The Lottery Winner: Alvirah and Willy Stories by Mary Higgins Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Mary Higgins Clark has done it again. I love reading about the feisty Alvirah and her devoted Willy. This book contains 4 short stories staring the adventurous Lottery winners with hearts of Gold. All 4 stories are quick reads as Alvirah and her star-burst mini recorder takes you along on her search for murders, thiefs and kidnappers. When Alvirah sets her steel trap mind to solving a mystery you can count on the criminal being caught and laughter along the way.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes cozy mysteries or just a good fun read. 




View all my reviews

I purchased this book. It was not given to me and Ms. Clark has no idea who the heck I am. This is just my opinion on the book.

How To Keep Sparkly Emo Vampires Off Your Lawn by

How To Keep Sparkly Emo Vampires Off Your Lawn by Mike Cooley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read the other reviews and knew I had to read this. Any book vampire or other wise that makes you laugh out loud is a must read.
I noticed I could read it on Goodreads...so I did.
I was laughing and chuckling so much that I wound up having to read the book out loud for an audience. Thank goodness it is a short book. My 80 year old man voice wouldn't have lasted through a long one.

Do yourself a favor and read this. Mike Cooley has a great take on the Twilight series and all those undead who don't know how to properly behave.


View all my reviews

I found this on the Goodreads site. The author has no idea who I am or that I was reading his work.

Review of Grave Echos by Erin Cole

Grave Echoes: A Kate Waters Mystery by Erin Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won this book through Goodreads first-reads contest. I couldn't wait to start it. The cover is very well done and peeked my interest immediately.
The story starts out with Kate Waters having a narcoleptic nightmare in which she sees a wreck and hears her sister call out to her.
Kate is use to the nightmares but this is the first time they repeat and feature someone she knows....her sister Jev. As troubling as that is, there is a more pressing problem to handle. Kate is a geologist at the USGS and Mt. Hood is showing all the signs of erupting.
While trying to handle a possible volcanic eruption in the outskirts of Portland Or., Kate finds out Jev has been evolved in a fatal accident. She is left with the key from her visions and the unsettling realization that her sister was a witch in a local coven.
She now needs to find out exactly what happened to her sister, before she is the next in line to have an "accident". But who can she trust, everyone around her seems to be hiding something.
The story catches you up fast. There were a few editorial mistakes in the beginning that sidetracked my attention, but not for long.
This is a fast paced story that keeps you reading to see what happens next. I am very seldom surprised by a mystery anymore. I usually have it figured out before the end. Not so this one. It took me by surprise, but at the same time I could see how the story lead up to that conclusion.



View all my reviews

I received this book through the Goodreads First-reads contest. This review was in no way influenced by the website or the Author. It is my own opinion of the book.

Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke

Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I came across this book at a book sale. Being an avid reader and cook, I couldn't pass it up.
The heroin of the story is Hannah, the owner of The Cookie Jar, a small town bakery. During an elaborate charity event that her bakery is helping cater, Hannah must deal with problems from her two current male friends, as well as pass lover, professor Bradford Ramsey, who wouldn't mind rekindling their old affair. Hannah very much regrets the affair and has no intention of being bullied or blackmailed into another one. She also doesn't like the attention Bradford is paying to her young sister Michelle. When she finds the womanizing professor dead at the talent show with one of her turnovers in his hand, Hannah knows she must find out who did it, before her past secrets become the main course of the town gossip.
The story is well written, though I did have it figured out before half-way through the book. It moved slowly at times but kept you reading. I enjoyed the characters and they way they related to one another.
The book also has recipes inter-spaced with story for the mentioned treats, and I found myself enjoying reading the recipes and looking forward to discovering the next Delicious treat. The recipes alone made the book worth getting, and I will be trying some of them out.



View all my reviews

This book was purchased by me for my own reading enjoyment. The author and all those affiliated with this book, have no idea who I am.

Stone of Destiny by Laura Eno

Stone of Destiny by Laura Eno
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Make sure you have the time to read this. It is one you can't put down.

Gavin MacKenzie is a handsome self-assured Scottish Laird. When he knowingly takes and subsequently dismisses a Fae from his bed, he is asking for trouble. And he gets it in the form of Abbie Kyle a woman from the future, sent by the fae to stop Gavin's upcoming marriage.

Abbie suddenly finds herself in another country and 400 years in the past. To make matters worse she comes face to face with a man, who takes her breath and reason away, even if he isn't her type.

Gavin in turn finds a woman literally at his feet, and in the strangest outfit. The strangely beautiful creature then get in his face and insists that he send her back home to her time in the future.

Laura Eno has once again brought us a story that will keep us turning the pages to the end and wishing for more. Her humor and story telling will keep us coming back again and again.


View all my reviews

This book was a gift from the Author. She in no way asked for or influenced this review. I wrote like I read it.

And the Winner is....

And the Winner is....

   They only thought they had outgrown us. That they had left us behind with all the other superstitions. But we were there; just under the surface the whole time. Love and Hate are the two sides of the coin of life. There can never be one with out the other. But we are working to flip the coin to our side once and for all.

   We are the Gods and Goddesses of War.
 
   We have had many names, some well known, some not. Who has not heard the names Ares, Athena, Mars, and Seth, just to name a few. But our names from Babylonian, Assyrian, Mayan, and Aztec times are all but forgotten. The names of Erra, Ashur, Ah Chuy Kak, and Camaxtli are little known in today's world.

   We have worked tirelessly through out history trying many ways to come on top. But there was always someone there to remind people of the good side of man.

   The God of love has many names himself and many helpers. They are always there thwarting our attempts to rule the world of man.

   We can not win the battle face to face. That lesson has been learned well. So how do we win? There has been many a gathering dedicated to this problem until Ictinike came up with the solution...

   The way to win was to not have to face of the God of love. And how do we do that? By using the cover of love and protection to our advantage. We use the fact that the one God of love is known by many names to many people.

   We make man think he is protecting others from hate and intolerance. Because it may upset and cause anguish to the others; man will then forbid one group of the God of love's helpers from speaking out if another group is present. If no one is allowed to speak of love and acceptance, then the emotions of hate, intolerance, and evil will be able to rule. The coin will flip to our side and bury the other side at last.

   Yes, that is the way we will win the battle. We will rule the world and no one will be any the wiser.

©2011 Pamela Jo

What a View...#fridayflash

What a View...


   What a view. I can see for miles from up here. I have never really appreciated this view, never really looked at it. I was always too busy to take the time. It's only by accident that I am enjoying it now.

   I can see the deep navigation channel from here.  The water changes from the light blue of the shallows to a deep navy. Those small islands look like bright green paint spatters.

   Over there you can see the chemical storage tanks. Hey some of them do they do have floating roofs, would you look at that.

   In this direction you can see the skyline of downtown. Boy has that sure has grown since I first moved here. Just look at all that traffic. I sure am glad I don't have to drive in that.

   I always knew there were a lot of ships on these waterways, but I never realized the variety. The big cargo ships, loaded with shipping boxes that look like a child's building blocks. The flat barges with everything from machinery to piles of ore or dirt or what ever that is. Boy would my kids like to climb those hills.
 
   There goes a tour boat. Man they do they keep that thing clean, the sun reflecting off that white can blind you. I can barely make out all the people waving at me. Might as well wave back, Hi.

   And of course, all the tug boats are running around trying to heard everything in their way. Kinda like that new blue heeler puppy we got that herds everything with legs no matter what the size.

   There's the Coast guard cutters. The authority of the waves. I have a lot of respect for those men and women. They are out there everyday risking their lives and limbs to keep us safe.

   Ah, here comes the fire boat. Would you look at those water guns. Man I would love to get my hands on one of those. I could think of a couple of people I would like to soak. Looks like they got a big latter for rescues too.

   Yeah the view up here is great. But, since I had 4 cups of coffee this morning I sure hope they hurry and get me untangled from this damn crane.

©2011 Pamela Jo

A Day in Paradise... #fridayflash

                                                                    

A Day in Paradise...

   The day started as any other day in Paradise. The gentle trade winds causing the fronds on the palms to wave a welcoming greeting to those at sea. The inhabitants of the island scurried about getting their day started.

   Along the shore the pool boys at the hotels were setting out clean towels on chase lounges. Cooks were good-naturedly  haggling over price with local fisherman and farmers. Hotel guess lazily started making their way out of their rooms to greet a new day. 

   Yes, just another day in Paradise. The waves gently lapped the sands of the beach. Slowly in and out, in and out, in and out... the rhythm hypnotic and peaceful. Lulling you into a trance like state.

   Then the rhythm abruptly changed. The ocean inhales deeply followed by a jarring silence. 

   Everything stops in mid-motion. The pool boys forget the towels. The cooks, fisherman, and farmers fall silent. The people lying on the beach slowly sit up. As if turned by invisible hands, all heads turn toward the ocean. 

  

   The water rushing out as if pursued by the very devil himself, reveals the undersea cliffs and valleys of the great mountains that are Hawaii.

   The shore stretches out as far as the eye can see.  The shimmering scales of fish catch the eye as they flounder in the sand that, only moments before, was covered in water. In the distance the barnacle encrusted bones of once proud sailing ships are touched by the sunlight they have not felt in hundreds of years. The only hint that the ocean is still out there is the taste of salt on the breeze.

   Where has the ocean gone? What is happening? 

   As the island seems to hold its breath, waiting for the return of the ocean. Two waves of movement are seen on land.

   The tourist move toward the strange site in awe. Cameras attached to their faces recording it all for the tales they will weave on their return homes. Oblivious to the fact the islanders are moving in the opposite direction toward the mountain tops.

    Running  and climbing higher and higher as fast as they can. They do not slowing down to look back. The islanders know what is coming. They have heard the stories passed down from the time of the Kings. The stories of the old gods, who would take the water from the shores only to bring it back to destroy and kill.

   Suddenly the quite is split with a ear shattering siren, and one word whispered word becomes a roar … TSUNAMI.

©2010 Pamela Jo

   Check out other writers stories here at  #FridayFlash.