TLC Book Tour: Prime Suspect by Lynda La Plante

Prime Suspect by Lynda La Plante

Synopsis: "The moment Jane Tennison takes over Scotland Yard’s investigation into the death of sex worker Della Mornay, two grim facts become immediately clear to her. First, that the constabulary’s old boy club is determined to hinder, harass, and undermine the new female Detective Chief Inspector at every turn. And second, that their murder victim isn’t Della Mornay.

Now the police are a step behind, and a madman is loose on the streets of London. To apprehend the criminal stalking women through the city’s shadows, Tennison will have to steel herself against the hostility of her fellow officers and conceal her own mounting obsession with breaking through the glass ceiling of the station house—even as department politics, a crumbling relationship, and a wickedly elusive prime suspect threaten her very existence.

A dark and riveting race against the clock, Prime Suspect is an unforgettable introduction to this bestselling series from Edgar Award-winning author Lynda La Plante."

Lynda La Plante's Prime Suspect series encompassing #1 Prime Suspect, #2 A Face in the Crowd and #3 Silent Victims are based on her british television series Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren as the lead character Jane Tennison.  It actually seemed to read like a televised crime fiction show to me with its fast pace and action.  I had a hard time getting into it at first, but once I did enjoyed the story.   Tennison is tough. She has to be since she's the only female chief inspector and none of the men really want to work with her.  She takes advantage of an opportunity to move in as lead inspector of a homicide which doesn't garner her any friends in the department. However, when she finds more clues and uncovers more clues than any of the other detectives, they start to change their mind.   Tennison isn't really a likeable character but she's determined to prove herself so has to be tough.  She kind of grows on you after a while. 

Thank you to TLC Book tours, Harper Publishing for providing me with copies of all three books and Lynda La Plante for creating such an interesting crime story.  I'll be reviewing the 2nd book A Face in the Crowd on February 28 and 3rd book Silent Victims March 15.   Be sure to check out the rest of the tour and others thoughts about the series.

Sunday Salon: Deciphering and inscribing

We are getting ready to go on vacation and head out to see my parents in Arizona.  It has turned into a mom/son adventure because we have a sick cat.  Herbie, one of the two boy cats got a urinary blockage which resulted in the beginning of kidney issues and a urinary infection.  He spent three days at the vet and is now on antibiotics.   Luna, the mama cat also has kitty asthma and is on prednisone.   We've worked it down from twice a day to once every three days.  Know what's amazing. We have a compounding pharmacy that blends the prednisone with chicken broth and she willing takes her medicine.  Herbie however is extremely stubborn and tries to avoid swallowing so he can spit the medicine out.   You have to get creative when giving cats medicine.  

Reading wise, my 52 books group and I are about to tackle Moby Dick.  I've never read it so downloaded it to my nook to read while on vacation.  I've slowed down my reading quite a bit this year and during January completed:

1. The Rose Labryinth - Titanie Hardie
2. Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen (e-book)
3. By the Light of the Moon - Dean Koontz (e-book)
4. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt
5. The Silent Oligarch - Chris Morgan Jones  (Review)
6. Ahab's Wife - Sena Jeter Naslund 
7. Changeless #2 Parosol Protectorate - Gail Carriger (ebook)
8. Canyons on Night #3 Looking Glass Trilogy - Jayne Castle
9. Spirit Bound - Christine Feehan (ebook)

 I read my first Dean Koontz book and look forward to reading more of his stories.  Discovered Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was actually non fiction.  Midway through the story I'm thinking where is the plot, then took another look at the synopsis.  *facepalm*   Ahab's Wife was a delightful, intriguing read and it's one book I want to actually buy hard bound and read again.  Gave me lots to think about.  

I'm still reading "Reading Like a Writer" by Francine Prose. Unfortunately not getting much out of it, but going to persevere and find the rose hidden among the thorns somewhere.

How's the writing going, you ask.  Slowly.  I'm in the edit phase right now and things stalled a bit, but getting back into the grove.  Currently taking another workshop through Savvy Authors - Editing the Heck Out of Things with Beth Daniels aka J.D. Dane.   Between this one and Deep Story and transferring all over into Scrivener,  I'm hoping to get Blue Steel all polished up.  I've turned into a ROW80 dropout and going to make an effort to get back into the groove.   Too much left brain thinking.  I need some right brain activity. So going to sit down and write up a list of ideas to write about - perhaps some short stories or the next story.  For now I'm going to set a goal of getting all of my WIP transferred into Scrivener in sequence, rewrite my outline and figure out which scenes are missing.   

I have been doing great with eating healthy and doing the treadmill at least 5 times a week for an hour.  And though I haven't lost any weight, I did lose a size and can fit back into my size 8's.   Yeah me!  

 I'm creative - you can't expect me to be neat too.  ~Author Unknown

The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Sunday Salon: Life - no matter where you go there you are!

Road by Etrusia UK

Happy Sunday!  I'm still here.  Just been contemplating several directions life could take us right now and as with all things, change can be stressful.  We've never been ones to take the straight road or the road most taken.  We pretty much follow our own path.  Some folks don't like or agree with our choices and you know what. That's just too damn bad.  It isn't their life is it.  We've been homeschooling James all the way through Elementary school.  We took it one year at a time to start with and considered that by the time he reached 7th grade, he'd be ready to go to middle school.

Hubby and I have been stressing over it for the past few weeks and finally realized it all comes down to James and what he needs.  He wants to continue to home school and frankly I'd prefer it that way.  He thrives learning one on one and we can follow his interests and make adjustments when he's not getting something or take a break when we need too.  He is super bright and then you have those 'duh' days. Aspergers shares a lot of commonalities with attention deficient syndrome so he has good days and bad days and you can forget about getting him to focus on anything.  I also have control over what he is learning and who he is hanging out with.

So, now that we've decided to continue for the time being, a new stress has set in.  James does enough to get by which drives me crazy.  But after giving it some thought, I realized I used to be the same way.  There has to be some incentive, a reason.  He's the type of kid who want to know the why and the what and the how.  I also discovered over the years that homeschooling is just as much me learning and discovering new things as well as him.  I have to lead the way.   In the past couple years I' realize I've gotten lazy and lowered my expectations. I've let doubts interfere. And usually when those doubts surface I go toMelissa of Mental Multivitamin's site and read It All Begins with Me.   When everything starts breaking down, the person I need to look at is myself.  Talk about a kick in the pants. 

Melissa on Well Trained Mind recently said:

"We have an obligation -- in fact, a legal responsibility -- to educate our children. While homeschooling certainly gives us some flexibility in terms of coping with life's challenges, it does not give us a "pass" on getting the job done. Teachers in traditional classrooms also experience life's upsets, great and small, but if our children were their students, we'd have every expectation that despite the other demands, those teachers would teach our children.

And so we must have the same expectation of ourselves.


Here's a challenge: This year, refuse to lower your expectations. Instead, raise them. And then exceed them. Enough of the whining and complaining and self-indulgence. Teach, **** it. Lead. Coach. Motivate. Inspire. Give your students the best that you have to offer every. single. day. Remember: The goal is a lifetime of excellence, not a day or two here and there. A lifetime. Begin, then, with raised expectations -- of yourself and of your students."

I'm accepting the challenge.  Going to Reread "A Thomas Jefferson Education" and just add "The Student Whisperer" by Oliver DeMille as well to my TBR pile.   Remind myself what it means to be a mentor.  

So, where do we go from here? Fortunately our school district has a charter school Vision in Education providing public support to home schoolers and they have teachers who will come out to your home and help you personalize your educational plan, provide feedback and help. One less stress to worry about.  We CAN do this. 

Unplugging!

Feeling the need to unplug and dip into the creative well and rejuvenate, refresh, renew. See you on the other side.

A to Z Challenge: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

"The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.

A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants - from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys - except for Claire’s rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire’s quiet life is turned upside down - along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy - if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom - or with each other."

It always amazes me when I discover a new to me author and get enthralled in a story to learn that he or she is so young.  There are times I am reading a story and you get the feeling of a very old soul. One who knows, whose lived a dozen lifetimes.  One whose been around a while, been writing forever.   The ladies on the Well Trained Mind group have been talking up a storm about Sarah Addison Allen's novels so decided I must read one.  Garden Spells is an incredibly charming story with an endearing cast of characters blending magical realism and romance with small town politics and secrets.  I thoroughly enjoyed Garden Spells and look forward to reading more of Sarah Addison Allen.

ISBN-13: 9780553384833
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Pages: 320
Excerpt