Fairy May Review/Spotlight

Today I'm participating in Jo Linsdell's book tour of her newest children's book, Fairy May.  Here are the details for the book:

SUMMARY:  Fairy May dreams of one day becoming a tooth fairy but she struggles at school and always seems to get things wrong. With hard work and determination she prepares for her test. Will she realise her dream and become a tooth fairy?


Release Date: 1st February 2013

Product details:
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1481951424
ISBN-13: 978-1481951425
Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.1 inches

Purchasing links:
Amazon
Createspace

Video Trailer:
Fairy May trailer
Jo's Inspiration for writing this book:  This book is dedicated to my niece who, after seeing that my last book Out and About at the Zoo was dedicated to my two sons, asked if I'd write a book for her too.

It needed to have fairies in it and so I brainstormed on ideas and came up with Fairy May. I wanted her to be a little girl fairy and to show that it's OK to not be perfect. I wanted young children to be able to relate to her and to encourage them to go after their dreams.

The tooth fairy part came about because several of my 5 year old's friends have recently lost their first tooth and he has been full of questions on the subject. My 17 month old is also teething at the moment and so the topic of dental hygiene comes up a lot in our house at the moment.

My Review:  This book teaches children that if they have the desire and perseverance, they can achieve anything.  Don't give up on your hopes and dreams just because you seem to fail at first, keep on trying and work hard and you will see your dreams come true.  

In Fairy May, we follow the little fairy who dreams of becoming a tooth fairy through her hard work and practice to becoming the best tooth fairy she can be.  Fairy May is a bit discouraged because she feels the teacher of the class doesn't like her but she perseveres and eventually that pays off.   The illustrations are colorful and just right for following our fairy around.  We see the teacher; we see Fairy May's disappointments and mess ups; and we eventually see Fairy May's achievements.

If you are looking for a book on perseverance and hard work to help  your children achieve their dreams, I would recommend Fairy May as a book to get started.   

About the Author: Jo Linsdell is a best selling author and illustrator, award winning blogger and freelance writer. Originally from the UK, she now lives in Rome, Italy with her husband and their two young sons.

Jo is busy with several projects at the moment. "The Bedtime Book" which is another rhyming children's picture book. "The Writers and Authors Guide to Social Media" and "Virtual Book Tours" which are two non-fiction books.

Where to find Jo Linsdell on the web:
Website
email:  webmaster@jolinsdell.com
Facebook
Twitter
Google +
LinkedIn
YouTube
Goodreads
Amazon

Book Review Friday - Guardian of Eden by Leslie Dubois

I'll continue my review of Leslie's books leading up to her guest appearance on the 27th. Guardian of Eden is very poignant and dramatic to say the least. I emailed Leslie after reading it and all I could say was WOW to her - lol.

Book Review Friday - The Queen Bee of Bridgeton by Leslie Dubois

The next few weeks we will see books by Leslie Dubois who will be my guest on the 27th of this month. All the books I've read so far are written with interracial relationships as the main theme but the storylines are very different. The Queen Bee of Bridgeton is the first in the Dance Dream series.

Product Description
When fifteen-year-old Sonya Garrison is accepted into the prestigious Bridgeton Academy, she soon discovers that rich girls are just as dangerous as the thugs in her home of Venton Heights. Maybe more so. After catching the eye of the star, white basketball player and unwittingly becoming the most popular girl in school, she earns the hatred of the three most ruthless and vindictive girls at Bridgeton. Can she defeat the reigning high school royalty? Or will they succeed in ruining her lifelong dream of becoming a world class dancer?

QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON by LESLIE DUBOIS
Review by Elysabeth Eldering

Rating: 4-3/4 stars (I hardly ever give a 5 star rating)

In Queen Bee we find Sonya who wants nothing more than to dance. She gets accepted to a private "white high school" and works at the dance studio to help cover the expenses of her training. She tries not to get involved in the politics of the school and lets her older sister take care of that part. Sonya somehow attracts the attention of the star basketball player who wants to play on foreign teams or pro. Romance blossoms, scams abound and Sonya's dreams are shattered albeit briefly. This book is very well written and takes you on a wild journey through high school dreams and beyond.

I've read several books by Leslie as well as her other persona and I have to say that Leslie/Sybil is an excellent writer. I will continue to recommend her books.

---------------------------------
Product Details
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 360 KB
Publisher: Little Prince Publishing (March 9, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004S7A9AM
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Lending: Enabled

Also available in print and if you get any of Leslie's/Sybil's books, you can request a kindlegraph for them, just go here

AUTHOR BIO: Leslie Dubois lives in Charleston, SC, with her husband and two children and also writes children's books under the name Sybil Nelson.

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What's coming up for Elysabeth's blog: Saturday will be the This and That (sales report and announcement of free days for "Bride-and-Seek" as well as some ranking numbers for Faye Tollison who just had three of her free days for To Tell The Truth)

Monday will be the third part in my 3-part series of promoting your book; Tuesday will be a late update of sales/downloads on stories; Wednesday is supposed to be WWYWWQ but I've not received any questions from students from any of the classes I've worked with, so I will have to find something); Thursday will be two postings - one on what to do with the copies you receive (if you used Bookstand Publishing and had received the 48 copies of books) as well as a promotion of a friend's books; and Friday will be a review of Leslie's book Guardian of Eden.

Friday, Ma America and the JGDS will be traveling to Columbia, SC for the Geofest held at USC-Columia and hope that having the ability to now take credit cards will be a help in her sales. The This and That posting will be very late once Ma America has had a chance to get home and sort through emails and what not from the day being away from her computer. See you all in the postings - E :)

Book Review Friday - Priscilla the Great series by Sybil Nelson

In this review, I'll be reviewing all three books in the Priscilla the Great series - Priscilla the Great (book 1), Priscilla the Great: The Kiss of Life (book 2) and Priscilla the Great: Too Little Too Late (book 3). Sybil is busy going through edits for the Priscilla the Great book 4, so that will be another to add to my growing list of TBR, albeit they are all on my kindle and not stacked up next to the bed.

When I read Priscilla the Great, I was thinking "interesting concept" and then when she talked about her twin brothers I totally was like "whoa, wait a minute is Priscilla the Great the same author of something I read earlier?" I had to search through my finished collection on my kindle to find the other book and sure enough, same author. I read Priscilla the Great unknowingly that I had read something else by this author. I totally enjoyed it and finding out more about Priscilla and what made her "great" was fun.

Each book is a look into how Priscilla, her family and other kids help save the world, one little corner at a time, from an evil doctor who was doing genetic experiments and created these not so much human like "people". Priscilla and her newfound friends go to different parts of the world to battle other mutants and save whatever is in need of saving. It's fun to follow the group, which includes other family members and these young people who were rescued in the first book. Sybil writes with a flare that makes you believe that you are right there with the characters.

Experience the trials and tribulations of a seemingly normal teenager who has spectular adventures. This reader is looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Priscilla the Great books are available everywhere and are available in both print and ebook format. Check out her blog for contests and giveaways galore.


Next week's review will be Leslie Dubois's Ain't No Sunshine, the beginning of the lead up to Leslie's appearance on my blog. Monday will be the beginning of a 3-part marketing plan. WWYWWQ will be an improvised posting since I don't have any questions from students. See you all in the postings - E :)

Book Review Friday - Radium Halos by Shelley Stout

This is reposting of my previous review of this book but it is worth mentioning again. Radium Halos is an excellent read. Shelley has added a study guide that is available for free here. Shelley will be my guest on March 28th, so stay tuned for more from Shelley.


Rating: 5 stars

Radium Halos is a very lightly written, full of humor and sadness and other aspects of life novel that has the potential to be a made-for-TV movie. The characters are really brought to life by Ms. Stout's descriptions and often humorous flashbacks of all the people who had passed through her main character's, Helen Waterman, life over the span of fifty years.

Helen worked at the Radium Dial Factory in Illinois one brief summer and only did that through her older sister's urging. The journey takes us from the early 1920s to the mid 1970s (although the latter date is not really known, it is elluded to through a description of Helen's niece's hairdo and that she is out of the times). The flashbacks are woven in quite nicely and don't really take away from the story at all. I felt like I was listening to my grandmother (in a sense) recollecting her time during certain periods of her life. I found myself cheering for Helen, crying with her, crying for her and hoping that just once she would stand up for herself and let it be known.

I really hope this novel does get made into a movie as it would be very eye opening to folks who know nothing of this time period. I had never heard of the radium dial factory info until I met the author at a writer's conference a couple of years ago. I'm sure in its heyday, the factories did get a lot of attention but there are folks who are still around today that possibly have some connection or other to these terrible conditions and should definitely be shown the dangers of radium and how it has affected or impacted the lives of those exposed to the harsh working conditions.

I have already recommended this book to several folks and will continue recommending and will keep my eyes open for the movie to come out - E :)

Product Details
Paperback: 226 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (October 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1448696224
ISBN-13: 978-1448696222
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces

Radium Halos is available for kindle for the low price of only 99 cents.

Book Review Friday - Haunted Destiny: A Midnight Dragonfly by Ellie James

amazon's description: Teenage mystic Rachelle Dugas knows to expect the unexpected when she fills in for a friend leading a Haunted New Orleans tour. But when she decides to check out a haunted house on her own, nothing prepares her for the secrets lurking in the shadows—or the twist of destiny about to unfold.

Anything related to butterflies or dragonflies, I'll give a chance. I also got this as a free download, so even better. Doesn't hurt to get something for $0.00, and something as well-written as "Haunted Destiny". I loved the setting of this story - New Orleans. I've not been to New Orleans but I felt like I was right there exploring with Rachelle or guiding the tour right beside her. Rachelle takes over the tour for one night due to her friend being injured. It also has been raining all day and some of the tourists felt that the tour would be cancelled. Rachelle knows all the places to highlight and does so with the expertise gifted to her. Of course, her mystic powers show her things she's not sure she wants to see or that she doesn't understand the meaning of until she gets caught in a bit of a downpour and all the tourists have left. When she enters the one house, not by the usual means of front door being opened, she finds that her dreams were more foretelling of her destiny than of anyone else's.

This is a very short story but a very delightful read. I recommend "Haunted Destiny" to everyone unless you don't like tales of fate or ghost stories (only kidding). I rate it a 4.5 stars.

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 194 KB
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (November 23, 2011)
Sold by: Macmillan
Language: English
ASIN: B005T54NWC
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Find more on Ellie James here.

Book Review Friday - To Tell The Truth by Faye M. Tollison

My first book review of the new year. All books reviewed the first few months will be what I've read since receiving my Kindle last March. I have a list of books that will probably take me through at least nine months, plus all the books I'm reading this year all in my different collections. I'm reading mysteries, YA and thrillers and a little bit of everything in between. Hope you enjoy the Book Review Fridays, and hope it brings you a new list of things to read.

(SNEAK PREVIEW: In February, I will be reviewing Leslie Dubois' books and she will be a guest blogger the last Monday in February. She and one other author will be sharing a vendor booth with me at the SCASL conference in March and so I want to feature many of her books leading up to the event. She is a phenomenal writer and amazes me how diversified she is. Stay tuned for more on her.)

TO TELL THE TRUTH by Faye M. Tollison
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: 4-1/2 stars

SYNOPSIS: Anna Kacey had faced many difficulties in her life and had carried some heavy responsibilities. When she met Senator Kenneth Levall, her world soared. At least until it collapsed. Until that fateful day when the gun she held fired, and the senator fell on the floor at her feet and died. Undercover cop, Detective John Mentz, came into her life and fell deeply in love with Anna. He gave her reason to question her relationship with the senator, whom he was investigating for drug trafficking. But as strong a woman as Anna was, she had to dig deep to find the strength to endure what followed: the murder of her sister, the destruction of her life, and lastly facing a courtroom full of people, a judge, and a jury in an effort to save the man she really loved. He had confessed to the murder of the senator in order to protect Anna from being charged with murder. It was now time for her to stand up and To Tell the Truth.

My Review: I saw this story from beginning to end. I even had a hand in editing it. This story had at one time been submitted to Harlequin Mystery or Suspense line (I've forgotten the exact name of the line) and Faye was told the story needed to be longer or that it wasn't a good fit. I really was hoping someone would pick the story up because it is a good story. The suspense is going through the trials and tribulation with Anna and John and really coming to root for them. Anna is a strong character and I believe this is because Faye really did know her well, like a real person whom she had known all her life.

The romance that starts between John and Anna is distant and is still in the budding stages, but that is okay, the romantic feelings do get rekindled in the next story in the series. If you like hot and steamy romance, this is not the book for you. If you like finding out what's going to happen next and a book that keeps you turning the pages to do just that, then this is the book for you.

To Tell The Truth is available in print and on the Kindle. It is part of the KDP Select program so is available to Prime members for free as part of the lending program.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Faye M. Tollison is a member of Sisters In Crime and has published a short story in Petigru Review, the anthology published by the South Carolina Writers Workshop, as well as numerous critiques in Printed Matters, the newletter published by the Greenville Chapter of the SCWW. She has been writing for many years and has now become serious enough to publish her first book. She has loved writing this book and is now working on her second book, The Bible Murders.

Finally Home review

My first review for Finally Home - check it out here. Thank you Ms. Faye for the great review. Anyone else who has done a review and would like me to share, please let me know. Thanks - E :)

Book Review: Tales of Ever by Jen Wylie

Tales of Ever series by Jen Wylie is another in the electric short series from Quake Me, a division of Echelon Press.

Jen Wylie had this reader hooked from the first story. She takes you into a world of danger and foreverness that one cannot escape no matter what. I so love this series and cannot wait for the next three installments.

We follow "Fire Girl" through her adventures in the land of Ever and meet many interesting characters along the way. The three available stories in the series are Banished, Fire Girl and Shadow Boy. I'm not much of a fantasy/sci-fi reader but I must say that Ms. Wylie absolutely drew me in and in such a way that I really forgot I was reading fantasy/sci-fi or whatever the genre is.

RATINGS: 5 stars (for the series and each book)

Book Info:
Banished
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 168 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Echelon Press (March 1, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004Q9TX4A
Lending: Enabled


Fire Girl
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 146 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Echelon Press LLC (April 5, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004VFN5SO
Lending: Enabled


Shadow Boy
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 225 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Echelon Press LLC (May 4, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004ZFVSBG
Lending: Enabled


I definitely want the rest of this series - keep up the great job, Jen.

Book Review: Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum by Stephen Prosapio

New release, The Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum by Stephen Prosapio is a must-read for ghost story lovers.

The story starts a bit slow but it builds to the "wow" factor of the story. It follows paranormal investigator, Zach, and his team along side another TV show's group of folks while they explore a haunted insane asylum. Even though the story only takes place over a couple of days, it reads like it is longer. The reader is definitely brought in by the history given. I don't know if Rosewood Asylum is a real entity or not, but if it is, I'm sure it would be a definite place where hauntings would take place. Mr. Prosapio fills in the background very well. I emailed him after finishing the story and put in the subject "All I can say is Wow" because I really didn't have another word to give him. I was surprised a little but thoroughly enjoyed the story.

It is available in both paperback and kindle versions. When I placed the order last week, it was on sale for 99 cents but now is back up to its regular price of $5.95. It is worth the read though. The paperback version is $16.78 and the hardback version is $28.66.

I think if you really want a good ghost story, this is the one for you.

After reading the excerpt from his upcoming story, I think I'll pass on that one, not because it didn't grip from the beginning but it's a Lizzie Bordon story and I have an aversion to Lizzie Bordon for some odd reason. I will have to think long and hard about getting this next story. Maybe Stephen can persuade me to get it and read it. I was spooked before I even read the words "Lizzie Bordon took an axe" because the first few paragraphs did draw me into the story. (UPDATE 07/03/2011: Stephen has emailed me and promises me this is not a Lizzie Bordon story and there is no other mention of her after that beginning where the girl is chanting the thing about Lizzie Bordon - you know the one - lol, so I guess when the next story comes out I may have to read it, we'll see)

RATING: 4-1/2 stars

Book Review: Little Shepherd by Cheryl Malandrinos

Little Shepherd by Cheryl Malandrinos
reviewed by Elysabeth Eldering



PRODUCT DETAILS
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 16 pages
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (August 21, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616330856
ISBN-13: 978-1616330859
Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 0.1 inches


Belief. Faith. Miracle.

In Little Shepherd, Obed is given the responsibility of keeping watch over his first flock of sheep. While keeping a watchful eye, the angels from Heaven appear to the shepherds and proclaim the birth of the Savior. Obed and his father and the other shepherds make their way to Bethlehem to see the new King. Obed worries that the flock will not be safe if they all leave, but leaves anyway. Upon returning, he sees that the flock is unharmed and exactly in the same spot he left them.

I have to agree with other reviewers that this is a great Christmas story and is definitely from a different viewpoint. My problem with the story is that the age of 5 seems to be too young to really be given a flock of sheep to herd or to have the fears the Obed experiences when asked to come to Bethlehem to see the newborn babe in the manger.

The story is truly a delight in all other aspects in that it takes the reader through the journey of what those shepherds many years ago experienced. I think Ms. Malandrinos brings a delightful way to tell the Christmas story to readers. A glimpse in the day of a young boy trying hard to find his place in the village.

I encourage families to sit down and read the Little Shepherd and then explore the story from reading the Bible. Have a little faith and stay strong to your beliefs and you can witness a miracle.

Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. A regular contributor for Writer2Writer, her articles focus on increasing productivity through time management and organization. A founding member of Musing Our Children, Ms. Malandrinos is also Editor in Chief of the group’s quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens.

Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book, a book reviewer, and blogger. Little Shepherd is her first children’s book. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two young daughters. She also has a son who is married.

You can visit Cheryl online or the Little Shepherd blog.

Book Review - The Golden Pathyway by Donna McDine

As promised in my previous posting, here is the review of The Golden Pathway, written by Donna McDine. Hope you enjoy.

The Golden Pathway by Donna McDine
Reviewed by Elysabeth Eldering

PRODUCT INFORMATION:
· Reading level: Ages 9-12
· Hardcover: 26 pages
· Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (August 12, 2010)
· Language: English
· ISBN-10: 1616330813
· ISBN-13: 978-1616330811
· Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
· Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces


In the Golden Pathway we are taken back to a time of slaves and rights from wrongs. David's father is an abusive drunk who doesn't care who he hurts, as long as his way is the right way. One didn't have to do anything wrong in his eyes; just being a slave or a young boy coming of age could warrant a beating.

David is a compassionate child who knows that the beatings the slaves receive are not right by any means. He listens to the wails as his father beats the slave Jenkins, a boy not much older than David, but who really looks and acts much older than his stated age of 16. After many nights of helping the slave boy, cleansing his wounds after the beatings, risking his own life to do so, David gets a chance to go into town with his Pa and makes plans to help the slave move to a better life.

Although the book is well written and illustrated, I felt that the ending was too abrupt and that the events occurred too quickly. Knowing that the history of the time period is that for a slave to escape through the Underground Railroad (the actual Golden Pathway to Freedom) takes many days and sometimes even many months to plan and act upon, I felt that the timeframe was off on that this story seemed to occur only over a period of a few days. I almost wanted more story. The story only gives you a glimpse into the time period of slaves and the road to freedom. I give kudos to Donna for writing a children's story focusing on this difficult subject. Donna has taken a complete block of history and condensed it down to a 20-page story in the form of "A Day in the Life of a Slave." I rate this story 4 stars.

Book is available through Guardian Angel Publishing as well as many other online sourcces. Ask your local bookstore to carry the book too.

Book review - Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely! Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite . . .

Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischevious satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.


Fablehaven was recommended to me by Mr. Hughes' 6th grade class. I try to read books that are mentioned during class time if I can find it in our local library system (we now have a 10-county lending system across the state so it is easier to find authors and books that are available to folks in the entire state as opposed to just being limited to our 10-library county). When I first started reading Fablehaven, I found the writing to be passive - no dialogue to speak of, no action, no description, I felt compelled to continue reading until the end. The descriptions come but not so mucch as in your face, out there for the world to see kind of descriptions.

The further into the story I got I did almost feel like I was in a fairy tale land and viewing the creatures as best as I could see them (one needs magical milk to see the fairies and other creatures). The adventures one experiences are not fast-paced or constant but are slowly revealed and what seems like a normal excursion turns out to be a life-turning adventure for Kendra.

If you like mythical creatures and mythology, you will enjoy this book. I'm off to get the next in the series and find out more about the mystical preserve Fablehaven.

Book review - The Cutting Edge by Darcia Helle

I finished reading A Cutting Edge last week or the week before and am just now getting to the review.

The Cutting Edge has a double meaning - a hair cutting place and the fact that Skye's shears are razor sharp and could easily cut through skin and veins if she so choose to do so.




Skye Summers is a hairdresser and has been for many years. Over the years, she has grown to dislike her job since she has to put up with the crazy women, and men, who sit in her chair, rambling on and on and driving her insane. She starts fantasizing about killing her clients and how she could get away with it. Enter the "Mass Avenger" unbeknowest to Skye, who happens to be a new client one Wednesday evening (the evening reserved for the men of the town). The Mass Avenger also has a double entendre (the killings are occurring in Massachusetts as the story is set in a small town in Massachusetts and he is avenging all the masses).

As I read further and further, I almost hoped that Skye would eventually knock off one of her clients or her husband's ex-girlfriend who is the mother of his child and uses the child for stupid stuff - trying to cause problems in the marriage (I dealt with a few of the issues similar to what Skye dealt with when my husband and I were first married, whereby his ex-wife would use their daughter who was 5 at the time to call our house and ask for money - stupid stuff). Skye was only a fantasizer but the Mass Avenger was real. Skye becomes the fascination of the Mass Avenger who feels a kinship with her but she doesn't realize this until the end. Skye does quit her job and states that "a serial killer saved my life" when it is all said and done.

As I read through the story and several new male characters were introduced, I kept thinking I knew who the killer was but it turned out I was wrong. For a fun look into a stylist's perspective of the daily doldrums of this type of profession, check out Darcia Helle's The Cutting Edge.

You can find out more about Darcia and her books here. I look forward to seeing more from Darcia.

Carolyn Hart trivia/book review

Today is ... trvia day in the USA. I was going to try to tie this in with my series, but am at a loss how to do that without giving too much away. I've given you all a couple of clues on the first book, and no one has guessed the first state yet. So let's have something else here: What do a mystery bookstore owner, a well-traveled granny and a ghost have in common?

They are all characters created by Carolyn Hart.

In Carolyn's new series, the Bailey Ruth Raeburn series, Bailey Ruth comes from the Department of Good Intentions in heaven as a "ghost", although her boss in heaven would beg to differ with us earthlings about the terminology, to help those in need of help. In "Ghost at Work", Bailey Ruth finds herself plopped right down in the middle of a major mess with the preacher's wife and a dead body found on the back porch of the rectory.

"Ghost at Work" is a rather quick read, and being that this is a new series, I feel that Ms. Hart tried to cover a lot with all the descriptions and not leaving anything to the reader's imagination. I think this can be a fun series, so I'll have to keep an eye on it as it develops.

Having read some of both her Annie Darling and Henrie O. series, I think I am going to like the Bailey Ruth Raeburn series the best. I'd have to say that the Death on Demand series becomes very predictable after a couple of books. The Henrie O. series is fun because she at least travels and finds her mysteries in places that are away from home, and now with the Bailey Ruth series, we are getting the prespective from the ghost herself.

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 :)

MURDER FOR HIRE: The Peruvian Pigeon review

It's been three weeks since I hosted Dana Fredsti's blog tour and just two weeks since I received my copy of the book. I didn't get to start reading right away but I did finally get to read her book. I must say for someone who has never read The Maltese Falcon, I found that the story came across quite well. I could tell from reading that it was a spoof and that references were made to the movie and even parts of the book.

I was so engrossed in the humor and writing that I forgot a murder had taken place at the very beginning of the story. I think I was about a fourth of the way into the book before I thought to myself that there should have been a murder by now (and yes, had one of those Duh! moments).

The humor and interaction of the characters was spot on. Even though there were several characters at any given moment to keep track of, I never got them confused.

The first murder happened and then I was drawn into the story that when a second murder happened, I was kind of shocked (in a good way). Ms. Fredsti definitely has a way of surprising the reader and yet keep the story light-hearted and entertaining.

If you are a fan of The Maltese Falcon and would like a fun read, I suggest you pick up a copy of MURDER FOR HIRE: The Peruvian Pigeon today.

I look forward to the next MURDER FOR HIRE story to come out.