BLOG TOUR: Extreme by Joan Gelfand

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the EXTREME by Joan Gelfand Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:

Title: EXTREME

Authors: Joan Gelfand

Pub. Date: July 14, 2020

Publisher: Blue Light Press

Formats:  Paperback, eBook

Pages: 282

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org

Hope Ellson is from the wrong side of the tracks, but her genius transcends class. When Hope joins FearToShred, a Silicon Valley extreme gaming startup, Hope's mission is to groom the scrappy company for prime time. Enter Doug Wiser, her very married ex. While the two work in tandem, nefarious forces are at work behind the scenes. Adding to the excitement of this thriller are the stars and heroes of surfing and skateboarding. With a keen eye on women in tech, business ethics and dangerous stunts, "Extreme" will leave you breathless.

Winner of the Cervena Barva and Chaffin Fiction Awards, Joan's work has appeared in The Huffington Post, Vanity Fair, Rattle, Pank! The Meridien Anthology of Contemporary Poetry, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Chicken Soup for the Soul and over 200 literary journals, blogs and magazines.

A member of the National Book Critics Circle, Joan has worked for California Poets in the Schools, Poetry Out Loud, Chiat/Day Advertising and other Bay Area companies. She currently coaches writers and teaches in the San Francisco Bay Area.

With a poet's sensibility and a novelist's instinct for plot, Joan Gelfand has produced a whip‑smart page‑turner of a book, complete with startup fever, romantic intrigue, and a cast of sympathetic ‑‑ and not so sympathetic ‑‑ characters. Read Extreme and you'll have a better sense of what really goes on in Silicon Valley, far better than TV shows like Silicon Valley could ever provide.”  - Katie Hafner, Author, New York Times and Wall Street Journal columnist.

Hope isn't really from the wrong side of the tracks, just that she didn't have a happy childhood because her father left and her mom was verbally abusive. 

About Joan:

Joan Gelfand’s reviews, stories and poetry have appeared in national and international literary journals and magazines including the Los Angeles Review of Books, Rattle, Prairie Schooner, Kalliope, The Toronto Review, newversenews.com, The Sycamore Review and RiverSedge. Joan’s work has also appeared in “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and the Unexplainable” and “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and Premonitions”

Chair of the Women’s National Book Association National Writing Contest, a member of the National Book Critics Circle and a juror for the Northern California Book Awards, Joan blogs for the Huffington Post and coaches writers. She is the recipient of over twenty writing awards, nominations and prizes.

“The Ferlinghetti School of Poetics,” a poetry film based on Joan’s poem was featured at the 4th Annual Video Poetry Festival in Athens, Greece, the Meraki Film Festival in Madrid and won Certificate of Merit in a juried art show at the International Association for the Study of Dreams.

Joan has been teaching at book festivals and writer’s conferences on “You Can Be a Winning Writer” for the past ten years. She coaches writers around the country.

She lives in San Francisco with her husband, Adam Hertz and two beatnik kitties – Jack Kerouac and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/6/2020	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
7/7/2020	Jaime's World	Excerpt
7/8/2020	Two Chicks on Books FB	Excerpt
7/9/2020	BookHounds	Excerpt
7/10/2020	The Try Everything	Excerpt

Week Two:

7/13/2020	The Phantom Paragrapher	Excerpt
7/14/2020	Lifestyle of Me	Review
7/15/2020	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
7/16/2020	Hurn Publications	Review
7/17/2020	Rajiv's Reviews	Review

Week Three:

7/20/2020	Jotted by Jena	Excerpt
7/21/2020	raathiscorner	Review
7/22/2020	Fire and Ice	Review
7/23/2020	A Gingerly Review	Excerpt
7/24/2020	Zooloo’s Book Diary	Excerpt

Review: Dead Moon Rising by Caitlin Sangster

I have finished another series that I really enjoyed at the beginning and then took over a year to get to the final book where I forgot pretty much everything and was confused most of the time until it finally clicked. I really wanted to enjoy this book and I think that my dis-enjoyment is mainly my fault for not reviewing my review for the previous two books. I could remember the main plot line and the main character, but when it came to the other characters I drew a complete blank.

Sev is in Dr. Yang's care and I remember being totally against the ending of the second and that it should have been Howl that was put to Sleep instead of Sev. I think the author was just trying to tie to many loose ends to wrap up the story and it seemed kind of disjointed. The book started out with different POV's and then came long stints where every chapter became just one POV until you get sucked into that POV and then we get another characters in the next chapter.

I knew how the story was going to end, but I kind of hoped that it wouldn't have ended happily. So many stories now a days are ending the same way, especially in YA fantasy where the girl saves the world. Just maybe can we have the girl fail at the end and not have a sequel. Of course there will probably be riots and negative reviews, but it's time to break the damn mold!

If you want to know what this series is about, go search for my review for the first book where I did a blog tour post on the first and second books.

Review: Chosen by Kiersten White

I used to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer when I was a kid and then at the end of 2018 I read Slayer by Kiersten White and really enjoyed. Last year I rewatched the series and understood it more and remember a lot more than from my childhood. I planned on re-reading Slayer before reading this but just didn't have time.

I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. It included my favorite demon Clem who was in the show and was acquaintances with Spike. Clem does his own trash talking of the peroxided vampire in this and it made me laugh so hard. He also had a kitten with him which was promptly taken away by Nina, our newest slayer.

Nina is left reeling over the death of her coulda been boyfriend Leo who turned out to be an incubus. She is missing her twin sister Artemis who left to be her own person and eventually becomes the "villian" in this story.

I also found another favorite quote in this book. My second one of the year. Who the heck am I.

The quote is super fitting because I have watched Hamilton on Disney+ 3 times now and we have just passed the 4th of July. The quote is "You know how Americans feel about King George's tea."

I ended up giving this book a 4 star because I loved the inclusion of more characters like Clem, Oz the werewolf and even Faith and the first slayer. I didn't like the constant comparisons between Nina and Buffy. Nina would think of Buffy all the time and think that she would do this and not that. The first book she was so adamant that Buffy was unreliable and wanted to be different, but in this one, it's the complete opposite.

BLOG TOUR: No Way Back Today by Eric Shoars

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the NO WAY BACK TODAY by Eric Shoars Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:

Title: NO WAY BACK TODAY

Authors: Eric Shoars

Pub. Date: November 22, 2019

Publisher: BookBaby

Formats:  Paperback, eBook

Pages: 336

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Field of Dreams + This Is Spinal Tap = No Way Back Today. Midlife demands some reckoning and Eric realizes he can wait no longer. As Eric hurtles headlong toward the big 5-0, he realizes there is unfinished business and is determined to find his childhood friends, convince them to form their own rock and roll band, and to go on tour! He searches out Todd, Laurel, and Lorelei so he can fulfill that dream. The story of four Midwestern grown-ups and their childhood desires to create No Way Back Today in the face of improbable odds and middle age will have you both laughing and cheering as you recognize your own unfulfilled dreams. No Way Back Today is the incredible story of the improbable journey of a reunion tour for a band that never was!

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

No Way Back Today by Eric Shoars is a hilarious, bittersweet tale of childhooddreams and middle-age. It isn't just a novel, it's about not letting go of yourdreams, of taking second chances when you get them and of never lettingyourself down. The friendships between the four main characters were amazinglydeveloped, an inspiration to us all, and real people that we can all relate toin some way. This story will make you laugh and it will give you hope as itsteadily marches towards the end; you will be cheering them on, you will beholding your breath but, most of all, you will be compelled to read to the veryend and you will find yourself thinking back on your own dreams, especially theones that you never realized. Anything is possible if you just put your mind to it. A fun read!

Reviewed By Sherri Fulmer Moorer forReaders' Favorite

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a compelling novel not only about secondchances and pursuing your dreams but about friendship and self-worth as youmove through different stages of life. I'm a bit younger than the protagonistsbut so much of what they felt resonated with me as I found myself wondering ifthere are any dreams from my youth that might be worth pursuing as I entermid-life myself. The evolution of the relationships with Eric, Todd, Laurel, andLorelei was amazing and inspiring and shows that friendship can remain nomatter how much life changes. It also seemed to me that they "bonded"and their relationships matured as they shared their experiences and as newopportunities arose for each of them as a result of pursuing this dream. No WayBack Today is an excellent novel of inspiring redemption and shows thatmid-life doesn't have to be a crisis at all - in fact, it can rock! Great work,Eric Shoars! I loved this novel!

Book Trailer:

About Eric:

Eric Shoars is a serial storyteller who considers the English language his playground and who never met a pun he didn’t like. Eric is a modern day Walter Mitty with a serious twist. His writing style is best described as “fly on the wall” putting the reader in the shoes of the lead character experiencing what he does as he does. His heart’s desire is to have a personal narrator for his daily life. It works in comic books so why not in the real world?

No Way Back Today is Shoars’ first foray into fiction. His non-fiction works include Women Under Glass: The Secret Nature of Glass Ceilings and The Steps to Overcome Them and Evil Does Not Have The Last Word.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a personalized, signed finished copy of NO WAY BACK TODAY, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/29/2020	Two Chicks on Books	Interview
6/29/2020	Jaime's World	Excerpt
6/30/2020	BookHounds	Interview
6/30/2020	Mythical Books	Excerpt
7/1/2020	A Dream Within A Dream	Guest Post
7/1/2020	Shortie Says	Guest Post
7/2/2020	Wonder Struck	Excerpt
7/2/2020	A Gingerly Review	Guest Post
7/3/2020	Momfluenster	Instagram Post
7/3/2020	The Try Everything/jenifer_reads	Guest Post

Week Two:

7/6/2020	Lifestyle of Me	Review
7/6/2020	The Phantom Paragrapher	Guest Post
7/7/2020	Zooloo’s Book Diary	Review
7/7/2020	that_little_bookowl	Review
7/8/2020	Books and Zebras @jypsylynn	Review
7/8/2020	Hurn Publications	Review
7/9/2020	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
7/9/2020	Fire and Ice	Review
7/10/2020	raathiscorner	Review
7/10/2020	JaimeRockstarBookTours	Instagram Post

Review: One Of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus

One Of Us Is Next was a book that I did not have high expectations for. Being the sequel to a book that I disliked and had issues with, I figured that it would be a similar train wreck. It is set in the same setting with returning characters as minor characters and 3 new front runners who are in the middle of an all new gossip war.

We follow Phoebe, Knox and Maeve. They are connected with the group from the first book. Instead of trying to figure out who murdered someone, this type we get a Truth or Dare text game. Someone named Unknown is texting all the students at Bayview High. This person is giving someone of his choosing 24 hours to respond with Truth or Dare. If they don't respond, they forfeit and one of their darkest secrets gets texted out.

There is betrayal, blackmail, death threats, sexual assault, alcohol abuse and bullying.

While reading this, I kept comparing it with the first book which was also the authors debut book and she has really grown as a writer. The characters had great character building and there wasn't any unbelievable moments. I enjoyed this book a whole lot more because of  the Truth or Dare plot. Also, I have read all three of this authors books so far and the book Two Can Keep a Secret and this one, has the best endings that I was NOT expecting. I don't remember the ending to the first and that says something.

I will definitely be continuing to read Karen M McManus' work in the future.

JUNE 2020 READING WRAP UP

My reading picked up a little this month. I have a stack of books checked out from my library and I need to get to them ASAP. I re-read a series that I haven't read since high school and that took up most of the month, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I got to a book that I have been waiting to read since February when I put it on my library waiting list. I finally got to another non-fiction but this one wasn't on my A-Z global challenge list.  Quality and quantity wise, it was a good month of reading. 

1. Freaks I've Met by Donald Jans

2. The Other People by C.J. Tudor

3. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

4. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

5. Escape from the Isle of the Lost by Melissa De La Cruz

6. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

7. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

8. Walking the Himalayas by Levison Wood

9. City Spies by James Ponti

Review: Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer

This was the first re-read of this series for me. I read these books back in high school. I read Twilight back in 10th grade and it gave me my friend group that I stayed with the rest of my high school years. I am still friends with most of the people who were reading it the same time I was. So, the book and writing may be awful but it will always hold sentimental value to me because of the friendships it helped create. 

While reading Twilight, it definitely took me down memory lane and reminded me of when my husband Cayce used to wait for me outside my classroom door while we were in school. I thought I would roll my eyes at all the fluff scenes but I just blushed like a damn schoolgirl. Re-reading this just made me hate the movies even more. They are so cringe. Also my rating for this went from a 5 star to a 4 star. 

When I read this in high school, I absolutely hated it. It has always been my least favorite because Edward wasn't in it, and Jacob took over. I also couldn't stand the pages with the months on it. It felt like a waste of space. But since I have re-read it, I have looked closer into Jacob's story and found myself actually enjoying it way more than I used to. There could have been significantly less mentions of the subject Calculus.

The first question that popped into my mind when I got a chapter or two in was" How the hell is Charlie still alive?" I mean the grown ass man who has been living on his own put a jar of spaghetti sauce with a metal lid in a microwave. NOW we know where Robert Pattinson learned how to blow up a microwave with pasta. I also started thinking more of what if Jacob and Bella got together. How would that pan out. 

This has now become my least favorite in the series... simply because I CANNOT stand the names that Bella chose for her baby. EJ- Edward Jacob and Renesmee. The girl does not have a creative bone in her whole damn body. I mean why would you put your other half of the love triangle as a middle name. That's a big FUCK You if there ever was one. I do agree with the nick name Nessie though. It is more creative. Bella was probably pissed off because she didn't think  of it first. I did enjoy Jacob's POV way more this time around.

The ending actually made me tear up when Bella put Nessie on Jacob's back and she was hugging her and then Edward was realizing what was happening. It broke my damn heart. I could not imagine having to do that with my children. There is no one I trust that much besides my parents and sometimes that's a stretch.

I am glad that I gave this a re-read and I am just more hyped up for the new book Midnight Sun coming out in August.