Tag Archives: Contemporary fiction

Review: A Question of Destiny

30 Nov

Destiny

A Question of Destiny by Anita Higman

Lucy O’Brien is about to be given ten millions dollars and a chance to live a life she never imagined. Will this new found wealth be Lucy’s undoing, or can she rise above the temptations within high society and choose to become a nobler version of herself? And will the solitary Andrew Whitfield—a man who watches over Lucy as she adapts to her new lifestyle—cause her to close the door on her dreams or be the key that opens the rest of Lucy’s destiny?

Thoughts:

Anita Higman has shared another great story in A Question of Destiny! Lucy O’Brien is a woman who always thinks of others and gives of herself. Andrew Whitfield is a man who enjoys his solitude. When Andrew’s boss, Ian Chalmers, gives Lucy an extraordinary gift, their lives change in ways they never imagined.

I really enjoyed the way this story unfolded, as Lucy navigated her new wealth and Andrew navigated his new relationships. I found the characters very endearing and really liked seeing them grow emotionally and spiritually. There are so many wonderful themes that are woven through this delightful story. I loved and highly recommend A Question of Destiny!

Purchase a copy of A Question of Destiny from Amazon for $0.99. 

 

Anita Higman

Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has forty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She’s been a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends.

To learn more about Anita, please visit her website, http://www.anitahigman.com.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received.

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Interview: Anita Higman + GIVEAWAY

24 Nov

Anita Higman

 

Welcome to Buzzing About Books, Anita!  Congratulations on your recent release, A Question of Destiny!  I am excited to share your interview and giveaway and appreciate your kindness and generosity.

 

 

Can you tell me a little bit about your novel, A Question of Destiny?

I’d be happy to. It’s basically a rags-to-riches story with a few surprises along the way. Here’s a short blurb to give you a few more details.

 Lucy O’Brien is about to be given ten millions dollars and a chance to live a life she never imagined. Will this new found wealth be Lucy’s undoing, or can she rise above the temptations within high society and choose to become a nobler version of herself? And will the solitary Andrew Whitfield—a man who watches over Lucy as she adapts to her new lifestyle—cause her to close the door on her dreams or be the key that opens the rest of Lucy’s destiny?

How did you come up with this story?

 I’ve always thought the rags-to-riches concept was fascinating. There’s so much ready-made conflict. Even though we’ve been told by the world that to receive a windfall would be an idyllic situation, in reality, a lot can go wrong. You can truly lose your way. In life, love, faith. Everything. Since a writer needs a lot of conflict to keep those lovely readers turning the pages, I thought this would be a good plot element to add to a love story.

In A Question of Destiny you have the hero loving the city while the heroine loves the country, and it becomes a sticky point between them. Where did you get your inspiration for this conflict?

I suppose both of these viewpoints are inside me. I grew up on a farm, but I now live near Houston. I love the city and the country equally, and so does my husband. So, we are building our retirement home in the country, but because of a soon-to-be-built freeway nearby, we will have access to the city. But I won’t tell you how my heroine and hero work out this intense disagreement!

What is the farthest place from home you’ve ever been?

Melbourne, Australia. I loved it there. It’s such a beautiful and fascinating city. So much so, I set part of a novel there, which was entitled, Winter in Full Bloom. I’d love to go back to Australia someday, but it’s expensive, and it’s a very, very long flight!

Want to share one of your dreams?

I would love to have one of my books made into a movie. Right now two of my novels are optioned for movies, so I’m hoping something exciting will transpire from that.

How long have you known that you wanted to be a writer?

Growing up I dreamed of telling stories. When I was very young I started working on a novel about a man from Mars who wanted to go to college in New York. I never finished that novel, but it left an impression on me. I knew deep down that writing was my dream, even though I didn’t get around to fulfilling it until I was in my thirties.

What do you hope your readers will come away with after reading one of your novels?

I would love for them to be inspired, challenged, and entertained. If I accomplish even one of those things I would feel my writing time wasn’t wasted.

If you could have dinner with two well-known people, who would they be?

Josh Groban, because his music inspires me and Leif Enger, because I love the way he writes.

Is there something about you most people wouldn’t know?

I love licorice ice cream, but it’s a rare find.

Any advice for new writers?

My advice would be, “Don’t rush the process. Take your time. Read and learn about the craft, network, and attend conferences. Start a blog, and find your own unique voice. Be faithful to your stories and write every day. If you really have a passion for writing, you won’t find my suggestions to be a punishment—but a pleasure.”

How can your readers connect with you?

I would love for you to visit my website at www.anitahigman.com and connect with me through the “Contact Me” button, or you can go to my Facebook Reader Page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnitaHigman.

 

Destiny

GIVEAWAY- 3 Winners!!

Anita has graciously offered to give away two Kindle copies of A Question of Destiny and one novel-related gift, so 3 lucky winners will be drawn.  This giveaway is open to US residents only and ends Saturday, November 29 at 11:59 pm CST. 

Please leave a comment, including your email address.  Just for fun, I would love for you to answer the following question. 

What is one of your dreams?

 

To earn additional entries, you may do the following:
◦ Let me know you follow this blog, Buzzing About Books
◦ Sign up to follow this blog if you are not a follower
◦ Share this giveaway through Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or email

Be sure and leave a comment letting me know what you have done to earn additional entries.  Good luck!

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Review: Hallowed Halls

13 Nov

Hallowed Halls

Hallowed Halls by Hannah Alexander

When Dr. Joy Gilbert is fired from a lucrative position she hates in the city, she returns to her small hometown to find her former fiance single, her once vivacious mother struggling financially and physically, and Tressa, the 15-year-old daughter of the boss who just fired her, popping out of the back door of her car. Tressa refuses to return to the city, where her divorced parents struggle emotionally over the death of their son. When Dr. Zack Tyler sees Joy walk into the ER with the daughter of the man who lured Joy away from him, he’s hesitant, though he’s overjoyed to see her again. Out of compassion, he hires her in the ER so she can support herself and her mother, and their relationship blooms.

Meanwhile, Tressa has blackouts that grow increasingly bad. Joy and Zack rediscover their love for one another as they discover what caused the break-up. Together they work to save Tressa and uncover a rare genetic defect, a mystery that has ravaged decades of Tressa’s family line.

Thoughts:

Hannah Alexander has penned a very enjoyable read in Hallowed Halls! Family dynamics, relationship issues, and medical drama are just a few of the elements that comprise this engaging story. I especially enjoyed the romantic tension and rediscovered romance between Dr. Joy Gilbert and Dr. Zack Tyler. I also enjoyed the medical aspects of the novel and was very intrigued by the medical mystery that Joy and Zack worked tirelessly to solve.

At the conclusion of the story, there are a few questions that linger and I look forward to reading the sequel, Dandelion Moon. Hallowed Halls is a recommended read for fans of contemporary romance and medical drama.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All thoughts expressed are my own.  

About the Author:

Hannah Alexander is the pen name for a husband/wife writing team in which the wife is the novelist and the husband provides medical expertise from his experience of many years as a physician. Their romance has been written up in Charisma Magazine in years past, and can be found at http://www.hannahalexander.com

 

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E-book Sale- Driftwood Tides

6 Nov

driftwoodtides2_99ad

 

He made himself an island until something unexpected washed ashore.

When Holton lost his wife, Adele, in a freak accident, he shut himself off from the world, living a life of seclusion, making driftwood sculptures and drowning his pain in gin. Until twenty-three-year-old Libby knocks on his door, asking for a job and claiming to be a friend of his late wife. When he discovers Libby is actually his late wife’s illegitimate daughter, given up for adoption without his knowledge, his life is turned upside down as he struggles to accept that the wife he’d given saint status to was not the woman he thought he knew.

Together Holton and Libby form an unlikely bond as the two struggle to learn the identity of Libby’s father and the truth about Adele, themselves, and each other.

Purchase links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Christianbook.com

Kobo 

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Review: Wildwood Creek

3 Nov

Wildwood Creek

Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate

 With love and loss tangled together, how was she to know where her life would lead?

Allie Kirkland has always heard the call of her father’s unfinished destiny. When she’s offered a production assistant’s job on a docudrama filming in the hills near Moses Lake, Texas, the dream of following in her director-father’s footsteps suddenly seems within reach. The reenactment of the legendary frontier settlement of Wildwood is a first step into the film industry. A summer on set in the wilderness is a small price to pay for a dream.

But in 1861, the real Wildwood held dangerous realities. Town founder Harland Delavan held helpless residents, including young Irish schoolteacher Bonnie Rose, in an iron grip. Mysterious disappearances led to myths and legends still retold in the region’s folk songs. Eventually, the entire site was found abandoned.   When filming begins, strange connections surface between Allie and the teacher who disappeared over a century ago, and everyone in Wildwood–including Blake Fulton, Allie’s handsome neighbor on the film set–seems to be hiding secrets. Allie doesn’t know whom she can trust. If she can’t find the answers in time, history may repeat itself…with the most unthinkable results.

Thoughts:

Lisa Wingate has woven an intriguing tale in Wildwood Creek! This story is uniquely told through dual storylines, one historical and one contemporary. Wonderful characterization, coupled with captivating suspense, will keep you turning the pages, eager to discover the answers to the mysteries that surround Wildwood.

Wildwood Creek is an incredible journey through past and present!

 

Lisa WingateLisa Wingate is a former journalist, inspirational speaker, and the author of twenty mainstream fiction novels, including the national bestseller, Tending Roses, now in its nineteenth printing. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol award nominee, a Christy Award nominee, an Oklahoma Book Award finalist, and a two-time Carol Award winner. Her novels are known for taking on gritty subjects while offering redemptive and uplifting themes. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life.

To learn more about Lisa Wingate, please visit www.LisaWingate.com. 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

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A Broken Kind of Beautiful

8 May

A Broken Kind of Beautiful

 A Broken Kind of Beautiful by Katie Ganshert

Synopsis:

Sometimes everything you ever learned about yourself is wrong.

Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four year old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she’s learned a sacred truth—appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows—so when it starts to unravel, she’ll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother’s bridal wear line—an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white.

If only her tenuous future didn’t rest in the hands of Davis Knight, her mysterious new photographer. Not only did he walk away from the kind of success Ivy longs for to work maintenance at a local church, he treats her differently than any man ever has. Somehow, Davis sees through the façade she works so hard to maintain. He, along with a cast of other characters, challenges everything Ivy has come to believe about beauty and worth. Is it possible that God sees her—a woman stained and broken by the world—yet wants her still?

Thoughts:

A Broken Kind of Beautiful is a poignant story of hurt, hope, and healing. As I read this compelling story, the characters stepped from the pages and into my heart. I loved each of them and longed to offer comfort, as the emotional pain they endured was heartrending. Each broken in their own way, their journey of faith and healing was beautiful and uplifting. The spiritual messages in this book are rich and abundant and there were several quotes that I lingered over and savored.

Katie Ganshert’s writing is lovely and she has written another wonderful story! A Broken Kind of Beautiful is a tender tale of love and a beautiful story of redemption!

Enjoy a Sneak Peek!

Available online from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, ChristianBook.com, and Random House, as well as other retailers. 

Biography:

Katie GanshertKatie Ganshert graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her husband, their young son, and their goofy black lab, Bubba. When she’s not busy writing or playing or reading or snuggling, she is obsessing over the paperwork and the waiting that comes with adoption. She is the author of Wildflowers from Winter and Wishing on Willows. Visit her website at katieganshert.com.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

 

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