Real Happy Family - Review

Review by K.T Sullivan

Lorelei Branch is a teenager, ready for her close up. She wants to be an actress or a model or just famous. Her sister-in-law, Robin, is an agent for teenage girls. She gets Lorelei a spot on a popular reality show. Enter Colleen, Lorelei’s mother, to the mix. This is her ticket out. Colleen will ride Lorelei’s star to the top. When Lorelei isn’t selected, Colleen goes on a drunken racist rant, all caught on tape. Humiliated, Lorelei runs away from home. She breaks contact with Colleen and Robin. Her life goes downhill very quickly. Meanwhile, Robin is trying to get pregnant. Darren, her husband and Colleen’s stepson, gets a chance to direct a film and leaves town. He’s caught by a paparazzi’s camera with the star of the movie. Robin travels to confront him and they make up. Lorelei has hit bottom and reaches out to her family. Colleen has a great idea, why not do a show about Lorelei’s life since she got bounced? She contacts the old show’s producer and pitches it. They all gather to ambush Lorelei when she thinks she’s meeting her family. All works out on the surface. Lorelei is back, Colleen sobers up, and Robin’s expecting someone’s baby.

Lorelei is a spoiled child who never grows up. Colleen dreams of wealth and glamour, but never makes it. Robin thinks her life is empty without a child. All three women have different agendas and they collide with a bang. They are family and all actions affect the others. A truly dysfunctional family on all levels, offering an interesting glimpse of reality shows. Especially after the cameras are shut off and move on.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon 

About the Author:

Caeli’s work has appeared in such publications as theNew York Times Magazine, Another Chicago Magazine, and the Madison Review, as well as on NPR and CBS Radio. She currently teaches for Writing Workshops Los Angeles, and has taught in the past for Brooklyn’s Sackett Street Workshop and at University College London. Real Happy Family is her first novel, and she’s hard at work on another. When she’s not writing, she’s hanging out with her husband and three children, working at her unliterary day job, or jogging while thinking about writing and/or new soup recipes.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Twitter * Goodreads

The Unfinished Child - Review

Review by Marlene Engel

In the 1940s, when you gave birth to a child with a severe disability, it wasn’t uncommon to institutionalize the child.  But it still came as a shock to Margaret, after giving birth to a mongoloid child, to be told that it would be in the best interest of her and her family to immediately place the baby where she would be housed with others like her … “the retards, mongoloids and imbeciles.”  Although Margaret was reluctant, she signed the baby over to Poplar Grove (an institution for the mentally handicapped) and trusted that it was the best choice for everyone.

(Fast forward to the present)  Thirty nine year old Marie is married and the mother of two.  Her best friend, Elizabeth, has been wanting a child for many years.  After failed attempts at conceiving and unsuccessful fertilization procedures, she’s reside to the fact that she may never have a child of her own.  Although she was adopted, she’s not sure that adoption is the route that she wants to take.  But as she continues her struggle with infertility, Marie finds out that she is once again pregnant.  However, she can’t shake the fear that something’s not right with the baby and decides that doing genetic testing may give her the answers she needs to clear her mind.  But when she gets the results of the amniocentesis is she prepared for what the results may be?  And how do the lives of women from different decades connect in this dramatic and captivating novel.

When I was asked if I would be interested in reviewing this book, I jumped at the offer.  It not only sounded like a great story, but I have been a huge advocate for children with special needs for over 20 years now!  As a mother of a daughter with special needs, this book hit home for me.  I have to give much praise to the author.  The book was well written, the characters felt so real and she kept my attention from the first page to the last.   I absolutely loved this book and absolutely recommend it to others.  This is not only a must read for parents of special needs children, but for anyone who has faced struggles in their lives and have fought to overcome them. 

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

Theresa Shea is a novelist, freelance writer, University lecturer, and mother living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Her debut novel, The Unfinished Child, was published to favourable reviews in the spring of 2013 by Brindle & Glass.

Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, Shea has lived in Virginia, Japan, Minnesota, and Illinois. In 1977 she moved to Canada and settled in Edmonton before moving to Jasper, Montreal, Kingston, and Gibsons Landing on British Columbia’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. However, the magnetic North keeps drawing her back, and she currently lives in Edmonton again with her husband, three homeschooled children, and one golden retriever.

Shea attended McGill University (BA), Queen’s University (MA), and the University of Alberta (Ph.D). The Unfinished Child draws on her experience of coming to motherhood later in life, at the age of 35, and being caught off guard by genetic counselling, prenatal testing, and the culture of fear surrounding pregnancy.

Currently, she is working on her second book, a novel set in Washington D.C. that deals with the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Goodreads * Facebook

In The Mirror - Review, Q&A and Giveaway

Review by Marlene Engel

If you knew your days were limited, how would you spend them?  Would you spend more time with family and friends?  Go on the trip you always dreamed of?  Do something crazy and unexpected like get your first tattoo?  Or would you go about your life as usual?

Jennifer Benson has resigned to the fact that her cancer is going to prematurely end her life.  At 34, the thought of people seeing her for the last time at her funeral isn’t the way she wants to be remembered; so she’s planning a party to celebrate her life.  But when her ex-boyfriend, Alex, comes to town he makes it known that his feelings for Jennifer are still strong.  With the disconnect she has been feeling with her husband and dealing with a terminal illness, the attention that Alex gives her is not only welcome, but something she starts to look forward to.  But when Alex shows a different side of him, one that Jennifer has never seen, she realizes the mistake she made getting close to him again.  She fears she may have gone too far and potentially jeopardized her marriage.

In The Mirror is a powerful book about life, love and forgiveness.  The way the author addressed such sensitive topics as illness and infidelity was done in such a flawless way.  This book will make you laugh, cry, and reevaluate what’s truly important in life.  I absolutely recommend this book and am keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel!

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble * IndieBound

Interview by Marlene Engel

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been reading and writing for as long as I can remember. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t surrounded by books and words. Being an author is all I’ve ever wanted to do - but it took me until my 40s to actually go for it!

When did you know that you wanted to become an author?

Like I said, I knew I wanted to be a writer, specifically a novelist, but I took a circuitous route! I started my career as a journalist, moved into magazine writing, went on to work at advertising agencies and help rather “big” jobs at a couple companies in marketing. All of that was great and I learned so much along the way. But when the opportunity arose to start living the life I’d always imagined, I took the plunge with the support of my friends and family. I wouldn’t have believed in myself if they hadn’t.

In The Mirror touches on the serious topics of Cancer and infidelity.  What made you choose these topics to write about?

My novels do tend to delve into painful, tough topics,while also – I hope – making readers feel enlightened and entertained. Here, Home, Hope dealt with infidelity and eating disorders while being wrapped in an empowerment message. All the Difference also deals with darker issues: murder, deception. In the Mirror is the most emotionally charged of my novels to date because of its subject – cancer striking a young mother in her prime. That to me is the primary antagonist, that dreaded, omnipresent disease. The infidelity question heightens the reflection in this novel. Infidelity always heightens the stakes.

What can your readers expect from you in the future?

My next novel, Lines in the Sand, will be published by Tule Publishing in August! I’m so excited. Much like All the Difference, this novel is a romantic suspense although the setting is unique and special. This story takes place on a remote barrier island off the coast of South Carolina, a place I’ve named Indigo Island. I hope you’ll enjoy it! If the pattern continues, I’ll follow Lines in the Sand with a chick lit/women’s fiction title! I’ve also enjoyed being part of some amazing writing groups, and even collaborated on my first box set just in time for Mother’s Day: The Mother’s Day Romance Bundle. It’s a great deal at just 99 cents for a bunch of amazing stories!

Thanks again for having me here – and I’m so glad you loved IN THE MIRROR!!

I want to thank Kaira for taking the time out of her busy schedule to chat with us.  It was a pleasure!  Please stop by Book Mama Blog anytime!  She has graciously offered to give away a print copy of In The Mirror to one lucky U.S resident. 

About the Author:

Kaira Rouda is a multiple award-winning author of three novels including HERE, HOME, HOPE, ALL THE DIFFERENCE and IN THE MIRROR. Her nonfiction title, REAL YOU INCORPORATED: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs, continues to inspire women internationally.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and four children and is at work on her next novel. 

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

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Flames of Love - Review and Giveaway

 As one of New York’s Finest, firefighter Cash Ryder is always prepared. When a woman’s car skids off the side of a mountain during a snowstorm, he’s there to rescue her. Cash is totally focused on the woman’s well-being, but within minutes of getting her to safety, he realizes that he’s nowhere near prepared for the heat that rolls off of sensual, smart-mouthed, and stubborn Siena Remington.

As a model, Siena Remington has dated some of the wealthiest, most handsome men in the industry, and she’s made peace with the idea that most men are just looking for eye candy and they wouldn’t know how to romance a woman to save their lives. When she’s rescued by a tall, handsome stranger, she thinks that maybe, just maybe, she’s found her own real-life romantic fairy tale—until he opens his mouth and everything that comes out is gruff, ornery, and aggravatingly sexy.

Thrown together during an annual firehouse calendar photo shoot, the passion between Cash and Siena sizzles, and neither one knows how to control the flames. After an evening of verbal sparring followed by a sinfully sensual night, their darkest secrets are revealed—and so is Cash’s warm, romantic heart. But Siena’s secret might be too much for big, strong, always-prepared Cash to handle—and Siena is forced to choose between a man who’s everything she’s ever dreamed of and an opportunity of a lifetime.

Order : iTunes, Smashwords, B & N

Review by Marlene Engel

Siena should’ve known better than to go out in the storm.  When her car skids off the road, she wonders if anyone will find her.  You can imagine her surprise when a handsome man comes to her rescue.  He was not only tall, handsome and sexy but also rough and manly.  It didn’t take long for her to go from grateful for the rescue to annoyed and sexually frustrated.  Cash Ryder was used to dealing with difficult situations.  As a firefighter, he was trained to deal with all types of people and situations.  However, no bit of training could’ve prepared him for the likes of Siena Remington!

                                                 

As their paths keep crossing, their attraction builds.  So when they were paired to do a photo shoot for a firefighter calendar, it doesn’t take long for their connection to grow from a bit of heat to a full blow, five alarm fire!  But when Siena is offered an opportunity of a lifetime, will she be willing to risk her new found love for her career?   

Siena and Cash’s story is, in one word, HOT!  From the second they laid eyes on each other, you could feel the sexual tension between them!  I could not put this book down.  I couldn’t wait to see how their romance would play out.  This is an absolute, must read!  Although it can be read as a stand alone book, I would suggest reading the previous books in the Love In Bloom series!  I promise you that you will not be disappointed!

About the Author

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women's fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on  Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine. 

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on The Women's Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Authors Links:

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest * Goodreads

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A Medical Affair - Review & Giveaway

Review by Marlene Engel

Heather Morrison has never had asthma, so it comes as a huge surprise when she gets diagnosed as having a severe asthma attack.  Still shaken up and in the emergency room, no amount of discomfort can keep her from noticing the handsome doctor who is taking care of her, Dr. Davis.  He’s not only nice to look at, but he saved her life and has promised to always keep her safe.  So, how is it that she failed to check if he was wearing a wedding ring?  She’d be sure to find out when she went back for her follow up appointment. 

                                                    

In the meantime, Dr. Davis can’t get Heather out of his mind.  He has bedded many women and has even brought nurses and other colleagues back to his office for some fun.  His preference is married women since he feels it makes things less complicated.   In a profession where death is always around you, Dr. Davis has an addiction to sex, which to him symbolized life.  It only made sense for him to set his sights on Heather.  Physically she was exactly his type, but add into the fact that she relied and trusted him in order to maintain her care gave him an additional thrill. 

A Medical Affair brings up the serious topic of doctor/patient relationships and how quickly the line can cross from professional to unethical.  The author does a great job showing how a patient who is in a vulnerable situation can mistake a doctor’s kindness and concern in order to take advantage of someone in a weak state.  I’m sure that instances like the one in this book happen pretty frequently.  Many of us, myself included, look up to and trust people in the medical profession.  We rely on them to make us well and trust them with our lives.  We sometimes forget that they are people too and are capable of making poor decisions.  Although this book is different than the usual genre that I read, I really enjoyed it.  It was well written and kept my interest.  It’s a book I would definitely recommend!

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

Anne McCarthy Strauss is versatile writer, researcher and public relations professional. She is also an avid supporter of victims' rights. Anne has spent the last decade educating women and men on the seldom revealed but all too frequent occurrence of affairs between doctors and their patients. She is the author of A MEDICAL AFFAIR, a novel that depicts the story of one woman's experience with this violation of a sacred trust.

Anne is an interior design expert who has written for both consumer and trade magazines including Old House Journal, Waterfront Home & Design, Design Trade Magazine, Design New England, Distinction, Log Home Design Ideas and Florida Design Review. She has been a regular contributor to Martha's Vineyard Magazine and Vineyard Style.

A lifelong New Yorker, Anne makes her home on Long Island with her husband Mel and their two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Cookie and Ollie. She is the mother of one son.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter 

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The Unexpected Bride - Blurb

Blurb:
Laurent Fletcher has to admit his life would be a whole heap better if there was woman in it. His kids are running wild, and his dog is acting crazy; he’s been finding it tough to juggle everything since his wife died and run his successful custom-built furniture business.  But maybe there is a solution that won’t demand any emotional input from him: hire a female to whip his turbulent household back into shape.

Emma Peabody is a British nanny, looking for a new life.  When she arrives at Copper Creek and finds two small motherless children, a miserable pet and a man who’s placed his emotions in the deep-freeze, she realizes she’s joined a broken family and it will be down to her to put it back together again.

The kids and the dog are easy—all they need are routines and love.  Their father is something else.  Laurent isn’t about to drop his guard and let Emma work her magic—and it doesn’t help that she finds this dark, brooding man incredibly attractive…

Purchase the book at:

Amazon

About the Author:

Joanne Walsh became hooked on romance when her grandma gave her a copy of Gone with the Wind for her birthday.  The teachers at her strict girls’ school didn’t approve of a ten-year-old reading such a ‘racy’ novel and confiscated it.  But Joanne still became a voracious romance reader and, later, an editor for one of the world’s leading women’s fiction publishers, where she could do two of her favorite things: work with her beloved alpha-male heroes and spend time in the USA.

                                

These days, Joanne lives in the south of England and divides her time between freelance editing, writing and spending time with her very own real-life alpha…

Connect with the author at:

Tule Publishing * MontanaBorn Books * Tule Facebook * Montana Born Facebook * Tule Twitter * Montana Born Twitter

A Kind of Mad Courage (Short Stories About Mothers,(S)mothers & Others) - Anthology

A KIND OF MAD COURAGE

Nineteen authors from around the world were given six weeks or less to produce “a story involving a mother somehow.” The result is a gorgeously eclectic collection of tales that will make you laugh, cry, and truly appreciate the “mad courage” of motherhood.

Laura Chapman, Francine LaSala, Nikki Mahood, Heather McCoubrey, and Karen E. Martin each present unique takes on impending motherhood, while Sheryn MacMunn, kc wilder, and Julie Valerie portray the end of the journey. Samantha Stroh Bailey, Louise Wise, and Maria Schulz show the pride and peril of dealing with teenage daughters, while Elke Feuer, Diana Shafter Gliedman, and Donna Valenti demonstrate that a mother’s work is never done, even under the craziest of circumstances. Regina-Cash Clark, Wendy Janes, and Monique McDonell explore the impact on lives in which mothers go “missing,” while Carey Heywood and Jen Tucker warm your heart and tear it out, respectively.

Samantha Stroh Bailey - “Hide and Seek” * Regina Cash-Clark - “Autumn's Eyes” * Laura Chapman - “Oh Baby” * Elke Feuer - “The Sacrifice” * Diana Gliedman - “Love in the Time of Cannibals” * Carey Heywood - “A Poem for Mommy” * Wendy Janes - “Verity” * Francine LaSala - “Monkey Bread” * Sheryn MacMunn - “Last Words” * Nikki Mahood - “This Year's Love” * Karen E. Martin - “Two Thousand Steps” * Heather McCoubrey - “Emily's Promise” * Monique McDonell - “A Tale of Two Mothers” * Maria Schulz - “Like a Boomerang” * Jen Tucker - “Heartstrings” * Donna Valenti - “In the Nick of Time” * Julie Valerie - “LLL” * k.c. wilder - “Lady in Red” * Louise Wise - “Becky's Mum”

ABOUT THE EDITORS

Francine LaSala and Samantha Stroh Bailey have more than 40 years of editorial experience between them. Francine is a novelist, ghostwriter, and book publishing veteran who's edited New York Times bestselling fiction and nonfiction. Samantha is a former grammar and writing instructor, including at the University of Toronto, and a prolific journalist. She has a Master of Education and has edited countless manuscripts for clients all over the world. They have also "team-edited" numerous works of fiction, each lending their singular editorial strengths to create perfect and polished prose for their clients. The author of Finding Lucas, Samantha (http://perfectpencommunications.com/) is based in Toronto, while Francine (francinelasalaproductions.wordpress.com), author of Rita Hayworth's Shoes and The Girl, the Gold Tooth and Everything, is based in New York.

THE STORIES

Hide and Seek - Samantha Stroh Bailey

Claire's teenage daughter, Emily, goes missing on a birthday cruise, and Claire can only fear the worst from the lately rebellious teen...  

Autumn's Eyes - Regina Cash-Clark

June's abandonment of three of four of her children, told in alternating points of view between June, and her oldest daughter, Edwina.

Oh Baby - Laura Chapman

Rocker Tuck and new wife Autumn return from Chapman's "Ten Drummers Drumming" (Merry & Bright), now with a baby on the way.

The Sacrifice - Elke Feuer

Melissa learns there isn't anything she won't do to protect her children from the abuse and neglect of her alcoholic husband Roger...

Love in the Time of Cannibals - Diana Shafter Gliedman

Could a zombie apocalypse finally give rudderless Jessica the direction she needs--and the connection she craves? It will if her mother has anything to say about it.

A Poem for Mommy - Carey Heywood

In helping his young daughter craft a poem for Mother's Day, a father beautifully recounts the story of the romance with her mother that led to them becoming a family.

Verity - Wendy Janes

After an accident means she'll no longer be able to live on her own, septuagenarian Susan may need to divulge a secret she's been keeping from Verity all her life.

Monkey Bread - Francine LaSala

Amy and Deck (Rita Hayworth's Shoes) learn more about having babies than they ever wanted to know at a madcap family dinner celebrating President's Day.

Last Words - Sheryn MacMunn

The bond shared between Ruth (Finding Out) and her mother, Eliza, is revealed, from the time of Ruth's childhood before the War to the death of Eliza.

This Year's Love - Nikki Mahood

Fallon and Abner are married, mortgaged, and expecting a baby any minute in this fun, heartfelt mini-sequel to Fallen.

Two Thousand Steps - Karen E. Martin

With the unsolicited help of a fairy friend from their childhood, two grown sisters - one with kids, one without - each get to walk a mile in the other's shoes...

Emily's Promise - Heather McCoubrey

Even though pregnant Emily's life is shattered by Jason's infidelity the night before her wedding, she's determined to give her baby the best life possible.

A Tale of Two Mothers - Monique McDonell

How do you deal with the mother who abandoned you when she shows up out of the blue - and what does it mean for the woman who raised you? Chloe's about to find out. 

Like a Boomerang - Maria Schulz

Tess has been stressing out her mother, Charlotte, since the day she was born. But when disaster strikes during a campus Halloween party, it could prove the worst stress yet… 

Heartstrings - Jen Tucker

Young widow Vicki's no stranger to loss--and guilt, as another mother's loss helped her daughter live. Will meeting up help them the two mothers heal? Or make matters worse?     

In the Nick of Time - Donna Valenti

Iris may be dead but her insistence on looking after her children is far from buried. Will her husband Nick get it together? Or will Iris have to move Heaven and Earth to make him?

LLL - Julie Valerie

In this hilarious yet heartwarming story, words of wisdom from the game of Scrabble unite a daughter with her aging mother, a former Scrabble champion whose mental faculties are quickly fading.

Lady in Red - k.c. wilder

Her dying "Gran" is the only mother she's ever known. But only when Gran is gone does a woman discover the woman her grandmother really was, and the secrets she hid.

Becky's Mum - Louise Wise

Straight-A student Becky's being pulled off the straight-and-narrow by her derelict boyfriend Darren. Will her mother's wisdom sink in before it's too late?