Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” —Groucho Marx

Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson& Richard DiLallo



What a clever bookcase. I hope my brother can make one like this for me as I just love it. B is for Beth too!

Well I just finished Patteron's & DiLallo's The Christmas Wedding, which I found to be a fun, light hearted read. It is not the normal Patterson, but a family, Christmas tale based on a pretty wild premise. Gaby Summerhill, a widow of three years and a mother of four adult children and some grandkids thrown in there too, is getting married on Christmas Day and she figures this will bring all her children home again for Christmas. First of all, she lets them know through videos she makes and sends to them. I though this was rather clever as there'd certainly be no back talk. The other twist is that she was proposed to by three men and she will not reveal who the groom will be until the wedding. Well, it's a little unbelievable, but what is fiction for? I thought it an enjoyable read, so I would definitely recommend for an in between the deeper, darker reads. Enjoy!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Bonnie by Iris Johansen


Part 3 of the Eve, Quinn, and Bonnie Trilogy, was a fitting conclusion. I could not put it down and pulled an all night reading to finish it. The story begins with Eve and Bonnie Duncan on the night before Bonnie was kidnapped. Such great love there was between them. Catherine’s Boss, Venable, was pressured by his boss to get Catherine to South America for a project and Catherine was knee deep in solving Bonnie’s murder. She and Gallo had who they thought was the murderer under wraps on the bayous of Louisianna, but he was not safe and was murdered before he could tell them who Bonnie’s killer really was. While searching the Bayou for Jacob’s killer, Catherine actually glimpsed his face, was almost killed by the same man and Eve sketched the face which was very familiar to her…Gallo’s kind uncle, Ted Danner. Danner escaped and all four, Eve, Joe, Catherine and Gallo all continued the search for the mentally ill Danner. Tracking him down was a major part of the story, leading them to a doctor who dropped off the face of the planet, a priest that Danner had trusted and cared for years, and a boy named Ben who was special as Bonnie had been. Bonnie had come to Ben, Danner, Joe, Gallo, Eve and finally to Catherine as well, ( a tad bit on the bizarre), but not a scary prospect….except for Danner who wanted her to quit following him. We do find out how Bonnie died and who was responsible, but I’ll not spoil that in case you might want to read it. The stage is set for more Eve Duncan stories and it remains to be seen whether Bonnie will appear to Eve in future installments. Excellent plot and twists along the way! I was as surprised as Eve Duncan at how the story played out.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Quinn by Iris Johansen


FBI agent, Joe Quinn, first meets Eve Duncan two weeks after the disappearance of her 7 year old daughter, Bonnie. He is not accustomed to becoming involved with a victim’s family, but something is very different with this particular case. He is inexplicably drawn to Eve and has the basest of needs to protect Eve and soothe her pain, help her to heal and to accept the probable death of her baby girl. This was the first part of the book. As obsessed as Eve is with finding Bonnie and her killer and bringing Bonnie home, Quinn is obsessed with protecting Eve.

The latter part of the book picks up where EVE left off. Joe had been stabbed by Paul Black before Black's demise and he is now recuperating in the hospital from a near death experience, where Bonnie led him back to Eve and life. She told him she loved him and that the end was near and Eve would need his help to get through it. This experience drew Eve and Joe closer than they had ever been.

Meanwhile Catherine Ling tracks Gallo in the mountains around his cabin. She is convinced he did not kill his daughter and the search is on for the real killer. Joe and Eve eventually arrive to assist in the search, another accomplice of Queen is killed and we are left to begin BONNIE. Can you say cliffhanger and twist? I’m so glad I waited til I could read one right after the other…..so disturbing.

This is a series I just can't put down...I'm off to start the third and final book of the trilogy....I hope whatever you are reading is equally satisfying! Till next time :)

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Eve by Iris Johansen


I enjoy a good mystery/thriller and had previously read Johansen's Chasing the Night. So Naturally when she came out with this trilogy of Eve, Quinn, and Bonnie--I had to get in the middle of it. The first in the trilogy has left me hungry for more! Eve is a most serious teenager who wants nothing more than to leave the projects and make something of herself. She has a plan, but then she crosses paths with John Gallo and he threatens everything she has so carefully planned. John is intriguing, he knows what he wants and he will not give up. And he wants Eve. The first part of the book explores their physical/sexual relationship, (in far greater detail than I appreciate). However, they part ways when he enlists in the military and she later learns he was killed. Meanwhile Eve finds herself pregnant despite their self reliant protection against pregnancy.

Bonnie, the baby, turns out to be Eve's everything and is kidnapped and presumably murdered at age 7. Eve becomes obsessed with finding the killer and bringing Bonnie's body home. Who is the murderer? Paul Black tops the list, but John Gallo has returned from the dead...could he somehow be involved? It's a fast and tense read with a lot of violence. And we're left to search for more answers in book #2, Quinn.

Monday, February 20, 2012

I Am So Excited!!


I went to a party on Saturday am and ran into my daughter's former supervisor, Jaci. She has a son named Andrew who is artistically inclined. After several emails back and forth, he has agreed to do the artwork for my Christian kids book....I am so happy...finally I may get to go ahead and get the book published! Thank you Jesus! Life is good!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Love Lifted Me


This is third in a trilogy , by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck. It's about Jade and Max Benson and their walk with God; all about learning to let God do what he will do and all they have to do is submit and trust. How hard it is for man to submit and to trust…..I have walked that path myself and it is so easy to take life into our own hands, make a mess of things and beg for deliverance.

In this last book Max and Jade try to start over new in Colby Texas. Max becomes the unproven freshman coach of the Colby High School Warriors football team. But not all his colleagues want him to be successful, and even Jade has to learn to trust that God has delivered Max from his previous addiction. When they decide to let God show them what he can do, their dreams come true in bigger and better ways than anything they could have imagined. Isn’t that just the way God works! Such an uplifting book! I really love to read!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Horses Never Lie About Love


This is based on a true story or I would say a biography of a horse farm, written by Jana Harris. What an awesome book. Of course anyone who knows me, knows I am passionate about horses. One of God's most graceful creatures and they ever so beautiful. I could have written this book, except I am sure my horses and ponies never cost what Jana Harris's did, and we allowed nature to do it's calling on the farm, with no thought to a birthing kit or having to be present when the mother foaled. As they were much more dependent upon veterinary care, I even learned a lot from this reading.

There were many people who came in and out of their lives due to their desire to have a horse farm. And there were equally a lot of horses to come in and out of their lives...each with their own peculiar quirks and "jobs" to do. The main horse, referred to as an Anchor mare, was True Colors, still alive at the time of the writing. I found the book hard to get away from, and I could relate to how she felt about her horses and when it came time to part with them. Once you get into the breeding and foaling, it is like parting with family and very difficult to do.

True Colors was a one of a kind mare, referred to as not needing a human to care for her. However as the years passed, as they always do, she became the horse that the humans needed
as much as the herd she pastured with. I loved this book!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Love in A Nutshell


This was a fun read, romantic in nature. Kate needed work and money so she could repair her childhood home, the “Nutshell” and restore it as a bed and breakfast. Since Matt Cullhane’s beer had spoiled and cost her the previous job, she felt like he owed it to her to give her a job. Her tenacity enabled him to give her that job…She would be a part time fill in where needed employee as well as report to him anything she heard from fellow employees as to who might be sabotaging the company. If she caught the saboteur, she would earn a $20,000. bonus. As romance novels go, it was clean and wholesome…I personally like that. The trace of mystery was just that and easily followed and understood. It’s an easy and fun read with a happy ending. I read it in two days. It doesn't require much from the reader.


Friday, February 10, 2012

Sad Day for a Potter fan


It is a sad day this is. I have finished the 7th and final Harry Potter book. I never wanted the series to end and I am so sorry it has come to the end for me. The seventh book was filled with more magical adventures for Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione, Luna and Neville and countless others. And he who must not be named is finally defeated by his own hand. All good things must come to an end, but really? I am sure this series will be read again and again. Another series whose theme shouts good vs evil and good triumphs! J K Rowling is a fantastic author and I’m thankful for such a gripping series.

I can only dream to become as great a writer as she is. But I have started a new writing. It is called Divided Heart and it is about things I have some experience with JDI_JDI_Just do it, I am, I am!!!

Will share more later! Keep reading friends!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Just do it!


JDI, my new mantra....Just Do It. Today I will start my novel. Who cares how it turns out? At least I will have started something. Hopefully I will finish it and live long enough to finish it. I want to give my heart wings!