Everybody Rise - #SRC2016 Spotlight #BestSummerEver

Chosen as one of Summer's Best Books by People Magazine
Featured in Time Magazine's Summer Reading
Entertainment Weekly's Summer Must List
Good Housekeeping Beach Reads Feature

“Finally, a novel that admits ‘making it’ isn't just a makeover away.” -Vanity Fair

Twenty-six-year-old Evelyn Beegan intended to free herself from the influence of her social-climbing mother, who propelled her through prep school and onto New York’s stately Upper East Side. Evelyn has long felt like an outsider to her privileged peers, but when she lands a job at a social-network startup aimed at the elite, she has no choice but to infiltrate their world. Soon she finds herself navigating the promised land of Adirondack camps, Hamptons beach houses, and, of course, the island of Manhattan itself. Intoxicated by the wealth, access, and influence of her new set, Evelyn can’t help but try to pass as old money herself. But when the lies become more tangled, she grasps with increasing desperation as the ground beneath her begins to give way.

A sparkling debut that is “full of ambition and grit” (Emma Straub), Stephanie Clifford's Everybody Rise is a story about identity and loss, and how sometimes we have to lose everything to find our way back to who we really are.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon* Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

As a New York Times reporter, Loeb-award winning journalist Stephanie Clifford covered courts, business and media. Everybody Rise, her first book, was a New York Times bestseller, with movie rights optioned by Fox 2000. A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard, she grew up in Seattle and lives in Brooklyn. 

My notes on my bio: It doesn't rain that much In Seattle. In fact, it rarely rains hard enough that an umbrella is required, hence the city's happy embrace of rain gear for all occasions. (Raincoats + formal dresses = totally acceptable.) I spent most of my time at Harvard at the paper, living on late-night Doritos from the vending machine. Some of my favorite Times stories are here, and here's one and here's another of my favorite Inc. stories (largely because Inc. let me go to Turkey and China for them). Brooklyn is grand and there are pockets where it's not that hip; I'm lucky enough to live in one of those, and near a park, to boot. I live with my husband, 2-year-old son, and our cats, Mac and Mabel.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Connect with BookSparks at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Learn more about BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge HERE.

Sleepless in Manhattan - Spotlight

USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan introduces From Manhattan with Love, a sparkling new trilogy about three best friends embracing life—and love—in New York 

Cool, calm and competent, events planner Paige Walker loves a challenge. After a childhood spent in and out of hospitals, she's now determined to prove herself—and where better to take the world by storm than Manhattan? But when Paige loses the job she loves, she must face her biggest challenge of all—going it alone. 

Except launching her own events company is nothing compared to hiding her outrageous crush on Jake Romano—her brother's best friend, New York's most in-demand date and the only man to break her heart. When Jake offers Paige's fledgling company a big chance, their still-sizzling chemistry starts giving her sleepless nights. But can she convince the man who trusts no one to take a chance on forever?

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy contemporary romance and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. She has been nominated four years in succession for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America and has won the award twice, in 2012 and 2013. RT Book Reviews has described her as 'a magician with words' and she won their Reviewers' Choice Award in 2012 as well as making numerous appearances in their 'Top Pick' slot. 

Sarah lives near London with her family, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so she can forget the house needs tidying.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Saving Abby - Review TLC Book Tour & #SRC2016

Review by Marlene Engel

Claire and Josh have tried unsuccessfully for years to get pregnant.  Trying to come to terms with the fact that they won’t have the child they so desire, they decide to take a trip to Europe in hopes of easing some of their sorrow.  After returning, Claire begins to experience headache and fatigue.  She goes to her doctor only to find that they conceived during their vacation.  Their joy is short-lived when she’s diagnosed with a condition that if she chooses treatment could very well put her child at risk.  But as Claire’s symptoms get worse, they’re forced to make the hardest decision of their lives … start treatment for the illness and potentially harm the baby, or do nothing and risk her own life.

                                                                                           

As a parent, you can’t help but put yourself in Claire and Josh’s shoes.  What would I do if I were them?  Would I save myself?  Or would I do everything I could for the child that I never thought I’d have?  What I love about Steena’s books is that she makes you think.  You are given a tough challenge, but it’s delivered in such a way that you can’t help but relate to the characters.  And, with this novel in particular, you will leave the story with a better appreciation of life and those around you. 

It’s no secret to those who know me, and even to many of my blog readers, that I had a daughter who was totally blind that passed away.  In Saving Abby there is a character by the name of Sami who is blind.  Her name and likeness were taken from my daughter Samantha, who we all called Sami.  I want to thank Steena for not only forever memorializing my daughter in this amazing book, but in writing her character so true to life that I felt like I was given extra time with her through this character. 

Heartwarming, powerful, and honest.  Saving Abby is a book that you will take with you long after you finish the last page.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

After writing her first novel while working as a receptionist, Steena Holmes made her dream of being a full-time writer a reality. She won the National Indie Excellence Book Award in 2012 for her bestselling novel Finding Emma. Now both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Steena continues to write stories that touch every parent’s heart in one way or another. To find out more about her books and her love for traveling, you can visit her website at www.steenaholmes.com or follow her journeys over on Instagram @steenaholmes.

Connect with Steena at:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

  

The Weekenders - Review & Giveaway

Review by Marlene Engel

In North Carolina is an island that few live on full time, but as the warm weather rolls around several families will come to enjoy Belle Isle.  Typically the wives and kids stay on the island while their husbands go to the mainland during the week.  They become known as the weekenders, as they are devoted to their careers during the week, but come back to the island on the weekend.  For many families, this is a tradition that’s been passed down throughout generations.

Riley knows this island well.  It was developed by her great grandfather and carried down through the generations.  But her brother, Billy, chose a different path.  In doing so, when Riley married Wendell, he was welcomed with open arms not only into the family, but also the family business.  Some not so wise business choices puts Wendell’s financials in jeopardy and threatens her marriage. 

Mary Kay Andrews is synonymous for summer, beach reads.  I’ve come to expect something fabulous that I can read by the water while sipping a fruity, paper umbrella clad beverage.  Although this book was a bit darker than her others, it still had a great storyline and complex characters. 

If you’re looking for a great book to kick off the warm summer months, look no further than The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon* Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

A native of St. Petersburg, FL (and a diplomate of the Maas Bros. Department Store School of Charm), she started her professional journalism career in Savannah, GA, where she covered the real-life murder trials which were the basis of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. 

She has a B.A. in newspaper journalism from The University of Georgia (go Dawgs!), and is a frequent lecturer and writing teacher at workshops and book festivals.

Married to her high school sweetheart, she is the mother of two grown children and a proud grandmother. When not on book tour, she divides her time between Atlanta and her two beach cottages on Tybee Island GA.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

                                                                               

Tandem Literary is giving one lucky winner a print copy of

The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews

a Rafflecopter giveaway

White-Hot Hack - Review

Review by Melinda Garza

White-Hot Hack by Tracey Garvis Graves is the 2nd installment of Ian and Kate's love story. The first installment is called Heart-Shaped Hack.

Ian Bradshaw is an undercover hacker, but when he was doxed, he promised Kate Watts, an attorney and his girlfriend, for forgiveness. He also promised he would keep her safe forever. Ian also asks Kate to marry him. They move to Virginia where Ian is self-employed and teaches Kate to help with the business.

Once they are somewhat grounded in their new home, Kate encourages Ian to go back to his prior hacking job. They learn that Ian's hacking expertise can be of great use as hacktivists are threatening to strike.

Through all this, Ian and Kate learn to work together, and boy oh boy, do they have to prove this when things take a turn for the worse.

Will Ian and Kate be able to work together one last time in order to save their marriage?

This book is a sexy thriller. You will not be able to put it down. A Tracey Garvis Graves must read.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

Tracey Garvis Graves is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, and Cherish. She is hard at work on her sixth book.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

My Fat Dad - Review & Giveaway

Review by Marlene Engel

In this memoir, Dawn tells a story of her childhood in the 70s, living with an over-weight father who tried practically every diet out there, a mother who could care less about food and a grandmother who had a huge influence over her love of nurturing the body with healthy food.  We are given great insight on how insecurities, parents’ views on nutrition, and stress play a role in how we eat.  Although Dawn’s father used food as a crutch, this book is about much more than just an overweight father.  It’s about why people turn to food, the misconceptions of fad diets and how everyday struggles can play a huge role on our diet. 

Written with such honesty, but sprinkled with the perfect amount of humor, the author brings the reader into her world (and in essence, her family) and exposes how easily children can be misguided by what they see during their everyday lives.  But it was the relationship that Dawn had with her grandmother that hit me.  It showed that when people take time to properly educate the youth, it’s amazing how influential they can be on their future.

I grew up with a Filipino mother and Italian father.  Talk about cultures that love to feed others and celebrate with food!  Like Dawn, my father has tried many of the fad diets.  Growing up we were taught to eat what was put on the table, never to waste food and appreciate that our bellies were full.  As I got older, I realized some of the things I would’ve done differently, and do now as a wife and parent.  

I really enjoyed this book.  I was able to relate to much of it and felt like I was brought back to my own childhood. 

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

I am a board-certified nutrition expert and contributor to the New York Times Well Blog, as well as the founder of Magnificent Mommies, a company specializing in personal, corporate, and school-based education.

I am recognized as a nutrition expert, counseling clients on weight loss, diabetes, high blood pressure, ADHD, and other diet-related conditions. I lecture at schools and corporations as well as contributing to local and national media outlets.

I am the mother of two children, Dylan and Sofia. We live in New York City.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Dawn is giving one lucky winner a print copy of

My Fat Dad

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Sweetheart Deal - #SRC2016 Review

As a firefighter, Leo knows that his life is at risk every day that he goes to work.  The possibility that something could happen to him is so real that, on several occasions, he has joked with his best friend about marrying his wife if anything should happen to him.  One night, after several drinks, Leo gets Garrett to agree to this arrangement.  He’s not anticipating something happening, but in the event that something does he’ll be able to go knowing that his family is taken care of. 

Several years later Leo is killed in a skiing accident.  True to his word, Garrett makes arrangements to be with Leo’s widow, Audrey.  In time, friendship turns into romance, but when Audrey gets wind of the pact that the two men made, she’s less than happy about why he came into her life. 

It’s always amazing to me the lengths that we’ll go for our friends.  Many of us don’t stop and think about the love that friends (especially male friends) share.  In this book, that is the relationship that struck me the most.  To know that you have a friend who will not only be there for you during the good times in your life, but to fulfill their promises after you leave this world, is a beautiful thing.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

Polly Dugan lives in Portland, Oregon, and is a reader at Tin House magazine. A former employee of Powell's Books, she is an alumna of the Tin House Writer's Workshop. Dugan's first published story, "A Matter of Time," was Line Zero's Spring 2012 Literary Contest Winner, "Masquerades" (as "One At a Time"), was Narrative's Story of the Week (December 2012), and "Kitten Season" was an Honorable Mention Recipient in Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers (August 2009).

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Connect with BookSparks at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Learn more about BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge HERE.