A Christmas Journey

A Christmas memory from my husband.

George T. James's avatarThinkin' Things Over

Snow Storm Christmas tree

It was a cold winter night with snowflakes falling as big as quarters.  I was about five years old and was sitting on a sled being pulled by my grandfather through the streets of our small town along the Ohio river.  It had already snowed about six inches that day with no sign of letting up.  We were off to get our Christmas tree at the local market/store about four blocks away.

As I was being pulled through the streets I marveled at the beauty of the snow glistening in the night, houses decorated with Christmas lights, the smell of fireplaces, and the sound of the sled gliding through the snow.  What peacefulness.

Outside the store was a large area filled with rows of Christmas trees sitting in concrete blocks.  Around the perimeter were oil drums cut in half stuffed with burning firewood.  As my grandfather visited with some friends…

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Whack, Whack, Whack, Goes the Tail!

By Mark Rouillard

Illustrated by David Burk

 

Book Blurb

This is a story about a dog named Jack that has no idea his tail is constantly whacking anything and everything that is behind him. Jack loves his human family unconditionally, and they love him.

My Review

Whack, Whack, Whack, Goes the Tail! is the author’s debut book.  It is an adorable story about a dog’s love for his family and the trouble his tail is always causing.  The story is written with the 3-5-year-old in mind and is sure to cause some giggles when children hear the tale of the tail.

The book is beautifully illustrated with colorful pictures the children are sure to love.

I recommend this for all young children in the target age group.  It would make a lovely gift.

About the Author

Born and raised in Littleton, Massachusetts, Mark Rouillard moved to Southern California and now calls Orange County home. Working as a mechanical design engineer has been a rewarding profession with several patents being awarded.

Although it is said everyone has at least one book in them, I never dreamed of writing a book. A friend has a dog named Jack that I love who was the inspiration for this book. Always a happy dog his tail is constantly wagging furiously creating turmoil for anything and everything that is behind him. Long ago I began to tell him, “whack, whack, whack, goes the tail”, usually as something was getting upended by his tail. When the inspiration was born I clearly envisioned a children’s picture book with that title, wrote the 357 words, and described my vision for each illustration.

Holding the first hardcover book in my hands in April 2017 was exciting and achieved part of my first goal. Now seeing the book for sale on the website http://whackwhackwhackgoesthetail.com/ in both hardcover and eBook formats has fully achieved that first goal. I have two more goals for this book which are associated with sales. I hope to someday announce these next 2 goals have also been achieved!

Follow the author on Goodreads and Amazon and on the author’s website.

The author gave me this lovely book in exchange for my honest review.

The Good Liar

By Catherine McKenzie

 

Book Blurb

Can you hide a secret with the whole world watching?

When an explosion rips apart a Chicago building, the lives of three women are forever altered.

A year later, Cecily is in mourning. She was supposed to be in the building that day. Instead, she stood on the street and witnessed it going down, with her husband and best friend inside. Kate, now living thousands of miles away, fled the disaster and is hoping that her past won’t catch up with her. And Franny, a young woman in search of her birth mother, watched the horror unfold on the morning news, knowing that the woman she was so desperate to reconnect with was in the building.

Now, despite the marks left by the tragedy, they all seem safe. But as its anniversary dominates the media, the memories of that terrifying morning become dangerous triggers. All these women are guarding important secrets. Just how far will they go to keep them?

My Review

Catherine McKenzie can always be counted on to spin a great tale, and The Good Liar is no exception. We meet three women who were present when a large explosion rocked Chicago killing more than 500 people on October 10th at 10:00 a.m.  Theirs are stories of secrets, deceptions, and guilt.  In this character-driven story, Cecily, Kaitlyn (Kate), and Franny find themselves confronting their sins of the past year as memorials for “Triple Ten” approach.  I found them each to be believable and profoundly changed by the events of the previous year.  Were they likable characters?  Cecily was the true victim of the story and I liked her a lot, though I found myself getting frustrated with her from time to time.  Kate was so twisted that I couldn’t understand how she could leave her family thinking she had died in the explosion.  I disliked Franny from the start. She was too conniving, and I wanted to have nothing to do with her.  The story is told in the first person by Cecily and Kate giving us a deep insight into their characters, while Fanny’s story was told in interviews and thus was impersonal.

Just when you think you’ve figured it all out, the author throws another twist at you keeping you engaged in reading.  Full of the unexpected, The Good Liar is a book you should watch for.  It will be published in April 2018.

I am giving The Good Liar 4 stars because I felt it was confusing going back and forth among the three women. While I could grasp Cecily’s and Kate’s comments, I had a hard time connecting to Franny’s interview format at first.

Would I recommend The Good Liar?  Unquestionably!

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

A graduate of McGill University in History and Law, Catherine is a partner in a litigation boutique in Montreal, where she was born and raised. Catherine’s novels, SPIN, ARRANGED, FORGOTTEN, HIDDEN, SMOKE and FRACTURED, are bestsellers and have been translated into numerous languages, including French, German, Portuguese, Polish, Turkish, Slovakian and Czech. SMOKE was named one of the Top 100 Books in 2015 by Amazon and one of the Best Books of October 2015 by Goodreads. FRACTURED was named one of the Best Books of October 2016 by Goodreads.

Catherine’s first book writing as Julie Apple (the protagonist in FRACTURED), THE MURDER GAME, was released in November, 2016. SPIN has been optioned for a television series. A short film of ARRANGED was made in 2014 and won a Canadian National Screen Institute Award. Catherine was on set while they filmed it. It was one of the highlights of her writing life.

Catherine’s next novel, THE GOOD LIAR, will be published on April 3, 2018.

An avid skier and runner, Catherine climbed the Grand Teton in 2014.

And if you want to know how she has time to do all that, the answer is: robots.

Visit her online at www.catherinemckenzie.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/catherinemckenzieauthor, and on Twitter and Instagram at @CEMckenzie1

Due Out April 3, 2018

Pre-Order

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Goodreads Giveaway coming in November!

Do you love Janice Spina’s books? There is a giveaway on Goodreads and you can read about it here.

jjspina's avatarJEMSBOOKS

Hi everyone! I am happy to announce that I willl be doing another Goodreads Giveaway this year. This giveaway will begin NOVEMBER 20, 2017 and end DECEMBER 20, 2017 just before Christmas. If you win, it will make a fabulous Christmas gift for someone on your list or you can keep it for yourself. I will be giving away THREE AUTOGRAPHED BOOKS! I will do my best to mail out the books as soon as I receive notification of the winners!

Drum roll please…the book I will be giving away this time is…

DAVEY & DEREK JUNIOR DETECTIVES BOOK 4

THE CASE OF THE BROWN SCRAGGLY DOG

BLURB:

Davey and Derek Donato are at it again in this new book. In this case they come across a brown scraggly dog with blood on its paw but when the boys try to stop the dog, it runs away. Aunt…

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Remember…

A deeply heartfelt essay on the cost of war in the last century, by Sue Vincent. The price is immeasurable.

Sue Vincent's avatarThe Silent Eye

Paper poppies bloom, as fragile as the lives they represent. Every year it is the same, I try to find some way of saying what is in my heart and the words will not come.  I was not there, I have no right to speak of war and its atrocities. I have not seen it with my own eyes. I have never aimed a gun at another human being and been faced with the choice whether to kill or be killed. I have not tried to sleep in cold mud made from the earth of a foreign land mingled with the blood of my comrades. I have not lost my child to war.

I have no right to speak, but nor have I the right to remain silent when the price of my freedom to speak was so high. I have a duty to my own conscience and to all…

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Sixty-six (66) 5-Star Reviews for Award-winning Picture Book AMAZING MATILDA!

Congratulations to Bette Stevens on receiving 66 Five-Star reviews of her phenomenal children’s book AMAZING MATILDA. If you’re looking for a gift for your special 5-11-year-old, I highly recommend AMAZING MATILDA.

Bette A. Stevens's avatarBette A. Stevens, Maine Author

MATILDA expertly as a cirus acrobat... 2016

About the book

This “Gem of a Tale” about a Monarch Butterfly teaches kids lessons in friendship, patience and persistence as AMAZING MATILDA transforms from egg to caterpillar to butterfly. (Children’s Picture Book/Ages 5-11).

Order your copies today:

AM Celebrate Season MATCHBOOK bas 2016

Related Sites:

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

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Treats only, Please

Lauren Scott of Baydreamer posted a fun Halloween poem. Please enjoy and while you are at her blog, check out some of her other wonderful poems.

Lauren Scott, Author's avatarBaydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author

HalloweenTrickTreaters

Creepy cackles from the trees
startle their hearts as they walk
Shadows follow the echoes
as they ensue down the block

They loyally repeat to each other
it’s a night for entertainment
There’s nothing to be afraid of
as they stare down at the pavement

They know they’re not alone
many follow in their footsteps
Eager to push the door bell
but afraid of the special effects

They see goblins and witches
ghouls, pumpkins, and ghosts,
Super heroes of all different kinds
while owls hoot from their posts

Some faces seem a bit too real
one even looked like old granny
Ignore the screeches and simply focus
on taking home a load of candy

Lauren Scott © 2017
Photos: Google

Aurora Alexander is holding a Halloween poem contest, inviting all to participate. It’s been fun reading all the wonderful entries, and the competition is tough. This is my entry, and…

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