Suzie Waltner's Blog, page 317

A Stillness of Chimes Review

Once in a while I come across a book that I’m not sure how I feel about it when I’m reading it. I’m entertained and into the book while I’m reading through it, but when I’m finished I’m somehow a little disappointed. Hopefully writing this review will help me workout my issues with the book I just finished, A Stillness of Chimes by Meg Moseley.

Laura Gantt returns home to Prospect, Georgia to take care of things after her mother has passed away. Growing up in the small Georgia town, Laura and her two best friends, Cassie Bright and Sean Halloran, were inseparable and when they were twelve made the promise to always be there for each other, no matter what. But, time, age, and circumstances have a way of making people drift apart. Laura’s father had drowned in the lake when she was eighteen, but now that she’s home rumors are starting to circulate that he has been seen around town. Laura wants to know the truth. Is her father, a man who suffered from PTSD, alive out there. Is he hurt? Is he mentally all right? Sean Halloran, Laura’s former boyfriend, wants to protect Laura from disappointment and hurt. He is still in love with her, still longs to be with her, and to protect her but Laura won’t admit her feelings for him.

There was just so much going on in this story, and while it made the book a very quick read, it also felt like there wasn’t great resolution to a few of the things that were happening in the book. The story is about love and sacrifice, giving something up to protect something else, and understanding the different parts of someone’s life that makes them the person they grow into. I guess my problem with this book is with the ending. I understand that not everything is always wrapped up in the perfect little happily ever after, but the ending of this book was abrupt and I felt like I wanted more. I wanted more of Laura and Sean’s story and I wanted more of how they recovered from the truth of what Laura discovered while looking for her father. So, overall, I would give with book three out of five stars.

***Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers and Blogging for Books provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I was not compensated in any way for either a negative or a positive review.

Nashville Sweetheart

Sometimes when I’m reviewing books I seem to run into a theme. Recently I was reading a couple of mysteries in a row. This month is seems to be books based in Nashville. The books are very different from each other (the last one I reviewed was a historical romance and the one I’m reviewing today is contemporary). Now, I’m not complaining. As a transplant to Nashville, I love being here. I love this city. It’s a large city that doesn’t feel like a large city. In Nashville Sweetheart, Rachel Hauck gives readers a glimpse into Nashville and the country music scene.

Aubrey James is a country music diva and she knows it. She has been in the music industry for years, but has avoided doing media interviews. Her parents were Gospel music pioneers who died tragically in a car accident when she was a teenager and, at thirty, she is still grieving their loss. Her crazy schedule has caused her to need a break over the summer, but a disgruntled music director, a new record label president, and a fiancé are making her life even more stressful. Aubrey James agrees to do a local interview. Scott Vaughn works for a local television program, Inside NashVegas, and it tapped to do the interview with Aubrey. While interviewing her over the course of a month, Scott sees Aubrey’s tenderness and sincerity, something not many people get to see because Aubrey James tries to keep her private life private.

The book is a little older so there are some dated references in there is you know Nashville (some places that have changed names or are no longer around), but that doesn’t detract from the story. I wasn’t sure what to think of Aubrey James at first but as I got to know her as she told her story, she became more likable and you want her to succeed. This one is definitely another winner by Rachel Hauck.

Historic Nashville Romance

 

Like many others who live in the area, I am a transplant to Nashville, TN. I have lived here sixteen years this summer but never attended elementary or secondary school here so, while I am familiar with many of the historic sites around the area, I don’t actually know a lot of the history. I feel like I learned a little more about my new home (and Belmont Mansion) when I read Tamera  Alexander’s second stand alone novel in her Belmont Mansion series, A Beauty So Rare.

 

Eleanor Braddock’s world is changing. Her father’s illness has caused her to make some hard decisions, including how best to care for him, and relying on her aunt, Adelicia Acklen Cheatham, to support her. Eleanor has not disillusioned about her future, she knows she is not beautiful, and at thirty, will not find a husband. But Eleanor has a dream that she would like her aunt to help her with. That dream morphs into something much bigger than Eleanor, or her aunt for that matter, could ever imagine. Marcus Geoffrey is a man who wants to escape his past, and his heritage, a man who wants to make his own way. Marcus is a very handsome man who is used to women falling over themselves to be near him, but has never had a friendship with a woman. He is intrigued by Adelicia’s niece who is not taken in by his looks upon their first meeting.

 

Eleanor Braddock is most definitely someone the reader cheers for. You ache for her as she is dealing with her father, and love her for serving those less fortunate, you want her to find true happiness. Her dislike of pink and her forthrightness make her that much more loveable.

 

Alexander does a terrific job of weaving fiction with history in A Beauty So Rare (absolutely love the title of this book, by the way) and I was quickly engrossed in the story. Once I met Eleanor and Marcus I didn’t want to put the book down until I found out how their stories ended. And now that I’ve finished the book, I keep thinking about them, and want to go back and re-read parts of their story. That is always a sign of a good book for me. Stay tuned this month for more exclusive content from the author of A Beauty So Rare

 

 

****Bethany House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I was not compensated in any way for either a negative or a positive review.

A Beauty So Rare Exclusive!!!

I am about halfway through this book and love the historical Nashville setting. As a transplant to the area, I’m feeling like I’m learning a little of Nashville’s history through a great story. Learn what Tamara Alexander’s inspiration for writing A Beauty So Rare was.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVV1ESQ9Cb8&feature=youtu.be

Coming April 1, 2014

I am excited to be reviewing the latest book from Tamera Alexander soon. Here’s a special sneak peek for you as well!!!!

A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander excerpt

Another Good Murder Mystery

I’ve been a fan of Terri Blackstock’s work for years. I started with her Newpointe 911 and Suncoast Chronicles series. In the second book of her Moonlighter’s series, Distortion, our three sisters return for some more PI work, and once again, it’s personal. The action gets started on the very first page and had me turning pages until I reached the end.

Juliet Cole has an ideal life. A husband who loves her, two little boys and two sisters and a brother she is close to. Her world falls apart when she watches her husband get gunned down right in front of her. What’s even more disturbing is that the man she has lived with and loved for the past fifteen years was not the man she thought he was. As Juliet and her sisters, Cathy and Holly, along with their PI boss, Michael Hogan, search for answers, Juliet’s world is turned upside down. While Juliet struggles with this new knowledge about her husband, her faith and how much to tell her children as well as keeping them safe, Cathy and Michael struggle with the possibility of coming face to face with the man who murdered someone they each loved.

Distortion was definitely a page-turner that kept you reading until the end. You want to know what the truth behind Juliet’s husbands secrets is and you want Cathy and Michael to get their man. Blackstock does a good job of switching between several viewpoints so the reader gets the whole story. Book two is a stand-alone book, but you will get more character development and a little more understanding for this family if you read book one, Truth Stained Lies, first.

****Zondervan Publishing and BookLook Bloggers provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I was not compensated in any way for either a positive or a negative review.

Murder Mystery and Suspense

I like a good mystery. Over the past few years I’ve found both the Sherlock and Elementary television shows to be a couple of my favorites. It’s fun to watch how someone pieces a puzzle together to figure out who the murderer or criminal is. In Juliana Deering’s second Drew Farthering mystery, Death by the Book, readers will be delighted to see so many favorites return from book one.

Drew Farthering is once again around when a murder happens. Detective Birdsong agrees to let him help out with the investigation as long as he doesn’t get in the way. When more murders occur, getting closer and closer to Drew, he, his best friend, Nick and girlfriend, Madeline all scramble to figure out who is behind the murders. Throw in Madeline’s Aunt Ruth who has arrived from America and has strong opinions about everything, including Drew and Madeline’s relationship, and Drew has a lot on his hands.

While I was reading these books, I thought I had a handle on who the murder was, but my opinion kept shifting, and I was actually a little surprised by who it actually was in the end. What I liked about the whole thing was that Drew’s opinions kept shifting too. He was never really certain of who the murder was until the very end of the book. It is a realistic outcome for an amateur detective. I’m looking forward to book three in this series as well.

***Bethany House publishing provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I was not compensated in any way for either a negative or a positive review.

My First Novel and a Giveaway

If you’ve been my friend on Facebook, followed me or Twitter or added me to your Goodreads list of friends, you are aware that I love to read. What you may not have known about me is that I also like to write. I actually moved to Nashville sixteen years ago to work in the publishing industry (editing, though, not writing). I did write a little bit.

When I was in college I had a class where all we did was write and share our stories with other people. That story was put away for years. When a friend encouraged me to join NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writers Month) last November, I pulled the story back out. I still had a good concept of where I wanted the story to go and I had a good base with what I had already written. Although I had to re-write a lot of it. I’d like to believe I’ve become a better writer in the eighteen or nineteen years it’s been since I took that class.

Today it became real when the paperback version of my book became available on Amazon (the Kindle version is also available). It was an interesting experience self-publishing. I had written the book and given it to a few people to read through. A friend encouraged me to use an editor before publishing, so I submitted it to a copy editor (I have to throw this in here because there are still some errors in the book). It took the copy editor a month to get the changes made. This was a challenge for me because I do not like waiting for things. Once I made all of the edit changes, it was time to submit the document for approve from the self-publishing website. They approved it and I ordered the proof copy (more waiting). When that arrived, I went through it and found some formatting errors that had to be made and then waited some more. Finally, I was able to submit the book for publishing.

So, here we are. Remembrance, book One of the Remembrance Series has been published. Yes, I said book one. When I started writing in November, I didn’t stop. At this point, I’ve written four books for this series. The others are in various stages of writing and editing. I am aiming to release book two Fall/Winter 2014.

So, here’s a brief synopsis of book one for anyone interested. These books are Christian fiction romances.

Leah Waters enjoys her career as a high school teacher. For the most part she loves her students and spending her time with them but she misses having close relationships with family and friends. When she stumbles upon the Graham family and their church she starts to build the relationships she’s longed for and maybe more.

Mark Graham is hurting from wounds from his past when Leah shows up at his mother’s house. After a rocky start, he finds they have a lot in common and they become friends. Can he let go of his past enough for more?

If you read the book, please leave a review on Amazon. If you enjoy the book, please share with friends. Share this blog entry on Facebook or Twitter and leave a comment here telling me you did on or before March 31, and you will be entered to win one of two copies of Remembrance. Winners will be determined by random drawing.

Dancing with Fireflies

Denise Hunter is one of my favorite Christian fiction authors so I was thrilled to get ahold of the second book in her Chapel Springs Series which will be available March 11. I think the draw of Hunter’s books for me is her character development. She lets readers see into the minds and hearts of her male and female protagonists and they come across as real people with real problems, real fears and real emotions.

In Dancing with Fireflies, Jade McKinley returns home to Chapel Springs, Indiana after a year away. She hasn’t spoken to her family much in a year but when she becomes pregnant without money, she returns to the place she planned never to return to because she needed her family. At the same time, she’s terrified of telling her family what has happened to her.

Daniel Dawson, an honorary McKinley, has been in love with Jade for years but the time has never been right for him to tell her. When she returns to town she is suddenly inserted in his life and he struggles with feelings that he believes should have died over the year she had been gone and never once contacted her. Instead his feelings continue to grow as he spends even more time with Jade and she confides in him.

Jade feels like her life is out of control and is terrified of loving and losing someone again. She has a plan for what she needs to raise her baby but when things keep getting thrown her way, all of her strategy is thrown out the window.

Readers will be happy to get a glimpse of Madison and Beckett’s (from Barefoot Summer) wedding although it is short and the focus is on Jade. While Madison is a regular in Dancing with Fireflies, Beckett is mainly mentioned in passing. The love story of Jade and Daniel is one that will grab your heartstrings and twist. You feel for Daniel and his longing for Jade and you feel for Jade and her desire to do what is right for her baby no matter the cost to herself.

*****BookLook Bloggers and Thomas Nelson Publishing provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I was not compensated in any way for either a negative or a positive review.

My Favorite Read So Far This Year

My favorite books are usually chick lit types or romances but the description of Runaway Saint by Lisa Sampson intrigued me and I decided to request it to review. I am so glad I did. This book delved into relationships and forgiveness and past hurts and secrets.

Sara Drexel is an artist. She and her husband own their own printing business. Her small staff is her family. When Sara’s mother asks her to let her Aunt Belinda (Bel) move in with her, Sara is perplexed and concerned. She hadn’t seen her Aunt Bel since she was four and the woman moved to Eastern Europe to become a missionary. Aunt Bel has some secrets of her own and as Sara begins to unravel the mystery of her aunt, she learns some startling things about herself as well.

Sampson’s characters are real and struggle. Sara loves her husband Finn even though some of the things he does drives her crazy. Finn loves Sara but admits he can’t be her problem solver for her. Aunt Bel may have been a missionary but she’s got some issues with how she views God in her life. Sara’s divorced parents also have their own eccentricities.

This book is most definitely worth the read. I give it five starts. The cover art is beautiful as well.

***BookLook Bloggers and Thomas Nelson publishers provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I was not compensated in any way for either a negative or a positive review.