Colleen over at Silver Threading hosts a weekly meme Writers Quote Wednesday. Join in the fun.
Author: macjam47
I am an avid reader who loves to share my thoughts about the books I read. Other activities I enjoy are doing things with my grandchildren, baking and cooking, gardening, Pilates, and deep water exercise.
Windward Secrets
By K.A. Davis
Blurb
Windward Secrets is a fast paced mystery laced with humor, suspense, and a touch of the supernatural that will make the reader gasp at times and soften their hearts at other times. Readers will recognize someone they know in every character and heighten their awareness of a heinous international crime.
When Claire McPherson booked Windward Cottage for the annual reunion with three college friends, her biggest concern was whether they would like the weather-beaten, old Victorian on Cape Cod. Little did she know that would be the least of her worries.
Claire, Jill, Caroline, and Diane are in for more than a little R and R. Windward Cottage has its own special powers of seduction. After 35 years of friendship, they thought they knew everything about each other, but the old house draws confessions out of each of them revealing secrets they never knew, and guides them unwillingly into a 50-year-old mystery.
What was planned to be a vacation filled with fun, food, and lots of reminiscing turns into one that will change their lives forever. Lost memories return and unanswered questions draw them unwillingly into a 50-year-old mystery. Who or what is trying to frighten them? What is it about this house that won’t let them go? The four women reluctantly take on a mission that leads them beyond their wildest expectations. Only one woman’s stubborn determination keeps them at Windward Cottage when common sense tells them to leave. Fear, danger, and unexplained events connect the four women to each other and to Windward Cottage. Where do they go from here? Can their friendships survive this vacation? Three of them find their futures, and one finds her past.
My Review
The author introduced the four main characters early in the book. With four distinct personalities and totally different circumstances, they had remained friends since college. The four had an annual reunion and took turns choosing where they would stay. Claire chose Windward Cottage on Cape Cod, a place she had often come to as a child, without knowing they would discover a mystery that would put the four of them in danger.
When all arrived at the cottage, their nightly ritual was to go up on the widow’s walk, wine in hand, and share secrets about themselves. Soon after arriving, events occurred that led them to fear for their safety. When they came down from the widow’s walk, the fire was already lit, they found footsteps outside, and other mysterious things were happening. The author wove a lot of suspense throughout the story, enough to cause the reader to fear for the safety of the four women.
This book has it all – some mystery, a great deal of suspense, a touch of the paranormal, a scattering of humor, and threads of romance entwined all the way through.
When the book arrived, I picked it up intending to read a chapter or two, but the story and the characters pulled me in, and without putting it down, I read the whole book in one sitting. When a book holds that kind of power over you, you have to award it five stars.
About the Author
I live in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania with my husband and a horde of white tail deer who insist on annihilating all my attempts at gardening. We are empty-nesters with two grown daughters and two beautiful grandchildren.
During my long and varied working life, I did business writing including everything from press releases to policy and procedure manuals. I served as managing editor of an in-house newspaper where I enjoyed every aspect of production including writing, photography, and even layout. From there, I wandered into marketing pieces and business plans.
My favorite adventure, however, was fourteen years in the Bed & Breakfast industry. This was my passion. When we left our lovely, old Victorian, it left a hole in my heart and I found myself with an indistinguishable yearning. I needed more. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, I just knew I wasn’t done yet!
Having done business writing and enjoying it, the light bulb finally came on and illuminated the fact that, if I liked commercial writing, surely I would like creative writing. Right? Well, some of us are simply slow learners. Once that thought penetrated, ideas for stories started popping into my head.
Coming from a family of artists and authors, and being considered a creative person in my own right, it should have been clear long before this that writing was a pond into which I should dip a toe and test the water.
Website: www.kathleenandrewsdavis.com
Blog: http://www.dollhousesmemoriesandmore.com
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Solstice Publishing (November 25, 2015)
Available in print and e-book through Amazon.com and in print from Barnes and Noble
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Please Share On Social Media:
Bobby the Big Blue Bunny
A delightful children’s story by Andrew Joyce
Bobby, the Big Blue Bunny wasn’t always big, and he wasn’t always blue. However, he had always been Bobby, at least for as long as he could remember.
When he was only a white bunny, Bobby used to live in the woods with his other bunny friends. His closest friends were Homer, Janice, and Tommy. They would play together every day. They would play many games, but their favorite was hide-n-seek. That was ever so much fun.
One day, Bobby decided that he was going to be the champion hide-n-seek player of all time. He would hide so well that no one would ever find him. Not even Janice who was the best hide-n-seek player in the whole wide world!
On that day, as Janice covered her eyes and counted to one hundred, Tommy and Homer hid in their usual places. But Bobby went deep into the woods, farther than…
View original post 1,050 more words
Please Share On Social Media:
“Hugh’s Photo Challenge: Week 9 – Stripes”
Stripes? I thought about what I might have close at hand with stripes and came up with nothing. It is in the single digits today and not a good day to go out and search for stripes. I had just about given up on joining in Hugh’s Photo Challenge when I swiveled around in my desk chair to look out the window, trying to think again if I had stripes anywhere. And there they were, right in front of me!
To check out the challenge, visit Hugh’s post.
If you’d like to join the fun, here’s what you need to do.
1. Take a photo of anything that has stripes.
2. Create a new post on your blog entitled “Hugh’s Photo Challenge: Week 9 – Stripes.”
3. Add the photo(s) you have taken to the post and tell us a little about what you are showing.
4. Create a pingback to this post or leave a link to your post in the comments section below so that other participants can view your post.
Entries for this week’s challenge are open until Monday, January 25, 2016.
Please Share On Social Media:
Secrets in the Sky
By Pauline Wiles
Book Blurb
No-one ever accused Sophie Campbell of being a coward. From caving trips to rooftop pranks, it appeared nothing could hold her back, especially once she landed a dream job promising travel all over the world.
But Sophie’s jet-setting lifestyle is not what it seems and she’s been spending more time in the quiet English village of Saffron Sweeting than she cares to admit. When her beloved Great Aunt Wol dies suddenly, Sophie loses one of the few people who truly know her. As friends, family and an old flame gather for the funeral, questions soon follow. Worse, Sophie finds herself increasingly attracted to the man most likely to expose her secrets. Can she manage to guard her past, yet finally follow her long-held dream?
Type of Book – paperback, e-book
Publisher – Pauline Wiles
Pub Date – Feb 26, 2015
Page Count – 342 pages
Genre – Women’s Fiction / Chick Lit
My Review
The protagonist in Pauline Wiles’ prequel to Saving Saffron Sweeting, Sophie Campbell, has so many secrets to keep, and some to discover; secrets that get in the way of her moving forward after the death of her beloved Great Aunt Wol, and of finding true love. In the small village of Saffron Sweeting are her secrets really safe? Most of all Sophie wants to keep her secrets from her mother, but will her boyfriend Joey, who is close to Sophie’s mother, spill the beans? Is Sophie willing to do what it takes to keep him from telling all?
When Tom enters the story, early in the book, there are vibes that Sophie tries to ignore. Tom discovers a link between him and Sophie, but soon discovers she’s not who she says she is.
The various characters woven expertly into the story, each have a place in the unraveling of Sophie’s story. Whether they are supporting her, as her friend and housemate Bella, or have a reason to expose her, each character adds to the viability of the story. The author beautifully introduces characters who, each in their own way, have an impact on the direction the story is taking the reader, while at the same time creating a real life image of a village that feels as real as any town the reader may have visited.
A five-star book, I was mesmerized by Secrets in the Sky and didn’t want it to end. Secrets in the Sky is a book I highly recommend to all readers of women’s fiction/chick-lit. Now I need to get a copy of Saving Saffron Sweeting!
About the Author
British by birth, Pauline Wiles is now a contented resident of California, although she admits to an occasional yearning for afternoon tea and historic homes. Her work has been published by House of Fifty, Open Exchange and Alfie Dog Fiction. Her first novel, Saving Saffron Sweeting, was a quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and a number one Kindle bestseller. When not writing, she can be found getting the steps wrong in a Zumba class or calculating how many miles she has to run to justify an extra piece of cake.
Connect with the Author
Website
www.paulinewiles.com
Social Media Links
https://twitter.com/paulinewiles
https://www.facebook.com/scribinglimey
https://www.pinterest.com/paulinewiles/
I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks for reading! To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie Valerie’s Book Blog, click here:http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-jan-2016
Please Share On Social Media:
Calling all Book Lovers and Authors to Make a Difference to a Child in Need…
Children’s book author Michelle Eastman has a fantastic post on her blog about an initiative to get quality books into the hands of children who would not otherwise have them. Please check it out. I will be participating and I challenge everyone to do the same.
It’s a little early, but I wanted to reach out to all of the book lovers and authors who’d like to join me during the month of March to get quality books into the hands of deserving kids.
Last year, I started the initiative, “MARCHing Books to Kids” to raise awareness and collect books for children of incarcerated parents. I was delighted to have authors and lit lovers from all over the world support this cause. In fact, we collected 348 books from generous people in 11 different states and 4 countries! I hope this year will be just as great! The feedback from the participating families was incredible. They were especially touched that authors signed books for their children. That was a new experience for most of the families.
According to Reading is Fundamental (RIF), Nearly two-thirds of low-income families in the U.S. DO NOT own books. …
View original post 568 more words
Please Share On Social Media:
Books 2 and 3 of Bette Lee Crosby’a Memory House Collection
The Loft
Book Blurb
CAN A SINGLE MEMORY SAVE THE LIFE OF SOMEONE YOU LOVE?
Annie Doyle believes the answer is yes, but will she find it in time?
Fifty years of memories are hidden in the walls of the loft. Now Ophelia Browne is leaving the house and she’s leaving some very powerful memories behind. Annie needs to find just one… the one that will save Oliver’s life.
On the day of their wedding, Annie sees only happiness ahead, but when an accident calls her and Oliver back to Memory House, her world is changed forever.
After only three nights in the loft, Annie must now find the single most meaningful memory in Oliver’s mind. If she finds it in time, she can save his life, if she doesn’t…well that’s something she can’t afford to think about.
Readers will welcome back the much-loved characters from Memory House and enjoy a few new friends!
My Review
The Loft picks up where Memory House ended, and we are once again in the company of Annie Cross, Ophelia Browne, and Oliver Doyle. As Annie and Oliver are starting their honeymoon, Ophelia, who is 90 years of age, has a heart attack while driving and goes off the road. Annie and Oliver return to take care of Ophelia. Realizing she will not be able to climb to her loft bedroom that her deceased husband Edward built, Oliver decides to hire architect Max Martinelli to recreate the loft in a wing on the first floor. He and Annie plan to surprise her with the plans when she comes home. However, while at the rehab center, Ophelia makes new friends who all live in Baylor Towers, and begins to see that returning to the Memory House to live with Oliver and Annie would stifle their relationship. She remembers what it was like when she and Edward were newlyweds. Ophelia wants Oliver and Annie to experience love the way she and Edward did so many years before.
Max (Maxine) is so much like Annie they become close friends immediately; they both can detect the memories left behind.
Max is trying to get over her love affair with Julien Marceau. They met in Paris when Max was in college, and when Max returned to the U.S., Julien was supposed to follow, but Max never heard from him again. Annie understands and tries to help her move on.
Annie’s life is perfect, but then the unthinkable happens. Is she strong enough to face this new challenge on her own? Will she be able to find the right memory for Oliver? There is much more to the story than the hints I’ve given here, but I wouldn’t want to give away any spoilers.
The Loft is the second book in the Memory House Collection. See my review of Memory House, Book One of the series, here. You can certainly read The Loft without having read Memory House, but you will better understand the relationships if you do read it first.
Buy on GooglePlay – CLICK HERE
What the Heart Remembers
Book Blurb
CAN YOU TRULY TRUST THE MEMORIES OF YOUR HEART?
Max Martinelli spent her junior year of college in Paris, and fell in love. Julien was a wickedly handsome young man who was crazy in love with her, or so she thought. He was a free-spirited artist and she an aspiring architect—impressionable, young, and standing on the brink of womanhood.
That was over three years ago but the memory of him still haunts her. Max’s life is stuck on hold because she can’t stop wondering what would have happened if she had gone back. Was Julien simply part of the magic of Paris? Or was he meant to be her destiny?
After a New Year’s Eve party that ends in disaster and bad dreams, Max decides to find out once and for all. She is going to return to Paris and search for Julien. But will her search bring forever after happiness or a truth so ugly it will change her life forever?
What the Heart Remembers is Book Three in the Memory House Series
My Review
When I finished reading The Loft, I wondered how the author could write another book in the series; Book 3 did not disappoint.
Ophelia sees the sadness in Annie’s friend Max. Max thinks her memories of Julien are happy memories, but Ophelia knows otherwise, “If she doesn’t find a way to rid herself of those memories, she’s in for a sorry life.”
Max doesn’t want to find a romantic interest. She still loves Julien and imagines the worst has happened to him. Convinced he would have come to the U.S. as promised, it’s the only thing that makes sense to her. When she tells Annie she is going to go to Paris to find Julien, Annie tries to discourage her. Max is determined to find her true love, but it turns out it isn’t who she expects to find.
While reading of the experiences Max endures in Paris, there were times I wanted to shake some sense into her, and other times I just wanted to comfort her. Her unrequited love for Julien drove her to find him, but when she did, was her feeling for him justified? Will she ever find true love, and will it be with Julien or someone else?
Crosby creates a sense of suspense when Max is knocked down. This mysterious turn of events with Julien coming to Max’s rescue, and then later when she discovers her wallet and cell phone missing, leaves a lot of questions to be answered.
Once again, I recommend that you read Memory House (Book One) and The Loft (Book Two) before reading What the Heart Remembers (Book Three). The books in the Memory House Collection lead from one to the other. To get a true sense of who the characters are, where they’ve been, and where they are headed, it is best to read all three in proper order.
Buy now on Amazon – CLICK HERE
Buy now on Nook – CLICK HERE
Buy now on iBooks – CLICK HERE
Buy now on Kobo – CLICK HERE
Buy now on GooglePlay – CLICK HERE
Additional Comments
As with all of Crosby’s books, I felt as though the author was sitting beside me telling the story in her soft southern voice. As with Memory House, The Loft and What the Heart Remembers are books you will begin to read and before you know it, you have finished the book. The plots, with a bit of magic, lots of feel good moments, and always a lovely romance, will enthrall you. Bette Lee Crosby has a wonderful ability to create characters that will continue to speak to you long after you’ve finished reading.
When you meet Ophelia and Annie in the first book of the series, Memory House, you will learn about their pasts and what draws them together. Then, enter Oliver and by the time we get to book two, The Loft, Oliver and Annie’s friendship deepens and they get married. Enter Max and the blossoming friendship between her and Annie. What the Heart Remember elaborates on the confidences shared, the concern, and the shared celebration of that friendship. This is a not-to-be-missed series.
Author Interview
- Who or what inspired you to become an author?
My mother, born and raised in the mountains of West Virginia, was not a writer, but, she was a wonderful storyteller. Not realizing that at heart I was my mother’s daughter, I studied art intent upon becoming a graphic designer. My first job was that of a packaging designer, but it was a short-lived career. Faced with an immediate deadline and a blank space where the copy should have been, I began to write. I never looked back, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that my love for words far outweighed any design skills I acquired along the way.
- You’ve written six novels, in those books, which character is your favorite and why?
I suppose I’d have to say Ethan Allen of Spare Change and the reason why is because he is the type of kid I imagine my mom being when she was his age. She came from a family of eleven siblings and they were what many of us would consider poor; so she had to be resilient and determined to survive. And although she wasn’t one to toss around obscenities indiscriminately, she could cuss up a storm when she was really mad. When Mama started cussing we knew to step aside and mind our manners.
- Is Ethan Allen is modeled after your mom, is there a character that you’d modeled after yourself?
There is probably a bit of me in every character, but the one most like me would probably be Olivia Doyle in both Spare Change and Jubilee’s Journey. Like Olivia, I have quirky ideas about life, I am an eternal optimist and regardless of the odds, I will always go down swinging. When life takes a turn for the worse, that’s when you need to be strong, draw on your Faith and cling to the love of those around you…which is pretty much what Olivia does.
- What is your favorite quote?
It probably depends upon when and where you ask me. I would love to be deep and profound like so many brilliant writers, but I’ve learned over the years that I am still my mother’s daughter – sometimes irreverent, always a story-lover, but seldom brilliant. So here is the quote that most closely reflects my own thinking…”The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” Elizabeth Taylor
- What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
Be yourself. Discover what’s in your heart and create characters you love or love to hate. Never allow yourself to follow in the tracks of another author simply because he or she sold a million copies of their book. If you stumble on that pathway, your readers will know; your characters will sound shallow and superficial. But if you’re true to yourself and work to develop your own voice it will ring loud and true with believability. It isn’t something that happens overnight. I wrote four novels before the fifth was published, but the truth is that the first four didn’t deserve to be published, they were all part of my learning curve. So, stay with it and learn from the writers who inspire you, from the books you love, and from the books you hate. You learn something from every book you read, and sometimes that something is what not to do. Most of all enjoy every minute you spend writing—because if you’re not writing for fun, you shouldn’t be writing.
Author’s Social Media Links
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
G+
Pinterest
Instagram
Email: betteleecrosby@gmail.com
Copies of these books were given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks for reading! To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie Valerie’s Book Blog, click here: http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-jan-2016
Please Share On Social Media:
The Book Case – Flooded
Authors and Bloggers. This bookstore was flooded and all of it’s stock destroyed. Perhaps you can help out.
Please Share On Social Media:
Children’s Books by Ali Pfautz
Smiles and Wiggles
By Ali Pfautz
Illustrated by Sara Grier
BLURB
Need some brain break ideas for the classroom? Want your kids to be active, but spend some time reading, as well? In SMILES AND WIGGLES: A YEAR OF IMAGINATIVE FUN, Ali Pfautz – The Story Lady shares some of her best poems and songs that encourage kids to use their imaginations. They might pretend to be falling leaves, firefighters going to a rescue call, or baby birds in spring. It’s a book for kids, teachers and parents, anyone looking for get up and move, creative, rhyming fun.
MY REVIEW
Smiles and Wiggles is a delightful book of poetry divided into five chapters of the four seasons and anytime. The poems are accompanied by suggestions and movement. The suggestions include activities that relate to and enhance the meaning of each poem. Movement explains optional motions to accompany the poems. This book has fun written all over it.
Author Ali Pfautz has a winner with Smiles and Wiggles. Parents and educators are encouraged to bring the poems to life by initiating play based on the suggestions and movements. Planning a party or playdate of any size with groups of young children? Smiles and Wiggles will keep children entertained while learning.
Do I recommend Smiles and Wiggles? Absolutely!
BOOK TYPE – Print – Paperback
PUBLISHER – Artistic Endeavors Press (2015)
PAGES – 42
GENRE – Children’s Poetry Book/Teacher Resource Book
No More Slooping, Sara Sue!
By Ali Pfautz
Illustrated by Carolyn Schallmo
BLURB
Sara Sue’s favorite food is soup. She eats it every day and she makes a loud slurping noise with every bite. The sound bothers her friends and family so much that they make up a word to describe it, slooping! Can Sara Sue solve her slurpy slooping problem? Find out in this playful story that mixes a dash of silly words with a pinch or two of tongue twisters. Plus, inside this Special Edition, you’ll find two of Sara Sue’s favorite soup recipes that you can make at home.
MY REVIEW
Sara Sue loves soup, any kind of soup, but her slooping is getting on everyone’s nerves. One day Sara Sue’s mother and father told her it had to stop! Sara Sue’s mother told her she had five days to learn to eat soup without slooping or her mother would never make soup for her again. How will she ever learn to eat her soup quietly!
Ali Pfautz knows how to keep a child’s attention and uses this silly made-up word as she tells the story. Sloop! Slooping! Just the sound of it will set off the giggles.
I highly recommend this five-star book.
BOOK TYPE – Print – Hardcover Edition
PUBLISHER – Artistic Endeavors Press (2014 original printing – 2015 hardcover printing)
PAGES – 40
GENRE – Children’s Picture Book
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ali Pfautz is a storyteller, teacher, and author known as The Story Lady. When she tells a tale everyone gets involved, becoming characters or providing sound effects. Ali encourages kids of all ages to move around and explore their imaginations. NO MORE SLOOPING, SARA SUE! her first picture book, now has a hardcover, special edition with soup recipes in the back. Ali also has a poetry compilation, SMILES AND WIGGLES: A YEAR OF IMAGINATIVE FUN, that is a great resource for teachers and parents. The book has 30 poems to encourage imaginative play in the classroom and at home. Ali’s latest project is a picture book celebrating the bravery of her little buddy, Ella, who suffers from a rare skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa, or EB. Watch for BUTTERFLIES KEEP FLYING in late winter 2016.
WEBSITE – thestoryladyva.com
SOCIAL MEDIA – facebook.com/AliPfautzTheStoryLady and pinterest.com/thestoryladyva/
Please Share On Social Media:
Did you know? A beginners guide to reblogging on #WordPress
Sue Vincent at Daily Echo has a fantastic post about reblogging. Be sure to check it out.
I’m no technical genius and when I first started blogging, I needed to learn my way around the WordPress system. It is pretty much common sense and easy enough to set up. If you get stuck, there are plenty of helpful articles and forums that show you how to do pretty much anything. Just type the question into your search engine.
The one thing they cannot do, though, is answer questions you didn’t know you should ask. Over the past few days I have become aware of how many of those little tweaks and tricks we learn about, then just take for granted. Reblogging was one area I found frustrating for a good while. It is a simple process, the press of a button, until the button is not there…
1. Can’t see the reblog button?
This took me ages to work out! Many blogs, including this one, have their…
View original post 606 more words
BOOK CHAT 
You must be logged in to post a comment.