The Secret of Lies by Barbara Forte Abate

"Propelled by an insurmountable sense of desperation, Stevie Burke is recklessly abandoning home, husband, and outwardly contented life under cover of night; at last resigned to defeat in her long battle against the tortured memories of her past.

Days later, lost and floundering in a dreary motel room without plan or destination, it is a long ago song playing on the radio that gently tugs Stevie back through the dust of remembrance. 1957 - The last summer spent at the ancient house overlooking the North Atlantic. A season which had unfolded with abundant promise, but then spiraled horribly out of control - torn apart by a shattering tragedy that remains splintered in fragments upon her soul. And it is only now, when Stevie at last lifts her eyes to stare deep into the heart of her long sequestered memories, that the long held secrets of past and future are at last unveiled."

The Secret of Lies is Barbara Forte Abate's first book. The story is intriguing. As the summer of 1957 unfolds and the story is explained through Stevie's eyes, I found myself saddened by the events in her life and wondered how she would cope with the discoveries. The family interactions were interesting and I loved the way Abate wrote the relationship between Stevie and her sister. The story then follows Stevie into adulthood as she tries to leave the tragedies of that summer behind her. She is sometimes unloveable and yet I could understand her confusion and abrasive behaviour. The ending left me a little unsettled, but I think it is because I am used to things being tied up neatly. This book leaves many questions for the reader to answer with their own imagination.

What I really loved about this book was the author's writing style. Abate has a way with words and I would often find myself stopping to read her sentences over again just to savor the beauty of the words. The story was interesting and well told. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. Abate is a good writer and I'm interested in seeing what she writes next. You can learn more about Barbara Forte Abate at her website and you can purchase the book here.

No Holly for Christmas Blog Tour

"As Brian McAlister struggles to move past being jilted not once, but twice by the only woman he's ever loved, he's all but given up on relationships. Then, on special assignment for the DA's office, he crosses paths with ex-socialite turned social worker, Holly Cavanaugh Winter-and romance blossoms. Widowed, practically penniless, and reduced to shopping at WalMart, Holly is dreading the approaching Holiday Season. However, her angst isn't due to her husband's untimely death the previous December 25th, but because of a secret that could reveal itself unless she can find a way to avoid the coming Christmas. Love at first sight quickly turns frigid for Brian and Holly when Holly gets pulled into a manhunt for an accused murderer who now has his sights set on her. His case unraveling, Brian finds himself tasked with keeping Holly and her two daughters safe while bringing an assassin and the powerful man who hired him to justice. A heart-warming story of suspense, healing, giving and receiving, No Holly for Christmas is the perfect addition to everyone's holiday reading list."

This isn't your standard Christmas story. Julie N. Ford has written a book full of romance and suspense - my favorite combination. The best thing about this book is the characterization. All the characters are flawed and their stories are interesting. As the book began, I found I could understand the characters and why they acted the way they did, though I didn't like them very much. As they developed I grew to like them. It was fun to watch the characters grow and change throughout the book.

It did take me just over a hundred pages to get truly caught up in the story, but I'm glad I read it through to the end because the suspense built and by the end of the book I couldn't put it down. If you want a Christmas story that is a little different, this is a good choice. You can read more about Julie here and purchase the book here.

Eclectic Books Catalog

If you are looking for books to give as Christmas gifts or even to stock you own shelves, check out the Eclectic Books catalog. Every book in this catalog is a clean read and look great under the Christmas tree. You'll find everything: YA, romance, suspense, non-fiction, and more. You'll find Double Deceit and Finding Rose there, too. So take a few minutes to check it out and give the gift of words this Christmas.

Bitter Blessings Blog Tour

Megan has the perfect life, but when her mother dies in an accident, everything spins out of control. With the rest of her family falling apart, Megan must confront her past to uncover the truths that will keep everyone together. Thought-provoking and heartfelt, this book shows that even in times of trial, you can often find blessings.  -Deseret Book.com

Every once in a while I pick up a book that I have to read until it is finished. Bitter Blessings by Christine Mehring was one of those books. I thought I would read a chapter or two while the kids were brushing their teeth and gathering their backpacks for school. A little while later the book was finished. The premise of the story was compelling enough that I kept turning the page to find out what Megan would do about the family's problems.

It is interesting to watch the strugges and triumphs of Megan, and interesting to watch her grow. This is a good read with lots to think about. It would make a great Christmas present for the teenagers and adults in your life.

Variant Book Bomb

What is a book bomb? A book bomb is when we ask people to all buy the same book on the same day. This pushes the book up in the Amazon rankings and provides much needed exposure for the author. I wanted to pass on the information about the Variant book bomb. Larry Correia started this through his blog. Here is what he had to say about Rob Wells and his book Variant:
 
"Normally I wouldn’t bomb the same book again, but Rob is also going through a really tough time. A little while ago he was diagnosed with a severe panic disorder. Basically, something in his brain chemistry has gone out of whack, and his fight or flight reflex is constantly switched on. As a result this has really screwed up his life. He has been trying to get it under control and his doctors have been experimenting with different treatments trying to find the one that will click.


Recently, Rob was laid off from his day job as a result of his illness. This is a real financial hardship for him and his family.


What many people don’t realize about writers is that we keep our day jobs until we have about five or six books in circulation, and sometimes longer depending on how well they are selling. Writing isn’t the most steady of paychecks. (I’m doing well enough now that I could just be a writer, but I happen to love my day job, so I plan on doing it for probably another year). You’ve got to earn back the advance and even then you only get paid every six months. Variant is Rob’s first book on the national market. He had a ways to go before he would be able to quit the day job, but his illness totally wrecked that plan.


So I want to book bomb the HELL out of Variant. I want to shove that thing up the bestseller lists on Amazon and I want to give my friend a hand.


What is a book bomb? Well, Amazon has its own bestseller list. It is calculated hourly and you are given a sales rank based up on how you stack up against the other six million books on there. It is some sort of strange rolling average algorhythm, but what it comes down to is, the more books that are purchased during that particular time frame, the higher you rank. The higher you rank, the more of their top 50 or top 10 lists you show up on. The more of those you show up on, the higher you go, the more attention you get, the more books you sell.


By getting as many people as possible to purchase the book on a single day, it really kicks a book up the rankings."

Variant would make a great Christmas gift for the YA readers in your life. My son will find one under the tree this year. (It's a good thing he doesn't take the time to read my blog).


Amazon link to Variant: http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=monshuntnati-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0062026089&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

A New Normal

Most summers my children entertain themselves by swimming, reading, and hanging out with friends. That still happened this year, but I found myself putting my own projects aside to spend more time with the kids. I knew that our household would change in September when my oldest daughter left home to go to university and I wanted to enjoy having them all together.

Many of my summer hours were taken up with getting her ready to move several hours away from home. I spent time sewing new dresses for both my girls and catching up on a few other projects. I de-junked the house and my family held a successful garage sale. We spent a weekend in Montana at the water slides and came back over Logan Pass in Glacier Park. (Breathtaking view. Breath-holding drive. The Going-to-the-Sun highway consists of a very narrow, winding road with no shoulder and sheer drops.) What I enjoyed the most this summer was the many hours I spent just talking to my daughter.

I'm excited she is at school and having new adventures, but there is a definite empty spot in our home. I can't imagine how my own mother sent me to university back in the days when phone calls were expensive, text was in a book or newspaper, and the internet was in its infancy. I'm so grateful for email and skype. My daughter and I talk several times a week, and my two younger kids can talk to her whenever they see she is on the computer. I miss her, but I'm so excited to hear all the things she is learning and discovering.

We are finally settling into a new normal at home. The chores have been redivided and I'm learning to cook a little less oatmeal in the morning. I'm still on the sub list at the school and I've taken on four sewing students. But even with all the emotional upheaval and changes, there are stories percolating in my mind. My fingers are itching to get back to the computer and see what adventures I find.

Monarch Winner

The winner is:

NAT