Joanne Guidoccio | Rosie Amber

Between Land and Sea by Joanne Guidoccio

This is a curious book spanning several genres and I’m undecided which target audience it would appeal to. The book introduces us to Isabella a mermaid who has been banished from her underworld Mediterranean Kingdom after she fell in love with a human. I began with images of a fantasy novel which would appeal to the younger market.

Isabella has lost her tail and been given a new human identity as a 53 year old women and dropped into a small Canadian town called Carden. Wow! That was a shocker! I didn’t expect that. She finds that her Grandmother has set her up in an apartment and given her twelve months to get a job, find a man and survive. In keeping with the fantasy element Isabella has the use of a Tablet and a numbers mermaid who can advise her and provide magical buttons to enhance her life skills.

She must make a new life as Barbara Davies. The book takes off on a journey of discovery for Barbara as a middle aged woman who must re-invent herself and this would appeal to many older women who have experienced life, relationships and hardships. Barbara’s lucky, the specialist buttons and good friends allow her to succeed in all that she touches. She embarks on writing a book and this will echo with anyone who has sat down to write their own first book.

Barbara’s job and book all lead her to offering counselling advice and we stay with the adult theme when she meets Graham and begins a slow burner relationship, there’s no hot romance it’s more a background theme. During her publishing process Barbara meets several people who indulge in New Age thinking and self-help therapies and so the book shifts again. The mermaid links pop back and forth reminding us this is a fantasy, which makes it hard to conclude. If you are a older woman who can relate to failed relationships and the need to re-invent your life but who also likes mermaids, plus wants a light read, then this could be for you.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

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Welcome to my second Year of Good Deeds, a challenge I set myself during April 2013. I decided to do at least one Good Deed a day for a whole year, now I an into my second year.

During my week I’ll also being updating you on My Kindness Challenge which I’m also doing. I read about a new challenge to make the world a better place to live in. “Speak Kind Words, Receive Kind Echoes” see the inspiration on The Kindness blog . During my learning process I’m donating money to charity for my slip-ups to make me work harder to achieve results. I earn no money from any of my book reviews, so having little to spare should focus my mind.

This week I’ve been doing the following;

July 27th – This morning I woke to several new inspiring moments. A new blogger joined us and while visiting the blog I found an excellent post. Women who think too much, check out this post now http://womenwhothinktoomuch.wordpress.com/2014/06/01/the-magic-bank-account/. Imagine a magic bank account which gives you £or $ 86 400 everyday (or any currency you choose), how will you spend yours? Each night the account is cleared, no savings, no rolling over or transferring to another account, and the bank can withdraw the offer at any time they like. Go check it out and be amazed.

Also heard today how my book review challenge has been uniting more readers with authors they previously didn’t know, Brilliant! Just off to the last league cricket match of the boy’s season. Picked up litter at the match and found some money in the grass.

July 28th – We had a bit of fun on the blog today, I asked the question what book have you read multiple times and why? I’m going to feature reader’s books over the next few days. I thought it was a good way to allow the blog readers a chance to have a bit of a say about books. Here is a link to the post http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5zp

I have been helping out Diane with lots of info about using WordPress and it’s good points.

July 29th – What book have you read multiple times has proved extremely popular, I’ve been chatting to readers on Twitter about their favourite books as well as blog followers and I’m setting up a series of blogs featuring books that you’ve all been telling me about. These are bringing back memories for others too. Today Charles E Yallowitz told us about why he has read Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card multiple times.

July 30th – Picked up litter at the supermarket this morning. Have got myself a little bit too busy and yesterday I forgot to post a guest post for Madi Preda, posted it today instead followed by a big apology. Sue Vincent told us about the book she has read Moon Magic by Dione Fortune multiple times today and I was featured over at Joanne Guidoccio’s blog in a Seconds Act feature where I talked about what I have been doing in the last two years since I began blogging. Titled “What makes me a better person” http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5BH

July 31st – Posted two more book reviews on Goodreads and Amazon and drafted up posts for later in August. Had to quickly climb in to my suit of virtual armour to face the wrath of an unhappy author for my 3* book review which I sent him. Rather a large tantrum followed with him asking me not to post my review as I believe he was frightened it would affect his glowing 5* reviews. Thank goodness that having not heard from him for a day, I posted my reviews before his e-mail popped in to my in-box. I will not bow down to behaviour like that, I was asked to read and review his book and I followed through. The review will appear on my blog on August 12th. A big thank-you to Terry Tyler for her support today.

Authors of the Romancing September tour are sending in their replies and both Stephanie and I are drafting up their posts as they come in. Today’s book on the “What book have you read multiple times?” featured Uncle Wiggily Longears by Howard R Garis and there were some great discussions which led on from the post.

August 1st – Wow! August 1st already, just where is the year going? Today’s book on our “What book have you read multiple times?” feature is “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint Exupery. Another book that has brought back some memories for readers and lots of good comments.

August 2nd – The boys cricket season has come to the end and was celebrated with an awards morning. Cricket has been played on the club green for approximately 250 years and the club do a really good job of encouraging the youngsters who will be tomorrows adult players. The team managers give all their time freely from the start of indoor training in January to organising matches from April to July. A huge effort goes into collating teams, training boys and girls and preparing pitches, so we all joined in thanking everyone involved. There were reports from all the team managers telling us how the season had gone and there were two awards per team One for The Spirit of Cricket given to a player who promotes good attitude, supports the team and tries their best. The other is for the best all round player per team. I’m really proud that we are part of such of really good supportive club.

Sent off a book review for Beneath The Surface by Mike Martin, a gentle murder mystery set in Newfoundland. My review will appear on the blog later in August. Have been drafting up more book reviews from the book review team and for the Romancing September tour.