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Nobody’s Damsel
Today, I’m happy to be participating in EM Tippetts’ blog tour for Nobody’s Damsel, the second book in the Fairytale series.
To get the full effect of the story, you really must read Someone Else’s Fairytale first, and in this review will be spoilers for the first book, so if you haven’t read it and don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading now and go buy both books.
Nobody’s Damsel follows Chloe and Jason as the navigate their early days of marriage. The press, intrigued by Jason’s marriage to a non-celebrity, even follows Chloe to her crime scene investigation job in Albuquerque. As the investigation continues, scrutiny on Jason and Chloe’s marriage grows, and more than one person wonders if a happily ever after ending is in store for our hero couple.
I found myself liking both Someone Else’s Fairytale and Nobody’s Damsel more than I expected to. At times I found myself getting frustrated with Chloe’s reluctance to rely on Jason, until I realized I’d probably be very much like that, myself. And although I’ve never had the paparazzi chasing me down, I can only imagine what it is like for someone who didn’t choose to be famous (and even those who do choose a career that puts them in the limelight) to have their every action under scrutiny.
Tippetts gives us likable characters, and weaves in Chloe’s backstory without making the tale overdramatic. Jason’s celebrity seems credible- as someone who really tries to maintain ties with the people who knew him before he was a movie star. And while I don’t know that in reality Chloe would be able to maintain such a semblance of normalcy, the beauty of a book is that we as readers get the best of both worlds: the fantasy of a whirlwind, swept-off-our-feet, relationship with a dreamy actor, but who can also maintain our own lives. I’m not sure the two gel well in reality, but it is a pleasure to read.
I enjoyed the more dramatic sub-plot to the stories, too, which I won’t spoil here, and I am looking forward to reading more about Jason and Chloe.
Now, for some fun things with the blog tour:
Here’s a link to E.M Tippetts’ tour page: http://www.clpblogtours.com/
**Everyone who leaves a comment on E.M.’s tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Nobody’s Damsel before May 20 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**
If you’d like to know more about E. M. Tippetts or buy your own copy of the books, see below:
Author Bio:
E.M. Tippetts grew up in New Mexico and now lives in London, where she raises two boisterous toddlers, designs jewelry, and writes novels. A former attorney, she used to specialize in real estate and estate planning, specifically literary estate planning. She currently has five novels out, Time & Eternity, Paint Me True, Someone Else’s Fairytale, Castles on the Sand, and Nobody’s Damsel (Fairytale 2).
Connect with E.M.
www.goodreads.com/author/show/
www.amazon.com/E.M.-Tippetts/
Buy the Book!
Amazon:
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Kobo:
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- Tags: Blog Tour, Chick Lit, fiction
What Happens When 130 People Gather To Talk About Their Favorite Band
Me striking the same pose as members of U2 in this photo at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
It’s not a book post, I know, but if you’ve been a reader here, you know I’m also passionate about U2 and I recently had a pretty cool U2-related experience.
Over the weekend, I attended a U2 Conference. As one of the other attendees expressed, when most of us told people we were going to a U2 conference, the conversation went something like this:
Us: I’m heading to Cleveland for a U2 Conference
Them: A concert? I didn’t know they were touring again. That’s awesome.
Us: No, a Conference
Them: Funny look.. “Oh. Well, is the band going to be there?”
Us: No.
Them: Even more incredulous look “Okayyyy.”
We went anyway, even knowing that some of our friends and family think we might be a bit crazy. Or obsessed. Or something like that. About 130 U2 fans descended on Cleveland, Ohio to talk about the band we all love. While the bulk of attendees were from the States, we had people come from as far away as South Africa, Australia, and Norway.
So what does happen when 130 U2 fans get together for not-a-concert and no appearance from our favorite band? Lots of fun, enlightening and entertaining discussions, and rocking out to an awesome tribute band.
Although the official start of the conference was Friday morning, many of us arrived in Cleveland Thursday and kicked off the festivities unofficially at a pub that evening.
I knew of one other person attending the conference, but really was there by myself. So walking into Flannery’s Thursday evening, I simply asked if I could join some folks at their table, and thus began the adventure with new friends and the tribe that is U2 fans. That’s just a small part of what made the whole weekend so special- it was easy to make instant connections. We were guaranteed some conversation, which is a great icebreaker.
Friday and Saturday, we had a choice of a number of Academic panels and mainstream panels for each part of the conference. Not being able to be in two places at once I generally chose the Mainstream panels. We heard from journalists who have interviewed the band, publicists, documentarians, and graphic designers. This is cooler than I make it sound here, because these are people who have known the band for years and were able to share insights we had not heard before. We were able to screen films about the fan experience, and learn how U2 constructs their sound. Special thanks to Jim Henke, Brian O’Neil, Bill Carter, Steve Averill, Natalie Baker, Michelle Regina Iacobelli, and the guys from Unforgettable Fire for taking the time to travel to be with us and share their history with U2. Full details about conference content, for those interested can be found here.
To close out the conference, the longest-running and arguably best U2 tribute band, Unforgettable Fire (http://uf2.com/) treated us to more than three hours of U2’s best live cuts and songs that only “real” fans typically know in a show at Cleveland’s Hard Rock Café on Saturday night. I think we all agreed that the only way it could have been better is if it had been U2 themselves there, but Unforgettable Fire are really class act guys, and true fans themselves. Thanks to them for making the evening really special.
With Craig (Adam) Kiell from Unforgettable Fire after Saturday morning’s session where the band showed us how U2 makes music
One of the panels was called “Stories for Boys and Girls” where some conference attendees shared their stories of the impact U2 has had on their life. I was one of those to share my story. I was a little worried that there would be a lot of “I met the band when…” stories, and that’s not the type of story mine is. I was surprised to find that instead, everyone’s stories involved real life; true instances where U2’s music had provided comfort in times of tumult or loss; ways that U2 has been a constant in peoples’ lives; ways that U2 have metaphorically saved people.
We had wonderful, informative panels. Some great information was shared. We learned a few cool tidbits about the band. But more than any of that, I believe that the best thing about the U2 Conference was the people- the connection among people gathering as mostly strangers and leaving as friends. Not everyone of course, but I made several new friends- people I’ll be interacting with via Twitter and Facebook, and plan to see when the band tours again. I won’t say that U2 holds a monopoly on this type of connection among fans, but I think what this tribe has is something special. I’m still exhausted from the weekend, but so glad I went, and already looking forward to the next one.
For more information see: http://www.atu2.com/ Unforgettable Fire
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- Tags: U2 Conference, U2Conf
Elly in Bloom
Colleen Oakes’ Elly In Bloom will be one of your perfect summer beach reads.
From the synopsis: “Surrounded by lush flowers and neurotic brides, chubby 32-year old Elly Jordan has carved out a sweet little life for herself as the owner of Posies, a boutique wedding florist in St. Louis. It’s not bad for a woman who drove away from her entire life just two years ago when she found her husband entwined with a red-headed artist.
Sure, Elly has an embarrassingly beautiful best friend, a terribly behaved sheepdog and a sarcastic assistant who she simply calls “Snarky Teenager”, but overall her days are pleasantly uneventful. As a bonus, her new next door neighbor just happens to be an unnervingly handsome musician who has an eye for curvy Elly. Just when she feels that she is finally moving on from her past, she discovers that an extravagant wedding contract, one that could change her financial future, is more than she bargained for.
With the help of her friends, staff and the occasional well-made sandwich, Elly bravely agrees to take on the event that threatens to merge her painful history with her bright new life, and finds herself blooming in a direction she never imagined.”
I liked Elly at the beginning of the book, but in the middle, I found myself getting rather frustrated with her. However, as is needed by most heroines in a novel, Elly experiences an epiphany that changes her whole outlook on things. One of my favorite characters ended up being “Snarky Teenager” who we never come to learn by name, but hopefully will in the sequel.
I liked that Elly wasn’t a stereotypical protagonist. She doesn’t fit the typical “beautiful” sort of character, which I think makes her more relatable to many readers. Her lesson to learn is a tough one- most of us have found ourselves attracted to that guy we know isn’t right for us, but is the one we think we deserve. Elly’s own growth in this area is nice to see and endears her even more to readers.
One thing I particularly liked about this book is that I liked Elly’s friends and neighbors and fellow business owners. I even briefly entertained the thought of starting my own small business if it meant I could garner that close neighborhood feel.
Perfectly entertaining, I think fans of chick lit will definitely enjoy Elly in Bloom, and I’m looking quite forward to the sequel.
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- Tags: Chick Lit, Colleen Oakes, fiction
A Celtic Witch
The latest installment in Debora Geary’s Modern Witch series debuted today, and I took adavntage of an open day and gorgeous weather to sit outside and read it cover to cover. I’ve been looking forward to this one since Debora announced the title, and I was not disappointed.
A Celtic Witch takes place in Fisher’s Cove, with many of our favorite Nova Scotia witches making an appearance. This installment focuses on Cassidy (Cass) Farrell, a world renowned Celtic Fiddle player and witch of the Old Irish Ways. On a break from her hectic tour schedule, and listening to the thrumming of the rocks, Cass finds herself seeking respite in Fisher’s Cove. She’s quickly embraced by the Nova Scotia witches, but it appears a special bond may be forming between Cass and our favorite Fisher’s Cove bachelor Wizard. As Cass listens to the rocks, and to her heart, will she have the courage to embrace the next phase of her life as a woman, an artist, and a witch?
I was particularly drawn to this part of the Modern Witch story because of my own Celtic roots. I remember standing on the top of the Hill of Tara- said to be the entrance to the Other World and the Celtic gods and goddesses- on my last trip to Ireland and feeling a sense of mysticism. It was something I felt to my core, similar to the first time I was in the Scottish Highlands. It simply felt like home. I get this same sense in the way Cass and Moira experience some of their powers. I think that is part of the reason this particular book appealed to me so much; it brings about those same feelings.
I also very much enjoyed how Geary explores Cass’ dilemma, of sorting out what next to do with her life. Debora has an eerie ability to be able to say something in her books that I need to hear at that particular time, and A Celtic Witch is no exception. That is, in part, one of the reasons I love the series so much. I found myself many times in this book identifying with Cass’ internal struggle, and identifying with the fear and hope she experiences.
While our West Coast witches don’t have a big part in this book, save a few brief appearances by Nell, their presence is felt. This is still very much a Modern Witch book, and the focus on empathy, love, and community still play a strong role in the story. You can imagine Nell regaling the Witch Central community back in California with the latest news from Fisher’s Cove.
Geary continues to deliver with this series, and it’s sub stories. And of course, I can’t wait to read more.
Blog Tour: Emlyn Chand’s Torn Together
Daly (rhymes with Tally) English has a complicated life. She’s still mourning the death of her father; she and her mother continually argue; she’s unsure about her academic future; and her long time boyfriend is cheating on her. Just when Daly believes the Universe is conspiring against her, she meets two people who change her life forever.
Known more for her young adult and children’s books, Torn Together is Emlyn Chand’s first foray into adult fiction, and tells the story of Daly’s journey of self-discovery through her relationship with two unlikely people. First is her mother’s new pet project, wise-beyond-her-years pregnant teenager Meghann. Second is through Kashi, a pharmacist who crosses paths randomly with Daly, and tells her that fate will determine whether or not they meet again.
I spent the first part of the book thinking how young Daly seemed for so many of the things that were happening to her, and trying to figure out the age difference between Kashi and Daly while I was enjoying the story. The cross-cultural intrigue of whether or not Daly would be accepted by Kashi’s Indian family was entertaining me, and I thought I had the direction of the book pegged.
But then, Chand slams us with a heart-wrenching plot twist I never saw coming, and it elevated the book to a completely different emotional level. The book, and my connection to it, changed on a dime. No longer merely entertained by the characters and story, I felt a visceral reaction to and engagement with the story from that point on.
What could have been cliche turned out to be very poignant and thought provoking. I had been a bit ambivalent about Daly earlier in the book, but suddenly I found myself really rooting for her. I don’t want to say anything more so that I can avoid spoilers, but I am looking forward to more from Emlyn Chand.
About Emlyn Chand
Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children’s book series and is beginning to dabble in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info, or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or GoodReads. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!
Buy the Book!
Get Torn Together on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, or iTunes.
***It hasn’t yet posted to iTunes despite having released in August. We hope it will be there soon!***
Learn more about Torn Together or read the entire first chapter at http://www.emlynchand.com/books/other/
