Monday, January 23, 2012

BEAUTIFUL DISASTER by Laura Spinella

Congratulations to
CChristyW
Please send me your mailing address to stephanieelliot@gmail.com so you can receive your copy of Beautiful Disaster!







This week’s book is one that I’ve started but haven’t finished, and it’s not for lack of trying. Have had a couple of personal issues going on, and sometimes I don’t get a chance to read as much as I’d love too. (Okay, ALL OF THE TIME… If I could do nothing in life but read, write and nap and love my family, I would be one happy lady!)

I’ve got to tell you that this week’s book has one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen, and from what I’ve read so far, I am intrigued and desperately want to know where it’s heading, so that is a sign of great things to come. My heart started racing from the first chapter.

A very good sign. 

I love the premise, not only because it’s a heart-racing stop-what-you’re-doing kind of book, but also because the book that I have out on submission is kind of along the same premise – the ex that the main character can’t stop thinking about comes back. 

But in the case of Laura Spinella’s debut, the ex comes back almost dead from a near-fatal accident.

And he’s in a coma.

Beautiful Disaster is a story about secrets kept and a love hidden, and what happens when that hidden love resurfaces. Can it outlive all that has happened in between? 

Here’s the back-of-the-book blurb:

Mia Wells is poised to finalize the deal that will make her eco-friendly career goals a reality.  The moment is interrupted when an unexpected phone call ushers in a tremulous past.  The man she’s always loved, the one who abandoned her years before, has mysteriously resurfaced.

Set in the Deep South amid magnolia leaves and the innocence of college life, Beautiful Disaster begins with Flynn’s arrival.  He’s a man with a doubtful past, half a name, and no ties to anything earthbound, except Mia.  For a year they have the kind of love affair a man like him inspires.  Mia trusts him with her life.  It’s a precarious leap of faith when she learns that he’s a fugitive on the run. For the next twelve years she keeps his secrets, long after Flynn vanishes, devastating her.  Succumbing to the common sense she once defied, Mia eventually marries.

Michael Wells is a wonderful man: patient, successful, driven.  She does love him; who wouldn’t?  Never anticipating Flynn’s return, Mia does her best to put the past behind her.  It’s a bittersweet truth as she must admit to a love and a passion that has never died. Yet, the future is grim as a gravely injured Flynn lingers, his dark past hovering like a storm.

When he finally recovers, the puzzle unfolds. Flynn’s recollections are sketchy, piecing together the years and moments leading up to his accident. A smart man for whom honor has been a nemesis, Flynn unravels the truth: one well meaning lie has altered three lives, creating futures that should have never been. As the past and present reconcile, Mia’s what ifs are endless.  Filled with sweetness and suspense, Beautiful Disaster is a powerful tale—a love story that is greater than honor or friendship or the passing of time.

Check out Laura’s website here: www.lauraspinella.net 



Read Chapter One Right Here, Right Now

Exes are certainly a mysterious being – we all wonder about them. Maybe you’ve stalked one, maybe you got back together with one, maybe you are really great friends with one, maybe you got REALLY even with one! Share a quick story about an ex and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Beautiful Disaster!

Remember, MaNiC MoMMy is aiming to feature a great book each and every week this year, and you’ll have a chance to win it as well! Please stop by for your chance every Monday. Open to US/Canada residents only, and thanks to all the participating authors and publicists for providing the books. You can check back on this post over the weekend to see if you’ve won the book! And please tell your friends - good karma can help you to win the books!    : )

73 comments:

Christina said...

My ex and I had gone as far as looking at engagement rings when he got a little physically abusive and I ended it. He's now engaged to someone else and I'm trying to figure out if he gave her the ring I picked out! That would be pretty funny!

ChristinaL

robynn78 said...

He found me on Facebook and wants to be my friend... No thanks.. your an ex for a resins.. but I did face stalk a bit.. his new wife has such a weird resemblence to me... Ha!

ncsuloges said...

A story about an ex...I don't have any good stories about relationships post break-up so let me tell one about the relationship when it did go on. One hot summer night we wanted to go swimming and the pool was closed but we somehow decided to climb the barbwire fence and bring a few adult beverages with us. Climbing over went fine and it was a ton of fun hanging out in the pool late at night. I have always been a "good girl" and had never done anything like this so because I had pulled it off I was feeling pretty good. Plus the beverages had started to take their effect. I was such a bad girl now that I could climb the dang fence by myself, no boost needed. But I got to the top and slipped, and the barbed wire went in my arm. My ex-boyfriend had to pull it out and the pain was so bad I was passing out and pulling the fence down with me. It's a scar I will always have. haha

Megan said...

I try to be amicable with my exes, but one of them keeps trying to use me and my work connections to get further in his job. H-e-double hockey sticks to the no!

Kelly said...

My ex and I were together for almost 7 years and he never mentioned marriage till I was breaking up with him. Now almost 4 years later he's already met someone, gotten married and has a kid on the way. He's definitely a different guy than the one I knew.

susieqlaw said...

I learned that long distance relationships take a lit of resolve and show a completely different side of a person, usually a darker side. Hence, ex!!!

IandSsmom said...

This is one of my very favorite books and probably hands down my favorite author because she is just the sweetest thing ever!!! I don't want to be entered into the contest because I'm thrilled to say I already have a copy but this seriously is a very good book! I had a necklace made out of the cover!! :) Very high recommendation and who ever wins you really got a prize!! :)
Shannon Johnson

LizzybethDJ said...

My ex came back into the picture 4 years after I ended our engagement when I found out he slept with someone else. We went to dinner and he tried to impress me with where he was in life, what he was doing, etc. I left dinner thinking that not marrying him was one of the best things I ever did. Especially since I married the real love of my life 6 years ago!

Dani In Chicago said...

I have an ex that I've had an on and off relationship with for over a decade! Currently we're off and I'm working really hard to keep it that way. 2012 is the year I'm going to meet my soul mate!

danisilvia223 at gmail dot com

Jenn3128 said...

I ran into an ex one evening while out with my Hubs. There was a bit of self-satisfaction for me, he still lived with his folks, no job, but I'd had all these great things & experiences "under my belt". As we walked away, I was definitely lighter on my feet!

Nearl said...

I tried dating my bestfriend/roommate for a few months. It didn't work out, but we stayed roommates and friends after that. It was so hard for me, but it seemed pretty easy for him. After a few months I packed up and moved to the other side of the country. Must easier to deal with when I don't have to see him daily. We still talk and are close but I feel like I lost a little bit of a great friend.

Melissa said...

I have no idea where or what my ex is up to. I prefer to not think about him at all. He was a jerk, albeit a wonderful life lesson though. Melissa Rem

Dolly said...

I'd love to say 'All my exes live in Texas' - ha! Nope, my ex is my son's father, so I have to talk to him - in fact, he & his current wife spent part of New Year's Eve with me & my son this year. We all 'get along' in part because they're both too dumb to know how much I dislike them!

Anonymous said...

My first serious boyfriend and I dated for six years (through 3 years of high school and 3 years of college. We had several break-ups during that 6 year period and we literally kicked that dead horse of a relationship for about 4 years past its expiration date. Having learned that lesson the hard way, once he and I broke up the last time and with every boyfriend after, I maintain no relationship with exes after the break-up. It is just easier to move on in the long run!

~Colbey J

Lilianarenee said...

I broke up with this ex a few years ago. we had only been dating 8weeks tops.I made more money than him and he started to ask for expensive things and to borrow/drive my car since it was new. Basically just using me. I ended it when he asked me for cash for christmas ($800 specifically) so I didn't have to waste my time looking for something

Jessica said...

I can't really think of any stories involving exes. I don't have many exes in the first place. Well, actually I do have one terrible story about an ex. He was a jerk and took me to his hometown for St. Patrick's Day. He ended up getting drunk and passing out in my car for two hours. He wouldn't wake up and I didn't know the area so I didn't know where to go. Now you know why that relationship didn't work out! haha

Thanks!

-Jessica M
walkingcorpse11@hotmail.com

ludy2288 said...

I don't have any horrible or interesting ex stories. I stay in touch with a few. I'm in such a healthy relationship now that I realize how good it was I'm not with them anymore...and of course so they can be terribly jealous of how happy I am now.

TaraUB said...

I broke an engagement on Valentine's Day. Then he had to ride home with my parents from my college. Best decision ever.

Bev V said...

The main reason my ex is my ex is because I would get the "I love you, but. . ." C'mon, I could never get just an "I love you". There was always the "but". I met my soul mate shortly he became my ex, and I have no regrets!

Carly said...

I don't have an interesting story. I can tell you that an ex tried to get back together with me and when I met up with him to talk he explained that he didn't have a car or a job anymore. Appealing.

Carly H.

libraryleslie said...

I unfortunately get to see my least favorite ex once a week. He is the new UPS delivery person for where I work.

Ally said...

I don't have any positive stories about my ex...my husband is fabulous though!

The Book Chick said...

My ex broke up with me on my 19th birthday while at a hotel with me that I had paid for. Oh, and he broke up with me because he was cheating with my best friend. Hmmm....classy! And I let him get away? LOL.

Coleen said...

I have had quite a few exes!! My ex that I originally went out with for most of my college career and a little after is someone that I truly thought I would be with forever. Then he decided to go to "Find Himself" in hawaii. That is when I knew he wasnt for me. He was only focused on one thing, HIMSELF!!! So we broke up and I met my husband. He has since gotten married and had a child. . and we are friends on facebook but never talks to me. I have sent him congrats on his marriage and his child and he never once said Thanks. . .that is fine. He was not worth it and still is not. I am so glad we broke up and I saw he wasnt for me well before we got married!!!

EKB said...

Facebook has drugged up every ex I have. I hate facebook. I liked life before Facebook just for this reason. The book sounds fab!! going on my list to read even if I dont win!! :-}

Krystal said...

I don't really ever think of my ex! He was so controlling, I couldn't stand it! I only wish I would've wised up sooner than I did!
kndyer

faithspage said...

My e-husband is on wife #3. #3 WAS best friends with wife #2. #2 he dated while we were married. And, he cheated with 4 women in the 1 year we were married.

Karen said...

I don't really have a story...but sometimes I wonder if they ended up okay and happy. I did...and could NOT be happier about it! ktmixon315

Terri said...

My ex told me his new wife is pregnant. Should be an interesting year for my girls.

Terri M.

Kristi said...

I don't really have any interesting ex stories... My husband's ex, though, they dated all through high school (we met in college). I guess by the time we met she already had 4 kids and 1 divorce under her belt. He definitely upgraded :)

Kristi Hooke

jdstec said...

I don't have many exes, but remain friendly with the few I have.

Emma S. said...

Exes are polarizing. There are a select few that I remain friendly with. Then there are the others who I can't stand.

buttah said...

I have an ex that I dream about often, and we've been broken up since 1996! And it never fails that if I have a dream about him, I usually see him somewhere shortly after I have the dream. It kinda creeps me out a bit.

Joani 15 said...

Being married for 33 years, I don't really have any exs. I haved some old "friends" that I would be glad to see and hear how life has been to them. I do however love books set in the South and would like to be entered.

Bernadette7 said...

I saw my ex in the Emergency Room last week...and hid behind a pillar. Sorry but when I'm not feeling well is not the time to catch up!

Emily said...

I have an ex who has been an ex more than once...we dated during high school, college, and when I was in law school. (Clearly I hadn't learned a lesson until that third time...) Anyway, we stayed friends/in touch throughout the years in between bouts of dating, and I met several of his other girlfriends...every.single.one. looked like me. Then he got married last year, and when I saw wedding photos (a mutual friend showed me, I swear I wasn't stalking!) I felt like I was looking in the mirror!

Emily116

TinaPow said...

My ex (you know the ONE big EX) was my high school sweetheart.... though it turns out I wasn't his high school sweetheart

Susan @ The Book Bag said...

No great ex stories for me. I got married very young and am still with that guy. There is an older guy I dated while I was high school that I think about every now and then and wonder.....

lizett34 said...

I don't really have any bad stories about my exes, but mostly because I don't have that many.

Crystal said...

He tried to add me on FB.

DENIED!

crystl717

keltban said...

My ex broke up with me after we were together for 6 years. Needless to say it was very ugly what he did to me. He wanted me back a few months after but I didn't go. He moved on very quickly and got married and had a few kids. He just recently got divorced. He tried to get in touch with me last Spring over Facebook...but I haven't responded. That ship has sailed a long time ago.

kgrady75atgmail.com

your invisible pixie said...

One of them owed me money, and mailed it to me in cash...he didn't want to know when i cashed the check!

Melissa said...

Hmmm a story about an ex, how about a story about my husband's ex? My hubs dated his ex for 6 years and I knew her before we started dating. I'm actually friends w/ her on Facebook and look at her pics from time to time.

-tmd636

CChristyW said...

One of the sweetest things my ex ever did for me, and most unexpected since we'd been out of each others' lives for 5 years, is that he put up a covered gate to my yard. I was selling my house and it needed some fix-up after the renters trashed it. I hired him to do the heavy repair work (hey, not a great partner, but a terrific jack of all trades kind of guy!). He made the covered gate that camoflaged the ugly old wire gate and didn't charge me for the materials or work. That gate made the house seem welcoming and helped it to sell in about 10 days. It's a good memory and the last time I saw him...cleaned up some sorry stuff for me, too.

Literary Chanteuse said...

I had an ex once that was secretly in love with my best friend and roommate at the time. It was an awful feeling to know you're being betrayed not only by your boyfriend but the friend that you are confiding in about him. Water under the bridge now but it was painful!

Margaret(singitm)

Kim W. said...

stuFunny now, not so funny back when it happened....

My boyfriend proposed to me; little did I know he was already married!! He had gotten married a few months earlier when he went home to England for a month. He told me he was going home to visit family, that his grandmother was sick, but as it turns out, he went home to marry his childhood girlfriend!!

I'm not sure why he went ahead and asked me to marry him.....never could figure that out. And I found out he was married when I found a birthday card from her signed "Your loving wife, ". When I asked him about it, he tried to pass it off as a term of endearment they used back home.

Uh yeah, ok.....lol. Idiot.

absolutahnie said...

the first time i saw this particular ex in the nude he actually said to me "so...what do you think?" what does one say to that? all i could think was "i flew all the way to chicago for that??"

Laura Spinella said...

I am having a fabulous time reading all these comments. Thank you all for sharing a tidbit from your lives! I think maybe this is what makes Mia & Flynn's story so appealing. It's the ultimate, "what if..." ThankS so much to Stephanie!! I look forward to giving away a copy of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER!!

Michelle M! said...

I married my first real boyfriend!

Denise said...

One in particular I'm still friends with (I like to stay friends with them where possible, they were a part of my life), but with this one I make a point to keep a little bit of emotional distance. With him, it seems safer that way.

Leslie said...

Don't really have any stories about an ex. Recently divorced, but we are amicable for the kids. I moved away from my hometown 17 years ago, so I don't have any run-ins with the ex boyfriends. I do wonder how their life is going now. Hopefully, they are happy. LeslieGC

BrendaL71 said...

Well, lets see, I was with my ex for 10 years and in that time we had a daughter but the whole time he told me he didn't want to marry because he didn't really feel comfortable with it since his parents had always had a horrible marriage. Within a year or so of our break up he was engaged and is now married. That's a real kick in the teeth if I say so myself.

a said...

My high school boyfriend of over a year started dating his ex girlfriend as soon as I left town for college and just never called or emailed me again...yeah, he was special! :)

accidentalgypsy said...

a from above post is accidentalgypsy...I was to quick with the enter button! :)

CAnative said...

I married really young. So my exes are from high school. Once broken up both parties just kind of moved on. I did have one that followed me around sometimes and finally my new boyfriend had a talk with him to stop. He stopped stalking me and the new boyfriend ended up becoming my current husband for 26 years and counting.

Katie said...

My ex e-mailed me about trying to get a job at my company. Honestly there are no hard feelings between us and I sent in his resume. We will never see each other anyway since the company is so large.

The main reason we broke up was because I wanted to settle down and he did not. I found my husband around 6 months later and we are living happily ever after :)

equinn726 said...

I have no idea where my ex is and I would prefer to keep it that way. He's an ex for a reason :)

Unknown said...

I got pantsed...he got dumped. end of story!

Lindsay Elizabeth said...

Facebook makes it quite difficult NOT to know what your exes are up to, and I can honestly say that I have only ONE ex that I would actually consider a friend!

Anonymous said...

Have to say I don't have any ex stories. They haven't been in contact at all and since I'm happily married, that's fine with me (and probably my hubby too!)

JFee 9476

Juliet Farmer said...

my most recent ex is now my brother in law. far too long a story to share here, but i will say it made for many awkward family gatherings for a while there.

Kelleyc said...

My favorite ex story is about a guy in college. We were dating and I went home for the weekend. His parents lived about 25 minutes away from mine, so when I went home he asked if I could go to his parents' house and pick up some things for him, including a credit card. Come to find out a few months later that, while we were still dating, he took another girl out to dinner on that credit card!!

kconley1215 (at) msn (dot) com

Kimmi said...

I recently saw a photo of my ex on FaceBook. With his shirt off.

I have no regrets. :)

Ready To Be A Momma said...

My ex and I used to be best friends in high school. Now he will only talk to me when he doesn't have a girlfriend. Apparently he forgot I was married and have moved on.
qweska8402

Erin G said...

I don't really have any awful ex stories... glad they are all exes though!
erinaaron616 at bex dot net

Anonymous said...

I have fond memories of my ex from college. I remember him standing out in the rain with him holding an umbrella with no one under it for an hour after I had stormed off because I had gotten mad at him. I don't remember what I was mad about but I do remember it being cute and romantic.

-Donna W.

kathygold9778 said...

An ex broke up with me towards the end of high school. unfortuntaley, he was my neighbor and i had to see him all the time. then he got another girlfriend and she ended up getting pregnant and being his "baby's mama!" I guess he learned the hard way that the easy girl is not the best girl.

kathygold9778

Margie said...

Can't say I have many exes. My hubby was pretty much "the one".
Margie T

Carie Casey said...

My ex turned out to be gay. Real gay.

Carie

Anonymous said...

After three years of dating, my ex just never called or contacted me again. Coward. Patti c

Kristen said...

I have stories that aren't so good... A funny one would be a first date when the guy was supposed to pick up his daughter from his ex (I had no idea). I got to sit in the car while they fought about child support... Good times!

Kristen27

Books & Reviews said...

My ex was/is a total douche. A few weeks after we broke up (I was in college at the time) I ran into him and he went insane and was yelling because I had cut my hair. Some guys intervened and got him to go away.

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

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