Sunday, May 24, 2015

Underwater- Julia McDermott



Title: Underwater
Author: Julia McDermott
Genre: suspense, Georgia author, Augusta Literary Festival author, takes place in Georgia

Candace Morgan has it all: lots of wealth, the perfect boyfriend, beautiful houses and a successful shapewear company. The one thing that keeps her from enjoying life to the fullest? Her moocher, psychologically disturbed brother, Monty. Although Candace is a successful and driven woman, guilt haunts her over an accident that happened when she and Monty were teenagers. An accident that ripped her family apart. Monty uses Candace's guilt to continually extort money from her instead of working a real job and providing for his family. In the novel, Monty and his family are living in a carriage house while Monty is supposed to be renovating a house that was financed by Candace. But instead of using Candace's money wisely, Monty is a selfish jerk that uses the money to support a hidden, second life.

Monty's wife, Helen, is also successful as a graphic designer but marriage to Monty is no paradise for her. Monty is verbally abusive to Helen, and over the years Helen has become isolated and fearful.
Monty acts even more erratic and threatening when Candace threatens to cut him off and she follows through legally. Unfortunately, Helen is caught in the middle between her husband and her sister-in-law. The ever-sneaky Monty hatches a plan to disrupt Candace's company and her bottom line. Will Candace be underwater (financially) forever?

Julia McDermott was one of the author vendors at the 2015 Augusta Literary Festival. You can check out her work here and read more the Augusta Literary Festival here.

Happy reading!

Sunday, May 17, 2015

2015 South Carolina Book Festival

Greetings fellow readers,
   I just came back from a fun and busy whirlwind weekend at the South Carolina Book Festival in Columbia, South Carolina! 


I attended four panels on Saturday...

Coming of Age panel (L-R): moderator Marie Boyd, Elizabeth Dutton, Paige Crutcher, and Courtney C. Stevens

Crime and Puzzlement panel (L-R): Reba White Williams, Sandra Brannan, moderator Paula Benson, CJ Lyons, and Amanda Kyle Williams

Patti Callahan Henry, Mary Alice Monroe and Dorothea Benton Frank

Queens of Southern Story panel (L-R): moderator Buzzy Porter, Patti Callahan Henry, Mary Alice Monroe and Dorothea Benton Frank

Griffith Day, Cheryl Day, and Nathalie Dupree

Southern Kitchen panel (L-R); Griffith and Cheryl Day (owners of Back in the Day Bakery of Savannah, GA), Nathalie Dupree, and moderator Will Balk

... and three panels on Sunday:

(Not Too) Cozy Mystery panel (L-R): moderator Marcia Rowen, Elizabeth Huntsinger, Susan M. Boyer, and Carole Morden

Other Worlds: Young Adult Fantasy panel (L-R): moderator Amy Carol Reeves, Jana Oliver, Megan Miranda, and Lori Goldstein

Farm to Table panel (L-R): moderator Nancy Brock, Francine Bryson, Perre Coleman Magness, and Renea Winchester

In addition to all of these awesome panels there was an exhibit hall where I was able to get author autographs, talk to more authors....

Honey the Dixie Dingo Dog is a Carolina Dog- a dog indigenous to North America

... and hand out my snazzy new business cards!

Oh, and I purchased some books to add to my reading mountain, I mean, reading pile....

All are autographed copies!