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!