Butterfly Awakens By Meg Noccro

 One woman’s dark night leads her on a journey to find her light.

Butterfly Awakens depicts the story of the extraordinary transformation of a forty-something Italian American attorney as she moves through unimaginable grief and sadness watching her beloved mother lose her battle to breast cancer. This tumultuous life experience shifts her world, causing her to question her life choices and opening her up to her soul’s calling. Nocero brings readers along on her journey through a dark night of the soul as she deals with the grieving process, a toxic work environment, and intense stress that results in depression, anxiety, and an acquired somatic nervous disorder called tinnitus. Through it all, she never gives up, instead looking for the help she needs to start to heal and find her light. In the end, like the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly, this story is a beautiful love letter that honors Nocero’s mother’s legacy while detailing the awakening of her own.

There are many stories about breast cancer and grief, but none are quite like this one. Throughout her tale, Nocero pulls the reader deep into her story through the intensity of her emotions; and in the end, after resigning from her career as a federal prosecutor due to a toxic administration, she searches for the lighthouse she saw in a vision when her mother died. Embarking on a spiritual pilgrimage on El Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain to get to the lighthouse at Cap Finisterre, she sets out to wake up and live again; the butterfly connection and stark honesty of her writing offers readers important lessons learned from moving through grief so that each person can shine their light again. 

Pick up your copy here...

Butterfly Awakens: A Memoir of Transformation Through Grief: Nocero, Meg, Sami, Dr. Sherry, Sadeghi, Dr. Habib: 9781647421755: Amazon.com: Books

Meg Nocero, a magical manifester, is a former federal prosecutor, an inspirational speaker, a transformational coach, and the award-winning author of The Magical Guide to Bliss: Daily Keys to Unlock Your Dreams, Spirit & Inner Bliss and Sparkle & Shine: 108 M.A.N.T.R.A.s to Brighten Your Day and Lighten Your Way. After she was brought on stage in Miami with Oprah Winfrey in 2014, she was inspired to manifest the life of her dreams and founded Butterflies & Bliss LLC and S.H.I.N.E. Networking Inc., a nonprofit that provides educational scholarships to young innovative leaders in her community. She holds a BA in Spanish from Boston College, an MA in International Affairs from the University of Miami, a JD from St. Thomas University School of Law, and a Happiness Certificate with the Happiness Studies Academy. She is also a Certified Federal Law Enforcement Instructor/Mentor and a Love Button Global Movement Ambassador. In addition to being named Miz CEO Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019, Nocero appeared on CNN Español with Ismael Cala and hosts her own YouTube channel and a podcast called Manifesting with Meg: Conversations with Extraordinary People.

Kirkus Reviews praised The Magical Guide to Bliss as “a successful, progressive daily handbook about awareness, creativity, gratitude, and fulfillment.” Kirkus reviewed said Sparkle & Shine is a go-to because "with a raging pandemic, it seems like a good time to develop optimism and embrace self-care. Nocero delivers some positive ideas on where to begin. An upbeat but simplistic self-help guide." Her third book, Butterfly Awakens: A Memoir of Transformation Through Grief Kirkus reviews states " The author’s limpid prose invests ordinary travails with an intense emotional charge that is often affecting... A heartfelt, moving, sometimes-overwrought account of bereavement and rejuvenation." Butterfly Awakens just received an IndieReader Approved Rating! 

My Thoughts...

This is so a much-needed book. I have a little sunshine in my dark world after reading this.

I strongly recommend this one to anyone struggling with grief.

The loss of your child, mom, and dad is so hard and where has this book been my whole life?

I want you to read this 5 star book is you are stuggling with grief.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

A Gift Most Rare By Tom Leihbacher

 It's Christmastime in the pocket-sized village of Briarcliff Manor. With yuletide spirits flying high, life seems close to perfect in this quaint suburb of Manhattan.

But not everyone feels the holiday cheer. While most go about their joyful holiday pursuits, young Charlie Riverton is restless. Compassionate by nature, he's especially mindful of the lonely and forlorn.

At the same time, he's the unofficial leader of a close-knit group of sixth-grade buddies. Together they grapple with pre-teen hijinks, newfound freedoms and an emerging, nerve-wracking interest in girls.

Meanwhile, there's a curiously gifted newcomer in town. Charlie develops a special friendship with the handsome stranger and together, they set out to craft a God-honoring Christmas gift for the whole community. Along the way, lives are changed and people begin to look at Christmas a little differently.

Come spend the holidays in Briarcliff with this feel-good, coming of age story set in small-town America in the early 1970s. 

Pick up your copy here...

A Gift Most Rare: Leihbacher, Tom: 9781098043803: Amazon.com: Books

Tom Leihbacher has lived in Briarcliff Manor, New York for most of his life. After graduating from Briarcliff High School and then the University of Florida, he returned home and began a career in the media and advertising sales business. He and his family live in the Tree Streets and enjoy a rich life filled with church and community involvements and great friendships. He listens to Dr. Cook’s Walk with the King broadcast each morning before boarding a Manhattan-bound commuter train at Scarborough Station; passes through Law Park and the Pine Forest frequently; enjoys membership at Sleepy Hollow Country Club; stops for sunsets over the Hudson River and once in a while can be found skating at one of the frozen ponds in town.

After 35+ years in the corporate world, "A Gift Most Rare" is his first novel. A summer sequel will be ready soon.

Please visit my author website to learn more.

My Thoughts...

What a great holiday treat or rare gift this was. The writing is so full of heart. You are going to fall in love with the characters.

I would say this is a must read.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Memento Mori By Jane Morris

 

A modern-day reimagining of the lives of the Pre-Raphaelite artists and the women they painted obsessively and fiercely loved. Beautiful and strong-willed Jane meets her match in enigmatic artist Gabriel. He immediately challenges her assumptions about art, life, and love. And for Gabriel’s enormous ego, Jane represents an exhilarating yet exasperating game he refuses to lose. When Jane’s brilliant but naïve friend Lizzie insists on accepting Gabriel’s dinner invitation, they are swept into a circle of passionate artists who reside in an old Gothic mansion. Jane embarks on a life-changing journey of desire, romance, despair, and self-discovery as she becomes the muse for Gabriel and his friend and rival, Will. A desperate inner battle wages within Jane, who is drawn in by Gabriel’s magnetic personality and gorgeous looks, yet equally as captivated by Will’s kind heart and steadfast devotion. Underneath an immersive and dramatic world is a deeper storyline, as Jane and Gabriel can't fight the nagging feeling that they have done this all before. Fates collide as lovers and friends become entangled in past, present, and future. An artistic, genre-crossing tale, Memento Mori will appeal to both history and romance lovers alike. 

Pick up your copy here...

Memento Mori: Morris, Jane: 9780692973417: Amazon.com: Books

About the author:

Jane Morris is the pen name of a teacher who would really like to tell you more about herself, but she is afraid she'll lose her job. She is the bestselling author of Teacher Misery, More Teacher Misery, Crap My Students Make, and What It's Relly Like. She has taught English for over 15 years in a major American city. She received her B.A. in English and Secondary Education from a well-known university. She earned her M.A. in writing from an even fancier (more expensive) university. She loves dogs and trees and other things that can't talk. She has a loving family and cares about making people laugh more than anything else. Follow Teacher Misery on Instagram, twitter, and tumblr and visit TeacherMisery.com to learn about ways that teachers can vent their misery without fear of reprisal.

The House on highland Court By Amber Rodgers

 

After being stuck in an abusive relationship for more than eight years, Liberty decides to take a stand and leave her abuser behind, but one horrifying night her ex-boyfriend attempts to kill her in the most horrific way. She builds a friendship with a newly widowed nurse who sits by her side while recovering. He offers her a place to start over, but little does she know she finds herself in the middle of another nightmare. 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: The House on Highland Court: 9798691192081: Rodgers, Amber: Books

Amber Rodgers is a mother, wife and author from a little town in Northern Iowa. She is married to her high school sweetheart and has 4 children and 1 grand-daughter.

​Amber loves many things but spending time with her family and writing are the two she spends most of her time doing. She works from home so this has allowed her more time to focus on her writing.

The Seer By Eva Shaw

 

It's February 1942. War grips the world. Asian hate runs rampant, and New Orleans is a dangerous place for Chinese-English scientist Thomas Ling as he collides with self-proclaimed psychic Beatrix Patterson. She's a good liar with an excellent memory, which in truth is her only gift-well, that and conning the well-heeled out of their money and secrets.

Hired by the US Army to use her connections to expose Nazi saboteurs and sympathizers, Beatrix recruits the reluctant Thomas. Together, they pit their skills against a government conspiracy, terrorist cells, kidnappings, and murderous plots. As Beatrix grapples with the truth of her own past, she must come to terms with her ruse. Exposing the Nazi war machine about to invade the country could cost Beatrix everything she's worked so hard to build. But the information she and Thomas uncover could change the outcome of the war.

The question remains: will anyone believe a liar and a suspected traitor? 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: The Seer: 9781611534191: Shaw, Eva: Books

About the author:

Eva Shaw, Ph.D. (www.evashaw.com) is one of the country's premier ghostwriters and is the author of more than 100 award-winning books. Novels with her byline include these faith-based Amazon best sellers: Doubts of the Heart and Games of the Heart. Nonfiction best sellers include: Ghostwriting: The Complete Guide, Writeriffic 2: Creativity Training for Writers, Write Your Book in 20 Minutes, Garden Therapy: Nature's Health Plan, and What to Do When a Loved One Dies. Visit Amazon, Good Reads and other sellers for reviews.Eva teaches five university-level writing courses available online at 4000 colleges and universities worldwide. A breast cancer survivor, she's an active volunteer with causes affecting women and children and with her church. She loves to travel, read, shop, garden, play the banjolele and paint, focusing on folk art and California landscapes. When not at her desk, you can find her walking around the village of Carlsbad, California with Coco Rose, a rambunctious 2-year-old Welsh terrier. 

My Thoughts...

Are you ready for a historical mystery? This one was so gripping and hard to put down.

I stayed on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading.

I have to say this is a must read. 4 stars from this reader.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

To All the Dogs I've Loved Before By Lizzie Shane

 

First love gets a second chance when a mischievous dog finds a way to keep fetching the town librarian’s high school sweetheart in this charming small-town romance.

The last person librarian Elinor Rodriguez wants to spend time with is her first love, Levi Jackson, but it seems her mischievous rescue dog has other ideas. Without fail, Dory slips from the house whenever Elinor’s back is turned. And in Pine Hollow, calls about a dog herding cars on Main Street go straight to Levi. The quietly intense lawman broke Elinor’s heart once, and now she’s determined to move on, no matter how much she misses him.

As the kid who barely graduated—and still struggles to hide his dyslexia—Levi always believed that Elinor was way out of his league. Even though he ended their engagement all those years ago, Elinor still takes Levi’s breath away whenever he sees her. But with a little help from a four-legged friend, Levi and Elinor may just get the second chance they deserve.
 

Includes the bonus novella I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Hope Ramsay! 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: To All the Dogs I've Loved Before: 9781538735947: Shane, Lizzie: Books

Contemporary romance author Lizzie Shane was born in Alaska and still calls the frozen north home, though she can frequently be found indulging her travel addiction. Thankfully, her laptop travels with her and she has written her way through all fifty states and over fifty countries.

Lizzie has been honored to win the Golden Heart Award and HOLT Medallion, and has been named a finalist three times for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA Award®, but her main claim to fame is that she lost on Jeopardy!

For more about Lizzie and her books, please visit http://www.lizzieshane.com. Happy reading!

My Thoughts...

This was a fun read. But then again I love dogs.

Looking for a fast fun read, you just found it.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Ramsay in 10 By Gordon Ramsay GIVEAWAY

 

Packed with recipes that are max 10 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook, RAMSAY IN 10 is your new everyday cookbook.

In Ramsay in 10, superstar chef, Gordon Ramsay, returns with 100 new and delicious recipes inspired by his YouTube series watched by millions across the globe – you’ll be challenged to get creative in the kitchen and learn how to cook incredible, flavorsome dishes in just ten minutes.
 

Whether you need something super quick to assemble, like his Microwave Sticky Toffee Pudding, or you’re looking to impress the whole family, with a tasty One Pan Pumpkin Pasta or some Chicken Souvlaki – these are recipes guaranteed to become instant classics and with each time you cook, you'll get faster and faster with Gordon's shortcuts to speed up your cooking, reduce your prep times and get the very best from simple, fresh ingredients.  

Pick up your copy here...

Ramsay in 10: Ramsay, Gordon: 9781538707814: Amazon.com: Books

Scottish by birth, Gordon Ramsay was brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, and initially aspired to be a professional soccer player but an injury put an end to that and led him to the kitchen. He's trained with some of the world’s leading chefs, such as Albert Roux and Marco Pierre White in London, and Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon in France. At the age of 31, Ramsay set up his first wholly owned and namesake restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which quickly received the most prestigious accolade in the culinary world – three Michelin stars.

Now internationally renowned, Ramsay has opened restaurants around the globe including in London, Las Vegas, Singapore, Baltimore, Europe and Dubai. Ramsay has also become a star of the small screen with hit shows in both the UK & US. From Gordon, Gino & Fred on ITV, Gordon Ramsay's Bank Balance on BBC to FOX's MasterChef, MasterChef Junior, Hell's Kitchen & 24 Hours to Hell and Back as well National Geographic's Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted which airs in 172 countries.

Ramsay has seen success in a variety of other ventures outside of restaurants and television including his online MasterClass, and Mobile Puzzle Game, "Chef Blast with Gordon Ramsay." This is in addition to his highly successful YouTube channel that has various cooking formats including his widely popular series "Ramsay in 10" & "Scrambled." Ramsay also loves to TikTok with his daughter Tilly.

In 2006, in recognition of all that Ramsay has contributed to the industry, he received an OBE (Order of the British Empire awarded by Queen Elizabeth II). Since then, Ramsay and his wife, Tana, set up the Gordon and Tana Ramsay Foundation in 2014, to make a meaningful difference to the London-based children's hospital Great Ormond Street. 

My Thoughts...

A cookbook with great photos. Ramsay shares some of his favorite recipes. You will find most of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. This would make a nice hostess gift or holiday gift for the cooks in your life.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.