Review | BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Lisa Wingate

BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Lisa Wingate
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Published by Ballantine Books
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
ISBN-10: 0425284689
ISBN-13: 978-0425284681
Pages: 352
Review Copy From: Library
Edition: HC
My Rating: 5

Synopsis (via GR)

THE BLOCKBUSTER HIT—A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller

For readers of Orphan Train and The Nightingale comes a “thought-provoking [and] complex tale about two families, two generations apart . . . based on a notorious true-life scandal.”*

Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.

Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.

Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.

My Thoughts

As the synopsis states, Avery Stafford stumbles upon a mystery that involves her grandmother.

Based on a true life historical incident, this book was heartbreaking. Full of emotion, determination, loyalty, poverty, love, loss and family ties to last a lifetime.

The author writes an amazing fictional tale based on a horrific and dark side of adoption that took place in the 1930s.

A dynamic and gripping read! One that will stay with me for a long time!

Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

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.
  • 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.
  • I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
  • Mailbox Monday

    Mailbox Monday

    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 GoodReads.

    Monday:
    A MOTHER’S GOODBYE by Kate Hewitt ~ eBook personal purchase
    Tuesday:
    SWEETPEA by C.J. Skuse ~ ARC from Harper Collins via GR win
    Wednesday:
    BEYOND THE TRUTH by Bruce Robert Coffin ~ ARC from Harper Collins

    Blog All About It | Trees

    pg 200 hgt photo b91627ff-d665-4557-8cb9-06eb04ca8221.jpg

    This year, one of the Challenges I signed up for is Blog All About It, hosted by The Herd Presents. The guideline is basically a blogging prompt challenge. Each month there’s a different prompt that you can interpret as you’d like then create a blog post around it. The 2018 list of prompts can be seen here on my Challenge Page. I will be posting for this Challenge on the 2nd Saturday of each month.


    This month’s prompt is: Trees

    When we purchased our home in 1985, we had a large oak tree in our backyard that gave us a nice amount of shade. However, we had it removed when we decided to put in a pool to get much more sun exposure plus it helped with the upkeep of the pool without having acorns and leaves falling in. The orange float is my reading float and please excuse the fence, a spring staining is on my husband’s to-do list.

    One of the nice things about living in New England is that we get to experience each season by the trees. My favorite is Spring when trees start to bloom and then all the greenery of Summer.

    hgt175 photo 06e4c175-40a9-425a-a12b-69a4a84a44f8.jpg hgt175 photo fb3a8ae5-6830-4a38-ad7b-b8c59d23b330.jpg

    I also love the beauty of when Fall arrives and the leaves change to an array of color.

    hgt175 photo 6d782fe7-0593-4cc2-b069-6f3985535345.jpg

    Even the first snowfall can be stunning, but my least favorite is the Winter when the trees are bare.

    hgt175 photo 569ef891-55ed-4de6-b9f8-0ff702747ffe.jpg hgt175 photo e8597ac2-757b-4271-8e09-52a057f3c7b1.jpg

    Do you have a favorite season in relation to trees?

    Friday | Friendly Fill-Ins


    Hosted by McGruffy’s Reader and 15 and Meowing

    This week’s Fill-Ins:

    1. I have _______________ for ____________.

    2. _________________ make me _____________________.

    3. I’m surprised that _________.

    4. To make a long story short, _________.

    My answers:

    1. I have too many unread books for me to read in my lifetime.

    2. Being with my family makes me happy.

    3. I’m surprised that it is still warm here in the Northeast.

    4. To make a long story short, get to the point!.

    Review | AFTER NIGHTFALL by A.J. Banner

    AFTER NIGHTFALL by A.J. Banner
    Genre: Thriller/Suspense
    Published by Lake Union Publishing
    Publication Date: Aug. 10, 2018
    ISBN-10: 1503949249
    ISBN-13: 978-1503949249
    Pages: 256
    Review Copy From: Library
    Edition: HC
    My Rating: 5

    Synopsis (via GR)

    Beware of friends with secrets…

    Imagine your closest friend utterly betraying you. Years later, when she seeks forgiveness, you invite her to your engagement party as a gesture of reconciliation. But seething hostilities rise to the surface, ruining everyone’s evening. After an awful night, your friend’s battered, lifeless body is found at the bottom of a rocky cliff.

    Newly engaged Marissa Parlette is living this nightmare. She should be celebrating her upcoming wedding, but she can’t shake the image of her friend lying dead on the beach. Did she fall? Was she pushed? Or did she take a purposeful step into darkness? Desperate for answers, Marissa digs deep into the events of the party. But what she remembers happening after nightfall now carries sinister implications: the ugly sniping, the clandestine meetings, the drunken flirtations. The more she investigates, the more she questions everything she thought she knew about her friends, the man she once trusted, and even herself.

    Bestselling author A. J. Banner keeps readers on a razor-sharp edge in this intricately plotted novel of psychological suspense…in which nothing is as it seems.

    My Thoughts

    This was a “new to me” author but after seeing many great reviews and recommendations in the FB book groups I follow, I thought I would pick it up at my local library.

    This is an edge of your seat read from the first word to the last. An elaborate puzzling plot that had me thinking I knew who the murderer was and then thinking it was another character. Not even close! And for the motive, WOW!, didn’t see that coming.

    This author is now on my “authors to read” list and I am looking forward to reading more of her work.

    Gripping! I definitely recommend it if you enjoy psychological thrillers.

    Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

    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.
  • 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.
  • I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
  • Death By The River by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor (Showcase, Interview & Giveaway)

    Beneath The River by Alexandrea Weiss and Lucas Astor Banner

    Death by the River

    by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor

    on Tour October 1 – November 30, 2018

    Synopsis:

    Death by the River by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor

    A High School “American Psycho

    SOME TRUTHS ARE BETTER KEPT SECRET.
    SOME SECRETS ARE BETTER OFF DEAD.

    Along the banks of the Bogue Falaya River, sits the abandoned St. Francis Seminary. Beneath a canopy of oaks, blocked from prying eyes, the teens of St. Benedict High gather here on Fridays. The rest of the week belongs to school and family—but weekends belong to the river.

    And the river belongs to Beau Devereaux.

    The only child of a powerful family, Beau can do no wrong. Handsome. Charming. Intelligent. The star quarterback of the football team. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch.

    He is also a psychopath.

    A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the ruined St. Francis Abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s headstrong twin sister, Leslie, who hates him. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize.

    As the victim toll mounts, it becomes crystal clear that someone has to stop Beau Devereaux.

    And that someone will pay with their life.

    Book Details:

    Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller
    Published by: Vesuvian Books
    Publication Date: October 2, 2018
    Number of Pages: 389
    ISBN: 1944109145 (ISBN13: 9781944109141)
    Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

     

    Alexandrea Weis:

    Alexandrea Weis

    Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, CRRN, ONC, PhD, is a multi award-winning author of twenty-five novels, a screenwriter, ICU Nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight.

    Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable.

    A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured animals. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans. Weis writes paranormal, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, and romance.

    Q&A with Alexandrea Weis

    Welcome!
    Writing and Reading:

    Do you draw from personal experiences and/or current events?

    I draw from a lot of personal experiences. As a nurse for over twenty-five years I have had a lot of experience with the human condition—good and bad. It has made me a better writer.

    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 start at the beginning and see where the story brings me. I like to surprise myself as I write, and I never plot out a story because I never stick with it.

    Are any of your characters based on you or people that you know?

    Some characters in every book I write are based on the people I know. Makes them more relatable for me and the reader.

    Your routine when writing? Any idiosyncrasies?

    I just sit and write. I spend several hours a day writing, so it has become a habit for me.

    Tell us why we should read this book.

    Death by the River is an entertaining and riveting in-depth look at a man’s descent into depravity and the psychological instability he suffers from. How he manifests his fantasies by hurting the innocent also ignites the need for revenge in the women he harms. How his mental illness develops, and how it affects others, is the crux of the story. Beau Devereaux for me is a fascinating character.

    Who are some of your favorite authors?

    Ian Fleming, Mary Renault, Charles Dickens.

    What are you reading now?

    ISAN: International Sensory Assassin Network by Mary Ting

    Are you working on your next novel? Can you tell us a little about it?

    My next YA (historical) novel is complete and will be out in May 2019. Realm (Vesuvian Books) is about the sixteen-year-old Persian wife of Alexander the Great—Roxana. The daughter of a local governor in Bactria, Alexander married her and took her with him on his travels across Persia and India. It is about her time with him and the years after his death when she is bounced around his myriad of generals who are vying for control of his empire. It is an epic tale of love, conquest, and the plight of women in ancient times. History tells his story. This is hers.

    Fun questions:
    Favorite leisure activity/hobby?

    I’m a runner. When I am not writing, I am working out on my treadmill.

    Favorite meal?

    French fries.

    Thank you for stopping by CMash Reads and spending time with us.

     

    Catch Up With Our Alexandrea On:
    Website, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!

     

    Lucas Astor:

    Lucas Astor

    Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight.

    He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.

    Photography, making wine, and helping endangered species are just some of his interests. Lucas is an expert archer and enjoys jazz, blues, and classical music.

    One of his favorite quotes is: “It’s better to be silent than be a fool.” ~Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird)

     

    Read an excerpt:

    Crickets chirped and mist curled around him as Beau eased out of the crack in the wall to the cells. The chill in the air teased his sweaty skin, but the surge of power pounding through his blood was like liquid fire.

    The rush consumed him. He knew in that instant he would find another victim, but his rational mind begged him to be careful.

    Don’t get caught.

    He chuckled. Besides the money, his father still had hefty political clout in Baton Rouge, thanks to his notorious grandfather and years of murky business dealings. The family name had spared him in the past from legal proceedings and institutions. It would again.

    Heading toward the fountain across the grassy field, Beau considered his next night of fun. Before he reached the forgotten angel, a flash in the corner of his eye made him turn.

    Amid the trees, crowding the edge of the property, something darted in and out. He could just make out a long, white hooded cloak, fluttering and billowing at the edge of the woods. Then it disappeared.

    His heart rocketed to his throat. It can’t be!

    All the stories he’d heard of the lady in white of The Abbey came rushing back at once, intensifying his panic.

    Then he calmed. Someone had to be messing with him. It wasn’t the girl. Kelly had taken off, a bawling mess, across the field several minutes before and he’d heard the slam of the iron gate. He was alone. Unless … the guys had pulled a fast one on him.

    But the guys don’t know about your room in the cells.

    Beau cut across the grass, anxious to get to the iron gate and back to the party. Almost to the path, he glanced back over his shoulder to the patch of trees where he had seen the ghostly presence. Nothing was there.

    It was just your imagination. Or was it?

    He made it to the party at the beach, relieved to be back among people, but the incident with the ghost had eradicated his high.

    He hungered for it to return but would have to wait.

    ***

    Excerpt from Death by the River by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor. Copyright © 2018 by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor. Reproduced with permission from Vesuvian Books. All rights reserved.

     

    Tour Participants:

    Tour Participants:

    Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!


     

    Enter To Win:

    This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Vesuvian Media Group. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on October 1, 2018 and runs through December 3, 2018. Void where prohibited.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

     

    Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

     

    DEAD IN THE DARK by Stephen Booth (Guest Post, Showcase, & Giveaway)

    Dead in the Dark

    by Stephen Booth

    on Tour September 25 – October 25, 2018

    Synopsis:

    Dead in the Dark by Stephen Booth

    How do you prove a murder without a body?

    Ten years ago, Reece Bower was accused of killing his wife, a crime he always denied. Extensive police searches near his home in Bakewell found no trace of Annette Bower’s remains, and the case against him collapsed.

    But now memories of the original investigation have been resurrected for Detective Inspector Ben Cooper – because Reece Bower himself has disappeared, and his new wife wants answers.

    Cooper can’t call on the Major Crime Unit and DS Diane Fry for help unless he can prove a murder took place – impossible without a body. As his search moves into the caves and abandoned mines in the isolated depths of Lathkilldale, the question is: who would want revenge for the death of Annette Bower?

     

    Book Details:

    Genre: Mystery
    Published by: Witness Impulse
    Publication Date: September 25, 2018
    Number of Pages: 384
    ISBN: 0062876104 (ISBN13: 9780062876102)
    Series: Cooper & Frye Mysteries #17
    Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

     

    Guest Post by Stephen Booth

    10 things that readers don’t know about Detective Inspector Ben Cooper

    1. Ben Cooper’s birthday is in late June, so his star sign is Cancer (like mine!).
    2. He broke his arm as a child when his older brother Matt pushed him off his bike. He still gets a twinge of pain in the winter.
    3. Like many children who grew up on a farm, Ben once had pet lamb that had lost its mother. He called it Norman.
    4. As a teenager, his first girlfriend’s name was Stephanie. She was the daughter of a local veterinary surgeon, but she dumped him when he announced he was joining the police.
    5. Ben barely scraped good enough grades at school to qualify as a police cadet – unlike his colleague Diane Fry, who is a university graduate in Crime and Policing.
    6. However, after his day-to-day experience as a cadet and a police constable, he passed his sergeant’s exams with flying colours.
    7. Ben played rugby for a while, as a wing threequarter with Edendale rugby club, but a bad tackle during a match against Buxton aggravated his old injury.
    8. As a uniformed police constable, he was once called to an incident of domestic violence and had to single-handedly tackle a man armed with a knife, for which he received a Chief Constable’s commendation.
    9. On his desk in his office, Ben Cooper has an aerial view of Bank End Farm, where he grew up.
    10. He doesn’t have much time for reading because of his job, but when he does he enjoys historical fiction like Bernard Cornwell or Simon Scarrow. He rarely reads crime novels, because he finds them too unrealistic.

     

    Stephen Booth

    Author Bio:

    A former newspaper journalist, British author Stephen Booth is the creator of two young Derbyshire police detectives, Ben Cooper and Diane Fry, who have appeared in 17 crime novels, all set in and around England’s Peak District.

     

    Catch Up With Stephen Booth On:
    stephen-booth.com
    Goodreads
    Twitter
    Facebook

     

    Read an excerpt:

    Chapter One

    No one wants to die in the dark. To lie alone in the blackness, feeling the chill of death creep slowly over you. Shut away from the light as the fear numbs your limbs and chokes the breath in your throat. The long, long sinking into the cold depths. And then to sense that slipping away. The final slipping away into nothing.

    Do you feel that stab of pain as it shoots through your chest? Try to make your breathing more shallow. You have several broken ribs, a fractured arm, perhaps a punctured lung. You can hardly know, in the dark. But you can feel the internal bleeding, the seeping blood as it squeezes your internal organs, bloats your stomach and intestines. You know your injuries are fatal.

    That fear of the dark is overwhelming. Because this is true darkness, an eternal night in which your eyes have become useless. Your heart thumps uselessly as you strain to see where you’re lying. You can sense space around you, a slight movement of icy air, a shifting of heavy masses, a solid weight way above your head. A sharp, stabbing pain is in your back from something hard you’re lying on. This isn’t a grave. But it is your tomb.

    Does your fear of the dark make any sense? When you’re dead, you go into endless blackness. Yet you’ve always hoped you would get one last glimpse of the light, always prayed that you wouldn’t die alone.

    Well, that’s not going to happen. There’s nothing for you to see here. Not a glimmer of light, not a flicker of hope. Only the darkness.

    A creak and a rattling makes you freeze. Is someone here? Or some thing? But no . . . you breathe out and release the pain. The noise has quite a different meaning. It’s something huge shifting overhead. It signals the end, the approach of your death. You’re about to be crushed completely.

    ***

    Excerpt from Dead In The Dark by Stephen Booth. Copyright © 2018 by Witness Impulse. Reproduced with permission from Witness Impulse. All rights reserved.

     

    Tour Participants:

    Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!


     

    Enter the Giveaway!:

    This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Harper Collins/Witness Impulse. There will be 3 winners of one (1) copy of SECRETS OF DEATH by Stephen Booth (eBook). The giveaway begins on September 25, 2018 and runs through October 26, 2018. Open to U.S. addresses only. Void where prohibited.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

     

    Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

    Friday | Friendly Fill-Ins


    Hosted by McGruffy’s Reader and 15 and Meowing

    This week’s Fill-Ins:

    1. My favorite font is___________________.

    2. October is perfect for _________________.

    3. Where I live, _________.

    4. I feel very _________ this time of year.

    My answers:

    1. My favorite font is not necessarily my favorite but the one I use for correspondence is Ariel.

    2. October is perfect for me is to do marathon cooking in big batches to freeze for those nights I don’t feel like cooking..

    3. Where I live, it takes approx 1 hour to get from the northern part of the state to the southern point.

    4. I feel very sad because I know the cold and snow is just around the corner. Plus the nights seem to be so long because it gets dark early this time of year.