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Zoey & The Moment Of Zen

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“Zoey & The Moment Of Zen” by Cat Lavoie

Book Description:

When coffee shop owner Zoey Everwood takes her obsession with ex-boyfriend Braden too far, everyone—except Zoey—is convinced a bit of fun in the sun at the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort will help her get over him once and for all.

But Zoey’s relaxing vacation turns out to be anything but peaceful when she meets Shane Lawson, a resort guest who bears a striking resemblance to Braden. And things get even more complicated when the resort’s owner starts spilling secrets about Zoey’s aunt Nessa, the woman who raised her. Add a snarky Wellness Coordinator and Nate Holmes—Shane’s grumpy friend—to the mix, and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect tropical storm.

When Zoey comes back home with a new husband instead of tacky souvenirs, she must convince everyone she hasn’t completely lost her mind. As Zoey and Shane struggle to keep the magic alive outside the resort, Zoey discovers that she isn’t the only one having trouble letting go of the past. And when Nate drops a bombshell that changes everything, Zoey must decide if the old saying is true—what happens at the Moment of Zen stays at the Moment of Zen.

My Review:

I hadn’t planned on reviewing anymore books this year, but when the opportunity came to read Cat’s second book, “Zoey & The Moment Of Zen”, I jumped at the chance. Since I read her first book, Breaking the Rules, I’ve been a huge fan.

After reading the first chapter of “Zoey & The Moment Of Zen” on a Saturday morning, I was hooked. In some ways, I felt that I could relate to Zeoy. She seemed like a wonderful girl, she just had a hard time letting go. I loved the how she just went with the flow and left to go to the resort, because I really think she wanted to go.

The wellness instructor had me rolling my eyes the whole time, but I liked that about his character. It showed how serious he was about being zen, especially when he took their phones away. Shane seemed like a nice guy, but he seemed a little mysterious. As for Nate, I really didn’t know what to think of him in the beginning. He seemed like a jerk, but he ended up being a nice guy.

From the beginning to the end, there were a lot of ups and downs in this book, yet the most surprising thing was at the end and who she ends up with, (no, I’m not giving you any spoilers). I would’ve liked to have seen more of them together, so that I know Zoey was really happy, just because I liked her so much.

Cat Lavoie has done it again! If you’re looking for a book to make you laugh and cry, this quick  and fun read (which I finished on Sunday night), is the book for you!

I give “Zoey & The Moment Of Zen” 5 stars!

Excerpt:

“Who’s a hungry little girl?” I ask, scooping kitty food into Mocha’s bowl. She looks up at me and I know what she must be thinking—less talking, more scooping, Crazy Cat Lady.

“What do you think Bongo Joe is going to play tonight, Mocha?” I ask, looking at my watch. “He should be starting soon.”

When Braden and I moved into this apartment, we got a few surprises. Most of them involved leaky faucets and shoddy wiring—plugging in the toaster and the coffeemaker at the same time is still a fire hazard—but the biggest surprise was Bongo Joe, our next-door neighbor. Without fail, he starts banging on his drums at ten o’clock every night and doesn’t stop for the next two hours. But after a few months it just became another background noise, like the traffic outside or the slamming doors.

After a quick shower, I settle into bed and reach for my phone. I’ve already dialed half of Dar’s number before I remember what happened earlier. Right. She’s probably not going to want to talk. Maybe I’ll try to send her a text message. Dar practically has her phone glued to her hand so she usually answers with lightning speed. Her record is five seconds.

I’m really sorry for tonight. Forgive me? Zo x

I wait for the familiar ping of Dar’s answer but five seconds turns into five minutes and staring at my phone doesn’t make it answer faster. Maybe if I try again.

Zoey Everwood is a huge idiot who doesn’t deserve her awesome best friend. Agree or disagree?

There’s no debating what the right answer is. Still, I’m hoping Dar will crack a smile and text back. But when the phone remains silent, I know something is seriously wrong. This isn’t just a little spat. What if I went too far this time? I knew bringing Dex and Dar on my doomed stalking adventure was a huge mistake—yet I still did it.

I can count on one hand the number of times Dar and I haven’t spoken before going to sleep. Dar is like the sister I never had. And now it looks like I don’t have her anymore. Just like I don’t have all the other people I love. I look around my room and see the happy faces of the ones who’ve left me. Mom, Dad. Braden. And now Dar. I stare at the alarm clock on my bedside table. 10:30. For the first time in years, Bongo Joe is late. Even he can’t stand me anymore. I slip out of bed, almost tripping over Mocha, and head over to the computer.

Unlike Mom and Dad, Dar and Braden are still alive. And I’m going to win them back.

“Don’t look at me that way,” I tell Mocha’s accusing kitty eyes. “Dar made me promise to stay away from Braden’s voicemail.” I turn and face the computer, my fingers sliding over the keys. “She didn’t say anything about email.”

What Dar doesn’t know is that Braden’s email password is his old pet name for me, so it’s not crazy to hope that I’m still on his mind. Each and every day, his fingers spell out something that can’t help but remind him of me. The day he changes the password, I’ll be forced to admit he might have moved on.

I sit down with the laptop resting on my knees and type ZoeyCakes into the login screen, praying I don’t get an error message. After a few agonizing seconds, Braden’s inbox appears before my eyes. Five unread messages. I feel a pang of guilt and hear Dar’s disapproving voice ring in my ears.

I ignore it and click on the first message.

GUEST POST

by

Cat Lavoie

“OMG. I loved your first book! I can’t wait to read your second.”

The above phrase was one of the loveliest things anyone had ever said to me—but it was also the stuff panic attacks are made of. Because when those words were spoken to me, my second novel was nowhere near being done—and I wasn’t even sure it would ever see the light of day.

Writing my debut novel, Breaking the Rules, and my sophomore novel, Zoey & the Moment of Zen, were two completely different experiences. The biggest difference for me was confidence—or lack thereof.

The only people who knew I was writing a novel a few years ago were a few friends and family members—and my small list of Twitter and blog followers. Definitely nota lot of people. I’d get asked about my writing project now and again and blogged about my—sometimes painfully slow—progress. If I’m being honest, I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I loved to write, I loved this story and its characters, and I was going to finish this novel. And I (finally) did. The next few years were spent finding a home for Breaking the Rules and getting it ready for publication. It was both exciting and terrifying. What if everyone hated it? But, thankfully, I connected with readers who enjoyed Roxy and Ollie’s story and I started thinking that maybe, just maybe, I might know what I’m doing when I sit down in front of a computer. Kinda. Sorta.

The reaction to Breaking the Rules gave me a definite confidence boost but I was still nervous about tackling Book #2—because people were expecting it now. There was no hiding the fact that I was writing a novel. And with that came a whole new set of worries—will this new book disappoint those who enjoyed my debut?

For the longest time, I thought Breaking the Rules was the only story I’d ever be able to tell. After devoting so much of my free time to Roxy and Ollie, it was hard to just walk away from them. And Breaking the Rules had taken so much out of me that I didn’t feel like I could string two sentences together—let alone interesting ones about new characters on new adventures.

But I was finally able to quiet my inner editor, deal with my self-doubt, and Zoey & the Moment of Zen was released in October 2013. I’m proud of this new book and—when people ask me about my next novel—I can answer with a newfound confidence. Yes, there will definitely be more books.

**Buy “Zoey & The Moment Of Zen”: Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Marching Ink   Kobo

CatLavoie2**About author, Cat Lavoie:

Cat Lavoie lives in Montreal, Canada with her tempestuous cat, Abbie. Her debut novel, Breaking the Rules, was published in August 2012 by Marching Ink. If Cat isn’t reading or writing, she’s most likely watching too much TV or daydreaming about her next trip to London.

To find out more about Cat and her books, please visitwww.CatLavoie.com

**Contact Cat:

Website   Facebook   Twitter

**GIVEAWAY**

Click HERE to enter to win a $25 dollar Amazon gift card!

**Click HERE to see other stops on Cat’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours!

Miss Kane’s Christmas

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“Miss Kane’s Christmas” by Caroline Mickelson

Excerpt:

“I cannot believe you’ve banished me from the North Pole.” Carol Claus glanced across the sleigh at her father. “What have I done?”

“Don’t be so melodramatic, my dear.” Santa smiled at his daughter. He hopped down from the driver’s seat and motioned for Carol to join him. When she did, he put his arm around her shoulders and gave her an affectionate hug. He gestured across the moonlit neighborhood of Indian Village. “This is a beautiful place for you to spend your first Christmas away from home.”

Carol looked down on the snow covered street. Each two story home in the cul-de-sac was bedecked with strings of colored lights, nativity scenes, plastic gift wrapped lawn ornaments, and pine wreaths on the front doors. The seventh home just under their feet was the exception to the neighborhood’s festive spirit. A white clapboard colonial with black shutters, it gave no indication that its owners knew Christmas was only three days away.

She fixed a pleading expression on her father but, while his blue eyes sparkled with his love for her, he showed no sign of going back on his decision that she spend her first Christmas with a family of his choosing. It was a Claus family tradition, and Carol, as the youngest child, was over-due for her turn. Still, she made one last ditch effort to change his mind. “You’ve said yourself that no one excels at elf management like I do.”

“True, I said it and I meant it. But your absence will give your brother Nicholas a chance to work more closely with the elves. Besides, you deserve some fun this year. You work too hard.”

“I love every moment of it.” Carol tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. She shared her father’s blue eyes and his love of Christmas. “I’ll miss you, Daddy.”

“I’ll miss you too, my girl. I know this won’t be easy, Carol, but it’s necessary.” He dug into the pocket of his red down jacket and pulled out a sheet of folded paper. “Read this.”

She reached out for the paper. “What is it?”

“Just read it. It’s the reason you’re here.”

Carol unfolded the slightly crumpled sheet of lined paper and instantly recognized that it had been written by a child. Fortunately the moon was bright enough to allow her to easily read the words that had been neatly printed in crayon.

Dear Santa,

My Daddy doesn’t know I’m writing to you. He would say I can’t write a letter to someone who doesn’t even exist but I know you are real. My Mom told me so before she died. My little brother Patrick doesn’t remember her saying that but that’s only because she was gone before he was even in preschool. I’m not writing to ask for anything for Patrick or me. But Santa, can you please bring my Daddy some happiness? I know the elves can’t wrap it, and it’s nothing you can bring down the chimney but he needs help. I don’t know who else to ask. I know you’ll think of something Santa.

from Hillary (age 8)

p.s. Patrick likes to play with cars and my favorite color is pink

Carol finished reading the letter, refolded it and handed it back to her father. “I take it we’re at Hillary and Patrick’s house?”

**About author, Caroline Mickelson**

Caroline Mickelson loves her family and loves to write. She also loves a good adventure, among her favorites thus far were attending graduate school in a Scottish castle, riding a camel around the Pyramids in Giza, and taking a best-in-a-lifetime road trip to Graceland. Caroline lives in the American southwest with her husband and their four children, affectionately known as The Miracles.

**Contact Caroline**

Website   Facebook   Goodreads

**Buy “Miss Kane’s Christmas”**

Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Kobo

**GIVEAWAY**

Click HERE to enter in to win a prize!

**Click HERE to see other stops on Caroline’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours!

Unscripted

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“Unscripted” by Jayne Denker

Excerpt:

Around what felt like an hour later, I reached civilization. That is, some scrubby grass and sidewalks, with people on them. I was sure I’d left a few toes behind, and my shoulders had burned to a crisp, what with the parking lot pavement frying me like a strip of bacon in a skillet, but I’d survived. Bonus: I’d be able to find my way back to my car using the trail of blood from my feet.

I couldn’t believe I was doing this . . . and my bloody feet were also feeling a little cold. Time for some moral support before I chickened out. I dug my phone out of my bag and hit my most frequently used contact. Luckily Jaya answered her own phone for once; I didn’t have the strength to deal with Ashley at the moment. “Babe. You will never guess where I am.”

“Tell me you’re on a chaise lounge by a reflecting pool in Istanbul.”

“Nope. Alas.”

“Similar chaise, similar reflecting pool, Vietnam?”

“Not even.”

“At least gimme a beach scene.”

“How about lots of beach, no water.”

“Huh?”

“Very brown, very dry, three-hundred-and-fifty-degree open-oven, gates-of-hell-type heat. G’wan, guess.”

Jaya laughed. “Not on vacation, then.”

“Definitely not. I am working.” I took a deep breath. “I’m in Moreno Valley.”

There was a pause, then an incredulous, “Why?”

“Because here be Alex.”

Jaya let loose a little squeal. “You found him?”

“I did.”

“What did he say?”

Another deep breath, this one shakier. “I haven’t seen him yet. On my way there now.”

“What’s he doing in Moreno Valley? And—sorry—which is where, exactly, again?”

“An hour and a half, two hours inland from the coast . . . ish. I don’t know; I just followed my GPS.”

“And what’s he doing there?” she repeated.

I limped up the wide, shallow steps of a squat building that looked like all the other squat buildings surrounding it, except it was round instead of square. I heaved open one of the heavy glass doors and practically fell inside.

“I’m here. I’ll have to talk to you later.”

“But where’s here? And why couldn’t you just text him?”

“Later, my pet. All things will be revealed later.”

“I hate it when you build suspense.”

I clicked off. I was in the lobby of the arts building of the esteemed Inland Empire Community College, est. 1969, according to the poking about I’d done online yesterday. I couldn’t see a thing, still blinded as I was by my time in the searing sunshine, but I wasn’t interested in the sights. I only wanted to collapse on the floor and absorb the air-conditioning for, oh, about three days or so.

As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I saw a couple of shabby benches with worn checked upholstery and metal legs squatting in front of some narrow, floor-to-ceiling tinted windows on either side of the doors, a couple of modest abstract sculptures on pedestals, and the open doors to the theater proper, straight ahead, where voices, and random clunks and clanks, echoed. I dropped onto the nearest bench, lifted my hair, and let the cool air hit the back of my neck.

What was I doing here? This was a stupid idea. It was stupid of me to drive all the way out here. And where was here? Stupid Tatooine, felt like. I had never been to Moreno Valley before, even though it was only a couple of hours from L.A., but my first impression of it wasn’t all that positive: hot, brown, dry. It might as well have been another planet as far as I was concerned.

Maybe I should have texted Alex . . . but no. I knew I had to do this face to face. He could ignore a text, but he couldn’t ignore me, right in front of him.

So after a few seconds, when I was feeling almost human again, I hoisted my bag back onto my shoulder and headed farther inside. The theater itself was even darker than the lobby, the house lights low, throwing the lit stage into high relief. Alex should be here. I scanned the people scurrying around for some sign of his familiar face. Was that him there? Or maybe—

Thwack. Suddenly something was in front of me, and I walked right into it. The something was hard and soft at the same time, and a slightly pained noise came out of it. My face was between two shoulder blades, and my purse had just swung forward to whack their owner in the kidney. I jumped back as the person turned around.

“Sorry,” I muttered, stepping to the right to go around. “Dark in here.” And I made for the stage again.

But a limb shot out and barred the way as effectively as Bea’s studio gate arm, blocking me right at boob level. Was this person trying to cop a feel? But no—he jumped, apparently as alarmed as I was at where his arm had landed, and removed it quickly. “Can I help you with something?”

I craned my neck to see past him, keeping my eye on the people on the brightly lit stage. “Yeah, you can get out of the way. I need to get—”

Before I could say anything more, someone from down near the foot of the stage called, “Mason?” and a young woman in a ribbed tank top, cargo shorts, and hiking boots, with a headset around her neck, loped up the aisle from the foot of the stage. When she got to us, she pushed some stray hairs away from her forehead, smoothing them back toward her sleek, dark ponytail, and gave me a really good Who the fuck are you? look. Kudos, kid. Nice territorial vibe.

“Can I help you?” the fierce little thing asked.

Oh, so much help offered around here. Too bad I got the feeling they were offering to help me find the exit. I decided to play dumb. “I hope so,” I said. “I’m—”

“Faith Sinclair,” the guy supplied.

Oh great. Recognized. Now the question was, would that be a help or a hindrance? I looked at the guy, scanning him from his old-fashioned sneakers—what would probably have been called tennis shoes back in the day—up his “I’m a grown-up” khakis and his dark plaid button-down shirt, past those impressive shoulders I had walked into, to the top of his shaggy head.

He was staring back at me, scritching the bit of scruff under his chin.

“Oh, seriously?” It just popped out of my mouth, and I still wasn’t sure if I was pleased or dismayed. I passed a hand over my forehead. “Weren’t you—”

With a quick, sidelong glance at the girl, he cut me off with, “Right. In L.A. I’m, uh, Bea’s friend.” Quickly changing the subject, he turned to the pit bull of a tech next to him. “Uh, Kaylie, why don’t you get Ms. Sinclair some water. She looks hot—uh, thirsty.”

She didn’t move, just kept her narrowed eyes on me.

“Kaylie?” he prompted.

Reluctantly, she headed back down the aisle, ponytail swinging, occasionally glaring at me over her shoulder. I kept waiting for her to do the two-fingers-up-to-the-eyeballs “I’m watching you” thing, but to her credit she didn’t. I turned my attention back to the pleasant, and familiar, specimen of manhood in front of me.

“Sorry about that,” he murmured.

“So. Dusty Toyota. Isn’t this a coincidence.”

“Good character name. But—hate to let you down—I’ve washed the car since then.”

JayneDenkerPic**About author, Jayne Denker:

Jayne Denker is the author of three contemporary romantic comedies, By Design, Unscripted, and Down on Love, and is hard at work on a fourth. She lives in a small town in western New York, USA, with her husband, son, and one very sweet senior-citizen basement kitteh who loves nothing more than going outside, where she sits on the front walk and wonders why she begged to go outside. When Jayne’s not hard at work on another novel (or, rather, when she should be hard at work on another novel), she can usually be found frittering away stupid amounts of time online.

**Contact Jayne:

Blog   Facebook   Twitter

**Buy “Unscripted”:

Amazon   Barnes and Noble   iTunes   Kobo

**Click HERE to see other stops on Jayne’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours!

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Secrets of a Spiritual Guru

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“Secrets of a Spiritual Guru” by Tamara Lee Dorris

Excerpt:

In two days I will be closing the biggest deal in two years. And in two months, I will have a birthday. I am ecstatic about the first one and suicidal about the second. A little about me: Previously, I spent eleven years in the retail industry, mostly squandering my paychecks on the employee discount. I like cute clothes. Eventually, though, I decided to get my real estate license. Five minutes later, the market crashed.

I am one of the lucky ones, though, because for one thing I live with my boyfriend, Ron, who has been around for several years now. OK, four years, eight months, and two days. How do I know this definite time frame? Because my mother reminds me weekly when we chat. I am certain she keeps a little calendar next to the phone entitled, How Long Since Melissa and Ron Have Been Dating Without Getting Married and Giving Me a Grandchild. And it’s not really a weekly chat as much as it is a guilt call, as in, if I don’t call her at least once a week she makes me feel even more guilty than she does about the fact I’ve not yet produced offspring for her viewing pleasure.

Now, about Ron: He’s a nice guy, really, and pretty cute, too. He’s nice in the sit-on-the-couch-with-a-beer-yelling-at-the-television-screen-when-his-team-is-losing kind of way. Oh, and he has become a bit of an Internet fiend lately. Always on the damn computer. Ron is the one who convinced me to get my real estate license. He said, “You’ve been selling clothes for years; I bet you’d be great at houses.” While Ron had the ability to see the big picture, I found it difficult to imagine that selling houses would be anything at all like working in the Women’s Fine Fashion Department of Haddock’s. After all, it isn’t like you can stand outside the dressing room while someone tries on a house. And customers get so agitated when they try to return a cardigan; what happens when it’s a condo?

Ron reminded me that with my own condo paid off (thanks to my father’s life insurance policy), and him covering the rest of our expenses (which is precisely how I donated so much of each paycheck to my special clothing and wine account) that living on commission would be a breeze, I would spend less on clothes (I knewhe’d been snooping in my closet), and that when I did sell a house, it would be big money. So, I took the required classes online, passed the state exam, and suddenly found dozens of brokers pursuing me. OK, there were actually only two, but they both wanted me really badly. I choose Cal State Realty. Mostly because it’s close to my condo, and the broker reminds me of Sean Connery (without the accent).

My mother, of course, had a coronary over me giving up such a “promising” career as assistant department manager of such a “fine establishment” where she got to enjoy my employee discounts almost as much as I did.

“Oh, honey, I think it’s fine you got your real estate license, but you can’t be serious about quitting Haddock’s. There’s this cute little handbag I saw in the window last week—”

“Yes, Mom,” I say, cutting her off, but knowing exactly which handbag she’s referring to. “I’ve got enough saved, and of course I have Ron…” my words trail off as I consider what shoes I could wear with that damn purse.

“But I just read that the housing market is crashing. Things are going to get really bad.”

“I know, but really, I need a change, and I already have a deal in escrow. Do you realize the commission will be like four paychecks?”

My mother sits silent on the other end.

“Well, that was pretty easy,” she finally says, referring to the fact that I only took this nice couple out one time, wrote an offer that day, and did most of the paperwork in an hour or two.

“I know! Just imagine if I am not dead-dog tired from being on my feet all day, hanging up clothes and smiling at rude women.” And staying up drinking wine and eating ice cream from the container.

**About author, Tamara Lee Dorris:

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Tamara Lee Dorris has been a life-long fan of personal and spiritual development, and has written several books that fall under the category of “self-help.” She wrote Secrets of a Spiritual Guru as a way of poking fun at how easy it is to become an online expert. Her other novels revolve around contemporary issues and spiritual enlightenment. Tamara is also an adjunct professor, radio host, and long time real estate professional who has gone crazy selling houses, loves yoga, drinks wine and is still as addicted as ever to personal development. She lives in Northern California with a bunch of annoying animals and her husband. She has four kids that she likes a lot and a mother that drives her nuts. Learn more at tamaradorris.com.

**Click HERE to buy “Secrets of a Spiritual Guru” on Amazon!

**Click HERE to enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card!

**Click HERE to see other stops on Tamara’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours!

Shake Down the Stars

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“Shake Down the Stars” by Renee Swindle

Excerpt:

It’s two in the afternoon, and I’m already nursing a bottle of scotch I took from the banquet hall where my sister’s engagement party will take place. I’ve spent the last thirty-two hours with my family and figure if anyone deserves an early-afternoon drink, it’s me.

Mostly I’ve been hanging out in one of two libraries. Margot’s party is being held in an actual mansion: a now-defunct gentleman’s club high up in the Oakland hills. The place is

straight out of The Great Gatsby with its expansive lawns, indoor swimming pool, smoking room, the aforementioned libraries, and lookout tower covered in ivy. There are thirty rooms in all, two

stadium-sized banquet halls, and a twenty-four-hour butler for VIP guests like my sister and her football player fiancé.

After filling my glass, I go to the window and spy my sister outside on the lawn, bitching at the gardener and his assistant. It’s late September, and the sky is turning a foreboding gray; the

wind is in a foul mood, lashing out at all the carefully placed freesias and gerbera daisies strung around the gazebo and attached to the back of every single chair on the lawn—all three hundred of them. Margot has it in her head that her guests will be distracted by the lopsided bushes just behind the gazebo, when, frankly, I suspect they’re going to be more distracted by the rain that

will surely fall on their heads if a storm breaks out.

Whatever.

**About author, Renee Swindle:

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Renee Swindle is the author of  Shake Down The Stars (NAL/Penguin) available now.

Her first novel, Please Please Please, was published by the Dial Press/Dell. Please Please Please was also published in Germany as Mehr Mehr Mehr and published in Japan.  Please Please Please was an Essence Magazine bestseller.

Renee Swindle earned her BA from UC Irvine and MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University. She lives in Oakland, California.

**Contact Renee: Website

**Click HERE to win a $30 Amazon gift card!

**Click HERE to see other stops on Renee’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours!

Is This All There Is?

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“Is This All There Is?” by Patricia Mann

Summary:

Beth Thomas has the perfect life. At thirty-five, she’s married to her college sweetheart, has two adorable kids, and teaches part time at the local university. But when a friend persuades Beth to go dancing on a rare night out, a chance meeting with twenty one year old Dave, one of her former students, changes the course of her life. Loud music, too much to drink, and the thrill of feeling young again lead to an unforgettable kiss that was never supposed to happen. As she tries to put the memory behind her, Dave’s pursuit leaves Beth torn between what her mind says is right and what her heart and body crave.

Patricia Mann’s “Is This All There Is?” introduces readers to the seemingly perfect world of Beth Thomas, a 35-year-old mother and wife who takes a risqué detour from diapers and duty to chart a course into erotica, deception and deceit. As the part-time college professor yields to the overpowering push and pull that follow a magnetic encounter with a former student, Beth is held captive in the seductive space that lingers between desire and reason. Honest and moving, Mann’s work is a touching snapshot of middle-America today, a compelling story about one woman’s struggle to keep up appearances while coming undone.

Excerpt:

“You have no idea who I am. You don’t know a thing about me.”

“I know more than you think.”

“Like what?”

“I know you’re a brilliant teacher. When you’re up there in front of the class, you’re passionate and funny and… ”

“The way I teach? That’s what makes you think you know me? Because of something I do for a few hours a week?”

“Wait, you’re not letting me… ”

“All my students think they know me, but they don’t. None of your professors really let you in. If you only knew the things I know about them.” I was trying my best to sound cynical and disinterested but his fascination with me was intoxicating. I felt his eyes searing through the side of my head. I cranked up the air conditioning, even though it was a cool day.

“Okay, fine, so maybe I’m a good teacher. What makes you think you know anything more about me than that?” From the corner of my eye, I saw a mischievous grin slowly spread across his face. A rush of warmth coursed through my body. For the first time, I looked directly into the piercing green eyes I had dreamed about every night of the two weeks since our kiss.

**About author, Patricia Mann:

Patricia Mann is a university professor. She lives in California with her husband, their two kids, and a sweet, silly old dog.

**Contact Patricia:

Website   Facebook – Fan Page   Facebook – Friend Page   Goodreads   Twitter

**Buy “Is This All There Is”:

Amazon   Barnes & Noble

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**Click HERE to see other stops on Patricia’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours!

**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of “Is This All There Is?before” August 26 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**

Royal Secrets

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Book review of “Royal Secrets”

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“Royal Secrets” by Kathleen Irene Paterka

Book Description:

ROYAL SECRETS is the story of the Royal Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, and of Lily Lavender, whose family is distantly descended from the British royal family. Immersed in the regal world of weddings and romance, Lily grew up believing in brides, grooms and happily-ever-afters. It seemed her destiny and royal birthright to someday assume a position as wedding coordinator in their family-owned wedding chapel business. But when her mother Mimi’s third marriage eventually fails, Lily’s dreams of her own happily-ever-after quickly fade. She’s no longer interested in a life of assisting brides walk down the aisle into a life of disillusionment and possible divorce. Lily turns her back on The Royal Wedding Chapel and leaves Las Vegas to fashion a life of her own. Years later, Lily—now a single mom—discovers her teenage daughter has run off to Las Vegas, lured by Mimi to help run the chapel. Determined to save her daughter from the broken dreams of Sin City and the nonsensical world of which family fairy tales are made, Lily returns to Las Vegas. But nothing prepares Lily for the royal drama which awaits her… or the sins and secrets she stumbles across that threaten to close the chapel and ruin her family forever.

My Review:

I have been a huge fan of Kathleen ever since I read “Fatty Patty” (such a great book), so I was eager to start “Royal Secrets”. Being a huge fan of the Royal Family, I really enjoyed this book, and even the references to Kate. There were a lot of twists and turns, which made for a page-turner. While the beginning seemed a little slow and there were parts that seemed to drag on a bit, it definitely picked up in the middle. I was constantly wondering what would happen next.

I thought the characters were written really well, but my favorite was Tori. She was mature and smart, and I liked how she challenged her mother. My main issue with this book was Lilly’s character. From the beginning, she seemed really upset with her mother for having a stroke. It like she was put out for having to take care of her. I also thought Lilly needed to step in take over for Tori, who seemed to take better care of Mimi.

Kathleen’s writing was witty and fun! Like I mentioned above, this wasn’t my first book by her, and I know it won’t be my last!

I give “Royal Secrets” 4 stars!

INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five sentences: I’m a published author, with five women’s fiction novels and one non-fiction work available both digitally and in print. I’m wife to Steve (33 years and counting), a mother to our daughter Abby (31 yrs.), and grandmother of 3 yr. old twin boys. I have a day job I love as resident staff writer at a fairy tale castle in Northern Michigan. I’m in love with my husband, devoted to my family, loyal to my friends, and happy in what I do. Most of all, I love my life and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

When did you begin writing? I started scribbling stories down as soon as I could hold a pencil and string words together. Growing up, I thought everyone was like me ~ living with a stream of stories and ideas, and people chattering away in their heads. Little did I know that ‘normal people’ weren’t necessarily like that. But I’ve always loved making up things. Nowadays, I get paid to put that imagination to good use.

How do you come up with the titles of your books? My first novel, FATTY PATTY, is about an elementary school teacher named Patty who’s struggling to lose weight. I was a fat teenager (I weighed 300 lbs. when I graduated from high school) and they called me ‘Baby Huey’ on the playground. That got me thinking, “What would Patty’s nickname be?” Thus, the name (and title) FATTY PATTY was born. My latest novel, ROYAL SECRETS, is about a Las Vegas wedding chapel (the Royal Wedding Chapel) owned by a family of women who are distantly related to the British royal family. The novel contains plenty of intrigue and drama, plus plenty of secrets! Seemed like a no-brainer. Royalty + Secrets = ROYAL SECRETS.

Walk us through your writing/editing/publishing process: I love writing the rough draft. It’s my favorite part of the entire process. By the time I begin, I’ve been dreaming about the characters for a good six months. I know where the story begins and where it will end. For me, the fun part is discovering the story magic in the middle. I’m a very slow writer. My current work in progress is due to my editor next March. By the time it arrives in her In-Box, I’ll already have a cover design back from my graphic artist, plus a formatting time-slot booked. From start to finish, the entire process takes about eighteen months.

Do you get writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it? I’ve never had writer’s block, and it’s something I prefer not to think about, thank you very much! Perhaps I’m afraid I’ll jinx myself? However, I did quit writing once, for several years. My younger sister (my only sibling ~ a 37 yr. old single mom with five young children) had just been diagnosed with an extremely rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. I was four chapters into a new novel, but I just couldn’t concentrate. After a few weeks, I made the decision to quit writing and concentrate solely on my family. My sister died nine months after being diagnosed. Looking back, I’m so glad I made the decision to put my writing aside for that time in my life. I have no regrets. I believe that being there for her when she needed me, helping out with my nieces and nephews, making memories that will last forever, strengthened me as a person, as a woman, and as a writer. It took a good three years following her death before I finally picked my writing up again. But when I did, it was with a renewed determination, and I vowed to never quit again. Life is too short not to follow your dreams.

Are any of your characters based on someone you know? Each of my heroes contains certain core elements of my husband Steve’s personality. He’s such a wonderful man and the most positive person I’ve ever met in my life. How could I not help being influenced by him when it comes to creating the perfect guy? The only male character Steve complained about (and disliked) was Sam Curtis, the overweight hero in FATTY PATTY. At the time I wrote the novel, Steve had been struggling to lose a few pounds. He didn’t like being compared to Sam. (Interesting side note: women readers adored Sam! But I say, “Too bad, ladies… he’s taken!”)

Where is your favorite writing location? I have a home office. The walls are red, my desk is a beautiful antique rubbed walnut, and my computer monitor is the largest I could find that would fit on my desk. My eyes aren’t the greatest and I need that visibility on the screen!

If you’re not working, then you’re probably…Watching episodes of HBO’s THE NEWSROOM (with Jeff Daniels). It’s my favorite show on television ~ the new season begins this month! I’m psyched! I also love going to the movies with Steve, or losing myself in a good book. TV, movies, books… can you tell I love escaping reality?

What is your favorite word? Perseverance.

What would you be if you weren’t a writer? A talk show hostess! (not that I believe for one minute that any network would hire me- LOL). But I love interviewing people, finding out about their lives and discovering why they do the things they do. People are so interesting. The situations some of them find themselves in make for wonderful stories!

What is the best advice you’ve been given? Never give up. That applies to everything in life, whether it’s writing, marriage, children, or anything. Work at it long enough and you will succeed (or, at least, things will improve). A person cannot survive without hope. Hope is the thing that keeps us going. I try every day to fill my life with hope.

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects? I’m three chapters into a new work of women’s fiction. The story evolved from a horrible event I experienced in my life a few years ago. My husband had been hospitalized for a heart condition. Early one morning I was sitting by his bed and woke with a start to the oddest noise. Little did I know that it was the infamous ‘death rattle’. My Steve had just taken his last breath. Thank God he was in the cardiac unit. A skilled team of doctors and nurses rushed to his side with a crash cart and zapped him back to life. But that experience got me to thinking. What if Steve hadn’t been in the hospital? What if we’d been home and asleep in bed? He would have died. One thought led to another, resulting in my current work in progress, a women’s fiction story I callELEANOR (for want of a better title). It’s the story of a woman who wakes from a sound sleep by a curious sound coming from her husband of 38 years next to her in bed. Then she goes back to sleep… only to waken the next morning to find him dead beside her. A shocking secret he’s been keeping is exposed upon his death, destroying the idyllic life they’d built together, leaving a stunned Eleanor alone to figure out how in the world to begin putting her life back together.

My novel ROYAL SECRETS was released on July 1, 2013. It’s the story of the Royal Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, and of Lily Lavender, whose family is distantly descended from the British royal family. Immersed in the regal world of weddings and romance, Lily grew up believing in brides, grooms and happily-ever-afters. It seemed her destiny and royal birthright to someday assume a position as wedding coordinator in their family-owned wedding chapel business. But when her mother Mimi’s third marriage eventually fails, Lily’s dreams of her own happily-ever-after quickly fade. She’s no longer interested in a life of assisting brides walk down the aisle into a life of disillusionment and possible divorce. Lily turns her back on The Royal Wedding Chapel and leaves Las Vegas to fashion a life of her own. Years later, Lily—now a single mom—discovers her teenage daughter has run off to Las Vegas, lured by Mimi to help run the chapel. Determined to save her daughter from the broken dreams of Sin City and the nonsensical world of which family fairy tales are made, Lily returns to Las Vegas. But nothing prepares Lily for the royal drama which awaits her… or the sins and secrets she stumbles across that threaten to close the chapel and ruin her family forever.

KathleenIrenePaterkaPic**About author, Kathleen Irene Paterka: Kathleen Irene Paterka fell in love with writing (and food) at a very young age. By the time she graduated high school, she’d completed her first manuscript and she weighed 300 lbs. Though the extra pounds have long since disappeared, Kathleen still carries the emotional scars of being a former fatty. FATTY PATTY was born from the cruel teasing she endured on the school playground. Kathleen is the author of numerous novels which embrace universal themes of home, family life and love, including the Women’s Fiction series, “The James Bay Novels”. Kathleen is the resident staff writer for Castle Farms, a world renowned castle listed on the National Historic Register, and co-author of the non-fiction book FOR THE LOVE OF A CASTLE, published in 2012. Having lived and studied abroad, Kathleen’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central Michigan University. She and her husband live in the beautiful north country of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Kathleen loves hearing from readers. You can contact her via her website at http://www.kathleenirenepaterka.com or follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KathleenIrenePaterka.

**Contact Kathleen: Website   Facebook   ScribBLING Divas Blog

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Between Friends

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Book review of “Between Friends”

BetweenFriends

“Between Friends” by Amanda Cowen

Book Description:

The only way to have a friend is to be one…especially between the sheets…

When neurotically challenged and unlucky in love Megan Daniels is propositioned by her life-long friend Ben Romano with a coin toss (heads, they sleep together, tails, they don’t) the night before they are about to attend a destination wedding, she drunkenly accepts his challenge. But when Megan wakes up the next morning with a bad hang-over and Ben in her bed, she is more than mortified. It isn’t until the tropical heat begins to ignite emotions Megan never believed or thought she could possibly have, when she starts to question if risking their friendship is the answer to finding true love.

A cute and contemporary debut novel, BETWEEN FRIENDS faces one girl’s struggle between the fine lines of friendship and love and the risk of opening up her heart to the possibility of forever.

My Review:

When I picked this book up, it reminded me of one of my favorite movies, “When Harry Met Sally,” where we all wonder if men and women can truly be friends. The subject highly interests me, because I did marry a guy who I, for years, considered to be a friend, so I was eager to read this book.

I found Megan and Ben’s story in “Between Friends” to be a cute, likable one. Would I ever participated in the coin toss, probably not, but that’s what I liked about their friendship — they were willing take a chance (even after having a few drinks), even Megan who tended to over think and worry.

During the weekend of friendly wedding festivities, I thought their alone time was special, and it seemed like they really cared for each other, especially when nobody was looking. I liked how Ben seemed to take charge, even though he had a temper at times, and punched a guy, it was understandable to see where he was coming from. However, I thought Megan’s girlfriends were very immature, and weren’t supportive, especially when a secret is found out a secret about one of the them girls and Ben…(no, I’m not going to spoil it for you).

Overall, “Between Friends” was a fun, and enjoyable, weekend read. While, at times, somewhat predictable, I loved the happy ending!

I give this book 4 stars!

GUEST POST

Writing New Adult Contemporary with Mature Content

Sex, sex and more sex? Isn’t that what’s it all about? Not really, but it sure does keep things spicy.

Although writing New Adult Contemporary Novels with Mature Content gives the author the ability to heighten their story between the sheets, trust me, it is so much more than that. Having a protagonist in the 18 -25 age bracket opens up a whole new world for a writer, and allows their characters to tackle all those coming of age issues such as, breaking out into the job market, starting college, weddings and engagements, and living away from home for the first time etc. And along with those many things that plague us in early adulthood, it is also our sexuality and figuring out who we are, when it is at its peak.

As an author who writes in this genre, New Adult Contemporary Fiction is able to capture life and it’s not so pretty moments when it comes to love, sex and relationships. I love the whole “coming of age” bit and being able to incorporate mature content into my writing. For me, it is just a perk to share my characters intimate moments through sexual encounters to help develop their chemistry.

AmandaCowenPicAbout author, Amanda Cowen:

Amanda Cowen can be found eating cupcakes, singing off-key, or watching a good RomCom when she isn’t trapped on her computer writing stories and delighting her imagination. She has been writing since the ripe age of twelve about ponies and princesses in brightly colored duo-tangs with metallic pens. Thankfully, she now has a Mac with a keyboard where she can write about love, sex and relationships. She is an “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” fanatic, a hater of roller-coasters and a country music junkie. She lives in Thunder Bay, ON where the summers are short and the winters are long.

Amanda loves to hear from her readers! You can contact her via her website, http://www. amandacowen.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow her on Goodreads, or visit her blog.

Buy “Between Friends”!:  Amazon   Smashwords

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**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Between Friends before  August 19 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**

Front Page Fatality

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Excerpt of “Front Page Fatality”FrontPageFatalityCoverPic

“Front Page Fatality” by LynDee Walker

Summary:

Crime reporter Nichelle Clarke’s days can flip from macabre to comical with a beep of her police scanner. Then an ordinary accident story turns extraordinary when evidence goes missing, a prosecutor vanishes, and a sexy Mafia boss shows up with the headline tip of a lifetime. As Nichelle gets closer to the truth, her story gets more dangerous. Armed with a notebook, a hunch, and her favorite stilettos, Nichelle races to splash these shady dealings across the front page before this deadline becomes her last.

Excerpt:

I paused outside Bob’s door, where Grant Parker was chatting with the features editor about the baseball season. I couldn’t remember ever having spoken more than a dozen words to Parker, an almost-professional pitcher who was regarded around Richmond as just slightly less than Zeus’ son, but the column he’d talked about in the meeting caught my attention.

I cleared my throat lightly and he turned his head, his bright green eyes widening a touch when they met mine. He was tall, but in my heels, I was almost nose-to-nose with him.

“What can I do for you, Miss Clarke?” He flashed the smile that made most women here channel their corset- bound ancestors and swoon—and sold a fair number of newspapers, too.

“I wanted to say thank you,” I said, shifting my file folder to the other arm. “For the column you’re doing today. My mom is a breast cancer survivor, and it’s nice you’re writing about it. The sports section isn’t usually where you’d look for a breast cancer story. So thanks.”

“You’re so welcome.” His eyes dropped to the square- toed perfection of the shiny blue stilettos I’d shoved my feet into between my early morning body combat class and my mad dash to the meeting, then raised back to mine. “Nice of you to say so. I didn’t know you read my column.”

“I don’t.” I smiled. “But I will tomorrow.”

“I guess I’d better be on my A game, then.” He ran a hand through his already-messy blond hair and grinned at me again.

“I guess you’d better.” I took a step backward. “I’m told I can be tough to impress.”

“I do love a challenge.” He raised his eyebrows and twisted his mouth to one side.

“I bet you do.” I shook my head, making a mental note to call my mother as I turned and headed for my ivory cubicle, Parker and his too-perfect smile forgotten. Charles Bronson. Dead guys. The nagging feeling there was something beyond the obvious on the murdered dealers got stronger the more I thought about the scattered details I’d heard on the scanner.

My hand was already on the phone to call Aaron again when I snatched up the pink slip on my desk, but the mes- sage was from my friend Jenna. She was probably looking for my input on which restaurants had sufficiently-stocked bars for our every-other-Friday girls’ night, which I’d been looking forward to roughly since the opening gavel had banged on Monday morning.

Before I could pick up the phone to return her call, my favorite detective returned mine.

“Why didn’t the shooter take the drugs and the money in Noah Smith’s house? The dead dealer, from last month?” I asked, barely bothering to tell Aaron good morning. “And was the murder scene this morning the same?”

He sighed, and I felt my eyebrows go up. That would be a yes. I fumbled for a pen.

LynDeeWalker**About author, LynDee Walker:

LynDee Walker grew up in the land of stifling heat and amazing food most people call Texas, and wanted to be Lois Lane pretty much from the time she could say the words “press conference.” An award-winning journalist, she traded cops and deadlines for burp cloths and onesies when her oldest child was born. Writing the Headlines in Heels mysteries gives her the best of both worlds. Her debut novel, FRONT PAGE FATALITY, is an amazon new humor #1 bestseller. LynDee adores her family, her readers, and enchiladas. She often works out tricky plot points while walking off the enchiladas. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is working on her next novel. You can visit her online at www.lyndeewalker.com.

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