Money Books

Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation

This is an ambitious and serious work, accessible in style, and packed with information in over four hundred pages. It has three main themes, clearly defined in the introduction.
The first is the love between Adrienne Monnier and Sylvia. The details of this, so we are told, 'were and are still little known' in 1983 when this book was first published. The second is her admiration for, and championship of, James Joyce. The third is her bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, which was a key feature of the literary scene in Paris between the two World Wars.
By far the most detail is provided on her professional relationship with Joyce. Her efforts to get Ulysses published and smuggled into America, her financial and personal efforts to support the author, and the amount of time and energy she invested, are the key theme of the book.
Naturally Sylvia knew all the other familiar literary figures of the time. Hemingway and Pound are frequently mentioned, as is Gertrude Stein.
As intimated in the introduction there is less to be said about more personal relationships. In a way this seems rather a pity. The anecdotal style and recurring references to various incidents along the way give the writing a rather disjointed feel. Inevitably there is also a certain sense of déja vu particularly for anyone familiar with biographies of Hemingway for example.
The strength and the weakness of the book is the amount of text devoted to James Joyce. Joyce attracts great, but not universal, enthusiasm. The man himself seems to have had more arrogance than charm. Depending on the side of this divide which the reader favours this book will firmly hold the attention or will, in places, rather pall.

This is one of the best books that I've ever read about the 'lost generation' of Americans literary refugees in Paris. The writing is excellent, the research exhaustive and thorough with unparalleled access to Ms. Beach's 'surpressed' portions of her autobiography "Shakespeare and Company". It is readily apparent from this book that without Ms. Beach and her unflinching support, there would have been no "Ulysses" (and maybe no James Joyce). But there was so many other authors she supported and nurtured as well, as the quote from Ernest Hemingway cited above illustrates as well. This book is almost a 'must read' for those persons interested in American literature of the mid 20th century.

This one has been around for some time now and it is not the worse for wear. For those interested in our literature and literary Paris during the 1920s and 1930s, then this is one of those "must reads" (I truely hate that term, but know of no better to describe the improtance of this work at this time). The author's research is absolutely miticulous and fills in many gaps in the story of this remarkable woman. Do be warned though. Many of the names of people mentioned here are rather obscure (at this day and time) for those not immersed in the literary world. This can make the work a bit difficult to follow at times. That being said, this is a wonderful work to read to cause many of these names to become less obscure than they are now...one more of the many reasons to read this work! The book covers some of the intimate details of Beach's relationship with friends and lovers that she so well side steps in her own account of this time. Recommend this one highly. Actually, you probably should purchase this one as it is one that is a good book for reference and one you will probably want to reread.

This is quite a spectacular book, a privileged look into the most famous English language bookstore in Paris, Sylvia Beach's Shakespeare & Company. Not only is it delightful to read the history of how Sylvia's modest dream became such a huge success, but it is also fascinating to read about Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce when they were young. The language is rich and fulfilling, the photos insightful, and in the end, I really felt as if I had been part of it all, sitting in Sylvia's bookstore, hearing the rustle of pages as the day passed away.

This is one of those books where you care about the characters. Their past and future becomes important and that the characters are real people make this book all the more fasinating. A book one does want to end. But end it does with style.

This book is very un-complicated, informative, enjoyable and an easy book to read. I like that the author's personal experiences are relatable. I love that the author has a chapter that speaks on possible temporary set backs along with her recommendations. I also love the author's honest and subtle suggestions as to how to respond to your child's inevitable whining on the subject of money or lack thereof. This book covered everything for me. After reading it (in about 90 minutes) I was so motivated that I started revising my budget to begin saving for college for my 13 year old twin girls and my girls and I are having conversations regularly about college now. I really feel that sending them to college is something that I can really do! Thanks Ms. Travick!

I read this book with great ease. It gives you the basics so you can design your own plan of action. The author is a loving single-mom who gives a lot to her son based on the reading. I learned a lot and the rest I knew but forgot. Therefore this is a really good reference book for when my 16 year old gets to her senior year next year I'll have a nifty point of reference to re-read. It's well worth the money to buy this book considering how much $$$ you'll save long term as a result. Kudos!

Once I started to read the book I couldn't put it down. My son will be a freshman in Aug '08 and I'd been reading several books trying to prepare myself for the unknowns. This book has saved me time and cleared up all the other "stuff" in books I'd read. I wish I'd read this one first. It cuts right to the chase. A one stop shop. An easy read with lots of humor. I had my son read it as well because it's a lot of information in it that the student should know. Unfortunately my son thought the coolest part was the author allowing her son to take their only car to college. I had him read it again :) I went to reference the book concerning FAFSA the next day and couldn't find it. My son had loaned it to a friend so his mom could read it.

A very informative, sensible and easy read with a dash of humor. I had no idea what to do when my son had to look for financial aid for College. Being a single parent, I was sure we would receive grants to pay for his tuition and we wouldn't have to worry about it. I was shocked and amazed that I made TOO MUCH MONEY! I found the entire process frustrating and stressful at best. This book will help anyone (not just singles) get through the overwhelming system of financing college and still have a life once the little birds have "independently" left the nest.

The author says she wished she had started sooner than the ninth grade saving for her son's graduation. How many of us, like we did, did not start getting together money until a few months before we had to send our kids off to school. Ms. Travick's chapter on "Oprah, I need you" is full of informative information on scholarships, grants and other financial resources. This book by all means is not just for the "single parent". I found it extremely helpful and I'm married in a two income earning family. I wish I had purchased this book long before sending my son off to college -- it would have saved us not only hours of searching the internet for answers, wasting money on useless and confusing books, but it would have gotten us motivated to start saving and planning sooner than we did. If you're looking for a very easy read with a lot of great information, this is the book for your family to read.

Mary Claire Allvine and Christine Larson wrote "The Family CFO: The Couple's Business Plan For Love And Money" to help couples get their finances in order.

Allvine and Larson write: "Managing your money wisely means having a clear vision of 1) what you want to do-go back to school, have a family, start a rock band-and then 2) what you need to get there-money for tuition, financial security, an electric guitar. Most couples get this backward; they focus on financial assets (what they have) to the exclusion of their real goals (what they want to do), which makes it impossible to make wise financial decisions. Only by thinking about your life goals can you really make your money work for you."

We learn that money conflicts are the biggest source of fights between engaged people and newlyweds. The authors point out that money arguments between couples usually are about priorities. For example, the husband wants to start a rock band, while the wife wants to build savings.

To help couples resolve conflicting priorities, Allvine and Larson suggest couples take an annual retreat (OK, it could be at home), write down and share their dreams, and agree on a time frame for achieving their plans. The authors say couples must decide upon both an investment manager (someone to handle investments and insurance) and a cash manager (who budgets family expenses and pays the bills).

"The Family CFO" discusses seven key financial decisions couples face, including:

1) Managing debt, including student loans and credit cards. The advantages and disadvantages of pooling money are covered. Suitors learn to tell each other just how much student debt they have, to see if either the bride or groom will bolt for the door, when they hear "the number."

2) Deciding whether or not to buy a home and the process of purchasing one. This section includes solid information about choosing the right mortgage and a home-buying worksheet to help couples evaluate the costs of home ownership.

3) Changing jobs. This section includes the financial planning that may be necessary during a career change. As with each section, couples struggling with the decisions are featured and their reasoning evaluated.

4) Having children and can the couple afford them? The authors write: "If you had a baby in 2001, you will spend between $170,000 and $338,000 on the child over the next seventeen years..."

The cost of raising children is evaluated in detail. The authors break down typical expenses by day care, clothing, food, etc. A detailed "Kids Cost Worksheet" is provided. And, they address the question: "Is it really worth it to have both parents working, given the costs of day care?"

5) Planning for retirement. Allvine and Larson tell couples that retirement doesn't just happen, couples must make it happen. Building retirement wealth is covered.

Especially for couples without high earnings, Allvine and Larson suggest couples start saving early. They write: "What you lack in money you can make up for in time. The earlier you start saving, the less money you'll need to save every year to meet your goal-compounding interest will make that money grow exponentially over time."

6) Building emergency savings and getting insurance. A detailed worksheet is provided that evaluates things such as the stability of the couple's jobs to help them decide just how much money should be set aside for an emergency.

7) Crisis management during times such as job loss.

Overall, "The Family CFO: The Couple's Business Plan For Love And Money" provides good information for couples who want to learn more about managing their money together.

The concept of THE FAMILY CFO: THE COUPLE'S BUSINESS PLAN FOR LOVE AND MONEY is that couples can and should run the financial side of their homes like a business. Two good friends collaborated and wrote THE FAMILY CFO. One is a certified financial planner and a principal in a large financial planning firm, the other is a journalist whose articles have appeared in Forbes magazine, Wall Street Journal and other publications.

One of the first things THE FAMILY CFO authors do is to help couples get past the idea of not talking and sharing personal information about money. Allvine and Larson show couples that co-mingling, managing and talking about their money together is indeed necessary. They talked to real couples about their very real financial problems. As it says in the introduction -

After reading this book, you and your partner will know how to:

**Make effective financial decisions together without tension or arguments.

**Reduce the time it takes to run your finances.

**Use money as a tool to help you define your long-term vision and set goals, bringing you closer as partners and moving your relationship forward.

The charts, worksheets, resources and retirement information in THE FAMILY CFO is invaluable. If you know a couple getting married be sure to give them a copy of this book along with that bottle of good wine.

I grew up in a home where my mother never knew how much money my father made. She received a weekly allowance to run the house. When I was married the whole of it was about finance. We never had enough money and we were bogged down in debt. We pulled in opposite directions and never resolved anything. I wish THE FAMILY CFO: THE COUPLE'S BUSINESS PLAN FOR LOVE AND MONEY had been available then.

There is much information for singles also. There are great finance resources and web sites. Chapter 5, The Investment Manager, page 84 starts "Never invest in something you don't understand." Those who want to understand investments and investment jargon should definately read this book.

Highly Recommended.

Vannie(~.~)
Work & Family @ BellaOnline.com
http://www.bellaonline.com/Site/workandfamily

What a great vehicle for couples about to venture into a partnership! This guide should be used for pre-marital counseling to avoid the huge financial pitfalls which can disrupt a relationship. Even after 40 years of "partnership", some hints can be applied to a long standing relationship. Cleverly written too!!

This well-written book provides a clear and logical framework for couples to discuss finances and money management without so much of the emotion that often accompanies this subject. Probably every couple will find an example in the book to whom they can relate. And Allvine and Larson give us the tools (the spreadsheets) needed to put their advice into action. Those who want to explore a given topic, such as retirement planning or investing, will want to turn to additional sources, but everything you need to build a foundation of good financial planning and management is here. Perhaps the best feature of the book is the way it's written; the authors present their information in way that's easy for the financial lay person to understand without talking down to their readers. This would be a great gift for any couple just starting out, yet it's equally helpful for couples, such as my husband and me, who have been married several years and haven't really nailed money management. By the way, much of the information in the book would be helpful to anyone managing personal finances, single as well as married. Whether you want to get started on the right foot or undo poor money management habits, this book is a helpful guide.

I'm always a bit skeptical about "how-to" books, especially those about relationships and money. This one, however, is really helping us out. It has taken some of the stress out of talking about money. Instead of having these "discussions"(a.k.a arguments) only after I decide to buy a new guitar, we have them during our board meetings...a much more relaxed environment.
I just can't believe nobody thought of this concept before.

Having read several books on the move to EMU, this is definitely one of the most thoughtful and incisive (and by far the best written!!). Clearly the French perspective on the EMS and EMU is absolutely crucial to understanding why European monetary integration happened at all. Well done! This book enters into impressive detail about the French perspective but places the development of French policy clearly in the context of wider European developments so that the non-specialist can follow the text and learn about monetary integration more generally.

Having read several books on the move to EMU, this is definitely one of the most thoughtful and incisive (and by far the best written!!). Clearly the French perspective on the EMS and EMU is absolutely crucial to understanding why European monetary integration happened at all. Well done! This book enters into impressive detail about the French perspective but places the development of French policy clearly in the context of wider European developments so that the non-specialist can follow the text and learn about monetary integration more generally.

A detailed yet wonderfully readable account of the development of French policy on European monetary cooperation and integration from 1968 to the start of European Monetary Union in 1999. If you want to understand why the Europeans (led by the French) moved to EMU look no further. Unlike many accounts of the move to EMU, this book is neither too theoretical nor too economics-orientated. Howarth's convincing study is set in the context of French economic power objectives in relation to the Americans and the Germans.

This is a well-balanced, thoughtful study of French policy on European monetary integration. For those looking to understand EMU go no further!

This is a detailed yet highly readable account of the reasons why the French sought European monetary integration. I recommend it all those interested in why the French embraced EMU.

This book offers great tips that will definitely implement in the next few years. My copy is already a well-worn reference!

I'm another purchaser who first tried this book from the library and then knew in days that I needed my own copy. It offers many tips I was familiar with after years of gardening, yet hundreds I'd never heard of. Even if you are not simply looking for ways to garden on a budget, it offers many great gardening tips. Period.

There are plenty of good illustrations and the layout is appealing to the eye. It is well organized and enjoyable to read, not just to use as a resource. This book is money well spent toward your garden.

The Frugal Gardener is a great book of gardening strategy for those of us who want to (or have to) stay within a small budget. As it turns out, the frugal way is also the organic way, generally.

TFG is organized to guide you through long-range strategies that will save you money in both short-term and long-term investments. An early chapter deals with the bare bones tools that you will need to start with; how to spot quality that will last, how to maintain them, and different uses for each. Next we learn how to plan a garden based on regional climates, making heavy use of naturalizing perennials and native plants that need less maintenance, watering and/or care (and so fewer products to buy). If you like the quick gratification of annuals, there are quite a few tips here that will help you maximize their impact in your garden. A great emphasis is placed on soil health, how to get it and how to increase it, thus saving more money that would have had to be wasted on expensive fertilizers and replacement plants. Then there are the recipes for homemade bug sprays and remedies that can be concocted from common household items.

TFG explained gardening organically in a way that made it easy and sensible even for me when I was first trying to make compost and wean away from chemical sprays. There is a lot that can be done to fortify and protect your plants and trees that will benefit them and the environment, and surprise! It's cheaper than chemical solutions. My garden has been thriving ever since.

Frugal gardeners, don't be afraid to spend the money on this book! Even if you only use a few of the many tips packed within this book, you will more than make up the cost of buying it in the long run.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

This book was given to me as a gift, and I truly love it. All of the information is useful at some time or another, a good reference point, and excellent for planning out the garden on a shoestring. Also recommend square foot gardening.

For me, a complete novice at gardening, this was a wonderful choice as one of my first two gardening books. Before digging up my front yard, I bought a Gardening-101-type book and this book, The Frugal Gardener. As it mentions in this book, it truly IS best to be frugal right from the beginning. You save the most, get exactly what you want for your dollar, and have a good idea of how to get what you need without spending a fortune. Useful tips throughout. I'd find it interesting even if I wasn't planning out my own garden. I highly recommend.

I have now read this little book 6 times. It has totally liberated my Christian walk and gave me permission. I had always struggled walking in both the church and business arena. Thanks to Pastor Nathanael I now walk freely in both. I highly recommend this book to folks who feel called to help propel the end time harvest of souls.

The Gatekeepers was awesome! It is a well written book-a good job of illustrating Christian buisiness leadership principles. I enjoyed reading it. It was also a good conversation stater with other soldiers. Excellent job Nate Wolf!

Nate Wolf's book "The Gatekeepers" will inspire any reader to think outside the box for successes and challenges we all face in today's demanding culture. We are hit from all directions to just fit into the mold that society dictates. We are taught that it's okay to work hard to get where we want in life. What of you were to have the mindset that "Givers are Getters"?
You won't be disappointed with this read, and if applied you will reap rewards that for many are unimaginable without a shift in thinking.

This teaching has been lacking in the church for far too long. Nate explains the ministry of helps and the anointing that is on some business people to fund the spreading of the gospel. There are many businessmen and women who need to hear this teaching. If you always felt a conflict between your desire to succeed in business and your role in the church, get this book! Understanding the relationship between those called to be in the marketplace and those called to ministry will dramatically help the church move forward in this season.

Understanding this concept of God's desire to see people prosper can be very liberating,especially to those who think being poor is next to Godliness.On The contrary.If your ready for a new way of thinking about you,God,and money read this book!You will not be dissappointed!

The title of the book says it all. If you want to be a good steward, if you want to manage your finances well, here's a better way.

Kathy Miller has streamlined the process for the rest of us. This is simple, and it's concise. She shows us just what to record and how to track our financial obligations. Credit cards, mortgages, car payments--that whole pile of monthly bills--here's an easy way to keep our hard-earned money under control.

As we follow her guidelines, we learn our net worth. We see at a glance our recurring income and expenses. We get to know how much we spend a month on each type of bill (and that helps us calculate our next year's budget). We're even shown how to make a pie chart of expenses, so we can easily see the big picture.

If paying bills and keeping financially organized has been a chore, if you've hoped for a more motivating method to keep on top of your money, or if you've wished for a better way to do what just has to be done in this area...then get this unique book. It's beautifully done, it's practical, it's great. I haven't come across anything better.

Kathy Miller has produced a well-designed system for organizing and maintaining personal finances. This is a user friendly, practical approach that will help the novice or the retiree to manage their spending and create an effective budget that will lead to financial freedom.

This comprehensive guide will help you identify your net worth, establish your financial goals and record in journal fashion your actual spending habits.

Forms are provided for a year's record of income, household expenses, credit card purchases, investments, and entertainment items. A summary of the journal at the end of the year is an invaluable tool for completing your annual tax reports.

The Good Steward's Journal is a budgeting resource that is workable. This system gives you easy-to-take steps that will help you create and maintain a budget. The inspirational Scriptures included remind the Christian of the importance of stewardship and good financial and life planning.

Following the practical suggestions offered will enable you to get your finances organized. The instructions are easy to understand, and will help you create and record your financial transactions.

This is an ideal planner for anyone serious about getting control of his or her finances. It is an excellent plan for the marriage counselor, the the church finance committee member, and personal financial couselors to recommend to their members and clients.

A GOOD STEWARD'S JOURNAL The Busy Christian's Guide to Better Money Mangement is a great gift for high school and college graduates. It's a very practical way to budget and track bill paying. It also describes how to figure the percentage of total expenses a certain category, like housing or entertainment, is costing you in a fiscal year and walks you through completing a pie chart to see the big picture of where your money is going. Best of all, it requres no computer skills. I rate it 5 stars for user-friendliness. The Scriptures cited are an added bonus!

I have used the book for a year, and so have a number of my kids. They are requesting them again this year as Christmas "stocking stuffers". It's so easy to help them (and myself) get organized and stay that way. No more late fees, and I can always look at the budget over the months to see how things are going.
My sister is now caring for my 88 year old mother, who loves to do her own bookkeeping. Never mind that she may take three days to write a check. Anyway, I told my sister about the journal and she wants one to give mom, as a simple, single source for all her monthly activities.
This book has made a real difference in my busy life and I recommend it highly.

I'm what most folks would call a "creative type"...my skills are not particularly strong the organizational arena and so, I've usually lived in a bit of chaos when it comes to managing my money (it comes in, it goes out...uh...where did it go?). I thought I was destined to always be struggling to make sense of the whole money thing.

And then a friend recommended A Good Steward's Money Management Journal.

This journal is a deceptively simple tool that has helped me gain clarity about what's going where, when it has to go there, and what I owe to whom. It's easy to use (and it doesn't take forever to learn or "set up" like online money management things that used to set my head spinning...).

I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who thinks that managing money has to be hard. I did. And now I don't. A Good Steward's Money Management Journal has given me a system I can LIVE WITH. (and a little more sanity around bill paying time!) (and can't we all use a little more of that!?)

This book is rich in money saving (and spending) advice that makes sense and can be implemented immediately. It is sound and accessible and joyfully bursts with Woodward Bates' wonderfully wry Southern humor. I was hooked from word one and read this book in a weekend. Bargainomics CAN be a way of life! Read it, act on it and take charge of your money.

... and packed full of good sense! Judy's book on "bargainomics" is the everyday companion we all need as we try to better manage our lives. She says bargainomics is "the wisest possible use of time, money, and resources for the glory of God," and that practice in this book covers gift-giving to house-buying and where and how to shop for everything in between. Judy shares personal stories we can all learn from and inspires us with her attitude of abundance in wise living, through first and always a dedication to granting God first place in our lives. Highly recommended!

Judy Woodward Bates has become known as "The Bargainomics Lady" through TV & radio spots, lectures, & her one-woman fashion shows in the Southeast U.S. She defines Bargainomics as the wisest possible use of time, money, & resources for the glory of God. In her first book, The Gospel Truth About Money Management (TGTAMM), she relates to the reader how she has become such a good steward of her resources.

Although it is written from a Southern woman's point of view, I feel that TGTAMM would be an interesting & instructive read for men & non-Southern Americans, too. Mrs. Bates' ideas for managing & saving money & time are simple, practical, & down-to-earth, & she extensively references them to Christian principles & Biblical passages. She covers credit ("Don't do it!"), shopping (for food, clothing, shelter, automobiles, & gifts), travel, & "other stuff." I am sure that every reader will learn at least a couple of helpful lessons.

TGTAMM is a quick read, written in a light-hearted conversational style. It would make a good gift for family & friends. I look forward to future books from Mrs. Bates.

This book may be geared more toward women, but I found a lot of helpful information all the way through it. More importantly, I found it to be exactly what the name implies: soundly based on Word of God. Anyone in any financial state can benefit from reading The Gospel Truth...

While a lot of books offer advice on how to bail yourself out of credit debt; how to protect your retirement investments; and these sort of things; there are a limited quantity of books out there that offer practical, everyday advice on cutting expenses on the things you deal with on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This book is for the reader who says, "I want to know how to save money NOW!"

From the closet to the kitchen, the grocer's to the mall, I've packed this book with how-to's that can put anyone on an immediate money-saving course. Most importantly, the emphasis of the entire book cover to cover is that, as believers in Jesus Christ, we need to understand that our financial circumstance, whether scraping by or affluent, should not influence how carefully we manage money. What should influence our management is understanding WHOSE we are and living accordingly.

The message is solid. The writing is light-hearted and broken into easy-to-read chapters on topics from home-buying to hand treatments.

I've read tons of Christian books and have known the Lord for 30 years now. It is wrong to use Jesus for provision when hearts do not understanding that God's kingdom is first. "Grace to Grow" clears up past false teachings about wealth and poverty. God desires for prosperity in our lives that his kingdom on earth might prosper. "Grace to Grow" is finally a truthful book about financial growth and how almighty God drives us to success in life by His grace and our knowledge of His truth.

As a Pastor of the average church I was always looking for practical books and methods to move beyond average. When I first came upon Neil's book I thought, "There is no way simply making room for increase could grow my average church." I decided to try it out in our nursery area. We simply added a separate room and to my surprise it filled up with in two weeks. We have since added four more child care rooms and in two years our children's department has grown exponentially. The practical application of spiritual laws in this book are amazing. Thanks!

This book is definitely worth your time and money. It has made such a diference in my personal life and in my church.

My Bible, my organizer, and The Seven Laws... by Neil Kennedy, are the three books that keep me on track. I am an organized person. I thrive on order, yet somehow there were certain things in my life that managed to stay in chaos. This book has helped me to continuously evaluate each area of my life and establish how to maintain order so that increase will come. It applies to my relationships, my home life, my church life, and my business life. It has been an awesome experience to apply these principles and see the increase come in my time, production, finances, and many other areas. It is an invaluable resource and I highly recommend it!

I had always heard that God wanted to give us increase. Or God wanted to give us the desires of our hearts. What I didn't get was why I had desired a Ford Expedition for years and I still drove an old Volvo wagon with a dent in the side. The thing I was missing was the seven laws of divine increase and order. As a mother I wouldn't give my children something that they haven't proven faithful with in the past. So why would my heavenly Father give me a new vehicle when I had two week old fries littering the back sit along with mail from the past month and school work covering the floor of my current car. Why would God want to increase my life with things I desired when I wasn't taking care of the things he had already blessed me with! This book is an eye opener to the steps we need to take to live a life that God will increase!

This is the perfect book to curl up with when you have an evening to yourself. Sharon Cupp Pennington's vivid unforgettable characters, intricate plot, humor, drama, and bayou charm will keep you turning those pages. I read Hoodoo Money straight through and it left me salivating for a sequel!

Romance, intrigue, a possible curse...what more could I ask for! Hoodoo Money was so much fun. The rich New Orleans setting and falling in love relationships added to the mystery and charm of the book, and I couldn't put it down until I turned the last page. Sharon Cupp Pennington has written a top notch story. I fell in love with the main characters and can't wait for her next one.

Braeden McKay a popular children's author and her friend, Angeline St. Cyr are in New Orleans. Unfortunately for Braeden being in New Orleans is not all fun as it is also a working vacation for Braeden. While out and about visiting different places in the Big Easy, Angeline takes a nickel from the grave of Simone Dubois, who was known for being a gypsy hoodoo woman. If only Braeden had known than what she knows now, she would have stopped Angeline from taking that coin. Ever since that day things have went wrong for both Braeden and Angeline fast. The only good thing to come out of the Big Easy is Detective J. Sanderson Montgomery. Montgomery and Braeden may not have met in the best of circumstances but the longer they spend time together the more their attraction grows. So will Braeden find inspiration in New Orleans or will the ghosts make her take of running?


Who would have guessed that children's book author, Braeden McKay would find herself in the middle of a mystery. I thought the storyline for Hoodoo Money played out very well. The character dynamitic were good as well as I felt the twists that were written happened in all the right places. What I also liked and think it helped with the story was the location of New Orleans. I would never have believed that Hoodoo Money was Sharon Cupp Pennington's first novel, it was just so good. Sharon has definitely worked her voodoo magic on me. I can't wait to check out Mrs. Pennington's next novel

One cup of Intrigue, two dashes of Romance, a tablespoon of pure Southern Charm, and a pinch of Wit made the perfect ink for Sharon Cupp Pennington's debut novel. The characters made me laugh, cry, and turn the page. If this is Pennington's first...I can't wait for the next one!

Children's author Braeden McKay takes a trip with her best friend, a supermodel on assignment in New Orlean. But when her girlfriend pockets a nickel off a witch's grave, their lives shatter. Sharon Cupp Pennington's debut novel strikes it rich in Hoodoo Money. Love, culture, setting, and a brilliantly crafted mystery plot make this a one-day, can't-set-it-down, page turner. With heroes to die for and evil lurking from all corners of New Orleans and Galveston, Hoodoo Money contains all the ingredients for a summer beach read or a cozy day in front of a fire. Either way, you won't put it down until the last page. I've read it, I own it, and I don't intend to let someone borrow it for fear I won't get it back. A good read.

C. Hope Clark, [...]