Jencey's Writer's Corner

  Georgia has many small islands located off the east coast of the state.  Cumberland Island is different from others because of the land use. Kimberly Brock creates a story that shows the history of the island and how that impacts the characters years later.  A request is made, and a journey begins.  Synopsis:  “1932 . Cumberland Island off the coast of Southern Georgia is a strange place to encounter the opulence of the Gilded Age, but the last vestiges of the famed philanthropic Carnegie family still take up brief seasonal residence in their grand mansions there. This year’s party at Plum Orchard is a lively group: young men from some of America’s finest families who come to experience the area’s hunting beside a local guide, a beautiful debutante expecting to be engaged by the week’s end, and a promising female artist who believes she has meaningful ties to her wealthy hosts. But when temptations arise and passions flare, an evening of revelry and storytelli...

  Thank you to Penguin Random House and Tandem Literary for a copy of this book to review.  I received it in exchange for an honest review.  The latest Jayne Ann Krentz book is an adventure and one that readers will enjoy!  Some supernatural aspects of the story only enhance the mystery.   Are you ready to dive into an adventure?   Synopsis: “The Harper and the Wells families have regarded each other with deep suspicion for four generations. The Harpers have been known to offer their psychic talents for less-than-legal purposes, and the powerful Wells clan has a reputation for playing both sides of the street. But for all the years of history and distrust between them, there is a mysterious pact binding the two. They share the responsibility for protecting a long-buried and very dangerous secret. Sophy Harper and Luke Wells are shocked to learn that her aunt and his uncle have been sleeping together—and now they are both missing. Not only that, but the...

  Which side would you choose if your family were in danger?  Could you betray people you knew if it meant safety for your family?  Would the price be high enough that you could justify your actions?  These questions and more will be answered in Code Name Sapphire, a World War II novel by Pam Jenoff.  Synopsis:  “1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind. Seeking help, Hannah joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a mysterious woman named Micheline and her enigmatic brother Matteo. But when a grave mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and slated for deporta...

  The only way to grow is to train and move forward.  When someone trains to move forward in life, it often leaves others behind.  In Swimming Lessons , we pick up a few years after Beach House ended. Can Toy truly let go of the past to move forward with her life? Synopsis: “Toy Sooner kept her vow to her beloved mentor, the original turtle lady of the Isle of Palms. She left behind an abusive, dysfunctional lifestyle to become a strong single mother and an aquarist at the South Carolina Aquarium. But success has taken its toll, leaving Toy fearful of change and risks. It's only been through the enduring love of a close-knit group of women that she's finally started to find her footing. The turtle season begins the day Toy rescues a sick sea turtle on the beach. When Toy brings the loggerhead to the aquarium, she founds a turtle hospital and spends long nights working alongside her boss, Ethan. As the summer progresses and the sea turtles take their measured steps toward ...

  The Paris Orphan by Natasha Lester was her second book.  In this book, she explores the life of Leigh Miller through the fictional character of Jessica May.  Women making strides during this time were still treated differently from their male counterparts.  I saw a great presentation by Meg Waite Clayton on the same topic.   Synopsis:  “A "rich and riveting" New York Times bestseller based on the true story of a female journalist who defied all the rules while covering World War II (Publishers Weekly, starred review). New York City/Paris, 1942: When American model Jessica May arrives in Europe to cover the war as a photojournalist for Vogue, most of the soldiers are determined to make her life as difficult as possible. But three friendships change that. Journalist Martha Gellhorn encourages Jess to bend the rules. Captain Dan Hallworth keeps her safe in dangerous places so she can capture the stories that truly matter. And most important of all, the ...

Susan May Warren is fast becoming one of my new favorite authors.   The first two books in the Global Rescue series are great!  If you're in the mood for adventure, this is the book for you!  Have you ever had trust issues from a past relationship?   Synopsis  “Former Navy SEAL Hamilton Jones thought that the love of his life was dead. But when a girl claiming to be his daughter shows up with a dire message from his wife, Ham knows he will stop at nothing to find her and bring her home. Kidnapped by rebels while serving as an interpreter in Ukraine, Signe Kincaid has spent the past decade secreting out valuable information about Russian assets in the US to her CIA handler. Fearing for her daughter after being discovered as an operative, Signe sends her to Ham for safekeeping. She's ready to give her life for her country, and she can hardly expect Ham to rescue her after breaking his heart over and over. When Ham discovers the reason Signe has kept her dista...