Tour: 85. And One Last Thing... by Molly Harper...

Today I'm a tour stop for Molly Harper's And One Last Thing.... I really enjoyed Molly's Jane Jameson series, and figured her snarky dialog would find its way into this newest offering.

FTC Disclosure: My copy of And One Last Thing... was provided by the publisher for this blog tour. I am an affiliate for IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

About the author:
Raised in Mississippi and Kentucky, Molly Harper graduated from Western Kentucky University with a bachelor's degree in print journalism. She worked for six years as a reporter and humor columnist; her reporting duties included covering courts, school board meetings, quilt shows, and once, the arrest of a Florida man who faked his suicide by shark attack and spent the next few months tossing pies at a local pizzeria. Molly lives in western Kentucky with her husband and daughter. Find her online at mollyharper.com.

Title: And One Last Thing...
Author: Molly Harper
ISBN-13: 9781439168776
Paperback: 310 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

drey's thoughts:
Well. If you're looking for a light summer read full of snark and wit, look no further. At least, until after you've read Molly Harper's And One Last Thing...! The first sentence made me laugh:

If Singletree's only florist didn't deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing, hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger.

Ok, so maybe I have a unique sense of humor. But I don't think that's the only reason I enjoyed And One Last Thing... as much as I did. Lacey is a girl after my own heart (not that I swing that way!). She's lived the Stepford Wife life, only to find out that her husband wasn't quite as (almost) perfect as she'd hoped he was. Ok, so maybe he wasn't even close. But, this story is more about how she deals with the revelation of Mike's affair (confusion, disbelief, anger, rage, retaliation) along with the resulting consequences (confusion, embarrassment, defensiveness, retreat).

When Lacey runs to hide out at the family cabin, she meets a grumpy neighbor who turns out to be a good friend as well as the rebound guy. Now Lacey has to decide what she wants to do when she grows up, including whether to keep rebound guy around.

Snarky dialog peppered throughout, this is an entertaining romp through the life of a woman wronged.

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

July's FEATURED AUTHOR: How Does She Do That?

Marie Force, July's Featured Author, stops over to share some thoughts on how she writes... Read on!

How Does She Do That?

One of the questions I’m often asked is, “How do you write a book?” Stephen King says, “One page at a time.” The writers out there will attest that it’s as simple as he suggests—and much more complicated. I’m convinced I could never teach my process because it’s so bizarre. However, as I’ve connected with more and more writers, I’ve decided we’re all a little bizarre, but that quality makes us better writers.

So how do I do it? I’ll try to explain my process using my most recent release, Fatal Affair, as an example. The seeds for that story began in a news article about a congressman who was found dead in his Washington-area home. At first, the police investigated the death as a possible crime because he was found at the bottom of the stairs. Later, it was determined that he’d died from a heart attack and fell down the stairs.

But what, I wondered, if he had been murdered? That was all it took to start my wheels turning. What if his chief of staff finds him? What if the murder occurred on the morning of an important vote? What if the chief of staff’s one-night stand from years earlier was the detective assigned to the case?

That’s exactly how it unfolds in my mind. Then come the decisions about where they’re from, what brought them together, and why they never saw each other again. Often I don’t have those answers before I start a book. I tend to discover these things as my story unfolds, which I’m told makes me a “linear pantser” in writing vernacular. I write the story in chronological order, I edit as I go, and nothing gets in unless it propels Character X or Character Y’s story forward. Because I go back, re-read, and edit often during the writing process, I end up with a pretty clean first draft. In fact, I recently stumbled upon the hand-written opening scene of my first book, “Line of Scrimmage,” and discovered that other than a renamed character, not much had changed.

Since I don’t plot, I spend a lot of time staring off into space when a book has me by the throat. During these phases, my kids often ask, “ARE YOU LISTENING TO US?” at the top of their considerable lungs. I have to confess that Mom just took a brief trip to Pluto, but I’m back now and you have my full attention. I do my best zoning/plotting when I’m driving (watch out for a maroon Honda Odyssey), doing dishes, showering, drying my hair, and vacuuming. I’ve solved a lot of plot issues while sucking up a few days’ worth of dog hair. I’ve run dripping from the shower to the computer to get something down before I forget it. Bizarre? You bet. My friend Chris likes to say that my mind is a strange, scary place. Of course I take that as a compliment!

To the writers out there, are you a plotter, a seat-of-the-pantser, a linear plotter, a linear pantser, an organic or what? To the readers, are you more convinced than ever after reading this that all writers are a little bit nuts? I’ll give away a digital copy of “Fatal Affair” to one commenter, so let’s hear from you!

Thanks, Marie! Well, all y'all out there... What're you waiting for? I never turn down the opportunity to win a free book! So go comment! *grin* And do it before 6:00pm CST August 3rd!

84. Cold Rock River by Jackie Lee Miles...

Title: Cold Rock River
Author: Jackie Lee Miles
ISBN-13: 9781402240041
ARC: 304 pages, with another 35 pages of recipes (yum!)
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2010 (reprint)
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Cold Rock River was provided by the publisher for this review. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
First thing I'll mention (and the only negative about Cold Rock River) is the font used in the ARC to depict entries from Tempe's diary, or letters written by Adie and Buck, is pretty small. Put that same small font into italics, and it made for difficult reading.

BUT. Don't let that distract you from the story itself. Cold Rock River is a story about innocence lost, life's hardships, and love's burdens. All bundled together into prose that sweeps you along until you've passed through the rapids and end up in the quiet pool at the end of the river. Adie is young and impressionable, and easily swept off her feet by the good-looking and sweet-talking Buck Jenkins. Unfortunately for Adie, Buck can't figure out how to not stray, especially with his boss' pretty daughter. Even when he's married and has a child on the way.

After getting married, Adie and Buck move to Hog Gap, Buck's hometown. She finds them a little place of their own so that they don't have to live with Buck's mother Verna and his brother Austin. At their new home, she meets Willa Mae, who has a story of her own to tell, and Murphy Spencer, the neighbor who helps her out, probably more than he should have.

Interspersed with entries from a diary from long-ago, all the characters have a part to play in this story, from the beginning to the very end. A story on how history sometimes repeats itself, and how one person's actions can impact more than just themselves, Cold Rock River is a haunting tale that had me from the first page to the last word.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+

83. The Messenger of Athens by Anne Zouroudi...

Title: The Messenger of Athens
Author: Anne Zouroudi
ISBN-13: 9780316075428
ARC: 322 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of The Messenger of Athens was provided by the publisher for this review. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
When I was twelve, I started reading Agatha Christie. I loved her books so much I think I managed to get my hands on every single one of 'em. Every. Single. One. Why am I talking about Agatha Christie? Because she created Hercule Poirot, of course. And Anne Zouroudi's detective in The Messenger of Athens,  Hermes Diaktoros, reminds me of Hercule Poirot.

Arriving on the Greek island of Thiminos to investigate the death of the young wife of a local fisherman, Hermes brings his peculiarities along with his charming personality and intense questioning. What the local police closed as a suicide, he believes to be foul play. And as he digs around, we meet the usual suspects, along with a few unusual ones. Anne Zouroudi keeps you interested as Hermes unravels the story of Irina's death, not just with the cast of characters in this emotional tangle, but also with the lyrical description of the Greek island.

Definitely worth picking up! Only one question didn't get answered at the end... Who sent the white-shoed Mr. Diaktoros to Thiminos?

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

82. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr...

Title: Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely #2)
Author: Melissa Marr
ISBN-13: 9780061214684
Hardcover: 325 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Ink Exchange visited from my local library. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Ink Exchange continues Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series, focusing on one of Aislinn's best friends, Leslie.

Leslie has been through quite a lot, since her mother died. Her father's absent or drunk, her brother's a drug dealer who forgets that big brothers are supposed to protect their little sisters. Not being able to do anything about either of them, Leslie plans. And waits for the day she can leave them both behind, for good.

In between the planning and the waiting and the finishing-up-school, Leslie gets a tattoo, as a symbol of the changes she wants--and needs--to make in her life. Unbeknownst to her, however, the pattern she picks out will tie her to the Dark Fae. More specifically, to Irial, their King. Oh, the tangled webs we weave when we're trying our utmost to protect those we love. If only Aislinn trusted Leslie, like she trusted Seth, with the existence of faerie all around them. Then maybe Leslie wouldn't have gotten entangled with the fae at all. But she does. And in doing so, irrevocably changes her own life, as well as Irial's.

I'm really liking this series. Ink Exchange is darker than Wicked Lovely, but while there's angst, there's also a lot of strength in how the characters react to their situations.

The next two books are now on my library hold list.

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Support Your Local Library

Tour: 81. Masked edited by Lou Anders...

Title: Masked
Editor: Lou Anders
ISBN-13: 9781439168837
Paperback: 399 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Masked was provided by the publisher for this blog tour. I am an affiliate for IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Masked is a collection of short stories about superheroes--the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've never reviewed something like this before, so I hope the format works. The stories (and my thoughts on some of 'em):

Cleansed and Set in Gold by Matthew Sturges
A somewhat-disturbing story about where The Wildcard gets his powers. I'll let you read it to find out for yourself, but, ewwwwwww. However, the story does make you wonder what you'd do in the name of the greater good.

Where Their Worm Dieth Not by James Maxey
A tale of the endless cycle of life and death, misplaced trust, and loss. Along with passing commentary smoking's ills. I felt horrible for the hero in this one.

Secret Identity by Paul Cornell
Superhero in a rainbow costume gets heckled for kissing a woman. Can donning a superhero costume mess with your sexual identity?

The Non-Event by Mike Carey
A heist gone wrong. So bloody wrong.

Avatar by Mike Baron
Newbie do-gooder realizes that actions have consequences.

Message from the Bubblegum Factory by Daryl Gregory
Breaking into prison to break out of prison to save the world. Eh, it's a complicated world, it is.

Thug by Gail Simone
Written without proper spelling or capitalization, I found this journal a bit difficult to read, but I may give it another whirl when my head's not pounding.

Vacuum Lad by Steven Baxter
Launch of a new superhero? Is it a miracle, or just another result of genetic manipulation?

A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows by Chris Roberson
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... And provides an apprentice.

Head Cases by Peter David and Kathleen David
Funny short story with a character with my son's name. *grin*

Downfall by Joseph Mallozzi

By My Works You Shall Know Me by Mark Chadbourn

Call Her Savage by Marjorie M. Liu
A futuristic society with echoes of history where the superhero(-ine) is a killer without a cape.

Tonight We Fly by Ian McDonald
So what do superheroes (& villains) do when they "retire"? Alumnus groups? Online forums? Secret messages in the daily paper for secret meetings with your former enemy to relive the good ol' days?

A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too) by Bill Willingham

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub

July's FEATURED AUTHOR: Marie's favorite reads...

July's Featured Author, Marie Force, stops by today to share some of her favorite reads! Check out what they are:

FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things!
by Marie Force

I should have titled that my favorite reads rather than my favorite things, but I couldn’t mess with that classic song. Drey asked me to tell you about my favorite books and why they’re so memorable to me. I told her I have a hard time with this assignment because I often remember authors I really like but when it comes to specifics and book titles, I go stupid in the head. I blame that on the day job, the writing career, the two busy kids, the house, the dog, etc. There’s only so much room on the data chip, and I’m always approaching max capacity. So let me tell you about a few books and series that have stayed with me long after I read them (and why).

The Thorn Birds by Colleen Mccullough
I read this book one summer after 8th or 9th grade when I was probably far too young for such a story. As a young, impressionable Catholic girl growing up in the most Catholic of states (Rhode Island) reading about a young girl who falls in love with a priest and then later has a scorching affair with him when he was a Cardinal no less. . . Well, suffice to say that book left a lasting impression. I absolutely adored Meggie and wanted all good things for her, even if she was destined for heartbreak by loving a man she could never really have.

North and South by John Jakes
Over a high school summer, I devoured this amazing three-part series about two friends divided by the Civil War. I’ve never forgotten Orry Main or George Hazard and the epic struggle they endured to maintain their friendship while fighting against each other in the War Between the States. An amazing story!

Some of Danielle Steel’s earlier books have stayed on my keeper shelf for years after I first read them, including: Season of Passion, A Perfect Stranger, and Now and Forever.

I love Nora Roberts’ work. Her recent Bride Quartet has been thoroughly entertaining, and I look forward to the fourth book later this year. I also love the In Death books written under Nora’s J.D. Robb pseudonym, but I read the early ones years ago and don’t remember much of what happened way back when. I have the series on my keeper shelf to be re-read someday.

Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series was a major find last year. I think I read the first seven books in about 10 days time. I adored Jack, Mel, Preacher and the Virgin River gang from the very beginning, but I enjoyed the earlier books most of all.

I’ve saved my no. 1 top favorite author for last. Lisa Kleypas could write the phone book, and I’d run right out to buy it. Her earlier historicals were fantastic, but her recent Hathaway series was sublime. I’m so sorry it’s done! I also enjoyed her recent contemporary series that began with Sugar Daddy, and included Blue-Eyed Devil and Smooth Talking Stranger. I believe there are a few more stories left to be told in that series, and I’m hoping for more! My other favorite historical author is Mary Balogh, who writes the memorable Huxtable series. I’m looking forward to the next installment!

Well, those are a few of my favorite reads. What are some of yours?

Thank you for sharing your favorite reads, Marie! It's nice to see some of the older books on a list--I'd forgotten all about The Thorn Birds, which I should probably pick up again now that some decades have passed since my last reading... And I just started the In Death series, and I'm hooked! Alas, I have other books that need to be reviewed before I keep going with those. And nothing keeps me going back for more like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, if only to see whether she (finally!) ends up with Ranger. Yup, I'm a Ranger kinda girl. *grin*