Wishful Thinking by Kamy Wicoff

Published April 7, 2015 by She Writes Press

Jennifer Sharpe is a divorced mother of two with a problem just about any working parent can relate to: her boss expects her to work as though she doesn t have children, and her children want her to care for them as though she doesn t have a boss. But when, through a fateful coincidence, a brilliant physicist comes into possession of Jennifer s phone and decides to play fairy godmother, installing a miraculous time-travel app called Wishful Thinking, Jennifer suddenly finds herself in possession of what seems like the answer to the impossible dream of having it all: an app that lets her be in more than one place at the same time. With the app, Jennifer goes quickly from zero to hero in every part of her life: she is super-worker, the last to leave her office every night; she is super-mom, the first to arrive at pickup every afternoon; and she even becomes super-girlfriend, dating a musician who thinks she has unlimited childcare and a flexible job. But Jennifer soon finds herself facing questions that adding more hours to her day can t answer. Why does she feel busier and more harried than ever? Is she aging faster than everyone around her? How can she be a good worker, mother, and partner when she can t be honest with anybody in her life? And most important, when choosing to be with your children, at work, or with your partner doesn t involve sacrifice, do those choices lose their meaning? Wishful Thinking is a modern-day fairy tale in which one woman learns to overcome the challenges and appreciate the joys of living life in real time."

My Thoughts…

What mom or dad hasn’t dreamed of being able to add more hours to their day?  The Wishful Thinking app was the perfect answer to this.  Jennifer was trying to be SuperMom.   She wanted to attend every event that her children were involved in, work extra hours to get the bonus’, and have an adult social life; all while not missing a beat.    I could see where this was heading.   The longer than usual days, the extra activities, and the chaos of the scheduling just could not be a good thing.    I am not even sure how Jennifer could keep track of where she was, when, and with who.   

 

Kamy Wicoff wrote this as the perfect mom read.    It answers the dreams of every parent.  The story is realistic in they was parents are pulled in so many directions in life and don’t always have enough time to do everything that they want or need to do.  The twist of sci-fi is fun and whimsical.   The sci-fi is just enough of a twist, yet it does not make it weird or unbelievable.   I was hooked from the first page and did not want to put the book down until I read the very last word.  

If you are looking for a fun story, with some twists and turns, this is the book for you.  I definitely recommend it.  

Book Links

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Author Links

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Gone by Stacy Claflin AUDIOBOOK

• Written by: Stacy Claflin
• Narrated by: Dave Wright
• Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins 
• Series: Gone (Claflin), Book 1
• Unabridged Audiobook
• Released 1/30/15

Macy Mercer only wants a little independence. Eager to prove herself grown up, she goes to a dark, secluded park. She's supposed to meet the boy of her dreams who she met online. But the cute 15-year-old was a fantasy, his pictures fake. She finds herself face to face with Chester Woodran, a man capable of murder.

Distraught over his own missing daughter, Chester insists that Macy replace his lost girl. He locks Macy up, withholds food, and roughs her up, demanding that she call him dad. Under duress from his constant threats and mind games, her hold on reality starts to slip. Clinging to her memories is the only way of holding onto her true identity, not believing that she is Chester's daughter. Otherwise she may never see her family again.

My Thoughts…

I have read the printed copy of Gone and was enthralled with the story.  You can see my review  here.   I am not going to repeat my review of the story; I am going to review the audio part of the story.  

I am partial to male narrators.    The narrator for this book was almost perfect.   When using his tone for the different characters I could actually see the characters and feel their emotions.   As he was telling the story I sometimes felt his voice was flat, sometimes dull, but I suppose this made differentiating between the characters and the narration more pronounced.    I enjoyed how the chapters flowed easily, keeping listening very easy.  

Although, I realize the length of the audio book is directly related to the number of pages in the book but Gone is the right size.   It was long enough that I did not listen to it all in one sitting, but short enough that I did not feel like I was listening to the same story forever.    I listen while I work out and enjoy listening to a book that takes me about a week or 5 days to listen to.  

 

I am anxious for the rest of the books in this series to be released in the audio format.   Stacy Claflin is definitely an author that I always enjoy, both in the written form and the audio form.

Audiobook Links

Audible   

Check out my review of the printed copy of Gone  HERE

Liar’s Bench by Kim Michele Richardson

Published April 28, 2015 by Kensington

In 1972, on Mudas Summers' seventeenth birthday, her beloved Mama, Ella, is found hanging from the rafters of their home. Most people in Peckinpaw, Kentucky, assume that Ella's no-good husband did the deed. Others think Ella grew tired of his abuse and did it herself. Muddy is determined to find out for sure either way, especially once she finds strange papers hidden amongst her mama's possessions.

But Peckinpaw keeps its secrets buried deep. Muddy's almost-more-than-friend, Bobby Marshall, knows that better than most. Though he passes for white, one of his ancestors was Frannie Crow, a slave hanged a century ago on nearby Hark Hill Plantation. Adorning the town square is a seat built from Frannie's gallows. A tribute, a relic--and a caution--it's known as Liar's Bench. Now, the answers Muddy seeks soon lead back to Hark Hill, to hatred and corruption that have echoed through the years--and lies she must be brave enough to confront at last. 

My Thoughts…

Liar’s Bench starts with a hanging of a slave, Franny Crow, unjustly.    I knew at that point I was hooked.  I am so interested in the southern history.   A time so different from now, where the color of your skin matters in everything you do. 

The story then continues in 1972 with Mudas (love the name) finds her mother hung in her house with her baby sister witnessing the entire thing.   Mudas then starts her mission to find out who really caused her mother’s death.  While hiding her plans from her father, she makes many discovers about people in the community.    Rumors she heard are proven true and her well being is put on the line.   Mudas’ strength shows.   When she puts her mind to something it happens.

Mudas’ relationship with Bobby is also discovered.   I found it interesting to see how the different people in the community reacted to it.   Some accepted it or just didn’t pay attention, while some refused service or called him names as he passed by them.    That is hard for me to swallow, I understand that this was the way of the south, but I do not see the world in color.     Bobby, being from the “wrong” part of town, understands that this is the way of the world.    He tries to protect Mudas from hearing and seeing this wrong doing.   

Once I started Liar’s Bench I could not stop reading.   I loved the history, the story, the community, the mystery, and mostly, Mudas and Bobby.    I cannot wait to check out more from Kim Michele Richardson.   This is a book I highly recommend everyone picking up and reading. 

Book Links

Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble   |   Goodreads

Author Link

Website

Fading Away Blitz

Fading Away

Hardest Mistakes Book 1

by Dannielle Wicks

Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC

Release Day April 7th

Purchase Link: http://amzn.com/B00V5K132S

Paperback: Order Paperback HERE

One night.

One stupid mistake.

Changes everything.

SAMMY STEVENS was tragically orphaned at the age of nine and sent to live with a foster family in the town of Miakoda Falls.

She’s constantly bullied at school by the arrogant, selfish, one and only… KAI JORDAN.

Kai is your typical entitled teen who’s on the verge of attending a university and having everything he ever wanted handed to him.

But all that changes when he is involved in a car accident after a night of partying…

He’s suddenly and painfully brought into the world of the supernatural.

Kai turns to the last person he ever would’ve expected, Sammy, as he struggles with his new identity and watches the people closest to him move on. And he is forgotten.

As Kai and Sammy grow closer, Kai must figure out a way to either fight to stay human or risk being stuck forever, as a prisoner of his own body…

Excerpt

-- My door swings open before I reach it and I smack into a naked chest.

“Oh. Sorry.” My face heats up in embarrassment. Kai smirks down at me and walks past. “Hey!

Where are you going?”

He doesn’t stop as he looks over his shoulder. “I heard Ashlee leave.”

“Kai! Come back here!” I yell and follow after him down the stairs and into the main hallway. “You can’t just walk around the house. What if Ashlee comes home? She’s not going to knock; she’s just going to walk in. This is her house. Besides, she said she would be right back.”

Kai stops so suddenly I nearly collide with him again. “You worry too much, Sammy.” I narrow my eyes. He’s started calling me by my nickname. I’m not sure if I’m okay with that.

“Aren’t you cold?” I challenge, referring to his naked top half. Not that I’m complaining, but I know for a fact he owns a t-shirt and it’s like minus a million in here.

A brilliant smile lights up his face. “Nope.”

As if on cue, the front door clicks open and Ashlee shuffles in, hands full of plastic bags. “Sam! I’m back with the Chinese! Get your butt down here!”

Kai turns to me, silver eyes wide. As soon as Ashlee rounds the corner from the front door she’ll see him. “I told you,” I whisper frantically as I drag him into the small hall closet.

“Sam?” Ashlee’s voice sounds so close, she must be just outside the door. I exhale a heavy breath as her footsteps echo up the stairs away from us. The light seeping under the door makes everything look dark grey. I realize then that my hands are pressed up against Kai’s bare chest and he has his arms wrapped tightly around me. We both let go at the same time and look away.

“I understand why I’m hiding in the closet,” Kai whispers, his breath tickling the hair on top of my head. “But why are you in here with me?” I glance up to see his quirked eyebrow, and scowl at him, pressing my lips together tightly.

“Shut up! I didn’t exactly have time to think this through, okay?” His quiet chuckle echoes through the small space, I narrow my eyes in annoyance and twist to stare at the gap under the door.

I can feel the heat radiating off Kai’s skin. I slowly lift my head to look back up at him. He’s gazing down at me with his mouth slightly open, his silver eyes glitter in the dim light. The atmosphere becomes heavy and tense, crackling with electricity; I’m caught in his gaze, slowly leaning closer to him. His hands come up and barely brush my arms. I inhale a shaky breath and take a half step back, biting my lip. My back hits the wall of the closet with a soft thump, breaking the spell. Kai’s eyes widen and he looks away quickly.

“I should get out there, before she sends a search party.”

He nods, still not looking at me and I move to open the door.

“I’ll save you some dim sum?” The corner of my mouth lifts in a small smile; I grasp the door knob and slip out of the closet. I shut the door behind me with a snick and lean back against it, shaking my head. What was that? Pushing off the door, I walk down the hall into the kitchen to find Ashlee… --

Dannielle Wicks

Currently lives in the town of Kingaroy, Queensland in Australia. She is a TV show nerd and lover of cars. She has always had a love for writing, even in school. She used to hide her writing notebook inside her textbooks just so the teacher wouldn’t notice what she was up to. She loves reading, especially paranormal romance. When she’s not writing or working, she competes in Speedway Sedan Racing across the state.

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WATTPAD

Release Blitz for Maverick by Chelsea Camaron

Title: Maverick (Roughnecks Trilogy, #1)

Author: Chelsea Camaron

Release Date: April 6, 2015

 

Blurb

Invisible – Unseen He was the high school crush who never knew I existed. I am still the girl hiding against the wall. Life for Kenzy Davis is far from easy right now. After ending a long term relationship, she is back in her hometown, starting over. Maverick Collins works hard and plays even harder. An invisible illness shakes his world at its core as his father fights for his life. Everything he ever took for granted stares him in the face, including the shy girl from his past. Watching someone you love battle an illness is never easy. When the ICU nurse caring for his dad is the one girl from his past he saw around but overlooked, does Maverick find comfort in her embrace? Does Kenzy find a new calm in the chaos of her life? Or do their feelings remain invisible yet again?  

Excerpt

Lost in thought, trying to remember my dad’s damn list, I am not paying attention to anything around me while stopping at the bags of salad. I don’t look up as I push my cart in front of me so I can lean down to grab the right one. I feel the cart bump something and hear a slight whimper. Looking up, I smile at the woman in front of me as she turns around to face me. Whoa, I didn’t expect the anger she has going on over an accidental bump. “Slick, watch out, why don’t ya? I’m sure this little ploy of yours works on every other chick, but not me, okay? So think about that next time.” “Slick, huh? Well, my friends call me Tappper, but whatever. I’m sorry. It really was an accident, not some ploy.” I say, lifting up the bag of mixed greens so she can see I was getting something. “Apology accepted. Moving on. Have a good day, Mr. Tapper.” She smiles and it hits me who she is. She pushes at her cart, and I hear her mutter, “Appropriate name, Tapper. Humph.” “Kenzy,” I call out to her back as she strolls away from me. Her gorgeous, dark hair swings around her as she turns back to face me, Confusion etches her features, and I realize she doesn’t recognize me. “Maverick,” I say, introducing myself. “Oh my, you’re … um … dirty,” she says, covering her mouth in embarrassment of her unfiltered response. “Baby, you have no idea,” I reply with a smile and a wink. “You look good, Kenzy. It’s been a long damn time.” “Y-yeah.” Composing herself, she smiles finally. “I just moved back.” “Good, I’ll see ya around, then.” “Sure thing.” She turns back to her cart and heads off to finish her shopping, her ass swaying with each step. I can’t help wanting to take my hand to that ass and make it a nice shade of pink. Kenzy has certainly grown into a beautiful woman from her awkward teenage years. She had an innocent yet definitely rough beauty in her youth, one that you had to see past the outer appearance to the heart of the girl. Now she is carrying herself in a refined but shy way. I don’t think she realizes how gorgeous she is.  

About the Author

Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Twitter

Chelsea Camaron was born and raised in Coastal North Carolina. She currently resides in Southern Louisiana with her husband and two children but her heart is always Carolina day dreaming. Chelsea always wanted to be a writer, but like most of us, let fear of the unknown grab a hold of her dream; she realized that if she was going to tell her daughter to go for her dreams, that it was time to follow her own advice. Chelsea grew up turning wrenches alongside her father, and from that grew her love for old muscle cars and Harley Davidson motorcycles, which just so happened to inspired her ‘Daddy’s Girls’ series. Her love for reading has sparked a new love for writing and she currently has a few more projects in the works. When she is not spending her days writing you can find her playing with her kids, attending car shows, going on motorcycle rides on the back of her husband’s Harley, snuggling down with her new favorite book or watching any movie that Vin Diesel might happen to be in. She hates being serious and is still a big kid at heart. She is a small town country girl enjoying life and, Chelsea hopes that her readers remember not to take life too seriously and to embrace your inner five year old, because five year olds know how to enjoy the simple things in life and how to always have fun.

  

Book Club for April.. well end of March

What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman

Synopsis...

Ten years ago, Izzy Stone's mother fatally shot her father while he slept. Devastated by her mother's apparent insanity, Izzy, now seventeen, refuses to visit her in prison. But her new foster parents, employees at the local museum, have enlisted Izzy's help in cataloging items at a long-shuttered state asylum. There, amid piles of abandoned belongings, Izzy discovers a stack of unopened letters, a decades-old journal, and a window into her own past. 

Clara Cartwright, eighteen years old in 1929, is caught between her overbearing parents and her love for an Italian immigrant. Furious when she rejects an arranged marriage, Clara's father sends her to a genteel home for nervous invalids. But when his fortune is lost in the stock market crash, he can no longer afford her care--and Clara is committed to the public asylum. 

Even as Izzy deals with the challenges of yet another new beginning, Clara's story keeps drawing her into the past. If Clara was never really mentally ill, could something else explain her own mother's violent act? Piecing together Clara's fate compels Izzy to re-examine her own choices--with shocking and unexpected results. 

Our Thoughts...

Everyone in our book club loved this story.   It is not often that all of us can agree on a book, so this one has to be special.  It was disturbing.  Some of the characters were hated, some had sympathy, and all of their stories we loved.   The way that Ellen Marie Wiseman wove the story lines together was amazing.    Clara and Izzy  are both lonely, young girls forced to grow up and deal with adult life way before they should have had to.   Luckily, none of us had been in their shoes, we all felt sorry for the lives they were forced to live.    

Book Link

Amazon   

Ricochet: Extraction Point (Ricochet #3) by Heather C. Leigh

Published March 30, 2015 by Shelbyville

Rick "Ricochet" Brennan served eight years as an elite Marine special ops Force Recon soldier. After an injury, and the terrible memories from that night, he retires and goes to work for his former Command Officer, Howard "Mack" McEvoy, at his training center in Atlanta.

Sanctum MMA appears on the surface to be a normal gym, training elite fighters to be the best. Except each trainer, hand-picked by Mack, possesses a special background that allows Mack to run one of the best-kept secrets in the country.

When twenty-three year old Quinn Wallace finally escapes her abusive husband, she turns to her father’s old Marine Corps buddy, Mack, for help. Broken and skittish, Quinn finds herself surrounded by large, intimidating men— men who could easily overpower her. She avoids them the best she can, but when Rick turns out to be more than just a rough fighter with bruised knuckles, she finds herself wondering if she can allow herself to trust again.

Ricochet is a full-length novel to be released as three parts.

My Thoughts…

I could just repeat what I wrote in the other reviews for the first two parts of this book, but there is so much more to share about this great book.   

Each part, and there are 3, of this book leaves the reader with a cliffhanger.    Fortunately, Heather knows how to write the perfect cliffhanger.   She leaves the reader on the edge of their seat needing to know what happens next.    Then with the next part of the story, she picks it up right where she left off, bringing the reader back into the story.   I started each part of this story with high expectations and was never let down.   

Now, onto this particular part of the story…

I was left at the end of the second part with fear.    Quinn had to be with Rick.   They were meant to be together; surely Heather would not pull them apart after they had work so hard to get back together.   I held out hope that this would end the right way.   Nothing, absolutely NOTHING, was easy for Quinn and Rick.   They wanted to trust each other, they wanted to love each other, and more than anything they wanted to be together.   I loved how the story was written to give the reader hope, only to have it taken apart.   It kept my emotions running and my fingers turning the pages.  

This is not an easy series to read, the subjects covered are tough and hard to talk about.   Heather handles it with a reality that is rarely seen.  The abuse and toughness with these characters make them sometimes hard to love and understand, but Rick and Quinn deserve each other and find ways to make it work.   

Book Links

Goodreads

Check out parts 1 and 2 of the Ricochet story.
Click here for part one  Click here for part two 

Teasers of Ricochet....

Ooooo Lala... Check out these amazing teasers of the Ricochet series.   Hot, Steamy.... oh so Sexy!  

Richocet: Friendly Fire(Richochet #2) by Heather C. Leigh

Published March 30, 3015 by Shelbyville

Rick "Ricochet" Brennan served eight years as an elite Marine special ops Force Recon soldier. After an injury, and the terrible memories from that night, he retires and goes to work for his former Command Officer, Howard "Mack" McEvoy, at his training center in Atlanta.

Sanctum MMA appears on the surface to be a normal gym, training elite fighters to be the best. Except each trainer, hand-picked by Mack, possesses a special background that allows Mack to run one of the best-kept secrets in the country.

When twenty-three year old Quinn Wallace finally escapes her abusive husband, she turns to her father’s old Marine Corps buddy, Mack, for help. Broken and skittish, Quinn finds herself surrounded by large, intimidating men— men who could easily overpower her. She avoids them the best she can, but when Rick turns out to be more than just a rough fighter with bruised knuckles, she finds herself wondering if she can allow herself to trust again.

**If you have not checked out my review and synopsis of the first part of Rick’s series click here and check out the next part of this series on April 3rd**

My Thoughts…

Oh  Heather,   You left me hanging at the end of the first part of Rick’s story and you picked it right up where you left off.  

Rick is hurt and I cannot blame him.    Being left, in bed, by someone you are finally willing to risk falling in love with would hurt anyone.   I loved that he pouted, was crabby, ignored Quinn when she finally returned, and was just ornery.   That all proved to me the strength of the feelings he has for her.    Even with all his hurt, he cannot put off being with her.  It is what he wants and he isn’t very good about not getting what he wants. 

Quinn, while needing to heal, has left Rick.   I appreciated that she needed to settle her history before she could move forward and find a happy ever after.   I understand why she felt she couldn’t tell Rick about her past, yet I wish she had opened up to him.   Rick would have understood and protected her, gave her support, and just been there for her.  

Again, Heather left me with a cliffhanger.   What a cliffhanger it is.  This is a great series, a series that has pulled me in and won’t let me forget Rick and Quinn.  

Book Link

Goodreads

**Check out the last part of this book on Friday April 3^rd.  

Meet Heather C. Leigh

Heather C. Leigh is the author of a great new series called Ricochet.   It is a story broke into three parts.    I have read all three parts and love the books.    Check out my reviews of all the parts.   First part is posted on March 30th, second part on April 1st, and third part on April 3rd.  Not let me introduce you to the amazing author Heather C. Leigh. 

5w’s of Heather C. Leigh

WHO?Who are you beyond being an author?

Interestingly enough, after going to pharmacy school, I applied to get my masters in Forensic Science at the University of New Haven. I was accepted, but decided to move to Atlanta instead, wanting… no, desperately needing to escape the cold.

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

I’m pretty handy with a sewing machine, so I’ve made quite a few quilts, including an Angry Birds Star Wars one for my son. I’ve taken several photography classes but I’m still just an amateur.

As most of my fans know, I’m a HUGE Red Sox fan and a New England Patriots fan so whenever the games are broadcast in Atlanta, I make sure to watch.

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

Oddly enough, I started writing a screenplay when I was twenty-three years old. I had no idea what I was doing so I didn’t finish it. I still have the story in my head so maybe I’ll make it into a book someday. It’s a thriller/paranormal— in the same genre as Steven King.

I didn’t start writing in earnest until January of 2014. My children were no longer babies and I had a little more free time to devote to myself.

WHERE?  Where do you write?

I have a pretty sweet set up in my finished basement with a desk and shelves and most important, a good sound system to listen to music. Unfortunately, I usually end up writing on my couch because someone always seems to need something from me.

WHY?  Why do you write?

It sounds so clichéd, but I literally have so many stories bouncing around in my head, I HAVE to get them out.

My characters feel real to me. When I finished the final Famous book, I was sad. It was like sending a child off to college. Letting go is difficult.

Fortunately, I have a backlog of about six different new books in my brain to replace the hole left by Syd and Drew.