They call him the Killer Cartographer because he carves the map coordinates of each victim on the femur of the one before. Then he tattoos the information on his skin. Can Detective Kendra Dean bring him in, or will she become his next tattoo? 311 pages Published January 7th 2016 by 5 Prince Publishing Current GoodReads Rating: 4 Stars My Review: I love books that have that one attribute that sets them apart from so many others similar rather it be a certain character, writing style, or unexpected twist. One of the point-of-views that the story followed was of the psychopath, which held a dark and twisted vibe throughout the story. The reader got to know the killer from the very beginning and learn the details of his attacks and his unsettling view of things. It brought a depth to the story from both sides instead of just getting to experience the hunt and mystery of the detective, the reader gets to see the chased as well. The characters held a great amount of dimension and intrigue and the story had a constant energy that wouldn’t let you put the book down. I was provided this book for my honest review through Lone Star LitLife Book Blog Tours. Thank you for the chance to review your book. I would rate this four out of five stars. Just when Kelly’s life has calmed, she faces yet another of life’s puzzles. Except the pieces in this one don’t fit. First the apartment behind her house is torched, then a string of bizarre “accidents” occur to set her off-balance. Who is stalking her? Where does the disappearance of a young girl and her disreputable boyfriend fit in? And why are two men using the same name? Is the surprise inheritance another part of the puzzle? At a time when she is most vulnerable, Kelly can’t make the pieces fit, but she knows she must protect her daughters. Before Kelly can get the whole picture, she helps the family of a hostage, rescues a kidnap victim and attends a wild and wonderful wedding. 189 pages Published May 5th 2015 by Turquoise Morning Press My Review: In my opinion, the first part of Desperate for Death read as an epilogue. It felt like it was the aftermath for events that I had missed in a prior book. It would provide brief instances of explanation as to what happened in her past and why she would have more suspects coming after her than her police officer husband. Once you played a little detective as a reader and understood the series more, it was easy to become engrossed in the characters. I don’t read a lot of suspense where entire families are involved, so involving two girls in secondary school was an interesting addition. When I picture suspense I envision an independent man on the run avoiding his past, not a pregnant woman with two older children being harassed and threatened as she tries to continue her normal life as a working mom. The characters were easy to relate to and connect with so it felt like you were part of the family, living the mystery with them. The back stories complemented and enhanced the main struggle well. I would not recommend this as a standalone, but did thoroughly enjoy it once I understood the series. As a standalone I would give Desperate for Death three out of five stars because of the confusion, but with the series I would give this a perfect score. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. Author David Stone has gone from unknown to New York Times bestseller almost overnight - a transition that hasn't come without a price. After two lengthy tours, David finds his sales at an all-time high, and his marriage to his wife, Nicole, at an all-time low. And while David has made several attempts to bridge the gap that has settled between them, it seems the emotional and physical connection they once shared has been severed beyond repair. During a layover at the end of his latest tour, David encounters Elise, a beautiful business woman who joins him at the terminal bar. On the surface, the two pass their time together in innocence. But it quickly becomes apparent that, with the bridge to his wife in such a state of decay, even the slightest bit of attention from another woman is enough to arouse David's interest. What happens when casual conversation over drinks shifts to an invitation for something more? Where will David, a once happily married man in a now not-so-happy marriage, draw the line? Will he even bother to draw one? And if he does, can he keep from crossing it? You can view my published review with the following link: The Layover and let me know what you think. Thank you. Eleven-year-old Copper Daniels is homeless and alone. She spends her nights sleeping beneath the cemetery’s Warrior Angel statue for protection, and her days battling the mean streets of Remington, Texas, hell-bent on discovering what happened the night her Mama disappeared. While Copper and her rag-tag group of friends find danger at every corner, two horrors are certain: her Mama’s really missing and someone’s after Copper, too. In the tradition of The Lovely Bones and Room, Pennies from Burger Heaven tells a dark story through the eyes of a child. With wit and wisdom, Copper Daniels will steal your heart, then break it in two. 339 pages Published December 28th 2015 My Review: I loved the point of view of this story, which alone made this such a refreshing, intriguing read. This was a fast read for me due to how much I was drawn into the mystery and grew to empathize with the characters. I could not go to sleep until Copper’s mother was found and figured out the numerous obstacles being thrown at her. I could relate with how easily Copper went back and forth about hating her mother one hour and loving her the next, as she struggled to decide how she felt about what her mother did to her... Sassy tomboy Ginger Atkinson would rather be captaining a deep-sea fishing boat than baking pies, yet she still wishes she had a man to bake for. Sure, the pretty redhead is happy running her late father’s Turtle Island ferry business, but everyone in the world is finding love except her. Stuck on the wrong side of thirty, she’s trying to accept singlehood by building a dream home—for one.
In high school, Carter Ridley loved to sneak off with his good friend Ginger to watch the sun rise over the ocean. But after graduation, his path took a different route. One that, unlike Ginger’s, did get him the spouse and house of his dreams. At least, until a scandal shattered everything. Running from his heartbreak, Carter returns to Turtle Island, where he discovers that Ginger is all grown up. His teenage friend has become the woman he’s always wanted. But will Carter’s pain scare him away from a chance at happiness? Or can he be the loving partner Ginger’s been looking for? Published January 12th 2016 by Montlake Romance Review: I had the opportunity to read and review Montana Cherries for this author and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I was thrilled when another opportunity presented itself. I enjoyed the depth and backstories of the previous book and this one did not disappoint either. This was my first book to read in her Turtle Island series, but that took nothing away from this story besides the need to go back and catch up on the missed love stories I got to catch a glimpse of throughout this story. I enjoyed the intermingling of the backstories once again, this time Julie's (Carter's sister) pregnancy being my favorite. It was initially used as the excuse to why Carter needed to come back home and was followed through with to the end, complimenting the story and the main characters development. The story that felt like it fell through a bit was Ginger's mom. She was introduced, given a little backstory, then forgotten about for half the book before being reintroduced in time for her wedding. The main evidence of that is how free Ginger behaved in her mothers house, walking around pantless and at one point naked with no care if her mother or her boyfriend were there. Did her mom move in with the boyfriend for a few months? I did think it was strange how often Ginger, who stilled lived with her mom, went to the back porch to read in her underwear. It was mentioned the neighbors saw her long legs as well that the mother's boyfriend constantly spent the night, which to me would have been enough cause for me to keep my pants on while reading. Other than the details of the background characters, the story was strong. I enjoyed the history between Ginger and Carter and how it was revisited as they picked up where they left off. The sunsets were a connecting factor from childhood to whatever the future might hold. The best part of this book for me was that Carter was an author. I love reading and I enjoy writing and it's fun when they include a character that you relate to. He started as a typical business man then slowly made his dreams come true and I hope to find the happiness he found in Ginger. 1/7/2016 Carrying The Black Bag: A Neurologist’s Bedside Tales by Tom Hutton MD Blog Tour PromoRead NowCarrying the Black Bag: A Neurologist’s Bedside Tales Author: Tom Hutton MD Genre: Memoir Publisher: Texas Tech University Press Date of Publication: December 7, 2015 Number of Pages: 240 Synopsis:
In his thirty-plus years of practicing medicine, physician and neurologist Tom Hutton discovered that a doctor’s best teachers are often his patients. From these extraordinary individuals, Hutton gained a whole-hearted respect for the resourcefulness, courage, and resilience of the human spirit. Hutton’s patients—and the valuable lessons they taught—served as the inspiration for Carrying the Black Bag. This part of the trip we had a goal to get lost and experience an adventure which we did. We did a lot of very little, but created a whole lot of memories. This part of our escape was to Germany. We spent one week getting lost in Frankfurt. This was my first trip where I did not plan a single dang thing and somehow that might have caused me more stress than planning every day in detail.
We don't travel often so the time difference hit us hard coming right from travelling out of town on work to boarding a plane for Germany hours later, we slept and caught up on Disney movies the first few days in town. After catching up on sleep we finally made our way into town walking about four miles the first day before realizing they have buses and train stations everywhere. From then on we purchased a Frankfurt card at the Hauptbahnhof train station and rode all their transportation systems for free after that. It made the Christmas Market a five minute ride away instead of a 30 minute walk, which either way wasn't bad unless it was cold and rainy (which it was 80% of the time we were there). I always had a dream to get married and go somewhere with my husband where we were surrounded my people we didn't know, that spoke a language we could barely understand, so we would really feel like all we had was each other. Well it happened a lot sooner than I thought. :) The working Germans spoke extremely well English, but it was still nice to get to rely on each other and being the only other person we knew in the country. As for the reason we picked Germany. I know nothing specific about my heritage, as far as where exactly my family came from, but both sets of my grandparents came from Germany, which makes me 100% German. I feel like my past is a huge part of who I am, so right now I feel a large part of me is lost with how little I know about how I made my appearance into this world.
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RACING FORWARD
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Mica Mosbacher
Mica Mosbacher was barely hanging on. A single mother of a son, she worked in retail while she established a career as an award-winning writer. Feeling unlucky in romance after two failed marriages, she gave up on her dreams. In her early 40s, she met the love of her life, oilman mogul and 28th US Secretary of Commerce, Robert Mosbacher Sr. A modern day commoner who went on to meet and entertain heads of states and Royals, Mica turned out to be a kind of Houston Cinderella.Mica married her prince and soul mate only to lose him to pancreatic cancer leaving her heart broken. But instead of wallowing in pain, she decided to grieve forward. Her brother, a racecar driver, inspired her to learn to race a Ferrari. Testing her personal limits on the racetrack, she discovered her inner strength to move forward.Life brings losses on a regular basis. Whether it’s a garden variety loss or a life changing one―debilitating illness, divorce, death―it requires a resiliency, optimism and faith.
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Excerpts from Chapter 8: Racing Ahead We were intent on making a difference. My daughter-in-law often says that I like to make waves. So does Ellen [Cohen]! Together we united to create a tsunami. A vocal defender of sexual assault victims… (pg. 95) It was a splendid ceremony, one that marked a middle-class “commoner” proving she was worthy of a prince. Letizia Ortiz represented the future of Spain in a progressive world. (pg.96) I suppose that’s what reality is: a dream-like experience shattered with the clanging of an emergency. No wonder we lose ourselves in fairy tales. (pg. 97) I recall being dropped off within walking distance amid a sea of protestors. I admit I was nervous—the protestors seemed very hostile—but I was also upset. While they may not have agreed with Reagan’s policies and actions as President, making a scene at his funeral was, more than anything, disrespectful. (pg. 97) We [also] saluted our country, which we both held most dear. It was hard not to be affected, after having so recently said good-bye to an American President beloved by many. I remain impressed with Ronal Reagan to this day. He was able to connect with people and bridge differences. In this era of partisan bickering, our country could use someone like him. (pg. 99) Michele (Mica) Mosbacher, widow of the 28th U.S. Secretary of Commerce and oilman Robert Mosbacher, Sr., was commissioned as an Honorary Consul of Iceland, Houston and Central Texas, in 2010 by the Foreign Ministry of Iceland. She is an author, motivational speaker and proud sponsor of Godstone Ranch Motorsports, a family professional motorsports team that races for charitable causes. She currently serves on the boards of the Houston Ballet, University of Houston; and was appointed by Governor Perry to the steering committee of the Aga Khan Foundation. Mica previously served as a director of the American Hospital Foundation, receiving the board’s highest honor presented by Ambassador Howard Leach at the United States Embassy in Paris. Focused on education, Mica previously served as on the University of Houston’s Board of Regents and the board of Strake Jesuit Prepartory School. Mica implemented Best Friends, a character education program and the Raol Wallenberg Heroes program in the Houston Independent School District in the late 90s. Mica has chaired numerous charitable fundraisers including Houston Ballet In April of 2011, Houston Mayor Anise Parker honored her with “Mica Mosbacher Day” for her initiation of the prominent public art installation, “On Tolerance,” featuring sculptures by world-class sculptor, Jaume Plensa. In 2013, Mica was appointed by Her Majesty the Queen to the Order of St. John; in 2012 she was awarded the Silver Good Citizenship Medal, the highest honor from the Texas Society, Sons of the American Revolution. She was named Philanthropist of the Year in 2007 by TAASA (Texas Association Against Sexual Assault). Mica was named Knight Commander of the Order of King Francis I. In 2008, Mica was inducted into the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame along with Barbara Bush and other prominent Houstonians. A journalist, she has received prestigious writing awards for feature articles. Her career began in 1972, when as an intern at KPRC-TV/NBC in Houston, she was among the first female reporters on camera and radio and while an intern, Mica acquired an exclusive interview during a famous murder trial. She later pursued a career in print journalism and freelance writing. A longtime horse lover, Mica is a former champion in the American Saddleseat Amateur Walk-Trot Division. She won her first horse show at the Dallas State Fair riding J Miller and was trained by Charles Smith at Tri-Oaks Stables in Houston. Active in political fundraising, Mica has served as a co-chair on many statewide and national campaigns. Born in Gainesville, Florida, Mica resides in Houston and Austin. |