The Bridesmaid Wore Stains by Conda V. Douglas

Blurb:

Poor Kat. Her best friend Debbie insists Kathleen-the-Klutz wear her ugliest bridesmaid's dress to Debbie's wedding. Worse, Kat must bring a plus one! Much worse, if Kat can't get up the courage to ask her new boyfriend, Gary, Debbie threatens to set Kat up with Kat's childhood nemesis, Luke, as a substitute. Can Kat avoid staining her new relationship with Gary long enough to see Debbie down the aisle, or will her trademark clumsiness condemn her to a bridesmaid's worst nightmare?

Review:

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a short-short “waiting-room” story.  I cannot for the life of me figure out how to write a story with a beginning, middle and end, with fully-fleshed-out characters who engage a reader’s attention, making you laugh, cry, feel what they feel and know the story’s over, even if you do want more.  (All good books leave you wanting more.)  I admire anyone who can do it and revere those who can do it well.  Ms. Douglas, I revere you!  I hope my neighbors don’t hate me, because I read this story at bedtime, which for me is around three a.m., and it made me laugh.  I don’t laugh quietly, as my friends and readers know.

What’s worse, I’m a lifelong klutz and I identified with Kat.  I’ve never been a bridesmaid, but at my wedding I took a header and slid the length of the room during photos.  My (now-ex) hubby and the photographer argued whether I was safe or out.  But I digress.  For a great short read and a big huge laugh, grab The Bridesmaid Wore Stains.

Length:  29 Pages

Price:  $2.50

Buy Link:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/coming-soon/the-bridesmaid-wore-stains-detail

You’ll notice I always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive.  Plug the USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory.  I actually download my books using “Save As” to a “Books” file I created on my computer that’s sorted by my publisher, friends, and books “to review,” and then transfer them to my Kindle from there.  That way, if there’s a glitch with my Kindle, the books are on my computer.  Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

Thanks for visiting. RIW

War-N-Wit, Inc.—Mean Street, LLC by Gail Roughton

 

Blurb:

Another wedding day dawns for the ever-growing Garrett-Forrester Coven as Spike and Stacy get ready to say “I do”! Don’t expect weddings bells and white gowns, though. It’s off to the Drive-Thru Tunnel of Love at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Vegas. Again. It’s sort of a family tradition. But what’s supposed to happen in Vegas just refuses to stay in Vegas. And you’re not going to believe this side-trip!

Review:

I love the Garret-Forrester Coven, and Gail Roughton is a good enough writer to keep a series fresh, so the reader stays engaged. War-N-Wit, Inc.—Mean Street, LLC does not disappoint. When Stacey’s sister, Ariel met Chad’s brother Spike, it was love at first site and they knew they’d have a marriage made in …somewhere. They invite Stacey and Ariel’s parents to the wedding, knowing what a shock the whole thing will be for their gently-bred, Southern mom. Grace Anson always envisioned either church or garden weddings for her daughters, with flowing white gowns, flowers, ribbons, and crystal flutes of champagne afterward either still in the garden, or at a country club, or a very nice hotel—not a Vegas drive-thru wedding, and certainly not on the conveyances her daughters have in mind.

But, the girls are not the only ones having family problems. War-N-Wit, Inc. often works for a concern called “Mean Street, LLC,” a family-owned company run by a man named Gabe Smith. He calls Chad and asks him and Stacey to, “Check out a magic act on the Strip. No big deal.” Gabe and his brothers Mike and Raph are having problems with their brother, “Lucy” (a childhood nickname he hates), and it turns out to be a very big deal. Good thing Stacey’s cat, Micah has managed to “follow her” to Vegas—again.”

Gail Roughton is great at creating characters who are engaging. They keep you laughing, on the edge of your seat, rooting for them, and then laughing some more. While Ms. Roughton didn’t exactly write this as a Christmas/Yule tale, I think it kind of fits this week. Like most of her War-N-Wit novellas, it’s way too short. Oh, it’s complete. It stands well on its own. But it’s only a little over a hundred pages, so it goes really fast and leaves you wanting more.  I would have give the book five roses, but I found some comma splices.  Et tu, Ms. Roughton?  Aw me-ann!

Length:  111 Pages

Price:  $2.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/War-N-Wit-Inc-MeanStreet-Gail-Roughton-ebook/dp/B00F5BVQKC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387140329&sr=1-1&keywords=gail+roughton

Thanks for visiting. RIW

Light My Fire by Elle Druskin

Blurb: 

Widowed single mother Kara Wilson has a lot more in common with Liberty Heights mayor and fire chief Woodrow Wilson than either realize. Both are secretly in love with the other, not daring to hope their dreams can come true. With the help of the “Miracle Dress” and Wayne’s psychic predictions, Kara and Woody just might have a chance for a happily ever after, Liberty Heights style. 

Review: 

Aw me-ann, I read Light My Fire too fast!  Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down.  As usual, Liberty Heights acquired one or two new residents and one or two people came home who had been living out of town, but the main romance focused on Kara Wilson, whose husband, Brian was killed in Afghanistan and Brian’s cousin and best friend, Woodrow Wilson who is Liberty Heights' mayor along with being a paramedic and fire-fighter.  Woody was in Afghanistan with Brian, holding him when he died.  Woody promised to take care of Kara and her daughter, Phoebe—not too difficult a promise to make.  If Woody had been just a smidge faster to ask Kara to the prom, she might have been his.  If he really got honest with himself, he’d cared for her since grammar school.  But Brian asked Kara first, so Woody took ditzy Lou Ann Freedbush who didn’t have a date and probably wouldn’t get one.  Woody is a genuinely nice guy.

Kara has feelings for Woody as well, and he’s always there for her, but she’s sure it’s because he promised Brian.  Will he ever see her as Kara, the woman?  It’s been over five years.  She’s stopped grieving.  She’s ready to date again, and she wants to date Woody.  She was happy with Brian, of course.  But if she’s really honest with herself, she’s had a crush on Woody her whole life.  She wished he’d asked her to prom, but Brian asked first.  Then Woody took that ditzy Lou Anne Freedbush.  That was such a nice thing to do.  She was sure no one else would have thought to ask Lou Ann out.  Should she try the Miracle Dress?  Would it make Woody notice her as a woman and not just Brian’s widow?

Liberty Heights is chock full of quirky people, and equally quirky animals.  Who doesn’t love a deaf dog who hangs out at the Chinese restaurant hoping for scraps because he loves Chinese cuisine, or a parrot who speaks French (not necessarily the French one uses in polite conversation)?  How about a chimpanzee who plays on the local Little League team, at least when they’re practicing?  Darned League won’t allow her to play in actual games and she’s a really good pitcher.  Or an ant-eater who prefers shoes?  Actually, now that Liberty Heights has a new French teacher, Antoine the parrot is spouting Victor Hugo and Balzac.  Wait!  Did George Washington sleep in Liberty Heights and was a battle fought there during the Revolution?  “Aux le barricades!”  Sorry, Antoine, wrong revolution.

This is Book Four in the Liberty Heights series.  Each book stands quite well on its own and will keep you laughing whether you’ve gotten to know the denizens of Liberty Heights and their history or not.  But they’re all funny and charming and wonderful to read.  If you want to feel good, pick up a book and take a trip to Liberty Heights, New Jersey.  You’ll almost wish you could move there, too.

Length:  205 Pages 
Price:  $5.50 
Buy Link:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=736&category_id=58&manufacturer_id=138&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

You’ll notice I always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive.  Plug the USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory.  I actually download my books using “Save As” to a “Books” file I created on my computer that’s sorted by my publisher, friends, and books “to review,” and then transfer them to my Kindle from there.  That way, if there’s a glitch with my Kindle, the books are on my computer.  Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement. 

Thanks for visiting.  RIW