tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46894833657346479172024-03-13T01:06:37.936-07:00Worlds of WordcraftK S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-53461832359650555332012-03-06T22:38:00.000-08:002012-03-07T07:27:05.056-08:00Review of Only the Strongest Survive by Ian Fox<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(This novel was provided to me by the author for
review.)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
The
novel opens with a hair-tingling scene, as two men kidnap Emely Donnovan, one
of the wealthiest women in America,
and bury her alive. What is behind this horrific crime?<br />
<br />
Raised in a strict religious institution, Emely never knew her parents. Fearing
a life of poverty, she starts up a small business that deals mainly with buying
and selling stocks. Thanks to her extreme dedication and knowledge, the company
grows over time into a major conglomerate. In her desire for ever greater
financial security, this beautiful, ambitious CEO has accumulated a number of
enemies.<br />
<br />
But now she finds herself locked in the basement of a remote house in the
middle of a forest, watched over by one of her captors who makes her buy and
sell stocks for him so he can get rich. Her challenge to survive becomes even
more complicated when Emely’s captor falls in love with her …</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the title suggests the heroine of the novel, Emely
Donnovan, must be strong to survive the ordeal she is to go through. A
tough-as-nails business woman who is used to getting her way in all things in
regards to her business and personal life, she is about to undergo a horrific
experience being kidnapped not for money, which she has plenty of, but for
revenge involving being buried and left to die.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mr. Fox amply delivers on the action in this novel. However,
for me personally, the novel falls short because frankly I just didn’t care
about the main character Emely Donnovan. Though trying to make the character
more sympathetic to his readers by introducing glimpses into her past via
conversations between a reporter and her friends/business associates, I found
most of these not revealing enough or good enough to justify her behavior.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Further in the novel Mr. Fox begins to incorporate a romance
between Emely Donnovan and one of the kidnappers. This smacks of Stockholm
Syndrome, an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon in which hostage<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostage" title="Hostage"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"></span></a>
express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to
the point of defending them. These feelings are generally considered irrational
in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, who essentially mistake
a lack of abuse from their captors for an act of kindness. Unfortunately because
I did not care for Emely Donnovan nor for her kidnapper, the introduction of a
romance aspect to this novel did not work for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This might have had a chance with me if it was written as a
murder mystery novel where she was killed off and they had to solve the crime.
But as it stands just not my cup of tea.</div>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-1692438872928818002012-02-23T07:18:00.000-08:002012-02-23T07:18:14.751-08:00Quote of the Week<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. <br />~Author Unknown<br /><br />In loving memory of Nala she was not just a dog she was an amazing and important member of my sister's family. My wish for her is to be lying on her own comfy couch in heaven.<br />
</span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-33190717922438064462012-02-14T08:31:00.001-08:002012-02-14T08:31:55.880-08:00Quote of the Week<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">I
don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day.
When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby
toddler coming at me with a weapon. ~Author Unknown</span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-2100193291749227522012-01-13T11:59:00.000-08:002012-01-13T11:59:00.516-08:00Review of The Woman Who Heard Color by Kelly Jones<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://diaryofaneccentric.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/the-woman-who-heard-color.jpg?w=199&h=300" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://diaryofaneccentric.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/the-woman-who-heard-color.jpg?w=199&h=300" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Continuing in my theme of the
things that will inspire us to pick up particular books I present <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Woman who Heard Color</i>. I saw this
particular book on my local library’s “New” shelf and was immediately intrigued
by the title. I was a bit confused by the cover art thinking this would be a
romance novel, which it is not. Once I read the back cover I was hooked. I love historical
fiction. Especially if it is historical fiction that is well done. This is most
definitely one of those books.</div>
This is a beautiful novel about creativity, passion, and a woman who would
do anything to prevent the destruction of art. Hanna Schmid flees the family
farm in Bavaria for a more
exciting life in Munich in 1900,
working as a housekeeper for the Fleischmanns, who own an art gallery. Hanna
admires the artwork constantly moving in and out of the Fleischmann home, and
her love for the colorful is intensified by a neurological condition,
synesthesia, that enables hear to actually hear color and see music (hence the
title of the book). There are always artists coming and going at the
Fleischmann house, and when serving dinner one evening, Hanna meets Wassily
Kandinsky — a man who would one day become “her artist.”<br /><br />
Kelly Jones tells Hanna’s story over a period of decades, beginning with her
bonding with Moses Fleischmann over art, their eventual marriage, and their
success as art dealers, and following her through the world wars. Much of the
book is set during the Nazi party’s rise to power, setting the stage for what
would become World War II. Through Hanna’s eyes, we see Germany’s
economy fall apart, how Hitler’s promises of prosperity garnered him support,
and how swiftly Hanna’s life fell apart when the Jewish businesses were
targeted.<br /><br />
But the focus of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Woman Who Heard
Color</i> is on the art. Jones moves the story back and forth from the past to
the present, via conversations between Hanna’s 82 year old daughter and Lauren
O’Farrell, an “art detective” who makes it her mission to retrieve invaluable
works stolen by the Nazis and flashbacks to Hanna living her story.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was an enthralling read that captured my attention
immediately. I loved learning more about the art of those years and was riveted
by Hanna’s attempts to save what art she could from Hitler’s purge of the
“modern” arts.<span class="readable"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jones does a great job enabling readers to feel the tension
that built up in Germany prior to WWII, and showing the lasting effects on one
family made it all the more heartbreaking. Though the impact of power on art
and the passion for preserving creativity are at the forefront, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Woman Who Heard Color</i> is also a
story about relationships and how sometimes history conceals the truth. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Woman Who Heard Color</i> is a must-read
for fans of historical fiction set during WWII and for those who are as
passionate about art as its main character.</div>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-65808584527146222882012-01-08T08:18:00.000-08:002012-01-08T10:19:31.290-08:00Review of Beauty Dates the Beast by Jessica Sims<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311804591l/10650803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311804591l/10650803.jpg" width="133" /></a>There are many things that will
inspire us to pick up a particular book and read it. It can be an amazing cover
and/or title; a recommendation from a trusted source; the fact that it is one
of your favorite authors; or just simply a great teaser of a back cover or
flyleaf. <b><i>Beauty Dates the Beast</i></b> was a combination of several of these things.
The cover art is appealing and the title a nice twist on a beloved fairytale.
Then I turned it over and read this:</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">WANTED</span><br />
Single human female to join charming, wealthy, single male were-cougar for a
night of romantic fun—and maybe more.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Me:</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> The tall, sensuous, open-minded leader of
my clan.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">You:</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> A deliciously curvy virgin who’s intimately
familiar with what goes bump in the night. Must not be afraid of a little tail.
Prefer a woman who’s open to exploring her animal nature. Interest in nighttime
walks through the woods a plus.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My turn-ons include protecting you from the worst the supernatural
world has to offer.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ready for an adventure? Give me a call.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vampires and doppelgangers need not apply.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Ok call me intrigued! I mean
seriously who can resist a hot paranormal shifter romance with fun and laughter
included?!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are looking for a fun, light, fast read this one is
pretty good. I just wish that the promise of the back cover was realized
throughout the book. <span class="readable">Towards the end of the book, some of
the heroine's choices don't make sense with the way her character is presented
at the beginning of the book. Also, a few dark things happen at the end of the
book that seem like they should matter more to the characters than is portrayed
by the author, and the ending seems a bit abrupt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Personally I feel some editing assistance might have been
helpful here. I realize this is the first of a series and my hope is that these
issues will be addressed and cleaned up in the subsequent novels. That being said,
this is a promising first effort and I will read the next installment.</div>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-37780515047586257082011-12-30T09:42:00.000-08:002011-12-30T09:42:28.228-08:00Quote of the Week<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">The
proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This
drunkenness culminates on New Year's Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss
the person you're married to. ~P.J. O'Rourke</span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-60527890565158475022011-12-23T10:07:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:07:00.632-08:00Quote of the Week<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">Our
hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we
are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child
again at Christmas-time.<br /> ~Laura Ingalls Wilder</span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-55164868350927651992011-12-19T08:35:00.000-08:002011-12-19T08:35:37.888-08:00Review of Eve a Novel of the First Woman by Elissa Elliott<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://erb.kingdomnow.org/images/Elliott-EVE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://erb.kingdomnow.org/images/Elliott-EVE.JPG" width="210" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">Eve</span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">, the debut novel from Elissa
Elliott, is a finely crafted tale of not only humankind’s first woman, but also
her family and especially her daughters. Elliott creates her novel out of the
bones of the biblical account of <span class="yshortcuts">Adam and Eve</span> in
Genesis 1-4, but using her imagination and some thorough research on this era
of human history, she fleshes out this story into a fascinating storyline,
including a few twists that might take some readers by surprise. Take <span class="yshortcuts">Eve’s daughters</span>, for instance; although not mentioned
in the scriptural account, Elliott imagines Eve to have had three daughters:
Naava, Aya, and Dara, all of whom were younger than <span class="yshortcuts">Cain
and Abel</span>, the most prominent of Adam and Eve’s children in the Genesis
story. Elliott tells this story completely through the eyes of the women only.
Giving us glimpses into each daughter’s perspective of the events of their
lives, including their belief, or not, in Elohim (God).<br /><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">Much of
Eve’s chapters revolve around her relationship with Adam both before their fall
from the Garden and after. This depiction of Adam and Eve’s marriage is
indicative of the darkness that lurks just beneath the surface of this story, a
darkness that bears the ring of truth for many readers. However, the story is
not consumed by its darkness, as is most vividly seen in the trajectory of its
main character. From the heights of life in </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">Eden</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">’s garden – where she sees and
converses with Elohim her creator, and where she is one with her husband, Eve
plunges into the turmoil of life after the fall: tense relations with her
husband and her children, and doubt stemming from the evasiveness of Elohim. As
the story draws to its close, however, she begins to find a sort of peace even
in the fallen world. In the book’s epilogue, Eve says:<br /><br /> <br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">I am at peace now. My hands and feet and eyes and heart
see Elohim every day, maybe not in the way I expect, but He is there, waiting
to be discovered. [Adam] and I had our differences, true, but after that heart
breaking summer when Abel died we came together again, like many strands of
rope plaited together, rendering it stronger, tougher. (407)<br /> <br /></span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">Elliott
creates a world of deep and twisted brokenness, and yet one that is saturated
with an even deeper hope.<br /><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">Much of
the dramatic tension in <em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Eve</span></em>
is rooted in the relationships that Eve and Adam’s family have with the pagan
tribe whose city is the family’s closest neighbor. The existence of this people
might prove theologically troublesome to some readers, but Elliott takes the
existence of other peoples as axiomatic, a helpful way to explain some of the
difficult parts of the Genesis account that imply the possibility of other
peoples – e.g. Cain’s taking of a wife, or the questions of who God was
protecting Cain from when God cursed him for killing Abel. The idols of this
pagan people, chief of whom was Inanna, prove tempting for Adam and Eve’s
family, especially early on in the novel when they are acutely feeling the
distance of Elohim. These gods are particularly tempting for Cain, who worships
both Elohim and these pagan gods, in order to cover all his bases. The riches
of the city, many of which have come in trade with other peoples, also prove
tempting to the first family.<br /><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">Through
Eve’s occasional flashbacks to life in the <span class="yshortcuts">Garden of
Eden</span>, Elliott covers the full story of Eve and Adam creating a rich
context in which the doubt and struggles of their life in exile are made
credible. At the end of one such flashback, Eve uses the analogy of a grafted
tree to describe how she and Adam had been joined together and joined to Elohim.
Of life outside the garden she concludes “I felt cut off from Adam, shorn from
the main stem of our love [Elohim], and pruned so far back that any growth was
impossible.” (67).<br /><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
fallen world in which Eve and her family live is one of both deep sorrow and
great joy. In an eloquent flourish at the end of the book Elliott pens the
following words spoken by Eve:<br /> <br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">Belief is not always easy.</span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">It is equal parts doubt and astonishment and gratitude and
confusion. </span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">And then you see how deeply colored the sky is, how the
grass is so sharply fragrant, how the fields are a dazzling gold, and you have
to step back and breathe in this wild fabulous world. We live in the space of
abundant questions and inadequate answers. How else can we live?</span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">Open your heart, and all the uncertainty fills it—the
dimpled earth, the generous sky, the shaking flowers—all of it crowding into
your grateful heart. Don’t you see?</span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">Everything ordinary is extraordinary and points to one
luminous thing, to a love that has already given its response. You have only to
receive it (408).<br /><br /></span></em></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11.0pt;">Indeed, this world is the
same one in which we live today, the world that has been passed down to us from
Eve and Adam through many generations. I read a lot of historical fiction and I
must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this fleshing out of the original Genesis
stories. I highly recommend you picking up a copy and entering the world of Eve
and her family.</span><br />K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-43608011076330913462011-12-14T07:52:00.000-08:002011-12-14T07:52:42.706-08:00Quote of the Week<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">Boy, when you're dead, they really fix you up. I hope to hell when I <i>do</i>
die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or
something. Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetery. People
coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all
that crap. Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody. <br /> ~J.D.
Salinger, <i>The Catcher in the Rye</i>, 1945 </span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-35403922337930189372011-12-06T08:40:00.001-08:002011-12-06T08:41:02.989-08:00Quote of the Week<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me. <br />~Ayn Rand, <i>The Fountainhead</i><br />
</span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-18000578611755309702011-12-02T12:03:00.001-08:002011-12-02T12:06:46.773-08:00Special Holiday Price!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXT5kGFooLI01WPk92P1JtUgrph1P12OcnDM5eA9JjgJldkITSfFqVb_1Cp8gyVj1zWHkWZ07mc382xgb3oBtb2j6Kg7waAtfVKZuqCWTxHmSCVDuZYvLkORWbUgysAnRoF4gbaNEggzY/s1600/99+cent+ad+for+BVD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXT5kGFooLI01WPk92P1JtUgrph1P12OcnDM5eA9JjgJldkITSfFqVb_1Cp8gyVj1zWHkWZ07mc382xgb3oBtb2j6Kg7waAtfVKZuqCWTxHmSCVDuZYvLkORWbUgysAnRoF4gbaNEggzY/s320/99+cent+ad+for+BVD.jpg" width="320" /></a>Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. R.M. Brand, the author I edit for, has announced special holiday pricing on By Virtues' Design. I encourage anyone that hasn't picked up their own personal ecopy to do so this month.<br />
<br />K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-9899455131344800942011-11-29T08:24:00.001-08:002011-11-29T08:25:17.811-08:00Quote of the Week<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">TV.
If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have
with twenty-six. Open your child's imagination. Open a book. ~Author
Unknown</span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-43593623663446581262011-11-24T09:04:00.001-08:002011-11-24T09:05:11.510-08:00Quote of the Week“But Charlie Brown, it’s Thanksgiving….One of the greatest traditions we
have is the Thanksgiving Day football game and the biggest, most
important tradition of all is the kicking off of the football.” <br /> –Lucy, explaining to Charlie Brown why she won’t pull the ball away this timeK S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-10156595408304699302011-11-20T18:38:00.001-08:002011-11-20T18:43:33.897-08:00Review of Tales From Watership Down by Richard Adams<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPEEkuhQL1Dp3lufc0qo5SwE-zWUZwyB0S4ypK-Za7Yilwc7sMKzT70ndjV_34BUOMfa1QoM62oxPFascUAFQl1s9Q3ZD_PQdLCGqoI11pLMoEFrEjVf3SoXaszmtXttFSt5qOo-RrRs/s200/Tales+Watership+Down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPEEkuhQL1Dp3lufc0qo5SwE-zWUZwyB0S4ypK-Za7Yilwc7sMKzT70ndjV_34BUOMfa1QoM62oxPFascUAFQl1s9Q3ZD_PQdLCGqoI11pLMoEFrEjVf3SoXaszmtXttFSt5qOo-RrRs/s200/Tales+Watership+Down.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Welcome back to the beautiful
and unique world of the rabbits of <i style="color: yellow;">Watership
Down</i>. In this book of short stories Richard Adams not only gives us a
glimpse into the lives of our favorite rabbits after the defeat of General
Woundwort but allows us to learn some of the great folk stories well known to
all rabbits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Here’s the Introduction from the book:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The tales in this book have been divided into three parts.
First come five traditional stories, which all rabbits know, about the hero
El-ahrairah (“The Prince with a Thousand Enemies”) and some of his deeds and
adventures. Two of these, “The Fox in the Water” and “The Hole in the Sky,” are
glancingly mentioned by Dandelion and Hawkbit toward the end of Chapter 30 of <i style="color: yellow;">Watership Down</i>, and Bigwig, during his
fight with General Woundwort (Chapter 47), hears behind him Bluebell telling
“The Fox in the Water” to the does. At the end of Part I have been included two
tales, “The Rabbit’s Ghost Story” and “Speedwell’s Story.” The later seemed
worth including as representative of the kind of nonsense tales which rabbits
enjoy.<br />
<br />
Part II contains four of the many stories which are told of the adventures of
El-ahrairah and his stalwart, Rabscuttle, in the course of their long journey
home from their terrible encounter with the Black Rabbit of Inlé.<br />
<br />
In Part III are further tales of Hazel and his rabbits, which took place during
the winter, spring and early summer following the defeat of General Woundwort.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="color: yellow;">Watership Down</i> is
one of my all-time favorite books. I was extremely pleased to find this gem
tucked away in my local library. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting my rabbit
friends and hearing their folk tales. Keep in mind this is truly a companion
piece to the original novel and will have deeper meaning for the lovers of the
rabbits of <i style="color: yellow;">Watership Down</i>.</div>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-61714763925209644832011-11-15T07:34:00.001-08:002011-11-15T07:38:19.739-08:00By Virtues' Design: Now Available in PaperbackI'm pleased to announce that By Virtues' Design is now available in paperback. You can purchase it through Amazon's <a href="https://www.createspace.com/3707262" target="_blank">CreateSpace store</a> (eventually, the title will be available via Amazon's main site). You can still purchase ebook versions of the novel for your <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Virtues-Design-Judge-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B005V5DOWU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1318554169&sr=8-3],%20Barnes%20and%20Noble" target="_blank">Kindle</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/by-virtues-design-rm-brand/1106615354?ean=2940013277557&itm=1&usri=by+virtues27+design" target="_blank">Nook</a>, and other <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95979" target="_blank">devices</a>.<br />
<br />
As part of the paperback launch, there is a new book trailer. Be sure to watch it in 1080p (high definition).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0s-ERN32ndk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-87269481414536078862011-11-11T08:27:00.001-08:002011-11-11T08:28:41.504-08:00In Honor of Veterns Day<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">In
the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and
hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for
then it costs nothing to be a patriot. <br /> ~Mark Twain, <i>Notebook</i>, 1935</span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-44605422498786505842011-11-08T12:09:00.000-08:002011-11-08T12:10:36.380-08:00Quote of the WeekGood books, like good friends, are few and chosen; the more select, the more enjoyable.
<br />
<div class="clear">
<i><span class="fright">~Louisa May Alcott</span></i></div>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-19721690118037606112011-11-01T08:48:00.000-07:002011-11-01T08:48:10.041-07:00Quote of the Week<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read. <br />~Mark Twain</span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-85827006077439171592011-10-27T07:20:00.000-07:002011-10-27T07:21:01.494-07:00Review of Teri Thackston's Border Heat<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBOfxTSMjRTrm0t6MFUpZ7lXOiNE9vFzuB9-bjvpBJqPqiUme21573bqrEyEXO2lPDRSMMK85SkuJyiuqOSYUJcABytbqinNw7mQTFWj_1E480MylTmbkpIBfb3tLA9-Hz_i1T7WCeiI/s200/BorderHeat-Smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBOfxTSMjRTrm0t6MFUpZ7lXOiNE9vFzuB9-bjvpBJqPqiUme21573bqrEyEXO2lPDRSMMK85SkuJyiuqOSYUJcABytbqinNw7mQTFWj_1E480MylTmbkpIBfb3tLA9-Hz_i1T7WCeiI/s320/BorderHeat-Smaller.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Murderous drug runners, a
wildfire in the Texas desert and
the President's runaway daughter…Game Warden Shannon Walker didn't sign up for
any of this. Add the arrival of Tucker Daye—a sexy Secret Service Agent that
Shannon used to date—unexpected betrayal and a desperate escape into the
desert, and the border becomes hotter than Shannon can handle. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Here’s a short excerpt from the book:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She strode right up to him and, with one hand on her hip,
she jabbed the index finger of her other hand into his breastbone. “Let’s get
one thing straight, Tucker Daye. I am in charge of this facility and this
Wildlife Management Area. You and those other spies are welcome to help me and
Sgt. Sanchez guard the prisoner, but we call the shots. Got it?”<br />
<br />
Tucker lifted one eyebrow and resisted the impulse to push her finger away.
Actually, his stronger impulse was to wrap his free hand around her wrist and
haul her up close for a searing kiss on those pretty pink lips. They were
entirely too tight for his taste and a long wet kiss would soften them up. He
knew that about her, too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But with the memory of Loretta apparently still fresh in Shannon’s
mind, the odds on a long, wet kiss were about as low as his odds of riding a
rocket to the moon. Not that it mattered. He’d made his choice on that score
last February.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Besides that there were two teenage girls eavesdropping on
their conversation. So instead of reacting the way he wanted, he relaxed his
body and smiled at Shannon. “We’re not <i>spies</i>,
sweetheart. We’re Secret Service agents. And I think we might know a little
more about handling this situation than a couple of game wardens do.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her lips thinned more. “For your information, <i>sweetheart</i>,
Texas game wardens probably
receive more rigorous law enforcement training than you do.” The tip of her
index finger pressed harder into his chest. “While you and your friends are
here, you’ll do what I tell you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He cocked his head to once side. “I’ve missed you, Shannon,”
he murmured, aware that the two teens had grown almost stone still. He lowered
his voice a bit more. “Don’t tell me you haven’t missed me, too.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found this to be a fast paced, well written thriller with
a dash of romance that kept me turning the pages. The relationships between the
main characters, (both the romantic leads as well as the teenage matchmakers)
were believable and well developed. Never having read any of Teri Thackston’s
work before this was a great introduction to a wonderful writer. I will
definitely be picking up the rest of her books to read.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BORDER HEAT is available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Border-Heat-ebook/dp/B005KLVN32/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319135916&sr=8-1">Amazon.com</a>,
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/border-heat-thackston?keyword=border+heat+thackston&store=allproducts">BarnesandNoble.com</a>
and <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/85525">Smashwords.com</a>. </div>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-49434289168241629102011-10-27T07:02:00.000-07:002011-10-27T07:02:58.804-07:00Quote of the Week<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title. ~From <i>Scooby-Doo</i></span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-12138414980692263572011-10-26T11:25:00.000-07:002011-10-26T13:16:41.477-07:00Proof Readers Are Essential<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the things that I have been noticing more and more
when reading these days is the lack of good proof reading prior to going to
publication. I’m not sure if this is happening more due to publishing houses
trying to cut corners in these economic times, or the proliferation of writers
relying upon spelling and grammar check programs on their computer systems.
Either way it is truly doing a disservice to the writing community at large.
Nothing is more distracting when you are immersed in a great story than to
continually have to re read something because it just doesn’t make sense only
to see that the wrong word is being used. Yes it is spelled correctly (thank
you spell check) but it is not the correct word usage. Or somehow during the
editing process things have been cut and moved around and either extra words
have been left hanging or a sentence is not completed. Even worse is when the
wrong character name is used. All of these things may seem minor but frankly
they tend to ruin your book. This can all be easily preventable by utilizing
the services of a final proof reader. Once all of your editing has been
completed get a fresh set of eyes to completely read your manuscript prior to
publication. You will be amazed at how many errors can be caught by those fresh
eyes simply because both the writer and the editor have seen the manuscript so
many times that they tend to miss things.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are self publishing you should still have at the very
least a proof reader. You will find this service will elevate you to the next
level, and may even aide you in generating repeat customers. As a self publisher
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i></b> have complete control over what
quality product you create. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you do not have someone you feel comfortable
with asking to proof read your work I would be happy to discuss this service
with you.</div>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-63459535928461409072011-10-18T08:46:00.000-07:002011-10-18T08:46:18.701-07:00Quote of the Week<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">The chicken came first - God would look silly sitting on an egg. <i>~Author Unknown</i></span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-7260673751005791642011-10-15T08:23:00.000-07:002011-10-15T08:23:15.016-07:00It's Finally Here!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDnMjPXgx2XorBEEt8Z5tHOHOrn8Ts2IlJI-NLqCMqVqKk_ZfocU_DvMXxJNT0NSJhZZbmci4SjSKtcPuyRh9vExZiDv6nXB8lTFxiO23o7jcYRpMCTMHFmY0cH-Teppa4Cc7pK1PxJo/s1600/By-Virtues%2527-Design-Cover-%2528thumbnail%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDnMjPXgx2XorBEEt8Z5tHOHOrn8Ts2IlJI-NLqCMqVqKk_ZfocU_DvMXxJNT0NSJhZZbmci4SjSKtcPuyRh9vExZiDv6nXB8lTFxiO23o7jcYRpMCTMHFmY0cH-Teppa4Cc7pK1PxJo/s200/By-Virtues%2527-Design-Cover-%2528thumbnail%2529.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
After months of working RM Brand's epic series is now beginning! I have been editing her <i>Judge Chronicles</i> and she has just released the first book, <i>By Virtues' Design</i>, in this Scifi/Fantasy series. I may be biased (ok most likely I am) but seriously this is a well written, enthralling start to an exciting series. I highly recommend it! So go out and support an amazing new talent in the world of writing today!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/9DvO0gfcrJA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-71216051259270715352011-10-11T09:17:00.000-07:002011-10-11T09:17:05.016-07:00Quote of the Week<span style="font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif;">Always watch where you are going. Otherwise, you may step on a piece of the Forest that was left out by mistake. ~<i>Pooh's Little Instruction Book</i>, inspired by A.A. Milne</span>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4689483365734647917.post-62341796911639454092011-10-05T08:10:00.000-07:002011-10-05T08:14:59.282-07:00Review of Hell's Corner by David Baldacci<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mylittlereviewcorner.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/hells-corner-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://mylittlereviewcorner.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/hells-corner-cover.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
I discovered that Hell’s Corner is David Baldacci’s 5th book in the Camel
Club series. I have not read the first four books in this series but luckily this
book is able to stand on its own without requiring my setting it aside to read the
others first. Like most “spy/assassin” novels these days the premise for <em><span style="font-style: normal;">Hell’s Corner</span> </em>is
a little hard to swallow, but if you accept it, the rest of the book is a fun
ride.<br />
<br />Oliver, who used to be known as John Carr, is an ex-US assassin who has been
screwed over by his government<br />
more times than a $2.00 hooker. He has
avoided assassinations several times, and has recently saved the life of the
President.<br />
<br />When Oliver returns from Divine, Virginia, he’s visited by some men he
assumes have come to clean up some loose ends and is rather surprised when he’s
brought to see the President in person. If Oliver accepts one last mission, the
President will wipe his slate clean. Before Oliver is able to undertake his
mission to infiltrate and disrupt the Russian mafia drug trade in Mexico, a new
problem arises. Somehow, someone was able to get a bomb into Lafayette Park <i>aka</i> Hell’s Corner, directly across the
street from the White House and it looks like it could be related to the
President’s request.<br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-style: normal;">Hell’s Corner</span>
</em>is a good thriller, with a lot of twists and turns to keep you guessing
what will happen next and who is in charge of all the mischief. It has definitely
peaked my interest enough to go search out the first four books of the series.<br />
<o:p></o:p>K S Yoshidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053781810494097436noreply@blogger.com0