Sunday, May 31, 2015

#REVIEW AND #GIVEAWAY!!! "Eeny Meeny" by @MJArlidge + Chp 1 - NEW RELEASE June 2nd! #mustread #EENYMEENY


Description:
The international bestseller that “grabs the reader by the throat" (Crime Time).
First in the new series featuring Detective Inspector Helen Grace.


Two people are abducted, imprisoned, and left with a gun. As hunger and thirst set in, only one walks away alive.


It’s a game more twisted than any Detective Inspector Helen Grace has ever seen. If she hadn’t spoken with the shattered survivors herself, she almost wouldn’t believe them.


Helen is familiar with the dark sides of human nature, including her own, but this case—with its seemingly random victims—has her baffled. But as more people go missing, nothing will be more terrifying than when it all starts making sense....




CHAPTER ONE
Sam is asleep. I could kill him now. His face is turned from me—it wouldn’t be hard. Would he stir if I moved? Try to stop me? Or would he just be glad that this nightmare was over?
I can’t think like that. I must try to remember what is real, what is good. But when you’re a prisoner, the days seem endless and hope is the first thing to die.
I rack my brains for happy memories to hold off the dark thoughts, but they are harder and harder to summon.
We’ve been here only ten days (or is it eleven?), yet normal life already seems a distant memory. We were hitching back from a gig in London when it happened. It was pouring rain and a succession of cars had sailed past without a second look. We were soaked to the skin and about to turn back when finally a van pulled over. Inside, it was warm and dry. We were offered coffee from a flask. Just the smell of it was enough to cheer us up. The taste was even better. We didn’t realize it would be our last taste of freedom.
When I came to, my head was pounding. Blood coated my mouth. I wasn’t in the warm van anymore. I was in a cold, dark space. Was I dreaming? A noise behind me made me start. But it was only Sam stumbling to his feet.
We’d been robbed. Robbed and dumped. I scrambled forward, clawing at the walls that enclosed us. Cold, hard tiles. I crashed into Sam and for a brief moment held him, breathing in that smell I love so much. Then the moment passed and we realized the horror of our situation.
We were in a disused diving pool. Derelict, unloved, it had been stripped of the boards, signs and even the steps. Everything that could be salvaged had been. Leaving a deep smooth tank that was impossible to climb out of.
Was that evil shit listening to our screams? Probably. Because when we finally stopped, it happened. We heard a mobile phone ringing and for a brief, glorious moment thought it was someone coming to rescue us. But then we saw the phone’s face glowing on the pool floor beside us. Sam didn’t move, so I ran. Why did it have to be me? Why does it always have to be me?
“Hello, Amy.”
The voice on the other end was distorted, inhuman. I wanted to beg for mercy, explain that they’d made a terrible mistake, but the fact that they knew my name seemed to rob me of all conviction. I said nothing, so the voice continued, relentless and dispassionate:
“Do you want to live?”
“Who are you? What have you done to u—?”
“Do you want to live?”
For a minute, I can’t reply. My tongue won’t move. But then:
“Yes.”
“On the floor by the phone you’ll find a gun. It has one bullet in it. For Sam or for yourself. That is the price of your freedom. You must kill to live. Do you want to live, Amy?”
I can’t speak. I want to vomit.
“Well, do you?”
And then the phone goes dead. Which is when Sam asks:
“What did they say?”

Sam is asleep beside me. I could do it now.

MY TAKE:
5 STARS!
#EENYMEENY has been by FAR one of the BEST and most memorable psychological thrillers/crime procedural I have read in a very LONG time! Even the crime procedures did not slow me down from reading like some books do. Honestly, there is only one other psychological thriller/crime procedural I have loved as much as I did this one! I don't believe I will be forgetting this one ANY time soon! I LOVED this book! 
This is Book One in the Inspector Detective Helen Grace novels. (This is GREAT - there are more to come! This October comes Book Two, "Pop Goes the Weasel", and in the back of this book, we get to read the first 3 Chapters of that book!) 
This is one of those you absolutely CANNOT put down! When I say this, I am not just saying it! I read this ALL the way through in ONE sitting! It is that fast paced, addicting, so well written the pages FLY BY before you even realize you are halfway through the book already! You won't be disappointed! 
Although, this book is NOT for the faint of heart! There are some pretty gruesome scenes, and 'one' of the worst, (yet there are even more) so you are prepared going into this, is the captives were going to eat a rat due to the starvation they were suffering from. There are some even more graphic scenes to this book than that, so don't say I didn't warn you. For some reason, these didn't bother me at all. I knew they had to do what they did because of what was going on to these captives. There are a few sexual scenes, too, but they fit in with the characters' lives. 
So just what would you do if you were Amy and Sam? You were stuck in the bottom of a diving pool, had one cell phone with the 'low battery' sign on, and one gun? The phone rings, and you hear a message. You hear it and can't believe what you hear! They tell you in order for ONE person to survive, there is ONE bullet in the gun. One of you must use it. The phone goes dead. So now it's either you or the other person, but it's guaranteed ONLY ONE PERSON WILL SURVIVE! What would you do? Would you be willing to KILL to get out and be the survivor? Or do you want to die, now? In fact, one of the couples who get caught actually say, 'Eeny, meeny, miny, moe'! Nail biting!
This continues to happen to more pairs of people in the Southampton area in London. There is no rhyme or reason as to 'who' this killer has chosen or why these two people are together. This is a serial killer on the loose. Helen, a very strong character, and the rest of her police force are on duty 24/7, and they are only going home to eat, shower, grab a few winks, and they are back at the station or wherever they may need to be. Helen finds out one of her people on the team is a raving alcoholic, so not only does she have this case to handle, she has him to deal with, too. Even so, they are trying to find a clue, ANY clue, but are not left with much. I liked Helen Grace, the Inspector Detective. The book really gets into her personal life and explains things as to why she acts the way she does at times. It's always good to know this right when something happens to a character instead of dragging it out into the next book, or worse, the one after that. Nope. This author tells us immediately what the driving behavior is behind each character right away as thing happened. I like that a lot in an author.
Is the book perfect? No, no book is! There were a few mistakes. I really can't say exactly what, though, as I was reading the galley from NetGalley, the uncorrected advanced copy, so there were things I had to ignore if I came across them as I knew this was not the finished copy, but I have to say there were not many at ALL! I did read a few reviews, and a few people mentioned a few things, but I wonder if they read the finished copy or the galley? I don't know? All I know is I LOVED this book! As I said above, the writing was so good, it kept me glued to the page, and time just flew by! I was completely absorbed in this book! I would have to say this is probably the fastest book I have EVER read!
I want to thank Penguin Group Berkley NAL and NetGalley for giving me the wonderful opportunity to read and review this book while giving my honest opinion about it! Thank YOU!

This book releases on Tuesday, June 2nd!

WANT TO WIN '1' #PRINT COPY OF THIS BOOK? YOU CAN!
Just leave your NAME AND EMAIL in the Comments below! You have until Friday, June 12th to enter! I will announce the WINNER on June 12th in my weekly column of the #NYTIMES Top 20 #Bestseller Post I do each Sunday on June 14th! I will use random.org to choose the winner! If, while you are here, you would like to visit my Facebook page and LIKE it, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Page, or Follow my blog, please feel free to do so!

About this author

M.J. Arlidge has worked in television for the last 15 years, specialising in high end drama production. Arlidge has produced a number of prime-time crime serials for ITV In the last five years, and is currently working on a major adaptation of The Last of the Mohicans for the BBC.
You can follow this author @MJArlidge on Twitter!
Also, make sure to follow the hashtag of #EENYMEENY while you are on Twitter! Enjoy!




Eeny Meeny (A Helen Grace Thriller Book 1) by MJ Arlidge
ebook: $  9.99
print:   $11.83


Saturday, May 30, 2015

The #NYTimes 20 #Bestsellers for week ending May 31, 2015 plus blog updates! #eenymeeny


Welcome! It's been another GREAT week of #reading! Hope you had a great week of reading, too! Let's see what books made the #NYTimes #Bestseller list! This post is always up by NOON (and most of the time earlier!) every Sunday! Thanks for stopping by!

Blog Updates!

#Reviews this last week:
House Broken by +Sonja Yoerg  with #GIVEAWAY - #win 1 print copy of this book! Click HERE!

The Rocks by Peter Nichols HERE!

#Reviews with #GIVEAWAYS FOR BOTH #BOOKS this coming week:
Monday, June 1st: #EenyMeeny by @M J Arlidge #WIN 1 print copy!
Tuesday, June 2nd:  The Appetite of Girls by Pam Moses #WIN 1 print copy!
Wednesday, June 3rd: Buzz Books 2015 Adult Fall/Winter
We'll see what other books I get done reading for later in the week!

NEW MONEY #GIVEAWAYS THIS WEEK:
Monday, June 1st: $250 #Cash #Giveaway

Let's get to the books!

FICTION: COMBINED EBOOK AND PRINT ALL books now go to ONE PAGE at Amazon! You can now choose the version you want in ONE click! Have fun! Here we go!
If you ask me, the publishers are OVER-PRICING THEIR EBOOKS - DO THEY "NOT" WANT PEOPLE TO PURCHASE THEM? I WON'T PAY WHAT THEY ARE ASKING, ESPECIALLY NOT $16.99! Personally, I will ONLY pay $9.99 and UNDER. What do you think? Do you think the publishers are OVER-PRICING their ebooks? Please leave your comment below! Thanks!

1.   The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins
ebook: $6.99
print:   $8.37



2. 14th Deadly Sin (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson AND Maxine Paetro
ebook: $  9.99
print:   $12.96



3. All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr
ebook: $13.99
print:   $13.27



4. Memory Man (Amos Decker series) by David Baldacci
ebook: $  9.99
print:   $12.66



5. Seveneves: A Novel by Neal Stephenson
ebook: $16.99
print:   $21.00



6. Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews
ebook: $12.99
print:   $16.19



7. Gathering Prey (The Prey Series Book 25) by John Sandford
ebook: $10.99
print:   $14.28



8. Luckiest Girl Alive: A Novel by Jessica Knoll
ebook: $11.99
print:   $15.00



9. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
ebook: $  8.99
print:   $12.96



10. Love, Laughter, and Steamy Ever Afters (Ten Novels by Ten NYT Bestselling Authors)
ebook only: 99cents but only until June! Grab your copy NOW!
No print version available



11. Robert B. Parker's Kickback (Spenser Book 28) by Ace Atkins
ebook: $12.99
print:   $18.36



12. Wish You Well by David Baldacci
ebook: $  2.99
print:   $12.75



13. The Liar by Nora Roberts
ebook: $12.31
print:   $18.29



14. Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson Book 8) by Darynda Jones
ebook: $12.99
print:   $  8.72



15. The Summer's End (Lowcountry Summer Book 3) by Mary Alice Monroe
ebook: $11.99
print:   $11.40




Thanks so much for coming by! I hope you have found some great NEW reads! See you next week! Before you go, don't forget to leave a comment what you think about the HIGH price of ebooks now! Thanks! Here are the rest of the books up to #20!

16.  OUTLANDER, by Diana Gabaldon (Dell)
17.  THE FORGOTTEN ROOM, by Lincoln Child (Doubleday)
18.  THE GOLDFINCH, by Donna Tartt (Little, Brown)
19.  THE HUSBAND'S SECRET, by Liane Moriarty (Amy Einhorn/Putnam)
20.  LEAVING TIME, by Jodi Picoult (Ballantine)

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

#REVIEW AND #GIVEAWAY of 1 print copy of "House Broken" by Sonja Yoerg


Description:


In this compelling and poignant debut novel, a woman skilled at caring for animals must learn to mend the broken relationships in her family.…
For veterinarian Geneva Novak, animals can be easier to understand than people. They’re also easier to forgive. But when her mother, Helen, is injured in a vodka-fueled accident, it’s up to Geneva to give her the care she needs.
Since her teens, Geneva has kept her self-destructive mother at arm’s length. Now, with two slippery teenagers of her own at home, the last thing she wants is to add Helen to the mix. But Geneva’s husband convinces her that letting Helen live with them could be her golden chance to repair their relationship.
Geneva isn’t expecting her mother to change anytime soon, but she may finally get answers to the questions she’s been asking for so long. As the truth about her family unfolds, however, Geneva may find secrets too painful to bear and too terrible to forgive.


CONVERSATION GUIDE INCLUDED

MY TAKE:
5 STARS!!!
You are looking into the adorable face of Buddy up there, on the cover of this book. He is the family dog! Geneva is a Veterinarian and an Animal Behaviorist. Sometimes Geneva can understand animals better than people, but that's a given after her profession and especially after being raised by her mother, Helen, who happens to love bottles with long necks on them and start with a "V" more than her children at times. Geneva remembers this for as far back as she can during her childhood. That bottle always came first. At first, this is what comes between the two of them, then, other things come into play as well, things they just don't see eye to eye on, especially after Helen's husband, Geneva's father, had passed away when she was a young girl.
In addition to Geneva's animal practice and being a daughter, she is also a wife to Tom, and mother to two pretty darned good teenagers, but like all teens, they do try her patience through a few seriously harrowing issues fueled by her own mother! Yes, Geneva's mother, Helen, can be extremely cunning and sneaky! Helen, does come to live with them for a while after she breaks her leg and can't make it on her own in that condition while living alone. It is at times like this that Geneva feels she is the only responsible sibling between the three of them, a brother named Dublin and a sister named Paris. Sometimes this grinds her nerves at times, especially with Paris who never seems to come around, but someone has to step up and do it, and Geneva's husband is a joy to her, helping her to get her head back on straight after Helen pulls her little, but huge stunts on everyone in the family. There is a lot behind what drives this in Helen, and we learn this about her in the book. There is a lot that drives this behavior that makes you feel sorry for her.
This book was so very enjoyable to read. Helen, Geneva's mother, was a riot at times, with her southern views and the way they came out verbally at times! I was laughing SO hard a few times that this is what makes me LOVE southern based fiction! The way they come up with things at times, and the things they say! I can assure you you won't be the same after reading this book! 
This book does get into some pretty heavy issues. Helen, the grandmother, has really suffered for years over an issue she wasn't so sure about, but even though not 100% sure, she was pretty close to being sure. Sounds a little confusing, but if you read this book, you'll understand, She goes through a lot as she moves from her home to Helen's home five hundred miles away. (Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right? LOL! Not exactly in this case!) 
This is truly a story that will pull at your heartstrings, shock you, but you'll also agree with the way things turn out, too. It is very surprising as you never know what to expect with Helen. Geneva never knows what to expect from her own mother, and this is good and bad. The grandkids never know what to expect at times, either!
This is a beautifully written book, and one you won't soon forget. I was able to remember every little detail of this book even after having finished it several weeks ago. I couldn't write the review right away because I lost my own dog right around the same time I was finishing this book. Now that I'm feeling better about the loss of my dog, and knowing we did the right thing by ending her suffering, I am able to write this now. You will enjoy reading about Geneva's work with some of the animals at times, and others will shock you.
For this debut author, this is one book that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Thank you to this author, Sonja Yoerg, for giving me this book, the opportunity to read and review her first published work of fiction! May I say congratulations to an incredible story she has writen! I look forward to MANY MORE to come! Congratulations, Sonja! I can't wait for MORE books to come!

House Broken by Sonja Yoerg
ebook: $  7.99
print:   $12.02



GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Want to win my copy of this gently read book? Please leave your name and email in the comments below, written stretched out so a robot can't come along and grab your email address, here is an example of my email - - > laurieisreading at gmail dot com, or however you would like to write it, and on FRIDAY, JUNE 5th, I WILL DRAW A NAME/NUMBER, A WINNER! In my regular weekly column that is published by NOON every Sunday of the "NYTimes Bestsellers plus Blog Updates", I will list the winner! I will then contact you by email and we'll figure out how to get this book to you!
Thanks!
Laurie

Monday, May 25, 2015

#REVIEW - The Rocks by Peter Nichols New Release Tuesday, 5-26-15


Description:
A romantic page-turner propelled by the sixty-year secret that has shaped two families, four lovers, and one seaside resort community.


Set against dramatic Mediterranean Sea views and lush olive groves, The Rocks opens with a confrontation and a secret: What was the mysterious, catastrophic event that drove two honeymooners apart so suddenly and absolutely in 1948 that they never spoke again despite living on the same island for sixty more years? And how did their history shape the Romeo and Juliet–like romance of their (unrelated) children decades later? Centered around a popular seaside resort club and its community, The Rocks is a double love story that begins with a mystery, then moves backward in time, era by era, to unravel what really happened decades earlier.


Peter Nichols writes with a pervading, soulful wisdom and self-knowing humor, and captures perfectly this world of glamorous, complicated, misbehaving types with all their sophisticated flaws and genuine longing. The result is a bittersweet, intelligent, and romantic novel about how powerful the perceived truth can be—as a bond, and as a barrier—even if it’s not really the whole story; and how one misunderstanding can echo irreparably through decades.


My Take:
2 STARS
You would think by the description of this book that is would have to be one of the BEST books this summer - nope! Not at all, not in the least for myself, and I read a LOT of books! I could not stand to read this book, and I did NOT look forward to reading it, either. This book was supposed to explain a sixty-year love story, but this book was not a love story. I could not relate to these characters at all, in fact, they irritated me! I did not like these two characters’ children who were from separate marriages, after their divorce, either. They are Luc and and Gerald. Lulu puts her son down terribly, and Luc was Luc. I need to be able to relate to characters in a story in order to enjoy it. This author fell very short in this area. I kept asking myself ‘WHY did I choose this backwards book to read?’ I don’t know. This book sounded good from the description, but in my opinion, it did not live up to the description at all. I’m sure there are those of you out there who will LOVE this book, as there always are differing opinions, but for myself, I did not like it at all. Yes, I did say this book is written backwards. Perhaps the author thought this might make him stand out against the rest of the competition out there, but all it did for me as I read it was to confuse the heck out of me! The writing style was very difficult for me to follow as the writing was choppy, given the circumstances as to how this is written backwards. (WHO writes a book backwards???) The writing is also overly descriptive, as we already know this takes place in Mallorca, a Greek Island off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean, so we didn’t need conversations or parts of the story interrupted so the author could go on and gush about the scenery. In a way it was irritating because it took away from my own imagination of what I thought things looked like. It was way overdone. It’s like watching a movie of a book you read. Your imagination is ruined from the movie because it’s not what you thought things looked like. Actually. I think the author loves this area, so he was gushing here and there. Again, this backwards writing style got me confused at times. I don’t ever want to read another book like it again!
This book is supposed to be a love story. There is NO love story in this book, at least almost the entire book had zero love story to it. There may be the very few sentences after Lulu and Gerald were married when they were happy, and to be honest, at the end, this huge climax of what split these two up was nothing! This book starts off with Gerald and Lulu meeting up decades later, close to the end of life. Lulu already had had what they thought was a stroke and then a verified stroke. She was NASTY! She swore like a banshee woman. The kids said she was like that after the stroke, so was it REALLY hatred towards Gerald, or was that behavior from the stroke? That was not clear. You could not tell if she really did not like him or if she acted that way because of the stroke.
I could cover the part where the author brings in the book, The Odyssey, but I'll leave that for you. It's way overdone.
I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I didn’t. It is simple as that. Pass.
One more thing. Was this author trying to write a Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter? Taking a part of his book and then we have this? I wonder???
I would like to thank the publisher, Riverhead, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this in advance in exchange for my opinion.



Saturday, May 23, 2015

The #NYTimes Top 20 #Bestsellers in #FICTION - ebook and print/week ending 5-24! PLUS Blog Updates



Hi Everyone! HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND! This is to wish ALL of our servicemen and women thoughts of you who have lost your lives for our Country. Wishing your families the BEST, even though it is hard to move on in life without them. I wish our soldiers who have been hurt can heal once again, and those in their daily struggles caused by war are healing, as hard and arduous as it may be.
On a brighter note, I hope you all enjoy the parades and/or picnics or however you will be celebrating with your families and friends, and for those service people that are STILL not home, we are thinking of you, still, for a SAFE return!



I hope you had a GREAT week of reading! This post is always up by NOON every Sunday, and most of the time earlier! Let's do the Blog Updates first!
I didn't go over Reviews last weekend, so I'll add a review from the week before, and the reviews from this week! Just click on the NAME OF THE BOOK to be able to go to the review!
My favorite story was the first book, How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz, Women's Fiction, about four women who meet in college and remain friends the rest of their lives! On the practical side, the Clutter Free book gave me some EXCELLENT advice to get this house in order! With my disability, this house is NOT the best it could be! It takes me forever to get things done, but what I can do I am LOVING throwing things OUT! I am making some boxes of things for my husband to take to charities! Now, if only I would fold my clothes instead of dumping them on the extra bed in the extra bedroom! LOL! No! I DO get them put away, eventually! LOL!
Have a GREAT week!
HAPPY READING!!!

                         How to Start A Fire by Lisa Lutz


                         The Promise by Beth Wiseman


  Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps to Simplifying Your Space by Kathi Lipp


                    The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl


       
AND, LOOK WHAT BOOK CAME OUT THE 17th! My FAVORITES!! The YA version is out, too, at NetGalley! There are a TON of GREAT titles to choose from! I'll be planning my Fall into Winter reading, of course! I will be taking today to go through this book! I've already peeked and read the Intro, and it sounds like there are some GREAT books, as always!


Don't forget this #GIVEAWAY! The 2015 Book Reviewer Yellow Pages - Win $50! Either click the title OR look in the Upper LEFT side column where ALL Giveaways are always posted!


Okay! Let's say we get to the books!

FICTION: COMBINED EBOOK AND PRINT!

1.   The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins
ebook: $  6.99
print:   $13.47



2. 14th Deadly Sin (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
ebook: $  9.99
print:   $12.96



3. Memory Man (Amos Decker series) by David Baldacci
ebook: $  9.99
print:   $12.73



4. All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr
ebook: $13.99
print:   $13.62



5. Gathering Prey (The Prey Series Book 25) by John Sanford
ebook: $10.99
print:   $ 7.18



6. The Forgotten Room: A Novel by Lincoln N Child
ebook: $11.43
print:   $19.96



7. Dry Bones: A Walt Longmire Mystery (Walt Longmire Mysteries Book 11) by Craig Johnson
ebook: $13.19
print:   $18.98



8. Luckiest Girl Alive: A Novel by Jessica Knoll
ebook: $  9.99
print:   $11.48



9. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
ebook: $  8.99
print:   $15.99



10. Solitude Creek (Kathryn Dance) by Jeffery Deaver
ebook: $12.99
print:   $13.53



11. The Liar by Nora Roberts
ebook: $12.31
print:   $19.39



12. Never Never: Part Two by +Colleen Hoover
ebook: $2.99
print:   $7.99



13. Outlander: A Novel (Outlander, Book 1) by Diana Gabaldon
ebook: $  1.99
print:   $13.43



14. Fifty Shades Darker by E L James - I don't care anymore.


15. The Enemy Inside: A Paul Madriani Novel (Paul Madriani Novels Book 13) by Steve Martini
ebook: $14.99
print:   $19.01



Congratulations to +Colleen Hoover for hitting this #NYTimes #Bestseller list with Never Never Book 2!!! I LOVE her writing!! There are a LOT of GREAT books on this list! The only problem I see is the publishers are pricing us OUT of purchasing ebooks. The ebook and print books are a $1 or $2 apart, and if they are that close, as long as I have the space on my shelves, I would rather have the print books, even though I LOVE reading on my ereader. I like both. I'll buy what I have to, but I wish the publishers would come back down with their prices. I'm positive if they compared the prices of today to yesterday when they were under contract, they made more money than they do now. Just a guess. What do you think?
Thanks for coming again! Here are the rest of the books!

BORN OF DEFIANCE, by Sherrilyn Kenyon (St. Martin's)
THE BONE TREE, by Greg Iles (Morrow/HarperCollins)
FALLING FOR MY BOSS, by J. S. Cooper and Helen Cooper (J. S. Cooper)
THE STRANGER, by Harlan Coben (Dutton)
A GOD IN RUINS, by Kate Atkinson (Little, Brown)


Aren't these GORGEOUS! For a flag dress, at least! I looked up copyright free images, but could only connect to another blog that had this in a post, and NO copyright on them, or anything mentioned, so I assume it is okay that I repost these. I LOVE gowns, and want to share these with you! Beautiful design! I LOVE the one on the left! As the stripes come down into a train as it flares out! I used to sew a long time ago, and I miss it SO much! I loved it so much I made my first wedding gown! I don't want to post a photo of it, though, as it never meant what it was supposed to mean, but I DID win 3rd place in the Michigan State Fair for hand sewing it! I saved the ribbons and the photos, but when that part of my life HAD TO CHANGE, I put the dress on top of a garbage pile! It didn't mean anything more to me. I HOPE someone else was able to use it! Thousands of cars would have passed by the dress, and it DID disappear! I HOPE someone else got to wear it and it meant what it was supposed to mean till death do them part!
I still LOVE gowns! I had to share this with you! HOPE you enjoy it!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!