Title: Meet Me in Barcelona
Author: Mary Carter
Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 352
Genre: Mainstream fiction
Format: Paperback/Kindle/MP3 CD, Audiobook, MP3 Audo, Unabridged

Purchase at AMAZON

A surprise trip to Barcelona with her boyfriend, Jake, seems like the perfect antidote to Grace Sawyer’s current woes. The city is dazzling and unpredictable, but the biggest surprise for Grace is discovering who arranged and paid for the vacation.

Carrie Ann wasn’t just Grace’s foster sister. Clever, pretty, and mercurial, she was her best friend—until everything went terribly wrong. Now, as she flees an abusive marriage, Carrie Ann has turned to the one person she hopes will come through for her. Despite her initial misgivings, Grace wants to help. But then Carrie Ann and Jake both go missing. Stunned and confused, Grace begins to realize how much of herself she’s kept from Jake—and how much of Carrie Ann she never understood. Soon Grace is baited into following a trail of scant clues across Spain, determined to find the truth, even if she must revisit her troubled past to do it.

Mary Carter’s intriguing novel delves into the complexities of childhood bonds, the corrosive weight of guilt and blame, and all the ways we try—and often fail—to truly know the ones we love.

Excerpt

Carrie Ann. The words felt like two gunshots to the chest. Just hearing that name come out of her mother’s mouth made Grace’s heart start tripping. She almost shot out of her chair. “I’m Grace,” she said. “Gracie Ann.” Her voice cracked. “Dad?” she said.

“She’s confused, honey. The past and the present, it’s just one big, ugly glob.” Pinpricks of shame began forming at the base of Grace’s spine.

“I’m not confused,” Jody said. “Carrie Ann came to visit me.”

“My God,” Grace said. This time she did shoot out of her chair. Carrie Ann was the only girl foster child the Sawyers had ever taken in. At first she had been like a sister to Grace.

“Who is she married to now?” Jody said. “I can’t remember.”

“Pay no attention to her, Gracie,” Jim said.

“Why can’t I remember?” Jody pressed on her temples with her index fingers, as if she could squeeze the memory out of her head.

Grace took a step toward her mother. “When did she come and visit you, Mom?”
“Grace, I told you she didn’t,” Jim said. “Don’t egg your mother on.”

“I’m not egging her on, Dad, but if Carrie Ann was here, I want to know about it.”

Her father whacked his newspaper on the side of his chair. “I told you she wasn’t! And I should know. I’ve been sitting right here!”

“She’s still such a pretty girl,” Jody said. “She asked about you, Grace. She asked me all sorts of questions about you.”

Jim got up and threw up his arms. “She’s out of her mind!” He began to pace.

“Dad,” Grace said. “Hush.” Her mother suddenly became very still, which meant she was listening. Grace took her father by his arm and led him back to his chair.

“I’m sorry. She won’t remember me saying it.”

“That’s not the point.”

“I can’t help it. Carrie Ann this – Carrie Ann that. I thought we’d put that nuisance behind us for once and for all. Is this what it comes to? Reliving your worst nightmare?”

“I’ve never heard you speak so harshly about Carrie Ann,” Grace said. Her mom was the one who used to say the worst things about Carrie Ann. She said Carrie Ann was evil. She said Carrie Ann was a curse that would follow all of them to their graves. Once she even said there wasn’t enough Lysol in the world to get rid of that stain. And each insult cut into Grace like her mother was saying it about her. Her sister. Of sorts. Her own Dickens-like drama.  Carrie Ann was the best thing that had ever happened to Grace, and she was the worst. She’d been out of their lives for nearly fifteen years. And Grace had spent every one of them trying, and failing, to put the past behind her. She turned to her father.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“That Mom’s been talking about her.”

“Because I don’t want to dredge up all that nonsense. It’s her damn medication. I keep telling the doctor it’s making her worse, and he won’t listen to me.” Her father slammed his fist on the arm of the chair. “These people think just because we’re old that we’re stupid. She wouldn’t be so forgetful if she cut down on some of those pills. How do I know that? Because she’s my wife.  Because I’ve been married to this woman for forty-four years. You know what he said to me?”

“Who?”

“That snot-nosed doctor, that’s who!”

“What did he say?”

“Put me in my place. In front of my wife. ‘You’re a psychotherapist, correct? Not a psychiatrist? You don’t prescribe medication?’ That’s what the snot-nosed so-called doctor actually said to me. Can you believe that? Some twenty-year-old who just started wiping his own ass. I’m telling you she’s on too many pills! Makes her soupy. He won’t listen to me!”

“It’s okay, Dad. Calm down. It’s okay.”

“I can’t bear hearing her talk about Carrie Ann.  Your mother’s the one who told us never to mention Carrie Anne’s name again.”

Forbid us. Forbid us to ever mention her name again. “I know, Dad. I’ll talk to the doctor. Calm down.”

“I always wanted to go to Spain,” Jody said. She turned off the television and patted the side of the bed. So she’d heard and understood the conversation. God, the brain was a mysterious thing.

Grace went over and sat down. “You never told me that.”

“I would hardly share that with a stranger.”

I’m your daughter! She wanted to shout. But her mother couldn’t help it.

“Just keep talking,” her father said. “At least she’s not dredging up ghosts, or drooling over naked stud muffins.”

And now  Grace couldn’t believe her father had just said “naked stud muffins.” Maybe getting away for a bit wasn’t such a bad idea. Grace turned back to her mother. “Why did you always want to go to Spain?”

“My mother went to Spain. All by herself. When she was in her seventies.”

“I know,” Grace said. It had been just after Grace’s grandfather had died. Her grandparents were supposed to take the trip together. Everyone thought Annette Jennings would cancel the trip. Instead, she buried her husband and packed her bags. Little Annette who had never been outside of her home state. Grace had had many conversations with her grandmother about that trip. She was proud of her too.

“It was really something,” Jim said. “Because in those days seventy wasn’t the new fifty or whatever the kids say today. Seventy was seventy.”

“Tell me about it,” Grace said.

Jody Sawyer straightened up, and her eyes seemed to take in more light. “Well, it’s not like it is now. Women didn’t travel alone back then. Wasn’t that brave? My mother sent me a postcard from Madrid of a beautiful tango dancer in a red dress. The dress was made of actual material—beautiful red silk right on the postcard. I’ll never forget it. She’d only written one sentence on the back. ‘Robert would’ve loved the landing.’ My father was very picking with landings and always impressed when the pilot pulled off a smooth one. Anyway. As soon as I got that postcard I knew my mother was going to be all right. ‘Robert would have loved the landing.’ After she died I spent hours just touching that silky red dress with the tips of my fingers and imagining my mother dancing in the streets of Spain.”

Jody Sawyer looked up and swayed her upper body slightly as if watching her faraway self dance. Then she looked down at her hands, twisting the bed sheet. “Look how ugly and wrinkled I am now.”

“You’re not ugly and wrinkled, Mom. You’re beautiful.”

“I wish I had that postcard now.” Her mother looked up into space. “I lost it.”

Grace hesitated. Did she, or didn’t she?  Grace opened the bedside drawer and took out the postcard. Her mother was right. The dress was silky. Grace handed it to her mother and watched her eyes light up. Next her mother gently outlined the edge of the dancer’s dress with the trembling tip of her right index finger. Her fingernail was misshapen, the peach paint flaking. Grace would have to see if they could bring in a manicurist.

Jody looked at Grace, her eyes clear and bright. “Gracie Ann you have to go. Film everything. I’m dying to see Barcelona through you.” Grace must have looked stricken, for her mother laughed and then put her hand over her heart. “Sorry, no pun intended.” Like antennas being manipulated for a clearer signal, sometimes her mother tuned in perfectly. Jody Sawyer laughed again, and Grace couldn’t help but laugh with her.

“Mom.”

“Make me feel like I’m there,” Jody said, closing her eyes. “Help me shut out this hospice. Let me see beautiful Barcelona.” She took Grace’s hand and held it. “Do it for me. I’ll feel like I’m with you. Bring a camera. And your guitar,” she added. “You never know.” When Grace still didn’t answer, her mother opened her eyes, and lifted Grace’s chin up with her hand like she used to do when Grace was a child. “Be brave, Gracie Ann. Just like my mother.”

“Like my mother too,” Grace whispered back.

Review

I have mixed emotions on the book. At the beginning I was wondering where the book was going, it felt like it was all over the place. Then about page 175 (maybe a bit before) the book really pulled me in and I did not want to put the book down….but I was falling asleep no matter how much I was fighting staying awake to keep reading!

To me, Grace was a weaker character, at least in the beginning of the book until about page 175. She was in a relationship with Jake for 3 years but there was so much he didn’t know about her past. Perhaps she was trying to avoid the memories?

Carrie Ann was definitely a bit psycho. She may have had good intentions for her actions but the way she went about it was so wrong.

I did guess a few things, or rather was suspicious, of a character or two. I knew something wasn’t right but didn’t know what until near the end of the book.

I didn’t remember what sort of book this was when I signed up for the blog tour, but it is definitely something of a psychological thriller even though it is not classified that way.

I give it 3 1/2 paws

About the Author

Mary Carter is a freelance writer and novelist. Meet Me in Barcelona is her eighth novel. Her other works include: Three Months in Florence, The Things I Do For You, The Pub Across the Pond, My Sister’s Voice, Sunnyside Blues, She’ll Take It, and Accidentally Engaged. In addition to her novels she has written six novellas: Return to Hampton Beach in the anthology, Summer Days, A Southern Christmas in the upcoming 2014 anthology Our First Christmas, A Kiss Before Midnight in the anthology, You’re Still the One, A Very Maui Christmas in the New York Times best selling anthology Holiday Magic, and The Honeymoon House in the New York Times best selling anthology Almost Home. Mary currently lives in Chicago, IL with a demanding labradoodle. She wishes she could thank her gorgeous husband, but she doesn’t have one. In addition to writing she leads writing workshops.

Website * Writing Workshop * Facebook * Twitter * More of Mary’s Books

Giveaway

Mary Carter is giving away 3 books including My Sister’s Voice, Three Months in Venice and Sunnyside Blues!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one set of three books by Mary Carter.
• This giveaway begins August 4 and ends on October 31.
• Winners will be contacted via email on Monday, November 3.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Synopsis

What would you do to become famous in Hollywood? In City of Toys, four beautiful women confront that very question. It takes more than just looks to make it in Tinsel Town, as they soon discover. The city brings them together as roommates and the hunger of fame lures them into situations that they never expected.  Through a series of intertwined yet separate events, City of Toys takes us from the naive optimism of the girl’s hopes and dreams to the sordid Hollywood underworld. Relying on one another helps get them through the Hollywood maze but will their friendship be enough to save them?

Four beautiful women, each with their own demons driving them towards the fame and fortune they so desperately seek, come together in Hollywood, the land of shattered dreams and broken hearts. Marlo, the tough-talking, former child actress from New York, Rhonda, the small town beauty queen, Kim, the “nice Jewish girl” with a painful childhood, and Guyla, the “serious actress” with a debilitating, stress-induced illness, all meet and reside in the same apartment building deep in the heart of Hollywood.

Each of these fame-hungry women experiences one painful disaster after another from casting directors behaving in sexually inappropriate ways, to crazed stalkers and jealous, mentally deranged starlets hounding them. They begin to rely upon one another to get through the horrific maze called Hollywood. But when the pressure gets too much, will their friendship be enough to save them in the City Of Toys?

Excerpt

Chapter 1

The morning sun sparkled high in the sky above Los Angeles, and the summer heat had not yet fully invaded the curious world known as Hollywood. A cool, coastal breeze drifted in from the Pacific Ocean, so the infamous L.A. smog was not going to permeate the atmosphere too severely. The traffic at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and La Brea was typical, bumper to bumper and road rage simmering from tempestuous drivers. But, it was made even worse today by the arrival of a large moving van in front of the building.

The Franklin Regency was a five-story dwelling that loomed on the southwest corner of the crossway, halfway between the sparkling wealth of the Hollywood Hills and the sordid madness that was Hollywood Boulevard.

Everywhere beautiful, young people with fabulous faces and perfect bodies — every single one of them a struggling actor, model or something or other, trying to keep the bitterness at bay — jogged, walked dogs, hurried to auditions and roller-bladed. While the homeless (and other un-lovely denizens of ‘paradise’ almost equal in number) who had long ago lost the spark of life, seemed to blend into the background, completely ignored and snubbed by the bronzed gods and goddesses scurrying to an audition for a laxative commercial.

Awe-filled and often-disappointed tourists took it all in, recording it on film and video for the folks back home, wherever that may be. In the bright, mirrored lobby of the Franklin Regency, however, all was cheerful and sanguine. Rhonda McNutt talked excitedly on a pay phone to her father back in Cordova, Tennessee. Rhonda was nineteen, beautiful, and in the process of moving into the Franklin Regency Apartments.

“Yes, poppa, the truck just got here.” She spoke into the receiver with her thick Southern drawl. Outside, the large van containing all of her worldly possessions had pulled up to the curb. Rhonda had driven out to Los Angeles the week before, and was still in shock that she was actually here. She looked vigilantly around the lobby, at the longhaired rocker guys covered with tattoos, the sexy, gorgeous blondes, and the older men who could not resist winking at her as they passed by. She knew she was in a whole new place, but that didn’t matter. She was in Hollywood, and she was determined to be an actress. I’m here, and I’m going to make it! I’m going to be a star!

“All right, poppa, I’ll call you as soon as the phone is turned on…I love you too, poppa. Bye.” She gently hung up the phone, and waited for Marina Edwards, the apartment manager. An older woman stepped out of the elevator, clad in a severe dark business suit, and walked purposefully towards the front door.

She turned and gaveRhonda a nasty look, then stepped outside, chatting deliberately into a cell phone. Rhonda sat on a pink plush couch and waited while the moving men began to unload her furniture. She stared up at the famous James Dean poster on the wall. ‘The Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ was the caption underneath. Not for me, Rhonda thought, my dreams of Hollywood stardom are going to come true. She had dreamt of being a movie star since she was five, and nothing was going to stand in the way of her goals. Finally, the elevator doors opened, and Marina stepped out, accompanied by a tall, beautiful redhead.

“I’m glad this place is centrally located, my agent says I need to get to my auditions quickly.” She told Marina curtly, glancing down at her watch.

“We’re just fifteen minutes from Burbank and Warner Brothers, and five minutes from Hollywood and Paramount.” Marina explained. The girl pursed her lips and gripped her designer handbag.

“Well, I’ll think about it. I live in Pasadena now, and my agent is on my case about being late to auditions all the time. Things are starting to happen for me, and my agent tells me that I need to be close to the studios,” she said a little too loudly, glancing over at Rhonda to make sure she overheard.

She thrust her hand out to Marina, who smiled. “I’ll call you.” The girl turned sharply on her heel and headed out the front door, not without sneaking a quick glimpse of Rhonda. She gave Rhonda an uppish glance, and darted out the door.

“Marina.” Rhonda jumped up and cheerfully bounded over to her.

“Hey you! Come on in.” Marina unlocked the office door and the two of them ambled in. Marina was in her late thirties, blonde and beautiful, with very white teeth and an enormous smile. The two women had met a few days before, when Rhonda noticed the ‘Now Renting’ sign out front as she was driving around. Marina had leased her a single apartment on the first floor, and now it was time to go over little details. The moving men were placing Rhonda’s things in the lobby.

“Apartment 122, right?” Marina smiled sweetly. She smelled of Noxzema and peppermint chewing gum.

Rhonda was so excited she could barely contain herself. My God, I’m really here!

Review

Warning, this book is rather crude (language, situations) but fits the story of the book – 4 women that have come to LA to become movie stars and their journey in that quest. Sadly some of the stories are what you expect and not everything is champagne and roses for these women.

someone else described this book as a trainwreck and I can see that. You wonder how some of these women can fall prey to the underbelly of the entertainment world. In fact, you might even feel sorry for them but at the same time, they compromise their principles to be in LA.

This was a pretty good story, just be prepared – it isn’t a fairy tale.

We give it 3 1/2 paws

About the Author

Lindy S. Hudis is a graduate of New York University, where she studied drama at Tisch School of the Arts.

She is the author of several titles, including her romance suspense novel, “Weekends”, her “Hollywood” story City of Toys, and her crime novel, Crashers. She is also the author of an erotic short story series, “The S&M Club” and “The Mile High Club”.

Her short film “The Lesson” was screened at the Seattle Underground Film Festival and Cine-Nights in 2000.

She is also an actress, having appeared in the television daytime drama “Sunset Beach”. She and her husband, Hollywood stuntman Stephen Hudis, have formed their own production company called Impact Motion Pictures, and have several projects and screenplays in development.

She lives in California with her husband and two children.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon

Synopsis

Forty years’ accumulation of art, antiques, and family photographs are more than just objects for Stanley Peke—they are proof of a life fully lived. A life he could have easily lost long ago.

When a con man steals his houseful of possessions in a sophisticated moving-day scam, Peke wanders helplessly through his empty New England home, inevitably reminded of another helpless time: decades in Peke’s past, a cold and threadbare Stanislaw Shmuel Pecoskowitz eked out a desperate existence in the war-torn Polish countryside, subsisting on scraps and dodging Nazi soldiers. Now, the seventy-two-year-old Peke—who survived, came to America, and succeeded—must summon his original grit and determination to track down the thieves, retrieve his things, and restore the life he made for himself.

Peke and his wife, Rose, trace the path of the thieves’ truck across America, to the wilds of Montana, and to an ultimate, chilling confrontation with not only the thieves but also with Peke’s brutal, unresolved past.

Review

The concept/plot for this book is great – a con man steals people’s possessions that are moving. However this time he messed with the wrong person, a 72 year old survivor from Germany.

The book is pretty well written, but there are times where it just seems to ramble on and there isn’t a clear picture of why the author chose that moment to flash back.

There are some surprises with Peke’s kids, one that I never suspected near the end, that’s for sure!

I would give this 3 1/2 paws.  I think there are some minor editing/rewriting that would improve the book but it is still enjoyable.

About the author

Jonathan Stone, author of the Julian Palmer novels, is a graduate of Yale University, where he was a Scholar of the House in Fiction Writing and twice won the English Department’s John Hubbard Curtis Prize for Best Imaginative Writing. He works in advertising and lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.

Website * Goodreads

Synopsis

Sometimes life smacks you right in the kisser with a whole lot of ohhhh craaaaap.  Just ask Darcy Walker.

100 Proof Stud picks up four months after No Brainer’s cliffhanger ending, and Darcy discovers the aftermath pales in comparison to the crisis her heart is in. All of a sudden it’s raining men, and this teenage heroine’s personal life turns her inside out.

Before she can sort out her feelings, she chases a spray-painting vandal and stumbles upon a case of identity theft right in her own backyard. Darcy jumps into the fray headfirst to prove she can hang with the big boys.

But it’s not just to hang…nope, she’s chasing reward money.

Tapping her band of misfit brothers for help, she turns Valley upside down trying to unearth the criminals. Problem is, the cloak and dagger goes high-octane, and she raises the bar on “crazy” in the process.

Bullets ring out…dead bodies appear…and Darcy rubs shoulders with the ultimate sociopath. In the midst of murder and mayhem, will she finally follow her heart or build a fortress of lies around it? Will she even get the chance?

Review

Darcy is a typical teenager, or is at least portrayed that way.  More concerned about having an iPhone than making good grades despite her high IQ.  Then there is the usual teenage angst.  I will say that Darcy does have some great one-liners and I do get a chuckle out of those.  There were some unanswered questions (for me anyway) in books one and two that were answered in this installment.  It is also good to see Darcy continue to flourish and even grow up a little bit from book to book.  The book does jump around a lot and it left me feeling like I needed Ritalin.

This is the third book in the series with Grade A Stupid and No Brainer as the first two.  I will say that I personally thought that Grade A Stupid was about 100 pages too long (it is 424 pages).  No Brainer improved on the page count somewhat and the writing seemed to flow better.  This book was almost as long as the first book at 397 pages and really could have been trimmed back by 50 pages or more and would have been just as good.

We give this 3 1/2 paws.  The books are good but sometimes if felt like there was just too much…maybe I just have low tolerance for teenage antics?!  If you do check out this series definitely start at the beginning to get a sense for Darcy and the gang.

About the Author

A. J. Lape’s Darcy Walker Series broke into the Top 50 books in Teens Literature & Fiction within 36 hours of its release. It has spent numerous weeks in the Top 100 in Mystery Series and Teens, Mysteries & Thrillers Categories as well as being one of the Top Rated in its genre. A self-proclaimed neurotic and troublemaker at heart, a perfect day for A. J. consists of writing, watching her kids play sports, drinking Coke, then lounging in her pajamas by 8PM.

She lives in Cincinnati with her husband, two feministic daughters, an ADD dog, a spoiled hamster, and an unapologetic and unrepentant addiction to Coca-Cola, with a lifelong love affair with bacon.  She studied English, Journalism, and Political Science at Morehead State University and left the business world when her daughters were born.  Her love for suspense and a good story was born from watching Mystery Science Theater with her sister during childhood.  That and any B movie with comedic undertones they could get their hands on.

When she’s not riding that razor-thin line between creativity and insanity, she  likes to read, watch too much cable TV, or cheer like a banshee at her daughters’ sporting events. She’s a huge hometown sports fan and loves to watch the Cincinnati Bengals and Cincinnati Reds whenever she can.

Website * Twitter * Darcy’s Twitter * Facebook * Amazon

Giveaway

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Murder Is Academic
(Laura Murphy Mystery Series)
File Size: 1626 KB
Print Length: 223 pages
Publisher: Lesley A. Diehl (March 29, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
ASIN: B00JCV6XG8

Synopsis

Laura Murphy, psychology professor, thinks there’s nothing she likes better than coffee and donuts on a summer morning until she says yes to dinner with a Canadian biker and finds herself and her date suspects in the murder of her college’s president. Laura’s friend, the detective assigned the case, asks her to help him find out who on the small upstate New York college campus may be a killer.  The murder appears to be wrapped up in some unsavory happenings on the lake where Laura lives.  A fish kill and raw sewage seeping into the water along with the apparent drowning suicide of a faculty member complicate the hunt for the killer.  And then things become personal.  The killer makes a threatening phone call to Laura. With a tornado bearing down on the area and the killer intent upon silencing her, Laura’s sleuthing work may come too late to save her and her biker from a watery grave.

Review

This was an interesting twist on a cozy, at least in my opinion, because there were lots of different pieces to the puzzle.  I don’t know if it was me (perhaps a reading funk?) but the book didn’t really start to grab me until near the end.  It seemed like the story went along but I couldn’t figure out how the pieces were going to fit together.  But a little more than halfway through things really started to roll and some of the characters showed their “evil” side.  I don’t think I would have figured out the killer with the clues provided…but I did suspect this character, if nothing else as being weird and something was up.

Laura is a strong character and sometimes I wondered if she was running over Der who was the police detective.  It was a different twist to see a detective basically authorizing the amateur sleuth to actually look into things…of course the murders would never have been solved without her sticking her nose into the situation and nearly getting killed.  I do like that Laura was not afraid to poke around and try and figure out who the killer was and why.

I’d give this 3 1/2 paws and it will be interesting to see if there is another book to follow this one (considering how it ended – maybe a series, maybe not)

About The Author

Like me, my protagonists choose to live their lives close to nature.

From the deep, green river valleys and tree-covered mountains of upstate New York to the palm-treed pastures of the Big Lake Country in Florida, these women have found their homes and their hearts in rural America.

These plucky snoops are joined by a transplant from Connecticut, Eve Appel, who moves to rural Florida to set up a consignment shop with her best friend and partner, Madeleine Boudreau.

All these amateur sleuths yearn for the simple, artless existence of hard work coupled with rustic pleasure.

That’s why they live away from big cities, but murder and violence have a way of stalking us, even our plucky heroines, who think they’ve avoided life’s perils.

Website * Twitter

Tour Participants

May 15 – rantin’ ravin’ and reading – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
May 16 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review,
May 17 – The Book Junkie – Review, Giveaway
May 19 – Bea’s Book Nook– Review,
May 20 – fuonlyknew ~ Laura’s ramblins and reviews – Review
May 21 – deal sharing aunt – Interview, Giveaway
May 22 – Victoria’s Pages of Romance – Guest Post
May 23 – Traci Andrighett’s blog – Review
May 26 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
May 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Interview
May 28 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – Review
May 29 – Back Porchervations – Review, Interview
May 30 – Community Bookstop – Review
May 31 – StoreyBook Reviews – Review

This week I’m featuring the first book in the Claire Rawlings series by author Carole Bugge’ (aka C.E. Lawrence) who recently obtained the rights to publish these books digitally…so they are now available for your e-reader!  This is an older series, cell phones weren’t really around and it talks about the OJ Simpson trial and the movie Forrest Gump.  There are 3 books in this series and the other two are Who Killed Dorian Grey? and Who Killed Mona Lisa?.

Synopsis

New York mystery editor Claire Rawlings spends her days scrutinizing the motives and methods of fictitious criminals—but her precocious 13 year-old friend Meredith Lawrence has a keen eye for the cold, hard facts of crime. So when Meredith comes to visit, the two mystery buffs put their heads together to sleuth out the truth about a real-life murder.

Claire’s star author, the ferociously flirtatious Blanche Dubois, is found dead after eating a poisoned apple and there’s no shortage of suspects. Many were jealous of her success, and many put off by her haughty, demanding demeanor. With the help of a detective, Claire and Meredith question Blanche’s friends, colleagues, and relatives—and discover that even in the Big Apple, the world of murder is a very small world indeed.

Review

I felt like the book had a rocky start.  The segue between the first two chapters didn’t flow well but after that it seemed to gain a rhythm.  It seemed like there was a lot of talk about Claire and Meridith and not a whole lot on the murder, even though Meridith was keen to solve the murder.  The book started getting interested when another character dies.  I had a few suspicions on who the killer might be but nothing I could put my finger on.

This story is set in 1995 since there are references to the OJ Simpson trial…and looking back, that was about 20 years ago.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws

All That Glitters by Jackie Sonnenberg

Genre – Urban Fantasy/Crime

Synopsis

A jewelry thief is on the loose in the town of Wickerwire, Iowa. He leaves behind no trace except for his newly-established calling card: candy in place of the jewels he steals, the media giving him the nickname of “The Candy Caper.”  He makes his mark and vanishes, and no one seems to have any leads on him whatsoever. He won’t give up until he finds his special item…but what exactly is he looking for? And what exactly is in it for him?

Said to be a “backwards superhero story” telling the story of a would-be villain, All That Glitters is a satisfying read for everyone and anyone who has ever fantasized about having a double life, a secret identity as well as a special ability…and whether this ability is seen as a gift or a curse.

Review

Overall this book has a great storyline. Nick is a dentist but is also a kleptomaniac and has been since he was a kid. Bridget is a new jewelry store owner in town…a town that has just seen a rash of robberies of jewelry stores and the calling card by the thief is candy in the empty cases. There is also lore that there are pieces of jewelry that turn negative aspects into something positive.

There are a host of other characters that add to the storyline – Detective Anthony Massey, the wrestling icon Thunder God (who is seeking the good luck jewelry!), Dustin and Cheryl (Dustin works with Nick) and Alex who works with Bridget and is her loss prevention specialist.

I had some small problems reading the story because it took me a little while to realize whose POV the story was coming from.  Was it The Candy Caper?  Was it Nick?  Was it Detective Massey?  The author used “he” a lot and it took awhile to figure out who “he” was at that moment.  However, as the book progressed and we learn who The Candy Caper is, then the book became a little easier to read.

We give this 3 1/2 paws

About the Author

Jackie Sonnenberg is an author/entrepreneur, or “authorpreneur” and has worked in journalism, creative writing, event planning and marketing. Favorite authors are Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Lisa See, Gregory Maguire, Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen King, Sarah Addison Allen, Suzanne Collins, J.K. Rowling and, the bard himself, William Shakespeare. Outside of her favorite job of Microsoft Wording at 2 A.M. in pajamas, Sonnenberg is a lover of video games, costuming and conventions, and an avid member of the Haunt industry thriving on every Halloween season.

Sonnenberg’s books mainly theme around suspense and thriller. She is currently at work on the YA Paranormal novel  Guardians of Light and outlining a horror series. More clues about this series will be revealed at a later time!

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I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

An Adult Romance

By Susan Bishop Crispell

Released January 17, 2014

Publisher: Swoon Romance

Synopsis

For Jaclyn “Jack” Pace, sensing what sweets people crave is as easy as breathing. But it’s not enough to keep her cupcake bakery in the black.

So, when her estranged sister Harper comes back to town with an affinity for making art out of icing—and a past full of secrets—she reluctantly gives Harper a job and a place to crash.

As their sisterly relationship begins to thaw, the one with her business partner Graham starts to heat up. Given the legend that says Hollingsworth men will recognize their soul mates at first touch, Jack’s always been resigned to the fact that she’s not his.

But when she starts sensing desires that are decidedly not dessert-related, it’ll take all of her magic to set things right with customers and make her own desires come true.

Love and Cupcakes is a delightfully sweet and sensual romance from Susan Bishop Crispell.

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Review

I thought that there were a lot of great premises in the book: cupcakes (yum!), crushes and secrets. There was a fair amount of tension due to the secrets and the crushes, but sometimes I wondered why Jake (Jacyln) was so hard headed. And how did she develop the talent for knowing what people wanted before they ordered? I could see that being a bigger part of the story.  Graham is her older brother’s best friend but Jake and Graham have had a thing for each other since they were kids running around in her back yard.  However, Hutton (the older brother), is just a little too over the top.  Yes he should be concerned for his sisters, but to get in the way of romance?  Then there is Harper, the baby sister.  She is the artistic type and rolls back into town but no one knows why….until later in the book (don’t want to spoil it!).  There are a few minor characters that are out to cause trouble for Graham and Jake and their cupcake shop, but plenty of others that want to help and help shut down the troublemakers.

I think there could have been a lot more character development but the story has some promise and if nothing else you will be drooling over the cupcake flavors!  Good thing we can’t smell sweet things in books…yet!

We give it 3 1/2 paws

 About the Author

Susan Bishop Crispell is not one of those writers who’s been scribbling down stories since she could hold a pencil. She didn’t read constantly growing up (blasphemy!), and she can still be found in public without a book tucked into her purse (again with the blasphemy!).

She is, however, the kind of writer who lives for the imaginative spark that introduces her to a new character or story idea that pushes her to turn everyday life into something magical.

She lives and writes near Wilmington, NC.

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Publisher’s Site

Giveaway

(1) $10 USD Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble – International
(5) eBook copies of Love and Cupcakes (mobi and epub) – International

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Tour Schedule

Synopsis

Book One of the Spellweaver Chronicles

Felicity Lucas never really knew her mother. Even though they had lived together for all the fourteen years that Felicity had been alive, they had barely even had a meaningful conversation. It was a relationship that was far from perfect.

So when her mother dies in a car crash and Felicity is sent to live with her estranged father in a deprived London borough, she is determined to move on. It isn’t easy – content with her solitude, she’s never had friends before, but the most popular girl in her new school won’t leave her alone and she’s forced to attend counselling. To make things worse, it’s obvious that her father doesn’t want her around.

It is only after she discovers a book of spells and is attacked by a strange boy who can conjure flames in his hands that she starts to realise that her mother was far more than what she seemed. She had a great many secrets, secrets that promise to thrust Felicity into a terrifying world of magic and straight into the path of beings who are determined to destroy her.

Review

Felicity is raised without the knowledge that she has special magical abilities, so when things start going awry after her mother dies, she doesn’t know which way to turn or who to believe.

I thought the plot was interesting and I felt for Felicity since growing up she never really had friends and she has been “adopted” by Hollie who was asked to show her around school.  This felt strange to Felicity, but she came accustomed to having people around.  Sure Hollie is shallow, but that doesn’t make her any less of a friend. There are some characters that you will love and hate and some that will surprise you that they are not who you think. Can’t say too much or it would give it away.

Overall we give this 3 1/2 paws and if you are looking for a fantasy/paranormal YA book you just might like this one.

About the Author

Claire Bridgeman is a secondary school English teacher living in Norwich, England, with her husband, their 1 year old daughter Pearl, their black fluffy cat and the fly infestation currently inhabiting the conservatory. She has written many books but it was only in 2013, at the age of 28, that she felt her work was good enough to be thrust upon the general public. She thinks it’s an awful shame that there isn’t more creative writing in the current education system of the UK and believes that every child should be encouraged to explore the wondrous depths of his or her imagination through an artistic medium.

Her debut novel is an amalgamation of all her favourite fantasy things – a pinch of Dungeons & Dragons, mix in some Buffy the Vampire Slayer (without the vampires) and top the whole thing off with a sprinkling of Harry Potter and there you have it – the Spellweaver Chronicles. Bridgeman hopes to tell human stories as much as fantasy ones, stories that deal with common, everyday themes and feelings like love, loss, grief, friendship and bullying. She wants to explore human emotion and experience using the fantasy genre, and with urban fantasy in particular, she feels that she has found the place to plant her stories and watch them grow.

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Tour Schedule

Sparks the Matchmaker by Russell Elkins

Ollie just wants one thing. The girl.

Things haven’t been going so well with Anne lately, though; their relationship has become a perpetual study date, and Ollie’s roommates are starting to worry about him. How to fix things? Why, with a marriage proposal, of course.

Unfortunately for Ollie, his relationship with Anne has run out of gas. Life feels like it’s counting down to one. And that one is the only person in Ollie’s life he really cares about: Ollie. Perhaps, then, he should get over himself. But first he has to deal with Sparks, the irritating little Yankees fan who invades his life in order to “help” him. And while Keith, his best friend, is doing all he can to help, Ollie’s other friend Richie never fails to show up and threaten to ruin everything just by being himself. Never mind all the drama Sparks brings to the party by forcing Ollie to take a job actually helping people in need.

Will Ollie meet the girl? Will it be in history class? On a road trip to Colorado? Can he get over Anne, or should he try to mend the relationship? Should he pursue the new girl Sparks is trying to set him up with? As the strings of the puppeteer tangle with the strings of the heart, only one person can sort out the mess Ollie has made. It seems that the harder he tries, the more Ollie messes things up. Is Sparks a cruel manipulator, or is he really going to help Ollie find his match?

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Excerpt

Ollie was in the process of packing some clean underwear into his bag when he heard Sparks’ voice from the doorway. “Joy still hasn’t broken up with her boyfriend. I thought she would have done it by now.”

“What?” Ollie was stunned. “Are you serious?”

“Relax. She’s a little harder to read than most people. I really thought she’d have dumped him by now.”

Ollie suspected Sparks was concealing something, but he couldn’t guess it. “That’s just great. I’m picking her up in a few minutes, man! And now I’ll have that looming over my head the whole weekend.”

“It’s not a big deal. Seriously. Not a big deal.”

“It is to me. Are you trying to tell me that you guessed wrong on that? I mean, that’s something that seems pretty pivotal and important. You seemed so sure before,” Ollie said.

“Yeah, I was. She’s just harder to read, that’s all. Nothing’s gonna change. Everything is still on track. The boyfriend won’t come into play at all… for the weekend, anyway.”

“Huh, it sounds like it’s going to make everything awkward.”

“Oh, I get it. You’re under the impression that you were gonna hit it off this weekend. But you’re not going to be doing any kissing or holding hands or gazing into each other’s eyes in soft moonlight. You won’t be doing anything but getting to know each other. You know, as friends will do?”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me that earlier? Sparks, you keep leading me into situations like this, and you don’t tell me anything. You like to keep me in the dark as much as you possibly can.”

Sparks looked at Ollie like he was missing something really obvious. “Listen. I’m not responsible for the things you imagine. I give you information you wouldn’t otherwise have, and I give it to you on a need- to- know basis. You need to be able to act spontaneously in order for everything to come out right. Besides,” he pushed his hat back on his head, “I don’t like to be wrong when I’m guessing stuff. I prefer to wait when I give answers… just in case things change.”

“I can’t tell you how reassuring that is.”

“You don’t have to accept my help, you know. I could go help someone else.”

Ollie took a deep breath and then let it out as a rumble in his throat. “Ah. You’re probably right anyway.”

Review

I’m not exactly sure what genre this falls into, but it is a little bit romance and a little bit paranormal (and very very small bit, just that Sparks appears out of nowhere when he is needed). I thought this had a good theme running through it with a life lesson for Ollie.  I thought the writing was well done, the characters well developed and an interesting storyline.  It would be interesting if there was a follow up with Sparks next case to help learn something about life.

We give this 3 1/2 paws

Praise for Sparks the Matchmaker:

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. How many “romance” novels do you read where the protagonist is male, or even where the author is male? At first, I thought that was going to be the unique focus of this story.

I was pleasantly surprised, though. The “Sparks” character was a completely unique take on things. Also, I tend to be one of those people who frequently predicts the endings of books and t.v. shows, etc., but I hadn’t seen the ending of this story coming. It was a quick and easy read (which was just what I needed right now) but with plenty of intelligence and creativity woven into the story. I think I can say with confidence that even my teenage son would enjoy it, as well as my Mom. Looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Definitely not what I expected from a romantic comedy novel, but in a good way! Can’t wait for the next one 🙂

Author Russell Elkins

Russell Elkins has become a leading expert on open adoption through first-hand experience that he now shares in Open Adoption, Open Heart. Russell regularly contributes to Adoption.com. He also writes his own blog at russellelkins.com to educate others in the struggles and beauties of open adoption.

Russell has always been a family man at heart, looking forward to the day when he could be a husband and a father. It took him a little while, but eventually his eyes locked onto a beautiful blonde, and he has never looked away. Russell and Jammie were married in 2004. They had the same goals for their home and didn’t want to wait too long before starting their family. However, filling their home quickly with children wasn’t in the cards, and they found themselves weighing their options to overcome problems with infertility. Their lives changed dramatically the day they decided to adopt.

Russell and Jammie have adopted two beautiful children, Ira and Hazel, and have embraced their role as parents through open adoption. Both are actively engaged in the adoption community by communicating through social media, taking part in discussion panels, and writing songs about adoption.

Russell was born on Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., in the fall of 1977. Along with his five siblings, he and his military family moved around a lot, living in eight different houses by the time he left for college at age 17. Although his family moved away from Fallon, Nevada, just a few months after he moved out, he still considers that little oasis in the desert to be his childhood hometown.

Even after leaving home, Russell always stayed close to his family. He shared an apartment with each of his three brothers at different times during his college career. They formed a band together back in the 1990s and still perform on a regular basis under the name of the Invisible Swordsmen.

After nearly a decade of college and changing his major a few times, Russell received his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He later graduated from Ameritech College where he learned the trade of being a dental lab technician. Russell now owns and operates Elkins Dental Lab located in Meridian, Idaho.

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Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 1/12/14

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Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.