Dad by Steven Manchester Review

Three generations of dads, playing traditional roles in each other's lives, arrive simultaneously at significant crossroads. The decisions they make and the actions they take will directly – and eternally – affect each other.

After a life of hard work and raising children, Robert is enjoying his well-deserved retirement when he discovers that he has an illness he might not be able to beat. At 19, Jonah is sprinting across the threshold of adulthood when he learns, stunningly, that he's going to become a father. And Oliver – Robert's son and Jonah's dad – has entered middle age and is paying its demanding price. While reconciling the time and effort it has taken him to reach an unfulfilling career and an even less satisfying marriage, he realizes that it's imperative that he keep it all together for the two men who mean everything to him.

When different perspectives lead to misunderstandings that remain unspoken – sometimes for years – it takes great strength and even more love to travel beyond the resentment.

Dad: A Novel chronicles the sacred legacy of fatherhood.

About Steven Manchester

New England's Storyteller Steven Manchester is the author of the soul-awakening novel, The Menu, as well as the '80s nostalgia-series, Bread Bags & Bullies; Lawn Darts & Lemonade. His other works include #1 bestsellers Twelve Months, The Rockin' Chair, Pressed Pennies and Gooseberry Island; the national bestsellers, Ashes, The Changing Season and Three Shoeboxes; the multi-award winning novels, Dad and Goodnight Brian; and the heartwarming Christmas movie, The Thursday Night Club. His work has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS's The Early Show and BET's Nightly News. Three of Steven's short stories were selected "101 Best" for Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He is a multi-produced playwright, as well as the winner of the 2017 Los Angeles Book Festival, 2018 New York Book Festival, 2020 New England Book Festival, and 2021 Paris Book Festival. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula, or their children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing. Visit: www.StevenManchester.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorStevenManchester

Twitter: @authorSteveM

My Review:

This was a true to life story. About family, regrets and love. I was very close to my dad, and as I read through this book I cried and laughed at times. At one time, my family had 4 generations of fathers alive at the same time. It is true that you never know what the future will bring and how each generation was raised differently, and tries to do better for the next generation. I really enjoyed this story and I enjoyed that all three characters were developed at the same time. You could really feel what they were felling as they responded to each other. I loved the part about feathers, and believe that our deceased loved ones send us messages. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own. Don't forget to check out the authors other great books. He is one of my favorites! 

Wandering in Exile by Peter Murphy Review

Danny Boyle was hoping for a fresh start in Canada. With the help of his uncle Martin, he'd soon found a job and a regular gig with a bar band. And when his sweetheart, Deirdre, joined him, Danny seemed set for life.

But Fate wasn’t done with Danny, and when his uncle was stricken with AIDS, Deirdre did the only thing she could think of to save him from the darkness – she got pregnant. Rising to the occasion, Danny became a father with enthusiasm.

With the arrival of their second child, though, mortgages, day-care, and the press of the day took their toll on the young couple. Battling the voice in his head that told him he wasn't suited for this role, Danny found an ally in the bottle. Soon, drinking became the only thing that made sense to him.

Deirdre, however, refused to give up without a fight. If she could only get Danny to join her, they might even win.

The sequel to Born & Bred, Wandering in Exile is the second novel in the Life & Times Trilogy, a cycle of novels that charts the course of one star-crossed life. Filled with poetic prose and brimming with poignant observation, it is a work of uncommon depth and resonance.

Print ISBN: 978-1-61188-182-0
E-book ISBN: 978-1-61188-183-7
Trade Paperback Price $14.95 --- E-book Price $9.99
Publication Date: January 13, 2015 --- 346 pages

 

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My Review:

I was lucky enough to read Born & Bred by this same author. I had to read this book and see what was going on with Danny. I was so glad that he was moving on and that his girlfriend decided to join him. They started a family and I thought that their future was going to work out. However Danny got some bad news and his life started to unravel. This is the second book in a trilogy, so the ending was not definite. I hope that Danny can get himself straightened out so he can be there for his family. I can not wait to read the last book in this trilogy. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review via The Story Plant, however all opinions are my own.

Lavina by Mary Marcus Review

Mary Jacob grew up as an anomaly. A child of Louisiana in the early sixties, she found little in common with most of the people in her community and in her household, and her best friend was Lavina, the black woman who cooked and cleaned for her family. Now, in the early nineties, Mary Jacob has escaped her history and established a fresh, if imperfect, life for herself in New York. But when she learns of her father’s critical illness, she needs to go back home. To a disapproving father and a spiteful sister. To a town decades out of alignment with Mary Jacob’s new world. To the memories of Billy Ray, Lavina’s son who grew up to be a musical legend whose star burned much too bright.

And to the echoes of a fateful day three decades earlier when three lives changed forever.

A decades-spanning story both intimate and enormous in scope, LAVINA is a novel rich in humanity, sharp in its indictments, and stunning in its resolution.

Order Today!

My Review:

This was a very good story about Louisiana during such a difficult time in History. Not only does Mary live through the civil rights movement, but she also got to live during a musical revolution. However this book is about so much more. There are people not willing to embrace the ways of the future, and they get stuck in the past. The characters deal with different races and income levels. Mary is used to her life in New York, but when she travels back to her home town she realizes that she left more behind than her family members. Speaking of her family members there are issues there as well. I really liked that the author chose three main characters to focus on through a span of thirty years. The ending surprised me and I had to read the last few chapters twice. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review via The Story Plant, however all opinions are my own.

Gooseberry Island by Steven Manchester Review

They met at the worst possible moment...or maybe it was just in time. David McClain was about to go to war and Lindsey Wood was there at his going-away party, capturing his heart when falling for a woman was the last thing on his mind. While David was serving his country, he stayed in close contact with Lindsey. But war changes a person, and when he came home very little had the same meaning that it had before – including the romance that had sustained him. Was love truly unconquerable, or would it prove to be just another battlefield casualty?

Gooseberry Island is the most nuanced, dramatic, and romantic novel yet from a writer whose ability to plumb the depths of human emotion knows few peers.


About the Author:
Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestsellers, Twelve Months and The Rockin' Chair. He is also the author of the award-winning novel, Goodnight, Brian, as well as the critically-acclaimed novel, Pressed Pennies, A Christmas Wish (Kindle exclusive), Wilbur Avenue (novella), Just in Time (novella), The Thursday Night Club (novella, released November 2014) and Gooseberry Island (novel, released January 2015). His work has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS's The Early Show, CNN's American Morning and BET's Nightly News. Three of Steven's short stories were selected "101 Best" for Chicken Soup for the Soul series. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula, or their four children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing.

Visit: www.StevenManchester.com

My Review:

There are only a few authors that I stop what I am reading and read immediately. That means a lot coming from me, because I read more than one book at a time. With that being said, Stephen King is one and so is this author Steven Manchester. I have read three of his other books and am EAGERLY awaiting until I get my hands on the rest. There are so many things about this book that I do not know where to start. The plot is heart felt and relates to a lot of people. Who doesn't have a loved one overseas? The love story is long distance and not based on physical attraction like so many other books out there today. Instead it is about a mutual love and camaraderie that bond these two people together through thick and thin. This is also a drama as well. The drama and loss of war is a huge part of this book. The author doesn't hold back and I cried at the cost of war. 

However that is not my favorite part of the book. My favorite part is that the author tells it how it is and he is spreading awareness for combat related PTSD. We have so many soldiers that give their lives for our freedom. 

Between the romance and war there is a great lighthouse "scene", a father looking for redemption and family ready to move forward. 

I had a question about the end of the book, about a who character's family was. Te author answered my question! That made the book all the more interesting to me. I am giving this book a 5/5 (really want to do a 6/5, but amazon only goes up to 5/5). I was given a copy to review from the author and The Story Plant, however all opinions are my own.

Down Solo by Earl Javorsky Book Review

We are pleased to announce the release of DOWN SOLO coming from
The Story Plant and author Earl Javorsky on December 9th, 2014.
Irreverent, circuitous, and surprisingly touching, DOWN SOLO
introduces a crisp new voice to suspense fiction.
Things haven't been going well for Charlie Miner. His work as a private
investigator involves him with an endless roster of shady characters. His
ex-wife is borderline crazy. And he hasn't been getting to spend
anywhere near enough time with his teenage daughter Mindy, the one
person in his life who truly matters to him.
When he wakes up on a slab in the morgue with a hole in his head,
though, things get even worse.
Just before the shooting, Charlie had been investigating a case involving
fraud, gold, religious zealots, and a gorgeous woman who seemed to be
at the center of everything. Even with a fatal bullet wound, Charlie can
connect the dots from the case to his attack. And when his daughter is
abducted by someone involved, the stakes get exponentially higher.
Charlie needs to find Mindy before the criminals do the same thing to
her that they did to him.
After that, maybe he'll try to figure out how he's walking around dead.

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR:
Looking back on the process of writing this book makes me leery of the
word intention. Did I intend to write a basically old-school detective
story with a supernatural twist? No. But the idea of Charlie Miner's
consciousness existing as a thing in itself, and waking to look down at his
murdered body, emerged as a starting point. It may have typed itself into
existence. Then I thought perhaps I could unwind his investigation of
who killed him backwards, like in Christopher Nolan's Memento, but that
peaked at page 40, so I stopped writing for a year. Then the bigger story
clarified itself. My sense of agency is minimal, except for the choice of
words.




My review:

I just finished reading Down Solo and I really was interested from the very beginning. I liked the story line it was a little different than I usually read. Charlie Minor wakes up dead but that is not his biggest problem. His daughter has been kidnapped and the hunt is on find her  before she gets hurt. He is afraid that what the bad people did to him will do to her. This book had a new and different character type for me, and it also shows the love between father and daughter. I give this book a 4/5. I was given this book for the purpose of a review and all opinions are my own.

Cocoon by Emily Sue Harvey Book Review

When widowed Seana Howard meets Barth McGrath, a newcomer to their little town, she never dreams she’ll fall in love again. Despite his somewhat quirky ways, she falls for the man. The only problem is that her married children do not trust the mysterious stranger. Who is he? Where exactly did he come from? Why are there so many questions about his past?

Against their wishes, Seana elopes with Barth and is happier than she’s been in years. Then her happiness shatters when a mysterious illness suddenly befalls her, exiling her once brilliant mind to a dark nightmare from which she may never return. The eclipse is startling and complete. Will Barth, with such a short history with Seana, love her enough to endure the trials of caring for someone under such dire circumstances? Can her family get past their suspicions and trust his motives and love for their mother? Will Seana ever escape her dark cocoon and reclaim her very purpose for living? Will life give her a second chance to spread her wings, like a beautiful butterfly?

Cocoon is a life-affirming story of travail, obstacles, and the extraordinary lengths that undying love will travel.

Read an excerpt here.

Buy the book at:
Buy Direct & Read Now or Later with The Story Plant App
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Apple
Kobo
Chapters/Indigo
Your local bookstore

Meet the Characters
Widowed Seana Howard is beautiful and wealthy. She adores her children and grandchildren and enjoys being as much a part of their lives as they allow. But she feels lonely and at times abandoned. When she meets Barth, she realizes just how lonely she is and soon feels the stirring of love. However, her children are against her romance and this disturbs her peace and dashes her joy. But not enough to keep her from claiming her life and determining to be responsible for her own happiness. She can’t help but feel extremely blessed at this second chance at love.

Barth McGrath falls deeply for Seana and tries to understand her children’s objections to his marrying their mother. Easygoing and nerdy, Bart loves to study holistic medicine and healthy nutrition. He is deeply spiritual and loves to nurture others in the areas of mind, body, and spirit. His greatest challenge comes when his bride falls victim to a mysterious psychosis, exiling her once brilliant mind to a dark nightmare from which she may never return. Barth wonders if her family can get past their suspicions and trust his motives and love for their mother – and most of all whether life will give him back the love of his life.

Emily Sue Harvey

New York Times bestselling author Jill Marie Landis called Song of Renewal “An uplifting, heartwarming story of forgiveness, commitment, and love, and Kay Allenbaugh, bestselling author of Chocolate for a Woman’s Soul says “Emily Sue Harvey’s work will linger in the memory long after readers put it aside.” National bestselling author Harvey, who has written numerous inspiring works of nonfiction, writes intensely romantic novels that thrill the heart as they inspire the soul. Her stories have something to say to every family.

My review:
Cocoon is the story of a woman starting over after she has lost her husband. Against everything she believes she begins to feel something for the man who has just moved to the town where she lives with her children. Along the way to a perfect life there are obstacles that she must overcome. This is a story of love, faith and hope that everything will be okay again. I give this book a 4/5. I was given this book for the purpose of a review and all opinions are my own.

Betty’s (Little Basement) Garden by Laurel Dewey Review

Betty Craven is the epitome of elegance, class, and perfection.

Her prize-winning garden is the envy of her neighbors; her impeccable manners and epicurean skills have made her the “hostess with the most-est.”

But all is not what it seems.

The truth is this fifty-eight year old’s seemingly idyllic world is quickly disintegrating. Widowed and left with a modest income, Betty’s Colorado gourmet chocolate shop has gone belly up, leaving her floundering for purpose and meaning. Tied to a house in disrepair that she can’t sell, and mired in unrelenting grief for her dead son, this patriotic former Texas pageant queen comes to the shocking and debilitating conclusion that her entire life has been wasted. As that realization hits her hard between her well-manicured brow, the rebellious spirit that Betty has silently kept under lock and key explodes to the surface.

When that happens, her staunch conservative world changes drastically, causing Betty to question every belief and opinion she’s ever had. The path she chooses is paved with secrecy, eccentric characters, toe-curling love, life-changing events, and a connection to her unconventional garden that she never could have imagined. No matter how hard she tries, Betty Craven will never be the same again.

Author Laurel Dewey – known for her gritty crime thriller series featuring Detective Jane Perry – has created a dynamic, funny, romantic, heartbreaking and controversial novel that will both enlighten readers and challenge them with its unique and timely subject matter.

Read an excerpt here.

My Review:
I enjoyed this book, because it was about an older woman and her fight to keep her head above water. She is broke and has hit rock bottom. She realizes that her life is not what she wanted it to be. She has to make a decision to either change and make her future better or to let the past continue. It is through friendship that she makes money and hard decisions. Then there is Jeff. Will he be good for her or only create more heartbreak? Sometimes you have to be saved from yourself. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review from The Story Plant, however all opinions are my own.

Shaking Out the Dead by K.M. Cholewa Review

Geneva is a 62-year-old woman for whom love is a lesson.
Paris is a 29-year-old man for whom love is a feat.
Tatum is a 34-year-old woman for whom love is a tragedy.
But because love is none of these things, none know love. Over the course of four seasons in Southwestern Montana, all of that will change. A poetic journey through the landscape of the human heart, reminiscent of the work of Alice Munro and Richard Ford, SHAKING OUT THE DEAD is a novel that will take residence in your soul. Read an excerpt here.

My Review:
This was an interesting read. The book follows three people and how they learn about love, and themselves. I liked the format and it was easy to follow, however it was a book that I had to digest after I read to remember what was going on. This is a book where the characters are well written and involved. I recommend taking your time to really get to know them. It was worth it for me. Even the last page was profound, and made me think about time, and how much time we really have with each other. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.

PRESSED PENNIES by Steven Manchester Review & Excerpt

Rick and Abby grew up together, became best friends, and ultimately fell in love. Circumstance tore them apart in their early teens, though, and they went on to lives less idyllic than they dreamed about in those early days. Rick has had a very successful career, but his marriage flat-lined. Abby has a magical daughter, Paige, but Paige`s father nearly destroyed Abby`s spirit.

Now fate has thrown Rick and Abby together again. In their early thirties, they are more world-weary than they were as kids. But their relationship still shimmers, and they`re hungry to make up for lost time. However, Paige, now nine, is not nearly as enthusiastic. She`s very protective of the life she`s made with her mother and not open to the duo becoming a trio. Meanwhile, Rick has very little experience dealing with kids and doesn`t know how to handle Paige. This leaves Abby caught between the two people who matter the most to her. What happens when the life you`ve dreamed of remains just inches from your grasp?

PRESSED PENNIES is a nuanced, intensely romantic, deeply heartfelt story of love it its many incarnations, relationships in their many guises, and family in its many meanings. It is the most accomplished and moving novel yet from a truly great storyteller of the heart.  Meet the Author
Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestsellers, Twelve Months and The Rockin` Chair. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed, award-winning novel, Goodnight, Brian, as well as A Christmas Wish (Kindle exclusive), Pressed Pennies (due out May 2014) and Gooseberry Island (due out January 2015). His work has appeared on NBC`s Today Show, CBS`s The Early Show, CNN`s American Morning and BET`s Nightly News. Three of Steven`s short stories were selected "101 Best" for Chicken Soup for the Soul series. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula, or their four children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing.
Visit:
www.StevenManchester.com
http://www.StevenManchester.com
http://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorStevenManchester
http://www.stevenmanchester.com

Excerpt
The night was beautiful, unusually mild for the season. “How about a walk along the river?” he asked. “The water fire is tonight.”

“What a coincidence,” she teased, and didn’t think twice about grabbing his hand when he extended it.

Hand in hand, Rick and Abby strolled along the river. Hidden speakers offered the eclectic sounds of primitive chants and tribal drums. Alluring smells of vendor delicacies wafted on unseasonably warm breezes. Side streets were cordoned off and police officers rerouted traffic. Amongst thousands of pedestrians, the walk along the river moved like a stream of warm pudding.

They felt comfortably alone in each other’s company, occasionally stopping to point out something they had spotted and wanted to share.

Although Abby only had two glasses of wine, she felt lightheaded—almost drunk.

As if lovers were sworn to secrecy, other couples offered subtle nods in greeting—with Rick and Abby returning each gesture.

Steel fire pits sat several feet out of the water, lining the middle of the river every thousand yards. Old, wooden boats filled with thespians dressed in black threw fresh-split cordwood onto each. Like swarms of angry fireflies, a million sparks scurried into the air. Bright orange and red flames licked at the black sky, as strong smells of burnt oak and cedar reminded folks of cozy summer campfires and the love that could be shared beneath a starry sky.

At the end of the path, Rick summoned one of the many hawkers to buy Abby a single red rose.

She accepted the gift with a smile. “Good thing this isn’t a date,” she joked again.

“Good thing,” he repeated.

After hugging him, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you for this wonderful experience, Richard,” she said. “I mean it. This night has been absolutely amazing.”

“I only supplied half of it,” he replied, and hugged her again. “Thank you for the other half.”

Walking slowly, they started back toward their cars.

* * *

Once they reached the parking lot behind the Blue Grotto, Rick turned to Abby and cleared his throat. “Let me take you out again this weekend.” It was more of a statement than a request.

Abby shook her head and kissed his cheek. “I’d love to, Richard. Believe me, I would. But it’s not just about what I want. I still need to get Paige settled in. She’s not used to...”

He placed his finger to her lips. “Okay,” he said, “then when?”

She thought about it and shook her head. “I honestly don’t know.” She shrugged. “But what I do know is that our timing couldn’t be any worse right now.” She searched his eyes. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Richard. I wish...”

He looked surprised and devastated, all at the same time. “Not even as friends?” he asked.

She looked deeper into his eyes. “I’d love that, but do you really think that you and I could just be friends?”

He smirked, and then shrugged. “I don’t know.” He thought for a moment. “A different place, a different time, I think you and I...”

“Who knows what the future holds,” she said, stopping him from saying any more.

“Friends then,” he said, and kissed her cheek. “I understand.”

“Thank you,” she said, but she could tell by his tone that he didn’t understand at all. “I’ll be seein’ ya,” she said, and hurried off to her car while she still had the strength.

“Yeah,” he said. “See you around.”

* * *

With his head spinning, Rick got into his car and began replaying every second of their time together. As he drove away, he could still smell Abby on his clothes and hoped the scent would last. It had been an eternity since he’d felt this way about anyone.

* * *

When her mom returned home from her “dinner with an old friend,” Paige was sprawled out on the couch, pretending to be asleep. Abby took a seat beside her. Even with her heart pounding in her ears, Paige dared not stir. Abby pulled the blanket over her and kissed her forehead. “Night, babe,” she whispered, and quietly stepped out of the room.

Paige slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath. “Just the two of us, huh?” she whispered, and fought back the tears.

Praise for Steven Manchester and Pressed Pennies 

PRAISE FOR STEVEN MANCHESTER:

"Steven Manchester writes about life as it really is and really could be! Terrific!”
– Crystal Book Reviews on TWELVE MONTHS
“Steven Manchester has become one of my must-read authors.”
– Literary R&R on TWELVE MONTHS
“Twelve Months has got to be one of the most poignant and emotional novels I`ve ever read,”
– Minding Spot
“Twelve Months is an amazing book. The reading will bring out every emotion imaginable.”
– Single Titles
“Steven Manchester has a gift for expressing through his writing the complicated and transcendent beauty of the human experience with poignant clarity.”
– Yolanda King, eldest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King on GOODNIGHT, BRIAN
“Steven Manchester’s Goodnight, Brian is a poignant, inspiring story about resilience and faith and one family’s enduring love that should be a model for us all.”
– James S. Hirsch, bestselling author, Willie Mays: The Life, the Legend
“A poignant and riveting tale of the strength of familial love, Goodnight, Brian is a profound and very much recommended addition.”
– Midwest Book Review
“Look out Nicholas Sparks, you have a new contender!”
– Mommabears Book Blog on THE ROCKIN` CHAIR
“Not only do I highly recommend this book, but believe this story should be a mandatory read for all.”
– CMash Reads on THE ROCKIN` CHAIR
“The Rockin` Chair is a tightly knit tearjerker – a work better than anything Nicholas Sparks has ever written.”
– Jon Land, bestselling author of Pandora’s Temple

Praise for Steven Manchester’s Pressed Pennies

"Pressed Pennies is priceless! Steve Manchester has an obvious love of words and an amazing ability to use those words to create lasting images in the reader’s mind. His detail-oriented, richly drawn characters and descriptions make this story leap off the pages.”
- Joyce Handzo, In the Library Reviews
“Pressed Pennies is a warm, lovely story about generosity, unconditional love and acceptance, and a celebration of family.”
- Jane Bowers, Romance Reviews Today
“An exceptional story about family, life and love...Pressed Pennies examines family life at a much simpler time” - Books2Mention Magazine
“From Steven Manchester and the wonderful characters of Pressed Pennies, we learn about real life and true love…and that you can go back.”
- Phyllis Muhlhauser, Romance Book Cafe
“In his newest novel, Pressed Pennies, author Steven Manchester’s outstanding ability as a storyteller allows him to present the joys and tragedies of relationships with depth and understanding, thus creating a work that will stay in your heart and mind for a long, long time. I highly recommend Pressed Pennies."
- Nancy Mehl, Author and Book Reviewer, MyShelf.com
“Pressed Pennies is a story of true feeling, childhood wishes, and real life. Steven Manchester has the ability to portray the lives of characters in a way that captures the reader and makes us truly want to know what the outcome is. His text is full of raw emotion, realistic and likable characters, and intricately detailed scenes that will leave your mouth watering for raspberry ice cream. To quote Richard, “Good writers make people think, while great writers make their readers feel.” Steven Manchester is a great writer.”
- Heather Froeschl, Quilldipper.com
“It takes a talented storyteller to appeal to the opposite gender and Mr. Manchester surely has that gift. Pressed Pennies is a tale of love and second chances and affirms that love can come at any stage of life if we are just open.” - Roberta Austin, The Compulsive Reader
"Pressed Pennies is one of those feel-good reads that I recommend to everyone looking for renewal in their beliefs that love does make a difference. I enjoyed reading this book, turning page after page long into the early morning hours." - Jozette Aaron, DeSilva`s News
"An epic all-American novel celebrating the cruel beauty of love, Manchester`s luminous blend of prose and poetry makes for an unashamedly romantic rollercoaster ride through the highs and lows of three couples` relationships - hang on to your heart!"
- Omma Velada, Author, The Mackerby Scandal
"In Pressed Pennies, the question is asked, `Have we traded the American Family for the American Dream?` In answering, Steven Manchester puts his finger on the pulse of American family life today.”
- Richard Allen Taylor, Poet, Something to Read on the Plane
"Pressed Pennies grabs your heart and holds it captive until the very last page.”
- Pam Kimmel, Author, The Mystery of David’s Bridge
"Steven Manchester`s characters as myriad and diverse as snowflakes on the wind. But it is love that is called to soothe all wounds and bless all new beginnings." - Maureen O`Donnell, Librarian, Brown University
"From the first paragraph, Steven Manchester hooks you. Every human emotion is given restrained rein in this story, and as the characters grow emotionally and spiritually, so does the complexity of the dilemmas they have to face. Pressed Pennies is an evocative work.”
- Sonali Sikchi, Scribe & Quill
“Pressed Pennies is a celebration of the importance of love over profit, family values over consumerism, and Nostalgia for the 80’s. Manchester writes eloquently.”
- Dr. Ruth Mark, Independent Book Reviewer
"A riveting tale about life, mistakes and second chances, Pressed Pennies is warm-hearted and nostalgic. A very enjoyable read!"
- Margaret Marr, Author, Wings of Thunder
"Well done, Steven Manchester! Your readers will surely be as deeply moved as this reviewer.” - Viviane Crystal, Crystal Reviews
“When a book can bring a reader to tears several times throughout its many chapters, it is an excellent book. Steven Manchester has done it again! If Pressed Pennies were a song it would be Number One on the charts!”
- Noonie Fortin, Author, Memories of Maggie
“Pressed Pennies is a story that will keep the readers’ interest intact to the last chapter, and it is therefore a real page turner and a good read that caters to all fiction readers.”
- Liana Metallinou, Independent Book Reviewer
"I loved Pressed Pennies and couldn`t put it down. It`s wholesome, inviting, and was written to gently force the reader to look inside their own heart and examine the love in their life. Simply put, Pressed Pennies is a winner.”
- Georgia Richardson, Author, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Throne
“Pressed Pennies is relaxing, rejuvenating and readers will turn each page with a smile with a guarantee that something interesting and enlightening will happen next. Not only is it an amazing testament of life, but it`s a mirror`s image of those people we see and don`t see day in and day out. Life is bigger than our own, and Pressed Pennies is such a wonderful, illustrative story of just that.”
- Latorial Faison, Author/Poet, Immaculate Perceptions

My Review:

I have read books by this author before and he always makes me happy to have my family and loved ones. He has a way of writing about family events and feelings that I can relate to. Even though I am not divorced I can still relate to young young and true love. These characters are caught in limbo and at the center is Abby's daughter, Paige. Abby does not want someone new in her life and wants her mom to stay single. Paige, realizes almost too late that her mother's happiness is at stake. I really enjoyed the part that The Red Socks played in the plot. I am a from New England and liked the author's take on it. The ending was sweet and romantic, and this would make a great movie. The letters between Rick and Abby were interesting to read and I would love to read Abby's diary in a sequel. The title has a special meaning to these characters and every time I see a pressed penny I will think of this book. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review from The Story Plant, however all opinions are my own.

 

Over My Live Body by Susan Israel Review & Excerpt

Book Description

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Delilah is accustomed to people seeing her naked. As a nude model – a gig that keeps food on the table while her career as a sculptor takes off – it comes with the territory.

But Delilah has never before felt this vulnerable.

Because Delilah has an admirer. Someone who is paying a great deal of attention to her. And he just might love her to death.


The debut of a shockingly fresh voice in suspense fiction, OVER MY LIVE BODY will work its way inside of you.

Meet the Author

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Susan Israel lives in Connecticut with her beloved dog, but New York City lives in her heart and mind. A graduate of Yale College, her fiction has been published in Other Voices, Hawaii Review and Vignette and she has written for magazines, websites and newspapers, including Glamour, Girls Life, Ladies Home Journal and The Washington Post. She’s currently at work on the second book in the Delilah Price series, Student Bodies.

Excerpt

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I’ve gone from posing in one studio to posing in another in less than an hour. Ordinarily I don’t complain about the cold. I don’t move before I’m told to. I try to be the model I’ve never had the good luck to hire. But today I feel like I’m lugging around a portfolio of hypersensitivity along with my usual artist supplies and it’s not even justified. Here, I’m among friends.

The instructor of this class has drawn a chalk outline of where I’m supposed to lie and indicates the pose she wants me to strike, that of a classic come-to-my-casbah odalisque. I feel my calf muscles tighten as I scrunch up into the framework of the drawing on the floor. There are no new faces in this class, no surprises, I’ll be forgiven if I twitch or scratch an itch. Morgan, one of the best artists and my best friend, has brought poppy seed pound cake and stops what he’s doing to tiptoe over and feed me morsels of it. “Should be grapes,” the instructor says. Someone down the hall is playing Carmen on a boom box. “Should be Scheherezade,” Morgan says, winking at me.

The wink isn’t misunderstood, wouldn’t be even if Morgan wasn’t gay.
We artists are like a cast ensemble in repertory. Many of us have seen each other nude in classes. I’m dressed in the part I’m playing. It’s when I change locations, freelance in other schools, that I’ve felt uncomfortable and I’ve tried not to do that too often. I try not to, but sometimes I need the money to buy extra supplies or pay off mounting bills and I have to do it, like I did last night. I sometimes say never again, never again! What do I need this aggravation for? I feel smarmy; it makes me fight with Ivan more. Except, like a new enrollee in some 12-step program, I’m learning to recognize what I have and haven’t the power to change and ironically now that I’ve decided to kick Ivan and his half of the rent money out, I’m going to have to pay more bills than ever, starting with the new lock I’m having installed.

“Delilah, you moved!” 

My Review:
This book kept me wondering about Delilah and if she would make it, or if she would be killed. I was hooked from the beginning and I was curious why her admirer was so enthralled. I was hoping that the detective would have a more permanent role in her life as well. To get rid of one abusive man to only be harassed by another was bad luck. I am glad that there will be another book with the same characters. I also like that the author is from Connecticut, like me! I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.

Fatal Impressions by Reba White Williams Review

Book Description


Coleman and Dinah Greene are making names for themselves in the art world. Coleman`s magazine publishing empire is growing and Dinah`s print gallery is gaining traction. In fact, Dinah has just won the contract to select, buy, and hang art in the New York office of the management consultants Davidson, Douglas, Danbury & Weeks – a major coup that will generate The Greene Gallery`s first big profits. However, when Dinah goes to DDD&W to begin work, she discovers a corporate culture unlike anything she`s ever encountered before. There are suggestions of improprieties everywhere, including missing art worth a fortune. And when two DDD&W staff members are discovered murdered, Dinah and Coleman find themselves swept into the heart of another mystery. Revealing the murderer will be no easy task...but first Dinah needs to clear her own name from the suspect list.

Meet the Author


Reba White Williams worked for more than thirty years in business and finance—in research at McKinsey & Co., as a securities analyst on Wall Street, and as a senior executive at an investment management firm.
Williams graduated from Duke with a BA in English, earned an MBA at Harvard, a PhD in Art History at CUNY, and an MA in Writing at Antioch. She has written numerous articles for art and financial journals. She is a past president of the New York City Art Commission and served on the New York State Council for the Arts.

She and her husband built what was thought to be the largest private collection of fine art prints by American artists. They created seventeen exhibitions from their collection that circulated to more than one hundred museums worldwide, Williams writing most of the exhibition catalogues. She has been a member of the print committees of several leading museums.

Williams grew up in North Carolina, and lives in New York, Connecticut and Southern California with her husband and Maltese, Muffin. She is the author of two novels featuring Coleman and Dinah Greene, Restrike and Fatal Impressions, along with the story of Coleman and Dinah when they were children, Angels. She is currently working on her third Coleman and Dinah mystery.

http://rebawhitewilliams.com 

My Review:
They say that art imitates life. However what if art imitates death? Dinah soon finds out how art can affect life, especially stolen art. It was interesting to read when everyone was suspect. I did not know who the killer was, but I needed to find out. The ending was great and I love a good mystery. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review from The Story Plant, however all opinions are my own.

The New Me by Mary Marcus Review

Book Description

Harriet is floundering. She`s in her early forties, her kids have gone to college, her marriage feels empty, her cable TV cooking show has lost its sense of inspiration, and she longs to leave the West Coast for New York. Then one day she meets Lydia, a gorgeous woman in her late twenties. Lydia reminds her so much of herself a decade or so past, and her husband, who hardly likes anything, likes Lydia as well. It slowly dawns on Harriet that Lydia could be the answer to everything that`s ailing her. All she needs to do is turn Lydia into "the new me."

Reminiscent of the work of Susan Isaacs and Nora Ephron, THE NEW ME is a witty, poignant, perceptive, and beautifully written novel about change and the price of becoming who you want to be.

Meet the Author

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Mary Marcus was born and raised in Louisiana but left for New York after graduating from Tulane. She worked for many years in the advertising and fashion industries for Neiman Marcus, Vogue, Lancôme, Faberge, and San Rio Toys where she worked on the Hello Kitty brand. Marcus’ short fiction has appeared in North Atlantic Review, Karamu, Fiction, Jewish Women’s Literary Journal and The New Delta Review among others. She lives in Los Angeles and the East End of Long Island.

Excerpt

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It’s not surprising that I met Lydia at yoga. It was the only place I went regularly other than work and the farmer’s market. She put her mat down next to mine and we smiled at each other, the way yoga people do.

I took up practicing in the summer before the boys entered their senior year of high school. I heard it helped you sleep and if I hung around the house at the dinner hour cooking and serving, the boys and I would invariably start shrieking at each other. That year, Jules was working thirty miles away on some show shot on a horse ranch mostly at night. Wednesday night he was home and he generally spent it in bed with a tray and the remote control. Once in a while, he and the boys went out to this revolting Mexican restaurant they all love and I won’t go near. Otherwise, he was gone except on the weekends when he slept, being understandably exhausted from the night shoots. Three mornings a week before dawn, Jules and I would cross paths in the kitchen: me with my commuter’s mug of café au lait on my way to the cable studio for Healthy Harriet. Jules on his way to the kitchen for his Irish oatmeal before hitting the sack. (The oatmeal everybody loved was made the night before in the crockpot by Healthy Harriet.) Looking back it is remarkable how often Jules landed gigs that either sent him on location or put him in an entire other stratosphere schedule-wise from the rest of us. 

My Review:
Now that I am in my 30's this book made me think about my younger self. The author made me think about woman a decade younger then me, and how different I am now. The writer did a great job of making Harriet easy to relate to. I liked how I felt like I needed a new me or maybe a little bit of the old me. There were parts that I laughed, parts that reminded me of myself and parts that I could not wait to find out the outcome. Harriet is definitely a character that I will not forget. I am giving this book 4/5. I was given a copy to review by The Story Plant, however all opinions are my own.

BORN & BRED by Peter Murphy Review

Book Description
BORN & BRED is the first novel in the Life & Times Trilogy, a cycle of three books that will chart the course of one star-crossed life. It is a work of vibrant imagination from a poetic novelist of the first order.

Danny Boyle was a born angel.

At least that’s what his granny used to say, and she should know – she raised him after his parents proved incapable. When she becomes ill, Danny is reunited with his parents but they do not get to live happily ever after, as the ghosts of the past haunt their days. And when the old woman dies, all of her secrets come to light and shatter everything Danny believes in.

In the turmoil of 1970’s Ireland, an alienated Danny gets into drugs and is involved in a gangland killing. Duped by the killers into leaving his prints on the gun, Danny needs all the help his friends and family can muster. Calling in favors from bishops and priests, police and paramilitaries, God and the devil, the living and the dead, they do all that they can. But even that might not be enough.

Peter Murphy was born in Killarney where he spent his first three years before his family was deported to Dublin, the Strumpet City.

Growing up in the verdant braes of Templeogue, Peter was schooled by the De La Salle brothers in Churchtown where he played rugby for ‘The Wine and Gold’. He also played football (soccer) in secret!

After that, he graduated and studied the Humanities in Grogan’s under the guidance of Scot’s corner and the bar staff; Paddy, Tommy and Sean.

Murphy financed his education by working summers on the building sites of London in such places as Cricklewood, Camden Town and Kilburn.

Murphy also tramped the roads of Europe playing music and living without a care in the world. But his move to Canada changed all of that. He only came over for a while – thirty years ago. He took a day job and played music in the bars at night until the demands of family life intervened. Having raised his children and packed them off to University, Murphy answered the long ignored internal voice and began to write.

He has no plans to make plans for the future and is happy to let things unfold as they do anyway.


My Review:

There is no doubt in my mind that the author knows a lot about Ireland. There is no other way that he could have included so much of Ireland's past, lifestyle, and how Irish people lived. I could not believe that Danny was stupid enough to let himself get framed. I also did not expect the secrets that led to Danny's downfall. This was a very involved book that I had a hard time putting down. I can not wait to read the last two books in this series. I even learned some Irish phrases! I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review from The Story Plant, however all opinions are my own.