Craving Perfect

My blogging friend, Liz Fichera, has a new release coming out next week, Craving Perfect.

A Life Less...Hers

Grace Mills craves being perfect almost as much as she craves raspberry scones. In fact, her life would be perfect if only she could lose ten more pounds, if only the pastry café she co-owns with her sister would turn a profit, if only the hottest guy at the gym would look her way...

And then "if only" comes true. Grace is suddenly straddling two lives: an alternate reality where she's a size two, weathergirl celebrity and being chased by the hot guy. Only Mr. Gorgeous isn't very nice, and she doesn't get to eat...anything, much less bake!

In her other life, she's starting to realize her sister is less than happy running the family café, and hunky Carlos, the gym's janitor, seems to have a secret crush on her. Maybe there's more to him than meets the eye...

Grace is living two lives and it's beginning to cost her. Is there a way to pick one...that's perfect?

Does that not sound delicious? It comes out on the 25th and I can't wait to get my hands on it :)

Congrats, Liz!

May Reading Summery

Total number of books read: 11

Monthly reading goals:

1. 1 new-to-me author each month -- Carolyn McCray
2. 4 genres/sub-genres each month (I'm adding to that at least one book a month must be non-fiction and/or writing related.) -- Non-Fiction (When Love Is Not Enough by Nancy L. Thomas), Paranormal Romance (Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men (Jane Jameson, Book 2) by Molly Harper), Paranormal Historical Romance (Fated by Carolyn McCray), Historical Romance (Captive Spirit by Liz Fichera), Romantic Fantasy ( Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin, Book 1) by GA Aiken), and lots more of the same
3. Alternate male and female authors (I will say at least one male author per month.) -- Failed again, which is kinda crazy as I have quite a few male authors on my TBR list
4. Write a note to 1 author each month -- Wrote a review for Carolyn McCray

Tag, You're It

I've been tagged by the lovely Liz Fichera.

1) Do you think you're hot?
I live in the desert. Of course I'm hot!! It's perpetually 100 degrees where I live. Oh. Wait. You mean, that kind of hot?! Um, no! But feel free to ask hubby :)

(Told you I was going to steal it, Liz!)

2) Upload a picture or wall paper you are using at the moment.

One of Pickyme Digital Artist's freebies. Psst, authors, she does covers too.

3) When was the last time you ate chicken meat?
Last week. We had Asian Slaw with Teriyaki Chicken. Yum.

4) The Song(s) you listened to recently?
Well, right now Higher Window from Josh Groban's Illuminations is playing.

5) What were you thinking as you were doing this?
Who am I going to tag? And I really need to get stuff done and not be playing online, LOL

6) Do you have a nickname?
Not really. Beloved sis got all the good ones. I sometimes get called Sher but it's not a favorite as I was tormented with Sonny and Cher jokes in elementary school. There's not much you can do with a name that translates into a winy cascade!

And this is where Liz cued the *creepy zombie music*

I'm tagging in no particular order:
George Allwynn
Krista D. Ball
Lindsay Buroker
Reena Jacobs
Ciara Knight
Tia Nevitt
Orlando Ramos
Jordan Summers

(I was wrong, the tags are in alphabetical order, and I didn't even plan that :shudder: Is that OCD?)

Rules: Answer a bunch of semi-embarrassing questions and then randomly tag eight more people who can then answer the same questions and tag eight more people and so on.  Go forth and have fun!

Book Review -- Captive Spirit

Sonoran Desert. Dawn of the sixteenth century.

Aiyana isn't like the other girls of the White Ant Clan. Instead of keeping house, she longs to compete on the Ball Court with her best friend Honovi and the other boys. Instead of marriage, she daydreams of traveling beyond the mountains that surround her small village. Only Honovi knows and shares her forbidden wish, though Aiyana doesn't realize her friend has a secret wish of his own...

When Aiyana's father arranges her marriage to a man she hardly knows, she takes the advice of a tribal elder: run! In fleeing, she falls into the hands of Spanish raiders and finds herself being taken over the mountains against her will. Now Aiyana's on a quest to return to the very place she once dreamed of escaping. And she'll do whatever it takes to survive and find her way back to the people she loves.

I finally got around to reading Liz Fichera's Captive Spirit and am so glad I did!

This is a first person narrative told by 16 year old Aiyana and at its heart lies a sweet love story played out against the desert and mountains around what is now Phoenix Arizona.   Aiyana was a very likable character full of grit.  She thinks on her feet.  Through her challenges, Aiyana realizes her heart belongs at home with her best friend, Honovi.  (I love the friends to lovers theme :happy sigh:)

Fichera weaves the intricacies of Native American daily life and ceremonies beautifully, bringing to life details that made me feel like I was there.  Heart-racing action, life-threatening challenges, and coming of age self-discovery are emotional and vividly written.

Captive Spirit was a well researched, captivating read.  I highly recommend it and am looking forward to Fichera's next release, Craving Perfect, due out this July 25th!