Granted Wishes Release Day Blitz

Granted Wishes

By Tanya Vought

Publisher: Booktrope

Published: February 23, 2015

Genre: Romance

A decision that will change her life forever.

After the loss of her husband, Gracelynn Calhoun has struggled with her life and career. Forced to take a four week vacation or be fired from her job, she surprises everyone including herself and agrees to the vacation.

The owner of Antonetti Suites, Giovanni works hard and doesn’t have time for relationships or love. That is until he literally crashes into Gracelynn. She brings back all the feelings he thought he would never feel again.

With the odds stacked against them in every way possible, will they forge ahead together or will this be the end of the road for their newfound love? Will the whispers from above bring them together or will misunderstandings ruin what could be an amazing second chance at love?

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Author Bio

Tanya Vought is a hopeless romantic. She loves reading, writing, singing and doing crafts with her children. What started as a lifelong dream became reality. She’s overjoyed that readers will get to read her debut, Granted Wishes. She loves her characters sexy and sassy. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two amazing and imaginative children.

Book Excerpt

“Wow. You’re a vision, you know that?” He practically drools all over. She wears a pair of blue jeans and a low cut green sweater with a white scarf wrapped around her neck. Her hair is up, and she wears light make up.

She chuckles. “Like what you see?” She smirks at him, daunting him. The little vixen can come out and play when she wants and he is enjoying this side of the sexy Gracelynn.

He decides to play dirty himself. “Want to see how happy I am to see you?” He smirks back at her. “Let’s make a wager, shall we?” he asks competitively.

She grins at him. She intently twirls a strand of her hair that she left down by her face between her fingers, licks her lips and stares at him. She looks him up and down, making him even more drawn to her.

He gulps. The damn vixen knows how to play dirty.

“Well, what is the wager? Because if it is staring at each other all night, I could do that and then some.”

Then Like the Blind Man by Freddie Owens

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Warning:  This book contains language that may be objectionable, even if it is historically accurate.

Orbie is a young boy growing up in Detroit.  He is often bullied and he has very prejudiced ideas.
Orbie's father is killed.  A short time later Orbie's mom marries the man who was his father's boss. Orbie doesn't like him.  He has good reason.  Orbie's new stepfather Victor is very abusive.  He is physically abusive and molesting Orbie's sister.  Victor doesn't like Orbie.  He decides they are moving to Florida and he doesn't want to take Orbie with them. They drop him off at his mother's parent's house.  Orbie feels deserted for good reason.  He soon learns how prejudiced he was raised and that his grandparents truly do want the best for him. This is a realistic look at life in the early  1950's. The pacing is great.  You don' t have a problem and then a sudden solution.  It moves gradually so that everything flows smoothly and naturally. I would recommend this to people who love those coming of age stories set in a time period before most of us were born.  I would warn that because of the time period there is the use of the "n" word, as well as other  coarse language. The author did a great job with bringing everything to a VERY satisfying ending.  

Student Saturday: Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Student Reviewer: Elizabeth B.

Genre:  Middle Grade, Fantasy

This series by Rick Riordan was one of the best I have ever read. I am amazed about how such a wonderful writer could produce something stunning. I swear, I could not stop reading it. I connected with this book by thinking how wonderful my life could be in this world, Greek, Mortal, or Roman. I have too many connections that it won’t fit here. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone especially one who doesn’t like to read – this will make them beg for more.  I loved how the settings were all over the world; Pompeii, Italy, and Athens, Greece. There is so much to say about this awe-inspiring book I can’t say enough about this truly unique book the story basis has high quality. 

September Sky by John A. Heldt

Genre: Adult, Science Fiction

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I have always loved time travel stories.  This is one that is really great for many reasons.  First of all the reader knows the rules of time travel from the beginning.  The two main characters are very well developed. They are believeable because we know people just like them.  You know who I am talking about. The father who has spent so much time with his career that he has forsaken his son. The son who barely knows his father and now they are trying to mend that relationship.  While on a cruise to do just that, the two of them attend a conference about time travel by a Dr. Bell.  When they return home they are given the opportunity to travel back in time with the idea they will do nothing to change the course of history and will gather data for Dr. Bell.  Things change because Chuck, the father immediately breaks the rules. He had his own agenda.  Not to mention they both fall in love. The author did a lot of research for this historical time period.  He also included the Galveston Hurricane to spice things up. 

This is an easy read and once you get started you really don't want to put it down. So, if you are like me and love time travel books that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then this is the book for you.  Highly recommended.

Letters From the Way by Barbara V. Anderson

Genre: Non-fiction, travel book
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This book is a collection of letters the author sent to friends while walking two paths called "pilgrim paths". The first path took her through France.  It seems there are many "pilgrim paths".  The next trip started in France and ended in Spain.  Along the way she writes letters to friends explaining what she is experiencing and her thoughts on everything that pops into her mind.  I loved when she said, "sometimes we have to get lost to get found." Part of her journey was her wanting to try to find out if God exists and if he would speak to her on these walks.  Raised Catholic, she didn't want to take at face value what the church had to say.  She wanted something more personal. Did she find it?  You'll have to read the book to see.  The letters, along with the beautiful pictures that pepper the pages of the book, make this a book I would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about walking through other countries.  I really enjoyed this book.  I had students picking this book up and they were interested in reading it.  I do have to add an update to this  post before it goes live. I learned from a couple of students that they thought the French teacher would be interested in this book because she is from France.  Besides, it mentioned the word sex twice and they didn't want to read the book after that.  I guess I am a little more open minded as there was nothing wrong with those two references and I am sure they hear worse on TV.  However, as sixth graders I know some of the parents would not approve.  So today I gifted the book to the French teacher who said she would put it on her shelves in the classroom after she read it.  We both agree it is a great asset to any classroom.

Button Hill by Michael Bradford

Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Dekker and his little sister Riley have temporarily moved to Button Hill while their mom is taking college classes at night.  They assume they are going to be bored out of their minds living with their Aunt Primrose.  She is  old, smelly and weird.  But, things take a drastic turn when Dekker finds an old clock made out of bones, with a skull for a face in his aunt’s basement.  His first mistake was moving the skull face.  His aunt has told him not to touch it.  When he locks his sister in the basement while playing a game, thing go from bad to worse.  When she doesn’t respond to him he goes into the basement and finds the old well is now open and his sister is gone.  He goes down the well only to find his sister, his neighbor Harper who he kind of likes, and someone who wants to replace him in his world named Cobb.  Dekker and Riley have traveled from Dayside to Nightside.  Dayside is where the living are, and nightside is where the dead are.  Harper has lived in both places.  In Nightside, making a bargain can have severe consequences as Dekker and his sister both find out.  Will they be able to escape Nightside?  Will their Aunt Primrose be able to help? This was a wonderful book.  It was fun to read and creepy at the same time. This is a story of friendship, family, love and sacrifice.  It is the type of book I know my students will love.

About the Author

(Goodreads author picture)

Michael Bradford was born in 1975, in St. Albert, Alberta. He has worked as a grass cutter, waiter, pizza delivery boy, literacy teacher, elementary school vice-principal and published poet. “Button Hill is his first novel. He lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with his wife and two children.

Tatiana by Madeline Brock

Genre: Young Adult, Adult Romance
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

As a debut novel for this author I have to say I will be reading more of her work.  I love the time period when people didn’t take so much for granted.  Tatiana Bergman is the youngest in her family.  She has two other sisters, Gretchen and Rose.  They live with their father and their mother is deceased.  As the oldest Gretchen must try to raise her sisters the way her mother would have wanted.  This is a difficult task with a ten year old sister like Tatiana.  She is not ready to be a refined, young lady.  She wants to have fun.  One Sunday morning she sees a family enter the church with a young man whom she believes to be an Indian.  She wastes no time in trying to find out.  Jonny Creek is a half-breed. He and Tatiana become the best of friends. When everyone else is quick to criticize either of them they are there for each other.  This story takes us through several years of their lives.  We see young Tatiana give her life to God and strive to really change, to make a difference.  But what happens when she catches the eye of not just Jonny, but the preacher’s son?  Will she grow impatient as she is so apt to do or will she wait for God’s choice to be made clear to her?

I have to say from the minute I began to read this book until I finished it I loved Tatiana.  She really wanted to be good.  It didn’t come easy for her.  She worked hard to be good. Jonny actually brought out the good in her. Her friendship with him was genuine and strong.  Her relationship with Robert came out of her deciding to go fishing with him one day when Jonny was unable to meet up with her.  He was polite and let her tag along. She wasn’t invited.  However, this gave him the opportunity to see her true loving side.  I could see myself in her so much. As a child I was more like Gretchen.  I almost always did what was right.  However, whenever I got that stubborn streak then I was more like Tatiana.  It is funny because I grew up on a farm and our punishment was to be locked in the pantry under the stairs until we were ready to admit we were wrong and decide to change our ways. 

I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.  It is a light romance, yet you can feel so much family love throughout the entire story.  I definitely enjoyed this book and am so happy that I was asked to review this book.

Give Books Not Roses Winner

Happy Valentines Day and Congratulations to our WINNER  BN100!

Student Saturday: The Year We Disappeared by Cylin Busby and John Busby

Student Reviewer: Elizabeth B.

Genre: Young Adult, Memoir

From Goodreads:

The extraordinary true story of a family, a brutal shooting, and the year that would change their lives forever.

When Cylin Busby was nine years old, she was obsessed with Izod clothing, the Muppets, and her pet box turtle. Then, in the space of a night, everything changed. Her police officer father, John, was driving to work when someone leveled a shotgun at his window. The blasts that followed left John’s jaw on the passenger seat of his car—literally. Overnight, the Busbys went from being the "family next door" to one under 24-hour armed guard, with police escorts to school, and no contact with friends. Worse, the shooter was still on the loose, and it seemed only a matter of time before he’d come after John—or someone else in the family—again. With their lives unraveling around them, and few choices remaining for a future that could ever be secure, the Busby family left everything and everyone they had ever known…and simply disappeared.

As told by both father and daughter, this is a harrowing, and at times heartbreaking account of a shooting and its aftermath, even as it shows a young girl trying to make sense of the unthinkable, and the triumph of a family’s bravery in the face of crisis.

Student Response:

I liked the book, but it was saddening. I would not recommend this book to people who like adventure. It was about a father who was a police officer, and he got shot in the face. He survived. Now the family has to hide in the shadow, away from the rest of the world.

Love Gently Falling by Melody Carlson

Genre: Adult, Romance
Source: I received a book to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Rita's love of hairstyling started in her mom's salon.  Her mom paid her way through one of the best beauty schools in California.  Now Rita has a job she loves with some high-end clientele.  When she receives a call from her father telling her that her mother has suffered a stroke she immediately flys home.  She is surprised to find an old classmate there to pick her up.  Johnny knows her family as Rita's mom is one of his clients.  He fills her in on the happenings since she's been gone.  Rita learns that her mom's former receptionist now has a salon in the same mall her mother's salon is in.  Not only that, but Zinnia is best friends with Rita's former best friend Marley.  They haven't spoken for quite some time.  Rita decides the best way to help her mother is to help her salon get back on its feet.  Can she bring not only the shop back to life, but mend the fences between her and her friends?  Will she discover love in the form of her former classmate Johnny?

I would encourage you to read the book to find out. This is a light-hearted book.  Fun and full of love.  This is perfect for that quiet evening when you have nothing else to do.  Melody Carlson has a way of making you feel like you are a part of the family when you read her books.  Check this book out to find out the Valentine's surprise the author has left us with.