Book Review & Giveaway: The Aquamarine Surfboard by Kellye Abernathy

22 November 2022 by Melissa

About the book, The Aquamarine Surfboard

Middle Grade / Magical Realism / Fantasy
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Page Count: 290 pages
Publication Date: November 22, 2021
Scroll down for a giveaway!

“Age never matters; these things are about bravery and heart.”

Thirteen-year-old Condi Bloom’s dream is to learn to surf, but her laid-back beach town isn’t what it used to be. Big resort owners are taking over the cove. Worse, someone’s harassing the Beachlings, the mysterious old women living in the cliffs off Windy Hollow, a lonely tower of rock that people say is haunted. When a new surfer boy named Trustin shows up in town and invites Condi to a forbidden surfing spot, she’s swept into an extraordinary underwater adventure, where a surprising encounter with Koan, the Riddlemaster of the Sea, changes her life. Along with Trustin, his quirky twin and a mystical aquamarine surfboard, Condi learns the untold stories of the Beachlings, uncovering the timeless secrets of Windy Hollow.Ebbing and flowing between reality and magic, times past and present, The Aquamarine Surfboard by Kellye Abernathy is a riveting beach tale about opening up to mystery, building community when and where you can — and discovering the ocean is filled with magic—the really BIG kind—the kind that changes the world.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * IndieBound * Bookshop.org * Books-A-Million * Goodreads

About the author, Kellye Abernathy

Kellye Abernathy’s passions are writing and serving trauma survivors as a yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Kansas. Her home is in land-locked Plano, Texas—where she’s dreaming of her next trip to the sea!

Connect with Kellye:

Website * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Amazon

My Thoughts

As someone who was almost born on the beach and was swimming before I was walking, this book, The Aquamarine Surfboard, felt like it was written for my childhood self. From the opening chapter, where the protagonist, Condi, meets the mysterious Trustin, and tells him about the Beachlings, a group of free-spirited old women who are unhoused, but make their home in the caves by the sea, I was drawn into the world that author Kellye Abernathy created – a beachfront town that could be almost anywhere in the world – Hawaii or New Zealand feel most likely – that has cliffs overlooking the sea.

Thirteen-year-old Condi is a fabulous character, very much a real girl, who is living with the tragic loss of her parents. Despite this, she’s reasonably happy, finding pleasure in salt, sand, sea, and surfing – well, in the idea of surfing – because when we first meet her she’s just voicing her determination to learn. While she doesn’t have a ton of friends, those she does have are loyal, and the boys they share space with are written like real young teenagers – eager, oblivious, exuberant – sometimes all at once.

This book isn’t just a surfing story, although it would be a satisfying read if that’s all it was. Rather, it’s a magical trip from childhood to the cusp of young womanhood, filled with sea beings who aren’t necessarily mermaids (Koan, their leader, seems like a combination of Poseidon and Gandalf, and completely works as the Voice of Reason who never gives you the answers, just the clues you need in order to find them. There’s also local history woven throughout the novel, and rumors of hauntings.

Like the best adult books with the magical realism tag, this book rides the line between pure fantasy and purely realistic events, with dimensional characters, settings one would love to visit (well, I would, anyway) and a plot that’s easy enough for middle-grade readers to comprehend, while also bring complex enough for adult readers.

I especially liked the author’s use of simple, but evocative, language. I felt like I could hear the waves between each line of text. The way she dropped in snippets of Robert Frost’s work (and other poets) was perfect for the tone of the book, and felt very organic.

Overall, The Aquamarine Surfboard is an enchanting story that leaves you feeling like there’s sand between your toes and saltwater drying in your hair – in the most wonderful way, of course.

Goes well with: Italian ice treats in lemon or watermelon. Preferably purchased from a food truck or beachside snack bar.

Giveaway

Three winners receive signed copies!

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 12/16/22)

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Multi-Book Spotlight with Giveaway – 3 Novels by Joanne Kukanza Easley

11 November 2022 by Melissa

Three Novels by Joanne Easley

SWEET JANE, JUST ONE LOOK, & I’LL BE SEEING YOU

Scroll down for Giveaway

About the book Sweet Jane

Family Saga / Women’s Fiction / Historical Fiction
Publisher: Red Boots Press
Pages: 279 pages
Publication Date: September 17, 2022

Joanne Kukanza Easley’s debut novel

2019 Wisdom-Faulkner Award finalist
2020 Adult Fiction winner Texas Author Project
2020 Sarton Award Finalist
2020 Eric Hoffer Award Short List

A drunken mother makes childhood ugly. Jane runs away at sixteen, determined to leave her fraught upbringing in the rearview. Vowing never to return, she hitchhikes to California, right on time for the Summer of Love. Seventeen years later, she looks good on paper: married, grad school, sober, but her carefully constructed life is crumbling. When Mama dies, Jane returns for the funeral, leaving her husband in the dark about her history. Seeing her childhood home and significant people from her youth catapults Jane back to the events that made her the woman she is. She faces down her past and the ghosts that shaped her family. A stunning discovery helps Jane see her problems through a new lens.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

About the book Just One Look

Family Saga / Women’s Fiction / Historical Fiction
Publisher: Red Boots Press
Pages: 293 pages
Publication Date: September 17, 2022

May 2022 Pulpwood Queen Book Club Pick
Shelf Unbound 2021 Notable 100 Best Indie Books
Recommended by the US Review of Books

In 1965 Chicago, thirteen-year-old Dani Marek declares she’s in love, and you best believe it. This is no crush, and for six blissful years she fills her hope chest with linens, dinnerware, and dreams of an idyllic future with John. When he is killed in action in Viet Nam, Dani’s world shatters. She launches a one-woman vendetta against the men she seeks out in Rush Street’s singles bars. Her goal: break as many hearts as she can. Dani’s ill-conceived vengeance leads her to a loveless marriage that ends in tragedy. At twenty-four, she’s left a widow with a baby, a small fortune, and a ghost—make that two. Set in the turbulent Sixties and Seventies, Just One Look explores one woman’s tumultuous journey through grief, denial, and letting go.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

About the book I’ll Be Seeing You

Family Saga / Women’s Fiction / Addiction & Recovery / Historical Fiction
Publisher: Red Boots Press
Pages: 227 pages
Publication Date: August 28, 2022

The new release from Joanne Kukanza Easley, the multi-award-winning author of Sweet Jane and Just One Look

A saga spanning five decades, I’ll Be Seeing You, explores one woman’s life, with and without alcohol to numb the pain.

Young Lauren knows she doesn’t want to be a ranch wife in Palo Pinto County, Texas. After she’s discovered by a modeling scout at the 1940 Fort Worth Stock Show Parade, she moves to Manhattan to begin her glamourous career. A setback ends her dream, and she drifts into alcohol dependence and promiscuity. By twenty-four, she’s been widowed and divorced, and has developed a pattern of fleeing her problems with geographical cures. Lauren’s last escape lands her in Austin, where, after ten chaotic years, she achieves lasting sobriety and starts a successful business, but happiness eludes her.

Fast forward to 1985. With a history of burning bridges and never looking back, Lauren is stunned when Brett, her third husband, resurfaces, wanting to reconcile after thirty-three years. The losses and regrets of the past engulf her, and she seeks the counsel of Jane, a long-time friend from AA. In the end, the choice is Lauren’s. What will she decide?

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

About the author, Joanne Kukanza Easley

A retired registered nurse with experience in both the cold, clinical operating room and the emotionally fraught world of psychiatric hospitals, Joanne lives on a small ranch in the Texas Hill Country, where she writes fiction about complicated, twentieth-century women.

Her multi-award-winning debut, Sweet Jane, was named the adult fiction winner at the Texas Author Project and shortlisted for the Sarton Award and Eric Hoffer Award, among others. Just One Look, Joanne’s second novel was a May 2022 Pulpwood Queen Book Club Pick. I’ll Be Seeing You, her third novel, features characters from Sweet Jane. Her prize-winning short stories and poetry have appeared in several anthologies.

Connect with Joanne:

Giveaway

THREE WINNERS!

Each receives an eBook of

SWEET JANE or

JUST ONE LOOK or

I’LL BE SEEING YOU

(U.S. only; ends midnight, CDT, 11/17/22.)

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Review & Giveaway: The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch, by Julia Brewer Daily

7 November 2022 by Melissa

About the book, The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch

Genre: Women’s Fiction / Contemporary Western / Family Saga
Publisher: Admission Press
Pages: 322 pages
Publication Date: November 1, 2022
SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

Emma Rosales is the heiress of the largest ranch in Texas—The Thorn. All the responsibilities of managing a million acres now fall into her fifth-generation hands.

A task Emma could handle with her eyes closed…if The Thorn were any ordinary property.

The Thorn is home to many things. Clear, cloudless skies. Miles of desert scrub and craggy mountains. A quiet disrupted only by whispers of the wind. And an ancient web of secrets won’t let Emma out alive without a fight.

The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch is a family saga as large as the state of Texas.

Praise for this book:

“A delight to read.” —Theresa Kadair, Seattle Book Review
“Julia Daily builds a captivating world by letting her imagination lead the way. The result? A unique story that’s a little Wild West, a little old Mexico, a little ancient history, and a lot rebellious.” –Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Perennials
“A novel that combines mystery, suspense, adventure, and a romance that neither hardships nor time can erase between the main characters.” –Debra Holt, award-winning, multi-published Texas author of series such as The Tremaynes of Texas and The Lawmen Series.
“A dignified, passionate, and layered tale in a rugged yet picturesque landscape… This book testifies to the rewards of fighting for enduring connections between family members and home.” –RECOMMENDED, The US Review of Books

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Watch the Trailer for this Book:

About the author, Julia Brewer Daily

Julia Brewer Daily is a Texan with a southern accent. She holds a B.S. in English and a M.S. degree in Education from the University of Southern Mississippi.

She has been a Communications Adjunct Professor at Belhaven University, Jackson, Mississippi, and Public Relations Director of the Mississippi Department of Education and Millsaps College, a liberal arts college in Jackson, MS.

She was the founding director of the Greater Belhaven Market, a producers’ only market in a historic neighborhood in Jackson, and even shadowed Martha Stewart.

As the Executive Director of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi (300 artisans from 19 states) which operates the Mississippi Craft Center, she wrote their stories to introduce them to the public.

She is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas, the Women Fiction Writers’ Association, Women Writing the West, and the Pulpwood Queens Book Club.

A lifelong southerner, she now resides on a ranch in Fredericksburg, Texas, with her husband Emmerson and Labrador retrievers, Memphis Belle and Texas Star.

Connect with Julia:

My Thoughts

My previous experience with Julia Daily’s powerful prose was in the intimate and very serious novel, No Names to Be Given, which I also reviewed. This book, The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch is a departure from the other work in tone, and in setting. While it still deals with serious issues – land ownership, animal care, medicine, and culture – it does so by wrapping them in a family saga as vast as the Southwest Texas ranch at the center of the story, then adding in a touch of magical realism and spicing it with a romance.

At the heart of this story is Emma, recently returned from college, where she studied veterinary medicine, and ready (or nearly so) to take on her role as the latest Rosales daughter to become matriarch of Thorn Ranch. Her parents, Josie and John, are also present in the novel, as are several ranch staff, like Flora and Pedro, and a would-be-suitor, Jeff, all of whom form a tight community, though not everyone sees eye-to-eye about everything. There is a second community that Emma discovers quite by accident, centered around the elderly Chatpa and his adult grandson Kai, but to say more would be to reveal too much about the secrets in this novel – secrets that must be read to be understood.

And of course, the land – Thorn Ranch and the mountains beyond – are as much characters as places, for without Daily’s vividly described landscapes and dwelling spaces, this book would not feel rooted.

Several reviewers have compared this novel to Outlander and Yellowstone, two disparate properties that do bear superficial resemblances to some of the details in this book, but The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch is really its own genre-defying tale, mixing a western adventure, Mexican-American and Indigenous People’s history, family drama, and romance into a cohesive whole that draws you in and keeps you enchanted by excellent storytelling and perfect pacing. The author has left the story open-ended enough that a sequel would be possible, should she choose to write it, but it also has a satisfying – and even happy – resolution.

I really loved the way the Rosales family had Spanish words peppered into their mostly-English language, and the subtle nuance that it was the women’s family name that was associated with Thorn Ranch.

I would saddle up a horse and take a ride through another of Daily’s creations any day, and I’m looking forward to learning what she writes next.

Goes well with: Arrachera tacos and Indio beer.

Giveaway

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

ONE WINNER:

Receives a $100 Amazon or Bookshop Gift Card

(U.S. only; ends midnight, CDT, 11/11/22.)

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Click to visit THE LONESTAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE for direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily, or visit each blog directly:

11/01/22	Hall Ways Blog	Bonus Promo
11/01/22	Julia Picks 1	Review
11/02/22	Sybrina’s Book Blog	Notable Quotables
11/02/22	The Book’s Delight	Review
11/03/22	Jennifer Silverwood	Review
11/04/22	The Clueless Gent	Author Video
11/04/22	It’s Not All Gravy	Review
11/05/22	Jennie Reads	Review
11/06/22	All the Ups and Downs	Scrapbook Page
11/07/22	Shelf Life Blog	Excerpt
11/07/22	Bibliotica	Review
11/08/22	Rox Burkey Blog	Character Interview
11/09/22	StoreyBook Reviews	Review
11/09/22	Reading by Moonlight	Review
11/10/22	Rainy Days with Amanda	Review
11/10/22	Boys’ Mom Reads!	Review

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Review: A Man of the World, by Gilbert M. Grosvenor with Mark Collins Jenkins

18 October 2022 by Melissa

About the book, A Man of the World

Publisher ‏ : ‎ National Geographic (September 13, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

The captivating inside story of the man who helmed National Geographic for six decades is a front-row seat to audacious feats of exploration, from the successful hunt for the Titanic to Jane Goodall’s field studies. Offering a rare portrait of one of the world’s most iconic media empires, this revealing autobiography makes an impassioned argument to know―and care for―our planet.

Though his career path had been paved by four generations of his family before him, Gilbert M. Grosvenor left his own mark on the National Geographic Society, founded in 1888 and recognized the world over by its ubiquitous yellow border. In an unflinchingly honest memoir as big as the world and all that is in it, Grosvenor shows us what it was like to “grow up Geographic” in a family home where explorers like Robert Peary, Louis Leakey, and Jane Goodall regularly crossed the threshold. As staff photographer, editor in chief and then president of the organization, Grosvenor oversaw the diversification into television, film, books, as well as its flagship magazine, which under his tenure reached a peak circulation of nearly 11 million. He also narrates the shift from a nonprofit, family-focused enterprise to the more corporate, bottom-line focused world of publishing today.

For Grosvenor, running National Geographic wasn’t just a job. It was a legacy, motivated by a passion not just to leave the world a better place, but to motivate others to do so, too. Filled with world travel, charismatic explorers, and the complexities of running a publishing empire, A MAN OF THE WORLD is the story of one man, a singular family business, and the changing face of American media.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Goodreads

About the author, Gilbert. M. Grosvenor

Gilbert Melville Grosvenor is the former president and chairman of the National Geographic Society, after having served as the editor of National Geographic magazine from 1970 to 1980. The great-grandson of Alexander Graham Bell and the third Grosvenor to serve as editor-in-chief of the magazine, Grosvenor has received 14 honorary doctorates and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 for his leadership in geography education.

My Thoughts

Like the author who, according to some biographies, “grew up Geographic,” the familiar yellow rectangle that represents the National Geographic magazine has been part of my entire life. Once, I was even on a plane to La Paz, BCS, Mexico when I realized most of the men on the plane were wearing black baseball caps with that logo. It took me a moment to realize they were all photographers on their way to meet the National Geographic Society’s boat for a photography excursion. My point in relating this is that reading about one of the men “behind the scenes” of one of my favorite institutions was a natural choice for me. I love biographies. I grew up on National Geographic magazine and the TV specials and I even had a subscription to National Geographic World, which was designed for kids, when I was ten. When something is imprinted with that yellow rectangle, you know you can trust it.

Gilbert M. Grosvenor is more than just a former president of the National Geographic Society. He’s a traveler, an explorer, a photographer, and educator, and a storyteller in the grandest sense of the word. In this book, with the help of the Society’s archivist Mark Jenkins, he tells his own story – how National Geographic literally runs in his veins, as his grandfather was a founding member and his father ran things before him. (He shares that he’s also a descendant of Alexander Graham Bell, but that’s really just a factoid thrown in to give context to his family history.)

Having read the book and listened to the audiobook, I feel like I’ve been steeped in Mr. Grosvenor’s story, but that’s not a bad thing. This book is well-paced and has a nice balance of adventures in the world (spending part of his army service as a photographer) and behind a desk (he was instrumental in creating that kids’ magazine, meant to be child-friendly without dumbing things down) . He shares anecdotes about meeting Jane Goodall and Robert Peary, but also tells how they managed to get inside photos of the Apollo missions even though Life Magazine had an exclusive contract with the astronauts. His writerly voice is full of wonder when he talks about Robert Ballard’s discovery of the sunken Titanic, and full of poignance when he discusses Koko the Gorilla and her use of language. While this book is very much the story of the magazine as we know it today, it’s equally the story of the man, Gilbert M. Grovesnor, who was instrumental in making it into the entity we all know and love.

Reading A Man of the World is like having the author sitting in your living room regaling you with tales of his adventures and experiences, and while it was a satisfying read, I felt myself wanting more, just because I enjoyed it so much.

Goes well with: a juicy streak, a baked potato, a simple salad, and a glass or two of Shiraz.

Visit the Other Stops on This Tour

Thursday, September 29th: Books, Cooks, and Looks

Friday, September 30th: A Bookish Way of Life

Monday, October 3rd: Instagram: @kelly_hunsaker_reads

Tuesday, October 4th: Write – Read – Life

Thursday, October 6th: Instagram: @jenniaahava

Thursday, October 6th: The Bookish Dilettante

Sunday, October 9th: Instagram: @megsbookclub

TBD: Instagram: @books_with_bethany

TBD: Instagram: @nurse_bookie

TBD: Instagram: @mariasbookshelves

TBD: Thursday, September 22nd: TikTok: @stephreadsalot

TBD: Tuesday, September 27th: Jathan & Heather

TBD: Thursday, September 29th: Bibliotica

Book Review: Big Bad, by Lily Anderson

14 October 2022 by Melissa

About the book, Big Bad

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hyperion Avenue (September 27, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
Also available in audio and digital

Demondale, Callifornia, 1999…Like Sunnydale, but whole lot more evil.

Step into this alternate reality, where chaos reigns supreme. The Mayor’s sun-shade has created permanent darkness over Sunnydale, fully opening the Hellmouth once and for all. Now the newly christened Demondale has become a safe haven for vampires, beasts, and all types of ruffians. It’s never been better to be bad.

Aspiring supervillains (and super nerds) Jonathan and Andrew attempt to hold their own in a town full of monsters, while three-hundred-year-old vengeance demon Anya is just looking for something to give her life purpose again, spending her days working at an evil juice bar. But soon word gets out that there’s a new Big Bad on the scene, one more powerful and more destructive than anyone who has come before. She, of course, is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And she’s hell-bent on rooting out all of this reality’s evil by any means necessary.

Now Jonathan, Andrew, and Anya must recruit a team of Demondale’s most notorious villains—including Angelus, Spike, Drusilla, and even Ripper the malevolent magic shop owner—in order to save their world. But it’ll be no easy feat to put their pride and differences aside and stop the worst thing that has ever come to town: good.

Written by acclaimed author and Buffy super fan Lily Anderson, this novel brings together Buffy’s most devious and beloved villains from the Trio to the Whirlwind to Anya, Glory, and Vampire Willow. This is one apocalypse Buffy fans are not going to want to miss!

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About the author, Lily Anderson

Lily Anderson is the author of THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU, NOT NOW NOT EVER, and UNDEAD GIRL GANG. A former school librarian, she is deeply devoted to Shakespeare, fairy tales, and podcasts. Somewhere in Northern California, she is having strong opinions on musical theater.

Connect with Lily:

Website

My Thoughts

“I wish!”

They’re the words required to invoke the “genie rules” and as with most fairy tale lore, they’re loaded with more danger than the wisher ever expects.

They’re also the device that gives us this novel. A wrong wish, a misplaced word, and suddenly everything is… other.

It’s often said that every villain is the hero of their own story. In Lily Anderson’s new novel Big Bad, the villains aren’t only the protagonists of the story, they’ve got their own universe, and the “big bad” coming after them is none other than Buffy, the vampire slayer.

Set in an alternate version of the BuffyVerse where the Mayor completed his ascension, popped a sun-shade over the town, and renamed Sunnydale to Demondale, this novel is a romp through the universe we all love, but with a twist. In this town, the Hellmouth is completely open, vampires and demons roam freely, and “there’s never a line at Starbucks because almost everyone in town drinks blood.” It’s a monster free-for-all, with the Evil Trio of Warren, Jonathon, and Andrew among the few remaining human residents, and even that was meant to change until a small blonde girl crashed their Ascension Day party and “makes” Jonathon aim his shrink ray at Warren.

Revenge, of course, must be had. And that’s where the fun begins.

It’s also where author Lily Anderson shows how much of a fan she really is, because not only does she offer details about the trio that feel official – they were Sunnydale High School’s inaugural Klingon club – but she nails the portrayal of every other character who shows up: Anya is blunt and loves money, Spike is jealous every time Drusilla focuses her attention, Angellus is a habitual flirt, Drusilla is still as a mad as birds, and Vamp!Willow is as badass and chillingly evil as she ever was in the television show. Even better, this motley crew works really well as a group, grudgingly united to protect their town – and themselves -from the Slayer. (It’s worth noting that Buffy, herself, is a bit off in this story, as she’s basically Quantum Leaping from Hellmouth to Hellmouth in a desperate quest to rid the multiverse of enough evil that she’ll be sent home.)

Aside from characterization, author Anderson excels at making this dark-mirror version of Sunnydale its own entity. In Demondale, the only birds left are owls, and the perpetual nighttime means the town is also over-populated with bugs. This is a world that is as rich with detail as it is with blood and danger.

Well-paced, with a good balance of nostalgic references and original concepts, Big Bad is a big treat for anyone who loves the BuffyVerse, and the perfect story for a crisp October evening.

Goes well with: red wine and an onion blossom.

Tour Stops

Check out the other great participants on this tour.

Wednesday, September 28th: Instagram: @meghan_readsbooks

Saturday, October 1st: Instagram: @thereadingchemist

Monday, October 3rd: Instagram: @everlasting.bookworm

Tuesday, October 4th: Instagram: @biblio.jojo

Thursday, October 6th: Instagram: @teasipsandpageflips

Monday, October 10th: TikTok: @jennthemoodyreader

Tuesday, October 11th: Instagram: @harlequinjunkie

Wednesday, October 12th: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Thursday, October 13th: A Bookish Way of Life

Friday, October 14th: Bibliotica

Monday, October 17th: Write – Read – Life

Tuesday, October 18th: Instagram: @itsbibliotherapy

Thursday, October 20th: Instagram: @livingmybestbooklife

TBD: Wednesday, October 5th: TikTok: @secullabooktok

Review: Happy Endings at Mermaids Point by Sarah Bennett

12 October 2022 by Melissa

About the book, Happy Endings At Mermaids Point

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books (October 3, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 308 pages

Music sensation Aurora Storm finally has her career back on track, but then she’s caught up in a media storm. Desperate to distract from the story, she enlists the one man she trusts to pretend to be her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, in the small seaside village of Mermaids Point, Nick Morgan never expected to see Aurora again. When she calls out of the blue needing his help, he agrees at once. It feels like she’s back in his life for a reason, and he’s determined to make the most of it.

Aurora joins Nick and the rest of his family for their festive celebrations and, as the snow falls, Aurora finds herself caught up in the romance of Christmas. But having tasted worldwide fame, can she ever be content with village life?

Two weeks is all Nick has to prove to Aurora that there’s a happy ending for them both in Mermaids Point.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon (USA) | Amazon (UK) | Goodreads

About the author, Sarah Bennett

Sarah Bennett is the bestselling author of several romantic fiction trilogies including those set in Butterfly Cove and Lavender Bay. Born and raised in a military family she is happily married to her own Officer and when not reading or writing enjoys sailing the high seas.

Connect with Sarah:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

My Thoughts

Having never read the four previous Mermaids Point novels, I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the characters and situations in this novel, Happy Endings at Mermaids Point, but my fears were put to rest immediately. This book works perfectly well as a stand-alone story. And what a charming story it is. Early chapters include a lovely beach proposal for two of the older characters in this novel, and when we get far enough in that Aurora enters the story, we are ready for romance.

Aurora and Nick themselves are fantastic characters. She’s a singer working in an ensemble tour in Las Vegas, and reflecting on her earlier relationship with Nick. Nick, meanwhile, has just finished remodeling a warehouse into luxury apartments, and is searching for his next venture for when the last apartment sells. Naturally Aurora returns to Mermaids Point – and Nick – when her world falls apart mid-tour, and we get to see what happens. Both characters are incredibly dynamic and very human, and author Sarah Bennett’s dialogue feels completely organic. I was rooting for these two, but I was also happy to follow wherever the story went.

The other characters in this novel were equally well drawn, and rounded out Nick’s family, and the only reason I’m not naming all of them is that I don’t want to get details wrong that might have been explained in earlier novels in this series. What I will add is that Mermaids Point is, itself, a sort of character in this novel. Having grown up in one beloved (American) seaside town, and having just moved to another, I know how close-knit such places can be, especially for the locals or townies who remain through the off-season. Author Bennett really made me feel as if I were reading her book while lying on the beach, and I’m pretty sure I can still smell the salt air.

As a side note, I downloaded the audio version of this novel as well as reading it and want to note that the narration is perfect, so if you prefer audiobooks, you can trust this title.

If you’re looking for a feel-good read that still feels plausible, Happy Endings at Mermaids Point is the book for you.

Goes well with: tuna salad sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper, and mostly-still-cold lemonade.

Book Review and Giveaway: Cavern of the Veil Queen, by Michael Scott Clifton

9 September 2022 by Melissa

About the book, Cavern of the Veil Queen

(Conquest of the Veil, Book 4)

Fiction / Fantasy / Action / Sword & Sorcery
Publisher: Book Liftoff
Pages: 342 pages
Publication Date: July 27, 2022
SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY

The Empire of Meredith has waged war against the Veil Queen for over a thousand years.

However, the struggle is unequal. Protected by the Veil, an impenetrable boundary of magic, the Veil Queen preys on the Empire’s citizens. The ceaseless raids have allowed her to build an enormous army of melds, monstrous creatures who are a fusion of humans and beasts.

Then a way is found through the magical partition. An invasion is launched to defeat the Dark Queen. But she’s had centuries to plot treachery. Is the open portal real or a misdirection, another of her evil schemes?

Alexandria’s new husband, Prince Tal, has wielded his formidable magic repeatedly in the struggle. But the key to victory may not lie with his power, but with Alex’s wild and unpredictable magic. If she can discover a way to control it, they have a chance to end the war and destroy the Veil. It requires only two things.

Find the Veil Queen…and kill her.

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Purchase Link | Goodreads

About the author, Michael Scott Clifton

Multi award-winning author Michael Scott Clifton, a longtime public educator, currently lives in Mount Pleasant, Texas with his wife, Melanie. An avid gardener, reader, and movie junkie, his books contain facets of all the genres he enjoys—action, adventure, magic, fantasy, and romance.

His fantasy novels, The Janus Witch, The Open Portal (Book I in the Conquest of the Veil series), and Escape from Wheel (Book II), all received 5-Star reviews from the prestigious Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews. The Open Portal has also been honored with a Feathered Quill Book Finalist Award. In addition, Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator earned a 2021 Feathered Quill Book Award Bronze Medal in the Teen Readers category. Two of his short stories have won Gold Medals, with Edges of Gray winning the Texas Authors Contest, and The End Game winning the Northeast Texas Writer’s Organization Contest. Professional credits include articles published in the Texas Study of Secondary Education journal.

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My Thoughts

I haven’t been reading a lot of fantasy lately – my reading goes in cycles, and for some reason this has been the summer of historicals – but I was happy to revisit Michael Scott Clifton’s work with this book, Cavern of the Veil Queen, especially since I loved another book from this author, The Janus Witch, which I reviewed in 2018. This novel completes the series begun with The Open Portal, and while I have not read the first two entries in this collection, I did read and enjoy book three, A Witch’s Brew. I did not find myself at a loss because I hadn’t read the whole series, and this book works quite well as a stand-alone novel, which, to me, is a sign of excellent storytelling.

While the magic system in this novel is certainly unique, I am typically more drawn to characters and story than setting. That said, world-building is an important component of any story that doesn’t take place on contemporary Earth, and Clifton has a deft hand in his construction. I felt like the Empire of Meredith was a real place that is just a bit sideways from my own world, and reading this book is very like a visit there. The world in the Conquest of the Veil novels is rich and vibrant, replete with interesting characters whether human, beast, or something in between.

My favorite part of the story, however, is the relationship between Alexandria (Alex) and her new husband Tal. Starting a relationship is easy; sustaining one, as any married person knows, takes patience, kindness, and hard work. All of those are in evidence in the way these characters and their relationship is depicted, and watching them work together to overcome their struggles, and help Alex learn to control her magic was something I really enjoyed. Alex and Tal are so authentic and interesting, that I’d love to be a guest at their table, or have them as guests at mine.

As the final book in a series, this book did not disappoint. The climax was brilliantly unexpected, and the aftermath was satisfying, but also left the door open a crack, just in case another visit to Meredith suits the author’s fancy in the future.

Bottom line: This is a great stand-alone read, though reading the three previous books would enhance the experience.

Goes well with: a grouper reuben, hand-cut fries, and sweet tea.

Giveaway

FIVE WINNERS:

One Winner: Signed Paperback of Cavern of the Veil Queen and bookmark;

One Winner: Complete Conquest of the Veil Series eBooks;

Three Winners: eBook of Cavern of the Veil Queen.

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9/7/22	Shelf Life Blog	Review
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9/10/22	Reading by Moonlight	Review
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Book Spotlight and Giveaway: The Flower Engima by Charles Breakfield & Rox Burkey

19 August 2022 by Melissa

About the book, The Flower Enigma

Book 5 of the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles

Small Town Mystery / Suspense / Amateur Sleuths
Publisher: ICABOD Press
Pages: 198 pages
Publication Date: August 20, 2022
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Imagine a romantic getaway in the Texas Hill Country

JJ, a cyber guru, whisks his girlfriend, Jo, away for a vacation. No paparazzi. Magnolia Bluff is the perfect destination. Flower B&B is prettier than the pictures on the website.

The evangelizing podcast creators are demanding answers about the town’s newest resident, Mateo Hernandez. The enormous wall he erected has convinced the ladies he’s hiding nefarious activities behind a dubious attorney. Local authorities don’t believe laws are broken and discount the women as meddling gossips.

When the couple checks into Flower, the podcast show-in-progress is interrupted by a cyberattack. JJ, the techno-geek, can’t resist helping. At each subsequent event in the series, he uncovers more serious issues than cyberwarfare.

JJ and Jo can’t avoid this roving series maelstrom. It gets personal when they’re attacked and warned to leave town. No one can conceive the depth of the crimes behind Mateo’s walls.

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About the authors, Breakfield & Burkey

Breakfield is a technology expert in security, networking, voice, and anything digital. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. Charles is a fan of wine tastings, winemaking, Harley riding, cooking extravaganzas, and woodworking.

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Burkey is an technology professional who excels at optimizing technology and business investments. She works with customers all over the world focusing on optimized customer experiences. Rox writes white papers and documentation, but found she has a marked preference for writing fiction.

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Together these Texas authors create award-winning stories that resonate with males and females, as well as young and experienced adults. They bring a fresh new view to technology possibilities today in exciting stories. Visit their website for more information and free stuff.

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The Enigma Series | Twitter | Facebook | Medium | Instagram

Giveaway

TWO WINNERS!

Autographed copy of The Flower Enigma

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Book Spotlight and Giveaway: Deadly Keepsakes, by Anita Dickason

17 June 2022 by Melissa

About the book, Deadly Keepsakes

A Tori Winters Mystery
Now available for Pre-order – Coming July 10th
Publisher: Mystic Circle Books
Number of Pages: 360 pages
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The past becomes the future. Secrets that can kill!

After someone tries to kill her, Tori Winters is on the run. Looking for a place to hide, a mysterious phone call about a vague inheritance seems to be the answer. After all, who would think of looking for her in Granbury, a small quaint Texas town. Instead, her life is about to spin into an existence where nothing is as it seems. The historic house she inherits has secrets. Ones she’s been warned can kill. A stranger in a strange town, who can she trust? There is the kindly lawyer and his son, or the disinherited step-grandson. What secrets do they hide? Tori’s newfound fortune may not be a blessing. It could become her death warrant.

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About the author, Anita Dickason

Award-winning Author Anita Dickason is a twenty-two-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department. She served as a patrol officer, undercover narcotics detective, advanced accident investigator, tactical officer, and first female sniper on the Dallas SWAT team.

Anita writes about what she knows, cops and crime. Her police background provides an unending source of inspiration for her plots and characters. Many incidents and characters portrayed in her books are based on personal experience. For her, the characters are the fun part of writing as she never knows where they will take her. There is always something out of the ordinary in her stories.

In Anita’s debut novel, Sentinels of the Night, she created an elite FBI Unit, the Trackers. Since then, she has added three more Tracker crime thrillers, Going Gone!, A u 7 9, and Operation Navajo, which are not a series and can be read in any order, and Deadly Business, a crime thriller.

As a Texas author, many of Anita’s books are based in Texas, or there is a link to Texas. When she stepped outside of the Tracker novels and wrote, Not Dead, she selected Meridian, a small community in central Texas for the location.

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Book Spotlight: Dear Dana, by Amy Weinland Daughters

5 May 2022 by Melissa

About the book: Dear Dana: That time I went crazy and wrote all 580 of my Facebook friends a handwritten letter

Publisher ‏ : ‎ She Writes Press (May 17, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 17, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English

When Amy Daughters reconnected with her old pal Dana on Facebook, she had no idea how it would change her life. Though the two women hadn’t had any contact in thirty years, it didn’t take them long to catch up—and when Amy learned that Dana’s son Parker was doing a second stint at St. Jude battling cancer, she was suddenly inspired to begin writing the pair weekly letters.

When Parker died, Amy—not knowing what else to do—continued to write Dana. Eventually, Dana wrote back, and the two became pen pals, sharing things through the mail that they had never shared before. The richness of the experience left Amy wondering something: If my life could be so changed by someone I considered “just a Facebook friend,” what would happen if I wrote all my Facebook friends a letter?

A whopping 580 handwritten letters later Amy’s life, and most of all her heart, would never, ever, be the same again. As it turned out, there were actual individuals living very real lives behind each social media profile, and she was beautifully connected to each of those extraordinary, flawed people for a specific reason. They loved her, and she loved them. And nothing—not politics, beliefs, or lifestyle—could separate them.

Praise for Dear Dana

“This is a book for anyone who wonders about the differences between a Facebook friend and a Real-Life friend and who yearns to see a person’s real life behind their Facebook image. It is also about the power of prayer and the abundance of kindness in our world. But ultimately, it’s about connection and how we are all connected when we come from love.” Rivvy Neshama, author of “Recipes for a Sacred Life: True Stories and a Few Miracles”

“Amy shows us how something as simple as a letter — let alone 580 of them! — can change a life. Who else would decide to write a personal letter to every one of their Facebook friends? The stories from these letters provide insights into how we can help people through difficult times and connect with others—and, of course, plenty of good laughs.” Brad Aronson, bestselling author of “HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time”

“An intriguing and inspiring exploration of different forms of communication.” Kirkus Reviews

“Dear Dana is an inspirational memoir about caring for friends near and far by reviving a lost art.” Foreword Reviews

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About the author, Amy Weinland Daughters

AMY DAUGHTERS has spent the past 10 years freelancing on topics from college football to emotions. She is the author of “You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never Happened” (2019), for which she received recognition at the 2019 Foreword INDIES and the 2020 Next Generation Indie Awards. When she’s not writing, Daughters can be found researching history, golfing, or ribbon dancing. She lives in Tomball, Texas with her husband Willie and two sons, Will and Matthew.

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