Book Babble

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

RELEASE DAY BLITZ: From The Sideline by Amy Avanzino

Title: From the Sideline
Author: Amy Avanzino
Release Day: July 19
Genre: Chick Lit/Romantic Comedy

About the Book

After losing her marriage, life savings, and waistline, Autumn Kovac is terrified of being hit by more heartache. So when her only child decides to try out for the football team, the overprotective, sports-illiterate mom has a near phobic reaction. But Zachary hasn’t smiled since his father left, and she’s desperate to make him happy (and doing nothing and hoping for the best hasn’t been working). She reluctantly enters a new world of youth competitive sports, full of overzealous coaches with Vince Lombardi dreams and fanatical parents trying to achieve vicarious glory.

Unexpectedly, Autumn begins transforming within this strangely addictive new culture, finding her voice, facing her past, tackling her fears…and uncovering the secret that’s been keeping her from her son. After meeting her ideal catch, she finds herself back in the dating game and discovers some fierce competition of her own. Will Autumn make it off the sideline? Can the underdog finally win?

Praise for From the Sideline

“Avanzino has written a story of motherhood. Every word is one of love, of sacrifice, and of surprising depth. I absolutely adored it.” – Gretchen Archer, USA Today Bestselling Author of Double Knot

"Amy Avanzino is one seriously funny and smart writer. Her wry and winning voice is reminiscent of Liane Moriarty. FROM THE SIDELINE is a wildly entertaining novel about the world of competitive youth sports, and I laughed on every page." --Karin Gillespie, national bestselling author of the Bottom Dollar Girl series

"Sparkles with wry humor and will keep you laughing and cheering for this mom-and-son team." --Jackie Bouchard, USA Today Bestselling Author of House Trained

"Heartwarming, tender, and funny as hell--FROM THE SIDELINE is a lot more than a football story: about parenting, friendships, and the courage to take yourself off the bench and get back in the game. Avanzino will have you cheering!" --Phoebe Fox, author of the Breakup Doctor series and writer for Elite Daily

"A great story that never slowed down with twists around every corner." --Holly Rust, contributing writer for The Huffington Post, The TODAY Show Parenting Team, Scary Mommy, Women's Prospects, and Mother's Guide to Sanity

"FROM THE SIDELINE was just like being handed a perfect sundae - an indulgence that leaves a smile on your face. Amy Avanzino takes a typical setting and cast of characters (i.e. suburban life) and elevates it to an experience. Deftly written in candid honesty and humor, she perfectly captures what it is to be a mom and a woman. Sometimes I had to double-check the name of a character because it felt like she was writing about somebody I know.” –Theresa Murphy, reviewer

“5 out of 5 stars…I loved it!” -Comfy Reading

“I most appreciated Avanzino's ability to put into words the complex feelings of parenting. Rather than coming off as sappy or preachy or pitying, it is a fresh and honest interpretation that readers can relate to. She also captures the essence of woman friendships, that thing that keeps most moms afloat when they're ready to sink.” –The Pensive Missive

"FROM THE SIDELINE packs an emotional punch in the best way. Laughter, tears, heartache and joy all combine for a truly touching read." - Laura Nagore, 125Pages reviewer

“I loved the story, but loved Avanzino's voice even more. She writes with a snarky wit that had me laughing out loud (seriously, on the beach, people turned & looked at me!) and a vulnerability that all moms feel. I highly recommend this heartwarming and funny bone tickling story, and I'm placing Avanzino on my favorites list!” -Goodreads Reviewer, 5 out of 5 stars

"An absolute delight - funny, sharp, and full of heart. From the Sideline kept me laughing and, more importantly, Amy Avanzino kept me turning the pages. I can't wait to read whatever she brings next." --The Girl with Book Lungs Blog

“I loved this book and I love the author's writing style…There were some pages I read twice just because I loved how funny and honest they were. She can make you laugh and cry on the same page. Her humor and storytelling grab you in the beginning and you don't want to let go! I highly recommend this book and make sure to read Wake Up Call as well! I can't wait to read what she writes next!” -NetGalley Reviewer

About the Author

Amy Avanzino is a former advertising executive, who has spent the last several years writing while doing extensive hands-on research for her WAKE-UP CALL series. She’s a contributing writer of Hap Scotch, a play performed at the 2008 Frigid Festival in New York.

Links

Website: AmyAvanzino.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmyAvanzino

Twitter: @AmyAvanzino

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sideline-Wake-Up-Book-2-ebook/dp/B01EIB987C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1467827167&sr=8-2&keywords=avanzino

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29980601-from-the-sideline

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Monday, July 18, 2016

NEW RELEASES/FREE AND BARGAIN BOOKS weekly link up

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author

For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author

For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date

For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please. Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, incase any underage child is viewing it!)

Here is this weeks awesome selection!

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Come back and check out the new selection every week x

Friday, July 15, 2016

BOOK TOUR: Divorced And Scared No More by Tasher and Tony Haynes

Self-Help, Divorce, Relationships

Date Published: March 2016

Author Tasher releases three new books on life after divorce – Divorced and Scared No More! Therapist and clinical author Justin Nutt LSCSW, LAC consults as her technical advisor. Co-Author Tony Haynes is a practitioner of Acrostic Poetry -poetry where the first, last or other letters in a line spell out a particular word or phrase. At the end of each chapter, you can look forward to reading a clever poem from words found within the word DIVORCE.

On her 26th wedding anniversary, Tasher divorced and embarked on a new life. Her marriage was broken all to pieces, she was not going to let the divorce break her. Tasher quickly discovered that single life was very different from all those years ago. Like many, she initially was scared. Yet she was determined to become Divorce and Scared NO More!

Despite her dyslexia, she decided to share with others things she learned while rebuilding her life. The launch of DASNM.com quickly received a worldwide following. The logo was inspired by a set of broken pilot wings. No two people will have identical situations, hopefully the DASNM series will assist others with the least amount of trepidation, during this difficult transition.

photo Divorced and Scared No More Book One_zpskrsotv3a.jpg

Book one, Divorced and Scared No More: Emotional Support for the Newly Divorced (ISBN: 978-1498465854) is the first installment of the three-part trilogy written to assist readers in post-divorce related matters while providing you the motivation you need to move on.

photo Divorced and Scared No More Book Two_zpszch8ddzd.jpg

Book two, Divorced and Scared No More: Practical Advice for the Newly Divorced (ISBN: 978-1498465106) shares views on maintaining cordial relationships with ex-spouses, with a focus on children and extended families. Topics readers can look forward to discovering answers to include: attending special events with your ex-spouse, the impact of divorce on children, ways to arrange custody issues, how to handle separate holidays, and handling finances. You'll find ways to embrace your new found freedom and turn the lemons life threw at you into a Zesty Lemon Sorbet!

photo Divorced and Scared No More Book Three_zpscjbfyivf.jpg

Book three, Divorced and Scared No More: Dating After Divorce: From Lemons to Zesty Lemon Sorbet (ISBN: 978-1498465120) shows readers how to turn the lemons of divorce into an experience of acceptance and renewal, carrying this into dating. In this reading, Tasher gives you tools to help you get back out there and find the love that awaits you. Inside this book, you'll gauge your emotional availability to see if you're ready to accept the fun and excitement that comes with dating. Here you'll learn how to put your ex and baggage behind you to engage in the present moment. Divorced and Scared No More: Dating After Divorce: From Lemons to Zesty Lemon Sorbet shows you where to find love, dating safety and how to set up your profiles on dating sites.

Review: All three of these books provide solid, practical advice for creating a new life for yourself after a divorce. I wish I would have had these resources when I was in that situation...I would have hopefully made different choices for myself and my children, and made our lives better.

Each book has clear and concise chapters which include real life stories to help readers relate the advice to their own lives. There are also scriptural references which show why there is often a stigma related to divorce, and how we need to work past those ideas.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who is going through or has gone through a divorce and is looking for a "survival guide" to make it through to the other side.

**I received copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

Rating: Four stars

About the author

Tasher was divorced on her 26th wedding anniversary, and she embarked on a new life. Her marriage was broken all to pieces, she was not going to let the divorce break her. Tasher quickly discovered that single life was very different from all those years ago. Like many, she initially was scared. Yet she was determined to become Divorce and Scared NO More!

Tasher is not a professional therapist, rather she is sharing because she has “been there and done that” understanding how it FEELS.

Therapist and clinical author Justin Nutt LSCSW, LAC consults as her technical advisor. Insuring everything presented be accurate and quality material while still being a comforting, easy-to-read guide to surviving divorce.

Contact Information

Website: http://divorcedandscarednomore.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Divorced_Scared

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivoredAndScaredNoMore/

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/Divorced-Scared-No-More-Emotional-ebook/dp/B01F4C19WQ

https://www.amazon.com/Divorced-Scared-No-More-Practical-ebook/dp/B01CO7PDRQ

https://www.amazon.com/Divorced-Scared-No-More-Divorce-ebook/dp/B01CO7ROAU

Thursday, July 14, 2016

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE: Untethered by Julie Lawson Timmer

BOOK INFORMATION

Genre: Women's fiction

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons (June 7, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399176276
ISBN-13: 978-0399176272

Synopsis: When Char Hawthorn's husband dies unexpectedly, she is left questioning everything she once knew to be true: from the cozy small town life they built together to her relationship with her stepdaughter, who is suddenly not bound to Char in any real way. Untethered explores what bonds truly form a family and how, sometimes, love knows no bounds.

Char Hawthorn, college professor, wife and stepmother to a spirited fifteen-year-old daughter, loves her family and the joyful rhythms of work and parenting. But when her husband dies in a car accident, the “step” in Char’s title suddenly matters a great deal. In the eyes of the law, all rights to daughter Allie belong to Lindy, Allie’s self-absorbed biological mother, who wants the girl to move to her home in California.

While Allie begins to struggle in school and tensions mount between her and Char, Allie’s connection to young Morgan, a ten-year-old-girl she tutors, seems to keep her grounded. But then Morgan, who was adopted out of foster care, suddenly disappears, and Char is left to wonder about a possible future without Allie and what to do about Morgan, a child caught up in a terrible crack in the system.

Review: This is the first book I've read by this author, but now I can't wait to go back and read her first novel, FIVE DAYS LEFT. If it's anywhere near as good as this one, I know I'm going to love it.

Charlotte is a character I found it easy to empathize with as I read her story. She finds herself sort of drifting after her husband dies...she's responsible for her teen aged stepdaughter, but she's not really, as the girl's mother is still in the picture--when she wants to be.

Lindy, the biological mother, wasn't very likable for me. As a mother, I can't comprehend not wanting to be fully engaged with my child...and especially not being there for her after she loses her father so suddenly and unexpectedly. I just wanted to shake her and wake her up to what she was missing!

Allie and Morgan are very well written adolescent characters. Honestly, I think the two of them were my favorite characters of the story. Morgan has so much to deal with for a ten year old, and I found myself rooting for her to be alright.

Even though this book deals with some difficult topics, it handles them with dignity and respect. Definitely one of the best books I've read so far this year!

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

Rating: Five stars

About the author

Julie Lawson Timmer grew up in Stratford, Ontario, and now lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband Dan, their four teenaged children and two badly-behaved rescued dogs. By turns, she is an author, mother, stepmom, lawyer and dreadful cook. FIVE DAYS LEFT (Putnam 2014) is her first novel. UNTETHERED (Putnam), her second novel, is scheduled for release June 7, 2016.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

BOOK TOUR AND GIVEAWAY: Once And Future Wife by David Burnett

Jennie Bateman has again fallen in love with Thomas, her former husband, but Tasha, one of his children, is determined to destroy their relationship.

Jennie had done that herself a number of years earlier. In the midst of a manic episode, she had deserted Thomas and their two daughters, choosing, instead, a life of shameless debauchery.

Perhaps she was shocked when Thomas filed for a divorce. Perhaps it was the influence of a preacher who took an interest in her. Perhaps she simply cycled back toward normal.

Whatever the cause, years later, when she again made contact with her family, she was a different person. Even so, they wanted nothing to do with her.

But time moves on. Circumstances change.

Jennie has been accepted by her children. Thomas’s second wife has died, leaving him a single parent with four adult daughters and a newborn. In Jennie’s eyes, he is the same good-looking, kind, loving person she had fallen for when they were in college.

While Jennie has fallen in love with Thomas, he has no interest in romance. He is still mourning the loss of his second wife, he is caring for their infant daughter, and he still nurses the hurt he felt when Jennie abandoned him so many years before. He does not want her around his children, and he is determined to shelter his infant daughter from her.

As time passes, though, he finds himself attracted to Jennie again, discovering she now resembles the girl with whom he once fell in love, rather the shrew who once walked out of his life.

Tasha knows of Jennie’s earlier life and she has discovered that she still takes medication to control her behavior.

“Are these your crazy pills?” Tasha mocks her as she snatches the bottle from Jennie’s hand. “If I flush them, will you be crazy in the morning? Only a weakling depends on medicine,” she asserts.

She insists that whether Jennie takes the medication or not, she will ultimately relapse, that another manic episode lies ahead, perhaps just around the bend. She taunts Jennie by printing documents from the internet to support her claim. She reminds Jennie that if she were to relapse after marrying Thomas, she would ruin his life – a second time.

Shamed by Tasha, Jennie ponders tossing her medication, hoping to prove to both of them that she can live without it. As she considers what to do, she fears that she will fail the test, be unable to cope, and her demons– anger, alcohol, and sex − will come rushing back to thwart her chance for a second marriage just as they destroyed her first.

Thomas would not try to cope with those demons again, would he? She couldn’t ask that of him, could she?

In Once and Future Wife we follow Jennie as she goes a second round with her demons, hoping to find a way to stop them from destroying the love and happiness that finally seem to be within her reach.

Once and Future Wife is a stand alone sequel to Those Children Are Ours. The first book does not have a cliff hanger of any kind at the end. Once and Future Wife picks up with Jennie four years later and can be read apart from the other book.

Review: Ever since reading THOSE CHILDREN ARE OURS, I've found myself wondering what happened to everyone, so I was thrilled when I learned about this sequel. This book begins four years after the first one ended, and we find Thomas suffering yet another loss in his life. Jennie, who has made major strides in getting her life together over the last four years, is there for her daughters as well as Emma's...and does her best to be a friend to Thomas. Three of the girls encourage her to explore being more than just his friend, but Emma's daughter Tasha is not a fan of that idea. Jennie takes some of Tasha's remarks to heart and stops taking her bipolar medications, trying to prove she is a strong enough person to deal with her issues without it. What happens after that is a true rollercoaster ride.

This is the third book I've read by this author, and I am a huge fan. Not only is his writing style one which draws you into the story and makes the characters feel familiar, but the main characters tend to be mature adults who are more relatable to me than the twenty-somethings of many books these days.

I have to say that Jennie proves to be, in my estimation, a very strong female character. Yes, she has flaws and she makes mistakes, but she owns up to each and every one of them and does her best to make amends. I think she will be a fabulous role model for all of their daughters.

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

Rating: Five stars

Available to buy from....

Amazon Barnes and Noble Paperback

Also Available - Those Children Are Ours

Jennie Bateman screamed at her daughters, cursed at her husband, packed a bag, and walked away. Twelve years later, she petitions the family court for visitation with her daughters, Alexis and Christa.

Her attorney tells Jennie that, ordinarily, she could not imagine that some type of visitation would not be granted. But, she warns, the situation is hardly ordinary. True, Jennie suffered from a bipolar disorder when she began to drink heavily, abandoned her family, and moved in with another man. True, she has turned her life around: leaving her boyfriend, returning to school, entering therapy, taking medication, finding a job, and joining a church.

But she pressed no claim for her children when her husband divorced her, and she has made no attempt to contact them in any way since then. Her daughters, now sixteen and fourteen, live four hundred miles away. They have busy lives that do not include her, lives that will be totally disrupted by the visitation that she requests. Their father is engaged to be married to a woman who has taken the role of their mother for a decade. Alexis remembers nothing good about Jennie. Christa recalls nothing at all.

Conflict ensues as soon as Jennie’s petition is served: her former husband does not want to share his children with the woman who deserted him; her children have no interest in knowing the mother who abandoned them, and her father insists that she is being timid and ought to demand full custody, not simply visitation.

As court convenes, Jennie’s past is dredged up− the desertion, the men, her drinking, her mental health − and paraded before the judge. Her claim to be a different person, now, is attacked. The judge hesitates to grant Jennie’s request, but reluctantly agrees to order three trial visits.

If persuading the judge to let her see her children was difficult, convincing them to allow her to be a part of their lives seems to be almost impossible. What happens as she finally begins to connect with her daughters places them all in grave danger and threatens her life, itself.

Available to buy from....

Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Barnes and Noble Printed Books

About the author

David Burnett lives in Columbia South Carolina, with his wife and their blue-eyed cat, Bonnie. The Reunion, his first novel, is set in nearby Charleston.

David enjoys traveling, photography, baking bread, and the Carolina beaches. He has photographed subjects as varied as prehistoric ruins on the islands of Scotland, star trails, sea gulls, a Native American powwow, and his grandson, Jack. David and his wife have traveled widely in the United States and the United Kingdom. During one trip to Scotland, they visited Crathes Castle, the ancestral home of the Burnett family near Aberdeen. In The Reunion, Michael's journey through England and Scotland allows him to sketch many places they have visited.

David has graduate degrees in psychology and education and previously was Director of Research for the South Carolina Department of Education. He and his wife have two daughters.

Find the author on the following sites...

Website Blog Facebook Twitter Goodreads Amazon

Follow the Book Tour

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

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Monday, July 11, 2016

RELEASE DAY BLITZ: What Happens At The Beach by T.A. Williams

photo TAWilliams-Beach-RBBanner_zpscrviavwd.png

Book Information

Title: What Happens at the Beach...

Author: T. A. Williams

Series: What Happens in… (standalone)

Release Date: July 11, 2106

Genres: Chick Lit

Publisher: HarperCollins/Carina UK

photo TAWilliams-Beach-Cover_zps41s60u27.jpg

Summary

For the perfect summer romance…

It’s finally time for Natalie Dryden to decide what she really wants! After ditching her sparkling engagement ring, and her ghastly fiancé, she jets off for the sun-kissed shores of Southern France – the only place that has ever truly felt like home. For the first time ever, Natalie is determined to forget all about men and follow her dreams!

…head to the French coast!

Only, avoiding the male population isn’t quite so easy, especially when she meets smooth-talking Philippe and gorgeous fisherman, Remy! But then Natalie, quite literally, bumps into brooding millionaire Mark whilst swimming in the glittering azure-blue bay – and her life is turned upside-down.

Love might be off the cards for Natalie, yet suddenly she finds herself in her dream job and working with her dream man! But is it all too good to be true…?

Book Links

Amazon US: https://amzn.com/B01DTM87XC

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DTM87XC

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29912899-what-happens-at-the-beach

Author Biography

Firstly, my name isn't T A. It's Trevor. I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book, "Dirty Minds" one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn't possibly comment. Ask my wife...

I've written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I'm enjoying myself hugely writing humour and romance. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. If my books can put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know I’ve done my job.

I‘ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in south west England. I love the place. That’s why you’ll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in most of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador.

I've been writing since I was 14 and that is half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she's right.

Social Networking Links

Website: http://www.tawilliamsbooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrevorWilliamsBooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TAWilliamsBooks

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/GRTAWilliams

Amazon Author: http://www.amazon.com/T-A-Williams/e/B00FDVNVMA/

NEW RELEASES/FREE AND BARGAIN BOOKS Weekly Link-up

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author

For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author

For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date

For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please. Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, incase any underage child is viewing it!)

Here is this weeks awesome selection!

Would you like to share our linkup on your site? click here
Would you like to become a weekly host? sign up here

Come back and check out the new selection every week x