Heather's Review of Fall Semester by Stephanie Fourney

Fall Semester

by Stephanie Fournet

 

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BLURB:

A depressed English professor finds love in the most unlikely place in Stephanie Fournet's emotional debut novel, Fall Semester.

Despite his stunning good looks, Dr. Malcolm Vashal is perhaps the most detested professor on campus. A floundering career and the aftershocks of a painful divorce have left the thirty-four-year-old with more than a little self-loathing, which only grows when he meets Maren Gardner. The graduate student with the loyal heart and searching eyes is much too good for him. She is off-limits for more reasons than one, but Malcolm can’t seem to resist her.

Maren is facing the greatest loss of her life, and her family needs her now more than ever. Between caring for them and building her future, Maren doesn’t have time for a social life, much less a relationship, but she can’t push a certain green-eyed professor from her mind. She sees in him a goodness that others don’t, but that might not be enough.

As the two discover each other, their blossoming friendship soon turns into something more, but self-doubts, family tragedy, and personal demons stand in their way.


Can they overcome these odds and share a love that each desperately needs? Or will the end of the semester find them heartbroken?


Excerpt Two:


Dr. Vashal had seated himself at the dinette, but he stood when she entered, and he immediately frowned. 


“Your hair is still wet,” he reproached. “That won’t do.”

“It’s alright,” she brushed off his concern. “Shall we sit in the living room?” 

“It is not alright,” he upbraided, his frown deepening. “You have a fever and a cough, and it’s drafty in here. You’ll catch pneumonia like that.” 

At his scolding tone, the last of her energy drained out of her, and Maren sunk into a kitchen chair, laying her forehead in her hands and her elbows on the table. 

Why is he so angry? 

“Dr. Vashal,...I just don’t have it in me to dry my hair right now. Please. I need to sit down.” 

Maren was sure that she, in fact, needed to lie down. She couldn’t even bring herself to look up at him, so it was the appearance of his black Steve Madden Oxfords entering her  field of vision that told her he approached. She felt a hand on her shoulder. 

“Let me help you,” he said softly, all scolding gone. “Come.” 

He took her arm and gently guided her until she was on her feet again, and he plucked up her chair in his other hand and led them into the bathroom. Even though this was the strangest thing to ever happen in her life, Maren was too bemused to resist. She allowed him to seat her in front of the sink, and, without a word, he took down her hair dryer from the caddy above the toilet and turned it on. Maren noticed that he tested its heat and force against his own hand before aiming it at her. 

Warm air caressed her, and when he grabbed the hairbrush from the same caddy and began carefully pulling it through her hair, Maren thought her bones had gone liquid. She resumed her slumped posture, elbows on the sink and head in hands, and she closed her eyes. 

Oh my God. 

He was deliberate and gentle, catching her hair in the brush at the roots and following it down to the ends. The fine hairs on her neck stood on end, and goose bumps erupted down her arms. Maren’s scalp tingled every time the bristles of the brush stroked against it. She drowned in a sea of sensation. 

 A moan escaped her throat before she could catch herself. 

She couldn’t help it— she could only hope that he had not heard her over the hair dryer. Maren could not remember feeling so carefully and intimately attended. It was heavenly. 



Review:
I have to give this 4 stars.  I have never seen a professor go to the lengths that Dr. Malcolm Vashal does for one of his students when she is sick.  He has always come across as gruff and one that likes things his way.  However one student has caught his eye and has made him start moving back in the right direction to how he felt before the person that he loved left which sent him into this downward spiral.  


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Stephanie Fournet lives in Lafayette, Louisiana—not far from the Saint Streets where her novels are set. She shares her home with her husband John and her daughter Hannah, their needy dogs Gladys and Mabel, and an immortal blue finch named Baby Blue. When she isn’t writing romance novels, she is usually helping students get into college, teaching AP English, or running.  She loves hearing from fans, so you can follow her on Facebook, message her on Goodreads, or email her at stephaniefournet@icloud.com.

 

Links:
 https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.fournet 

 https://www.pinterest.com/stephfournet/
http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Semester-Stephanie-Fournet-ebook/dp/B00FO5WDDS 

 https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7351172.Stephanie_Fournet 
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SYNOPSIS:

When trust is challenged and desire takes control, is love enough to conquer fear?

When geeky book nerd Autumn Blakewood falls for the cocky, confident fighter Hunter Bane she knows she’s in for life. Their undeniable connection, fueled by the desire to protect, grows stronger every passing second. However, the need to feel cherished threatens her college graduation, family bonds, and future, tearing her apart, but she won’t give up on Hunter so easily …

After he was abandoned by his family, Hunter Bane struggles to cope with daily life. Having a learning disability turns every task into a challenge. With his brother now free, Hunter feels the pressure to succeed and take care of the people he loves, forcing him to choose between college and a job. Hunter’s devotion to Autumn keeps him on the right path. His infatuation with her turns lust into passion, drawing out his alpha tendencies. But with affection comes admission, putting a strain on their relationship as secrets are exposed and unforeseen circumstances spiral out of control.

Being complete opposites, their love is flaming hot, but it burns away all inhibitions, unveiling the fears that were locked deep inside. As past and present collide, difficult choices must be made. Can Autumn and Hunter’s love survive this ultimate test?

EXCERPT: 

(This excerpt is unedited)

6 years ago

I’m walking home from school, wandering across the streets as I stare at the beautiful houses. Peeking into their living rooms, I can clearly see the candle flames dancing, flickering through the window like a warm, inviting light. People walking in the rooms are oblivious of me, which gives me all the more reason to keep looking. Their happy faces make me smile, if only for a second. Catching a glimpse of a normal life lets me escape from reality.

Envy unfurls in my stomach, and a bad taste enters my mouth as I spit on the ground and walk further. Up to the next house. Up to the next short moment of carelessness.

Reaching my house is the last thing I want, but I know it’ll happen eventually. I’ll have to go home. I always have to. There’s nowhere else I can go, and my brother needs me. Not as much as I need him, though. I probably wouldn’t even be alive without him.

No one at my age should be going through this. No one should be picking up their mom from the grass every morning. No kid should have to drag his mom to bed. No kid should have to raise himself.

My home is a broken one. When I spot it, a heavy feeling overcomes me. Each step I take leads to another day in hell.

The garden is littered with used needles, empty bottles of liquor, and old condoms. Me and my brother never have time to clean it all up. We’re too busy trying to keep the house clean enough to live in.

As I enter the house a familiar, but disgusting stench causes me to cough. All the windows are closed, smoke wafts through the air, bottles are scattered on the table, and an empty bag of white powder is in my mother’s hand as she hangs like a wet rag in her seat. Ash grey hair sticks to her face, masking her eyes. Her head is on the table, and she’s snoring loudly. The only thing keeping her in place is her bony ass stuck to that chair she only leaves to get some more. More of whatever she needs to satisfy her addictions.

“Hey, bro,” Jessie says. He’s unwinding the vacuum plug, turning it on at the same time.

“Hey …” I say.

“Sorry, thought I’d have it cleaned up by now, but it was too much of a mess.”

“Don’t apologize,” I say. “It’s not your fault.”

He smiles briefly. “I know. I just don’t want you to see it.”

A moment of silence passes between us, the air thick with unspoken words. I owe my brother so much. He’s the only one taking care of both of us right now. I wonder how long we’ll last if she keeps this up.

I start unpacking my things, shoving my mother aside from the table so I have enough room to check what I need to do. My notebook is filled to the brim with short texts of things I need to remember. My memory always fails me, especially when it comes to short term things like homework or names. It’s been like this for as long as I can remember. My brother thinks it’s because of my mother. We don’t know her any other way than she is now. Drunk. Addicted. Full on drugs.

Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl. Sometimes I really hate her, but she’s my mother too. I owe her for keeping us alive, for trying to do her best to give us a home. 

Somewhere along the way she failed. I can’t not resent her for that. At times I wonder if she ever intended on having us or if we were accidents she regrets.

It doesn’t change anything about our situation. It doesn’t change anything about the fact that it’s her fault I have a learning disability and my brother has ADD.

One of the notes slips from my book, and it lands on her arm. The paper immediately stains with blood. Sighing, I pick up the piece of paper and notice the puncture marks on her skin. She looks more like an orange than a human sometimes, that’s how many holes she shot into herself. So many it doesn’t stop bleeding. Still, it doesn’t make her quit.

Suddenly, she grabs my hand, and I’m startled by her movement. I jolt up and pull my hand back as her head shoots up from the table. Her eyes are bloodshot, staring back at me with a crazy look like she doesn’t know who I am. It takes her a few seconds to register that it’s me, and then a smile slowly creeps onto her face, exposing her black, broken teeth and smelly breath.

“Hunter …” she mumbles.

Her hand drops off the table, the bag of powder tumbling to the floor. The sound immediately catches her attention, as if it’s food for a starving woman. Bending to pick it up, her fingers tremble as she reaches for the bag.

“Shit. It’s empty again.”

“You used too much again,” I add.

“No, no, no, this can’t happen,” she mumbles, clearly still under the influence.

“Mom. Calm down. You can go without it for a few hours. You won’t die.”

“No, I can’t!” she gets up from her seat, barely able to stand as her legs are two thin sticks ready to snap.

“I’m going to get more,” she stammers, grabbing me by the coat.

“Let go of me,” I say.

“You can’t stay here alone with your brother.”

“Why not?”

“Because …” she sniffs. “I need you. I can’t do this without you.” She wipes away the tears filling her eyes. She, most of us all, is unable to face the monster she’s become.

“No, mom. I’m not coming with you. I’m not going to be your busboy again. Not anymore.”

“What? You don’t mean that. You know I need you. Please don’t let me go through this alone.” She tightens her grip on my arm, dragging me to the door. Resisting is what I should be doing, but I don’t want to hurt her. She’s been hurt enough in her life.

“Stop,” Jessie shouts. He stops vacuuming, turning it off. His fists are balled, his nostrils flaring, and his stance is aggressive, as if he’s about to attack my mother. I know he would if it was necessary.

“Let. Him. Go.” His teeth barely separate as he speaks the words. His furrowed brows even scare me.

Her fingers untangle themselves from my arm, and I shake myself loose from her grip. I turn away from her, slanting to the side because I’m scared she might grab me again and make a run for it. My brother is and always will be the only thing keeping her from ruining not only herself but me, too.

“Fine, but I’m going,” she says, and after making a horrible face she walks out the door. The slam that follows force the tears to spring from my eyes.

Review: 

I was given this ARC in return for a honest review.

Clarissa Wilde hit this one out of  the park. I instantly became a fan of hers after reading and reviewing the first two books in this series.  Ms. Wilde continued this story of Hunter and his Leafy right where the previous book ended. The story started off with the main characters going to pick up Jessie (Hunter's brother) from jail and going back to Hunter's childhood home. With this event happening it forces Hunter to  face and finaly explain to  Autumn some of his childhood demons. We as readers get a chance to learn the unfortunate events that cause not only Hunter to act the way he does but also sheds light on some of Jessie's issues as well. We learn of the horrible situations that both boys were put in by their mother and their reactions. Reading this section brought tears to my eyes. It is raw and very much real to some. Also in this book we are given the opportunity to meet Autumn's parents. How they interact with other and also the constant ups and downs that effect her life. With a dying mother and a disapproving father,Autumn soon will have to learn to either grow a backbone or retreat back to her old self.

Throughout the story the underlying theme (in my option) is Redemption. The Characters have to constantly prove to not only to each other but to themselves that they are worthy of love. This story is definitely not a stand alone and the first two books are a must read. The epilogue kicks butt and I definitely needed to get a tissue. I won't spoil the entire thing but I feel it is one of my new "Go To" books and Hunter just made my list of book boyfriends. So sad to see this series end but can't wait to see what is is to come next from this author.

Purchase Links:

AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1ldXgcF

AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1nkTEZv
B&N: http://bit.ly/1hxb9P9
KOBO: http://bit.ly/1mGjcRw
GOOGLE PLAY: http://bit.ly/1s2D7Hv

PLAYLISTS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjDojEOiMcE&list=PLzmHhdqfyHINQY98YkxCPXtS4M7XejaDQ

https://play.spotify.com/user/clarissawild/playlist/7K8MDL8pSTUhoitYFd26eL

AUTHOR BIO:

Clarissa Wild is the Amazon Bestselling Romance author of FIERCE, a top 200 and top 15 New Adult Romance novel. She is also a writer of erotic romance such as the Blissful Series, The Billionaire's Bet series, the Doing It Series and the Enflamed Series. She is an avid reader and writer of sexy stories about hot men and feisty women. Her other loves include her furry cat friend and learning about different cultures. In her free time she enjoys watching all sorts of movies, reading tons of books and cooking her favorite meals.

Want to get an email when my next book is released? Sign up here to receive a FREE short story: http://eepurl.com/FdY71

Social Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildClarissa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClarissaWildAuthor

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Where my mind is.....

Just a picture --- to relax by.....  wishing I was sitting on the rocks with my feet in the water and a dog or two by myside........  course one of the dogs would be in the water!  I'd have to be careful not to let him get to the waterfall and go over!  

My weekend

My weekend was wonderful! I saw my daughter, my grand kids, my husband and I even took one of the two pups to Seward Park to play in the water.

Lyn'ell was transferred into Papa's arms still asleep.  Even Papa closed his eyes for a few minutes.

Poseidon enjoyed chasing his tail at Seward Park

Poseidon debating on what to do next

Poseidon decided to lay down next to Mom and relax for a few minutes before we both got back in the water!

Man I wish I had taken my other camera with me, all I had was the camera on my IPhone!  I saw a bald eagle fly in and land at the top of this tree.  He was still here when I took this picture though just hard to see.  I could have gotten up close with my other camera. Dang it! 

Happy Birthday - Zeus & Poseidon

A very happy birthday to my boys!  Zeus & Poseidon who turned 7 years old yesterday! Happy Birthday! We love you! 

Happy Mother's Day from Zeus and Poseidon

 

Happy Birthday Cordae

Happy Birthday to my sweet grandson, Cordae! Grandma and Grandpa love you!

Poseidon acts like a Puppy again

On Saturday January 23rd a friend that was up from Vancouver, Washington and I went over to Alki beach to go for a walk. We brought Poseidon along with us, leaving Zeus at home with Daryl.




Poseidon was being camera shy and tried to hide behind me.


When Poseidon was a puppy and we went for walks he would often grab the leash and carry it around in his mouth like he was helping me take him for a walk. Since he has not done this in a couple of years I was a bit surprised when he put the leash in his mouth and started carrying it, leaving me very little leash. I still had the handle of the leash though. At one point he wanted to play tug a war with the leash and even dug his heels in, but I was not going to give in and kept walking, dragging him along at times but not for far.

Good Boys!

 The first time that we introduced our grandson Cordae to our dogs he cried. Since we had him for Thanksgiving we tried again. We tried earlier in the day with success. After mom got there she asked if he had "ridden" on one of the dogs yet. We both said no.

 We initially tried to see if Poseidon would sit still long enough for us to put Cordae on his back and get a picture -- but no. Poseidon did however give Cordae his version of a kiss - a lick!

So we tried with Zeus instead. This time with Zeus. This picture here Cordae is actually pulling on Zeus's fur and Zeus did not snap, did not growl, and did not pull away nor bark. Such a good boy!

Zeus with Cordae on his back. Such good boys! Neither were rough, neither were roudy with Cordae. Good boys Poseidon and Zeus!

Halloween

In my garden I had been growing pumpkins at my husband's request.  Unfortuanately he thought they were orange pumpkins until I pointed out to him that the package said they were white decorative pumpkins.  I had printed out templates of Winnie The Pooh, Tigger, Minnie and Mickey along with one other template.  I couldn't decide which ones to use on the two pumpkins that we had grown.  He made it easy he said I want Piglet.  I was like ok... where am I going to find a Piglet template for a pumpkin?  I went back to searching and found pictures of a pumpkin with piglet but no template that could be downloaded.  I said not a problem I have photo software that I can take a screen shot and then reverse the color to get the template.  This is exactly what I did.  So I carved Piglet and Winnie the Pooh on the two homegrown pumpkins.  I had already purchased a regular orange pumpkin because I wanted the seeds from it to plant in the garden next year.  See I'm thinking ahead here. Despite me being allergic to the pumpkin vines I am going to plant pumpkins again I just have to wear long sleeves and wear gloves when doing anything with them.  I then had to debate on what I wanted to carve on the orange pumpkin.  I debated this while I carved Piglet and Winnie the Pooh.  I trick that I found on the two white pumpkins because they were so small, I still cut out the top so that I could light the candle that I would be placing inside, but with these two I cut the bottom out of the pumpkins to allow me to scoop out the guts of the pumpkin and assist in carving the pumpkin.  Now with the templates I taped them to the pumpkin then used a push pin and transfered the design to the pumpkins.  Great time saver, although I should have used duct tape instead of regular tape to hold the template to the pumpkin.  While I was carving these two pumpkins I decided since I'm on a Winnie the Pooh and Piglet theme, that I might as well make the orange pumpkin Tigger.   The orange pumpkin was easier to carve having more space to reach my hand inside, however my previous transfer of the design method didn't work so well with this pumpkin.  Why?  It was easy to see the pin holes on the white pumpkins, not so well on the orange.  However I didn't let this stop me!  I taped the template to the pumpkin (once again I should have used duct tape -however I had none available at this time) and just used the pumpkin carving knives and began carving the pumpkin using the template as my guide on where I poked the holes.  Once I had the template carved I put a candle inside to see where I needed to expand so that light could be seen thru as that is the whole point of me spending an entire Saturday carving pumpkins. 

Zeus and the backyard

When Zeus discovered the pumpkin he decided that he liked the smell and would start rubbing up against it. I find it absolutely hilarious! The photos below are what I managed to finally capture last night.
















Zeus smelling the pumpkin leaves in the garden.

Poseidon the Gardener

From the moment Poseidon found my watering can he wanted it in his mouth. I guess he wanted to help me garden. He carried it around in his mouth and would not give it back without coaxing from me.

Poseidon enjoys the outdoor toys that we bought him after we got home from vacation. As you can see he's already destroyed the rope that was attached to the ball.
Poseidon getting ready to shake the ball in his mouth.

Garden update

My lovely garden! It has and is providing many vegetables that are yummy and delicious! I have corn on the cob that I need to pick, green beans, artichokes are growing, pumpkins are growing (which I found out that I'm allergic to the vines, I broke out in hives when rubbing up against a leaf when I was picking the green beans. I have cantelope growing, sweet peppers, and a whole bunch of tomatos that will soon be ready. The cucumbers are sweet and yummy like they are supposed to, I am amazed at the difference in the taste between what I've grown and what is bought at the store. I'm currently contemplating what I am going to grow over the winter and am already planning on my crop for next summer. Next summer corn, roma tomatos, herbs.

As you can see in one of the pictures we've added plastic flower pots to the side of the garden that we built, I'll be moving the herbs to these boxes to give me more room for vegetables in the actual garden. Daryl is also suggesting putting the pumpkin on the outside of the garden in between the garden and the tree to fill in that space as it is taking over everything!

Enjoying the weekend

The boys aka Zeus and Poseidon like it when either of us are home on the weekend, probably more when Daryl is home as they get to spend more time in the backyard while we work out there. They enjoy running around and being able to "wrestle" in the backyard with each other.














Awww happy dogs!












Looks like Poseidon is happy to be outside!













Zeus enjoys rubbing up against the pumpkin leaves in my garden. I guess they smell good!













Look at that happy dog!












This is how big my garden has grown since it was planted

My Garden

Over the past several weeks Daryl and I have been building a garden for me. It gives me something to go out and work on that does not involve a computer, thinking like a computer, or anything about the house. It helps relieve my stress as well. We built a wooden fence (the slats) to keep the dogs out and although we still have to build the door I have plants planted in the garden already. Zeus and Poseidon are very interested in the garden. Just wait till they find out that I planted something for them to eat! Can you guess what that is? Keep thinking on that and I'll tell you at the end of this post.















So what am I growing?

Well, the plants that you see are: Chives, Cinnamon Basil, Italian Oregano, Husky Cherry Red Tomato, Sweet Pepper, Corn, Artichoke

The seeds that I planted: Corn, Cantalope, Carrots, Cucumbers, Garden Beans, Pumpkin,

Of the list above can you guess what I planted that Zeus and Poseidon will be able to eat?

If you guessed Carrots you are correct!

Our Grandson Arrives!

It's a boy!!


Our grandson, Cordae, was born this afternoon, April 19, 2009 at 5:40 pm. He was 7 pounds and 10 ounces and 19 inches long. Our congratulations go to our daughter, Lyndsay and of course the proud papa Kornell.







The proud parents!










The Proud Grandpa!










Nana and Cordae