Reading is my Time Out: Blog Tour: Stormy Surrender by Nicole Andrews Moore

Today we welcome Nicole Andrews Moore to our blog to celebrate her new book, Stormy Surrender!!

Blurb:
Sometimes the life you planned isn’t the one you get to live. Sometimes the pain of the past overshadows the future. And sometimes to start over you have to go back to where it all began. That’s how it was for Joe Masters. That’s how he ended up back in New Hope. And that’s why he was in his thirties and had nothing to show for his life. He needed a complete overhaul, just like his father’s old house. Instead of a fast track, he had slowed down and was on a ten year plan. These days that was more his speed. And as much as he tried to fight the inevitable, he was learning to accept and surrender.

Martha had weathered her fair share of storms in Vermont, was accustomed to the cold, both the chill in the air and the cold shoulder in her marriage, but after the miscarriage she felt like she would never get warm again. So she did the research from the laptop while sitting in front of the fireplace. She knew what she needed when she Googled hope, she just never imagined that it would bring her to New Hope, South Carolina. She never imagined that her husband would trick her into leaving and never follow. She never imagined that a southern storm with all its force and fury could be so destructive. But after the storm, the land is washed clean. It’s perfect for a fresh start, a clean slate, and a new love.

We asked Nicole what her 5 favorite books were and why she LOVED them... here is her top 5 picks!

Asking me to pick a favorite book is like asking me to pick a favorite child. At least getting to select five makes me feel like less of a traitor. These five books I selected are the books that most shaped who I am and how I write. With that said and in no particular order…

1. Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery spoke to me when I was on the cusp of adulthood. At the time, I was studying French. I was going to be an interpreter and travel the world. And while the love for the language died, the love of my first French read didn’t. It does lose a little something in translation, and for reading aloud, a French novel can’t be beat. I learned in reading that I never want to be shallow, or a businessman, or a drunk, or even king. I learned I wanted to be the kind of person who could look at a child’s scribbles and recognize that it was a boa eating an elephant, not a hat.

2. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving was astonishingly brilliant. I loved the premise. I loved the way the entire story tied together. It is so well written and so different from the movie loosely based upon it, Simon Birch. I learned to love a bittersweet ending. I dreamed of being able to craft a story the way that Irving does. Some day…

3. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Wow. I’m adopted. My history is a mystery. And something about these young women and their often-contentious relationships with their mothers as they struggled to grow up Chinese American from Chinese parents was so real to me. And let’s face it…Amy Tan is amazing with words.

4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I still get goose bumps when I think about this book. It is frighteningly good. The way she was able to capture these characters. The way she was able to craft this tale. I love a book that sticks with me, a book that I can’t put down. This book was all that and more.

5. The entire Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. This was the first time I realized that it was possible to read a book where I was laughing my butt off one minute and the next minute wondering why I was suddenly all hot. That is special, the ability to blend humor and heat, the ability to create a series from the perfect anti-heroine. Stephanie is a special case, impossibly imperfect and real. Her timing sucks. Her luck is the worst. Her skills include sarcasm, eating, and getting herself into dangerous situations that the men in her life have to rescue her from time and again. Love this.

May you all have books that speak to you for one reason or another, and change you in some special way. May you all have books that make you think, books that are a pleasant escape, and books that you couldn’t put down if the building was on fire.

My Review:
What?!?!?!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!? These were my first thoughts when finishing Stormy Surrender. I am still sitting here with my mouth draped open, torn between wanting to cry and beat the crap out of my iPad or messaging Nicole Andrews Moore and demanding part 2!!!

Stormy Surrender follows the story of two miserable people meeting by chance and wanting to finally begin to live again. Marti (Martha) has been stuck in a loveless marriage with the biggest jack wagon on EARTH! I despised Blaine from page 1 and wanted to jump into the book and rip his nut sack off myself! He is a cheater, an arrogant a&%, and as charming and romantic as pond water! If there was ever a character from a book to loathe... Blaine is your man! Marti has been beaten down by him mentally and spiritually. She is a recluse that does not have any self worth. After losing their baby, she thinks moving to the South will rejuvenate her spirits and their marriage. Little does she know that Blaine the dick has other plans.

Now we have Joey (Joe). He is a southern charmer that is known for his womanizing ways. He has no intentions of ever falling in love or even seeing the same woman twice. He prides himself on the fact that he is a confirmed bachelor and he likes his life..free as a bird. If anyone can shake this man of stone up... it is our lil Marti. Sparks fly when these two meet and I soon found myself yelling at the book pages... "JUST DO IT ALREADY!!" Joey has his own skeletons in his closet and has to work through his own past before he can even think about opening up to another person.

Marti and Joey's story of friendship, starting over, and finding themselves had me devouring this book in 1 day! There were times that I wish the story would have gone a little longer and given more meat to it. For instance, when Marti has to go back to Vermont to get her belongings... I wish she would have thrown down with that butt sucking soon to be ex husband of hers and his whore, but she had to maintain her civility and be the bigger person. Maybe that is just me being selfish and wanting to see her stand up for herself and show that piece of pooh what he is missing out on. I think my hatred of Blaine blinded me to wanting to see him severely punished... like physically, in the hospital broken every bone punished!

I give Stormy Surrender 4 stars on the knock my socks off scale! I CANNOT wait for the next installment of this book. It left me literally sitting there, mouth hanging open, dumb founded look on my face, finger quickly trying to turn to the next non-existent page. I don't think I can wait!! Seriously.... I will be sitting on pins and needles and so help me if Joey hurts Marti...he will be my new Blaine! Kudos to Nicole Andrews Moore for writing a book that will have to be 1-clicked ASAP when I hear book 2 is here!!

Author Info:
Nicki has lived in Charlotte, North Carolina with her children for the past eleven years and her husband for the past three years. Her journey has barely begun and she loves every minute of it. Every day of her life seems to bring new adventures, some bigger, better, shinier and prettier than others. She's still getting used to that new life smell she's experiencing, a combination of hope, love, and happiness. (The perfect scents to build a new life on...) For fun, she spends time with those she cares about, cooks, reads, writes, and especially lives to travel. The current travel goal: visit every Margaritaville. Two down! (Eleven to go?)

In addition to writing on Suddenly Single Journey, Nicki is a contributor for Project Underblog. Her writing can also be found on Shine, where she is a Shine Parenting Guru and an award winning Yahoo! Contributor on YourWisdom as the relationship and dating expert. And she has been published by McClatchy News in their syndicated papers.

Author Links
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Giveaway:
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Tour Schedule:

April 22nd- Forevers Like a Dream-Review

April 23rd- Seductive Romance Reviews- Review

April 24th- A Tasty Read Book Reviews- Interview & Review

April 25th- Kindlehooked - Review & Spotlight

April 26th- Live Read and Breathe- Review

April 29th- Wolfel's World of Books- Interview & Review

April 30th- Butterflies, Books and Dreams- Review

May 1st- Emily Wood, Guest Post & Spotlight

May 2nd- Find Your Next Read- Interview & Spotlight

May 3rd- Busy Moms Book Reviews - Review/Spotlight

May 6th- SMI Book Club- Review