Synopsis:

For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn’t enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.

Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen– do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.

Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.

Review:

I think I’ve said this before, but I love mysteries. I cut my reading teeth on the cozies of Agatha Christie — I have read every single one more times than I or anyone else can count — and it didn’t stop there. After mastering the entire Christie collection, I moved on to the works of P. D. James and her Adam Dalgliesh series, got hooked by Elizabeth Peters and the capers of Amelia Peabody, Vicky Bliss, and Jacqueline Kirby, love the animal antics of Rita Mae Brown’s books written with Sneaky Pie Brown, and have shivered through many a Mary Higgins Clark, and in recent years have added Linda Welch’s paranormal mysteries to my “must have” list.

While my list is a little less than comprehensive, you get the picture. And now, I must add another to the must have list, and that is the southern mystery of Denise Grover Swank’s Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes and her main character, Rose Gardner. As you might be able to tell from my listed reading selections above, I enjoy the characters as much if not more than the mystery aspect. And I’ll admit to loving the fluffy grandmotherly Miss Marple more than the efficient, symmetrically-driven Poirot — although I enjoy both. And with Rose Gardner, Swank gives us a character to root for. Through the book, we get to watch Rose blossom into the woman she wants to become. After being kept firmly under her mother’s thumb for twenty-four years, Rose has had enough. She’s had enough of the small town of Henryetta pointing their fingers at her until she shrinks into the background, she’s had enough of having to hide the person she is inside, and as with all “breaking out” situations, sometimes it takes a bit of forcefulness to make it happen. And with Rose there is no exception.

Only not everyone chooses to break out and start living their life on their own terms at the same time their mother is murdered. And then there’s Joe, the cute next-door neighbor, who wants to help her through the situation of being accused of murdering her own mother, but can she trust him? And of course, there is the whole having-seen-your-own-death-in-a-vision thing — and Rose is never wrong in what she sees. The list is delightful, and yet sometimes bittersweet, and provides the backbone to the story.

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but will say that Swank gives us a character to identify with and takes us on a ride with more curves and twists than a backwoods mountain trail. I read this on Kindle and it is a rare occurrence, but I purchased it in print, so I can have the author sign it when I see her in person.

But wait!!! I can’t have deflated balloons for a winner announcement! *puffs and puffs and puffs* And now the contest winners – we have balloons again!!! If you recall, my giveaways are one signed copy of Misfit McCabe and one signed copy of Nowhere Feels Like Home and a stellar book bag. And now for the winners!

***drum roll please***

Denise went into making a book trailer with the same enthusiasm and single-mindedness with which she does everything. The result is below. Quite good I think.

We have unofficially been calling ourselves TwitterSisters for quite some time, and if you search twitter for #twittersis you will find some of the conversations we have had. Of course, there are a few others who have used the tag from time to time. But primarily it is ours. So today it becomes official – the TwitterSisters are launched. I see us a little like the Rat Pack of old, only we’re women, we’re writers, and we hang out online together instead of in clubs. We will push each other to excellence. So who are the TwitterSisters?

Angie Kate (@GypsyAngieKate)
The Ingenue
Genre: Young Adult fiction
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Angie Kate is her sweetness. She embodies her role as ingenue by the questioning wonder with which she looks at the world, and her innocence of heart. Extremely dedicated to her work, she will seemingly disappear for chunks of time while doing battle with her manuscript. Whenever I need a lift, she is the bubbles in my day.

Denise Grover Swank (@DeniseMSwank)
The Granite Goddess (aka The Rock)
Genre: Adult Paranormal Suspense and exploring others
Denise is a fantastic combination of so many things, I am in awe of all she has accomplished and all she has been through in her life. She handles it all with vivacious humor. Despite doing a hundred other things, she always has the time to make you feel special. With each new idea that occurs, Denise embraces it, puts together a battle plan, and charges full steam ahead.

Eisley Jacobs (@EisleyJacobs)
The Moral Compass
Genre: Christian NonFiction & YA Fantasy & New Adult/Religious Fiction
A bundle of energy, wired on coffee, who flits from one thing to the next, who always has time to encourage, succor, and share a laugh, Eisley is a dear, warm-hearted woman. Her moniker is very fitting when a few of us tend to stray *ahem* into murky waters, she quietly points us in the right direction.

LK Gardner-Griffie (@lkgg)<--That's me
Official Royal P.I.A. (Pain In the Ass) this title was conferred with love.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
My role in this group is a little like that of a court jester. I like making jokes; I tease everyone, and do my best to be there when needed as a friend, a critic, and a cheerleader. Oh, and I write YA because I’m not mature enough to write for adults yet. I’m the flighty one of the bunch.

Monica Enderle Pierce (@ThePreyers MonicaEPierce)
The Dominatrix
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy/Historical & Erotica
Fiercely independent, extremely driven, Monica raises the bar for us all. I was drawn to her first as one of the finest writers I have had the pleasure of experiencing. This woman can write anything and make it shine and I am honored to call her friend. She keeps us focused on the goal of excellence in writing and takes no prisoners in her assessments.

Trisha Leigh (@TrishaLeighKC)
The Troubadour
Genre: Young Adult & Historical Fiction
Sweet with a surprisingly wicked sense of humor, Trisha has a love of history and her dogs – although she gripes about them from time to time to hide her devotion. Dedicated to honing her craft, she is open to critique and hands out as good as she gets. Watch for this one to soar. Oh, and she can be bribed with Hershey Kisses – just sayin’.

So, there you have it – the crew, the group, the cyberbuddies, or whatever else you want to call us. All I can tell you is I am sure each and every one of these ladies is going places. They have the vision and drive to accomplish their goals. Befriend them and you won’t be sorry you did. Get to know them now, because together they may just conquer the world.

I bought Misfit McCabe for my 12 year old daughter to read. I was lucky enough to read it first.

Misfit McCabe is the story of 14 year old Katie McCabe. Katie’s mother died when she was very young and her father has his hands full with her mischievous behavior. After Katie and her best friend Timmy burn down a shed, her father sends her to live with his brother Charlie and his family. To make matters worse, Katie’s father is ill and is going to the hospital for tests.

Katie does not want to be with Uncle Charlie, his two sons Matt and Mark, and Charlie’s niece Sarah. She feels like an outsider in a house full of rules and she plots to make them send her back to her father. To make matters worse, she makes an enemy in record time– Harvey, Jr. Harvey, Jr.’s father owns the bank and most to the town. Harvey, Jr. wastes no time in throwing this in Katie’s face and insulting Katie’s family. Katie, not one to back down from a challenge, punches Harvey Jr. in the park– right in front of 3 football players.

Just as Katie begins to settle into her new home and get a new boyfriend, Tom- one of the football players, she finds out that her father died. With her entire world ripped out from underneath her, Katie struggles to find her place in her new life while struggling to deal with her grief.

I loved this book. Misfit McCabe portrays a 14 year old in accurate light. As the mother of multiple teens, I am qualified to say this. What I loved about this book is that it was a wonderful story. Although Katie does have a love interest, it is not the entire premise of the book, unlike several book series my 12 year old reads. The true test was whether or not my 12 year old enjoyed the book. She loved it too. She couldn’t wait to read book 2 of the series, Nowhere Feels Like Home. My 12 year old cried several times when reading Misfit McCabe, which surprised her. She didn’t think a book could affect her that way. It brought up some interesting conversations about being truthful and losing a parent, an experience my daughter could relate to. My daughter has told several of her friends about this book and I have purchased a copy to donate to her school’s library.