Sweet Dreams

"Some scars are written on the heart. You might not be able to see them but they're there."

After the death of her mother, Dusty Fairchild has always dreamed of going to college to study Geology, but her father, Flint Fairchild, self made owner of Fairchild Oil has other plans. He wants her to spend a year attending Miss Fontaine's Finishing School for Girls in East Texas. Dusty can't seem to understand how that will benefit her but she is willing to go as long as her childhood best friend and cousin, Paisley Finch is allowed to attend with her. Just how will young girls born and raised on a ranch fit in among the wealthy young women who will be their roommates for the year. Seems like things are about to get real interesting!

Amid learning about manners, etiquette, setting up social functions and parties, and learning French, Dusty and Paisley attempt to fit in as best as they can. But Paisley has spent her life living on a tour bus while her mother Edie has been searching for fame and fortune in the many nightclubs and bars they frequent. However, Paisley has been receiving far more attention from her mother's boyfriends than she could ever ask for and finds spending the year at Miss Fontaine's will be the break she is looking for. It provides stability and security she never had traveling on the road, never knowing where they would wake up next. She considers her life like that of a traveling gypsy.

As the year progresses and the girls begin making holiday plans, Dusty is anxious to get back to her father and the young banker, Jack she met before leaving. It is what every girl dreams of, falling in love with a handsome young man, who can provide stability for a future wife and family. She only hopes Jack feels the same way as she does after being away at school. Paisley on the other hand, has been invited by her roommate Alexandria to head to Houston in preparation for her engagement party and visiting the wealthy elite. It is a chance to see a side of life she has never seen before, if only she can find a way to fit in and not embarrass herself in the process. What she doesn't plan on is falling quite literally for Jack before she heads out for the winter break. How will she be able to manage her feelings for her cousin and her feelings for Jack?

I received Sweet Dreams by Carla Stewart compliments of Faith Words, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. This is a coming of age story of two young girls set in the 1960's in Texas. One from a life of influence and the other from a life of living on the road. While they can often times compliment one another, those very different qualities often create tension as Paisley attempts to fit in with the majority of the girls who come from affluent families. Paisley resists trying to be someone she isn't and it is something Dusty looks up to, her strength and determination to achieve what she wants in life. But for Paisley she isn't sure just what the future hold for her, where as Dusty struggles to gain the approval of her father to allow her the freedom to make her own choices regarding her future. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and it does contain a Reader's Discussion Guide for Book Clubs at the end of the novel.

For more information about Sweet Dreams, Carla Stewart, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Sweet Dreams by Carla Stewart

You can also find Carla Stewart on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Sweet Dreams, please visit Faith Word's website. 

The Mirror

If you're a fan of science fiction dealing with time travel woven together with a touch of romance, history and a bit of mystery, you might just want to pick up John Heldt's Northwest Passage Time Travel Series. I've been so privileged to be a part of this journey being invited to review his latest in the series, The Mirror. This is actually book 5 in the series, and follows the journey of Katie and Ginny Smith, twins who live in the year 2020 and find themselves at the Cedar River Country Fair. Having seen most of the exhibits, rides and fair offerings, they opt to check out one final thing before heading home, a throw back to the original fair's exhibits from the 60's which include fire eaters, fortune tellers and even a vintage House of Mirrors.

They take the chance to spend some time with Marta the Magnificent who offers a look into your future for $10 using your choice of the ball, the cards, the palms of the leaves. The girls chose the ball since it seems the most legit and when Marta tells them that they will soon go on an adventure like no other, a strange, mysterious journey much closer to home. She warns them that there will be handsome young men in their future and that these men will be no ordinary acquaintances and will change their lives. She strongly cautions them that they will be gone a long time and they will only have one chance to return. If they are not careful, they may never see home again.

Marta is so panicked by what she sees for both of the twins she refunds their money when the girls begin to get worried with her prediction. Her last words of advice for the twins, "Just take the money and go. Leave the fairgrounds now and go home. I'm advising you as a mother and a person who cares about your safety. Leave immediately. Don't do anything else tonight. Just go straight home and stay there. I beg you."

But like all great stories the girls don't follow Marta's advice and make a final stop before heading home at the House of Mirrors where they step through a mirror and find themselves in 1964. Remembering Marta's warning, they know they can get back but are unsure just how. They know they will only have one shot at it, but they also know that their parents were also given the rare opportunity as well to travel back in time. They just aren't sure how long they will be in 1964 and how they will find their way back. They only know that their parents did it before following the same path to get home, but there are no mirrors around. The fair has now been boarded up and they can only hope to find out when it will be reopened and try to find the same mirror they walked through the first time to get back home. For now the journey will take them in unexpected places and allow them to see family members that have been dead for quite some time. Is there a bigger plan in store for them or will they alter history forever?

I received The Mirror by John A. Heldt compliments of the author for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for my review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own unless otherwise noted. This novel is proceeded by The Mine and The Show if you want to follow the story from the beginning to see the parallel time travel adventures from their parents and grandparents. It is interesting to see how teens from a technology advanced period of history have to deal with going back to the 60's and try to fit in. Dating is much different in some aspects than it was where they came from and women dressed much more sophisticated then they do wearing dresses instead of jeans and the girls seem to be rushed to find romance and love before their time runs out. I would rate this one a 4 out of 5 in my opinion based on the fact that the girls are a bit promiscuous with their relationships and not too concerned with the consequences of their actions with the boys they encounter and for the majority of my reader base who might find this a cause for concern. I would have liked to seen them spend more time falling in love than simply sleeping with them. All in all, the novel is a wonderful blend of so many elements that the author executed so well and I love how it all worked out in the end.

For more information about The Mirror, John A. Heldt or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Mirror by John A. Heldt

You can also find John A. Heldt on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.