Release Day! No Time To Blink by Dina Silver ~ My Thoughts

Happy Release Day!

No Time To Blink

No Time To Blink by Dina Silver
Print and e-book, 286 pages
Published February 13th 2018 by Lake Union Publishing

He knows the one thing that would destroy me would be to separate me from my daughter…

Catherine Clarke defied her family’s expectations when she married Gabriel, a handsome Lebanese businessman. After moving to Gabriel’s homeland and welcoming a baby daughter, Catherine knew she had to acclimate herself to the strange new world. Yet both her husband and her surroundings became more volatile and threatening than she could have ever imagined.

When Gabriel forbids her to return to the States, Catherine devises a plan to deceive him, but she vastly underestimates how far he will go to punish her. And after her daughter, Ann Marie, is abducted and taken deep into the mountains of Beirut—protected by family, culture, and law—the only thing on Catherine’s side is the fierceness of a mother’s love. She’s prepared to move heaven and earth to find her child.

Told from alternating points of view—that of a daughter whose past is a mystery and of a mother with painful secrets to share—this profoundly moving story of impossible risks will resonate with anyone whose love has no boundaries.

My thoughts about No Time To Blink ~~

(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 lines—"As I reach the attorney's office on the thirtieth floor, I'm disappointed by my reflection in the large glass panels that make up the entrance. My shoulders are slumped, and there are dark circles underneath my blue eyes. Nothing ages you like stress and sadness."

No Time To Blink is an exciting tale that shows that a mother's love can and will accomplish amazing things. Catherine is swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious man—they are so in love. Soon after they are married, he moves them back to his home country. Then the trouble begins for Catherine. She is basically held hostage in her own home and someone is tailing her whenever she leaves the house. All she wants is to get back home to her family and to take her daughter with her.

Ann Marie, the daughter, remembers nothing about the life that involved her mother and father when she was so very young. As the story goes back and forth between the past and the present, we come to understand how Catherine's life and Ann Marie's life were affected by that time in Beirut.

No Time to Blink is a riveting story that you will want to keep reading. It has strong and wonderful characters who demonstrate the depth and power of love. I think Dina's books just keep getting better and better with each one she writes and this one is definitely a must read!

I received a copy of No Time To Blink from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Dina Silver is an author, a wine lover, and an excellent parallel parker. She lives with her husband, son, and twenty-pound tabby cat in suburban Chicago. She’d prefer to live somewhere where it’s warm year-round, but she’s also a licensed real estate agent in Illinois, and she loathes the thought of having to take the broker exam again in another state.

Dina is the author of five other novels, including One Pink Line, Kat Fight, Finding Bliss, The Unimaginable, and Whisper if You Need Me. To find out more about Dina and her books, visit www.dinasilver.com. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Dina

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

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The Unimaginable by Dina Silver and a Giveaway!

The Unimaginable

The Unimaginable by Dina Silver
300 pages
Expected publication: December 1, 2014

From the author of One Pink Line comes a story about letting go of the past and finding bravery in the depths of fear. Set on the sun-soaked beaches of Thailand and the rough waters of the Indian Ocean, The Unimaginable paints a vivid portrait of a young woman on a journey to find herself—and her harrowing fight for survival.

After twenty-eight years of playing by the rules, Jessica Gregory moves from her small Indiana town to Phuket, Thailand. But her newfound routine is upended with the arrival of Grant Flynn, a captivating, elusive man who is sailing around the world while trying to move on from a past tragedy. Jessica volunteers to help crew Grant’s boat, Imagine, on a passage across the Indian Ocean and finds herself falling in love with him as the voyage gets underway. But when disaster strikes, Jessica must summon her courage as the crew is confronted by unspeakable terrors––and, aboard a boat named for such promise, comes the unimaginable.

My thoughts about The Unimaginable ~~

Honestly, I was blown away by this story! It was not at all what I expected from Dina Silver. I previously read her story Kat Fight, which is classified as chick-lit and then this cover is just so beautiful, I figured it was going to be a story along the same lines. The Unimaginable does have a romance story in it but then there is so much more.

Jessica is somewhat dissatisfied with her life and wants to experience more. She leaves all that she knows and everyone she loves to have the adventure that she feels is missing in her life. She definitely finds love and adventure in Thailand!

'On paper my life was good here. I wasn't miserable, and I loved my job and my students, but I always felt out of place. Like I was just biding my time, waiting to be transported somewhere else where people wouldn't roll their eyes at my curiosities and desires to see new things and meet new people.'

The Unimaginable had me experiencing so many different feelings and emotions; shock at how Jessica's mother treated her, nervousness as Jessica takes the plunge and travels to another part of the world, excitement when she meets Grants and develops a relationship with him, trepidation as the Imagine crew sets sail in troubled waters. The voyage is anything but smooth and this is where the story gets so intense that I couldn't read fast enough. This one will have you racing to the end. Whew! 

'What happened next changed me forever. Aboard a boat named for such hope and promise came ... the unimaginable.'

I loved The Unimaginable and love that Dina created a story that has such depth and emotion. I think it really shows her growth as a writer and storyteller. I look forward to seeing what the next great thing from her will be.

  

You can pre-order The Unimaginable from Amazon! 

About the author

A graduate of Purdue University, Dina Silver has spent the past fifteen years feeding her red wine habit by working as a copywriter in the advertising industry. After seeing the bulk of her professional prose on brochures and direct mail pieces, she is delighted to have made the transition to novelist. She currently lives with her husband and son in suburban Chicago. Additionally, she loves talking about herself in the third person.

Connect with Dina

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Dina is offering a Kindle copy of The Unimaginable!

Thank you so much, Dina!!

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Cover Reveal: The Unimaginable by Dina Silver

We're excited to share the cover for 

The Unimaginable by Dina Silver

which will release on October 28, 2014! 

Let us know what you think!

OMG!! I LOVE this cover! 

So beautiful!!

Title: The Unimaginable

Author: Dina Silver

Age Group: Adult 

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Mystery/Suspense

Publisher: Amazon Publishing

Scheduled to release: October 28, 2014

"Dina Silver's deftly woven tale has all of my favorite fictional elements: romance, action and adventure, and a knock-your-socks-off ending. The Unimaginable is simply superb." ~ Tracey Garvis Graves, New York Times bestselling author of On the Island.
SYNOPSIS:

From the author of One Pink Line comes a story about letting go of the past and finding bravery in the depths of fear. Set on the sun-soaked beaches of Thailand and the rough waters of the Indian Ocean, The Unimaginable paints a vivid portrait of a young woman on a journey to find herself—and her harrowing fight for survival.

After twenty-eight years of playing by the rules, Jessica Gregory moves from her small Indiana town to Phuket, Thailand. But her newfound routine is upended with the arrival of Grant Flynn, a captivating, elusive man who is sailing around the world while trying to move on from a past tragedy. Jessica volunteers to help crew Grant’s boat, Imagine, on a passage across the Indian Ocean and finds herself falling in love with him as the voyage gets underway. But when disaster strikes, Jessica must summon her courage as the crew is confronted by unspeakable terrors––and, aboard a boat named for such promise, comes the unimaginable.

Excerpt:

His hand and fingers were slowly caressing my right arm just above the elbow, and every time he paused my heart would skip a beat. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to muster the strength to lift my head and look him in the eyes. I wanted to know that things were good between us and there were no hard feelings. His eyes would give me the answers. The eyes always say more than the mouth.

I shifted my body toward him ever so slightly, curling myself even further into his embrace. He tightened his grip on me and then continued to move his hand up and down, rubbing away the chills. I closed my eyes, counted to ten, then opened them and lifted my chin. He immediately looked down at me, stopped moving his hand, and squeezed hard, forcing the tips of his fingers into my arm. I froze. He studied my eyes and then looked away, loosening his grip.

My breathing intensified as I brought my hand to his cheek, brushing my thumb across his stubble and turning his face back to mine. He shifted his body, threaded his fingers through my hair, and rested them at the base of my neck. Just as I inhaled, he bent down and pressed his lips to mine. First, hard and firm, then soft and exploratory as he parted my lips with his tongue. My head went back, and my body fell forward into his arms as his hands tugged at my hair and the back of my shirt.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I whispered.

“Yes,” he said without a second thought.

He was lifting my legs up onto the bench under the weight of his body when we heard someone cough.

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AUTHOR BIO

Dina Silver is an author, a wine drinker, and an excellent parallel parker. She is the author of Kat Fight, Finding Bliss, and One Pink Line, which was chosen as a 2012 Top Title by IndieReader and was a finalist in their 2012 Discovery Awards. She lives with her husband, son, and twenty-pound tabby cat in suburban Chicago. She’d prefer to live where it’s warm year round, but then she’d never stay home and write anything.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Dina Silver, the Voices in Her Head and a Giveaway

I would like to welcome Dina Silver, author of Kat Fight and One Pink Line to The Book Bag today. I loved Kat Fight ~ read my thoughts here ~ and I have One Pink Line on my TBR list. At the end of this post, there is a chance to win an Amazon gift card ~ so go check it out!

I asked Dina to answer the question I always like to ask authors. I love hearing what all they have to say about their writing process.

So Dina ~ 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?

When I’m writing dialogue, there are times when I can absolutely hear conversations between two characters in my head. For me, I would compare the process more to watching a scene in a movie or TV show, where I’m observing these two people having the conversation. What is there body language, what are their feet doing, are they holding anything, how long are they pausing to ponder what they’re thinking…or is the conversation more rapid fire?

Writing dialogue is one of my favorite things, and I always feel really pressured to make the conversation sound authentic, and not add in words simply because they look good on paper, or would make a funny joke. Since I hopefully have my reader invested in the story with lots of other fluff, as the writer, I have to be careful not to lose them with contrived conversations between characters.

Stephen King, in one of my favorite books by him, On Writing, has a really great theory on dialogue: “Dialogue is a skill best learned by people who enjoy talking and listening to others - particularly listening, picking up the accents, rhythms, dialect, and slang of various groups. Loners often write it badly, or with the care of someone who is composing in a language other than his or her native tongue.” This was great news for me because I LOVE listening to people’s stories!

Ten Fun Facts about Kat Fight

1. The first time I met my future husband was on a blind double date. He was dating my friend Susie, and I was set-up with a guy who reviewed nude film scenes for a living. My date from that night has turned his obsession with nude celebrities into a million dollar enterprise. Check him out at Mr.Skin.com.

2. I fell in love with my husband the second time I saw him. He approached me at the health club and asked me for a ride home. After he exited my car I knew we would be married one day. I wish I could explain how I knew - but I can’t.

3. Once I divulged my affection for my husband to my friend Susie - who had dated him - her reaction was nothing like Julie’s was in the book. She was extremely understanding when I told her…and she wants to make sure everyone knows that.

4. I went to a gay bar called the Manhole one Halloween night with three gay co-workers of mine. My experience was identical to Kat’s, and I have never had so much fun in my life.

5. Brooke’s relationship with Drew is based on that of a very close friend of mine. She’s an accomplished, witty, energetic and truly amazing woman. I disliked her husband since their wedding day, and watched her spend 15 years with him and his indiscretions. Brooke’s car chase scene in the book was based on an actual event that my friend’s husband put her through as he drove circles around her with his mistress in the car. It gives me great pleasure to report that as of January 2010, she is finally divorced.

6. I met my future mother-in-law the same way Kat meets Ryan’s mom.

7. I dated a guy named Rob when I lived in L.A. for a year. He was a lifeguard, and we met exactly the same way Kat meets Rob at the beach. I woke up with a man being arrested for pleasuring himself next to be - also thankfully unbeknownst to me - and the lifeguard on duty that day became my boyfriend.

8. When my husband was six years old, my mother-in-law used to grill him about what he should say to his future wife if she didn’t want to go to his mother’s house for dinner.

9. I don’t have a gay best friend, but I would really like one.

10. I do have a gay babysitter, however, and his name is Adam. He has been sitting for my son since he was three years old. Adam hopes to have kids of his own one-day and marry the man of his dreams. Nothing would make me happier.

Author Bio: 

Dina Silver is a writer, red wine drinker, cheese fry lover, and future cat hoarder. She currently lives with her family in suburban Chicago. Inspired by how she met her husband, Kat Fight is Dina’s second novel.

Connect with Dina!

TWITTER: @DinaSilver

FACEBOOK 

WEBSITE

AMAZON LINK

 Check out all the other stops on the tour

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

On Tour and a Giveaway: Kat Fight by Dina Silver

The seriously funny, fabulously flawed Kat Porter has arrived, and she may just steal your heart—not to mention your boyfriend. Readers everywhere will revel in this sharp-witted, well-meaning whirlwind in author Dina Silver’s hilarious new novel, Kat Fight. In her quest for love, Kat makes every wrong turn, juggling two men, one best friend, and her own deeply confused heart’s desires.

Kat Porter is a consummate romantic, eager for her chance to find love and commitment. But after her boyfriend of four years, Marc, begins to grow apathetic and sends her calls straight to voice-mail one too many times, Kat finally musters the courage to confront her so-called sweetheart, who seems more interested in dodging her than courting her. Though she’s no fan of ultimatums, Kat is at the end of her considerable wits, and lobs a massive one his way, completely confident that he'll make the right decision when faced with losing her. He doesn't.

With radio silence from Marc, Kat’s lifelong dream of finding a husband and forging a family is decidedly on the skids. That’s when her childhood friend Julie steps in, forcing Kat on a blind date to help her move beyond the break-up. Not only does Kat botch the setup, she instead finds herself in hot pursuit of Julie’s love interest, Ryan Sullivan. A man who, in addition to literally taking her breath away, is the living, breathing personification of everything Kat wants in a husband.

Can Kat connect with the man of her dreams without hurting two of the people she cares most about? At the same time, she must also contend with the quips of her beloved catty coworker Adam, her bi-polar boss Brooke, and a string of comic, unpredictable plot twists. All the while, Kat’s cheeky perspective and generous heart will leave readers adoring every moment of her journey while chuckling and cheering for the ever cute, razor-sharp Kat as she fights to land the love of a lifetime. ~~ synopsis from Goodreads 

Be sure to check at the bottom of this post 

for a chance to win an Amazon gift card.

My thoughts on Goodreads ~~ 

Loved this book!! I immediately connected with Kat and the ultimatum she gave her boyfriend. And darn it, she really didn't think he would follow through with it. But then she has to try to get on with her life. Low and behold, she feels a connection to her best friend's boyfriend while on a blind double date with them. Whoops! And then her former boyfriend wants her back. Double whoops!

The steps Kat takes in order to avoid telling Julie, her best friend, about her budding romance with Julies's supposed boyfriend had me laughing out loud. And I absolutely LOVED Adam, her gay co-worker and good friend, and the relationship he and Kat had. Kat thinks nothing of going to a gay bar with Adam and all his gay friends, even though she is the only female there and the only person with a shirt on. Now that's friendship!

I marked a couple of passages that made me chuckle. This one is when she is rationalizing that it is okay to argue with Marc so much ~~ But after years of listening to my parents rip each other apart, I figured those were the struggles you had to endure for unconditional love. That to have someone care about you like that, you had to suffer a little bit, too. 'Some things are worth the fight, Kat," my mom would tell me after one of her fights with my dad. Then they divorced. ~~ Whoops!

And then this one, when Kat knows she is going to run into Marc, her ex-boyfriend at a wedding ~~ And if he considers for one second about bringing a date to this wedding, I will not hesitate to throw blue cheese olives in her hair. ~~ Blue cheese olives? Love it!! 

I loved everything about this book, it is funny but also has the angst of finding your way through a new romance. The relationships between the characters are wonderful also, and again I have to say I loved the Kat/Adam friendship and their support of each other.

I also have a copy of Dina's other book, One Pink Line sitting on my Kindle and I am super excited to get that one read. I just love the way Dina writes!

Author Bio:

Dina Silver is a writer, red wine drinker, cheese fry lover, and future cat hoarder. She currently lives with her family in suburban Chicago. Inspired by how she met her husband, Kat Fight is Dina’s second novel.

Connect with Dina!

TWITTER: @DinaSilver

FACEBOOK 

WEBSITE

AMAZON LINK

 Other stops on the CLP Blog Tour

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