A Dolphin Wish by Natalie Grant - Review

I received this book from Booklook Bloggers in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: January 26, 2016

Number of pages: 208

Genre: Tween, Mystery

Series: Glimmer Girls #2

Synopsis:

Join twins Mia and Maddie and their sidekick little sister, LuLu, as they travel the country finding adventure, mystery, and sometimes mischief along the way. Together with their famous mother, singer Gloria Glimmer, and their slightly wacky nanny Miss Twist, the sisters learn lessons about being good friends, telling the truth, and a whole lot more.

In A Dolphin Wish a three-night stop in the city of San Diego seems like it might be just the break the girls need—lovely weather and great sights to see. That is until they hear animal handlers at “Watery World” talking about the trouble they’ve been having keeping the animals in their habitats. Mia and her sisters cannot resist a challenge and they talk Miss Twist into another visit to the educational amusement park to search for clues as to what or who is helping the animals escape.

What did I think of this book:

What a cute series for your tween girls. I loved the mix of adventure, mystery and mischief these girls get themselves into. This is the second book in the series and I was good reading it as a standalone but I will be going back and getting the first book. I like that this story shows just how close sisters can be and all the fun they have. It is even more fun that this story revolves around animals as and adventure par,. Two things young girls seem to enjoy. I can't wait to send this book to my niece so she can enjoy it too. 

About the author:

Four-time Grammy nominated Natalie Grant is a top-selling Christian & Gospel artist with over 3 million in career sales. The Gospel Music Association has named her Female Vocalist of the Year 5 times and she has had multiple number 1s on the Billboard charts. Beyond music, in 2005 Natalie co-founded Hope for Justice International, an organization that identifies, rescues, and restores victims of human trafficking. Natalie resides in Nashville, TN with her husband, producer/songwriter Bernie Herms and their three children: twins Grace and Bella, and their youngest, Sadie.

The Legend of the Easter Robin by Dandi Daley Mackall - Review

I received this book from Booklook Bloggers in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: January 26, 2016

Number of pages: 32

Genre: Children's

Synopsis:

This newly illustrated edition of The Legend of the Easter Robin renews the wonder and charm of the original and timeless tale written by Dandi Daley Mackall. With new vibrant artwork from New York Times bestselling illustrator, Richard Cowdrey, this holiday classic is brought to life for a new generation. The Legend of the Easter Robin tells the story of Tressa, whose grandmother reveals to her the story of a small robin who saw Jesus struggling and soared to help him. This Easter tale reminds Christians everywhere how much Jesus sacrificed for us and how much he loves us.

What did I like about this book:

This is a very cute book for your little ones. I enjoyed the illustrations as the animals seemed to come alive off the pages. They were very lifelike. I have not heard the story of the Easter Robin before, with that being said I thought it was a very good, thought provoking story. This will be a fun book to share with my little niece and nephew. 

About the author:

Dandi Daley Mackall loves God, children, words, and animals. Her nearly 500 books for children and grown-ups have sold more than four million copies worldwide. She won the ECPA Christian Book Award for Best Children’s Book 2015 and multiple Mom’s Choice Awards, as well as ALA Best Book, NY Public Library Top Pick, Children’s Book Council Award of Excellence, and the Helen Keating Ott Award for Contributions to Children’s Literature. Her novel My Boyfriends’ Dogs is now a Hallmark Movie. Dandi writes from rural Ohio, where she lives with her family, including horses, dogs, cats, and an occasional squirrel, deer, or raccoon.

About the illustrator:

Richard Cowdrey’s favorite things to draw and paint are the things that reflect the awesomeness of God and His creation. From vast landscapes to the littlest bug on a leaf, Richard marvels at the beauty in the details. Richard's bestselling children's books include Legend of the Candy Cane, Bad Dog, Marley and A Very Marley Christmas.

Brooklyn on Fire by Lawrence H. Levy - Review

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: January 19, 2016

Number of pages: 352

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Mary Handley Mystery #2

Synopsis:

Brooklyn’s most witty and daring detective risks everything to solve a dangerous triple-murder case

After closing a case with the Brooklyn Police Department, Mary Handley is determined to become an official detective in her own right. And when Emily Worsham shows up at her new office— convinced her uncle John Worsham was murdered and desperate for answers—Mary’s second assignment begins.

As she investigates the curious circumstances surrounding John’s death, Mary soon finds herself entangled in a high-stakes family scandal, a series of interconnected murders, political corruption, untrustworthy sources, and an unexpected romance with a central member of New York's elite.

Featuring historic figures like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and the Vanderbilt family, Brooklyn on Fire takes Mary on a wild journey from New York City to North Carolina to uncover not only the truth of one man's death, but to unravel the mystery in three murders – with links tied perilously close to her own personal world.

What did I think of this book:

Again we get to go on an adventure with the fun Mary Handley. In this book she is bound and determined she is going to become an official detective. I loved that this edition had some famous historic figures in it. That is one of the things I like about this author's books is that she intertwines history into her mysteries. In this book Mary ends up having multiple murders to solve as the story goes along. It is fun to see all the adventures that Mary gets into along her journey of solving the mystery. I am looking forward to going on another adventure with Mary in the next installment in this series. 

Abouth the author:

LAWRENCE H. LEVY is a highly regarded film and TV writer who is a Writers Guild Award winner and two-time Emmy nominee. He has written for various hit TV shows such as Family Ties, Saved by the Bell, Roseanne, andSeinfeld. Brooklyn on Fire is his second novel.

Theodore Hartley by E.H. Nolan - Review

I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: November 11, 2015

Number of pages: 234

Genre: Romance

Synopsis:

E.H. Nolan brings back the most beloved character from her Amazon best-selling debut in this sequel to "Mabel Crowley." Handsome, brilliant, charming, and a millionaire, Theodore Hartley is the most sought after man in all England. At thirty-nine, Theodore is confident that that he will never settle down, until he meets the beautiful and intriguing sixteen-year-old Alice Ingleson. Four decades of Mabel's life was recorded in "Mabel Crowley," but hers wasn't the only intriguing narrative. Dozens of characters, all struggling with their own hopes and hardships, mingled and crossed paths with Mabel throughout the years. Enter a world thirty years before Mabel Crowley, a time when Theodore Hartley was a young man in search of his destiny. It's time we read his story .

What did I think of this book:

This is the first book I have read by this author and even though it is part of a series it can be read as a stand alone book and you will not feel at all lost. Now with that being said I am sure by reading the rest of the series you will gain even more insight on some of the characters like Mabel Crowley for one. I liked  how the author describes the settings. Her descriptions made you feel as if you were a part of the story and you could really see and feel as if you knew each person. I enjoyed reading how Theodore and Alice. It was nice to read him and watch him progress as a person and a man. I am glad I got the chance to read this book. 

About the author:

Nolan graduated magna cum laude from Chapman University, earning a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Film Studies. Heavily involved in the arts, Nolan is an award-winning actress and an accomplished composer and playwright. She has written three musicals, music, lyrics, and libretto. Nolan's first novel "Mabel Crowley" was an Amazon best-seller. Nolan loves to read and participates in a family-run book club, finding inspiration from both classic literature and modern masterpieces.

Last Stop: Paris by John Pearce - Review

I received this book from Pump Up Your Book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: November 18, 2015

Number of pages: 258

Genre: Mystery

Series: Treasure of Saint-Lazare #2

Synopsis:

A full-throttle adventure through modern Europe and the Mediterranean in a book that’s part thriller, part mystery, and all rollicking ride... An exhilarating journey that will satisfy the most avid thriller reader. Pearce again accomplishes every thriller writer’s aim: creating characters that the readers can root for and a believable, fast-paced storyline. The climax and denouement bring the storylines together neatly, but fans will see that there may yet be room for another book in the series

What did I think of this book:

I had the please of trying out a new author with this book. It was an action packed mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. I could not wait to turn the page to see what was going to happen next. You can tell the author did his research and used his life experiences in Paris to write the setting. He did a great job in describing places so we could really feel a part of the story. He also made the characters believeable by having them make mistakes that everyday people make. Even though this is the second book in his series I was able to read this book as a stand alone and not feel lost. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. 

About the author:

ohn Pearce is a part-time Parisian who lives most of the the year in Sarasota, FL. He blogs at PartTimeParisian.com and invites you to subscribe.

He worked as a journalist in Washington and Europe, where he covered economics for the International Herald Tribune and edited a business magazine. After a business career in Sarasota, he spends his days working on his future books - The new one, Last Stop: Paris, was published Dec 1, 2015. It is a sequel to Treasure of Saint-Lazare.

Last Stop: Paris was a finalist in Shelf Unbound Magazine's "Best Indie Book of the Year" competition. Treasure of Saint-Lazare was chosen the best historical mystery of 2014 in the Readers' Favorite contest.

For several months each year, John and his wife Jan live in Paris, walk its streets, and chase down interesting settings for future books and his blog, PartTimeParisian.com. They lived earlier in Frankfurt, Germany, which gave him valuable insights for several of the scenes in Last Stop: Paris.

The Art of Sinning By Sabrina Jeffries - Review

Published: July 21, 2015

Number of pages: 373

Genre: Romance

Series: Sinful Suiters #1

Synopsis:

American artist Jeremy Keane refuses to return home and take over his father’s business. He’d much rather sample bevvies of beauties abroad, in search of a model for the provocative masterpiece he’s driven to paint. When he meets Lady Yvette Barlow at a London wedding, he realizes she’s perfect for his work—and determines to capture the young heiress’s defiant spirit and breathtaking sensuality on canvas.

No stranger to scandal, Yvette agrees to be Keane’s subject—in exchange for his help gaining entry to the city’s brothels he knows intimately, so she can track a missing woman and solve a family mystery. But when their practical partnership leads to lessons in the art of sinning, can they find a bold and lasting love?

What did I think of this book:

This is the first book by this author that I have read and I really liked it. I really liked Jeremy and Lady Yvette and how they played off of each other. Although I did feel bad for Jeremy and all the sadness he has gone through. Lady Yvette was truly a match for him. It was neat how art played a large part in this story. I liked hearing both of their back stories as well, it helped you to know more about why they ar the way they are. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. 

About the author:

Sabrina Jeffries is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than three dozen historical romances. Whatever time is not spent writing in a coffee-fueled haze is spent traveling with her husband and adult autistic son or indulging in one of her passions—jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, music, and costume parties. With more than eight million books in print in twenty different languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world. She always dreams big.

Letters From a Patchwork Quilt by Clare Flynn - Interview

Published: September 24, 2015 

Number of pages: 350 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Synopsis: 

In 1875 England, a young man, Jack Brennan, from a large and impoverished Catholic family refuses to be pushed into the priesthood and runs away to fulfill his dream of becoming a teacher. Jack falls in love with Eliza Hewlett, but his dreams and plans are thwarted when his landlord's daughter, Mary Ellen MacBride, falsely accuses him of fathering the child she is expecting. Rather than be forced to marry his accuser, Jack decides to run away to America with Eliza. Just as they are about to sail, Jack is arrested and dragged from the ship, leaving Eliza alone en route to New York with just a few shillings in her pocket.
AMAZON

Praise:

The story is different, original and touching. It's interesting to read how the lives of Jack and Eliza unfold in different countries. The plot is powerful, the characters are well sketched, memorable, and their personalities will remain in the minds of readers even after they finish the story. It's a story of love loss and tragedy; a heartbreaking and moving tale where readers will wish to see Jack and Eliza reunited and happy together. The narration is descriptive; it also speaks about the society that existed during that age and pulls readers into the story. It's well written and the story is not predictable, making it a engaging read.” -Readers’ Favorite (5 Star Medal)

Interview:

1. Who or what inspired you to start writing?
First of all thank you so much, Angela, for hosting me on your blog. It's a real pleasure to be interviewed by you.

I started writing as soon as I could read and was always writing poems and stories as a schoolgirl. Years of corporate life including lots of business travel, working abroad and having to learn new languages meant writing got put aside – although reading never! And I always knew I would eventually have to make time to write as it is the one thing I was desperate to do.

I was inspired by my late mother, who was a very talented woman and wrote poetry herself. My teachers also inspired and encouraged me. We always had books at home and I think writers absolutely have to be readers first. My literary influences growing up were an eclectic bunch - from Louis May Alcott to Agatha Christie, from Charlotte Bronte to Scott Fitzgerald from Tolstoy to Jackie Collins. I also read across the genres and being told a book was "unsuitable" for me was an immediate signal to get my hands on it.

2. What do you do to help you get over writer's block?
I just sit in front of the computer, put my hands on the keyboard and write. To be honest I don't believe in writer's block. If you sit there long enough the words will come. But I do have two tips to help people who do suffer from this.

The first is to write "morning pages" – to fill three sides of A4 handwritten first thing in the morning. I do them before I've even got out of bed – often it's what I can remember of my dreams, sometimes it's things I am worried about, often it's just a rant – and very occasionally the pages may involve ideas I will use in my writing. I don't consciously try to relate the pages to my work in progress but regardless of what garbage I spill out (I never let anyone read them and rarely read them myself) it helps keep the creative engine oiled. An incidental side benefit is that when I feel depressed (fortunately for me that's rare) writing morning pages always helps me get over it.

The second way is to just get out and get away from the desk. Go for a walk. Go to a museum or gallery. Watch a movie. Read a book. Do some sewing (I quilt). Paint or sketch. Then, stimulated and rested, go back and sit in front of the computer!

3. Do you have scheduled writing time or a certain amount of words you write each day?
I try to write around 1000 to 1500 words a day, but don't beat myself up on the days when that doesn't happen as there are other days when I can't bear to stop and I do much more than that. I also have other stuff to fit into the day – including researching the book I'm working on, reading around the subject and doing marketing.

4. Where do you get your ideas for your books?
They just appear and the ones that I end up going with won't leave me alone until I commit to writing them. I often get inspired by location – my second novel, Kurinji Flowers came to me during a sleepless night in a hotel room in India. I gave up trying to sleep and instead sketched an outline for the book. The start point was me imagining who might have been in the room back in the days when it first opened in the 1930s. My research helps me flesh the book out. I use research not just for fact-checking but as creative stimulus. I ask what would happen if she witnessed that happening? – then let the characters take over.

In the case of Letters from a Patchwork Quilt I used some elements of my own family history - just dates and places and jobs and then let my imagination fill in the (enormous) gaps. I visited St Louis, Missouri when I was in the early phases of the book while on a holiday en route to New Orleans and decided it was a great setting for part of the novel, offering a good counterpoint to the English location, Middlesbrough.

5. When you are not writing what do you like to do?
I love painting, although I'm not any good at it! I came to it late in life when I was feeling low and my sister suggested I go on a painting holiday to Morocco. I protested that I couldn't paint and she said "How do you know, you've never tried. If you don't like it you can lie by the hotel pool and read". I loved it and have been dabbling with watercolors ever since. In May I am off to Montenegro to paint - I can't wait. You never know – it could end up being the location for the next book!

I also love to quilt, Again this is a recent hobby. I used to run a crafting website with friends and decided to give quilting a go and found it addictive.

Reading is a lifelong passion. As soon as I put a book down, finished, I pick up another. I also love TV dramas and movies.

6. What one piece of advice would you like to give to aspiring writers?
Read your work out loud. It's a great way to reveal the clunky bits. It also helps you to identify where the pace varies, to show the light and shade, to hear the rhythm and flow of your words. It's simply the best aid to editing – which you should do relentlessly – don't rely on your editor to pick up the errors. Make it the best you can before you hand it over to the editor.

7. Who is your favorite author or book that you would like to recommend to your readers?
That's a tough one as I read so much but struggle to remember once I emerge from the warm cocoon of a book (advancing years!). A recent read I loved are the Neopolitan novels by Elena Ferrante – I used to live and work in Italy but read them in English. I'm sure the original Italian reads even better, but I devoured the books. It took me a while to get into the first of the four, but I was soon captivated and read them in rapid succession. I heard there are plans afoot to film them in Italy. Can't wait!

8. If you could meet any famous person dead or alive who would it be and why?
Napoleon. I've been fascinated by him for years. I suppose I have a love-hate relationship with him. I used to have a big framed film poster of him from the 5 - 6 hour long French silent film by Abel Gance - which I sat through in one splendid afternoon. It hung on the wall of my apartment in Brussels and one day I came home from work to find it on the ground surrounded by broken glass but with the hook still in the wall. I was never sure if I had a poltergeist or whether I had incurred Napoleon's wrath. There are so many aspects to the man. He changed Europe forever. Love him or loathe him you can't ignore him – unless you're Josephine!

9. If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you like to visit?
I've been incredibly lucky and have travelled very widely across the world but the one place I never wanted to go was Japan. I don't know why as now it's top of my bucket list. I'd love to go when the cherry blossom is out.

10. Five interesting facts about yourself
1. My claim to fame when at university (Manchester, English Language and Literature) was being the founder and chairman of the Rock n' Roll Society
2. I only have one kidney

3. I nearly got blown up by the Sendero Luminosa in Peru when a bomb went off round the corner from where I was having a drink with friends. Like a big idiot I ran towards the explosion instead of away. I think I fancied myself as an amateur foreign correspondent. I still have the photos I took that night. No social media in those days!

4. For fifteen years I held a season ticket for matches at Chelsea Football Club. Come on you blues!

5. When was fifteen I played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and was apparently the youngest ever to play the role in an English public theatre. I didn't like having to kiss Romeo (who was about thirty) and had the hots for Paris – which was a bit of a problem!

About the Author

Clare Flynn is also the author of A Greater World, set in Australia in 1920 and Kurinji Flowers, set in India in the 1930s and 40s. She is a graduate of Manchester University where she read English Language and Literature. After a career in international marketing, working on brands from nappies to tinned tuna and living in Paris, Milan, Brussels and Sydney, she ran her own consulting business for 15 years and now lives in West London. Co-founder of the popular website, Make it and Mend it, and co-author of the 2012 book of the same name, Letters From a Patchwork Quilt is her third novel. When not writing and reading, Clare loves to splash about with watercolours and grabs any available opportunity to travel - sometimes under the guise of research.
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Blog Tour Schedule 

Monday, February 15 Review at Jorie Loves a Story Review at Beth's Book Nook Blog
Tuesday, February 16 Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Wednesday, February 17 Review at A Holland Reads Review at With her Nose Stuck in a Book 
Thursday, February 18 Interview at A Holland Reads
Friday, February 19 Excerpt at Layered Pages Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More
Monday, February 22 Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, February 23 Review at Back Porchervations Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews
Wednesday, February 24 Review at Book Nerd Excerpt & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books 
Thursday, February 25 Review at A Silver Twig Review at Author Dianne Ascroft's Blog
Friday, February 26 Review at #redhead.with.book Excerpt at Boom Baby Reviews