Duck Race Weekend

HI! I just wanted to throw in a little nugget here. The Duck races are this weekend. Here is the link if anyone is curious. http://www.demingduckrace.com/

Want to race a duck?
They do that on land or in water...

Want Funnel Cake??? (Oh Yes I do!) Lol
That particular pastry is in abundance. (Yay!)

Want a new T-Shirt with a cool duck on it???
Bingo!

It really is a fun time. Check it out. Right on down to the chili judging and the tortilla toss...

Review of Restoration by Elaine D. Walsh

** I was given a copy from the publisher for review**

This was a very frustrating read for me. It was well written, don't get me wrong, but I felt as if I was waiting for something to happen, and it really didn't.

I liked the book. Tess seemed like a great lady. Did I bond with her? No. I never really "felt" this story. While Tess was keeping her distance from everyone, I also felt she was distant from me. I was never able to say "you go Tess," or "give 'em hell Tess," or anything. The closest I came to getting a glimpse of a fantastic woman, was when she was describing to Francesca how seeing the Raphael made her feel. That was great.

I know this is one that I will be in the minority on, but this one was just ok for me. I put it at 2.5 stars.

Review of Conjure House by Gary Fry

** I was given a copy from the publisher** Thank you

Conjure House grabbed hold of me from the very beginning, and it never did let go. Even still, I find myself thinking about certain passages in the book.

Conjure won't let you get off of the edge of your chair. I enjoyed this horror/ sci-fi mix. Definitely a must read. I am looking forward to reading more of Mr. Fry's work!

PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!!

I kind of jumped the gun on this review and I APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY!!! Please forgive me!!! Please, please, please forgive me, Mr. Guinn!!!! 

It was very kindly pointed out to me that this was an advanced copy, which would be full of errors (sometimes). Anyway, with everything (crap) that has been going on here, I forgot to check the release date, and judged it too critically. SO I AM GOING TO GO BACK AND re-read this one and post another review. I would hate for someone to miss a great book because of me. APOLOGIES!!!! PUTTING THIS BACK ON MY CURRENTLY READING LIST!!!!


Will be back soon with an updated review!

My Review of Tin Gods by Stacy Green

** I was given a copy from the author for an honest review**
I just finished reading Tin Gods by Stacy Green.
OMG! Stacy is sooooo very talented. This book makes you feel, not only feel, but FEEL along with Jaymee.   She was forced into giving her baby up for adoption when she was younger, and this is the story of her trying to find her baby. There are  a lot of obstacles and mysteries surrounding the adoption, including murder!

Definitely a must read!

4 out of 5 Books!

Review of Doors by Daniel Brako

Where to start here???

A gentleman comes into his doctor's office and tells him that he sees doors everywhere... Who doesn't right???

Well the doors he sees are not doors that everyone can see... Let it alone, enter. So the good doctor says the magic words, (I'm definitely paraphrasing here) and... voila`, he can see the doors also. He can even enter.

OH the consequences this brings!!! Not all doors are good...

Definitely worth a read. The beginning dragged a bit or me, but it usually does, taking time to establish characters and all that... Lol 
The twists are many, and you won't believe where this one goes!

Sci-Fi lovers are going to eat this one up! 

Review of Ember X by Jessica Sorensen

** I received a copy from the publisher**

This one will keep you guessing right up until the end!
Ember is a teenager who, when she touches someone, she is able to see their death. She has had this ability since she was 4. Needless to say, she avoids contact as much as possible, until she meets Asher... 

Absolutely a must read!

4 Out of 5 Books

Review of Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall

** I received a copy from the author**

Fantastic! Brilliant, very entertaining. 
Starla is a very intelligent young lady who, ultimately learns that she has so very much left to learn. She's very spunky and has a very big heart. By the end of the book Starla and Eula will move into your heart and become part of your family. A must read for all!

This is one of my all time FAVORITE books. Fabulous read. If you liked The Help, this one is right there with it! Trust me, you will LOVE it!

Just a little side note here, Ms. Crandall is on a book signing tour right now. If she is in your town PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE go get a copy and have her sign it. Do it for me. Do it for you. Do it for all of the Starlas and Eulas in the world! (I am jealous, because I need a signed copy and would love to be able to go to one of her signings.) 

5 Books for this one! A MUST READ!!!

LUPUS Freaking SUCKS!!!

Ok, I don't usually have a pity party, but... I think I am entitled to ONE!

I HATE lupus. I hate how much it has taken away from me. I miss being able to walk like a normal person. Last month, daughter takes me to the movies, I fall. Daughter takes me out to lunch today and what do I do? I FALL. UGH!!!!!! I am NEVER going out again. I am 42 years old and I can't even freaking walk. I can't work anymore. I know I tell every one of my lupie friends to focus on the positive things. That it will get better. To each and every one of you I have said that to - I apologize. You were right. It just sucks. 

Hugs.

Review of "If You Ask Me..." By Betty White

This was not the laugh out loud, fall over red-faced, can't breathe, pee your pants book I expected. It was good, but it wasn't great. Her sense of humor didn't really shine through. Worth a read? Yes. 

I gave it 2 books.  Meh. 

Review of Sleeping in Eden by Nicole Baart

** I was given a copy by the publisher**

This book was a very suspenseful read. It is by no means a "light" read. There was a heaviness that was prevalent throughout the whole book for me. 

"Sleeping in Eden" begins with a coroner being called out to a suicide. (There is A LOT that happens here that I am kind of paraphrasing...) While on the suicide call they, by chance, discover another body. The second body leads to a lot more questions, as you can imagine. There is also a story within a story about the doctor's relationship with his wife...

This was a great book, but like I said, not a feel good, light mystery.

Review of Taven's Departing by Mike Jackson

**I received a copy in exchange for an honest review**

I just finished Taven's Departing by Mike Jackson. I was so excited when I was notified that I had won a copy. This book just sounded like one that had infinite possibilities. It did.

This book was a little nebulous for me to grasp in the very beginning, but as I read further, the story opened up and blossomed. Mr. Jackson is a very gifted writer and this book is definitely worth a read.


Just a side note here, Hope all of my Lupie buddies had a safe and pain-free holiday. Hugs.

I fell off....

So sorry I have been gone for so long. A lot has happened recently. I left my job (lupus was getting too bad) and I broke my ankle, AND my computer went down. Sounds like a really bad country song huh? Lol

Anyway, I am currently reading:


and...




and...


So I will be back soon with the reviews as I finish them! Mwa! Hugs and thank you all for sticking with me!!!
Blessings and be well.

Review of Tristis Manor by J.R. Wagner

** I received a copy from the publisher for an honest review**


Make no mistake, Tristis Manor will rip your heart out and hand it to you. 
I ached for Margaret and all she went through. Her mother was a mother in name only, she should have been her protector not one of her tormentors.

This one is heart-breaking, no, heart-rending. Definitely worth the read. Don't expect a light mystery or a n unbelievable, gory horror story. Nope, not this one. Her mom is a jealous, mean, abusive witch, and her father, who she adores, and he adores her also, works away, and is gone for extended time periods. Poor little sweetie goes through hell. 

I found myself just wanting to gather her up in my arms and cry. 
3 out of 5 books 


On a side note, it has been sooooooo windy and I am soooooo sick of it. Lol It really seems to aggravate my lupus. :/ How do you turn off the wind? 

Review of The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie

** I was given a copy for an honest review**

This is the first novel I have read by Deborah Crombie. I love the way she starts each chapter off with a tidbit about the Crystal Palace itself... There actually is a lot of information in the snippets.

While I enjoyed the book, I didn't fall in love with it. I will read more by this author, maybe it was just me not being used to her style, I did enjoy the mystery, it just never really grabbed me.


Liked it, but not in love with it.  3 out of 5 books. 

Review of Children of the Fog by Cheryl Kaye Tardiff

Holy Moly!!!! I don't even know where to start! This book draws you in from page one. You will find yourself doing the things you need to get done with this book in your hand. The suspense never lets up. 
Sadie is in a bad marriage with her husband Phillip, (who is messing around on her, she is a recovering alcoholic, and her son, (Sam) won't speak. 
There has been a rash of kidnappings and Sam is next...

** Bonus - she wraps everything up nicely in this one. We find out why Sam doesn't speak.**

Review of Hope by Theresa M. Jones

**I received a copy from the author for an honest review.**

I didn't think it was possible, but I loved Hope more than I loved Power! And Power was amazing! 

Hope picks up where Power left off. Damien is...gone and Lillith is ruling. Boy is she one bad egg... Anyway, I am trying to do this review without spoilers, and it is really hard. 

Ally and David have a lot to deal with, and deal with it they do. Oh, there is so much I want to say, but I don't want to spoil it... Suffice it to say, READ THIS BOOK!!! It's fantastic!

Review of Voodoo Dues by Stephany Simmons

I was really very pleasantly surprised with this book. It was not at all what I expected. It was a fun, light, quick read with quirky characters. I found when I reached the end, I wanted more. That's rare.
If you are looking for something fast and light, this is the book for you.

Currently Reading: Hope by Theresa Jones

I love this series! Witches! I'm addicted. Lol And nothing is better than the author offering to let me read and review the second book in the series!!!! :))))) (Insert happy dance here! ) WooHooo

Will get back to you very soon with the review.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to infinity Ms. Jones! :)

Review of The Box by Brian Harmon

Do not start reading this book with preconceived notions about horror-suspense. You cannot neatly classify this book into one specific category. On the contrary, this story has a little bit of mystery, horror, adventure, even erotica. Which was my sticking point at first, because I bought this book in the thriller section.

Ahh fair readers, that was my first mistake, once I was passed that, I really enjoyed this story. It is HIGHLY original, and will keep you on the edge of your seat while biting your nails and turning pages. Don't try to guess where the story is going, you won't. Just sit tight and hang on for the ride. It's a great one.

Now...Off to buy the second book...

Just complaining! - Sorry in advance.

Ok. So this is what I am currently reading. I love it! It is very entertaining, and I couldn't wait to get to the second one to see what happens. I get to Amazon all fired up and raring to go on it, and da*#, I notice it's not text to speech enabled!

WTH???? Really? How am I supposed to "read" while multi-tasking??? What is the deal with books that are not text to speech enabled? That is a HUGE "I am going to avoid this book like the plague!" for me, because  I have children, grand-children, 4 dogs, cooking, cleaning, oh ya and a full time job!!! Guess what? I don't have the time to sit and stare at my Kindle all day. If I could figure out how to get paid for reading my Kindle all day, I would so be there. (My employer frowns on it.) However, I CAN stick an ear bud in my ear, my Kindle in my pocket and LISTEN all freakin' day long!

So, to all of my author friends, please, please help me out here. Does it cost more to have that feature enabled? Am I the only one in the world that this pi$$3$ off???

Review of Ted and Ann : The Mystery of a Missing Child and Her Neighbor Ted Bundy

This is another story about Ted Bundy. This story sort of centers around a 7 yr old girl that he had taken and killed. Very informative. I knew he was a very busy killer, but I had no idea how busy. The book delves into Ted's early life and his family. There were a lot of issues there. Recently, I had read a novel by Anne Rule about Ted Bundy, and this book is along those lines. The author, Rebecca Morris, at one point, even mentions Ted's friendship with Anne. Very well written and informative.

It must have been terrifying to know that you have interacted with this man in the past, and what he could have done, if he chose to. Anne Rule was actually friends with Ted. I just can't imagine how she felt after she found out about all of the things he had done. She had said that she knew a different Ted, and in all fairness, this book even addresses that there were "different Teds," The good one, the other one, etc. 

Who knows. Probably a good thing we don't know all about him. 

Review of The Hunters by Heidi Angell

 I totally enjoyed this book! It was a refreshing take on the vampire click going on. 

The Hunters took me right back to The Lost Boys days. Don't get me wrong, it was nothing like Lost Boys, but it had the same panache to grab my attention and keep it. From page one! :D There are no vampires in love huggy, kissy, angsty whiny vamps here! 

Awesome read! Great job Heidi! Looking forward to more of your work! Thank you Ms. Angell!



And just a little note here... NEVER, EVER buy asparagus from  the flea market! Hubby and I spent all weekend with food poisoning. ACKKKKKK! 
We went to the flea market on Saturday and there was a gentleman there who was selling asparagus and since we were grilling steaks, we thought the asparagus would be a perfect addition. So I picked out a nice bunch and, as we were walking off, he opened a cooler and asked if we wanted to buy fresh fish. Ummmm, we live in a desert. NO THANK YOU. 

So, to make a long story short, we ate it and got very sick. Then it dawned on us, he probably puts the asparagus in the cooler with the fish to keep it cool!!!! 

How dumb can we be??? LOL 
Hence, my advice, NEVER, EVER buy asparagus from the flea market. 

The Hunters by Heidi Angell -- Currently Reading

Good Morning!
This is what I am currently reading:


The Hunters by Heidi Angell...
Review to come! Happy Reading.

The Call of Agon by Dean Wilson - currently reading

Don't forget to check out The Call of Agon by Dean Wilson - Currently reading

Review of Inner Horror by L.A. Tafe

First off, I freaking hate/detest/loathe clowns! They scare the crap out of me. Usually. The story-line in this book could have been a bit more developed and I think it would have made a better impact.
Having said that, there were so many errors in this book, it became distracting. The use of your, when it should have been you're, or to, when it should have been too, among lots of others. I started looking for errors instead of being immersed in the story.

2 Books out of 5. 

Review of Twelve Tribes of Hattie

Ok, so I haven't heard if my buddies are actually finished with this one, but I think it's time to post review.

I know I am going to be in the minority on this one, but I just really could not bond with any of the characters in this one. I wasn't impressed with the way Hattie handled things. I think she was more of a limp dishrag type of woman.

The story could have gone off in so many other directions. However, I'm not the author and my opinion doesn't really matter. Lol Still, I definitely would have made Hattie more. More loving, more caring, more strength.

Yup, not going to make any friends with this review, but at least I'm honest. Lol

Blog tour coming soon??? ;)

Shhhh. Don't tell but a blog tour may be in the very earliest planning stages... With some awesome authors! :)

My Review of Submerged by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

** I was given a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review**

First off, this was a breath of fresh air on the thriller homefront. Ms. Tardif has created a story that is a gripping, nail-biting, roller-coaster ride of thrills. When I started reading this book, I could not tear myself away. (I have been on a great roll lately!) 

The Characters are real, you feel with them, they are flawed, not perfect characters, that adds that much more to the story.

Definitely a book I will read again, and I am off to look for more of Ms.Tardif's works. 
Well done! :)

Have a good night all!

Currently Reading Submerged by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Will get back to you soon with the review of this one. ..

Review of Pearls of Asia

Just finished this one...
Whoa. Not sure what to say about this one. Boy, did I get an education! The subject was unique. Absolutely nothing like I thought it would be.
3 out of 5 books.

Review of Deep Down by Deborah Coates

** I received an advanced copy for review**

5 FREAKING BIG, HUMONGOUS, BRILLIANTLY SHINING STARS!!!!

This book is so darn good, I wanted bad weather so I could stay home and finish it! ( Even though bad weather plays ugly with my lupus and makes me hurt like hell!)

Anyway, Hallie, a former soldier returns from the war in Afghanistan to her father's ranch. She has no idea what she is going to do next. She gets a call from one of her old soldier buddies who offers her a good job. She would be traveling and away from her small, home town where everybody knows everything about everybody...

Oh wait, did I mention that Hallie has died before and can see ghosts??? Hallie decides she is going to take the job that her friend offered her, but she has a few things she needs to do first, like try and save an old lady, her boyfriend, and the world! And it's going to be hell!

Fan-freaking-tastic!!! I love this book and I am going to recommend it to everybody I talk to because it's just that damn good! I am so glad I got to read it as an ARC. Thank you so much Ms. Coates . I am eagerly  looking forward to reading more of your work.

P.S. Maker is awesome. :)

Thank God for bad weather...

Hi all!
The wind is atrocious today. I am soooo glad. Why would I say that? Because I absolutely cannot put the book I am currently reading down! I am recommending it to everyone! Especially those of you who enjoy Paranormal, suspense and mystery. I think you will have an amazing experience with this book!


I will post a full review when I am done!
Hugs!

My Review of Jacket The Trials of a New Jersey Criminal Defense Attorney by John W. Hartmann

** I was given a copy for an honest review**

This was a fun read. I laughed out loud a lot. My husband kept looking at me funny for laughing, then when I told him about the book, he decided he wants to read it. And he is not a reader. :) Great job Mr. Hartmann.

The author could have made this a really stuffy, college text-bookish, boring read. This was absolutely nowhere near that! I love that he didn't talk down to the reader or use a lot of difficult to understand terms. Anyone can enjoy this book.

:) Great job Mr. Hartmann.

4 out of 5 books

My New Motto... LOL ;)

Review of Voices From Beyond by J. Thorn

The introduction was great.
The stories and characters, however, to me, could have been a bit more developed. I never really could connect with the characters. The stories just seemed disjointed to me. I know they are "short stories" and therefore, are quick reads, but it just really didn't work for me.

The ideas for the story lines were really good. Some of the stories could really be developed into fascinating works. I will have to check out other works by this author.

For me the scariest part of this story is the cover. Great cover by the way!

My Review of Power by Theresa M. Jones

Good Morning!
Today is going to be very interesting. The weather is changing and so... I am hurting! Thank you Lupus! :/
Anyway, while I was up all night, at least I had an amazing story to read! Thank you Ms. Jones! Mwa.




This was a very well-written, flowing story about a single parent who finds out she has powers. She is whisked away to work on mastering her powers, along the way meeting some very interesting people. She is rumored to have a great destiny. To find out what it might be, you NEED to read this book! :)

So... Ms. Jones... When is the next book going to be out???? I am desperately waiting! :) 

Hugs to all! 

Love this!

I love this! :)

Currently Reading - Power by Theresa M. Jones - AND A GIVEAWAY ENTRY LINK!!!! WooHoo! YOU WANT THIS BOOK!

This is really great so far! I can't put it down!

Ms. Jones has graciously agreed to give a lucky reader a copy! Here is the link to her giveaway, and while you're there, don't forget to follow her blog!
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/74b8b65/

Ok I am going back to reading now. ;)

Back later! Hugs.

My Review of A Spirited Inheritance by Betty Mermelstein

This was an enchanting quick read. 
Karen's Great Grandparents come to visit her and continue to look after her even after they are gone...

I love the old cover for this story. Anyone into Genealogy would love this story. 
5 Books!!! :)

My Review of The Found by Genaro Zamora

This story is a gem! 
I have read/seen LOTS of takes on the La Llorona legend. It is deeply seeded in the hispanic culture. The legend goes something like this:

A woman has children, but not with her current boyfriend. She wants him to marry her, and long story short, he tells her that he would never marry a woman who has children from another man. 

In despair, she takes her children to the river and drowns them, thinking that if she didn't have the children, he would marry her. When she tells her boyfriend what she has done, he tells her that she's crazy and wants nothing to do with her. She goes crazy and goes back to the river looking for her children, but their bodies are gone.

Legend says that she wanders and weeps looking for her children and when she can, she takes "bad" children. As, you can guess, many parents use this legend to get their children to behave. (Probably at the cost of therapy later on... LOL) Anyway...

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS STORY!!! The author did an amazing job of laying out the legend and then incorporating it into an amazing story. I was sucked in from the first page, I could not put this story down! 

Currently reading The Found by Genaro Zamora

I just started reading The Found by Genaro Zamora. I am surrounded with legends and stories of La Llorona  living where I do, so when I stumbled across this one, I snapped it up!

Heads up, today, it's free on Amazon! WooHoo gotta love free! :D

Will get back to you with the review.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love Stephanie Bond! She cracks me up!!! So, I just thought I would share some love and let everybody know that Mad About You by Stephanie Bond is free today on Amazon for the Kindle! WooHoo
(Price is subject to change.)

What do you do when Lupus has you stuck on the couch or in bed?

I don't know about you, but it is pretty frustrating to have one day of awesome fun and have to pay for it with three days of being sick.

So what do you do when lupus kicks your butt and you are stuck "relaxing" and in brutal pain?

Congrats to Author Karina Halle!

I just wanted to say congratulations to author Karina Halle on your engagement! Blessings and happiness to you and yours!

Karina is the awesome author of the Experiment in Terror series which I love so much! She also has another trilogy going on right now, The Artist's Trilogy, which is amazing also.

Life is a rainbow! ;)

P.S. Karina:

Can we come to the wedding? I promise we won't wear EIT T-Shirts or anything! :)))

My Review of Reflecting on Midnight by Bradley Convissar

** Disclaimer**
Mr. Convissar actually warned me before-hand that I may not like the first story. Lol I see why now! Thanks for the warning!!!

Ok now that that is  out of the way, here is my review. I decided to review each story in the collection, instead of just one rating for the book, which I don't believe would have done the book the justice it deserves.


The first story in the collection, Dogs of War, made me run the gamut of emotions. My initial reaction to this story was pure rage!

How could some monster do that to such wonderful, loving creatures??? I fully intended to hate this story and give Dr. Convissar a piece of my mind. Lol However, after thinking it through and getiing over the initial shock of this story, I liked it. Dont' get me wrong, I detested and loathed the violence toward dogs. Especially after getting to know and love Molly, and that's when the light bulb went on and I realized it had to be a pretty good story to immerse the reader and make them feel so passionately.

In the end, and at times, it was very hard for me to get to the end, Molly and the other dogs were amazing, loyal, loving, determined and everything else that embodies goodness.

So, if you can't read through the violence, this is definately not a story for you. If you can pull through to the end it's definitely worth it!



The second story, King of the Merge:

Lots of testosterone.
A race between a corvette and a porsche.
A red light.
A horrible accident. One man loses his life and one man walks away. ... But that's not all!!!



The third Story Fotoshop of the Gods:

Cut and paste. It's simple right?
OH NO IT'S NOT!!!
It has far reaching consequences. The next time you right-click, you may want to think about it....


The third story, I Never:

Where to start with this one?

Four brothers are kidnapped at night and taken to a very exclusive placeto determine which one of the brothers will lose their life...


I really enjoyed this book. Read it! I am pretty sure you will like it!

READ THIS BOOK!!! You won't be sorry! :)

This book is amazing. I loved the unique storyline. Some may say it's not unique, as there are tons of stories where a person/ghost was wronged and comes back for revenge. However, the author takes this to a whole new level. I thought I knew what was going to happen next, only to get to the next page and be utterly shocked. I thought, the story was over, only to find out it wasn't. Then I thought it was over again, only to find out it wasn't! That turned out to be a really good thing. 

I recommend this book to everyone. Read it, you will be glad you did. :) 
Great book Mr. Convissar!

My Review of The Third Floor By C. Dennis Moore

O. M. G!!!! 
I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars!!!! This was a truly amazing book. It is really hard to freak me out, but I actually had to stop reading this book last night when my husband went to bed! That has not happened in a verrrrrrrryyyyy long time! Well done Mr. Moore! 
Everybody who has a penchant for horror,or the supernatural, YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!!
5 out of 5 books!!! 

My review of Sins and Needles by Karina Halle

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book simply because I am such a dedicated EIT fan. Have no fear! Karina did not disappoint! That's when I realized that not only am I an EIT fan, I am a Karina Halle fan! She is a fantastic lady and an amazing writer!

I can't wait for the next book to come out, because boy, did she leave us hanging. Usually I don't like cliff-hangers, ok usually, I detest cliff-hangers, but this one was good. Definately designed to keep us all waiting on the edge of our seat waiting for the next book.

Camden and Ellie are both flawed characters who you bond with, not instantly, but gradually. They both have some pretty deep issues and they are both trying their darnedest to overcome them. As a matter of fact, Ellie's whole family is flawed.

I can't say too much without giving something away, so I will stop here. TRUST me, this is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Read it, you won't be sorry!