Wednesday, November 14, 2018

50 Ways To Get Your Way

50 Ways To Get Your Way
Title: 50 WAYS TO GET YOUR WAY
Author: Juliet Huck
Publisher: The Huck Group
Pages: 120
Genre: Motivational/Nonfiction

BOOK BLURB:
50 Ways to Get Your Way by Juliet Huck Promotes the Art of Persuading Others Using the Simple Power of Commonsense Values
In 50 WAYS TO GET YOUR WAY, Juliet Huck shares the lessons she learned while growing up on her family’s farm in rural Ohio—values such as being grateful, nurturing relationships, and listening intently, which she used to build a successful career as a persuasion strategist working with corporate clients and on high-profile legal cases. Huck teaches readers how to be persuasive in a manner that is honorable and respectful, while making genuine human connections.
The tools Huck shares in 50 WAYS TO GET YOUR WAY are familiar, but the author notes that many of these values are missing in the current social climate. Using beautiful images (many photographed by the author) and conversational prose, Huck encourages readers to commit to a practice of awareness—of self and others—and guides them through the dance of building relationships that will help them achieve their goals. While all of the pearls of wisdom presented in 50 WAYS TO GET YOUR WAY are essential ingredients for developing into a solid human being, several offer the building blocks for becoming an exceptional person who gets what he or she wants. Being empathetic by learning what other people find meaningful, paying attention to the effect that one’s tone can have on others, telling a compelling story, letting go of expectations to minimize disappointment, and understanding the importance of clarity when asking for assistance or sharing plans are just a few of the gems that Huck examines in her book.
Huck acknowledges that the principles outlined in 50 WAYS TO GET YOUR WAY are not “rocket science”; however, she believes they are timely. “Observing the current environment, I could not sit back and be silent about how we are treating each other—especially when we need something from someone else. I felt instead of fighting with others, it is time to remind us of the beautiful things that can connect us,” Huck said.
50 WAYS TO GET YOUR WAY was written with the intention of helping people fulfill their personal and professional needs by mastering the art of making genuine connections.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

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Meet the Author

Juliet Huck
Juliet Huck is an expert in persuasive communications with 25 years of experience. She was born in Marietta, Ohio, and holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. During her career, she has worked with the US Department of Justice for the Enron litigation, Exxon Mobil, Boeing, and law firms, such as O’Melveny and Myers, Kirkland and Ellis, and King and Spalding, among other high-profile clients. Juliet is the author of 50 Ways to Get Your Way and The Equation of Persuasion: Securing Decisions in Your Favor.
Her latest book, 50 Ways to Get Your Way, offers insights for skillfully using persuasion in work and in life by forming meaningful relationships. It is the first book in a series that will teach readers how to get what they want in all facets of their lives.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

AUTHOR WEBSITE | BOOK WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK |

INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | LINKEDIN


My Review
As a psychology graduate I personally found this book to be an interesting read. I liked the different methods of getting ones way and I liked that many of them had a basis in psychology. I found the techniques helpful and I believe that they will serve me well in my future careers.

TRAITOROUS TOYS (Book 2)

Traitorous Toys

Title: TRAITOROUS TOYS (Book 2)
Author: Mildred Abbott
Publisher: Wings of Ink Publications LLC
Pages: 2278
Genre: Cozy Mystery

BLURB:
It’s Christmas in Estes Park, Colorado: cozy fires, twinkling lights, soft snowfall, and… murder.
The winter holidays in charming Estes Park lulls Winifred Page and her corgi, Watson, into thoughts of spiced chai and gingerbread as they settle into their new home. Fred’s dream bookshop is becoming a reality, and with Christmas only days away, her only concerns are spending time with family, enforcing Watson’s diet, and finding the perfect gifts.
The toy store beckons Fred and her friend Katie, who dash in out of the cold, during a shopping spree to discover handmade toys, cuddly stuffed animals… and a dying man on the floor.
When Katie’s desperate attempts to save the man ends in her being taken in for his murder, Fred once again dons her detective hat. She puts aside her Christmas list and—with Watson sniffing around—begins a list of suspects. But as quickly as clues point to one person, new discoveries shift the spotlight to another.
With Katie’s freedom in the balance, Fred has little time to think about gifts or to enjoy the holiday lights and music. A killer is on the loose, one who became violent in a picture-perfect Christmas toy shop, and Fred and Watson can’t begin to predict what might happen next…

ORDER YOUR COPY:

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Meet the Author

Mildred Abbott copy
Reading the Cozy Corgi series is pretty much all you need to know about Mildred. In real life, she’s obsessed with everything she writes about: Corgis, Books, Cozy Mountain Towns, and Baked Goods.  She’s not obsessed with murder, however. At least not at her own hands (nor paid for… no contract killing here). But since childhood, starting with Nancy Drew, trying to figure out who-dun-it has played a formative role in her personality.  Having Fred and Watson stroll into her mind was a touch of kismet.
Website Address: http://www.mildredabbott.com

My Review
If you did not checkout my review of Cruel Candy make sure to do so as that is the first book in this awesome series featuring Fred and cute corgi Watson.This time instead of a dead body in a bookstore its a dying man in a toy store with Fred's friend being suspected of murder for trying to save a life! I loved the way Fred put aside her own holiday spirit and desires to help save her friend from being thought a murderer. I can't wait to see Fred and Watson in book 3!

Monday, November 12, 2018

Cruel Candy

Inside the Books

Cruel Candy
Title: CRUEL CANDY (Book 1)
Author: Mildred Abbott
Publisher: Wings of Ink Publications LLC
Pages: 282
Genre: Cozy Mystery

BLURB:
Estes Park, Colorado: picturesque mountains, charming shops, delightful bakeries, a cozy bookstore… and murder.
Winifred Page and her corgi, Watson, move to Estes Park to hit the Reset button on life. Fred is about to open her dream bookshop, and the only challenges she anticipates are adjusting to small-town life, tourists, and living close to her loveable mother, Phyllis, and hippy stepfather, Barry.
When Fred steps into her soon-to-be-bookshop for the first time, she expects dust bunnies and spiders… not the dead body in the upstairs kitchen. The local police have an easy suspect—Barry.
Determined to prove quirky Barry innocent of murder, Fred puts on her detective hat, and with Watson by her side, she explores her new town and gets acquainted with her fellow shopkeepers. Could one of her friendly neighbors be the real culprit? And what would be the motive for killing the owner of the Sinful Bites candy store? The secrets Fred discover put her at odds with the local police sergeant and threaten her cozy future in Estes.
With snow falling outside, all Fred wants to do is curl up by the fire with a good book and Watson snuggled at her feet. But before she can begin her new life and put her plans for her bookshop into action, Fred and Watson have a mystery to solve…

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

Meet the Author

Mildred Abbott copy
Reading the Cozy Corgi series is pretty much all you need to know about Mildred. In real life, she’s obsessed with everything she writes about: Corgis, Books, Cozy Mountain Towns, and Baked Goods.  She’s not obsessed with murder, however. At least not at her own hands (nor paid for… no contract killing here). But since childhood, starting with Nancy Drew, trying to figure out who-dun-it has played a formative role in her personality.  Having Fred and Watson stroll into her mind was a touch of kismet.
Website Address: http://www.mildredabbott.com

My Review
CRUEL CANDY (Book 1) is the first book is a brand new mystery series featuring not only a mysterious mystery, but also a very cute corgi. It was the cute picture of the corgi on the cover that first drew my interest because I used to have a corgi and I just could not help, but want to read this book. I ended up really enjoying it and I will be starting the second book soon!

Friday, November 9, 2018

Wild Heart, Peaceful Soul

Inside the Book

Wild Heart Peaceful Soul
Title: WILD HEART, PEACEFUL SOUL: POEMS AND INSPIRATION TO LIVE AND LOVE HARMONIOUSLY
Author: J. Autherine
Publisher: Autherine Publishing
Pages: 158
Genre: Poetry
BOOK BLURB:
Wild Heart, Peaceful Soul, is a beautiful collection of poems that provide inspiration to strong, vulnerable, badass women who love deeply, sometimes fall hard but always lead with their hearts. It is a deep and gritty, fresh and robust look at the thrill of loving unconditionally, as well as the mental and physical toll that it takes when peace and harmony are sometimes lost in the process.
Drawing on personal experiences from her own journey of the past 30 years, J Autherine delves into the vulnerable hearts of women from around the world, including from her early years in Jamaica. Poems such as Quiet Storm reveal the pain of sudden loss, while The Rebel Soul carries with it that air of doubt or uncertainty we all feel when in love.
The pain and struggle of women who love deeply and pour into others without first filling their own jars is prevalent throughout, as is the reoccurring theme of reclaiming your heart in order to live and love harmoniously.
Wild Heart, Peaceful Soul has the ability to pick you up in moments when you feel broken or not good enough to be loved and provide the strength in the love you always need as we search for the one who is worthy of our love.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Meet the Author

Janet J. Autherine
Janet Autherine is the author of Growing into Greatness with God: 7 Paths to Greatness for our Sons & Daughters, and Wild Heart, Peaceful Soul: Reclaiming Your Heart in order to Live and Love Harmoniously.
Wild Heart, Peaceful Soul, is a beautiful collection of poems that tell the stories of strong, vulnerable, courageous women who love deeply, sometimes fall hard but always lead with their hearts. It is a deep and gritty, fresh and robust look at the thrill of loving unconditionally, as well as the mental and physical toll that it takes when peace and harmony are sometimes lost in the process. Drawing on personal experiences from her own journey of the past 30 years, J Autherine delves into the vulnerable hearts of women from around the world, including from her early years in Jamaica.
Growing into Greatness with God, 7 Paths to Greatness for our Sons and Daughters is inspired by her own experiences growing up in Jamaica, as well as her experience raising her three sons to recognize and nourish what God has planted within each of them.  Her goal, through her writing, is to empower adults and children to see themselves as unique and amazing, already blessed with the ability to succeed in life and achieve their dreams.
Janet was born in St. Thomas, Jamaica, and immigrated to the United States when she was twelve. She grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Pennsylvania State University and Boston College Law School.  Janet continues to practice law but wakes up at 5am almost every morning to cultivate her inspirational writing and introduce readers to great books through her publishing company, Autherine Publishing. She is a proud introvert and running and reading are her peaceful passions.  Her books are available on Amazon and she blogs at www.JanetAutherine.com.
Website Address: www.JanetAutherine.com
Twitter Address:@loveautherine
My Review
So I have to be honest poetry is not normally my thing, however a friend of mine is really into it and convinced me to give it a try again so I decided to read WILD HEART, PEACEFUL SOUL: POEMS AND INSPIRATION TO LIVE AND LOVE HARMONIOUSLY. I was surprised by how much I liked it. The poems actually made me feel the emotions that they were supposed to and I found the writing to be beautiful. 


Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Fatal Agreements

Inside the Book

Fatal Agreements
Title: FATAL AGREEMENTS
Author: Ashley Fontainne
Publisher: RMSW Press
Pages: 449
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
BOOK BLURB:
Whispered rumors tickled the ears of the residents of an entire town for decades about the disturbing secrets of the old Halstead House, dating all the way back to the early 1920s. Most people didn’t believe them. Several people will soon discover they should have listened.
Three years after struggling to cope with the death of her beloved father and escaping an abusive relationship, Samantha Chapman decides it’s time to return to her hometown of Hot Springs. She buys the ramshackle Halstead House, eager to transform the dilapidated, abandoned piece of history into her new law office and residence, hoping it will be the start of a brighter chapter and a safe haven to escape her personal demons.
Instead of newfound freedom, things take a dark turn when the resurrection of the old home reveals the disturbing secrets hidden within its walls. When youthful transgressions of numerous people come to light, including ones some members of the Chapman family are desperate to contain, it reveals the sins of the past. They collide with the grave mistakes of the present, creating a perfect storm of chaos and death for not only the Chapman family but others as well.
Some will survive.
Others will get burned.
Sam and her loved ones realize some family secrets should have remained buried.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Meet the Author

Ashley Fontainne
Ashley Fontainne writes in multiple genres ranging from mystery/thrillers to suspenseful paranormal to dark comedy. The recipient of numerous awards for her gritty, no-holds barred style of writing, her stories will captivate and pull you inside the lives of her characters and intricate plot lines.
Website Address: www.ashleyfontainne.com
Facebook Address: www.facebook.com/AshleyFontainne 

My Review
Fatal Agreements was a great mystery with just the right amount of thrills to keep the book interesting without making it into a horror novel. Samantha made for a great main character that I could not help but love!

Friday, November 2, 2018

LULLABY ROAD

Lullaby Road by James Anderson

Book Details:

Book Title:  Lullaby Road by James Anderson
Category:  Adult Fiction,  305 pages
Genre:   Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Publisher:  Crown Publishing Group
Release date:  October 16, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (No explicit sex scenes or bad language)

Book Description:

Winter has come to Route 117, a remote road through the high desert of Utah trafficked only by those looking to escape the world and those the world has rejected. Local truck driver Jones, still in mourning over the devastating murder of his lover Claire, is trying to get through another season of his job navigating treacherous roads and sudden snowfall without accident when a mute Hispanic child is placed in Jones’s path at a seedy truck stop along his route bearing a note that simply reads “Please, Ben. Bad trouble. My son. Take him today. His name is Juan. Trust you only. Tell no one. Pedro.” From that moment forward, nothing will ever be the same. Not for Ben. Not for the child. And not for anyone along the seemingly empty stretch of road known as Route 117.

​Despite deep misgivings, and without any hint of who the child is or the grave danger he’s facing, Jones takes the child with him and sets out into a landscape that is as dangerous as it is beautiful and silent. With the help of his eccentric neighbors—Phyllis, who turned up one day in her Rolls-Royce with two children in tow and the FBI on her tail; Andy, a Utah State Trooper who is on or off duty depending on if his hat is on or off his head; and Roy, an ex–coal miner who has lived in Rockmuse, off Highway 117, his whole life and survives on odd jobs and the kindness of his neighbors—Jones uncovers buried secrets of the desert that are far more painful than he could have imagined.

In LULLABY ROAD, readers will find themselves enthralled by Anderson’s vivid sense of place and his beautiful and heartbreaking narrative.

Praise for Lullaby Road:

Atmospheric…Arresting desert vistas and distinctive characters leave a lasting impression.”
- Publishers Weekly


Anderson’s lyrical prose brings a forgotten corner of the world to life, and the authentic narrative does the same for Jones. Recommended for fans of William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor and Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire.
- BookList


…a delicious cast of colorful characters…Lullaby Road is a triumphant mix of landscape, character, wit and sagacity wrapped in a noir thriller.”
- Shelf Awareness

"The action is nonstop, and the plot twists are heart-pounding.  Anderson’s vivid prose gives a sense of vastness that is the desert he so brilliantly describes – it is an amazing use of language to create a mood and feeling…Fans of Anderson’s first installment of this series will devour this book and long for another visit with the residents along Route 117.
- Library Journal Starred Review

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
IndieBound ~ Books-a-Million
Add to Goodreads

​Watch the trailer:

James Anderson
Meet the Author:

​JAMES ANDERSON was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He is a graduate of Reed College and received his MFA in creative writing from Pine Manor College. His first novel was The Never-Open Desert Diner. His short fiction, poetry, essays, and reviews have appeared in many magazines, including The Bloomsbury Review, New Letters, Solstice, Northwest Review, Southern Humanities Review, and others. He currently divides his time between Colorado and Oregon.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
My Review
Lullaby Road by James Anderson was one of those books that I neither loved or hated. There were some spots that left me bored and others that made me laugh. Yet, in the end it was one of those books that I was able to put down and come back to when ever. That aside the book was far from bad, the characters were well developed, the book did not have any errors, and the plot was well throughout out.

STORM TAKEN

Storm Taken by William Michael Davidson


Book Details:

Book Title: Storm Taken by William Michael Davidson
Category:  Adult fiction, 268 pages
Genre:  Thriller, Sci-fi
Publisher:  Clean Reads
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (There's a few graphic scenes with violence, alluded to adult situations as far as sex is concerned. But no real profanity and anything explicit.)

Book Description:

Trapped on Naples Island, Eddie Dees does everything he can to hold his family together. A supernatural storm is feeding on people’s fear and paranoia. The more people turn on each other, the stronger it becomes.

Believing there are small, systematic breaks in the storm, he plans to make his way off the island with as many residents as possible. But he must first deal with the crazed gunman roaming the streets as well as another growing threat: Klutch, a violent army vet suffering PTSD, has recruited a band of followers who believe the storm is a weaponized weather experiment gone awry. Klutch plans on stopping anyone from leaving the island, and one of his followers is Eddie’s own teenage son.
Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Picture
Meet the Author:

William Michael Davidson lives in Long Beach, California. A believer that "good living produces good writing," Davidson writes early in the morning so he can get outside, exercise, spend time with people, and experience as much as possible. He is a writer of suspense and speculative fiction. If he's not writing, he's probably at the beach.

Connect with the Author: Twitter ~ Facebook

My Review
Storm Taken by William Michael Davidson was an interesting read that reminded me a bit of one of the episodes of the Once Upon a Time TV series where the characters were caught in a storm that was being caused by their own fighting. This book took that concept to the extreme (in a good way). I liked how the author explored the idea of a storm being fed by people’s fear and paranoia. I greatly enjoyed the book and I would love to read more like it in the future!