Cheryl's Book Nook

Blind Traveler’s Blues

2012-01-27T00:00:00.002-07:00

Review by Nancy

Written a bit into the future, Blind Traveler’s Blues explores agri-science as it will be known. There is a corn plaque, casting millions in South America into starvation and death. The world is fraught with earthquakes, nearly daily and, depending on where you live, possibly great damage.

Douglas Abledan is taking his first vacation since being shot and blinded several years ago. He now uses all of his senses to survive and get around in the chaotic world we have become. He uses a sonic cane which leads him with vibrations. He can read Braille and major steps have been made to convenience folks with “issues” as Douglas has.

On the flight to Chicago, Douglas meets Dr. Cara Cordelia – a botanist heading up one group in a convention to try to find a cure for the corn disease. They hit it off and make plans to meet later after both are settled. She has tea on their flight to calm her nerves and Douglas enjoys the minty aroma. They part at the airport and plan to meet for supper the next day.
Between well-researched history, a great future plot and learning about possible advances in tech- nology you will fly through this book just like I did. Poison, murders, Mexican icons, a sonic cane – what ext??!

Robert P. Bennett
Writer/Lecturer
Issues of Disability
Author: The Blind Traveler Mysteries
WWW.Enablingwords.com

Dear Holly! Love your emails. XOXO

2012-01-25T18:17:00.005-07:00

I read this book back when it was in print format. It was hiliarous and I read half od the book in one sitting. Now you can check this book out for yourself as an electronic version is now available.

Purchase a copy here
Also check out the website for this book and you can read some of the emails there

So whom will you choose…Team Jasmine or Team Rachel? To cast your vote, pick up a copy of Sinners and Saints today!

2012-01-25T17:06:00.001-07:00

Jasmine Larson Bush never imagined that she could become the first lady. The first lady of the American Baptist Coalition (ABC) that is. Her husband Hosea informs Jasmine that he has been nominated by the church to represent the North division for the ABC. Now all Jasmine can picture is all the things she will do once she is the first lady. Though, first her husband has to win and he is running against Rachel’s husband, Lester.

Rachel can not wait until she becomes the first lady. Than she can hang out with Michelle…Obama that is! Rachel knows she is the right woman for the job. Besides what type of woman is Jasmine that her secrets can by found on the website Dirt Diggers? When the current first lady of the ABC will not step down without a fight, will Jasmine and Rachel band together to take down the current first lady or will it be every woman for herself?

I read The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil by Ms. Murray and enjoyed it. So when I read about this collaboration she did with new to me author, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, I thought I would check it out. I am glad that I did. This book provided me with some good comedic relief. Something that I was not expecting but it was a nice surprise. Watching Jasmine and Rachel go after each other with their comments that usually included sharp thorns was funny. Both Ms. Murray and Ms. Billingsley did a good job with this book. I could not tell when one voice stopped and the next one started. My vote goes for Jasmine. I felt she was picked on the most and yet she was the nicest one. So whom will you choose…Team Jasmine or Team Rachel? To cast your vote, pick up a copy of Sinners and Saints today!

Spy themed Contest!

2012-01-24T16:47:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to the Facebook / Live Author Chat Party: http://www.facebook.com/events/217278548356161

And links to enter the giveaway:

Microsite: http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/186404

Facebook: http://apps.facebook.com/sweepstakeshq/contests/186404

Twitter: https://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/twitter/233/contests/186404/entries/new

The Look of Love is a nice cozy mystery. It serves up a nice slice of mystery and intrigue.

2012-01-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

Piper Donovan is a cake maker. Piper receives a phone call from Jillian Abernathy. Jillian is the owner of Elysium, an exclusive spa. Jillian is getting married and wants Piper to make her wedding cake. Both Piper’s father and her good friend, Jack don’t think that Piper should take the job. It could be because someone does not want Jillian to get married. In fact, Jillian’s poor maid was the recipient of a face full of acid that was meant for Jillian. Despite all the warnings, Piper heads to Elysium.

The Look of Love is book two in the Wedding Cake Mysteries series. You do not have to read book one to jump right into this book. Piper is kind of like Nancy Drew. She always finds herself in the middle of trouble. One of the funniest moments was when Piper’s father a retired cop was sitting down with Piper going over the emergency kit, he had put together for Piper that included an acid protective apron, instructions on all the different acids and poisons there are and how to survive them.

I hope to see Piper and Jack’s relationship blossom more in the next book. They were separated in this book. I like Jack and think he is the perfect guy for Piper, though she does not want to admit it but I have a feeling she will sooner or later. The Look of Love is a nice cozy mystery. It serves up a nice slice of mystery and intrigue.

Chasing Mona Lisa

2012-01-21T02:00:00.003-07:00

Swiss OSS agents, Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler are on a very important mission. They are to recover one of famous artist, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces…The Mona Lisa. Gabi and Eric must retrieve the Mona Lisa before the German’s take it and this piece of art is lost forever. Though, Gabi, Eric and the Germans are not the only ones interested in owing the famous lady. Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring also wants the smiling lady and will do everything in his powers to claim her.

I read The Swiss Courier by Goyer and Yorkey. I enjoyed that book. While, I did like this book as well, it had plenty of action and authenticity; there was just something about this book that I found myself not really getting into. I think it was the fact that even though the story moved along right from the beginning, the story did not feel like it really began until about mid way. Prior to that, it felt like a lot of dialect and set up to the story line. My favorite person was Gabi. She held her ground and was smart. She and Eric worked together well as a team. Goyer and Yorkey also worked well as a team. Though this is only their second book together, it seems like they have been writing as partners for years. I could not tell when one writer stopped and the other began.

“Available January 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Pelecanos’s most beloved character, Derek Strange, is back. It’s Washington, D.C. in 1972 and Strange has left the police department and set up shop as a private investigator. His former partner, Frank "Hound Dog" Vaughn, is still on the force. When a young woman comes to Strange asking for his help recovering a cheap ring she claims has sentimental value, the case leads him onto Vaughn's turf, where a local drug addict has been murdered, shot point-blank in his apartment. Soon both men are on the trail of a ruthless killer: Red Fury, so called for his looks and the car his girlfriend drives, but a name that fits his personality all too well. Red Fury doesn't have a retirement plan, as Vaughn points out - he doesn't care who he has to cross, or kill, to get what he wants. As the violence escalates and the stakes get higher, Strange and Vaughn know the only way to catch their man is to do it their own way. Rich with details of place and time - the cars, the music, the clothes - and fueled by non-stop action, WHAT IT WAS (Reagan Arthur Books/Back Bay Books; January 23, 2012; paperback, $9.99; ebook $.99 deluxe edition, $35) is Pelecanos writing in the hard-boiled noir style that won him his earliest fans and placed him firmly in the ranks of the top crime writers in America.

Reagan Arthur Books is releasing WHAT IT WAS with a special limited-time price promotion. The stand-alone title will be published on January 23, 2012, in three formats: a 99-cent ebook, a $9.99 trade paperback, and a limited-edition, signed and slip-cased hardcover for $35. The e-book price of 99 cents applies to preorders and purchases made within one month of publication; after that the e-book price will be $4.99. This is the first time that Little, Brown has published a new book at 99 cents.

Of the unusual pricing for an established novelist, Editorial Director and VP Reagan Arthur says "When George delivered a great new novel earlier than we expected, we saw an opportunity to build the excitement about his books by publishing WHAT IT WAS right away, off the list, and with packaging and pricing aimed at attracting new readers. George is one of the best-reviewed and most highly praised writers of suspense fiction today. What we’re hoping to get across with this publication is that he is also the most fun to read."

Calling all Fantasy readers!

2012-01-18T16:26:00.003-07:00

Check out these beautiful book covers. The details just pop off the covers and the colors are eye catching. This is something that I have to give two thumbs up to Seventh Star Press, they sure do know how to create a book cover. Plus, they can produce some great books.

Seventh Star Press proudly announces the reissues of the first two books in The Brotherhood of Dwarves series, The Brotherhood of Dwarves, and Red Sky at Dawn.

To commemmorate the Seventh Star Press editions of these two titles, the publisher is offering special bundles that combine both the print and eBook versions of the books. Readers can get the first two books in this fashion, or a bundle of all three books in the series including the recently-released third title, The Fall of Dorkhun.

The Brotherhood of Dwarves and Red Sky at Dawn feature covers and illustrations from fantasy artist Bonnie Wasson. The latest artist to work with Seventh Star Press, Bonnie created and designed a new look for the first two titles that is consistent with the brand new third release.

The first two books were originally self-published by D.A. Adams and edited by Sherrie Shuler. They became strong sellers on the convention circuit and received a wave of positive reviews. The reissues were planned when D.A. came aboard Seventh Star Press for the release of his latest installment, The Fall of Dorkhun.

Living and working in East Tennessee, D. A. Adams is an established novelist, a farmer, and professor of English. He has contributed writing to literary and fine art publications, and maintains an active blog, entitled "The Ramblings of D. A. Adams".

Softcover and eBook formats will be available by mid-February, with a collectors' hardcover limited editions planned for mid-summer
Those wanting to pre-order one of the special softcover-eBook bundles should visit:

Updates and additional information can be obtained at the official site for Seventh Star Press, or at the author's site

Valentine Day Ideas-Showing Love and Hospitality to Others

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Showing Love and Hospitality to Others

By Roxanne Packham, author of Inspired Design

Before we are inspired about how to show love to others, we must first ask why?

Quite simply it is because in Romans 12:10 & 13 we are told to be devoted to one another in brotherly love, to honor one another above ourselves. We are also told to share with God’s people who are in need and to Practice Hospitality. Notice the vocabulary: practice, not perfect.

In America, as a culture and as individuals, we are suffering in part because popular media gears everything to perfection. We are bombarded with messages that if we aren’t the very best at something, we just shouldn’t bother. We compare ourselves to others, rather than knowing our worth in God’s eyes.

I suffer from insecurity and wonder if I can be creative enough to inspire. Are my tips original? Are the photographs beautiful enough? Are my suggestions too simple for some, but too fancy for another? The problem: my thoughts revolve completely around me. My creativity, my skills, my ability. This is not about me but about God’s purpose for me. I suddenly realize the bigger picture; I can’t do it, but I can through Christ who strengthens me.

This dance in my mind between my preciousness in His sight and the enemy’s interjections has slowed me down at times, but God showed me this dance is the very reason for us to love others; to encourage each other. Because we are human we suffer from doubt, insecurity, and rejection of one sort or another. We are God’s tool to encourage others. God uses us as His hands to love others, but make no mistake it is His power, His grace and the Holy Spirit that do the real work, not ours.

God’s path of creativity in me began with a family history of silversmithing eight generations back, a degree from USC, design school in Paris, then design school in Los Angeles. Call them spiritual or otherwise, but they were the gifts God saw fit to give to me. Who am I to argue with my Creator? They are unique and I celebrate them. What are your magnificent and unique gifts that you can use to inspire others?

I do not want the gifts received as a blessing from God to “turn into spiritual dry rot,” as Ann Voscamp suggests in her book One Thousand Gifts, as the manna did when it was hoarded in Exodus 16:20. I want to use my blessings.

Inadequacies and all, imperfections and all: I want to inspire others to practice Hospitality and to LOVE others.

Creative Ways to Encourage Others on Valentine’s Day

KIND WORDS

A handwritten note with quotes, scriptures and words of encouragement is a wonderful thing to find in the mailbox.

Leave a sticky note on your child/husband’s pillow or be bold and write your note on the bathroom mirror or car window in red lipstick saying “I love you”.

Even an email just to say “thank you for your hard work, you bless me” can make a person’s day. A cute poem, scripture or old photograph will remind them they are remembered.

If someone has lost a loved one, kind words of some way that loved one inspired you to do something better will let them know that their loved one’s legacy is living on.

AN INVITATION, TIME

Take some time out of your days to meet someone for coffee, lunch, a long walk, or even just leave a phone message with a sweet sentiment. If you have more time, take a picnic basket to their home. Set up a lunch, tea or coffee, with all your tea cups and a candle. It is a lovely surprise! Just rinse when you finish and pack back up so they don’t even have to do dishes. They will have a lovely memory of a special time.

THOUGHTFUL GESTURE

Hang flowers on the front door handle, leave a pretty tiny package in the mailbox with a beautiful red bow, or cookies delivered to the front door. Create a breakfast plate for your child that says you are special . This is especially significant if your child has struggled with something recently.

A BEAUTIFUL DINNER

Of course this takes more time, but try for a beautiful table setting complete with candles, fresh greens or flowers and a lovely menu either handwritten or printed out on your computer. (Visit Roxanne’s Pinterest account, via the Inspired Design blog, for darling printouts, including gift tags, and much more.) Don’t concentrate on the gourmet or complicated quality of the meal: remember it is about relationship and encouragement!

VALENTINE’S DINNER

A beautiful table for Valentine’s simply consists of reds, pinks and perhaps some purple. (Although it could be beautiful in all white too.) Of course, it has to have some hearts and some colorful candles. Leave kind words of some sort on each place setting. Every Valentine’s table should have its share of sparkle, of course!

Visit Roxanne Packham’s blog at www.InspiredDesignPublications.blogspot.com

for more pictures and Inspired Design ideas for Valentine’s Day.

Calling all Dungeons and Dragons Fans!!

2012-01-17T17:24:00.001-07:00

The New York Times is reporting today that the most popular and enduring roleplaying game of all time is set for yet another makeover. Even though a new edition of D&D was released in 2008, Wizards of the Coast is set to release a 5th edition. However, unlike the controversial 4th edition of the game, this time the Dungeon Masters at Wizard of the Coast are asking for fan input!

According to Liz Schuh, director of publishing and licensing for Dungeons & Dragons:

“We’re really lucky that we have such passionate fans and we anticipate they’ll roll up their sleeves and help us in this effort.”

A testing period will be open for a significant amount of time after the new editions is finalized a move the powers at Wizard of the Coast are hoping will assuage any fan fears of over-simplified rules or any other emphasis that might perceive as being wrong. Specifically, this new effort is centered around the notion for face-to-face interaction between gamers in a traditional tabletop play environment. James W. Ward, the former vice president of TSR Inc. (the originator of D&D) had this to say on the virtual versus live gameplay:

“The fun of growing a character while your friends do the same thing around a table munching on M&M’s and other snacks is difficult to duplicate.”

Schuh agrees, asserting that the company is “absolutely committed to core tabletop game-play because “People want that face-to-face experience."

Head over to the official D&D website for more information on how you can be part of this new edition and check out this article on the whole process over on The Art Order.

Free Books

2012-01-17T17:03:00.001-07:00

I am a newsletter subscriber to author, Gemma Halliday and I wanted to share this news with you

To kick off 2012 I’m giving away FREE books for EVERYONE all month long!

This month I’ll be giving away the entire Hollywood Headlines series for FREE (yes, absolutely free, no strings attached, no contest to enter) on Amazon Kindle, starting with book #1 Hollywood Scandals. Here’s the freebie schedule:

Free NOW thru Jan 17th: Hollywood Scandals -
Free Jan 17th-Jan 26th: Hollywood Secrets
Free Jan 27th-Feb 5th: Hollywood Confessions

Please feel free to post this on your own Facebook pages, blog about it, or Tweet your hearts out. The more people who get a chance to grab these books free, the better!

To get your free books just go to Amazon.com and search for the current free book’s title, download, and enjoy for FREE!

If you don’t have a Kindle reading device, you can still get the free books by downloading the free Kindle app for your MAC, PC, ipad, iphone, Blackberry, Android, or Windows Phone 7.

Book Contests

2012-01-17T16:21:00.002-07:00

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
Fiction / 384 pages / Hardcover
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt /
January, 2012

Dear Reader,

The day my husband gave up work turned out to be a good one for our family. Five years ago Andy gave up a city job to become an archaeologist. Money was tight so, instead of exotic holidays, we took the children to Norfolk, England, where I had holidayed as a child. And it was there that Andy's new career gave me the idea for my first crime novel.

We were walking a marsh on the North Norfolk coast when Andy mentioned that prehistoric man had seen marshland as sacred. Because it's neither land nor sea, but something in-between, they had seen it as a kind of bridge to the afterlife. The entire plot for The Crossing Places came to me in that instant.

His work on a Roman villa gave me the idea for The Janus Stone and his excavation of a beach threatened by erosion gave me the location for my new book, The House at Sea's End.

The books mix archaeology and crime and feature forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway. I do hope you enjoy them!

Very best wishes,

Elly

ELLY GRIFFITHS IS GIVING AWAY 5 COPIES OF THE HOUSE AT SEA'S END. ENTER TO WIN A COPY.

About The House at Sea's End:

Forensic archeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway is back, called in to investigate bones that surface on a remote Norfolk beach and a gruesome World War II war crime.

Just back from maternity leave, Ruth is finding it hard to juggle motherhood and work. The presence of Detective Inspector Harry Nelson -- the married father of her daughter, Kate -- does not help. The bones turn out to be about seventy years old, which leads Nelson and Ruth to the war years, a desperate time on this stretch of coastland. Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret that the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret?

Reviews for The House at Sea's End:

"Galloway is an everywoman, smart, successful and a little bit unsure of herself. Readers will look forward to learning more about her."
-USA Today

"Expect to be swept away by Griffith's third compelling forensic anthropology entry (after The Crossing Places and The Janus Stone). The author is a past Mary Higgins Clark Award winner, and her gothic, romantic-suspense workmanship is superb."
-Library Journal (starred review)

For more information about Elly Griffiths, visit her website.

Our Man in the Dark by Rashad Harrison Fiction / 320 pages / Hardcover Atria/Simon & Schuster/
November, 2011

Dear Reader,

Our Man in the Dark began as a search for answers: Why would an accountant working for Martin Luther King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) embezzle $10,000 from the organization, and become an informant for the FBI? Ultimately, this search challenged my preconceptions about race and loyalty. What echoed in the spaces left by my abandoned presumptions was the voice of John Estem.

There I discovered a marginalized individual desperate to define himself within the larger American narrative, a lonely man longing to matter.

Desperation. Longing. Disillusionment. These are essential ingredients of Noir storytelling. This also mirrors the experience of not only John Estem, but of so many African-Americans at that time. By participating in Hoover's sinister campaign against Martin Luther King, Estem leads himself down a very dark path. His story is one of greed, lust and power; it's America's story -- told from the shadows.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy.

Best regards,

Rashad Harrison

RASHAD HARRISON IS GIVING AWAY 5 COPIES OF OUR MAN IN THE DARK. ENTER TO WIN A COPY.

About Our Man in the Dark:

A stunning debut historical noir novel about a worker in the civil rights movement who became an informant for the FBI during the months leading up to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Feeling unappreciated and overlooked, John Estem, a bookkeeper for Martin Luther King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), steals ten thousand dollars from the organization.

To the bookkeeper's dismay, the FBI has been keeping close tabs on Dr. King and his fellow activists -- including Estem -- for years. FBI agents tell Estem that it is his duty, as an American and as a civil rights supporter, to protect the SCLC from communist infiltration.

Playing informant empowers Estem, but he soon learns that his job is not simply to relay information on the organization. The FBI discovers evidence of King's sexual infidelities, and sets out to undermine King's credibility as a moral leader.

This timely novel comes in light of recent revelations that government informants had infiltrated numerous black movement organizations. With historical facts at the core of Our Man in the Dark, Harrison uses real life as a great inspiration for his drama-filled art.

Reviews for Our Man in the Dark:

"...taking artistic license with the memory of the civil rights icon is risky business. But Rashad Harrison deftly negotiates this challenge in his first novel, Our Man in the Dark. ...what sets the novel apart is Harrison's clear-eyed treatment of Martin Luther King Jr. Rather than an exercise in hero-making, Harrison's MLK is thoroughly human."
-Washington Post

"Our Man in the Dark is an amazing story, amazingly told. Intrigue and sadness, race and Government, Dr. King and the FBI, foibles and loyalties -- this is an ambitious novel that wraps its powerful arms around what it means to be an American. Bold, rhapsodic, and daring, Rashad Harrison has written a morally-engaged masterpiece."
-Author Darin Strauss

For more information about Rashad Harrison, visit his website or his Facebook or Twitter page.

Sourcebook Ebook Sale!

2012-01-10T18:31:00.003-07:00

The Lady of the Storm by Kathryne Kennedy

Promotional Price: $1.99 (1/10/2012 – 2/6/2012)

Fantasy Romance

There’s a thin line between duty and desire…

Giles Beaumont is stuck in a role he never wanted, trying to safeguard a woman of incendiary powers who doesn’t think she needs a protector.

Cecily Sutton has no idea of the enormity of her true task and no inkling of the effect she’s having on Giles. But somewhere along their perilous journey together, they’ll have no choice but to uncover the deep, dark connection that binds them one to the other…

Lose yourself in renowned author Kathryne Kennedy’s gorgeous love story set in a lush world made of equal parts wonder and danger.

Kathryn Kennedy's thrilling conclusion to the Elven Lords Series, The Lord of Illusion, releases in February. Check out The Lady of the Storm first!

Warrior by Cheryl Brooks

Promotional Price: $1.99 (1/24/2012 – 2/6/2012)

Sci Fi Romance

“He came to me in the dead of winter, his body burning with fever.”

Even near death, his sensuality is amazing...

Leo arrives on Tisana's doorstep a beaten slave from a near-extinct race with feline genes. As soon as Leo recovers his strength, he'll use his extraordinary sexual talents to bewitch Tisana and make a bolt for freedom...

She has only one chance to tame him...

Tisana, whose healing powers are legendary, already knows Leo's the one who can help her fulfill her destiny... she can't let him get away now. Forced together on a dangerous journey, Tisana must reveal all of her powers, and Leo must give all of himself to gain his freedom...

Cheryl Brooks’ new book Stud, Book 8 in the Cat Star Chronicles, releases in February! Visit her captivating world with Warrior!

The Making of a Duchess by Shana Galen
Promotional Price: $1.99 (1/10/2012 – 2/6/2012)

Regency/Adventure Romance

A very dangerous attraction…

Julien Harcourt, duc de Valère, is more than willing to marry the lovely young lady his mother has chosen. Little does he know, she’s been sent to prove him a spy and a traitor…

And an even more dangerous secret…

Sarah Smith’s mission is to find out whether the Duc’s trips to the Continent are as innocent as he claims, but the way he looks at her is far from innocent…

Their risky game of cat and mouse propels them from the ballrooms of London to the prisons of Paris, and into a fragile love that may not survive their deceptions…

Shana Galen’s new book and highly-anticipated conclusion to the Sons of the Revolution Trilogy, The Rogue Pirate’s Bride, will be available in February!

Read more about these deals here

Lifting the Wheel of Karma

2012-01-07T00:00:00.001-07:00

Review by Nancy

Joseph needed to heal himself. It may not have been possible at the time to heal his physical injuries but mentally and physically he needed to get with it or he would pass on. Joseph was a troubled child that grew into a troubled young man, with nightmares that would keep him from falling into a deep sleep.

Warriors trying to kill him, horses, and people all putting Joseph’s life in peril. Joseph works out daily. He was strong and healthy…physically. He was a feared Karate champion and was at the top of his game until his last tournament where he lost miserably. As if the embarrassment of losing wasn’t enough, he was involved in a horrible truck crash on the way home.

In a coma, Joseph tries to fight through the haze until he succeeds; Joseph awakes but ends up leaving in a wheelchair that will be his life’s companion. He remembers a man he spoke with in the locker room before and after his match. His name is Lahiri. Somehow, Joseph feels a need to search for this man. So Joseph and his older brother set off to do just that.

Lahiri lives in the Himalayas of India and the trek just to find him is a test of will. How he impacts Joseph’s life (and vice-versa) is a tale of thought, need, and, yes, Karma that the two are together now.

Paul H Magid was paralyzed from the neck down in a spinal accident and eventually made a full recovery, although he had to deal with several other issues along the way. It is his fate to pass this beautiful story on to us and it is our fate to receive it with open arms.

Purchase a copy of the book here

The Monster of Silver Creek

2012-01-06T14:46:00.003-07:00

Review by Nancy

Nathan Sommers had great intentions when he allowed himself to be convinced to move to Silver Creek by his wife. She was expecting, wanted to be “home”, all the usual. He was in love with Jennifer and would move earth to make her happy. Nathan tried to stop Jennifer from leaving but she wouldn’t listen. She drove off and ended up wrapping her car around a tree, killing herself and her unborn child.

The fact that the Mayor of Silver Creek was Jennifer’s father didn’t help things any. Nathan could do nothing right and was thinking of leaving when the killings began. All alike in pattern, two punctures, 3” apart on each female victim. That is the only clue to soloving the murders. This was not good as the Mayor is getting very testy for an arrest.

Nathan and his team were doing all that they could withint their powers. It was hard what with keeping up on all the other reports like the usual cat-up-a-tree reports, drunks wandering in the streets and the new bakery owner’s cat getting eaten by her neighbor’s dog. (She was NOT happy!) (Dog was!!) Nathan and his deputy, Jake, don’t need anything to get in their way.

WARNING! This is a great book. But don’t plan on reading just a little bit to put yourself to sleep. It won’t work. You’ll be up until 2:30 a.m like I was today finishing it! Ms. Buchanan is a good, storyteller. Her plots are well thought out. The “Who” will amaze you and the ending……well, let’s just leave it at that.

THE YOGA CLUB

2012-01-04T00:00:00.001-07:00

Coco Guthrie is the owner of Butt B Gone. It is as you can guess from the name a butt cream for ridding you of your junk in the trunk. Coco is talked into attending a Halloween costume party. She goes as Sarah Palin. It seems that Coco was not the only one who decided to dress as Sarah. She is met face to face with three other Sarah’s. The others just so happen to attend the same yoga class that Coco does. They form a friendship. Coco and the other Sarahs decide to go over next store to the mayor’s house for a look. The women get more than they bargain for. They spot the mayor wrapping a woman’s body up in a rug. Now the women must try to keep themselves out of hot water before they end up wrapped in a rug themselves.

I thought this book sounded like a fun read. I was sure that I would find some laughs, which was what I wanted. While I did laugh a few times, I also found myself quickly getting turned off by the characters. In fact, I read a few chapters of this book during lunch and put it down. I only read about a third of this book and was done with it. This book could have been better, if the characters were not so stereo-typical and the story line weak. Another fact that I was disappointed in was that I thought this book was going to incorporate yoga I into it more than it did. There was just mention that the reason all of the characters became bonded with each other was because they all attended the same yoga class but that was about it. Overall, I was not impressed by this book and you should not waste your time or money either.

HOME BY MORNING

2011-12-24T00:00:00.002-07:00

From HOME BY MORNING by Alexis Harrington

Cole found the coffee, ground the beans, and soon the room was filled with its rich redolence as it perked. Without help, he also located the cups, cream, and spoons. He searched for something to go with the coffee—Granny Mae was right, they had to eat. The best he found was a loaf of bread and a square of butter on a saucer. Jessica hadn’t been wrong about her lack of food.

But then as Amy had often reminded him, Jess had never had much talent in the kitchen.

He’d never cared.
Although the bread looked more like scraps by the time he’d butchered it, he was glad for the distraction. But he could feel Jessica’s eyes on his back as he puttered.

“Eat your sandwich,” he said over his shoulder. “The coffee’s about ready.”
Satisfied to see her nibbling on the chicken, he balanced the cups, coffee pot and other stuff to carry to the table. He’d never had much talent in the kitchen, either.
“Sorry about the bread,” he muttered, putting it down.
Jessica looked at the uneven hunks he’d sawed off the loaf and smiled. “It would probably look the same if I’d done it. She ate mechanically, simply because she knew she had to.

He poured coffee for both of them. Then he sat down in the chair across from her and splashed a drip of cream into his coffee.
“How long before you know . . . how will we . . . ”
“How will we know if Amy is going to live?” Jessica’s interpretation of his stumbling question sounded blunt and clinical, even to her own ears.
He sighed. “Yeah.”

“I wish I knew. Some people who ought to die seem to hang on through sheer will or what I can only call luck. Others I expect to improve don’t survive. Some people who’ve been exposed again and again seem to have immunity, but I’ve had cases from outlying farms that have had no visitors.” She put down the sandwich and rubbed her temples. “Talk about feeling useless—that doesn’t begin to describe how I feel.”
Cole nudged her foot under the table with his boot. “I’ve never seen a useless person work as hard as you.”
“It’s not difficult to look busy when you’re running around like a chicken with its head cut off.”

“So you’re not really busy?”
“Of course, I am. But I’m scared too.”
“You? Jess, I don’t think you’ve ever really been afraid of anything in your life.” He said it not as a compliment, but as a statement of fact.
“What on earth makes you say that?”
“You’ve tackled jobs that would have knocked some men flat on their backs. And you’ve succeeded.”

“Obviously, you haven’t listened to some of the things I’ve told you.”
He stared into his cup. “Trust me, I heard all of it.”
Suddenly a pocket of pitch exploded in the wood stove, sounding as loud as a gunshot in the quiet room. Jessica flinched.
Cole laughed, startling her even more. “Hey, remember that Halloween night we snuck up to the Leonards’s house? You weren’t scared that night.”
She grinned then, the cloud of doom hanging over her suddenly lightened. “I haven’t thought about that in years! You had those firecrackers left over from the Fourth of July. And I was so scared!”

His own grin showed off the dimples that she’d always found endlessly fascinating and attractive. “Amy heard us plotting and made us take her along or she was going to squeal to your dad. We made her the lookout, but she was so nervous and jumpy, I thought she’d get us caught before we even started.”

Jess stirred her coffee. “Yes, she never had the heart for adventure, and I think she was all of ten or eleven at the time. When you climbed the trellis and got to the top of the Leonards’s roof, even I was sweating. I could see the whole family through the window, holding some kind of prayer meeting in the parlor. Then you dropped those firecrackers down their chimney—”
By this time, they were both laughing, the kind of desperate, happy, hysterical laughter that sometimes overtakes people in their darkest moments. Tears streamed down Jessica’s face.

“Blam, blam, bang-bang-bang—”
“Oh, I wish you could have seen them. You missed it all, up there on the roof. They jumped in every direction, knocking over chairs, prayer books flying. Old man Leonard grabbed his shotgun and actually pointed it at the fireplace! Poor Dolly dove under their dining room table with the kids.”
They laughed until they exhausted their wind, then drew breath and began whooping again. Cole slapped the tabletop a few times, howling until he’d emptied his lungs. By this time, she had a cramp in her side. Someone watching would think they’d taken leave of their senses.

His face red with the exertion, Cole said, “He was probably expecting the devil to leap out of the flames into their parlor, armed with a pitchfork. But then I got hung up in that rotting rose trellis of theirs while I was trying to climb down. The whole thing gave way. That was when he came outside. He practically yanked the front door off the hinges.”

With mock seriousness, Jess said, “I was sure my heart stopped then. At least there was no moon that night, or he would have spotted you, lying there in the flower bed. And Amy, she was hiding in their privet hedge, wringing her hands and crying.” She dissolved into high-pitched giggles again.

“Jesus, he would have shot the first thing that twitched. All I could do was stay there and not move a muscle until he went around the house in the other direction.”
“Then we ran. I didn’t know I could move that fast. I had to grab Amy and drag her along or she probably would have hidden in those bushes all night.”
“I was scratched up from those roses. They had thorns like arrowheads.” He looked at his bare arms, revealed by his rolled-up plaid shirt sleeves. The scars were no longer visible, only the muscle and sinew of a man who’d worked hard for years.
“You’re lucky you didn’t break your neck.”

“We were all lucky we didn’t get caught. I thought Amy would spill the beans for sure.”
“Actually, I thought she would too. She’s such a poor liar. But no one ever found us out.”

“I was scared to death they would.”
She raised a brow. “You told me you weren’t afraid that night.”
He waved off the comment. “Yeah, well, I couldn’t let you know. I had my sixteen-year-old ego to defend. But old man Leonard would have staked me out in his backyard and let the dogs eat me. He’s such a sour crank.”
Their laughter finally faded, like a rocking chair that had coasted to a gentle stop, leaving a palpable silence.

“We had some fun back then, didn’t we,” Cole said, a bittersweet catch in his voice.
They’d had more than that. They had a history together, one that began in childhood. “We sure did. Before everything got . . . complicated.” She bit on the sandwich crusts,

but they’d dried out so she pushed them aside.
“Jess, I wish you had come home to stay when your father died, instead of going right back to New York .”

“Sometimes I wish I had too. I learned a lot in New York, but I’m not certain I’m the better for it. It cost me my peace of mind. I still have nightmares about the things I saw.”
His eyes locked with hers, his gaze pinning her to her chair. “No, I mean I wish you had come home—to me.”

Jessica’s heart squeezed in her chest like a fist. Her throat turned dry and felt as if she’d swallowed a burr. “How can you bring that up now?”
To her utter surprise, he slid off his chair and dropped to one knee beside her. His eyes never leaving hers, he reached up with one work-roughened hand and pushed loose strands of hair away from her face. The backs of his fingers grazed her cheek and goose bumps bloomed on her entire body, giving her a delicious shiver. Then his hand snaked around the back of her neck and pulled her face down to his. She felt his warm breath, smelled the scent of him, and she was powerless to stop him.
She didn’t want to stop him.

His lips touched hers, tentatively, seeking. For that instant, all the years and hurts and betrayals fell away. This was Cole Braddock, the man she’d always loved. She remembered his kiss well, yet it felt brand-new at the same time.
She pulled back, her breath coming fast. “We can’t do this,” she protested.
“I know.” Then he kissed her again.

VETERAN HISTORICAL ROMANCE NOVELIST ALEXIS HARRINGTON’S FIRST SELF-PUBLISHED NOVEL, HOME BY MORNING, TO BE REPUBLISHED ELECTRONICALLY AND IN PAPERBACK AS AN AMAZON MONTLAKE ROMANCE ON DECEMBER 24TH

Harrington Sets Her Story in 1918 Oregon Where the Strength of an Estranged Couple’s Love is Tested as the Great War Grinds On and the Deadly Influenza Pandemic Engulfs the World

"Alexis Harrington is an extraordinary talent."
—New York Times bestselling author, Catherine Anderson

“Emotionally moving and very tender, MONTANA BORN AND BRED tugs on your heartstrings in magical ways. Alexis Harrington delivers a story with relevance to us today as well as a wonderfully drawn portrait of the era.”
—RT Book Review

“The balance between the romance and history is perfect. …Thank you, Ms. Harrington.”
—All About Romance on Home by Morning

“Brave. Heartfelt. Incredible . . . an emotional story filled with honest, raw characters, biting treachery and abiding love. I couldn’t put it down.”
—New York Times bestselling author, Lisa Jackson on Home by Morning

When Alexis Harrington’s first book, Homeward Hearts, was published twenty years ago, e-books and e-readers were mere glimmers in tech-savvy eyes. The author of ten traditionally published print books, Alexis published her recent historical romance novel, HOME BY MORNING, as an e-book original. The book caught the attention of editors’ at Amazon’s new Montlake Romance imprint, which then acquired print and electronic rights to it as well as Alexis’s upcoming novel, HOME BY NIGHTFALL. Set in the first part of the 20th century, both books take place in the small town of Powell Springs, Oregon and share several characters. HOME BY MORNING will be republished by Montlake for sale on December 24th and HOME BY NIGHTFALL follows in July 2012. Both will be available in e-book and paperback editions.

HOME BY MORNING begins in October, 1918 as Dr. Jessica Layton returns to her hometown of Powell Springs for the first time since leaving for medical school in the east. The Great War is in its fifth year, shortages abound, the home front mourns the massive loss of life, and women physicians remain an anomaly. Her efforts to treat New York City’s desperately poor left her drained and exhausted, in need of time to recuperate physically and emotionally. Having done so, she has now given up on a traditional medical practice and is headed to a research position in Seattle.
The stop in Powell Springs will be difficult. The town holds bitter memories and reminders of failure. Jess couldn’t save the family home, she broke her promise to continue her father’s medical practice and it’s the first time she’ll face Cole Braddock, the man who broke her heart and who her sister Amy is planning to marry.
Convinced to stand in for the absent town doctor for a few weeks before continuing north, Jess treats her first patient that very day, a soldier about to leave for Europe. Crossing paths with Cole, she hardens her heart, but can’t help but see he is still the same man with whom she fell in love, and still the only one who stirs her passion.

Cole is fighting his own demons. After his brother Riley enlisted, he was left to run the family business supplying desperately needed horses to the Army. Cole feels guilt about not fighting—a frustration exacerbated by his alcoholic father who belittles him at every turn. He worries, too, about Susannah, Riley’s wife, who is exhausted by work and worry. Drifting toward marriage with Amy, Cole has yet to put aside his anger over Jess. Seeing her stirs up memories of all they shared and the pain that has never healed.

The young soldier dies, the first person in Powell Springs to succumb to the influenza pandemic gripping the world. As more and more townspeople take ill, it is clear that a new war has come to the home front. Now, Jess and Cole work side-by-side as they struggle to save lives, an intimacy that makes it impossible to ignore their feelings for each other. Amid the turmoil, as Jess desperately treats the sick, she incurs the wrath of a minister bent on revenge and becomes the target of a slanderous campaign to keep her from her patients.

Jess has to decide. She can choose to fight on all fronts, or leave, turning her back on her hometown, its people and Cole forever.

ABOUT ALEXIS HARRINGTON
Historical novelist Alexis Harrington has entertained readers since her first book was published in 1994. She has been spinning tales of characters and situations that include mail order brides, the Yukon Gold Rush, seafaring, ranching, and protagonists heading west ever since. Her latest, HOME BY MORNING, is the first of her books published as an e-book original. Initially available in 2010, it will be re-released on December 24th electronically and, for the first time, in paperback by Amazon’s new Montlake Romance imprint.

Since that first novel, Homeward Hearts, was published Alexis has written and published ten more books, all historical romances. They include Homeward Hearts, A Light For My Love, A Taste of Heaven, Desperate Hearts, and Harper’s Bride, originally published by New American Library (NAL). Her novels Allie’s Moon, Montana Born and Bred, The Bridal Veil and The Irish Bride were published by St. Martin’s Press. Though Alexis originally published HOME BY MORNING independently, it has since been acquired by Amazon’s Montlake Romance imprint.

Alexis lives in the Pacific Northwest near the Columbia River within ten miles of her old high school. She has numerous pets, including three chickens. In addition to being a writer for the past twenty years, she makes jewelry, is a fine needlework artist specializing in embroidery, thread crochet and sewing. She enjoys cooking, reading, entertaining, and decorating, and is a lover of all things Victorian.
She is currently hard at work on HOME BY NIGHTFALL, which Montlake will publish in July 2012.

HOME BY MORNING
Alexis Harrington
Montlake Romance/ Fiction/Simultaneous e-book and Paperback/Republication
On sale 12-24-11/$2.99 e-book ● $14.95 Paperback
ISBN-10: 1612182054 ● ISBN-13: 978-1612182056

www.alexisharrington.com

MRS. CLAUS EXPLAINS IT ALL

2011-12-14T17:54:00.001-07:00

Price: $4.99

Release Date:

Available Now – Apple’s iBookstore

Available Now – NOOK Book Store

Platforms: iPad, iPhone, iPodTouch, NOOK Tablet, NOOK Color, NOOK app for iPad

Watch and listen as adorable children pose real questions about Santa and his mysterious workshop. Mrs. Claus takes a break from her very busy schedule to answer and invites readers on a tour of the North Pole. Learn some of the best-kept secrets of Christmas from the person who knows it all.

If you’ve ever been baffled by questions like “How does Santa get into houses that don’t have chimneys?” and “Where do elves come from?” then sit down with your precocious child and share MRS. CLAUS EXPLAINS IT ALL. Her answers are precisely what inquisitive children want to know come Christmas!

Luminous illustrations by David Wenzel, bestselling illustrator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, accompany this enhanced e-book, which contains the full original text as well as fun and engaging audio that elevates the reader experience for both parent and child. MRS. CLAUS EXPLAINS IT ALL brings the magic and wonder of Christmas into a new dimension.

Mrs. Claus Explains It All book Demo from Sourcebooks Inc on Vimeo.

Mental Floss

2011-12-14T00:00:00.002-07:00

Review by Nancy

What do you want to know today? How about “Six Works of Literature That Were Really Hard to Write?” or “Moons of the non-Gluteal Variety”. This book can tell you all that and so much more! In a really funny compilation of various subjects the folks at Mental_Floss tell us of things odd and odder but all interesting.

The introduction in itself is worth a chuckle or two and the following chapters make this a great gift for anyone on your Christmas list you haven’t shopped for yet. After all, where else can you find out about Bumpy, Hickey, Chesty and Seven Other Rejected Dwarf Names? If not for someone else, treat yourself, you’ll enjoy it thoroughly

How well do you think you know your inner child? Now’s the time to test your knowledge! Visit the mental_floss Facebook page to take a quiz testing your knowledge and be entered to win a special mental_floss prize package!

This quiz is inspired by mental_floss: The Book: The Greatest Lists in the History of Listory, available now wherever books are sold. For 10 years, the knowledge-seekers at mental_floss Magazine have been hunting and trapping the world’s rarest facts, locking them into captivating lists for the world to admire. Thanks to their tireless efforts, mental_floss: The Book is packed with a decade’s worth of the smartest, quirkiest stories around, including these bookish lists below:

· Six Works of Literature That Were Really Hard to Write

· What 10 Fictional Characters Were Almost Called

· What Eight Classic Books Were Almost Called

· Eight Latin Phrases You Pretend to Understand

· Six Words Invented by Authors

· The Little-Known Stories of Five Famous Authors

· Five Famous Phrases People Own

· The Nautical Roots of Six Common Phrases

· Nine Things Mark Twain Didn’t Say (And Nine He Did)

· 10 “Q” Words That Aren’t “Q-U” Words

For more with mental_floss, become a fan on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and visit their website: www.mentalfloss.com

EDEN: A Zombie Novel

2011-12-13T02:00:00.002-07:00

Imagine a world where you lived in a gated community. It was you and your closest friends and neighbors. Sounds nice…so what is the catch? The catch is that you can not venture outside of the walls. For what lies beyond the walls are the remains of another world, where other friends and family may have once resided but they have all turned into zombies. Welcome to Eden.

While, I don’t really judge a book by its cover, I admit that the cover for this book was a bit corny and so, I thought the story would be as well. Nope, the story was better than I expected it to be. While, there were some flaws, I did find myself drawn to the main character Harris. He was just a normal guy, trying to survive. He was smart and had a good personality. Some of the other characters I did find uninteresting and this did take away from the story.

On that note, there was a lot of jumping around between the time lines of past and present and many different characters coming at me that in beginning I was confused. The transfer involving the past and the present was not smooth at all. I do have to give props that there is plenty of action. Right away from page one, the reader finds Harris and his wife, Julie fighting for their lives as their home is invaded by flesh-eating, brain-sucking zombies. This book had elements of Dawn of the Dead. So if you are a zombie fan, you will enjoy this book.

Cold River. This is a definite “read by the fire” kind of tale

2011-12-13T00:00:00.002-07:00

Review by Nancy

In an aptly named book, Liz Adair addresses why we shouldn’t go by first impressions and how, in a small town in the Pacific Northwest called Limestone things aren’t nearly as odd as they seem.

Except for some of them. Mandy Steenburg, well-educated young administrator has been hired by the town of Limestone to manage their School District. A new adventure, well-timed for her departure from a married man who won’t take no as an answer and the opportunity to get out of Albuquerque. She expects Limestone kids (and parents) to be typical small town kids and they are, to a point.

Her first welcome isn’t. Glares, sneers, small whispered conversations and a total lack of respect greet her. They all want the “old administrator”, Grange, who is now the Assistant to Mandy, back in the saddle and aren’t afraid to let her know that. She tries her best but it isn’t good enough.

Then things start happening. She rents a beautiful cabin from the manager of the town “C” store and immediately paybacks start. A box of stink bugs. A small fire set on her deck. Poison. Maybe she should just give it up and go and let them have what they want – Grange’s return.

You will warm to the many-faceted characters in this story and be surprised when the end comes, believe me! This is a definite “read by the fire” kind of tale for a snowy day and night. Enjoy!

Purchase a copy here

A Darcy for Everyone! Sourcebooks Celebrates Jane Austen’s Birthday!

2011-12-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

From Tuesday December 13th – Friday December 30th the following eBooks will be priced at $1.99 at all online e-tailers. Whether you like Darcy as a tortured vampire, a modern day rock star, a Texas rancher or anything and everything in between! There truly is a Darcy for everyone!

A Darcy Christmas – Carolyn Eberhart, Sharon Lathan and Amanda Grange

Darcys & the Bingleys – Marsha Altman

Darcy’s Voyage – Kara Louise

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star – Heather Lynn Rigaud

The Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice – Abigail Reynolds

Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One – Sharon Lathan

Mr. Darcy Goes Overboard – Belinda Roberts

Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife – Linda Berdoll

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre – Amanda Grange

Pemberley Chronicles – Rebecca Ann Collins

Pemberley Ranch – Jack Caldwell

Searching for Pemberley – Mary Lydon Simonsen

Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy – Sara Angelini

Darcy and Fitzwilliam – Karen V. Wasylowski

You can find all of the titles and information here:

Alphabet of Vietnam

2011-12-11T00:00:00.002-07:00

Review by Nancy
In this oddly thought out book, Jonathan Chamberlain tells us many stories. There are brothers Joe and Jack; Joe’s friend Wash; several women who die sadly; a Vietnamese poetess named Ho Xoan Houng who wrote beautiful poems for us; Maddie, Benjy and Alice.

Joe dies purposefully. He did it himself. Dove under a train. It usually works well and did this time, too. Jack is delivered a set of notes that completely changes his hum-drum existence. “Go find Maddie and my baby and get them away from Wash before they die.” Pretty straight forward.

Well, Jack found Wash, Maddie and barely more than a zygote Benjy in the hills of the Eastern Mountains. Maddie was a slave to Wash and to Joe. She wanted to escape and it was up to Jack to make that happen. However – it didn’t quite work that way. Jack wants to learn what Vietnam did to his brother but doesn’t particularly want to know what Joe did in Vietnam. He learns anyhow.

He travels there – sees what Joe saw and thinks on that. He drank bad beer, crawled in caves and learned lessons of poverty and pain. He learned what Joe forgot.

There are people I know who absolutely should not read this book. The people we loved and saw return home changed are among them. Then there are us – the ones who stayed. We need to read this book. We may not want to, but we need to.

The Check Your Luck Agency

2011-12-10T20:47:00.001-07:00

Review by Nancy
When you work in Singapore, a lot of friends and business associates believe in Luck. Good luck, bad luck, luck of all kinds is sent you by spirits and affects how your life runs.

Ursula Formosa, formerly of the UK but born in Asia; has skipped to Malay. She leaves behind no love life, deceased parents and has enough to “get by”. But she didn’t like to be idle so picks up a job from Fiona Li at the Check Your Luck Agency. Problems with a lease? Lover dumps you cold? Things that go bump in the night? Ursula is on it for you!

She actually can see things that you and I can’t but has tried her entire life to ignore them. Seems as though her boss and a co-worker knows she can see things but they don’t discuss it. Fiona does, however; put Ursula into a rather odd situation as co-partner of a new television show called “Hunting Hantu”. “Ghost Hunters.” Her anchor in this endeavor is a much-sought after male model named Shariff Kadir. Once she meets him, she knows why everyone wants him – she does, too!

I believe this short novel is the beginning of something great and hope I get to review the rest of the stories as well. This is a great afternoon’s pleasure – enjoy!

Purchase a copy here

Specific Impluse

2011-12-05T00:00:00.001-07:00

Review by Nancy

When your first introduction to someone is being tackled you in the middle of a meteor crater, it may give you pause. Or, if you happen to be Dr. Carin Gonzales; you turn around and whack them upside the head before asking “why?” Jake Sabio heard the fragment of space before it was visible and felt the need to ground everyone around him.

Something in the fragment changed them all. No one but Jake and Carin would handle the change and they were dying as well, only slower. They just may die of “lead poisoning” before the new disease kills them as they are now being hunted by the CIA, and a very elusive killer named Crowbar.

Backstories have Jake’s children and ex-wife killed by Crowbar as a way to take out her new husband in his “master plan” to control the CIA and all of its various parts. Carin has worked with MI (Mechanical Intelligence) and has reconstructed a robot named Fred who is much more advanced that R2-D2 (and smaller). Jake has justice on his side and Carin has her stubbornness and Fred on hers.

Jake and Carin are dying and Fred is busy chatting inter-space with his new friend named MATR. The humans on the ground have named MATR Morrigan and think it’s a spaceship. Got it in one! Jake and Carin need to rendezvous with MATR ASAP or they will die a very painful death. Crowbar and gang, plus the CIA are determined not to let that meeting happen.

Hang on to your seats while reading this book! It has action from page one and well done action at that! Mr. Justiz has done a great job of researching his characters and Fred is just one great little robot. A great Christmas gift for yourself or your favorite Sci-Fi fan.

A Summer in Europe is a breathtaking trip that will have you wanting to book yourself another trip with Marilyn Brant as soon as possible!

2011-12-04T15:08:00.001-07:00

Gwen and her boyfriend, Richard have been dating for a while, Gwen has a feeling that Richard is going to propose to her on her birthday. Instead of a ring, Gwen receives a pair of pearl earrings. After Gwen’s Aunt learns that Richard did not propose to Gwen, she figures that this is the best time to tell Gwen that she and Gwen will be traveling to Europe. There is just one catch. Gwen and her Aunt will be joined by Gwen’s Aunt’s S and M club members.

While in Europe, Gwen meets Emerson. Emerson is teaching Gwen the finer things to life and all that Europe has to offer.

I enjoyed this book. It had all the things I liked about Mrs. Brant…humor, interesting characters, and a scenic location. I was laughing at the antics of Gwen’s Aunt’s S and M club. It just goes to show you that no matter what age you are, you can be into S and M (sudoku and mah-jongg that is).

In the beginning, I was not feeling Gwen so much. She was in Europe and all she wanted to do is complain and compare the dashing, and nice Emerson to douche-bag, Richard. I felt myself getting turned off by Gwen and yelling at her to let her hair down and have fun. Her Aunt and everyone else are. Thus, due to Gwen being so uptight in the beginning, I was not seeing the chemistry involving Gwen and Emerson. After Gwen did loosen up, I thought she and Emerson made a cute couple. A Summer in Europe is a breathtaking trip that will have you wanting to book yourself another trip with Marilyn Brant as soon as possible!

SILVER SPARKS

2011-12-01T00:00:00.002-07:00

Maggie Larkin was trying her hardest to put up with reality, rich snob, Rafe de Luca but he touched her butt one too many times. Plus, Rafe’s comment about the Larkin sisters has made Maggie see red. The next thing Maggie is giving Rafe a bloody nose.

Cal Drummond was watching Rafe. He knew what Maggie was going to do before she did it but he was too late to stop her. Cal makes his way to Maggie and rushes her out of the bar before the paparazzi get to her. Cal has been tracking Rafe for a while. It seems that one of Rafe’s hobbies involves killing the women that he has been with. One of those women is Cal’s sister. Cal will not let the same fate fall upon Maggie.

What I like most about Mrs. Ambrose’s books is her humor. Maggie was the one that brought the laughs. She did it with her strong personality when it came to Cal. She never would admit when Cal was right. She always had to put in her two cents and this would cause for some entertaining, witty banter. The romance between Cal and Maggie was alright. I would have liked the heat level to be turned up a couple of notches. When Maggie and Cal finally had sex was not until about the middle of the book. Than they never really did it again. They were too busy trying to stay out of trouble and giving into their needs again.

The excerpt in the back of the book had a preview of the next book involving Maggie’s sister, Zoe. I can not wait to read that book. It looks like it is going to be excellent. Silver Sparks is a sparkling read full of fun, action, witty banter, and romance

MERRY CHRISTMAS STORIES

2011-11-30T00:00:00.001-07:00

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 novel in his Hunt series, The Hunted Return is scheduled to be published in July 2012, also by Avalon. His science fiction novel, SPACE DREAM ONE: That Other’s May Live will be published as an eBook in October 2011.

Spalsbury taught a class on the importance of using humor in the classroom at California State University in Fresno. He is also a former library director and professor at Porterville College, Porterville, CA.

To learn more about Spalsbury’s books, visit his website at www.JeffRSpalsbury.com His books can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Black Rose Writing or various online eBook sellers, including the Apple iPad, Sony Nook, etc.

Killing Rites

2011-11-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

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 before he became a vampire. The romance between Jayne and Ex is on the lighter side.

The second half was where the book picked up. This is also when Jayne and Ex were joined by one of Jayne’s friend’s. Overall, a pretty good book.

Vair

2011-11-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

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 FBI in catching the killer but, as in any good novel; he has his own motives. He wants to speak to the killer before he dies to see if Henry VIII is possessing him. In case you’ve not read your English history lately, Henry VIII not only beheaded many wives – he was responsible for taking England away from the Catholic Church. Seems he was knocked out while jousting for about three hours and woke a changed man.

This is one heck of a story. There are main plots, sub-plots, backstories galore and it makes for one really interesting novel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leith-born journalist Stewart Dickson has covered major international news stories for newspapers in his native Scotland, London’s Fleet Street, and as the U.S. bureau chief of a major British tabloid. He lives in New York City with his wife.

Antiquitas Lost Giveaway

2011-11-27T14:06:00.002-07:00

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 primitive, alien world that will forever change him.

But he must proceed carefully. For he soon learns that his actions in the ancient world will impact the upcoming battle for Harwelden, Pangrelor's mightiest civilization, and will also resonate all the way back to New Orleans, perhaps deciding whether his mother lives or dies.

Author Bio
Robert Louis Smith, author of Antiquitas Lost: The Last of the Shamalans, has numerous degrees, including psychology (B.A.), applied microbiology (B.S.), anaerobic microbiology (M.Sc.), and a Medical Doctorate (M.D.). He serves as an interventional cardiologist at the Oklahoma Heart Institute. He is married and the father of two young children. He began writing Antiquitas Lost in 2003 while studying at Tulane University in New Orleans.

For more information please visit http://www.antiquitaslost.com and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

I have one copy of this book to giveaway to one lucky reader. Just leave me your email address. Winner picked December 9th.

Immortal Rider

2011-11-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

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 and edgier. Though, I would classify this book as more urban fantasy than paranormal. When I think of paranormal, I think of a jalapeño pepper with a little kick but when I think of urban fantasy, I think of ghost peppers, they are ten times hotter and will scorch you!

Arik and Limos were sizzling together. For being a human, Arik was just as evenly matched as Limos. What I liked most about this book was that the story line was just as strong as the characters. After getting to know some about Limos and her brothers, I plan to go back and read Eternal Rider, so that I can be ready for when book three comes out in June 2012!

It's a Waverly Life

2011-11-26T13:19:00.001-07:00

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 a dark street.”
“And one of them is assaulted” (Assaulted as in a salted)

Ok, you can groan now.

I read that Ms. Murnane is working on book three of the Waverly books. I can not wait to read it.

The Informationist!!

2011-11-25T19:18:00.002-07:00

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 “greatness” was all talk. She talked a great walk but she never really showed it. The story line seemed to jump around a lot. If the plot could have been stronger without so much description and Munroe was not just one dimensional, than I would have been singing a different tune for this book. A happy one.

Thanksgiving Day Giveaway

2011-11-24T06:31:00.002-07:00

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 skin.

Winner will be picked tomorrow on Black Friday! To enter, please leave a email address. So many people have won my contests but I had no way of contacting them. Share with me either your favorite Thanksgiving dish to eat or do you have plans to shop on Black Friday.

To read up on what the series is about. Click here

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T00:00:00.002-07:00

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 they received an astonishing visit from an Abenaki Indian who greeted them in English. Several days later, he returned with another Native American, Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe who had been kidnapped by an English sea captain and sold into slavery before escaping to London and returning to his homeland on an exploratory expedition. Squanto taught the Pilgrims, weakened by malnutrition and illness, how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish in the rivers and avoid poisonous plants. He also helped the settlers forge an alliance with the Wampanoag, a local tribe, which would endure for more than 50 years and tragically remains one of the sole examples of harmony between European colonists and Native Americans.

In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the fledgling colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. Now remembered as American’s “first Thanksgiving”—although the Pilgrims themselves may not have used the term at the time—the festival lasted for three days. While no record exists of the historic banquet’s exact menu, the Pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow wrote in his journal that Governor Bradford sent four men on a “fowling” mission in preparation for the event, and that the Wampanoag guests arrived bearing five deer. Historians have suggested that many of the dishes were likely prepared using traditional Native American spices and cooking methods. Because the Pilgrims had no oven and the Mayflower’s sugar supply had dwindled by the fall of 1621, the meal did not feature pies, cakes or other desserts, which have become a hallmark of contemporary celebrations.

Did you Know?
Lobster, seal and swans were on the Pilgrims' menu.

Unnaturally Green

2011-11-23T18:34:00.002-07:00

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 color “green”.

The Immortal Word

2011-11-23T00:00:00.001-07:00

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 writer’s presence still alive in those words? How is that possible? How is it possible for mere marks across a page to still hold the essence of the aliveness of an author even once the physical voice has long since grown quiet? And yet it happens. Without effort, the voice and spirit of the author reach across the void and touch the reader’s still-beating heart. Like a moment of pure magic.

The first time I truly became aware of this mystical exchange, was years ago when reading an autobiography by a once up-and-coming young author of reportedly great brilliance, who ended up an impoverished old man alone in his obscurity. His name was William Gerhardie, and he was of great interest to me as he had been my grandmother’s cousin.

Now, I knew very little about my once-famous relative. I knew he had risen to some prominence in the 1920--30s and then fell out of favor. I knew the ‘family’ had not been impressed that he wrote a novel, The Polyglots, based loosely upon their very lives. My grandmother referred to him as ‘the fool of the family,’ a judgement first handed down by his own father. I knew little else about him. He was an enigma to me.

So, you can perhaps imagine how marvelous it was for me to discover his autobiography along with some of his novels. I emerged myself in William according to William, and he came to life for me through those words jotted down years preceding my birth. As I read, I laughed, I cried, I hoped, and I despaired with him. I could hear his voice clearly. And, although he died when I was only seventeen years old, and had never met him, as I read the words he had written, it was like a part of him merged seamlessly with the essence of me. Like I had met my long-dead relative for the very first time. And that was when I first encountered the profound immortality of the written word.

Rain Falls Like Mercy

2011-11-22T17:47:00.001-07:00

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 turned into half the book in one sitting, make dinner and rush back to read the rest of the book. Though Tom and Juanita were having an affair, I was not mad as they were truly in love. In addition, I did not see Eli as a victim. In fact, he was one of the strongest characters in the story for a man of few words. The ending was a high note. This was great as some books can be good up until the ending. I recommend checking out this book!

No Story To Tell but it was KJ Steele that did have a story to tell. A good one.

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

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 I could have said I loved it. This book was kind of a coming of age story.

My turn off was that in the beginning, I felt this book was slow to get moving. Also, the other characters turned me off. They were all negative. So the only good moments I enjoyed about this book were the ones that just involved Elliot and Victoria. Though at first, I did not care for Victoria. She was weak and a timid wallflower. As the story progressed and Elliot helped Victoria to see who she was meant to be, than I fell for her as Elliot did. Victoria may have thought she has No Story To Tell but it was KJ Steele that did have a story to tell. A good one.

About the Author
KJ Steele is an emerging writer who has learned that the process is not so much about choosing what to write as it is about having the courage to write what chooses to be written. Having spent the first half of her life creating an amazing family with her husband, Victor, she intends to spend the rest of it creating equally amazing fiction.

Zero Day

2011-11-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

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 John and Sam. They pretty much keep things on a professional level. There were not a lot of surprises in this book. Though, it is one that you can read and if you put it down for a few moments and still come back to and get right back into it. I hope that Mr. Baldacci’s next book has lots more action.

The Christmas Shoppe is a delightful, pleasurable read that is sure to get you into the holiday spirit!

2011-11-20T15:30:00.002-07:00

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 delightful about her. She reminded me of Mrs. Miracle, Debbie MacComber’s character. I kind of got to know the characters but it was not until towards the last half of the story that I really got to know them. This book makes you remember the true meaning of Christmas, besides just the presents. There were a couple of romantic relationships forming but nothing that spectacular. In fact the last chapter was the only mention where the couples actually hooked up, until than the romance was very mild. The Christmas Shoppe is a delightful, pleasurable read that is sure to get you into the holiday spirit!

The Assassination of Governor Boggs

2011-11-17T00:00:00.005-07:00

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 they were wrong. While some certainly did shoot him in the head and he surely nearly died – he didn’t. It took him twenty years to finally pass and he was basically a well man most of that time.

Calvin Pogue of the Pinkerton Detective Agency is hired by Boggs’ son after his death. He does a thorough investigation complete with an interview with the “possible” killer – Porter Rockwell which is not only entertaining but makes you wonder.

An extremely well-researched story and you can have your own opinion about the shooting but – it’s well worth reading and buying!

You can check out the author’s website here
You can purchase a copy here

Dream of Me

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

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 was much odder than that.

The coming together of these three is staggering and I don’t write spoilers so I shall leave it there and tell you to go out and pick this book up or download it soon. Jennifer Froelich has done herself proud with this story and you should share that with her!

Purchase a copy here

My Life Undecided is a fun, quick, charming read.

2011-11-14T20:19:00.002-07:00

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 let people decide for you what choices you make…scary but intriguing. I liked the whole choose your own adventure theme that this book was based on. Though as Brooklyn learned in the end that you have to make your own choices and not leave them up to others. It just depends on how you make your choices. Jessica Brody did a good job on this book. I will check out more of her work in the future. Mrs. Moody was my favorite. She may act like her name on the outside but on the inside, she really is a softie. My Life Undecided is a fun, quick, charming read.

Cloudburst

2011-11-14T18:33:00.001-07:00

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 slowly. There was not enough suspense and intrigue that I came to like from VC Andrews’s books. Sasha had this obsession with trying to get Ryder to like her, though he did not give her the time of day in the beginning. I wanted to yell at Sasha that Ryder was a jerk and to let him come to her. A gallant effort on trying to recreate VC Andrews but just missed the mark.

No Holly for Christmas

2011-11-09T00:00:00.003-07:00

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 dead but wasn’t, one person escaped and that’s when Malcolm Holland called in the big guns and they were gunning for Holly and McAlister.

An up-all-nighter! Excellent writing and characters, a great plot and a word of caution: Do not start this as bedtime reading if you have to be up at 6:00! This one is a keeper.

Purchase a copy here

Hot Water Giveaway

2011-11-08T00:00:00.001-07:00

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 life. I hope that AJ and Ty hook up. Though, there is not much chance of that happening anytime soon. With AJ so busy finding herself in dangerous situations.

AJ was not the only one that shined in this book. Both Elizabeth and David, AJ’s son did as well. Elizabeth has AJ’s back. David may be a kid but don’t under estimate him. He is really smart. There was lots of action on almost every page. I can not wait to read book three.

Hot Water by Erin Brockovich: Chapter 1
By Erin Brockovich with CJ Lyons, Author of Hot Water

Summer in the mountains of West Virginia has a magic of its own, like a fairy tale come true. For me, it was a fairy tale paid for with blood.

It was August. After five months back home in Scotia (population 864) I'd just about gotten used to folks looking away from me and mumbling about how I'd gotten the man I loved killed and almost got my dad and son killed and just about drowned the entire valley in toxic sludge.

"That's AJ Palladino," they'd say, crossing to the other side of the street as I passed, in case I rubbed off on them. "Yeah, that AJ Palladino."

I ignored them. Didn't much care what people said about me as long as they didn't take it out on my nine-year-old, David. And, I have to admit, Scotia did treat David like the hero his dad had once been. They embraced him despite his two disabilities (or abilities, depending on your point of view): having cerebral palsy, which left him mostly wheelchair-bound, and being a genius.

Despite the town's acceptance of him, David still wasn't so sure about Scotia. He was hit hard by the death of his dad. I tried everything, even enrolled him in some online courses. Stuff I didn't understand but he was interested in, like the Phonology of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics and Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman: Physics in the 20th Century. He'd bury himself in them, working like a fever, finishing a semester's worth of material in a few weeks, and then would promptly slide back into boredom and despair.

Given my family's tendency for obsessions -- addictions, really, holding on too hard, too long -- I was more than a bit worried.

My friend Ty Stillwater, a sheriff's deputy K-9 officer, and his partner, Nikki, a beautiful Belgium Malinois, finally broke David free from his mourning.

Ty somehow found a way to make wheelchair accessible every mountain adventure that a boy could love. He and David would leave at first light and show up again for dinner at my gram's kitchen covered in battle scars. Once, Ty took David rafting down the New River, and they came back half-drowned, sunburned, and sporting matching black eyes that they refused to tell us how they got. They would burst into laughter every time they caught sight of each other.

I loved hearing David laugh but couldn't help but worry each time he left. For too many years I'd raised David alone, and it was difficult getting used to sharing him with others who loved him as much as I did. Not to mention the fact that I was and am a total control freak, especially about David. But I suffered in silence -- David hates it when I try to rein in his independence.

Besides, I was busy enough with work to take my mind mostly off David's scrapes and bruises and poison ivy. My new business partner, Elizabeth Hardy, the legal half of our consumer advocacy firm, turned out to have a gift for negotiation, so our first few cases ended quickly and happily for our clients and were profitable for us. All in all, summer felt enchanted, magical.

Even the weather cooperated. The storm clouds that gathered every afternoon remained empty threats. They'd scowl down at Scotia, then scurry away to dump their rain elsewhere.

But sooner or later, the storm has to break and you're going to get soaked.

Which was how I came to be yelling at the man in the Armani suit.

I knew it was an Armani suit because I'd dealt with enough of them when I'd worked in D.C. Not sure how they did it, but it seemed as if every suit jacket had an attitude sewn into the lining: money can buy anything.

Well, it wasn't buying me.

Elizabeth and I hadn't risked everything -- including our lives -- to start this advocacy firm just to be dictated to by a guy who happened to have enough money to indulge his taste in designer suits.

Armani guy's name was Owen Grandel, and he'd flown all the way up from South Carolina to consult with Elizabeth and me. He was in his late thirties, trim in that personal-trainer executive way, with a shaved head that focused your attention on his dark eyes and spray-tan complexion.

He had not come to Scotia to be abused. Or so his expression informed me without bothering with words.

"We aren't in the business of whitewashing a corporation's dirty laundry," I continued, in the mood for a fight and quite happy that Grandel was obliging.

He said nothing. Simply crossed his arms over his chest, leaned his shoulders back, and smiled. The kind of smile you give a precocious kid who's acting out and you're tolerating his behavior just because you know how wrong he is.

David hates it when I smile at him that way.

Thankfully Elizabeth stepped between us before I tried to wipe that smile off Grandel's face. We were in the living room of her house -- which doubled as our office space -- and she had just brought coffee on a tray. "I'm sorry, Mr. Grandel, we're out of cream. Will milk do?"

I rolled my eyes as she almost curtsied. Then, while Grandel busied himself mixing and stirring his coffee, finally taking a seat in the Queen Anne chair beside the fireplace, Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder at me with a glare that could have sparked tinder.

Play nice, she mouthed at me, as if! were the one making trouble. She sat down across from Grandel, smoothing her skirt and crossing her ankles like a lady before reaching for her own cup of coffee.

This is why I usually let Elizabeth handle the suits. I'm more of a field person -- get me out there with the regular folks and I'll get to the truth of what's what and who's who and figure out a way to fix things. Then it's up to Elizabeth to cross the legal "t's," negotiate a workable solution for all parties, and collect our paycheck.

So far it's been a pretty good system. Until today.

"I'm not sure that you understand exactly what we do, Mr. Grandel." Elizabeth leaned across the table to snag a sugar cube, her sleeve brushing against his knee.

I barely contained my snort. It was very obvious Grandel didn't understand anything except what his money could buy.

"Oh, but I do, Ms. Hardy." He leaned back and crossed his legs, watching her through half-shut eyes.

When I worked in D.C., I knew men like him. Smooth, charming. Sociopaths. Women would fall all over themselves to do whatever they wanted. Poor sad, he had no idea who he was up against. Elizabeth wasn't like that.

"Which is why I'm willing to pay extra. Above your customary fee schedule."With an elegant flourish of his manicured fingers, he slid a check from his pocket and placed it in front of her.

Elizabeth has a pretty good poker face, but I could tell the amount on the check rocked her. She took a sip of coffee and set her cup down beside the check, ignoring it.

"That's half," he persisted when she didn't leap at his offer. "You get the same when you finish."

''And who decides when the job is finished?"

I stepped forward, unwilling to believe she was even considering.

She glared at me and I froze.

"You do, of course." His voice was a low bedroom purr.

Her mouth twisted as she considered. Then she stood in one graceful movement, taking the check with her. "We need to consult about this."

"Of course," he said with a gracious wave of his hand, as if it were his house, not hers. "Take all the time you need."

I know my mouth dropped open because I felt it snap shut again when she took my arm and dragged me out of the room and across the hall to our shared office in what used to be the dining room. She closed the door behind us, then sagged back against it.

"Holy shit, AJ."

The check dropped from her fingers, flitting through the air on the sultry August breeze wafting in through the open windows, and curled up on the hardwood floor, face down. I picked it up, turned it over.

My face went cold as I read the amount. Counted the zeroes. Five of them. My mind did a back flip -- no, that figure couldn't be right -- then sloshed right side up as I looked again.

Half a million dollars. Which meant a million for the entire job if we took it.

Enough to send David to any college he wanted, to bankroll our company for the next decade, to be able to work on projects that really mattered. Freedom, security, opportunity.

All I'd have to do was betray everything I believed in and let myself be bought.

The above is an excerpt from the book Hot Water by Erin Brockovich with CJ Lyons. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2011 By Erin Brockovich with CJ Lyons, author of Hot Water

Author Bios
Erin Brockovich, author of Hot Water, is the real life inspiration behind the Oscar-winning movie that bears her name. Today she continues to perform legal work as a director of environmental research and is involved in consulting on numerous toxic waster investigations. She is active on the motivational speaking circuit, with a thriving lecture series and a television talk show in development. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

CJ Lyons, co-author of Hot Water, is an award-winning medical suspense author of such books as Lifelines, Warning Signs, and Urgent Care. Trained in pediatric emergency medicine, she has assisted police and prosecutors with cases involving child abuse, homicide, and more. She has also worked as a crisis counselor and victim advocate.

For more information please visit http://www.brockovich.com/ and http://cjlyons.net/ and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter.

I have one copy of this book to giveaway. Open to US and Canada. Just leave a comment withyour email address. Ends November 14th.

If you want to read a good uplifting book without all the calories than pick up a copy of The Pig and Me!

2011-11-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

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 really think of anything other than the fact that she liked to bake. Lindsay’s one favorite indulgence was brownies. Though eating too many and they can be killer to your waist line. Lindsay decided to come up with a fat free version. Thus, No Pudge! Brownies were created. The success of the company is due to a huge part from Lindsay. She had a vision and would not let anything stop her, no matter how many times she was told “No”. If you want to read a good uplifting book without all the calories than pick up a copy of The Pig and Me!

Hanging with horror author, Derek Clendening. (Win a Kindle)

2011-11-06T11:43:00.002-07:00

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 respect. You don’t need to be a horror fan or have an open mind to enjoy it. All you really need to have is an open heart.

As people, what we all share in common is that we have feelings, and that we’ve lost something valuable at some point. Readers will relate to Randy Fuller on some level. He isn’t perfect, but he has suffered a great loss, and is trying to regain it by any means. At minimum, we’ve at least known someone who has lost a child and no doubt our heart has ached for them. Enough readers have told me that their heart ached for Randy.

The real fear for Randy is intense, but it isn’t a monster in the closet. It’s in the parental challenges he never expected to face. The ghost of his six month old baby boy appears to him at age four, six, twelve and eighteen in the span of four nights, and he has a different problem each time. To me, the idea that my son is suffering and I haven’t the first clue how to help him is frightening indeed.

This is a book for purveyors of the paranormal. But then again, it’s also a book for anyone who’s ever lost a child. It’s a book for anyone who’s ever known someone who’s lost a child. The truth is, the book is a lot of things, and its appeal is broad. That’s why I’ve been successful with it at book signings. I’ll always keep the book in print because I want it to be the first work of mine that people see. I’d like it to be the first of my works that you see too.

To enter to win a Kindle Fire, leave your name and e-mail address in the comment form below. You can enter once per blog stop. Visit each blog stop to increase your odds of winning. If I crack the Kindle Top 100, I will give away another Kindle Fire. E-mail me for the tour newsletter including a full listing of tour stops at derek (dot) r (dot) clendening (at) gmail (dot) com.

Check out Derek's blog

Purchase at Amazon

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THE STRANGERS ON MONTAGU STREET and author Karen White

2011-11-04T00:00:00.003-06:00

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 Street home, and celebrated ten successful years as a Realtor specializing in Charleston’s historic homes—even though she still views them as money pits hosting ghosts, too many of whom want to tell her something.

As THE STRANGERS ON MONTAGU STREET opens, lost souls are among the least of Melanie’s problems. In the space of a morning she finds herself caring for a distraught teen, raiding her bank account to repair her cracked foundation, and realizing she has to move in with her mother while the work is being done. The teenager is Nola, Jack’s daughter from a long ago love affair. He only learned about her after her mother died. Nola, immune to his overtures, blames Jack for the difficulties she and her mother faced, and for the disintegration of their lives. She’s also guilt ridden, haunted by her inability to keep her mother alive.

Melanie takes Nola under her wing in an effort to ease her transition to a new home and family. When Jack’s mother presents Nola with the gift of an antique dollhouse, she’s delighted. It’s amazingly detailed, beautiful and the dolls it contains are the tableau of a perfect Victorian family. All too soon, it becomes clear that something is dreadfully wrong. The house is possessed by a malevolent spirit that’s drawing the fragile teen into its own angry darkness.

To save Nola, Melanie and Jack need to discover the secrets of the people whose home the dollhouse replicates. A family of wealth and prestige, powerful in their time, they’ve hidden the truth of their lives at the end of a long, dangerous path strewn with deceit, heartbreak and murder—a journey punctuated by a cry for forgiveness that has resonated for more than seventy years.

THE STRANGERS ON MONTAGU STREET is multi-layered, with intersecting lives and abundant sub-plots, rife with characters, relationships, and secrets past and present. In it, Karen once again illustrates the power of family and friendship, love and loyalty, heritage and responsibility, and guilt and innocence as she explores the claims of the past and the possibilities of the present.
―

KAREN WHITE
Known for nationally bestselling and award-winning novels, Karen White’s books include The Beach Trees, On Folly Beach, Falling Home, The Lost Hours, The Memory of Water, Learning to Breathe, Pieces of the Heart, and The Color of Light and, of course, her Tradd Street novels, The House on Tradd Street, The Girl on Legare Street , and The Strangers on Montagu Street.

Karen has traveled or lived in many places in the south, from her home in Atlanta to Savannah, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina’s Lowcountry and North Carolina, garnering inspiration as well as detail for the settings of her books, including the New York Times bestsellers, The Beach Trees, Falling Home, and On Folly Beach . Her parents are both from Mississippi, but Karen lived in many places before settling in the South and says she “didn’t actually take root” there until moving to Georgia eighteen years ago.

Karen credits her maternal grandmother Grace Bianca with inspiring and teaching her through stories shared over many years. In the seventh grade, when she skipped school to read Gone With The Wind, she knew—just knew—she was destined to grow up to be either Scarlet O’Hara or a writer.

Karen’s writing has been honored with numerous awards and nominations including the Booksellers’ Best Award and the National Readers’ Choice Award. On Folly Beach, The Girl on Legare Street and The House on Tradd Street were all nominated for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Book of the Year. SIBA also named On Folly Beach a Summer 2010 Okra Pick. Additionally, On Folly Beach, The House on Tradd Street and Learning to Breathe have all been finalists in the “Novels with Strong Romantic Elements” category for the prestigious RITA Award presented by the Romance Writers of America.

Karen continues to work, write and spin tales of the south from her home in Atlanta where she lives with her family, their dog and the multiplicity of characters awaiting their own stories. THE STRANGERS ON MONTAGU STREET by Karen White

Check out Karen's website

Beyond All Measure

2011-11-03T17:58:00.000-06:00

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 and not in your face. This brings me to my next point…Wyatt and Ada. Cute couple but not a lot of romance between the two. It seemed that every time that they got together, they would argue.

Wyatt’s Aunt Lillian was someone that grew on me. At first I didn’t like her. She was grouchy and mean to Ada but the more that I got to know her, the more I liked her. The people of Hickory Ridge were an eccentric bunch. They added favor to the story. Some of them I liked and some I did not. Overall, this book is a nice start to this series.

About Dorothy Love
A native of west Tennessee, Dorothy Love makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their two golden retrievers. An accomplished author in the secular market, Dorothy makes her debut in Christian fiction with the Hickory Ridge novels. Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

Invisible Snow

2011-11-02T02:00:00.002-06:00

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 discovered about herself and her family rocked her to the core.

This novel is a large one and, when I read those, usually I try to see where some things could be cut to make it a tad shorter. Not this one. No cutting because you will want to read every line. What an excellent novel for sitting by the fire on a chilly evening or two. You will love this book!

Check out more about this book and author at www.invisiblesnow.com or www.quinnbarrett.com

How the Mistakes Were Made

2011-10-31T02:00:00.001-06:00

Laura Loss used to be the bass player for Second Class Citzens (SCC). A band that Laura’s brother, Anthony and his friends formed. That was years ago before the fans turned on them.

Now, Laura works at a coffee shop and bassist for the Cooler Heads. It was during one of the Cooler Heads shows that Laura first met Sean and Nathan. Laura tells Sean and Nathan that if they ever want to get serious about their music than give her a call.

Months go by before Laura receives that call. Soon afterwards, Laura, Sean and Nathan are a band. They call themselves The Mistakes. This is because they kind of were a mistake. The band rocket to instant fame but than an unfortunate incident transpires and the band is torn apart.

I have to admit that this book is not something that I would have typically picked out of a bookstore to read. Though, when the publisher emailed me and was raving about this book, I decided to take a chance. Again, not that I usually base what type of books I will read based on readers thoughts. In this case, I did. Glad, I did as this book was just as good as the publisher promised it was.

This book was about the lives of rock and rock stars but it was also more. The characters and Mr. McMahon’s writing is what propelled this book to stardom for me. Laura, Sean and Nathan each brought something different to the story. Laura with her experience. Sean with his musical gift and hot headiness. Nathan for his ability to be a leader. I really felt for these three. Of course, after reading what they had to put up with getting started as a new no name band and the fans, I will just enjoy the music and leave the rock fame to others.

VC Andrews giveaway!!

2011-10-30T21:29:00.003-06:00

Second in an all-new series!

Cloudburst, from the creator of Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews®

Fate swept Sasha Porter into the lap of luxury, and into a torrent of bitter lies and shocking betrayals—all revealed in the riveting new novel CLOUDBURST (Pocket Star Books; October 25, 2011; $7.99) from bestselling author V.C. Andrews®.

Since being taken in by wealthy Mrs. Jordan March and living in her exquisite home like a daughter, Sasha Porter’s traumatic past—destitute on the streets, and the shattering accident that killed her mother—seems like a fading nightmare. Beautiful and sophisticated, as bold and daring as her “sister,” Kiera March, Sasha still keeps her mother’s wise words close to her heart: never fully trust anyone. Inside her privileged new world, it’s advice that will prove more precious than gold.

Against the wishes of Jordan’s husband, Donald, Sasha attracts the attention of Ryder Garfield, a shy, handsome athlete, and maneuvers her way into his heart. But Ryder’s hidden torment soon explodes in a horrific tragedy that pulls Sasha into a flood of guilt and despair. And when someone she thought she could trust targets her vulnerability, Sasha recalls her mother’s warnings—and a violent storm of dark deceptions and shocking family secrets is unleashed. Will she sink or swim?

I have one copy of this book to giveaway to a winner. US only. Sorry. No PO Boxes. Just leave a comment with your email address. Also not a requirement but would be interested to know what is your favorite VC Andrews book or series?

I will pick a winner November 6th.

The Pentacle Pendant

2011-10-30T17:37:00.001-06:00

Review by Nancy

The White Mountains of New Hampshire hold more than beautiful trees, universities and other delights. They also hold things best left unspoken. When Claire meets Lukas at the college bar on her twenty-fourth birthday, she was immediately smitten. He was nice, good looking and obviously swept away by her. What more can you ask for your birthday?

A bit more, as it turns out. Lukas is so in love/lust that he gives Claire a birthday gift she can’t return. He makes her like him – a werewolf. Not only a werewolf, but one who takes justice into his own….well….fangs. He sees people who are cruel, unlawful and otherwise goodness-impaired and takes them out. Claire can’t understand the whole thing for awhile, but then realizes she can’t go back to the beginning and get a “do-over” so she goes along.

Their time together is full of love and love making. Claire learns more about her new abilities and then, right in the middle of it all; Lukas’ professor enters the picture. A looker named Daciana who is a lot more than she seems. Lukas turns up missing as do many of the people in Claire’s life. Seems Daciana has a gift of her own!

This is a page-turner of great proportion! Mr. DeBrock has a good cast of characters, a plot worthy of chills and a book for by-the-fire reading. Claire is a captivating heroine.

The Christmas Cookie Club is the perfect Christmas gift!

2011-10-30T09:51:00.002-06:00

It is that time of year again. Time for Marnie’s annual Christmas Cookie Club. There are eight rules but the most important one is number 7. Which states: It’s always on the first Monday in December (referencing to the annual Christmas Cookie Club). Put it on your calendar and count on it.

There are several new ladies joining the group this year. Marnie can not wait to visit with her friends, share memories, eat food, and of course munching on cookies. The only thing that would make this day perfect is hearing from Marnie’s older, daughter Sky and her having good news. Sky and her husband have been trying to have a child. Sky has had several miscarriages. She is currently four months pregnant and hopefully this time, she will have her baby.

Each woman had a good story to tell. I could see the strong, bond that Marnie and the rest of the ladies from the club had. They knew almost all of each other’s secrets; they have been there during life, death, marriage and divorce. I have to admit that I did like Marnie. She was the glue that held every one together. Plus, I loved that she was known as the “head cookie bitch”.

The Christmas Cookie Club is the perfect Christmas gift. Besides being a fun read, it has yummy recipes and I learned some things about the origin of some of the ingredients like butter, ginger, almonds and wheat to name a few. All that is left to do is wrap this book up and stick a bow on it and you will score a Big “Thank you”.

Be Chosen or miss out!

2011-10-30T00:00:00.002-06:00

Author, Chandra Hoffman's first novel, Chosen is being released in paperback on November 8th. You have got to check it out. I read this book when it was first released on hardback and loved it. You can read my review here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chandra Hoffman has truly led a fascinating life. She has been an orphanage relief worker in Romania , a horse trainer in the Caribbean, a short order cook in a third world hospital, the director of a U.S. adoption program, and an event planner for Philadelphia ’s Main Line elite. A graduate of Cornell University and Antioch ’s MFA program, after living in eleven international cities, she has settled back in her hometown outside of Philadelphia with her husband, three young children, and an ever-changing menagerie. For more on Chandra Hoffman, including a video trailer for CHOSEN , a Q&A with her, and other writing, visit her website:

Recalculating with author Jennifer Weiner

2011-10-29T11:54:00.003-06:00

Recalculating: A Short Story
By Jennifer Weiner

Tommy had been dead for six months when Maureen found the box he’d left for her in the attic.

She’d gone up there to retrieve the Halloween decorations, the glow-in-the-dark eyeballs and fake spiders that she’d twine around the front gate, the witch’s hat she’d perch on her head when she stood in the doorway, handing out candy to kids who looked less and less familiar each year, and the candy bowl itself, with a plastic claw perched on the edge (the claw would open and shut dramatically, grasping for a trick-or-treater’s hand when Maureen pressed a button underneath).

The Halloween stuff was where she expected to find it, in a lidded plastic storage bin with the word Halloween written in Tom’s clear, firm handwriting on a sticker on top. The box was next to it, wrapped in silvery paper, tied with a gold bow. A small white envelope was slipped underneath the bow, and her name, again in Tommy’s handwriting, was on it. For Maureen, it read.

Suddenly breathless, as if her husband’s ghost had popped up out of nowhere to stand before her, glaring, Maureen staggered backward and tripped over the Halloween stuff. The bin tipped onto its side, spilling its contents—tea light candles and spray-can spiderwebs, tubes of black and silver glitter, a squirt bottle of fake blood, a grinning, glow-in-the-dark skull—onto the attic floor. “Jesus God, Tom, you scared me!” she said, one hand over her heart and her whole body trembling. It took her a few minutes to remind herself that Tommy wasn’t here, that Tommy was gone, dead and gone, that Tommy would never scare her again.

“Silly goose,” she told herself. That hadn’t been one of Tommy’s pet names for her—dumb bitch had sufficed as an endearment during the long dark night of their marriage. “Silly goose” was what she called Tom Junior and Liza when they were up to some small bit of childish mischief. Then, knees creaking, Maureen hunkered down in an awkward crouch and began to pick up the mess. When order was restored, and the bin neatly re-lidded, she picked up the gift box in the corner. For Maureen, she read again, this time without squealing or gasping or stumbling around like some girl. She was fifty-four years old, too old to act like a child. With one ragged thumbnail she slit the envelope open. The card contained just three words: Love always, Tommy.

Maureen bent her head. A dull red flush had risen to her cheeks. One hand wandered almost reflexively to her hair, gathered up a hank and started pulling. Not gently. “Oh, Tommy,” she whispered, sick with shame, dizzy with guilt. She and her husband had had their secret life, it was true, but that didn’t mean he was without kindness. At his funeral, their daughter had said that her dad was a man who never forgot a birthday, never forgot an anniversary, and would take time to write letters as the Tooth Fairy when each of Liza’s teeth had fallen out.

Love always, Tommy. Had he loved her after all? She sent her mind back along the thirty years of their union and decided that the answer was no . . . or maybe that what Tommy had named love was some mutant variation on the real thing, a toxic and night-blooming flower that he called a rose.

She lifted the box, feeling its weight. Not heavy, not light. She shook it experimentally. It didn’t make a sound. She would wait, she decided. “Always safe, never sorry,” she whispered—that had been one of Tommy’s sayings, he had a million of them—and carried both the bin and the box down the stairs.

Copyright  2011 by Jennifer Weiner

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Washington Square Press Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

Read Jen's recent blog post about how this story went from just an idea to a published ebook in less than a week

To Sleep Gently

2011-10-29T00:00:00.000-06:00

Review by Nancy

Jack Dempster grew up in a small place with friends and, of course, a “best” friend. He did all right until he got caught after robbing a bank and went away for five years to pay for his sin. You’d think that reading as many books as he did for those five years, thinking about becoming a priest, really wanting to change it would have worked for him.

Fate had other plans. The first thing Jack does upon release is go visit some old friends. They talk him into one more heist in New Mexico. He gets three “assistants” who can barely assist themselves to the john but, you take what you can get. They plan on robbing a hotel/casino in Santa Fe.

Meanwhile, Jack has met his old friend and also a young woman whom he is attracted to but has serious conscious issues about. She doesn’t have – much of a conscious, I mean! As always happens his past comes back in spades and life suddenly isn’t as simple as it was yesterday.

This was my first Zelanzy book, but I doubt it will be the last. The character of Jack pulled me and I found myself feeling bad for him. Try it out. If you haven’t read and of the prior books by this author, I suggest you try them as well. Enjoy!

Haunted on Bourbon Street

2011-10-28T20:18:00.002-06:00

Review by Nancy

New Orleans has always had its share of oddities. Some say vampires, we all know about voodoo and those wonderful cemeteries just have to have some ghosts floating about. It seems one has landed in the newly rented apartment of Jade Calhoun. Worse than that, being an empath, she can see him!

Moving to the South from Idaho was enough of a culture shock, but ghosts! Plus the hunk landlord has her bothered enough without someone staring her from the ectoplasm world all the time. Her ex-boyfriend (7 years!) basically told her she should be committed when Jade explained to him about the empathetic powers. To add wounds to an already bleeding pain, her best friend, the only one who was ever really trusted with Jade’;s secret is now living with the ex. In New Orleans!

Kane, the landlord; his pal Pyper and others try to make Jade welcome but there is always something holding her back. She meets a “ghost hunter” who wants to date her but only to take her to ghostly sites hoping for his own sighting. Kane is always there, in the background in his hunky clothes and ornery attitude. Will jade ever let him in? Or anyone? And by the way, who’s the ghost? Or is it really ghosts?

An excellent story just in time for All Hallows Eve. I hope there will be more from Jade and Kane and their crew of friends. Applause on this book and waiting for more!

Learning more about Little Did I Know.

2011-10-28T02:00:00.000-06:00

Product Description

Here is the story of an unforgettable summer. Set in Plymouth, MA in the late seventies, Little Did I Know is the tale of a young man with an outsized dream – to refurbish a dilapidated but historic theater and produce a season's worth of vibrant musicals. A recent college graduate, he fills his cast and crew with people he has come to love and trust in his university life, and with others whose talents and personalities prove undeniable. Yet, while the productions drive his ambitions, a local woman drives his passions, and their romance is fateful, star-crossed, and ultimately more than either of them expected. Told with with, compassion, and the kind of insider's access to the theater that only someone like Mitchell Maxwell can provide, Little Did I Know is a novel about coming of age in the spotlight and embracing one's entire future in a single season.

You can read my review here

Excerpt from book

Excerpt:

“Promise,” they all said in unison. That was enough for me.

Now my promises of weeks ago, the pledges made on that inebriated celebratory night, needed to happen, to take flight, to live. So as my silly tasseled hat hit the ground, it exploded in a burst of fire, color, and endless pyrotechnics of promise and winning.

Guest Post:

Years ago I did a musical on London's West End where it became a big smash hit. After we danced and celebrated and the thanked the theater gods toasting each one with a fresh pint we came to the sober realization that we had a show that was the buzz of Piccadilly and beyond. Within days we had offers to take the show on tour in the UK, remount it in NY were offered a lucrative guaranteed tour of Japan. Has I had come to learn "hits are fun".

So, we loved the British company and decided to keep them for the remount in NY and then bring them to Japan. Saving money and keeping the family together. Unfortunately the unions would not allow the entire company to make the journey so we were forced to choose who we might replace and went about the process with a sense of joy mixed with melancholy. We all agreed on one actor that "had to stay" even if we had to throw down the gauntlet to the gods of the union. So on the day of auditions whenever an actress walked in to sing for this "taken" role her chances were slim and none.

And then I learned something that stays with me every time a performer walks in and has the guts and resolve and courage to audition. You just never know where you will find magic or goose bumps or electricity in a performer so strong it can light a city.

This young woman stepped center stage, gave her name, which was barely noted and said she was going to sing a song from BALLROOM. Out of professional respect we listened and then within a moment, a heartbeat, a breath taken away we all knew at once that something special had happened and our plan had changed. Talent is a gift, professionalism is a craft but when God gives the ability to stop the world and have it pay attention and you are lucky enough to be in the room . . .well remember it is better than a real job--sort of like a snow flake --never to replicated, unique with its own power to be remembered.

I have auditioned hundreds of actors and so many of them are good. They are pleasant and special in the own way. But when a rocket ship walks in and fires up I have learned to get on and enjoy the ride.

That's how you discover art, your own gifts and your own insights. The journey is fluid, the play is the thing and goose bumps is the goal.

I have met hundreds of actors --I remember talent most, then character and how when we shook hands did our eyes meet and register a connection. The good ones come back and it is fun to be there when they do.

To read more about this book and another excerpt go My Rocky Mtn Mommy on October 30th.

Skeleton Lake

2011-10-28T00:00:00.003-06:00

Review by Nancy
Running through the forest, mad as hell, hurt more than mad; Marlow saw the old dock and did what her heart told her to do. She jumped. The water wasn’t cold, even with the snow on the ground. It welcomed her and made her feel loved.

Not so much when she woke up on Lena’s sofa with people staring at her. Kids she knew from school in a “Hi, what’s up?” kinda way. Not close friends at all. Then she gets news she hadn’t planned on. She’s dead.

This isn’t a simple thing at all. Her bones are a lovely bronze color and she can see them when she goes into the lake. Skeleton Lake – the one you can’t see – the one everyone thinks is a cornfield; except for a select few. And this isn’t the worst. There are Others in the forest called Hallows and all they want is Marlow and Lena because the girl Hallows can’t have children.

A great story with a new premise. The characters are very well-written and the lake is an entirely new concept of which I completely approve! Hopefully there will be more.

Title: Skeleton Lake
Author: Angela Kulig
ISBN: 978-1937733-03-2
Release Date: October 21st, 2011
Genre: YA paranormal romance
Synopsis: Unsure if she's drowning or being saved, all Marlow wants to do is run away. Ensnared in a haunting love triangle, she realizes both boys have holes in their hearts—scars from loving the same girl, a girl who managed to stay dead. Now she is being hunted for what she has become and what she never asked to be. Even as a Skeleton Marlow isn’t the worst thing in the night—she isn’t even close.

Goodreads Page:
Author Twitter: @angelakulig
Author Website:
Publisher Twitter:@redirisbooks

Excerpt:

"Last night you died."
I looked down at my hands. They were still perfect, still showing no signs of their previous mauling. This time I half expecting to see my skin there decaying before my eyes, but nothing happened, until they began to blur.

I blinked, and then hot tears splashed down on the forgotten quilt. I had no idea why I was crying, because at that moment I felt nothing. I was numb or maybe really dead inside. As the panic rose in me at the thought of being stuck that way forever, I welcomed it.

"Ugh," Raiden groaned. "Don't cry! That isn't even the worst of it!"
Not the worst of it? The panic escalated as I swatted at my tears. I tried to stand, but accomplished nothing. I was tired of Raiden looking down at me, and at some point my legs had forgotten how to hold my weight and I fell--never hitting the floor. Raiden caught me by the same arm as before, and quickly pulled me up to face him. He was taller than I remembered. My head barely reached his shoulders, which were so, so close. The musky scent from before began to overwhelm me when I noticed that his lips were close too, and they were moving again.

He released his grip on my arm, but he never stopped touching me. I could still feel the warmth of his fingers where they had dug into me as he stopped my fall--warm fingers--which reminded me nothing of the bony ones from the lake.

"You're warm, and skeletons are only bones."
Those were facts, no matter how incoherent they sounded coming out of my mouth.
"I can show you," he said.
And I had no idea what he meant by that, but I was already agreeing.
"Come with me?" he asked in a whisper.
He was already pulling me out the door. His breath on my cheek lingered longer than I thought about not following his lead.

After the black walls of Raiden's room, the cheery yellow hallways were almost painful to look at. The walls were all lined with pristine white molding. No dust, no dents. I had a hard time believing this was even the same house. After everything I had heard today, believing that Raiden's bedroom door was some kind of portal to another dimension would not be a stretch.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed something reflective. I whipped my head around so quickly, the momentum of it nearly sent me to the ground. In a frantic second, I expected to see the lake there, but it was just a large mirror in an antique silver frame. It was polished to perfection, I didn't even glance at it, I was busy looking at the horrid sight in front of me.

Randomly I thought, "At least I still have all my skin." This wasn’t at all comforting.

Half my dark hair stuck flat to my head, and the other half was a frizzy mess. My lips were pale, but a line of thick dried blood sat in the creases. Likely a leak where I had bitten my tongue earlier and I was wearing someone else's clothes.
"Where are my clothes?" I asked my reflection.

Raiden who had been trying to pull me further along turned back to face me, and for the first time I swore I saw him blush.
"What your run through the woods didn't shred, the like had for dinner."
I failed to breathe. Did that mean that...?
"When you found me, was I... naked?"
"Marlow," he breathed, hot on my face again. "When I found you, you were nothing but bones."

More Lassiter Please!

2011-10-27T18:35:00.001-06:00

Jake Lassiter is in the middle of court when he sees her. A pretty brunette. She is watching him. After the trial is over, the brunette comes over to Jake and introduces herself. Her name is Amy Larkin. She shows Jake a picture of some guys and some strippers. It seems that one of the girls in the picture is Amy’s sister, Kristi and she has gone missing. Jake was the last person to see her.

Jake may be a lot of things but he is no murderer. In addition, he does not like that his reputation is being slung through the mud. Jake decides to investigate the disappearance of Kristi. That is the only way he can clear his name. Whatever good that is worth.

This is the first book I have read by this author. Lassiter is the latest Jake Lassiter novel. Though, I had no problems jumping right in and enjoying this book with out having read all the prior books in the series. What really made this book for me was Lassiter’s persona. He did not use ethical ways when investigating and this is what I liked about him. He is someone that I can get behind and cheer for.

In addition, all the characters involved in the story line were not just secondary but made strong presences. This was a good book. Now that I am familiar with Mr. Levine’s work, I will be keeping an eye on him. I do plan to go back and read all the other books in this series.

Bonjour 40 - A Paris travel log (40 years, 40 days, 40 seconds)

2011-10-27T02:00:00.000-06:00

Bonjour 40 is the end product of author, Karen A. Chase’s trip to Paris. She spent forty days visiting everything and doing everything there was to do and see in Paris. This is because someone asked Karen what she was going to do for her upcoming forthwith birthday. This was asking only after Karen had just had her thirty-ninth’s birthday. Karen had a whole year to plan and save for her trip to Paris. I am jealous that Karen spent forty days in Paris. Now, this is what I call really celebrating your fortieth birthday. The picture of Karen when she was only fourteen-months old, sitting on a chair playing on the typewriter was precious. The picture of the Eiffel Tower through the Wall of Peace was great. Also the macaroon photo had my mouth watering. I have eaten these before but never the fresh, French kind. Guess, I will have to go to Paris one day myself to eat one.

This book is set up to read like a journal. Each chapter is marked by Day 1, 2 and date versus an actual chapter number. Due to Karen’s excitement with visiting Paris and all the sites, it was like I was there with her. This book is short at only one hundred and thirty four pages and is a quick read. Though, I still would have read this book in a short amount of time had it been longer due to the fact that I enjoyed having Karen as my tour guide. She is a skilled photographer. I wish you could see her work…wait you can on her website or her facebook page!

I did want to share some of the things that Karen learned being in Paris.

• Naps on the grass are essential to well-being.
• Walk more. Bike more.
• Laugh like the English.
• Kiss like the French.
• Sharing a scene is better than stealing it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen A. Chase is a writer, designer, photographer, and traveler. Born in Canada, she has lived in the United States
since 1990. After more than ten years as a professional graphic designer and copywriter, she began her own branding and design studio in 2004. While building her
company, she branched into a secondary career as a freelance writer of historical fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, writing for online magazines like HOW Design and as a guest columnist for The Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper. Bonjour 40 is her first book. She and her partner, Ted, live in Virginia with their two cats.

The Last Confederate Battle

2011-10-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

Review by Nancy

Three brothers, Dwayne, Emmett and Andrew Davis are affected by the Civil War in various ways. We see Dwayne wanting so badly to go into battle but, being a lawyer and appointed to serve the South by visiting France and England to gain support for their cause he just wishes. Emmett is a leader and very well thought of. A prior merchant he begins a plan to outrun the Union blockade to get supplies for his Southern brothers in war. Andy is wounded immediately but his fascination with the telegraph system gives him a chance to serve in a different way after his recovery.

Frank Stone is a New York City Detective who is drafted by President Lincoln to oversee investigations into why Union arms are ending up in Southern hands. He works with the Pinkertons and has made a friend for life in the person of Lincoln. He is also smitten with the widow Jenkins, who leaves him to return to Ireland.

How these men interact in the respective positions in the 1860’s is the stuff of great books and this is one. This has to be one of the best accounts of the Civil War I’ve read and, since my gr-gr grandfather fought for the North, I’ve read quite a bit. The poverty, the violence and the compassion of Abraham Lincoln all come through in this book. Great research and a great story! It would make a special gift to anyone interested in this time period.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Following a twenty five year career in both the enlisted and officer corps’, John Cline retired from the U.S. Navy as a Limited Duty Officer (Mustang) in July 1993 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He was the director of the Idaho Bureau of Disaster Services until he retired in 2005.

He has a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Workforce Education and Curriculum Development from Southern Illinois University, and a Master of Art degree (M.A.) in National Security Studies; Homeland Security and Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (140th Session), and was nationally certified by the National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management and the International Association of Emergency Managers. He is an avid Amateur Radio Operator with the call sign W5USN. John and his wife Pat have three children and four grandchildren.

The Botticelli Affair

2011-10-26T00:00:00.001-06:00

Review by Nancy
In the world of art forgery Laila Cambridge was Queen. Her artwork seemed to come from the original artist (and, actually did, kind of) and NO ONE who didn’t know could tell hers from the original one. They sold for millions.

A part-time tour guide she takes groups through the Met now and throws her own comments in as well. A man she had met the evening before comes there and mentions he knows her father. Wait – KNOWS! The man has been missing for over 5 years! John Bolingbroke knows that, he also knows he promised the man that he would protect Laila.

Protecting is a lot harder when you fall for your charge. It’s also harder when she falls back. They are charged with finding a painting by Botticelli and Da Vinci called Coming Forth by Day. Quite a few people (and other things) are interested in this painting as it supposedly shows a cure for vampirism.

Laila, John, roomie Fern and many more join in the hunt for the painting. It turns out that not only is is wanted but people very close to Laila have seen it but never bothered to mention, of course. John is much more than a besotted guardian and has a lot more at stake than Laila knows.

What a tale! I loved this, nearly missed a class to finish it and, if your love art, vampires, great plots and characters this is the one for you. It’s perfect to start off your Fall reading.

THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD

2011-10-25T00:00:00.006-06:00

Judy McFarland works as a kindergarten teacher at Waldorf School. Judy is currently working on organizing the school’s Christmas bazaar. Judy receives some extra pair of hands. One of her son’s friends needs some extra credit and his mom has volunteered him. His name is Zach Patterson. He is sixteen. At first Judy thought Zach was an impolite boy. Surely not someone that Judy would ever think about having an affair with. Though as time passes and Judy’s husband is occupied with obtaining his PhD, Judy feels neglected.

The relationship between Judy and Zach sounded like the relationship that I imagine Mary Kay Letourneau and Vivi had. Only, Judy did not marry Zach. I could not feel sorry for Judy. Which to me is a good thing, as it would mean that I forgave Judy for her actions. The only thing that I felt sorry for when it came to Judy is that she was weak. She gave in to her impluses and did not care who got hurt or used in the process. When it came to Judy and Zach, the sex scenes were mild. This is another plus, if the scenes had been any hotter than I may have stopped reading this book. The parts that I could not get into were the ones that flashed back to Judy and her childhood in Germany. I have to say that this book is definetly a conversation novel.

Excerpt from book

"You didn't change yours."

"I was just buying some time."

He beat an edgy rhythm with his palms against the leather. "You want it or not? Because

I really do have a ton of homework, and it's getting late."

I cringed. "Don't say it like that. It sounds awful that way."

"Is that a no?"

*Head over to Book Junkie's Bookshelf on October 27th for the next installment from THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD*

The Man Who Couldn't Eat

2011-10-24T00:00:00.008-06:00

My Review
I am not familiar with Crohn’s disease. So to read what Mr. Reiner went through dealing with this disease, it was disheartening. I can not imagine having to live with Crohn’s disease. Always having to worry about what you eat not because you want to lose weight but because you never know when some type of food could be like a time bomb towards your body.

Reading about the stool blockage that formed in Mr. Reiner’s small intestine and tore a perforation in his intestinal wall, which caused a rupture was horrible. I could just envision the horrific pain that he was in, while he lay on his kitchen floor waiting for his wife to come home. Luckily, the doctor was able to stabilize Mr. Reiner but in order to heal and avoid further surgery; the doctor informs Mr. Reiner that he will have to have a PICC line for total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Mr. Reiner will be receiving food intravenously.

The way Mr. Reiner described food was better than some food writers. I swear I could almost smell and taste the pastrami from Kazi. While, I did appreciate Mr. Reiner sharing his story, I found this book to be heavy. I could not sit and just read it. In fact I did skim over it in parts. After reading this book, I would never wish anyone to have this disease.

So who is Jon Reiner? Well I will just let Mr. Reiner explain himself.

JON REINER, FOOD WRITER By Jon Reiner

I won the 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for Feature Writing for authoring the Esquire story, “The Man Who Couldn’t Eat.” You may be thinking, That doesn’t make any sense. You wouldn’t be altogether wrong. Because of the anti-food subject of my story, I was an anti-food food writer. It’s a niche I inhabit as the sole member. The group’s meetings generally go smoothly.

In the instant I received the award, astonishingly, I became a food writer. A major publisher (Simon & Schuster) enthusiastically received my proposal to write a memoir based on the magazine story, with food deprivation at the core of a story that would be marketed as a food book. No one found this more absurd than my wife, Susan, who’s endured my very limited cooking for 15 years, waiting, prodding, urging me to study recipes just a little and get beyond the breaded pork chops of which she and our children have long tired. “You, a food writer? Ha!”

When I wrote the book, however, an amazing thing happened. In tracing the flashpoints that would tell a life story, I discovered that food had been a telling part of just about every meaningful event I could remember, starting when I was a kid and my parents took me to Katz’s Deli on the Lower East Side. Psychologically, emotionally, socially, culturally, historically, financially – food has been there throughout. So, while I may not have a clue how to make an apricot sauce to braise the chicken (I think water is involved), I remember its aromatic jungle flavor, how buoyant it made me feel, and how my wife’s pretty face was framed by the dark brick wall in our honeymoon apartment the first time I tasted it. Me, a food writer? You’ll have to read the book.

Check Mr. Reiner on Facebook

Purchase the book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble

The Crown on Your Head is a masterpiece that should be cherished with all.

2011-10-23T17:58:00.001-06:00

This is a cute, quick, inspiring read. The Crown on Your Head is a book to share with your children and grandchildren. Ms. Tillman states that the message she wants to convey with her books to children is that they are loved. I agree that Ms. Tillman hit her mark. This book does tell that message. The illustrations are beautiful. Each picture was like a watercolor photo. Because each page is short and the words are not too big, a child could read this book. I know that I will be sharing this book with my nephews. The Crown on Your Head is a masterpiece that should be cherished with all.

Stolen Bride is a must read book!

2011-10-23T14:55:00.001-06:00

Sixteen year old, Naomi Knapp has been courting with Bishop Yodder’s son, Jacob. They have only been seeing each other for four months but Naomi knows that she wants to marry Jacob. Unfortunately, Naomi’s dreams come crashing down on her when Jacob tells her that he is leaving. Jacob promises that if everything goes well that he will return in two years and ask Naomi for her hand in marriage. That was three years ago.

Abram Knapp has been married to Eunice for a long time. They have four daughters. While, Abram loves his daughters, he wishes that he had sons. That is why when Eunice informs Abram that she is pregnant, he is displeased. He has given up the idea of ever having a son. In fact, he is mad at Eunice for being pregnant.

Bishop Yodder tells Abram that there is a young man who is looking for work and he thinks that it would be a good idea if Abram hired him. The first moment that Abram sees Ted Tyler, he is brought back to the past and a woman that he was in love with. Her name is Sandra. Before she walked out of Abram’s life, she told him that she was pregnant. Could Ted be his son?

When an accident happens and the woman who is caring for Bishop Yodder’s house breaks her leg, the Bishop offers to marry Naomi. Jacob or as he goes by now Jake comes and takes Naomi to his world in New York. Will Naomi stay or go?

I have always found a fascination with books that focus on the Amish life. One of my favorite authors is Beverly Lewis. That is why I had to check out Stolen Bride. Valentine Dmitriev is a new to me author. I fell in love with this book more than I thought I would. Dr. Dmitriev really brought to life the characters and the story. I was fully immersed in this book. Naomi won my heart. She was so nice and caring. Even Naomi’s father, Abram had me feelings for him. Though, he did not act nice towards Eunice. I felt that all of Naomi’s reactions to New York and the clothing and sights were believable. I mention this because some books I have read, where this is not the case and than I feel like the book was a let down in that case. This was not the outcome in this book. Stolen Bride is a must read book! It will have you reading and re-reading it over and over again.

Calling all Kick-Ass Young Adult Heroines!

2011-10-21T17:28:00.001-06:00

I took parts of this article from Tor.com by Natalie Zutter. You can read the full article here

Don’t be afraid to make her masculine.
One of the most fascinating questions was whether the ladies consider their characters intrinsically female, and what makes them so. “Aoife does have a lot of masculine traits for when the story’s set,” Kittredge admitted. “She’s good at math, she’s athletic… She’s actually socially awkward and doesn’t have very good manners. I think with her character traits, if Aoife had been a guy, she would’ve come off as a jerk. Her desire not to be pigeonholed and to go out and seek adventure outside of the roles she’s been told she has to play, is intrinsic to her character.”

Grin and bear it when it comes to hypersexualized heroes.
However, there’s a big difference between Chicks in Chain Mail and the scantily clad superheroes that NYCC attendees saw every day on the show floor. To this relevant question, Pierce answered, “I grind my teeth a lot, I speak against it. I’m not happy with it; I would be happier if people would do it less. I support independent comics.” (You can also push to make more respectable heroines in comics, like Pierce did when she worked on Marvel’s new White Tiger series in 2006.)

LITTLE DID I KNOW

2011-10-21T00:00:00.005-06:00

My Review

The year is 1976.

Sam has just graduated college. Now it is time to pave his way in the real world. So the million dollar question is “What are you going to do now Sam?” Sam already has a plan. He shows his friends an ad for the rental of a theatre. This ad is the perfect answer to Sam’s dreams. Sam applies and receives a letter from The Barrows Foundation, who is managing the Priscilla Beach Theatre. The Barrows Foundation is pleased to offer Sam the theatre. Sam can live out his dreams and he will finally get to produce and direct musicals.

I thought this book read a little like the Great Gatsby. This is a good thing. It was zany and the characters were not to be taken too serious. I had mixed feelings about Sam. On one hand I thought he was chauvinistic, especially when it came to women and this turned me off but on the other hand, he did have some great ideas. Sam would describe the women in great detail about what their breasts looked among other details. There are also references to the male’s private parts. So, if you get offended easily than you are warned. I read another reader’s thought about this book and I had to agree that I found the sports references a bit much. At times, I had to muddle my way though sections as I thought this book moved slow at times for me. Overall, this book may not have been a Broadway hit with me but it is still worth your time to check it out.

Excerpt:

“Is that really necessary?” Elliot asked.

Without hesitation, surrounded by nods of assent, James quickly replied, “Yes, unfortunately, it is. Quite.”

I continued. “James, well…he will be James. He will make things work that are broken. He’ll be our Spock, our man of logic and calm. He will roll us a joint in time of need. Secunda will act his ass off and sing his ass off and tell jokes and break a few hearts and help me find the money to pay the rent. We’ll kiss every frog that will ribbet, and raise this dough.”

Q&A:

Can you tell us something about yourself that not a lot of your readers know?

I am a tremendous optimist—I believe that you can will things to happen and when all seems at the lowest that is when you figure it out. And I can tell my wife anything which makes me very lucky.

Do you have any quirks that come out while you are writing?

I don’t trust the dialogue so I read it out loud several times in the voices of the characters to make sure it has a special and specific cadence and so that everyone sounds different. To make sure the characters speak in their “speak” their vocabulary and with a unique energy that makes us all individuals.

What is your daily routine as a writer?

I think about what I am going to write throughout the day so when I sit in front of the computer the words have been pre written in my head.

What inspired you to write your first book?

A need to revisit joy and spontaneity and lose cynicism.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Yes but I can only tell you after you have read the novel otherwise it will give too much away

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Surprise as to where my characters go how they react to situations and how they grow in ways I never imagined. I also like to find new words to say things in a fresh fashion.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I baseball star but I couldn’t hit a curveball. To follow my passions. To leave my fingerprint on the planet. To listen and to change lives. Offer help put my beliefs ahead of my wants. To succeed. To find respect rather than be liked –if I had to choose. To find a few special persons who believed in me and not disappoint them. Be me but with a little less angst, perhaps more hair and a bigger savings account.

To read more about this book and another excerpt, click here

THE COMFORTS OF HOME with Jodi Thomas

2011-10-19T04:00:00.002-06:00

My review

Reagan Truman has grown since; she first came to Harmony, Texas. She is now a young woman has a grandpa, friends and a place to call home.

Ronelle Logan works for the post office. Her first delivery is to Mr. Marty Winslow. Ronelle was not prepared for Marty’s abrupt attitude. This would explain why on her first meeting with him, she called him a cripple.

Tyler Wright is the local funeral director. He is finally ready to make the leap from friends to more than just friends, with Kate. Though, is she ready for the same thing?

Everyone in Harmony is friendly and people that I want to hang out with. Well most of the people. There was Marty. I could not believe how grown up Reagan was. She now had to contend with boys and prior she was just happy sitting on the front porch with her grandpa. It was nice to see Noah again. I do believe that he and Reagan belong together. Ronelle became an instant hit with me. She was shy but around Marty she opened up and could be herself. Even if that meant sometimes just blurting out things.

I so love this series from author, Jodi Thomas. I have to compare this series to another one of my favorite author’s, Robyn Carr and her Virgin River series. They are both great, the characters are more like friends, and I can not read these books fast enough. The Comforts of Home is like eating a slice of Grandma’s homemade, warm, apple pie…it is delicious and makes you wants seconds and thirds!

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THE COMFORTS OF HOME will be hitting the stands on Nov. 1, 2011 and I’m very excited to see my people of Harmony, Texas come alive. In my mind they already are and sometimes I feel like they’re so real that I could pack my bag and go down for a visit any time I liked.

With writing it’s always been that way for me. I don’t really feel like I create characters, I feel like I just meet people and get to know them. If I’m lucky they tell me their story. When I meet people who read and love my books I always like to hug them. After all, we have friends in common.

As the people of Harmony began to sit down and tell me their story (in my head) I found one quiet woman fascinating from the first. At a time in her life when she was young and should have been going out on dates and having a ball, she was silently working at the post office without one person she called friend. The story whirls around with people falling in love, breaking up and living life, but in the corner of my mind, Ronelle Logan waited for her story.

People in general frightened her. One by one they were terrifying. Chapter 2, The Comforts of Home.

In the opening of THE COMFORTS OF HOME she is about to meet a man who will petrify her at first and awaken her to life as they talk.

In a closing note, I’d like to add that you are going to love a new character I introduce. He’s just a kid (17) with long hair, and a dream to make it big in the music world. We’ll be watching him grow up and fall in love several times before he figures women out.

Come along with me to Harmony. We’ll have a grand visit with the people there.

Wishing you much love and laughter in your life,

Jodi Thomas

http://www.jodithomas.com/

www.facebook.com/JodiThomasAuthor

The Popularity Rules

2011-10-18T20:42:00.001-06:00

Katherine Elliot is a music journalist for Think Louder. Though, she is at the bottom of the totem pole. This is because she does not kiss ass. Her co-workers disrespect her and so does her room mate. As if it could get worse, Kat’s ex-friend, Lauren Anderville reappears. The last time that Kat saw Lauren was when Lauren was ditching Kat for popularity. Lauren is pretty, rich, hangs with the coolest people and has a successful job. Lauren tells Kat that she wants to start over with Kat. In fact, she is willing to break one of the rules of the Popularity Rules book by sharing her secret.

The Popularity Rules book is based on the simple, psychological truth that nobody ever recovers from high school. In reality, this actually makes sense. While, we all strive to better ourselves, there is a small part of us that still reverts back to our former self in high school. I liked Kat. She showed spunk, however I also felt like she needed to take a stronger and louder stand for herself. She left Lauren just step in take the reins. Lauren did not have much substance in the way of being a three dimensional character. I knew that this book would be about clichés and popularity but I did not realize how much this turned me off. I guess if the story had been up to par and the characters than I may have liked the book better but the book and me just did not click. I do know that Abby can write as I read The Liberation of Alice Love and liked it a lot.

Dare to Live: Devotions for Those Over the Hill, Not Under It.

2011-10-18T00:00:00.007-06:00

Review by Nancy
In 1991, Elizabeth Van Liere lost her husband and her entire life for a little while. She regained faith in a very humorous way and took up something she has enjoyed all her life – writing. Her ability to take an event and turn it into a lesson is wonderful and I hope there are more books coming from her soon.

This collection of Christian thoughts is a must read! The stories are timely, the thoughts make YOU think as well and the questions are for soul-searching. My very favorite was near the beginning and titled: “A Crown of Grey Hair.” I’m certainly getting my own and reading her thoughts on greying made me feel a bit better inside. A book of stories, devotions and Scripture quotes for everyone – even if you aren’t a Senior Citizen.

Chocolates Are Yummy, But God Is Sweeter
(from Dare to Live, Devotions for Those Over the Hill, Not Under It)

So then whatever you eat or drink or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God.
I Corinthians 10:31 (Amplified)

What is the first goodie to disappear on a dessert table during the fellowship hour at church? Anything chocolate—especially brownies. Ask those among you who is a chocoholic and hands are lifted high with the enthusiasm of a praise and worship band. And happy day! I just read, “Dark chocolate is good for you.” Those words push aside my guilty feelings when I let a piece of chocolate slowly melt in my mouth.

It’s not so much the one piece I savor. It’s when I buy a box of chocolates. Not a huge box—no more than a double layer of brown nuggets. One of my daughters-in-law can buy a Hershey’s candy bar and eat one square a day. Not me. I open the box … slowly inhale the aroma … linger over the choice. Will it be a chocolate-covered caramel, a chocolate-covered truffle, or a crunchy chunk filled with nuts?

I snatch the truffle and shut the box.

Moments later the lid is off again. Just one more piece, then I’ll stop.

Sin is like my addiction to chocolate. To live as God wants me to live, especially in light of His grace, requires that I develop self-control in all things—including chocolate. Paul tells us we are to glorify God at all times. This includes eating, drinking, working or playing. “I will not be mastered by anything,” Paul told the church at Corinth.

Chocolates are only one of God’s gifts to us. Gobbling one piece after another means the object masters us instead of our being the master, just as overindulging in anything can rule our lives. God’s sweetness is more important than craving for chocolate. Do you suppose a chocolate obsession reveals a soul that is weak and easily led astray?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, You know I cannot keep my hand out of the box of chocolates by myself. I need Your help. So let my eyes skip over the sale at Walgreens for chocolates. Keep my eyes on the road ahead instead of to the side where Stouffers beckons. Grow self-control in me in everything, so all I eat, drink, or do glorifies You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Step Further
Proverbs 25:16; I Corinthians 9:24-27

Building Blocks of Faith
Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Questions
Why do I feel I can indulge myself just because I’m elderly?
Does it really matter if I take four pieces of candy instead of one?

Author Bio
Elizabeth Van Liere ‘s first story, “The Early Bird,” sent in with numerous mistakes, was published by Child Life in 1961. Since then, with much learning, her inspirational articles, poetry, children’s stories, and devotionals have found homes. Now, some fifty years later, at age 87, her first book is available: Dare to Live, Devotions for Those Over the Hill, Not Under It.

Elizabeth’s husband died in 1991, but she kept busy helping her daughter raise four sons. Others in her family: three sons, ten grandchildren, and fourteen great grandchildren. She loves the chance to visit them all, in Colorado and from California to Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Germany.

Welcome to Jeremy Robinson’s Great Kindle Giveaway and Blog Tour!

2011-10-17T00:00:00.004-06:00

Welcome to Jeremy Robinson’s Great Kindle Giveaway and Blog Tour.

“Hurray for free Kindles!” you say, but who the hell is Jeremy Robinson? Allow me to introduce myself. I’m the author of eleven mixed genre novels, published in ten languages, including the popular fantasy YA series, THE LAST HUNTER, and the fast-paced Jack Sigler series (also known as Chess Team—not nearly as nerdy as it sounds), PULSE, INSTINCT and THRESHOLD from Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press. I’m the co-author of an expanding series of novellas deemed the Chesspocalypse, which take place in the Chess Team universe. If that doesn’t wet your whistle, I’m also known as Jeremy Bishop, the #1 Amazon.com horror author of THE SENTINEL and the controversial novel, TORMENT. For more about me, or my books, visit http://www.jeremyrobinsononline.com/.

I have watched for years as my fellow authors held online events called blog tours. Some would visit ten blogs. Others, as many as ninety. And every day they would bring something different, waxing eloquent about a multitude of topics. When I finally decided to have a blog tour of my own, and settled on doing each and every weekday in October, my first thought was, “This will be cool,” which was immediately followed up by, “Holy crap, I can’t think of something interesting to say twenty times in one month!” I can barely think of something worthwhile for my own blog just once a month. The solution is what follows; each blog participating in the tour could ask me ANY three questions. That means, if the subject matter bores you, I’m not to blame! Huzzah!

But fear not. There are other rewards for sloughing through the questions and answers. I’ll be giving away two Kindles to two randomly selected readers who sign up for my newsletter. Details on the giveaway can be found below. On to the Q&A!

1. You seem to write a lot about end of days scenarios. Is this something you believe in or just a great book topic?

A little of both. I’m a believer, but I couldn’t tell you how I think, or how the Bible says, things will actually play out. In terms of “end of days” fiction I’m about as far as you can get from LEFT BEHIND or books like that. My depictions of the end of the world aren’t based on the Biblical version laid out in Revelations. Really, I just like destroying the planet and killing everyone —okay, almost everyone. And that scenario will always bring about mentions of the Biblical apocalypse, whether or not that’s what the story is really about. ANTARKTOS RISING and TORMENT both give mention to the Bible in their very different end of the world scenarios, but a good Bible scholar would (and some have) see that very little lines up. For me, despite my personal beliefs, Armageddon is just good entertainment.

2. What do you do to get ready to write and where do you go to write?

I write every day, in my office, which is full of things (books, toys, paintings, movies, games, etc) that inspire me. I tend to play a video game, which clears my mind of distractions, before writing. During writing, I listen to a soundtrack. In fact, I pick a specific soundtrack for each novel and listen to it, and only it, as I write. For example, THE LAST HUNTER series has been (and will be) written while listening to The Book of Eli soundtrack. It has the same creepy, surreal feel that I’m trying to create in the book, and when I put on that soundtrack I’m instantly transported back into that imaginary world. And to anyone reading that series, I highly recommend listening to that soundtrack while you read!

3. Do you feel that the book industry will survive without loss of paper books?

The book industry as a whole will survive. There will always be authors. And readers. But I wouldn’t dare try to predict what that will look like. I assume there will always be publishers because most authors aren’t also entrepreneurs or have the knowledge to design a book cover, format and e-book or market their titles. But there is a growing population (including me) that can do all those things, and successfully. The author/publisher is a new publishing model that’s working great for those that treat it as a business and set their standards high. I think we’ll see a number of new authors rise to prominence this way, and I also think we’ll see some big name authors jump ship from big publishing and go it alone. Publishing is going to take a hit. They already are. But the savvy publishers that adapt to the e-book market first will pull through. Those that don’t are doomed to the fate of the dinosaurs.

Hope that was as good for you as it was for me. Now how about that kindle giveaway?

Here’s the deal: to be entered to win one of two free kindles all you have to do is visit my website—and sign up for the newsletter. That’s it. The first kindle will go to a randomly chosen newsletter signup on October 31. For the second kindle, there’s a catch. The second giveaway will only be triggered if one of my kindle books hits the Amazon.com bestseller list (top 100). So pick up some books (most are just $2.99 a pop) and spread the word! If one of the books squeaks up to #100 for just a single hour, the second kindle will be given away to another randomly chosen newsletter sign up on October 31.

*When you sign up for the newsletter, be sure to include the name of the blog that referred you in the field provided. I’ll be giving away two $50 Amazon.com gift certificates to the blog that refers the most sign-ups and another to the blog who referred the first kindle winner.

** I will announce winners via Twitter, Facebook, my blog, and newsletter (which you will be signed up for!) but I’ll also e-mail the winners directly—I’ll need to know where to ship those kindles!

Thanks for spending some time with me today. Hope you enjoyed the Q&A, and good luck with the kindle giveaway!

-- Jeremy Robinson

Conversations and Cosmopolitans: Awkward Moments, Mixed Drinks, and How a Mother and Son Finally Shared Who They Really Are.

2011-10-16T14:15:00.001-06:00

OMG. This book had me laughing so much. I can not remember the last time that I had such a fun time reading a book. I love Mrs. Rave. She is a sweetheart and knows all the right things to say. Of course, Mr. Rave is priceless. Like when Robert was going to get waxed and his dad gave an analogy about how he did not see a problem if his son wanted to get some things waxed as when he and Mrs. Rave first moved into their home, the back yard was over grown and they did not want anyone to come over until they had cleaned it up. Thus this classic line from Mr. Rave “I’m saying Robert needs to trim his tree and bush before anyone spends time in his backyard.”

Another favorite chapter of mine was when Robert was teaching his mom about the “gay glossary”. As you can imagine words can carry different meanings in the “gay glossary”. I have to say that one that really stuck with me and had me almost in tears from laughter was “Flagger”

Flagger

Mrs. Rave’s Definition: Someone in a gang or rough around the edges.
Actual Gay Definition: Someone in the middle of a nightclub or party who starts twirling flags around; ANNOYING!

There are many more great moments like the Cosmopolitan incident…Cosmopolitan 3 versus Mrs. Rave 0. Though as much as I am a fan of Robert’s. I have read both Waxed and Spin, which are both great by the way. I have to admit that Mrs. Rave kind of stole the spotlight. Reading her point of view after each chapter was classic. If anything, reading this book mad me love Robert even more and his family. If you want to read a really good book about love, family bond, and a mother and son relationship of growth and discovering one’s self than you have to run not walk or click purchase with your mouse and get a copy of Conversations and Cosmopolitans: Awkward Moments, Mixed Drinks, and How a Mother and Son Finally Shared Who They Really Are.

Cemetery Girl will give you chills.

2011-10-15T11:35:00.000-06:00

When Caitlin was just twelve years old, she disappeared. Since that time, Tom and Abby Stuart have tried to hold on to hope that Caitlin might still return to them one day. Though, with Caitlin gone, their marriage has fallen apart. Abby is finally ready to let go of Caitlin but Tom is not.

Tom and Abby receive “the call”. The one that they never thought that they would ever receive. The police ask Tom and Abby to come down as they have Caitlin. Tom and Abby are happy but Caitlin has changed. She is withdrawn and acting like a teenager. Tom and Abby can not figure out why Caitlin does not want to identify her kidnapper. What is Caitlin hiding?

I had been seeing this book popping up on different sites that I was visiting and the more and more that I kept reading about it, I thought ok, this is a book I have to check out sooner rather than later. I have to say that I am glad that I did. It was not so much the characters that did it for me but the story. The only person I really felt for was Tom. Everyone else had their doubts and had given up but not Tom. He fought until the bitter end. Tom made me feel and cheer for him. I wanted him to prove every one wrong. Otherwise, I found Abby and even Caitlin off putting. Abby was not supportive and would verbally lash out at time at Tom. Caitlin, who I understand can change after an ordeal that she experienced but to use the foul language she did, I did not care for. I wanted to wash her mouth out with soap. When I talk about the story, it is the way that Mr. Bell hinted at what happened to Caitlin and the changes. There was one point where I actually thought that maybe Caitlin had died and this was her ghost. Cemetery Girl will give you chills.

The Elephant’s Footprint is a trail filled with deception, mystery, and romance!

2011-10-14T18:35:00.000-06:00

A tour guide for the Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa finds a young woman’s body. She has been mutilated. Her name is Kosigo and she is the daughter of a rich family and known as the Rain Goddess.

Linda Van Wyk has traveled to Rustenburg, her home town for a visit. While in Rustenburg, Linda bumps into an old friend. It is Chief Detective Inspector Arnie Swart. Arnie has a lot of pressure to solve the death of Kosigo, so when Linda offers to assist, now that she is a legal licensed private investigator, Arnie accepts. The police determine that Kosigo’s death was an unfortunate one due to a rogue elephant and close the case. Linda believes that the police have it wrong and that Kosigo’s death was an act of man and not animal. The police do not want to listen what with the upcoming World Cup. Linda won’t rest until she solves Kosigo’s murder. Luckily for Linda, she won’t have to do it alone. She is joined by George. George works as an archaeologist.

It was nice to see Linda again. I first met Linda in Scent of Oranges. Though, Linda is a reoccurring character and this series is based around her, The Elephant’s Footprint can be read as a stand alone novel. I absolutely love that these books are set in South Africa. Mrs. Zawatzky’s extensive knowledge of living in South Africa shows as I am instantly transport and it is like I can feel the dirt beneath my feet and the sun beating down on me.

It was nice to see Linda mature in this book. She and George made a nice couple. George is a sweetheart and a gentleman. What I like is that the romance was not overpowering and took away from the mystery and intrigue of the story. The resources that Linda uses to help her with her investigation are not always conventional but this is what makes this book new and intriguing. The Elephant’s Footprint is a trail filled with deception, mystery, and romance!

THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

2011-10-13T00:00:00.002-06:00

Edward and his brother Allard can remember their father telling them stories of Canada and the polar bears. He would talk for hours and they would go over a map. It got to be to the point that Ed and Allard decided that they could state from one frozen river to the next, until they made their way to Canada. On the day that Allard and Ed set out , they came upon a girl in trouble. The girl had fallen though the ice into the icy water. Ed and Allard saved her. The girl is named Sarah. From this day forward, the three were inseparable. Though, Sarah and Allard became just a little closer. Sarah even declared that one day she and Allard would marry. Every thing changed, one day, when a tragic event took place.

The World As We Know It is the first book I have read by Mr. Monninger. Wow. Wow. Wow. This book is breath-taking, glorious and a wonderful story of life, love, friends and family bonds. I started this book and literally a few hours later, I had finished it. Allard, Sarah and Ed were great. Of course, I also loved their parents as well. Mr. Monninger makes me want to stay in Baker River forever. This book is broken out into three parts. With each part adding to the story. The first section focuses on when Ed, Allard and Sarah all met and at this time they were just young teens. Also, at this time, Allard and Sarah experience teenage love which later progresses to more. I can always tell when I am emotionally invested in a character or the story line, when something tragic happens and I start to tear up. This book ended on a high note. The World As We Know It is a recommended read. I will be telling all my friends about this book, though they are going to have to get a copy for themselves as I am not sharing mine.

Reality Jane gives you a back stage pass to all the down and dirty gossip and work into creating a reality show.

2011-10-11T00:00:00.002-06:00

Jane Kaufman went from being a journalist in Canada to being a producer for the hit reality show, The Purrfect Life with Lucy Lane. Don’t mistaken the title of this show to be about cats or kittens, unless you are interested in the sex kitten variety. Yep, Jane’s first role as a Hollywood producer is for a show about superficial, rich people and stuck up models. Jane’s first episode that features DJ, MC Toke (yeah I know but this is really the name he goes by). Even after this disastrous event, Jane still is willing to stick out all the catiness and give Hollywood another chance. Besides, how many people can say that they were a producer for a reality show?

I had mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I liked the humorous banter but on the other hand I could not stand the fake characters and stereo typicalness. There was no one that I could really cheer for. At times it was Jane but not in the beginning. She was so naïve to the game that I wanted to shake her and tell her that she was so much smarter and better than the rest, so why did she care so much what the others thought and want to be their friends.

I have to give it up to Jane and Shannon as I don’t know if I could put up with being in this world for very long. Shannon has done it for years with shows like Peak Season for MTV (Supervising) and the CBC ratings winner The Week the Women Went, Bachelorettes in Alaska, Blow Out, and The Dr. Phil Show.

This book did make me glad that I am on the other side of the fence as a viewer and not staring in or producing a reality show. Reality Jane gives you a back stage pass to all the down and dirty gossip and work into creating a reality show.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
If reality television hadn’t been invented, Shannon Nering wouldn’t know what to do for a living! Shannon’s a much-in-demand docu-reality producer and director, whose savant-like understanding of the genre, combined with her ability to create intimate bonds with her subjects, pays off in riveting television . . . and now riveting novels like Reality Jane.

Recent producer and director credits include Peak Season for MTV (Supervising) and the CBC ratings winner The Week the Women Went. She cut her reality chops in Los Angeles, producing on numerous shows from Bachelorettes in Alaska, to Blow Out, to The Dr. Phil Show. Shannon began her broadcast career as an on-air host and reporter for the CBC.

She currently lives in Vancouver, BC with her cameraman husband and two young sons.

Q&A WITH SHANNON NERING, REALITY JANE AUTHOR

Why did you decide to write a novel set in reality television rather than a book of non-fiction about reality TV?
I wanted the experience of getting to make stuff up. In my line of work, I’m limited to the non-fiction world―it’s REALITY TV, after all. My job, by its very definition, is about real life. And though the old adage “life is stranger than fiction” often rings true for me, it’s really liberating to be able to create a story that doesn’t have to live within true-life boundaries. For me, it almost felt like cheating. And then to write in a style―chick-lit―where there is license to be girly/silly/humorous/playful really was a joy.

One other reason: Some people may not take reality TV seriously, but when it’s your bottom-line and it pays your mortgage, you have to be serious about it. Writing Reality Jane helped bring the fun back for me and reminded me what I love (and hate) about this biz.

In writing for TV, what have you learned that you took over to novel writing? And what have you learned NOT to take over?
In TV land, we know that people can change the channel in a flash, so we write to create maximum impact. The style is bold, sensational, quippy, and fast. We also let the talent/subjects/cast tell the story, instead of narrating it. I definitely used this style in writing the book. It’s driven by dialogue, as are all the shows I’ve worked on. That said, writing Reality Jane allowed me to explore my voice and create a world that is familiar and yet chaotic and zany enough to provide real entertainment for the reader.

You work regularly in reality TV, both as a director and a producer. To what extent do you see this book as biting the hand that feeds you?
I don’t think I’m the first person to have a love-hate relationship with my job and career. And to this day, there are elements I really dislike about my work. But there is much to love―we meet amazing people; we’re often in a new location, sometimes daily; every day is truly different; and we constantly learn about life and people. It’s a creative job and it’s exciting. We’re so fortunate to work in “entertainment,” but it has a downside as well, and you can never take anything too personally. I don’t think I’m insulting anyone in this book or biting any hands; insiders know it’s a work of fiction. The book simply reveals that reality TV is a business like anything else, and it’s naïve to think or expect otherwise. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

I’ve heard of “publish or perish.” But, until reading Reality Jane, I’d never heard of “pitch or perish.” Same idea? Explain.
Very few people in our business have a “full-time” gig. We’re mostly freelancers, and we’re only as good as our last gig. Sometimes jobs last a week, sometimes six months, but rarely longer. A show can get pulled, cancelled, given to other prodcos [production companies], whatever. There is no security in our biz. So you’ve got to keep chucking spaghetti against the wall and hope something sticks. You’ve got to keep trying to sell shows to the networks.

It seems as if, until now, you’ve spent most of your working life in television. What draws you to it? What repels you?
I love the adventure and I love the people in the business. Producers, directors, TV-types are a very interesting bunch. They’re mostly A-types who have strong opinions and aren’t afraid to voice them, so there’s a lot of clashing behind the scenes. I like that. I don’t go for the corporate world; by comparison, it seems slow and boring, and there’s a lot of make-nice fakeness that you don’t get in the “no-shit” world of TV. It’s a fast world and my sneakers move faster than those of most others, so it suits me. Plus, my experience working with the cast of any given show is usually a kick! They’re really fascinating. They can also be petty, strange, difficult, lewd and boring, and that keeps it interesting too.

Could you work more if you didn’t have small children?
YES! Of course, that applies anywhere, but especially to TV. When you commit to being in the field, you are there for a 10-12 hour day and you have to shut your phone off (or at least to vibrate). No sneaking out to take a kid to the dentist for an hour—just not possible or acceptable.

Is there a “Canadian sensibility” to reality TV that is different from an American sensibility, or a European sensibility, or an Asian sensibility, and, if so, what is it?
Bottom line, American reality shows are more salacious. But Canadian reality shows are slowly but surely adopting this style. It’s what the people want. I remember trying to pitch a reality show about divorcees to a Canadian cable network and they didn’t believe that Canadian women could be as revealing, crazy, or wild as their American counterparts. I disagreed but couldn’t convince them. So it’s a top-down phenomenon as far as I can tell.

When I ask my Canadian friends what they like, they LOVE the American reality shows, and there’s nothing in Canada that compares. So we need to feed that if we want to keep it local, and I think that’s finally starting to happen.

As for off-continent: we’re always borrowing from other countries as they borrow from the U.S. Asians seem to love their off-the-wall goofball shows where things (or people) go kersplat. We’ve adopted that with Wipe Out, which is now a huge hit. And Europe has led the way from the get-go with clever, true-blue reality shows like Survivor and Big Brother and Missing Link, so we still look to them to be on top of the trends, while they scoop up American favorites like the Real Housewives franchise and talk shows.

To what extent is your novel’s main character, Jane Kaufman, really you?
Jane and I share a fierce ambitious streak and obviously the same career. But Jane is way more naïve than I ever was and she’s also more tolerant―she puts up with a lot of crap. I would have lost it a lot sooner than she does. Also, when it comes to men and dating, I was much more sure-footed.

Over the past decade, how has reality TV changed, for good or ill, and how are those changes reflected in your novel?
It’s grown tremendously and proven that it is here to stay. It’s expanded into soap-style TV with shows like The Hills and Real Housewives, while the anchors of the genre, like Survivor and Amazing Race and Bachelor, are still strong. It’s also provided ample fodder for a number of cable networks: HGTV, Food, etc. It’s constantly growing and morphing and we’re seeing more and more accomplished actors getting into the game―people are using it (or trying to use it) as a launching point for their careers. In Reality Jane, there’s the strange hybrid show Marry an Heiress and the opportunistic producers who create a wedding show spin-off from it. This happens and will continue to happen as long as producers create or find bankable characters. It’s all about the money and advertisers.

What do you hope readers get out of Reality Jane?
Entertainment, first. A reality check, second. I want people to recognize that their TV-movie icons―the people they so worship―are flawed just like the rest of us. I also want them to see that reality TV is a business―in fact, a big business―and in business, people sometimes do get crushed. The book shows us that first-hand. Watch your favorite reality show and enjoy it for what it is, but if you’re thinking about giving your “story” up for a reality show, I caution you: sometimes you benefit, sometimes you don’t. There are no guarantees, so be smart about it.

Also, we as producers get a lot of flack for working in what some people call a shmucky business. I want folks to see that there are many of us who have a strong moral compass and we operate within those boundaries. I think people should operate from their value systems. If someone asks you to compromise—whether you’re in TV, sales, law, medicine, home construction—stick to your guns. If not, you won’t be able to live with yourself. If Reality Jane can inspire people to stand up for what they believe in (as Jane did), then wow! Now it’s not just entertainment for you. You have a real and useful take-away.

Are you thinking about a sequel to Reality Jane?
Never say never. The content is certainly there.

If someone were to play Jane Kaufman in a movie, who would it be and why?
Kate Hudson because she’s not afraid to make an ass of herself, yet she can be taken seriously as an intelligent and capable woman with a goal to make a positive difference in the world―and that is Jane.

Do you see Reality Jane as a movie and, if so, why?
It’s got all the elements of a superb romantic comedy―great locations, beautiful people, a multi-layered protagonist with lofty aims, a complicated love triangle, heartbreak, evil bosses and colleagues, friendship dramas, universal life challenges and, of course, a happy ending.

As a first-time novelist, what did you learn about writing a novel?
It’s frickin’ hard and it takes a long time. It’s also hugely fulfilling, especially given the fact I never thought myself even remotely qualified.

You’ve written a novel that might well be categorized as chick-lit, a genre that some say is dead or dying. Is this chick-lit? Is the genre dead or dying? Who exactly is your audience?
Chick-lit is dying? Back the bus up! I find that hard to believe. In my world, that’s like saying rom-com has gone the way of the dodo bird. Not possible. I think anyone, man or woman, who is curious about TV and its inner-workings will like this book. That said, chicks will dig it, especially if they’re ambitious. It’s a smart chick-lit read with less fluff and silliness than the average chick-lit novel, but all the edge and salaciousness that contemporary audiences crave. It’s also got a strong and rather serious message, which gives it some real depth. To me, as a reader, I would find all that quite satisfying and enjoyable.

What books and authors do you read? Which do you admire? Which have had a noticeable influence on you?
I’m eclectic in my tastes in literature and just about everything else, and with two young kids and all my projects (and TV shows), my time is limited. That said, some of my favorite fictional reads include War and Peace, The Fountainhead, The Unbearable Lightness of Being (perhaps it’s clichéd but damn good just the same). My favorite chick-lit writer is Jennifer Weiner, who is a real inspiration. I also read a fair bit of non-fiction.

Among reality TV people, what’s been the reaction to this novel?
First, they all wonder where I found the time to write it. Second, they love it. It’s a bit of a mirror for an industry insider, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously, so most of my peers find it fun and humorous, and truly a nice break from reality.

Among smart people, is watching reality TV considered to be a guilty pleasure and, if so, why?
Yes, but this is changing too. People used to be embarrassed to admit it, and men still blame it on their wives, which is cute. But these days I don’t believe people when they say they don’t watch reality TV. I say, “Then you must not have access to cable!”

In Reality Jane, Jane Kaufman espouses a philosophy she attributes to her mother: “In life, shoot for the stars, but you, like most everyone else, may get only halfway there, and learn to live with that fact.” Is that your philosophy of life? And did it come from your mother?
My mom has given me a lot of guidance through my years and continues to―I will forever be grateful to her for that. I don’t remember where I first heard it, probably her, or maybe I made it up. But yes, I agree with that philosophy. It’s about NOT settling, it’s about trying, and it’s obviously about the journey. The destination is such a small part of it all, and it changes too. I love not knowing where I’m going to end up. I just know it’s going to be good! It’s how I’ve lived my life―try, reach, see where I end up, and enjoy the ride. It’s all good.

In Reality Jane, you suggest that crew for some reality TV shows, shooting on location for an extended period of time, tend to be on the randy side. True in real life?
I don’t think we are any more randy than a gang of executives in Vegas for a convention. But yes, any time you get a group of mostly single 20- and 30-somethings stuck in a hotel for a month, working their asses off, then blowing off steam with alcohol, stuff’s going to happen.

In the novel, Jane Kaufman yearns to live away from LA. True in your life, too, and, if so, why?
It’s a popular notion for those who live in LA to complain about living there. But truly, LA is a great place to live. It’s just so damn cool. It’s also got the worst traffic I’ve ever seen in my life. Complete grid-lock. I left LA to partially remove myself (and my family) from the uber rat-race, but I discovered the rat-race had followed me, so escape was a futile effort. And now I miss LA’s cool factor. Someday I may go back. I just hope they don’t run out of water!

What do reality TV participants get out of the experience? Best case? Worst case?
Best case: a $50 million boost to a fledgling business (Bethanny Frankel) or a few million dollars in cologne endorsements (The Situation)
Worst case: a severe hangover.

Seriously, like anything, it’s what you make of the experience. It can open many doors for you. Or, it can be devastating. It all depends on who you are as a person. Going on a show will show you who you really are.

In this book, do you do more dissing or dishing when it comes to reality TV?
Dishing. People love to dish and it’s why reality TV is so popular. It’s also why this book will be popular. As for dissing, nobody likes a hater. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. That’s never been my goal in anything I do.

How hard was it to get this book published?
To quote a favorite song lyric, it’s been “a long and windy road” but worth every step. I’m ever grateful to the people who have supported this process.

Darkness Falling: Forever Twilight, Book 1

2011-10-10T22:10:00.003-06:00

Martha and her husband, Ronnie have boarded a plane to head back to Atlanta. Things are going alright until all of a sudden a bright light flashes and Martha is gone. It seems that Martha is not the only one missing. Most of the passengers on the plane have disappeared. The few people who are left are in for a big surprise, when the others return. Though not the same way that they left.

I wanted this book to be so much better than it actually turned out to be. As I was reading it, images of the Left Behind series was flashing in my head. Due to the way that the people disappeared and than the set up afterwards. Just like with the Left Behind books, there was a lot of dialect with the characters. There were about three or four main story lines but nothing really hinted at what the true effects of the disappearances of all the people were until later in the book. So this made reading the book, so going. While, I could see where the story was going, I would have liked the action and intensity levels to be amped up. I hope that this will be remedied in book two.

The Black Opera is anything but boring!

2011-10-10T18:43:00.002-06:00

Review by Nancy

The Black Opera is anything but boring! It keeps you hopping from one decade back to another to Tomorrow and today and most places in between. It tells us who really killed Kennedy (both John and Bobby) and how you can get a free suitcase with a nuke in it; among other things. It explains Chappaquiddick and all things political that you’ve ever wondered about if you grew up in that time period. And we all did.

There are plots afoot and American Thunder is point on most of them. Led by a man named Adam Eugene Carver who was CIA, then FBI and then…..well, you’ll see. They planned the Kennedy assassinations, the death of the Rolling Stones and many other things you thought were terrorist plots.

This book is a mega hit! It has an answer for nearly anything ‘60’s related and into the ‘7y0s as well. A thriller, you bet – but one that makes sense which is the scariest part of all. JFK’s twin sons????? Who knew??? Go get it, quick!

J’Adore New York is a fun, chick-lit

2011-10-09T00:00:00.004-06:00

Catherine Lambert is an attorney with Edwards and White. They are a global corporation. Catherine works in the Paris branch but when she receives a mass email that the company is looking for staff to transfer to their New York location, Catherine accepts. As soon as Catherine walks into the New York office, she instantly has regrets about transferring.

I was not sure if I would like this book as it is not something that I typically gravitate towards but it sounded good, so I decided to give it a chance. So, glad that I did. This book is hilarious and a quick read. Like for example when Catherine was being explained all the perks about health insurance, 401K, dental, etc. One of the benefits was pet insurance. Catherine thought…pet insurance? What lawyer at this firm has time to take care of a pet? Isn’t that like offering child care services to a group of monks?

Though, I do not envy Catherine. She had to put up with a lot of shit. Pardon my French. With a boss from hell and dealing with offensive behavior from a client, who is looking for his next ex-wife. Luckily for Catherine, she had a great administive assistance in Rikash. Rikash is the perfect assistant. He is gay, hears all the gossip and knows when the stores are having the best sales like Dior and Dolce and Gabbana. Of course, as much as I enjoyed reading this book, I did have some issues with the characters. While, I know the whole purpose was to show that Catherine was above all the petty cat fighting and mindless drones but I also found this a turn off. These people got on my nerves and before I knew it, I was skimming the pages and flash forwarding some to the end. J’Adore New York is a fun, chick-lit that I would recommend to someone who is looking for a book like this to read. There will be a second book, J’Adore Paris.

Why not go Steampunk for Halloween?

2011-10-08T17:15:00.002-06:00

Creating a steampunk ensemble requires imagination, ingenuity and creativity. The New Victorian movement is rarely portrayed accurately in movies in the true style of genre. To say that it “damns the factory but celebrates the machine” is one of the most accurate quotes stemming from the budding subculture. Aristocrats are not fine lords and ladies but rather ship captains, yard bosses, and storekeeps. This is the working class Victorian. Creators, inventors, metal smiths, dressmakers, musicians, and explorers are the celebrities of the time and with that comes a more practical ensemble.

Figure out who you identify or can lose yourself in. After that, you must create the wardrobe to support it. Thrift stores can be a great source to find sacrificial items to be altered. Many a prom dress was reinvented into a Victorian steampunk gown. Do a little research before going in so you can keep an eye out for what makes sense.

If you want to do a period recreation, consignment shops, and eBay can be a great source for authentic late 1800s clothing that is still very wearable. Beware that storage and sun are factors in how well a garment can withstand a soiree. Showcase it knowing that it may be a one-shot deal and have a backup (or at least great underclothes) should it fall away during the night’s revelry.

You can also either commission or buy off the rack at one of the online steampunk clothing stores opening up. A helpful salesperson can even guide you to get pieces that support your ideal self.

For ladies, you can never go wrong with a swag-front bustled skirt, ruffle-front blouse, granny boots and great chappeau. Do remember your foundation when dressing, utilizing a corset to get the hourglass silhouette of the time. An underbust corset helps create that look while giving you more “breathing room.” Literally.

To learn more go here

Ghost Trackers

2011-10-08T15:19:00.000-06:00

Back in high school, Amber, Drew and Trevor were good friends. They had all hear rumors of the Lowry House but they decided to check the house out for themselves. It was a night that they will never forget. Something evil was lurking into the house waiting for them. They barely escaped.

Now, fifteen years later, Amber, Drew and Trevor reunite for their high school reunion. The house may be gone but the evil still lurks. Only this time the evil wants Amber, Drew and Trevor for good.

I have watched a few episodes of Ghost Hunters, so I knew what Jason and Grant encounter. I thought this book would be about a real life situation that they dealt with. I was wrong; though I am sure they could stumble across a situation like this. This book is fiction. I would say this book was more on the horror side than it was scary. This is why I was disappointed not because I did not like the story or the characters but I was expecting to be scared and have to keep looking over my shoulder, which neither happened. Amber, Drew and Trevor played well off each other’s weakness and strengths.

Steampunk Week!!

2011-10-06T16:52:00.003-06:00

I discovered the genre Steampunk a couple of years ago and since than have read several books. More and more authors are writing for this genre and I am excited. So what is steampunk?

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s.[1] Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain—that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne.

Other examples of steampunk contain alternative history-style presentations of such technology as lighter-than-air airships, analog computers, or such digital mechanical computers as Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace's Analytical engine.

Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual artisans into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk.

Below is a book that fits this genre. Enjoy.

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

Check out Katy Cross's website here. She has lots of other links to everything steampunk.

This book is Lethal to your sleeping habits

2011-10-06T13:04:00.001-06:00

Honor Gillette is in the kitchen decorating cupcakes, when her four year old daughter, Emily comes in and tells Honor that there is a man in the yard. Honor goes outside to check on the man and before she can blink, the man hops up and holds a gun to her throat. The man is Lee Coburn. A mass murderer on the loose. As the police are closing in, Lee, Honor and Emily lead the authorities on a chase.

It has been a while since I have read a book by Ms. Brown. After reading this book, I will not let time pass between books. Lethal had me hooked from the beginning. I literally was carrying this book around the house with me reading just a little more until I had read the very last word. This book is Lethal to your sleeping habits as you just might not get any sleep!

Though, I could tell where the story line was going, it was the twists and turns that had me. Honor may be a kidnap victim but this did not stop her from trying to still fight back and escape. Do not mistake a mother’s love for her child as weakness. When you put a mother in a situation like this, she is like a tigress…waiting for the perfect moment to attack her prey. Lee was the wild card in the book. I can not really explain why without giving away any spoilers.

Thawed Out and Fed Up

2011-10-06T00:00:00.003-06:00

Sam Bonham is a drunk. He awakes to find himself outside of Rack ‘Em Up. The problem is that Sam has awakened from many hangovers but this time it is different. He has not recollection of how he got here. Also, Sam has blood on his shirt but he does not know if it is his. While finishing up his meal at the diner, two police officers come in and start talking about a murder case. The man was found on Shady Glen Road. The same road that Sam’s wife and son live on.

Sam knows he needs to get out of dodge until he can regain his memories back. So he heads West. Sam comes upon a plan crash. There he finds a survivor. Before the guy dies, he tells Sam that he must bring him back. There in the crash site is a large cooler. Sam opens it and that is when the fun really brings. Inside the cooler is none other than…John “The Duke” Wayne.

I can still remember reading Mr. Brown’s debut novel, Play Dead. That is why when I saw that his next book had come out; I could not wait to read it. A western that involves a reanimated John Wayne. Yeah, I am all in. Unfortunately, this book did not do it for me. I really tried to like this book but could not get myself to find anything that interesting in the main character, Sam. So, here is a man who left his wife and son and than later decides that he wants another chance with them and will do anything to be a hero in his son’s eyes. Sam did not do it for me as a hero. Also, I knew this book was not supposed to be taken seriously but in a way I wanted it to feel more believable. The Duke will always remain a legend. Mr. Brown did score well in this area. He captured and portrayed The Duke’s attitude and persona spot on. This book is not a favorite of mine but I do know what Mr. Brown is capable of and I will keep my eye out for his third book.

Nightwoods by Charles Frazier *author of Cold Mountain

2011-10-05T17:59:00.003-06:00

A Letter from Author Charles Frazier

Lost in the woods. A dangerous phrase, but also with a resonance of folktale. Hansel and Gretel with their bread crumbs. Jack alone, roaming the lovely, dark, and deep southern mountains. So, young people and old people being lost in the woods has always been interesting to me for those reasons. And also because it happens all the time still.

Back when I was a kid, eight or ten, my friends and I lived with a mountain in our backyards. We stayed off it in summer. Too hot and snaky. But in the cool seasons, we roamed freely. We carried bb guns in the fall and rode our sleds down old logging roads in winter. We often got lost. But we knew that downhill was the way out, the way home. When I grew up and went into bigger mountains, you couldn’t always be so sure. I remember being lost in Bolivia. Or let’s say that I grew increasingly uncertain whether I was still on the trail or not. That’s the point where you ought to sit down and drink some water and consult your maps and compass very carefully and calmly. I kept walking. At some point, it became a matter of rigging ropes to swing a heavy pack over a scary white watercourse. I ended up at a dropoff. Down far below, upper reaches of the Amazon basin stretched hazy green into the distance. Downhill did not at all seem like the way home.

You’ll just have to trust me that this has something to do with my new novel, but to go into it much would risk spoilers. I’ll just say that early on in the writing of Nightwoods, Luce and the children were meant to be fairly minor characters, but I kept finding myself coming back to them, wanting to know more about them until they became the heart of the story. Some of my wanting to focus on them was surely influenced by several cases of kids lost in the woods in areas where I’m typically jogging and mountain biking alone at least a hundred days a year. It’s part of my writing process, though I hardly ever think about work while I’m in the woods. But I do keep obsessive count of how many miles a day I go and how many words I write, lots of numbers on 3x5 notecards. All those days watching the micro changes of seasons can’t help but become part of the texture of what I write, and those lost kids, too.

The Unchosen Life

2011-10-05T00:00:00.000-06:00

Review by Nancy

From the beginning, Elena was a bit different. She never cried, even at birth. She was faster and stronger than most kids her age and had above average intelligence to boot. She found her “soul-mate” in high school but something kept her from telling him so. They had screaming fights, loud discussions and she never, ever dated him but there was always an understanding……they loved each other but togetherness was apparently over-rated.

After graduation, Elena did the typical go to college stuff and Damon…well, Damon the jock went to Italy to play volleyball. Ten years pass. Elena has odd dreams, deadly ones in fact but they’re only dreams, right? Well…..not necessarily. They lead her to Italy to a man named Lorenzo who told her how to find him in his dream. He also told her not to fall in love with someone who could be her twin because that person was out to kill her.

By the time Elena gets to Italy Lorenzo has passed away. He leaves her funds enough to find out about herself and the other person like her who will try to kill her. While shopping in Rome she hears a loud, teasing voice and finds Damon again in her life. But is it him????? Will he try to kill her??

I had some issues with this story: I LOVED the plot and the characters and I think I like that the sequel is already being written. What I didn’t like was the writing style. Danka uses no contractions whatsoever and I think this made the dialogue stilted. The characters couldn’t have a good time because they were too polite to say so! Otherwise, great tale and I’ll be looking for part two.

Check the book out here

Falling Under just got better a second time!

2011-10-04T18:11:00.004-06:00

Author, Danielle Younge-Ullman contacted me to let me know that her book, Falling Under was just re-released with a brand , new book cover. I think that I might like this new b\cover better. It is more dramatic. Check it out here. I read this book when it was first released and you can read my review here.

Back cover
After growing up as the only child of bitterly divorced parents, Mara Foster has finally gained independence and is embarking on a promising career as an artist. But despite her success, she is fragile. Burdened by a host of fears and anxieties, Mara finds it difficult even to leave her house on most days. When Mara meets Hugo, the walls she has built around herself begin to crumble, and as she struggles to find a breakthrough both in her art and in life, she must come to terms with her own dark secrets in order to get a second chance at happiness.

Written in spare, crisp prose and marked by wry humor, Falling Under is a gripping contemporary urban tale of human weakness, friendship and hard-earned redemption. This emotionally resonant story of unexpected love marks the debut of a striking new voice in fiction.

Author Ben Loory and Bigfoot (Yes, he does exist!)

2011-10-04T17:13:00.004-06:00

You have got to check out this interview between Bigfoot and author, Ben Loory. It is priceless. Also, you can read my review on Stories for Nightime and Some for the Day here.

Bigfoot
by Ben Loory
A man is walking through the woods, when suddenly he sees Bigfoot.

Holy cow! the man thinks. Bigfoot!

Bigfoot sees him and runs away.

The man chases Bigfoot through the woods for a long time. He chases him for hours and hours. Finally, he gets close enough to leap—which he does. Bigfoot comes crashing to the ground.

I've got him! the man thinks, as he ties Bigfoot's feet. I've got him! I got him! I caught Bigfoot!

Almost instantaneously, the man becomes a celebrity. People from TV come to his house.

How does it feel to have captured Bigfoot? they say.

It feels good, says the man. Really good!

A lot of people didn't think that Bigfoot really existed, the people say and then wait for a response.

Well, says the man, I guess now they know!

And everybody laughs and claps their hands.

To read the rest of this story, click here