The Milestone Tapes by Ashley Mackler-Paternostro Review and Kindle Giveaway for Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tours

Join Ashley Mackler-Paternostro, author of the literary fiction, The Milestone Tapes, as she virtually tours the blogosphere April 2 – May 25 2012 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

ABOUT ASHLEY MACKLER-PATERNOSTRO

Ashley Mackler-Paternostro was born in Naperville, Illinois, where she still lives with her husband Mark and their three dogs.  A hairstylist by trade, Ashley will often say that some of the best stories she has ever heard were told to her while working behind the chair. A life long reader with an insatiable appetite for good books, she decided to merge her love of great stories — both told and written — into her own brand of story telling.

When she’s not being held captive in her home office by words, Ashley fancies herself a flea market hunter with a weakness for Japanese glass floats and repurposing vintage goods.

Her latest book is The Milestone Tapes.

Visit Ashley at www.ashleymacklerpaternostro.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads |Smashwords | Amazon ($13.95) | Amazon Kindle($3.95) | Official Tour Page 

ABOUT THE MILESTONE TAPES

Jenna Chamberland never wanted anything more than to be a wife and mother. That is, until she realized that her life was ending after a three-year battle against breast cancer. Now, all she really wants is more time.

With 4,320 hours left to live, Jenna worries for her loved ones and what she knows awaits them on the other side: Gabe will have to make the slip from husband to widower, left alone to raise their seven-year-old daughter; Mia will be forced to cope with life without her mother by her side. In a moment of reflection, Jenna decides to record a set of audiocassettes — The Milestone Tapes – leaving her voice behind as a legacy for her daughter.

Nine years later, Mia is a precocious sixteen-year-old and her life is changing all around, all she wants is her mother. Through the tapes, Jenna’s voice returns to teach Mia the magic of life, her words showing her daughter how to spread her wings and embrace the coming challenges with humor, grace and hope.

THE MILESTONE TAPES is the journey of love between a parent and child, and of the bonds that holds them when life no longer can.

My Thoughts:

The Milestone Tapes to me was so sad that I was not sure if I would be able to finish. I am such a crybaby when it comes to anything sad. Since this was a review book I stuck with it and I am really glad that I did. I think I cried through at least half of it but that was ok because I found the story to be very powerful and uplifting.

Jenna and Gabe are professional people and have an established life, beautiful home and decide it is time to have a child, even though they have been married for a long time. They have a beautiful daughter, Mia, who is three when Jenna is diagnosed with cancer. She ends up going through fours years of treatment until it becomes inevitable and she is told she has maybe 6 months to live. She decides to stop treatment so she can devote what time she has left with her husband and daughter. 

Jenna wants to prepare Gabe and Mia for life without her so she decides to create a set of tapes for Mia with words of encouragement and advice for Mia when she hits milestones in her life, such as graduating high school/college, falling in love for the first time, getting married and having a child of her own among other things. 

Even though this story is about death, dying and the aftermath that a family lives through after a loved one passes away, it is also about moving on. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it...

Thanks to Pump Up Your Books for providing a copy for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review. 

~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~

Ashley Mackler Paternostro will be giving away a humungous gift basket during her tour! Stop off at all her blog stops during her tour for extra entries. Giveaway begins April 2 and ends on May 18. The winner will be announced on May 19. These are the wonderful things that are included in the gift basket ($200 value!)

-1 Kindle (non-touch) wifi w/ special offers ($80.00)

-1 signed copy of The Milestone Tapes ($14.00)

-1 copy of Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss ($17.00)

-1 vial of lavender seeds ($6.00)

-1 bar of gardenia soap ($11.00)

-1 jar of Golden Raspberry Jam ($8.00)

-1 jar of dry ingredients & recipe of Jenna’s Blackberry Cobbler w/ recipe ($15.00)

-1 Japanese Glass fishing float ($20.00)

-1 set of note cards (6) with a “cassette tape” on front ($10.00)

-1 Amazon gift card ($10.00)

Everything in the gift basket, save for the Kindle, is direct from the book.

The basket will arrive to the winner shrink wrapped with a thank you note from Ashley for participating.

Enter here and follow her blog tour for more entries!

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