Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Guest Blog by Loucinda McGary - and a Giveaway!

Please help me welcome Loucinda McGary to Books and Needlepoint today. Her latest book, just newly released, is The Treasures of Venice and is a captivating read.


My Writing Process

Yesterday, I got an email from my good friend Sue who said she was just passed the half-way point in my latest release The Treasures of Venice. Like any true friend, she told me how much she loved the story thus far and then she asked, “How do you do it? How do you come up with all these characters, the plot and all the details?”

My friend JoAnne had a similar reaction when she finished reading my debut release The Wild Sight. Her first question was, “How did you come up with all those words?”

When Kristi very generously asked me to do a guest blog here on Books and Needlepoint, it occurred to me that more than just my two friends might like to know some answers to the ‘how,’ ‘what,’ and ‘why,’ of my writing process. So I’ll attempt to answer those and a few other questions. For me, writing is a lot like any other skill (like tennis or knitting), the more I do it, the more I want to do it and the better I get at doing it.

I am NOT a morning person. My optimal writing time is between 1 and 6 PM so that is when I write. Okay, I also like to go out to lunch with friends, so I often don’t get started until 1:30 and sometimes I’ll sneak in another hour or two after dinner. But my writing routine generally consists of doing emails, blogs, and other correspondence in the (late) mornings. Then every afternoon, Monday through Friday, I write from about 1 until 6. Saturdays and Sundays I am not so disciplined, but I often do revisions and critiques on those days. If I am ‘on a writing roll’ or I have a deadline, I’ll write on Saturday nights, often into the wee hours of the morning.

I am what we writers call a ‘pantser,’ which means I write by the seat of my pants. The opposite of a ‘pantser’ is a ‘plotter.’ This is someone who lays out everything before they write one word of their story. Heaven knows I have tried to be more of a plotter. I went so far as to write an eleven page outline of The Wild Sight before I started writing the first draft. Unfortunately, my characters had other ideas, and by the third chapter, I’d gone so far astray from the outline that it was useless!

When I wrote The Treasures of Venice, I was totally ‘pantsing’ the whole thing! I knew who my characters were, that the jewels had been stolen and somehow they must be found again. But I didn’t have a clue how. Part of the beauty of being a ‘pantser’ is that my sub-conscious is constantly working on my story whether I am writing or not. I distinctly remember I was in the middle of writing Chapter 6, when one morning I woke up and BAM! I knew the ending! I knew exactly where and how they were going to find those jewels. I felt great!

If only my writing process always worked that way, but unfortunately it doesn’t. Sometimes I write myself into a corner and I have to stop working on the story, go away and do something else for awhile and let my sub-conscious sort things out. Luckily, within a few hours it usually does. And then there are the days when I’m on that ‘writing roll’ I mentioned. Those are the days it is truly wonderful to be a ‘pantser!’ The words just flow and I almost feel like I am ‘channeling’ my characters. I love those days.

So, in a nutshell, that’s how I do it: Show up everyday, give my sub-conscious free rein, and hope that my characters take over. I’m not exactly sure why this works, and I definitely don’t recommend every writer try it. I only know it works for me.

Are any of you writers? Do you have a routine? Or if you’re not a writer, are there certain things you have to do during the day to make it feel right?

About the Author
Loucinda McGary took early retirement from her managerial career to pursue her twin passions of travel and writing, and sets her novels of romantic suspense in the fascinating places she has visited. She was a finalist in the 2006 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart contest in Romantic Suspense. She lives in Sacramento, CA. For more information, please visit http://loucindamcgary.com/.

If I were a writer, and I am most definitely not, I believe I would be a "plotter". I have lists and reminders and calendars all over with the things I need to get done or where I need to be. It is hard for me to fly by the seat of my pants - or probably more true - it is hard for me to REMEMBER all that I need to do if I don't write it down! But to answer one of her questions above - "are there certain things you have to do during the day to make it feel right?" Even though I have lists of things to do, there have been times I have been none to ignore them all and the day feels just fine to me, so maybe I can fly be the seat of my pants on occasion!



Now for the giveaway! Danielle and Sourcebooks are giving away one set of Cindy's two books: The Wild Sight and The Treasures of Venice! This giveaway is open to U.S./Canada only - no PO boxes. It will end on Sept 29. All you have to do is leave a comment below with your email address to enter. For an additional entry, please visit Cindy's website or blog - Aunty Cindy Explains It All and tell me something you have learned about Cindy or her books!




Monday, September 7, 2009

Never the Bride by Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge (Book Review)


Title: Never the Bride
Authors: Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge
Publisher: Waterbrook


I read this book for a First Wild Card Tour. Go here to read the first chapter of Never the Bride.

First sentence: You don't know me yet, so there is no reason you should care that I'm stuck on a highway with a blowout.

My synopsis: Jessie was a hardcore romantic. She had kept journals since she was a child - and now - over 100 journals later, she was still filling them with fantasies of Mr. Perfect and how he would propose. Only in real life she is having a hard time even getting a date.

Blake is Jessie's best friend and has been since they were young - but somewhere along the way Jessie's feelings became more romantic. Unfortunately Blake seems to have eyes for everyone else but her. She has never shared her feelings for him with anyone.

Upon returning home one night after an unsuccessful attempt at speed dating, she finds a man waiting outside her condo. Feeling a little reckless because of her evening, she confronts him and calls 911. He doesn't leave even as the officers arrive in their squad car. This is when she discovers that they cannot see her mystery man.

The officers leave, chalking up her 'stalker' to it being Valentine's Day, the unsuccessful speed dating, and assuming she has had too much to drink. What Jessie discovers is that her mystery man is claiming to be God - in human form. All He asks of her is that she surrender the writing of her life/love story to Him rather than fantasizing about it in her journals. There are a couple of things she needs to do along the way though - like giving away her proposals and blogging. Jessie takes a 'step of faith' and quits her job to open Stone Serenades with her sister Brooklyn. They are going to help clueless men plan the most magnificent proposals of marriage to their would-be brides.

My thoughts: This was such a fun read - lots of humor throughout. You can imagine the jokes that can abound if God were walking around in human form. But the bigger impact of the book was actually beginning to wonder what it would be like if we treated our relationship with God as if he were our best friend and we were able to carry on conversations with Him face to face. How different would our lives look? What would happen if we took that 'step of faith' and quit trying to control things ourselves and let the One who made us take control? I laughed, I cried, I couldn't put this one down! If you get the opportunity to read it - I suggest you do! What was extra cool was that this book was a screenplay (The Ultimate Gift) that was adapted into a book!

Never the Bride
Publisher/Publication Date: Waterbrook, June 2009
ISBN: 978-0-307-44498-1
320 pages

Kid's Corner: The green Green Pear (Book Review)


Title: The green Green Pear
Author: Manjula Naraynan
Publisher: Author Solutions



About the book: In her new children's book, The green Green Pear, debut author Manjula Naraynan follows the adventures of a little pear who feels down, dissatisfied, and wishes that he were "anything but a green Green pear!" He compares his color, shape and ability with that of other fruits, shapes and animals respectively, and views himself in a negative light.

Fed up with being green, The green Green Pear sets off on a journey to try to change who he is, color and all. Throughout his voyage he finds nothing seems to help him. Even the kindness of a passing shooting star, who grants him everything he wishes for, doesn't seem to cheer him up. The green Green pear, in his journey to find love, grows to understand that the key to his happiness rests in his love and acceptance of who he is, and that with this foundation of love he could grow up to be anything he wants to be.

Beautifully illustrated by the author and ideal for children aged 3 and up, The green Green Pear gives children a tool to start thinking independently and to recognize the goodness in themselves and in others while developing their sense of self. (Bostick Communications)

About the author: Manjula Naraynan is a writer and illustrator living in Chennai, Southern India. She has a degree in corporate secretaryship from the University of Madras. The green Green Pear will be followed by two more titles in her Color Trilogy for children.

My thoughts: This was a cute book and I loved the illustrations in it! As my son generally only likes books about trucks, race cars, fire engines, I didn't think that he would like this one at all. I was wrong - he not only liked it, but a week later when I asked him what it was about -he said "Changing," which was a very good word for a 4 year old to use to sum up this book. Besides the good message it sends about being happy with who you are, it also introduces shapes, colors, fruits and animals and their sounds, so it is also very interactive.

The green Green Pear
Publisher/Publication Date: AuthorSolutions, June 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4389-6957-2
32 pages
3+ years

Stray Affections Blog Tour

Stray Affections by Charlene Ann Baumbich is on tour Sept 7-11 and I have one copy to give away!





About the book: The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some shopping time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home– even if means wrestling another shopper for it!

The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange–flurrious, as Cassie deems it–moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.

With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites you to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances. (Random House)

About the author: Charlene Ann Baumbich is a popular author and speaker and an award-winning journalist. In addition to her Dearest Dorothy series of novels, she has written seven nonfiction books of humor and inspiration. A bungee-jumping, once motorcycle-owning grandma and unabashed dog lover, Charlene lives with her husband and rescued dog Kornflake in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She loves telling stories, laughing whenever possible, and considers herself a Wild Child of God.

To be entered in the giveaway, just leave a comment with your email address. One entry per person. U.S./Canada only. This giveaway will end Sept 28. If you can't wait for the giveaway - you can purchase Stray Affections!


Stray Affections (A Snowglobe Connections Novel)
Publisher/Publication Date: Waterbrook Press, Sept 15, 2009
ISBN: 978-0307444714
320 pages





First Wild Card Tour: Never the Bride

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!



I should be finishing this book later today (if I haven't already by the time this posts) - so watch for my review - I am enjoying this one!


Today's Wild Card authors are:




and the book:


Never the Bride

WaterBrook Press (June 2, 2009)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Cheryl McKay is the co-author (with Frank Peretti) of the Wild and Wacky, Totally True Bible Stories series, which has sold nearly 200,000 copies, and the screenwriter of the award-winning film The Ultimate Gift.

Visit the author's website.



Rene Gutteridge has published thirteen novels including Ghost Writer, My Life as a Doormat, the Boo Series, the Occupational Hazards Series, and the Storm Series. Together, McKay and Gutteridge are the authors of The Ultimate Gift, a novelization based on the feature film and popular book by the same title.

Visit the author's website.



Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (June 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307444988
ISBN-13: 978-0307444981

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:


You don’t know me yet, so there is no reason you should care that I’m stuck on a highway with a blowout. But maybe we can relate to each other. Maybe you can understand that when I say, “Everything goes my way,” I’m being sarcastic. Not that I’m usually dependent on such a primitive form of communication. I’m actually not very cynical at all. I’m more of a glass-half-full-of-vitamin-infused-water person. Sometimes I even believe that if I dream something, or at least journal it, it will happen. But today, at eight forty-five in the morning, as the sun bakes me like a cod against the blacktop of the Pacific Coast Highway, I’m feeling a bit sarcastic.

It’s February but hotter than normal, which means a long, hot California summer is ahead—the kind that seems to bring out the beauty in blondes and the sweat glands in brunettes. I am a brunette. Not at all troubled by it. I don’t even have my hair highlighted. I own my brunetteness and always have, even when Sun-In was all the rage. And it can’t be overstated that chlorine doesn’t turn my medium chestnut hair green. Actually, it’s the copper, not the chlorine, that turns hair green—but that’s a useless trivia fact I try to save for speed dating.

I’m squatting next to my flat tire, examining the small rip. Holding my hair back and off my neck with one hand, I stand and look up and down the road, hoping to appear mildly distressed. Inside, I’ll admit it, I’m feeling moderately hysterical. My boss flips out when I’m late. It wouldn’t matter if my appendix burst, he doesn’t want to hear excuses. I wish he were the kind of guy who would just turn red in the face and yell, like Clark Kent’s newspaper boss. But no. He likes to lecture as if he’s an intellectual, except he’s weird and redundant and cliché, so it’s painful and boring.

A few cars zoom by, and I suddenly realize this could be my moment. Part of me says not to be ridiculous, because this kind of thing happens only on shows with a ZIP code or county name in the title. But still, you can’t help wondering, hoping, that maybe this is the moment when your life will change. When you meet your soul mate.

Like I said, I enjoy my glass/life half full.

Even as an optimist, I see no harm in being a little aggressive to achieve my goals. So with my free hand, I do a little wave, throw a little smile, and attempt to lock eyes with people going fifty miles an hour.

And then I see him. He’s in a red convertible, the top down, the black sunglasses shiny and tight against his tan skin. He’s wearing pink silk the way only a man with a good, measured amount of confidence can. At least that’s the way I see it from where I’m standing.

As he gets closer, his head turns and he notices me. I do a little wave, flirtatious with a slight hint of unintentional taxi hailing. I decide to smile widely, because he is going fast and I might look blurry. He smiles back. My hand falls to my side. I step back, lean against my car, and try to make my conservative business suit seem flattering. There’s nothing I can do about my upper lip sweating except hope my sweat proof department-store makeup is holding up its end of the bargain better than my blowout-proof tire did.

He seems to be slowing down.

Live in the moment, I instruct myself. Don’t think about what I should say or what I could say. Just let it roll, Jessie, let it roll. Don’t over think it.

This thought repeats itself when the convertible zooms by. I think he actually accelerated.

So.

My makeup is failing, along with whatever charm I thought I had. I just can’t imagine what kind of guy wouldn’t stop and help a woman.

Maybe I’d have more hits if I were elderly.

I do what I have to do. What I know how to do. I change my own stupid tire. Yes, I can, and have been able to since I was eighteen. I can also change my own oil but don’t because then I appear capable of taking care of myself. And I’m really not. Practically, yes, I can take care of myself. I make decent money. I drive myself home from root canals. I open cans without a can opener. I’m able to survive for three days in the forest without food or water, and I never lost sleep over Y2K.

But I’m talking about something different. I’m talking about being taken care of in an emotional way. Maybe it’s a genetic problem. I don’t know. Somehow I became a hopeless romantic. A friend tried the exorcism equivalent of purging me of this demon when she made me watch The War of the Roses two times in a row, all under the guise of a girls’ night, complete with popcorn and fuzzy slippers.

That didn’t cure me.

I want to be married. I hate being alone.

I lift the blown-out tire and throw it in my trunk, slamming it closed. My skin looks like condensation off a plastic cup. I can’t believe nobody has stopped. Not even a creepy guy. I stand there trying to breathe, trying to get a hold of my anger. I’m going to be late, I’m going to be sweaty, and I’m on the side of a highway alone.

“You need some help?”

I whirl around because I realize that I’ve just been hoping that even a creepy guy would stop, and since my world works in a way that Only my negative thoughts seem to come to pass, you can see why the glass-half-full is so important.

The morning sun blinds me, and all I see is a silhouette. The voice is deep, kind of mature.

“Well, I did need some help,” I say, fully aware that acting cute is not going to undo the sweat rings that have actually burst through three layers of fabric, so I don’t bother. I dramatically gesture to my car and try a smile. “But as you can see, I don’t now.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. But thank you very much,” I say, for stopping after I’m completely finished. I trudge back to my car and start the air conditioner. Glancing back in my rearview mirror, I study the silhouette. He sort of has the same shape as the guy in my dream last night. My night-mare. It was actually a dream after my nightmare, where you feel awake but you’re not. It wasn’t the nocturnal version of Chainsaw Massacre, but it did involve taffeta.

He doesn’t wave. He doesn’t move. He just stands there, exactly like the guy in my dream. It’s very déjà vu–like and I lock my doors. I put my blinker on, pull onto the highway, and leave him behind, driving below the speed limit on my flimsy spare tire all the way to work.

I work at Coston Real Estate. We’re squeezed between a wireless store and a Pizza Hut. We stand out a little because of our two huge dark wood doors, ten feet tall and adorned with silver handles.

I push open one of the doors and walk in. Mine is the front desk. It’s tall, almost Berlin Wall–like. People have to peer over it to see me, and I look very small on the other side. When I’m sitting, I can barely see over the top of it.

I walk toward the break room, past nine square cubicles, all tan and otherwise colorless. Even the carpet is tan. On my left are the real offices with walls.

Nicole, inside her cubicle, sees me. “What happened to you?”

We’ve been good friends ever since I started working here, ten years ago. She’s African American, two years younger than I am. She has that kind of expression I wish I could wear. Her eyebrows slant upward toward each other, like a bridge that’s opening to let a boat through. It’s part You’re weird and part I’m worried. She has sass and I love it. She’s working her way up to senior agent and is one of Mr. Coston’s favorites, but I don’t hold that against her.

I don’t answer because I’m busy staring at her new eight-by-ten framed family picture. It’s very Picture People: white background, casual body language, all four wearing identical polo’s and jeans. I love that kind of husband, who will wear matching clothes with his family. They’re so adorable.

“Jessie, seriously girl, you okay? You’ve got black smeared across

your forehead.”

I tear my eyes away from the photo. “Blowout on the highway.”

The eyebrow bridge is lowered, and she chuckles. “Honey, you look like you changed your own tire.”

I put my forehead against the edge of her cube wall. “I did.”

“Oh. Wow. I wish I knew how to change a tire.”

“No, you don’t. Trust me.”

She reaches under her desk and pulls out a neatly wrapped gift. “For you.”

I smile. I love gifts. I drop my things and tear it open even though I already know what it is. “Nicole, it’s beautiful!” It’s a leather-bound journal with gold embossed lettering and heavy lined paper inside. “What’s the occasion?”

“It’s February. I know how much this month…Well, it tends to be a long month for you, that’s all.” She points to the spine of it. “It sort of reminds me of the one I brought you back from Italy four years ago. Remember?”

“Yes, it does.”

“So, my friend, happy February. May this month bring you—”

“Love.” From my bag, I pull out a folder and slap it on her desk.

“What is this?” She says it like a mom who has just been handed a disappointing report card.

“Just look.”

Carefully, like something might jump out and insult her, she opens the folder. She picks up three glossy photos of several potential loves of my life.

“They’re hot, aren’t they?” I ask.

“Too hot,” she says.

“There’s no such thing as too hot.”

“Suspiciously too hot, like an airbrush might be involved.”

I grab the photos from her and turn them around for her to see. With my finger, I underline each of their names: Cute Bootsie Boo, Suave One You Want, One Of A Kind Man.

“Jessie Cute Bootsie Boo. Mmm. Doesn’t have a good ring to it.”

“It’s their instant message names, Nicole.”

“Yes. And that makes it better?”

I sigh. “You have got to get into the twenty-first century, you know. This is the best way to meet a guy.”

“You can tell a lot about a man by what he names himself.” She looks up at me and shakes her head. “Seriously. You set up a date with one of these and they’ll show up with a beer gut, a walker, or a rap sheet.”

“None of them rap.”

Nicole stands, grabs my arm with one hand and my stuff with the other, and whisks me to my desk. She nearly pushes me into my chair and drops everything in front of me.

“Chill out,” I say as she walks away. “This service guarantees background checks. But if you happen to end up needing a restraining order, they’ll pay for it.”

Nicole gasps and whirls around.

“I’m kidding.” But I have her attention now. I lean back in my chair, looking at the ceiling as my hands feel the leather on my new journal. “This’ll be the year, Nicole.”

“You say that every year. Especially in February, which is why I got you the--”

I snap forward. “But I’ve never taken control like this before. Three online match sites, one dating service. They find what you want or your money back.”

Nicole walks back toward me and leans over the counter. “I didn’t realize QVC sold dates. If you order in the next ten minutes, do you get two for the price of one, plus an eight-piece Tupperware set?” She reaches for my chocolate bowl.

I scowl at her but lift the bowl up so she can reach it. “What do you know about it? You got married right out of college.”

“Don’t remind me.” She carefully unwraps her candy and takes a mini-bite.

“You never even had to try.” I grab a piece of dark chocolate out of my candy bowl and get the whole thing in my mouth before she takes another bite of hers.

Nicole shrugs and leans against the counter. “Sometimes you just gotta leave these things up to fate.” She goes back to nibbling on her chocolate.

I swirl my hands in the air. “Fate, God, the universe. They’ve all been asleep on the job of setting up a love story for me.” I stand up. “No. I am going to make this happen myself.”

Nicole doesn’t look up from her candy. “Do you even know what it means to be married? To be chained to another person for the rest of your life? To pick up socks and wash underwear and care for a grown man like he’s just popped out of infancy? Huh?”

I glare at her even though she’s got eyes only for her candy. “It’s got to be better than being alone. Or being a bridesmaid eleven times.”

She bites her lip and finally glances at me. “But you know how…you kind of need everything to be a certain way.”

I nudge my stapler so it isn’t perfectly perpendicular to my sticky notes, just to show her I’m able to handle disorder. I try not to stare at it because now it’s really bugging me. “Are you saying I’m a control freak?”

“With OCD tendencies. You can’t expect everything to be exactly how you want it if you want to live through a marriage.”

I stand and start walking slowly toward the bathroom. “I know what ‘compromise’ means.”

Nicole follows. “Then why do you get mad when I have to check with my husband before we go out? That’s what marriage is. You can’t even poop without someone else knowing.”

I glance at her to see if she’s serious. She is. Part of me wants to tell her about my dream last night. I always tell her about my dreams. But she’s really pooping on my parade today. We get to her desk and she sits down. I walk on.

I have these dreams. I’m talking nocturnal, not journal. Yeah, I dream in my journal. I admit it. I’ve written in one since I was fourteen, when I found a strange delight every time I drew a heart with a boy’s name attached in squiggly letters.

But back to my nightmare. It started with me in a wedding dress. That’s not the nightmare. That part was actually cool because I was in a dress I designed in my journal when I was twenty-two.

The march was playing. I love the “Bridal March.” Nothing can replace it. I cringe every time I hear a country song or bagpipes or something. My wedding, it’s got to be traditional.

I was making my way down the aisle, rhythmically elegant, one foot in front of the other. My shoulders were thrown back, my chin lifted, and my bouquet held right at my waist. I once saw a bride carry her bouquet all the way down the aisle holding it at her chest. I shudder just talking about it.

The train fluttered behind me, like it’s weightless or maybe there’s an ocean breeze not too far away. It was long, bright white, and caused people to nod their approval.

I smiled.

Then the “Bridal March” stopped, halting like a scratched record. I looked up to find another bride in my place, wearing my dress, standing next to my guy. I couldn’t see what he looked like; he was facing the pastor. But the bride, she looked back at me with menacing eyes, overdone with teal eye shadow and fake lashes.

I screamed. I couldn’t help it. I closed my eyes and screamed again. When I opened them, I could hardly believe what I was looking at. A church full of people, looking at her. And what was I doing? Standing next to her in a bridesmaid dress.

Gasping, I looked down. Hot pink! With dyed-to-match shoes! I glanced next to me and covered my mouth. It was me again, standing next to me, in green. Dyed footwear.

And there I was again, standing next to my lime self, this time in canary yellow. On and on it goes. I counted ten of me before I woke up, gasping for air, clutching myself to make sure I was wearing cotton pajamas.

“Thank God,” I said, but as I looked up, I saw a man in my room. He was backlit against my window, like the moon was shining in on him, but I don’t think the moon was out. A scream started forming in my throat, but I recognized that he was not in a stance that indicated he was going to stab me to death. There was no knife. Nothing but an easy, casual lean against my windowsill. Truly, no less scary.

The scream arrived as I clamored for my lamp. I yanked the string three or four times before it turned on, but when it did, the man was gone.

I realize I am standing in the middle of the hallway near Nicole’s desk. She is gabbing on the phone but looking at me funny. I go to the coat closet next to the bathroom. I always, always keep a spare change of clothes at work, just in case I have to do something like change my tire. Or someone else’s. It’s happened. I take out my least favorite suit, which is why I keep it here. It’s lilac with a boxy neckline that makes me feel like I should be a nanny. I head toward the bathroom.

“Stone, get me the ad copy for the new Hope Ranch listings.”

This is my boss, Mr. Coston, dragging me back to reality. He pops his head out the door as I pass by but yells at me like I’m down the hall. I don’t think he even remembers my first name.

“Already on your desk, sir,” I say.

He’s in his sixties, with a loud but raspy voice and shiny silver hair that tops a permanent look of disappointment. “What happened to you?”

“Blown tire.” I hold up my suit. “I was just going to change.”

“Fine. Then get me a latte. Lighten up on the sugar, will you?”

“Right,” I mumble as he disappears. “Lighten up on life, will you?”

I’m the office equivalent of a bat boy. I’m the coffee girl. It’s this one thing that sort of drives me crazy about my job. I do a lot of important things, but when I have to run get coffee, I feel like I’m falling down the rungs of the occupational ladder. It makes me wonder. If I had a job I could get passionate about, would I be so desperate for a husband? I could drown myself in work rather than my dreams.

Well, either way, I’m drowning, and that’s never good.

After I change and decide I really, really dislike the color lilac, I grab my purse and head for the neighborhood Starbucks. It’s five blocks away and I like that. It gives me time to walk and think on such things as to why Mr. Coston has been married for thirty-four years, the exact number of years I haven’t been married. He doesn’t mention his wife much and doesn’t even have a picture of her in his office. He doesn’t wear a wedding band, and when he does take a vacation, it’s with his buddies to golf resorts.

It just seems like the world could better balance itself out, that’s all.

I’m nearly to Starbucks. People are leaving with their white and green cups of bliss. The putrid smell of coffee will soon replace the putrid smell of old rainwater evaporating underneath the sun. I’m not a coffee fan. I’m high strung. The feeling everyone wants by drinking coffee I have naturally, just like my chestnut hair.

I’m about to open the door, and then I see him, in all his glory.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

In Your Mailbox/Mailbox Monday 9-7-2009


Mailbox Monday is hosted at The Printed Page or In Your Mailbox at The Story Siren. Please stop by those posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!


Happy Labor Day everyone! I was gone for most of last week, so I will be detailing all of my books here instead of individually for this mailbox. So here we go! I hope you find something that interests you!


Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

I received this one from Paperback Swap and am excited to start this series!

Enter the dark magical world of the House of Night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampyre. That is, if she makes it through the Change - and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the Vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers: When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny-with a little help from her new vampyre friends. (back cover)







The Transformation Study Bible edited by Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe

I received this from Tracy at TBB Media.

One of the most anticipated and comprehensive Study Bibles of the year, The Transformation Study Bible has been a lifetime in the making by a man who is the former pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago, an internationally known Bible teacher, and someone who has given his life to a deep examination of the Word of God.

For over thirty years, millions have come to rely on the timeless wisdom of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe's "Be" Commentary series. Dr. Wiersbe's commentary and insights on Scripture have helped readers understand and apply God's Word with the goal of life transformation.

We may be the messengers but God transforms lives through His Word and The Transformation Study Bible promises to be an essential resource for growing motivated disciples. Not only will readers understand God's Word with a greater sense of clarity, but they will be given the means to apply what they learn with a new sense of purpose.

Now available for the first time, The Transformation Study Bible offers the full text of the highly readable New Living Translation with accompanying notes and commentary from the 50 books in Dr. Wiersbe's "Be" series.

Rely on Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe to guide you through Scripture and lead you in real-life transformation. Uncover the profound truths of God's Word. Apply what you learn with a new sense of purpose.

This is a must-own Bible for everyday use by all Christians who want to get more out of their study of Scripture. (Amazon)








A Separate Country by Robert Hicks

I received this from Miriam at Hachette Books.


Set in New Orleans in the years after the Civil War, A Separate Country is based on the incredible life of John Bell Hood, arguably one of the most controversial generals of the Confederate Army--and one of its most tragic figures. Robert E. Lee promoted him to major general after the Battle of Antietam. But the Civil War would mark him forever. At Gettysburg, he lost the use of his left arm. At the Battle of Chickamauga, his right leg was amputated. Starting fresh after the war, he married Anna Marie Hennen and fathered 11 children with her, including three sets of twins. But fate had other plans. Crippled by his war wounds and defeat, ravaged by financial misfortune, Hood had one last foe to battle: Yellow Fever. A Separate Country is the heartrending story of a decent and good man who struggled with his inability to admit his failures-and the story of those who taught him to love, and to be loved, and transformed him. (Amazon)







The Third Man Factor: The Secret to Survival in Extreme Environments by John Geiger

I received this from Catherine at Weinstein Books.

The Third Man Factor is an extraordinary account of how people at the very edge of death experience the sense of an unseen presence beside them who encourages them to make one final effort to survive. This incorporeal being offered them a feeling of hope, protection, and guidance, and left the person convinced he or she was not alone. There is a name for this phenomenon: It's called the Third Man Factor.

If only a handful of people had ever encountered the Third Man, it might be dismissed as an unusual delusion shared by a few overstressed minds. But over the years, the experience has occurred again and again, to 9/11 survivors, mountaineers, divers, polar explorers, prisoners of war, sailors, shipwreck survivors, aviators, and astronauts. All have escaped traumatic events only to tell strikingly similar stories of having sensed the close presence of a helper or guardian. The force has been explained as everything from hallucination to divine intervention. Recent neurological research suggests something else.

Bestselling and award-winning author John Geiger has completed six years of physiological, psychological, and historical research on The Third Man. He blends his analysis with compelling human stories such as Ron diFrancesco, the last survivor out of the World Trade Center on 9/11; Ernest Shackleton, the legendary explorer whose account of the Third Man inspired T.S. Eliot to write of it in The Wasteland; Jerry Linenger, a NASA astronaut who experienced The Third Man while aboard the Mir space station-and many more.

Fascinating for any reader, The Third Man Factor at last explains this secret to survival, a Third Man who-in the words of famed climber Reinhold Messner-"leads you out of the impossible." (Amazon)







The Evolution of Shadows: A Novel by Jason Quinn Malott

I received this from Caitlin at Unbridled Books.


In July of 1995, the news photographer Gray Banick disappeared into the Bosnian war zone and doing so took away pieces of the hearts of three people who loved him: Emil Todorovi , his interpreter and friend; Jack MacKenzie, his mentor who taught Gray to hold his camera steady between himself and the worst that war presents; and Lian Zhao who didn t have the strength to love him as he wanted her to. Now, almost five years later, they have gathered in Sarajevo to find out what happened to Gray, the man who had taught them all what love is. Each driven character in this novel believes fully that there is a love strong enough to sustain them, even in the extreme of circumstances of war. But each time they have uncovered a glimpse of such a thing, they have failed tragically love itself. Or, to see it another way, this is a novel about how love fails us every time or almost every time. (Amazon)







Saint John of the Five Boroughs by Edward Falco

I received this from Caitlin at Unbridled Books also.

When 22-year-old Avery Walker, a senior at Penn State, meets Grant Danko, a 37-year-old performance artist from Brooklyn whose stage name is Saint John of the Five Boroughs, her life changes radically as she leaves college to live with Grant in Brooklyn and pursue a life as an artist. Out of concern for Avery, her mother, Kate, and her aunt, Lindsey, and Lindsey s husband, Hank, all travel to Brooklyn, where they all face a crisis and they are all forced to make life-altering choices. Grant Danko is a bad guy with a curiously attractive personality and a coterie of bright, artistic friends. He uses his good looks and his accomplishments (and the accomplishments of those friends) to get as many women as possible into bed. He s at times screwed up on drugs, winds up murdering someone as a result of taking a job working for his gangster uncle. He s inclined toward sex as an act of violence, has violent sex at least bordering on rape with his best friend and with Avery, a college student fifteen years younger than he. He mocks religion in his performance personae, and at the point where we first meet him, he s locked off from any kind of relationship with a higher power. Grant is about as lost as a man can get. So, when he finally chooses to risk death rather than to murder yet again, something extraordinary has happened. He s at the beginning of redemption and change, almost a kind of grace. Saint John of the Five Boroughs is beautifully turned, a stunning and layered novel about the effects of violence, both personal and cultural, on its characters lives. It s about the way violence twists character but it s also about the possibility of changing paths for the better. This novel explores why we make the choices we make both the choices that are so bad for us in their ultimate consequences, and the choices that save us. (Amazon)








The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel: A Novel by Maureen Lindley

I received this from Bloomsbury USA through Shelf Awareness.

Peking, 1914. When the eight-year-old princess Eastern Jewel is caught spying on her father's liaison with a servant girl, she is banished from the palace, sent to live with a powerful family in Japan. Renamed Yoshiko Kawashima, she quickly falls in love with her adoptive country, where she earns a scandalous reputation, taking fencing lessons, smoking opium, and entertaining numerous lovers. Sent to Mongolia to become an obedient wife, Yoshiko mounts a daring escape and eventually finds her way back to Peking high society--this time with orders from the Japanese secret service.

Based on the true story of a rebellious woman who earned a controversial place in history, The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel is a vibrant reimagining of a thrilling life--a historical epic of palace intrigue, sexual manipulation, and international espionage. (back cover)







My Fishing Journal by Louis Gary Lamit

I received this from the author through Bostick Communications.

Some of my fondest memories are of fishing with my dad. Together, we fished from bridges and boats, along docks and canals, from the shores of lakes and streams, and even standing on thick ice. We spent many days in the warm sun on small row boats pulling in sunfish, bluegills, and perch by the hundreds. In the warm buggy summers we fished in the late evening and early morning for catfish along local canals. Until I started writing this journal I never realized just how much of my life I have spent fishing. Recently my son and I started fishing with my granddaughter. And so, the tradition of family and fishing is passed to the next generation. For my family and hopefully for yours, fishing is an excellent excuse to get out into nature and spend time with those you love. Looking back I wish I would have written down information about these trips. This journal is for those who want to document their fishing trips and also save it for later in life to better recall these special times. (Amazon)








Fairy Hunters, Ink by Sheila A. Dane

I received this from the author through Bostick Communications.

"Fairy Hunters, Ink." is about a small group of intrepid fairy hunters who go about finding fairies.And they are most unusual fairies. There are Button Fairies, Fire Fairies, Picnic Fairies and fairies of all kinds of things. The book is about fairies but it is also about the relationships between the characters themselves. It has been described by one reader as a combination of "Winnie the Pooh" and "Alice in Wonderland". The characters who thread their way through the book are Ashley, a most curious little girl about 5 years old; Big Rabbit, a stuffed rabbit (but not really stuffed) who is full of knowledge about carrots and many other things; Turtle, whom Ashley and Big Rabbit meet along the way as they chase a particularly mischievous Willow fairy and the narrator, Laura, whose age is never quite clear and who is always getting into trouble along with Ashley. They meet a lot of fairies and a few Gremlins along the way and they learn something about themselves as well. The book is full of word play and rhymes, silliness and seriousness. It can be read to a five year old or by a an eight year old or by an adult. (Amazon)








Messages to Myself: Overcoming a Distorted Self-Image by Helen B. McIntosh

I received this for a First Wild Card Tour in October.

What you think and believe about yourself directly affects your behaviours, your choices, and your mental health.

If you have been wounded by the opinions and words of others, you may have internalized the sadness and anger those hurtful messages caused--even if you were hurt years ago. They could be the source of low self-esteem, poor concentration, difficulty making decisions, and hopelessness--even feelings of insignificance and isolation. Ignoring these feelings will not make them go away.

Dr. Helen McIntosh, a licensed counselor has experienced the emotional anguish and devastation that past hurts can cause, and she suffered the painful consequences for many years. In her book, Messages to Myself, she shares with you methods that you can start using immediately to change the messages you give yourself every day.

Through her one-of-a-kind Truth Chart, which is included in Messages to Myself, you will begin to identify lies you have believed about yourself and proactively counteract those lies with truth.

You don't have to live with a poor self-image. You can see yourself as God sees you and live in peace and joy with eager anticipation for your future. (back cover)







The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

I received this from Gillian at PGI Razorbill.

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!

When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?
(Amazon)








The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Kidnapped by Yxta Maya Murray

I received this one from Gillian at PGI Razorbill also!

Kiki and Mish are best friends, but what Kiki doesn’t know is that Michelle Pena was born a gang princess. “Princess P” grew up destined to inherit leadership of the Snakes: a future filled with crime and fear.

Michelle, on the other hand, is a nationally ranked athlete and academic superstar. This is her new life, and she’s finally put her past—and her childhood love for Silver—to rest.

Then Silver helps kidnap both girls, and Michelle has to figure out how to free them both—and reconnect with a future that might now be beyond her reach. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. (Amazon)









A is for Admission: The Insider's Guide to Getting into the Ivy League and other Top Colleges by Michele A Hernandez, EdD

I received this from Brianne at Hachette Books.

Plenty of college admission guides promise to help students crack the Ivy League, but few of these have detailed knowledge to back up their advice. Michele Hernandez, on the other hand, is the ultimate insider. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth College, she also worked as Dartmouth's assistant director of admissions for four years. In A Is for Admissions, Hernandez describes the step-by-step process Ivy League schools use to evaluate an application. Along the way she settles some ancient debates, including the comparative importance of SATs versus high-school grades, public versus private high schools, and extracurricular activities versus part-time employment. She evaluates every possible factor affecting chances for admission, including special categories of students such as recruited athletes, minority applicants, and legacies. Most dramatically, Hernandez reveals the precise mathematical formula used by admissions officers to rank applicants. Using her guidelines, readers can calculate their own AI (Academic Index) and--should their scores come up short--learn ways to compensate in other areas.

Refreshingly, Hernandez helps would-be Ivy Leaguers keep their goals in perspective. She strongly advises against "grade grubbing" or "working for the grade." If you think attending a top college is the key to success, Hernandez cautions that the Ivies may not be for you. "If your goal is to make money, but you don't enjoy studying or reading, don't waste your time by trying to get into an Ivy League or highly selective college.... The beauty of an Ivy League/highly selective education lies in the intellectual atmosphere.... It does not lie in the prestige of having a diploma from Princeton or Dartmouth on your wall." Levelheaded and clearly written, A Is for Admission is the perfect guide for the student (or parent) who has his eyes set on the stars. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. (Amazon.com Review)







My Grammar and I...Or Should That Be Me?: How to Speak and Write it Right by Caroline Taggart and J.A. Wines

I received this from Caitlin at FSB Associates.

Sharpen your language skills and navigate your way around grammatical minefields with this entertaining and practical guide. For anyone who has ever been stumped by dangling modifiers and split infinitives, or for those who have no idea what these things even are, My Grammar and I...Or Should That Be Me? offers practical and humorous guidance on how to avoid falling into language pitfalls. Here are all the right tools to help you gain confidence as a speaker and writer, highlighting the most common language errors, such as wrongly used prepositions, misplaced modifiers, and confusing participles.

This refreshing refresher course covers:
• Spelling and Confusables-There are times when the spelling rule "i before e except after c" does not apply
• Parts of Speech-Is it "its" or "it's"? "Whose" or "who's"?
• Sentence Structure-Let us ponder the subject, or object, of "I" and "me"
• Punctuation-So where does a comma go?
• Elements of Style-There is more to grammar than knowing the difference between a subordinate object and a nonrestrictive apostrophe


And, for those grammar know-it-alls, there are entertaining "Smart Aleck" trivia, anecdotes, witticisms, and more. Clever and informative, this is the ideal gift for all English-language sticklers. (Amazon)









i before e (except after c): old-school ways to remember stuff by Judy Parkinson

I received this from Caitlin at FSB Associates.

Here is an amusing collection of ingenious mnemonics devised to help us learn and understand hundreds of important fact as children and can continue to resonate with us as adults.

Featuring all the mnemonics you’ll ever need to know, this fun little book will bring back all the simple, easy-to-remember rhymes from your childhood—once learned, fix the information in the brain forever—such as learning to count by reciting “One, Two, buckle my shoe, Three, Four, knock at the door.” Packed with clever verses, engaging acronyms, curious—and sometimes hilarious—sayings that can be used to solve a problem or cap an argument.

Take a trip back to the classroom, and rediscover the assortment of practical memory aids covering a range of different subjects, including spelling, time, mathematics, history, general trivia, and much more. The information is organized in short snippets by category such as:
* Geographically Speaking: Remember North East South West by reciting Never Eat Slimy Worms or Naughty Elephants Squirt Water.
* Time and the Calendar: “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; All the rest have 31 excepting February alone; And that has 28 days clear; With 29 in each leap year”
* Think of a Number: Know the Roman numerals by remembering “I Value Xylophones Like Cows Dig Milk”
* World History: “In fourteen hundred, ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue, And found this land, land of the Free, beloved by you, beloved by me”

The clever verses, engaging acronyms, curious sayings are endless. Guaranteed to amuse and inform, here is a perfect gift for any language lover—complete with a To/From gift plate. (Amazon)








I Used to Know That: stuff you forgot from school by Caroline Taggart

I received this from Caitlin at FSB Associates also!

This small but mighty collection will trigger your memory with fun facts you learned in school—from adverbs to the Pythagorean Theorem. Witty, engaging, entertaining—a book you’ll pick up again and again.

Author Caroline Taggart discovered two things while researching this book and talking with other people: One, everybody had been to school. And two, they had all forgotten entirely different things. Contained in this handy little book are the facts that you learned in school, but may not remember completely or accurately. Covering a variety of subjects, this book features all the most important theories, equations, phrases, and rules we were all taught years ago.

Rediscover:
* History: The first president to occupy the White House was John Adams in 1800
* Religion: The seven deadly sins and the names of the twelve apostles
* Literature: In which Shakespearean play “The quality of mercy” speech appears
* Science: The periodic table of elements devised by a Russian chemist in 1889 includes the symbol for lead (Pb), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), and gold (Au)
* Nature: How photosynthesis works

The information—presented in easy-to-retain, bite-sized chunks—is accurate and up-to- date. It will touch a chord with anyone old enough to have forgotten half of what they learned at school. Here is a perfect gift for every perennial student. (Amazon)








Mom Needs Chocolate: Hugs, Humor and Hope for Surviving Motherhood by Debora M. Coty

I received this for a First Wild Card Tour in October.

Your spirit yearns to soar, but your feet—and faith—are stuck in the diaper-by-diaper mud of everyday responsibilities. How can you de-muck when you’re chronically exhausted and relentlessly robbed of abundant life by the joy-sucking dully-funks? Mom Needs Chocolate will help you get back in touch with rejuvenating joy and empowering faith! In mom-to-mom, smile-provoking style, humorist Debora M. Coty paints her offbeat picture of reality with a tangy twist, and offers outrageous coping tips, off-the-wall insights, sisterly hugs and warmencouragement.With witty frankness and wild abandon, she tackles the highs and lows (and mediums) of marriage, the horror of embarrassing children, the defeat (and re-defeat) of depression, aging grossfully (er, gracefully), and a veritable grocery list of othermud-between-your-toes issues. You will glimpse the all-too-familiar in these hilarious and heartwarming stories, and remember how to hear God’s still, small voice above blathering kids, howling pets and snarling traffic! (back cover)


What books found a new home with you this week?

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