Tag: writing

Cat’s People by Tanya Guerrero

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Cat’s People is a wonderfully, beautiful touching story about well… humans, humanity and a cat. Can a group of strangers all who are dealing with problems put their own fears aside and help a surprising friend none of them knew the other had.

Nuria is a barista who loves cats. She enjoys her job very much to her mother’s dismay. Her mother wishes she would find a career and a husband! But being a barista and helping cats are her two passions. So much so she feeds the neighborhood strays with one particular cat she has a true love for whom she named, well, Cat.

Colin, who is a bestselling author, is a true loner. Although he writes masterful books, his life is filled with insecurity, no friends and a not so pleasant mother. And now with a new book due shortly for some reason he doesn’t know where to start. Then he spots a pretty woman coming daily who leaves food for a stray cat. He feels somehow drawn to her. Being so quiet and shy and uneasy he doesn’t know how to engage her. Then he gets an idea.

Lily has just moved to Brooklyn from Georgia. She is on a mission. She is looking for someone even though when she finds her, she won’t know what to do. Right now, she’s just trying to make ends meet due to the fact she can barely afford the rent in the apartment she shares and they’re threatening to evict her.

Bong owns the local bodega and recently lost his beloved wife. Since her passing he is lost. He is depressed. He does look forward to a woman who comes in daily and buys paper plates and the mailman who comes to deliver the mail, with a stray cat following him, so he can buy treats to feed him.

Omar is a mailman whose partner Carl wants him to go to cooking school to make more of himself. This is his dilemma. Although he does want to try something different it’s not cooking school. Afraid to tell Carl what his true passion is because he doesn’t know what it really is he just let’s him believe he will apply. As he travels along his route daily, he always picks up his friend a stray cat to tell his worries.

And of course there is Cat. Who tells us this tale of his human interactions. Cat is very naive, but very wise and has always lived on the street and does not know what to make of his “friends”.

What this group of people will suddenly have in common is how one stray cat will innocently change all their lives. This animal who they all love separately while never knowing each other existed and a special cat who brings them all together.

The bond these strangers create and the love they all share for this stray animal and what they will do to help each other will bring the reader to tears. Cat’s People is warm and uplifting and more importantly a story of hope which will impact anyone who reads about Cat’s people.

Thank you #NetGalley #DelacortePress #TanyaGuerrero #Cat’sPeople for the advanced copy.

Blood In The Water by Casey Sherman

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Author Casey Sherman who has compiled a long list of nonfiction New York Times best sellers, with one closest to his heart a book called A Rose For Mary about his aunt who was the final victim of the Boston Strangler, has once again delved into another true-life murder mystery case in the New England area in which a man on a fishing boat trip with his mother is found floating alone in a life boat no boat or mother in sight. Was this an accident or intentional? Well, it depends on who you ask. This story is tragic in so many ways as it shows a very dysfunctional very wealthy family and a past murder which opens their lives to chaos, greed and secrets with an ending you couldn’t make up.

Nathan Carman came from a very wealthy very dysfunctional family. But it was his grandfather who was rich and made sure his children knew it. Nathan as a child was diagnosed with Asperger’s and was bullied at school, had no friends except for his horse and kept to himself. At one point as a young child, he even ran away and was found states away from their Connecticut home.

He had a tumultuous relationship with his mother, a love, hate, jealous relationship. His parents divorced, his father in California he lived with his mother in Connecticut and was never really happy. He was though, the apple of his grandfather’s eye and was financially supported by him much to the dismay of his mother and her siblings.

Sadly, his grandfather was murdered in New Hampshire and Nathan was left to fend for himself even though he was bestowed a trust, but having never worked or had to manage money needless to say didn’t understand the concept of spending. So, Nathan decides to buy a fishing boat and fixed it up even though it was in fairly good shape. He had never had any interest in boats up until now.

And this is where we are introduced to Nathan on the first page of this very sad yet extremely mysterious story on a life raft in the Atlantic Ocean alone where he is picked up by a ship and his first question is where’s my mom?

But what the reader will discover is that this one sentence he uttered will not only lead him to being arrested by the police for the murder of his mother, a woman who was extremely wealthy in her own right but will also open the door to his past life and all that it encompassed. Nobody really ever knew the real Nathan Carmen.

The questions in the book to answer if we can… Did Nathan intentionally kill his mother? Did Nathan have other nefarious secrets? Did he know exactly what he was doing and plan murder. Sherman expertly takes the reader step by step into the evidence which seems to mount against Nathan. As the trial is set one can only wonder will he be found guilty with only circumstantial evidence? Will we ever know?

Blood In The Water is a wonderfully written true crime story which if it had been fiction no one would ever believe. But unfortunately, the story and all the mystery surrounding what happened is sadly true.

Thank you #NetGalley #Sourcebooks #CaseySherman #BloodInTheWater for the advanced copy.

Emily Dickinson Is Dead by Jane Langton

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Emily Dickinson Is Dead is a murder mystery in the Homer Kelly Series. Published in 1984 (I found the book in an antique store, signed by the author with a few doodles she did on the signed page as well). She also had illustrated the book. Langton was known for her immense knowledge of Emily Dickinson and this book is a tribute to the grand dame of poetry. The story exudes wit, mystery and more importantly incorporates lines of Dickinson’s poetry into each chapter. Being published in the 1980’s it also has a throwback sense of what was happening at the time, and what could be said (and written).

But there is one true life mystery incorporated into the story. There is a mystery involving a photo which was discovered of Emily Dickinson. It has been debated for years as to if this is really her or not. To this day, no one knows for sure.

As the 100th anniversary of Emily Dickinson’s death approaches, an English professor at Amherst College in Amherst, MA has a brilliant idea to celebrate her life with a combination conference with discussions and a festival. Dickinson enthusiasts are invited from all over.

But from the start, the event seems to be cursed. Two students are killed in a dormitory fire, the women of Amherst rebel against the creators of the event because no women were included to lead any of the discussion groups, and then of course there are a few townspeople who have their own issues, some psychological and some devious.

That’s when scholar Homer Kelly accidently gets involved. As more bodies begin to pile up, and some go missing, it’s up to him to figure out what exactly is going on in this town. He cannot fathom what the real Emily Dickinson would think…especially when one of the bodies shows up in her own bedroom!

The twist to the story is that although nobody in the town knows who is doing the killings, the reader not only has a seat at the table to it all, but also knows the killer’s reasoning for why it’s being done.

Emily Dickinson Is Dead is an entertaining, enjoyable look back in time with a good murder/mystery and enough poetry incorporated that you wonder if the words she actually wrote were meant to be used as fodder for a who done it.

Published by St. Martin’s Press

The Days I Loved You Most by Amy Neff

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Get your box of tissues out and leave them next to you! The Days I Loved You Most is an unforgettably heartbreaking, heartwarming love story which spans over fifty years. It’s the story of an elderly couple who fell in love as young children and fight hard to keep themselves together even when devastating obstacles stand in their way. They finally marry and think they will get their happily ever after, but of course, no marriage is perfect and the terrible awakening to children, money, regrets and deaths would put a strain on any relationship. But as a testament to their bond, just when they finally think they have figured it all out something horribly despairing and unfair will occur and rather than break them, will make them even stronger. Let me ask you a question…would you end your life if your soulmate and love of your life was diagnosed with a death sentence?

Evelyn and Joseph were childhood friends, turned crushes, turned lovers, turned married. They have always been in each other’s lives. They have raised three children into adults, worked hard at keeping Joseph’s family inn in the family and now are ready to sit back and relax and reap their rewards.

But today, as they gather their children and grandchildren around them, they make an announcement that will shock and stun all those who love then dearly. It has been discovered that Evelyn is very sick and dying. She does not have long to live. So, Evelyn and Joseph have decided to take one more year and enjoy their children and grandchildren and do some bucket list items and after the year they will die together by their own choice.

Of course, the children are angry, devastated and heartbroken, and some will try and make them change their minds, others will have their mind changed for them. During the progression of the last year, the reader is taken on a journey back in time to discover how this endless love came into existence and all the trials and tribulations they have all endured during the years. It will follow the passage of time of all their lives, and we will witness questionable attractions, many regrets, fights and even years long separations which are not understood.

But through all they have remained a family who love each other desperately and will help each other in any way possible. Although the years have sometimes been hard, their foundation may have cracked but it never broke and now as they all try and grab every single second, they can with each other, and grapple with the loss which is sure to come, is it possible to be at peace with this decision which Evelyn and Joseph have made?

The Days I Loved You Most is a powerful tribute to love and life everlasting, as well as the heartbreak of knowing you must let go of all you love in this world but knowing you will be together for eternity.

Thank you #NetGalley #ParkRow #AmyNeff #TheDaysILovedYouMost for the advanced copy.

Chloe Baker’s Lost Date by Katie Wicks

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You will thank me after you fall in love with Chloe Baker! She’s an independent woman living in New York making it on her own with a great job. One problem, she can’t seem to find a date. Yes, things could be worse, but boy, she’d love some male compansionship!

So, when her best friend sets her up with Jack, an IT guy and they are supposed to meet at a coffee shop and he’s at first late, then very late but finally breezes in with an apology, they proceed to have coffee and talk and decide to see each other again. Well, again happens sooner than later as they bump into each other immediately that day and end up spending it with each other. They soon realize they not only have a great deal in common, but there is something much deeper going on with them.

But sometimes things come to an end sooner rather than later. After this date which ended with a kiss, Jack just ghosts her. So, with the determination of someone who feels they have lost a soulmate, Chloe decides she must search for him and discover the truth.

She finally does find Jack, but he’s not really who she thought he was. This relationship or non-relationship brings up memories from her childhood and her parents which she had suppressed for quite a while. Of course, she has had insecurities her whole life but thanks to Jack she never knew why. Confusion sets in. And she realizes she has been lied to.

But can they get past their first date and everything which happened later? Is he real? Or is he just another man who enjoys breaking hearts.

Chloe Baker’s Lost Date is a wonderfully funny, uplifting story which will keep you enchanted as they both learn about each other, life and love. Is love at first sight real? Depends on the name…

Thank you #NetGalley #WbyWattpadBooks #KatieWicks #ChloeBaker’sLostLove for the advanced copy.

Love, Lies and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau

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From the author of Donut Fall in Love, Jackie Lau has written another wonderful, creative love story which is funny, heartwarming, and mouthwatering!

All Emily Hung’s mother wants is for her over thirty daughter to settle down and finally get married. Forget that Emily is a writer with one published book under her belt. Yes, it perhaps undersold a bit, but still… she is a writer and is working on her second novel. She’s doing great all by herself!

So, when Mrs. Hung plays matchmaker at her sister’s wedding no less, Emily decides to make the meeting as unpleasant as possible.

Enter Mark Chan, the unsuspecting, groom-to-be who realizes fairly soon this was not something Emily had agreed to. They say their goodbyes at the end of the night, and both think they will never see each other again. But Mrs. Hung has other plans! She tortures Emily to go on one date with Mark. Emily agrees.

But, once again, Emily is not having it and comes up with an idea. They will fake date (with pictures) so her mother will think they are together, but in reality, they can live peacefully and continue on with their separate lives.

What ends up happening is that the more time they spend together “fake dating”, the more they discover there may actually be a spark between them, and they begin to fall in love for real. But without realizing it, Mrs. Hung opened a long-closed can of worms with secrets from years ago and misunderstandings in the Hung family.

Now Emily finds herself having to heal old wounds while trying to make Mark understand what she really wants as she learns the importance of family and the importance of finding the person of your dreams. Can you really have it all?

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie is a delightful, fun story with wonderful characters and terrific messaging. Oh, and there IS Cherry Pie!

Thank you #NetGalley #Atria/EmilyBestlerBooks #JackieLau #Love,Lies,andCherryPie for the advanced copy.

Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea

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Those Empty Eyes is an incredible layered puzzled mystery which Charlie Donlea is known for. The continued shock as well as clues which begin to come together are both riveting and exciting. And, when the time is right and the whole story comes together, well the ending is of course, explosive!

Alex Armstrong a fifteen-year-old was the only survivor of the murder of her entire family. Her father, mother and little brother were shot to death by an intruder who came into their beloved home. In shock and found holding the murder weapon when the police arrived, she was the immediately handcuffed and brought outside to go to the station to be arrested. One of the media reporters at the scene dubbed her “empty eyes” because her expression showed nothing.

With the help of a defense attorney, Garrett Lancaster and his wife Diana who was the first police officer at the scene, they were not only able to get her found not guilty but were also able to get her a hefty settlement from the police force for wrongful arrest and a sloppy investigation.

Fast forward through Alex’s life as she attempts to go to school somewhere those “eyes” will not be known, but the case had become a cult true crime case, and she was the one and only suspect. Garrett and Diana became her guardians. Afraid to touch the settlement money, and knowing she did not kill her family, she tries to figure out exactly what happened, to no avail.

It’s now been ten years since the murders and Alex has completely changed her appearance, even wearing contact lenses. She is an investigator in Garrett’s law firm. An ace investigator. But, every night, she still goes home to her sparse apartment and takes out her murder board which she keeps behind a curtain, always trying to look with fresh eyes at the disaster of her life.

Suddenly, she finds herself involved in a case which will change her life forever. A student at the nearby University has gone missing after she was going to drop a tape on her radio blog which was going to implicate some students in a scandal.

What she never could imagine is that this would somehow bring her closest to finding out what happened to her family. But now she realizes she knows too much and is being hunted as she was supposed to be the final victim from the night of the murder.

Those Empty Eyes will have you hooked from the first page. Don’t even try to figure out the ending, just read the story! Just go along for the ride of your life! This psychological thriller will make you crash and burn!