Well worth the time..a review of Kristy Woodson Harvey's latest book and a giveaway

My design blog friend Kristy Woodson Harvey has done it again, and released a fabulous new novel called Lies and Other Acts of Love.  I reviewed her first book, Dear Carolina, on the blog last year and I am thrilled she mailed me an advanced copy of her new read, and I absolutely love it.

Admittedly I am not a reader; I am a decor magazine collector, and while I do read the magazines almost cover to cover, I rarely find a book that holds my interest.  [duh, no pictures]  Kristy has nailed it again and provides the most entertaining and captivating story in her newest book to be released April 5th!  This story is charming and oh so southern, which Kristy does so well! 

I snuggled under a blanket on a snowy day this winter to give this book an hour or two of my time.  Before I  knew it, I couldn't put it down until I finished it hours later. That is a huge coup for me!  This is the perfect beach read, rainy day novel that is touching, reaffirming, a bit suspenseful and fulfills the full circle from birth, marriage, and death.

Kristy has an engaging southern style of writing that builds on a strong foundation of family, love and loyalty. There are many underlying messages that resinate within us all. In this novel the main character, Annabelle, has a grandmother whose morals and love story lay the cornerstone upon which Annabelle models her life, until she finds out that everyone tells little white lies.  How these little lies play into the love stories of each character is the crux of the novel.

In addition to enjoying a great story , Kristy is offering a chance to win a $1000 gift certificate in a giveaway to their Shop Design Chic,  when you purchase her new book Lies and Other Acts of Love between now and April 11.  Email Kristy@kristywoodsonharvey.com to enter.  She and her mother Beth have a fabulous online shop connected to their award-winning blog, Design Chic. Please take a moment and check out their site!

Don't forget to order this wonderful book before April 11th so you can get a chance to shop their site for free!  Kristy and Beth have great taste.

I hope you enjoy the book as much as I do, as I love to follow Kristy's journey as her growth as a writer blossoms and deepens with each novel.  I'm so proud of her. Congratulations friend!

Dear Carolina- a must read and win a shopping spree!

You may have read the buzz about Kristy Woodson Harvey's new book, Dear Carolina, due to launch this week!  She is the daughter of the blogging and design duo from the fabulous  Design Chic!  I have been following them since I started blogging four years ago and have loved watching them grow.  I recently learned she is a published author, and was thrilled that she sent me her new book to review.

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About the book:

The story takes place in Kinston, NC and is a story about an interior designer named "Khaki", her family and her husband's cousin, Jodi.  Khaki and Jodi are two very strong southern women but so different, whose maternal instincts and love of family carry the story through pregnancy, adoption and beyond.  The book is written to baby Carolina about how she came into this world and is raised with the best of both worlds.

Khaki, the designer, talks about High Point market, client presentations, and traveling to and from New York City frequently where she maintains a design business while splitting time between NYC and NC.  Jodi is a poverty-stricken alcoholic and knew she wanted a better life for her baby.  Watching Jodi beat her odds and find her place in Khaki's family is a beautiful tribute to rising from adversity and love conquering all.

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    About the author:

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kristy on the phone so I could get a more personal feel for her background and what lead her to write this novel.  Kristy is the wife of a dentist and mom to a 3 year old son.  They live in Kingston, NC where the book takes place.  As a reader I felt like I wondered if her story was written from personal experience.  I wondered if the character Khaki mirrored Kristy's life.  I read so many personally relatable references as a designer, mom, a person with deep southern roots- it seemed too coincidental that Kristy's life was nearly the same as Khaki's.  Sure enough, the story references the author's own life.

Nancy:  Tell me about your life growing up?

Kristy grew up with the influence of a strong mother, Beth.  When Kristy was a young girl, her parents worked 2 weeks in NYC and 2 weeks in NC a month, so she was accustomed to a busy life traveling back and forth.  She spent her summers in Beaufort, and has a strong connection with the sea coast.

She went to UNC Chapel Hill, where she majored in Journalism, and got her masters in Multi-Cultural Literature.  Dear Carolina won several literary awards and caught the eye of the publishers at  the Penguin Group and the rest is history! 

Nancy:  What are some other similarities in you and Khaki's character?

Kristy, who herself had trouble conceiving, did go to a Chinese herbalist to help her get pregnant, just as the character Khaki had done.

Nancy:  Khaki's husband Graham sounds like the perfect man and every woman's fantasy; good looking, sensitive, salt-of-the-earth, and her rock.  Is this your husband?  

Kristy says very much so.  

Nancy:  Khaki is a feisty character- are you that way?  

Kristy suffered from Lyme's disease a few years ago and her husband said he missed her 'feistiness' when she was sick.  So she brought it back full force in the book in both female characters.

Nancy:  Jodi's character is so multi-faceted.  She says the funniest things- are those sayings you grew up with? They seem so true to life.

Kristy said she made a lot of them up!  (very talented and imaginative young woman!)

Nancy:  Will there be a sequel? 

Kristy says there is another book to follow in the spring of 2016.

            

I couldn't get enough of this book, and wished it hadn't ended.  Admittedly, I don't often finish a book but this was an easy, fun read that I easily sailed through in a few sittings.   The metaphors and references to southern slang will make you giggle repeatedly and the message is truly touching.  

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Buy the book:

AMAZON|| BARNES AND NOBLE|| TARGET|| iTUNES ||BOOKS A MILLION||GOOGLE PLAY

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UNBELIEVABLE $1000 shopping spree GIVEAWAY for readers who buy the book!
To enter send proof of purchase (photo is fine) to readdearcarolina@gmail.com
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I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and follow Kristy's career and their Design Chic blog!

243 ways and a Giveaway

                                                and a GIVEAWAY!

I just got my copy of the new book: Young House Love.  Sherry and John Petersik's blog was one of the first blogs I ever followed, and we are practically neighbors (they live in Richmond, VA).  This book is very affordable and I got it here for $17.00.

Sherry has a marvelous sense of humor and both of their personalities come through when they write. It is like you are sitting next to them having a candid conversation. They are very fun people! They met in NYC as marketing professionals and after moving to Richmond she was the first to blog full time, then he followed years later. Now this is their life as their family grew to three, with darling Clara.

I love watching them transform their first house back in 2007 and now their second house in 2010.  The entire book is about their darling story, their launch as bloggers, but most of all, all their Do-It-Yourself projects! 243 projects to be exact!  They are madmen (and women) about DIYing. From their kitchen transformation, to tons of ideas on how to make art personal for your home, this is THE book for  first time homeowners wanting to learn how to improvise and turn thrift store and inexpensive purchases into something CUSTOM and PERSONAL for your home.   It is especially perfect for those new to DIYing who need the breakdown in cost, time and effort to get a glimpse of what is involved.

As for this old lady, most likely their mom's age, I got a few ideas, but Ive been doing this stuff for 30 years so it really didn't help me with the DIY topic too much, but I loved reading their story and how they write.

It would be the perfect gift for a young couple, or new homeowner on a budget.  Check it out! and if you don't know about their wonderful blog, go see them at "Young House Love: One family + one old house= love". Enjoy!

WE ARE GIVING A COPY OF THIS BOOK AWAY! 

To Enter:

• Follow our blog

For Extra Entries:

• Leave a comment below
• Like us on Facebook

Drawing will be next week! Good luck to all.

Happy Thursday!
Nancy

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