Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Family Means Everything for Coral Russell


At first, I wasn't sure what was going to tie these five characters in the story together. If you haven't read one of my stories before you'll know that I like convoluted story lines because that's what I like to read.

Family came up after I got into the story. It's a stronger theme for some characters than others.

When you come from a small, close family like Frankie's and want to have a big one of your own but it is unlikely to happen. For Alicia her family is dwindling away now that they're older and the hopes of having a family of her own is growing faint.

Roberta has a very close family only it is not the kind she wants to be a part of but it's also the kind that won't let go. It's dominating and decisive and that can tear someone apart. Luis' family was perfect on the outside but it was just a pretty shell. He struggles with issues of commitment. Wanting something beyond just words.

Duke at the beginning has it all. He has deep family commitments and obligations. Not only to blood but also to his gang. He believes in family and in being the father figure to that family. But then he finds out that none of it was real. No spoilers so we'll just say he doesn't handle it well.

Families come in all shapes and sizes and sets of issues. Can't live with them, can't kill them. Or maybe you can.

When Mexican drug cartels fight for control along the border, Juarez becomes the murder capital of the world. In El Paso, Texas it's drug business as usual: a grifter sets out to buy her freedom, a car salesman runs drugs to make his fortune, a gang leader battles to rise among the ranks of the cartel, and a detective and his wife are ripped apart by a family secret. Everyone's fate lies in the hands of an old woman. Will she let the past die with her or take revenge the only way she knows how?

Buy Sacrifice at Amazon!



Coral Russell runs the blog http://alchemyscrawl.com where she reviews Indie books/authors. "By the end of 2013, I will have read close to 300 Indie titles. I can vouch that the quality and diversity of Indie authors is worth investing in." On the blog you can find links to her on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Google+ and email.

The Indie Exchange is a group of authors, readers, and book bloggers who post reviews, articles, and giveaways. Listen in Fridays to our radio show at http://blogtalkradio.com/alchemyofscrawl

Ms. Russell won the 2003 McCaleb Peace Initiative which produced the non-fiction articles Peace on the Peninsula. All profit from the sale of that eBook goes to rebuilding Joplin, MO.

Titles available: Amador Lockdown, Playing with Fire (Devil of a Ghost Tour and Key to a Haunting), Peace on the Peninsula, The DIY Guide to Social Media Marketing and eBook Publishing, and Twelve Worlds (profit goes to Reading is Fundamental).

Please visit The Indie Exchange for a complete list of blogs participating in this tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
Library Girl Reads & Reviews is NOT responsible for distributing the prizes. All prizes will be distributed by Coral Russell.

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.
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Home #BlogFlash2013

She opened the door slowly and quietly. Despite having the key she felt as if she were trespassing, like she didn't belong in the house anymore. So many years had passed since she had last been here and there was nothing left of the home she had known. The building stood empty and in great need of repair. She walked the rooms wondering what had happened to her family after she ran away. Her memories conjured ghosts throughout the house and she feared she had thrown away the only home she might ever know.

#BlogFlash2013: 21 Days, 21 Prompts, 21 Posts
Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.
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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Darkness #BlogFlash2013

If I can manage to do it at just the right time, taking Victoria into a dark room is like flipping a switch. She might not fall asleep right away but she snuggles into me and lays down in my arms. The difficulty is getting her from that position into her crib without her waking and starting the whole cycle again.

Elizabeth can be very disoriented in the dark. Some nights she wakes crying a strange sobbing cry. I will find her sitting up in the middle of her bed, standing in the middle or her room, or even out in the hallway. She usually doesn't respond when you talk to her and in the morning she often doesn't even remember the event.

Between the girls waking, my husband's snoring, and my bouts of insomnia I see far too much of the darkest hours of night. I'm pretty sure if everyone of us slept wonderfully on the same night it would be a minor miracle.

#BlogFlash2013: 21 Days, 21 Prompts, 21 Posts
Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.
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Monday, March 18, 2013

Scribbling by Jonathan Gould #weeklyshorts

Weekly Shorts is a fun meme hosted by Kriss at Cabin Goddess. This is a great way to find something to read that doesn't take long and doesn't cost much. Kriss generally posts hers on Sunday but this isn't a day specific meme so you can find new reads all week long.

Scribbling is the first story that I've read by Jonathan Gould. It is actually the second adventure of Neville Lansdowne but you definitely don't need to have read Doodling to enjoy Scribbling.

Gould has a great story-telling technique, taking unusual characters and a quirky storyline then layering in social commentary. The story can be enjoyed on the surface or you can really think about the choices that the characters make and the events that result from those choices by applying a larger world view. I look forward to reading about Neville's first adventure and I've heard rumor that there may be a third Neville adventure later this year.

The sequel to the Goodreads Choice semi-finalist Doodling

Neville Lansdowne pushed the world out of shape.

He didn't mean to do it. He didn't even realise he had done it. If you had asked him, he would have said that, as far as he could tell, the world was the wrong shape to begin with.

In a world that is totally the wrong shape, Neville meets a new bunch of eccentric characters, and embarks on another strange and wholly unexpected adventure.

Buy Scribbling at Amazon!
 
Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.
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Music #BlogFlash2013

She listened intently as he played the song over and over again. Something was off but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. Every note was played in perfect time. The piano had recently been tuned and the sound should have been warm and inviting.

When she opened her eyes and watched the performance, she quickly identified the flaw. His fingers flew over the keys with technical precision but there was no emotion present. There was no love for the music. In fact, she couldn't even tell if he was hearing what he played or if he simply followed the sheet music as a set of instructions.

#BlogFlash2013: 21 Days, 21 Prompts, 21 Posts
Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.
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