Rock of Realm review

It took me a while to get to reading this one but I've done it. I'm not much for reading books on screen, even if it is an ebook. I like to print them out and I've had no ink for a while, low ink and problem ink. So after finally get some ink, I printed out Rock of Realm to read. The printing was my biggest downfall as I tried to print in book format (printing on both sides of paper as I was trying to save trees) but that ended up being a bit of a nightmare for me - lesson learned. So Ms. Lea, here is your review.


BOOK REVIEW: Rock of Realm (YA Fantasy) by Lea Schizas.
Rating: 3-1/2 stars.

I've not read much fantasy so this was something different for me. Yes, I've seen some fantasy movies, but actually reading the books is a different story.

In Rock of Realm, we follow Alex and her friend Sarah, Alex's dog Butch and his squirrel friend Pops on an adventure to another world. The four of them meet up with Jinx, the six legged hamster creature, who is their guide and takes them through many different mini adventures - all in the name of trying to get back home.

A modern day "Wizard of Oz" type of tale but without wanting to gain the wisdom or the beating heart or even a bit of courage. They only want to get home. Alex must overcome several obstacles in order to face Dread and get to the point of being able to return to her realm.

We are constantly rooting them on and then are bit saddened by the mishaps and unfortunate things that happen along the way. We are reminded of many things in this delightful story. Things like things are not always as they appear, not everyone is good (even if you respect and idolize someone), and that sometimes the easiest path home is the one less traveled and the hardest one to trek.

I think youngsters will enjoy meeting Alex and the others and following them through the adventures. Does Lea have plans for this to be a series? Check out her website for more information.

(I must apologize to Lea for I just realized while doing this book review I have misspelled her name on my other postings related to her. I will have to go back and correct all the references made to her.)

See you all in the postings - enjoy - E :)

Deadly Sins Deadly Secrets review

Well, I told you in a previous posting I had been very slack and I've been even slacker in posting this review. I apologize to Ms. Sylvia Dickey Smith for taking so long in getting to this review. I will have to find a way to make it up to her. So without further ado - here is a book review for your pleasure.


BOOK REVIEW: Deadly Sins Deadly Secrets by Sylvia Dickey Smith
Rating: 4 stars

I haven't read the first in the series of this quirky, delightful, small town PI, Sidra Smart (or Sid as she is known by everyone), but I may have to pick it up and read it for the pleasure.

I didn't feel lost starting at the second book either. With all the wonderful descriptions woven in, I felt I was picking up with an old friend right where we had left off.

In Deadly Sins Deadly Secrets, we find not one but two murders being shared and one accidental death that all tie into the reason for the murders. Sid is called by the father of Ned Nurwood, the young man whose death really was an accident, to take the case of the clearing his name. The further she gets involved or the more questions she ask, the more secrets are brought to the surface. Sid finds herself in a position of having to almost give up on her detective agency and doing something she enjoys. But she doesn't give up and finds that all things in the present are related to something from the past. The secrets are just as sinful as the murders. Things are not always as they appear and sins can be very deadly.

I really enjoyed the character of Sid and how Sylvia brought in some paranormal aspects to help Sid on her quest to solve the many seemingly unrelated turn of events that have occurred over the years. It is nice to see a ghost who is very helpful, even if through her journals.

All things in the past are related to all things in the present. One cannot change his spots to try to erase his deadly sins (this is true as we fund out what the secrets are and who all is involved). I hope you all will pick up Deadly Sins Deadly Secrets and give a quick review to Sylvia. I really enjoyed and here's hoping you all do as well.

See you in the postings - E :)

Life got in the way

I've been slack of late in my postings but I've had a good reason. Work and writing and other things - life in general. Okay - not really a good reason but it should account for something.

Before the middle of March, we were basically told that the one account I had been working on since starting with this company wasn't sending us any work or very little and that were all (I believe there were 70 MTs on that account at one point) were welcome to try other accounts within the company if we wanted to. I have been inquiring since October for other accounts to work on but had been told there wasn't anything available. My line counts dropped by about half; no big deal if you are paid by the hour or salaried, but when you are paid on what your produce, half of normal line counts means your paycheck is closer to one-third of normal (being paid on a tiered payscale, those lines really make a difference - how that worked was for the first 3000 lines I typed, I was paid 6-1/2 cents per line; the next 3000 lines 8-1/2 cents a line and everything over that 9-1/2 cents per line -- so when you are used to doing about 9500 or more lines in a payperiod and you can't even make 6000 lines (sometimes it was hard to even get 5000 lines in)), then without that third tier, your checks look pitiful.

So the middle of March, one of the supervisors came to me (I had been doing some psych stuff for her to help out where I could) and asked if I was still looking for another account to help out on. I jumped on the chance. Well, needless to say, I have been hopping since. My line counts for the first payperiod that I worked on the new account rose tremendously (I came to the hand clinic in the middle of a payperiod). The next payperiod - I was amazed at what my lines looked like. Of course since I got reassigned in a sense to the hand clinic, the old clinic decided to find a bunch of the doctor I do exclusively for me and so I've been splitting my time between the two and doing stat psych jobs as needed.

What this means for me is that my "work schedule" is being shifted so that I am no longer really working my original schedule of Sunday through Thursday with the weekends off for my fun stuff, but that will have to change in the fall. The reason is this - the hand clinic work doesn't get downloaded until late evenings on the days they dictate; I've been assigned two doctors and help out on others as needed (am still learning some of the other doctors but overall, it's going pretty good). So basically, my two doctors dictate on Mondays and Fridays and in order to stay within the 48-hour turnaround time, I have to work Monday nights or all day Tuesday and Wednesday to get those Monday dictations done and I have to work all weekend to get the Friday dictations done. Plus throw in the mix of Dr. Bolding and stat jobs, which means I'm working more. But once things get in a nice routine of what I'm doing on a regular basis, then I should be able to go back to a semi-weekend off schedule (Fridays off for now).

I have started the second state story, finally and hope to finish it up tomorrow and go through the editing this week to have it turned in to the publisher soon. I've been told the first one is ready to be illustrated but the illustrator still has other jobs in front of me and she hasn't been paid for her prior work yet, so she's kind of on strike, which is not a good thing. I have been assured that the first state would be out in August. I have my doubts. But maybe I'll be surprised. I can only hope.

So as you can see, life has gotten in the way of things but everything is working out. See you all in the postings - E :)

What are you reading?

I'm doing something I don't usually do and have had a hard time comprehending how people do. I'm reading two stories at the same time. Don't ask how, but I'm doing it.

I'm awaiting on my book that I had won from Steve's NO BULL blog back last month and had run out of things to read. I had just finished reading Sylvia Dickey Smith's Deadly Sins Deadly Secrets (which I owe her a book review on) and so had cleared out my TBR pile.

I had inquired to Steve when he thought my book would arrive since I was out of things to read and usually like to get some reading in before turning off the light. So he offered me his manuscript to read. So far, I've been intrigued. Dream War is an espionage/spy thriller novel that started with a great first chapter. I printed it off and started reading (have read 3 chapters and the prologue so far, just printed out chapters 4 through 6).

Now if that isn't enough - lol - I printed off Lea Shizas's Rock of Realm to read since I was supposed to read it and review it for Lea's blog book tour. I tried to print like book format (front and back pages) but my printer kept screwing up. I gave up after having half the book printed (odd pages printed) but then I went back and just tried printing in smaller batches of the even pages and I think I finally got the whole thing printed out. So I started reading it the same night or the next night after starting Steve's.

So needless to say, I'm reading two books at the same time and enjoying both of them equally. Whoda thunk? I could multitask in my reading, especially since I really like to savor a book before moving on. Review of Sylvia's book to follow as well as a review of Lea's hopefully before too long. See you all in the postings - E :)

Radio Interview Reminder

Just reminding all my wonderful readers out there - if you are available Thursday from 2 p.m. central to about 2:30 or so (that's 3 pm eastern, 2 pm central, 1 pm mountain, and 12 noon specific in case you have a hard time remembering the time differences), my radio interview should be happening. Here is the link so that you can tune in and listen - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bookbitesforkids

Hope to see you all there - E :)

Writing for children blogfest free ebook!!!!!

I couldn't get the ebook loaded here but I do have it on my newsletter forum (see side bar for signup) and I will be happy to send to anyone who requests. Lea has done a wonderful job with putting this together.

Email me for your free ebook at: eeldering@gmail. Make sure to write Blog Fest Ebook on the subject heading. This ebook contains 175 pages of amazing posts and comments.

Technology - gotta love it!

Well I was all set to go, called in for my radio interview and then Suzanne was having problems and when we finally got to actually talk, the radio was messed up - it wasn't recording or streamlining so no one was hearing us. So we actually did get one caller on the line and she let us know it was showing that it was waiting for the host to call in. So we have rescheduled the interview for Thursday, April 17, 2008, at 2 p.m. Central (3 eastern/2 central/1 mountain/12 noon pacific). Hope to see you all then - E :)

Guest author radio interview with Ms. Elysabeth on Book Bites for Kids

If you will be around on Monday, April 7, 2008, at 2 p.m. central (3 eastern, 1 mountain and 12 Pacific), come check out Book Bites for Kids. Listen to Ms. Elysabeth being interviewed by Suzanne Lieurance from The Working Writers Coach.

If you would like to call in, here is the number 1-646-716-9239 and leave a comment or ask Ms. Elysabeth a question.

Hope to see you there - the JGDS -


This is a cross posting from my geography blog - so figured I would just let the squad post here too - lol - see you all in the postings and hope to hear from some readers out there - E :)

It's over, sadly

Lea's Writing for Children blog fest is over. But the good news is that she will be composing an ebook of the helpful postings and all the bloggers' links and info for us to pass on to our readers for free. There were quite a few thing I think writers of any genre could benefit from - like Carol J. Amato's postings on marketing for the school market and creating a teacher's guide to go along with your stories and Kim's marketing plan - I've got my work cut out for me.

I will be back on here a little more often. Do have a couple of upcoming author interviews or postings to do next month and in June but I will try not to neglect this site too much. See you all in the postings - E :)

Neglected for a bit?

I feel I have neglected my regular following on this blog since this week is the blog fest over at Lea's Writing Jungle blog. I have not really but have been busy trying to post and correlate to my JGDS blog and Lea's blog since I am guest blogger and I want to really get my state stories promoted.

I think after all is said done by Friday I may run a small contest on my other blog related to my state stories. So keep checking back and see what is going on with me and the states. See you all in the postings - E :)