Tag Archives: inspirational

Night Shifts Black Series by Alyson Santos #review #mustread

Night Shifts Black is a four-book contemporary romance series by Alyson Santos. I’ve read the first three books and my review is below.  (Limelight, the fourth book in the series is available March 12, 2018.)  I would highly recommend you read them in order and feel they are intended for readers 18 years and older.

nsb series

My FIVE Star Review: 

I absolutely loved all three of these books and I’m looking forward to digging into book 4, Limelight.

Night Shifts Black was a truly amazing story and is my favorite of the series. Luke, the lead singer for Night Shifts Black meets Callie after she sits in “the chair.” Everything about this book was great. The heartaches, the friendships, the love, the writing, the music, the chair, everything. This was the first Alyson book I’ve read and I was completely blown away.  I couldn’t help but jump right into book two, Tracing Holland, and then book three, Viper.

For me, Tracing Holland was a book of healing and moving forward. Everyone is a bit of a disaster.  But as Holland said, ” … we’re all disasters.  Perfection is finding that one disaster that makes sense with yours.”

For me, Viper was inspiring! Depression:  “The thing with depression is it seems lazy and slow, and then bam! Surprise strike out of nowhere.”  Why a viper? Hannah said, “Vipers are badass.  They seem lazy and slow, and then bam! Surprise strike out of nowhere. …”

Each book was filled with compelling characters, wonderful storylines, and amazing music.  It was a joy to read all the song lyrics and an even greater joy to realize Alyson Santos has a Youtube channel showcasing many of the songs.  Check out Greetings from the Inside here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBA-aTmovGY

Go pick up this series today!  You will love each and every one of them! I did!

More About Night Shifts Black: Luke, Callie and Casey’s Story

His name is Luke. But nobody knows that. He was an iconic musician before he gave up music. But nobody knows that either. They also don’t know he’s twenty-seven, that he used to have an infectious laugh, and that he’s way too young to be widowed. They certainly don’t know the rest of his tragic story. All they know is that he comes into their café at the same time every morning and stares at the same chair at the same table. They know he’s strange. They know he interrupts their breakfast with a cold blast of air as he hovers in the doorway, mustering the courage to confront a piece of furniture.
No one asks why. No one cares. He’s fine with that. He’s done with life. This isn’t even his story anymore. It’s actually Callie’s, the young writer who sat in his chair one day.
This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature readers. Events and persons depicted are of a fictional nature and use language, make choices, and face situations inappropriate for younger readers. Please note this book also addresses the issues of depression and suicide in a compassionate, realistic manner. This book can be read as a standalone, but the story continues in Tracing Holland.

More About Tracing Holland: Holland and Luke’s story

Callie asked if I was ready. And that’s the question, isn’t it? Ready for what? The spotlight? The music? Or ready for life. Ready to face the reality that what I was is going to attack the very fabric of who I am now. No one knows I’m a different person. Well, no one except the two most important people in my life, which is why there’s a remote chance I might actually pull off the comeback I never saw coming.
Then again, that was before Holland Drake crashed into my life. I didn’t ask for her. Heaven knows she didn’t ask for me. But sometimes it’s not about what makes sense; it’s about accepting that not everything will. It’s learning you have a choice when it feels like you don’t. It’s believing even the worst past can still have a future.
And sometimes it’s none of that. Sometimes it’s survival. A blind fight through the pain as you cling to any shred of hope you can find. And it’s those moments, those desperate pleas into the darkness for a flicker of light, when you have no choice but to confront the blessing that often feels like a curse:
You’re still alive. You’re still significant.
You’re once again Luke Craven, frontman for Night Shifts Black.
This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature readers. Events and persons depicted are of a fictional nature and use language, make choices, and face situations inappropriate for younger readers. Please note this book also addresses the issues of depression and suicide in a compassionate, realistic manner.

More About Viper: Wes and Hannah’s story

It’s not easy being the bad guy.
Yeah, that’s a lie. It’s pretty damn simple. You act and you own it. You sell your soul to protect those you love and screw the rest.
It’s the restraint that’s hard. The demons that poke at your trigger, burn in your gut—just waiting for a second of freedom to unleash the fire in your soul.
Call me a villain. Call me whatever helps you sleep at night and feel good about the black and white of love. But watch your back because I don’t care. Until I do.
And then I implode.
Note: VIPER directly follows the action in Tracing Holland (NSB #2), but can also be read as a standalone.
This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature readers. Events and persons depicted are of a fictional nature and use language, make choices, and face situations inappropriate for younger readers.

Find out more about Alyson Santos here:  WebsiteFacebookTwitterAmazonGoodreads.

As Always, Keep Writing/Keep Reading ~ janisf

Cover Reveal and Blurb for Amy Harmon’s next novel, The Smallest Part. #onsaleFeb13

Check out this beautiful cover to Amy Harmon‘s next novel, The Smallest Part, coming February 13, 2018. 

The Smallest Part

Blurb:

“In the end, only three things matter. How much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.” – Unknown

It was a big lie. The biggest lie she’d ever told. It reverberated through her head as she said it, ringing eerily, and the girl behind her eyes—the girl who knew the truth—screamed, and her scream echoed along with the lie.

“Are you in love with Noah, Mercedes?” Cora asked. “I mean . . . I know you love him. You’ve been friends forever. We all have. But are you in love with him?”

If it had been anyone else—anyone—Mercedes would have stuck out her chest, folded her skinny arms, and let her feelings be known. She would have claimed him. But it was Cora. Brave, beautiful, broken Cora, and Cora loved Noah too.
So Mercedes lied.
And with that lie, she lost him. With that lie, she sealed her fate.
She was the best friend, the bridesmaid, the godmother, the glue. She was there for the good times and the bad, the ups and downs, the biggest moments and the smallest parts. And she was there when it all came crashing down.

This is the tale of the girl who didn’t get the guy.

Pre-order links:

Special pre-order price of $3.99. Price will go up to $5.95 upon release.

➜ Kindle: http://amzn.to/2jrXE06
➜ Kobo: http://bit.ly/2z90iip
➜ Nook: http://bit.ly/2yNSaQp
➜ iBooks: http://apple.co/2yNKNbn

Release date: February 13, 2018

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36599415-the-smallest-part

 

Cover design: By Hang Le – http://www.byhangle.com/

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About Amy Harmon:

Amy Harmon is a Wall Street JournalUSA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in eighteen different languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written eleven novels — the USA Today Bestsellers, The Bird and The Sword, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as The Queen and The Cure, From Sand and Ash, The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her next novel, The Smallest Part, will be released February 13, 2018.

Find Amy Harmon here: WebsiteFacebookFacebook Fan GroupGoodreadsTwitterInstagramBookBub, PinterestAmy’s Newsletter Sign upAmazon.

As always, Keep Writing/Keep Reading ~janisf

 

Strange Truths by SD Wasley an Alice England Mystery

Strange Truths is a Young Adult Novel containing social and family issues with a little bit of mystery thrown in.  This is the first book in the Alice England Mysteries.

strange-truths

My FIVE Star Review:

Alice England is a very unique character and I loved her immediately.  She’s a young woman in her senior year of school who lives with her father in a funeral parlor.  She sees things that others don’t and she always speaks the truth.  Kids in her school find her odd and basically stay away from her.  Mikey Warrender thinks she’s a bit odd as well but then Alice takes him on an adventure that changes their lives.  This is a kind of detective story with lots of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages.

I very much look forward to more of Alice’s adventures.

More About Strange Truths:

Why did she have to be so goddamn weird?

Mikey Warrender’s goals are within his grasp. On track for a spectacular swimming career in the last months of his senior year at school, his life seems ideal. A successful Senator father, a pretty, popular sister, and a girlfriend who acts and looks, well, perfect. They’ve had their share of trouble in the form of Mikey’s late twin, but that trouble died with Toby and now things can finally get back on track.

Until Alice England. Mikey couldn’t have been less interested in a friendless undertaker’s daughter who sees strange things and always speaks the truth—until she starts stalking him at school. Alice has reason to believe Tobias Warrender was reluctant to take that fatal dose of crystal meth. What’s more, she insists Mikey is grieving for his twin. Curious, Mikey lets Alice in—just for a moment—and before he knows what’s happening she’s wedged her foot in the door and busted his world wide open.

Alice leads him through a series of discoveries that make him look more closely at his own carefully constructed reality. Innocent yet knowing; kind yet devastatingly honest, Alice effortlessly unravels Mikey Warrender’s falsely safe world—and what really happened to Toby.

Strange Truths is a coming of age detective story that will appeal to adults both young and old(er), especially lovers of classical mystery with a twist.

Find SD Wasley here: FacebookInternet WebsiteGoodreads, Amazon.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.

As Always, Keep Writing/Keep Reading ~ janisf

From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon #HappyReleaseDay

From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon is a Historical, Inspirational, Romance you are absolutely going to love.

Releases today, December 1, 2016 and recommended for readers 16 yrs and older.

from-sand-and-ash-ash

My FIVE Star Review:

I really tried to prepare myself.  I knew this was a historical novel about World War II.  I knew reading From Sand and Ash was going to be emotional, it was going to dragged me places I was sure I didn’t want to go, and I knew even before I opened it to page one, that Amy was going to make me take this journey and I was going to be changed by the end. I absolutely was.

Most people in the world know the stories of WWII.  You either learned them in school or maybe you had a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle who lived through it.  What Amy gives you in this book is a story of two young people, Angelo and Eva, who are thrown into this horrific war and work to do whatever they can to help people.  There is laughter along the way and joy, there is family and love, there is sorrow and horror, there is commitment and trust but most of all there is determination to keep going.

Amy Harmon is Magical.  There are no other words to describe her.  She puts a pen to paper and gives us everything from deep down in her soul and I for one am truly grateful.  Each of her novels have filled me with such joy, even with a few tears.  If you don’t normally read historical novels, please do me a favor and give this one a try.  You will not regret it.

I’ll leave you with these:

“Fear is strange.
It settles on chests and seeps through skin, through layers of tissue, muscle, and bone and collects in a soul-sized black hole, sucking the joy out of life, the pleasure, the beauty.
But not the hope.
Somehow, the hope is the only thing resistant to the fear, and it is that hope that makes the next breath possible, the next step, the next tiny act of rebellion, even if that rebellion is simply staying alive.”

“Life is hard.  What an understatement! Hard is too mild a word for the trouble we’ve seen. Life is hell shot with just enough heaven to make the pains of hope all the sharper. Life is impossible. Ugly. Agonizing. Inexplicable. Torture.”

“Our immortality comes through our children and their children. Through our roots and branches. The family is immortality. And Hitler has destroyed not just branches and roots, but entire family trees, forests. All of them, gone.”

More About Sand and Ash:

Italy, 1943—Germany occupies much of the country, placing the Jewish population in grave danger during World War II.

As children, Eva Rosselli and Angelo Bianco were raised like family but divided by circumstance and religion. As the years go by, the two find themselves falling in love. But the church calls to Angelo and, despite his deep feelings for Eva, he chooses the priesthood.

Now, more than a decade later, Angelo is a Catholic priest and Eva is a woman with nowhere to turn. With the Gestapo closing in, Angelo hides Eva within the walls of a convent, where Eva discovers she is just one of many Jews being sheltered by the Catholic Church.

But Eva can’t quietly hide, waiting for deliverance, while Angelo risks everything to keep her safe. With the world at war and so many in need, Angelo and Eva face trial after trial, choice after agonizing choice, until fate and fortune finally collide, leaving them with the most difficult decision of all.

Pick up From Sand and Ash here: Amazon.

Find Amy Harmon here: Internet, FacebookGoodreads, Twitter

To read more of my reviews of Amy’s books, click here: janisf Amy reviews

As Always, Keep Writing/Keep Reading ~ janisf