We Interrupt This Date (re-post)

by: L.C. Evans (*originally posted 10-05-2011*)

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords.

Synopsis:
Since her divorce a year ago, Susan Caraway has gone through the motions of life. Now she is finally coming out of her shell. Just when she decides on a makeover and a new career, her family members decide she's crisis central. First there’s her sister DeLorean who has come back from California with a baby, a designer dog, and no prospects for child support or a job. As soon as DeLorean settles in at Susan’s home, Susan’s son Christian returns from college trailing what Susan’s mama refers to as “an androgynous little tart.” Then there’s Mama herself, a southern lady who wrote the book on bossy. A secret from Mama’s past threatens to unravel her own peace. But not before Mama hurts her ankle and has to move into Susan’s home with her babies—two Chihuahuas with attitude. Susan would like to start her new job as a ghost tour operator. She would like to renew her relationship with Jack Maxwell, a man from her past. But Jack isn’t going to stand in line behind her needy family.

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Goodreads had a different cover, actually pretty bland, a large white house. I like this cover, with the 2 chihuahuas. The dogs are actually very annoying, and are her Mama's babies. Her sister shows up with a Golden-Doodle, completely untrained and full of fleas and matted fur. Poor guy, the sister doesn't take care of him and Susan or "Nic" is not attached to any of the dogs moving through her house.

The story starts off with Susan, living alone after her divorce now a year gone by. She hates her job, but after being a stay at home mom for the last 20 years, doesn't have a great skill set to offer in this competitive market. That's one thing I like in this story, maybe it will date it but L.C. Evans didn't sugar coat what our economy is like. In fact, the character realizes that considering her options, the miserable job at the pawn shop is better than some alternatives.

Then her friend Victoria shows up and offers her a job running her new Ghost Tours operation. And sweetened the deal saying Susan could live in her Bed & Breakfast and either sell or rent the house that is just too big and expensive for 1 person. Susan wasn't about to gamble and lose the only steady paycheck she has. But her boss finds out and uses it as the excuse he's been looking for to fire her and hire his niece. This part bothered me because she really should have stopped taking his abuse right then. After all, he'd already fired her.

Then her sister shows up with a baby, a huge dog and no money. Moves in with Susan. Then Mama falls and sprains her ankle...and moves in with Susan. Then her son comes home for the weekend with a girl-who-is-a-friend from school. The girl is all piercings, purple hair, grunge but proves to Susan that there's a responsible person underneath it all. So when Jack shows up, he is frustrated to discover the same old "drop anything for her family" Nic he used to know. Susan is in tears because she can't figure out what is wrong with Jack until FINALLY she blows.

So, will the Ghost Hunting job be a success? Who knows, but you'll see what offers Victoria gives her to keep her interested. Will she smooth things over with Jack? Maybe...you'll have to read and see.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to shake sense into Susan. lol

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Don't forget to enter the giveaway for either this eBook or My Planet or Yours. You still have time to enter. Click here to go back to Monday's review.

My Planet or Yours

by: L.C. Evans

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Nora Bryant is a single Earth woman out to ban men from her life after a recent breakup. Triskam is a strikingly handsome extraterrestrial, who crash lands near her remote Arizona home. Add to this mix, a couple of misguided thugs looking for a gold rush, an overly friendly, not-so-guard dog, and a communications device that thinks it's a nanny, and you have My Planet or Yours?, a delightful new romantic comedy by LC Evans, author of the Kindle bestseller, We Interrupt This Date.

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I was planning to review this book and We Interrupt This Date, because I knew I had that one to review. LOL - I already reviewed it. I will be reposting that review this week, though. I did purchase this book for my Nook to pump up her sales. L.C. Evans passed away this last week. She was a great writer and deserves it.

Now onto the review. The cover is cartoonish, honestly I love all these cartoon covers. I think they are cute and so much less serious than the ones using real people. I especially love the dog. In the story, Nora adopts Chance just before he was put down. He was supposed to be her guard dog, since she was back to living alone. Chance is not a guard dog...he's a lover, happy to see anyone.

When she gets back home she finds Triskam hiding in her shed, and as they are talking in her kitchen, some real bad guys show up. Nothing like getting held hostage to really bring people together. There was amazing chemistry between them from the beginning. Really from the moment Triskam laid eyes on her.

Since Nora had recently broken up, her friends weren't real supportive of her "dating" a new guy. But really, it was too late to spare her feelings...I think her friends should have minded their own business.

Minimal mistakes in this one - I love seeing that in the indie books. Plus L.C. Evans seems to write whatever she damn well pleases. This book has similar flow to We Interrupt This Date, but the characters and location and even the plot are all unique. She does write, strong and independent women...even if the women don't realize they are.

This book has about 469 pages, and I read it in a day. Can we say very fast pace? I started it on Saturday and finished early Sunday morning before I went to work. I would encourage anyone who likes romance with some humor thrown in to get this book...and I'm someone who doesn't really like romance as a genre.

And to honor L.C. Evans, to thank her spirit for sharing such warm stories...I'm going to buy one of you readers your very own copy of My Planet or Yours OR We Interrupt This Date. Just leave a comment on this blog for your entry. And the usual - grab my button and blog about this giveaway/review to get extra entries. Good luck! I'll draw the winner on Friday (Jan 20, 2012).

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Cabin Fever

by: Jeff Kinney

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he’s innocent. Or at least sort of.

The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise blizzard hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he’s going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holidays?

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I have to admit to loving these books. When Cabin Fever came out, I sent off an e-mail begging to review it. No such luck, but my library had it. Have I mentioned that I love my library?

So I was at last able to get my Wimpy Kid fix. I have to say, Greg is a jerk. Seriously self centered with delusions of grandeur. But what I like about the stories are that Greg receives the natural consequences of his behavior. He doesn't get the lesson but anyone reading the book does get it. Actually I should say he usually gets the consequence. There wasn't anything really bad that came out of him putting a wish on the Christmas Tree at church - he asked for money to be left under the recycling box. I did use that as a teachable moment with CW, though.

Age to read this: 6-adult. It's a super-fast read with just enough cartoons to keep the younger crowd interested. My son has enjoyed me reading this one and now wants me to go back and buy the rest of them. He actually came home upset that he couldn't find them in the library at his school. Good news is our local library does so we are all good. And I do enjoy them. They are light hearted and funny, and as a mom I do love it when Greg gets his just desserts.

The Dress

by: Sophie Nicholls

Available at Amazon - The Dress

Synopsis:
Meet Ella and her mother Fabbia Moreno who arrive in York, one cold January day, to set up their vintage dress shop.

The flamboyant Fabbia wants to sell beautiful dresses to nice people and move on from her difficult past. Ella just wants to fit in. But not everyone is on their side.

Will Fabbia overcome the prejudices she encounters? What's the dark secret she's hiding? And do the silk linings and concealed seams of her dresses contain real spells or is this all just 'everyday magic'?

Among the leopard-print shoes, tea-gowns and costume jewellery in Fabbia's shop are many different stories - and the story of one particular dress.

This is a full-length novel for lovers of vintage and readers of contemporary romance/fantasy.

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This cover caught my eye, it's so classy. And you know how much I love chic-lit. It's not without it romantic moments, but that's not the driver of this tale. This story is centered around Ella and her mother Fabbia. Fabbia is originally from Iran and Ella is the daughter of Fabbia and her Italian husband, Enzo.

Enzo died many years ago, so he isn't in the story. Fabbia and Ella begin this tale in York where they arrive to open a vintage shop. It's Fabbia's dream, but she has a hard time staying in the same place. It reminded me of the movie Chocolat.

The characters are all very intriguing, each with their own story and their own motivations. When Fabbia and Ella arrive, they meet Billy who befriends Ella right off. Katrina, who seems to grudgingly accept Ella as a part-time friend. We also meet up with Katrina's mother, Jean Cushworth who is a mess of a rich woman. Can we say "bored housewife?" Jean is in a drugged up stupor most of the time, rather than deal with her lonliness and boredom. Well she can't even admit that's what her problem is, she feels like she is very important and feels threatened by Fabbia and Ella.

I love the little bit of magic in the story as well. Again this plays in as a side-item. The story isn't driven by it, but it's there nonetheless. Ella and her mother have a bit of psychic ability. They call it the Signals. They get visions, warnings whenever there is trouble. The Signals were going crazy whenever Jean was around, and all through her house.

My heart breaks for Ella, when only 6 months into their stay Fabbia decides it's time to go. Ella has found her home, and is done with running away. She doesn't want to leave Billy, to change schools, and mostly to not go to the middle of no-where in Scotland.

It's a very great story. Reading this felt a little like floating on water. Your body is rocked with small waves, but mostly it just feels comforting.

Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead

by: Christiana Miller

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
A little magic can go a long way -- to really screwing things up. Mara is having the worst month of her life. At least, that’s what her cards tell her and they’ve never been wrong. She's evicted from her apartment, loses her job and is banned from Beverly Hills. So when the tarot cards predict her imminent demise, she uses a little magic to make her world right.

Suddenly, an aunt she’s never met dies, leaving Mara as her sole heir. But when Mara moves into her inherited home, she discovers Aunt Tillie never moved out. She’s still one pissed-off old lady, even post-mortem, and she blames Mara’s magical meddling for her death.

When Mara accidentally releases a demon and awakens the spirit of the most powerful witch in history, Tillie’s ready to kill her -- literally. It’s the only way she can think of to save the girl from herself. The witch and the demon, however, have other plans for Mara’s body.

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The cover is cartoonish and eye catching. In fact it was the cover that caught my eye on one of those free-ebook pages on Facebook. So yes, I downloaded this for the Kindle. I don't have a Kindle so I read this on my phone. I actually couldn't put it down, my phone went with me everywhere for a few days. My oldest asked me last night, "Why are you reading on your phone???" Because Mommy has to finish this book and it's not on the Nook. Nope, but I did just request it.

The characters are a hoot and a half. Mara and Gus are the only two that get really in-depth treatment. Mara being the main character, and it's all from her perspective in the first-person. And of course Gus is her best friend, he is a gay witch. So he's perfect in all ways but that one. He's also very aggressive and pro-active, which is the opposite of Mara. If it weren't for him she never would have made any movement in the story. It works really well, is all.

She moves from L.A. when her overly-Christian apartment manager evicts her and her Aunt Tillie dies. It's a tiny town on the northern end of Wisconsin. I think it was called Devil's Point. She finds the cottage gorgeous but slightly haunted. Against all her instincts, she decides to move in.

She finds a love interest and lots of fun and creepy things happen. I won't give any more away but I was shocked more than once. This book was not at all predictable. The paperback is a few bucks, but the Kindle version is only $3.49. If you have a Nook like me, you can request it be made available in Nook format as I just did today.

Seriously fun paranormal read. Romance is in here a little but it's not anywhere near the main story line. I would call it quirky paranormal...mystery? Maybe...anyway, it was a really good read.

Taking 1960

by: Rosa Sophia

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
An envelope addressed to Katherine Maslin stood out amongst the pile of bills. It is her notice from an attorney… the rights to her grandparents’ farmhouse and adjacent property.

She believes that a change will rid her of the strange dreams she’s been having, wherein an oddly familiar woman visits her, begging for her help. But when Kat realizes that the woman in her dream is her dead grandmother, she begins to have doubts about moving to the farm.

Rumors and nightmarish tales fill her mind, stories of the five men who lost their lives in the late 1950s to a heartless murderer. A man had been convicted, but was he the one the police had been looking for, or had he been framed?

Kat is thrown backwards through time on a journey to discover a terrible truth. The ghost of her grandmother is always one step ahead of her, leading the way. But will she find the killer before he finds her?

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Cover was fairly freaky, I probably would have read this much sooner had I ever seen that cover. I don't remember there being a ghost kid, but trust me there was a lot going on to make this a thriller.

As the synopsis stated, Kat inherited her grandparents' farmhouse. Seems like a dream come true, Kat is an artist and was eager to live in a farmhouse. So Kat and her fiance pack up their meager belongings and make the move. The thing about this I found distracting about this was where they were getting their money. It was very unclear until the book was nearly over that either of them had been to college. It sounded like the went wandering after high school and settled down together. But even so, where did they have the savings to draw from? They were both very young and unemployed. So a few more details would have been great.

The next part I found that took away from the story was Kat's constant battling with her mother. Seriously every single conversation ended up with Kat yelling...and it was really unclear why in many cases. When she had been missing for so long, and her fiance told her to let her mother know she just refused to deal with her. Her mom wanted her to move closer, and it was blown up into how controlling her mother was. It was pure teenage perspective, the high school romance was too. But then I found out Rosa wrote this book when she was 17 and it really changed my perspective. Kat still bugs me, but I think Rosa is a fantastic author.

The writing and editing of this story are really well done. The things that bothered me were really the teenage perspective that Rosa wrote this story from. I think anyone can enjoy this story, but the younger 20s crowd will really get it.

If you'd like to win a copy for yourself head over to Pagan Writers Community to enter Rosa's New Year's giveaway of a paperback copy of Taking 1960.

The Chronicles of Marr-nia

by: Karen Cantwell

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Four funny and touching short stories featuring soccer mom and movie lover, Barbara Marr who made her debut appearance in the hilarious murder mystery, Take the Monkeys and Run. Also, just for fun, the author has included two BONUS shorts with different themes. All-in-all - a collection sure to entertain.

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Barbara Marr is fast becoming my favorite mystery solving character ever. The best part about this collection was the switch in genre that completely fit with who Barbara Marr is all around. There 2 mysteries, but there were also stories about being a wife and mother - those things that are also a huge part of her day to day life. Added to this, 2 bonus stories that had nothing to do with Barbara Marr.

The one, Sherman's Purpose haunts me still. I hate to say anything, because it will tell you all. But it's just a short story about an old man and his purpose in this last stage of his life.

The other one, The Recollections of Rosabelle Raines left me speechless. It had an bit of the paranormal mixed in but it was set in the South just after the civil war. Honestly it was amazing. It says to keep an eye out for the Novella in 2011, so after I write this I am going to go bug Ms. Cantwell about it.

It's 99 cents, 6 short stories and all of them well-written and tasty.

It's a Dunder-Bull Wife

by: Karen Cantwell

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Dunder-Bull – the perfect little town bordering Barbara Marr’s not-so-polished Rustic Woods. Everything in Dunder-Bull is five-star rated, including the wives. As Barb puts it, “Dunder-Bull Wives make Stepford Wives look like couch potatoes.” Succumbing to the need to “measure-up,” Barb decides to prepare a grand and luscious Christmas feast for a party of twenty. The problem? Barb can’t cook her way out of a turkey-roaster bag. In usual Barbara Marr fashion, chaos ensues. Will she survive? Will her family fall victim to salmonella food poisoning? Will Martha Stewart ridicule her publicly?

A Barbara Marr Holiday short story, sure to tickle your funny bone and touch your heart at the same time.

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A very short story just in time for Christmas. Barbara Marr, beloved character of Take the Monkeys and Run and Citizen Insane, is ready to host the perfect Christmas. The kind of Christmas that one of the perfect Dunder-Bull wives would put on.

The Dunder-Bull area reminds me of Desperate Housewives. You know the type, they parent and host parties with what seems like flawless perfection and endless patience. Their kids are never dirty or rude, their houses are immaculate and their dinner parties tasteful and gourmet. How on earth do they do it all?

Well if nothing else Karen Cantwell gives us a Christmas tale for the ladies. And it's only 99cents. I had my Mother in Law read it yesterday and whenever the Nook freaked out on her, she freaked out on me, so it's not just my opinion that it's good. ;)

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Giveaway alert! Magaly of Pagan Culture has a gorgeous set of Tarot Cards up for grabs. Click on the picture to go enter.

Knit One, Pearl One

by: Gil McNeil

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Knit one...It's been a busy few years since Jo Mackenzie lost her husband. Life has brought adventure, surprises, unexpected pleasures, and, of course, lots of knitting. Jo's seaside yarn shop, with a brand new cafe, has taken off, keeping her busier than ever. And being a single mum to two boys and headstrong toddler Pearl is just as exhausting and enchanting as she thought it would be. On top of all that, celebrity diva Grace has a secret; Jo's firecracker best friend Ellen is launching a new television series; and lovable but hapless Martin continues his oft misguided attempts to woo Jo. Just when Jo thinks she has about all she can handle, Daniel, Pearl's globe-trotting dad, turns up out of the blue . . .

Purl one...But with a little help from her friends, and her beloved Gran, Jo is building a new life for herself by the sea, stitch by stitch. Warm and witty, Knit One Pearl One will delight new readers to the Beach Street series and give the legions of existing fans a chance to visit the British seaside again, without having to worry about the weather.

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Anyone who knows me, knows I have a love affair with yarn. Even if my hands don't cooperate. So the cover filled with so many balls of yarn would catch my eye in the bookstore. Win!

If I'm not mistaken, this is the 3rd book in the continuing saga of Jo Mackenzie's life in the small seaside town of Broadgate. Jo is working on raising her 2 boys and Pearl, her surprise baby from an affair with Daniel when she was in Italy after Nick died. She is still seeing Martin but there isn't much passion there.

Funny thing is, Jo seems fine with the way things are. She doesn't like drama, even if it does seem to find her anyway. I respect this. We all make mistakes.

Connie, her Italian friend is pregnant and Mark (Connie's husband) is Mr. Perfect. He knows how to cook and he patiently takes all the pregnancy crabbiness his wife can dish out. Connie's family has also been sending up young girls to learn the language. Cinzia has been helping out as a part-time Nanny for Jo. She is very beautiful and stirs up some mild trouble wherever she goes. Cinzia isn't a central character, but she does add some sizzle.

Ellen finally married Harry and they have a little boy as well. Little Eddie. And Ellen hasn't changed a bit. Harry takes care of Eddie and works freelance when he can and Ellen has just gotten her own talk show. So of course she's after Jo to get Grace on her show. It all works out, and I'm happy to see Jo doing so well in her shop. I wish we saw more of that. A small town shop selling local and beyond but using local help for the excess. We would all be better off, don't you think? More little shops instead of giant Wal*Marts everywhere?

Anyway, it's a great story. Very laid back with lots of ups and downs. I was terrified when Connie had her baby, but you'll have to read about that yourself. Great book to buy with all the Barnes & Noble and Amazon gift cards you all got for Christmas.

Sunday Stealing: The Blue Memory Meme, Part Two

Cheers to all of us thieves!

26) Are you happy with the person you've become? Somedays...

27) What's a sound you hate; sound you love? hate - my kids whiny voice, love - my kids giggles

28) What's your biggest "what if"? What if I met Chris when we were both in college. Cause we were actually at the same school at the same time but didn't meet until years later.

29) Do you believe in ghosts? Yes

30) How about aliens? Of course, I'm not sure they've been here but there has to be other life in the universe.

31) What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? Staying home with the boys. It's not always easy or affordable, but damn they are well adjusted and happy.

32) What's the worst place you have ever been to? Detroit

33) Can insanity bring on more creativity? Yes, insane people usually murder their inner critic. ;)

34) Most attractive actor of your opposite gender? Ok I'm tired of answering this one. Who you do you guys like?

35) To you, what is the meaning of life? To create a decent human being to take my place when I die.

36) Define “Art”. Anything a person creates.

37) Do you believe in luck? Yup, I do. I wish I had more of it.

38) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship? honesty, true utter honesty not only with your partner but with yourself. Like I'm under no allusion that Chris lusts after other women, hell I lust after other men so it's only fair. That relieves a huge amount of tension right there. I did have to grow up to reach that point though.

39) What's a song that always makes you happy when you hear it? Norwegian Wood

40) Where were you yesterday? I was at work in the morning, then I came home and didn't leave again until I went to work again this morning.

41) What's the worst injury you've ever had? I guess it would be when I was 3 years old. My babysitter was ironing and she left the iron on the board to answer the phone. Me, being a curious toddler, reached up and the iron fell on my hand. I still have scarring on my 3 fingers of my left hand from that. I feel worse for my babysitter, my mom said she was so upset she was crying and tried to quit but my mom wouldn't let her. It was just an accident.

42) Do you have any obsessions right now? I don't think so. Well maybe one but my husband doesn't seem to mind. lol

43) What's up? The sky.

44) Ever had a rumor spread about you? Probably...don't care (and yes, I'm happy to be in THAT mood now.

45) Do you believe in real magic? Tricky, tricky. I believe in making magic, but that it's really more of a prayer ritual, you can do the spell but there's not guarantee it will work.

46) Do you ever hold grudges against people who have done you wrong? Yes I do...if I'm being honest. I do wish I were better at letting stuff go. I'm trying to teach the boys to do that, hope it works.

47) What's your favorite (non-pet) animal? Wolf then Tiger

48) What is your secret weapon to get people to like you? I don't have a secret weapon. I try to be nice and listen without judgement. It really doesn't work much. People open up to me and then I think they get embarrassed and I never hear from them again. Oh well, I'm mostly happy at home in my own little world.

49) Where is your best friend? Probably home with her family, or out shopping.

50) What do you think is Satan's last name? Smith - what??? It had to start somewhere!