Mailbox Monday

December host: Suko’s Notebook

Synopsis: Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she’s a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she’s a disgrace; to design mavens, she’s a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom. 
Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette’s intensifying allergy to Seattle–and people in general–has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic. 
To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence–creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter’s role in an absurd world.  Purchased with a Christmas gift card from my godson

♦

Synopsis: Two sisters whose lives seemed forever intertwined are torn apart when a magical little black dress gives each one a glimpse of an unavoidable future.

Antonia Ashton has worked hard to build a thriving career and a committed relationship, but she realizes her life has gone off-track. Forced to return home to Blue Hills when her mother, Evie, suffers a massive stroke, Toni finds the old Victorian where she grew up as crammed full of secrets as it is with clutter. Now she must put her mother’s house in order—and uncover long-buried truths about Evie and her aunt, Anna, who vanished fifty years earlier on the eve of her wedding. By shedding light on the past, Toni illuminates her own mistakes and learns the most unexpected things about love, magic, and a little black dress with the power to break hearts…and mend them. I bought it.

What was in your mailbox?

Sunday Post

We had a wonderful Christmas celebration last week. My sister and her family hosted the annual family party on Christmas. I went to a Christmas concert with another sister where we heard beautiful music performed by a choir that included a dear friend. Christmas Eve was spent with my husband’s family. It was nice to see so many relatives and friends.

Granddaughter Grace gave us the adorable ornament in the picture.

Blog news:

Jodi Thomas stopped by to tell us about her newest book in the Harmony series.

Review of Vanity Fare: A Novel of Lattes, Literature, and Love by Megan Caldwell.

Happy New Year!

Guest Post by Jodi Thomas

Today I’m happy to welcome author Jodi Thomas to tell us about her newest book in the Harmony series. This is one of my favorite series so I can’t wait to read CHANCE OF A LIFETIME.

Welcome to my town, Harmony, Texas.  I thought readers might like to start the new year with a book set in a small town called CHANCE OF A LIFETIME.  Once in a while everything comes together in a story that makes it fun to write. I think you’ll love the visit where secrets whisper of old love affairs and kindness to others warms your heart.

I wanted to write a deep love story about two people who had been friends in childhood and lost each other one night because of an attack.  She was hurt and he felt guilty for not being there to help.  When Emily Tomlinson sees Tannon Parker ten years later, they don’t know how to mend the fences to find one another again.  I wanted to write a very tender love story about an attraction far deeper than physical, a love that went all the way to their hearts.

Writing the story of Harmony in CHANCE OF A LIFETIME has been a pure joy for me.  I grew up in a small town and understand how the people’s life stories blend together and how everyone bands together when trouble comes.  So come along with me this cold night on an adventure that will make you smile and keep you reading long into the night.

Jodi Thomas

♦

Jodi Thomas is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of 35 novels and 11 short story collections. A RITA winning author, Jodi currently serves as the Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

www.jodithomas.com

Twitter

Facebook

Release Date: December 31, 2012

Pre-order:

Amazon  Barnes and Noble  IndieBound

Vanity Fare: A Novel of Lattes, Literature, and Love by Megan Caldwell

Synopsis: Molly Hagan is overwhelmed. Her husband left her for a younger, blonder woman, her six year-old son is questioning her authority, and now, so is she. In order to pay her Brooklyn rent and keep her son supplied with Pokemon and Legos – not to mention food and clothing – she has to get a job. Fast.

So when an old friend offers Molly a copywriting position at a new bakery, finding romance is just about the last thing on her mind. But the sexy British pastry chef who’s heading up the bakery has other thoughts. And so does Molly when she meets the chef’s intimidating business partner – who also happens to have a secret that might prevent Molly from getting her own Happily Ever After.

My brief take: I was thoroughly entertained by Megan Caldwell’s modern day take on a historical romance. It was filled with a few possible heroes and a heroine who is coping with the end of her marriage and the need to make a new life for herself and her young son.

Molly, our heroine, has serious self-esteem issues to work through – which she does with the help of her therapist. That’s a good thing because Molly soon finds herself dealing with two rather intimidating ‘heroes’ as well as her newly penniless mother. Oh my!

Caldwell kept me turning the pages and I finished Vanity Fare in a few hours. I really liked it and will be watching for her next book. Recommended.

PS There are recipes

Title: Vanity Fare: A Novel of Lattes, Literature, and Love

Author: Megan Caldwell

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Published: December 2012 – Wm. Morrow  Paperback: 416 pages

Source: I received an arc from the publisher via the Library Thing Early Reviewers program. I was not compensated for my review.

Mailbox Monday

December host:

Suko’s Notebook

♦

Synopsis: Scarlett O’Brien is in love . . . with the movies. Utterly hooked on Hugh Grant, crazy about Richard Curtis, dying with lust for Johnny Depp, Scarlett spends her days with her head in the clouds and her nights with her hand in a huge tub of popcorn. Which is not exactly what her sensible, DIY-obsessed fiancé David has in mind for their future. So when Scarlett has the chance to house-sit an impossibly grand mansion in Notting Hill – the setting of one of her all-time favourite movies – she jumps at the chance to live out her film fantasies one last time. It’s just a shame that her new neighbour Sean is so irritating and so irritatingly handsome, too. As a chaotic comedy of her very own erupts around Scarlett, she begins to realise there’s more to life than seating plans and putting up shelves. What sort of happy ending does she really want? Will it be a case of Runaway Bride or Happily Ever After? The big white wedding looms, and Scarlett is running out of time to decide. This was a Kindle freebie.

♦

Synopsis: It’s Christmastime in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady-in-waiting, and if it weren’t for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her hand would already be guaranteed. Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallfowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipated, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts. (audiobook)

♦

From the synopsis: Marisa de los Santos’s literary talents shine in the complex interactions she creates between these three women. She deftly explores the life-altering roller coaster of emotions Piper faces as she cares for two households, her own and that of her cancer-stricken best friend, Elizabeth. Skillfully, de los Santos creates an enigmatic and beguiling character in Lake, who draws Cornelia closer even as she harbors a shocking secret. And from the first page until the exhilarating conclusion, de los Santos engages readers with Cornelia, who, while trying to adapt to her new surroundings, must remain true to herself. As their individual stories unfold, the women become entangled in a web of trust, betrayal, love, and loss that challenges them in ways they never imagined, and that ultimately teaches them what it means for one human being to belong to another. I own a print copy but when the eBook was on sale last week I picked it up. Lately it’s so much easier to read if I can enlarge the print just a bit

What was in your mailbox?

Sunday Post

Blog news:

Only one review last week: Sunrise on Cedar Key by Terri DuLong.

♦

The folks at Blue Dot Literary wrote to say that Allen Wyler’s Dead End Deal, (along with Wyler’s other books Dead Ringer and Dead Wrong) have just been put on a special Holiday Season Sale for just $1.99. The promo will be going on until January 7th. You can purchase them at the following links (I’m not an affiliate of either): Kindle   Nook

Merry Christmas!

 

Sunrise on Cedar Key by Terri DuLong

Synopsis:  (Publisher) For the second time in ten years, Grace Stone is starting over on Cedar Key. Grace first moved to the serene island to escape a disastrous relationship. Now a visit with her Aunt Maude is interrupted by unwelcome news: Grace’s apartment and coffee shop have been destroyed by fire.

Grace is devastated, yet ever-practical Maude has a plan. While she helps Grace resettle, Maude even has a business venture in mind—weekend knitting retreats where women can craft, chat, and support one another.

But other surprises await, including the return of Grace’s estranged sister, and a tentative romance with the local bookstore owner. Knitting together her past and future will mean untangling the painful threads Grace left behind. But the result could be a vibrant new life—and the courage to live it fully. . .

My take:  Oh how I love my visits to Cedar Key, Florida. Terri DuLong has made this actual location her fictional paradise and populated it with people I’d like to call friends and neighbors.

Sunrise at Cedar Key is the perfect title. The theme of new beginnings and fresh starts is felt throughout the novel. Grace is starting over in a new home, a new business and, quite possibly, a new love. Chloe, Grace’s sister, arrives in Cedar Key looking for a place to regroup after her marriage falls apart. She and Grace have been estranged for years (Chloe’s choice) so there are amends to be made if they are to be a family. Suellen, Grace’s life-long friend, comes to Cedar Key for a new job after losing her old one when her boss passed away. So everyone is on the start of a new direction.

I enjoyed everything about this novel: Terri DuLong’s characters, the plot, and especially how everything wrapped up at the end. I’m glad I have the next in the series on the shelf because I can’t wait to get back to Cedar Key!

♦

Title:  Sunrise on Cedar Key – #3 Cedar Key series

Author:  Terri DuLong

Genre:  Fiction

Published:  November 2011 – Kensington

Source:  Many thanks to my friend Kaye for passing her copy on to me!

Mailbox Monday

December host:

Suko’s Notebook

♦

Synopsis: Anna DeStefano presents a touching Christmas story about love, loss, and healing—and the joys of coming home.
A childhood spent on the streets leaves Mallory Phillips longing for a normal life and a perfect Christmas. Now an elementary school nurse in Chandlerville, Georgia, Mallory’s dream to blend into the picturesque community isn’t working out. She’s once more living a loner’s existence. Then an emotionally fragile seven-year-old appears in her living room in the middle of the night, and Mallory’s isolated world is turned upside down.
This is Polly Lombard’s first Christmas without her mother, and she won’t utter a word to anyone—except Mallory. She believes Mallory holds the key to helping her father overcome his sadness. Despite Pete Lombard’s lingering grief over his wife’s death and concern for his daughter, his resistance to their mysterious neighbor crumbles as he spends more time with Mallory and falls for her amazing heart. But when her past returns haunt her, is Mallory strong enough to keep the Lombard family in her life? And can the spirit of Christmas heal these broken souls and bring them all the joyous, loving holiday they deserve?

♦

My thanks to author Sophie Barnes for the gift of Five Golden Rings!

Synopsis:  The holidays are a time for wishes, magic and, of course, love. Celebrate the season with this delightful collection of Christmas tales. What better way for Connor Talbot, Earl of Redfirn, to spend the holidays than convincing Leonora Compton that the only match she needs to make is with him!

The Duke of Ashton has had three years to plan for his perfect Christmas present—the Lady Eleanor Fitzsimmons as his wife. Now, all he has to do is convince the reluctant lady …

Phin Baldwin does not believe in Christmas magic … until the clever and beautiful Ginny Overton gets it into her head to show him how wonderful it can be when wishes come true.

Just returned from the Crusades, marriage is the last thing on Sir Caerwyn’s mind. But will he be able to resist Lady Nia, the thief of his boyhood heart, when she tempts him yet again?

Responsible Ethan Weatherstone is determined to save Penelope Rutledge—and her reputation—from her silly scheme, but can he save himself from the temptation of her lips?

♦

I won How to Tame a Willful Wife by Christy English. Thanks to Sourcebooks and Linda at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell for hosting the giveaway!

“It’s a duel of wit and wills in this charming retelling of The Taming of the Shrew. But the question is…who’s taming whom?”

Weekend Cooking – Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

I spent yesterday, a rainy Saturday, with two of my sisters baking a boatload of Christmas cookies. We came prepared with our dough ready to be baked. Even with that timesaver we baked from 9am to 5pm. I have a newfound respect for professional bakers!! My neck and back were sore and by the time  I arrived home I was ready to call it a day. But it was worth it because my baking is pretty much done. And I’d spent a fun day with my sisters. And Abby the wonder dog

The cookie I made was a new-to-me recipe. I’d intended to make shortbread cookies but found I was missing an ingredient so I went to my Betty Crocker’s Cookie Book and found a recipe I thought would work. Again, I was missing a key ingredient (I knew I had flaked coconut in the pantry but when I pulled the package from the very back of the shelf I found it had expired in 2007 – yikes!). So I altered the recipe and substituted 1 tsp. cinnamon for the coconut and ended up with a very thin, buttery cinnamon sugar cookie. It earned a thumbs up from the tasters.

Here’s the original recipe:

No-Roll Coconut-Sugar Cookies

2 cups sugar

2 cups butter or margarine, softened (I used butter)

1 cup flaked coconut (I substituted 1 tsp. cinnamon but you could use a little more)

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Sugar

Heat oven to 350 (F). Beat 2 cups sugar, the butter, coconut (if using) and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda, (cinnamon if you’re using it) and salt.

Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press bottom of glass into dough to grease, then dip into sugar; press on shaped dough to flatten slightly.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

I sprinkled a little red sugar on after baking

Yields: about 8 dozen cookies

♦

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, beer, wine, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog’s home page. More information at the welcome post.

Attention, Gwyn Cready fans!

A few months ago I read and reviewed Timeless Desire: An Outlander Love Story by Gwyn Cready. You can find the review here. I wanted to let you know that for a limited time the ebook is $.99!

Kindle

Nook (if the price hasn’t dropped yet, I’m told it should soon)

If you  enjoy time travel romance take a look at Timeless Desire.