WOW Blog Tour for “Finding Fran” by Nancy Christie

I am honoured to be part of the WOW! Women of Writing Blog Tour for Nancy Christie’s novel Finding Fran.

(Please note: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.)

My Review:

Finding Fran by Nancy Christie is the second in her Midlife Moxie series, a novel that is one of the best I’ve read this year (of the over 70 books I’ve read so far this year – being retired helps with that).

From the beginning, I was drawn into Fran’s life, her problems and her inner turmoil. She could be any of us “of a certain age”, women who face uncertain futures or are struggling with what is happening in their lives.

Fran escapes to the Whale Inn in an effort to get some distance and clarity from the writer’s block she is experiencing and the problems with John, her boyfriend. The week at the inn is a godsend. From Martha the innkeeper, to others in the small nearby town, Fran begins to move forward, trying to discover what it is she truly wants.

Ms. Christie has crafted a well-written, fascinating exploration of a woman’s need to reinvent her life, even though Fran struggled to change. By creating a new main character for her new novel, Fran used Cookie to explore what it was to be a strong, independent woman. (I so enjoyed this look at how an author faced writer’s block and created a new character, a new book.)

The interactions between Fran and her best friend Diana and with Martha were so enjoyable. Sparkling dialogue, gutsy characters, these two were the perfect fairy godmothers as she calls them.

This is a must read – a 5* read for me. Finding Fran is a guiding light for anyone who questions where they are going and seeks to find themselves.

Book Summary

Once a best-selling romance novelist, 55-year-old Fran Carter is now dealing with a slow but steady drop in book sales and a major case of writer’s block, complicated by the knowledge that her lover, a professional photographer, has been on the wrong side of the camera (so to speak) with his models. (So much for her author brand, built on the premise that women in their fifties and beyond can still find love and happiness.) Her solution is to spend a week in isolation at a northern California bed-and-breakfast. There she hopes to resolve her professional and personal conflicts, and ultimately create a new and better future for herself by writing a new “story” for the Fran she wants to be!

ISBN-13: 979-8350942248

ASIN: B0CWTNN8ZC

Print Length: 302 pages

Purchase a copy of Finding Fran on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author, Nancy Christie

Nancy Christie is the award-winning author of eight books—two novels: Reinventing Rita and Finding Fran; three short story collections: Mistletoe Magic and Other Holiday Tales, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories and Peripheral Visions and Other Stories; two books for writers: Rut-Busting Book for Authors and Rut-Busting Book for Writers; and the inspirational book,The Gifts Of Change. Her short stories and essays have appeared in print and online publications, with several earning contest placement. The host of the Living the Writing Life podcast and the founder of the annual “Midlife Moxie” Day and “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day, Christie teaches writing workshops at conferences, libraries, and schools. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), the Florida Writers Association (FWA) and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA).

You can find her online:

Website: https://www.nancychristie.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyChristieAuthor

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/NChristie_OH

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancychristie_author

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@nancychristie_author

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nancychristie_author

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nancy-christie

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nancy-Christie/author/B001K8GBYK

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1048768.Nancy_Christie

Midlife Moxie Novel Series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@midlifemoxienovelseries3804

Books by Nancy Christie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NancyChristieAuthor

Living the Writing Life podcast: https://livingthewritinglife.podbean.com/

Blog Tour Calendar

April 22nd @ The Muffin

Join us as we celebrate the launch of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of her book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

April 25th @ The Faerie Review

Visit Lily’s blog for a spotlight of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

https://www.thefaeriereview.com/

April 26th @ StoreyBook Reviews

Visit Leslie’s blog for her spotlight of an excerpt in Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

https://storeybookreviews.com/

April 26th @ Bookplaces

Visit Kay’s blog for her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie. She’ll also be interviewing the author as well!

Welcome To My Blog

April 29th @ Just Katherine

Join Katherine to check out her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com/

May 1st @ Affinito Lit

Join Stephanie for a feature of Finding Fran and a chance to win an eBook.

https://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit/

May 4th @ A Wonderful World of Books

Visit Joy’s blog for her spotlight of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/

May 5th @ Bring on Lemons

Join Crystal for a review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

https://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

May 7th @ A Storybook World

Visit Deirdra’s blog for her spotlight of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

https://www.astorybookworld.com/

May 9th @ Knotty Needle

Join Judy’s blog for a review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/

May 10th @ Beverley A. Baird

Visit Beverley’s blog for her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com

May 15th @ Writer Advice

B. Lynn Goodwin will be interviewing Nancy Christie about her book Finding Fran.

https://writeradvice.com/

May 17th @ Sarandipity’s Designs

Join Sara for her interview with author Nancy Christie. You’ll also have the chance to win a copy of the eBook.

Welcome to Sarandipity’s

May 20th @ World of My Imagination

Join Nicole for her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

May 21st @ Sara Trimble’s blog

Visit Sara’s blog for her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

https://saratrimble.wordpress.com/

May 22nd @ Create Write Now

Mari L. McCarthy will be spotlighting Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

https://www.createwritenow.com/life-matters-blog

May 24th @ Word Magic

Visit Fiona’s blog for a spotlight of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

May 26th @ Boys’ Mom Reads

Visit Karen’s blog for her review of Finding Fran by Nancy Christie.

https://karensiddall.wordpress.com/

Goddess Fish Review for “Sea Glass and Fireflies” by Kate Ellington

I am honoured to be part of the Goddess Fish Book Tour for Kate Ellington’s historical romance Sea Glass and Fireflies.

I am late with my review and apologize. Recovering from surgery three weeks ago was more of a challenge than I had anticipated.

(Please note: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.)

My Review:

From the beginning, I was drawn into this delightful historical romance. Kate Ellington has created very real characters, especially Elsie and Charles.

Elsie has lost her fiance and escapes to recover at her Uncle Max’s home. She reunites with Charles, her best friend from her childhood. As they reconnect, we are presented with flashbacks to the past and learn what happened to their friendship.

There is a mystery for Elsie to solve about Gabriel, her betrothed. And as she and Charles work together for her uncle, we can’t help but wonder whether there will be a second chance for them. There is grief and loss to face and then her feelings for Charles to work through.

I would highly recommend this historical romance, which gives us much detail of the time and an intriguing story to capture your imagination. Lovely writing, interesting characters and secrets to unravel make this a most enjoyable read.

Book Blurb

Elsie Hayward moves into her uncle’s seaside estate on what should have been her wedding day. All she wants is peace and quiet, and to escape the guilt that’s haunted her since her betrothed was lost at sea. Any hope of tranquility is dashed, however, when Charles Rockingham arrives in town. A lifetime ago they’d been best friends and almost more. If there’s one person she can’t hide her feelings from, it’s him. Charles hasn’t received a letter from Elsie in over a year. He returns home hoping to recapture the deep bond they once shared, but shadows of the past stand between them. One last secret must be revealed before they can find their way back to each other.

Excerpt:

Invigorated by the stirring wind, Elsie ran through the garden to the beach. It was her favorite kind of weather.

 When her feet touched the sand she let out a happy sigh. After walking for a few minutes, she reached a driftwood log as big as a tree, its roots and branches removed or washed away years ago. With the tide as high as it was now, the log was close to the shoreline. She sat down in the sand and rested her back against the cold wood, facing the sea. The full moon reflected on the dark, undulating waves.

 In the distance, the foghorn sounded. It was mournful yet held the sound of safety for those ships out on the water. She closed her eyes and listened to the gathering wind. Soon there came a new sound: rocks crunching under light steps. She didn’t have to turn to know it was Charles.

 He sat on the log, his knee almost touching her shoulder. “What are you doing out here, Elsie? A storm is coming.”

 “This has always been my favorite time on the beach,” she said, craning her neck to look up at him.

 “I know, and I’ve told you since we were children it isn’t safe.”

 “We’ll go in before the storm really hits.” She turned her face into the wind.

 “Are you ready to talk now about why you ran away?” Charles sounded like he was awaiting a confession.

 She traced patterns in the sand with her fingers. “I wasn’t running away.”

Author Bio and Links:

Kate Ellington grew up in a woodsy New England town where summer days at the lake seemed to last forever. She read her first historical romance at age eleven when a teacher challenged her to find a book in the library written by an author she’d never heard of. Thus began a life-long love of love stories.

After graduating from college with an art degree she settled in the Pacific Northwest, where she currently resides with her family.

Kate wrote her first romance when she was sixteen, then set her pen down for years until another story floated into her head out of the clear blue sky. She jotted it down, just for fun, but soon it took on a life of its own.

 https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29720924.Kate_Ellington

 https://www.kateellington.com

 https://www.facebook.com/kateellingtonauthor

First Friday Poetry- May 3 (on the 4th!)

First Friday Poetry is our year long poetry challenge for 2024 . On the first Friday of each month, Linda and I (and anyone else who joins in) will be writing a poem of our choice – no themes and a photograph inspired by the poem or inspiring the poem.

Last year I wrote 30 word poems. I enjoyed the limitation, but this year I decided I needed a change. I am expanding to 48 word poems – in honour of 2024 (24 x 2!).

A brand new month and finally the weather is improving, flowers are blooming and birds are returning. Once again we have a nest on our porch, but not on the ladder on the wall, as in past years. No, this year, robins chose our wicker corner shelf to build their nest. I decided that this was what I would write about this month.

Robins’ Nesting

The nest appeared one morning

Secured atop our corner bookshelf

Soon 4 blue robin eggs

Nestled in that nest

Parents tag team, back and forth

Through the window, to the fake tree

Mother scolds from the roof

When we invade her domain

But soon, baby robins will appear.

We hope that you will join us by writing a poem or two this year.

Don’t forget to check out Linda’s poem here.

Cheriee is joining us again this year. Here is her poem.

Hope to see you in June – first Friday in June is June 7th.

WOW Blog Tour for “Dancing Between the Raindrops” by Lisa Braxton

I am honoured to be part of the WOW! Women of Writing Blog Tour for Lisa Braxton’s memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

(Please note: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.)

My Review:

The subtitle of Lisa Braxton’s memoir accurately describes the purpose of her book – ” A Daughter’s reflection on love and loss.” She shares with us in much detail, memories of the past. She lost both parents within two years of each other – her mother in 2020 and her father in 2022.

I would also add to this – she gives us a very honest account of the racism she and her family experienced, from her parents in the Jim Crow era to hers in school and in later years. Chapter 3: “Welcome to the Neighborhood” was very poignant. She describes what her parents wanted for their daughters: “They didn’t want us to be held back by people who used race as a means of control and disrespect.”

The format of Ms. Braxton’s memoir is fascinating. Most chapters were essays, filled with memories from different times in her family’s life, often moving from present to past and back to present.

But there were other chapters that presented a different way to share memories (and provided a unique way to highlight hard truths):

• poems she has written (my 2 favourites: Chap.17 “Wishbone” and Chap. 29″A Better Life”)
• a playlist – with memories for each song (as she says , memories are linked to songs)
• a press release
• news scripts
• even an ad – for a Comforter in Chief.

We learn how her mother championed her, even leaving a letter for her to show how much she was loved.

I highly recommend Lisa Braxton’s memoir, Dancing Between the Raindrops. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing and her history. This is a loving tribute to her parents and offers reflections on grief, on loss, on love.

Book Summary

Dancing Between the Raindrops: A Daughter’s Reflections on Love and Loss, is a powerful meditation on grief, a deeply personal mosaic of a daughter’s remembrances of beautiful, challenging and heartbreaking moments of life with her family. It speaks to anyone who has lost a loved one and is trying to navigate the world without them while coming to terms with complicated emotions.

Lisa Braxton’s parents died within two years of each other—her mother from ovarian cancer, her father from prostate cancer. While caring for her mother she was stunned to find out that she, herself, had a life-threatening illness—breast cancer.

In this intimate, lyrical memoir-in-essays, Lisa Braxton takes us to the core of her loss and extends a lifeline of comfort to anyone who needs to be reminded that in their grief they are not alone.

Publisher: Sea Crow Press

Print length: 158 pages

Purchase a copy of Dancing Between the Raindrops on

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Between-Raindrops-Daughters-Reflections/dp/1961864088/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dancing-between-the-raindrops-lisa-braxton/1144935014?ean=9781961864085

You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208947069-dancing-between-the-raindrops?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=WYkO4vLd07&rank=2

About the Author

Lisa Braxton is the author of the novel, The Talking Drum, winner of a 2021 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards Gold Medal, overall winner of Shelf Unbound book review magazine’s 2020 Independently Published Book Award, and winner of a 2020 Outstanding Literary Award from the National Association of Black Journalists and a Finalist for the International Book Awards. She is also an Emmy-nominated former television journalist, an essayist, and short story writer.

She is on the executive board of the Writers Room of Boston and a writing instructor at Grub Street Boston, and currently serves as President of the Greater Boston Section of the National Council of Negro Women and is a member of the Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

You can follow the author at:

Website: https://lisabraxton.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.a.braxton/

Twitter: @Lisaannbraxton  OR @LisaReidbraxton

Instagram: @lisabraxton6186

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisabraxton/

Blog Tour Calendar

April 29th @ The Muffin

Join us at WOW as we celebrate the launch of Lisa Braxton’s memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops. Read an interview with the author and enter for a chance to win a copy of the book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

May 1st @ Beverley Baird

Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops, shares the experience of being an adult orphan.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com

May 3rd @ A Storybook World

Start the month with a touching memoir. Read more about Lisa Braxton’s Dancing Between the Raindrops.

https://www.astorybookworld.com

May 3rd @ Beverley Baird

Bev reviews Dancing Between the Raindrops, a memoir by Lisa Braxton.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com

May 5th @ Choices

How important is it to be part of a writing group? Dancing Between the Raindrops author Lisa Braxton gives her opinion on writing groups.

http://madelinesharples.com

May 6th @ Anthony Avina

Stop by for a surprise guest post with Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

May 8th @ The Shaggy Shepherd

How to answer the question “Do You Have Kids?” with guest post Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

May 9th @ Boys’ Mom Reads!

Find out how a Boys’ Mom feels about the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops with today’s review.

https://karensiddall.wordpress.com

May 13th @ Word Magic

Stop by for a guest post about growing up in the family business by Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com

May 14th @ What Is That Book About

Looking for a new book for your TBR pile? Stop by for a spotlight on Lisa Braxton’s memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

www.whatisthatbookabout.com

May 15th @ From the TBR Pile

Dancing Between the Raindrops author Lisa Braxton will be visiting with a guest post today.

https://fromthetbrpile.blogspot.com

May 16th @ Fancy That!

Lisa Braxton, author of Dancing Between the Raindrops, is at Fancy That today writing about grieving the death of elderly parents.

https://fancythatblog.com

May 23rd at Words by Webb

Read a review of Lisa Braxton’s Dancing Between the Raindrops today.

https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog

May 24th @ World of My Imagination

Enjoy Nicole’s review of Dancing Between the Raindrops, a memoir by Lisa Braxton.https://worldofmyimagination.com

WOW Blog Tour for “Dancing Between the Raindrops” – Guest Post by Lisa Braxton

I am honoured to be part of the WOW! Women of Writing Blog Tour for Lisa Braxton’s memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

Today, Ms. Braxton is visiting my blog to share what it feels like to be an adult orphan.

Welcome Lisa!

What it’s like to be an adult orphan

Lisa Braxton

One afternoon in the early 1970s our family of four had just gotten takeout from a McDonald’s restaurant. Dad was driving as always, Mom was in the front passenger seat and my little sister and I were in the backseats.

We kids were bickering, most likely I had snuck some of Sylvia’s French fries when she had her head turned, looking at something out the window. When she turned back and realized what I’d done, she leveled her accusation. I denied it and started gaslighting. I tried to convince her that she’d lost track of how much she’d eaten. The barbs went back and forth until my mother cut in with, “You two need to get along. One day it’s just going to be the two of you.”

I heard Mom’s words but couldn’t absorb them at that moment or the numerous other times she felt the need to make that point. At the age of 11 or 12 I couldn’t fathom Mom and Dad not being around forever and if they were to die someday it would be so far into the future, it wouldn’t be worth spending time thinking about it.

But now, 50 years later, I think about Mom’s words a lot. She passed away in 2020. Dad in 2022. It’s just the two of us, Sylvia and me. Adult orphans. I didn’t think much about our new status until months after Dad’s death when I flew to Sylvia’s town for my niece’s high school graduation. After the ceremony, about 20 of us filled the private section of a restaurant for a celebratory lunch. We had a great time laughing, teasing each other and catching up on each other’s lives. Later that day as Sylvia dropped me off at the airport she turned to me and said, “I’m glad you came. I’m glad you were here.”

Initially, I found her comment puzzling. “Of course I’d come to Raven’s graduation,” I said. “There’s no way I would miss it.” But after giving it a little more thought. I understood what she meant. Out of the 20 guests who’d gathered to celebrate, I was the only one from her side of the family. The rest of the guests were her husband’s family. Sylvia and I went through the list of our extended family who could have attended but didn’t. I felt the void as she did. Mom and Dad had attended every rite of passage in our family through the years.

Psychologists have studied the impact of losing both parents, even if the child is an adult. Some “children” feel lonely and empty. Some have experienced deep depression.  I have moments of sadness, but they pass relatively quickly. I know Mom and Dad would want me to enjoy my life.

I remind myself of how blessed I was to have Mom until she was 82 and Dad until he was 90. They were a young couple when they married and young when they had me. In many ways I grew up with them and have a lot of memories that make me smile and laugh. Circumstances allowed both Sylvia and me to take care of them in their final months, have quality time with them as they became more debilitated and be at their side as they took their final breaths. Thoughts of those times comfort me.

I like to think that they’re both looking down at us smiling, aware of how we are, proud of us and still being Mom and Dad.

As an adult orphan myself, this really touched my heart. Thank you Lisa.

Be sure to make all the stops on the blog tour.