Regression by Kathy Bell

Regression Blurb:
Fourteen-year-old Adya Jordan swears that before her head injury she was a forty-year-old mother of six. Is she going crazy, or did she really live through an entirely different life? 1985 is nothing like she remembers, although her first day of high school certainly is! A typical girl with atypical genes, Adya tries to recapture her old life, hiding her growing conviction that she has done this before. Memories of the man she loved and a family she adored haunt her, even though her future husband doesn't even know she exists. Accidentally discovering the secretive Three Eleven Corporation might know more about her situation than she does, she is convinced the twenty-eight men heading up the company are responsible for the changes in her world. Adya finds her way into their ranks, journeying to the tropical island headquarters to begin an orientation into their prestigious internship program. The Three Eleven Company controls the development and distribution of Twenty-first Century technology brought with them from the future. Charged with the task of preparing the world for an impending disaster, each member of the team uses his scientific background to create a solution for a problem the planet does not know it is facing. They don't have time to deal with a feisty young girl poking around. Banished to the frozen Canadian Shield for asking too many questions of CEO Abraham Fairfield, Adya finds the men in the underground city of Sanctum are interested in more than just her genes as they search for the answer to her presence in the timeline. In the end, Adya encounters a choice no mother should ever face: save her children...or everyone else.

Regression Buy Link

My Thoughts:

I don't typically read or watch Sci-Fi. It just isn't my passion. I was approached by Tracey with the offer to review Regression and thought Hey Why not. I was intrigued by the blurb that was sent to me and thought that if nothing else I would have an interesting time reading.  I was not instantly drawn in to the book. It kind of started off slow, but I knew something exciting was going to happen, maybe I shouldn't say exciting so much as unusual in my reading life.

Adya is a forty year mother of six. Regression opens up on a normal day. The family has just left a memorial and are headed to Grandma's. Adya realizes that she has forgotten presents and must go back, leaving all but one of her children with her mother. There are not many details as to what happens but you know that she has been in a car accident. Upon waking up she finds that she is fourteen years old and in the year 1985. She has very strong memories of a full life filled with love and happiness and a family that she could not have dreamed up. The doctor informs her that she has been in a coma for a week and that the brain can do funny things when traumatized.

With no other option but to accept that she is a fourteen year girl again Adya tries to blend in and behave like a normal teenager would without letting it slip that she has already lived this life, or one very similar to it, once. She is faced with confusion about her "new" world, seeing things in this 1985 that didn't appear until the 21 century.  I was actually thrown for a loop and thinking that this is just ridiculous when Adya walks into school and finds that everyone has a computer at their desk, and not the Commodore 64 that was first introduced to me when I was a child. These were top of the line laptops. Of course the author did a wonderful job explaining all of this later on, and Adya did make reference to the changes she was seeing. It is in this classroom that Adya finds out about the company Three Eleven. After answering a question posed to the new users of the program Adya is invited to tour the company as an intern.

At Three Eleven Adya learns that she is not the only Regresse, the term used to identify those that have come back in time to their younger selves with full knowledge of their previous life. The only thing that these regresses do not know is what catastrophe takes place in 2011. Adya spends several weeks learning about the 28 men that run Three Eleven and their projects being worked on in the different departments to try and divert the unknown catastrophe.

I was a little confused to the time line at times and there is a lot of scientific information included that did throw me for a loop. But I really enjoyed what I was reading. The plot is well developed and very interesting. At times I felt like there was way too much information given, but that could be a normal thing for a Sci-Fi novel dealing with so many different concepts. Overall I enjoyed Regression and look forward to reading Evolussion, the second installment in this trilogy.

Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts~~~DIK Reading Challenge

Love blossoms in the second novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Bride Quartet series. Florist Emma Grant is finding career success with her friends at their Vows wedding planning company, and her love life appears to be thriving. Though men swarm around her, she still hasn’t found Mr. Right. And the last place she’s looking is right under her nose.

But that’s right where Jack Cooke is. He’s so close to the women of Vows that he’s practically family. But the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship.

My Thoughts:

Nora Roberts is my Mac-N-Cheese author, you know what I mean, she is the author that I know I can pick up and fall helplessly and hopelessly in love over and over again with each one of her books. I know I can count on Nora to pick me up and give me my HEA in the most superb fashion. Every book I read is a page turner that will keep me awake at night and have me burning dinner because I have to read just one more page...which turns into just one more chapter. So when I saw Bed of Roses as one of my choices I was ecstatic. The problem with reading Nora is that I am so addicted that I hate waiting for the next book to be released. So I have been putting off reading the Bride Quartet until I have all four books in my little grubbies. I was trying desperately to hold of on reading this one until later in the year, but nothing else on my list of books was really calling to me. So I broke down and read Vision in White, because you just can't read these books out of order!!

The Bride Quartet is about a group of women who have been friends their entire lives. As adults they open their own wedding business, each with their own specialties. Vows consists of four parts, Photography- Mackenzie's area, Flowers- Emma's area, Cakes (desserts)- Laurel, and Planning every minute detail- Parker. In Vision in White we meet all four ladies and get glimpses into their lives and personalities, but ultimately VIW is Mac's story. Bed of Roses is Emma's.

Emma's passion and arm of Vows is flowers. She has the ability to see all the beautiful colors that bloom and is able to create stunning arrangements and bouquets. Out of the four ladies Emma has the most dates and offers for dates. She has her standards and her Spark-o-meter is what guides her through dating. If the date doesn't reach high enough on the Spark-o-meter she finds a way to detour the guy to another lady, all in a way that they guy has no clue that he has been brushed off. Emma's problem lies in her secret infatuation with Jack.

Jack is Del's best friend. Del is Parker's brother, and because of the many years he has also spent with the other three ladies he considers them his sisters as well. Emma's secret is not the only one that has been running around for years, Jack is infatuated with Emma as well. But because of Del's feelings on the ladies, you know the whole brother thing... "You are my best friend and my sisters are completely off limits to you." Jack has been reluctant to act on his desires. The more time that is spent between Emma and Jack the more the sparks are igniting and flying around. One kiss leads to a game of back and forth emails enticing them to make a decision to put their friend's feelings aside and see what they can make of their feelings and desires.

 It was fun to watch these two people realize that they have been in love with each other for years. The banter between the two was sweet, funny, and romantic. I was head over heals with this book. Every emotion that was experienced between Emma and Jack, and yes their mutual friends too, was felt as I read each page. Bed of Roses is definitely a five star read, another out of the park novel by Nora Roberts, that has me craving more. I can't wait to finally sit down with Laurels story, but that I am going to make myself wait for until Parker's story is released in a few months.

Yep it's that time a year!!!

 My son has officially kicked off his football season. So far we have had two pre-season games and two official games. His team is 2-0. I can never get tired of hearing "Ding in the backfield"!

My husband is one of Cody's coaches and sometimes it is hard to separate the dad from the coach and vice versa. This has led to a few problems on the field.  While we don't allow our son to talk back to us at home, he feels that he can talk back on the field. But he only does it with his dad, none of the other coaches ever have an issue with Cody. So when Cody started reading the plays and going after the ball instead of playing his position the way he is suppose to he just about lost his chance to play both sides of the ball. My heart fell the afternoon my husband told Cody that he had officially lost his position as the Defensive End.  I hurt for my son, but I could not believe that I would not be hearing those four little words...Ding in the backfield.

Fortunately my son's ability to read the plays was noticed by another teams coach during a practice scrimmage and he suggested that our coaches move Cody to Middle Linebacker. Now I am not all too familiar with this position. But my husband tells me that basically it gives Cody the freedom to go where the ball is and anything that tries to come up the middle is all his. My son loves to tackle!!  so this made his day. Not only does he get to continue to play both sides of the line but he gets to tackle someone all the time.

Now for the games~~~ two weeks ago we played Hiram Hornets.  I have to say this game was a difficult one!! We went into overtime. I don't know if our overtime is played the same as college or pro-ball, but this is how it works for my little guy...the teams are lined up 10 yards from the goal line and they have 4 downs to make a touchdown. the two teams take turns doing this until someone scores. So if the first team scores they win the game. If both teams have their turn and neither team scores then they start all over again but they reverse the order. So in the first over time Team A went first so in second overtime Team B will go first. We were into the third overtime on our fourth down when We finally scored our winning touchdown!   I have to say I was on pins and needles and praying that these boys would make something happen pretty quick or I was not going to be able to  get it on video...my battery was dying and dying fast.  Final Score 12-6

Yesterday we played SCRA Redskins: This game had to be a birthday present for my husband and coach Dwayne, it just had to be. I mean these two guys have to share their birthday with the  memory of one of the most devastating days in my lifetime.This game was a cakewalk and I really felt bad for the other team.  They ended up not posting any more scores and just letting the clock run during the second half. We won 42-0.  Because I video the games I really don't get to see much of what happens. I know that sounds odd, you would think that with me videoing the games I should see everything when it happens but that is just not the case. I have to follow the ball to the best of my ability using a 2" screen on my little video camera. So until I watch the video I won't be able to tell you that my son actually tripped over his own feet while running the ball during a Tight End Reverse... my husband does tell me that he did get at least 8 yards in before it happens. So later today I can laugh at my son when I have time to sit and watch the entire game!!!

The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt~~DIK READING CHALLENGE

WHEN THE DEVIL MEETS AN ANGEL
 
Country bred Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content with her quiet life. Until the day she trips over an unconscious man—a naked unconscious an—and loses her innocence forever.

HE CAN TAKE HER TO HEAVEN

Viscount Simon Iddesleigh was nearly beaten to death by his enemies. Now he’s hell-bent on vengeance. But as Lucy nurses him back to health, her honesty startles his jaded sensibilities—even as it ignites a desire that threatens to consume them both.

OR TO HELL

Charmed by Simon’s sly wit, urbane manners, and even his red-heeled shoes, Lucy falls hard and fast for him. Yet as his honor keeps him from ravishing her, his revenge sends his attackers to her door. As Simon wages war on his foes, Lucy wages her own war for his soul using the only weapon she has—her love…

My Thoughts:
I started reading this trilogy about two years ago. I was really impressed with EH's The Raven Prince and honestly couldn't wait to read the remaining two books. Things definitely did not go as I had planned. I did not immediately grab up book two, The Leopard Prince, or the third The Serpent Prince...other books just seemed to fall into my lap or these titles didn't fit into the challenge that I was doing. I sincerely regret this. I do believe that The Serpent Prince is my favorite.

Lucy is a country mouse set to wait out her time until the Vicar finally gets up the nerve to propose to her. She does her duty to her town and her father and life is just the same old thing until she stumbles across a man that she presumes dead lying face down along the roadside. When Lord Simon Iddesleigh moans she knows she is mistakened. Lucy does what any caring person would do, she has him carried home with her.

In the week or so that Simon spends in the Craddock-Hayes home he is bowled over by Lucy's beauty, strength, honesty, and her brow. His Angel sees through him right to his very soul, and a black soul it is. He has already sold his soul to the Devil to get revenge on the men who murdered his brother. Loving his Angel the only thing he can do is set her free to live her merry life with the Vicar, this is the only way to keep her safe from the would be assassins and his own devilish needs.

I almost instantly fell in love with the characters in this book. Lucy's father is a blowhard with a foul temper, but you have to laugh at his conversations. Poor Lucy doesn't know how to subdue either man when in each others presence and the banter is comical at times. Edward de Raaf shows himself a few times throughout...I don't remember him being so humorous in his book The Raven Prince.

This is my favorite part of the book. The hopeless romantic was rearing its ugly little head while reading apparently.

"You won't speak, won't tell me,' he said huskily. 'Are you taunting me? You taunt me in my dreams sometimes, sweet angel, when I'm not dreaming of...' He sank to his knees before her. 'You don't know me, don't know what I am. Save yourself. Throw me from your house. Now, While you still can, because I've lost my determination, my will, my very honor--what little of it I had left. I cannot remove myself from your presence." p.152

Simon is pouring his heart out into Lucy's lap after leaving and spending a week in London. He is looking ragged and not all together healed from his last ordeal that landed him on Lucy's doorstep to begin with.  My heart definitely did the pitter patter while reading this particular part of the book. Elizabeth Hoyt did a wonderful job with the hero and heroine and their story and at the same time she weaved the Serpent Prince's fairytale into the plot of the book with an expertise that I have grown to love. The Serpent Prince definitely earns high ratings!!

5 stars

I'm Jealous!

My sister came down for a visit last week, and she surprised me by actually wanting to see me for a change. I love my sister but I am not high on her priority list when she comes to visit her house and in laws. It's not like I am so out of the way that spending an hour or two hanging out at my house or meeting for lunch/dinner should be such a chore. She has really put my kids noses out of joint on this visit because she didn't bring her boys with her when she came to have lunch with me and she didn't stay long enough to see my daughter. I will give her some credit though, she was suppose to be gone before my son got home which is why she didn't bring the boys. My sister is self absorbed for the most part and I know this so I really try not to get my feelings hurt that she doesn't seem to think that it is necessary to come visit with us when she is in town. My husband is laying down the law now though...there will be no more helping her inlaws out with babysitting when the boys come down. I don't know if I like that because it may be the only way I get to see my nephews.  But this is not what this post is suppose to be about!!! So I am going stop my rant right here and tell you why I am jealous!

While she was down she showed me her Birthday gift from her husband. (This present really shocked me because when I got my Kindle she thought I was insane.) She pulled out her brand new Nook!! Yes, both devices have basically the same things going on... and I didn't have too much time to really check her Nook out, but OMG was it so cool with its touch screen and color. She did like that I have a keyboard that she doesn't have. I was in complete awe!! And her cover was in color as well. She also didn't get my post on facebook quick enough... she went out and spent the $25 for a book light for her Nook, I tried to tell her that the el cheapo that I got from Wal Mart works really well with my Kindle, and after seeing my light she wishes that I had gotten on the computer sooner. Me on the other hand seriously has that ugly green eyed monster rearing its ugly little head. I love how her book light clips to the side of the device and hides nicely beside it when not being used and the cover conceals it when it is closed. So now not only am I envious of the new device but I am also jonesing for a new cover and book light. I checked them out and Yikes! I can't see wasting that money...I mean thats money that I could be using to buy more books. So I will sit back and be happy with what I have and know that my husband loves me very much.

I am guessing that this means that the days of trading books back and forth are over. We all know that the readers will not be able to read the books purchased at either bookstore.

Oh and I just thought of something that should make me feel better but doesn't really... she hasn't learned to shop around and do price comparisons. I won't purchase an ebook if it costs more than a paperback at the store. She is learning the hard way. She had a book in her shopping cart and her husband (remember he is the one who bought the Nook for her) secretly pulled the book from the cart. When she realized the book was not in the bags she went to her Nook and bought it. Im not sure how long it took for her to realize that she paid $3 more for the ebook than she would have at Wal Mart, but she was highly upset about it. 

Fortunate Harbor by Emilie Richards

Join five women connected only by their growing friendship and the road that runs like a lifeline between their cottages in a run-down Florida development called Happiness Key.

Tracy Deloche finally gets a chance to swap business for a romantic evening with Marsh Egan, but dinner goes cold when she spots her ex-husband prowling outside her cottage. CJ is supposed to be in prison and out of her life for good. Exactly what is this modern-day pirate seeking and what will it mean for Tracy's future?

Janya Kapur envies every pregnant woman she sees, but Rishi, her husband, is suddenly reluctant to talk about children. Is he disappointed in her inability to conceive? Their marriage was a contract between strangers. Can they ever hope for anything more?

Waitress Wanda Gray loses her job after new owners turn the Dancing Shrimp into a tapas bar. Wise neighbor Alice Brooks's suggestion that Wanda start her own business seems like a brilliant solution, until Wanda starts Pie War I with the owners of the local bakery.

When the empty cottage at Happiness Key is rented by single mother Dana Turner, everything seems perfect. With Alice volunteering to watch Dana's daughter while she works and Wanda's offer of a job, this spit of Florida Gulf Coast land should be a fortunate harbor for a mother and daughter who have moved far too often. Except for Dana's shocking secret.

As the women of Happiness Key struggle to discover the truth in time to help their new neighbor, their only weapon is friendship. But will friendship be enough?

My Thoughts:

While Fortunate Harbor took me just about a month to read I have to say that it was not from the content... I have just been overly busy and trying to squeeze in 5 minutes here or there to read was just not cutting it. I hate that my son had to get sick before I could sit down and really devote enough time to reading this book. That being said I just finished Fortunate Harbor and I am definitely quite pleased and may have just found another author to grace my list of to read more of.

Fortunate Harbor is my first encounter with Emilie Richards and I have definitely enjoyed the ride.  This is the second book in a series, but other than the well established relationship between four of the women on Happiness Key you would never know that you have been dropped into an on going plot. Tracy Deloche is the owner of the property and the five little cottages that bless the area. The cottages are rented out to Wanda and her husband Kenny (a cop), Janya and her husband Rishi, and Alice and her Granddaughter Olivia. Like I said these four ladies were brought together previously in another book and from what I gather from the information given in Fortunate Harbor, the death of the fifth renter brought them together.

They are all experiencing shifts in some part of their lives. Alice is raising her granddaughter and trying to get her through a rough past with a father in prison and a mother who has past away.  Janya and Rishi have past the early stages of marriage and are now ready to conceive, only they are experiencing some troubles of their own that are preventing them from sealing that deal. Wanda's love of baking pies is going to move her in another direction after she walks out/loses her job working at the Dancing Shrimp. Tracy is the head of the rec department. Her love life is in tatters when both her ex and her new boyfriend's ex drop back into their lives.

Wanda brings home a stray... Dana a single mom who is running from a past that no one can guess, has every excuse in the book why she should not get caught up with these lovely ladies and let her guard down.

There is a buried treasure to be found, love to cultivate, exes to get rid of, secrets to unearth, and wonderful pies to indulge in.  This sweet read about friendship and troubled pasts was exactly that a sweet read. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a light read with little romance and no steam.

4 stars 

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris~~DIK Reading Challenge

"Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability". She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome- and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life...

But Bill has a disability of his own. He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of- big surprise-murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next..."


MY Thoughts:

 Dead Until Dark did not appeal to me on several reasons... let me clarify that statement-- I did not want to buy this book because I didn't think the synopsis on the back was very intriguing or interesting and the cover is rather silly. We all know that there is a mass of people out there raving on this series. I started watching the HBO True Blood series on Demand a few months ago and became addicted. I sat in my husbands recliner for several days watching the 24 episodes of  Seasons 1 &2, and then had to impatiently wait for Season 3 to start in mid June. My mother in the mean time had been sending me her entire set of books, which I kept telling myself  (and her) I was not going to read. I finally resigned myself to reading them... I mean I was in love with the TV series and the books had to be even better right?!!


So I finally picked up book 1 Dead Until Dark and I am happy to say that the events did follow along closely with the HBO series ( I guess I should really say the TV series follows closely to the books). And I should stress "events" because I was extremely shocked and disappointed to find that Tara was not mentioned in this book and Lafayette did not show as much flair as he did in the TV series. I absolutely love these two people... and then to find out that they are not related at all (ok that is definitely later, but still shocker to me). I had to get past all the first person POV and the fact that you really don't get to see what the other characters are doing when Sookie is not around, but hey the books are about Sookie and her friends not friends and Sookie.  I did completely love the book!! At first I had mixed emotions, I wasn't sure if I would have read the book if I had not watched the TV show and didn't know if I liked the book enough to continue on with the series, etc. I waited a couple of days mulling it over and definitely decided that I needed to continue to read. So that being said I have read the entire series--yes all 10 books have been read!! So I have a feeling that this review is going to be hard for me because I don't want to give anything away and hope that I don't get my stuff mixed up!!


Sookie is a Southern girl living with her Grandmother in Bon Temps, Louisiana. She has what she calls a disability... she can read people's minds (whether she wants to or not at times). She is working as a cocktail waitress at Merlotte's. Because of her "disability" keeping friends and having boyfriends is almost an impossibility. People around town thinks she's crazy and look at her funny or steer clear of her completely. Being able to hear every thought running through someone's head definitely has it's disadvantages when it comes to dating and therefore she doesn't date. 


Vampires have decided to "come out" of the coffin and make themselves known to the public. The Japanese developed a synthetic blood making it possible for them to live among the living without harming anyone. This doesn't always work out the way it is suppose to but both sides are attempting to make a go of it. 


Bill walks into Merlottes one night and Sookie instantly knows that he is a vampire. There is something definitely different about him and she is amazed that no one else in the bar immediately recognizes him for what he is. Sookie finds a peace that she has never experienced when she is around Bill and they hit it off quite well. 


While Sookie and Bill are dabbling in Sookie's first romance there is a murderer running around town killing women. Some of the victims have close ties to Sookie and she is starting to fear for her life. 


Dead Until Dark definitely did its job of introducing us to the world where Vampires and Humans are trying to find common ground and a peaceful existence with each other. The characters are all memorable and I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. I don't know if my rating is due to the conflict I have with the book and the HBO series or if it was the book itself (and I have tried desperately to separate the two), but all in all I really enjoyed the start of this series and was drawn in enough to continue reading the next nine books cover to cover without stopping!!


rating: 4

Thank You!!

I have been extremely absent of late to both my blog and the internet. Every year we go to a beach house just north of St. Augustine, and while there I don't use the internet...not because I don't want to but the signal there is not very good. So instead of getting upset that the computer can't keep up with me or it won't load properly I just relax without using the internet. In truth it is very nice most of the time not using the computer and just enjoying my time with the family playing on the beach or strolling through St. Augustine (I do love that city!).

 kids on our deep sea fishing trip

When we got home we were busy running the kids to cheerleading and football camps/practices and having several of their friends running around the house. I felt it better not to get on the computer... once on it all else ceases to exist for a few hours. Besides I got totally engrossed in the Sookie Stackhouse books. I don't think I have read this many book in one month in over a year, and that was only because I was participating in a game/contest.

Once I got past the shock of how different the books are from the HBO series True Blood and got use to the first person POV I could not put these books down. I have succeeded in reading all 10 books plus one short story in an anthology. I will eventually get the book containing all the Sookie short stories, but for now I am content.  I absolutely loved the books and really started understanding Ms.M's sentiments on "Dull Bill" and her rooting for Eric, however I was extremely disappointed when things did not quite work as planned with Quinn. If I didn't think my husband would sneak into my closet and take my collection away I would already be rereading them.

Then we had the dreaded problems with our modem. I guess it just worked its little heart out for the last 5 or 6 years and couldn't continue any longer. We got the run around from AT&T...one person tells you one thing and another tells you something else, then they try and remedy to the problem only to screw it up  and have a total Jerk Off tell me something else entirely. So I said screw you and dropped AT&T completely and went with Comcast for telephone and high speed internet. So I was completely with out internet for almost 2 weeks here at the house. Everything seemed to going great until I went outside to mow my yard. The blasted cable guy left the box hanging wide open with all the wires exposed and when I try to log on after finding that mess my internet won't work. So here goes another day and a half without the internet. The new cable guys tells me that the problem with the internet has to do with the first guy not closing out the job properly. Yippee!! I am so done with all this at the moment. I am ready to chuck the computers out the window and say screw the internet. I did fine without it before I found it and I might be able to be fine without it again...

NO I won't I am addicted to my books and this is how I find new ones and share my thoughts about the ones I am reading!!

 So I want to send out a big

 

to all my followers, readers, and friends that I have made during my time on the blog. I know that sometimes life gets in the way of being as active as we would like to be with our blogs and commenting on our fellow blog posts, but I want you guys to know how much I really appreciate all of you!

WINNER

I apologize for this announcement coming so late!!! I have been without internet for over a week now and just finally got it back! Thank You Comcast for coming to my rescue!!!

The winner for the Fortunate Harbor giveaway is:

Tetewa

Congratulations! And because I have been so absent for so long I will be emailing Tetewa to get her information!

Author Q&A and Giveaway~~Fortunate Harbor by Emilie Richards

Fortunate Harbor by Emilie Richards

Join five women connected only by friendship and the road that runs like a lifeline through a run-down development called Happiness Key.

Southern California socialite Tracy Deloche finally gets a chance to swap business for a romantic evening with down home environmentalist Marsh Egan, but dinner goes cold when she spots her ex-husband prowling outside her cottage. Janya Kapur, finally settling into an arranged marriage, envies every pregnant woman she sees, but Rishi, her husband, is suddenly reluctant to talk about children. Waitress Wanda Gray loses her job after new owners turn the Dancing Shrimp into a tapas bar. At the suggestion of wise neighbor, Alice Brooks, Wanda starts her own business, until Wanda starts Pie War I with the local bakery.
When the empty cottage at Happiness Key is rented by single mother Dana Turner, all the neighbors believe this spit of Florida Gulf Coast land will be a fortunate harbor for a mother and daughter who have moved far too often. Until they discover Dana's shocking secret.
As the women of Happiness key struggle to discover the whole truth in time to help their new neighbor, their only weapon is friendship. But will friendship be enough?


 Today I have the pleasure of sharing my blog with Mrs. Emilie Richards and she has generously agreed to answer a few questions about herself and her newest release Fortunate Harbor. Please help me welcome Mrs. Richards!!!

Will you please start of by telling us a little about yourself and how you started writing? 

With a master's degree in family development and counseling, I worked in several kinds of counseling/social service positions until the birth of my youngest son. Since I planned to stay home with him for his first few years, I realized I had a golden opportunity to give writing a chance. I'd always loved what little fiction I'd written in school, but my life had gone in other directions. The moment I began, I knew I would never stop as long as my fingers moved and my brain still whirled with stories. Writing was like coming home.

Are there any idiosyncrasies or items that you must have while writing? 

I've written everywhere in all kinds of situations. I don't need a view or the perfect study, and even though I'm surrounded by silly mementos, they aren't essential, either. Give me a working computer, a comfortable chair, and relative quiet, and I'm good to go.

Visiting your website, I see that you have a few series out, is Fortunate Harbor part of one of these series, a new series, or a stand alone? Please tell us a little about it. 
Fortunate Harbor is the second book of three which began with Happiness Key, and will end with Sunset Bridge next year. Happiness Key was a stand alone novel, or supposed to be, but as so often happens, I enjoyed the characters so much, and so did my publisher and readers, that I was asked to continue. So Fortunate Harbor picks up where Happiness Key leaves off. It's the story of a shabby beachfront community on Florida's Gulf Coast, and four very different women who become friends and confidantes. Fortunate Harbor introduces a new renter, Dana and her daughter Lizzie, who come to live in the last house in the little "development" called Happiness Key. Of course Dana is not what she seems, and life is filled with twists and turns for all the characters.


What inspired you to write Fortunate Harbor?
 I enjoyed my characters so much that given a chance to follow them a bit into their futures, I couldn't say no. I had introduced a number of situations in Happiness Key that were fun to explore more fully and resolve or even complicate. Ex-spouses, blossoming, unsolved mysteries. It's almost as if I wrote the first book with a second book in mind, even if that wasn't conscious. And once I was finished with Fortunate Harbor, it was clear to me that there were still plot threads to conclude. So Sunset Bridge is now in progress.


What would you say to someone who has never read one of your novels… how would you describe it to them in a manner that would entice them to read something from your bookshelf? 

I think first and foremost I'm a storyteller, who explores complex characters and situations with a view toward positive resolutions. I want my readers to feel better about the world we all inhabit when they've finished one of my novels, but I still want them to have food for thought and feel they've grown in some small way along with my characters.

Is the location of Fortunate Harbor significant or special to you? 

Fortunate Harbor is set on Florida's Gulf Coast where I grew up. Palmetto Grove isn't a real town, but I picture it near Ft. Myers. I lived a little farther north in St. Petersburg.

Who are some of the authors that inspired you or that you are currently reading? 

I've been inspired in some way by every well written book I've ever read. The books that were not well written inspired me to work harder at my craft and try to avoid those mistakes.

Are you working on anything currently? Would you be willing to give up some top-secret information for the inquiring minds? 
I'm about halfway through Sunset Bridge. After that I have a new idea, this time a series I'm planning right from the beginning. So my next step will be to write that up and present it to my publisher for discussion. The beginning of a series is like the beginning of a love affair, filled with promise and possibilities. I'm looking forward to that, even while I'll be sad to part with Tracy, Janya, Wanda and Alice, of Happiness Key.


Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and answer a few questions. I have really enjoyed spending the afternoon with you and look forward to sitting down with Fortunate Harbor in the near future!

Planned Television Arts has been kind enough to offer up one copy of Fortunate Harbor to be given away. 

All you have to do is leave a comment to be entered. 

The contest is open to the United States and Canada only. 

The contest closes July 11 at noon (Eastern). 

I will post the winner either that night or Monday morning.