Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Zoey and the Moment of Zen Review

As with her first book, Cat Lavoie wrote a book that was so enjoyable it practically read itself. I just love her turn of phrase and the characters she writes are brought to life through her amazing descriptions. I loved the story though I questioned Zoey's sanity at certain points but I think that was probably entirely the point. I only have one objection or perhaps complaint; the book kept me up late because I couldn't put it down! (And I swear I am not biased because she lives in my city!)


Cat Lavoie lives in Montreal, Canada with her tempestuous cat, Abbie. Her debut novel, Breaking the Rules, was published in August 2012 by Marching Ink. If Cat isn't reading or writing, she's most likely watching too much TV or daydreaming about her next trip to London.


To find out more about Cat and her books, please visitwww.CatLavoie.com

Connect with Cat!

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Monday, November 18, 2013

Dandy Day


Dandy Day was such an enjoyable read. It was at times thoughtful, at times whimsical but always enjoyable. It really was an easy and quick read that I couldn't believe that I was done and I wished I wasn't. Books like this are one of the reasons that I love reading as much as I do. A great heroine, a realistic plot line (minus a few little details) and a happy ending. What more could you ask for?


Annie was born in Hollywood, raised in the valley. She avoided the valley girl accent by speaking backwards for the first 15 years of her life. As an actress she has guest starred on several TV shows. You may remember her best in her recurring role on Becker with Ted Danson, Lara in Good Luck Chuck and as the host of her own nationally syndicated dating show, BZZZ! which she also co-produced. As a writer, she is a produced and published playwright and recently had a comedic scene in the NBC/UNIVERSAL showcase. Her web-series, Karma’s a B*tch
http://anniewood.com/karma.htm was chosen by Virgin America asBEST OF

THE WEB and season 2 is now in the works. Her books of comedic scenes, Snapshots! & Act Up & Make a Scene have been performed on Hollywood stages and is available on Amazon. She lives in Los Angeles with her charming, Italian husband and her equally charming, Jewish/Buddhist/Italian dog, Lucy.

Connect with Annie!


Blog: I only occasionally blog at SheWrites:

And my dog, Lucy, blog’s when we travel each year to Italy, where my husband is from.

Facebook page:

Goodreads:

Twitter:

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Monday, October 28, 2013

Tripped Up Love Review


I loved this cute romance novel that showed that even after a devastating loss that you can move on and find love (and lust) again. Heather was a character who was loveable and realistic though I did find her naive at times. But that was perhaps one of the reasons she was so endearing. The story was a good one that wasn't entirely predictable and I enjoyed the humor in it.


Julie Farley is the author of Tripped Up Love and The New Ever After.  She lives in Richmond, VA with her husband, four rarely quiet children and her 50 pound lap dog. Julie spends her days writing and teaching preschool. She chronicles her adventures on her blog atjuliefarley.com and is working on the next book in The New Ever After Series. 

Connect with Julie!

 twitter: juliefarley1
 website: www.juliefarley.com

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Don't miss the sequel! 


Monday, October 14, 2013

Secrets of a Spiritual Guru


I have to say that I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I loved the somewhat tongue-in-cheek humor that the author often used. This story was entirely very readable and I enjoyed it so much that I read this book in one day. The "logic" that was used by the main character in making any decision or taking any action was often very amusing to me as I could identify at times with the logic used. I definitely look forward to more of this author's stories!


Tamara Lee Dorris has been a life-long fan of personal and spiritual development, and has written several books that fall under the category of "self-help." She wrote Secrets of a Spiritual Guru as a way of poking fun at how easy it is to become an online expert. Her other novels revolve around contemporary issues and spiritual enlightenment. Tamara is also an adjunct professor, radio host, and long time real estate professional who has gone crazy selling houses, loves yoga, drinks wine and is still as addicted as ever to personal development. She lives in Northern California with a bunch of annoying animals and her husband. She has four kids that she likes a lot and a mother that drives her nuts.
Learn more at tamaradorris.com.

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Monday, September 16, 2013

His Fantasy Maid Review


I have to say that I was a bit mislead by this book so I feel like I am not giving it a great review. This book was categorized under chick lit so I agreed to review it yet when I received my copy, I was puzzled by the cover. Quite quickly into it, I realized that it was a romance novel, which is definitely not my cup of tea so therefore I wasn't able to enjoy it as much as some people would have and probably did.
This story itself was a good idea, not one I personally would have thought of but definitely interesting and probably not duplicated! For someone who is into this genre, I think that they would enjoy this book.


Susan Blexrud grew up in Orlando, Florida, and now lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband of 27 years, John, who proposed to her on New Year’s Eve 1985 on the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, halfway between Paris and Vienna.  Their son Chris lives and works in Manhattan, and daughter Allison is a college junior. Susan has a Chihuahua named Baby and a cockatiel named Romeo. She is an avid reader, and she leads two monthly book clubs in Asheville.  She is a walker and Yoga enthusiast. She enjoys quilting and bird watching (loves hummingbirds), and most of all, writing her next story.  

Connect with Susan!





Publisher:  www.crimsonromance.com

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Monday, July 22, 2013

When Girlfriends Chase Dreams Book Review

This book was a pure pleasure to read for someone who is a chick lit fan. Very much the stereotypical type of chick lit book, it was a great read from start to finish with excellent pacing and descriptions. Sometimes the characters would drive me a bit crazy but that might have been the wedding element of it. (I love reading books about weddings, but never have been nor really intend on ever getting married.)
I liked how the friends were all so loyal and the family was also supportive. I like knowing that these types of relationships can and do exist even if only in a fictional story.
I believe I saw that there are other books by Savannah which I will definitely be checking out!


Author Bio:


Savannah Page is the author of the continuing When Girlfriends… collection and her travelogue and first book,Bumped to Berlin. When she isn’t writing, Savannah enjoys a good book with a latte and jazz tunes, Pilates, and exploring her home of Berlin as an American expat.

Connect with Savannah!


Twitter: @Savannah_Page

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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Tales From The Laundry Pile


I really enjoyed this book but I am already a fan of Kathleen's as I find she makes her characters realistic and approachable in the way that you can identify with them and feel what they are feeling. This book was no exception to her usual strong and captivating writing. I read it quite quickly and felt like the story kept me engaged and interested. My only complaint is that I didn't want it to end!



Kathleen Kole is the author of Breaking Even, Dollars to Donuts, Favorable Conditions and her new release, Tales from the Laundry Pile.

Kathleen lives with her husband, son and dog in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada.  

Connect with Kathleen!



Monday, June 24, 2013

The Blasphemy Box



I absolutely loved this book and read it in one night. This is the first time I have heard of this author and I certainly hope that it isn't the last!
This book was a gripping read of a realistic situation -  getting divorced and having to start over in many ways. I loved the main character so very much. I find that she was a person who I could identify with despite never having been divorced myself.
The entire cast of friends and family were enjoyable and I loved a lot of the dialogue and the turns of phrase. Truly one of my favorite books of this year and I just adore the cover art too!



Mandy Behbehani grew up and was educated in England. Her first short story was published when she was twelve and she has been scribbling away ever since, as a journalist and now a novelist. She holds a degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and, over her career, served as West Coast correspondent for Women's Wear Daily and W magazine, as an on-air reporter at KTVU-TV and, for a decade, as the fashion editor and features writer for the Hearst San Francisco Examiner where she won awards for feature writing. Her work has been published in a variety of publications including the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Town & County magazine, the San Jose Mercury News and Travel & Leisure magazine.
She lives in California, and, when she's not in front of her computer, she can be found reading a good book, and hiking the open space that surrounds her home with her yellow Lab, Lalou.
  
Connect with Mandy!

twitter handle: @mandyscribeista


Thursday, June 13, 2013

Where's The Groom? Review


I absolutely love the cover of this book and it was fun to read about someone planning a wedding - although not a "real" one. This was a cute, quick fun read about a woman looking for love and romance and deciding to take drastic measures to find it. A nice escape from every day life though there were some things in it that made me pause and say to myself, "That's not possible!" However, if you want a fun read, especially this summer at the beach or on vacation, this is a book you'll love!

Sophie Meyer has been writing for years, and has always been in love with love.
With a background in psychology, philosophy and theater, she's helped many find love, avoid detours and climb out of  inevitable pitfalls. The essence of her life and work are exploring the wonderful, spontaneous and unpredictable surprises life loves to provide. She also offers talks and workshops on finding and living a life of love.
 
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Monday, June 10, 2013

Breathe Book Review


This book was a very interesting one - speaking about what happens when we need to find ourselves when we thought we already had. What happens when you unexpectedly find yourself divorcing and needing to start over?
This book spoke about just that and more. It was a sometimes humorous story, sometimes heart-wrenching and always brave. Inspirational for those of us who need to know that sometimes you can start over, I loved this book, its message and the title does really say it all.



Kate Bishop is the collective spirit of three friends with a shared passion for writing, yoga and a good, old-fashioned (or New Age) love story. Breathe was inspired by their experiences both on and off the mat and was born of a genuine desire to throw some love, light and laughter into the mix.



Kristin Tone graduated from Bowdoin College with a B.A. in Psychology and received an M.A. in Education from Lesley University. A yoga teacher and an educator, she currently teaches at  PS1 Pluralistic School in Santa Monica, CA.



Talie Kattwinkel earned a degree in Women’s Studies and Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. She currently specializes in bodywork and healing. 



Bridget Evans attended the University of Maryland where she studied education. She taught in the Marin County school system for ten years and co-created OUTWORD, an outdoor writing program for children. She is also a yoga teacher. All three women are mothers to small children.

Connect with Kate!



Publisher: Diversion Books

Monday, May 6, 2013

Transplanting Holly Oakwood


 

I loved this book as it has a great flow to it and the characters were easy to get to know. The story seemed a bit unrealistic in some senses, like the fact that a consulate was trying to get buyers for products, but all in all, the story was classic chick lit.
The main character has a lot of problems which is something that is classic to the chick lit genre and central to this story. I did enjoy how quickly I was able to get into the story and identify with Holly.
Looking forward to reading more from this author!

I was born in Liverpool, England to parents who had a strong sense of adventure and moved many times.  I’ve lived in Canada, the United States, England and New Zealand.  I’ve worked in a variety of jobs ranging from envelope stuffer to bakery assistant, librarian to trade development executive, but none of my jobs were as much fun as the one that allowed me to write and get paid for it.  That was a few years ago, and each year it’s become more and more apparent what I want to do is write full time, a dream that first occurred to me at seventeen.

I write chick lit – light hearted and humorous stories for and about women who value their families, their friendships, their careers, their independence, who have a sense of adventure, and who live and love with passion.

Like my characters, I love my family and friends, beautiful shoes, anything sparkly, the ‘occasional’ drink, parties, and a good belly laugh.  I’m addicted to shopping, chocolate, bubble bath and anything else that smells nice, and the sort of tv programmes you’d never publicly admit to watching.

I live in a lovingly renovated home overlooking Auckland’s beautiful Waitemata Harbour, with my trusted friends Bronson Boxer and Dolce Dane.  They keep me fit and exercised, scare the burglars away, sit loyally by my side throughout my late night writing sessions, and hang on my every word when I read final drafts aloud.  They truly are my biggest fans, and I theirs!

I love my life, but not so much that there’s not room to live a load of other lives, through the hearts and minds of my characters, all of whom I adore, and some of whom I’m fortunate enough to call friend.
  
Connect with Di!


http://www.amazon.com/Meeting-Miss-Mollie-ebook/dp/B00BA8T03O/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Monday, April 1, 2013

Someone Else's Fairytale Blog Tour




Someone Else's Fairytale was a fun tale of a love that was not easy to happen. The main character resisted falling in love with a Hollywood actor and I can see why. However the book showed that if things are meant to be they will happen. I enjoyed this book very much for the quirky characters and I am really happy to see that it is the first of a series because I am definitely looking forward to hearing what happens next to the characters.



E.M. Tippetts grew up in New Mexico and now lives in London, where she raises two boisterous toddlers, designs jewelry, and writes novels. A former attorney, she used to specialize in real estate and estate planning, specifically literary estate planning. She currently has five novels out, Time & Eternity, Paint Me True, Someone Else's Fairytale, Castles on the Sand, and Nobody's Damsel (Fairytale 2).

Connect with E.M.



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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The Wisdom of Hair Review

I absolutely adored this book from the beginning with the mother's obsession with Judy Garland and Liza Manelli and her obvious mental issues to the daughter's moving on to beauty school and her obsession with her landlord and his tragic past. The story progressed to a wonderful tale from another time about a country girl who grew up in the mountains and people's perceptions of her and the way they treated her. A real coming of age tale that I thoroughly enjoyed! (Plus the cover is gorgeous!)


Kim Boykin learned about women and their hair in her mother’s beauty shop in a tiny South Carolina town. She loves to write stories about strong Southern women, because that’s what she knows. While her stories are always set in South Carolina, she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, three dogs, and 126 rose bushes.
  
Connect with Kim!
website:  kimboykin.com



Friday, March 22, 2013

Finding Out Blog Tour


This book was an excellent first novel by a surprisingly accomplished writer. The story is richly detailed and well paced. The characters are extremely realistic and very personable. For me, the interpersonal relationships between the characters is what made the story so enjoyable. This author definitely has a great strength in telling a complex tale with just the perfect amount of detail.




Sheryn MacMunn self-published her debut novel, Finding Out, in April 2012. It became an Amazon best-seller in two months, hitting the Contemporary Women and Contemporary Fiction list. FINDING OUT then hit best-seller status in the Single Women, Friendship, Romance, and Love & Romance categories as well. In addition to being a self-published author, Sheryn works full-time in Mobile ad sales. Sheryn attended University of Massachusetts, Lowell and received her MBA from Simmons College School of Management. She now lives in Connecticut with her family. Visit www.sherynmacmunn.com for more information.

  Connect with Sheryn!

Buy the Book!


Amazon link: http://goo.gl/VfX27
BN link: http://goo.gl/iKxCu

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Valentine's Day Promo


Love is in the air . . . and it can be on your Kindle, too!

Do you want to fall in love with a good book this Valentine's Day weekend? How about 9? Then don't miss this special promotion. For four days only (February 14th - February 17th), 9 popular Chick Lit authors will be lowering the prices on their favorite rom-coms to 99 cents on Amazon.com! At that price (A bottle of wine costs more!), why not sample them all? Some delicious literary treats await you, and unlike chocolates these goodies are calorie-free!

And guys: If your sweetie is a book-lover, you'll make her Valentine's Day by gifting her with one (or more) of our fun, romantic stories! 

Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey - Daytime talk show producer Jamie Ross is beyond fed up with her toxic bad boy turned metrosexual boyfriend. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, she goes on a hilarious, at-times disastrous, and totally life-changing hunt to track down the ”one who got away.” But are some loves best left behind? http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Lucas-ebook/dp/B007VIIU6A

In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister – Handling the problems of hysterical hypochondriacs, lovelorn neurotics, and compulsive man whores is all in a day’s work for super-shrink Pilar Alvarez. But can she deal with her crazy Cuban family, a trio of unsuitable suitors, and a threat to her practice without ending up on the couch herself?  http://www.amazon.com/In-Need-of-Therapy-ebook/dp/B008N6Z36Y 

Rita Hayworth’s Shoes by Francine LaSalaJilted bride Amy's down on everything until she convinces herself to purchase a cute, ridiculously expensive pair of second-hand shoes. Once she does, life starts looking up, and she falls into an unexpected new romance with the last man she'd ever expect to love. But can a pair of shoes really be magic? And is her new prince really just a frog? http://www.amazon.com/Rita-Hayworths-Shoes-ebook/dp/B007ZHVB1I/ref=tmm_kin_title_0

Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie – When Roxy Rule shares a passionate kiss with her lifelong best friend, she must come to terms with her feelings for him while dealing with two sisters in full crisis mode, a boss who makes her want to stab herself with a letter opener and a fiancĂ© who can’t wait to walk down the aisle. Can she keep it together–or will she break under the pressure? http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-the-Rules-ebook/dp/B008UZYPLW

The Green Ticket by Samantha March – College junior Alex Abrams scores her dream job at the ripe age of twenty, but her good fortune quickly turns disastrous when she realizes her job is filled with lies, betrayal, and cover-ups. Keeping up with classes, her girlfriends and a budding romance, Alex feels the pressure – but will she overcome the challenges? http://www.amazon.com/The-Green-Ticket-ebook/dp/B00AI02BO0

Unmasking Maya by Libby Mercer - Disgraced New York fashionista, Maya Kirkwood, is fashioning herself a new life as an artist in San Francisco when she's hired to do an installation of her work by dorky, yet dashing dotcom executive, Derek. The sparks soon start to fly... But is this a good thing? http://www.amazon.com/Unmasking-Maya-ebook/dp/B00AN7CCV0

A State of Jane by Meredith Schorr - Jane Frank is newly single after nine years and looking for a second chance at love. But when she dives head first into the NYC dating scene and finds it infested with flakes who are interested today and gone tomorrow, it may be time for Jane to turn the tables! http://www.amazon.com/A-State-of-Jane-ebook/dp/B009CDVZ64

True Love Way by Nancy Scrofano - When her high school sweetheart, Josh, suddenly returns after twelve years in Paris, Marlo Spencer travels to her hometown to try to rekindle their relationship. But when dreams of a blissful reunion are shattered as old secrets and betrayals are revealed, can she forgive and forget, or will true love find a different path to her heart? http://www.amazon.com/True-Love-Way-ebook/dp/B007VA4AZI

Picture Perfect by Lucie Simone - Lauren Tate’s perfectly planned life quickly unravels at the seams when a smear campaign threatens her career as a top TV executive, but she learns just how cutthroat showbiz can truly be when the hottest scandal in Tinsel Town turns deadly and the Hollywood hunk who’s stolen her heart goes missing. http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Perfect-ebook/dp/B0093H0326