Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 73

How To Make Your Dreams "Come Alive" with Author Jamie White

And dreams in their development have breath,And tears, and tortures, and the touch of joyByron's "The Dream"

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I’ve already talked about how a dream helped to inspire my new release, Stains on the Soul, so I thought that I would go a little bit more in depth on dreams and what they can do for you in other ways. Plus, I have a few tips and recs. Let’s begin with the basics…
What’s In It For Me?Dreams are your mind’s way of processing information and dealing with things that may be too much for your conscious mind to deal with. By paying attention to your dreams (especially recurring ones) you may just be able to solve a problem you’ve been stressing over and let go of things that are holding you back. Dreams allow this information to be dealt with in a safe way, especially when the subject of the dream is a difficult subject for the dreamer.
Paul McCartney’s “Yesterday” was the product of a dream, along with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The sewing machine, the periodic table, and insulin are also the result of dreams. There are a lot more here and here. It’s fascinating how many things were inspired in this way. (NOTE: I am not affiliated with, nor endorse the product being sold in the second link.)
How Do I Make Dreams Work For Me?Remembering your dreams is the first step. According to Sylvia Browne’s Book of Dreams, writing about dreams encourages more dreams. I can say that I personally have found this to be true. By putting my attention on my dreams, I’m putting an intention out into the universe and my subconscious mind responds. She recommended starting a dream journal by writing about old dreams you are able to remember or doing some of the exercises, something I did and enjoyed very much. Be as detailed as possible and break it down into different sections: Setting, Characters, Etc. who appear in it. The more you write down, the better the result. Once you have them down, start looking for common themes and patterns. Read about dream symbols so you can understand some of the things you may be seeing in them, but remember to also take them with a grain of salt. While a lot of the common symbols may work for you, you might get a completely different feeling or perception of others.

Ways to Encourage DreamsAgain, writing about them is huge--even if you’re writing about a childhood dream. Try meditating before bed and drink/eat things that encourage sleep and relaxation. There’s a listing of some here you might want to check out. I’m a big fan of crystals and crystal kits, so I recommend getting some of the stones listed here and trying them out. Make sure your room is as conducive to sleep as possible as well. If that means you like having music on at night, do it. If you need complete dark and silence, do that. It’s all about what works for you to create a sleep-friendly environment. Happy dreaming!

Blurb:
It’s her last summer before going away to college and Fiona finds herself facing more than she bargained for: A boyfriend she doesn’t want who has a strange hold over her, a friend pushing her to expand her boundaries, and a new guy named Ted whose presence is more than a distraction.

If that isn’t enough, Fiona is being haunted with horrifying nightmares of burning at the stake—nightmares so real, she feels as though she’s losing her mid.

Are they only dreams, or are they trying to warn her about this new guy she can’t help but want?

Jamie White is an author, blogger, photo geek, music addict, editor, pop culture geek, paranormal junkie, and a pet servant. 

She spent more than a decade as a Journalism student, geeking out over Pagemaker, layout design, and other stuff. 

In college, she took it a step further and became the only student to be on all three of her college's publications, serving as Editor-In-Chief for two of them. Later, she went on to freelance writing and blogging. 

Jamie began her journey into fiction writing in 2010 after joining a writing group. Since that first meeting, she has completed a bunch of short stories, five manuscripts, and several in progress. Her first novel, The Life and Times of No One In Particular, was released in 2012. She followed it up with a story in the Lyrical Muse Anthology in 2013. The end of 2013 will see two releases with Pagan Writers Press.

When Jamie's not writing or blogging, she takes pictures, meditates, practices Reiki and chanting, watches favorite shows/movies, takes walks, and serves as a volunteer for the Florida Writers Association by running their social media and a writing group (Gulfstream Writers).

Links:
www.jamielwhite.com
www.jbcultureshock.wordpress.com
www.jamiebmusingspics.wordpress.com
www.twitter.com/JamieWAuthor
www.facebook.com/AuthorJamieWhite
www.pinterest.com/AuthorJamieW/
www.plus.google.com/+JamieWhiteAuthor
www.youtube.com/user/Jamieavon77
www.plus.google.com/10684901417496899...

www.jamiebmusings.tumblr.com

Blue Thread by Ruth Tenzer Feldman

This is def an interesting read. Never read anything quite like it. That's a point in its favor. This is like Jewish fiction, and why not? Christians have their own fiction, clean, entertaining stories with subtle religious themes or stories.

This one follows a Jewish girl in 1912 Oregon. She has a horrid, domineering father and a submissive mother who "knows her place". Until a prayer shawl with a blue thread and a time-traveling companion from Biblical days appears, there's no way Miriam would ever have the guts to join the Suffrage movement, let alone stand up against her father.

You see, her parents just want to marry her off, but she wants to run her father's printing business. Problem is, he won't even let her in the shop most of the time. Her mother certainly never takes her side either.


The daughters, from Wiki CommonsShe time travels back to Biblical times and through her we learn the story of Zelophehad's daughters and how they asked for their land. This was a huge step for women. This was a time in which women had no rights at all, so when their father died and they were faced with destitution and/or dependency and who-knows-what, they asked Moses for their land, so that they would eat and live and the land would stay in their father's line. While the conclusion came with strings attached, it worked out for the best and inspired many women when the time came for us to demand the vote.


What I loved: The story of the daughters. I can't help but notice they conveniently leave these stories out of Sunday school. LOL I appreciate the author finding an entertaining way of bringing this to light. I won't forget it anytime soon. I also loved how the heroine grows a backbone, gets involved in the Suffrage, and appreciated the Oregon history. It was as if by being called upon to help others, she was able to finally help herself.

What I didn't like: It felt unconcluded. I wanted some resolution btw her father and her. I do not believe for one moment that that man just lets her up and catch a train outta there. Nooooo.... Serack...the time traveler was just weird. I never came to like her. She just shows up, kisses foreheads, speaks in riddles, and acts like a robot. No emotion at all. The heroine...was difficult to like at times. She does act like a spoiled brat here and there, but this is a YA novel, and hey, teenagers do act that way. The time traveling was confusing also. It just seemed awful convenient that only certain people in certain rooms could understand the heroine's language. At times, it made no sense.

I'd like to see a book two finishing this. I know there is a book two, but I think it's an entirely different story with different people. As I said above, this felt unfinished. What happens to Miriam? Does she ever make up with her dad? How does she fend on her own? 'Cause for all her bluster, she's never had to take care of herself, fend for food, pay rent...so I'm curious.

Favorite part:

"Don't wrap me up in petticoats and then a wedding veil and pass me along to another man. I'm not a job you can finish and present to a satisfied customer. I'm me!"

I bought this on Amazon.

Sadie's Secret (The Secret Lives of Will Tucker #3) by Kathleen Y'Barbo

A Pinterton agent who looked like a society girl. With the bearing of a princess and the deadly aim of a sharpshooter.

I looked forward to reading about a lady Pinkerton agent. Another point in the book's favor is I knew it would be sex free. But when I compare it to another recent Christian historical I read recently featuring a lady Pinkerton, Gunpowder Tea, this one falls short.

The premise is intriguing. She's a Pink. He's a British agent whose own twin brother pulled a switcharoo and had him take his place in jail for a year. When Sadie gets this agent out of jail, he wants revenge on his weasely brother, but throughout the story we're reminded that revenge is thine, not mine.

Regardless, long story short, these two put their minds and their wits together to track down the sorry excuse of a brother and an art-theft ring. Meanwhile, he needs to clear his name to get his job back and she's got to convince her family she can take care of herself.

It has all the potential of being a great read. BUT I had a difficult time with it. I grew quite bored, not because of lack of action, but the way it's all told. There's a serious lack of emotion in this writing. We're told Sadie grabs her gun and in the blink of an eye shoots a snake dead. Great. But it's literally a sentence. What does she FEEL? Nothing?

The other thing that ruined this story for me is her parents/family. They are so protective of her, they stalk her, follow her around, meddle in her cases, yet they throw her at available suitor that comes their way. They are so desperate to marry her off, they don't seem to care who it is. Yet they have her followed to make sure she's safe? Maybe it's just, but this made no sense and began to bother me after a while.

For me, in the end, this became a miss. The lack of emotion and the annoying parents--I bailed when they tricked her into accepting a marriage proposal and she dealt with it like the robot she is throughout the novel--just really hurt what otherwise would have been a great tale.

I received this from Netgalley.

A White Room by Stephanie Carroll

A loveless marriage can drive a woman insane.

This is a story about that, about lack of communication, marrying in haste, loneliness, guilt, ambitions that go nowhere, and how lack of affection and conversation can affect one's mental state.

And it's all in a really unique historical setting: a creepy house in 1901 Missouri.

The tale is told in first person and it completely worked for this novel. I never felt too confined. We knew what the heroine knew and no more and that added to the suspense of the tale. HUGE applause to the author for mastering this.

Emeline wants to be a nurse, but fate doesn't cooperate. Instead, she finds herself married to a man who refuses to speak to her, her ambitions unfulfilled, in a town full of the snottiest women. Actually, some of the women are nice, the "lower" class. But I must say dealing with these awful society ladies would drive me up a wall too. Emeline begins to slowly lose it. At first, I honestly thought the house may be haunted. It was that creepy. Again, this is something the author did very well. If she intended us to be not quite sure of the heroine's mental state, she did a perfect job.

Something else really cool about this book is how it shows us the beginnings of a crappy healthcare system and doctors who refuse the poor. It's a bit like nowadays, what with doctors and hospitals refusing to treat those without insurance and those without insurance lying at home in pain, suffering, rather than go into deep credit card debt. Well, they didn't have credit cards back then and the poor and destitute could not afford the doctor. And when laws were created that prevented midwives and such from helping others...it made a whole 'nother problem.

This book tackles on so many things...but it really impacted me on this one issue: some of us just really need a purpose beyond home and hearth. I totally got this and related to the heroine so well. At times I felt I was reading my own thoughts. I get it. Emeline isn't happy just doing laundry and cooking; she wants to do something more, to make an impact, to have a reason to wake in the morning. Without that...it's not a pretty picture.

And she finds that something more, in the form of "playing" doctor and helping the poor and afflicted whom the doctors refuse to aid. I really like this woman. Was she perfect? No. Did she do some "bad" things? Yes. But I liked her regardless. Another point for the author. It's important that even while we may not agree with everything a heroine does, we must understand her or be able to see it from her POV. Very few authors pull this off so well.

This novel was very, very thought evoking. The guilt theme, the "can doing something wrong be right?" issue had me nodding my head and musing on many issues the book brought to mind. I'm hesitant to elaborate further as I don't wish to ruin anything for anyone. I will say however, that it put me through a gauntlet of emotions. Confusion, sympathy, laughter (the man with flatulence! OMG), anger, dismay, sadness, and understanding.

I really enjoyed this story and I'll be watching for more from this author. I love how unique this book is and how very serious and impacting. No fluff here, but a lot of food for thought. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. The only thing stopping me from giving it a five is 1. while I loved the "haunted" house, around 30% I'd had enough of it and wanted the story to get a move on, and 2. the ending was just too abrupt considering just how many problems needed resolving.

I received a digital galley of this through Edelweiss or Netgalley, I can't remember which, and apparently was too late with my review to post it on either site. My bad. Life just gets in the way sometimes. But thank you for the opportunity to read this.

My Reading Radar

I think this one sounds interesting because of the title. I keep thinking the lady doctor has maybe found a cure for deafness. Regardless, it sounds good. I spotted it on NG: Lip Reading by Harry Kraus.


She Could Save Millions, or Save Herself She just needs a little longer. She’s really close. Dr. Rebecca Jackson, a medical researcher, stands on the verge of a breakthrough that will transform medicine. But she soon discovers the reason behind the miraculous progress in her research, and it leaves her with a nearly impossible choice . . . and little time to decide. More than her research is at stake. And more threatens it than this latest revelation. Something she’s tried hard to cover up. There is a high cost to some things in medicine and it’s not always the patient who pays. Can Rebecca find the faith and wisdom she needs to make the right call? The clock is ticking and the pressure is on.

***
A friend on Goodreads shared this title with me. I plan to read it when she is done. You all know I love the idea of lady Zorro, and this one is a blind one, even more interesting. La Zorra Ciega by David Gerald King.
WARNING: This book contains adult themes, derogatory language, and violent imagery. If you are sensitive to such elements, please be forewarned.

Doing what is right is often a reckless decision.

Nina Moreira is a talented fencer, daughter of a doting father and a dearly departed mother, an avid fan of "Zorro," and a blind woman. She is about to set out on the next step of her life by beginning college. But the life she will encounter there is vastly different from what she has known until now. She will be enter into a place not nearly as open or as safe as the home she has known. She will be faced with harsh and cruel realities of a world under the influence of profit, power, and bigotry. She will make a decision to follow her ideals, at the risk of herself and others, or to quietly act the part she is given to keep them safe.


***
This one looks very good. Spotted on NG, Doctors Beyond Borders by Georgie Tyler. She's about to find out that nothing is fair when it comes to war, except, the healing power of love. 

When Ariadne Tate takes a deployment to Sudan with a medical aid organisation, romance is the last thing on her mind…but Dr Ford Gosden puts a glitch in her plans. Too damn attractive for his own good and a thoroughly nice guy, Ford slowly seeps under Ariadne's skin.

But Sudan is not a stable place to form a relationship, and as political tension escalates in the region, Ariadne has no choice but to focus on her job and her safety. Under the protection of a UN convoy, she heads out into the war-torn countryside — and the unthinkable happens. Captured and held hostage by a renegade with no chance of escape, Ariadne's hope for a new life with the man she loves begins to fade and the fight for her life begins.


***
A Bird with the Heart of a Mountain by Barbara Mariconda was on the Vine list and I feel it's like a sign as my first flamenco lesson is today!!! So naturally, I scooped this one up.


I throw back my tumble of black hair, roll one bare shoulder forward. The stack of bangles on each wrist shimmies and slides as my hands rise like birds in flight. Drina knows the men who love to watch her dance also believe Gypsies are no better than stray dogs ? but when she dances, Drina doesn't think. She forgets who she is. She forgets what seems to be her legacy: I am nothing. I belong nowhere. The daughter of a Gypsy woman and a well-to-do Spaniard who abandoned them, Drina wants only to dance. Why then does her mother forbid it? Set during the chaos of the Spanish Civil War in the fascinating world of Gypsy campgrounds, the vineyard estate of the family she has never known and the dance halls of Seville where flamenco reigns, Drina fights to discover who she is and where she belongs. Can her passion ? her duende ? save her from the perils of the civil war? From a father lost, then found? And will she come to understand what it means to be a bird with the heart of a mountain?

***
Studs and Stilettos by Bev Pettersen made the wishlist because I've enjoyed all her books to date. I've been eagerly watching for a new one from her. I love that she has TV in this one.

She craves the bright lights. He shuns them.

Emily Murphy isn’t afraid to swap her fancy wardrobe for a borrowed pair of barn boots. Working on the set of a Kentucky movie might be just the ticket to landing a real acting job and proving to her sister she can accomplish something worthwhile.

Dan Barrett knows a lot about hard work and even more about horses. And while he’s drawn by Emily’s beauty and pluck, he wants a stay-at-home ranch girl. But fighting their attraction is difficult, and soon they both realize that what they thought they wanted isn’t what they really need.
***
Rancher at Risk by Barbara White Daille made the list as well. I love reading about deaf heroines and came across this upcoming release on Amazon. 
After the loss of his family in a tragic accident, Ryan Malloy has been given one last chance to change his life. His boss sends him to Flagman's Folly, New Mexico, to run his ranch, but unfortunately, Ryan's troubled attitude lands him in hot water with the locals, especially the ranch's manager, Lianne Ward.

Deaf since birth, Lianne has never let her disability define who she is. But, she's yet to meet a man who treats her as an equal. Ryan seems different; that is, when they're not butting heads over the ranch's new school for disadvantaged boys.

Forced to work together, Lianne and Ryan discover an unexpected attraction beneath their quarreling. But will Ryan's painful past drive them apart permanently?

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Eve

Book: Brave Girl
Author: Kate Baum
Heroine: Eve

I loved writing about Eve. Her story is book two of my series. The series is about four best friends. How is Eve strong? Well, she is nicknamed the "Brave" girl of the group. Eve likes her tough girl image but she has a heart of gold. Unfortunately, she also has an Irish temper. She doesn't tolerate bullying and will always stick up for the underdog. She is full of adventure. She'll try anything. Rock climbing, parachuting, etc. She loves to test herself with her courage and bravery. That's why she doesn't handle it well when she finds she is falling in love. 

Eve is beautiful both inside and out. She has the mane of red hair from her Irish ancestry and vivid green eyes. However, just like it was described above, she is a fiercely loyal friend and, at one part of the book, even put herself in danger to protect a friend. She speaks her mind and regrets it later. She's a school librarian and her passion is getting children to love books. She's a wonderful role model and heroine.
Blurb:Eve is beyond excitement for her new adventure. Only a truly brave girl could move thousands of miles from home to begin a five year commitment teaching on an American Indian Reservation. As soon as she arrives, she finds that many of the tribe’s people are not very welcoming. They are suspicious of the college students that work and live on the reservation in exchange for free graduate tuition. After a misunderstanding, Eve decides she absolutely despises a certain tribal police officer. Circumstances cause her to keep running into him. 
Lou regrets the awkward situation where he first met Eve. He had been openly distrustful of the college girls who have come to live on the reservation. In the past, some of the girls were disrespectful of the tribe’s culture. There is something different about Eve. He can’t get her out of his head. The more he tries to get to know her, the more she pulls away. What will it take for Lou to convince Eve that their attraction for each other cannot be denied?
Eve has given up on men. She has had unsatisfying sex in the past and decided that men are just not worth the trouble. She’s a modern young woman and decides that using a handy tool is all she needs to relieve her sexual frustration. The problem is……there’s a gorgeous sexy police officer that stirs her blood like no man has ever done before. Eve is tough and strong and brave. She doesn’t like the fact that her legs shake and her voice trembles whenever she crosses paths with him. Maybe if she keeps running from him, she won’t have to face what her body…..or her heart is telling her.
****Warning – for adults only. Contains graphic sex including a group sex scene and a m/m sexual situation.*



Are you an author with a strong heroine in your book? Want to see her featured? Find out how here.

Dark Oil by Nora James

First of all, I love that this is a REAL story. It's not a simple, boring case of man and woman meet, skirt around each other, and finally fall into bed together. I especially loved that the heroine is a lawyer who knows her own mind and isn't afraid to speak it.

"Judging me on my personal appearance, that's solid grounds for a discrimination case."
***Alan deserved honestly and somehow, unlike many employees who simply grovelled to the head of the company, she had the strength to tell it like it was--even if it meant she wouldn't be the CEO's favourite person. It was her duty, it was the right thing to do, and that was something she definitely understood.

I like this chick, very much. I was intrigued with the whole situation, the strange, oppressed country with corrupt officials, the oil contract and all the drama. I've never really thought about it what it means to travel to third-world countries and all of this--the women who cannot vote, the salads once cannot eat without fear of getting ill from the water that cleaned them, the camel slaughtering--made me appreciate all that I have.

I even felt my heart pound faster as Lara tried to make a plane out of there, felt fear when they took her passport for holding. I chuckled once or twice. I'll this again: I love that it's a real story with so much going on besides just romance, 'cause in a normal woman's life, there really IS more going on than "Does he love me? Does he want me? Do I look good?" Seriously, people. LOL

Anyway, that being said, infidelity and cheating is a sad fact in many a woman's life. I don't believe in wearing blinders and pretending these things do not happen, thus I appreciate that the author tackled the cheating issue. That takes guts nowadays, and I am not the least put off by that sideline. As I said, it happens. However, I must say I wish it had been kept a secret from us. Some suspense would have been nice. Instead, I felt as though I was being hit over and over with a 2 x 4 that said, "OMG, he's with another woman right now. He's cheating." 

To be honest, I think the heroine came to the conclusion too quick. I mean, if my husband was in a business job and his secretary told me he was working from home, my first thought would NOT be, "He's cheating on me!" I'd have to find him in a compromising position or a lie. So this was weird to me and as I said above, we were constantly reminded that he was messing around, before he was even really caught. I'd have preferred more basis for this conclusion and more surprise, less pounding me over the head with it. And then it went from constant reminders of his possible infidelity to constant reminders that she could never trust men again and that Jack may just be like her ex. It was CONSTANT, sometimes only a paragraph between them.

She thought of Tim, of how much she'd wanted to believe in her marriage and look where that had got her. Well, she wasn't going down that track again...and just a few paragraphs later...Yes, she thought of Tim, her husband of ten years, the only man to whom she had ever truly given herself. Tim, the husband who'd cheated and lied, made her feel worthless. She sighed. She'd definitely steer clear of relationships for a long, long time...and then...She wasn't going to fall for his magnetism, though, wasn't going to find herself in a trap again, with another womaniser.

That was only an eighth of the 2 x 4s. You get the picture. Over and over. How many more times does the same thing need to be said?

It irritated me enough to hurt my enjoyment, but it was a decent read, more of a suspense than a romance, and that's just fine with me. I really liked all the law stuff and I liked that this heroine, in situations that could totally break a woman, she bucked up and made the most of it.

I received this via Netgalley.

The Julius Romeros Extravaganza, Part 2 by Hayley Lawson-Smith Now Available!

I thoroughly enjoyed book one and reviewed it here. Prior to that, Ms. Lawson-Smith provided an intriguing guest post in which she talks about the mysterious ancestor on her family tree, with no arms or legs, who inspired this series... If you haven't already read it, I encourage you to do so now, then visit the book's Amazon or Goodreads page and see if it's something you'd enjoy reading.

For those of you eagerly awaiting the second installment of this series, I'm pleased to announce....

It's HERE!!!!

First, the blurb:
Abigail the Bearded Girl is all grown up and enjoying her life as a member of The Julius Romeros Extravaganza. But with new joys come new challenges, and the revelation that show business is not always fun and magic. When Abigail and her talented family of Freaks and artists meet the self-proclaimed ‘Professor’ Argoyle Curr, their lives are set on a course of adventure and danger, which sees them revisiting old friends and making new ones.

And I have the trailer to share.


Keep watching the blog for my review of book two.

Tasty Spotlight: Love Waltzes In by Alana Albertson

To her millions of fans, ballroom champion Selena Marcil seems to have the perfect life: a great dance partner, a hit reality show, and celebrity perks. But underneath the glamorous ball gowns, Selena longs to find someone to share her life with when the stage lights dim.Selena’s childhood sweetheart, Bret Lord, hung up his dance shoes after winning two national titles with her as a teenager, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He never saw his former fiancée again, except on television and on the cover of men’s magazines. Ten years and three deployments later, Bret gets an offer to audition for Selena’s dance show. When the Marine Corps gives him temporary leave to appear on the series, Bret can’t refuse the quick cash that will enable him to provide financially for the widow of his buddy, even if it does mean coming face to face with his past.
When Bret shows up at her national championship, Selena is shocked. For years she searched for him to no avail. After spending time with Bret, Selena realizes despite their past romance, they have no future. He has no desire to live under a spotlight and she has no desire to leave it. Can Selena and Bret recognize when Love Waltzes In? 

***
Staff Sergeant Bret Lord sat on the dirty floor of his tent, going through the day’s mail: the latest Men’s Fitness magazine from his sister, a care package from his mom. He ripped open the package—socks, lip balm, sunflower seeds, and a thin letter that contained an old magazine clipping.
Dear Bret,
I miss you very much. Benny asked me to send you this article. I really wish you would consider his offer. Please stay safe.
Love, Mom
He swallowed hard. A neon sticky pressed on the wrinkled page had a note scrawled on it from his former master dance coach.
Bret, m’boy,
We’ll make it worth your time.
Cheers, Benny.
Thumbing the edge of the article, Bret stared at the sixteen-year-old boy in the picture and could barely recognize himself. His shoulder length, wavy blond hair was slicked back, not shorn in a “high and tight” like his current haircut. No signs of the tattoos or muscles that currently defined his body. Golden skin stained from a bottle, not the harsh sun of Iraq. His arms were wrapped around a gorgeous, curvy young girl with long jet-black hair. The jade Latin gown she wore matched the color of her almond-shaped eyes.
Bret tossed the article aside and removed his nine-mil pistol from his holster to clean it.Lance Corporal Hernandez walked by Bret and snatched the article off his cot. After staring at it, Hernandez’s face brightened.
“Hey, Staff Sergeant, this you?”
“No, it’s my clone who’s also named Bret Lord.” Bret slid the rail back on his weapon and began disassembling it.
“Staff Sergeant, you know Selena Marcil? Did you hit that?”
“Shut up, Hernandez, or the one getting hit will be you—with the butt stock of my rifle.” Bret grabbed the paper out of Hernandez’s hands, and smacked him on the side of the head. The kid didn’t flinch. “Staff Sergeant Twinkle Toes. Hey—can you hook me up with Selena? I’ll be her boy toy. I love her. Man, she’s smoking. Has the nicest ass. Not like all those skinny, Russian chicks on that show.” He nodded to himself with an eyebrow dancing. “Selena’s on my list. She’s Latina, too. We’d be perfect together. What was she doing with a gringo like you?”
“Hernandez, you’re way out of line.” Bret reassembled his pistol.
“My bad, Staff Sergeant.”
Bret grabbed the article, his pack, and his rifle. It was impossible to get some privacy in the tent. His only option was to sit outside in a sandstorm but even that sounded like a welcome retreat from his immature men. He walked about five hundred feet, then plopped down in the hot sand.
The red sky hung above him, thick from smoke from the nearby town. Bret struggled to catch a glimpse of the distant mountains. Sand seemed to pelt down from the heavens, blinding him and settling into every crevice in his body. He closed his eyes against the sting of the sand, and turned his thoughts to Selena. Was she the diva the tabloids made her out to be? Even after ten years, he could almost smell her buttery-coconut scent. A welcome change from the overflowing shitters, toxic diesel, and stench of his fellow Marines who hadn’t bathed in three weeks. 


Buy LinksB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-waltzes-in-alana-albertson/1116093304?ean=2940148739807&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-bdFl5aS*Iag-_-10:1&r=1 iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/love-waltzes-in/id681697547?mt=11

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Author Info Alana Albertson is the former President of both Romance Writers of Americas’s Young Adult and  Chick Lit chapters and the founder of Academe Advantage, a college admissions & test preparation company. Alana Albertson holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University. A recovering professional ballroom dancer, Alana currently writes contemporary romance and young adult fiction. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two young sons, and four dogs. When she’s not spending her time needlepointing, dancing, or saving dogs from high kill shelters through  Pugs N Roses, the rescue she founded, she can be found watching episodes of House Hunters, Homeland, or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.
Author Linkshttp://www.alanaalbertson.com/waltz-like-a-man/ https://twitter.com/AlanaAlbertson https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlanaAlbertson https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7189293.Alana_Albertson

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A World Apart by Peter McAra

I was hooked by this book at first. Though the story spans several years, I found it well done in that aspect; not too much data, not too little. I do like a story that can get to the point and not drag on for weeks.


It's a tale of England, of that dark, heavy line between gentry and "low class" and the beginnings of erasing it. He's the son of a viscount. She's an adopted daughter of a woman who works in the kitchen. She just happens to be very bright and pretty.

They fall in love and vow to marry when they are children. But naturally, a lot is going to stand in their way. His father. The law. A fiance. False accusations. Many  miles...

It's a tale of childhood sweethearts striving to be together at all costs, and I liked the heroine, who bravely realizes that turning the other cheek on wrongdoings is enabling, even supporting, it.

But I began to notice some odd things before I reach the halfway point, things a good editor should have questioned/pointed out. The viscount says there are no children around for miles to interact with his son, yet the book says later that the son's intended, Agatha, is only a mile away. The viscount tells Harry he's off to Oxford and in a few weeks, he'll be expected at her house for a party to begin their official courtship, yet three years later, he says the same thing. Was it weeks or years? The vicar is fresh out of school himself two years before he becomes involved with a lady who bears his daughter, and when the daughter is three, the book says he's fresh out of school again. 

Toward the middle of the story, the characters begin to lose something... When he finds out the woman he loves is in jail, Harry actually stops to debate whether or not to do his homework. What??? Really? Thus, the characters at times felt...without depth, off, and inconsistent. Agatha is at first rather shy, likable, then suddenly she's a blackmailing, ugly wench, no reason given for this change. What we were TOLD they felt, we weren't necessarily SHOWN. I also had a very hard time "falling in love" with Harry. I felt he was shallow and one-dimensional. He can't be with Agatha because she is ugly (plain). That really put me off. He actually thinks that. And then he claims he must marry the "ugly" girl to survive. HUGE dilemma there. Marry or be nothing. And did I mention he actually thought he'd need to down a lot of brandies to bed her? How much of a turd can you be?

I got a suggestion for you, Harry. How about you put that Oxford education to good use and GET A JOB?

TBH, I didn't want Harry and Eliza to hook up again. I felt she'd be better off without him.

I really enjoyed the ship part though, as the ladies head to Botany Bay. That was interesting. I was once again riveted by the story, but then everything just happened so easily whilst they were shipwrecked. The baby just happens to never cry. They just happen to find the perfect cave and a waterfall and food, and you get the picture.

And at 60%, a very unsavory twist was thrown in that really put me off. And that's all I'm saying. I think this story had tremendous potential and the heroine was terrific, but the supporting cast, so to speak, and some of the things thrown in, no, no, no.