Readers' Favorite

November 7, 2015

A Favorite ~ The Hitwoman Hires a Manny by @JB_Lynn_author

cover The Hitwoman Hires a Manny

Inept hitwoman Maggie Lee has a lot to juggle.

She’s about to start a new job, her niece, Katie, who she is responsible for, is finally coming home from the hospital, and her ever “helpful” aunt has hired someone to help with her care.

Fresh out of the Navy, Angel Delveccio is not anyone’s idea of a typical nanny.

Which is convenient, considering Maggie’s life is anything but typical.

With the help of her snarky lizard, moody cat, and goofy dog, Maggie tries to solve the cold case of her sister’s disappearance, while contending with the present day threat of a violent ex-con, all while playing instant “mom” and trying to ease Katie’s transition into her new home.

Can Maggie juggle it all? Or will all of these distractions prove to be deadly?

Wonderful Must Read ~ S. Berkowitz

I want more ~ SCambra

Book 12 can't be too soon ~ Linda


Buy The Hitwoman Hires a Manny at Amazon


Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

November 6, 2015

Writing for the Fan(s)

by Chris



With book sales steadily approaching double digits, I sometimes—just sometimes—wonder why I do what I do, or why I started in the first place. Motivation, I think, is an elusive beast for many writers—frequently hunted and rarely caught. It’s easy to claim that you write just to write, for yourself or to improve your craft, but I believe that secretly, most writers write to be read. It’s human nature to seek validation for what we create, and the wider the range of that validation—the larger the audience—the easier it is to believe that what we’ve created has some kind of value, some kind of worth.

Of course, it isn’t easy to become widely read, as I’ve written before. Publishing, distributing and marketing your work is no easy task, and even then, the odds are overwhelmingly against you. A quick Google search reveals some depressing numbers: if a person read a different book every day for 70 years, they would make it through roughly 0.02% of all the books ever published. If you distributed all those books evenly to every person in the world, only about 50 people would get yours. And then they might not read it.

Against numbers like these, it can feel like there can be no triumph, no winning. But then, art was never really about the numbers. (Except for fractals. Fractals are about the numbers.) If what you create has the ability to touch the life of even a single person, is it not then, perhaps—just maybe—worth it?

I recently had the chance to watch someone read a pivotal scene in my book. (If this sounds weird, you should try it sometime.) The person in question is a colleague at work who started with us recently. Probably the first thing I noticed about him was the Deathly Hallows pendant he wore permanently around his neck. The second was the battered and worn copies of Harry Potter that were always within arm’s reach. Was this an opportunity to pitch my fantasy novel to a clear fan of the genre?

After a short conversation, I learned that reading was far more than a hobby for him. During an oppressively religious upbringing, the books his aunt surreptitiously supplied him with kept him going. In a way, Harry Potter saved his life. I was saddened, and inspired, and more than a little discouraged; how could my paltry book possibly complete with such lofty standards? Still, I told him about The Redemption of Erâth, and offered him a copy: his enthusiasm and gratitude alone were worth it.

In fact, I expected him to read a few pages and shelve it; I know I’m no Rowling. I thought perhaps I’d get some generic platitude about it in a week or two, and that would be the end of it. I wouldn’t have been disappointed. Instead, within a few days my book had become the default lunchtime reading material whether I was there or not, and I watched as he voraciously devoured page after page. I admit to feeling a little bit of embarrassment, and no small measure of pride: could it be that he really like it?

Then one day I walked in to the break area as he was reading, and saw from the chapter heading that he was about to read through one of the most pivotal scenes in the book. It comes about two-thirds of the way into the book, and (without giving too much away) involves the very unexpected death of a major character. In fact, this scene is what sets in motion the events of the rest of the entire series. I don’t think he saw me, and so I sat down quietly and watched as he paged ever closer to the end of the chapter.

It so happens that you don’t fully see what’s happened until the very last paragraph, which in the paperback edition falls on a page of its own. I saw him turn the page; I watched his eyes scan to the last word. I realized I was terrified. He paused for a moment—and then, quite suddenly, flipped back a page and read it all again. And again. Still without seeing me, he looked up into empty space. “Wait … what?” he uttered.

I imagine I felt somewhat like Rowling must have felt when her editor read Deathly Hallows for the first time. Giddy and triumphant at having elicited such a response, I bizarrely also felt guilty, horrified and ashamed. It seemed like I had genuinely just upset someone.

Then he saw me. Eyes blazing, he cried, “What did you do?”

“I’m sorry!” I blurted. “I didn’t mean to!”

“No,” he said. “It’s brilliant!”

A few days later, he came to me. He put a hand on my shoulder. “When’s the next one coming out?” is all he asked.

In fact, the second book has been languishing in edit hell for months, and although I originally intended to release it in December, it’s looking less and less likely that that’s going to happen. But my friends, if ever I needed validation, this was it. I found my motivation. I have my reason to carry on.

I don’t need an audience of thousands. I will write for my fan.



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November 5, 2015

Looking For: Book Reviewer


Do you like to read? Do you like to tell others about the latest novel you read? Do you like to discover new authors? If you answered yes to these questions, then I have an offer for you.

Girl Who Reads is looking to add a reviewer to our staff. The successful candidate will be responsible for at least 2 reviews per month. Reviewers of all genres will be considered, but preference will be given to those that enjoy horror, epic fantasy, and/or romance?

Please note, Girl Who Reads does not review erotica.

As a reviewer at Girl Who Reads, you will be eligible for a Netgalley account and receive advance reader copies from top publishers. Girl Who Reads also receives a number of direct requests from indie authors and small presses. While print copies are offered, there is a rising trend in providing only electronic copies. Therefore, individuals interested in reviewing should be able to read either mobi (Kindle), epub (Nook, Kobo), or pdf.

The selected reviewer will need to submit their first reviews by January, though starting earlier is fine.

If you are interested in reviewing for Girl Who Reads, please send an email to donna (at) girl-who-reads.com. In the email, please indicate your preferred genres, whether you reside in the US or aboard, and include a sample of a review (can be any book you've read recently).

Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

November 4, 2015

Quotes for Book Nerds: An Epic Reads Video

Which quote is your favorite? 



Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

November 3, 2015

Review: In an Instant by Janae Mitchell

by Claire Rees



cover In an Instant


As I sat on Bri's window seat, pretending to read, I couldn't help but watch the pool below, and how Kaden couldn't seem to keep his hands off of Brooke. I couldn't blame him, though. If I was a guy, I'd probably have a hard time keeping my hands off her, too.









The Review

We meet Emersyn, she has been in love with her best friends brother, Kaden, for years. But he has always seemed to like her only as a little sister. Everyone else can see that she is in love with him apart from Kaden.

They spend most days together with his sister, Emersyn's best friend, at their house, growing closer and closer. But only as friends, like brother and sister.

Then everything changes, Kaden is in a life threatening motorcycle accident and loses multiple limbs. Due to internal injuries the doctors are not sure he will survive and Emersyn decides to tell him how she feels, he says it back but she is not sure if it is because he is high on medication or if he means as a sister so she just a take it that way.


An intense emotional roller coaster this story brought me to tears. It is extremely well written and will have the reader experiencing all of the emotions with the characters as if they were part of the story. If too enjoy stories about overcoming huge obstacles, first loves, the inner strength of some peoples will never to give up, to keep fighting for the life they have then this is the story for you. This is one of the best stories I have read all year.

Buy In an Instant at Amazon


Book info:
available formats: ebook and print (227 pages)
published: June 2015
ISBN13
genres: contemporary romance
read: October 2015




Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

November 2, 2015

New Releases November 2015 #MondayBlogs



cover Paper Hearts
Your enemy is the blank page. When it comes to writing, there's no wrong way to get words on paper. But it's not always easy to make the ink flow. Paper Hearts: Some Writing Advice won't make writing any simpler, but it may help spark your imagination and get your hands back on the keyboard.

Practical Advice Meets Real Experience

With information that takes you from common mistakes in grammar to detailed charts on story structure, Paper Hearts describes:

How to Develop Character, Plot, and World
What Common Advice You Should Ignore
What Advice Actually Helps
How to Develop a Novel
The Basics of Grammar, Style, and Tone
Four Practical Methods of Charting Story Structure
How to Get Critiques and Revise Your Novel
How to Deal with Failure
And much more!

BONUS! More than 25 "What to do if" scenarios to help writers navigate problems in writing from a New York Times Bestselling author who's written more than 2 million words of fiction.

Available November 1
Buy Paper Hearts at Amazon


cover A Kiss is Still a Kiss
A Kiss. Nowhere does there exist a stronger expression of romance. If love is the universal language, then a kiss is the alphabet by which we communicate that most basic of all emotions. As unique as the individuals who engage in this delightful expression, a kiss can be tender or passionate, affectionate or amorous, but when shared by a couple there’s no better way to say, “I love you.”

A Kiss is Still a Kiss offers a buffet of stories to tempt the appetites of romance readers. Twenty authors, from beloved, familiar names to fresh new voices, present tales of love in a variety of genres. Experience the rush of first love, the excitement of unanticipated romance, and the joy of fading love restored. Within these pages you’ll relish a surprising and satisfying collection of styles: sweet contemporary, romantic historical, delightful regency, laugh-out-loud humor, gripping suspense, and even a few whimsical tales of fantasy and science fiction. Why? Because regardless of genre…A Kiss is Still a Kiss.

Available November 1
Buy A Kiss is Still a Kiss at Amazon


cover Silver Girl
Meredith Martin Delinn just lost everything: her friends, her homes, her social standing - because her husband Freddy cheated rich investors out of billions of dollars.

Desperate and facing homelessness, Meredith receives a call from her old best friend, Constance Flute. Connie's had recent worries of her own, and the two depart for a summer on Nantucket in an attempt to heal. But the island can't offer complete escape, and they're plagued by new and old troubles alike. When Connie's brother Toby - Meredith's high school boyfriend - arrives, Meredith must reconcile the differences between the life she is leading and the life she could have had.

Set against the backdrop of a Nantucket summer, Elin Hilderbrand delivers a suspenseful story of the power of friendship, the pull of love, and the beauty of forgiveness.

Available November 3
Buy Silver Girl at Amazon


cover DC Trip
Author and comedienne Sara Benincasa takes a bold, fearless and irreverent look at the classic high school trip to Washington DC.

Alicia Deats is a new teacher chaperoning her very first high school trip to Washington DC, and nothing could be more terrifying than a class full of horny, backstabbing, boundary-pushing teenagers under her watch. To make matters worse, she embarrassed herself with her co-chaperone Bryan Kenner with one too many margaritas and an ill-placed vomiting incident at last year’s teacher mixer and is hoping this trip can be a fresh start for them. Alicia believes in positive reinforcement and trust to keep her students out of trouble, but best friend high school sophomores Gertie, Sivan, and Rachel have a different idea: they plan to take full advantage of the un-parented freedom that a trip to DC offers. DC TRIP by novelist-comedian Sara Benincasa is an honest and irreverent journey of sexual confusion, bar shots, drag queens, and pot cookies in the Rose Garden.

Available November 3
Buy DC Trip at Amazon


cover Torment of Rachel Ames
Suffering from writer’s block, novelist Rachel Ames escapes to a lake cabin to calm her mind and regain a sense of herself. The location is perfect. Isolated. Beautiful. Inspiring. It even comes with a good-looking landlord who shows an interest in her. But she can’t shake the sense that something terrible has followed her to the lake, something just beyond her consciousness, something out on the edge where the sounds of a raging fire and sirens linger whenever she slows down to listen. Determined to make the cabin work, she tries to settle in and give her new life a chance. But when strange things begin to happen around her, she wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake. As the darkness that’s followed her manifests itself in inexplicable ways, her concept of reality is stretched thin and she realizes nothing at the lake is what it seems. As she fights to survive with her sanity intact, she understands too late that the location she’s chosen for herself is far from perfect.

Available November 10
Buy The Torment of Rachel Ames at Amazon


cover Tricky Twenty-two
Something big is brewing in Trenton, N.J., and it could blow at any minute.

Stephanie Plum might not be the world's greatest bounty hunter, but she knows when she's being played. Ken Globovic (aka Gobbles), hailed as the Supreme Exalted Zookeeper of the animal house known as Zeta fraternity, has been arrested for beating up the dean of students at Kiltman College. Gobbles has missed his court date and gone into hiding. People have seen him on campus, but no one will talk. Things just aren't adding up, and Stephanie can't shake the feeling that something funny is going on at the college - and it's not just Zeta fraternity pranks.

As much as people love Gobbles, they hate Doug Linken. When Linken is gunned down in his backyard it's good riddance, and the list of possible murder suspects is long. The only people who care about finding Linken's killer are Trenton cop Joe Morelli, who has been assigned the case, security expert Ranger, who was hired to protect Linken, and Stephanie, who has her eye on a cash prize and hopefully has some tricks up her sleeve.

Available November 17
Buy Tricky Twenty-Two at Amazon


cover Awaken
“Happily ever after is hers for the taking.”
Once upon a time I found myself locked away in Spindle Ridge Asylum, punished for a murder I didn’t commit. It was all part of Maleficent’s evil plan. I didn’t remember who I was then … now I do. My name is Aurora, and I am the rightful queen of this realm. Armed with my memories, I’m ready to take charge of my kingdom once more. Happily ever after evades me, yet I long to claim it with my true love, Sawyer, beside me. That fairy tale ending seems impossible with him locked in the thralls of a sleeping curse. As much as I’d love to sit by his bedside and eagerly await a cure, I must first travel into the terrifying Dark Woods to stop Raven from stripping me of all that is rightfully mine. I am not only a queen, but a warrior who will fight for her kingdom. Some may die. Blood will be shed. But when this ending comes, I will settle for nothing less than a blissful ever after.

Available November 17
Buy Awaken at Amazon


cover Should've Said No
Welcome to Thistle Bend! Perfect for fans of Susan Mallery, this charming series debut introduces a small town where old secrets are revealed—and wounded hearts are opened to new love.

A year after being laid off from the Smithsonian, Lindsey Simms says yes to a job offer as curator of a heritage museum in Thistle Bend, Colorado (population 1,519). It could be worse—and it is. Because the new museum has escalated a dispute between the Karlssons, Lindsey’s relatives, and the Crenshaws, a blood feud which goes way back to a land deal that changed the fortunes of both families. Trying to stay objective, Lindsey can’t tell anyone about her conflict of interest—especially not the ruggedly handsome handyman fixing up her cabin, who seems to be keeping secrets of his own.

Although he’s the executive director of the family trust and one of Colorado’s most eligible bachelors, Carden Crenshaw prefers getting his hands dirty in town and on his sprawling ranch. Staying busy has given him an excuse not to risk heartbreak, but getting to know the beautiful “museum lady” makes him reconsider. Little does he know, the heat between them will only add fuel to the fire—unless this unlikely couple can prove they’re lovers, not fighters.

Available November 24
Buy Should've Said No at Amazon

Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

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