Zoe and the Moment of Zen by Cat Lavoie ~ A Review
When coffee shop owner Zoey Everwood takes her obsession with ex-boyfriend Braden too far, everyone—except Zoey—is convinced a bit of fun in the sun at the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort will help her get over him once and for all.
But Zoey’s relaxing vacation turns out to be anything but peaceful when she meets Shane Lawson, a resort guest who bears a striking resemblance to Braden. And things get even more complicated when the resort’s owner starts spilling secrets about Zoey’s aunt Nessa, the woman who raised her. Add a snarky Wellness Coordinator and Nate Holmes—Shane’s grumpy friend—to the mix, and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect tropical storm.
When Zoey comes back home with a new husband instead of tacky souvenirs, she must convince everyone she hasn’t completely lost her mind. As Zoey and Shane struggle to keep the magic alive outside the resort, Zoey discovers that she isn’t the only one having trouble letting go of the past. And when Nate drops a bombshell that changes everything, Zoey must decide if the old saying is true—what happens at the Moment of Zen stays at the Moment of Zen.
~*~*~*~ The Review ~*~*~*~
Cat Lavoie has a great sense of screw ball humor presented as everyday life. Or maybe I see so much of myself in her characters that it only *seems* like everyday life.
After a family and friend intervention of the boyfriend kind, Zoe is shipped off to the Moment of Zen resort where she meets her ex’s doppelganger. Of course she kicks up a relationship with him that has *nothing* to do with her former boyfriend and from there things just go crazy.
Zoe and the Moment of Zen is a humorous story with moments poignancy and forgiveness. But Zoe also teaches us something on her journey. Life can get crazy and it’s some kind of ride, but don’t miss what’s right underneath your nose while looking back at what you’ve left behind. Or maybe it’s what you left behind can be more important that what you’re doing now. No, that’s not quite it either.
Oh, I know! Be careful of what you *think* you want. There may be something better out there and you’ll miss it wallowing in the mistakes. Well, just read the book and you’ll see!
~*~*~*~ More About Cat Lavoie ~*~*~*~
Cat’s WEBSITE
On AMAZON
Mad World: Desperation by Samaire Provost ~ A Review
Forget what you thought you knew about this story, because everything is about to change.
With Alyssa near death, Luke, Jacob and their companions make a desperate attempt to reach Boston with the final ingredient needed for the plague antidote. They must travel through the Canadian wilderness, some of the roughest country in North America. Along the way they are joined by new friends and old as they fight to reach their destination and save Alyssa. What they don’t know is that something is hunting them.
Something evil is lurking, waiting to strike when they least expect it.
After years of fighting courageously against the living plague, they’d thought they knew their enemy. They’d believed their wits, bravery and strength would be enough to win this fight against the threat that had overrun so much of the world they once knew. But they were wrong.
Now Luke, Risa, Jacob, DeAndre and Jonathan face their most dangerous trials yet as they battle the ever-present zombie threat, along with a new challenge they never saw coming. How many ways can this plague try to kill them? Find out, in the latest installment of the Mad World series.
~*~ The Review ~*~
Sometimes I’m not sure what goes through my mind when I say yes to a review. As my Daddy would say, “Ain’t no telling.” So I sat down with Mad World Desperation and shook my head at myself. A Zombie book? What was I thinking? I don’t like zombie books, or any type of ‘dark paranormals’. But I had promised a review and a fair review I was going to give. So I braced myself for guts and brains and mayhem and began reading.
My plan was simple: read the book, check out the writing style, the voice, the congruence of the story and review based off of things I do know about. (I don’t read zombie books so I couldn’t form an opinion based off past knowledge.) I was going to skim the book (sorry Samaire, but it was self preservation to keep myself from having nightmares.)
But my plan fell apart as I begin to read. Mad World: Desperation is a fantabulous book! The writing style is great, fresh and easy to read. The characters are likable and sympathetic. Instead of skimming, I found myself truly reading. What a surprise for me! I don’t like zombie books! LOL
My only regret is that I wish I had started the series at the beginning. The book explains some of what was in the first three books, but I would have preferred to read it firsthand.
I never thought I would say this but go out and get this zombie book! You’re going to love it!
~*~ Author Bio ~*~
Samaire Provost is a novelist living in California. Author of the Mad World trilogy: EPIDEMIC ~ SANCTUARY ~ DESPERATION. Her upcoming work is a vampire thriller slated to be released in early 2014.
~*~ Connect with Samaire ~*~
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/samairep
Twitter – https://twitter.com/samaireherself
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6453849.Samaire_Provost
Amazon author page – http://www.amazon.com/Samaire-Provost/e/B008PVTXMW
Blog – http://samaireprovost.tumblr.com/
**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Mad World: Desperation before December 16 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**
http://www.clpblogtours.com/2013/10/mad-world-desperation-by-samaire-provost.html
Dandy Day by Annie Wood
Day is a thirty-five year old free-spirited, commitment-phobic, Venice Boardwalk roller skating waitress. When Dandy is suddenly dumped by her therapist, right when they were on the brink of figuring out why her relationships last only a whopping three months, Dandy decides to take her relationship issues into her own hands. With the reluctant help of her lifelong best friend, Simon, Dandy tracks down her exes one by one and does a relationship autopsy on each of them in order to get to the bottom of her relationship challenged life.
A short novel about love, friendship and grown ups (sort of) growing up (sort of).
~~~ The Review ~~~
Dandy Day by Annie Wood is a quirky read as expected, (What else would come from a book about a 35 year old roller skating waitress?) but that’s not to say that it’s predictable. Far from it.
Once I got past the unprofessional fill-in therapist, Dandy Day became a fun and over the top look at relationships and life on Venice Beach–a world that seems too colorful to believe and few of us ever get to experience. Take an interesting setting, a fun premise, and a quirky yet lovable heroine and you have Dandy Day.
I think there’s a little bit of Dandy in all of us, that never-quite-grew-up child that scratches to get out from time to time. Just another reason why Dandy is irresistible!
Animated Excerpt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuRylE-2C3E
Pinterest Board: http://www.pinterest.com/gypsywood/dandy-day-a-novella-by-annie-wood/
~~~ Author Bio ~~~
Annie was born in Hollywood, raised in the valley. She avoided the valley girl accent by speaking backwards for the first 15 years of her life. As an actress she has guest starred on several TV shows. You may remember her best in her recurring role onBecker with Ted Danson, Lara in Good Luck Chuck and as the host of her own nationally syndicated dating show, BZZZ! which she also co-produced. As a writer, she is a produced and published playwright and recently had a comedic scene in the NBC/UNIVERSAL showcase. Her web-series, Karma’s a B*tch
THE WEB and season 2 is now in the works. Her books of comedic scenes, Snapshots! & Act Up & Make a Scene have been performed on Hollywood stages and is available on Amazon. She lives in Los Angeles with her charming, Italian husband and her equally charming, Jewish/Buddhist/Italian dog, Lucy.
I Will
(a poem about writing by Annie Wood)
one day
when i am older;
and slower;
i will sit in my favorite chair
and i will write what pleases me.
i will not worry about them.
i will not feel the need to climb;
to fight;
nor will i wish with all my might;
for jobs.
for opportunities.
for money.
i will find comfort in the stillness.
i will find peace within the knowing.
i will smile to myself and remember only what i choose to remember.
and i will be joyous.
and i will be abundant.
and i will be successful beyond my wildest dreams.
in fact, why not start practicing now?
i will now sit in my favorite chair
and i will now write what pleases me.
It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy by Quanie Miller ~ A Review
Jazzy secretly wants to get back together with her ex-boyfriend, Curtis, so when he calls and reveals that he’s got something important to tell her, she’s got no idea that he’s about to propose—to her first cousin and bitter rival, Mercedes.
The annual family dinner is coming up, and fearing that she will spend the evening seething while Mercedes flaunts her four carat engagement ring in her face, Jazzy asks Reggie, an Adonis she met at the mall, to accompany her. As fate would have it, not only did Reggie and Mercedes used to date; that backstabbing, leopard print wearing cow is still carrying a torch for him! Revenge. It’s never been so sweet.
But falling for Reggie? Holy crap! That wasn’t part of the plan! She’s got enough on her plate as it is; restaurant shootouts, a neurotic boss, a mother who spies on the neighbors, and a sister and best friend with man problems that could land them on Jerry Springer. Who has time to fall in love? So when Curtis comes sniffing around again—this time, with an accusation that sends her blood pressure shooting through the roof—the one good nerve that Jazzy’s got left has just about run its course.
~*~*~*~ The Review ~*~*~*~
When I sat down to write the review for It Aint Easy Being Jazzy by Quanie Milller, I had a little bit of an advantage: I had already read her author interview (which I included at the end of this post). But what a wonderful advantage for me to be able to tell you, Quanie Miller has done exactly what she set out to do. It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy is a fun, fun time from being to end.
Told in first person in a voice too real and snarky to resist, It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy recounts the times of Jasmine (otherwise known as Jazzy) and she tries to make it in her crazy life. She’s trying to get over her boyfriend, accept that he’s engaged to her rival cousin, and somehow make him jealous with a cute guy from the mall. Add in her sister, her wacky neighbors and her nosy mother and Jazzy is your wildest day times five.
I love the writing, I loved the premise and I loved the all around fun time to be had in reading this book! It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy will make you laugh and just as the author wishes, you’ll get up from reading it saying, “Honey, I done had me a good time!”
~*~*~*~ The Interview ~*~*~*~
Where did the story idea come from/how did it come about?
I sat down to write a paranormal story about this woman who gets a job as a nanny and discovers the children’s new step mother has mystic powers. But when I started writing this funny voice took over and I had to step back and ask myself if I wanted to scrap what I had and rework the story so that the tone would be consistent with a paranormal story, make the nanny story funny, or extract that funny main character from there and create a whole new story. And I decided to create a whole new story. So glad I did because the novel was so much fun to write.
One thing you want the reader to walk away with after reading this book.
I want them to have laughed so much that they are gasping for air. When they’re done with the book I want them to say, “Honey, I done had me a good time!”
Why did you choose your genre?
For this particular novel, it was accidental, because even though I set out to write something paranormal, this funny voice took over that steered me in another direction story wise. So for me, my characters dictate genre.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?
The most challenging thing is learning to believe in yourself. Doubt creeps in at every stage; the outline stage, the drafting stage, editing. But at the end of the day you have to just shake it off and remind yourself why you write. And if you write because you love it then you’ll always find your way back to it.
What advice would you give to writers just starting out?
Study your craft. Definitely. Whether it’s reading novels, books about writing novels, taking writing workshops, or joining a critique group. Study, study, study. And find your voice. Don’t try and be like anybody else. Tell your story from your point of view. The world wants to hear it!
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?
Not in the sense of “I’m sitting at the computer and oh my goodness I just can’t write!” It’s not like that. It’s more like “something about this story isn’t working and I can’t figure out what right now.” So I don’t really have periods of time where I can’t write; only periods where I’m trying to figure out what about the story isn’t working and during those times I take a break from writing until I can figure it out. Sometimes I take a day. Sometimes I take a week or two, but I always go back knowing what to fix.
What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?
Something to write on. That’s pretty much it. Well, that and your coffee! But other than that I don’t think there are any must have tools except for your imagination.
~*~*~*~ Author Bio ~*~*~*~
Quanie Miller grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. She fell in love with reading at an early age and spent most of her time at the Iberia Parish Library discovering new authors like R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike (she was often found walking back home from the library with a stack of books that went up to her chin). She holds degrees from Louisiana State University and San Jose State University. She has been the recipient of the James Phelan Literary Award, the Louis King Thore Scholarship, the BEA Student Scriptwriting Award, and the Vicki Hudson Emerging Writing Prize. She loves writing humorous stories about strong willed, sassy women who can’t keep themselves out of trouble. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband and is currently, as always, working on another novel.
To find out more about Quanie and her works in progress connect with her online:
Website: www.quaniemiller.com
Blog: www.quanietalkswriting.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuanieMillerAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/QuanieMiller
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/QuanieMiller
Email: info@quaniemiller.com
quanie@quanietalkswriting.com
~*~*~*~ Buy the Book ~*~*~*~
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FVAFA4A
~*~*~*~ Quanie on Tour ~*~*~*~
http://www.clpblogtours.com/2013/10/it-aint-easy-being-jazzy-by-quanie.html
Unscripted by Jayne Denker
One of Hollywood’s hardest working women is about to discover there’s a lot more drama behind the camera than in front of it. . .
Faith “Freakin’” Sinclair probably shouldn’t have called her boss a perv. . .or grabbed his “privates.” But as creator of the hit dramedy Modern Women, she’d had enough of his sexist insults. Now she’s untouchable in the industry–not in a good way. The only way to redeem herself is to convince Alex, the wildly popular, wildly demanding former star of her show, to come back. But there’s one obstacle in her way–one very handsome, broad-shouldered obstacle. . .
Professor Mason Mitchell is head of the theater department where Alex is studying “real” acting. The only way he’ll let Faith anywhere near Alex is if she agrees to co-teach a class. It’s an offer she can’t refuse–and as it turns out, the professor just might end up teaching Faith that there’s more to life than work–and that real-life love scenes are way more fun than fake ones.
**** The Review ****
“You can’t judge a book by its cover” has to be one of the dumbest things ever said. How else are you going to judge a book? By looking at the cover of Unscripted by Jayne Denker a reader would expect a fun and sassy read, and that’s exactly what they get!
Faith Freakin’ Sinclair is the woman I want to be. She’s confident, smart, and generous. She’s also in a heap of trouble with her boss. The only way she can get her job back is to woo a former star back to the show she’s just been booted from. Alex (whom you find out is a male) is hiding at a small community college working on his “craft.” But more than ego stands in Faith’s way of getting Alex to return to Modern Women. There’s Jamie (Faith’s lovable step-brother), Kaylie (who has her own agenda where Alex is concerned), Mona (Faith’s mother and a Hollywood diva/legend in her own right), and the sexy professor (Mason Mitchell).
Unscripted is my favorite kind of story. A comedy of errors that never ends. Things go from bad to worse for Faith as she attempts to work her magic on the handsome Alex. From confiscated credit cards to a bout of food poisoning-cum-nasty stomach virus, Faith battles to get her life back. Oh, and have I mentioned the sexy professor?
Unscripted is a fabulous chick-lit novel with just enough romance and Hollywood to keep things interesting. Look out Bridget Jones, here comes Faith Freakin’ Sinclair!
**** Author Bio ****
Jayne Denker is the author of three contemporary romantic comedies, By Design, Unscripted, and Down on Love, and is hard at work on a fourth. She lives in a small town in western New York, USA, with her husband, son, and one very sweet senior-citizen basement kitteh who loves nothing more than going outside, where she sits on the front walk and wonders why she begged to go outside. When Jayne’s not hard at work on another novel (or, rather, when she should be hard at work on another novel), she can usually be found frittering away stupid amounts of time online.
**** Connect with Jayne ****
Blog: http://jaynedenker.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JayneDenkerAuthor
Twitter: @JDenkerAuthor
**** Buy the Book ****
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Unscripted-ebook/dp/B00BTG44M4/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_1
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unscripted-jayne-denker/1114865242?ean=9781601831316
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/unscripted-5
(Also available on iTunes)
**** Jane’s Tour ****
http://www.clpblogtours.com/2013/09/unscripted-by-jayne-denker.html
His Fantasy Maid by Susan Blexrud
~*~*~*~ Author Bio ~*~*~*~
Susan Blexrud grew up in Orlando, Florida, and now lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband of 27 years, John, who proposed to her on New Year’s Eve 1985 on the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, halfway between Paris and Vienna. Their son Chris lives and works in Manhattan, and daughter Allison is a college junior. Susan has a Chihuahua named Baby and a cockatiel named Romeo. She is an avid reader, and she leads two monthly book clubs in Asheville. She is a walker and Yoga enthusiast. She enjoys quilting and bird watching (loves hummingbirds), and most of all, writing her next story.
~*~*~*~ Connect with Susan ~*~*~*~
Website: www.susanblexrud.com
Blog: www.embracetheshadows.wordpress.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Blexrud-Romance-Writer/28942424955?ref=hl
Publisher: www.crimsonromance.com
~*~*~*~ Buy The Book ~*~*~*~
Bachelor’s Special by Christine Warner
Jill Adgate wants three things from life: a successful catering business, a family, and the love of an exceptional man. What she has is no job, a mounting pile of bills, and her outspoken best friend—who sets her up on a blind date with the man who inadvertently ruined Jill’s life.
Chet Castle is a businessman who has everything, except the ability to trust. Burned by a money-hungry fiancée, he refuses to get involved in any relationship that has a shelf life longer than a head of lettuce. Intrigued by her ambition—and determined to get her in bed—Chet offers Jill the chance of a lifetime: work as his live-in chef and he’ll help her get her catering business off the ground. When sparks fly in the kitchen, Jill realizes what’s cooking is a recipe for disaster…
The Review
Y’all know I’m a sucker for a good romance and that’s exactly what Bachelor’s Special by Christine Warner is: a good romance. A *really* good romance. Jill is a girl with plans for her life, too bad no one bothered to tell her life that. Chet Castle is a man through and through. He sees Jill and wants her in his bed, so he devises a way to keep her close and put his plan into motion. But Chet’s plan backfires. In a fit of conscience, he changes his mind about the blatant seduction. Yet the sparks between them cannot be denied and do not need to be flamed to burst into something more. But Chet and Jill are mismatched for sure. They don’t want the same things out of life and they’ll have to find some common ground in order to meet in the middle.
Never fear, lovers of romance, Christine Warner is the writer to make it all happen.
A bit about Christine
Christine Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her husband, three children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends.
Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmetic. A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities. She loves to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines.
A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on facebook, twitter and her website.
website: http://christine-warner.com/
Twitter under @ChristinesWords: https://twitter.com/#!/ChristinesWords
Facebook page : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Warner/143430882396013
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5763713.Christine_Warner
A word from Christine
Can soup be sexy?
There are several foods that are considered an aphrodisiac—chocolate and oysters come to mind for me first—but would you consider soup a turn on?
I think any food can become sexy…it depends only on the people involved and their attraction. Think about it a minute, feeding your special someone strawberries from between your lips, painting each others bodies with whip topping and licking it off, tossing some pop rocks in your mouth before you share an explosive kiss…
Why not soup too?
I’d like to share a scene from Bachelor’s Special between Chet and Jill in the kitchen that involves a bit of soup. A slight misunderstanding gets words and sparks of attraction flying. Part of the meal Jill had just prepared—squash soup, her specialty—moves to the forefront of the scene to set off bells of sexual tension and a spine tingling kiss.
Here’s a little taste. In the comments let me know what you think…is soup sexy too?
EXCERPT
Laughter swelled Chet’s chest. He stopped short when he looked into Jill’s upturned face, enjoying the fact he could inspect her so closely and she didn’t know. Blinded by the soup, she was at his mercy.
Thick, yellowish-orange liquid covered her skin, hiding the sprinkle of fine freckles dotting her nose. Black eyelashes spiked from the moisture, and her parted lips revealed the whiteness of her teeth. The apron she wore reminded him of something a housewife would wear on a fifties sitcom. Undeniably cute and damn sexy. All she needed was a set of pearls.
She’d be the type of girl he’d bring home to his mother. Hold up, Castle! You don’t play the girlfriend game. His blood raced as her tongue darted out and she licked her lips again. The twinge of his groin reminded him once more that a fling with the lovely Jill would be on his list, but nothing more.
Still holding her wrists, he leaned forward and flicked his tongue out to taste the drop of soup forming on the tip of her chin.
Jill’s body went quiet at his touch. The pulse beating against the soft skin of her inner wrist burst forward at a quick tempo.
Her button-down shirt pulled with each quick breath she took.
“Damn, you’re right. Tastes great.” A salty quality mingled with the rich flavor of the soup. A dash of Jill mixed in to add a more potent flavor.
“I told you I’m an awesome cook.” Her husky voice lowered further.
“I particularly like your presentation.” He matched her tone, his heartbeat erratic.
She tried to step back, but her butt connected with the counter. If she took a half step forward she’d be pushed against his chest. Not that he minded.
“Let me loose. I’d like to wipe my eyes.” A giggle slipped past her lips.
“Not yet. I’m not sure you’ve learned your lesson.”
“I guarantee you I have.”
Her struggled swallow caught his attention. “Nervous?”
Jill shook her head as if trying to clear away the thick soup. “Never.”
He laughed. “I’m going to have more soup.”
“Can’t, it’s all on my…” She stiffened in his arms and a soft sigh, almost a whimper, caught in her throat.
His attraction grew tenfold. He lowered his head, brushing her lips with his own before pulling back. His heart pounded against his chest, bongo drums in a heady rhythm. This situation had escalated into a major turn on.
BUY LINKS
Barnes & Nobel: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bachelors-special-christine-warner/1115250848?ean=9781622661312
Christine on Tour
http://www.clpblogtours.com/2013/07/bachelors-special-by-christine-warner.html
Royal Secrets by Kathleen Irene Paterka
ROYAL SECRETS is the story of the Royal Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, and of Lily Lavender, whose family is distantly descended from the British royal family. Immersed in the regal world of weddings and romance, Lily grew up believing in brides, grooms and happily-ever-afters. It seemed her destiny and royal birthright to someday assume a position as wedding coordinator in their family-owned wedding chapel business. But when her mother Mimi’s third marriage eventually fails, Lily’s dreams of her own happily-ever-after quickly fade. She’s no longer interested in a life of assisting brides walk down the aisle into a life of disillusionment and possible divorce. Lily turns her back on The Royal Wedding Chapel and leaves Las Vegas to fashion a life of her own. Years later, Lily—now a single mom—discovers her teenage daughter has run off to Las Vegas, lured by Mimi to help run the chapel. Determined to save her daughter from the broken dreams of Sin City and the nonsensical world of which family fairy tales are made, Lily returns to Las Vegas. But nothing prepares Lily for the royal drama which awaits her… or the sins and secrets she stumbles across that threaten to close the chapel and ruin her family forever.
~~~The Review ~~~
Royal tiaras, secrets that are decades old, and more brides than you can shake a stick at, Royal Secrets by Kathleen Irene Paterka has all this and more. Set in Sin City with a dysfunctionally functioning family, Royal Secrets is sure to please.
At first I have to admit that I didn’t like Lily. I didn’t *dis*like her, she just wasn’t a sympathetic enough character for me. She made choices that made me frown and decisions that made me shake my head. But Kathleen Paterka pulled it off by the end of the book and made me not only sympathize with her, but like her as well as cheer for her happily ever after.
Personally I would have *adored* this book if it had contained a little more of genre romance elements. Not that it isn’t fabulous just the way it is (my confession is, I would like most books better if they contained more romantic elements.)
All in all, this is a book about people, an almost a slice of life that is larger than life as well. Lovers of the royal family and family secrets are in for a great ‘American’ read.
~~~About Kathleen~~~
Kathleen Irene Paterka is the author of numerous women’s fiction novels which embrace universal themes of home, family life and love, including ROYAL SECRETS and the James Bay series (FATTY PATTY, HOME FIRES, LOTTO LUCY and FOR I HAVE SINNED). Kathleen is the resident staff writer for Castle Farms, a world renowned castle listed on the National Historic Register, and co-author of the non-fiction book FOR THE LOVE OF A CASTLE, published in 2012. Having lived and studied abroad, Kathleen’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central Michigan University. She and her husband live in the beautiful north country of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
Contact Kathleen:
Website: http://www.kathleenirenepaterka.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathleenIrenePaterka?ref=hl
ScribBLING Divas Blog: http://scribblingdivas.com/
Buy the book:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Royal-Secrets-ebook/dp/B00DG8736C/ref=tmm_kin_title_0
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/royal-secrets-kathleen-irene-paterka/1115696682?ean=2940016595221
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/325372
**Everyone who leaves a comment on Kathleen’s tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Royal Secrets before August 12 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**
~~~ Kathleen on Tour ~~~
http://www.clpblogtours.com/2013/06/royal-secrets-by-kathleen-irene-paterka.html
Untimed by Andy Gavin
Charlie’s the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, his own mother can’t remember his name. So when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don’t take him seriously. Still, this isn’t all bad. Who needs school when you can learn about history first hand, like from Ben Franklin himself. And there’s this girl… Yvaine… another time traveler. All good. Except for the rules: boys only travel into the past and girls only into the future. And the baggage: Yvaine’s got a baby boy and more than her share of ex-boyfriends. Still, even if they screw up history — like accidentally let the founding father be killed — they can just time travel and fix it, right? But the future they return to is nothing like Charlie remembers. To set things right, he and his scrappy new girlfriend will have to race across the centuries, battling murderous machines from the future, jealous lovers, reluctant parents, and time itself.
~~~ The Review ~~~
Okay, I admit it…I’m a bit ADD. I squirm and shift. I have trouble sitting through an entire movie and, thanks to the fact that I write as well, I have little tolerance for watching movies that don’t immediately catch my interest. The same thing can be said about books.
What a delightful surprise when I sat down to read Untimed by Andy Gavin. I expected a good read. In my special way. Read a little, do something else, read a little more, start a new project, read more, and so forth until I make my way to the conclusion. That was not the case with this book. I finished Untimed in a little over a day and a half, reading it as I cooked dinner and my family patiently waited to be fed.
I am almost embarrassed to say that. With the amount of history the book contains (and all cleverly woven throughout the story) I know that Gavin worked long and hard searching for historical facts. And the sheer brilliance of the time travelling rules and screw-ups! He did a fabulous job and I ran through it like nobody’s business.
So to Andy I say, “I’m sorry.” But I could not put your book down. I practically devoured it, and in no way gave it the attention and thorough read it deserved . And to you, the readers, I say get get a copy. It’s sassy, unorthodox, funny, suspenseful, and filled with Charlie’s snarky brand of humor.
I loved every minute of it and can’t wait for the next one!
~~~~Author Bio ~~~
Andy Gavin is an unstoppable storyteller who studied for his Ph.D. at M.I.T. and founded video game developer Naughty Dog, Inc. at the age of fifteen, serving as co-president for two decades. There he created, produced, and directed over a dozen video games, including the award winning and best selling Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter franchises, selling over 40 million units worldwide. He sleeps little, reads novels and histories, watches media obsessively, travels, and of course, writes.
~~~ Find Andy ~~~
website: http://andy-gavin-author.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andygavin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/asgavin
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/andrewgavin/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5406978.Andy_Gavin
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Gavin
~~~BUY LINKS~~~
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/untimed-andy-gavin/1114063372?ean=9781937945039&isbn=9781937945039
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/untimed/id591249030?ls=1
~~~ Andy on Tour ~~~
http://www.clpblogtours.com/2013/06/untimed-by-andy-gavin.html
Meltdown by Tara Thompson
NYSSA, internationally renown supermodel, is accustomed to turning heads. As a young girl, her flawless face attracted the wrong kind of attention. She escaped an abusive father and successfully navigated life’s seedy underbelly to become a runway renegade, although not without leaving her share of enemies behind. Lately she’s caught the eye of….STEVE, handsome hometown hero and soon-to-be Governor of Texas. Unfortunately he’s already married. As Steve publicly dumps his perfect, former Miss Texas wife for Hollywood’s latest ‘It’ girl, his state faces the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression. Will he be able to turn things around, or is he too embroiled in his political sex scandal? His good friend and business partner….DEMETRI, sexy hedge fund manager, is at the top of his professional game and tries to save his friend from near financial ruin. Yet he’s distracted by Steve’s new girlfriend, who just happens to be Demetri’s old flame. Years ago, Nyssa ran from him and he’s never forgotten her. But why is he still interested? Demetri’s dating…. AISLINN, a woman as brilliant as she is beautiful. Enjoying all the perks of having a billionaire boyfriend, she’s falling fast for Demetri and has no idea that she might be the one getting played. Although she bets big on Wall Street, the largest casino in the world, nothing is more risky than giving her heart away. In this fun, juicy, glamorous novel, no one is exactly who they appear to be… And all of them are heading for a MELTDOWN. Who will rise from the ashes?I love being on vacation. Not that taking a vacation provides a great deal of change in my life. No matter where I go, I have my computer, I check Facebook, I tweet. So more than actually taking a trip, I rely on the books that I read to take me to a different place. Meltdown is a book that definitely transports the reader to another world–a world of sophisticated models, tycoons, and international playboys. Normally I prefer a more romantic read–one guy, one girl, and a guaranteed happy ending. The feel of Meltdown is grittier than a romance by definition, yet has a polished feel where everything glitters. If I could change one thing about the book, it would be to make it a little more about action than back story. I would have loved to have walked the streets with Nyssa, been there with Steve as he married Johanna, and experienced first hand how Demetri fell for Nyssa so long ago. But all in all, Meltdown is a satisfying read with interesting characters and a love square (yes, it is a square) whose outcome will have you guessing until the end.
~~~Author Bio~~~
I am a married thirty-something with three awesome kids and a sweet, workaholic husband. We had two dogs but about the time I was feeling completely overwhelmed, they abandoned my chaotic house for doggie heaven (for their sakes, I hope no children are chasing them anymore). In my former life I attended Washington University in St. Louis and Columbia Business School in New York, and worked on Wall Street and Main Street before giving up on both. I thoroughly enjoyed my twenties and am quite content settling down to a much quieter life in Suburbia, USA. For me, writing is a much welcome respite from the reality of running to the bus stop, pediatrician, food store, gym, soccer games, tennis lessons, etc. etc etc. My family and I recently moved from Garden City, Long Island to Wilton, Connecticut and couldn’t be happier.
~~~Buy the book~~~
~~~Tara on Tour~~~
http://www.clpblogtours.com/2013/04/meltdown-by-tara-thompson.html
Amie's Reviews 