Against the Storm, by Kat Martin

Against the Storm by Kat Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I don't normally read Kat Martin's series novels, although I love her work. It seems I usually just read one book out of a series and I'm fine. Because she can incorporate stand-alones in her series work, I enjoy a good book and story and move on. Not this time! After reading Against the Storm, book #4 in her The Raines of Wind Canyon series, I am determined to read more of this particular series!

This book is a perfect stand-alone, Kat Martin does excellent work in telling any story she decides to tell, but the characters were so alive for me I want to get to know some more of the men in the series and see what has happened in their lives.

Next for me is Against the Wind. I am extremely excited!

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Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just one simple thing: I love Grandma Mazur!

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One of Those Gray Sundays

The weather man/person said yesterday it was going to snow in the wee hours of today and there would be accumulation. I didn't hurt at all Friday, but late last night my body decided it was unhappy. Really unhappy. Today there isn't any snow, but the weather man/person keeps saying it's on its way. I don't know if it is rain or snow, but my body, especially my right shoulder proclaims loudly it does NOT want to be a part of my body any more. So what do I do? I take as much medication as I can and park myself in front of the computer to put words down on the novel. It would be nice if novels could write at least part of themselves, but, alas, this is not true - and frankly, if they did I might get a little creeped out.

I am actually quite pleased with the point and stage to where the novel currently stands.  I have cracked the 60,000 word mark and am pointing the novel in the ending position.  I'm not sure whether or not Book 1 will end on a cliff hanger or if it will have some sort of conclusion where a lot of loose ends will be tied up.  I am thinking not for the "loose ends" scenario.  There is a lot happening.  Book 2 will have more loose ends woven in and certain questions answered. 

Right now a lot of intrigue is happening and I am doing research for the beginning of Book 2.  It seems odd to be working on Book 1 with plans for Book 2 and research for Book 2 also happening. 

One really good thing is that I should be making my deadline for Book 1!!!  *happy dance* 

In order to facilitate the research I signed into the local library system and requested some books for research and just for pleasure reading.  A couple of people around me have gone gaga over the Dresden Files.  I remember reading the first book so I requested the first and second books of said series:  I don't want to be left out of the conversation!

The new computer is wonderful!  I love him dearly!  I didn't realize how much I wrote and used a computer until my laptop died.  Now I know I can never be without one!  Hopefully I never will have to be. 

The Abbey, by Chris Culver

I started reading this book January 10, 2012 and finished it today, January 28, 2012.  It was a special priced Nook Book that caught my attention by its blurb.

In <b>The Abbey</b> the reader is introduced to Detective Ash Rashid of Indianapolis, Indiana.  Ash is a family man with a pregnant wife and little four year old Meagan.  Ash is struggling against alcoholism, and a case involving his teenage niece.  Was it murder or an unfortunate accident?  Things become even more complicated when Ash finds out his niece was a sanguinarian - a blood drinker.

Chris Culver brings us into Ash Rashid's world in an up-close and personal manner.  The action is not always quick, but it is logical and it is necessary, especially how Ash faces his world and his problems.

This book kept me reading because I genuinely wanted to know what happened.  It wasn't filled with unnecessary side trips and the secondary story line worked perfectly!

There were a couple of typographical/editorial errors, but only a couple.  I am going to keep an eye out for Detective Rashid in the future.  This was one of the best books to relax with that I have found in a long time except for Stephanie Plum's adventures - although Detective Rashid is grittier than Stephanie, and his world is somewhat more dark, but the bright spots are what keep him, and us going.

I give it four out of give stars * * * * 

One for the Money 1/5/12

One for the Money is the first novel in the Stephanie Plum series. I had often seen the series on the shelves in my local Barnes & Noble's, but didn't think it looked enticing. A friend of mine is an avid reader of the Stephanie Plum series and after much cajoling, and the movie coming out by the same name later this month (which I had also promised K I would go see), I thought I would try out this series...eventually. Luckily for me, my friend got me a copy of the book as one of my Christmas presents for 2011. Wow! Was I wrong about it not looking enticing! It was an excellent read and kept me turning the pages way into the early morning hours!

The characters are definitely individuals and the action is quick and very amusing in sections. In One for the Money, Stephanie Plum is broke and needs a job and takes one with her cousin Vinnie as a bounty hunter. Not knowing anything about the job, Stephanie's on-the-job training is quick, frightening, and funny. The situations she gets herself into are very realistic and the first mystery she solves in the book is almost by accident. Plus, her mentor, Ranger looks and sounds wonderful and oh so sexy; and the other man in her life, Morelli is an equal heart throb. Which one will she choose? I guess I'll just have to keep reading the series to find out!

Ghosts by Gaslight 1/2/12

Ghosts by Gaslight: Stories of Steampunk and Supernatural Suspense, by Jack Dann is a collection of short stories by supposedly some of the best writers out there now in the realm of horror, suspense, and steampunk. I myself was not familiar with any of the authors and view this book as an excellent introduction to each.

Each story was written with the Victorian vernacular and feel to them. The voices were expertly done. They were so well done, in fact, it was easy to forget these were written in this oh so modern era and not true Victorian pieces written during the Victorian period!

One very interesting and wonderful fact about this book is that not everything has gears and gizmos running on steam power, but bring in all the elements of steampunk, including the adventure and feel of the era.

Some of these stories ripped my heart out and others truly spooked me!

This was the perfect book (for me at least) to read through the holidays and in preparation for the holidays.

I am not a big fan of anthologies, but made an exception for this one and highly recommend it to anyone interested in steampunk, Victorian literature, and a good quiet scare. It was very difficult for me to put this book down, and, as always with a good book, I was sad to have it come to an end.

Crises Over - Ready for New Beginnings

Life got in the way of doing a lot of things since September 2010.  Although I was able to keep reading (I think I read more in 2011 than any other year previously), it took more energy than I had to post a review of the books read.  Since this is really just a blog about the books I read and whether or not I like them, everything that goes down here is my opinion only and no one has to subscribe to it, and I don't expect such a thing!  That would be too scary!!!  So, 2012 is a new start for a lot of things and a continuation of things from 2011, like writing.

The goal of this blog (redefined) is to keep track of the books I read, review them briefly as to what I liked and didn't like, and to reflect on the day's/week's writing.  Since this blog isn't connected anywhere other than to Blogger, i.e. not to Facebook or Twitter, there is a little more breathing room for me than the other blogs I have, which are linked to those social sites.  If I make a post and want to share it, there will be a link on my Twitter account.  I will figure out how to get you that information later. 

This is my quiet little corner of the Internet, where I can ruminate or not, to my heart's desire, and relax.