The Lone Wolf Agenda

Synopsis:

With “The Lone Wolf Agenda,” Joseph Badal steps back into the world of international espionage and military action thrillers and crafts a story that is as close to the real world of spies and soldiers as a reader can find. This fourth book in the Danforth Saga brings Bob Danforth out of retirement to hunt down lone wolf terrorists hell bent on destroying America’s oil infrastructure. Badal weaves just enough technology into his story to wow even the most a-technical reader.

“The Lone Wolf Agenda” pairs Danforth with his son Michael, a senior DELTA Force officer, as they combat an OPEC-supported terrorist group allied with a Mexican drug cartel. This story is an epic adventure that will chill readers as they discover that nothing, no matter how diabolical, is impossible. 

Review:
   This was a book that started off fast paced from the start but like most that have an immediate start it didn't slow down. It was full of surprises all the way up til the last chapter. The book in an intense page turner that will pull you in from the start and it wasn't even my normal read. 
I give the book 5 penguins!! 


*Pictures will come later, I am on my phone posting this right now due to computer issues*

Black Caesar

This is the remarkable story of Frank Matthews, a charismatic drug kingpin from the late 1960s and 1980s who organized a huge criminal enterprise before jumping bail and 1973 with $15 million and a beautiful woman. Nicknamed Black Caesar, Matthews has never been seen again in what has become one of organized crimes most intriguing mysteries.

Review

This was an amazing read and very informative. The author did an amazing job researching Frank Matthews and his life and put it all together so amazing well. I have always loved crime type books but this one has to be one of my favorite. This book has made me look more into Frank Matthews and read more into his life and his story. If you love true crime you should really check this book out. It is one my top 10 list of favorite true crime. I give this book 
 

 

Birthdays of a Princess

About the Book:
 
Almost from age one, Tiara has been a star of the American Child Beauty Circuit. When she grows too old to win anymore, her mother leaves Texas and returns to Vancouver. Tiara is twelve years old, she refuses to attend school or interact with other children, becoming more and more reclusive. Her relationship with her mother deteriorates and they become estranged.

One morning, three years later, Tiara’s mother is shocked to find her daughter the subject of a big story on the morning news. A violent assault has just occurred at a local coffee shop and it seems Tiara is the perpetrator. The brutal and seemingly unprovoked assault lands her in the Burnaby Secure Youth Centre for a court ordered psychological assessment.

When the police investigate the incident they begin to slowly unravel her confused and dark childhood. They discover her history as a child beauty queen star, managed by her mother and aunt while living in Texas. It also becomes increasingly apparent that explicit photos of Tiara were taken and posted to many internet sites The photos seem to capture Tiara over many years and lead the detectives to wonder whether she is the victim rather than the perpetrator.

Tiara herself cannot provide any insight. She has buried the memories of her childhood deep in her sub-consciousness, and even if she could remember, she is deeply traumatized and unresponsive. Any attempts by the authorities to probe result in more withdrawal and unexplained expressions of grief and anger.

Carefully guided by the adolescent forensic psychiatrist in charge at the Secure Youth Centre, she begins to write a journal, anchoring her memories on her birthdays as she remembers them. At the same time, her mother tries to explain the past from her own perspective, insisting she only wanted the best for her daughter and refusing to acknowledge any responsibility at all for what Tiara has experienced. It becomes very obvious that Tiara has been greatly damaged by her childhood.

Slowly the two story-lines merge until they arrive at the moment when mother and daughter recall the trauma that eventually leads to the attack. Tiara begins to understand the horrific nature of her abnormal childhood. She allows the psychiatrist to read the notes in her journal, subconsciously guiding him toward the truth.

But the truth is not clear cut. Tiara is guilty of aggravated assault. Even the detectives can't find motive to explain her action, which means the judicial system has no choice but to keep her locked up as a dangerous juvenile criminal. Tiara remembers much of her past but she has no idea why she stabbed a strange woman in a coffee shop. Her mental isolation doesn't allow her to confront this important question. Only the psychiatrist, with the assistance of the detectives who keep digging in the past, might be able to unlock the secret buried in her soul.

And they are successful, but in a way they never expected. When Tia remembers all that had happened and what had motivated her to attack another human being, the final answer, the solution to the puzzle, surprises them all.


My Review: 
   Reading the book I had a ball of emotions but never the less I liked the book and it was an on the edge of your seat type of read. I can't really go into much without giving the book itself and plot away but I enjoyed the always guessing of which way the book was going to go. I love thrillers to begin with and when I got the chance to read this book I jumped on it! It may be a trigger to some people who may have gone through sexual assaults of their own  so I just want to put that out there. I highly enjoyed the book though and give it 4 penguins!

A Spoonful of Sugar

 About The Book: 

From Britain's beloved oldest living nanny comes a charming and uplifting memoir of a real-life Mary Poppins.

In her extraordinary memoir, Brenda Ashford shares her endearing and amusing experiences as a British nanny caring for generations of children over the past sixty-two years.

Brenda's lifelong love for children began the minute she laid eyes on her baby brother, David. As a teenager, she applied to London's Norland College, famous for producing top-class nannies, and, after a grueling interview, she was accepted on scholarship. It was a radical change from her idyllic country life in the village of Surrey. The training was rigorous and discipline strictly enforced, as Brenda and her classmates scrambled to pass inspections on everything from morality and neatness to needlework and pram pushing. Meanwhile, World War II began, and Brenda's heart was broken twice. She vowed never to fall for a man again and devoted her life to caring for other people's children, never having any of her own.

Brenda's memoir offers readers an enticing glimpse into the joys, frustrations, adventures, and mishaps of children of all ages and situations. She peppers her story with delightful bits of cultural history and timeless life lessons. A Spoonful of Sugar is an irresistible Mary Poppins story that will touch your heart and remind you of what is truly important in life



 My Review
I loved reading this book just simply to look into someone else's life. I loved how it had the schedules of her days along with having her tell her story. I loved how it was kinda like a parenting lesson while reading at least to me. If you like getting a glimpse into someone else's life who also happens to be a British nanny(which is seriously what interested me) then you will want to read this book! I had always dreamed of being a British nanny and since I couldn't I highly enjoyed getting to see into the life of one. I give this book 4 penguins.

Goodnight Brian

I don't know where to begin with this book, I had such a mix of emotions the whole time I was reading it. I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I sighed, I got mad, I wished that something happened. This book had me wrapped up into it like it was a family member telling me the story. I fell in love with the characters and related to them. I admired them and learned from them. Mama more so out of any of them. I tell myself sometimes when I get done reading a book that it is my new favorite but I had never read this book. I don't think another book is going to top this one on my list for a long time. I think everyone should read this book and let it wrap you up in it's story like it did to me. The author did an amazing job with describing scenes, I felt like I was really there with the characters. I was honestly sad to finish the book and sad to see it end but I was happy with how everyone's life turned out and how they grew up right before me through the whole book. I want to keep talking about this book but to do so would give away the story and I don't want to ruin any of the magic for anyone else so with that being said I give this book 5 penguins only because I can't go higher!

Cards Of Sin

About The Book
 When Reporter Cheyenne Gentry gets an Instant Message she tries to ignore it, but the sender wants her to know he murdered someone tonight. Cheyenne thinks it’s a hoax but finds out it’s not. Then the killer tells her he wants her to write his story. Cheyenne wants nothing to do with the story or the killer but the killer won’t let her refuse his request. Will he let her live long enough to find him or will she become another chapter to his story?


 My Review
This was good read overall. I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters but other then that I enjoyed  reading the book. I was eager to find out who the IM's where from and was able to keep a steady pace reading the whole time. I would say over all I give this book 4 out of 5 Penguins! I am looking forward to more work from  this author.

Thursdat at Noon

“Ilsa, you know nothing of soldiers like me, but you soon will,” he taunted her, as he casually tossed the Luger aside. With another quick move, he grabbed her shoulders and threw her onto the floor, hard, as if she were a stuffed doll. He jumped on top, digging a knee into her stomach and knocking the wind out of her. Then he straddled her and said, “In Russia, when we found a surly bitch like you, this usually did the trick. It was strange how we always found them a bit more polite afterwards … sometimes even appreciative.”

She tried to shove him away, but he grabbed her sweater and ripped it open, laughing as he looked down at her small, bare breasts. She reached up and scratched at his cheeks with her fingernails, gouging them like an angry cat and drawing blood. He growled and slapped her across the face again. She screamed in pain, but he slapped her repeatedly, punishing her with each blow until she had to cover her head with her arms. His assault came so fast that everything spun around inside her head. She heard him laughing, but she was helpless to stop him. His hands dropped to her breasts. He grabbed them, rubbing hard and pinching both nipples. She screamed again and shook her head.

“If you aren’t nice to me,” he warned sarcastically, “I’ll hurt you a lot worse than that before I’m finished; and believe me, I know how to hurt a woman.”

His powerful hand grabbed the waistband of her slacks and she felt them rip. Desperately, she turned her head and saw the Luger lying on the bare concrete floor near the wall. She stretched her hand as far as it would reach and was able to wrap her fingers around the barrel. She swung it at him, clubbing him across the forehead with all her strength.

He toppled off to one side, but she kept the rain of blows coming as he tried to block them and right himself. “You little bitch,” he swore, finally grabbing her arm and twisting her wrist backward until the sharp pain made her drop the gun. It was hopeless. She watched his eyes as he ran his free hand across his forehead, pausing to look at the blood, then holding his fingers in front of her eyes so she could see. “You’ll pay dearly for this,” he whispered angrily, as he ripped her slacks open and began to unfasten his belt.

She screamed again as she heard him say, “Oh, yes, you will pay dearly …” but before he could finish the sentence or carry out his threat, his head suddenly snapped to the left with a violent jerk.

Book Description

 Richard Thomson was already having a very bad day when someone left a corpse lying on the rear steps of his hotel. Its head had been lopped off like a ripe melon and had been posed so it could look back down at its own body. Thomson is a burned-out CIA Agent and the body belongs to Mahmoud Yussuf, a fat, petty thief who tried to sell him photographs of a long-abandoned RAF base in the Egyptian desert. What the photos have to do with a dead Israeli Mossad agent, Nazi rocket scientists, the fanatical Moslem Brotherhood, and two missing Egyptian tank regiments could start the next Arab-Israeli War or stop it. Alone and on the run, no one believes Thomson’s answers -- not the CIA, the US Ambassador, Colonel Ali Rashid of Egyptian State Security, and most assuredly not Captain Hassan Saleh, Chief of the Homicide Bureau of the Cairo Police, who wants to hang Thomson, preferably around the CIA’s neck . Under pressure from within and without, the slums of Cairo are a tinder box of discontent and the first faint whiffs of a military coup against the shaky, new government of Abdel Gamal Nasser are in the air. Thompson and the young daughter of one of the German rocket scientists have five action-packed days and nights to figure it out. Tick Toc, Tick Tock! Something is about to blow up in Thomson’s face at Noon on Thursday. Like Night of the Generals, this is a murder mystery wrapped inside an international crisis.

You can buy the book on amazon at the following link: Thursday at Noon

                                                     

Revenat

Synopsis:
A sacred Navajo artifact, imbued with a shocking and dangerous power.

An amoral con man, willing to stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

And a tiny northern Maine town, isolated and vulnerable.

Last November, Paskagankee, Maine was shaken to its core, held hostage by a centuries-old curse, terrorized by a brutal killing spree stopped at the last possible moment by new police chief Mike McMahon and beautiful young patrol officer Sharon Dupont.

Now, just as the pair - and the town - is beginning to recover, a new horror comes calling.

Billionaire Seattle software designer Brett Parker is in Paskagankee to check on the progress of his newly-constructed summer retreat. But he's not the only new resident in town. Max Acton, murderous sociopath and Arizona cult leader, has gained possession of a long-hidden sacred Navajo artifact with the ability to reanimate the dead.

Acton aims to use the stone in a murderous plot to kidnap Parker and steal his revolutionary new software design developed for the U.S. Department of Defense, selling it to the highest bidder and making millions. He doesn't even need to get his hands dirty. All he needs is a victim to kill . . . and reanimate . . . and force to do his bidding.

All he needs is a revenant.

And the revenant is angry. And he's deadly. And he's unstoppable. And the town of Paskagankee will once again become a battleground between the living and the dead . . .

About Allan:    
Allan Leverone is the author of the Amazon bestselling suspense thriller, THE LONELY MILE, as well as a previous thriller, FINAL VECTOR, and a brand-new supernatural suspense novel titled PASKAGANKEE. He is the author of the horror novellas, DARKNESS FALLS and HEARTLESS for Delirium Books, and is a four-time Derringer Award Finalist for excellence in short mystery fiction as well as a 2011 Puschart Prize nominee. Allan lives in New Hampshire with his wife of nearly thirty years, his family and a cat who has used up eight lives.

My Review:
                      This book has to be up there on my list of favorites. It's such a page turning book! It is very well written and will have you on the edge of your seat as the pages pull you into their world. I highly recommend this book and this author! He is a must read and a must watch for future releases!! 

Section 132

About The Book:
            

Lillian grows up in an American fundamentalist Mormon sect which still practices polygamy. At thirteen she becomes the child-bride of a Canadian Bishop. His compound is located deep in the wilderness of British Columbia, totally isolated from the rest of the world.
When the land developer Richard Bergman buys the property next to the Bishop’s compound, he gets involuntarily drawn into the sect’s secret …

My Review:

              

              Even though this is a fiction book it is based on some fact. The book itself was a wonderful page turning thriller! I couldn't get enough of this book. Polygamy has always been something that has interested me and I jumped at the chance to be able to review this book. Now some people will try to say that the way it is all written in the book isn't the case anymore but that's not the truth. Some little areas still practice in this way and more people need to be aware of this and I love that this book could do just that. This is a definite must read for anyone who has even the littlest interest in the topic or for anyone who loves thrillers. I give this book

Saving Sunni

About The Book:

Jessie Chambers—“Sunni” to the local BDSM community—needs to grow up. Her master, Sir Rune, has told her to get a job. Her sister slave sage is struggling through college, serious as ever. Sunni goes to the local goth/kink store, The Fringe Element, and is immediately embraced by its quirky owner as the newest member of her “little family.” But almost immediately things start to get complicated. Sunni’s ex shows up, claiming he’s found God and that God wants them to get back together. A video of Sunni and Sir Rune doing a scene at the club winds up on television and all kinds of trouble ensues. Sunni must figure out a way to restore her relationships, keep her master from getting deported, take over running the store, and stop everybody else from trying to “save Sunni.”

My Review:

      This is not the first erotica/fetish book that I have read but it has been one of the best that I have read. I am looking forward to going back and reading the first one in the series. I unfortunately didn't have time to read it beforehand. It was very well written and had a wonderful story to the book which is sometimes rare in these types of books. But it all played nicely together and made the book that much more wonderful! I give this book 4 penguins! 

Kasi online:

Website  www.kasialexander.com

Blog     www.kasialexander.com

Facebook     http://www.facebook.com/#!/kasi.alexander

Twitter    https://twitter.com/#!/kasialexander

Goodreads    http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4706667.Kasi_Alexander

The Halo Effect

About The Book: 

In her debut psychological thriller, Pamela Crane digs into the depths of one of the most baffling mental disorders, erotomania. In this based-on-truth story, Crane delivers a sensitive, nimble, and stimulating story of an aspiring screenplay writer on a passage to reconcile her desire for love and fame at all costs.

It started with a glance. And ended with a nightmare.

Small-town girl Haley Montgomery meets two men who will change her life forever—the handsome Marc Vincetti whom she falls head-over-heels for, and the big-time Hollywood producer Allen Michaels who has the power to turn her screenplay into a movie and a ticket to a better future. It seems as though life couldn't get any better—until things take a decidedly dark turn when Haley spots Marc with his former high school sweetheart and Allen develops a consuming obsession with her.

As Haley is faced with a choice between love and fame, Marc becomes the target of a stalker and Haley's life is thrown into a tailspin. Suddenly everything she thought she knew about Marc and Allen is completely wrong—and Haley's life will never be the same again…

With its smooth mix of suspense and romanticism, The Halo Effect recalls the juncture where the heart and psyche meet—often not in the same plane of reality. But it is also about an ordinary woman’s determination to grasp love at the risk of everything. It’s a story where the worst of villains have hearts, and self-discovery unmasks the dark side within all of us with the hope it will lead us to live for something beyond ourselves.

 

About The Author:     

 

Pamela Crane’s addiction to writing started with a children’s short story competition and a first place win for her fable Weedlia’s Fate. Now, decades later, along with being a wife and mother, she’s nurtured her love of writing to build a career as an editor and novelist. Along with shaping quirky characters and plotlines that reflect glimpses of her own life, she enjoys riding her proud Arabian horse—when he lets her. 

  Pamela Crane ONLINE:

Website  http://www.pamelacrane.com

Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003687838388&ref=tn_tnmn

$20 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Pamela Crane, author of "The Halo Effect," is hosting a contest, and the prize is a $20 gift card for Amazon.com. All you have to do is answer the following question:

In Chapter 44 of "The Halo Effect," what is the name of Haley Montgomery's childhood friend? E-mail your answer to pamela@pamelacrane.com or fill out the online form at www.pamelacrane.com and all correct entries will be entered in a drawing for the gift card. Drawing will take place on July 1, 2012. Good luck!

 

My Review:

     

    This book was a very interesting read. I could never really get my head wrapped around one idea of how it was going before something else happened. By the end of the book it was completely different from how I thought it was going to end! If you enjoy suspense then please look into this book. It was a little hard to get into at first but after that it had me hooked and had me changing my mind a lot. I tend to be able to tell how a book is going to end and I highly enjoyed that this one kept me on the edge of my seat guessing the whole time!! I give this book 4 penguins!!  

Scoripo Rising

Excerpt

Outside the Moulin Rouge, the men said goodnight and dispersed. Alex paced, scanning the giant posters advertising upcoming performances, waiting impatiently until Gigi appeared. “My place or yours?” she asked.

“Yours,” he replied, thinking of the thin walls and the three-minute timer on the water and electricity in his auberge.

In the taxi, Gigi's hands were all over Alex. “I love your body, Alex. You are such a beautiful young American.”

Alex looked at Gigi appreciatively. “You're not bad yourself,” he started to say, but his words were cut short by Gigi's mouth on his.

Gigi's apartment was a shrine to sensuality. The bed was a gigantic round creation occupying half the space of the large room, with a panel of buttons on the side. Alex glanced at the buttons with curiosity.

“Make yourself a drink, mon amour. I won't be long.” Gigi disappeared behind a mirrored door. Moments later, she reappeared in a shear silk robe. She slinked over to Alex and almost before he knew what was happening, she was extracting him from his trousers. At the sight of his impressive erection, Gigi gasped. “You are going to make me very happy, mon amour.”

Alex chuckled. “The pleasure will be all mine,” he replied. He guided Gigi to the bed and eagerly slipped off her robe. A second later, he leaped from the bed. “God damn it! Why the fuck didn't you tell me?”

Gigi lay contrite on the disheveled bed. “But, mon amour, everybody knows Gigi is short for Gilbert.” 

  

 Author Links

         Hop on over to the authors website and enter to win some signed books and Amazon GC's!    Giveaway Here! 

Author's Facebook 

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The Character

About The Book: 

"There is something really important you need to know about me right away. It's a secret. But I'll tell you: I only have one good memory of my dad." So begins ten-year-old Anna's story, a story of abuse that is heart breaking and often difficult to read. In the midst of intense pain, though, Anna finds hope and the will to overcome through her friendship with the mysterious storyteller Ash. An intense and ground-breaking work on a societal and familial issue that is all to often swept under the rug, "The Character" is a study of one remarkable girl and her method for overcoming a life of tragedy and pain.

My Review: 

  Honestly if I could give this book more then 5 penguins I would. It deserves at least 7! It was a very sad book but the writing is amazing and the way the story plays out is written so effortlessly.  Tiffini has a talent for writing and I am looking forward to read her other books as well! More people need to be brought aware to child abuse and I loved that this book could do this and keep readers attentions. I highly recommend this book!!! Just because 5 is the highest that I go I give it 5 even though it deserves more.

To Whom It May Concern:A Struggle To Survive

About The Book:

   Sometimes random acts of kindness from a stranger or even a perceived enemy cannot only save a life, they can also teach priceless lessons that will follow us forever.

Cynthia Thomas knows this well. She spends her youth being abused by her father, something her mother allows to happen. Always bright in school, she uses a college scholarship to leave home, but as she matures, her adult relationships are still filled with pain and betrayal.

Before it is too late, Cynthia meets Ms. Graham, a woman who should probably hate her, but instead of hurting her, Ms. Graham offers her a way out of her abusive existence. But will Cynthia be able turn Ms. Graham's kindness into a better life, or will she be forever sucked into abusive relationships, like a moth spiraling toward a flame?

My Review:
     This book to me was sad at the beginning. I felt for Cynthia and wished that she could be free from all that she was put through. The book did have a happy ending though which I was glad for! The book took me a little longer to read then most as I had a hard time getting through certain parts of  the book. I liked the book overall though and would give this book 4 penguins!

Follow the adventures of Squirrely, who can't help but to be wiggly and a day dreamer! 

My Review:

 My kids LOVED this book! They ask me to read it to them everyday. They think that it is so funny that he just can't sit still. I asked my four year old what her favorite part of the book was and she said "His Dreams" and that she likes the book a whole lot! So in the eyes of my girls I think this book is amazing. I enjoyed reading it to them also!! I give this book (based off the girls) 

 

Secrets Unfold

About The Book: 
      

Can a secret be so powerful that it destroys everything you know? For Mary Jacovitch, whose family history is built on deceit and tragedy, the answer is yes. Entrusted at age seven with her dying father’s dark secret, as a teenager Mary seeks to escape this knowledge and her overbearing mother through promiscuous behavior—but her actions have serious consequences. As Secrets Unfold begins, Mary tries to hide the reality of her pregnancy, but the truth inevitably is revealed. This birth triggers a landslide of tragic events touching everyone in her life: her brother, Steve; her mother, Jean; her adult lover, Ryan; her own newborn son, Nickolai; and beyond. As these pressures prove too great for Mary’s young mind and the strands of sanity unravel, it becomes clear that, for better or for worse, no one’s life will ever be the same again.

My Review: 

       This book was a very easy read. I liked the plot to the book even though I wish it would have gone more into details with things. It kinda just threw you in their life's with every little info. But in all it was a good book and the ending was a shocker and not something I was expecting! It is a book I would like to see a sequel to to find out what happens with the family and the baby. I give it 4 penguins.

Snapshots of Fictionalized Facts

About The Book: 


This is my take on different events in my life. While each of these memories are factual, they have been fictionalized due to time and/or age.


My Review: 
 The book was very well written. It kinda confused me since the pieces of the facts where all over the place. I would have liked it better if they went in an order of some short but that probably would have not been what the author was trying for. It was a very easy and quick read and I enjoyed it besides the all over the place thing. It was very well written in grammar and errors way and I loved getting a look into her life. I give this book 3 penguins only because of the confusion thing.

A Black Girl's Poetry For The World

A book on poetry on life and love


My Review:
  I love to read poetry. It is a way to look at the person who wrote it. I have wrote some before but nothing I ever felt good enough. But I have always loved reading poetry others have written so when I got the chance to review this book I was so excited! This book is so real and down to earth. I found myself relating to so many of the poems. It's not all love and perfect like some poems are. It was about real life issues that everyone faces. I happened to read the book when I was going through a hard time in my life and it was so helpful to me to see that others go through what I go through and that someone else knows how I am feeling. I also looked at it and realized that things will get better and that sometimes people are worse off then I am and I need to be thankful for what I do have. If you like poetry please look into this book. I give this book

 

Gothic Spring

About The Book:

Victorine Ellsworth knows something about the death of the vicar's wife...but what? Is she the killer? Or the next victim? GOTHIC SPRING is a journey into a mind that is unraveling. Victorine is a young woman poised at the edge of sexual awakening and cursed with more talent and imagination than society will tolerate. The conflict between her desire and the restrictions that rule her life lead to tragic circumstances.

My Review:
    The book took me a few pages to get into but once I got into it I was hooked. I thought it was going to be a love story and follow a certain plat line but I was so wrong! I loved the twists toward the end of the book and without giving anything away it was so unexpected! I got to a point in the book where I could not put it down. I was reading everywhere I went and made sure I had the book with me at all times! It was a very good read and a very good plot! I would give this book 4 Penguins! It is  a must read book! 

New Cover:
 The cover you see above is the older print. The new cover is below and so beautiful! I can only imagine that it looks better in person! 

 

Familiar Ties

 About The Book:

Max West is a widower raising Phoebe, his four-year-old daughter. Phoebe has to live with the fact that the day she was born is also the day of her mother's death. As her fifth year without her mother approaches, Phoebe finds solace in her godmother, Amy Riley, and her daughter, Grace Crawford, another single parent family.

Amy Riley is a successful fashion designer who spends most of her days raising her four-year-old daughter, Grace, while her wayward boyfriend is travelling the world making the next best film. As the fifth year without her best friend looms she finds comfort in her ex-boyfriend, Max, and his daughter, Phoebe.

These two “broken” families have a tough week to face as the dreaded day approaches. However through their past, present and debatable future will their choices affect the outcome both parents clearly want and are simply denying? Or will Phoebe and Grace lose the only “whole” family they have ever known?

Author Interview:

  How did you come up with the idea for this story?

I created ‘Familiar Ties’ by looking at storylines that I loved in TV shows and then tweaked them to how I wanted them to be. I also have a love for romance and wanted to write my own love story that when how I wanted it to.

·         What books/authors have influenced your writing?

My favorite author is Jodi Picoult however she didn’t influence my writing I just love her books. There was no particular book or writer that influenced my writing as I love to read a wide range of books.

·         What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing your book to life?

Balancing my time between writing and studying was my hardest thing to do. However looking for publishers was also hard as I wasn’t sure if I wanted to self publish or not and then I wasn’t sure which publishers to go with as you hear about all these fake publishers so I had to be careful.

·         What was the hardest part of writing your book?

I think the editing process was hard as I found there were loads of parts that I understood as a writer however my message didn’t necessarily get across to my readers.

·         Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Follow your heart…

·         Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

English has always been my favorite subject at school so I guess it stemmed from there because writing stories was my favorite part of that class 

My Review:

 This is a book you cannot put down and won't mind missing out on sleep to be able to stay up and finish reading it! It is such a heartfelt romance book! I fell in love with not only the plot but also the characters. The writing of the book is so effortless even with the going between past and present, it had to take a lot of thought to get it to be so effortless. But ever still the author has an amazing talent for writing! This book had me smiling the whole way through it and while I was reading it just changed my mood altogether! If you are looking for an uplifting read please check out this book! I give it