Cover Reveal: Little Gray Dress by Aimee Brown

 Title: Little Gray Dress  
Author: Aimee Brown  
Genre: Romantic Comedy  
Publisher: Crooked Cat Books  
Release Date: August 2nd, 2017  
Pre-Orders Available: Early July
Blurb:

Emi Harrison has avoided her ex-fiance, Jack Cabot, for nearly two years. Her twin brother Evan’s wedding is about to end that streak.

From bad bridesmaid’s dresses, a hyperactive sister-in-law, a mean girl with even meaner secrets, and too much to drink, nothing seems to go right for Emi, except when she’s wearing her little gray dress.

When she speed-walks into Liam Jaxon’s bar, things get more complicated. He’s gorgeous, southern, and has no past with Emi. He may be exactly what she needs to prove for the last time that she doesn’t need or want Jack!

Her favorite little gray dress has made an appearance at nearly every major event in Emi’s adult life. Will it make another grand appearance when she least expects it?

Pre-Order the Book in early July. *for a notification when the books pre-order is up, sign-up for her author newsletter.

About the Author:

Author Bio:

Aimee Brown is a writer and avid reader, often blogging her thoughts on chick lit books. Little Gray Dress is her first novel published. She’s currently studying for her Bachelor’s degree in English Writing. She spends much of her time writing her next book, doing homework, raising three teenagers, binge watching shows on Netflix and obsessively cleaning and redecorating her house. She’s fluent in sarcasm and has been known to use far too many swear words. Aimee grew up in Oregon but is now a transplant living in cold Montana with her husband of twenty years, three teenage children, and many, many pets. She would love to hear your thoughts on Little Gray Dress! If you want to chat with her she’s very active on social media. Author Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Sign-Up for her Newsletter Participate in the Book Tour: Aimee would love to have you as a part of this upcoming release day book tour! If you'd like to sign-up to review the book during the tour or post a feature, author q&a, author guest post, excerpt, or giveaway, click the image below to sign-up.  
 Or --- sign-up here ---> http://authoraimeebrown.com/little-gray-dress/  

 

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Becoming Bonnie by Jenni L. Walsh

The untold story of how wholesome Bonnelyn Parker became half of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde Duo

BECOMING BONNIE

Jenni L. Walsh

“Walsh’s debut historical novel brings the Prohibition era, the Great Depression, and American gangsters to life …  supporting characters provide further perspectives on the magnetic pull of jazz, illegal booze, and a (short) life on the lam. … Look forward

to the sequel for later exploits of these notorious bandits.”
—Booklist

“A compelling account of a nation and a life in disarray—

readers will feel for Bonnelyn as she finds herself scrabbling

 for survival in a world turned upside down. How do you

get from good girl to gangster's moll? Jenni Walsh takes

you along for the ride with Bonnelyn Parker in an account

so vivid you would think you were there with her.”
—New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig

Before Bonnelyn took to a life of crime as one half of the infamous Bonnie & Clyde duo she was teenager with ambitions. Travel back to the height of the Roaring Twenties and meet the sweet, wholesome Bonnelyn Parker in Jenni L. Walsh’s debut novel BECOMING BONNIE (Forge Hardcover; $25.99; On-sale: May 9, 2017).

Bonnie and Clyde are two of the most famous outlaws in American history. They have captured people’s imaginations for decades, and now BECOMING BONNIE will continue their story on the small screen: it has been optioned for television by Edyson Entertainment, headed by Ed Gernon, a veteran producer whose credits include Nuremberg, Joan of Arc, and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister among many historical TV specials.

Jenni L. Walsh has spent the past decade enticing readers as an award-winning advertising copywriter. BECOMING BONNIE marks her turn to the lives of heroic women: Walsh also has a new middle grade series with Scholastic, Brave Like Me, that tells true stories of young women who accomplished great feats of perseverance and bravery.

Pick up BECOMING BONNIE and step back to the summer of 1927 to meet Bonnelyn, a sharp girl with plans to overcome her family's poverty, provide for herself, and maybe someday marry her boyfriend, Roy Thornton. What she doesn't know is that her life—like her country—is headed for a crash. She’s about to meet Clyde Barrow.

In an era like our own, with a sharp divide between rich and poor and debt mounting as fast as hope fades, Bonnie is a relatable young woman looking for a way out of her life. Trace how a young woman who was promised the American dream and given the Great Depression fell so hard for a convicted felon. Fans of history and romance novels will find BECOMING BONNIE a rich exploration of a young woman’s journey.

"In BECOMING BONNIE Jenni Walsh delivers an intriguing insight into the life of one half of the infamous duo, Bonnie and Clyde. I look forward to reading more from this new author."

—New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor

“A dazzling and compulsively-readable adventure of self-discovery, with a voice both singular and irresistible.  I dare you not to fall in love with Bonnie, and her intoxicating, wholly immersive world.”

—Lee Kelly, author of City of Savages

“Booze-soaked, southern-fried, and fully immersive, BECOMING BONNIE is a rocking good read.”

—Tall Poppy

 

JENNI L. WALSH has spent the past decade enticing readers as an award-winning advertising copywriter. Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. She is a proud graduate of Villanova University, and lives in the Philly 'burbs with her husband, daughter, son, and goldendoodle. You can visit her online at http://www.jennilwalsh.com/ or on Twitter under the handle @jennilwalsh.

   

 

 

Book Review - Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big? by Annabel Monaghan

In a perfect world, mothers would unionize. The next best thing — they’d treat themselves to a break and read this book. Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big? is an honest and hilarious peek behind the curtain into the messy, wonderful moments of family life. And not the lightly staged and heavily filtered ones you see on Instagram.

Columnist Annabel Monaghan writes with enough empathy to cut through the hushed gossip of the playground and enough humor to disarm a toddler with a sugar habit. Undoubtedly, her words are the ones you need when you send your oldest child to college. Written with crisp prose that diffuses the illusion of the perfect mom, Annabel will remind you that when we peer over the tall fences that divide families, much of our experiences are shared.

If you’ve ever lied your way through a parent-teacher conference or marveled at the cluelessness of teenagers, this book is for you. If you’ve ever quietly rooted against your own child when he was trying to win a goldfish, you’ll certainly find your truth here.

My Thoughts 
What a breath of fresh air!  I love reading about someone who is in the same boat as me.  Annabel doesn't sugar coat things, she tells it like it really is!  That's what we need in this day and age! She's only saying what we are all thinking!

Some of my Top 10 favorite parts include: 

1. The Game of Life (Her 5 year old has the best philosophy!)
2. What Boy Moms Know (I know all about this!)
3. This Just In - My Kid Got A Job! (My daughter just got her first job!)
4. Raising Losers (Yes!)
5. In September, The Devil Is In The Details (I HATE back to school!)
6. I'm Over The School Photo (I feel the same way)
7. In The Hot Seat (I cringe on these days!)
8. Lost and Found (Daily struggle)
9. How I Became Irish (I love being Irish)
10. College Admissions Mania (I'm just starting the whole college process)

These are just my top ten but are so many more to read and some very funny stories embedded in each and every chapter!  I loved it and I will highly recommend this book to everyone! A must read for 2017!

Drink Selection
Who says you can't drink Champagne during the week?  Not Annabel or I!  Enjoy!  It looks delish!

Rating 
5 wine (or champagne) glasses all the way!  I loved each and every chapter.  Honest and funny all in one.

Author Bio
I write fiction for young adults and a column for not-so-young adults. Since you’ve gotten this far into my website, you probably knew that already.
Back in the 1990s, David Duchovny assured me during every “X Files” episode that the truth is out there. He might have told you too. I looked and looked, but I’m starting to think that the truth is in here. I believe that telling the truth about ourselves and our lives is the most liberating and unifying thing we can do. Writing is my way of mining life for small nuggets of truth. I’m often grateful that David Duchovny didn’t ask anything else of me.
The Digit books are about coming to terms with your gifts and then using them to take your place in the world. The opposite of authenticity is probably conformity, a challenge I was familiar with myself in high school — as a teenager I lived in fear that people would discover exactly how much I did not fit in. Digit finds happiness, true love and a way to save the world when she fully embraces and shares the truth about who she is.
Likewise, when I write my column (which appears in The Week, The Huffington Post and / or The Rye Record), I’m looking for truth in my current phase of life: the horror of the parent-teacher conference, the chronic reoccurrence of dinner, the lessons learned from the mid-life crisis, the mindfulness that can be found at Little League, the magic of the sock pile, the difficulty in explaining exactly what I do all day. There is so much that divides moms – whether we work or stay at home or both; our economic and geographic situations; the genders, temperaments and special needs of our kids. It’s nice to know that if we were to peer over these tall, tall fences, we’d see that so much of our experience is really the same.
Other things:
I grew up in Los Angeles, and nearly every one of my relatives still lives in Southern California. I attended Duke University where I studied English. I have an MBA from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania and a brief history as an investment banker. I am now living in the suburbs of New York City with my husband and three sons and teach a novel writing class at The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. You should totally sign up.

Link to Purchase
Amazon 

Book Spotlight - Ella's Ice Cream Summer by Sue Watson

Ella’s life just hit rock-bottom, but can a summer by the sea mend her broken heart? When life gives you lemons… make ice-cream!

Life hasn’t always been easy for single mum Ella, but she has just hit an all-time low; she’s jobless, loveless, very nearly homeless and, to make matters worse, now the owner of a pocket-sized pooch with a better wardrobe than her.

Packing her bags (and a bigger one for the dog), Ella sets off for the seaside town of Appledore in Devon to re-live the magical summers of her youth and claim her portion of the family ice-cream business: a clapped-out ice-cream van and a complicated mess of secrets.

There she meets gorgeous and free-spirited solicitor, Ben, who sees things differently: with a little bit of TLC he has a plan to get the van – and Ella – back up and running in no time. 

My Thoughts
What a fun summer read!  Who doesn't love ice cream?  The beach? Well this book will have you ready to go to the beach and while you are there you can read about Ella's crazy life!
The poor woman is dreading the day that her two kids go off on their adventures (in the next few months) but at least she has her job to rely on, right?  WRONG!  
Her friend had to close her shop and now what is Ella to do?  She is taking care of her mother and she has a mortgage to pay!  
And then the call comes in...she has been left something in her aunts will - did she leave her the ice cream shop?  This could be the answer to her prayers!
She heads to Appledore and find out her aunt did not leave her the shop - she left her the ice cream truck...Well ok, now what?  Well Ben is pretty hot, maybe she should stay around a bit?
Grab this fun read today, head to the beach, grab an ice cream cone and enjoy!  You will love it!

Drink Selection  
I found the PERFECT beach drink, Mermaid Water!  Delish!

Rating 
I give this fun beach read 4 wine glasses!  Sit back and enjoy!

Author Bio
Sue Watson was a TV Producer with the BBC who combined motherhood and family life with a busy career. However, one day it dawned on Sue that Cosmo magazine may have been telling porkies about 'having it all,' and her life had become a slightly crazed juggling act.

So after much soul searching (and comfort eating) Sue abandoned her TV career, bought a pink laptop and wrote a novel. 'Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes,' tells the story of Stella Weston, whose life is a constant struggle with a nasty boss at work, the weighing scales and being a mum, wife and daughter.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire. When she's not toiling over her latest novel, Sue bakes (and eats) cake and enjoys very large tubs of Caramel Chew Chew ice cream all to herself while watching 'The Biggest Loser USA.'

Sue's second book, 'Younger, Thinner, Blonder' was released in October (2013) and her third book 'Love, Lies and Lemon Cake' is released on June 27th 2014.

https://www.facebook.com/suewatsonbooks

Follow Sue on Twitter @suewatsonwriter

Link To Purchase:
Amazon 
 


 

Review - The Break Down by B.A. Paris

If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?

Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside―the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped.

But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.

The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.

Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her…
My Thoughts
Wow!  What a crazy ride!  There is so much going on in this book I don't even know where to begin.  One minute I thought I knew what happened and the next minute the whole thing just turned upside down and I had to keep referring back to what happened in the beginning!  Then I was like...oh yea! LOL
When you think you are going crazy, who do you turn to?
Cass's mom had dementia and every little lapse in memory is really throwing Cass off and making her think the worse.
She was driving home from a night with friends and she takes a creepy, dark road through the woods that no one should attempt when there is a storm (how about no one should take that road EVER!)  She sees a car pulled over and wonders if she should stop, she slowly drives by and sees a women and hesitates on what to do, should she stop?  She pulls over and waits for the woman to flash her lights or beep her horn.  Nothing happens, her fear gets the best of her and she decides to stay safe and make her way home.
Then the worst happens...the woman is murdered and turns out Cass knew her!
Cass is distraught, she can barely function.  Then after a crazy turn of events she feels as if the murderer is after her!  I mean why not?  Shes two minutes away from the scene and lives on a quiet part of the street.  Maybe he saw her and thinks she saw him?
Her life begins to spiral out of control - strange things begin to happen and she doesn't know who she can trust!
I will not disclose to many more details - you must read it to believe it!

Drink Selection
I found the PERFECT wine to pair with this book, Break Down!  (Check out the other kinds as well!)

Rating
Loved this book from the beginning!  Hands down 5 wine glasses all the way!

Author Bio
B A Paris grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters. Behind Closed Doors is her first novel.

Link to Purchase
Amazon 

Review - One Last First Date by Kate O'Keeffe

Cassie Dunhill is sick of dating. It’s been ten years now and it’s time: time to find The One. It’s either that or buy a fetching habit and veil, and abandon the whole thing. But Cassie believes in love and she’s not ready to give up yet.
She and her friends decide to take drastic action. They make a pact to marry the next guy they go out with. That means just One Last First Date. The pressure is on.
Of course, Cassie can’t take the leap without the perfect guy. Enter ideal marriage material, Parker Hamilton. He’s good looking, smart, cultured—and a doctor. I mean, come on! Despite his obvious credentials, Cassie’s not taking any chances. She’s vetted Parker so thoroughly, she could offer some pointers to the CIA.
At last, she knows everything she needs to know about him. Well, almost. Cassie’s taking the leap: Parker Hamilton is her One Last First Date.
But when Will Jordan, her irritating work colleague, muscles in on her dream job and her love life, things get complicated. Like, how good Will looks with his shirt off type of complicated. Really, Cassie can do without that kind of distraction right now.
When all is said and done, will Parker turn out to be The One for Cassie? And what happens when someone else decides Cassie’s The One for him? Perhaps, through it all, Cassie needs to figure out who she is—and what she really needs.

Escape to New Zealand in this fun, feel-good chick lit story.

Book 1 in the new Cozy Cottage Café series.
Book 2 due out in mid 2017!

My Thoughts
What a fun read!  A great beach read for the summer hands down! 
Who isn't sick of dating?
Well Cassie, Paige and Marissa enter into a pack (after a few glasses of wine of course!).  Paige is little more into it than the other two but they all go along with it in the end.  They made this pact in front of the Goddess of the Beach.  The next man each girl goes out with will be their last first date.  They will MARRY that man (hope he's a good catch)!
Hmmmm....not sure if I would enter into such pact but I am all about hearing their fun tale!
And hey, Cassie meets Parker and who wouldn't say yes to marrying a gorgeous Dr.  Think about that for a minute?  But are things really as perfect as they seem or should be?
In what should be the happiest time in Cassie's life, she needs to deal with an annoying co-worker (in walk's another gorgeous professional guy) Will Jordan.  He gets under Cassie's skin more than any man she has ever met!
But this is where my review ends, I can't give away all the fun juicy gossip that takes place with these girls!  There is a little romance, a little love, a little sadness and a whole lot of fun!  I can't wait for the next book!

Drink Selection
What better way to toast the Goddess of the Beach then with little sparkly bottles of Champs!  Aren't they are the cutest things ever! 

Rating
I can't say enough about this fun summer read!  I am smiling while writing my review!

Author Bio
I write funny, sexy, feel-good romantic comedies.

I've loved rom coms, romance, and chick lit since I first encountered Bridget Jones as a young, impressionable writer. It really was a match made in chick lit heaven.

I've been a teacher and a sales executive, but am now content as a mother and writer, madly scribbling all the ideas I've accumulated during my time on this planet we call home.

I live and love in beautiful New Zealand--where my novels are all set--with my wonderful family and my two very scruffy, naughty dogs.

Books in the Wellywood Romantic Comedy Series:
Wedding Bubbles (short story prequel)

Book 1: Styling Wellywood
Book 2: Miss Perfect Meets Her Match
Book 3: Falling For Grace


Visit kateokeeffe.com and sign up to my newsletter for new releases and your chance to win!

Review - It's Always the Husband by Michele Campbell

Kate, Aubrey, and Jenny. They first met as college roommates and soon became inseparable, even though they are as different as three women can be. Twenty years later, one of them is standing at the edge of a bridge . . and someone else is urging her to jump.

How did things come to this?

As the novel cuts back and forth between their college years and their adult years, you see the exact reasons why these women love and hate each other—but can feelings that strong lead to murder? Or will everyone assume, as is often the case, that it’s always the husband?


My Thoughts 
This is a favorite book of 2017!
Who doesn't have a close set of college friends that you can turn to with any problems in your life?  I personally do - I don't know where I would be without Melissa and Alyssa!  Two different schools but we are closer then anyone I have ever known!
But when I compare my friendships to those of Kate, Aubrey and Jenny - there is no comparison!  My friends are my BEST friends, those three girls are friends by association and that is it!  You will notice that they each have a love/hate relationship with each other.
Kate thinks she is amazing and can have whatever she wants.
Aubrey is a clinger and basically is stuck to Kate's side!
Jenny she is a local who feels that no matter how irritated she is with Kate and Aubrey that they are her best friends and she will do anything for them.
Then tragedy strikes and it changes the girls forever.
Fast forward 20 years and the past is still there.  But everyone is going in WAY different directions!
Then like the past, tragedy strikes again - is it suicide?  Is it murder? Only time will tell - and you will be second guessing yourself until the last few pages!
I recommend that you run to get this book and get started this weekend!  You will not be able to put it down!


Drink Selection
I am going to pair this thriller with a glass (or bottle) of the Witching Hour!  Sounds delish, right?

Rating
5 wine glasses all the way!  This is one of my top reads of 2017!  You will not be disappointed!

Author Bio
Michele Campbell is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School and a former federal prosecutor in New York City who specialized in international narcotics and gang cases.

A while back, she said goodbye to her big-city legal career and moved with her husband and two children to an idyllic New England college town a lot like Belle River in IT’S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND. Since then, she has spent her time teaching criminal and constitutional law and writing novels.

She's had many close female friends, a few frenemies, and only one husband, who – to the best of her knowledge – has never tried to kill her.

Link To Purchase:
Amazon

Book Boyfriend Blog Hop!

Hello to all by blog fans and follows!

The great authors of Chick Lit Chat are having a FUN Book Boyfriend Blog Hop!  How fun does that sound?

You get to travel to all the fun sites below and meet each and every boyfriend!

There is even an amazing prize at the end!  Who can say no to all that awesomeness?

Tracie Banister  http://traciebanister.blogspot.com/

Becky Monson  https://www.beckymonson.com/blog 

Hilary Grossman  www.feelingbeachie.com

Glynis Astie  http://www.glynisastie.com/blog

Jayne Denker  http://jaynedenker.com

Jennie Marts  http://www.jenniemarts.com/blog.html 

Barbara Valentin  https://barbaravalentin.com/blog/

Beth Labonte  www.secretary4life.com

Victoria Cooke  https://victoriacooke10.wordpress.com/

Holly Kerr  http://hollykerr.ca/my-blog/

Meredith Schorr  www.meredithschorr.com

Stacey Wiedower  www.staceywiedower.com/blog/

Laurie Baxter  http://lauriebaxter.com/blog/

Jennifer Farwell  http://jenniferfarwell.com/#blog

Natalina Reis  https://catarinadeobidos.wordpress.com/about/

Celia Kennedy  www.womanreinventsself.blogspot.com

Beth Carter  http://banterwithbeth.blogspot.com/

Ellyn Oaksmith  http://ellynoaksmith.com/

BJ Knapp  http://bjknapp.com/blog

Lizzie Lamb  https://lizzielamb.co.uk/lizzies-scribbles/

Sylvia Ashby  http://sylvia-ashby.com/?cat=64

Karen M. Cox  http://karenmcox.merytonpress.com/blog/

Lindsay Detwiler  http://www.lindsaydetwiler.com/

Kirsty McManus  http://www.kirstymcmanus.com.au/category/blog-news/

Melissa Baldwin  http://www.authormelissabaldwin.com/news.html

Geralyn Corcillo  http://thingsthatmakemegommmrrh.blogspot.com

Cassandra O'Leary  www.cassandraolearyauthor.com/blog/

Cat Lavoie  http://www.catlavoie.com/blog

Kate O'Keeffe  http://kateokeeffe.com/blog

Monique McDonell  www.moniquemcdonellauthor.com/blog

Review - Broken Bay by Andrea Dunlop

Hannah—knee-deep in nailing down catering plans and floral arrangements for her upcoming nuptials—is ready for some R&R. Stealing off to a quiet, secluded island off the coast of Washington state for good wine and fresh air with her four best friends seems like the perfect way to spend her bachelorette weekend.

But the island may have other ideas.

Halfway through the trip, the bride-to-be mysteriously disappears, leaving the bridesmaids confused and increasingly panicked. To make matters worse, there’s something…amiss about the house they’re staying in. As the tension rises, personalities clash, secrets spill out, and the girls begin seeing and hearing things they can’t explain. While Hannah’s friends desperately try to discover what has happened to her, an ominous storm rolls in that could trap them on the island indefinitely. Now the girls who came to celebrate with Hannah begin to wonder, is she going to make it to the wedding? Is she going to make it home at all?

My Thoughts
What a great short story! I'm always iffy about short stories - not enough drama, no story line, no plot, no ending, etc.  Andrea Dunlop did not disappoint!  This story has everything from ghosts to mystery and thrills and chills all packed into one novella!
Hannah is planning the wedding of her dreams, well not of her dreams, of her mother in laws dreams.  She's basically just along for the ride.
In no time it's her bachelorette weekend!  What better place to get away then to a secluded island and a gorgeous old home that is all theirs!
After a night out on the town (at the only bar in town) the bride goes missing.  Did she get cold feet and run?  Was she kidnapped?  All while they are trying to locate Hannah some spooky things begin to happen - first a horrible storm and then seeing ghosts!  Grab this novella and find out how it ends!

Drink Selection
Going to go with a favorite to all, Champs!  Yum!  Hannah should be celebrating in style!

Rating

What a good story from beginning to end, 4 wine glasses all the way!

About the Author
I'm the author of the novel LOSING THE LIGHT (Atria Books).

I am also the social media & marketing director for Girl Friday Productions in Seattle. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have about marketing/social media/writing/self-publishing or anything else you think I might be able to help with.

Links to Purchase
Amazon 
Amazon UK 
 

 
 

 

Review - The Weight of Lies by Emily Carpenter

In this gripping, atmospheric family drama, a young woman investigates the forty­-year­-old murder that inspired her mother’s bestselling novel, and uncovers devastating truths—and dangerous lies.
Reformed party girl Meg Ashley leads a life of privilege, thanks to a bestselling horror novel her mother wrote decades ago. But Meg knows that the glow of their very public life hides a darker reality of lies, manipulation, and the heartbreak of her own solitary childhood. Desperate to break free of her mother, Meg accepts a proposal to write a scandalous, tell-all memoir.
Digging into the past—and her mother’s cult classic—draws Meg to Bonny Island, Georgia, and an unusual woman said to be the inspiration for the book. At first island life seems idyllic, but as Meg starts to ask tough questions, disturbing revelations come to light…including some about her mother.
Soon Meg’s search leads her to question the facts of a decades-old murder. She’s warned to leave it alone, but as the lies pile up, Meg knows she’s getting close to finding a murderer. When her own life is threatened, Meg realizes the darkness found in her mother’s book is nothing compared to the chilling truth that lurks off the page.

My Thoughts
You must plan on picking up a copy of The Weight of Lies for your summer reading must haves!  You will not be able to put it down!  (just remember to flip if you are out reading in the sun!)
This book is about murder, family drama, love and so much more!
It all began when Meg's mother Frances was 19 years old and she stayed on Bonny Island for a summer.  She left at the end a literary star for writing Kitten which turned into a cult classic!  The 40th anniversary of the book is around the corner and Asa (a literary agent) sought our Meg to write a tell all and basically let out all of her mothers secrets.
Meg decides that she needs to visit the scene of the crime for the summer and she will never forget it (and not in a good way!).  She's threatened, stalked, almost bitten by a snake, kidnapped and that's not even the half of it!
I really though I knew what happened and then my theories were blown out of the water all the way till the very last page!

Drink Selection
I am going to pair it with a delish pitcher of Coastal Skies, you will want more than more glass!

Rating 

The Weight of Lies is 5 wine glasses all the way!  This is by far a top read of 2017!  A must have for your beach bag!

Author Bio

EMILY CARPENTER, a former actor, producer, screenwriter, and behind-the-scenes soap opera assistant, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Auburn University. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, she now lives in Georgia with her family. BURYING THE HONEYSUCKLE GIRLS is her first novel. You can visit Emily online at emilycarpenterauthor.com.

Links to Purchase
Amazon
Amazon UK

Book Spotlight - Swipe Right by Levi Lusko

There is nothing more powerful on earth than the forces of love, sex, and romance. In fact, relationships are a matter of life-and-death importance.

So how you can train today for the relationship you want tomorrow? In Swipe Right, Levi Lusko shares with raw honesty from his own life experiences and God’s Word how to

• regret-proof your marriage bed and your deathbed


• resist settling for instant pleasure by discovering what your heart really longs for


• learn how to avoid and treat sexual scars by careful living today


• turn the clumsy “sex talk” with your child into dialogue that leads to wise choices


• transform a stagnant marriage by trading predictable nearness for mind-blowing intimacy 

God’s dreams for your life are not intended to kill your joy but to enhance it. Whether you’re fed up with dating and hooking up as usual, tired of being single, numb because of porn and casual sex, or curious about how to improve your marriage, this book is for you.

About the Author 

Levi Lusko is the pastor of Fresh Life Church, a multisite church in Montana, and the founder of Skull Church and the O2 Experience. He serves as host for Greg Laurie’s Harvest Crusades and travels internationally to speak at churches and conferences. He takes pleasure in small things like: black coffee, new shoes, and fast internet. He and his wife, Jennie, have four daughters, Alivia, Daisy, Clover, and Lenya, who is in heaven. 

Links to Purchase
Amazon 
Amazon UK 
 

Book Spotlight - Collateral Damage by Dr. John Chirban

Based on research from more than 10,000 surveys from children and parents of divorce, Collateral Damage presents parents with an overview of the negative impact that divorce has on their children and offers ways to better serve their needs at this critical time.
Approximately fifty percent of marriages in the United State fail. Add to that the increasing number of couples who never marry, have children together, and later go their separate ways. In all of these scenarios, children suffer greatly—often in silence, as parents do not know how to effectively guide their kids. When the sorrow and emotional issues of children are not addressed, the cycle of divorce is likely to continue for them and in generations that follow. In addition, while children may appear to be resilient and adjusting, without proper support children of divorce are more prone to drug and alcohol abuse, criminal behavior, mental and physical illness, and suicide. How can parents manage their own hurt, shock, anger, and despair so that they can provide their children with what they need?
While Collateral Damage does not advocate divorce, it does sound a wakeup call for parents. It identifies the landmines inherent in the dangerous terrain of divorce and equips them to help their children not to feel abandoned or unheard. Topics covered include:

• Building the family—not losing it
• Tuning into your kids
• Stabilizing childhood
• Maintaining parent/child roles
• Avoiding the parenting handoff
• Keeping kids out of the war zone
• Instilling trust
• Keeping open lines of communication
• Attuning to guiding, spiritual resources 

The unfortunate failure of a marriage does not mean the end of the family. Providing a stable, supportive, healthy relationship with your child demonstrates what a loving relationship looks like, better preparing them for intimate relationships and marriage as an adult.

About the Author 

 

John Chirban, Ph.D, Th.D., is a part-time lecturer in psychology at Harvard Medical School and director of Cambridge Counseling Associates. He is the author of Collateral Damage: Guiding and Protecting Your Child Through the Minefield of Divorce (Harper Collins) to be released in January, 2017. 
Dr. Chirban earned his first doctorate in interdisciplinary studies in medicine, psychology, and religion at Harvard University and earned his second doctorate from the University Professors Program at Boston University in oral history and clinical psychology. Having completed a post doctorate program in Behavioral Medicine at The Cambridge Hospital, he is also a licensed psychologist in Massachusetts and California and a Guardian ad litem in Massachusetts. In 2003, he was named 40th Anniversary Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University and is also a member of the Society of Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR).
Dr. Chirban is an original member of the Advisory Board for the Dr. Phil Show and professor of psychology emeritus at Hellenic College. Author of numerous academic articles, his recent books include:  Collateral Damage: Guiding and Protecting Your Child Through the Minefield of Divorce (Harper Collins, 2017); How to Talk With Your Kids About Sex (Thomas Nelson Publisher, 2012); Holistic Healing in Byzantium (Holy Cross Press, 2010); What’s Love Got to Do with IT—Talking with Your Kids About Sex (Thomas Nelson Publisher, 2007); and True Coming of Age – A Dynamic Process that Leads to Emotional Well-Being, Spiritual Growth, and Meaningful Relationships (McGraw-Hill, 2004).
Dr. Chirban divides his time between teaching, research, and private practice in psychotherapy. A special area of interest for Dr. Chirban concerns problems in relationships and sexual health. At the Cambridge Health Alliance, he offers seminars and conducts supervision, concerning sexuality, sexual dysfunction, and spirituality in context of psychotherapy. His current research projects include an examination of the philosophy and religion of B. F. Skinner, drawing upon his collaborative interviews with Dr. Skinner spanning 20 years and The Divorce Handbook:  Essentials for Sustaining Your Children. Dr. Chirban lives in Carlisle, Massachusetts with his three children: Alexis Georgia, Anthony Thomas, and Ariana Maria.

Links to Purchase
Amazon 
Amazon UK 

 

Review - Remember Me by Lynda Renham

A new neighbour becomes a new friend. She looks up to you. She admires you, but is it you she wants? You begin to wonder if she wants your husband, or even your child. But then you realise, she wants your life.

When Sharni and Tom move into 24 The Pines, it seems like Clare and Chris have the perfect neighbours. Sharni is always there to help, especially with childcare for Clare’s two-year-old, Ben. But Clare can’t shake off the feelings of anxiety that assail her whenever Sharni is near. Is Clare just being overprotective, or are her feelings justified? As Sharni‘s influence touches everyone around her, Clare finds herself fighting for her sanity as well her family. 

My Thoughts
I LOVE that Lynda went in a totally different direction that what she is used to with her writing!  Remember Me has thrills, chills, fear and suspense.  I thought I knew what happened and then the end came and I was like WHAT? 
Clare and Chris thought they hit the new neighbor lottery!  Sharni and Tom were great to talk to and hang out with.  At the last minute Sharni was able to babysit for Clare so that she didn't have to call into school, wow, perfect right?  I'm not so sure, would you trust a neighbor that you only knew for a few weeks with your child all day?  I know that I wouldn't but that's just me.
Little by little Clare feels like she is losing her mind, forgetting things, or is she?  She feels Ben is more attached to Sharni then he is to her, how is that possible?
Each turn of the page will have you questioning what you believe is happening versus what is reality. 
Grab you copy today!  You will not be disappointed!

Drink Selection
Sit back and enjoy a glass of Summer Sangria, of three while reading Remember Me!  Yum! 

Rating

I really enjoyed this read and I loved the way it was written!  5 wine glasses all the way!

Author Bio

Lynda Renham has been writing for as long as she can remember and had her first work published in a magazine at age nine and has continued writing in various forms since. She has had several poems published as well as articles in numerous magazines and newspapers. Recently she has taken part in radio discussions on the BBC.

She has studied literature and creative writing and has a blog on her web page: www.renham.co.uk

Lynda lives with her second husband and cat in Oxfordshire, England. She is Associate Editor for the online magazine The Scavenger and contributor to many others. When not writing Lynda can usually be found wasting her time on Facebook.

Links to Purchase
Amazon
Amazon UK



 




 

BookSparks 7th Annual Summer Reading Challenge is HERE!

It’s summer and that can only mean one thing – the Summer Reading Challenge is here! And this year’s challenge is SO BIG we can’t even spill all the details at once! You’ll have to read and follow along with us all summer to learn all the secrets.

Kicking off with the incredible Paula Hawkins

Paula Hawkins, #1 bestselling author of The Girl on the Train, joins us to host the 2017 Summer Reading Challenge with her newest thriller Into the Water. That gorgeous cover is reason enough to grab this hot summer read immediately and jump right in, but we can’t wait to see what mysterious and surprising secrets await between the covers, too.

Into The Water by Paula Hawkins

The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and global phenomenon The Girl on the Train returns with Into the Water, her addictive new novel of psychological suspense.
A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.
Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she’d never return.
With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.
Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath.

Upcoming May Books

Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki

Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion

Goodnight from London by Jennifer Robson

It’s Always The Husband by Michele Campbell

In This Moment by Karma Brown