The picture does not do this card justice. The paper is SEI so it is super shiny. The cardstock is pearlized. I embossed the leaf in gold.
As you can see, the book mark pulls off for easy use. I found a you tube video for the directions. You can see it Here. I may use this as my Christmas Cards.
Thanks for stopping by!
Reeca
Overview
Molly Harper brings her signature “clever humor, snark, silliness, and endearing protagonists” (Booklist) to the charming small town of Lake Sackett, Georgia with the new Southern Eclectic series.
Carl and Marianne were high school sweethearts, loving the way only teenagers can—with no thought to logic or pride, just a bone-headed, optimistic frenzy of unicorns and hormones. That was all they needed. Or so Carl thought.
Scared of being stuck in Lake Sackett, Georgia, like so many of her friends—without a real shot at a future or achieving her own dreams—Marianne panicked and bolted to college after stomping Carl’s heart into the high grass. But when she returns to Lake Sackett for the summer with her family after years away, she and Carl are drawn together like moths to a flame. As they rekindle their old romance and remember what it was like to be in love, they have to wonder: is this, finally, their real chance at happiness?
Perfect for fans of Kristan Higgins and Amy E. Reichert, this warmhearted and witty love story introduces Molly Harper’s new Southern Eclectic series set in the small town of Lake Sackett, Georgia. This story about second chances proves that “Molly Harper never lets the reader down with her delightfully entertaining stories. Humor, emotions, and romance are cleverly matched, and her likable characters are most appealing”
Review
Marianne has left her small town of Lake Sackett, GA. She is determined to make something of herself and get away from the family business, a funeral home and bait shop (yep!! You heard me right). She is following her dream at the cost many of her friends and family, especially Carl, her first and only true love.
Carl is the strong silent type and I fell in love with him immediately. I definitely see the attraction between him and Marianne. I also understand Marianne’s need to escape and create a life away from Lake Sackett. She has been accepted into law school and her determination to reach her dream has blinded her to the good things about her friends, family and her hometown.
I think Molly Harper is becoming one of my favorite authors. I adored Sweet Tea and Sympathy . This novella follows the same family. With the quirky comments and the sly wit, what is there not to love! The characters are true southerners and their antics, especially Tootie, are unforgettable. Grab this one up and start smiling!
I received this novella from Simon and Schuster a part of #XOXPERTS
Purchase here
OVERVIEW
#1 New York Times, #1 Publisher’s Weekly and #1 IndieBound bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz has written some of the most beloved and entertaining novels—including Disney’s Descendants novels, Alex and Eliza, Blue Bloods and Witches of East End—for readers of all ages. De la Cruz now applies her storytelling skills to a gender-swapped, holiday- themed twist on Jane Austen’s masterpiece in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND MISTLETOE (St. Martin’s Press; October 17, 2017), her first novel for adults since her bestselling Witches of East End series. With an endearing but snooty Miss Darcy and the sexy slouch Luke Bennett, sparks will fly in Pemberley, Ohio during the Christmas season—as long as the two characters can get over their hang-ups and succumb to the magic of the mistletoe.
Darcy Fitzwilliam is 29, beautiful, successful, and brilliant. She dates hedge funders and basketball stars and is never without her three cellphones—one for work, one for play, and one to throw at her assistant (just kidding). Darcy’s never fallen in love, never has time for anyone else’s drama, and never goes home for Christmas if she can help it. But when her mother falls ill, she feels obligated to come home to Pemberley, to spend the holiday with her family.
Her parents throw their annual Christmas bash, where she meets one Luke Bennet, the smart, sardonic slacker son of their neighbor. Luke is 32-years-old and has never left home. He’s a carpenter who makes beautiful furniture and is content with his simple life. He comes from a family of five brothers, each one less ambitious than the other. When Darcy and Luke fall into bed after too many eggnogs, Darcy thinks it’s just another one-night stand. So why can’t she stop thinking about Luke? He’s so irritating—and yet? Can she fall in love, or will her pride and his prejudice against big- city girls stand in their way?
About the author
Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, #1 Publisher’s Weekly and #1 IndieBound bestselling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages. Her more than thirty books have also topped the USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists and have been published in over twenty countries.
De la Cruz’s novel, The Isle of the Lost, the prequel to the Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants, spent more than fifty weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, fifteen at #1, and has over a million copies in print. Descendants starring Kristen Chenoweth and Dove Cameron is the #1 cable TV movie of 2015, and #5 of all time, and its soundtrack is the #1 bestselling album on iTunes. The Isle of the Lost’s sequel, Return to the Isle of the Lost, also hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and the third book in the series, Rise of the Isle of the Lost, will publish on May 23, 2017 in advance of the Disney Channel’s Descendants2 movie, which premieres July 21, 2017.
De la Cruz is also best-known for the Blue Bloods series (with three million copies in print), and the Witches of East End series, which was turned into a two-season drama series starring Julia Ormond, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Rachel Boston and Mädchen Amick on Lifetime Television. Most recently, HarlequinTEEN’s Seventeen magazine imprint published her young adult novel, Something in Between, based on her own experiences with being an immigrant. Alex & Eliza, about the love story of a young Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler, debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list.
Melissa is also the co-director of YALLFEST (Charleston, SC) and the co-founder of YALLWEST (Santa Monica CA), the two largest and most vibrant young adult book festivals in the country, that attract more than 30,000 readers every year.
A former fashion and beauty editor, Melissa has written for The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
She grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. At Columbia University, she majored in art history and English.
Melissa de la Cruz lives in West Hollywood with her husband and daughter. http://www.melissa-delacruz.com; https://twitter.com/MelissadelaCruz
https://www.facebook.com/authorMelissadelaCruz/
Review
Darcy is strong enough to say no to the family money and runaway to NYC to make money of her own. She becomes partner in a hedge fund company and is independently wealthy. After 8 years away, her mother has a heart attack and she must return home and face her father and the rest of her friends and family in Pemberley, Ohio.
Darcy starts out as a strong, take no prisoners type of person. She becomes a blithering idiot after she runs into Luke. Luke is an old rival and to be honest, I wasn’t real fond of him. He is not a nice person in the beginning. But, I do see the attraction of Darcy and Luke. There is a mild complication. Darcy has an on again off again flame. Plus, Luke is ENGAGED!!All of them become rivals and they being to cause some trouble, at Christmas no less!!
I enjoyed Darcy for the most part. I was not impressed with her character especially when Luke was around. And Luke was definitely not the match I would want for her. But, he grows on me as the novel moves along.
This is a simple, predictable, palate cleanser. All the mistletoe and the decorations create a scene from a Christmas movie. Pretty good book to get you in the Christmas spirit!
I received this novel from St. Martin’s Press for a honest review.
Overview
Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups is a jumble of genres—seven hundred pages of fiction and nonfiction … some stories included against the author’s better judgment. If he had known that one day they’d be published, he might not have been as honest when describing his past. Here is a tome of true stories about the author’s criminal and misspent youth, historical accounts of the United States when She was young, and tales of imagination encompassing every conceivable variety—all presented as though the author is sitting next to you at a bar and you’re buying the drinks as long as he keeps coming up with captivating stories to hold your interest.
Comprised of 218,000 words, you’ll have plenty to read for the foreseeable future. This is a book to have on your night table, to sample a story each night before extinguishing the lights and drifting off to a restful sleep.
Mr. Joyce sincerely hopes that you will enjoy his stories because, as he has stated, “It took a lot of living to come up with the material for some of them.”
From Andrew Joyce
Hello, my name is Andrew Joyce. I’m here today to try to sell a few books. I have a new book out entitled Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups. And I thought it might help if I brought my dog along because he’s a bit more articulate than I am. We’re here to discuss a few of our favorite things. But first, I’d like to introduce you to Danny the Dog.
Say hello, Danny.
Hello.
Could you be a bit more enthusiastic?
Could you get on with it? You dragged me away from a Lassie rerun. She was just about to save Timmy, who fell into a well. I wanted to see how she was gonna do it, seeing as she has no opposable thumbs. You never know, I might have to save you from a well someday. Then you’ll be sorry you didn’t let me finish watching my show.
Okay. Let’s just get down to it. I’ll say my favorite things first and then you can tell the nice people about your favorite things.
Why do you get to go first?
It really doesn’t matter to me, Danny. Do you want to go first?
No.
Boy, oh boy! You are something else. I’m sorry, folks, but Danny seems to be in a mood today. I’ll start the ball rolling by telling you some of my favorite things.
Make sure they’re not too sappy.
Be quiet, Danny. Okay, here goes. I like getting up early to see the sun rise out of the ocean. I like rainy days when I can stay inside and read a good book. I like a good cup of coffee, and happy endings in movies. Now it’s your turn, Danny.
Whoa! Are you kidding me? What are you trying to do, fool these poor people? I’ll tell ’em what you really like.
No need to do that, Danny. I’m just trying to sell some books here.
Hush. If you want to sell books, then be honest with the people. It’s my turn and I’ll use it to tell the people what you’re really like. Andrew’s favorite thing is vodka. Then there’s his obsession with beer. You should see him when he has a snootful. He’s just like Hemingway. I don’t mean he can write like Hemingway, but he sure can drink like him.
Thanks a lot, Danny.
I’m not done yet. Sunrises? Andrew hasn’t seen a sunrise since I was a pup. And coffee? Of course, he loves coffee. He puts three shots of vodka in every cup. I will admit he does read a lot, rain or shine.
You are a bad doggie, Danny. Alright, you blew my cover, but we still haven’t heard about your favorite things.
I thought you’d never ask. I love to sniff where other dogs have peed. I love our walks in the morning when it’s just the two of us. I love it when, after our walks, you give me those treats. But do you want to know what I love the most?
I’m afraid to ask.
I love you. I’m hard on you because I’m trying to keep you on the straight and narrow. An impossible task, I think. But I’ll keep trying.
Aww shucks, Danny.
Can we get out of here now? There’s an old Rin Tin Tin movie on TCM that I don’t want to miss.
Sure, Danny. Let me just thank Reeca for having us over.
Thank her for me too. It wasn’t so bad.
Thank you, Reeca.
IS DANNY NOT THE CUTEST THING EVER – Reeca
Purchase here
About the author
NOW HE LOOKS LIKE A CONVICT-Reeca (JUST KIDDING! He is one of the sweetest guys in the blogging world- his dog is sweeter! 😂)
Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. He wouldn’t return from his journey until years later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written five books. His first novel, Redemption: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, was awarded the Editors’ Choice Award for Best Western of 2013. A subsequent novel, Yellow Hair, received the Book of the Year award from Just Reviews and Best Historical Fiction of 2016 from Colleen’s Book Reviews.
Joyce now lives aboard a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his dog, Danny, where he is busy working on his next book, tentatively entitled, Mahoney: An American Story.
Thank you for stopping by Andrew Joyce!! This book looks fabulous!!
I have no idea how I ever found out about IndieBRAG. I am sure it was just cruising around the internet. But, I have been a huge fan for a while. I love what they do and how they do it. Anything to help authors get the word out is super in my book.
Here is some information about this wonderful company plus an interview with the president.
Who is IndiBrag
Our mission is to discover talented self-published authors and help them give their work the attention and recognition it deserves. Our primary focus is fiction across a wide range of genres; however, we selectively consider non-fiction books as well.
It is important to note that indieBRAG is not a paid book review website or service and that being nominated for and/or receiving the B.R.A.G. Medallion, or any other feedback provided by indieBRAG or one or more of its readers, does not constitute and should not be interpreted to represent a book review. It is intended to simply provide impartial feedback to the author.
How did IndieBRAG come about?
My husband is a retired corporate executive and a self-published author. When he published his books quite a few years ago, we thought we had a leg up on promoting the books due to his career. This was when self-publishing was just taking off and we discovered two things about self-publishing:
The positive was that anyone could publish a book
The negative was that anyone could publish a book!
The market was flooded with so many poorly written, badly edited and unprofessionally produced books that it seemed impossible for the ones that deserved attention to rise to the top.
We began contacting a number of book clubs and asked if they would consider reading a few SP books and let us know what they thought. We knew from experience that getting all members of any group to agree a book was good wasn’t easy and ones that did pass this test deserved attention. So the B.R.A.G. Medallion, Book Readers Appreciation Group, was born!
What exactly does IndieBRAG do?
We now have nearly 300 readers globally who have signed up to read for us. We send them a list of book suggestions from our submitted books in the genres they request, we “gift” them the book and when they complete the book they fill out a report card. Our readers are kept anonymous so that they can be honest with their comments and decision without any pressure from the author, other reader or even us. The books that the readers deem “worth a reader’s time and money” are then awarded the B.R.A.G.Medallion and we do what we can to shine a light on them. Our readers are not all professionals- they are people who love books. We require at least a high school leaving but many of our readers do have advanced degrees. Some are authors, bloggers, editors but all are book lovers.
Think of us as the “Good Housekeeping” award for books. We are not book snobs. We read historical fiction alongside vampires! We are looking for good storytelling done to a professional standard.
How many authors take advantage of your services and is there a fee for the authors?
Our readers have considered thousands of books and to date, we have honored 811 books. In the beginning only about 90% of the books submitted made it through the system to receive the medallion but as time has gone by and our reputation for quality increased, it is now about 75%. Authors know it is a waste of money to submit a book that isn’t done to the best of their ability. We do charge a fee. I might add, that as our fee rose, so did the quality of books being submitted! We purchase all the books that we send out along with maintain an active website and social media. Our team is very dedicated and love what they do.
It is important for authors to know that they are not out there competing with self-published books but all books and the vast majority of readers never consider who publishes a book. Self-publishing is not an excuse for a poorly presented book. With services such as Createspace, authors can create their own publishing name so it is even less relevant to the readers. What is relevant is a good book. An author very seldom gets a second chance at a good first impression. If you put a bad books out with the expectation that you will do better the next time, you have to know that readers will probably not bother with reading your new book if they were burned the first time!
Tell us a little about yourself?
I am a wife, mother and grandmother. I was trained as a registered nurse but due to international moves, gave up that career and focused on home. One thing that was constant was my love of books. When my husband was a graduate student, I took the opportunity to read every book that was considered a “must read” that I had never had the time to read before. Books by authors such as Shakespeare, Austen, and Bronte –practically every author featured at the university book store!
When Bob began writing, I was his muse. We talked about plots and characters and considered scenarios. I was so thrilled to be a part of it. Although I would say I have quite an imagination, I am not a skilled story teller—that is his expertise!
Can you tell us about any awards or authors’ achievements?
Many of our authors have become bestselling authors- New York Times, Washington Post, Amazon etc. Some authors have gained notice from publishers and have decided to traditionally publish their next books. We do not encourage an “us against them” philosophy when it comes to publishing. We do encourage authors to do what is best for them and they are always B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree authors and their books remain on our library even if they choose to have that book re-published by a traditional publisher.
Many of our authors have become respected and honored for their work winning many prestigious awards. Some have become sought after speakers in their genre and self-publishing. We attend a number of conferences and seminars and I am always thrilled to see indieBRAG authors there speaking and sharing their expertise. Several of the panels we have had the opportunity to present included some of our authors.
We will be in Philadelphia next month at the Bookbaby Independent Authors Conference and know we will be seeing a number of our authors. I invite any authors out there to stop by and say hello and, if you are new, come learn more about indieBRAG!
“Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it.” William Faulkner From IndieBRAG blog.
Check this service out! Amazing place for readers and authors!
How I’m Spending My Afterlife
By Spencer Fleury
Genre: Noir, Suspense, General
Alton Carver has a problem.
A cocky lawyer in his mid-30s, he’s under federal investigation for embezzling and securities fraud. Instead of spending the next three to five years behind bars, he’s got a plan: stage his own death, take the money he stole and light out for Central America, leaving behind wife Nicole and daughter Clara. But when he sticks around town long enough to watch his own funeral, he makes the unpleasant discovery that the life he’s leaving behind isn’t the life he thought he had.
When he overhears the way his former colleagues talk about him now that he’s “gone,” Alton is forced to reconsider his self-image as a respected and admired pillar of the legal community. Then the shock of seeing Nicole in the arms of another man leads Alton to postpone his plan to run for the border. What comes next is a slow-burn train wreck, a tale of self-deception, revenge and bad decisions.
About the Author
Spencer Fleury has worked as a sailor, copywriter, economics professor and record store clerk, among other disreputable professions. He was born in the Detroit suburbs, spent most of his life in Florida, and now lives in San Francisco. How I’m Spending My Afterlife is his first novel.
http://www.facebook.com/spencer.fleury
http://www.twitter.com/spencerfleury
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-im-spending-my-afterlife-spencer-fleury/1126718547
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35662380-how-i-m-spending-my-afterlife
Overview
A charming, glamourous love story set at Claridge’s in London during the magical week before Christmas starring a sweet NYC baker and the Cooking Channel Producer who could change her life.
It’s a week before Christmas and Louisa Graham is working twelve hour shifts at a bakery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. When a young cooking show assistant comes in from the rain and begs to buy all the cinnamon rolls on her tray, she doesn’t know what to do. Louisa is just the baker, and they aren’t hers to sell. But the show burned the rolls they were supposed to film that day, so she agrees.
The next morning, Louisa finds out that her cinnamon rolls were a hit, but the star of the show was allergic, and the whole crew is supposed to leave for London that afternoon. They want Louisa to step in for their annual Christmas Eve Dinner TV special at Claridge’s. It’s a great opportunity, and Digby Bunting, Louisa’s famous baking idol, will be there. Even if he does seem more interested in her than her food.
And then there’s Kate, the show’s beautiful producer. On their first day in London she runs into the skinny boy she jilted at St. Andrew’s in Scotland ten years ago. Now he’s a handsome, brilliant mathematician, and newly divorced. Their familiar spark is still there, but so is the scar of how they left things. Kate and Louisa are busy preparing for the show, but old and new flames are complicating their work.
Set during London’s most festive time of year and filled with delicious food, Christmas in London is about love and friendship, and the season’s most important lesson: learning how to ask for and give forgiveness.
Review
Noah is in a bind. His star on his cooking show has had an allergic reaction and cannot get to London to film. He manages to capture Louisa (in more ways than one). She agrees to be an understudy and Noah whisks her off to London, at Christmas course. Kate is the producer of the show. While she is in London she runs into more than one old flame!
Right off the bat, you need to be warned! DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE ON A DIET! The food in the book is mouthwatering!
There are two storylines in the read, Noah and Louisa and Kate and Trevor. Noah and Louisa are just learning about each other and everything is fresh and new. Kate and Trevor have been here before. There have been some past hurts which they need to overcome.
I just love the characters in their story. Trevor is my favorite. He is a smart, charming introvert! He and Kate have a lot to work through. Noah is also a super sweet guy. He just needs to be a little more confident. He gets there in the end.
The setting is so freaking amazing!! The sights and sounds of London peel through this book. I LOVED reading about London at Christmas. I do not know why, but I have never even considered London at Christmas. But now it is on my BUCKET LIST. Oh and the awesome pastries and the smells of famous recipes…oh MY!! I think I gained 10 pounds just reading this book!
This is A charming and enchanting read! It is the perfect book to get you into the Christmas spirit. (In October no less!)
I received this novel from the publisher and Netgalley for a honest review.
Pictures of London at Christmas! ENCHANTING!
Purchase Here
Overview
From perennial bestseller Diane Chamberlain, a compelling new novel
In 1944, twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly ends her engagement to the love of her life when she marries a mysterious stranger and moves to Hickory, North Carolina, a small town struggling with racial tension and the hardships imposed by World War II. Tess’s new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows no interest in making love. Tess quickly realizes she’s trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.
The people of Hickory love and respect Henry and see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain, especially after one of the town’s prominent citizens dies in a terrible accident and Tess is blamed. Tess suspects people are talking about her, plotting behind her back, and following her as she walks around town. What does everyone know about Henry that she does not? Feeling alone and adrift, Tess turns to the one person who seems to understand her, a local medium who gives her hope but seems to know more than he’s letting on.
When a sudden polio epidemic strikes the town, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital. Tess, who has a nursing degree, bucks Henry’s wishes and begins to work at the hospital, finding meaning in nursing the young victims. Yet at home, Henry’s actions grow more alarming by the day. As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle her husband’s mysterious behavior and save her own life?
Review
This novel starts out a little slow, basically because the first part of the story is “nothing new”. Tess makes a huge mistake and gets pregnant. She marries the father of her child and moves to Hickory, NC. The tale then escalates with all her adjustments and the mysteries surrounding her new husband.
This story has many plots folded all into one. It really keeps you humming along. Henry with his mysterious comings and goings, Vincent, the heart broken fiancé, the polio clinic, the racist attitude of the town, all of this weave into a saga which is absorbing on many levels. Plus! You must read about Reverend Sam. He is a character which stole my heart!! I also enjoyed learning about the Polio clinic. (Which is true!) The town of Hickory did put up a polio clinic in 54 hours.
The only reason I am giving this 4 stars is Tess. She is a little infuriating. She is not as strong as I want her to be. She takes way too much off of her mother-in-law and many others in the town. There were places I wanted to pop her and say “SPEAK UP FOR YOURSELF!”
I have only read one other book by Diane Chamberlain and I adored it. I have no idea why I have not picked up her other books. I must! I love her plot turns and her rich historical detail!
I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.
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Overview
A shirt-grabbing, page-turning love story that follows a one-of-a-kind family through twists of fate that require nearly unimaginable choices.
Happiness begins with a charming courtship between hopelessly attracted opposites: Heather, a world-roaming California girl, and Brian, an intellectual, homebody writer, kind and slyly funny, but loath to leave his Upper West Side studio. Their magical interlude ends, full stop, when Heather becomes pregnant – Brian is sure he loves her, only he doesn’t want kids. Heather returns to California to deliver their daughter alone, buoyed by family and friends. Mere hours after Gracie’s arrival, Heather’s bliss is interrupted when a nurse wakes her, “Get dressed, your baby is in trouble.”
This is not how Heather had imagined new motherhood – alone, heartsick, an unexpectedly solo caretaker of a baby who smelled “like sliced apples and salted pretzels” but might be perilously ill. Brian reappears as Gracie’s condition grows dire; together Heather and Brian have to decide what they are willing to risk to ensure their girl sees adulthood.
The grace and humor that ripple through Harpham’s writing transform the dross of heartbreak and parental fears into a clear-eyed, warm-hearted view of the world. Profoundly moving and subtly written, Happiness radiates in many directions – new, romantic love; gratitude for a beautiful, inscrutable world; deep, abiding friendship; the passion a parent has for a child; and the many unlikely ways to build a family. Ultimately it’s a story about love and happiness, in their many crooked configurations.
Review
I do not even know where to start. I usually do not read books where children might be harmed. I usually cannot get through them. When I was asked to read this story, I didn’t actually catch on it was about a child. I saw love story and the cover and thought, “ok, looks pretty good.” OH BOY!! What a ride!
The blurb of this memoir says it is a love story. I guess it kind of is. But to me, that is not where the focus lies. The focus is really about the challenges facing a family who has a sick child. I cannot fathom going through everything this mother and this whole family went through.
Heather is a new mother and apparently single, even though this was not what she intended. She finds herself in an impossible situation when something is terribly wrong with her newborn daughter. And like the title says…”The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After” that is where the story leads. And, believe me, it is crooked!
This is a super good read and so well written. I really thought I was reading a fiction tale. It is engrossing is many places. When I had to actually put the book down because life happens, I found myself thinking about Gracie. It is a tear-jerker and heart wrenching in places, but it is ALL heart and soul!
Please do not fail to read this one! Excellent!
I received this memoir from the publisher for a honest review.
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Overview
Emma and Shane become new parents. Emma thought she now had the family set up she always wanted but then Shane starts to go away for work regularly. Does Emma need to be suspicious of Shane’s whereabouts, or is it all in her head?
Excerpt
MANIPULATION
Hi!” Emma greeted her partner Shane.
“I want you to have an abortion” Shane demanded.
“Excuse me? Why?” Emma asked Shane.
“We’ve been going out for only a few months, so having a baby with you now would be wrong” Shane explained.
“No! I want this baby whether you like it or not. Look, I am going on holiday next week, so we’ll talk about it when I return” Emma said.
“Fine” Shane nodded in agreement.
A week later, Emma went away on holiday to France and enjoyed the sights of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
However, Emma’s mind was somewhere else during the trip.
Emma had just told her parents that she was pregnant only a few days before she went on holiday, and they were understandably surprised at the news, to say the least!
“I didn’t even know you were dating someone!” Emma’s Mother exclaimed.
“Does the Father know?” Emma’s own Father asked.
“Yes” Emma had replied.
“What did he say?” Emma’s Mother asked Emma.
“He wants me to have an abortion, but I have refused” Emma exclaimed, visibly upset.
On holiday in Paris, Emma was with her best friend Courtney, who didn’t know of the news.
“Your mind is definitely elsewhere on this trip” Courtney remarked to Emma.
“Oh, just boy problems” Emma said, shrugging her shoulders, as she thought back to the early days of meeting Shane and enjoying their time together.
“What’s up with you and Shane then?” Courtney asked, concerned for her friend.
“Oh, we can’t agree on a couple of things, that’s all” Emma said.
“Nothing to worry about, I promise “Emma continued.
“Okay, if you’re sure. You would let me know if something is troubling you, wouldn’t you Emma?” Courtney urged Emma to explain further.
“Of course, Courtney” Emma assured her friend.
“Come on!” Courtney grabbed Emma’s arm. “Let’s go shopping!”
“Okay” Emma exclaimed, as they both went to the market to find some boutiques to look in.
“Don’t forget to see the Arc de Triomphe!” The tourist guide shouted out to Emma and Courtney.
“We won’t!” Courtney shouted back to the tourist guide.
That night Emma felt really tired, but just had so many things running through her mind. It was hard for Emma to fall asleep.
“What will Shane say to me when I return to home to London?” Emma thought to herself as she tossed and turned in the hotel bed.
“What if Shane’s decision is final and I keep the baby and he doesn’t want anything to do with me and the baby?” Emma cried herself to sleep.
“It’s the last day of our holiday!” Courtney exclaimed as Emma and Courtney went down to the restaurant for breakfast the next morning.
“It sure is!” Emma agreed, as she walked over to the buffet table with Courtney and decided on what to have for breakfast.
Author bio
Louise Ashton is a mother of one child. She is from Essex, England. Louise enjoys reading autobiographies. Louise currently has five books published on Amazon in Paperback format and eBook format.
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