Adele Downs's Blog, page 7

Mornings By The Bay: Writing and Remodeling #amwriting #WritingCommunity #writerslife #beachlife

I’m back! Sorry to have been gone so long. Over the past two months I finished the novel I’d been working on and started the submission process. I’m hoping to partner with an agent on the project. Wish me luck. If you know anything about the publishing business you know manuscripts can take just short of forever to find a home.

What’s the book about? A story unlike any I’ve published before. It’s dark and suspenseful, which is all I can say for now. I’m excited about the prospect of offering something new to my readers.

There’s been a month long commotion at my little house at the beach. I had the interior remodeled and a new roof added. You can imagine the noise on the days the contractor inside the house sawed and hammered while the roofers sawed and hammered above. Those days forced me outside, but I didn’t mind. The results have been worth it. After eight months of living at the beach full-time, following the death of my dear husband, I’ve finally settled in. It’s time to move forward…by writing a new book.

Happy Spring!

Best–Adele

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Photo copyright Adele Downs 2016-2019

Winter Beach 2019 by Adele Downs #photography @Adele_Downs

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The beach is peaceful in winter. On mild days, with temperatures in the 50’s, it’s comforting to walk along the coastline or on the boardwalk without the crush crowds of summer.

Photos copyright Adele Downs 2019

Book Review-I Know You by Annabel Kantaria #Thriller #IKnowYou @BellaKay @HQStories #NetGalley

I Know You

A Novel of Suspense by Annabel Kantaria

Crooked Lane Books

Mystery & Thrillers, Women’s Fiction

Pub Date 11 Jun 2019

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Description:

A twisted domestic thriller in the vein of B. A. Paris and Shari Lapena that asks: How well do you know your friends?

That picture you posted?

I’ve seen it.

That location you tagged?

I’ve been there.

I know everything about your life . . .

And I’m going to destroy it.

A recent transplant from sunny California, life in the London suburbs is not what Taylor Watson expected. Far from the West End shops and city lights she imagined, she finds herself pregnant and lonely, with a husband frequently away on business and only social media to keep her company. It’s only after Taylor joins a book club and a walking group, that she finally starts to make some real-life friends.

Before long, Taylor’s hanging out with Anna, Sarah, Simon, and Caroline but, as her pregnancy progresses and her friendships blossom, a sense of unease develops. Nothing’s ever quite as it seems on the surface, and it soon becomes clear that Taylor’s new friends have secrets. One appears to be after Taylor’s husband, another’s always putting her down, and then there’s the question of Simon. Could he have feelings for Taylor?

But far more worryingly, one of the group’s not being too careful what they post on social media—and another is watching all too closely. Who’s stalking who . . . and why?

Adele’s Review:

4.5 Stars!

I loved reading this book! I Know You is a thrilling roller coaster ride that left me breathless and turning the pages until its explosive conclusion. Well plotted and very well-written, this novel is a must read for fans of the genre; especially if you’re one of the millions of people who post personal images on social media and share tidbits of your day to day life. We really don’t know who’s watching us!

I found the protagonist, Taylor, the pregnant American wife living in London to placate her not-so-great husband to be realistic and quite relatable. Pregnancy really does color a woman’s perspective, especially without the support of family and friends, and watching Taylor struggle to adapt to her new surroundings made me root for her from the first page to the last. There are lots of suspects in this mystery/thriller to choose from and all are interesting characters that lure us deeper into the drama. (Because I was drawn into the story, I was able to forgive the diction of the American heroine sounding exactly like her English acquaintances.) I thoroughly enjoyed reading I Know You by Annabel Kantaria and recommend adding it to your 2019 reading list. Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2681187056

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Vibrant Orchids by Adele Downs #photography @Adele_Downs

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Orchids are one of the most beautiful and sensual flowers in the world. Longwood Gardens in Kennet Square, Pennsylvania offers a spectacular display of orchids, year round.

Photo copyright Adele Downs

Book Review-The Second Wife by Sheryl Browne #Thriller #BookReview #NetGalley #TheSecondWife @SherylBrowne @Bookouture

The Second Wife by Sheryl Browne

Publisher: Bookouture

Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 29 Jan 2019

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Description:

She made her bed. You’ll lie in it.

Rebecca only wanted to help out – to be kind. Richard seemed so alone after his wife, Nicole, died, and Rebecca wanted to make sure he knew he had someone to rely on.

But now she’s in Nicole’s immaculate house. Drinking from her favourite crystal wine glass. Keeping shoes in her orderly closet. Comforting her sweet and grieving step-daughter. It feels like Rebecca is living another woman’s life.

And as she gets to know the neighbours, Rebecca hears stories that make her wonder: was free-spirited Nicole happy in this perfect life, or did she feel trapped? Did she feel, as Rebecca is beginning to, that something wasn’t quite right?

The book everyone’s talking about! If you loved The Girl on the Train, The Wife Between Us and The Girl Before, you’ll be totally gripped and unable to put down this twisty page-turning psychological thriller.

Adele’s Review:

4.5 Stars!

I thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous thriller! It’s rare to find a perfectly plotted book with equally perfect pacing and tension, but Sheryl Browne hit the mark in The Second Wife. The story leads us on a trail of dark twists and turns to the best possible solution and satisfying ending. I rooted for the female protagonist all the way to the last page. I highly recommend adding this book to your 2019 reading list. Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2667372605?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

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LUXURY MODEL WIFE by Adele Downs #ContemporaryRomance #RomanceBooks @Adele_Downs

Looking for your next read? LUXURY MODEL WIFE is a HOLT Medallion Award of Merit winner that has earned 5-Star reviews from book bloggers and readers.

“Adele Downs’ LUXURY MODEL WIFE is a great read. This book is so good I couldn’t put it down.” 5 Stars! Kim~Danielle’s Domain Reviews

“I’d make some space on your ‘Keeper’ shelf if I were you.” 5 Stars! Cuddles Please Blog

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About the Book: Antiques expert Steve Carlson must face the mistakes of his past to discover a treasure he never imagined: the heart of a vulnerable yet determined young widow.

Buy the book on Amazon!

Buy the book on Smashwords!

Also available on Apple, Kobo, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble.

Saying Yes to 2019 #NewYear #2019goals

Thank you, blog subscribers and fans of my books, for sticking with me through the lean times when I had—have—no new releases to offer. Yet.

The year 2018 was an unusually tough one for me, and I’m not sorry to see it end. For those who might not have read my earlier posts about my bereavement, I lost my wonderful husband of 32 years in March. After 10 months of grieving, I still have a long way to go in the process, but I’m beginning to feel better. And that means I’m thinking about going back to work.

There are completed novels stored on my flash drive that need to be submitted to publishers; I’ve gotten the rights back to several previously published books I intend to revise, expand and re-release; and … I plan to start writing a new book. It takes enormous amounts of physical and creative energy to write a story, and it might be a bigger challenge than usual for me to delve into a new work. However, my goal for 2019 is to move forward. Fingers crossed.

May 2019 bring you and your loved ones all good things. Happy New Year.

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Book Review-The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald #Thriller #NetGalley @Christinamac79 @simonschuster #TheNightOliviaFell #BookReview

The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald

ISBN  9781501184000

PRICE  $16.00 (USD)

Release Date: February 5, 2019.

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Description:

In the vein of Big Little Lies and Reconstructing Amelia comes an emotionally charged domestic suspense novel about a mother unraveling the truth behind how her daughter became brain dead. And pregnant.

A search for the truth. A lifetime of lies.

In the small hours of the morning, Abi Knight is startled awake by the phone call no mother ever wants to get: her teenage daughter Olivia has fallen off a bridge. Not only is Olivia brain dead, she’s pregnant and must remain on life support to keep her baby alive. And then Abi sees the angry bruises circling Olivia’s wrists.

When the police unexpectedly rule Olivia’s fall an accident, Abi decides to find out what really happened that night. Heartbroken and grieving, she unravels the threads of her daughter’s life. Was Olivia’s fall an accident? Or something far more sinister?

Christina McDonald weaves a suspenseful and heartwrenching tale of hidden relationships, devastating lies, and the power of a mother’s love. With flashbacks of Olivia’s own resolve to uncover family secrets, this taut and emotional novel asks: how well do you know your children? And how well do they know you?

Adele’s Review:

4.5 Stars!

Creating character emotion that evokes reader empathy is an author’s biggest challenge, and Christina McDonald achieves that in spades in her debut novel The Night Olivia Fell. Sentences can be rewritten during the editing process and facts, grammar and spelling can be verified or corrected during copy editing. However, no amount of rewriting or editing can put emotion to the page if an author is unable to channel sentiment from her creative mind to her reader.

The Night Olivia Fell is a mystery and a thriller with a subtle secondary romance that softens the edges of sharp, painful human emotions like jealousy, loss and rage, and brings hope after despair. Though the story includes several important characters, it is a mother/daughter tale that will keep you guessing and turning the pages until the very end.

Received an ARC for an honest review from NetGalley.

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2639599827?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Book Review-Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks #Thriller #HerOneMistake #NetGalley @HeidiPerksBooks @GalleryBooks

Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks

Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books

Gallery Books

Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 08 Jan 2019

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Description:

What should have been a fun-filled, carefree day takes a tragic turn for the worse for one mother when her best friend’s child goes missing in this suspenseful, compulsively readable, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.

It all started at the school fair…

Charlotte was supposed to be looking after the children, and she swears she was. She only took her eyes off of them for one second. But when her three kids are all safe and sound at the school fair, and Alice, her best friend Harriet’s daughter, is nowhere to be found, Charlotte panics. Frantically searching everywhere, Charlotte knows she must find the courage to tell Harriet that her beloved only child is missing. And admit that she has only herself to blame.

Harriet, devastated by this unthinkable, unbearable loss, can no longer bring herself to speak to Charlotte again, much less trust her. Now more isolated than ever and struggling to keep her marriage afloat, Harriet believes nothing and no one. But as the police bear down on both women trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to this little girl, dark secrets begin to surface—and Harriet discovers that confiding in Charlotte again may be the only thing that will reunite her with her daughter….

This breathless and fast-paced debut—perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and The Couple Next Door—takes you on a chilling journey that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Adele’s Review:

5 Stars!

Loved reading this book! I couldn’t put it down. I should have been wrapping Christmas presents, baking cookies, or cleaning my house for company but I kept reading this gripping novel instead. I wanted to find out how Charlotte and Harriet resolved things, though I can’t say more without spoilers. Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks is a fast paced, well-written story for all women that challenges our expectations of marriage, child rearing, and the bonds of friendship. A must read! Received an advance copy from NetGalley for an honest review. Review also posted on Goodreads.

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Santa’s House at the Beach #photography #Christmas #ChristmasSpirit @Adele_Downs

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I took these pictures of Santa’s House on the Rehoboth, Delaware boardwalk, where children visit Santa every weekend from Thanksgiving to Christmas. My four-year old grandson has enthusiastically embraced the concept of Santa Claus, especially the part about him bringing toys to good children, and his excitement has filled me with Christmas spirit. There’s nothing like having a small child around to better appreciate the holidays.

Merry Christmas!

Photos copyright Adele Downs 2018