Teresa's Reading Corner

Author Spotlight and Giveaway: Susan Shea author of the Dani O’Rourke Mystery Series

Teresa — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:35:30 +0000

Today I have the great pleasure of introducing to you a new to me author, Susan Shea.

Readers, What Would You Do?

Readers have asked me to tell them more about a specific portion of the backstory in my Dani O’Rourke Mystery series: Dani’s failed marriage to Richard Argetter III. What would make her turn her back on a man with two Porsches, a pied a terre in Paris and $450 million? What would you do in her situation?

Before the series begins, Danielle O’Rourke, now the chief fundraiser at the Devor Museum of Arts and Antiquities in San Francisco, was a junior member of the staff, pouring wine, chatting up guests, learning to read the donors’ wishes and intentions.

In THE KING’S JAR, the newest book, Dani recalls how they met, seemingly by chance, but really because Dickie had noticed her at a Devor event and was intrigued by her wit and lack of pretension. A product of elite cliques, Dickie was restless, impulsive, at loose ends. Surrounded by privileged but often shallow people, and pursued by the young women in his social set, Dickie was smart enough to see through the phoniness, but not sure what options he had.

In MURDER IN THE ABSTRACT, she reminisces about their courtship, quiet evenings watching old movies and eating popcorn. When they got married, tongues wagged and barbs were thrown. Her mother-in-law thought Dani was a golddigger but Dickie’s father felt differently and gave Dani a portfolio of stocks as a wedding present because, he said, every wife should have some financial independence.

Dani was promoted because now she could put the fundraising touch on a new set of peers. The couple was happy for a couple of years. But Dickie, always restless, still didn’t have much direction, and Dani was serious about her career and wasn’t available to do the things his impulsive nature led him to want.

It was on one of his solo jaunts to ski in Switzerland, after an argument he and Dani had about her refusal to leave at an especially busy time, that Dickie met and was dazzled by a celebrity underwear model, one of those winged women you’ve seen on TV and in catalogs, with Barbie figures and hair down to their rear ends. She knew perfectly well who he was and that he was married. She also knew about the $450 million and proceeded to carry on a seduction orchestrated to draw the paparazzi.

It was a very public humiliation, and Dani retired to her sister’s house to hide under the duvet and eat M&Ms for a month. When she emerged, two sizes larger and determined to keep her job, she divorced Dickie, who has spent the better part of two books (so far) trying to win her back. Under the terms of a prenup agreement, she didn’t get half of his money or the Paris apartment. She doesn’t care. But, readers, what would you do?

Susan C Shea writes the Dani O’Rourke Mystery series. The first is Murder in the Abstract and the sequel is The King’s Jar, published May 1. You can read more about her at www.susancshea.com .

GIVEAWAY: A huge Thank you to the publicist for allowing me to give a copy of The King’s Jar to one lucky commenter. The giveaway is limited to those with a shipping address in the US or Canada. Just leave a comment answering Susan’s question… What would you do?

The giveaway will be open until Monday May 27th at 8AM Mountain time. A winner will be randomly selected using Random.org. Don’t forget to include your email address in your entry as that is how I will notify the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, if I don’t receive a response within that time, a new winner will be randomly selected under the same terms.

Good Luck!

Author Spotlight and Giveaway: Susan Shea author of the Dani O’Rourke Mystery Series is a post from: Teresa's Reading Corner Reproduction of this content is not allowed without prior consent.

Book Review: The Repeat Year by Andrea Lochen

Teresa — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:28:18 +0000

The Repeat Year by Andrea Lochen

Publisher: Berkley Trade (May 7, 2013)
Source: Publisher via BookSparks PR
Formats Available: Paperback, Kindle, Audio
Format Read: Paperback

Synopsis from Goodreads: Everyone has days, weeks, even months they wish they could do over—but what about an entire year? After living through the worst twelve months of her life, intensive care nurse Olive Watson is given a second chance to relive her past and attempt to discover where she went wrong… After a year of hardships, including a messy breakup with her longtime boyfriend Phil, the prospect of her mother’s remarriage, and heartbreaking patient losses at the hospital, Olive is ready to start fresh. But when she wakes up in her ex-boyfriend’s bed on New Year’s Day 2011—a day she has already lived—Olive’s world is turned upside down. Shouldering a year of memories that no one else can recall, even Olive begins to question herself—until she discovers that she is not alone. Upon crossing paths with Sherry Witan, an experienced “repeater,” Olive learns that she has the chance to rewrite her future. Given the opportunity of a lifetime, Olive has to decide what she really wants. Should she make different choices, or accept her life as she knows it, flaws and all?

My thoughts: Given the opportunity to change something in your past, would you do it? If so, what would you change? This is a question I’m sure we’ve all pondered at least once in our lives. In The Repeat Year by Andrea Lochen, Olive gets the opportunity to do just that, but does having an extra year of wisdom really make a difference?

I enjoyed The Repeat Year from the very first pages. The bewilderment that Olive feels as she first realizes that things aren’t as they should be was genuine and made her immediately likable. This is not to say that I liked her the whole time. There were moments that she was genuinely frustrating and I wondered what they heck she was doing. This made the story that much better for me. I give kudos to any author can elicit an emotional response from a reader.

The Repeat Year was a quick read for me. A bit of fantasy amid the romance makes this an excellent Summer Read.

Book Review: The Repeat Year by Andrea Lochen is a post from: Teresa's Reading Corner Reproduction of this content is not allowed without prior consent.

Book Review: The Love Wars by L. Alison Heller

Teresa — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:08:08 +0000

The Love Wars by L. Alison Heller

Publisher: NAL Trade (May 7, 2013)
Source: Publisher via BookSparks PR
Formats Available: Paperback, Kindle
Format Read: Paperback

Synopsis from Goodreads: Even though Molly Grant has only a handful of relationships behind her, she’s already been through more divorces than she can count. At the premier Manhattan law firm where she’s a matrimonial attorney, the hours are long, the bosses tyrannical, and the bonuses stratospheric. Her clients are rich, famous, and used to getting their way. Molly’s job—and primary concern in life—is to work as hard as possible to make sure they do. Until she meets the client who changes everything… Fern Walker is the desperate former wife of a ruthless media mogul. Her powerful ex is slowly pushing her out of her young children’s lives, and she fears losing them forever. Molly—haunted by an incident from her own past—finds herself unable to walk away from Fern and sets out to help her. She just needs to do it without her bosses finding out. Now, as complications both professional and personal stack up, Molly can only hope that her own wits, heart, and instincts are enough—both in and out of court.

First Impression: When the book arrived and I first looked at the cover, I wasn’t really sure what I’d gotten myself into. I didn’t feel like the house of cards really translated into what the synopsis was saying. Books featuring professional women always hold a certain appeal to me so I dove in.

My thoughts: The Love Wars is a fantastic summer read. It’s light enough to be laugh out loud funny yet not so fluffy that it is easily cast aside. I absolutely adored Molly. She is smart, hardworking, and completely believable. Knowing what I do about Divorce law, I know it takes a certain kind of person to practice it successfully. I was really interested to see how it would work out for Molly.

Heller does a fantastic job developing the supporting characters, and various sub plots while still keeping the focus of the story on Molly and her overall growth. Her boss was delightfully atrocious and made the story that much more entertaining. Her friends were genuine with a little bit of high school clique thrown in.

The Love Wars is a fun and entertaining story that will keep you turning the pages. Looking for wit and humor with a bit of romance? L. Alison Heller has you covered in her fantastic debut, The Love Wars. I look forward to seeing what she does next.

Book Review: The Love Wars by L. Alison Heller is a post from: Teresa's Reading Corner Reproduction of this content is not allowed without prior consent.

Notes from the Corner… Outside of my comfort zone

Teresa — Sun, 05 May 2013 12:46:41 +0000

Even though World Book Night was nearly two weeks ago, I really wanted to tell you about my experience. This was my first time participating in World Book Night, and I am incredibly glad that I got the opportunity. I love talking about books with friends and family, and of course here on the blog. I rarely talk about them to people outside of my comfort zone. Let me tell you, approaching strangers is DEFINITELY outside of my comfort zone.

The reactions I received as I approached strangers were mixed. Some would not make eye contact and just kept on walking. Of those that did stop to talk to me, many were apprehensive until I explained very briefly what I was doing, then they readily accepted a copy. A few didn’t mind being approached at all and accepted the book with enthusiasm.

The experience of being a World Night Book Giver really challenged me. Who would have thought that I’d ever be approaching people who I don’t know on the street to talk about something that I love? I hope that I get to do it again.

Have you done something that was so outside of your comfort zone that it surprised even you? I’d love to hear about it.

Notes from the Corner… Outside of my comfort zone is a post from: Teresa's Reading Corner Reproduction of this content is not allowed without prior consent.

Kids Corner Book Review: Maisy Grows a Garden by Lucy Cousins

Teresa — Sat, 04 May 2013 11:41:27 +0000

Maisy Grows a Garden by Lucy Cousins

Publisher: Candlewick (February 2013)
Source: Publisher
Formats Available: Hardcover
Format Read: Hardcover
Age Range: 0-5

My thoughts: We are long time fans of Maisy and her various adventures. Monkey first took a liking to her when he was just a baby and we’ve been reading about her ever since.

I picked this up thinking that the baby would enjoy it, which he did. What surprised me is that Monkey really enjoyed it as well. As a result I increased the recommended age range up to age five (the publisher showed 0-3). Older children may be a little restless with the simplicity of the story, but they are easily engaged with the topic and the pull tabs that put life into Maisy’s Garden.

This book was especially timely for us as we are currently planning what to plant in our garden this year. Seeing what Maisy planted was a great springboard for discussion with our young gardener.

Maisy Grows a Garden is a great addition to our family library. I’m sure we will be reading it for years to come.

Kids Corner Book Review: Maisy Grows a Garden by Lucy Cousins is a post from: Teresa's Reading Corner Reproduction of this content is not allowed without prior consent.

Audio Book Review: A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson

Teresa — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:01:43 +0000

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson

Publisher: Hachette Audio (January 2012)
Grand Central Publishing (September 2012)
Audio Source: Personal Library
Book Source: Author
Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audio
Format Read: audio book, and Paperback
Narrated by: Joshilyn Jackson
Running Time: 12 hours 25 minutes

A GROWN-UP KIND OF PRETTY is a powerful saga of three generations of women, plagued by hardships and torn by a devastating secret, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of family. Fifteen-year-old Mosey Slocumb-spirited, sassy, and on the cusp of womanhood-is shaken when a small grave is unearthed in the backyard, and determined to figure out why it’s there. Liza, her stroke-ravaged mother, is haunted by choices she made as a teenager. But it is Jenny, Mosey’s strong and big-hearted grandmother, whose maternal love braids together the strands of the women’s shared past–and who will stop at nothing to defend their future.

My thoughts: Joshilyn Jackson was one of those authors that I stumbled upon many years ago when my book club chose to read Gods In Alabama. I really enjoyed that book, but I didn’t become a true fan until I listened to Backseat Saints.

Narration of an audio book is truly an art that should not be attempted by just anyone. A Grown Up Kind of Pretty is narrated by Jackson herself as are her other books (with the exception of Gods in Alabama). I also learned that she has narrated Shine, Shine, shine by Lydia Netzer, a book that was already on my list to read but am now tempted to listen to instead. Jackson is a fantastic narrator. She manages to capture the essence of each of her characters and her Southern accent is fantastic.

A Grown Up Kind of Pretty, like all of Jackson’s novels tackles some pretty intense issues. The way that Jackson does it with the perfect balance of tension and humor is like no other author I’ve ever read.

Like the synopsis says, Mosey is a spirited and sassy young woman trying to find her way in the world and was by far my favorite character. She has such an incredible imagination. This is not to say that the other characters weren’t great as well. Jenny is an extremely strong woman and only wants the best for her girls. She will go to great lengths to protect Mosey from heading down the wrong path.

A Grown up Kind of Pretty sucked me in immediately and kept me engaged throughout It didn’t matter if I was reading the print version or listening. I couldn’t put this book down. Full of family secrets, surprises, and unexpected twists I was not disappointed.

If you love character driven novels like I do, then A Grown Up Kind of Pretty is a must read in either print or audio. If you are new to audio, this one might be a good one to start with.

Audio Book Review: A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson is a post from: Teresa's Reading Corner Reproduction of this content is not allowed without prior consent.

Read Humane 2013

Teresa — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:03:24 +0000

You guys know I’m a dog person, right? I think I’ve introduced you to my dog, Sadie. She is a lovable Rottweiler Lab mix that I brought home from a rescue nearly 8 years ago. When the people at Penguin approached me to be part of this campaign, I accepted without hesitation.

This May, Teresa’s Reading Corner is pleased to support Penguin Group (USA)’s Read Humane® 2013 campaign to fight animal cruelty. We would like to welcome spokesperson and bestselling author Jill Shalvis to our blog today, where she is sharing with us her family’s animal rescue story discusses her Animal Magnetism series with a piece entitled “Why Dogs Make Great Sidekicks!”

Read Humane® is an initiative created by Penguin Group (USA) in 2012 to support our furry friends in honor of National Pet Month (May). As part of the Read Humane® 2013 campaign, six special edition, animal-themed mass market paperbacks have been reissued featuring the official Read Humane® seal. Penguin supports the fight against animal cruelty with a $25,000 donation, regardless of sales, to The Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Rescue Team.

For more information, and complete lists of the six participating authors and book retailers, please visit Penguin Group (USA) or view the official Read Humane® Prezi here.

And remember to join the conversation on Twitter with @BerkleyRomance and @HSUS throughout May by using the hashtag #readHumane. Followers are encouraged to Tweet about Penguin’s animal friendly books, share their own rescue stories, and join in other pet themed conversations.

Jill Shalvis is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over four dozen romance novels, including her fun contemporary Animal Magnetism series, which promotes animal rescue dogs. Jill is a 3-time National Readers Choice winner, and lover of animals! More information about Jill and her collection of fabulous romance titles can be found at www.JillShalvis.com.

***

My Rescue Story, by Jill Shalvis…

At any point, on any day in the Shalvis abode, there are animals. All of them rescued, always. It’s become somewhat of a family tradition, rescuing animals in need, and we’ve found that not only is it a nice thing to do, we get a really great pet out of the deal.

A couple of years ago, our house was fairly full. Okay, so it was straining at the wall joints. We had Ashes — our rescue Border Collie/Australian Blue Heeler. Sadie – our cat who thinks she’s a dog. Micky – a field mouse rescued from the high school science lab. And four teenage girls.

Actually, it wasn’t a house. It was a zoo.

But a year before we’d lost Izzie, our beloved brown lab. And we missed having two dogs. Yes, we’re crazy. Anyway, on that fated day I’m about to tell you about, Alpha Man (my husband) had heard about a yellow lab puppy who needed rescue.

No. No way. I was adamant. I had enough on my plate. But Alpha Man just wanted to go make sure the lab was okay.

So we left the mountain…

And drove…

We were following the sketch directions from a guy who knew a guy who had told us about a woman who lived out in the middle of nowhere, and I mean NOWHERE, and she rescues animals.

The landscape was like something out of a Criminal Minds episode, so we were wary at first. We had no idea what we were going to find. A box of puppies, or a meth lab … nothing would have surprised me. I was a little worried because the kids were with us, but it turned out the place was fifty acres of love.

Any animal in need is welcome.

Even the funny looking ones…

The woman had goats, horses, turtles, geese, snakes, angry chickens … you name it and she had it. She was rehabbing it, doctoring it, loving it … whatever the animal needed.

We’d gone because of the rumor of the puppies, the yellow labs. And she did have two puppies. She’d rescued them out of a horrible situation.

But the yellow lab wasn’t the one who stole our hearts. Nope, it was her little baby brother. The runt.

He was filthy and living in a hovel. And the minute he saw us, he came alive. Wriggling, happy, loving. All you had to do was touch him and he writhed in joy and dropped to the floor for a belly rub.

And once he was picked up by the teenagers and loved up by them, he didn’t want to get down. I tried. I tried hard. But the thing had wriggled his way right into my heart. I remember looking at Alpha Man, laughing and crying at the same time.

“You didn’t want another dog,” he reminded me.

I told him to zip it. We were taking this dog and that was that. Besides, there was the little matter of him being in my arms and refusing to be put down.

So we never put him down again. Meet Frat Boy…

***

Why Dogs Make Great Sidekicks, by Jill Shalvis…

Now that you know a little bit about my rescue story, I want to share with you some of the inspiration for my Animal Magnetism series. One of the fun things about writing this series is developing complex and lovable characters… that just happen to be adorable dogs! Here’s why dogs make great sidekicks…

1. Because when you’re on the mountain trail and you come across an angry mama bear and her baby cubs, your dog will run like hell. This will warn you to run like hell as well. Just be careful because if your dog is like my dog, he will throw you under the bus (or in this case bear) to get home before you do.

2. Because when all the cookies are gone you can totally blame your cookie loving dog. No one has to know that you ate all the cookies yourself. And your dog can give you dirty looks for blaming him but he can’t actually talk and dispute your story. Solid alibi.

3. Because if you’ve eaten in a way that disagrees with your stomach, there are never any worries. Your dog will always, ALWAYS, out stink you. And if he doesn’t, you can still point the finger at him. Again, he can’t talk and dispute your story.

4. Dogs are not just great sidekicks but they also make great a really great wingman. If you’re single, you can totally put your dog to work at charming the person you’re interested in. Just make sure that person likes dog drool and dog hair all over everything first.

5. There is never a need for a pillow or extra blanket because your dog will always be willing to get into bed with you and share body heat. Always. Just be forewarned. Being a great sidekick is not the same thing as a good bed partner. They have a habit of being a total bed hog.

***

Thank you so much, Jill for sharing your stories with us! If you have enjoyed Jill’s stories please feel free to show your support in our comments section below and by visiting the other participating websites/blogs…

Read Humane® Blog Tour 2013!

For more information on Read Humane® please visit Penguin Group (USA). To view more special features from spokesperson Jill Shalvis, please visit the following websites/blogs; each website/blog will feature a unique perspective on Read Humane, so be sure to stop by each for a new and exciting experience!

4/29/2013 USA Today’s Happy Ever After Special Feature!

4/29/2013 Fresh Fiction Spotlight

4/30/2013 RT Book Reviews Online Special Feature!

5/1/2013 Happily Ever After Reads Spotlight

5/2/2013 Teresa’s Reading Corner Spotlight

5/3/2013 The Book Reading Gals Spotlight

5/4/2013 Book Crack Spotlight

5/5/2013 Love Romances & More Spotlight

5/6/2013 Books-N-Kisses Spotlight

5/7/2013 RT Book Reviews Online Spotlight

5/8/2013 Cocktails & Books Spotlight

5/9/2013 The Book Pushers Spotlight

5/10/2013 Kindles & Wine Spotlight

5/11/2013 My Book Addiction & More Spotlight

5/12/2013 Eye on Romance Spotlight

5/13/2013 eBook Obsessed Spotlight

5/14/2013 My Friend Amy Spotlight

5/14/2013 Pretty Fluffy Spotlight

5/16/2013 The Romance Dish Spotlight

5/16/2013 Pretty Fluffy Spotlight

5/17/2013 Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind Spotlight

5/18/2013 Romantic Book Affairs Spotlight

5/19/2013 Ramblings from This Chick Spotlight

5/20/2013 Under the Covers Book Blog Spotlight

5/20/2013 The Romance Studio Spotlight

5/21/2013 Chick Lit Reviews Spotlight

5/26/2013 The Reading Café Spotlight

5/27/2013 Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews Spotlight

5/28/2013 Stuff and Nonsense Spotlight

5/29/2013 Thoughts in Progress Spotlight

Read Humane 2013 is a post from: Teresa's Reading Corner Reproduction of this content is not allowed without prior consent.

2013 Audio Book Challenge: May Link Up

Teresa — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:11:57 +0000

Can you believe we are nearly at the halfway point of 2013? I certainly can’t! This year is just flying by. So far I’ve completed 9 of 25 audio books for the year. This means that I need to listen to at least 2 per month for the rest of the year to reach my goal. I don’t think this will be a problem. How are you doing on your challenge?

I’ve been thinking a lot about your comments in response to my question last month. I’ve got an idea that I would like to try, but it does require some exploration and verification that there aren’t any legal issues. As soon as I finish my due diligence I’ll get something announced.

2013 Audio Book Challenge: May Link Up is a post from: Teresa's Reading Corner Reproduction of this content is not allowed without prior consent.

My Reading Plan: May 2013

Teresa — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:54:27 +0000

Another month and another batch of books that I’m silly excited to read. (Yes, I know I’m a nerd) Last month’s plan was ambitious and May’s plan is even more so.

I will be listening to If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Your Mother by Julia Sweeney on audio. Since giving Tina Fey’s Bossypants a try on audio I feel that it’s the way to go with these types of memoirs.

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell is the May selection for the Hashtag Bookclub on Twitter. You can tune in to the discussion using #theothertypist beginning on May 7th.

The Love Wars by L. Alison Heller is for another book club of sorts. I am reading a few of the selections for the 2013 Summer Reading Road Trip organized by the lovely ladies at BookSparks PR.

The Repeat Year by Andrea Lochen is another book featured in the 2013 Summer Reading Road Trip

The King’s Jar by Susan C Shea looks like a fun read. You can also expect to see an Author Spotlight featuring Susan this month.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is the May selection for the She Reads book club.

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams is releasing this month and I really hope to get to this book. I absolutely fell in love with her work when I read Overseas. I’ve been told that this is a very different book, but I’m sure the writing will still be captivating.

The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio. What more can I say, It’s by SARAH JIO! I must get this one ASAP

Is This Tomorrow by Caroline Leavitt is up in my audio queue. It is one of the recent projects narrated by Xe Sands (one of my favorite narrators).

I got through several of April’s selections, but there are a couple that I have to carry forward into May because they are part of the Armchair Audies. (two previously unmentioned)

Other goings on this month include Children’s Book Week May 13th through 19th. As well as Armchair BEA at the end of the month.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, this is an incredibly ambitious plan. While I hope to get to all of these titles, its okay if I don’t.

What do you have planned for May?

My Reading Plan: May 2013 is a post from: Teresa's Reading Corner Reproduction of this content is not allowed without prior consent.

It’s Monday, here’s what I’m reading

Teresa — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:28:54 +0000

Since it’s the last Monday of April, I thought it fitting to update you on how my reading plan for the month has worked out.

I haven’t completely stuck to the plan, but have completed a few of the books I highlighted in that post, and one that I picked up on a whim.

And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (Review Pending)
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

I am currently listening to The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doig for the 2013 Armchair Audies and am reading The Love Wars by L. Alison Heller (one of my May selections).

A few of my April selections will have to move forward into May, which is already proving to have a pretty ambitious goal.

So, what are you reading?

It’s Monday, here’s what I’m reading is a post from: Teresa's Reading Corner Reproduction of this content is not allowed without prior consent.

Teresa's Reading Corner

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