HER SISTER’S SHOES by Ashley Farley & GIVEAWAY

Her sister’s shoes proves the healing power of family .

Nothing is a better set-up for a women’s fiction novel than three sisters and their shoes. Miss Ashley Farley hits pay dirt with the subject of her new book, HER SISTER’S SHOES (Leisure Time Books).

Jackie is the oldest sister and she’s about to turn fifty. She’s a perfectionist, her twin boys are growing up and not needing her help and she’s just found out hubby’s having an affair. Hello, mid-life crisis!

Middle sister, Sam has always held the family together, but with her son now in a wheelchair after an ATV accident her nerves are beyond frayed. She still has the family seafood business to run, which has seen better days and she’s putting away a few too many drinks.

Youngest sister, Faith lives in a trailer with an unemployed loser who never works, but finds the money and time to drink and abuse her and their daughter. He finally goes too far and Faith turns to her sisters for help, putting them all in danger.

Lovie is Jackie, Sam and Faith’s mother. She’s the glue that keeps the family together, but she’s getting more forgetful and absentminded. None of them wants to believe its dementia or Alzheimer’s, but the symptoms are getting worse, so they start talking about a retirement home.

Each of the Sweeney sisters is juggling challenges in the low country of South Carolina in her own way. Ashley Farley is really talented at giving each sister a unique voice and creating real-life situations many readers maybe dealing with in their own lives. My only suggestion is that an editor tighten up HER SISTER’S SHOES – perhaps cut fifty pages. I believe that would make it more pithy and succinct. Ashley Farley captures the realities of family love, being there for each other, despite being pushed away and ultimately family loyalty.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Leisure Time Books, we have one copy of HER SISTER’S SHOES to give away to one lucky winner. Just leave a comment about any relationship you have with your sister or sisters. We’ll pick a winner Friday.

 

Purchase LinksAmazon | Barnes & Noble

About Ashley Farley

Ashley Farley is a book blogger at Chronicles and author of Saving Ben and Her Sister’s Shoes. She is a community volunteer in Richmond, Virginia, where she lives with her husband and two college-aged children. Visit her website at www.ashleyfarley.net, connect with her on Facebook and Twitter, and friend her on Goodreads.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours http://www.tlcbooktour.com  for including us on this blog tour and for providing a copy of HER SISTER’s SHOES for an honest review.

Please feel free to check out   http://www.cindyroesel.com   for more of my reviews and news about my novel, “Viewer Discretion Advised.”

CENTER of GRAVITY by Laura McNeill & Giveaway

When I started reading Laura McNeill’s new novel, CENTER OF GRAVITY (Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins) one of the main character’s, Mitchell Carson frightened me so much, I remembered reading the book, THE SOCIOPATH NEXT DOOR. That book is written by a psychologist who has studied people who feel no empathy or affectionate feelings for people or animals. Experts say sociopaths have no conscience and estimate they makeup 4% of our population. For these anomalies, lying, cheating, humiliating others, being deceitful, superficial and ruthless is normal behavior. They take pleasure is making the lives of those around them into a living hell, and it can turn dangerous. Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of dealing with such people, and never forget it. In CENTER OF GRAVITY, Laura McNeill creates a true sociopath in Mitchell Carson, and her novel offers a suspenseful nightmare that will keep you flipping the pages until you’re finished – and hoping you never ever come across a Mitchell Carson.

Ava Carson is Mitchell’s wife and the mother of Jack and Sam. From the outside, the Carsons have a fairytale family until one day, Mitchell seems to snap. Ava thinks its stress from his job and convinces herself that she can fix it. But he continues to get angrier and meaner, until he eventually files for divorce and up and suddenly takes the boys from her. Ava hires a lawyer who helps her get stronger and soon she is no longer the weak person she once was.  At that point, it’s an all fight for Ava to get her children back, no matter what stands in the way.

Laura McNeill is an incredible writer and storyteller.  Ava starts as a quiet housewife, who takes a backseat to her husband and readers are with her as she grows into a strong focused woman with defined goals.  Laura’s writing is pithy, the story is complex and it moves along at a rapid pace. Once you pick up CENTER OF GRAVITY, prepare not to put it down until you’re turning the last page.

We have one copy of CENTER OF GRAVITY to give away. Just leave a comment telling us if you’ve ever come up against an obstacle you thought you’d never overcome – and you did!

For all things Laura, check out http://www.lauramcneill.com or on twitter @lauramcneillbks  @ #centerofgravity  We can’t wait to read what Laura writes next! Good luck!

Lawyer for the Dog by Lee Robinson

One of the first things S.C. Sally Baynard remembers learning in Law School is that “every case is its own story.” And that is certainly true in the case that Family Court Judge, Joe Baynard hands over to Sally in LAWYER FOR THE DOG (ThomasDunne) by Lee Robinson. You may have noticed the Judge and Sally both have the same last name; that’s because they’ve been divorced for eighteen years. More on that later.

This story begins with the star client having four legs, long whiskers, a pert black nose and dark brown chocolate eyes with long lashes. But it doesn’t stop there. Maryann and Rusty Hart can’t seem to get through their divorce, because they can’t settle on who is going to get custody of their miniature schnauzer, Sherman. They were initially getting divorced because Maryann said she caught Rusty cheating. Rusty denies fooling around, and is now angry about all the money he’s spending on lawyers for him, his wife, and now Sherman.

Since the case is at a stale-mate, Judge Joe brings his ex-wife into the case, whom he’s still in love with to observe Sherman, and act as a kind of “guardian as litem.” At the same time, Sally is dealing with her aging, Alzheimer’s ridden mother and the likelihood her mom’s caretaker will be leaving. Sally is used to dealing with some of the nastiest crimes, but finds herself overwhelmed by the drama in her life. She even finds herself falling for Sherman; remembering the dog she had as a kid before her mom gave it away when her dad passed. And then there’s Sherman’s human Vet, Tony who wanders onto the scene and complicates the situation even more.

It’s a touching novel that anyone with a heart will enjoy. You don’t have to be a dog lover to enjoy LAWYER FOR THE DOG, but this would be a great gift for the canine lover in your life.

Thanks to NetGalley http://www.netgalley.com for providing a kindle copy of LAWYER FOR DOG for an honest review.

For all things LEE ROBINSON, check out WWW – LEE – M – ROBINSON – COM.  http://www.leemrobinson.com. And for more of my book reviews and news about my novel, “Viewer Discretion Advised,” check out http://www.cindyroesel.com.