Thursday, October 17, 2024

Release Day! A Wish in the Wind by Kay Bratt ~ My Thoughts #AWishInTheWind @kaybratt

Happy Release Day!


A Wish in the Wind by Kay Bratt
Women's Friendship Fiction, 116 pages
Published October 17, 2024 by Red Thread Publishing

Wishes in branches tied with string. Someone's hopes. Another's dreams.

It’s a new year and Linden Falls is a new place for Hunter Glenn and his daughter, Ava, to make a fresh start. When he goes to hang a wish on the tree in the center of town at the insistence of his daughter, a gust of wind strips it from his fingers and off it blows to somewhere who only knows. He’s not surprised. That pretty much sums up his life. It’s always been out of control.

Nicole is a long-term Linden Falls local who has recently gone through a welcome revelation that has changed her life forever. She’s looking forward to the new year now that she’s not alone. She wouldn’t dare wish for more good things, but when a slip of paper falls onto the tray she is using to serve a customer at the Crooked Porch, she might just find out that fate has even more in store for her.


My thoughts about A Wish in the Wind ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Sunday afternoons were meant for steaming mugs of tea and long, slow conversations."

I haven't read a book by Kay Bratt that I haven't totally enjoyed. I fall in love with her characters and the places she creates.  

A Wish in the Wind is a quick, lovely story centering around Hunter and his daughter, Ava. Hunter picked Linden Falls as a place to start over and heal. The community embraces this duo and the warm feelings they experienced hopped off of the pages and into my heart. We should all be so lucky to find someplace a beautiful and welcoming as Linden Falls. 

I loved this story so much and it was the perfect escape read that I needed right now. I highly recommend this book, as well as this whole series. And if you haven't read anything by Kay Bratt, that really needs to change! 

Kay's newest book, A Wish in the Wind, is book 17 in The Wishing Tree Series. The books in the series are by different authors and I have read a few of them. I love that I'm taken back to a community that I have come to love and get to meet new characters. It's also a way to 'try out' new-to-me authors. I noticed that three other books in the series are also being released on the 17th. I'll be checking those out, for sure!

I received an ARC of A Wish in the Wind from the author and this is my honest opinion of the book. 

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About the author

Kay Bratt; Writer, Rescuer, Wanderer

As a writer, Kay used writing to help her navigate a tumultuous childhood, followed by a decade of abuse as an adult. After working her way through the hard years, Kay emerged a survivor and a pursuer of peace--and finally found the courage to share her stories. She is the author of more than a dozen full length books, with ten of those published by Lake Union Publishing. Kay writes women's fiction and historical fiction, and her books have fueled many exciting book club discussions. Her works have been translated into German, Korean, Chinese, Czechoslovakian, and Estonian.

As a rescuer, Kay currently focuses her efforts on animal rescue and is the Director of Advocacy for Yorkie Rescue of the Carolinas. As a child advocate, she spent a number of years volunteering in a Chinese orphanage, as well as provided assistance for several nonprofit organizations that support children in China, including An Orphan's Wish (AOW), Pearl River Outreach, and Love Without Boundaries. In the USA, she actively served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children in Georgia, and spear-headed numerous outreach programs for underprivileged children in the South Carolina area.

As a wanderer, Kay has lived in nearly three dozen different homes, on two continents and in states from coast to coast in the USA. She's traveled to Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Philippines, Central America, Bahamas, and Australia. Currently she and her soulmate of more than 25 years enjoy life in their forever home on the banks of Lake Hartwell in Georgia, USA.

Kay has been described as southern, spicy, and a little sassy. Social media forces her to overshare and you don't want to miss some of the antics that goes on with her and the Bratt Pack.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and then buckle up and enjoy the ride. You can find a full list of her published works at www.kaybratt.com -- To be notified when new books are released, please sign up for my monthly email newsletter at www.kaybratt.com or at this link:

https://www.subscribepage.com/kaybrattnewsletter

Connect with Kay


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Book Blitz! Penalties and Proposals by Anne Kemp ~ Excerpt & #Giveaway! #PenaltiesAndProposals @XpressoTours

 

Penalties and Proposals by Anne Kemp
(Love on Thin Ice)
Publication date: October 17th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

It only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch. When life hands me reformed hockey star Noah Beaumont, AGAIN, am I supposed to make cider or is there a sweeter surprise in store?

Willa: I never wanted to see Noah Beaumont again. EVER. When I kicked him off my set after he showed up intoxicated, his PR team tried to blacklist me. I made it over that hurdle, made a name for myself, and I’m heading to Maple Falls to cover a charity ice hockey team that’s making headlines…only to find out I have to work with HIM.

But this Noah seems different. He’s reformed and seems to be determined to show me he’s changed. Can I trust him, or will he be the same disaster I remember?

Noah: I’ve spent years trying to make amends for my past mistakes, questioning if I still belong in the world of hockey or if it’s time to step back, be ‘normal’. But seeing Willa again brings everything into sharp focus. She’s the woman who’s haunted my thoughts since the day I met her.

Now, she’s here in Maple Falls, and I’m determined to prove I’m not the same man she remembers. I want her to see the real me, the man I’ve worked so hard to become. Can I convince her to give me a second chance?

Penalties and Proposals is part of the Love on Thin Ice sweet small town hockey romcom series. It’s a second chance enemies to lovers story with forced proximity in this small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Content warning: This IS a lighthearted and fun romantic comedy, but there are subjects mentioned in this book like parents passing away and former substance abuse.

Goodreads | Amazon

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EXCERPT

“Is this the only table you have available?”

My eyes cannot be deceiving me. I’m standing in a restaurant with no one else in it, save another couple at the opposite end of the room. Surely the only table they have for me to sit at is not the one that happens to be directly beside Noah? Not to mention the fact the place is small enough I’d practically be sitting at his table anyway, the tables are that close to one another.

The young girl looks at me woefully. “I’m really sorry, but we’re full with reservations tonight.” Her tone is apologetic, and she’s young, so I’m not going to debate the situation … but still. The odds. I flex my hands, stretch my fingers, and take a deep breath, trying to fight back my irritation when I see a sliver of my tattoo under my sleeve.

Believe. Ha. I almost snort out loud. How about I believe I’m Harry Potter and I cast a quick spell to time travel to another restaurant in another town altogether?

“What about the bar?” I nod my head toward the old wooden bar where an older woman is busy making drinks and watching me through narrowed eyes. “Looks like there’s space there.”

“Our bartender isn’t on duty for another hour.” When I shoot her a questioning look, obviously confused by the woman pouring herself a soda from the beverage gun, the young girl stammers. “I’ve been asked to not have anyone sit there until his shift begins.”

So this fact leaves me to be seated by the blight that plagues me. Yes, I’m being ridiculously overdramatic, but the thought of chewing my dinner and having to stare at Noah, or work hard to look anywhere in this room besides at Noah, turns me off in the biggest way. Like a light switch after a big night out. I didn’t go to that party tonight because I wanted some time alone, time to myself to plan out the schedule I need to juggle in the days ahead.

“Fine,” I say with a sigh, pulling out my notebook and phone. When I look Noah’s way, he’s watching me, his expression frozen. I can’t read him, but he could be as weirded out that I’m about to be seated beside him as I am. I’ll save us both the trouble. I pick the chair where my back will be facing him and pull it out and settle in.

The hostess hands me the menu and asks for a drink order before she disappears from sight. I make a mental note to apologize to her. Poor thing. It’s not her fault she’s seated me next to the devil.

“Hi, Willa.” Of course his voice is like hot chocolate. The devil’s would be velvety and delicious. My instincts tell me to ignore him, but I’m here to work. I can hear my mom’s voice in the back of my mind telling me to play nice.

I pick up the menu and fake peruse it. Fake because of course I can’t think about anything else right now except that he’s right there.

“Hello, Noah. Fancy running into you at dinner.”

“A man’s gotta eat,” he responds.

“No doubt, but when I heard about the party happening in town tonight, I figured you’d be the first one signed up to be there.” I flip a page of the menu a little more aggressively than intended and manage to rip it a tiny bit. Must. Breathe.

“Contrary to past reports, I’m not the guy who goes to all the parties any longer.”

I want to turn around and face him, see the look on his face, but the stubborn part of me refuses. He’s the one who is engaging me; I can only imagine that eventually my lack of wanting to chat will catch on and he’ll focus on something else.

“So, you’re telling me a leopard can change his spots. That’s nice,” I manage to say, doubt dripping with each word. Holding my menu up in the air for him to see. “But, the jury’s still out as far as I’m concerned. If you’ll excuse me, I need to decide on my meal.”

There’s a pause before he answers. “Of course, sorry. I’ll leave you to it.”

A weight slides off my shoulders. Was it really that easy? I decide it has to be and go about choosing my meal, landing on the lasagna, then turning my attention to my notebook. This was to be a planning session for Noah’s photos amongst other work, and I intend to stay focused, even if he is right behind me and I can hear him breathing.

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About the author

Anne Kemp is a bestselling author of romantic comedies. She loves reading (and she does it ridiculously fast, too!), gluten-free baking (because everyone needs a hobby that makes them crazy), and finding time to binge-watch her favorite shows. She grew up in Maryland but made Los Angeles her home until she encountered her own real-life meet-cute at a friend's wedding where she ended up married to one of the groomsmen. For real.

Anne now lives on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, and even though she was married at Mt. Doom, no…she doesn’t have a Hobbit. However, she and her husband do have a terrier named George Clooney and when she’s not writing, she’s usually with them taking a long walk on the river by their home.

You can find Anne on her website - come say hi! She’d love to hear from you: www.annekemp.com

Connect with Anne

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok


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Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Release Day! Lookin' for Love by Susen Edwards ~ My Thoughts #LookingForLove

Happy Release Day!


Lookin' for Love by Susen Edwards
Fiction, 408 pages
Published October 22, 2024 by She Writes Press

Based on a compelling and sometimes tragic true story, this novel follows young mother Ava from the go-go bars of the 1970s to the heart of Florida’s drug trade to a Kenyan prison to, ultimately, a place of forgiveness, faith, and love through recovery.

Inspired by a gripping true story, Lookin’ for Love begins in 1963, when Ava, nineteen and pregnant, marries a violent alcoholic and is disowned by her abusive mother. She bears two sons, leaves her husband, and turns to go-go dancing to provide for her children, using alcohol and drugs to numb herself to the degrading work. Then she meets Mike, a charismatic drug dealer who promises to give her “a beautiful life.” They move to Florida and begin working for The Crew, one of the largest drug smuggling organizations in the country. The Crew sends Ava and Mike to Kenya to find farmers to grow marijuana—but while they’re there, their home is raided, they’re charged with international drug smuggling, and Ava is sentenced to serve time in a Kenyan prison.

After her release, Ava struggles with sobriety but soon returns to dancing, alcohol, and drugs. Eventually, she hits bottom and surrenders her will to God. Once sober, she learns the power of forgiveness, faith, and love.


My thoughts about Lookin' for Love ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Kukaa, kukaa! Eighty-two women drop their work and sink to the ground. The Swahili word means 'sit' but in our world it means 'squat'."

I was sent this book by the publisher and I didn't know anything about it or the author. It sounded intriguing so I dove in. And then I was hooked. How on earth did this woman, Ava, find herself in this life that she was leading? 

There is so much sadness, intensity, and drama in her life and at times it was hard for me to read but if she could get through it, then so could I. What this woman went through was sometimes unbelievable. But Lookin' for Love is based on a true story so I had to keep remembering that someone's life really was like this. 

It truly is amazing that Ava was able to pull herself out of her tumultuous life and turn it around for the good. This was an amazing story of a woman's resilience through unspeakable odds. I was completely invested in the drama of her life. This was a very sobering and interesting read. Check it out!

I received an ARC of Lookin' for Love and this is my honest opinion of the book. 

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About the author

Joy Jordan-Lake is the #1 Amazon bestselling author of thirteen books, including A Bend of LightUnder a Gilded Moon, a 2023 North Carolina Reads selection; A Tangled Mercy, an Editors’ Choice recipient from the Historical Novel Society; Blue Hole Back Home, winner of the Christy Award for Best First Novel; and three children’s books.

Raised in the foothills of the southern Appalachians, Joy spent many the summer vacation on St. Simons Island, Georgia, a place of heartbreaking and surprising history. She holds two master’s degrees and a PhD in English and has taught literature and writing at several universities. Now living outside Nashville, she is startled to find only the ten-pound rescue pup still living at home full time, the kids launching to college, getting married, and building careers of their own. She and her husband console themselves with hiking to waterfalls and traveling to story-worthy settings.

Joy loves to connect with readers. You can visit her at www.joyjordanlake.com.


Connect with Joy


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Monday, October 14, 2024

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? October 14, 2024 #IMWAYR

    

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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Well, I leave for TN tomorrow. Hopefully my flights go well. I am so excited to see the kids! I don't know how much I will be online, or how much reading I will get done but family time is more important, right? Especially when I don't see them very often. Wish me luck!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 
Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

The Other Mrs.
by Mary Kubica
e-book from my collection for a couple of challenges
Published February 2020

The Haunting of Maddy Clare
by Simone St. James
print from my TBR shelves, because it seemed appropriate for the season
Published March 2012

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
audio-book from my shelves
Published June 2017

Great Expectations
by Charles Dickens
e-book from my shelves/my slow read
First published July 30, 1860

What I recently finished

A Wish in the Wind
by Kay Bratt
eARC from the author for review
Pub date ~ October 17

Girl, Uncoded: A Memoir of Passion, Betrayal, and Eventual Blessings
by Brandi Dredge
print ARC for review
Pub date ~ October 22

What I am going to read next

Rolling Toward Clear Skies
by Catherine Ryan Hyde
eARC for review
Pub date ~ November 12

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Release Day! Echoes of Us by Joy Jordan-Lake ~ My Thoughts #EchoesOfUs @GoSparkPress

Happy Release Day!


Echoes of Us: A Novel by Joy Jordan-Lake
Historical Fiction, 463 pages
Published October 8, 2024 by Lake Union Publishing

From the bestselling author of Under a Gilded Moon comes the soaring story of an unlikely friendship of three men and one extraordinary woman and the legacy they built—if their own secrets don’t destroy it.

In the midst of World War II, a Tennessee farm boy, a Jewish Cambridge student, and a German POW forge a connection that endures—against all odds.

But now everything that Will Dobbins, Dov Silverberg, and Hans Hessler fought for is at risk as their descendants clash for control of the corporation they founded together. In an attempt to remake its tattered corporate image, the firm hires event planner Hadley Jacks and her sister Kitzie to organize a reunion for the families on St. Simons Island, Georgia, the place that changed all three men’s lives forever.

As Hadley and her sister delve into the friends’ past, they uncover the life of the courageous young woman who links them all together…and the old wounds that could tear everything apart.

Told in dual timelines spanning World War II and the present, Echoes of Us follows the ripple effects of war, the bonds that outlast it, and the hope that ultimately carries us forward.


My thoughts about Echoes of Us ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"April 7, 1942 - Off the coast of St. Simons Island, Georgia / At twilight, the U-boat rises to just below the surface, its periscope spearing up through the waves."

I love historical fiction stories. I'm especially drawn to stories centered around World War II, I've read quite a few. I loved Echoes of Us for the fact that it gives a little bit of a different spin to the war story. 

This one is basically centered in the southern states of the US and revolves around four people, three men from different countries and backgrounds, and one woman who connects them all. She had such a huge effect on all three men and they remained friends for life. She was the one who bonded them together. 

Told in dual timelines, the past where the main characters meet and form their friendships, and the present, when the whole truth comes out during a party to celebrate them and their accomplishments. I loved getting to know all of the characters and marvel at their strength and determination in the hard times. 

I savored every bit of Echoes of Us and am excited to read more of this author's stories. I highly recommend this one to all lovers of historical fiction!

I received an ARC of Echoes of Us and this is my honest opinion of the book. 

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About the author

Joy Jordan-Lake is the #1 Amazon bestselling author of thirteen books, including A Bend of LightUnder a Gilded Moon, a 2023 North Carolina Reads selection; A Tangled Mercy, an Editors’ Choice recipient from the Historical Novel Society; Blue Hole Back Home, winner of the Christy Award for Best First Novel; and three children’s books.

Raised in the foothills of the southern Appalachians, Joy spent many the summer vacation on St. Simons Island, Georgia, a place of heartbreaking and surprising history. She holds two master’s degrees and a PhD in English and has taught literature and writing at several universities. Now living outside Nashville, she is startled to find only the ten-pound rescue pup still living at home full time, the kids launching to college, getting married, and building careers of their own. She and her husband console themselves with hiking to waterfalls and traveling to story-worthy settings.

Joy loves to connect with readers. You can visit her at www.joyjordanlake.com.


Connect with Joy


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