Sidney Sheldons’s Mistress Of The Game by Tilly Bagshawe
Published by Harper Collins
ISBN 978-0-06-172839-6
At the request of Bestsellersworld, a PB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Review format at the request of Bestsellersworld.

Matriarch, Kate Blackwell owner of Kruger-Brent, LTD an international multi billion dollar company, has died. Family members gather and attend the funeral but most of them are not in mourning, they are happy that she is no longer alive. And those members of this family have only one thought and that is who will be taking over as CEO of the company. In her will she named Alexandra, her granddaughter, to be her successor but Eve, Alexandra’s twin will fight to take over even though Kate was adamant that she have nothing to do with Kruger-Brent. Eve plans to change that.

Fortunately for Eve, her twin dies during childbirth, and thus starts the fight for control. She feels that “her” company was stolen from her, since Alexandra’s children are next in line according to the will. Eve, once a beautiful woman, lives as a recluse because her plastic surgeon husband, Keith Webster, has taken her beauty away, during a procedure knowing this is the only way he can be sure she won’t leave him. Eve, a very bitter and vengeful person, grooms her son for the takeover even if it means murder.

The Blackwell family are like royalty, one of the richest families that there is but along with those riches come unthinkable terror. Lexi Templeton, daughter of Alexandra who died during childbirth, is kidnapped at the age of eight (8). Lexi is rescued but the horror she endured molds her life.

This is a story of the Blackwell great grandchildren, the rich and famous, and fighting for control to become the next CEO. Along with the lavish lifestyle, this is a family of secrets, lies, betrayals, treachery, devious plotting and murder. Who will win? Who will take control? There is only one winner!!!

Today’s question:
Do you ever listen to book-related podcasts?

If so, which ones and why? (Include the URLs for people who aren’t familiar with them.)
Or, of course, there’s the flip side … did you even know that such a thing existed? (I ask because I know a lot of people who have no idea what a podcast is.)
My answer:
For me this is a lol question.  Technology is not my forte.  This is an easy one…No to all of the above.

The weather here in New England has been hot and humid but that’s not why I am feeling warm & fuzzy.  Yup…it happened again.  Someone liked my blog!!!  Not only did they pass this award on but they also created it, so it’s a first for me.  Thank you so much Book Lover’s Review!!!!

List 4 rocking bloggers to share this with, and post a note to them through their comments
There are so many rocking bloggers that deserve this award but I will be passing it on, in no particular order, to:

  From the bestselling author of The Dogs of Babel comes a dazzling literary mystery about the lengths to which some people will go to rewrite their past.
  Bestselling novelist Octavia Frost has just completed her latest book—a revolutionary novel in which she has rewritten the last chapters of all her previous books, removing clues about her personal life concealed within, especially a horrific tragedy that befell her family years ago.
  On her way to deliver the manuscript to her editor, Octavia reads a news crawl in Times Square and learns that her rock-star son, Milo, has been arrested for murder. Though she and Milo haven’t spoken in years—an estrangement stemming from that tragic day—she drops everything to go to him.
  The “last chapters” of Octavia’s novel are layered throughout The Nobodies Album—the scattered puzzle pieces to her and Milo’s dark and troubled past. Did she drive her son to murder? Did Milo murder anyone at all? And what exactly happened all those years ago? As the novel builds to a stunning reveal, Octavia must consider how this story Twill come to a close.
  Universally praised for her candid explorations of the human psyche, Parkhurst delivers an emotionally gripping and resonant mystery about a mother and her son, and about the possibility that one can never truly know another person.

  From the bestselling author of The Dogs of Babel comes a dazzling literary mystery about the lengths to which some people will go to rewrite their past.
  Bestselling novelist Octavia Frost has just completed her latest book—a revolutionary novel in which she has rewritten the last chapters of all her previous books, removing clues about her personal life concealed within, especially a horrific tragedy that befell her family years ago.
  On her way to deliver the manuscript to her editor, Octavia reads a news crawl in Times Square and learns that her rock-star son, Milo, has been arrested for murder. Though she and Milo haven’t spoken in years—an estrangement stemming from that tragic day—she drops everything to go to him.
  The “last chapters” of Octavia’s novel are layered throughout The Nobodies Album—the scattered puzzle pieces to her and Milo’s dark and troubled past. Did she drive her son to murder? Did Milo murder anyone at all? And what exactly happened all those years ago? As the novel builds to a stunning reveal, Octavia must consider how this story Twill come to a close.
  Universally praised for her candid explorations of the human psyche, Parkhurst delivers an emotionally gripping and resonant mystery about a mother and her son, and about the possibility that one can never truly know another person.

Today I am honored to have Jackie Fullerton stop by and tell us about her new book, Revenge Served Cold. So please help me in giving her a warm welcome as she visits with us.

Years ago I read something that continues to motivate me. I don’t remember who said it or where I read it, but it has been my guiding principle ever since. Simply put, if you are truly a writer, then set aside one hour each day and write.

It’s amazing what can happen when you adhere to that discipline. It doesn’t make any difference if you are working on a novel or writing blogs, just write. I set my time in the morning. Some days the hour is painstakingly long and seems to never end, especially when writing dialogue—I hate writing dialogue. Other days, the words seem to flow and four hours pass before I realize it.

Having something to write about is another issue. I love mysteries. I am a problem solver by nature, so creating a murder and lining up the usual subjects is fun for me. I love dreaming up ways to keep the reader guessing or how to throw in a twist at the end. During the writing of my second Anne Marshall book, Revenge Served Cold, I woke up at 3:00 in the morning and realized I had the wrong killer. Don’t be afraid to go back and rewrite your book, no matter how far you are in the process.

For me, creating the characters is the easiest part. My characters come from personal experiences. People I know, either intimately such as friends and family, or casually like the lunatic who works in the pod next to me. I might change the color of hair, or even the gender, but the basic personality is the same.

My protagonist, Anne Marshall, is me—or my alter ego. Alright, Anne is young and I’m in my 60s; Anne is slim and in shape while I am overweight and find exercise hazardous to my health; and, Anne has dark hair and dark eyes where I am a blond with blue eyes. Other than those minor differences, we are one in the same. We share the same experiences of balancing work, school and relationships while attending law school at night. We have the same deep friendships with study group members, and the same need to continually fix other people’s problems.

For Anne’s trusty sidekick, it made sense that it should be her father. Their relationship was unique and extraordinary; I just didn’t realize he was dead until I was halfway through the book. This was another one of those 3:00 in the morning realizations. By making Anne’s father a ghost, I was able to give Anne the superhuman qualities an amateur sleuth needs, while exploring their father daughter relationship in a way I could not if he were alive. As all authors know, stories take on a life of their own.

Writing is not easy. We all encounter writer’s block and procrastination. But, for me, adhering to the one hour a day rule gets me over the rough spots. Whoever it was that gave that advice, thank you.