Book Review and Giveaway - Sisters One, Two, Three by Nancy Star

Book Synopsis

After a tragic accident on Martha’s Vineyard, keeping secrets becomes a way of life for the Tangle family. With memories locked away, the sisters take divergent paths. Callie disappears, Mimi keeps so busy she has no time to think, and Ginger develops a lifelong aversion to risk that threatens the relationships she holds most dear.

When a whispered comment overheard by her rebellious teenage daughter forces Ginger to reveal a long-held family secret, the Tangles’ carefully constructed web of lies begins to unravel. Upon the death of Glory, the family’s colorful matriarch, and the return of long-estranged Callie, Ginger resolves to return to Martha’s Vineyard and piece together what really happened on that calamitous day when a shadow fell over four sun-kissed siblings playing at the shore. Along with Ginger’s newfound understanding come the keys to reconciliation: with her mother, with her sisters, and with her daughter.

At turns heartbreaking, humorous, and hopeful, Sisters One, Two, Three explores not only the consequences of secrets—even secrets kept out of love—but also the courage it takes to speak the truth, to forgive, and to let go. 


Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

 

My Review

Sisters One, Two, Three begins with the Tangle family.  There are four children:  Ginger, Mimi, Charlie, and Callie.  The parents are want-to-be-actress Glory, and Solly, who owns a toy business.  During a pivotal summer long ago (early 1970's from details like Space Food Sticks and psychadelic signs), Glory and the four children travel to Martha's Vineyard.  Tragedy occurs and changes the family.

 

The story flashes back to the past and forward to the present, with cautious Ginger, busy Mimi, and always adventurous Callie.  I found these characters well drawn and interesting;  I had a hard time putting the book down at night, and will admit that I stayed up several nights reading past my bedtime.

 

This is a beautifully written book, with dialogue that rings true and a plot that moves in threads that connect as the story moves on.  It is a moving story of family secrets and love.

 

I really enjoyed reading Sisters One, Two, Three, and will look for more books by Nancy Star.  Readers who enjoy women's fiction, family drama, and compelling storytelling will enjoy this book.  

 

Author Bio

Nancy Star is the author of four previous novels: Carpool Diem, Up Next, Now This, and Buried Lives. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in the New York Times, Family Circle, Diversion magazine, and on the web. Before embarking on her writing career, Nancy worked for more than a decade as a movie executive in the film business, dividing her time between New York and London. She has two grown daughters and a son-in-law and now lives in New Jersey with her husband. 


Connect with Nancy

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win a copy of Sisters, One, Two, Three.  Giveaway is open to readers in the U.S. and Canada, and ends 1/20.  The winner will be notified by email, and needs to respond within 48 hours.  The author or her publicist will send the book directly to the winner.

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I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours.

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - River City Dead by Nancy G. West

Book Synopsis

Aggie Mundeen, who advises readers in her column, “Stay Young with Aggie,” is pushing forty and determined to postpone a precipitous descent into middle-age. She plans to rendezvous with SAPD Detective Sam Vanderhoven at a hotel on the San Antonio River Walk…a vacation from crime and reset for their tumultuous relationship. In the midst of River City during Fiesta Week, what could go wrong?

Aggie’s new friends, the Fabulous Femmes, are holding their convention at the hotel. When hotel guests are murdered, Aggie discovers her friends have disturbing backgrounds. Evil surfaces at Fiesta events, and Aggie’s dancing debut at a Fiesta performance at Arneson River Theater is fraught with danger. Even in idyllic River City, crime complicates relationships.

Books in the Aggie Mundeen Humorous Mystery Series:

•FIT TO BE DEAD (#1)
•DANG NEAR DEAD (#2)
•SMART, BUT DEAD (#3)
•RIVER CITY DEAD (#4)

Author Bio
I’ve been writing since age seven: poems back and forth with my mom. I had a real poem published in the Library Journal, Pegasus, at age fifteen. At eighteen, I wanted to study journalism and English literature, but friends who chose that college route were making minimum wage or selling lingerie. Being practical, I earned a business degree. After marriage and two children, I decided I HAD to study literature and write. I wrote non-fiction articles, a biography, and a suspense novel in 2004. That’s when whimsical Aggie Mundeen cut through the suspense, popped into my head and demanded her own series. The Aggie Mundeen mystery capers were born. Aggie must have been right: FIT TO BE DEAD is a LEFTY FINALIST 2013 for best humorous mystery, nominated by Left Coast Crime.

Links
Chat with Aggie and Nancy on their blog: www.stayyoungwithaggie.wordress.com
Author’s Webpage: http://www.nancygwest.com/
Author Page at Henery Press: http://henerypress.com/authors-humorous-mystery-series-authors/nancy-g-west/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6442929.Nancy_G_West

Purchase Links
Amazon  B&N

Giveaway
(1) Print Copy River City Dead by Nancy G. West - U.S. ONLY.  Ends 1/20/17.
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Dear Abby - The Return -- With Resolutions!

Dear Friends,

I'm back!  I missed chatting with you here.  How was your holiday?  I had a lovely time.  Here's my Christmas card picture for 2016:

I had a wonderful Christmas with my family.  I got treats, toys, and lots of lap time!   Here are a couple of pictures from Christmas day.  My human Grandma is helping me try on a Santa hat in this picture:

... and here I am with my new toys!   I played with them for a few minutes before deciding they function very well as pillows.  I love to cuddle with my soft toys.

I even made time to write a few New Year's resolutions: 

1. Take quiet time to reflect upon life.

2. Always be ready with a warm kiss.

3. Nap whenever you can!

4. And, of course, do your best to avoid thunderstorms!

I have some themes ahead for this year.  I'm debating between two for upcoming blog posts.  I'll make a decision and ask for your participation next week.

I'd love to hear from you!  Did you have a nice holiday season?  Did you - or your pets - make any resolutions?  You can leave me a message in the comments, below.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Book Review and Giveaway - Fudge and Jury by Ellie Alexander

Book Synopsis

Welcome to Torte–a friendly, small-town family bakery where the pastries are delicious…and, now, suspicious.

It’s almost spring in Ashland, Oregon, and the town is preparing for the Shakespeare and the annual Chocolate Festival. Business is cookin’ at Torte, and the store is expanding as Jules’ team whips up crèpes filled with mascarpone cheese and dark chocolate. Torte stands a chance of being this year’s confectionery belle of the ball! Life couldn’t be sweeter—unless murder taints the batter.

Evan Rowe, of Confections Couture, makes a chocolate fountain that would put Willy Wonka to shame, and his truffles are to die for—literally? Yes, the world-renowned chocolatier has just turned up dead…right after sampling a slice of Jules’ decadent four-layer chocolate cake. Now all eyes are on Jules as she tries to find the mysterious ingredient in her own recipe. Can she sift out the truth before another contestant bites the buttercream?

 

 

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

 

My Review

Fudge and Jury is the fifth book in Ellie Alexander's A Bakeshop Mystery series.  It is set in Ashland, Oregon.  Juliet Montague Capshaw - Jules for short - prepares sumptuous treats for the annual Chocolate Festival that coincides with the town's Shakespeare Festival.  Unfortunately, a chocolatier dies after tasting one of Jules' cakes.  

 

Fudge and Jury is a charming mystery set in the picturesque Pacific Northwest.  I loved the town, as depicted in this novel, and found the characters very likeable and engaging as well.

 

This is my first Bakeshop Mystery book, but I had no problem catching up with the characters and storyline.

 

The characters are well developed and the mystery is well written, with a storyline that moves along at a steady pace.

 

Foodies will love the baking details in this book!  I loved details like this description:

 

"The Swiss buttercream had a bright coffee finish and just the right balance of bitterness to sweetness.  It spread on the cakes like butter.  Next, I filled a piping bag with more buttercream and started the painstaking task of piping a delicate trim around the border of each cake.  Then I used a closed star tip to hand-pipe individual tiny stars on the sides of the cakes.  The look was both rustic and chic.  When we transported them to the Chocolate Fest I would decorate the tops with Oregon berries and greenery.  It would give them a pop of color and tie in with my forest theme" (pp. 24 - 25).

 

Fudge and Jury is full of this type of mouthwatering descriptions and details!  Add that to the mystery, the character driven plot, and the charming town, and you have a perfect cozy mystery for a weekend read. 

 

Author Bio

Ellie Alexander writes the bestselling Bakeshop Mystery series for St. Martin’s Press, set in the Shakespearean town of Ashland, Oregon and featuring a romantic, artisan pastry chef, Juliet Montague Capshaw.

Ellie is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research.

 

Connect with Ellie

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win a copy of this book.  Open to U.S. and Canada.  Enter with the Rafflecopter form, below.  A winner will be drawn 1/14/17 and notified by email.  Winner must respond within 48 hours.  The book will be mailed directly to the winner by the author or her publicist.

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I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours.

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Telling Tails by Sofie Ryan

Book Synopsis
The New York Times bestselling author of A Whisker of Trouble returns as secondhand shop owner Sarah Grayson and her rescue cat, Elvis, get caught up in a case of she said, she said…. 

When Sarah Grayson opened a secondhand shop in the quaint town of North Harbor, Maine, she was expecting peace and quiet. Then she was adopted by a rescue cat named Elvis and a kooky trio of senior sleuths known as Charlotte’s Angels. Now she has nine lives worth of excitement…

Sarah’s friend and employee Rose is delivering a customer’s purchase when the quick errand becomes a deadly escapade. Rose arrives just in time to see the customer murdered by his wife, but before she can call the police, she is knocked out cold. When she wakes up, no one believes her, especially after the woman claims her husband is very much alive and has left her for someone else—and has a text message and empty bank account to prove it.

Despite her convincing story, Sarah is sure something is fishy—and it’s not Elvis’s kitty treats. Sarah, Elvis, and the Angels are determined to unravel this mysterious yarn, before the feral killer pounces again…

Author Bio
Sofie Ryan/Sofie Kelly is the pseudonym of author and mixed-media artist, Darlene Ryan. Sofie/Darlene lives on the east coast with her husband and daughter. In her spare time she practices Wu style tai chi and likes to prowl around thrift stores. And she admits to having a small crush on Matt Lauer. 

Webpage

Purchase Links:

Pre-order at: Amazon.ca Amazon Barnes&Noble Books•A•Million Chapters IndieBound

Giveaway
(3) Print Copy - Telling Tails by Sofie Ryan - U.S. ONLY
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