There’s more stirring in the ‘Glades than pythons and manatees… [Book Review]

Mystery, romance, animals, and a great setting – what’s not to love?

Last year, I went to the Lone Star Lesfic Festival in Austin, Texas to rub elbows with some of the greats of lesbian fiction. While I was there, I met a lot of authors whose books I had loved in the past, but I also met some whose work I had never read before.

Renee MacKenzie is one of the latter. I won her book, Anywhere, Everywhere, in a drawing, along with an awesome t-shirt that I wear to the gym. (Reppin’ lesfic while working out? I think that gives me double lesbian points.)

I finally got around to reading it in late December of 2016, and finished it in the first week of January.

cover of lesfic mystery Anywhere Everywhere by Renee MacKenzie

Book Description

Gwen Martin’s life in the Ten Thousand Islands area changes irrevocably when a mysterious woman moves onto the houseboat once owned by the Martin family.

Piper Jackson is hiding from a very evil man, a drug lord. He wants her dead. Now, she has no idea who to trust, if anyone, in the small SW Florida marina community where she has taken refuge. Her photojournalism job has become precariously deadly. Is she in over her head in her relationship with Gwen Martin and her friendship with Gwen’s brother, Wyatt?

Tracy Snyder is freshly out of drug rehab…again. Will Wyatt take her back? Can Gwen forgive Tracy for the things she did while using drugs?

Without trust, can the budding relationship between Gwen and Piper survive? Or will the answers to the questions continue to haunt them?

Continue reading “There’s more stirring in the ‘Glades than pythons and manatees… [Book Review]” →

Changing Why Me? into Why Not? in a kids’ book by Julie Parker. [Book Review]

When I saw Julie Parker’s post about her book, Why Me?, on Instagram, I knew it was something I wanted my kids to read. So I asked her if I could grab a review copy, and Ms. Parker happily obliged.

cover of children's book, Why Me?, by Julie Parker

My plan was a little different than the one I normally use when I review books. With this one, I wanted to read it myself, then have my son read it, and last, have my daughter read it. I assumed this way we could each have our opinions separately, so when I reviewed it, I would have a more rounded view of the book.

Book Description

A bright, colorful children’s book that shows children that being different doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

Continue reading “Changing Why Me? into Why Not? in a kids’ book by Julie Parker. [Book Review]” →

When life gives you lemons, turn them into something resembling lemonade. [Interview with Author Gabriel Wright]

Indie authors have held a special place in my heart for as long as I can remember. As an indie myself, I know what it takes to write, edit, publish, and market a book all on one’s own. It’s hard – but it’s also incredibly rewarding.

The author I’m talking about today knows exactly what that’s like.

image of author Gabriel Wright

Welcome, Gabe! Sell yourself to us.

Gabriel Wright was born, and raised in NYC. Originally from the borough of the Bronx, Gabriel attended college at the City University of New York (CUNY). Afterwards, he spent 20 years in a career as an IT Professional. Gabe admits it wasn’t exactly his dream job but he liked the work enough that he would’ve happily toiled away at it until mandatory (or forced) retirement.

Gabriel’s true dream job was being a writer. It was always in the back of his mind, but it was always something that he thought he’d get around to eventually. Then a not so funny thing happened in Gabe’s IT career – he was laid off. Although, sadly, it wasn’t the first time, this time he took it as a sign that eventually had finally come. Gabriel began to write and ultimately producing his first novel, Cry for the Mercenary.

Gabriel Wright still lives in NYC with his family. Along with writing, he’s also trying to make a success of his family-owned bagel shop in Harlem.

Continue reading “When life gives you lemons, turn them into something resembling lemonade. [Interview with Author Gabriel Wright]” →

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” – Jane Austen

Look at a book. A book is the right size to be a book. They’re solar-powered. If you drop them, they keep on being a book. You can find your place in microseconds. Books are really good at being books, and no matter what happens, books will survive. – Douglas Adams

2016 Goodreads Reading Challenge

In 2016, I read a lot. I read books I bought, books that were given to me as gifts, and books I was given for the purpose of reviewing. I read books on Kindle, brand new hardbacks, and paperbacks well-used and bought for a dime. I read new books, old books, famous books, and obscure ones. I read books on my To Be Read list… and more that weren’t.

I read a lot.

my results for the 2016 Goodreads Challenge, 83 of 75 books

If you want to know how I liked all those books, check out my master book reviews list.

2017 Goodreads Reading Challenge

This year?

This year I plan to read at least as many as I did in 2016.

my goal for the 2017 Goodreads Challenge is to read 75 books again

Your Call

What would you recommend I read this year? Was there a book that changed your life, opened you up to a new genre, or made you spitting mad? Is there a book that encompasses who you are as a person – or embodies an idea you want to fold into yourself?

Leave me a comment. I’d love to discuss those books with you!

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2 Things I Learned from 3 Years of Reading Challenges

Happy New Year, everyone!

image of white and red fireworks in the sky

I hope you celebrated with the people you care about most on New Year’s Eve, and recuperated enough on New Year’s Day to feel bright-eyed and bushy-tailed again this morning.

What’s on the agenda today?

Reading, of course!

I was going back through my old blog posts, the ones I managed to save when I changed over to my new domain in late 2016, and found I had started a trend of doing To Be Read challenges. Naturally, I’ll be doing that again this year, but I wanted to explore what I went through from 2013 to 2016 in trying these challenges, and what I might could learn about myself through the process.

Continue reading “2 Things I Learned from 3 Years of Reading Challenges” →

The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A. [Book Review]

As the parent of two neurodivergent children, I tend to read a lot about the ways our brains function. Some of this is centered around neurotypical (so-called “normal”) brains, but most of it is research on neurodiversity.

This book was recommended to me by several therapists and doctors before I finally picked it up. I don’t totally agree with calling my children, and other people like them, “out of sync,” because it makes them sound broken. And if there is one thing these two amazing people are, it’s not broken.

But this book is more than just its title, and I’m so glad I read it.

cover of SPD book The Out of Sync Child

Book Description

The groundbreaking book that explains Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)–and presents a drug-free approach that offers hope for parents–now revised and updated.

Does your child exhibit…

Over-responsivity–or under-responsivity–to touch or movement?
Over-responsivity–or under-responsivity–to sounds, sights taste, or smell?
Cravings for sensation?
Poor sensory discrimination?
Unusually high or low activity level?
Problems with posture or motor coordination?

These are often the first clues to Sensory Processing Disorder–a common but frequently misdiagnosed problem in which the central nervous system misinterprets messages from the senses. The Out-of-Sync Child offers comprehensive, clear information for parents and professionals–and a drug-free treatment approach for children.

This revised edition includes new sections on vision and hearing, picky eaters, and coexisting disorders such as autism and ADHD, among other topics.

My Rating

Overall, this was a good, informative book. There were a lot of interesting facts and anecdotes inside that explained the way people with Sensory Processing Disorder think, feel, and act. I found myself saying, “So that’s why he does that!” and “She makes so much more sense to me now,” about my kids a lot in this book.

Continue reading “The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A. [Book Review]” →

OUTSIDE REVIEW: Maladaptation by Adan Ramie (Reviewed by Sheena @ The Lesbian Review)

I was pleased as a kitten in a moving box when I ran across The Lesbian Review‘s assessment of my suspense novel, Maladaptation. I sent Sheena a copy of the book a while back for her honest review, but didn’t expect the review to come back so soon, or as glowing. I think she liked it!

Check that out here: http://www.thelesbianreview.com/maladaptation-by-adan-ramie/

cover of Maladaptation, a suspense thriller, by Adan Ramie

If you haven’t already read Maladaptation, buy it here or sign up for my suspense/thriller newsletter to get your copy free! Check out the side-bar or menu for the link to sign up.

(And, if you do read it, please leave me a review on Amazon, Goodreads, iBooks, or wherever you normally buy books. Reviews are a huge deal to writers and readers alike. Thanks!)