My Two Blessings

I came across Erin Kellison's debut novel Shadow Bound on Shelf Awareness and captured by the cover, checked out her website and decided to request it.  Received it Saturday and this morning I finally got to sit down and start reading it. -- sweet!   Thought I'd share the first page to give you a glimpse.    "A light in deepest Shadow. The fae lord pulled his cloak around his face to dampen the intensity of the glow. Futile .  The woman was still there, in his mind, shining like molten gold.  The heat of her soul-fire penetrated the veils between the mortal world and Twilight and slid across his skin in a caress. She, the sun, powerful enough to quicken even him. From his dark vantage, he peered into her room.  Her bed was made, pillow undented.  He'd come too early to ride the rough waves of her dreams, to mellow her sharp knocks of pain and worry so that she could rest.  He'd done as much since she was a child.  It plea...

What Heroes Gave  by Roger Robicheau Each donned their uniform to be Defenders of our liberty Their mission sure, their spirits bright Guard freedom's home, be brave to fight One final day each faced their call Each gave their best enduring all We'll never know what they went through But know they loved this country true Deep down inside we should all feel What heroes gave, their cost so real We must stay thankful, grateful of The gift of freedom through their love Their loved ones bore the gravest pain What we can't know, some now sustain To God I pray their pain will cease And each will find long-lasting peace Remember this from year to year What heroes gave " shan't disappear We'll never let their special day Their time for honor slip away These brave fought for a nation free If not for them, where would we be?

Racism or Classism I had something entirely different in mind planned for today's post but received something that made me think and wanted to share it. We all gets "those" emails, you know, the ones forwarded from your mom, friend, friend of a friend, etc.   I don't do chain mail, so most of the time, I'll glance through it, check it out on snopes and either let the sender know it's a falsehood or just delete it and forget it.   Recently, I got the one about Michael Richards  and comments he made during a performance at the Laugh Factory (which was all caught on tape).  I've always thought he was an idiot, but when you combine celebrity with idiot, you have someone who unfortunately gets a platform for his idiocy.   I deleted it and forgot about it.  Today, I received an email from the son of one of those many moms who love to send out the fw emails to their children.   His mom and my mom both forwarded the same email to us....

The Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser  Back cover : "Nestled in the Northwest is a quaint little town that its quirky residents are proud to call home.  With charming shops lining its one main thoroughfare, Lumby has the oldest apple tree in the county and the smallest bank in the state.  It's hours from the nearest big city, you'll always find Lumby close to your heart.... Nearly destroyed by fire, Montis Abbey remains a ruin on the outskirts of Lumby.  Once home to a resourceful order of monks, it stands abandoned, surrounded by its overgrown orchards.  Then Mark and Pam Walker, a vacationing couple from the East Coast, stumble upon it--and upon the answer to their prayers.  Leaving behind their hectic lives to restore the monastery and turn it into an inn is a dream come true.  But some residents of Lumby take a while to warm up to outsiders.  One of them is irascible William Beezer, owner of the Lumby Lines --the newspaper "worth the ...

Last month, I read about Thrillers: 100 Must Reads , an International Thriller Writers publication edited by author David Morrell, co-founder of ITW and journalist Hank Wagner.   The book is 100 essays written by well known thrill writers talking about which books influenced and have had the greatest impact on the genre.  I love thrillers and  pre-ordered the book which was set for a release date of July 2010. You can imagine my surprise when I received an email from Amazon letting me know it had been shipped.       The book covers from practically the beginning of time starting with Lee Child's essay on Theseus and the Minotaur (1500 BC) to Francine Matthews thoughts on Alexander Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo (1845) to  ending with Steve Berry's reflection of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Cod e (2003).   Cool book, very cool book.  I've been reading through the essays and it makes me want to read all of the books. ...

Black Water Rising By  Attica Locke Back cover:  Jay Porter has long since made peace with not living the American Dream. He runs his fledgling law practice out of a dingy Houston strip mall---where his most promising client is a low rent call girl--and he's determined to leave the sins of his past buried:  the guns, the FBI file, the trial that nearly destroyed him.  That is, until the night he saves a woman from drowning and inadvertently opens a Pandora's box.  Her secrets reach into the upper echelons of Houston's corporate power brokers and ensnare Jay in a murder investigation that could cost him his practice, his family... and even his life.  Black Water Rising is the debut novel of film and television screenwriter, Attica Locke.  I thoroughly enjoyed the story and it captured my attention from the very beginning.  "Texas, 1981 The boat is smaller than he imagined. And dingier.  Even at night Jay can tell it needs a pai...

Super Mario Galaxy 2 released today   Yeah! Target finally had it!

Wannabe Writers is the brainchild of Sarah of Confessions of the Un-Published .  It is a writing group for the un-published and anyone is welcome to join. It's a place where future authors can ask questions, share stories, and get feedback. Click ( here ) to find more about how it works. Where I am in the writing process:   Still working on the first draft of WIP3  Eyes in the Ashes .  WIP1 Floating on the Surface is waiting in the wings and being entirely rewritten. WIP2 Winter's Illusion is waiting patiently for editing.  My current problems :  I'm taking a break from writing, though I'm still thinking about the story.   I also have another one drifting around in the back of my mind, which I don't want to start because I really, really, really want to finish Eyes in the Ashes first.   We're quite busy with other stuff.  We have 8 weeks left of lessons and James will be done with 4th grade.  I are going to power thr...

Flag Retirement Ceremony  During the pack meeting last week, we had a flag retirement ceremony.  I have never attended one before and have to say it was an emotional moment. " I AM OLD GLORY "  "I am old glory; for more the 9 score years I have been the banner of hope and freedom for generation after generation of Americans. Born amid the first flames of America's fight for freedom, I am the symbol of a country that has grown from a little group of 13 colonies to a united nation of 50 sovereign states. Planted firmly on the high pinnacle of American Faith, my gently fluttering folds have proved an inspiration to untold millions. Men have followed me into battle with unwavering courage. They have looked upon me as a symbol of national unity. They have prayed that they and their fellow citizens might continue to enjoy the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, which have been granted to every American as the heritage of free men. So long as men love lib...

Last year I took up Heather J. on a dare challenge and completed it in April .   I had totally forgotten about the prize part of the challenge:  But if you succeed then I will send you a package of goodies including at least one book (plus lots of other stuff) AND I will dedicate an entire day to you on my blog – how’s THAT for a prize?! I got so wrapped up in the fun of the challenge part it totally slipped my mind.  We had been emailing back and forth about the Mind Voyages challenges and she asked if I had read "Old Man's War."   I said nope,  not yet and made a mental note about getting it.  The other day Father calls me at work and said a package arrived for me from Heather.   Father never used to  pay too much attention to the mail, but since I started receiving review books, he enjoys opening the packages and checking out the books.  He wants to know if he could open this one.   Not this time, he'll have to wait ...

The Killing of Mindi Quintana by  Jeffrey Cohen Back cover:  "Freddy Builder is certain he is meant for more.  More than his life in corporate America bondage.  More than selling china to bluebloods in Philadelphia's landmark department store, Chanet's.  Meant for more, meant for better, and lacking only, only an occasion to rise to.   And now that occasion is murder--of Mindi Quintana, an old college flame wanting simply to stay in his past.  Freddy's crime is major news from the start.  Mindi is the beautiful daughter of a renowned Philadelphia businessman whose dramatic fall a few years back captivated the city.  A televised trial for Freddy is in the offing.  Meanwhile, he is writing the book about his relationship with Mindi--a remorseless rewrite of her life, his own, and their miserably thin involvement.   As excerpts of his book are published to acclaim, he gives articulate, sympathetic jailhouse interv...

Remember when James car came in 2nd for his pack during the Pinewood Derby in January.   He was invited to participate in the Division Pinewood Derby and the derby was held on Thursday.   All the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from all the local packs gathered for the race.  Out of 33 races, James ran in 5 races and won two and came in 2nd and 3rd in the rest. After all the races, they averaged the time for all the kids.  He came in 16th out of 38 cars with an average time of 12.8469.  His pack mate who had come in 1st in our pack come in 8th at 12.68.  The winner's time 12.51.   Yes, the kids were a little disappointed they didn't win, but they had a fun time.   James is already looking forward to next years Pinewood Derby and thinking of a new design for his car.  

Wannabe Writers , the brain child of Sarah of Confessions of the Un-published is a writing group for the un -published and anyone is welcome to join. It's a place where future authors can ask questions, share stories, and get feedback. Click ( here ) to find more about how it works. Where I am in the writing process:   Still working on the first draft of WIP3  Eyes in the Ashes .  WIP1 Floating on the Surface is waiting in the wings and being entirely rewritten. WIP2 Winter's Illusion is waiting patiently for editing.  My current problems:   My brain is tied up with class stuff and life stuff  and I haven't had any time to sit down and concentrate on my current WIP. My question this week :   How to start a story.  I've never been very good at writing hooks.  Any suggestions?  How did you start your story?  (Dialogue, description, action, etc.) I like reading stories that start with action or dialogue that captures you ...

Came across this you-tube video of a 6th grader Greyson Michael Chance who is inspired by Lady Gaga and writes his own songs.  Check him out. Amazing Talent! Here's one he wrote himself.