#ShareAReviewDay – For the Sake of a Child by Stevie Turner

August 21, 2018August 20, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 27 Comments

This morning, please help me welcome author Stevie Turner, who would like to share a review of For the Sake of a Child. I know you’ll find this a subject of importance, and will help us get the word out far and wide. Thanks!

REVIEW:
A haunting book
Amazon: By Robbie Cheadle on June 12, 2018
Also on Robbie’s Inspiration

I listened to the audio book of this haunting story about the dark and disturbing world of pedophilia. The narrator, Janine Haynes, had a lovely voice and her narration was well paced and enjoyable.

Ginny Ford is an ordinary and hard working woman. Her loyalties lie with her family comprising of her husband and young daughter. Ginny is a writer of children’s literature and supplements her income by working in the early hours of the morning as a cleaner at the offices of FhizzFace Inc.

When Ginny accepts a promotion, cleaning the offices of the directors of the company, she stumbles across information that involves her whole family in the sinister and desperate world of a ring of pedophiles. Ginny and her husband’s initial attempts to bring the information to the attention of the local authorities is thwarted by collusion and cover ups at high levels. The couple are faced with a situation where they have to chose between saving their family and taking a significant bribe or pursuing their attempts to incriminate the perpetrators. Their decision has far reaching consequences on the mental well being of them both, in particular, Ginny, who cannot get the harrowing scenes she has witnessed out of her mind. Ginny feels huge guilt and ultimately is led to making a different choice that puts her family at risk again.

I enjoyed this book and, while it did delve deeply into the dark side of pedophilia and the wickedness of those involved, it also highlighted the goodness of many people and their courage in tackling situations like this. It was vindicating to read about people who are willing to risk a lot to obtain their desired outcome.

BLURB:

Ginny Ford is pleased to win the coveted job of housekeeper to the directors of PhizzFace Inc. However, her joy becomes tarnished by an accidental find whilst cleaning, leading her to suspect that all is not as it should be on the managerial corridor. Delving deeper, she is shocked to uncover corruption and a secret paedophile network that has remained hidden for years, involving the very people she has come to know and trust. Unable to live with her conscience any more, she decides that she cannot keep quiet and that she must find a way of helping all the children involved. However, by trying to help the children she discovers that she has unwittingly put her entire family at risk…

Author Stevie Turner

Stevie Turner grew up in the East End of London and was fortunate enough to attend an excellent primary school which encouraged creative writing. After winning an inter-schools’ writing contest, Stevie began to keep a diary and often added little stories and poems to it as the years went by. However, she did not take up writing seriously until 2013. By this time her two sons had left home and she had more time to herself.

Stevie has now written 10 novels, 6 novellas, 1 memoir, and 18 short stories, winning a New Apple Book Award in 2014 and a Readers’ Favorite Gold Award in 2015 for her third novel ‘A House Without Windows’. You can find details of all her books on her website http://www.stevie-turner-author.co.uk

Stevie still lives in the same picturesque Suffolk village that she and husband Sam moved to in 1991 with their two boys. One of her short stories, ‘Lifting the Black Dog’, was recently published in ‘1000 Words or Less Flash Fiction Collection’ (2016). She has also written an article ‘Look on the Bright Side of Life’ which was included in the 2016 book ‘They Say I’m Doing Well’ which are articles about mental illness, proceeds of which go to the charity MIND. Her screenplay ‘For the Sake of a Child’ won a silver award in the Spring 2017 Depth of Field International Film Festival, and gained interest from an independent film production company based in New York.

BUY For the Sake of a Child HERE

Find Stevie on Social Media Below:

Amazon.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stevie-Turner/e/B00AV7YOTU/
Website: http://www.stevie-turner-author.co.uk
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Stevie-Turner/e/B00AV7YOTU/
Amazon Author Page (worldwide): http://bookShow.me/B00AV7YOTU
YouTube: https://goo.gl/E8OHai
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7172051.Stevie_Turner Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevieTurnerAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StevieTurner6
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/stevieturner988/
WordPress Blog: https://steviet3.wordpress.com/
Audible: http://goo.gl/sz1cXS
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/preview?vpa=pub&locale=en_US
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/105747643789021738179/posts/p/pub
BookSprout: https://booksproutapp.com/author/875/stevie-turner

#ShareAReviewDay — To Kill A Labrador by Kassandra Lamb

August 7, 2018August 5, 2018 / Kassandra Lamb / 20 Comments

shareareviewday2

Marcia has given me permission to kick off today’s Share A Review Day with a review for one of my books, To Kill A Labrador, A Marcia Banks and Buddy Mystery.

First, let me point out that the Labrador does NOT die. If you look at the titles of the books that follow this one in the series—Arsenic and Young Lacy, The Call of the Woof and my latest release, Patches in the Rye—the title makes more sense. 😉

For us writers, our books are like our children, and we shouldn’t have favorites, right? But I must confess that this book and its four-legged protagonist Buddy are particularly dear to me. Below is one of my favorite reviews.

2a ToKillALabrador FINAL

5 out of 5 stars ~ by Diane, Excellent Mystery
March 4, 2018

This story kept me turning the pages from beginning to end. Marcia trains service dogs for veterans with PTSD. I was fascinated by the training. Buddy (a Labrador Retriever) and Jimmy were her first match. She was so proud of them, but then Jimmy is accused of killing his wife. The sheriff sends for Marcia to retrieve Buddy. She’s convinced that Jimmy couldn’t have murdered anyone.

While Marcia investigates, she riles up the townsfolk and intrigues the sheriff. A budding (no pun intended) romance between them confuses her, and she’s not sure she’s ready after her divorce. Engaging characters, a plot with many twists, and plenty of tension make this a memorable book. I’ll be reading more by this author.

BLURB

Marcia (pronounced Mar-see-a, not Marsha) likes to think of herself as a normal person, even though she has a rather abnormal vocation. She trains service dogs for combat veterans with PTSD. Then the former Marine owner of her first trainee is accused of murdering his wife, and Marcia gets sucked into an even more abnormal avocation–amateur sleuth.

Called in to dog-sit the Labrador service dog, Buddy, she’s outraged that his veteran owner is being presumed guilty until proven innocent. With Buddy’s help, she tries to uncover the real killer. Even after the hunky local sheriff politely tells her to butt out, Marcia keeps poking around. Until the killer finally pokes back.

Just $0.99 on: AMAZON NOOK APPLE KOBO

1 - Kass Lamb lighter-reduced

Kassandra Lamb is a retired psychotherapist turned mystery writer who now spends most of her time in an alternate universe with her characters. The portal to that universe (i.e., her computer) is located in northern Florida where her husband and dog catch occasional glimpses of her.

She’s the author of the Kate Huntington mysteries, the Kate on Vacation novellas and the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries. She has also written a short guidebook for new authors, Someday Is Here! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing and Publishing Your First Book.

Connect with her at http://kassandralamb.com or on Facebook. She also blogs at http://misteriopress.com.

#ShareAReviewDay – Nine Lives by Jaye Marie

July 31, 2018July 25, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 23 Comments

This afternoon, it is my great pleasure to welcome Jaye Marie to The Write Stuff to share a review of her novel, Nine Lives. As always, I know you’ll enjoy reading this one and will pass it along on your favorite social media sites. Thanks so much!

REVIEW:
4.0 out of 5 stars An addictive and rollercoaster of a read
4 March 2015
Verified Purchase

If you like the thriller genre that keeps up the momentum then this would be a good read for you. The pace never falters, building up the plot and characters with timely intervention. The author cleverly keeps the story centred around the main character, with the other players coming into the story and yet there are no plot holes or false timings.

Not once did I get bored reading it or find the story faltering at all – definitely one of those where ‘you need to know what happens next’ but I think the author’s gift when writing this is to keep the protagonist centre whilst keeping the reader constantly hooked. The antagonist is typically a nasty character, one whom the reader takes an instant dislike to and the edge he adds to the story is almost palpable.

Other characters are kept to a minimum but play pivotal roles in the story; the good thing here is you never know quite how they will turn out. Will your fears be unfounded? Or did you correctly guess the next step? The ending is not what you would expect (another good talent to have when writing) but you’ll have to read the book!

BLURB:

Death has been visiting Kate all of her life, leading her to imagine she has nine lives, like a cat.

With nothing to live for, no family, just a brother she hates, she waits for death to take her away when her lives run out.

Death continues to speak to her, teasing her, yet will not come for her. When people around her begin to die at the hands of a serial killer, she hopes to be next.

Has she finally run out of lives? Will she find a reason to live after all, before it is too late?

Author Jaye Marie

My name is Jaye Marie, the genius ‘oily rag’ and one-half of the establishment http://jenanita01.com. I usually prefer to stay in the background, but that is beginning change.

Since we decided to publish our books ourselves, most of my other interests have had to take a back seat. I am an avid Bonsai collector and my tiny trees demand a lot of my attention in the growing season, or they will die. (it is just like having children)

I prefer to be busy, although I did think that now I am over 70 I might be able to relax a bit more, I don’t think I can for I am far too nosey. I love exploring all the wonderful writing possibilities and trying something new. I make all these plans in my head, knowing I will probably forget most of them, but I can’t help it.

For someone who loathes computers with a passion, and I suspect this is mutual, I have managed to master the beast to some extent, but there is still so much I don’t know. As long as there is life in this old body, I will keep trying, and you never know, our books might just make the bestseller list one day!

It won’t be for the lack of trying, believe me!

Buy Nine Lives Here : http://myBook.to/NewNineLives

Reach Jaye (and Anita) On Social Media Here:
Anita’s email:       jenanita01@btinternet.com
Jaye’s email:         jayemarie01@btinternet.com
Website/blog:     https://jenanita01.com
Facebook :            https://anita.dawes.37
Twitter :                 https://twitter.com/jaydawes2
Goodreads:         https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8638857.Jaye_Marie
Goodreads:         https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6586480.Anita_Dawes
Author Page:      https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jaye-Marie/e/B00O2ZUFOK/
Author Page:      https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anita-Dawes/e/B0034NUE10/
Pinterest:             https://www.pinterest.com/anitajaydawes
Bloglovin:            https://www.bloglovin.com/v2/own_profile

#ShareAReviewDay – Someone Close to Home by Alex Craigie

July 31, 2018July 26, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 13 Comments

This morning, it is my pleasure to welcome Alex Craigie to The Write Stuff. Alex is sharing a recent review of her novel Someone Close to Home, and I know you are going to enjoy reading this one. Hope you’ll pass this along far and wide, as we always do with these reviews. Thank you! 🙂

REVIEW:
Goodreads:
Jun 25, 2018 Judith Barrow rated it 5 Stars

It’s been quite a while since I read a book in one go but I couldn’t put this one down. Someone Close to Home sent me through a whole range of emotions; delight, sadness, anger, joy, frustration. And this is a debut novel! The writing style of Alex Craigie is sophisticated, emotive and empathetic.

The start of the story grabbed me straightaway: the image of the protagonist, Megan, watching “each minuscule judder of the hand (of the clock)”, her immobility and her thoughts on her childhood, especially of her selfish and destructive mother who Megan loathed – still loathes, is compulsive reading. There is one sentence that foreshadows all that happens as the story continues: ‘This is all down to my mother… she’s been dead for over thirty years now and still she’s poisoning my life.”

This is a story of two halves: the time that Megan is in the badly-run care home, which lasts around six months and is told in present tense, mainly through the internal dialogue of the protagonist, and the whole of her childhood and younger life.told in past tense as flashbacks. The latter leads the reader inexorably to the point where Megan is lying helpless after suffering a stroke. She is at the mercy of mostly inattentive carers, poorly paid and resentful. Their actions, the way they carry out their tasks on Megan is described simply by her; they are tasks done to her, sometimes carefully, sometimes without heed. And then there is the carer, Annie… I’ll say no more.

The description of the protagonist’s days evoke the dreariness. The word, “waiting” is repeated so many times that I, as the reader, also waited with Megan, knowing, with some dread, that something awful will happen.

The main characters: Gideon (childhood friend and later the man she loves. Claire, her true friend in later life, Jordan, Megan’s husband, egotistical actor and a cruel man, Theo and Camilla, her greedy and selfish children), are many layered and well portrayed; their dialogue identifies them immediately. And, although there are many flat characters, in the guise of the carers and the owner of the care home, the author also gives them distinguishable voices.

The descriptions of the settings give a good sense of place. The room Megan is lying in is told in meticulous but confined detail. We see the limited view she has, and only that. (it did give me a sense of claustrophobia, I must admit.). There is “the sturdy chest of drawers topped with shapes that will become a television and some framed photographs”as “the heavy grey light” “pushes into the room” after a long sleepless night”. We hear “the rattle of trolleys” that she knows is “laden with clean and soiled bedding”, the “insistent buzzing” of room bells, the “moans, shouts and cussing from room nearby punctuated by the chivying of staff”. We feel her pain through the roughness of the care, the threat of bed sores. And the details of the places in her childhood, the houses she lived in, countries she visited as a professional pianist, are full of evocative imagery.

It’s a plot that moves at an even pace but, ultimately, it’s also one that took me by surprise. Even closely following the actions of the characters in the story still didn’t prepare me for the ending.

Someone Close to Home by Alex Craigie is a book I thoroughly recommend to any reader.

BLURB:

“The book is brilliant. It reads like a memoir and grips like great fiction should – beautiful characterization”
Viga Boland – Author – No Tears For My Father

Talented pianist Megan Youngblood has it all – fame, fortune and Gideon.

But Gideon isn’t good enough for Megan’s ambitious, manipulative mother, whose meddling has devastating repercussions for Megan and for those close to her.

Now, trapped inside her own body, she is unable to communicate her needs or fears as she faces institutional neglect in an inadequate care home.

And she faces Annie. Sadistic Annie who has reason to hate her. Damaged Annie who shouldn’t work with vulnerable people.

Just how far will Annie go?

Author Alex Craigie
(Pen Name of Trish Power)

Born in Sunderland, in the north of England, Alex Craigie (the pen name of author Trish Power) has drifted southwards finally coming to rest over thirty years ago in a peaceful village between Pembroke and Tenby in south west Wales.

She lives in an old, draughty house with stone walls 2’ thick and knows she’s really lucky to have all her children and grandchildren living close by. It’s often chaotic and noisy but these are her most treasured moments and she savours them – even if she’s reduced to an immovable heap after they’ve gone.

When not writing, reading or simply enjoying the rural life, she’s in the garden waging a war of attrition against the brambles that are encouraged in the hedges for birds to nest in, vicious nettles that support a variety of butterflies, and bindweed that looks lovely but doesn’t share nicely with the other plants.

She hasn’t inherited the ‘pleasure in housework’ gene.

She looks forward to any contact from fellow lovers of books and any honest feedback is very welcome.

Buy Someone Close to Home US HERE
Buy Someone Close to Home UK HERE

Reach Alex on Social Media Here:
Email: alex@alexcraigie.co uk
Amazon Author Page US
Amazon Author Page UK
Goodreads

#ShareAReviewDay – The Owl of the Sipan Lord by Viv Drewa

July 10, 2018June 25, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 12 Comments

This afternoon, please welcome author Viv Drewa, who is sharing a review of her romantic suspense novel, The Owl of the Sipan Lord. I know you’ll enjoy reading this one, and will share far and wide. Thanks!

5.0 out of 5 stars An Adventure Story Steeped in Mystery and Danger
By Book Lover 222 on August 29, 2014
Verified Purchase

Having read and loved THE ANGLER AND THE OWL by Viv Drewa, I was drawn to read THE OWL OF THE SIPAN LORD, an adventure story steeped in mystery and danger. The heroine, Clare Montgomery, is cut from the Indiana Jones/Allan Quatermain cloth and takes us to Peru on an archeological dig to find answers to paranormal questions and the death of her husband. The tightly woven tale with multi-faceted, likable characters is fast paced and a perfect balance of demons and sorcery and authentic ancient Peruvian culture and love. This one made me get up in the middle of the night to cover my red-eyed clock. Another outstanding adventure from Viv Drewa.

BLURB:

Martin and Clare Montgomery worked together as an archaeological team until Martin mysteriously died. Fearing the rumors of a curse Clare vowed to never return that was until a rare blue eyes owl began to haunt her dreams. Was this a sign from her beloved Martin or something more sinister?

Author Viv Drewa

Viv is a Michigan native who has enjoyed reading and writing since 1963. Though she studied medicinal chemistry at the University of Michigan her passion has always been writing.

She was awarded third place for her nonfiction short story about her grandfather’s escape from Poland. Later, she rewrote this story and was published in the “Polish American Journal” as “From the Pages of Grandfather’s Life” and recently had it published again on Amazon.com

Viv took creative and journalism courses to help in her transition to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer. She worked as an intern for Port Huron’s ‘The Times Herald”, and also wrote, edited and did the layout or the Blue Water Multiple Sclerosis newsletter “Thumb Prints.”

She has started Owl and Pussycat Book Promotions to help her fellow authors by providing affordable services.

Buy The Owl of the Sipan Lord Here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Owl-Sipan-Lord-Viv-Drewa-ebook/dp/B075CLW7QM/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Barnes&Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-owl-of-the-sipan-lord-viv-drewa/1121402507?ean=9781978453913

Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Owl-Sipan-Lord/VIV-Drewa/9781978453913?id=6960723244637

BookDaily: http://www.bookdaily.com/book/5486364/the-owl-of-the-sipan-lord

Rakuten-Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-owl-of-the-sipan-lord-1

Reach Viv on Social Media Here:
Amazon               amazon.com/author/vivdrewa
AuthorsDB          http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/16680-viv-drewa
Authorsden        http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?authorid=183647
BAM      http://www.booksamillion.com/search…
B&N       http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/viv-drewa…
Blog 1    http://www.theowlladyblog.wordpress.com
Blog 2    https://owlandpussycatpromotions.wordpress.com/wp-admin/edit.php
Blog 3   https://theowlladysblog.blogspot.com
Blog 4   https://owlandpussycatbookpromo.blogspot.com
Blog 5   https://hootmeow.weebly.com/
BookBub              https://www.bookbub.com/authors/viv-drewa
Cold Coffee Cafe              http://coldcoffeecafe.com/profile/VivDrewa
Facebook            https://facebook.com/vivdrewa.author
Google+:             https://plus.google.com/u/0/106127816215108883653
Instagram:         vivdrewaauthor
LibraryThing       https://www.librarything.com/work/15521280
LinkedIn               http://www.linkedin.com/pub/viv-drewa/aa/438/487/
Pinterest             http://www.pinterest.com/vivdrewa
StumbleUpon     http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/vivdrewa
Tumblr                vivdrewa.tumblr.com/
Twitter              @vivdrewa_author        https://twitter.com/vivdrewa_author
Website       https://the-owl-lady.wixsite.com/vivdrewa
                         https://hootmeow.wixsite.com/book-promotions                  https://owlncat.simplesite.com
https://hootmeow.weebly.com/

#ShareAReviewDay – Dancing With the Sandman by L. T. Garvin

July 10, 2018July 11, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 29 Comments

This morning, we are very happy to feature author L. T. Garvin and she is sharing a Kirkus Review of her book, Dancing With the Sandman. I know you will enjoy this one, and will be glad to pass it along on all your social media contacts. Thanks so much!

KIRKUS REVIEW

Garvin’s (And They Came, 2017, etc.) latest novel offers a reflection of one girl’s coming-of-age in small-town Texas in the 1960s.

Billie Jo Dunstan has returned to her hometown of Viney to help her mother move. Along the way, she can’t help but to reflect on the changing times. Short, scattered vignettes about friends and family illustrate an account of her childhood, which she spent on the cusp of the counterculture. Garvin has an entertaining way with metaphor. Billie Jo describes the onslaught of memories during her journey thusly: “Splat! Hit one ghost. Then another.” Growing up in a small town as the youngest of three sisters, Billie Jo developed a talent for “making [her] own fun.” Among her exploits were tagging along to her sister’s drive-in theater outings, growing brine shrimp marketed as “Sea-Monkeys,” and idly speculating about the world around her. Her models for womanhood are diverse and reflect the times: her sisters Beth Ann and Dena Jo; a cosmopolitan cousin from Arizona, Henrietta, who goes by the nickname “Hank”; and a seemingly perfect Southern belle named Lacy Jean. Billie Jo’s fantasies of teenage life hint at possibility, just as her family history does; she recounts, in great detail, her ancestors’ gruesome experiences fleeing war and surviving the arid West Texas landscape, while tracing her family’s origins back to Scotland in the 1600s. Garvin portrays this history with unflinching honesty, never shying away from depicting the overt racial bigotry of the time and place. Interwoven with Billie Jo’s adventures is the story of Ernesto, also known as “Big Daddy,” a local rock musician who leaves Texas in search of fame. Together, their stories illustrate how social change affected the slow-paced, deeply Christian town. While Ernesto hunts for rock band Santana in Los Angeles, Billie Jo takes trips to the local soda shop, where she hears the music of the Beach Boys and the Cowsills. Garvin is at her best when offering these cheeky nods to the past, never getting bogged down in nostalgia.

A winning narrator enlivens a charming tale of a town facing modernity.

BLURB:

The Sandman cometh dancing to the beat of rock ‘n’ roll, blasting the turmoil of the sixties. And where are you? West Texas, of course.

“In a small, dusty rural area, there are histories and stories that should be told; times worth remembering; and there is a homage, a tribute that should be paid. Take the sand, all of it, mold it into castle shaped by the wind and baked by the sun.”

Billie Jo Dunstan confronts her past, traveling back to the 1960s through a decade of turbulence and swirling color memories, contemplating life growing up in rural Texas. Tragedy and comedy come alive, preserving the past and a portion of small town life that will survive beyond super highways and the ratcheting progress of time.

Author L. T. Garvin

L.T. Garvin is the pen name of Lana Broussard. Her short stories have appeared in print with the Texas Writer’s Journal. She has published poetry online with The Drabble, Poet’s Corner, Silver Burch Press and Wildsound Poetry Festival. L.T. writes fiction, poetry, essays, and humorous essays that she publishes on her blog: L.T. Garvin @ WordPress. L.T. Garvin is the author of Confessions of a 4^th Grade Athlete, Animals Galore and Dancing with the Sandman.

Buy Dancing With the Sandman HERE

Reach L. T. Garvin on Social Media here:

L.T. Garvin WordPress
L.T. Garvin Facebook
Twitter
Amazon
Lulu
Goodreads

Bonus #ShareAReviewDay Post – That Darkest Place by Marcia Meara

July 8, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 15 Comments

Here it is Sunday, again, and time for me to share one of my own favorite reviews with you good folks. Hope you’ll enjoy reading it and will pass it along. THANKS!

REVIEW:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Evolution of the Painter Brothers
By writester on June 19, 2017

I was so glad to read this third installment of the Riverbend series. It picks up right where the second book left off, so I never missed a beat. And those Painter brothers aren’t men you want to turn your back on. I was on the edge of my seat for every detail.

The author’s use of multiple POVs let us delve into the very different worlds of the Painter boys. Jackson, the eldest, is used to being the strongest. Watching him become dependent on others and how he responds to the challenges his situation presents is powerful. Meanwhile, Forrest, the quintessential middle child who feels lost and inconsequential, really comes into his own in this novel. His character arc was a joy to watch.

We’d left book two with a lot of negative feelings toward Jackson. It was nice to finally understand the motivations behind his actions and to get to know the real Jackson Painter. It was also refreshing to see strong female leads in the story rather than damsels-in-distress. That doesn’t mean these ladies don’t feel pain or need support. It just means they can give as good as–actually, much more than–they get.

This novel is a frank and realistic portrayal of a family who has had more than their share of tragedies and has come out on the other side better, stronger, and closer for it all. The best part is there’s no candy-coating or false happily-ever-after. These types of problems don’t go away in a few weeks, and Meara shows that reality in a compassionate and unidealized manner.

I loved this book, I loved this series, and I love having the opportunity to recommend this author to you.

BLURB:

In Book 3 of her popular Riverbend series, Marcia Meara, author of Wake-Robin Ridge, A Boy Named Rabbit,and Harbinger, takes another look at the lives of the Painter brothers—Jackson, Forrest, and Hunter. While Hunter is home again and on the mend, the same isn’t true for his oldest brother. Jackson’s battle has just begun.

“There are dark places in every heart, in every head. Some you turn away from. Some you light a candle within. But there is one place so black, it consumes all light. It will pull you in and swallow you whole. You don’t leave your brother stranded in that darkest place.”
~Hunter Painter~

The new year is a chance for new beginnings—usually hopeful, positive ones. But when Jackson Painter plows his car into a tree shortly after midnight on January 1, his new beginnings are tragic. His brothers, Forrest and Hunter, take up a grim bedside vigil at the hospital, waiting for Jackson to regain consciousness and anxious over how he’ll take the news that he’s lost a leg and his fiancée is dead. After all, the accident was all his fault.

As the shocking truth emerges, one thing becomes obvious—Jackson will need unconditional love and support from both of his brothers if he is to survive.

Just as he begins the long road to recovery, danger, in the form of a sinister, unsigned note, plunges him back into bleak despair. Scrawled in blood red letters, the accusation—and the threat—is clear. “MURDERER!”

Will the long, harrowing ordeal that lies ahead draw the Painter brothers closer together, or drive them apart forever?

Suspenseful and often heartbreaking, this small-town tale is a testimonial to the redemptive power of love and paints a story filled with humor, romance, and fierce family loyalty.

Author Marcia Meara

Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years, four big cats, and two small dachshunds. When not writing or blogging, she spends her time gardening, and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. At the age of five, Marcia declared she wanted to be an author, and is ecstatic that at age 69, she finally began pursuing that dream. Her belief in the redemptive power of love is a unifying factor in both of her popular series and her poetry. Today, she’s still going strong, and plans to keep on writing until she falls face down on the keyboard, which she figures would be a pretty good way to go!

Buy That Darkest Place HERE

Marcia has published six novels, one novella, and one book of poetry to date, all of which are available on Amazon:

Wake-Robin Ridge
A Boy Named Rabbit: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2
Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3

Swamp Ghosts: A Riverbend Novel
Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2
That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3

The Emissary: A Riverbend Spinoff Novella

Summer Magic: Poems of Life & Love

Marcia’s Amazon Author Page

You can reach Marcia via email at marciameara16@gmail.com or on the following social media sites:

The Write Stuff: https://marciamearawrites.com/
Bookin’ It: http://marciameara.wordpress.com
Twitter: @marciameara
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marcia.meara.writer
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marciameara/

#ShareAReviewDay – The Bright Side of Darkness by J. E. Pinto

July 3, 2018June 12, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 7 Comments

This afternoon, please welcome J. E. Pinto to The Write Stuff, where she will be sharing a review of her novel, The Bright Side of Darkness. I know you’ll enjoy reading this wonderful and touching review, and then passing it along on social media for the rest of the world to discover. Thanks!

REVIEW:

Mel Finefrock – Goodreads Review

I loved this book so much that I read it twice in a row–first by myself and then with my partner immediately after. Jo Pinto really has a way of immersing you in her characters’ world, of getting you attached to them, of painting a picture in your mind’s eye. She has a way of making you wring your hands in sorrow or grip your sides in laughter. She has a way of ripping your heart out and handing it back to you, patchworked but fortified.

And I love it.

The Bright Side of Darkness starts and ends with a ray of sunlight which shows itself periodically as the protagonist, Rick, works through the grief process. If you’ve been following my reviews for any length of time, you’ll know I relate very closely to stories that deal with grief and recovery. When I think back on such stories, I remember their protagonists are usually grieving one central loss. But poor Rick is hit with loss after loss, challenge after challenge, and must learn to cope, to navigate, to rebuild each time. All of the characters experience this, really. They cycle through recovery and relapse, taking steps forward and back again.

This is life, truly. We have setbacks, sometimes bulldozing through them and other times gradually picking up the pieces. In contrast, at times it seems as though we labor in the pursuit of happiness, and other times we are witness to serendipity of pinch-me proportions.

But while not unrealistic, it’s a risky move to portray life’s many ups and downs in such a short space. How to convey a sequence of major events, happy or sad, in a story whose timeline scales down much shorter than a given life cycle? And yet, in the same vein, how to create such a well-rounded and complex world without muddling the plot or making the book too long?

Somehow Pinto juggles these many elusive scarves masterfully, not dropping a one. Perhaps this could have been made into a series to break things down, but that’s more a musing than a criticism on my part. If you’re someone who wants to know the characters will be (realistically) okay, if you’re someone who wishes for more time with them–this is a book for you.

Also worth noting is that, being someone who is blind, I am a major proponent of strong disabled protagonists, particularly in the own-voices format. Pinto, who is blind herself, writes in Daisy a shining heroine who shows fragility but is not a damsel, who is resilient but not a superhero. Pinto strikes an important balance between writing educationally about Daisy’s blindness and focusing on her more universal attributes, bringing the uncharted back around to the familiar, and the remarkable to the ordinary, so that blindness feels less other than many believe it to be at first.

For that matter, the characters at large are very well-developed with virtues and flaws a plenty. It’s clear that Pinto really takes the time to listen to them, to cultivate relationships with them as she tells their stories. And when that strength of dialogue exists between author and character, a story can become truly sentient, impressing itself and its lessons upon the hearts of readers for years to come.

BLURB:

What is a family? For Rick Myers, a despondent seventeen-year-old who has just lost his parents in a car wreck, it’s the four teenage buddies he’s grown up with in a run-down apartment building. Fast with their fists, flip with their mouths, and loyal to a fault, the “crew” is all he has.

At least, he thinks so until he meets Daisy, an intelligent, independent, self-assured blind girl. Her guts in a world where she’s often painfully vulnerable intrigue Rick, and her hopeful outlook inspires him to begin believing in himself.

But when the dark side of Daisy’s past catches up with her, tragedy scatters the crew and severely tests Rick’s resolve to build his promising future. Fortunately, his life is touched by a couple with a pay-it-forward attitude, forged out of their personal struggle with grief and loss. Their support makes all the difference to Rick and eventually, through him, to the ones he holds most dear as they face their own challenges. “The Bright Side of Darkness” is a story of redemption and the ultimate victory that comes from the determination of the human spirit.

Author J. E. Pinto

J. E. Pinto is a magnet for underdogs! Early in her married life, her home became a hangout for troubled neighborhood kids. This experience lit the flame for her first novel, The Bright Side of Darkness.

Pinto’s Spanish-American roots grow deep in the Rocky Mountains, dating back six generations. J. E. Pinto lives with her family in Colorado where she works as a writer and also proofreads textbooks and audio books. One of her favorite pastimes is taking a nature walk with her service dog.

The Bright Side of Darkness won a first place Indie Book Award for “First Novel over Eighty Thousand Words,” as well as First Place for “Inspirational Fiction.” The novel also won several awards from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association: First Place for “Inspirational Fiction,” Second Place for “Audio Book,” and First Place for “Literary and Contemporary Fiction.

Buy The Bright Side of Darkness HERE

Find J. E. Pinto on Social Media:
Amazon Author Page
Facebook

#ShareAReviewDay – The Three Things Serial Story by Teagan Geneviene

July 3, 2018June 11, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 31 Comments

This morning, I’d like to welcome Teagan Geneviene to The Write Stuff. Teagan is sharing a review for The Three Things Serial Story, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading it. I sure did! Please remember to share far and wide today. We’ll do the same for you when it’s your turn. Enjoy!

REVIEW:

5 Stars A unique and entertaining story set in the 1920’s

By Robbie Cheadle of Robbie’s Inspiration

The Three Things Serial Story: A little 1920’s story has a little bit of everything in it – a touch of a romance or two, stolen goods, a kidnapping, a gang of ruthless men and a satisfactory ending. Teagan manages to achieve all of this in a well written and interesting way based on three word prompts provided by readers of her blog each week. I am frankly quite incredulous that a writer can weave three prompts into each episode and still come out with a story that makes perfect sense, entertains and flows. This approach has the added appeal of resulting in quite a unique story line.

The book is set in the 1920’s which I enjoyed as I don’t know that much about life in the US during that time period and it has been fun to find out more about it. The main character, Pip, is a flapper with a great sense of adventure. I didn’t know what a flapper was so I looked it up and it means a fashionable woman during the 1920’s who was intent on enjoying herself and flouting the behavior conventions of the time. Pip definitely fits this definition as an independent young woman with a mind of her own. I liked that Teagan describes Pip as a wholesome girl with a good appetite for food and fun. I thought the fact that Pip was ready to dive into the ice cream during the book was a good thing and it makes her a suitable role model or female readers in our modern world of obsessions with food and extreme thinness.

The story is fast paced and a jolly good read.

BLURB:

The Three Things Serial Story is the novella version of a serial that helped establish my blog. It is a spontaneously written (“pantser”) story. Everything in it — characters, setting, plot, was driven by “things” left by readers of the blog Teagan’s Books, episode by episode. Each week readers left three more things. The story evolved according to what those random things inspired. The serial began with oscillating fan, which brought me the vision of the 1920s setting. The era and narrator continued in two more serials that followed. While it was not great literature, it sure was a fun ride! Here’s a trailer to put you in a Roaring Twenties mood.

Many readers asked me to provide the serial as a book, and that’s what I’ve done with this novella.

Author Teagan Geneviene

I’m Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene and I write fantasy fiction.

Though I wasn’t born there, I was enchanted by the desert southwest of the USA when I moved there. Now a resident of a major east coast city, I long to return to those enchanting lands.

When did I start writing seriously? I had always devoured fantasy novels of every type. Then one day there was no new book at hand for reading — so I decided to write one. And I haven’t stopped writing since.

My work is colored by experiences of my early life in the southern states and later in the southwest. Major influences include Agatha Christie, Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, and Charlaine Harris.

Most often I write in the fantasy genre, but I also write 1920s mysteries and Steampunk. My blog, “Teagan’s Books” also features serial stories spontaneously written according to “things” from viewers.

Buy The Three Things Serial Story HERE

Find Teagan on Social Media:

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Teagan-Riordain-Geneviene/e/B00HHDXHVM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/teagangeneviene
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeagansBooks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/teagangeneviene/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoM-z7_iH5t2_7aNpy3vG-Q
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teagangeneviene

Bonus #ShareAReviewDay Post – Finding Hunter by Marcia Meara

July 1, 2018July 1, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 16 Comments

It’s Sunday again, and time for me to share one of my own favorite reviews, this time for the second book in my Riverbend series, Finding Hunter. Hope you enjoy it, and will consider sharing it all over the place. (Go ahead. Make my day! 😀 ) THANKS!

REVIEW:

4.0 out of 5 stars Emotional and moving
By CathyR on March 27, 2016

4.5*
Following on from Swamp Ghosts, this story brings to life the lives of Willow Greene, close friend of Maggie Devlin, now Maggie Wolfe, and Hunter Painter, best friend of Maggie’s husband, Gunn.

Ever since he could remember Hunter has felt different, separate from his peers. He’s quiet and introspective, enjoying reading and writing, not at all like his older brothers, Forrest and Jackson, who have always been outgoing, taking whatever life offers. Hunter’s sensitivity to people and his surroundings have impacted on his life and psyche steadily over the years.

Willow has been in love with Hunter ever since high school. When she has a surprise phone call from Hunter the day after Maggie and Gunn’s wedding party, she invites him over. Realising, after all these years, they feel the same for each other Willow and Hunter spend as much time together as possible. But Hunter believes happiness is not meant for him. His lot was to look out for his parents since his dad was turning a blind eye to a serious problem, which was obvious to Hunter. His overriding fear that he would take after his mother meant, to his mind, he could never have a lasting relationship.

The insecurities and secret dread Hunter has lived with all his life prove too much for him to cope with as events spiral, his worst fears culminating in a terrible tragedy which shatters him and shocks everyone close to him. Hunter is lost in a desolation and pain so deep it overtakes him totally.

This story has a completely different atmosphere to Swamp Ghosts, in that it’s not as suspenseful or tense in a thriller kind of way. Rather, this focuses quite a bit on mental health issues and how, if left unrecognised, ignored or untreated, can cause untold damage. It’s also about the struggle to find a way back from hopelessness and despair. Willow and Hunter both have a battle on their hands.

In addition, the emphasis is also on relationships and family. And the power of love. Marcia Meara represents all of this extremely well from the perspective of the well defined and sympathetic characters. There’s an impressive depth and interpretation in the vivid portrayals which will stay with me for a while, I think.

The short passages at the start of the chapters are intriguing and add a sense of anticipation, wanting to know who the travelling man is and his role in the story. It makes sense when all is revealed, and it was a surprise.

BLURB:

Before, I never thought about taking a life. Not once.
Now, the thought fills my mind day and night, and
I wonder how I’ll hide that terrible need,
As an old car swings to the shoulder,
And stops.

~ Traveling Man ~

Hunter Painter’s darkest fears have shaped his offbeat personality since he was a child, crippling him in ways invisible to those unable to see past his quiet exterior. In a sleepy Florida town known for its eccentric inhabitants, he’s always been a mystery to most.

Only one person sees beyond Hunter’s quirky facade. Willow Greene, the new age herbalist who owns the local candle and potpourri shop, has secretly loved him since they were in high school. When, sixteen years later, she discovers Hunter has loved her just as long, Willow hopes her dreams are finally coming true.

Soon, Willow learns that Hunter fears happiness at her side isn’t in the cards for him. With her natural optimism and courage, she almost convinces him he’s wrong—that they can really have that life together they both long for—but even Willow can’t stop what Hunter knows is coming.

One by one, his worst nightmares become reality, culminating in an unthinkable tragedy, which devastates everyone it touches. Willow’s battle begins in earnest as Hunter is plunged into a bleak, guilt-ridden despair, threatening to destroy not only their love, but Hunter, himself.

Finding Hunter is the story of a lost man’s desperate struggle to make his way home again, and one woman’s unshakeable faith in him and the power of their love.

Author Marcia Meara