Surviving the Winter

Winter is still in full swing and the coldness only makes our family more hungry. With too many mouths to feed and not enough nourishment, every day is a struggle to survive.

As the matriarch, I work in the morning to get the resources needed for the family to have at least one meal each day and I am not above killing the neighbors' chickens if I have to. Today, I have to. I am not not proud of this fact, but it keeps the family going, at least for a few more days.

With three hungry offspring and a partner that works the overnight shift, it is up to me to keep them all fed during the day. When you have triplets to care for, every day brings with it a new dilemma. On the edge of starvation and not one friend in the neighborhood to offer me any help.

Read the rest in "Chickens, Hawks and Grump Goats: Five Years on a Farm"

Summer Break - On Hiatus from Writing

In case no one noticed ... I have taken a hiatus from working on my writing. I have decided to enjoy the summer and read, read, read.  Well, and write reviews for the books that I have enjoyed reading this summer.

Aside from reading other indie books and writing reviews, I am also researching subject matter for my next book and several short stories.  This research includes travel to some very exciting places.

The first destination was to Washington, D.C. earlier this summer.  Needless to say, D.C. was a fountain of writing material just waiting to be written.

The other destinations we traveled to earlier this summer included Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.  All of these states had great things to see and do while we were traveling in our RV. Yes, these locales have definitely given me more fodder for my upcoming writing efforts.

But, the summer has only started ... There will be many more books to read, more reviews to write and most importantly, more places to visit and enjoy before autumn and winter rush in.

Hope everyone has a wonderful summer!

Book Review Spotlight - Small Town Witch by Kristen S. Walker

"Small Town Witch" by Kristen S. Walker is a wonderfully unique story of small town witches in a world where magical powers and sorcery are commonplace.

The story is told through the eyes of Rosamunde, a teenage witch who lives in a small town in California. Although Rosamunde is human, she made a pact with a fae in order to have magical abilities like those of her mother. As with any teenager, Rosamunde is in a hurry to grow up and use the magic powers that her mother has taught her over the past few years. But, her mother believes she needs more training - much to Rosamunde's dismay.

The nice little town of Madrone is painted so vividly in the beginning of the story that I felt as though I were there along side Rosamunde. As the story progresses, there are hints and foreshadowing that everything is not as it seems and a more sinister plot comes to the surface.

The daily trials and tribulations of teenagers are sprinkled throughout the book, no matter that they are not normal teenagers - their lives still echo the thoughts and feelings of any normal young adult. When you add the layers of witchcraft, sorcery and magic to the mix, the outcome is an explosion of emotion and drama that keeps the reader interested and engaged in the story to the very end.

I found the characters to be believable and each one was fully developed to my satisfaction. The plot had many twists and turns that kept me guessing and made me eager to turn the page to see what would happened next. Although the ending was a slight cliffhanger, it only made me want to read the next book right away.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Small Town Witch" and look forward to reading the sequel.

Book Review Spotlight - Seeking Dr. Magic by Scott Spotson

"Seeking Dr. Magic" by Scott Spotson is an urban detective fantasy that delivers a well-developed story full of suspense and a good amount of "magic".

The story opens with Ninjas effortlessly performing stunts on a high-rise building in New York City, only to disappear in front of the large crowd of on-lookers. Former FBI agent, Tony Hetfield is now a detective who is tasked with solving the mystery of the Phantam Ninjas, only to be taken from his office in Chicago and dropped thirty stories off the Morgan Stanley building in New York within a matter of minutes. Hetfield is then caught inches from the ground by Dr. Magic - all is recorded and the media is in a frenzy about it.

Throughout the book, both Dr. Magic and Detective Hetfield reveal more and more "human" characteristics, not just the surface traits initially portrayed in the beginning of the book. Hetfield becomes more likable as a character as he develops a bond with Dr. Magic. Hetfield has a gut feeling that Dr. Magic is not evil, just misunderstood. Dr. Magic realizes that he is just a kid in need of a friend that he can trust.

The only thing that bothered me while reading this was that the ending felt a bit rushed, but not to the point of detracting too much from the story line.

If you are looking for a quick read this summer, "Seeking Dr. Magic" certainly fits the bill!

New Release Spotlight - Blackout by Madeleine Henry

"Blackout" by Madeleine Henry is a superbly written dystopian novel, full of action, suspense, romance and adventure.

The story begins after the world is plunged into darkness and America is divided by a concrete wall (the Frontier). The northern part of the nation above the wall has electricity, the bottom part below the Frontier does not. The lives of those without electricity in the Dark Zone is harsh, dangerous and barely above existing for most of the inhabitants in the region. The lives of those with electricity is much easier (thus the term, "Easies" used to describe them).

The main character, Phoenix, and his girlfriend, Star are selected along with several other teenagers to be allowed into America. In exchange for this, their families are given electricity and Star hopes it will be the answer to her younger brother's chronic illness.

Once in America, Phoenix and Star are thrown into a contest given by the richest families in the country. At first glance, the intentions of the families appear to be genuinely altruistic and the teens quickly adapt to the lifestyle. However, during the course of the contest, secrets are revealed that shake Phoenix to his core and make him question the true reasons for the contest.

"Blackout" was an easy read and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story. Ms. Henry has delivered a great story with a wonderfully thought out plot. I loved the ending and am looking forward to the sequel.

I would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy books such as The Hunger Games and other young adult dystopian, post-apocalyptic type novels.

About the Author

Madeleine Henry was born and raised in New York. This spring, she graduated from Yale University and began her adult life in New York City. Madeleine majored in psychology and wrote her senior essay on the extreme popularity of the Twilight book series. In college, she also ran a marathon and had a brief but enthusiastic stint as a stand-up comedienne.

BLACKOUT is Madeleine's first book. Parts of the story are drawn from two weeks she spent foraging for food and water in desert Utah while enrolled in a survival skills field course. She has since recovered.

Book Review Spotlight - Fleischerhaus by Melissa Bowersock

 

 

"Fleischerhaus" by Melissa Bowersock is another great read from this extremely talented author. I loved "Stone's Ghost" and was eager to read Ms. Bowersock's latest offering.

The story centers on Julia, who is recently divorced and decides to visit her friends (Denis and Maggie) in Germany for the summer. While there, she and Maggie visit a historical area which includes what was once a concentration camp. Julia is drawn to a cottage off the main area of the camp. Once she enters, she feels as though she is being strangled and runs out of the building in fear for her life.

After Maggie helps her regain her composure, they go to the medical office where Maggie and her husband, Denis are employed as physicians. This is where Julia meets Dr. Theo Seiler and is quickly attracted to the handsome, single doctor.

With encouragement from Theo and a reference to another doctor who performs hypnosis, Julia decides to delve further into her belief that she was murdered in a past life at the concentration camp. Under hypnosis, she finds out much more than she could have imagined of the life of the girl who was murdered in the camp.

"Fleischerhaus" is indeed a suspenseful, intriguing, well-crafted story of a past life experience and a summer romance. One that will surely keep you interested from the very beginning to the very end.

Book Review Spotlight - Written in Hell by Jason Helfold

Book Review Spotlight - Written in Hell by Jason Helfold

"Written in Hell" by Jason Helford is a well-crafted tale of the journey through Hell for a very "bad" author.

Nathaniel Blovey is a writer whose collection of books failed miserably to garner much readership while he was alive. He also was a pretty awful person in real life, just ask his girlfriend. Although his girlfriend was no prize either.

The story begins where Nate's life is cut short is a most horrific way and he is sent to Hell. Well, actually, he has been asked to write in Hell. Since his books have been a big hit there, the Devil decides to allow the hoards their request of more books from this famous (in Hell) author. But, Nate has a problem. He has writer's block. What is an author to do if writing a best-seller is the key to him NOT spending eternity in the worst level of Hell (the Hall of Mediocrity and in his own mediocre mind)?

The plot is unique, original and different with a touch of "Dante's Inferno", yet this version of Hell is masterfully created with a fresh newness about it. The book is strange, creepy and at times flinch-worthy, but not so much as to take away from the storyline.

I would recommend this to those who appreciate fantasy, however, be warned that there is a large peppering of profanity throughout the book.


Overall, a very good read and one that I will not soon forget.