Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Book Review: The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank

Hi all,

Not too long ago The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank was on sale so I grabbed it up. I had already read The Last Original Wife by this author and loved it, so I couldn't wait to read another novel by this author. The Hurricane Sisters didn't disappoint. Here is a description of the novel and my 5 star review.


The Hurricane Sisters
Dorothea Benton Frank
Book Description:

Hurricane season begins early and rumbles all summer long, well into September. Often people's lives reflect the weather and The Hurricane Sisters is just such a story.

Once again Dorothea Benton Frank takes us deep into the heart of her magical South Carolina Lowcountry on a tumultuous journey filled with longings, disappointments, and, finally, a road toward happiness that is hard earned. There we meet three generations of women buried in secrets. The determined matriarch, Maisie Pringle, at eighty, is a force to be reckoned with because she will have the final word on everything, especially when she's dead wrong. Her daughter, Liz, is caught up in the classic maelstrom of being middle-age and in an emotionally demanding career that will eventually open all their eyes to a terrible truth. And Liz's beautiful twenty-something daughter, Ashley, whose dreamy ambitions of her unlikely future keeps them all at odds.

Luckily for Ashley, her wonderful older brother, Ivy, is her fierce champion but he can only do so much from San Francisco where he resides with his partner. And Mary Beth, her dearest friend, tries to have her back but even she can't talk headstrong Ashley out of a relationship with an ambitious politician who seems slightly too old for her.

Actually, Ashley and Mary Beth have yet to launch themselves into solvency. Their prospects seem bleak. So while they wait for the world to discover them and deliver them from a ramen-based existence, they placate themselves with a hare-brained scheme to make money but one that threatens to land them in huge trouble with the authorities.

So where is Clayton, Liz's husband? He seems more distracted than usual. Ashley desperately needs her father's love and attention but what kind of a parent can he be to Ashley with one foot in Manhattan and the other one planted in indiscretion? And Liz, who's an expert in the field of troubled domestic life, refuses to acknowledge Ashley's precarious situation. Who's in charge of this family? The wake-up call is about to arrive.

The Lowcountry has endured its share of war and bloodshed like the rest of the South, but this storm season we watch Maisie, Liz, Ashley, and Mary Beth deal with challenges that demand they face the truth about themselves. After a terrible confrontation, they are forced to rise to forgiveness, but can they establish a new order for the future of them all?

Frank, with her hallmark scintillating wit and crisp insight, captures how a complex family of disparate characters and their close friends can overcome anything through the power of love and reconciliation. This is the often hilarious, sometimes sobering, but always entertaining story of how these unforgettable women became The Hurricane Sisters.

Buy The Hurricane Sisters:




Available in stores also.

My Review5 Stars:

The Hurricane Sisters is a novel about three generations of women and how they are coping with their lives as well as their relationship with each other. Maisie, the grandmother, is quirky and fearless. Liz, Maisie’s daughter, is smart, sensible, and strong. Ashley, Liz’s daughter, is young and finding her place in the world. Together, they drive each other crazy, but there is still a bond that holds them together no matter how much they disagree.

Add to that Liz’s shaky marriage, Ashley’s troubled relationship with an overbearing man, and eighty-year-old Maisie’s new boyfriend, and you have more than enough drama, heartwarming moments, and laughter to go around.

Dorothea Benton Frank is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This is the second novel of hers that I've read and I've enjoyed them both immensely. Her characters are always so unique and vivid. I enjoy how she tells the story from each character's perspective - it's a great way to get into the mind of each character. Her writing is fun, sassy, and smart. If you love good women's fiction novels with wit and drama - this is the book for you.

About the author: (From Amazon)

I am the author of fourteen novels placed in and around the Lowcountry of South Carolina and thanking God for my chance to speak. When I'm not writing, I'm reading or gardening or cooking. Love to travel, shoot the breeze with people and most of all, be with my husband, children and dog - not always necessarily in that order. Love to have company so come visit at www.dotfrank.com or on Facebook.





Read my review of The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank.


Cheers,

Deanna

Monday, June 15, 2015

Women's Fiction Beach Reads Giveaway + Gift Card Giveaway!

Beautiful Graphic by Tugboat Design

Update: The winners of the $20 Amazon Gift Cards were Maria B. and Emily S. Congrats! The winner of the six books has been notified.

Congrats to Rhonda Gothier, the winner of the six paperbacks!

Both contests are now over. Thank you to all who stopped by and entered. I'll be contacting the winners on July 1st!

Hi all,

Nothing is more fun than a giveaway! And even better - You have two ways to win!

Contest #1 

One lucky person will win all 6 of the paperback books pictured in the photo above! That's right - All 6 books. These books include:

 
Destination Wedding by Deanna Lynn Sletten (me!)
Eighty and Out by Kim Cano
I Know You're There by Susan Allison Dean
No Sweat Pants Allowed by Jan Romes
Scent of Triumph by Jan Moran
Hello, It's Me by Wendy Markham
 
To enter to win these books, all you have to do is go to my Facebook Page and LIKE, SHARE, or COMMENT on the post with the same picture you see above. That's all! What could be easier?
Contest is open now and ends June 30th!
 

Contest #2
 

 
 
Win one of TWO $20 Amazon Gift Cards!
 
(I have to say it - Sorry - U.S. Residents Only, Please.)
 
 
I just couldn't stop at giving away books. So, enter below to win one of two Amazon Gift Cards. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter OR just leave a comment with your email address below - please include your email or I won't be able to contact you.

Contest ends June 30th!
 
 
Good Luck!
 
 

 
 



Monday, June 1, 2015

Maggie's Turn on NetGalley

Hi all,


I'm excited to share that the new "improved" MAGGIE'S TURN, published by Lake Union Publishing, is now available on NetGalley for book bloggers and reviewers to download until August 11th. I'm very excited about this updated version of Maggie's Turn, and hope that you will get a chance to read and review it.

Click here to go to Maggie's Turn on NetGalley

You must be an authorized reviewer with an account with NetGalley to access this page.


For Readers:

Maggie's Turn is available for pre-order on Amazon. Remember - this is a reprint of my original novel, Maggie's Turn, and is not a different novel. It is just polished up a bit and has a new cover. So, if you've already read Maggie's Turn - great! If not - you can pre-order the new one which will be available July 14, 2015.

Here is more info about Maggie's Turn:

 
Book Description:

 
Maggie has always put her family’s needs in front of her own, until one day—without forethought—she drives away, leaving behind her indifferent husband and two sulking teenagers.
 
As she begins a quest of self-exploration, she meets new people, enjoys new adventures, and rediscovers long-neglected passions. For the first time in years, Maggie contemplates what she wants from life and soon realizes that her deteriorating marriage can no longer continue as it is. Can she and Andrew repair their broken relationship, or is their marriage over?
 
Left to his own devices, Andrew is forced to take over the household responsibilities and bridge the growing divide between himself and his children. Slowly, he begins to understand what drove Maggie away—and how he can’t bear to live without her. But is it too late? Will Andrew lose Maggie forever?


Contemporary Women's Fiction
Available on Amazon Kindle and Paperback


Pre-order now on Amazon Kindle

Cheers,

Deanna