Emily Roberts, Author at AudiobooksNow Blog

Thinking Big, Giving Big….”Living Big”, by Pam Grout

Do you ever say to yourself, “Is this all there is?” Most of us ask ourselves the question, then just go back to the program we are watching on television. Author, Pam Grout has written a helpful book to give advice on how to get the most out of your life if you seriously want more.

Some of the subject titles are: “Thinking Big, Giving Big, Blessing Big, Imagining Big…….” The list is quite lengthy. She gives examples of many different people who have accomplished their goals. There are ordinary people, extraordinary people, people with money, people without, and people who have fallen on hard times. Some people overcame huge obstacles just to be able to help others.

One key to “Living Big” is to get over your suspicion of others when thinking, “wonder what they want from me”. We must remind ourselves that what we give is what matters, not what we may receive in return. We were always taught……it is better to give than to receive.

The object of the book is to teach how to shift attitudes, how to make the most out of your day, and become the person that we wish we could be. By “Living Big” in all facets of your life, each of us has the ability to make a difference on our own lives, and in the world!

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The Legend….”American Sniper”, by Chris Kyle and Scott McEwen

“American Sniper” by authors Scott McEwen, Jim DeFelice, and Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, is an account of SEAL Kyle’s career from 1999 to 2009 as having the most career sniper kills in U. S. military history. The insurgents in Iraq feared him more than anyone, and called him al-Shaitan (the devil). He had a $20,000 bounty placed on his head by the insurgents.

Through four combat deployments, Kyle fought alongside fellow SEALS, Marines, and Army soldiers earning legendary respect from all. He protected them from rooftops and from positions that were totally undetected. He earned seven medals for bravery with the inclusion of two Silver Stars. He was also awarded the Grateful Nation Award from the Jewish Institute for National Security. After his deployments were completed, he became a chief instructor for the training of Naval Special Warfare Sniper and Counter Sniper teams.

Chris Kyle’s account of his extraordinary battle experiences will rank as one of the greatest war memoirs of all time. Clint Eastwood has directed a by the book interpretation of “American Sniper”. The movie has been Academy Award nominated for best movie, actor, actress, supporting actor, and supporting actress. The end of this remarkable life will bring even the most jaded of readers to tears.

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Start your new year off on the right track…”Work Simply”, by Carson Tate

Carson Tate has put her thoughts on the most productive means by which different people can work into her book, “Work Simply: Embracing The Powers of Your Personal Productive Style”. The book is a tool to use to avoid the pitfalls of “spending more time managing our calendars and to-do lists than doing actual work”.

Tate observes that we are so different in the way our brains work, and that so called “experts” who give instruction do not allow for those differences. There are four major styles of individual productivity: Prioritizers, Planners, Arrangers, and Visualizers. Her tactics allow the individual to leverage their personal style instead of fighting it.
Her informative advice shows how you can even improve workplace relationships by understanding different styles. She gives an example of “you’ll find out why it’s more effective to e-mail a Planner, but deliver the same message in person to an Arranger”.

One reviewer said that with Carson Tate’s book, she feels that she is entering 2015 inspired to adjust her time management and productivity practices to better align not only how she works, but how she lives!

Start your new year on the right track!!! Get your digital audio copy today!!!

Under the Radar….”The Chase”, by Janet Evanovich

Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg continue their very popular series, beginning with the bestseller, The Heist, in their second novel, The Chase. The two main characters of Nicholas Fox, thief and general con artist, and Kate O’Hare, FBI Special Agent, return for this adventure.

The theft of a priceless Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian is the object of The Chase. Fox and O’Hare must try to solve the case under the radar, because public knowledge of the theft would destroy U.S. and China relations. The thieves are experienced professionals who work under the guise of a security firm. Fox and O’Hare must rely only on their band of inexperienced, irresponsible, and elderly (at least to be doing this kind of job) crew, which includes Kate’s Dad.

The plan to reclaim the stolen property leads Fox and O’Hare from Washington, DC to Shanghai, and from Scotland to Montreal. The pair will need to swap a forged national treasure within the Smithsonian, for the real deal which was stolen by the deadly serious professionals. They face death threats, trained henchmen, sleepless nights, but it will take much more than that to outsmart Fox and O’Hare.

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Two Families that Were Never Meant to Stay Apart, “Pegasus”, by Danielle Steel

The very popular author, Danielle Steel has delivered another very strong novel that is in keeping with her many other works. She is known for weaving some of her own family history into the subjects of her novels. One critic said, “never has the male been wealthier or more handsome, and the female has impeccable breeding with exquisite hair”. Her millions of readers have come to expect a certain theme, and she once again gives them what they expect.

As the novel begins, World War II is ramping up. It follows an aristocratic German family who is seeking refuge in America for themselves and their beautiful Lipizzaner horses. The horses become their ticket to a new life in America with a promised job with Ringling Brothers Circus. The story follows another family trying to survive in war torn Europe, while the previous family struggles to adjust to circus life.
The story spans several generations and countries; “giving a rich, involved tale of transformation, perseverance, fate, love, and loss, tied together by two families who were never meant to stay apart”. Ironically, it is a beautiful stallion that links them together forever.

Danielle Steel is one of the most popular authors of all time, with over 600 million copies of her novels in print. She has included some very personal subjects such as, His Bright Light, a story about her son’s life and death; A Gift of Hope, about her work with the homeless; and Pure Joy, about the dogs her family has loved.

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Good and Evil, Complete With Sorcerers and Black Magic…”Blood Magick”, by Nora Roberts

Author Nora Roberts has introduced her third novel in the Cousins O’Dwyer trilogy, Blood Magick. The main character Branna O’Dwyer, who works as proprietor of The Dark Witch Shop in County Mayo, creates her special soaps, lotions, and candles for tourists. She is a tower of strength, but is missing one element in her busy life, and that is love. She had it once upon a time, but with Finbar Burke, who was forbidden to her, both through history and blood. But, as in many of those situations, Branna and Fin could not resist being together. It is an age-old battle that ensues between the good that holds them together, and the evil that has plagued their families forever.

The novel joins the epic battle of good and evil, complete with sorcerers and black magic, and the completely opposite story of a Romeo and Juliet type of romance. Branna and Fin fight many battles to try to finally be able to be together……legally…..in the eyes of their friends and family. From Blood Magick comes an end to the trilogy about a land that draws the reader in, the family they learn to admire, and the two people who just desire to share their love.

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Small Towns…Big Secrets…”Gray Mountain”, by John Grisham

Popular author, John Grisham, introduced his latest novel, Gray Mountain, in October of this year. It is proving to be a very controversial work, since Grisham’s liberal ideology is not so subtly reflected in this novel. The storyline revolves around the main character, Samantha Kofer, who in 2008, has the fast track upward career on Wall Street with a high powered , prestigious law firm. Suddenly, the recession hits and her law firm downsizes, furloughing Samantha without notice, and escorts her out of the building. She is offered a position with no pay for one year as a legal aid, with a slight chance that after that period of time, she might get her Wall Street job back.

Samantha experiences a cultural shock when she moves from Manhattan to a very small town, Brady, Virginia. Being in the heart of Appalachia, the area is one that she had only read about. She is to work at the legal aid clinic where she is supposed to help “real people”. She must actually represent ordinary clients in the courtroom, where she quickly finds out that small towns can be hiding some big secrets.

The author’s liberal leaning political views comes through when he is describing Samantha’s journey “into the murky and dangerous world of coal mining, where laws are often broken, rules are ignored, regulations are flouted, communities are divided, and the land itself is under attack from Big Coal. Within just a few weeks, Samantha realizes that she is embroiled in litigation that could turn deadly.

Gray Mountain concentrates on Grisham’s relentless, negative case against what he calls Big Coal. This biased novel comes on the heels of his previous novel, Sycamore Row (2013), that takes a very critical look at racism in Mississippi (Grisham’s home state). There has been much controversy surrounding Gray Mountain with anti-coal people and those who believe coal mining has significantly improved into a safer, cleaner industry.

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Perfect Teenage Story with Refined Rage Against What Is Perceived To Be the Cruel And Powerful Adult World…”Mockingjay”, by Suzanne Collins

As the last installment of The Hunger Games, author Suzanne Collins published Mockingjay in August of 2010. The book carries forth the story of Katniss Everdeen. She and her sister and friends are working at unifying the district of Panem, as there is rebellion against the tyrannical Capitol. They live in the highly structured District 13, where the attempt at unification is being spearheaded. Katniss grudgingly agrees to act as the poster child for the rebellion….. the Mockingjay.

The ins and outs of battles, missions, and attempted assassinations, fill the fictional novel with excitement, mystery, deception, loyalty, and betrayal. The series tackles issues like severe poverty, starvation, oppression, and the effects of war. The main theme can be boiled down to being a seemingly perfect teenage story with refined rage against what is perceived to be the cruel and powerful adult world.

The film adaptation of Mockingjay, Part 1 is set to be released on November 21, 2014, and Part 2 on November 20, 2015. Francis Lawrence, director of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, returns to direct the two final movies. Cast members are! Jennifer Lawrence, Katniss Everdeen; Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, and others.

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A Little Klutzy…Yet Magical, Mysterious, and Full of Fun….”Autumn Falls”, by Bella Thorne

Bella Thorne, teen icon, introduced her first novel, Autumn Falls, this month. The novel is filled with many personal elements that are directly from Bella’s own life. She depicts a real girl who is trying her best to draw from her own inner strength to be the best person she can be. The novel is magical, mysterious, and full of fun.

The new girl, Autumn Fall, is a little klutzy and can’t miss being seen with her bright red hair. She is attending Aventura High, where she hopes to quickly find some friends to calm her uneasiness of being the new girl. Some genuinely nice friends take her under their wing, but that puts her on the wrong side of the popular girls. If that is not trouble enough, the guy she has started to like, who is funny and sweet, and whose name is Sean, hangs with the mean crowd. Two situations that may, or may not, have an adverse affect on her reputation in the new high school.

Bella finds solace in expressing her feelings by writing in a journal. But to her surprise, things seem to be changed in her favor as she keeps the diary. She wonders if it is a coincidence or magic?
Bella Thorne, now author, is best known for her role as Cece Jones on the Disney Channel’s hit show, Shake it Up. She is a global ambassador for Stomp Out Bullying, and lead ambassador for iDECIDE, a campaign encouraging teens to make smart and healthy decisions.

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Would Enjoy a Good Laugh Today?….”Yes Please”, by Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler is an American actress best known for her stint on Saturday Night Live. She has had a busy career since 1996 when she performed with the improv comedy group, Upright Citizen’s Brigade, and was a founding member of that group’s Theater in 1999. She was a SNL cast member from 2001 to 2008. She is currently serving as an Executive Producer in the new Swedish-America sitcom Welcome to Sweden.

“Yes Please”, is a type of biography of the brand of comedy that author Poehler does best. It combines a myriad of stories, poetry, lists photos and advice from the author. Even the chapter headings are very humorous with chapters like “Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend”, “Plain Girl Versus the Demon”, and “The Robots Will Kill Us All”. It is a provocative collection that will keep the reader laughing. “Yes Please”, has been reviewed to be “honest, personal, real, and righteous”. It offers everything from her “too safe” childhood to her ideas about “the biz”, to her “joy” in being told she has a “face for wigs”.

Amy Poehler currently lives in New York City and Los Angeles with her two boys. She hoped this book would get her an invitation onto her hero Judge Judy’s yacht!

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