Month: September 2015

The Truth About Caroline by Randi M Sherman

Book Review

The Truth About Caroline by Randi M Sherman was a fun book to read.  I really enjoyed this story and I am not 100% sure why but I didn’t want to stop reading until I had finished this book.  There were parts of this book that made me laugh because I could actually see something like that happening.  I loved the parts that had to do with her outfits that her lawyer gave her to wear to court and I wish this book would have had pictures in it because they would have been amazing.  This was another new author to me and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the story but after I was a few chapters in I really started to enjoy this book.  I really felt like Caroline was a real person and she also seemed like someone who I would love to be friends with.  This was a super fun chick lit book and everyone who enjoys chick lit needs to check out this book.

The Truth About Caroline by Randi M Sherman

About The Book

Honesty has always presented a problem for Caroline. 

Manipulating situations and navigating around blunders and deceptions have become second nature to Caroline. She could justify every lie she has ever told, and any truth she ever stretched. Honesty and revealing secrets would only keep her from moving forward with her life. What good would it do anyhow? 

Even all of those bad financial decisions, flawed relationships and questionable life choices seem like child’s play compared to being arrested for the solicitation of her husband’s murder, and what follows. Could someone figure out Caroline? And what would happen if someone did?

Randi M Sherman

About The Author

With an eye for detail, an ear for well-tuned dialogue and an incredible grasp of the obvious, all honed while performing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles and improvisational theater in San Francisco, Sherman adds just enough bawdiness to deliver character-driven contemporary novels that will have the reader laughing, thinking and even connecting with the characters in her books

Writing has been a part of Randi’s life since she was a teenager, one hundred and fifty thousand years ago. But being pragmatic and realizing that she preferred having an income, living indoors and eating regularly, she reluctantly put her dreams on hold and entered the corporate world, yet never left behind her sense of humor and creative storytelling ability, skills which were not always appreciated during budget and strategy meetings.

Now, after living indoors for a while and eating regularly, albeit too much, Randi has picked up her pen again and her third novel, THE TRUTH ABOUT CAROLINE is here. It is the continuation to her second novel CAROLINE STARTS OVER (2014). Randi’s first book PAULA TAKES A RISK was released in 2012. Look for Randi’s next novel THE LOBBY, Spring-ish 2016.

Randi lives in the California wine country. She would never claim to have a genius IQ, the body of a super model.  However, she can spell “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”  Randi maintains a trim, well-toned body that is cleverly concealed beneath twenty pounds of soft protective layering and she has the appetite of a bird (vulture).

Things that Randi cannot live without:  people to laugh with, her car horn, a gym membership where there are chubby women who break into a sweat while putting on a jog bra, wine, waist capes, and her wife, Carol.

Randi can live without: mean-spirited people, liver, left-overs, communal dressing rooms, tight underwear, and people who point.

Randi is five-foot-seven.

 

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Love’s a Stage by Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay

Book Review

Love’s a Stage by Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay was a sweet love story.  I loved this book because it was super sweet and not only that but it was a shorter book and I love reading shorter books in between some of the more intense books that I have been reading and reviewing lately.  I can’t say enough great things about this story.  This is the first book I have read by either of these authors and I can’t wait to read more by them because they did a great job of making fall in love with both of the characters and the entire story.  If you love romance novels than you don’t want to miss this story.

Love's a Stage by Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay

About The Book

Grad student and future marriage counselor Aly Brewster had a perfect childhood with perfect parents. Now she’s heading into her own perfect life: Finish her Master’s. Build a successful practice. Husband at twenty-six. But when her parents blindside her with the news they’re getting divorced, her perfect world shatters.

Actor Nick Armstrong has been in love with Aly since they met during freshman year. He’s happy to accept his assigned place in her Friend Zone because it lets him be close to her. But it’s been over five years—time to move on. Then the usually-unflappable Aly comes to him begging for help to save her parents’ marriage. Nick has the perfect plan: fake an engagement to each other to inspire her parents to fight to save their marriage. And who knows? It might trigger Aly’s feelings for him. But when Aly takes the ruse to the next level—planning a wedding in her parents’ backyard and hiring additional actors to play his family—enough is enough!

As the lines between acting and reality grow decidedly blurred, these two improvised fiancés must decide: are they going to finish the play…or exit stage right. Alone.

About The Authors

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Rene Gutteridge

Rene Gutteridge is the author of eighteen novels, including Escapement, Possession, Listen, Never the Bride (2011 Carol Award Winner), The Boo Series, The Storm Series, The Occupational Hazards Series and My Life as a Doormat, a Women of Faith selection for 2006. She has a degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis in screenwriting and twenty years of experience writing, directing and publishing comedy sketches. She writes in both comedy and suspense genres. Her upcoming releases from Tyndale House Publishers: Heart of the Country, Misery Loves Company and Old Fashioned. From B&H Publishers: Greetings from the Flipside co-written with Cheryl McKay.

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Cheryl McKay

Cheryl McKay has been professionally writing since 1997. Cheryl wrote the screenplay for The Ultimate Gift, based on Jim Stovall’s novel. The award-winning film stars James Garner, Brian Dennehy, and Abigail Breslin and was released in theaters by Fox in 2007. Cheryl also wrote the DVD for Gigi: God’s Little Princess, another book adaptation based on the book by Sheila Walsh, as well as the Wild and Wacky, Totally True Bible Stories audio series and books with Frank Peretti. Her screenplay, Never the Bride, has been adapted into a novel for Random House Publishers and was released in June 2009. She also released Finally the Bride: Finding Hope While Waiting, the non-fiction version of Never the Bride. She penned the film script for “A Friend for Maddie”. She recently released her autobiography, Finally Fearless: Journey from Panic to Peace. Cheryl and her husband live in Los Angeles.

Visit her website: http://www.purplepenworks.com or the ministry she runs with her husband, finallyone.com

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Margaret Margaret

Francis of Assisi-Quote Of The Week

Quote Of The Week

This week’s quote is by Francis of Assisi.

Francis of Assisi

I love this quote because it is a great way to look at things that you may not think you are able to do.  I am trying to just keep working towards things instead of having the mindset that no matter how hard I work I will never get to the place I want to be.  I realized that even if I am just taking baby steps I am still moving forward and one day I will get where I want to be.

What do you think of this week’s quote by Francis of Assisi?

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Margaret Margaret

Lots Of Thoughts

Lots Of Thoughts

I was going to write something for the writers workshop but instead of doing that I am just going to write some of the thoughts that I have had over the past little while so that I can get them out of my head.  I am sure they won’t make much sense but I will try to explain a bit about what and why I am thinking them.  Anyway I am just going to make a list of them so you can just skim them if you want to.

  • The main thing that has been on my mind for the past few months is how both of my parents can write off their own children & families.  I have seen that I can do the same thing but I don’t think I could do this to my daughter when she grows up and wants to meet me.  I will never truly understand how they can and how I can just turning feelings off for a person and never look back.  I do think of people again but not enough to make me seek them out.  I just keep on going on and while I kind of understand that with friends I have no idea how a parent can just stop caring about their child.
  • The next thing that has been on my mind is why people still lie because let me be honest like the quote I posted on Monday people can’t remember all lies they tell so they always get caught.   My dad told a few lies about me last year or the year before and since I found that out I have no need to have him in my life.  I am sure he will end up alone and sad because he just can’t seem to tell the truth and he hasn’t figured out that he always get caught when he lies.  There have been more lies told by him than I could ever list so now I just assume everything he says is a lie.
  • I have wondered if two people can be so connected that without having talk to each other for 3 plus years that you still know when they are struggling and when they need you or someone to lean on.

Those are the three things that I have been on my mind for that past few months and I hope now that I have written them down that maybe I can stop thinking about them as much.

What has been on your mind?

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Margaret Margaret

The Cypress Trap by JC Gatlin

Book Review

The Cypress Trap by JC Gatlin this was an okay book.  I wasn’t a super big fan of the plot but even with that I still enjoyed the majority of the book.  I wasn’t a huge fan of Owen throughout the majority of the book.  He just got on my nerves and pretty much always stayed there throughout the entire book.  I really liked Rayanne and I felt bad for her because she got into the situation at no fault of her own.  This didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat but I did still have to finish it the book because I had to know how it all worked out.  If you love thrillers than I know you will love this book.  If you read it come back and let me know what you think about it.

The Cypress Trap by JC Gatlin-Cover

About The Book

Mystery / Suspense
Date Published: August 16, 2015
 

A good vacation delivers you home alive.
This is not a good vacation.

When Rayanne commandeers her husband’s weekend fishing trip, she knows it’ll take work to adjust Owen’s attitude. She has no choice. Since the tragedy, they lost so much. They need to reconnect.

Without her knowledge, Owen texts his best buddy, Daryl, to join the getaway. The three of them aren’t alone in the backwoods of Georgia, though.

Owen took something that didn’t belong to him. Something that changed their lives. And now the owner wants it back. By any means — including a posse led by a killer dog.

At first, Rayanne is clueless about the item and its value. One thing becomes crystal clear: If it’s not returned, they might not make it home alive.

The Cypress Trap by JC Gatlin

About The Author

Coming from a large family with five brothers, JC Gatlin grew up in Grapevine, Texas, a small town outside of Dallas. In 1999 he moved to Tampa, Florida, where he now resides. JC’s fishing trips help him breathe authenticity into his stories, which feature the rich landscapes of Texas and Florida as backdrops.

He has written a monthly column in New Tampa Style magazine and penned several mystery-suspense stories. His first, The Designated Survivor, was published in 2013. JC invites you to visit his mystery writing blog at jcgatlin.com.

 

 

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Margaret Margaret

A Wedding At The Orange Blossom Inn by Shelley Shepard Gray

Book Review

A Wedding At The Orange Blossom Inn by Shelley Shepard Gray was great book the series.  I love that you don’t have to read all the books in order because there are times when you are just interested in one of the books.  I am never let down by the books that Shelley writes and this one was another amazing book.  I think the two main characters in this book are two of my favorite characters because I feel like these are two of the most relatable.  I had to laugh at the crazy things that Frankie did  throughout the book because I could total see a beagle doing those things.  If you love Amish fiction I would recommend this book as long as this author.

A Wedding At The Orange Blossom Inn by Shelley Shepard Gray

About The Book

A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn (Avon Inspire, September 2015)

A wedding brings together two young widowed parents . . . and gives them a second chance at love.

Emma Keim was heartbroken when her husband, Sanford, passed away, leaving her to raise three young daughters alone. Though several years have passed, her relatives have made it no secret that they expect Emma to remain a widow, mourning Sanford indefinitely. But when she meets Jay Hilty—a handsome widower with three young sons of his own—Emma is delighted to have a new friend who understands her struggles. Still, she is dismayed that her family is so opposed to their friendship—and the idea of it ever becoming anything more. She honors her husband’s memory every day, but is she destined to be alone forever?

Emma’s gentleness with Jay’s boys stirs something in his heart that’s been quiet for far too long. But when his oldest son becomes engaged to a local woman, suddenly Jay, Emma, and their children are swept up in wedding preparations. Witnessing his son’s joy, Jay wonders if it’s time for him to move forward, too, and find happiness again.

Once again, love has come to Pinecraft. But can these two parties of four become a happy, healthy family of eight?

Shelley Shepard Gray

About The Author

Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

Find Shelley online:
website, Facebook, Twitter

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Margaret Margaret