Friday, March 29, 2019

Book Review - The Lieutenant’s Nurse by Sara Ackerman

Book Synopsis
November, 1941. She’s never even seen the ocean before, but Eva Cassidy has her reasons for making the crossing to Hawaii, and they run a lot deeper than escaping a harsh Michigan winter. Newly enlisted as an Army Corps nurse, Eva is stunned by the splendor she experiences aboard the steamship SS Lurline; even more so by Lt. Clark Spencer, a man she is drawn to but who clearly has secrets of his own. But Eva’s past—and the future she’s trying to create—means that she’s not free to follow her heart. Clark is a navy intelligence officer, and he warns her that the United States won’t be able to hold off joining the war for long, but nothing can prepare them for the surprise attack that will change the world they know.

In the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Eva and her fellow nurses band together for the immense duty of keeping the American wounded alive. And the danger that finds Eva threatens everything she holds dear. Amid the chaos and heartbreak, Eva will have to decide whom to trust and how far she will go to protect those she loves.

Set in the vibrant tropical surroundings of the Pacific, The Lieutenant’s Nurse is an evocative, emotional WWII story of love, friendship and the resilient spirit of the heroic nurses of Pearl Harbor.


 

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble



My Review
The Lieutenant's Nurse tells the story of Eva Cassidy, who travels from the U.S. to Hawaii on the Lurline in 1941.  She is escaping her past in Michigan to become an Army nurse in Hawaii.  En route to Hawaii she meets Lt. Clark Spencer and they develop an immediate connection, despite her old beau who is waiting in Hawaii.   This places Eva and Clark on Hawaii during the Pearl Harbor attack, when everyone's life is upended.

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction, especially with a 1940's setting.  I had never read a novel set during Pearl Harbor before, so I found the historical setting of this book particularly interesting.  I learned as I read this novel.

Sigh -- The Lieutenant's Nurse has everything I love most in a historical novel.   There is a slow building romance between Eva and Clark, despite some real obstacles.   They were both wonderful characters and I liked them and cared about their happiness.  I especially admired Eva's courage as an Army nurse in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor.

There is a mystery that starts to build after the Pearl Harbor attack, and it adds a lot of suspense to the story.   The mystery directly involved Eva and Clark, and although I solved the mystery before she did, I felt some real concern for their safety.

There is even a lovable little rescued dog named Brandy.  From the descriptions I pictured her as looking a bit like my little dog Abby, so of course I wanted to read her story as well.

The historical details in this novel are perfect.  For a couple of nights as I stayed up reading, unable to put the book down, I felt like I was transported to Hawaii in the early 1940's.

This is a five star novel for me, and I enthusiastically recommend it to fans of historical fiction -- especially for anyone who loves a 1940's setting.  I look forward to reading future novels by Sara Ackerman as well.


Author Bio
Sara is the bestselling author of Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers. Born and raised in Hawaii, she studied journalism and earned graduate degrees in psychology and Chinese medicine. She blames Hawaii for her addiction to writing, and sees no end to its untapped stories. When she’s not writing or teaching, you’ll find her in the mountains or in the ocean. She currently lives on the Big Island with her boyfriend and a houseful of bossy animals. Find out more about Sara and her books at www.ackermanbooks.com.

 

Connect with Sara

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Book Review - How to Know the Birds by Ted Floyd - National Geographic

Book Synopsis
Become a better birder with brief portraits of 200 top North American birds. This friendly, relatable book is a celebration of the art, science, and delights of bird-watching. 

How to Know the Birds introduces a new, holistic approach to bird-watching, by noting how behaviors, settings, and seasonal cycles connect with shape, song, color, gender, age distinctions, and other features traditionally used to identify species. With short essays on 200 observable species, expert author Ted Floyd guides us through a year of becoming a better birder, each species representing another useful lesson: from explaining scientific nomenclature to noting how plumage changes with age, from chronicling migration patterns to noting hatchling habits. Dozens of endearing pencil sketches accompany Floyd’s charming prose, making this book a unique blend of narrative and field guide. A pleasure for birders of all ages, this witty book promises solid lessons for the beginner and smiles of recognition for the seasoned nature lover.



 

Purchase Links

National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

My Review

How to Know the Birds is a unique book about bird watching.  It is comprised of 200 short essays about birds.  The essays focus on different birds and teach unique lessons about bird watching.

 

The book is divided into sections by months:

 

Spark Bird! January - February

After the Spark  March - May

Now What?  June - July

Inflection Point  August - September

What We Know  October - November

What We Don't Know   December

 

This would be an interesting book to read and use over the year to really get to know birds better.

 

I was interested in reading this book because I have always loved birds.  I watch for wild birds as I am out walking my dog in wooded areas near my home.  I know most of the more common birds but there are still plenty I cannot identify.

 

There are some beautiful black and white illustrations by N. John Schmitt in the book.  However, the illustrations do not cover all the birds discussed in the book.  That is the one and only thing that I wished for when reading this lovely book -- bird illustrations for each essay, featuring each bird that was discussed.

 

The writing by Ted Floyd is lively and accessible.  For instance, he discusses the American robin:

 

"Robins are common across much of North America, but don't let that fool you.  The robin is one of the truly marvelous birds of our continent.  . . . The species is at once ordinary and extraordinary.   Chances are, you're within 1000 feet of a robin right now.  That's the ordinary part.  The migrations of robins are stirring;  their adaptability to different habitats is staggering;  their easily observed family life is endlessly fascinating and, with no apologies for the sentimentalism, heartwarming" (p. 30).

 

I loved that this book was not a standard field guide.   It delves deeper into bird behavior and anecdotes about birds.  I found it much warmer and much more readable than a traditional nature guide.

 

The little essays focus on themes as well as birds.  For instance, you have essay 65 - "How Do Noctural Migrants Know Where to Go?" about the Indigo Bunting, and essay 150 - "Let Me Google That For You" that discusses how to Google for information about the Barn Swallow.

 

I found How to Know the Birds a delightful book, and recommend it highly for anyone who loves birds, who wants to know more about birds, or who just loves nature in general.   It would make an especially nice gift book.

Friday, March 22, 2019

Dear Abby - Spring Break

Hi friends!

Happy Spring!   I have been blogging weekly here for a long time and I need a little break.  I'm going to take a blog break for a few weeks, but I will return.  I may come back with a continuation of my dog songs series, or I may have something new.  I will miss chatting with you here, but look forward to talking again later.

Have a good weekend!

Love,
Abby xoxoxo

Book Review - Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill

Book Synopsis
From Stephanie Morrill, author of The Lost Girl of Astor Street, comes Within These Lines, the love story of a girl and boy torn apart by racism during World War II.
 
Evalina Cassano’s life in an Italian-American family living in San Francisco in 1941 is quiet and ordinary until she falls in love with Taichi Hamasaki, the son of Japanese immigrants. Despite the scandal it would cause and that inter-racial marriage is illegal in California, Evalina and Taichi vow they will find a way to be together. But anti-Japanese feelings erupt across the country after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Taichi and his family are forced to give up their farm and move to an internment camp.
 
Degrading treatment makes life at Manzanar Relocation Center difficult. Taichi’s only connection to the outside world is treasured letters from Evalina. Feeling that the only action she can take to help Taichi is to speak out against injustice, Evalina becomes increasingly vocal at school and at home. Meanwhile, inside Manzanar, fighting between different Japanese-American factions arises. Taichi begins to doubt he will ever leave the camp alive.
 
With tensions running high and their freedom on the line, Evalina and Taichi must hold true to their ideals and believe in their love to make a way back to each other against unbelievable odds.



 

Purchase Links


Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble


My Review
Within These Lines is a historical young adult novel that tells the story of Evalina Cassano, a young woman whose family owns an Italian restaurant in 1942 San Francisco.  She meets and falls in love with Taichi Hamasaki, the son of farmers who sell produce to the restaurant.  After Pearl Harbor, Taichi's family faces terrible prejudice and they are sent to an internment camp for Japanese Americans.  Evalina begins university studies in political science and volunteer work with a church that is working to help the Japanese American citizens in internment camps.  Evalina and Taichi stay connected through letters, although there are many obstacles in their way.

I was interested in reading this novel because I love historical fiction and knew relatively little about the plight of Japanese Americans during World War II.  I am impressed with the depth of historical details and research in this novel.  It was truly like entering another world.   

This is such an emotionally compelling, moving story.  Evalina and Taichi are both such sympathetic protagonists, and I just could not put this book down.  It was one of those late at night reads.  I finished reading two days ago and I am still thinking about it.

I found it tremendously moving to see how Taichi, his family, and the other brave Japanese families worked to maintain a sense of dignity and order and community in the midst of terrible, heartbreaking conditions.

Evalina and Taichi's love story was beautifully told.  They both had great strength of character and showed so much grace and courage.  As well as the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, there was also a ban in many states against interracial marriage, so they worked to overcome obstacles on several levels. 

I will admit this book led me to a lot of Googling.  The author based a couple of supporting characters on real people, and there are photos of them online.  There is also a Wikipedia page about Manzanar, the internment camp where the Hamasaki family was relocated.  The author, Stephanie Morrill, mentions a two part podcast episode about Executive Order 9066 and Japanese Internments at Stuff You Missed in History Class.  This is a podcast I enjoy, although I had not heard these episodes before.   

Within These Lines would be an exceptional book group discussion book, and I think it would be a particularly powerful read for older high school or college students.  I give it the highest recommendation for fans of historical fiction.  It is a book I will not forget, and it is certain to be on my list of favorite reads from 2019.


Author Bio
Stephanie Morrill is the creator of GoTeenWriters.com and the author of several young adult novels, including the historical mystery, The Lost Girl of Astor Street. Despite loving cloche hats and drop-waist dresses, Stephanie would have been a terrible flapper because she can’t do the Charleston and looks awful with bobbed hair. She and her near-constant ponytail live in Kansas City with her husband and three kids.


Connect with Stephanie


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Book Spotlight - Justice Mission by Lynette Eason

Book Spotlight
Caught in a killer’s sights…

Introducing the True Blue K-9 Unit series

After K-9 unit administrative assistant Sophie Walters spots a suspicious stranger lurking at the K-9 graduation, the man kidnaps her—and she barely escapes. With Sophie’s boss missing and someone determined to silence her, NYPD officer Luke Hathaway vows he and his K-9 partner will guard her. But he must keep an emotional distance to ensure this mission ends in justice…not cold-blooded murder.



Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

 
Author Bio
Lynette Eason lives in Simpsonville, SC with her husband and two children. She is an award-winning, best-selling author who spends her days writing when she’s not traveling around the country teaching at writing conferences. Lynette enjoys visits to the mountains, hanging out with family and brainstorming stories with her fellow writers. You can visit Lynette’s website to find out more at www.lynetteeason.com or like her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lynette.eason

 

Connect with Lynette

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Friday, March 15, 2019

Dear Abby - Dog Songs: "Hey Bulldog" by The Beatles (1969)

Dear Friends,

Hi!  Glad you are back.  I have a great dog song to share with you today.

"Hey Bulldog" was released by The Beatles in 1969.  It was mostly written by John Lennon, although it has the Lennon - McCartney song credit.  This song was written the same time as "Lady Madonna" and it has a similar blues influenced sound with a piano riff.  This song was from the Yellow Submarine Album.

Here's some fun trivia -- the song was originally called "She Can Talk To Me."  It had a line "hey bullfrog" (not "bulldog"!) and Paul McCartney barked at that line.  That's how it became "Hey Bulldog."  The barks that you hear in the song are done by Paul!  John sings lead.

More trivia -- The Beatles completed this song from start to finished recording in 10 hours.  They all participated on the record and their recording engineer Geoff Emerick said it was one of the most collaborative Beatles songs.

The original movie version of Yellow Submarine included this song, although it was later cut out of the American released movie. (Later it was added back in.)

My Momma is a huge Beatles fan and she really likes this song.  I hear a lot of Beatles music at my house, so I think I like it too.  Plus it is a fun song!

Here is a video of The Beatles singing "Hey Bulldog."



Are you a Beatles fan?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Book Review - Low Country Hero by Lee Tobin McClain

Book Synopsis
Welcome to Safe Haven, where love—and a second chance—is just around the corner…

Sunny, carefree days splashing in the ocean—it’s the life Anna George has always wanted for her five-year-old twins. And now that they’ve made it to Safe Haven, South Carolina, she won’t let anyone stand in her way. Not the abusive ex she’s just escaped and not the rugged contractor who caught her setting up house in the shuttered beachfront cabins he’s refurbishing. When he offers Anna and her daughters a place to stay in exchange for her help with renovations, she’s tempted. His gentle way with her girls makes her want to trust him, but she’s been wrong before…

A family is the last thing contractor and former military man Sean O’Dwyer wants right now. But when he discovers Anna and her girls, he recognizes kindred spirits. They’re survivors who’ve seen the worst of people, just like he has, and he’ll do anything he can to help them. As he and Anna spend their days bringing the cottages back to life and their nights sharing kisses in the warm bayou breezes, Sean must choose between the life he always wanted and the family he can’t live without.



 

Purchase Links


Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble


My Review
Low Country Hero is the first book in Lee Tobin McClain's new Safe Haven series.  It is a southern novel set in the small coastal town of Safe Haven, South Carolina.  Anna George comes to live in Safe Haven with her young twin daughters after escaping her abusive husband.  While she is staying in an empty cottage by the beach she meets contractor Sean O'Dwyer, who has been hired to renovate the cottage and surrounding community.  A slow friendship and romance begins as Anna struggles to escape her past.

I was interested in reading Low Country Hero because of the setting.  I love southern novels, and especially love books set on the coast.  The author captured the Lowcountry coast perfectly - from the warmth of the people to the delicious southern food.  

Anna is a very sympathetic protagonist.  She is a warm, kind person, a devoted mother, and she really works hard to make a new life for herself and her daughters.   Sean is also a very likeable character.  He is working, too, to put his past behind him (his mother was an abused woman and he was raised in foster care).  I found their romance that began as a slow building friendship very realistic.

The novel explores domestic violence, including Anna's story, her new friend who runs a women's shelter in town, and the story of Sean's mother.  I felt this more serious storyline was handled very sensitively and it brought some real depth to what would otherwise have been a light romance.

This is the first of three books and I already look forward to continuing this series.  I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys women's fiction or romance with a more serious theme.  The southern setting is sure to appeal as well!


Author Bio
Lee Tobin McClain read Gone With The Wind in the third grade and has been an incurable romantic ever since. When she’s not writing emotional love stories with happy endings, she’s probably driving around a carload of snarky teen girls, playing with her rescue dog and cat, or teaching aspiring writers in Seton Hill University’s MFA program. She is probably not cleaning her house.

 

Connect with Lee


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Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Broken Bone China (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

Book Synopsis
Theodosia Browning serves tea and solves crimes in Charleston, a city steeped in tradition and treachery in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

It is Sunday afternoon, and Theodosia and Drayton are catering a formal tea at a hot-air balloon rally. The view aloft is not only stunning, they are also surrounded by a dozen other colorful hot-air balloons. But as the sky turns gray and the clouds start to boil up, a strange object zooms out of nowhere. It is a drone, and it appears to be buzzing around the balloons, checking them out.

As Theodosia and Drayton watch, the drone, hovering like some angry, mechanized insect, deliberately crashes into the balloon next to them. An enormous, fiery explosion erupts, and everyone watches in horror as the balloon plummets to the earth, killing all three of its passengers.

Sirens scream, first responders arrive, and Theodosia is interviewed by the police. During the interview she learns that one of the downed occupants was Don Kingsley, the CEO of a local software company, SyncSoft. Not only do the police suspect Kingsley as the primary target, they learn that he possessed a rare Revolutionary War Union Jack flag that several people were rabidly bidding on.

Intrigued, Theodosia begins her own investigation. Was it the CEO’s soon-to-be ex-wife, who is restoring an enormous mansion at no expense? The CEO’s personal assistant, who also functioned as curator of his prized collection of Americana? Two rival antiques’ dealers known for dirty dealing? Or was the killer the fiancée of one of Theodosia’s dear friends, who turns out to be an employee—and whistle-blower—at SyncSoft?

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS! 


Author Bio

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop MysteriesScrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs. 

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links: 
Website – http://www.laurachilds.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31

Purchase Links
Amazon   B&N  Kobo   Google Play

Giveaway
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Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - The Lost History of Dreams by Kris Waldherr


Book Synopsis

A post-mortem photographer unearths dark secrets of the past that may hold the key to his future, in this captivating debut novel in the gothic tradition of Wuthering Heights and The Thirteenth Tale

All love stories are ghost stories in disguise. 

When famed Byronesque poet Hugh de Bonne is discovered dead of a heart attack in his bath one morning, his cousin Robert Highstead, a historian turned post-mortem photographer, is charged with a simple task: transport Hugh’s remains for burial in a chapel. This chapel, a stained glass folly set on the moors of Shropshire, was built by de Bonne sixteen years earlier to house the remains of his beloved wife and muse, Ada. Since then, the chapel has been locked and abandoned, a pilgrimage site for the rabid fans of de Bonne’s last book, The Lost History of Dreams

However, Ada’s grief-stricken niece refuses to open the glass chapel for Robert unless he agrees to her bargain: before he can lay Hugh to rest, Robert must record Isabelle’s story of Ada and Hugh’s ill-fated marriage over the course of five nights. 

 As the mystery of Ada and Hugh’s relationship unfolds, so does the secret behind Robert’s own marriage—including that of his fragile wife, Sida, who has not been the same since the tragic accident three years ago, and the origins of his own morbid profession that has him seeing things he shouldn’t—things from beyond the grave. 

Kris Waldherr effortlessly spins a sweeping and atmospheric gothic mystery about love and loss that blurs the line between the past and the present, truth and fiction, and ultimately, life and death.

 

Here is the exclusive Book Trailer...

 

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

 

Author Bio

Kris Waldherr is an award-winning author, illustrator, and designer. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, and her fiction has been awarded with fellowships by the Virginia Center of the Creative Arts and a reading grant by Poets & Writers. 

Kris Waldherr works and lives in Brooklyn in a Victorian-era house with her husband, the anthropologist-curator Thomas Ross Miller, and their young daughter.

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub 

 

Giveaway

Kris is hosting a The Lost History of Dreams giveaway worth $220! The gift package includes a Campo Marzio pen gift box with calligraphy nibs and ink, a handcrafted Lover's Eye pendant, bookmark and bookplate, and a signed copy of The Lost History of Dreams.

 

Learn more at http://www.losthistorybook.com/sweepstake.html.

Friday, March 8, 2019

Dear Abby - Dog Songs: Bird Dog by The Everly Brothers (1958)

Dear Friends,

I'm glad you stopped by today!  I have another "dog" song to share with you today.  This song is called "Bird Dog" and it's by The Everly Brothers.  It was a hit on both the country and pop charts in 1958, so it is an oldies song now.   The Everly Brothers were Don and Phil.  They spent most of their growing up years in Iowa and Tennessee.  They were discovered by country music great Chet Atkins, a friend of the family.  They later had great success in the 1950's, touring with Buddy Holly, and into the 1960's.

"Bird Dog" is a song about a boy named Johnny who is a "bird dog," trying to steal the singer's girlfriend away from him.   It was remade later by the Newbeats (1966), glam rockers Mud (1975), and the Bellamy Brothers (1978).

Of course, I have to tell you that although this song isn't ACTUALLY about a dog, I wanted to listen to it because it had "Bird Dog" in the title.  Bird dogs are dogs that hunt game -- pointers, retrievers, and spaniels.

I found an old video of the song in a medley with another Everly Brothers hit called "Till I Kissed You."  I hope you enjoy it!



I would love to hear from you in the comments, below.   I look forward to visiting again next week with you!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo 

Book Review - California Girls by Susan Mallery

Book Synopsis
The California sunshine’s not quite so bright for three sisters who get dumped in the same week…

Finola, a popular LA morning show host, is famously upbeat until she’s blindsided on live TV by news that her husband is sleeping with a young pop sensation who has set their affair to music. While avoiding the tabloids and pretending she’s just fine, she’s crumbling inside, desperate for him to come to his senses and for life to go back to normal.

Zennie’s breakup is no big loss. Although the world insists she pair up, she’d rather be surfing. So agreeing to be the surrogate for her best friend is a no-brainer—after all, she has an available womb and no other attachments to worry about. Except…when everyone else, including her big sister, thinks she’s making a huge mistake, being pregnant is a lot lonelier—and more complicated—than she imagined.

Never the tallest, thinnest or prettiest sister, Ali is used to being overlooked, but when her fiancé sends his disapproving brother to call off the wedding, it’s a new low. And yet Daniel continues to turn up “for support,” making Ali wonder if maybe—for once—someone sees her in a way no one ever has.

But side by side by side, these sisters will start over and rebuild their lives with all the affection, charm and laugh-out-loud humor that is classic Susan Mallery.



 

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble



My Review 
California Girls is the story of three sisters.  Finola's husband leaves her just as she is about to go on air with her perky morning talk show ... and interview what turns out to be his much younger girlfriend.   Zennie breaks up with a man she likes but doesn't love, and then decides to be a surrogate mother for her best friend.  Ali is engaged and her fiance breaks up with her by sending his brother Daniel over with the message.

I wanted to read this book from first mention.  I always enjoy Susan Mallery's books and liked the theme of sisters and the title California Girls.  It sounded like a good beach read.

I immediately was interested in the story of the three sisters.  The author did a great job at creating three very distinct characters.  The book follows all three storylines separately - and their lives together - and it is so well done.  Ali is my favorite of the sisters.  She is such a girl-next-door, relatable character.  She always felt overshadowed by the glamorous (but self centered) Finola and the very accomplished, athletic Zennie.  I loved Daniel too and enjoyed his relationship with Ali.

As I was reading, I kept thinking that this book would make a good movie too.  I have been casting the movie in my head and think it would be good with Reese Witherspoon as Finola, Bryce Dallas Howard as Zennie, and Emma Stone as Ali.  Now Nancy Meyers just needs to decide to direct!

I recommend California Girls for fans of women's fiction and for anyone looking for a highly enjoyable beach read or weekend book to relax with.  This is a really fun read!


Author Bio
#1 NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives-family, friendship, romance. She’s known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages.Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.

Connect with Susan

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Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Beach Blanket Homicide (Whispering Bay Mystery) by Maria Geraci

Book Synopsis
Everyone agrees that Lucy McGuffin bakes the best muffins in Whispering Bay, but she’s got another talent, one that she’s tried her whole life to hide. Lucy can always tell when a person is lying or telling the truth. Being a human lie detector isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Especially when you don’t really want the answer to the universal question: Does this dress make my butt look too big?

When Lucy is hired to cater the grand opening celebration of the city’s new community center, she stumbles across the dead body of Abby Delgado, a prominent member of the Sunshine Ghost Society. Lucy’s brother, Father Sebastian, a local priest, is the last person to have seen Abby alive. Convinced he’ll be breaking a confidence, Sebastian refuses to cooperate with the police, forcing Lucy to put her skills to the test to save her brother’s good name.

Enter the town’s new hotshot deputy, Travis Fontaine. Travis doesn’t want an amateur like Lucy snooping around his turf, so he offers her a deal. He’ll stay out of her kitchen if she’ll stay away from his crime scene. But Lucy isn’t about to let her brother’s fate rest in the hands of an arrogant cop. Good thing she has her best friend Will and her new little rescue dog, Paco, to back her up, because its up to Lucy to figure out what everyone in the quaint little beachside town is hiding.


Author Bio
Maria Geraci writes quirky, fun, romantic women’s fiction and cozy mysteries. She’s a two time RITA® Finalist, as well as a finalist in the National Readers’ Choice Awards and Romantic Times’ American Title Contest. She lives in central Florida and is always on the lookout for the perfect key lime pie recipe (but not the kind they served on Dexter).

Author Links
Website – http://mariageraci.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MariaGeraciBooks
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2869532.Maria_Geraci
BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maria-geraci
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/authormariageraci/

Purchase LinkAmazon

Giveaway
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