The Fate of a Marlowe Girl

When twenty-four-year-old Tiffany escapes her sister Kammy’s too wild Cancun bachelorette party, she finds herself in a bar with the unwanted attention of a gorgeous local named Luke.
Luke may be charming but Tiffany is leaving in two days and doesn’t need any complications. But complications are exactly what she gets when the cops show up to raid Kammy’s party. When Kammy is arrested, Tiffany agrees to have dinner with Luke, so he’ll help her get Kammy out of jail. Kammy’s arrest forces her to spend an extra day in Cancun, meaning she’ll miss a crucial meeting, and as an accountant in tax season, she is already drowning in work. Not to mention, every second she spends with Luke makes it harder to leave. With Luke, Tiffany is almost ready to forget about work.

Will the airport be their final goodbye?

Review:

This was a fast read for me, and I don’t think it was too long either.  I find it fascinating the guilt that Tiffany feels when her mother pressures her to host (and pay for) her sister’s bachelorette party when the man she is married dated Tiffany first.  True she was going to break up with him, but what a weird family dynamic!  I did think that Tiffany was a little crazy for going off with a guy she met in Mexico not knowing anything about him.  Perhaps I live too close to Mexico and hear about all the things that happen down there.  There was probably more that we could have learned about the characters before it jumps to the end, but for a shorter story if flowed nicely.  We give it 4 paws.

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The Other Marlowe Girl

When twenty-four-year-old dance school drop out Kammy Marlowe is evicted by her mother, she goes to her favorite bar. She finds an unlikely friend in the blunt eye candy, Enrique. But Kammy knows there is no way she and Enrique have a shot because he’s her brother-in-law’s brother and has been privy to her wild past.

Enrique swears he’s only interested in the person she is today, but their relationship is tested when her ex-husband’s drug dealer attacks her, looking for money. With no options and a money hungry drug dealer on her back, Kammy accepts a position as a dancer at a strip club. But when Enrique shows up at the club, their relationship is over. With no reason to stay in Texas anymore, Kammy auditions for the Bolshevik Ballet and gets the opportunity to go to Russia. Only Enrique is determined to stop her.

Will she give up the chance of a lifetime to stay with the man she still loves?

Review:

I started this one right after The Fate of a Marlow Girl, and while the story was good, it didn’t grab me like the other one.  Maybe it is because Kammy and Enrique were the black sheep in their family and it doesn’t seem like they should have gotten together?  The story was still good and I liked that Tiffany and Luke were in this book as well (fairly prominently) and we learn more about what happens after book one and before book two starts.  Kammy is a mess and of course still expecting big sister to bail her out.  Enrique isn’t happy with his life but isn’t taking responsibility for it either.  You just want to take them by the arms and shake them and say “grow up! life is NOT easy!”  However the book ended nicely and sets it up for the third book in the series which is about the other brother.

We give it 3 1/2 paws

Amazon

Author Beth Fred

Meet Beth Fred! That’s me! I’m a full time ELF keeper and part time writer/blogger/writing instructor. I’m represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyons Literary Agency. I like my tea hot, my romance sweet, and my guys chivalrous. Real men hold open doors, refer to you as ma’am, make promises they keep, and aren’t afraid to profess their undying love. It’s not breakfast if there aren’t carbs(at least, not in the South). Fajitas, carnitas, and churros are just few of my favorite things. Bet you can’t guess where I’m from 😉 Wanna know more about me? You can find that here:

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Popped Off is the 2nd installment in the Stay at Home Day mystery series by author Jeffrey Allen (aka Jeff Shelby).  I posted about the first book in his series, Stay at Home Dead and I think this is going to be a winner of a series!

Synopsis:

For stay-at-home dad Deuce Winters, the cutthroat world of suburban kiddie sports leagues is unavoidable. In his small town, Moises Huber is known at the King of Soccer. But it seems the king may have fallen from his throne when he disappears–along with $73,000 of the youth soccer association’s registration fees.  Deuce calls foul and begins a bizarre search that leads him to a high-stakes gambling ring, a band of shrewd smugglers, and one heckuva Texas-sized mega church.  As he closes in on the truth, Deuce has only one goal in mind: stay on the ball and out of the penalty zone before his opponent can make a killer pass – and still have dinner ready on time.

A few weeks ago I went to an event called Readers & ‘Ritas which featured many authors, some I had heard of, some that I had not. While at breakfast before the event started, I met Alexandra Allred who happens to live in the DFW area (met a lot of authors that live in this area!). When I realized she was an author I asked her about her most recent novel. After she told me about her work I had to go and buy it because it sounded like a good read. Of course I had to have her sign it….can’t pass up that opportunity!

Bio (from her website) – While I met Alex in person at Readers & ‘Ritas, I had no idea everything she had accomplished in her life!  Wow! 

Alexandra Powe Allred graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in History, saying, “As everyone knows, once you get a degree in history, all you can really do is teach or write. I’m just doing what I can!”

As the daughter of a (now retired) U.S. Diplomat, Allred traveled all over the United States and around the world. Her writing career began before graduation with several pieces on bi-lingual education with national education publications. But the real stories began while living as a youth in Moscow, Russia. Under a communist regime, imagination and the ability to create stories was the very best way to beat boredom (and the freezing cold!).

As her career was taking off, Allred embraced her second passion — sports. She trained for and made the U.S. women’s bobsled team in 1994, becoming the first U.S. National Champion. She was named Athlete of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee and garnered much worldwide attention as she was also 4 1/2 months pregnant at the time! Her training regimen was (and is) used by the United States and International Olympic Committees for pregnant athletes. Following her retirement from the sport in 1998, Allred returned to the literary world with The Quiet Storm. While living in the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY, she was able to talk to Olympic and National athletes from all disciplines and share with sports enthusiasts. From there, her career was launched. She did adventure freelance writing for Sports Illustrated, Muscle & Fitness for Her, and Volvo magazines. She held a sports column, worked as an editor for NOW magazines outside Dallas, Texas and began working as a Clean Air advocate, often testifying before the EPA.

Today, she writes (mostly) fiction, teaches kinesiology classes for Navarro Community College while enjoying her family and animals in Texas.

Synopsis:

Everyone thought when and how Joanna Lucas decided to leave her husband was the most shocking thing they had ever seen, that is, until she moved. But when the outsider befriends a stripper-turned-Mormon, a one-legged woman who lost her appendage to a loose tiger and the outrageous Jeanie Archer, things really heat up. With such friends on her side, the underworld of polluting and big-dollar politics is finally exposed and that’s just the beginning.

Review:

Damaged Goods, while fiction, is based on a lot of true facts.  Think of it as Erin Brockovich comes to Texas!  Alex addresses the issues in a town south of Dallas that had cement plants which cause environmental issues which results in health issues for the residents of the town.

I have to say that while reading this book I tried to picture it in that town south of Dallas.  I’m not sure if my imagination did a good job of that, but hey that is in my head, which you are not!  The characters were multi-faceted and I found myself relating to some of the characters and appreciating the strength of the women who decided to stand up to the politicians.  There were also sad portions of the story (to be expected) that tugged at my heart.  Yes I know it is a story, but I felt like these characters were my neighbors (which they could be in a way).

All in all I give the story 4 paws.  The only negative is that when the author switched between characters and their point of view, it took me a few minutes to figure out whose viewpoint was now being expressed.

Today I’d like to give a shout out to a friend from high school that has written a book.  love/life Hot in Houston by new author, Renee’ Curtis.  It is a racy and intended for mature readers only….but you can read a sneak peek of the book here.

The accidental author.  That is a very accurate description of me. I didn’t intend to become an writer but it happened. All due to a dream. Not many can say that.

I was born and raised in rural East Texas. I graduated from Spring Hill High School in Longview then went to Kilgore College for a bit. I excelled in sports (golf and tennis) and was a good student. I loved everything about school. I love to learn. I thought I would end up golfing for a career but a repeated knee injury kept me out of the LPGA (well that’s what I tell myself anyway).

My pursuit of a writing career as I stated came thru a dream. Oddly enough, I was on OPRAH doing the rounds to publicize my book which is bizarre because I am not or ever have been a fan of hers, tho I know that her thumbs up on anything is like money in someone’s pocket. Maybe is was a sign, not that I would be rich but that there was something else that I was destined to do. And with the encouragement of a couple of friends and the gentle pushing (ok shoving) of my boyfriend, I sat down to write a romance novel. Did I succeed? I guess only time will tell. I think the story is a new take on the “modern family” with elements of romance and yes even sex *gasp* 🙂 One that I would hope people will enjoy and possibly relate to in some way.

If you purchase the book and like it, then I hope you will take time out to write me and let me know. And if you don’t I hope you will give my other work at chance.

Until then, happy reading.
~Renee’

This week it is the 2nd in a series by Liz Lipperman called Beef Stolen-Off.  The first in the series was Liver Let Die which was really good!  The third in the series is due out in January 2013 and it is called Murder for the Halibut….Jordan is going on a cruise!

Synopsis:

Aspiring sportswriter Jordan McAllister never imagined she’d be a food critic. Yet here in Ranchero, Texas, that’s exactly what she is. And while she may not know a flank steak from a filet mignon, she certainly knows how to rustle up trouble…

As the food columnist for The Ranchero Globe, Jordan McAllister catches the eye of cattle baron Lucas Santana, who invites her to the Cattleman’s Ball, hoping a positive review for the ball might boost the county’s sagging beef sales.

To ensure Jordan enjoys herself, Santana sets her up with a prime cowboy companion for the event—Rusty Morales. Jordan’s delighted to go with him and two-step the night away. But instead, she winds up in the emergency room where her date is DOA.

When Rusty’s mother begs her for help, Jordan knows she needs to grab the bull by the horns and get to the bottom of this mystery before she corrals herself into trouble…

This is the latest in Victoria Laurie’s Psychic Eye series and it does not disappoint!

Synopsis:

Vision Impossible is back with her newest Psychic Eye mystery, in which psychic Abigail Cooper must rely on her inner vision to search for a missing woman…

When a mysterious client approaches Abby with a cryptic message about a young mother who has vanished, Abby is more than willing to get involved.  After all, it’s the perfect distraction from dealing with the headache of her sister Cat – who has flown into town and turned Abby and Dutch’s impending nuptials into Weddingpalooza.After Abby recruits her business partner and BFF, Candice, to assist, they meet with the parents of the missing woman.  But the parents refuse to put their faith in a psychic. What’s worse, due to a grave misunderstanding, the family suspects Abby has a connection to their daughter’s husband – the man they believe to be responsible for her disappearance. So while the family may be blind to the truth, with a potential killer in her sights, Abby is determined to keep her eyes wide open.

This week it is a new series with a male lead (fairly unusual) and set in the Dallas area (love books set in Texas!).  This series is the Stay at Home Dad series by Jeffrey Allen who is also known as Jeff Shelby, mystery writer.  The first book is called Stay at Home Dead.

Synopsis:

When stay at home dad Deuce Winters finds the dead body of his old high school rival in the back of his mini-van, it quickly throws his quiet life into disarray.  As the number one suspect in the court of public opinion in his small hometown in Texas, Deuce is determined to clear his name, with a little help from his wife, Julianne, a high-powered attorney. His search for the killer leads him to a business plan gone awry, a gaggle of jilted lovers, a group of merciless PTA moms and a diminutive detective with quite the attitude.

My Review:

I can’t remember if I have ever read a cozy series that featured a male lead that did the sleuthing.  Sure there have been supporting men, but not one that is involved this much.  I have to say I really liked the set up of this story…stay at home dad who is ridiculed by the people in his small home town for staying at home (I personally think it is a cool thing for him to do), a kick butt wife and a precocious daughter.   Of course Deuce’s life is also not without the women hitting on him despite no encouragement from him.  So if you are looking for a slight change from your usual cozy, check out this series.  I don’t think you will be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for book 2 which is called Popped Off and due out on September 1, 2012.

Aaron L might be a newcomer to the creation of Christian fiction but is not one when it comes to the arts and all things creative. Growing up spending a lot of his time drawing, Aaron always knew that his future lay in this field. With his first novel, Light Under the House, Aaron has chosen to focus his creative skills on the task of storytelling.

Donna Fawcett Dawsonis a multifaceted author.  She writes suspense novels, Christian fiction and has been singing since age 4.  She was brave enough to homeschool her kids (that is an admirable task by any parent!).  She has received several awards for her books.  Donna’s call to writing is centered around her purpose statement: To make a difference in the lives of many who would not see Christ but for words I write; to show his love and sacrifice in the pages of each book.

Synopsis from Smashwords:

Light Under the House is the saga of an American family—the Levis, a family of secrets. None greater than the secret of what lies under their house, a secret that could destroy them. A secret that an ancient evil will stop at nothing to uncover. The novel follows the Levi family line for a generation, exploring lives lived in the aftermath of the cultural rebellion of the late 1960’s.

Aaron was kind enough to answer a few questions for me despite his busy schedule!

SBR: What inspired you to write this story?
I feel very stongly about the breakdown of the family and fatherlessness and how there is much dysfunction and despair because of it. I wanted to tell a story to shed some light on the situations that many face and hopefully bring some type of reversal to the current dynamic in whatever small way I could. I wanted to challenge men, fathers especially, to be who they were created to be….its certainly a challenge I face myself daily. A challenge that I often fail at but keeping picking myself up to start again.

SBR: Did you model any of the characters after people you know?
I used many things to model the characters…people I know, other literary figures, actors, biblical characters, celebrities….the characters are a combination of all of these. I wanted them to be new and familiar at the same time, universal.

SBR: Why did you choose the Dallas/Ft Worth area as your primary setting?
First of all, the south has a certain reputation for is deep spiritual roots (bible belt and all). I patterned the book in part after Gone with the Wind (another book set in the south)…not in the sense of a love story but in the sense of “here is civilization that is about to cease to exist, come see it before its gone”. Dallas just seemed to have everything I needed to make the story work from both a symbolic and technical standpoint.

SBR: Do you have plans to write more books? 
I have an idea or two floating around…nothing concrete yet.

SBR: What sort of research did you do for the historical portions of your book? What did you like best about the research? The least?
My co-author and I researched deeply in ancient history for some aspects of the book….I learned alot of things….some things I’d rather forget but most of it was enlightening. What I liked best was that it comfirmed for me mostly what I already knew, there really is nothing new under the sun.

My thoughts:

 Any time a book is set in Texas I am intrigued to see how it compares to the actual setting.  Granted I didn’t realize it was set in Texas until I read the book so that was a bonus!  The novel starts off during biblical times and then moves forward in time to the 60’s to the present.  The storyline kept me riveted because I liked seeing good win over evil and there were even loose ties to other biblical stories that most everyone has heard.  Sometimes the storyline doesn’t seem possible, but it is a fiction and if we can’t suspend reality then what is the point of reading a novel?  Sometimes it was hard to keep track of the characters especially if they weren’t a prominent character in the storyline, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book.  Overall I would give this book 3 1/2 stars.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and am happy to share it with all the readers of my blog.  Aaron has kindly sent me a copy of the book to giveaway to a lucky reader.  All you have to do is fill out the form below and one lucky winner will be chosen.

The contest will run until Sunday, February 5th.  One entry per person (duplicates will be deleted).

 Good Luck!

Lori Wilde is the author of over forty-five books for three major New York publishers. Recently, she received a two-book contract from Warner Books based solely on a 25 word ‘high concept’ pitch. When the sale—along with the pitch—was announced on Publisher’s Marketplace, she was approached by eight film production companies interested in optioning her completed novel for a movie. She has been nominated for Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA award and is a four time nominee of the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award.

Summary:

“On Christmas Eve, if you sleep with kismet cookies under your pillow and dream of your one true love, he will be your destiny.”

The towns folk of Twilight, Texas, believe the legend, but not Sarah Collier—not since she was a pudgy teenager, running down the church aisle on Christmas Day in a jingle bell sweater and reindeer antlers, trying to stop Travis Walker from marrying someone else. She may be grown up, slimmed down, bestselling children’s book author “Sadie Cool” now, but Sarah will never forget that day. And she’ll never fall foolishly in love again!

But when a letter from a sick fan brings Sarah back to Twilight, she’s shocked to discover that Travis is the little girl’s father—unattached and hotter than ever. His movie-star smile still makes her melt, but Sarah knows that ship has sailed. Travis, however, might have different ideas.

And just because you don’t believe in fairy tales doesn’t mean they won’t come true…

My Review:

This is the second book by Lori Wilde I have read.  The first was Addicted to Love which I also reviewed.  Since I live in Texas I always enjoy books that are set in this state since I tend to recognize characteristics of the towns or state as truly Texas.  Of course it doesn’t hurt that Lori lives here too.

Sarah was embarrassed as a child…but then who wasn’t when they were a teenager?  However she told Travis that she was his destiny…at his wedding…in front of the whole town.  I don’t think it can get any worse than that.

Fast forward about 10 years.  Sarah’s publicist sets her up on a goodwill tour with the clincher being a letter from a little girl in the town of Twilight who is deathly ill but Sarah’s biggest fan.  How can she disappoint this little girl? Of course the kicker is that she doesn’t know that the little girl is Travis’ daughter until it is too late and she is thrown directly into Travis’ path and the memory of what she did at his wedding.  Of course Travis hasn’t remained unscathed over the last 10 years and will his love for his daughter prevent him from finding his true love?

I really enjoyed this book.  It was very lighthearted with a few serious moments and it was nice to see where the male lead had issues he was dealing with in life that were of a serious nature.  Of course it doesn’t hurt that he is sexy and the descriptions Lori uses allow you to conjure him up in your mind.

Definitely check out this book if you like romance set in Texas…or just romance period!  It is a fairly quick read and I had a hard time putting the book down.

On Tuesday, I took the day off from work and attended a luncheon to hear the author Dixie Cash speak at the Woman’s Club of Fort Worth.

Now Dixie Cash is not one person, it is 2 sisters, Pam & Jeffrey, that write this series of humerous books set in West Texas. By no coincidence they grew up in West Texas and in a small town, so they know of what they write!

Pam is definitely the zany one of the two. Jeffrey is a bit more quiet and reserved but very nice and I can see how the two of them could write a really good book between Pam’s humor and Jeffrey’s writing experience (she had written several books before they started collaborating).

If you read the books, make sure to read them in order. The first is Since You’re Leaving Anyway, Take Out the Trash.

Life in the small town of Salt Lick, Texas, is pretty ordinary—until someone decides to knock off Pearl Ann Carruthers, the wealthiest and nas- tiest woman in town. Hairdresser and salon owner Debbie Sue Overstreet is shocked by the news, and she has a pipeline into the sheriff’s office to find out the latest. Her sexy ex-husband, Buddy, is also the town sheriff.

When Harley Carruthers offers a $50,000 reward for the killer, debt-ridden Debbie Sue can’t resist launching an investigation. But keeping Buddy from discovering her undercover machinations won’t be easy. Once you start digging for secrets, you never know what you will uncover!