Interview with Susan May Warren

What thrills you about writing?  What makes you pick up the pen and keep going in your worst of moments?

Words, and the poetry of them, and especially how God might untangle the story for a happy ending.  At least I’m hoping….!

What is your ideal writing setting?

I like writing on a snowy or rainy day, under a blankie, with hot-cocoa.  If it’s nice out, then I’m tempted to get outside and walk and I hate missing sunny weather! I like to write in the morning, before people start moving around, but I get most of my inspiration in the afternoon after my brain has warmed up.

Any authors inspire you?

Many many authors inspire me!!  I find new ones every year to add to the old ones.  Of course, my staples are Rachel Hauck, Francine Rivers, Dee Henderson, Jenny B. Jones, Deeann Gist, Christa Parrish, Carla Stewart, Siri Mitchell, Ronie Kendig and Robin Caroll.  I always have their newest books on my TBR pile!!

What challenges you as a writer?

Coming up with fresh internal struggles and storylines.  And, I always want to be getting better, so challenging myself with prose is always a priority. 

What challenges you as a woman?

Turning off the voices in my head that say I need to have an immaculate, designed house and a colorful meal on the table at 6pm every night.  I also wish I had more time to really invest in my friendships. Thankfully, I have a handful of friends and we all agree that we are busy, but when we need each other, we are there.

Do you or have you ever belonged to a book club?

Yes, through my church, and online.

Talk about something that is making you happy right now.

Watching my two youngest sons play football, knowing my daughter loves her college, and seeing my oldest son branch out and become his own man.  I love watching my children become these amazing adults!

Tell me something surprising about you.

Although I’m an extrovert, I enjoy just driving, alone in my car for hours. 

What are you afraid of?

Strange people touching me on an airplane.  (Not kidding).  Germs.  And, I have issues with letting go of missed opportunities. 

Name something people shouldn’t leave your town without visiting.

World’s Best Donuts.  And the Java Moose coffee shop.  And sitting outside in the Harbor with a selection from both of those watching Lake Superior’s waves comb the rocky shoreline and breathing in the piney air.   

Have you ever based a character in your novel on a real person?

Josey Berglund from “Everything’s Coming up Josey” is me.

Do you have a “first” reader?

Yes.  Ellen Tarver.  Who is also my editor now with Summerside.  LOVE HER.  I call her my secret weapon.

Title of the last book you read?

Falls like Lightening by Shawn Grady.

Title of a book you are dying to read that’s not yet released.

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck.  It’s going to be amazing.

Aside from my already highly stated opinion, why should people read your books?

LOL!  Because I try and deliver a story that isn’t just well-plotted and with powerful characters, but something that also explores a truth that hopefully impacts the reader in a life-changing way.  I hope that people are not just inspired, but changed in some way by my stories.

How can readers connect with you?

www.susanmaywarren.com!

Thank you again for letting me stop by!

Check out my review of Heiress tomorrow!!

Me Again

Me Again

Keith Cronin

978-1-4328-2503-4

Five Star Publishing

Source: TLC Book Tours

Synopsis: (Front inside flap)

 That’s what thirty-four-year-old stroke victim Jonathan Hooper learns when he wakes up after spending six years in a coma. Everyone calls Jonathan’s recovery a “miracle,” but since nobody had expected him to recover, his sudden awakening becomes an awkward intrusion on the lives of his family and friends. To make matters worse, Jonathan doesn’t even recognize these people. The stroke has wiped away most of Jonathan’s memory, while the coma has withered his body.
In short, Jonathan’s not the man he used to be – whoever that was.

The only bright spot for Jonathan is Rebecca Chase, a young woman he meets in the hospital’s long-term recovery unit. A stroke has drastically changed her personality, making her a stranger to her husband. Gone is the vivacious trophy wife, replaced by a shy, awkward woman with a knack for saying exactly the wrong thing.

Constantly reminded how badly they fit in, Jonathan and Rebecca find much in common with each other as they work on rebuilding – and rediscovering – their lives. But while Rebecca copes with her husband’s frustrated attempts at “fixing” her, Jonathan finds mounting evidence that the man he used to be was not necessarily a very good man. And everywhere he turns, Jonathan keeps discovering more secrets that his own loved ones are keeping from him.

A steadily accelerating story exploring the irony, humor, and opportunity that can accompany personal calamity, Me Again follows the intertwined paths of two people forced to start over in life: one looking for his place in a world that has moved on without him, the other struggling to navigate a relationship with a man who wishes she were someone else.

My Thoughts:

I love the back cover “synopsis” of this book. [Which is not the synopsis above]  It really emphasizes the unique quality that Me Again brings to the table.  My general method in choosing a book starts with a catch of the eye, by cover, title or author.  Once I’ve been drawn to the book I instantly flip it over to read the synopsis.   The synopsis generally makes or breaks the book for me.  For Me Again, I couldn’t wait to keep reading after finishing the synopsis.  I didn’t even bother to read the extended synopsis on the inside front cover flap. [Above synopsis]  I was hooked with the short excerpt that is the synopsis and couldn’t wait to read more.

So, imagine you’re young… thirty or so… and bam!  Stroke.  When your reality comes back into focus, you find that you’re different to everyone.  While you used to like cheerios, you now hate them.  Your favorite band is no longer, things you never liked you now love.  Hard to imagine but for Rebecca and Jonathon, this is life as they currently know it.  Situations like the ones above are a constant for them.  Rebecca has undergone a complete personality change which has put a strain on her relationship with her husband.  Jonathon, who was in a coma for six years, has almost no memory and a family who assumed he was never going to wake up.  For both, the world has changed drastically though in different ways.  The common ground they find within each other builds a relationship and friendship uniquely different from any other relationship they have.  While both attempt to recover, understand themselves, their lives and the people around them by dealing with the hand they have been dealt, they also find comfort in their friendship and its unique common ground.

Me Again reminded me of a blessing.  I think it’s easy to forget how important and comforting it can be to have someone who understands what you’re going through.  Me Again is an emotional and humorous book that follows these two young stroke victims on their journey of self-discovery and recovery.  In an instant their lives are completely changed, who they were, is no longer who they are.  Their families are unable to understand because they simply cannot.  I found the dynamics between the families and patients in this story very interesting.  I can’t imagine what it would be like to be the family member of someone who didn’t remember me, or the wife of a husband whose personality completely changes in a moment.  This story is compelling and well written.  I enjoyed each and every part of it.  The characters are wonderful.   I really enjoyed reading about them and getting to know them, as difficult as some of the moments could be to read.  The book is greatly unique!  It is a great debut and I highly recommend it!  Take a journey with Rebecca and Jonathon; you’ll be glad you did.

Must Read, Don't Miss It!

Oops! Don't miss this review.....

I had a review scheduled to post on Monday, only to find out it did not.  Don't miss my review of Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park.  You can access it here: http://www.acozyreaderscorner.com/2011/10/flat-out-love-jessica-park-isbn.html

This book is on tour with Crazy Book Tours!  Check out what other readers are saying about it too!  http://crazybooktours.blogspot.com/2011/08/october-tour-flat-out-love-by-jessica.html

Flat-Out Love

Flat-Out Love

Jessica Park

ISBN: 9781461085973

Source: Crazy Book Tours

Synopsis:

"Something is seriously off in the Watkins home.  And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined to get to the bottom of it."

My Thoughts:

Flat-Out Love is a great example of why I love to blog!  In addition to reading pre-released books from some of my favorite authors and helping others weed through the host of books available to avid readers, I find gems, diamonds in the rough, books that make me think “Wow, how is this not a best seller?”  Flat-Out Love is one of these books.  It’s a great example of a talented author that may not be on the New York Times Bestseller list, but really has the ability to end up there.  Flat-out Love reminds me of why I love the Indie publishing scene.  While I’ve read some horrible books that have been self-published, I have also read wonderful ones that make me wonder why a publisher would ever pass it over.

In this novel you’ll find hilarious family and personal dysfunction wrapped up in a great romance that truly reminds me of life.  Who doesn’t have a dysfunctional, imperfect family?  No one is perfect; everyone has their quirks, secrets and phobias.  Flat-out Love doesn’t hide the simple truths of life behind a fantasy.  Instead it makes you feel better about your own world because your life is either less dysfunctional, making you thankful, or just as dysfunctional, making you feel less alone!  I loved the mystery in this book.  The back cover lets you know there is a family secret that will spill out within the pages but I couldn’t wait to discover what it was and how it would come out.  The characters are compelling.  I wanted to know more about them, read more about them and simply enjoy them for who they are. 

In addition to the family, drama, and romance Flat-Out Love mixes the technology of today in with its story.  Readers can expect to read text, Facebook chats, e-mails and random status updates throughout the book as Finn travels the world, surfacing only in technological ways.  The book even throws craigslist into the mix.  This novel has a little bit of everything.  It’s heartbreaking and vulnerable while funny and charming at the same time.  I enjoyed this book!  It’s definitely a keeper!

“It’s not what you know -or when you see - that matters.  It’s about the journey.”

Highly Recommended

Fezariu's Epiphany 2

Fezariu’s Epiphany 2?

Guest Post by David Brown, author of Fezariu's Epiphany.

There’s been a heart-warming response to Fezariu’s Epiphany so far and I feel privileged to have received any positive comments, let alone a growing number of good reviews. Many questions have been asked about the book and the world of Elenchera and I am pleased that many readers are intrigued but one question keeps popping up and I felt it was worth a short blog in response.  The question: “Will there be a sequel to Fezariu’s Epiphany?”

The short answer, dear readers, is sadly no. I have many reasons why I won’t be revisiting Fezariu’s story. First of all, Fezariu was a great character to write and I do believe his story is one that had to be told but there is nothing else for him now. Surely those that have read the book will agree that I’ve made poor Fezariu suffer enough what with his difficult childhood, the abandonment by his mother and then the harsh realities of war in the colonies when he becomes a Merelax mercenary. I also believe that Fezariu’s Epiphany couldn’t end better than it does and to try and pick up the story after the epilogue would be difficult.

In creating Elenchera my intention has always been to have many self-contained novels, a new set of characters each time, a different time and land, but all united by being part of Elenchera. There are currently twenty-five Shards (periods of history in Elenchera) and twenty-three different lands to choose from so I’m not short of opportunities for new novel settings. Each story will give precedence to the characters just as Fezariu’s Epiphany does. There is a lot of history in Elenchera and I want to share all of it with you, bit by bit, but certainly not to the extent that readers will find it monotonous.

Will I ever write a sequel? I can’t promise I won’t. Some elements of Elenchera’s history may be too great for just one book. My next novel, A World Apart, is set two Shards after the events of Fezariu’s Epiphany and will have no connection to my debut novel whatsoever. Before anyone asks, no, there will not be a sequel to A World Apart either though it will be a much longer novel than my first.

A series of self-contained novels has always appealed to me more than a series of novels about the same characters. The idea of writing half a dozen stories about Fezariu simply would not appeal to me and I honestly believe I would grow to hate the character rather than find myself grateful to have shared his story. Those that choose to share in Fezariu’s tale, I hope you enjoy what you read but you don’t need to ask me if there will be Fezariu 2: Another Epiphany because I can say very safely that the answer will always be no!

The Pub Across The Pond

“Sometimes leaving home is the only way to find where you belong….”

Carlene Rivers is many things. Dutiful, reliable, kind. Lucky? Not so much. At thirty, she’s living a stifling existence in Cleveland, Ohio. Then one day, Carlene buys a raffle ticket. The prize: a pub on the west coast of Ireland. Carlene is stunned when she wins. Everyone else is stunned when she actually goes.

As soon as she arrives in Ballybeog, Carlene is smitten, not just by the town’s beguiling mix of ancient and modern but by the welcome she receives. In this small town near Galway Bay, strife is no stranger, strangers are family, and no one is ever too busy for a cup of tea or a pint. And though her new job presents challenges–from a meddling neighbor to the pub’s colorful regulars–there are compensations galore. Like the freedom to sing, joke, and tell stories and, in doing so, find her own voice. And in her flirtation with Ronan McBride, the pub’s charming, reckless former owner, she just may find the freedom to follow where impulse leads and trust her heart–and her luck–for the very first time.

Author: Mary Carter

Publisher: Kensington Books

ISBN: 978-0-7582-5336-1

Source: Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour

Rating: Must Read, Don't Miss it!

There's just something unique and alluring about the Irish and the notion of a pub.  Whenever I think about an Irish pub, I think about warmth, love, friendship and fun.  It's like watching an episode of Cheers, where everybody knows your name.  The pub is a gathering place for friends, neighbors and family.  No matter the celebration or disappointment, you eventually meet up at the pub.  The Pub Across the Pond solidified this notion for me.  Music, people, conversation, warmth, love and friendship are all part of this novel, the pub and the characters.  It makes you want to be part of it all.

Mary Carter is a delightful and talented writer.  I was immersed in this story from the moment I started reading.  The cover drew me into this book from the moment I saw it.  I wanted to know more about the story.  The author kept me fully entertained with her well-developed characters and storyline.  This novel made me laugh, which I love!  I adored everything about it.  Its unique plot gave me a wonderfully entertaining read, while the characters made me feel at home, as if I were part of them.  I've only read one other novel by Mary Carter, entitled "She'll take it," which was just as wonderful to read.  I will be picking up her other titles after enjoying The Pub Across the Pond, as well.

 MARY CARTER is a freelance writer and novelist.  The Pub Across the Pond is her fifth novel with Kensington. Her other works include:  My Sister’s Voice, Sunnyside Blues,She’ll Take It, and Accidentally Engaged.  In addition to her novels she has written two novellas: A Very Maui Christmas in the best selling anthology Holiday Magic, andThe Honeymoon House in the best selling anthology Almost Home. She is currently working on a new novel for Kensington.



Readers are welcome to visit her at www.marycarterbooks.com.
Visit her at Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Carter-Books/248226365259.

Must Read, Don't Miss it!

A Wind in Montana

A Wind in Montana

by Mitch Davies

ISBN:978-0984390700

Publisher: Pensmith

Reviewed by: Malissa for A Cozy Reader's Corner

A Wind in Montana is a story about teenagers coming of age in a small Montana town.  They struggle between choosing their own future and the future others have planned for them.  It’s also a love story of two innocent teenagers discovering the passions in life.

Rory is a hard working young man struggling to secure the future he envisions versus the one his teachers see for him.  In this process he discovers his true calling in life.  I found him to be a very likeable character that was very well developed. His parents and older brother don’t really understand him.  They aren’t bad people, just different.  He doesn’t think they are interested in his life.  Their family dynamic was believable yet somewhat sad.  They function more as individuals instead of a cohesive family unit.

Victoria is a very talented musician from a family of musicians.  Her parents expect her to continue life as musician.  I think they see more talent in her than they ever had as musicians and want her to be the performer they couldn’t be.  Where Rory’s family is not as involved in his future, Victoria’s family is very involved.  She is struggling to be seen as more than a “musician.”

The supporting characters are mostly believable.  The music teacher was a little over the top in his pushing of his students to stick with music.  I found his character a little hard to believe.  The other teenagers in the story were like typical teens today. The relationships they formed were enjoyable to read about.  I really liked Rory’s chemistry teacher.  He was the kind of teacher most kids want, young enough to relate to the students, but still professional enough to keep them on track and motivated.  He knew how to inspire his students to learn. 

The love story between Rory and Victoria was very believable.  They discovered their bodies together as most teenagers/young adults do.  The level of heat in the book was fairly low.  There was sex, but no graphic detail. 

Over all I really enjoyed this book.  It was told by the narrator and was very easy to read.  I thought it flowed nicely.  The small town setting was perfect for this story. It was the kind of town kids want to escape when they grow up.  I would definitely re-read this book as well as read more from this author. I would really like to see what happens next with these characters. 

The Five Things I've Learnt After Publishing My First Novel...

The Five Things I've Learnt After Publishing My First Novel

Guest post by Isabelle Laflèche, author of J'adore New York

Isabelle Laflèche -whose first novel, J'adore New York-hits stores this month-admits to a life altering encounter with a psychic on the streets of Manhattan that led her to ditch her high octane legal career for a creative life of writing.

1-Living a creative life is more rewarding than simply making lots money. I once worked 14 hour days fuelled by excessive ambition but had no spare time to pursue my artistic passions. Sure, I was making lots of money but I was miserable. Then I met a psychic in New York who told me that I was missing my calling as a writer. It took me a while to take her advice seriously but I eventually resigned from my cushy job and wrote my first novel, which has been the most rewarding event in my professional life.

2-Expensive handbags don't make you happy. When I was working around the clock as a lawyer, I often compensated on weekends by buying things. Although it was fun for a while to parade around town with the season's "it" bag, it soon lost its appeal and left me feeling empty.

3-To reach new horizons, you must lose sight of the shore. I've often repeated this quote to myself over the years. Going through a major career change can be very scary but it's important to look ahead and not dwell on the past.

4-Sucess is the culmination of a series of failures. Like so many authors, when I first sent my manuscript to agents and publishers, I received countless rejection letters but I never gave up on my goal to be published no matter how discouraged I felt. Eventually, a door opened for me and it was the right one.

5-Never let anyone get in the way of your dreams. Once you decide to make a major change in your life, many people might feel intimidated or uncomfortable with your willingness to take risks and may become vocal about it. Don't let the naysayers rain on your parade, it's negative energy that you don't need at this crucial juncture in your life.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN A COPY of J'adore New York???  Simply read my review and comment below.  Leave your email address in the designated field.  This ensures your privacy from spammers and my ability to contact you if you win!  US and Canada addresses only due to shipping.  The winner will be picked on 10/8/11 and chosen by random.org.  Winner notified by email.  A Cozy Reader's Corner reserves the right to end this giveaway at any time and without warning.  I am not responsible for delivery of the prizes.  Prizes are delivered by publishers/authors/publicist.

Depression Cookies

Tia Bach & Angela Silverstone

ISBN: 978-1453567333

Publisher: Xlibris

Source: Review copy

Winner of:  2011 Readers Favorite Book Awards, Silver Realistic Fiction and Finalist Chick Lit

2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist Chick Lit

Synopsis:

Written in two distinct voices, two stories are interwoven within the walls of family and love.

             

Abby needs some magic in her life, along with a white knight, respectful children, and an exciting career plan. Instead she is drowning in unfulfilled expectations, disappointments, and unmet needs. What she doesn't expect is to find the true essence of magic in the strength, friendship, power, and energy of the female spirit found in her mother and her mother's zany group of friends. Krista cannot believe it's happening again. Her father waltzes in and announces another move. And what does her mother do? Nothing. Don't they realize she's almost thirteen, and this could mean the end of her life? In the midst of teenage melodrama, she is determined to survive a new school, defeat the annoyances of two scene-stealing sisters, and deal with out-of-touch parents. Yet she quickly realizes the double-edged sword of growing up.

My Thoughts:

It always amazes me when two people can collaborate so well and produce an amazing book.  While the career of an author is generally viewed as a solo act, I have been pleasantly surprised by co-authors, such as Tia and Angela, who pen a book together and leave you wondering where one left off and the other began.  How do they make the book flow as one complete work when they are in fact two different people?  It amazes me.

Depression Cookies tackles the life issues of a tween and her mom.  Both find themselves with dealing with disappointments, friendships, understanding and wisdom.  I think any woman can connect with both Abby, as a mother and wife, as well as Krista, as a daughter and tween who’s growing up and trying to understand the world and those around her.  I loved the relationship between these two.  Both mother and daughter are trying to navigate their way through life.  Each has a different perspective of family, each other and life as a whole.  They perceive things differently and I found their outlooks intriguing and honest.  Both just want to be loved and accepted with stability and self- fulfillment.

I was really able to connect with Abby in this story.  I appreciated the raw honest the character brings to motherhood and life as a woman.  Women are emotional creatures; every aspect of our makeup is surrounded by our intense emotion and instincts.  These characteristics are seen in the characters, one as a mother, and the other as a daughter trying to navigate through the difficult beginning of teenage life.  The story reminded me of reading Judy Blume novels during my pre-teen and early teenage years.  Both mothers and daughters will be able to enjoy this book.  It is one of those novels that I feel I must read again because I’m sure I’ll get something different out of it next time.  It’s easy to understand how this novel has won so many awards.

Highly Recommended

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.

Sam Wasson
ISBN: 978-0-06-177416-4
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Source: TLC Book Tours
Follow the Tour

Synopsis:

Audrey Hepburn is an icon like no other, yet the image many of us have of Hepburn—dainty, immaculate—is anything but true to life. Here, for the first time, Sam Wasson presents the woman behind the little black dress that rocked the nation in 1961. With a colorful cast of characters including Truman Capote, Edith Head, Givenchy, “Moon River” composer Henry Mancini, and, of course, Hepburn herself, Wasson immerses us in the America of the early sixties before Woodstock and birth control, when a not-so-virginal girl by the name of Holly Golightly raised eyebrows across the country, changing fashion, film, and sex for good.

My Thoughts:

Who doesn't love Audrey Hepburn?  Who can't look at her without the Breakfast at Tiffany's song playing in their head?  Who doesn't wonder what life is like for a star on a normal, everyday basis?

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. gives an honest and raw look into the life of Audrey Hepburn.  The book shows who she was as a person, a star and an icon.  In all of her normality and glamour, the reader is given keen insight and understanding into Audrey, the person, rather than just Audrey the glamorous star.   This behind the scenes look was interesting to read in many ways.  I learned things I didn't know about Audrey and was able to appreciate her life on a different level.

The book also explores what it was like to make a movie in the early 1960s. The process is one that's entirely different in today's world. Hepburn and film makers dealt with censors who didn't want to talk about sex though there was a changing public who wanted to see sex on the screen. Television a major competition for the movies at that time.

Though I have heard stories about the 50's 60's and 70's from parents, grandparents and other family, it was interesting to read a side of those decades from the look of stardom and the changing world of film.  I think this book can be easily enjoyed by many!  Again, who doesn't love Audrey Hepburn??

About the Author:

Sam Wasson is the author of A Splurch in the Kisser: The Movies of Blake Edwards and the forthcoming Paul on Mazursky. He is working on a book about Bob Fosse. He lives in Los Angeles. 

Visit Sam at his website, samwasson.com, follow him on Twitter, and friend him on Facebook.

Very Good

Space

Emily Sue Harvey

ISBN: 978-161188019-9

www.thestoryplant.com

www.emilysueharvey.com

Publisher: The Story Plant

Source: Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour

Excerpt HERE

Synopsis:

In Space, Emily Sue Harvey delivers us a deeply moving story of a family on the brink. Dan and Deede Stowe have worked for years, planning and saving for their idyllic retirement years. Just when they finally are about to realize their dream, their adult, recovering drug-addict daughter, Faith, moves back in with them and everything changes. Their “miracle child”, complete with druggie baggage, upsets the tranquil balance of the Stowe’s existence. Private romantic moments evaporate. Faith’s endless needs intrude hour by hour, devouring both their finances, their emotions, and most crucially, their space. In turn, Faith finds herself bereft of everything she cherished most, her health, her marriage, her child, her family, her reputation and, most of all, a space to call her own.

My Thoughts:

This is my favorite title by Emily Sue Harvey thus far.  I enjoyed the moving and poignant story delivered by Harvey.  The story has a real life appeal to it, as it deals with the topic of a family on the brink.  The parents, who have been saving their entire life for retirement and planning how to spend their time in an idyllic way, are thrown off course when the daughter, a recovering drug-addict, moves, back home.  Their privacy, relaxation, and dreams disappear.  The obvious stress on the parents is expected, but the story of Faith, their daughter, and her struggles with everything she cherishes takes the reader down an emotional path.  The tree are forced to find peace with each other in the midst of the most chaotic and challenging time in their lives. 

The novel questions love and its strength to hold people together.  It is vivid and honest.  I felt for each character and at the same time wanted to slap some sense into all of them.  It really is a novel that reminds me of something families might deal with in today’s world, though I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.  I enjoyed reading Emily’s take on this story.  I also enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of each chapter.  Though the book dives into some serious subject matter that isn’t the easiest to talk about, it also gives hope.  It reminds me that no matter what I might be going through, I’m not alone.  Someone else may be going through the same thing or worse.  Life is not staged to be perfect; it is full of surprises, difficulties, bad choices and many wonderful things as well.  I was thankful for my loving family who support me every day.

I recommend this book.  It is quite interesting and heartbreaking all at the same time.  The story flows from page to page and kept me hooked until the end.  I enjoyed this work of fiction very much.

Highly Recommended

Amid chaotic challenges, all three battle to find peace with each other, a harmony that doggedly eludes them. For the sake of family solidarity, each is forced to sacrifice elemental components of self, until desperation turns them one against the other. Will love be enough to turn the tide? Is it strong enough to warm again hearts grown cold?

The Story of Noah's Ark, Storybook and Wall Clings

The Story of Noah's Ark: Storybook and Wall Clings tells the beloved story of Noah's ark full of vivid, colorful pictures, that promises to delight young children.  The pictures are adorable and remind me of "bubble" art since all the illustrations are round and big.  They are great for toddlers and young children.  Inside the storybook is two full pages of wall clings.  The wall clings illustrate Noah's story in a hands on manner for the child, enabling them to re-create the bible story in their own way.

We really enjoyed this story and its illustrations, but most of all the girls enjoyed the wall clings.  Our walls are textured which was not ideal for these clings.  They stuck but fell off the wall easily.  The clings worked wonderfully on my daughters bedroom doors though.  I would recommend this book and wall clings to those with smooth walls.  It's an inexpensive option in decor as well as fun for your child.  The clings are made to be taken off and re-posted multiple times without loosing their stick.  Your toddler or young child will enjoy playing with them for hours!

Until the End of Forever

Until the End of Forever

Shannon Hart

ISBN: 978-0955990366

Publisher: Black Leaf Publishing

Source: Chick-lit Plus Blog Tour

The last year has been full of debut authors that have charmed me with their imagination and writing.  Shannon Hart fits this category.  The novel is both romantic and enchanting.  The story reflects the idea that not everything is as perfect as it may seem.  For Sarah and Rob, all seems perfect until the reader learns more about Sarah’s feelings.  Sarah is given the chance to escape her life and marriage and finally has everything she thought she wanted until tragedy brings her back, confusing her wand leaving her to decide what really matters.

I love books that switch between characters, giving multiple points of view.  Until the End of Forever is written from both Sarah and Rob’s point of view, which I felt is important for this story.  I also feel the set up gives a well-rounded look at the whole story, since the reader is enabled to understand each character through their own thoughts and feelings.

On the flip side, I don’t’ care for novels that have a lot of flashback scenes.  If a novel flashes back, I prefer it to stay until it meets up with the present and moves forward.  This novel flashes back quite often which made me lose connection to the flow of the story.  I would rather have kept reading present day story rather than switching back and forth.

Overall, I enjoyed this charming debut.  I connected with the characters, I felt for both main characters since I was able to understand them through their own eyes.  The story is interesting and unique.  I would recommend this book. 

Recommended Read

J' adore New York

J’ adore New York

Isabelle Lafl`eche

ISBN: 978-0-06-2092-68-4

Publisher: HarperCollins

Source: Book Sparks PR

When Parisian lawyer, Catherine Lambert, is offered the move of her dreams, she quickly accepts and heads to New York City.  However, leaving Paris behind is not what she expects.  When Catherine arrives in New York, her life quickly changes in drastic ways, making her life nothing like what she expected it to be.  The culture differences are evident in her professional life and not entirely welcome.  While Catherine tries to balance her social life with her professional life, she lives up the fashion and style expected of New York.  When a handsome client enters Catherine’s world, the game changes, though the surprises don’t stop there and Catherine’s world remains anything but boring.

If you’re like me, you loved The Devil Wears Prada and titles similar to it.  If you did, you’ll love J’ adore New York.  I fell in love with this story, the characters and great writing style.  This novel hooked me from the first page.  It grabbed my attention easily and kept it.  I loved Lafl`eche’s writing style.  It flows effortlessly and is easy to read.  I got lost in this book, unaware of my surroundings, which, to me, is one of the best qualities in a novel.  I felt the emotions of the characters throughout the novel.  It was if I was there and not reading a book.  I cheered Catherine along, hoping it would all work out for her and I enjoyed the read.  As a bonus, this novel has an awesome cover!  I love how attractive and intriguing it is.  This is a great debut and totally worth the read!

Must read, don’t miss it!