FREE : Living Apart Together by Elise Darcy

How far would you go to change your life?

'Forgive me.' They were the last words her mother had spoken.
Was that the dementia talking or a secret she has taken with her to the grave? Sylvie has no way of knowing until her mother's last request is revealed in the reading of the will. Sylvie must return to Cornwall and the cottage she hasn't set foot in for nearly fifty years. Uneasy at what secrets she may find, Sylvie almost wishes something would happen to put the trip on hold.

'Be careful what you wish for,' Sylvie's best friend warns her. Now the comfortable life Sylvie and her husband, John, have built together over the course of forty years of marriage is about to fall apart after some unexpected news. As they try to pick up the pieces in the aftermath, John has a plan for the future and makes a decision that will change the course of their lives. The problem is John didn't foresee the consequences. Now he wants his old life back. Sylvie doesn't. She's ready to find out the truth about her past and move on with her life. She's ready to reinvent herself. But is she prepared to leave John behind in the pursuit of her own happiness?

Book 1 in the series Living Apart Together.

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99 CENTS: The Grass Sweeper God by Doug Howery

Gender confused Smiley Hanlon runs from hatred and bigotry... He returns with a vengeance... Old scores and unspeakable crimes are settled...

Being different in America has never been easy; being born different and in the wrong body in Solitude, Virginia in the 1950’s, is brutal. Smiley Hanlon lives day to day trapped in a Coal Miners town, buffeted by the Appalachian’s and generations of hate and mistrust. Any hint of being different, or being a ‘Freak’ is enough to ostracize you, pigeon hole you and make you a target for bullying – or worse. Backed by his best friend and protector, Lee Moore, Smiley made it through the days…until the night everything shattered. Chosen as the lead in a new town production called Dorothy of Oz Coal Camp, it seemed to be the beginning to acceptance and maybe even happiness, but the world is cruel and mankind even crueler. The triumph of the play decayed into a Coal Miners version of “Carrie” culminating in a tragic and horrific moment that would change both Smiley and Lee, forever...

In the autumn of 1950, his father, Ted, viciously attacks precocious, effeminate 16-year-old Smiley Hanlon. Smiley, his friend, and Protector, Lee, keep the attack a secret. Because of their sexual identity, Lee and Smiley are banished from their family in Solitude, Virginia, and find refuge in New York... 

This is their story and the story of so many others who suffered under the psychology of the day that their sexual identity is a sickness...

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99 CENTS: The Grass Sweeper God by Doug Howery

Gender confused Smiley Hanlon runs from hatred and bigotry... He returns with a vengeance... Old scores and unspeakable crimes are settled...

Being different in America has never been easy; being born different and in the wrong body in Solitude, Virginia in the 1950’s, is brutal. Smiley Hanlon lives day to day trapped in a Coal Miners town, buffeted by the Appalachian’s and generations of hate and mistrust. Any hint of being different, or being a ‘Freak’ is enough to ostracize you, pigeon hole you and make you a target for bullying – or worse. Backed by his best friend and protector, Lee Moore, Smiley made it through the days…until the night everything shattered. Chosen as the lead in a new town production called Dorothy of Oz Coal Camp, it seemed to be the beginning to acceptance and maybe even happiness, but the world is cruel and mankind even crueler. The triumph of the play decayed into a Coal Miners version of “Carrie” culminating in a tragic and horrific moment that would change both Smiley and Lee, forever...

In the autumn of 1950, his father, Ted, viciously attacks precocious, effeminate 16-year-old Smiley Hanlon. Smiley, his friend, and Protector, Lee, keep the attack a secret. Because of their sexual identity, Lee and Smiley are banished from their family in Solitude, Virginia, and find refuge in New York... 

This is their story and the story of so many others who suffered under the psychology of the day that their sexual identity is a sickness...

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BOOK REVIEW: Whiskey Devils by Brandon Zenner

 

 

It’s 2003 and Evan Powers has finally quit his mind-numbing office job to join his roommate, former hippie and long-time friend, Nick Grady, full time in the marijuana trade. The idea is to have a relaxing, carefree existence where the days are lucrative business and the nights are good times, particularly with the beautiful and mysterious Becka, who has become much more than a friend with benefits. Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan. Within days, Evan’s world rapidly spirals out of control, having grave consequences for those he cares about most.

Whiskey Devils shows how quickly a young man gets in over his head with the illicit drug trade. Zenner does an excellent job of capturing Evan’s early frustration with his seemingly pointless existence and fervent longing for a more meaningful life spent enjoying all his world has to offer. The reader not only understands but relates to Evan’s decision to chuck the 9-5 and fly under the radar. This premise draws on widely-held, deep-rooted sentiments and thus hooks the reader within just a few pages.

The characterization is also strong. The principal players come to life and are multi-dimensional, with both strengths and weaknesses. Evan, for example, almost simultaneously has delusions of grandeur and recognition of his own inadequacy. Again, this is something to which many readers can relate.

That said, language, particularly during tense conversations (of which there are several), occasionally lets the story down. Though emotions are meant to be running high, the characters often speak as if they are writing a paper. Word choices frequently seem stilted and unnatural for what is meant to be emotionally charged speech (e.g. “They’re threatening us, and yet paying us handsomely” or “I’ve thought long and hard about the best course of action”). This breaks the illusion. A similar problem exists with passive voice slowing the pace of dialog and action scenes.

Plausibility is also an issue. For example, the Russian mob was only beginning to emerge in the late 1960s, which was the height of the Soviet regime and Cold War. Given Federal vigilance concerning the USSR at the time coupled with the omnipresent fear of Communism during that period, it seems unlikely that Russian criminal elements would be able to establish the strong and longstanding foothold on U.S. soil that later becomes so pivotal to the 2003 story.

Such issues aside, Whiskey Devils is an enjoyable read with engaging and interesting characters. While the final climax may be a bit too much like an Arnold Schwarzenegger film for some readers, the plot remains entertaining and satisfying. 

4 out of 5 stars

The Sexopaths by Bruce Beckham

ADAM WANTS to be cured. But only Monique, his beautiful French wife, can help. Instead she seems willingly to be drawn into the temptations of extramarital sex, high on the attention she craves. Adam seeks illicit solace, and becomes ensnared in a manipulative relationship with a predatory high-class call girl. Soon their worlds collide: the successful young executive couple, and the dark and secretive realm of online prostitution.

The Sexopaths is a study of victims who wrestle blindly with their conflicting needs and desires, self-delusions and deceit, fully understanding neither themselves, nor those they seek to control.

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The Sexopaths by Bruce Beckham

ADAM WANTS to be cured. But only Monique, his beautiful French wife, can help. Instead she seems willingly to be drawn into the temptations of extramarital sex, high on the attention she craves. Adam seeks illicit solace, and becomes ensnared in a manipulative relationship with a predatory high-class call girl. Soon their worlds collide: the successful young executive couple, and the dark and secretive realm of online prostitution.

The Sexopaths is a study of victims who wrestle blindly with their conflicting needs and desires, self-delusions and deceit, fully understanding neither themselves, nor those they seek to control.

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

Click for purchase in

USA    UK  Australia  Canada  India

The Sexopaths by Bruce Beckham

ADAM WANTS to be cured. But only Monique, his beautiful French wife, can help. Instead she seems willingly to be drawn into the temptations of extramarital sex, high on the attention she craves. Adam seeks illicit solace, and becomes ensnared in a manipulative relationship with a predatory high-class call girl. Soon their worlds collide: the successful young executive couple, and the dark and secretive realm of online prostitution.

The Sexopaths is a study of victims who wrestle blindly with their conflicting needs and desires, self-delusions and deceit, fully understanding neither themselves, nor those they seek to control.

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

Click for purchase in

USA    UK  Australia  Canada  India

 

FREE: The Sexopaths by Bruce Beckham

ADAM WANTS to be cured. But only Monique, his beautiful French wife, can help. Instead she seems willingly to be drawn into the temptations of extramarital sex, high on the attention she craves. Adam seeks illicit solace, and becomes ensnared in a manipulative relationship with a predatory high-class call girl. Soon their worlds collide: the successful young executive couple, and the dark and secretive realm of online prostitution.

The Sexopaths is a study of victims who wrestle blindly with their conflicting needs and desires, self-delusions and deceit, fully understanding neither themselves, nor those they seek to control.

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

Click for purchase in

USA    UK  Australia  Canada  India

 

FREE: The Sexopaths by Bruce Beckham

ADAM WANTS to be cured. But only Monique, his beautiful French wife, can help. Instead she seems willingly to be drawn into the temptations of extramarital sex, high on the attention she craves. Adam seeks illicit solace, and becomes ensnared in a manipulative relationship with a predatory high-class call girl. Soon their worlds collide: the successful young executive couple, and the dark and secretive realm of online prostitution.

The Sexopaths is a study of victims who wrestle blindly with their conflicting needs and desires, self-delusions and deceit, fully understanding neither themselves, nor those they seek to control.

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

Click for purchase in

USA    UK  Australia  Canada  India

BOOK REVIEW: Finding Out by Sheryn MacMunn

Finding Out is the debut novel from Sheryn MacMunn. The story revolves around the lives of two heroines. The main character, Sheila Davenport, is New York career woman who lacks confidence and has just been dumped on the street outside her upscale co-op by her philandering, long-term boyfriend, Joe.

Ruth Grey is her elderly neighbor across the hall whose kindness and life story helps Sheila learn valuable lessons about herself, the ways of the world and what can bring her true happiness.

The writing is impressive. The book opens with a break-up scene, filled with fabulous dialogue and characterization. MacMunn makes the reader feel Sheila's trauma as she learns one devastating secret after another and yet still has to work the next morning in an office full of harrowing politics.

 

Days later, when Sheila encounters Ruth in the elevator, a friendship is kindled and the reader starts to see how Sheila's problems, which seem insurmountable to her, pale in significance to what Ruth has experienced. This journey is masterfully accomplished through use of alternating points of view between modern day Sheila and the teenaged Ruth trapped with her family in Nazi Germany.

 

The story is engaging. The dialogue is natural and easy to follow. The plot is solid, multilevel and reflects the many facets and meanings of the title and overall theme of finding out. Even the cover art, which seems incongruous at first glance, has special significance to the story. This book is exceptionally well put together, very easy to read and hard to put down.

However, there were a few very minor foibles. For example, sometimes telling rather than showing slowed the pace.  Likewise, periodic head-hopping or word repetition (e.g. Cosmopolitan the drink used in short succession with Cosmopolitan the magazine) broke the illusion. It also seemed a stretch that a 1930s twelve year old would know about adrenaline or that bedsheets in Westchester would only be 600 rather than 1000 percale/thread count. But these, again, are very minor points.

Overall this is a first rate story that well-deserves all of the awards and accolades it has received.  We look forward to more work from this author.

5 out of 5 stars

99 CENT BOOK FIND: Finding Out by Sheryn MacMunn

Now available for JUST 99 CENTS is Finding Out: A Novel by Sheryn MacMunn (Click for UK , Australia, Canada or India purchase).  Why not grab a copy today?

BOOK DESCRIPTION
2014 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner - Fiction - Historical - Event/Era Category

2014 Writer’s Digest’s Self-Published Book Awards Honorable Mention Genre Fiction

Amazon’s #1 Literary Fiction Best Seller, #1 Women’s Fiction Friendship Best Seller, #1 Single Women Categories Best Seller, Top 10 Historical Fiction Bestseller

Getting dumped on the sidewalk by her live-in boyfriend of seven years and realizing that he nearly emptied their savings account is the first of Sheila Davenport's problems. At thirty-six, Sheila had thought her life was on track.

But life no longer makes sense. Now she's saddled with a mortgage that's about to skyrocket, a psychotic boss, and a new employee who is unqualified and hell-bent on messing with the company's rules.

Her friends advise her to date immediately, preferably someone rich and successful, or risk being old and alone. But Sheila needs to figure out what went wrong and how she got to this place. Since Prince Charming has ruined Sheila's life, who can save her now?

Help comes unexpectedly from her elderly neighbor, Ruth Grey, who has had her own share of ups and downs. As their friendship grows, Ruth reveals her deeply moving story of survival in WWII Germany. Ruth's mesmerizing past is a powerful tale of love and revenge that provides the perspective Sheila desperately needs to put the pieces of her own life back together.

Will Sheila succeed at work or walk away? Can she save her home? And why do her friends think they have it any better?

A story of love found and lost, true friendship, and how the human spirit endures.

BARGAIN BOOK: The Grass Sweeper God by Doug Howery

Now available as a BARGAIN BOOK is The Grass Sweeper God by Doug Howery (Click for UK, Australia, Canada or India purchase).  Why not grab a copy TODAY?

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Gender confused Smiley Hanlon runs from hatred and bigotry... He returns with a vengeance... Old scores and unspeakable crimes are settled...

Being different in America has never been easy; being born different and in the wrong body in Solitude, Virginia in the 1950’s, is brutal. Smiley Hanlon lives day to day trapped in a Coal Miners town, buffeted by the Appalachian’s and generations of hate and mistrust. Any hint of being different, or being a ‘Freak’ is enough to ostracize you, pigeon hole you and make you a target for bullying – or worse. Backed by his best friend and protector, Lee Moore, Smiley made it through the days…until the night everything shattered. Chosen as the lead in a new town production called Dorothy of Oz Coal Camp, it seemed to be the beginning to acceptance and maybe even happiness, but the world is cruel and mankind even crueler. The triumph of the play decayed into a Coal Miners version of “Carrie” culminating in a tragic and horrific moment that would change both Smiley and Lee, forever...

In the autumn of 1950, his father, Ted, viciously attacks precocious, effeminate 16-year-old Smiley Hanlon. Smiley, his friend, and Protector, Lee, keep the attack a secret. Because of their sexual identity, Lee and Smiley are banished from their family in Solitude, Virginia, and find refuge in New York... 

This is their story and the story of so many others who suffered under the psychology of the day that their sexual identity is a sickness...

BARGAIN BOOK: Finding Out by Sheryn MacMunn

We are happy to announce as a BARGAIN BOOK: Finding Out: A Novel by Sheryn MacMunn (Click for UK , Australia, Canada or India purchase).  Why not grab a copy today?

BOOK DESCRIPTION
2014 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner - Fiction - Historical - Event/Era Category

2014 Writer’s Digest’s Self-Published Book Awards Honorable Mention Genre Fiction

Amazon’s #1 Literary Fiction Best Seller, #1 Women’s Fiction Friendship Best Seller, #1 Single Women Categories Best Seller, Top 10 Historical Fiction Bestseller

Getting dumped on the sidewalk by her live-in boyfriend of seven years and realizing that he nearly emptied their savings account is the first of Sheila Davenport's problems. At thirty-six, Sheila had thought her life was on track.

But life no longer makes sense. Now she's saddled with a mortgage that's about to skyrocket, a psychotic boss, and a new employee who is unqualified and hell-bent on messing with the company's rules.

Her friends advise her to date immediately, preferably someone rich and successful, or risk being old and alone. But Sheila needs to figure out what went wrong and how she got to this place. Since Prince Charming has ruined Sheila's life, who can save her now?

Help comes unexpectedly from her elderly neighbor, Ruth Grey, who has had her own share of ups and downs. As their friendship grows, Ruth reveals her deeply moving story of survival in WWII Germany. Ruth's mesmerizing past is a powerful tale of love and revenge that provides the perspective Sheila desperately needs to put the pieces of her own life back together.

Will Sheila succeed at work or walk away? Can she save her home? And why do her friends think they have it any better?

A story of love found and lost, true friendship, and how the human spirit endures.

BARGAIN BOOK: Living Apart Together by Elise Darcy

We are happy to announce as a BARGAIN BOOK: Living Apart Together (Book 1) by Elise Darcy (Click for UK, Australia, Canada or India purchase).  Why not grab a copy today?

BOOK DESCRIPTION
How far would you go to change your life?

'Forgive me.' They were the last words her mother had spoken.
Was that the dementia talking or a secret she has taken with her to the grave? Sylvie has no way of knowing until her mother's last request is revealed in the reading of the will. Sylvie must return to Cornwall and the cottage she hasn't set foot in for nearly fifty years. Uneasy at what secrets she may find, Sylvie almost wishes something would happen to put the trip on hold.

'Be careful what you wish for,' Sylvie's best friend warns her. Now the comfortable life Sylvie and her husband, John, have built together over the course of forty years of marriage is about to fall apart after some unexpected news. As they try to pick up the pieces in the aftermath, John has a plan for the future and makes a decision that will change the course of their lives. The problem is John didn't foresee the consequences. Now he wants his old life back. Sylvie doesn't. She's ready to find out the truth about her past and move on with her life. She's ready to reinvent herself. But is she prepared to leave John behind in the pursuit of her own happiness?

Book 1 in the series Living Apart Together.

BARGAIN BOOK: Sugar Man's Daughter by Lucy Crowe

We are happy to announce as a BARGAIN BOOK: Sugar Man's Daughter by Lucy Crowe (Click for UK , Australia, Canada or India purchase).  Why not grab a copy today? 

BOOK DESCRIPTION
Nicola Thomas writes letters to her dead father. She makes her living putting out fires, and she makes her home in the house-that heroin-bought on a green Jell-O lake in central Illinois. The wind over the water cries like a little child, and all the votive candles in Saint Michael’s can’t push back the night; Nicola’s father remains as brilliant and violent in death as he was in life.

Running from a miscarriage that she wished into actuality and pursued by the unwanted attentions of an ex boyfriend, Nicola is trying to learn how to breathe again. She is also discovering that the people closest to her wield the most damaging weapons of all. John Santangelo – smooth as Baileys over ice, and just as sweet – will ultimately use her as a means to an end even while he is falling in love with her. And nothing could prepare Nicola for Benny Jones, the little half witch southern girl who blows into town in the wake of a hurricane and becomes something more than a friend.