I Had to Work My Characters Hard! by Debby Mayne and Giveaway

Pump Up Your Book presents...

Pretty Is as Pretty Does (Class Reunion #1) by Debby Mayne

Page Count: 304
Release Date: 1 June 2013
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Genre: Contemporary, Women's Fiction

Priscilla Slater goes to her 10-year high school reunion as a successful business woman. Even though she got rid of her mousy brown hair, swapped out her discount store wardrobe for designer clothes, and now has perfectly straight teeth, she can't get past feeling like the ugly duckling. Her parents' disapproval for her choice of careers—running a chain of hair salons—deepens her self-doubt. She experiences self-discovery and learns that things aren't always as they seem.

During the reunion, one woman passes out after starving herself for the event. The class beauty queen appears to have more self-confidence than ever until her ex shows up with his new wife. The reunion organizer has taken her responsibilities to a whole new level that makes the Marines look like Boy Scouts, while her husband drinks too much and makes a fool of himself. The man she always dreamed about being with finally gives her some attention, but when she finds out more about him, she realizes he's not worth her time. These realizations boost her self-confidence, but now she has to deal with her best friend Tim's new feelings for her?

 

Buy the book at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-A-Million | Sony eStore | Kobo

Top 10 Tips on How to Get Your Man by Sherry Kyle and Giveaway!

Pump Up Your Book presents...

The Heart Stone by Sherry Kyle

Page Count: 320
Release Date: 1 April 2013
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Genre: Contemporary, Women's Fiction, Christian romance, Inspirational

When the biological father of Jessica MacAllister's son decides to break their custody agreement, Jessica and her son visit her Uncle George for advice and refuge...

Following a year of grief, Evelyn Sweeney is finally ready to move on. Pondering her new path in life, her mind drifts to her first love, George MacAllister...

When the lives of these two women cross, they discover that one heart-shaped ring binds their stories together. But will the results be a rekindled faith and new hope, or will it lead them both back into the darkness they've fought for so long?

 

Buy the book at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-A-Million | Kobo

❤author: UL Harper Interview and Giveaway!

❤ Today, as part of a Pump Up Your Book virtual blog tour, I will be hosting sci-fi author, UL Harper with an interview and giveaway. Welcome to ¡Miraculous!, UL! Will you please share a short bio with us?

U.L. Harper is an after-school program Site Director in Long Beach, California. Over one hundred students attend his program.

He previously worked as a corporate manager, and a journalist for a now defunct news agency in Los Alamitos, California. Newspapers are part of his writing background but he also dabbled in poetry. His poetry is published in The Body Politic chapbooks.

He is the author of In Blackness, The Flesh Statue, and the short story called Guidelines for Rejects.

❤ Tell us about your newest release, In Blackness.

As children, Lenny and Saline’s parents brought them to Southern California to escape the nightmares. But after their parents die in a horrible car accident, their adoption by longtime family friend, Busek, proves nightmarish in its own right. Busek is abusive to his son, Dustin, and does very little to hold the young family together. The trio of kids become friends and grow up as a family. Outwardly, they are unruffled by life’s events, yet as teens the emotional aftermath of Saline and Lenny’s parents’ deaths lingers and eventually catapults Lenny and Saline on individual journeys back to their old hometown.

Saline journeys with a small church group which has regular excursions to her old hometown in Lowery, Washington. She discovers the group is protecting a powerful secret that will change her life.

Lenny, on the other hand, becomes stranded in King City. There, he meets someone who unexpectedly and unknowingly guides him to a place in Washington where something might be waiting for him. Impulsively, he makes his way there and discovers that the simple world he has been living in is vastly different from what he could have ever imagined.

Meanwhile, Dustin remains in Southern California and meets a group of youth who stumble upon the city's plan to replace the local library with a jail. In the process of this discovery they learn of one of the largest secrets society has ever kept, a secret waiting for them underground, in blackness.

❤ What inspired you to write it and then how did you get published? Tell us your call story.

First off, this book has been in the works for a while. Inspired to write it is not how I look at it. It was a work ethic. It had to be done. These characters had to be written. I’m sure there was a succinct inspiration at some point but that has long left. It wound up being duty to myself and the characters involved. They had a story and I had a word processor, so everything worked out. That fact that it can be purchased is only a miracle. And that’s it.

❤ How much of your actual life would you say gets written into your fictional stories?

I add in all of my real life. In fact, there is barely any fiction. Aliens appear in this story, so obviously that didn’t happen in my real life, but the places the characters visit, the people they meet, the food they eat, what the characters smell and think and even become, is pulled directly out of the real world. I often get frustrated by stories that start off by saying it was based on a true story. Well, what story isn’t?

❤ True point! What are your biggest motivations for writing?

I need to write. Once the story is there, I have to get it done. I still use writing to expel emotions so it’s a meditation tool as well. How’s that for motivation? I’m cranky if I don’t write.

❤ How would you describe your writing style and tone?

My style is to-the-point but oddly vague. I like to let the reader to connect the dots, if I can. I like to say exactly what is happening, but only show emotion. I can’t stand talking about emotions. It bores me to tears reading about why someone is crying. If they’re crying for a reason, then I’ll know what that reason is. I tend to write the same way.

❤ Give aspiring writers a piece of advice you wish you had known before getting published.

Oh, here’s a piece of advice: your originality is in your tone and in your characters. Your story will not be new or original, most likely, no matter the twist or how many vampires you add to it. Stories usually come down to the same social issues or political schemes or relationship conflicts. But we can meet a new character still, I think. We can still appreciate a solid vibe, and oh yeah, style counts.

❤ What's something about you that might surprise your readers?

I actually have a sense of humor: why did the punk rocker cross the road? Give up? Because the chicken was nailed to his chest.

❤ What's the most interesting comment you've received about your books so far?

Someone said I write how I talk. Everything is fine and then it’s all loud and crazy and out of control.

❤ What's next for you?

Sequels, of course, and in between, I’ll have something called The Miracles of Arthur Lowe, a story about a man who can clearly perform miracles but with rare and interesting motives.

❤ Books to look forward to! Where can you be found on the web?

At my website: ULHarper.com.

❤ Thank you for being here today, UL! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your writing better :)

Giveaway!

❤ Thanks to UL's tour publicist, Pump Up Your Book, one lucky reader will win their very own copy of In Blackness. To enter the giveaway, tell me:

How do you find new or lesser-known authors? Are you a big fan of any indies in particular? If so, name them! I love supporting indie authors and want some recommendations.

Giveaway runs through October 10th, 2011 at 11.59 pm (your time). International readers may enter for a Smashwords DOWNLOAD of this book, but if you want to enter for a print copy, you must be a US or Canada resident.

Please include your email address in your comment! If I don't know who to contact once you are chosen as the winner, your prize will be forfeited.
As a reminder, you do not have to follow my blog to enter, though it is always very much appreciated :)

Good luck!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥: Commune of Women by Suzan Still

Commune of Women
Suzan Still

Release Date: July 16th, 2011

Publisher: The Fiction Studio

Page Count: 380

Source: Complimentary copy provided by author, via Pump Up Your Book Promotions, in exchange for  an honest and unbiased review (thank you both!!), as part of the virtual blog tour

On an ordinary Los Angeles morning, six unrelated women converge on Los Angeles International Airport. A hornet's nest of chaos ensues, and the women find their survival depends on their ability to navigate a web of interpersonal and cultural conflict.

• Sophia, adept at the arts of survival, who takes the lead;
• Pearl, an ancient bag lady whose wisdom becomes guidance;
• Erika, a top executive whose business trip is cut short by a bullet wound;
• Heddi, a Jungian analyst who must use her skills to help the others;
• Betty, an overweight, histrionic housewife who endangers everything;
• Ondine, a wealthy and neurotic artist whose self-absorption turns to action;

Each much use her slender resources and innate abilities to survive.

For four days, the women sustain themselves by telling their life stories, which grow darker and more intimate as the days pass. Meanwhile, Najat, abandoned by her male companions in a control room with a view of the entire terminal and of televised rescue efforts, struggles between her own conscience and the dictates of her group, the Brothers.

Commune of Women explores what happens when ordinary citizens meet their worst nightmare. It is a novel of travail, gritty determination, compassion, and the will to prevail.

What Stephanie Thinks: Suzan Still takes an insightful and deep approach to women's fiction in this novel of multiple perspectives that all have one thing in common: control. Or rather, lack thereof. Each woman, each life portrayed, couldn't be more different. Each individual, shaped by what they have experienced and developed with, is unique. However, after gathering, each realizes, that they are actually quite the same.

I enjoy how each protagonist gets their own narrative. Only one of the seven characters speaks in the first person, but all the third-person perspectives are equally intimate. Still is keen on characterization, very much based off verisimilitude, which strengthens the sense of sympathy I gain for each of the main characters. Najat's story especially, the story of the opponent, or in this case, the perpetrator of the initial tragedy, touches me and has me rethinking my values of who I condemn as "good" and who I convict as "bad". Personally, I hate prejudice but it's always in my subconscience; it's in everybody's. Knowing on the other hand, that what we judge has its own mindset itself, is both puzzling and enlightening, but it has the ability to keep us in check, which I think is most important.

Stylistically, this book is not phenomenal. At best, I would call it lush, in that it is finely detailed. However, there's really no suspense or poise to it. I find it bland and catch myself trudging through it. It doesn't take away from the storyline too much, but it's definitely something that bothers me.

Commune of Women is a book of interest, but not really something outrageous. I like the story enough to get through it, but not enough to highly suggest it to someone in search of a recommended read. As I personally am interested in depth psychology, I was able to connect with this book, but conventionally, most people may not see it the same way.

Stephanie Loves: ". . . it's not possible to grieve for anyone else until you've truly grieved for yourself."

Radical Rating: 7 hearts: Not without flaws, but overall enjoyable. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

♥♥♥♥: The Memoir of Marilyn Monroe by Sandi Gelles-Cole

The Memoir of Marilyn Monroe
Sandi Gelles-Cole

Release Date: April 22nd, 2011

Publisher: Gelles-Cole Literary Enterprises

Page Count: 178

Source: Complimentary copy provided by author, via Pump Up Your Book Promotions, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)

Marilyn Monroe is 85, the victim of a fire set purposefully to destroy her. This is the memoir she writes of what really happened from the night she was rescued in August, ‘62 until June 1st, 2011 when the book starts, her 85th birthday.

Told in her own voice and propelled by the various lifestyles she tries on in her search to dig beneath the character that she created for the movies to the real woman inside, the book is two stories. While we read to learn what caused the horrible accident that ruined her face, she writes of her recovery from the addictions that subsumed her in Hollywood, her life as an average woman traveling with a young lover in Europe; her final goodbye to DiMaggio. As a senior citizen, Marilyn’s face is recreated she tells what happened to her fortune and then how she supported herself, how it felt when her face and body aged, how lust continued into her late years and how she fell in love when she thought all of that was behind her.

The Memoir of Marilyn Monroe is a mix of fiction, myth, and Marilyn history.

What Stephanie Thinks: The concept of a fictionalized memoir is interesting and intriguing. It's like fan fiction, only it's based off reality, and it's fueled by the mystery and sketchy details surrounding a tragic event that our country has suspected multiple conspiracies about.

I wanted to enjoy this book so much. Marilyn Monroe is personally one of my favorite actresses of all time. Aside from the scandals and success that followed her around, she was beautiful in the most genuine, remarkable way. She wasn't a perfect size 00 and had acknowledged body image issues; yet she still managed to retain her image as America's sweetheart and most famous sex symbol. She died a legend, and with The Memoir of Marilyn Monroe, this legend is inverted. Because Marilyn didn't actually die. Marilyn actually faked her death, with the help of her ex, the infamous Joe DiMaggio, and spent the rest of her life regretting it. She became a normal person, a nobody, and is finally able to tell her story—the real story.

Unfortunately, this book is everything but the initial "interesting and intriguing" I hoped it to be. The writing is very bland and ill-structured; I wonder if Gelles-Cole had an editor. Most of the book seems to focus on Marilyn's alcoholism and recovery (or lack thereof), as well as the various romps and roadtrips she had as she aged, but I can't find an actual aim to this book. It's entirely pointless, and I still can't figure out why the author chose to ramble on and on about Marilyn's supposed life after death, because it ends abruptly and without a climax. Heck, there isn't even any rising action at all. Things happen, people speak, but nothing really crafts together to make a good novel.

I finished the book because the vocabulary is easy and font is large. At less than 200 pages, I read this in a few sittings. However, the writing is difficult to follow, and I found myself skimming a lot, because most of the text doesn't contribute to the main issue (not that there really is any main issue, in the first place). I really had to trudge through this one, and can't say I recommend it.

Stephanie Loves: "I started to understand that a person could be happy for herself, that you did not need an audience to smile. It was awakening."

Radical Rating: 4 hearts: So-so; reading this book may cause wrinkles (from frowning so much). ♥♥♥♥

♥♥♥♥♥♥: The Bronze and the Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman

The Bronze and the Brimstone (Verona Trilogy #2)
Lory S. Kaufman

Release Date: June 7th, 2011

Publisher: The Fiction Studio 

Page Count: 336

Source: Complimentary copy provided by author, via Pump Up Your Book Promotions, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you both!)

What could go wrong in the 14th-century for three time-traveling teens? How about—EVERYTHING!

Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln, three teens from the 24th century, are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy. They’ve survived many deadly experiences by keeping their wits about them and by introducing futuristic technology into the past. Principal among these inventions is the telescope, which brought them to the attention of the rich and powerful.

But standing out can get you into unexpected and dangerous situations. The nobles of Verona now believe Hansum is a savant, a genius inventor, especially after he brings them plans for advanced cannons and black powder. Being the center of attention is great, but the potential for trouble is now exponentially greater because people are watching Hansum’s every move.

Meanwhile, artistic genius Shamira has fallen for a Florentine artist with bloody and disastrous consequences. Lincoln, considered an incompetent back home in the 24th-century, has blossomed—at least until he’s shot in the head with an arrow. And Hansum, after secretly marrying his new master’s beautiful daughter, Guilietta, is offered the hand in marriage of lady Beatrice, daughter of the ruler of Verona. To refuse could mean calamity for all the teens.

Amazingly, none of this is their biggest challenge. Because a rash illness is spreading across Verona—and it is threatening to consume everyone.

Do they have a future in this past?

What Stephanie Thinks: If you recall my review for Kaufman's first in the Verona Trilogy, The Lens and the Looker, you remember I was highly disappointed with the young adult/fantasy/sci-fi/romance novel. The second book in the series, The Bronze and the Brimstone, is only slightly less displeasing; my reasons for scorning it are almost identical to those of the first book, but I do think this one's plot is more well-developed and exciting.

My biggest problem is the contradictions the story poses. There are "adult" topics covered that wouldn't seem to appeal to teenagers. I'm not saying teenagers like pure content, but if soap-opera-esque romance is put into a book, it should specifically be romance, not young adult romance. On the other hand, another reason teens won't be able to relate to this book is because of the author's childish way of writing. I can better-recommend Kaufman's voice and style to middle grade children, not to young adults. If you look at today's biggest young adult titles, none of them are written in an adult's style. They're written in a young adult's style (hence, the name), by an adult. This is difficult because most adults can't voice a teenager's thoughts. That's why they stick to writing regular fiction, not young adult fiction.

Aside from Kaufman's writing style (which I complained about verbatim in my other review), I will say the plot of the sequel actually had me holding on. Unlike the predictable Romeo and Juliet fantasy in the first book, this one actually is original and marginally more enjoyable. I recommend reading this book for fantasy and time travel lovers, but not too enthusiastically.

Radical Rating: 6 hearts: Satisfying for a first read, but I'm not going back. ♥♥♥♥♥♥

♥♥♥♥♥: Homefires by Emily Sue Harvey

Homefires
Emily Sue Harvey

Release Date: June 7th, 2011

Publisher: The Story Plant 

Page Count: 451

Source: Complimentary copy provided by publisher, via Pump Up Your Book Promotions, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you both!)

Homefires is set in the Deep South’s Bible-belt on the eve of unprecedented moral changes. It is the story of Janeece and Kirk Crenshaw, a couple married just after their high school graduation who set out to make a life for themselves. It is a life marked by surprises, none more dramatic than when Kirk receives his “high-calling” and becomes a pastor. It is a life marked by tragedy, the most heart-rending of which is the death of one of their children. And it is a life marked by challenges: to their church, to their community, and most decidedly to their marriage. And as the fullness of time makes its impact on their union, Kirk and Janeece must face the question of whether they have gone as far as they can together.

Filled with the rich emotions and evocative characters that readers have come to expect from Emily Sue Harvey, and reminiscent of the work of Jan Karon and Anne Rivers Siddons, Homefires is a poignant and compelling novel that will steal readers' hearts.

What Stephanie Thinks: While I can tell Emily Sue Harvey carefully emplaces lots of sentiment into each word she writes, her overall complacent tone makes her novels difficult to enjoy. If Homefires was the first book written by her I had read, I wouldn't be saying this. In fact, I would be willing to give her another chance. But Homefires is her second chance. The first chance started with Song of Renewal, which I reviewed back in January. It was written to be a heartwarming story, but I personally could not feel the "heartwarming" part.

Back to Homefires, though. As a whole, it's a sweet, wholesome Christian novel that follows the romance, as well as the times and troubles of Janeece and Kirk Crenshaw. There are a few elements that tasted unfit for my palate, however:

1. A self-absorbed cast. Every character in this book makes me cringe. They all align on extreme ends of personality spectrums. Some characters are too nasty, some are too saccharine, some are too shell-shocked, to realistically imagine. But each of them has one thing in common: they think their way is the best way, and though it isn't said aloud, it's evident they would all refuse any other way but their own. The most naïve, and consequently, most annoying, is Janeece, who of course, narrates the story. Some characters, I feel like I could tolerate; Kirk, for example. He may not be the ideal husband, but even with his flaws, he seems genuine and charismatic. Unfortunately, Homefires is not told from Kirk's point of view; it's told from Janeece's. 

2. Superiority from the author. I know most writers have the right to consider their work the best work, but is it necessary to bring it into the text? When Janeece speaks, she speaks condescendingly, as if everything she has to say is the most important, and most fulfilling. I would not mind this if Janeece and Harvey really were as profound as they think they are.

3. No structured expression in plot. The book isn't arduous, in terms of conventions. In fact, Harvey's style reads very smooth and the only complaint I have about it, is that it is drawn out to cover 451 pages. However, nothing actually happens in the story. Sure, little mishaps and small delights scatter all throughout the novel, but, aside from Harvey's point that family and love will always prevail, I get no satisfaction out of reading this book.

I have one more thing to criticize (or, if you look at it sardonically, you could say poke fun at). Homefires ruined italics for me. Do authors have no shame in written structural conduct? Italics in prose can only be properly used for emphasis (provided, you don't count book titles, thoughts, foreign words, definitions, et cetera). There is no point in using italics if you are going to italicize every other word. Not only does it get annoying for me as a reader, but it's also displaces all the emphasis that should be put in a sentence, which weakens the writing on so many levels. Do I make myself clear?

Stephanie Loves: "I knew [Kirk] would quit smoking if he could. When he could. And I knew that just as he wasn't perfect, neither was I. I knew by now there was no Knight in shining armor." This is probably a slap of reality for Janeece—one she has to make a point by using three italicized words with. Arguably, those few sentences were probably light on italics, compared to other passages throughout the novel.

Radical Rating: 5 hearts: Doesn't particularly light any of my fires; I feel indifferent about this book. ♥♥♥♥♥

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥: Revelations by Laurel Dewey

Revelations (Jane Perry #3)
Laurel Dewey

Release Date: June 14th, 2011

Publisher: The Story Plant 

Page Count: 479

Source: Received from publisher, via Pump Up Your Book Promotions, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)

How many secrets does it take to curse a family?

How many revelations does it take to set them free?

The small, upscale Colorado town of Midas had barely registered on Sergeant Detective Jane Perry's radar before her former boss and current colleague told her she needed to join him there for  a case. All she knew was that it was a long way from Denver—both in terms of physical distance and sensibility. Jake Van Gorden, the fifteen-year-old son of a prominent area businessman, has disappeared, and all signs point to his abductor being Jordan Copeland, a man who committed a similar crime decades ago. There are indications that Jake is still alive, so the clock is ticking, but as Jane investigates Copeland, she begins to uncover trails of devastating—and even deadly—secrets all around Midas.

Meanwhile, Jane must deal with two considerable secrets of her own. One hits her like a left cross before she leaves Denver, and the other creeps up to her from the most unlikely of places. On top of this, Hank Ross, owner of a bar in Midas, has somehow managed to find a way beneath Jane's armor-plated defenses, forcing her to contend with feelings she hasn't allowed to surface for a very long time.

Revelations is the most powerful and personal Jane Perry novel yet. Teeming with the passions and ambiguities that make Laurel Dewey so compelling to read, it is a breathtaking story of mysteries revealed and withheld. 

What Stephanie Thought: I hadn't read a good ol' mystery novel in a really long time, and boy oh boy, did Revelations satisfy my cravings. There's more than mystery to Laurel Dewey's latest novel, third in the Jane Perry series I have yet to begin with the first. There's riveting suspense. There's gruesome horror. Best (or worst) of all, there's that frightening so-close-to-home shot that had me shivering and assuring myself that all of this was fiction—only fiction. How unbelievably convincing fiction can be.

Jane has the eeriest feeling about Jake Van Gorden's disappearance—while her detective partner and case leader are convinced he's dead, there's something inside her, squirming to get out, that knows Jake's case is too peculiar too give up on.

Her gut instinct proves accurate, but the reader doesn't know this until the last few chapters, when all the small, but confined secrets of Midas are finally revealed.

I cannot believe how scintillating the plot is. Each page brings shocking details to the crime scene, with twists and turns—some, mere red herrings—along the way. The only thing Jake wants, Jane discovers, is to to find out the truth about his family which his parents work so hard to keep hidden from him. But that curiosity eventually gives him the truth, the complete truth, which makes him realize sometimes, ignorance truly is bliss. By the misunderstood departure and scandal of a troubled teenager, Dewey expresses an important, but often neglected moral: the truth that is so sought-after is the same truth we turn our heads away from.

One thing not entirely to my liking is Dewey's fierce dramatization of Jane's dilemma. I assure you, drama is what makes suspense go around, but what Dewey does that bothers me is italicize every other word. Italics are meant for emphasis, but when they're thrown over words too commonly, the emphasis is no more. If you still can't wrap your head around this, think of it this way: Say my house is completely white, but I want to make it unique and paint the door red. Now my house is the most fashionable one on the block. But then let's say I want it to be even more fashionable, and paint all the windows red, as well as the shingles, as well as the exterior walls. Now, in an attempt to make my entire house "unique" by painting the whole thing red, its uniqueness is destroyed and now my house is no longer a white house with a red door; it is a red house.

The ending is unexpected, which, in my opinion, is a necessity to a well-written mystery. As I mentioned, I still haven't gotten the chance to read the two previous Jane Perry novels: Protector (#1) and Redemption (#2). Though Revelations makes a great stand-alone story, I look forward to reading the previous books, as well as future books in the series. In other words, I don't want to read the first two novels to "complete" my understanding of Jane perry; I want to read the first two novels simply because I know they'll be just as good.

Stephanie Loves: "'Don't be afraid that your life will end. Be afraid that it will never begin' — Grace Hansen.
. . . For the most part, [Jane had] been holding her breath much of her life, either waiting for the worst or wondering when the other show was going to drop. SHe'd never had the luxury of sustained peace. Then again, if someone handed her a plateful of peace, she wasn't sure she'd even know what to do with it. It'd be like giving a dog a credit card and telling him to splurge." — I'm certain there is a little bit of all of us in this quote. I personally am a drama-whore; one moment of relaxation makes me spring right back up, in search of stress, because I know it's out there somewhere.

Radical Rating: 8 hearts: An engaging read; highly recommended. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥