#MMBBR #Review Slightly South of Simple @kristywharvey @GalleryBooks ‏@SimonSchuster

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the author of Dear Carolina (Berkley/Penguin Random House, 2015), Lies and Other Acts of Love (Berkley/Penguin Random House, 2016) and the Peachtree Bluff Series, beginning with Slightly South of Simple(Gallery/Simon & Schuster, 2017). Dear Carolina was long-listed for the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize, has been optioned for film and has appeared on numerous “must-read” lists. Lies and Other Acts of Love was a Romantic Timestop pick, a Southern Booksellers Okra Pick and was chosen to be a part of the 2017 Trio display, an integration of story, art and song, which will spend the year traveling the country.

She blogs with her mom daily on Design Chic, the inaugural member of Traditional Home’s design blogger hall of fame, about how creating a beautiful home can be the catalyst for creating a beautiful life and loves connecting with readers at kristywoodsonharvey.com.

Harvey is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism and holds a master’s in English from East Carolina University, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including Southern Living,Domino, Houzz and Our State. She has been seen featured in Readers’ Digest, The Huffington Post, USA Today’s Happy Every After, North Carolina Bookwatch, PopSugar, Glitter Guide and The Sits Girls. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and five-year-old son where she is working on her next novel.

www.kristywoodsonharvey.com

www.mydesignchic.com

Twitter:  @kristywharvey 

Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/kristywoodsonharvey

ABOUT THE BOOK:

From the next “major voice in Southern fiction” (New York Times

bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand) comes the first in an all-new series

chronicling the journeys of three sisters and their mother—and a secret

from their past that has the potential to tear them apart and reshape

their very definition of what it means to be a family.

Caroline Murphy swore she’d never set foot back in the small Southern town

of Peachtree Bluff; she was a New York girl born and bred and the worst

day of her life was when, in the wake of her father’s death, her mother

selfishly forced her to move—during her senior year of high school, no

less—back to that hick-infested rat trap where she'd spent her childhood

summers. But now that her marriage to a New York high society heir has

fallen apart in a very public, very embarrassing fashion, a pregnant

Caroline decides to escape the gossipmongers with her nine-year-old

daughter and head home to her mother, Ansley.

Ansley has always put her three daughters first, especially when she found

out that her late husband, despite what he had always promised, left her

with next to nothing. Now the proud owner of a charming waterfront design

business and finally standing on her own two feet, Ansley welcomes

Caroline and her brood back with open arms. But when her second daughter

Sloane, whose military husband is overseas, and youngest daughter and

successful actress Emerson join the fray, Ansley begins to feel like the

piece of herself she had finally found might be slipping from her grasp.

Even more discomfiting, when someone from her past reappears in Ansley's

life, the secret she’s harbored from her daughters their entire lives

might finally be forced into the open.

Exploring the powerful bonds between sisters and mothers and daughters,

this engaging novel is filled with Southern charm, emotional drama, and

plenty of heart.

Harvey keeps getting better with every book that she writes.  I have adored each and every one of her stories to date and Slightly South of Simple blew me away.  I am so excited that Slightly South of Simple is part of a new series.  There is something very comforting about the settings Harvey chooses and worlds that Harvey creates because she does so with heart.  I love the characters and found myself really wrapped up in the story because it was multi-layered.  There was depth of story and richness in dialogue that helped flesh out the characters and builds upon the mounting secrets and drama.  This book is about moms, daughters, sisters and families in various ways.  I just adored this book and I cannot wait to see where this new series takes us.

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#MMBBR #Review The Odds of You and Me by @ceciliagalante5 #FirstLine @Morrow_PB

In the vein of Meg Donohue and Sarah Jio, Cecilia Galante’s second novel delivers the powerful story of one young woman who’s faced with an impossible choice—one that could have her making the biggest mistake of her life.

Thirteen days. That’s all Bernadette, “Bird,” Sincavage has left to go until she’s done with her probation and can be free again. Free from making payments to the supermarket she wrote bad checks to. Free from living at home with her overzealous mother who’s constantly nagging her about attending church again. Free to give her four-year-old son, Angus, the normal life he deserves. Her impending freedom and move to Moon Lake, where she’s plunked down a deposit on a brand new apartment, is so close she can almost taste it. What trouble could she possibly get into in just thirteen days?

But trouble does follow in the form of James Rittenhouse—someone she worked with a few years ago. At first, Bird is stunned to see James make the evening news when he’s arrested for assaulting someone in a local bar. But that’s nothing compared to the shock she gets when she discovers James hiding out in an abandoned church choir loft. Somehow he escaped police custody, broke his leg, and got his hand on a gun, which he’s now pointing at her.

Although Bird doesn’t tell anyone she saw James, there’s no way she’s helping him. She can’t screw up her probation or her second chance for a new future. And she has her son’s welfare to think about. Still. If only she could stop thinking about the terrified look in James’ eyes and the fact that he’s hurt. If only she could forget that once, long ago, James helped her out, and she owes him a debt like no other. 

Will Bird jeopardize her future for someone who helped her out in the past? A past that holds secrets she’s not quite sure she’s ready to face? Or will she turn a blind eye and learn to live with the consequences?

#FirstLine ~ "Bird?" Mrs. Ross, all blond hair and wide, kohl-rimmed eyes, beckons from inside the probation office.  

This book was wonderful.  I enjoyed it cover to cover, as it was richly written with characters that I really enjoyed.  It was when I read the book The Invisibles when I really fell in love with Galante.  The Odds of You and Me won me over in the same ways that The Invisibles did.  The story is about real people, who face challenges and come out better in the end.  They are heart and soul on the pages of the book.  They also leave a lasting impression.  I now make sure to include first lines from books in my reviews because of The Invisibles.   Galante is a talent and her writing is real, with fleshed out characters and story lines that are crisp, original and thought provoking.  I highly recommend any and all of her books.  They are also perfect for book clubs and I promise you great conversation when discussing Galante's hard-to-put-down books!

Cecilia Galante is the author of several middle grade, young adult and adult novels. She also teaches 8th grade English at Wyoming Seminary Prep School, and teaches creative writing in the MFA program at Wilkes University.

#MMBBR #Highlight #FirstLine Saratoga Payback by Stephen Dobyns @PenguinPbks @penguinusa @Penguin @_PenguinGroup

The latest installment in Stephen Dobyns's Charlie Bradshaw mysteries, Saratoga Payback follows the latest exploits of Saratoga Springs' most unusual and sardonic detective. 

Ever since the cops revoked his private investigator's license, Charlie Bradshaw has been adjusting to life as a regular senior citizen. But reading, sitting around the house, and making amateur home repairs is a far cry from his past life as Saratoga Springs' most successful everyman detective.

So when Charlie discovers the sprawled corpse of Saratoga Springs' biggest nuisance on his sidewalk, the ex-P.I. is torn. Should he risk asking questions of his own, knowing he could easily be prosecuted for doing P.I. work without a license? Or should he avoid the trouble and spend his twilight years in peace? Well, the case was practically delivered to his doorstep...

Saratoga Payback, the latest installment in Stephen Dobyns's critically praised Charlie Bradshaw Mysteries, follows Charlie as he toes the line between concerned private citizen and practiced private eye. As he begins to look into the murder of the town pest, Charlie also finds himself entangled in problem that is purely Saratogian--a mission to rescue an old acquaintance's kidnapped horse. Wry, entertaining, and adroitly written, Saratoga Payback is an immensely satisfying addition to Dobyns's popular mystery series.

#FirstLine ~ Mickey Martin had what an acquaintance called "urinous" breath: a potent alkaloid whiff mixed with eh aroma of rotting meat, which caused those whom he had snared in conversation to stumble back in search of relief.

Dobyns was raised in New Jersey, Michigan, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. He was educated at Shimer College, graduated from Wayne State University, and received an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa in 1967. He has worked as a reporter for the Detroit News.

He has taught at various academic institutions, including Sarah Lawrence College, the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers, the University of Iowa, Syracuse University, and Boston University.

In much of his poetry and some works of non-genre fiction, Dobyns employs extended tropes, using the ridiculous and the absurd as vehicles to introduce more profound meditations on life, love, and art. He shies neither from the low nor from the sublime, and all in a straightforward narrative voice of reason. His journalistic training has strongly informed this voice.

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#Review #MMBBR #Roundup @NatGeo ‏@NGKids #COUNTONME @todastw1

Who do you count on? You may look to friends, teammates, family, mentors and teachers to not let you down. And in return, they can count on you to do the same for them!

Being part of a workplace team also involves accepting responsibilities. When each team member acts responsibly, it makes the workplace more successful.

Responsible people take charge of their lives! Make a plan and set goals to develop your talents and skills! We challenge you, on Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day, to show your future workforce that they can #COUNTONME !

What is your job?  Are you taking your son or daughter to work with you on Thursday, April 27th, 2017?

All these National Geographic books help you and your children explore various types of jobs.  What a great way to bridge you and your child and get them excited about Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day!!!!

Ever wondered how to find a dinosaur? Paleontologist Dr. Scott Sampson, host of Dinosaur Train on PBS Kids, tells kids how! How do paleontologists find dinosaur bones? How do they know what dinosaurs ate or looked like? And what is paleontology, anyway? Dr. Scott tackles all these questions and more while inspiring kids to go out and make the next big dino discovery!

Mrs Mommy Booknerd and Carys' Review:  

Carys loves dinosaurs and one of the things on this 7 years old short list for jobs is being a paleontologist.  That was even her costume for Halloween this year, so I knew that my little neighbor friend would be perfect to help me review this book.  Carys loved that this book was all about one of her possible career paths.  She loves dinosaurs and learned tons of new things.  She loves learning that Dr. Scott's favorite dinosaurs is a Kosmoceratops, which happens to be her favorite too! She loved all the illustrations and pictures.  Carys got through this book with ease, as she excels in reading but this book may be a bit harder for new or beginning readers, but would be a great book to read with your child.  Carys and I loved that each two page spread covered a topic like WHAT IS A PALEONTOLOGY, WHERE ARE FOSSILS FOUND and HOW ARE FOSSILS REMOVED FROM THE FIELD, just to name a few.  This book is fun, informative and acts as a great compliment in any dinosaur lovers library.  Carys and I both give this book a HUGE 5 star rating and highly recommend it to any and all dino lovers!

Who says adults can't have fun? This book explores 100 of the coolest, wackiest, and most amazing jobs and careers out there, from astronaut to zookeeper, ice cream taster to game maker.   Jam-packed with inspiration, hands-on projects, advice from National Geographic explorers, interviews with experts, weird-but-true facts, and more, this new book in the popular "100 Things" series is a great way to get kids thinking creatively about career paths and excited about their futures! Mrs Mommy Booknerd's Review This book is FANTASTIC. I could not stop reading it and both my boys thought is was super cool too! Did you know that being a social worker is the 44th job listed in this book?  That is one of my jobs, so cool right!? In this book you will read about 100 things to be when you grow up.  All the jobs sound interesting and fun! This book has all the things that I love about National Geographic...the amazing photos, great tidbits and facts, as well as the well written table of content and index. This book will make you want to explore all the wonderful, wacky and interesting jobs out in the world!

National Geographic has inspired generations of explorers. Now it's your turn! Learn what it takes to be a real-life explorer in this fun and action-packed guide to discovering the world around us. Unearth ancient mummies and lost treasures, encounter wild animals and learn how to protect their habitats, and shoot for the stars with the latest technologies in space travel. Amazing stories, fantastic photos, and hands-on-activities inspire curious kids to start discovering on land, air, and sea. Profiles feature National Geographic explorers of all kinds: paleontologists, biologists, photographers, artists, writers, activists, conservationists, and more. Kids are inspired to follow their passions into careers and introduced to the first steps to take to achieve their dream. Mrs Mommy Booknerd's Review This book is quite speculator! Within this amazing book there are 100's photos of some of the coolest things to grab our attention and to get you out exploring.  In addition to all the fabulous photos, there are facts and tidbits galore. While you peruse the book you can look through the chapters and read things that interest you the most. The book is broken down by land, sea and sky and within those categories there are tons of places listed to explore. When this book arrived my son was instantly reading it bouncing from topic to topic...all I heard was "Did you know that...." followed by some amazing factoids and "Wow, look at this..." followed by me looking at some crazy cool things. These are the type of books that capture the attention of young readers because they have amazing vibrant photos with fun facts, game and puzzles. I love that I can trust that my child will be learning interesting and important facts and that their attention will be captured over the summer with this book. Every time you open it up you read you learn something new. This will be a staple read for my boys over the summer and it will get us out exploring and having grand adventures!

#MMBBR #Giveaway #Giveaway #VampirinaBallerina @AnneMariePace @DisneyHyperion

ABOUT THE BOOK

Vampirina at the Beach

By Ann Marie Pace

Release: April 4, 2017

Recommended for ages 2 - 6

Synopsis

When the summer moon is full, a beach trip is an epic way to spend the night.

With her signature poise, Vampirina and her clan gear up for a festive time at the beach. Keeping her ballet lessons in mind, Vampirina demi-pliés on a surfboard, leaps for a volleyball, and finishes each competition with style, even if she doesn't always come out on top.

This book is so much fun!  I love that it is released just in time for summer because it is a perfect summer read.  The illustrations are the so detailed, colorful and engaging.  You could spend a lot of time just looking at the pictures and enjoying all the interesting interactions, activities and characters enjoying the on the outing at the beach.  You could picture read this book with new or beginning readers and then have them work up to reading the text.  There are important lessons in this book about how to stay safe and have fun at the beach.  The story is engaging, fun and sure to become your child's new favorite book.  This series is pure delight and I cannot wait to see how the cute the new show is that is coming to Disney Junior.    

GIVEAWAY:

MEET VAMPIRINA BALLERINA!

One winner receives copies of the complete series:

Vampirina Ballerina

Vampirina Ballerina Hosts a Sleepover

Vampirina at the Beach
(US ONLY)

ENTER HERE:  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cannot wait to see if you won?  Buy the book HERE

About the Author

Anne Marie Pace (www.annemariepace.com) is the author of Vampirina Ballerina and Vampirina Hosts a Sleepover, and has had stories, poems, and articles for kids published in such magazines as Highlights for Children, My Friend, Wee Ones, and On the Line. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband and four teenagers.

LEARN MORE

Visit the Official Site

Follow Disney-Hyperion on Twitter and Instagram

#VampirinaBallerina

#MMBBR #Review @DoodleArtAlley @AkaBooks Independence Is Happiness: #ColoringBook

Color Your Way to Fun, Inspiration, and Relaxation.

Independence Is Happiness features 60 doodle art images of inspiring quotes by famous women. Images are printed on one side of the page for all ages to color.

These quotes have stood the test of time. The words of wisdom come from more than 30 amazing women well worth celebrating, including Susan B. Anthony, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Blackwell, Emily Dickinson, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, and more.

The notable women featured in this book were activists, advocates, authors, humanitarians, lecturers, novelists, poets, pioneers, scientists, and more. The appendix shares brief profiles of these extraordinary trailblazers and wonderful women all.

Each doodle art image has been carefully selected to provide plenty of enjoyment, inspiration, and relaxation.

Samantha Snyder has been doodling her whole life. While teaching elementary school, she often drew up coloring pages and printables for her students and fellow teachers. She decided to start sharing her creations and in 2008, Doodle Art Alley was founded. 

Doodle Art Alley is dedicated to giving those squiggly lines the proper credit they deserve. Who would have thought that such a small and simple idea could possess so much potential? There are lots of fun art activities, tips and information to read through and enjoy at Doodle-Art-Alley.com, along with hundreds of free coloring pages and printables.

By far DOODLE ART ALLEY BOOKS are my absolute FAVORITE coloring books EVER!  I just love everything about them!  I love the quotes, the detail, the designs and the size!  I use them as inspiration quotes on the bathroom mirror for my kids (and myself) to see each morning.  I switch the pictures out from time to time to keep things fresh.  The boys think that is a great way to start their day!  I use these pictures as thank you cards and for other occasions that would constitute a greeting card.  I feel that this is such a more personal way to let people know that you are thinking of them!!!

In addition to the practical purposes of the finished product the actual process of coloring it both relaxing and therapeutic!  I make sure to set aside 20 minutes nearly daily for coloring and I feel so much better when I get my time in!  I think there is something very wonderful that happens when you color and I found that is it one of my favorite things to do!!!  

In Independence is Happiness you get to color and learn.  This book is filled with quotes from famous woman in history.  That is pretty awesome because it is a bit of a history lesson, a bio on each woman in the back of the book, in addition to being a fun activity.  This book is filled with 60 coloring pages some new and some you may have seen from other coloring books in this series.  It was inspiring to be able to color these pages because all these 30+ woman were influential in the world and now I am sharing these beautiful pages with my sons and others.  

This whole series of books are all wonderful and each book focuses on something a bit different than the others!  All the books are awesome and I HIGHLY recommend them!  I cannot wait to see what other books that come out and I hope I am lucky enough to review them here for all of you!!!

 5 HUGE STARS!!!

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#MMBBR #Review #PubDay Any Day Now @RCarrWriter @HarlequinBooks #FirstLine

Any Day Now: A Novel (Sullivan's Crossing) by Robyn Carr

ANY DAY NOW ! on sale: April 18th, 2017 

THE SECOND NOVEL IN THE SULLIVAN’S CROSSING SERIES

 #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Robyn Carr is back with ANY DAY NOW, the latest installment in her new, wildly popular Sullivan’s Crossing series. Return to the idyllic mountains and tranquil retreats of small-town Colorado, where Sierra Jones has just arrived off a bus from Iowa, for this story of self-discovery and second chances. After years of wandering, toxic relationships, and struggles with addiction, Sierra has decided to follow her brother, Cal, to Sullivan’s Crossing in search of a fresh start. While Cal is busy preparing for a baby with his new wife, Maggie, Sierra is ready to put down some roots of her own, which means finding steady work, focusing on her sobriety, and, most importantly, avoiding men and all the problems they cause. Sierra’s vow of chastity proves difficult to honor, however, when she meets Conrad Boyle, a local firefighter and kindred spirit who is recovering from heartbreak of his own. With his good heart, steady nature, and abs of steel, Connie will test Sierra’s resolve and force her to reconsider whether all men are worthless after all, and for the first time, she may have found someone she can finally trust and rely on. Above all, Connie seems more than ready to accept Sierra’s past and offer her a future full of the safety and stability that she’s always craved. But for Sierra, her troubled past is still too close for comfort. Because while she’s trying to resist Connie’s ever-enticing charms, Sierra is also on the run from a dangerous man who could threaten everything in her new life she’s trying to protect. As long as that man is still at large, turning over a new leaf may be harder than Sierra ever imagined.

Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 novels, including the critically acclaimed Virgin River and Thunder Point series, as well as highly praised women’s fiction titles such as Four Friends, What We Find, and The Life She Wants. Robyn has won a RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America, and in 2016 she was awarded RWA’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the genre. Her novels have been translated into 19 languages in 30 countries. Originally from Minnesota, Robyn now resides in Henderson, Nevada, with her aviator husband; they have two grown children. When she isn’t writing, Robyn puts her energy into community service: she has mentored a seniors’ memoir-writing group, attends book club chats in and out of state whenever possible, and is working with her local library on the Carr Chat Series, a program centered on fundraising and visiting author events that bring writers, their books, and the community together.

#FirstLine ~ So, this is what a new life looks like.

I love Carr.  I love her because she is dependable.  You know that every time you read one of her books you are going to have an enjoyable reading experience.  This is the second book in a series (Sullivan"s Crossing), with a setting that cannot be beat, with characters you have grown to love and with a story that is about the ways marriage and friendships mold you and the worries and crisis that help us find our way.  Carr leaves the reader feeling satisfied with her wonderful writing and distinct voice.  This book is perfect for a spring or summer read,