Please welcome our guest reviewer today! Let’s see what she has to say. Take it away, V.B… Thank you! ♥ Brown Sugar & Spice by Mathis Bailey This book tells Pierre’s story as he’s recovering from breaking up with his fiancé. It’s detailed and easy to read, with poetic descriptions that put you right there with Pierre. it’s a nice follow up from the first book in the series. Pierre goes on an epic journey in three parts. He loses his roommate and gains another, then loses his job and looks for another. In the meantime, he revisits his Bahamian roots when he spends time with his family after his mother’s father passes away. But Dre keeps coming back. Then there’s London with his temptations and limits. Pierre stays strong and stands up for himself. He ends up jobless and single still, but on the cusp of something big with Zola. And he’s in a better place on his own than he was with either Dre or London. I look forward to the following books. I recommend reading this to take a journey of recovery and friendship, with a smattering of love. The friendships and families in this book are fantastic, as is the food. The sex scenes are hot, even when they stop before the finale. We all can use some reality when dealing with our troubles. It was interesting to see how Pierre dealt with his. He came out on top, after all. NOTE: I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I give this book 4 stars because it was full of complex people and gave me the taste and smells of their lives. Book Blurb: Pierre Jackson loses his gusto for cooking after breaking up with his wealthy fiancé, De’Andre Harris. He is beckoned to leave the comfort of his country when he receives a disturbing call that there’s been a death in the family. He meets a Southern Belle who becomes his roommate, and she propositions him on opening a bistro. Pierre is lost and confused, and he doesn’t know what to do. His faith is challenged like it has never been before. Note: This is the sequel to Confused Spice, book 1 of the series. Universal Reader link: https://books2read.com/u/bMV8eA Here’s an excerpt from the book… PROLOGUE STARING AT ME was a perfectly cut piece of meat. Two inches high. Cooked and seared to a caramelized color. I sliced into it, and the knife sunk deep into its flesh hitting the bottom of the white plate. The clear juices flowed onto a bed of creamy truffle mashed potatoes and cauliflower. I stabbed my fork into the tender meat and tasted it. I let the flavors dance around my mouth like two passionate lovers tumbling between the sheets. I chewed slowly and pensively while an army of flavors massaged my tongue. Th is was almost better than sex. I said almost. This meal was not harsh. Not ugly. Not even remotely boring. It was handsome and satisfying. It filled me with excitement and possibility. All doubts and uncertainties melted away. All the joyous noise tuned out. I was loving every minute of it. I came to the conclusion that food was my confidant. My salvation. My peace. My friend and sometimes my lover. This was the kind of food I always dreamed about being catered at my wedding. CHAPTER 1 I STEPPED OUT of the Uber to find a missed call from De’Andre Harris. What the hell? What could he possibly want? My fingers hovered over the keys as I thought about texting him back. It had been a year since I left him. I was tired of his down-low, cheating ass. But what really was the nail in the coffi n was when he got his intern pregnant. However, I learned later from Dre that the baby wasn’t his. Well, you see, the woman actually lied. Turns out she was obsessed with him. She had made up fraudulent medical records and decided to come clean after Dre threatened to get her fired from CBC News. After he told me this, I wondered if he thought I would come running back into his arms. He had left a voice mail. I waited until I stepped into my apartment to play it. I sat on the sofa and listened to the familiar voice flood my senses. He was in town, visiting his parents at their new vacation home. His parents were throwing a housewarming party, and he invited me to come. I listened to the message over and over, at least ten times, savoring his deep, sexy, voice. Studying the cadence of it rising and falling to see if he missed me as much as I missed him. The way he said “Pierre” sent electric waves through my body. I wondered if he’d changed. I wondered if he was less confused about us. There was an ongoing battle within me. Why was he inviting me to this party? One part of me was Team Stay Yo Ass at Home, and the other part was Team Go Get That Dick Before It’s Too Late. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to see him. Intriguing! So, what are other people saying about this series? “The plot becomes increasingly absorbing…an excellent read.” —Kirkus Reviews “Bailey’s prose is beautiful…it is sprinkled with stunning descriptions and engaging dialogue…It’s a new, exciting experience.” —Manhattan Book Review “Be warned: don’t read this book when you are hungry.” —Scandalicious Book Reviews “Confused Spice is an eclectic modern read that weaves family, friendship, sexuality, and self-discovery.” —San Francisco Book Review BOOK INFO: AUTHOR: Mathis Bailey TITLE: Brown Sugar & Spice GENRE: LGBT Multicultural Romantic Fiction/Food Fiction RELEASE DATE: June 17, 2019 PUBLISHER: Ingramspark ISBN/ASIN: 9780995919327/B07T2FMFW2 OUR RATING: 4 stars REVIEWED BY: V.B. “Can Do Indie Author” Guest Blogger/Reviewer Bio: V.B. is an indie author who writes romance and Sci-Fi, and voraciously reads anything (with some limits). When she’s not reading and writing, she’s working a day job to pay for her truck habit and puttering around her house. Here is the whole book series... Great! Thanks for this review, Virginia, and for stopping by the blog! :) Check out our latest Writing in the Modern Age blog post here.
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Please welcome our guest reviewer today! Let’s see what she has to say. Take it away, Virginia… Thank you! ♥ Rosemary's Beach House by Linda Heavner Gerald I wish I knew what work this book was based on or mimics. I would classify it as suspense or romantic suspense. Rosemary grew on me over time, and Malcom was a charmer. Lucy and Josh are notable characters as well. I enjoyed watching Rosemary and Malcom’s romance grow while the mystery and tension grew. The first three-quarters of the book are about Rosemary’s life and then her life with Malcom. The last quarter covers her devastation after Malcom’s death. The suspense starts when she and Malcom marry, and the danger is only revealed when the “intruder” finally comes to finish Rosemary off. The mystery is solid. Bountiful clues and foreshadowing keep you guessing. The characters feel real and play their parts well. Also, there was a lot of referring to God, and a thread of Him keeping Rosemary safe by “closing her mouth,” but I wouldn’t call this an inspirational mystery. I recommend reading this book for the story—just to see how it turns out in the end. The writing was a bit tedious for me to read. The MC tells us the whole thing. Only the dialogue feels natural. The rest is a narration. The one POV we never get is Malcom’s. We get his words and actions, but I’m not really sure he loved Rosemary. I think he did, and she “said” he did, but we get none of his thoughts. This could be my bias. I was so busy looking for clues in the mystery that I became suspicious of the love story. Finally, I’m tired of vilifying mental illness by making the murderer “crazy.” Anger, betrayal, and jealousy are all good enough reasons to kill. That said…I know that plenty of “craziness” causes death, but using a diagnosis to explain “why” cheapens the worth of those diagnosed as such. NOTE: I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I give this book 3 stars because the MC survived awful events with her soul intact, and supported those around her. Book Blurb: Rosemary Lewis divorced her husband after she discovered him with another woman. Suffering from depression at her loss, the young woman threw herself into work as a registered nurse. Then, she met Malcolm Beach who represented her dream. Together, they did enjoy a perfect life. Devotion from her new husband thrilled her as they traveled all over the world. Sailing became their pastime until the sudden death of her love. Once again, Rosemary found herself devastated and alone. Suddenly, an unknown foe threatened her very life. Why did this begin after the death of her husband? Slowly gleaning bits of information, she discovers that Malcolm's previous lover was insane. Is this the one who makes her life hell? Now, a wealthy widow, Rosemary must fight to survive in the beautiful home named 'Rosemary's Beach House'. Universal Reader link: https://books2read.com/u/4EEd6o Here’s an excerpt from the book… Although I attempted to appear as confident as I looked, my hands shook. Before Malcolm arrived, I cut fresh flowers to display on the foyer table. They were beautiful. My problem was I forgot to lay the scissors down, so I held them in my left hand. Just as I opened the door with my right hand, my left one tried to hug Malcolm. Instead, the scissors became entwined in the strap of my dress. Panic overcame me. Spastically, I pressed the blades of the scissors together cutting the strap of my new dress. It was slightly large on me. The entire right side of the stunning dress fell exposing my nakedness. I didn’t wear a bra. Since the outfit was strapless, my breast glowed innocently at Malcolm from my red doorway. My prince looked from my face to my right boob in shock. Moments passed as we stared at each other unsure of the correct response. “Oh, well, I say, RM, you have a welcoming way about you. Never, in my life did I receive this sort of welcome! It is the best! Way to go, RM! I have to say that your boob, which you seem proud to display, looks as succulent as my gift to you. This was a joke, my bag of onions, but your boob outdoes my meager attempt at humor. I mean, I guess this is supposed to be funny, right?” Gently, he smiled while thrusting a huge bag of Vidalia Onions in my face. I knew that I should have closed the door and let this relationship melt away. We weren’t meant to be. Instead, I threw both arms around the good doctor’s neck. Malcolm smelled faintly of intoxicating cologne. Staggering into him with the scissors still in hand, I jabbed them into his right temple. Not very far, mind you, but enough to nick the skin. Now, his beautiful white shirt displayed pinpoints of bright red blood. Will he still smile at me? Dumb as this sounds, that was my thought. I pulled from Malcolm’s embrace to see him hesitate. Oh, no, this is it. My dream is going to walk away. Not knowing what else to do, I cried. This brilliant man was not only famous and accomplished, but he was kind. “Now, now, RM, these things happen. Don’t cry. Someday, we will laugh at all the drama.” Did he say someday? Do we still have a future? I promise not to make another mistake. BOOK INFO: AUTHOR: Linda Heavner Gerald TITLE: Rosemary’s Beach House GENRE: Mystery/Suspense RELEASE DATE: January 9, 2019 PUBLISHER: Lime Pie Publishers ISBN/ASIN: B07MM67SCH OUR RATING: 3 Stars REVIEWED BY: V.B. “Can Do Indie Author” Guest Blogger/Reviewer Bio: VB is an indie author who writes romance and Sci Fi and voraciously reads anything (with some limits). When she’s not reading and writing, she’s working a day job to pay for her truck habit and puttering around her house. Awesome. Thanks for this, V.B., and for stopping by the blog! :) Check out our latest Writing in the Modern Age blog post here. Book Review Etiquette
Authors can’t sell books without reviews. Especially now that a lot of authors are going the self-published route, book reviews are crucial elements that authors seek and crave. Well, good reviews are craved.Recently, there has been a trend for readers to post reviews before they have even read the book.A fellow author recently received the following ONE star review: "I did not read it I just downloaded it," says Raebeth Buda, author of ‘Silenced’ and host of the Writing World web site. “Last year I also got a ONE star review that said, 'I haven't read it yet, I will leave a review when I do.' They have yet to review it. That star has been sitting there hurting my rating ever since. And with only 10 ratings on that particular site, it hurts a LOT.”It hurts the author because most book review sites give an average star rating, figuring all the reviews into one score. It’s like getting straight A’s all semester, and then getting one F that pulls your grade average down to a C.“It seems like common sense, but I think more people need to be aware of how much needless one star reviews can hurt. It's great you bought the book, [and] it's great you intend to review it. But leaving a one star 'placeholder' hurts the author much more than leaving no review at all,” Buda says.Stars on a book review are pretty much equal to the five point grading system used in schools. A five star rating is the same as an A on an essay. It means you thoroughly enjoyed the book. Four stars means the book was enjoyable, but had a few faults. A three star rating means the book barely passed. Anything below three stars warns other readers to pass the book by and buy something else. A one star rating means the author should not have published the book in the first place.When writing a review for a book, the reader should give a summary of the story to let the next reader know what the subject of the book is about. It also lets the reader know that the reviewer did in fact read the book. It should then point out the book’s virtues and weaknesses. Is it well paced? Does the plot make sense? Are the clues foreshadowed, or does the answer appear out of nowhere? Are the characters believable and likeable? Is it well researched?The conclusion of the review then gives an overall reaction to the book: it was a pleasant read, it was a page turner, I couldn’t put it down, I highly recommend the book, I can’t wait for the next one. The conclusion of the review should not be what is called a 'spoiler': the butler did it. It’s acceptable to say that the ending was surprising, but not to say what the surprise actually was.So, please, write your reviews, but follow the rules and format of a good review. Even if your opinion is bad, every review posted should be good in quality, helpful to other readers, and a true reflection of the reader’s opinions.Guest Blogger BioPaula Hrbacek is the author of five books, including Stars Shine After Dark, a sweet Christian romance, available in paperback, Kindle and Nook.Day Camp in Hawaii, a complete program guide for summer camp or summer school, is available in paperback, Nook and Kindle. For more information see http://paulahrbacek.weebly.com or her author page at https://www.amazon.com/author/paulahrbacek.She also writes two columns for The Examiner, a free online newspaper; Children’s Arts and Crafts, and Book Reviews.Links:LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=104609576&locale=en_US&trk=tyah2Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulaHrbacek?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Paula-Hrbacek/199054570166688?fref=tsTwitter: https://twitter.com/PHrbacekUniversal Amazon link: mybook.to/DayCampHawaiiAlso in paperback at B&N.
Check out our latest Writing in the Modern Age blog article here.BOOK REVIEW: Journaling with Jesus: How to Draw Closer to GodReviewer: Kathryn Elizabeth JonesAuthor: Carol RoundFor readers who know me and my personal journey with what I've always called "scripture" journaling, you'll want to read Journaling with Jesus, an insightful, honest and refreshingly motivating nonfiction book by Carol Round.If you've ever wanted to get closer to God through prayer, scripture study and journaling, then this book is for you. Journaling with Jesus is beautifully penned from the first word to the last, and gives adult readers an opportunity to see the power of prayer while they are developing a more intimate communication with God.Round shares personal experiences that she has had with God through her journaling of the past 10 years. She also shares the experiences others have had with prayer journaling. She opens the way for readers of all faiths to experience prayer journaling for themselves.Consider these insights:"(Prayer journaling) is a relationship with God. I talk, He listens. He talks, I listen.""...we write to grow, not to stay the same.""I wasn't aware of God's plan to use my gifts and talents for His glory. Through my daily habit of journaling, He has made me appreciate the importance of letting Him shape and mold me into the woman He created me to be."Journaling with Jesus is for anyone desiring to improve his/her relationship with God. Although this reader could see the direction of the book for women, primarily, the truths spoken of in Round's book will assist anyone with the desire for a deeper connection with God.Discover the interest God has in you as His child. Feel the presence of God.Carol Round's book can be purchased at Amazon.About the Author
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The fact is…our policy has changed considerably, at least for a while. Check out our 'Blog Policy' for more information about the types of features offered, how you can purchase a guest spot, my policy on review requests, and rules for guest writers. Starting from 2021, I was charging for some types of posts. Of course, there is never a fee for a guest article, as long as you adhere to the blog's theme. I also will not charge for big multi-author events which I host (these are giveaways or participation questions, and it's obvious what materials you're providing). If you'd like to submit a guest book review (no, I don't write book reviews, please don't ask me), I will always accept those and not charge you a fee at all. Starting in 2022, I WILL NO LONGER BE posting new release features, cover reveals, Author's Bookshelf features, author interviews, character interviews, and poetry spotlights. I am far too overwhelmed with other work to do constant blog posts. I'll still be writing my own articles sometimes and hosting multi-author special features. For companies that can afford a sponsored post, I'm willing to discuss a reasonable quote for a specialized article which fits within the blog's theme (No blatant promotions). Email me atmarieannlavender@gmail.comif you wish to participate in a unique post. Feel free to approach me with your creative ideas about a blog post. Slots at Writing in the Modern Age are always first come, first served. Contact us and reserve a spot! Refer to the 'guest schedule' at the top of the screen for further clarification about availability. Thanks for understanding.Disclaimer
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