Thursday, July 23, 2009

2009/2010 Stephanie Plum Challenge


Ahhh - another challenge - I am such a sucker for challenges. This time it's the Stephanie Plum challenge hosted at J. Kaye's Book Blog.

Essentially we list and keep up with the Stephanie Plum books we read between now (7/23/09) and December 31, 2010. I'm in on this one. More details can be found in J. Kaye's blog post.

So here's what I plan on reading:

1. Seven Up (2001) - finished 8/09
2. Hard Eight (2002)
3. To the Nines (2003)
4. Ten Big Ones (2004)
5. Eleven on Top (2005)
6. Twelve Sharp (2006)
7. Lean Mean Thirteen (2007)
8. Fearless Fourteen (2008)
9. Finger Lickin' Fifteen (2009)

Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers Novels

Visions of Sugar Plums (2002)
Plum Lovin' (2007)
Plum Lucky (2008)
Plum Spooky (2009)

I'm excited thinking about catching up on this series. So excited I think I will go and start Seven Up which I currently have from the library.

I will denote in this post as I finish the books and post reviews too.

Thanks J. Kaye for hosting this challenge!

Review and Giveaway - 0 to 60 by Susan Slater


0 to 60 by Susan Slater





rating: 4.5/5.0








From Goodreads:

O TO 60 is Susan Slater s debut women s fiction novel with that all too true-to-life story of a woman dumped. Meet Shelly Sinclair, matriarch of the quintessential American family. Shelly s life is perfect one most women would envy a 35 year marriage to a successful doc, two grown sons, a beautiful home and the security of predictability. Without warning, this world collapses. Her husband of a lifetime announces that he s asked someone to marry him a someone thirty-nine years his junior. And, oh yes, the mother of his four-year-old child. Alone. To start over. Sixty is a long way from sixteen. Is Prince Charming still out there? But isn t there more? Her quest to find self is as endearing as it is enduring. Because maybe, just maybe these are the best years of her life.
I have to say that I absolutely loved this book. How would any woman deal with her husband leaving her after 35 years of marriage? How does one start over at 60? That's exactly what Shelly Sinclair has to deal with. I love how Ms. Slater develops Shelly and how through time Shelly begins to find herself. Of course she has to navigate a lot of dating setbacks and an ex-husband with a younger wife and child and her children too. One child who sticks with her and one who sides more with her ex-husband. The book feels very true to life.

It's very entertaining. There is humor, there is sadness and through it all Shelly perseveres. I think this is a wonderful women's fiction book. Shelly is a strong character, there are some twists and turns, but you stick with it through it all and hardly want to put it down. In fact when it ends I wish it would keep going - I have fallen in love with Shelly as a character and want to know more about her. The book ends like it should though and I like the ending.

I will be looking for more books by Ms. Slater in the future and hope she continues writing women's fiction.

About the Author:


Susan is the author of six mysteries - four in the highly acclaimed Ben Pecos Indian series: Pumpkin Seed Massacre, Yellow Lies, Thunderbird and a novella, A Way to the Manger plus two stand alones, Flash Flood and Five O'clock Shadow. Susan lives thirty miles west of Taos and writes full time.

Thank you to Emily Weiss at Bascom Publishing for sending me this book!


Binding: Paperback
On-sale Date: July 15th, 2009
Publisher: Bascom Publishing
Pages: 309

Also I would like to give away my copy of 0 to 60 by Susan Slater. I will open the contest today through Friday August 14th. This one is open to the US and Canada only (don't worry others - I will have more worldwide contests soon). Please enter by:

  1. Commenting on my blog, make sure I have a way to contact you. (+1)
  2. Become a blog follower or let me know if you are already a follower (+1)
  3. Tell me any other Susan Slater books you have read and enjoyed (+1)
  4. Tell me your favorite women's fiction book (+1)
  5. Tweet about this review and giveaway, use @cfulcher in the tweet so I can find it (+1)
  6. Follow me on Twitter (or let me know if you are a current follower) (+1)
  7. Blog about this contest and let me know the link (sidebar or post is fine) (+1)
So there you go - 7 ways to get an entry into this contest. You can leave them in separate posts or one post, it doesn't matter, I will make sure you get your entries, just make sure to let me know what you do.

Great Contest at Bitten By Books


Book Trailer for Destined for an Early Grave: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZmRY9nmM38

Read 20% of Destined for an Early Grave: http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061583216

Then head on over to Bitten By Books to enter this wonderful contest and to read the conversation with Jeaniene Frost. I haven't read this series, but plan to start it soon. It sounds very intriguing!