Love’s a Stage by Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay

September 29, 2015

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.

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

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.

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

Buy Your Own Copy

The Cypress Trap by JC Gatlin

September 23, 2015

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.

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.

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.

Buy Your Own Copy

Excerpt

(more…)

A Wedding At The Orange Blossom Inn by Shelley Shepard Gray

September 22, 2015

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.

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?

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

Buy Your Own Copy

Add On Goodreads

Coercion by Tim Tigner

September 18, 2015

Coercion by Tim Tigner was an interesting book and I am super glad that I got it review. I love books like this one because I can’t put the book down until I am done with it. It is also one of those books that after I finished it I had to wait until the next day to start a new one because I was so wrapped up in the characters from this book. I am not usually interested in political/military thrillers but I loved this one. At times it was hard to follow who was talking but I was always able to figure it out and I was never lost for more than a paragraph or two. This book also did keep me on the edge of my seat which is another thing that I loved about this book. I loved everything about this story and I can’t wait to check out other books by this author. If you love thrillers than I know you will enjoy this book. If you do check it out please let me know what you think about it.

About The Book

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (July 7, 2015)

The phone rings and the offer is made, leaving you only seconds to decide. Betray your country, or watch your family drop dead before your eyes.

After the Iron Curtain’s collapse, Russia appears to be finished as a superpower. But KGB general Vasily Karpov is secretly working to restore Russia’s status by forcing Americans into traitorous acts of espionage and sabotage, with the aid of a new secret weapon. Meanwhile, his biggest target is within Russia, where Karpov is plotting to capture the Kremlin for himself.

Former US soldier and spy Alex Ferris becomes the first to fathom Karpov’s grand plans. Racing from San Francisco to Siberia, Alex must elude ambushes, assassins, and death from exposure as he wages a one-man war against a growing global threat and the resurgence of the Soviets.

“Tim Tigner is a masterful storyteller with a nose for intrigue and a careful eye for historical detail. Set in the aftermath of the collapse of the Iron Curtain, his latest book, “Coercion,” is a compelling tale of espionage and betrayal, one that will leave its readers wanting more.” — James A. Baker, III, 61st U.S. Secretary of State

About The Author

Tim began his career in Soviet Counterintelligence with the US Army Special forces, the Green Berets. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, Tim switched from espionage to arbitrage. Armed with a Wharton MA rather than a Colt M16, he moved to Moscow in the midst of Perestroika. There he lead prominent multinational medical companies, worked with cosmonauts on the MIR Space Station (from Earth, alas), chaired the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, and helped write Russia’s first law on healthcare.

Moving to Brussels during the formation of the EU, Tim ran Europe, Middle East, and Africa for a Johnson & Johnson company and traveled like a character in a Robert Ludlum book. He eventually landed in Silicon Valley, where like minds with wild ideas come to congregate around the creation of (nightmares and) dreams. Now he launches new medical technologies as a startup CEO, and devises devious devices for fictional characters who aim to change the world.

Tim grew up in the Midwest and Europe, earning a BA from Hanover College and then a MBA in Finance and a MA in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. He now lives with his wife Elena and their two daughters in Northern California.

Buy Your Own Copy

Trigger Warning This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

September 15, 2015

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp was a very interesting book to read. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book but the subject manner intrigued me so I knew I had to give it a chance. This was an easy read because it is a YA novel so that made it a super quick read which is good because I can squeeze it in between other books. This book was hard to read at times simple because of the subject but even during those times I wanted to keep reading. It reminds me of movies where you want to look away from what is going on but you can’t because you have to know what is going to happen. If you are looking for a different type of book to read I would for recommend this book to you. Please don’t read this book if violence or guns can trigger you.

About The Book

10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama’s high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03
The auditorium doors won’t open.

10:05
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student’s calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

About The Author

Marieke is a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, and diversity advocate. She holds degrees in philosophy, history, and medieval studies, and wants to grow up to be a time traveler.

In the midnight hours of the day, Marieke writes stories full of hope and heartbreak. Her debut YA novel THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS will be out from Sourcebooks Fire in 2016.

NOTE: While I love Goodreads, I don’t spend a lot of time here, so I’m dreadfully slow in responding to questions or requests. You’re always welcome to tweet or email me though!

NOTE, PART TWO: I so appreciate everyone taking the time to read and discuss my book! I do not respond to reviews, but whether you love or hate my book, thank you for sharing your thoughts! <3

Buy Your Own Copy

Amazon

Silently Broken by Maegan Abel

September 14, 2015

Silently Broken by Maegan Abel was a good book. This is the 2nd book in the series and you can read this book without reading the first book but if I could recommend one thing I would say to read the books in order. I was able to figure out what was going on but it would have been easier if I had read the first book. There are parts where things didn’t make sense because of the fact that I didn’t know the back story. I really did enjoy this book even when I was lost. The author did a great job of helping me understand why the characters did what they did. I love when authors can make me feel like I am there with the characters and this author was able to do that. If you love thrillers than I know you will love this book.

About The Book

Title: Silently Broken

Author: Maegan Abel

Series: Broken Series

Genre: New Adult Romance

Release Date: September 15, 2015

Publisher: Forever Red Publishing

Print Length: 80k

Format: Paperback and Digital

Print ISBN: 978-1-941853-18-4

Digital ISBN: 978-1-941853-19-1

Zane Tishler has never been the All-American picture of happiness. Every time he seems to get his feet under him, someone or something has to rip away his chances at healing. His girlfriend and son are missing after a devastating fire that left the home they shared in ruins, along with his life. How long can someone cling to hope without the two most important people in their life?

Liliosa Cortez has always been a runner. It’s how she’s survived for as long as she has. But, there comes a point when you just can’t run anymore. Lost in a world darker than she ever could’ve imagined, she has to figure out how to live with the choices she’s made — in her past and now. She has to act fast if she’s going to save the people she loves. That’s what matters. Even more than her own life.

Zane and Lili were finally finding their very own happily ever after when tragedy struck. What happened the day of the fire? Where are Lili and Conner? How can Zane and their family deal with this deep of a loss?

What happens when your world is turned upside down and guilt eats at you during every waking moment?

What do you do when all hope fades and leaves you Silently Broken?

About The Author

Maegan despises writing about herself in the third person. She also hates touting her accomplishments like she thinks she’s really done anything special…

Now that we got that out of the way, I’ll tell you what you need to know. I was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I went back to school in my late twenties and studied Stage Production Technology. I now work full-time in the alterations shop of a major department store and part-time backstage in the various theatres around the area.

I’ve been an avid reader from a very young age and the top goal on my list of things to accomplish in my life was to write and publish a book. During the summer of 2013, while working backstage on The Lion King, I read eleven books in four weeks. I read my first New Adult book and was introduced to a genre I felt I could totally relate to. The idea for Perfectly Broken and the character of Lili was born backstage during that time.

Buy Your Own Copy

Pre-Order: Amazon

First Book In The Series

Other Books in the Broken Series

Perfectly Broken

Book 1 is available at: Amazon

Excerpt

(more…)

The World As I See It

Books I Love

The Cypress Trap by JC Gatlin

About The Book

About The Author

Buy Your Own Copy

Excerpt

A Wedding At The Orange Blossom Inn by Shelley Shepard Gray

About The Book

About The Author

Buy Your Own Copy

Add On Goodreads

Trigger Warning This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

About The Book

About The Author

Buy Your Own Copy