Sunday Stealing: The Madness Meme, Part 2

Cheers to all of us thieves!

23. Do you ever walk around the house naked? sure, not often though. Mostly at night after the boys are asleep and I'm just running from the shower to my bedroom. STREAK!

24. If you were an animal what would you be? Why? God I hate these questions. I don't know....I know I like wolves...can I be a wolf?

25. Hair color you like on someone you’re dating? Dark brown or black.

26. If suffering an injury, would you rather be left blind or deaf? Again...what a dumb question. If I lost my sight, I'd miss reading and watching my kids play. If I lost my hearing I'd miss music and my kids laughter. Seriously choose between those???

27. Do you have any special talents? Nope, not a single one. I'm ordinary girl! Freakishly normal in every way.

28. What do you do as soon as you walk in the house? kick off my shoes. I hate shoes.

29. Do you like horror or comedy? comedy. I used to like horror but really only the bad ones that my friends and I laughed through.

30. Are you missing anyone? Not right now, right now I'm missing my bed and my pillow.

31. Where do you want to live when you are old? Near my kids, grandkids, etc.

32. Who is the person you can count on the most? I guess my husband. He's not always perfect, but he tries harder for me than anyone else on this planet.

33. If you could date any celebrity past or present, who would it be? Cary Grant...and yes I know he was gay but he was still hot and funny. Besides, it's not like reality was part of this question. lol

34. What did you dream last night? I dreamt about werewolves...reading a book about them before bed probably not the best idea.

35. What is your favorite sport to watch? Ugggg...ok anything my kids are playing. I'm not into sports but if it's to support my boys I can make it through it.

36. Are you named after anyone? Not that I'm aware of.

37. What is your favorite alcoholic drink? Rum and cranberry juice over ice....god I love that at the end of the day.

38. Non alcoholic drink? Iced Mocha from Biggby...god I love that at the beginning of the day!

39. Have you ever been in love? I'm in love now...3 men here hold my heart (1 husband and 2 sons).

40. Do you sing in the shower? No, but I do sing in the car.

41. Have you ever been arrested? Nope...

42. What is your favorite Holiday? Christmas, especially since we go see Chris' family and spend the night with his brother and fam...they are awesome!

43. Would you ever get plastic surgery? I have...a breast reduction. Worst thing I ever did. But would I get more surgery? If I found a good doctor who could fix the mess the other left behind I would.

44. Have you ever caught a fish? Yes, I used to go fishing with my dad all the time. When I was 8 and he started dating my mom, he took me fishing just the 2 of us. He was my favorite guy ever after that. He actually talked to me, listened to me and wasn't just using me to get to my mom. Course then he knocked her up, had a boy, married her then adopted me. And we all lived dysfunctionally ever after. ;)

Past, Future, & Present Danger (Book Two of The Absurd Misadventures of Captain Rescue)

by: Joshua Price

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords

Synopsis:
When Captain Rescue discovers that tyrannical apes are capturing forest-goers, he jumps into action in a valiant attempt to stop them, more or less.

As the hilarious adventure goes everything but according to plan, the hero finds himself transported into the future, where the apes have gone a bit beyond mere abductions. The shock sets in, and Captain Rescue and his time-displaced friends conclude that the only way to prevent a future that has already happened is to go back in time and rewrite it.

Will Captain Rescue somehow be able to set things right, or will these apes make a monkey out of him?

"Past, Future, & Present Danger" is the hilarious continuation of Captain Rescue’s absurd misadventures, and the sequel to “Not Everything Brainless is Dead”.

---

The cover art is very comic book campy, and that fits. This isn't a comic book, but it's super hero silly all the way. There are a lot of bigfoots in the story, thus the "dirty ape" on the cover. I wonder if this is George, one of the bad bigfoot leaders.

This is the 2nd novel with this close gang of heroes. There's Dr. Malevolence, the inept super-villain. Freight who has married Courtney since the last book (Courtney is his shotgun) and they have a cleaning rag as a son. Charlie, guy in a big, blue and magical bunny costume. And Captain Rescue, the even more inept super-hero.

They are brought together again by the nagging of Captain Rescue who has decided since the great Zombie adventure that they are all the best of friends. He plans a camping weekend. They run into the bigfoots and the adventure takes off from there. Watch out for those dolphins!

As I said for the first book, it's pure silliness that tickles my funny bone to the core. The humor is outlandish, not even a little subtle.

If you like the Batman, Spiderman, even Superman stories and have a wicked sense of humor you will have fun with these books by Joshua Price.

Free eBooks November 10, 2011

Here are some eBooks I found that are free to download. I looked at Barnes & Noble first, I will link there and Amazon if they have it as well. I have not read these books, so this list isn't one of recommendations, just a list of free books I thought looked interesting.

1. Black Market Billions: How Organized Retail Crime Funds Global Terrorists by Hitha Prabhakar - B&N, Amazon

Black Market Billions blows the lid off the world’s fastest-growing illicit industry: organized retail crime. Hitha Prabhakar reveals how criminals with ties to terrorist groups around the world are committing huge product thefts, and using the profits to fund terrorist acts. Prabhakar connects the dots and follows the money… from consumers “dying for a deal” to terrorist cells eager to do the killing.

2. Angelic Voices by Deb Logan - B&N, Smashwords

Twelve-year-old Deanne Lawyer has a beautiful voice and a problem — her choir director just reassigned her descant solo to Sucky Susie Emerson! Deanne will have to use all the wiles her life as the little sister of five brothers has provided to reclaim her rights in time to wow the director of the adult choir for the annual Easter Cantata. Better watch out, Susie. Deanne is on a mission!

3. Wraiths of Caledonia by Damian Foyle - B&N, Smashwords

The night cycle falls on the mining planet of Caledonia. Only minutes away from the sundown Colonel Maser must embark on a rescue mission, racing against time and harsh oncoming conditions as the only native inhabitant of the planet starts to surface from their nests.

4. Haunted by Willow Cross - B&N, Smashwords

Have you ever heard something go bump in the night and wondered if someone was there? Only to go looking for the cause of the noise and find nothing at all. Or how about unexplainably feeling like you’re being watched when you’re completely alone? Things disappearing for no reason or strange ghostly footsteps in the hall?

This book is a collage of short stories about a few of the otherworldly experiences I’ve had. Although they are not movie worthy, you may find them interesting. All the stories are 100% true. Nothing has been added for dramatic effect.

5. Ignite by Brina Courtney - B&N, Smashwords

Ignite is a bonus short story from the Cryptid Tales Series

Jeremy has no last name. His family has left him at Marksville Orphanage in rural eastern Virginia, hoping to find work during the end of the Great Depression. Unfortunately Jeremy is never adopted, because HE intervened before Jeremy ever had the chance. Ignite is just a piece of his story.
Don’t miss Reveal, the next installment in the Cryptid Tales available December 16, 2011.

The Witches' Book of the Dead

Available at Weiser Online Bookstore, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Synopsis:
In The Witches' Book of the Dead, modern-day Salem Warlock Christian Day shows how the spirits of our beloved dead can be summoned to perform such tasks as helping you to discover hidden opportunities, influence the minds of others, seduce the object of your affection, and even reach into the dreams of the unwary. According to legend, the Spirits of the dead can confer magical talents, fame, love, and wealth on those brave enough to summon them.

The Witches' Book of the Dead explores the enduring relationship between witches and the dead and teaches rituals and incantations to help readers open doorways to the spirit world.

Topics include:

• Legendary Witches who have raised the dead, including The Witch of Endor, Circe, and Erichtho
  
• Creating ancestral altars and building relationships with spirits
  
• The tools of Necromancy: the bronze dagger, yew wand, iron keys, graveyard dust, the offering cauldron, spirit powders, the human skull, and more.
  
• Methods of spirit contact, including automatic writing, scrying mirrors, spirit boards, pendulums, and spirit mediumship
  
• The ancient arts of necromancy as a method of conjuring the dead to assist in magic
  
• Ridding yourself of unwanted spirits using rituals of cleansing, banishing and exorcism
  
• Ghost hunting techniques that combine psychic wisdom with modern technology
  
• Communing with the dead in dreams
  
• Sacred holidays and powerful celebrations of the dead
  
• Resources on where to ethically obtain the tools of the trade
  
• An overview of the feared deities of the Underworld
  
• Rituals, recipes, exercises, and more!

Dare to walk between the worlds with Christian Day as he guides you across the River Styx into the shadowy realms where the dead long to connect with us once more!

---

I started this book with all sorts of misconceptions. Christian Day - and this is no secret to him - is kind of out there on the fringe. He is testing limits, making people uncomfortable. Nothing he does would be considered "normal." There's a skull on the cover - and I learned this guy has a name, Robert. And in his author picture he is holding Robert and an Anubis rattle.

Once I got through the first chapter my mind was blown away. The forward was written by Raven Grimassi, another well known witch author. And the respect he has for Christian was impressive. As for the book, it is full to bursting with rituals, information and stories. There are 6 pages for the bibliography and a few more for notes. There's even an index and an appendix. Appendix A has recipes for Spirit Powder, Necromancy Incense, Anointing Oil, and Food for the Dead. Appendix B lists several "Deities of the Dead." And Appendix C lists several resources to find the needed items to perform any of the rituals in the book.

The writing itself was entertaining and insightful. Even if you have no hint of desire to explore necromancy, you could still enjoy this book. I was fascinated by the rituals and the anecdotal evidence throughout the book, but the myths he scattered through as background gripped me. Christian Day gets kudos for being a great author as well as informed. I swear I love this guy now!

This is a very serious book. It is light reading for some parts, but Christian doesn't hold back on the warnings. These rituals are serious and dealing with the dead is extremely serious. He tells you things you need, but follows them with fair warning. Like obtaining a skull, he gives you a website where you can obtain skulls legally and reminds readers that desecrating graves is illegal and will land you in jail. There is call for blood offerings (only ever a few drops), but over and over and over again he tells readers to use a clean lancet from the drugstore. And also when working in groups to avoid the blood all together. There is balance within these pages.

He takes the free-love hippie out of Wicca and brings back a bit of the witchcraft and necromancy (divination through communication with the dead) of old, along with a healthy dose of common sense. Next thing I am doing with this book is reading it again. Sorry you are going to have to get your own (it is available as an eBook).

MyMemories Freebie Day

I created this scrapbook page using this week's Share the Memories Freebie. Click on the picture to get the freebie for yourself. It includes 2 quick pages, 2 papers and 3 elements.

I had fun making this one. I used the red paper as my paper, and added the 2nd paper as an embellishment and twisted it for extra color. I added a diamond shape for the picture of Ivan with his trains. The ribbon element made a great frame, and the zipper tag as a title embellishment. I used the red paper as the background area for the journaling. The buttons on the picture are not included with this kit, but they are included with the software as embellishments.

You do not have to own MyMemories software to create these pages, you can download the kit and use it with your favorite editing software. But if you do want to purchase the software, use the code - STMMMS94433 - to get $10 off and $10 in free kits. And yes I get $20 for myself as well, but I'm not in this for the money. I really like the software and the kits. It's a lot of fun.

Go see MyMemories on Facebook for challenges and giveaways. They are often hosting giveaways for software and kits, so come join the fun and maybe you'll win the software.

Opal Fire

by: Barbra Annino

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

Synopsis:
This is book one of the Stacy Justice mystery series--laugh out loud crime fiction with a paranormal twist.

Stacy Justice is a small town reporter who was raised by witches. They believe she has a far higher calling than writing articles about the local lizard race. She's just happy she doesn't have to live with them anymore. But when her cousin's bar catches fire and she barely escapes with her life--family squabbles no longer matter. Something cryptic is uncovered in the rubble that changes everything. Stacy is thrust into a cat and mouse game as she seeks to unveil the cause of the blaze that nearly destroyed her family. Suddenly, she finds herself running from a killer that will stop at nothing to keep a secret.

---

This story centers around Stacy, called Anastasia by her grandma Birdie. She is a reporter in a small tourist town, dating the police chief. She has a Great Dane named Thor, who is a big goofy puppy but a well trained one thanks to her cousin Cinnamon. Cinnamon is half Italian and Cin's mother is 100% Italian, always cooking and yelling at her creepy brother from the old country. As if it weren't goofy enough in Stacy's family with Grandma Birdie and Birdie's sisters. The town is also full of quirky characters, such as every small town has.

Opal Fire was a wild, silly, well-written tale. I have heard it described as a mystery with a paranormal bend. I would say that's the best description. Stacy is a reporter and wants to get to the bottom of who burned down the bar and murdered the girl discovered there. Very much a mystery novel. She is dating Leo, the police chief who butts heads with her at every turn. I felt that part was a little too romance novel, but I was still rooting for them. I felt like Stacy didn't know how or if she even wanted to embrace her witchiness.

Barbra did a great job keeping the story flowing and the writing consistent. There were a great many conversations that turned into silly banter and made me giggle.

I love the title, Opal Fire. Opal Fire has a catchy cover in dark orange. Kind of a twilight kind of color, but fits in with the overall fire and Imbolc theme as well.

This novel as a fast read. At times I did wish it would slow down, but that was only because I didn't want to finish so fast. Seriously, it was super fast. An occasional slow down would have been nice, just to let the poor girl get her breath. But at the same time, when I think about that, that may not have worked. A murder is serious business and isn't going to let you get a dinner date in before the next thing happens. Poor Stacy is so busy, she barely sleeps as it is.

The story takes place in Amethyst, Illinois, which is a fictional town. But the description is a good one. A town that fully depends on the tourism they catch from people traveling east and west. There are far too many towns in that boat. They can't afford to put off the tourists, and try to keep the bigger crimes quiet. Stacy feels the pressure to keep the murder and fire out of the weekend editions - which are printed with visiting tourists in mind.

Sunday Stealing: The Madness Meme, Part 1

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. Have you ever licked the back of a CD to try to get it to work? EWWWWW, no I get my glasses cleaner or peanut butter.

2. What’s the largest age difference between yourself and someone you’ve dated? Oh goodness, I think the one guy was 10 years or so my senior. Which is weird because I've had crushes on much older men. But then again they probably aren't trolling the internet looking for a date with me. lol

3. Ever been in a car wreck? Just a few very minor ones.

4. Were you popular in high school? Good god no! I was invisible as long as I stayed out of the way.

5. Have you ever been on a blind date? Not really, although I was finding my dates online, so it was sort of blind.

6. Are looks important? Not really, looks fade with time so it's better to have someone you can stand to be around.

7. Do you have any friends that you’ve known for 10 years or more? Yes, my friend from High School, although we parted ways for awhile we are talking again. And my BFF Peggy who I met 11 years ago...

8. By what age would you like to be married? Well I've been married over 6 years now so I don't think this question really applies.

9. Does the number of people a person’s slept with affect your view of them? Nope, mostly I don't want to know.

10. Have you ever made a mistake? No I'm a totally perfect person in every way. Ok now pick yourself up off the floor and read the next question. ;-)

11. Are you a good tipper? Yes, as long as our server is friendly and attentive we are very good tippers. We even forgive kitchen problems, but if the server is neglectful, then we will reflect that in the tip.

12. What’s the most you have spent for a haircut? I don't know. Mostly now if I go for a haircut I go to the beauty school and it's only $7.

13. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher? Oh yeah, my high school history/economics teacher. He was so enthusiastic about the subjects he taught, for some reason I found that smokin' hot.

14. Have you ever peed in public? What the hell does this mean? Like did I ever drop trow in the middle of the mall? Who does that? Public restroom, yeah-who hasn't?

15. What song do you want played at your funeral? I don't want a funeral.

16. Would you tell your parents if you were gay? Yes I would. Although I don't want to share my ideas about religion or politics, so figure that one out. lol

17. What would your last meal be before getting executed? Black and Blue Burger from Mountain Town and then an ice cream cookie.

18. Beatles or Stones? Beatles, although Stones don't suck.

19. If you had to pick one person on earth to die, who would it be? I don't want that responsibility. I guess if I had to choose it would be me. I'm not taking anyone else's life in my hands.

20. Beer, wine or hard liquor? hard liquor, I love my rum and cranberry juice.

21. Do you have any phobias? Well I already told you about the dark, I'm also afraid of heights and spiders and bees/hornets.

22. What are your plans for the future? A nap...yeah I want to take a nap. After that, who knows. Ok, seriously I want to work in the book industry. A proofreader, copy-editor, something like that.

Feeling a little wicked?

Me too. I think it's because I am coming out of a fall induced funk. And also my good friend Magaly has inspired me. Magaly if I ever make it that way again, we are so going out for coffee. On the other side of probably not ever going to happen - if you ever make it to Michigan I'll get you some Biggby. lol

So onto how she inspired me. She talked on her blog Pagan Culture about her friend who is getting divorced after years of marriage...a marriage that had stepchildren. What an awful place to be, children she's taken care of all that time are understandably upset and taking out their hurt by using angry words on her. It stinks that she is just supposed to walk away from them and it's breaking everyone's heart. Then Magaly spoke of her own experience with her own stepdaughter. There's lots of love, but love brings pain. It's unrealistic to expect anything else. But it also brings unbridled joy.

Along with this she was given...and I think stole...a few blogger awards and then insisted we all do the same. I am going to follow through on that because I feel like it. See? Feeling a little wicked. When I am done, feel free to go visit Magaly and steal them for yourself.



Which actually comes from another blog I love - MagicLoveCrow - see that crow picture up there? She painted that for me.

There's math involved here too. Magaly did 13 things about herself. But the 1st award says to do 7, the 2nd says 5, and the third calls for 2. That's 14. Hmmm...but since you get to make your own rules, I think I'll go with 7...the max number.

1. I let my boys sleep with us for the first 6 years...they still join us occasionally but their growth demanded we all get our own sleeping space.
   
2. I am afraid of the dark...most especially mirrors and under my bed. I have to force myself to stand next to my bed in my dark bedroom without screaming and jumping into bed.
   
3. I can't sleep in a lit room. Ironic right? I'm afraid of the dark but it must be dark in order to sleep. LOL
   
4. I wish I could go back to school for computer programming...but my already outrageous student loan debt prevents that.
   
5. I had a hard time breastfeeding my boys. It's why I think you should never judge a woman for not breast feeding. I tried my hardest, it took 2 months to get CW to latch on and after 2 1/2 months with Ivan I finally gave up the fight. I was drying up. It broke my heart, it still does. And passing judgement on a woman who might be going through that is just mean.
   
6. I think anyone should be allowed to marry. At this point it's more a government thing than a religious one anyway. It gets you on your partners insurance, helps if there's a death, and cements a family that very well may have children in it.
   
7. I have a raccoon skull and an alligator head (dried out of course) in my house. CW found the raccoon skull out in the ditch behind our house. The alligator head I won from Me vs. College...which is now All Rocks go To Heaven.

And now onto you my lovely readers. Explore, go visit the links on this page. Feel free to steal the awards for yourself. Post your link in the comments so people can visit your page too.

Three Girls and a Wedding

by: Rachel Schurig

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Synopsis:
Jen Campbell loves weddings. In fact, she loves them so much that she became an event planner in the hopes that she would one day get the chance to help women create the fairy tale day of their dreams...Unfortunately, the only thing Jen has been allowed to plan so far are boring restaurant openings and children's birthday parties.

When Jen’s big break finally comes, she realizes that wedding planning is a heck of a lot more complicated than picking out the perfect flowers and cake.

Add to the chaos a pair of fighting friends, a totally pressuring mother, and a ridiculously gorgeous (but moody) best man, and Jen has her work cut out for her.

In Three Girls and a Wedding, Jen Campbell will try to plan the perfect wedding and maybe—just maybe—create her very own happily-ever-after.

---

This is the story that continues the lives of Ginny, Annie and Jen. 3 girls...now women...who have been best friends since High School. After college they rented a small house in Ferndale. The first book, Three Girls and a Baby, was centered around Ginny who had broken up with her long-time boyfriend and found out she was pregnant. This one is from Jen's view. Jen is a very organized event planner. She just received the opportunity of a lifetime, plan the wedding (and all the events relating to it) for Kiki Barker, daughter of a rich real estate investor, David Barker. At the same time her best friend Ginny gets engaged. Can Jen plan both without losing her mind?

Jen's boss takes away all of her current projects and tells her she will be assisting newly-promoted partner Jason Richardson. While excited by the opportunity, she is less than thrilled at the prospect of working with smarmy Jason. Jen is determined to make this a success, knowing if she does everything right she will get a promotion and be allowed to work on the events she wants to work on. Jason leaves her with almost all the work, and the next 5 months are spent in a haze of overwork and sleeplessness. Ginny's wedding is barely on her radar.

There are also 2 love interests. When the first one was introduced, Matt - the best man and groom's brother, I thought I knew exactly what would happen. But then she kept getting mixed signals and started dating Jason, reluctantly of course. I didn't know what was happening until the very end. It wasn't predictable at all!

Rachel Schurig uses a light, conversational tone throughout the story. For example, I kept seeing the word "gonna." At first it bothered me, very poor grammar and all. But then I realized if I were talking that's what I would say. Does anyone actually say "going to" anymore?

The title is long, but catchy. The first book was Three Girls and a Baby, about Ginny. This book is Three Girls and a Wedding, about Jen. The third book will be titled Three Girls and a Leading Man, about Annie. The cover art is so cute, and it fits in with the first book. Rachel is making it obvious that these three books are connected. It doesn't always work, but in this case it is both necessary and fun.

The story was a very fast read, even at 198 pages. I started reading Sunday afternoon and finished it Monday morning. I couldn't put it down. The story doesn't slow down for a minute, but it's not too fast either. It does, however shift pace. When tensions are high, the story moves faster. When Jen hits the wall and slows down, so does the story. It forces your own feelings to play along.

These stories are set in Metro Detroit, so I actually recognize a lot of the places mentioned in the book. Like the RenCen, which is the Renaissance Center in Detroit. It's a beautiful and large building right in the city.

I was so excited to read this story. As soon as I heard it was out, I wrote the author begging for a copy. I couldn't wait to read it and after the first book I knew I would love it. It did not disappoint. Rachel is a great author and this is a great piece of chick lit.

And now, sadly I must wait for that third book. I swear, I want to volunteer to be a beta reader just so I can read it sooner.

Free eBooks November 3, 2011

Here are some eBooks I found that are free to download. I looked at Barnes & Noble first, I will link there and Amazon if they have it as well. I have not read these books, so this list isn't one of recommendations, just a list of free books I thought looked interesting.

1. Five Little Caskets by D. R. Bennett - B&N, Amazon for 99cents.

Darryl's life was humming along. Great job, good friends and a solid family. Until the Akamak made their presence and intentions known.

American political folly and selfishness are portrayed in this dark tale of one man's trials and tribulations in the aftermath of first contact with an advanced alien race.

2. Star Wars Lost Tribe of the Sith #7: Pantheon by John Jackson Miller - B&N, Amazon

When the Sith ship Omen crash-landed on Kesh two thousand years ago, the crew encountered native barbarism and superstition. Now a violent millennium has reduced the Lost Tribe of the Sith to a similar state. While Sith teachings are remembered, honored, and violently practiced, knowledge of the Lost Tribe’s true origins has all but vanished. With a dark age imperiling the Sith, the future rests in the hands of the unlikeliest of people: Caretaker Hilts, the official keeper of lore. Mild-mannered by Sith standards, the aged Hilts hopes to use the wisdom of the ancients to reunite his people. But the truth he uncovers becomes anything but the Tribe’s salvation. Rather, he may have set loose forces leading to its destruction—and his own. BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Ascension.

3. Viridis - A Steampunk Romance by Calista Taylor - B&N, Amazon

In steampunk Victorian London, where airships dot the sky and tinkerings abound, Lady Phoebe Hughes develops an herbal elixir, Viridis, unlike any other. London’s elite flock to her club to experience the euphoria and heightened senses the drink brings, an orgasm brought on by a single kiss. But when Lord Hawthorne is murdered after leaving her club, Phoebe is shocked to find that not only was he working for the Special Services to infiltrate the Cause, a movement fighting for the city's poor, he was also in possession of her secret formulation for Viridis.

Adding to her difficulties is the unexpected return of Mr. Seth Elliott, a brilliant tinkerer who stole her heart and imagination, only to abandon her when she needed him most. Unable to ignore all that is between them, Phoebe finds herself falling for Seth once again, only to have a powerful rival for her affections wrongly accuse Seth of attempted murder. As Phoebe struggles with a way to free her love, revolution, conspiracy and murder threaten to ruin it all.

*** Author's note: Some scenes may not be suitable for those under 18 years of age. ***

4. Axel the Truck: Rocky Road by J. D. Riley (Author), Brandon Dorman (Illustrator) - B&N

Axel is a little truck with big, big wheels, and he races off to explore the rocky mountain roads. VROOM!

In this NOOK Kids Read to Me book, children can choose to hear the story read aloud, tap to enlarge text and pinch & stretch to zoom in on pictures.

5. Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo by Heather Wardell - B&N, Amazon

When Candice's in-laws died in a car accident eight months ago, she lost her husband Ian too. After only two years of marriage their guilt and pain have left them living together but apart. During Ian's month-long trip overseas, Candice plans to decide if her marriage can be saved, but when the first man she ever loved is the new client at work, she wonders what she truly wants from life and love.

Microcrafts - Tiny Treasures to Make and Share

compiled by: Margaret McGuire, Alicia Kachmar, Katie Hatz and Friends

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
It is a small world, after all!

Here are step-by-step instructions for making tiny teddy bears, little ladybugs, petite porcupines, itsy-bitsy bikinis, and much, much more! Microcrafts shows crafters how to create dozens of miniature treasures, each no larger than a spool of thread. No previous crafting experience or pricey materials are necessary—just a love of all things small!

---

I'm still enthralled by all the tiny crafts in this book. There are pictures, traceable patterns and step-by-step instructions to walk you through whichever craft you'd like to attempt. There weren't too many that were my style, but I saw many that I want to try or that I think friends would make.

There are candy charms made with clay, tiny felted cats and dogs, boats, microtaxidermy (little deer heads, bears, birds, etc), fabric buttons, tiny flower pots with a tiny plant, greeting cards and even books. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Things we all love making, with a tiny makeover.

I want to try making the cats and dogs and teddy bears...in fact I think that would be a great Christmas gift for the kids in husbands family. If I can find the tiny pots, I think the little plants would be cute for adults.

The tiny cat next to the spool of thread on the cover really gives you a clear idea on what this book is all about. It's ironic that its a fairly large hardcover book. Not thick but tall.

Each project has a small tag on the page sized picture with the actual size and who designed it. Considering that this is a "compiled by", it is interesting to see who is involved in each craft.

So the question is, do you like exploring your crafting skills? This book will challenge even the most talented crafter - and it's a fantastic way to use up all your odds and ends!

Drama - an Actor's Education

by John Lithgow

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Synopsis:
Through the vivid stories in "Drama", John Lithgow shares a backstage history of his struggle, crisis, and discovery, and the scenes of his early life and career that took place before he became a nationally-known star. Above all, "Drama" is a tribute to the most important influence in John Lithgow's life: his father, Arthur Lithgow. An actor, director, producer, and great lover of Shakespeare, Arthur brought theatre to John's boyhood, where performance and storytelling were a constant and cherished part of family life. Lithgow brings the theatre worlds of New York and London to life as he relives his collaborations with renowned performers and directors including Mike Nichols, Bob Fosse, Liv Ullmann, Meryl Streep, and Brian De Palma. Lithgow's ruminations on the nature of theatre, performance, and storytelling cut to the heart of why actors are driven to perform, and why people are driven to watch them do it. At once hilarious and reflective, "Drama" pulls back the curtain on the making of one of our most beloved actors.

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For such a mundane and simple cover, I was dazzled at the direction the book and Lithgow's life took. He moved around a lot because of his father, who had this dream of starting the next great Shakespeare festival. So for all the goofy roles you've seen Lithgow in, he's been acting in Shakespeare plays since he was a child. John writes of the excitement of acting as a child, but his real dream was to be an artist. His parents were so supportive, they even sent him to an art class for teenagers in New York when the high school's class was too rigid.

But he continued to act, for his father and in high school. If you've ever seen Buckaroo Bonzai, you will remember Dr. Emelio Lizardo. He says that not only was this his favorite role, but he played it based on Dr. Pinch whom he played way back in high school.

While doing the art and acting, he was also a model and active student. Graduating with honors, he attended Harvard on a full scholarship. He had planned on pursuing art, and his father took him to see a respected artist and the guy's question to Lithgow was "If you want to be an artist, why the Hell are you going to Harvard?" It opened Lithgow's eyes, it really didn't have a program that would take him where he thought he wanted to go. When he got there he fell in love with the Drama area. There wasn't an actual program, but there was a theater and students working in it. He majored in English and went to town with the other Drama students.

He married before he finished college and went to London on a Fulbright scholarship to study acting. It had been decided, he would be an actor. His wife was a special education teacher, 6 years his senior. She went where he went, working to support them and occasionally acting with him. He worked for his father first but then moved on to pursue more challenges. He really had a slow start, but by the 70s he was a Broadway actor, in fact he was in 12 plays through the 70s. He's done some movie work, and some TV but he absolutely adores the theater.

I had no idea I would enjoy this book so much. He didn't have a terrible childhood, his parents loved him. The only trauma that shaped him was the constant moving around. But it certainly helped his acting career - he knows how to fit in. He didn't spiral out of control on a drugged-out bender. The worst period for him was in his 30s when adolescence finally hit. He was an ass, and he admits he was an ass. I finished this book with a lot of respect for the man, even though some of his actions I didn't like or agree with.

I also learned that I really enjoy a well-written autobiography.