BOOK BLITZ: Luna Rising By Selene Castrovilla

Luna Rising

By Selene Castrovilla

Genre: Women's Fiction

About the Book

 Life begins at thirty-eight for Long Island mom and writer Luna Lampanelli, when she kicks her secretly gay husband to the curb. She's got her freedom, but what she wants is love. Luna knows she doesn't need a man to exist, but try telling that to her heart. Against the advice of Sunny, her snarky best friend, and Jiminy, the cautioning voice in Luna's head who just won't shut up, Luna sets course to find a mate. Luna speed and on-line dates her way into several short-lived, surreal relationships. There's Ari, the humorless Israeli who refuses to assimilate – to America, and to humanity. There's Alex, the young and handsome ex-crackhead who informs Luna he doesn't want to be monogamous—while they're in bed. There's Memphis, the wild-eyed sadomasochist. There's Red, angry and crippled, who becomes the catalyst for Luna to join Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous. But before Luna can proceed to recovery, she meets the elusive but oh so appealing Trip. He's emotionally unavailable and has the Madonna-Whore Complex, but how can Luna (aka "whore") let him go when she enjoys his dry wit so much, and his body even more? Humorously haunting and packed with unspeakable truths, Luna Rising follows a woman's funny and heart-breaking struggle to relate with un-relatable men and an un-relatable world, and to figure out something even more un-relatable: herself.

About the Author

Selene Castrovilla debuts in women’s fiction with Luna Rising, but she’s no stranger to publishing. An award-winning teen and children's author, Selene believes that through all trends, humanity remains at the core of literature. Her novel Melt, Book One of the Rough Romance Trilogy, received six honors including the IndieReader Discovery Award Grand Prize for Fiction. Revolutionary Friends: General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette, her third nonfiction picture book about the American Revolution, was the recipient of four awards including Booklist Top Ten Biography for Youth, International School Librarians’ Honor Book and Eureka! California Reading Association Honor Book. A companion book, Revolutionary Rogues: John André and Benedict Arnold, is hot off the presses. Selene holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from The New School and a B.A. in English from New York University. She lives on Long Island with her two sons and too many cats, where she sits on her deck in the summer, fall and spring (and at her picture window in the winter) and writes. She loves the color purple and coffee. Selene plays well with others, but with words even better. She is so grateful to do what she loves. National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson calls Selene “a writer worth watching.” Visit www.SeleneCastrovilla.com.

Links:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCastrovilla/

On Twitter: @SCastrovilla

 On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Luna-Rising-Selene-Castrovilla/dp/0991626192

On Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32963894-luna-rising

On B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/luna-rising-selene-castrovilla/1125286165

BOOK SPOTLIGHT & REVIEW: The Brotherhood By Shannon Condon Ward

The Brotherhood
By Shannon Condon Ward
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Starting where Finding Magdalena left off, nineteen-year-old Maggie marries her fiancé, Mateo and moves to Milan for his new job and her scholarship at the famous Milan Conservatory. She has barely settled in her new home when Maggie uncovers the Brotherhood, a secret organization and finds herself unwittingly involved in its sinister plans. Along with Shep and the rest of his team, she leads the covert mission to bring the Brotherhood to its knees.

Once again, Maggie embarks on a dangerous journey that tests her mental and physical limits. Can she escape the Brotherhood’s long reach and survive?

My Review:

Mateo is a twisted character who has an archaic view of how his wife, Maggie, should behave and carry herself. Maggie proves to be a brave character, so it is perplexing as to why she allows Mateo to treat her poorly. The author's writing moves as quickly as the action in The Brotherhood. The many questions I had about the characters began to be answered as the mystery of The Brotherhood unfolded. Condon's writing is straightforward and action-packed. 5 stars!

About the Author

Born in upstate New York, I was raised in South Florida where I was exposed to a multicultural background. From the time I was in elementary school, I was writing prolifically in journals and poetry. I attended the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and graduated with honors. Life happens and it was necessary for me to put my writing aspirations on hold for a while. I still wrote poetry as time allowed, but as a single mother of three boys, there wasn’t much time. But time passes quickly and the opportunity presented itself for me to begin writing again. I developed the first story in Magdalena series, Finding Magdalena, in my head before I put anything down on paper. I had the storyline, well-developed characters and ending before I began writing. I also took the opportunity to travel to Spain and Italy to do location research. It was a labor of love. I self- published my first book in September 2015 and then it was republished in the UK by Austin Macauley Publishers. The second book in the series, The Brotherhood, came pouring forth like a waterfall. The characters, now old friends to me, seemed to take over and write the book themselves. I am currently working on the third installment of the Magdalena series and another book which is a different genre, one that deals with the relationship between three generations of women over three time periods. 

For me, writing has always been a release, never work. I hope that continues. When it becomes work, I will probably stop. Right now, just the idea that people read my work and find enjoyment in it is a thrill for me.

Links: 

Twitter: @shannonecondon1

Website: https://shannonecondon.wixsite.com/shannoncondonauthor

On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2rpvb9R