What Happened to My Sister by Elizabeth Flock - "Throwback Thursday" Review

A "Throwback Thursday Review" is either a book I read way back when but didn't write a review for whatever reason (usually, probably forgot ... oops...) or it is a review on a book I got but then didn't get around to reading until now (again, usually, probably just forgot).

Up this week is What Happened to My Sister by Elizabeth Flock. This is another one from my long list of ones I read back in 2012 right before it came out but then, for some reason, never wrote a review for it. 

What Happened to My Sister
by Elizabeth Flock
Published: August 2012
by Ballantine Books

From the author of Me & Emma comes a dazzling novel of two unforgettable families bound together by their deepest secrets and haunted pasts—perfect for fans of The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes and The Book of Bright Ideas.

Nine-year-old Carrie Parker and her mother, Libby, are making a fresh start in the small town of Hartsville, North Carolina, ready to put their turbulent past behind them. Violence has shattered their family and left Libby nearly unable to cope. And while Carrie once took comfort in her beloved sister, Emma, her mother has now forbidden even the mention of her name.

When Carrie meets Ruth, Honor, and Cricket Chaplin, these three generations of warmhearted women seem to have the loving home Carrie has always dreamed of. But as Carrie and Cricket become fast friends, neither can escape the pull of their families’ secrets—and uncovering the truth will transform the Chaplins and the Parkers forever.

Goodreads * Amazon

My review:

Get the box of Kleenex for this emotional read. Carrie and her mother are relocating in order to have a better life. Only things really don't seem to be any better, and it doesn't look like they will improve anytime soon. Carrie has memories of a sister but doesn't remember what happened to her, but her mother tells Carrie that she is imagining things and forbids her to talk about it. Carrie and her mother end up living in a run-down, seedy motel, and Carrie is usually left alone in the room. They have very little money, and Carrie does without a lot, even food. It is absolutely heartbreaking to read about this little girl eating things like dirt and clay pots just to ease the hunger pangs.

What Happened to My Sister is very touching. The characters were great, and the story was engaging. Carrie is one of those characters that grab a hold of your heart and burrow their way in. I first read this story 2 years ago (I don't know why I didn't write a review back then), but I have found myself suddenly thinking of it over the years. The Chaplin family is quirky and loveable. Perhaps they didn't see the obvious abuse that was right in front of them at first, but very few people really do. What really did happen to Carrie's sister? You will be left guessing until the end. I would without a doubt recommend this book to anyone. 

A copy was provided for an honest review.

About the author:

Former print journalist Elizabeth Flock reported for TIME and PEOPLE magazines before becoming an on-air correspondent for CBS News. Her acclaimed debut novel, BUT INSIDE I'M SCREAMING, chronically the psychological struggles of a young television reporter in New York, was released in 2003. Her second novel, ME & EMMA, became a New York Times bestseller and was an Indiebound (formerly Booksense) Notable Book of 2005. EVERYTHING MUST GO, Elizabeth's third novel, loosely based on a clothing store in Connecticut, was published in 2007. Elizabeth's books have been translated into seven languages and published in twelve countries. 

Her fourth novel, SLEEPWALKING IN DAYLIGHT, came out in 2009, and was chosen as an Indie Next List (formerly Booksense) title.

Find out more at ElizabethFlock.com.

Using Fiction in Homeschooling - Rachel Harris, author of My Super Sweet 16th Century

Using Fiction in Homeschooling
Guest post by Rachel Harris

Hello, my name is Rachel, and I am a bookaholic. There is nothing I love more than losing myself in the world of story. Okay, maybe that’s not true, I do love chocolate….and Diet Mt. Dew. But seriously, how awesome is it that I can simply break the spine of a new book-- or power up my lovely pink Kindle—and transport myself to another time, another country, another age, or even another gender?

Along with being a bookaholic (and an author), I’m also a homeschooler. My princesses are six and seven and we’ve been homeschooling them since they were one and two years old. They both taught themselves how to read by the age of four and now they never leave the house…or their bedroom…without a book in hand.

I love being able to pass along my love of reading to my children, and I do that by stuffing our shelves with books filled with rich words and settings, characters that exude strength and imagination, and stories that challenge their minds. My six-year-old has worked her way through the entire Ramona series and she loves reading collections of poetry and pretty much any book that has anything remotely to do with fairies. My seven-year-old, on the other hand, is my Greek mythology buff. She reads Percy Jackson and Goddess Girls and collects collections on all the myths. She’s my own personal resource on all things mythology.

Another way I encourage their love of reading is by not only feeding their interests and encouraging them in everyday life, but by using story and fiction in our day-to-day homeschooling. Instead of using dry textbooks, written by several people regurgitating tired, boring facts, we use books written by one or two authors who are wildly passionate about the subject. Then, we follow those readings with visual-heavy encyclopedias from DK and Usborne. We listen to songs to help memorize facts and bring the material even further to life. And we always have read aloud time.

Yes, the girls have their individual books they read daily (most likely hinting on our school theme/topic), and they have private reads that are totally delight-directed, but along with that we gather together every day on the sofa—regardless of Mama’s writing deadlines—and I read a chapter…or two…or three from a book. These are the classics that no child should be deprived of, books like The Cricket in Times Square, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Gooney Bird Greene, Homer Price, Tales of Robin Hood, and The Door in the Wall, along with fun, new books like Detectives in Togas, or books about real people who did amazing things like Gladys Aylward and George Muller. And yes, these are just some of the books that will make up our upcoming school year.

What has all this reading and exposure to great writing done for our family, besides making us a household of readers? Well, it made me a writer. After rediscovering my own love of reading two years ago, I decided to write my own book. And my debut hits shelves this September, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century with Entangled Teen, and I have two more books coming in 2013, A Tale of Two Centuries and Rearview Mirror.

My children are also storytellers. My oldest writes poetry and is forever coming up with complex stories to tell us at dinner time, prompting her father and I to issue the constant suggestion to take out a notebook and write it down. And my youngest, though she has a vivid imagination in her creative play, prefers not to write but to use her spare time to act out all the stories we read together. She is never without a literary imaginary friend in tow, and she loves dressing up like her favorite characters.

And finally, reading has seeped into other areas of our lives. My girls can never just watch a movie or television show. They want to discuss the black moments and turning points, the inciting incidents and climaxes. And our debates on motivation and character arcs are nothing if not entertaining. 

I’m so grateful for the written word and all that it has brought into my life, and I am passionate about kindling that flame in my children and then fanning it to a burning inferno that will last for the rest of their lives. Great fiction does this. It brings families together, it expands imaginations, and it helps us explore things otherwise impossible. 

About the author:

As a teen, Rachel Harris threw raging parties that shook her parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels.

As an adult, she reads and writes obsessively, rehashes said embarrassing fodder, and dreams up characters who become her own grown up version of imaginary friends.

When she's not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, you can find her homeschooling her two beautiful princesses, hanging out with her amazing husband, or taking a hot bubble bath…next to a pile of chocolate. 

MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY is her debut novel.  She did have her own fantabulous Sweet Sixteen in high school. Sadly, it wasn't televised.

 

Find out more at RachelHarrisWrites.com, on Twitter, and Facebook. 

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century
by Rachel Harris  
Expected publication: September 11, 2012 by Entangled Teen

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever? 

Add on Goodreads, and pre-order from The Book Depository. 

Interview with Chris Redding

Chris Redding is the author of several books, including two new books, Blonde Demolition and A View to a Kilt.

About the Author:
Chris Redding lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids, one dog and three rabbits. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism with an English Minor. When she isn't writing she works part time for her local hospital teaching CPR and running the CPR training center.

How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since I was ten, but writing for publication about 13 years.

How did you pick the genre you write in?
The genre picked me. I started out as a romance writer, but I always seemed to end up with a crime in it. I also tend to like stories with more than one plot so thriller and suspense lends itself to that.

What was the best writing advice someone gave you?
This applies to any dream. Every day do at least one thing to work towards your goal.

What was the worst?
An early critique partner told me to write for Harlequin. Nothing wrong with Harlequin, my stories wouldn’t fit there.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Do one thing every single day to get closer to your goal.

What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. That may seem an odd choice, as it is middle grade, but I was reading 3 grades ahead of my age.

What’s your favorite quote?
From a John Lennon song called Beautiful Boy. Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.

What is your favorite word?
Potential

Tell me one thing about yourself that very few people know?
I’m not fearless.

What are your other interests and hobbies?
I wish I had more time for other things, but writing is very time-consuming. What I used to like to do was cross stitch. The rhythm of it is very relaxing. I also like to hike.

Blonde Demolition
(Available soon in print at Amazon.)

Mallory Sage lives in a small, idyllic town where nothing ever happens. Just the kind of life she has always wanted. No one, not even her fellow volunteer firefighters, knows about her past life as an agent for Homeland Security.

Former partner and lover, Trey McCrane, comes back into Mallory's life. He believes they made a great team once, and that they can do so again. Besides, they don't have much choice. Paul Stanley, a twisted killer and their old nemesis, is back.

Framed for a bombing and drawn together by necessity, Mallory and Trey go on the run and must learn to trust each other again―if they hope to survive. But Mallory has been hiding another secret, one that could destroy their relationship. And time is running out.

A View to a Kilt
(Now available in print at Amazon.)

Waking up next to a dead guy can ruin your whole day.

When a wise-cracking interior decorator wants to put her past behind her, the dead body of the mayor’s son makes it pretty clear that won’t happen too easily.

A conservative former computer geek for the FBI is holding on too tightly to his past. His wife died under suspicious circumstances and he believes the decorator has the information to solve the case. Unfortunately for him, she isn’t talking… until a series of events convinces her she needs protection especially when her biggest secret threatens to destroy both their lives.

You can find out more about Chris Redding at her website and her blog.

Review: Veiled Innocence

Veiled Innocence
by Krystle Jones
Book One of The Soul Cycle

Author's blurb:

Sometimes your greatest battles are fought from within.

Lianora has never placed much stock in the gods or in the lore of the land. She especially never believed the legends that spoke of a lost ancient magic, a magic woven from the fabric of people’s souls. So when she discovers the teardrop necklace, she thinks it to be nothing special – until the visions begin, horrific glimpses of an approaching evil, mingled with fragments of a legendary empress’ shattered past.