Baby Girl (Memory House Series, #4) by Bette Lee Crosby

Baby Girl

Baby Girl by Bette Lee Crosby
Series: Memory House Series, #4
ebook
Expected publication: March 1st 2016 by Bent Pine Publishing

When young Cheryl Ann leaves home, she thinks her path is straight…until she’s forced to make a choice she could never have imagined. The man in her life makes it clear: either pick your baby or pick me, he says. Suddenly, Cheryl finds herself at a crossroads. She makes a decision that will change her life forever, and that decision causes a chain of events that will lead Cheryl to a completely unexpected place.

Baby Girl is a mother’s story. It’s about the greatest sacrifice a mother can make when she wants only the best for her child. It’s about falling in and out of love, of losing and finding one’s self. It’s about the perilous journey from passionate young love to happy true love and understanding the differences between the two.

Baby Girl is a book that readers won’t want to miss because it’s a story they won’t forget.

From the Author: This book is based on a true story…a story that is heartbreaking at times but will leave readers with a better understanding of what a woman will do to protect her child. When I first heard this birth mother’s story I was touched by it, so much so that I needed to know more. When I knew more, I knew I needed to write my novel. The result is Baby Girl.

My thoughts about Baby Girl ~~

Bette has written another beautiful, emotional story. I fall in love with every book and character she creates. The amazing Ophelia is once again handing out her love, wisdom, and dandelion tea to the people who need her support and advice. A trip back to Memory House is always a wonderful thing.

Cheryl Ann has had her share of ups and downs, love and heartache. Her biggest heartache was having to give up her baby girl, all for love. I can't even imagine!

'She was forever, permanently and irrevocably, gone from my life, but I knew even then she would never be gone from my heart.'

Cheryl Ann goes through a lot in her life and comes out a strong, independent woman, no thanks to the men in her life. It was tough watching her live through the tough times. I felt like she was a friend that I couldn't help, she just needed to figure it out on her own. I was sad right along with her but also felt the love that she found in her friends.

'"When a person gives you nothing but misery,” she said, “then it’s time to move on and find happiness."'

Baby Girl is another wonderful story in the Memory House series. All of the stories are warm, beautifully written glimpses into the lives of the people that Bette has created. I love every visit I get to take back to Memory House.

About the author

USA Today Bestselling and Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby's books are "Well-crafted storytelling populated by memorable characters caught up in equally memorable circumstances." - Midwest Book Review

The Seattle Post Intelligencer says Crosby's writing is, "A quirky mix of Southern flair, serious thoughts about important things in life and madcap adventures."

Samantha from Reader's Favorite raves, "Crosby writes the type of book you can't stop thinking about long after you put it down."

"Storytelling is in my blood," Crosby laughingly admits, "My mom was not a writer, but she was a captivating storyteller, so I find myself using bits and pieces of her voice in most everything I write."

It is the wit and wisdom of that Southern Mama Crosby brings to her works of fiction; the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away. Her work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. She has since gone on to win nineteen awards for her work; these include: The Royal Palm Literary Award, the FPA President's Book Award Gold Medal, Reader's Favorite Award Gold Medal, and the Reviewer's Choice Award.

Connect with Bette

Website | Facebook |Twitter | Goodreads

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Borrow-A-Bridesmaid by Anne Wagener

Borrow-A-Bridesmaid

Borrow-A-Bridesmaid by Anne Wagener

Kindle Edition

Published June 8th 2015 by Pocket Star

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade—or, in Piper Brody’s case, make a Craigslist ad offering yourself up as a hired bridesmaid! A hilarious, touching, coming-of-age novel from debut author Anne Wagener.

Piper is a recent college grad who decides to sell her body on Craigslist—as a hired bridesmaid. Her airport bookseller job just isn’t bringing home the turkey bacon, and no one’s going to pay her to analyze Milton’s poetry. Turns out, having an English literature degree from an upstanding university isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Piper’s Craigslist endeavor soon picks up steam, netting her clients such as Southern peach Stacey, whose interracial marriage causes a family feud, and Alex, a bride-to-be who’s so type A she’s type A-plus. Between fighting off matching T-shirt–wearing teams of “bustle bitches” at gown sales and learning more about fondant than the Cake Boss, Piper falls for Charlie Bell, the brother of a client. A fellow aspiring writer, Charlie’s the only person recently who’s encouraged Piper to follow her dreams. Not to mention, he’s pretty darn cute.

But when Charlie turns out to be the groom in one of her gigs—and set to marry the craziest bridezilla of them all—Piper must band together with her newfound friends and stop Charlie from making the biggest mistake of his life.

My thoughts about Borrow-A-Bridesmaid ~~

Oh my gosh! What a fun, hilarious story. I LOL'd throughout the entire book. When Piper decides to 'sell herself' on Craigslist as a bridesmaid-for-hire, I knew this was going to be a unique and amazing adventure. I mean really, who would think of doing something like that? But she needs some money coming in and this idea seems like a perfect fit for her. 

'Lin is distracted, eyeing my childhood companion Cheer Bear, who has a pair of pink lacy underwear draped over his face. "What happened to him?" "He was smiling at me like—like he could fix my financial crisis with a song about rainbows.'

Piper puts herself out there and in the process meets some very interesting people, some who become friends, and then some who she is more than happy to be done with. And I loved her roommate, Lin, the gay guy, who is there to support her all the way. 

And then Piper meets the man of her dreams. But wait, she is hired to be a bridesmaid, in his wedding? Did she read the signals wrong? I loved the way this dilemma was resolved—hilarious! 

There are so many great, fun parts in this story, as well as it being a wonderful escape. I loved every minute of it and it was such a treat to read. This is Anne's debut novel and I am really looking forward to reading more from her. I know I will be entertained! 

'She is officially the empress of badassery.' 

I received a copy of Borrow-A-Bridesmaid from the author in exchange for an honest review.

About the author 

I'm a serial bridesmaid, amateur ukulele player, and dessert addict living in western New York. 

My first novel, Borrow-A-Bridesmaid, was partially inspired by my experiences bridesmaiding throughout my 20s. In total, I've been a bridesmaid 10 times, in 6 different states (and England!). In the book, my main character is paid to be a stand-in bridesmaid. Just to clarify, none of my friends hired me, unless you count chocolate fountains and delicious gourmet food as payment...

Beyond bridesmaiding, I found being in my 20s to be confusing as $#&!. One of the reasons I wrote this book was to explore some of those experiences in hopes of connecting with other people in their 20s (and beyond—graduating to a new decade hasn't cleared up much of my confusion) about things like career angst, awkward work situations, and LOVE, my favorite topic of all time.

When I'm not writing, I'm watching too much Netflix or reading.

Connect with Anne

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? January 18, 2016

Hello! Welcome to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? This weekly meme, hosted by Book Date, is where we share what we have read this past week and what our plans are for the upcoming week. It’s a great way to see what others are reading and to discover books to add to your own To Be Read list. You never know where that next great read may come from!

Click on the book image to read more on Goodreads.

What I'm currently reading/listening to

Sticks and Stones (The Wish Makers #1)

by Shawn McGuire 

Free Souls (Mindjack Trilogy #3)

by Susan Kaye Quinn

(audio)

What I recently finished reading

Baby Girl (Memory House Series, #4)

by Bette Lee Crosby

My thoughts will be posted soon.

Borrow-A-Bridesmaid 

by Anne Wagener

My thoughts will be posted soon. 

What I am going to read next

Going for Two (Queen of the League, #2)

by Laura Chapman

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? January 11, 2016

Hello! Welcome to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? This weekly meme, hosted by Book Date, is where we share what we have read this past week and what our plans are for the upcoming week. It’s a great way to see what others are reading and to discover books to add to your own To Be Read list. You never know where that next great read may come from!

I didn't post last week so my list is kind of long, it's two weeks worth of reading. 

Click on the book image to read more on Goodreads.

What I'm currently reading/listening to

Borrow-A-Bridesmaid

by Anne Wagener 

Free Souls (Mindjack Trilogy #3)

by Susan Kaye Quinn

(audio)
I love this series.

What I recently finished reading

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

by Amy Chua

Alot about this book made me angry. It will be an interesting discussion tonight at book club.

Novelista Girl

by Meredith Schorr

Loved it! Read my thoughts here.

What I am going to read next

Sticks and Stones (The Wish Makers #1)

by Shawn McGuire 

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Book Spotlight Giveaway! Murder at The Washington Tribune by Margaret Truman

The book that I am featuring this week is one that I got from my daughter when she moved. She is a total mystery lover. I haven't read any books by Margaret Truman. This one is book #21 in the series. 

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

Murder at The Washington Tribune

Murder at The Washington Tribune by Margaret Truman 
Series: Capital Crimes #21
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published October 25th 2005 by Ballantine Books

From senators to summer interns, from all the president’s men to all-powerful women, Margaret Truman captures the fascinating, high-wire drama of Washington, D.C., like no other writer. Now this master of mystery fiction takes us into the capital’s chaotic fourth estate. At the big, aggressive newspaper The Washington Tribune, a young woman has been murdered. And the hunt for her killer is making sensational and lethal headlines.

The victim, fresh out of journalism school, hoped to make a splash at the Trib–and then a maintenance man found her in a supply closet, brutally strangled to death. The Trib’s journalists are at once horrified and anxious to solve the crime before the cops do, and put this scandal to rest. But the Metropolitan Police Department isn’t going to let byline-hungry reporters get in the way of its investigation, and soon enough the journalists ad the cops have established warring task forces. Then a second woman is killed, in Franklin Square. Like the first, she was young, attractive, and worked in the media.

For veteran Trib reporter Joe Wilcox, whose career is mired in frustration and disappointment, the case strikes close to home. His daughter is a beautiful rising TV-news star. As his relationship with a female MPD detective grows more intimate, Joe sees a chance to renew himself as a reporter and as a man. Spearheading the Trib’s investigation, he baits a trap with a secret from his own past.

Suddenly Joe is risking his career, his marriage, and even his daughter’s life by playing a dangerous game with a possible serial killer, while a police detective is bending rules for the reporter she likes and trusts but may not know as well as she thinks she does. As Joe’s daughter finds herself trapped at the heart of a frantic manhunt, the walls come down between family, friendship, ethics, and ambition–and a killer hides in plain sight.

Chilling, riveting, and richly rewarding, Murder at The Washington Tribune is a brilliant tale of real people in a world where law, power, and honesty collide–and where the punishment only sometimes fits the crime. 

About the author

Mary Margaret Truman-Daniel, widely known throughout her life as "Margaret Truman", (February 17, 1924 — January 29, 2008) was an American singer who later became a successful writer. She was the only child of Harry S. Truman (33rd President of the United States) and his wife Bess.

Born in Independence, Missouri, she was christened Mary Margaret Truman (for her aunt Mary Jane Truman and her maternal grandmother Margaret Gates Wallace) but was called Margaret from early childhood.

She wrote several non-fiction and fiction books. Harry S. Truman (1972) was a critically acclaimed, full length biography of her father drawn from extensive resources at the Truman Library, published shortly before his death. Bess W. Truman (1986) was a detailed personal biography of her mother. She also wrote books on White House first ladies and pets, the history of the White House and its inhabitants, along with a critically successful series of fictional murder mysteries set in various locations in and around Washington, D.C. There have been claims these murder mysteries were ghost-written, perhaps by Donald Bain, but he denies this. She continued to write and publish regularly into her eighties.

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