Any Luck at All by Denise Grover Swank & A.R. Casella ~ My Thoughts #AnyLuckAtAll

Any Luck at All

Any Luck at All by A.R. Casella & Denise Grover Swank 

Asheville Brewing #1

Print & ebook,  377 pages

Published September 22nd 2020 by Denise Grover Swank

She might be wishing for the wrong kind of luck.

Georgie Buchanan doesn’t know the first thing about running a brewery—she doesn’t even like beer—so she’s out of her element when she and her siblings inherit their grandfather’s money pit. Her one hope for success lies with River Reeves, the handsome brewmaster who learned at her grandfather’s feet...if she can avoid falling for him.

River Reeves is having a rough week. Not only did he lose his friend and mentor, Beau Buchanan, but he’s just been betrayed by his former best friend and business partner. Still, things seem to improve when Georgie offers him his dream job—turning around Buchanan Brewery.

Great right? There’s one problem: his new boss is his dream woman, and she’s not the type to mix business and pleasure.

My thoughts about Any Luck at All ~~ 

I loved this story! Georgie and her siblings inherit the family brewery and none of them know what they are doing. Georgie did connect and bond with her grandfather before he passed away and, believe it or not, she wants to give the brewery a shot. 

But she desperately needs River's help—he really knows the business—and is the only one who can turn it around. But..... no mixing business with pleasure, right? That's when the fun begins! The chemistry between Georgie and River is fireworks! And the fun is watching them trying to NOT light the match that will set the fireworks off. 

There is also a huge, wonderful, zany cast of characters that kept me in stiches throughout the whole book. Oh, if only we all had friends like these! Some of the situations they got themselves into made me laugh out loud. 

Book #2, Better Luck Next Time, comes out on November 17th and I can't wait to go back and visit everyone again and see what they are all up to now. 

The last person she wants might be the second chance she needs.

Adalia Buchanan broke up with art, but it won’t break up with her. So she paints in secret, then destroys her work. Her mentor stole her art months ago, and she’ll never share her work again.

After he sold his brewery, Finn Hamilton’s life was supposed to be on an upward trajectory. Instead, he’s lost his way. When he stumbles upon Adalia destroying her painting, two thoughts come to mind: one, she looks like a Valkyrie with blonde hair swinging and paint flying from her blade, and two, she’s talented. Very talented.

Suddenly, she's no longer the sassy sister of his best friend’s girlfriend—she’s an intriguing, beautiful woman he’s dying to get to know better.

Too bad Adalia, who's infatuated with Pride and Prejudice, thinks he’s arrogant and conceited, a modern-day Mr. Darcy.

Then again, Elizabeth Bennett changed her mind about Darcy, so there may be hope for them yet...if they can survive an evil cat, a goat-obsessed artist, and their meddling families.

About the authors

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became nomadic, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. 

She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn't lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.

You can find out more about Denise at www.denisegroverswank.com

A.R. CASELLA is a freelance developmental editor by day, writer by night. She lives in Asheville, NC with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and a variable number of fish. Her pastimes include chasing around her toddler, baking delicious treats, and occasional bouts of crocheting. Any Luck at All, co-written with New York Times bestselling author Denise Grover Swank, is her first book.

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Release Day!! So. Many. Books!

Oh! My! Gosh!

So many books are being released today that my TBR list is just exploding!! 

This is what my library is going to be like very soon. 

Here are a few of the books I'm super excited about. 

Let me know which ones you want to read. 

      

      

      

Check out the FictFact book release calendar for even more!

So many books! So little time!!

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Release Day: The Curse Defiers by Denise Grover Swank

The Curse Defiers 

(Curse Keepers #3)

The Curse Defiers by Denise Grover Swank
Kindle Edition
Publication date: September 30th 2014 by 47 North

For centuries the gods have waited—for the betrayal that will release them, for the traitors who will defend them, for the warrior who will challenge them. Now at long last the gate between the human and spirit worlds is open, and with it, an army of vengeful demons poised to swarm the earth. Only the Curse Keepers, Ellie Lancaster and Collin Dailey, can stop it…if they can break free from a tangled web of treachery, jealousy, and lies.

Torn between two men—her heart belongs to David, yet her soul is bound to Collin’s—Ellie no longer knows who she can trust. Demons slipping through the gate are leaving a trail of bodies in their wake, each death a chilling reminder of the power of the ancient spirits to bring humanity to its knees. Faced with an unimaginable future, Ellie realizes the time has come to turn her back on prophecy and choose her own destiny—even if it means defying the gods themselves.

In the thrilling conclusion to the Curse Keepers trilogy, humanity faces its final battle for survival!

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period.

Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn't lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.

Connect with Denise

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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1000th post ginormous giveaway!

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The Chosen Series by Denise Grover Swank on sale for $.99 each - limited time!

The Chosen Series

by Denise Grover Swank

On sale for only $.99 ~ limited time!

Chosen Book #1 

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Hunted Book #2

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Sacrifice Book #3

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Redemption Book #4

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On Tour: After Math by Denise Grover Swank and a Tour Giveaway!

Scarlett Goodwin’s world is divided into Before and After.

Before she agreed to tutor Tucker price, college junior Scarlett was introvert, struggling with her social anxiety and determined to not end up living in a trailer park like her mother and her younger sister. A mathematics major, she goes to her classes, to her job in the tutoring lab, and then hides in the apartment she shares with her friend, Caroline.

After junior Tucker Price, Southern University’s star soccer player enters the equation, her carefully plotted life is thrown off its axis. Tucker’s failing his required College Algebra class. With his eligibility is at risk, the university chancellor dangles an expensive piece of computer software for the math department if Scarlett agrees to privately tutor him.Tucker’s bad boy, womanizer reputation makes Scarlett wary of any contact, let alone spending several hours a week in close proximity.

But from her first encounter, she realizes Tucker isn't the person everyone else sees. He carries a mountain of secrets which she suspects hold the reason to his self-destructive behavior. But the deeper she delves into the cause of his pain, the deeper she gets sucked into his chaos. Will Scarlett find the happiness she’s looking for, or will she be caught in Tucker’s aftermath? ~~ synopsis from Goodreads

My thoughts about After Math ~~

I love that the title of this book, After Math, has so many different meanings in the context of this story. The obvious one of course is the math class that Scarlett tutors for Tucker. But then there is the aftermaths of the lives that they lived before meeting each other, that they are trying to live through everyday. And then of course, there's what comes after the math class.

Scarlett and Tucker are an unlikely pair who get thrown together when she is asked to tutor the star soccer star. But their strained relationship allows them each to be the person they should be and not the person they are perceived to be by others in their lives. This is a great story about realizing that you can just be who you are and that is good enough.

I have read several of Denise's books and have enjoyed them all. She is such a versatile writer who has created stories in a variety of genres. I will always be reading her latest!

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period.

Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within in two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn't lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.

You can find out more about Denise and her other books at her website or you can contact her via email.

Connect with Denise

Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Visit other stops on the tour here!

**Everyone who leaves a comment on the After Math tour page (click here) will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of After Math before June 3 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**

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Denise Grover Swank's Advice: Don't Argue With The Voices In Your Head

Today I have Denise Grover Swank talking about the voices in her head. I asked her to comment on the question I like to pose to authors ~~ (Denise has included a link to one of her YouTube videos. You have got to check it out! It is HILARIOUS!!)

So Denise ~ 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?

First, can I say how much I love this question? I have to answer by saying that I think most writers are a bit touched in the head. We just behave well in public because we’ve found a way to release our insanity. That’s the fun answer. The real answer, for me anyway, isn’t that I necessarily hear voices in my head, but see scenes instead. The voices are part of the scenes. And it also depends on if the book is in third person or first person.

When I write a third person book, the scene plays out in my head, like a movie, and my job is to capture what I see. That’s why a first draft is often more a listing of what’s going on. After I write the first draft, I go back later and layer in deeper POV and descriptions. Third person can be easier to write because although it’s POV specific to a certain character, it’s more universal. I see the entire scene.

But when I write first person POV, like in Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons, it changes. When I write Rose, I am in her head. I see through her eyes. I experience what she feels. While I do this with The Chosen series, which is my third person POV, and get into the characters heads, I have to work harder to get to their feelings.

When I write first person, because I immerse myself in the character, I am much more in tune with what is happening right then. My first drafts tend to be much cleaner and full of the character’s feeling and emotions because I am living in my character’s head. When I wrote I wrote the first book of the Rose Gardner Mysteries, Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes, I began talking in a southern accent. I drove my kids nuts. (This YouTube video is proof.) My then thirteen-year-old daughter nearly came unglued when, unknowingly, I ordered my Grande non fat, no whip Mocha at Starbucks drive through. With my southern accent. I just couldn’t help it.

One problem with hearing the character’s voice is that it’s harder finding an audiobook narrator. I reviewed MANY voice actors until I found the perfect actress to read Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes. (To be released on Audible, Amazon and iTunes around August 15) She still wasn’t the Rose I hear in my head, but she was the closest I could find.

I know a lot of authors have conversations with their characters. I’ve done this on very rare occasion. It’s usually me begging them to cooperate. To which they often refuse to listen. And they are always right. I’ve learned an important lesson: Don’t argue with the voices in your head.

Thank you, Denise, for such interesting insight into the mind of a wonderful writer, even if you do have a questionable Southern accent. But who am I to judge? I wouldn't be able to even attempt to speak with one.

And seriously, if you didn't watch the video, go and do it NOW!! I laughed out loud! It's is so funny!!

**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour's webpage will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons before August 6 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**

Other stops on the tour

Author Bio:

Denise Grover Swank lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She has six children, three dogs, and an overactive imagination. She can be found dancing in her kitchen with her children, reading or writing her next book. You will rarely find her cleaning.

You can find out more about Denise and her other books at 

www.denisegroverswank.com 

or email her at denisegroverswank@gmail.com

Connect with Denise! 

www.denisegroverswank.com
www.rosegardnermysteries.com

https://www.facebook.com/deniseswank
https://twitter.com/DeniseMSwank

Buy the Book!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

On Tour and a Giveaway: Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons by Denise Grover Swank

When Rose reports for Fenton County jury duty she figures she’s lucky to get out of a morning working at the DMV. Instead, despite a disastrous encounter with the new assistant district attorney, Mason Deveraux, she’s picked as a juror on a murder case. As the trial progresses, she realizes an ominous vision she had in the men’s restroom proves the defendant is innocent. And there’s not a cotton picking thing she can do about it.

Or is there?

As if things weren’t bad enough, Rose’s older sister Violet is going through a mid-life crisis. Violet insists that Rose stop seeing her sexy new boyfriend, Arkansas state detective Joe Simmons and date other men. Rose is done letting people boss her around, but she can’t commit to Joe either. Still, Rose isn’t about to let the best thing in her life slip away. ~~ synopsis from Goodreads

My thoughts about Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons ~~

Okay, I immediately fell in love with Rose. Right from the start she is saying goodbye to her boyfriend as he heads back to the big city. She is sticking around her hometown, cause that's just what she does. She's always lived there and she can't think of living anywhere else, even though she loves Joe and wants to be with him. She doesn't like her job or her boss but can't see herself leaving her sister, especially after their mother was murdered a year ago. This happened in book 1 of this series, which I didn't know was a series when I started reading Reasons.

Rose has visions that she cannot control. They just come on and they are not predictable. They are always about someone she is around at the time and when the vision is over, she yells out something pertaining to the vision. She can't help herself and sometimes what comes out of her mouth is hilarious. 'I'd give anything if I could stop from blurting out whatever I saw in a vision. For some reason my second sight was connected directly to my big mouth, and that thoroughly annoying trait was got me into most of my trouble.'

Rose is picked for jury duty and she 'knows' the accused party is innocent. This leads Rose on a hunt to find evidence to prove that fact. The predicaments she gets herself into made me laugh. She just can't stay out of trouble. A line she used when she found herself in one of those situations was 'I think it's only fair to warn you that I get car sick.' That's is a totally great defense strategy!

And one of the phrases that she says all the time when she is frustrated is 'crappy doodles' ~ I love it!

Like I mentioned, this is book 2 in the Rose Gardner Mysteries Series. The first one is Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes. Book 2 refers to events that happened in book 1 and I really want to go back and read it so that I can find out the background story and to learn more about the characters. It sounds like they had quite an adventure. I really hope there is a book 3 and I can guarantee that I will be watching for it.

In the mean time, Denise has written a couple of other series that I am going to have to check out. I really like the way she writes her stories. A wonderful line from Denise that she put in her acknowledgments is 'I love it when readers can't put my books down!' Well, Denise, this reader had a really hard time putting this one down and I was so glad I was on vacation so I could devour it. I am looking forward to more!

Come back to here tomorrow when I ask Denise to talk about the voices in her head.     

**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour's webpage will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons before August 6 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**

Other stops on the tour

Author Bio:

Denise Grover Swank lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She has six children, three dogs, and an overactive imagination. She can be found dancing in her kitchen with her children, reading or writing her next book. You will rarely find her cleaning.

You can find out more about Denise and her other books at 

www.denisegroverswank.com 

or email her at denisegroverswank@gmail.com

Connect with Denise! 

www.denisegroverswank.com

www.rosegardnermysteries.com

https://www.facebook.com/deniseswank

https://twitter.com/DeniseMSwank

Buy the Book!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble