The Time in Between by Maria Duenas

The Time In Between is a word-of-mouth phenomenon that catapulted María Dueñas, a debut author, to the top of Spain’s bestseller lists.

This sweeping novel, which combines the storytelling power of The Shadow of the Wind with the irresistible romance of Casablanca, moves at an unstoppable pace. Suddenly left abandoned and penniless in Algiers by her lover, Sira Quiroga forges a new identity. Against all odds she becomes the most sought-after couture designer for the socialite wives of German Nazi officers. But she is soon embroiled in a dangerous political conspiracy as she passes information to the British Secret Service through a code stitched into the hems of her dresses.

“Destined to become a literary classic."" - Javier Sierra, New York Times bestselling author

“A magnificent novel that flawlessly brings together history and intrigue.” - Juan Gómez-Jurado, author of The Moses Expedition

Good Reads Summary

This novel truly captures the atmosphere of the 1930's and 1940's.  The main character, Sira, is young, capricious, and eager to find her future.  Her mother, a dressmaker, teachers her to grow up like her.  Sira's story would have ended when she became a dressmaker and lived out her days much like her mother if not for a chance encounter with a handsome man.  Their connection is immediate and soon Sira is taking risks for him. 

Ramiro, Sira's lover, takes her to North Africa; he promptly abandons her and his unborn child.  She suffers a mental breakdown, understandable given the circumstances.  In order to pay back Ramiro's debts, Sira takes up sewing once again and finds that she enjoys the activity.  She rubs shoulders with very influential politicians and officials in no time.  Her dresses and clothing line become all the rage and she experiences sudden success.  She is tapped by the British Secret Service to spy on the influential people she meets in everyday life.  She learns to place the Morse code in her clothing. 

This novel was very well-written, smooth and the events flowed throughout the novel.  Sira's breakdown was jarring as are some of the "spying" escapades, but other than that the reader will find him/herself immersed in a smooth, medium-paced novel.  Sira herself is a likable character, she is a strong female character for her time period.  To go from a mental breakdown to spying and paying off debts shows both her determination and strength.  The secondary characters are all interesting to read about.  The reader will find the plot intriguing.  This book is recommended for young adults/adults who enjoy more historical novels concerning the 1930's/1940's time.

4 Stars

Guest Post with Debra Chapoton

I have always been an enthusiastic reader and a lover of words. My profession of teaching grammar,writing and language skills in English and Spanish was the perfect background for easing into a post-retirement career of writing. I love to tell stories that kids and adults would enjoy.

After writing a children’s series of adventure and fantasy books I tried my hand at writing a thriller: Edge of Escape. Emotionally impaired yet clever, Eddie obsesses over pretty Rebecca. He drugs her, abducts her and locks her away. She escapes, but that is part of his plan as he pretends to be her knight in shining armor. Will she accept his special devotion or reject his fragile love?For this book I wanted stalking to get a sympathetic twist, after all, my husband likes to tell me he’d be my stalker if I hadn’t paid attention to him.

Most of my characters, probably all, are based on people I know, especially in my children’s books. In Edge of Escape the characters were easy to develop since the former students I modeled them after were fresh in my mind; I had just had them in class for two semesters. Now, however, Eddie and Rebecca are more real to me than those students. All the time I was writing I felt sorry for Eddie. But at the same time I was rooting for Rebecca. I made her a strong female, not a helpless, screaming victim. I think we girls are tired of pathetic, clueless victims. Rebecca does makes some wrong choices but for the right reasons.

I challenge the reader quite a bit by moving back and forth between the past and present lives of the characters so you get an idea of what motivates each of them. For me the worst character is Eddie’s mother, who shaped his wretched life in a most pitiable way. I wanted to show how trauma, neglect, and abuse affected Eddie and hopefully make readers think about their own attitudes toward people we usually shun.

There are plenty of excerpts from all of my novels on myblog. Come visit me at http://www.edgeofescape.blogspot.com.Thanks for hosting me on this tour.

Guest Post and Giveaway with Martin Sharlow

Hello everyone, I want to thank you for allowing me to be here today.

As some of you might already know, my name is Martin Sharlow. I write paranormal romance, with a little bit of mystery and fantasy mixed in. Personally, I think fantasy is necessary to paranormal romance. Most would consider it urban fantasy, rather than actual fantasy but I don't see much difference except in the timeline. Yes, most paranormal romance is in the modern era or near it. But still fantasy is fantasy. Werewolves, fairies, vampires, and other assorted creatures including magic seems very fantasy related to me.

So in my paranormal romance books, I like to mix that fantasy in there as well. It usually plays a big part in the background. As an example, one of the main antagonists in the Shades series is an unknown plant creature that appears as a human being. Its origin is unknown to the characters, though its base of operations is located throughout the series. This creature is basically based off of nature magic, which may or may not be controlled by an external force or just nature itself. That's something you have to read to find out for yourself.

Without that portion of fantasy in the series, there would be very little beyond the relationship of Melissa and Michael. The creature brings another angle to the story. It helps motivate the characters, as well as build the relationship. Not only with each other, but the various other characters throughout the book. Admittedly the magic isn't like Lord of the Rings or something. It's more in the background generating the creature without seeing it happen, but it is the explanation for the existence of the creature. This is a good example of me incorporating fantasy.

You have to admit that vampires are either in the horror bracket or the fantasy bracket. I know it's paranormal romance, but unless the vampire is a monster, then they become something more like a hero. Well, at least from my point of view, I like to treat it as a fantasy. It helps me in my creative stage as well as the actual writing stage. So when you read my books, expect a little magic. I want to thank you for having me here again, I appreciate being here and meeting your readers. Thanks for having me.

Martin

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11474237-shades-of-blood Here is the Good Reads synopsis of the novel! 

This giveaway will run from August 3rd-August 7th.  To enter, simply become a GFC follower and leave a comment for Martin as well as your email and GFC name. 

The Soulkeepers by GP Ching

When fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau is pulled from the crumpled remains of his mother's car, no one can explain why he was driving or why the police can't find his mother's body. Made a ward of his uncle and thousands of miles from home, a beautiful and mysterious neighbor offers to use her unique abilities to help him find his mom. In exchange, she requires Jacob to train as a Soulkeeper, a warrior charged with protecting human souls.

He agrees to her demands, desperate for any clue to the mystery of his mother's disappearance. But soon Jacob finds himself trapped in a web of half-truths, and questions her motives for helping him.

Goodreads Summary

A great book with a male point of view, unusual in young adult fiction.  The novel starts off with a bang, Jacob is pulled from the wreckage of his mother's car...his mother's whereabouts remaining a mystery.  He suffers from nightmares, ones that could be from the car wreck or could mean something else...  He is taken in by his uncle, a man who doesn't seem to know what to do or necessarily want the boy thrust upon him.  A kind neighbor makes a deal with Jacob, she will attempt to find his mother if he trains to be a Soulkeeper, one who protects souls.  He is, as would be expected, still in almost a state of shock over all of the changes occurring at such a rapid rate in his life.  Malini comes along at the perfect time.  There is a budding romance between Malini and Jacob, very sweet and subtle.  The book takes off from this point on.

Jacob was a terrific character.  He has rough-edges, but the reader will find that some of those edges are smoothed throughout the novel.  He is loyal to a fault to people he feels truly deserves his loyalty and he shows compassion at the perfect moments during the book.  He has his flaws, but those serve to add to his character.  Malini is the calmer one, the character more likely to think things through.  She is a perfect foil for Jacob.  The secondary characters, notable the fallen angels, are just as intriguing to get to know.  This author's take on fallen angels is particularly interesting as she portrays them as hedonistic, brash, and slightly uncaring-a refreshing difference to the other angel novels. 

The events in this book are fast-paced and exciting, it is hard to put this book down.  The plot is different, it likely won't remind the reader of any other plot or book he/she has read.  This book is a mix of genres, the author blends them together very well.  This novel is recommended for teen/young adults readers who enjoy mystery, action, intrigue, romance, and fantasy. 

5 Stars