http://www.amazon.com/Kristi-M.-Washbourn/e/B00D6EEG6Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Author page on AMAZON
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SECOND BEGINNINGS
By KRISTI M WASHBOURN
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http://www.amazon.com/Jack-ORourke-Second-Beginnings-ebook/dp/B00CYGRQQO/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1367930056
KINDLE
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http://www.amazon.com/The-Jack-ORourke-Series-Beginnings/dp/1480143723/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1367930056&sr=8-1
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PAPER BACK
TRICKS BUT NOT TREATS
http://www.amazon.com/The-Jack-ORourke-Series-Tricks/dp/1484008707/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1
PAPER BACK
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http://www.amazon.com/Jack-ORourke-Tricks-but-Treats-ebook/dp/B00HLQ9Y94/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=
KINDLE
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MY niece wrote a book. I have decided to shamelessly plug her book here on my blog. I have posted the links here on the blog if you get a chance and want to read a book for tween ( pre- teen girls) take the time to read the exerts and if interested buy the book. The kindle version can be downloaded for 99 cents. IF you do read the book please leave a review, even if you do not like it. Authors NEED the input and reactions of their books by the readers. Kristi says she can take the criticism if you do not like it as long as you are honest and give critiques and not just slam to slam.
I love her book probably because there was so much of my family in the book. I posted a review in Amazon… here it is …. I hope it makes you want to read the book :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/797932836
For full disclosure I must state that Kristi Washbourn is my niece and I love her a lot. I really love that she is going for her dream. This is my second read of the book as I read it before publication. I enjoyed seeing how it flushed out and developed from the first draft to the final publication. There is nothing like a MICHIGAN ice storm with no electricity or heat to inspire a person to settle in with a layer of quilts to read by the light of a window. I always had plans to re-read the book but life kept getting in the way. So having several hours ahead of me of trying to keep warm, I decided to curl up with a book… JACK O’ROURKE’S SERIES SECOND BEGINNINGS seemed like a good choice.
I really liked Jack’s family. Why, because I can see and hear my family in the dialogue and characterizations. Words falling out of Jack’s mom’s mouth has fallen out of the lips of my sister and my mouth at some time when we were raising our kids. Olivia, the mom practiced the fine art of interrogation of her children and their lives. I remember having the same experience telling my mom about our day and as a mom finding about my daughter’s life. Most teens will see their own lives reflected in these passages.
I really smiled and enjoyed the Nonna and Nonno (Italian for grandma and grandpa) are reincarnations of my parents in so many ways. Nonna’s language structure was totally reminisces of my mom’s speech pattern, not a fake Italian accented speech but speech full of warmth and wisdom and caring. I do not think pre and young teens would want too much time spent on the grandparents as characters, but I wanted more dialogue and time spent on them. I read books for the characters and I was getting enthralled by all the characters in the book. If the characters do not charm me and make me care then I usually stop reading the book. I think this books captures the spirit and spark of a young girl that you would want as your best friend.
I have been told by my daughter Jack has characteristics of Kristi’s son and daughter, but I saw a lot of Kristi and her mom my sister Linda in the character. Tenacious, smart, brave, adventuresome with a familial tendency to having an ironic sense of humor and a sarcastic mouth. Our mouths always got us into trouble. And yes, Jack’s mouth and sense of justice tends to get her into a lot of trouble. I like how she stands up for herself and is ready to face problems head on. I think young girls need to see more of this.
Jack and her family have moved to a new town into the home of her grandparents after the death of her father and she is just starting in a new school. I loved Jack’s new friends Wren, Zander and Ayden…. My daughter has a small crush on Ayden. The gang seem like nice, wholesome teens. If the book has a fault it would be that we do not dive deep into these kids characterization, but I think that is to come as the series develops as this book is less than 200 pages.
I won’t tell you the plot, you will have to read it for yourself. The plot is plausible (I hate plots that have holes and are totally unrealistic) and has multiple layers that I can see developing in the series. This is similar to the books that I grew up with, Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew only better set in today’s modern culture with our modern problems. I think the plot is more realistic and deals with the difficulties teen face today. I will say that I think it is a good read for teens as the heroine is not wimpy or super human but a realistic portrayal of a young teen.
I am looking forward to reading her second book, Tricks but no Treats!
HAPPY READING,
NONNIE
http://www.amazon.com/The-Jack-ORourke-Series-Beginnings/dp/1480143723
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Nonnie's Quilting Dreams 