ARE YOU LISTENING? THE PARADISE GUEST HOUSE: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S" 
ARE YOU LISTENING? DAY"
I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY'S
AUDIO BOOK CHOICE....

GIVEAWAY ENDED 
THE PARADISE GUEST HOUSE

 BY ELLEN SUSSMAN

Read By Ann Marie Lee

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A riveting and poignant novel of one woman’s journey to Bali in search of love, renewal, and a place to call home—perfect for readers of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love and Alex Garland’s The Beach.

It starts as a trip to paradise. Sent on assignment to Bali, Jamie, an American adventure guide, imagines spending weeks exploring the island’s lush jungles and pristine white sand beaches. Yet three days after her arrival, she is caught in Bali’s infamous nightclub bombings, which irreparably change her life and leave her with many unanswered questions.

One year later, haunted by memories, Jamie returns to Bali seeking a sense of closure. Most of all, she hopes to find Gabe, the man who saved her from the attacks. She hasn’t been able to forget his kindness—or the spark between them as he helped her heal. Checking into a cozy guest house for her stay, Jamie meets the kindly owner, who is coping with a painful past of his own, and a young boy who improbably becomes crucial to her search. Jamie has never shied away from a challenge, but a second chance with Gabe presents her with the biggest dilemma of all: whether she’s ready to open her heart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ellen Sussman is the author of the novels French Lessons and On a Night Like This, both national bestsellers. She has two daughters and lives with her husband in Northern California. To read more about Ellen Sussman, please visit her website "Bio" HERE.

ABOUT THE NARRATOR:

Ann Marie Lee is a Los Angeles based actress with television credits that include E.R., Law and Order C.I., and Nip/Tuck. Her stage performances for Broadway National Tours and regional theater include Peter Pan, As You Like It, Heartbreak House and The Cherry Orchard.

 

PRAISE FOR THE PARADISE GUEST HOUSE:

“Two survivors of Bali’s terrorist bombing find love and spiritual rebirth on an island whose inhabitants believe in reincarnation in Sussman’s touching panorama of paradise. . . . Throughout, Sussman celebrates lovers, quiet healing, and the sweetness of the island and its people.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A story of healing and redemption, of finding love in the most unexpected places, and of the importance of moving forward . . . Sussman has drawn a vivid, well-balanced portrait of a woman and a country working to recover from an unimaginable event and a very personal look at a global tragedy.”—Booklist

“Echoing Bali’s difficult recovery from [the 2002 terrorist bombing], the characters tread the difficult terrain of post-traumatic attachment. . . . A respectful and earnest . . . treatment of devastation’s aftermath.”—Kirkus Reviews

“[A] moving story about making sense of life after a tragedy . . . This touching tale will cause contemplation about what closure truly means.”—RT Book Reviews  

SOME OTHER BOOKS BY ELLEN SUSSMAN:

                   

                    

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
THE PARADISE GUEST HOUSE by Ellen Sussman is a novel  that is based on true events that happened in Bali in 2002.  Two nightclubs were bombed by radicals, leaving over 200 people dead and more than 200 injured. Sussman uses this tragic event as the background for an emotional story filled with intriguing characters who experience love and loss while learning to survive. Using flashbacks, THE PARADISE GUEST HOUSE is told in three parts. In one, we see what it was like after leaving the horror and with another, readers learn what it was like to those who had to carry on in Bali.

Jamie Hyde is a tour guide traveling for the first time in beautiful Bali and while savoring the exotic location’s food and sights, bombs explode at the local nightclub she is in.  What follows is like a bad dream as Jamie experiences the horror of the destruction and deaths all around her. Her physical injuries aren’t life threatening but emotionally, she is devastated. Enter Gabe, a stranger who pulls Jamie from the ruins and cares for her with bandages as well as emotional support.

A year later, filled with reservations, Jamie returns to Bali to attend a memorial to honor those lost in the attack. She winds up staying at THE PARADISE GUEST HOUSE where the owner, Nyoman helps Jamie to heal by sharing his personal loss. Jamie has also come back to try and find Gabe and see if the feelings and memories she has for him are real or just part of the whole unbelievable experience.

Ellen Sussman’s compassionate narrative takes readers through the events with well developed characters and a rich setting that creates mental images allowing readers to feel like they experienced it all first hand. The emotional journey that Jamie takes is one filled with highs and lows and readers will be caught up and then swept away by it. 

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO RICHARD AND THE GOOD PEOPLE
AT RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO BOOKS, I HAVE ONE
COPY OF ELLEN SUSSMAN'S AUDIO BOOK,
  THE PARADISE GUEST HOUSE, TO GIVE AWAY 
  TO ONE OF MY LUCKY FOLLOWERS 
  

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE IN 
ORDER TO COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY
 

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THE PARADISE GUEST HOUSE THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS AUDIO BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING WHEN YOU VISITED ELLEN SUSSMAN'S WEBSITE HERE 

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU CAN COMMENT ON EACH ON SEPARATELY AND GAIN MORE ENTRIES THAT WAY 

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY

 

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
 6 PM, EST, JUNE 18

 

 GOOD LUCK!