Pulled by A.L. Jackson (Review, Guest Post, Giveaway!)

September 3 - My Cozie Corner - Review/Giveaway

September 4 - Insomnia of Books - Review/Interview/Giveaway

September 5 - Wonderland Reviews - Review/Interview

September 6 - Dive Under the Cover - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 7 - LovLivLife Reviews - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 8 - I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read - Review/Giveaway

September 9 -

September 10 - Just Bookin' Around - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 10 - My Escape - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 11- Literature Lovers Labyrinth - Review/Interview/Excerpt

September 12 - Books and Needlepoint - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway

September 13 -

September 14 - My Reading Addiction - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 15 - Sweeping the USA - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 16 - The Solitary Bookworm - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway

September 17 - A Date With a Book - Review/GiveawayExcerpt

September 17 - Reader Girls - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 18 - The Story of a Girl - Review/Excerpt

September 19 - Beth Art From the Heart - Review/Guest Post

September 20 - Paranormal Wastelands - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 21 - Taking One Page at a Time - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 22 - Paranormal Wastelands - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 23 - For the Love of Film and Novels - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 24 - Up All Night Reviews - Review/GuestPost/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 25 -Crazy Four Books - Review/Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 26 - The Adventures Within - Review/Interview/Giveaway

September 27 - The Book Maven - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post

September 28 - Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

Title:  Pulled

Author:  A.L. Jackson

Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing

About the book: Melanie Winters and Daniel Montgomery shared a love most only dream of, a love they believed bonded them together for life.  When their world is shattered by the tragic loss of their daughter, overwhelming grief and misguided guilt distorts the truth, and their relationship ends in uncertainty and unanswered questions. 

For nine years, they drift through life, each unable to forget the one who holds the strings to their heart.  In an attempt to escape the pain of her past, Melanie finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, while Daniel loses himself in a career that means nothing without Melanie by his side.  

Now, when their lives again intersect, neither can deny the connection they felt so long ago.  

But will the power that drew them together be enough to heal the wounds from their past, and will they have the courage to overcome the insecurities and fears that threaten to keep them apart? 

Pulled is a story of attraction and separation, of destiny and duty, of a love so strong it refuses to give up even when all others have. 

My thoughts: I liked the idea of this book with the whole scenario of being "pulled" to another person with nothing being able to keep them apart, but I didn't quite buy into the reasons they were kept separated for nine years.  

Melanie and Daniel's story was very believable, with their young love and pregnancy and loss of their daughter.  Even the reason they were first separated was very logical (from a parent's standpoint) even though they could not see it at the time.  However, I don't think that Daniel's family would have remained as uninvolved as they did for nine years.  

Okay, with that aside, I did enjoy the book.  Sometimes I was confused as to whose POV it was - Daniel's or Melanie's, but that was usually cleared up pretty quickly.  Their backstory was told in flashbacks so that while you learned about them now, you were also learning how they came to be where they were today.  

The whole idea of destiny is very romantic when it comes to your true love, and this also had a sense of danger thrown in with it - that force that will do whatever it takes to keep the lovers from reuniting.  All in all this was a tearjerker at times and I would find myself urging both Daniel and Melanie to take that next step to get back to one another.  

And now for a guest post from A.L. Jackson - and don't forget about the giveaway at the bottom!

How to Avoid the Slush Pile

Hi everyone. I’m A. L. Jackson, author of Pulled and Take This Regret, and I’m excited to share with you all today my tips on avoiding the slush pile. As an author and the co-owner of a small publishing house, I know submitting a manuscript can be one of the most nerve-racking steps we ever take as authors. We sit in front of our computers biting our nails, refreshing our email hour after hour, waiting to hear something back.

All the while, our submissions are sitting on someone’s desk waiting to be reviewed.

So how do you keep your manuscript from hitting the slush pile once someone does look it?

First, be sure you follow the publisher or agent’s submission guidelines to a tee. If you miss something or ignore instructions, your manuscript will most likely be rejected before the editor or agent even reads the first line.  Be sure that you don’t come across as someone who doesn’t know how to follow instructions or someone who just doesn’t care about them. Both are red flags.

Second and most important in my opinion is ensuring your book immediately hooks the reader. The writing should be strong and raise questions that make the reader want to continue on to get those answers. Don’t start with backstory on your main character or over-describe the setting. Get right into the conflict and then weave those other details in later. Be sure the first few pages are both clear and interesting.  The reader should be intrigued, but not confused, and most definitely should not be bored.

Be sure the portion you’re submitting has been carefully proofed and is formatted correctly (again check for submission guidelines to find out if a specific format is requested). Taking these small steps show you’re serious about your submission and are committed to your writing. If an editor is spending more time noticing typos or wonky formatting, it will distract from your writing. 

Take the time to ensure your submission stands out from the masses. These three points above can mean the difference between opening an email with a rejection letter or one asking to see your full manuscript. 

Wishing you all luck with your writing endeavors! 

About the author: A.L. Jackson first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student.  She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

Years later, she shared a short story she'd been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel.  A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three beautiful children.  Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.  

You can connect with her at the following places:

Sapphire Star Publishing

Twitter

Facebook

Tragic Beginnings, Fairytale Endings (blog)

Purchase:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

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Pulled
Publisher/Publication Date: Sapphire Star Publishing, April 2012
ISBN: 978-1938404009
350 pages

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Interview with Stacey Turis - Author of Here's To Not Catching Our Hair on Fire

Please welcome Stacey Turis to my blog today.  She is the author of Here's To Not Catching Our Hair on Fire: An absent-minded tale of life with Giftedness and Attention-Deficit - Oh Look! A Chicken!  

Here is some background information about Stacey before we get to the interview:

Stacey Turis is an adult living with ADHD and giftedness who earned her degree in broadcast journalism from Wichita State University. She co-produced and hosted a TV show for a FOX affiliate before pursuing a career in advertising, then graphic design, then market research, then photography, then IT, then acting, then...

 

In 2006, she became certified to teach Yoga but didn't, then founded pawsforpeace.com, an online, holistic pet-health site, with an iPhone app called Dr. Shawn's Natural Pet Therapies to match. In 2010, she developed a course to teach families how to live more natural lifestyles, which she taught for about a month. She then started a Facebook page called ADHD - Tales of an Absent-Minded Superhero, for wacky folks like herself. That is still exciting enough to hold her interest. She has, through the years, unsuccessfully started twenty-seven businesses but can't remember most of them.

 

She lives in Texas with her husband, two kids, a dog, three cats, and eight goldfish. Stacey now spends her time speaking to groups of those same kinds of wacky people, where she’s not afraid to stop in the middle of a speech and ask “What was I talking about?” You can learn more atwww.staceyturis.com.

 

Facebook – ADHD Superhero

Twitter – ADHD Superhero

Website – Staceyturis.com

And now for the interview:

Do you have a favorite place to write or “must haves” while writing?

Honestly, the dog and pony show I have to go through to write is borderline-ridiculous.  Focus doesn’t come easy for me so I have to use an arsenal of must-haves during each writing session.  Mostly, I need to be in a semi-confining space with little or no stimulation.  I have an office that I adore, but it’s painted a lovely shade of creativity-inspiring orange, and has tons of shelves overflowing with books and tchotchke from all over the world.  That kind of environment is pure eye candy to me, and I’d much rather look around at all of my fun stuff than to face a computer, trying to wrench words from my unresponsive brain.  Instead I lock myself in my less “energizing” bedroom and bang my head against the wall until a sentence tumbles out of my brain, where I hurriedly type it before I forget what the heck I was even thinking about.  That’s on a good day.

Is there anything that has surprised you about writing, publishing or touring with your books?

I never realized how tough book signings can be!  I was lucky enough to get on with Barnes and Noble, and I’m not sure if I thought I was a Jersey housewife or what, but it wasn’t what I expected.  I was there with two other authors, set up right in the entrance to the store yet no one was clamoring to buy a signed copy of my book, let alone forming a line around the parking lot.   I finally stood up and went around to the other side of my table so I could get closer to the innocent shoppers, and formulated the lamest sales pitch in history.  “Hi…ummmm…do you know anyone with ADHD?”  When they said no, the best thing I could come up with was “Oh, I’m sorry.”, like I felt bad for them that no one in their life had been afflicted with a neurological condition.  It was awkward for everyone involved, but at the end of the day I sold out, so it was all good.

Do you have a favorite quote? 

I have a vast collection of favorite quotes, with a page on my blog dedicated to them.  I even have a page of quote notes on my phone so I can write them down as I hear them.  It doesn’t matter who it’s coming from, I can pick up on a kick-ass quote from even the most mundane sentence if it rings my bell, though I think one of my favorite quotes came from a friend’s refrigerator magnet.  It said, “Does my fat ass make my ass look fat?”  That never gets old.

Do you have any books on your nightstand right now?

I have six books on my nightstand right now, so I just went upstairs to write all the titles down and suddenly realized how weird I actually am.

1       1.       Does Anything Eat Wasps?  by New Scientist

         2.      Journey of Souls by  Michael Newton, PhD

         3.      Dry Storeroom No. 1 – The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum                              by Richard Fortey

         4.      Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston

         5.      Einstein by Walter Isaacson

         6.      There’s a (Slight) Chance I Might Be Going to Hell by Laurie Notaro

In one sentence, why should we read your book?

Rumor has it that your perspective on life will change for the better no matter how you put your shoes on. 

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I’m sure most people would be surprised to know that I have a wicked temper.  It doesn’t come out that often, and it takes a lot for me to get there, but when I do - hold on to your shorts!  I have definitely learned to control it better, but back in my wild and crazy drinking days, you could find me in the middle of a fist fight with another girl (or guy on occasion) every other weekend.  That was back in the grungy 90’s, so my best friend knew when I kicked the Birkenstocks off, it was her job to grab them and wait until I was carried out by the bouncers to slip them back on my feet.  Good times…

What do you do in your spare time?

Spare time?  I don’t know what that is and probably don’t want any part of it!  If I’m not with my family or animals, you can find me doing one or more of the following (sometimes at the same time); Yoga, Cross-Fit, Big Foot expeditions, paranormal investigations, reading, road trips, juicing, studying neuroscience, practicing aromatherapy, listening to music, meditating, gardening, hanging out with my friends, cooking, going to movies, and watching my favorite cryptid investigation shows.  Man, I love my life! 

Do you have any hidden talents?

I can hypnotize animals and small children!  I’m not sure if it would be classified as hypnotizing because basically they just close their eyes and go right to sleep.  It only takes a minute and I have no clue how I do it.  A couple of months ago I thought I should spread my wings and attempt it on a lion when we were visiting a big cat reserve.  That lion didn’t stand a chance!  He was asleep in exactly forty-seven seconds.  I really need to do something with that.

Talk or text?

Text, text, text!  There are a million very-horrible things I would rather do than talk on the phone.  It just requires more focus than I’m able to dish out.  When it’s inevitable, I have to sit in my garage in the dark so I have absolutely nothing distracting me.  Besides all that, a phone ringing feels so aggressive!   “HEY LADY!  ANSWER ME.  ANSWER ME.  ANSWER ME.  ANSWER ME.  ANSWER ME.  ANSWER ME.”  Suck it phone – you’re not the boss of me!  It used to be a big stressor, but now I don’t even keep the ringer on so I only see texts and calls when I find wherever the hell I left my phone that day. 

Cat or dog?

Both!  One love my friends - one love.

Book Summary

Did you know that if you forget to pay a speeding ticket you WILL get arrested—in front of your kids, the neighbors—the dog—and anyone else who happens to be there? True story. And the thing is, Stacey Turis has a million of them, and she imparts these and other nuggets of wisdom to offer others suffering from ADHD some hope in knowing that they are not alone.

A belly-laugh inducing romp through a life so convoluted and chaotic you know it has to be true, Stacey Turis’s debut gives a voice to the genius yet tormented souls suffering from giftedness, ADHD, or a combination of both (a condition known as twice-exceptional) who are too afraid to speak.

Chronicling her life journey from a state of self-loathing to one of self-acceptance, the stories flow timelessly, always incorporating the resulting lessons and reflections gleaned from each adventure. Including both the tragic, stomach churning details of a horrifically abusive time in her childhood to comic adventures such as deciding to dye her hair plum the day before an important presentation to a bank only to have it turn out purple, her life has never suffered from a dull moment. Though she often thought Karma was the reason she found herself in so many “pickles,” a friend explained to her that when you put yourself out in the world more than anyone else, it’s really just a matter of statistics. Lucky for Turis and the rest of us, putting herself out there all these years allows us all to look at life through her pair of less-struggle-more-sass glasses.

With over three hundred million people suffering from ADHD worldwide and experiencing many of the same debilitating symptoms, Turis’ goal is to share her experiences so that others afflicted can rid themselves of the shame of hiding their behavior. A rip-roaring and bracingly honest look at a twice-exceptional life, Here’s to Not Catching Our Hair on Fire: An Absent-Minded Tale of Life with Giftedness and Attention Deficit—Oh Look! A Chicken! turns the rational on its head in a rollicking depiction of a life that seems to be constantly going off the rails.

Stacey is going to be back visiting later this week with a guest post and giveaway and I will be reviewing Here's To Not Catching Our Hair on Fire next week!

Books to Movies Giveaway Hop! (Sept 11 - 17)

Books to Movies Giveaway Hop is hosted by

 I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Sweeping the U.S.A.

For my giveaway, you have the opportunity to win a book of choice, under $15, that has been made into a movie.  It will come from Book Depository.  You may enter this giveaway as long as the Book Depository ships to your country!  Be sure to check out all the great blogs that are part of this giveaway after you enter mine!

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Taking Charge by Mandy Baggot (Review and Giveaway)

Title: Taking Charge
Author: Mandy Baggot
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing

About the Book: Is going back Robyn’s only way forward? American-born Robyn Matthers is going home. With her dad in hospital, his roadhouse in ruins and the ice hockey team slipping down the league, she needs to take charge. But does she have the strength to do it? Cole Ryan is a hockey player on a personal mission. He’s tall, dark, hot and Robyn’s noticed! But can she trust her feelings - or his? And what will Cole do when he finds out the truth about her? Robyn returns to Michigan and things aren’t quite the same. Her best friend has grown up and is thinking about marriage and babies, the ice hockey team is no longer the life blood of the community and her father is engaged! When Robyn’s twin cousins drag up past events that hold painful memories for her, she and Cole are forced together. But are either of them ready to start something new? With an ill father, a trailer trash almost step-mom and ex-boyfriend Brad desperate for another chance, does Robyn have time to contemplate a relationship? Does she really want one? And is it physically possible for two people to fall in love in just three days?

My thoughts: I hadn't previously read anything by Mandy Baggot and can't say that I am a fan of sports romances, but this one was a lot of fun!

Robyn may have been a little outspoken and over-the-top, but I enjoyed her 'take charge' attitude.  She shows you what she's made of right in the beginning when she gives a steamy good-bye kiss to Cole Ryan, a guy she met right before they both boarded the same plane to Portage, Michigan.  

Robyn is coming home after 9 years in England because her dad has fallen ill and someone needs to step in to take care of his bar and his hockey team.  Both are failing badly.  Nancy, her father's fiancee, isn't helping the bar business any and Robyn does not lose any sleep not-liking her soon to be step-mom.  Robyn hasn't been back to her hometown before now because of an incident that happened when she was a teenager.  She thought she had put it behind her, but the past always has a way of rearing it's ugly head. 

Cole Ryan has some baggage in his past as well.  He lost his girlfriend and his brother in the same blow -yep, you guessed it - they were sleeping together.  He is still a little shell-shocked over the break up, but when the whirlwind that is Robyn blows into his life, he might have to actually move forward.  

I loved the humor infused through out the book and will definitely be watching for more Mandy Baggot in the future.

Author bio: Mandy Baggot is a self-confessed Twitter addict who likes to sing on You Tube. She regularly guests on book blogs and is a featured author on the innovative website loveahappyending.com. She is also a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
Taking Charge is her fifth novel. Mandy lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband and two daughters.

Follow Mandy on Twitter and on Facebook.  
Buy Taking Charge on Amazon. 





*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Time for a giveaway!

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Taking Charge

Publisher/Publication Date: Sapphire Star Publishing, May 2012

ISBN: 978-1938404023

382 pages

It's Monday! What are you reading? (Sept 10, 2012)

What are you reading on Mondays is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey - You can hook up with the Mr. Linky there with your own post - but be sure and let me know what you are reading too! 

Started to get my reviews done, but wouldn't you know it - now I am behind on my reading!  lol

Current Giveaways:

Amazon $100 GC - sponsored by Bewitching Blog Tours and Jennifer Malone Wright - ends Sept 15

Desert Rice by Angela Scott (please enter and leave a comment - blog with most comments can win a prize!) - ends Sept 17

Taking Charge by Mandy Baggot (ebook)

Upcoming giveaways - this week:

Pushing the Limits

What the Heart Remembers

Back to the Movies Giveaway Hop

Pulled

Here's To Not Catching Our Hair on Fire

Under the Sea Giveaway Hop

Last Wish of Summer

Currently reading this week: 

Pushing the LImits by Katie McGarry

Pulled by A.L. Jackson

You Take it From Here by Pamela Ribon - I just can't seem to get back to this book!

Upcoming books:
Freak by Jennifer Hillier
What the Heart Remembers by Debra Ginsberg
The Fine Color of Rust by P.A. O'Reilly
Found by Shelley Shepard Gray


Bathroom Book:

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Books reviewed last week: 
India's Summer by Therese
The Good Woman by Jane Porter
A Girl Like You by Maria Geraci

Books read and needing to be reviewed:

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

The Witch is Back by H.P. Mallory

The Search by Shelley Shepard Gray

The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harmon 

Until next week ----  Ready - Set - Read!

India's Summer by Thérèse

Title: India's Summer
Author: Thérèse
Publisher:  Fiction Studio

About the book: Single and about to turn forty, India Butler, a grade school teacher in London is having a meltdown. Desperate to reinvent her life she flies out to LA to spend the summer with her sister Annabelle a famous Hollywood actress and her brother in law a legendary rock musician. She maintains a wry detachment until she begins dating Adam, a gorgeous A- list actor. In an attempt to appear more successful she tells him she creates and teaches motivational workshops. 

When Adam’s friend is in a drunk-driving accident, Annabelle finds a lump on her throat and a mutual friend’s stepdaughter overdoses, India is drawn behind the veneer of Hollywood glitz and glamour and into their private lives. As her illusions about the perfection of their LA lifestyle fade away, India has an epiphany about her own real talents. She begins designing the kinds of classes and workshops she has fantasized about to Adam and successfully launches a series of workshops to help parents relate to their teenage children. She also drafts a book proposal.

In love with a movie star and with a burgeoning new career as a self- help guru, India is in her element until a defamatory video, filmed of her venting to Annabelle soon after her arrival goes viral. Her new life unravels. Humiliated and depressed, she returns to London where she repairs the damage with those closest to her. When her agent calls with news that he has sold her book proposal she takes control of her life. Shakily re-united with Adam and still balancing life on both sides of the pond, she returns to America to promote her book.

My thoughts:  This one was just okay for me.  While I liked India and her sister Annabelle, I found the storyline a little jumpy and hard to follow.  Many times I had to reread as all the sudden we were in a new place or it would jump from one person's POV to another and I wouldn't know whose eyes I was supposed to be seeing out of.  

India moves to L.A. for the summer to live with her sister Annie and her rock star husband.  She doesn't seem to be satisfied with who she is, as it sounds like over the years she has tried to find a "style" that fits her and in her eyes has been unsuccessful.  She is also burnt out on teaching and is wondering if she shouldn't try a different career.  

She is thrown into the celebrity whirlwind with parties, fund raisers, and paparazzi.  She begins to date a movie star, Adam, but when he questions her about her career she tends to be vague about the fact that she was a teacher in England.  She creates this fantasy job that she comes to realize is closer to what she really wants to do. 

When tragedy strikes it seems like it all happens at once (and actually, it does seem that that is how it happens. . .)Even though India isn't always true to herself, she is loyal and true to her friends and makes herself available to them when they need her.  Following this path she really does start to develop some workshops as well as a book proposal and finds her niche in helping people.  

There is more chaos and more success before the book wraps up.  All in all it wasn't a page turner for me but it was entertaining.  

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Book Sparks PR in exchange for my unbiased review.~

Buy India's Summer:  Amazon

Link to Thérèse'S website: http://thereseblogs.com/indias_summer

Link to Thérèse on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theresetweets

India's Summer
Publisher/Publication Date: Fiction Studio, Jan 2012
ISBN:  978-193655834-6
259 pages

Mailbox Monday (Sept 10, 2012)

Welcome to Mailbox Monday, the weekly meme created by Marcia from A girl and her books.  This is where I share the titles I have received for review or purchased during the past week.  Mailbox Monday will be hosted in September by Kristen at BookNAround.

Resurrection Express

by Stephen Romano

There is no code Elroy Coffin can't break, nothing he can't hack, no safe he can't get in to.  But for the past two years, he's been incarcerated in a maximum-security hellhole after a job gone bad, driven to near-madness by the revelation of his beloved wife's murder.

Now a powerful and mysterious visitor who calls herself a "concerned citizen" offers Elroy his freedom if he'll do another job, and sweetens the deal with proof that his wife might still be alive.  All Elroy has to do is hack into one of the most complicated and deadliest security grids in the world -- clear and simple instructions for the best in the business.  Or so he thinks.

Quickly drawn into the epicenter of a secret, brutal war between criminal masterminds, Elroy is forced to run for his life through a rapid-fire labyrinth of deception, betrayal, and intrigue -- where no one is to be trusted and every fight could be his last. . . and the real truth hidden beneath the myriad levels of treachery may be too shocking to comprehend. . .

The Ruins of Lace

by Iris Anthony

Lace is a thing like hope.  It is beauty; it is grace.  It was never meant to destroy so many lives.

The mad passion for forbidden lace has infiltrated France, pulling soldier and courtier alike into its web.  For those who want the best, Flemish lace is the only choice, an exquisite perfection of thread and air.  For those who want something they don't have, Flemish lace can buy almost anything -- or anyone.

For Lisette, lace begins her downfall, and the only way to atone for her sins is to outwit the noble who now demands the impossible.  To fail means certain destruction.  But for Katharina, lace is her salvation.  It is who she is; it is what she does.  If she cannot make this stunning tempest of threads, a dreaded fate awaits.

The most lucrative contraband in Europe, with its intricate patterns and ephemeral hope, threatens to cost them everything.  Lace may be the deliverance for which they all pray. . . or it may bring the ruin and imprisonment they all fear. 

Courageous Teens

by Michael Catt and Amy Parker

You need the courage to stand strong when everything else is falling apart.

You need the courage to say no when the world entices with diversions.

You need the courage to be a faithful leader of the next generation.

Looking at strong biblical characters, examples from the unforgettable film Courageous, insightful questions, and practical applications, Courageous Teens builds an unshakeable foundation for a courageous lifestyle.  Perfect for weekly group or individual study, this inspiring and in-depth study of courage will call teens like you to step out in faith, equipping you with the courage that is vital to your future -- and to the future of us all.

Tilt

by Ellen Hopkins

Witnessing the fallout from the poor choices their parents make and the lies adults tell themselves, three teens are clinging to the last remnants of the secure and familiar world in which they've grown up.  But the ground is shifting.  What was once clear is now confused.  Everything is tilting.

Mikayla is sure she's found the love her parents seem to have lost, but is suddenly weighing nearly impossible choices in the wake of dashed expectations.  Shane has come out, unwilling to lie anymore about who he is, but finds himself struggling to keep it all under control in the face of first love and a horrific loss.  Harley, a good girl just seeking new experiences, never expects to hurtle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.

Inspired by teen characters first introduced in her adult novel, Triangles, Ellen Hopkins crafts a wrenching story that explores the ways we each find the strength we need to hold on when our world's been tilted completely off its axis. 

The Good Woman by Jane Porter (Interview and Review)

Title: The Good Woman
Author: Jane Porter
Publisher: Penguin

About the Book: The firstborn of a large Irish-American family, Meg Brennan Roberts is a successful publicist, faithful wife, and doting mother who prides herself on always making the right decisions. But years of being “the good woman” have taken a toll and though her winery career thrives, Meg feels burned out and empty, and more disconnected than ever from her increasingly distant husband. Lonely and disheartened, she attends the London Wine Fair with her boss, ruggedly handsome vintner, Chad Hallahan. It’s here, alone together in an exotic city, far from “real” life, that Chad confesses his long-standing desire for Meg.

Overwhelmed, flattered, and desperately confused, Meg returns home, only to suddenly question every choice she’s ever made, especially that of her marriage. For Meg, something’s got to give, and for once in her life she flees her responsibilities—but with consequences as reckless and irreversible as they are liberating. Now she must decide whether being the person everyone needs is worth losing the woman she was meant to be.

My thoughts:  Even though this book was painful (as in, I could feel Meg's pain) for me to read at times, I really enjoyed it.  Jane Porter did a great job in portraying the hurt and emptiness that Meg was feeling.  As a woman in her 40's myself, I can't say that my life has been all sunshine and roses and there have been rough patches when I felt that I deserved more - so I could relate to some of the story line. 

But this book is about much more than just a woman on the brink - it is about family - the one that you grew up with as well as the one that you create when you marry.  How family can either lift each other up in the hard times are tear each other apart.  That grudges and words hurt whether you are 15 or 45.   It is also about trust and forgiveness and overcoming obstacles in order to get to the heart of the problem - but that you have to have the willingness to admit there is a problem first.  

I will say it again, that I could relate to Meg in part of the story - I'm not sure that I would make the same choices that she did, but I can understand her reasons.  The whole family was realistic - from Meg's mom and dad, to her brother and sisters.  They each had real problems that they were trying to work through, but stayed close despite those problems.  

This is the first book in the Brennan Sisters Trilogy with The Good Daughter due out in February 2013.  I had previously read She's Gone Country by Jane Porter - you can see my review here. 

~I received a complimentary copy of The Good Woman from Penguin in exchange for my unbiased review.~

About the author:  Jane Porter is an award-winning novelist with over 5 million books in print.  She grew up in central California , graduated from UCLA and holds an MA in writing from the University of San Francisco .  Porter writes full time and lives in southern California with her family.  Visit her website at www.janeporter.com.

Jane was nice enough to stop by and answer some questions for me. Please help me welcome her to Books and Needlepoint.

1. How do you typically write? Do you plot it all out beforehand or do you just let the story pour out?
I plot big chunks—road signs and what I believe will be the key turning points—and then write, but I definitely end up detouring and rethinking those scenes that I think will be the big scenes.

2. Do you have a favorite place to write or “must haves” while writing?
I need to be able to control my environment as much as possible—space, lighting, noise, the amount of time I have to write. I don’t do well trying to write in bits and pieces, or with lots of activity going on around me. I can and do write in coffee houses when in a pinch, but then I try to find the quietest place possible, with a corner or wall table with lots of natural lighting and I add my Bose headphones to block out sound. But honestly, my home office—clean and clear and free of clutter—is best. I think I’m getting old.

3. Do you have much say in the title or covers of you books?
Nope. I can say, I do like, I don’t like, or not crazy about it, and here’s why, and they hopefully listen to me but there’s no guarantee.

4. Is there anything that has surprised you about writing, publishing or touring with your books?
Just how hard it all is! People assume (and I used to be one of these people, too!) that all you have to do is get published, and you’ve pretty much got it made because you’re on the ‘inside’ now, but that’s just the start of endless, uphill battles. And it’s all a battle—the writing, the promoting, the marketing and touring and writing while promoting/touring. It’s not a fluffy, relaxing career. 

5. Do you have a favorite author/book or one that you always recommend?
I have so many author friends—virtually all my friends are writers—so its hard to recommend one and not another, or it feels weird to only recommend my friends, and not others, so I tend to focus on my favorite, comfort reads that aren’t necessarily contemporary authors (like Georgette Heyer. Love her!)

6. Was there anything (or anyone) while growing up which helped you decide you wanted to be a writer?
Louisa May Alcott. I loved that Jo, from Little Women, Little Men, Jo’s Boys, etc, was a writer. I was also inspired by the author of my other favorite series of books, Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls. Being a writer definitely seemed to be the way to go. And I tried to get published early....I wrote my first picture book in 2nd grade and my first novel in 4th grade. I was pretty serious about becoming a novelist!

7. Do you have a job outside of being an author?
Nope. I write. A lot. And then I try to be a good mom on occasion, too.

8. What would you tell a beginning writer?
That writing is a craft, an art form, and a muscle. You’ve got to develop the craft—and work that muscle. And sometimes we will write with more confidence, and other times we will battle for our story, but not to quit. Don’t ever give up.

9. If you could meet one person who has died, who would that be?
I’d love to meet the James family...Henry James, and his sister Alice who had an amazing mind, and their brother William who was also brilliant. And if they weren’t interested in meeting me, I’d try to get Virginia Wolfe and her sister, the artist Vanessa Bell, to spend an afternoon with me. I love interesting families, and so I’m not surprised I wrote a series like the Brennans because I do think sisters and brothers have tremendous influence on each other, and help shape each other.

10. If you could co-author a book with anyone, who would it be?
I don’t think I would. I’d find it too much of a power struggle!  

11. In one sentence, why should we read your book?
Because I’m a storyteller and want nothing more than to grab you and sweep you away for a day.

12. What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I love to make myself laugh. I crack myself up—much to the mortification of my boys—and enjoy my jokes a lot. No one else does. But that makes me laugh, too.

13. What do you come up with first when creating your character- the back story, the plot, the characteristics?
I think it depends on the writer, and it probably varies from book to book, too. And honestly I don’t know that you can separate them out. I tend to get an idea and all the bits and pieces are there, together, intertwined.

14. What do you do in your spare time?
Hang out with my kids, annoy them by making them talk to me (and listen to me), read, garden, and I also love to travel. I live to travel. Travel is my poison.

15. What does a day in your life look like?
Wake up, hug, feed kids and kick then out the door and then check email, answer email and get to work. I generally work until 5, and then do more email and business stuff in the evening while sitting on the couch with the kids watching TV. My kids don’t think I come without a laptop attached to my middle. It’s kind of sad.

16. How does your family feel about having a writer in the family? Do they read your books?
I’m a mom of 3 sons—17, 13, and 3—and no they don’t read my books. And the two older ones are pretty proud of me. They know I work hard, and they like that I’m a ‘different mom’. The 13-year-old worries about my career, though, and has been giving me career advice on becoming bigger (stop writing women’s stories that have no plots and write apocalyptic Young Adult stories like The Hunger Games). The 3-year-old started a new preschool recently and announced that there his friends were Jack and Jane, but little Jane doesn’t write novels. He knows because he asked her.

17. Is there anything else that you would like my readers to know?
We just moved from Greater Seattle to San Clemente, CA which is southern Orange County, so it’s a huge change for all of us and yet really exciting to be having a new adventure as a family.

A Girl Like You by Maria Geraci (Book Review)

Title: A Girl Like You
Author: Maria Geraci
Publisher: Penguin

About the Book: What if you found out you were the ugly friend?

Emma Frazier is smart, hardworking, and loves her job as a journalist for a Florida lifestyle magazine. Emma knows she’s no great beauty, but she’s pretty certain she has a shot with her handsome new boss, Ben Gallagher—until Emma overhears a mutual acquaintance refer to her as the “ugly friend.” In an effort to reclaim her battered self-esteem, Emma decides to impress Ben at work by promising an exclusive interview with NASCAR legend, Trip Monroe.

Emma and Trip went to high school together and although it’s been fourteen years since they’ve spoken, Emma is certain she can score an interview with the elusive super star. But connecting with Trip turns out to be harder than Emma imagined. Her quest for the interview leads her back to her tiny hometown of Catfish Cove, where old secrets and a new romantic interest shake up Emma’s views on life and teach her that maybe the key to finding true love is as simple as accepting yourself for the person you were always meant to be.

Link to A Girl Like You on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Like-You-Maria-Geraci/dp/0425247805?=jaxcas-20

My thoughts:  This was my first exposure to Maria Geraci and I found her delightful.  This book is for any girl who has felt the sting of low self-esteem - and personally I don't know a girl out there who hasn't felt it at one time or another.  The characters are easy to relate to - especially Emma.  She doesn't come from the traditional family, having two moms, but that just gives a nice twist to the story.  

Emma is beginning to worry that she won't find the man she is supposed to settle down with.  She is only 32, but her moms have been hinting at grandkids for a couple of years. This book is sort of like her journey to self discovery - and how she ends up with the man of her dreams.  Of course you know what they say - you have to kiss a few frogs before you end up with your prince. Maria does a great job of balancing the serious with the humorous, while also not letting you know too soon how it is going to end. 

If you are a fan of chick lit, then you should add this book to your tbr list. 

~I received a complimentary copy of A Girl Like You from Book Sparks in exchange for my unbiased review. ~

About the author:  Maria Geraci was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised on Florida's Space Coast.  Her love of books started with the classic Little Women (a book she read so often growing up, she could probably quote it). She lives with her husband and their three children in north Florida where she works as a part-time labor and delivery nurse by night and a full-time romance writer during the day.  

Link to Maria Geraci's website: http://mariageraci.com/

Link to Maria Geraci on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MariaGeraciBooks

Link to Maria Geraci on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariaGeraci


A Girl Like You
Publisher/Publication Date: Penguin, Aug 2012
ISBN: 978-0-425-24780-8
308 pages