Blog Tour: Hiding Cracked Glass By James J. Cudney #Review #DigitalReadsBlogTours

Hello bookworms!!

Today is the last day in the week long blog tour for Hiding Cracked Glass by James J. Cudney. This author and his books are always making appearances on my blog and I am excited to be sharing his newest release with y’all today. This is the second book in the Perceptions of Glass series. The first book, Watching Glass Shatter was Jay’s (James) debut novel 3 years ago. Today I will be sharing a little bit about the book and where you can get it as well as my review and a giveaway so keep on reading.

Title: Hiding Cracked Glass

Series: Perceptions of Glass #2

Expected Publication: October 8, 2020

Publisher: Next Chapter Publishing

Synopsis

An ominous blackmail letter appears at an inopportune moment. The recipient’s name is accidentally blurred out upon arrival. Which member of the Glass family is the ruthless missive meant for?

In the powerful sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, Olivia is the first to read the nasty threat and assumes it’s meant for her. When the mysterious letter falls into the wrong hands and is read aloud, it throws the entire Glass family into an inescapable trajectory of self-question. Across the span of eight hours, Olivia and her sons contemplate whether to confess their hidden secrets or find a way to bury them forever. Some failed to learn an important lesson last time. Will they determine how to save themselves before it’s too late?

Each chapter’s focus alternates between the various family members and introduces several new and familiar faces with a vested interest in the outcome. As each hour ticks by, the remaining siblings and their mother gradually reveal what’s happened to them in the preceding months, and when the blackmailer makes an appearance at Olivia’s birthday party, the truth brilliantly comes to light.

Although everyone seemed to embrace the healing process at the end of Watching Glass Shatter, there were hidden cracks in the Glass family that couldn’t be mended. Their lives are about to shatter into pieces once again, but this time, the stakes are even higher. Someone wants to teach them a permanent lesson and refuses to stop until success is achieved.

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My Thoughts

I was sent a final copy of this book from James via Digital Reads Blog Tours but because I have been in a slump for over a month I wasn’t able to read the final version but I did beta read this book for the author and he told me there weren’t any major changes but I just wanted to make that known.

As I have mentioned before Jay has become one of my favorite authors and I have loved everything he has written and that’s no different with this book. He always draws me in and keeps me guessing until the very end. He’s also becoming really good a breaking my heart but I’m not so sure I am happy about that.

You would think that after the events in the previous book that this family would have learned their lesson but apparently that’s not the case because once again everyone is keeping secrets.

This book is told in multiple POV’s just like the previous book. We get real time story as well as flashbacks that explain what has happened to lead to where each of the characters are. I will say that even though everybody is hiding something I loved how when the letter was read out loud they all came together as a family. I also love how none of the characters are perfect. They each have their own flaws but you can definitely see growth in each of them from where they started from in book 1 especially where Olivia in concerned.

I highly recommend this series especially if you love family drama. This book could be read as a standalone but I recommend reading them in the order they were written otherwise you will get spoiled for what happened in the first book. 5/5

Purchase Links

US Amazon | UK Amazon

About the Author

Background

James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College, an historic but small liberal arts school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a degree in English literature and minors in Education, Business and Spanish. After college, I accepted a technical writing position for a telecommunications company during Y2K and spent the last ~20 years building a career in technology & business operations in the retail, sports, media and entertainment industries. Throughout those years, I wrote some short stories, poems and various beginnings to the “Great American Novel,” but I was so focused on my career in technology and business that writing became a hobby. In 2016, I refocused some of my energies toward reinvigorating a second career in reading, writing and publishing.

Author

Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind and my body. At some points, it was just a few poems or short stories; at others, it was full length novels and stories. My current focus is family drama fiction, cozy mystery novels and suspense thrillers. I think of characters and plots that I feel must be unwound. I think of situations people find themselves in and feel compelled to tell the story. It’s usually a convoluted plot with many surprise twists and turns. I feel it necessary to take that ride all over the course. My character is easily pictured in my head. I know what he is going to encounter or what she will feel. But I need to use the right words to make it clear.

Reader & Reviewer

Reading has also never left my side. Whether it was children’s books, young adult novels, college textbooks, biographies or my ultimate love, fiction, it’s ever present in my day. I read 2 books per week and I’m on a quest to update every book I’ve ever read on Goodreads, write up a review and post it on all my sites and platforms.

Blogger & Thinker

I have combined my passions into a single platform where I share reviews, write a blog and publish tons of content: TRUTH. I started my 365 Daily Challenge, where I post about a word that has some meaning to me and converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dogs have had weekly segments called “Ryder’s Rants” or “Baxter’s Barks” where they complain about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real. And that’s why they are me.

Genealogist & Researcher

I love history and research, finding myself often reaching back into the past to understand why someone made the choice he or she did and what were the subsequent consequences. I enjoy studying the activities and culture from hundreds of years ago to trace the roots and find the puzzle of my own history. I wish I could watch my ancestors from a secret place to learn how they interacted with others; and maybe I’ll comprehend why I do things the way I do.

Author Links

Website | Blog | Amazon | Next Chapter Pub | BookBub | Twitter | Author Facebook | Series Facebook | Blog Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads | LinkedIn

Genres, Formats & Languages

I write in the family drama and mystery genres. My first two books are Watching Glass Shatter (2017) and Father Figure (2018). Both are contemporary fiction and focus on the dynamics between parents and children and between siblings. I’m currently writing the sequel to Watching Glass Shatter. I also have a light mystery series called the Braxton Campus Mysteries with six books available.
All my books come in multiple formats (Kindle, physical print, large print paperback, and audiobook) and some are also translated into foreign languages such as Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German.

Goodreads Book Links

Watching Glass Shatter (October 2017)
Father Figure (April 2018)

Braxton Campus Mysteries

Academic Curveball – #1 (October 2018)
Broken Heart Attack – #2 (November 2018)
Flower Power Trip – #3 (March 2019)
Mistaken Identity Crisis – #4 (June 2019)
Haunted House Ghost – #5 (October 2019)
Frozen Stiff Drink – #6 (March 2020)

Giveaway

For your chance to win 1 of several different prizes click here to enter!!

Blog Tour Hosted By:

Shalini

Digital Reads Blog Tours