Book Review: 'The Girl on the Train' by Paula Hawkins

Struggling her way through divorce and alcoholism, Rachel lives vicariously through a seemingly happy couple that live a few houses down from her own former, happy home.  Everyday, she rides the train past their house and watches them as the train pauses to switch tracks.  She makes up stories about who they are and the things they get up to, soaking up every detail she can see from her seat upon the train.  But then Rachel sees something that shatters the image of the idyllic life she has constructed for the two strangers.  The next day, the woman is missing, presumably murdered.  Her husband seems to be the chief suspect.  Rachel becomes obsessed with unraveling the mystery herself, even to the point of ruining what little remains of her own life.  For Rachel went on another bender the night of the disappearance and cannot remember a thing, other than that she, too, was in the area and may have seen the victim before she went missing.

The story is told from three different, equally unreliable, characters' points of view.  Rachel is the most prominent.  The second is Megan, the murder victim, who is definitely not the person Rachel imagined her to be.  The third is Anne, Rachel's ex-husband's new wife, who appears to be the perfect wife and new mother.  She is, however, almost irrationally jealous and afraid of Rachel.  And Rachel and Megan were eerily similar in appearance...

The Girl on the Train is listed as a thriller.  The mystery of who killed Megan and exactly what happened that night has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.  I honestly had no idea what happened to the victim or anything else that occurred on the night in question until it was revealed at the end of the book.  However, the narrative leans a bit too heavily upon the flaws of the main characters to build up suspense regarding the murderer's identity.  For me, that meant they were all too unsympathetic to really make me care what would happen to them.  This book reminded me a lot of 'Gone Girl', so, if you enjoyed that book, you might want to give this one a try.

Get it on Amazon

NaNo WriMo Update

It's three weeks into National Novel Writing Month now, and I'm actually pretty happy with the way things have gone.  I just reached 40,000 words today, so I'm on target to finish on time, barring any disasters.  Honestly, I write so slowly I thought I'd only be somewhere around 20,000 now, so I'm pretty excited.

At the end of last month, I found my local group and attended a few of their meetings before November began to get some advice.  I've had a chance to try most of it, now, and I think it's really helped.

First, they told me it's best to build up a buffer for yourself in the beginning, if at all possible, because you never know what's going to come up later in the month that requires your attention.  I've been lucky, so far, and haven't really needed to use up that buffer.  It does mean that I can have Thanksgiving off to spend with my family, though, so it was definitely worth it.  It also gets harder to keep yourself motivated to keep meeting those daily goals as the month wears on.  The middle days sometimes feel like the end is impossibly far away, and a buffer can help with that, too.

They also recommended attending as many write-ins as possible, where you meet up with other struggling writers to pound away at the keyboard and get more words down (or the leaps-and-bounds-ahead writers that make you suck it up and push yourself harder).  I have done a few of those and got a lot of work done, but I don't think I'd recommend trying to hit them all.  Pick the ones that most interest you, instead.  Remember to consider travel time.  The NaNo regions can cover some distance, so you might find yourself spending precious time driving when you could've gotten more work done if you'd stayed at home.  That being said, if you're having a tough time and there's a meeting during your free time, the drive might just pay off.

If you're one of the unlucky ones whose region is so big that there aren't any meet ups near you, there are also virtual ones you can find on the WriMo website.  Admittedly, I only tried one of these, so I didn't really get a good sampling of the process.  Watching others type responses and word counts in the messages after sprints didn't really motivate me as much as in person.  It does, however, work for others, so don't be afraid to give it a try if you're struggling.

Another WriMo also showed me how to find word crawls in the NaNo message boards which have helped keep me on task when writing on my own.  Other writers post stories, similar to choose your own adventure, which require you to write a certain number of words before you can proceed.  These can be extremely challenging, but, using them, I've managed to knock out 1500 words or so on a day when I didn't think I'd be able to write 5.

To any fellow WriMos out there, good luck and keep writing! Every word helps :)

Book Review: "Finders Keepers" by Stephen King (Book 2 of the Bill Hodges Trilogy)

Pete Saubers' family is floundering.  His father was gravely injured when a madman plowed his car through a crowd of people (the events from book one, Mr. Mercedes).  Though he survived, Pete's father can no longer work and is in constant pain.  His mother's hours have been reduced, and the bills keep piling up.  When he finds a chest filled with money and valuable notebooks written by a famous author who is now deceased, Pete doesn't think twice about using it to help them.  Unbeknownst to Pete, the chest is the spoils of a brutal, decades old murder, masterminded and committed by an obsessed fan of the author.  Now this murderer, Morris Bellamy, has been released from jail and can think only of reclaiming the precious books.  When he sets his sights upon the Saubers family, it is up to retired detective Bill Hodges to end Bellamy's plans of mayhem.

This second book in the trilogy is different from the first in that it is more thriller than mystery.  The reader knows from the beginning who committed the murder, and where Saubers' miracle chest really comes from.  However, this doesn't detract from the excitement of the story.  The reader follows along with Pete Saubers down a path that the reader knows will end in bloodshed, even if Pete's situation makes him believe otherwise.  The characters in this story feel very real, and that makes the story all the more terrifying.

The story follows after that of the first but is a separate story unto its self.  So, it's not completely necessary to have read Mr. Mercedes to understand Finder's Keepers.  There are, however, references to the fist book, and Hodges does spend some time with the murderer from Mr. Mercedes (Brady), but it isn't necessary to know this to understand the current story.  This arc seems, instead, to be hinting at something that may happen to the final book, End of Watch, which has recently been released.

If you like thrillers, I'd definitely recommend checking this one out.


Get Finders Keepers on Amazon

A New Start

I've been neglecting my blog for the last several months, but, as things are starting to get back to some sense of normalcy, I'm going to be posting more regularly.  For those of you who are curious what happened, last summer we realized my husband would need to relocate for his work.  At first, we hoped that would mean a move somewhere within Florida, but that didn't work out.  Instead, the ideal position opened up in my home state of Indiana.  I spent the first part of the year taking care of everything necessary to get my family moved from Gainesville to the Indianapolis area while my husband started work.

Side note: military families are awesome.  I mean, everyone made the move in one piece, but, well, let's just say I was a hot mess.

We're all settled into our new home now, and I spent the summer exploring the local family activities with my son.  He was quite pleased to learn that Indiana does, in fact, also have and grocery stores that sell the ingredients to bake cookies and parks with playgrounds.

This wasn't my first long distance move, obviously, but I had forgotten how strange it feels.  I didn't know where anything was--not even inside my own house.  Even a trip to the grocery store required an extensive search of Google Maps.  So, I still feel like we're always several steps behind everyone else, but I try to remind myself that everything's ok as long as we eventually get where we're supposed to be and no one gets injured in the process.  And we actually have found some pretty cool places and had a few fun adventures along the way.


Of course, whatever's left of teenage me is still throwing a tantrum, but, what does she know anyway? Florida is wildly beautiful, but Indiana doesn't have any flying roaches as big as canaries.

I still miss Florida and all our friends, but, the truth is, it hadn't been working for awhile.  No one ever likes to abandon a dream, but it would be far worse to stay in one that had stalled and was on its way to, if you'll excuse the mixed metaphor, car crash status.

For now, I'll take some time to recover and see where the next adventure takes us.

Next month I'll be participating in NaNoWriMo for the first time.  As someone who normally writes at glacial speeds, this will be an interesting experiment to say the least.  Are any of you planning on participating? If you've done so in the past, do you have any advice for newbies like me?

Sara's Night Out: A Short Story

I don't see horror/suspense movies in the theater like I used to, quietly trading snarky comments with a friend at the ridiculousness of the situation or the characters' choices.  The problem is that, since my journey into motherhood, I take the children's fake peril way too seriously.  I don't mean getting a bit creeped out afterward.  I'm talking about full on adrenaline dump, ready-for-a-fight against imaginary characters creating make-believe havoc.  Like I'm the mom version of the Incredible Hulk, ready to rain down my wrath on those who would harm such a precious little darling.

That's where the idea for the following short story arrived.

Sara's Night Out

I settle into the second chair in the middle row, leaving my husband to take the aisle seat.

"Aren't you proud? I haven't mentioned Sammy once tonight," I say, referring to our son who is back home with the babysitter.

I wince, but Emmet only smiles.  The house lights dim, and we turn our attention to the screen.   Having forgotten my jacket, I squirm closer to my husband.  The movie has already started, and he stares at the action onscreen.

Monsters have surrounded a secluded mountain resort, and stranded vacationers barricade themselves inside the main lodge.

"What are those things?" a young woman asks.

"I took the blood from the one we killed up to the microscope in the nature center.  It's riddled with parasitic viruses!" a guy with thick glasses says.

I giggle.  "Parasitic viruses," I say into my husband's ear.

He doesn't turn, but, even in the dark, I detect him rolling his eyes.  I bite back my other comments and turn back to the story.

The camera sweeps through the forest to a tiny, dark cabin with its own monster fan club.  The scene  moves to the cabin's interior, and my stomach drops.

"Who left that kid all alone in the woods?" I ask.

Emmet pats my hand.

The little girl on screen cowers beneath a table as the creatures crash through the window.  The biggest pushes past the others and licks his lips as he stalks toward the girl.  My heart races until I can feel its pulsing even through my toes.

They'll cut away soon...Or someone will come to help her.  Who wants to watch a little girl get ripped apart, right?

The monster has reached her now and drags her out from under the table by her leg.  She shrieks and slaps him across the face.  She kicks at him with her free leg, but he wrenches the other.  He lifts her over his head and throws her at his waiting companions.

The blood within my veins has been replaced with fire.  I grip the armrests of my seat until my knuckles turn white.

The monsters drag the screaming child outside and throw her down upon the ground.  She scrambles to her feet.  She sprints in the opposite direction, tears streaming down her face.  She screams for help, but her fear renders her little voice into unintelligible warbles.  The monsters descend, mouths open and ready for the easy meal.  The girl howls, and something bursts within my chest.

The arm of my chair dislodges itself with a crack.

"Mama's coming, sweetie!" I say as I leap over the row of seats in front of me.

People scatter out of my way as I stalk down the aisles, chair arm raised above my head.  I reach the edge of the floor lights and plunge into the blackness beyond.  My foot catches something.  I stumble and hit the ground hard.  Pain pierces my right knee, but it may as well come from someone else's body.  I rush back to my feet and whirl the chair arm at the nearest monster.  My arm vibrates with the force of the connecting blow, but the monster continues its assault.  I swing again and again, repeatedly bashing the monster over the back, but it only ripples and continues the assault.

The little girl's screams reach inside my body, a thousand needles piercing my brain and shredding my heart.  I grit my teeth and turn away as my eyes begin to burn.  A hundred eyes stare at me, but no one moves a muscle.

"Help me!" My voice cracks as warm liquid spreads down my cheeks.

The light from a room beyond ours catches my eye.

I'm attacking a reflection.

I race up the ramp toward where the real monsters wait.  Someone reaches out and grabs my arm.

"Let's go home, Sara," a voice says in my ear.

The girl's cries weaken.

"Mama's coming, baby!"

I yank free and continue my upward climb.  I burst through a door and stumble into a room filled with equipment.  The source of the light and sounds sits to my right, encased inside a strange box.  I raise the weapon one last time.

"Mama's here, baby...Mama's here."

Book Review: The Banished of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler

Eighteen year old Maia was banished from her kingdom by her own father--with quite a bit of persuasion by his new lover.  Now, her only hope to save herself and her people lies in a quest to rid the world of the Myriad Ones, a nasty group of spirits drawn to all forms of human suffering.  Her dabbling in reading and magic (which are forbidden for women), however, has left her with several powerful enemies.  As she fights to stay one step ahead of those who hunt her, it becomes clear that something has already gone horribly wrong.  Something is wrong with Maia, and that something threatens to bring doom down upon not only herself, but anyone around her.

'The Banished of Muirwood' is the first book in a series entitled 'Covenant of Muirwood'.  It is a followup series to the original Muirwood trilogy called 'Legends of Muirwood.  Although Maia's story occurs one hundred years later than that of the first trilogy, 'Banished' does seem to expect the reader to have a basic understanding of its world and magic system, so, if you haven't read the first series, I would recommend you do so before trying this one.  I feel that the 'Legends' series was better than the first book of this latest series, but I did still enjoy 'The Banished of Muirwood'.  The character development and elements of magic were not as strong, but still managed to paint an interesting picture.  There is an element of Cinderella and her Evil Stepmother that I found difficult to get through, but Maia's story is, thankfully, more than that. Maia is part ruler, part young girl, and the combination of the two both saves and hinders her progress.  By the time she begins to realize that her quest has begun to unravel before it has really begun, multiple layers of the plot have converged, and the action of the story really takes off.  If you are a fan of epic fantasy, you'll want to add the Muirwood series to your list.

Find it on Amazon

Book Review: 'The Martian' by Andy Weir

Mark Watney wakes on the Martian surface, injured, alone, and wearing a suit bleeding air. He has survived the dust storm that separated him from his team during their evacuation, but he knows they have been forced to leave him behind. The good news is that the habitat has also survived and is stocked with enough food and supplies to last a few months.  He also knows that another team is scheduled to arrive on Mars and could potentially give him a ride home. There are only two problems. First, communication is down and NASA thinks him dead, so his only hope of connecting with the other team would be to appear on their doorstep at just the right time. Second, the next team will not arrive for over a year, when his supplies will have long been exhausted. Can Mark figure out a way to contact NASA, stretch his supplies, and get himself to the right location on a foreign planet that seems bent on his destruction?

This book is extremely well written.  Following along with Mark as he works out the solutions to his problems under such extreme pressure kept me up well into the night. I simply could not put the book down. The character himself is fascinating, and I loved how he kept managing to find his sense of humor, even after set backs that pushed him to his breaking point. This book reads like an adrenaline-packed 'How to Survive on Mars' handbook that perfectly balances the science detail with the action and drama of Mark's story.

Find it on Amazon

Book Review: Dragonfly Part I by Charles A. Cornell

In World War II era England, Ronnie is pilot for the Royal Air Force whose gender has meant restriction to mail runs and supply deliveries for the “real” pilots.  When she is reassigned to a new base under the navy’s jurisdiction, she stumbles into a new program and chance for a far more exciting assignment.  A navy scientist has discovered a new energy source which he has adapted for a new type of plane called the Dragonfly.  Dragonfly’s unique abilities could give the British an important advantage in the war, but it’s still in development, and test pilots are, understandably, in short supply.  Fearing the enemy will destroy the base before the work is complete, Ronnie’s commander agrees to allow her to begin the testing until a replacement arrives.  While on a test run, however, the base is attacked.  Ronnie is forced to join the battle, setting off a chain of events that leads to her assignment on a top secret mission that just might be the difference between winning and losing the war.

Dragonfly is a dieselpunk novel set in an alternate reality version of World War II.  Although this area of history has certainly been the subject of more than its fair share of works of fiction, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the author took real world events and merged them into something that feels real but is something altogether different.  Following along with Ronnie as she learns the ins and outs of Dragonfly’s capabilities is interesting, and her subsequent crash course in the enemy’s technologies serves as a chilling counterpoint to all of the team’s advances.

Find it on Amazon

Summer Road Trip: our tour of the nation's great rest stops

As our 10th wedding anniversary approached, my husband and I decided to try something a little different to celebrate: a family road trip.

You might be thinking us insane.  "A road trip with a preschooler! But what about bathrooms, strange beds, all the packing, and the picky eating habits? Are we there yet?!"

Technology, honestly, is a lifesaver.  It's easy to find the nearest rest areas or, in absolute emergencies, restaurants and gas stations.   (Don't pass a rest stop, no matter how many times he swears he doesn't need it.  It's a trap!)  That also means it's easier to find familiar foods for the more 'discerning' child (Google Maps was our go to), and we brought along a few non-perishable snacks and a cooler for easy picnics from the grocery store when the pickings were scarce.  We also tried the trick of saving a couple cheap puzzles as surprises for our son along the way.  These worked great for awhile, but he soon lost interest.  He asked about a million times what time we would get to the hotel, where was it, what would we have to eat, where would we sleep, would there be elevators, and why weren't we just headed straight to Grandma's.  Then I surrendered and let him watch movies on my computer. (Yes, I know, his brain is now ruined forever.  Thanks.)

As for the packing? Yeah, completely insane.  There was so much, I decided to pack it into bags according to the stage of our trip that we would need it, so that we wouldn't have to drag everything out at each hotel.  This worked pretty well, but it did require a lot of pre-planning.


I knew Savannah would be tricky with a child since it's not exactly the first place anyone thinks of for family travel, but there are few good things to be found.  My son loved the playground at Forsyth Park, which was so enormous, he could only stare at it for several moments with his mouth hanging open. (There are two, one for the younger set and one for older children)  The downtown bus and tram are a great way to get around, along with free entertainment for the preschool set.  For dinner, if you're in the mood to splurge, I'd definitely recommend the Pirate House.  They really put in the extra effort to welcome families, including kids menus that have non-alcoholic versions of the adult drinks, and, when the ordering is done, they turn into pirate hats, eye patches, and treasure.  The food is great, and, if your kids are a little older, they also have guided tours of the historic building in which the restaurant is located.  We did, however, casually guide our son back to the quiet of the hotel pool after dinner, as the booze tours began to hit full swing.  Bar hopping from a bike-powered cart is apparently a thing, and the scene became less appealing for those of us with tiny human parrots.  (How do you stay on those things, anyway, and not spill your drinks all over your neighbors? Is that how you know when you've hit your limit?)

The Playground for young children at Forsyth Park

Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina was breathtakingly beautiful.  I'd recommend hitting the more popular sites first (those closest to the roadside), since it's also pretty busy during the summer.  We did the opposite, choosing a few hiking trails first.  By the time we visited Looking Glass Falls the stairs were overcrowded, making it difficult for our little one to climb down to the observation platform. There are several quiet, well maintained picnic areas when your family is ready for a break.  (There are also plenty of those very important restrooms.) When you and your family have had enough hiking, you can pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway from inside the park for some incredible views from the comfort of your vehicle.

Looking Glass Falls

This guy was a lot more determined to get a tourist-free photo of the falls.  I'd totally have gone there for you, but, you know, I didn't want my son to follow me up there and all

We had a great time, but the sheer distance of our trip (a side effect of our son's desire to be left at Grandma's house in Indiana for his first sleepover) was too exhausting.  If you're considering a road trip with your family, I'd recommend a shorter distance, or more time, if you're ambitious, so that you can spend a couple days at each stop and give everyone a break from the road.  Reservation-free is also a good way to go, so that the trip can be changed when needed.  The day you want to move on to a different location, you can check travel sites to find hotels with available rooms.  Booking a few hours before hand won't give you a wealth of choices, but you can sometimes get good deals.  If you book much more in advance, a little hiccup in your schedule can lead to big problems down the line.

In short, a road trip with small children can be done, but you'll have to be flexible.  Everyone can have a great time, but the word 'relaxing' won't necessarily be one that comes to mind.  If that's more your speed, walk away from the road map and head straight for a vacation rental!

Short Story: Fly on a Web

I attended a writing workshop last fall in which Vic DiGenti suggested several methods for developing an outline for works of fiction.  The following is a short story I wrote using his ‘Fairy Tale System’.  The first sentence is a writing prompt from that workshop.

Trouble was lurking in the shadows of O’Malley’s bar, waiting for me to enter.  I knew he would be waiting in that same spot, at that same table, a silent reminder of an inescapable future.  Whilst in his favor, the rewards were plentiful, but only the dense or desperate failed to see that his wrath was inevitable.  Trapped in this town full of his worshipers, I had dutifully played along, pretending not to care about those who had fallen from his esteem.  But the last of my binds had painfully burst earlier that morning.  My poor father finally succumbed to the illness that had first put us into the monster’s debt.  As I laid him to rest, I knew I had nothing left to lose.

I took one last glance at the bar where the band’s music thumped a lively beat.  As I had expected, the entire town was already inside.  Readjusting my pack on my shoulders, I followed the silent road out of town.  The old forest quickly surrounded me in its own shadows.  I shuffled along the edge of the road, hardly daring to breath in the strange silence.

“Do you even know where you’re headed?”

I stumbled over a rock and landed hard in the brush at the side of the road.  A light pierced the darkness, revealing Jones’s imposing figure as he glared at me from a few yards up the road.

“I…”

He chuckled.  “Of course you don’t.  You’re stupid and poor and incapable of thinking any farther ahead than where your next meal’s coming from.”

I dragged myself off the ground and matched his gaze.  “I won’t listen to any more of your lies! Everything you say—”

“Is utter truth.  You’re just the daughter of some incompetent farmer from an inconsequential nowhere town.  No one out there,” he gestures vaguely in the direction of the nearest city, “cares about any of you.”

“That’s as may be, but you’re just a thug in that same nowhere town.  Your cronies don’t hold any power out there either.”

I had so much more I wanted to say, but he quickly closed the gap between us.  His hands shot out and wrapped around my throat before I finished drawing the breath to continue my rant.

“You have no idea who you’re dealing with.  I’m no thug…not even a man,” he said in my ear, his voice frighteningly low.  “I am immortal.  I have been worshipped by thousands and will continue to be long after you and your nowhere town have turned to dust.  Those who are loyal servants reap the rewards; those who are not become my sustenance…Any ideas which category you fall into?”

My head swam.  I flailed, pounding my fists into any part of him I could reach.  One of my blows caught his stomach, and his fingers released my throat.  I shoved him as hard as I could and ran in the opposite direction, leaving my pack where it lay.  I stole through the woods, no longer worrying about staying on course.  My feet slipped in mud and brambles tore at my clothes and flesh, but I barely noticed.  I could no longer hear him behind me, but I dared not look back.  I rushed over a rise, scuttling over loose rocks like the world’s clumsiest mountain goat.

He was waiting for me on the other side.

“How…”

He only laughed and reached out to me with one hand.  Dumbstruck, I stared as he flipped his wrist and clenched the outstretched fist.  Something within me snapped, and pain shot through my chest.  As my world grew dark, I watched the monster consume the last of its light.

Vic DiGenti is the author of the award winning Windrusher series and, under the name Parker Francis, the Quint Mitchell Mystery series.  He is also regional director of the Florida Writer’s Association and travels the state giving talks to help aspiring and growing writers.  To learn more about Vic DiGenti’s writing approaches and his works, please visit his website.

Book Review: Fade to Black (Awake in the Dark Volume 1) by Tim Mcbain and LT Vargus

Jeff Grobnagger suffers from a mysterious and sudden onset of seizures.  Every time, he blacks out and dreams the same thing:  an unknown figure in a dark robe murders him in an abandoned alley.  No matter what Jeff tries, his plans always backfire, and he is overpowered by the strange figure.  The blackness consumes him, until he finally wakes from his seizure.  Then, members of a strange cult barge into his life, seemingly knowing way more about Jeff than they should.  A brutal attack in his home makes it clear someone in the real world wants Jeff dead as well.  Somehow, he knows the only answer lies in surviving his twisted, seizure-induced dream.

Jeff’s journey to understand his dreams and the strange cult that has taken deep interest in him is intriguing.  The strange fights between him and the cloaked figure are exciting as the various twists and turns keep blowing up in Jeff’s face no matter how complex (or simple) his plans.  The cult members range from funny to extremely sinister, and serve to muddy the story enough to keep the reader guessing as to exactly is happening to Jeff.  Jeff, himself, is a complex character, a loner to the extreme with a nasty case of pessimism.  Most of the time, this takes the form of amusing sarcasm or curious social bumbles that up the conflict with the cult members and his few remaining friends.  Occasionally, however, it detracts from the story, slowing the plot as Jeff rehashes his depressing life philosophies.  Despite this, Fade to Black is an amusing and unique urban fantasy for those who also like mysteries and quirky characters.

Fade to Black is now free on Kindle

Book Review: The Only City Left by Andy Goldman

When Allin’s parents died, he made a promise to them to stay alive, but in a city like his, that is far easier said than done.  The enormous city is dying, suffering rolling blackouts as it succumbs to the countless ages it has served as the sole refuge for its inhabitants.  Flesh eating robots, angry ghosts, werewolves, and other strange monsters regularly roam the halls and have long since beaten the human population into triviality.  The only hope Allin has left to cling to is his goal to the reach the roof of the city and see the sun for the first time.  The city seems to have other plans, ever leading him in circles, and always downward.  Before long, he finds himself caught up in a longstanding war between the werewolves and a race of humanoid cats.  On one side, the ghostly leader of the werewolves wants Allin for some secret, horrible scheme, while the cats want him as bait to put an end to the werewolves reign of terror.  Allin must decide whether to continue his life of solitude, or to confront his past and join with the cats to save what’s left of humanity.

The Only City Left is a unique dystopian tale with a rich setting and interesting characters.  The action at times is so frenetic that it left me breathless.  I loved following along with Allin as he explored the city and couldn’t wait to find out what horror awaited him around the next corner.  The city’s desolation serves as a brilliant contrast against the one ray of hope, the tiny sliver of civilization represented by the cats, that begins to change Allin’s point of view.  Thus, even though the subject matter is quite dark, the story doesn’t feel overly heavy or depressing.  Overall, the book is a great combination of adventure, science fiction, and fantasy.

Get it from Amazon

Book Review: The Altar Girl by Orest Stelmach

When Nadia’s godfather dies, she is convinced the police have got it all wrong.  There is no way the old man could have accidentally fallen down those stairs.  Unlike the police, Nadia knows her godfather was terrified of those stairs.  So much so that he would often wait until his next visitor arrived to send them down to the cellar in his stead.  Never one to shy away from confrontation, Nadia says as much to anyone who will listen.  Her questions attract the attention of the decidedly wrong sort of people, and she is soon caught up in a race to solve the mystery surrounding his death or risk becoming a victim herself.  Her investigations take her deep into her beloved godfather’s not so innocent past, and up against her own brother and mother.  Before long, Nadia doesn’t know if she really wants to understand what happened to her godfather, but she fears what will happen to her if she fails.

The Altar Girl is a fast paced mystery/thriller that kept me reading well past bedtime.  Nadia’s upbringing and her godfather’s past are heartbreaking and yet somehow also triumphant.  Nadia’s pursuers are ever at her heels, creating an urgency to the story that makes it almost impossible to put down.  The mystery of the godfather’s death has enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing almost right up to the end of the book.  Are the criminals chasing her responsible for the ‘accident’? Could Nadia’s brother really have been the culprit? Is Nadia only creating a fantasy to protect the image she has of a saintly godfather? And yet, at the end, it is apparent the answers were there all along, hidden amongst the complicated layers that made up her godfather’s complicated life.

Get The Altar Girl from Amazon

Vacations Family Style

As summer vacation draws closer, I’ve been thinking a lot about how different my vacation mentality has become since having a child.  I used to pride myself on traveling light and not over scheduling so that there would be plenty of room for spontaneity.  Trying new activities and foods always topped my list.  Unfortunately, this level of uncertainty does NOT agree with small children.  In this case familiar sights and foods may be the only thing between you and a hunger and fear fueled meltdown.  (I feel extremely annoyed that none of those parenting books warned me that about 75% of my happiness would forever be tied to my child’s) And no matter how great your packing skills, somehow this small person will double your previous luggage needs.

So, is it possible to find common ground? A way for the adults to visit new places and try new things without overwhelming the kids? A place for the kids to have that all important free play time without leaving the adults with nothing to do but sit on the sidelines? A place for all their stuff?

For us, part of the answer has been cruising.  Yes, I know, but please hear me out before rolling your eyes and hitting the back button.  Cruising today is not what it was back in the day.  Many cruise lines have realized how easy it would be to adjust their business to accommodate families and have done so with gusto.  The sports decks now include activities other than shuffle board: basketball, rock climbing, golf simulators, surf simulators, and splash pads.  There are age specific kids’ clubs where kids can play with other kids, do science experiments, make crafts, and attend special themed parties.  These clubs are kept separate from the rest of the ship for the kids’ safety, but parents are, of course, welcome to stop by to check on their children.  With the exception of the nursery (the age of what is considered kids club vs nursery varies by cruise line), these activities, like most cruise activities, are included in the price of your cruise.  Some of the lines that have their own private island also provide activities in a special area designed just for kids while the ship is in port.  While the kids are playing, there are plenty of things for the adults to try: the spa, the gym, shows, parties, and most lines have adult only sections, which, unlike what you may be imagining, are basically where they keep the nice furniture and the fancy pool and bar.  As I’m a nerd, I love these spots because I can catch up on my reading while sipping a fancy cocktail in the sun.

There are also many family activities, including games, arcades, crafts, family shows, and even movies under the stars.  Our last cruise took place during Halloween, and, in addition to a costume party, the crew threw a special candy scavenger hunt for the children.  Meal times are stress free as many cruises now include buffets, allowing children to pick and choose for themselves (the chicken nuggets) while the adults can sample cuisines from around the world.

Cruising also lets you visit several different places without having to schlep all your stuff from plane to hotel to hotel and back again.  You can leave your luggage at the drop off in port, and someone brings it aboard for you where you can unpack until the cruise is over (when someone will transport it off the ship for you as well).  If you don’t know anything about the ports of call, you can choose from the cruise line’s recommended excursions and know that, at the very least, any necessary equipment will be in good working order, and they’ll get you back to your ship in time for departure.

Perhaps best of all, you’re never too far from your room.  So, when the inevitable tantrum happens, you can ever so gracefully carry your anima…ahem…precious gumdrop down the stairs for some quiet time in your cabin.  At this point, I’ll point out that, if you can, the upgrade to an ocean view or even balcony cabin is worth it when traveling with younger children since you’ll definitely be spending more time there.

It takes a little bit of research to find the lines catering to families, but the results are totally worth the effort.  A good general rule is to book a cruise on the line’s newer ships as these were designed for the family demographic from the very beginning.  So far, our favorite line has been Royal Caribbean.  Our son loved the kid’s program, the ship was lively without feeling overcrowded, the food was great, and the price was extremely reasonable.  If you’re willing and able to splurge, however—and the sight of a certain mouse doesn’t send you into a seizure—Disney Cruise Line matches the parks’ reputation for high quality service and nonstop entertainment.

The Food 4 Kids Backpack Program

A few of you may have noticed my blog inactivity these past months.  I have, in fact, become immersed in a local project that has taken a little piece of my heart, and which I would like to share with you in this post.  It is a local, but not so little charity called the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program of North Florida, which, as you may have guessed by the name, is all about getting food directly to needy school children in our area.

The Food 4 Kids Backpack Program of North Florida started several years ago with, of all things,  a school pizza party.  An industrious woman named Jennifer Moore decided, with the school’s permission, to give her child a birthday treat by bringing pizza for the whole class.  As the pizza slices were handed out, she noticed a few children that seemed a little too excited about the process.  As she watched, they devoured the first pieces.  And their second.  And then the teacher quickly and quietly supplied them with another.  And another.

Something was obviously off.

During the cleanup, Jennifer discreetly remarked, “Gee, they sure are hungry today.”

“It’s Monday,” the teacher said by way of explanation.

Jennifer was horrified by the rest of the teacher’s news.  These children were completely dependent upon the school breakfast and lunch program for food.  Thus, on weekends, when there was no school, they had very little or, in some cases, nothing to eat.  By the time they returned to school on Monday they were, quite literally, starving.  They would spend that entire day obsessed with eating or saving food for either for themselves or their siblings.  The situation was so extreme that a few teachers kept emergency snacks to sneak to the children to help with concentration during class work.

The problem, however, is far more wide spread than just a few children in one classroom, or even that one school.  In 2013, the US census bureau estimated that 20 percent of US children live at or below the poverty line.  That’s about one in five children whose families struggle to keep food on the table.  In Alachua and Levy county, the area now served by the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program of North Florida, about 52 percent (more than half) of families with school age children qualify for the school assisted meal program.  In fact, the situation is so dire in 19 of  Alachua county’s schools that officials were swamped with incoming applications for the program.  The US Department of Agriculture subsequently awarded a grant that pays for all breakfasts and lunches at these schools to alleviate the problem.

Even with this assistance, some families still struggle to feed their children on weekends and during school holidays.  Thus, Jennifer decided to start up her own independent branch of a relatively new, nationally expanding program called the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program.  At first, she ran the program out of her house and hand delivered the children’s food to their houses so they had something to eat when not at school.  As more people became aware of the problem, the program quickly grew.  It now serves 22 schools and the incoming donations are sorted and distributed to school pantries from a Gainesville warehouse.  The number of students fluctuates, but, at the time I am writing this article, that amounts to around 450 meals provided every week.  On Fridays, the children pick up their food filled backpacks before they leave school and return them the following Monday.  Volunteers then restock the backpacks from the school pantry and have them ready to go for the next Friday.

Rather than requiring families to research the program and apply, school staff have been provided with a list of behaviors associated with extreme hunger.  When they see these behaviors, they refer the family to the program.  As the backpacks are kept within the school, the children can retrieve the food themselves, rather than relying on someone to take them to a pantry or store.  Though this does restrict the supply to nonperishable foods, it also ensures that the children receive items from all the major food groups (the volunteers fill the backpacks from a specific list that was developed with the assistance of a nutritional consultant).

Though most of the volunteers never have contact with the children, the program’s impact is apparent.  At the end of the school year, as volunteers clean out the backpacks for reuse, several hand drawn thank you notes and cards are found within the recesses.  Some are the creations of children so young they can barely scribble out the words (in crayon).

Proper nutrition is especially important for children’s growing bodies, and chronic hunger at these stages has been associated with lifelong health issues and increased hospitalization rates.  Therefore, intervention at this stage can have a huge impact for the duration of the children’s lives.  The hope, also, is to end the cycle of poverty by giving these children the ability to focus on their school work instead of where their next meals might come from.  If they can place more effort on their educations, they will be more likely to find better jobs as adults. 

If you would like to learn more about the program and how you can help, please check out the website or the Facebook page.

For more information on childhood hunger in the US, visit feedingamerica.org or nokidhungry.org. 

Book Review: Miramont’s Ghost by Elizabeth Hall

Miramont’s Ghost is loosely based upon the true events surrounding Miramont Castle, a palatial estate built in the late 1800’s by a french priest in Manitou Springs, Colorado.  The story begins several years earlier in France as young Adrienne begins having visions of the townsfolk’s secret lives.  The narrative follows Adrienne as she ages and her ability matures. The villagers begin to fear her knowledge and her witch-like power, causing a scandal for her well to do family.  Adrienne’s Aunt Marie insists time away is the necessary cure and whisks Adrienne off to America to Miramont Castle, Marie’s son’s new home.  Unbeknownst to Adrienne, Marie has more reason to fear her visions than anyone else and uses the trip to fake Adrienne’s death.  Kidnapped and forced into servitude, Adrienne’s only hope of survival is to find a way out before her shrewd aunt catches on to her plans.

 I adored the opening chapters of Miramont’s Ghost.  The language immediately pulled me into the story, and Adrienne’s visions were expertly told.  I felt that the novel dragged a bit toward the middle, however, as too much time was devoted to visions that were relevant to the psyche of the supporting characters but did not seem to move the plot forward.  The plot picks up again as Adrienne travels west with her aunt, but this is also where the novel gets dark. And then darker…and darker (I don’t want to reveal too much, but I’ll warn you there are a few detailed accounts of pedophilia and rape.)  In the end, I felt conflicted about this book.  It was beautifully crafted, and most of the time I found I couldn’t put it down.  It is a ghost story, and, therefore, one would not expect it to be cheerful, but I found the downward spiral of the end chapters to be a bit too dark for my taste.  So, whether I would recommend this book or not would be dependent upon your feelings toward extremely dark tales.

Book Review: Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane"

When a little boy visits his neighbors, he realizes there is much more to them than meets the eye.  They speak as if far older than their appearances would suggest they are, and the youngest, Lettie, insists that the pond in their back yard is really an ocean.  The young narrator finds himself tagging along with Lettie on a mission through another realm to banish a meddling spirit.  Unbeknownst to the children, the young boy brings something back with him that soon disrupts his world.  Now a prisoner in his own home, the boy must find a way to escape and seek help from his magical neighbors.  The price to set things right, however, is much higher than he would ever have guessed.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a beautifully written fairy tale that I had difficulty putting down.  The story is rather dark in places, but the innocence of the young narrator keeps it from being too heavy for long.  Gaiman does a fantastic job portraying the wonder and vulnerability of a child whilst still providing the depth necessary to keep the novel interesting for adults.  I enjoyed following along as the narrator was drawn deeper and deeper into the magical world of the Hempstocks.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane from Amazon

A Little Pinterest Party Envy

Let’s face it. Pinterest is both awesome and horrifying. Amazing because, if there’s something you need to make, odds are you’ll be able to find detailed directions for how to make it ten times better than you ever imagined. Horrifying because, now that you know it can be done so much better, you’ll be guilted into spending ten times longer on the project than you’d originally planned. And probably nine times longer than you had in the first place. Anything else would be lazy, right?

You’ve probably guessed by now that Pinterest and I have had a recent falling out. The holidays are already an insanely busy time, but throw in your child’s birthday party and madness turns to chaos. Still, I thought we were doing fine. My son had picked a theme, and we’d actually found a few decorations and tableware at the party shop. We picked a date and sent out the invitations. We decided on the food, but then I wondered what sort of drinks were fitting for a cowboy party. And what sort of games the kids should play. That’s when I made the mistake of searching Pinterest for kid’s cowboy birthday party.

Apparently I should have hand made those invitations instead of creating electronic ones. And those silly paper decorations were sacrilege. Everyone knows you’re supposed to collect boxes for weeks leading up to the event and create an entire western village from them. Hay bales are a must for an awesome photo shoot with the guests. For the games, a pretend horse for roping must be constructed from that sawhorse you happen to have lying around, craft fabric, stuffing, and three rolls of yarn. Also, hobby horses must crafted in the same manner for a horse race. Don’t even think about using those brooms you have lying around; are you insane?

Honestly, if these sound like great ideas to you, then that’s great! Go you. For the stressed out parents like me, I think a little dose of reality might help. How many parties have you been to where the parents did all of these things? For me, the answer is two. Not just since I’ve had a child but over my entire life. So, odds are, my son’s not going to grow up thinking I don’t love him, and his friends aren’t going to refuse to come to his parties because I haven’t managed to recreate the wild west in our backyard.

Also, thinking back to those parties, things didn’t go any better for all the preparation than at any others. We are, after all, talking about small children (in our case, mostly young boys). A few children will decide that cactus juice is disgusting, no matter how many times you explain that it’s really just lime soda with ice cream. Little Sarah will refuse to play in any and all games and shyly clutch at her mom’s legs for the entire party. John and Marty will decide it is more fun to pretend the hobby horses are swords, and someone will end up with a black eye. An exhausted Landon will stumble into the wild west setting, crumpling everything beyond recognition. No one will want to wait their turn, and someone will decide it’s time to check out the presents when no one’s looking.

So what do you do? In the end I decided my paper decorations were fine. They were inexpensive, recyclable, and I didn’t spend too much time on them. So, when they started falling or getting pulled down, I really wasn’t that bothered. We went simple with fruit and a burger and hotdog bar which was a pretty big hit with the notoriously picky preschool set. Then we just let the kids play. I had a few simple games set aside in case things lagged, but in the midst of the party I remembered something I’d forgotten. Kids this age really just want to do their own thing and play with other kids. And have cake. Definitely don’t forget the cake.

Book Review: The Fire Seekers by Richard Farr

Years ago, Daniel Calder’s father introduced him to an indecipherable language written upon strange disks that were scattered across the globe.  Now, those discs are tied to a widely popular cult claiming to hold the secret to the next step in human evolution.  The tragic loss of someone close to him thrusts 17 year old Daniel into the midst of international intrigue.  All around the world, groups of people associated with the cult have begun to disappear.  The numbers and locations are varied, but the disappearances are always accompanied by an unexplainable explosion, and several of the group are left behind, permanently struck dumb by the experience.  Bent on finding out what happened to his loved one, Daniel leads a group of extremely gifted friends on an adventure through several countries.  The mystery they begin to unravel spans centuries and may spell disaster for our entire civilization.

This novel reads more as thriller than science fiction, but, as the first part of a trilogy, I believe that will change as the story progresses.  The action is fast paced, and I found the historical mystery aspect interesting.  The the first person perspective is unusual but is seamlessly executed for most of the book.  The problem with this, for me, doesn’t appear until the very end.  Avoiding any spoilers, I will suffice it to say that the perspective changes in the very last chapter, which I found a little jarring.  However, this may simply have been meant as a lead in to the next installment of the trilogy.  All in all, I think The Fire Seekers is a good read if you enjoy thrillers blended into other genres, but maybe not if you are purely into hard science fiction.

Get it on Amazon

The Liebster Award 10 question blog hop

I was tagged by Faydra Stratton to answer 10 questions in this writers’ blog hop.  At the end, I will pick a few writers I met recently at the FWA conference and pose ten questions for them to answer in their own blogs.

Question 1:  What traditional Thanksgiving dish do you wish would never show up on your table again?

Orange Fluff.  Is it a salad? A desert? No one seems to know, but my family goes crazy for it.  I, on the other hand, have never been able to deal with that squishy texture that also somehow manages to be chewy at the same time.  Someone once reminisced to my niece that it was one of the more popular dishes served in prison, so I think my judgement in this case is sound.

Question 2:  How do you keep writing during the holiday season?

I still struggle with this one.  Every year, for various reasons, I end up taking an unplanned, month long vacation from writing.  This year, I’ve decided to be a bit more proactive.  Since my usual writing time while my son is at school is filled with other activities, I have been choosing at least one evening a week to head to a cafe or coffee shop while my husband watches our son.  I haven’t been doing it for long, but having a dedicated time set aside forces me to at least sit in front of my computer and think about writing.

Question 3:  What does your main character want for Christmas? Why?

Alyssiana wouldn’t know about Christmas.  If someone explained it to her, she would probably want building supplies to repair all the damage the Terror caused to her city.

Question 4:  What prompted you to finally sit down and write a book?

I started writing as a child, but I didn’t write my first novel until a few years ago.  I took a break after getting my PhD and decided to write down the ideas that had been running around in my head during graduate school.

Question 5:  Where do you do most of your writing?

Since I have a young child, my answer is wherever I can find a relatively quiet place.  Often this means my dining room table while he’s playing in his room.

Question 6:  Is there any genre or type of book you’d love to write but are too intimidated to do so?

Historical fiction is interesting to read, but I find the amount of research needed to be too intimidating at this point in my career.  Even the tiniest of details can distort the author’s creation into something more fantasy than history.

Question 7:  What’s your bad habit in terms of writing?

I can’t turn off my inner editor, and my first drafts take forever to get off the ground.

Question 8:  What author or book speaks to you the most and why?

As a fantasy writer, I am a fan of Robin Hobb’s works.  The worlds she creates are intricate without overwhelming the reader in information.  Her characters have depth and interesting personalities.  They never feel rehashed or stereotyped.  While her works are clearly within the fantasy genre, she blends aspects of other genres to make something all her own.

Question 9: Imagine you’ve been asked to speak on a panel for writers.  What’s the topic and what other authors do you want sharing the stage with you?

As an author new to the business of writing, I wouldn’t really feel comfortable telling others what they should be doing.  A panel on writing believable science in fiction might be appropriate given my previous career.

Question 10:  What’s something you learned at FWA 2014 that has since affected your writing?

I learned that it’s ok to blend the outlining and “pantser” styles of writing a first draft.  What’s important is to do whatever helps get the information onto the page, and that process can continue to evolve as the writer evolves and progresses. 

Now for my own questions and tagged writers.  Evergreen Lee and Amanda Gaume, if you are up for joining the hop:

1)  What genre(s) do you write, and why?

2)  Do you mostly read within your own genre, or do you read others as well?

3)  What have you learned as a writer that you wish you knew when you first started?

4)  What author or book speaks to you the most and why?

5)  Do you have word/page count goals?

6)  Where do you do most of your writing?

7)  If you could disappear somewhere for a few weeks to completely immerse yourself in writing, where would you choose?

8)  Pick one of your main characters.  If his/her house were on fire, what would he/she choose to save and why?

9)  What’s your bad writing habit?

10)What is your writing goal for 2015?