Final pre-publication review of IN THE STARS

So the final pre-publication review of IN THE STARS has come in... and this one made me very happy! It is by Angela Trusty, the 'Ask Angela' columnist for Washington Times and Deseret News. You can follow Angela and her hilarious slash heartfelt advice on Twitter or Facebook and you can read her blog here.


And she has cool hair... and facial expressions...

And now... drum roll, please... here is the review!

"Another excellent book by Whitney Boyd. One of the reasons In the Stars is so entertaining is because Boyd captures her main character's plight so well. Who hasn't chased after a guy? Who hasn't thought, "oops...maybe I missed my chance at happiness with this past man? Better go back and get him!" And yet literature never seems to get it quite right! The pain, the desperation the heartache and the self discovery of it all. What story can wrap all of those deep - and sometimes (in hindsight) humorous - feelings into one book?

"Where others have failed In the Stars succeeds. Through every bump in Charley Southards journey I wanted to shout, "I've been there!" or "I've felt this!" she is just such a relatable character and her honesty and vulnerability along with Boyd humor make this such an excellent read! I suggest anyone who has ever sought after true and lasting love read this book. You'll love it!" - Angela Trusty

 

Thank you, Angela! Hopefully you will check out her great advice columns. You will thank me. Anyway, In the Stars  will be released in print on November 12 and is currently available at an ebook pre-release bargain on Amazon. Only costs a couple dollars... so check it out and let me know what you think!

 

Have a lovely day, all!

Review of 'In the Stars'

Of all three of my women's fiction novels, 'In the Stars' was my favourite to write. It relates, albiet abstractly, to a lot of people I know, especially my close friends and family. The characters are real, I could visualize them perfectly, I knew their histories and their quirks and I loved them all. And the growth that I felt as the author and inside the head of the main character made it all the better.

The book is currently available as a kindle on Amazon with a pre-publication special price, and the paperback version will be out on November 12.

Anyway, because I love this one so much, I was nervous to begin sending it out for pre-publication reviews. It's like standing naked in a crowd... people get to see inside your soul. And yet, when my first review from Julie Ford came back, I was relieved that she loved it.

And now I'm ready for a great weekend because yet another great review has come in.

Amy Saia, author of 'The Soul Seekers' and blogger at ThatAmySaia, just sent me her review of 'In the Stars'. Read it below:

"Charley Southard is one of those people who thinks she has nothing but is surrounded by treasure. She just can’t see it yet.

Recently—and wrongfully—laid off from a job at a law firm, and without a penny to her name, In the Stars starts with Charley in one of those situations we all hope to avoid: too many items at the checkout counter and not enough money to pay for them all. I instantly felt bad for the girl and was glad she had cute best friend Josh to sympathize, yet push her through, all these seemingly insurmountable troubles. Unfortunately Charley is stubborn. Everything would be better if she reunited with an old flame, her college boyfriend Drew. Soon Charley is on the road with a mission that feels doomed from the start. But what does she have to lose?

My favorite sections of In the Stars were the descriptions of Charley’s job as a law clerk. I found these parts of the book extremely unique and well done. Also interesting is that the novel takes place in Canada. Perhaps I’ve been missing out, but there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of modern fiction in that particular setting and I really liked reading about the landscape, architecture and society of Canada.

I will admit to cringing as Charley headed toward what could be called stalker status as she located and pushed herself on Drew. Oh no, Charley. Nooooooo. At the same time, I could see those exact moments the kind that would make a really fun movie. The author takes you through each moment you told yourself couldn’t and shouldn’t happen and yet still manages to wrap things up in a realistic and bittersweet way. In the Stars is a young book with a wise heart. I truly enjoyed the author exploring all aspects of the flawed Charley: her life, how she treats people, what it means to grow up and accept responsibility, yet still stand up for what you believe. You feel as if no stone has been left unturned. You the reader have been respected with a novel that has been written with grace and honesty.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and hope it does well. Whitney Boyd is a talented writer with a gift of making the unbelievable come to life. She has a confident style and you fall easily into her expert storytelling. "
- Amy Saia

 

 

The Racketeer by John Grisham - Book Review

I love John Grisham. He is probably my favourite author in the entire planet... his writing style is intelligent yet easy to read, his books are fascinating and his characters are always believable. However, his newest book, The Racketeer, that came out late last year, is better than any book I've read by him yet!

 

Seriously.

 

Amazing book. I give it a 5 out of 5 rating and would give it even more if I could. It's that good.

 

What's it about? Malcom Bannister, a former marine and former lawyer, is in prison. As a lawyer, he had become involved in a real estate transaction in good faith. However, this turned out to have involved the purchase of a secluded hunting lodge where a crooked Capitol Hill lobbyist invited corrupt Congressmen for orgies with underage girls. When the scandal was exposed, Bannister was caught up in big a FBI sweep, his name was added to many others on a hundred-page racketeering charge sheet, his protestations of innocence ignored, and he got a ten-years prison term. It's been five years... his wife has left him, he has been disbarred and his son hasn't seen him since he was arrested. He is extremely bitter because his life has been effectively ruined by the government.

 

But then a federal judge is murdered and the FBI have no clues... except Malcom knows. He knows who killed the judge and why and promises to tell the FBI if they set him free.  This he achieves by the middle of the plot, dictating his own terms to the FBI. However, his revenge on the US Federal Government is far from complete.

 

There are so many twists and turns in this book. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, everything got mixed up again and again. This is the most fascinating book I've ever read by anyone. Period. Loved every page and will definitely read it over and over again! Go read it. You will thank me for it!

 

And when you're finished, if you want to read something lighter, how about trying one of my novels... Tanned, Toned and Totally Faking It is the story of a celebtiry caught up in Hollywood life.  Iced Romance is the story of a highly publicized scandal that sends Kennedy on the run... escaping to a brand new life while trying to hide from her past. My third novel, In the Stars, will be released on November 12.

 

Have a lovely day, everyone! And, if you've read The Racketeer, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Did you love it as much as I did?