Monday, April 11, 2022

Book Review: The Book Of Unheard Hits: #unheardhit by MV Meadow


Before I get to the book itself, I want to share a few things that need to be here right out of the gate:

1. Congratulations! It is not easy to write a book. Any book. Anyone who writes a book and puts it out there for public consumption, and criticism, is brave. This is the MV Meadow's debut as a published author. I give a star just for being able to accomplish that challenging feat, because it's not easy to do. The number of hours that go onto writing, and eventually publishing, a 301 page book, is only imaginable if one is actively doing it, or if one has worked with authors on a regular basis.

2. I am absolutely, positively, completely, and irrevocably in love with this author for his bravery and daring choices. The content alone is an unfathomed amount of his soul spilled onto the pages. There are things in here that I didn't know about him, that I presumed I'd know by now. The ability for the reader to "collaboread" and collaborate with the author, and the never seen before format, set this apart from any other book about lyrics and/or songwriting that has ever been published. Trust me...I LOOKED! One can't love the daring choice to write the book in the format presented.

2. Full disclosure: I personally know the author. Writing a book review for an author one personally knows is actually more difficult to do, especially a review that's completely honest, and if necessary, critical. Since I have written reviews for authors I do know personally, I did ask him if he wanted me to write a review. The caveat to that, was that he would have NO knowledge in advance regarding what I would write. That is the same caveat I give to EVERY author I know personally. He gave his blessing. That, is also daring and brave.

Let's get to The Book Of Unheard Hits...

The format is the best place to dive into the book. There is Part One and Part Two. In Part One, the format starts with a singer and a bit of their biographical information. A description of that musician's influence on the author's life follows. MV Meadow goes on to add some of his own personal experiences that tie him and that artist, together. For example: Billie Holiday. Of all the singers in the book, Billie Holiday is number one. There's one line that stood out, and that line made me think, "she is the icon of the icons for him." 

"Nothing sounds prettier than Billie Holiday's pain." Full stop. That one line says everything a reader needs to know about how the author feels about Billie Holiday.

Following the biographical and autobiographical connections is an original song, written by the author. The lyrics that follow are a mix of the heart and soul of the author. What follows is music paper. It's time for the reader to interact with the author and the lyrics by setting the lyrics to music. The type of music style they wish to use is left to the "collaboreader."


In Part Two, the lyrics are original songs by the author. How they came about is shared with the reader, and the reader is encouraged to set the lyrics to any style of music they wish. Other information about approaching the lyrics is part of the introduction and gives the reader free rein to do whatever they feel is best with the lyrics. The reader now becomes the decision maker when deciding if the chorus should go after a first verse, if there should be an instrumental solo, etc. You get the idea. There's a ton of 
freedom here for each reader.

So, is that it? No. I couldn't put the book down once I started. I even started to form music in my head as I read each song. I approached reading the lyrics as poetry without music. I am not a writer of songs. I've never even attempted to write a song. It's simply not one of my gifts. I can set words to music, and I can sing the Hell out of ANY song put in front of me. But writing lyrics isn't my gift.

This author is a singer, musician, a writer, a curator, and more. But HIS gift of ALL gifts is writing lyrics!!! Writing this book is a gift to every single person whoever wanted to set words to music, but didn't have a clue on where to start. Now you have your start. There are lyrics for every single person's personally favorite genre, because you get to decide how you want these words to sound.

All of the lyrics are under copyright, so if you intend to make commercial use of the songs written in the book, you must contact the author. You are given all of the information to do that at the beginning, along with encouragement to record it, hashtag it, and share it. Remember, you are a "collaboreader," so collaboration with the author is encouraged.

If you're asking, "what if there's not lyrics that speak to me personally?" I guarantee that there are. There are song lyrics in here that fit every situation. A breakup, true love, feeling powerful, feeling powerless, and so on. There is a song in the book called, "Hold My Hand." After I read the lyrics, I put a purple Post-It note on that song, drew a heart, and put my and my husband's name into the heart. The lyrics to "Self-Indulgent Prick" caught me by surprise. After I read those lyrics, I wrote a notation on the page that said, "that's what I call 'IN. YOUR. FACE.'" I *really* LOVED those lyrics! There are FIFTY SONGS in this book, so don't be surprised if a song hits you in good places, and even not-so-good places. 

Personally, I've been singing since I was 5 years old. Every song I love is lyrics intensive. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good dance mix, I do. I don't mind listening to a mix that repeats a certain phrase or chorus over and over. As a performer, lyrics are the delivery of a story or a message, and I prefer songs that have something to say. Every single song in The Book Of Unheard Hits has something to say about everything. I can't think of a single topic that doesn't appear in one of these FIFTY songs.

I decided to NOT critique any of the lyrics or any specific song. They are all works of art, art is subjective, and the author poured heart and soul into each word. I will say that every single set of lyrics in this book can be set into any genre the reader chooses. You CAN take a song called "Self-Indulgent Prick," you can have it be in your face, and you can turn it into a slow ballad, a fierce rock song, or hip hop, or Jazz, etc. You take whatever is inside of YOU and make it YOUR song, YOUR way.

My original rating was going to be 4.5 out of 5 stars. Because it's a first book and there's always room for improvement. And as I was editing this review I thought, "do I want to sit down and put music to some of these lyrics?" Did I want to at least try to do something I've never done before, now that the barrier of writing lyrics is out of my way? YES! For me, that's the purpose of the entire book. I added that 1/2 star right back in. FIVE "completely knocked me out" STARS!!! The book is available on Amazon and there is a sample that you can check out before ordering.

About The Author:







Sunday, February 9, 2020

Off The Charts, Mind-Bending, Incredible Book! "Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel" by Ginger Scott



Ginger Scott steps away from her "usual" with Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel. And I am so glad that she did. Apparently, Ginger had this one sitting in her head for a while and it took some encouragement for her to put it out there for her readers. She really put herself out on cliff with this one. And she was 100% successful in pulling it off.

This book is one of the most amazing books I've ever read. I really don't read books like this. But if Ginger Scott writes it, I'm reading it! And I've never, ever been sorry that I made that promise to myself after reading Waiting On The Sidelines, so many years ago.

After mulling over what to say for over a week, all I can come up with is that it's amazing, it's twisty, it's curvy, and you have no idea where Ms. Scott is going to take you as you turn the pages. I loved having to THINK while reading this book. YOU will think hard while reading this book. You won't be able to avoid it. You'll ask yourself, "where is she going to take me now?" over and over. That's okay. Go freely where Ms. Scott wants you to go and you will NOT be sorry you did.

The book will be slow and steady at the beginning. It WILL pick up pace and it will throw you down the rabbit hole. Or does it? This a hands down, mind-blowing story, that will leave you with your jaw on the floor at the end. I am STILL trying to figure out certain things. This book is so popular and so mind-bending, it required the creation of a closed discussion group, for just THIS book, for those of us who have read it, to talk about the book. We really needed it.

My best advice to Ginger Scott's readers is to just get the book and read it. Let it take you down the rabbit hole. If Ginger Scott is new to you, I see no reason why you can't start here. I say read the other reviews. They'll all say the same thing. We really want to tell you that this happened, or that happened, but we really can't because of spoilers.

My questions are still: 
"What did I just read?"
"WTH?"
"Whaaaaat?"
"Who.....?"
"HUH?"

At 70% in, I literally shook my phone and said "damnnnnnn youuuuuu Gingerrrrrrrr!" out loud.

In 2013, Ginger launched her first novel, Waiting On The Sidelines. I surprisingly loved it. YA was not my genre. I never expected to enjoy it. When Wild Reckless came out in 2015, it immediately shot up to the TOP of the list as my favorite Ginger Scott book. Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel just completely knocked Wild Reckless off the top of my list and bumped it down to second place.

Go get the book, start reading, and let yourself go. You will love this ride!!!!!

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Female Drummer Kicks It In "Drummer Girl" by Ginger Scott



Arizona Wakefield is a girl who plays snare drum in her school's marching band. She's not confident about a lot of things, but she knows how to work it on her snare drum and she kicks butt on set with refined precision and expertise. She's got an issue she can't talk about. Even her parents are in chosen denial about it.

Jesse Barringer has a once famous, "one hit wonder" deadbeat dad, who is still trying to find ways to use Jesse's singing talent for his own gain. His father has no shame in trying to exploit his talented son who only wants to sing in his band, and like many other teenagers, wants to make it in music. Jesse's also bipolar. He's emotional, he's got a temper, he's coming unglued under all of the stress from his father, and he's barely holding onto his sanity.

Ginger Scott has always included issues like gang violence, the ups and downs of high school, Autism, suicide, the barriers of social status, physical disabilities (seen and unseen), the aftermath of surviving a school shooting, alcoholism, being a teenaged father, and so much more.

Some people know someone who has Autism. Some people know someone who is physically disabled. Some people know someone who is an alcoholic. EVERYBODY knows someone who has a mental illness or mental health issue, diagnosed or undiagnosed, even if that someone is themselves.

In Drummer Girl...THIS BOOK IS AMAZING...the issue tackled here is mental illness, the stigmas attached to them (which Ginger Scott strips away), and how to talk about it openly. And like every other book Ginger has written, she geniusly weaves an extremely real issue into a fictional, contemporary romance, that is thrilling, filled with emotion, and enjoyable.

If you expect a clean, sugary, and sappy love story, you won't get that here. But you will get a love story that shows how relationships take work. Hard work. Any relationship worth having, is worth the work you put into it. Jesse and Arizona's relationship is no different.



To read Jesse and Arizona's journey will give you all "the feels." 

You will get mad when Jesse gets angry. You will feel the angst that Arizona feels when she takes on the pain that Jesse feels. You will probably SCREAM at Arizona's parents to open their eyes and deal with it. I did. 

I want a book that can rip my heart out, tinker with it, and then put it back, all fixed up, without leaving me hanging. "Drummer Girl" gave me all of that and then, more.

You might be overwhelmed by two teenagers, who are not just trying to foster a relationship. But they're also fighting their own demons, trying to help each other cope, and trying to overcome all of the other hurdles that a teenager goes through. And this is on top of the intense, typically hormone-driven life of a teenager. Ginger Scott guides these two through those hurdles with impeccable grace and care. She uses real talk, her characters' love for music, just enough grit, and the power that love can have, to get you there. Trust her to carry you all the way to the end. You'll be glad you did.

One of these characters speaks openly about their mental health challenges. The other really doesn't talk about it, primarily because they don't really know exactly why they're taking medication. Ginger Scott doesn't just give you a romance. Trust me, there is plenty of that along with some mature sexual situations. She will also give you a spot on, honest look at how ALL the characters handle all of these issues. 

Overall, this is majestically written. It's definitely a thought provoker. And it's got everything you want in any contemporary romance. Story depth, character depth, conflict, emotional tugs, and a more than satisfying ending.

Five "KICK ASS" Stars!!!











Wednesday, January 17, 2018

COVER REVEAL: Memphis by Ginger Scott

Check out the amazing cover of Memphis by Ginger Scott! We are so excited about this release!


Memphis by Ginger Scott

A Contemporary New Adult Romance
Release day: February 23



Blurb:

My mom always said it was just something about the way he moved.
The same swagger Archie Valentine wore in the ring when he took his opponents down followed him like a halo everywhere he went. But make no mistake about it—he was no angel. He was like a drug. My mother was his addict.

I never understood it…how love could make you blind and convince you to drink the poison. Not until I met Memphis Delaney.

At first, it was the familiar form. He’s a fighter, built like a god from the past, the kind of man the universe doesn’t make anymore. His eyes hide a story, and every time I’m in his presence I want to keep reading him until I get to the end. And then…there’s the way he moves. His boxing is violent but beautiful, and his body is a seductive weapon. When he’s in the ring, he wears the stare of a man committed to the battle until his very last breath.

He could end me; turn me into her. Too much of him will leave me as a shadow, and I’ve lost so much of myself already.

But I have discipline. It came the hard way. Lessons learned, scars left behind, and trust stripped away from life.

I will breathe his air, but I won’t fall for a man like him. The only boxer who’s ever going to break my heart is the one who gave me my name.




About the Author:



Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless, In Your Dreams, The Hard Count, Hold My Breath, and A Boy Like You.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).


Social Media Links:
Twitter: @TheGingerScott
Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Book Review: Hold My Breath by Ginger Scott

Hold My Breath by Ginger Scott

Synopsis:

Fractions of seconds can do lots of damage. One decision can ruin lives. A blink can be tragic. And loving a Hollister…can hurt like hell.

I would know.

They say the average person can hold their breath under water for two full minutes when pushed to the extremes. Will Hollister has been holding his for years. The oldest of two elite swimming brothers, Will was always a dominant force in the water. But in life, he preferred to let his younger brother Evan be the one to shine.

Evan got the girl, and Will…he got to bury all of the secrets. A brother’s burden, the weight of it all nearly left him to drown.

The daughter of two Olympians, my path was set the day my fingertips first touched water. My future was as crystal clear as the lane I dominated in the pool—swim hard, win big, love a Hollister.

My life with Evan burned bright. He gave me arms to come home to, and a smile that fooled the world into believing everything was perfect. But it was Will who pushed me. Will…who really knew me.

And when all of the pieces fell, it was Will who started to pick them up.

In the end, the only thing that matters are those few precious seconds—and what we decide to do while we still have them in our grasp.


Review:



Hold My BreathHold My Breath by Ginger Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is an unwritten rule that when a friend breaks up with a girlfriend or boyfriend, it is NOT okay to date their -ex. But, what happens when the person you've loved since forever dated your brother and he DIED?

This is the emotional battle that Will Hollister has to fight. With that battle, his training, and a secret he's been hiding from the woman he's loved his entire life, no wonder Will Hollister feels like he's in another plane diving toward Earth.

These battles go in the same direction for our heroine, Maddy Woodsen. She's a swimmer who has the potential to win Gold at the Olympics and decides to take a year off from school to train and compete. The love of her life, Evan Hollister, was killed along with Will and Evan's parents in a plane crash.

So we have a dead lover/brother, a man living with "Survivors' Guilt," a girl who loved a young man who was not who he appeared to be, and another young man who is also taking time off to train and compete at the behest of Maddy's father and coach, an Olympian himself.

Lives are in knots here. There are secrets to be revealed. There is information neither of them really wants to hear but they both NEED to hear.

Will Hollister is a hero in this novel by Ginger Scott. After the plane crash, he didn't so well. His grieving process was destructive. Training alongside Maddy is exactly what he needed to get out of his pit of guilt. The responsibilities he's taken on would spread even the most devoted and organized of persons, too thin.

And Maddy? Well, she's unfortunately oblivious to the real world. And she needs someone to give her a look at what real life outside of college, and outside of training to win a medal, is like. Because Will has always loved Maddy, he will have to be the one to be honest with her about all of these things.

Overall, I enjoyed this book because of the adversity that Will Hollister had to overcome. To get from losing his entire family in a plane crash that he somehow survived, to being asked to train for the Olympics by a coach he most respects, Will Hollister has gone to Hell, then back and then into a different kind of Hell.

I enjoyed how Will treated Maddy like a smart young woman. Sometimes he coddled her but we tend to coddle the ones we love in order to protect them from physical and emotional harm.

I give this book FIVE lovable stars. The secondary characters in this novel are not be forgotten either. They help Will fill in the answers to the mysteries in this book. Will's uncle, and only other living family member, is a walking book of wisdom. Maddy's best friend and nursing school classmate is a laugh riot. Her teasing and innocent flirtations with Will make for good humor in all of the right places.

Ginger Scott has never failed in writing anything less than greatness. The emotion is always just right. The romantic scenes, whether simply sweet, or adult and piping HOT, are always spot on! She has perfected the "first kiss."

Three years and three months ago, Ginger Scott published "Waiting On The Sidelines." That novel was a lot of "firsts" for me. I have NEVER missed reading every book Ginger Scott has ever written, and I have never been disappointed with her stories. Her characters are genuine and her stories are still entertaining. And what's a book if it doesn't take you on a journey? This book succeeded in taking me on another journey outside of my own day to day grind.

I truly do appreciate EVERY single novel Ginger Scott writes.

*Full disclosure: I was given an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*


Thursday, January 26, 2017

COVER REVEAL! "A Boy Like You" by Ginger Scott

Check out the cover of A BOY LIKE YOU by Ginger Scott! Don't forget to preorder your copy today!


A BOY LIKE YOU
NA Contemporary Romance-Book One of the “Like You” series.
Scheduled to release: March 3, 2017

BLURB:
They say everyone’s a superhero to someone. I’m not sure who I’m supposed
to save, but I know who saved me.

We were kids. His name was Christopher. And up until the day he pulled me
from death’s grip, he was nothing more than a boy I felt sorry for. In a
blink of an eye, he became the only person who made me feel safe.

And then he disappeared.

Now I’m seventeen. I’m not a kid anymore. I haven’t been for years. While
death didn’t take me that day, the things that happened left me with
scars—the kind that robbed me of everything I once loved and drove me into
darkness. But more than anything else, that day—and every day since—has
taken away my desire to dream.

I wasn’t going to have hope. I wouldn’t let myself wish. Those things—they
weren’t for girls like me. That’s what I believed…until the new boy.

He’s nothing like the old boy. He’s taller and older. His hair is longer,
and his body is lean—strong and ready for anything. I don’t feel sorry for
him. And sometimes, I hate him. He challenges me. From the moment I first
saw him standing there on the baseball field, he pushed me—his eyes
constantly questioning, doubting…daring. Still, something about him—it
feels…familiar.

He says his name is Wes. But I can’t help but feel like he’s someone else.
Someone from my past. Someone who’s come back to save me.

This time, though, he’s too late. Josselyn Winters, the girl he once knew,
is gone. I am the threat; I am my worst enemy. And he can’t save me from
myself.



About the Author:


Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless, In Your Dreams, The Hard Count, and Hold My Breath.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @TheGingerScott
Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com

Friday, July 15, 2016

BOOK REVIEW: The Hard Count - by Ginger Scott


Synopsis of the book:

Nico Medina’s world is eleven miles away from mine. During the day, it’s a place where doors are open—where homes are lived in, and neighbors love. But when the sun sets, it becomes a place where young boys are afraid, where eyes watch from idling cars that hide in the shadows and wicked smoke flows from pipes.

West End is the kind of place that people survive. It buries them—one at a time, one way or another. And when Nico was a little boy, his mom always told him to run.

I’m Reagan Prescott—coach’s daughter, sister to the prodigal son, daughter in the perfect family.
Life on top.
Lies.
My world is the ugly one. Private school politics and one of the best high school football programs in the country can break even the toughest souls. Our darkness plays out in whispers and rumors, and money and status trump all. I would know—I’ve watched it kill my family slowly, strangling us for years.

In our twisted world, a boy from West End is the only shining light.
Quarterback.
Hero.
Heart.
Good.
I hated him before I needed him.
I fell for him fast.
I loved him when it was almost too late.

When two ugly worlds collide, even the strongest fall. But my world…it hasn’t met the boy from West End.




----------------------------------------------------------
Review:

Dear Ginger,

If you're going to continue to write FIVE STAR books that do things to me like make me cry, make me root OUT LOUD for your characters, and make me suffer a FIVE STAR book hangover, begging for more, then I'm going to have to THANK YOU for every heart-tugging word you put on every page!

Thank you, Ginger, for giving Nico and Reagan to the world. For allowing them to know who they are and for making them willing to overcome their own fears, to go against the grain, and to fight for themselves and for each other.

Thank you, Ms. Scott, for tackling the issues of racism and classism with fearless abandon, a tender hand, and at the same time, without being preachy. The careful grace and excellence you've availed in this book is unmatched.

Thank you, fearless Head Ninja, for making it close to impossible to pick ONE favorite of your books. After finishing The Hard Count I have decided that ALL of your books are my favorite, each for a different and specific reason.

Thank you, Ginger, for giving readers this priceless piece of art and for pouring your heart into it with reckless abandon. It's absolutely obvious that you poured your whole soul into this.

Congratulations Ginger! You've penned the quintessential YA novel.

With love,

Your "always here to read, blubbering like a baby, nose-blowing, ARC reading" chick from Philly,

T~
----------------------------------------------------------

About the Author:




Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless and In Your Dreams.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).


Social Media Links:
Twitter: @TheGingerScott