María Juana’s Gift

By T. Lloyd Winestsky

From the back of the book:

Set during America’s Bicentennial celebration in 1976, María Juana’s Gift tells the story of Jake and Tina, a young teaching couple fighting for the survival of their infant daughter born on the Arizona-Mexico border. The baby appears healthy to Jake and the unconcerned staff at the small hospital, but Tina and a custodian/nurse’s helper from Mexico named Maria believe the child is ill. Maria’s lowly status and lack of English cause the medical staff to dismiss her concerns. After the women convince Jake that something is wrong, he begins a frantic effort to secure medical attention for the baby.

Just my opinion:

I found myself totally immersed in this story. Here is a young couple who are fighting for the life of their baby, who is struggling to survive. They can see the infant is having serious problems, but no one at the hospital will believe them. Will they get the baby the help she needs before it’s too late?

This is a very well-written book on several levels, especially the descriptions of the area where it takes place and the characters themselves. It also provides insight into the struggles that people endure in depressed areas of our country.

The main characters – Jake and Tina – are well-educated, but they have chosen to help those who many ignore. They are teachers and their plans include giving those less fortunate the opportunity to better their lives through education. That goal takes them to a small, remote town on the border shared by Arizona and Mexico, where necessities are often scarce, such as medical care. The few doctors in the area are over-worked and exhausted. They are also somewhat ambivalent to the needs of their patients.

It’s an interesting story and quite an eye-opener. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Some favorite passages from the book:

The latest name for this is English immersion, an insidious idea that assumes the brain of a second language learner is tabula rasa, a blank slate.

Laughter is a great thing unless you use it to hide your real problems.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough

By Ruth Pennebaker

From the back of the book:

Joanie’s ex-husband is having a baby with his new girlfriend. Joanie won’t be having any more babies, since she’s decided never to have sex again. But Joanie still has her teenage daughter to care for. And, thanks to the recession, her elderly mother, too. Joanie’s back in the workforce – at an Austin ad agency – trying to support them all. … Joanie, Caroline, and Ivy are stuck under the same roof, and it isn’t easy. But sometimes they surprise each other – and themselves. And sometimes it’s possible to undo the mistakes of the past, like deciding never to have sex again …

Just my opinion:

Wow! Another great summer read! I’m really amazed with the books that have hit the shelves this year. Lots of new authors with fresh ideas for stories and this book is no exception.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough is a humorous look at three women who are at different stages in their lives – a mother, her daughter and her mother – who are living together. They each have different takes on life in general and those opinions tend to clash … and often! Funny, poignant and brutally honest. This is a must-read and would make an excellent choice for book groups.

Some favorite passages from the book:

• The person who controls the silence controls the conversation.
• Inappropriate! She loved that word. Every time you were brutally honest, you could excuse it by saying you’d been inappropriate.

Finding Frances

By Janice M. Van Dyck

From the back of the book:

“Frances Baldwin is ready to die. Prepared to deny further medical care that might save her, she asks her son to help her bring closure to a well-lived life. Can William, a philosophical med-school dropout, honor his mother without tearing himself and his family apart? To help her die, he must face off against the medical community and the system that is trying to keep her alive regardless of the quality of life she will lead. To lose her, he must find her and find himself.”

I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this book. I loved the story idea and Frances was actually a very endearing character. However, I found myself not liking William very much. He seemed to fluctuate between a nice guy and someone whom it appeared just wanted his mother to die so he wouldn’t have to deal with it anymore.

At first glance, Frances doesn’t really seem that sick. Her afflictions are undercover – COPD, heart problems, etc., so you really don’t see them on the surface. The doctors and her husband aren’t convinced she’s in as bad of shape as she claims. But she knows she is dying and she is determined to let it happen.

After she is talked into having a surgery that could potentially help but doesn’t, her health care providers finally must admit she’s not going to live much longer. With that acceptance comes a peace for her and she begins preparing for that ultimate event.

Her biggest roadblock continues to be her husband, who selfishly doesn’t want to continue through life alone. He’s come to rely on her taking care of him and isn’t sure how he will fend for himself.

Yet, amid all this turmoil, the redeeming light comes from a new closeness between Frances and her daughter. Their love takes on a deeper meaning and I enjoyed watching that relationship develop.

This really is a good book. I just wished I could accept William more, but without his character, the book probably wouldn’t have been the same. It’s a great first novel by this new author and she does an excellent job of approaching this controversial issue with style and grace.

Specific Impulse

By Charles Justiz

From the back of the book:

“Space scientist, Carin Gonzales, and former submarine commander, Jake Sabio, are two strangers drifting separately through life when a mysterious explosion rocks them and brings them together. Now, the after-effects have changed both of them in unpredictable ways. Sometimes, they can see more clearly than before the explosion; while at other times they can smell more precisely and they move in ways that are clearly impossible. … To make matters worse, anyone else who felt the effects of the explosion is now inexplicable dead.”

This was an interesting story, indeed, but it was difficult to follow at times. The characters were likeable enough and their plight was one that made me sympathetic, but I often wondered how much of what they did was attributable to the virus caused by the explosion. Or was it their own talents as educated and capable people?

As they run from those who want to see them dead, they battle for their lives against this deadly and unknown virus that has been introduced to their bodies by an unusual explosion at the rim of a meteorite crater. Armed with their own wits and a robot in the form of an old, outdated computer, they travel to the backwoods to hide until they can be whisked up to another planet where they could potentially find the cure for what ails them.

They only have so much time, however, because that planet will be passing close enough to pick them up at a specific time. While they wait, their enemies are quickly approaching.

If you enjoy science fiction, you will probably like this story. I found parts of it intriguing. But I was concerned a little about the ending because it really didn’t make sense to me and I wasn’t sure at times how certain side stories fit into the whole scheme of the book.

I’ll admit, my life was pretty hectic while I was reading and maybe, I didn’t concentrate as much on my reading of this book as I normally would. But I’m also not really a science fiction fan and a book has to be outstanding to keep me involved.

That said, sci-fi fans would surely see this story in a different light and for that reason, I give it 3 books.

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Nancy Taylor Rosenberg

Welcome to the PR by the Book blog tour for New York Times bestselling author Nancy Taylor Rosenberg to promote her new novel "My Lost Daughter."

Following her success with "The Cheater," the edgy thriller about a female, adulterer-hunting serial killer, Rosenberg returns with her most beloved character -- tough judge Lily Forrester.

About the author:

Nancy spent 14 years in law enforcement, working for the Dallas Police Department, the New Mexico State Police, the Ventura Police and the Ventura County Probation Department as a superior court investigator.

In 1993, she published her first novel "Mitigating Circumstances," which was an immediate success. Not only was it a New York Times bestseller, the film rights were purchased by Tri-Star Films.

She went on to right many more novels that also appeared on the New York Times bestseller list.

In 1995, she was voted Woman of Excellence by the Orange County Learning for Life program. She has developed a writing program, Voices of Tomorrow, which targets inner city youths, that has received national attention.

About the book:

Lily is a hard-as-nails judge in Ventura County, CA, a crusader to help those who can’t help themselves.  A sensational murder trial of a woman who tortured and killed her beautiful two-year old son makes her hungry to see justice done – until her own child throws her for a loop. Her daughter, Shana, months away from graduating from Stanford Law School, is on the verge of dropping out. 

Lily rushes north to check on Shana, and sees her apartment in disarray and her appearance disheveled.  When Lily asks her daughter basic questions like, “what happened to the money I sent to pay bills?” Shana snaps at her that everything has been paid for, and that Lily should leave her alone. 

Lily fears the worst for her daughter: Drugs? Does she need help, but refuses to ask for it? Lily immediately checks Shana into a treatment facility – and that's where the worst of her fears are realized.

Back home and grappling with the torture case, Lily calls Shana, but can't reach her. She tries again. Someone is stopping her calls, but who? 

After days of increasingly urgent calls, Lily learns the shocking truth: her daughter is being physically abused at the facility, given mind-deadening drugs, and being locked in a padded cell for hours without food or water.  

Lily will have to summon all her intelligence and street smarts to find a way to free Shana. But she will have to work fast — a sociopath who has become obsessed with Shana is hiding at the facility.   

My review of "My Lost Daughter:"

This book is definitely a keeper. It's an absolutely intriguing story and one I had trouble putting down.

The characters are well-developed and the writing is crisp and clean. The story line is fascinating and it's obvious Rosenberg did her research.

I was hooked on this book from the first page. I had taken it along on a camping trip and I was halfway through it by the end of the first day.

There is so much more I could tell you about this book, which hits the shelves this fall, but I really want you to read it yourself. I'm giving this story 5 books because it rates as one of my favorites that I've read this year.

The giveaway:

I hadn't read any of this author's writing before and I'm so happy to participate in this blog tour. She could very easily become one of my favorites and I know you will feel the same way. To prove it, I'm giving away two copies of "My Lost Daughter" to two people who comment on this post between now and Sunday (Sept. 19).

Just answer this simple question: Who is your favorite author?

In Our Quiet Village

By Mary Lou Chayes

From the back of the book:

“On a stifling August night in 1906, Karl Bauer fired two shots at his second wife. His sixteen-year-old daughter Minna struggled to wrest the revolver from his hands and the shots went wild. Her father, believing that he had murdered, turned the gun on himself. He died. This true event serves as the fulcrum for the story. At ninety, Minna reveals this shameful secret to her own daughter, laying bare the mysterious pent-up anger between them. The story traces the lives of three generations marked by the impact of this violent act.”

Mary Lou Chayes weaves an incredible tale of love, hate, abuse, murder and redemption that pulls the reader into the book from the very beginning. Knowing this murder has occurred, it becomes almost a mission to discover what events led up to it and what happened after.

Karl Bauer immigrated to America with his uncle and cousin. He falls deeply in love with a beautiful young woman and begins a wonderful life with her. They truly love each other and have plans for a long and happy future together. When their children are born, they become determined to offer them a successful life, as well.

After Susanna dies of pneumonia, Karl’s dreams are shattered. He retreats into himself … to the neglect of his son and daughter. When a distant cousin arrives on the scene to take care of them, he is so grateful that he decides to marry her. However, it turns out the woman has some severe mental issues and their life becomes a living hell.

Based on actual events, this fictional account is absolutely fascinating. It demonstrates how someone can end up in a deadly spiral and the consequences that can result.

Chayes could have written this as a memoir, but I think she made a wise decision to, instead, create a fictional tale based on fact. It made the story more readable and gave her the opportunity to bring in some creative dialogue between the characters.

Aside from the story itself, the book also brings to light some of the issues those arriving in America at the turn of the 20^th century had to face, such as discrimination, poverty and employers who could easily take advantage of them.

This is a great piece of literature and I think you’ll enjoy it.