I received a copy of this book from Bookfun.org for an honest review
Vanessa and Ted are getting married. Ted is an ER doctor and being a practical type person has decided they should have a destination wedding. He wants the wedding in Destin , Florida so they can spend their honeymoon there and he can attend some classes related to his work. There are two problems with this great idea of Ted's. First , is he kidding with the idea of a romantic honeymoon mixed with work ? The second problem is a bit more serious. How can Vanessa go back to Destin, Florida and plan a wedding where she had her first wedding?
Logan is a storm chaser and has never gotten over Vanessa, the girl he married when they were both young. What are the odds that they are at the beach at the same time when a young child is drowning. When they both come to the boy's aide , they are shocked to see each other. Is there still a spark between them? I love how the author has so strategically placed them in unlikely places to bump into each other. They go from saving a life to dealing with a hurricane to realizing there may be some unresolved feelings .
The story flows so well that I lost track of time as I read it. The characters each struggle with real life issues and the author delivers a great story of dealing with past mistakes, relying on God and an unforgettable ending to a story that will have you cheering for second chances . Many of us can relate to this story that deals with a love thst got away. Will Logan and Vanessa find their way back to each other? What will happen when they take a leap of faith? I won't spoil the ending , but it is one of the best endings to a story I have read .
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Holly Garden, PI: Red Is for Rookie: Book 1 in Handcuffed in Texas Series… by Anne Greene
I received a copy of this book from bookfun.org for an honest review
Holly is a private detective who has several agendas. She is trying to clear her dad's name, find out who killed him and prove to her family that she can handle the job of being a PI and being able to protect herself. The action starts at a Valentine's meet party. Holly and her partner Matt are doing security for the party. Holly notices a group of men that look out of place and before you can blink an eye, chaos erupts.
When the fighting and turmoil is over , Holly finds her partner hurt. She asks someone to call 911. Within minutes they arrive and she notices something doesn't feel right. Her partner is being stuck with a needle and rushed off in an ambulance. Holly can't find out what hospital Matt has been taken to and realizes something is very wrong. Before long , word has gotten back to Holly that Matt has been kidnapped . Why would someone want to kidnap her partner? The bigger question is who is Stryker? Why was he at the party as security also?
I found the book to be a light quirky and funny mystery. Holly tried to put out a fire with a prime rib, she seems to always be just a few feet away from danger and she is hopelessly clumsy. Her character is very well written and centers on her faith. She has two men vying for her attention, but she is so distracted by the case, will she miss her chance at love? The story flows effortlessly and with action that keeps you glued to the pages.
The author references scriptures throughout the book in a thoughtful way. I loved her use of Deuteronomy 31:8 " The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid ; do not be discouraged." What a great encouragement for Holly as she tries to shuffle through a case that can save her partner and perhaps clear her dad's name. The author wrote "If a place is dark, even a flickering candle sheds a lot of light." Holly uses her faith to shine light on the darkness that surrounds her life. I am excited to know that there will be another book in this series. Thank you Anne Greene for an amazing mystery and a story filled with hope and God's direction.
Holly is a private detective who has several agendas. She is trying to clear her dad's name, find out who killed him and prove to her family that she can handle the job of being a PI and being able to protect herself. The action starts at a Valentine's meet party. Holly and her partner Matt are doing security for the party. Holly notices a group of men that look out of place and before you can blink an eye, chaos erupts.
When the fighting and turmoil is over , Holly finds her partner hurt. She asks someone to call 911. Within minutes they arrive and she notices something doesn't feel right. Her partner is being stuck with a needle and rushed off in an ambulance. Holly can't find out what hospital Matt has been taken to and realizes something is very wrong. Before long , word has gotten back to Holly that Matt has been kidnapped . Why would someone want to kidnap her partner? The bigger question is who is Stryker? Why was he at the party as security also?
I found the book to be a light quirky and funny mystery. Holly tried to put out a fire with a prime rib, she seems to always be just a few feet away from danger and she is hopelessly clumsy. Her character is very well written and centers on her faith. She has two men vying for her attention, but she is so distracted by the case, will she miss her chance at love? The story flows effortlessly and with action that keeps you glued to the pages.
The author references scriptures throughout the book in a thoughtful way. I loved her use of Deuteronomy 31:8 " The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid ; do not be discouraged." What a great encouragement for Holly as she tries to shuffle through a case that can save her partner and perhaps clear her dad's name. The author wrote "If a place is dark, even a flickering candle sheds a lot of light." Holly uses her faith to shine light on the darkness that surrounds her life. I am excited to know that there will be another book in this series. Thank you Anne Greene for an amazing mystery and a story filled with hope and God's direction.
Monday, August 10, 2015
EASTER’S LILY
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LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE
BLOG TOURS
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EASTER'S LILY
by
Judy Serrano
It was Easter Sunday; the day Lilly’s life went from safe and comfortable to dangerously unfamiliar. Her transformation takes her from a small town girl having an affair with a low ranked gangster in the Montiago crime syndicate, to a woman of grace and fortitude married to the head of the organization.
Lilly tells the story of her life -- and the lives of her children -- with childlike innocence, yet she's desperate for security and companionship. The hint of forbidden love and betrayal that ultimately puts brother against brother adds to the suspense and intrigue. The syndicate engulfs the Montiago family as they turn each other inside out over the love of a woman. Easter's Lilly is an inspired journey from the idyllic to the darker side of self-discovery. Read as the over-privileged brothers embark on their journey that twists and turns down the road of unbridled passion in the first book of the series.
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Judy's books are available in print in Hastings
and Roma's Books in Rockwall, Texas,
and anywhere ebooks are sold.
Judy Serrano holds a Master of Arts in English from Texas A&M University, Commerce. She is the owner of Make Cents Editing Service, and was an adjunct professor at a local college. Currently she teaches high school English and is a freelance writer for certain on-line publications. Judy also writes romantic suspense and paranormal romance novels. She is the author of The Easter’s Lilly Series,The Linked Series, and Ivy Vines, Visions.Although originally form New York, Judy resides in Texas with her husband, four boys, four dogs and now two cats. She sings and plays guitar when she has time and enjoys singing with her very musical family in church when she is able.
Author of The Easter's Lilly Series, Linked
and Ivy Vines, Visions.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Booker Box Set # 1 by John W. Mefford
I received a copy of this set for an honest review.
Booker is a character that is very determined to complete his mission. He has the heart of a warrior and the morals of an honest man. He refuses to not turn a blind eye when he sees his partner beating an innocent man. When Booker does not lie for the officer, that is when his world turns upside down. Suddenly without warning a bombing occurs that leaves a school bus full of children dead. Why would someone target a school bus full of innocent children? Is there an underlying connection between Booker and his decision not to support a fellow officer ?
This is a fast action book with many twists and turns. Who can Booker trust as he decides to become a P I? I love the humor that was scattered throughout the book which gave a great combination of banter with other characters as well as let us see a little softer side to Booker. The author is dead on when it comes to keeping a story going with thrilling scenes and a mystery surrounding who the bomber is. Will Booker find who this diabolical killer is in time to prevent more bombings?
I found myself really liking the main character as he develops into a fierce warrior determined to stop at nothing to end the terror that has invaded him and those close to him. The author writes intense well defined scenes of good vs evil that keep you turning pages as fast as you can. I have found a new hero to follow and that person is Booker T Adams. He is bad to the bones when it comes to justice and he won't stop until the evil is driven away.
Booker is a character that is very determined to complete his mission. He has the heart of a warrior and the morals of an honest man. He refuses to not turn a blind eye when he sees his partner beating an innocent man. When Booker does not lie for the officer, that is when his world turns upside down. Suddenly without warning a bombing occurs that leaves a school bus full of children dead. Why would someone target a school bus full of innocent children? Is there an underlying connection between Booker and his decision not to support a fellow officer ?
This is a fast action book with many twists and turns. Who can Booker trust as he decides to become a P I? I love the humor that was scattered throughout the book which gave a great combination of banter with other characters as well as let us see a little softer side to Booker. The author is dead on when it comes to keeping a story going with thrilling scenes and a mystery surrounding who the bomber is. Will Booker find who this diabolical killer is in time to prevent more bombings?
I found myself really liking the main character as he develops into a fierce warrior determined to stop at nothing to end the terror that has invaded him and those close to him. The author writes intense well defined scenes of good vs evil that keep you turning pages as fast as you can. I have found a new hero to follow and that person is Booker T Adams. He is bad to the bones when it comes to justice and he won't stop until the evil is driven away.
LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE BLOG TOURS
presents
THE PRISON TRILOGY
by Glen Aaron
C vv.p
Summary of Book 1 of The Prison Trilogy -- Observer: The Ronnie Lee and Jackie Bancroft Spencer Morgan Story, a tale of people, greed, envy, manipulation... even crime!
When Jackie Bancroft's husband died in 1952, he left her an heiress to the income and value of The Wall Street Journal and one of the wealthier women in America. Almost 50 years later, Jackie would marry Ronnie Lee Morgan, a 50-year old gay interior decorator. Morgan was one of many clients in the active law practice of author Glen Aaron. This unusual marriage lasted until Jackie's mysterious death five years later. Throughout that period, Aaron became entwined in the personal lives and demands of the couple, along with handling many of their legal affairs. The huge money and property distributions made by Jackie to her husband, designed and handled by Aaron, resulted in a two-year federal prison sentence for Aaron. The first book in the trilogy is that story.
THE OTHER TWO BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
"Jackie had built an invisible shield. How she felt, who she was deep inside, was insulated by what might be called "Jackie logic." In a personal encounter, she could be brutally blunt by pointing out a physical imperfection or character defect of the person she was talking to. "You're too fat. You should do something about it." "You're not my friend. You just want my money." She used innumerable clichés and platitudes for defensive purposes, designed to throw the other person off their game. Over the years, her repertoire grew with use. That "devil take the hindmost" attitude she had had since childhood gave her the confidence to not care what people thought of her. It was they who were after her, not she who was after them. On occasion, she would joke with me that this aspect of her personality was because her parents were first cousins.
"Wealth, extreme wealth, attracts a type of court, as in the days of Louis XIV, that some of these people want to be a part of. It gives them meaning to be seen rubbing shoulders with others of the coterie. Even if the Queen, in this case, Jackie, is not present, there is a sense of acceptance when the court is in session, each person wondering about the others’ special relationship with Jackie. Is it more special, more personal than theirs? This is the social effect of it: The pushing and crowding for pecking-order position, to be that special one who knows the lady just a little better than the next, or to casually say, "When I was having dinner with Jackie the other night…," or to drop some other offhand remark indicating one's special privilege with Jackie. None of this is so much about money as it is about being accepted and part of an honored, moneyed circle. To the social elite, real or imagined, you are known by the clubs to which you belong and those with whom you associate. If you can claim a special or private relationship with a powerful, rich, or influential person, then you are one up on the rest of the group. You are who your friends are, whether they are really your friends or not."
Buy Links
Author Social Media/Web Links
******
Author Glen Aaron
Glen writes both fiction and nonfiction from his forty-year career and experience as a trial lawyer and consultant in international business and banking.His nonfiction work as the observer in The Prison Trilogy tells the tales, in chronological order, of how he came to be a lawyer for a Wall Street Journal heiress and her gay husband, and how that representation landed him in federal prison. That is the first in The Trilogy. The second book tells the story of his cellmate, Colonel George Trofimoff, serving life for spying for the KGB. The final book of The Trilogy describes the prisoners, Glen's experiences and takes a hard look at the American criminal justice system.
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I received a copy of this book for an honest review
The author has a law practice and at times runs into interesting clients. Such is the case in this book. Ron is a very unique fellow . He has been in many ventures that seem to go bankrupt or he parts ways with his partner in a most conspicuous way. He meets Mr. Aaron who becomes his lawyer. Soon the author will find that "envy and greed is where Ron lives." In the book the author says , "Greed hustles even the hustlers."
Ron , who is gay will become involved with a woman named Jackie Bancroft Spencer. She is a "Wall Street Journal Heiress " that is one of the richest women in America. When these two meet and start to become a couple , the story takes us through twists and turns as Ron seems to be always scheming to take advantage of Jackie . What will his ultimate goal be?
The book is filled with a very detailed history of the Bancroft's as the author discovers how they became wealthy . Jackie , who was tall in stature, was a fierce competitor and spoke her mind freely with no worries about whom she would hurt with her piercing words . Would her personality collide with Ron's?
After Ron and Jackie marry, it seems that Ron's many money problems were disappearing. Jackie had a firm grip on the finances and Ron was soon to learn that he was being controlled by Jackie and her vast wealth . Jackie had little to no relationship with her children and often had fights with them over money.
Why would a 50 year old gay man marry a 74 year old woman? That question would bother the author as time went on. He became almost like a "yes" man when doing financial dealings for them. His ties to them were beginning to border on unlawful dealings that could cost him his freedom one day. What happened on that fateful day that would turn his life upside down and question the loyalty and devotion that Ron had for his wife? The author does an incredible job of laying a foundation that gives us a glimpse into a marriage that seemed more like a business deal than a marriage of love.
This is a story that shows how wealth , deceit, bad business decisions and an ill fated relationship can destroy several lives. The author is drawn into a web of lies, and underhanded dealings. It has all the elements of a page turner and leaves you wanting more from the author. It is a fascinating, downward spiral of the life of not only Jackie , but Ron and Mr. Aaron as well. Along the journey you will find who Ron really is and watch as he takes the author into a dangerous game of trying to stay one step ahead of losing vast amounts of money and trying to stay out of jail . This book starts from the beginning with a powerful cast of people who find themselves intertwined in each other's lives as their destruction will have you on the edge of your seat. I enjoyed the book so much I found myself not wanting the story to end. I would recommend this book to everyone who has a thirst for intrigue, mystery, power and destruction that leaves you wanting more.
The author has a law practice and at times runs into interesting clients. Such is the case in this book. Ron is a very unique fellow . He has been in many ventures that seem to go bankrupt or he parts ways with his partner in a most conspicuous way. He meets Mr. Aaron who becomes his lawyer. Soon the author will find that "envy and greed is where Ron lives." In the book the author says , "Greed hustles even the hustlers."
Ron , who is gay will become involved with a woman named Jackie Bancroft Spencer. She is a "Wall Street Journal Heiress " that is one of the richest women in America. When these two meet and start to become a couple , the story takes us through twists and turns as Ron seems to be always scheming to take advantage of Jackie . What will his ultimate goal be?
The book is filled with a very detailed history of the Bancroft's as the author discovers how they became wealthy . Jackie , who was tall in stature, was a fierce competitor and spoke her mind freely with no worries about whom she would hurt with her piercing words . Would her personality collide with Ron's?
After Ron and Jackie marry, it seems that Ron's many money problems were disappearing. Jackie had a firm grip on the finances and Ron was soon to learn that he was being controlled by Jackie and her vast wealth . Jackie had little to no relationship with her children and often had fights with them over money.
Why would a 50 year old gay man marry a 74 year old woman? That question would bother the author as time went on. He became almost like a "yes" man when doing financial dealings for them. His ties to them were beginning to border on unlawful dealings that could cost him his freedom one day. What happened on that fateful day that would turn his life upside down and question the loyalty and devotion that Ron had for his wife? The author does an incredible job of laying a foundation that gives us a glimpse into a marriage that seemed more like a business deal than a marriage of love.
This is a story that shows how wealth , deceit, bad business decisions and an ill fated relationship can destroy several lives. The author is drawn into a web of lies, and underhanded dealings. It has all the elements of a page turner and leaves you wanting more from the author. It is a fascinating, downward spiral of the life of not only Jackie , but Ron and Mr. Aaron as well. Along the journey you will find who Ron really is and watch as he takes the author into a dangerous game of trying to stay one step ahead of losing vast amounts of money and trying to stay out of jail . This book starts from the beginning with a powerful cast of people who find themselves intertwined in each other's lives as their destruction will have you on the edge of your seat. I enjoyed the book so much I found myself not wanting the story to end. I would recommend this book to everyone who has a thirst for intrigue, mystery, power and destruction that leaves you wanting more.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Lone Star Literary Life Blog Tours
presents
PRETTY ENOUGH FOR YOU
by Cliff Hudder
Ne’er-do-well immigration attorney Harrison Bent can’t imagine why the wealthy and mysterious Maggie Leudecke wants him to solve her eminent domain problem. If he didn’t have an angry wife to placate, an inscrutable stalker to identify, an obsessed girlfriend to escape, and a murder to solve, a successful outcome to the Leudecke case might revive his career, pay for his autistic son’s special school, and—most important of all—help convince his young paralegal, Chloe, that the afternoon she spent with him in a cheap motel wasn’t an error in judgment, but the beginning of something profound.
If only he had some clue as to what he was doing ...
Praise for PRETTY ENOUGH FOR YOU
"I can think of no one writing today who has so beautifully put into vital relationship officious history and literary fiction with such provocative and thoroughly entertaining results. This is a stunning debut by a master storyteller." — Wendell Mayo, author of Centaur of the North, In Lithuanian Wood, and B Horror and Other Stories
"I don't recall many historical novellas or novels abounding in comedy. Another distinctive technique is the pseudo-footnotes. They remind me of Nabokov's footnotes in Pale Fire." — Robert Phillips, author of Spinach Days, News About People You Know.
From the book: I know myself. That’s the good news. That’s also the bad news. For example, I knew I was not equipped to deal with the Leudecke case. I also knew I wouldn’t turn it down or hand it off to somebody better suited. But, seriously, what background did I have in eminent domain? Or with Mexican drug dealers? Or dead Mexican drug dealers? None. And I knew it.
CLIFF HUDDER earned an MFA in Fiction Writing from the University of Houston. His work has received the Barthelme and Michener Awards, the Peden Prize, and the Short Story Award from the Texas Institute of Letters. His novella, Splinterville, won the 2007 Texas Review Fiction Award. He teaches English at Lone Star College-Montgomery and lives in Conroe, Texas.
Buy Links:
Amazon
Texas A&M Press
B&N
Texas Review Press Catalog
Author Website: www.cliffhudder.com
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Tuesday, July 28, 2015
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