Review of ONE BREATH AWAY by Heather Gudenkauf

“He has a gun. He has P.J. and he has a gun.” [Augie's phone call to her mother, Holly.]

I want to dive right into telling you about this book but simply telling you about it does not do it justice.  One Breath Away is an emotionally charged novel that you cannot put it down once you pick it up. Complexity aside, it is about a small town in the middle of a hostage situation and the story is told through the eyes of five different people.  Nevertheless, even small towns are newsworthy once in a while. The book’s characters are all conflicted by their pasts and their present and don’t know until the very end that they are the most unlikely of heroes. 

It is a cold and snowy March day when an unknown gunman takes a third grade classroom hostage. It is the day before Spring Break starts at the only school in town.  To make matters worse, Broken Branch, Iowa is suddenly cut off by snowstorm leaving a community shocked and in fear for the safety of their children.  As soon as the intruder enters school, the school is put on lockdown with no idea of the danger that awaits them. 

Holly Thwaite left Broken Branch eighteen years ago and promised herself she would never look back.  When injuries from a kitchen fire leave her recovering in an Arizona hospital, she makes a decision that she never expected to make when she sends her children to Broken Branch to be looked after by their grandfather, a man she never wanted in her children’s lives.  It is not until a phone call from her daughter, Augie, that her perception of her father and Broken Bridge start to change.

Will Thwaite never understood why his daughter, Holly, ran away all those years ago but now he is responsible for her children and he vows to get things right this time.  When he finds out about the hostage situation, he promises that he will not to fail Holly again and he will do anything in his power to bring his grandchildren, Augie and P.J. out of the school safely. In the process, he finds himself struggling to make it to their aid as he assists others with their own obstacles along the way. He finally makes it to the school and is arrested for taking action. After being put in a police car for his own good, Will starts to wonder if he fails when the phone rings and other events follow.

Thirteen-year-old Augie has spent most of her life protecting her brother, P.J. and she is determined to rescue him even if it means putting herself in harm’s away. Holly has two opportunities to escape the school but does not take them. She refuses to fail her little brother and starts to recall why they ended up in Broken Bridge in the first place.  It was the only choice left after she refused to be separated from her little brother.  After everything her family has been through, she refuses to allow things to get worse.

Evelyn Oliver is a third grade teacher ready to finish the school year off with retirement and excited to enjoy that time with her husband, Cal.  Now, she’d faced with a predicament where she must protect her kids even if it means putting her life on the line. She finds herself conflicted with how she feels and how her husband would want her to respond. She recollects on how she met Cal and the things he loves most about her.  She knows he would want her to stay put but she also knows that he knows her too well. Cal knows that Evelyn will protect her students even if it means losing her life and he loves her for that. Evelyn is not sure why the gunman is in her classroom and she tries to figure out if she knows him.  She wonders if he is connected to one of her students.   

Evelyn is correct about the connection between the gunman and one of her students but she does not see that connection until she is in the same room with police officer, Meg Barrett.  Meg wants to know who the intruder is and why he has taken a school hostage.  She thinks about her own hardships and feels there is no excuse for his person’s behavior.  When Meg finds out that the intruder is someone from her past, she risks her own life and disobeys orders to save the hostages.  In doing so, she finds herself face to face with the person she least expected to see.  Is it her estranged brother, someone she sent to jail, her ex-husband or someone else?  Moreover, why did he pick Evelyn’s third grade classroom?

The hostage situation in the school continues while the storm keeps Broken Branch cut off.  There is anxiety and frustration throughout the town.  Everyone is trying to take matters in their own hands but one wrong move can have serious consequences. 

One Breath Away is an emotionally charged and bone chilling novel.  What makes it so terrifying is that anyone can find themselves in the predicament that the five main characters find themselves into.  At any given moment, we can be one of them and if tested, who will you be?

·         Will you be the brave, loving and caring Mrs. Oliver? 

·         Or the powerless but yet strong Holly who would do anything for her children? 

·         How about Will who has vowed to get things right a second time around and will do anything to keep a promise?

·         Or 13 year old Augie who is wise beyond her years and would do anything for those she loves?

·         Or maybe, you will be Meg who will put her life on the line and disobey orders to protect the innocent?

Heather Gudenkauf keeps you hanging at the edge of your seat until the very end.  I kept thinking I knew who the gunman was but I was shocked to find out how completely off I was.  I was taken by surprise.  One Breath Away is an intense and well written novel.  You can purchase One Breath Away through many fine retailers, including Amazon.com. 

Heather Gudenkauf is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels The Weight of Silence and These Things Hidden.  She lives in Iowa with her family.  Visit her website, HeatherGudenkauf.com.

I was not paid for this review.  Thank you to Meryl L. Moss Media for sending me a free copy for my review.

Review of Big Sky Country by Linda Lael Miller

Sheriff Slade Barlow is the illegitimate son of a wealthy rancher.  For his entire life, Slade’s father did not acknowledge his existence.  His father’s attention went to his legitimate half bother, Hutch Carmody, while Slade grew up barely getting by.  The brothers spent most of their lives feuding and it is not until their father passes away that they realize that something has to give.

With John Carmody passes away, the bothers find that their father has equally divided his estate between his two sons.  Included in his estate is a very profitable ranch that Hutch does not intend to share with his brother.  Hutch feels that he is entitled to the entire estate because his father mentored him to take the ranks.  As a result, he is determined to take his brother’s share of the ranch away from him.  He makes Slade a huge monetary offer for his share of the ranch but Slade does not intend to sell to Hutch. 

Slade is tired of Hutch always having everything handed to him while he has had to work hard for everything he has gotten. In fact, Hutch has even had the attention of former prom queen Joslyn Kirk who left town years ago after her stepfather cheated everyone in town out of their hard earned savings.   Joslyn and her mother had to sneak out of town in the middle of the night and Joslyn has spent years trying to pay back the people that her stepfather cheated.  She is now back home and finds that the townspeople are not so forgiving.

Slade tries to convince Joslyn that she is not liable for the criminal acts of her stepfather. He tells her she has nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to be sorry for.  Further, Slade also finds himself questioning his own family’s problems.  He wonders why he wants to keep his share of the ranch. Is it a question of birthright or is he simply trying to get back at his brother?  The brothers' feud will lead to a showdown with the entire town watching and waiting for the outcome.

You can purchase Big Sky Country from the following retailers: Amazon.com, Barnes &Noble, Harlequin, IndieBound, and Powell’s.

You can find about author Linda Lael Miller at www.LindaLaelMiller.com. You can also find Ms. Miller on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Book Review: THE GOOD FATHER by Diane Chamberlain

Welcome to the May 4 stop on the BookTrib Book Tour of Diane Chamberlain’s thriller The Good Father. My post includes an excerpt and a review.

Excerpt:

Her bangs were almost long enough to put behind her ears now, and I tried that but as soon as she hopped out of the van, her hair fell into her face again. Poor kid. She looked like an orphan nobody cared about. I prayed to God she didn't become one tonight.

Review:

Travis Brown was nineteen years old when his daughter, Bella, was born. While his friends were dating and enjoying their teenage and college years, Travis was changing diapers and working hard to raise his daughter – a choice he has never regretted.  Bella is Travis’ entire world and he has done everything in his power to keep her safe and fed.  However, before Bella’s fourth birthday, everything changes.

A fire in their home sends Travis and Bella’s lives into a downward spiral.  He loses his mother and his home in the fire and his job soon after.  He is given an opportunity in Raleigh that he is told will change his entire situation. He heads there with only a few essentials and his daughter in tow with a heavy heart and a hope for better days. Upon arrival he finds that there is no job but only an offer for him to participate in a criminal act.

Travis meets Erin, who has recently lost her own four year old daughter. Six months after losing her daughter, Carolyn, Erin leaves her husband to try to make sense of what happened to her.  Erin’s husband, Michael has channeled his grief into home improvement projects while Erin has not been able to enter her daughter’s room.  Both handle grief in their own way and as a result, they are distanced from each other.  Meeting Bella and Travis allows Erin an opportunity to start healing.

Robin is Bella’s mother, who after having a terrible pregnancy as a teenager due to her heart problems, gives her daughter up for adoption. After having open heart surgery, she finds out from her father that her baby was not adopted and that Travis was raising her.  She also finds out that her father agreed not to fight Travis if he stayed out Robin’s life forever.  Despite her early struggles, Robin is given a second chance at life.  She finds herself in Beaumont where she meets Dale, plans to marry him and is welcomed into his family. Dale is running for mayor and doesn’t know about her past. She hopes that her secret will remain as such but when her seventeen year old sister-in-law has a baby, Robin finds herself longing for the baby she gave up. 

Travis, Erin and Robin’s lives will intertwine. Each will find themselves tested in ways they never expected. These tests will not only bring them together and but they will also force them to fight together. 

My thoughts:

Once I started reading The Good Father, I could not put it down.  I wanted so desperately for Bella to be safe and despite Travis’ bad choice, I sympathized with him. I empathized with Erin and I enjoyed watching her grow from her experience.  As for Robin, she tugs at your heartstrings as she talks about how she ran away from her past only to find herself longing for what she left behind.

Being a Diane Chamberlain fan, I know that she has a beautiful way of creating strong relationships and situations that test human endurance and spirit.  Her characters always come out stronger and on top as a result of the trials that they face. Diane Chamberlain was able to join three lives together and if not for Travis leaving his home, their lives would not have connected as they beautifully and nearly tragically did.

About the Author (from the BookTrib website)

Diane Chamberlain is an award-winning author of 20 novels published in more than 11 languages. She writes complex stories about love, compassion and forgiveness.

Her books, which are often set in her home state of North Carolina, feature a combination of family drama, intrigue and suspense.

Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey. She also lived for many years in both San Diego and northern Virginia before making North Carolina her home.

Diane received her master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, she was a hospital social worker in both San Diego and Washington, D.C. She also was a psychotherapist in private practice in Alexandria, Virginia, working primarily with adolescents.

Diane’s background in psychology and her work in hospitals have given her a keen interest in understanding the way people tick, as well as the background necessary to create real, living, breathing characters.

Several years ago Diane was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which has changed the way she works—she sometimes types using voice recognition software. She feels fortunate that her arthritis is not more severe and that she is able to enjoy everyday activities as well as keep up with a busy travel schedule.

Diane lives with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her shelties, Keeper and Jet.

You can purchase The Good Father through Amazon and many other book retailers.  You can read an excerpt from the book at Diane Chamberlain’s website.

Live Chat with Diane Chamberlain - May 31, 2012

THE GOOD FATHER

Diane Chamberlain

A beloved daughter. A devastating choice.

And now there’s no going back.

Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown had to make a life changing decision. While his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home raising his newborn daughter on his own – changing diapers and working to keep food on the table.  But he’s never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life – the reason behind every move he makes – and so far, she is fed.  Cared for.  Safe. 

But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he’s worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble… 

Bestselling author of The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, The Midwife’s Confession, and The Lies We Told, Diane Chamberlain, returns with her latest and most gripping novel to date, THE GOOD FATHER (Harlequin MIRA; April 24, 2012; $14.95 U.S./$17.95 CAN.), showing the great lengths a father will go to provide for his little girl.

Just when Travis is at a loss for solutions, a job in Raleigh opens up with the power to change their situation.  It has to.  But upon arriving in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions. 

With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter’s sake.  Even if it means he might lose her. 

THE GOOD FATHER

By Diane Chamberlain

MIRA; April 24, 2012

368 pages; $14.95 U.S./$17.95 CAN.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-1346-5

I am participating in Book Trib's blog tour. Look for my review on May 5, 2012.

Trudeau Stress Less Product Line Review and Giveaway

Just in time for Arthritis Awareness Month (May 2012), the good people at Trudeau Corporation sent me products from their newest line of food preparation tools for review. These kitchen tools from the Stress Line product line are designed to reduce the strain on your hands and joints so it makes them ideal for those of us who struggle with arthritis and other limited hand conditions.

I received a complete set from the Trudeau Stress Less product line which included the six following products: 

1. Stress Less Safety Can Opener

2. Stress Less Garlic Press

3. Stress Less Easy Grind Pepper Mill

4. Stress Less Easy Grind Salt Mill

5. Stress Less Pizza Cutter

6. Stress Less Rotary Cheese Grater

The total retail value of the set is $143.00. In addition to my providing a review, the good people at Trudeau Corporation and J.M. Glass and Associates, Ltd. are giving away one complete set. READ MORE AND ENTER GIVEWAY.

Review of The Minefields by Steven C. Eisner‏

Welcome to stop #25 on The Minefields Blog Tour!!!  My stop involves an excerpt from the book and a review.

Excerpt from The Minefields: “I was working so hard to be his finest possible concertmaster, and I felt badly that I hadn’t as yet delivered his first violinist—the love of his life—to bid him farewell. The farewell business had always seemed like a lot of theatrics for the ‘big screen,’ the tearjerker ending with musical swells, sadness on steroids.”

Review: Sam Spiegel has it all – a great career, a beautiful wife and strong family connections. When his sick father, Harry, asks him to take over the family’s advertising business, Sam jumps at the chance.  However, despite being a loyal son and a man who appears to have it all, Sam is struggling to find his identity and there is a lot of tug of war involved in that struggle.

Harry is a Holocaust survivor who has remained entrenched in the old ways and for that reason, he and Sam don’t always see eye to eye on everything, including business.  Sam and his wife, Amy, leave New York and move to Philadelphia to run Harry’s advertising agency. The move and the running of the business cause problems between Amy and Sam.  Amy resents Sam’s decision to uproot their lives and move to Philadelphia.  Their marriage begins to take a back seat to the business leaving Sam wondering whether his marriage can be saved and whether it is even worth salvaging.  Sam flashes back to moments in this life that led him to make the decisions he made to be in the place he is now.

Sam’s is an intelligent character who is loyal to his family.  That loyalty makes him weak and defenseless when it comes to the people who he is loyal to. Sam’s loyalty goes back to the beginning of his career and something that happens to his brother, Mickey, whose role is vital factor in the storyline and Sam’s desire to understand his role in business and the complex relationships that he has.  It is evident that if not for what happens to Mickey, Sam would not have a desire to be successful nor would he struggle with his conscience.

My thoughts: The Minefields offers a complex look at a father and son relationship and the differences between two generations.  Sam and Harry are battling over the future of the family legacy.  Additionally, we see Sam taking a good look at his life and trying to figure what is next for him.  He has accomplished so much in his career but he is still doesn’t feel content.  He is also struggling with an unsatisfied marriage and trying to figure out where he should be and if what he has can be fixed.  If anything, Sam is struggling with the essence of humanity and what it is we all struggle with as we work to find ourselves and to build identities.

Steven C. Eisner did an amazing job looking that the reality of what many of us have experienced in our lives. The fact is that life drags all of us down.  We are always trying to good in our lives but things do not always go as we planned we see that in the character that Steven has created in Sam. Sam’s journey is personal and as he struggles to find himself, you can actually see realism in his character.  I think that is what makes this book so good – there is a part of Sam in all of us.

You can check out the next stop and even the previous stops in the blog tour by clicking HERE.

Purchase: You can purchase your copy of The Minefields at many fine retailers including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

About the Author: “Before writing his novel and after learning the ropes at Doyle Dane Bernbach, New York, Steven C. Eisner created and led Eisner Communications, a Baltimore-based advertising agency, for more than two decades, creating hundreds of effective ad and PR campaigns for leading corporations and associations including Black & Decker, Marriot, McCormick Spices, PhRMA, US Airways, Lenox China, the Maryland Lottery, the Nature Conservancy, and the United Way. Eisner Communications won numerous industry awards including CLIOs, ADDYs, and EFFIEs, and the O’Toole for creative excellence across its entire client roster. The Minefields is Steven C. Eisner’s first novel.” From his website.

Stopain Review

I was contacted to review Stopain Cold a topical analgesic for pain relief. Stopain is available in four formulas: Stopain Spray, Stopain Extra Strength Spray, Stopain Extra Strength Roll-on and Stopain Gel. All the formulas provide fast, temporary relief of pain and stiffness associated with arthritis, muscle aches and back pain. What it does is stop the pain and allows you to get moving again. Sounds simple, right?

The best thing about Stopain is that it goes on cold. If you have arthritis, your joints are constantly inflamed so using a cold product makes a sense. (If you have arthritis inflamed joints, you know what I am talking about.) Further, it is not sticky so it doesn’t stick to your clothes. It is also non-drip so you don’t have to worry about it dripping as you apply. Last, it has a menthol scent that you only smell when you find apply it and I don't know about you but that is long enough.

I received the received the convenient hands free application roll-on. I loved that I didn't have to get my hands messy. No dripping, no stinky smell, and it did not stick to my clothes. It definitely helped me with my back, neck, and should pain and muscle aches. I saw relief within a few minutes.

You can buy Stopain at most pharmacies and drug stores including Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid, CVS and Walgreens. Further, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Stopain are donated to the Arthritis Foundation with a minimum contribution of $25,000.00

For more information about Stopain you can visit their website or Facebook page, where there will also be ongoing sweepstakes.

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Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review. Robin Leedy Associates sent me Stopain Cold Roll-on to try out. The opinions expressed belong entirely to me.