The Page 69 Test: *The Key to Circus-Mom Highway* by Allyson Rice #page69

 

They say if you want to really find a good book, go to page 69 (the middle and meat of the book) and you like it, it's definitely worth reading. For today's feature, I'm zooming in on page 69 of Allyson Rice's new contemporary fiction/ women's fiction novel, The Key to Circus-Mom Highway.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

In an attempt to secure an unexpected inheritance—and hopefully find a few answers—two estranged sisters and their newly discovered brother embark on a comically surreal trip through the Deep South to retrace the life of the mother who abandoned them as infants.

On a Tuesday afternoon, sisters Jesse Chasen and Jennifer McMahon receive a phone call notifying them that their birth mother has died, leaving behind a significant inheritance. But in order to obtain it, they must follow a detailed road trip she designed for them to get to know her—and that includes finding a brother they never knew existed.

For the next week, this ill-assorted trio treks across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to meet their mother’s old friends, from circus performers to a juke joint owner, each of whom delivers a shocking vignette into the life of a young mother traumatized by loss and abuse. Along the way, these three siblings—Jesse, whose fiery exterior disguises a wounded, drifting musician stuck in a rut; Jennifer, whose carefully curated family life is threatened by her husband’s infidelity; and Jack, whose enigmatic Jackie, Oh! persona in the New Orleans drag queen scene helps him escape the nightmares of Afghanistan that haunt him at night—must confront their own demons (and at least one alligator). But in chasing the truth about their real mother, they may all just find their second chance.

This uproarious debut novel is a reminder that sometimes, the family you’d never have chosen may turn out to be exactly what you need.

“This breezy, charming tale incisively shows a family’s bittersweet facets.” –Kirkus Reviews

A “feverish, entertaining novel” –Foreward Clarion Reviews

“In this rollicking family dramedy, debut author Rice sends three lovable siblings on a zany yet touching road trip… Rice’s sharp observations of society’s absurdity verge on the satirical… Fans of family drama, road trips, and non-stop laughs will love this cross-country adventure.” –BookLife

Release Date: Paperback: November 27, 2022; Kindle: January 3, 2023

Publisher: The Total Human Press

Soft Cover: 978-0982185544; 270 pages

Amazon:https://amzn.to/3XHsOiU 

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-key-to-circus-mom-highway-allyson-rice/1142037363?ean=9780982185544

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-key-to-circus-mom-highway 

Target: https://www.target.com/p/the-key-to-circus-mom-highway-by-allyson-rice-paperback/-/A-87939489

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62003645-the-key-to-circus-mom-highway

Jennifer burst out laughing. It was the first time she had
laughed that hard during the entire trip.

"It's not funny!" protested Jesse.

"Yes, it is. It's hilarious. She's your OB-GYN medical source? I wouldn't worry about it, Jesse. You DO use protection, don't you?"

"Yeah... Usually" Jesse closed her eyes, remembering a drunken night in August that was not included in that "usually" response. She clasped her hands on the side of her head and yelled, "Fuuuck!"

"Oh my God, Jesse, wait here. I'll be right back."

Jennifer ran back to the corner and turned down a side street to a little pharmacy she had spotted on their walk over, leaving Jesse to wait on the street by herself. Jesse didn't notice the man in the grey pin-striped business suit who glanced over at her as he passed by. She didn't see him the second time he passed her going the other direction. Not until he came up to her and whispered, "How much you chargin' for your services, sweetheart?"

"My serv-?" she began. Jesse realized he had mistaken her for a hooker waiting on the street for a john. Needing someone to take out her immense frustration on, she decided to mess with his head. "I'm pregnant asshole. Hey, are YOU my baby daddy? Yeah, I remember you from last month. You're my baby daddy! You're my baby daddy!

She continued calling after him as he waved her off and ran away as quickly as his Hugo-Boss shoes would carry him. He almost knocked Jennifer flat on her ass as she rounded the corner. She had added a small, white pharmacy bag to her growing list of purchases. 

"What'd you get?" asked Jesse.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

The Page 69 Test: *Shine His Light 3* by Marie McGaha #page69

 

They say if you want to really find a good book, go to page 69 (the middle and meat of the book) and you like it, it's definitely worth reading. For today's feature, I'm zooming in on page 69 of Marie McGaha's new Christian devotional,Shine His Light 3.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Life is the journey we take on our way to Heaven. It’s not easy, it’s not pretty, and sometimes, it’s downright difficult. However, we have an Advocate unlike any other, Jesus Christ. In Shine His Light, the author uses scriptures and her own life lessons to help others get through the bumpy spots.

Release Date: September 2, 2022

Publisher:  DWB Publishing

Soft Cover:979-8887963426; 137 pages; $6.99

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BCS7K29V

I had a dream last night about these verses and the ones that follow listing the Twelve Tribes of Israel from which the 144,000 are taken. In the dream these verses were happening as I watched, and then I was in a church I had never been in before. A huge church with cathedral ceilings and lofts, and it was full of people. I stood up and told everyone that the 144,000 were in the process of being sealed and then the four angels who had been 69 stopped from harming the earth, sea and trees would be allowed to continue their task and the time to be right with God was quickly coming to an end. Instead of people coming to the altar to repent, many walked out of the church, laughing at me. I awoke with praise on my lips and asking God to forgive me any sins I may have committed. But the dream continues to bother me, so I called my pastor Daddy to help me process it.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence toenter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:19-21).”

Jesus Christ did all He could possibly do for us. He died for our sins and rose again, so we would also have everlasting life simply by accepting Him as our Lord and Savior. He was the final sacrifice that atoned for all of mankind’s sins, no matter what they are. There is nothing we can do that Christ didn’t already atone for, but it is up to us to make that confession of faith that brings us out of darkness and into His everlasting light. Without that confession, we are putting ourselves in hell for all of eternity.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

 

🏰 {Book Trailer} To Catch the Setting Sun by Richard I. Levine #booktrailer

 

 

BOOK DETAILS

 

Title: To Catch The Setting Sun
Author: Richard I. Levine
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Pages: 320
Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Blurb:

There’s a killer loose on the island of Oahu. His targets? Young, native-Hawaiian women. But it also appears that he’s targeting and taunting Honolulu police detective Henry Benjamin who knew each victim and whose wife, Maya, had been the first name on that list. In addition to battling his personal demons, this New York transplant’s aggressive style didn’t sit well with his laid-back colleagues who viewed Henry’s uncharacteristic lack of progress in the investigation as evidence that fueled ongoing rumors that he could be the killer. Was he, or could it have been someone within the municipal hierarchy with a vendetta? As it was, after thirteen years on the job Henry had been disillusioned with paradise. His career choice long killed any fantasy of living in a grass hut on a wind-swept beach, being serenaded by the lazy sounds of the ocean and a slack key guitar. Instead, it had opened his eyes to a Hawaii that tourists will never see.

Book Information

Release Date: August 22, 2022

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Soft Cover: ISBN:‎ 978-1509243297; 320 pages; $17.99; eBook $5.99

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Rl42Aw 

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3BRB0mv

Apple iBooks: https://apple.co/3dVBaBj

 

Watch Book Trailer!

 

About Richard I. Levine

Richard I Levine is a native New Yorker raised in the shadows of Yankee Stadium. After dabbling in several occupations and a one-year coast to coast wanderlust trip, this one-time volunteer fireman, bartender, and store manager returned to school to become a chiropractor. A twenty-three-year cancer survivor, he’s a strong advocate for the natural healing arts. Levine has four Indy-published novels and his fifth work, To Catch The Setting Sun, is published by The Wild Rose Press and was released in August 2022. In 2006 he wrote, produced and was on-air personality of the Dr. Rich Levine show on Seattle’s KKNW 1150AM and after a twenty-five year practice in Bellevue, Washington, he closed up shop in 2017 and moved to Oahu to pursue a dream of acting and being on Hawaii 5-O. While briefly working as a ghostwriter/community liaison for a local Honolulu City Councilmember, he appeared as a background actor in over twenty-five 5-Os and Magnum P.Is. Richard can be seen in his first co-star role in the Magnum P.I. third season episode “Easy Money”. He presently resides in Hawaii.

Visit Richard’s Amazon Page or connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads.