Writing on Thursday

THE MOTHER DAUGHTER SHOW by Natalie Wexler

CAST OF CHARACTERS: Three moms, three daughters, bound by the past, friendship and DNA; struggling with change, doubt and misunderstanding.

STORYLINE: The daughters are teenagers in their senior year of high school, and this means it's time for the annual show. It's the mothers' job to create and execute the musical revue, one that will both honor their girls, and please the ranks of their private prep school.

But when everyone should be working together, relishing this special stage in life, the plot thickens with secrets, rebellion, and the sound of little more than dischord.

Will the show go on? And at what expense?
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REVIEW: Two thumbs up. THE MOTHER DAUGHTER REVIEW is a well-written, clear story about the dynamics of relationship, the reality of life, and the power of forgiveness.

CREDITS: Natalie Wexler is a journalist and essayist whose work has appeared in the Washington Post Magazine, the American Scholar, the Gettysburg Review, and other publications, and she is a reviewer for the Washington Independent Review of Books. She wrote the award-winning historical novel, A MORE OBEDIENT WIFE. THE MOTHER DAUGHTER REVIEW is her second book. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband.

THE MOTHER DAUGHTER SHOW was published by Fuze Publishing LLC, and I received my review copy from Goldberg McDuffie Communications.

Writing on Thursday

A Book Review
Lisa Tucker's THE WINTERS IN BLOOM

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Everyone has a secret, but can they keep it?

Oh, no they can't...``````````Maroon 5, Secret

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photo from
simonandschuster.com 

Thus is the crux behind Tucker's latest novel, her sixth.

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David and Kyra Winter are happily married. Life and work and parenthood are all they've ever hoped for. In their son, Michael, they have everything they need.

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But then Michael disappears from their backyard, and they are forced to recall their pasts, from before they knew each other. Somehow, this tragic circumstance will be traced to that secret of David's. Or maybe that secret of Kyra's.

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THE WINTERS IN BLOOM, through comfortable and beautiful writing, asks these questions: How protective can a parent be? How much do our personal histories play into the way we relate? And does the past ever stay in the past?
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So who is responsible for Michael's kidnapping? And on whom does the blame fall?

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Read THE WINTERS IN BLOOM to find out...
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You can learn more about Lisa Tucker, this and her other books, by visiting her website.

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Thanks to Goldberg McDuffie Communications for my ARC of the book.

Writing on Thursday

The Way It Happens to Be

It's moving, the way life echoes art. And the way art echoes life.

As I was in the shower this morning, thinking about the stuttered place my current novel-in-progress is at, it occured to me how similar my life, right now, is to the one my protagonist is living.

Doesn't mean I'm writing about me. Doesn't mean I'm trying to live like her. It's just there are parallels. Commonalities. Ways in which I relate to her very deeply.

I'm sure my sub-conscious has played a large role in this. Credit must, I'm sure, be given to all those quiet inspirations and implied emotions. It's because she, and her story, are borne of me, and the things I experience, the world in which I live.

If I'm lucky, this realization will help me ease back to it, and enhance the writing. If I'm lucky, it will be cathartic for my soul.

I think it's just the way the world of creativity works.

What do you think?

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If you missed my announcement on Tuesday, click over to see the news... It's easier than having to repeat myself.

And next Thursday I'll be posting a book review for Lisa Tucker's newest novel, THE WINTERS IN BLOOM. Be sure to come back!

Also, thanks again, so much, for all your support. I really do know the best and most loving people.

Sweet Misfortune by Kevin Alan Milne

A cute, cute idea, and one very sweet read.
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Sophie Jones is a pessimist. You can tell by her wry sense of humor, the umbrella she carries every day, just knowing it will rain, and because of the misfortune cookies--dipped in bitter chocolate and stuffed with dim advice--she makes and sells in her confections shop.
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Happiness rightly eludes you. ~~ When offered the dream of a lifetime, SAY NO! Remember, it's just a dream. ~~ Yesterday was the high point of your life. Sorry.
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Sophie feels convicted in giving her customers these treats with a realistic bite. After all, there's no guarantee life will ever go your way, that you'll be happy in the end. She knows. She lost both parents to one tragedy, and her fiance dumped her with no explanation.
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Why get her hopes up? Dream? Expect happiness? In her experience, it's all for naught.
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Enter her ex, Garrett, who returns to beg forgiveness and a chance to explain everything. She hesitates, of course, because why risk heartbreak again? But when he shows determination, going so far as to elicit help from the general public, she concedes.
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One more shot at happiness.
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Can Garrett prove to Sophie it does exist?
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Kevin Alan Milne, praised for his sweet, heartwarming tales, is the author of The Paper Bag Christmas and The Nine Lessons. Visit him by way of his website or blog.
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*I was given a copy of the book, courtesy Goldberg McDuffie Communications, in exchange for this review.
**Incidentally, I've another book review up at The Blue Bookcase. See what I had to say about The Wednesday Letters by Jason Wright, here.

The Marriage Project by Kathi Lipp

10.5 years in, my husband and I are still figuring marriage out.

A full decade.

So, when given the chance to obtain a copy of The Marriage Project, I thought 21 days to more love and laughter might be something I could get along with.

And you know what? Despite the very second my daughter opened it to the title page of a sex chapter, what with that random precision kids have, I did.

This book is cute. Its cover is trendy and appealing; its size comfy and easy to handle. The cartoon hubby? Bow chicka wow wow. For, you know, a drawn man.

But that's just icing, so let's talk about what's inside the covers.

What's presented in a smooth format is like The Love Dare (which challenges a spouse through solitary exercises), but for couples. Together you agree to complete three weeks' worth of daily projects, like offering one another breaks from responsibility and leaving thoughtful presents, to romantic dates out and, ahem, bow chicka wow wow.

Some of author Kathi Lipp's intents for you and your husband or wife are:

• seeing your spouse through new eyes


• finding new levels of warmth and tenderness in your relationship


• implementing ideas to bring fun and flirting back to your marriage


• learning to let God use you in your union as He intended

The book and each of its project sections is a quick read, presented in a friendly, casual voice. Kathi Lipp, both a writer and public speaker, offers real insight, comments from past participants, and personal anecdotes that make the tasks-at-hand easier to wrap around.

This book would be perfect for a husband and wife looking for redirection, or a little lift in their marriage, and it's ideal for church or women's groups. My suggestion? Gift The Marriage Project to newlyweds.

(This title alone shouldn't, however, be used as council for those with serious marital issues. In those heavy-weighted circumstances, licensed professionals and/or clergy should be consulted.)

As for my husband and me? On to the next decade. (And the book's going with us.)

*Please note: My review of The Marriage Project is in exchange for the copy I received from Harvest House Publishers.
**Best wishes to Kathi Lipp with this and all her endeavors! Visit her website, KathyLipp.com.

***PS. It was the daughter who can't read yet, but I still froze in terror...

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent - A Book Review

Do you like to escape to written worlds that bear no resemblance to your own? Lose yourself in one such world, one over three centuries old...

In The Heretic's Daughter, the debut novel from Kathleen Kent, you'll look at late-1600s life through the eyes of nine-year-old Sarah Carrier. Through her perspective, so indicative of an era when children were forced to grow wise before their time, were held accountable during insurmountable circumstances, we learn of a far different existence from what we know today.

It's during Sarah's tranformation from child to young woman that we learn, as she does, that her mother stands accused as the Salem Witch Trials commence. What will this mean for Sarah and her family? What does fate hold for her mother, Martha, one of the first women tried for witchcraft?

Kent's novel, written with beautiful, antiquated prose and incredible articulation, is based on true accounts of her own Puritan ancestors--including the real Martha Carrier. The reader will feel persecution along with the Carrier family, will understand the incredulity of circumstance. One will sense fear of the unknown, and the struggles of times so different from our own.

If I had stars to pass out... this book would get all five of them.

This review was written in association with Blog Stop Book Tours, which you can visit for additional information and reviews.

Taking a Look at Freezing Point by Karen Dionne

Imagine you work for a large corporation; a corporation wanting nothing more than to create - yes, create - the next greatest supplier of water for those who need it. How? By travelling to Antarctica, where the answer exists in the form of an immense iceberg. The plans have been hashed and rehashed. The iceberg will be liquified... for pure, clean drinking water.

And then...

Imagine you're a scientist. You've worked with a team of specialists for years, studied the polar ice, lived a meager existence. You support environmentalism. Your goal has been preservation. Then man steps in. And ruins it all.

What happens when the two worlds collide? And, worse yet, what happens when an unforeseen horror - bigger than anyone can imagine - threatens everyone involved?

Karen Dionne has been called "the new Michael Crichton." This debut novel, the eco-thriller Freezing Point, will be released in October 2008. I recommend you order your copy now! Her written voice is truly gripping.

And come back on September 15th, when I'll review Kathleen Kent's The Heretic's Daughter, an historical novel about the Salem witch trials, in connection with Blog Stop Book Tours.

Galt Niederhoffer's The Romantics

Awhile back I posted about a book I'd received under fairly-mysterious circumstances. I finished it a couple nights ago, and have to sing its praises.

The Romantics is a novel about a group of friends who, several years after college, reunite for the wedding of two of its members. In the years gone by, eight have paired off into couples, including the bride and groom. Only Laura, the protagonist, remains single... but she has a past with and is still in love with the groom.

BUH Buh buh...

This book is all at once a look into the dynamics of friendship, class differences, and the way love can shape - or ruin - a life. Torn emotions? Front and center. Cynicism? Present. Suspense? Check.

Galt Niederhoffer's prose and cadence, while so rich and flowy they're almost distracting, push the story along. Her words have combined to create an apt and smooth narrative, full of sentences that speak beyond the mere terms presented. So much lies behind Niederhoffer's words; she has way of telling you so much, with what seems like such little effort. An example:

"Conceptually, boys coveted Lila, but it was Laura they wanted to possess."

In addition to the quality of writing within, the plot is fast-moving and thought-invoking. I highly recommend this book!

The Bunko Babes - A Book Review

The cover of the book, by Leah Starr Baker, made me think I'd get a light, perhaps fluffy, read. With the main character's chatty (though oftentimes cliched) voice, I did. And there was more...

What I thought might turn out to be overwhelming - both because of Bunko, which I've never played nor seen played, and the initial introduction of eight characters just for playing said Bunko - ended up being relatable and uncomplicated...

The reader's initiation into Bunko connects us with a group of women: Women who lead typical lives on the surface but have, like most, underlying cause for concern. From life as a seriously over-stressed mom to the demands of an active soldier's wife, from marriage issues to worry over health concerns, it's all there.

Everything is seen from the perspective of Becca, the main character, who the reader follows through many ups and downs of her own. Though she can, at times, seem melodramatic and pampered, she's just an average, Christian woman who draws strength from Above, from her family, and from those special friends she plays games with. Those three elements are what get her through the most trying times of her life, as the reader tags along for the bumpy ride.

To view more, please visit Blog Stop Book Tours.

A Premature Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I've just barely cracked open the cover - I've read the first six chapters or so - of the book Eat, Pray, Love (One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia) by Elizabeth Gilbert. But it's already proving delicious. (And I have to thank my friend, Melanie, from whom I'm pretty sure I first heard about the book.)

From the short but intriguing introduction I've been drawn in, and I find myself hanging on to every one of Elizabeth's words. Her voice is so invoking, so personable, it feels like she and I are in the same room. Like she's really speaking to me, telling only me this fascinating story of hers.

As with anyone who piques my interest, I googled the author. Her official website (which is linked in her name above) is as engaging as the book itself, since the first thing you see is her lovely face, open and vulnerable. I want to hug her. Sit down, and pick apart her writer's brain. And then be her friend.

On her site, Elizabeth - or Liz, as she calls herself in the book, and as I feel so compelled to refer to her - shares some Thoughts on Writing. Her brilliant insights are too many to condense in this mere blog, but I recommend, if you're a writer (or maybe even if not), you take a gander. Her words have given me this renewed drive in regards to my own writing. I feel this focused burst of inspiration, a reason to keep on keepin' on.

But in the meantime, I'll continue reading Eat, Pray, Love. I can't wait to follow Liz on her journey, and learn with her - from her - along the way.

The Fiction Class - A Book Review

To begin, here's the passage from the back of the book The Fiction Class by Susan Breen:

"On paper, Arabella Hicks is more than qualified to teach a weekly fiction class on New York's Upper West Side: She's an author herself; she's passionate about books; she's even named after the herione in a Georgette Heyer novel.

So why do her students seem so difficult? And why can't she find an ending to the novel she has been working on for seven years? Arabella's beginning to suspect that it's because her mother, Vera Hicks, is driving her insane. After each class, she goes to see Vera in a nursing home outside the city. Every visit turns into an argument. Arabella can't figure out how to make peace, until one day she discovers something surprising: Her mother wants to be a writer.

Slowly, cautiously, Arabella begins to teach her, and as the lessons progress along with her class, Arabella discovers that it is she who has a lot to learn about writing, and about love."

And now for my review:

As The Fiction Class, the story of Arabella Hicks, began, I was seemingly unaffected. Susan Breen's protagonist was dull, dissatisfied. Her affect as the teacher of an uninspired class, and the friction between she and her mother, Vera, didn't create a character I was readily able to connect with.

Formatting of the novel, which jumped from writing class to visit with Vera back to writing class, felt jarring to me. And the flow of Breen's more formal prose seemed stuffy, surreal.

But then, before I knew it, I realized with surprise that Arabella had grown on me. Through Breen's turns of phrase, which eventually came to resound so poignantly within me, I'd become used to Arabella's eccentricity. She was a more relatable character than I'd expected, and I found myself invested in her story. I felt sympathy as she faced her class and visits with Vera, and just as she began to see once-hidden layers in her students, and in her mother, I saw the same in her.

All said and done, The Fiction Class was a satisfying novel. The dynamics between Arabella and the supporting characters - particularly a love interest - made for an entertaining read. And the closure reached by book's end, made the discomfort between Arabella and Vera strangely worthwhile.

Susan Breen is one whose books, should she write more, will grace my nightstand.



You can view other reviews for The Fiction Class, by visiting Blog Stop Book Tours.

A Teaser

On April 14th I'll be posting a book review here at Something She Wrote. The book in question? It's The Fiction Class by Susan Breen.

Did I like it? Will I deem it a great new classic all voracious readers should pore over? Or did I find it unsatisfactory, tossing the paperback from the window of a moving vehicle? Somewhere in between?

Come back this Monday and find out!

Business Is Booming!

Okay, so perhaps it's more like squeaking. Oh, how I love the sound of squeaks in the afternoon... But word of my services is getting out, and I've been approached for a smattering of jobs. (To view the details of my business click here or use the link over there -->, under important sites)

One exciting project is the critiquing of (part of) a mystery/suspense manuscript. I've kept busy with it the last couple of days, working on its format and flow, and hope to get my final review done this evening. The client has been great to work with, which makes my job that much more enjoyable.

I'm also stoked about creating a business name and slogan/tagline for someone. My ideas have been met with enthusiasm thus far, and I'm eager to give her my full list of suggestions later this week. She also plans to use my services down the line, for editing of pamphlets and other forms of advertising. So fun!

On another front, just yesterday I received the novel I'll be reviewing online in April. It sits next to me right now, begging me to pick it up. Soon, paperback, soon...

Then, of course, there's my own WIP, individual of Something She Wrote. I didn't get the chance to work on it at all yesterday, but I'll pull it up later and see what I can do.

*squeak squeak*

ETA: Anybody know what the deal is with the format on Blogger? Sometimes it chooses to double-space me, other times it's single-spaced. My post about Sally, my new Alphasmart, included both. *shrugs* By golly! It just did it again!

The Whoop Heard 'Round The World

I'd already begun my post this morning, thinking to talk about some new writing opportunities. I planned to tell of the book fresh from the publisher I'll be reading and reviewing online, and the guest blogging I may be doing for a family website (details for both to come at a later time).

But then, during a moment of distraction (I swear, it was only a moment!), I began perusing eBay for AlphaSmarts. When I stumbled across a 3000 model and mentioned it to Mike, who was within feet of me, he said, "Wouldja buy it already and quit buggin' me?" It was then that I let out The Whoop Heard 'Round The World. Yep, that was me. I can still feel the shockwave of excitement, which hit me when I clicked the BuyItNow button. Whew, what a rush.

And here she is:

Look at how sleek, how shiny she is. She's coming from Texas where, I can only hope, she was loved and lead a fulfilling life. One that prepared her for the warm welcome I'll give her. She'll come with the USB cable needed to hook 'er up to my computer when the time comes, but I'll invest in some batteries and a nice, comfy satchel she can call home. I shall call her Sally.