The Deep

I have been so honored and privileged to read and review the previous two books in Jen Minkman's  Island trilogy.  I was ecstatic to read the third in the series, The Deep.

SYNOPSIS:

‘The world is never-ending.
I never realized just how much space there is – how far and wide the water around our island stretches out. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I may have believed that a second Wall ran around Tresco, containing the infinite waters so we wouldn’t all wash over the edge and plummet down into the depths.’

Leia and Walt are on their way to the Other Side, where the legendary land of Cornwall awaits them. Tony, their new friend, has told them that all wars of the past have been forgotten and the citizens of Bodmin and Dartmoor live in peace. People adhere to the tenets of an old religion that preaches forgiveness and non-violence.
However, Walt and Leia soon discover that even a peace-loving, ideal society like this one may have its flaws. While on a forbidden trip to Exeter, the old city of their ancestors, the two Islanders discover more about the new world than they ever bargained for.

Secrets run dark and passions run deep in this thrilling conclusion to the Island novella series.

From My Perspective:

This third in the series, was told from Leia's and Alisa's perspective, alternately.  Both of these women were strong characters and well written.    Both had been crucial characters in the previous two books.  The story line was very unique in this last installment with redemptive stories of Ben and Saul presented in a most endearing manner.   Leia and Walt melded their relationship with their need for one another's support and protection as they observed and explored in the world across the seas.  And although their new found friend, Tony provided a tour of his homeland, there were things, he omitted and had hoped they would not be witness too.

Minkman brought  closure to the inahbitants of Tresco  and Hope Harbour through a confrontation of evil from across the seas.   The people of the island were forced to work together to protect themselves and then relocate to a new homeland to further ensure their safety.   It would be a new start, based on truth and common sense.   The young people would be shaping a new world for their children and the children of the future.   These books were quite thought provoking and enjoyable fiction.

I rated this book 5 Winks!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like. I received a complimentary copy from the author or the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.

May Reading Recap

May was a long month, with 4 graduations, 2 birthdays, one holiday and 31 days that I spent reading and enjoying the month!  So much to do shoved into one month, spring cleaning and babysitting for the grand daughter!

I definitely picked up the pace on my reading, but of course the Christmas reads were short, although enjoyable.   Reviews will be published in December for my Twenty-five days of Christmas.   Both were quite enjoyable holiday reads!

Previously Loved Treasures and Pressed Pennies led the list of great storytellers I was fortunate enough to get to read in May--Charming stories!















Cocoon told a tale of Love holding on.   And  Point of Retreat added Colleen Hoover to my favorite author list!    What a romance novel!!











The Messaiah Matrix was above my comprehension level, where as  Gone Girl perplexed me with the story line.   Are married couple really this sadistic to one another?

Stacy Green's Into the Devil's Underground was a new and improved version of Into the Dark,

Elizabeth Lowell's Beautiful Sacrifice was an archeological thriller-romance and very enjoyable reading!

Fatal Impressions, review coming soon to my blog; mark the date
06-27-14.   Mystery doth abound!












I enjoyed my May reading immensely and hope your May reading was as enjoyable for you.      Keep up the good work, my friends!


Miss Beth

Beth Art from the Heart blog

I love art.  Whether it is visual, audio,  aesthetic,  enjoyed by touch or by smell, art encompasses the world of color, texture and the printed word in my humble opinion.    The world is God's canvas and his gift to us.   I enjoy coloring with a variety of mediums, speaking to another's heart with my words of encouragement and through my artistic endeavors.   Someday I will write a book.   That is my bucket list.   I know I can never capture the world as God has painted it, but I sure like His sense of color and appreciate that he has allowed me to see, to hear, to smell, to taste  and to touch this world He shares with us.

I am in love with color!  My favorite artistic endeavor is to create  cards with rubber stamps and dye inks.   And in particular I am extremely intrigued with making the smaller ATC cards, (artist trading cards).   ATC's measure 2.5 X 3.5 inches and can be made of any artistic media.    The intent is to swap with others who share the love of making "mini" art.   I made my guitar man using Stamping up stamps and a procedure called bands of color.   I added a red quitar brad and then bound it to red glitzy background and it was made for my son-in-laws birthday.   He loved it and I was thankful I was able to please him with it.

 This second ATC was created using an alcohol splash technique, with a vellum overlay with the verse and butterflies stamped on the vellum, silver brads finished off the piece and I was again pleased with the results.

Last but not least, I made a mini scrapbook and used a starburst technique for the front cover using designer paper, flowers centered with colored brads and an ornate Butterfly brad and tied together with hemp twine.   My mini work of art contains pictures of my delightful grandchildren!   What fun it was to create a mini album full of my favorite people's pictures!

All of the techniques shown for the ATC cards were explained in the Technique Junkie Newsletter which I subrscribe to.   If interested in learning a bazillion techniques, please contact 

Pat Huntoon

Technique Junkie Newsletter
PO Box 16547
Stamford CT 06905

Or visit Pat at:    PatStamps.com for additional information.  It's fun

to participate in the techniques, card swaps and ATC swaps and

always fun meeting new people.

This is what I do, when I am not reading a good book!

Happy artsy-fartsying as well as reading!

Miss Beth

A Photographic Death by Judi Culbertson--A Review

This book is set to be released as of 5-27-14, so it should now be available.
I just finished the tale but my grandkids were not cooperating at all in allowing me to concentrate.     Of course that novel would be called, Killing Grandma...A Slow and Torturous Death!   LOL.    Reading is best done alone.

Synopsis:

Bookseller-turned-amateur detective Delhi Laine is back with another atmospheric mystery, but this time, it’s a family affair…

Nineteen years ago, Delhi Laine’s two-year old daughter disappeared. After a frantic but inconclusive search, authorities determined that she must have drowned, her body washed away from the picturesque English park in which she was playing.

Delhi’s heart has never healed, yet her family has since soldiered on. But when a mysterious letter arrives containing the ominous words, YOUR DAUGHTER DID NOT DROWN, their lives are once again thrown into turmoil. With her family torn between fighting for the past and protecting the future, Delhi is caught in the middle. For a mother, the choice to find her daughter seems easy. But for a family left fractured by the mistakes of the past, the consequence, and the truth, may be infinitely more costly.

A PHOTOGRAPHIC DEATH takes readers deeper into Delhi’s turbulent emotional and family life, while still maintaining the series’ renowned bibliophilic charm. It is preceded by A NOVEL DEATH, a USA Book News finalist for Best Book of 2011, and AN ILLUSTRATED DEATH, published by Witness Impulse in October 2013.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE:

One of my biggest fears when I was a young mother was that someone would steal my  children.  What would have made it worse, would have been if the abductor was some one I knew.   I do not know how people get through something like that.

Judy Culbertson gives us a look into Delhi Laine's personal life through  A Photographic Death   Granted it i a fictitious mystery, but it certainly deals with a truly poignant worry most mothers are concerned with.   Delhi was an interesting and strong character and I was quickly emerged and engrossed with her story.  A mother of three when her twins were two years old and pregnant with her fourth child, an afternoon at the riverside park had turned into a mother's worst nightmare.   While she was taking photographs, one of her babies, disappeared.   Supposedly drowned in the nearby river.

Nineteen years later she received a letter stating that her baby had not died that day.   What lengths would you go to if it were you?    Where would you begin your search?  The story was superbly told, fast paced and extremely satisfyimg.   As a first read for me of Judy Culbertson's work, I will not hesitate to  look into other works from her.

I rated this a 5 Wink read!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like. I received a complimentary copy from the author or the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful Sacrifice by Elizabeth Lowell--A Review

Memorial Day--a lovely day for remembrance.   Soldiers who fell in protecting the freedoms we  cherish.  Thank you fallen heroes and thank you to those who returned from the grasp of wars.     Thank you for suffering those horrible sights, smells and sounds in my place.    Thank you for suffering the time away from loved ones and family, for enduring, for surviving.    You are my heroes!  And in today's world, we need heroes to look up to!   Look no further than our soldiers at home and abroad.

Have a wonderful weekend one and all!



Synopsis:

According to Maya legend, December 21, 2012, will mark the end of the world as we know it. Is it myth . . . or will their prediction become reality?

Archaeologist Lina Taylor has devoted her life to studying ancient Maya artifacts, splitting her time between digs in South America and the classroom teaching college students. But the professor's structured, academic life is about to spin out of control. Some extremely valuable and important Maya artifacts have gone missing. Are the culprits fanatics determined to create chaos and usher in annihilation?

Helping out a friend, former immigration and customs enforcement officer Hunter Johnston is determined to recover the missing pieces and he needs Lina's help. A man used to calling the shots and working alone, he isn't comfortable letting anyone get close, especially a beautiful and brainy woman like Lina. His gift for reading people tells him there's a lot going on below that professional exterior, and he's more than a little curious to probe her depths.

Burying herself in her work, Lina's had little experience handling men, especially one as fascinating and exasperating as the secretive, headstrong Hunter. A devoted archaeologist, she has the skill to excavate those protective layers all the way to his core.

But finding the missing artifacts is only the beginning of a mystery that will plunge these unlikely partners into adventure, romance, and danger more thrilling, sensual, and deadly than either of them knows. . . 

From My Perspective:

Beautiful Sacrifice by Elizabeth Lowell was an archaeological thriller-romance read that had me on the edge of my seat throughout the read.   The romance was hot and heavy as  Lina and Hunter yielded to their need.  The story was rich in Mayan culture and belief, and violence as blood was shed in sacrifice.  Lowell's characters were rich and well developed, strong in their individual rite.

The story was shrouded in mystery and very intriguing as Hunter and Lina searched for the missing artifacts.   Returning to Lina's childhood home, they were met with an ailing grandmother,  a selfish mother and a temperamental father, and a cousin lost in the traditional Mayan ways of the past.

The most perfect, most beautiful of all sacrifices was to be the Mayan princess, unless Hunter could somehow stop the event from happening.    His entire future depended upon it.   This was a very intense read and as a result was very enjoyable.   Lowell's writing style, although very informative, was smooth and easy to follow.

I rated this book 4 winks!

  

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I purchased this book for my personal collection.

Into the Devil's Underground by Stacy Green--A Review

Do you ever want a Do-Over?   When we were children our games often called for do-overs and sometimes we met with a lot of resistance from our friends in calling for it.  When my dear hubby passed away in December, I was screaming for a Do-Over, but as an adult, I knew it would never be.

But in the world of fiction and books, there is a Do-Over.   Stacy Green had such an opportunity.    Her book Into the Dark had a makeover.  The new title is Into the Devil's Underground.

SYNOPSIS:

Formerly published as Into the Dark, heavily edited with NEW SCENES. 

"Why are you here?" Butterflies swarmed in her stomach. Sweat rolled down her forehead and stung her eyes.

Laugh lines appeared at the corners of the man's eyes. "You don't know, Miss Emilie?"

Her heart skidded to a stop. How does he know my name? Throat constricted, she shook her head.

"For you, Miss Emilie. I'm here for you."


For Emilie Davis, it was business as usual in her job as bank manager of WestOne until two men storm in demanding cash. However, it doesn't take long before Emilie learns one of the men isn't there for money--he's convinced they have a connection and has come to claim her. And he won't give up.

When hostage negotiator Nathan Madigan and Las Vegas SWAT enter the bank on a rescue mission, Emilie's captor makes a shocking escape into the abyss that lies beneath the city: the Las Vegas storm drains, a refuge for the downtrodden and the desperate.

Through the darkness of the Devil's Underground and secrets from her past, Emilie finds there is no escape from her stalker. She turns to Nathan, who is determined to save her no matter what it takes.

But will it be enough?

From My Perspective:

I had previously read this book when it was titled Into the Dark, but it had since been updated, edited and featured new scenes.   I had an opportunity to re-read the story in its updated form, so I did.   I was surprised that I could get invested in the story so quickly as a re-read.

But the storyline was more than interesting, the characters as strong as I remembered, likable except for Detective Avery.   His character was written well, he was just antagonistic and pompous.


I believe the story flowed better than the the first with the new scenes and all.The story was still entertaining and the information about the Vegas tunnels still tugged at heartstrings.If you like psycho thrillers, this is a good one to read!

I rated this 5 winks!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like. I received a complimentary copy from the author or the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn--A Review

Good Morning my Friends!

Today is a strange day for me.  I am taking care of my Claire, (3 yr old granddaughter) as her mother has after four and a half months returned to work.   I knew this would be hard morning for both of them.   Claire is of course much more resilient than an adult, so she got over it relatively quickly.  Watching one is so much easier than watching several younguns, except that more could entertain themselves as well as each other.   I just don't think I could handle more than one, my poor nerves may be stretched with just the one.   But she is being really good and I love being with her!

The book I'm reviewing today literally got on my nerves.   What good are ye, nerves?

SYNOPSIS:

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE:

My oldest grandson is 14.  He recommended Gone Girl for a great read.   However after a couple of chapters, I began to wonder if there had been a miscommunication.   Not because the book wasn't  interesting, but it was about a married couple who were in the midst of marital strife.   Sure enough, he had not read this book.   Too late, I was already hooked on the odd story before me.    That is how I came to read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

What a quirky story this was.     There was definitely a competitive spirit between the husband and the wife and not in a sportsmanship sort of way!  When one had been scorned and disrespected it was up to the other to one up their partner.   The characters in this book were very well written and very believable although they sometimes  sickened me  with how perverse they could be.   That included secondary characters such as Amy's parents Rand and Marybeth Elliot.  The police were portrayed as narrow minded and bungling, although I found Rhonda Boney interesting and redeemable.

The book is written in three parts and told from Nick's point of view in one chapter and Amy's point of view or her Diary's point of view in another.   I had one piece of the story figured out, but it took a direction I totally did not expect.  I knew that Amy was crazy and manipulative and I knew that Nick was totally battling against her in an attempt to get the upper hand, but aside from being insane, she was absolutely brilliant.   I thought her self-brilliance might be what her undoing would be.....

I'm glad I invested the time in Gone Girl.   It was the most unique book I think I have ever read.  I was tense for Nick throughout and I cheered him on until his capitulation.   I was nerved up as Amy pulled one successful moment after another.  And I was disappointed with Nick's character in the end.  But a successful author makes you feel and I definitely felt a flood of differing emotions throughout this book.

It's a long read at 413 pages, but it was worth it   I rated it 4 winks!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I purchased this book for my private collection.