Release Day! The Family Ship by Sonja Yoerg ~ My Thoughts #TheFamilyShip #TallPoppy

Congrats Sonja

on the release today of

The Family Ship!

The Family Ship by Sonja Yoerg

Print and e-book, 411 pages

Published February 23, 2021 by Lake Union Publishing

Chesapeake Bay, 1980. Eighteen-year-old Verity Vergennes is the captain of the USS Nepenthe, and her seven younger siblings are her crew. The ship—an oyster boat transformed into a make-believe destroyer—is the heart of the Vergennes family, a place both to play and to learn responsibility. But Verity’s had it with being tied to the ship and secretly applies to a distant college. If only her parents could bear to let her go.

Maeve and Arthur Vergennes already suffered one loss when, five years earlier, their eldest son, Jude, stormed out and never returned. Now Maeve is pregnant again and something’s amiss. Verity yearns to follow her dreams, but how can she jump ship now? The problem, and perhaps the answer, lies with Jude.

When disaster strikes and the family unravels, Verity must rally her sibling crew to keep the Nepenthe and all it symbolizes afloat. Sailing away from home, she discovers, is never easy—not if you ever hope to find your way back. 

My thoughts about The Family Ship ~~ 

(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—"PROLOGUE Jude 1962 Jude's earliest memory was of the day his sister was born, as if becoming a big brother made his brain decide it needed to start keeping track for the long run. As if a promise made at four was meant to be honored forever."

This story absolutely blew me away! Such great characters and such a unique, captivating story-line!

The Vergennes family is like no other family I have ever encountered before—in real life or on the pages of a book. This family of 10 has a ship in their front yard, and their lives are centered around living a shipshape existence. That is until the older children want to stretch their sails (see what I did there?) and try to live their lives outside the family ship.

The drama that continued to befall this family kept me turning the pages and the love that they had for one another endeared them all to me. As they struggled with the tragedies that happened to this close knit family and as they pulled together to support one another, I fell more in love with everyone. So much heartache, and so much love. 

Once again, Sonja has written a story that pulled me in, a story with a cast of individuals who captured my feelings, and my heart. I am totally amazed at the stories that she creates, stories that are so different from what is out there, and so different from her previous work. I know when I read one of her books, that I am going to be going on a journey that I have not been on before!

I highly recommend The Family Ship! I loved it! I loved the story, I loved the characters, and I loved the adventure that whisked me away, allowing me to escape to another time and place.

About the author

I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor and a history teacher. In my first incarnation, I was a animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.

I've published several novels, including True Places, a Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller. Yeah, typing that makes me smile because reaching readers is the point, right? My upcoming release, The Family Ship, earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Watch for it on February 23, 2021.

When I'm not writing or pretending to be writing, I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in central Virginia with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont.

Connect with Sonja

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Release Day! Stories We Never Told by Sonja Yoerg ~ My Thoughts #StoriesWeNeverTold #TallPoppy #NetGalley

Happy Release Day!



Congrats Sonja
on the release today of
Stories We Never Told!

Stories We Never Told by Sonja Yoerg
Paperback and e-book, 328 pages
Published May 1st 2020 by Lake Union Publishing

Psychology professor Jackie Strelitz thought she was over her ex-lover and colleague, Harlan Crispin. Why should she care if Harlan springs a new “friend” on her? After all, Jackie has everything she ever wanted: a loving husband and a thriving career. Still, she can’t help but be curious about Harlan’s latest.

Nasira Amari is graceful, smart, and young. Worse, she’s the new member of Jackie’s research team. For five years, Harlan enforced rules limiting his relationship with Jackie. With Nasira he’s breaking every single one. Why her?

Fixated by the couple, Jackie’s curiosity becomes obsession. But she soon learns that nothing is quite what it seems, and that to her surprise—and peril—she may not be the only one who can’t let go.

#1 Best Seller in Psychological Literary Fiction

My thoughts about Stories We Never Told ~~

(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 lines.)

First line—"Just dinner. The innocence of the phrase is deceptive, as deceptive as the dinner itself would turn out to be, as Jackie would discover ninety-eight days later."

Wow! This story took me down a path I was not expecting to go down. These people really have some issues with each other. Stories We Never Told is full of very interesting characters and relationships. We get to watch as these relationships start to fall apart and unravel. Seriously, do any of them have any redeeming qualities? 

What I really like about Sonja's books is that each story is so different from her previous ones. I never know what I'm going to find between the covers of her books. Each story is a new adventure and I never know where she's going to take me. And I love that! 

I've loved each of Sonja's stories, right from her very first book. I love that I can be immersed in her fictional world for a bit and find characters that I am going to love, or love-to-hate, as the case may be.

I loved Stories We Never Told. It was definitely a page-turner, full of memorable, somewhat disturbed characters who kept me enthralled. Honestly, this was the book that finally pulled me out of my pandemic reading slump. I highly recommend it!

I received an ARC of Stories We Never Told via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor. In my first incarnation, I was a animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.

I've published four novels; the most recent is True Places, a Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller. Yeah, typing that makes me smile because reaching readers is the point, right? My next novel, Stories We Never Told, releases May 1, 2020.

When I'm not writing or pretending to be writing, I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in central Virginia with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Sonja

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

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Release Day! True Places by Sonja Yoerg #TruePlaces

Happy Release Day!!

Congratulations Sonja

on the release today of

True Places!

True Places by Sonja Yoerg
Paperback and e-book, 347 pages
Published January 1st 2019 by Lake Union Publishing

A girl emerges from the woods, starved, ill, and alone…and collapses.

Suzanne Blakemore hurtles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, away from her overscheduled and completely normal life, and encounters the girl. As Suzanne rushes her to the hospital, she never imagines how the encounter will change her—a change she both fears and desperately needs.

Suzanne has the perfect house, a successful husband, and a thriving family. But beneath the veneer of an ideal life, her daughter is rebelling, her son is withdrawing, her husband is oblivious to it all, and Suzanne is increasingly unsure of her place in the world. After her discovery of the ethereal sixteen-year-old who has never experienced civilization, Suzanne is compelled to invite Iris into her family’s life and all its apparent privileges.

But Iris has an independence, a love of solitude, and a discomfort with materialism that contrasts with everything the Blakemores stand for—qualities that awaken in Suzanne first a fascination, then a longing. Now Suzanne can’t help but wonder: Is she destined to save Iris, or is Iris the one who will save her?

      

I loved this story as I have loved all of Sonja's stories. I highly recommend it and I wish Sonja all the best on the release of True Places! 

Read more of my thoughts about True Places here. 

About the author

I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor. In my first incarnation, I was a animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.

My first two novels (House Broken and Middle of Somewhere) were published in 2015 by Penguin. My third, All the Best People, will be out in May 2017. I'm very excited about it, but then again, I get excited about a lot of things.

When I'm not writing or pretending to be writing, I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in central Virginia with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont.

Connect with Sonja

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

True Places by Sonja Yoerg ~ My Thoughts #TruePlaces #NetGalley

True Places

True Places by Sonja Yoerg
Paperback and e-book, 347 pages
Expected publication: January 1st 2019 by Lake Union Publishing

A girl emerges from the woods, starved, ill, and alone…and collapses.

Suzanne Blakemore hurtles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, away from her overscheduled and completely normal life, and encounters the girl. As Suzanne rushes her to the hospital, she never imagines how the encounter will change her—a change she both fears and desperately needs.

Suzanne has the perfect house, a successful husband, and a thriving family. But beneath the veneer of an ideal life, her daughter is rebelling, her son is withdrawing, her husband is oblivious to it all, and Suzanne is increasingly unsure of her place in the world. After her discovery of the ethereal sixteen-year-old who has never experienced civilization, Suzanne is compelled to invite Iris into her family’s life and all its apparent privileges.

But Iris has an independence, a love of solitude, and a discomfort with materialism that contrasts with everything the Blakemores stand for—qualities that awaken in Suzanne first a fascination, then a longing. Now Suzanne can’t help but wonder: Is she destined to save Iris, or is Iris the one who will save her?

Pssst - True Places is a December Amazon First Reads selection. You can get it free or at a reduced price until the end of the month!

My thoughts about True Places ~~

(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 lines.)

First line—"The girl knew before she opened her eyes that Mama was gone. She always knew." 

I have been a huge fan of Sonja's stories from her very first one. I've come to expect a beautiful, touching story that will put her memorable characters through some tough times—times that will lead to soul searching and growth. 

True Places was all this, and so much more. When Suzanne finds a young girl along the roadside, the compassion she feels for her starts a wave of change in her life, and the lives of her family. The life that Suzanne thought she was perfectly content with is maybe not the life she really wants or needs. Will taking Iris into their family mend it or totally break it apart?  

Sonja creates such strong, independent characters that you can't help but love. Suzanne is brave and caring and someone we could all emulate. It's not easy taking in a girl like Iris. And then there's Iris. She has been through so much in her short life, but she is such an amazing person. We can all learn so much from her and what she has been through.  

I loved True Places. It is a story that made me stop and think about where my 'true place' is and questioning if I am there yet. I also love that Sonja's stories take me on adventures that I personally am not brave enough to try. I can't recommend this story enough! You will not be disappointed.    

I received an ARC of True Places from the author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

About the author

I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor. In my first incarnation, I was a animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.

My first two novels (House Broken and Middle of Somewhere) were published in 2015 by Penguin. My third, All the Best People, will be out in May 2017. I'm very excited about it, but then again, I get excited about a lot of things.

When I'm not writing or pretending to be writing, I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in central Virginia with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont.

Connect with Sonja

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Book Spotlight Giveaway! House Broken by Sonja Yoerg

I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures.

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House Broken is a book that I read and loved when it first came out. You can read my thoughts here. I have been a big fan of Sonja's stories ever since. I was able to snag an extra copy of this wonderful book to offer to one of you! 

This book struck a cord for me in several ways. At one time we had a chocolate lab who looked very much like this dog. How can you just not fall in love with this precious dog face? The main character is a veterinarian. My sister is a vet. And who doesn't have a little dysfunction in their family? I know we do! 

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

House Broken

House Broken by Sonja Yoerg
Paperback, 336 pages
Published January 6th 2015 by NAL

In this compelling and poignant debut novel, a woman skilled at caring for animals must learn to mend the broken relationships in her family.…

For veterinarian Geneva Novak, animals can be easier to understand than people. They’re also easier to forgive. But when her mother, Helen, is injured in a vodka-fueled accident, it’s up to Geneva to give her the care she needs.

Since her teens, Geneva has kept her self-destructive mother at arm’s length. Now, with two slippery teenagers of her own at home, the last thing she wants is to add Helen to the mix. But Geneva’s husband convinces her that letting Helen live with them could be her golden chance to repair their relationship.

Geneva isn’t expecting her mother to change anytime soon, but she may finally get answers to the questions she’s been asking for so long. As the truth about her family unfolds, however, Geneva may find secrets too painful to bear and too terrible to forgive.

    

About the author

I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor. In my first incarnation, I was a animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.

I've published three novels, House Broken, Middle of Somewhere, and All the Best People. My fourth, True Places, will be released 1 January 2019. I'm very excited about it, but then again, I get excited about a lot of things.

When I'm not writing or pretending to be writing, I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in central Virginia with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Sonja

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Release Day! All the Best People by Sonja Yoerg

Happy Release Day!!



All the Best People

All the Best People by Sonja Yoerg
Paperback, 368 pages
Published May 2nd 2017 by Berkley Books

An intricately crafted story of madness, magic and misfortune across three generations from the author of The Middle of Somewhere and House Broken...

Vermont, 1972. Carole LaPorte has a satisfying, ordinary life. She cares for her children, balances the books for the family’s auto shop and laughs when her husband slow dances her across the kitchen floor. Her tragic childhood might have happened to someone else.

But now her mind is playing tricks on her. The accounts won’t reconcile and the murmuring she hears isn’t the television. She ought to seek help, but she’s terrified of being locked away in a mental hospital like her mother, Solange. So Carole hides her symptoms, withdraws from her family and unwittingly sets her eleven-year-old daughter Alison on a desperate search for meaning and power: in Tarot cards, in omens from a nearby river and in a mysterious blue glass box belonging to her grandmother.

An exploration of the power of courage and love to overcome a damning legacy, All the Best People celebrates the search for identity and grace in the most ordinary lives.

Congrats Sonja

on the release today of

All the Best People

I have read every one of Sonja's books and have been a big fan of hers since the first one. I recently read All the Best People and I posted my thoughts a couple of days ago. I loved this one just like I have loved all of Sonja's books. She takes a difficult topic and turns it into a touching, wonderful story. I highly recommend it! 

Here are what some other people have to say about

All the Best People.

“Not just the best people, but real people: authentic, quirky and troubled. I cared for them all."
Chris Bohjalian, ​New York Times bestselling ​author of The Sleepwalker

“All The Best People unfurls the truth of three generations caught in a grandmother’s mysterious madness. Yoerg spins the story of a family on the brink of collapse—writing with tenderness, grace, and truth.”
Randy Susan Meyers, bestselling author of Accidents of Marriage

“Beautifully rendered and aching in its portrayal of a mother’s slide into mental illness…Destined to be a book club favorite.”
Christopher Scotton, author of The Secret Wisdom of the Earth

“A powerful and haunting novel about betrayal and shame, acceptance and unconditional love. Book clubs will devour it.”
Barbara Claypole White, bestselling author of Echoes of Family

"A stirring tale of mothers and daughters, their secrets and their strength…a mesmerizing read."
Lynda Cohen Loigman, author of The Two-Family House

“All the Best People is gorgeously written and chock-full of captivating and colorful characters. Unforgettable, your heart will break and swell in equal measure.”
Kate Moretti, New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Year

“Yoerg has crafted a suspenseful and poignant tale of three generations of a Vermont family whose long-held secrets threaten to devour them whole. The novel is paced so perfectly and so dense with truly unique psychological drama, readers will need to be reminded to exhale.”
Amy Impellizzeri, award-winning author of Lemongrass Hope

“All the Best People is a powerful story of a family whose legacy of mental illness and betrayals nearly destroys them. Yoerg's writing keeps us on a high wire of tension as we seek salvation and hope alongside her characters.”
Holly Robinson, author of Folly Cove

"With Yoerg’s lush and moving prose, the characters are realistic and bold, yet so compassionately portrayed that I fell in love with even the most unlikable ones. This book will stay with you long after you read the last page.”
Amy Sue Nathan, author of The Good Neighbor

About the author

I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor. In my first incarnation, I was a animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.

My first two novels (House Broken and Middle of Somewhere) were published in 2015 by Penguin. My third, All the Best People, will be out in May 2017. I'm very excited about it, but then again, I get excited about a lot of things.

When I'm not writing or pretending to be writing, I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in central Virginia with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont.

Connect with Sonja

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

All the Best People by Sonja Yoerg ~ My Thoughts

All the Best People

All the Best People by Sonja Yoerg
Paperback, 368 pages
Expected publication: May 2nd 2017 by Berkley Books

An intricately crafted story of madness, magic and misfortune across three generations from the author of The Middle of Somewhere and House Broken...

Vermont, 1972. Carole LaPorte has a satisfying, ordinary life. She cares for her children, balances the books for the family’s auto shop and laughs when her husband slow dances her across the kitchen floor. Her tragic childhood might have happened to someone else.

But now her mind is playing tricks on her. The accounts won’t reconcile and the murmuring she hears isn’t the television. She ought to seek help, but she’s terrified of being locked away in a mental hospital like her mother, Solange. So Carole hides her symptoms, withdraws from her family and unwittingly sets her eleven-year-old daughter Alison on a desperate search for meaning and power: in Tarot cards, in omens from a nearby river and in a mysterious blue glass box belonging to her grandmother.

An exploration of the power of courage and love to overcome a damning legacy, All the Best People celebrates the search for identity and grace in the most ordinary lives.

  

(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 lines.)

First line—"Carole was ten when her mother was committed to Underhill State Hospital. For a year, her father had said."

I just love Sonja's books and I know when I start one that I am going to take an emotional journey into a family's life and come out with a better understanding of an issue that is a big part of, not just that family, but a lot of other families as well. All of her books are like that. All the Best People deals with mental health issues, an issue that has touched my family, as I am sure it has others. 

This story is so beautiful as well as being so heartbreaking. Beautiful because we see how families and communities can support and love each other and heartbreaking because we get a glimpse of how mental issues were dealt with in the past. Oh, how far we have come. 

Sonja's stories are always filled with great characters. I have so much respect for Carole and admire her for being so strong, even with all she had been through in her life. Her sister, Janine however, not so much. And then there's Walt and Alison, Carole's husband and daughter. They are both so supportive and loving as Carole is struggling with her past and dealing with the present. She doesn't want to be like her mother, but what if she can't help it? 

All the Best People gives us a very personal look at those who are affected by mental health issues and brings the struggles to our attention to give us all a better understanding of what it is like when something like this touches families. Hopefully, we can all have a little more empathy going forward for those who are faced with these issues.

Thank you Sonja for another wonderful, emotional, touching story! 

About the author

I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor. In my first incarnation, I was a animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.

My first two novels (House Broken and Middle of Somewhere) were published in 2015 by Penguin. My third, All the Best People, will be out in May 2017. I'm very excited about it, but then again, I get excited about a lot of things.

When I'm not writing or pretending to be writing, I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in central Virginia with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont. 

Connect with Sonja

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

The Middle of Somewhere by Sonja Yoerg and a Giveaway!

The Middle of Somewhere

The Middle of Somewhere by Sonja Yoerg
Paperback and e-book, 336 pages
Published: September 1st 2015 by NAL

If you loved Wild, you can't miss this.

A troubled, young widow hikes from Yosemite Valley deep into the wilderness on the John Muir Trail to elude her shameful past in this emotionally gripping story from the author of House Broken.

With her thirtieth birthday looming, Liz Kroft is heading for the hills—literally. Her emotional baggage weighs her down more than her backpack, but a three-week trek promises the solitude she craves—at least until her boyfriend, Dante, decides to tag along. His broad moral streak makes the prospect of confessing her sins more difficult, but as much as she fears his judgment, she fears losing him more. Maybe.

They set off together alone under blue skies, but it’s not long before storms threaten and two strange brothers appear along the trail. Amid the jagged, towering peaks, Liz must decide whether to admit her mistakes and confront her fears, or face the trail, the brothers and her future alone.

My thoughts about The Middle of Somewhere ~~ 

The Middle of Somewhere is an amazing story of one woman's journey to try and make some sense of her life. She has made some mistakes and has lied to the people around her, people who love her. She feels guilty and undeserving of that love and sets off on this three week hike to do some soul searching and to try to forgive herself.  

Sonja has written such a beautiful story and her descriptions of the area and the experiences that Liz and the other hikers encountered were so amazing that I felt like I was there witnessing the beauty, and the fury, of nature right along with Liz and the other hikers. 

'No questioning how Sunrise Camp got its name. The meadow stretched two miles in front of her, cast in near darkness, but the sun had found the Cathedral Peaks, painting them a warm orange, a promise for the coming day. The air was completely still, her breath in her ears the only sound. It was morning distilled, the sun rising on a quiet world, a mute witness To Liz, it was both the oldest miraculous event, and the newest. This one belonged to her, and she to it.'

Liz's solitary, soul searching journey turns into something altogether different from what she had planned, when her boyfriend decides at the last minute to join her. The extreme conditions they have to endure really puts their relationship to the test. And secrets are never an easy thing to keep or to live with.  

'If he knew the truth, if he knew what the real tragedy was, he wouldn't love her at all.'

I know I am not the type of person who could ever in a million years be able to spend three weeks of my life as Liz did. Honestly, I am not an outdoorsy type. At all. This story was so well written and believable that I felt like I was right there with these hikers and I went on this trek vicariously through them. Thanks for the workout, Sonja! 

There comes a point in the book when things start to go wrong and I literally could not stop reading. It got so intense that there was no way I could put the book aside. I stayed up way too late to finish the book because I just had to know how it ended. I love it when authors can create a story like that, one that just pulls me into it. 

'Here at the edge of this lake, on the broad flank of this mountain range, under the boundless sky in the middle of nowhere, she was small and bare and completely inconsequential, as was her past. Water, rock, air—it cared nothing for her and would judge her not. On this journey, she would travel deep into the indifferent wilderness to discover what was possible for her, and what could not be undone.'

About the author

My debut novel, House Broken, was released 6 January 2015 courtesy of Penguin/NAL. My second novel, Middle of Somewhere, was released on September 1, 2015. 

I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor. In my first incarnation, I was a animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.

I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont. 

Connect with Sonja

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Sonja and her publicist are offering one copy of The Middle of Somewhere for this giveaway! How awesome is that? 

Thank you Sonja!

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Release Day! The Middle of Somewhere by Sonja Yoerg

Happy Release Day!!

The Middle of Somewhere

The Middle of Somewhere by Sonja Yoerg
Paperback and e-book, 336 pages
Published: September 1st 2015 by NAL

If you loved Wild, you can't miss this.

A troubled, young widow hikes from Yosemite Valley deep into the wilderness on the John Muir Trail to elude her shameful past in this emotionally gripping story from the author of House Broken.

With her thirtieth birthday looming, Liz Kroft is heading for the hills—literally. Her emotional baggage weighs her down more than her backpack, but a three-week trek promises the solitude she craves—at least until her boyfriend, Dante, decides to tag along. His broad moral streak makes the prospect of confessing her sins more difficult, but as much as she fears his judgment, she fears losing him more. Maybe.

They set off together alone under blue skies, but it’s not long before storms threaten and two strange brothers appear along the trail. Amid the jagged, towering peaks, Liz must decide whether to admit her mistakes and confront her fears, or face the trail, the brothers and her future alone.

"Yoerg knows how to keep the pages turning in this fast-paced, action-packed, heart-tugging novel." - Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of Little Mercies

"The perfect blend of self-discovery and suspense." - Kate Moretti, New York Times bestselling author of Thought I Knew You

"Beautifully written, it paints a vivid portrait of the wilderness and a woman in peril. " - Eileen Goudge, New York Times bestselling author of Bones and Roses

"Yoerg skillfully explores how the weight of remorse makes the search for personal redemption a test of not just the will, but the heart...stunningly descriptive prose." - Susan Meissner, author of Secrets of a Charmed Life

"By the time you finish this wonderful novel--driven by a pulse of dark secrets and looming danger--you'll feel as if you've hiked the John Muir Trail." - Kristin Harmel, International bestselling author of The Life Intended

About the author

My debut novel, House Broken, was released 6 January 2015 courtesy of Penguin/NAL. My second novel, Middle of Somewhere, will be out on September 1, 2015. 

I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor. In my first incarnation, I was a animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.

I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont. 

Connect with Sonja

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

House Broken by Sonja Yoerg

House Broken

House Broken by Sonja Yoerg
Paperback and e-book, 336 pages
Publication date: January 6th 2015 by NAL Trade

In this compelling and poignant debut novel, a woman skilled at caring for animals must learn to mend the broken relationships in her family.…

For veterinarian Geneva Novak, animals can be easier to understand than people. They’re also easier to forgive. But when her mother, Helen, is injured in a vodka-fueled accident, it’s up to Geneva to give her the care she needs.

Since her teens, Geneva has kept her self-destructive mother at arm’s length. Now, with two slippery teenagers of her own at home, the last thing she wants is to add Helen to the mix. But Geneva’s husband convinces her that letting Helen live with them could be her golden chance to repair their relationship.

Geneva isn’t expecting her mother to change anytime soon, but she may finally get answers to the questions she’s been asking for so long. As the truth about her family unfolds, however, Geneva may find secrets too painful to bear and too terrible to forgive.

My thoughts about House Broken ~~

Look at this cover. Isn't that face just adorable? Well, that face is what first drew me to House Broken. We had a chocolate lab for 13 years, who looked very much like the dog on this cover. And then I read the synopsis. There is so much about this book that I can relate to; the main character is a veterinarian - my youngest sister is a vet; the main character comes from a dysfunctional family and has issues with her mother - well, 'nuff said about that.

So anyway, I felt like this would be a story that I would enjoy and like I said, could relate to. Let me tell you, this was a great story! It is amazing to think that this is Sonja's debut novel. She writes so wonderfully and she makes the storyline and the characters seem so real.

Geneva's father dies when she was quite young and she has to deal with a mother who basically isn't there anymore. That is a tough way to grow up.

'Geneva, patient and watchful, waited for Helen to come around. But the strength that should have returned to her mother never appeared, or never for very long, and Geneva finally realized that she was waiting for a mother she never had.'

When Helen is injured and can't live on her own while she is recovering, Geneva's husband Tom, convinces her that maybe the best thing would be for Helen to move in with them. Maybe they could mend their strained relationship.

'Maybe she's learned her lesson. Maybe if she's here, and she needs to rely on you, she'll see how to be a better person.'

But Helen has secrets, secrets she has kept for many years. And these secrets are the basis for the problems in the family and the estrangement among the siblings. She married very young and her marriage to Eustace wasn't the wedded bliss that she expected. And her life did not turn out at all like she thought it would.

'She had been relieved to move into Eustace's house in town, where the streetlights shone nice and bright. Of course that was before the trouble started, when her idea of scared became the things you couldn't see.'

Then Sonja throws in two teenagers, with all the drama and problems that teenagers seem to have at this stage of their lives. And Ella and Charlie both have their own secrets. With all the other family drama happening around them, their lives just start spinning out of control.

'No one tells you how stressful it is to be this cool.'

As I was reading this story, I was thinking about how dysfunction seemed to run in this family, first one generation, then the next, and the next. Then I wondered, maybe every family is dysfunctional to some degree. No one is perfect and no family can be the perfect family. We just do the best we can with what we have and we learn to live with it.

In the end, Geneva and her family learn to deal with their problems the best way that they know how and go on from there. And it might not be the way you think, I know this book didn't end as I expected it to. Don't you love it when an author can surprise you like that? I know I do.

House Broken was a fabulous read and I am looking forward to the next book by Sonja. There was a little sneak peek at the back of the book so I got a taste of what's to come. I will be watching for it because Sonja has now been added to my list of must read authors.

About the author

My debut novel, House Broken, will be released 6 January 2015 courtesy of Penguin/NAL. My second novel, Middle of Somewhere, will be out in September 2015.

I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor. In my first incarnation, I was a animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.

I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont.

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