Book Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina

2 CHILDREN FOR SALE

The scrawled sign, peddling young siblings on a farmhouse porch, captures the desperation sweeping the country in 1931. It’s an era of breadlines, bank runs, and impossible choices. 

For struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching scene evokes memories of his family’s dark past. He snaps a photograph of the children, not meant for publication. But when the image leads to his big break, the consequences are devastating in ways he never imagined.

Haunted by secrets of her own, secretary Lillian Palmer sees more in the picture than a good story and is soon drawn into the fray. Together, the two set out to right a wrongdoing and mend a fractured family, at the risk of everything they value. 

Inspired by an actual newspaper photo that stunned readers across the nation, this touching novel explores the tale within the frame and behind the lens—a journey of ambition, love, and the far-reaching effects of our actions. 

* * * * * * * * * *

“A vivid and original story... McMorris brilliantly chronicles the way in which a moment's fateful choice can result in a lifetime of harrowing consequences. A masterpiece that poignantly echoes universal themes of loss and redemption, Sold on a Monday is both heartfelt and heartbreaking." 

—Pam Jenoff, 
New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale

Guess what?... It's Monday... Again... I feel like we are always here. It's always Monday and you are always reading my blog. Of course, you are. This is the day we lay out everything for the week. Monday!

Its been a really hot week, but a good one. My husband is doing great at his new job. He transferred stores to one that it way closer to home. He was driving an hour to and hour and a half each way, now its an eight minute drive across the Oregon City bridge. Big difference. The boys love having him at home and so do I. It's amazing.

This week I'm planning on reading The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. My sister keeps raving about this book and now they are making a movie out of it, so it must be special. I will read it and report back to you. Let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments bellow.

Last weeks book You by Caroline Kepnes was crazy good. It was creepy and written from the stalkers point of view. It was unlike anything I have ever read. A total must for anyone with a twisted mind like me.

Anyway, on to this weeks menu. Enjoy!

Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, for fifteen-year-old Christopher everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, a neighbor's dog, Wellington, is killed and his carefully constructive universe is threatened. Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favorite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes. What follows makes for a novel that is funny, poignant and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing are a mind that perceives the world entirely literally.

For the first time ever, Lily shares her life and her own deepest secrets, underlining that every single one of us experiences pain and heartbreak. We all understand what it’s like to live in the light and in the dark. For Lily, it’s about making it through to the other side, where you love what you see in the mirror and where you embrace yourself just as you are. She's learned that all it takes is one person standing up and saying something for everyone else to realize they’re not alone.

By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Lily’s honest voice will inspire you to be who you are and say what you feel. It’s time to claim your voice! It’s time to live your life unfiltered.

- Leftovers Night

I've been reading a lot of books lately from my TBR pile for my summer reading bingo card. Turns out, five of the books I've finished in the last two weeks have orange covers which happens to be my favorite color. Strange, but I like it.

Here is your challenge this month... Read 5 books with your favorite color on the cover. It doesn't matter what it is. Share your list with me in the comments. I'd love to know what books you picked. Here are mine:

In this enchanting novel, Matthew Quick takes us inside Pat's mind, showing us the world from his distorted yet endearing perspective. As the award-winning novelist Justin Cronin put it: "Tender, soulful, hilarious, and true, The Silver Linings Playbook is a wonderful debut."

Sundays are always family day. Its really the only day during the week where we are all together. My husband and I have different days off during the week and there is never enough time in the evening to appreciate the closeness of family. Dinner must be done. Baths taken and teeth brushed. Its over before its began.

The one thing my husband and I loved to do is cook and bake together. We had a bag of apples that were on the verge of being thrown away. I hate letting things go to waist, but there were just too many apples for the two of us to eat.

Of course, my husband's sweet tooth did all the thinking and before I knew it, we were studying the ingredients recipe for apple crisp.

This was the best apple crisp recipe I have ever had. So sweet and delicious. It was simple to make and came out perfect the first time we tried it. WIN!

Ingredients:
Apples:
7-8 large apples
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Crumble:
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
2/3 Cup Melted Butter

How to Make:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Peel and slice apples. Place them in an ungreased 13x9 inch baking dish.
3. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle over apples.
4. Combine remaining cinnamon, brown sugar, eggs, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix until they resemble course crumbs. Sprinkle over apples.
5. Pour melted butter over the top.
6. Bake 45-55 minutes or until lightly browned and apples are tender.

Serve warm with ice cream, if desired. 

If you are looking for a good book to compliment your delicious apple crisp. Check out Everless by Sara Holland. I'm pretty sure these people are a kind of vampire who drink blood to live longer. I'm really enjoying this read.

Goodreads: In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.

Is it Monday already? I can't believe how fast this summer is going. It's only 7 more weeks until the kinds go back to school and I finally have my house to myself. That's right. My youngest is going to kindergarten this year. Freedom!

Holy COW... Its been hot out. In the 90's all week. Not my cup of tea. I'm more of an upper 70's kind of girl. Maybe low 80's, but not this sweltering, sweat inducing, heatstroke pushing crap that we are calling summer. I hate summer. It's hot.

Despite the heat, I did manage to write another large chunk of my new manuscript. It's coming along nicely. I would say I'm probably 80% of the way done with the first draft. After this one is done, I've finally come up with a concept for the third book in the Hunter Saga. Its been a while, but I'm back.

This weeks read is going to be Everless by Sara Holland. It's the last book I need to read for my book bingo the library is doing. I can't wait to finish it. Check it out on Goodreads here. This book sounds exciting.

Perfect for current fans and new readers alike, Low Chicago is an all-new time travel adventure that leads to the criminal underworld of 1920s Chicago, featuring a fresh cast of characters from the Wild Cards universe.

Edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin, Low Chicago features the writing talents of Saladin Ahmed, Paul Cornell, Marko Kloos, John Jos. Miller, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Christopher Rowe, and Melinda M. Snodgrass.

Now in development for TV: Rights to develop Wild Cards have been acquired by Universal Cable Productions, the team behind The Magicians and Mr. Robot, with the co-editor of Wild Cards, Melinda Snodgrass, as executive producer.