Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 159
November 25, 2022
Blog Tour: VANESSA JARED'S GOT A MAN by LaQuette
Vanessa Jared's Got a Man
by LaQuette
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GENRE: Romance
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BLURB:
Vanessa Jared, a 40-something divorcée, decided that the best way to pull herself out of their post-divorce slump was to form The Savvy, Sexy, Singles Club and start the "Do Me" portion of her and her friends' lives.
But on the two-year anniversary, a sexy sheriff shows up on Vanessa's doorstep wanting her to help him keep his little sister from marrying her no-good ex. Vanessa is not down for this at all. She wants nothing to do with her ex...until she spots a photo of her ex's new fiancée wearing her grandmother's ring—which he clearly stole from her. So now it is on. Vanessa is ready to take this trifling (fill-in-the-blank) down. What she does not expect is to fall in love along the way.
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Excerpt One:
She turned around to face him, and he damn near missed the bottom step by focusing on her instead of his feet. She was wearing a tuxedo that fit every curve she had and made him ball his hands into tight fists for fear he wouldn’t be able to keep them to himself.
Her sleek bob had been curled into beach waves with one side pinned back, exposing the elegant curve of her neck. Her jacket was open, and the sight of her plump breasts essentially standing at attention for his viewing pleasure made his tuxedo pants more uncomfortable than the stiff material usually would.
“That bad,” she said with a playful grin. She knew damn well there was nothing remotely bad about her look or her outfit. Every- thing about it said Sexiest Boss of the Year.
“Yeah,” he choked out. “Perhaps we should stay in and discuss my thoughts on what you’re wearing.”
She walked closer to where he stood, pushing both hands in her pockets, which gave him a better view of the beautiful brown skin of her chest and bosom. She was definitely not playing fair.
“Really?” she questioned, lifting her brow in mock confusion. “What exactly are your thoughts?”
He somehow found the strength and focus to make his legs and feet work to step down off that bottom step that led into the living room. “I’m afraid what I have to say might offend your delicate nature. Getting slapped right before an event may depreciate the value of the goods I have to put on display to get people to part with their coins.”
“And if I promise to keep my hands to myself?”
He stepped closer until they were almost touching. “That’s the problem.” He looked her up and down before bringing his gaze back to hers. “I don’t want you to keep your hands to yourself.”
He waited to see if she would back away. If she showed even the slightest bit of hesitancy, he’d pause this game they were playing. Yes, he wanted her again. But only if the desire was mutual. His ego couldn’t take it if he didn’t see the exact same need in her eyes. “You see that as a problem?” She shrugged her shoulders and folded her arms, pushing her tits impossibly high, making the de- licious vee of her cleavage more pronounced and tempting. “I see it as a goal.”
“I keep telling you you’re playing with fire.”
“And I keep telling you, I like the heat. What’s the problem, Sheriff?”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
2021 Vivian Award finalist and DEIA activist in the romance industry, LaQuette writes bold stories featuring multicultural characters. She crafts dramatic, emotionally epic tales that are deeply pigmented by reality's paintbrush.
This Brooklyn native's novels are a unique mix of unapologetically sexy, stylish, & sensational characters who are confident in their right to appear on the page.
She is the 2016 Author of the Year Golden Apple Award winner & the 2016 Write Touch Readers Award winner. Writing—her escape from everyday madness— has always been a friend and source of comfort. At the age of sixteen, she read her first romance novel and realized the genre was missing something: people that looked and lived like her. As a result, her characters and settings are always designed to provide positive representations of people of color and various marginalized communities.
She loves hearing from readers and discussing the crazy characters that are running around in her head causing so much trouble
Latoya Smith at Arthouse Literary Agency
Please send all publishing and film industry
inquiries to Latoya@arthouselit.com .
Keisha Mennefee at Honey Magnolia Co Publicity
Please send all press and or publicity inquiries to keisha@honeymagnolia.co
Please send all conference speaker and teaching inquiries to LaQuette@LaQuette.com.
LaQuette at
Brooklyn Girl Ink, LLC
412 N Main St Ste 100
Buffalo, Wy 82834 USA
Social Media
Amazon Profile: https://www.amazon.com/LaQuette/e/B00H0IN16K
Author’s Website: https://www.laquette.com/
Author’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/la_quette?igshid=NjZiMGI4OTY=
Author’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/laquettewrites
Author’s Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFF2G0A8XDdUeOIPwMypQxA
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GIVEAWAY :
LaQuette will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: THE SPINSTER, THE REBEL, AND THE GOVERNOR by Charlene Bell Dietz
The Spinster, the Rebel & the Governor
by Charlene Bell Dietz
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GENRE: Historical Fiction
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BLURB:
Move over Susan B. Anthony. There’s an unsung woman asking for the vote 224 years before you. In 1638-1648 Margaret Brent, fighting for justice became a voice in court for others, educated and Indian princess, built a fort and saved pre-colonial Maryland from destruction. The American Bar Association each year honors select women attorneys, such as Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sandra Day O’Connor with their Margaret Brent Award.
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NOTE: The book is on sale for $0.99.
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Excerpt One:
The Wells girl covered her eyes with both hands. Margaret, ignoring the buzzing of flies and the damp heat of the morning sun, worked to untangle the girl’s words in her mind.
“If the river doesn’t take me, then I shall have my baby alone and will have to live with Master Cole, and I shall never see my dear Tom again.” With that, she burst into tears.
“You do not look like you are about to have a baby. Why do you say your time is up?”
“Master Cole brought me here four years ago. He said after I had worked for him for four years, I wouldn’t owe him a tad more, and now he says I can’t leave, and so I might as well marry him. Lady Brent. I worked hard from early morning until after dark every day, and my time is up. Even the devil would say this isn’t right.” She sniffed and looked away.
Margaret set her jaw. “Heaven help us if other masters here in Maryland treat their servants in this manner.”
“There’s nothing I can do.” She bit her lip. “I thought maybe the next time you talked with Governor Calvert you might say something on my behalf, and I pray my request is not one of cheekiness.”
“Mary.” Margaret called sharply across to the soap making group. “Would you please come here?”
When Mary finished saying something, she trotted over to the garden. “Hello, Carrie. Are you not feeling well—your face seems flushed?”
“So, you are acquainted with Carrie Wells?” Margaret studied her sister, slipped the basket from Carrie, and moved it into Mary’s hands. “She brought these for us and herbs to scent your soap.”
“Sometimes on Sundays after church Carrie walks with me in the woods and shows me barks, roots, and herbs that heal.” She glanced at the basket. “Why, these are lovely.” She glanced at the young woman, then put her hand on Carrie’s arm. “Are you still having trouble with Jacob Cole?”
“Jacob Cole is about to have troubles with her. Has Giles returned from Kent for Assembly today? Will both our brothers be at the meeting?” Margaret’s frogs roiled inside her.
How dare these men take advantage of their servants?
“I saw him and Fulke along with some other men heading to Lewger’s home earlier.”
“Come, Carrie Wells. We shall also attend Assembly.”
“But—Margaret,” Mary grabbed her arm. “Certainly, women would not be allowed—”
Margaret shrugged Mary away, snatched Carrie Wells by her hand, and stomped off down the path.
“Sister,” Mary called after her, “you must take off that filthy apron. You’re covered in soil.”
Margaret jerked it untied and slung it. “There is a difference between God’s soil and men’s dirt. Carrie Wells and I are about to sort this very thing out with all those fine gentlemen of Assembly.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Charlene Bell Dietz writes science and historical-suspense, award-winning mystery novels and short stories. Her award-winning short stories have been published in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers 2016 Anthology and SouthWest Writers 2019 Anthology. The Flapper, the Scientist, and the Saboteur combines family saga with corporate espionage. The Flapper, the Impostor, and the Stalker propels readers back into 1923 frenetic Chicago during the Roaring Twenties. Both these novels were named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2018, and each won the coveted Kirkus Starred Review. Her latest novel, The Scientist, the Psychic, and the Nut, gives readers a frightening Caribbean vacation. Her current work in progress, a biographical historical novel, starts in England in 1638 and ends in precolonial Maryland. Charlene, a retired educator, traveled the United States as a consultant for Houghton Mifflin Publishers after a career of teaching little ones, older ones, and college graduates. Surrounded by forests and meadows, she currently lives in the foothills of the mountains in central NM several miles from the small village of Torreon. Charlene is the current president of Croak & Dagger, New Mexico Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She belongs to Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and SouthWest Writers. Connect with Charlene on Facebook, https://inkydancestudios.com/ or chardietzpen@gmail.com
https://www.amazon.com/Spinster-Rebel-Governor-Pre-Colonial-1638-1648/dp/194521239X
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GIVEAWAY
Charlene Bell Dietz will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
November 24, 2022
Blog Tour: THE STORY OF TRUNKS MALOO by Kurt Bertels
Illustrated By: Anastasiya Halionka
Children's Book
Date Published: March 1, 2022
Publisher: MindStir Media
Trunks Maloo is a mighty elephant that roams the savannah thinking that because he is so big and strong he can do as he pleases. He soon gets himself into a bit of trouble, and quickly discovers that everyone needs help from time to time. It takes one of Africa's smallest animals to help him realize that we are all connected and that we all need to be kind to each other.
Look out for more adventures from Trunks Maloo!
Author
- Kurt Jay Bertels, Author -
With a deep love for nature and wildlife, Kurt came up with the idea of Trunks Maloo and his friends to help introduce his two sons to the wonderful characters that coexist in our world. The stories came about when Kurt was waiting in the dark for his boys to fall asleep, and were completed while on safari as a way to keep in touch with his family.
Having worked on safari for many years, Kurt is a new author and The story of Trunks Maloo is his first book in a series of four.
Illustrator
- Anastasiya Halionka, Illustrator -
Originally from Belarus, and now living in the quaint and cozy town of Wroclaw, Poland, Anastasiya is a self-taught artist with immense talent. She has, to date, worked on several children’s books, and has helped Trunks Maloo and his friends come to life in spectacular fashion.
She says, ‘When I was a child, like all children, I loved to draw and create different images and characters - it was a place my imagination could run free! I was not sure though if I could turn my passion into a profession, so when I finished school I first studied law. It didn’t take long for me to realise that I had to follow my dreams, and at 27, I went back to my first love: drawing. This is what excites me; makes my heart beat faster!’
Anastasiya now gets to create characters and stories that make people happy, and leaves a lasting mark on their hearts. Her positivity in life shows in her work, and we are very happy to have her on the Trunks Maloo team.
Contact Link
Purchase Link
November 23, 2022
Blog Tour: THE EARLY CASE FILES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by Liese Sherwood-Fabre
The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes
by Liese Sherwood-Fabre
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GENRE: Historical mystery
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BLURB:
A murdered midwife. A body in the stable. At the age of thirteen, Sherlock Holmes is thrust into his first two cases. At stake: the lives of his own family.
Before Sherlock Holmes met Dr. Watson in 1895, he had already developed his skills as the world's most famous consulting detective. Arthur Conan Doyle provided little information about his detective's formative years or how he created his singular profession. These first two books in The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes series reveal how Sherlock's past shaped the sleuth he became.
Faced with the possibility of losing his mother to the gallows for a murder she did not commit, Sherlock must uncover the true killer before she hangs in The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife.
In Case Two, unexpected guests and a murder arrive in time for the family's Christmas celebrations. For the safety of his family, Sherlock is compelled once again to bring the perpetrator to justice in The Adventure of the Murdered Gypsy.
Fans of Sherlock Holmes and traditional historical British detective mysteries will love The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes as a welcomed addition to the originals.
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Excerpt One:
They told me the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton, and I knew I should have been honored to be at the institution; but at age thirteen, I hated it. The whole bloody place. I remained only because my parents’ disappointment would have been too great a disgrace to bear.
My aversion culminated about a month after my arrival when I was forced into a boxing match on the school’s verdant side lawn. I had just landed a blow to Charles Fitzsimmons’s nose, causing blood to pour from both nostrils, when the boys crowding around us parted. One of the six-form prefects joined us in the circle’s center.
After glancing first at Fitzsimmons, he said to me, “Sherlock Holmes, you’re wanted in the Head Master’s office. Come along.”
Even though I’d been at the school only a few weeks, I knew no one was called to the director’s office unless something was terribly wrong. I hesitated, blinking at the young man in his stiff collar and black suit. He flapped his arms to mark his impatience at my delay and spun about on his heel, marching toward the college’s main building. I gulped, gathered my things, and followed him at a pace that left me puffing to keep up.
I had no idea what caused such a summons. If it had been the fight, surely Charles would have accompanied me. I hadn’t experienced any controversies in any of my classes, even with my mathematics instructor. True, earlier in the day I’d corrected him, but surely it made sense to point out his mistake? For the most part, the masters seemed pleased with my answers when they called on me.
I did have problems, however, with most of my classmates—Charles Fitzsimmons was just one example. Except he was the one who’d called me out. Surely, that couldn’t be the basis of this summons?
Once inside, my sight adjusted slowly to the dark, cool interior, and I could distinguish the stern-faced portraits of past college administrators, masters, and students lining the hallway. As I passed them, I could feel their judgmental stares bearing down on me, and so I focused on the prefect’s back, glancing neither right nor left at these long-dead critics. A cold sweat beaded on my upper lip as I felt certain something very grave had occurred, with me at the center of the catastrophe. Reaching the Head Master’s office, I found myself unable to work the door’s latch, and with an exasperated sigh, the prefect opened it for me and left me to enter on a pair of rather shaky knees.
My agitation deepened when I entered and found the director examining a letter with my father’s seal clearly visible. He glanced up from the paper with the same severe expression I’d observed in his predecessors’ portraits. Dismissing his appraisal, I concentrated on the details I gathered from the missive in his hand.
Taking a position on an expansive oriental carpet in front of his massive wooden desk, I drew in my breath and asked, “What happened to my mother?”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Liese Sherwood-Fabre knew she was destined to write when she got an A+ in the second grade for her story about Dick, Jane, and Sally’s ruined picnic. After obtaining her PhD, she joined the federal government and worked and lived abroad for more than fifteen years. Returning to the states, she seriously pursued her writing career, garnering such awards as a finalist in RWA’s Golden Heart contest and a Pushcart Prize nomination. A recognized Sherlockian scholar, her essays have appeared in scion newsletters, the Baker Street Journal, and Canadian Holmes. These have been gathered into The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes essay collection series. She has recently turned this passion into an origin story series on Sherlock Holmes. The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife, the first book in The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes series, was the CIBA Mystery and Mayhem 2020 winner.
Writer links:
Website: www.liesesherwoodfabre.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liese.sherwoodfabre
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lsfabre
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Liese-Sherwood-Fabre/e/B00810INE6
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5758587.Liese_Sherwood_Fabre
Book Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Early-Files-Sherlock-Holmes-Cases-ebook/dp/B0B3Y6TVX3
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-early-case-files-of-sherlock-holmes-cases-one-and-two
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-early-case-files-of-sherlock-holmes-cases-one-and-two-liese-sherwood-fabre/1142543755
Apple iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-early-case-files-of-sherlock-holmes-cases-one-and-two/id6443924482
Other: https://books2read.com/u/md12A5
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GIVEAWAY
Liese Sherwood-Fabre will be awarding $15 Amazon, Apple or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
November 21, 2022
Blog Tour: 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE JOURNAL by Mariëlle S. Smith
365 Days of Gratitude Journal
by Mariëlle S. Smith
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GENRE: Non-fiction; self-help
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BLURB:
*** Now available in black-and-white AND full colour! ***
‘The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.’ Mary Davis
Gratitude is not just about ATTITUDE.
Gratitude is about PRACTICE.
But how do you create a gratitude practice that sticks?
After the success of her first 365 Days of Gratitude Journal, writing coach Mariëlle S. Smith brings you Volume 2. Same journal but with an entirely different look!
After years of barely surviving her own emotional minefield, Mariëlle discovered the transformative power of practising gratitude. But, like no one else, she knows that cultivating an attitude of gratitude is easier said than done.
365 Days of Gratitude, Vol. 2 is an undated, guided journal. Complete with inspiring quotes, daily prompts, and recurring check-ins, it was designed to help you create a sustainable gratitude practice too.
Commit to the life-changing power of gratitude today and order your copy now!
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Excerpt One:
I’m not here to sell you on gratitude. There are many articles and research papers I could be citing to convince you just how great practising gratitude is for you. I think you’re already aware of that, though. Perhaps you’ve read some of those articles and papers or maybe you just know it somewhere deep down—or not so deep down.
I’m not hooked on gratitude because it works wonders on my blood pressure and promises to help me sleep better. Although it probably does that, too.
I’m hooked on gratitude because it enables me to perceive everything in life as magical again. I’m hooked because I’m not the same person I was since I started practising it. And because I slip and return to being that anxious, burned out, overachieving workaholic as soon as I stray from the gratitude path—which happens far more often than I care to admit.
Gratitude is a commitment for life. I created this journal to help you commit and turn your gratitude practice into a sustainable one.
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GUEST POST:
The author quote that inspired me to create whatever I want to
I’ve always told stories, even before I was taught how to write. Back then, what others thought of my stories didn’t seem that relevant to me: I simply shared whatever my imagination conjured up.
Years later, when I became more serious about writing and began to entertain the thought that I might want to become a writer, what others thought felt more relevant. It had me wondering whether there was ever going to be an audience for what I was writing, whether anyone was waiting to hear what I had to say.
Obviously, such worries aren’t exactly conducive to creative flow. It limited me, as I’m sure they’ve limited others, and had me abandon projects before I’d properly started them just because I convinced myself no one would want to read them anyway.
It didn’t help that I tend towards writing what doesn’t exist yet. A lot of my inspiration comes from the gaps I sense in other work. Considering that Toni Morrison once said ‘If there’s a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it’, I’m sure I’m not the only writer whose inspiration springs from what could be.
However, when you’re writing the books that you feel are missing, you can’t look at what others are doing to verify that your work will be welcomed into the world. It takes a lot of trust and perseverance to write anything; just imagine how much more you’re going to need when you find yourself off the beaten path.
For the longest time, this was one of my main writing struggles. It kept me from committing to numerous ideas, even if they kept nagging me from the far corners of my brain I had banished them to.
And then I came across this quote by Paulo Coelho:
If it’s still in your mind, it is worth taking the risk.
Not only did it make my heart skip a few beats, it brought all those ideas that had been vying for my attention over the years to the forefront of my mind. With a vengeance. And now they knew I knew about Coelho’s words, they refused to go anywhere else.
These ideas had always known it was worth taking the risk. That’s why they stayed in my mind for so long. But now I knew it too.
And that’s when I surrendered. These days, if an idea keeps poking at me for long enough, I’ll give it a go. That’s right, I don’t just entertain any idea that pops up in my head. On the contrary, Paulo Coelho’s words allowed me to create a sort of litmus test to separate worthy ideas from mere distractions.
This is how that litmus test works in practice:
Part of one of the walls in my office is dedicated to ‘New ideas’. Whenever an intriguing idea comes to me, I write it down on a sticky note and put it up on that bit of wall. I then walk away from it and continue working on whatever I’d been occupied with before the idea decided to distract me.
If an idea keeps popping up in my head over the next couple of weeks or months, I’ll give it some serious thought. I’ll grab a notebook, make myself some tea, and give it my undivided attention for a while to see if it turns into something more concrete, something I actually feel like writing.
If not, if I check my wall with sticky notes and find ideas I haven’t given a single thought since putting them up there, I pull them down and throw them out. Most probably, they’d just shown up to distract me from my work. And if that’s not why they came to me, if I actually do need to pursue them, I trust they’ll pop up in my head again when the time is better.
Because of this test, I no longer ask myself what the world might want to hear from me. I simply focus on what’s still in my mind and trust that it’ll be worth the risk.
It might not work for everyone, but it definitely helped me get out of my own way and publish numerous books I wouldn’t have created otherwise.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Mariëlle S. Smith is a writer, writing coach, and editor. She lives in Cyprus, where she organises private writer's retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count.
Contact Links
Website: https://mswordsmith.nl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswordsmith
Blog: https://mswordsmith.nl/blog
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18455235.Mari_lle_S_Smith
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellessmith
Other(s): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnYOpjmj83mvMM2L348F1w
Purchase Links
All purchase links can be found on https://mswordsmith.nl/365daysofgratitude
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DDZ88JF
Deluxe edition Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DDX9NNZ
Barnes & Noble: Black-and-white edition: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/365-days-of-gratitude-vol-2-marielle-s-smith/1141685091
Deluxe full colour edition: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/365-days-of-gratitude-journal-vol-2-mari-lle-smith/1140370436
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GIVEAWAY :
Mariëlle S. Smith will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
November 20, 2022
Review: FINDING LORENA by Michael Bartos
Connor was a struggling, underpaid high school math teacher stuck with alimony payments. An accident, one night, sends him to the hospital, where he wakes up as his teenage self from 1987. Whoa!
The narrative summarizes Connor’s old life in a rural community. We get info on the town and its people. Some of it was not that interesting and it took too much time. It was rather slow with some choppy sentences.
About 14% in, Connor mentions Lorena, but we still don’t know what the connection is. Lorena was a teacher that he met in 1993. There was an instant attraction and they dated. Just before their wedding, Lorena, along with Connor’s best friend, was murdered by a white cop.
Back to 1987—6 years before he was to meet Lorena—Connor goes in search for Lorena beforehand. When he finally finds her, the two feel like they already know each other. Was this his chance to change the course of coming events? Could he catch his mother’s breast cancer? Could he stop his dad from drinking? Could he stop the boy that would later kill his girlfriend and best friend?
I thought this had an interesting premise, but, as mentioned, the whole thing’s quite slow. A lot of narrative is wasted on scenery and history. It gets way too scientific and philosophical once Connor meets up with the professor. From then on, it tapers off and it’s not as interesting as it started off.
This was a decent time-travel story, but I expected more.
Rating: 3 stars
Review: THE HEIRESS AND THE MECHANIC by Tess Summers
A prim and proper attorney. A hot and sweaty mechanic. One sexy night of pure ecstasy.
This was not as hot and spicy as I would’ve liked for a romance. It had a good narrative, but a long storyline with switching POV’s.
All in all, an okay read.
Rating: 3 stars
Review: CINDERELLA AND THE MARINE by Tess Summers
Katie was a struggling college student working as a waitress to make ends meet. Money and school were the only things on her plate. She never expected to meet a hot marine during her shift. Nope. No man can mess up her life. Not again.
Cooper wanted to have one last hurrah before settling down and the cute waitress with the nice rack would do just fine. Could they have just one night? Well, that one night takes a long time to get going. The whole thing was much too long for 400 pages.
It’s an okay love story with nice love scenes.
Rating: 3 stars
Review: THE SEX BUCKET LIST by Prescott Lane
Emerson was over 40 and divorced. Finding out that your ex was dating was like a punch to the gut. Then comes the sex bucket list, which her friends encouraged her to take on. Then off she goes. The items are ticked off her list. Self-pleasure, pole dancing, taking nude photos, etc. Emerson awkwardly tries to go through the list while juggling work, grown kids, and a selfish, immature ex-husband, who doesn’t want her yet doesn’t want anyone else to have her either.
“It’s not time spent on sexual freedom or experimentation, but on finding myself again, feeling worthy of love again, and loving myself again.”
Emerson’s candid and witty voice was refreshing and humorous. She’s such a typical funny mom, especially when talking to her teen about being dumped for not having sex.
Soon, Emerson starts to experiment with a hot employee at work.
About 60% through, the whole thing becomes less about the sex list and more about dealing with the new boyfriend entering the family realm and the kids’ drama. This is where it goes lukewarm for me.
It’s an okay read if you like all the drama.
Rating: 3 stars
Review: AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 MEN by Rebecca Ratliff
“It takes becoming a high dollar call girl to be treated like a lady.”
I thought this was an interesting premise with classic chick lit features. We have a single woman that’s tired of her lack of money and her mistreatment by men. Then she gets a chance to travel the world, have sex with the crop of the litter, and make some serious money. Story had some good quips here and there, but the whole thing was rather slow and long. You have 900 page to get through here and it eventually all sounds the same. It was much too long to be remotely interesting.
Rating: 2 stars
