Weekend Writing Warriors – Donuts in an Empty Field 12#WeWriWa

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Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts!

Donuts in an Empty Field is a contemporary, realistic fiction, and Young Adult novel about two best friends, the local food challenge, and letting go of anger.

This excerpt is from chapter one.

Vanessa has just shared her last fond memory of her late father with best friend Nichole. When Vanessa’s mom comes back into the room Vanessa hides the slip of paper with the bucket list on it.

“Are you going to tell her about the list?” Nichole asks.
I consider it. “No. I don’t think so.” I don’t want to share this piece of Dad with anyone else. Mom would make me share it with my therapist. She would minimize it and then disappear on a date.

Is Vanessa being selfish here or does her mother really not get it? How will Vanessa get over her grief if she can’t talk to her mother or her therapist about things like this bucket list?

Purchase the book HERE.

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Local young adult writer, Rachel Barnard, released the first novel in her young adult For the Love of Donuts series titled Donuts in an Empty Field with Life’s a Book Publishing, June 3rd, 2016 (AKA National Donut Day). Get your copy HERE.

Letting go of anger is life’s greatest challenge.

Vanessa hasn’t been the same since her father’s death. A hero until the end, he died saving a restaurant owner’s son from a burning building. Nessa blames the boy, but her best friend Nichole thinks it’s time to let go of the past. In a last ditch effort to break Nessa’s obsession, Nichole hopes signing up for the local food challenge will bust her out of her shell. A single choice defines the road ahead for Nessa. Doing the right thing isn’t easy, but living with the consequences of doing nothing might be worse.

donugts

Subscribe to Rachel’s newsletter to receive important updates and promotions, if you haven’t already. Signup HERE

Add the book to your Goodreads shelf HERE

All About the Donuts: Local Donut Shop Review – Evergreen Donuts – Lynnwood, WA

Evergreen Donuts

lynnwood, WA

20160529_Evergreen (2)

20101 44th Ave W, Lynnwood, WA 98036

(425) 673-5331

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Review criteria:

Most popular donut at the shop: “All of them”
Signature shop donut: NA
Most popular US donut: glazed
2nd most popular US donut: Boston crème
Donut Hole: Glazed

 

What I tried:

Glazed, Cake Donut, Boston Creme

$3.25 total

 

What to expect:

This little shop is small and clean with normal-sized donuts. There is nothing amazing or spectacular about this shop. If you want a donut that’s fresh and decent, then this is a great place to get a donut. Don’t expect overly large or intricate or specialty donuts here, just the usual.

 

My favorite:

I liked how the Boston Creme had a full serving of cream inside that was spread out throughout the inside of the donut so every bite was creamy and delicious. The chocolate glaze on top was not overly sweet. It was the perfect blend of sweet chocolate on top and cream in the middle with the right amount of dough.

Book Review: How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love With You by T.M. Franklin

How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love With You by T.M. Franklin

A YA Humor Novel published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop (6/10/14)

Summary:

High Schooler Oliver is a nerd. He’s a list-maker and a straight-A student. And he wants to win over the lovely Ainsley. Using advice from his family and friends as well as his sure-to-succeed list, Oliver attempts to win Ainsley over. The only problem is that she already has a boyfriend!

Keywords:

Lists, Boys, Goals, Awkward, Play, Screenplay Writing, Drama Club, Nerd, Determined, Friendship, Advice, Family, Socially Awkward, Younger Brother

My Review:

Boys will be boys… Wrong! Oliver broke that mold completely. He is sensitive and thoughtful and adorably awkward. Girls won’t always be girls either because Ainsley appears to be shallow at first, but as Oliver gets to know her so do we and everyone can see why Oliver has a crush to end all crushes on her. This novel featured realistic characters, even the ‘bad’ boyfriend. Ainsley isn’t an airhead, she has substance to her, even if she is dating the ‘bad’ boyfriend.

The dialogue is absolutely clever and Oliver’s awkwardness and inner thoughts are hilarious. This book shows such a great, and what I think of as accurate, insight into young men and women in high school.

I love how Oliver received a lot of good dating advice… from mothers and fathers and friends and siblings. Make her feel important. Listen to her. Find what’s meaningful to her. All good advice! And Oliver actually puts it to use!

This novel was published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop on June 10th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Twitter

T.M. Franklin’s Website

Book Review: Outbid by the Boss by Stephanie Browning

Outbid by the Boss by Stephanie Browning

A Contemporary Romance Novel published by Amazon Digital Services LLC (7/13/14)

Summary:

Sam Redfern takes a risk when she changes her business plane flight in order to bid on a historical silver candlestick and has to pay for it with company funds. It just so happens her boss is also there to bid on the candlestick. Both Sam and her boss, Chas, have a personal connection to the candlestick. Will this piece of silver get in the way of Sam and Chas developing a romantic relationship?

Keywords:

Candlestick, Family, History, Silver, Senior Appraiser, Auction, London, England, Horses, Riding, Estate, Boss, Countryside

My Review:

From the very first page I was hooked to this story. The first scene held an amazing amount of tension and emotion and intrigue with just a hint of suspense. The two main characters were rapidly introduced and I felt an immediate connection to both Sam and Chas.

This romance had both a plotline and a story. The mystery element was well integrated into the plot and carried the story well without becoming the story. It was all about Sam and Chas and their histories!

I loved Sam and Chas as characters. Chas was just the right amount of “Chas Bloody Porter” and never once went too far. I liked him, even when he said the wrong thing or acted cold at times. Sometimes, he had to be cold to save face, just like a real person. The tension between Sam and Chas was amazing, not only because they were boss and employee, but the sexual tension was alive.

This book delivered a great and satisfying ending. Worth the read.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services LLC on July 13th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.0

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Stephanie Browning’s Website

Weekend Writing Warriors – Donuts in an Empty Field 11#WeWriWa

www_tiny

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts!

Donuts in an Empty Field is a contemporary, realistic fiction, and Young Adult novel about two best friends, the local food challenge, and letting go of anger.

This excerpt is from chapter one.

Vanessa has just shared her last fond memory of her late father with best friend Nichole.

“You should do it,” Nichole declares.
“What?”
“You should do his bucket list.”
“What? No way.”
Mom appears in the doorway and I slide the paper under a stack of folders on the desk.
“Everything alright?” she asks.
Nichole looks at me and I shrug.
“Here, I’ll take the boxes out to the car,” she offers.

Why did Vanessa hide her dad’s bucket list from her mother? Will she actually try to do the things her father couldn’t from the list?

All feedback is welcome 🙂

Purchase the book HERE.

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Local young adult writer, Rachel Barnard, released the first novel in her young adult For the Love of Donuts series titled Donuts in an Empty Field with Life’s a Book Publishing, June 3rd, 2016 (AKA National Donut Day). Order your copy HERE.

Letting go of anger is life’s greatest challenge.

Vanessa hasn’t been the same since her father’s death. A hero until the end, he died saving a restaurant owner’s son from a burning building. Nessa blames the boy, but her best friend Nichole thinks it’s time to let go of the past. In a last ditch effort to break Nessa’s obsession, Nichole hopes signing up for the local food challenge will bust her out of her shell. A single choice defines the road ahead for Nessa. Doing the right thing isn’t easy, but living with the consequences of doing nothing might be worse.

donugts

Subscribe to Rachel’s newsletter to receive important updates and promotions, if you haven’t already. Signup HERE

Add the book to your Goodreads shelf HERE

Book Review: Level Up: A Geek Romance Rom Com, Book 1 (Fandom Hearts) by Cathy Yardley

Level Up: A Geek Romance Rom Com, Book 1 (Fandom Hearts) by Cathy Yardley

A Chick Lit Humor Novel published by Amazon Digital Services LLC (12/30/15)

Summary:

“…relationships are problematic. Careers last. All I obsess about now is work and my fandoms.” (Kindle Locations 55-56).

Tessa Rodriguez is ready to level up in her career, but as a female video game engineer amidst a male-dominated field, she’s pushing at the glass ceiling. Her roommate happens to work at the same video game design company and tells her if she were to be more social she’d fit in more with the guys and they’d probably accept her as one of them. Adam, her roommate is still recovering from his last breakup, a year ago, and his guy friends bet that he can’t find a girlfriend before they fill the open position in the company. A job that Tessa wants is available! Can she snag it or will getting involved with Adam put them both behind?

Keywords:

Introvert, Friends, Romance, Roommates, Library, Gaming, Programming, Career, Video Games, TV Shows, Fandoms, Video Game Engineer, Deadline

My Review:

What an adorable romance! Both main characters were full of personality and quirks. Tessa is shy but opens up immediately when she enters into an accepting environment. In real life, a shy girl would probably not interact as well as self-proclaimed introvert Tessa, but I loved how open she was to being around others and rooting for them. Tessa shows extreme loyalty and devotion!

Adam is the geeky, attractive nice guy. He is the whole package without being over the top! He displayed uncharacteristic respect of his roommate Tessa, which I very much appreciated.

I did not get all the geek references but enjoyed them all the same! This contemporary little romantic comedy was very enjoyable and well put together if a bit dependent on certain situations to occur that wouldn’t normally happen. I especially loved the characters and the setting.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services LLC on December 30tht, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Cathy Yardley’s Website

Book Review: The Heaviness of Knowing (The Conscious Dreamer Series Book 1) by Sharolyn G. Brown

The Heaviness of Knowing (The Conscious Dreamer Series Book 1) by Sharolyn G. Brown

A Science Fiction Novel published by Sharolyn Brown (07/01/16)

Summary:

“Do not let your fear make you dumb to what you know is the truth.” (Kindle Location 796).

Roxal lives in the safety of a compound on Trebor, where her planet has been destroyed, but she has a chance to save the parallel world of Earth through Dream Travel. Roxal connects with an Earthan woman named Lauren in her dreams to influence her work so that Earth can be saved and not meet the same fate as Trebor.

These are all lies. Treboran Keepers want to take over Earth through influencing Earthens using Dream Travel and Roxal and Lauren are both very important cogs in this mission. When Roxal finds out and comes to terms with the lies, she agrees to help. Lauren will also have to come to terms that aliens are trying to use her to take over her world.

Keywords:

Dystopian, Totalitarian, Slaves, Gods, Strict, Order, Fighting, Earth, Alien, Pre-Invasion, Caste System, Parallel Universe, Microprocessor, Technology, Balance, Sleep Deprivation, Meditation, Therapy, Hypnosis, First Contact

My Review:

The first few chapters painted this book as an over -the-top totalitarian style dystopian novel where the caste system was very strict and the citizens were constantly monitored and lied to by the ruling class. The book went so far as to label the ruling caste as “gods” and to not allow the lower castes to even look at the “gods.” The lower castes submitted to everything the gods told them to without question, even going so far as to chant their acquiescence and acknowledgement of the gods’ power and their submission to them. Then Lauren’s story unfolded. Lauren is an unsuspected earthling and her narrative balanced out the typical dystopian society that Roxal lived in.

All the backstory was sandwiched into those beginning chapters in large info dumped chunks, slowing down the narrative, but the intrigue of the completely controlled society and the juxtaposition of Lauren and Roxal and the connection between the two women was enough to keep me turning pages. The author placed many little teases between all the info and I was willing to wait for the meat of the story to begin.

I loved the sign language for communication in the dystopian society and thought this was very clever.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author and this is an honest review.

This novel was published by Sharolyn Brown on July 1st, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.75

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Twitter

Sharolyn G. Brown’s Website

Weekend Writing Warriors – Donuts in an Empty Field 10#WeWriWa

www_tiny

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts!

Donuts in an Empty Field is a contemporary, realistic fiction, and Young Adult novel about two best friends, the local food challenge, and letting go of anger.

This excerpt is from chapter one.

Vanessa is remembering her last fond memory of her father on the day he died.

 

“He wasn’t very good at eating donuts fast, but he made us laugh. He was covered in powdered sugar and it made me think of Christmas snow. I was proud and embarrassed for Dad at the same time. He was so fun, but he was always doing weird things.”

“I remember I could taste the powdered sugar. He was eating so fast that it was poofing everywhere. Bluster kept winding his leash under his legs as he watched us. Mom and I both laughed at Dad. He managed to swallow the first donut and was already stuffing the second one into his mouth.”

 

Purchase the book HERE.

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Local young adult writer, Rachel Barnard, released the first novel in her young adult For the Love of Donuts series titled Donuts in an Empty Field with Life’s a Book Publishing, June 3rd, 2016 (AKA National Donut Day). Order your copy HERE.

Letting go of anger is life’s greatest challenge.

Vanessa hasn’t been the same since her father’s death. A hero until the end, he died saving a restaurant owner’s son from a burning building. Nessa blames the boy, but her best friend Nichole thinks it’s time to let go of the past. In a last ditch effort to break Nessa’s obsession, Nichole hopes signing up for the local food challenge will bust her out of her shell. A single choice defines the road ahead for Nessa. Doing the right thing isn’t easy, but living with the consequences of doing nothing might be worse.

donugts

Subscribe to Rachel’s newsletter to receive important updates and promotions, if you haven’t already. Signup HERE

Add the book to your Goodreads shelf HERE