Review: Austin Heat – The One Who Undid Me, by Amari Nylix

04 BNR Austin Heat - TOWUM (1920 x 1005 px)

 

About the Book, Austin Heat: The One Who Undid Me 04 Book Cover - Austin Heat

  • Series: Austin Heat, book one
  • Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Comedy / Football
  • Publisher: Temair Media
  • Pages: 390
  • Publication Date: September 14, 2023
  • Scroll down for giveaway.

Rumor has it that Texas just got a little hotter! Fans of Tessa Bailey and K. Bromberg will fall for this sexy story of mistaken identity, electric attraction, and irresistible romance in the first installment of the addictive new series, Austin Heat.

Jake is desperate to rewrite his past with women and leave behind the media storm surrounding his off-the-field antics that cloud his potential. He’s done with the stream of models, actresses, and NFL cheerleaders that have warmed his bed since he made a name for himself as starting quarterback for the University of Texas. He desperately wants to meet a normal girl in his hometown of Austin.

After moving to Austin to be the hired girlfriend of one of her long-term escort clients, Rakell finds herself wishing she could live a normal life with an average guy. Turned off by the billionaire clients she’s been serving for the last five years, she longs to get out of the business and build a life where she doesn’t live in the shadows of her escort persona.

Their worlds collide and the spice is off the charts. “Pretty boy” Jake Skyler has met his match with saucy-mouthed, Rakell McCarthy. Both think they’ve fallen for an average person. Both are wrong! What happens when their physical connection explodes, their hearts take charge and the secrets they are concealing are revealed? 

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads


About the author, Amari Nylix 04 Austin Heat- TOWUM - Author Photo

Amari Nylix (alter ego to author Tara Delaney) tells sordid stories revolving around tempestuous love affairs that are inspired by the secret liaisons of Old West villains, heroes, and the temptress women who lure those powerful men into their webs. Amari delights in sharing her torrid stories of heart-wrenching, epic love that begin with the desires of the flesh and evolve into affairs of the heart.

In the Austin Heat series, Amari works closely with bestselling author of both non-fiction and fiction, Tara Delaney 😉. Tara has been a pediatric occupational therapist for more than thirty years and has extensive professional experience in sensory processing and nervous system development, while also having studied how early trauma impacts our responses as adults. Tara is responsible for trimming back Amari’s numerous spicy scenes, allowing room for all the FEELS. 

Connect with Amari:

Website | Instagram | Bookbub | Amazon/a> | Facebook | Goodreads


My Thoughts MAB-Summer24

There’s something to be said for a slow burn romance – something we don’t feel enough of these ays, and author Amari Nylix has given us that in this book, which is the first of a series (the following three are also available.)

The word “heat” is part of the title, and aptly so. I mean, yes, this book is set in Austin, TX, and I appreciated the author’s attention to detail. I felt like I was on those streets, breathing the sultry southern air. At the same time, there was a more metaphoric heat, in the relationship between Jake and Rakell, and I thought the spicier scenes were well written. It’s more challenging than you think to ride the line between “insert tab (a) into slot (b)” and being too explicit. Nylix straddled it perfectly.

04 AD - Austin Heat - TOWUM

While I have to admit that I didn’t really relate to either character, I still enjoyed the story. I know real women who have worked as escorts, and the connections they sometimes form with clients are real and lasting,while still being business. I thought the author let us glimpse a bit of that life.

I also appreciated the peek at the world of both college and professional football. It’s not a sport I follow (I prefer hockey), but the details felt plausible.

Overall, this is a good introduction to a series, and an enjoyable, relatively fast-paced read with a healthy dose of steamy romance.

Goes well with smoked brisket and Shiner bock.


Giveaway

04 Giveaway, The One Who Undid Me'

 

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Visit the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

Click to visit  THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE for direct links to each blog participating on this tour.

LSLL

blog tour services provided by

LSBBT

 

Review: Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo

I’m so pleased to partner with WOW! Women on Writing as part of the blog tour for Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. This book is a perfect cozy mystery readers are excited to get into – and the best news is it’s the first book of a fabulous series!

About the Book, Murder by Milkshake Murder by Milkshake

  • Genre: Cozy Mystery / Amateur Sleuth / Young Adult/New Adult
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 15, 2024
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 220 pages

Life is sweet for high school senior and ice cream slinger Genevieve Winterland. Her father owns Sweet Dreams Ice Cream Parlour, the cutest confectionery shop in their little town of Pinewood, Arizona. Genevieve loves her job, but when her father hires a broody newcomer with a dark past to provide extra security on her closing shifts, Genevieve bristles. Is this part of her father’s plan to send her away to college, when all she wants is to stay in Pinewood and run the family business?

Meanwhile, everyone’s favorite new teacher at Pinewood High, Miss Love, is receiving death threats, and then she goes missing. Genevieve suspects the crabby substitute, Ms. Pierce, who seems murderous about being passed over for the position. Or is the culprit Mr. Garcia, the longtime instructor who Miss Love replaced after he was fired for assaulting a student? Just when Genevieve thinks she knows the answer, she stumbles across the dead body of another missing faculty member.

Can Genevieve find the killer terrorizing the teachers in her beloved hometown—before someone else gets iced?

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Goodreads


About the Author, Elizabeth Maria Naranjo Eliazbeth Maria Naranjo

Elizabeth Maria Naranjo is the author of The Fourth Wall, The House on Linden Way, and What Was Never There. Her stories and essays have been widely published and nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Essays, and Best of the Net, and her short story, “Windows,” was selected for Best Microfiction 2023. She lives in Tempe, Arizona, with her husband and two children.

Connect with Elizabeth:

Website | Goodreads Author Page | X (Twitter)


My Thoughts MAB-Summer24

I’ve long maintained that YA/NA titles offer the best storytelling in contemporary literature, and Murder by Milkshake is no exception.

Author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo has given us a cozy mystery set around the ice cream parlor where protagonist, Genevieve Winterland works. When her favorite teacher goes missing, the seventeen-year-old trades her ice cream scoop for a (metaphoric) magnifying glass and decides to investigate. Its the perfect combination of teenaged determination and amateur sleuthing, and the story is both engaging and well-paced. Genevieve is a likeable character, smart without being precocious, and written with dimension. I applaud the author for making her young characters sound age-appropriate without resorting to an over-abundance of slang.

Worthy of note is the friendship between Genevive and Brandon. They’re best friends, and you never get the sense that either is pushing for that to change. I found this quite refreshing.

I also liked that the ice cream shop wasn’t just a throw-away setting. Rather, we see that Genevieve enjoys her job there, even creating her own flavors. (Also, some of her recipes are included, and sound scrumptious.)

Over all, this is a satisfying read that tells a complete story but also whets our appetites for further books in the series. It’s also a fast read – much like the perfect sundae, it’s best experienced quickly. I recommend it to teens and adults alike, because the characters may be youthful, but the story isn’t at all childish.

Goes well with: a banana split with two spoons so it can be shared with a friend.


Visit the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

September 9th  @ The Muffin

What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Join us at the WOW blog to celebrate the launch of author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo’s  Murder by Milkshake. You can read an interview with Elizabeth and enter to win a copy of the book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

 

September 9th  @ StoreyBook Reviews

Leslie Storey reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at StoreyBook Reviews will be dying to learn more about this cozy mystery!

https://www.storeybookreviews.com

 

September 10th  @ Goodreads with Karen Brown Tyson

Stop by Goodreads and find out what Karen Brown Tyson thinks of the latest cozy mystery by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Murder by Milkshake will leave readers wanting more stories by this talented author!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6741483799

 

September 10th @ Rockin Book Reviews

Lu Ann at Rocking Book Reviews shares her thoughts with readers about Elizabeth Maria Naranjo’s Murder by Milkshake – this is a fabulous cozy mystery readers won’t want to miss!

http://www.rockinbookreviews.com

 

September 11th @  Book Woman Joan

Joan Nienhuis – known at Book Woman Joan reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery!

www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com

 

September 11th @  The Burgeoning Bookshelf

Veronica Joy reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at the Burgeoning Bookshelf won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery!

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/

 

September 12th @  Life According to Jamie

See what Jamie has to say as she reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery!

www.lifeaccordingtojamie.com

 

 

September 12th @  Writer Advice

Fellow WOW! Author, B. Lynn Goodwin  reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Fellow authors leave some of the most helpful reviews – see how many stars Goodwin gives Naranjo!

https://www.writeradvice.com

 

September 12th @  Just Katherine

Katherine reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Just Katherine  won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery so they can add it to their own TBR pile today!

https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com

 

September 13th @  What is that Book About

In the spotlight today at What is that Book About is none other than: Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery by this talented author!

www.whatisthatbookabout.com

 

September 14th @  Chapter Break

Today’s guest author at Chapter Break is Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Readers will delight with today’s post titled: YA Cozy Mysteries: A Perfect Pairing! 

http://chapterbreak.net

 

September 15th @  Finished Pages

Renee Roberson is a big fan of  Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Find out what Renee has to say and how many stars she will give!

www.FinishedPages.com

 

September 16th @  Fiona Ingram Author

Today’s guest author at Fiona Ingram’s website is Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Readers will delight with today’s post titled: 5 Key Ingredients to Creating a Cozy Mystery. 

https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com

 

 

September 17th @  Bibliotica

Melissa  reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Bibliotica  won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery so they can add it to their own TBR pile today!

https://www.bibliotica.com

 

September 18th @  Frugal Freelancer

Sara  reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at the Frugal Freelancer won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery; others are raving about this fantastic read!

https://saratrimble.wordpress.com

 

 

September 19th @ Knotty Needle Creative

Judy reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Knotty Needle Creative  won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery! Enjoy!

http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com

 

September 20th @   Boy’s Mom Reads

Stop by Boy’s Mom Reads and find out what Karen thinks of the latest cozy mystery by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Murder by Milkshake will leave readers wanting more stories by this talented author!

https://karensiddall.wordpress.com

 

September 21st @  Book Bunnies

Gizem reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Book Bunnies will love this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery! Enjoy!

https://bookbunnies.blog/

 

September 23rd @  One Writer’s Journey

Sue Bradford Edwards at One Writers’ Journey reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers will delight in this cozy mystery!

https://suebe.wordpress.com/

 

September 24th @  Author Anthony Avina’s Blog

Fellow author Anthony Avina reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Fellow authors leave some of the best reviews – don’t miss Anthony’s thoughts on this cozy mystery!

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

 

September 27th @ The Faerie Review

Lily at The Faerie Review reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers will delight in this cozy mystery and won’t want to miss today’s review!

https://www.thefaeriereview.com

 

September 28th @ Boots Shoes and Fashion

Short and Sweet: The Joy of Bite-Size Books

Today’s guest author at Boots Shoes and Fashion is Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Readers will delight with today’s post titled: Short and Sweet: The Joy of Bite-Sized Books!

https://bootsshoesandfashion.com

 

October 1st @ Words by Webb

Jodi at Words by Webb reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers will delight in this cozy mystery and won’t want to miss today’s review!

jodiwebbwriter.com/blog

 

October 4th @  My Beauty My Books

Nikki at My Beauty My Books  reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Stop by and see what Nikki has to say about Naranjo’s latest!

https://mybeautymybooks.wordpress.com/

 

 

Review: Sugar on the Bones by Joe R. Lansdale – with Giveaway

BNR Sugar on the Bones (1920 x 1005 px)

 

About the book, Sugar on the Bones (a Hap and Leonard Novel) Cover Sugar on the Bones

  • Genre: Private Investigator Mystery / Noir Crime / Hard-Boiled Mystery / Lawyers and Criminals Humor
  • Publisher: Mulholland Books
  • Pages: 317
  • Publication Date: July 16, 2024
  • Scroll down for Giveaway

In this holy mess of a case for the “perpetual bad boy” (New York Times) sleuths in the beloved Hap and Leonard series, PI Duo Hap and Leonard investigate the untimely death of a woman whose family stood much to gain from her passing.                                                         

Minnie Polson is dead. Burned to a crisp in a fire so big and bad it had to be deliberate. The only thing worse is that Hap and Leonard could have prevented it. Maybe. Minnie had a feeling she was being targeted, shaken down by some shadowy force. However, when she’d solicited Hap & Leonard, all it took was one off color joke to turn her sour and she’d called them off the investigation. Wracked with a guilty conscience, the two PIs—along with Hap’s fleet-footed wife, Brett—tuck in to the case. As they look closer, they dredge up troublesome facts: for one, Minnie’s daughter, Alice, has recently vanished. She’d been hard up after her pet grooming business went under and was in line to collect a whopping insurance sum should anything happen to her mother. The same was due to Minnie’s estranged husband, Al, whose kryptonite (beautiful, money-grubbing women) had left him with only a run-down mobile home. But did Minnie’s foolish, cash-strapped family really have it in them to commit a crime this grisly? Or is there a larger, far more sinister scheme at work?

Pre-order this book:

Bookshop.org | Hatchette Book Group | Amazon | B&N | Goodreads


About the Author, Joe R. Lansdale Lansdale

Joe R. Lansdale is the author of nearly four dozen novels, including Rusty Puppy, the Edgar-award winning The Bottoms, Sunset and Sawdust, and Leather Maiden. He has received nine Bram Stoker Awards, the American Mystery Award, the British Fantasy Award, and the Grinzane Cavour Prize for Literature. He lives with his family in Nacogdoches, Texas

Connect with Joe:

Website | Newsletter | Instagram | BookBub | Amazon/a> | X (Twitter)/a> | Facebook | Goodreads


My Thoughts MelissaBartell - photo

Before I dove into Sugar on the Bones, my only experience with Joe R. Lansdale’s work was his collection of short stories, Things Get Ugly, which I loved. So, even though this novel is the thirteenth in the Hap and Leonard series, I knew I was going to get a well-crafted story.

Lansdale did not disappoint. His private-eye duo of Hap and Leonard leapt off the page and into my imagination, with their down-home language, affectionate banter, and distinctly different personalities, not to mention that one is Black and the other white, one is gay and the other straight. The friendship and history between the two came through in every scene, and while I’m sure I’d have appreciated more backstory, it wasn’t strictly necessary, and this book worked just fine as a standalone.

Quote from website

One thing I really appreciated was Landsdale’s ability to write in first person, and to do so well. I never saw an out-of-synch verb tense or felt that the narrator (Hap in this case) knew more than he should.

I also felt the plot was paced well. It’s a mystery, of course, and if there isn’t a sub-genre called “Texas-noir,” there should be, and this novel should be the flagship title, because it was gritty where it needed to be, but also had the right amount of comic relief to keep tensions from boiling over.

Overall, this novel is a fast – almost reckless at times – read, with characters who will take up residence in your brain and squat there forever. I can’t wait to go back and read earlier works in this series.

Goes well with: a patty melt and sweet tea.


Giveaway

Two Winners!
U.S. only.
Giveaway ends 6/28/24

Enter to Win!

Giveaway - Sugar on the Bones

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Visit the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

Click to visit the Lone Star Literary Life tour page for direct links to each blog participating in this tour.

LoneStarLitLife

blog tour services provided by

 

Book Spotlight: SECOND LIVES: The Journey of Brain-Injury Survivors and Their Healers – Now Available as an Audiobook!

BNR Second Lives

 

I’m so excited to be bringing you this spotlight. The authors have brought a personal, informational, deeply important subject to us in an accessible way. And now, it’s also available as an audiobook! Please take a look at

SECOND LIVES: The Journey of Brain-Injury Survivors and Their Healers, by Ralph B. Lilly, MD & Diane F. Kramer, with Joyce Stamp Lilly – Narrated by Loren C. Steffy & Joyce Stamp Lilly

About the book, SECOND LIVES: The Journey of Brain-Injury Survivors and Their Healers

  • Genre: Audiobook / Biography / Medical Professionals / Neuroscience
  • Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing
  • Listening Length: 6 hours and 21 minutes
  • Publication Date: February 28, 2024

Version 1.0.0“Discharged from a hospital just means you’re not dead.” These words of Ralph B. Lilly, M.D., describe his early struggle to recover from a traumatic brain injury. Lilly was a forty-four-year-old practicing neurologist sitting on his motorcycle at a red light when a drunk driver rear-ended him in 1980. In the ICU, after regaining consciousness and being told what happened, he asked, “What’s a hospital? What’s a motorcycle?” This tragic experience transformed his life and his approach to his neurology practice: doctors treat those with brain injury; but loved ones heal them.

Second Lives: The Journey of Brain Injury Survivors and Their Healers is written by Dr. Lilly and Diane F. Kramer. After his death in 2021, Kramer completed the book with the assistance of Lilly’s wife Joyce Stamp Lilly. This memoir weaves together Ralph Lilly’s experience with a collage of stories about his patients and their healers. After his recovery, Lilly retrained in the emerging field of behavioral neurology, which focuses on behavior, memory, cognition, and emotion after brain injury.

His clinical skills and expert witness testimony were sought by physicians, survivors, families, and attorneys to secure the best “second life” for survivors. His many patients marveled at his uniquely compassionate approach: “What doctor gives you his cell number and says call any time?” Lilly’s pioneering career spanned forty years from Brown University’s Butler Psychiatric Hospital in Rhode Island to Nexus Health System and private practice in Houston, Texas. He treated ER and hospital inpatients whose loved ones were in acute quandary, as well as outpatients who’d long given up finding a doctor who knew how to help. Lilly’s memoir is full of heart, not science, and will provide insight to general readers, family, and friends of patients with brain injury, as well as those who treat them.

His narration is unintentionally poignant, often punctuated by wry humor. He generously incorporates the words of his patients and their families in telling their stories. Their gratitude for his care is profound. As one former patient said, “Without Dr. Lilly, I’d be dead or in jail.”

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Audible | Stoney Creek Publishing | Goodreads

Watch the trailer for this book:


About the authors, Ralph B Lilly, M.D. and Diane F. Kramer

Ralph B. Lilly, MD Author photo Ralph Lilly

A neurologist for over half a century, Ralph B. Lilly, MD had a passion for learning and teaching. A traumatic brain injury in 1980 shifted his focus from general neurology to behavioral neurology, the study of how brain injury affects behavior. After completing a fellowship in neurobehavior at the University of California, Los Angeles, he served as a clinical assistant professor with the Brown University Program in Medicine in Providence, Rhode Island, consulting with psychiatrists looking for possible neurological causes for their patients’ psychiatric symptoms. In Texas, he worked joined what is now Nexus Health Systems and became a clinical assistant professor at The University of Texas in Houston. Lilly focused his life’s work on treating brain-injury survivors and counseling their families, who were victims in their own right. He saw these “healers” as instrumental in guiding the injured loved one to a “new life.” He practiced in Arizona, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Texas, and wherever he was called to help. Before his death in 2021, Lilly lived in Washington, Texas, with his wife, Joyce, three dogs, six cats, and two horses.

 

Author photo Diane F. KramerDiane F. Kramer

Diane F. Kramer retired from the counseling and psychology departments of Austin Community College in 2008 and began writing personal essays, family histories, and fiction. As a volunteer with the Brenham Animal Shelter, she wrote a weekly column on animal welfare for The Brenham Banner Press. Her writing has also appeared in Alamo Bay Press anthologies and blogs Peace through Pie and Drash Pit. She currently writes website copy and press releases for Brenham Lifetime Learning and the Read of Washington County. She lives with her husband and their rescue dog and cat in rural Texas.

Connect with Stoney Creek Publishing:

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | X (Twitter) | Facebook


Visit the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

Click to visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page for direct links to each blog participating in this tour.

XTRA AD - Second Lives

LoneStarLitLife

blog tour services provided by

Review: Just a Hat by Shanah Khubiar

BNR Just a Hat

 

About the book, Just a Hat Cover Just a Hat

  • Genre: Young Adult / Coming of Age / Jewish Fiction / Small-Town Texas / 1970s
  • Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
  • Page Count: 254
  • Publication Date: July 18, 2023
  • Scroll down for giveaway!

Action-packed, humorous, and bittersweet, this 1970s-era coming-of-age novel is more relevant than ever–exploring how a second-generation immigrant kid in a new hometown must navigate bullying, unexpected friendships, and the struggle of keeping both feet firmly planted in two very different cultures.

It’s 1979, and thirteen-year-old Joseph Nissan can’t help but notice that small-town Texas has something in common with Revolution-era Iran: an absence of fellow Jews. And in such a small town it seems obvious that a brown kid like him was bound to make friends with Latinos–which is a plus, since his new buds, the Ybarra twins, have his back. But when the Iran hostage crisis, two neighborhood bullies, and the local reverend’s beautiful daughter put him in all sorts of danger, Joseph must find new ways to cope at home and at school.

As he struggles to trust others and stay true to himself, a fiercely guarded family secret keeps his father at a distance, and even his piano teacher, Miss Eleanor–who is like a grandmother to him–can’t always protect him. But Joseph is not alone, and with a little help from his friends, he finds the courage to confront his fears and discovers he can inspire others to find their courage, too.

Just a Hat is an authentically one-of-a-kind YA debut that fuses the humor of Firoozeh Dumas’s Funny in Farsi with the poignancy of Daniel Nayeri’s Everything Sad Is Untrue.

This book comes with an Educator’s Guide.

Click here to download your free educator’s guide.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Blackstone Publishing | Goodreads


About the author, Shanah Khubiar Author Photo Khubiar

Shanah Khubiar is a retired law enforcement officer, and she is now self-employed as a subject matter specialist. She holds a BS and MEd in education from East Texas State University and a PhD in philosophy.

A student of her Persian ancestry, she incorporates (Mizrachi) Middle Eastern Jewry into her fiction, examining the historical challenges and triumphs of a different culture and narrative than what usually appears in literature. Khubiar is a sometime resident and always fan of most things Texas.

Connect with Shanah:

Website | GoodReads | Amazon | BookBub | X (Twitter) | Blackstone Publishing


My Thoughts MelissaBartell - photo

Shanah Khubiar’s new young adult novel, Just a Hat is a brilliant, sometimes discomfiting, portrayal of what it’s like to be “other” in America.

Set in the Texas of the late 1970s, with the Iran hostage crisis as its background, this story introduces us to teenaged Joseph (Youssef) Nissan, the only Jewish-Iranian boy in his class. We walk with him as he navigates the cultural differences he experiences – he’s brown skinned, so gets along with the Mexican boys, especially Roberto and Mateo who are both friends and defenders, but he’s not Latino. He’s Persian. He’s a piano student but practicing on Shabat is considered “work” and therefore disallowed. And then there’s the whole thing about not being allowed to touch girls, even casually. It’s a lot to handle when you’ve got feet in different worlds – the secular world at large, and the closer, religious world of his family.

As someone who is not Jewish, but sort of Jewish-adjacent (my stepfather was Jewish, and his mother, my Bubbie, was a special person in my life) I found the glimpses of Iranian Jewish traditions particularly interesting. I’m familiar with eastern-European (Ashkenazi) traditions, and have been recently learning more about Iberian (Sephardic) traditions, but it’s my understanding that most Iranian Jews are actually Mizrahi, and the specifics were new to me.

XTRA Ad Just a Hat

What I loved was the relationship Joseph had with Miss Eleanor – LaLa – the elderly piano teacher whom he helps out by buying groceries and other household tasks. I also appreciated that Joseph and his Baba – his father – managed to work through family history and family secrets and end up with a closer relationship after tackling difficult subjects.

The title can be taken literally – the different hats Joseph wears include his kippah (yarmulke) and his football helmet. But it also works as a metaphor, representing the different “hats” we all wear, – the roles we have in life – including those we use in order to hide our true selves for whatever reason.

Overall, I found this to be a very moving story, with interesting characters, and a well-paced coming-of-age plot. At times very serious, because it deals with fear, racism, and antisemitism, it’s also heartfelt and full of humor – the kind that comes from real life.

Goes well with: peach sharbet.


Giveaway

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

THREE WINNERS:

Signed hardback copy of JUST A HAT

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 5/9/24)

Giveaway Just a Hat

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway


Visit the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

Click to visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page for this book, for direct links to each blog participating in this blitz.

LoneStarLitLife

blog tour services provided by

Shahrazad’s Gift by Gretchen McCullough – Review & Giveaway

BNR Shaharazad's Gift

 

About the Book, Shahrazad’s Gift Cover Shahrazad's Gift

  • Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Linked Short Stories / Humor
  • Publisher: Cune Press
  • Date of Publication: February 20, 2024
  • Number of Pages: 198 pages
  • Scroll down for Giveaway!

Shahrazad’s Gift is a collection of linked short stories set in contemporary Cairo—magical, absurd and humorous. The author focuses on the off-beat, little-known stories, far from CNN news: a Swedish belly dancer who taps into the Oriental fantasies of her clientele; a Japanese woman studying Arabic, driven mad by the noise and chaos of the city; a frustrated Egyptian housewife who becomes obsessed by the activities of her Western gay neighbor; an American journalist who covered the civil war in Beirut who finds friendship with her Egyptian dentist. We also meet the two protagonists of McCullough’s Confessions of a Knight Errant, before their escapades in that story.

 

These stories are told in the tradition of A Thousand and One Nights.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads


About the Author, Gretchen McCullough Author Photo Gretchen

Gretchen McCullough was raised in Harlingen Texas. After graduating from Brown University in 1984, she taught in Egypt, Turkey, and Japan. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and was awarded a teaching Fulbright to Syria from 1997-1999. Her stories, essays and reviews have appeared in The Barcelona Review, Archipelago, National Public Radio, Story South, Guernica, The Common, The Millions, and the LA Review of Books. Translations in English and Arabic have been published in: Nizwa, Banipal, Brooklyn Rail in Translation, World Literature Today and Washington Square Review with Mohamed Metwalli. Her bi-lingual book of short stories in English and Arabic, Three Stories From Cairo, translated with Mohamed Metwalli, was published in July 2011 by AFAQ Publishing House, Cairo. A collection of short stories about expatriate life in Cairo, Shahrazad’s Tooth, was also published by AFAQ in 2013. Currently, she is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition at the American University in Cairo.

Connect with Gretchen:

Website | Goodreads | American University Faculty Webpage


My Thoughts MelissaBartell - photo

This book is a collection of short stories set in Cairo. While there is some intersection of the characters, for the most part, each story stands alone.

 

In these different narratives, author Gretchen McCullough has given us a glimpse of the city from the perspectives of American, British,  and Japanese ex-pats and locals alike. Each story shows the struggles of cultural differences while also delving into the individual struggles of the characters. Queenie is a costume designer with a rocky past. Joe is terminally ill. Keiko is certain she is hearing noises from the empty flat upstairs. Hoda is obsessed with her neighbor and his sexual escapades, using voyeurism as an escape from a depressing and distressing marriage and family.

 

A couple of the stories very specifically referenced the events of September 11, 2001 and how the mostly American ex-pats living in Egypt reacted – some became paranoid, others became news junkies. Similarly represented were responses to the protests in that county several years later.

 

Every story features dimensional, well-drawn characters, all of whom are supremely human and flawed. Author McCullough is a deft hand with description but also excelled with dialogue, making the background and history of each character very clear.

XTRA Ad Shahrazad's Gift

 

While I appreciated this collection of stories for it’s homage to A Thousand and One Nights  and the incredible craft of the author, it was a challenging read for me because I found so many of the characters unlikeable that I just couldn’t relate to their stories very well. Still, good writing provokes a reaction, even if that reaction is to hope you never, ever, meet any of these people in real life.

 

Of all the stories, the one I found most fascinating was “The Charm” which depicts the deterioration of Dr. Sheri as seen by her cleaning woman, Zeinab. It’s a gradual spiraling out of control and a fantastic portrait of anxiety, paranoia, and other mental illness.

 

I also really appreciated “Tiger” about an American visiting “the Pyramids” after losing their job as a teaching assistant in Mississippi.

 

Overall, Shahrazad’s Gift is a collection of candid portrayals and gritty situations as well as an exploration of what it is to be “other.”

 

Goes well with: mint tea and honey cakes.


Giveaway

GIVEAWAY!GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

THREE WINNERS:

Two winners receive paperbacks

One winner receives the eBook of Shahrazad’s Gift

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 4/12/24)

 

Giveaway Shahrazad's Gift

 

 

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway


Visit the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

Click to visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page for this book with direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily, or visit each blog directly.

 

04/02/24 Rox Burkey Blog Excerpt
04/02/24 Hall Ways Blog Notable Quotables
04/03/24 StoreyBook Reviews Guest Post
04/03/24 LSBBT Blog BONUS Stop
04/04/24 Boys’ Mom Reads Review
04/05/24 Bibliotica Review
04/06/24 Rebecca R. Cahill, Author Author Interview
04/07/24 The Page Unbound Review
04/08/24 The Plain-Spoken Pen Review
04/09/24 It’s Not All Gravy Excerpt
04/10/24 Carpe Diem Chronicles Review
04/11/24 The Real World According to Sam Review

 

LoneStarLitLife

blog tour services provided by

LoneStarBookBlogTours sm

Review: Gwendolyn Greene and the Moondog Coronation Ball of 1957 by Kevin P. Keating

About the Book, Gwendolyn Greene and the Moondog Coronation Ball of 1957 Gwendolyn Greene

  • Publication date: ‎ April 25, 2023
  • Pages Count: 56 pages

Spotlight: The Last True Templar, by Boyd & Beth Morrison

The Last True Templar

I’m thrilled to be spotlighting this book, the second book in the Tales of the Lawless Land series. It sounds like a fantastic read.

About the book, The Last True Templar

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Head of Zeus — an Aries Book (February 27, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages

The Last True Templar CoverThe thrilling new historical adventure from New York Times bestselling author Boyd Morrison and expert medievalist Beth Morrison. Fox and Willa find themselves on a dangerous quest for the treasure of the Templar Knights.

A Perilous Quest. A Deadly Legacy.

Italy, 1351. English companions, knight Gerard Fox and the resourceful Willa, have come through a death-defying journey across war-torn Europe. Now looking towards a future together, they must first find a way to reconcile with their difficult pasts.

In a small village between Florence and Siena, Fox and Willa are caught up in a deadly ambush. After rescuing Luciana, the target of the attack, they take refuge in her opulent villa and learn her heartbreaking story – a tale of loss, deception, and a burning desire for freedom.

Soon, Fox and Willa are involved in a perilous quest to save Luciana’s family legacy. To do so, they will have to solve a mystery that points the way to the fabled lost treasure of the Knights Templar.

Praise for this book

‘Complete with mysteries, secrets, and adventure, rich in detail, delivering exactly what a reader craves. This writing duo knows all the right chords to touch.’ Steve Berry, #1 New York Times bestselling author

‘A mesmerizing sequel to the hugely entertaining The Lawless Land…. There is action galore. What a ride!’ Elizabeth George, #1 New York Times bestselling author


‘Any lover of historical mysteries or great tales of adventure will find much delight in this novel!’ James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author


‘A triumphant follow-up to The Lawless Land, with a puzzle that will dazzle fans of The Da Vinci Code. There’s so much breathtaking excitement that the book should come with an oxygen tank.’ 
Lee Goldberg, #1 New York Times bestselling author.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads


About the authors, Boyd and Beth Morrison Morrison_Boyd and Beth bw (4)

Boyd Morrison is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve thrillers, including six with Clive Cussler. His first novel, The Ark, was an Indie Next Notable pick and was translated into over a dozen languages. He has a PhD in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech.

Beth Morrison is Senior Curator of Manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. She has curated major exhibitions including ‘Imagining the Past in France, 1250-1500’, and ‘Book of Beasts: The Bestiary in the Medieval World’. She has a PhD in the History of Art from Cornell University.

Connect with Boyd:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)

Connect with Beth:

Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)

Connect with Aries / Head of Zeus Publishing

Website | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)

The Last True Templar

Spotlight and Review: The Knotted Ring by Myra Hargrave McIlvain

BNR The Knotted Ring Blitz

 

I’m thrilled to be spotlighting this book today. It looks like a moving story rich in history and character.

About the book, The Knotted Ring Cover The Knotted Ring

  • Genre: Historical Fiction / Family Saga / Historical Romance
  • Publisher: Next Chapter
  • Page Count: 412
  • Publication Date: December 7, 2023
  • Scroll down for Giveaway!

Susannah Mobley, expecting a baby by her lover, a slave owned by her family, submits to an arranged marriage to Hezekiah James who is headed to Texas to claim a Spanish land grant. Caught in a series of lies about the origin of a beautiful ring woven from her red hair and the circumstances of her pregnancy, Susannah embarks on the harsh trip to Texas, grieving for her lost love and determined to control her destiny.

On the wagon train journey, Hezekiah is tested by his beliefs and strengths with his slaves and Native Americans, as well as a strange Mad Stone. His determination to build a plantation as fine as Susannah’s home place and to make the best decisions for Susannah fails. Susannah will have to decide if she can live with the consequences of her lies and open herself to this man who shows every form of contrition or if she will allow longing for what she cannot have to destroy her life.

The Knotted Ring is currently a semi-finalist in the Laramie Awards for Western and Americana Fiction.

Praise for this book:

“An often engrossing and well-handled story of the 19th century.” —Kirkus Reviews

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

AmazonAppleBookPeople | Barnes & NobleGoogleKobo | Goodreads


About the author, Myra Hargrave McIlvain Author Photo McIlvain

Myra Hargrave McIlvain, a sixth-generation Texan, is a storyteller who has written Texas historical markers (yes, real people write those things lining Texas highways), articles for newspapers and magazines such as Texas Highways, and six nonfiction books about famous and infamous Texas characters and places.

McIlvain found her real love when she wrote her first historical fiction. All her tales take place in Texas during major periods of its history. However, The Knotted Ring was inspired by an old family story, and in her search to understand what may have happened, she imagined their lives set in a time that she knew well––the establishment of the first Anglo colony.

McIlvain views history as the story of a people; the people she knows best have made Texas home.

Connect with Myra:

Website | FacebookX (Twitter) | Amazon | Goodreads

 

 

 

XTRA Ad The Knotted Ring


My Thoughts MissMeliss - 2023

There are some books that you race through, and there are others that are better experienced as a slow simmer, taking time to truly savor the emotional truths and excellent research the author wrote into it. The Knotted Ring, by Myra Hargrave McIlvain is definitely one of the latter.

This story focuses on Susannah – her forbidden love, her struggle in the confines of a period in time where women didn’t have a lot of choice, and the trials and tribulations that come with life on the frontier. She’s a strong woman living in nearly impossible conditions, and I enjoyed meeting her, though I also felt for her situation.

This author is obviously highly skilled at her craft, because even though this novel abounds with lies and lawlessness and the hardship of a journey in less-than-ideal conditions, its heart is the often-strained, but still deep, relationship of a woman and man. The weaving in of Texas history felt organic and not overly expositional, and the plot moved at an acceptable pace.

Some novels are quick cups of soup – flavorful, but not necessarily sustaining. The Knotted Ring is a rich stew or Texas chili. Rich, hearty, and not without a little bit of bite in the form of social conventions and physical hardships. Ladle this novel into your reading bowl and immerse yourself in the storytelling. You won’t be sorry.

Goes well with: Chili made with brisket – no beans – and seasoned with “cowboy coffee.”


Giveaway

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

 THREE WINNERS

1st Prize: Autographed hardcover & tote bag; 2nd Prize: Autographed paperback + candle; 3rd Prize: Autographed paperback
(US only; ends midnight, CST, 02/29/24

Giveaway Knotted Ring

 

 

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway


Check out the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH BLOG PARTICIPATING IN THIS BOOK BLITZ!

LoneStarLitLife

blog tour services provided by

LoneStarBookBlogTours sm

Review: The Fixer-Upper by Phoebe MacLeod

The Fixer Upper

About the book, The Fixer-Upper The Fixer Upper cover

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books (February 3, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages

Finding a man is like buying a house: sometimes you have to look beyond the exterior to see the potential underneath.

As an estate agent, Alex’s job is to create happy-ever-afters. It’s just a shame she can’t work the same magic on her own life. Her long-term boyfriend Thomas still lives with his mother, and her hopes of them taking the next step are dashed when he announces he’s spending all his savings (savings she’d quite hoped he’d want to put towards their future home) on an ‘artist retreat’ in San Francisco.

With Thomas thousands of miles away, getting a little too friendly with his fellow artistes, Alex strikes up a friendship with her new neighbour, Callum. Taciturn, grumpy and nerdy, Callum couldn’t be more different to Alex’s bubbly personality…. So why is he the one she wakes up wanting to talk to?

As they get to know each other, Alex starts to wonder if the answer to all her problems might be closer to home than she thinks…

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads


About the author, Phoebe MacLeod PhoebeAvatar

Phoebe MacLeod is the author of several popular laugh-out-loud romantic comedies. She mainly sets her books in her home county of Kent and her first new title for Boldwood will be published in November 2022. They will also be republishing her existing titles from August this year.

Connect with Phoebe:

Newsletter Signup | Bookbub | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)


My Thoughts MissMeliss - 2023

How refreshing it was to fall into the pages of The Fixer-Upper, Phoebe MacLeod’s latest romantic comedy, where friendship remains a pillar and shocking events don’t drive the plot. Rather, it’s a novel that lets us meet the main characters, sit with them a while, and watch them develop new and healthy relationships without any back-stabbing or scandal.

Alex and Emma are best friends who buy a flat together, and in typical rom-com fashion, fall for the boys next door – well, really across the hall. What follows is a sweet and often hilarious story about how confident real estate agent Alex and less confident Emma find themselves in a quest to find true – or at least lasting – love.

I enjoyed the tease of the title that persisted through the opening chapters, for the “fixer-upper” isn’t the flat that Emma and Alex buy. It’s their next door neighbor Callum, and even he doesn’t really need fixing so much as he needs a style consultant and a confidence booster.

Watching Alex process her changing feelings for her long-term boyfriend Thomas, especially after he moves to San Francisco for an artists’ retreat, is much like watching my own self in my twenties as I learned what I wanted, what I didn’t, and what wants were really needs, and it’s that universality that really makes this book shine. We’ve all had to re-examine our choices at one time or another. We’ve all had the focus of of our relationships change – at times the most important person is our best friend, while at other times it’s our partner. Those shifts are a normal part of our evolution into stable adults, and author MacLeod captures them brilliantly.

While I loved the Alex and Callum thread in this novel, and enjoyed the Emma and Mark thread, the character I felt was a bit underserved in this story was the other best friend, Michelle, who is a tower of support for Alex, especially when Emma’s focus changes.

If you’re looking for accidental sleuths, scandal, or mayhem, this is not the book for you. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a relatable, feel-good romance with well-drawn characters who feel like the people you might meet in the local cafe, run to your nearest source of books, and get a copy of The Fixer-Upper. You won’t regret it.

Goes well with: coffee and anisette toast.


Check out the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

The Fixer Upper Full Tour Banner