I am a writer of comedic fiction, and would like to suggest that you laugh regularly when reading my books. Let’s also try for one to two teary moments. If you are crying more than that, you don’t understand my sense of humor and should move on to another author.
I grew up in a book-loving home. Actually, that’s not entirely accurate. My mom loves books. My dad loves to read the first chapters of books and then make us all listen as he recites his favorite passages. I, however, enjoy reading books in their entirety and came into writing as a result of book-love. After earning two fancy degrees in education and Spanish, I promptly let the thinking part of my brain take a breather and instead became pregnant. (I’m sure a lot of other things happened between early literacy and pregnancy but I don’t really remember any of that. If you also have shared your uterus with another human, you understand.)
In an effort to author a book that would entertain my sassy, irreverent, breast-feeding/drooping friends, I wrote my first novel, Balancing Act. People were so nice to me after that, I decided to continue with writing. Also, I can’t craft, knit, or scrapbook, so what else was a nice, Christian girl to do?
In addition to writing books to make my friends laugh and cry, I observe the chaos at the home I share with my unfailingly supportive husband and three offspring. We’re doing our best and so far, no one’s been to prison.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Twenty-year-old Nellie Monroe has a restless brilliance that makes her a bit of an odd duck. She wants to be a private investigator, even though her tiny hometown offers no hope of clients. Until she meets Amos Shetler, an Amish dropout carrying a torch for the girl he left behind.
So Nellie straps on her bonnet and goes undercover to get the dish. But though she’s brainy, Nellie is clueless when it comes to real life and real relationships. Soon she’s alienated her best friend, angered her college professor, and botched her case.
Operation Bonnet is a comedy of errors, a surprising take on love, and a story of grace.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like Operation Bonnet. I was thoroughly entertained by the sometimes outrageous humor and the antics of heroine Nellie Monroe and the complementary cast of characters. The book was easily read and moved at a reasonable pace that held my attention.
Operation Bonnet is definitely a book of contrasts. At times it seems to be a spoof on the current Amish fiction trend, especially in the near caricature of Amos Shetler. Yet other Amish characters are portrayed as natural, sensible people. Nellie can go off half cocked with little thought to her actions, then show her thoughtful, loving, and sympathetic side when dealing with her Nona. Although quite fun and amusing, Operation Bonnet was also enhanced by nuggets of wisdom and important life lessons.
I would recommend Operation Bonnet, especially whenever a light-hearted book is required.
I write Christian fiction with a few giggles, quite a bit of sass, and lots of crazy. My novels include the Katie Parker Production series and So Not Happening. I would also like to take credit for Twilight , but somewhere I think I read you’re not supposed to lie.
When I’m not typing my heart out (or checking email), I teach at a super-sized high school in Arkansas.
My students are constantly telling me how my teaching changes their lives and turned them away from drugs, gangs, and C-SPAN.
Okay, that’s not exactly true.
Some facts that are true include:
I’ve always been refined!
A. I got my camera confiscated by big boys with guns at the American Embassy in Europe this past summer. O la la!
B. I once worked in a seed mill office and cleaned out mice on a regular basis. Ew.
C. I’m a former drama teacher.
D. I didn’t pass my drivers test the first time. Or the second…
E. I attract stray animals like a magnet.
F. I used to assemble and test paint ball guns for a local factory…
Since my current job leaves me with very little free time, I believe in spending my spare hours in meaningful, intellectual pursuits such as:
-watching E!
-updating my status on Facebook
-catching Will Ferrell on YouTube and
-writing my name in the dust on my furniture
I’d love to hear about you, so drop me a note. Or check me out on Facebook.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
You’re invited to the engagement of the most unlikely couple of the year.
When the funding for Lucy’s non-profit job is pulled, she is determined to find out why. Enter Alex Sinclair, former professional football star and heir of Sinclair Enterprises—the primary donor to Lucy’s Saving Grace organization. Alex Sinclair has it all . . . except for the votes he needs to win his bid for Congress. Both Lucy and Alex have something the other wants. Despite their mutual dislike, Alex makes Lucy a proposition: pose as his fiancée in return for the money she desperately needs. Bound to a man who isn’t quite what he seems, Lucy finds her heart – and her future – on the line.
Save the Date is a spunky romance that will have readers laughing out loud as this dubious pair try to save their careers, their dreams . . . and maybe even a date.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Save The Date, go HERE
MY REVIEW:
Although Save The Date was filled with Jones’ signature humor and romance, I found this book to be more profound than previous ones I have read by this author. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, in fact I think it’s excellent. I felt like Jones really revealed the heart of her characters by exposing them with all their strengths and vulnerabilities. I even found myself liking Clare by the end which was just one of the surprises in store for me.
Both Lucy and Alex had deep insecurities despite the wide difference in their backgrounds and financial status which amplified their mutual distrust of each other. However as they spent time together in their deceptive engagement, each of them began to discover that perhaps their first impressions of the other had been mistaken. And as difficulties arose, they found themselves supporting and even caring for each other.
I enjoyed Save The Date from beginning to end. It was fun filled yet thought provoking, light-hearted but with great spiritual depth. The story was full of unexpected moments that added extra dimension to an already good tale. I have deliberately left out most details because you just need to read this book yourself. I would definitely recommend Save The Date to anyone who loves chick lit or romance.
Packed with Janice Thompson’s signature humor, Stars Collide is a fun filled journey behind the scenes of Hollywood. The story features Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy whose on-screen romance has secretly crossed over into real life. When Kat’s memory challenged grandmother confuses the sitcom plot with reality and and begins to put out the word about their upcoming wedding, chaos ensues. How Scott and Kat deal with the resultant flak is the stuff that makes for good entertainment.
As always, Thompson has woven a subtle Christian lesson into the plot. Her characters are fun with a zany one or two in the mix. Stars Collide is lighthearted and entertaining reading and is great for just relaxing with a good book.
This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Available January 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
New Series Takes Readers Into the Glamorous Life of a Hollywood Sitcom Celebrity and Her Quest for Love
From author who is a seasoned screenwriter with an insider’s perspective on the entertainment industry, comes the first book Stars Collide in the new series from Janice Thompson, “Backstage Pass.”
In Stars Collide, Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy don’t just play two people who are secretly in love on a television sitcom—they are also head over heels for each other in real life. When the lines between reality and TV land blur, they hope they can keep their relationship under wraps.
But when Kat’s grandmother, an aging Hollywood starlet with a penchant for wearing elaborate evening gowns from Golden Age movies, mistakes their on-screen wedding proposal for the real deal, things begin to spiral out of their control. Will their secret be front-page news in the tabloids tomorrow? And can their budding romance survive the onslaught of paparazzi, wedding preparations, and misinformed in-laws?
From the sound stage to a Beverly Hills mansion to the gleaming Pacific Ocean, Stars Collide takes readers on a roller-coaster tour of Tinseltown, packing both comedic punch and tender emotion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author and screenwriter. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into, Thompson affords an inside look at TV land, drawing on her experiences as a screenwriter. She is the author of the Weddings by Bella series and lives in Texas.
After completing a master’s in Creative Writing and working as a visiting instructor at Miami University in Ohio, Bethany Pierce now lives with her husband in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she is a member of the McGuffey Art Center and continues to write. Her first book, Feeling for Bones, was one of Publishers Weekly‘s Best Books of 2007.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
With rejections piling up, she could use just a little inspiration…
Amy Gallagher is an aspiring writer who, after countless rejections, has settled for a career as an English professor in small-town Ohio just to pay the bills. All her dreams suddenly start to unravel as rejections pile up–both from publishers and her boyfriend.
But just as Amy fears her life is stuck in a holding pattern, she meets the mysterious, attractive, and unavailable Eli. She struggles to walk the fine line between friendship and something more with Eli, even as staying true to her faith becomes unexpectedly complicated.
When secrets, tragedy, and poor decisions cause rifts in Amy’s relationships, she must come to terms with who she’s become, her unrealized aspirations for her life, and the state of her faith. Can she dare to hope that she will find love and fulfillment despite it all?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Amy Inspired, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
I have to say that I have very mixed feelings about Amy Inspired. On the one hand, it was well written and easy to read. On the other hand, I found it pretty depressing.
The main character, Amy had decided to make a career of writing (after checking every other possibility off her list). Unfortunately everything she submitted for publication only earned her rejection letters. Her love life was pretty pitiful too – unless you count getting hit on by your best friend’s beau or by a weird student. Then when a guy came along that she was attracted to, she did everything she could to avoid him. I kept waiting for something to happen that would inspire Amy but for the most part she just plodded along in her self-absorbed funk.
Amy Inspired was not a bad book. In fact there were actually many humorous and entertaining scenes. I have read quite a few glowing reviews so I have to believe that it just did not meet my own personal preferences. I would advise reading other reviews before rejecting it – Amy Inspired might just be the perfect book for you.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. Before publishing, Melody traveled around the world, volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, raised two sons, and worked briefly in interior design and later in international adoption. “I think real-life experiences inspire the best fiction,” she says. Her wide variety of books seem to prove this theory.
Catwalkand the first book in theOn The Runwayseries Premiere are sure to be a hit with teen girls whose interests include fashion, Hollywood, and reality TV. Featuring the two Forrester sisters, Paige and Erin, the series chronicles their new roles in a TV series ‘On The Runway’. Catwalk highlights the sisters’ trip to New York City for the famous Fashion Week and takes them on a whirlwind tour of designer studios, television sets, and fashion shows. As they navigate impossible time schedules and unexpected catastrophes, the sisters quickly learn that they must depend on each other and the individual strengths they both offer.
Catwalk is a fun to read story that takes the reader right into the heart of New York fashion. However Ms. Carlson manages to interject plenty of serious thoughts to ponder including dating relationships, friendship, forgiveness, and doing the right thing. That she also manages to introduce spiritual themes without seeming preachy is a major plus.
Another plus for readers of Carlson’s other series is that several familiar characters from her Carter House Girls series show up in Catwalk. I would venture to say that both Premiere and Catwalk are must reads for teen girls.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. Before publishing, Melody traveled around the world, volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, raised two sons, and worked briefly in interior design and later in international adoption. “I think real-life experiences inspire the best fiction,” she says. Her wide variety of books seem to prove this theory.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Many links on this site are supplied by the Reviewer groups that provide the books I review. Occasionally other links may be my personal associate links.
Kimberly says:
Twenty-year-old Nellie Monroe has a restless brilliance that makes her a bit of an odd duck. She wants to be a private investigator, even though her tiny hometown offers no hope of clients. Until she meets Amos Shetler, an Amish dropout carrying a torch for the girl he left behind.
