What I'm Reading Wednesday

Since Writer Goal Wednesdays are going to be pretty much the same thing for the next few months (writing new chapters for my current project) I thought I'd mix things up a bit and start What I'm Reading Wednesday.

I started a book last night called The Other Side of the Stars, by Katherine King. I stayed up way too late to read.  I don't usually start books late at night, but this one sounded like a book I could only read one chapter of and put it down for sleep. I was so wrong. It hooked me! And then, as soon as all the kids were at school this morning, I came back to it. It is so compelling, I can hardly put it down. It's set just after World War II and is about a girl named Gita who has memories that she can't reconcile, but she wants/needs answers before she can truly move forward. She knows her parents left Germany during the war in a hurry and she had to change her name when they got to America. They don't speak to anyone and keep to themselves. But her father has a mysterious lock box and a tin full of money under the floorboard. Yet, the more Gita delves into the secrets of her past, the more questions she has.

Max shows up on her doorstep one day, the man her aunt has told her she should marry and that he would take care of her. Gita has never been in love before, but the more she gets to know Max, the more engaged her heart becomes.  But Max has secrets in his past as well and I'm right at the good part where the secrets are being revealed.  But it's time to take my little boy to storytime at the library!  Ahhhhh! Can I really put it down right at the good part? Would anyone think less of me if I was reading my own book at storytime?

Anyway, so far this book has been amazing. Well-written, emotional, and engaging. I am loving it!

Here's the back copy:

After the death of her parents, immigrant Gita finds herself in post WWII America with nothing but a few haunting childhood memories and an arranged marriage to Max. Despite her initial hesitations and his elusive nature, the awkward tension soon dissipates as they settle into life together.

But with the arrival of a stranger, Gita realizes she may know very little about the man she married. As her world seems to unravel and the missing pieces of her childhood fall into place, the lives of a Nazi, a young girl, and a prisoner at Auschwitz intertwine, revealing the beauty of what can happen when fate, hope, and resiliency collide.

You can buy your Kindle copy here for $5.99

I'm On InD'Tale's Magazine Cover!

I was so excited to see my name on the cover of InD'Tale magazine! I was their featured author for Booked for Dinner and shared the Bellon family's award-winning recipe for torte.

If you've never had torte, then you have missed out. It's a yummy dessert that my children will ask for in place of birthday cake, it's that good. And there's chocolate in it, so, you know, perfect for Valentines! (Not that you'll want to share . . .) But it's definitely one you'll want to have in your recipe box and it's so easy to make!

Also, if you've never subscribed to InD'Tale magazine before, you should. It's free, filled with book reviews, articles, and serial stories, with the Booked For Dinner recipes as well. It's been well worth my time! Click here to sign up for your copy.

Book Review: Secret Life of Daydreams

Today's review is of Lucinda Whitney's new novel, The Secret Life of Daydreams.  It takes place in Portugal and I loved being immersed in another culture with the food, the people, and the setting. The author even used Portuguese phrases that added an authentic flavor to the novel. (I wish they had been translated sometimes, though, because I didn't understand what they meant!)

We first meet Josh Conrad who is sent to Portugal on a photography assignment. He's world-weary and heart wary after suffering a painful divorce. Being in Portugal reminds him of his time he spent as an LDS missionary and he meets up with some friends, including Sofia, the girl he baptized eleven years earlier. She's changed a lot since then and he wants to get to know the woman she's become.

Sofia's life is anything but easy. She takes care of her mother who is suffering from dementia and is hard to get along with. Sofia has hopes and dreams that she can't fulfill because of her family obligations. Yet, when Josh comes back into her life, she sees a ray of hope, that maybe she can reach for those dreams after all.  However, since Josh has given up his faith that might be the one thing she can't overlook. Can they find a way to be together or is it just one more dream that will slip away?

This romance was like a summer walk through the park---an easygoing, sometimes long and rambly, comfortable stroll. The characters are fleshed out and realistic, the setting is well-done, and the story is sweet.

Here's the back copy:

Sometimes the dream you never planned for is the one you can’t live without.

Six years after a painful divorce, Josh Conrad is happy traveling the world as a photographer. When he arrives in Portugal, he plans to complete the assignment as quickly as possible. What he doesn’t plan for is Sofia, the girl he baptized eleven years earlier on an LDS mission, and soon he’s making excuses to prolong his trip.

Sofia Monteiro leads a structured life in Braga, Portugal, teaching high school by day and caring for her mother by night. After she reconnects with Josh through mutual friends, the memory of a failed relationship and her new graduate program are enough reasons to stay away from him.

As they collaborate on a project, Josh is wary of repeating his old mistakes and Sofia hesitates to spend time with an American who’s only passing through.

Can two people with wounded hearts bring themselves to trust their dreams to each other?

You can get your copy here for $3.99

Two Friday Freebie Books!

This weekend looks like one to curl up with a good book. Here's two freebies to get you started!

The first one is a regency romance, Miss Braithwaite's Secret, by GG Vandagriff.  I enjoyed Caroline's story and thought this was a page-turner! You can see my full review of it here

You can download your free Kindle copy here

Here's the back copy:

When Miss Caroline Braithwaite, the “Incomparable,” leaves London in the middle of the Season, she confides her reason in no one, not even her closest friend. Her sizable court of gentlemen mourn, but no one can tempt her into Society again.

Living reclusively in the country, she finally deigns to accept an invitation to her friend’s county house party. Then the Duke of Northcott arrives, fresh from a broken engagement, and none too happy to see her. Caro tries desperately to make her excuses and leave, but then her pride intervenes. Such behavior may reveal her fierce attraction toward him and the fact that it is he who has broken her heart. Deception is at hand in the form of another gentleman who is more than a little interested in her, and looks like he may not take no for an answer. 

This delicious romance will carry you back to the Regency period in English history, where manners were dictated by strict rules of fashion. It is the Jane Austen era, populated by gentlemen and ladies of leisure. These books are best enjoyed with a box of chocolates, and are guaranteed to enliven any boredom (ennui) that you may be experiencing!

The second freebie for today is a fun culinary mystery from Heather Justesen called Brownies and Betrayal. This one had a lot of good twists and turns and is the start of a series. You can see my review of it here

You can download your free Kindle copy here 

Here's the back copy:

Pastry chef Tess Crawford thought moving from Chicago to quiet Silver Springs, Arizona would simplify her life. That was before she found the body of a woman with whom she had traded heated words the previous night, left her fingerprints on the murder weapon, and came under attack for trying to clear her name. When her cheating ex-fiance shows up, intent on convincing her to come back to work for him, Tess—armed with an extra batch of éclairs—decides to take control and solve the mystery herself, with the help of friends and frenemies alike.

But will that be enough to save her when she gets too close and the killer decides it’s safer to get her out of the way?

Have a great reading weekend!

Living Like A Navy SEAL

There was an article put out recently called Twelve Ways to Live Like A Navy SEAL. They review the traits of warriors and talk about things like being confident, disciplined, vigilant, and loyal. But the article goes on to talk about things you can do to live like a warrior.

For example, the things that jumped out at me were:

• "Find something you're afraid of and go do it." I have several things I'm afraid of, one of them being heights, so tomorrow, I'm going to take a ski lift and go tubing in the snow. It makes me nervous just typing that! But I'm going to do it. 

• "Start establishing routines and habits in everything you do. We are what we repeatedly do." Sometimes routines are hard when you have a large family, but I have been working on nailing down a base set of routines to give more structure to balancing my writing life with my home life and making sure everyone in the family knows what to expect.

• "Write down your goals and core values. If you don't have a map for your life, how will you get where you want to go?" I honestly don't think I've ever written down my core values, the things that mean the most to me and what I would fight for. I also want to make a map for the direction I expect my life to go in. Not to be too tightly controlled, but just my thoughts and ideas, goals and dreams for the next five to ten years.

The article had several other things that made me stop and think. Since I write about SEALs and greatly admire the military people I've come in contact with, this sort of list fascinates me. I think I'm definitely going to take a few of these to heart. Maybe I really can live like a Navy SEAL. Or not. But I can always write about it . . .

If you want to read the entire article, click here

Writer Goal Wednesday

photo credit: plnaugle via photopin cc 

Well, my goals two weeks ago (before I got sick) were:

• to write another chapter on The Captain 
• update my media kit. 
• decide on a blog tour for The Captive.

I am so happy to say that I accomplished all my goals!  My press kit is updated! I wrote a chapter! And I'm part of the Loving the Book Launch Valentine's Day Blog Tour Blitz! This is a fun way to meet twelve authors of clean romance leading up to Valentine's Day. (Consider yourself invited to the party! You can go here to see the Facebook page that features the participating authors and the books that are being highlighted.) This is going to be fun!

For next week, I'd like to make it a goal to:

• finish another chapter 
• update my word count widget to be accurate. 

Yeah, maybe they are small goals, but babysteps, right?

How did you do with your goals this week?

Vote In The Cover Finals And Enter To Win A Free Book!

My book cover for The Captive made it through the Best Genre Cover rounds from last week (thanks to everyone who voted!) and is now in the Best Overall Cover finals! Yay! And now it's all up to this last round of voters to pick the winner.

If you'd like to see all the great covers in this final round (there are some good ones, if I do say so myself!) and vote for your favorite (yes, I'm biased as to *my* favorite, haha!) just go here! Isn't choosing from great book covers fun?

Also, the Goodreads Giveaway is nearly over where you (anyone in the continental U.S. or Canada!) can enter to win your own autographed print copy of The Captive. You can enter here

Don't miss out on some fun contests!