenty of spices that give it a great kick!), the classic tortilla española with french bread, and more. We also had the succulent Colombian dishes at home, and since my Bisabuela had a very prominent sweet-tooth and was an incredible baker, she also made sure we had plenty of sweet treats: poundcake, pineapple-rum upside-down cake, black cake, hot flaky dough sprinkled with sugar, a homemade flan bathed in caramel!

The love language of the women in my family was food. I wanted to incorporate that rich and proud heritage of food in the novel because I think you can tell a lot about someone’s culture and background in the spices they eat, how they approach food and cooking (do they do it in a relaxed manner? Is there pressure around it?), and the legacy that this food carries. I wanted Vi to explore the complicated relationship she had with her family through food and cooking—I also wanted to feature the delicious food I grew up eating!

 

A lot of the novel takes place in Barranquilla, Colombia. What is something you wish readers will take away from visiting this place?

 

This book is centered in a real neighborhood, “Barrio Prado,” which is an epicenter of culture and art deco architecture in Barranquilla. Walking there, you can see the beautiful big roble trees and the flowers that the florón trees spread in the streets, that smell like vanilla. Every house in that neighborhood is different and unique. I wanted to share the magic of this neighborhood, both in how it looks and through the wonderful community of people who live there.  Everyone is in everyone’s business, but at the same time, everyone cares so deeply about Caminito and the Sanoguera Family. I wanted to show that side of us, while also showing the beautiful beaches and delicious food.

And the heat! I want people to feel the scorching heat that we get all year round.

 

 

About the Author

 

María Alejandra Barrios Vélez is a writer born in Barranquilla, Colombia. She has an MA in creative writing from the University of Manchester and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and scruffy dog, Gus.

She was the 2020 SmokeLong Flash Fiction Fellow, and her stories have been published in Shenandoah Literary, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, El Malpensante, Fractured Lit, SmokeLong Quarterly, The Offing, and more. Her work has been supported by organizations such as Vermont Studio Center, Caldera Arts, and the New Orleans Writers’ Residency.

 

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Posted in 4 paws, fiction, Review, women on March 10, 2024

 

 

Synopsis

 

Recent college graduate Holly Schlivnik dreams of being a writer, but fate has other plans. A family crisis throws her into an improbable situation, and her life will never be the same. Determined to make her own luck when things don’t happen the way she plans, the irrepressible young woman takes a sledgehammer to the glass ceiling and shatters it to smithereens. The wise-cracking, irreverent transplanted Californian takes you on a raucous, rollicking rollercoaster ride of her hysterical adventures as a ladies’ apparel sales rep traveling in the deep South as she ends up finding herself along the way.

 

 

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Review

 

There is a cozy series featuring Holly Schlivnik (Swimsuit), and this book is a great introduction to her, including how she came to work for Ditzy Swimsuits, her background, etc. This book is the prequel and is not a cozy, so don’t expect murders she has to solve.

This is based on the author’s experiences in the garment industry, and I found it fascinating how reps for different clothing lines would travel across the country to meet with buyers to sell those lines for the stores. There is a diverse character list, scenes that might make you cringe, and friendships and love found on the road.

This story is also a great reminder that your path in life might divert from what you expect after college. However, there are so many stories for Holly to tell about her travels with her job, the people she meets, the lessons she learns, and even family life.

I appreciated that Holly was not a person who would roll over just because she was a woman. There are still chauvinistic men in this world, in all industries, and she is not afraid to stand her ground and let them know she is not going to be taken advantage of or be told how to do her job.

This can be read as a standalone or before you start the Holly Swimsuit cozy series.

We give this book 4 paws up and encourage all women to take note of Holly’s endeavors and stand their own ground!

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now, she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries.

She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.

 

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Posted in 4 paws, Book Release, Review, romance, women on February 13, 2024

 

 

Synopsis

 

Sometimes you have to run away to find yourself.

Reeling from the sudden loss of her older sister―her only family―Addie May flees Los Angeles without a plan or a destination, and ends up in Georgetown, Texas. Lost and alone, she’s taken in by some kind local ranchers, and there she meets farm hand Zac Ryan, who starts to cut through the grief and pain and show Addie that she has something to live for.

But the small town holds more than just a fresh start for Addie. Fate has brought her face-to-face with a piece of her past, and she can no longer ignore the parts of herself she thought she’d left behind. Without knowing what’s on the horizon, Addie must find the strength to move towards her dreams. Because healing happens when you let love in, and life happens when you start living it.

 

 

 

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Review

 

This book blends romance, friendship, and family strife. The author hits just the right note on all three, which will draw you into the lives of the characters and potentially take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride.

Addie is grieving for the loss of her sister. We don’t know how she died until much later in the book, and once certain details are revealed, her attempt to disappear makes sense. Addie runs from her home in California to Texas and Georgetown at that. Knowing that the author lives in another country, I always wonder how well they will portray a smaller town in Texas and how closely the town resembles fact. While I think it might be off just a little bit, since Georgetown is a little larger than portrayed in the book, it isn’t too far off.

The friendship between Addie and Zac grows over time. There is an attraction between the two, but it takes time to grow into a full-blown relationship. But I like that because many times, relationships are rushed. This one meanders, much like Texas folks.

There are several twists and turns, and fate has stepped in to give Addie more than she ever bargained for. To share any of that would spoil the book, so you will have to pick it up and read it for yourself.

This is the first book by this author that I have read, and I can say that it truly did delight. We give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Tay Marley wears many hats: bibliophile, entrepreneur, wife, mother, and featured Wattpad author. Her whirlwind journey on Wattpad began in 2017 and led to one hundred thousand dedicated followers, a five-part series, and three stand-alone books, including her breakout story, The QB Bad Boy and Me, which have amassed over forty-one million reads. She resides in New Zealand with her husband. When she isn’t writing about confident women and their love interests, she’s teaching her three small children how to be the leads in their own epic tales.

 

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Posted in 4 paws, humor, Thriller, women on January 28, 2024

 

 

Synopsis

 

Gina Marie Cototi is a feisty Sicilian sparkplug, a Brooklyn-based PI with a fondness for family, friends, and one roguishly handsome Casanova named Rocco Benelli. Hey, nobody’s perfect.

This headstrong sleuth drives a split-window ’63 Corvette coupe and never, I mean never, misses Sunday dinner with Ma, Dad, and her sister Theresa.

Broke, brooding, and breathtaking, Benelli, an out-of-work parole officer is cursed with more charm than any man deserves. Deep down, Gina knows she shouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole, but she’s got more cases than she can handle, and Benelli’s ready, willing, and able-bodied, the perfect partner to help her get the goods on Vlad “The Scud” Rzhevsky, a disreputable boxer running point on dirty deeds for Luca Mura, a mobster as evil as he is dangerous.

Gina must somehow close the case without losing her life to Mura or her virtue to Benelli, but a moth working alongside a flame is always in danger of catching fire.

For fans of Janet Evanovich. Think of Man-Killer as Stephanie Plum meets Moonstruck.

 

 

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Review

 

This book was quite a surprise. It was action-packed, funny, and had some over-the-top characters. I might admit that I read this book with a New York accent in my head. I think that made it more authentic.

I really liked Gina’s character. She is smart, modest, and tries to stay above the law, especially since her father is a retired police detective. Rocco was (and still is) a lady’s man with many conquests to his name. I think he has something for Gina, but she isn’t giving in to him despite wanting him. These two pair up to help her clear some of the insurance fraud investigations she has on her plate. Rocco is out of work and agrees to give her a hand for a hefty fee…in advance. Despite the plan to work on different cases, they cross paths when the family classic Corvette is stolen from the front yard. This event sends the pair down some shady and questionable paths.

I haven’t even mentioned Gina’s sister, Theresa. She is an over-the-top character. She is probably my least favorite character because I couldn’t relate to her at all, and she lacked some redeeming qualities other than being a devoted older sister. She is a good woman, just a bit too much for my tastes. But despite that, she isn’t afraid to jump in and help Gina out whenever possible.

I am unsure if this will be a series, but I think it should be. There are so many possibilities for Gina, Rocco, and the rest of the gang.

Overall, I give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

Sitting at the café table with my back to the door I could feel my excitement building. Rocco’s scent sailed in on a breeze as he walked through the door, the unmistakable fragrance of his aftershave, his shampoo, and his musk, a perfect storm of sensory eroticism as evocative as hickory burning in the fireplace on a bitter and snowy night. He was well behind me and out of sight but I was sure it was him. The back of my neck tingled with the dance of a thousand rising hairs as his image took shape in my mind. I could picture his swagger as he came toward me—the slapping of his leather boots on the café’s oak floor, the rising and settling of his broad chest. Heart thumping, I reached for my coffee and knocked over the paper cup. A pool of rich brown awkwardness spread across the table before me. I caught my reflection in the liquid and thought, klutz!

I jumped out of my chair and right into his brawny arms. Somehow, I managed to suppress one hell of a telltale gasp, an I’m-swept-away gasp.

“Hey, Gina Marie, are you all right?” he asked in his throaty baritone, a voice that made me vibrate like a pitchfork all the way down to the tips of my toes.

His breath carried the mystery of every woman he’d ever been with, titillating and taunting me. “Hey, biyatch, we kissed Rocco,” they trilled, “mouth-to-mouth, tongue-to-tongue. Suck it!”

I couldn’t think of a thing to say to him while I stood there, dumbstruck, gawking at the iron of his stubble-clad chin and the fathomless depth of his brown eyes that matched the hue of his wavy ringlets. Time stood still while I was in his arms. I felt safe and protected. I kid you not, the man’s embrace was as enveloping as a fucking womb.

Hey, Gina Marie Cototi, snap out of itGet your head out of your ass. Slamming my open palm into the center of his chest, I shoved him away. “Getting a little handsy this morning, Rocco?”

Palms out, he backed away. “Whoa, easy, Gina. I was just trying to help.”

I felt my armor shoring up, the interlocking of a trillion nanobots erecting an impenetrable shield around me. “Yeah, right—you mean helping yourself to an early morning grope is more like it.” Meanwhile, coffee was dripping off the edge of the table, running down my leg, and puddling at the bottom of my left boot. The sticky liquid squished between my toes. Yuck.

 

 

About the Author

 

Lawrence Kelter hails from New York but now calls North Carolina his home. He is the bestselling author of more than twenty-five mystery and thriller novels including the Stephanie Chalice Mystery Series that has topped bestseller lists in the US, UK, and Australia. In 2017 he penned BACK TO BROOKLYN, the studio-authorized sequel to the cult comedy classic “My Cousin Vinny.”

Early in his writing career, he received direction from literary icon, Nelson DeMille, who edited portions of his early work. Well before he said, “Lawrence Kelter is an exciting new novelist, who reminds me of an early Robert Ludlum,” he said, “Kid, your work needs editing, but that’s a hell of a lot better than not having talent. Keep it up!”

His novels are quickly paced and crammed full of twists, turns, and laughs.

 

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Posted in 5 paws, Book Release, fiction, Review, women on January 20, 2024

 

 

Synopsis

 

On paper, Zoe Zeng has made it in New York’s fashion world as a fashion columnist at Chic. But life in New York City isn’t as chic as Zoe imagined. Then one day, Zoe receives a job offer at FitPick, an app startup based in Silicon Valley. With her current career at a dead end, Zoe accepts the offer and swaps high fashion for high tech, haute couture for HTML. She soon realizes that in an industry claiming to change the world for the better, not everyone’s intentions are pure. With an eight-figure investment on the line, Zoe must find a way to revamp FitPick’s image despite Silicon Valley’s elitism and her icy colleagues. Or the company’s future will go up in smoke—and hers with it.

 

 

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Review

 

I stayed up way too late trying to finish this book! I didn’t make it and had to finish up the next day. Yes, it was that good!

This book reminded me that while women have come a long way in this world, there are plenty of men out there who still try to hold us back. This book may hit some trigger points for people, but everything that happened is what you see in this world today. It is a shame that we haven’t moved past the point where people do not treat each other respectfully and only look out for their own interests.

Zoe is young and has a lot to learn, but that doesn’t stop her from jumping into a new career across the country. I appreciated her zeal for the job and also for championing the underdog in the influencer world. She may have been naive at various times, but I think her inexperience was actually a plus in this situation. She could think outside the box. Plus, fashion is her world and she knew what would or wouldn’t work.

There are friendships that are formed along the way for Zoe, and even some interoffice romance. Zoe is true to herself, or at least does her best, and seeks out the same in those around her. She has to navigate a few sticky situations but does it gracefully and without too many blunders. She is a character that I really admire, even when she is having a pity party.

While I have had a bit of a reading slump so far this year, this book engaged my soul and reenergized my love for reading.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Born and raised in Singapore, Kyla Zhao graduated in 2021 from Stanford University with an MA in Communications (Media Studies) and a BA in Psychology. Right now, she works in marketing at a tech company in Silicon Valley, California.

Besides novel writing, Kyla has an extensive magazine editorial portfolio. Previously, she was a fashion and lifestyle writer at Vogue Singapore. She has also written for the Singapore editions of Harper’s Bazaar and Tatler, covered the Asian Television Awards, and interviewed personalities such as singer Nathan Sykes.

Above all else, Kyla hopes to champion Asian representation in her works and write the characters of color that she rarely got to read about when she was young.

 

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Posted in 5 paws, fiction, Mystical, women on January 16, 2024

 

 

Synopsis

 

The Russell family members all seem to have–gifts. Eldest sister Penelope naturally infuses strength or joy or love into the fabric of the dresses she designs as a seamstress. Her younger sister, Lilith, is never without whatever she needs—there’s always a person nearby who just happens to have an apartment available to rent, or a part-time job open, or a car to borrow just when they need it. And Lilith’s adult daughter, Mattie, always seems to trigger the perfect song to mysteriously start playing. And at the heart of the family is their old Victorian home that sometimes seems to have a personality in and of itself. When independent, artistic Mattie Russell finds herself back in the family home after her mother’s unexpected death, she has no intention of sticking around the small town. But during the reading of the will, the family is shocked to learn Lilith included a testamentary trust that requires Mattie to stay in Ivy Ridge long enough to complete a series of seemingly absurd tasks in order to claim her inheritance. While completing the tasks, Mattie discovers that her mother had a well-thought-out plan for her daughter that would lead Mattie to finding her birth father, learn to keep her heart open for love, and discover that staying still long enough to sow seeds can produce a stunning garden and vibrant life.

 

 

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Review

 

This was such a fun book to read. It is about family, dreams, destiny, truth, and love.

The Russell women could be considered enchanted, as they have the ability to make life better for themselves and others around them through their talents. While decisions made by some kept the family apart, her death brings them back together. It is also about looking past the choices made in your younger years to discover your destiny for today.

This story is told from several points of view – Mattie, Penelope, and Jonathan. Mattie is dealing with the death of her mother and what this means for her going forward. Her life was following her mother from town to town and living a nomadic lifestyle. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when the person dies that you had those experiences with, it changes your life forever. Penelope has been locked into her world in Ivy Ridge for a few decades based on some decisions she made in the past. But life is about second chances and the strength to change the trajectory your life is on. The same could be said for Jonathan. He might not think that he would be happy in Ivy Ridge, but a medical scare with his father gives him the opportunity to rethink what life might be like in this little town.

I really liked how the story came together, weaving in the past with the present. The three main characters all learn something about themselves and what they believe to be true when it might not be the truth. The characters all get happily ever afters, but it is a journey to get to that point.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the house and its enchantment in helping guide Penelope and Mattie in the right direction.

We give this book 5 paws up and suggest adding it to your TBR list.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Born and raised in southern Georgia, where honeysuckle grows wild, and the whippoorwills sing, Jennifer Moorman is the bestselling author of the magical realism Mystic Water series. Jennifer started writing in elementary school, crafting epic tales of adventure, love, and magic. She wrote stories in Mead notebooks, on printer paper, on napkins, and on the soles of her shoes. Her blog is full of dishes inspired by fiction, and she hosts baking classes showcasing these recipes. Jennifer considers herself a traveler, a baker, and a dreamer. She can always be won over with chocolate, unicorns, or rainbows. She believes in love—everlasting and forever.

 

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Posted in 5 paws, fiction, Review, women on November 22, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Sunny, Arianna and Molly are having three very different but equally terrible Christmases. Sunny is a newlywed with two new stepkids who want nothing to do with her; Arianna is newly divorced and hates having to send her daughter off to spend the holiday with her dad; for Molly, nothing is new, but her job at the post office is getting very, very old. The whole Christmas season has been a bust all around.

But Sunny and Arianna have a wild idea: What if they had a Christmas do-over in January? February? On Saint Patrick’s Day? Christmas all year long—what could that look like?

As these three determined women chase the perfect holiday through twelve months of cooking disasters, over-the-top festivity, and lots of laughter and tears, they’ll discover perfection is way overrated.

 

 

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Target | Harlequin | Walmart

 

 

Review

 

Sigh, this novel has all the feels – from joy to anger to sadness and love. This band of friends is there through thick and thin, the ups and downs, which is what all true friends do. That isn’t to say they don’t have their disagreements or misunderstandings, but this trio represents what friendship should look like.

Arianna, Ava, and Sunny are fast friends. They have been dealt with their own share of problems, but I like how they help one another through those times. Whether it is ex-husbands that are the scourge of the earth or stepchildren that make life crazy. There are also mothers who bring a fresh perspective to their world.

After a rotten Christmas, they decide to celebrate Christmas each month. There is a theme for the month, but they still bring in the joy of Christmas, from giving gifts to wearing stocking hats and more. As the year went on, I enjoyed seeing the ups and downs of each woman and their families. Not every day or celebration was perfect, but they made it balanced and stepped up to support one another during some dark and sad times. There are many moments where I shed a tear or two, but that is the sign of good writing when it tugs on the emotions.

I don’t know if I had a favorite character or not, but I think Molly might top the list. She is Ava’s mother and has worked as a postal worker for many years. She has her eyes set on retirement when she hits 60. Will she make it? There are many unhappy customers at the post office, which we may have all experienced in our own towns, but this monthly Christmas project puts a new spin on how she addresses these people. Perhaps there is more to them than just a transaction. I think I connected to her because of her age, and while I haven’t gone through what she has gone through, I can appreciate her struggles and successes.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention there is a dog in here, too, Buster. He is adorable, and how could anyone not love him?

I was sad to see the book end but happy knowing there were so many positives that came out of this book. Be kind to one another; you never know what someone else is going through.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

Sunny Hollowell had planned a perfect day for her first Christ- mas as a wife and stepmom and it was a fail. Who was it that said something about the best-laid plans getting screwed up? Whoever it was, her mom liked to quote him a lot.

“The best-laid plans of mice and men,” her mom had begun when Sunny told her about the latest development as she and Dad walked in the door, presents in tow.

“And women,” Sunny had added before Mom could fin- ish. Women who were trying their best to be a good wife and mother, women who only wanted to bring two families to- gether for a memorable day.

The day was memorable all right, but not in the way Sunny had intended.

It all began at eight in the morning. Sunny had found a recipe online for a crescent roll breakfast pastry with a cherry filling shaped like a candy cane and, to her surprise and glee, it had actually turned out like the picture, ready for the kids to be dropped off by their mom at nine o’clock. She was laying it out on the family room coffee table for everyone to enjoy while they opened presents when the Weed called Travis to let him know that she wasn’t going to bring the kids over for the big day.

“What do you mean you’re still stuck in Spokane?” Travis had growled into his cell phone.

Sunny had watched the anger roll over his features like a breaking storm. Scratch two kids from the guest list. Tansy strikes again.

“You did this on purpose,” he’d accused.

Of course, Tansy would deny it. That was how she rolled. Mess with the ex and his new wife as much as possible but never let it look like you meant to. Was Tansy’s mother psychic when she named her daughter after a noxious weed?

“Well, thanks a lot,” Travis had growled. “Way to screw up Christmas for the kids.”

“Okay, what happened?” Sunny had asked after he ended the call and dumped his phone on the coffee table.

“She did it again, managed to screw us over,” he’d said, and slumped on the sofa. “She and Jared accidentally—” he held up exaggerated air quotes “—missed their flight home last night and are stuck at his parents’ place.”

“Can’t they get another flight out? There has to be something going out today.” Of course, by the time they got to Bremer- ton, Washington, breakfast and Christmas dinner would long be over.

“Not until tomorrow.”

Sunny had made a superhuman effort to blink back tears. Poor Travis was already upset about not getting to be with his kids. She didn’t need to make things worse by having a holi- day meltdown. But darn, she’d sure wanted to.

 

 

About the Author

 

USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-selling author Sheila Roberts has written over fifty books under various names, ranging from romance to self-improvement. Over three million books have been sold to date. Her humor and heart have won her a legion of fans, and her novels have been turned into movies for both the Lifetime and Hallmark channels. When she’s not out dancing with her husband or hanging out with her girlfriends, she can be found writing about those things near and dear to women’s hearts: family, friends, and chocolate.

 

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Posted in Book Release, fiction, women on November 14, 2023

 

 

Synopsis

 

Recent college graduate Holly Schlivnik dreams of being a writer, but fate has other plans. A family crisis throws her into an improbable situation and her life will never be the same. Determined to make her own luck when things don’t happen the way she plans, the irrepressible young woman takes a sledge hammer to the glass ceiling and shatters it to smithereens. The wise-cracking, irreverent transplanted Californian takes you on a raucous, rollicking rollercoaster ride of her hysterical adventures as a ladies’ apparel sales rep traveling in the deep South as she ends up finding herself along the way.

 

 

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This book releases tomorrow, November 15th. Pre-order today!

 

 

Excerpt

 

“To tell you the truth, the problem is, I kinda like Dad’s offer.” I squirmed in my chair. “But I don’t wanna make a mistake. I will screw my life up if I make the wrong choice. I’m trying to imagine myself doing the job Dad does. The adventuresome part of me says it’s cool. No school, no exams, no tedious papers to compose. I’d be experiencing life instead of reading about it. And getting paid to do it. But the realistic part of me says, are you nuts? Schlepping those heavy garment bags all over the place? And what kind of a life would I have traveling all the time? I don’t trust myself to make the right decision, and I’m driving myself crazy. I want someone else to decide, and tell me which way to go.”

Nana looked over her glasses and clucked her tongue. “Well, too bad, kiddo. Life doesn’t work that way. Let me tell you something. And the sooner you learn it, the easier your life will be. Man plans, and God laughs.”

I looked at Nana like she’d spoken in Sanskrit. “Meaning?”

Nana answered in the same indulgent tone she used when I was a toddler. “It means plan all you want, but most of the time, your plans don’t mean a hill of beans. To use your vernacular, shit happens. You’re going along singing a song, confident life is a well-planned party. But the truth is, the road to life from birth to death isn’t paved in a straight line. It’s paved with hills and valleys, U-turns, and unexpected curves. And trust me. Nothing usually works out the way you think it will. To really live life and not merely exist taking up space, you must love a good mystery, love a good adventure, and love a good challenge. Kiddo, nothing in life is as constant as change. Keep your head on a swivel, and explore all your options. Look behind you for a sense of history, to the sides for a sense of proportion, and most important, remember God screwed our heads on facing forward for a reason. To look ahead to the future. To make good decisions, you can’t be afraid to make a mistake. You will learn more from your failures than from your successes. Regret is the worst human emotion because it is the one we can usually do nothing about. Always be yourself, don’t live your life for someone else, or in terms of someone else. Trust your gut, and believe in yourself.”

When she finished, I asked, “So, what should I do?”

Nana waved that gnarled index finger at me again and smiled. “Nice try, kiddo. It’s not important what I think. It’s only important what you think. So?”

In a moment of clarity, I looked Nana in the eye and made my decision.

 

 

About the Author

 

Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries.

She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.

 

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Posted in 5 paws, mystery, Review, women on November 10, 2023

 

 

Synopsis

 

But not just any business. It’s the Golden Girls meet the Ghostbusters when four women find themselves in an unlikely career: Southeastern Paranormal Investigations. Ree Lane, a stylish widow, is more cynic than true believer, while her childhood chum, Elle Harper, has a knack for getting sensitive info with the help of her homemade pies. The preacher’s wife, Betsy Jones, can’t be seen with SPI unless she’s in her disguise as Nora, a psychic-in-training with a gift for Tarot. And the recently-returned-home Gillian Buchanan is a whiz at technology, especially of the supernatural sort.

Their first case lands on the doorstep when neighbor Doris Tucker is sure her prized vintage dolls are haunted. But there’s hardly time for ghost-hunting when the bank director’s wife mistakes SPI for a private eye venture. Now, they’re also hot on the trail of a misbehaving husband. It’s a wild ride as the sixty-something sleuths start digging into the past. But have the Ladies of SPI gone too far? And how far will Sutter go to keep its secrets dead and buried?

 

 

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Review

 

This was a delightful book! It is a mystery, but it is a soft mystery, maybe even a cozy. But the book is not short on action, friendship, and pie.

In this small southern town in Georgia, there is a band of women who come together to create SPI – Southern Paranormal Investigations. In doing so, they also happen to create a bond of friendship that they didn’t know that they needed. I don’t know if I have a favorite character because they all have a role to play in this novel. It might be Elle because she makes pies…and who doesn’t love a good pie? But then there is Betsy, who is trying to break out of the preacher’s wife role and dons a disguise to become Nora. Ree is the cautious one, or at least that is how I interpret her actions. She has to rope Elle in quite often since Elle is prone to go off script. But everyone needs a wacky friend like that. Last is Gillian. She is the serious one and very much into the paranormal and finding proof of their existence. She takes care of her mother, and I have to admit there are some funny scenes/conversations with her mom.

The mystery was intriguing. Actually, maybe I should say mysteries. There is their first paranormal case with the Tuckers. Is someone haunting their house, or is it something else? There is also a non-paranormal case that Elle gets them involved with regarding a potential cheating husband. There are many pieces that I figured out ahead of time for both of these cases, but there were a few that eluded me until the end. There are characters who make a change to their behavior that is very much needed. There are some high-tension moments near the end, but you will have to read the book to learn what those are.

I think the one thing that the men in this book need to learn is that they don’t hide their secrets very well.

There is a little bit of romance in the book, but not a lot. Several of the ladies are married, but Ree has a secret admirer in Ty. He is a friend and her lawyer, so I will be interested to see what happens with their relationship in future books.

And if you love dogs, there are a couple in the book. I hope we see many more in future installments.

This book was such an easy read. I flew through the pages and was sad when the book ended. But it looks like this is going to be a series, so I am very excited for future novels.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

There’s a great song, “I’ve Been Everywhere,” made popular by Johnny Cash (and a couple commercials). If you put the song in Georgia, it would be about Catherine C. Hall, starting when she moved to the Peach State at eight years old.

She grew up in Savannah, Georgia, where you can’t throw a stick without hitting a ghost. Even when she was a little girl, Savannah was known for its haunted history and she was hooked!

Broadcast Journalism hooked her as well, so she studied at Valdosta State University, way down in South Georgia, where it is the heat and the humidity. She worked in a few radio stations, but it was WNEX Radio in Macon that turned out to be life-changing. She met a cute deejay from Sandersville, Georgia, and married him a year later.

They moved above the Gnat Line (Oh, it’s real) to the Atlanta area, where they grew their family to two boys and a girl, and she took a turn in the teaching world. And then, whoosh! She met the half-century mark, wondering what to do. Maybe it was the merlot talking, but after years of reading mysteries, Catherine thought it was high time she wrote one. And she did; it was awful. (And way too short. Who knew readers expected 70,000 words?)

So she learned her craft, starting with flash fiction and then moving on to short fiction, where she won a few awards. She wrote essays that ended up in books like Chicken Soup for the Soul. She penned assorted humor columns and continued to freelance. And then, one day, she wrote another story that wasn’t exactly novel-length, but it wasn’t a short story, either. It was a children’s book.

She joined SCBWI, the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and had a wonderful career in children’s writing, including publishing six books. But in the midst of her last two book contracts, life changed unexpectedly when Catherine’s favorite deejay up and died.

When at last she wanted to write again, she heard four women of a certain age, each seeking purpose and joy in where they found themselves, which for them was a small town in Georgia called Sutter. For Catherine, it was at home, still in the Atlanta suburbs, revisiting the ghost stories of her youth and finally getting that mystery written. All 70,000 words of it!

 

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Posted in 5 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, Review, romance, Texas, women on October 30, 2023

 

 

 

FINDING COMFORT

 

Comfort and Joy Trilogy, Book Two

 

by

 

Kimberly Fish

 

 

Women’s Fiction / Contemporary / Cozy Mystery

Publisher: Fish Tales Publishing

Date of Publication: September 1, 2023

Number of Pages: 312 pages

 

Scroll down for Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

 

Even with all her experience, Gloria Bachman, retired banker, and candy entrepreneur, didn’t see this coming.

Sweeties, the beloved Comfort chocolate shop, was ready for its cameo in advertising extraordinaire Jazzy Mezcal’s famous travel and food show! Comfort town folks had worked hard all summer to get their shops Hallmark-movie ready. On the eve of the TV crews overtaking the town, Gloria’s Chamber of Commerce welcome party gets drenched in a wicked rainstorm. Locals call it a “blue norther,” and a dreaded agent of change. Flooding seems like the worst of their problems until the celebrity TV host turns up dead.

In shock, Gloria’s friends turn to her to figure out who could be responsible for such a disaster. With the TV crew and guests in town for the 8th Street Market’s annual shopping event, suspects are endless. Reluctant to get involved, Gloria would much rather focus on the delicious romance with Mason Lassiter. And she would if a frenemy from Kerrville didn’t haunt her every step. Now, as Gardner Rogers treads on her turf, everything feels suspicious.

With all eyes on Gloria to find the truth behind Jazzy Mezcal’s untimely death, she indulges her curiosity for problem-solving while trying to disguise how unsure she is about the future with her boyfriend. Disruption in Mason’s world, mayhem in Comfort, and one epic chocolate disaster rouse Gloria to action and make her decide what’s worth fighting for. All she can say for sure is that no one is finding any comfort in Comfort.

 

 

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I have fallen in love with Comfort, Texas, and I really need to visit there sometime soon. I love small towns and the unique character they bring to those around them.

This story has me laughing, yet on pins and needles, as Gloria seeks the truth in a local homicide. There were so many surprises regarding the death of the network star that it kept me guessing throughout. Just when you think you know the full story, you are smacked with a new twist that you didn’t see coming. To even hint at those twists would ruin the book for you, so this means you will have to pick up the book and read it.

Gloria is growing on me. She is an older protagonist, which I appreciate. It is nice to know that not all main characters are younger and that the wisdom and maturity that she brings to the pages reflect well on her. There are so many great quotes from the book that relate to Gloria that I need to share a few with you.

“You feel responsible for everyone. It’s one of your worst traits.”

“You have an over-developed helper gene…”

“What you think is some dumb luck attributed to women who like to dress up and find the softer side of life is really a carefully honed skill. I earned it by sharp knocks, obstacles, heartbreak, and a lot of hard work. Some people call it character. I like to call it grit.”

These are all true of Gloria. She is kind to a fault and will go the extra mile for her friends. Yet she is tough when the situation calls for it. She had some tough times, but she is back on her feet with a chocolate shop (one of my dreams!) and a new love interest, Mason. I like that because they are older, they appreciate taking their time in getting to know one another and not rushing into anything too quickly. Their path together is not smooth, but I think this helps their relationship blossom and become stronger. There are some things tied to Mason’s past that will need to be resolved, but at least they are working on it together, and he isn’t shutting her out.

Gloria has also moved past putting up with shenanigans from people in her past, namely one Gardner Rogers. This woman has something up her sleeve, but it is hard to know exactly what. We learn a little bit more about her and her past with Gloria, but there is more than meets the eye with this one. So watch out for her!

There are a few other lines I wanted to share with you. If you are a woman, you will understand and perhaps even laugh at these statements.

“Menopause changed me. Honey, it changed us all. It’s like puberty’s ugly step-sister.”

“I’ll text Margo that you’re next door. She’ll want to come make tea or whatever it is you ladies do in crisis moments.”

This book stepped up the mystery aspect over the first in this series so much that I feel it fits into the cozy category. But there are plenty of other attributes to enjoy outside of seeking the truth in Jazzy’s untimely death.

This author knows how to bring friends together in support, good times and bad, and even when tracking down a killer.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kimberly Fish has been a professional writer in marketing and media for over thirty years, with regular contributions to area newspapers and magazines. As an accidental historian, she wrote two novels, The Big Inch and Harmon General, both based on factual events in Longview, Texas, that changed world history. Kimberly also offers a set of contemporary women’s fiction novels and novellas based in the Texas Hill Country that reveal her fascination with characters discovering their grit and sweet, second chances; all four of the novels have won distinguished awards. Finding Comfort is her latest novel, the second book in the Comfort and Joy Trilogy.

 

 

 

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Signed copy of FINDING COMFORT + surprise bonus gift!

 

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10/24/23 Reading by Moonlight Review
10/24/23 Hall Ways Blog BONUS Stop
10/25/23 The Book’s Delight Review
10/25/23 LSBBT Blog BONUS Stop
10/26/23 Bibliotica Review
10/27/23 Jennie Reads Review
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10/28/23 The Plain-Spoken Pen Review
10/29/23 Rox Burkey Blog Review
10/30/23 StoreyBook Reviews Review
10/31/23 Carpe Diem Chronicles Review
11/01/23 Boys’ Mom Reads BONUS Stop
11/01/23 It’s Not All Gravy Review
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