Review: Capturing the Moment by Sarah Wilkerson

The premier online community for female photographers, Clickin Moms presents a photography guide featuring big, bold images coupled with short, focused, prescriptive tips for translating everyday life into stunning works of art.

Clickin Moms is the photography industry's largest social network of female photographers, boasting a booming members-only community of more than 16,000 professional photographers, aspiring professionals, and women passionate about capturing their families' everyday lives. This guide captures the spirit of the community by featuring a compilation of stunning member-contributed images paired with photography tips progressing from elementary to advanced, leaving no skill level unserved. By letting the images dominate and keeping the teaching points short and direct, the book builds on the highly visual appeal that has made the online community so popular. Covering all the bases, including equipment, composition, posing, low light, natural light, black and white, still life, and lifestyle photography, the example shots feature plenty of inspiration for photographing children as well as other beautiful everyday moments. Assignments for experimenting with lighting and shooting locations round out the chapters, providing every photographer with both the inspiration and skills she needs to capture life's beautiful moments as frame-worthy photographic art.

I'm a photography student and I love reading books like this one to learn new practical techniques, tips and improve my photography. Natural light, composition, black and white and story-telling photography are some of the topics in this book. Each chapter is different, has photography tips  (which are applicable across a wide range of situations, not only kids and families) and has gorgeous photos along with the photographer's name and information about the camera settings, such as shutter speed, lens aperture and ISO.

This book is dedicated to capturing moments in all kinds of situations, is very easy to read and I think many people would enjoy it since we all take photos. I found it informative even though I already knew most of the info. 

*I received this book free of charge from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

SARAH WILKERSON is CEO of Clickin Moms, which was founded by professional photographer Kendra Okolita in March 2008 and has grown to become the photography industry’s largest female-photographer social network. Wilkerson, a graduate of Duke University and the University of Texas School of Law, lives with her husband, three sons, and a daughter. Wilkerson teaches advanced courses on photography composition and creativity.

Review: Hyacinth Girls: A Novel by Lauren Frankel

A stunning debut about a young teenager on the brink and a parent desperate to find the truth before it's too late.
Thirteen year old Callie is accused of bullying at school, but Rebecca knows the gentle girl she's raised must be innocent. After Callie is exonerated, she begins to receive threatening notes from the girl who accused her, and as these notes become desperate, Rebecca feels compelled to intervene. As she tries to save this unbalanced girl, Rebecca remembers her own intense betrayals and best-friendships as a teenager, when her failure to understand those closest to her led to tragedy. She'll do anything to make this story end differently. But Rebecca doesn’t understand what’s happening or who is truly a victim, and now Callie is in terrible danger.

This raw and beautiful story about the intensity of adolescent emotions and the complex identity of a teenage girl looks unflinchingly at how cruelty exists in all of us, and how our worst impulses can estrange us from ourselves - or even save us.

Love. Loss. Friendship. Redemption.

Rebecca is raising 13 year old Callie, the daughter of her dead best friend, and who is accused of bullying a classmate at school. Of course, Rebecca can’t believe her girl would be capable of something like that. But, does she know her children? 

Things are not always the way they seem and the story goes, we find out more  about their actions and relationships. You'll think it’s going one way, but you'll be entirely wrong. Callie’s POV takes over then and we are faced with another perspective of the book and the truth of the situation. 

Secrets and lies will haunt all the characters.

Hyacinth Girls is told in alternating points of view and is not just another book about bullying.  It shows the perspectives of both victim and bully, parenting role and friendship. I was completely  moved by it, and believe it is important for both adults and teens to read it. 

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this honest review.

Photo: © Rosalind Hobley

Lauren Frankel received her BA in English from Vassar College. She has worked with young people, as both an educator and a librarian, in the US and the UK. She holds an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia, where she won the David Higham Award. Born in Connecticut, she now lives with her husband and son in England.

 

Review: Falling Away by Jasinda Wilder

My name is Benjamin Dorsey. You know my mom and dad's story. You know Kylie's parents' story. You even know Kylie's story.

You don't know mine, yet.

You don't know what a broken heart is until you've loved someone your whole life, only to have her slip through your fingers because you waited too long. That's heartbreak. That's regret. And how do you live with that? How do you go through the motions when she's there as a reminder of what you lost, of what you could have had but were too damn chicken to go after? I couldn't. So I left.

That's right, I ran away. I found myself across the continent, playing minor league football. I mean, at least I still had football, right?

Nope. That got taken away from me too. A career-ending injury left me down-and-out, scraping the bottom of the barrel, hating myself and hating life. And then I met Cheyenne Leveaux, my physical therapist, who became my one and only friend, the one bright light in the darkness of my messed up life.

But of course nothing is ever simple, or easy.

Tragedy struck, and the rug was swept out from under me yet again, and this time the guilt, the doubt, the secrets, and the old heartbreak may threaten my one chance at true happiness, my one shot at my own happily ever after. 

 

I have been anxiously awaiting for Fallen Away by Jasinda Wilder ever since I finished Falling Under. And Jasinda has done it justice.

In Falling Under, we learned that Ben Dorsey drove away from Nashville with a broken heart because he lost the one woman he thought was made for him. The girl he's loved his entire life.

"I have to figure out who I am, now."

After running away, driving non stop from city to citym losing touch with his parents and doing odd jobs, he settles in Texas to play football. But, a little after a tragedy happens and an injury ends his career.

Alone and hurt, his physical therapist becomes his only friend. A woman willing to help him get back to himself. But, fate decides to play him another hand, leaving Ben lonely, broken, angry and feeling guilty.

Then he meets Echo Leveaux and everything changes. They are drawn together, bonded and their chemistry is undeniable. And all they want is to belong, but there are secrets that could hurt both of them.

Echo is a talented songwriter and musician that has always been in control and guided things. She's beautiful, stubborn, broken and doesn't let anyone get too close, but with Ben she's just different.

"Somehow, with Ben, everything is just...different. He's different, and I'm different with him."

Sadly, sooner than expected new struggles are born, truths are revealed and heir bubble is ripped open by reality.

“We’ve been brought together by a tragedy, and we can’t seem to stay away from each other.”

I encourage you all to go read this amazing story and discover Echo and Ben for yourself. Like in the other books in the series, music played a huge part in this final installment. I promise you won't be disappointed. It left me with the goofiest grin on my face.

Falling Away was the perfect conclusion to the series and is the happy ending Ben deserved all along. It was everything I hoped it would be and, even though I'm very sad to say goodbye, I can't wait for another amazing story from Jasinda. She's truly a brilliant mind and creates characters and stories that will forever live in your heart. 

   
Reading Order: Falling Into You, Falling Into Us, Falling Under, Falling Away.

 

NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, WALL STREET JOURNAL and international bestselling author Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. Her bestselling titles include ALPHA, STRIPPED, WOUNDED, and the #1 Amazon and international bestseller FALLING INTO YOU.  You can find her on her farm in Northern Michigan with her husband, author Jack Wilder, her five children and menagerie of animals.

Jasinda is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.

Release Day & Review: Finding Spencer by Kimberly Knight

With a crazy ex-girlfriend who won’t leave him alone, Brandon Montgomery is determined to move on to the brunette hottie who caught his eye at the gym he owns. Things start out slowly with Brandon and Spencer, since neither one can find the courage to speak to one another until they both happen to be in Vegas for a weekend.

It’s not true. Things don’t always stay in Vegas, and lucky for Brandon, the girl he wants to be with lives in his town. Now if his crazy ex-girlfriend, Christy, would leave him alone, Brandon could move on to where he needs to be.

Brandon and Spencer’s story is already written. You know Spencer’s side of it. Now find out what Brandon was really thinking from the moment Spencer walked into Club 24.

Catch up With Brandon & Spencer in Book #1

*Received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge Kimberly Knight fan. I will read any book she publishes. Forever and ever, amen. And if you haven’t read Where I Need to Be yet, I’m don't know what you’re waiting for! 

If I loved Brandon before I'm officially incurably obsessed. There are no words for him. I was so excited to read his POV even though I knew the story already. We learn more about his crazy ex, Christy and how he deals with her. We also get a depth view of Brandon's friendship with Jason and Becca.

"I'm dating this chick who I have nothing in common with."

Kimberly has blown my mind once again with her amazing writing. I finished Finding Spencer in one night! It was just so good. I mean so so good!! I am very much looking forward to the next novella in this series.

Read Finding Spencer and try not to melt into a puddle while you’re reading it! You just need to read it. You really, really do. So, please listen to me and go get it!

"Watching Spencer sleep was like watching an angel sleep."

"She made me feel wanted."

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Kimberly Knight has just moved from the Bay Area in California to the mountains near a lake with her loving husband and spoiled cat, Precious. In her spare time, she enjoys watching her favorite reality TV shows, playing co-ed slow pitch softball in a few local leagues,rooting for her SF Giants and San Jose Sharks and playing computer games like World of Warcraft with Audrey Harte and online poker. Now that she is near a lake, she plans on working on her tan and doing more outdoor stuff like...watching hot guys ski. However, the bulk of her time is dedicated to writing and reading Romance and Erotic fiction.

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