June 30

Birthdays: Winston Graham (1908), Czeslaw Milosz 1911), Harry Blackstone, Jr. (1934), Assia Djebar (1936), Jose Emilio Pacheco (1939), David McPhail (1940), Ahmed Sofa (1943), Daniel Goldhagen (1959), Adam Roberts (1965), Dinaw Megestu (1978),

Czeslaw Milosz won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Quote: “Let’s try the library,’ I tell him. ‘We can find out anything there!” ― David McPhail

“Don’t think about how your characters sound, but how they see. Watch the world through their eyes – study the extraordinary and the mundane through their particular perspective. Walk around the block with them, stroll the rooms they live in, figure out what objects on the cluttered dining room table they would inevitably stare at the longest, and then learn why. Be generous to your characters: kill them, save them, break their hearts and then heal them. Stuff them with life, emotions, histories, objects and people they love, and once you’ve done that, once they are bursting at the seams, strip them bare. Find out what they look like—how they stand, talk move, when they have nothing left. Now put them back together, fill them once more with life, except now leave enough room for the reader to squeeze their own heart and imagination inside.” – Dinaw Megestu

Tip: In dialogue, try to avoid the “But as you know…” syndrome. If the reader should know it, then you should have had it in before this.

Jumpstart: Open any magazine to a picture and write a paragraph about what is happening or what is being advertised. You’re trying to describe this to someone who can’t see it. Be specific.

June 29

Birthdays: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900), John Toland (1912), Julia Kepes (1918), Frederic Dard (1921), Charlotte Bingham (1942), Quintin Jardine (1945), Brian Herbert (1947), Breece D’J Pancake (1952)

Antoine de Saint-Expury is best known for his novella “The Little Prince”

John Toland won the Pulitzer Prize for History for “The Rising Sun”

Quote: “Just repeating a statement often and with great vehemence does not make it a fact, and no amount of repetition can make a rational person believe it.” ― Brian Herbert, Kevin Anderson, Mentats of Dune

“Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to
believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.” ― Brian Herbert, House Harkonnen

 “You can’t write any form of fiction unless you enjoy reading it. You must be sincere in your approach. It’s no good despising the form. So many people think they could earn some money from writing something for which they have no affection. It won’t work. The first thing you have to have is belief.” – Charlotte Bingham

Tip: Try not to give your reader “ping-pong” dialogue. Break up long passages of dialogue with actions.

Jumpstart: List ten things that annoy you. Pick two and write about them. Why do they annoy you? What can you do about them?

CORPSE IN THE CRAFTSMAN COTTAGE by Lori Pollard-Johnson

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Thirty-four, newly divorced and parenting two little girls, Jan Weatherly is determined to make it on her own doing what she knows best: do-it-yourself home flipping. With her BFF Pam Bacchus by her side, she purchases their first fixer-upper—a cute Craftsman cottage with quick profit potential in rainy Rainier, Washington. With the first swing of her claw hammer, however, Jan pries back faux cedar paneling and reveals a nude, snow-haired corpse floating in a makeshift aquarium. If that didn’t fully sour their dreams in a plume of formaldehyde-tinged air, Sergeant Daniels arrives and bans the women from the crime scene. Will they continue sleuthing, despite Daniels’s warnings, or simply wait for their dreams of financial independence to fall apart?

Thoughts: This was a different type of cozy mystery. First of all, the main characters—Janny and Pam—are best friends who are both divorced (their exes are also best friends) with kids. They used to work for their exes in their construction company so now, they’re going out on their own and renovating and flipping houses. Unfortunately, while working on their first one, they discover a dead body. Banned from the house by the police, they go about trying to figure out how they’re going to survive with no money coming in and no idea how long it’s going to be until they can get back to work so they can sell the house.

The characters are realistic in that they’re women with kids and real problems. But one of the best characters was the dog Moxie – a hairless Chinese crested dog who isn’t pretty, but who is protective of Janny (her mistress). I may not be a dog person, but even this “cutie” made me go awwww. Meanwhile, their exes are doing things that make the women get even more angry at them (asking Janny’s girls to keep secrets, new truck, new house, new boat, new girlfriend…). Janny finds her backbone and lets hers know exactly how she feels about this. And he agrees! And then there’s the cute Detective Daniel’s. Real people. Real problems.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

CRIMES AND CONFECTIONS by Catherine Bruns

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cookies & Chance Series

5*****

Blurb: With her beloved grandmother on vacation in Italy, baker Sally Muccio has her hands full. Between running a business, running after her toddler daughter, and running to keep her crazy parents out of trouble, Sal can’t seem to catch a break. Adding to her overload, Sal’s ever youthful mother Maria decides to enter the local Mrs. Buffalo beauty pageant, and she elects Sal and Josie to provide sweet treats for the audience. It’s sure to be an exciting day for all involved. But when vengeful contestant Charmaine Weatherwax sabotages Maria’s gown, the beauty contest quickly turns into an ugly affair. Hours later, Charmaine is found dead in her apartment! To make matters worse, Sal’s mom is caught on a surveillance camera entering the woman’s apartment shortly before her death. Are the chaos cookies about to hit the fan for the Muccio clan? Sal will need to find the real killer before her mother’s sent up the river without her stilettos!
Recipes Included!

Thoughts: I loved this story! It was full of quirky characters and lots of suspects. My favorite character—and she wasn’t even there for most of the story—was Sally’s grandmother, Rosa. Goodness, how she has that family spoiled! They seriously need to learn how to cook! And I’m sure there are lots of takeout places around Buffalo, NY. Why just cold cuts or burned pizza? If Sally can make cookies, surely she can learn to make a simple pot of spaghetti! One character I didn’t care for much (besides all the suspects) was Sally’s father. Unfortunately, though, I have known people like him so he was realistic, just a pain.

And that’s the who draw of this story—the characters. They are realistic, if a bit comical. This series is all about family, and what a family they are. But when bad things happen, they are all there to make sure you have support. When Sally’s mother gets accused of murdering the winner of the Mrs. Buffalo beauty contest, Sally and friends get to work figuring out who really did the deed. Add in a little romance for Rosa, and you have an entertaining read. And the delicious recipes at the end are an added bonus.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

BEATING IN TIME by M.J. Schiller

Fiction, Contemporary Romance

4****

Blurb: Once upon a time, their hearts beat as one…

Drummer Levi Cannon knows that all the platinum records in the world won’t fill the Remi-sized hole in his heart. I left Last Chance Beach and Remington Lawson behind when I took my shot at fame and fortune, but I had no idea what I was sacrificing. Now that a fundraiser has brought me home, I want more than anything to win her back. But it’s been eight years. There may be a bridge that connects the island to the mainland, but am I a fool to think that I can build something that will span the chasm of all those years? Remi Boyd knows that her love for her brother’s best friend has never died. But what kind of fool would I be to trust him again after he broke my heart? I was a child when he left. Now I’m a woman who’s been a wife and I’m also a mother to the most precious girl in the world. I can’t drag her through some torrid affair, and that is clearly all Levi can offer me. Music took him away. Music brought him back. But is it too late to recapture what they once had? Or can Last Chance Beach work its magic for them?

Thoughts: This is a story about friends who grew up together. Levi spent a lot of time with Remi’s family. Wyatt—Remi’s older brother—was Levi’s best friend. Plus, Levi’s father was an alcoholic abuser so Wyatt’s home was his “safe” place. Levi and Remi have one beautiful night, then he leaves town for eight years. When he comes back, as a rock star, he knows he still has feelings for the girl he left behind, but how does she feel about him? And can he have a second chance with her? But to do so means changing his life.

The characters and setting are both so real, I feel as if I know them, and as if I can go visit that beach sometime. The emotions are raw and out there. Told in multiple first person, the author is kind enough to let us know when we are with Remi or with Levi. Though I will admit to still getting a little confused at times, but that’s on me, not on the author. She did a very good job with the changes.

For me, the book started off slow, but once I got into it, I loved it. Especially the end with… Nope. Not going to give that away. But I thought what the author did was amazing. That was the best part of the book for me. I mean, I knew what was going to happen (come on, it’s a romance!), but the way it happened was so beautiful.

Recommended!

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

SUNSET LEDGE by Darlene DeLuca

Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Second Chances, 

4****

Blurb: Jack Armstrong lives like a recluse on his Texas ranch. In the difficult years after his wife’s death, he goes through the motions of life and wants to be left alone. Caroline Tate, a widowed ecology professor, arrives at the ranch for a much-needed break and to take nature photos for her sabbatical project. But relaxing is a challenge when she finds herself at odds with the curmudgeonly cowboy who owns the place. Jack generally steers clear of the guests, but this time, it’s not so easy. Vivacious Caroline doesn’t fade into the background. This city gal comes with pearls around her neck, a big red flower on her floppy hat, and way too many questions. Her self-assured, adventurous spirit gets under Jack’s skin, and she soon stirs feelings long dormant inside him.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. It’s different from your usual romances in that both main characters are older (60s), widow/widower, with families. Caroline is a college professor on sabbatical who is looking for “what’s next” in her life – but she wasn’t planning on a relationship. Jack is a stoic, no-nonsense rancher who is set in his ways. Somehow, the two of them manage to figure out that they might be able to work together. 

I liked Caroline’s nature. She’s a mixture of stubbornness and independence that rankles Jack. But she’s also good with animals and nature. Jack is almost a stereotypical old rancher. He’s a gentleman who wants nothing to do with softer emotions. I would have liked to have seen maybe a scene with the townspeople changing and the nature preserve go through – but those are minor things. But the description of the scenery is really well done—especially since Caroline is a photographer, so we get to see things through her eyes – like facing down a rattlesnake! 

Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Can a seasoned traveler from the city thaw the numb heart of a reclusive Texas widower?

Jack Armstrong lives like a recluse on his Texas ranch. In the difficult years after his wife’s death, he goes through the motions of life and wants to be left alone. Caroline Tate, a widowed ecology professor, arrives at the ranch for a much-needed break and to take nature photos for her sabbatical project. But relaxing is a challenge when she finds herself at odds with the curmudgeonly cowboy who owns the place. Jack generally steers clear of the guests, but this time, it’s not so easy. Vivacious Caroline doesn’t fade into the background. This city gal comes with pearls around her neck, a big red flower on her floppy hat, and way too many questions. Her self-assured, adventurous spirit gets under Jack’s skin, and she soon stirs feelings long dormant inside him.

Buy links:

Author Bio:

Darlene Deluca writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction that explores relationships – what brings people together or keeps them apart. Her intent is to bring to life interesting characters that readers can relate to in real-life situations that combine a little fun, plenty of drama (with perhaps a tear or two), and big helpings of friendship, love and self-discovery, and will leave readers either cheering or sighing with a satisfied smile as they turn the final page. The Kansas City author enjoys getting lost in a good story with a glass of tea, a bit of dark chocolate and a warm, sunny beach.

Social links:

https://darlenedeluca.com

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6879809.Darlene_Deluca

https://www.pinterest.com/darlenedelucaau/boards

https://twitter.com/darlene_deluca1

https://www.instagram.com/darlenedelucaauthor/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/Darlene-Deluca-282385088481413/?ref=bookmarks

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/darlene-deluca

June 23

Birthdays: Anna Akhmatova (1889), Alfred Kinsey (1894), Winifred Holtby (1898), Michael Shaara (1928), Richard Bach (1936), David Leavitt (1961), Hugh Howey (1975), Markus Zusak (1975),

Michael Shaara won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for “The Killer Angels”

Richard Bach is best known for his book “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”

Quote: “If you want to earn a living as a writer, which I’m assuming the people asking for my advice are, you are going to have to be more than a writer. You will be an entrepreneur and a publicist. Or you won’t make it.” – Hugh Howey

“Males do not represent two discrete populations; heterosexual and homosexual. The world is not to be divided into sheep and goats, and not all things are black nor all things white. It is a fundamental of taxonomy that nature rarely deals with discrete categories. Only the human mind invents categories and tries to force facts into separated pigeon-holes. The living world is a continuum in each and every one of its aspects. The sooner we learn this concerning human sexual behaviour, the sooner we shall reach a sound understanding of the realities of sex.” ― Alfred Kinsey, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male

“I don’t really understand it. Never have. The more I think on it the more it horrifies me. How can they look in the eyes of a man and make a slave of him and then quote the Bible?”
― Michael Shaara, The Killer Angels

Tip: In addition to not overusing modern slang, don’t use law language. A reader should be able to understand your work without resorting to looking ten-dollar words up in a dictionary.

Jumpstart: This is your main character’s wedding day. What could possibly go wrong? What happens?

Birthdays: Henry Rider Haggard (1856), Erich Maria Remarque (1898), Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906), Octavia E. Butler (1947), Dan Brown (1964), Jason Goodwin (1964), James Forman Jr. (1967), Kambri Crews (1971), David Rees (1972)

James Forman Jr. won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction

Quote: “It is very queer that the unhappiness of the world is so often brought on by small men.” ― Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

 “I don’t start writing until I have a very solid outline. Or else I’d get to the end and find out there is no ending, and that I just wasted three years of my life. The Da Vinci Code outline was a hundred pages.” – Dan Brown

Tip: Plot is what your story is about. There has to be something there for it to work.

Jumpstart: Your best friend has invented something that would change the world forever. What has s/he invented? Would it change the world for the better or the worse? What do you do?

THE LAST LIBRARIAN by Brandt Legg

Fiction, Dystopian,

3***

Blurb: The last library… The last books… The last chance… Never let them catch you reading! When the single remaining library of physical books is ordered closed and its “dangerous” contents burned, almost no one notices, almost no one cares. A few did. The impossible task of rescuing the books is up to an angry author, a brazen revolutionary, and the last librarian. They must unravel a coded paradox hidden in the texts. If they fail, humanity will lose more than just what is printed on those antique pages… …if it survives at all. You’ll love Book 1 of this thrilling series, because every chapter contains secrets and surprising twists. Click now to save the books.

Thoughts: The story had a really good premise—in a dystopian world, there was a huge pandemic and afterwards, certain people took over—mostly the rich. They changed all the laws and the world is now at peace for the first time—or is it? Go against the powers that be can get you killed. Get a little overweight and you get sent to rehab. Read the wrong books or say the wrong thing… you get the picture. All the libraries and paper books the world over are being destroyed one by one until there is only one left. The librarian doesn’t believe what is happening until a friend shows him the difference between a paper book and a digital one and he sees what the “censors” have done—even to Shakespeare. So he and his family and friends decide to save the books left in the last library. And they have less than a week to do it before the book burners come in and destroy what’s left.

A good premise, but… there were point of view hip-hops all over the place. After 411 pages, the story ended on a cliffhanger that continues in the next part of the series (I do not like this!). There were tons of quotes from famous authors and references to Fahrenheit 451, which was interesting, but it just rambled on way too much. Definitely in need of a more concise editing.

Recommended with caveat about cliffhangers, POV hops, and length.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”