I made this with Father’s Day in mind. I did not have a happy Father’s Day stamp. So I used celebrate instead. I used a spellbinders die and embossed the train and the celebrate.
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Tall Poppy Blogger
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Celebrate card….or Father’s Day
Posted in Cards, Scrapbooking, Stamping
Tagged cards, embossing, scrapbooking, spellbinders, stamping
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Mockingbird – A Portrait of Harper Lee. From Scout to Go Set a Watchman by Charles J. Shields
Overview
“A fine, well-rounded portrait of Harper Lee. Mockingbird is good reading.”—Star-Tribune (Minneapolis)
To Kill a Mockingbird—the twentieth century’s most widely read American novel—has sold thirty million copies and still sells a million yearly. Yet despite her book’s perennial popularity, its creator, Harper Lee, has become a somewhat mysterious figure. Now, after years of research, Charles J. Shields brings to life the warmhearted, high-spirited, and occasionally hardheaded woman who gave us two of American literature’s most unforgettable characters—Atticus Finch and his daughter, Scout.
At the center of Shields’s evocative, lively book is the story of Lee’s struggle to create her famous novel, but her colorful life contains many highlights—her girlhood as a tomboy in overalls in tiny Monroeville, Alabama; the murder trial that made her beloved father’s reputation and inspired her great work; her journey to Kansas as Truman Capote’s ally and research assistant to help report the story of In Cold Blood. Mockingbird—unique, highly entertaining, filled with humor and heart—is a wide-ranging, idiosyncratic portrait of a writer, her dream, and the place and people whom she made immortal.
Review
As a life long reader, I am sad to say, I was late to the To Kill a Mockingbird party. I was never required to read it in school. So, I never did. I finally read this book in my late 30’s. What an impact! I am glad I waited to read this. I feel the book had more meaning to me because of my age. After I finished the novel, I immediately rented the movie. Once again, I had to see what all the fuss was about. And the fuss….was very well done!
Mockingbird – A Portrait of Harper Lee added so much to my repsect for Harper Lee. This book takes you from the beginning to the end. Her struggles as an unknown writer to one of fame and fortune are all covered.
Her life with Truman Capote is covered in depth. He was such a large impact and influence on her as a person, as well as a writer. She as well, was probably his only friend. I am going to have to read more of his works.
Even if you are not a fan of Harper Lee, this is a great read. I enjoyed so many aspects. Old Hollywood, how publishing worked and historical murders are all recreated.
Harper Lee became more real to me as I read this book. I understand more about her life and her struggles. And what made her such an outstanding character and such a talent.
I received this novel from the publisher and Netgalley for a honest review.
Purchase Here
I Killed the Man Who Wrote this Book by Theodore Ficklestein
Overview
The author of this book is having fun mocking Halloween. Little does he know that the audience are the monsters themselves.
Review
Now, I know nothing and I repeat nothing about poetry. So!! This is going to be short review.
Is this stuff good?
I think so.
Is ir funny?
In most places.
Did you enjoy it?
Yes! Very much.
Would you like to read more poetry?
I would give it a shot!
I received this book from the author for a honest review.
Purchase here
Blaming the Wind by Alessandra Harris
Blaming the Wind
By Alessandra Harris
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Sophia Douglas can’t shake the fear that she’s in over her head. A spontaneous elopement and a layoff from her high-paying job are stressful enough, but a plus sign on her pregnancy test sends her into a panic. Fearing her husband, Terrence, might leave like her father did, Sophia confides her insecurities to Tara, her friend and mom of three.
Though Tara Fisher encourages Sophia to trust Terrence, she’s hiding her own secret: a handsome attorney is pursuing her, and she’s questioning her commitment to Josh, her husband of ten years. After a devastating career-ending accident, Josh has changed and so have Tara’s feelings for him.
When a crisis arises that threatens to destroy Sophia and Terrence’s young marriage, Sophia must either overcome her fear of abandonment or lose everything she never knew she wanted. Meanwhile, as Tara is torn between responsibility and passion, her imperfectly put together life starts to unravel, and ghosts from her past resurface to haunt her.
As these two couples grapple with secrets, temptation, and illness, only time will tell if their vows are strong enough to hold them together.
Review
Tara and Sophia are good friends with different sets of problems. Sophia is out of work, pregnant and afraid to tell her husband. Tara is no longer in love with her husband and is considering and affair with a hot attorney.
This is a great story and is really entertaining. I enjoyed Tara and Sophia. With all the plot twists and dramas, it was really hard to put down.. I loved the creativity and the way the story flowed.
However, the conversation is a little stilted in places. This does not take away from the story. When I finished this novel, I had a hard time letting go of the characters.
A wonderful debut novel. I look forward to her next book!
I received this novel from the author for a honest review.
Author Bio
Alessandra Harris loves drama… well, on the page, that is. As a writer of women’s fiction, she delves into real-life issues without shying away from controversial topics.
After graduating from San Jose State, Alessandra volunteered as a contributing writer for CityFlight.com, a former online magazine geared toward the San Francisco Bay Area’s African American Community. An avid reader of women’s fiction, she transitioned to writing fiction with the help of writing instructors and critique groups.
Currently, Alessandra is the organizer of San Jose Writers, a diverse group of writers in the South Bay Area, California. At home, she enjoys spending time with her husband and four wonderful children.
Website: https://alessandraharris.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlessandraHarrisAuthor/
Twitter: @alessandrah17
On Red Adept: http://bit.ly/25Jh1QJ
The Memoirs of I by Yolanda De Iuliis -GUEST POST Plus GIVEAWAY
The first two people to comment win a copy of this ebook!!! Make sure you leave me an email or a way to contact you!!! GOOD LUCK!!!
The Memoirs of ‘I’ by Yolanda De Iuliis
Release Date: 29th April 2016
Genre: Memoir/Non-Fiction
Thank you for inviting me to blog and tell you all about my book 🙂
“We must conquer our own mind before delving into other minds”
Tuesday 9th December 2014
The start of something that I did not realise would be a one year project and journey.
During this time in 2014 I was going through some personal struggles, troubles and upheavals. My mind set was not the strongest or the most focused it could have been and has been in the past. Working real hard in a job which never fulfilled me, trying my very best at university with what seemed to be no hope in passing and barely paying my bills for a place I did not own. It was a lonely time full of change and I was disappointed with the way my life was going, it seemed out of control and I could not bare this feeling anymore. I wanted and needed things to change therefore I started to think of the change and wrote it down. I began to write every day with whatever I was feeling, to talk to someone and to have a friend always in my mind. Something strange started to happen whilst writing, I began to self reflect in every matter of life and my surroundings. I learned quickly that these surroundings made me who I am and pushed these thoughts into my soul. I didn’t want to be inspired, I wanted to be the one to inspire others therefore I started to teach myself on how I could teach others by helping them through their struggles.
The first job was to help myself therefore in The Memoirs of ‘I’ (part 1- the first 6 months) is important for the reader to understand my struggles, thoughts, ideas and crazy mind. The reader is my therapist plus my best friend and with this help brings me to write (part 2 – the last 6 months) which in turn helps the reader through their own struggles. I give advice and reflect on matters differently and ask them questions. I propose them to think about their own world in a way that they may never have wondered before.
I speak of matters which are sometimes ignored by the masses in regards to religion, politics, slavery, life, existence, aliens, spirits, gods, travels, poverty and every other wonder you could imagine! The purpose – To open ones mind and bring out the child within them and the sensible adult which is all in us but we push away because of different circumstances.
Writing every day was a struggle, not because I had nothing to speak about… but due to the fact that I was thinking and analysing what most of us hide behind. I needed to push through and do it though as I would never learn about myself and which path I wanted to head down. I don’t preach to know all the answers, but I question all to try to find some answers. I have given the reader some blank pages to write down their own thoughts, feelings and ideas which may have occurred whilst reading my mind.
The Memoirs of ‘I’ has been one experiment in which I will never forget and I will try to remember my own advices to bring a better smile to my world and yours.
“To sought out solace within yourself is the most difficult challenge and is quickly ignored by many, it can only be achieved when you find truth within oneself”
“Stop following the con artists, instead become the greatest and brightest artist ever to exist and let others follow your light instead”
About the author
Yolanda De Iuliis was born in North Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1985. She grew up with an Italian/Irish background which soon led to an awareness of identity confusion within herself. From the age of 20 she left the countryside to explore not only city life but to encounter the other side of the world and for over ten years has been travelling to every continent to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible. After ten years of writing and collecting her autobiographical poetry she published Underneath my Soul (2015) which shows her growing from adolescence to adulthood using only poetry as a means of telling her story.
De Iuliis resides in her home town of Irvine, Ayrshire, for the time being and her current academic venture is Classical Studies combined with Modern Greek. French and Greek philosophies have also been studied and observed to motivate her mind in producing different thoughts and ideas. Her passion to write and provide an insight for others is not only her mission but her reason to exist.
Amazon:
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29993192-the-memoirs-of-i
Official website:
http://www.yolandadeiuliis.com/
The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter
Overview
A body is discovered in an empty Atlanta warehouse. It’s the body of an ex-cop, and from the moment Special Agent Will Trent walks in he knows this could be the most devastating case of his career. Bloody footprints leading away from the scene reveal that another victim – a woman – has left the scene and vanished into thin air. And, worst of all, the warehouse belongs to the city’s biggest, most politically-connected, most high-profile athlete – a local hero protected by the world’s most expensive lawyers. A local hero Will has spent the last six months investigating on a brutal rape charge.
But for Will – and also for Dr Sara Linton, the GBI’s newest medical examiner – the case is about to get even worse. Because an unexpected discovery at the scene reveals a personal link to Will’s troubled past. The consequences will wreak havoc on his life and the lives of those he loves, those he works with, and those he pursues.
But Sara’s scene-of-the-crime diagnosis is that they only have a few hours to find the missing woman before she bleeds out .
Review
Karin Slaughter is a master story teller. She takes her stories to the next level. I discovered her in a used book store in Branson, MO. I have no idea which book of this series I read first, I know I started out of order. Then, I went back to the book store and purchased every book by Karin in stock. I was hooked!
To say this book is intense is an understatement. The way the story entangles and weaves is so very clever. I should be used to this from Slaughter but, she always surprises me.
The characters are another amazing feat. One of the main characters is Angie. Angie is a character you love to hate. The way she plays on the psyche of Will and Sara, heck…everyone she touches, is masterful. However, she also plays on the sympathy of the reader. I really want to hate her, but for some reason, I just can’t. That….is a very well thought out character!! All of the characters are unique and engaging. And the way they work together to blend the story is impressive.
Let me provide a warning for some readers. Some of these novels can be gory and crude. This does not bother me in the least. It adds to the “realness” of the streets of Atlanta.
I don’t read too many series. I end up bored with the characters as the series moves along. This one is different…I just love this series!!! It is never dull and there is always a twist and turn and a surprise! Slaughter also writes other novels not part of this series. These novels are also super good reads.
I received this novel from the publisher via Edelweiss.
Purchase here
Murder in A-Minor by Janis Thomas – BOOK SPOTLIGHT
Murder in A-Minor
By Janis Thomas
Genre: Murder Mystery
Former detective Samantha Wedlock is having a bad year. After botching a huge case with the New York PD, Sam flees to her childhood home of Southern California and escapes her demons with the Internet and booze. Her career is over, her instincts have taken a vay-cay, and her music—the songs she composes in her head to help her solve puzzles and the challenges of her life—has abandoned her. When her old flame, sexy Lieutenant Jack Hudson, shows up on her doorstep to ask for her help with the case of two murdered college coeds, Sam refuses. But she can’t resist Jack, and she can’t resist the hunt, and soon becomes enmeshed in the investigation. The more involved she becomes, the more she sees the case as a means of rediscovering the things she’s lost: her purpose, her drive, and her hope for the future. With her music playing at full volume, Sam must re-sharpen her wits and learn to trust her instincts again in order to catch a cunning killer.
Author Bio
Janis Thomas is the author of Murder in A-Minor, the first book in her Musical Murder Mystery series (available May 2016), as well as three humorous women’s fiction novels, Something New, Sweet Nothings, and Say Never, which was chosen by Chick Lit Central as one of the best books of the year. Janis has written over fifty songs, and two children’s books which she wrote with her dad. When she isn’t writing or fulfilling her PTA duties, Janis likes to play tennis, sing with her sister, and throw wild dinner parties with outrageous menus for friends and loved ones. Janis lives in Southern California with her husband, their two beautiful children and two crazy dogs.
https://www.facebook.com/authorjanisthomas
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TG8Prx
When We Meet Again by Kristin Harmel #XOXperts
Overview
Emily thinks she’s lost everything…until a mysterious painting leads her to what she most in the world. The new novel from the author of international bestsellers The Sweetness of Forgetting and The Life Intended shows why her books are hailed as “engaging” (People), “absorbing” (Kirkus Reviews) and “enthralling” (Fresh Fiction).
Emily Emerson is used to being alone; her dad ran out on the family when she was a just a kid, her mom died when she was seventeen, and her beloved grandmother has just passed away as well. But when she’s laid off from her reporting job, she finds herself completely at sea…until the day she receives a beautiful, haunting painting of a young woman standing at the edge of a sugarcane field under a violet sky. That woman is recognizable as her grandmother—and the painting arrived with no identification other than a handwritten note saying, “He always loved her.”
Emily is hungry for roots and family, so she begins to dig. And as she does, she uncovers a fascinating era in American history. Her trail leads her to the POW internment camps of Florida, where German prisoners worked for American farmers…and sometimes fell in love with American women. But how does this all connect to the painting? The answer to that question will take Emily on a road that leads from the sweltering Everglades to Munich, Germany and back to the Atlanta art scene before she’s done.
Along the way, she finds herself tempted to tear down her carefully tended walls at last; she’s seeing another side of her father, and a new angle on her painful family history. But she still has secrets, ones she’s been keeping locked inside for years. Will this journey bring her the strength to confront them at last?
Review
Emily receives a painting in the mail. She reaches out to her estranged father for answers. They travel to Germany to research and hopefully mend their relationship.
This story just keeps weaving a great tale from start to finish. The mystery behind the painting, Emily’s past choices, and her grandmother’s previous life all meld together and really create a fabulous story. And when Emily and her father travel to Germany, it clouds up the saga, but do not worry, they find the answers right here in the USA.
Emily is a wonderful, loyal, and flawed person. She has made many mistakes and she holds on to a large amount of anger at her father. I love a flawed character that is also strong and smart. Emily fits this to a “T”. She is smart enough to know she needs to move on and quit holding onto past transgressions.
I enjoyed learning about the history of WWII POW camps in the USA. I knew there had been several among our borders, I just did not realize how they worked or functioned. This was an added plus.
This is a multilayered tale which takes the reader on a great ride. Between the story with Emily and the story about her grandmother’s past, this novel never stops. I was captivated from chapter one till THE END!
I received this novel from Simon and Schuster as part of #XOXperts.
Purchase here
Sweet Thank You Cards
These were so easy. I needed several for my daughter so, I needed and assembly line product. This worked great.
Thanks for stopping by!
The Cavendon Luck by Barbara Taylor Bradford
OVERVIEW
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a captivating epic saga of courage and honor, following the aristocratic Inghams and the loyal Swann family who have served them for centuries.
It is 1938 in England, and Miles and Cecily Ingham have lead the family in bringing the Cavendon estate back from the brink of disaster. But now, with the arrival of World War II, Cavendon Hall will face its biggest challenge yet. It is a challenge that will push the Inghams and Swanns to protect each other and the villagers, and reveal their true capacity for survival and rebirth.
Told with Bradford’s deft, evocative prose and featuring a beloved cast of characters, The Cavendon Luck is a story of intrigue, romance, sorrow, and joy that readers won’t soon forget.
REVIEW
This a a family saga full of every emotion imaginable. Through many challenges and sorrows, this family overcomes and continues to thrive.
I have not read a Barbara Taylor Bradford book in years. I have enjoyed many of her books. However, this one fell a little short. This novel started a little slow for me, picked up nicely, then bogged down in the middle. The time period is one of my favorites so, that helped. I enjoyed the mystery which floated throughout the read. Kept me very much intrigued.
There are many characters in this read. Maybe, if I had read the other books first, I would’ve had a better feeling for them. I did tend to get lost with who was who, probably my fault.
The story did keep me interested till the very end. I did feel there was a lot of useless information not needed to tell the story. That being said, it is still a good read.
I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review
PURCHASE HERE
reecaspieces 