Blog Tour - Chemo on the Rocks

Chemo on the Rocks: My Great Alaskan Misadventure by Rebecca Durkin

Publisher: Christine F. Anderson Publishing & Media

Publish Date: 9/25/14

Genre: Memoir

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My Rating:

About the Author

Rebecca Durkin, author of Chemo on the Rocks: My Great Alaskan Misadventure and her short story, Behind the Smile, is known for her candor and sense of humor.

Rebecca is a featured speaker/creative trainer for an annual women’s retreat in California, where she shares her experiences and provides writing ideas. She is also a volunteer for the Survivors Teaching Students: Saving Women's Lives ® program for the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.

Rebecca spent the majority of her life living on the edge of the shore, first on Whidbey Island, Washington and then in rainy Ketchikan, Alaska where she lived a waterlogged existence for almost thirty years.  She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest where she enjoys road trips with her husband, hanging with her adult children, playing with her three Bichons—Scuppers, Scuttles, and Teeny Booty—and finding the humor in everyday life.

About the Book

Chemo on the Rocks is a shoreside seat on Rebecca (Becky) Durkin’s great Alaskan misadventure. It highlights the hilarity and heartache of a young girl who finds herself marooned in Ketchikan—fondly known as "The Rock"—where she remains on her self-imposed Alaskatraz for almost thirty years.

Chemo on the Rocks is witty, inspirational, satirical, and sometimes terrifying. It is a mix of pain and laughter as Becky walks the IV gauntlet, trailing behind the unfettered back end peeking through the drab hospital gown of the man shuffling before her.  Chemo on the Rocks is a hard-fought battle in the fallopian trenches where Becky wages war on ovarian cancer—the ultimate wedding crasher—as it invites an entire medical team into her honeymoon suite.  She slays the cancer dragon and has two children in defiance of the beast, but just when it seems life has returned to normalcy, she prematurely crashes onto Mount Hysteria and wanders aimlessly through the Hormone War Zone in the Land of the Ovary Snatchers.

Everything about having chemo on the rock was made more difficult by Becky’s fears of boating and flying—the only escape from the island—which became more terrifying with each trip to Seattle for surgery or testing. Chemo on the Rocks showcases the many parallels between sea adventures and cancer adventures, such as doldrums while awaiting diagnosis, the skull and cross bones of chemo, the bitter end of a failed marriage, tying the knot of another, listing dangerously, and perhaps a return to navigable waters. 

Review

I've never read a book that tells a real-life story quite like this one. Since Chemo on the Rocks deals with the serious and tragic story of cancer, I fully expected the book to be an inspirational downer. Boy was I wrong. Becky's sense of humor and drive to fight for her own life made this story breeze by. The lighter tone really helped because it takes you through some really dark, tough times and gives you a heavy dose of reality.

I found that I had to remind myself that this was a real story, written by the person who lived it and that the people in the story were real too, not characters. I had a tough time dealing with Becky and Mike's marriage. I got upset at the way Mike handled the entire situation and was angry that he needed support from Becky when he knew she couldn't provide it. When you look at it a second time though, this is EXACTLY real life, right there in black and white. Life is not fair, people's emotions and reactions to situations are not fair and we just trudge on the best we can.

If you need a story to put some things in life into perspective, then go read this book. Everyone deals with tough things and everyone's tough things are tough to them. When you read about someone's journey and struggles through a fight as massive as the one with cancer, it makes you think. No matter how bad you think things are in your life, they could be a whole lot worse. And, even if they are the worst, the human spirit is an amazing thing that is capable of a lot more than you might imagine. Becky's story captures that essence beautifully.

Pair This With

If you've been following along with me on this blog at all, you know that my favorite wines come from the Rioja region of Spain - particularly Tempranillo and Garancha varietals. The title of this book inspired me to pair it with a yummy sangria ON THE ROCKS of course! While homemade sangria is the best, sometimes you just want something quick, easy and ready to pour. Real Sangria is my favorite go-to bottled sangria. It is a fruity Spanish sangria comprised mostly of, you guessed it, Tempranillo and Garancha grapes. It's light, slightly citrusy and delicious over ice.

Blog Tour - The Secret Letters

The Secret Letters by Abby Bardi

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia

Publish Date: 7/1/15

Genre: Women's Fiction

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My Rating:

About the Author

Abby Bardi is the author of THE BOOK OF FRED and THE SECRET LETTERS. She grew up in Chicago, went to college in California, then spent a decade teaching English in Japan and England. She currently teaches at a college in Maryland and lives in historic Ellicott City with her husband and dog.

About the Book

When thirty-seven-year-old slacker-chef Julie Barlow's mother dies, her older sister Pam finds a cache of old letters from someone who appears to be their mother's former lover. The date stamped on the letters combined with a difficult relationship with her father leads Julie to conclude that the letters' author was a Native American man named J. Fallingwater who must have been her real father.

Inspired by her new identity, Julie uses her small inheritance to make her dream come true: she opens a restaurant called Falling Water that is an immediate success, and life seems to be looking up. Her sister Norma is pressuring everyone to sell their mother's house, and her brother Ricky is a loveable drunk who has yet to learn responsibility, but the family seems to be turning a corner. 

Then tragedy strikes, and Julie and her siblings have to stick together more than ever before. With all the secrets and setbacks, will Julie lose everything she has worked so hard for?

Review

I enjoyed the style of writing right off the bat with this story. The dialogue flowed very easily and the author really made you feel like you were a part of this crazy family dynamic. The letters that Julie and Pam find while cleaning out their mom's house add an interesting element to the plot line. Since the novel is called "The Secret Letters" I was really hoping for more investigation and attention on the letters. I felt like they were super important for a brief moment but then they sort of just faded away as we got more into Julie's story.

Each of the siblings dealt with their mother's death in a unique way and I loved seeing the interaction and emotions they all went through. This family and their struggles, both individually and together, was very realistic and easy to relate to. The reveal and eventual resolution of the letters happened a bit too quickly for my taste. While I definitely didn't see the twist coming at the end of this book, it was both too tidy and open ended at the same time. I wish we could have heard how Julie's story ended.

All in all, this was a fun, easy read and I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy a good family drama story. It's funny and engaging and the author's first person POV was very well done. She deals with some pretty serious themes throughout this story but the writing never brings you down too much.

Pair This With

 The Hot to Trot red blend from 14 Hands Winery is one of my favorite "go-to" wines. It has flavors of red berries and dark stone fruits with just a little bit of spice. It paired perfectly with the light- hearted yet sassy tone of this novel.


  

Winery Wednesday - Rutherford Hill

To celebrate our 5th anniversary, my husband and I were lucky enough to get the chance to travel out to Napa Valley. It was on my bucket list of places to go and believe me - it did NOT disappoint. Our trip was fairly short - only 4 days but we got to experience a ton while we were there. We never stayed in the same place two nights in a row.

Obviously, wine tasting was at the top of my list of to-do's while we were there. It is unbelievable how many wineries there are in Northern California. We spent the time beforehand and planned out our entire trip and chose which wineries we were going to visit on which day. This took some work and research but it made it SO much easier.

Today on my Winery Wednesday feature, I want to share my hands down, FAVORITE winery we visited on our trip -

Rutherford Hill Winery

Rutherford Hill Winery is located high in the hills of Napa Valley, CA. The views of the valley are absolutely breathtaking. The winery was founded in 1972 and has been making delicious wines ever since.

One of the cool features of Rutherford Hill are their wine caves. We took a tour and it was the most fun, unique wine tasting experience I've had. They actually had little stations set up throughout the caves so as we toured, we stopped periodically for wine. So fun! They can store up to 8,000 barrels of wine in their caves at one time!

Here's us at the entrance to the wine caves!

The wine caves were chilly which makes them perfect for storing wine

There were tons of alleys off the main walkway with wine barrels stacked as far as the eye could see!

We tasted a bunch of delicious wines but my favorites were their Malbec and Merlot. We brought back a bottle of the 2008 Malbec with us - soooo yummy! Merlot is the wine that Rutherford Hill is best known for and dedicates most of their production towards.

The last stop on our tasting took us to a table outside where they shared their dessert wines with us. They also gave us a bowl of these amazing chocolate covered blueberries. I brought a bag home and have been obsessed with them ever since. Luckily, I found a local store that carries them!

Whenever someone I know mentions they are headed to Napa Valley and ask for recommendations - this is where I tell them to go. If you aren't going to make it out to Napa any time soon, then find their wines online and try them out. You won't be disappointed!

Blog Tour - Circle Dance

Circle Dance by Lynne & Valerie Constantine
Publisher - Bookbaby
Publish Date - 11/7/12
Genre - Contemporary Women's Fiction
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My Rating:

About the Authors

    Lynne Constantine is a coffee drinking, twitter addicted, fiction writer always working on her next book. She is the co-author of CIRCLE DANCE, a family saga written with her sister, as well as the author of several short stories. She is the managing partner of a social media consulting firm & gives talks on the role of social media in publishing. She is a contributing editor to The Big Thrill magazine published by International Thriller Writers (ITW). She likes to run her plots by Tucker, her golden retriever, who rarely disagrees with her.

 She recently finished her first thriller, and a second book with her sister. Lynne is now working on a third women’s fiction collaboration with her sister. In her spare time the loves going to the beach, spending time with her family, and reading.

      Valerie Constantine was born in Baltimore, Maryland.  She has always loved books and spent too many nights reading by the light of her bedside lamp until 3 a.m. (Those were the days when she was able to stay up that late.)  She graduated from Nancy Drew to Shakespeare and went on to study at the University Maryland where she received a degree in English Literature. She is a contributing editor to The Big Thrill magazine and has also worked with St. John’s College as chair of their Meet The Authors Program. She is an active community volunteer working with a

Washington, D.C. organization that fights human trafficking and also as president of Assistance League of the Chesapeake, a philanthropic organization that helps and supports children in need. In her spare time she reads, kayaks and travels.  Valerie lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and Zorba, their brilliant King Charles Cavalier.

About the Book:

Young, smart and beautiful with everything figured out – or so they thought. Born into a prosperous Greek American family, sisters Nicole and Theodora have achieved the perfect balance between the old world rich in Greek tradition and the freedom of life in America. 

Nicole’s world spins out of control when she falls for a married senator who shares her heritage and her dreams. The decisions she makes will affect the happiness of those closest to her and will define the woman she is to become. 

As Theodora struggles to succeed at her marriage, she seeks the wisdom and council of her beloved Greek grandmother who has been happily married for over half a century. Ultimately she must come to terms with the reality of her own life and take responsibility for the role she has played in deceiving herself. 

As the dramatic plot unfolds, the two young women must confront deceit and betrayal and their own shortcomings—while they struggle to preserve the values they cherish. 

Set in Baltimore, Annapolis and the tiny island of Ikaria, Greece, Circle Dance provides a view into the lives of a dynamic family that has successfully achieved the American dream without abandoning the customs and traditions handed down through their Greek heritage.

Review:

The initial synopsis of the plot of this story was enough to capture my attention and sign up for this tour. But, to be honest, I still wasn't so sure that I was going to enjoy it. Well, after about 10 pages in - I was hooked. The writing style was so smooth and easy, that it drew me in right away. You can't help but love Nicole and Theodora from the first few pages. The two of them are such different characters and I just couldn't wait to see how they were going to come out on the other side of very different struggles. 

When I imagine a Greek family, this was exactly how I pictured it. Passionate, close knit and full of life. It really brought this unique heritage to life for me. The bond between this family is one that can never be broken and they really stick together to get through tough times. Nicole and Theodora are incredibly easy to relate to and seem like real people that you might meet at a coffee shop or something. 

The plot line was somewhat predictable (there were a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming), but that didn't stop me from enjoying every page. I seriously did not want to stop reading and I spent many late nights doing the whole "one more chapter" bit until I just fell asleep holding my Kindle. I wanted so desperately for the "bad guys" to be caught and for resolutions to come to the girls. I couldn't get to the end fast enough!

Pair This With:

Hermes Greek White - For this book, it made me want to go search out a Greek wine. I had never tried one before and I was in the mood for a white wine. This one was light and crisp and went down easy. It has hints of peach and herbs. This would pair well with a mozzarella and tomato salad or seafood.

Chill Out - Frozen Fruits For Your Wine

Sarah, over on Venus Trapped in Mars posted this genius list of life tutorials a few days ago. When I saw the one about the best frozen fruits to chill your wine, I just had to share. The original post came from House Beautiful and I love this idea so much. I’ve talked before about my lack of planning skills when it comes to social gatherings. I can never seem to keep wines in the fridge ahead of time so that they are already cold when I need them. Putting ice cubes in your wine just waters it down and destroys the flavor. THIS is the solution to all of my "I forgot to chill the wine" needs!

I’ve never thought of putting frozen fruit into my wine to help chill it – AMAZING! I will now be stocking my freezer with ALL of the fruits. The best part of this tip? Once you've polished off your glass of wine, you have a delicious wine-infused treat to enjoy!

Here’s the list of wine/fruit pairings from House Beautiful. Then, I’ve included a “Bang for your Buck” wine suggestion list (they are all under $10!) for each varietal as well from the Wine Chateau online store.

Let me know how your frozen fruit wine ice cubes work for you!

BEST "BANG FOR YOUR BUCK"

from Wine Chateau

Cupcake Vineyards Prosecco - Aromas of white peach, grapefruit and honeydew melon lead to flavors of creamy ripe lemon, refined citrus and a toasted brioche finish.

The Seeker Rosé 2012 - A dry rosé, elegant, fresh and delicately fruity featuring floral aromas with bright citrus, white peach, and red berry flavors.

Alamos Chardonnay - This wine displays a stunning array of ripe peach, pear and apple flavours which marry harmoniously with toasty oak.

Little Black Dress Reisling - Pale yellow in color, with a rich and floral bouquet accented by aromas of pear and apricot.

Gatonegro Moscato - Pale with strawish tones.Intense flowery and citrus aromas with sweet tones.Sweet with a pleasant acidity that balances and gives freshness to it, aromas that remind us of ripe peaches and apricots grant it a pleasant final persistance.

Casas Del Toqui Sauvignon Blanc Single Estate 2013 - Very fresh wine with intense aromas of tropical fruits, fine mineral notes and citrus accents, lively palate and pleasing finish. 

Graffigna Pinot Grigio Reserve Centenario 2014 - Hints of jasmine and notes of white fruits like peach and apricot, with a refined finish. 

Nathanson Creek White Zinfandel - Light and fresh with watermelon and citrus-like flavors. Sweet but balanced with medium acidity and floral berry aromas.