Book Spotlight: The Bones of Grace by Tahmima Anam

The Bones of Grace by Tahmima Anam, published June 28, 2016 by Harper
Genre: literary novel, romance
Source: publisher

Prelude/Opening sentence:
The first words I ever said to you were: 'When I was nine years old, I found out I was adopted.'

Book description: 

From the award-winning, nationally bestselling author of A Golden Age and The Good Muslim comes a lyrical, deeply moving modern love story about belonging, migration, tragedy, survival, and the mysteries of origins.

On the eve of her departure to find the bones of the walking whale—the fossil that provides a missing link in our evolution—Zubaida Haque falls in love with Elijah Strong, a man she meets in a darkened concert hall in Boston. Their connection is immediate and intense, despite their differences: Elijah belongs to a prototypical American family; Zubaida is the adopted daughter of a wealthy Bangladeshi family in Dhaka. When a twist of fate sends her back to her hometown, the inevitable force of society compels her to take a very different path: she marries her childhood best friend and settles into a traditional Bangladeshi life.

While her family is pleased by her obedience, Zubaida seethes with discontent. Desperate to finally free herself from her familial constraints, she moves to Chittagong to work on a documentary film about the infamous beaches where ships are destroyed, and their remains salvaged by locals who depend on the goods for their survival. Among them is Anwar, a shipbreaker whose story holds a key that will unlock the mysteries of Zubaida’s past—and the possibilities of a new life. As she witnesses a ship being torn down to its bones, this woman torn between the social mores of her two homes—Bangladesh and America—will be forced to strip away the vestiges of her own life . . . and make a choice from which she can never turn back. (amazon)

A wonderful love story about cultural clashes, family responsibility and duty, and a woman finding her own way. I gave this five stars!

Book Spotlight and Q&A: Sunshine Beach by Wendy Wax

Beach reads and women's fiction are popular right now as summer has started officially!

 Sunshine Beach (Ten Beach Road #4) by Wendy Wax, published June 21, 2016 by Berkley

Publisher description: There’s nothing that a fresh coat of paint and a few glasses of wine can’t fix…  

After losing their life savings in a Ponzi scheme, Maddie, Avery, and Nikki banded together to make the most of what they’ve got left. It’s Maddie’s daughter Kyra who stumbles across a once glorious oceanfront hotel that has fallen into disrepair. The opportunity to renovate this seaside jewel is too good to pass up. What could possibly go wrong? Everything. 

Maddie’s second-chance romance with her all-too-famous new boyfriend gets complicated, Avery struggles with grief over the loss of her mother, and Nikki’s reluctance to commit to the man who loves her could leave her to face the biggest challenge of her life. And their hotel renovation uncovers a decades-old unsolved murder which just might bring their lives tumbling down all over again…

Just love that cover, perfect summer scene and read. I want to be in a hotel like this right now!

A Q&A WITH SUNSHINE BEACH AUTHOR WENDY WAX

Welcome, Wendy!

It’s been two years since we last heard from Ten Beach Road’s Maddie, Avery and Nikki, and I know readers have been looking forward to their return. I think it’s great that they’re back at Bella Flora in Sunshine Beach.

Yes, they’re back in Pass-a-Grille along with Kyra, Dustin, and most of the friends, family and crew of Do Over. They’re determined to figure out how to regain control of the show. Even Nigel, everybody’s favorite Paparazzi is there.  

What’s going on with the show?

The episodes filmed in The House on Mermaid Point haven’t aired yet, but it’s already clear to the Do Over cast that the footage is far too personal and will and show them at their worst whenever possible. Plus the treatment, miniscule budgets and no approval of editing along with contrived hardships and unnecessary intrusions by the network all make it impossible for them to produce the sort of program they first imagined and, in Ocean Beach, thought they’d be creating. So this a major turning point. They’re looking for a way to reclaim Do Over and that’s what leads to the discovery of the seemingly abandoned mid-century modern Sunshine Hotel, next door to the Don CeSar and just two miles from Bella Flora.

Is this as complete a renovation as they’ve tackled in earlier books?

Absolutely.  However, they’re getting resistance to even starting the project. The owners, two sisters, who inherited the hotel from their grandparents, have left it moldering for decades, unable to agree what to do with it.  One sister wants to see it renovated and sold. The other believes that the key to a long ago family tragedy lies in the hotel and doesn’t want it touched.

So they really have their hands full.

With that and more, actually.  Even when the cameras begin rolling, complications arise. Maddie’s romance with rock legend William the Wild gets complicated.  The paparazzi remain on call 24/7 hoping to catch sight of mega movie star Danielle Deranian or Kyra and his son, Dustin. Nikki’s reluctance to commit to Joe could leave her to face the biggest challenge of her life alone.  Even the Sunshine Hotel seems to be against them when the renovation uncovers a decades-old unsolved death and disappearance. Among the many emotional and physical ramifications of hosting a crime scene is that, quite simply, production grinds to a halt.  Not a matter of life or death, of course, but it could be the death knell for the women of Ten Beach Road financially.

What else can you tell us about Sunshine Beach?

One of my favorite aspects of the book is the Sunshine Hotel itself and that’s because the inspiration for it came from my own childhood.  You may know I’m a native of St. Pete Beach. When I was growing up, my family belonged to The Rellim Hotel and Beach Club on Pass-a-Grille Beach.   I spent summer days at The Rellim pursuing my childhood job—fun—back and forth between the pool, in particular the diving board, and the Gulf, stopping occasionally for ice cream and “sun tan lotion.” I loved The Rellim.  It opened in 1949 and closed in 1981. Needless to say, it was part of the inspiration for my Sunshine Hotel, giving me a chance to reminisce and to share a bit of what made it so special to me.  

Are any other locations inspired by real places in St. Pete Beach?

No and that’s because actually I just highjack most of them whole and put them in the book. Many of the places I send my Ten Beach Road characters are real, though not all were around when I was still living there. Most of those I include are places I enjoy going to and it’s fun to share them with readers.  The Paradise Grille, which used to be a concession stand, the historic Don CeSar and The Wharf Restaurant are among those mentioned in Sunset Beach.  In fact, I’ll be doing a Sunset Book Signing at the Paradise Grille in June.  It and my other southeast book tour dates and stops are on the Events & Appearances page at authorwendywax.com.

Anything else you’d like to share with readers?

Yes! There a fabulous downloadable Sunshine Beach Book Club Kit available and I just love it. Everyone’s invited to check it out.  It includes the “Wax Family Never Fail (cross my heart!) Egg Souffle” recipe that Maddie makes.  It’s as close to a Cheez Doodle as anyone’s willing to give Avery first thing in the morning. It also includes my memories of “The Beach I Grew Up On” and pics of the real mid-century hotel that inspired Sunshine Beach, along with discussion questions.

Oh, and just to remind everyone that book news, updates and giveaways can also be found on Facebook and Twitter and there’s a newsletter sign up on my site, as well.  And that my USA Today bestseller, A Week at the Lake, will be published in mass market for the first time on Tuesday, June 28^th.  

Thanks for giving me a chance to share Sunshine Beach with you and your readers!

www.authorwendywax.com ● facebook.com/AuthorWendyWax · @Wendy_Wax

First Chapter: Liar, Liar by M.J. Arlidge

Liar, Liar

This police procedural by M.J. Arlidge, set in Southhampton, England, is the fourth in the Helen Grace series, paperback released today, June 7, 2016 by NAL.
Book description:

Detective Helen Grace has never seen such destruction. Six fires in twenty-four hours. Two people dead. Several more injured. It’s as if someone wants to burn the city to the ground...
With the whole town on high alert, Helen and her team must sift through the rubble to find the arsonist, someone whose thirst for fire—and control—is reducing entire lives to ashes.  

First chapter:
Luke scrambled through the open window and onto the narrow ledge outside. Grasping the plastic guttering above his head, he pulled himself upright. The guttering creaked ominously, threatening to give way at tny moment, but Luke couldn't risk letting go. He was dizzy, breathless and very, very scared.

A blast of icy wind roared over him, flapping his thin cotton pajamas like a manic kite. He was already losing the feeling in his feet - the chill from the rough stone creeping up is body -- and the sixteen-year-old knew he would have to act quickly if he was to save his life. 

Other books in the series:
Eeny Meeny: Helen Grace #1
Pop Goes the Weasel (Helen Grace #2)
The Doll's House (Helen Grace #3)
Little Boy Blue (Helen Grace #5)

Meme: Every Tuesday Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where readers share the first paragraph sometimes two, of a book that they are reading or plan to read soon. 

Do the book description and first paragraph of the first chapter above appeal to you? Would you read on?

Book Spotlight: BLOODLINES - AWAKENING by K.D. Harris

Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph every Tuesday. Share the first paragraph(s) of your current read or book interest, with information for readers. Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.

BLOODLINES - AWAKENING Prequel to Medusa from the Lark Song Chronicles by KD Harris, published February 20, 2016 by Xlibris. Genre: YA fiction, fantasy

KD Harris' new novel immerses readers in Caribbean mysticism and young adult adventure, fantasy

Prologue, first paragraphs:

Though Cora's and Charlie's day together was coming to an end, they intended to squeeze every last drop from the time they had left. The two, though nineteen and twenty, though appearing to be no more than twelve, sat side by side on the bus, surrounded by other individuals, conversation and music.

The song playing on the bus's radio was "Boom, Shaka Laka," the hit song by Hopeton Lewis. It was 1970, and that was the winning festival song for Jamaica's independence celebrations. Some were moving to the beat and singing along....

First chapter, first paragraphs:

Charlie's first memories were of his grandmother, Matilda Wright, Mattie, or Miss Mattie,whom he called Gmaa. She was his world. 

He lived with her in the small country village of Maggoty, in the parish of St. Elizabeth, on the south coast of the island of Jamaica.  

Charles never knew his father. He had died before the boy was born. Charles' mother, Agatha Wright, otherwise known as Mumaa, Agatta, or Gatta, would come to see Charles on Saturdays at his grandmother's house.  

Agatha looked very much like her mother, Miss Mattie. They both had dark skin, broad faces and bright smiles. They were stocky in build and had bright shiny black hair. They both usually wore their hair in the same way - one plait which hung to their waists. The hair was inherited from Gamaa's father who was of East Indian descent. 

    From the publisher: 

"BLOODLINES – AWAKENING” focuses on two children - Cora and Charlie - growing up in two incredible families in rural Jamaica. Some members of these families can make things disappear into nothingness, others seem to effortlessly kill and maim at will. Thrown into this mix, there are loving relationships but also domestic abuse and neglect. Harris uses a combination of Jamaican patois and standard English to introduce the reader to Jamaica's intoxicating sights, sounds, smells and tastes, transporting them to a magical world where paranormal events are not that unusual, and wonder and danger become almost indistinguishable. 

More information about this novel and other books in the LARK SONG CHRONICLES, visit BloodLines - Awakening or Harris's first book, Medusa: The Beginning

About the Author

“Bloodlines” is KD Harris’ second novel. Her first, “Medusa: The Beginning,” published in 2007, received rave reviews. Since then, she has written six more novels and a miniseries for TV. This second novel, though penned for young adults, will also attract the young at heart who delight in seeing wrongs made right and do not mind shedding a few tears or having a good laugh. Harris has authored short stories, poetry and plays which were performed by local drama groups. She is a regular contributor to the blog Four Friends and Their Friends. 

Harris was born and grew up in Kingston, Jamaica. Attending university in the United States, she graduated with a Ph.D. in higher education. Excerpts of her writing can be viewed online at Medusa the Beginning by Kathi Harris, and in Kathi Harris’s Book Corner, also on the blog Four Friends and Their Friends. This author lives with her family in Ohio.

“BLOODLINES - AWAKENING”

By KD Harris

Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 328 pages | ISBN 9781514433683

Softcover | 6 x 9in | 328 pages | ISBN 9781514432457

E-Book | 328 pages | ISBN 9781514431931

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

A High-End Finish by Kate Carlisle

Visit It's Monday: What Are You Reading hosted by Book Journey

A High-End Finish

Title: A High-End Finish;A Fixer Upper Mystery by Kate Carlisle
Published November 4, 2014: Signet
Genre: cozy mystery

Opening sentence: "You could have warned me that installing drywall would be hell on my manicure."

"In the seaside town of Lighthouse Cove in northern California, everyone knows the best man for the job is actually a woman—contractor Shannon Hammer. But while Shannon can do wonders with a power drill and a little elbow grease, she’s about to discover that some problems aren’t so easily fixed....

 Shannon’s home-renovation and repair business is booming, but her love life needs work. On a blind date with real estate agent Jerry Saxton, she has to whip out a pair of pliers to keep Jerry from getting too hands on. Shannon is happy to put her rotten date behind her, but when Jerry’s found dead in a run-down Victorian home that she’s been hired to restore, the town’s attractive new police chief suspects that her threats may have laid the foundation for murder.

Determined to clear her name, Shannon conducts her own investigation—with the help of her four best friends, her eccentric father, a nosy neighbor or two, and a handsome crime writer who’s just moved to town. But as they get closer to prying out the murderer’s identity, Shannon is viciously attacked. Now she’ll have to nail down the truth—or end up in permanent foreclosure.…"(publisher description)

This is the first in a new cozy mystery series. Thanks to the publisher for a review/feature copy.
What are you reading this week?