Tag: fiction

Mug Shot, by Caroline Fardig

Mug Shot cover
(I do no own this image. Image belongs to Random House/Alibi.)

 

Caroline Fardig is the bestselling author of the Java Jive Mysteries series, as well as the Lizzie Hart series. Her newest novel, Mug Shot, is the second book in the Java Jive Mysteries.

Life has been super busy for Juliet Langley since taking over the management of her best friend Pete’s coffeehouse. Working every day doesn’t leave much time for romance, and Juliet throws herself into getting ready for the Holiday 5k fundraiser organized by Pete’s rich, snobby girlfriend. Since Cecilia is in charge, Juliet knows everything has to be perfect, and she makes sure it is. Until she stumbles over Cecilia’s body the morning of the event.

When Pete is arrested for the murder, Julia sets out to find out who the real killer is, defying her ex-boyfriend, a local Lothario, and her friend Savannah’s good-intentioned “help” to do so. But the real conflict is with Nashville’s high society upper class, who all seem to think Pete is guilty. Juliet is not above upsetting a few grande dames to clear Pete’s name. She just has to solve the puzzle before she becomes the next target.

Mug Shot lets the reader get to know Juliet just a bit better, and the high spirits continue as the mystery deepens. The characters are entertaining and lively, with lots of antics and bad luck to keep the reader hooked.

(Galley provided by Random House/Alibi via NetGalley.)

 

The Never-Open Desert Diner, by James Anderson

desert diner
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Crown Publishing.)

 

James Anderson was born in Seattle and raised in the Pacific Northwest. He has worked in publishing, logging, and commercial fishing. The Never-Open Desert Diner is his debut novel.

Ben jones lives a simple life. He’s a truck driver, working Route 117 in a remote area of Utah, where most of the residents want to live off-grid and disappear from the world. Ben is barely scraping by, on the verge of losing his truck and his business, as well as the service he provides for the reclusive inhabitants of 117.

Then one day, Ben sees a woman named Claire playing the cello in an abandoned house off 117, and his entire world changes. Strangers appear on 117:  a woman who’s a little too polished for his neck of the woods, a reality television producer who wants to ride along with Ben. A friend of his turns up missing. Something is going on around Route 117, and Ben needs to find out what it is before someone gets hurt. Then there’s Walt Butterfield, owner of the Well-Known Desert Diner, which hasn’t opened in years. Walt knows more about what’s going on than he’s letting on, and Ben is determined to find out what it is, no matter what.

The Never-Open Desert Diner is a mystery novel, but the real focus is the quirky, unforgettable characters that live on the pages. Ben’s “boring” life merely serves as a foil for the vivid people that inhabit this desolate patch of desert.

(Galley provided by Crown Publishing via NetGalley.)

Jackson’s Trust, by Violet Duke

jackson's trust
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Loveswept.)

Violet Duke is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her newest novel, Jackson’s Trust, is the first in her Fourth Down Series.

Jackson Gray, sports analyst, doesn’t do relationships. Why is a secret. But when he’s assigned to train new sideline reporter Leila Hart, and they become friends, he starts to wonder if he can offer a woman more than a physical relationship.

Leila is finally close to realizing her dream of becoming an NFL sportscaster. With Jackson’s help, she’s well on her way, but as their friendship grows, so do the rumors. And Leila has some secrets of her own, secrets that could be the end of all she holds dear.

Jackson’s Trust features two strong characters struggling to reconcile their hopes and dreams with reality. The camaraderie they share as their relationship grows makes this book worth the read.

(Galley provided by Loveswept via NetGalley.)

I’m not even a football fan, and I enjoyed this book.

How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? by Yvonne Cassidy

 

how many letters
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Flux.)

Yvonne Cassidy is an Irish author who loves the thrill of forging a connection with her readers. Her newest novel, How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? hit shelves on March 8th.

Rhea Farrell has a lot of scars, some visible, some not-so-visible. From the accident that cost her an arm. From her father’s drinking. From her struggle to come to terms with her sexuality. But the biggest scar is the death of her mother.

When a completely-overwhelmed Rhea runs away, she is sure no one will miss her. She’s scared. She’s angry. And she doesn’t know where to turn next. So she turns to the only person she can, writing letters to the mother she never knew. On the streets of New York, where her mother was from, Rhea searches for information about her mother as she struggles to forge a new life for herself.

How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? is an emotional, poignant novel about loss and secrets, but also about learning to trust and heal. Rhea is a complex character haunted by pain and betrayal, but searching for a way out. A gritty novel that is well-worth the read.

(Galley provided by Flux via NetGalley.)

Tragedy Girl, by Christine Hurley Deriso

tragedy girl
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Flux.)

Christine Hurley Deriso is the author of Then I Met My Sister, Thirty Sunsets, and her newest novel, Tragedy Girl.

Tragedy should be Anne’s middle name. Her parents just died in a car crash, forcing her to move to a new town to live with her aunt and uncle. There she meets Blake, whose girlfriend drowned a few months before. They understand each other, and what they’re each going through, and hit it off immediately.

Then Anne starts to wonder if something is off. Her friends never let her be alone with Blake. Blake’s friends and family act oddly around him. Then she starts hearing rumors about the death of Blake’s girlfriend, whose body was never recovered. Soon Blake himself starts acting strange, and she starts wondering if there’s more to the story than anyone else realizes.

Tragedy Girl is a fast-paced psychological thriller about two wounded people who find each other, but it is also about secrets and the damage they can do.

(Galley provided by Flux via NetGalley.)

My Kind of Crazy, by Robin Reul

my kind of crazy
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.)

Robin Reul is a young adult author. Her newest book, My Kind of Crazy, hits shelves April 5th.

“Normal is overrated.”

Welcome to Hank Kirby’s life. His wisecracks occasionally get him in trouble with his overbearing, alcoholic father. But not nearly as much trouble as his attempt to ask the most popular girl in school to prom. With sparklers. Underneath a very flammable tree…. When the house almost catches on fire, Hank ditches his plan and flees the scene of the crime.

Too bad Peyton Breedlove saw the whole thing. She takes an interest in Hank and his “work,” and soon he finds himself involved with the quirky, secretive Peyton, whose issues make Hank’s trouble’s look like child’s play. Are Peyton’s secrets more than Hank can handle?

My Kind of Crazy is a thought-provoking read about characters that are deeply flawed but struggling to survive. Neither Peyton nor Hank come from a happy home and family, and their fight to adjust and thrive takes them places they never considered. But they are more than just their pasts, a lesson that is painful and dangerous to learn.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

You Were Here, by Cori McCarthy

you were here
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.)

Cori McCarthy was born in Guam, has lived in New England, the Midwest, Ireland, and Michigan, and has traveled all over, although she loves Washington D.C. She is the author of The Color of Rain, Breaking Sky, and her new novel, the multimedia You Were Here.

Jaycee has accomplished what her older brother, Jake, couldn’t:  live past graduation. Five years ago, daredevil, adventure-loving Jake died the night of graduation, and Jaycee’s whole world crumbled. She lost the brother she adored, and her best friend drifted away soon after. She feels lost, disconnected, and plans to reconnect by visiting some of the places Jake enjoyed going.

She doesn’t expect to have help, but her former best friend, a heartbroken poet, and her friend’s usually drunk, always childish boyfriend go along for the ride. And Mik, the enigmatic, selectively mute guy from Jaycee’s childhood, once Jake’s friend, now the one person who gets Jaycee to reveal more of herself than she thought possible, the one who gets her.

If you’re exploring an old asylum and an abandoned amusement park, it’s good to have company. No matter how crazy.

You Were Here explores many nuances of grief, and how people deal with it. It is not for the faint of heart, the characters are broken and flawed, but they learn to deal with those flaws and heal each other. Full of “Don’t try this at home” stunts and beautiful art, You Were Here is well worth the read.

I loved this book. From the first page, I was hooked, and I stayed up hours finishing it. The characters are fantastic, warts and all, and Jaycee’s growing relationships with the others, as she lets them into her wounded heart, are beautifully done. If you love YA books, you should definitely pick this one up!

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

When Fiction Mimics Reality

This morning, I finished reading one of the books for my American Women Writers class, The Coquette, by Hannah W. Foster.

the coquette
(I do not own this image.)

Have you read this book?  I had never even heard of it before seeing the reading list for this class. It was written in the very late 1700s, and is about a woman trying to choose between two men: a minister who wants to marry her, and a rake. She ends up alienating the minister, who marries someone else, and so does the rake. However, she ends up pregnant from an affair with him, and dies alone in childbirth. The tale is told in a series of letters between the characters, giving a good view of the characters true emotions.

And here’s where I had a problem with this story, because some of the letters are written from the rake’s point of view, and he’s a complete and total jerk, who refuses to take responsibility for his own actions.

He makes a concerted effort to come between Eliza and her other suitor. When that relationship goes down in flames, he marries a heiress, and says she can’t blame him for his actions, because she knew how he was. What? He pursues Eliza unmercifully, and when she eventually gives in, he blames her and loses all respect for her. The pregnancy is all her fault. When his wife finds out and leaves him, and he loses everything, still he doesn’t want to accept blame. He does seem remorseful after Eliza dies, but still doesn’t really own up to his faults.

I enjoyed the book somewhat, but this character drove me mad. Deliberately hurtful, selfish, greedy…everything was her fault, even though she repeatedly rebuffed him. When tragedy struck, he still wasn’t fully ready to accept blame. I found him entirely unlikable and criminal.

And to be honest, his attitude and behavior is quite reminiscent of some of the prevailing attitudes in society today.  That girl in the provocative clothing who was the victim of sexual harassment, abuse, and/or rape?  That was all her fault, for dressing like that.

What?

Since when are people not responsible for their own actions, including hurting other people?

Pleasure Reading vs Required Reading

This week, I’m on Spring Break, so technically I shouldn’t be doing homework. And I’m not doing a lot, but I’m doing some. Working on an essay for grad school. Outlining the short story that is my final paper in my capstone English class. Reading.

Sounds horrible, doesn’t it?

Here’s what I’m supposed to be reading this week:

  1. simplify, by Bill Hybels (for my monthly reading goal):  10 pages a day
  2. Against All Things Ending, by Stephen R. Donaldson (monthly goal):  30 pages a day
  3. Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott (for school):  35 pages a day
  4. The Coquette, by Hannah W. Foster (for school):  20% on 5 days
  5. 2 chapters in Connected:  living in the Light of the Trinity, by Sam Alberry (for school)
  6. 2 chapters and the introduction in Truth Decay:  Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism, by Douglas R. Groothius (for school)
  7. The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever, by Jeff Strand (reading to review)

You see my problem? I love to read. I’m a quick reader. But….I’m where I’m supposed to be on #1 and #4. I intend to catch up on #3 and #2 today, and start #5. That leaves me #6 and #7 for…sometime.

Sigh.

 

The Muse Returns

I finished up the outline for Siren Song in January, and then promptly didn’t write a word until… late February. My “goal” (which I frequently find myself ignoring) is two 500-word sessions a week. I can remember writing 10,000+ words  a day for NaNo years ago, so 500 words twice a week should be ridiculously easy. Should be.

As it turns out, actually making myself sit down and write is almost impossible. But this morning, I made that my first priority, and wrote 1,000 words.

Not setting any records with that, but I’m thrilled with it.

I also started outlining my final project for my capstone class, which is a short story based on the mythos of Camelot. I’m actually looking forward to writing it, and using it as backstory for when I start writing the Camelot project sometime in the future (because my Muse gave me a fantastic idea with that months ago).

How is the Muse performing for you?