Saturday, August 30, 2014

Haunted by Kay Hooper


Haunted

Haunted by Kay Hooper
Series: Bishop/Special Crimes Unit #15
Hardcover, 320 pages
Expected publication: September 2nd 2014 by Berkley Hardcover

How do you make peace with the dead if the dead aren’t ready to forgive? In New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper’s new novel, the answer lies in the twisting shadows of a small town, and its secrets yet unearthed...

When Deacon James’s younger sister Melanie calls him, terrified, he goes to her aid in the small Georgia town of Sociable. What he finds is a scared young woman in the grip of what she insists is a paranormal nightmare—and murder. Two local men have been killed under mysterious circumstances. And Melanie is the prime suspect.

Trinity Nichols left a high-stress job for quiet, small-town life. But news of the murders has left her—and the town—on edge, especially when there is nothing remotely ordinary about how the men died. And her investigation is yielding more than she bargained for, including a group of strangers who have descended on Sociable, some with abilities Trinity finds hard to believe, and agendas she refuses to trust. For some reason, they know a lot more than they should about what’s happening in town. And what’s happening is growing stranger by the minute.

Now Trinity, Deacon, and this odd band of FBI agents must work together to solve a series of disturbances so incredible that Trinity, and the town of Sociable, will be changed forever. She just isn’t certain who—or what—will be left standing when it’s all over.


My thoughts about Haunted ~~ 

Okay, I have been reading for a long, long time. And I basically read all kinds of books. And I have worked in libraries for, well let's just say, a lot of years. How have I never read a book by Kay Hooper? How have I never read any of the other 14 books in the Bishop/Special Crimes Unit series? This is book #15, folks! How could I have missed this great series? I have a lot of catching up to do. But I am looking forward to it!

I was hooked from the prologue, where we are dropped into the mind of a horrible person. A man who sees blood on his face and knows he has done something bad, really bad, but doesn't remember what he did. And then we are in a nice little town, a town called Sociable (doesn't that just sound friendly?) with nice people, where hardly anything happens, and the local officers don't see much crime. Well, that is all about to change.

Even though this was book #15, I truly enjoyed the story and I didn't feel like I was missing something. The author does a great job of making this story flow and be understandable. If nothing else, the references to the other books just made me want to go back and start with book #1 and read them all so that I can enjoy the fullness of the series.

About the author


Kay Hooper was born in California, in an air force base hospital since her father was stationed there at the time. The family moved back to North Carolina shortly afterward, so she was raised and went to school there. 

The oldest of three children, Kay has a brother two years younger and a sister seven years younger. Her father and brother are builders who own a highly respected construction company, and her mother worked for many years in personnel management before becoming Kay's personal assistant, a position she held until her untimely death in March 2002. Kay's sister Linda works as her Business Manager, Events Coordinator, and is playing a major role in the creation and operation of The Kay Hooper Foundation.

Kay graduated from East Rutherford High School and attended Isothermal Community College — where she quickly discovered that business classes did not in any way enthrall her. Switching to more involving courses such as history and literature, she also began to concentrate on writing, which had been a longtime interest. Very quickly hooked, she asked for a Christmas typewriter and began seriously working on her first novel. That book, a Regency romance titled Lady Thief, sold to Dell Publishing in 1980. She has since published more than 60 novels and four novellas. 

Kay is single and lives in a very small town in North Carolina, not far from her father and siblings. Deigning to live with her are a flock of cats — Bonnie, Ginger, Oscar, Tuffy, Felix, Renny, and Isabel — of various personalities who all like sleeping on manuscripts and whatever research happens to be spread across Kay's desk. And living amongst the many felines are two cheerfully tolerant dogs, a shelter rescue, Bandit, who looks rather like a small sheepdog, and a Sheltie named Lizzie.

Kay Robbins is a pseudonym used by her.

Connect with Kay 


And coming soon!!

My 1000th post 
HUGE GIVEAWAY!!


Watch for it! 


Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

On Tour: Three Story House by Courtney Miller Santo and a Giveaway!


Three Story House

Three Story House by Courtney Miller Santo
Paperback, 416 pages
Published August 19th 2014 by William Morrow & Company

Renovating an historic Memphis house together, three cousins discover that their spectacular failures in love, career, and family provide the foundation for their future happiness in this warm and poignant novel from the author of The Roots of the Olive Tree that is reminiscent of The Postmistress, The Secret Life of Bees, and Kristin Hannah’s novels.

Nearing thirty and trying to avoid the inescapable fact that they have failed to live up to everyone’s expectations and their own aspirations, cousins and childhood best friends Lizzie, Elyse, and Isobel seek respite in an oddly-shaped, three-story house that sits on a bluff sixty feet above the Mississippi.

As they work to restore the almost condemned house, each woman faces uncomfortable truths about their own failings. Lizzie seeks answers to a long-held family secret about her father in her grandmother’s jumble of mementos and the home’s hidden spaces. Elyse’s obsession with an old flame leads her to a harrowing mistake that threatens to destroy her sister’s wedding, and Isobel’s quest for celebrity tempts her to betray confidences in ways that would irreparably damage her two cousins.

Told in three parts from the perspective of each of the women, this sharply observed account of the restoration of a house built out of spite, but filled with memories of love is also an account of friendship and how relying on each other’s insights and strengths provides the women a way to get what they need instead of what they want.


Purchase Three Story House


My thoughts about Three Story House ~~

I love reading stories about women who are friends, or become friends because of the situation they find themselves in, and who lean on each other to help get through the tough times. Three Story House is such a story. 

These three women, who are thrown together as young girls and became fast friends, all come together when Lizzie has to go back home to try and save the family home. While she is there, can she uncover her mother's secret and find out who her father really is?  Her best friends, who also happen to be her cousins, Elyse and Isobel, join her there, lending her both physical and moral support. But it ends up that they are all there offering support to each other.  
'"I like this house," Elyse interrupted. "It's a little pissed off, like all of us."'
The story is written in three parts, with each part being the story of, and told in the voice of, one of the main characters. The Triplins, as the three girls as a group are called, each have their own issues to work through and they discover they are right where they need to be, working on the house, and working on their lives. 
'But she felt protective of Spite House and didn't want to leave it alone. Instead, she stood in the kitchen and looked at the torn-up wall and thought about Elyse, with her broken heart, and Lizzie with her broken leg. She supposed both were doing what Benny had been doing to Spite House. They were working on fixing the outward appearance of something without first finding all the damage that had been done.'
I absolutely loved Courtney's first book The Roots of the Olive Tree when I read it last year (my thoughts about it are here) and I loved that she connected that story to this one. It made me want to go back and read it all over again.  
'"What does anyone know about their grandparents?" Elyse guessed that was true. She was among the lucky few who'd known not only her grandparents, but her great-grandparents well. Hell, last she heard, her father's great-grandmother was still alive on some olive farm in California.The women were as distant as they were legendary in the family.'
Once again, Courtney has written a story that I will remember and think about long after I leave that world. It is a great thing that she continues to write such amazing and beautiful stories. 

About the author


Courtney Miller Santo teaches creative writing to college students and lives in Memphis with her husband, two children, and retired racing greyhound.

Connect with Courtney 



Thank you, TLC Tours for the ARC copy in exhange for my honest review. 


This giveaway is going to run for 3 weeks instead of my normal 2 weeks. Why? Because hubby and I will be on our Alaskan Cruise!!! Posts will be very sparse to non-existent while we are gone and I'll pick a winner when we get back.  


And coming soon!!

My 1000th post 
HUGE GIVEAWAY!!


Watch for it! 


Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

WWW Wednesdays August 27, 2014


WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Clicking on the book covers will take you to Goodreads for more information about the books listed below.

What are you currently reading?

Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer
I am just starting this one and I have been noticing a lot of buzz about it. I love the cover! 


Duma Key by Stephen King (audio-book)

What did you recently finish reading?

Haunted by Kay Hooper 
Bishop/Special Crimes Unit #15
Wow! #15? How did I have miss this great series? I've got a lot of catching up to do.

Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
This one was for my book club. It's not very long but rather disturbing. I always love to see what other people's reactions to the book are.

Three Story House by Courtney Miller Santo
My thoughts will be posted tomorrow.

What do you think you will read next?

 Pulled Within by Marni Mann
Bar Harbor #2
I read Pulled Beneath (book #1) and loved it. Can't wait to get started on this one. 

What's on your WWW this week?

Leave me a comment and
I'll stop by to check out your reads.

And coming soon!!

My 1000th post 
HUGE GIVEAWAY
Celebration!!


Watch for it! 


Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

On Tour: Lucky Catch by Deborah Coonts, Voices, the Trailer, and a Giveaway!


Lucky Catch

Lucky Catch by Deborah Coonts
Series: Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure #5
Paperback
Expected publication: August 26th 2014 by Cool Gus Publishing

Trouble always comes in threes. At least that’s what Lucky O’Toole, the VP of Customer Relations for Las Vegas’ primo Strip casino/hotel, the Babylon, has heard for years from her mother. So, tonight, when Teddie, her former lover shows up at her office unannounced and very unexpected, her father offers Teddie a job at the Babylon, she is called to deal with a pig in residence at one of the hotels most exclusive and opulent suites, and Lucky’s current lover, Jean-Charles Bouclet stops answering his phone leaving Lucky to handle his five-year-old son, Lucky figures she has tonight’s compliment of chaos covered.

As usual, she is a tad optimistic.

With a cadre of celebrity chefs with the maturity of teenagers in Vegas for a televised cook-off, a prized Alba truffle in the Babylon’s care, and her mother’s pregnancy racing toward the inevitable, what could go wrong?

When the truffle is stolen from the walk-in in Jean-Charles’ gourmet burger joint at the Babylon and a young chef apparently killed with a smoking gun is found in Jean-Charles’ food truck on the back lot, trouble takes a sinister turn.

And Jean-Charles still isn’t answering his phone.

Another body is discovered. This one stuffed in an oven at Jean-Charles’ eponymous restaurant and set to broil.

Desperate to put a lid on the body count and more than frantic over her AWOL lover, Lucky uses her Vegas contacts to search in places and in ways the police wouldn’t or couldn’t. Teddie insists on riding shotgun.  Lucky hasn’t the time nor the resolve to say no. She’s never been able to resist Teddie … not really. With danger dogging their heels, Lucky finds herself falling once again under his spell as they traverse Vegas, being drawn deeper and deeper into the highly competitive world of high-end eateries and the battle for the very rare, most highly prized gourmet foodstuffs.

Would somebody really kill for a truffle?

In a heartbeat.

And when Lucky’s path crosses the killer’s… will her goose be cooked?

Trailer





Welcome to The Book Bag today, Deborah! I have a question I like to ask authors, I call it my 'Voices' question. I love hearing the responses. I think it gives us valuable insight into an author's mind.

Again, thanks for being here and I wish you much success with Lucky Catch.

I have heard other authors say that they 'hear voices in their head' and that is how they write their books: the characters are telling their stories. Not being a writer myself, that concept has always intrigued me.

When some people hear voices, we get them medical attention, others end up becoming writers. Does this happen to you? How do you come up with your stories?


Ah, yes, that whole “visual” thing.  At the risk of sounding as if I need serious psychiatric care, I do see imaginary people…and they do talk to me.  In fact, when we get to know each other well, say in the middle of a story, they often awaken me from a sound sleep, get me out or the shower, or up from dinner, to listen and note what they want to tell me.  You’d think I could have imaginary friends with better manners…..

Years ago I dated a psychologist….briefly.  One day he called me up and asked me what I was going to do all day (people often think that because I don’t go in to an office, I don’t work—some of them are lucky to be alive).  I told him I was planning on doing what I do every day: play with my imaginary friends.  There was a pause, then he said, “You know, to most in my profession you would be an annuity.”  Yes, well, I live in fantasy world and I’m happy there.  People treat me nicely, they amuse me, I can write men the way I wish they would be…and I can kill people I don’t like without going to jail.  What’s not to like?

When I wrote WANNA GET LUCKY? I was sure it was the only good story I would ever have.  Wrong.  Once you open that door in your brain and let the stories in, word gets out, and other stories beat a path to you.  It’s sorta like what happened to the Whoopi Goldberg character in Ghost.  Mainly though, I get ideas from listening to other people talk and tell me about their interests, their passions.  Or, I have an innocent question that leads me to murder.  That’s how the current book, LUCKY CATCH (out August 26th), came to be.

You see, it all started with a smoking gun.

I was eating dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants in Vegas, Due Forni, with two of my best buds, one of them a chef.  As a first course, we ordered some of the homemade mozzarella and their famous bread (totally to die for).  I ordered the smoked cheese and, through mouthfuls I expressed my pleasure and my wonder at how they imparted the smoky flavor.  I’m originally from Texas and the whole smoked thing is a religion there—but it requires a huge smoker and tons of hickory and I didn’t see that sort of set up at Due Forni.  So, I wondered out loud how someone might give fresh mozzarella a smoked flavor.

My bud, the chef, looked at me as if I’d been living under a rock and announced, “With a smoking gun, of course.” 

But, of course!  A smoking gun.  Who knew?

That little tidbit stopped me mid-bite and totally derailed his dinner as I peppered him with questions.

I mean, there’s just something so prosaic about killing someone with a smoking gun, don’t you think?

So, off the story ran, as stories are wont to do.  Before long I found myself mired hip-deep in the world of gourmet cookery. And I became interested in the conundrum of serving incredibly fresh food in a place that is as hospitable to the nurture of delicate plants and exotic fish as the surface of the moon.  And that led to research into the pipeline for gourmet foodstuffs, the need for temperature control, for impeccable and consistent quality and lightning fast shipments.  All of this is incredibly competitive, with the top-tier chefs locked in a fierce battle for the freshest, most unique items on the planet.

The perfect recipe for murder.  

Or several, as the case may be… kitchens are dangerous places, you know.

Please join Lucky on her wild ride through the kitchens of Vegas and find out whether Lucky can clear her chef of multiple murders before his goose is cooked, whether she decides it’s possible to love again without being parboiled in the process, and who her LUCKY CATCH might be.  

And whether I might be shot for working a metaphor so hard it rolled over and died.

About the author


I am proof positive that sex sells…and persistence pays off. After fifteen years learning the craft of writing, I am now officially, an overnight success. And it’s been a long road to get here… 

My mother tells me I was born in Texas a very long time ago, but I’m not so sure—my mother can’t be trusted. These things I do know: I was raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. I’ve lived in every time zone in the U.S.; the most memorable stint being the time spent in Las Vegas, where I currently reside and where family and friends tell me I can't get into too much trouble...silly people.

The only constant in my life (besides my family, who deserves hazardous duty pay for sticking with me) has been change (my mother is still waiting for me to grow up). Silly woman.

But all of this career ADD made me incredibly unemployable. Hence the whole writing thing. 

Actually, I’ve known from a young age that somehow stories would be a large part of my life, but my path to telling lies for a living (okay, not lies per se, but variations of the truth, for sure) has been circuitous. If someone had just told me when I was a kid that I could actually be paid to daydream for a living, life would have been soooo much easier. But they didn’t. And I never saw a ‘daydreaming’ booth at all those Career Days I attended.

So, initially discouraged when unable to locate anyone willing to pay me to read books, go to the movies, or attend the theatre, and in need of providing for the best child in the world, my son Tyler, I spent years being someone else—an accountant (blech), a business owner (pretty fun), a lawyer (loved law school, hated practicing law), a pilot (giddy and terrifying at the same time). But through it all, I wrote. Along the way I wrote the world’s worst novel, a slightly more well-crafted but equally as poorly plotted novel, several non-fiction feature articles (my first sales!), multiple humor columns for a national magazine (more sales!), and, finally, the novel that sold, Wanna Get Lucky?, the first in a series to be published by Forge Books. The series is a Sex and the City meets Elmore Leonard in Vegas kind of thing, if you can imagine that. Okay, have several glasses of wine, then think about it…makes imagining easier. Anyway, the books are sexy, wry, romantic, and slightly naughty mixed with a little murder and mayhem—shaken, not stirred—then illuminated by the bright lights of Las Vegas—one of the truly magical cities in the world.

Many of my friends have asked me how in the world I came up with the Lucky series. The way they asked led me to believe they thought mind-altering substances might have been involved even though they knew the worst I do is a glass of fine Pinot-Noir. The answer to their question is actually very simple: let your fifteen-year-old male child pick where you live, follow his dream to Vegas, then keep your eyes open.

Hey, it worked for me!

Connect with Deborah



Giveaway ends September 16th. 

Deborah is giving away an e-book copy of her book at each stop of the tour. All you have to do is leave a comment to enter the giveaway here at The Book Bag. Winner will be randomly chosen from those who commented. 

Let's give Deborah some comment love! Ask her anything! She'll stop by and answer your questions. 

I want to know, have you ever been to Vegas? Do you want to go? I sure do, it's on my bucket list!

Now, go check out some of the other stops on the tour. It will be fun and ... more chances to win! 

Lucky Catch Blog Tour Stops

8/25/2014 Deanna's Tidbits
8/26/2014 The Book Bag
8/28/2014 Literary Nymphs
9/2/2014 Chick Lit Plus
9/18/2014 Bookfan


Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Kiss a Cowboy by Deanna Lynn Sletten and a Giveaway!


Kiss a Cowboy

Kiss a Cowboy by Deanna Lynn Sletten 
Kiss A Cowboy Series Book One
Kindle Edition (Print coming soon)
Published August 5th 2014 by Deanna Lynn Sletten

Andi Stevens drives away from her home town of Seattle and says goodbye to her sister to begin a new life with her fiancé in Buffalo, New York. When her car breaks down in the mountains of Montana, she reluctantly knocks on the door of a cabin for help. What she finds is Luke Brennan, the most handsome man she's ever met, who appears annoyed by her bothering him and is also downright rude. He takes her up to the main ranch house where his mother welcomes her warmly, opening their home to her for as long as she needs to stay. Andi quickly falls in love with the ranch and its occupants, and the beauty of Montana. And no matter how hard they fight it, she and the brooding cowboy form a bond that becomes stronger by the day. Andi soon finds herself struggling with her promise to marry one man and the attraction she feels for another.

Luke Brennan isn't interested in having his heart broken again. He's loved and lost once, and he's hardened his heart against ever falling in love again. But when a beautiful woman with the most tantalizing green eyes shows up at his door one night, he is taken by surprise. As hard as he tries to stay away from Andi, he finds himself drawn to her time and time again. But she's a city girl, and engaged to another man. She's off limits. Yet, he finds his heart slowly giving itself away to this woman. Should he bet against all odds and tell her how he feels before it's too late?

Does fate hold all the cards for the cowboy and the city girl, or will they choose their own destinies?

  

My thoughts about Kiss a Cowboy ~~

I just love it when I know I have a new Deanna Lynn Sletten book to read! I absolutely adore her stories! Kiss a Cowboy was a wonderful escape from my hectic, crazy, busy life. 

Andi is traveling cross country to start a new life in New York with her fiancé. Then... her car breaks down. Can she trust the nearest stranger to help her out? And that stranger, Luke isn't sure what to make of this 'city girl'.
'He may be good looking, but that didn't mean he wasn't a serial killer.'
As Andi is stuck out in the middle of nowhere, on this ranch, waiting for her car to be fixed, she learns a lot about herself and what she wants and needs out of life. Maybe what she has isn't what she needs, but is just convenient. 
'Suddenly, guilt crept over Andi for comparing the two men. It wasn't fair. Derek was a good man who worked hard at this job and was successful, and he wanted to share that success, and his life, with her. She should be proud that such a man loved her, yet here she was, comparing him to Luke. It was apples and oranges. There was no comparison. They were two different types of men living two very different lifestyles.'
I loved how Luke's family embraced Andi and took her in as one of their own when it becomes evident that she is stuck there for awhile. I felt the love and warmth that they extended to her as I read the story. What a wonderful family!  

I have to admit, I find myself staying away from books that are classified as 'Romance'. I always think of that genre as the 'bodice-ripper' type of book. I know, I know, this genre has so much more to it than that. But Deanna wrote this story and since I love all of her stories, I was not going to miss out on one of her books, romance or not. 

Kiss a Cowboy has so much more to it than what I would expect to find in what I think of as a typical romance novel. Typical romance = lots of tension and angst among the main characters, so much that is almost hurts to read it and be a part of it. In Kiss a Cowboy, the reader witnesses the main character's friendship and love develop and grow, even though there are some rough spots along the way. Those rough spots are just things that the character have to work through. I guess I need to open up my mind to this wonderful, fun genre called 'Romance'.

As a side note: it seems like there are always facts in Deanna's stories that I can connect with. For example, in Kiss a Cowboy, the main character, Andi, leaves Seattle. My hubby and I are embarking on an Alaskan cruise in September, leaving from -- you guessed it, Seattle. She is driving a 2001 Ford Escape. My son drives a 2001 Ford Escape, which we helped pay for. And Andi considers stopping in Superior for the night but decides to travel on to Missoula. I grew up in Superior, granted in a different state but still... Making these connections so early in the story really makes me feel like I have a bond with the characters and the author.

Kiss a Cowboy is book #1 in the Kiss a Cowboy Series. Yay!! There is more to come from Deanna about these wonderful characters whom I came to know and love. And there are some great side characters that will be showing up again in the upcoming books of the series so we will get to know them even better. I can't wait for book #2 and I can't wait to go back to this world again. 

'Enjoy the ranch, and be sure to kiss a cowboy for me.'

Now, be sure to head on down the page to enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card from Deanna. 

Isn't she awesome!! 

About the author 


Deanna Lynn Sletten is a bestselling and award-winning author. She writes flirty, fun, and heartwarming romances and women's fiction novels with characters that will touch your heart. She has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime.

Deanna's women's fiction novel, Widow, Virgin, Whore, made the top 100 bestselling books on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble in March 2014. Her romance novels Memories and Sara's Promise both won semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Books of 2012 and 2013 respectively. Sara's Promise was also a finalist in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards.

Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her northern Minnesota home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd or relaxing in the boat on the lake in the summer.

Connect with Deanna

Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter


Deanna has graciously offered a $25 Amazon gift card for one lucky person! Think of the books you could buy with that!! 

Thank you so much, Deanna! 



Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

WWW Wednesdays August 20, 2014


WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Clicking on the book covers will take you to Goodreads for more information about the books listed below.

What are you currently reading?

Three Story House by Courtney Miller Santo
My thoughts will be posted August 28th, my stop on it's tour.

Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #2) by Ransom Riggs
I loved Miss Peregrine's ....


Duma Key by Stephen King (audio-book)

What did you recently finish reading?

I haven't finished anything since last weeks post. Just working on the 3 books above. I started Hollow City and then realized I should get to reading Three Story House for it's tour. 

What do you think you will read next?

Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
This one is for my book club. I've already seen the movie. It will be interesting to see if I remember the story. Ha. 

What's on your WWW this week?

Leave me a comment and
I'll stop by to check out your reads.



Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers


Accidents of Marriage

Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers
Hardcover, 368 pages
Expected publication: September 2nd 2014 by Atria Books

Accidents of Marriage explores a topic rarely shown in fiction: the destruction left in the wake of spouse’s verbal fury. Ben never meant to hurt Maddy. He never imagined his recklessness would lead to tragedy.

Maddy is a social worker trying to balance her career and three children. Years ago, she fell in love with Ben, a public defender, drawn to his fiery passion, but now he’s lashing out at her during his periodic verbal furies. She vacillates between tiptoeing around him and asserting herself for the sake of their kids – which works to keep a fragile peace – until the rainy day when they’re together in the car and Ben’s volatile temper gets the best of him, leaving Maddy in the hospital fighting for her life.

Randy Susan Meyers takes us inside the hearts and minds of her characters, alternating among the perspectives of Maddy, Ben, and their fourteen-year-old daughter. Accidents of Marriage is a provocative and stunning novel that will resonate deeply with women from all walks of life, ultimately revealing the challenges of family, faith, and forgiveness.

ACCIDENTS OF MARRIAGE explores a topic rarely shown in fiction: the damaging effects of a spouse’s emotional abuse.



My thoughts about Accidents of Marriage ~~ 

I have read every one of Randy's books and I have loved them all! She is one of my 'must-read' authors and I am always so excited when she has a new book out. I just know that Accidents of Marriage is going to be another hit for Randy!

She always takes a timely, somewhat controversial, emotional topic and makes it come to life for the reader. She writes so beautifully that it is so easy to read her stories, even when the story takes a tough turn down that emotional road.

It was very interesting reading this story from the alternating points of view of Maddy, her husband Ben, and their teenage daughter. As we all know, every story has 2 or more sides to it and because of the way Accidents of Marriage is written, we are able to learn how each of these characters is feeling and coping with the drama of their lives.

Can Maddy survive the car accident that placed her physical health in jeopardy and can she survive the accident of her marriage, which has done a number on her emotional well being?

Accidents of Marriage is an insightful look at a marriage that isn't really working in the first place and then places a tragic accident right there in the middle of it all. Is it all too much for the marriage to survive, maybe a case of  'too little - too late'?

I received an e-copy of Accidents of Marriage from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. 

About the author


I was born in Brooklyn, New York, where I quickly moved from playing with dolls to incessantly reading, spending most of my time at the Kensington Branch Library. Early on I developed a penchant for books rooted in social issues, my early favorites being "Karen" and "The Family Nobody Wanted." Shortly I moved onto Jubilee and The Diary of Anne Frank. 

My dreams of justice simmered at the fantastically broadminded Camp Mikan, where I went from camper to counselor, culminating in a high point when (with the help of my strongly Brooklyn-accented singing voice), I landed the role of Adelaide in the staff production of "Guys and Dolls."

Soon I was ready to change the world, starting with my protests at Tilden High and City College of New York, until I left to pursue the dream in Berkeley, California, where I supported myself by selling candy, nuts, and ice cream in Bartons of San Francisco. Then, world-weary at too-tender an age, I returned to New York, married, and traded demonstrations for diapers.

While raising two daughters, I tended bar, co-authored a nonfiction book on parenting, ran a summer camp, and (in my all-time favorite job, other than writing) helped resurrect and run a community center. 

Once my girls left for college, I threw myself deeper into social service and education by working with batterers and victims of domestic violence. I'm certain my novels are imbued with all the above, as well as my journey from obsessing over bad boys to loving a good man. 

Many things can save your life--children who warm your heart, the love of a good man, a circle of wonderful friends, and a great sister. After a tumultuous start in life, I'm lucky enough to now have all these things. I live in Boston with my husband, where I live by the words of Gustave Flaubert: "Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work."

My next novel, ACCIDENTS OF MARRIAGE releases on Sept 2. Kirkus, in a starred review, wrote: “Meyers puts a Boston family overwhelmed by a tragic accident under the literary microscope.” In this book I examine the question: When is a marriage too broken to save?

Randy Susan Meyers new book, ACCIDENTS OF MARRIAGE releases on Sept 2, 2014 with a Kirkus Starred Review and as a Sept. Indie Next Pick. 

Liane Moriarty New York Times bestselling author of THE HUSBAND'S SECRET & BIG LITTLE LIES writes of it:

“Many books are an absolute pleasure to read, but slip straight from your mind. Accidents of Marriage is one of those rare novels that is both unputdownable and unforgettable. I just loved it——and I’ll now read everything Randy Susan Meyers writes.”

My first novel, THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS was chosen as a Target Book Club Pick, Massachusetts "Must Read" Fiction, and was a finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award, who wrote:

"From the very first page and straight on until the last, the clear and distinctive voice of Randy Susan Meyers's The Murderer's Daughters will have you enraptured and wanting more--even though self- preservation may curl you into a ball to shield yourself from the painful circumstances of the two sisters. This is a heart- breaking and powerful novel." Massachusetts Center for The Book, 

My second novel, THE COMFORT OF LIES, released from Atria/Simon & Shuster in February 2013, a novel about an affair and the three very different women whose lives become intertwined in its aftermath: Tia, the woman who fell in love with a married man, got pregnant and gave the baby up for adoption; Juliet whose husband had the relationship with Tia; and Caroline, the woman who adopted the child that Tia couldn't bear to raise alone. These are three women who should never have met--and when they do, their lives collide in ways that none of them could have predicted. 

The Boston Globe wrote: “Randy Susan Meyers’s second novel is sharp and biting, and sometimes wickedly funny when the author skewers Boston’s class and neighborhood dividing lines.

Connect with Randy



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Monday, August 18, 2014

Book Blitz: Pandora Boxed Set, 20 Stories - Only $.99, an Excerpt and a Giveaway!


Pandora


Pandora Boxed Set
ebook, Limited Edition, 5000 pages
Publication date: August 5th 2014 by Various Authors
Genres: Paranormal

TWENTY COMPLETE FULL-LENGTH NOVELS AND NOVELLAS FOR $0.99! NO CLIFFHANGERS!

Do you dare open the box?

Whether you love paranormal in the form of romance, suspense, mystery, horror, or fantasy, this box set will have something to entice your preternatural sensibilities. Supernaturally thrilling and engaging, this box set has it all: ghosts, vampires, mind-readers, shape-shifters, demons, faeries, werewolves, and more.

For a limited time, you can enjoy books from today’s New York Times, USA Today, Amazon and Barnes & Noble bestselling authors and many more. We have everything from titles that are slated for the big screen to stories from Pulitzer Prize and Bram Stoker Award Nominees! When purchased separately, these books cost over $50! But they are your’s today for less than $1.

Professionally formatted, no cliffhangers, and no short stories. Every selection in this rare, limited edition paranormal box set are full-length novels and novellas! A few are “First in Series,” but we carefully selected only those which can still be enjoyed as a standalone!




Riley J Ford, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author: INTO YOU

What if you could know exactly what your friends are thinking? High school student Winter Reynolds can, but there's a catch... 

She can only read people's thoughts when she's kissing them.

Rebecca Hamilton, Amazon Best-Selling and Film-Optioned Novelist: HER SWEETEST DOWNFALL

Ophelia's initiation into the supernatural council won't be complete until she kills the man she loves.

Apryl Baker, Amazon Best-Selling and Film-Optioned Novelist: THE AWAKENING

Snap...crackle...pop. The sounds of bones breaking and shifting and of muscles tearing haunt Alexandria Reed.

Aided by her new friends, who have some dark secrets themselves, can she and Jason survive long enough to figure out the secret behind the secret?

Carole Lanham, Amazon Best-Selling Author and Bram Stoker Award Nominee: CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE

"There are monsters in this world, I’ve learned, and sometimes I have fallen victim to them and sometimes I have been one."

A story of Welsh witchcraft, love, and murder.

Thomas Sullivan, Pulitzer Prize Nominee: THE WATER WOLF

A global quest by a cynical adventurer searching for links in a colossal subterranean network he has stumbled upon lead him from the ancient fortress at Cuzco, Peru, to the Pyramids of Giza to a dangerous churchyard in Connemara, Ireland, where he falls in love with a woman of more than mortal roots and encounters the strange magic of a small village.

Rainy Kaye, Amazon Best-Selling Author: SUMMONED

A dark twist on genie folklore, SUMMONED follows a reluctant criminal as he unravels the mystery of the paranormal bond controlling him.

Conner Kressley, Amazon Best-Selling Author: THE BREAKER'S CODE

Cresta's the kind of girl who thinks everything is the end of the world. Turns out, she might be right.

Laura Howard, Amazon Best-Selling Author: THE FORGOTTEN ONES

Truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

Noree Cosper, B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree: A PRESCRIPTION FOR DELIRIUM

Demons, werewolves, possessed bikers, madness spreading like a virus, and a revenge that has waited for over five-hundred years.

What more could Gabby look for in a vacation spot?

Louise Caiola, Amazon Best-Selling Author: WHAT TRULY KNOWS

She was born with the Magical Knowing – a gift, some said. A curse, said others.

But for Truly, it was the very thing meant to save her life. If it didn’t kill her first.

Kelley Anne Blount, Amazon Best-Selling Author: SHADE

Coming Soon!

Susan Stec, Amazon Best-Selling Author: DEAD GIRLS NEVER SHUT UP

Toni's grandmother is a psychopath.  Her sister is a ghost.  Her boyfriend is possessed.  And she has no idea who she is.

Christi Goddard, Amazon Best-Selling Author: FOUR IN THE MORNING

When a smart-ass magical creature invades Kathleen’s life, a boy she hates turns up dead and her mother goes missing.

Steven Katriel, Amazon Best-Selling Author: THE PORTRAIT OF ALATIEL SALAZAR

When Gabriel Holland’s beloved Helena vanishes from his life, he journeys to the home of disgraced artist Cristian Salazar, the man he holds responsible for her disappearance and the death of several friends.

Heather Kenealy, winner of MTV's "Stan Lee presents the Seekers" contest and Cinescape's Short Story Contest: THE TRAITORS' TRILOGY

Betrayal comes with a price. For these betrayers, it also comes with an opportunity.

Peter Dawes, Blogger Book Fair Reader's Choice Award winner: EYES OF THE SEER

It all started with a murder, but what laid in wait would turn a man into a monster.

DelSheree Gladden, Amazon Best-Selling Author: INVISIBLE

Being invisible won’t hide Mason for long.

Angela Fristoe, winner of TheNextBigWriter 2010 Strongest Start Romance Category: LIE TO ME

As a Truth Teller, Phoebe knows a lie when she hears it.

Knowing what to do when her best friend lies is the problem, because in lies, intention is everything.

with...

Samantha LaFantasie: MADE TO FORGET

After waking up in a hospital with no memory, Elsabetha quickly learns those who claim to be her friend are anything but.

Rachel Walter: TRUE CONNECTION

With the help of supernatural friends and protectors, Jazzy thinks she's safe until what remains of her family is put in danger. Does she have what it takes to save her family, life, soul, and soul mate, or will all be lost?

Save over $50! This set is only available at this price for a limited time, so order your copy before it's gone!


Excerpt

THE FORGOTTEN ONES
by Laura Howard

We’re going to the beach tomorrow,” Nicole said.

“Have fun,” I mumbled.

She wiped her lips with a napkin and narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re coming.” I opened my mouth to argue, but she held a slender finger up at me and pursed her lips. “It’s the first Saturday you’ve had off in months. School’s over, at least for the summer. You’re coming.”

I sighed and looked up at the pattern of our umbrella. “You really know how to ruin a perfectly good sundae.”

Her eyes shot daggers at me. “We’ll have a great time, Al.” Her expression changed as she seemed to change tactics. Her green eyes widened and her lip stuck out just the tiniest bit.

Cranky Nicole was a challenge, but pouting Nicole was impossible.

“Fine,” I sighed. “We’re going to the beach.” I looked at my sundae, which had made me so happy a minute earlier and a thought came to me. She hadn’t said anyone else was coming, but Nicole and her boyfriend Jeff were practically inseparable. “Wait, who else is going?”

Nicole grinned, clearly smelling her victory. “The usual crew: Jeff, Rachel, Sean and”—her eyebrows inched up—“Ethan.”

I nodded, trying to breathe evenly. I hated the way my pulse spiked at just the mention of his name.

Handsome, cocky Ethan. His smile had the power to break down every one of my defenses. But, I didn’t have space in my life for that. I had a plan—to focus on taking care of my mom. My grandparents had done it by themselves for long enough. I needed to find a way to help, to unburden them. That was my priority.

But Ethan…he was so hard to resist sometimes.






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