Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Love at the Salted Caramel Cafe by Angie Ellington

Sierra Blake has returned home to Mill Hollows, Virginia. She's lost her job as a hotel marketing executive. She knew getting romantically involved with the son of the franchise owner was a bad idea. Turning down his marriage proposal left Sierra updating her resume and needing a change of scenery.

Returning to the small football-loving town located in view of the Blue Ridge Parkway is definitely a change of scenery from the sultry heat and water sport enthusiast city of Tampa Bay.

Wes Carter is new to Mill Hollows and stirring up more than sediment and rocks for geology sampling upon meeting the beautiful Sierra Blake at the Salted Caramel Cafe.

Fall in Virginia isn't the only chill in the air. The last time Sierra saw her younger sibling, Roxie, the two didn't exactly leave each other on the best of terms. Then again, they've butted heads since they were teenagers. Sierra and Roxie need each other more than either will admit.

My Thoughts
What a great fall love story.  I loved everything from the characters, to the story line and of course, the ending was breathtaking. 
I would love to "meet" these characters again in another story by Angie. 
There was just enough heart ache, growing and love to really make you want to read the story from beginning to end as quickly as possible.

Drink Selection
I going to pair this gem with a Hot Toddy. Delish!

Rating
Angie Ellington
About Angie
Hi there! I'm Angie Ellington & I write contemporary women's fiction...a mashup of sweet romance & chick lit. Family, friendship, love...it's all in the mixed recipe of my characters & their stories.

Moonlit Hearts Romances
*Christmas in Fair Bend (2017)-Available
*Autumn at Apple Hill (2017)-Available
*Spring in Lilac Glen-(2018)-Available

*Love at the Salted Caramel Cafe' -Preorder available!

Carlisle Bay Series
*Dancing by the Moonlight (Available)
*Sandcastles at Sunrise (2019)

Link to Purchase

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Blog Tour Stop and GIVEAWAY - Rational Creatures featuring Beau North





“But I hate to hear you talking so, like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures. We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days.” —Persuasion

Jane Austen: True romantic or rational creature? Her novels transport us back to the Regency, a time when well-mannered gentlemen and finely-bred ladies fell in love as they danced at balls and rode in carriages. Yet her heroines, such as Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Elliot, and Elinor Dashwood, were no swooning, fainthearted damsels in distress. Austen’s novels have become timeless classics because of their biting wit, honest social commentary, and because she wrote of strong women who were ahead of their day. True to their principles and beliefs, they fought through hypocrisy and broke social boundaries to find their happily-ever-after.

In the third romance anthology of The Quill Collective series, sixteen celebrated Austenesque authors write the untold histories of Austen’s brave adventuresses, her shy maidens, her talkative spinsters, and her naughty matrons. Peek around the curtain and discover what made Lady Susan so wicked, Mary Crawford so capricious, and Hettie Bates so in need of Emma Woodhouse’s pity.

Rational Creatures is a collection of humorous, poignant, and engaging short stories set in Georgian England that complement and pay homage to Austen’s great works and great ladies who were, perhaps, the first feminists in an era that was not quite ready for feminism.

“Make women rational creatures, and free citizens, and they will become good wives; —that is, if men do not neglect the duties of husbands and fathers.” —Mary Wollstonecraft


Q&A with Beau North


Q: Though feminism wasn’t coined for several more decades after Jane Austen, do you think she was a feminist?

A: I do. Jane Austen did something that was—at the time—rather revolutionary in that she wrote about the lives of women. When I say ‘lives’ I mean their inner lives, their hopes and dreams and fears, their foibles. And she wasn’t afraid to point out how life in a patriarchal society affected women at the time. Her sly portrayals of Caroline Bingley, Lucy Steele, Isabella Thorpe, and Penelope Clay provide a picture of the marriage-minded lady of the time, who sought (perhaps somewhat underhandedly) to put themselves in the best possible situation, usually at the expense of the women in their circle. They scheme, they whisper, they pull our heroines into intrigue. But were they wrong? Or are they objects that the level-headed Eliza Bennet, Elinor Dashwood, and Anne Elliot might feel sympathy for? She did something few (if any) authors had done at that point, gave us female characters that ordinary women could identify with.

Q: Her love stories are what drive new readers to her but it’s her witty discourse on society she knew, the details of family and community that retains them for years. Do you think she was laying clues to her beliefs within her novels?

A: I would think so. It’s almost impossible for a writer not to bleed themselves into their work, even when they try not to. I think she was a woman that accepted her situation as best she could, facing the challenges of her situation with humor and wit...but always with an edge to it. Her disdain for certain aspects of society comes through in her characters, whether from the nobility like Lady Catherine de Bourgh, or the simple Clergy like Mr. Collins or his handsomer counterpart, Mr. Elton. You can see the values she embraced, the standards she expected in others. The often-maligned Fanny Price is a prime example. She rejects Henry Crawford not because of her love of Edmund, but because she has too much self respect to marry a rakish man who will quickly tire of her. Fanny loses her home, her position, and clings to her convictions.

Q: As a writer, how important is music to you while you write or develop ideas?

A: The music usually comes after-the-fact. I usually get an idea and start with some notes, as I get started plotting the playlist begins to take shape. It’s kind of symbiotic, the playlist and the writing. They sort of feed each other.

Q: Your story features Louisa Musgrove from Persuasion. In Austen’s canon she isn’t an obvious choice as the most rational creature by acting rashly and even foolishly: jumping off the sea wall and incurring a head injury. Tell us why you consider her a strong character and what compelled you to write her parallel tale.

A: I think that’s exactly WHY I chose Louisa. Who doesn’t look back to their teenage years and cringe at things we’ve said and done? Ever flip through your high school yearbook and say “what was I thinking?” I have a soft spot for Louisa, and I think she’s a strong counterpoint to Anne, because Anne has been tempered by life, but she’s also has the perspective of experience. Anne has come to truly know herself, whereas Louisa is still trying to figure out who she is, where her place in the world might be. She’s a young woman who think she knows

everything about herself, and is quickly proven wrong. It’s a hard lesson (quite literally) and I wanted to give her the chance to say “Okay, I get it, I still have a lot to learn.”
Q: Why did you select the Oceans by Seafret for your playlist song?
A: In Persuasion, we know that Louisa and Captain Benwick become close while Louisa is recovering from her injury. We know that Benwick himself is a passionate soul with a heart full of poetry, made poignant by loss. I chose this song because it beautifully describes that impossible, heady longing of young love, especially when the obstructions seem so insurmountable.

Thanks so much for hosting me! Here is the link to our playlist for the anthology: https://open.spotify.com/user/dimuzioc/playlist/6lKbcmr6UQLtvUcqyC37VX


Beau North

About Beau
She is the author of 3 books and has contributed to multiple anthologies.
Beau North hails from the kudzu-strangled wilderness of South Carolina but now hangs her hat in Portland, Oregon. In her spare time, Beau is the co-host of the podcast Excessively Diverted: Modern Austen On-Screen.


Giveaway!
RATIONAL CREATURE SUPER GIVEAWAY: THE RANDOM NAME PICKER WILL REVIEW ALL BLOG COMMENTS AND SELECT ONE WINNER FROM THE BLOG STOP COMMENTS DURING THE TOUR FOR ALL 21 PRIZES.
WINNER’S CHOICE OF ONE TITLE FROM EACH AUTHORS’ BACKLIST (THAT’S 16 BOOKS, EBOOKS, OR AUDIOBOOKS), OUR BESPOKE T-SHIRT/SOAP/CANDLE; #20, A BRICK IN WINNER’S NAME TO BENEFIT #BUYABRICK FOR CHAWTON HOUSE; AND #21, THE QUILL COLLECTIVE ANTHOLOGIES IN EBOOK OR AUDIOBOOK. WHAT AN AMAZING GIVEAWAY!!!!









Monday, September 24, 2018

The Summer of New Beginnings by Bette Lee Crosby

One family learns that love is the greatest miracle of all.

Aspiring journalist Meghan Briggs has always been the responsible one in the family. So when her father passes away unexpectedly, leaving behind his at-risk business, she steps up to save his legacy—even if that means putting her own dreams on hold.

Tracy couldn’t be more different from her sister. She’s always been the rebellious type, without much direction in life. But in the wake of her latest romantic disaster, she finds herself moving back home as a single mother.

As Tracy experiences the difficulties of new motherhood, Meghan faces her own struggle: trying not to fall for the stray puppy she rescued. This is no time for attachments—not to the adorable “Sox,” whose owner is bound to turn up any day, and certainly not to the handsome new vet in town. But as the summer unfolds, she discovers that, like Sox, she may need rescuing, too.

My Thoughts
Such a sweet heart felt story.  It took me a few chapters to get attached to the characters but then couldn't put it down.
Following the development of a new found sisterhood between Meghan and Tracy was amazing.  Meghan realized new passions along the way and Tracy grew up from the carefree reckless teenager she was when she left home.
They meet different struggles along the way which help them grow strong as a family.  Heart break, love, loss, medical problems, but nothing seems to bring them down.
Such a sweet story and I can't wait to read the second book in the series coming out soon.

Drink Selection
I feel like a nice glass of lemonade goes perfectly with this story of hope and growth.

Rating



Bette Lee Crosby
About Bette

USA Today Bestselling and Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby's books are "Well-crafted storytelling populated by memorable characters caught up in equally memorable circumstances." - Midwest Book Review

The Seattle Post Intelligencer says Crosby's writing is, "A quirky mix of Southern flair, serious thoughts about important things in life and madcap adventures."

Samantha from Reader's Favorite raves, "Crosby writes the type of book you can’t stop thinking about long after you put it down."

"Storytelling is in my blood," Crosby laughingly admits, "My mom was not a writer, but she was a captivating storyteller, so I find myself using bits and pieces of her voice in most everything I write."

It is the wit and wisdom of that Southern Mama Crosby brings to her works of fiction; the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away. Her work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. She has since gone on to win twenty awards for her work; these include: The Royal Palm Literary Award, the FPA President's Book Award Gold Medal, Reader's Favorite Award Gold Medal, and the Reviewer's Choice Award.

Crosby's published works to date are: Blueberry Hill (2014), Previously Loved Treasures (2014), Jubilee's Journey (2013), What Matters Most (2013), The Twelfth Child (2012), Life in the Land of IS (2012), Cracks in the Sidewalk (2011), Spare Change (2011). A Cupid inspired romance, Wishing for Wonderful, is scheduled for release in November 2014 and Book Three of The Wyattsville Series, Passing through Perfect, will be be available in January 2015.
  

Link to Purchase





Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Dear stranger…

A desperate young woman in Southern California sits down to write a letter to a man she’s never met—a choice that will forever change both their lives.

My heart goes out to you, David. Even though I do not know you…

The correspondence between Carrie Allsop and David Mayer reveals, piece by piece, the painful details of a devastating affair between their spouses. With each commiserating scratch of the pen, they confess their fears and bare their souls. They share the bewilderment over how things went so wrong and come to wonder where to go from here.

Told entirely through the letters of two comforting strangers and those of two illicit lovers, Evidence of the Affair explores the complex nature of the heart. And ultimately, for one woman, how liberating it can be when it’s broken.

My Thoughts
This is a rather short story - take you 30/40 mins to read it.  So, I want to leave my review short and sweet.  Such a sad state of affairs, literally, for these characters.  The letters tell it all.
One couples affair sends the other half of each couple down a path they never intended. 
For such a short piece there is lot of raw emotion and detail.

Drink Selection
I will pair this with a rich Montoya Cabernet.

Rating
About Taylor
Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, and two other novels. She lives in Los Angeles. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @tjenkinsreid.

Link to Purchase





Friday, September 21, 2018

The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle

Even the perfect marriage has its dark side…

Iris and Will's marriage is as close to perfect as it can be: a large house in a nice Atlanta neighborhood, rewarding careers and the excitement of trying for their first baby. But on the morning Will leaves for a business trip to Orlando, Iris's happy world comes to an abrupt halt. Another plane headed for Seattle has crashed into a field, killing everyone on board, and according to the airline, Will was one of the passengers on this plane.

Grief-stricken and confused, Iris is convinced it all must be a huge misunderstanding. But as time passes and there is still no sign of Will, she reluctantly accepts that he is gone. Still, Iris needs answers. Why did Will lie about where he was going? What is in Seattle? And what else has he lied about? As Iris sets off on a desperate quest to find out what her husband was keeping from her, the answers she receives will shock her to her very core.

My Thoughts
I can't believe that I haven't read this book sooner. Amazing!  I loved the twists and turns.  Just when I thought I had it figured out, it would change and it was going back and forth multiple times.  I loved the depth of the characters and the back stories perfectly painted a picture of their lives - past, present and future. 
How do you go from thinking that you know someone to having your whole world turned upside down and learn that you married a completely different person! So many things come to light - arson, fighting, lies, embezzlement and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Drink Selection
You'll need a stiff one for this selection - whiskey it is!

Rating
Kimberly Belle
About for Kimberly
Kimberly Belle is the internationally bestselling author of four novels: The Last Breath, The Ones We Trust, The Marriage Lie, and Three Days Missing (June 2018). Her third novel, The Marriage Lie, was a semifinalist in the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Mystery & Thriller and has been translated into a dozen languages. A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Kimberly worked in marketing and nonprofit fundraising before turning to writing fiction. She divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam.


Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey

Emma Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes, brown hair. Missing since June.Emma is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.

Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal. When a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her—far away from home. But if it’s to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?

Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure whether she wants her daughter back.

Amy’s life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now Emma is gone without a trace.
As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But what about Emma’s real mother, back at home?


My Thoughts
WOW!  This book = AMAZING!  The concept grabbed me from the beginning.  I loved the details that she places with each character, the good and bad.  What would you do if you saw a child being mistreated repeatedly?  Would you step in and take charge or would you sit back and ignore the situation and go on with your life?
Emma's life is turned upside down, but in the form of a kidnapping for good?  Is there such a thing?
Sarah was going about her trip and noticed a little girl being mistreated at the airport...then as luck would have it she sees the little girl again at a site visit...and (may have followed her to her home) she sees her being mistreated again...
Something in her snaps and she takes Emma...
Emma's mom Amy is not cut out to be a parent and has little desire as we can see by her story, but does that mean her daughter should be stolen from her?
This story has you asking yourself a lot of questions - if you saw something like this yourself what would you do? 
Must read for all!


Drink Selection
I'm pairing this beauty with a Washington Apple - delish cocktail!

Rating
Rea Frey
About Rea
Rea Frey is the author of four nonfiction books. Her debut novel, NOT HER DAUGHTER, will be released by St. Martin’s Press August 21, 2018.

When she’s not exercising, mothering, adulting, wifing, eating, or writing about herself in the third person, you can find her hard at work on her next book and ghostwriting for other people.

Read more at reafrey.com.

Link to Purchase

Monday, September 17, 2018

Blog Tour Stop - Sweetbriars by Hollie Anne Marsh



The Sullivan family pulled up at the heavy wooden gates of the farm. “Sweetbriars” read the name on the gate, and there was a large “For Sale” sign planted out the front. The farm was set in the English countryside of Devon, just over three hours from bustling London. When the Sullivans had received an inheritance, they had looked at a few properties for sale, but none seemed as promising as Sweetbriars. Or, to quote the estate agent... “you have to come see it, straight away, as it will not, I repeat, will not, stay on the market long.” Looking out the car window, Cate released a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. This place might make all her dreams come true, or it might be the end of everything she’d ever known and loved. Cate shifted in her seat. Her sore muscles reminded her of her riding lesson the evening before – her very last one with Bridget. She couldn’t imagine not seeing her trainer anymore. Bridget wasn’t just a riding instructor – she was Cate’s friend and confidante. Sweetbriars was a far cry from the family house in Hertfordshire that Cate had lived in all her life, with its familiar nooks, crannies, and quirks. Even though Cate loved the idea of having her horses at home, three hours was a long way from her best friend Beth and Bridget. Yet here they were. 
 
Author bio:
Hollie is an Australian author who lives in Barcelona, Spain with her partner, baby boy, and Oldenburg mare, Frieda. After having a professional career, including creating the equestrian online shop Equiporium (since sold), working for many large multinational companies, and having a baby, Hollie reconnected with her passion of writing and finished the manuscript she wrote many years ago.

Hollie has been riding since she was a little girl, enjoying activities such as Pony Club, showjumping, eventing, and trail-riding in the great Australian bush. Hollie lived in England for almost ten years where she had two horses and trained them for dressage. 

The Sweetbriars series is inspired by all the special moments Hollie spent with horses... good, funny, and challenging moments!

In creating the new Sweetbriars series, Hollie hopes that readers will not only find the books fun to read, but they will also inspire readers to learn more about horses.   
 
 

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Not Our Kind by Kitty Zeldis

With echoes of The Rules of Civility and The Boston Girl, a compelling and thought-provoking novel set in postwar New York City, about two women—one Jewish, one a WASP—and the wholly unexpected consequences of their meeting

One rainy morning in June, two years after the end of World War II, a minor traffic accident brings together Eleanor Moskowitz and Patricia Bellamy. Their encounter seems fated: Eleanor, a teacher and recent Vassar graduate, needs a job. Patricia’s difficult thirteen-year-old daughter Margaux, recovering from polio, needs a private tutor.

Though she feels out of place in the Bellamys’ rarefied and elegant Park Avenue milieu, Eleanor forms an instant bond with Margaux. Soon the idealistic young woman is filling the bright young girl’s mind with Shakespeare and Latin. Though her mother, a hat maker with a little shop on Second Avenue, disapproves, Eleanor takes pride in her work, even if she must use the name “Moss” to enter the Bellamys’ restricted doorman building each morning, and feels that Patricia’s husband, Wynn, may have a problem with her being Jewish.

Invited to keep Margaux company at the Bellamys’ country home in a small town in Connecticut, Eleanor meets Patricia’s unreliable, bohemian brother, Tom, recently returned from Europe. The spark between Eleanor and Tom is instant and intense. Flushed with new romance and increasingly attached to her young pupil, Eleanor begins to feel more comfortable with Patricia and much of the world she inhabits. As the summer wears on, the two women’s friendship grows—until one hot summer evening, a line is crossed, and both Eleanor and Patricia will have to make important decisions—choices that will reverberate through their lives.


My Thoughts 
Let me begin with how gorgeous this cover is?  I think it's one of my top covers of 2018 to date.
Two very different worlds blend together and teach each other many lessons both good and not so good.
Eleanor and Patricia get into a motor vehicle accident and then they realize that they can help each other.  Eleanor is a teacher and Patricia is looking for a teacher for her teenage daughter recovering from the dreaded disease of polio that can do a number on your body.
Eleanor teaches Patricia's daughter  many lessons from school as well as  about her Jewish faith. 
It's not an easy road though.  Patricia must cover up Eleanor's background from her husband due to his dislike of that faith.
There are times when this book can be a tad racy but all in all it's a very well written poignant story.

Drink Selection 
I'm going to pair this read with a drink of the times, the Bee's Knees!  Delish!

Rating 
3.5 wine glasses  
Image result for 3 wine glasses
Image result for kitty zeldis 

Link to Purchase

  

 

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Believe Me by JP Delaney







In this twisty psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before, an actress plays both sides of a murder investigation.

One out-of-work British actress pays the rent on her New York City apartment the only way she can: as a decoy for a firm of divorce lawyers, hired to entrap straying husbands. When the cops begin investigating one of her targets for murdering his wife--and potentially others--they ask her to lure the suspect into a confession.

But with the actress pretending to be someone she isn't, differentiating the decoy from the prey becomes impossible--and deadly.

My Thoughts
LOVED this book!  I will admit that some parts of this book were a bit racy for me (if it were a movie I would have to cover my eyes or look away kind of racy) but I loved everything else!  I don't want to give much away in my review because you MUST experience all of the scandal for yourself.
An out of work actress that is trying to stay in this country will do just about anything, and I mean anything, to make rent and keep eating. 
At one audition she is asked to be an undercover call girl and trap husbands who are willing to cheat on their wives, and she agrees and dare I say is GREAT at her job.  Then a wife of one of her exploits is found murdered, what in the world?
It gets crazier and crazier up and through the last chapter!  Does this actress survive this craziness or will the crazy world in which she is drawn into be her end?

Drink Selection
I am pairing this book with the perfect cocktail, the black widow!  Totally seems fitting right?

Rating
About JP Delany

Tony Strong also writes under the pseudonym J.P. Delaney.

Tony Strong was born in 1962 in Uganda, though his parents came back to the UK when he was six weeks old. He read English at Oxford under the playwright and poet Francis Warner and then went on to work as an advertising copywriter at Ogilvy and Mather, an agency which had already bred writers such as Salman Rushdie and Fay Weldon.

Tony Strong has made more than thirty television commercials, including the celebrated BUPA 'You’re Amazing, We Want You To Stay That Way ' campaign, and the American Express campaign. He has won a BAFTA for a campaign aimed at reducing solvent abuse - one of the very few drug abuse campaigns that have ever been shown to have a measurable effect. Tony Strong was recently poached by Abbot Mead Vickers, whose main account is British Telecom. He has published four novels: THE POISON TREE, THE DEATH PIT, THE DECOY and TELL ME LIES. THE DECOY has been bought for film by Twentieth Century Fox for Arnold Kopelson. TELL ME LIES was recently adapted by Granada Television into a series entitled LIE TO ME.

He has also written under several pseudonyms, including Anthony Capella.

Link to Purchase




Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Founder of the lifestyle website TheChicSite.com and CEO of her own media company, Chic Media, Rachel Hollis has created an online fan base of hundreds of thousands of fans by sharing tips for living a better life while fearlessly revealing the messiness of her own. Now comes her highly anticipated first book featuring her signature combination of honesty, humor, and direct, no-nonsense advice.

Each chapter of Girl, Wash Your Face begins with a specific lie Hollis once believed that left her feeling overwhelmed, unworthy, or ready to give up. As a working mother, a former foster parent, and a woman who has dealt with insecurities about her body and relationships, she speaks with the insight and kindness of a BFF, helping women unpack the limiting mind-sets that destroy their self-confidence and keep them from moving forward.

From her temporary obsession with marrying Matt Damon to a daydream involving hypnotic iguanas to her son's request that she buy a necklace to "be like the other moms," Hollis holds nothing back. With unflinching faith and tenacity, Hollis spurs other women to live with passion and hustle and to awaken their slumbering goals.

My Thoughts
What an amazing read!  This book will have you laughing, crying, thinking and wondering.  It's full of inspiration and thought provoking questions.  Rachel even provides an amazing study guide that goes along with the book which makes you as the reader think more deeply.  You won't get anything out of this book if you just read or skim through it. 
You need to dig deep within yourself and question who you are, what your goals are, where you want to be in the future and who you want to project yourself as now.
Rachel shares laugh out loud stories about Matt Damon, she shares stories of the most horrible time in her life but in the end, she did it!  She made something of herself. 
This book is truly uplifting and with have you thinking through out and for years to come. 


Drink Selection
Champagne it is, cheers at the end! 

Rating
Rachel Hollis
About Rachel
Instagram Fun --> https://www.instagram.com/msrachelhol...
Facebook Magic --> https://www.facebook.com/MsRachelHollis/

Rachel Hollis is a bestselling author, TV personality, in-demand speaker, and founder and CEO of Chic Media, the foremost authority on premium digital content for women. Named one of Inc. Magazine’s "Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30,” Rachel uses her infectious energy to empower women to take control of their lives and pursue their passions without fear. Motivational, inspirational, and always approachable, Rachel’s tell-it-like-it-is attitude is a refreshing approach that allows her to authentically connect with millions of women around the world. Rachel has worked with top brands including Walmart, Disney Junior, JCPenney, Rubbermaid, Sprint, and Keurig to create innovative and compelling content for Chic Media’s award-winning women’s lifestyle blog. Rachel is the author of the bestselling Girls Series, including Party Girl, Sweet Girl and Smart Girl, as well as a cookbook, Upscale Downhome. Rachel resides in Los Angeles with her husband and four children. For more information, visit TheChicSite.com.
Rachel grew up in a big loud Okie family. Daddy was a Pentecostal minister and Mama was the church pianist… and PS, she knows the words to all the old-timey hymns in case you want to break into three-part harmony later.

She moved to Los Angeles to go to college and promptly met a boy named David who was as handsome as he was funny. First she made that boy her best friend, and then she made him her husband. 10 years later they have three equally handsome/hilarious little boys named Jackson, Sawyer, and Ford. They live in LA where they spend their time doing super cool/sexy things like going to soccer practice and hitting up any restaurant where kids eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée.

Link to Purchase





Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Blog Tour - Unbroken Threads by Jennifer Klepper

Jessica Donnelly’s life is beginning to unravel. When the attorney turned stay-at-home mom tentatively volunteers to represent Amina Hamid, a woman seeking asylum, Jessica must learn an unfamiliar area of the law. Soon, rising opposition to Muslim immigration and unexpected prejudices put her relationships on shaky ground.
Amina fled Syria with
little more than memories that now fight against the images splashed on the
news. Seeking a secure future and freedom from guilt and grief, she must learn
to trust others amidst the reality of fear and hate.

To find stability, Jessica
and Amina will both need to harness their own strengths, which may lie in
connections that transcend generations, cultures, and continents.


About Jennifer

A Midwest native,
Jennifer made stops in Dallas, Charlottesville, and Boston before settling for
good in Maryland. While she has an appreciation for the expansive beauty of the
plains states, she hopes never to live landlocked again.

Jennifer attended Southern
Methodist University and the University of Virginia School of Law, her law
degree guiding her through the worlds of corporate law, tech startups, and
court advocacy for foster children. She is an ardent consumer of podcasts and
books that challenge her with compelling and unfamiliar topics. When she’s not
writing, she’s crossing things off a never-ending to-do list and hoping to
catch that next sunset. Jennifer lives near Annapolis with her husband and two
kids.



Contact Jennifer

Facebook:
@JenniferKlepperAuthor (
https://www.facebook.com/JenniferKlepperAuthor/)


Instagram:
@jennifer_klepper (
https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_klepper/)


Twitter: @jenklepper (https://twitter.com/jenklepper)

Website: www.jenniferklepper.com
(http://www.jenniferklepper.com/)