Murder on Edisto by C. Hope Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While reading MURDER ON EDISTO it struck me how seamless this story flowed from the first page to the last. C. Hope Clark has become a master of the murder mystery genre, and just a damn good (great!) writer.

The Shoulders of Giants by Jim Cliff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was surprised to find out this author is from Hertfordshire, England, since he wrote so authoritatively about Chicago, the setting of the story where “The Shoulders of Giants (A Jake Abraham Mystery)” took place. I am not surprise to find out that this is the first book in a series.
I really enjoyed the escapades of this gumshoe , Jake Abraham, as he sets out on the first case, for his first client, of his private investigating career. The perfect mixture of humor and suspense cooked up a fast paced mystery including missing person’s, murder, and romance. A very enjoyable/entertaining read. I will be looking for more of Jim Cliff’s work. I like his writing voice, and his writing skills are kind to the reader. I am anxiously waiting for the second in the “A Jake Abraham Mystery” Series. Get to work Mr. Cliff!

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Pieces of a Puzzle by Jenny Gill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I drank a lot of tea while reading this very relaxing, non-spectacular, yet companionable womans' story. I just love the English and their tea. I read 75% (gotta love ebooks) yesterday, a finished it today, and now I'm lonely. There are flashbacks, flashforwards, and flash-sideways, which didn't bother me a bit because all the snippets were consistent with enriching and familiarizing the main character, Alison. The details of her life unfolded unpretentiously. I like that this very reserved character, Alison, went through so much yet was steady on!

I love the qualities of Jenny Gill's unique storytelling abilities. Her layer upon layer of the story unfolds a satisfying read. I'm recommending this book to my friends.

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The Favorite by Franklyn C. Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the tempo of this story, especially how the  tension building in the center story of the grueling fight, the protagonist, Michael Dane, contending for the IBF Light-Heavyweight Champion of the world against Quin Cortez, was carried throughout the equally progressing tension of the back story. Michael Dane set out to right the wrongs of his unfortunate abusive childhood, and news of his impending fatherhood was, and I quote Michael Dane, .."the one last sign I needed to show me I'm doing the right thing." This is a guts and glory story, a love story, and just a damn good read. I cried at the inevitable heart wrenching ending.

Franklyn C. Thomas has certainly spun a good yarn. "The Favorite" is a must read.

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Triumph of Job by Laura C. Pleming
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was so happy to read the story of Job interpreted in a way I could understand. Dr. Laura C. Pleming is a Bible scholar, and her indepth knowledge of this old, old scripture was insightful. Makes me want to take a bible study class. What I learned about the writing of the book of Job is that the author is unknown. It was written as a drama, the author is defined as being a dramatist. It is written poetically, using a rhythmical cadence. This is what Dr. Pleming's book taught me, then.....

As luck would have it, there is an article in The New Yorker magazine, Dec. 16th, 2013, pg 83, in the book review section, entitled "MISERY, Is there justice in the Book of Job?", by Joan Acocella. She is reviewing Mark Larrimore's book "The Book of Job: A Biography". In this article I discovered that, and to state it accurately I am just going to quote from Joan Acocella's article here; "The text here is clearly corrupt in many places. The central section - where Job speaks to his friends, and God speaks to them all - is in verse, and its language is impassioned: pleading, sweeping, vaulting. The outer sections are written in prose, and in a blunt, matter-of-fact manner." The article goes on to say that this is probably a story that was told verbally down through the ages, then a beginning and an ending were added to make it a complete story when it was converted to written form. There are other opinions about how this Book of Job was possibly written, and a slew of other books on the subject were referenced. I am intrigued now.

My reading list just got a lot longer because of my friend handing me her copy of a simple little book, a one hour read, called "Triumph of Job", by Dr. Laura C. Pleming.

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It will take eternity to answer all life's problems.

WRITER'S DIGEST / YOUR STORY competition #56 - My entry

Prompt: Write a short story, of 750 words or fewer, that begins with the following line of dialogue: “If you can guess what I have in my pocket, you can have it.”

(You can be funny, poignant, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.) You can submit your words to this prompt here:  Writer's Digest Your Story Competition #56

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
CLOWNS - WE WANT TO HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is my little ditty:

          “If you can guess what I have in my pocket, you can have it.”  Thirty bobbing waist high party quaffed little heads made me wish I had a dramamine in my pocket. “I can’t hear you if you all yell at once.” I knew from experience that one of these prepubescent groupies yelled dog. They’ve already got with the program that the clown was going to make some kind of simulated animal once the the balloons came out of the bulging pocket of my floppy black, yellow, and white checkered clown costume. Besides, at their age you could make a giraffe, call it a dog, and the little smurf’s would be happy with that!

 Without warning I felt the direct hit from a good sized water gun drench my ear down to my ear drum. I turned just in time to see a freckled faced towhead bending over with laughter, cajoled on by his little friends, who quickly constrained themselves as soon as my clown face eyes found the shooter. “What do you think is in my other pocket you little gangster?! I never let myself be surrounded by the enemy unarmed!,” and I was returning fire before my inappropriate retort had reached their little ears, enjoying how quick my draw had become, I hadn’t become a clown just yesterday ya know, and the fact that my water pistol was bigger than this little waif’s made me cocky. “Run for your lives!” I yelled. The whole assembly of little munchkins scattered.

In the middle of the chaos stood the little birthday girl, her perfect blond ringlets were starting to droop from being in the crossfire of the water gun war, but she had a determined defiance plastered on her face. Not one to run to mommy. I like this girl. “Why don’t I have a gun?! It’s my birthday!!” She shouted out.

Since I was the hired clown I felt obligated to cover the defenseless little princess. I duck and weave, duck and weave, and roll the last three feet to her side. “Here you go Sally! Do you know how to use one of these things?” I was willing to entrust my spare water gun that I keep in my back clown pants pocket.

“Uh-huh.”

Water began pouring off my big red nose. “Don’t shoot me Sally! I’m the one that came to save you! C’mon, let’s go get ‘em.” The now smiling ear to ear birthday girl and I charged the ornery boys like the mighty light brigade. I was glad to be on Sally’s side by now.

Just as I was thinking this was the best birthday party I’d ever been a clown to, I saw the Mother step out the sliding door on the patio with a scowl plastered on her face. I walked to the center of the battle field making the truce sign with my hands. “Alright kids...truce..hold on for a minute.” Wow. These are good kids; they actually stopped. I would have liked to stayed longer, but I knew what was coming.

There I was standing on the wrong side of the door stoop again; way before the party was over again. “Yes ma’am. I understand. But, you really should have gotten your head out of your bourbon and provided some adult supervision for those kids outside of the hired clown.”

BAM!!!! Another door slammed in my face.

 “Yeah! You heard me female from the kennel person!!!” Now I wish I had a tylenol in my pocket. 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Memory Lights by K.M. Weiland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The setting is Victorian London, and K. M. Weiland did it justice. She kept the whole story in the first person point of view. Mary, the protagonist, was experiencing a lost of memory. We experience her struggle as the story unfolds within Mary’s confused and frightened mind. She struggled with a lack of memory thicker than the fog that obscured the streetlights of London; the streets she wandered at night as Colin’s witless accomplice in common thievery and pickpocketing, along with a boy named Jack. I felt for Mary as she went through her traumatic jarring experience that revealed the truth, and brought the story to a satisfying end.

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A Non-Human Point of View / Writer's Digest writing prompt

Write an end-of-days story from a non-human point of view (animal, tree, insect, cloud, etc.).*Post your response (500 words or fewer).

What I wrote:

I haven't smelled vanilla or peppermint for weeks. No sweet treats, why live.  I've had my antennae out for fellow roaches to no avail. How far and fast did we all run when the colossal blast hit. No organic waste left to clean up. Not one hair. I feel dry, and worse yet there is mold close by. I feel it in my antennae. This is not good. Too bad my buddy roach lost his head in the colossal blast, but at least we made the most out of the remaining seven days without his head. The last sac of eggs from him are nymphs now. My little family would live more harmoniously in a larger group. Where are the throngs of roaches?! What’s wrong?! Poor little ones haven't even experienced what a sweet tastes like. What it’s like to crawl all over other little nymphs in a crowd large enough to feel the world is right. I feel so dry. So dry. I would die just to smell a sweet right now. Without the taste of peppermint the world might as well end. I’d give all three knees on all six legs just to smell a sweet. There hasn't been any organic waste for a month, and sweets, oh sweets! for longer than that. What I wouldn't give for the sweet smell of a peppermint candy smashed on the ground somewhere. The world is done if there are no sweets. 

There are no more sweets.

FLOODED WITH SUSPENSE - A Book Review

Tidewater Murder by C. Hope Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this second in the Carolina Slade Mystery series. I can't wait for the third in this series.

My New Favorite Funny Vampire

Fat Vampire by Johnny B. Truant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Years ago I would never watch a vampire movie, or read anything with the word vampire in the title. Then, when the kids were young, they forced me to watch “Lost Boys”. It is one of my favorite movies as a result. This is why I read Fat Vampire. I’m glad I did.

BOOK REVIEW - Laura Pauling spun magic for young adults AND adults

HEIST by Laura Pauling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jack Brodie, or Fiasco, the main character, is a young boy of sixteen with the weight of the world riding on his shoulders. He is trying to save his Dad who is in jail for being involved in the Gardner heist in 1990. But it is 2013. What can Jack do to fix his Dad’s past mistakes? Jack has a unique ability to time travel through the art itself. It’s not enough he is going through the normal trauma of being a teenager, he’s also trying to get his Dad out of jail by time traveling, and each time he does his world is hurled into chaos. I’m not even sure how Laura Pauling pulled this off, but she did. What a ride. I was exhausted by the time I finished reading this plot turner. Good read. I recommend this book to all readers of every age.

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BOOK REVIEW

Winter in June by Kathryn Miller Haines
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this to be a very easy book to read. I think that means Kathryn Miller Haines is a good writer. It is a great depiction of the 40's era. I especially enjoyed the way she handled the slang of that era. I'm a sucker for any story built into a WWII setting anyway. The lead character, Rosie Winter, is full of spunk, and I found that to be very satisfying. Murder, mystery, and intrigue start with the first sentence, is framed

Book Review - An Apricot Year, by Martha Egan

An Apricot Year by Martha Egan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a testament to us mature women that have been abused, then abandoned in the prime of our lives. That would be any time after fifty years of age. In Martha Egan's book, AN APRICOT YEAR, the main character is all the above. Luli Russell was married to an abusive drunk who mentally and physically abused not only her, but her children also. In those days women were taught to sacrifice for the

Book Review/ The Magic Diary - The Bully, by TL Bliss

The Magic Diary - The Bully by T.L. Bliss
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Turn off the television and hand your children "The Magic Diary" series of books, written by TL Bliss. Not only will they be learning how to read, they will be learning pure and simple morals to make their worlds easier to manipulate through in tough times. In this story, "The Magic Diary - The Bully", Alex and Becky learned to go to their parents to help them if problems seemed too frightening. They learned

VOCABULARY FUN

I ran into a new word (for me) while reading PEOPLE OF THE NOATAK, by Claire Fejes, 'the new edition of the 1960's classic', first published in 1966, this "new"edition was published in 1994.  The word is landlubber.  At first I thought it was a typo.  Instead it was an adventure in etymology.  Normally I'd just use the dictionary on my computer dock , but there was an electrical storm going on outside at the time so I wasn't about to turn on my computer.  I actually had to use old hard copy dictionaries, ergo a flashback to how I was taught to study etymology forty years ago when I was in college.  One English professor told us to keep all our old dictionaries, and even acquire as many as we could if we were going to be serious students of etymology.

The first dictionary I grabbed was "Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary" (1979).  When I didn't find it  there I was thinking typo again.  Yea.  Where's my edit pen?
Then I grabbed "The Random House College Dictionary" (1968), and there it was.

          landlubber (n) - a landsman or raw seaman.

This is one of those words that makes me giggle, but when I read the adjectives I started laughing out loud.  There were three adjectives listed - landlubberish, landlubbing, and landlubberly.  I would love for a comedian to get hold of these words.

Had I been on the computer I would have known in two seconds that it wasn't a typo, and I would have missed the etymology flash from the past.

Macmillan Dictionary online even provides the audio pronunciation, and gives this definition:

          landlubber - someone who does not know much about boats or the sea.

Another tidbit I got from Macmillan was that 90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing.  That's out of the millions of words out there.  Macmillan calls these red words; words used most often.  Landlubber is not a red word.