REVIEW WEDNESDAY - September Love

 Good afternoon, friends.

Under the weather yesterday so I'm a bit behind today.

AMAZON

BLURB:

A chance meeting, a peaceful setting at Sebago Lake in Maine, and a desperate need for relief from an unrelenting grief--all happen in September Love. In 2006, Derek Holland, a Morgan Stanley stock broker, lost his young wife, Jenny, and seven-year-old Zachary, in a tragic accident when a Boston commuter train hit another train head-on. Now in 2008, during the September stock market plunge, when his company is faltering, he retreats to the peace and quiet of Sebago Lake. Ironically, Ingrid Mikkelson returns to Sebago Lake Campgrounds each September to grieve the loss of her husband, Svien Mikkelson, who died of a sudden heart attack in 2006. They choose adjacent sites, #148 and #149. In this chance meeting, they find a connection in their sorrow which quickly turns to love. But Ingrid has a secret that she hesitates to share with Derek. Their life story develops as they show how a new and deeper appreciation for life has grown out of a sudden loss of a loved one. It deepens their strength, their appreciation for relationship and the renewal of self through love.

I couldn't finish the book. I'm 21% into the book and the characters haven't even met yet. When you're talking novella length, that really needs to happen within the first chapter or two. 

Christine Adams gives a lot, and I mean a lot of narration. Sometimes the narration switches from third person pov to first person... often within the same paragraph! 

I think this author's strength lies in her non-fiction.

For the first time ever in a review, I can't post a single quill rating.

Please tell me in the comments, how often do you come across a DNF (did not finish) book.

All my best!

~ Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Christine Adams

 Good morning, friends!

Hopefully, the hot weather will break later this week. In the meantime, we are kicking off September with what I hope will be great reads.

This week, I'm shining the spotlight on Christine Adams.

Here's a bit about, Christine Adams:

Christine A. Adams has over two million pamphlets and books in print. One very successful book with Abbey Press is an illustrated Elf Help Book, entitled One Day at a Time Therapy, which has sold over 500,000 copies.

Christine A Adams is now published in 42 Foreign Countries! England, Taiwan, Belgium, Indonesia, Brazil, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, South Africa, India, Sweden, Philippines, Italy, Japan, France, China, Korea, Thailand, Poland, Russia, Hungary, Vietnam, Latvia, Egypt, Slovenia, South Korea, Netherlands, and Denmark.

 Christine, a veteran English teacher and trained counselor, started her publishing career in 1986 when she was completing a pre-doctoral program. at the University of Massachusetts. Education articles began appearing in The English Journal and other educational journals.

For the next twenty years, Chris Adams continued to publish articles, pamphlets, and several books on issues of addiction, relationship, spirituality, education and grief therapy. A full length book called Living In Love: Connecting To The Power of Love Within, which speaks to the need for love and spirituality in our lives, was published by Health Communications, Inc. in 1993. Another book "Love, Infidelity and Sexual Addiction" was published and is still being sold on amazon today. Then, in 1998, Morehouse Publishing Group published a hardcover book, Holy Relationships, which describes a marriage "grounded in spirituality."

Then she added four children's book to her list.

I'll be reviewing September Love, tomorrow. In the mean time, you'll find more about Christine by following any of the links below.

WEBSITE    FACEBOOK   Twitter-X (publishing company)

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Until tomorrow...

All my best!

~ Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends!

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Sweet September

 Good morning!

Another hot day in the Ozarks. Nothing new this year.

This week, I'm spotlighting author Kirsten Osborne and reviewing her book, SWEET SEPTEMBER.

AMAZON

BLURB:

Trying to find a way to help with the family’s scholarship fund, September “Berry” Calendar joins a cooking competition. Although she’s had no formal training as a chef, everyone agrees she’s the best cook around Cauldron Valley, so she hopes she won’t go down in a pile of burning ash. When a handsome man flirts with her on her first night at the competition, she knows he’ll flirt with any woman, because she is no prize. 

Jack Larson agrees to judge a cooking competition that his mother had been very involved with before her death. He’s dreading having to go and be part of it, but on the first night there, he sees a woman who makes his heart beat faster. Her smile makes him feel like he could catch the stars in one hand, and he wants to give them all to her. When the competition is over, he asks her to help him with a party he’s having—one that he makes up on the spot to be able to see her after they return home to Montana. 

Will Jack be able to use the extra time to convince Berry he’s more than just a playboy? Or will she spend the rest of her life mired in self-doubt?

First off, I've loved every Kirsten Osborne book I've ever read. This is Book 9 of a 12 book series, each written by a different author in a collective of talented writers.

I'm a food competitor and loved the story line. I also appreciated that the heroine was more curvy, wore glasses, and had insecurities. Kirsten brought this out through Jack's point of view during a conversation with her mom on their first meeting when Berry brings him in to the fold like pushing someone into the deep end to see if they'll sink or swim. With ten sisters and a brother, the test was real in Berry's eyes. 

Jack was a man who knew what he wanted the minute he saw her... from the back, no less! He knew she was curvy in all the right places. Watching her ability to wow the judges in the competition against experienced  chefs with her simplistic style, was whipped cream on the dessert. 

I loved this book because in spite of Berry's insecurities, she was able to find her true love with a man that didn't see what she perceived as flaws but as beauty to be cherished and loved.

I'm giving SWEET SEPTEMBER...

Remember to check out Kirsten's spotlight post from yesterday where you'll find all of her links.

All my best!

~ Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Kirsten Osborne

 Good morning, friends!

We kick off September with some Autumnal reads. One of them is an unusual read, so we'll see.

This week, we have Kirsten Osborne. I've known Kirsten for many years and featured her a couple of years ago during a Mail Order Bride series she was a part ot.

Here's a bit about Kirsten:

USA Today bestselling author Kirsten Osbourne knows how to write. Each book is an experience that transplants the reader, indulging them in decadence, intense emotion and sweeping love.

 Kirsten was born in Wisconsin, and now lives in Idaho, but she's lived in Minnesota, Texas, and Louisiana along the way.

She writes contemporary and historical romance, venturing into the realm of paranormal romance and women's fiction. She invites you to join her in her world of fantasy, love, and make believe, no matter the location, where there is always a happily ever after at the end.

While you wait for a review tomorrow, you can find out more about Kirsten Osborne by visiting any of her links below.

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   X   IG   GOOD READS   BOOK BUB

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~ Angela

MONTHLY UPDATE

 Good morning, friends

As I sit here planning out September I realized this is the last day of August and time for an update.

Sadly, there is no update on the writing. I really want to finish this book but life keeps happening. I'm so over interruptions.

I was almost to the point of having the studio in a workable order and already had my desk space to layout the scene printouts and begin putting the final phase of the draft together when this happened:

Above my paper storage we discovered I have a serious leak. Now, this did not surprise us as it's just an extension of a roof leak we've been dealing with for at the very least, a couple of years. We've tried everything tofind/ fix the issue. Bob was sure it had to do with the chimney because that had been an issue before we bought the house. The only time the leak affected us was when we had a pelting rain from the northwest. Well, over time the leak has become a stead drip with any rain and apparently running down a channel and into the addition - my office. 

As you can see, we removed everything from the shelf and now we have this:

Bob thinks he's found the issue and fixed it for real this time, but we won't know until we get a good rain and he can actually see.  So we wait through the next couple of weeks as we are in for nothing but sun and close to 100* temps for the next week or two. 

In the mean time, stuff from those top shelves are all over the office, the living room, and my roll-top desk in the bedroom until we find out. All the spaces I'd sorted/ pitched/ cleared now have those items on them and I'm back to no place to work but the dining room table.

I'll be back to work on the manuscript for a couple of hours each night this week as I ask Earth Mother for rain. 

What life interruptus do you deal with in your writing life? I'd love to commiserate with you.

All my best!

~ Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends!

Can you believe it's the last day of August. If you're counting, Halloween is just two weeks away! 

All my best!

~ Angela