This Week in Books

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Linda Andrews

Thanks to Monday’s holiday, I’ve kinda been off my game and I’m not sure where my time has gone. But here it is Friday and I need a blog post so here’s what I’ve read over the last two weeks.

There’s a Dead Elf in Santa’s Workshop by KC Flynn. An elf is found dead in Santa’s workshop and everyone is a suspect. Of course, it’s not the real Santa but a themepark Santa. Fun and short, but with a few twists.

Be Mine for Christmas by Alicia Street and Roy Street. A single mother needs to find a job to give her son a Christmas to remember. The hero owns a Christmas tree farm and has his own reasons for rescuing her. This one had a cute paranormal twist at the end.

Dirty Little Christmas by Julie Leto. This is part of a security series. In this one, the heroine wants to surprise her parents with the return of her sister from London. Things go from bad to worse with the press of a key fob. More of a thriller than a romance, this one has nonstop action and a little Spanish thrown in for fun.

Blue Christmas by Taylor Lee. I have to say I love the Elvis song. The heroine in this is a kick-butt US Soldier that is undercover to stop human smuggling and illegal arms dealing. The hero shows up to close the deal. Some explicit sex scenes.

Undercover Christmas by RaShelle Workman. A child prodigy with the ability to sense people’s intention with a touch goes undercover in a strip club to find a murderer. There is an interesting mix of things in the story and I’m glad this is part of a series.

Catch that Santa by Karen Docter. The heroine and hero team up to prevent their respective grandparents from eloping to Las Vegas. This one reminded me of It’s a Wonderful Life in parts.

A Christmas Mission–Saving the Street Boys by Emily Nelson. Not really a romance but a very good story of a girl who’s life is changed by a car accident on the night she graduates from college. This is a Christian story but it is realistically gritty completely in keeping with the subject and the boys lives. Well done.

My Dangerous Christmastime: A Prequel Short Story (Spies in Stilletos) by Carolyn McCray.  Not a romance but an action adventure story about a woman who gets caught up in a plot to blow up a Mall on Christmas eve. Very cute with James Bond gadgets and snappy dialogue. This is also part of a series.

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Things that go Thump in the Dark

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Linda Andrews

There are times when I get to sleep into 5 or 5:30AM.  These days are far between but every once in a while I get lucky. This last Sunday was one of those days. I looked at the clock and decided to snuggle against my hubby’s back when I heard a thump. A very loud thump.

Then there was a conversation between the cats and the dogs.

You know the kind, the one that leaves scratches on the dog’s nose and slobber on the cats.

Stepping into my slippers, I shuffled into the living areas to feed the animals and see what all the fuss was about.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABear lay on his bed diligently licking the cat dish that fell off the entertainment unit and onto his bed. Gifts from heaven, he said, holding the dish between his paws. And he no longer likes having his picture taken as the cats have told them the photos are for missing dog posters.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFat Charlie saw nothing, heard nothing, didn’t know nothing happened but he was sure the dog was involved.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAShadow came out from under the end table to verify that the dog was involved, but didn’t look at the other cats.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERACyanide for once was not at fault. He was very adamant that he wouldn’t bother getting on the top of the entertainment unit let alone push a dish off.  He doesn’t eat the wet stuff, but it did look good on the dog.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMs. Peaches is in the know on everything that happens in the house. Her favorite place to hang out is on the entertainment unit which is where her food happens to be. The very place the food was.

And while she may seem to be the impatient one waiting for her food to be served. It was Fat Charlie who left the paw tracks behind, embedded in cat food, no doubt. Of course, he got off scot-free as the dog cleaned up after him.

Then I fed the cats and took the dog for a walk.

 

 

 

 

 

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Redaction Part IV–Title needed

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Linda Andrews

As you can tell from the title of my post I am looking for a title for the next Redaction book. Right now the working title is A New Beginning which doesn’t fit the violence and ew factor of what I’ve written thus far.

So if you care to make a suggestion, I’ll put you in a drawing for one of 5 copies of the book before it comes out (then you’ll get an ebook in the format of your choice after its official release).

Just so you’re not shooting in the dark, here’s the tentative blurb:

To survive the apocalypse, mankind has paid a heavy price.

A well-organized group cobbled together a world-wide network to nurture a dying race and strives to revive a sterilized planet.

A few banded together in tight knit communities.

Others have given their freedom over to warlords to be ruled by force and blinded by gold.

And some have turned to the only food available–their fellow man.

Now, our noblest intentions will war with our innermost savage and no one will be left unchanged.

Redaction: Humanity’s next chapter will be written in blood.

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We’ve got the music…on my mom’s MP3 player

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Linda Andrews

I’m sure anyone who’s read my blog and still has a beating heart knows I write to a soundtrack off my MP3 player. New book, new music. It’s Linda’s Law. And while I know some weirdos artists who prefer silence, I was glad to know I wasn’t the only weirdo artist who is inspired by music (even if we tune it out).

A couple weeks ago, my mom was complaining about her need for music kinda clashing with my dad’s TV viewing. I recommended she get a MP3 player and put all her CDs on it, then she could listen to her favorite songs.

Being the dutiful (cough) daughter I am, I looked up the device I had and found it for her at Best Buy. She and my father promptly piled into the car and went to the store only to find it was out of stock and had to be ordered. An hour later (and no receipt–see Mom I do listen when you talk) she was pretty sure it had been ordered and would arrive…sometime.

Garden of the Sea by my mother

Garden of the Sea by my mother

Time flew by as it does when you’re not watching the clock or undergoing a painful medical/dental procedure, and eventually the thing arrived. Naturally I was called to schedule a training session on the upcoming day of the week. Food was promised so along I went. My dear mother had plugged the MP3 player into the computer for a LONG time but the charge bar didn’t seem to move. I naturally checked and rechecked the connection. My youngest pulled the cover sticker off. Imagine our surprise to see it fully charged.

Then we began the process of ripping, burning, and syncing music from the CD to the MP3 player. Copious notes were made, edited, and rewritten. Pages were torn out, balled up and thrown…into the garbage.  Then I was allowed to go home.

Then I was asked to return.

Notes were edited, numbered, key words cited and underlined. But by George, she got it. Aside from a short glitch where the song was stuck on repeat (as opposed to the library), my mom is happily listening to her music on her headphones and my dad is yelling at her to stop singing he’s trying to watch TV.

And I have been granted access to her CD collection which has scads of Big Band Music and Blues artists (I’m looking at you Dinah Washington) to add to the four CDs I bought/received in December. A win-win situation.

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Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Linda Andrews

Yes, I know it’s winter but I live in Phoenix. Cold to me is anything less than 80. Okay, I’ll be reasonable anything less than 60 is cold. So imagine my surprise when the news was going on and on about the impending cold front that would leave our highs in the 40s?  Uh, do thermometers in the valley even go that low? Apparently so, since the overnight temps would be in the low thirties and twenties.

That’s Celsius, right?

No.

We were about to be hit with temps the Valley of the Sun hadn’t seen since 1989. I remember 1989. I remember snow in 1985 and ’86, but I do not remember warnings about burst pipes. That just did not happen.

Don’t believe me? The main water feed to my house shoots a foot and a half out of the ground before making a 90 degree turn and going inside my house.  I have 3 more hose bibs outside plumbed the same way and a pool that is nothing but a mass of exposed PVC piping.

I was told to keep the pool running in the prime freezing time from 10Pm-7am so that took care of that. But I’d never covered pipes before. I hadn’t even seen it done? So I asked my husband who was born and raised in Brooklyn. After a blank stare (apparently folks who live in places where freezing temperatures occur don’t have exposed pipes), I went and grabbed some towels, a pair of scissors and duct tape. With some twisting and turning I wrapped the darn things and taped them up tight.

The next morning, we got in the car and started the engine. It flashed an ice warning at us. Two hours later, when the sun was rising–the temperature had dropped another 2 degrees. What’s up with that?

We drove to my folks and sure enough there in the center of the road was a water fountain coming from one of the service connection. Guess the flowing water mantra didn’t work so well at 22 degrees.

Of course in my haste to protect my house, I forgot my poor plants. My lantanas suffered the most. And just when I thought the worst was over, I was out this morning walking the dog and slipped on a ice patch on the sidewalk.  No one saw but the dog, who promptly came home and shared with the cats who heckled me from their spot on the dog’s bed.

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This week’s reading

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Linda Andrews

Keeping with my Christmas in January theme, here’s what I’ve read.

A Wizard for Christmas by Dorothy McFalls– Short but sweet story of a lonely woman who finds a family of wizards for Christmas. Of course, there’s a soul eater in the mix so things are not always what they seem.

Ice God’s Christmas by Helen Scott Taylor–A woman goes searching for her birth parents  while conducting business with a North Pole theme park and ends up as a pawn in Odin’s game. Very unique and fun.

Loveable Christmas Angel by Mimi Barbour–A woman sets out for Hawaii to scatter her mother’s ashes and discovers an aunt only to have her die shortly there after (natural causes) then finds herself guardian to a surly 5 year old cousin. Loved the spirit of the heroine and her determination to make lemonade from all the lemons hurled at her.

Save Me, Santa by Nina Bruhns, Ann Charles, Rita Herron, Lois Lavrisa and Patricia Mason. This is an anthology with some very unique stories. Must Love Santa was in last week’s post. One is a Ground Hog Day set to Christmas Carols and deadly consequences. Another cute story about a woman who substitutes cooking words for swear words as she tries to deliver a restraining order.  The third story has a woman hiding from a violent stalker in an old folks home and is filled with witty dialogue. And the last was a giggle-worthy love story set in a mortuary. Each story involved notions of family in one way or another and each was quite fun on their own.

I can’t believe I was able to read so much in 5 hours. Maybe my Kindle app won’t be as full to bursting by the end of the year.

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Friday Funny

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Linda Andrews

A friend of mine in Texas sent me this and I thought it was too funny not to share.

Image

they dressed the truck up with the guy tied down on the roof
The driver and passengers put on moose heads
They went down the interstate causing 16 accidents
Yes, they went to jail
Yes, alcohol was involved
This proves men cannot be left alone.
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Coffee, Tea or Cocoa

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Linda Andrews

I know this may sound unAmerican but I hate coffee. I do love tea but the hands down I’ll take off a finger if you touch it winner is hot cocoa, also known as, hot chocolate.

And, now that I think about it, Chocolate is American.

Those poor unfortunates on other continents dreamt of sugar plums, not chocolate before the Americans were discovered by Europeans. The origins of the plant are murky because Early Americans knew a good thing when they tasted it and so it (is theorized) to have spread from the Andes all along the Americas. There actually is a white chocolate bean, but it is very rare and I’m sure tastes a billion times better than that white stuff evil-doers try to pass as Chocolate.

And chocolate was even used as currency before the Spanish arrived. I’m kinda thankful for the change as it would give new meaning to eating away our retirement. Naturally, there would be those who couldn’t save a reddish-brown bean to save their souls. With their chocolate-stained fingers, they would be easy to spot though.

I haven’t been able to find when the brilliant person turned the noble bean into a drink (let alone flavored it with vanilla) but it was the royal beverage of choice when the Spanish arrived and exported the drink to the rest of Europe.  The rich enjoyed it first, even including it in their daughter’s dowries. Then some bright person separated it and mixed the powdered cocoa with milk.

Although there are a few folks who say hot chocolate is made with bar chocolate and hot cocoa is made with the powder, I use them both interchangeably.  And prefer the powdered type when I’m in a hurry to get to work. Which made my find of 1/2 off hot chocolate (powdered) mixes at my local Bed, Bath and Beyond a wonderful and unexpected present.

Now I just have to hide them from my son:-)

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Working on the List

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Linda Andrews

I have a confession to make. I haven’t been reading all the time I’ve been the human hamster (ie walking on the treadmill). Last night I watched an episode of Alfred Hitchcock presents as well as the end of Morning Glory.

But I have read a few short stories the other three days. You’ll notice a theme I’m sure. Of course, I don’t officially stop celebrating Christmas for another 7 months so I figured they’re in keeping with my mindset.

Here’s what I’ve read so far (I might have to get a widget to keep track– so if you know of one that tracks books read let me know).

Must Love Santa by Nina Bruhns. A cute novella about an undercover cop staking out a veterinarian suspected of human trafficing. I loved that animals were in the book and there was good chemistry between the hero and heroine, plus a bit of mystery thrown it.

Time’s Holiday by Jennette Marie Powell. A lunchtime read which started with the heroine planning to kill herself and the hero giving her the gift of time-travel. I’m envious of the author’s ability to world build with so few words and she actually threw in a little bit of historical events to increase the tension. Well done!

Calling All Grammies by Flo Barnett. I downloaded this children’s book because my mom is called Gramme by my children (and her other grandchildren). This is cute and short and rhymes.

Why is it only children’s books get to rhyme? Anyone think it would be fun to write a rhyming horror story? Maybe just the cannibals could rhyme. “I’ll eat your face, while I’m in this place. You’ll scream and cry, but I’ll still bleed you dry.”

Back to our normally scheduled post.

A Christmas Gift for Baby by Nancy Radke. Very short but well developed story of a man who makes peace with his estranged parents for the sake of his pregnant wife. I love happy endings and in this one everyone wins.

Christmas Babies (Holiday Babies Series) by Mona Risk. A longer novella length story about a Doctor who learns what life is about when she’s faced with the end of everything she thought mattered. The heroine’s mom is funny and the hero is perfect for the story. Throw in orphan twins and this story is guaranteed to find something that pulls on your heartstrings.

So that’s my weeks worth of reading. Now, should I count each one as a full book or do I get partial credit given their length?

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Need A Little Christmas Now!

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Linda Andrews

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI love Christmas. Ahem, I love Christmas after Thanksgiving through August:-)

So it is with great sadness that I always take down my Christmas decorations the weekend after New Years. I can’t stand those Grinches that remove their lights the Christmas day. This is the time to enjoy the holiday season.

But alas it must be done eventually.

And, it is a solitary affair as everyone seems to be busy doing something else when the time comes. But that’s okay. I pack up the memories with the ornaments, snowmen, santas and angels. I’m not sure what to do with the dragon that ate the angel that normally sits atop the tree. I might set him on the pigeons outside but that doesn’t seem to be in keeping with the holiday. Perhaps, I just give him back to my son.

This year I’ll add a new one memory (aside from the dragon) of my oldest’s daughter’s boyfriend lining up all the animated toys and making them sing carols all at once.

I’m proud to say my dancing snow man, singing I’m Mr. Cold Miser beat out the Jingle Bells reindeer, dancing Christmas Tree, Dancing Santa and the I’m a Snowman snowman.

I will of course be humming this tune from now until Thanksgiving 2013.

For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas

Or you can enjoy Johnny’s version on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9e3VxiMcHU

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