Guest Post: Jo Kessel, author of Weak at the Knees

by Carol4 Comments
Today, I'm happy to welcome Jo Kessel, author of the contemporary romance, Weak at the Knees, to my notebook. She's talking about balancing life and work, a subject a lot of us can relate to. Balancing Life and Writing As women, we’re taught at a young age that we can have it all, and so it came as a shock to me when I realized that this isn’t necessarily the truth. At least, you can have it all, but there’s a price to pay for it and, if you decide to work  full-time, that price is spending less quality time with your children. And so for  me, having a full-time career and being a Mom has never been an easy partnership.  It’s been a constant challenge to achieve a perfect life/work balance, but I think I’m closer to it now than I was. Before I had children I was a full-time TV Reporter, but the hours were so long that I had...
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Spotlight: Upir and the Monster Gang by Sharron and Raymond Thorton

by Carol3 Comments
About Upir and the Monster Gang by Sharron and Raymond Thornton: Coming from a long line of highly respected vampires, Upir knew that going to Neewollah, the Monster Mausoleum, would help him live up to his family’s reputation, but he never anticipated the terrifying turn his stay there would take. Upon entering, Upir befriends several strange creatures and their nights soon become treacherous when they have to dodge flying skulls whose hollow eye sockets shimmer with bright blue lights, avoid huge plants with tongue-like tentacles that devour young monsters, and run from a mad scientist who loves to use the monster students in his experiments. Most of all, they try to stay away from Muriel, an ill-tempered, nasty gorgon girl with slithering snakes for hair. She is the leader of three cantankerous monsters that follow her every command. Her group is bent on destroying Upir and his gang. Without warning the young monsters find themselves entangled in a plot to destroy the...
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Audiobook Review: The Bear Pit by Jon Cleary

by Carol3 Comments
Title: The Bear Pit (Scobie Malone #17) Author: Jon Cleary Reader: Christian Rodska Category: Mystery Audio published: Sept 24, 2013 by AudioGo (First published 2001) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase: Amazon | Audible Scobie Malone's job as a homicide cop is to try to keep murder at bay. His job as a father is to keep his family safe. Now, as the eyes of the world are turning toward his city, both of Malone's careers are in serious jeopardy. An important politician is murdered in high-profile public as his nation rushes toward center stage in the international arena. The assassination is clean and professional -- and senseless on the surface. Malone knows, however, that violent death is sometimes politics' strangest and darkest bedfellow. And before thousands of visitors descend on his city, the dedicated detective will have to put himself in the line of fire to flush out a killer. But he won't be alone in someone's rifle sight. An ambitious young reporter will be joining Scobie Malone in...
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Thursday’s Tale: The Corpse Watchers

by Carol7 Comments
I was looking for a spooky tale today, saw the title "The Corpse Watchers," and thought it might be perfect. It's not really spooky at all, more of an adventure story, the kind where the young man heads out into the world to seek his fortune, although in this case it's a young woman. The story's from Ireland, but I read it in Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters: Heroines in Folktales from Around the World by Kathleen Raglan. There was once a poor woman who had three daughters. One day the oldest asked for some cake and meat so she could go out and seek her treasure. The mother made both and when it was ready asked the daughter if she wanted half with her blessing or all with a curse. The daughter took it all and off she went. The mother may not have cursed her, but she certainly didn't send her blessing. She walked until she was tired and...
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Cookbook Review: Make Ahead Paleo by Tammy Credicott

by Carol8 Comments
Title: Make-Ahead Paleo: Healthy Gluten-, Grain- & Dairy-Free Recipes Ready When & Where You Are Author:  Tammy Credicott Category: Cookbook - Paleo Published: September 3, 2013 by Victory Bell Publishing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase: Amazon | Indiebound | Book Depository In today's fast-paced world, the family dinner can easily get swallowed up by work, errands, and kids' activities. But sitting down to a healthy home-cooked meal doesn't have to be a thing of the past. In Make Ahead Paleo, Tammy Credicott shows you how to eat well at home and on the run, without sacrificing flavor or good nutrition. Tammy offers up more than 100 flavorful recipes that are ready when you are, wherever you are, each one beautifully illustrated with a photo that will inspire you to start shopping and chopping: dishes such as Garlic Topped Flank Steak Roulade, Apricot Orange Pork Chops, Mushroom Meatballs, Apple Cider Chicken Thighs, Paleo English Muffins, Chocolate Chip Tahini Blondies with Toasted Coconut, and even Pumpkin Cardamom Pancakes. You'll be...
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Interview with Layton Green, author of The Diabolist

by Carol5 Comments
I want to thank Layton Green, author of The Diabolist, for stopping by my notebook today and answering a few questions. Could you please tell us a little about your book? The Diabolist inspired even more reflection than usual along the way -- which is why I wanted to write it.  I’ve had readers describe the book in many different ways, from “fast-paced international thriller” to “a meditation on the nature of good and evil” to “a controversial look into the history of the devil.”  I hope the novel not just entertains, but makes people think and feel, because in my view a good novel must do all three. Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book? Ever since I started The Dominic Grey series, which I describe as “international religious thrillers,” I knew I would eventually feature a satanic cult or some derivation thereof.  This is that novel.  The explosion of social media and how it might fuel a global...
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