Two Authors-Two Romances - It's Just Life

I know I say it all the time on my blog but I love meeting bloggy friends. There are so many talented and gifted people out there in the blogging world and while I don’t go to the conferences and belong to any huge group of bloggers I do love the folks that I have discovered through this wonderful mode of communication.

When one of “us” has news we like to share it on our blogs so that our readers can be a part of it and today is just that kind of day. I have been waiting to write this post for months and it finally is time. On my journey through blogging I have found many friends but today I would like to share two of those wonderful people with you.

I first started following TBM when I found her blog 50 Year Project where she writes about her challenge to visit 192 countries, read 1,001 books, and watch the top 100 movies. I was intrigued and have lived vicariously through her posts of her travels, her reading, and her movie discoveries. I was pulled in and she in return graciously began to comment on my blog. We formed a friendship across the pond and I was thrilled when she disclosed that she had completed a book and was looking for readers. I could not answer fast enough! Pick me! Pick me!!!

T B Markinson’s book “A Woman Lost” was my reading material on my flight to Salt Lake City this summer and as I landed I emailed her and told her that I didn’t want to land—-I wanted to finish it!!!! I had not read anything about the novel at all prior to loading it on my Kindle and I was glad that I hadn’t because I was able to just read it and enjoy it. While I probably would not normally choose a lesbian romance to read I was so drawn into the characters in the book and wanted to know how it was all going to end. I won’t ruin any of it for my readers —you will have to go get your own copy!!! Right now it is only $2.99 in the Amazon Kindle store . Click here to go directly to the page where you can download a sample, buy a copy of your own and read my complete review of this fabulous debut novel. She also has a blog devoted to her book entitled Making My Mark and I think she has! I am looking forward to novel number two which is in the works.

Many of you know of Hilary from Feeling Beachie fame. I have done her Follow Friday Four Fill In Fun for a couple of years and we have gotten to be good friends. She and her husband Marc suffered along with many when Hurricane Sandy hit their Long Island home. She shared her stories of her beloved cat, Alex, and we all grieved with her when Alex crossed over the Rainbow Bridge and rejoiced when baby kitty Lucy came to live with them. I feel that I have gotten to know Hilary and that is why I love being a part of her big news.

Today Hilary’s debut work, her memoir, hits the digital world at Amazon. Hilary’s book, “Dangled Carat” is about her relationship with Marc, who was a commitment phobic guy.

I must admit that while I was beyond excited to read Hilary’s book I was also a little nervous about reading it. After all—it was HER story. What if I didn’t like it? What if I felt uncomfortable after I read it because I “knew too much about her” or something like that? Rest assured—after reading Dangled Carat I love Hilary all the more and after I got over my initial disappointment in Marc in the beginning of the book I came to understand and love him too.

Hilary has had quite a life and as a professional woman she is hugely successful and competent. In her book she relates how that was not always how she viewed herself. A diagnosis of scoliosis at age 11 found her wearing a back brace for 3 long years . She became withdrawn and quite often the object of teasing as is sometimes the case with someone who does not “fit in” with the ordinary crowd. As Hilary tells her story I could really understand the pain that she went through and her sense of insecurity. Her words were vivid and detailed and I felt like I was that 11 year old girl striving to fit in.

Perhaps the most difficult part of this book to read were the parts relating to her father and his early death. A girl needs her Daddy and Hilary was devastated by the loss of the man who loved her. It was perhaps this loss coupled with her fear of disappointment and rejection that fueled the insecurity within her.

Marc enters the scene and while at times I wanted to reach into my Kindle and choke him for his inability to commit to the woman who was obviously the best thing in his life I came to understand who he was and why Hilary was head over heels in love with him. While she felt she was undeserving of a relationship with Marc ultimately those insecurities were lessened because of Marc. My absolute favorite image from this book is Marc reassuring her when he says “You are smart, you are talented and you are beautiful.” True words.

I read this book quickly and loved seeing into the lives of these people. Hilary has captured her life and those who are a part of her life very skillfully and I am so thrilled to be able to tell you that this is one book that will stay on my Kindle and not be deleted.

You can check out her blog that is devoted to her book by going to Dangled Carat .She is doing a great giveaway of her book, a CD and a gift certificate to Victoria’s Secret!!!! The book is also available on Amazon and you can go download a sample or better yet—buy a copy by clicking on this link to take you directly to the Amazon page.

Please join me by supporting these two wonderful writers who I can also call friends. Spread the word. These are two great writers.