Water for Elephants

Water For Elephants is a beautiful love story. I love the way this book starts, a little old man sitting in a nursing home recovering from a hip fracture, looking back on the memories of his life, a hidden gem under the wrinkles. The writer spins a gripping tale, narrated through the eyes of our Jacob Jankowski. This book is a fantastic love story but is a seemingly accurate depiction of circus life during Great Depression. The Benzini Brothers who claim to be The Greatest Show on Earth was ran by ‘Uncle Al’, a greedy deceitful man who will stop at nothing to realize his big top dreams.

"I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other." Says Jacob Jankowski. He remembers back to the age of twenty-three, his parents having died in a car accident, the shocked Jacob Jankowski who was a veterinary student at Cornell, ran away to join the circus.

Water for Elephants is told in the first person but from two different perspectives--Jacob Jankowski at 23 years of age and again, at 93 years old. Gruen seamlessly weaves the chapters between past and present. Jacob at 23 is finishing up his last semester at Cornell Veterinary School when a family tragedy causes him to flee. He finds himself on a train for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth in 1931. Needing a vet, the circus hires young Jacob to tend to their menagerie.  It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. Jacob at 93 resides in a nursing home where he laments the curses of old age, the passing of his wife, and the waning affection of his family. The arrival of a visiting circus triggers a flashback to his youthful circus experiences.

As you walk through the pages of this book you feel as if you are there working for the Benzini Brothers yourself, you can almost smell and taste the circus. Author Sara Gruen weaves a delightful tale of suspense and intrigue. Her characters come to life and take you away to join the circus. This is a book that you will not be able to put down.

Author Sara Gruen is originally a Canadian who is now an American citizen, She moved to the States in 1999 for a technical writing job. Two years later she got laid off. Instead of looking for another job, she decided to take a gamble on writing fiction. She is the author of the bestseller Riding Lessons and Flying Changes.  She lives with her husband, three children, two dogs, four cats, two horses, and a goat in North Carolina.

Thanks for stopping by, Now, go grab a cup of coffee or a tall glass of ice tea, crawl out on the front porch swing with a good book and enjoy.

'The Other Boleyn Sisters' is a novel that opens and closes with two executions; The first execution of the Duke of Buckingham in 1521, and ends with the execution of Anne Boleyn in 1536. This is a story of two sisters Anne and Mary and their brother George, who are played like pawns in a Chess game by their power hungry family. From the very beginning we see that while there is a bond that ties the Boleyn sisters together, there is also a deep rooted rivalry between them.

First Mary is asked by her father and Uncle to set aside her new husband and become the mistress of Henry VIII. Mary did so and what was first a command of her father soon became a command of her heart. Mary quickly grew to love the man England called King. She bears Henry two children, including a son, a son he forsakes when his heart is twisted and his eyes are set on Anne. Anne promises Henry a legitimate son and helps him to plot against his wife, the beautiful, but older Queen Katherine.

Katherine had tried many times to give Henry the son he so desired. After many still births she was only able to give him a daughter, Princess Mary. Katherine who spent much of her time on bended knee, praying for her husband and for England never gave up on her marriage.

Anne is ruthless in her drive to become queen, and then to give Henry a male heir. Gregory made these characters come alive causing these historical characters to dance across the pages. Gregory has a gift of weaving a story, this book is a page turner that you wont be able to put down.

Philippa Gregory has been penning compelling works of dramatic historical fiction since the mid-1980s, breaking out with the bestselling Wideacre trilogy and creating a buzz with The Other Boleyn Girl. As fellow author Peter Ackroyd once said of her, "She writes from instinct, not out of calculation, and it shows."

Thanks for stopping by, Now, go grab a cup of coffee or a tall glass of ice tea, crawl out on the front porch swing with a good book and enjoy.

Dylan's Dorito Dawg

DYLAN’S DORITO DAWG

HOT DAWG BUN

HOT DAWG

CUP OF CRUMBLED DORITOS

½ CUP SHREDDED CHEESE

Boil Hot Dawg until done, Sprinkle Doritos on Hot Dawg Bun, place hot Dawg on bun. Sprinkle cheese on top of Hot Dawg. Heat in microwave for 60 seconds. Set under shade tree with glass of lemonade and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by, Now, go grab a cup of coffee or a tall glass of ice tea, crawl out on the front porch swing with a good book and enjoy.

Amelia Earhart, where is she now?

　

“The time to worry is three months before a flight. Decide then whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying. To worry is to add another hazard. It retards reactions, makes one unfit. Hamlet would have been a bad aviator. He worried too much.” By Amelia Earhart

Imagine what it would be like to be back in the early 1920s. Imagine to want to fly in that day in time. Now imagine you were a woman who wanted to do that. Amelia Earhart did just that. Amelia Earhart was perhaps the most famous female aviator in American history, setting speed and distance records not only for female, but also male pilots. She was a woman beyond her time.

When I was younger I refused to believe Amelia perished in the flight that carved her place in history. I envisioned her on a tropical isle with a flower in her hair, sipping on coconut milk and enjoying the sunsets. I knew little of Fred Noonan. For years I thought Amelia went down alone. I hope that one day find out what happened to the two courageous aviators who went missing that ill-fated day. I for one am hoping for the tropical Isle theory.

Amelia made a choice to go against the grain, defying what a lady should do and struck out to realize her dream. Amelia Mary Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, to Edwin and Amy Earhart. Amelia had a little sister, Muriel (Pidge), who was also her best friend. It was in 1607 in Des Moines that Amelia saw her first airplane at the Iowa State Fair.

Anita “Neta” Snook gave Amelia her first flying lesson. I can’t imagine what it felt like to fly amongst the clouds and realize for the first time, ‘I am really flying.’ Amelia did just that. She saved her money and in a short time purchased her own plane, a two-seated yellow second-hand Kinner Airster. Amelia affectionately named the plane ‘Canary’.

On October 22, 1922 she climbed behind the controls of Canary and set her first woman's record of rising to an altitude of 14,000 feet. On May 15, 1923, she received her pilot's license from the Federation of Aeronautique Internationale. Amelia was the 16th woman ever to receive a pilots license.

Amelia Earhart was a pioneer for female aviators, along with women like Nancy Harkness Love and Bessie Coleman. With the creation of WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) female pilots services. Women pilots were mainly responsible for ferrying needed military aircraft from one point to another. That was extremely challenging because there were many different types of aircraft to fly. With the war in full force, the military now took a closer look at the WASP. Because of its competence and low accident rates, the government now expanded its duties.

1929, Earhart organized a cross-country air race dubbed the Women's Air Derby for pilots from Los Angeles to Cleveland also known as the “Powder Puff Derby” by Will Rogers. Earhart placed third in that race.

Amelia Earhart chose Fredrick Noonan for her navigator. They took off from Lae on July 2, 1937, and headed for Howland Island, a tiny sliver of land in the Pacific Ocean. Their plan was to reach the vicinity of Howland using Noonan's navigation abilities and then find Howland by using radio signals transmitted by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Itasca. The final approach to Howland Island failed, although Earhart stated by radio that they believed they were in the immediate vicinity of Howland. The aviators and their aircraft disappeared somewhere over the Central Pacific Ocean. Despite an extensive search by the U.S. Navy — including the use of search planes from an aircraft carrier — and the U.S. Coast Guard, no traces of them or their Electra were ever found.

Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan are still missing to this day. Recently, Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton has taken an interest in Amelia Earhart. I hope that eventually the fates of Earhart and Noonan are discovered.

Earhart's own courage and bravery are noted in a letter left to Putnam in case the flight would be her last. She wrote,

“Please know I am quite aware of the hazards. I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge for others.” Amelia Earhart

Thanks for stopping by, Now, go grab a cup of coffee or a tall glass of ice tea, crawl out on the front porch swing with a good book and enjoy.

Amelia Earhart
Wikipedia- Fred Noonan --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Noonan
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1658.html

Magic and Magnolias

Magic and Magnolias

Magic and Magnolias

Jeremiah Ransom sat by helpless for years as his girls suffered at the hands of Zeke Malone. The spell that had been put in place by Camilla and Liza would soon be broken and Jeremiah would be able to see his beautiful Magnolias, as his so lovingly called them. He would bring them together in their time of need.
Jeremiah would not be able to help them alone. Hazel, Alizabeth, Maddilone, and Annabelle would also need the help of the women who had came before them. The fight was not only with Zeke, but with a ghost from the family’s past that refused to stay buried.

I thought I was done with A Mississippi Moonlight but Hazel and her sisters just had more to tell. Find Magic and Magnolias on Free-Promotion for the next 3 days.

Thanks for stopping by, Now, go grab a cup of coffee or a tall glass of ice tea, crawl out on the front porch swing with a good book and enjoy.

The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund

One of my favorite books is “The Preacher's Bride” by Jody Hedlund. I have read this book three times. Hedlund has a way of luring you into a story and embracing you with her characters.  Elizabeth Whitbred is the type of character that you can get lost in. This is not your everyday Cinderella story, this is the love story of two people who learn to love despite hardships and turmoil.

In 1650s England, Elizabeth Whitbred sets her heart on taking care of the newborn babe of the late Sister Mary Costin. The babe’s cries call out to Elizabeth, twisting her heart. The older children become attached to her. Especially Mary, the eldest child who is blind. The newly widowed preacher, John Costin is aggravated by Elizabeth’s presence in his home. It takes him a while to become adjusted to the headstrong woman's presence. Elizabeth’s sister Catherine’s jealousy and the manipulative Mrs. Grew’s meddling doesn’t make life any easier for her.

Elizabeth is a young Puritan maiden with high morals. Her father has promised her hand to Samuel who had just finished his Cooper apprenticeship. Samuel reluctantly agrees to let Elizabeth work in the Costin household.

Elizabeth becomes the young Preachers nanny and housekeeper, working diligently to hold his household and her life together. John comes under scrutiny by his peers as he speaks out in what he believes in finding himself and his family in danger from men that would rather see him quiet. Elizabeth is placed in danger many times, becoming a target by John Costin’s enemies. In time Elizabeth finds herself in turmoil and she loses grips on the life her father planned for her as she discovers the love she has for John Costin.

“The Preacher's Bride is a beautiful love story that is based on a true life story of John and Elizabeth Bunyan. Elizabeth was the second wife of John Bunyan. They were married in 1659, shortly before he was arrested and imprisoned, leaving her to care for his four children by his first wife. During this time he wrote The Pilgrim's Progress.

Jody Hedlund is married and the mother of five beautiful children. She not only finds time to write books but to also home school her five children. I home school one child, my hat is off to her.

I highly recommend “The Preacher’s Bride” to anyone who loves a good heartfelt uplifting Love story.

 

Thanks for stopping by, Now, go grab a cup of coffee or a tall glass of ice tea, crawl out on the front porch swing with a good book and enjoy.

Pat Brannon, Mississippi Author

Pat Brannon is an Award-winning Christian poet, children’s author, singer, songwriter, speaker, encourager, and best-selling author in the Authors to Believe In Book Club, Pat Brannon is a lady you want to meet, even though you may not know it yet. Actually, Pat is the next person you want to invite to your school, church or community event. She does a highly visual, attention-getting, eye-opening character education presentation for all ages on the evils of bullying. Pat entertains and educates her audiences all at the same time.

Pat’s writing has been published in newspapers, newsletters, magazines, a chapbook series and anthologies. She is the author of Walk Softly (You’re Steppin’ On My Heart!), Filthy Farley o'Charlie McBarley, Food Fight Frenzy   and  Quirky  Kids’ Zoo.



Food Fight Frenzy  is the 1st in a series of books entitled - Thumpin' Through the Third-Grade. This is a wonderful story of life as a little girl whose misadventures take her on a magical yet comical ride through school.

Margaret Ann Mumford, thinking it would be just another ordinary day at school, had no idea what awaited her and the rest of the third grade classes in the cafeteria at lunchtime. Did someone say food fight? Students, teachers and guests getting plastered by food in the school cafeteria? When is somebody, anybody, going to step up and be a leader instead of a follower? How do you tell Mom and Dad that you took part in the food fight? Will the punishment fit the crime? Did somebody say punishment? Bummer

Quirky Kids Zoo  Have you ever seen elephants and ants play leap frog? What about goldfish playing guitars? If you've ever wanted to watch tigers jump rope or catch a glimpse of polar bears in pink tennis shoes, then head on over to the Quirky Kid's Zoo. While there be sure to sure to check out the gopher races and the giraffes playing hopscotch.

When it comes to writing, singing and performing in public, Pat is a natural. At the age of nine she joined her first band as a vocalist and musician and began performing in public. Down through the years Pat joined two other bands. She has performed numerous times on radio, television and the small stage. Pat is the founding member of Lifeline, a Southern Gospel group at Meadowood Baptist Church in Amory, MS. She is also a featured soloist and an active member of the MBC Adult Sanctuary Choir.
For 10 years Pat was a substitute teacher in grades K-12 in the Amory, Mississippi Public School District. Due to her love for children and her passion for writing, Pat was inspired to write children’s books that contain fun, wholesome, entertaining stories with important life lessons.
She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Pat's most passionate work has been her fight against Bullying. Her book Filthy Farley o'Charlie McBarley is a book she wrote to use as a tool to fight Bullying.


I look forward to reading Many more books by this precious lady.
Now, grab a good book and lets read...8-)

Jason Brannon's The Misunderstood and Other Misfit Horrors

If you love a little gore with a touch of terror you will love The Misunderstood and Other Misfit Horrors written by Jason Brannon. This book is a collection of dreadfully delicious short stories that will leave you horrified and wanting more.

This is one of the best horror collections I have read in a long time! These stories chilled me to the bone; the characterizations were fantastic, realistic and relatable. The writing is superb. Brannon’s stories are nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat reading that makes it hard to put the book down.. This is one author whose future books I will look forward to reading. Highly recommended! Fast-paced and beautifully plotted, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time- from beginning to end.

Stories in The Misunderstood and Other Misfit Horrors that were previously published:
Beware the Death Angel (originally appeared in Post Mortem Magazine)
The Machinery of Infinity (originally appeared in AlienSkin magazine)
Running Toward Eden (originally appeared in Coach's Midnight Diner #2 anthology)
The Fourth Key (published in quite a few places-including Post Mortem Magazine)
The Oracles (published as a standalone chapbook by Nocturne Press)
Mother Mary (originally appeared in Puzzles of Flesh collection)
The Misunderstood (featured on Biting Dog Publications website)

Summary: The world is filled with misfits. The world is filled with the misunderstood. Enter the shadowy underbelly of society where the outsider is king and learn why...

...the Death Angel visits a small town year after year

...an old collector of clocks holds the keys to Armageddon
...a nocturnal game turns deadly when an unexpected player joins

...a church of snake-handlers insist on introducing a visitor to their god

...a group of scarecrows reveal their true nature to the farmer who made them


The Misunderstood and Other Misfit Horrors  is an awesome book that I think will really appeal to many horror fans.

A Mississippi Moonlight

     I started this blog last month and am just now getting back to it. (Can you say too busy?) I wanted to share a little about my books A Mississippi Moonlight . The first book I wrote is about the Starling family who have been terrorized by a man named Zeke Malone. Zeke grew up with a grudge against the Starling Family, a grudge harvested by his great grandmother Emily and nurtured by his mother Carlotta.

Emily was a the poor servant girl who grew up envious of Cordella O‘Donnell, the daughter of the man her mother worked for. Old Man O‘Donnell had enough money to burn a wet mule. Emily grew up wanting what Cordella had. The two girls lives became entangled in jealousy and revenge. Passing the hate from generation to generation. Emily believed all the lies she told, (Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil... stop telling those lies gurl). The path she took lead her down a lonely road filled with heartache and despair.

     Cordella makes friends with the beautiful Grace Loraine and together they find away to survive the attacks made by Emily. Grace Loraine is a voodoo priestess who has more than a little magic up her sleeve.

I got the idea for the name Starling from My grandmother, Bertha Starling Monaghan. one of my favorite characters in my book is FBI Agent Dylan Johnson. This character was inspired by my handsome son, and he even wrote a line in the book, "I can't I swallowed the key." Yep, that was all him. You will have to read to find out more. 8-)　

Synopsis for  A Mississippi Moonlight:

   A supposed curse is eating away at Zeke Malone, a Mississippi crook loaded with money and power. He has always believed that a woman named Cordella seduced and married his great-grandfather, putting a curse on his family. The only way to break that curse is to mix his blood with that of Cordella's family. Zeke manipulates the woman's great-grandson into handing over his daughter, Hazel Starling. After Hazel is drugged and wedded to Zeke, she escapes to California, where she raises their daughter, Chloe Rose.
But their child has secretly been monitored for years, and now a reckoning is due....

   You can find A Mississippi Moonlight Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Only $0.99. No these days you can barely get a cup of coffee for that.

  I have always enjoyed books with a dark side to them. I love Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Ann Rice, among others.

  I have a romantic side too, I am a huge Nicholas Sparks. My favorite book by him...All of them. Can't Choose just one. lol I also love  Philippa Gregory, I love all of her books as well.

   In my opinion, their Ain’t nothing better than a good cup of coffee and a good book.

Till next time, keep-a-reading! 8-)