Tattered Innocence by Ann Lee Miller

A tale of passions indulged, denied, and ultimately forgive.

On the verge of bagging the two things he wants most—a sailing charter business and marrying old money—Jake Murray’s fiancée/sole crew member dumps him. Salvation comes in the form of dyslexic, basketball toting Rachel Martin, the only one to apply for the first mate position he slapped on craigslist.

On a dead run from an affair with a married man, Rachel's salvation is shoving ocean between her and temptation.

Rapid fire dialogue and romantic tension sail Jake’s biker-chick of a boat through hurricanes, real and figurative. A cast of wannabe sailors, Rachel’s ex, Jake’s, a baby—go along for the ride.
The many-layered story weaves together disparate strands into a seamless cord. Mother and daughter look eerily alike—down to their lusts. Their symbiotic bond, forged in the blood of childbirth on the kitchen floor and cemented by their secrets, must be cracked open. A son must go home. Sin must be expunged.

Tattered Innocence is for anyone who’s ever woken up sealed in a fifty-gallon drum of their guilt.

Kindle Edition, 266 pages

Published February 27th 2013 by Flawed People Press

Genre: Christian Fiction

 

 

Terri's Review

 

This was ultimately a story about two people who had committed acts outside of the lines of their moral compass and faith and how the resulting guilt can affect every decision and interaction afterwards.

 

To address the elephant in the room this book is in the Christian Fiction genre and therefore there are a lot of references to God and spirituality.  This does not overwhelm the story nor become "preachy" at any point.  Rather I found the religious references to symbolize the guilt that Rachel and Jake carried throughout the story.

 

This story deals with the themes of guilt and forgiveness and the punishment that people lay on themselves and their worth when they can not forgive themselves.

 

The characters of Rachel and Jake were well written.  I had a particular appreciation for Rachel's sarcasm as a mechanism to hide her flaws.  The supporting cast were also well written and I immediately disliked Bet and Gab's (I am assuming this was intentional) and found a soft spot for Keenan.

 

Without giving away any of the plot, this story was a journey of forgiveness that I was happy to be along for the ride.  Well written and an enjoyable read.  I will look at other works of Millers to add to my list of stories to read

 

About the Author

 

Ann Lee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland (OH) University and writes full-time in Phoenix, but left her heart in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where she grew up. She loves speaking to young adults and guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges. When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find her hiking in the Superstition Mountains with her husband or meddling in her kids’ lives

Website: 

http://www.AnnLeeMiller.com    

 

twitter username:

Ann Lee Miller    

Review: Kicking Eternity by Ann Lee Miller

Stuck in sleepy New Smyrna Beach one last summer, Raine socks away her camp pay checks, worries about her druggy brother, and ignores trouble: Cal Koomer. She’s a plane ticket away from teaching orphans in Africa, and not even Cal’s surfer six-pack and the chinks she spies in his rebel armor will derail her.
The artist in Cal begs to paint Raine’s ivory skin, high cheek bones, and internal sparklers behind her eyes, but falling for her would caterwaul him into his parents’ life. No thanks. The girl was self-righteous waiting to happen. Mom served sanctimony like vegetables, three servings a day, and he had a gut full.
Rec Director Drew taunts her with “Rainey” and calls her an enabler. He is so infernally there like a horsefly—till he buzzes back to his ex.
Raine’s brother tweaks. Her dream of Africa dies small deaths. Will she figure out what to fight for and what to free before it’s too late?
For anyone who’s ever wrestled with her dreams.

Kindle Edition, 318 pages

Published May 10th 2012 by Amazon Digital Services 

Genre: Christian fiction/ romance/ young adult

 

Kristine's Review: 

 

This book is a christian fiction book through and through which I am not. Does that make me dislike the story? The answer is absolutely not! The whole point of reading for me is to know stories that are different from mine and to perhaps learn something in the process.

This book is about four young adults (5 if you count Raine's brother) who are all struggling to figure out who they are and what direction they are meant to go. This is something that we have all struggled with at some point in our life regardless of our religious standing. What I liked about the characters is that they all had flaws, none of them were perfect and they all made mistakes. They were likeable and real. At no point in the story did I feel like religion was being forced on me, instead I found it quite interesting how religion and faith played and motivated the things the characters did or did not do in the book.

No book would be complete without a complicated love triangle and this book delivers in that department. Would it be team Cal or team Drew? These two men could not be more different from each other and were a big focus for Raine along with her dreams of Africa and her brother.

I thought this story was really good. Although these characters were from a completely different world than what I know, I found that I could relate to them. I found myself routing for them and was excited to find out how their stories would end. If you are easily offended when it comes to religion and faith then this is not the book for you but if you are open-minded and enjoy reading things that may be outside your comfort zone then I suggest you pick up this book. I don't think you will regret it.

About the Author

Ann Lee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland (OH) University and writes full-time in Phoenix, but left her heart in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where she grew up. She loves speaking to young adults and guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges. When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find her hiking in the Superstition Mountains with her husband or meddling in her kids’ lives

 

Connect with Ann online

Website- http://www.AnnLeeMiller.com

Twitter- @annleemiller

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6154007.Ann_Lee_Miller

 

So Much Potential by Margaret J. McMaster

Andy Towell's dream of becoming a commercial fisherman is jeopardized when a co-worker goes missing.

Teen fiction Ages 12+ (Hi-Lo)

Paperback, 91 pages

Published July 8th 2013 by Mansbridge Dunn Publishers 

 

 Kristine's Review: 

 

Please keep in mind that this book is marketed as teen fiction (12 and up) and I am way beyond that in years. I do have children (girls) that are 12 and 14 so I tried to put myself in their shoes when reading and reviewing this book.

This book is short consisting of only 91 pages (large print) and is written in language that is very easy to follow and understand. It is a quick story about a young man who has been accepted to medical school but would rather be a fisherman and the mysterious disappearance of his co-worker. The story itself is cute and the mystery is interesting.

Although the story is about a teenage boy that is at a University entrance age I feel that the book would appeal more to a pre-teen or tween audience. My 12yr old is in the seventh grade and has independent reading where she has to read an appropriate novel of her choice. This book would probably be perfect for the boys in her class to read. My 14yr old is in high school (and an avid reader) and would feel that it did not have enough romance, angst and drama for her liking.

In my opinion this book would be perfect for those that are just starting to come out of the younger genre and beginning to read at a more grown up level. Even with the age of the main character and the content of the book I feel that it would appeal to 6th- 8th grade children and not much older.

About the author

Canadian author, Margaret J. McMaster, published her first book of middle-grade fiction, Carried Away on Licorice Days, in 2008. It was nominated for three literary awards: the Canadian Library Association's 2009 Book of the Year for Children Award, the 2010/2011 Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, and the 2011 Rocky Mountain Book Award.
In 2009 she started writing the Babysitter Out of Control! series of early chapter books. These amusing, fast-paced adventures include: Babysitter Out of Control!, Looking for Love on Mongo Tongo, The Improbable Party on Purple Plum Lane, What Happened in July (selected for Best Books for Kids & Teens - Spring 2013), and, The Sinking of the Wiley Bean. She is a past contributor to the Canadian Children's Annual and her creative non-fiction piece, After All These Years, was shortlisted for the 2006 CBC Literary Award. So Much Potential is her first novel for teens. 

Connect with Margaret online

Website-  http://mansbridgedunnpublishers.blogspot.com

Twitter- @LicoriceDays

Goodreads-  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3521423.Margaret_J_McMaster

Review: The Water Here is Never Blue: Intrigue and Lies from an Uncommon Childhood a Memoir by Shelagh Plunkett

In the 1970s, Shelagh Plunkett, a teenage girl from Vancouver, travels with her middle-class family to Guyana and Indonesia, where her father, a civil engineer, has been posted to help with those countries’ water systems. On the surface, she lives a protected life, attending girls’ schools run by nuns and surrounded by household staff. But there is also a fearlessness and recklessness in the girl—a hotel tryst at fifteen, swimming with piranhas, and cavorting with monkeys.

The secrecy and double life of this teenager in a foreign land is paralleled by the mysterious comings and goings of her beloved but distant father. Guyana is nationalizing Canada’s bauxite mines, and Indonesians are slaughtering East Timorese a few miles away. Why is their phone tapped, why do they always have to have a suitcase packed, and why is her father working on a water project on a parched island? In The Water Here Is Never Blue, an adolescent comes of age and is indelibly marked by her years abroad. But it is the adult narrator who ultimately struggles with the truth of who her father  was.

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published August 20th 2013 by Viking Canada 

Genre: Memoir/non fiction/ travel

Kristine's Review: 
  
What did I think of this book? Interesting might be a good word but I'm unsure if that says enough. Plunkett has an amazing and powerfully descriptive way with words that makes you feel like you are there. In the way she describes both Guyana and Indonesia I could vividly see and feel the things she was writing about.
Plunkett's teenage years were definitely unique and I enjoyed reading about what she experienced and how she adapted in these two places that were relatively unknown at the time. I found that her thought process at that age was quite mature but perhaps that could be because of her adult perspective as the narrator. It is most definitely a coming of age story.
 I enjoy reading about different places and not knowing much about Guyana and Indonesia made it all that more interesting. Having said that, this book is not for everyone. If you do not enjoy memoirs this is not the book for you. As much as I did enjoy this book I did struggle a tiny bit getting into it. In my opinion you are better off to skip the prologue because it highlights some of the things that are told in the story and makes you feel like you are reading it twice. On the other hand I very much enjoyed the epilogue where she talks about what has happened in these two places since the time she lived there and reflects back on her beloved father.
As the only blond haired, blue eyed girl (along with her sister) in two very different countries makes for a very different teenage experience and a very unique read!

About the author

Shelagh Plunkett is an award-winning writer and journalist. Her work includes literary non-fiction, fiction, travel writing and arts reportage. She has been published in various Canadian and U.S. journals including The Walrus, enRoute Magazine, Geist Magazine, the Globe and Mail and the Vancouver Sun. In 2007 she won a first in the CBC Literary Awards for creative non-fiction.
 Shelagh currently lives in Montréal, but grew up on the west coast of Canada, in Guyana and on Timor, Indonesia.

                 

Connect with Shelagh Plunkett online  

website- http://www.shelaghplunkett.wordpress.com

twitter- @shelaghplunkett 

goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6861153.Shelagh_Plunkett

Review: Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo by Heather Wardall

When Candice's in-laws were killed eight months ago buying a huge faux polar bear rug for her Christmas present, she lost more than just two of her favorite people: she lost her husband Ian as well. After only two years of marriage, their guilt and pain have left them living together but apart, unable to really talk for fear of what they'll say to each other.

Ian leaves for a month-long contract overseas, and Candice plans to use the time apart to decide whether her marriage can be saved. When her ex walks back into her life as the new client at work, ten years more attractive yet saddened by his own recent loss, she's left wondering what she really wants from life and love.

Paperback, 254 pages

Published November 24th 2010 by CreateSpace (first published 2009)

Terri's Review
This book has proven difficult for me to pen my exact opinion and thoughts.  It was not a terrible book nor an epic read for me falling somewhere in the middle.

What this book did do was create a philosophical debate about what I would do if I was in Candace' shoes.  How would you react if the one you had committed your life to said something unforgivable (in my opinion)?  How do you move on? How do you break the cycle of isolation in a relationship? What would you do if someone else came along and offered to protect you and make you their world?  How do you choose when you don't even know who you are?

More than anything this was a book about self discovery and less about love and romance.  The true love story was the one that Candace had with herself throughout her journey.  The Polar Bear tattoo symbolizes her journey and growth as she starts to make changes and decisions for herself.  This was the true heart of the story and quite frankly more interesting then the men in her life.

I enjoyed going along for the ride and I enjoyed the fact that the novel took place in Toronto a city which I am familiar with. The female supporting cast were funny and strong characters and the interaction between the women had me giggling at times.

 While this will not make my top ten list it was still an enjoyable afternoon spent.

Review: Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

After losing her parents, fifteen-year-old Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister and nephew as tenants on a small tobacco farm.  As she struggles with her grandmother’s aging, her sister’s mental illness and her own epilepsy, she realizes they might need more than she can give.

When Jane Forrester takes a position as Grace County’s newest social worker, she doesn’t realize just how much her help is needed.  She quickly becomes emotionally invested in her clients' lives, causing tension with her boss and her new husband.  But as Jane is drawn in by the Hart women, she begins to discover the secrets of the small farm—secrets much darker than she would have guessed.  Soon, she must decide whether to take drastic action to help them, or risk losing the battle against everything she believes is wrong.

Set in rural Grace County, North Carolina in a time of state-mandated sterilizations and racial tension, Necessary Lies tells the story of these two young women, seemingly worlds apart, but both haunted by tragedy.  Jane and Ivy are thrown together and must ask themselves: how can you know what you believe is right, when everyone is telling you it’s wrong?

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published September 3rd 2013 by St. Martin's Press
Genre: Adult fiction/ Historical fiction

Kristine's Review:
I received an ARC copy of this book a few months ago and although I did post a review on Goodreads I never got a chance to post it here. I am so sorry!

 Diane Chamberlain does it again! I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it to everyone. 

Working in the Developmental Services field I was already well aware of eugenics programs in my own country (Canada) but did not know anything about the history of it in North Carolina. In Alberta thousand of people were unknowingly sterilized (for multiple reasons) as recommended by the eugenics board consisting of four people until 1972. They approved 99% of all cases put before them. Shocking but true...

Knowing this I was not shocked when reading Ivy and Jane's story and the events that occurred during that time. Although fictional, I am very pleased that Chamberlain tackled this subject as it brings a real awareness to what happened to her readers that may not have known that this occurred during that time. 

It was so easy to get sucked into this book as the characters were so likeable. I have always been a fan of multiple narratives because it gives you more than one perspective and keeps the pages turning. Words cannot describe how much I adored this book. I wish I had written this review when everything was still fresh in my head. The only thing I can say is read it...you won't regret it! 

This may just be my favorite Chamberlain book yet!

Kristine's rating

Terri's Review

Diane Chamberlain did it again. This story was very well written and perhaps my favorite of all of her novels. It reminded me of her previous novel Breaking the Silence which was the first of hers I read and up until now my favorite. Although two very different stories I love the fact that the backdrop of both was focused around a controversial issue that occurred in real life. It made the character all the more real. This book will stay with me for a while.

Terri's Rating

About the author

Diane is the author of 22 novels published in more than eleven languages. She likes to write complex stories about relationships between men and women, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and friends. Although the thematic focus of her books often revolves around family, love, compassion and forgiveness, her stories usually feature a combination of suspense, mystery and intrigue. 

Connect with Diane online:

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/Diane.Chamberlain.Readers.Page?fref=ts

Goodreads-http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93345.Diane_Chamberlain

Twitter- @D_Chamberlain

Website-  http://dianechamberlain.com/

Review: Dangerous Secrets (Tall, Dark and Deadly #2) by Lisa Renee Jones

Being a divorce attorney for the rich and famous isn't all it's cracked up to be. Julie Harrison has learned that love doesn't last, and she's sworn never to make the same mistakes as her mother, or her clients. She uses the games men play to keep them at a distance. The only man who managed to break down her walls was Luke Walker, a Navy SEAL who loved her and left her, and changed her forever.

When Luke arrives back in New York, running Walker Security with his brothers and having left his Navy SEAL days behind, he sets his sights on Julie, the woman he's always wanted and couldn't have. Except, she runs from him every time he gets close.

But now, one of Julie's clients, a powerful judge, gets involved with a dangerous cartel, and his soon-to-be-ex wife ends up dead. Julie's next on the list, and she finds herself on the run from those who believe she knows too much, and counting on Luke to keep her alive. In the deepest, darkest moments of the night, passion will bring them together while danger threatens to tear them apart. Can Julie and Luke trust each other and find their happy ending before they find ... the end?

Kindle Edition, 200 pages

Published April 6th 2012 by Lisa Renee Jones 

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Suspense/ Erotica

Kristine's Review: 

I downloaded the Tall, Dark, and Deadly 3 book  box set a few months back when it was a free download from Amazon. Dangerous Secrets was the last of the three books for me to read. It was an easy book to get through, taking me less than a day. Did I like it? Yes. Did I love it? No.

This book is about Luke Walker of Walker Security where as the previous book Hot Secrets was about his brother Royce. As much as I love reading about sexy as hell brothers this is where I had a tiny bit of an issue. It almost felt as if I was reading the same story. There is the perfect, confident, protective, steamy, hot male with the woman who is overly confident professionally but guarded, insecure and a little weak when it comes to relationships. Although there is enough chemistry in the bedroom (or bathroom, or truck), the relationship struggles on the deeper level. Same book, different names. I think if I hadn't read them so close together it wouldn't have been as noticeable.

The suspense aspect of the story didn't really start to pick up until about half way through and I had it figured out early on. There were a lot of different characters involved which distracted a bit from the story line. I found that the plot revolved more around the romance part of the story versus the suspense aspect making it feel a little rushed.

If you like a quick easy read with lots of descriptive "between the sheets" scenes and hot, sexy men then you will probably like these books. I will read Blake's story (another brother) because I found him to be the most unique of the family and am hopeful it will read a little differently. I'll just give myself a little break before I do.

Kristine's Rating

About the author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT TRILOGY which has sold to more than ten countries for translation with negotiations in process for more, and has now been optioned by STARZ Network for a cable television show, to be produced by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland).

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 30 books with publishers such as Simon and Schuster, Avon, Kensington, Harlequin, NAL, Berkley and Elloras Cave, as well as crafting a successful indie career. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Connect with Lisa online:

Website-  http://www.lisareneejones.com/
Twitter- @LisaReneeJones
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaReneeJones?fref=ts
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/73977.Lisa_Renee_Jones