Author: tamaramorning

A Whole Latte Murder, by Caroline Fardig

a-whole-latte-murder
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Alibi.

Caroline Fardig is the author of the Java Jive Mysteries series. The newest novel, A Whole Latte Murder, hit shelves last week.

Juliet’s life has been looking up. Business at Java Jive, the coffee shop she runs, is booming. Her romance with hot cop Ryder is heating up. And she hasn’t found any dead bodies in weeks. Then Ryder gets promoted to homicide, and Juliet’s happiness turns to fear, as she contemplates his involvement with the worst kind of criminals.

Worse yet, girls are going missing in Nashville, and the city is on edge. Chelsea, Juliet’s neighbor, is especially nervous, and Juliet tries to calm her fears. But when Juliet finds Chelsea dead, she ends up right in the middle of Ryder’s first homicide investigation, a situation neither of them are happy about. Then Pete, Juliet’s best friend, winds up in the mix as one of the coffee shop employees goes missing. Now Juliet and Pete want to help find her, and all Ryder wants is Juliet to stay out of the way. What’s a girl to do when a killer’s on the loose?

The Java Jive books are a fantastic series of books. Light-hearted and funny, with plenty of pitfalls and antics, they are sure to have the reader laughing. A Whole Latte Murder is no exception, as Juliet continues to be a magnet for trouble and her curiosity keeps landing her in hot water. A fun, entertaining murder mystery!

(Galley provided by Alibi via NetGalley.)

Nutshell, by Ian McEwan

nutshell
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Doubleday.

Ian McEwan is an award-winning English author. His most recent novel is Nutshell.

Trudy left her husband, John, making him leave the dilapidated but priceless family home in London. John is a poet, a romantic dreamer that Trudy once loved madly. Now she loves Claude, John’s banal, boring brother. But taking Trudy from John isn’t enough for Claude:  he wants John’s life as well.

There’s just one problem, the witness to their plan. The nine-month-old resident of Trudy’s womb, her son with John.

Nutshell is written from the most interesting perspective I’ve ever read:  that of an unborn—but very aware—baby. Trudy and Claude are unlikeable characters, but the baby is fascinating. That viewpoint alone makes this book worth reading, but the book is very well-written, and will keep the reader guessing until the end.

(Galley provided by Doubleday via NetGalley.)

NaNo: Week 1 Update

With the first calendar week of NaNo over, I thought I I’d give a brief update:  I’ve written 10, 272 words so far. That’s more than I’ve written in a week in probably 5 years! I’m happy with my progress, and eager for more.

Unfolding, by Jonathan Friesen

unfolding
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Blink.

 

Jonathan Friesen is a former teacher’s pet who wrote his first novel while his students were working. Unfolding is his newest novel.

Jonah has a tough life in tiny Gullary, Oklahoma. He has a debilitating physical condition and epilepsy, which keeps him on the outside of many things. His parents are distant. He’s in love with his next-door neighbor, the troubled Stormi, deposited here as an infant when a tornado touched down. The same tornado that destroyed the Supermax prison where Jonah now works—the only employee—as an occasional tour guide and the caretaker for the prison’s solitary inmate, the mysterious Tres.

Stormi is carefree and vibrant, everything Jonah wishes he could be. She’s also different, a difference the town notices when she senses things before they happen, averting tragedy—or not. When Stormi senses she should leave town to find safety, Jonah is drawn in her wake as they struggle to find out the truth behind what happened in Gullary so long ago, and left the town scarred and harboring a darkness Jonah can only imagine.

This book. I couldn’t put it down. Seriously. I would have finished it in one sitting except I’m not independently wealthy and had to go to work. From the opening sentence to the final line, I was completely spellbound. Jonah is a fantastic character:  he’s physically struggling, but emotionally strong, and this story is so firmly in his viewpoint I felt like I was experiencing every stumble and seizure. Stormi is full of life and mystery, and their interactions leap off the page. You should definitely read this!

(Galley provided by Blink via NetGalley.)

The Scent of Salt and Sand, by P.C. and Kristin Cast

 

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I do not own this image. Image belongs to Diversion Books.

 

P.C. and Kristin Cast are a mother-daughter writing team. They wrote the NYT best-selling House of Night series. The Scent of Salt and Sand is a novella in their Escaped series.

The walls separating Tartarus have fallen, and now monsters from Greek mythology have escaped to the mortal world. The Sirens are part of the escapees. Bound for centuries because of their bloodlust, greed, and murders, the Sirens now run Siren Tours for tourists to Alcatraz, where they find their prey.

It’s Melody’s first time in the mortal realm, and she doesn’t want to be there. She’s different from the other Sirens:  she doesn’t like blood, she has no interest in murder, and she hears specters in the water. Then she meets Dean, who becomes her assigned target, and falls in love. Can she keep Dean safe from her monstrous family, or has their love doomed them both?

So…I like P.C. and Kristin Cast. I enjoy their writing, which has a decidedly young adult slant. I’ve met them both, and they’re very bubbly and funny. I’m a fan of P.C.’s Goddess Summoning series, as well as The House of Night. I have not read either of the books in this series. I enjoyed most of this novella. The Sirens have always fascinated me, and their move in the real world is well-done. However, I really didn’t care for the ending of The Scent of Salt and Sand. At all. I intend to read Amber Smoke, but I’m pretty undecided about reading any more about the Sirens.

(Galley provided by Diversion books via NetGalley.)

Over-commitment?

So…I’ve decided to do NaNo next month for the first time since 2012.

Yes, I have a full-time job with long, crazy hours. Yes, I go to school, too. Yes, I have a 5k to train for in 2 weeks, a 10k in 5 weeks, and a half-marathon in February. Yes, I have 2 blogs to maintain and I write book reviews for My Trending Stories.

What’s your point?

I participated in—and won—NaNo 5 years in a row, from 2007-2011. I started NaNo in 2012, but depression hit me hard, and I abandoned it (along with practically everything else). I found that barely-started story (about 35 pages of it) last year and did not even remember writing it. (But I was pretty impressed!)

When I had mostly conquered my depression (May 2013), I wanted to get back to my normal life. Then I had a stroke on June 1st. I spent the next 6 months in a haze of exhaustion, recovery, and adaptation as I came to terms with my new normal after almost dying.

I didn’t write a thing for over a year.

Slowly, I’ve gotten back into writing, but I miss the adrenaline-fueled rush of NaNo, so I’m giving it a shot next week.

Guess which story I’m going to finish? Yep. The one I started during my last NaNo.

Running Man, by Charlie Engle

running-man
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Scribner.

Running Man is the autobiography of Charlie Engle, a former drug addict and ultra-runner who spent time in prison for mortgage fraud.

Charlie Engle got involved with drinking at a young age, and soon developed a taste for drugs as well. He forgot his love of running in the haze of drinking and drugs, his life a roller-coaster ride of near-misses, unconvincing excuses, and a struggle to keep it—whatever “it” was—together. He was only partially successful, until his son Brett was born. A few months later, Charlie started running again, in an effort to fuel his sobriety.

Marathons and ultra-marathons soon left Charlie unsatisfied, so he turned to adventure-racing and found his niche. Raising money to support causes he believed in had Charlie traveling the globe and tackling the biggest challenges of his life, including running the Sahara Desert. Then Charlie landed in prison for mortgage fraud, and he had to re-build his life from scratch, not a task for the faint-of-heart.

Running Man is for more than runners. This book will inspire anyone who has ever struggled to overcome a problem, from a physical injury or illness, to bad decisions or betrayal by someone they trusted. A powerful, moving story of one man’s fight to overcome his past as he forges his life into the future he wants, not what the world wants for him. You should definitely read this if you need inspiration for anything!

(Galley provided by Scribner via NetGalley.)

The Saint Louisans, by Steven Clark

the-saint-louisians
I do not own this image. Image belongs to Amphorae Publishing Group.

Steven Clark is the author of The Saint Louisans, which came out in August.

Saint Louis is home to Lee Bridger, hospice nurse and longtime observer of upper-class society and everything else in the city she calls home. When Margot Desouche, the matriarch of one of the city’s founding families, is diagnosed with cancer, she requests Lee, and Lee finds herself dawn to the regal woman.

But things aren’t so easy in Saint Louis. Lee has her boyfriend—an activist trying to save the city’s history—and her daughter—a con artist who Lee has never understood; and Margot has her two children—vindictive, spiteful, and determined to thwart their mother’s plans. Throw in a battle over one of the city’s oldest traditions and a mysterious missing goddess, and Lee’s wish for peace is but a distant dream.

At first, I wasn’t sure about this book. But soon enough, I was drawn into the complicated lives of these two families, with dark secrets, current mysteries, and hard-headed individuals with no desire to see anyone else’s point of view. Lee is a fantastic character, open about the mistakes in her past and wanting to make the world a better place. Margot is kind yet reserved, and fighting a battle no one knows about. I ended up really loving this complex, emotional book!

(Galley provided by Amphorae Publishing Group via NetGalley.)

So…

…I’ve decided to do NaNoWriMo for the first time in 4 years! I did it–and “won”–5 years in a row, from 2007-2011. In 2012, I started it, but then my depression kicked in and I stopped writing.

Had the stroke in June 2013, and I’ve been struggling to get my writing groove back ever since.

I’m not going to write a new novel, though. Instead, I’m going to finish the novel I started in 2012, now called Siren Song. I finished the outline months ago. Now I’m going to put it to use.

I’m witchofbreithla over there, if you’re interested.

Yes, it’s probably insane to be working full-time, finishing up my Bachelor’s degree, and training for a 10k..and deciding I need to spend most of November writing.

Insanity is relevant.

What I Read in September

labyrinth-lost

Labyrinth Lost, by Zoraida Cordova (Read to review.). Loved this!

Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert (Read for school, and as one of my classics for the month.)

cutter-boy

Cutter Boy, by Cristy Watson (Read to review.). Quick, good read about a difficult topic.

darcy-moon

Darcy Moon and the Aroona Frogs, by Catherine Carvell (Read to review.) I didn’t realize this was a middle-grade book, but it was enjoyable, with a good message.

the-sunlight-pilgrims

The Sunlight Pilgrims, by Jenni Fagan (Read to review.) Wow. This novel is extremely well-done! Unique setting, and the characters are fascinating.

tracing-the-bones

Tracing the Bones, by Elise Miller (Read to review.) This book was both intriguing and painful to read.

Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles (Read for school). Read it before. It still bores me.

Scary Close, by Donald Miller (My spiritual book for the month.)