Book Review - The Last Letter

Amazon.com - $10.07
Kindle Edition - $0.99
Barnes & Noble - $10.07
Nook Edition - $0.99

Katherine wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t found the letter...

Katherine Arthur's mother arrives on her doorstep, dying, forcing her to relive a past she wanted to forget. When Katherine was young, the Arthur family had been affluent city dwellers until shame sent them running for the prairie, into the unknown. Taking her family, including young Katherine, to live off the land was the last thing Jeanie Arthur had wanted, but she would do her best to make a go of it. For Jeanie's husband Frank it had been a world of opportunity. Dreaming, lazy Frank. But, it was a society of uncertainty—a domain of natural disasters, temptation, hatred, even death. 



Ten-year-old Katherine had loved her mother fiercely, put her trust in her completely, but when there was no other choice, and Jeanie resorted to extreme measures on the prairie to save her family, she tore Katherine’s world apart. Now, seventeen years later, and far from the homestead, Katherine has found the truth – she has discovered the last letter. After years of anger, can Katherine find it in her heart to understand why her mother made the decisions that changed them all? Can she forgive and finally begin to heal before it’s too late?

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This story is AWESOME. Let's start at the beginning, the cover is very simple, with the young girl in a simple white dress on the prairie. The story itself has excellent flow and the words are woven so that I would at times forget I was reading and just see the story move through me.

There are 2 main characters in this book. Katherine, the daughter and Jeanie, her mother. It starts in Des Moines, Iowa in 1905 with Katherine and her husband, Aleksey. He brings her mother and her mentally challenged sister, Yale to live with them. His idea because Katherine has never forgiven her mother for breaking up the family. Her mother is dying of cancer, but Katherine is really bitter.

It then jumps back to 1887 in the Dakota territory. Jeanie and her husband Frank have just arrived on the prairie to start a new life. Running away from the shame she faced surrounding her father's death and business dealings. Unfortunately she learns that life here is far too rough and unforgiving to allow for a man to be lazy and moody - which she comes to realize Frank is. Actually what she figures out is she no longer has the time to cover for him. They are lucky that they end up with great neighbors and form a cooperative to help each other.

Now Frank pulls some other stuff beyond just being a lazy-good-for-nothing and why she doesn't just push him down a hole, I'll never know. They had 3 children when they came and she was pregnant with another. Having had a hard time with all previous pregnancies, she does her best with what she has. The baby is born very early, too early but Jeanie fights for her Yale. This woman fights, and fights and fights for her children, and the 2 that were with her that year in the Dakotas grew up hating and resenting her for driving their father away.

It is a sad tale, although still beautiful. I also enjoyed all the detail of what a hard life it was to be a pioneer in the Dakotas. How people made a success of it was in part just pure dumb luck, because the land doesn't seem to help at all.

So, go pick up this book - I am giving it 5 stars and permanently adding it to my library to enjoy again and again.


update - This book just won an IPPY award, which I hear is like an Emmy for Independent writers. Mid-West – Best Regional Fiction-Gold!!!

Sunday Stealing - The "You Can't Be Missed" Meme, Part 2

Cheers to all of us thieves!

16. What was the last thing you did that was totally selfish, yet you feel no guilt? I sat playing the Sims 3 while my husband single-handedly dressed the boys to take them shopping. Why don't I feel guilty? Because during the week when I ask him to help me he stays in bed and then goes to the bathroom...neither of those options help! ;)

17. Tell us about a film fave of yours that we probably have not seen. Wristcutters, just saw this one recently...loved it...let's just say they aren't lying when they say "dark comedy."

18. When was the last time you kissed someone that you shouldn't have on the lips? I don't think that I have ever...oh no not true...but that is so not getting shared here. Chris it was before you - no worries.

19. When was the last time you cooked something for someone not in your family? Nope, can't think of anything on this one. I'm a close to home kinda gal.

20. When was the last time you danced like a crazy person? Oh let's see...sometime last week I swung around with Ivan.

21. When was the last time you just wanted to be invisible? Couple weeks ago, but I get this often, and I think I'm actually pretty good at pulling it off.

22. When was the last time you got a gift you absolutely hated? Oh now I'd have to get a gift for that to happen. ;) Well I guess I could count all the contests I've won, people usually give you an extra trinket. But I love that kind of stuff, I've never gotten anything I totally hate because I actually do appreciate the effort (weird, huh?)

23. When was the last time you got into a physical fight? (If NEVER, let us know about a time that you got close to a fight.) Let's see, I was 6 or 7...it was this snotty neighborhood girl that just wouldn't back off. So we started fighting and it ended when I yanked out a fist-full of her pretty blond lochs. Then I felt really bad and so never fought again.

24. When was the last time you had to sleep with a light on? Well, if by light we count the TV it is anytime that Chris is gone overnight. I do NOT like being alone.

25. When was the last time you were under some serious stress? I am now, trying to live on less when the price of everything is going up, but not our income.

26. When was the last time you watched your favorite movie? Last week? The Other Guys...god that's so good!

27. What song did you most recently downloaded? Styx Greatest Hits and a Lionel Richie album

28. What would you say is your favorite hobby? knitting...which I can't do thanks to carpel tunnel...then it's crochet...which is also getting harder to do.

29. What is your favorite thing to do when you hang out with friends? Just talk and laugh

30. What would you rather do: shower or bathe with that celebrity that you are crushing on? shower before bath after.

Review - The Tale of Asha

Amazon.com Kindle - $0.99
Barnes & Noble Nook - $0.99
The Tale of Asha series is a collection of fantasy short stories following the strange adventures of the herbalist Asha and the nun Priya as they travel across India.
25k words | 100 pages

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I really enjoyed this story. Asha is a smart, considerate and...well the only word I can come up with is calculating. She never does anything without her full wits about her. Asha was bitten by a dragon as a young girl, so she can hear the souls of all living things echoing in her own ear. She refuses to be called a doctor and refers to herself as an herbalist.

Each chapter is it's own adventure, where she first saves the nun Priya, then they help a possessed little boy and finally helping a young man who lost his wife.

It was a fast read, even with it's lazy pace. And please don't take that as an insult, it was a story that felt like a smooth, relaxing trickle, even when the reality is you can read it in a few hours.

So - for 99 cents, grab this for yourself!

Review - Big Mamma Makes the World

Amazon.com - $6.80
Barnes & Nobles - $6.29

This is by far the best creation story I've ever read. I bought this book before I even knew my current husband, much less had kids. It is about a woman with a baby and she creates it all. It follows much the same as the bible creation story, but with more feeling and less nastiness. She makes people because she is lonely, and I love how she makes the animals with one big bang, ordering any creature that wants creating to come on out now. Then people she makes with some leftover mud, all shapes and sizes and colors coming out together and each with their own story to share.

At the end she is in the sky baking cookies or taking care of her baby and she'll look down on us and either say "that's good, that's real good" or "better straighten up down there."

The pictures are endlessly fascinating as well. They take on the part of the story they are in. And so do Big Mamma and her baby. They are faded in the black of the dark, or blue like the sea, and even green when she makes all the plants and trees. And you can't help but love that baby, especially when he shakes a stick at some crows.

Some may not like that it is a creation story and doesn't follow the bible, but I don't think this was meant to be like that. I take it at face value, a lovely story. But I also think it is a testament to the creation that women do in their lives...I mean we create life...wouldn't the creator be a mother?

Please no hate, just stating it how I see it. I think you can get this book even if you don't have kids, as I said I bought it before I had any and it traveled with me non-stop over the years. Now it's my boys favorite book.

Sunday Stealing: The "You Can't Be Missed" Meme, Part 1

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. Which state do you consider to be the most boring state? tough question...Utah? No Iowa...isn't that the one that is just one big corn field?

2. If any chef from the Food Network (or any well known chef) could cater your wedding, who would it be? Alton Brown - without a doubt!

3. What's the last thing you ate that was red? tomato

4. Have you ever questioned the sexuality orientation of a close friend? well not so much questioned as was curious how curious said person was.

5. Everyone loses a friend after some big fight. Tell us about one. Oh the worst one was in high school, my bff said someone told her I was talking behind her back, which wasn't true and she slapped me. She came back later and apologized and said she found out it wasn't true and if we could be friends again. Ummm, no because she showed me just how much she trusted me in that moment.

6. Have you ever washed an iPod or mp3 player in the washing machine? No - but that sounds like something I'd do! I have washed numerous tubes of Burt's Bees.

7. Have you ever screamed / yelled angrily at a boss? no, but I have dreamed of it.

8. Have you ever cried yourself to sleep? Yes, last night after putting my crying baby back in his bed over and over while he cried "sorry mama!" - god that was rough!

9. Have you ever regretted being in a relationship with someone? Yes, that's why I got a divorce.

10. Have you ever acted like you understood something when you didn't have a clue? yes, but only if it isn't too terribly important that I know.

11. Have you ever thought someone must have been insane? If yes, tell us something about the person. well this person has dramatic mood swings so I am pretty sure she is manic, but has never sought help that I know of.

12. Have you ever pretended to be younger than what you are? No, not that worried about my age...it's my gray hair that pisses me off.

13. Back in the day, did you ever cry because you were turned down for a date? No, I was too shy to ask. Then when I was old enough and I got a brush off, I just moved on. Had a guy come back for a hook-up after giving me the brush off and he got it right back. Sorry but if you don't have time for me, don't expect me to drop everything to come running.

14. Have you ever (or your significant other) had a pregnancy scare? oh yeah, that really motivated me to get on the pill. Oh and once a few months after I had CW. I called Chris at a party and had him get a test on the way home. I wasn't...lol. I didn't think I was pregnant at all when I found out I was having Ivan. He was a complete surprise.

15. Have you ever pretended to like someone when you didn't? Oh hell yeah, I do that way too much. But only with people I work with...and go to church with...and a few relatives. Only when necessary in keeping the peace. If I can avoid someone I don't like without it hurting someone I love, then I do that.

Review - Myka the Goddess Witch

By - Vianka Van Bokkem
Amazon Kindle - $2.99
B&N Nook - $2.99

When the father of all gods Zeus discovered his beloved daughter Athena was pregnant with Apollo’s baby, he ordered all gods and goddesses to keep it a secret because he wanted all mortals to believe Athena was an eternal virgin.

The moment I was born Zeus gave me away to a loyal mortal “witch” named Maia which means “nursing mother”. My father Apollo had to have a special magic spell done by Maia because he was the god of truth who can’t speak a lie. Zeus also asked Maia to cast a spell on my mother so she would not fight him when he gave me away.

Maia lived in Mykonos, Greece and decided to name me Myka. She was careful to cast the biggest magic spell on me. I was going to be a mortal girl until the day of my 18th birthday.

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This is a Young Adult short story. It is an super fast read, I read it in less than an hour last night after we put the boys to bed. Being obsessed with Greek myths as I am, I couldn't wait to dive in.

I did really enjoy the story. It's a fascinating idea, and the characters are likeable. That being said, I think if Vianka took the time to add more details to cushion and help guide the dialogue it would grow into a fantastic book.

That being said, for $2.99 it's a pretty good short story. If you like witches or Greek myths, you should enjoy this.

I'm giving this 3 stars. I liked it, but it needs something more.


I'd like to thank Magaly from Pagan Culture for having the giveaway that put this e-book in my...well virtual hands. lol Go check out her blog, it's one of my favorites.

Review - Here, Home, Hope

Here, Home, Hope a novel by Kaira Rouda...in fact this appears to be her first fiction novel. This is a story about 39 year old Kelly, during a summer where she is feeling the ultimate boredom of being a housewife and the lives of her friends enter turmoil around her. She is so stressed that the story begins with her at the Dentist's office because she bit through her mouth guard.

It is a quirky tale, I love the TCT notes - things to change. :) Kelly writes them down and posts them throughout her house. Everyone she knows starts learning them and recognizing when she achieves one, especially her loving husband Patrick. Even when her friends and neighbors marriages fall apart, she knows she has a good one. Patrick will make you sigh and wish your man was more like that.

I don't want to get into it too much, but while dealing with her own unhappiness, she opens up her heart and home to her friends to help them during that summer even as she is starting her own business. The flow is pretty great until the last section. The wrapping up changes pace and doesn't fit the rest of the story.

That being said, it is a great story and I do highly recommend it. Even the hiccup at the end it was still worth while to read and I want to read it again.

Review - short story "2012" by Ted Stetson

Free Nook Book
Free Smashwords Download

I downloaded this book because...well mostly it was free and there's a curiosity with the 2012 ideas that people have. This is a very short story, mere pages. It doesn't have a solid plot or characters, it's more like a string of conciousness, or maybe a dream. I did enjoy it and being that it is free, I recommend you download this and have a look-see yourself. If you don't have the Nook, you can go to smashwords, where it is also free and they offer other ways to download this book.

I wanna win this one!

Go to Pagan Culture if you'd like to be entered to win this e-book.

I want to read this book because I do love all things Greek pantheon. When I was in my early teens...or tweens...I absolutely devoured everything the library had on them. I loved those stories so much, they were like ancient soaps. Zeus was the most fun, he is a horny devil. And Hera is usually portrayed as a jealous harpy, but I always felt a calm coolness to her. See she didn't so much mind Zeus cheating, they all did that. She wouldn't be made a fool of though, and that was when she took action. See, Zeus' problem was that he acted like a teenage boy and wouldn't be discreet.

So when I see a book that is based on those myths, I jump in and have fun with it. As much as I do with the books based on fairy tales. I really should try writing one of those, either Greek myth or fairy tale based. Hmmmm, something to think on now.

Ok, ok, my point is I want the extra entry to win this book.

If you'd like to buy it yourself it's an e-book at Amazon or Barnes & Noble for $2.99.

"Depression Hurts, but..."

But what? I can pop a little happy pill and all my problems will go away? Nope. I'm depressed for a reason. Happiness needs to come from within me, but it isn't. That fountain is stopped up. Why?

Let's say it's a mixture of DNA, f***ed up childhood, possibly too much alcohol and tobacco use by my mom when she was pregnant with me, boredom and the constant stress of getting by on too little.

But what really tires me out is trying to live when I feel like I'm sleepwalking. Everything is an effort and when I was in therapy, she told me it was exhaustion from trying to function like everything is ok and normal when it isn't. Not at all.

Here is my biggest secret and what exhausts me...interacting with people. Generally I do it all wrong, and I feel like there's this game book that someone forgot to give me. Why am I writing this? Because if I accidentally say something that seems strange or totally the wrong thing to say...bear with me. I'm trying to play a game I don't understand.

I like people, I want to be friendly, have lots of friends, but I am painfully shy and overly polite. I think that I do better with online interaction because I can take a moment and think about what I am going to say, I can delete it and rework it as I see fit. Not so in real life, here I am writing this without a single adult person to reach out to and physically hang out with, go shopping with, talk to, or anything. My 2 best friends that I could lean on live in other towns, one in another state.

So, today I am trying to not feel depressed, lonely, stressed and self-critical.

Review - The Haunted E-Book

The Haunted E-Boook
By J.L. Bryan
Amazon Kindle - $2.99
Nook - $2.99

Dee escapes her dreary librarian job and unfaithful boyfriend by reading romance and fantasy on her Kindle.

She tries The Haunted E-book, the story of a 19th century tramp printer whose ghost awakens whenever someone reads a book he created. The ghost stalks his readers and threatens them with death if they stop reading the book. Though she doesn’t usually like ghost stories, Dee can’t stop herself from reading it.

Then Dee learns the stories in the books are true, the malevolent ghost is real, and Dee might be the next character to die.

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First off let me say this book is available on paperback, but come on, you have to read it electronically to get the full fear-factor!

This book will take you on a ride. It jumps around with stories, within stories within stories. It's a mirrored effect of people reading about people reading the book. Dee is the main character, living in a small town with a loser boyfriend. She works as a librarian but is held back by a mixture of her color and being an outsider in town. She moved there because of a...very good friend of hers who died there.

So she downloads this e-book and it takes over her life. The ghost in the book is all about murder and having his story be read. We move onto 4 other readers, but 2 of them are very short lived. After her boyfriend is believed murdered, she runs to find the other readers, to try and stop him. She first teams up with Elaine where she finds one of the original haunted books, The Story of Annabelle, and then she finds Madison. Will they finally stop him before it's too late?

It does jump around but it isn't hard to follow. He plays with fonts and bold to show different chapters, if it's the regular chapter or the inside chapters. If you like a scary story, then download this bad-boy and leave the lights on.

I'm giving it 4 stars.

Sunday Stealing: The "It's All About Four Freakin' Things" Meme

Cheers to all of us thieves!

Four Places I go:
1. HeadStart to take my son to school.
2. McDonald's to let my kids play and eat junk food.
3. Any park that the kids and I feel safe and have fun...it's a surprisingly hard balance to find.
4. Wal-mart to buy food...and Meijer...and Sam's Club...and Merchandise Outlet.

Four Crushes I Have:
1. Brenden Fraser
2. Chris Holtz - cause yeah I still find my husband HOT
3. Ed Quinn - aka Nathan Stark on Eureka...god that man is yummy!
4. A secret person who I know for real...Chris you know who I'm talkin' about!

Four Smells that I Love:
1. Carnations
2. Ivan when he is fresh from the tub
3. Carolyn Anderson's roast beef...
4. Lilacs...duh, why do you think that's the first name here? lol

Four Favorite TV Shows:
1. Eureka
2. The 4400
3. Harvey Birdman
4. Roseanne

Four Favorite Movies:
1. Mrs. Winterbourne
2. The 10th Kingdom
3. SuperTroopers
4. The Other Guys

Four Recommendations:
1. Always talk things out
2. Don't screw anyone other than your partner
3. Don't incur student loans if you can possibly avoid it, if not then...
4. get subsidized loans or you'll be paying whatever rate the banks wants.

Four People that I'd love to read their Fours:
1. Chris Holtz
2. Mrs. B of Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom
3. Magaly Guerrero of Pagan Culture blog
4. God...well don't you???

Four Things about me that you don't know:
1. I'm allergic to cantaloupe
2. I have been voluntarily sterilized (that's a lot of words for "I got my tubes tied!"), and sometimes I regret it.
3. Just celebrated my 7th wedding anniversary...no really, it's TODAY!
4. I HATE reality shows, I mean really, really hate. I don't get why people want to watch other people whine and be mean to each other...which is all I can see that happens during the time they are on.

Four bands that I love:
1. The Beatles
2. Weird Al Yankovic
3. Queens of the Stone Age
4. Fountains of Wayne

Review - Water for Elephants

Water For Elephants
By Sara Gruen
Amazon Paperback - $4.39
Amazon Kindle - $4.17
Barnes & Noble Paperback - $4.43
Nook - $6.39

With its spotlight on elephants, Gruen's romantic page-turner hinges on the human-animal bonds that drove her debut and its sequel (Riding Lessons and Flying Changes)—but without the mass appeal that horses hold. The novel, told in flashback by nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski, recounts the wild and wonderful period he spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus he joined during the Great Depression. When 23-year-old Jankowski learns that his parents have been killed in a car crash, leaving him penniless, he drops out of Cornell veterinary school and parlays his expertise with animals into a job with the circus, where he cares for a menagerie of exotic creatures[...] He also falls in love with Marlena, one of the show's star performers—a romance complicated by Marlena's husband, the unbalanced, sadistic circus boss who beats both his wife and the animals Jankowski cares for. Despite her often clichéd prose and the predictability of the story's ending, Gruen skillfully humanizes the midgets, drunks, rubes and freaks who populate her book. (May 26)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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This book kept popping up on suggestions for me, but I wasn't willing to pay that much for a book I didn't know much about. Lucky for me my digital library had it and I finally was able to read it. And it suprised me, as I thought it was some chick lit book about a little girl or something.

No it's about Jacob Jankowski who is now in his 90s, but keeps jumping back to his early 20s when his parents died just as he was finishing Veterinarian school. He had planned to return home and work with his parents but, as happened during the great depression, his father hadn't been making any money in the practice and had taken out a loan on the house and business to pay for Jacob's education.

In his grief he runs off and ends up working for the Benzini Brothers - run by Uncle Al. Jacob fell in love with Marlena, who did an act with some gorgeous horses. She was unfortuantely married to Arthur, who was a paranoid schizophrenic. He finally goes nuts and accuses them of having an affair and beats them both...THEN the affair does begin.

It is a story about a love affair, the circus (behind the scenes), the Great Depression, and finally it is also about growing old in our society. Poor Jacob has seen so much, done so much but his family and the nurses treat him like a burden with nothing left to contribute. That was eye opening...do we really treat our elderly like that? Yes, unfortunately we do. We have lost that respect, that reverence that people used to have for the people that were before, that knew more.

And introducing my new star system. 1 star=hated it! 2 star=not a good time. 3 star=it was ok. 4 star=I enjoyed it. 5 star=I loved this book and now that I'm done I'm ready to read it again!

I am giving this book 5 stars!

Sunday Stealing: The 65 Questions Meme

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. Tell us who the last person that you took a shower with. Shower was my husband...bath was my kids. I'm hardly ever alone in that little space. lol

2. Tell us about your favorite tee-shirt. Extra points if you show a pic. (We know. What can you do with freakin' extra points?) I guess right now I'd have to say these cute peasant-type tops I got from Merchandise Outlet for 50 cents each!!! Sorry no pic.

3. Has anyone ever hit on you even though they knew you were taken? Hahahahahhahahahaha...oh you were serious. Nope.

4. Do you plan what to wear the next day? Sometimes I try to when I feel like I should be more organized but then I stop and go back to "what the hell can I wear today???"

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Why? Crabbier than an injured mama tiger...why? Because my son falls over on the kid chairs at church all the time, so do other kids, they aren't safe but do we have money to replace them? Oh hell no, the church has money for all new tables, all new chairs for the adults but too bad about the kids that are knocking their skulls every sunday!!!

6. What's the closest thing to you that's black? My shirt. Black cotton top, very comfy.

7. Tell me about an interesting dream you remember having. I remember once having a dream where I had 2 sisters and they got to marry (each) a group of gorgeous guys, and I was forced to marry this skinny, pale vampire. We even had a son, but I was so pissed off! lol

8. Did you or might you meet anybody new today? Probably not, altho there were new people at church I am a little busy with the boys.

9. If you could be doing anything right now (or perhaps after you finish this ridiculous meme) what would it be? Well if the weather were sunny and warm instead of cloudy and snowy, I'd go on a hike in the woods.

10. Can you think of a meme question that's never been asked? That's a silly question...like I've seen every meme.

11. What comes to mind when I say China? cheap shit

12. Are you overly emotional? Oh hell yes!

13. If you could listen to just one rock album (CD, vinyl or mp3) which one would you pick? The Beatles Rubber Soul

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? Yes!

15. Do you like your car? I do right now. We got a nice family car...well actually it's an old guy car but we use it as a family car and it's great!

16. Do you like yourself? Oh sometimes, I wish I had more confidence but I also see all my faults up close

17. Would you go out to eat with Charlie Sheen? OMG yes! That guy is so crazy I'd be laughing my ass off.

18. What was the last song that you listened to? I can't remember...I have the Super Mario music playing as my 5 yr old is playing with my...I mean his nintendo

19. Are (or were) your parents strict? Both, depended on my mom's mood. If I had wanted to, I could have been in so much trouble as a teen.

20. Have you ever wondered what attending a wild orgy (if only to watch or...) would be like? ummmm *cough-cough* never!!! *vigorous head shake*

21. I say cottage cheese. You say: Curds & Whey

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Nope

23. What was the last movie that you watched at home? Oh geesh...I have that netflix but I can't remember...I started one but it was awful. Last night we watched Disk 1 of Harvey Birdman if that counts.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? Not really...well, it's not sparkly but there are these jade lion statues...not too big they are so pretty!

25. What countries have you visited? This is so sad...Canada! Wait, I did go on a Bahamas cruise...

26. Have you ever made a phone call while you were drunk that you've regretted? If yes, do tell. Nope...never, ever. I'm so white bread!

27. Where were you going the last time that you were on a train? just a train ride...lol It was a dinner mystery thing my company took us on

28. Bacon or sausage? thick pepper bacon!

29. How long have you had a cell-phone? few years...thank you Mommy!

30. What other memes do you do regularly? I used to do this Monday one, but it was always the same thing, of course your answers will change a lot, but Sunday Stealing really does keep it moving.

31. Who is the craziest meme host? Fracas...she is a hoot to read. Reminds me...I should go find her blog again.

32. Who invented chop sticks? Me! Oh no? Are you so sure? What with reincarnation...

33. Who are you going to be with tonight? My husband, 2 boys, 1 dog and whatever mice and spiders I'm unaware of.

34. Are you too forgiving? Oh no, I can hold a grudge like no ones business.

35. When was the last time that you were in love? Last time? I'm in love now, I love my husband, kids, dog, parents, brother, niece, the Andersons, etc...

36. Tell us about your best friend. Well, she lives far away from me but anytime I need to vent, she's there. Anytime I feel goofy, she is there. She even tried helping me get a job that I could do from home...we study stuff together, we have been through a lot since we met through this really, really crazy lady.

37. What was the stupidest thing you learned in high school? that an oxygen-filled balloon makes a really loud BANG!

38. What was the last thing that you cried about? Hmmmmm...not sure

39. What was the last question you asked? You want Biggby? Asked of my loving husband who then braved the snow and got us some.

40. Favorite thing to do this time of the year? walk in the woods watching spring happen...where the hell is it???

41. If you had to get a (or another) tattoo, what would it be? I would love to get a mermaid tattoo, but I'm not good with needles or pain...I also think a tattooed wedding ring would be cool, all celtic knots and stuff.

42. How would your best friend describe you? neurotic, moody, nice?

43. Have you ever seen all three Twilight films? Yeah...read the books too.

44. Ever walked into a glass door? Knowing me...probably. I do remember walking into the wall in high school...I was going around the corner and I missed!

45. Favorite color on that person that you are attracted to? Blue...especially his blue dress shirt...that really gets my motor running.

46. Have you ever slapped someone? yeah...I don't recommend it.

47. What hair style (for you) would you like to see return? Very high bangs...those were fun to make happen!

48. What was the last CD you bought? Queen A Night at the Opera...Chris wanted it, we got it last time my mom took the boys.

49. Do looks matter to you? well sure, anyone who says they don't is lying. You see people, you make judgements on that until you known them. Now would I write a person off based solely on looks, no.

50. Could you ever forgive a liar? I used to think that was a no, but as I get older I realize there are lots of grey areas.

51. What's the hardest bill to pay every month? damn, have to pic one? Credit card bill makes me the most annoyed. Actual hard is the water bill as it's the only bill I have to write a check and stamp and address an envelope...they don't even give me an envelope...damn that bill!

52. Do you like your life right now? I love my boys, I love giving them my all...I am sick of being poor.

53. Do you sleep with the TV on? I did when I was single, and anytime Chris isn't home...I hate being alone

54. Can you handle the truth? Nope, ignorance is bliss - especially when I can't do a damn thing about it.

55. Do you have good vision? Oh god no, my morning begins with "where the hell are my glasses! Shit I can't see anything, where are they!!!" It is a cruel joke that I need to see to find my glasses, but can't see until I actually find them.

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Yeah, see forgiveness...

57. How often do you talk on the phone? hardly ever, in fact I think I've lost the ability to do it for the sole purpose of holding a conversation. Constant awkward interruption and I know I usually end it too soon. I think I text too much.

58. What celeb would you like to come home to? John Corbett...I was watching Tara recently...oh wait that's the last movie I saw...Baby on Board...anyway, I was thinking again how freakin' sexy he is...even if he starts getting a paunch he is still so yummy! That voice, the way he carries himself. Yeah, I'd like some of that!

59. What are you wearing? Black shirt, jeans, black socks and not wearing them now but my new black boots.

60. What is your favorite wild animal? I can't choose, I love watching any of the wild animals.

61. Where was your facebook picture taken? Pretty sure I got it off of google images.

62. Can you waltz? yes, but not very well...ask my dad.

63. Do you have a job? I'm a mom...YES

64. What was the most recent thing you stole? I don't steal! Ok I did take my sticky notes from my desk when I left...but I left my accounting textbooks behind...

65. Have you ever crawled through a window? OMG yes - I was horrible about forgetting my keys as a teen, I had to break into the house numerous times.

Review - Diary of a Mad Fat Girl

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl
By Stephanie McAfee
Amazon Kindle - $0.99
Nook - $0.99

Ace Jones needs a vacation, but she's not going to get it. What she gets instead is a good dose of scandalous small town politics that takes her on a wild quest for truth and redemption. Things get really complicated when the love of her life, who she hasn’t seen or heard from in over three years, shows up and vows not to leave town until she agrees to marry him. Diary of a Mad Fat Girl is as adventurous as it is entertaining as Ace and her friends delve into illegal surveillance, stalking, and covert operations in a strip club.

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I really enjoyed this story a lot. And for 99 cents, you can't beat the price. It's a pretty fast read at 126 pages. The pacing is fast and steady. There are a few things going on. #1 Ace is mad at her friend Lilly who cancelled their annual spring break trip - and Lilly has something shady going on. Then their friend Chloe is once again beaten by her abusive husband, only this time she has a miscarriage. So Ace lets go of some of her anger at Lilly to help both her and Chloe get out of their respective jams. In the meantime she has a mess in her own love life to clean up.

Characters are fun and actually pretty realistic. You feel like you could be friends with everyone in the story, well...except for that abusive husband guy. Also Ace is a plus size main character and she doesn't really care that much about it. She has her moments, like going to the gym, but usually she is pretty comfortable in her skin. I'll let you find out about Lilly and Chloe.

So go buy a copy - as I said, you can't beat 99 cents. It is also a lendable Nook Book so if anyone out there with a Nook or a Nook App wants to borrow it, let me know. :)

Review - Elijah via A Cozy Reader's Corner

I did this review as a guest blogger over at A Cozy Reader's Corner

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Author: Matt Schorr
ISBN: 978-0615424347
Publisher: Lone Coyote Productions
Purchase Link: Elijah
Source: Author for A Cozy Reader's Corner
Reviewer: Angela Holtz

About the Book
One Lord. One faith. One Baptism. These are the dictates that rule Antioch, a small rural community tucked away in the hills of Kentucky. There is no dissension. No discord or strife. All of Antioch's citizens gather each week without fail at one church. One church and no other: ChristPoint. The Rev. John Joshua Hutchinson serves as pastor for the church and indeed the entire community. As Antioch's sole spiritual leader, he holds near-absolute power over all who live there. But that's about to change. A mysterious stranger is about to enter Antioch, an unassuming man with incredible power all his own. His name is Elijah, and he wields a power like no one in history--save one. But who is he? What is he? Can he be trusted? Elijah's presence will challenge not only the power Rev. Hutchinson holds over Antioch, but also the mindsets of the entire community.

Review
Elijah is a mysterious character with a fantastic healing ability. He doesn’t know how he got it; he doesn’t even attribute it to God. It just is, with its own rules. He can’t heal himself and he can’t heal dead. He has been wandering searching for God or something when he walks into a Pizzeria in the town of Antioch. This is a very strange town. The waitress, Lori is an outcast in town, along with her friend Marcus. The characters are actually really deep, considering how fast the story moves. I fell in love with Lori and Marcus, and just wanted to give Elijah a hug. There are other less likable characters, such as Josh the minister of ChristPoint church, the ONLY church in Antioch. And Josh truly rules all of Antioch, well beyond the Sunday service.

Years ago, Lori was dating and even engaged to Josh. Something big happened between them that forever changed them. Elijah comes and makes a connection with her and offers to help. Even with all that is going on around Lori, Elijah has his own past too. It probably feeds into his reasons for helping Lori and honestly helping the entire town.

That a man could have so much charisma as to slowly take over a town is totally believable, look at what Hitler managed. It also highlights that while faith can give people hope and strength, it also has the danger of taking over in a much more sinister fashion through fear and anger.

My favorite thing about the story was the flow of the story. It is a really fast read, written simple and steady. Anything the characters dealt with never slowed down, he just wrote through adding thoughts and feelings and color where needed. The story is written from third-person point of view, but with the spotlight on Lori, Josh or Elijah.

The title of this story caught my attention, as it was nearly my 2nd son’s name. Plus Elijah is a pretty big character in the Bible as well. A well chosen name for this story. On the cover there is a young man hidden in shadow, the cover is very dark. It does intrigue you, when I received it in the mail, I dropped everything I was trying to read and read this cover to cover.

I am comfortable giving this book a 5. I came home late Friday night and spent another 2 hours to finish this book, even though I knew I’d pay for it the next day when my 2 small children were ready to start their day. It was that good!

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Posted March 30, 2011 at A Cozy Reader's Corner - I'd like to thank Tiffany for allowing me my first ever guest spot and letting me read such a great book I otherwise never would have seen.

41 Followers!!!

I have 41 followers??? When did this happen? I swear the last time I looked I hadn't quite reached 20 yet. I'm so touched, impressed, excited!

I'm also so close to 50. So if I do make it to 50 followers, I will have a special giveaway. Not sure what yet, but I'll think of something. Perhaps a crochet vampire, perhaps a special book, or maybe something I haven't quite thought of yet.

Thank you everyone for sticking around and seeing where this takes me. I really like the book review curve I have been on recently. And getting an opportunity to review other stuff is almost as exciting. But nothing beats the thrill I get when I receive a newly printed book in the mail that isn't even on the shelves yet. It's like being welcomed to the front of the line for free cake.

Where am I headed as I go forward. Well so far I haven't turned on advertising. I don't do this for the money, as I said free books RULE! As I move forward I do hope to keep going out after books to review. If I get more and more followers, that will get easier to do. After all, book reviews are advertising for the books. More followers, the more willing they are to toss a book at me.

It also means more giveaways. Once again, it has to do with advertising and the more people I have in my corner, the more the publishers will be willing to throw my way. I'm learning a lot, this will never be my job but it's a hell of a hobby!

I'd also like to give a big thanks to Eric with Quirk Books for getting me started. He sent me my first books to review and keeps me in mind when they need reviewers.

And if you want a new book to check out, he actually wrote one called Textual Healing. I'm dying to read this one, but haven't managed to snag a copy yet. :) I have heard very good things about it though.

Sunday Stealing: The 5000 Question Meme, The Final Part

Cheers to all of us thieves!

76. Do you prefer Disney or Warner Brothers? Dreamworks

77. What is the first animal you would run to see if you went to the zoo? I love the barn area at the Detroit Zoo with horses, pigs and cows and GOATS!

78. Would you consider yourself to be romantic? Not much

79. If the earth stopped rotating would we all fly off? No but it wouldn't be good

80. What is the one thing that you love to do so much that you would make sacrifices to be able to do it? read

81. If you (and everyone) had to lose one right or freedom, but you could pick which one everyone had to lose, what would you pick? I have no idea, I couldn't possibly decide that.

82. If you had to choose would you live on the equator or at the North Pole? equator - warm, warm, warm

83. Would you rather give up listening to music or watching television? television

84. What do you think makes someone a hero? Doing good for the act not the recognition

85. What cartoon would you like to be a character in? Bob's Burgers

86. Name one thing that turns your stomach: movie gore

87. What was the last thing you paid for? McDonald's Breakfast Burritos

88. Are you a coupon clipper? no, I wish I understood all that

89. Get anything good in the mail recently? CW's black spiderman costume came from Hong Kong yesterday, he LOVES it!

90. Which would you rather take as a gym class...dancing, sailing, karate, or bowling? karate, I've done it and it's fun.

91. In Star Trek people 'beam' back and forth between different places. What this means is they stand in a little tube and their molecules are deconstructed and sent to another tube somewhere else where they are reassembled. Only problem is when the molecules are deconstructed the person is dead. When they are put back together it is only a clone that has all the dead person's memories. Is the person who gets beamed the same person on both ends? Sure, your memories and personality are what make you you.

92. What insects are you afraid of? hornets, bees, spiders

93. If you could print any phrase on a T-shirt, what would it say? I've had children, bring it on!

94. What's the most eccentric thing you have ever worn? whale bone bodice

95. If you could pick one food that you could eat all you wanted but it would have no effect on how much you weigh, what food would it be? ice cream

96. What are your parents interested in? I truly don't know

97. Have you ever caught an insect and kept it as a pet? yeah, but those caterpillars never last long

Have you ever caught and tamed a wild animal? I rescued a baby bird once, but never kept it. No, never done that nor would I, they should be free

98. What is more helpful to you, wishes or plans? plans I guess

99. When do you feel your life energy the strongest? evening

100. You are spending the night alone in the woods and may bring only 3 items with you. flashlight, toilet paper, sleeping bag

Review - Stuff Every Husband Should Know

Stuff Every HUSBAND Should Know by Eric San Juan

This book is full of helpful hints for the average newlywed guy. When to be quiet and when to help out. Even tips on how to do things like fold clothes, a few recipes, even how to surprise your wife with breakfast in bed.

What I really like is in the introduction Eric talks about "manning up" and marriage is not a choice between "your wife is always right" and "you need to put her in her place." It's about putting your marriage first and getting done what needs to get done. The fact is that is what your wife is doing throughout the marriage.

When choosing a house he suggests you pick something that is important and also pick something that you can let go of. And then suggests the wife do the same, then you guys have a good starting point when shopping. After the marriage and kids, the house is the biggest decision you'll ever make.

The book also made me chuckle. He often tells the man when NOT to say something. "Never suggest her period is inconvenient for you. If you don't like it, how do you think she feels?" Or on How to Live with a Pregnant Wife "don't compare your discomfort to hers."

It has a lot of how to lists, I even appreciated the ones on wall repair. I now know how to repair a large whole in the wall. And there is how to fold laundry, how to go grocery shopping as fast as you can. How to paint a room. Lists of things you need to have.

Honestly this is what I am going to give as a wedding gift for now on. Now they need to do one for women, "What Every Wife Needs to Know." What do you think Quirk? If I wrote it would you publish it? ;)

Ladies, go get this book for your men. It's a good read even if you aren't newly married.

Amazon - $9.95

Kindle - $7.96

Barnes & Nobles - $9.15

Nook - $7.96

Giveaways Galore!

Today I am doing a short blog to gain me extra entries in super cool giveaways!

First up we have Me vs. College which a cute little voodude that Mrs. B of Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom has created herself.

So you can see what a darling this is, so go on over and get some entries for yourself...you know you want to! And follow Jon's blog because he is a laugh riot!

Next up we have Pagan Culture featuring 2 CDs from Magickal Earth, so there will be 2 winners.

This is another blog I encourage you to follow. Magaly Guerrero found me a few weeks ago and I started following her and I haven't looked back.

I add blogs often, but only a few do I keep following due to time restrictions. These are 2 that I am keeping!

Book Review - The Peach Keeper

Right off the bat I want to say that Sarah Addison Allen is my favorite author and this story made me happy. That's right, the mood I felt when I finished this book was happy. I nearly turned to the first page to read it again, but I must be adult and get on with my other books that need reviewing.

There are so many secrets in Walls of Water, Paxton and Colin Osgood are twins and from a very rich family. Paxton runs the Women's Society and Colin is a landscaping architect who travels the world and comes home only when he has to. Willa Jackson runs an organic sporting goods store and is living her life trying to make up for how reckless she was as a teenager and young adult before her father died. She avoids the locals and usually keeps to herself or hangs out with other transplants in the town. Sebastian also grew up in Walls of Water, but when he returned he became best friends with Paxton and truly her only ally.

You will find romance and friendship and buried family secrets in this story. I love the town that has mist so thick that people catch it in jars to sell. Anyone not local can't even move around until it clears.

The characters are full of different dimensions and interactions that make it so realistic. Sarah Addison Allen also includes some real insight into all the different relationships, even the ones with themselves. How do you reconcile who you were in high school to who you are now? Are you fighting your own nature?

I could chat my way through this story, but I can't give it away. Read this story, you won't be disappointed.

Amazon.com - $14.07

Kindle - $12.99

Barnes & Nobles.com - $14.04

Nook - $12.99

Book Review - Yo Mamma so Extraordinary

Review - Yo Mamma so Extraordinary - a treasury of yo mamma compliments by Zachary Reese and Ethan McCreadie.

Why all the mamma insults? Reese and McCreadie tackle it from another angle, with compliments!

I really enjoyed this book, it made me laugh harder than the yo mamma insults do. The book is also full of fun pictures and the text is all over the place. This book will never bore you.

• Yo mamma has so many cats it's like DAAAAMN! Which one should I pet first?
• Yo momma so thoughtful I didn't even have to ask her to cut the crusts off my PB&J. It's like she just knew I was a no crusts kind of guy.
• Yo momma has such a green thumb. These are probably the most delicious cucumbers I have ever had, and I don't think I've ever seen tomatoes this red. How does she get them to be so red?
• Yo momma so wily, it wasn't until I was in college that I realized her "Virgin Mimosas" were just a clever way to get us to drink more orange juice.

There are funnier ones in the book too that actually get into the cougar mom. I haven't used a star system but this here deserves 5 stars. Go buy a copy! Seriously right now! lol

Amazon.com - $11.01
Barnes & Nobles - $9.81

My Back-Story...

I thought that today I would do a little personal expose. When I was little I went to the First Baptist Church of Owosso and then Bay City. And I LOVED it. Sunday was my favorite day of the week...especially in Owosso. Then I started getting older, making friends. For awhile I went to a Methodist church. Teen years hit and my faith faltered. I did get baptized when I was 14 after my great-grandma Keehn died. I think the death freaked my mom out and we all started going to church again - as I child I had always gone alone. I was enjoying it up until I was actually baptized and my sunday school teacher asked me if I felt filled with the spirit, wasn't it the best feeling ever? I nodded but honestly I felt cold, wet and had water up my nose. That was when I lost my Christian faith.

Many years later, on Halloween night with my first husband I started doing internet searches on withces. I was looking for a spooky story. We were waiting for trick-or-treaters...who never did show up! Anyway I stumbled upon lots of information about modern pagans, witches and wiccans. And it felt like finding home. I started reading after that, Silver Ravenwolf was my first mentor (via her books) and then Scott Cunningham. I met friends, met some crazy people...but even that wasn't a bad experience because that was where I met a lady who is still one of my dearest friends.

As for now my faith still isn't 100%, and I don't like to practice alone. Also living in the boonies means being open about what you practice isn't the safest course of action either.

Maybe someday fate will move me closer to my sisters. But until then I just refuse to put any pressure on myself. One think I love is that this isn't a religion that threatens me with Hellfire for what I don't do. I also don't know if I am a witch, wiccan or pagan. I guess for now I don't think labels are important and I am just me.

Now go over and see Jon at Me vs. College to win his fabulous painting!

Sunday Stealing: The 5000 Question Meme, Part Three

Cheers to all of us thieves!

51. Make up a definition for the following silly words...

Fruitgoogle: know where your fruit has been before you commit

Ambytime: When is it time for Ambian...Ambytime!

Asscactus: when your ass hair starts to grow back after shaving.

52. What was the last thing you made with your own hands? Cheeseburgers.

53. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies

54. How many TV’s are in your house? 2

55. What is your favorite thing to do outside? walk in the woods

56. How do you feel when you see a rainbow? amazed!

57. Have you ever dreamt a dream that came true? yes, but the real bummer of that is those dreams are usually mundane tasks like doing the dishes or driving somewhere. Nothing I can ever use.

58. Have you ever been to a psychic/tarot reader? Yes, at the Triple Goddess in Lansing.

59. What is your idea of paradise? Infinite time for reading and hiking.

60. Do you believe in god and if so what is he/she/it like? I think I do, but I don't know that he/she/it has any kind of personality. It may just be an energy force that we try assigning our own ideals to.

61. Do you believe in Hell? Yes, but I believe it is of your own creating.

62. What one thing have you done that most people haven't? Been adopted by 2 different men...which means I have had 3 dads in my lifetime. Mom get a new husband I got a new daddy.

63. What is the kindest thing you have ever done? I don't think I have done much of anything.

64. Have you gone to WTIT's facebook page and hit "like" yet? If not, why not? (No pressure.) No, should I? From what I see...nah!

65. What holiday should exist but doesn't? Mailperson Day...honor all those people that deal with our mail, dogs and sometimes attitudes on a daily basis in all weather.

66. What holiday shouldn't exist but does? Sweethearts Day...isn't Valentine's enough???

67. What's the best joke you ever heard? I never remember jokes after the fact so let me go find one...nope, no luck. What is your funny joke? Help me find one.

68. Where is the most fun place you have EVER been? The Toronto (Or Ottowa) Science Center.

69. Is your hair natural or dyed? Little of both at the moment. I need to dye it again.

70. Do you have any deep dark secrets or are you pretty much up front? I have a couple of secrets but they truly aren't anyone's business. Nothing from my husband tho, the knows me thru and thru.

71. What is under your bed right now? Probably a whole town of dust bunnies.

72. If you were in the Land of Oz would you want to live there or go home? Live there...totally!

73. If you drive do you frequently speed? No, not since I was pulled over and warned...I took that seriously because I truly can't afford the extra insurance or the ticket.

74. What is the world's best song to dance to? Macarena?

75. What song was on the last time you danced with someone? Oh gosh...probably something of the Kincaid's...I think that is the last show Chris and I saw.

The 30 Days of Advocacy Against Witch Hunts is still going on. Go on over there to see what you can do.

What you Can Do...

What you can do to to support the real witches and accused witches in the world:

South African Pagan Rights Aliance Page - go here to download a letter to sign and send to "South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) between March 29 and April 27."

Mrs. B of Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom fame is hosting a fundraising here. Less than £50 to go to reach her goal of £200.

Post your own blog to raise awareness.

Follow Touchstone Advocacy on Twitter.

Tell all your friends about witch hunts going on in the world.

Hold a wake with your friends for people who have died in these ongoing witch hunts.

Light a candle each day for the people who had died and people who are in trouble.

--Information from The South African Pagan Rights Alliance Page.

--Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom for inspiration and information.

--Again please give thru Mrs. B to the Stepping Stones of Nigeria.