Review/ Violent Ends

Title: Violent Ends
Author: Various Authors
Pub Date: September 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 352

Source: Purchased a copy

In a one-of-a-kind collaboration, seventeen of the most recognizable YA writers—including Shaun David Hutchinson, Neal and Brendan Shusterman, and Beth Revis—come together to share the viewpoints of a group of students affected by a school shooting.It took only twenty-two minutes for Kirby Matheson to exit his car, march onto the school grounds, enter the gymnasium, and open fire, killing six and injuring five others. But this isn’t a story about the shooting itself. This isn’t about recounting that one unforgettable day. This is about Kirby and how one boy—who had friends, enjoyed reading, playing saxophone in the band, and had never been in trouble before—became a monster capable of entering his school with a loaded gun and firing on his classmates. Each chapter is told from a different victim’s viewpoint, giving insight into who Kirby was and who he’d become. Some are sweet, some are dark; some are seemingly unrelated, about fights or first kisses or late-night parties. This is a book of perspectives—with one character and one event drawing them all together—from the minds of some of YA’s most recognizable names.

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When I picked up this book to read I have to admit its not what I was expecting. Violent Ends is written by seventeen various authors: Beth Revis, Kendare Blake, Christine Johnson, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Courtney Summers, Shaun David Hutchinson, E.M. Kokie, Mindi Scott, Blythe Woolston, Delilah S. Dawson, Hannah Moskowitz, Elisa Nadar, Steve Brezenoff, Tom Leveen, Margie Gelbwasser, Trish Doller, Neal & Brandon Shusterman.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well the stories all blended together because of the various authors that took part in this. I will say that this was a page turner for me and I should point out at the back of the book you can see what authors wrote what chapter.

Violent Ends does not focus solely on the school shooting but in fact focuses on Kirby the shooter and the victims he has shot. Each character in the book that is involved tells the readers a little of their interaction with Kirby and how they viewed him. Kirby was thought of as a good guy who was social and had it going on by some and some thought Kirby was trouble just waiting to happen.

This is the first book I have read that deals with a school shooting that makes Kirby human and not some mad man who went on a school shooting spree. You never know what goes on in someone’s mind but with Kirby hearing about all these interactions and how he had to struggle on a almost daily bases made the mother in me come out and I just wanted to reach into the book and give him a hug and let him know things will be okay even though it feels like it won’t.

Its been a few days since I have read the book and it still sticks with me. I know not everyone will like everyone but I think as human beings we should be learn to just live our lives and not worry about what everyone is doing and trying to find ways to put everyone down. We have to remember that our words and actions towards someone has a long term effect.

Spotlight/ The House at Homecoming Cove

The House - Banner

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – The House at Homecoming Cove
SERIES – Romantic Ghost Stories by Ginny Baird
AUTHOR – Ginny Baird
GENRE – Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Sweet Romance
PUBLICATION DATE – 10-15-15
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 60K
PUBLISHER – Winter Wedding Press
COVER ARTIST – Dar Albert


The House At Homecoming Cove - CovereBOOK SYNOPSIS

From New York Times Bestselling Author GINNY BAIRD

A breathtaking romantic mystery set at the Virginia Eastern Shore…

Seeking out solitude in which to work, New York City music composer Melissa Carter rents a century-old farmhouse on the Virginia Eastern Shore. There, she meets a loner with rugged good looks and smoldering gray eyes, who has long-term ties to the property. When strange things start occurring at the historic home, the handsome groundskeeper comes to her aid, but is Melissa really safer in his arms?

When Stone Thomas meets a pretty northerner with a musical gift, he’s immediately drawn to her. He’s also determined to protect her from the increasingly odd happenings at the fifty-acre farm where he’s employed. Soon, Stone finds himself wondering whether he and beautiful Melissa might share a future. Yet the secrets of Homecoming Cove threaten to drive them apart.

Praise for Ginny Baird Paranormal Ghost Romance


 

The Ghost Next Door (A Love Story)

“A fine suspense and you just won’t believe how it ends.” ~ Barbara Baker

“The twist at the end took me by surprise! Great job to the author!” ~ Melinda Burchett

“Wow…wow…wow!! I did not see that coming.” ~ Mary Ann

“This is a mind bender! Very well done!” ~ Sandra D. Griffin


 

The Light at the End of the Road

“A gripping tale with a hint of paranormal.” ~ Dawn Pearson

“New, refreshing twists and turns.” ~ Anna Gibson

“Ms. Baird has again exceeded any expectations.” ~ Dianna Plano

“Wow. I mean, WOW. This is not your normal romance…” ~ Anita Slaugh

The House - Pre Order BannerBUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US
APPLE iBOOKS
BARNES & NOBLES NOOK
KOBO


 

The House - Trilogy Banner

EXCERPT

Her words came out in a whisper. “Thank you for everything. For coming to my rescue, for…” She was saying goodbye, yet her chin tilted toward his and she took a step closer, her lips barely parted, inviting. She peered up at him and met his gaze with a look that was surprisingly heated, decidedly predatory. There was no mistaking it. Melissa wanted him too. That was all the encouragement Stone needed to take her in his arms and bring his mouth down on hers with a hungry desire that surpassed all expectations.

Melissa gasped with delight and sighed into his kiss. Stone’s empty mug slid from her grasp and landed somewhere on the sofa. Stone pressed his eager body to hers and ran his hands up her back, threading his fingers through her hair. She was glorious, beautiful, her gaze sparking with reciprocal passion. Stone groaned and kissed her again, savoring the taste of her, delighting in the sweetness of her body molded to his, as his blood pumped harder and his heart beat like a kettledrum gone out of control. It was more than a kiss; it was like coming home.

“Stone,” she said breathlessly. He opened his eyes to find his cheeks nestled between her palms.

She looked up at him her face flushed with longing. “I think you’d better go.”

“Yeah,” he said, his pulse pounding. “I’d better go.”

Thunder boomed and rain slapped the windowpanes, while the fire hissed and moaned.

Neither one moved.

“Melissa,” Stone whispered, brushing his lips over hers. “You and me… It’s like… I don’t know.”

“I know,” she replied, meeting his kiss. “I feel it too.”


 

Author Photo - Ginny BairdAUTHOR BIO

NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling Author Ginny Baird has published novels in print and online and received screenplay options from Hollywood for her family and romantic comedy scripts. She writes heartwarming contemporary romance about single women facing everyday challenges. Known for featuring holidays and family themes in her work, Ginny frequently portrays the struggles of single parents or others who’ve given up on finding true love.

Ginny has two novella series, The Holiday Brides Series (holiday romance) and The Summer Grooms Series (summer romance), a Romantic Ghost Stories series (paranormal ghost romance), and additional single titles available. She is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling Author, a Top 10 Best Seller on Kindle, NOOK and iBooks, and a #1 Best Seller in several Romance and Women’s Fiction categories. Visit Ginny’s website www.ginnybairdromance.com to learn more about her and her books.


AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
WEBSITE
BLOG
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS


 

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Book Spotlight/ Under A Mating Moon

 photo Under-a-Mating-Moon-Banner.jpg photo Under-A-Mating-Moon.jpg

Title:   Under A Mating Moon
Author:  Celia Breslin
Published:  September 18th, 2015
Publisher:  Decadent Publishing
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Content Warning:  Graphic violence and adult sexual content
Recommended Age:  18+

Synopsis: 
BritishAlpha wolf Jake Marsden spends his days among humans, pursuing a lucrative
music career and avoiding his pack’s politics. When his current DJ tour takes
him to the US, he stops in Los Lobos to visit family, and runs into the one
Wolf he never wants to see again—the mate who rejected his claim.


While visiting her brother in Los Lobos, free-spirited Lexi Luparell is shocked to encounter the Wolf she’d denied when they were teens. Now she must face her guilt for the cruel way she spurned him all those years ago, make amends, and admit the truth. Jake was right all along—they’re meant to
mate.


Lexi would love to explore the mate concept and her
overwhelming attraction to virile, Alpha Wolf Jake, but he wants nothing to do
with her. How can she break down his defenses when she’s the reason he built
them in the first place?


Jake dates only human women now. Lexi had her shot at being
his mate, and she threw it away. But when her life is threatened, he may have
to rethink his position and do whatever it takes to claim his one true mate.
 
 

Amazon | GoodReads

Excerpt
from Under a Mating Moon by Celia Breslin:
A billion butterflies battered Lexi’s stomach. She
shifted her attention from Ross to the piano. Sure enough, the music had
stopped, and Jake faced her from his seat on the bench. Man oh man, the heavy
stare from those sky blue eyes sent shivers skittering down her spine. His gaze
held the same intensity she remembered from him as a kid, as if he saw into the
heart of people, exposing their deepest secrets. It drove her crazy back then,
and she’d spent much time teasing him, pulling his hair, trying to distract him
from being so serious all of the damn time. They were teenagers—partying was
supposed to be their sole focus.
 
With his ice blue stare locked on her, Jake rose to his
feet, all taut muscle and predatory power. His energy swept over her like a
tsunami, forcing all of the moisture to abandon her mouth while parts much
lower wept with want. Her inner Wolf howled, answering the call of this Alpha,
the first Dominant male ever to make her sit up and take notice. Holy crap. Her
muscles shook with the need to bound over to him, jump in his arms, wrap her
legs around his torso and writhe against his hard, hot, tattooed body.
 
Jake said something to his uncle then stalked straight at
her, cutting a path right through the middle of the tables and the many,
too-curious patrons.
 
A whimper escaped her throat.
 
Surprise sparked in her brother’s brown eyes.
“You’re kidding me. Him?” He burst out laughing. “Wow, sis,
that’s some major, big time irony right there.”
 
Darci’s expression conveyed her bewilderment. “Now
what are you two talking about?”
 
Her annoying brother grinned. “See that angry Alpha
headed our way?  My sister here rejected
him when they were teens and he’s apparently her—”
 
Lexi socked her brother in the ribs. “Shut it,
Ross.”
 
“Ouch.” Ross rubbed his side and chuckled at
her plight. The jerk.
 
“Come on, Lexi, you have to admit the hilarity of
the situation.”
 
No, she did not. Nor did she have to admit that J-Bird
was right all those years ago. He was her mate. O to the M to the G… They
were mates.
 
Even so, he didn’t look happy to see her at all. In fact,
he looked positively enraged. Shit, shit and triple shit. What a mess she’d
made eight years ago. Well, she was woman enough to pull on her big girl panties
and fix it. She straightened her spine and lifted her chin in challenge,
meeting Jake’s stormy stare. He halted before her.
 
I can do this. “Hey J-Bird. Nice to see you.”
Lovely. Her voice sounded like she’d eaten the gravel from the lot in front of
Gee’s bar. Embarrassment heated her cheeks.
 
One breath, two breaths, three… J-Bird glared. Tension
coiled between them in the silence. Lexi bit the inside of her cheek to avoid
babbling at him. She’d said hello. It was his turn. Damn it, J-Bird, say
something. He wasn’t making this easy.
 
“Alexina.”
His arctic tone dismissed her and slapped her in the face at the same
time, leaving her disappointed and confused. No one called her by her full
name. No one except her parents when she’d done something wrong as a kid. He
might as well have said, “screw you,” while slamming a door in her
face.
 
His focus shifted to her brother. “Hello, Ross. Been
a while.” His hand shot out to grasp her brother’s in a cordial shake.
 
“Good to see you, Jake. Join us for lunch? My treat.
We can catch up on old times.”
“No, thank you. I’m done. Nice to see you again,
Ross.” Jake nodded at Darci. “Miss.” He brushed past them and
out the door.
 
“What. Just. Happened?” The, “I’m done,” he
uttered in his delicious British accent seemed aimed more at her than at her
brother’s offer. And the fact he hadn’t even looked at her before stalking out
all sexy in his gloom and doom? Yeah, that hurt.
 
“I think you know, sis.” The amusement left her
brother’s face and sympathy glimmered in his gaze. “Question is, what are
you going to do about it?”
 

 

She’d never run from a fight in her life. She wouldn’t
start now. “Grab a table. I’ll be back in a second. Or not.” She
ignored her brother’s knowing grin and hurried out the door.
 

 photo Celia-Breslin.jpg

About the Author:
Celia
lives in California with her family and two feisty cats. She writes urban
fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for werewolves,
vampires, and the Fae. Her award-winning vampire series – The Tranquilli
Bloodline – is available from Champagne Books. Under A Mating Moon is her
second werewolf story for Decadent Publishing’s, multi-author, Black Hills
Wolves shifter line.


When
not writing, you’ll find Celia exercising, reading a good book, hanging with
her family, or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV shows and movies.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
  • A $10 Amazon gift card.
Giveaway is International.

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Book Spotlight/ Penguin Random House Fall Sampler

PRHFall2015

I believe this is the second time Penguin Random House has put out a sampler of the upcoming Fall 2015 titles.

I personally love when publishing houses do this because it gives you a sneak peek into the upcoming titles and it allows you to read a little snippet of the book. I have found so many little hidden gems this way.

In this Penguin Random House there is six books highlighted and they are:

Pub Date: January 12, 2016

For readers of Amy Bloom, Sarah Waters, and Anthony Doerr, The Dressmaker’s Waris a riveting work of historical fiction about a woman caught in the chaos of World War II, and the choices she must make to survive.
 
A powerful, riveting work of historical fiction, The Dressmaker’s War is the story of a brilliant English seamstress taken prisoner in Germany during World War II. It is about her perseverance, the choices she makes to stay alive, and the haunting aftermath of war.

London, 1939. Ada Vaughan is a young working-class woman with an unusual skill for dressmaking who dreams of opening her own atelier. When she meets Stanislaus von Lieben, a Hungarian aristocrat, a new, better life seems to arrive. Stanislaus sweeps Ada off her feet and brings her to Paris. But when war breaks out and Stanislaus vanishes, Ada is abandoned and alone, trapped on an increasingly dangerous continent.

Taken prisoner by the Germans, Ada does everything she can to survive. In the bleak horror of wartime Germany, Ada’s skill for creating beauty and glamour is the one thing that keeps her safe. But after the war, attempting to rebuild her life in London, Ada finds that no one is interested in the messy truths of what happened to women like her. And though Ada thought she had left the war behind, her past eventually comes to light, with devastating consequences.

Gorgeously written and compulsively readable, The Dressmaker’s War introduces us to an unforgettable heroine—Ada Vaughan, a woman whose ambition for a better life ultimately comes at a heartbreaking cost.
Pub Date: August 2015 (This is already out)

For fans of We Were Liars and How I Live Now comes a haunting, sexy, magically realistic debut about a family caught between a violent history, a taboo romance, and the mysteries lurking in their own backyard.

Every October Cara and her family become inexplicably and unavoidably accident-prone. Some years it’s bad, like the season when her father died, and some years it’s just a lot of cuts and scrapes. This accident season—when Cara, her ex-stepbrother, Sam, and her best friend, Bea, are 17—is going to be a bad one. But not for the reasons they think.

Cara is about to learn that not all the scars left by the accident season are physical: There’s a long-hidden family secret underneath the bumps and bruises. This is the year Cara will finally fall desperately in love, when she’ll start discovering the painful truth about the adults in her life, and when she’ll uncover the dark origins of the accident season—whether she’s ready or not.

(This sounds really good and I am thinking I need to pick this up very soon.)

Pub Date: September 2015

From the award-winning, New York Times- bestselling author of The Monsters of Templeton and Arcadia, one of the most anticipated books of the fall: an exhilarating novel about marriage, creativity, art, and perception.

Fates and Furies is a literary masterpiece that defies expectation. A dazzling examination of a marriage, it is also a portrait of creative partnership written by one of the best writers of her generation.

Every story has two sides. Every relationship has two perspectives. And sometimes, it turns out, the key to a great marriage is not its truths but its secrets. At the core of this rich, expansive, layered novel, Lauren Groff presents the story of one such marriage over the course of twenty-four years.

At age twenty-two, Lotto and Mathilde are tall, glamorous, madly in love, and destined for greatness. A decade later, their marriage is still the envy of their friends, but with an electric thrill we understand that things are even more complicated and remarkable than they have seemed. With stunning revelations and multiple threads, and in prose that is vibrantly alive and original, Groff delivers a deeply satisfying novel about love, art, creativity, and power that is unlike anything that has come before it. Profound, surprising, propulsive, and emotionally riveting, it stirs both the mind and the heart.

(This also sounds really good and I will need to check this one out as well.)
Pub Date: October 6th, 2015

History comes alive in this textured account of the rivalry between Harry Houdini and the so-called Witch of Lime Street, whose iconic lives intersected at a time when science was on the verge of embracing the paranormal.

The 1920s are famous as the golden age of jazz and glamour, but it was also an era of fevered yearning for communion with the spirit world, after the loss of tens of millions in the First World War and the Spanish-flu epidemic. A desperate search for reunion with dead loved ones precipitated a tidal wave of self-proclaimed psychics—and, as reputable media sought stories on occult phenomena, mediums became celebrities.

Against this backdrop, in 1924, the pretty wife of a distinguished Boston surgeon came to embody the raging national debate over Spiritualism, a movement devoted to communication with the dead. Reporters dubbed her the blonde Witch of Lime Street, but she was known to her followers simply as Margery. Her most vocal advocate was none other than Sherlock Holmes’ creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who believed so thoroughly in Margery’s powers that he urged her to enter a controversial contest, sponsored by Scientific American and offering a large cash prize to the first medium declared authentic by its impressive five-man investigative committee.  Admired for both her exceptional charm and her dazzling effects, Margery was the best hope for the psychic practice to be empirically verified.  Her supernatural gifts beguiled four of the judges. There was only one left to convince…the acclaimed escape artist, Harry Houdini.

David Jaher’s extraordinary debut culminates in the showdown between Houdini, a relentless unmasker of charlatans, and Margery, the nation’s most credible spirit medium. The Witch of Lime Street, the first book to capture their electric public rivalry and the competition that brought them into each other’s orbit, returns us to an oft-mythologized era to deepen our understanding of its history, all while igniting our imagination and engaging with the timeless question: Is there life after death?

(This is not my typical read but I have to say after reading the above description I really want to check this book out.)
Pub Date: August 2015

The latest novel from New York Times best-selling author Jennifer McMahon is an atmospheric, gripping, and suspenseful tale that probes the bond between sisters and the peril of keeping secrets.

Once the thriving attraction of rural Vermont, the Tower Motel now stands in disrepair, alive only in the memories of Amy, Piper, and Piper’s kid sister, Margot. The three played there as girls until the day that their games uncovered something dark and twisted in the motel’s past, something that ruined their friendship forever.

Now adult, Piper and Margot have tried to forget what they found that fateful summer, but their lives are upended when Piper receives a panicked midnight call from Margot, with news of a horrific crime for which Amy stands accused. Suddenly, Margot and Piper are forced to relive the time that they found the suitcase that once belonged to Silvie Slater, the aunt that Amy claimed had run away to Hollywood to live out her dream of becoming Hitchcock’s next blonde bombshell leading lady. As Margot and Piper investigate, a cleverly woven plot unfolds—revealing the story of Sylvie and Rose, two other sisters who lived at the motel during its 1950s heyday. Each believed the other to be something truly monstrous, but only one carries the secret that would haunt the generations to come.

(This is not my typical read but another one that has me curious.)
Pub Date: September 2015

Dominic is a prosecutor, a musician, and an Englishman living in Texas. He’s also a psychopath.

His main goal is to hide his condition and lead a seemingly normal life in hopes to pay off his debts and become a full-time musician in Austin’s  club scene. But on one lousy day his carefully-controlled world starts to shatter: he’s demoted at work and accused of stealing a fellow musician’s song.

He also meets a beautiful woman in a lime green dress–perhaps the biggest threat to his safety of all. At her urging, Dominic hatches a plan to steal a van he knows will be filled with cash. He picks two friends as accomplices, insisting on no guns and no violence. But a security guard catches them in the act and simple theft turns into capital murder.

Cracks start to show in the conspiracy and, with no allegiance to anyone but himself, Dominic has to decide whether to stick by his partners in crime, or let his true nature come out to play.

Do any of these books peek your interest? Have you read any of these books yet? What did you think?

Book Spotlight/ Penguin Random House Spring 2015 Sampler

PRHSpringSampler2015

I believe this is the first time that Penguin Random House as come up with a sampler. I love when publishers put together this kind of thing because as a lover of books and a big time reader I love being able to discover a hidden little gem that I might not normally hear about. Granted its not always great for my TBR and book buying but still it gives you something to be on the look out for.

Penguin Random House has put together this sampler of the top six books that they think will be the hottest titles out there.

I know this is Spring 2015 so I am behind but I spotted this on Netgalley and you can never be behind in books right?

Pub Date: May 2015

WATER IS POWER

Paolo Bacigalupi, New York Times best-selling author of The Windup Girl and National Book Award finalist, delivers a near-future thriller that casts new light on how we live today—and what may be in store for us tomorrow.

The American Southwest has been decimated by drought. Nevada and Arizona skirmish over dwindling shares of the Colorado River, while California watches, deciding if it should just take the whole river all for itself. Into the fray steps Las Vegas water knife Angel Velasquez. Detective, assassin, and spy, Angel “cuts” water for the Southern Nevada Water Authority and its boss, Catherine Case, ensuring that her lush, luxurious arcology developments can bloom in the desert and that anyone who challenges her is left in the gutted-suburban dust.

When rumors of a game-changing water source surface in Phoenix, Angel is sent to investigate. With a wallet full of identities and a tricked-out Tesla, Angel arrows south, hunting for answers that seem to evaporate as the heat index soars and the landscape becomes more and more oppressive. There, Angel encounters Lucy Monroe, a hardened journalist, who knows far more about Phoenix’s water secrets than she admits, and Maria Villarosa, a young Texas migrant, who dreams of escaping north to those places where water still falls from the sky.

As bodies begin to pile up and bullets start flying, the three find themselves pawns in a game far bigger, more corrupt, and dirtier than any of them could have imagined. With Phoenix teetering on the verge of collapse and time running out for Angel, Lucy, and Maria, their only hope for survival rests in one another’s hands.  But when water is more valuable than gold, alliances shift like sand, and the only truth in the desert is that someone will have to bleed if anyone hopes to drink.

(This is on my wishlist of books because it sounds really good)
Pub Date: February 2015

The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor.

As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world.

And she’ll be with the boy she loves–who’s also her best friend.

But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes.

Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought.

And now it’s too late to walk away.

(Something I wouldn’t normally read but sounds good)

Pub Date: June 2015

Monsieur Perdu can prescribe the perfect book for a broken heart. But can he fix his own?
 
Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can’t seem to heal through literature is himself; he’s still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

Internationally bestselling and filled with warmth and adventure, The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people’s lives.

(I missed out on getting this at BEA because I do recall seeing it there. Oh well its on my radar to get)
Pub Date: March 2015

In this thrilling new novel from the author of Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces. At the Water’s Edgeis a gripping and poignant love story about a privileged young woman’s awakening as she experiences the devastation of World War II in a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands.

After disgracing themselves at a high society New Year’s Eve party in Philadelphia in 1944, Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a former army colonel who is already ashamed of his son’s inability to serve in the war. When Ellis and his best friend, Hank, decide that the only way to regain the Colonel’s favor is to succeed where the Colonel very publicly failed—by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster—Maddie reluctantly follows them across the Atlantic, leaving her sheltered world behind.

The trio find themselves in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands, where the locals have nothing but contempt for the privileged interlopers. Maddie is left on her own at the isolated inn, where food is rationed, fuel is scarce, and a knock from the postman can bring tragic news. Yet she finds herself falling in love with the stark beauty and subtle magic of the Scottish countryside. Gradually she comes to know the villagers, and the friendships she forms with two young women open her up to a larger world than she knew existed. Maddie begins to see that nothing is as it first appears: the values she holds dear prove unsustainable, and monsters lurk where they are least expected.

As she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be, Maddie becomes aware not only of the dark forces around her, but of life’s beauty and surprising possibilities.

(I really need to read Sara’s books and this one sounds just as good as her previous books)
Pub Date: April 2015

In 1972, on Mudas Summers’ seventeenth birthday, her beloved Mama, Ella, is found hanging from the rafters of their home. Most people in Peckinpaw, Kentucky, assume that Ella’s no-good husband did the deed. Others think Ella grew tired of his abuse and did it herself. Muddy is determined to find out for sure either way, especially once she finds strange papers hidden amongst her mama’s possessions.

But Peckinpaw keeps its secrets buried deep. Muddy’s almost-more-than-friend, Bobby Marshall, knows that better than most. Though he passes for white, one of his ancestors was Frannie Crow, a slave hanged a century ago on nearby Hark Hill Plantation. Adorning the town square is a seat built from Frannie’s gallows. A tribute, a relic–and a caution–it’s known as Liar’s Bench. Now, the answers Muddy seeks soon lead back to Hark Hill, to hatred and corruption that have echoed through the years–and lies she must be brave enough to confront at last.

Kim Michele Richardson’s lush, beautifully written debut is set against a Southern backdrop passing uneasily from bigotry and brutality to hope. With its compelling mystery and complex yet relatable heroine, Liar’s Bench is a story of first love, raw courage, and truths that won’t be denied.

(This one sounds like it could be a good read)

Pub Date: June 2015

In the spellbinding and suspenseful Let Me Die in His Footsteps, Edgar Award–winner Lori Roy wrests from a Southern town the secrets of two families touched by an evil that has passed between generations.

On a dark Kentucky night in 1952 exactly halfway between her fifteenth and sixteenth birthdays, Annie Holleran crosses into forbidden territory. Everyone knows Hollerans don’t go near Baines, not since Joseph Carl was buried two decades before, but, armed with a silver-handled flashlight, Annie runs through her family’s lavender fields toward the well on the Baines’ place. At the stroke of midnight, she gazes into the water in search of her future. Not finding what she had hoped for, she turns from the well and when the body she sees there in the moonlight is discovered come morning, Annie will have much to explain and a past to account for.

It was 1936, and there were seven Baine boys. That year, Annie’s aunt, Juna Crowley, with her black eyes and her long blond hair, came of age. Before Juna, Joseph Carl had been the best of all the Baine brothers. But then he looked into Juna’s eyes and they made him do things that cost innocent people their lives. Sheriff Irlene Fulkerson saw justice served—or did she?

As the lavender harvest approaches and she comes of age as Aunt Juna did in her own time, Annie’s dread mounts. Juna will come home now, to finish what she started. If Annie is to save herself, her family, and this small Kentucky town, she must prepare for Juna’s return, and the revelation of what really happened all those years ago.

(Can I just start of by saying I love the cover and this one is now on my radar.)

Have you read any of these books? What interests you?