Friday, July 31, 2015

BOOK TOUR: The White River Killer by Stephen Wilson

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ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: The White River Killer
Author: Stephen Wilson

Publisher: Stephen Wilson

File Size: 501 KB
Genre: Mystery

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SYNOPSIS
John Riley Hubbard is a young farmer and part-time reporter in a small southern town. After the body of an Arab college student is found near his home, Hubbard reluctantly agrees to cover the grisly story for the local paper. When he discovers there is a surprising link from this crime to his father’s unsolved murder, he becomes obsessed with uncovering the killer’s identity. Since he was a child, Hubbard has been haunted by nightmares and suspicions that his father’s killer may be the man closest to him – his wealthy uncle.

As his investigation progresses, he must face mounting threats from an unseen adversary and managed his growing attraction to Maria, a young Latino woman who might be part of the conspiracy.

The White River Killer is an exciting mixture of mystery, romance, and suspense.
For More Information
The White River Killer is available at Amazon.
Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.


MY REVIEW AND RATING
This debut mystery is very well-written and enjoyable. The characters are all well-developed and realistic. The mystery itself is a true page-turner.

The story takes place in a small town, and the descriptions of the location and the residents are incredibly real, even to someone who grew up in a small town like myself. That is part of what pulls you deeper and deeper into the story, along with wanting to solve the murder mystery.

There is some romance included in the novel, but it never overpowers the main story.

I foresee a great future for this author, and recommend him to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Rating: Four stars

BOOK EXCERPT
IT WAS THE FLOWER GARDEN THAT DID MARIA IN. Hubbard agreed to till up his mother’s old flower garden that had gone to seed for a new garden. Maria, through Emily’s translation, had requested a fun summertime activity.

Emily was a born salesperson. “It will teach me responsibility if I water it every day. I need that bad.”

The flower garden was followed by an irrigation request for the home’s vegetable garden.

Neither of the planting activities was unusual for a farm. That’s not what drove Hubbard to act. What troubled Hubbard was that Emily now referred to them as Maria’s flower garden and Maria’s vegetables.

There was no time to waste. From his tractor, Hubbard called Mr. Carlos and told him that Maria wasn’t working out. After his obligation at the Tomato Festival, they had to find new work for her. Mr. Carlos didn’t understand the connection between Maria and the annual event, but he reluctantly agreed to look for a new opportunity for the girl.

Hubbard feared he would eventually screw up with her. She was always within arm’s reach and he was too damned attracted to her. Sometimes the pain of his growing desire made him feel like he was burning alive. It made him want to drink to deal with it. That’s why she had to go.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Stephen Wilson is an American author. His first book was Harvey Couch - An Entrepreneur Brings Electricy to Arkansas, published in 1986 by August House publishers. He also has won awards for his screenplays which have been presented by the Writer's Workshop program at the American Film Institute. His latest work, The White River Killer was developed as part of the Summer Words program at the Aspen Institute.

In addition to writing, he is a marketing and advertising professional.
His latest book is the mystery novel, The White River Killer.
For More Information
Connect with Stephen on Twitter.
Find out more about Stephen at Goodreads.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

BOOKSPARKS TRUTH OR DARE BLOG TOUR: Fire Season by Hollye Dexter

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Genre: Autobiography/Memoir
Paperback344 pages
Published March 10th 2015 by She Writes Press
ISBN: 1631529749 

Synopsis: Who would you be if you lost everything? Hollye Dexter and her husband Troy woke one night to find their house ablaze. To escape the fire, they had to jump from their second-story window with their toddler son and then watch their house and home-based businesses burn to the ground. Over the next two years, the family went bankrupt, lost their cars and another home, and got dropped by their best friends. As the outer layers of her life were stripped away, Dexter began to unravel emotionally; but then she found herself on the brink of losing her marriage, and she realized that if she was going to save her family, she would have to pull herself back together somehow. As she fought to reassemble the pieces of the life she'd had, Dexter discovered that a shattered heart has the ability to regenerate in a mighty way; that even in the midst of disaster, you can find your place; and that when everything you identify with is gone, you are free to discover who you really are. Poignant and inspiring, Fire Season is a story for anyone who has ever lost hope and found it again.

Review: Oh my gosh--the emotions in this story. Everything that happened to this family just kept breaking my heart. Hollye is one of those women that you never think you could be, surviving blow after blow to her feelings of physical, emotional and financial security. She's definitely who I want to be when I grow up!

Hollye puts her life out there for all of us to read--the good, the bad, and the ugly. From her strained relationship with her mother, to the stress put on her marriage, to her bout with depression, to her ability to find joy in the little things with her children, we get a look into every corner of her life.

The varied reactions of their friends to their tragedies were eye-opening, even heartbreaking in some instances. Having some pull away from them, another steal from them...at least that was countered by many who were at their side in every way.

I want to thank BookSparks for bringing this book to my attention, as well as providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. It is a story which will stay with me for a long time to come.



My rating: Four stars

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Drape Expectations (Caprice De Luca Mystery #4) by Karen Rose Smith

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Synopsis:  These days, home stager Caprice De Luca's calendar is a full house. Her grandmother's health is failing, her wayward uncle is stirring the pot, and she's torn between two equally eligible suitors. With so much drama in her personal life, Caprice is grateful to have Ace Richland, a former 80s rock star, ask her to stage his girlfriend's house. But Alanna Goodwin is a tough customer who balks at Caprice's ideas and all but commandeers the staging. Caprice almost isn't surprised when the snappish Southern belle is strangled to death with a tieback from her tacky velvet drapes. But just as she draws back the curtains on the truth, Caprice realizes she may be next on a murderer's set list...

Thoughts: This is the first book I've read in this series, and I'm definitely hooked on it. There is a love triangle, but it is resolved by the end of the book, so I can overlook it. :)

Caprice stages homes to help sell them, and in the course of her job she manages to discover dead bodies--and then feels compelled to solve the crimes. She is also an animal lover, as are the majority of the other characters in the story, so we are introducted to a variety of pets as well as people. Caprice's Nana is one of my favorite characters, with her kitten and her wonderful words of advice.

The mystery is very well played out, with red herrings and honest clues all along the way. The relationships between Caprice, Seth and Grant are honestly written, with all of Caprice's doubts and concerns about each one as she tries to choose between them.

Can't wait to see what happens in the next book!


**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

My rating: Four stars

Monday, July 27, 2015

COVER REVEAL: The Island by Clarissa Johal

THE ISLAND 
By 
Clarissa Johal



Exploring a remote island can sometimes get you into trouble.

Especially when you stumble upon a cave and awaken two demons.



Emma Keller’s estranged grandmother has been missing for seven years. Emma journeys to her grandmother’s private island with the task of readying it for sale. Local rumors say it’s cursed, but she dismisses them as superstition. While there, she unearths a hidden cave and is visited by two men soon after. Itu is well-spoken though he hides his face in shadow. The other is more of a worry; with skin of alabaster, Thim’s feral presence sets her on edge. Emma discovers the island has a dark past. The two men aren’t human, but awakened demons…and they have their sights set on her.



About the Author. 


Clarissa Johal is the author of paranormal novels, THE ISLAND, VOICES, STRUCK, and BETWEEN. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s swinging from a trapeze, or taking pictures of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters, and every stray animal that darkens their doorstep.

Connect with Clarissa on social media

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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What I read last week:
1) Fire Season by Hollye Dexter
2) The Time Mom Met Hitler, Frost Came To Dinner, And I Heard The Greatest Story Ever Told by Dikkon Eberhart
3) Chef Maurice And The Wrath Of Grapes by J.A. Lang
4) Veils and Vengeance by Rachelle Christensen
5) The White River Killer by Stephen Wilson
6) Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
7) A First Date With Death by Diana Orgain
8) Bad Uncle by Gillian Felix

What I listened to last week:
1) The New Neighbor by Leah Stewart
2) The Diva Runs Out Of Thyme

What I'm currently reading:
1) Kidnapped In Paradise by Deborah Brown
2) Learning To Drive And Other Life Stories by Katha Pollitt

What I'm currently listening to:
1) Spellcasting In Silk by Juliette Blackwell

What I plan to read this week:
1) The S Word by Paolina Milana
2) Beautiful Girl by Fleur Philips
3) Legend Of The Timekeepers by Sharon Ledwith

What I plan to listen to this week:
1) The Dress Lodger by Sherri Holman
2) Magic and Macaroons by Bailey Cates




BLOG TOUR: Chef Maurice and the Wrath of Grapes by J.A. Lang

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Genre: Cozy Mystery (English Village, Culinary)
File Size: 489 KB

Print Length: 168 pages

Publisher: Purple Panda Press (July 13, 2015)

ASIN: B00WET7X64

Synopsis:  In the rarefied world of wine collecting, murder isn’t exactly a barrel of laughs…



An invitation to dinner at the home of renowned wine collector Sir William Burton-Trent soon finds Chef Maurice in the middle of an all-too-real murder mystery party, when Sir William is found dead in his own wine cellar.



The guests are acting all innocent, but which one is only playing the part? The pushy Californian film director? The seductive French winemaker?



Or could it be, against all narrative decency, the butler who did it?



With the help of food critic friend Arthur Wordington-Smythe, a large kipper sandwich, and the newly formed Cochon Rouge Wine Appreciation Society, Chef Maurice must get to the bottom of matters before events turn decidedly sour…



My review: Chef Maurice and his kitchen staff are back, along with critic Arthur and PC Lucy. Ms. Lang is a wonderful storyteller, and this installment is no exception. She kept me guessing till the very end as to the identity of the murderer. 

Chef Maurice is a real character, in every sense of the word. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery heroes.  I also enjoy the budding romance between Patrick and Lucy. 

Thanks to Ms. Lang, I learned a great deal about wine lore--and the food described in her books always sounds SO delicious.   I'm already looking forward to the next book, Chef Maurice and the Bunny-Boiler Bake Off, due out in October.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.


My rating: Four stars
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About the author: J.A. Lang is the author of the Chef Maurice Mysteries, set in the fictional Cotswold village of Beakley, conveniently located within driving distance of her home in Oxford, England. She lives with her husband, an excessive number of cookbooks, and a sourdough starter named Bob.

 Her favourite authors include Agatha Christie, P.G. Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett.
When not at her writing desk, she enjoys cooking, eating, travelling to places with good food, drinking good wine, and thinking about her next meal. (Please note that any similarities between J.A. Lang and her main character, Chef Maurice, are purely coincidental.)


Saturday, July 25, 2015

BOOKSPARK SUMMER READING CHALLENGE: It's You by Jane Porter

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Destination: Travel up the west coast of California


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Synopsis: In the wake of a tragedy that tore her life down to the foundations, Dr. Alison McAdams has lost her way. So when she’s summoned to Napa to care for her ailing father, she’s not sure she has anything to offer him—or anyone else.
 
What Ali finds in Northern California wine country is a gift—an opportunity to rest, and distance from her painful memories. Most unexpectedly, she finds people who aren’t afraid of her grief or desperate for her to hurry up and move on.
 
As Ali becomes part of her father’s community, makes new friends of her own, and hears the stories of a generation who survived the Second World War, she begins to find hope again. In a quest to discover the truth about another woman’s lost love, she sets off on a journey across oceans and deep into history. And in making sense of that long-ago tragedy, Ali is able to put together the broken pieces of her heart and make new choices that are right for her.


My review: I LOVED this book!!  Ali, her father, and all the other characters are so realistically written. Ali's father isn't exactly a joy to be around, and he doesn't seem to appreciate her presence or concern. She wants to take him back to Arizona with her, but he wants to stay in California with his friends.

As Ali gets to know her father's friends in the retirement community, she finds herself developing a rather unusual friendship with Edie, an irritable and irritating woman in her nineties. She also finds herself attracted to Edie's nephew, Craig. 


Edie's story of her life in Germany in WWII pique's Ali's curiosity, and she impulsively plans a trip to Germany to fill in the missing pieces. What she learns, and what happens when she returns, help her to make some decisions in her own life.

This book has humor, adventure, history, and more--a little something for everyone.

My rating: Five stars

 photo 12693_zpslcupmqjf.jpgAbout the authorBorn in Visalia, California, I'm a small town girl at heart. I love central California's golden foothills, oak trees, and the miles of farmland. In my mind, there's nothing sweeter in the world than the heady fragrance of orange blossoms on a sultry summer night.

As a little girl I spent hours on my bed, staring out the window, dreaming of far off places, fearless knights, and happy-ever-after endings. In my imagination I was never the geeky bookworm with the thick coke-bottle glasses, but a princess, a magical fairy, a Joan-of-Arc crusader.

My parents fed my imagination by taking our family to Europe for a year when I was thirteen. The year away changed me (I wasn't a geek for once!) and overseas I discovered a huge and wonderful world with different cultures and customs. I loved everything about Europe, but felt especially passionate about Italy and those gorgeous Italian men (no wonder my first very Presents hero was Italian).

I confess, after that incredible year in Europe, the travel bug bit, and bit hard. I spent much of my high school and college years abroad, studying in South Africa, Japan and Ireland. South Africa remains a country of my heart, the people, the land and politics complex and heart-wrenching.

After my years of traveling and studying I had to settle down and earn a living. With my Bachelors degree from UCLA in American Studies, a program that combines American literature and American history, I've worked in sales and marketing, as well as a director of a non-profit foundation. Later I earned my Masters in Writing from the University of San Francisco and taught jr. high and high school English.

I now live in Seattle and Hawaii with my three sons. I never mind a rainy day, either, because that's when I sit at my desk and write stories about far-away places, fascinating people, and most importantly of all, love. I like a story with a happy ending. We all do. 

Friday, July 24, 2015

A First Date With Death (A Love Or Money Mystery #1) by Diana Orgain

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Genre: Cozy mystery
Paperback: 304 pages
Published: March 3, 2015 by Berkley
Series: A Love Or Money Mystery #1
ISBN: 0425271684

Synopsis: Reality TV meets murder in the first in a new mystery series from the author of the Maternal Instincts Mysteries and co-author the New York Times bestselling Scrapbooking Mysteries.

When brokenhearted Georgia Thornton goes looking for romance on reality TV, she has nothing to lose—apart from a good man, a cash prize, and maybe her life… 

What was Georgia thinking? Sure, some cad ditched her at the altar, but can she really find love on TV? Her best friend—and producer of the reality show Love or Money—thinks so. Ten men. Ten adventure-filled dates. What can go wrong? For starters, a faulty bungee cord that hurls Georgia’s first date into a tragic spiral off the Golden Gate Bridge.

He’s replaced by Paul Sanders, Georgia’s former fiancĂ©. But the cop isn’t looking for a TV gig. Suspecting that the lover’s leap was no accident, Paul’s going undercover. When another bachelor gets a fatal kiss-off, the reality is that someone has killer new plans for the show—and for Georgia herself. Now, under the threat of permanent cancellation, Georgia fears that the only man on the set she can trust is the one man she just can’t count on.


Review: After discovering Ms. Orgain while organizing my A to Z Challenge this April, I was thrilled to be chosen to read and review this first book in her new series.

This book feels a little different than your usual cozy mystery. I can't really put it into words, but I think you'll see it for yourself when you read it. I can't wait to see what direction she is going to take with the series. Georgia was a fabulous heroine with lots of spunk, but her time on the reality show appears to have come to an end. 


All of the characters are well-developed and fleshed out. I found myself rooting for more than one of the bachelors as a good match for Georgia. Along with trying to solve the murder mystery, it was fun to try to determine which of them was on the show looking for love and which were just there to try to win the money.

This was a quick easy read that I got through in one sitting.  Would make a great beach read or sitting by the pool read this summer!


Rating: Four stars

About the author:
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Diana Orgain was born in San Francisco, CA. As a child she loved Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries and dreamed of being a writer one day. She went on to earn her B.A and M.F.A. in Creative Writing from SFSU with a minor in acting. Diana has acted professionally in many theater roles and national commercials. She' wrote several plays, which were produced in San Francisco State University. 


Thursday, July 23, 2015

BOOKSPARKS TRUTH OR DARE BLOG TOUR: A Different Kind Of Same: A Memoir by Kelley Clink

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Genre: Memoir
  • Paperback: 207 pages
  • Publisher: She Writes Press (June 9, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1631529994

Synopsis: Two weeks before his college graduation, Kelley Clink’s younger brother Matt hanged himself. Though he’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager and had attempted suicide once before, the news came as a shock—and it sent Kelley into a spiral of guilt and grief. 

After Matt’s death, a chasm opened between the brother Kelley had known and the brother she’d buried. She kept telling herself she couldn’t understand why he’d done it—but the truth was, she could. Several years before he’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she’d been diagnosed with depression. Several years before he first attempted suicide by overdose, she had attempted suicide by overdose. She’d blazed the trail he’d followed. If he couldn’t make it, what hope was there for her?

A Different Kind of Same traces Kelley’s journey through grief, her investigation into the role her own depression played in her brother’s death, and, ultimately, her path toward acceptance, forgiveness, resilience, and love.


My review: This story is moving and emotional. It moves back and forth in time, delving into childhood memories, the mental health issues of herself and her brother, and the impact those issues had on their adult lives.

Kelley came from a family where silence was the rule when it came to mental illness, so discovering that Matt had been writing a secret blog for two years before his death came as quite a shock. She found herself wondering if she had ever really known who Matt was.

You can tell there is nothing held back in this memoir. We learn how Kelley felt at the time of her diagnosis, and how it affected her entire family. We also see how the family reacted to Matt's diagnosis. It appears the siblings were the first in their family to suffer from a mental illness.

This was a quick, fascinating read. I've known people with mental health issues, but never this much in depth. It was eye-opening for me.

My rating: Four stars

About the author:
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Kelley Clink is an advocate for suicide prevention and mental health. She has degrees in literature from the University of Alabama and DePaul University. Her writing has appeared in numerous magazines and literary journals, including Gettysburg Review, Colorado Review, Woman's Day, and The Huffington Post. She is the winner of the 2014 Beacon Street Prize in Nonfiction and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She lives near Chicago with her husband and son.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

BOOK TOUR: My Spouse Wants More Sex Than Me (The 2-Minute Solution For A Happier Marriage) by Ruxandra LeMay, Psy.D.

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ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: My Spouse Wants More Sex Than Me: The 2-Minute Solution for a Happier Marriage
Author: Dr. Ruxandra LeMay
Publisher: LJAR Services, LTC.
Pages: 67
Genre: Nonfiction/Psychology/Self-Help
Format: Kindle/Paperback (available soon)

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SYNOPSIS
Is “not enough sex” a daily or weekly argument in your relationship?
Is sex at the bottom of your to-do list after mopping the floors, laundry, and packing the kids’ lunches?
Would you rather catch up on your favorite show than have sex?
Then this book is for you.
Nowadays, women work more than ever; they juggle a career, a household, kids, bills, pets, their own parents and in-laws.  In a relationship, marriage to be precise, sex is on a continuum: from hot and sweaty to non-existent. The author has seen numerous couples in therapy, all struggling to make the transition from “I can’t breathe without you” to “I would rather sleep than have sex.” Although most couples experience these changes, many don’t know how to handle them. Women feel exhausted, guilty, and wondering whether they need medication to feel some sort of sexual desire again. Men feel unloved, misunderstood, and highly frustrated. Nobody wins. And sometimes, the table turns and the man has a lower sex drive.
This unique book offers a practical solution that is a great compromise for both genders. It’s fast and easy to implement and maintain. It’s the real deal. The goals are realistic, easily attained, and make an actual difference in the relationship.
Dr. LeMay also talks about the fact that the female and male sex drives are different but there is no reason to apologize for such a difference. There is nothing wrong with women that have a low sex drive and not all men are addicted just because they like sex.
This book offers a compilation of tips and ideas to increase assertiveness and honesty during sex. Finally, the author introduces 10 insights into what affects female sex drive such as husband’s participation in household chores, his effort in looking good for his spouse, and his willingness to accommodate his wife’s sexual needs.
For More Information
My Spouse Wants More Sex Than Me: The 2-Minute Solution for a Happier Marriage is available at Amazon.


MY REVIEW AND RATING
This is a short easy read. Although the author is a professional, she also includes her personal experiences in the book. The book is geared toward women, as we are the ones who become drained--physically, mentally, emotionally--and don't have the energy or motivation to have sex. The ideas, however, can be used by men just as easily.

Each chapter is short and rather informal. At the end of each one is an "insight corner," with thought-provoking questions. Those can either be used solely by the reader, or by both partners to open discussion.

There are some great ideas and thoughts in this book. I would recommend it to all married couples.

Four stars to this one!




BOOK EXCERPT
Why write The 2-Minute Solution? Well, at first, because my husband insisted on it. I can’t tell you how many times we have argued over whether this book will make a difference. In his mind, he is fighting on behalf of all the married men who are possibly misunderstood and sexually and emotionally deprived, and he strongly believes that this book will help many.

Interestingly enough, while the psychologist in me totally agrees with him, the female part of my brain continues to side with the stereotypical question: “Why does he care about sex that much?” This is kind of crazy because I didn’t have this question when we first started dating. Honestly, I probably would have felt confused if he hadn’t cared about sex back then.
How did it all start? Well, we have been together for seventeen years and married for twelve years. We definitely think of our relationship in BC and AC terms - that is, “before and after children.” Our children are the most amazing people in our lives, and we are a hundred times happier and more content since they were born. They are also the reason for a lot of changes in our lives.
Before children, our lives consisted of work, lots of spontaneous date nights, movie marathons, and a whole lot more adrenaline between the sheets.
After children, our lives consist of getting dressed, making breakfast, packing lunches, getting dressed (did I say that already? That’s because I’ll bet one of us is not dressed yet), brushing teeth, driving kids to school, picking kids up from school, doing homework, taking kids to sports practice, getting dinner ready, feeding everyone, washing everyone, reading stories, and getting ready for the next day. Did we feed the dogs? How about the turtles? Or the fish? Are we done for today? Because I just want to get some sleep before we do it all over again tomorrow. A few years ago, there was a mom on YouTube who could sing her entire daily routine in one minute. Back then, when I was single, I thought she was weird. Today, I am that mother.
On the rare occasions when I go out to Happy Hour with my girlfriends, also mothers, we compare notes about our kids, about our spouses, and most often about how tired we are. And with that, occasionally we laugh about how our intimate lives have changed. Because I am a fairly private person, I am not quite ready to dive into specific details about how my sex life has evolved in the last eight years, but let’s just say that it has morphed into something a lot less steamy and romantic and a lot more practical.
This brings us to how the idea behind this book was born. Fortunately, while all of these changes were taking place, I was also getting a graduate degree in psychology. Both my husband and I agree that psychology kept us together, helped us grow, and allowed us to truly learn about each other.
As a child of divorced parents, I have developed an interest in how relationships start, maintain, and end, so it was a natural progression to focus on couples’ therapy during my graduate studies. Over time, I have gathered a lot of notes from the hundreds of books and articles, hours of therapy work with clients, and conversations with friends and relatives, and I have used many quotes and ideas from these sources in my writing.
Although there are a number of good books on sex, marriage, and communication, I have always found that most of the couples’ books are too long, are too complex, and try to cover too many intricate aspects of a relationship. Many readers get lost in all of the information and have a difficult time finding areas of focus or ideas that could be immediately applied to day-to-day life, so they can experience the much-needed relief in a timely manner.
Becoming a wife and a mother helped me develop a different and much better way of understanding and relating to my clients than any of the theories covered in graduate school. I realized that most of these books, although great resources, are often difficult to implement when your daily routine is as chaotic as I described earlier. Thus, I have tried to simplify the process of marital therapy to five key elements: sex, communication, financial matters, parenting, and dealing with in-laws (extended family).
This book will cover only two of these areas: sex and communication. I generally believe that if spouses are able to manage these two areas, they will have a significantly easier time working out the others.
I won’t lie. Marriage is hard. Once the blinding lust is gone, marriage is work. It is about constant compromise, scheduling, taking turns, sharing, and giving up personal likes for the benefit of the children and the integrity of the relationship. And even if you manage to get all of this right, there isn’t a guarantee that the relationship will survive. It ultimately comes down to the ability of each spouse to let go, as well as the partners’ level of optimism, sense of humor, and degree of commitment.
Obviously, when a marriage becomes work (and it will), the quantity and quality of sex change. This is not my opinion; this is just a fact of life. It simply depends on how much it changes. If it disappears or if it becomes the topic of excruciatingly painful daily conversations, you and/or your spouse have to do something about it, if you want the relationship to survive.
My straightforward approach to sex in a marriage has often been called “unromantic” or “too pragmatic.” There is some truth to this, but I prefer to describe my method as “a commonsense, easy-to-implement, and effective approach to a challenging time in a couple’s life.” And it works.
My Spouse Wants More Sex Than Me: The 2- Minute Solution for a Happier Marriage is a self-help book about sex and communication in a marriage. It is a humorous and straightforward book that talks about the reality of a marital relationship, not about the fairy tale you see in movies. With this book, I hope to:
First and foremost, challenge the traditional mind-set that good sex has to last for at least thirty minutes of foreplay, thirty minutes of penetration, and thirty minutes of cuddling.
Share the truth about the differences between men and women in terms of sex drive, desire, and arousal.
Offer a solution for the times when these differences widen, such as illness, stress, or being busy with work and parenthood.
Help spouses understand each other’s experience and find the time, energy, and motivation for sex in a crazy and fast-paced day-to-day routine.
I am sure you have already picked up from the tone of the book that women (especially busy, tired mothers) are less interested in sex. And although this statement is true for many, many women and is the focus of this book, I also want to make it clear that I am not generalizing and I am not saying that this is every woman’s experience.
The truth, however, is that most women nowadays work full-time jobs, still take care of the children and the household, and sometimes help care for ailing parents, relatives, or friends. Most women who are physically, mentally, and emotionally drained from juggling all of these tasks just don’t have the energy or motivation to have sex.
Nonetheless, this is not one of those books that tell you it’s your job to keep your man happy. It’s not going to tell you to buy sexy lingerie, how to find anyone’s secret G-spot, how to give mind-blowing oral sex, or how to have one-hour-long orgasms several times a night. You can find that advice in each of the last five hundred issues of Cosmopolitan or Glamour magazine. Most likely, you already know how to do most of those things. Most likely you used to do some of these things. But today, that is such a thought of the past. Today, the only thing you are looking forward to is watching a few episodes of Scandal, snuggling with a good book and a glass of wine after the kids are asleep, or getting a full nine-hour beauty sleep.
In all fairness, I also know women who struggle with the extreme opposite situation: their husbands are not interested in sex. Although the core of this book is directed toward women with lower sex drive-related issues, the ideas in this book are very much applicable to both scenarios; thus, both men and women could benefit from reading it.
As a matter of fact, for best results, I encourage you to read this book with your partner. Reading this book together is an opportunity to find out how you both feel about the topic and to understand each other’s perspective. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to learn that you are not alone. The experience of whatever is happening (or not happening) in your marriage is shared by many, many other couples. That insight in itself is often therapeutic.
However, the most important part is that The 2- Minute Solution is a hands-on book that strongly encourages practice. No self-help book, no matter how great it is, will make a difference unless the readers are willing to practice the skills described. To help with the practice aspect of this book, I have included “The Insight Corner” at the end of each chapter. This box describes a variety of assignments that are supposed to make you think about, talk about, and do things that may be out of your comfort zone, but are great stepping-stones for change. Please remember that practice takes time and failure before one can experience long-lasting success.
Those who know me can vouch that I am a big believer in “practice what you preach,” so I can say that my husband and I have been working at these skills for about seven years. I won’t lie; it did take some work, but this work was worth the time and effort. And don’t get me wrong, these skills and ideas will not resolve all of your marital problems, and they will not prevent arguments from happening. As a matter of fact, we still experience ups and downs that make me doubt my expert status at times, but, overall, we have made it so far, and we still like each other.
Please keep in mind that I wrote this book to complement and not to replace other medical, pharmacological, psychological, and spiritual resources available for couples’ health and marital therapy. There will be times when it is recommended to consult your physician, a sex therapist, your pastor, a friend, or a relative on the thousands of things that could go wrong (or right) in your relationship. I wrote this book, however, to stimulate a different perspective.
The thoughts and sex-provoking ideas described in this book have helped many, but they may not be helpful to all. While I am a licensed psychologist with experience in couples’ therapy, I am not a physician or a licensed sex therapist. Please consult with a physician, especially if you have a condition that may affect your sexual endeavors.

Finally, just to cross this off the list and ward off all of the critics who may line up to say that this book will take women back to the dark ages, this is not about a “wife’s duty to perform” or about some sort of submissive perspective. I meant this book to be a modern and fresh “hands-on” approach (no pun intended) to highlight how biology, communication, and psychology can come together successfully and contribute to a loving and committed relationship in today’s fast-paced and often stressful home environment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Dr. Ruxandra LeMay is a licensed psychologist in Phoenix, Arizona. After earning her undergraduate degree in Business Management, she spent 15 years in the corporate business world. While working with numbers and negotiating contracts, she realized that she enjoyed working and motivating co-workers with different personalities and different ways of doing things. She liked working with people, helping them focus on their strengths, and mediating communication with their management or conflict with peers. It was during this time, she decided to dive into the world of psychology. She went back to school and earned her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology.
During her formal training, she continued with her interest in relationships, this time in family and couples’ therapy: pre-marital education, marriage counseling, and post-divorce mediation. In addition, she worked with adults and adolescents struggling with addiction, anxiety, and mood disorder related issues. Last but not least, as she became a wife and mother, women’s life concerns became another topic of interest. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, ante- and post-partum challenges, low sex drive, and parenting have all been at the forefront of her study for the last ten years.
She has a very direct and practical style. Therapy takes time and money. They are both valuable and she does not want to waste your time or your money. She wants to offer the most effective recommendations that you can implement right away so you can feel immediate relief from whatever it is that you are facing. Her book, blogs, and therapy are all a reflection of her belief that even small changes, if they are the right ones, can make a big difference in someone’s life.
Her latest book is the nonfiction/psychology/self-help book, My Spouse Wants More Sex Than Me: The 2-Minute Solution for a Happier Marriage.
For More Information
Visit Dr. Ruxandra LeMay’s website.
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