The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmieri

Publish Date May 13, 2014 by St. Martin’s Griffin

Bronwyn "BitsyWyn" Whalen hasn’t set eyes on the red dirt of Magnolia Creek, Alabama, for fourteen years—not since her mama died. But with her brother, Patrick, imprisoned for the murder of her childhood best friend, and her eccentric father, Jackson, at his wits’ end while her eleven-year-old niece, Byrd, runs wild, Bronwyn finds herself once again surrounded by ancient magnolia trees and the troubled family she left behind. She becomes immersed in a whirlwind of mystery and magic as she tries to figure out what really happened that fateful night her friend died. And as her bond with Byrd deepens, Bronwyn must face the demons of her past in order to unravel her family’s uncertain future.

My Thoughts:

This is not a romance book, there is romance in the book but I would not call this romance.  This is a story of magic and mystery.   The mystery of who killed Charlotte is the main plot.   There were a lot of twists and until almost the very end I did not have any idea who the killer was.   I had many ideas, went through most of the characters, but never came up with who really did it until the very end.  

I loved the characters and the special magic they all seemed to have.   Byrd was of course my favorite.  Such a precocious child, who was so much older than her years.   She seemed to know everyone and what everyone was doing or, many times, going to do.  I found myself wanting to pull her close and keep her safe.    She needed a mother, since her died, to keep her out of the danger that seemed to be calling for her at every turn of the page.     When Bronwyn returned to her home and to Byrd I was sure that this was the roll that Bronwyn would step into.  

There was a lot happening in this novel, both with the characters and the plot.   This is a story that I will recommend.   Suzanne Palmieri is an author that I will be on the lookout for more from.

Praise for the Book:

"Suzanne Palmieri has crafted a riveting tale that will keep you up late at night guessing what will happen next. It is a story that will intrigue both male and female readers. Guys, don't let this one slip past you."—Jason Mott, New York Times bestselling author of The Returned

"Ms. Palmieri's authentic dialogue, and ability to paint a family in crisis, is both charming and layered. If you're a lover of Southern fiction, magic in its many forms, and the kind of storytelling that keeps you turning the pages, you've come to the right place, y'all."—Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of Whistling in the Dark

"Murder, mystery and magic meld in a novel of absolute enchantment. About the lies we tell, the love we struggle for, and the way we find our way back to our rightful place in the world, Palmieri's book is a stunner."—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Is This Tomorrow

"Magic weaves its way through this beguiling southern gothic, swirling from the moss-laden trees around the Big House through the misty and menacing Belladonna Bay, and settling into the hearts of Bronwyn and her niece, Byrd, whose Strange Ways most people just don’t understand. Reminiscent of Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells, this bewitching tale of ghostly mystery, love and family ties will enchant you from the very first page and linger in the air around you long after the last."— Wendy Webb, bestselling author of The Fate of Mercy Alban

Buy the book

Amazon for Kindle: http://amzn.to/1iVYq8C

Amazon for paperback: http://amzn.to/OOzlF9

About the author:

Suzanne Palmieri Hayes is the author of The Witch of Little Italy and the forthcoming The Witch of Belladonna Bay (May, 2014). She is also the co-author of I’ll Be Seeing You under the name Suzanne Hayes. She lives by the ocean with her husband and three darling witches. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.

Connect with the author:

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1jISJhs

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Thelostwitch

Website: http://suzannepalmieri.com/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1hSWLQd

The Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard

Publish Date June 3, 2014 by Berkley Trade

Ruby Jewell knows flowers. In her twenty years as a florist she has stood behind the counter at the Flower Shoppe with her faithful dog, Clementine, resting at her feet. A customer can walk in, and with just a glance or a few words, Ruby can throw together the perfect arrangement for any occasion.

Whether intended to rekindle a romance, mark a celebration, offer sympathy, or heal a broken heart, her expressive floral designs mark the moments and milestones in the lives of her neighbors. It’s as though she knows just what they want to say, just what they need.

Yet Ruby’s own heart’s desires have gone ignored since the death of her beloved sister. It will take an invitation from a man who’s flown to the moon, the arrival of a unique little boy, and concern from a charming veterinarian to reawaken her wounded spirit. Any life can be derailed, but the healing power of community can put it right again.

My Thoughts:

I am clueless about flowers, yet the synopsis of The Art of Arranging Flowers pulled at me.   I picked up the book hoping that I would not be lost and all it would talk about it different flowers and how to arrange them.    While there is some, okay a lot, of flower talk in the book, there is so much more to Ruby Jewell’s life.    There is friendship, broken hearts, love, and loss.  The small town atmosphere is absolutely perfect.    The other characters in the book are just as important as Ruby and leave their marks on the reader as we get to know them.   

Ruby is the main character of the story and I loved her.   She knew the town better than anyone else.   Knew the birthdates, anniversaries, likes and dislikes before the person ordering the flowers could tell her.   She had bouquets ready before the orders were placed and went above on and beyond to make the town the best she possibly could.   She knew of healing powers of flowers and knew who needed healing or prayers for whatever ails them, broken hearts, cancer, tiredness, or love.   

The other characters in the book were just as great.  Dan is my favorite.   A retired astronaut who manages to connect with everyone he comes in contact with, and does it in a way that makes each person feel special.   He also could read people, he knew who was sick and how to help or comfort them, he knew who needed a little extra push to open their heart, and who just needed him to give them some special attention to make them feel special.   When it was told that he was dying and that he had control of how he was going to die I had tears in my eyes.   I knw that it would be a send off in the most private and highest regards, the way Dan had lived his life. 

The Art of Arranging Flowers is a book that I recommend to anyone who needs a calming and loving story about a town that feels like home.  The story is sweet, sentimental, and unforgettable. 

Book Links

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Author Links

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A Long Time Gone by Karen White

"We Walker women were born screaming into this world, the beginning of a lifelong quest to find what would quiet us. But whatever drove us away was never stronger than the pull of what brought us back...." 

When Vivien Walker left her home in the Mississippi Delta, she swore never to go back, as generations of the women in her family had. But in the spring, nine years to the day since she’d left, that’s exactly what happens—Vivien returns, fleeing from a broken marriage and her lost dreams for children.

What she hopes to find is solace with "Bootsie," her dear grandmother who raised her, a Walker woman with a knack for making everything all right. But instead she finds that her grandmother has died and that her estranged mother is drifting further away from her memories. Now Vivien is forced into the unexpected role of caretaker, challenging her personal quest to find the girl she herself once was.

But for Vivien things change in ways she cannot imagine when a violent storm reveals the remains of a long-dead woman buried near the Walker home, not far from the cypress swamp that is soon to give up its ghosts. Vivien knows there is now only one way to rediscover herself—by uncovering the secrets of her family and breaking the cycle of loss that has haunted her them for generations.

My thoughts...As I began reading A Long Time Gone, I was reminded why I've become such a huge fan of Karen White. Page one doesn't just bring Vivien home, it brings the reader to the Delta. A Long Time Gone is not just Vivien's story, but the story of the women who came before her, their lives shaping her and her quest to find out why.

There is the story of Vivien in the present. After coming home, Vivien gets shock after shock. She left years before and never looked back, never called home. She comes home almost with the idea that nothing would really change. She is pushed into helping out the local library and it begins a quest to find out a mystery about her family.

There is also the point of view of her mother Carol Lynne. Carol Lynne had abandoned Viven and her brother when they were growing up. When her mother finally comes home to stay Vivien took off without looking back. Carol Lynne's story is told with diary entries.

The last point of view is Adelaide in the 1920's. This was my favorite point of view. I love the time period and I couldn't be sure what was going to happen with her story. I just couldn't reconcile what I know and how it would play out. I won't say more other than, wow.

Karen's novels are always beautifully written and atmospheric. I loved each of the three points of view and how they move Vivien forward. What a family has thought to be true, is so much more. I found myself similar to Vivien, in the more I began to learn about the family history the deeper I wanted to go. Just because we understand events to be one thing, doesn't always mean our perceptions are true. We are not the past.

A Long Time Gone was one of those books that once you begin you are going to stay up late into the evening to finish. A generational story you don't' want to miss! I am highly recommending it!


I had the pleasure of meeting Karen White at my local Indie store The Booksellers of Laurelwood.

Karen White

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Buy a copy of A Long Time Gone

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Indie Bound

THE FIVE W’S and HOW Of Jolina Petersheim + giveaway

WHO? Who are you besides a writer? 

I’m a wife, daughter, sister, friend, and a stay-at-home mom of a toddler little girl, and I’ve got her little sister on the way. So, outside the world of books, I’m busy exploring the world through the eyes of a child. We “cook” in her miniature kitchen, read her two favorite books out of her stash of two hundred, pick flowers, or take walks with our akita, Kashi. I’ve found that in the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s nice to set an hour aside and focus on what really matters.

WHAT? What do you enjoy doing other than writing in your spare time?

I love to travel, but I haven’t been overseas since my daughter’s birth two years ago. In March, my best friend, her sister, my daughter, and I went to Florida (the first time I traveled “alone” with a toddler!), and my husband and I are planning to go to Montana again this summer. I love to try new food and experiment with recipes. I enjoy thrift-store shopping, since I’m a penny-pincher (except, of course, when it comes to jewelry and shoes), and I am addicted to books. My To-Be-Read Pile has no end.

WHEN? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Because of my father’s weekly songwriting sessions (he used to jot down lyrics on 2 x 4’s with his carpenter’s pencil), I tried to make up songs before I could even read or write. Once I started to read (especially the Anne of Green Gables series!), I knew I wanted to be an author one day, like Anne. I have received some incredible support through my parents, teachers, friends, and husband, which was significant in making this dream come true. I’m so very grateful to each and every one of them!

WHERE? Where do you write? 

During the editorial process, which is what I’m doing now, I don’t go anywhere but the kitchen table—where I spread out two laptops and edit one document while looking at the suggestions on the other, which are given to me by my husband, who’s always my first reader. However, the first and second drafts are a little more romantic. In the winter, I write on a chair in the living room that has an ottoman for my feet. Sometimes, if cajoled, my husband will build a fire for me in the fireplace (I am dangerous with matches). In the spring and summer, I write on the front porch with the hummingbirds zinging over my head and the fans stirring the breeze. We have a field in front of us, woods behind us, and not a neighbor in sight. I love living in the boonies, though—because of this—our internet connection is rather lousy.

WHY? Why do you write?

I write to better understand our world and my place in it—something I’ve done since I was six years old and kept a diary with a tiny gold locket. I write because I’m always listening for stories, and I often feel compelled to write these stories down, though I change the names to protect the innocent . . . and the guilty. I write because I want to offer others hope as they search for fragments of beauty in their life’s ashes.

How? Has your writing success changed your life?

I can’t really say that it has: I still clean my own house, fold my own laundry, do my own grocery shopping, and fish items out of the trash can that my toddler has thrown while helping me “clean up.” Then again, I’m not exactly J.K. Rowling. I’ve come to the conclusion that, even if I was J.K. Rowling, there would always be something else to achieve . . . another goal to reach or award to conquer. So, I’m just trying to enjoy this writing process and the stories that are created through it instead of wondering where this process is going to take me. For now, I just know that I’m blessed to get to work from home and be with my daughter and with my unborn daughter who will be joining our family in the fall.

Jolina Petersheim is the award-winning author of The Midwife and The Outcast, which Library Journal gave a starred review and named one of the best books of 2013. The Outcast also became an ECPA, CBA, and Amazon bestseller, and was featured in Huffington Post’s Fall Picks, World Magazine's Notable Books, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and The Tennessean. Jolina and her husband’s unique Amish and Mennonite heritage originated in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They now live in the mountains of Tennessee with their young daughter. Whenever she's not busy chasing this adorable toddler, Jolina is hard at work on her next novel.

The Midwife 

 by Jolina Petersheim

The story about a mother who risks everything to save a child not genetically hers . . .

The Past — Graduate student Beth Winslow was sure she was ready to navigate the challenges of becoming a surrogate. But when early tests indicate possible abnormalities with the baby, Beth is unprepared for the parents’ decision to end the pregnancy — and for the fierce love she feels for this unborn child. Desperate, she flees the city and seeks refuge at Hopen Haus, a home for unwed mothers deep in a Tennessee Mennonite community.

The Present — As head midwife of Hopen Haus, Rhoda Mummau delivers babies with a confident though stoic ease. Except in rare moments, not even those who work alongside her would guess that each newborn cry, each starry-eyed glance from mother to child, nearly renders a fault through Rhoda’s heart, reminding her of a past she has carefully concealed. Past and present collide when a young woman named Amelia arrives in the sweeping countryside bearing secrets of her own. As Amelia’s due date draws near, Rhoda must face her regrets and those she left behind in order for the healing power of love and forgiveness to set them all free.

"Jolina's lyrical storytelling absolutely sings--but it's her quick-paced plot, complex characters, and insights into the Plain world that made it impossible for me to put The Midwife down." ~Leslie Gould, #1 bestselling author of The Amish Midwife

Learn more:

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Let’s be honest . . . a caffeine boost never hurts. For author Jolina Petersheim, it’s especially helpful to have her favorite drink on hand when she’s racing toward a manuscript deadline. In celebration of the release of her sophomore novel, The Midwife, Tyndale’s Crazy4Fiction team would love to enable your caffeine addiction and give you a taste of Jolina’s beautiful prose. For a chance at a $25 Starbucks gift card, an authentic Amish wall hanging, and your choice of Jolina’s novels (either The Outcast or The Midwife), enter through the Rafflecopter widget below.

To hear from Jolina on her go-to caffeine boost, stop by www.crazy4fiction.com.

What about you, readers? What drink of choice kick-starts your creativity and helps you keep moving?

Now for the giveaway!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Eating our own food!

It's so exciting! I've planted blackberries last year and again this year. I have finally seen some of the literal fruits of my labor! I was able to pick two handfuls of blackberries. Some of them were tart, but most of them were so sweet! The kids enjoyed most of them for breakfast.

When I started putting together their plates it was exciting to realize they were eating both eggs and blackberries from our backyard!

I need to start backing my own bread. I tried a bread machine, but that didn't work out to well. Not sure if it was operator error or a faulty machine. I've been pinning recipes to make breads, but haven't made it a priority. I think I'll try to make a loaf this week. I figure I will follow the recipes and use as many organic products as possible.
Then last night I made some of the chicken we raised for meat for dinner. I made a baked chicken (I know it was too hot). I would really love some recipes for making my own breading. I really see the need to be more organized about menu planning. I want to make things using better choices, but it's so easy to use store bought...then I feel badly. I keep telling myself we are making small changes. If I can buy it organic or non gmo I do.

Please feel free to comment below with great sites or recipes!

Spotlight: Here and Again by Nicole R. Dickson and a giveaway

Deep in the Shenandoah Valley, the present and the past are as restless as the river mists. And when they collide, the heart is the only compass pointing home.

For nurse Ginger Martin, her late husband’s farm is both a treasured legacy and the harbinger of an uncertain future. Since he was recently killed in Iraq, every day is fraught with grief that won’t abate. Keeping the farm going and nourishing her children’s hopes without him seems as impossible as having dreams for the future—or going back into the past....

By a curious coincidence, a stranger appears in Ginger’s life, always showing up to help in unexpected and much-needed ways. He says he’s a soldier, lost and trying to make his way home, but Ginger understands that Samuel is a kindred spirit, longing to repair a life interrupted. The challenges of their hopes and longings will test who they really are in the most heartbreaking of ways. And only by coming to terms with their losses and the necessity of change will Ginger and Samuel be able to each make a future of their own—and discover at last where their true home lies....

Buy your copy of Here and Again by Nicole R. Dickson

Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Now for a giveaway!!! I have one copy of HERE AND AGAIN up for grabs. You must have a US mailing address (sorry no PO Boxes).

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The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee

Publish date June 17, 2014 by St. Martin’s Press

Portia Cuthcart never intended to leave Texas. Her dream was to run the Glass Kitchen restaurant her grandmother built decades ago. But after a string of betrayals and the loss of her legacy, Portia is determined to start a new life with her sisters in Manhattan . . . and never cook again. But when she moves into a dilapidated brownstone on the Upper West Side, she meets twelve-year-old Ariel and her widowed father Gabriel, a man with his hands full trying to raise two daughters on his own. Soon, a promise made to her sisters forces Portia back into a world of magical food and swirling emotions, where she must confront everything she has been running from. What seems so simple on the surface is anything but when long-held secrets are revealed, rivalries exposed, and the promise of new love stirs to life like chocolate mixing with cream. The Glass Kitchen is a delicious novel, a tempestuous story of a woman washed up on the shores of Manhattan who discovers that a kitchen—like an island—can be a refuge, if only she has the courage to give in to the pull of love, the power of forgiveness, and accept the complications of what it means to be family.

My Thoughts:

My first was this was going to be another book about some sisters opening a café or dinner, falling in love, and being successful.   I wasn’t entirely wrong, but there was so much more to this story.   The Glass Kitchen is a fun, sweet, and wonderful book about three sassy and unique sisters trying to make it in Manhattan.  

Portia Cuthcart is a great character.   Her magical knowing powers kept me entertaining.  As she figured out what to cook, not knowing why she had to cook that specific thing, I tried to guess before Linda Francis Lee let the reader in on the reason.  Her relationship with Ariel and Miranda was just how a “friend” of their dad’s should be.  She was the friend when they needed a friend and a mother when they needed a mother, never over stepping her boundaries.    Now, her relationship with Gabriel was so complicated.  The heat was obvious, the attraction a given, yet they managed to keep it separate from their everyday lives through most of the book.  

I loved this book.   The characters were fun and lovable, the story was entertaining and mostly believable, and I could not put it down.    This is a clever and well written book that is easy to read and enjoy. 

Book Links

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Getting it together

For the last few months I've been buying and setting up what will be our homeschool classroom. I've bought full curriculum from Abeka. I went ahead and bought all the teacher additions as well. I believe this will work best for us, especially the first year. I've also started going through and planning out our school year. It is so much work! Even with all the work I'm really excited. I talked to my neighbor who teaches and there seemed to only be one gap that I would fill in. I'm also excited because we will be able to spend so much time on subjects the kids are interested in. I'm looking forward to doing some things like making journals about our time outdoors, charting egg production from our backyard chickens, and lots of artwork!

The classroom cubbies. Everything is organized here. The giant white board will go on this wall.

This easel will work for my oldest son for art, as well as hold my class paper to show the kids how to write manuscript and cursive. 

Desk center! Where the kids will do their seatwork. 

Reading center. All the books are separated by chapter books I will read, school books, and the different level readers. The kids are already using the area! I think I may have to buy a second bean bag chair (and I stuffed it with old stuffed animals the kids want to keep, but don't play with). 

The Curvy Girls Club by Michele Gorman SPOTLIGHT

The Curvy Girls Club blurb

A funny, heart-warming story about overcoming the prejudices we hold, no matter where we tip the scales.

When the pounds start falling off Katie, founder and president of London's most popular social club for the calorie-challenged, it seems like a dream come true. But as the overweight stigma recedes and her life starts to change, she faces losing more than the inches around her waist. Everything that's important to her - her closest friends, boyfriend, and acceptance into the club itself - are at stake in a world where thin is the new fat.

Buy Links

Amazon US:    |   Amazon CA:   |   Barnes and Noble   |   Kobo US:    |   Indigo Bookstore Canada 

About the real Curvy Girls Club

Introducing the real Curvy Girls Club

Imagine a place where nobody is judged by the size of their waistband, where you’re reminded every day how fabulous you are. That’s exactly what Michele did when she wrote The Curvy Girls Club, and she had so much fun in that imaginary world that she has created the real thing!

You can be part of the real Curvy Girls Club – a friendly, supportive, encouraging community where everyone is welcome, a fun place for people who want to love themselves. Think of it as the most flattering fitting room in the world - perfect lighting and mirrors that make you feel fantastic. Because you are fantastic. And that's the whole point.

Club members are treated to a daily dose of loveliness – empowering reminders that you’re pretty great just the way you are. Join the Club for all the fun:

Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/512009562242497/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thecurvygirlsclub

Twitter: @CurvyGirlsClub3

The Beautiful American by Jeanne MacKin

From Paris in the 1920s to London after the Blitz, two women find that a secret from their past reverberates through years of joy and sorrow....

As recovery from World War II begins, expat American Nora Tours travels from her home in southern France to London in search of her missing sixteen-year-old daughter. There, she unexpectedly meets up with an old acquaintance, famous model-turned-photographer Lee Miller. Neither has emerged from the war unscathed. Nora is racked with the fear that her efforts to survive under the Vichy regime may have cost her daughter’s life. Lee suffers from what she witnessed as a war correspondent photographing the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps.

Nora and Lee knew each other in the heady days of late 1920s Paris, when Nora was giddy with love for her childhood sweetheart, Lee became the celebrated mistress of the artist Man Ray, and Lee’s magnetic beauty drew them all into the glamorous lives of famous artists and their wealthy patrons. But Lee fails to realize that her friendship with Nora is even older, that it goes back to their days as children in Poughkeepsie, New York, when a devastating trauma marked Lee forever. Will Nora’s reunion with Lee give them a chance to forgive past betrayals…and break years of silence to forge a meaningful connection as women who have shared the best and the worst that life can offer?

A novel of freedom and frailty, desire and daring, The Beautiful American portrays the extraordinary relationship between two passionate, unconventional women.

My Thoughts...An absolutely beautiful novel. The novel begins with Nora looking all over Paris for her daughter. We don't know how old she is or the situation surrounding her disappearance. Only that Nora is looking at places she believes her daughter, Dahlia, would search out. While looking for her daughter, Nora runs into her old friend Lee. There are a few 'flashbacks', but when Nora goes off with Lee, the author tells us Nora's story up until current day.

The novel isn't one where there is a lot of action. It's a story, a recounting of time gone by. Beautifully written. I found myself drawn into this world (pre WWII) in Paris, the artists. The narrator (Nora) seems enthralled by her friend Lee. Lee is beautiful, sexual, powerful and controlling. Things Nora is not. I found out, while reading this Lee Miller was indeed an actual person. I understood Nora's fascination with Lee. On one hand she is beautiful and manipulative, but there is a vulnerability to her, a softness that really drew me in. I wanted to dislike her, yet I couldn't.

Both woman live in Europe during WWII, having very different experiences. It changes them. It grows them. Moments where I had to put the novel down at the reality of war...the ugliness. MacKin shows not only the reality and pain, but the beauty of survival during the era. Emotional.
The Beautiful American is captivating to say the least. Highly recommending.

The Beautiful American by Jeanne MacKin

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The Beautiful American by Jeanne MacKin

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The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee

With the glass kitchen, Linda Francis Lee has served up a novel that is about the courage it takes to follow your heart and be yourself. A true recipe for life. 

Portia Cuthcart never intended to leave Texas. Her dream was to run the Glass Kitchen restaurant her grandmother built decades ago. But after a string of betrayals and the loss of her legacy, Portia is determined to start a new life with her sisters in Manhattan . . . and never cook again. But when she moves into a dilapidated brownstone on the Upper West Side, she meets twelve-year-old Ariel and her widowed father Gabriel, a man with his hands full trying to raise two daughters on his own. Soon, a promise made to her sisters forces Portia back into a world of magical food and swirling emotions, where she must confront everything she has been running from. What seems so simple on the surface is anything but when long-held secrets are revealed, rivalries exposed, and the promise of new love stirs to life like chocolate mixing with cream. The Glass Kitchen is a delicious novel, a tempestuous story of a woman washed up on the shores of Manhattan who discovers that a kitchen—like an island—can be a refuge, if only she has the courage to give in to the pull of love, the power of forgiveness, and accept the complications of what it means to be family.

My Thoughts...I absolutely loved THE GLASS KITCHEN by Linda Francis Lee! It is such an imperfect story. Portia finds herself with her sisters in Manhattan, she is trying to put the pieces of her life back together. The last thing she wants to do is cook, because for her cooking and food have a tinge of magic. The thing is, the magic is in her and it needs and wants to come out. I loved how the art of cooking revealed things that needed to come out in order for people to move and grow. Isn't cooking something powerful in our own homes?

I really expected the sister part of the story to really take front and center, but it was more supporting. I was pleased because it made the story more authentic. Sisters are our supporting cast in real life. I loved the conflict and worry between Ariel and her sister, Miranda. Having a sister I could relate to all aspects of the sisters!

I loved Portia. I connected to her right away. When she meets Gabriel I knew I wanted them together, the more I got to know him the more that man confounded me! The more the story unfolded, oh my goodness! I loved him. Oh and a few 'hot' scenes, like Portia's cooking Lee wrote them to be tasteful! Then we start to learn more about him...I won't say more you will have to read if what I found out changed what I thought of him!

This is an absolute perfect read! I really just didn't want to put THE GLASS KITCHEN down. It was just wonderful! It was just everything a good book should be! I actually loved it so much that I bought a copy of Linda Francis Lee's previous book--it's really that good! Funny, heartfelt, magical a book you shouldn't miss. Highly highly recommending you grab a copy!

Follow Linda Francis Lee 

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Buy your copy of The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee 

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THE FIVE W’S and HOW Of L. Alison Heller

WHO? Who are you besides a writer? 

A mom! Also, a wife, a lawyer and, to be honest, a bit of a worrier.

WHAT? What do you enjoy doing other than writing in your spare time?

Hanging out with my family, having marathon gab sessions with friends, and last but not least, gobbling all the stories I can from both page and screen. (I find the whole advancement in instant book purchasing and video/streaming TV seasons wonderful, but it’s also terrifying for someone weak-willed like me.)

Oh, and I am a class-A eater. I mean, I’m not about to win the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest or anything, but eating brings me some serious joy.

WHEN? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Books were a huge part of my childhood, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve respected writers for their ability to engage and/or move me with words. Even years ago, as a not-so-serious student, I seriously valued writing, and remember thinking it one of the most important skills a person could try to develop. If I’m honest, writing fiction has always been a dream, even though for years, it was the tiniest wisp of a dream.

WHERE? Where do you write? 

Forgive me if I “Dr. Seuss” this a little! (On a train, in the rain, in a boat although never with a goat.) I write in coffee shops, at my tiny little sliver of a desk in my apartment, at my kitchen table when my kids are in school, and when it’s warm, on the roof of my building. I’ve broken into friends’ apartments (with permission) when they’re gone for the day. In sum: anywhere I can.

WHY? Why do you write?
Sometimes it’s torture, and sometimes it’s sublime, but stopping would just feel wrong. Although I certainly don’t love every writing session, I love how the act of committing to a story feels bigger than me. As counterintuitive as it sounds, writing and crafting a novel takes me out of myself in a satisfying way.

How? Has your writing success changed your life?
I’ve met some wonderful people (bonding through our mutual love of reading and/or writing) and it’s also kept me honest. Finishing a book always means refining my priorities and getting more organized. All in all, it’s been amazing.

L. Alison is a divorce lawyer and the author of THE NEVER NEVER SISTERS and THE LOVE WARS (both The Penguin Group). She lives in Brooklyn with her family. Please visit her website at www.lalisonheller.com or come say hi on Facebook! Really—she’d love to chat.

An absorbing, highly entertaining novel about family secrets, The Never Never Sisters introduces you to the strong-willed and big-hearted Reinhardt women, as they reunite one summer in New York. Gifted storyteller L. Alison Heller has written another witty and moving page-turner that will captivate readers and keep them guessing right up until the satisfying end.

Sometimes you just need to get away….

Marriage counselor Paige Reinhardt is counting down the days to summer, eager to reconnect with her workaholic husband at their cozy rental cottage in the Hamptons. But soon a mysterious crisis at Dave’s work ruins their getaway plans. Paige is still figuring out how to handle the unexplained chill in her marriage when her troubled sister suddenly returns after a two-decade silence. Now, instead of enjoying the lazy summer days along the ocean, Paige is navigating the rocky waters of a forgotten bond with her sister in the sweltering city heat.

As she attempts to dig deeper into Dave’s work troubles and some long-held family secrets, Paige is shocked to discover how little she knows about the people closest to her. This summer, the self-proclaimed relationship expert will grapple with her biggest challenge yet: Is it worth risking your most precious relationships in order to find yourself?

Buy a copy of The Never Never Sisters

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YOUR PERFECT LIFE by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

(From Goodreads): With “a delicious, page-turning premise, and sweet and surprising insights” (New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster), Your Perfect Life perfectly illustrates that old adage: Sometimes, you to have to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes to see what’s in her heart.

Best friends since childhood, Casey and Rachel couldn’t lead more different lives. While workaholic Casey rubs elbows with celebrities daily as the host of Gossip TV and comes home nightly to an empty apartment, stay-at-home mom Rachel juggles an “oops” baby, two fiery teenagers, and a husband who barely seems the man she fell in love with two decades before. After an argument at their twentieth high school reunion, Casey and Rachel throw back shots to get the night back on track. Instead, they get a life-changing hangover.

Waking up in each other’s bodies the next morning, they must figure out how to navigate their altered realities. Rachel is forced to confront the reason she gave up her broadcasting dreams when she got pregnant in college, and Casey finally steps out of the spotlight to face the truth about why she’s alone. And they soon discover that they don’t know themselves—or their best friend—nearly as well as they thought they did.

Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke bring humor and heart to every page of this novel that is sure to please fans of In Her Shoes and The Opposite of Me. Your Perfect Life is a story about two very different women, what they didn’t know about each other, and how, by switching lives, they each learn to appreciate their own.

I am so excited to tell you all how much I adored YOUR PERFECT LIFE! I will be honest and say when I realized it was a 'Freaky Friday' set up I thought ok it will be cute. I mean we kinda all know how it will end (or so we think...). But I am going to give major kudo points to Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke for really raising the bar on the twist. You have the working woman who has it all living a Stay at home moms life (and of course vice versa). The story really allowed readers to see just how difficult both roles are.

Both Casey and Rachel grew as woman because of the experience. I loved the authenticness of their friendship, the good and the bad really shined through the novel. I enjoyed EVERY SINGLE PAGE. If you are looking for something fun, lighthearted, yet touching and vulnerable with a dash of sass than YOUR PERFECT LIFE is the perfect read! I am highly recommending!

On a personal note, I found the story uplifting--each woman's decision special and difficult neither more or less than the other. Each woman getting a glance into the life they didn't choose. (I would totally go see this movie, just sayin')

YOUR PERFECT LIFE by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

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YOUR PERFECT LIFE by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review of: Fancy Nancy and the Wedding of the Century written by Jane O'Connor

Fancy Nancy and the Wedding of the Century written by Jane O'Connor and Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

Hardcover, 32 pages

Published April 8th 2014 by HarperCollins (first published March 4th 2014)

ISBN 0062083198 (ISBN13: 9780062083197)

About:

Fancy Nancy is back in New York Times bestselling team Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser's tenth picture book, Fancy Nancy and the Wedding of the Century—all about weddings. Not only does Nancy help out the bride in this wonderful story, she also gets to attend a fabulous party reception! Fans of Fancy Nancy and weddings alike will laugh along with Nancy as she discovers how truly special even the simplest wedding can be. Little girls will delight in learning about bridal traditions with their favorite fancy girl, and as in all Fancy Nancy books, Nancy's wisdom and creativity shine through to spark the joy of imagination in young readers.

My daughter (4 almost 5) and I went to the library the other day and near the front was a display of new books for kids. She saw the beautiful cover for Fancy Nancy and the Wedding of the Century and she knew we had to check it out! Within the first few days we read it a dozen times. The illustrations are beautiful-bright and fun! We also loved the story. Nancy has high expectations of the wedding she is going to and is disappointed when it isn't her dream wedding. Nancy doesn't spend too much time being upset when there is so much fun to be had! Plus she can add a bit of tradition is a not-so-traditional ceremony.

I will definitely check out and buy more Fancy Nancy books! My daughter says, "the best thing about Fancy Nancy books is Fancy Nancy!" that says it all!

SNEAK PEEK! THE BOOK OF LIFE by Deborah Harkness

The highly anticipated finale to the #1 New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Discovery of Witches


After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

The thrilling final installment to the beloved, New York Times bestselling All Souls trilogy – hits shelves July 15. Over a million copies have been sold, and readers have fallen in love with Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont, whose adventure in THE BOOK OF LIFE picks up right where Shadow of Night ends as the couple travel through time to continue their hunt for Ashmole 782, the enchanted alchemical manuscript that every magical being desperately wants their hands on. Booklist has said of THE BOOK OF LIFE, “Harkness proves to be quite the alchemist as she combines elements of magic, history, romance, and science, transforming them into a compelling journey through time, space, and geography…The conclusion of this paranormal adventure is guaranteed to fly off the shelves.”

READ CHAPTER 1 Now!

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