The Sinner’s Guide to Confession by Phyllis Schieber

Take three best friends, each woman has her own life and family. They share just about everything – but each friend has a secret that she won’t share with her friends or family. Will people think less of her if they know the secret she is hiding? How will her life change if she admits the truth? Will her life be better if she shares the secret? Admitting the truth gives friends and family the chance to help her with the secret – is that what she wants?

Barbara, Kaye and Ellen live in New York and they are each around 50 years old. Barbara recently lost her husband when he died unexpectedly. Thankfully, she has a lucrative career as a romance author and an even more lucrative secret. Her children are grown and on their own, but she is their mother and children have certain expectations about what their mother’s should do.

Kaye has a life with her husband and her children are adults, but her relationship with her husband has grown stale – is her future with him or another man? She meets a man who makes her feel sexy and desired, that makes her “stale” relationship with her husband even harder to tolerate. What will the future bring for Kaye and her family?

Ellen was forced, by her parents, to give up her daughter for adoption. This made her relationship even more strained with her parents and siblings. This forced adoption is even harder to handle as Ellen is married and she is unable to become pregnant. Will Ellen be able to meet her long lost daughter and if she does, can they forge a relationship?

Each of these women has a strong support system in place, but she needs to make the decision to trust these people with the secrets she is hiding. Their journey to self discovery takes you on an interesting, touching, emotion and at times a humorous trek through the pages of The Sinners’ Guide to Confession. Female relationship stories are not usually my favorite reads, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and often found myself laughing at great one liners and other times reaching for tissues as I read this very well written book by Phyllis Schieber.

Phyllis Schieber is touring cyber space in January 2009 to promote Sinner's Guide to Confession, for complete details - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/12/sinners-guide-to-confession-by-phyllis.html

NIghts in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

I have to start by saying that I don't usually read "chick" books, but this book is set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and I love that area. One of my books is set about 20 miles south of Rodanthe (Lilah and the Locket by Nikki Leigh).

I love almost anything set on or near the coast, so I had to take a look.

The story is about a mother who is worried about her daughter. The daughter recently lost her husband and she's having a hard time dealing with her life and her young children after her husband died. So, her mother feels that its time to share the details about a very special weekend she spent in Rodanthe. Although, she probably won't share every little detail.

Our heroine - Adrienne - is still hurting from her husband leaving their marriage, her and their children. She assumes that she won't find love again and the future doesn't look especially good. A friend of her's owns a bed and breakfast in Rodanthe, on the secluded Outer Banks of NC and she offers to be the hostess for a weekend when her friend has plans out of town.

There will only be one guest that weekend - an attractive man who is facing problems and a crossroads in his own life. Dr Paul Flanners is traveling to Rodanthe to meet with the husband of a patient who unexpectedly died on the table during surgery that should've been safe. An investigation revealed that he wasn't negligent, but it is still hard to face the situation and to face this woman's husband. Even though it is hard, he feels that he should respect the man's request and he travels to Rodanthe.

We learn that Dr Paul has been a dedicated doctor who worked hard to build a thriving practice, often to the point of ignoring his duties to his wife and son. He has reached a point in his life where he is rethinking previous choices, sold his home, sold his practice and is heading out of the country to work with his son in a remote area.

Both of these people are dealing with a lot in their personal lives and maybe a new friend and a new perspective is just what they need. Add an impending storm and we have the recipe for an interesting weekend.

Adrienne and Paul get along from the start and its clear that there is an attraction, but they are each hestitant to act on that attraction. After this weekend, they won't see each other again.

Shared conversation, working to prepare the house for the storm, and quiet dinners bring these two individuals closer and eventually, they stop fighting the attraction. Will it only be a couple of days of bliss? Will they see one another again? Why doesn't Adrienne's daughter know about this special man that entered her mother's life? Wil Adrienne's story help her daughter move on?

You will have to read the book to discover the answers or you can watch the new movie with Diane Ladd and Richard Gere. I was on the Outer Banks as the film crews were moving in, so I know that at least parts of the movie are filmed on location. The locale is gorgeous and I'm familiar with the house where the story takes place. I hope you enjoy your trip to Rodanthe, through the pages of the book or through the movie.


Below are some books that I personally own about the Outer Banks in case you want to learn more and my Cape Hatteras murder mystery is included :

The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal

I thoroughly enjoyed Shobhan Bantwal's first book, The Dowry Bride. It was well written and the glimpses into Indian culture were fascinating. Learning that paying or not paying a dowry could be a matter of life or death was shocking to me and she handled it very well in her book. So, I've been looking forward to reading her second book.

This weekend I took time to read The Forbidden Daughter and my wait was rewarded. The book is about female infanticide. That is the practice of killing female babies and unborn female babies. I've heard various reasons for female infanticide in India and that is one of the elements of this story. Are women less worthy or important than men? The characters have a variety of feelings about this question. Another element is the financial angle to performing abortions along with the social repercussions.

Isha Talik is drawn into this web of lies, deception and money when her obstetrician informs her and her husband that their unborn child is a girl. In an off handed comment, he says that he's willing to perform an abortion if they want to be rid of this child. Isha and Nikhil vehemently insist they will have their child, but they realize Nikhil's parents will want them to abort the child. The couple have one daughter and Isha knows her in laws treat her daughter Priya as less worthy than her male cousins. When the news is shared with the elder Taliks, they insist the child must be aborted.

This debate rages and is only interrupted late one evening when the family receives news that Nikhil was stabbed to death at his job. Isha, Priya and the in laws are all shaken by the news of Nikhil's death. The news is especially devastating to his parents because Nikhil was their only son and he had no sons to carry on the family name. Life for Isha and Priya is tougher each day and after her father in law beats Priya, the young, pregnant widow walks out of the house - with almost no money and only some of her possessions.

Isha and Priya are taken in at the local convent and make their home in a small, bleak room and they wait for the birth of her daughter. The day after Diya is born, Isha is seen by the doctor who helps the convent. He was a student at the college Isha attended and he had a crush on her in school.

Doctor Harish Salvi becomes a very good friend and his affection for Isha and her children continues to grow over time. Isha is reunited with her sister in law Sheila. With Sheila and Dr Salvi, Isha finds the support she needs.

Over time things begin to look better for Isha and her family and her support network grows again. But, the story isn't over and Isha must deal with a couple more concerns before the end. Isha and her closest confidantes realize who killed her husband and why. She has evidence of his wrong doing and the time stamp on the computer disc makes it very obvious, who is responsible for his murder. Will they go to the police? Will the murderer pay for his crime? Who else will have to pay for this man's actions?

I don't want to ruin the story for anyone, but I highly recommend this story. You will grow to admire, you will admire and cherish Dr Salvi and you will care what happens to Isha's daughters. This book is a wonderful work from a talented author who share her knowledge of India with us.

Shobhan Bantwal is touring with Promo 101 Virtual Tours in October. Visit www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com for more details.