Spotlight and Giveaway: In Case You Missed It

Today we are featuring In Case You Missed It by Lindsey Kelk. Thanks to HarperCollins, we have THREE copies to give away!

When Ros steps off a plane after four years away she’s in need of a job, a flat and a phone that actually works. And, possibly, her old life back. Because everyone at home has moved on, her parents have reignited their sex life, she’s sleeping in a converted shed and she’s got a bad case of nostalgia for the way things were.

Then her new phone begins to ping with messages from people she thought were deleted for good. Including one number she knows off by heart: her ex’s.

Sometimes we’d all like the chance to see what we’ve been missing…

‘Swoops you up and fills your heart with such joy’ 

~Giovanna Fletcher, bestselling author of Some Kind of Wonderful  

‘It might be the funniest and most relatable of ALL BOOKS EVER’ ~Lucy Vine, bestselling author of Hot Mess 

‘I loved it’ 

~Mhairi McFarlane, bestselling author of If I Never Met You

Lindsey Kelk is an author, journalist and prolific tweeter. Previously a children’s book editor and columnist for Marie Claire, Lindsey is now a full-time writer and lives in Los Angeles. She is published in 22 countries and her novels, including the I Heart series, the Tess Brookes About a Girl series and standalones, have sold over two million copies worldwide. You can connect with her and her community of fans at her website and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.  

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Giveaway ends September 15th at midnight EST.

Kim Gruenenfelder does the time warp...plus a book giveaway

We're thrilled to have Kim Gruenenfelder back at CLC today to celebrate the recent publication of her latest novel, My Ex's Wedding. This sounds like such a fun story with an eye-catching cover and we're excited to check it out soon. Kim has THREE e-books (PDF) to give away!

Kim Gruenenfelder grew up in and around Los Angeles and began her career in TV at the age of 19. She has written feature films, episodic teleplays and two stage plays. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son, and continues to avoid anything even remotely resembling a real job. (Bio courtesy of Amazon.)

Visit Kim online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
It’s 1998, and Samantha Evans has no regrets about her life. She’s one of Hollywood’s most sought after ghostwriters of celebrity autobiographies, shares a tranquil house in the hills with her best friend Liz, and is in the throes of a new romance with Eric, a gorgeous doctor. Life could not be better.

But Sam’s perfectly curated world is about to completely unravel. Her descent into madness begins the night she meets Eric’s childhood best friend, international superstar Isabella Robles. A narcissist prone to temper tantrums, “Belle” is in town for her latest (and fifth) “wedding of the century.” To make matters worse, she is marrying Dave, Sam’s ex-husband.

Things quickly go from awkward to just plain weird. Isabella hires Sam to write her memoirs. Then makes her a bridesmaid. Then cajoles Sam to join Dave in Hawaii for his bachelor party. Adding to the chaos, Sam bickers with Joe, Dave’s best man and the bane of Sam’s existence, receives unsolicited advice from client Vanessa, a diva from the '80s, and tries to stay calm as a series of fortune tellers mess with her head.

So maybe no one’s life goes according to plan. Maybe some days you gotta suck it up and go to your Ex’s Wedding. And maybe finding the love of your life isn’t accomplished through a series of steps, but through a really ugly bridesmaid’s dress and an open bar. (Courtesy of Kim's website.)

“My Ex’s Wedding is the very definition of a fabulous Chick Lit read. It's full of humor, what-ifs, and ultimately, rewards. When a book makes me laugh on the second page, I know it's gonna be a winner, and as ever Kim Gruenenfelder does not disappoint. Buy it, read it, then put it on your bookshelf to re-read. You won't be sorry!”
--Whitney Dineen, bestselling author of the Creek Water Series

What is something you learned from writing your previous novels that you applied to My Ex's Wedding?
This not only came from writing novels but also from writing screenplays – make sure every scene has a reason to be there. Make sure every character has something they want anytime they interact with each other. Even if the character could not verbalize what they want, their behavior shows it. Make it funny. You can and should go deeper when talking about relationships, but find the humor in things when you can. Weddings can get ridiculous: so much humor to be mined from that.

How did you decide to set My Ex's Wedding in the late nineties?
I actually started this book in 2005 after A Total Waste of Makeup was sold to St. Martin’s in a two book deal. At the time, my editor and I thought a book about a ghostwriter would be interesting, since so many books on the New York Times bestseller’s list had not been written by the person claiming to write the book, but by a ghostwriter. I thought it was a world readers didn’t know much about and that intrigued me. But the book had to have some similarities to Makeup; it still had to be a romantic comedy. I still set all of my books in Los Angeles, since that is where I am from, and in the realm of the entertainment industry, since those are most of the people I know. Took awhile to write, and during that time Makeup sold well. So St. Martin’s asked for a sequel as my second book, and Wedding got shelved.

But in my head I needed to finish it. When going back and looking at it years later, I saw lots of relics of the '00s I found funny. So I decided to really run with that and go back further: what if we had no social media? What if we still had answering machines, music videos that were watched on TV, appointment TV? And what if I showed that no matter which century you are living in, people don’t change much: there are good ones, bad ones, ones who make us crazy. And relationships don’t change too much. But a little. 90% of however you were together a million years ago will still be who you are now. But that other 10% is important.

If My Ex's Wedding were made into a movie, what are some songs that would be on the soundtrack?
I know several music supervisors that could handle this better but “Sex and Candy”, “Livin' La Vida Loca” if it came out by 1998, some Guns 'N Roses for the men whose wives or girlfriends drag them to the movie. And, of course, “Against All Odds”, which Dave’s band covers and has a hit with.


Which TV series are you currently binge watching?
Going against what I normally watch, I watched all episodes of United We Fall in two days, because Will Sossa is a character actor you’ve probably never heard of, but he makes everything better. Very tame family oriented show, but made me laugh out loud a few times and that’s all I want from a sitcom. My son and I are watching this show Worth It, which is a Buzzfeed show on YouTube where two guys go to restaurants to get meals at “drastically different price points”: they’ll go to a $1 a slice pizza place than get a $2,000 pizza from another restaurant, and decide which one is “worth it”. I like it because it was all shot before Covid and people actually shake hands and eat indoors and hug: talk about nostalgia. I watched Mrs. America the last two nights. It’s not just about Phyllis Schlafly, it’s about the women’s movement in the 1970s. As a woman’s history major, I found it fascinating. Finally, I love Bojack Horseman, so I still binge watch those. But the show is a little dark.

Are you friends with an ex-boyfriend?
I’m friends with several. And I married one. ☺
I am actually pretty lucky when it comes to exes. I only dated nice guys. I have a few bad first date stories, some of which are kind of funny. But if I saw the guy a second time, he was and is a good guy. Things just didn’t work out. (Which probably means I’m the crazy one.) I never dated musicians, stand up comedians, or actors - so many friends have awful stories about dating artists who make their living in the spotlight. I never had the self confidence to be with someone who had to be caught: if someone wasn’t nice to me, I moved on.

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
Didn’t happen to me per se, but I overheard a little girl ask her Mom if reindeer could get Covid. I knew where she was going with that, and it made me laugh.

Thanks to Kim for visiting with us and for sharing her book with our readers!


How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends September 14th at midnight EST.

Samantha Vérant cooks up a great story...plus a book giveaway

Today we are thrilled to have Samantha Vérant with us to celebrate the publication of her latest novel, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux. Just from e-mailing with Samantha, we can tell that she is a total sweetheart. We hope you will enjoy getting to know her as much as we have. Thanks to Berkley, we have an a print copy and an e-book (NetGalley) of The Secret French Recipes to give away!

Samantha Vérant is a travel addict, a self-professed oenophile, and a determined, if occasionally unconventional, at home French chef. She lives in southwestern France, where she's married to a sexy French rocket scientist she met in 1989 (but ignored for twenty years), a stepmom to two incredible kids, and the adoptive mother to a ridiculously adorable French cat. When she’s not trekking from Provence to the Pyrénées or embracing her inner Julia Child, Sam is making her best effort to relearn those dreaded conjugations. (Bio courtesy of Samantha's website.)

Visit Samantha online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
A disgraced chef rediscovers her passion for food and her roots in this stunning novel rich in culture and full of delectable recipes.

French-born American chef Sophie Valroux had one dream: to be part of the one percent of female chefs running a Michelin-starred restaurant. From spending summers with her grandmother, who taught her the power of cooking and food, to attending the Culinary Institute of America, Sophie finds herself on the cusp of getting everything she's dreamed of.

Until her career goes up in flames.

Sabotaged by a fellow chef, Sophie is fired, leaving her reputation ruined and confidence shaken. To add fuel to the fire, Sophie learns that her grandmother has suffered a stroke and takes the red-eye to France. There, Sophie discovers the simple home she remembers from her childhood is now a luxurious château, complete with two restaurants and a vineyard. As Sophie tries to reestablish herself in the kitchen, she comes to understand the lengths people will go to for success and love, and how dreams can change. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is a favorite compliment you have received for your writing?
We authors are told not to check our reviews, but I do. For me, it’s like checking in on your baby and books have a really long gestational period. With that said, a reviewer from the advance copy of THE SECRET FRENCH RECIPES OF SOPHIE VALROUX called the writing “delightful, passionate, and fierce” and mentioned the many layers to the story. Another reviewer could smell and picture the scenery and scents. And quite a few people have warned: “do not read this book when hungry.” All of these compliments tell me I’m doing something right. And that truly makes me happy and fills me with inspiration.

How are you similar to or different from Sophie?
I’ve made the move from writing memoir to fiction and I write what I know. There is a lot of Sophie in me. She tries to come off as strong, although not at her weakest point. She’s a klutz. She has an open heart and loves to cook to nourish the people around her. With her, I suppose I created an alter ego or fantasy. Sure, I may be married to a sexy Frenchman, but I didn’t inherit a massive château.

If The Secret French Recipes were made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?
I Googled hot French actors to cast Rémi, the love interest. The research was fun and I discovered Sébastian Dupuis. Sophie was a bit harder to find. She needed to be fierce and beautiful with long black hair and green eyes. Megan Fox kept popping up…and then I found Gal Gadot, who played Wonder Woman. As for Grand-mère Odette: hands down Catherine Deneuve.

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
The last book I read was WITH OR WITHOUT YOU by Caroline Leavitt and I adored it. I’ve also been reading a lot of debut authors, members of a group I’m in. There have been so many amazing reads and I could go on and on. During confinement, I read and reviewed over 30 amazing books––all noted on Goodreads.

What is your go-to dessert recipe?
Any kind of fruit crumble or, lately, chocolate truffles.

What is something you have learned about yourself during this pandemic?
Aside from that I can make sourdough bread from scratch, I’ve learned how important connecting to/with people is–– and not just over Zoom. I really miss my family. Unfortunately, thanks to the pandemic, I don’t know when I’ll be able to travel back to the U.S. Alas, along with my husband and kids, I have a large network of friends in France and we do our best to keep each other’s spirits up.

Thanks to Samantha for visiting with us and to Berkley for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends September 13th at midnight EST.

Book Review: More Than

By Sara Steven

“You are obese, Mrs. Moriarty.”

Peggy Moriarty is stunned by her doctor’s words. She knows she’s let herself go a bit, but she thinks the young, skinny physician is exaggerating. Her husband’s death fourteen years ago left her to raise their twins, Grace and Greg, alone. But now that they’re teenagers, doing their own things, her only hobby is watching Messages from Beyond, a show about a medium who connects the grieving with their deceased loved ones.

When the twins leave for college, they give Peggy a gift certificate for an exercise class. At first, Peggy is insulted. But once the sting wears off, she realizes if she gets in shape, she might gain the confidence she needs to go on her favorite TV show and talk to her husband one last time.

With help from her new friends at the gym and Carmen Tavarez, the mother of Grace’s boyfriend, Peggy begins to emerge from her prolonged grief and spread her wings. She may soon discover that her sum is more than a mother, a widow, and her body. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

At the start of More Than and even beyond it, I could feel Peggy’s depression. Her mannerisms and the random thoughts she has throughout her days felt true to life, depicting what someone goes through while dealing with such a significant loss in life. I had the impression that Peggy completely shut herself off from the world, opening up as a conduit for her children, but no one else. Not even herself.

The catalyst is the boot camp class her children have given to her as a gift. This becomes the real potential turnaround in her life. I could feel every inch she gains and the three feet that slips away at every turn while she’s trying to figure out whether or not her well-being should be a priority, whether there is more to life than her favorite TV show and the two children who no longer require her care. There is so much transition, so much healing that Peggy has to work through, and piling on empty nest syndrome only adds to her unsteady world. Even in her successes with boot camp, she has a hard time allowing herself to be the number one reason she should focus on her health. Her reason for wanting to get into shape has everything to do with her deceased husband, hoping if she looks more in line with how she looked before he passed away, that he won’t judge her. That he’ll accept her, if she ever gets the chance to talk with him with the help of a medium.

Above all else, More Than is a metamorphosis, much like the cover depicts. Peggy has to re-discover who she is, because she has no clue. She’s spent so much of her life immersed within her children, or her husband, she’s forgotten who she is. It was beautiful to witness the gradual progression in who she had been, vs. the potential she can become, and along the way I felt like I was right there with her, cheering her on and hoping against all hope that she would find her path to freedom and acceptance.

I had a really hard time putting this book down, from start to finish. The immense highs and lows wouldn’t let me go. Peggy is in inspirational character, but far from perfect, allowing me the opportunity to see my own struggles within hers. A definite five star read!

Thanks to Diane Barnes for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Diane Barnes:

Spotlight and Giveaway: Beloved Lives

Today we are pleased to feature Beloved Lives by Marilyn J. Evans. Thanks to TCK Publishing, we have a print copy and an e-book to give away!

April Robins is a mess. Her diet and wardrobe are disastrous, she's stopped exercising, and the nightmares are back—nightmares that started at puberty and didn't stop until she married. Now that she's divorced, the dreams are worse than ever, and April's malaise has her cat and her best friend, Trish, worried.

April decides it's time to get her life back in order by starting running and eating better. She also agrees to attend a class Trish is convinced will introduce them to new guys. When April meets the class instructor, Mitch van der Waals, an expert in the paranormal, she discovers they have a lot in common including a mutual attraction. When she and Mitch start dating, both cat and best friend approve.

But when the hospital where April works as a medical technologist hires Dr. Weston, a handsome, new cardiologist, things get complicated. At her first meeting with Dr. Weston, April faints. As he shows more and more interest in her, she finds herself unaccountably affected by Weston, sometimes irritated, other times literally falling into a trance in his presence. Slowly April realizes Weston was a key player in her past lives as she struggles to find the root cause of her nightmares through past life regressions, sessions in the sleep lab, and strangely spontaneous trances.

Does she have a choice between being who she is now and who she seems to have been over and over again?

Solving the mysterious origins of the nightmares that have echoed down through April's many lives could be a matter of life and death, in this life and beyond.

Marilyn J. Evans was a medical researcher for twenty years, then worked in quality assurance for the pharmaceutical and biologics industries. Writing fiction is her third career. She has studied, taught and lectured on comparative religion and aspects of the paranormal for more than two decades. Marilyn has horses, cats, a garden with a bad attitude, and a patient husband, and lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

Beloved Lives is Marilyn's first novel. Her novella, “Wasting Water,” will appear in the anthology Undeniable: Writers Respond to Climate Change, published by Alternating Current Press.

Visit Marilyn online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 


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Giveaway ends September 9th at midnight EST.

Spotlight and Giveaway: The Takeaway Men

Today we are featuring The Takeaway Men by Meryl Ain, which was published in early August. Thanks to SparkPoint Studio, we have one copy to give away!

With the cloud of the Holocaust still looming over them, twin sisters Bronka and Johanna Lubinski and their parents arrive in the US from a Displaced Persons Camp. In the years after World War II, they experience the difficulties of adjusting to American culture as well as the burgeoning fear of the Cold War. Years later, the discovery of a former Nazi hiding in their community brings the Holocaust out of the shadows. 

As the girls get older, they start to wonder about their parents’ pasts, and they begin to demand answers. But it soon becomes clear that those memories will be more difficult and painful to uncover than they could have anticipated. Poignant and haunting, The Takeaway Men explores the impact of immigration, identity, prejudice, secrets, and lies on parents and children in mid-twentieth-century America.

Photo by Diana Berrent

Meryl Ain's articles and essays have appeared in Huffington Post, The Jewish Week, The New York Times, and Newsday, and at MariaShriver.com, among other outlets. In 2014, she coauthored the award-winning book The Living Memories Project: Legacies That Last, and in 2016 she wrote a companion workbook, My Living Memories Project Journal. She is both a student and teacher of history, as well as a school administrator and researcher. She holds a BA from Queens College, an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an EdD from Hofstra University. This is her first novel.

Visit Meryl online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends September 8th at midnight EST.

Reviews at Amazon-August 2020

We're posting some reviews at our Amazon accounts, as either they've been sitting in queue for a while and deserve their time in the sun, fall under our featuring policy, or they're new reads that we couldn't wait to post at the blog. You can check them out at the links below. Hope we can help you find your next favorite book!

Sara:

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Melissa:

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