Release Day! A Year of Extraordinary Moments by Bette Lee Crosby

Happy Release Day!!

Congratulations Bette

on the release today of

A Year of Extraordinary Moments!

A Year of Extraordinary Moments by Bette Lee Crosby

Series: Magnolia Grove Novel #2

Paperback, and ebook, 318 pages

Published October 16th 2018 by Lake Union Publishing

From USA Today bestselling author Bette Lee Crosby comes a heartwarming novel about letting go of the past to make way for a brighter future.

Tracy Briggs has finally gotten her act together. She’s focusing on her own life and helping her hearing-impaired son learn to talk. With her sister married and exploring a new career, Tracy has begun to run the family’s magazine business and feels her life is pretty much perfect. That is, until her son’s deadbeat dad shows up in Magnolia Grove asking for a second chance.

Now that her son is getting the help he needs and a promising new romance with his teacher is in bloom, Tracy wants to keep her life just as it is. But her ex isn’t taking no for an answer. And when a spirited elderly woman enters Tracy’s life in an unexpected way, she’ll have to work harder than ever to keep her new life on track.

Torn between the past she knows and the uncertain future, Tracy must decide what is best for both her and her son, learning along the way that ordinary choices can bring extraordinary possibilities.

    

I've read both books in Bette's Magnolia series and loved them both. You can read my thoughts here and here.

FYI–you can enter my Book Spotlight Giveaway for a chance to win A Summer of New Beginnings. 

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. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Bette

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? October 15, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

Finding Libbie
by Deanna Lynn Sletten
This is a re-read for me but it's my pick for book club this month. And.... Deanna is going to join us in person. I'm so excited for everyone to meet her!

Miss Etta: A Novel
by Deanna Lynn Sletten
(audio-book)
Loved reading this and am loving the narration just as much!


The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
(The Adventures of Tom and Huck #1)
by Mark Twain
(audio-book)

What I recently finished

A Thousand Doors: An Anthology of Many Lives
by J.T. Ellison et al.
So good and such an interesting idea!
Pub date 11/5

The Japanese Lover

by Isabel Allende

(audio-book)

Check out my giveaway to win a hardcover copy!

Second Star

by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Interesting spin on the Peter Pan story. Read my thoughts here.

What I am going to read next

The Here and Now
by Ann Brashares

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel ~ My Thoughts #SecondStar #NetGalley

Second Star

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Kindle Edition, 256 pages
Published May 13th 2014 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy’s journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove’s charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward Pete's nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete.

A radical reinvention of a classic, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up--and the troubled beauty trapped between them.

My thoughts about Second Star ~~

(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—"I can smell the bonfire before I even get out of the car. It's dusk, and the sun is low on the water. According to my watch, it's been exactly four hours since I officially graduated high school."

I love the old classic stories that we have all heard or read when we were growing up. Second Star is a modernized retelling of one of my very favorites, Peter Pan. I enjoyed the way that this author set this wonderful tale in modern times and had the characters face modern problems, all while keeping the basic foundation of the original.

This story does not have the scary alligator or Captain Hook that we see as the evil components of the older tale, but Second Star does have it's own set of evil influences. This retelling has enough similarities to the original story that I was nostalgically reminded of the classic, with all of the old familiar and loved characters.

I received a copy of Second Star from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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About the author

Alyssa Sheinmel is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels for young adults, including Faceless and Second Star. She is the co-author of The Haunting of Sunshine Girl and its sequel, The Awakening of Sunshine Girl. Alyssa grew up in Northern California and New York, and currently lives and writes in New York City. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Alyssa

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

A Year of Extraordinary Moments by Bette Lee Crosby ~ My Thoughts and an Exciting Announcement! #AYearOfExtraordinaryMoments #NetGalley

A Year of Extraordinary Moments

A Year of Extraordinary Moments by Bette Lee Crosby
Series: Magnolia Grove Novel #2
Paperback, and ebook, 318 pages
Expected publication: October 16th 2018 by Lake Union Publishing

From USA Today bestselling author Bette Lee Crosby comes a heartwarming novel about letting go of the past to make way for a brighter future.

Tracy Briggs has finally gotten her act together. She’s focusing on her own life and helping her hearing-impaired son learn to talk. With her sister married and exploring a new career, Tracy has begun to run the family’s magazine business and feels her life is pretty much perfect. That is, until her son’s deadbeat dad shows up in Magnolia Grove asking for a second chance.

Now that her son is getting the help he needs and a promising new romance with his teacher is in bloom, Tracy wants to keep her life just as it is. But her ex isn’t taking no for an answer. And when a spirited elderly woman enters Tracy’s life in an unexpected way, she’ll have to work harder than ever to keep her new life on track.

Torn between the past she knows and the uncertain future, Tracy must decide what is best for both her and her son, learning along the way that ordinary choices can bring extraordinary possibilities.

    

My thoughts about A Year of Extraordinary Moments ~~

(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—"I'm an old woman and not long for this world, but I'm not afraid of dying. What I'm afraid of is leaving behind a grandson who will follow in his mama's footsteps."

Picking up and reading A Year of Extraordinary Moments was like going back to my old neighborhood and visiting again with my dear, dear friends. I was able to pick up with their lives just like I had never left them. That's what I love about Bette's books—her characters are so memorable that they stay with me and I think about them long after I've finished the book.

This book, #2 in the Magnolia series, focuses on Tracy, an unwed mother with a beautiful son who is loved by everyone who meets him. After a wild start to her life, Tracy seems to be settling down and making good decisions, all because of the love she has for her son. But when her son's father comes back into town looking to reconcile, Tracy's life starts spinning out of control again. How is she going to be able to choose the right path to take?

Bette's stories are always such gentle and loving stories and are always full of wonderful bits of wisdom that can apply to almost everyone in their everyday lives. I always learn so much about how to live life and always come away with a positive outlook about things when I finish one of her books. I highly recommend that you read A Year of Extraordinary Moments and I know you'll love this series as much as I do.

Bette, an extraordinary woman and writer, has penned yet another extraordinary tale! 

I received a copy of A Year of Extraordinary Moments from the author via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Book #1 in this series, The Summer of New Beginnings, is an amazing story as well. Read my thoughts about this wonderful book here. You can also enter my Book Spotlight Giveaway for a chance to win this book! 

Bette has been hosting a series of Facebook events leading up to the release of her new book on Tuesday. She will be visiting The Book Bag on Facebook on Sunday at 3 pm (EDT) for a live chat so I invite you to drop by and chat with her. She's also giving away a signed, paperback copy of her new book, A Year of Extraordinary Moments. How awesome is that? Be sure and come!

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. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Bette

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Book Spotlight Giveaway! The Summer of New Beginnings by Bette Lee Crosby

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.

Bette is one of my favorite, must-read authors. She will be releasing book #2 in her wonderful Magnolia series on Tuesday. I have a paperback copy of book #1 to give away right now. I love this series and I know you will too. You can read my thoughts about book #1 here. 

I also have some super exciting news to share!

Bette has been hosting a series of Facebook events leading up to the release of her new book on Tuesday. She will be visiting The Book Bag on Facebook on Sunday at 3 pm (EDT) for a live chat so I invite you to drop by and chat with her. She's also giving away a signed, paperback copy of her new book, A Year of Extraordinary Moments. How awesome is that? 

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

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The Summer of New Beginnings

The Summer of New Beginnings by Bette Lee Crosby

Series: A Magnolia Grove Novel

Paperback, and ebook, 284 pages

Expected publication: March 27th 2018 by Lake Union Publishing

One family learns that love is the greatest miracle of all—from USA Today bestselling author Bette Lee Crosby.

Aspiring journalist Meghan Briggs has always been the responsible one in the family. So when her father passes away unexpectedly, leaving behind his at-risk business, she steps up to save his legacy—even if that means putting her own dreams on hold.

Tracy couldn’t be more different from her sister. She’s always been the rebellious type, without much direction in life. But in the wake of her latest romantic disaster, she finds herself moving back home as a single mother.

As Tracy experiences the difficulties of new motherhood, Meghan faces her own struggle: trying not to fall for the stray puppy she rescued. This is no time for attachments—not to the adorable “Sox,” whose owner is bound to turn up any day, and certainly not to the handsome new vet in town. But as the summer unfolds, she discovers that, like Sox, she may need rescuing, too.

As both sisters navigate unexpected challenges and exciting new relationships, they’ll find that putting the past to rest can make way for beautiful new beginnings.

    

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. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Bette

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!