WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: KEEPSAKE — APRIL 18

Welcome to another special Waiting on Wednesday event, hosted by Jill, at Breaking the Spine.  Every Wednesday, we enjoy sharing our enthusiasm for upcoming book releases.

My feature today is a novel that I’m very excited about.  Keepsake, by Kristina Riggle, is a timely and provocative novel that asks:  What happens when the things we own become more important than the people we love?

To be released June 26, 2012

Amazon blurb: 

Trish isn’t perfect. She’s divorced and raising two kids—so of course her house isn’t pristine. But she’s got all the important things right and she’s convinced herself that she has it all under control. That is, until the day her youngest son gets hurt and Child Protective Services comes calling. It’s at that moment when Trish is forced to consider the one thing she’s always hoped wasn’t true: that she’s living out her mother’s life as a compulsive hoarder.

The last person Trish ever wanted to turn to for help is her sister, Mary—meticulous, perfect Mary, whose house is always spotless . . . and who moved away from their mother to live somewhere else, just like Trish’s oldest child has. But now, working together to get Trish’s disaster of a home into livable shape, two very different sisters are about to uncover more than just piles of junk, as years of secrets, resentments, obsessions, and pain are finally brought into the light.

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I can’t wait to read this story!  The issues speak to that part of us that clings to sentimental objects.  It also addresses an unmet need seemingly satisfied by the treasures we keep.

What are you waiting for?  I hope you’ll stop by and share….

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY — LOVE IN A NUTSHELL — DEC. 7

Welcome to Waiting on Wednesday, our opportunity to spotlight upcoming releases we’re eagerly anticipating.

Hosted by Jill, at Breaking the Spine, you can join in, too.  Just follow the link, share your featured book, and visit lots of other blogs, too.

I’m a fan of this author, and this book looks like the beginning of a new series, with a great new protagonist.  Or maybe it’s a stand-alone treat from Janet Evanovich, who co-authors with Dorien Kelly in Love in a Nutshell.  Coming 1-3-2012.

About the Book:

Number one bestselling author Janet Evanovich teams up with award-winning author Dorien Kelly to deliver a sparkling novel of romantic suspense, small-town antics, secretive sabotage, and lots and lots of beer

Kate Appleton needs a job. Her husband has left her, she’s been fired from her position as a magazine editor, and the only place she wants to go is to her parents’ summer house, The Nutshell, in Keene’s Harbor, Michigan. Kate’s plan is to turn The Nutshell into a Bed and Breakfast. Problem is, she needs cash, and the only job she can land is less than savory.

Matt Culhane wants Kate to spy on his brewery employees. Someone has been sabotaging his company, and Kate is just new enough in town that she can insert herself into Culhane’s business and snoop around for him. If Kate finds the culprit, Matt will pay her a $20,000 bonus. Needless to say, Kate is highly motivated. But several problems present themselves. Kate despises beer. No one seems to trust her. And she is falling hard for her boss.

Can these two smoke out a saboteur, save Kate’s family home, and keep a killer from closing in…all while resisting their undeniable attraction to one another? Filled with humor, heart, and loveable characters, Love in a Nutshell is delicious fun.

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Excited yet?  I certainly am, and now I’m eager to visit your offering.  Hope you’ll come by here, too.

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY — THE DOLL — JULY 20

Welcome to another edition of Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill, at Breaking the Spine.

Today I’m spotlighting a “lost short story collection” that will be released on November 22, 2011.  From one of my all-time favorite authors, Daphne Du Maurier, comes The Doll.

 

A collection of 13 stories written by Dame Daphne du Maurier before she was 23 years old, The Doll is a valuable part of the author’s body of work. It is comprised of eight stories that were published in a small UK volume called Early Stories that is now out of print and five stories that were published in periodicals during the early 1930s, and explores the evolution of the images, themes, and concerns that informed du Maurier’s later work – particularly romance gone awry. It includes stories like ‘And Now To God the Father’ in which a vicar coaches a young couple divided by class issues, ‘Tame Cat’ in which an older man falls in love with a much younger woman, and ‘And His Letters Grew Colder’ a short story told in letters that follows the progression of a relationship through the love letters they send to one another – each story in the collection highlights du Maurier’s deep understanding of human nature.

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Doesn’t that sound exciting?  I can’t wait to get my hands on this one!  What about the rest of you?  What wonderful tomes did you find?

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY — HERE, HOME, HOPE — APRIL 20

Welcome to another edition of Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill, at Breaking the Spine.

Today I’m spotlighting a book that’s coming soon:  May 1, 2011.  Here, Home, Hope, by Kaira Rouda, is all about finding happiness in yourself.

Kelly Mills Johnson becomes restless in her thirty-ninth year. An appetite for more forces her to take stock of her middling middle-American existence and her neighbors’ seemingly perfect lives. Her marriage to a successful attorney has settled into a comfortable routine, and being the mother of two adorable sons has been rewarding. But Kelly’s own passions lie wasted. She eyes with envy the lives of her two best friends, Kathryn and Charlotte, both beautiful, successful businesswomen who seem to have it all. Kelly takes charge of her life, devising a midlife makeover plan.

From page one, Kelly’s witty reflections, self-deprecating humor, and clever tactics in executing that plan–she places Post-it notes all over her house and car–will have readers laughing out loud. The next instant, however, they might rant right along with Kelly as her commitment to a sullen, anorexic teenager left on her doorstep tries her patience or as she deflects the boozy advances of a divorced neighbor. Readers will need to keep the tissue box handy, too, as Kelly repairs the damage she inflicted on a high school friend; realizes how deeply her husband, Patrick, understands and loves her; and ultimately grows into a woman empowered by her own blend of home and career….

What delightful new books are you eagerly awaiting?  Please stop by and share….