Guest Contributor: Theresa Atashkar
with many thanks for writing what I have been unable to put into words. I have been
in awe of Ms. Kearsey. I told Theresa and asked her to write the review.
Carolyn McClelland was writing a historical novel based loosely on Nathaniel Hooke, an Irishman close to King Louis XIV at Saint-Germain in the late 1600/1700‘s. When King Charles II died and his brother James II took the throne he helped organize the Scottish Highlander Jacobites and taken up arms to defend King James. Carolyn had spent five months in France researching Nathaniel Hooke but was getting nowhere.
Carolyn decided to visit her agent, Jane, in Scotland and let her read what she had so far written in her book and get her opinion. Her research was not going well and thought she may find fresh information in Scotland. “So on that winter morning when it all began, when I first took my rental car and headed north from Aberdeen, it never once occurred to me that someone else’s hand was at the helm.”
It is here at this place and time that Susanna Kearsley pulls you in and wraps you deep into the story of Carolyn’s very own ancestors. Carrie, her family calls her, loses her way and ends up strangely in front of an old castle that was in sad disrepair. The area around is totally deserted and she wants to go exploring but is afraid to wander into the castle alone, she is drawn to this castle and doesn’t want to leave; it is the Earl of Erroll’s castle, Slains. Carrie meets a man there and he explains to her where she is and how to get back to the main road to be on her way to Peterhead so see Jane.
After revisiting the castle with Jane and finding more history that she had thought she would, she decides to rent a cottage in Cruden Bay. The only cottage available was an old cottage on a headland jetting out above the sea and when she turned and saw the view of the castle ruin and knew she needed to stay there. She could already hear her characters speaking to her but it was not that of Nathaniel Hooke, it was a woman’s voice. “So, you see, my heart is held forever by this place,’ she said. ‘I cannot leave.”
I imagine all writers have some kind of “trance” they go into or dream of what their characters want the writer to say about them. But Carrie’s dreams and trances took her to the Castle, Slains and she saw it as it was in the 1700’s and it was there that she met Sophie, the woman that was her ancestor who would tell her everything she craved to know and told her all about her own history. Carrie was deeply wrapped up in learning about who were the real traitors to King James; she watched as Sophie fell in love and married secretly. She watched and cried as I cried when Sophie gave birth to Anna alone and scared, and again when she found out her husband had been killed in battle. While Carrie was not writing she was also falling in love herself with a wonderful history professor and the small town of Cruden Bay.
I’ve never read a historical romance novel that pulled me in and made me fall in love with the characters, the location and at the same time teach me so much about true history! This was an amazing story and one that I will read again and again. I would recommend this book to anyone and I look forward to reading her other works for me to read…and learn…and cry.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Legend of the Raven/Union Series Bk. Two
By: Shawn Reilly
As I said in my review of Call of the Raven/Union Series Bk. One, this is not my usual genre...far from it. But I loved the first so much that I look forward to all six novels. They are coming out on a timely basis so you don't have to go back to re-read. Shawn's first effort at writing is amazingly good. She is a wonderful story teller with just the right levels of drama, humor and romance, but readers should know that this story is spread out over six novels so don't be disappointed when there is not a committal ending. She likes to leave you with a cliff hanger.
In Book Two our heroine Elle is learning about the lives of the Lakes and of ani-shifters. She is getting accustomed to them and finds being at Lake Manor safer than the life she had with her abusive boyfriend. She is falling in love with the Lake men; Asher (Keeper), Ari assists and protects the Keeper and Nixon the young brother just learning the telesthesia he has with his brothers. And she is now the caretaker of the twins and Mary, her upstairs neighbor who she saved in the fire of their home.
Asher is in a war with himself as he begins to notice feelings he has for Elle and his family. Feelings he cannot have because love is the one definite end to his life, as stipulated by the Curse of his fore bearers. And there is an uprising against him as Keeper of the Union by unknown forces who are about to identify themselves. But Ari is back, after being kidnapped and Nixon is growing into a strong young man who is learning his strengths and accepting his responsibility to help protect the family.
This book continues the twists and turns in the darkness with the appearance of some of the other ani-shifters. Asher is a wolf, Ari is a Labrador retriever and Nixon is a Fowler-specifically and mostly a Peregrine falcon. The twins are rats and dear Kennedy, a tiger and another of the Keeper's protege's.
There is no doubt you will enjoy this, as I have. We can all look forward to Book Three and Four will be out in July. I have joined The Union.
As I said in my review of Call of the Raven/Union Series Bk. One, this is not my usual genre...far from it. But I loved the first so much that I look forward to all six novels. They are coming out on a timely basis so you don't have to go back to re-read. Shawn's first effort at writing is amazingly good. She is a wonderful story teller with just the right levels of drama, humor and romance, but readers should know that this story is spread out over six novels so don't be disappointed when there is not a committal ending. She likes to leave you with a cliff hanger.
In Book Two our heroine Elle is learning about the lives of the Lakes and of ani-shifters. She is getting accustomed to them and finds being at Lake Manor safer than the life she had with her abusive boyfriend. She is falling in love with the Lake men; Asher (Keeper), Ari assists and protects the Keeper and Nixon the young brother just learning the telesthesia he has with his brothers. And she is now the caretaker of the twins and Mary, her upstairs neighbor who she saved in the fire of their home.
Asher is in a war with himself as he begins to notice feelings he has for Elle and his family. Feelings he cannot have because love is the one definite end to his life, as stipulated by the Curse of his fore bearers. And there is an uprising against him as Keeper of the Union by unknown forces who are about to identify themselves. But Ari is back, after being kidnapped and Nixon is growing into a strong young man who is learning his strengths and accepting his responsibility to help protect the family.
This book continues the twists and turns in the darkness with the appearance of some of the other ani-shifters. Asher is a wolf, Ari is a Labrador retriever and Nixon is a Fowler-specifically and mostly a Peregrine falcon. The twins are rats and dear Kennedy, a tiger and another of the Keeper's protege's.
There is no doubt you will enjoy this, as I have. We can all look forward to Book Three and Four will be out in July. I have joined The Union.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Sanctuary (Ben Coverdale)
by: Ben Coverdale
This is a charming story of a white knight. Ben is in love with Mary. They have been together for five years but he is unable to relate his true feelings or intentions. Frustrated at his non commitment, Mary meets Donald and falls in love with him. She finally decides to move in with Donald and have Ben sell the condo they purchased together. But she soon learns he is a boring controller. When she tells him she is carrying Ben's child he wanen, broken ts nothing to do with it...Mary is alone.
Ben, broken hearted, is following his dream of living in France and soon finds a property with two cottages, in need of some tender loving care, in the Loire Valley. He gets a mysterious email from the lovely Katie, Mary's long time rival for Ben, and he is off to Germany to free her from human trafficers, who have kidnapped her to hold for ransom until they can find her husband, Dave.
But what of the lovely Mary and her baby? People go through phases of growth and reconstruction whether it be to the heart, a baby or a B&B in France. Katie has gone to Ben's to recover from her ordeal and it so happens she helps Ben to discover his priorities and happiness. Georgina learns to grow up and Mary becomes the mother she wants to be.
Sanctuary is a well written first novel for our author. I loved the development of the characters, they are charming. The quirky, best friend Georgina 'Grunge' and the implementation of Madam Delphine, owner of the only hotel in town who has a colorful past. The story line is concise and there are twists and turns that keep your attention. I found myself laughing or saying 'Oh no' out loud. This is a great weekend/rainy day/beach read and I cannot wait to read the sequel "Repercussions".
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This is a charming story of a white knight. Ben is in love with Mary. They have been together for five years but he is unable to relate his true feelings or intentions. Frustrated at his non commitment, Mary meets Donald and falls in love with him. She finally decides to move in with Donald and have Ben sell the condo they purchased together. But she soon learns he is a boring controller. When she tells him she is carrying Ben's child he wanen, broken ts nothing to do with it...Mary is alone.
Ben, broken hearted, is following his dream of living in France and soon finds a property with two cottages, in need of some tender loving care, in the Loire Valley. He gets a mysterious email from the lovely Katie, Mary's long time rival for Ben, and he is off to Germany to free her from human trafficers, who have kidnapped her to hold for ransom until they can find her husband, Dave.
But what of the lovely Mary and her baby? People go through phases of growth and reconstruction whether it be to the heart, a baby or a B&B in France. Katie has gone to Ben's to recover from her ordeal and it so happens she helps Ben to discover his priorities and happiness. Georgina learns to grow up and Mary becomes the mother she wants to be.
Sanctuary is a well written first novel for our author. I loved the development of the characters, they are charming. The quirky, best friend Georgina 'Grunge' and the implementation of Madam Delphine, owner of the only hotel in town who has a colorful past. The story line is concise and there are twists and turns that keep your attention. I found myself laughing or saying 'Oh no' out loud. This is a great weekend/rainy day/beach read and I cannot wait to read the sequel "Repercussions".
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The Whales of Summer
by: Nancy Qualls-Collins
This blog is far from my usual book reviews. But I was watching my favorite television station, Animal Planet, and became engrossed in their research of how the Navy's new, high powered sonar affects schools of whales. That being said, I hope you will take a few minutes of your busy life to think of something that is so far fetched that it would never cross our minds. I am watching the examination of several whales that beached themselved in Washington state and Tasmania, AU. Being from Florida this is not an uncommon thing. But in these cases the etiology of the beaching is what caught my attention.
During the course of everyday life we have little time to think of the effects of our technology on the wildlife of our world. But think of it, if you will, sonar technology is becoming more and more powerful. Imagine a school of whales all moving and comminicating using their God-given sonar. Suddenly, they are barraged with sonar from a Navy ship and their comminications are mixed up. It is feesible and now I know it has happened. It is felt the sonar scared the whales into shallow waters, that makes sense. But there was actual physical damage to the whale's tissues.
Pathological autopsy results negated the obvious cause of death which would be the collapse and failure of body organs as the weight of the whale crushes the lungs and heart. They found blood coming from their ears, never heard of before. Tissue samples showed signs of blunt force trauma, and unlikely malady for all the whales in both locations. How could they all suffer blunt force, there were no signs of shark attack or being hit by a ship. Yet the pieces of tissue I saw had multiple holes. A NOAA biologist called it a high frequency blast that caused damage to the tissue. He calls it a 'sonic blasts'.
Not to worry dear friends, we are assured that the Navy, working with NOAA and the Jacques Cousteau Society, will study this and create a resolution to the problem. I certainly cannot blame the Navy for negligence because sonar has been used for decades. Personally, I would have thought the whales have their own frequencies and would not be disturbed by outsside interference. That is, if I were to have been aprised of the possibility and thought it through myself. I will now. As a matter of fact, being the OCD person that I am, now I wonder how fishermen's sonar affects fish, dolphins, squid, sharks. I love the show 'Deadliest Catch' so now I worry that the sonar of the crabbing vessels affects the crab. I am always amazed at the little things we do not think of .
This blog is far from my usual book reviews. But I was watching my favorite television station, Animal Planet, and became engrossed in their research of how the Navy's new, high powered sonar affects schools of whales. That being said, I hope you will take a few minutes of your busy life to think of something that is so far fetched that it would never cross our minds. I am watching the examination of several whales that beached themselved in Washington state and Tasmania, AU. Being from Florida this is not an uncommon thing. But in these cases the etiology of the beaching is what caught my attention.
During the course of everyday life we have little time to think of the effects of our technology on the wildlife of our world. But think of it, if you will, sonar technology is becoming more and more powerful. Imagine a school of whales all moving and comminicating using their God-given sonar. Suddenly, they are barraged with sonar from a Navy ship and their comminications are mixed up. It is feesible and now I know it has happened. It is felt the sonar scared the whales into shallow waters, that makes sense. But there was actual physical damage to the whale's tissues.
Pathological autopsy results negated the obvious cause of death which would be the collapse and failure of body organs as the weight of the whale crushes the lungs and heart. They found blood coming from their ears, never heard of before. Tissue samples showed signs of blunt force trauma, and unlikely malady for all the whales in both locations. How could they all suffer blunt force, there were no signs of shark attack or being hit by a ship. Yet the pieces of tissue I saw had multiple holes. A NOAA biologist called it a high frequency blast that caused damage to the tissue. He calls it a 'sonic blasts'.
Not to worry dear friends, we are assured that the Navy, working with NOAA and the Jacques Cousteau Society, will study this and create a resolution to the problem. I certainly cannot blame the Navy for negligence because sonar has been used for decades. Personally, I would have thought the whales have their own frequencies and would not be disturbed by outsside interference. That is, if I were to have been aprised of the possibility and thought it through myself. I will now. As a matter of fact, being the OCD person that I am, now I wonder how fishermen's sonar affects fish, dolphins, squid, sharks. I love the show 'Deadliest Catch' so now I worry that the sonar of the crabbing vessels affects the crab. I am always amazed at the little things we do not think of .
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Mist On The Meadow
By: Karla Bradenburg
Once again, Karla Brandenburg gives her readers an intriguing paranormal romance.
She presents believable normal to paranormal experiences with informative history to make the reading flow smoothly.
The story is not in excess of characters. Each one has a purpose whether active as the heroine, Marissa, and the hero, wolf: or emotional, preternatural as with Great Uncle Balk, the Secret Keeper.
Marissa has a good life with a successful bakery and coffee shop. While on her frigid trek to start the breads, donuts and her famous sticky buns, she has a moment, not the first 'quiet moment' as described by her mother and Uncle Balk. As she approaches a stop light, she notices a majestic five point buck standing in a misty meadow and time seems to stand still for a moment. It is just the two of them, eye to eye...special...cosmic. Reality returns as her new car is suddenly rear ended by the handsome Wolf Harper, heir and executor to the Harper Electronics, Inc. and Harper Estate.
Today, this her 25th birthday as a gift from her Great Uncle Blat, he passes on the family legacy. She is a Kundigerin, a secret psychic power she possesses which, with but a touch, allows her to know things about the person. But it is a 'by the seat of your pants' situation as her beloved Uncle dies before providing much tutelage.
With the realization of her legacy and a budding romance with Wolf, the dangers that accompany her newly realized powers begin. First, with a break in at her apartment followed by attempts on her life. At the same time, Wolf finds the monetary problems of Hangar Inc. are a result of inventory diversion and reabsorbtion. With the aide of Marissa's insight and Wolf's bravery and love, they wage war on the unknown players set out to sabotage the manor and their livelihoods with some surprising assistance.
Once again, Karla Brandenburg gives her readers an intriguing paranormal romance.
She presents believable normal to paranormal experiences with informative history to make the reading flow smoothly.
The story is not in excess of characters. Each one has a purpose whether active as the heroine, Marissa, and the hero, wolf: or emotional, preternatural as with Great Uncle Balk, the Secret Keeper.
Marissa has a good life with a successful bakery and coffee shop. While on her frigid trek to start the breads, donuts and her famous sticky buns, she has a moment, not the first 'quiet moment' as described by her mother and Uncle Balk. As she approaches a stop light, she notices a majestic five point buck standing in a misty meadow and time seems to stand still for a moment. It is just the two of them, eye to eye...special...cosmic. Reality returns as her new car is suddenly rear ended by the handsome Wolf Harper, heir and executor to the Harper Electronics, Inc. and Harper Estate.
Today, this her 25th birthday as a gift from her Great Uncle Blat, he passes on the family legacy. She is a Kundigerin, a secret psychic power she possesses which, with but a touch, allows her to know things about the person. But it is a 'by the seat of your pants' situation as her beloved Uncle dies before providing much tutelage.
With the realization of her legacy and a budding romance with Wolf, the dangers that accompany her newly realized powers begin. First, with a break in at her apartment followed by attempts on her life. At the same time, Wolf finds the monetary problems of Hangar Inc. are a result of inventory diversion and reabsorbtion. With the aide of Marissa's insight and Wolf's bravery and love, they wage war on the unknown players set out to sabotage the manor and their livelihoods with some surprising assistance.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
My book recommendation
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http://www.amazon.com/Call-Raven-Union-Series-ebook/dp/B00B3VYDG2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363288699&sr=8-2&keywords=shawn+reilly
Hello all, I just want to share this new read with you. It is the first of a series and I am very excited to recommend it to you.
This is a story about ani-shifts (aka: animal shifters). The Lake family is a charming group, the men are beautiful although socially challenged, there is a young girl that is destined to be a leader of The Union of shifters. She was saved from an abusive home by a pathetic, backward girl named Elle. The men have fallen in love with her but who should she love? The Lake's are always under attack by evil forces...or are they two faced friendly beings. Romance, intrigue, humor, paranormal fantasy...totally entertaining. You can't wait for the next volume (and, P.S. you won't have to wait a year for it.) Could we have another J.K. Rawlings? Congratulations Shawn!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Call of the Raven BLG2.12.2013
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http://www.amazon.com/Call-Raven-Union-Series-ebook/dp/B00B3VYDG2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363288699&sr=8-2&keywords=shawn+reilly by: Shawn Reilly
This first book of the Union Series was a very pleasant surprise to me because this is not a genre I usually read, but I cannot wait for Volume Two. I enjoyed the way Ms. Reilly writes and I am impressed this is her debut novel. Bravo Shawn!
Elle Ison is a (rather pathetic) lost soul. Brought up by her Grandmother, she never learned her self worth. She became entwined in an abusive, co-dependent relationship, she needed a home and security and he needed a maid and punching bag. That all changed the day she saved a dirty little girl, named Mary, from a man trying to abduct her after Elle's group reading to children at the central library in a southern Indiana community.
That evening, after an especially brutal beating because she bought a newly relaeased book about ani-shifts, she finds the dirty girl standing in her apartment. The beatings become increasingly severe so she decides to leave. Mary is, once again, in danger by intruders that set fire to her apartment. Her mother has been gone for some time. She cannot get over the unexplained disappearance of Mary's father, Grant, the love of her life, so she drinks.
Mary runs to Elle for protection and they begin a journey of discovery as they come under the protection of a band of animal shifters, the Lake's. They are the spoiled tiger, Kennedy...the handsome young falcon, Nixon, brought to the estate from a horrific abusive father...and the brothers, handsome and strong, Ari the Labrador dog and guardian to his brother Asher, leader of the Union, the grey wolf, brave, confused and unable to love...until they met Elle. Their mentor, Grant, comes from beyond as the grey wolf gives Asher the strength to learn to love as they begin the fight of their life to save future leaders and the Union.
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