reading mama

Book GiveAway-The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner

2010-06-06T12:45:00.004-05:00

If you visit The Book Connections you can enter a chance to win the historical fiction book The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C. W. Gortner

Here is a synopsis of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici:

The truth is, none of us are innocent. We all have sins to confess.

So reveals Catherine de Medici in this brilliantly imagined novel about one of history’s most powerful and controversial women. To some she was the ruthless queen who led France into an era of savage violence. To others she was the passionate savior of the French monarchy. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter into the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power.

The last legitimate descendant of the illustrious Medici line, Catherine suffers the expulsion of her family from her native Florence and narrowly escapes death at the hands of an enraged mob. While still a teenager, she is betrothed to Henri, son of François I of France, and sent from Italy to an unfamiliar realm where she is overshadowed and humiliated by her husband’s lifelong mistress. Ever resilient, Catherine strives to create a role for herself through her patronage of the famous clairvoyant Nostradamus and her own innate gift as a seer. But in her fortieth year, Catherine is widowed, left alone with six young children as regent of a kingdom torn apart by religious discord and the ambitions of a treacherous nobility.

Relying on her tenacity, wit, and uncanny gift for compromise, Catherine seizes power, intent on securing the throne for her sons. She allies herself with the enigmatic Protestant leader Coligny, with whom she shares an intimate secret, and implacably carves a path toward peace, unaware that her own dark fate looms before her—a fate that, if she is to save France, will demand the sacrifice of her ideals, her reputation, and the passion of her embattled heart.
From the fairy-tale châteaux of the Loire Valley to the battlefields of the wars of religion to the mob-filled streets of Paris, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici is the extraordinary untold journey of one of the most maligned and misunderstood women ever to be queen.

If you visit The Book Connection not only can you enter to win the book but you can also read an intreview of the author, C. W. Gortner

Class is over!!!

2010-05-08T13:20:00.008-05:00

Hi, everyone I am back. I have been silent for two months. Between work, class and family I barely had time to read and let alone blog. I have read two books since the last time I posted. I know two books is not much but I am pleased because my class was taking so much time. I was writing my assignments Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Nothing like the last minute, since everything was do on Sunday.

My family was at Border's browsing books. I had no intention to buy anything; when my husband picked up Monster by A. Lee Martinez and joking said "Here is a book for you." I took the book and read the back cover and I decided that a book about monster hunter with a girlfriend from Hell would be a fun read. My husband was a little surprised that I actually liked the book. So I bought the book and started to read it.

This is from the back cover: Monster runs a pest control agency. He's overworked and has domestic troubles -like having the girlfriend form hell.

Judy works the night shift at the local Food plus Mart. Not the most glamorous life, but Judy is happy. No one bothers her, and if she has to spell things out for the night manger every now and again, so be it.

But when Judy finds a yeti in the freezer aisle eating all the Rocky Road, her life collides with Monster's in a rather alarming fashion. Because Monster doesn't catch raccoons: he catches the things that go bump into night. Things like ogres, trolls, and dragons.

Oh and his girlfriend from hell? She actually is from Hell.

This book was a fun read. I read it in one night. LOVED IT. It was the right book to help distress after a day of writing about infant and toddler development. Everybody in my household was surprised that I read Monster and actually liked it. My youngest kept asking me what monsters were being captured as I was reading. My husband was very proud that he actually picked out a book for me and I like it. I am going to try and read other books by A. Lee Martinez.

Diamond Willow by Kathleen Eagle was a book I had laying around the house. My mom gave to me awhile ago. When I was in college, I read Harlequins and Silhouettes books as a quick read. So I picked this book to read because it should have been a quick read.

From the Back cover:

His name was John Tiger, but the few who truly know hem called him the Cat. Th Indian rancher was locked in a bitter struggle to save the land that was his birthright, standing his ground against outsiders who cared nothing for the traditions of his people.

It was hard for this proud, solitary man to admit he needed help-and even harder to ask it of Teri Nordstrom, the woman whose memory had haunted him for so many years. But this was one battle he could not win alone.

Then, suddenly, there was for more at stake than land. Suddenly he was fighting to claim a love he had thought was lost forever-and a child he had never known was hie.

This was an average romance. I can usually read these types of romances in about 2-3 hours, this one took a couple of days to finish. This book was OK, nothing inspiring or made me feel that satisfied feeling that one can get after reading a romance.

During the past four months, I have lost touch with the book world and I will be spending time catching up.

Happy Reading.

Where Have I been?

2010-03-07T20:47:00.005-06:00

I am still here. I have just been busy with my infant/toddler on-line class. I usually have three assignments due in a week and after spring break I will be having four assignments due in a week. My class involves a lot of writing. So it has been taking a lot of my time.

I have read some books before my class started.

I finished Emperor: The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden. This book is about the early years of Julius Cesar and Marc Anthony.

I did not enjoy it. It was not a bad book. It just was not my type of book. I hate to be sexist, but I kept thinking that this book is geared for men.

For the Historical Fiction Challenge, I read The Triumph of Deborah by Eva Etzione-Halevy. This book was about Deborah a famous bible prophet, and Barak, a Jewish General. My only issue with this book is that I cannot see God picking a general who sleeps with any female, and a prophetess who sleeps with her general. To save the Jewish people from their enemies the Canaanites. It just did not fit with my idea of biblical fiction. Otherwise, I liked it.

My goal is to read one book a month as long as my class is in session. The sad thing is I am already behind. I did not read any books in February. So I will have to finish Flowers in The Rain by Rosamunde Pilcher, a book filled with short stories about love and relationships, and another book in March. So hopefully when I am on spring break, I can achieve this goal.

Even though I am not writing on my blog, I am still thinking of everyone. I will try to write in about a month or so. I guess I can always put my essay's form my class up on my blog. Just a thought.

Happy Reading.

The Tudor Book Challenge

2010-01-07T17:57:00.007-06:00

The Tudor Challenge is my fourth challenge of the year. I just love the Tudors. This is a must challenge for me.

Here are the guidelines as posted by Benedictionary:

The Challenge:
From January 1st, 2010 to December 31st, 2010 The Tudor Book Challenge challenges you to read books about or inspired by the Tudor era of the English monarchy.

The Challenge Rules:
You may read your books in any format – e-books, audio books, electronic reader books, and printed books are acceptable.

You are welcome to use the books you read for the Tudor Book Challenge in other challenges (where applicable).

Books can be fiction or non-fiction, but they must be about or inspired by Tudor England.

You are not required to post a list of the books you intend to read. You may choose them as you go.

Bloggers and non-bloggers alike are welcome to participate in the challenge. If you do not have a blog, you will need to review the books you’ve read on some book-related website: i.e. GoodReads, Amazon, Borders, etc. and send in the links (via comments) to be eligible for the prizes. I need to be able to verify that these books were read by you.

The Registration Rules:

All registrations must be received by midnight (EST) on December 31st, 2009 to be eligible for the prizes. If you do not register by the midnight deadline, you may still participate in the challenge but you will not be eligible for the prizes.

To keep things official and time-stamped, you will need to comment on this post if you wish to participate in the challenge. Please provide me with the following information:

YOUR NAME or ONLINE ALIAS YOUR BLOG or BOOK SITE YOU’LL BE REVIEWING FROM – Remember, if you do not have a blog you will need to post reviews on GoodReads, Amazon, Borders, B&N, or some other site that allows for book reviews.YOUR CHALLENGE LEVEL – This is very important, so please include it in your comment.

The Challenge Levels:

(I have lowered the required books for each level at the urging of my better half. Feel free to change your selection before the deadline.)

King or Queen – You are the ruler of your dominion. You will read at least 11 Tudor-related books.

Nobleman or Noblewoman - You are honorable, indeed. You have earned your title by agreeing to read at least 9 Tudor-related books.

Courtier – You are a rising star in the royal court. You have decided to read at least 7 Tudor-related books.

Commoner – Your role in the kingdom is small but mighty. You are going to read at least 5 Tudor-related books.

Visit The Tudor Book Challenge if you want some more info.

My Challenge level is commoner. I will try to read 5 books. I have searched my shelves and have come up with at least 4 books.

~~1.The Sixth Wife by Suzannah Dunn~~

2. The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir

3. The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir

4. The Autobiography of Henry VII by Margaret George (This one my be a killer)

5. ???????? (I was think something to do with Queen Mary)

That is my plan anyway. But it could change.

American Civil War Reading Challenge

2010-01-05T18:29:00.003-06:00

This is my third challenge for this year.

Here are the guidelines as posted by Marny:

1. Read books about the Civil War, either fiction or non-fiction
2. There are four levels of participation-
Private: Read three books-
Sergeant: Read six books-
Lieutenant: Read nine books-
General: Read twelve books

3. Read the books between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010
4. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed
5. Ebooks and audiobooks are okay, too
6. You don't have to have a reading list ready to participate in the challenge but please let Marny know which level you're doing.

If this challenge interests you please sign up at American Civil War Reading Challenge.

I will be doing the Private Level. Here are the books I plan on reading.

1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
2. Rebel by Benard Cornwell
3. Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara

Here's hoping I can finish.

I will post another challenge tomorrow.

2010 TBR Challenge

2010-01-04T20:15:00.005-06:00

OK I am going to try this challenge again. I did really good the first year I did this challenge, but last year I read only one book off of the TBR list. So lets see what happens this year. Maybe I can finish the list this year.

Here are the MizB's TBR Challenge rules:

** Pick 12 books – one for each month of the year - that you’ve been wanting to read (that have been on your “To Be Read” list) for 6 months or longer, but haven’t gotten around to.
** OPTIONAL: Create a list of 12 “Alternates” (books you could substitute for your challenge books, given that a particular one doesn’t grab you at the time)
** Then, starting January 1, read one of these books from your list each month, ending December 31. )

Additional rules/guidelines for this challenge:
* the challenge is to read 12 TBR books in 12 months — you can read those all in one month if you want, or one a month, or however you wanna do it.

* you should have a list posted somewhere for others to see

* you CANNOT change your list after January 1st, of the current year!!!

* you can create an Alternates list of MAXIMUM 12 books, if you want, in order to have options to choose from (you can read these in place of books on your original list).

* audiobooks and e-books ARE allowed

* re-reads are NOT allowed, as they aren’t TRUE “TBRs”* you CAN overlap with other challenges

* OPTIONAL: you can join the Yahoo! Group created for participants of the TBR Challenge, if you want to have a place to keep your list, or just to share with others about how you’re doing!

If this challenge catches your eye go to Miz Bs Reading Challenge

Here is my list. It is the same list as last years minus one. So I had to add a new TBR book.

1.This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
2. Rebel by Benard Cornwell
3. Queen Bees & Wanna Bes byRosalind WiseMan
4. Flowers In The Rain by Rosamunde Pilcher
5. Hide and Seek by James Patterson
6. East and West by Gerald Green
7. Savage Sunrise by Cassie Edwards
8. The Seventh Stone by Nancy Freedman
9. Air Force Wives by Ruth Walker
10. To Touch The Earth by Fran Kendall
11. In Broad Daylight by Harry N. Maclean
12. Comeback by Dick Francis (moved up)

My Alternatives:
1. The Samurai's Wife by Laura Joh Rowland (new TBR book)
2. The Daughter of the Pangaran by David Divine

3. Midwives by Chris Behjalian
4. Life Of Pi by Yann Martel
5. Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel
6. Circle of Friends by Meve Binchy
7. A Purrfect Romance by Robin Lee Hatcher, Susan Wiggs
8. Potter Springs by Britta Coleman
9. The Gambling Man by Catherine Cookson
10. Cat-A-Lyst by Alan Dean Foster
11. The Baker's Apprentice by Judith Ryan Hendricks
12. Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver

I will post another challenge tomorrow.

2010 Historical Reading Challenge

2010-01-03T19:00:00.009-06:00

This is from Royal Reviews:

To kick off our challenge week for 2010 we are starting with a favourite at Royal Reviews. If you've been participating in our Historical Fiction Challenge for the past 2 years then you'll notice we've made some changes. Firstly the challenge will go for the full year as opposed to 3 months that it ran for previously. Then we have different levels for participants. If you're like me you'll dive straight into the Obsessed but then I am a bit of a HF fan!

Challenge Guidelines:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.--Non-Bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.

2. There are four levels:--

Curious – Read 3 Historical Fiction novels.--

Fascinated – Read 6 Historical Fiction novels.--

Addicted – Read 12 Historical Fiction novels.--

Obsessed – Read 20 Historical Fiction novels.

3. Any book format counts.

4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.6.

To sign up visit Royal Reviews: Historical Reading Challenge

I will be doing level 1 Curious – Read 3 Historical Fiction novels.

Here are my choices:

~~1. The Triumph of Deborah by Eva Etzioni-Halevy~~

~~2. The Empire of Darkness by Christian Jacq~~

3. Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill by Susan Holloway Scott

Here's hoping I can do it.

I will put up another challenge tomorrow.

Challenges?

2010-01-03T18:25:00.005-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year. I know that I did.

I was not going to commit to any challenges this year, but I found some interesting to me challenges. I kept putting off the decision; should I or shouldn't I. I decided sure why not. I will commit to the lowest number of books to read for the challenges and have fun with them. If I finish them awesome. If I don't oh well, we will try again next year.

My personal reading goal is to read 50 books this year. The goal for this year is no pressure and try to keep everything low keyed. Let's see what happens.

Tudor Romances

2009-12-13T18:34:00.014-06:00

I have read the Tudor Rose Trilogy by Susan Wiggs. These are reprints of books that she wrote in the nineties. They center around one family for three generations.

Book one was originally called Circle In The Water; the reprint is called At The King's Command. It is set in the time of Henry VIII. The heroine is a Russian Princess named Juliana Romanov. She has to escape Russia after seeing her family murdered. A group of gypsies take her in and learns the traditions of the Gypsies. After stealing Stephen de Lacey's horse, King Henry VIII forces the two to marry.

Book two was originally called Vows Made In Wine; the reprint is called The Maiden's Hand. It is set in the time of Queen Mary. It is about the son of Stephen de Lacey, Oliver de Lacey and the Mistress Lark. Mistress Lark saves Oliver from the Hangman's noose. Little did she realize that after saving Oliver how much a part of her life he would become.

Book three was originally called Dancing On Air. The reprint is called At the Queen's Summons. It is set in the time of Queen Elizabeth I. This book focuses on Pippa de Lacey the Daughter of Lark and Oliver and a Irish chieftain Aidan O'Donoghue. Pippa does not know that she is a de Lacey or that she even has a family. She had lived as sharp tongue street performer. Which gets her in trouble and she seeks mercy from Aidan.

Book One was very enjoyable. Book Two was not so much. It seemed to drag. Book Three picked up a little bit. I found it entertaining. Book One was my favorite out of three.

Another book I read recently is The Winter Queen By Amanda McCabe. It is set during the time of Queen Elizabeth I during the time of when the Thames froze over and the Court had a Frost Fair during the Holiday Season.

The story is about Queen Elizabeth's Lady-in-waiting Lady Rosamund. She sent to court to avoid a suitor that was not suitable for her. She meets Swedish Lord Anton Gustavson, who came to England to claim an inheritance from his grandfather.

This was a nice lite read. I enjoyed the fictionalized peak into Queen Elizabeth's court during the Holiday Season.

These romances may be your thing if you like historical romances set during the Tudor time.

Happy Reading

Blogging Ramblings

2009-11-28T09:50:00.003-06:00

Wellll, I have not written a lot lately, I have been taken a break. I am trying to decide if I should keep blogging or not.

I have been blogging about books off and on for the past two years. The first year was fun and wonderful. I found myself enjoying the world of book blogging. I met some great people and read some awesome blogs. I was able to push my doubts about reviewing and writing aside.

Through other bloggers I found Pump up Your Book Promotions. Cheryl and Dorothy are wonderful. Through them I have discovered some great books and awesome authors. If you are interesting in reviewing books, you should check them out. Pump up Your Book Promotions Tour Host. They are always looking for good reviewers.

But as time went on, my self doubts about reviewing continued to resurface and it was becoming harder to push them back. I could tell others to go for it, but it was becoming harder for me to go for it. It was just becoming harder for me to write my thoughts because I kept questioning myself if my reviews were good enough. I am not sure what I am going to do.

The good bloggers also spend a lot of time on their blogs. Not just writing their thoughts but interacting with the people who comment. I don't have the time esp since I discovered social networking. Let me tell you playing those apps on Facebook are very addictive and time consuming. If you are on Facebook stay away form those apps.

I am not sure what I am going to do. I guess in my heart I do like it, because I don't want to give it up completely. I am still soul searching as to what I want to do, but I am guessing I will keep writing. I just won't write as often, maybe focus on book spotlights or maybe do one word reviews. I am not sure how this blog will evolve.

Thanks for letting me ramble. If you have any advice please feel free to give it.

Silk Flowers Never Die

2009-10-29T23:25:00.000-05:00

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Silk Flowers Never Die is an important and intensely personal memoir, powerfully showing with humanity and humor, the difficulties that exist for any family trying to cope with schizophrenia and mental distress. In a compelling story that reveals how much stranger than fiction fact is, Stella Mazzucchelli describes her determination to preserve her son form the worst effects of mental illness, while his young wife is dying of cancer.

In the process of trying to rise to these challenges, Stella is transformed from a beautiful, over-protected Society woman with alcohol issues, to an impressive, courageous earth-mother who now campaigns to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness by using her privileged position to positive effect. This moving book is informative on a host of subjects, ranging from the lifestyle of the International Super-Rich to the profundities of facing terminal illness and mental disease. Due to its intelligence, insight,and compassion the appeal of this amazing story and struggle should be universal.

MY THOUGHTS:

It would have been wonderful if I had Silk Flowers Never Die when my husband went through his mental breakdown. Stella writes with such truth about her feelings and her thoughts when her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia that I would have found it helpful with what I was dealing with.

With all that Stella had to deal with she has come through with flying colors. Given one hope that if she can live through all that has happened to her and her family so can I. No matter what ones economic background very rich or very poor, I think one can find this book very relatable.

Silk Flowers Never Die is a book with a wonderful message of hope and courage. I think that this book should be given out to family members of people who have had a mental issues so that they can know that they are not alone and others have gone through this too and felt the same way.

Silk Flowers Never Die is an awesome read. I highly recommend it to everyone, esp to those who have to cope with mental illness in the family.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stella Metaxa Mazzucchelli was born in Athen, Greece and married, aged eighteen, Riccardo Mazzucchelli, the famous Italian businessman. During their twenty-two year marriage, they lived in Zambia and London, where she became a well-known figure on the social scene,and had a brief and successful modelling career at the unusual age of 28. Fedele is their only child. After their divorce, Riccardo married Ivana Trump in 1995, though the marriage was short lived. Stella now lives in Athen where she brings up her grand-daughter Katerina. As well as being involved in the property and renovation business, which ensures she maintains connections with London, she is also a tireless campaigner for the better understanding of schizophrenia and mental illness. Silk Flowers Never Die is her first book.

You can visit her publisher online at http://www.dynastypress.co.uk/ .

Happy Reading

Daughter of Narcissus

2009-10-25T19:08:00.008-05:00

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Daughter of Narcissus is a stunning analysis by Lady Colin of her own dysfunctional family positioned at the heart of upper class Jamaican society from the middle of the 20th century to the present day. Covering the end of the British Colonial Age and the rise of a liberated generation, whilst addressing the narcissistic personality of her mother, the author brilliantly interconnects the sociological, political and personal. As she dissects the family dynamics lying beneath the appearance of wealth and power, Lady Colin’s understanding of personality disorder is revelatory: compelling the reader to comprehend the destructive and tragic reality concealed by rational language and behavior.

Set against a backdrop of glamour, wealth and fame, this compulsive book is both a fascinating history of one socially prominent family, and a uniquely detailed analysis of narcissism, its manifestations and how to survive them in order to lead a purposeful and affirming life.

MY THOUGHTS:

Gloria Ziadie was a extremely abusive woman both physically and verbally to her husband, her children and her servants. It is amazing that her children were able to persevere and have successful adult lives growing up in that type of atmosphere. But also growing up in that type of household gave them strength esp Lady Colin Campbell or Georgia to deal with the difficulties that she encountered in her adult life.

But this book is not for diagnosis but to give a glimpse of what this disorder is about and how it effected Gloria and her family and friends. As I was reading it, I saw similarities between Gloria and my mother-in-law; especially encouraging her husband to do her dirty work in beating the children. Also the manipulation of people and situations to get what they want. Because of these similarities, I wonder if my mother-in-law has this disorder. Sorry if this is to personal, but as I continued to read Daughter of Narcissus that is what I was thinking.

After a slow and difficult start, I found Daughter of Narcissus to be an intriguing read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lady Colin Campbell is a highly successful and prolific author of several books, including London and New York Times bestsellers, and has been a prominent and often controversial figure in royal and social circles for many years. She perhaps is best known for her international bestselling book Diana in Private, 1992, and her subsequent extended and revelatory biography of the Princess of Wales, The Real Diana published in 2004. She has written books on the Royal Family, been a long term columnist and appeared numerous times on TV and radio as an experienced Royal Insider and expert on the British aristocracy. In 1997 she published her autobiography, A Life Worth Living, which was serialized in The Daily Mail. Born in St. Andrew, Jamaica, she was educated there and in New York, where she lived for seven years. She is connected to British royalty through common ancestors and marriage. She has two sons and lives in London.

You can visit her publisher online at http://www.dynastypress.co.uk/.

Happy Reading

Rain Dance

2009-10-22T19:18:00.007-05:00

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Jonica is infertile. Stacie chooses an abortion. One is prolife the other prochoice. Both are suddenly alone in misunderstanding, facing hypocrisies in their belief systems, and grieving – one the death of a dream and the other the death of her child. As their hearts break where in the world will they find healing and grace? Can shattered dreams be part of the plan?

MY THOUGHTS: When I was reading Rain Dance, I kept thinking how was I going to review this Christian Fiction. Not because it was not well written, it is. But it is a controversial issue. Abortion. This book's viewpoint, of course, is prolife.

I started to focus on the relationship between the Jonica and Stacie. And I liked how the friendship developed. Two different people finding that they have more in common then they realized. DeKok writes this book from both of their viewpoints. It is nice to see how both ladies see the same event and their interpretations of the events.

DeKok adds a touch of realism to Jonica because she herself is infertile. She puts herself into the character of Jonica. Jonica has to deal with insensitivity's of others. Which makes one sad that people can be so cruel and they don't realize that they are.

In a twist the Christians are portrayed as hip and exciting and the liberals as rigid thinking. She is trying to break stereotypes about Christians but by doing this she does not put liberals in a good light. I think it is great that she is trying to break stereotypes but why put others in a negative light. I understand that is part of the storytelling and it is important to the plot but it did not sit well with me.

Jonica and Stacie's stories and their friendship did touch me. Overall, I found Rain Dance to be a nice read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joy DeKok and her husband, Jon, live in Minnesota on thirty-five acres of woods and fields. Joy has been writing most of her life and as a popular speaker shares her heart and passion for God with women. In addition to writing novels, she has also published a devotional and several children’s books.

Visit Joy online at: http://www.joydekok.com/, http://www.believe4kids.com/, and http://www.gettingitwrite.net/.

Happy Reading

My Son, John

2009-10-19T18:54:00.006-05:00

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Murder. Could there be a more chilling word? Could it be any more horrible than to have a loved one killed, brutally and heartlessly, without obvious reason or motive? When Liz Peterson’s elderly mother is found viciously beaten to death in her home, Liz and her husband, Charles, along with their grown son, John, and teenage daughter, Sarah, are horrified beyond words. Their previously predictable, respectable lives seem to have vanished without a trace, as they struggle to make sense of a senseless act.

And then a second blow—more devastating, if possible, than the first—rocks them to their core. John is arrested for his grandmother’s murder. As what’s left of the Peterson family begins to crumble under the weight of loss and accusation, the Petersons’ longstanding Christian faith is put to the test in a way they could never have imagined, and unconditional love is stretched to its limits. Will family ties and relationships withstand such a crushing blow, or will evil succeed in dividing and conquering this once close and inseparable family?

My Review:

This christian fiction was a very emotional story about a family's unconditional love and their difficult journey to forgiveness. I was drawn into My Son, John from the very beginning.

I really felt the families sadness and despair especially the mother's. Having the viewpoints of the different family members really added to the emotional quality of the story.

This is a definite read whether you read christian fiction or not.

EXCERPT:

Prologue:

“I was in prison and you came to Me…” (Matthew 25:36).

Tick, damn it, tick! I cried silently, oblivious to the fact that I had just thought a word I would never say out loud. I glared through bloodshot eyes at the large, round, schoolroom-type clock that was the sole decoration on the cold gray wall behind the metal chair where John sat, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and holding a phone to his ear, while gazing at me through a glass partition, no doubt knowing that I was avoiding eye contact because the pain was just too great.

Still staring at the offensive timepiece on the wall, I demanded silently, Do you think just because you don’t make any noise that I don’t know what you’re doing, that I don’t realize that with every sweeping circle you’re stealing more and more of my son’s life?

Oh, God, if only there were a window in here! If I could just reach through this glass and touch him…!

The tears came then, and there was nothing I could do to stop them. I pulled my vision from the clock and caught a glimpse of John’s anguished, sweat-beaded face before squeezing my eyes shut in a vain attempt to block out the swell of emotions that threatened to drown me. I had to stop this denial and refocus my efforts and energy on my son. He would never survive this nightmare if I didn’t; none of us would.

I forced my eyelids open, wiping the tears from my cheeks and wishing I had been allowed to bring my purse in with me. But, of course, everything personal had been left behind before I had been admitted to the visiting area. You’d think those in charge would realize a mother’s need for a tissue in such a situation.

Slowly, I cracked my lips into what I was sure was a wooden smile. “You look good,” I lied, knowing he knew better but hoping to convince myself. “Are they treating you all right…feeding you, and—”

Trembling but quite obviously trying hard not to show it, he pressed the palm of his free hand against the glass in what was doubtless an attempt to cut off my pointless questions. “I’m fine, Mom. Honest. I told you that last time. And…please, you don’t have to come here. I don’t want you to come here. Can’t you understand that?”

How could I understand that my son didn’t want me to visit him and support him when he’d been accused of something so horrific it was beyond comprehension? How could I understand anything anymore? Not only had John been falsely imprisoned, but he was losing weight and I could see he wasn’t well. He needed me….

“I want to come,” I answered. “I have to. I’ve never abandoned you before. Why would you think I would now—especially now?”

The pain and fear in his dark blue eyes flickered before fading to dull. He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “I have to go, Mom. Time’s about up anyway. I…hate talking to you like this…seeing you this way.”

I watched his Adam’s apple bob slightly as he swallowed and then said, “I love you, Mom. You know that. Dad and Sarah, too.” Then, after only a brief hesitation, he removed his palm from the glass, hung up the phone, and stood to his feet. Immediately a corrections officer was at his side, escorting him from the room.

Still pressing the receiver to my ear, I whispered, “You didn’t even say goodbye, John. You didn’t say goodbye….”

At the thick metal door, just below and to the right of the silent wall clock, John stopped, turning slightly as his armed escort unlocked the heavy barrier. Glancing backward, his lips spread ever-so-slightly in that frightened, little-boy smile he’d had since he was a little boy, the one he’d worn when he walked on skinny, shaky legs into his kindergarten room on the first day of school, assuring me that he was all right. As I had that day when I stood in the hallway outside his classroom, I now did my best to return his smile. Then he turned his back to me and shuffled on shackled ankles through the passageway.

So little had changed in the eighteen years since that first day of school—and yet the world my husband and I had known since our oldest child was born twenty-three years earlier had exploded and vanished, washed away in tears…and in blood. Nothing would ever be the same again.

John’s kindergarten smile had been his signal to me that he could handle things and I should leave. With legs of lead and a heart even heavier, I forced myself to honor his wishes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 30 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and recently won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) at the annual Golden Scrolls award banquet. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley.

Visit Kathi’s website at http://kathimacias.com/.

Happy Reading

Dispel The Mist

2009-10-11T19:04:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Marilyn Meredith's
Pump Up Your Book Promotion's Virtual Book Tour

About The Book:

A Tulare County Supervisor, with both Native American and Mexican roots, dies under suspicious circumstances. Because of Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s own ties to the Bear Creek Indian Reservation, she’s asked to help with the investigation. To complicate matters, besides the supervisor’s husband, several others had reason to want the woman dead.

Tempe has unsettling dreams, dreams that may predict the future and bring back memories of her grandmother’s stories about the legend of the Hairy Man. Once again, Tempe’s life is threatened and this time, she fears no one will come to her rescue in time.

My Review:

Dispel the Mist is the eighth book in the Tempe Crabtree Mystery Series. I have not had the pleasure of reading the other books in the series, but I am looking forward to reading the series from the beginning. I was not lost when I read Dispel the Mist, Meredith is able to incorporate what happened in the past books nicely in the story line.

I found Dispel the Mist to be an entertaining read. I thought the characters were beliveable. I enjoyed the interactions between Tempe and her husband, Hutch. I liked how Tempe is exploring her heritage and how it is weaved into the story line. The ending was very dramatic and intense. I think any mystery lover would enjoy Dispel the Mist.

About the Author:

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over twenty-five published novels, including the

award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest, Dispel the Mist from Munda

nia Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series. No Sanctuary is the newest from Oak Tree Press.

She is a member of EPIC, four chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, WOK, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Springville CA, much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com/.

Happy Reading

Emily Waits for Her Family

2009-10-05T19:17:00.010-05:00

Welcome to Carol Zelaya's

Pump Up Your Book Promotion's
Virtual Book Tour

About The Book:Follow the true story of the special bond between a tiny bird and a little girl, from first meeting to leaving, from new life to old friends. This story is told in a timeless, three-part series, with an easy-reading rhyme, and is certain to delight and touch your heart.

Excerpt:

As I look closer, what do I see?

In the nest there seems to be,

The little bird named Emily,

And a big surprise of one, two, three!

Yes, three little eggs for me to see.

You’ll soon be a mommy Chickadee!

My Review: Emily Waits For Her Family is a sweet tale about a girl and a little Chickadee. Not only do we see the girl and Emily, the Chickadee develop a very special friendship; we also get to learn about the importance of watching and observing nature. I especially loved the Chickadee log at the end of the book. It made me wish that I had a backyard and a bird feeder so that my daughter could complete the log. Hmmm maybe I will change it to a squirrel log. That is what is great about the log, you can use it for almost any creature.

The rhyming and word repetition is great for a beginner reader. When I read this book to my 7 year old daughter that was the first thing she said to me. "Mommy, it rhymes." I read this book to my two year old classroom and they kept repeating Chickadee. They really loved that new word to them.

I also want to add that Kristen Metcalf, the illustrator, did a beautiful job with the drawings. She really brought the story to life. The children really loved looking at the pictures.

I will be reading Emily Waits For Her Family to my class over and over and some how incorporating the log into my lesson plans, maybe for squirrel observations.

There are two more books in the Emily The Chickadee series: Caring For Emily's Family and Emily's New Home. I look forward to reading the other two books in this series. I want to see what happens with Emily The Chickadee.

If you know a preschooler or a beginner reader Emily Waits For Her Family would be a great book to give them.

About the Author: Carol Zelaya is a former nurse, recently widowed, and mother of two grown children. She grew up in the Chicago area, where she eventually met and married her husband and where they raised a family. Having relocated to Oregon in 1996, Zelaya began her love affair with nature and its beautiful creatures. Inspired by her surroundings, she started taking pictures and writing. Writing poetry led to writing three children’s books, of course, in rhyme. Zelaya’s Emily the Chickadee books are the true story of the special bond between a tiny bird and a little girl and the true meaning of family.

Happy Reading

Book Spotlight-Dying Scream by Mary Burton

2009-10-03T15:23:00.005-05:00

It's the last sound you'll ever make....Dying Scream. Doesn't that tag line give you chills at least it does to me.

Dying Scream is the new book by southern novelist Mary Burton.

From the Back Cover: An aspiring artist. A high-school senior. A stripper. Three missing women with only one thing in common-wealthy-Craig Thornton knew them all. For that, they paid the ultimate price. When Craig's widow, Adrianna, begins to receive cards and flowers from her late husband, she assumes it's someones cruel joke. Then grisly remains are found on the Thornton estate.

Detective Gage Hudson believes the bodies are linked to Craig. But the biggest shocks are yet to come. A psychopath has resumed his work, each death a prelude to his most cherished target. The only way to stop him is to uncover a family's dark past-and a twisted love someone will kill for, again and again....

For more info you can visit Mary Burton's website.

Dying Scream
Mary Burton
Zebra Books
Fiction/$6.99 ($8.99 Canada
On sale November 24, 2009

Happy Reading

Homer's Odyssey

2009-09-15T21:21:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Gwen Cooper's Pump Up Your Promotions

Virtual Book Tour

About the Book: Once in nine lives,something extraordinary happens...

The last thing Gwen Cooper wanted was another cat. She already had two, not to mention a phenomenally underpaying job and a recently broken heart. Then Gwen’s veterinarian called with a story about a three-week-old eyeless kitten who’d been abandoned. It was love at first sight.

Everyone warned that Homer would always be an “underachiever,” never as playful or independent as other cats. But the kitten nobody believed in quickly grew into a three-pound dynamo, a tiny daredevil with a giant heart who eagerly made friends with every human who crossed his path. Homer scaled seven-foot bookcases with ease and leapt five feet into the air to catch flies in mid-buzz. He survived being trapped alone for days after 9/11 in an apartment near the World Trade Center, and even saved Gwen’s life when he chased off an intruder who broke into their home in the middle of the night.

But it was Homer’s unswerving loyalty, his infinite capacity for love, and his joy in the face of all obstacles that inspired Gwen daily and transformed her life. And by the time she met the man she would marry, she realized Homer had taught her the most important lesson of all: Love isn’t something you see with your eyes.

Homer’s Odyssey is the once-in-a-lifetime story of an extraordinary cat and his human companion. It celebrates the refusal to accept limits—on love, ability, or hope against overwhelming odds. By turns jubilant and moving, it’s a memoir for anybody who’s ever fallen completely and helplessly in love with a pet.

If you are a cat lover, animal lover or a person with a heart you will enjoy this inspirational story about a blind cat and his owner. Homer does not let his blindness limit him. He plays with the other cats in the household even when they just want to be left alone. He climbs and leaps into the unknown without any fear.

This book is not only a tale about the relationship between Homer and his owner, Gwen; it is also about not letting fear hold you back. If Homer can take a leap into the unknown without fear then so to can you. Which is what Gwen did when she moved to New York. She took a leap of faith like Homer.

This book made me laugh, like the airplane ride to New York, and cry, for a cat that no one wanted. I worried with Gwen as she relates what happened to her and her cats on 9/11 and I celebrated with her when Homer did something new and exciting.

Homer's Odyssey is a very heart-warming tale. 4.0 stars.

Now for an added bonus, I have my 12 year-old(soon to be 13 as she tells me) daughter's review of Homer Odyssey. We were at Target and saw the book there. I pointed it out to her and said Hey, I am reading this book now and it is very good. I said it a little loud, because there were some other people there and I wanted them to know that I was reviewing it. I know what a nerd. But I find it thrilling to see a book in the stores that I am reviewing or reviewed. Anyway she goes can I read it and I say sure. I also added that if she finishes before my review has to be up she can write one as well(again kinda loud). So without further ado her is my daughter's review.

From the first chapter, Homer captured my heart. Homer is a cat that people can learn from. Even through all his hardship, Homer still becomes a strong, optimistic, caring cat. When I read the book I pictured Homer right there in my room, curling up on my left side. Even without eyes Homer sees the world for what it is. A place where anything can happen and miracles can find you. People should follow Homers ideas and learn from them. Homer’s Odyssey is the perfect book about love, friendship, hardship, and so much more. I loved every page of this book. Everyone should read Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Copper.

About The Author:

Gwen Cooper is the author of the novel Diary of a South Beach Party Girl. A Miami native, she spent five years working in nonprofit administration, marketing, and fundraising. She coordinated volunteer activities on behalf of organizations such as Pet Rescue, the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, the Miami Rescue Mission, and His House Children’s Home. In conjunction with Hands on Miami and Barnes & Noble, Gwen initiated Reading Pen Pals, an elementary school-based-literacy program in Miami’s Little Haiti. Gwen currently lives in Manhattan with her husband, Laurence, and her three perfect cats—Scarlett, Vashti, and Homer, who aren’t impressed with any of it.

You can visit Gwen online at http://gwencooper.com/.

Happy Reading

The White Queen

2009-09-13T18:41:00.004-05:00

I orignially wrote this review for W&M Sneak peak program. I am not sure if they used it, but since this is my blog I am going to use it. So here it is.

I have found that when I have read a book by Philippa Gregory; the book is either a hit or a miss. The White Queen is a hit.

The White Queen is set in England during the last years of the War of The Roses. This is a tale about Elizabeth Woodville from the House of Lancaster and King Edward IV from the House of York. How they met, feel in love, the events that occurred during their marriage and the events that happen after King Edward IV dies.

This historical fiction about Elizabeth Woodville is a fantastic read. I was drawn into her story from the very beginning. Elizabeth is a complicated character. There were times when I felt sorry for Elizabeth and times when she made me angry.

Gregory incorporates witchcraft and magic into Elizabeth’s story. Elizabeth and her mother have some magical powers which they use to help their cause. Gregory ties in the Melusina, a water fairy myth very well. This myth helps explain how Elizabeth and her mother have their magical powers.

Elizabeth Woodville is the mother of the Princes in the Tower, Prince Edward and Prince Richard. Gregory puts forth a plausible theory about what happened to The Princes in the Tower. Since no one knows for sure what happened to the Princes, her theory could be true.

For your Tudor fans out there, Elizabeth Woodville is the Grandmother of Henry VIII. So I believe that you will find this a nice addition to your Tudor reading.

I am looking forward to the other two books in this series. If you like your historical fiction to be about royalty, intrigue, and conspiracy then this book is for you. 4 and half stars.

Happy Reading

Mailbox Monday Aug 31

2009-08-31T19:15:00.006-05:00

I have not participated in Mailbox Monday in awhile. One reason is that I have not been getting books in the mail and another was finding time to blog. I am trying to do better, but we will see.

I have gotten three books from giveaways.

*Reckless by Selena Montgomery

*Silver and Gold by David Sakmyster

*The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

I also have three books for review.

*Emily the Chickadee by Carol Zelaya (a children's book)

*Silk Flowers Never Die by Stella Mazzucchelli

*Daughters of Narcissus by Lady Colin Campbell

Marcia over at The Printed Page is sponsoring this weekly event.

Happy Reading

Throwback Thursday

2009-08-27T19:19:00.006-05:00

Throwback Thursday – this is a weekly event hosted by Jenny over at TakeMeAway. It is the time each week to recognize those older books… an older book you’ve always wanted to read, or one that you have read and love; maybe one from your childhood; or review an older book -- how about even a classic!

My throwback is my first adult novel. The sad thing is I cannot remember the title. The reason that I even remember it is because of the reaction of the school secretary.

I was in seventh grade and I decided to sneak one of my mom books to read. She had so many that I did not think that she would notice that I took one of her books. The cover was yellow and of course had a man and a woman in a clinch. The book was a historical romance and it took place I believe in the west. I took the book to school to read. I guess that I did not think any one would notice. I was in the Principal's office. It was so long ago that I don't remember why. The school secretary noticed the book. I was busted. She asked me if my mom knew that I was reading such a book. So I thought very quickly and lied. I said Of course my mom knew. I am not sure if she believed me or not. But I don't think my mom every found out. I guess I will have to ask her.

Happy Reading

Book Spotlight:Shadow of Betrayal

2009-08-26T20:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the book spotlight for Shadow of Betrayal by Brett Battles. Please take a little time to read the synopsis and excerpt of this thriller; I think you will enjoy the little taste of this book.

*Synopsis*

The meeting place was carefully chosen: an abandoned church in rural Ireland just after dark. For Jonathan Quinn—a freelance operative and professional “cleaner”—the job was only to observe. If his cleanup skills were needed, it would mean things had gone horribly wrong. But an assassin hidden in a tree assured just that. And suddenly Quinn had four dead bodies to dispose of and one astounding clue—to a mystery that is about to spin wildly out of control.

Three jobs, no questions. That was the deal Quinn had struck with his client at the Office. Unfortunately for him, Ireland was just the first. Now Quinn, along with his colleague and girlfriend—the lethal Orlando—has a new assignment touched off by the killings in Ireland. Their quarry is a U.N. aide worker named Marion Dupuis who has suddenly disappeared from her assignment in war-torn Africa. When Quinn finally catches a glimpse of her, she quickly flees, frantic and scared. And not alone.

For Quinn the assignment has now changed. Find Marion Dupuis, and the child she is protecting, and keep them from harm. If it were only that easy.

Soon Quinn and Orlando find themselves in a bunker in the California hills, where Quinn will unearth a horrifying plot that is about to reach stage critical for a gathering of world leaders—and an act of terror more cunning, and more insidious, than anyone can guess.

Fast, smart, sleek, and stunning, Shadow of Betrayal is vintage Brett Battles: a gritty, gripping masterpiece of suspense, a thriller that makes the pulse pound—and stirs the heart as well.

*Excerpt*

Quinn could see them now. There were two of them, crouched low and half-hidden by the thick brush. As Quinn and Nate watched, one of the men sprinted forward, stopping only when he reached the outside of the church wall. He then moved down the wall until he came to what had once been a doorway, and peered inside.

"Are we going to play games, or are we going to meet?" It was Otero. He was still standing in the middle of the church, not concealing his presence. When there was no response, he said, "Two minutes and we're leaving."

The man who had been looking into the church from the doorway glanced back at his partner and waved for him to come over.

"Quinn," Nate said.

"What?"

"I thought they were only allowed one companion."

Quinn shot Nate a glance, then looked at a monitor Nate was pointing at. It was the one covering the north approach to the church, the way Otero and Ownby had come.

"I don't see anything," Quinn said.

"In the tree," Nate said. He leaned forward and touched the screen.

For half a second, Quinn still didn't see anything, then a slight movement revealed the form of a man lying prone on one of the branches, facing toward the church.

A quick glance at a monitor that gave a broader view of that side of the church confirmed Quinn's suspicion that the man was high enough to see through the missing roof into the abandoned structure.

Quinn pushed the mic button again. "Peter, we have a problem."

"What?"

"Check the feed to camera six. In the tree, near the top of the image."

There was a pause.

"Do you see him?" Quinn asked.

"Yes."

"Is he one of yours?"

"I played by the rules. Only two," Peter said. "He must be one of theirs."

Quinn wasn't convinced of that, but there was no time to argue the point. On another monitor the two newcomers stepped through the doorway, entered the church, and walked a couple paces before stopping. They looked nervous, like this was the first time they had ever done anything like this.

"You need to abort right now," Quinn said.

"We need that information," Peter said

"Peter," Quinn said, "if you don't abort, you might not get anything."

At the church Otero said, "You guys are going to have to come a little closer."

The taller of the two men shook his head. "We are fine here. I think you have something to show us."

Otero smiled, then tossed a coin in the air so that it landed a foot in front of his counterparts.

"Your turn," Otero said.

The tall man tossed his own coin toward Otero. This was the prearranged recognition signal. Otero had been carrying a fifty-yen Japanese coin, and the informant a 1998 Canadian half-dollar.

"Peter!" Quinn said.

"The meet's already started," Peter said. "They won't answer their phones until they're back in their car."

"They might not even make it back to their car," Quinn said, then let go of the button.

"We can start the van," Nate suggested. "That should throw everyone into a panic. We could even fire off a shot."

It was an excellent idea, Quinn thought. He relayed it to Peter.

There was a pause, then Peter said, "Do it."

Quinn pulled his SIG Sauer P226 out of the holster under his left arm as Nate moved toward the back door to open it.

Several rapid flashes from one of the monitors caught Quinn's eye. It was the one showing the close-up of the man in the tree. He glanced at the view of the church. Otero, Ownby, and the man who had been talking for the other party were all on the ground and not moving.

The final man had just exited the church and was making a run for it. Then there was another flash. The man jerked to the left, his momentum dropping him into a bush at the side of the trail. Like the others, he didn't get up.

"Stop," Quinn said to Nate.

The door was already half opened.

"Close it. Quietly."

Nate shut the door as Quinn sat back down.

Quinn pushed the button. "Your op is blown."

"I can fucking see that," Peter said. "Goddammit! You need to keep whoever that is from getting to the bodies. One of those guys is carrying something we need."

"Don't know if you noticed," Quinn said, "but your men are probably dead. That guy in the tree's got a silenced rifle, and I'm not really interested in walking into his range."

"Do what you were going to do before! Scare him off. He's not going to want to get caught."

Quinn took a deep breath, then nodded at Nate to open the door again. He checked monitor six. The assassin was holding his position, waiting to see if anyone else was going to show up.

Quinn pulled one of the remote communication sets from a bag near the recorders. He slipped the receiver over his ear, then climbed out of the van.

"Talk me in," he said to Nate.

"You're going to try to take him out?" Nate asked, surprised.

Quinn shook his head. "I'm just going to convince him to go someplace else."

"You want your suppressor?" Nate asked.

Quinn paused for a second. If things went as planned, he'd need the noise of the shot to scare the guy off. But if things got off track?

"Toss it to me," he said.

Nate disappeared for a second, then stepped back into the doorway and threw a dark cylinder to Quinn.

Quinn stuffed it in the front pocket of his jacket as best he could. Once it was secure, he nodded back at the van. "Talk me in. You're my eyes, so try not to get me killed."

Man this is such a tease. Gotta get this book to find out what happens. Shadow of Betrayal is available at Amazon.com. Go check it out.

About the Author:

Brett Battles lives in Los Angeles and is the author of two acclaimed novels in the Jonathan Quinn series: The Cleaner, which was nominated for a Barry Award for Best Thriller and a Shamus Award for Best First Novel, and The Deceived, which was nominated for a Barry Award for Best Thriller. He is at work on the fourth book in the series.

You can visit Brett Battles website at www.brettbattles.com.

VBT sponosered by Pump Up Your Book Promotion

Happy Reading

Throwback Thursday

2009-08-20T21:25:00.005-05:00

My favorite book from my childhood was actually a series. They are the Little House Books. Love them. I would lay on my mom's stomach and she would read them to me. She would take them camping and read them. It was such a big deal when I could read them on my own. I was so excited. I am not sure how many times I have read. I had read them so much that the first set of Little House books that I owned became broken in the spine. OK not all of them but enough. I have two sets now a paperback set and a hardcover set. These sets were one of the first things I bought with the money form my first job.

Laura Ingalls Wilder was a great storyteller, just like her pa. When I read the Little House books, I felt that I was there. I learned a lot about how pioneer girls lived, through the eyes of Laura. She and Mary had so many adventures. I wanted to be like them. I guess you could say that Laura was one of my childhood heroes.

On one of my family vacations, my parents took me to Mansfield, Mo. I thought I had died and gone to haven. I got to visit the house that Laura lived in and wrote her stories. I treasured my pictures of Laura that I got as souvenirs.

This was suppose to be a quick note, but as you can tell I am still passionate about my Little House books. They are the best ever. Dare I say it, but I think they are better than *gasp* Harry Potter. I said it.

What is one of your old favorites?

The Target: Love, Death, and Airline Deregulation

2009-08-19T20:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to J. R. Hauptman's Pump Up Your Book

Promotion's Virtual Book Tour

About the Book:

More than a half-century ago, Ernie Gann authored "Fate is the Hunter" and "The High and The Mighty". There has not been a bona fide blockbuster novel about the airline industry written by a genuine airline professional since then.

“THE TARGET; Love, Death and Airline Deregulation" by J.R. Hauptman, is set in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West, and tells the tale of the tumultuous first years of airline deregulation and the effects it had on that industry and the people who worked there. There are many people today who believe it was, in large part, the rush to overall deregulation back then, that led directly to the economic chaos that threatens to overwhelm our entire economy today.

In the nineteen-eighties, Carlo Clemenza was known as "the most hated man" in the airline business, as described by some pundits. A dedicated corporate raider and union buster, Clemenza uses ruthless tactics to crush competing airlines and to bring airline workers to heel. His methods have earned him countless death threats, yet he struts with arrogance, surrounded by his cadre of security toughs.

Virtually thousands of pilots and other airline professionals find themselves forced to start their careers over or to find them at a sudden and complete end. The airline grapevine echoes daily with the cry, "Why doesn't someone kill that SOB?"

Only one pilot, angered by the deaths of his friends, takes up the chase and he makes Carlo Clemenza THE TARGET! His chase will take him to the far corners of the country as he also finds himself the object of pursuit and murder. The characters merge in spectacular action and settings and the climax of the story ultimately ends in redemption

My Review:

When I was first asked if I wanted to review this book, I was not sure. The description that I was given did not appeal to me. I was thinking that it was just going to be the history of airline deregulation in the 80s. Boy, was I wrong. I am glad that I decided to read this book.

Hauptman is able to incorporate the history of airline deregulation and the consequences of deregulation into this suspense filled novel. He makes it interesting and easy to understand as we see how it affects the pilots of one airline and why it make the pilots angry.

Hauptman knowledge of planes and flying are noticeable throught out the book. It give The Target that touch of realism.

The Target has many twists and turns as the pilot goes on his quest of finding Carlo Clemenza. Hauptman is able to build tension as the pilot tries to move on with his life after deregulation. Then when he decides to kill Carlo, I kept thinking will he or won't he. I was on the edge of my seat until the end. A very good tension filled book. A definite read. 4 stars

About the Author:

J.R. Hauptman (pseudonym) has been a professional pilot for nearly a half century. Barley twenty years old, he began as a military pilot and for almost two years he flew combat support missions in the Viet Nam War. Upon leaving military service he was hired by a major airline and was initially based on the West Coast. His flying career was interrupted by the turmoil that racked the airline industry during the early days of deregulation. In the interim, he worked as a travel agent, a stockbroker and even trained dogs and horses. In the late nineteen-eighties, he returned to aviation, flying jet charters and air freight. He concluded his career flying corporate jets and now lives in Florida. He is completing his second work, a non-fictional social commentary and surfs every day, waves or not. You can visit his website at http://www.caddispublishing.com/.

Check out J. R. Hauptman's Guest Post about a dream connection between him and his son-in-law My Absolutely Best Flying Story

Happy Reading

Teaser Tuesday

2009-08-18T18:55:00.007-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

*Grab your current read
*Open to a random page
*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
*Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

Here are my two sentences. They are from the book When You Went Away by Michael Baron. This book is an ARC, but the book should be at the bookstores on Oct. 6, 2009.

"What if this was an essential business trip? Would you beg off because you were too busy playing mommy then." pg 77

What is your teaser?

Happy Reading

Book Spotlight-Viritual Vice by Jason Kays

2009-08-17T17:25:00.006-05:00

I am happy to spotlight the suspense thriller Virtual Vice by Jason Kays. I think after you read the excerpt you will definitely what to read more.

*Synopsis* In Virtual Vice by Jason Kays, readers follow disillusioned entertainment attorney Ian McKenzie as his professional life takes a decided turn for the questionable when he is hired by the charismatic and dangerous Scott White to represent Scott’s interests in his cutting edge Internet startup, Metropoleis Multimedia. Unfortunately for Ian, Scott has more in common with Scarface’s Tony Montana than Apple’s Steve Jobs, and things go from questionable to deadly in no time flat. As Scott’s confidant and consigliore, Ian soon finds himself caught between the Feds, La Cosa Nostra, and the Cali Cartel in a fatal game of corporate winner-take-all.

*Excerpt* The return of the Talking Head

The day of the Talking Head’s return to the compound for broadcast of the Metropoleis Messianic Minute was a tense affair for the Board members and Netcast crew alike. In fact, “Iron” Mark Rimer was insistent that all MIII executives be off-premise the day Clarice Westwater was on location for the weekly live Netcast. Westwater pulled up to the compound at break-neck speed in a 1955 sapphire blue Series 62 Cadillac convertible. A huge spiraling conical plume of dust marked her wake. Accompanying Westwater were two particularly striking fellow female flight attendants: one driving the car, the other serving as personal assistant, and tightly clasping the Talking Head’s Hermès agenda and portfolio. A third woman, a 5’11” tall striking Eurasian make-up artist sporting a Versace dress that left little to the imagination, shared the back seat with Clarice’s personal assistant. The Talking Head deigned to carry nothing more than the “pooch purse” containing her beloved dog, Bitsie.

Clarice’s entourage followed her lock step at a brisk pace into the Ministry’s broadcast studio. Westwater led the ensemble, with her handlers fanning out behind her as she walked, forming a quadrangle. This formation permitted the Talking Head’s minions to deflect any riffraff that might attempt to approach their leader from the rear or flank, such as the gawking and dazed johns stumbling from the dimly lit whorehouse into the blinding Arizona sun. The johns and the few sex workers milling about came to a standstill and stared at the procession, as it made its way towards Mark Rimer’s welcoming outstretched hand.

The CTO warmly greeted the Talking Head and walked her into the studio. The crew, accustomed to Westwater’s enormous ego, flamboyance, and eccentric excesses, found themselves staring at this latest display of pomp and circumstance. Those that didn’t check themselves and avert their gaze in time out of deference to MIII’s royalty were treated to Clarice’s icy, reproachful stare. Rimer found himself shifting position, using his body to shield the Talking Head from the invasive gaping of the “little people”, as she commonly referred to MIII staffers. Clarice asked Rimer to take her directly to her dressing room. Once she was seated, her make-up artist hurriedly began assembling her face, while the self-appointed diva barked orders to anyone within earshot for coffee and bottled water in her distinctive South-East U.K. accent.

Usurpation with a smile

Primped, preened, and primed for her adoring unwashed masses, the Talking Head summoned Pastor Petey for a pre-show huddle. No shrinking violet himself, Petey had been humbled by the Netcast’s drop in ratings and revenue since Westwater’s departure, not to mention the torrent of bad press. The Talking Head directed the good pastor to sit in a chair across from her. Her demeanor was as cool and detached as her eyes were inflamed and focused. Much like a fighter pilot’s targeting system locking in on its military objective, Westwater’s piercing eyes fixed themselves on the pastor’s pallid, weary face. She said nothing for a good thirty seconds, simply staring at her new subordinate. Although it was an affront to every fiber in his person, the pastor knew he was outranked by her. Clarice’s brilliant blue eyes seemed to take on an ethereal quality in contrast to her blood red Vera Wang dress. Pastor Petey likened the penetrating force of Westwater’s countenance to a horrific memory from childhood of watching a neighbor boy slip near a commercial chipping machine, and his skin being stripped from hand to elbow in mere seconds. The de-gloving of skin from bone, surgically and instantaneously carried out by that machine was not unlike the ability of Clarice Westwater’s brutalizing stare to cleave psyche, soul, and flesh. These past few years with Scott White had caused the pastor to question the existence of his God – any god. Sitting across from Westwater, Pastor Petey may have doubted the existence of God, but he was convinced of the existence of the Devil.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, the pastor tired of the manipulation, and decided to launch in with forced cordiality: “Clarice, great to have you back on board. I admit there have been a few awkward moments between us, but I always have appreciated your contribution to the Ministry’s work, in general, and to the Metropoleis Messianic Minute, in particular. I just felt awful about . . .”

Westwater abruptly stopped Petey in mid-sentence by raising an alabaster hand with index finger extended heavenward. She spoke briefly and pointedly, instructing God’s servant thus: “Ahhh Petey, so good once again to be in your company! We both know that if Scott felt he had a choice, I wouldn’t be here. But he doesn’t have a choice, does he? The Ministry, and MIII along with it, is up against the ropes. Not only that, but news of MIII’s tailspin has been splashed all over the business section of the world’s most prominent newspapers. This can’t be good for investor goodwill; forget new investors, you’ll be lucky to hold onto the present shareholders. So, let’s cut the crap, Pastor.”

As if on cue, Clarice Westwater’s assistant handed her a portfolio containing the grim financials for Metropoleis Messianic Minute’s last two business quarters. The Talking Head was flanked by her personal assistant and driver, while her stylist continued to fine-tune her boss’ formidable head of hair. Clarice rattled off figures, as her bookends watched the pastor squirm uneasily in his chair. Then she continued, “We can sit here and argue the numbers, but it’s a moot issue: the Netcast is flat-lining. Hooker Nun’s lips weren’t able to bring it back from the dead, so I’ve been brought in for a mouth-to-mouth. Never send a whore to do a courtesan’s work.”

Pastor Petey bristled at the slur targeting his love interest, but let it go. Westwater concluded, “I don’t count necrophilia among my fancies; so the faster I’m able to get a pulse and make my exit, the better. No doubt we are like-minded here. If there’s a way to resuscitate the show, I’ll find it; in the interim, you and your trollop need to step aside. You still have a place in the Netcast, but it’s limited to doing what you do best – preaching from that dog-eared book of yours. I’ll be both hosting and scripting the shows. ‘Sister Lorelei’ had best return to what she excels at – blow jobs – and leave grifting to the professionals.

As for the live audience – using your prostitutes and johns? If you creative geniuses ever bothered to leave the confines of this loony bin, you would see how this, more than anything else, has made a mockery of the show and turned it into a sitcom among the majority of your viewers. Since when have comedians received tithing, particularly when the comedy is unintended? No one is going to pony up donations for something they can see for free on network television. The studio audience goes. The Netcast’s audience – and its bad press – have grown exponentially, not because it’s good, but because it’s so bad. A big audience is never a bad thing, but it becomes irrelevant when a broadcast has no sponsors and its ability to attract donors has atrophied. My publicist has already sent out email circulars announcing my return to the parishioners. From here on out, I’m Christ’s Commandant; you follow my lead. For heaven’s sake, have make-up do something with that ever-present shine on your forehead before we greet our pious masses. That’s all for now, Pastor.”

Pastor Pete Huckalby was furious at this upbraiding, but knew better than to take on the Talking Head. Petey saw Clarice Westwater as a true paradox: both victim and victimizer. In his line of work, he often counseled battered women to leave their spouses. While each case was unique, there was a common pattern and shared traits. Westwater was different. Scott White had deposited her at death’s door numerous times and, more often than not, she had endured the ordeal without going to the police, family or friends. She would appear defeated and vulnerable in the aftermath of this violence. Yet, she always quickly reverted to her cold, calculating, unfeeling self, then proceeded to dish out the abuse verbally, psychologically, and emotionally to all, but her closest confidants – and that was a very small group, indeed. The Talking Head was so inherently manipulative, parasitical, and self-serving that it was difficult to have compassion for the woman.

“Lights, cameras, Jesus!”

After a visit to wardrobe and make-up to address that cranial glare, Pastor Petey joined his imperious co-host on the sound stage – littered, once again, with the Talking Head’s opulent rococo and Greco-Roman props. The set was saturated with rich embroideries, gilt, and tassels. Gold, purple, forest-green, and blood red predominated. Even Westwater’s pug, Bitsie, managed a disapproving countenance, lording over the scurrying grips and stagehands from atop her leopard skin recamier. Petey loathed the brainless purebred, but Bitsie’s return had been a precondition set by Clarice.

The Talking Head seated herself in a regal high-back chair, with her pug to her right. Both on and off-stage, Pastor Petey dressed with the conservative minimalism of a Quaker. His somber attire clashed dramatically with the Talking Head’s choice of wardrobe. Her outfit screamed “secular humanist”. Clarice was seldom satisfied with the imported haute-couture offerings of New York’s textile district. When her income allowed, she purchased directly from the various fashion houses in Europe. To mark her return, she was sporting a lavish Jean Paul Gaultier formal, dark green gown with plunging front and back. The empire waist accentuated her saline bosom. Clarice’s left shoulder was left bare by a drop strap, while ostrich feathers embellished the gown’s right shoulder, extending upwards, over the shoulder, and cascading down the back of the dress.

A technician cued the Netcast’s theme music, as Petey moved stage center to announce the return of Clarice Westwater from her (wholly fictitious) humanitarian crusade in Africa. The Talking Head’s reworking of the Netcast began with its theme music. The saccharine refrains of puddin’ pop alto saxophonist Kenny G. had been replaced with the sternum-vibrating Gangsta Rap beat of artiste Fifty Cent. The Talking Head intentionally hadn’t forewarned her co-host about the switch to throw him off his game. She succeeded in her endeavor. Historically, the Metropoleis Messianic Minute opened with a darkened stage and Pastor Petey in a soft blue spotlight, head bowed in piety, arms crossed prosaically, holding the Good Book snug against his crisp white starched shirt. Unbeknownst to the pastor, Clarice had replaced the aging audio equipment with six eight-foot-tall studio monitors and a bank of subwoofers, fueled by a rack of Crown power amplifiers, putting out 50,000 watts of libidinous lyricism. Fifty Cent’s “Candy Shop” hit the studio like a neutron bomb, following Scott White’s voice-over introduction of the show’s topics. Six back-up dancers – three male, three female – emerged from either side of the stage. The dancers, their lithe, near naked bodies well-greased, began to gyrate to the music. The wall of sound sucker-punched Pastor Petey, knocking him back on his heels. He lost his grip on his dog-eared Bible, dropping to his knees to catch the book before it hit the floor. While rising to his feet, Petey noticed the scantily clad dancers and dropped the Bible again.

The synchronized pelvic thrusts of the dancers slowed in rhythm as the music faded. The dancers struck rigid, statuesque poses behind the pastor: three female dancers to his right, three males to his left. The soft blue spotlight morphed to red, then purple, as Petey cleared his throat and head to speak. He was furious over the audio ambush and the change in show format. His face turned a deep crimson with rage at the mere thought of having to lavish praise upon the Talking Head, much less enact his new role as her footman. There were no doubts about her malicious intent: he could clearly see the mischievous grimace cross Westwater’s face as she watched Petey struggle to steady himself.

After regaining his composure, the pastor spoke into Camera #2 through clenched jaws, trying to conceal his anger, while feigning enthusiasm about the Talking Head’s return. He briefly summarized her manufactured mission to Africa, heaped praise on her for her bravery and selflessness, then welcomed her back to the MIII Ministry fold. From center stage, Pastor Petey pivoted towards the seated Clarice, hands clasped in prayer, as he exclaimed, “Back from doing her fearless and fearsome work in Hell’s abyss, the MIII Ministry’s Dove of Divine Providence – Clarice Westwater!” With that, there was an encore of Fifty Cent’s hit song, and the spotlight swung stage right to reveal the Talking Head seated regally upon her throne. At the Netcast’s opening, the loud music had terrified Bitsie, causing the dog to seek refuge under the stage manager’s chair. Bitsie, like Pastor Petey, had, by now, adjusted somewhat to the aural assault, and returned to her mistress’ side.

About the Author:Jason M. Kays is an intellectual property attorney with fifteen years experience in both information technology and entertainment law. Kays is an accomplished jazz trumpet player and his passion has always been music, technology, and convergence of the two in today's digital age. This is his first novel.

For further information visit: http://www.virtualvice.net/

Virtual Vice is available at Amazon.com

For a review of Virtual Vice by Jason Kays, please visit Cafe of Dreams.

Happy Reading

New Books

2009-08-16T10:41:00.004-05:00

My book supplier (my mom) came up yesterday to get the girls and she left some books. They are mostly romances that she gets from the local used bookstore. Here are the books.

1. A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware
2. Snowflake Wishes by Lydia Browne
A Slice of Heaven by Sherryl Woods
Wooing Wanda by Gwen Pemberton (Harlequin, Love & Laughter)
Critical Affair by M.J. Rodgers (Harlequin, Code Red, Signature Select)
Sully's Kids by Dawn Stewardson (Harlequin Superromance, Children Included)
The Measure Of a Man by Marie Ferrarella (Silhouette Special Edition)

Books I bought:

At The King's Command by Susan Wiggs (Book 1 of The Tudor Rose Trilogy)
Chosen to Die by Lisa Jackson (sequel to Left to Die)

Have you read any of them? If so tell me what you think?

Happy Reading

Book Spotlight-Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay

2009-08-11T21:00:00.001-05:00

I am very excited to feature Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay as a book spotlight on my blog.

*SYNOPSIS* Your daughter doesn’t come home one night from her summer job.

You go there looking for her. No one’s seen her. But it’s worse than that.

No one’s ever seen her. So where has she been going every day? And where is she now?

In Linwood Barclay’s riveting new thriller, an ordinary man’s desperate search for his daughter leads him into a dark world of corruption, exploitation, and murder. Tim Blake is about to learn that the people you think you know best are the ones harboring the biggest secrets.

Tim is an average guy. He sells cars. He has an ex-wife. She’s moved in with a man whose moody son spends more time online than he should. His girlfriend is turning out to be a bit of a flake. It’s not a life without hassles, but nothing will prepare Tim for the nightmare that’s about to begin.

Sydney vanishes into thin air. At the hotel where she supposedly worked, no one has ever heard of her. Even her closest friends seem to be at a loss. Now, as the days pass without word, Tim must face the fact that not only is Sydney missing, but that the daughter he’s loved and thought he knew is a virtual stranger.

As he retraces Sydney’s steps, Tim discovers that the suburban Connecticut town he always thought of as idyllic is anything but. What he doesn’t know is that his every move is being watched. There are others who want to find Syd as much as Tim does.

But they’re not planning a Welcome Home party.

The closer Tim comes to the truth, the closer he comes to every parent’s worst nightmare—and the kind of evil only a parent’s love has a chance in hell of stopping.

*EXCERPT* Chapter One

"We've also been looking at the Mazda," the woman said. "And we took a—Dell, what was it called? The other one we took out for a test drive?"

Her husband said, "A Subaru."

"That's right," the woman said. "A Subaru."

The woman, whose name was Lorna, and her husband, whose name was Dell, were sitting across the desk from me in the showroom of Riverside Honda. This was the third time they'd been in to see me since I'd come back to work. There comes a point, even when you're dealing with the worst crisis of your life, when you find yourself not knowing what else to do but fall back into your routine.

Lorna had on the desk, in addition to the folder on the Accord, which was what Lorna and Dell had been talking to me about, folders on the Toyota Camry, the Mazda 6, the Subaru Legacy, the Chevrolet Malibu, the Ford Taurus, the Dodge Avenger, and half a dozen others at the bottom of the stack that I couldn't see.

"I notice that the Taurus has 263 horsepower with its standard engine, but the Accord only has 177 horsepower," Lorna said.

"I think you'll see," I said, working hard to stay focused, "that the Taurus engine with that horsepower rating is a V6, while the Accord is a four-cylinder. You'll find it still gives you plenty of pickup, but uses way less gas."

Oh," Lorna said, nodding. "What are the cylinders, exactly? I know you told me before, but I don't think I remember."

Dell shook his head slowly from side to side. That was pretty much all Dell did during these visits. He sat there and let Lorna ask all the questions, do all the talking, unless he was asked something specific, and even then he usually just grunted. He appeared to be losing the will to live. I guessed he'd been sitting across the desk of at least a dozen sales associates between Bridgeport and New Haven over the last few weeks. I could see it in his face, that he didn't give a shit what kind of car they got, just so long as they got something.

But Lorna believed they must be responsible shoppers, and that meant checking out every car in the class they were looking at, comparing specs, studying warranties. All of which was a good thing, to a point, but now Lorna had so much information that she didn't know what to do with it. Lorna thought all this research would help them make an informed decision, but instead it had made it impossible for her to make one at all.

They were in their mid-forties. He was a shoe salesman in the Connecticut Post Mall, and she was a fourth-grade teacher. This was standard teacher behavior. Research your topic, consider all the options, go home and make a chart, car names across the top, features down the side, make check marks in the little boxes.

Lorna asked about the Accord's rear legroom compared to the Malibu, which might have been an issue if they had kids, or if she'd given any indication they had any friends. By the time she was on to the Accord's trunk space versus the Mazda 6, I really wasn't listening. Finally, I held up a hand.

"What car do you like?" I asked Lorna.

"Like?" she said.

My computer monitor was positioned between us, and the whole time Lorna was talking I was moving the mouse around, tapping the keyboard. Lorna assumed I was on the Honda website, calling up data so I could answer her questions.

I wasn't. I was on findsydneyblake.com. I was looking to see whether there'd been any recent hits on the site, whether anyone had emailed me. One of Sydney's friends, a computer whiz—actually, any of Syd's friends was a computer whiz compared to me—by the name of Jeff Bluestein had helped me put together the website, which had all the basic information.

There was a full description of Syd. Age: 17. Date of birth: April 15, 1992. Weight: approximately 115 pounds. Eye color: Blue. Hair: Blonde. Height: 5 feet 3 inches.

Date of disappearance: June 29, 2009.

Last seen: Leaving for work from our address on Hill Street. Might have been spotted in the vicinity of the Just Inn Time hotel, in Milford, Connecticut.

There was also a description of Syd's silver Civic, complete with license plate number.

Visitors to the website, which Jeff had linked to other sites about runaways and missing teens, were encouraged to call police, or get in touch with me, Tim Blake, directly. I'd gone through as many photos as I could find of Syd, hit up her friends for pictures they had as well, including ones they'd posted on their various Internet sites like Facebook, and plastered them all over findsydneyblake.com. I had hundreds of pictures of Syd, going back through all her seventeen years, but I'd only posted ones from the last six months or so.

Wherever Syd might be, it wasn't with extended family. Susanne's and my parents were dead, neither of us had siblings, and what few relatives we had—an aunt here, an uncle there—we'd put on alert.

"Of course," said Lorna, "we're well aware of the excellent repair records that the Hondas have, and good resale value."

I'd had two emails the day before, but not about Sydney. They were from other parents. One was from a father in Providence, telling me that his son Kenneth had been missing for a year now, and there wasn't a moment when he didn't think about him, wonder where he was, whether he was dead or alive, whether it was something he'd done, as a father, that had driven Kenneth away, or whether his son had met up with the wrong kind of people, that maybe they had—

It wasn't helpful.

The second was from a woman outside Albany who'd stumbled onto the site and told me she was praying for my daughter and for me, that I should put my faith in God if I wanted Sydney to come home safely, that it would be through God that I'd find the strength to get through this.

I deleted both emails without replying.

"But the Toyotas have good resale value as well," Lorna said. "I was looking in Consumer Reports, where they have these little charts with all the red dots on them? Have you noticed those? Well, there are lots of red dots if the cars have good repair records, but if the cars don't have good repair records there are lots of black dots, so you can tell at a glance whether it's a good car or not by how many red or black dots are on the chart? Have you seen those?"

I checked to see whether there were any messages now. The thing was, I had already checked for messages three times since Lorna and Dell had sat down across from me. When I was at my desk, I checked about every three minutes. At least twice a day I phoned Milford police detective Kip Jennings—I'd never met a Kip before, and hadn't expected that when I finally did it would be a woman—to see what progress she was making. She'd been assigned Sydney's case, although I was starting to think "assigned" was defined as "the detective who has the case in the back of his or her desk drawer."

In the time that Lorna had been going on about Consumer Reports recommendations, a message had dropped into my inbox. I clicked on it and learned that there was a problem with my Citibank account and if I didn't immediately confirm all my personal financial details it would be suspended, which was kind of curious considering that I did not have a Citibank account and never had."Jesus Christ," I said aloud. The site had only been up for nearly three weeks—Jeff got it up and running within days of Syd's disappearance—and already the spammers had found it.

"Excuse me?" Lorna said.I glanced at her.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Just something on my screen there. You were saying, about the red dots."

"Were you even listening to me?" she asked.

"Absolutely," I said.

"Have you been looking at some dirty website all this time?" she said, and her husband's eyebrows went up. If there was porn on my screen, he wanted a peek.

"They don't allow that when we're with customers," I said earnestly.

"I just don't want us to make a mistake," Lorna said. "We usually keep our cars for seven to ten years, and that's a long time to have a car if it turns out to be a lemon."

"Honda doesn't make lemons," I assured her.

I needed to sell a car. I hadn't made a sale since Syd went missing. The first week, I didn't come into work. It wasn't like I was home, sick with worry. I was out eighteen hours a day, driving the streets, hitting every mall and plaza and drop-in shelter in Milford and Stratford. Before long, I'd broadened the search to include Bridgeport and New Haven. I showed Syd's picture to anyone who'd look at it. I called every friend I could ever recall her mentioning.

I went back to the Just Inn Time, trying to figure out where the hell Syd was actually going every day when I'd believed she was heading into the hotel.

I'd had very little sleep in the twenty-four days since I'd last seen her.

"You know what I think we're going to do?" Lorna said, scooping the pamphlets off the desk and shoving them into her oversized purse. "I think we should take one more look at the Nissan."

"Why don't you do that?" I said. "They make a very good car."

I got to my feet as Lorna and Dell stood. Just then, my phone rang. I glanced at it, recognized the number on the call display, let it go to message, although this particular caller might not choose to leave yet another one.

"Oh," said Lorna, putting something she'd been holding in her hand onto my desk. It was a set of car keys. "When we were sitting in that Civic over there"—she pointed across the showroom—"I noticed someone had left these in the cup holder."

She did this every time she came. She'd get in a car, discover the keys, scoop them up and deliver them to me. I'd given up explaining to her it was a fire safety thing, that we left the keys in the showroom cars so that if there was a fire, we could get them out in a hurry, time permitting.

"How thoughtful," I said. "I'll put these away someplace safe."

"You wouldn't want anyone driving a car right out of the showroom, now would you?" She laughed. Dell looked as though he'd be happy if the huge Odyssey minivan in the center of the floor ran him over.

"Well, we might be back," Lorna said.

"I've no doubt," I said. I wasn't in a hurry to deal with her again, so I said, "Just to be sure, you might want to check out the Mitsubishi dealer. And have you seen the new Saturns?"

"No," Lorna said, suddenly alarmed that she might have overlooked something. "That first one—what was it?"

"Mitsubishi."

Dell was giving me dagger eyes. I didn't care. Let Lorna torment some other salespeople for a while. Under normal conditions, I'd have tolerated her indecision. But I hadn't been myself since Syd went missing.

A few seconds after they'd left the showroom, my desk phone trilled. No reason to get excited. It was an inside line.

I picked up. "Tim here."

"Got a second?"

"Sure," I said, and replaced the receiver.

I walked over to the other side of the showroom, winding my way through a display that included a Civic, the Odyssey, a Pilot, and a boxy green Element with the suicide rear doors.

I'd been summoned to the office of Laura Cantrell, sales manager. Mid-forties with the body of a twenty-five-year-old, twice married, single for four years, brown hair, white teeth, very red lips. She drove a silver S2000, the limited-production two-seater Honda sports car that we sold, maybe, a dozen of a year.

"Hey, Tim, sit down," she said, not getting up from behind her desk. Since she had an actual office, and not a cubicle like the lowly sales staff, I was able to close her door as she'd asked.

I sat down without saying anything. I wasn't much into small talk these days.

"So how's it going?" Laura asked.

I nodded. "Okay."

She nodded her head in the direction of the parking lot, where Lorna and Dell were at this moment getting into their eight-year-old Buick. "Still can't make up their minds?"

"No," I said. "You know the story about the donkey standing between two bales of hay that starves because he can't decide which one to eat first?"

Laura wasn't interested in fables. "We have a good product. Why can't you close this one?"

"They'll be back," I said resignedly

Laura leaned back in her swivel chair, folded her arms below her breasts. "So, Tim, any news?"

I knew she was asking about Syd. "No," I said.

She shook her head sympathetically. "God, it must be rough."

"It's hard," I said.

"Did I ever tell you I was a runaway myself once?" she asked.

"Yes," I said.

"I was sixteen, and my parents were ragging on me about everything. School, my boyfriends, staying out late, you name it, they had a list. So I thought, screw it, I'm outta here, and I took off with this boy named Martin, hitched around the country, saw America, you know?"

"Your parents must have been worried sick."

Laura Cantrell offered up a "who cares" shrug.

"The point is," she said, "I was fine. I just needed to find out who I was. Get out from under their thumb. Be my own self. Fly solo, you know? At the end of the day, that's what matters. Independence."

I didn't say anything.

"Look," she said, leaning forward now, resting her elbows on the desk. I got a whiff of perfume. Expensive, I bet. "Everyone around here is pulling for you. We really are. We can't imagine what it's like, going through what you're going through. Unimaginable. We all want Cindy to come home today."

"Sydney," I said.

"But the thing is, you have to go on, right? You can't worry about what you don't know. Chances are, your daughter's fine. Safe and sound. If you're lucky, she's taken along a boyfriend like I did. I know that might not be what you want to hear, but the fact is, if she's got a young man with her, already she's a hell of a lot safer. And don't even worry about the sex thing. Girls today, they're much savvier about that stuff. They know the score, they know everything about birth control. A hell of a lot more than we did in our day. Well, I was pretty knowledgeable, but most of them, they didn't have a clue."

*ABOUT THE AUTHOR* Linwood Barclay is a former columnist for the Toronto Star. He is the author of several critically acclaimed novels, including Too Close to Home and No Time for Goodbye, a #1 bestseller in Britain. He lives near Toronto with his wife and has two grown children. His website is http://www.linwoodbarclay.com/.

Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay is available at Amazon.com

VBT sponosered by Pump Up Your Book Promotion

Happy Reading

American Lion: Review

2009-08-08T07:25:00.007-05:00

American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham is about Jackson and all the players of his White House years.

Meacham focuses on Jackson's interaction with family, friends and enemies. He also talked about the three controversial policies that Jackson was involved in, Indian Policies, breaking the Bank of the United States, and nullification of South Carolina (how he prevented a civil war).

I have read other reviews that did not like how much time Meacham spent on the Eaton scandal. I found it thought-provoking. I feel it shows the mind set of the time. As well as how the wives/women of the men in power can control things. The Eaton Scandal shows what can happen when people are frozen out of the Social Circle and how it effected other things-policy making, decision making.

My first thought when I read American Lion was that the more things change the more they stay the same esp in politics. In some ways it was like I was reading about a modern Presidential campaign as well as a modern Presidency.

Even though Jackson is known for his bad temper, American Lion shows another side of Jackson, his gentle side. He was really cared for his family especially the children and his close friends.

I found Meacham's writing style to be choppy. I felt that the story of Jackson could have flowed better. There were times that I felt Meacham was ahead of the story and then he would jump back. This style was difficult for me to read.

Meacham said in his author's note "I have attempted to paint a biographical portrait of Jackson and of many people who lived and worked with him in his tumultuous years in power." I think he accomplished this.

Even though it took me a long time to read and I found the writing style choppy, I kept wanting to find out more about Jackson and the personalities that surrounded him during the his presidential years.

3.5 stars Over all I found this book interesting. I just had difficulty with the writing style. If you had read this book what did you think especially about the writing style.

For more info about this book and the author visit my book spotlight on American Lion

Happy Reading

Ghost of A Chance

2009-08-06T19:47:00.004-05:00

Review is by my daughter Anna.

Ghost of a Chance by Laura Peyton Roberts was good. I thought it was just another paranormal book, but it wasn't. Melissa Soul did not believe that her friend, Chloe met a ghost. A ghost named James. When James finally shows himself to Melissa a love triangle develops.

This book was different, no vampires, just two best friends and a ghost.

People should read Ghost of a Chance because it gives you twists all throughout the book. I never expected the ending, I'm sure you won't either. It was also fresh and funny. Best friends try to understand love, ghosts, and life. You will enjoy seeing best friends try to undo a love triangle that has destroyed their friendship and then repair their friendship.

Mini-Reviews Romances

2009-08-03T06:35:00.006-05:00

Husband in Training by Christine Rimmer

From Back Cover: Beautiful widow Jenny Brown had gotten used to having ruggedly handsome Nick DeSalvo, her late husband's best buddy, around-as a friend. Until one day he resented Jenny with a strange request. I seemed that the original single guy was bound and determined to become...a family man! And he needed her help in learning what every woman desired....

Well, single mother Jenny wanted no part in giving husband lessons-but her young daughter Polly had other ideas. Soon old friend Nick was constantly underfoot-where is mouthwatering muscles and sexy grin began driving Jenny crazy.... and making her see the budding bridegroom in more than just a friendly light...

A nice sweet romance. It did have its funny moments, but not enough. This book had potential to be a very humorous read. I felt that the daughter was reading material that a 13 year old girl would not read, maybe it would be better if the daughter was older 15-16. I don't see a 13 year old girl reading Cosmo. It just bothered me. 3 Stars

Singl-Dad Sheriff by Amy Frazier

From the Back Cover: There are only two things Brett McQuire cares about:

raising his son and keeping the law in Applegate, North Carolina. Then Samantha Weston moves to town, stirring up the locals and putting him to the test.... as a cop, a father, and a man.

He's pretty darn sure the alluring llama trekker isn't who she seems. But once he uncovers the secret that's got her on the run, can he keep

Samantha-the woman he wants more than anything to stay-from fleeing yet again?

This was the better book of the two. The characters were more believable. I

thought that the 12 year old boy acted like a 12 year old child. This book brought you in right from the very beginning. It was hard to put down. A good read. I definitely would read another book by Amy Frazier. 4 Stars

I read these books for the Harlequin/Silhouette Challenge. New to me author Amy Frazier and a book husband, wife,etc in the title, Husband in Training.

Happy Reading

Guest Post: By Angus Munro

2009-07-27T18:24:00.005-05:00

I would like to welcome Angus Munro to ReadingMama as he tours the blogosphere promoting his book wonderful book A Full House-But Empty.

A view of A Full House – But Empty by Angus Munro.

I was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada during the Great Depression. Our father, a single parent raised my two sisters and me. Those were very tough and hectic years both economically and emotionally. The Depression ended and World War II started. At age fourteen, I dropped out of school due to an unfortunate incident the prior year and having had repeated the seventh grade.

At age seventeen, this grade-school dropout was working in a sawmill tossing lumber ends off of a conveyor belt. A theological student from the University of British Columbia attended one of our home parties. We became friends and one evening he delivered a Dutch uncle speech to me. He told me in plain English to get off of my ass and get moving in the right direction. He suggested that I take evening classes at a local high school in typing and accounting to acquire some basic skills. He also stated that I should seek an entrance position in a white-collar setting that would afford future advancements. I attempted to refute his suggestions by stating I was a failure, a dropout with no skills. He stated that I unequivocally had above average intelligence and assuredly possessing great untapped potentialities. He pointedly stated that is your focus not unfortunate past events. Mission accomplished – I immediately did exactly what he suggested.

I progressively worked up the vocational ladder, starting from the bottom rung. During my career, I spent nine very successful years in the petroleum industry and was scheduled for a junior executive position in home office. I decided to change careers. I spent thirty-nine very productive years in hospital administration in California and Alaska. I was a director of several departments with staffing complements of fifty-five to seventy employees prior to my retirement.

My message is of moving ahead and lessons learned from my father and others. Thus helping me to successfully climb up the vocational ladder along with enhancing myself in addressing my needs and importantly the needs of others.

Angus Munro has roots that run deep. His farming ancestors came from Scotland in 1830 and his relatives still reside on the same farmlands in Southern Ontario, Canada. His grandfather left Ontario and took his family to Saskatchewan in 1905 and became a prosperous wheat farmer. When Angus' father married, the grandfather leased other farmlands to get his son established. Angus' father lost the total proceeds of his first wheat crop in a wild poker game at the local grain elevator. The grandfather was none too happy and decided to relocate to Vancouver, B.C.

The Depression deepened and sadly Angus' grandfather passed away - leaving his entire estate to his second son. Angus' father traveled to see his brother to seek financial assistance and received nothing. He returned to Vancouver unexpectedly one evening and found his wife in bed with someone else. Thus, his father became a single parent to three children - Laura 6, Angus 3, and Marjorie and infant. The following day, Angus became very ill with appendicitis and spent seven weeks in the Vancouver General Hospital. The author vividly covers his early childhood years and living with another family - similar circumstances, a father with five children, coping with the Depression and, thereafter, addressing their dual basic family needs.

Angus' new memoir, A Full House - But Empty, is the gripping story of young Angus' life growing up in the Depression years based on the positive lessons he had learned from his father during their somewhat traumatic and hectic years together.

If you would like to find out more about Angus, visit his website at http://www.angusrmunro.com/.

Thank you Angus for sharing your story.

Kristian's Question Ancient Evil

2009-07-26T16:27:00.003-05:00

Kristen over at Kristen's Writing Endeavors asked this question what is your definition of an Ancient Evil.

Here is my response: An ancient evil is something that has been hidden, or stopped during ancient times such as Roman, Greek, Egyptian or when druids ruled in England,and is released into the present. I know my definition is very simple but that is how I see it.

Why don't you visit Kristen's Writing Endeavors to tell Kristen what you think an Ancient Evil is?

Happ Reading

ARC-When You Went Away-Book Spotlight

2009-07-25T09:20:00.001-05:00

I received When You Went Away by Michael Baron this week in the mail. It is the first mass market original form the publishing house The Story Plant, which was created by Lou Aronica and Peter Miller last year.

About The Book:
*blurb* Only a few months ago, Gerry Rubato had everything he thought he needed from life. He was passionately in love with his college sweetheart after nearly twenty years of marriage, he had a bright, independent-minded daughter, and he had the surprising addition of a new child ton the way. Then everything changed with stunning rapidity. With little explanation his daughter ran away with her older boyfriend. Then, only a month after giving birth to their son, his wife died suddenly.

Now, Gerry needs to be everything to his infant child while he contends with two losses he can barely comprehend. When a woman walks into his life as a friend and their relationship verges on something more, Gerry must redefine all that he knows about himself, about love, about loyalty and about his dreams.

When You Went Away sounds like it will be a good read. Maybe even a tearjerker, I may have to keep tissue handy as I read this.

About the Author:
Michael Baron grew up in the New York area and lived there most of his life. He worked in retail and taught high school English before getting the first of several book contracts.

When You Went Away is Michael Baron's first novel. His scene, Crossing The Bridge, will be published by The Story Plant in January 201o.He is also the author o a number of successful nonfiction books.

Michael considers his wife and children the center of his life, claiming his spouse as the inspiration of his love stories. The children, he says, "enthrall me, challenge me and keep me moving." Much of the impetus behind When You Went Away grew from his desire to write about being a father.

Michael lives in New England with his family and is currently at work on a new story of relationships,love and celebrity.
(from Press Release)

If you want to visit Michael's website here is the address http://www.michaelbaronbooks.com/

For more information visit http://www.thestoryplant.com/

When You went Away

Michael Baron

The Story Plant/Mass Market Original/Fiction

Distributed by Perseus

On Sale October 6, 2009/$7.99 ($9.99 Canada)

ISBN:978-0-9819568-0-0

Happy Reading

Book Spotlight-American Lion

2009-07-21T20:20:00.007-05:00

I am happy to spotlight New York Times Bestseller and 2009 Pulitzer Prizewinner for Biography American Lion by Jon Meacham. American Lion focuses on Andrew Jackson's presidential years.

About The Book:

New York Times Bestseller and 2009 Pulitzer Prizewinner for Biography, AMERICAN LION by Jon Meacham is a deeply insightful and eminently readable narrative biography of Andrew Jackson (often called "America's second founding father") and his pivotal years in the White House that shaped the modern presidency.

Andrew Jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, Andrew Jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, bending the nation to his will in the cause of democracy. Jackson’s election in 1828 ushered in a new and lasting era in which the people, not distant elites, were the guiding force in American politics. Democracy made its stand in the Jackson years, and he gave voice to the hopes and the fears of a restless, changing nation facing challenging times at home and threats abroad. To tell the saga of Jackson’s presidency, acclaimed author Jon Meacham goes inside the Jackson White House. Drawing on newly discovered family letters and papers, he details the human drama–the family, the women, and the inner circle of advisers–that shaped Jackson’s private world through years of storm and victory.

One of our most significant yet dimly recalled presidents, Jackson was a battle-hardened warrior, the founder of the Democratic Party, and the architect of the presidency as we know it. His story is one of violence, sex, courage, and tragedy. With his powerful persona, his evident bravery, and his mystical connection to the people, Jackson moved the White House from the periphery of government to the center of national action, articulating a vision of change that challenged entrenched interests to heed the popular will–or face his formidable wrath. The greatest of the presidents who have followed Jackson in the White House–from Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt to FDR to Truman–have found inspiration in his example, and virtue in his vision.

Jackson was the most contradictory of men. The architect of the removal of Indians from their native lands, he was warmly sentimental and risked everything to give more power to ordinary citizens. He was, in short, a lot like his country: alternately kind and vicious, brilliant and blind; and a man who fought a lifelong war to keep the republic safe–no matter what it took.

Jon Meacham in American Lion has delivered the definitive human portrait of a pivotal president who forever changed the American presidency–and America itself.

Excerpt:
Andy Will Fight His Way in the World

Christmas 1828 should have been the happiest of seasons at the Hermitage, Jackson’s plantation twelve miles outside Nashville. It was a week before the holiday, and Jackson had won the presidency of the United States the month before. “How triumphant!” Andrew Donelson said of the victory. “How flattering to the cause of the people!” Now the president- elect’s family and friends were to be on hand for a holiday of good food, liquor, and wine–Jackson was known to serve guests whiskey, champagne, claret, Madeira, port, and gin–and, in this special year, a pageant of horses, guns, and martial glory.

On Wednesday, December 17, 1828, Jackson was sitting inside the house, answering congratulatory messages. As he worked, friends in town were planning a ball to honor their favorite son before he left for Washington. Led by a marshal, there would be a guard of soldiers on horseback to take Jackson into Nashville, fire a twenty- four- gun artillery salute, and escort him to a dinner followed by dancing. Rachel would be by his side.
In the last moments before the celebrations, and his duties, began, Jackson drafted a letter. Writing in his hurried hand across the foolscap, he accepted an old friend’s good wishes: “To the people, for the confidence reposed in me, my gratitude and best services are due; and are pledged to their service.” Before he finished the note, Jackson went outside to his Tennessee fields.

He knew his election was inspiring both reverence and loathing. The 1828 presidential campaign between Jackson and Adams had been vicious. Jackson’s forces had charged that Adams, as minister to Russia, had procured a woman for Czar Alexander I. As president, Adams was alleged to have spent too much public money decorating the White House, buying fancy china and a billiard table. The anti- Jackson assaults were more colorful. Jackson’s foes called his wife a bigamist and his mother a whore, attacking him for a history of dueling, for alleged atrocities in battles against the British, the Spanish, and the Indians–and for being a wife stealer who had married Rachel before she was divorced from her first husband. “Even Mrs. J. is not spared, and my pious Mother, nearly fifty years in the tomb, and who, from her cradle to her death had not a speck upon her character, has been dragged forth . . . and held to public scorn as a prostitute who intermarried with a Negro, and my eldest brother sold as a slave in Carolina,” Jackson said to a friend.

Jackson’s advisers marveled at the ferocity of the Adams attacks. “The floodgates of falsehood, slander, and abuse have been hoisted and the most nauseating filth is poured, in torrents, on the head, of not only Genl Jackson but all his prominent supporters,” William B. Lewis told John Coffee, an old friend of Jackson’s from Tennessee.
Some Americans thought of the president-elect as a second Father of His Country. Others wanted him dead. One Revolutionary War veteran, David Coons of Harpers Ferry, Virginia, was hearing rumors of ambush and assassination plots against Jackson. To Coons, Jackson was coming to rule as a tribune of the people, but to others Jackson seemed dangerous–so dangerous, in fact, that he was worth killing. “There are a portion of malicious and unprincipled men who have made hard threats with regard to you, men whose baseness would (in my opinion) prompt them to do anything,” Coons wrote Jackson.

That was the turbulent world awaiting beyond the Hermitage. In the draft of a speech he was to deliver to the celebration in town, Jackson was torn between anxiety and nostalgia. “The consciousness of a steady adherence to my duty has not been disturbed by the unsparing attacks of which I have been the subject during the election,” the speech read. Still, Jackson admitted he felt “apprehension” about the years ahead. His chief fear? That, in Jackson’s words, “I shall fail” to secure “the future prosperity of our beloved country.” Perhaps the procession to Nashville and the ball at the hotel would lift his spirits; perhaps Christmas with his family would.

While Jackson was outside, word came that his wife had collapsed in her sitting room, screaming in pain. It had been a wretched time for Rachel. She was, Jackson’s political foes cried, “a black wench,” a “profligate woman,” unfit to be the wife of the president of the United States. Shaken by the at- tacks, Rachel–also sixty-one and, in contrast to her husband, short and somewhat heavy–had been melancholy and anxious. “The enemies of the General have dipped their arrows in wormwood and gall and sped them at me,” Rachel lamented during the campaign. “Almighty God, was there ever any thing equal to it?” On the way home from a trip to Nashville after the balloting, Rachel was devastated to overhear a conversation about the lurid charges against her. Her niece, the twenty-one- year- old Emily Donelson, tried to reassure her aunt but failed. “No, Emily,” Mrs. Jackson replied, “I’ll never forget it!”

When news of her husband’s election arrived, she said: “Well, for Mr. Jackson’s sake I am glad; for my own part I never wished it.” Now the cumulative toll of the campaign and the coming administration exacted its price as Rachel was put to bed, the sound of her cries still echoing in her slave Hannah’s ears

About The Author:

Jon Meacham is the editor of Newsweek and author of American Lion and the New York Times bestsellers Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship and American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation. He lives in New York City with his wife and children. You can visit his website at http://www.jonmeacham.com/

I hope that this wets your appetite for American Lion. I am reading this book now and I am finding it very interesting. One of my thoughts so far is that nothing has changed in politics. You had your liberals, yes even back then and your conservatives. There is even a "gasp" a sex scandal involving one of his cabinet members. Who would have thought back in the early 1800s. I found it intriguing in regards to how it affected the running of Jackson's cabinet. I guess I should stop and save the rest of my thoughts when I finish reading American Lion. I am hoping to finish the book within the next week. So keep coming back to see when my review is up.

Happy Reading

My Absolutely Best Flying Story- J.R. Hauptman Guest Post

2009-07-20T21:28:00.014-05:00

J.R. Hauptman is the author of the murder, mystery, action novel, The Target: Love, Death and Airline Deregulation. I am very excited to have J.R. Hauptman do a guest post on my blog. I think that you will find his post to be an interesting tale. At least I did. Enjoy

My Absolutely Best Flying Story
by J.R. Hauptman

When folks discover that I have been a professional pilot for nearly a half- century, they often ask me what was the most exciting and dangerous incident for me to experience and survive. Although there have been very few to approach the level of excitement of Captain Sully’s landing in the Hudson, I tell them that the story I like to share, is the one I consider my most “interesting.”

I had spent barely a year as a pilot for one of the major airfreight carriers and my son-in-law, let’s call him “Bradley,” was winding down his professional football career by recently signing with the Los Angeles Rams for the last few games of the season. His early career had been star-crossed, rewarding him with a berth on a championship team and two Super Bowl rings. The hapless Rams were not very good that year and this was definitely a demotion for him. I managed to attend two of these games by using my airline jumpseat privileges and the final one was in Seattle against the Seahawks.

I rode the jumpseat from Denver to Seattle on one of the non-stop flights and arranged to spend the night before the game with an old friend from my last tour in Viet Nam. Brad provided us with complimentary game tickets and we managed to spend some time with him and a few of his teammates that evening. It had to be a short evening due to an early bed check and Bradley seemed to be suffering from the onset of the flu.

As anticipated, the game went badly for the Rams; they came out flat and Brad, who should have stayed in bed, more that once found himself flattened on the Astroturf of the old Kingdome. We got to see him briefly after the game, as he boarded the team bus and took a seat next to the head coach, who would be fired the very next day.

I spent the night with my war buddy and early the next morning, he dropped me off at Sea Tac Airport to catch my flight back home to Denver. My chances to get on board appeared a bit chancy as there were several pass riders and jumpseaters standing by, but the rules were very generous back in those days and my luck held. I even managed to sit in first class with several others who were pass riders from that airline.

We took off without delay and the first thirty minutes of the flight. Shortly after the aircraft leveled out at cruise altitude, the chime rang and the head flight attendant picked up the interphone to the cockpit. She listened intently for a few seconds, then lowered the phone, a serious but unperturbed look on her face. Switching the phone to public address, announced, “Any doctors or paramedics on board, would you please press your call buttons.” She strode purposely to the rear cabin, as there were two dings in reply.

Within a minute, two young gentlemen, as requested a doctor and a paramed, marched not altogether anxiously back up the aisle, herded along by the first flight attendant. The cockpit door of the Boeing 737 opened to a knock and my view was temporarily blocked by the small crowd of people now at the entrance. The crowd then shifted rearward as the doctor and paramed lifted the copilot out of his seat and laid his body across the threshold, his feet and legs still inside the cockpit and his face the color of battleship grey.

The medics began working on him as he lay there and as the flight attendant again scurried to the rear, I turned to the passenger across from me and asked, “Are you a pilot for this airline and qualified in this airplane?”

“Uhh, well,” he answered, “I’m a simulator instructor in this bird down at their training center but I’m not one of their regular line pilots. He returned to his magazine, obviously not anxious to volunteer.

By now the head F/A was on her way back to the front door where they had dragged the copilot to the floor of the alcove. I stopped her and told her that I worked for the airfreight company and that although I was not qualified on this aircraft, I had flown the Boeing 727 and that I would do anything to assist the Captain. She stepped over the victim and after a brief parley in the cockpit, she returned to where I sat.

“Captain wants you up front right now,” she stated tersely. “Here, take these with you; you’ll need ‘em,” she added, handing me a fistful of paper towels. I became the seventh person in the small space between the entry alcove and the copilot seat as the F/A attempted to clear debris and remnants of his crew meal from the cockpit floor. The right seat was somewhat wet with mostly coffee as I daubed at it with the towels. By this point there were nearly five people in the tiny cockpit as the doctor and flight attendant attempted to converse with the Captain and the air traffic control center blared over the loudspeakers.

As I tried to make my way into the seat, an awful thought crossed my mind. Food poisoning?? Had the copilot gotten food poisoning from the crew meal or what he might have eaten earlier? Worse, was the Captain about to fall victim to food poisoning if he had eaten the same kind of meal? And the worst thought of all, “Would I have to fly this airplane by myself if he is incapacitated too??!”

Since Viet Nam, I have a developed a little device I use on myself when I get into a tough spot. I take about three deep breaths and work myself into a controlled adrenal state. My emotions soar, almost to the point of tears but my mind is completely clear and in cold focus. I thought of my son-in-law and almost audibly said to him, “Brad, you play in big games and Super Bowls, but this is just a jet and this is what I do!”

My mind focused, I squeezed into the seat, plugged the copilot’s earphone and introduced myself to the Captain as he welcomed me aboard. Air Traffic Control was still yammering at our flight, wanting to know if we wanted to declare an emergency and when I asked him for guidance, he looked at me directly and said, “You handle it!”

That settled, I took over the copilot duties and without further incidents we proceeded to Denver and some two hours later, we made a normal approach, landing and arrival there. Now I think that by itself, that makes a pretty good flying story but the story is not yet over and it is far from the best part.

After being greeted by the FAA and the local chief pilot, I called my own chief pilot and my wife to keep them informed and not to worry if the news media got hold of it. I also decided to call our daughter Laura, who was in LA with Brad and I told her the whole story. Excited, she thanked me and added that Brad was still in bed with a bad case of the flu. For the time being, the story ended there for me but here is the best part.

When daughter Laura hung up the phone, she ran to the bedroom where Bradley dozed fitfully.
“Brad, Brad,” she shook him. “You’ll never guess what happened to my dad when he jumpseated back to Denver.”

“Yeah,” he answered drowsily. “I had a dream a couple of hours ago and it woke me up, it was so real. The copilot got sick and your dad had to help fly the airplane.”

This is a true story. My son-in-law is a realist who doesn’t go in for this spooky spiritual or ESP stuff and to this day, he will not discuss it.

YOU figure it out!

J.R. Hauptman (pseudonym) has been a professional pilot for nearly a half century. Barely twenty years old, he began as a military pilot and for almost two years he flew combat support missions in the Viet Nam War. Upon leaving military service he was hired by a major airline and was initially based on the West Coast. His flying career was interrupted by the turmoil that racked the airline industry during the early days of deregulation. In the interim, he worked as a travel agent, a stockbroker and even trained dogs and horses. In the late nineteen-eighties, he returned to aviation, flying jet charters and air freight. He concluded his career flying corporate jets and now lives in Florida. He is completing his second work, a non-fictional social commentary and surfs every day, waves or not. You can visit his website at http://www.caddispublishing.com/.

I would like to thank J.R. Hauptman for sharing this story with us. My review of Hauptman's book The Target:Love, Death, and Airline Deregulation will be posted on August 20. It should be a good read.

Happy Reading

A Circle of Souls

2009-07-19T17:45:00.001-05:00

From The Back Cover:

The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town's top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in /FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.

Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury's hospital , searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-ole Naya Hastings's devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode. Naya's parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.

The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgement, Leia explores the clues in Naya's crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.

My Review:

I am so glad that Preetham Grandhi asked me to review A Circle of Souls. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a great read. Everything about this book was just right. This psychological thriller pulled me in from the very beginning. Grandhi weaves a very intense tale.

I was unable to figure out who did it until Grandhi reveled all. The ending was an OMG ending. I kept saying OMG until everything was resolved.

This book is a definite read. Just don't read this book across from a boat house like I did. 4.5 stars. Awesome read.

About The Author:

Preetham Grandhi, M.D. immigrated to the United States from Bangalore,

India to pursue a career in child and adolescent psychiatry. After his graduation from Yale he has been the chief of service for House 5 at Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center. He is devoted to helping young children gain insight into their emotional and behavioral needs and empowers them to maximize their inner potential. He also has a private practice and resides in Westchester County, New York, with his family

Happy Reading

A Will To Love

2009-07-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Kim Smith's Pump Up Your Book Promotion

Virtual Book Tour

About The Book:

Benton Jessup wants his bed and breakfast to be successful. He will go to no lengths to insure that it does. But when Kitty Beebe, a famous romance author, arrives at The Inn, his desire for success becomes a struggle of wills with love.

Excerpt:

If the Beebe woman liked it, her expression of approval might bring more business to The Inn, and cement his chance at having a four star rating. He scowled. Keeping her off his mind was becoming nearly impossible.

The opportunity to gain more recognition for his business consumed him, regardless if it meant impressing someone to do it. Showing off his talents was his ace. It excited him, kept him focused.

He’d been raised a poor man’s son with never two pennies to rub together. It was through his own resourcefulness that he’d found jobs working in kitchens each one building to a higher position until he landed a job as head cook. He knew how to succeed. He’d done it a step at a time all of his life. He set a goal and worked toward it until it became his.

At the moment, his goal was to make Kitty Beebe tell all her New York friends that The Inn was the best bed and breakfast in South.

It was a reasonable expectation. It would take long hours, and careful planning, but it could be done. Nothing he hadn’t faced before and successfully accomplished. That drive to overcome his meager beginnings was why he hadn’t just closed The Inn and gone back home.

Ambition was his all-consuming need and his ticket to ride on the wheel of life.

But could he get his guest to succumb to his charm, his talent. . . his obsession?

Change. That was what he needed. Change to his approach, his execution. He would make the Beebe woman fall in love with this place, with his very country until she didn’t want to return to Ireland.

If he were to succeed at that, it meant giving up his resolve to stay out of a woman’s way. It meant putting himself directly in her path and he knew what direction her path would be.It was written on every page of her damn book.

My Review:

This novelette was a nice sweet romance about two people who find love again with each other. They help each other realize that they can't dwell in the past but that they have to move forward to find love and happiness.

I liked how Smith portrays the falling in love process. One is afraid to make the first move, but when you do it is not quite what you expect. For example, the scene when Ben makes breakfast for Kitty. He takes it up to here room and when he opens it. She is her writing zone and turns towards him and says Get Out! He leaves, but he is very confused. I loved this scene.

I enjoyed this novelette. The one problem is that we learned why Ben was resistant to love but why was Kitty. If we had Kitty's backstory maybe the ending wouldn't have felt so rushed. Maybe Smith can write another story that tells the reason why Kitty did not want to fall in love.

I hope that Smith will create an ongoing series by which The Inn and the surrounding country side would be the back drop for other romantic stories. But first tell Kitty's story.

I give this novelette 3.5 stars because we are left with the question as why was Kitty so resistant to love.

About the Author:

Kim Smith is the hostess for the popular radio show, Introducing WRITERS! Radi o show on Blog Talk Radio. She is also the author of the zany, Shannon Wallace mystery series available now from Red Rose Publishing and also the new romance novel, A Will to Love. You can visit Kim’s website at http://www.mkimsmith.com/.

Happy Reading

A Full House-But Empty

2009-07-06T20:45:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Pump Up Your Book Promotion's

Virtual Book Tour for Angus Munro

About the Book:
Filled with anecdotes, lessons learned, and an inspirational message for everyone who believes that hard work breeds success, this moving autobiography shares the remarkable story of Angus Munro.

Munro is just three when he suffers from appendicitis and spends several weeks in a Vancouver hospital as his family struggles to survive the Great Depression. After finally arriving home, Munro asks his sister, "Where is Mummy?" and is promptly told his mother doesn't live there anymore. It is this traumatic event that changes the course of Munro's life forever. His father is suddenly a single parent while simultaneously turning into Munro's mentor and hero. He teaches Munro the motto, "Always do the right thing," while raising his children in an environment that is at the very least hectic, and more often completely chaotic.

Through a potpourri of chronological and heartfelt tales, Munro reveals how he learned to view incidents in life in terms of responsibility, recognition, personal conduct, and consideration of others. Despite dropping out of school at a young age, Munro perseveres, eventually attaining professional success

Munro's memoir is a wonderful tribute to his father's legacy and the greatest lesson of all - whatever you do, follow through.

Excerpt:
At the age of three, I suffered from appendicitis and spent seven weeks in the Vancouver General Hospital. Little did I know or understand at the time that my mother and father were seriously struggling with their relationship, and that the future of our family life was hanging in the balance.

Upon my arrival home from the hospital, I was immediately put into my bed, which was a large crib that had been placed in the living room. As soon as I settled in, I asked my six-year-old sister Laura, “Where is mummy?”

“She doesn’t live here anymore,” she stated flatly.

Her words shocked me. I started thrashing around and screaming hysterically, “Mummy, Mummy!” My father rushed into the room to rescue me and to pacify me.

“It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. We’re here with you now.” I continued to cry hysterically. I felt dejected. Why did I seem to be the only one upset with this tragic news? I did not comprehend that my mother had been gone from home seven weeks. This was old news to Laura, but fresh news to me.

Fortunately, to cover my mother’s departure from our home, we were blessed with two wonderful housekeepers who tried to pick up the pieces. They had been provided at no cost to us by the Provincial Social Services. One or the other came daily during the week to take care of our needs. They were so kind and motherly that being with them helped our days to flow freely. My father said on many occasions that they spent more time playing and taking care of us individually than they did fulfilling household chores. He frankly preferred it that way. He said he would return home daily to three happy smiling faces and a somewhat disheveled apartment. Dishevelment was of no importance to him.

One day, my sister Laura and I looked in the window of a bakeshop that was located half a block from our apartment. In the center of the display window was a beautiful white cake with a maraschino cherry right in the middle on top. I was five and knew nothing about the Depression and how poor we were. When we returned home, I told my father about the beautiful cake and wondered if he would buy it for us

My Review: 4 stars
When I began reading A Full House-But Empty, I heard my grandpa's voice. The anecdotes, that are in this book reminded me of when my grandpa would tell stories of when he was growing up.

Angus Munro memoir was very interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining. My favorite part of the book was when Mr. Munro wrote about when he was growing up in the depression. Even though his family was short money, they found ways to get their needs meet. Mr. Munro and his friend Cecil had many adventures together that were very nostalgic. What they did growing up, children do not do today.

When I was reading the second part of the book, which focuses mainly on his business life, I was thinking that people who are in business especially customer service should read this book. Because Mr. Munro talks about how to treat people both co-workers and patients in a positive way and the rewards one will get because they treat people nicely. Mr. Munro does not ignore employees who do not do their job, he talks to them openly and honestly about what they had to do to become a more consciousness employee. Some people were thankful in that moment, others over time and then they would come back to tell Mr. Munro thanks. Again the rewards of being honest.

There were times when I was reading an anecdote, that I wanted more. For example, when Mr. Munro was writing about Bob and how Bob was asking all of the questions about how Mr. Munro does things at work. Mr. Munro ends the passage with his avocation was piloting private smaller planes. I want to know more and I wanted to know how did Mr. Munro know this.

This memoir is about hope and how one does not have to deal with the cards they are dealt. That with hard work and perseverance one can overcome many things. There are many lessons in this book and Mr. Munro dose a recap as to what one learns from certain passages.

This autobiography is not your traditional autobiography in that it is about a famous person. This book is about an ordinary man who has done ordinary things and what we can learn from his life experiences and maybe if we look at our life we might have stories and lessons to learn as well.

About the Author:

Angus Munro has roots that run deep. His farming ancestors came from Scotland in 1830 and his relatives still reside on the same farmlands in Southern Ontario, Canada. His grandfather left Ontario and took his family to Saskatchewan in 1905 and became a prosperous wheat farmer. When Angus' father married, the grandfather leased other farmlands to get his son established. Angus' father lost the total proceeds of his first wheat crop in a wild poker game at the local grain elevator. The grandfather was none too happy and decided to relocate to Vancouver, B.C.

The Depression deepened and sadly Angus' grandfather passed away - leaving his entire estate to his second son. Angus' father traveled to see his brother to seek financial assistance and received nothing. He returned to Vancouver unexpectedly one evening and found his wife in bed with someone else. Thus, his father became a single parent to three children - Laura 6, Angus 3, and Marjorie and infant. The following day, Angus became very ill with appendicitis and spent seven weeks in the Vancouver General Hospital. The author vividly covers his early childhood years and living with another family - similar circumstances, a father with five children, coping with the Depression and, thereafter, addressing their dual basic family needs.

Angus' new memoir, A Full House - But Empty, is the gripping story of young Angus' life growing up in the Depression years based on the positive lessons he had learned from his father during their somewhat traumatic and hectic years together.

On a side note please don't ask me who is the better storyteller my grandpa or Mr. Munro because it would be a disservice to both as they both are great storytellers.

Happy Reading

The Gnostic Mystery

2009-07-04T08:10:00.003-05:00

From the Back Cover:
Jack Stanton, an American businessman, makes a pilgrimage to war-torn Israel in hopes of rekindling his Christian faith. While traveling with his friend Punjeeh, an ER Doctor from Jerusalem, Jack acquires an ancient scroll written by the Gnostics, a mystical group of early Christians-and his spiritual quest takes an unexpected turn. The scroll makes the startling claims that the Gnostics were the original followers of Jesus, and that they retained secret knowledge of Jesus that was not included in the Bible.

With the help of the ingenious Chloe Eisenberg, a professor of philosophy and religion, Jack and Punjeeh navigate the dangerous terrain of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in an attempt to decipher the puzzle of the scroll and bring the Gnostics' revelations about Jesus to light.

Threaded with the searing realities of today's Middle East, The Gnostic Mystery is packed with historical facts about the Christian Religion.

The Thrilling mystery makes a compelling case that the origins of Christianity are far different from what we believed...until now.

My Review:
I found this book very interesting. A lot of the facts that he presented I was aware of and I also learned some new facts. He presents his theory about the origins of Christianity in a very easy readable way. I was thinking he should have written this as a non-fiction instead of fiction because his writing style is very simple, making a complex theory easy to understand.

This is not a Da Vinci Code type mystery as it is presented on the cover. It is a fiction book that explains what Gnosticism is and presents Davila's theory of the origins of Christianity. The plot and characters are secondary to Davila's theory and explanations of Gnosticism. Again he should have written a nonfiction book containing these ideas.

Some people will find his ideas upsetting and anti-Christianity. Other people will find them thought provoking and interesting.

If you have read A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, you may find some similar concepts that relate to the ego; I think that would have been a better comparison than to the Da Vinci Code.

If you are a devote Christian and Catholic this book is not for you, but if you are open to controversial ideas that challenge your belief system than this book is for you.

I give this book 3 stars because it did not live up to being what they were promoting it as, The Da Vinci Code-esque mystery.

Happy Reading.

Musing Mondays: Mid-Year Reading

2009-06-29T19:26:00.003-05:00

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about mid-year reading…
Now that we’ve come to the middle of the year, what do you think of your 2009 reading so far? Read anything interesting that you’d like to share? Any outstanding favourites?

I am having a very slow reading year. I don't think that I will read 100 books this year. Last year I just barely made. So far, I have read 31 books. I really need to crank it, if I am going to come close to 100 books this year. Maybe I can get some reading time done on my vacation and pump up my numbers.

Challenges: I have not completed any challenges but I have read at least one book for all of my challenges except for the romance reading challenge. The plan was to read Nicholas Spark's books for the romance reading challenge, but it has not worked out yet. The review all your book challenge will not be completed because I have not reviewed all of the books I read so far.

I know part of the reason, I am having a slow reading year is that I have discovered Facebook and Twitter. For awhile they consumed all of my time. But the newness is wearing off, so maybe I can get a little more reading done. I just need to work on time management.

Reviewing my book list. These seem to be my standout books so far.

Axe of Iron: The Settlers by J.A. Hunsinger
Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center
Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughan
Uneasy Lies the Head by Jean Plaidy

Happy Reading

Micheal Jackson 1958-2009

2009-06-25T18:00:00.004-05:00

Just my humble tribute the king of pop.

Michael Jackson - Thriller
Uploaded by hushhush112. - See the latest featured music videos.

This is my favorite Micheal Jackson video. This is probable the best video of all times. Love it. This was when Micheal Jackson was his best. I hope he has finally found the peace that he has been looking for in life. So glad that he has left us his music and his videos.

God Bless Micheal Jackson and his family.

The Sitting Swing Review Repost

2009-06-15T07:22:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Irene Watson's Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tour.

Synopsis of The Sitting Swing by Irene Watson:

Irene Watson's pretentious life could go no further until she faced her past. Her moving and inspiring memoir begins at the end, in a recovery center, where she has gone to understand a childhood fraught with abuse a, guild, and uncertainty.

Two distinct parts of the book look at abusive child rearing and the process of recovery years later. This story shows change, growth, and forgiveness are possible. It gives hope and freedom to those accepting the past and re-writing life scripts that have been passed down for generations. It's never too late to change your life, never too late to heal.

Irene Watson goes into rehab with a chip on her shoulder. She cannot see how this will help her. She states that she went to Avalon, the fictionalized name of the clinic, because all her friends were using terms and ideas that came form Avalon and she wanted to understand what they meant. But as time goes on and the counselors see through her bs and they help her deal with her past and how it influences her present.

This was a story of one woman's journey in understanding who she was and how she got there. As well as the changes that she goes through to accept what happened to her and to find her happiness. As well as finding the strength to listen to herself as to what is important to her and doing it.

This was a thought provoking read. As I was reading about Irene Watson's life; I began to think about my life and the influences good and bad that shaped me into the person I am today.

I enjoyed reading about Watson's story of self-discovery. Parts of this book was sad and parts of it was funny. I feel that any one reading this book will get something out of it. I know I did.

About The Author:

Irene Watson holds a Master Degree in Psychology, with honors, from Regis University in Denver, CO. Her emphasis was spirituality and psychosynthesis. Irene's life has taken her on many paths, with breakthrough results and exemplar growth, to find her authentic and true self. She has designed and facilitated workshops and retreats in the United States and Canada. At present she is the managing Editor of her book review and author publicity company, Reader Views. She lives with her husband on the banks of Barton Creek in Austin, Texas along with their Pomeranian, Tafton, a rescued cat, Patches, and a rescued cockatiel, Clement.

This review was originally posted on 9-4-2008 on ReadingMama.

Salvation Army Book Sale

2009-06-06T06:48:00.007-05:00

Sorry I have not posted any reviews lately but I am just taking a break. I wanted this blog to be fun for me and it started to lose its pleasure. Result a little break. In time I will post some more reviews.

Went to Salvation Army and they were having a book sale. 35 cents each for paperback. I spent $8.10 Here are the books I bought.

My Daughter's books (yes, I am raising another bookoholic.)
Two Suns in the Sky by Miriam Bat-Ami
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Play to the Angel by Maurine F. Dahlberg

Now for my books:

Meg Cabot:
Size 12 is Not Fat
Size 14 is Not Fat Either
boy meets girl

Nora Roberts:
Love By Design
First Impressions
Reunion

Jodi Picoult:
Second Glance
Vanishing Acts

The Secret Life of Bryan by Lori Foster
The Life of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd (My love for anything Tudors)
Traitor's Kiss, Lover's Kiss by Mary Blayney (two books in one)
Big Girls Don't Cry by Brenda Novak

Mouth to Mouth by Erin McCarthy (daughter saw cover and gave it to me and said she could tell it was my type of book by the cover)
Brimstone by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
The Heart of a Ruler by Maries Ferrarella
Midnight Marriage by Victoria Bylin
Raintree Sanctuary by Beverly Barton

OOPs almost forgot a board book Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree by Eileen Christelow

Happy Reading

The Dragon Earl

2009-05-25T17:51:00.005-05:00

From Back Cover:

ONE MAN
A Chinese monk striding down the aisle was the first shock at countess-to-be Evelyn Stanton’s wedding. To watch him dispatch three groomsmen, unarmed, and to learn that he was white and the long-lost heir to the Earldom of Warhaven, was the second. He would be her husband?
ONE MISSION
After the slaughter of his family in far-off China, Jacob Cato found sanctuary. In a Xi Lin temple he learned to be strong, but now he had a grander goal: to reclaim his English heritage and the woman he’d left behind.
ONE DESTINY
Revenge. It poisoned everything he’d learned, everything he’d done, and yet every fiber of Jacob burned for it—just as he burned for the beautiful but very English Evelyn. Long ago, the conspiracy to kill his family had stranded him, lost Jacob in the exotic East and made him unrecognizable to his countrymen…and women. He had not forgotten that past. It was to make peace that he had returned. The manner was yet to be decided

I give this book 3.5 stars. I liked how Jacob and Evelyn relationship develop. They both start to depend on each other without realizing it.

There are some issues in this book that are not resolved. I hope that answers will be provide in a sequel.

The Curse of the Holy Pail

2009-05-23T06:26:00.003-05:00

The Curse of the Holy Pail by Sue Ann Jaffarian is book two in the Odelia Grey Mystery series.

Back Cover:

It's just a %$!#lunch box! Probably reeks of sour milk seasoned with rust. at least, that's what Odelia Grey thinks when millionaire Sterling Price shows her the crown jewel of his lunchbox collection. So why are people willing to cheat, lie, steal, kill, and even die for it? Once again, the unforgettable, plus-size amateur sleuth Odelia Grey finds herself in the think of things in The Curse of the Holy Pail.

My thoughts: 4 stars

Odelia does it again. A murder mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. How Odelia uses her research skills to get to the answer of the mystery and the importance of Holy Pail was very interesting.

Not only does she have a mystery to solve Odeila has to decide if she will accept her boyfriend's marriage proposal. She is not sure if marriage is for her.

Odelia has a lot to figure out. Who committed murder and why? How does the Holy Pail fit into the murder or does it? If she should marry her boyfriend? What is a girl to do. Read The Curse of the Holy Pail to find out.

Happy Reading

Book Ramblings

2009-05-14T20:16:00.009-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday, So I went to Border's and sorted treated myself. I bought the book What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown. I have not read the alternative books relating to Pride and Prejudice. Even though the books sound good and interesting, I have not been ready to read them. But this book caught my eye and interest.

Eleanor agrees to go back in time to prevent a deadly duel. Eleanor meets Lord Shermont who is a renowned rake and womanizer but could he be a dangerous cutthroat and spy? Eleanor decides to find out. Eleanor meets Jane Austin who helps Eleanor with the nuances of countryhouse society , and possibly prevent a scandal. Bits and pieces from the back cover.

I feel that this book has alot of possibilities. My first question is does Jane Austin find out that Eleanor is from the future and if so how does she handle it. Also how does modern woman survive in Jane Austin's time. I think that is why I bought this book. The whole concept intrigued me.

Today I went to the library and picked up three books that I had on hold. They are as follows:

Be Still My Vampire Heart by Kerrelyn Sparks Book 3 in the The Love At Stakes series. This books focuses on vampire Angus Mackay and CIA's vampire hunting Stake-Out team member, Emma Wallace.

The Dragon Earl by Jade Lee. It was on hold for a long time. I hope this means it is a good book. A Chinese monk Jacob Cato striding down the aisle was the first shock at countess-to-be Evelyn Stanton’s wedding. To watch him dispatch three groomsmen, unarmed, and to learn that he was white and the long-lost heir to the Earldom of Warhaven, was the second. He would be her husband? A quick synopsis from the back cover

Pushing up Daisies by Rosemary Harrs Meet Paula Holliday, a thirty-something media exec who makes the move from New York City to suburban Connecticut to start a landscaping business. Paula can handle deer, slugs and the occasional human pest but she’s not prepared for the mummified body she finds while poking through the grounds of an abandoned estate. This is from the Roesmary Harris's website. This is the first book in the Dirty Business Mystery series.

Now to get some reading done.

Happy Reading

Library Book Sale

2009-05-12T19:14:00.004-05:00

Last Thursday, I went to my local library Sale and I bought some great books. I think I spent around 25 dollars. I bought 2 CDs for my husband, 3 books for one daughter and two books for the other.

Daughter 1:
but enough about me...by Jancee Dunn
Strombreaker by Anthony Horowitz

Daughter 2:
Mittens by Lola M. Schaefer
Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Tina's Ballerina's Ballet Class by Posey Christian

Now for my books:

Hardcover/Trade Books $1.00

The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson
tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber

Paperbacks .50 cents

That Summer Place by Debbie Macomber, Susan Wiggs, Jill Barnett
Irish Hearts by Nora Roberts
Montana Sky by Nora Roberts
Shiver by Lisa Jackson
Tears of Pride by Lisa Jackson
Two Brothers by Linda Lael Miller
The Legacy by Linda Lael Miller
Sandcastles by Luanne Rice
Light of the Moon by Luanne Rice
The Cabin by Carla Neggers
Stonebrook Cottage by Carla Neggers
Betrayals by Carla Neggers
The Vampire's Bride by Gena Showalter
Drop Dead Gorgeous by LInda Howard
Blind Side by Catherine Coulter
kiss them goodbye by Stella Cameron
A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands
Carolina Isle by Jude Deveraux
The Return of the Earl by Edith Layton
Three Little Secrets by Liz Carlyle
Glass Beach by Jill Marie Landis
The Wedding Challenge by Candace Camp
She Woke Up Married by Suzanne Macpherson
Sunset by Susan Mallery
Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Immortal Bride by Lisa Childs

If you have read any of these books, please leave a comment and let me know how you liked them. They all look good.

Now to find the time to read all of them. Maybe I should use my vacation to read 24/7. Maybe stay off Facebook my new addiction.

Happy Reading

Revenge of the Middle-Aged House Woman

2009-05-02T07:58:00.005-05:00

Rose Lloyd has been able to deal with marriage, a mother of two and a career for twenty-five years with out any problems. The life she enjoys crashed around her when she loses both her marriage and her career within a couple of days of each other. Rose has to find herself again.

This is an average story about a wife who husband leaves her for a younger women. This is not a kick butt angry I am going to get back at you revenge story. This revenge is much more subtle. I guess I was looking for a more dramatic revenge. At the beginning I was angry with Rose's husband but towards the end I felt sorry for him. 3 stars.

Too Big to Miss

2009-04-22T19:13:00.005-05:00

Too Big To Miss by Sue Ann Jaffarian is a murder mystery with a plus size heroine. Odelia Grey is a never married middle aged paralegal who feels like her life is in a rut. She then receives news that one of her close friends has committed suicide. Odelia soon learns that her friend,Sophie London, has many secrets that she was not aware of. As Odelia goes through Sophie's things she begins to suspect that there is more to Sophie's suicide, she begins to suspect murder. The question is not only who but how since Sophie's "suicide" was seen live over the Internet by 45 or 50 people.

Odelia Grey is a great character. I loved that she is plus sized. I felt that Sue Ann Jaffarian had the insecurities of a plus size woman down pat. Even though I figured out who down it halfway into the book; I still was not sure until the end. There are a lot of suspects that I was left wondering to the end. I loved this positive role model for women of any size and of any age. This is the first book in the Odelia Grey Mystery series. I have the next book The Curse of the Holy Pail from the library and I am looking forward to reading it. 4 Stars

Happy Reading

The Obama Revolution

2009-04-19T20:50:00.001-05:00

I was very excited that I got a chance to review The Obama Revolution by Alan Kennedy-Shaffer. I was looking forward in reading a book about the Obama Campaign.

About The Book:

The first book to be written by a campaign staffer and offering rare insider glimpses, The Obama Revolution explores how a generation of believers and the politics of hope won the presidency for Barack Obama and changed the world.

The Obama Revolution carefully examines what Obama plans to do as president, how Obama clinched the Democratic nomination and won the general election, and why Obama’s evocative rhetoric inspired millions of Americans to create a political revolution that toppled the status quo and changed the face of American politics forever.

Drawing on both first-hand campaign experience and scholarly analysis, the author delivers everything from personal stories of grass-roots organizing and grueling all-nighters to candid assessments of the Obama campaign’s strengths and weaknesses. Insightful and powerfully written The Obama Revolution offers an enlightening, annotated, documented overview of Obama’s path to the White House and what it means to every American.

Learn how Obama used policies of change, strategic vision, and the rhetoric of hope to transform the campaign into a political movement. Discover how field organizers (most under 30), using cell phones and the Internet, mobilized and energized a whole new generation of voters. Follow the author as he registers voters, spreads the word and is touched by the people he meets.

Anyone wondering whether America's flame still burns brightly needs to read this book and be inspired by the hope, the promise, and the ardor of Barack Obama and “Generation Change”—the future of America—as they work hand-in-hand to fulfill the legacy of change that is the Obama Revolution.

My Review:

I found The Obama Revolution to be eye opening and thoughtful. It was very interesting to see the Obama campaign through the eyes of one of the people who lived it. Kennedy-Shaffer puts in a lot of facts to support his statements. He also put a lot of time and effort into writing this book and it shows.

Kennedy-Shaffer looks in the past to show that this is not the first time that a presidential candidate has run on change and won. He shows us how the campaigns of Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were similar to Obama's and how Obama takes his campaign to the next level. I found this very interesting.

As I was reading The Obama Revolution I thought that the Obama Campaign was the perfect storm. The Campaign was doing the right things at the right time and of course the right candidate. How staffers incorporated the old with the new. Staffers going out and making personal contact with potential voters as well as using the Internet to get the Obama rhetoric out. Even when mistakes were made Obama learned from those mistakes, which made his campaign better.

Kennedy-Shaffer puts in 10 speeches that Obama delivered during his campaign. These speeches were considered important to the campaign.

If you want to learn more about the Obama Campaign and how Obama was able to win the Presidency this book is for you. A very good introduction to the rhetoric and what happens in a presidential campaign . 4 Stars.

About The Author:

Alan Kennedy-Shaffer served as a regional field director for Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in Virginia. Educated at Yale University and William & Mary Law School, Kennedy-Shaffer is the author of Denial and Deception: A Study of the Bush Administration’s Rhetorical Case for Invading Iraq. Kennedy-Shaffer’s writings have also appeared in The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, the Washington Post, the Patriot-News, the Daily Press, and the Virginia Gazette. Alan lives in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

You can visit Alan on the web at www.alankennedy-shaffer.com.

Happy Reading

How to Write an Eye-Catching Profile by Cherie Burbach Guest Post

2009-04-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

I am glad to welcome Cherie Burbach to ReadingMama. Cherie is the author of the book Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering A Pizza. Wether you are dating or not, I think that you will find what she has to say about profiles very helpful especially since the internet is full of social networks that one has to write profiles for.

How to Write an Eye-Catching Profile

When Internet daters tell me that they've tried dating online and given up, one of two things is usually the problem: their approach or their profile. Today, let's talk in greater detail about how to write a profile that gets results.

One of the biggest mistakes daters make is rushing through a profile just to get it up. One reason they do this is because they are so enthusiastic to search for their dream guy or girl, they neglect their own profile. I've even seen a few folks with near empty profiles actually email people for a date.

While this enthusiasm is admirable, it actually sets up new online daters for failure. Why? Because without a profile that truly reflects who you are you won't be able to attract the right people to you.

Even if you aren't the best writer, you can still craft words that will reflect your personality. The key? Writing about one or two things you are passionate about. If you focus on a couple of your favorite areas, rather than making a laundry list of things that end up meaningless, your natural personality will come through.

The tendency some daters have is to write a list of things they enjoy doing, so it sounds like they are going to the grocery store rather than trying to attract their match. The reason that strategy is all wrong is because in order to get someone interested in you, he or she needs to get a sense of your personality. So rather than listing several items, choose one or two and go into detail about why you enjoy that particular hobby or activities. Here are a couple examples from my book, Internet Dating is Not Like Ordering a Pizza:

Instead of saying "I play tennis twice a week" say something like:

"Playing tennis is the one time each week where I get to focus on myself. No

work problems, no family issues, just me, the ball, and the little white net."

Here's another example:

Instead of saying "I'd like to see France one day" say something like:

"Architecture and culture intrigue me. That's why I'd like to visit Paris one day. What

could be better than walking along the same streets Napoleon, Hemmingway, and Colette all

strolled down as well?"

In describing your hobbies, go into some detail as to why you enjoy them. For example, if you have a favorite type of restaurant or place to hang out, say something like:

"I enjoy sushi and Thai food especially, but hey - a quaint little place with a great atmosphere
will always lure me in. I like the charming, dimly lit places where you're about six inches from

the people next to you and then end up talking to them throughout dinner as if they're long

lost friends."

With these examples, do you notice how the personality of the writer comes through? It's that spark that will draw someone in. We're all interesting people once you get to know us, but with online dating you've got to give someone a glimpse of that spirit before they meet you in person. That's one of the keys to attracting the right person to you.

ABOUT CHERIE:

Cherie Burbach used her experience with meeting her husband online to pen At the Coffee Shop, a humorous look at the world of Internet dating. Cherie went on over 60 coffee dates in just six months. She met lots of great people and one of those turned out to be the guy she would marry just one year later.

She is the Dating Feature Writer for Suite101, an online magazine with over 10 million views monthly, and also the author of three poetry books, including A New Dish and The Difference Now. Her latest, Father's Eyes, has received the 2008 Editor's Choice Award by Allbooks Review. Cherie blogs at Jennifer Lopez, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, Career and Kids, Celebrity Apprentice, Gossip on Sports, and Diabetes Notes.

For poets looking for a review of their book, check out Cherie's new site Bonjour Poetry Reviews.

Readers have resonated with Cherie's honest and inspirational "This I Believe" essay, which is the second-most popular out of over 32,000 entries on the NPR website. For more information, please visit Cherie's website at http://www.thedifferencenow.com/ or http://www.datingdatingall-things-dating.blogspot.com./

About Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering A Pizza:

Have you become frustrated with Internet dating?
If you've tried online dating and given up, or even if you thought the Internet wasn't right for you, this book will give you the courage to try again, this time armed with specific illustrations on what really works - from the profile through the dating stage. Don't waste another minute wondering why some people seem to have Internet dating success while you're still waiting for a response to your online ad. Through dozens of concrete examples, dating expert Cherie Burbach will show you how to write an eye-catching profile, search for, and meet the right person online.

Happy Reading

The Light, The Dark, and Ember Between

2009-04-12T17:34:00.007-05:00

About The Book:
A collection of short stories, each a splinter's reflection of the human condition, firmly centered upon our oft tenuous, sometimes tensile bond with Hope, and careening flirtation with Love.Fifteen stories: From the wispy fog of a love lost at sea, to an orphaned child who delivers a present of her own during a war-torn Christmas. These stories are gentle reminders to each of us of what it is to be human, and certainly of our affinity for the slightest glint of Hope.

Excerpt:
From One Washington Diner:

The interior lights punched holes in the dead of night, and in the stillness I could hear the buzz of glowing neon from the sign above. I’d hoped there would be the slim chance of some distraction from the empty, laughing darkness that taunted me. Pinching the bridge of my nose between thumb and forefinger, I shuffled through the front door, greeted by the hostess/cashier/night manager, who apparently was thriving on the not-so-delicate thrush of caffeine. Her uniform bore the hallmarks of traditional diner-dom: bobby sox, her skirt hemline right around knee level, and wide, flat lapels on her blouse. She looked me over for all of two seconds before making her vocal appraisal.
“Let me guess…can’t sleep?” Her voice was disarming, welcoming, like a puppy that jumps in your lap. Managing a frustrated grin I hoarsely replied, “That obvious?”
“Your eyes, your body language—yeah.” I should have had some snappy retort, but my mental haze precluded any such response and subsequently I let slip my small window of opportunity for any suitable comeback.Instead, I yawned.
“Jeez, my only customer and I’m already boring you,” she blurted out. I thought she smirked, but couldn’t be certain in my unwillingly wakeful state. I glanced around the empty dining room and motioned from left to right. “Looks like you’re swamped. Should I come back later?”
Soft brown curls played upon her left shoulder as she turned her head slightly. “Early a.m. sarcasm—I like it. Sit wherever you like, I’m good at finding people in a crowd.” Even in my sleepless haze, I had to admit she was delightful.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll sit at the counter,” I croaked. “I’ll try not to be a bother.” Her hair gently fluttered as she shook her head. “Works for me. Cop a squat and I’ll be right with ya’.
”My mind was made up—she was indeed delightful, in a common denominator kind of way. Having never exceeded the mathematical scope of algebra during my academic career that suited me just fine.

My Review:
I usually don't read short stories, but I am glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and read The Light, The Dark, and Ember Between. When I read the first four stories my thought was all of these stories would be about lost but each story would end with hope. As I continued to read the stories I saw different types of love. Not romantic love but hopeful love, destructive love, caring love, helpful love and love for country. Each story did have some touch of hope except for 10:18.

All of these stories touched me in some way. Some of these short stories made me angry especially 10:18. ( I will not explain way, because I don't want to give to much away). Some of these made me hopeful especially Emissary. And then there is One Washington Diner, which spoke to my heart.

As I read these stories, I was drawn into to them. I give The Light, The Dark, and Ember Between 4 stars.

About The Author:
J.W. Nicklaus resides in a place not entirely fit for human habitation about five months of the year. No pets to speak of, only the apparitions from which all romantics suffer.

An Arizona native, he’s been from one coast to the other, and a few places in between. College brought an AA in Journalism with a minor in Photography, and a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications. His work experience has run the gamut from Creative Director for a small advertising firm in Tucson to a litigation support bureau in Phoenix (and assuredly some awkward stuff in the mix).

Snow has been featured prominently in his stories, perhaps because of the seasonless cli-mate he lives in. Nature was meant to be enjoyed and experienced, not hidden from the senses. So to that end, he hopes someday to live amongst those who are able to live through four true seasons, and not just blast furnace and warm.

He enjoys the occasional Arizona Diamondbacks game with his son, as well as watching him grow up. The experience of being a single dad has taught him far more about himself than he ever thought possible.

Within the expanse of every waking moment, he hopes his guardian angel keeps its arms open wide and heart ever watchful, for there but for one true Hope goes She.

For more about J.W. visit http://www.avomnia.com/vomnia.com.

Happy Reading

Premio Dardos Award

2009-04-12T15:57:00.002-05:00

DeSeRt RoSe over at DeSeRtRoSe BoOkLoGue is so kind she has given me another award. It is the Premio Dardos Award. She is so good for my self esteem. Thanks for this award DeSeRtRoSe.

This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his or her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day.
The rules to follow are:
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are my Award winners:

Kaye at Pudgy Penguins Perusals

Evy at Evys 2009 Reading Challenges

Tena at Crazy Book Slut

LadyTink_534 at The Movieholic and Bibliophile's Blog

Wendi at Wendi's Book Corner

Beth F. at Beth Fish Reads

Lezlie at Books'N Border Collies

Annie at Reading, Writing, and Ranting

Booklogged at A Reader's Journal

I know that it is 9, but I don't think the award god will mind. I guess this is sign that I must expand my horizons.

Congratulations to everyone.

Zombie Chicken Award

2009-04-05T09:43:00.000-05:00

Thank You Yvonne at Socrates' Book Review for giving me this great award. I am not sure if readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens to read my reviews, but the thought is appreicated.

This is what the award is all about:

“The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all…”

I am happy to pass this award on to the following:

Kaye at Pudgy Penguins Perusals

Evy at Evys 2009 Reading Challenges

Tena at Crazy Book Slut

LadyTink_534 at The Movieholic and Bibliophile's Blog

Wendi at Wendi's Book Corner

Please check out these five to see what makes them Zombie Chicken worthie.

How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire

2009-04-05T08:08:00.000-05:00

I was at the library today browsing when I found the book How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks. When I read the back cover, i remembered that I read this description somewhere before on the Internet. I had added to my wish list a long time ago. Of course I checked it out and I am glad that I did.

The title How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire is deceiving. This book is not a how to book, where the heroine is trying to fine and marry a rich vampire. It is about Roman Draganesti, a very wealthy vampire, who has lost one of his fangs. He has to find a dentist, before his natural healing powers closes the wound.

He finds a dentist office that is open 24 hours. Shanna Whelan is the dentist on duty. Shanna has her own list of problems. Her best friend was gunned down in front of her. She is on the Russian mob hit list. How can she continue her career as a dentist when she is afraid of the site of blood.

Roman arrives just in time to save Shanna from an assassination attempt on her life. He decides to put Shanna in his protection esp seeing another vampire was hunting for Shanna. Causing the wrath of the other vampire when he finds out.

A better title for this book would have been The Dentist and The Vampire.

How to Marry a Vampire is a humorous and exciting read. When Shanna woke up next to Roman and she thinks that he is dead. She then tries to convince everyone in the house that he is dead. All of Roman's support staff are telling her he is not. I was laughing out loud when I was reading this part. Very funny at least I thought so.

How to Marry a Vampire is the first book in the Love At Stake series. I believe that there are seven books in this series. If they are as fun as the first one it should be a good series. I am looking forward to finding and reading the rest of the books in this series.

I have to rate this book 5 stars. As it did met the criteria. I only put it down when I went to eat with my husband and when I had to go to the bathroom. Oops was that to much information. Sorry.

Happy Reading

No Sanctuary Video Trailer

2009-03-30T17:32:00.001-05:00

How Do You Write Reviews?

2009-03-29T19:00:00.002-05:00

I am just wondering how other book review bloggers write their reviews. This idea accord to me while I was suffering form my writers block. Do you take notes as you read along or wait until you finish the book?

I wait until I finish the book. Then I will write my review. But there is were the problem lays. If I tend to wait to long it is harder to write reviews. So I try to write my ideas on paper before I write them on the blog. Buuuut you guest it, I don't do it all the time. I usually will do this process when I am doing a review book. I try to finish the book before the day the review is up soooo if I wait to long I will forget what I want to say.

Also do you write your review first on paper or on the computer? I tend to do both. If I write it on paper I always make changes when I start to rewrite it on my blog.

So which one do you do, take notes or wait?

No Sanctuary

2009-03-26T20:03:00.003-05:00

About The Book:

First on the scene of a traffic accident that turns out to be murder, Officer Stacey Wilbur calls Detective Doug Milligan. Despite her former vow to never date anyone on the Rocky Bluff P.D., she and Milligan are romantically involved. Finding time to be alone together isn’t easy.

The murder victim is the wife of a popular Rocky Bluff minister, and several suspects immediately come to the forefront, the minister himself, his nosy secretary, the choir director, and a nerdy stalker. Stacey helps Doug with the murder investigation, but the Chief asks her to go undercover as a prostitute to expose a pedophile which leads to a surprising job offer.

Stacey must make two major decisions that will change her life forever, and a third that nearly causes her to lose her life.

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

“Oh, boy,” Officer Stacey Wilbur keyed her radio and requested assistance, quickly describing the single vehicle accident in front of her.

Working the four-to-midnight shift, Stacey had been returning from a burglary call at a secluded ranch located far into the foothills that backed the community of Rocky Bluff. When she maneuvered her police unit around a sharp corner, she came upon the light green Toyota smashed into the trunk of a massive oak tree.

It was obvious the accident had happened recently. Though not a busy road, there were enough homes and ranches nestled in the valleys for someone to have come upon the scene if it occurred much before her arrival.

Hoping for survivors, Stacey shined her flashlight beam in the open driver’s window. Squashed against the bent steering wheel was the woman driver. Blood splattered the sea foam green seat and the floor of the car. The puddling blood hadn’t congealed. The speedometer needle pointed to 75. Steam erupted from the radiator.

An abundance of dark hair, wet with blood, covered the victim’s face. Though Stacey knew there wouldn’t be any, she reached through the window to feel for a pulse on the women’s neck. Nothing.

Stacey put her hand on the hood of the car. As she’d expected it was warm. Quickly, she went over a check-list in her mind. There were no witnesses to question. The driver was dead. There was not enough traffic on the country road at that hour to worry about. Despite the unrelenting Santa Ana winds that had been blowing down the canyons for the last two days, there didn’t seem to be any danger of fire. Usually ocean breezes kept the southern California beach town cool, but they didn’t have a chance against the power of the seasonal blast coming from the deserts.

Going back to her unit, Stacey called in the license number on the plates. While she waited for the information, she suspected this was more than an accident.

My Review:

No Sanctuary by F.M. Meredith is book number 5 in the Rocky Bluff PD series. Even though this is part of a series, you don't need to read the previous books in the series to understand what is going on. No Sanctuary can stand alone. Meredith gives enough background information so that I was not wondering who is who and what is what. I did not feel that the background information was out of place but it was incorporated nicely in the story.

This murder mystery does not only focus on the murder and who did it, but also focuses on the personal lives of the police officers in Rocky bluff esp single mom Stacy Wilbur. Being a police officer is hard, but Stacy makes it work thanks to her parents. Stacy also has to find time to spend with her boyfriend, Detective Doug Milligan if she wants to become something more serious. We also see into the lives of the other officers on the force and how being a police officer makes home life complicated.

Meredith gives enough suspects that I was guessing until the end who killed the preacher's wife and the ending was intense.

I enjoyed reading this fast-paced book. No Sanctuary would be a great vacation book. Now I have to go on the hunt and find the other books in the Rocky Bluff PD series.

No Sanctuary receives 4 Stars.

About the Author:

Under the name of F.M. Meredith, Marilyn Meredith writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, the latest is No Sanctuary from Oak Tree Press. She is also the author of the award-winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series as well as over twenty published novels. The latest is, Kindred Spirits, from Mundania Press.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, EPIC and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Springville, much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives.

Visit Marilyn online at http://fictionforyou.com/

Happy Reading

Everyone Is Beautiful

2009-03-24T23:00:00.004-05:00

About The Book:

Lanie Coates’ life is spinning out of control. She’s piled everything she owns into a U-Haul and driven with her husband, Peter, and their three little boys from their cozy Texas home to a multiflight walkup in the Northeast. She’s left behind family, friends, and a comfortable life–all so her husband can realize his dream of becoming a professional musician. But somewhere in the eye of her personal hurricane, it hits Lanie that she once had dreams too. If only she could remember what they were.

These days, Lanie always seems to rank herself dead last–and when another mom accidentally criticizes her appearance, it’s the final straw. Fifteen years, three babies, and more pounds than she’s willing to count since the day she said “I do,” Lanie longs desperately to feel like her old self again. It’s time to rise up, fish her moxie out of the diaper pail, and find the woman she was before motherhood capsized her entire existence.

Lanie sets change in motion–joining a gym, signing up for photography classes, and finding a new best friend. But she also creates waves that come to threaten her whole life. In the end, Lanie must figure out once and for all how to find herself without losing everything else in the process.

Katherine Center’s Everyone Is Beautiful is a hugely entertaining, poignant, and charming new novel about what happens after happily ever after: how a woman learns to fall in love with her husband–and her entire life–all over again.

My Review:

Everyone is Beautiful is a tale about Lanie, who can find beauty in everyone but herself. Lanie is every woman. Whether you are a working mom or a stay at home mom; you will find a part of you in her. Well at least I did. It is easy to relate to Lanie and her life. You want her to succeed in the new life that she is making for herself.

As one ages and becomes involved in life one forgets what makes us beautiful and special. Katherine Center uses this book to remind one about what beauty is and that we are all beautiful. My favorite line is "I believe that when you love someone, she becomes beautiful to you". This reminds me that no matter how I see myself, not pretty or beautiful, my husband and children see me in a positive light.

This is a wonderful story about finding oneself, the consequences of finding oneself, and making the changes work for you and the important people in your life, your family.

So be like Lanie and make a positive change in your life. Don't think about how or if it is affordable, or who well watch the children, just do it and see what happens.

I give this book 4.5 stars, because it is a great book about finding oneself.

About The Author:

Katherine Center’s second novel, Everyone Is Beautiful, is featured in the March issue of Redbook. Kirkus Reviews likens it to the 1950s motherhood classic Please Don't Eat the Daisies, and says, "Center’s breezy style invites the reader to commiserate, laughing all the way." Booklist calls it "a superbly written novel filled with unique and resonant characters." Katherine's first novel, The Bright Side of Disaster, was featured in People Magazine, USA Today, Vanity Fair, the Houston Chronicle, and the Dallas Morning News, among others. BookPage named Katherine one of seven new writers to watch, and the paperback of Bright Side was a Breakout Title at Target. Katherine recently published an essay in Real Simple Family and has another forthcoming in Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers on the Mother-Daughter Bond this April. She has just turned in her third novel, Get Lucky, and is starting on a fourth. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and two young children. You can visit her website at http://www.katherinecenter.com/.

Happy Reading

Writer's Block Mini Reviews

2009-03-23T19:28:00.005-05:00

I have two reviews that I want to write but every time I get started I just stare at the computer and the books. Trying to figure out what to say about these books. I enjoyed these two books but I can't think of what to say. Maybe because I waited to long between reading and writing the review.

Once Upon a Valentine's by Holly Jacobs is one of the books. I loved it. This was the final book in the American Dads trilogy. It is about Carly Lewis and Charles "Chuck" Jefferson. Every time I begin I just draw a blank. I want to do justice to this book, but I don't know what to say. I do wish that Jacobs writes about Judge Anderson Bradley. He needs to find his heroine. I hope that it will be Heidi, President of the Erie Elementary PTA. If not I hope that Heidi gets her own story.

Nothing Personal by Eileen Dreyer is the other. This was a hospital serial killer mystery. Again it was a good book. I do recommend it if you like these kind of books. It kept me guessing until the end. Again I want to say more but I don't know what to say.

I gave them both 4 stars.

I guess I gave them mini reviews. If you like Harlequin Romances, I think you would like Once Upon a Valentine's. If suspense is your choice you will be enthralled with Nothing Personal.

Well I hope my writer's block mini reviews do justice to these two different but wonderful books.

Happy Reading

White Hibiscus

2009-03-22T14:23:00.002-05:00

White Hibiscus by Rosemary Pollock is a Harlequin Romance written in 1980. I found it very dated or maybe I changed.

Emma is a young 18 year girl who is in Malta to do a photo shot. When her photographer tries to attack her, she runs from the car. She is almost hit by another car driven my Paul Santana Demajo. Paul takes her to his sister estates. She is the Princess Lisa di Valdi, who happens to be a famous designer. Princess Lisa decides that she wants Emma to model her clothes line. So off they fly to Paul's estate on an island near Malta. Paul is in his thirties and does not like models. He thinks models are boring and have dubious morals.

I can see myself reading this book as a teenager and loving it. The exciting life of a model going to foreign places and falling in love with a man that you hope will take care of you. But as a woman who is of a certain age, I did not like it. The age difference, having a man take care of you does not appeal to me.

I guess I like my heroines to have more history and to be closer in age to the heroes.

I gave this book 2 stars.

Happy Reading

Axe Of Iron: The Settlers

2009-03-17T18:48:00.006-05:00

If you stopped by yesterday, you read a great guest post by J.A. Hunsinger. J.A. Hunsinger is the author of a new historical fiction book about Northmen or Vikings called Axe of Iron:The Settlers. If you have not read the guest post yet check it out I think that you will find it very interesting. Axe of Iron:The Settlers is the first book in a series based on this group of Northmen. Also I put up a little information about the book on yesterday's post. Today is my review on this very intriguing, interesting book.

Halfdan Ingolfsson and his second-in-command Gudbjartur Einarsson with a group of people from Iceland and Greenland journey to Vinland (North America) to make a better life for themselves. On their journey they experience hardship and fun times together. The purpose of this expedition is to establish a permanent settlement. They must develop a peaceful relationship with the Skraelings (native people of North America). This is paramount to their survival.

You can tell that Hunsinger put a lot of time and effort into his research. Hunsinger explains the daily lives of the Northmen in great detail. As you read this book you get the feel that you are actually there. You can see, hear, feel what the Northmen had to endure to survive. I am just glad that I don't have to do all they did just to have food.

When you think of Northmen or Vikings, you think of the stereotypical ones who rape and pillage. (Well at least I do.) This books gives you a different perspective on what Vikings are, just typical people who care about their family and friends. These Northmen just want to explore Vinland and live peacefully in their new land.

The characters are well written and believable. I enjoyed the characters interactions with each other.

Axe of Iron: The Settlers is an accurate glimpse into the lives of the Northmen. You get to see how brutal and savage and how ordinary and gentle the Northmen were. It is about a time period that one does not normally read about. Overall, I found this book to be a fantastic read. I give it 4.5 Stars. I look forward to the other books in this continuing saga. I can't wait to see what happens to this group of first settlers in North America.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
J. A. Hunsinger lives in Colorado, USA, with his wife Phyllis. The first novel of his character-driven, historical fiction series, Axe of Iron: The Settlers, represents his first serious effort to craft the story of a lifelong interest in the Viking Age—especially as it pertains to Norse exploration west of Iceland—and extensive research and archaeological site visitations as an amateur historian. He has tied the discovery of many of the Norse artifacts found on this continent to places and events portrayed in his novels.

Much of his adult life has been associated with commercial aviation, both in and out of the cockpit. As an Engineering Technical Writer for Honeywell Commercial Flight Systems Group, Phoenix, AZ, he authored two comprehensive pilots’ manuals on aircraft computer guidance systems and several supplemental aircraft radar manuals. His manuals were published and distributed worldwide to airline operators by Honeywell Engineering, Phoenix, AZ. He also published an article, Flight Into Danger, in Flying Magazine, (August 2002).

Historical Novel Society, American Institute of Archaeology, Canadian Archaeology Association, and IBPA-Independent Book Publishers Association, are among the fraternal and trade organizations in which he holds membership.

You can visit his website at http://www.vinlandpublishing.com/ and his blog at http://www.vinlandpublishing.blogspot.com/.

Happy Reading

J.A. Hunsinger: Guest Post

2009-03-17T07:24:00.000-05:00

J.A. Hunsinger is the first author to do a guest post on my blog. So I am very excited to welcome J.A. Hunsinger to Reading Mama. J.A. Hunsinger is the author of Axe of Iron:The Settlers. So everyone give him a warm welcome and enjoy his guest post. I know that I did.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
The first novel of a continuing character-driven tale of a medieval people whose wanderlust and yearning for adventure cause them to leave the two established settlements on Greenland and sail west, to the unexplored land later referred to as Vinland.

Eirik the Red established Eiriksfjord in 986 and later Lysufjord, 400-miles to the north. Just 22-years later, new settlers from the homelands found all the best land already occupied, the fragile Arctic environment strained by too many people and animals on too little arable land.

Under the capable leadership of Halfdan Ingolfsson and his lieutenant, Gudbjartur Einarsson, 315 men, women, and children set sail from Greenland in the spring of 1008, bound for the unexplored continent across the western ocean.

Standing in their way are uncounted numbers of indigenous people, the pre-historical ancestors of the Cree (Naskapi), Ojibwa (Anishinabeg), and Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Indians. From the outset, these native people strenuously resist the incursion of these tall, pale-skinned invaders.

Two calamitous events occur that pave the way for the hostile beginnings of an assimilation process to occur between these disparate peoples. The way is rocky and fraught with danger at every turn, but the acceptance and friendship that develops between the Northmen and the Naskapi over an affair of honor, the eventual acceptance of a young boy of the Northmen by his Haudenosaunee captors, and a scenario that seems ordained by the will of the gods, makes it all begin to fall into place, as it must for the Northmen to survive.

See the saga unfold, in this first book of the Axe of Iron series, through the eyes of the characters as each day brings a continuation of the toil, love, hardship, and danger that they come to expect in this unforgiving new land.

Please come back tomorrow to see my review for Axe of Iron: The Settlers.

The Story Behind the Book
by J. A. Hunsinger

In 986 about five hundred medieval Norse people settled the island of Greenland. Over the five hundred year history of the two known settlements on the islands southwestern coast the population increased to as many as four thousand people. We know little about the people or the settlements because the people wrote nothing down for posterity. All we know about them comes to us from the Greenland Saga and the Saga of Eirik the Red, both written about two centuries after the facts they pretend to convey. In about the mid-fifteenth century the people abandoned their last remaining settlement, Eiriksfjord. Wherever they went, they took their ships, tools, and every useful item they possessed. Nobody knows their destination for they left not a clue. Their disappearance is the premise for my Axe of Iron series.

Much of what we know about these people, pertaining to their culture and disappearance, I have covered in detail in the Historical Perspective of my character-driven, historical fiction novel Axe of Iron: The Settlers. This is the first book of the continuing Axe of Iron series about the Greenland Norse people. The series tells a fictional tale about what I believe happened to them based on my extensive research over the years.

My interest in the subject stems from the Norse and Germanic mythology I studied in school, my Swedish/German heritage, and the vexing question of the disappearance of four thousand people. I recognized early on that there are many people who are fascinated by the medieval Viking culture. Although the people I write about share that Viking heritage, when they sailed to Greenland and North America in the tenth and eleventh centuries they were no longer Vikings in the strict sense of the word and I do not refer to them as such.

The unknown aspects of their disappearance gives me the opportunity to use fiction to tell a tale about them that answers many of the questions about certain North American Indian tribes who exhibited characteristics, customs, and mannerisms that early explorers—eighteenth century—attributed to pre-historical European contact. The dates when these facts came to light reinforce my contention that the European contact alluded to could only have been the Greenland Norse people. My series will deal, in a fictional sense, with why tribal members of some pre-historical Indian tribes looked like white people, had customs like white people—including religious beliefs—were completely different from other tribes encountered, and welcomed the earliest white explorers with open arms.

The Greenland Norse did not disappear; they assimilated with the pre-historical North American Indians that they encountered. I believe this assimilation process was well underway by the early years of the eleventh century in the Canadian Arctic and moved south as the Medieval Warm Period gave way to the onslaught of the Mini-Ice Age. This natural climate cycle caused native peoples— including the last holdouts of Greenland Norse people remaining in Eiriksfjord—to migrate with the animals on which they subsisted.

Conventional brick and mortar archaeologists have largely ignored this controversial aspect of our pre-historical past. The path to discovery remains blurred by the passage of one thousand years of time. There are no ruins or pyramids to create entire cultures around, and few artifacts to discover. The presence of the Greenland Norse people on this continent is but an echo from the dim past, but it is here nonetheless.

Scientists have found Norse DNA in Greenland and Baffin Island Inuit people. If somebody will look, perhaps Norse DNA will be found in members of contemporary Indian tribes in northeastern and north central North America. Only then will we know their fate.

As I wrote in the Historical Perspective of Axe of Iron: The Settlers, more than 40–generations have elapsed since they came to this continent. Now their very existence, everything they accomplished, has faded from the collective memory of all the peoples they contacted.

I prefer to believe the four thousand live on however, their genetic makeup diluted by the intervening centuries of time. They are still here smiling back at us from the faces of the Inuit Greenlanders, Cree, Ojibwa, and Iroquois with whom they joined so long ago.

That is why I have a story to tell, a story as seen through the eyes of my characters.

You can visit J.A.Hunsinger's website at http://www.vinlandpublishing.com/ and his blog at http://www.vinlandpublishing.blogspot.com/.

Proximidade Award

2009-03-15T08:56:00.004-05:00

I to give a BIG thank you to Desert Rose over at Desert Rose Booklogue for giving my my FIRST blog award. Needless to say I am very HAPPY to receive it. The meaning of the award is below and it is a very touching.

This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award

Here are my eight below.

Tena at Crazy Book Slut

Evy at Evy's Harlequin Presents

LadyTink_534 at The Movieholic and Bobliophiles Blog

Wendi at Wendi's Book Corner

Kara at World According to Books

J.Kaye at J.Kaye's Book Blog

Maryin HB at Books Gardens and Dogs

Lezlie at Books-n-Border Collies

These eight have touched me, helped me, encouraged me in some way. Whether they are aware of that or not. Just like a friend. This is just a public thank you to my blog friends.

Yvonne at Socrates's Book Review you would be on this list, but because you are so friendly and caring you already have this award. Congratulations.

Now to let everyone know that they have an award.

Have a great day.

I Am So Far Behind

2009-03-07T07:32:00.002-06:00

Between work, selling Girl Scout cookies, and sharing the computer with both daughters, I have become behind in posting reviews. I have three books that I still need to write a review for. I don't know how good the reveiws will be because so much time has passed or they might be very short review. A description and the star rating I am not sure yet.

I am behind in my reading. For the past month I am reading very slowly. I am liking the book I am reading but I am not finding it hard to find the time to read. I don't know if I will reach my goal of 100 books this year. But I am not giving up, I will keep

I am even behind on my email. I have so many emails waiting for me. Well, I ever catch up. Maybe when the girls go to my parents for spring break, I will get cought up.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have not forgotten my blog. I do think about it, but I have to find the time to write the reviews and other things.

Happy Reading.

First -Time Valentine

2009-03-01T15:20:00.005-06:00

From the Back Cover:

Newly minted doctor Ella Wilder just wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and practice medicine-even as a conglomerate vied to take over her family's beloved hospital. Then said company's executive accidentally lost his footing and shattered his leg on the grounds of Walnut River General. As the new orthopedist on staff, Ella rose to the occasion.

J.D. Summer intended the trip to his hometown to be strictly business. But the sparks that flew between him and his beautiful, talented doctor were worthy of medical attention. And he wasn't exactly sure of his condition, bu Ella might just be the antidote t J.D.'s hardened heart.

My review: 2.5 stars

First-Time Valentine by Mary J. Forbes is part of the Wilder Family series by Silhouette. Even though this was a nice sweet story; it was a little disappointing.

Ella is an innocent heroine. She knows what it is like to be a doctor but not what it is like to be with a man, even though she is 29 years old. I had a hard time with the Heroine being so old and never been with a man. I like a more realistic Heroine. Maybe the heroine would have been more believable as a virgin if she was younger.

Get it "first-time" Valentine. Ella and J.D. go away for Valentine's weekens and will you get it. After reading the book, decided that the title is pretty bad.

This was not one of the better romances that I have read.

Happy Reading

Divinely Inspired: Spiritual Awakening of a Soul

2009-02-24T20:30:00.002-06:00

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Since the beginning of time, humans have tried to understand God’s Essence. However, not even the most brilliant and enlightened minds among us can comprehend Him because simply put, “God is.” If we understood the mystery of God, then why would we need to have faith? Perhaps the best we can hope for is to recognize when we are visited by God. We then have the opportunity to bring real change and meaning to our lives. Divinely Inspired is one man’s story to lift himself out of the despair of Bipolar disorder, near suicide, migraines, anxiety, neurotic behavior, and scientific cheating to emerge on a path to God. Jerry Pollock’s transformation from a damaged and ravaged soul to merging into God’s Light, as outlined in Divinely Inspired: Spiritual Awakening of a Soul, is seen through unusual miracles of Divine intervention that initiated the author’s spiritual journey. Jerry’s climbing of the spiritual ladder is a very gradual and personal process as he tries to improve his flawed character. He comes to realize that God is the master scientist responsible for both Evolution and Creation. As his story unfolds, readers are inadvertently empowered to embark on their own spiritual journey, as best as they can, by adhering to the Creator’s original self-help plan, The Ten Commandments. The author contends that the Ten Commandments are the basis for all self-improvement. This memoir represents the author’s first steps to stand in God’s place of Holiness. His own journey of belonging to God is continued in his new novel, the Messiah Interviews, to be published in paperback form in January of 2009 along with a printing reissue second edition of Divinely Inspired.

EXCERPT:

THE VOICE

By the late fall of 1982, I had divorced Rhea, been promoted to full professor at Stony Brook University, and was planning to marry Marcia on Christmas Eve of the following year. My life focused around Marcia, our five children, scientific research, and Primal Therapy. I was heavy into my feelings, now that the therapy was so much a part of me. For the previous year, I had recorded all of my feelings, and by the fall of 1982, I had filled up seven research laboratory notebooks with my handwriting, each book consisting of three hundred pages. There was a lot of repetition and I seemed to have reached a plateau in terms of making further progress. In an unusual display of frustration, I brought the seven notebooks to the edge of my Poquott loft and proceeded to throw all of them in one thrust onto the floor below. I felt like Moses smashing the first set of Tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. Moses had become enraged when he came down Mount Sinai and discovered that the Israelites had built the Golden Calf. The sounds of the books crashing were subdued by a loud and strong male voice that was definitely external.

I heard the words very clearly, “And you shall be Mine.” I remember being both startled and afraid, because I neither knew whose voice this was nor could I figure out how the voice got into my cottage. There was no bipolar disorder or manic depression back then, so I couldn’t blame the voice on the illness. It was about two weeks later when I heard the voice again. This time the words were slightly different: “And you shall have.” Could this be the true voice of God, I thought. However, I didn’t dare tell anyone what had happened, not even Marcia, until ten years later. I simply ignored these mysterious events and went on with my life, but the words of the voice never left me. Why did this happen? I had no explanation. I kept the books, recording my Primal feelings, for many additional years before dumping them in the garbage along with my three Primal Therapy textbooks. I was to discover twenty years later that I would need these books again.

My Review: 4.5 stars

This book about the author's early years, his bouts with manic depression and his recovery is a riveting read. Jerry spends many years trying different therapies to help him with his neuroses and anxieties. It was not until he almost joined a cult that his spiritual journey begins.

This book touched me in many ways. One way was how frank Jerry is about his manic depression. This part was very personal to me because my husband had what I call a mental breakdown or what the doctors called severe depression with anxiety. I felt that this part really captures what happens to a person who is struggling with their mental illness. I liked that it was told from point of view of the person who has mental illness. In away it made me understand what my husband had gone through.

The epilogue is Jerry's spiritual insight. He begins exploring faith and what faith means to him by using many examples from the old testament and other Jewish books. He then explains his view on evolutionary man, anthropology human, creation human, and spiritual human. He also explores what the Ten Commandments mean to him. This section of the book probable is the most controversial part of the book. Some people might have issues with what he has to say. But I found it very interesting and thought provoking.

Jerry is a gifted story teller. As he tells the story of his life, the reader can relate to what is happening to him and feel his pain and then his happiness as he recovers from his mental illness. This is a great read about one person's life and spiritual journey.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jerry Pollock is the author of seventy-five scientific publications. His background includes both a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Pharmacy from the University of Toronto, a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and Postdoctoral training in Microbiology at the New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Pollock is currently Professor Emeritus in the Oral Biology and Pathology Department in the School of Dental Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook on Long Island. Jerry’s first writer of the arts book, Divinely Inspired: Spiritual Awakening of a Soul, was a spiritual memoir originally published in 2003. The second edition of Divinely Inspired will be reissued in Paperback on Jan. 1, 2009. His ‘not so fictional’ novel, Messiah Interviews: Belonging to God, due out also on Jan. 1, 2009, is Jerry’s way of giving back to the Creator. Jerry is married to Marcia, his bashert or destined one. They reside in Florida.

For more about Jerry and his work, please visit http://www.shechinahthirdtemple.org/

Happy Reading

Victoria Victorious

2009-02-14T14:21:00.005-06:00

I thought that Queen Victoria was one of Englands greatest Queens after reading this book I am not so sure.

Plaidy focused on Queen Victoria's personal life then on the Political intrique that was going on around her. It is told as Queen Victoria is remembering her past and the people who have influenced her.

When I first met Victoria I liked her. I thought that she was spunky but after she became Queen and married Prince Albert she became a traditionl female. The husband is always right. I wanted to strangle her because she always did what her husband wanted just to keep him happy. He knew how to manipluate Victoria to get what he wanted. After Albert died, I wanted to throw the book across the room because Victoria kept saying what would Albert do after each crisis whether personal or political. I would like to read more on Queen Victoria to see if others had the same perspective or a different one.

Jean Plaidy is still one of my favorite historical fiction writers. I have enjoyed the books that she writes, but I may not have enjoyed or liked the people she writes about.

The Tudors still rock.

Happy Reading

Tag, You're It

2009-02-07T09:35:00.005-06:00

Desert Rose from Desert Rose BookLogue tagged me with a photo tag.

The rules are simple.

1. Find your 5th photo file folder,then the 5th photo in that file folder.
2. Post that picture on your blog.
3. Tag 5 others to do the same.
that's it!!

Here is my picture:

These are Dwarf Hamsters. The picture came from my folder labeled displays. I used this picture as well as others with my two year old classroom. We were having a discussion about pets. One of the reasons I used it with my twos, is because we have a Dwarf Hamster in my classroom. His name is Smoky. Of course he is much cuter.

I will tag

1. Ladytink_534 at Up Close and Personal with Ladytink

2. Tena at Punky Monkey's

3. MaryinHB at Books Gardens and Dogs

4. Evy at Evy's Harlequin Presents

5. Lezlie at Books 'N Border Collies

The Messiah Interviews Book Trailer

2009-02-01T20:31:00.001-06:00

Mew is for Murder

2009-02-01T18:49:00.009-06:00

Mew is for Murder by Clea Simon is a cute little cozy mystery. This is the first book in the Theda Krakow Mystery series.

Theda Karkow is a freelance writer who lives in Cambridge, Mass. She decides to write about an elderly lady who Theda thinks is a cat hoarder and will make a good feature story. When she goes to the old woman's house, Theda finds her dead on the floor in the kitchen. There are cats running around everywhere.

Theda finds her coffee house waitress inside the house. Theda finds out that Violet has been helping feed the cats. She believes that someone has been breaking into the house and searching for something. Violet also believes that someone killed the cat lady. But who? As Theda begins looking into it she finds more question then answers.

This book gets 3.5 stars. I found this cozy mystery to be entertaining. I liked how the cats helped solved the mystery, very cat like. Theda enjoys the club scene in Cambridge. I thought that part of her life was incorporated very nicely into the story line. I liked how this was a different setting then normal cozy mysteries. It is not set in a small town or community. It still does have quirky characters, that I hope to see in the other books in the series. Of course I hope that the cats are some how still involved in solving future mysteries.

You can read an excerpt at http://www.cleasimon.com/Mew_is_for_Murder.html

Happy Reading

Messiah Interviews:Belonging to God

2009-01-27T19:09:00.008-06:00

Welcome to Jerry J. Pollock, PH.D's Pump Up Your Books Virtual Book Tour.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Ever since the Creation of Adam and Eve, man has grappled with knowing whether life exists after death. Because humans achieve the possible, while G-d accomplishes the impossible, only the Creator knows our fate and destiny at the End of Days. Scientist Jerry Pollock weaves his Messiah Interviews story of an imperfect life on Earth with an imaginative account of being interviewed in Heaven to be the Messiah. The writing becomes a testament to Divine morality, and to finding truth and sincerity in one’s heart.

As readers embark on a journey of knowledge and understanding, they’ll join Jerry on an exploration of the implications of biblical history on our modern world. Through a series of unexplainable events, Jerry empowers readers to decide if an additional personal spiritual effort is worth making in this life, in order to possibly gain entrance to an uncertain futuristic Garden of Eden, the Messianic Age. In a process of the dreamlike interviews with biblical personalities―the angel Gabriel, Methuselah, Chanoch, Seth, King David, Moses, Jacob, Abraham and the prophet Isaiah―Jerry is forced to bear his soul and his own hidden demons.

As human beings, we are all flawed. That’s how the Creator made us. During the course of reading the book, readers have the opportunity to ponder the improvement of their own imperfections, in order to meet the requirements set out in the Messiah Interviews for admission into a future blissful life at the End of Days. The book is G-d-centered and discusses, briefly or at length, various topics, including The Ten Commandments, Creation, Evolution, Good and Evil, Primal Therapy, Bipolar Disorder, Resurrection, Aging, Twelve Tribes of Israel, Monotheistic Religions, Third Temple, Messiah, and the Messianic Age.

EXCERPT:

The Archangel Michael is speaking in Heaven:

"We have deliberately chosen a sinner: you, Yoseph, who has knowingly cheated in science. Yet, you have publicly repented and confessed your sins to your Stony Brook University administration; and sent letters of apology to the former institutions that you attended. Moreover, you have expressed your heartfelt remorse and your sincere regrets for all of your sinful actions in your published book, Divinely Inspired: Spiritual Awakening of a Soul, for all to see. We have intentionally chosen someone who has suffered horrifically, yet has the potential through his suffering to look inside and understand human nature. We also have especially not chosen a tzaddik, the wisest, most righteous, and perfect of men. We are testing the potential of a simple imperfect man. If you succeed in answering our questions, you will become King Messiah, and return to earth to take your place at the End of Days. If our assessment of you is that you are not the person, we had in mind, then we will have failed once again in finding the true Messiah.”

REVIEW:

What an original concept for a book. I was very excited about the idea behind this book. I have to say that this book lived up to my expectations. This book was very thought provoking.

I enjoyed the interview process between Yoseph and the Great Biblical Leaders. I could see these great leaders saying and doing the things they did. They did not come off as fake but as true. They kept pushing Yoseph until they got him to see what they wanted him to see.

Since Yoseph is a scientist. He uses scientific concepts to prove what G-d has done. I kept saying to myself, Yes, this makes sense. As I said before, this is a very thought provoking book.

After reading this book, I learned a lot about Jewish history and their interpretation of the End of Days.

I am looking forward to reading Jerry Pollock's first book Divinely Inspired. If it is anything like the Messiah Interviews it should be a good and thought provoking read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For more about Jerry and his work, please visit http://www.shechinahthirdtemple.org/

Rebel in Blue Jeans

2009-01-25T22:18:00.009-06:00

Welcome to Beverly Stowe McClure's Pump Up Your Books Virtual Book Tour.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

What’s a girl to do when her mother runs away with the drummer in a rock band, her friendly relationship with the boys on the neighboring ranch starts to change, and a handsome college guy takes an interest in her? Sixteen-year-old Rebel Ferguson faces these challenges with courage and humor and decides to do three things:

1. Bring her mother home where she belongs.

2. Show her neighbors, Will and Sully Garret, she’s not interested in a serious relationship with either of them.

3. Prove to the Garrets, and to herself, that Rick, the cute college guy, is a gentleman.

Nothing turns out the way Rebel plans, however, and she discovers that people are not always what they seem, and she’s a lousy judge of character. If only humans were as trustworthy and dependable as her puppies, cat, and horses. Can she forgive everyone who has disappointed her?

EXCERPT:

Chapter 1

Rebel Ferguson pulled the currycomb across the mare’s broad back. Fine specks of dust floated in the early morning air. A mockingbird sang outside the stables. A lump the size of a barn owl lodged in Rebel’s throat. How could the bird be so happy when her life had been shattered into millions of pieces? Don’t think about Mom, she told herself. Keep busy.

And she tried. She brushed and brushed Sunrise’s coat until the hair shimmered like a new copper penny. One by one–she counted them–she untangled three sharp burrs from the mare’s coarse mane.

The sudden vroom of a car engine rumbling to life made Rebel’s chest tighten. Even though the driveway was not visible from the stables, she darted to the stall door anyway and looked out the open top section. Rain lingered like teardrops on the red tile roof of the white stucco house nestled among mesquite and cottonwood trees a hundred yards away. Last night’s storm was past, at least the storm outside. The clouds had drifted east, leaving behind a clear blue sky.

But the storm between her parents was etched on Rebel’s heart forever. Oh, they never yelled or fought or said horrible things to each other. They were much too civilized for such childish behavior. Sometimes she wished they would. Anything would be better than the unbearable silence. Except for what had to be said, her parents simply stopped talking to one another. They were polite strangers, and she was caught in the middle, loving them both.

She listened to the hum of her mother’s Jaguar until it faded, leaving behind only the chatter of that annoying bird, the swishing sound of the mare’s tail as she swatted flies, and Rebel’s thoughts. Everyone said she was a carbon copy of her mother. She had the same smoky blue eyes, the same long dark hair, and the same slender build. But outward appearances could be deceiving. Their personalities were complete opposites. Liz Ferguson was a city girl who liked fancy dresses and parties and crowds. Rebel Ferguson was a country girl who preferred jeans, T-shirts, and a few close friends.

REVIEW:

This book hit home with me. This happened to a friend of mine when I was a teenager. There were a lot of similarities between Rebel and my friend. They both were angry with their moms and trying to understand why their moms left their dads and them for someone else. Trying to think of ways in getting their parents back together. Having close friends to help cope with the loss of their moms. Though I don't think I was as funny as Rebel's friends, Will and Sully.

Will and Sully were very humorous. Their antics kept this book from being as serious as it could have been. But even with their humour, they still were able to talk and help Rebel cope with her mom leaving.

Both Will and Sully are very protected of Rebel. I just loved the interactions between Rick and Will. The interactions between those two were hilarious.

I felt that Rebel and her mom should have had more interactions, arguments between them. I felt that part of the book should have been fleshed out more.

I liked the idea and the concept behind the book. I wish my friend had this book when this happened to her. Maybe then she would not have been angry for so long. I do believe that if a teenager was experiencing this in their live that this book would help them to cope and understand with what has happened to their family.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beverly S. McClure started her writing career early—though she approached it kicking and screaming—when her eighth-grade teacher sent her poem “Stars” to a high school anthology and it was published in Young America Sings. She graduated from Midwestern State University and became a teacher. As soon as she discovered Dr. Seuss and other great children’s stories, she willingly put pen to paper and had stories and articles published in Ladybug, Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., U. S. Kids, Jack and Jill and other leading children’s magazines, including an article that was reprinted in a Scott Foresman Pre-K anthology and a breakout article that appeared in the June 2007 issue of Writer magazine.

A multi-published author, Beverly’s Listen to the Ghost and Secrets I Have Kept are available in trade paperback. Her latest release is Rebel in Blue Jeans, and she has four more books under contract. A member of the National Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and their North Texas Chapter, Beverly is the mother of three grown boys and lives in the country with her husband, Jack, where an occasional deer, skunk, or armadillo come to visit.

For more about Beverly and her work, please visit http://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com/

Happy Reading

Happy Tag

2009-01-20T19:26:00.004-06:00

I've been tagged by Tena of Crazy Book Slut

So here are the rules:
Link to the person who has tagged you.
Write down six things that make you happy.
Post the rules, tag six others and let them know you did it.
Then tell the person when your entry is complete.

Six Things That Make Me Happy:

1. My daughters and Husband

2. Going on Vacation/traveling to different places

3. Chocolate

4. Reading

5. Computer Time

6. Listening to music

Now which six blogs should I Tag?

1. Lissa's Long Yarn

2. Socrates' Book Reviews

3. Books, Gardens, and Dogs

4. Wendi's Book Corner

5. World According to Books

6. Intergalactic Bookworm

I hope all of the six blogs participate. I can't wait to read everyone' answer.

Happy Reading.

The Last Chance Cafe

2009-01-19T17:47:00.007-06:00

After her step-father is killed in a home burglary, Hallie O'Rourke finds some information about her ex-husband that leads her to believe that he is involved in her step-father's death. After her ex-husbands tries to get the information from Hallie; she leaves Phoenix with her twin daughters in a hurry. Her truck breaks down in Primrose Creek, Nevada. Hallie and her daughters walk into The Last Chance Cafe where she meets Chance Qualtrough.

Chance decides to help Hallie and her daughters out. He offers a house sitting job to Hallie. She takes the position. Chance knows that Hallie is running from something but he is unable to figure it out. The closer Chance and Hallie gets the sparks begin to ignite.

3 stars: This was another good book from Linda Lael Miller. The Last Chance Cafe is about some of the ancestors from the sisters in the Primrose Creek series. Primrose Creek series takes place in the past and The Last Chance Cafe takes place in the present.

This was what I needed after reading the heavy book The Messiah Interviews. It was nice lite read. Chance is the typical cowboy hero and Hallie is the typical heroine in need. but Miller makes it works. This book held my attention until I finished it.

This book was made into movie starring Kevin Sarbo. I also watched the movie. If you have not guest I preferred the book. The book had so much more detail. I felt that the characters were more developed in the book. Overall, the book was much better.

If you want a fun lite read, this book is for you.

Happy Reading

Harlequin/Silhouette Book Covers

2009-01-05T19:55:00.016-06:00

If you like Harlequins/Silhouette this post is for you.

My mom came up and gave me some books. That is nothing new. She does this every time she visits me. This time she gave mostly Harlequins/Silhouette. And of those they are old school. OK from the late eighties and nineties. At first I thought they were the books that I read when I was in my twenties. I looked again and they are mostly from the local used bookstore. The covers are the best part. And the sad thing is out of all the books that I got, I cannot use any for the Harlequin/Silhouette Challenge. Here are a select few. The covers below go from 1979-1997.

Even though this one is not a Harlequin/Silhouette. It still is a romance. Look at that cover. Talk about racy. This cover was printed in 1992. I think some of the covers of today are much tamer. Even the erotica covers seem a little tame then this one. I just love it. This is my favorite cover of all the books that I got from my mom. All I can think of when I see this cover is Ride 'em Cowboy. Is that bad or what?

If you want to see the rest of the books that I got, you can visit my shelf on Shelfari, Pabast Shelf Once you get there, click on own and you can see the books.

Happy Reading

HIstorical Fiction Challenge 2009

2009-01-04T05:58:00.004-06:00

This year the Historical Fiction Challenge is being hosted by Royal Reviews.

Here are the Guidelines set by Royal Reviews:

Read 3 historical fiction books in 3 months from 1st Jan 09 - 31st March 09.
Historical fiction will be counted as anything set or written prior to World War II. This will include classic novels, time travel novels or anything you feel fits the genre.

For an extra bit of fun, you can choose to participate in one of the following themes:

The Royal Twist - Read 3 based on or inspired by 3 different royals. Emporers, Queens, Kings whatever inspires you!

The Twilight Twist - Read a selection of 3 of the classic novels that inspired the Twilight Saga. There's Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte or A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare.

I will try to go do The Royal Twist. My three books are as follows:

1. The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir
2. Victoria Victorious by Jean Plaidy
3. Mary, Queen of Scotland by Margaret George.

As you know from the previous post; these three books are the three that I did not read for the Historical Challenge 2008. Hopefully, I will finish the challenge this year.

Happy Reading

2008 Challenge Wrap Up

2009-01-04T04:48:00.004-06:00

I just want to say that I am sorry that I have not posted lately. In month of December I was reading every chance I got so that I could reach my goal of 100 books in 2008. So that meant no posting on my blog. Then when I reached my goal, other things kept me from posting. But here is the first post of 2008. Just an FYI 2008 was my first year in participating in book challenges.

Reading challenges in 2008.

Decades in 08 Challenge: Did not complete. 0/8 One of the reasons I joined this challenge was I wanted to expanded my reading choices. I did start The Mysterious Island, but other things got in the way and I never went back. So stick with what I like.

100 + book Challenge: Completed 100/100 I did it, but it took a lot of effort. Once you get thrown off your reading pace; it takes a lot to get back on track.

2008 TBR Challenge: Did not complete. I did better 9/12 I started out great. I was reading two to three books a month for the first three months and then I discovered Pump Up Your Book Promotions and started to read review books. Instead of reading one book a month for PUYBP, which is what I planed. I began reading 2-4 books a month. So I slowed down way down.

Royalty Rules Challenge: Completed 4/4 Yeah, My first completed challenge in 2008. I love must love those kings and queens. OK mostly queens.

Historical Fiction Challenge: Did not complete 3/6 I am not sure why, I did not finish this one. Maybe too many books to read. But I think, I will bring the three that I did not read over to the 2009 Challenge. Know I just have to sign up.

Daring Girl Challenge: 1/9 I still have time to complete it. The ending date is July 15, 2009. The book I read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Let's keep our fingers cross that I can complete this challenge.

July Book Blowout: Completed My personal reading goal for the month of July was 10 books and I completed that goal. It help get my on track for the 100 + Book Challenge. Let me tell you I needed it.

So out of the 6 challenges that I planned to do in 2008. I completed 3. Let us hope, I can do better than 50 percent in 2009

I think that is it for the 2008 Challenge Wrap Up

Happy New Year and Happy Reading.

2009 TBR challenge

2008-12-27T15:22:00.004-06:00

I did not finish this challenge last year. I was only three books short of finishing the 2008 TBR Challenge. Let us try again this year.

The rules developed by MizB

* the challenge is to read 12 TBR books in 12 months -- you can read those all in one month if you want, or one a month, or however you wanna do it.

* you need to have a list posted somewhere for others to see (even if it's in a comment here)

* you CANNOT change your list after January 1st, 2009!!!

* you can create an Alternates list of MAXIMUM 12 books, if you want, in order to have options to choose from (you can read these in place of books on your original list).

* audiobooks and e-books ARE allowed

* re-reads are NOT allowed, as they aren't TRUE "TBRs"

* you CAN overlap with other challenges

If this is something that you would like to participate in you can sign up at 2009 TBR Sign up.

Here is my TBR List for 2009:

1.This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips **

2. Rebel by Benard Cornwell **

3. Queen Bees & Wanna Bes byRosalind WiseMan**

4. Flowers In The Rain by Rosamunde Pilcher ***

5. Hide and Seek by James Patterson ***

6. East and West by Gerald Green ***

7. Savage Sunrise by Cassie Edwards ***

8. ~~The Last Chance Cafe by Linda Lael Miller ***~~

9. The Seventh Stone by Nancy Freedman ***

10. Air Force Wives by Ruth Walker ***

11. To Touch The Earth by Fran Kendall ***

12. In Broad Daylight by Harry N. Maclean ***

My Alternatives:

1. Comeback by Dick Francis ***

2. The Daughter of the Pangaran by David Divine ***

3. Midwives by Chris Behjalian

4. Life Of Pi by Yann Martel

5. Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel

6. Circle of Friends by Meve Binchy

7. A Purrfect Romance by Robin Lee Hatcher, Susan Wiggs

8. Potter Springs by Britta Coleman

9. The Gambling Man by Catherine Cookson

10. Cat-A-Lyst by Alan Dean Foster

11. The Baker's Apprentice by Judith Ryan Hendricks

12. Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver

** Books from last year's TBR list

*** Books from last year's alternative list

Wish me luck and come back every so often to see if I can complete this challenge this year.

Happy Reading.