#ContemporaryWomen'sFiction

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Aly Mennuti is here to tell us about Broken Fortune, contemporary women's fiction. There's also a great giveaway. _____________________...

[dollycas]

The Perfect Breasts by Cara Bertoia - Review and Awareness

I am excited to share this short story with you today. When the author asked me to review and help her promote this book I couldn't say no. As a breast cancer survivor, the awareness it can bring was very important to me. That all proceeds are going to cancer research was very important to me as well. The book is available TODAY!

The Perfect Breasts Contemporary Short Stories Independently Published (September 29, 2023) Print length ‏ : ‎ 47 pages ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CGMTYBFD

The Perfect Breasts is a personal and raw short story about boobs, by Cara Bertoia author of Casino Queen, written to honor breast cancer awareness month. All proceeds from every page read on Kindle Unlimited to every book bought will be donated to cancer research! Hannah Clein will always remember the day she went to a department store with her mother to buy her first bra as her last best day, "B.C." before the cancer. She considered herself an ordinary child who loved challah bread, reading, and her family - often in that order. With a normal life in the rear-view mirror, we follow Hannah over three decades, as she navigates the tricky transition from girlhood to womanhood. All her life, she just wants to belong. Be normal. In a tale that explores a women's complicated relationships with her body, and the love of her life, we learn the psyche is a funny thing. What are the perfect breasts? And how does the loss of a loved one affect those left behind? The Perfect Breasts mixes family lore with imagination in a compelling tale of loss, longing, and love. Dollycas's Thoughts This story is a quick poignant read that follows Hannah on a very important day in every girl's life to witnessing her mother fight cancer but lose her battle. As a breast cancer survivor with daughters, this story hit home. They along with my husband and son went through so much when I went through my chemo, surgery, and radiation. There is no guarantee it won't come back. Hannah is an Ashkenazi Jewish woman, an ethnic group that has a higher probability of having the cancer gene. Her journey is so emotional. Her fears really take over her life until the perfect person comes into her life. I was older than Hannah's mother, and my daughters were adults when I received that awful phone call but I am a full-figured woman with full-figured daughters, and worried that they may follow in my footsteps. Reading the part of Hannah's story when she was older, from the daughter's perspective, made me hyper-aware of what my daughters may have been feeling but never voiced because everyone was focused on me. We have had several meaningful discussions and reading this story will lead to more. The Perfect Breasts is a story every woman should read. This story is full of great information presented in a way you can't get from a brochure in the doctor's office. It touched my heart, it made me think, and it added to my quest to do anything I can to eradicate cancer from this world. So buy this book, read it, a feel good that you are helping. It takes money for research and the price you paid for this book is all going toward that research.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

From the Author When I was a child, I grew up in a very crowded house. I had three sisters. The way I would escape all the mayhem was by reading. From the time I could pick up a book I became a voracious reader. By the age of eight I was reading my parents' novels, whatever books I could find. At night instead of counting sheep I would tell myself Cinderella type stories where I got to be the heroine. But my first real writing class was when I worked in high-tech in Boston. I took a class at Harvard Extension, and the professor read my story aloud to the group. He asked me to read it, but I was too self-conscious because it was the first story I had ever written. From that day on I was hooked. About the Author They say write about what you know, and I know a lot about casinos. My new mystery Casino Queen has been featured in The Big Thrill, Women Writers Women's Books, Charlotte Reader's Podcast, Tell Me About Your Book, and dozens of popular book review sites. In my twenties on a summer hiatus from teaching in North Carolina, I drove to California and became a dealer in Lake Tahoe. Well, I can tell you that after teaching high school, handling an unruly gambler was a piece of cake. My mother highly disapproved of my working in a casino, "a place so bad it has 'sin' in the middle." Thankfully the paper from Palm Springs disagreed with my mother. The Desert Sun raved, "As is often the case, the author pulls from real-life experiences to create a worthy piece of fiction. And her own life is a vivid kaleidoscope of adventure. Casino Queen arrives at the perfect time when crime-solving tales that revolve around strong female protagonists aren't just a luck of a draw. They're downright successful. (See TV's "Equalizer" and "Poker Face" for samplers.) To that end, Casino Queen has the makings of a streaming series." Eventually, I succumbed to pressure from the family and returned east to take a high-tech job in Boston. I also began working on my MFA in writing at Emerson. While in Boston I was offered the opportunity to join Princess Cruises as a croupier. Jumping at the chance, I spent the next five years circling the globe. Sometimes life exceeds your dreams. I was awed by the beauty of Venice, the glaciers of Alaska, and the wonders of the Amazon. I returned from ships with a very special souvenir, my husband Ray. We now live in Hollywood, Florida where I write while gazing out at the ocean. I can see the cruise ships sailing out of Port Everglades and I get a little bit jealous. #FlashFriday will return next week. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”     Read the full article

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Annie M. Ballard is here to tell us about The Helping Heart, Sisters of Stella Mare #4, contemporary women's fiction. She's also hosting a g...

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Ashley Packard is here to tell us about Echoes of the Past, contemporary women's fiction. She's also hosting a great giveaway. ________...

[dollycas]

#FlashbackFriday - The Ivy Tree - An Avalon Romance by Carolyn Brown #Review / #Giveaway

On Flashback Fridays I will share with you the books I was not able to review when they were first released that have been screaming at me from my To-Be-Read bookshelf. In my quest to complete the Literary Escapes Challenge this year, I pulled this book from my huge Kindle TBR shelf.

The Ivy Tree Contemporary Women's Fiction / Romance Setting - Oklahoma Montlake Romance Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 192 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0803494661 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0803494664 Paperback ‏ : ‎ 158 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 147783169X ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1477831694 Kindle Print length ‏ : ‎ 160 pages ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00DTTW5SE

After his rodeo accident, Truman James was just going home to his grandmother’s farmhouse to stay a few weeks while his broken leg healed. He surely didn’t expect to be awakened the first morning he was there by a snaggle-toothed kid and his sassy Irish mother, who’d moved right into the house with him. Allie McCleary wouldn’t have ever consented to move to Dougherty, Oklahoma, if she’d known Truman had the freedom to use the house, too. And she sure didn’t expect Truman James to be the magic she’d been searching for since her husband was killed five years before. The rest is what happens when you cross a handsome-beyond-words bull rider with a mostly-Irish lass with a temper to match her rich chestnut brown hair and mossy green eyes. It’s the story of an old ivy-covered elm tree in the corner of the yard, sitting in dormancy like Allie’s heart and rooted deep in the rich ranch soil, like Truman’s soul. Will they realize that the real fight lies within their hearts? Although they’re as mismatched as oil and water, they have fallen in love. Can either of them admit it? Dollycas's Thoughts Allie McCleary lost her husband, Taylor, five years ago and she really lost herself as well. Her grandmother Emma, and her friend, Bert thought relocating may help ease her pain and help her move on. So Allie and her seven-year-old son Linc packed up and moved to the country, Dougherty, Oklahoma, into an old farmhouse owned by Bert. Truman James has been on the rodeo circuit for many years but was thrown off a bull, the bull rolled with him, and "a couple of tons of weight landed on his leg" and broke it. Out of commission for at least 6 weeks he decides to visit his grandmother's farm knowing there is plenty of work to keep him busy and her meals would surely help him to heal up faster. He never expected that his grandma wouldn't be home and that a bossy Irish woman and her kid would be living in her house. They both called their grandmothers and were basically told "suck it up buttercup". Then both women packed their bags and left on a cruise. These characters were very engaging. Allie is a strong woman and had her guard up not wanting to get hurt again. She hopes a new man much like Taylor will come along in his three-piece suit carrying his briefcase and sweep her off her feet. Until then she will keep painting her coffee shop pictures and focus on her son Linc. Linc is a normal seven-year-old kid bursting with energy and talking a mile a minute. He loves living on the farm especially after Truman arrives with his horse.  Truman is more laid back and he sure likes to push Allie's buttons. He may settle down someday with a quiet country girl that is a "short little blonde who comes just up to his shoulder and will make a whole house full of kids just like him". The banter between Allie and Tru was entertaining and their attraction sparks right from the start. I really liked the way Truman did things with Linc, telling him stories, taking him horseback riding, and teaching him how to care for the horse. He even gives the little boy a very special gift. The ivy tree was such a great theme throughout the story. Allie is drawn to the tree and sets aside the flower paintings that are sold in coffee shops to paint the tree and it wasn't easy. She wants to get the squirrels that live in the ivy-covered elm just perfect and the ivy needs to be just right. Later she wants it to carry the memory of a special day. Then one day she has an epiphany realizing that the tree symbolizes her life. Truman has one as well. I am not sure exactly what year the author set this story in but the fact that the characters did not have cell phones and that Garth Brooks and Billy Ray Cyrus' early hits were mentioned along with some of the fashion choices I would say the late 80s or early 90s. The Ivy Tree is a heartwarming feel-good story where the characters realize what they need is right before their eyes. A quick read with a delightfully happy ending. Ms. Brown's books are always a nice little escape.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent About the Author  Carolyn Brown is a New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher’s Weekly and #1 Amazon and #1 Washington Post bestselling author. She is the author of more than 100 novels and several novellas. She’s a recipient of the Bookseller’s Best Award, Montlake Romance’s prestigious Montlake Diamond Award, and also a three-time recipient of the National Reader’s Choice Award. Brown has been published for more than 20 years, and her books have been translated 21 foreign languages. When she’s not writing, she likes to plot new stories in her backyard with her tom cat, Boots Randolph Terminator Outlaw, who protects the yard from all kinds of wicked varmints like crickets, locusts, and spiders. Visit her at www.carolynbrownbooks.com.

Also by Carolyn Brown

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I am giving away 1 Kindle copy of The Ivy Tree! The contest is open to anyone over 18 years old. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited. You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find something you like here and become a follower. Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow. Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Following My Facebook Fan Page. If you share the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive 5 Bonus Entries For Each Link. The  Contest Will End March 17, 2023, at 11:59 PM CST The Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org The Winner Will Be Notified By Email and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar. Click Here For Entry Form *This book was purchased and is part of my personal collection. Read the full article