WWW Wednesday | December 16

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It’s that time of the week again when I participate in WWW Wednesdays hosted by Sam from Taking on a World of Words. Feel free to leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments.

To participate in WWW Wednesday, you need to answer three questions.

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

CURRENTLY READING

book_parisTITLE: The Race for Paris

AUTHOR: Meg Waite Clayton

PUBLISHER: Harpor Collins

RELEASE DATE: August 11, 2015

GENRE: Fiction, Historical Fiction

BUY LINKS: AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | INDIEBOUND | HARPORCOLLINS

What was it like to be a driven and talented woman journalist in a world restricted by military regulations and gender barriers? Bestselling author Meg Waite Clayton delivers answers in her highly and widely anticipated new novel, The Race for Paris. Opening in Normandy on June 29, 1944, the novel follows two tenacious American female war correspondents on their quest to document—and make—history by covering the liberation of Paris from the center of the action. Inspired by real women like Martha Gellhorn, Margaret Bourke-White, Dot Avery, and Lee Miller, who took bold, grave risks to prove that they could report from the front lines of WWII just as powerfully as men, The Race for Paris firmly reflects historical facts and details, while pulsing with immediate drama—and a chilling, timely sense of wartime danger.

Told from the perspective of Jane Tyler, a young, single, adventure-seeking reporter for the Nashville Banner and the only daughter of an ostracized unwed mother, The Race for Paris is also the story of Olivia “Liv” Harper, an Associated Press photographer with a supportive husband who is the editor-in-chief of the New York Daily Press. While Jane is resigned to making the most of her assignment covering a field hospital, Liv is set on capturing the war—and the jubilant liberation of Paris from Nazi occupation—from the front lines. After failing to win over her CO, Liv goes AWOL. Seizing her shot to make a name for herself, Jane joins her. Enlisting the help of a tentative ally, British military reporter Fletcher Roebuck, the two intrepid women set off across the perilous French countryside on a race to reach Paris and out-scoop formidable male competitors. Along their journey, Jane, Liv, and Fletcher continually confront obstacles, and cross paths with gunfire, carnage, and death. Their mission is further complicated by emotional bonds, romantic tensions, and one woman’s secret—a secret with the power to end her career and, perhaps, her life.

Reflecting the extraordinary courage and determination of pioneering women in journalism—women who paved the way for respected war correspondents such as Christiane Amanpour, Oriana Fallaci, and Lynsey Addario—The Race for Paris is a gripping novel celebrating the power of women, then and now(Description found on Meg’s Website)

RECENTLY FINISHED READING

511aWQEiKxL._SX310_BO1,204,203,200_TITLE: Strawberry and Sage

AUTHOR: Amanda Gale

PUBLISHER: Brenda & Cobena Books

RELEASE DATE: July 15, 2015

GENRE: Women’s Fiction, Romance

BUY LINKS: AMAZON | B&N

A historical romance novella for readers of the Meredith series and new readers alike.

Set in 1967 in the lush mountains of Vermont, Strawberry and Sage is a tale of friendship, love, and the perfect strawberry pie.

Gabriel Kelly is a hard-working young carpenter carrying the weight of responsibility on his back. With his father injured on the job and his brother fighting in Vietnam, Gabriel struggles to stay positive. And with the possibility of being drafted looming over him, he can focus only on things that matter, like visiting the mountain, where he regains clarity, and cherishing his time with Abigail, the childhood friend with whom he’s always been in love.

Abigail Wheeler is a bright, ambitious college student who just knows she can change the world. Determined to make good use of opportunities her mother never had, she spends her time campaigning for women’s rights and planning for her future. Her own experiences have taught her that the world is full of promise. So when Gabriel confesses his heart, she is torn, unsure whether they’d be compatible even though she secretly loves him too.

In a tumultuous time when change is the only constant, Gabriel and Abigail long to find meaning and to find themselves. As their friendship is tested by wars both inside and out, they discover that the differences that had kept them apart are actually why they need each other most. (Description found on Amazon)

WHAT I MIGHT READ NEXT

cover78451-mediumTITLE: Decanting a Murder, A Sommelier Mystery #1

AUTHOR: Nadine Nettmann

PUBLISHER: Midnight Ink

RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2016

GENRE: Mystery & Thrillers

Katie Stillwell focuses on two things in her life: work and practicing for her Sommelier Certification with her blind tasting group. The exam was supposed to be the hardest part of her week, but that was before a body was found at an exclusive Napa Valley winery party.

When all the evidence points to Katie’s best friend, the outspoken and independent Tessa, Katie drops everything to clear Tessa’s name. Using her deductive wine skills, she tries to track down the real killer. But when repeated attempts are made on her life, Katie discovers that everyone’s secrets must be uncorked—including her own. (Found on Nadine’s Website)

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Teaser Tuesdays | The Race for Paris by Meg Waite Clayton

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jenn of A Daily Rhythm. It’s easy to participate. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

ABOUT CURRENT READ

book_parisTITLE: The Race for Paris

AUTHOR: Meg Waite Clayton

PUBLISHER: Harpor Collins

RELEASE DATE: August 11, 2015

GENRE: Fiction, Historical Fiction

BUY LINKS: AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | INDIEBOUND | HARPORCOLLINS

What was it like to be a driven and talented woman journalist in a world restricted by military regulations and gender barriers? Bestselling author Meg Waite Clayton delivers answers in her highly and widely anticipated new novel, The Race for Paris. Opening in Normandy on June 29, 1944, the novel follows two tenacious American female war correspondents on their quest to document—and make—history by covering the liberation of Paris from the center of the action. Inspired by real women like Martha Gellhorn, Margaret Bourke-White, Dot Avery, and Lee Miller, who took bold, grave risks to prove that they could report from the front lines of WWII just as powerfully as men, The Race for Paris firmly reflects historical facts and details, while pulsing with immediate drama—and a chilling, timely sense of wartime danger.

Told from the perspective of Jane Tyler, a young, single, adventure-seeking reporter for the Nashville Banner and the only daughter of an ostracized unwed mother, The Race for Paris is also the story of Olivia “Liv” Harper, an Associated Press photographer with a supportive husband who is the editor-in-chief of the New York Daily Press. While Jane is resigned to making the most of her assignment covering a field hospital, Liv is set on capturing the war—and the jubilant liberation of Paris from Nazi occupation—from the front lines. After failing to win over her CO, Liv goes AWOL. Seizing her shot to make a name for herself, Jane joins her. Enlisting the help of a tentative ally, British military reporter Fletcher Roebuck, the two intrepid women set off across the perilous French countryside on a race to reach Paris and out-scoop formidable male competitors. Along their journey, Jane, Liv, and Fletcher continually confront obstacles, and cross paths with gunfire, carnage, and death. Their mission is further complicated by emotional bonds, romantic tensions, and one woman’s secret—a secret with the power to end her career and, perhaps, her life.

Reflecting the extraordinary courage and determination of pioneering women in journalism—women who paved the way for respected war correspondents such as Christiane Amanpour, Oriana Fallaci, and Lynsey Addario—The Race for Paris is a gripping novel celebrating the power of women, then and now(Description found on Meg’s Website)

TEASER SENTENCES 

“Liv and I ducked into the nearest building, an empty school-house, and sank into little chairs in the first room we came into. The seats were hard, the smell of eraser dust stifling. The room had been used as some type of command post: There were lists written in German on the chalkboard. Maps and elevations taped to the walls marked the locations of troops, planned lines of attack, points of the earth seeded with mines. I went outside again, but that was worse: the bright sunlight, the dark curls blowing across the square.” (pg. 126)

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Book of the Week | The Last Dreamer by Barbara Josselsohn

cover71263-mediumTITLE: The Last Dreamer

AUTHOR: Barbara Solomon Josselsohn

PUBLISHER: Lake Union Publishing

RELEASE DATE: December 15, 2015

GENRE: Women’s Fiction, General Fiction

PRE-ORDER LINKS: AMAZON

Iliana Passing—wife, mother, and former acclaimed journalist—gave up her career to start a family. Almost fifteen years later, despite how much she loves her husband and kids, she can’t help wondering how she ended up with a life spent carpooling and running errands.

Ready to get back into the journalism game, Iliana searches for an exciting lead. When she discovers that Jeff Downs, the heartthrob star of an old TV show and her girlhood crush, now owns a nearby textile company, she thinks she’s found her story: teen celebrity and its aftermath. But as Iliana gets to know Jeff, the two grow closer than she ever could’ve imagined. Now that her teenage dream has walked into her present-day reality, how far will she go to entertain an old fantasy? (Description found on NetGalley.com)

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Book of the Week | Loving Eleanor by Susan Witting Albert

cover77294-mediumTITLE: Loving Eleanor

AUTHOR: Susan Wittig Albert

PUBLISHER: Independent Book Publisher’s Association (IBPA), Member’s Titles

RELEASE DATE: February 1, 2016

GENRE: Women’s Fiction, General Fiction

PRE-ORDER LINKS: AMAZON

When AP political reporter Lorena Hickok—Hick—is assigned to cover Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential campaign, the two women become deeply involved. Their relationship begins with mutual romantic passion, matures through stormy periods of enforced separation and competing interests, and warms into an enduring, encompassing friendship documented by 3300 letters.

Set during the chaotic years of the Great Depression, the New Deal, and the Second World War, Loving Eleanor reveals Eleanor Roosevelt as a complex, contradictory, and entirely human woman who is pulled in many directions by her obligations to her husband and family and her role as the nation’s First Lady. Hick is an accomplished journalist, who, at the pinnacle of her career, gives it all up for the woman she loves. Then, as Eleanor is transformed into Eleanor Everywhere, First Lady of the World, Hick must create her own independent, productive life. Loving Eleanor is a profoundly moving novel that illuminates a relationship we are seldom privileged to see, celebrating the depth and durability of women’s love. (Description found on NetGalley.com)

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December New Releases

DECEMBER NEW RELEASES

Here are the upcoming December releases I’m excited about and have added to my TBR list.

cover73778-mediumTITLE: With Every Breath

AUTHOR: Lia Riley

PUBLISHER: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

RELEASE DATE: December 29, 2015

GENRE: New Adult, Romance

PRE-ORDER LINKS: AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | KOBO

BREATHE DEEP . . . AND JUMP IN

At the ends of the earth, Patagonia is a land where ambition trumps reason and the savage summit of La Aguja lures the most determined climbers. It’s also the last spot a “play-it-safe girl” like Auden Woods expects to find herself. But she’ll lace up her brand-new hiking boots and do whatever it takes to secure a dream job at an adventure magazine . . . even if it kills her. And it just might. When disaster strikes, her only chance at survival comes in the form of the surliest, sexiest mountaineer ever to come out of Scotland.

After a climbing accident cost him his brother, professional mountaineer Rhys MacAskill is at the end of his rope. Redemption is not in his future. That is, until a terrifying storm blows a budding journalist into his tent and it’s up to him to make sure they both survive until morning. Despite the demons weighing on him, Rhys can’t resist the temptation of the charming American and one wild night just isn’t enough.

Auden and Rhys soon learn there are no shortcuts as they navigate their way between life, death, and atonement, and discover something they never expected-love. (Description by Netgelly.com)

What new releases are you excited about this month?

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Book of the Week | Dear Thing by Julie Cohen

cover73196-mediumTITLE: Dear Thing

AUTHOR: Julie Cohen

PUBLISHER: St. Martin’s Press

RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2016 (Originally Published April 11, 2013)

GENRE: Women’s Fiction

PRE-ORDER LINKS: AMAZON | B&N | INDIEBOUND | GOOGLEPLAY

After years of watching her best friends Ben and Claire try for a baby, Romily has offered to give them the one thing that they want most.

Romily expects it will be easy to be a surrogate. She’s already a single mother, and she has no desire for any more children. But Romily isn’t prepared for the overwhelming feelings that have taken hold of her and which threaten to ruin her friendship with Ben and Claire-and even destroy their marriage. 

Now there are three friends, two mothers and only one baby, and an impossible decision to make… (Description found on NetGalley.com)

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Book of the Week | Winner Takes All by Jacqui Moreau

cover75535-mediumTITLE: Winner Takes All

AUTHOR: Jacqui Moreau

PUBLISHER: Potatoworks Press

RELEASE DATE: October 12, 2015

GENRE: Romance, Women’s Fiction

BUY LINKS: AMAZON

Eva Butler isn’t easily intimidated—certainly not by a stern receptionist with a disapproving scowl. Her appointment with media mogul Cole Hammond is too important to miss. As a senior associate at an auction house vying for his father’s multimillion-dollar art collection, she won’t be turned away by a specious claim that she doesn’t have an appointment. Of course she does. She made it herself!

Help comes in the form of an enigmatic executive who claims to have Hammond’s ear. Reed volunteers to take the meeting, and suddenly Eva finds herself at lunch with a charming man far too handsome for her peace of mind. She knows the sizzle of attraction she feels isn’t appropriate business behavior, and yet she can’t quite smother the spark.

But all is not what it seems—not with Reed, not with her auction house. Schemes are afoot, and before she knows it, securing the Hammond collection becomes the least of her worries. With so much at stake, including her heart, Eva realizes that the winner does indeed take all. (Description found on NetGalley.com)

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