…of a signed copy of Steve Berry’s novels, winner’s choice
CONGRATULATIONS!!
10 Stephanie Parry Be a Public Follower of ‘ CMash Reads’
An email has been sent and the winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
WELCOME SHANNON RICHARD
SHANNON RICHARD
Shannon Richard grew up in the Panhandle of Florida as the baby sister of two overly protective, but loving brothers. She was raised by a somewhat eccentric mother who showed her how to get lost in a book, and a father who passed on his love for coffee and really loud music. She graduated from FloridaStateUniversity with a Bachelor’s in English Literature, and lives in Tallahassee. She’s still waiting for her Southern, scruffy, Mr. Darcy and in the meantime writes love stories to indulge her overactive imagination.
Connect with Shannon at these sites:
DID YOU KNOW?
- The song “We Run” by Sugarland was the inspiration for the title, Undone
- Bethelda Grimshaw was inspired by the character Rita Skeeter from Harry Potter.
- According to Shannon, Coffee is the most important meal of the day. Wine is the second.
GUEST POST
Discovering the Hero and Heroine
Brendan King:
Characters reveal themselves slowly to me. I figure out one thing, and then it leads me to another realization. The first thing that I knew about Brendan was that he would be the type of guy to help out a stranded girl on the side of the road, whether it was his job or not. I also knew that he was the type of guy that would flirt with said girl while he helped her out, and do it with a cocky, but charming smile plastered across his face.
I’d always known that Brendan was going to help Paige with her car problems, but I hadn’t known that he was going to be a mechanic. Then I had this image of him wearing those grease stained blue pants and shirt, and that equally dirty baseball cap. It just fit, and was sexy as all get out, so I just went with it. I also knew that Brendan was going to have experienced his own hardships in life. It’s what helps him relate to Paige, and it’s what leads him to want to help her.
He also has a bit of a temper, but that has more to do with his protective side. He’s always had to watch out for his baby sister and he doesn’t take it very well when anyone messes with someone he cares about. He starts to get protective of Paige pretty early on. His feelings for her grow fast and it isn’t something that he expects, but it is something that he embraces. He doesn’t run from her. No, he chases her and it’s lucky for him that he catches her (or that she lets herself get caught).
Paige Morrison:
The first thing that Paige revealed to me was that she was this down on her luck girl in a place that she was not familiar with. The second was that she was an artist. I liked that she had this funky creative side to her. It helped me figure out her clothing style too, which is another thing that ostracizes her in this town.
I knew that she was going to be a little spicy tempered and have a fairly smart mouth on her. And while some people are put off by it, Brendan is turned on by it. He likes that she isn’t this meek little thing. She stands out, and for Brendan this is a good thing. He greatly appreciates that she’s different and at the end of the day it’s one of the things that draws him to her. She’s this breath of fresh air for him, and he’s saving her from drowning. But Paige is stronger than she knows. She just has to find her strength. And as she makes a place for herself in this town that she didn’t fit in before, she discovers who she is.
ABOUT THE BOOK
In UNDONE there are things Paige Morrison will never understand about Mirabelle, Florida:
Why wearing red shoes makes a girl a harlot
Why a shop would ever sell something called “buck urine”
Why everywhere she goes, she runs into sexy-and infuriating-Brendan King.
But after losing her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend, Paige has no choice but to leave Philadelphia and move in with her retired parents. For an artsy outsider like Paige, finding her place in the tightly knit town isn’t easy-until she meets Brendan, the hot mechanic who’s interested in much more than Paige’s car. In no time at all, Brendan helps Paige find a new job, new friends, and a happiness she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel again. With Brendan by her side, Paige finally feels like she can call Mirabelle home. But when a new bombshell drops, will the couple survive, or will their love come undone?
BOOK DETAILS:
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Forever Yours
Publication date: July 2
Number of pages: 368
ISBN: 9781455544684
PURCHASE LINKS:
THANKS TO JULIE AT FOREVER/GCP,
I HAVE ONE (1) EBOOK COPY TO GIVE AWAY VIA NETGALLEY
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I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
As we celebrate the birth of our nation, please remember our troops who serve and protect!
God Bless our brave military men and women!!
God Bless America!!
WELCOME TIMOTHY JAY SMITH
TIMOTHY JAY SMITH
Raised crisscrossing America pulling a small green trailer behind the family car, Timothy Jay Smith developed a ceaseless wanderlust that has taken him around the world many times. En route, he’s found the characters that people his work. Polish cops and Greek fishermen, mercenaries and arms dealers, child prostitutes and wannabe terrorists, Indian Chiefs and Indian tailors: he’s hung with them all in an unparalleled international career that’s seen him smuggle banned plays from behind the Iron Curtain, maneuver through war zones and Occupied Territories, represent the U.S. at the highest levels of foreign governments, and stowaway aboard a ‘devil’s barge’ for a three-days crossing from Cape Verde that landed him in an African jail.
If life were a sport, Tim’s life would qualify as an extreme one, yet he’s managed most of it by working with people in personal, even intimate, settings. His professional life took him from the White House corridors to America’s harshest neighborhoods, from palace dinners to slum pickings, and these experiences explain the unique breadth and sensibility of his work.
Tim brings the same energy to his writing that he brought to a distinguished career, and as a result, he’s won top honors for his screenplays, stageplays and novels in numerous prestigious competitions; among them, contests sponsored by the American Screenwriters Association, WriteMovies, Houston WorldFest, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and the Hollywood Screenwriting Institute. He won the 2008 Paris Prize for Fiction and his first stageplay, which went on to a successful NYC production, won the very prestigious Stanley Drama Award.
Connect with Timothy at these sites:
Q&A WITH TIMOTHY JAY SMITH
On Writing and Reading:
-Do you draw from personal experiences and/or current events?
Both. The basic plots are plausible but not based on real events. But within those stories, many characters, places and events are pretty much what I experienced.For instance, what I call the “Catch 22” scene in my first novel, Cooper’s Promise, when Cooper is arrested, is almost verbatim what was said when I was arrested in Senegal, down to my clinging to the doorframe crying for help as I was being dragged away. I’d arrived as a stowaway on a boat from Cape Verde, where I had been stranded for two weeks. I’d hung out in a bar nicknamed Vietnam, and that’s my model for the bar Cooper hangs out in—complete with a beaded curtain leading to the back rooms.
Both. The basic plots are plausible but not based on real events. But within those stories, many characters, places and events are pretty much what I experienced.For instance, what I call the “Catch 22” scene in my first novel, Cooper’s Promise, when Cooper is arrested, is almost verbatim what was said when I was arrested in Senegal, down to my clinging to the doorframe crying for help as I was being dragged away. I’d arrived as a stowaway on a boat from Cape Verde, where I had been stranded for two weeks. I’d hung out in a bar nicknamed Vietnam, and that’s my model for the bar Cooper hangs out in—complete with a beaded curtain leading to the back rooms.
The same is true for A Vision of Angels. My job allowed me to cross borders, as does my journalist protagonist, and those incidents are pretty much how they happened. I arrived in Tel Aviv the day of the first suicide bus bomb in a two-and-half-year bombing campaign, and missed being the victim of one by a telephone call that delayed my going to the post office by a life-saving five minutes. I was there for Peace Now’s rallies and Rabin’s assassination. All these things provide both context and incidents that have worked their way into A Vision of Angels.
I’m a socially-conscious writer. I like my writing to illuminate important issues or conditions, and because they are important, they are often in the news. Bolood diamonds, human trafficking, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, nuclear smuggling — these are things that provide the context, and the conflicts, for my characters. But they aren’t message-driven stories but definitely character-driven. Some years ago, I founded the Smith Prize for political theatre to encourage playwrights to dramatize the salient issues of our times. I do the same in my own work.
-Do you start with the conclusion and plot in reverse or start from the beginning and see where the story line brings you?
I always have an idea of my opening scene and closing scenes, and then I begin to fill an outline with essential scenes, or scenes that simply come to me. For about three days I pace with a notebook in hand, just brainstorming my own story. Then I sit down, and put in order the scenes I’ve come up with. Then I start writing. As I write, I keep a notebook to one side, and as ideas come to me, I jot them down, in the process expanding my outline.My outline is essentially my beat sheet, a term I leaned in screenwriting and have adopted for my novels. I list every action and note when certain important things are said. Chronology is important in my stories. They take place over a few days only, and events and actions need to be carefully choreographed.
I always have an idea of my opening scene and closing scenes, and then I begin to fill an outline with essential scenes, or scenes that simply come to me. For about three days I pace with a notebook in hand, just brainstorming my own story. Then I sit down, and put in order the scenes I’ve come up with. Then I start writing. As I write, I keep a notebook to one side, and as ideas come to me, I jot them down, in the process expanding my outline.My outline is essentially my beat sheet, a term I leaned in screenwriting and have adopted for my novels. I list every action and note when certain important things are said. Chronology is important in my stories. They take place over a few days only, and events and actions need to be carefully choreographed.
-Your routine when writing? Any idiosyncrasies?
My schedule is that I wake up and start working, and stop when I go to bed – and in between, I do whatever else I am required to do. In other words, my time is devoted to writing, unless I have to do something else. Of course that’s not time dedicated entirely to new writing. I am also editing, marketing, writing blogspots, and doing everything else that is required of writers today. It’s all a labor of love, but a lot of labor nevertheless.What is idiosyncratic about my writing is how my whole schedule changed when I became a full-time writer. I used to be a morning person, and my energy crashed about 4 every afternoon. Now, no matter how hard I try to write new work in the morning, it’s not until about 4 that it finally comes, and I will easily work until midnight or later. Sometimes I actually have to force myself to bed before 2 a.m.Another idiosyncrasy? I have to be able to shut myself in a room. Even if I am alone in an apartment or house, I have to shut the door.
My schedule is that I wake up and start working, and stop when I go to bed – and in between, I do whatever else I am required to do. In other words, my time is devoted to writing, unless I have to do something else. Of course that’s not time dedicated entirely to new writing. I am also editing, marketing, writing blogspots, and doing everything else that is required of writers today. It’s all a labor of love, but a lot of labor nevertheless.What is idiosyncratic about my writing is how my whole schedule changed when I became a full-time writer. I used to be a morning person, and my energy crashed about 4 every afternoon. Now, no matter how hard I try to write new work in the morning, it’s not until about 4 that it finally comes, and I will easily work until midnight or later. Sometimes I actually have to force myself to bed before 2 a.m.Another idiosyncrasy? I have to be able to shut myself in a room. Even if I am alone in an apartment or house, I have to shut the door.
-Is writing your full time job? If not, may I ask what you do by day?
Writing is my full-time occupation. It’s actually more full-time than a job. It’s all-the-time. Writers are asked to do everything these days. The internet has opened up so many thousands of venues and opportunities for promotion, it’s pretty close to overwhelming to do what the business side of writing demands while still having time to write.I always enjoyed the writing aspects of school, and later my career. In fact, at Berkeley I chose classes that had term papers not exams at the end. In my career, I traveled all over the world, working in over 40 countries as an economic development adviser on aid projects in developing countries. There was a lot of report writing.While in all these places in the days before e-mail, I used to write home about my experiences and adventures. I lived through some excting times. I was an adviser to Poland’s Solidarity Minister of Finance during the changeover from communism to capitalism. I was active in the 1970s community economic development movement and the last hurrahs of the War on Poverty. I lived in the Occipied Territories during the initial roll-out of the Oslo peace process. I used to write letters, and people wanted more.So when I quit working for health reasons and had to figure out what I was going to do next, writing seemed like a natural, and I had a story I wanted to tell. It’s when I started A Vision of Angels. It’s been through many iterations, while I have written three other novels, six screenplays and five stage plays. It started out as a overwritten 156,000-word manuscript that landed me a prominent New York agent nevertheless, and is now a trim 82,000-word crafted work. It’s Angels that made me become a writer in the first place.
Writing is my full-time occupation. It’s actually more full-time than a job. It’s all-the-time. Writers are asked to do everything these days. The internet has opened up so many thousands of venues and opportunities for promotion, it’s pretty close to overwhelming to do what the business side of writing demands while still having time to write.I always enjoyed the writing aspects of school, and later my career. In fact, at Berkeley I chose classes that had term papers not exams at the end. In my career, I traveled all over the world, working in over 40 countries as an economic development adviser on aid projects in developing countries. There was a lot of report writing.While in all these places in the days before e-mail, I used to write home about my experiences and adventures. I lived through some excting times. I was an adviser to Poland’s Solidarity Minister of Finance during the changeover from communism to capitalism. I was active in the 1970s community economic development movement and the last hurrahs of the War on Poverty. I lived in the Occipied Territories during the initial roll-out of the Oslo peace process. I used to write letters, and people wanted more.So when I quit working for health reasons and had to figure out what I was going to do next, writing seemed like a natural, and I had a story I wanted to tell. It’s when I started A Vision of Angels. It’s been through many iterations, while I have written three other novels, six screenplays and five stage plays. It started out as a overwritten 156,000-word manuscript that landed me a prominent New York agent nevertheless, and is now a trim 82,000-word crafted work. It’s Angels that made me become a writer in the first place.
-Who are some of your favorite authors?
I have recently discovered Ron Rash, and think Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell is one of the most brilliant books ever written. Other books I consider brilliant with images that still haunt me are: A Handmaid’s Tale (Atwood), Waiting for the Barbarians (Coetzee) andThe Road (McCarthy). I have read most works by Doris Lessing, my favorite being theThe Diaries of Jane Somers; as well as virtually everything by Graham Greene and Somerset Maugham. Other favorites include the early works of John LeCarre, especiallyThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold; Christ Stopped at Eboli (Levi); A Lesson Before Dying (Gaines). Of course, The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell is astonishing. I have read it twice already, and I have Justine with me to reread again.
I have recently discovered Ron Rash, and think Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell is one of the most brilliant books ever written. Other books I consider brilliant with images that still haunt me are: A Handmaid’s Tale (Atwood), Waiting for the Barbarians (Coetzee) andThe Road (McCarthy). I have read most works by Doris Lessing, my favorite being theThe Diaries of Jane Somers; as well as virtually everything by Graham Greene and Somerset Maugham. Other favorites include the early works of John LeCarre, especiallyThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold; Christ Stopped at Eboli (Levi); A Lesson Before Dying (Gaines). Of course, The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell is astonishing. I have read it twice already, and I have Justine with me to reread again.
-What are you reading now?
I am re-reading Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse. I read it for the first time about 35 years ago (!) and there is one image in it that has always stayed with me. I want to refer to it in an essay/blog piece I am thinking about writing. So, I wanted to read it again. It’s definitely a counter-culture piece from the 60s and 70s, and literary.
I am re-reading Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse. I read it for the first time about 35 years ago (!) and there is one image in it that has always stayed with me. I want to refer to it in an essay/blog piece I am thinking about writing. So, I wanted to read it again. It’s definitely a counter-culture piece from the 60s and 70s, and literary.
-Are you working on your next novel? Can you tell us a little about it?
My first job out of college was in Greece, and I have had a love affair with the country ever since. I still go twice a year, and have many close friends. I’ve met a lot of characters, that is for sure. For the first time, I am setting a story in Greece. In Fire on the Island, an FBI Agent is sent to a Greek island village to help catch an arsonist — and that’s all I am going to say about it. Except that it has some pretty funny moments, as Greece always has.Fun questions:
-Your novel will be a movie. Who would you cast?
Bradley Cooper.-Would you rather read or watch TV/movie?
I don’t own a TV. Between the other two, it really depends on mood, place, restiveness, and if my eyeballs are stuck to my computer screen. Sometimes I can;t do anything except close them.
My first job out of college was in Greece, and I have had a love affair with the country ever since. I still go twice a year, and have many close friends. I’ve met a lot of characters, that is for sure. For the first time, I am setting a story in Greece. In Fire on the Island, an FBI Agent is sent to a Greek island village to help catch an arsonist — and that’s all I am going to say about it. Except that it has some pretty funny moments, as Greece always has.Fun questions:
-Your novel will be a movie. Who would you cast?
Bradley Cooper.-Would you rather read or watch TV/movie?
I don’t own a TV. Between the other two, it really depends on mood, place, restiveness, and if my eyeballs are stuck to my computer screen. Sometimes I can;t do anything except close them.
-Favorite food?
I can’t be limited to one favorite food. I need two. They are blackberries and vanilla ice cream. (Is that one food? Because that’s how I eat them!)
I can’t be limited to one favorite food. I need two. They are blackberries and vanilla ice cream. (Is that one food? Because that’s how I eat them!)
-Favorite beverage?
Morning: espresso
Afternoon: fizzy water with lime
Evening into night: red wine
Morning: espresso
Afternoon: fizzy water with lime
Evening into night: red wine
ABOUT THE BOOK
A terrorist attack planned for Easter Sunday in Jerusalem sets off a chain of events that weave together the lives of an American journalist, Israeli war hero, Palestinian farmer, and Arab-Christian grocer.
Alerted to a suicide bomb plot, Major Jakov Levy orders the border with Gaza Strip closed. Unable to get his produce to market, Amin Mousa dumps truckloads of tomatoes in a refugee camp. David Kessler, an American journalist, sees it reported on television and goes to Gaza for Amin’s story.
Hamas militants plot to smuggle a bomb out in David’s car and retrieve it when he returns home, but he’s unexpectedly detoured on the way. Meanwhile, a cell member confesses to the plot, and the race is on to find David and retrieve the bomb before the terrorists can.
Ultimately A Vision of Angels is a story of reconciliation and hope, but not before events as tragic as a modern passion play change the lives of four families forever.
BOOK DETAILS:
Title: A Vision of Angels
Author: Timothy Jay Smith
Publisher: Owl Canyon Press
Publication date: July 2, 2013
Genre: Literary suspense
ISBN: 9780983476443
300 pages
PURCHASE LINKS:
DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
WELCOME BELLA ANDRE
BELLA ANDRE
Bella Andre is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, and has sold more than 1.5 million books. Her books have appeared on Top 5 lists at Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. After signing a groundbreaking seven-figure print only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s Sullivan series will be released in paperback in a major global English language launch in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia in continuous back-to-back releases from June 2013 through April 2014.
Known for “sensual empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into nine languages, and her Sullivan books are already Top 20 sellers in Brazil. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her “One of the top digital writers in America” and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and most recently in TIME magazine. She has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco.
If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100-year-old log cabin in the Adirondacks.
Connect with Bella at these sites:
ABOUT THE BOOK
Marcus Sullivan has always been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings when their father died. But when the perfectly ordered future he’s planned turns out to be a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all.
Known throughout the world by only one name—Nico—pop songstress Nicola Harding is seen as the ultimate sex kitten. But it’s all a lie. After a terrible betrayal she refuses to let anyone else close enough to find out who she really is…or to hurt her again, especially the gorgeous stranger at the bar.
One night is all Nicola and Marcus agree to share with each other. But instead, a deeper connection than either of them could have anticipated begins…
BOOK DETAILS:
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA (June 25, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10 0778315576
ISBN-13 978-0778315575
PURCHASE LINKS:
THANKS TO LIZ AT MEDIA MUSCLE/THE BOOK TRIB,
I HAVE ONE (1) COPY TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS
FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW
GIVEAWAY ENDS JULY 16th AT 6PM EST
WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN
YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM
DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
A BIG treat today!! I became a huge fan of today’s guest, Mr. Steven Manchester, when I read his debut novel TWELVE MONTHS and his subsequent book, GOODNIGHT, BRIAN. And today, he kicks off his virtual tour with Providence Book Promotions for his newest title, THE ROCKIN’ CHAIR. If you haven’t picked up one of his books, trust me, you are missing out!!!
WELCOME BACK!!!!
STEVEN MANCHESTER
STEVEN MANCHESTER
Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestseller Twelve Months, Goodnight, Brian, and several other books. His work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning and BET’s Nightly News. Recently, three of Manchester’s short stories were selected “101 Best” for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
Connect with Steve at these sites:
ABOUT THE BOOK
Memories are the ultimate contradiction. They can warm us on our coldest days – or they can freeze a loved one out of our lives forever. The McCarthy family has a trove of warm memories. Of innocent first kisses. Of sumptuous family meals. Of wondrous lessons learned at the foot of a rocking chair. But they also have had their share of icy ones. Of words that can never be unsaid. Of choices that can never be unmade. Of actions that can never be undone.
Following the death of his beloved wife, John McCarthy – Grandpa John – calls his family back home. It is time for them to face the memories they have made, both warm and cold. Only then can they move beyond them and into the future.
A rich portrait of a family at a crossroad, The Rockin’ Chair is Steven Manchester’s most heartfelt and emotionally engaging novel to date. If family matters to you, it is a story you must read.
Read my review of THE ROCKIN’ CHAIR here.
READ AN EXCERPT
Elle picked up Evan, Tara and Lila at the airport. As she approached the threesome, she gasped at the sight of her emaciated daughter. For a few moments, Tara’s eyes scanned every inch of her mother’s face before she spread her twig-like arms. Elle hugged her, then pulled away and peered into her sunken eyes. “Are you sick?” she asked.
While Tara shrugged, Elle grabbed Evan for a hug. “I’ll explain it on the way,” he whispered in her ear.
Lila stood there, looking up at her grandmother—curiously.
Elle bent down and smiled at the baby. “Hello, my love,” she whispered, “Grandma’s waited much too long to meet you.” The little girl was a living doll. She had Tara’s strawberry blond curls and the same dark eyes as Alice.
Lila grinned. “Hi, Gramma,” she said, and never flinched when Elle scooped her up and kissed her cheek.
Elle looked back at Tara and could feel her eyes swell with tears.
“Grandma?” Evan asked, grabbing her attention.
Elle shook her head, the tears beginning to cascade down her tired face.
“When?” he asked.
Elle reached for his hand. “Last night…right in Grampa’s lap.”
“In the rockin’ chair?” he asked, his voice cracking.
Elle nodded again.
Evan’s eyes filled. “Where else?” he said.
Elle noticed the confusion in her daughter’s eyes and thought, She’s so out of it.
Before Elle could explain, Evan leaned into Tara’s ear and filled it with the bad news. “We’re one day too late. Grandma passed away last night.”
Though delayed, Tara burst into tears.
As they left the airport terminal, Elle walked alongside Evan. “How did you find her in New York?” she asked in a whisper. “Her cell phone’s been turned off for weeks.” She looked back at her daughter, who was already lagging behind.
“It wasn’t easy,” he said, and shook his head. “Let’s just say…thank God I did.”
BOOK DETAILS:
Genre: Fiction
Published by: The Story Plant
ISBN: Print: 978-1-61188-067-0 / E-book: 978-1-61188-068-7
Number of Pages: 242
Publish Date: June 18, 2013
PURCHASE LINKS:
If you’d like to join in on an upcoming tour just stop by our sites and sign up today!
Follow the Tour:
;
DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
The Rockin’ Chair by Steven Manchester
Published by The Story Plant
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-61188-067-0
ISBN: 978-1-61188-068-7
Pages: 242
Review Copy from: The Story Plant
Edition: ARC Kindle
My Rating: 5+
Synopsis:
Memories are the ultimate contradiction. They can warm us on our coldest days – or they can freeze a loved one out of our lives forever. The McCarthy family has a trove of warm memories. Of innocent first kisses. Of sumptuous family meals. Of wondrous lessons learned at the foot of a rocking chair. But they also have had their share of icy ones. Of words that can never be unsaid. Of choices that can never be unmade. Of actions that can never be undone.
Following the death of his beloved wife, John McCarthy – Grandpa John – calls his family back home. It is time for them to face the memories they have made, both warm and cold. Only then can they move beyond them and into the future.
A rich portrait of a family at a crossroad, The Rockin’ Chair is Steven Manchester’s most heartfelt and emotionally engaging novel to date. If family matters to you, it is a story you must read.
My Thoughts and Opinion:
I was first introduced to this author, through The Story Plant’s, Spread The Word Initiative, when I read his debut novelTwelve Months, which blew me away. I then read his subsequent book, Goodnight, Brian, and again, another amazing read. With each book, Mr. Manchester touches upon a poignant topic that the reader has experienced, or can relate to, in their own life, which makes for a very emotional read. Could number 3 be as good?
The Rockin’ Chair is a moving story of the McCarthy family that is faced with Alzheimer’s Disease, aging parents, memories, wisdom, regrets, realizations, faith, and above all, familial unconditional love and understanding.
Mr Manchester has an incredible writing style that, not only can the characters and settings come to life and vivid imagery formed, but also allows the reader to feel the cast’s emotions.
On a personal note, there was a section in the book that truly hit home and is so true, which I would like to share. For many years, I worked in the Geriatric field and countless times, I saw how the elderly were forgotten and/or discarded by family and friends. But these special folks had so many memories to share and wisdom to bestow.
“Anyone who pities the elderly is a damned fool!……”The elderly should be envied”…..“They had realities of the past, which nothing or no one could take away”.
The Rockin’ Chair is a tender but powerful read. A book that will stay with the reader for many years to come. Engrossing and emotional! Will tug at your heart strings! Not only do I highly recommend this book, but believe this story should be a mandatory read for all.
I asked if number 3 could be as good? My answer. Not only did Steven Manchester hit a grand slam, he won the championship with The Rockin’ Chair!
REVIEW DISCLAIMER
This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
(2013 Challenges: Just For Fun, EBook, Count The Ways, A-Z Where Are You, FreeReads, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, Read-A-Latte
July is being hosted by Tasha @ Book Obsessed
Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.
According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Click on title for synopsis via IndieBound (I am an IndieBound affiliate)
Thursday: Saving Paradise by Mike Bond from Media Muscle/The Book Trib TPB
Saturday: Abe Lincoln: Public Enemy No. 1 by Bill Walker and Brian Anthony from Bill Walker (Kindle ARC for PICT)
Saturday: The Beast by Faye Kellerman from Harper Collins (Kindle ARC for PICT)
