That Crazy Perfect Someday

Synopsis:  The year is 2024. Climate change has altered the world’s wave patterns. Drones crisscross the sky, cars drive themselves, and surfing is a new Olympic sport. Mafuri Long, UCSD marine biology grad, champion surfer, and only female to dominate a record eighty-foot wave, still has something to prove. Having achieved Internet fame, along with sponsorship from Google and Nike, she’s intent on winning Olympic gold. But when her father, a clinically depressed former Navy captain and widower, learns that his beloved supercarrier, the USS Hillary Rodham Clinton, is to be sunk, he draws Mafuri into a powerful undertow. 

Conflicts compound as Mafuri’s personal life comes undone via social media, and a vicious Aussie competitor levels bogus doping charges against her. Mafuri forms an unlikely friendship with an awkward teen, a Ferrari-driving professional gamer who will prove to be her support and ballast. Authentic, brutal, and at times funny, Mafuri lays it all out in a sprightly, hot-wired voice. From San Diego to Sydney, Key West, and Manila, That Crazy Perfect Someday goes beyond the sports/surf cliché to explore the depths of sorrow and hope, yearning and family bonds, and the bootstrap power of a bold young woman climbing back into the light.

I have added That Crazy Perfect Someday to my TBR list.  I can't wait to get to it....will post my review as soon I as I finish the book!

Michael Mazza is a fiction writer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. His stories have appeared in Other Voices, WORDS, Blue Mesa Review, TINGE, and ZYZZYVA. He is best known as an internationally acclaimed art and creative director working in the advertising industry. Along with being named National Creative All-Star by Adweek, his work appears in the Permanent Collection of the Library of Congress. 

He has lectured throughout the country and abroad, most notably at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He has attended the Iowa Summer Writers’ Workshop, the Stanford Creative Writing workshop, and the Wharton School Executive Education MBA program. That Crazy Perfect Someday is his first novel. Connect with Michael at his website: www.mazzastory.com or on Twitter and Instagram: @mazzastory

Buylinks from Crazy Perfect Someday

--Amazon Buylink

--Barnes & Noble Buylink

--Indiebound Buylink

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

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

Synopsis (from Amazon): In this entrancing novel “that speaks to the Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor in us all” (Kirkus Reviews), a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

“Heartbreaking, yet beautiful” (Jamie Blynn, Us Weekly), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is “Tinseltown drama at its finest” (Redbook): a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it costs—to face the truth.

One (or more) Sentence Summary:  What a great book!  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo reminds me of a book Jackie Collins could have written (all the hollywood inside secrets).  I was expecting a book that mirrored Elizabeth Taylor....but Evelyn had a lot more than seven husbands.  There was more than one twist in the book.  The twists had my head spinning.  I didn't see the big one, which is reveled at the end.  I won't give it away, but I will say, wow....never saw that coming.  I really didn't want the book to end, I thought it was that good!

Also, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has been deemed one of the best books this summer.  I have seen it featured in Real Simple, Wall Street Journal, Us Weekly and People.  

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: I would love to read another book by Taylor Jenkins Reid.  In fact I have read, Maybe In Another Life (review to come, but I loved it).  I would also like to Forever Interrupted, After I Do, One True Loves.

Taylor Jenkins Reid lives in Los Angeles and is the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo as well as One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, and more. Her novels have been named best books of summer by People, US Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, InStyle, PopSugar, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, and others.

You can follow her on Twitter @tjenkinsreid.

Amazon 

The Second Chance Cafe in Carlton Square

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

Synopsis (from Amazon): Everyone expects great things from Emma Billings, but when her future gets derailed by an unexpected turn of events, she realizes that getting back on track means traveling in a different direction. 

She finds it in the closed-down pub on Carlton Square. Summoning every ounce of ingenuity, and with the help of her friends and family, she opens the Second Chance Café. The charity training business is meant to keep vulnerable kids off the streets and (hopefully) away from the Metropolitan Police, and her new employees are full of ideas, enthusiasm ... and trouble. They'll need as much TLC as the customers they’re serving.

This ragtag group of chancers have to make a go of a business they know nothing about, and they do get some expert help from an Italian who's in love with the espresso machine and a professional sandwich whisperer who reads auras, but not everyone is happy to see the café open. Their milk keeps disappearing and someone is canceling the cake orders, but it's when someone commits bloomicide on all their window boxes that Emma realizes things are serious. Can the café survive when NIMBY neighbors and the rival café owner join forces to close them down? Or will Emma’s dreams fall as flat as the cakes they’re serving?

One (or more) Sentence Summary:  This was my first book by Lilly Bartlett and really enjoyed it.  This is the second book in the series, but I would have not know if I had just picked it up and started reading.  I do want to go back and read the first one in the series, The Big Little Wedding in Carlton Square.

I could really relate to Emma.  Trying to do it all and not wanting to ask for help.  I too have twins.  When they were born, I had three kids 1 and under.  Life was crazy.  I also worked full-time and traveled.  Lilly did such a great job laying out the scenes and the struggles of Emma's life.  

The characters were so real to me.  Uncle Barbara....couldn't stop laughing. The "kids" (at risk teens) Emma hires to work at the Cafe, the elderly couple who met at the cafe when it was pub, Emma's parents, Daniel (Emma's husband) and BFF Kell.  The book rolls naturally as Emma gets the cafe ready, struggles with issues at home, helping two teens that tug at her heart, and there rival cafe.  What is a girl to do....?

Really cute book with great characters and a wonderful story line.

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Absolutely, yes!  As I said above, I want to go back and read the first book in the series, The Big Little Wedding in Carlton Square.  I also plan on reading The Big Dreams Beach Hotel, out in August.

Please check out what others are saying on the tour:

Lilly Bartlett is a pen name of Michele Gorman. Michele writes books with heart and humour, full of best friends, girl power and, of course, love and romance. Call them beach books or summer reads, chick lit or romcom… readers and reviewers call them “feel good”, “relatable” and “thought-provoking”.

She is both a Sunday Times and a USA Today bestselling author, raised in the US and living in London. She is very fond of naps, ice cream and Richard Curtis films but objects to spiders and the word “portion”.

You can find Michele on Instagram and on Facebook . You can follow her on Twitter and visit Michele’s blog and her website.

Amazon 

Speaking With Strategic Impact

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

Synopsis: Speaking with Strategic Impact is for business people who make their living—or their mark—through presentations long and short.

It’s a must-read if you’re a consultant, analyst, pitch team leader, roadshow executive, technology specialist, project manager, internal or external marketer, sales rep, subject matter expert or innovator.

Do your presentations unexpectedly fall flat? Do others hijack your meetings? Do you spend more time compiling slide decks than actually influencing decision-makers? Has someone vaguely told you that you “should look more confident up there” or that you “lack gravitas”? Have you watched TED Talks but wonder how you can bring that level of effectiveness into real business presentations?

Speaking with Strategic Impact gives you the key to leadership presence and persuasion. More than just tips and tricks, it outlines a discipline for navigating real business situations with consistently superior outcomes that’s favored by top business schools and Fortune 500 companies. You’ll get specific strategic and tactical advice to keep you on the mark in your presentations and meetings—and differentiate you from the vast majority of business presenters.

Read Speaking with Strategic Impact to master the means by which you make a living and a difference in the world!

One (or more) Sentence Summary: This is a book that I would love to read!  You can review more on Speaking with Strategic Impact at iRead Book Tours

Kate LeVan trains, coaches and collaborates on business communication effectiveness with major corporations worldwide and as an instructor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Her training consistently receives top ratings from executive development program participants for its simplicity, applicability and career-changing impact.

Connect with the Author:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Buy the Book:
Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Knoll

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

Synopsis (from Amazon): A young protégé of Edward Snowden flees the NSA after she learns that her project (KNOLL) is designed to detect and destroy any person with new facts about the conspiracy to assassinate JFK. The project’s latest target: a small-town attorney, son of a mysteriously murdered cop, who has just discovered his family’s involvement with deceased Mafia Kingpin Carlos Marcello, and the events that day in Dallas. All paths lead to a small Louisiana town that still hides its secrets, and converge on the doorstep of Marcello’s still-active savant of assassins. He is unstoppable. His creed: Omerta Is Forever.  

One (or more) Sentence Summary:  Knoll is a fast-paced, easy read about the JFK Conspiracy.  The story is told through main character Bus McIntyre, a “small-town lawyer” whose dad was killed while being involved in the conspiracy.  The chapters are short, so it is easy to bounce back and forth between characters.  The story weaves the details of JFK’s assassination with some of the recent findings, and uses a little imagination to piece together the gaps.  All in all Knoll was very enjoyable.  

Stephen Hillard grew up in Bossier City, Louisiana, and Grand Junction, Colorado. He graduated from Colorado State University and later earned a degree in philosophy at Columbia University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado. Before settling into his current career as a private equity entrepreneur, Hillard was a teacher at Rikers Island Prison, a welder, a carpenter, and a practicing lawyer. He lives in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Amazon 

The Lemonade Stand Cookbook + Giveaway

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

Synopsis: Lemonade stands have become big business. Kids have been running them for decades, whether to raise money for a new bike, for a charitable cause, or simply to conquer boredom. Inspired by dozens of kid entrepreneurs from all over the country, Kathy Strahs pours her expertise as a food writer, entrepreneur and mother of two into the ultimate guide to setting up one’s own lemonade stand. Step-by-step illustrations and full-color photographs of each recipe (lemonades and snacks) and many creative crafts make each page easy and fun for budding entrepreneurs. 

• LOL (Lemon-Orange-Limeade)

• Watermelon Agua Fresca

• Polka Dot Blondies

• Chocolate-Dipped Marshmallow Pops

• Sunflower Crunch Balls

• Hayley's Flower Pencils

• Friendship Bracelets

• Fingerknit Scarves

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Yes, I really would like to read The Ultimate Panini Press Cookbook.  Of course my sister would love any cookbook!

SAMPLE RECIPES & CRAFTS:

One (or more) Sentence Summary: OMG - LOVED IT!  I remember (just a few years ago) my sister and friends having a lemonade stand in our neighborhood. We had so much fun.  If our parents had The Lemonade Stand Cookbook, we probably would have spent our summer making drinks, sweet treats and crafts. Our stand would have totally been the one to stop by and make a purchase!  The Lemonade Stand Cookbook is filled with great drink recipes and even includes classic lemonade.  The drink recipes are easy to follow with great photos to assist in the process.

My sister and I have made a list of the sweet treat recipes we can't wait to make.  A few of our favorites are the Polka-dot Blondies, Applesauce Oat Muffins, Zucchini Walnut Bread, and Double Chocolate Mini Muffins.  Just like the drink recipes, the directions are easy to follow with pictures to help along the way.  

The Lemonade Stand Cookbook even has a section on snacks.  We have made the No-Bake Trail Mix Bars for our volleyball team and we all loved them.  It was a perfect and health snack during our long summer practices.  

My sister loves all the baking and making, but I am more the crafty twin!  The No-Loom Rubber Band Bracelets and Friendship Bracelets and Necklaces are so fun to make.  Just a few years ago, we use to make these all summer long.  My mom loves crafts too and she ran out to the store to buy supplies. We had to hear all the stories of her and her friends making similar bracelets growing up (not the rubber band ones - they didn't have those in the olden days!).  I really liked the Fingerknit Scarves.  My sister and I learned how to finger knit at school during Colonial Day - we raided our mom's yarn stash and had so much fun.

KATHY STRAHS is the award-winning author of The 8x8 Cookbook and The Ultimate Panini Press Cookbook, the voice behind the blogs PaniniHappy.com and CookingOntheSide.com, and the founder of Burnt Cheese Press. Her work has been featured on Oprah.com, TODAY.com, and in numerous national publications. She lives with her husband and their two children in the Silicon Valley.  You can connect with  to Kathy via Facebook: Kathy Strahs, Twitter: @KathyStrahs, Instagram: kathystrahs and Pinterest: Kathy Strahs | Panini Happy

Amazon 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for reading my review!  Have a great summer.