Home Again by Kathleen Shoop #bookreview

1969-- Set on the shores of the Albemarle Sound, April Harrington has fond memories of summers at her family home, Bliss. After her fairytale wedding disintegrates, it becomes her refuge—the one place where she can attempt to pull the unraveling threads of her life back together. Unbeknownst to April, the stately house has been neglected in recent years. The once-sturdy roof is leaking in a few dozen places, and the wharf is rotting. Nothing is the same as she remembers. Nothing except for Hale, a Viet Nam pilot who is haunted by a dreadful secret, and who is also her brother’s best friend, a brother killed in the conflict that is tearing the country apart.

In Hale’s presence, April finds familiarity and solace. They share grief for a lost loved one, and from the comfort of Hale’s arms, passion blooms. Yet, April’s future is unresolved. Her wealthy, arrogant almost-bridegroom wants her back and the ghosts of Viet Nam are whispering to Hale. Can they find new love in an old treasured home, the kind of affection and trust that lasts forever?


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About the Author












A Language Arts Coach with a Ph.D. in Reading Education, Kathleen lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Kathleen has also written Love and Other Subjects, award winning After the Fog and her debut novel, The Last Letter, garnered multiple awards in 2011.  The author's stories have also appeared in several of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

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My thoughts:   It is very rare these days to find a book taking place around or during the Vietnam era.  It is even somewhat rare to find books that mention this time in our history.  This book does an excellent job of talking about Vietnam, what it meant for our country, and how it affected everyday lives.  Of course, you also get an awesome love story with just enough suspense to keep you turning the pages until you reach the end.  And even at the end you are still wanting more!  Old fiance- not nice, really don't like that guy.  Love the descriptions of the old family place but hate that it had to go into disrepair.  Kathleen Shoop does a great job of making a story worth reading.

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

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Wonderfully Dysfunctional Book Review #BeckValleyBooks

 

The true story of... A woman who laughs at funerals. A gypsy mother who refuses to wear a bra and a father who refuses to leave his first wife. A brother who sleeps under the coffee table and a sister who was kidnapped. A cheating minister, a missing uncle and a feisty, red-headed grandmother who was longing to leave it all.

Buffi always knew her family was unusual, but she was lucky enough to escape that gene. Or was she? Joined by her siblings at the bedside of their dying grandmother, Buffi begins on a journey of self discovery as they recall stories of their youth including juicy family secrets, inappropriate practical jokes, abuse and betrayal. She is on a quest to find Normal but finds herself instead.

It Must be Genetic is about an American family of no particular importance, descendants of the once wealthy and revered Perry clan, but stripped of their family wealth during the Great Depression. It’s full of quirky characters like grandmother Mopsie; a sexy divorced mother of two in the 1950’s who would turn the heads of her conservative neighbors when hosting the best poker parties in town, but who can now be found sleeping her days away in the bed of a nursing home. The story climaxes when Mopsie accidentally reveals a secret that sends her family frantically searching through old documents to find the son she gave up for adoption half a century ago.

It Must be Genetic is about acceptance, forgiveness and the great capacity to love. The story is written from the perspective of a third generation divorced mother, Buffi, who realizes that the very traits that make her family dysfunctional may be the same traits that make it so wonderful. At 64,000 words, it's paced for a quick-and-easy read.

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Buffi Lynn Neal is a free-spirited mother of two currently living in a small town in Central New Jersey. She earned her Masters of Computer Science from Lehigh University. She also holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in both Mathematics and Physics.

Although Buffi spent twenty years working in the field of Computer Science she longed for the day that she could use her passion for writing to tell the unusual stories of her life.

Who am I? I'm a forgetful, kind-hearted, forty-plus year old mother of two who has great logic skills but spells worse than a fourth grader. I'm afraid of the dark and never shut my eyes in the shower. I bite my nails and peel my sunburn. Actually, I will peel anyone's sunburn. I would rather stick hot burning embers in my eyes than take out the garbage and I would rather be comfortable than look good. Like my mother and grandmother, I love the beach.

I am much more than I can write and I can write much more than I am.

Buffi is currently working on the second memoir in her "Wonderfully Dysfunctional" series. 

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Books to come.....

Wonderfully DysfunctionalTM - Breaking the Silence

At the age of nine I met my grandfather for the first time. It had been over twenty five years since my mother saw him. He arrived completely by surprise, bringing gifts for all, and was ready to be a part of our lives. I was the lucky one chosen to take a month trip to Florida with him. During the day it was ice cream, new clothes, and Disney World, and during the night it was something very unnatural. What my family did not know, was Grandpa Jack was a pedophile.

"Breaking the Silence" is part of the "Wonderfully Dysfunctional" Memoir series. It's the journey of a young girl who loved her grandpa so much that it would take thirty years, four deaths, two lawsuits, many lawyers and doctors before she would Break the Silence and tell her story of love and abuse through the eyes of a child.


















Wonderfully DysfunctionalTM - 1982 Out Past Curfew 

It was 1982. I was only fourteen, and it was the year I learned about sex, drugs, love, and friendship. It was the year I became a woman and my mother became a person. It was the year of firsts for many of us; our first real kiss, first drink, first smoke, and first ride in the back of a police car.

We were a poor family living in a middle class neighborhood. The world was exciting and everything was new. I was a sponge soaking up all the good and the bad life had to offer. I learned that the child of an alcoholic has an unmistakable talent for holding their liquor, a teenager has the power to drive their parents to insanity, and if you turn your back on a friend you have turned your back on yourself. 

"1982 Out Past Curfew" is part of the "Wonderfully Dysfunctional" Memoir series. It's about the coming of age, the struggle to understand your sexuality and accept your past. It's about finding lifelong love and friendship from the most unexpected people. Many life lessons happened after curfew in 1982.


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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

My thoughts:  This is a very intriquing read.  You can't put it down.  And there is bound to be at least one character you can relate to!   Definitely an A book in my mind.  From this book you will find yourself examining your life to see what "unique" things about you are really learned from your family or possibly genetic.  And who ever said you had to wear a bra all the time!? or that you couldn't laugh at a funeral?!

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$50 Amazon Giveaway ends 12-8 #giveaway

WIN $50 AMAZON OR PAYPAL GIFTCARD!!





One Lucky Winner will win $50 Amazon or Paypal Giftcard !!
Courtesy of author of Fair Disclosure, Joyce T Strand

Ending on Sunday 8th December at 11.59pm EST

Open to US / CA / UK / New Zealand / Australia

NEWLY RELEASED ..........

FAIR DISCLOSURE: A New Jillian Hillcrest Mystery
Jillian and ex-husband Chad are enjoying a play at a local community theater when a scream interrupts the production upon discovery of a bludgeoned volunteer. When it turns out that the victim is someone Jillian interviewed for a job at her company, she becomes involved in another crime, drawn ever deeper by a second murder, an irate investor, the participation of law enforcement amateurs, an increasingly unreliable assistant, and suspicious stock trading at her company.  Meanwhile, Chad is pressuring Jillian to say “yes” to a second marriage.

About Jillian Hillcrest Jillian Hillcrest is a PR Executive at a small biotechnology company in Silicon Valley who—through no fault of her own—gets drawn into solving murders.

Jillian grew up with her mother in a small town in Pennsylvania, although they moved to California when she was in middle school. Her mother now lives in southern California. Jillian never got to know her father, as he was killed in the Vietnam War. She got married right after graduating from Cal to Chad Bradbury, who is a marketing executive at a biotech company in Alameda, CA. They got divorced after 10 years of marriage, and, quite frankly, are not sure why. They still enjoy getting together. In particular, they enjoy going to restaurants and drinking wine.

As the head of corporate communications, Jillian is responsible for updating investors, employees, the media, partners, and the community about Harmonia and its products. You might wonder about the name of the 200-person company that develops drug products for autoimmune diseases. The founder compared balancing the human immune system with singing in harmony. In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the goddess of harmony and concord.

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Both Sides Giveaway ends 12/8 worldwide

3 LUCKY WINNERS WILL EACH WIN A $10 AMAZON GIFTCARD

Courtesy of author of Both Sides, Paul Stawski

Ending on Sunday 8th December at 11.59pm EST

Open Worldwide !!

Imagine if you were in a tragic accident – unable to move or speak but otherwise cognizant of everything around you. Imagine hearing doctors deciding your fate without you having a voice in the outcome.

Alex is a 16-year-old girl who finds herself in that exact situation in Both Sides, a novel that begins when – while on a class field trip – Alex and another girl, Sandra, end up in a horrible accident.

If the doctors act quickly, they may be able to save one body…and one brain. Amid the confusion and uncertainty, we hear everything that’s going on in Alex’s mind – from her initial disbelief to her quips about the absurdity of it all to her realization that she may have to go through the rest of her life living in the body of a girl she couldn’t stand. If she survives.

Both Sides tackles these issues and more. Within its pages every reader will find her own answers and discover, in the end, a story of courage and a girl who never before existed.

Award-winning author Paul E. Stawski captures the minute-by-minute struggles of a 16-year-old girl whose world is suddenly turned upside down in Both Sides. Radical brain surgery is the only option. Time is running out and Alex’s mind is racing: will she still be the same person when she comes out on the other side?

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Not For Profit Book Tour Giveaway #giveaway #BeckValleyBooks

SIGNED BOOK GIVEAWAY !!

3 WINNERS !!

This wonderful giveaway has been brought to you by

author of Not For Profit, Glenn Shepard, MD

3 Winners !!
Open Worldwide !!

Ending on Sunday 1st December at 11.59pm EST

A prominent surgeon accused of murder and terrorism ...

A corrupt healthcare administrator hell-bent on bloody revenge...

A mysterious seductress whose secrets could free the doctor and kill thousands ...

A terrorist cell with missiles aimed at a leading hospital in America’s Bible Belt ...

Not for Profit takes you on an action-packed thrill ride that will have you questioning suspects, motives, and outcomes until the very last page.

Renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Scott James is charged with murder after two bodies are found at his surgery center. Just weeks before the start of his capital murder trial, Dr. James is approached by a beautiful woman claiming she can help him gain information that would prove his innocence.

As James hunts down the evidence that might free him, he faces a barrage of threats to his life and liberty—and makes one chilling discovery after another: Corporate corruption. A conspiracy to frame him for murder and for terrorist acts. A secret drone-control operation that takes out targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The true identity and intent of his beautiful ally. And a plot to blow up the local hospital and surrounding community.

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Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Enter Below and Good Luck !!

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Fair Disclosure Book Review -Beck Valley Books #bookreview

 

NEWLY RELEASED ..........

FAIR DISCLOSURE: A New Jillian Hillcrest Mystery
Jillian and ex-husband Chad are enjoying a play at a local community theater when a scream interrupts the production upon discovery of a bludgeoned volunteer. When it turns out that the victim is someone Jillian interviewed for a job at her company, she becomes involved in another crime, drawn ever deeper by a second murder, an irate investor, the participation of law enforcement amateurs, an increasingly unreliable assistant, and suspicious stock trading at her company. Meanwhile, Chad is pressuring Jillian to say “yes” to a second marriage.

About Jillian Hillcrest Jillian Hillcrest is a PR Executive at a small biotechnology company in Silicon Valley who—through no fault of her own—gets drawn into solving murders.

Jillian grew up with her mother in a small town in Pennsylvania, although they moved to California when she was in middle school. Her mother now lives in southern California. Jillian never got to know her father, as he was killed in the Vietnam War. She got married right after graduating from Cal to Chad Bradbury, who is a marketing executive at a biotech company in Alameda, CA. They got divorced after 10 years of marriage, and, quite frankly, are not sure why. They still enjoy getting together. In particular, they enjoy going to restaurants and drinking wine.

As the head of corporate communications, Jillian is responsible for updating investors, employees, the media, partners, and the community about Harmonia and its products. You might wonder about the name of the 200-person company that develops drug products for autoimmune diseases. The founder compared balancing the human immune system with singing in harmony. In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the goddess of harmony and concord.

Buy the book........

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

Joyce Strand, much like her fictional character Jillian Hillcrest, served as head of corporate communications at several biotech and high-tech companies in Silicon Valley for more than 25 years. Unlike Jillian, however, she did not encounter murder in her career. She focused on writing articles and press releases and delivering presentations to publicize her companies.

Joyce has been a mystery fan since she read her first Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy stories as a teen-ager. She has always enjoyed the challenge of following clues to solve a mystery before it is revealed. Therefore Joyce relished the transition from writing press releases to writing fiction.

Joyce received her Ph.D. from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. and her B.A. from Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA.   She lives with her two cats in Southern California near San Diego.

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

My Thoughts:  I love a good mystery and can relate to the author in that I loved Nancy Drew as a child.  I have to say Jillian is a great character and I have found a friend in her.  I can wholeheartedly recommend this book and hopefully any to come!

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Both Sides Book Review #bookreview

Imagine if you were in a tragic accident – unable to move or speak but otherwise cognizant of everything around you. Imagine hearing doctors deciding your fate without you having a voice in the outcome.

Alex is a 16-year-old girl who finds herself in that exact situation in Both Sides, a novel that begins when – while on a class field trip – Alex and another girl, Sandra, end up in a horrible accident.

If the doctors act quickly, they may be able to save one body…and one brain. Amid the confusion and uncertainty, we hear everything that’s going on in Alex’s mind – from her initial disbelief to her quips about the absurdity of it all to her realization that she may have to go through the rest of her life living in the body of a girl she couldn’t stand. If she survives.

Both Sides tackles these issues and more. Within its pages every reader will find her own answers and discover, in the end, a story of courage and a girl who never before existed.

Award-winning author Paul E. Stawski captures the minute-by-minute struggles of a 16-year-old girl whose world is suddenly turned upside down in Both Sides. Radical brain surgery is the only option. Time is running out and Alex’s mind is racing: will she still be the same person when she comes out on the other side?

Buy the book from....
Amazon.com
Barnes and Noble

iTunes

About the Author












Paul E. Stawski won the Highlights for Children fiction contest for his short story, Code Red, a science-fiction story about a little girl who has to make a very grown-up decision. As a child, Paul was the subject of Newbery-Award winning author Lois Lenski's We Live in the North. Then, as an adult, he taught at an all-girls' high school before becoming a full-time writer. Both Sides is his first novel, he is currently writing the second book in the Both Sides series, Taking Sides due to be released January 2014. He lives in Troy, Michigan, with his wife and two cats.


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Taking Sides is the second book in the Both Sides series. In BOTH SIDES, Alex grappled with the idea of her brain being transplanted into Sandra’s brain-dead body. In TAKING SIDES, she struggles with her new reality, starting with the ride home from the hospital and the ensuing media circus. She’s now a celebrity who literally comes face-to-face with her new identity every time she looks in the mirror – and every time someone else looks at her. How will her friends react? How will Sandra’s? And what about their classmates and their parents? With everyone taking sides, Alex begins to wonder: is anyone on her side?

Tour Dates

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

My thoughts:   I found this a very interesting book.  It was not at all what I expected it to be.  I am a medical person and love medical related books.  This one fit that bill.   I always love when authors research and don't just write.  This guy gets an A+ for his research!  It also fit the bit of suspense part of what I like.  It made me do a lot of thinking as to what I would do, feel, and how I would react to such things if this would happen to me.  Probably in some of the ways this girl did, though I am older than she is.   It's really an interesting thought for one to think of.  A book full of suspense that I recommend to anyone wanting a good read.  Can't wait to check out the second book in the tour!

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Not For Profit -Book Review #bookreview #beckvalleybooks

A prominent surgeon accused of murder and terrorism ...

A corrupt healthcare administrator hell-bent on bloody revenge...

A mysterious seductress whose secrets could free the doctor and kill thousands ...

A terrorist cell with missiles aimed at a leading hospital in America’s Bible Belt ...

Not for Profit takes you on an action-packed thrill ride that will have you questioning suspects, motives, and outcomes until the very last page.

Renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Scott James is charged with murder after two bodies are found at his surgery center. Just weeks before the start of his capital murder trial, Dr. James is approached by a beautiful woman claiming she can help him gain information that would prove his innocence.

As James hunts down the evidence that might free him, he faces a barrage of threats to his life and liberty—and makes one chilling discovery after another: Corporate corruption. A conspiracy to frame him for murder and for terrorist acts. A secret drone-control operation that takes out targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The true identity and intent of his beautiful ally. And a plot to blow up the local hospital and surrounding community.

Buy the book from......
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Dr. Glenn Shepard was raised on a farm in eastern Virginia. He attended the University of Virginia on an academic scholarship and majored in psychology. As an undergraduate, he lettered in wrestling for three years in a row. Then, he went on to become the only person in UVA history to letter in wrestling again in his sophomore year in medical school.

After completion of med school at UVA, he went to Vanderbilt where he completed his residency in general and cardiovascular surgery. He spent two years in the Army at the Ft. Gordon Army Hospital in Augusta, Georgia and The Second Surgical Hospital in An Khe, Vietnam. While in Vietnam, he wrote his first work of fiction, SURGE, which is on his back burner of works to dig out of the attic and publish, with major revisions, in the future.

For 28 years, he founded and directed The Peninsula Cranio-Facial deformities clinic that was staffed by volunteer medical, dental, social services, psychology, and speech pathology experts. The group treated over five hundred patients with cleft lips and palates, as well as a variety of deformities of the face and hand.

After the massive earthquake in Haiti in January, 2010, Dr. Shepard emerged from retirement and joined the Notre Dame Hospital unit in Leogane, Haiti for a 10 day rotation. His empathy for the people and their problems as well as his admiration for the contributions of time and talent from medical personnel from all over the world greatly inspired his second novel, RELIEF AID, HAITI.

NOT FOR PROFIT, Dr. Shepard's first thriller.

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

My thoughts:  I love medical books!  Okay so it's not really a medical book per say, but it is a really good book!  Filled with murder, mystery, suspense and so much more.  Oh yeah add in romance!  What is a book without some romance?!
The main question: did our friend the doctor really commit murder?  Who is this sexy woman who just happens by?
Learn this and so much more by reading the book!  Definite recommend for this book!  You will not want to put it down.  Trust me.  Get a copy now.  But you might not want to read it when you're home alone in the dark!

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