Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


May 14

8

Review & Giveaway: Love Will Make You Drink and Gamble, Stay Out Late at Night by Shelly Lowenkopf

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on May 8, 2014
Posted in Books Read in 2014 • My Past Giveaways • Short Story Collection • Uncategorized  | Tagged With: , | 6 Comments

Today it is my pleasure to kick off the tour for Love Will Make You Drink and Gamble, Stay Out Late at Night by Shelly Lowenkopf, with a review and a giveaway.

Publisher: White Whisker Books (June 6, 2014)
Category: Short Stories, Literary Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-9836329-8-6
Tour Date: May/June, 2014
Available in: Print and ebook, 186 Pages

Love Will Make You Drink and Gamble, Stay Out Late at Night brings a number of Shelly Lowenkopf’s previously published short stories together in a single volume. All the stories revolve around life in Santa Barbara, the oceanside city north of Los Angeles, where people go after they’ve burned out in San Francisco and L.A. Yet there’s no safe haven anywhere. Interwoven into Santa Barbara’s picturesque setting, the people in these twelve stories reveal what their hearts and souls encounter in relationships. Their misreadings, mistakes, and misadventures bare what happens to people who love another.

“Shelly Lowenkopf’s short stories breathe gusts of fresh air into the often stuffy literary atmosphere,” says poet Charles Harper Webb (Liver). “Witty, urbane, sharply observed, insightful, mordant yet poignant and absolutely entertaining, these stories touch the funny bone as well as the heart. Readers have had to wait too long for this collection. Grab it now.”

“Shelly Lowenkopf is a gifted, humane story-teller,” adds author Aram Saroyan (Rancho Mirage). “Love Will Make You Drink and Gamble, Stay Out Late at Night is a delight.”

My Thoughts:

This is a great story collection!  I know I have said this before, but I think it is worth mentioning again.  There are many people who say they don’t like short stories.  My opinion is that short story is a true art form.  Reading a short is not the same as reading a novel.

Most short stories need to be approached more like a painting.  You can’t just look at it once and get the artist’s meaning.  You need to stare at it for awhile and take in all the layers and depth.  The same goes for a short story.  Many times you need to read it more than once and really think about it.

This is true with most of the stories in Love Will Make You Drink and Gamble, Stay Out Late at Night.  This collection is worth spending the time savouring the deep thoughts and meaning. It had me laughing, crying, and giving pause.

I howled out loud at ‘The Ability’ where a young woman was hire to write thank you notes to university donors and then was asked to do an even more difficult task. ‘The Man Within’ examines an ageing man’s life and what is acceptable and not.  This was one of those stories that is worth reading twice, digging for deeper meaning. These are just two examples of the range of emotions the stories in this collection examines.

Shelly Lowenkopf is a master story teller.  He paints words on paper like they are on canvas. Because of the depth and many layers of his stories, this collection would make an excellent book for a serious book club.  I highly recommend it!

5/5

I received the ebook version for my honest review.

About Shelly Lowenkopf:

Shelly Lowenkopf taught in the University of Southern California’s
Master of Professional Writing Program for 34 years, has taught at the annual Santa Barbara Writer’s Conference since 1980, and has been guest lecturer in many schools and conferences.

He is currently Visiting Professor at the College of Creative Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, with classes in noir fiction, the modern short story, genre fiction, and developing a literary voice. Mr. Lowenkopf has served as editorial director for literary, general trade, mass market, and scholarly book publishers, seeing over 500 books through the editorial and production process. His own short fiction has appeared widely in the literary press. He is author of the popular The Fiction Writer’s Handbook.

Website: http://www.lowenkopf.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lowenkopf 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shelly.lowenkopf

This giveaway is open internationally however, print is only available to Canada and the U.S. This giveaway ends on June 20, 2014.
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Follow The Tour:

So Many Precious Books May 8 Review & Giveaway
The Most Happy Reader May 12 Review & Guest Post
Carole Rae’s Random Ramblings May 13 Review                                                            Books of Mur-y-Castell May 13 Review
Second Book to the Right May 14 Guest Post
Girl with her Head in a Book May 16 Review & Iinterview
Cassandra M’s Place May 20 Review&Giveaway
Toot’s Book Reviews May 23  Interview
Open Book Society May 26 Review
Paranormal Book Club ( PBC)May 28 Interview & Giveaway
|Paranormal Romance & AuthorsMay 30Review
Tabula Rasa June 2 Review
The New In Books June 3 Review & Interview
Inspire to Read June 4 Review
Inspire to Read June 5 Guest Post
She Treads Softly June 6 Review
Deal Sharing Aunt June 11 Review
Deal Sharing Aunt Guest Post & Giveaway
Pinky’s Favorite ReadsJune 12 Interview
From L.A. to LA June 13Review & Giveaway
Ordinary Girlz BookRreviews June 16 Review
Mary’s Cup of Tea June 18 Review
Little Whimsy Books June 18 Interview & Giveaway
The Book Chick Blog June 19 Review
Svetlana’s Reads and Views June 20 Review

Apr 14

15

Review: Muffin Man by Stephan Collina

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on April 15, 2014
Posted in Books Read in 2014 • Uncategorized  | Tagged With: , | 2 Comments

Publisher: Analytical Media, Inc. (October 1, 2013)
ISBN-13: 978-1480078062
Category: Political Thriller
Tour Dates: March, 2014
Available in: Print & ebook, 368 pages

The President’s wife has a premonition, setting in motion a transatlantic story of love, sex and betrayal.

Set against a backdrop of drug dealing, covert political manipulation and murder the Muffin Man is an authentic and atmospheric tale from the 1970s. Based on real events, the story begins with a premonition that leads to the formation of a secretive political organisation. The plot unfolds in twists and turns through the ordinary lives of innocents who are sucked into an accelerating and dangerous vortex of drug dealing, assassination and murder.

A former high-flying US Army Colonel, his alienated daughter, an accidental drug dealer, his beautiful but manipulative girlfriend and a corrupt police inspector all become sucked into the secretive organisation, initiating a succession of assassinations. Rewards lead to arrogance and an early death, or do they?

The “Muffin Man” motion picture is under development by Analytical Media.  The scripting is now complete so expect further announcements soon.

My Thoughts:

Muffin Man is set in in the U. S. and UK.  Ed, the main character, suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.  His daughter, Anne runs away and works for a secretive organization.  Then their are David and Louise who get involved in drug dealing all because a friend leaves his stash at their house and he is now on the run.

There is a list of colorful characters and it is fun to see how they are all interconnected as the story goes on.  Muffin Man is an atmospheric thriller with drugs, sex and politics. The landscape is stark and contrasts the characters really well.  Though Muffin Man is not an easy read, it is a great read and I highly recommend it.

4/5

I received the ebook version of this book for my honest review.

About Stephan Collina:

Stephan Collina grew up in the 1970s: a troubled time of recession, poverty, industrial disruption, political tension and terrorism. But for younger people, it was also a post-1960s wide-flared, drug-enhanced and extravagant-haired innocence.

Stephan later became a prominent businessman, acquainted with a number of high-ranking politicians. Stephen ran international technology businesses, spending a great deal of time in the USA and various European and African countries.

The Muffin Man grew from a combination of these unique experiences: his early knowledge of the sometime innocent business of drug dealing (although he never inhaled), and of the much dirtier businesses of covert political and military action, and of international business practices.

Stephan’s first novel explored the nefarious and complicated emotional and sexual relationships of a remote village in Wales, where he had spent his early years.

Stephan holds a degree in Philosophy. He is also a qualified commercial ship’s captain. He now lives quietly by the sea, and concentrates on his writing and related filmmaking activities.

Website: http://www.stephancollina.com/muffinman.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephan.collina
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephan_collina

Buy Muffin Man:

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk

Apr 14

14

Review & Giveaway: Dancing Backward in Paradise by Vera Jane Cook

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on April 14, 2014
Posted in Book Tours • Books Read in 2014 • My Past Giveaways  | Tagged With: , , | 3 Comments

Today it is my pleasure to kick off  the Dancing Backward in Paradise Tour.

Book Description:

Winner: Eric Hoffer Award for publishing excellence and the Indie Excellence Award for notable new fiction!  5 Star Clarion ForeWord Review!

Publisher: Musa  (November 16, 2012)
Category: Contemporary Fiction/ Women’s Fiction/ Southern Fiction
Tour Date: April/May, 2014
Available in: Print & ebook,  347 Pages

Life for Grace Place is all about sucking on “meat jerkys” and Lenny Bean, her handsome lover. Grace’s mother has loftier plans for her daughter. She insists that Grace save her money and move to New York City so she can find fame and fortune as an actress.

Grace works as a cleaning lady for wealthy Betty Ann Houseman so she can pool her pennies for the trip north. Betty Ann has a passion for men more pronounced than her overbite, and it isn’t long before she’s parting the sheets for Lenny Bean. But just before Grace leaves Hixson for New York City, she uncovers an insidious plot: the Bean family is trying to steal Betty Ann’s estate.

Grace flees to New York, where she faces her darkest hours. In a world of surprises, Grace truly discovers paradise.

My Thoughts:

Grace lives in the south with her father, brother, mother, and grandfather in a trailer park called, Paradise.  We Grace is old enough all her mother wants her to do is get a job and save enough money to move to New York and find stardom.  Her mother had the chance when she was Grace’s age but ended up getting married.

Grace isn’t sure what she wants.  She has a boyfriend, Lenny Bean and a pretty good job cleaning hose and taking care of a baby.  However, it later becomes crystal clear to her that she has to at least go to New York and see what happens.

Dancing Backward in Paradise is the third book I have read by Vera Jane Cook.  Cook is amazing at drawing out her characters and the landscape in which they live.  Her books are not for the easily offended.  There is some described sexual acts and profanity.  However, to me, these things are real life.  I dare someone to go out into the real work and not hear profanity.  It would be pretty difficult.  LOL!

Out of the three books by Vera Jane Cook, my favorite is ‘The Story of Sassy Sweetwater’ however, ‘Dancing Backward in Paradise is a very close second, almost a tie.  If you haven’t read anything by Vera Jane Cook, I suggest your run to you computer and order an ebook or two.  You have to give this immensely talented author a try!  Don’t miss out on the Vera Jane Cook Experience!

5/5

I received the ebook for my honest opinion.

About Vera Jane Cook: 

Vera Jane Cook, writer of Award Winning Women’s Fiction, is the author of The Story of Sassy Sweetwater, Lies a River Deep, Where the Wildflowers Grow, Dancing Backward in Paradise and Annabel Horton, Lost Witch of Salem.

Jane, as she is known to family and friends, was born in New York City and grew up amid the eccentricity of her southern and glamorous mother on the Upper West and Upper East Side of Manhattan.

An only child, Jane turned to reading novels at an early age and was deeply influenced by an eclectic group of authors. Some of her favorite authors today are Nelson DeMille, Calib Carr, Wally Lamb, Anne Rice, Sue Monk Kidd, Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. Her favorite novels are too long to list but include The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Cheri and The Last of Cheri, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Wuthering Heights, Look at Me, Dogs of Babel, The Bluest Eye, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Body Surfing, Lolita, The Brothers Karamazov, She’s Come Undone, Tale of Two Cities, etc., etc., etc.,

Vera Jane Cook’s Website: http://www.verajanecook.com/

Vera Jane Cook on Twitter: https://twitter.com/verajanecook
Vera Jane Cook on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vera.j.cook

Buy Dancing Backward in Paradise:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Thanks to Vera Jane Cook, I am giving away one ebook copy of ‘Dancing in Paradise.’  This giveaway is open internationally and ends on May 27, 2014.

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Follow the Tour:

Indie Reviews Behind the Scenes Mar 29 Interview- Listen to the Recording
Teddy Rose Book Reviews Apr 14 Review & Giveaway
Open Book Society Apr 15 Review
Wall to Wall Books Apr 16 Review
Sapphyria’s Book Reviews Apr 17 Guest Post  & Giveaway
Manic Mama of 2 Apr 18 Review
Rantin’ Ravin’ and Reading April 21 Review
Rantin’ Ravin’ and Reading April 22 Interview  & Giveaway
Vicky Deal Sharing Aunt Apr  23 Interview & Giveaway
Being Tillys Mummy Apr 25 Review & Guest Post
Rebecca’s Writing Svcs  Apr 28 Guest Post
Networking Witches May 1 Review
From Isi May 5 Review & Giveaway
Romance & Inspiration May 6 Review
Room With Books May 8 Review & Giveaway
Margay Leah Justice May 9 Guest Post & Giveaway
Carole’s Book Corner May 14 Guest Post
Bound 4 Escape May 26 Review

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