Countdown to Love

This was my first read by Julie Ford. Not her first novel, but a truly enjoyable read.

I don't watch reality shows like The Bachelor, etc. but reading this book you don't have to be a fan of those kinds of shows, even though this story takes place in one.

It is all kinds of funny, a great romantic comedy.

Just start with the name Kelly Grace Pickens, which plays off the real life celebrity Kellie Pickler, and go from there.

It has all the right elements of heart, romance, ridiculous outfits, country twang, and sass. Mix with strong character writing and descriptions and you have one awesome read ahead of you. Add in a bag of your fave chocolate and ignore the world for a while.

It's clean. No sex. No language. Just good old fashioned kissing.

I sure hope Ms. Ford writes some more RomCom in the future.

http://www.amazon.com/Count-Down-Love-Julie-Ford-ebook/dp/B0050Q95WS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408670051&sr=8-1&keywords=count+down+to+love

http://www.amazon.com/Julie-N-Ford/e/B004TX5ZMW/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Kelly Grace Pickens is excited to get married—until she's abandoned at the altar. Desperate, she accepts an offer to appear on a reality TV show similar to The Bachelor, called Count Down to Love. Her country ways are a stark contrast to the mysterious bachelor from New York. Wading through hurt and betrayal, Kelly discovers that being true to yourself is essential to finding happiness and love.

Rio 2

As sequels go, it's pretty good.

We'r off to the Amazon where, gasp, we discover Blue and Jewel aren't alone in the blue macaw universe. Their kids have a whole flock of family to enjoy.

There are the usual ups and downs of integration and saving their environment from illegal loggers, etc.

All the old cast are back to lend their voices and tell their story.

It has its funny moments and yes, singing and dancing.

Worth a view? Sure.

Worth a buy? Not now. Maybe later for the right price. One view was enough for me and my kids haven't asked to see it again yet.

Do you think there'll be a third Rio?

After all, we haven't found Blue's family yet.

Persuaded

Persuaded is Misty Pulsipher's second Jane Austen retelling and I enjoyed every word of it!

It is the modern day version of Persuasion and is true to the original novel well beloved by Austen fans the world over.

Ms. Pulsipher has this amazing ability to sink us into the story and hearts of the characters that make us sigh with happiness, just as if we'd slipped on our favorite pair of jeans still warm from the dryer.

But with the modern twist, the old story feels fresh and new, like a revered treasure being rediscovered with brilliance of color and phrasing.

The characters are well crafted and charming, even when the object is not to like them. Motives are discerned with ease. The ending is already known, but still you turn the pages in anticipation.

One of the reasons Jane Austen's novels are still popular so many years later is because of the universal appeal of the characters and the emotional journey we take with them each time we read the books. The same may be said of Ms. Pulsipher's Persuaded. You'll want to read it again and again.

Often an author's latest book is better than her last, but I love both Persuaded and Pride's Prejudice equally.In 2013 Pride's Prejudice was one of my favorite reads, and I'm thrilled to add Persuaded to this year's list of fave books for 2014.

I desperately wanted to read this in one sitting but life and responsibilities limited my desire. Beware that once you start this book, you'll be hard pressed to put it down.

A delightful clean romance to satisfy your heart.

http://www.amazon.com/Persuaded-Misty-Dawn-Pulsipher-ebook/dp/B00M624B1Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408413818&sr=8-1&keywords=persuaded+pulsipher

Hanna Elliot had worn the ring faithfully at first. Some part of her still clung to the hope that all was not lost. As the days turned into weeks, she finally took it off and set it atop her dresser. When weeks gave way to months, the ring finally went back into its box, where it gathered dust until it was moved to Hanna’s unmentionables drawer. For the first few years, she had taken it out on the anniversary of the day she’d received it, allowing herself to wallow in what might have been. 

She had been all but stamped out of Derick Wentworth’s mind. 
Sure, he thought about her occasionally, especially on cloudless nights when he lay on the bow of the Laconia looking up at the stars. But as time went on, Derick began to feel grateful that it hadn’t worked out, for one thing was certain: if he ever did settle down, it would be with someone who knew her own mind. Someone who went after the thing she wanted without hesitation. Someone who would never allow herself to be persuaded otherwise. 

The Hundred Foot Journey

As you can tell, it's been a slow summer in regards to my movie viewage. I really haven't gone out to see anything new in the theater or rent much on the Redbox. It's been a busy summer in so many ways, but that's not why you're here. You want to know what I thought about the movie. Read on.

I liked it. It's a nice good feeling movie that makes you want to head into the kitchen and cook. Or eat at a fancy restaurant that will feed you yummy food. Or maybe not so fancy.

I enjoyed the simplicity of the film. Picturesque France, spicy Indian food, romance, and the combination of it all that takes you more than one hundred steps to complete the journey. It was beautiful, humble, feisty, and with easy to love characters. Everyone had a dream they hoped to fulfill through food.

Be sure and eat before you view this or you'll be starving all the way through. Pick French or Indian to satisfy the taste buds, or whatever you have on hand. Your pick. It's a great dinner and a movie choice.

The acting is soulful, even if Helen Mirren's Brit accent leaks through in places, but her French is impeccable, so all is forgotten. At least, I think the French is, not being a fluent speaker of that language.

It is a slow moving movie with excellent pacing. Not the right one for when you're in the mood for action.

It's pretty clean with occasional kisses and possibly one swear word. There is a tragedy to start with, so be aware. Also, there was one snippet near the end between the romantic pair implying they'd celebrated by having sex at work, which was totally unnecessary and momentarily cheapened their relationship for me.

Worth a view? Yes.

Should you catch it in the theater or on the Redbox? Redbox. Although it made for a lovely Girls Night Out.

Do you prefer French cuisine or Indian?

Cover Reveal for Ring on Her Finger!

I'm super excited to share with all of you the beautiful cover for my new book Ring on Her Finger officially launching on Sept. 3!

I am deeply grateful to my artist, Ms. Johnson, for using her talents to make it spectacular and one of a kind! What would I do without her?

I went through many pictures and weeks of agonizing over which one represented this work best, but when I saw this one I fell totally in love with it and just knew it was right. Kind of like picking your spouse. ;)

Here's the tagline to get you interested:

What happened in Vegas should stay there, not follow Amanda home wedded to the man who broke her heart.

And here's the blurb to convince you to add this to your 'Must Read' list! ;)

 After celebrating college graduation with her friends in Las Vegas, Amanda St. Claire wakes up with a terrible hangover and a ring on her finger. Her day gets worse when she finds out she's married to rich playboy Blake Worthington---the guy she has loathed the past four years. Amanda convinces Blake to legally terminate the marriage and they both return home like nothing ever happened. That is, until Blake shows up on her doorstep and Amanda has to come clean with her family. 

            Together for better or worse while the legalities are cleared, Amanda reluctantly plays along, but then the unthinkable happens---she finds herself falling in love with Blake. 

Can they overcome the past?  Or will it end their future before it even starts?

Thanks to all of you for your support! Now go spread the word! It's cover reveal blitz week!