Genre: Humorous Literary Fiction Publisher: Boldface Books Date of Publication: June 7, 2016 Number of Pages: 270 You’re never too old to learn—or too young Good-looking, good-hearted Charley Bristow’s the most sought-after hair stylist in five West Texas counties. He’s an expert on the dance floor and sharp at the pool tables, too—but when it comes to picking cars, dogs, and women, luck hasn’t quite gone his way lately. And there’s the ever-present worry over his mother, whose own trailer-park plight he’d just as soon steer clear of. Just when he’s sworn off temptation of the female sort, an evening at the local honky-tonk drives two prime targets right into his path. Weighing the sudden wealth of options in his love life, while also searching for the right choice of wheels to suit his needs, Charley stumbles upon a long-hidden secret and an unforeseen road to redemption. The colorful denizens of the Wild Hare Salon, Jarod’s Automotive, and Hopper’s nightclub, along with those of the Briargrove First Methodist Church and the Sulfur Gap Centennial Celebration, will two-step their way right into your heart, to music as familiar as Willie Nelson and Charley Pride. And you just might start to fall in love with an old Johnny Mercer tune, too, as Charley Bristow faces his past and embraces the challenge of his future. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE 7/29/2016 SUMMER VACATION The Adventures of Mackenzie and Cristen by Belinda Everette Review + GiveawayRead NowGenre: Middle Grade / Contemporary Fiction Date of Publication: June 12, 2016 # of pages: 70 It's the beginning of summer and Uncle Mike and Aunt Melanie invite Mackenzie for an extended summer vacation in their hometown of Houston, Texas. On the first day, Mackenzie finds her cousins, Cristen and Chloe, helping their parents prepare a special meal. Come and learn about the holiday and celebration of Juneteenth with this first book in The Adventures of Mackenzie and Cristen, a cultural journey of joy, family, and fun! Summer Vacation is the first installment in The Adventures of Mackenzie and Cristen, a five part journey of family love and fun. Each adventure finds the cousins learning history, exploring cultural themes and traditions, and discovering the joy in the world around them. CLICK TO PURCHASE: Amazon PayPal 7/2/2016 WEST TEXAS MIDDLEWEIGHT: The Story of LaVern Roach by Frank Sikes Author Interview + GiveawayRead NowGenre: Biography Publisher: Texas Tech University Press Date of Publication: June 30, 2016 Number of Pages: 288 LaVern Roach, a skinny kid from the small town of Plainview, Texas, rose from obscurity to become one of boxing’s most popular figures during the 1940s. Roach’s rise to prominence occurred during an era when boxing shared the spotlight with baseball as the nation’s top two professional sports. As a result of Roach’s death—which marked the first nationally televised fight during which a boxer died from injuries received in the ring—the sport of boxing came under closer scrutiny by the general public than ever before. West Texas Middleweight is the story of Roach’s all too brief journey from a West Texas amateur, to enlistment in the US Marines, where he captained the nation’s most successful military boxing team, to becoming a Madison Square Garden main eventer. He received the distinction of being named The Ring Magazine’s “Rookie of the Year” for 1947 and was considered a top ten contender for the middleweight championship of the world. This book chronicles Roach’s road to his final fight—and it explains why, as noted by legendary boxing trainer Angelo Dundee, “boxing changed because of LaVern Roach.” Purchase From: http://www.ttupress.org/ How has being a Texan influenced your writing?
Since my subject is a Texan, it has allowed me to relate to him since we both come from similar backgrounds and heritage. Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? It was a godsend. Where did your love of bookish things come from? My 9th grade English teacher, Mrs. Williams, gave me a love for literature. I won an essay writing contest that year and got to fly for the first time the 45 miles between Plainview and Lubbock, go see the movie Dial M for Murder, and picnic at McKenzie Park. What a thrill for a 14-year-old boy. How long have you been writing? This is my first, but hopefully not my last book.
About The Author
My ReviewThis was a story that needed to be told. It was entertaining, fun, and real. I loved the structure of this story as it had intermingling perspectives following both the law and the lawless at times with a combination of long and short stories all balancing each other out. It was a complex feat made to look easy. It was beautifully constructed and very educational for someone who has never read a police orientated book. You were not overwhelmed with the lingo and policies as you were introduced to it all as you started your first day at the police academy with K.W. Some of my favorite movies are the ones that are based off of real life events because as soon as the movie ends the facts flash across the screen as to where these people are at in life now and that is just another thing I love about this book. You get to hear all these adventures and then the epilogue contains the briefing of where each of these stories ended up even the 410 gauge shot gun that is now in the hands of K.W.'s grandson. It just creates even more excitement for what you just finished reading. The story introduces you to a small town boy and the struggles and heroism of a town as they are drawn together to raise this boy. It was an inspirational, heartwarming story that could easily be portrayed into a movie. As the boy grows up, he becomes a police himself and the story then follows both sides of the law. The reader becomes immersed in the drama of the day to day life or death scenarios that arise. He includes rotating sections from both his and the criminals point of view that had you realizing just how hard being in law enforcement really is. You got to know the armed robber that was shot down on his first offense, the drug addict that would do anything for his next hit, and even the addict that was high and on a stabbing spree. The story line followed K.W. as he becomes a guardian and the good, the bad, and the ugly that goes along with that responsibility. K.W. has the perfect balance throughout the story so that you really understand all the scenarios that shaped him, from the ones he was fully immersed in to the ones that he tipped his toes into because of his snitch or happenstance. I loved this story and enjoyed sharing tidbits as I read with others about some of the bizarre scenarios that arose. The more you read, the more you fall in love with this story. I'd highly recommend this to any audience. Check out the other great blogs on the tour! 06/28 My Book Fix Blog – Review 06/29 Books and Broomsticks – Excerpt #1 06/30 Missus Gonzo – Review 07/01 The Crazy Booksellers – Promo 07/02 StoreyBook Reviews – Author Interview #1 07/03 The Librarian Talks – Review 07/04 It's a Jenn World – Guest Post 07/05 The Page Unbound – Excerpt #2 07/06 Country Girl Bookaholic – Review 07/07 Margie's Must Reads – Author Interview #2 “Never forget that I was your first real kiss. Never forget that you’ll be my last. And never stop loving me between all of them. Never stop, Charlie. Never forget.” Silas races against time as more truths unravel, while others twist tighter together. And now, the stakes are higher as Silas’ control slips and others begin to point fingers. Charlie is in trouble and he must be the one to bridge the chasm between their past and their present. Because somewhere between I love yous and Never Nevers and Never Agains, a truth they can't imagine, beckons to be found. “Where are you, Charlie?” ebook, 158 pages Published May 17th 2015 Current GoodReads Rating: 4.17 Stars My Review: Once again I'm left deep in thought by these dang "to be continued..." teasers. This story felt like the most bad ass, detailed trailer for the most epic movie ever about to come out. You are left contemplating the scenes and anticipating what's to come. This series is the first where I have felt so lost in the events and characters that I blur my reality with the story line. I finish the book and am left dizzy when I look up.
These little details that are starting to unravel and the new twist in direction the audience gets to think about now is epic. Pieces are starting to fit back into the puzzle and it's painting one beautiful, complex picture. I love this story because it keeps introducing hints of new information to the reader and it's up to you what to make out of it, which is why it feels like your a character in their adventure. The characters are just as clueless as the reader is and together we shall figure this thing out. It's a race to the answers! P.S. I'm so glad I waited to read this series till all the books had been released because most of the negative reviews are just because how pissed the reader is with how much of a teaser is. This book provides more questions than it does answers, so my suggestion is to have Part Three close. I'll post my review for that soon and by golly it better have some answers! Genre: Mystery Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press Date of Publication: October 27, 2015 # of pages: 306 1959. Delpha Wade killed a man who was raping her. Wanted to kill the other one too, but he got away. Now, after fourteen years in prison, she’s out. It’s 1973, and nobody’s rushing to hire a parolee. Persistence and smarts land her a secretarial job with Tom Phelan, an ex-roughneck turned neophyte private eye. Together these two pry into the dark corners of Beaumont, a blue-collar, Cajun-influenced town dominated by Big Oil. A mysterious client plots mayhem against a small petrochemical company-why? Searching for a teenage boy, Phelan uncovers the weird lair of a serial killer. And Delpha — on a weekend outing — looks into the eyes of her rapist, the one who got away. The novel's conclusion is classic noir, full of surprise, excitement, and karmic justice. Sandlin's elegant prose, twisting through the dark thickets of human passion, allows Delpha to open her heart again to friendship, compassion, and sexuality. PURCHASE LINKS: AMAZON CINCO PUNTOS PRESS
Read More for Giveaway + ReviewGenre: Historical Western Romance / Inspirational Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Date of Publication: June 7, 2016 Number of Pages: 368 Men are optional. That was the credo Emma Chandler's suffragette aunts taught her and why she established Harper's Station, a women's colony that offers a fresh start to females in need. But when a dangerous and shadowy assailant tries repeatedly to drive the women out, Emma is forced to admit they might need a man after all. One who can fight. And there is only one man she trusts enough to ask. Malachi Shaw has finally earned the respect he's always craved by becoming an explosives expert for the railroad. Yet when Emma's telegram arrives, he rushes back to Texas to repay the girl who once saved his life. Only she's not a girl any longer. She's a woman with a mind of her own and a smile that makes a man imagine a future he doesn't deserve. As the danger intensifies, Emma, Mal, and the ladies of Harper's Station must choose between safety or risking everything to fight for their future.
Read More for Giveaway + Review!5/26/2016 EVERY BRIDE HAS HER DAY (Brides With Style #3) by Janice Thompson Review + GiveawayRead NowGenre: Contemporary Christian Romance Publisher: Revell Date of Publication: May 17, 2016 # of pages: 352 Another Delightful Romance from the Queen of Romantic Comedy Katie Fisher is ecstatic. Pro basketball star Brady James has proposed, and she can't wait to start planning their life together. She's confident she'll make it down the aisle this time--but it still may be easier said than done. A high-society Houston bride has Katie and the Cosmopolitan Bridal team scrambling to get the perfect dress done in time for her spectacular wedding. Meanwhile, Katie finds herself bombarded with everyone's competing visions regarding her own special day--and she's beginning to worry that her own ideas will get lost in the crossfire. Will she ever manage to settle all of the details for her perfect day? Or will bridal shop chaos and overzealous friends and family make a mess of everything? Fan favorite Janice Thompson gives readers what they've been clamoring for: another funny, romantic romp with a Texas twang. About the Author
Read More for Review + Giveaway!Genre: Texas Customs / Social Life / Humor Publisher: University of Texas Press Date of Publication: May 3, 2016 # of pages: 208, 58 B&W Illustrations There are certain things every Texan should know how to do and say, whether your Lone Star roots reach all the way back to the 1836 Republic or you were just transplanted here yesterday. Some of these may be second nature to you, but others . . . well, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have a few handy hints if, say, branding the herd or hosting a tamalada aren’t your usual pastimes. That’s where How to Be a Texan can help. In a friendly, lighthearted style, Andrea Valdez offers illustrated, easy-to-follow steps for dozens of authentic Texas activities and sayings. In no time, you’ll be talking like a Texan and dressing the part; hunting, fishing, and ranching; cooking your favorite Texas dishes; and dancing cumbia and two-step. You’ll learn how to take a proper bluebonnet photo and build a Día de los Muertos altar, and you’ll have a bucket list of all the places Texans should visit in their lifetime. Not only will you know how to do all these things, you’ll finish the book with a whole new appreciation for what it means to be a Texan and even more pride in saying “I’m from Texas” anywhere you wander in the world. Read More for Giveaway!
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