Building Mountains from Dust by Kimberly S. Young {Book Review, Excerpt and Giveaway}

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Inspirational, Memoir
Publication Date:	May 22nd 2018
Format:	Digital
Published By:	Authorhourse
Goodreads:	Building Mountains from Dusk on Goodreads
My Review Copy:	Thanks to Kimberly S.Young

Where to get:

In Building Mountains from Dust, Kimberly Young shares her story of survival and inspiration. At fifty, Kimberly's structured, organized, and driven life is thrown into a tailspin when she is diagnosed with advanced staged lung cancer. Never a smoker, Kimberly makes frank reflections about her decision not to have children, and how she makes peace with her mother, who abandoned her over fifteen years ago. This is a story about heart-wrenching life lessons, forgiveness, and about finding faith, as in a tragic twist of fate, Kimberly survives her cancer when her husband of twenty years suddenly dies. 

�Why me? Why now? I am only 50. I am too young to die.� These

thoughts raced through my mind. I am too young to die. There is so much I wanted to still do.

Ann, the doctor�s wife and one of my close friends came into the room.

As she closed the door, I ran over to hug her, still sobbing. Trying to get a grip on my new reality. Trying to avoid the shock � why me?

She was trying to get the PET scan scheduled. It would be 10 days. Ten

days! I wanted the scan now; I wanted this thing out of my body. Now!

I was trying to stand on my own � after hugging Jim and Ann so

hard � I finally sat back in the chair. The doctor kept saying that he needed the biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. I just had a colonoscopy last week and my surgeon said I was good for another 10 years. Jim was the one with health problems. Twenty years older than me, he was the one who had a heart attack, bypass surgery, a pacemaker, a pelvic aneurysm, and a bunch of procedures from a heart ablation to a cardioversion. It did not add up.

It wasn�t how either Jim or I planned this � I was too young, too healthy

and too active.

There was nothing more to say, things needed to be set in motion. I

needed to schedule the biopsy and the PET scan. I had few other health

problems. At 50, we all have something, but up until that moment, my

biggest worry was some high cholesterol for which I started to take some

medicine but otherwise, I was generally strong and healthy. This was a test.

Jim and I left the doctor�s office. He asked me what I wanted to do

next. I just wanted to go home. I wasn�t sure where else to go, I didn�t

want to deal with people from work. I didn�t want to deal with myself at

that moment.

Three Words: Heartwarming, Eye opening, and inspirational. 

Reading about the survival of cancer is nothing if not sad but also heart lifting at the same time. Kimberly invites you into her world and gives you a peak of what her life was when she was vibrant and healthy without a care in the world. Her and her husband were happy and he was the one with all the health problems until that fateful day when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctors were outwardly optimistic but Kimberly could tell they were acting for her benefit. She couldn't figure out how to digest the news and why this had happened to her. 

We follow her while she under goes treatment and the whole time she keeps her head up while dying inside. Kimberly fights and fights for herself. Finally her husband and her go on a cruise to relax and rejuvenate from all that life has handed them. Kimberly experiences devastation yet again and is unsure she can ever smile again. 

Such an amazing book of inspirational, inner thoughts of a cancer survivor and the story of how one women found her inner strength through life's trials and came out on the other side. 

About the Author

Dr. Kimberly Young is a renowned psychologist, author, and speaker on Internet addiction. Since 1995, she has written numerous articles and books on the topic. She is a professor at St. Bonaventure University and her work has been featured in The Dr. Oz Show, ABC�s World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, NBC�s The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, PBS, Time, Newsweek, and The New York Times. Building Mountains from Dust chronicles Kimberly�s transformation from noted counselor helping others to becoming a patient hoping to survive cancer, and how she found her faith after her Buy diagnosis and surviving the death of her husband.

Website: http://www.netaddiction.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Netaddictioncom-136696902621/
      Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrKimberlyYoung

Amazon
BarnesandNoble
Indiebound
BookDepository

This giveaway is for the winner�s choice of one print or eBook copy of the book. Print is open to the U.S. only and eBook is available worldwide. This giveaway ends October 31, 2018, midnight pacific time.

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Perfect Girls by Alison James {Book Blog Tour with Review}

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
Publication Date:	September 18th 2018
Format:	Digital
Published By:	Bookouture
Goodreads:	Perfect Girls on Goodreads
My Review Copy:	Thanks to Bookouture

Where to get:

Phoebe. Tiffany. Melissa. They all made one little mistake...

When twenty-five-year-old Phoebe Stiles opens the door to her perfect apartment she doesn�t realise it�s the mistake that will kill her�

The body of the beautiful English girl is discovered months later - dumped behind the back of a department store. But who was the stranger she let into the safety of her home?

As Detective Rachel Prince pieces together the mystery surrounding Phoebe�s death, another young, blonde girl is found brutally murdered and abandoned in the grounds of an old theatre.

In the most dangerous case of her career, Rachel must track down the faceless individual to stop the body count rising. But to uncover the shocking truth, Rachel has to put herself at risk� can she catch the twisted killer, before they catch her?

A gripping page-turner that will have you completely hooked until the utterly jaw-dropping twist. Fans of Angela Marsons, Peter James and Karin Slaughter will love this crime series, featuring unforgettable Detective Rachel Prince.

Why readers are gripped by Perfect Girls:

�Hands down one of the best thrillers I�ve read all year! It was so full of mystery and suspense!! Lots of twists and turns! I loved it!!� Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

�Full of suspense, it was gritty and you didn�t know what was coming next� had a hard time putting it down and read late into the night and finished it in a day� you really don�t want to miss this one it�s one of my favourites so far of 2018!� Bonnie�s Book Talk, 5 stars

I could NOT put this book down for a single second without thinking about the mystery and what would happen next. I am so hooked on the detective Rachel Prince in this novel, I quickly went to buy the first two eBooks to read about more of her case work. The storyline, mystery and characters in this story just captivated me completely from beginning to end.

When twenty-five-year-old Phoebe Stiles opens the door to her perfect apartment she doesn�t realize it�s the mistake that will kill her�

The body of the beautiful English girl is discovered months later - dumped behind the back of a department store. But who was the stranger she let into the safety of her home?

As Detective Rachel Prince pieces together the mystery surrounding Phoebe�s death, another young, blonde girl is found brutally murdered and abandoned in the grounds of an old theatre.

In the most dangerous case of her career, Rachel must track down the faceless individual to stop the body count rising. But to uncover the shocking truth, Rachel has to put herself at risk� can she catch the twisted killer, before they catch her?

Rachel is a head strong detective that doesn't like hearing the word NO. She is tough and independent and is depicted as being able to handle herself. At the same time we see her vulnerability a few times which made me love her ever more.

I am completely hooked on this story and can't wait to read more from this author. A+ , five stars etc.

About the Author

I was born in the Cotswold's but spent most of my formative years abroad. I studied languages at Oxford, then became a journalist and author, returning to university after my two children to take a law degree. After a three-year stint as a criminal paralegal, I worked as a commercial copywriter and then a TV storyline, before coming full circle to write fiction again. 

Author Social Media Links:

 FACEBOOK | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | GOODREADS  | TWITTER

 

My Summer Read-along challenge with Swoon Reads!

Today, I have the pleasure of partnering up with Swoon Reads, to tell you a bit about a summer read-along challenge I got to take part in thanks to their initiative! 

In case you aren't yet familiar with Swoon Reads, it publishes YA fiction novels with a focus on community readership. 

In their effort of involving book lovers in the publishing process, they have created a strong, interactive community where readers can engage with each other, as well as participate in the publishing process itself - by voting on book covers of soon-to-be-hitting-the-shelves books!  They aspire to start conversations revolving around books and give readers unlimited access to manuscripts! 

Having loved the idea of reading being a form of social activity, I have asked my closest friend, Thai, to read-along a few of the books I received from Swoon Reads a couple months back. First, we have successfully completed a read-along of TO BE HONEST by Maggie Ann Martin (August 21st 2018). We both loved the book and found it both refreshingly honest and quite hilarious. I have posted some more thoughts about it on my Instagram, so be sure to check that out! 

Then, to change things up a bit, we moved on to the Soul Keepers by Devon Taylor - a fantasy/paranormal YA that tells the story of a Harbinger crew, a colossal seafaring vessel tasked with ferrying the souls of the dead. 

Both books were incredibly fun to read and discuss together, and we ended up texting each other throughout the reads to discuss certain plot twists or funny events taking place in the books. Bottom line is, it was a BLAST, and I definitely can see how reading can be even more enjoyable when it's not a solitary experience (even though I still do love to read wrapped up in a blanket with a cup of coffee or tea, locked away from the entire world, but hey, bookworms will be bookworms, right?).

Because of some bumps along the pregnancy road, Thai and I didn't get to read Let's Talk About Love together, but I am definitely looking forward to enjoying it during the last warm days of early Fall! Be sure to check out all the book synopsis with links down below!  

Huge thanks to Swoon Reads for kindly sponsoring this post and my summer reading experience! All of the opinions are 100% honest and completely my own . 

Book Synopsis:

Hardcover, 320 pages
Published July 3rd 2018 by Swoon Reads

Death is just the beginning.

After dying in a terrible car accident, Rhett awakens in the afterlife and is recruited to join the crew of the Harbinger, a colossal seafaring vessel tasked with ferrying the souls of the dead. To where exactly, no one knows. But the crew must get the souls there, and along the way protect them from vicious soul-eating monsters that will stop at nothing to take the ship and all of its occupants.

Rhett and his new friends have a hard enough time fighting back the monsters that grow bolder and more ferocious every day. But then a new threat emerges, a demon who wants something that Rhett has. And if she gets it, it could mean the end of everything... for both the living and the dead.

Hardcover, 304 pages
Published January 23rd 2018 by Swoon Reads

Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting--working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she's asexual). Alice is done with dating--no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done.
But then Alice meets Takumi and she can�t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!).

When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she�s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated�or understood.

Hardcover, 304 pages
Published August 21st 2018 by Swoon Reads

Savannah is dreading being home alone with her overbearing mother after her sister goes off to college. But if she can just get through senior year, she'll be able to escape to college, too. What she doesn't count on is that her mother's obsession with weight has only grown deeper since her appearance on an extreme weight-loss show, and now Savvy's mom is pressuring her even harder to be constantly mindful of what she eats.

Between her mom's diet-helicoptering, missing her sister, and worrying about her collegiate future, Savvy has enough to worry about. And then she meets George, the cute new kid at school who has insecurities of his own. As Savvy and George grow closer, they help each other discover how to live in the moment and enjoy the here and now before it disappears.

The Perfect Duet by Meghan Quinn {Book Blitz, Review }

The Left Side Of Perfect � Release Day � August 30.

For better or for worse,'til death do us part . . . The better captured me; she's who stole my heart. And made me realize I couldn�t live without this woman. The worse of her took my breath away--kicked me when I was down and twisted me into a million knots. When I first met her, I thought she was someone I would never see again. The second time I ran into her, it was a random coincidence. The third? I didn�t know it at the time, but she was the girl I was going to marry. But life isn�t always perfect. You have to take the better and the worse--even if it means giving her up, having her slip between your fingers, and letting her walk away. I�m getting married.

This is forever, 'til death do us part.

What can you say about a book that gives you everything but breaks you along the way? Be glad it is a duet! This first book left me begging for the next immediately. 

Ryan has always thought of herself as chubby, and not meant to be happy. After all that is what her mom always told her growing up. Even though her dad was always in her corner, getting teased constantly has done its damage to her and she can't seem to stop feeling this way even though she is not at all chubby now. 

Colby was meant to be a pilot. He gave up everything in order to make this one dream happen. Now that he has this dream, he doesn't have much else. Unless you count the books on his night stand, his rugged attitude and laundry. 

He was a quiet one and when he met Ryan she brought him out of his shell for one wild weekend. Then she went home. When he saw her again, he was mesmerized but circumstance made them friends. Best friends in fact. 

That was okay with him.

That was okay with her. 

Until it wasn't...�.

This is a love story.
It's a story of friendship.
Its a story that leaves you in pieces and begs for more.
Your typically Meghan Quinn book. Perfection.

       

The Right Side Of Forever � Release Day August 31 In sickness and in health, to love and to cherish . . . It sounds so simple, to love someone unconditionally. To give them your heart. So why is she slowly eating away at my soul with every unanswered phone call, every unread text, and every door left unopened? She said yes, and yet, in order for her to be with me . . . I need to let her go.

"You were made for me, and it might have taken us a while to realize it, but now that I've had you, I know deep in my soul you are meant to be mine. And I will die trying to make you believe the same thing.

Just like there is a right and left side of perfect, there is a right and left side of forever. The left side of forever represents the relationships that come and go in your life but have had an impact on the person you've become. The right side of forever provides the relationship that stays with you, the relationship that's imprinted itself so deep into your bone marrow that you live and breathe for that person.

You're my right side of forever, baby."

Three words for this ending of the perfect duet: heart wrenching, magical and meaningful. 

This review is almost impossible to write without spoilers as it is the last book in this amazing duet by Meghan Quinn. I will say little but tell you as much as I can in order to make you read it, because you simply can't miss out on this perfection! 

This second book focuses more on Ryan and the heartbreaking ending to The Left Side of Perfect. We see more of her emotions, and she became the woman she is today. She has dealt with so much from her past and getting put down by someone that was supposed to be her number one fan. It has cost her a lot and she is very closed off. She doesn't feel like she is good enough. 

The beauty of this love story was in the pain and then healing from it. Quinn did a phenomenal job of capturing the emotion on each and every page for her readers to experience along with her characters. It was an absolutely incredible love story told from duel points of view, and it will stay with me for a long time to come.

  AMAZON
  
               

Meet the author:

Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if �It�s Raining Men� starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped. Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing� enter her first novel, Caught Looking. Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze

 Facebook | Follow on Goodreads | Website | Amazon Author Page | Instagram | Follow on BookBub    

Tiffany Blues by M. J Rose {Book Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway}

Tiffany Blues by M.J. Rose
Publication Date: August 7, 2018
Atria Books
Hardcover & eBook; 336 Pages
ISBN: 978-1501173592
Genre: Historical Fiction

New York, 1924. Twenty-four-year-old Jenny Bell is one of a dozen burgeoning artists invited to Louis Comfort Tiffany�s prestigious artists� colony. Gifted and determined, Jenny vows to avoid distractions and romantic entanglements and take full advantage of the many wonders to be found at Laurelton Hall. But Jenny�s past has followed her to Long Island. Images of her beloved mother, her hard-hearted stepfather, waterfalls, and murder, and the dank hallways of Canada�s notorious Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women overwhelm Jenny�s thoughts, even as she is inextricably drawn to Oliver, Tiffany�s charismatic grandson. As the summer shimmers on, and the competition between the artists grows fierce as they vie for a spot at Tiffany�s New York gallery, a series of suspicious and disturbing occurrences suggest someone knows enough about Jenny�s childhood trauma to expose her. Supported by her closest friend Minx Deering, a seemingly carefree socialite yet dedicated sculptor, and Oliver, Jenny pushes her demons aside. Between stolen kisses and stolen jewels, the champagne flows and the jazz plays on until one moonless night when Jenny�s past and present are thrown together in a desperate moment, that will threaten her promising future, her love, her friendships, and her very life.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Set in New York in 1924, you are introduced to 24year old Jenny Bell, who is struggling to make ends meet while studying art. Through the friendship and manipulations of her closest and - only friend - Minx Deering, Jenny is selected along with the other top students to study at the luxurious home of Louis Comfort Tiffany Laurelton Hall. Jenny has closed herself off to any romantic entanglements and for the most part trusting many people, knowing that she must rely only upon herself and is working hard towards that end.

Unfortunately, Jenny�s past seems to be following her to Long Island with images of her beloved mother, her hateful step-father, waterfalls, and murder from the dark hallways of the notorious girls reformatory Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women. As she tries to bury those memories of her imprisonment, she must keep those secrets at bay while she is being sensually pulled towards Oliver, grandson of Mr. Tiffany.


Competition is fierce for the prize that is being offered for the artist who submits the best example of their art and win a spot at Tiffany�s New York Gallery. But then a series of incidents both suspicious and disturbing let Jenny know that someone is out there who knows of her past and is trying to scare her away before all is revealed.

The story is very absorbing. Although it took me a bit to get through I still feel like I was loving it the whole entire time. This author seems to be an absolute master at descriptions of the surrounding settings and for me it brought the story to life for me. I just loved reading how she would describe a setting as it added to the love I had for the plot. 

All the characters in this story were very interesting and I was pulled into their world by the way each and every one of them were described and how they handled themselves in the situations given to them. It all made sense with the story and flowed well. 

I would definitely recommend this book to historical fiction fans, romance fans and mystery fans alike. I think it will appeal to very diverse group of people as there are so many elements to the story. 

This book was absolutely fabulous! It had intrigue, romance, & a great mystery. All the workings for a great read! 

Praise for Tiffany Blues

�A lush, romantic historical mystery with a unique setting. Tiffany Blues explores an interesting lost bit of American history and gives us a heroine to root for." �Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale

 �A fascinating novel about a young, struggling artist mentored by the celebrated jeweler and stained-glass creator Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany Blues brings together an enchanting glimpse of Jazz Age New York and an inspired fictional story about Jenny Bell and the terrible secret she's hiding.� �Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train and A Piece of the World

 "The New York Times bestselling author of The Library of Light and Shadow crafts a dazzling Jazz Age jewel�a novel of ambition, betrayal, and passion about a young painter whose traumatic past threatens to derail her career at a prestigious summer artists� colony run by Louis Comfort Tiffany of Tiffany & Co. fame. �[M.J. Rose] transports the reader into the past better than a time machine could accomplish� �The Associated Press

 "M.J. Rose must have plunged her pen into a vale of tears, radiance, and crime to write this novel. Tiffany Blues melds a tragic mother-daughter relationship, the shimmer of Tiffany�s creations, the jolting life of artists and their shocking jealousy, in a captivating story that illuminates how far we'll go for love. MJ Rose broke this reader�s heart and then, as though using the ancient art of Kintsugi, healed me by sealing the future with golden veins of hope." �Randy Susan Meyers, International Bestselling Author

"Intriguing... [Rose's] best creation yet." �Publishers Weekly

 "Intricate plotting, sensuous descriptions... captivating. A lush, mesmerizing story." �Kirkus "Rose keeps readers spellbound... with a touch of Gatsby-esque flavor and opulence and a research-rich mix of facts and fiction." �Library Journal - Starred review

 "Rose's talent for delivering believable characters and plot shines in her latest novel...Readers are in for a treat and the jaw-dropping climax well have them enthralled." �RT Book Reviews

 "A stunning look at the Jazz Age, told in M.J. Rose's inimitable style." �PopSugar 25 Best Summer Books

About the Author

New York Times Bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice... books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it. Rose's work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah Magazine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, WSJ, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the '80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors - Authorbuzz.com Her most recent novel THE LIBRARY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW (Atria/S&S) was chosen as an Indie Next Pick. The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels in the Reincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers. Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield. For more information, please visit her website and her blog, Museum of Mysteries. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 6Excerpt at Passages to the PastFeature at Naomi Finley Tuesday, August 7Feature at So Many Books, So Little Time Wednesday, August 8Review at A Bookish Affair Thursday, August 9Feature at Just One More Chapter Friday, August 10Review at Donna's Book Blog Sunday, August 12Review at Carole Rae's Random Ramblings Monday, August 13Review at A Chick Who Reads Tuesday, August 14Feature at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers Wednesday, August 15Feature at Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen Thursday, August 16Review at The Lit Bitch Monday, August 20Review at The Book MindReview at 100 Pages a Day Tuesday, August 21Feature at Maiden of the Pages Wednesday, August 22Review at Pursuing Stacie Friday, August 24Feature at I'm Shelf-ish Monday, August 27Review at Broken Teepee Tuesday, August 28Feature at A Holland Reads Wednesday, August 29Review at BookishReview at Library of Clean Reads Thursday, August 30Review at History From a Woman's Perspective Friday, August 31Interview at History From a Woman's Perspective Saturday, September 1Review at A Darn Good Read Monday, September 3Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book! Wednesday, September 5Review at Laura's Interests Thursday, September 6Review & Interview at Clarissa Reads it All Friday, September 7Review at Bookramblings

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a Louis Comfort Tiffany glass paperweight from the Metropolitan Museum of Artder! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules � Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on September 7th. You must be 18 or older to enter. � Giveaway is open to US residents only. � Only one entry per household. � All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. � Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. Tiffany Blues