Cheryl's Book Nook

Merry Christmas Stories is a fun, quick, festive anthology. I did not read all the stories but the ones I did, I enjoyed a lot. My favorite stories would have to be the first two…Santa’s Missing and Santa’s Found. I just loved Helen. She was full of spunk and so much wiser than her eight years. Nick made a good Santa. I almost cried as the story was sweet and had the right amount of holiday spirit. The other stories followed along the same line. They had good characters and great stories. Some stories sad, others funny, ones with romance, and all about the Christmas cheer. Whether you forgot how to celebrate or are in the mood for some excellent story telling, than you should check our Merry Christmas Stories. Even better, treat a friend to a copy as well. This anthology will make the perfect Christmas gift. About Jeff R. Spalsbury Jeff R. Spalsbury also writes science fiction and western novels. Avalon Press published his western novel, Hunt the Hunter, in December 2010 and the second...

Jayne is possessed with a demon. Her and Ex are in search of some priests to help perform an exorcism on Jayne. While, Jayne does not want the demon or likes the thought of if the demon was to completely take over, Jayne does have some mixed feelings about the exorcism. Jayne’s friends want to help but she pushes them away for their safety. To fully appreciate this series, you really need to read these books in chorological order starting with book one, Unclean Spirits. There is not a lot of prior information to catch you up on what has been happening in the series if you were to jump into the middle. Though, I am sure you would figure out what events took place fairly quickly. While, I have enjoyed this series, this book for me started out slowly. The first half of the book was more about Jayne and Ex trying to find a way to rid Jayne of the demon inside of her. There was a lot of conversing and not a lot of action. Though, I did like learning more about Ex’s past and who he was befor...

Review by Nancy We should define “vair” to begin with: Vair is an ornamental fur allowed in heraldry. Anyone wearing them who is not royalty could be put to death. Interesting title for a book, right? Vair is one interesting story. Someone, who may or may not be possessed by Henry VIII is killing all septs of the Plantagenet throne in 2010! This person is using antique weaponry and the victims could be listed as murdered by medieval means – beheading, etc. For the FBI and the British Royal Protection Squad the crimes are a nightmare. Especially when occurring in the presence of the Prince. Not to mention the Vice-President of the United States. John Taylor’s friend Dr. Samuels called him in a panic. His daughter has been murdered and no one will tell him anything – can John help? Help he does but this only makes things most confusing. They get even worse when Taylor and his partner are joined by Father Salemi. Salemi is straight from Rome with the intent of assisting the ...

Antiquitas Lost The Last of the Shamalans By Robert Louis Smith Published by Medlock Publishing December 1, 2011; $US/$CAN; 978-0-470-82239-5 Description From American cardiologist Robert Louis Smith comes the unique fantasy novel Antiquitas Lost, peppered with more than 70 eye-popping illustrations by Marvel Comics legend Geof Isherwood. This epic fantasy tells the story of a 15 year old boy named Elliott, a bullied kid with deformities on his hands and feet who is uprooted from his home after his mother falls gravely ill. When they move to New Orleans so his grandfather can help care for her, Elliott learns that the old man's eighteenth century mansion hides an ancient secret. From a dungeon-like basement far beneath the estate, Elliott strays through an ancient doorway into Pangrelor, a tumultuous parallel world full of bizarre creatures and warring races. Unable to return home, he discovers wondrous abilities he never dreamed he possessed, and an abiding connection to the primi...

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have the powers to either save the world or let it rot in hell. This is Limos’s story. Limos is a female horseman. She and her brothers are trying to stop their rogue brother, Pestilence and Limos’s fiancé Satan. Yes, Limos is betrothed to the man himself. Limos may not be a married woman yet but that does not mean that she is free to be with anyone. Arik wants Limos. So when he gets her alone, he can not help himself. He steals a kiss from her. The next thing Arik knows, he is being dragged into the depths of hell. As punishment for kissing Limos, Arik is tortured over and over again. Can Limos save Arik before Satan claims Arik’s soul? Immortal Rider is book two in the Lords of Deliverance series. Eternal Rider is book one. You don’t have to read these books in chronological order. This is a good thing as I have not read book one yet. I have read some of this author’s other books in her Demonica series. I found Mrs. Ione’s new series to be darker a...

Waverly and her friends are dealing with married life and new relationships. For Waverly, this is scary. Jake McIntyre is the first serious guy that Waverly has dated since her fiancé broke up with her. The stress of not wanting to mess things up with Jake is getting to Waverly and making her push Jake away. As if that was not enough. Waverly has to deal with a new job. It’s a Waverly Life is book two of the Waverly Bryson books. I would recommend reading Perfect on Paper first. This book is focused on the after effects of what happened in the first one. I didn’t find myself laughing as much in this book as I did with the first one but I still had a good time reading it. I loved Jake. I keep thinking he can not be a man but a saint to put up with Waverly. Waverly reminds me of Lucille Ball. Always finding herself inserting her foot or in some cases both feet into her mouth. I have to admit that while Waverly’s Joke was corny, I liked it. Here it is: “There are two peanuts walking down...

Vanessa Michael Munroe is an informationist. She gathers information on criminals. To her targets she is a man and goes by either Michael or Munroe. Though, you would never remember Munroe if you saw her working in action. She is good at her job. This is why billionaire Burbank hires Munroe. His daughter, Emily has gone missing in Africa. I so wanted to love this book but I couldn’t. I barely liked the book. I started reading this book and got a few chapters in. I put it down without my bookmark and forgot my place as I did not come right back to the book. Once, I did come back to the book, I read about one more page and than put it down. I was done with the book. Munroe was intriguing. I like what she does for a living. She is like a super cool spy but it takes more than just cool costumes and brain smarts to be a “super”. Munroe was lacking in the personality department. For me anyways. The story was dragging. Also, I have to agree with some of the other readers that Munroe’s “greatn...

In honor of Killing Rites, book four in the Black Sun's Daughter's series by M.L.N. Hanover, I have 1 complte set...Yes, one lucky winner will get to check out this series for themselves with receiving books 1-4. Book Summary JaynÉ Heller has discovered the source of her uncanny powers: something else is living inside her body. She's possessed. Of all her companions, she can only bring herself to confide in Ex, the former priest. They seek help from his old teacher and the circle of friends he left behind, hoping to cleanse JaynÉ before the parasite in her becomes too powerful. Ex's history and a new enemy combine to leave JaynÉ alone and on the run. Her friends, thinking that the rider with her has taken the reins, try to hunt her down, unaware of the danger they're putting her in. JaynÉ must defeat the weight of the past and the murderous intent of another rider, and her only allies are a rogue vampire she once helped free and the nameless thing hiding inside her ...

Thanksgiving at Plymouth In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and other individuals lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the New World. After a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims, as they are now commonly known, began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth. Throughout that first brutal winter, most of the colonists remained on board the ship, where they suffered from exposure, scurvy and outbreaks of contagious disease. Only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring. In March, the remaining settlers moved ashore, where the...

I have to applaud Felicia. She is a hard worker. She practiced like crazy and is dedicated to her craft. Thus, it showed as Felicia was very good as Elphaba. I saw a video clip of Felicia performing. I wished I could have seen her live. I liked the behind the scenes detail of a musical. Felicia gave very good details. She did not leave much behind. Which in turn you may find some TMI (too much information) moments. Hey, this is Felicia’s memoir and she can say what she wants and she does. While, I liked reading about what it takes to put together a musical, as I am a fan of musicals. They always have great songs to sing to. For myself, I was not laughing as much as the rest of the readers seemed to be when reading this book. Though, when I did laugh, I had a good chuckle. What I liked most about this book was Felicia’s writing style. She brought her fun, bubbly, personality to this book and made it interesting. Plus, I did not know there where that many different descriptions for the c...

The Immortal Word by author, KJ Steele Writing fascinates me. The very fact that my words on the page can touch emotion in a reader distanced from my physical presence by thousands of miles or the great reach of time, imbues writing with a mystical and almost magical quality. Reading inspires me much in the same way. It is really quite profound to be able to sit, years after a work was first birthed onto the page, and be able to enter the world the author has penned. Writing, and reading, do not just transfer knowledge or concepts from one mind to another. They allow an interaction between two minds through the vehicle of words on a page. It is, in my opinion, the truest form of human intercourse available to us. One where we do not merely merge the body, but far beyond that, into a merging of two minds. In a way, reading and writing is a link to the immortal path which belongs to the creative universe. Who has not read the work of a long-dead writer and heard and felt so clearly that ...

Two Spuds was out riding the fence line for 8T8, when he decided to go into a shack to warm up as the temperature is dropping. Two Spuds approaches the shack, he smells a foul odor. He quickly discovers the source of the smell. It is a young girl. She has been raped and her throat slit. Two Spuds goes back to the main ranch and his boss, Eli Paint calls the sheriff, Tom Call. Tom is enthralled by Eli’s young wife, Juanita. Soon, Tom and Juanita are having an affair. Things change when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. Tom enlists in the Army Air Corps. Mr. Jack Todd is a new to me author. After reading Mr. Todd’s latest book, Rain Falls Like Mercy, I plan to go back and check out his prior novels. I was spellbound by Mr. Todd’s writing. He is a prolific writer. He brought life to his characters. Had I known how much I was going to like this book, I would not have started it until I had cleared more time in my schedule. This is how it went…Crack open book, read a few chapters, which tu...

Victoria Lackey was not supposed to be alive. In fact the doctor who delivered her said she would not make it through the night. Victoria proved the doctor wrong. Sadly at the expense of her twin brother. It was six days later before her mom delivered her twin and he was dead upon arrival. No matter how much Victoria tried to be a good daughter, her father resented her for being alive and not her brother. Victoria used to be a good dancer but something happened and she no longer dances. Victoria’s father was an abusiver. This is probably why Victoria puts up with her jerk of a boyfriend, Bobby. Things change for Victoria when her car breaks down and she starts hanging out with Elliot Spencer. Elliot moved from the city about a year ago. Victoria and Elliot form a friendship. Elliot is good for Victoria. He encourages her to be her “true” self and blossom into the dancer she was always meant to be. No Story To Tell is a good debut from author, KJ Steele. I liked this book. I wished that...

John Puller works for the Army’s Criminal Investigation Unit. So whenever the Army is in need of the best to help solve a murder, they turn to John. This latest murder case is a gruesome one. A colonel and his family including two little children were slaughtered. John is joined by local authority Samantha “Sam” Cole. Together they head down a path of deceit, greed and murder. It has been several books since I have read one from Mr. Baldacci. I have to admit that this was not one of his strongest. Though, it still kept my interest and there was plenty of action. The adrenaline rush and the characters were what I found lackluster. John was not bad but the secondary characters did not pop off the pages at me. I wanted them to as this was the type of story that they needed to. I kind of went through the motions, reading this book but not really caring if the good guys came out on top. I did like Sam. She was tough and could hold her own with John. Don’t be expecting much romance between J...

The small town of Parrish Springs is in an uproar when newcomer, Matilda Honeycutt arrives in town. She purchases the unoccupied old Barton building. This makes George Snider irate. He was going to purchase the building. Than Matilda has the nerve to board up the windows, so that no one can see what type of store she is opening. Rumor has it that it is going to be a thrift shop. None of the other merchants are happy about this. With the town folks not happy, this is a problem for new city manager, Susanna Elton. Susanna likes Matilda but she can not allow her to open a thrift shop and cause ripples in the town. Tommy runs the town’s newspaper, Spout. He is thinking about leaving after George makes him an offer. It has been a long time since Tommy has been in the holiday spirit. Something magical happens in Parrish Springs, when Matilda opens her Christmas Shoppe. I had an enjoyable time reading this book. Matilda was great. She was a woman of few words but there was something delightfu...

Review by Nancy In 1842, twenty years before the Civil War, people had their prejudices and had other wars as well. Lilburn Boggs, in his years as Governor of the State of Missouri had many prejudices and was an excellent helper in another war that a lot of folks don’t know about. Lilburn Boggs liked blacks far better than he liked Mormons and took every opportunity to banish them from his state; following them to Illinois to make sure they stayed gone. He took every opportunity to torment the Mormons, holding Joseph Smith and others in basement jails, feeding them swill and conveniently “forgetting” about them many times - none more than Joseph as he was the Leader of the Saints. Gov. Boggs forgot a few things, though. He forgot the Danites (Smith’s army) were hard soldiers who would break anyone whom they felt threatened their cause. It came as no surprise when someone tried to kill Boggs – it’s amazing it hadn’t happened before. Headlines screamed that he had been assassinated but t...

Review by Nancy Three people, one dream. This dream had killed Erynne’s mother in a suicidal jump from a cliff. Shannon had had the dreams her whole life resulting in an unpleasant childhood for Erynne and an institution for Shannon. Erynne was her own woman but not. She was a major figure in the fashion world but shrank every night from dreams of a large man hunting her. Michael was the wunderkind. Successful Senator, supposedly perfect husband and son but no one knew what lay beneath that exterior. His mother had a clue but she had always kept her opinions to herself because he wouldn’t listen anyway. Just like his father. Michael wasn’t all he was cracked up to be. But he was cracked. Colin had been having a dream for a while now, after his father passed away. He saw a woman begging him to “Protect her…” He didn’t know who her was but he was damned sure he was going to find out. His mother had lived her entire life with Colin’s father’s dreams and felt he was having an affair. It wa...

It all started when Brooklyn Pierce’s parents went out of town to visit colleges with Brooklyn’s sister. Brooklyn and some friends had a party in one of Brooklyn’s mom’s model homes. The party got out of control and the house burned. Now Brooklyn has been sentenced to community service. Brooklyn feels like her life is over. She is stuck with Mrs. Moody. An elderly resident at the nursing home that Brooklyn is serving her community service at. All Mrs. Moody wants to do is make Brooklyn read her choose your own adventure stories. It is from these books that Brooklyn decides to start her own blog. Only her blog will be one where people can choose for Brooklyn what choices she makes. So if she makes a bad one than it will be the people’s fault. One of the most important choices is selecting between Hunter and Brian. This book surprised me in a good way. It is not something that I would have typically chosen but the synopsis of the book is what got my interest. Writing a blog, where you le...

Sasha Porter came from no money. That all changed when Kiera March high on drugs ran into Sasha and her mother with her car. Unfortunately, Sasha’s mother was killed. Sasha was injured but than the March’s brought Sasha into their home. Mrs. March tried to turn Sasha into her other lost daughter. This upset Kiera to the point that she tried to kill Sasha. Flash to the present. Kiera moved away. Sasha is still living with the March’s. Sasha is trying to get on with her life. Things just got more interesting. Ryder Garfield is the new guy in town. Cloudburst is book two of the Storms books. I have not read book one but with the references in the beginning, it was not hard to quickly figure out what had happened and get caught up. I was excited to try out this new series as I have enjoyed VC Andrews’s books. To be honest, I found myself having a hard time getting into this book. I tried several times. I would read a few pages or even a chapter and than put it down. The story moved very sl...

Review by Nancy Last Christmas hadn’t been ideal for Holly Winter and her family. She expected a wonderful gift from her husband – she got divorce papers instead. Then, in a fit of anger he dropped dead from a heart attack. She was out of a loveless marriage to an attorney and all should have been well but he had spent all their savings on other women and the leftovers were hidden somewhere that no one could turn up. Brian McAlister didn’t want to be part of the DA’s office. His time in court was usually spent as a defense attorney (one of the best) but his father was very ill and he fulfilled his promise by stepping in on one of Dad’s cases that had stalled. His partner, Margo, was straight spoken but not straight and when they found out her sister, Holly, had taken care of one of their leads they were off to the hospital to invade her space. An outright crook was trying to evade the law and doing a grand job until his co-horts started making mistakes. One person was supposed to be de...

My Review AJ and her friend and business partner, Elizabeth are in desperate need for funds. Fighting for the good guys is not cheap. That is why as much as AJ does not trust Owen Grandel, so is willing to make an exception this time. As everyone does have a price and for AJ it is one million dollars. Owen and his brother, own Colleton Landing. Colleton Landing produces radioactive isotopes that doctors use to help diagnose and treat patients. Owen needs AJ to speak to the protestors and assure them that everything is ok with the plant. Though, there is more than meets the eye. Ty Stillwater, sheriff’s deputy and AJ’s love interest along with Elizabeth will hold down the fort until AJ returns. Hot Water is the second AJ Palladino novel from duo Erin Brockovich and CJ Lyons. It can be read as a stand alone novel. I enjoyed the first book, Rock Bottom but I really liked this book better. This is because I got to see more personality from AJ and became more familiar with the people in her...

I must admit that I have never heard of No Pudge! Foods . Though, when author Lindsay Frucci wrote me about reading her book, I was willing to give it a time for the fact that I enjoy reading about people starting their own businesses and how they did it. I have to tell you that reading this book, Lindsay is a success story, even if the ending may not have been the one she was hoping for. I liked Lindsay’s drive and determination. She went from knowing virtually nothing about starting and operating a business to making No Pudge! Brownies a brand name. It all started back in 1995, though a few years earlier than this. Back when Lindsay and her husband had to file for bankruptcy. Something that Lindsay never thought would happen to them. As no one hopes ever happens to them as well. Though it did. Lindsay’s husband found another job but for less money. Lindsay decided that she had to do something to help contribute to their financial situation. Lindsay racked her brain and could not real...

Sometimes a salesman must be whatever you need him to be. I often feel that way when I’m doing book store signings. Don’t get me wrong: I will never lie about my books just to make a sale. No one likes a huckster and I’ll always preserve my self-respect. The problem is that books can be so complex that a story isn’t any one thing and therefore doesn’t cater to any one audience. To add a positive twist, it offers something for everyone. A trick I’ve learned is to use The Between Years as the centerpiece of my book display for the signings. The complicated reason for this is that I write numerous types of books, both young and adult, some gruesome and others quiet, and I’d rather not scare potential new readers off by letting them see the ‘scary’ stuff first. The simple answer is that The Between Years offers something for everyone. For some of what I write, you need to be a horror fan to enjoy. That or you need to have a really open mind. The Between Years is much different in this resp...

A long-buried mystery comes frighteningly alive in New York Times bestselling author Karen White’s much-anticipated THE STRANGERS ON MONTAGU STREET, her new Tradd Street novel in stores November 1st (NAL Trade Paperback). The Tradd Street stories began in 2008 with the publication of The House on Tradd Street and the introduction of protagonists Melanie Middleton and writer Jack Trenholm. Writing it let Karen indulge her passion for Charleston and the region—its architecture, food,legends, people, rhythms—and embrace its haunted history. Readers responded with such enthusiasm that Karen began work on a second novel for Melanie and Jack, The Girl on Legare Street. It was published in 2009 and became her first New York Times best seller. Two years later, Melanie and Jack are back. They’re still fighting, still not a couple and still depending upon each other. Since the first book, Melanie has learned to accept the gift of her sixth sense, fallen in love with her mid-19th century Tradd St...

Ada Wentworth has left Boston to come to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee. Ada wanted to see the country. Thus why she applied to be a woman companion. When Ada arrives at Hickory Ridge, she has second thoughts. To make matters worse, the other woman who was to help assist Ada with her job has left town. Now Ada is all alone in a town with no money to get back. There is just one bright spot, her employer…Wyatt Caldwell. Wyatt owns the local lumber mill. He has not seen anyone as beautiful as Ada. Wyatt starts courting Ada. Ada agrees that the feelings are mutual but Wyatt has made it clear that he plans to leave and go to Chicago. Ada wants to leaves as well as soon as she can gather enough money to go. Thus why she will not give into her feelings for Wyatt. Ada wants to start up a hat shop. Her mother taught her how to make fashionable hats. Beyond All Measure is the first book in the Hickory Ridge series. This book was good. It may be labeled as Christian Romance but the messages are subtle ...

Review by Nancy Katie Snow was the ONE. The ONE to ski better than anyone else, the ONE to leave the family home and town and…the ONE Paul Delacroix wanted more than any other woman he had seen (and he’d seen many). At age 19, a decade younger than her husband, Katie just gave up. She let Paul bask in his own ego, she made his life simple and she raised her children as she felt they should be. Not as spoiled brats of one of the richest men in the world but as good, Mormon children who had goals and good lives with mom. Paul was never there. He has affairs upon affairs and while Katie probably knew deep-down she didn’t believe it due to Paul’s, shall we say, difficulties. Yep, Katie was always there, always smiling and cooperating, no matter how odd some of her husband’s requests were or how untimely. And then one day, somewhere she shouldn’t have been, Katie found a letter from a divorce attorney to Paul. She stopped playing along, she went to counseling and some of the things she disc...