#ShareAReviewDay

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – “Skating on Thin Ice” by Jacquie Biggar

/ Marcia Meara / 21 Comments

This afternoon, it’s my pleasure to share a lovely review of Jacquie Biggar’s book, Skating on Thin Ice. I have no doubts at all that this will appeal to many of you folks, and I hope you’ll share far and wide so that even more readers can check it out. Thanks!

REVIEW:

Skating on Thin Ice- USA Today Bestselling Author Jacquie Biggar
Review: Robbie Cheadle- Amazon Reviewer

This book is the perfect mixture of romance with an action packed story line to keep you turning the pages. The author does a great job of drawing the reader into the world of ice hockey and the murky world of match fixing and deals with the mob. Mac Wanowski is a champion ice hockey player and, with him on board, his team looks set to win the season. This does not suit everyone and Mac is seriously injured while playing in a match two weeks before the final. He is sent away to a remote cabin in the mountains to heal. The team’s doctor delivers his niece, Sam, a physical therapist who desperately needs a break, to assist Mac with a speedy recovery. Little does he know that she has been offered the opportunity to obtain a contract as the physical therapist to Mac’s team but, in return, she must slow down his recovery.

When Sam meets Mac her soft heart quickly goes out to him, especially when she learns of the loss of his wife and unborn baby in a terrible accident a few years previously. Sam is also attracted to the taciturn hockey star and she can sense it is reciprocated. Sam makes a decision to try to help Mac and ensure that he is able to play in the final match of the season but she is unaware that there are other, much more dangerous people lurking, who are determined to keep Mac off the ice.

I enjoyed the character of smolderingly sexy Mac, with his heartbreaking past, and the sweet and big hearted, Sam, with her history of financial anxiety and determination to succeed in a male dominated profession.

An entertaining and easy read with a great twist at the end and lots of romantic ups and downs to keep you on the edge of your seat. Continue reading →

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action by Darlene Foster

/ Marcia Meara / 28 Comments

Good Morning, Everyone! Today, we are welcoming Darlene Foster back with a review of another of her wonderful Amanda books. Amanda in Holland is available on pre-order now for September delivery, and I’ll bet after you read this review, you’ll be eager to go do just that. Enjoy this one, and pass it along if you would, thanks!

REVIEW:

Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action
by Darlene Foster (Goodreads Author)

Jacqui‘s review 
May 27, 2019

It was amazing.

Darlene Foster’s Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action (2019) follows the heroine, Amanda Ross, as she makes a trip to Holland to visit friends and try to unravel what happened to an Uncle who never returned from WWII–declared missing in action. If you follow the Amanda series, you know that Amanda cannot travel without getting into trouble, causing mischief, or solving mysteries despite her young age. In this story, Amanda rescues a thrown-away puppy named Joey, tracks down a missing gardener, and helps to solve the theft of rare tulip bulbs. She does all this while exploring the culture and excitement that is found nowhere but Holland. Besides the Anne Frank house and the famous Holland canals, Amanda enjoys:

“…banket, a puff pastry filled with an almond paste.”
“…Hotchpotch Stamppot, a traditional Dutch dish of mashed potatoes mixed with carrots and onions,”
“…Bloemenmarkt. It is the world’s only floating flower market.”

The story is told in a conversational voice that will draw all readers in and deftly mixes the cultural details with how Amanda engages in and solves the mystery.

This book is available for pre-sale now for delivery in September 2019. This would be a great gift for a child to celebrate the end of summer or a favorite teacher to add to their classroom library (or the school librarian, of course). It’s an uncommon book in that it takes children through the clever bits and pieces of Holland not found in any other nation without feeling like a travelogue.

The series includes:
Amanda in Arabia
Amanda on the Danube
Amanda in Spain
Amanda in New Mexico

…and more. This book and the entire series is highly recommended for elementary age and Middle School children and parents. Continue reading →

Want to Take Part in #ShareAReviewDay ?

/ Marcia Meara / 29 Comments

I’m looking for reviews! There are Tuesday openings starting as early as day after tomorrow, if you can send me the items requested in the Share a Review Day Instructions linked at the top of the page. Pick your newest or favorite review and send it in. I’ll do all the setting up for you. Just be sure to include everything I need as listed, and I’ll make it happen. 

All review posts will be scheduled in the order in which they are received, two per Tuesday. (One in the morning & one in the afternoon.)

Hoping to hear from you soon!  🙂 ❤

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – “The Emissary 2: To Love Somebody” by Marcia Meara

/ Marcia Meara / 30 Comments

This afternoon, I’m sharing one of my own reviews, and I hope you‘ll enjoy it. This is D. L. Finn’s terrific review of The Emissary 2: To Love Somebody. The Emissary books are spinoff novellas from my Riverbend series, and so much fun to write. They are currently available as eBooks, and when I get the third one written, I will combine them into a 3-book set for print. In the meantime, it’s ready and waiting for you Kindle fans for a mere $1.99. Hope you’ll download your copy today. (But read the first Emissary book before you read this one, so you’ll have a better understanding of Jake, Dodger, and Azrael. A LOT happens in that one that you’ll want to know before reading To Love Somebody.) And thanks for passing this review along, if you can. I appreciate it.

REVIEW:

5.0 out of 5 starsI can’t wait to see where the story goes next!
Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This is the second novella in the series with the Emissaries, Jake and Dodger, working for Archangel Azrael. There’s the same depth and humor in this heartfelt tale that I enjoyed in “The Emissary”. I loved the developing relationship between Jake and Dodger as they work to save people from themselves. Dodger’s regret adds a new layer to this story. I can’t wait to see how that works out…and how Azrael plays into that. This is a perfect Christmas read, but would be great any time of the year. There was an amazing ending and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next. If you haven’t read the first novella–you should–then you can fully enjoy this highly recommended sequel!

BLURB:

In Marcia Meara’s second installment of The Emissary Trilogy, a Riverbend spinoff series of novellas, we find our three heroes at it again. Beautiful new places, exciting new adventures, and a whole assortment of new problems await them, bringing tears, laughter, and an extraordinary amount of love along with them. 

They’re back!

Jake and Dodger, the first (and so far, only) Emissaries to the Angels, are on the road again.

They’re looking for mortals about to take a wrong turn. You know the ones—the kid thinking about stealing from a corner market or the man planning to lie about a coworker and destroy her career. Yeah, them. People on the brink of making a mistake that could send them down that wrong road and jeopardize their mortal souls.

Of course, there are rules by which the emissaries must play, and the archangel Azrael stands ready to enforce them. First and foremost, a person’s free will must never be compromised. Emissaries are allowed to use only the smallest of mental nudges. Thankfully, a whispered suggestion here or images of a better course of action there is often all it takes. The potential mugger walks on by. The thief drops the wallet back into the unattended purse. But whether the results are obvious or not, Jake and Dodger are fully committed to making a positive difference, even as they struggle with issues of their own.

Will Dodger get over losing his chance to learn what true love is all about? Will Jake survive the grueling angelic equivalent of Boot Camp? Will Azrael ever finish the Official Emissarial Guidebook—including the chapter titled Do Not Even Think About It?

One thing’s for sure—Jake’s and Dodger’s strengths are growing daily, as they help more and more people make better choices. But is the price for so much power higher than they’re willing to pay?

Buy The Emissary HERE
Buy The Emissary 2: To Love Somebody HERE

Marcia Meara, Author

Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years, four big cats, and one small dachshund.

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. And she enjoys nature.  Really enjoys it. Almost all of it. From birds, to furry critters, to her favorites of all, snakes. She does, however, consider squirrels to be minions of Satan, sent to drive her mad. And she truly loathes spiders, convinced that anything with eight (count ’em, EIGHT) hairy legs is surely up to no good. She does not, however, kill spiders anymore, since she knows they have their place in the world. Besides, her husband now handles her catch and release program, and she’s good with that.

Spiders aside, one thing Marcia thinks you should always remember is that it’s never too late to make your dreams come true. If, at the age of 69, she could write and publish a book (and thus fulfill 64 years of longing to do just that), you can make your own dreams a reality, too. Go for it! What have you got to lose?

Today, Marcia has published six novels, two novellas, and one book of poetry to date, all of which are available on Amazon. Her belief in the redemptive power of love is a unifying factor in both of her popular series and her poetry.  At 75, she’s still following her heart, 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 ALL OF MARCIA’S BOOKS HERE:
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
The Emissary 2: To Love Somebody 

Summer Magic: Poems of Life & Love 

Marcia’s Amazon Author Page

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

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

The Write Stuff
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter: @marciameara

 

 

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – “Police Protection” by Kassandra Lamb

/ Marcia Meara / 5 Comments

This morning, I’d like to welcome a long-time friend and supporter of this blog, Kassandra Lamb. Kass is sharing a lovely review from her latest book, Police Protection. I know you’ll find this one interesting and will be happy to pass it along. With that in mind, here’s Kass with a quick intro of her own:

“I just had to share this review with you all. I agonized some over my latest release, “Police Protection,” because it addresses the issue of “bad shoots” by police officers of unarmed Black people. I was trying to be balanced in my approach, and also trying to portray the people of color in the story realistically, without falling into stereotypes.

So this review particularly thrilled me, because it is a verified-purchase review by a Black reader!”

REVIEW:

Amazon Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars ~ Kate and the gang are back!
May 27, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition – Verified Purchase

Kate and the gang are back and I could not be happier! This is one of my favorite series of mystery/romance. Although, it has been a while since the last Kate Huntington book it never missed a beat. The characters felt like I was reuniting with long lost friends.

The mystery of who killed an African-American little boy (was it the white cop) was right out of the headlines and so engrossing. The story was so emotional knowing that we as Black people deal with this on regular basis.

As usual Kate, Skip, Rose and the rest of the gang feel so authentic in their words and actions. I love the dynamics between Kate and Skip and the long-term friendship between Kate and Rob. They are all a family and always have each other’s backs. Kate is a great mixture of her logical mind as well as her sensitivity to others and their problems. It’s good to read how her life has evolved since the beginning of the series. Her daughter Edie is now a preteen who thinks she knows everything and her rambunctious son.

This was a great book as usual with this series. A great mystery, great characters with a little romance thrown in. If you are new to the series start at book 1. You won’t be disappointed.

BLURB:

A story ripped from real-life headlines! A police detective is found in an alley standing over the body of an unarmed African-American boy. Gun in hand and groggy from a concussion, he has no memory of what happened.

To the police department’s IA division, it’s a slam-dunk. But various forces push psychotherapist Kate Huntington and her P.I. husband to investigate, and what they find doesn’t add up. Whatever happened in that alley, it’s more than just a bad shoot by a stressed-out cop.

The answers may come from unexpected sources, but Kate and Skip better find them soon… before another life is lost.


Kassandra Lamb, Author

Kassandra Lamb has never been able to decide which she loves more, psychology or writing. In her youth, she had to decide between writing and paying the bills. Partial to electricity and food, she studied psychology. Now retired from a career as a psychotherapist and college professor, she spends most of her time in an alternate universe with her characters. The magic portal to this universe (i.e., her computer) is located in Florida, where her husband and dog catch occasional glimpses of her.

She is the author of the Kate Huntington mystery series (about a psychotherapist as amateur sleuth), The Kate on Vacation novellas, and the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries (about a service dog trainer and her mentor dog), plus a guidebook for novice writers, Someday Is Here! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing and Publishing Your First Book. She also writes romantic suspense under the pen name of Jessica Dale.

BUY POLICE PROTECTION HERE:
AMAZON
APPLE
BARNES & NOBLE
KOBO
GOOGLE PLAY

GOODREADS

REACH KASS ON SOCIAL MEDIA HERE:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads

 

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – “The Scarlet Ribbon” by Anita Dawes

/ Marcia Meara / 21 Comments

And now for our afternoon treat! Anita Dawes is sharing a review of her book The Scarlet Ribbon. I know you’ll enjoy reading this one, so please help me make Anita feel right at home here on The Write Stuff, and then share this post far and wide. We want to get these reviews in front of as many new readers as possible, and the key lies with you folks. Thanks so much!

REVIEW:

Kevin Cooper
5.0 out of 5 starsThought Provoking
15 April 2019
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

I took my time reading this work because I found it very thought provoking.

On several occasions I was transported back in time to when a previous partner and I visited a friend who was in a coma for several weeks before her husband gave the go ahead to have the life support terminated.

On other occasions I found myself drifting back to when my son was in a coma as a result of a hit and run, and again to his months of recovery as he learned to walk again.

And again to my own experiences of astral travel. This story takes astral travel to a whole new level.

Despite my own deviance, I still found the story most engrossing. I was looking for something different to read and while providing me just that, this story did not disappoint.

In addition to its wonderful book cover, The Scarlet Ribbon is original and well-written with thought-provoking ideology.

(We were thrilled to receive this review from Kevin Cooper!) Continue reading →

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – “Amanda on the Danube” by Darlene Foster

/ Marcia Meara / 21 Comments

It’s Tuesday once more and time for #ShareAReviewDay here on The Write Stuff. Please help me welcome Darlene Foster this morning, who will be sharing a review of her book Amanda on the Danube. (Have you noticed what a well-traveled little girl Amanda is? Lucky her!) Hope you enjoy this one and will pass it along far and wide. Thanks!

REVIEW:

Robbie Cheadle
5.0 out of 5 stars A great adventure in a very interesting setting
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Michael and I read this book together and we both enjoyed it immensely. It is my favourite of the three Amanda books we have read to date and we will definitely be reading more.

Amanda and her good friend, Leah, are on a boat cruise along the Danube and very much enjoying the good food and fascinating villages and towns that they stop at when they become embroiled in a new mystery. A young boy who plays the violin most beautifully asks Amanda to please take his violin on the boat with her and meet him in Vienna. Amanda agrees to the request and quickly comes to realise that the talented boy is not the only one who wants the violin. There are a few people, both on the cruise and elsewhere, that are determined to lay their hands on this instrument.

I really like Darlene Foster’s books as they have an interesting and face paced story but they also include a huge amount of fascinating information about the specific country in which each specific novel is set. We both learned a lot about the towns and villages in Germany, Austria and Hungary and the traditional foods, entertainment and some famous places of interest. There is a lot of research that goes into each of these books.

We rated this book five out of five stars.

Continue reading →

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – The Cruel Romance by Marina Osipova

/ Marcia Meara / 20 Comments

This afternoon, we are welcoming Marina Osipova to #ShareAReviewDay here on The Write Stuff. Marina is sharing a review of her book The Cruel Romance, and I know you’re going to enjoy reading about this one. Remember to share on your favorite social media, too. We’ll do the same for you when it’s your turn to be featured. Thanks!

REVIEW:

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!
September 4, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

Have you ever read a book that was so good that you wished there was a movie about it? This is exactly what happened to me after I finished “The Cruel Romance.” The setting was so authentic, the characters so vivid and real, and the atmosphere so haunting and emotionally-charged that I couldn’t help but moan, “I wish I saw this on the big screen” from time to time! The story is set in the Eastern front, where too few historical fiction authors dare to go, unfortunately. Just this fact makes this excellent novel stand out among many of its WW2 peers. But to me, it was the characters that made me fall in love with the plot – real, authentic, multi-dimensional, with all of their doubts, hopes, sufferings, and their will to go on despite it all. The ending was perfect and left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling after all the devastation that the characters had to go through. Meticulously researched and beautifully presented, “The Cruel Romance” will keep you captivated till the very last page is turned. Highly recommended to all fans of the genre Continue reading →

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – Songs of Heartstrings by Miriam Hurdle

/ Marcia Meara / 25 Comments

This afternoon, I’d like to welcome Miriam Hurdle to The Write Stuff. Miriam is sharing a review for her book of poetry, Songs of Heartstrings, and I know you’ll enjoy it! Be sure to pass it along to the Immediate World, too, so others can learn more about Miriam and her work. Thanks!

REVIEW:

Dorinda Duclos
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt Passages of Life and Faith
January 31, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

Songs of Heartstrings – Poems of Gratitude and Beatitude is a most enjoyable book of poetry. Told in the first person, Miriam Hurdle takes you along on her many journeys, in the ups and downs, of life. I particularly enjoyed the photos, placed before many of the poems. It brought me closer to what Miriam was relaying in her words.

My favorite poem is “Life’s Currents”. Here, the author reminds us we are never alone, no matter the hardships we might face in our time here on Earth. There is no doubt Miriam has a strong faith and relies on it for many of life’s obstacles.

The book is broken up into eight different sections, making it a very pleasant read. Miriam uses different styles of poetry, so you’re never just reading. She easily gets and keeps your attention throughout. If you are looking for a poetry book filled with inspiration, and thought-provoking passages, this is the book for you. I highly recommend this to any and everyone as I thoroughly enjoyed reading Songs of Heartstrings – Poems of Gratitude and Beatitude.

Continue reading →

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – Understanding: An Anthology of True and Significant Life Events Compiled by Stevie Turner & Shared by D. G. Kaye

/ Marcia Meara / 14 Comments

This morning, let’s welcome D. G. Kaye (or Debby Geis, as many of us know her) to share a review of an anthology she is a contributor to: Understanding: An Anthology of True and Significant Life Events. This one is bound to strike a note with many, many of us who have been through similar things during our lives. I know you’ll enjoy learning more about it and will pass it along to others. Thanks!

~~~

Thanks so much for bringing back ‘Share A Review Day’ Marcia. Today I’d like to share a brand new book called Understanding, an anthology of true and significant life events, which I’m thrilled to be part of along with 19 other authors, compiled by Stevie Turner. The book is only 99 cents and all proceeds are going to cancer research, and delves deep and personal into poignant events the authors experienced and how they were handled and overcome.

REVIEW:

5.0 out of 5 stars An insightful and inspiring collection of experiences
April 20, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

This collection of experiences, told mainly in the form of questions and answers, from twenty authors and bloggers, is a unique and emotional read. Each of the twenty participants has been through a traumatic time in their lives and each of them has overcome their particular set of circumstances, whether it is a struggle with cancer, sexual abuse, the loss of a loved one or a personal obsession gone wrong. Despite its emotional and heart wrenching content, this book is, on the whole, an uplifting read as well as being an enlightening one. I was impressed and encouraged by each of these writers ability to overcome their personal hardship and find a successful path forward.

To my mind, the stories in this book can be divided into two sets, those participants who had to deal with circumstances imposed on them by a third party or outside force creating circumstances over which they did not have complete control and those participants who ended up in a situation of their own making through their obsessive natures or those human frailties, like low self-esteem and anxiety. I know from personal experience with friends and family that overcoming such mental barriers is an incredibly difficult thing to do.

I commend all of these authors and bloggers for their courage and honesty in writing their personal stories to help and encourage others who may be facing similar situations.

Continue reading →