A to Z Challenge - Zealous

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Today is the last day. Enjoy and dream big!

Zealous

There is no real magic trick to charisma, though. Basically, it is the ability to instill enthusiasm in others. Think back to the last time you were in the presence of such a charismatic dynamo. Were you not energized by his enthusiastic nature? Did the bright light of his life not draw you closer? We are all attracted to those who embody the pure essence of a zealous existence. However, charisma does not imply a hyperactive personality or a person of overwhelming intensity. It is simply a contagious spirit of optimism and enthusiasm.

Introducing...Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen

Introducing books through the first paragraph or so...

It's odd when I think of the arc of my life, from child to young woman to aging adult. First I was who I was. Then I didn't know who I was. Then I invented someone and became her. Then I began to like what I'd invented. And finally I was what I was again.

-- Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen

A to Z Challenge - Your Internal Voice

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!

Your Internal Voice

One of the first items we need to control is our internal voice. The chatterbox in our heads is detrimental to our self-esteem as well as our attitude. Develop awareness of the words uttered silently in the mind. Are the phrases uplifting or downgrading? Remove belittling words of condemnation from your vocabulary. Even if no one around offers an encouraging word, play the role of cheerleader for yourself. Allow your stream of conscious to inspire and uplift. Do not speak as if you are your own worst enemy.

A to Z Challenge - eXtra

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!

eXtra

Like a battery, we must occasionally recharge. Allowing for a full night’s sleep or periods of rest during the day is vitally important. A little extra sleep is good for a tired body. Don’t forget that our minds require energizing as well. Senses grow dull when there are no new stimuli on which to feed. Provide the brain with a change of scenery and a break, too. Once rested and refreshed, we can attack our problems anew.

Introducing...The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte

Introducing books through the first chapter or so...

When being real is your priority, the various parts of your life start to groove. Your career will begin to reflect your true passion; your living room will match your values; your friends will fit your soul; and your wealth-- of which there are many definitions-- will start to measure up with your notion of freedom. Sometimes the courage to be true to yourself comes in the form of an out-loud declaration, a rebellion, or a love-drenched vow. Other times it's a quiet conviction that we can read in your eyes. Mighty or discreet, authenticity is the muscle that helps you shake up beliefs, policies, and restraints, and gives you the strength to do the things some say can't be done. Being genuine is the foundation of integrity-- often inconvenient and not always painless-- but the only way to go if you're here to really, truly, fully live.

-- The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms by Danielle LaPorte

A to Z Challenge - Work Ethic

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!

Work Ethic

Proper work ethic implies that we should display all of the qualities we want our people to possess. As a leader, we should work harder and encourage more often than anyone else in the organization. We must set the example and achieve results, not just activity. Followers will emulate our bad traits faster than our good traits, so provide them with as few negative habits as possible!

A to Z Challenge - Vision

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!

Vision

We can begin cultivating a charismatic personality by developing a dream. When we share a goal that taps into the dreams and desires of others, we create a vision worthy of pursuit. By attacking this ambition with unwavering determination and intensity, others will feel inspired to join in the crusade. People will follow a charismatic leader, drawn by his enthusiastic belief in total victory. Think of all the great charitable organizations and worthy causes started by such an individual. What an incredible image of success!

ARTICLE SHARING: A novelist's letter to the editor...

Letters of Note blogged an article regarding the 1947 letter of novelist Raymond Chandler to the editor of The Atlantic Monthly. I loved the letter, but I loved his poem to the paper's proofreader even more! Check it out!

REVIEW: Freaks of the Heartland by Steve Niles

Synopsis

Under the weathered skies of America's heartland, and in the wounded hearts of every family in one tiny rural town, a terrible secret has been kept for too many years. Now, a young boy named Trevor must try to keep his younger brother Will from falling victim to the worst fears of a troubled town that can't begin to understand the tragic secret that binds its families together. Some folks would call Trevor's brother a monster. But to Trevor, Will is just another kid trapped in a dark reality he can't comprehend. When the situation moves from bad to worse, and their father threatens to do away with Will, Trevor learns that they're not alone - that "freak" children were born to other families in Gristlewood Valley. Against all odds, and with nothing but love for his brother in his heart, Trevor is going to do whatever he can to get the freak children out of harm's way, if it's not already too late.

Paperback, 170 pages
Published July 19th 2005 by Dark Horse Comics (first published July 20th 1995)
ISBN 1593070292 (ISBN13: 9781593070298)


About the Author

Steve resides north of Los Angeles with his girlfriend, Monica, two dogs, four cats and Gil the tortoise. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there... but we have an idea.

Check out the author's website



My Thoughts

This was my first graphic novel, aside from comic books and Heavy Metal as a kid. But the cover caught my eye.

I loved the graphics in this novel! The colors reminded me of the movie Sin City. Beiges and tans, gold, black, with striking orange and red splattered throughout. The colors of fall.

The faces were very expressive, and one of my favorites was one that did not make it into the finished product (as it was deemed too "scary" for the character to gain the sympathy of the reader), but it can be found in the "Sketchbook and Notes" at the end of the novel.

The novel had a good storyline, and attracted me because of the "creep factor". The idea of a giant deformed kid being kept in the barn, hidden from society, was just too creepy to resist!

So, for someone like me that has never read a graphic novel, this was a great way to be introduced to the genre. The author was also behind the graphic novel 30 Days of Night, which was adapted to movie a few years ago, and I absolutely love that movie. It has the ultimate "creep factor"!

If you like graphic novels, or if you like horror, check out Freaks of the Heartland. You won't be sorry!

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10


Disclosure:

I received a copy of this ebook to review through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel.

A to Z Challenge - Understanding Shyness

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!


Understanding Shyness

We offer many explanations for our shyness. Some people claim they are simply not the talkative or sociable type. Preference to follow rather than lead is often cited as an excuse. Others describe their bashful nature as a desire to remain out of the limelight and merely watch from the sidelines. Internally, many simply fear they will be disliked or hurt by other people. The reasons vary from one individual to the other.

But what is the real underlying cause? Despite all of these seemingly different excuses, shyness comes from only one thing- a problem with human relations. It is our inability and reluctance to reach out to other people that hold us prisoner.

Shyness is more than just a barrier to enjoying meaningful relationships. It is a wall that separates us from new concepts and experiences. When we cannot access people, we cannot access their ideas, either. It limits how far we can expand our world and confines us to only one way of thinking. In order to continue growing as a person, we must extend our horizons, and this means relating to other people.

Mailbox Monday (04-22-12 edition)

 Image licensed from bigstockphoto.com

Copyright stands

Mailbox Monday is now hosted monthly by a different blog. Here is the official blog of Mailbox Monday.  Here's what I've received over the last few weeks:

Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Won from So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

Walter's Muse by Jean Davies Okimoto
Won from Great Imaginations

 It's the first summer of her retirement and librarian Maggie Lewis is relishing the unfolding of sweet summer days on Vashon Island: walking on the beach, reading the classics, and kayaking. But in June when a sudden storm hits the island, Maggie's summer becomes about as peaceful as navigating whitewater. Not only does her wealthy sister arrive uninvited with a startling announcement, but Maggie finds herself entangled with her new Baker's Beach neighbor, Walter Hathaway. A famous children's author and recovering alcoholic, Walter has a history with Maggie they would each like to forget. Delightfully told with humor and insight, Walter's Muse is a page turner for romantics, writers, and the young at heart at any age.

An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff
Won from Peeking Between the Pages

When Laura Schroff brushed by a young panhandler on a New York City corner one rainy afternoon, something made her stop and turn back. She took the boy to lunch at the McDonald's across the street that day. And she continued to go back, again and again for the next four years until both of their lives had changed dramatically. Nearly thirty years later, that young boy Maurice has gotten married and has his own children. Now he works to change the lives of disadvantaged kids, just like the boy he used to be.An Invisible Thread is the true story of the bond between a harried sales executive and an eleven-year-old boy who seemed destined for a life of poverty. It is the heartwarming story of a friendship that has spanned three decades and brought meaning to an over-scheduled professional and hope to a hungry and desperate boy living on the streets.

 

The Warmest December by Bernice L. McFadden
Won through LibraryThing

For Kenzie, growing up in the Lowe home means opening the bottom drawer of her father's dresser to choose which belt she will be whipped with that night, furtive trips to the Bee Hive Liquor store for her father's vodka, and dreaming of the day she can escape apartment A5.

Buoyed by the lyrical, redemptive voice that distinguished Bernice L. McFadden's earlier novel, The Warmest December tells the powerful, deeply moving story of one family and the alcoholism and abuse that marked all of their lives. Moving fluidly between the past and the present -- as the adult Kenzie visits the bedside of her dying father -- it is an ultimately cathartic tale of hope, healing, and forgiveness.


The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte
Received from Crown Publishing

The Fire Starter Sessions is an apathy-kicking, integrity-infusing guide to defining success on your own terms.

As the creator of DanielleLaPorte.com--deemed “the best place online for kick-ass spirituality,” Danielle LaPorte’s straight-talk life-and-livelihood sermons have been read by over one million people. Bold but empathetic, she reframes popular self-help and success concepts:

: Life balance is a myth, and the pursuit of it is causing us more stress then the craving for balance itself.
: Being well-rounded is over-rated. When you focus on developing your true strengths, you enter your mastery zone.
: Screw your principles (they might be holding you back).
: We have ambition backwards. Getting clear on how you want to feel in your life + work is more important than setting goals. It's the most potent form of clarity that you can have, and it's what leads to true fulfillment

A to Z Challenge - Take Action to Cure Fear

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!

Take Action to Cure Fear

Acting upon a fear does not sound appealing. It’s probably the last thing we desire. That does not change the truth of the matter, though. We can only conquer fear by facing it and taking action.

Every person on earth experiences fear. No one is immune. Yet, for every anxiety we possess, someone in this world has faced and overcome that concern. That should give us hope! The good news is that once we take action, the fear dwindles. It’s the very first step that’s always the most difficult. If we can just do it once, conquer fear only one time, then the next time it is easier to accomplish the task. It is vital then that we take the first step.

READATHON APRIL 2012: Hour 1

Today is Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-thon, for which I've really been really looking forward. Unfortunately I had a lot of stuff come up today, so I may not be able to get too much reading in. We'll see how it goes!

In the meantime, here is my introduction:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? South Florida
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? I would just love to make some progress on The Passage by Justin Cronin. It's a monster of a book!
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? I actually haven't bought any yet, knowing that I won't be able to do a full-on readathon this year.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I'm a little bit techie, a little bit rock and roll. Currently the caretaker of a dog, four cats, a lovebird and a turtle. I've been book blogging for three years this month.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? It's all about fun. No expectations!

Hope everyone enjoys themselves today! Now get to it!

Introducing...Kea's Flight by Erika Hammerschmidt and John C. Ricker

Introducing books through the first chapter or so...

I was five years old. I grew too fast, moved too much, used up every calorie on fidgeting and running around. Every day at lunch I sucked the tube empty of nutrient fluid, poked my tongue into its tip until nothing remained of its flavor, ate my whole energy bar in four bites and licked every molecule of taste from the wrapper that it came in.

-- Kea's Flight by Erika Hammerschmidt and John C. Ricker

A to Z Challenge - Self-Image

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!

Self-Image

Our self-esteem is the deciding factor in whether we succeed or fail in life. It is an intangible possession of incredible power. What exactly is this internal force and what shapes its attributes?

Self-esteem can be described as a sense of personal worth. It is self-respect, confidence, and genuine joy on the positive side and self-doubt, worthlessness, and unhappiness on the negative side. Our ability to handle situations and accomplish goals is determined by the amount of self-esteem we possess. At any given time, this can also fluctuate between sufficient amounts or serious deficiency.

REVIEW: Edge of Dark Water by Joe R. Lansdale

Synopsis

Mark Twain meets classic Stephen King--a bold new direction for widely acclaimed Edgar Award winner Joe R. Lansdale.

May Lynn was once a pretty girl who dreamed of becoming a Hollywood star. Now she's dead, her body dredged up from the Sabine River.

Sue Ellen, May Lynn's strong-willed teenage friend, sets out to dig up May Lynn's body, burn it to ash, and take those ashes to Hollywood to spread around. If May Lynn can't become a star, then at least her ashes will end up in the land of her dreams.

Along with her friends Terry and Jinx and her alcoholic mother, Sue Ellen steals a raft and heads downriver to carry May Lynn's remains to Hollywood.

Only problem is, Sue Ellen has some stolen money that her enemies will do anything to get back. And what looks like a prime opportunity to escape from a worthless life will instead lead to disastrous consequences. In the end, Sue Ellen will learn a harsh lesson on just how hard growing up can really be.

Hardcover, 292 pages
Published March 25th 2012 by Little, Brown and Company
ISBN 0316188433 (ISBN13: 9780316188432)


About the Author
from his website

Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over thirty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in eighteen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Hotep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror." He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.  

Follow Joe on Twitter
Like Joe on Facebook
Check out this interview with Joe by another of my favorite authors Robert McCammon
And this interview from Mulholland Books


My Thoughts

That summer, Daddy went from telephoning and dynamiting fish to poisoning them with green walnuts.

Town/Location:

The story takes place in a small town near Gladewater, Texas.

This story is narrated by Sue Ellen, a young girl living in poverty in a small southern town during the Depression. A local girl is found dead, and Sue Ellen and her friends are joined by Sue Ellen's mother as they head out to take the ashes of the young wannabe starlet to her ultimate goal of Hollywood.

Of all of the characters, I think my favorite was probably Jinx. I loved her honesty and found it refreshing. Any scene with Jinx I could see clearly in my head, as Jinx was so colorful and full of life-- a mouthy little firecracker!

At times this book made me feel somewhat depressed, but a lot of the time it made me smile with the quaint colloquialisms and honest remarks. And once it actually made me shiver, as a few parts of the story were particularly creepy.

A mysterious and dangerous character by the name of Skunk is introduced partway through the story, and this character was presented in such a creepy way that I actually felt a shiver go through me at one point, which is not easy to do. I do not creep-out easily!

Part psychological thriller, part pure entertainment, and part cautionary tale, this story held my attention throughout. While not a roaring ride, it kept a nice steady pace, and it kept me guessing.

I loved the author's writing style. Shocking, honest, horrifying, and brutal. I can't wait to read more.

Mama smiled at me as I sat down in a stuffed chair by the bed. The chair smelled damp and old, like a wet grandma. (p. 56)

“I know. I wear my mistakes like a coat, only it’s heavier,” Mama said. (p. 110)

She touched my hand, and then was quiet. I snuggled in close. I felt like a sad old dog that had finally been petted. (p. 112)

“She’s still a human being,” Mama said. “God makes all human beings, no matter who they are.”

“Well, he needs him a better mold,’ Jinx said, ‘cause some of these he’s making ain’t worth the waste of material.” (p. 241)

I was not a real fan of the book cover. Branches in the foreground, hazy background with a glimpse of the sun. The font looks as if it is smeared by water. I think it is somewhat clever, but it just doesn’t appeal to me. However my male friend absolutely loved the cover! So maybe it’s a guy/girl thing...

My final word: Author Joe Lansdale has found a fast fan in me. Honest and genuine writing, quirky southern prose, refreshing characters, and shocking subject matter coalesce into one of the best books I've read thus far this year, and has left me hungering for more!

Cover: 6.5/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Characters: 8.5/10
Storyline/Plot: 9/10
Interest/Uniqueness: 9/10

My Rating: 9 out of 10


Disclosure:

I received a copy of this e-book to review from Little, Brown and Company, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel.

A to Z Challenge - Real Criticism is an Art

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!

Real Criticism is an Art

First, we must define criticism on a basic and practical level. We are all quite familiar with movie critics and their ability to rake a film across the coals. These individuals appear to revel in their power to condemn a movie to box office disaster. However, the true purpose of criticism is not to tear down but build up character and content. To truly critique is to offer suggestions and possible improvements. Therefore, criticism should only be conducted in the spirit of assistance and encouragement.

Introducing...Edge of Dark Water by Joe R. Lansdale

Introducing books through the first chapter or so... 

That summer, Daddy went from telephoning and dynamiting fish to poisoning them with green walnuts. The dynamite was messy, and a couple years before he'd somehow got two fingers blown off, and the side of his face had a burn spot that at first glance looked like a lipstick kiss and at second glance looked like some kind of rash.

-- Edge of Dark Water by Joe R. Lansdale

A to Z Challenge - Questions

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!

Questions

In order for us to listen, the other person must open up his mouth and talk. Asking questions encourages his participation in the discussion. He may seem reluctant or slow to respond, but do not let this discourage the pursuit of meaningful dialogue. That person might be unaccustomed to the attention or even suspicious as to why anyone would find him interesting. Persist with a genuine, caring attitude and honest motive. You will eventually coax a detailed and engrossing response. And if you discover his hot button, prepare for the sleeper to awaken.

ARTICLE SHARING: Edible Books and Contest

LibraryThing is holding a contest for readers to create "edible books".

They seem to have gotten this idea from the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, who had a competition and got some great entries. A few of my favorites:

Enter the LibraryThing contest with your own edible book creation for your chance to win some LibraryThing swag! You have until May 10th to enter...

TLC BOOK TOUR and REVIEW: The Cove by Ron Rash

Synopsis

The New York Times bestselling author of Serena returns to Appalachia, this time at the height of World War I, with the story of a blazing but doomed love affair caught in the turmoil of a nation at war

Deep in the rugged Appalachians of North Carolina lies the cove, a dark, forbidding place where spirits and fetches wander, and even the light fears to travel. Or so the townsfolk of Mars Hill believe–just as they know that Laurel Shelton, the lonely young woman who lives within its shadows, is a witch. Alone except for her brother, Hank, newly returned from the trenches of France, she aches for her life to begin.

Then it happens–a stranger appears, carrying nothing but a beautiful silver flute and a note explaining that his name is Walter, he is mute, and is bound for New York. Laurel finds him in the woods, nearly stung to death by yellow jackets, and nurses him back to health. As the days pass, Walter slips easily into life in the cove and into Laurel's heart, bringing her the only real happiness she has ever known.

But Walter harbors a secret that could destroy everything–and danger is closer than they know. Though the war in Europe is near its end, patriotic fervor flourishes thanks to the likes of Chauncey Feith, an ambitious young army recruiter who stokes fear and outrage throughout the county. In a time of uncertainty, when fear and ignorance reign, Laurel and Walter will discover that love may not be enough to protect them.

This lyrical, heart-rending tale, as mesmerizing as its award-winning predecessor Serena, shows once again this masterful novelist at the height of his powers.

Hardcover, 272 pages
Published April 10th 2012 by Ecco (first published February 22nd 2012)
ISBN 0061804193 (ISBN13: 9780061804199)


About the Author

Ron Rash is the author of three prize-winning novels: One Foot in Eden, Saints at the River, and The World Made Straight; three collections of poems; and two collections of stories. A recipient of the O. Henry Prize, he holds the John Parris Chair in Appalachian Studies at Western Carolina University. 




My Thoughts

The truck's government tag always tipped them off before his Kansas accent could.

Town/Location:

This story takes place in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina.

There is an ethereal feel to this story, as if the Cove was part of another world. I found myself drawn in by Laurel, a sad and lonely young woman lost to the Cove. Laurel is rather a mix of simple and complex. She speaks simply, she lives simply, she loves simply. However she is not simple-minded. Intelligent and strong, life in the Cove has not broken her. Devoted to a brother that is her world and ostracized by her community, she clings every day to every minute glimpse of beauty that she can find, few as they are in such a desolate landscape.

Her brother Hank is an honorable man who was horribly wounded in the war against the Germans. He and his sister are both viewed as outsiders, living in a Cove that most feel is cursed. However while Hank returns from the war a hero and sees a better life in his future, his sister Laurel will never be anything but cursed, marked at birth as a witch.

The Cove is viewed by the town as cursed, but in seeing the Cove through Laurel’s eyes I came to love it. Quiet and peaceful, it is free of people, since everyone fears it. There are some areas completely in shadow where light never falls, but there are also pockets of beauty where butterflies flit and colorful parakeets skirt across the sky as sunlight glistens in a hidden copse. There is always beauty in life. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder for it.

This is a story of judgement-- people passing judgement that they have no right to pass-- and the story slowly reveals itself, like the peeling of an onion, layer by layer.

I would consider this story to have a didactic theme, with a moral lesson hiding in the story. However there is also something cautionary about it. This story left me feeling a little like one of my favorite movies, The Spitfire Grill, leaves me feeling whenever I watch it-- melancholic yet hopeful.

I love the cover! Showing a redhead immersed waist-deep in the murky water of a creek or river, it is mysterious and serene and almost foreboding.

My final word: As the title would indicate, the setting in this story is everything. The ethereal feel of the Cove, the darkness, dankness, with pockets of beauty, is haunting. Laurel is one of these hidden beautiful bits. Unfortunately few could see the beauty of the Cove, nor that of Laurel. But I definitely felt the beautiful spirit of this story. I loved it, and am looking forward to reading more of Ron Rash's work!

Cover: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Characters: 8.5/10
Storyline/Plot: 8/10
Interest/Uniqueness: 8.5/10

My Rating: 9 out of 10


Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review through TLC Book Tours, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. 

Check out the full book tour schedule:


Monday, April 9th: Peeking Between the Pages
Wednesday, April 11th: “That’s Swell!”
Thursday, April 12th: The Whimsical Cottage
Monday, April 16th: Just Joanna
Tuesday, April 17th: Picky Girl
Wednesday, April 18th: Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World
Thursday, April 19th: A Musing Reviews
Monday, April 23rd: Life In Review
Tuesday, April 24th: Lit and life
Wednesday, April 25th: Brandi Reads
Thursday, April 26th: West Metro Mommy
Monday, April 30th: The Road to Here
Tuesday, May 1st: The Mookse and the Gripes
Thursday, May 3rd: Bookfoolery and Babble
Monday, May 7th: Tina’s Book Reviews
Tuesday, May 15th: Life Fire
Tuesday, May 22nd: Layers of Thought

A to Z Challenge - Proactive

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!

Proactive

Proactive puts you in control. No matter how the scenario unfolds, whether for better or for worse, you are the master. This does not imply you can control the conditions or even the final outcome. However, the circumstances will not control you. More specifically, they will not control your attitude or behavior.

This is yet another important component of a positive mental attitude. A proactive person will not allow situations to control his actions. He is in full control of his attitude and can make decisions independently of the circumstances. Behavior and response will not be based on the crisis of the moment, nor determined by outside influences.

REVIEW: Getaway by Lisa Brackmann

Synopsis

Michelle Mason tells herself she’s on vacation. A brief stay in the Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta. It’s a chance to figure out her next move after the unexpected death of her banker husband, who’s left behind a scandal and a pile of debt. The trip was already paid for, and it beats crashing in her sister’s spare room. When a good-looking man named Daniel approaches her on the beach, the margaritas have kicked in and she decides: why not?

But the date doesn’t go as either of them planned. An assault on Daniel in her hotel room, switched cell phones and an encounter with a “friend” of Daniel’s named Gary gets Michelle enmeshed in a covert operation involving drug runners, goons, and venture capitalists. Michelle already knows she’s caught in a dangerous trap. But she quickly finds that running is not an option. If she’s not careful, she’ll end up buried in the town dump, with the rest of the trash. Now she needs to fight smart if she wants to survive her vacation.

Paperback, 320 pages
Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by Soho Press
ISBN 1616950714 (ISBN13: 9781616950712)


About the Author
from the author's website

Lisa Brackmann has worked as an executive at a major motion picture studio, an issues researcher in a presidential campaign, and was the singer/songwriter/bassist in an LA rock band. She still takes pride in her karaoke-ready repertoire of bad pop hits and an embarrassing number of show tunes. Her debut novel, ROCK PAPER TIGER, set on the fringes of the Chinese art world, made several “Best of 2010″ lists, including Amazon’s Top 100 Novels and Top 10 Mystery/Thrillers, and was nominated for the Strand Magazine Critics Award for Best First Novel. A San Diego native, she lives in Venice CA.

Follow Lisa on Twitter 
Become a fan on Facebook


My Thoughts

Michelle dropped the sarong she'd started to tie around her waist onto her lounge chair. Nobody cared what her thighs looked like.

Town/Location:

Most of this story takes place in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Photo of street in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, taken November 2005 by User:Stan Shebs

Michelle Mason is at a crossroads in her life after the recent death of her husband. In order to recuperate and gain some perspective, she takes a trip to Puerto Vallarta where she soon meets local American Danny and finds herself caught amidst a mystery fraught with danger.

This was an enjoyable story, but something about it fell a little flat. I think it was the character development. This is one of those suspenseful stories that keeps you guessing, and you really have no idea who to trust. Unfortunately this leads to characters that aren't very well developed, in order to assure that you don't really know who they are or whether they can be trusted. This created characters that I found mostly one-dimensional.

And there were moments that were alluded to, but never revealed further, leaving me wondering what was happening behind scenes. Or a minor detail that seemed a focus of attention which I thought would lead to something, but it never did, so I would be left wondering why such focus was put on that little detail? Was it purposeful, to throw me off?

This was very easy to read without bogging down the story with overly descriptive text. However in the first 100 pages there were too many slow moments, which would lead to me losing focus.

My final word: While many of the ancillary characters orbiting around the central storyline seemed a little flat and one-dimensional, I enjoyed the guessing game of "what next?" with this story. I never really connected with Michelle, I wanted Danny to have more charisma, and some characters had so little impact that I almost wondered why they were included at all. Too many storylines were left open-ended, so I was left with too many questions after it was all over. Overall this was a good "light" read that will keep you guessing, even after the story is over.


Cover: 7.5/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Characters: 7/10
Storyline/Plot: 8/10
Interest/Uniqueness: 7.5/10

My Rating: 8 out of 10

Getaway is expected to be released May 1st.

Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof.

A to Z Challenge - Organization

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!

Organization

If we are to become an effective leader, we must master organization, act with confidence, and instill these behaviors in our followers.

These two qualities are entwined. If we are unorganized, we do not give others confidence in our abilities. Our lack of confidence is occasionally due in part to misinformation or poor planning. One trait affects the other. How well we portray these attributes will have a profound effect on others as well.

As our organizational skills increase, so will our confidence, and we will gain our follower’s confidence as well.

BLOG HOP and GIVEAWAY: The Day the World Ends by Ethan Coen

Welcome to the "No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop", hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. As Kathy explains: "This hop is for all the people who hate jumping through hoops to enter giveaways. This is a no strings attached, no requirements to enter hop."

You may not be aware that April is "National Poetry Month", and in honor of this I have something special up for grabs today...

Synopsis

Ethan Coen’s screenplays have surprised and delighted international audiences with their hilarious vision and bizarrely profound understanding of human nature. With his brother, Joel, Coen has written, directed, and produced some of the most original and beloved movies in the history of cinema, including Raising Arizona; Miller’s Crossing; Barton Fink; The Hudsucker Proxy; Fargo; The Big Lebowski; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Intolerable Cruelty; an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men; Burn After Reading; and—most recently—True Grit, which was nominated for ten Academy Awards. Coen has also written collections of critically acclaimed plays (Almost an Evening), short stories (Gates of Eden), and poetry (The Drunken Driver Has the Right of Way), all presented in his distinctly humorous and oddly brilliant literary voice.

Coen’s eccentric genius is revealed again in THE DAY THE WORLD ENDS (Broadway Paperbacks Original, on sale April 3, 2012), a collection of poems that offers humor and provides insight into an artist who has always pushed the boundaries of his craft. THE DAY THE WORLD ENDS  is a remarkable range of poems that are as funny, ribald, provocative, raw, and often touching as the brilliant films that have made the Coen brothers cult legends.

Short, accessible, and nearly the same price as a movie ticket, this new poetry collection is a perfect treat for Coen’s legions of fans.


About the Author

When not writing plays, poetry, or short stories, ETHAN COEN makes movies with his brother, Joel Coen. After thirteen films, the Coen brothers have one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed bodies of work in the history of cinema.

GIVEAWAY: In celebration of National Poetry Month, Crown Publishing Group is offering up a copy of this off-beat book of poetry to one of my readers! This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada only, and will end April 22, 2012. To enter, just use the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here is the official linky list of other blogs participating in the Giveaway Hop: