Guest Charlotte Ehney talks about Hissy Fit #chicklit

This guest post is by fiction author Charlotte Ehney.

Book Review: Hissy Fit: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews

Keeley Murdock is about to have it all. She is one day away from marrying the handsome and rich A.J. Jernigan. Everyone who is anyone is at her rehearsal party at the country club. But a fateful trip down the hallway on her way to the rest room makes Keeley suspicious about what is happening on the other side of a closed door. Keeley opens the door to discover A.J. and her maid of honor Paige in a most compromising position. What’s a girl to do? Throw a huge hissy fit! And that’s just what Keeley does. Needless to say, the wedding is off.

Keeley tries to pick up the pieces after her dream life falls apart at her fiancé’s infidelity by losing herself in her interior design business. Trouble is, work has dropped dramatically. Keeley suspects that the Jernigans have pressured the town folks not to do business with her. Since the Jernigans run the local bank, just about everyone in town wants to stay on their good side.

Fortunately, the wealthy Will Mahoney steps in to distract Keeley with a huge project. He’s purchased Mulberry Hill, an abandoned antebellum mansion, in the hopes of winning the heart of a woman he’s never actually met. As Keeley works with Will to renovate the majestic and dilapidated Mulberry Hill, he turns out to be something of a distraction himself.

Keeley struggles to move beyond A.J.’s betrayal but it reminds her of another loss she suffered long ago – being abandoned by her mother. Although Keeley had heard the rumors that her mother ran away with another man, she has never discussed it with her father. Finally Keeley decides to search for the answers behind her mother’s disappearance.

Overall, I would recommend Hissy Fit: A Novel. There are a few scenes and subplots that are over the top.

Will Mahoney is a successful businessman. He has purchased a local plant and meticulously researches options to bring the factory back to life. Yet, he buys an antebellum house and sinks a large fortune into renovations and furnishings all for a woman he says he’s in love with but has never met. This doesn’t fit with the image of Will as a logical professional.

Then there is Keeley’s failure to acknowledge her emotions regarding what she learns about her mother.

Despite this, I enjoyed Hissy Fit very much. Author Mary Kay Andrews creates perfect small town, Southern characters. She also nails the inner workings of small town society. Hissy Fit is definitely Southern chick lit. Hissy Fit: A Novel is an easy read with some big laughs. After all, you’ve got to root for a woman willing to pitch a justified Hissy Fit!

Charlotte Ehney is South Carolina native. She contributes to Lakelands Parents Magazine and Greenwood Magazine. Charlotte is the author of two novels, Blood Adversaries (print and Kindle) and Family Vows(Kindle) which are available on Amazon.com. You can find her blog, Cosmic Chaos, at www.charehney.wordpress.com.

#HotelIndigo #Boutique #ATLantahotels with stylish decor

Mar13

When going to Atlanta, the biggest question can be where to stay. The last time we went to ATL, we stayed at Hotel Indigo.
Hotel Indigo Atlanta Midtown
683 Peachtree Street, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30308 United States

I used Hotwire (as usual) and chose a 3.5 star in Midtown Atlanta. The resulting accommodation was Hotel Indigo. This is a boutique style hotel. It is across the street from the Fox Theatre.

Location: Plus for location! Hotel Indigo is in the heart of Midtown and across the street from Fox Theatre. There were restaurants that were within walking distance but I did not check to see how far you had to walk to the shopping area.

Room décor: This is an older building so the rooms are small and the bathrooms even smaller. The room was a little cramped with the queen sized bed, desk, and dresser. The bathroom was about 5’x5’. I stretched my arms wide and could touch both walls. I am only 5 feet tall (hence my estimate). And no, I do not have abnormally long arms. If you sit on the toilet and have long legs, they might touch the sink. There is no bathtub, only a shower. Despite the size of the room, I love all its character. Our room was situated on the front side so our window overlooked Peachtree Str. The hotel was renovated in 2012 and you can tell by the sleek, colorful design. The floors are wood laminate and there is a 32-inch flat screen TV. We were comfortable in the bed, but there was little room for anything else.

Parking: In a parking garage with no valet. Parking was $25 per night. I thought that was pricey considering there was NO VALET! The garage was shared with the neighboring hotel. We could not find the elevator but I am assuming they had one…

Amenties: Free wi-fi is always a plus. The connection was good in the room. The speed was fast enough to watch NetFlix, check email and Facebook. However, there are not a lot of outlets in the room (my one pet peeve). Between my cell phone, kindle, ipad, hubby’s cell, and laptop, we need a lot of outlets to charge everything. I probably need to pack a power strip.

Pool: I do not know if they have one. I did not see one. I was not looking either. This is not really the place to go if you have children because there is not a lot of space.

Overall, I like Hotel Indigo for their stylish, modern décor and comfy beds. I could have used a couple more inches in the bathroom but it was okay. And I always seem to need more power outlets. Other than those two things, I suggest making your next stay at Hotel Indigo Atlanta.

Guest Samantha Gillespie reviews one of her fave books #YAauthor

Mar10

This guest post is by Young Adult fiction author Samantha Gillespie.

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden) by Kagawa, Julie (2012) Hardcover

The Book Blurb

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for again.

The Nitty-Gritty
Meet Allison Sekemoto (Allie), a girl who lives in a post-apocalyptic world where the Red Lung plague has wiped out most of human civilization, and those who survived have become blood cattle to the ruling vampires, to whom they give their own blood willingly in exchange for food, shelter, and protection from the rabids – humans gone mad and bloodthirsty from the plague – that stalk the earth in search of humans to bite. Allie refuses to become a blood slave; she lives out in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in vampire city, where she hides from the vampires at night and scavenges for food by day.

Starving for food, Allie ventures outside the walls of the vampire city and manages to find a forgotten place with loads of canned food. Unfortunately for Allie and her friends, they are attacked by rabids, and Allie is fatally wounded. She knows that if she dies, she will come back to life as a rabid. But before that happens, a vampire finds her and gives her a choice (Interview with the Vampire, anyone?): Die as a human. Or become a vampire. Despite her loathing for the creatures of the night, Allie chooses the latter, a decision that will haunt her for the rest of the book.

After some training in the ways of the vampire, she is separated from her sire and stumbles upon a group of humans in search for the fabled place called Eden—a city without vampires. Allie joins them, passing off as a human. But spending time with the group puts Allie to the test as she struggles to cling to her humanity and fight the Hunger, which will drive her to madness if she goes too long without human blood. To further complicate things, Allie soon finds herself falling in love with a boy in the group, a boy who would kill her the moment he realizes what she really is.

The Verdict

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. This book was engaging and heart-wrenching. There was not a single thing about it that I did not like. The world building is dark, bleak, and very well-developed. I felt very connected and attached to Allie. She is one tough chick and I admired her courage and moral compass. I also loved how the author made her internal struggle so realistic, that she wasn’t always strong enough to fight her vampire nature, and that as much as she wanted to be human, she did not negate the fact that she had become a monster.

I must admit, Ms. Kawaga had me on a roller coaster ride of emotions, I laughed and cried and probably held my breath one too many times. The Immortal Rules is one of those awesome books in which I become truly invested in the characters and their story, and I just can’t get enough of them. I absolutely loved it. This is, in fact, the BEST vampire story I have ever read.

The Immortal Rules is the first book in the Blood of Eden series. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading YA fiction.

About Samantha Gillespie

Samantha Gillespie is a creative, helpless romantic who was born in Mexico, where she grew up with her family until they returned to the States at age eleven. An avid reader from a young age, Samantha finally gave into her passion for writing, making her debut with The Kingdom Within.

Samantha considered pursuing a degree in English Literature while in college but despite her family and friend’s encouragement, she opted for a more practical career in Business. Now, with the publication of her first book under her belt, she occasionally hits herself on the head for it. Samantha currently lives in Houston, TX, and besides being a sucker for romance, she has a soft spot for helpless kittens, and all things Pride & Prejudice.

THE KINGDOM WITHIN is a Young Adult fiction work by Samantha Gillespie. The book depicts the story of Meredith, a young princess who is destined into a marriage with a prince she’s never met, in order to save her Kingdom from imminent conquest. And while initially willing to do what is needed, everything changes when she is thrust into a fight for her life and love meets her from an unexpected front, causing her to question all she had prepared for, her purpose and actions.

Website:               http://www.thekingdomwithinseries.com
Facebook:              http://www.facebook.com/tkwseries
Twitter:                 http://www.twitter.com/S_Gillespie_
Book Trailer:         http://www.youtu.be/OhXVILEzHjE
Goodreads:           http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22875768-the-kingdom-within

Foodie Friday: Go to Oregon for #Sushi

Mar6

I am starting a new feature the first Friday of each month that I am calling “Foodie Friday” . While my blog reviews have mainly been about books, I am dedicating the first Friday of ever month to be about food, restaurants, and all things food related.

foodiefriday

When I was in Bend, OR a few months ago, I asked the hotel front desk for suggestions for dinner. They said, “If you like sushi, then you will love 5 Fusion”. That sounded like my type of place.

Located in downtown Bend, I went during Happy Hour. The executive chef has received many accolades so I am anticipating excellence. Of course, the restaurant was packed. Since I was by myself, I decided to sit at the sushi bar and watch them work. While he looked different from his head shot in all the touristy magazines, the executive chef was there churning out roll after sushi roll. He was a machine. There was no time for chit chat with me because he was all business. That did not bother me because he was in his zone.

A waiter came to take my order. He was friendlier, asking all the small talk questions.

I ordered a variety because Happy Hour prices included $5 sushi rolls and appetizers. Yea that is no misprint.

Tempura – battered squash, shrimp, asparagus, and onion – BEST tempura I have ever tasted. I usually do not order tempura because when not done properly, (1) the crispy batter becomes soft too quickly from wet veggies, (2) the batter has no flavor, or (3) the batter does not allow for the soy sauce to coat without becoming soggy. I am very particular about my tempura. 5 Fusion has ruined me for all others. It was so good. Perfect. Since tempura’s main nemesis is moisture, I was impressed that the batter stayed so crispy.
Shrimp tempura roll – tempura shrimp (which we already established was delicious), avocado, cucumber
Spicy salmon roll – raw salmon sashimi, avocado, cucumber, sriracha chili sauce
Edamame – I can never get enough of lightly salted boiled soybeans.
Angry Mango cocktail – habanero infused vodka with mango puree – sweet and spicy and cold at the same time. Is cold heat even possible? Sounds like an oxymoron but it worked so well.

I ate all the sushi rolls, but took the tempura and edamame leftovers to snack on later. I know that sushi is filling at the time, but an hour later, I feel like I could eat again.

The Opinionated Woman’s verdict: Currently my favorite sushi place in the US. I recommend it if you are anywhere near Bend OR.

2014 07 julio5

Five Fusion and Sushi Bar

James Beard Foundation Semi-finalist- Best chef in the Northwest 2014

Executive Chef Joe Kim

www.5fusion.com

821 NW Wall Street, Bend OR

Server: Keith

On a Rogue Planet #netgalley #arc

Mar5

On a Rogue Planet (Phoenix Adventures Book 3) ♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

Malin is a salvage mechanic who has not had the best success in the romance department. Of course, previous lovers blamed her for whatever problems there were. This leads to her insecurities.

While on a business trip, she inadvertently is placed in the middle of a planetary coup. Xander is the security cyborg who needs to find an ancient artifact that will help him to restore order to his planet.

Along the way, Malin and Xander explore their chemistry for each other, even though it is questionable how vested in a relationship Xander could be since he is a cyborg.

Opinion

How did I feel about this book?

Why did I love this book so much? Mainly, I think it was because of the characters. Malin was a mechanic and she falls for a cyborg. The first story where the heroine could actually “fix” her guy.

I like that she was a strong female lead character. She had her sensitive moments, but she saves Xander quite a few times. Xander was as much of an alpha-male as a character can get, but even he had to admit he needed help.

“He told her he didn’t follow orders, but he followed hers just fine”

Secondly, the energy of this book was high packed from the first few pages. They are on the run from people who want them dead. To get the relic to save Xander’s people, they have travel all over the galaxy. It was so interesting, I was anxious to see how they would get out of each perilous situation.

Thirdly, the supporting characters (good and bad) added another layer to the story giving more depth. The reasons the villain had for wanting to destroy a race of people – totally twisted. That guy was insane.

While On a Rogue Planet (Phoenix Adventures Book 3)is a standalone book, it is the third book in the series. Now that I have been introduced, I need to find the first two books.

Should you buy On a Rogue Planet (Phoenix Adventures Book 3)? YES! This story is part “Indiana Jones”, part “Star Wars”, and part “MacGyver”.

There is plenty of action.

There is a cyborg who finds his humanity.

“Malin Phoenix brought out the best in him”

There is a woman who is no damsel in distress.

“You look pretty in bare feet and that ripped dress.”

It is a trifecta of a story. There is so much to the plot that appeals to me. If you like high energy sci-fiction, I think you will enjoy the action-packed romance as much as I did.

I received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click this link to buy on Amazon On a Rogue Planet (Phoenix Adventures Book 3)

As a side note: As explained on IMDb, MacGyver was an agent for the Phoenix Foundation devoted to righting the wrongs of the world and thwarts the enemy with vast scientific knowledge. In “On a Rouge Planet”, Malin’s last name is Phoenix and she is just as talented as MacGyver with her mechanical knowledge.

Coincidence? I think not.