Month: November 2009

Books Bought # 26

Posted on by Cindy

Books Bought is a weekly meme that is hosted here on Cindy’s Love of Books.

This is a super easy meme and anyone can take part. All you need to do is grab this logo and write your post on your blog and then link back to me letting me know you took part.

With this meme all you have to do is list the books you recently bought. Simple as that.

I love sales/fairs no matter what kind they are you can always find some good stuff and this past week I was lucky enough to find some really good books. This is what I managed to snag.

I have to give a big cheer out to the previous owner of the books whoever the person(s) is/are because the books are like brand new they are in amazing shape.

-How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

The series Confession of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison
-#1 Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snoggling
-#2 on the bright side, i’m now the girlfriend of a sex god
-#3 knocked out by my nunga-nungas
-#4 dancing in my nuddy-pants
-#5 away laughing on a fast camel
-#6 then he ate my boy entrancers
-#7 startled by his furry shorts
-#8 love is a many trousered thing
-#9 stop in the name of pants!

I was really surprised that I managed to find the whole set apart from #10 which wasn’t there and I discovered that it was just released so that might be why that wasn’t there.

What did you pick up this week? Have you read any of the above books?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Christmas Miracles Tour & Chance to win

Posted on by Cindy


Cecil Murphey/Marley Gibson
Foreword: Don Piper
St. Martin’s Press, Oct. 2009
Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN: 978-0312589837
Retail: $14.99 US

I was contacted by KCWC to see if I would be interested in hosting this tour on my blog and I said yes. I love reading Christmas books and now is the time to get ready to read them.

I haven’t read the book yet because there was a delay in shipping the books out because they were on back order so as soon as I get the book I will be reading it and posting my review. Probably in December.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Celebrate the season of hope and miracles with these inspiring true stories that will warm the heart and touch the soul.

Many ordinary people experience Christmas miracles—those special moments during the season of giving and receiving when Christmas becomes more than just a holiday.

In Christmas Miracles (St. Martin’s Press, October 2009), Cecil Murphey and Marley Gibson share the stories of those who have recognized the special moments that transcend daily experience and transform their lives.

In these stories, people overcome desperate situations through a miraculous twist of fate—all during the most wonderful time of the year. A young boy sits down to read a Christmas book and discovers that his learning disability has vanished. A woman stranded in a blizzard is rescued by a mysterious stranger who she suspects is an angel. And a woman living far from home gets an answer to her prayer in the form of an unexpected gift.

Bestselling author Cecil Murphey says, “We all face discouraging times, whether it’s the lack of money, being stuck on a road in a snowstorm, feeling stress, or being hungry and homeless. But God’s help is available. I want readers to see that miracles do happen—sometimes simple, unexpected blessings or those that involve the supernatural. We start by asking, and in strange and wonderful ways God tiptoes into our dark nights; we experience renewed joy in life and witness God in action through people and unexpected events.”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Marley Gibson is a young adult author whose first published books in the Sorority 101 series were released by Penguin Group in 2008 under the pen name of Kate Harmon. She has a new Ghost Huntress series with Houghton Mifflin written under her own name. She can be found online at http://www.marleygibson.com/.

Award-winning writer Cecil Murphey is the author or co-author of 114 published books, including the NY Times bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper) and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (with Dr. Ben Carson). He’s also the author of When Someone You Love Has Cancer and When God Turned Off the Lights, both 2009 releases. Murphey’s books have sold millions and have given hope and encouragement to countless readers around the world. For more information, visit http://www.cecilmurphey.com/.

INTERVIEW:
Interview with Cecil “Cec” Murphey
by Marley Gibson
Co-authors of Christmas Miracles, from St. Martin’s Press

I am extremely privileged to have the opportunity today to talk to my friend and co-author, Cecil “Cec” Murphey, and to chat about our upcoming book, Christmas Miracles.

Marley: Cec, thanks for spending some time with me today.

Cec: Marley, it’s great that you could take time away from important things like making a living to spend a little time with me.

Marley: I’m so jazzed about our Christmas Miracles book that’s coming out soon. I’ve had a lot of questions from folks wanting to know how we met, what brought us together, etc. So, I thought we’d do a back and forth on how it all came to be. Of course, I have to give props to our amazing agent and friend, Deidre Knight, for bringing us together. For those of you who don’t know, Cec co-authored the runaway New York Times bestselling hit 90 Minutes in Heaven with Don Piper.

Cec: I have to say thanks to Deidre Knight as well. Between Deidre and my assistant, Twila Belk, I’ve been able to sell quite a few books. 90 Minutes in Heaven has been my big book. I’m also proud of a book I wrote in 1990 called Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. The book has never been out of print and has hit close to four million in sales. Early this year, Cuba Gooding Jr. starred in the made-for-TV film version.

Marley: That’s amazing! You are truly prophetic and definitely “the man behind the words.” Now, people ask how we teamed up. Sadly, there was a personal tragedy that brought Cec and me together as friends.

Cec: True. In early 2007, our house burned and our son-in-law died. Aside from the grief over Alan, we lost everything. Deidre and Jan, my-then-assistant, sent the word out of our tragedy without telling me. I’m immensely grateful for every gift people sent, but I probably wouldn’t have admitted I needed help and wouldn’t have asked. They taught me how much we need other people.

Marley: Deidre put out a call to other clients of The Knight Agency, to help Cec and his family out in any way in their time of need. At the time, my company was moving and we were cleaning house. We had a ton of office supplies that we were either going to throw away or give to some of the charities the company worked with. I got my boss’ permission to send a large care package to Cec…full of office supplies for him to re-stock his writer’s office. You name it…post-its, staples, paper clips, pens, pencils, markers, white out, ruler, scissors, paper, notebooks, notepads, envelopes, a laptop case, tape, glue, folders, binder clips…etc. A veritable potpourri of office delights. I was hoping that it would help Cec have a sense of getting his office back so he could keep working.

Cec: Marley’s gift was the most unexpected I received. We hadn’t met, although Deidre Knight had spoken of her many times and kept telling me she was wonderful. I wonder if you can imagine what it was like for me to open that box from someone I didn’t know. I saw all those practical things for my office and yelled for my wife. I felt as if I were reading a first-grade book. “Look! Look and see! Oh, look!” I was overwhelmed by the gift and even more to receive it from a stranger. Those supplies were the most practical gift anyone could have given me. I’m still using black paper clips and red folders from Marley.

Marley: Awww…thanks, Cec! I didn’t have to think twice about doing it. Writing is such a solitary “sport,” but the writing community always astounds me with how they help their own. Not long after that, over plates of spinach and Gouda omelets, Deidre introduced me to Cec in person and I was thrilled to finally meet the man behind the words. Deidre knew we needed to work on a project together and thus began our brainstorming. What did you think of that first meeting, Cec, and cooking up the idea to work together?

Cec: Deidre and I had already spoken about a Christmas book and I had some idea about what it should contain, but nothing had come together. One day Deidre told me that Marley was coming to visit her and she wanted us to work together on a Christmas project. Marley and I talked before we ate and again during the meal. Everything felt right to me. I knew my strengths and Marley knew hers (and Deidre knew both of us). Everything clicked. Marley, a far better networker than I am, immediately sent out the word for submissions. Within days she had almost four times more than we could use. (She read every one of them!)

Marley: I was truly impressed with the submissions we received and it was hard narrowing it down to the ones we chose for the book. We’re fortunate to have such a go-getter agent in Deidre Knight. Cec, can you share how the whole idea of Christmas Miracles came about and what you thought of the project originally?

Cec: For me, it actually started while I was on the rapid-rail train from the Atlanta airport when I listened to teens talk about Christmas and it was mostly about gifts. I had the idea then, but nothing really came together. Months later when Deidre I and had a meeting, she brought up the idea of a compilation and mentioned my working with Marley. I’ve been Deidre Knight’s client since 1997 and I’ve learned to listen carefully when she comes up with an idea. I said yes before she gave me all the information.

Marley: That’s the truth about Deidre! Getting back to those submissions, I want to say we got more than two hundred submissions for Christmas Miracles. So many wonderful stories to read through and select for the book. It was a challenge to pick and choose which ones were right for the book, but I loved every minute of it. After I chose the entries that would go into the book, Cec toiled long hours editing the works for a unified voice. What was the biggest challenge you found in the editing process, Cec?

Cec: I’ve been a ghostwriter and collaborator for twenty-plus years and this was a switch to give the book a unified voice—which was mine. It would have been easier to stay with each writer’s voice, but the book—like many compilations—would have been uneven in tone and quality. When I discussed this via email with our delightful editor, Rose Hilliard, she was (to my surprise) familiar with my work. She told me she liked the warm tone of my writing and that I don’t waste words. “That’s the voice we want,” she said. It still wasn’t easy, but it was an exciting challenge. After Marley and I agreed on the stories and gave them that unified voice, our editor pulled six contributions. Although different, Rose felt they were too similar to other stories.

Marley: Can you give our readers a preview of the book? A favorite story perhaps…or one that moved you to tears? (I have to say the little boy who wished for nothing but to be able to read a book all the way through because of his stutter had me bawling when I read the submission.)

Cec: That’s not fair! I liked them all. The one that touched me most, however, is the last story in the book, “Sean’s Question.” We had almost finished the book and I was teaching at a conference in Florida. I felt we needed one strong story at the end. Despite all the good ones, I didn’t feel fully satisfied to conclude the book. On the last day of the conference, I met a conferee named Sara Zinn for a consultation. As we talked, I mentioned Christmas Miracles and that I still needed one more story. “I have a Christmas story,” she said and told me about Sean. As I listened, tears filled my eyes—but, being the macho type I am, I was sure it was an allergy. Sara wrote the story, and it became the one I sought.

Marley: Oh yes…that one is an emotional one all right. It was meant to be in the book because of how you met at the conference. Now, you and I have both had challenges in our lives that others might have found too much to take, but we are both very strong in our faith and our relationship with God. How do you think Christmas Miracles is going to help others feel closer to God and experience His miracles in their own lives?

Cec: Awareness and appreciation are the two things I want readers to grasp. Awareness means for them to realize that they’re never totally alone in life. Those unexpected, out-of-the-ordinary events remind us of that. Appreciation means to be thankful for what we already have. Too often, and especially at Christmas, we focus on what we’d like or what is supposed to make us happy. Christmas Miracles gently reminds readers of both.

Marley: In this day and age when our country is fighting two wars, unemployment is high, and a lot of people have a lack of hope and faith for their future, what do you want readers of the book to take away from Christmas Miracles and how can the stories in our book help provide comfort to those struggling?

Cec: I want readers to see that miracles do happen—sometimes simple, unexpected blessings or those that involve the supernatural (as in one of Marley’s stories). I call myself a serious Christian. For me, the world’s greatest miracle began with the birth of Jesus. Regardless of a person’s religion, this book encourages readers to think about life during the Christmas season and see that life as more than gifts and celebrations. It’s also a reminder that God loves us and hears our needy cries.

Marley: Beautifully put, Cec, and I couldn’t agree with you more. Can we share what’s next after Christmas Miracles?

Cec: Why it’s the Cec and Marley show, of course. Because of our go-getter agent and our enthusiastic editor, we’ve already received thumbs up for The Christmas Spirit. This will be stories of people who express the true spirit of Christmas by acts of love and kindness, for release in the fall of 2011.

Marley: And I can’t wait to start working on that project! Thank you so much for your time, Cec, and answering my questions. It was a privilege and honor to work with you and I look forward to our future projects together. You’ve helped me along during a trying time and I appreciate your friendship and support.

Cec: I liked this project because Marley had to send out the word, collect submissions, read them, and discard the weaker ones. I get to see only the better-written stories. (Don’t tell her that I have the better job.) Although I mentioned only one story, all of those in the book touched me because of the poignancy of their situations and the miraculous answers. I won’t say the stories increased my faith, but they increased my appreciation for the delightful mix of human need and divine intervention.

Marley: Thanks again, Cec! God Bless! And to our readers, please be sure to pick up a copy of CHRISTMAS MIRACLES, out October 13, 2009 from St. Martin’s Press. It’s a great stocking stuffer or gift basket filler. We hope you, too, will discover your own Christmas Miracles in your life.

CHANCE TO WIN:

Leave a comment for a chance to win the Christmas Miracles gift basket.

Wouldn’t you love to take home this amazing basket filled with Christmas goodies galore?

This amazing gift basket contains everything you’ll need to make your Christmas holiday a success.

Inside you’ll find a stocking stuffed with hard candies, kitchen towels and oven mitts, seasonal potpourri, holiday-colored candles, stuffed animals that talk, snowman candle, nutcrackers, Christmas ornaments, gift bags, gift tags, gift bows, ornament hangers, Christmas cookie cutters, a Merry Christmas doorstopper, a picture frame, Christmas cards, Santa ear muffs, and not just one, but two copies of Cecil Murphey and Marley Gibson’s Christmas Miracles – one to keep and one to give away to someone special.

The generous people at KCWC is hosting this giveaway and all you have to do is leave a comment and I will pick one name at random and send it to them and then it goes into a random drawing with others who have entered with them. Good luck!

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Ansel Adams In Color Review

Posted on by Cindy

TITLE: Ansel Adams In Color

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Renowned as America’s pre-eminent black-and-white landscape photographer, Ansel Adams began to photograph in color soon after Kodachrome film was invented in the mid 1930s. He made nearly 3,500 color photographs, a small fraction of which were published for the first time in the 1993 edition of ANSEL ADAMS IN COLOR. In this newly revised and expanded edition, 20 unpublished photographs have been added. New digital scanning and printing technologies also mean that the book now offers a more faithful representation of Adams’s color photography.

MY THOUGHTS:

I love Ansel Adams work. I discovered his work when I was in high school and he was the person responsible for my love of photography.

This is a great coffee table book and one that sits on my own coffee table book where I am able to look at it all the time. I have had a few people when they come in that would sit and look at the book. This was such a great conversation piece as they would look through it and we would talk about our favorite pictures.

Did you know that Ansel made more then 3,000 color transparencies?

Ansel is most known for his black and white photographs that no one really knew that he actively explored color for over 40 years. He also published articles on color and in 1950 he exhibited a selection of prints in Color Photography at the Museum of Modern Art. When he died he left over 200 pages of letters and notes on his thoughts of color photography.

He believed that color would be the thing of the future and so would electronic imaging. Things that we probably didn’t know and take for granted. He was going to write a book and this is the product of what he left behind when he died in 1984.

Ansel began his photography career in the 1930’s when he was at a turning point in his life. He was able to balance his energy and time between commerical photography and his own for over 40 years until 1970 when he decided to give up commerical photography and devoted his time and energy into his own collection.

James L. Enyeart wrote a great introduction and I really enjoyed. It was interesting to hear what Ansel thought of color.

I loved the pictures in the book and they were great selections for the book. They were all fantastic so its hard to choose a favorite or favorites. I don’t think I would have been able to pick and choose.This is one of my favorite pictures from the book although this one is black and white the colored one is just as beautiful. I love landscape photographs.
Do you have a favorite Ansel Adams photograph?

This would make a great gift for the person who loves photography or Ansel Adams.

This book was provided for review by Hachette. Thank You Anna for sending this too me.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Step Back from the Baggage Claim Review and Author Interview

Posted on by Cindy

TITLE: Step Back From the Baggage Claim
AUTHOR: Jason Barger
PUB DATE: July 2009

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Ever experienced the way small moments impact our lives? Ever wanted to participate in a movement to change our world? Step back, be still, share compassion, live gratefully. Today, travel gracefully along your path! “Step Back from the Baggage Claim”. Jason Barger spent seven straight days flying 6,548 miles to seven different cities living only in the airports the entire time. He studied 10,000 minutes of observations at all four corners of the U.S. and reflected on how our airport experiences can teach us about our lives today. The airport metaphor leaps to life through profound anecdotes about an orphanage in Mexico, a summer camp in Ohio, bamboo, the homeless, climbing Mount Everest, a hot dog grill, and much more. The funny and inspiring stories remind us how to change our daily world through thoughtful and compassionate action! Join the movement.

MY THOUGHTS:

Thank You to Jason for contacting me about his book and thank you for sending it my way.

I have to say that I don’t read motivational books this hasn’t been a genre that really has interested me until reading this book. I am sure I will be picking up future books in this genre.

I have to also say that Jason was a pleasure to work with when he contacted me about doing this and in the interview. He always answered my emails really quickly. Jason, you were a pleasure to work with.

The premise behind the book was that Jason decided to spend seven days living in various airports from Columbus, Ohio to Boston to Maimi to Chicago to Minneapolis to Seattle to San Diego. He also didn’t leave these airports at all. He ate and slept in them. He also had set a budget of $20 a day to live on.

I really enjoyed the book and I could relate to it because I have experienced what he was talking about all the time. I am not a worldly traveller and I am not in airports all the time. I can actually say I have only flown three times in the last 11 years but I know what he is referring to.

While I was reading the book I can remember from the times I was in an airport that people rush off the plane to get to baggage claim to claim their stake for the best spot to grab their baggage while the people behind them were basically trying to poke and peek through to see if their bag had come down yet.

It always funny to see this and it has actually happened when I take the train that people are in such a rush to get their belongings that they don’t realize that by the time they get to baggage their baggage is still being unloaded.

Also as a society I find that we have become self centered and that its always about me and not those around us. I have witnessed this on several occassion where I have been standing in line for fast food to have someone butt in front of me. Just because I am a stay at home mom my time is just a precious as the person who cut in front of me.

On one occassion when that happened to me I actually spoke up because I was in a rush and had to be somewhere so I said “Excuse me, but I was in front of you.” The guy looked at me and said “Yea well not everyone can be a stay at home parent. Some of us have to work.” I was rather annoyed but thankfully the lady behind the counter served me before him.

The book was a quick read and it was interesting that Jason also included at the end of each chapter a few questions to ask yourself and to write them down. He also includes frequently asked questions that he gets asked with is answers. I was also curious and happy to see how he managed to live on $20 a day at these airports. Surprisingly he managed to do it. I guess something to think about when you are traveling this holiday season.

This book isn’t meant only for stepping back from the baggage claim but as well as stepping back in life. We are now a society that is a rush to get from A to B in the fastest time and we really need to step back and smell the roses as the saying goes and live in the moment and not let things pass us by.

Just remember it takes two seconds to help someone be it helping a mother with her stroller if she is going down stairs, holding the door open for someone it just takes one small act of kindness to make the difference in your day and in your life.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jason Barger is the author of the book Step Back from the Baggage Claim: Change the World, Start at the Airport – featured in the NY Times, ABC News.com, National Geographic Traveler, Kiplinger.com, Book TV, the Seattle Times, the International Herald Tribune, and many other wonderful spots.

Before taking off to sleep in airports and observe human behavior, Barger led over 1,700 people to construct 125 houses internationally for families living in poverty. He also implemented the Streets Mission Project to serve the homeless on the streets of Columbus, Ohio. As the former director of First Community Church’s Camp Akita, he designed programming focused on living with joy, love, compassion, faith, and service for over 1,900 campers per summer.

Jason is a graduate of Denison University, where he served as captain of the men’s basketball team, and then received certification from Georgetown University in Nonprofit Executive Management. In 2004, he was one of five people in Columbus, Ohio, to receive a Jefferson Award, a national award given to “ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”

Today, Jason, his wife Amy, and their two sons, Will and Benton, live in Columbus, Ohio. Jason is an author, consultant, servant-leader, creative Think-Tanker, and respected speaker. When not spending time on those things, he is cheering on The Ohio State Buckeyes and leaving the door open for the next opportunity to serve.

MY INTERVIEW WITH JASON:

I want to thank you Jason for taking the time to sit and answer my questions.

CS- I am sure people are wondering why did you decide to write Step Back From the Baggage Claim?

JB-I’m fascinated by people and the spaces in the world where our lives merge together. I’m inspired by the fact that we all share in the creation of today – wherever we are right now. Our actions ripple to those around us and help to shape the culture of the environments we move in and out of every day.

CS- As a society do you think we are in too much of a rush and we just want to get in and out as quickly as possible?

JB-There’s no doubt that we (generally speaking) are living at a faster pace today than at any other time in our history. We live in a fast-food culture and world of instant communication. There are many positives to this fast-paced, connected world that I enjoy, but the downfall is that when we get moving too quickly, we can find ourselves racing recklessly past those along our path just to get the next thing done.

CS- Being in airports for seven days you must have seen some funny stuff, what was your favorite/funny thing you saw while you were observing people for the book?

JB- I love the phenomenon of when an airplane lands and 80% of the plane immediately leaps out of their seats. It is funny (and interesting) to watch the scurry for the overhead bags, the people who rush to try to get a couple rows ahead, the complaining about why it’s taking so long, and then the awkward wait that comes until the doors open a few minutes later. Everyone is “in a hurry” and “late for their next flight” and then you see the same folks 20 minutes later standing in a long line at Starbucks.

CS- I have to ask this and I am sure you get asked this alot but do you have any future books in the works?

JB-I’ve got a few projects that are marinating right now. Who knows what will emerge!

CS- I have to say that I am really surprised that you could actually live off of $20 / day in an airport. Were you surprised that you actually could do that? Did you find it to be a challenge?

JB-$20 does not go far in the airport! It was a challenge to meet the basic nutritional needs and still have enough money for the gallons of coffee required since I was sleeping only about 4 hours a night. It was a fun challenge.

CS- What surprised you about yourself when you set out to write Step Back?

JB- I was surprised how smooth the writing process was. It was an amazing feeling to see how the stories, lessons and observations emerged along the journey. I felt very grateful that I continued to have trust in what would arise from this unknown process.

CS- What would you want or hope readers would take away from reading your book?

JB- That they are significant in the world…today. That their actions matter more to the envionment around them than they fully realize. That when they put grateful and compassionate actions into motion during the seemingly insignificant moments of every day life – the world is changed. I hope readers feel hopeful, inspired, grateful, and compassionate for others along their path.

Thank you, Cindy! I truly appreciate your help sharing the positive spirit of this project! I hope all is well in your world.

You can check out http://stepbackfromthebaggageclaim.com/default.aspx for more information about joining the movement.

This book was provided for review Jason Barger by. Jason sent me the book to read and review as part of his virtual blog tour. Thank You Jason.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Remembrance Day & Veterans Day

Posted on by Cindy

Today its Remembrance Day in Canada and Veterans Day in the US.
Remembrance Day – Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.) The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during war.
copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Tell Me Something True Review

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Tell Me Something True
AUTHOR: Leila Cobo
PUB DATE: October 1, 2009

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Gabriella always loved the picture of her mother kneeling in front of a bed of roses, smiling, beautiful and impossibly happy. But then she learns that her late mother hated gardening; that she had never wanted the house in the Hollywood hills, the successful movie producer husband, and possibly, her only daughter. When Gabriella discovers a journal–a book that begins as a new mother’s letters to her baby girl, but becomes a secret diary–the final entry leaves one question unanswered: the night her mother died, was she returning to Colombia to end an affair, or was she abandoning her family for good?

MY THOUGHTS:

I have had this book on my TBR pile since early summer and I only got around to reading it once I heard Leila Cobo being interviewed by Miriam from HBG on Blog Talk Radio. You can listen to the interview here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/grandcentralpub/2009/10/15/Live-Interview-with-Leila-Cobo-author-of-TELL-ME-SOMETHING-TRUE

This is Leila Cobo’s debut novel. I have to say that I really did enjoy it after hearing the interview. Especially when I heard her character Angel was based on a certain someone that I have had the chance to meet in 2007. To find out who it is you will have to read the post.

The book was written with two alternating viewpoints Gabriella’s and Helena’s diary.

I love the cover of the book. What is there not to love about it? The little girl is just to cute sitting at the piano. It reminds me a little of Michael cause at my in laws they have a piano just like that and he likes to sit and play it.

I enjoyed Tell Me Something True. It was a beautiful debut novel. I am looking forward to reading more from Leila in the future.

Tell Me Something True is about Gabriella, a young woman (in her early 20s) and she is half American and half Colombian. Helena, her mother died when Gabriella was only four years old. Helena died in a plane crash in Cali, Colombia.

Every summer for a month Gabriella goes to Cali to spend time with her grandmother. She never misses it and looks forward to being there because she is waited on hand and foot but her grandmother’s servants. Something that she doesn’t have in California with her father.

Gabriella always believed that her mother and father led a perfect life. She discovers that this isn’t the case when she visits her grandmother. When her grandmother tells Gabriella that she is having the old house torn down Gabriella goes to visit it one last time. Its in her mothers old room that she discovers a box with her mothers things and one of these things is a diary.

Gabriella begins to read it and she realizes that what she thought was true is actually a lie. How will she react to the diary and its secrets? Gabriella is consumed by her mother’s diary and her secret that she sets out to uncover the truth.

Just before finding the diary Gabrielle crashes a party with her cousin and his friends. In her quest to find the bathroom she is looking around the house and stumbles into a room

Ooooooh, she says out loud, looking around her at rows and rows and rows of
books. A library.

A library with old-world cherry wood floors and Persian throw rugs that jar
with the glinting marble stairs.

She almost giggles. These people actually read?

Sounds like my dream room.

Its here that she meets Angel and falls in love. Although they are similar in ways they are so different. One of the things that draws her to him is he is sort of like the bad boy but he’s not. He is making an honest living dispute the fact his father is in prison for money laundering. He is always surrounded by body guards as there are always people wanting to get to him because of who is. Is he really like his father or is he legit with his business dealings?

If you haven’t read the book yet then you should it was good. I enjoyed reading. I am sure I would have enjoyed it just the same had I not heard this interview.

I had to include this picture with the post because Leila said that Angel was based on Enrique.

So it was really nice reading the book and seeing Enrique in Angel’s place. We got to meet Enrique when he came to a suburb of Montreal in 2007. He was in town promoting his last cd. Michael is just as much of a fan as I am.

I honestly didn’t think we would actually get this close to him considering the line up when we got there but thankfully someone heard my prayers because we meet this really nice lady with her daughter and friend. When the line started moving we got separated and this other girl let us get in beside her so that we were at the window to see him and as the line started moving we met up with that lady again and she said that we were with them (to the guard) and we were actually the last ones in to get autographs and pictures.

Once we got in Enrique was extremely happy that he got to meet Michael cause he kept looking at him the whole time and a few times he came to the window to wave with Michael.

This book was provided for review by Hachette. Thanks to Miriam at HBG for sending this to me.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

White Picket Fences Tour

Posted on by Cindy

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Amanda Janvier’s idyllic home seems the perfect place for her niece Tally to stay while her vagabond brother is in Europe, but the white picket fence life Amanda wants to provide is a mere illusion. Amanda’s husband Neil refuses to admit their teenage son Chase, is haunted by the horrific fire he survived when he was four, and their marriage is crumbling while each looks the other way.

Tally and Chase bond as they interview two Holocaust survivors for a sociology project, and become startlingly aware that the whole family is grappling with hidden secrets, with the echoes of the past, and with the realization that ignoring tragic situations won’t make them go away.

Readers of emotional dramas that are willing to explore the lies that families tell each other for protection and comfort will love White Picket Fences. The novel is ideal for those who appreciate exploring questions like: what type of honesty do children need from their parents, or how can one move beyond a past that isn’t acknowledged or understood? Is there hope and forgiveness for the tragedies of our past and a way to abundant grace?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Susan Meissner cannot remember a time when she wasn’t driven to put her thoughts down on paper. Her novel The Shape of Mercy was a Publishers Weekly pick for best religious fiction of 2008 and a Christian Book Award finalist. Susan and her husband live in Southern California, where he is a pastor and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves. They are the parents of four grown children.

INTERESTED IN BUYING THE BOOK:

Random House Catalog

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.