Life Begins at 50

  ~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~

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Synopsis:  

The brilliant, brand-new novel from the TOP TEN bestselling author of 59 Memory Lane

New friends, new flame, new fun . . .

Kate dreamed of a happy marriage, a house full of children and a fulfilling teaching career. But after twenty-five years of married life and about to hit the big 5-0, it’s clear that her dreams haven’t quite come true. Then her husband leaves her for his golf partner, forcing Kate to take stock of what has become of her life.

Luckily, new friendship comes her way in the form of three feisty older women who take Kate under their wings, plus a new flame (could it be more . . .?) sparks with local divorced dad, Milo. As her big birthday approaches, Kate’s zest for life begins to return.

But opening herself up means making herself vulnerable to being hurt all over again . . .

Can it be true that life begins at fifty? And will Kate be brave enough to find happiness, and grab hold of it with both hands?

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/LifeBegins50Social

One (or more) Sentence Summary:  Life Begins at 50 is a perfect book for anyone who is about to turn 50 or has turned 50.  It is also a great read for any one who knows someone special celebrating those milestones. 

I don't think I could have ever put the connection between Kate and Milo together, but wow! All the characters in the book really made it a good read. Even though the main story revolves around Kate, every character has a part in the development of the story. My favorite has to be the village ladies and Kate's dear friend Sophie.

I did find Kate to be a huge push over in the beginning of the story.  I felt she let everyone, her parents, her brother, and especially her husband push her around and her husband belittled her throughout their marriage (the pieces we were able to see). I did not like Howard/Brad.  However, when Howard leaves Kate, she finds her footing and blossoms into an amazing women.  Always caring for others.....she finally takes care of herself and goes after what she wants in life. Lovely ending and I wish I had the as many sweet and caring friends in my life....Kate was very special to many people.  It was hard to see with Howard/Brad in her way.

Pick up a copy of Life Begins at 50 and enjoy a good read!  We all deserve a good book and time to read it!

Previously a teacher and assistant head, Celia Anderson now writes full time and is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, having proudly graduated from their New Writers’ Scheme in 2013. So far, she has concentrated on writing romantic fiction and/or stories with a flavour of magical realism.

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No Ordinary Tuesday

  ~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~

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Book Summary:  

Lena Sharma is a successful San Francisco restaurateur. An immigrant, she’s cultivated an image of conservatism and tradition in her close-knit Indian community. But when Lena's carefully constructed world begins to crumble, her ties to her daughter, Maya, and son, Sameer—raised in thoroughly modern California—slip further away.

Maya, divorced once, becomes engaged to a man twelve years her junior: Veer Kapoor, the son of Lena’s longtime friend. Immediately, Maya feels her mother's disgrace and the judgment of an insular society she was born into but never chose, while Lena’s cherished friendship frays. Meanwhile, Maya's younger brother, Sameer, struggles with an addiction that reaches a devastating and very public turning point, upending his already tenuous future.

As the mother, daughter, and son are compromised by tragedy, secrets, and misconceptions, they each must determine what it will take to rebuild their bonds and salvage what’s left of their family.

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Print length: 335 pages

Purchase a copy of No Ordinary Thursday on

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/No-Ordinary-Thursday-Anoop-Judge/dp/1542037751/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-ordinary-thursday-anoop-judge/1140485124.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/no-ordinary-thursday-anoop-judge/17746161

You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61214404-no-ordinary-thursday

One (or more) Sentence Summary: I really enjoyed No Ordinary Tuesday. I really enjoyed the plot - not your ordinary plot. Starting out with a tragic accident and a surprised engagement set the tone of the story. The "scandalous" relationship between Maya and Veer was one that survived against all odds.  Without giving too much away.....it is a good read! Many plots with the story that made me want to continue turning the pages!

I loved learning about the culture of India. I loved the wedding traditions.  I found it so interesting the hierarchy of families. Loved the Aunties and their very strong bond, even during the struggling times.  In the end love and friendship win!

MY FIRST MEMORIES

 “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out,” was the mantra by which my Indian mother raised us. 

 Mornings in Delhi would begin with crows cawing outside the window. Loud, insistent, competing with the clanging of alarm clocks all over the house. An occasional “Please Mummy. Five more minutes to sleep” would merge with threats of buckets of cold water being emptied on a sleepyhead if he (one of my brothers) didn’t get out of bed, fatta-faat, this very moment. The damp smell of yawns would give way to the sharp scent of toothpaste. Then would come the thudding noise of fists on the bathroom door: “Hurry up. You’re not the only one living here. Your sister needs to go potty urgently. If you don’t come out now, I’ll break down this door, I swear to God.” 

 My mom was a force to be reckoned with when she was angry with my brothers and me, a frequently occurring event in our household. We often got into trouble . . . ‘just wait till we get home’ was an oft-repeated threat of hers. 

 It happened right in the neighborhood supermarket called Super Big Bazaar. My older brother and I got into a scrape over a bag of Cadbury’s chocolate eclairs. I pushed him, he pushed me back . . . smack-dab into a display of Haldiram cans. I went sprawling and so did the can of rasgullas, tumbling everywhere like the walls of an old haveli attacked by a bulldozer. I regained my upright position and disappeared into the shelves of food just as Mom’s eyes went wide with horror, her lips thin with anger. “Just you wait, Missy,” she shouted at me, cuffing the back of my brother’s head who was not so quick to escape.

 When she got heated about things, my mom didn’t mince words. Her most colorful phrases were reserved for the country that took all three of her children away from her—” Churail (witch) America” she would hiss, shaking her head in disdain. Her thinning plait, colored with henna and, softened with alma swung on her shoulders in sympathy. I would return to my mom’s home over and over again, but it would never be the same. As a visitor and a tourist, I would return with stories to show my Mom the stamps on my passport from the different places I had traveled with my newly minted husband, but she would not be impressed. 

 The only time I can remember my opinionated mom praising her kids’ adopted country was on a visit to the United States. Referring to the Sikh belief in reincarnation, I remember her telling Dimple Aunty, “I’ve committed many sins in my lifetime, so I don’t know if I will get the human life form again. But, I pray that if I’m to be reborn as a dog, then I want to be reborn a dog in America.” She cackled, laughter sprinkling like salt upon her tea and bhujiya.

 But before the currents of life would pull me away from my land of birth, I was a member of a large and affectionate family, born to a mother whose love saved me. My mom gave me the biggest gift of my teen years when she taught me how to fight back. I must have been twelve or thirteen. My brother, eleven years old, was younger than me in age, but taller, stocky, and able to pack a few punches. After a particularly aggressive fight involving bruises, scrapes, and fisticuffs, I went crying to my mom for help. She took me squarely by my shoulders and turned me around to face my brother who was cooling his heels in triumphant glee. 

 “Go hit him back, “ she said, her eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re going to live in a world of men. You need to know how to deal with them.” 

 I don’t recall how many blows my brother endured from me that day, but I do know that with a small gesture, and a big message my mom set me on a journey where no man was going to be able to mess with me again. 

 Not all heroes wear capes. 

 *My mom passed away on April 18, 2019. It was sudden, untimely, and left me with a gaping wound. One way I am honoring her memory is by writing about the life we shared and taking continuing joy in the reminiscences from the past. 

 The greatest tribute to the dead is not grief but gratitude - Thornton Wilder * 

Born and raised in New Delhi, Anoop is the author of four novels, The Rummy Club which won the

2015 Beverly Hills Book Award, The Awakening of Meena Rawat, an excerpt of which was nominated for the 2019 Pushcart Prize, No Ordinary Thursday, and Mercy and Grace.

Her essays and short stories have appeared in Green Hills Literary Lantern, Rigorous Journal, Lumiere Review, DoubleBack Review, and the Ornament anthology, among others. 

 Anoop calls herself a “recovering litigator”—she worked in state and federal courts for many years before she replaced legal briefs with fictional tales. She holds an MFA from St. Mary’s College of California and was the recipient of the 2021 Advisory Board Award and the 2023 Alumni Scholarship. 

She lives in Pleasanton, California, with her husband, and is the mother of two admirable young adults.

You can follow the Anoop at:

Website: https://anoopjudge.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judgeanoop/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoop-ahuja-judge-94396743/

Blog Tour Calendar - Check out what others have to say about No Ordinary Tuesday.

June 17th @ The Muffin

Join us as we celebrate the launch of Anoop Judge's book No Ordinary Thursday. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of her book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

June 19th @ Writer Advice

Novelist Anoop Judge stops by with a guest post about Ways To Begin a Story.

https://www.writeradvice.com

June 21st @ A Wonderful World of Words

Let's have some fun with a book giveaway and a guest post from Anoop Judge tracing her journey through four novels.

https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/

June 22nd @ A Storybook World

Make an addition to your TBR pile with this spotlight on No Ordinary Thursday.

https://www.astorybookworld.com/

June 24th @ My Beauty My Books

Author Anoop Judge visits with advice to her twenty year old self and a chance to win a copy of her novel No Ordinary Thursday.

mybeautymybooks.com

June 25th @ Words by Webb

Read a review of No Ordinary Thursday at Words by Webb/

https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog

June 28th @ What Is this Book About

Stop by for a spotlight on a new book for a new month: No Ordinary Thursday by Anoop 

Judge.

www.whatisthatbookabout.com

June 30th @ Choices

Anoop Judges gives readers a peek at her writing life with today's guest post.

http://madelinesharples.com

July 2nd @ Boys' Mom Reads

Karen shares her review of No Ordinary Thursday, a novel of love, friendship and family.

karensiddall.wordpress.com

 

July 3rd @ The Faerie Review

Want to enjoy the July 4th holiday with a great book? The Faerie Review is spotlighting No Ordinary Thursday by Anoop Judge.

https://www.thefaeriereview.com/

July 5th @ StoreyBook Reviews

Anoop Judge shares her thoughts on Crafting Dialogue: How Can You Best Give Voice to Your Characters?

https://www.storeybookreviews.com

July 9th @ Word Magic

Fiona welcomes novelist Anoop Judge sharing a few things you didn't know about her.

https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

July 11th @ Knotty Needle

Read a review of No Ordinary Thursday, a novel about family and friendship.

http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/

July 12th @  Author Anthony Avina

Pop by the blog of Author Anthony Avina for a guest post about what inspires Anoop Judge.

https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

July 17th @ Chapter Break

Ready to head for the hammock (or your favorite reading spot) with an engrossing summer read? Learn more about No Ordinary Thursday and author Anoop Judge.

https://chapterbreak.net/

July 20th @ Seaside Book Nook

Jilleen shares her thoughts on No Ordinary Thursday and a guest post on first memories from the author Anoop Judge.

http://www.seasidebooknook.com/

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It's All Sun and Games

  ~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~

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Synopsis:  When Robin finds out she's going on a work trip to Italy she can't wait for a week away in the sunshine, away from the daily grind. So what if there's a client pitch to do while they're there? The thing Robin is most excited about is the chance to show her work crush, James, what she's really like outside of work, and divert his attention from Liz, her work rival.

To make things even better, Robin realises that the town they're going to in Italy is the same place that her childhood penpal, Andrea is from. So it's the perfect time to re-connect and finally meet her old friend over some delicious Italian food and wine (between work obviously...) But when Andrea doesn't turn out to be the person Robin thought, things get a little complicated...

So it's set to be a week of all sun and games... Until someone falls in love of course!

A friends-to-lovers, only-one-bed, fake dating romance from million-copy bestseller Portia MacIntosh.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/sunandgamessocial

One (or more) Sentence Summary:  It's All Sun and Games is a perfecrt summer read!  I want a job that takes me to a coastal town in Italy (heck at this point I will take any coastal town). Characters I liked were Andrea and Robin. The mix up between the two (Andrea (male) thinking Robin was a male and Robin (female) think Andrea was a female) pen pals is pretty fun, especially Andrea's parents picking Robin up at the airport in Itaty and not speaking English. The ending was just perfect too (no spoil alert).

Andrea is a very confident person, both in his personal life and career.  Robin did not come across as a confident person, in either her personal life or career. It did bother me that she could even want to be with James.  About half way through she finds herself and and discovers what she wants. I loved the turn around in her person. There are just too many James out in the world.  The same goes for Liz, her work rival....too many of them in the world! I loved how everything played out for them.

Overall another great book by Ms. MacIntosh. I have read a few of her other novels and enjoyed them. It's All Sun and Games is a book that was in my beach book bag!   Summer is almost over (if you have college kids - less than 3 works and they start to go back to school), so now is the time to grab It's All Sun and Games and enjoy!

Portia MacIntosh is the bestselling author of over 30 romantic comedy novels.

From disastrous dates to destination weddings, Portia’s romcoms are the perfect way to escape from day to day life, visiting sunny beaches in the summer and snowy villages at Christmas time. Whether it’s southern Italy or the Yorkshire coast, Portia’s stories are the holiday you’re craving, conveniently packed in between the pages.

Formerly a journalist, Portia has left the city, swapping the music biz for the moors, to live the (not so) quiet life with her husband and her dog in Yorkshire.

Find out more at https://portiamacintosh.com/

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Bookbub profile: Portia MacIntosh Books - BookBub

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Flat Water

  ~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~

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Book Summary:  On a road trip to Flat Water, the home he fled years before, Monty Marinnis must confront the complex and painful loss that drove him away and now demands his family. Called back to California for his sister’s wedding, Monty’s journey from the Midwest to the California Coast is also a journey through memory, one complicated by the presence of his adoring, but increasingly frustrated wife Charlotte, from whom Monty has concealed the horrifying details of his family’s fracture and how he remains haunted by what he witnessed as a teenager. 

The Marinnis family lost their eldest son in a shocking attack, while Monty watched, helpless. Since that day, he has been obsessed with finding an answer to a question that has why do bad things happen to some people but not others? Why were they selected to suffer? In Flat Water, Monty will be confronted by brutal truths that rise like sharks from the depths. Faced with such realities, Monty will have to choose between acceptance and self-destruction.

“Jeremy Broyles’s Flat Water is a sensorial and emotionally rich exploration of guilt, shame, the burden of secrets, and the possibility of redemption.”
-Jenny Irish, author of I Am Faithful

"Flat Water is an honest and empathetic depiction of grief. Propelled by the energy of Broyles' wit and sparkling prose, Monty's story, like the waves he used to chase, is equal parts surprising and inevitable, brilliant and heartbreaking."

-Meagan Lucas, author of Songbirds and Stray Dogs

"Jeremy Broyles' Flat Water will rock you in oceanic waves, both literal and emotional. Flat Water gives us a clear-eyed look at what it means to suffer great pain, to navigate the murky waters of self-blame, and, ultimately, to find the possibility of self-forgiveness in grief's wake."

-Ann Cummins, author of Red Ant House and Yellowcake

Purchase Flat Water on Amazon 

Jeremy Broyles is an Arizona native, originally from the Cottonwood-Jerome-Sedona high desert. He is a professor with nearly twenty years of experience teaching in higher education, and he currently serves as the creative writing program director at Mesa Community College where he has taught since 2017. His stories have appeared in The MacGuffin, Santa Clara Review, Pigeon Review, Pembroke Magazine, Suburbia Journal, and Reckon Review amongst many others. His novella, What Becomes of Ours, was published in 2014 by ELJ Publications. He is an aging rider of bicycles, a talentless surfer of waves, and a happily mediocre player of guitars.

Visit Jeremy at his website, Twitter, and Instagram.