Review: The Ghost of Mistletoe Mary by Sue Ann Jaffarian

As much as I enjoy Sue Ann Jaffarian's Odelia Grey mystery series, a part of me likes her Ghost of Granny Apples series just a little bit more. Both series have strong characterization, intriguing mysteries, and humor, but there is something about the sassy, mystery-loving ghost that has grown on me.

The Ghost of Mistletoe Mary features private investigator Jeremiah Jones, a 68-year-old former police detective who readers first met in The Ghost in the Guacamole. Jones has a special gift, however, in that he can see and communicate with ghosts, but only three others know this: Emma Whitecastle, the lead character of the full-length "Ghost of Granny Apples" mysteries; her boyfriend, Phil Bowers; and Granny Apples herself, the ghost of an innocent woman who was hanged and now assists her great-great-great-granddaughter solve mysteries involving unresolved deaths (i.e., murdered).

Jones is asked to investigate the disappearance of  Mistletoe Mary, a homeless person who was known to be a prostitute, by a friend who runs a mission for homeless veterans. It's been a while since anyone has seen her and another homeless person has been claiming that she's dead and was murdered. When Jones visits the homeless man, known on the streets as Bucket, he realizes something is off and calls Emma Whitecastle to ask if Granny Apples would be willing to help him out. With Granny's help, Jeremiah is able to reach out to the spirit of Mistletoe Mary and confirm she was indeed murdered.

Jaffarian, who usually writes with much humor in spite of the direst of situations her characters find themselves in, has written a more solemn tale that reveals the heartache for the plight of those who find themselves on the street. Yet the story is not preachy and does not bog the reader down with facts or statistics but instead focuses on telling a murder mystery. Through it all there is a message of hope and, as befits a story taking place during the Christmas holidays, the offering of a new beginning for some of the novella's characters.

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: Kiss of the Jewel Bird by Dale Cramer

Like a hawk circling its prey, I eyed the writings of Dale Cramer for years with the intent to read them. Last year I took the plunge. I started with Cramer’s first novel, Sutter’s Cross. and continued until I completed his three-book “Daughters of Caleb Bender” series.

Richard “Dickie” Frye’s life changed on the scorching hot summer day when a white leghorn hen escaped from the cage located on the back of a truck headed to a slaughterhouse and eventually landed on the cooler sitting in the passenger seat of his Mazda. It changed again on a day several years later when Fletcher Carlyle found himself killing that same chicken outside of Central Park in a fit of rage.

Any Southern boy knows, if you’re gonna tell a lie you tell it big. – Richard Frye

It is Dr. Anton Kohl’s responsibility to determine if Fletcher Carlyle, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, is suffering from a nervous breakdown. The two meet and Carlyle shares his first big secret: He’s Richard Frye, a former mail carrier from Georgia. Encourage by Kohl, Frye tells the tale of how he became Fletcher Carlyle after meeting the chicken named Crito. Even though Kohl doubts Frye’s story, as the two become more comfortable with each other walls come down, a friendship is born, and each finds a kind of healing that would have been impossible without the other.

Kiss of the Jewel Bird is one part Southern literary fiction, one part fable, one part unrealized dreams, and one part unrequited love but is pure dynamite as a whole. Cramer creates characters who will be remembered long after the ending of the book and a book that merits re-reading in the future.

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: The Red Slippers by Carolyn Keene

Nancy Drew, star of more than 500 books since her debut in 1930, goes undercover to find out who is trying to sabotage her friend Maggie Rogers’ career in The Red Slippers, the latest mystery in the Nancy Drew Diaries series.

Nancy and Bess are excited when they run into their old friend Maggie Rogers in River Heights. As little girls, Bess and Nancy were in dance classes with Maggie, until she moved away to attend a prestigious ballet academy. Now Maggie is part of a ballet company made up of the most promising young dancers in the state, and the company is in town to perform Sleeping Beauty. This performance is especially important because famous dance critic Oscar LaVigne will be in the audience. A good review could catapult Maggie’s career . . . but a bad one could ruin everything.

I am perplexed by the current preoccupation with sabotage (in its many, many forms) in the current Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. Whether its sabotaging the opening of a museum exhibit, a community-supported agriculture organic farm or, in this case, a ballerina’s career, it seems like Nancy Drew finds sabotage everywhere. I miss the days of missing wills, secret rooms, and ghostly sightings.

That’s not to say that The Red Slippers is a bad book. It’s not. The best of Nancy is here: She’s helping a friend, gathering clues, reviewing her suspects’ motives, and working to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Even as she finds herself in dangerous situations, she knows her friends Bess and George and boyfriend Ned have got her back.

And she always catches the culprit.

In some ways, The Red Slippers is exactly what readers will expect from a Nancy Drew book: Fast-paced action, twists, and the smart teen detective they know and love. In other ways, I feel like they are missing out on something that I can’t quite -- or maybe won't -- put my finger on. Regardless, this is yet another good entry to the Nancy Drew Diaries series.

Rating: 4 Stars

Comics of the Week: Doctor Fate #8 (DC Comics), Titans Hunt #4 (DC Comics), Will Eisner's The Spirit #7 (Dynamite Entertainment)

I couldn't decide on just one comic this week. The third week of the month is the week when I seem to have more "favorites" released, so I'm just going to go with the flow. I'll even make them short.

Doctor Fate #8 -- by Paul Levitz and guest artist Ibrahim Moustafa -- continues the adventures of the reluctant superhero. This title, which flies so low under the radar that I see very few reviews, has become my favorite of DC's current ongoing titles.

Levitz has been allowed to weave together the individual strands of Khalid Nassour, his parents, girlfriend, and educational goals, Nabu, and the Egyptian gods into a wonderful tapestry of story that leaves me eager to read the next issue. (And he's creating a world where Doctor Fate appears to be the only superhero. There's been no sign of Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman yet. I'm kinda hoping they don't show up unless Levitz starts building his own Justice Society of America.)

Moustafa, who fills in for regular artist Sonny Liew, doesn't copy Liew's artistic style but uses his own style to add to the mythos being created in this title. The coloring by Lee Loughridge is spectacular as always and a proves to be as perfect a fit for Moustafa as for regular artist Liew.

With DC Comics now talking about a "Rebirth" this summer, I hope that this title is allowed to continue and finds an audience. Not since Neil Gaiman's Sandman or Brian Azzarello's recent run on Wonder Woman have I felt like there's a saga in the making.

Rating: 5 Stars

I don't know how I managed to go so long without reading anything by Dan Abnett. It could only be because he must have been writing a title I had no interest in, or maybe I've just forgotten how good he is. All I know is I became a fan of his with Convergence: Justice Society of America and I'm loving the whole "gang's getting back together" vibe of Titans Hunt.

The fourth issue of the series follows Dick Grayson, Donna Troy, Roy Harper, Garth, Lilith, Mal, Gnarrk (I have a problem calling him Caveboy), Hawk, and Dove as they continue to fight the feeling that there are hidden memories, wanting to know who's messing with them but knowing that they're being summoned together for a reason. Having been a fan of the Titans since 1972's Teen Titans #42, it's good to see some silver/bronze age goodness return to DC. Abnett manages to capture the essence of the characters as they were then and combine it with how they are published now and make it work. If only the story would pick up the pace just a bit.

Rating 4 1/2 stars

Last year I sat down and celebrated the Spirit's 75th anniversary and read the entirety of his adventures (thanks to the fantastic Archive Editions and other collections from DC and Dark Horse Comics). I even read the First Wave Spirit series. (That makes it sound like it was a bad series; it wasn't, it was just a little less fun that what I expect from a story featuring Will Eisner's best known creation.) As part of the 75th anniversary, Dynamite Entertainment introduced a new Spirit series by Matt Wagner, Dan Schkade, and Brennan Wagner.

Will Eisner's The Spirit #7 continues Matt Wagner's tale of The Spirit's return to Central City after being held captive for two years. Though on the trail of the mysterious Mikado Vaas, The Spirit is given some time alone with Ellen Dolan and discovers that her feelings for him haven't changed. Ebony White and Sammy Strunk continue to steal the scene whenever they're on the page. (I'd support a Strunk and White miniseries. How about it, Dynamite?)

Dan Schkade's art is reminiscent of Eisner's later, looser artwork from the 1960s until his death. There is no mistaking that Schkade has taken the time to figure out how each character should look. Ellen is still the beautiful girl next door and Commissioner Dolan still has the tufts of hair that stick out and Officer Klink has that jawline that is instantly recognizable. The only place where Schkade veers from Eisner is in the height of Ebony and Sammy, but it's all good as they now look like they can handle the danger in which they sometimes find themselves.

Brennan Wagner's colors complement Schkade's art and provide a sense of film noir for the series. As with Lee Loughridge, who I mention in the Doctor Fate review, above, there is a sense of perfection as the art and color come together.

Rating: 5 Stars


Three reviews -- though not as short as I planned. Check 'em out, I think you'll like 'em!

Review: Like I Know Jack by MC Lee

After a weekend where I feel like I didn’t really feel like doing much of anything, I finished reading the third novel in MC Lee’s “The Center” series, Like I Know Jack.

This time, Jack has been specifically requested by Special Agent Anna Baxter, who readers met in the second book, for the mission. Jack is to go undercover as Jack Cole and get close to Conner White, a high school student who has ties to a drug ring headed by Gregor Slovik. But before he is signed off for the mission by his “family” at The Center, he is asked to give account of his feelings for and relationship with Leo McCormack as part of a yearly psych evaluation.

It will come as no surprise to those who have read the first two books in Lee’s series that Jack sometimes gets a little too close to the targets in his missions. As a result, Jack – with the secret agent’s knowledge – changes up things a bit before the conclusion of the mission.

If I sound reluctant to get into details of Jack’s mission or his relationship with handler Sean, Special Agent Baxter, and potential boyfriend Leo, it’s not that I don’t want to share these things. It’s because the books – even with the (what I think is) boring stuff like mission prep – are a great way to spend an afternoon or two reading.

One thing I will add: I was beginning to wonder if Jack was ever going to find out anything about his parents. Are they really dead? Are they alive and he’ll run into them on one of his missions? I don’t know, but I think it’s great that the author is finally beginning to part with some details . . . like’s Jack’s real name – or is it?

A fourth book is forthcoming in the series. Now is the time for readers to get caught up or to start reading the series, which continues to get better and better.

Rating: 4 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harmony Ink Press (through NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Review: If You Knew Jack by MC Lee

If You Knew Jack, the second book in MC Lee’s “The Center” series, finds Jack and frenemy Leo McCormack going undercover at Forbes Academy in order to protect brothers from an unknown threat.

While I felt the first book in this series was mostly setup for the rest of the series, this book picks up the action a bit earlier in the book. Jack, now going as Jack Cross, isn’t so eager to have Leo as his partner on the case but soon realizes his feelings for Leo aren’t going to go away just because he tries to bury them. The more they work together trying to keep the boys safe, however, the more Jack realizes he isn’t being told everything he needs to know in order to be effective.

As with the first book there is a twist (isn’t there always?) that sends the story into a different direction. The action scenes move forward quickly, but I find the day-to-day stuff a little boring in comparison. A portion of the book is spent in walking the reader through the process of Jack getting into character, being warned to follow the chain of command, report everything no matter how trivial, etc. I’d like to think that in future novels in the series that Lee will find a more succinct way of getting this across so the reader can get to the action more quickly. Still, that’s a minor quibble.

I look forward to reading the further adventures of Jack and Leo . . . well, as long as they continue to survive their missions.

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: You Don't Know Jack by MC Lee

Jack Carlisle isn’t who he says he is. Jack is an agent of an organization known as The Center who has been assigned to infiltrate a small Maine high school in order to befriend track star Leo McCormack. Getting close to Leo was the easy part.

You Don’t Know Jack is the first in a series of novels by MC Lee. The premise of the book is simple: Two or more agents – working together – extricate a target. It is hinted that some of the targets are killed and that some disappear never to be seen again.

Jack has been at The Center since his parents died in a car crash when he was three. He has a support team including his guardian, whose name has not been given; his handler, Sean; his trainer, Evan; the man playing the part of his uncle, Matt; and the thorn in his side, Instructor Colson. They’re there to provide the information he needs before and during each mission.

I almost set this book aside, unfinished. It’s not a bad book, not even a boring book. It was just . . . ordinary, I guess. I kept reading, thinking I was missing something. And then, a couple chapters from the end, everything changed and I was glad I kept reading.

To be fair, You Don’t Know Jack is more of an introductory setup for the rest of the series. I’ve already started reading the second book, If You Knew Jack, and it picks up right after the events of You Don’t Know Jack. We still don’t know much about The Center or if what Jack’s been told over the years is true.

Readers who enjoy Robert Muchamore’s CHERUB series will find a lot to like here as well.

Rating: 4 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harmony Ink Press (through NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Colors by Russell J. Sanders

This review contains no spoilers.

With a beautiful girlfriend, a scholarship to a prestigious musical theater school, and talent to spare, life is good for high school senior Neil Darrien. He’s on his way to stardom, but then newcomer Zane Jeffrey secures a place in the school show choir, rousing Neil’s envy.

Neil soon sees there’s more to Zane than a talented performer, though – he’s funny and charming, and the two boys become friends. Neil’s girlfriend Melissa doesn’t like Neil spending so much time with Zane, and she draws Neil into her church. There, Neil is faced with a choice between righting a wrong and risking revealing a secret that could cost him everything he’s worked so hard to achieve.

As Neil’s relationship with Melissa deteriorates, Neil starts to see Zane in a different light – one that has him thinking of Zane as more than just a friend.

Ever start reading a book in a genre you don’t usually read and you expect it to be groundbreaking with eye-opening epiphanies on every page?

Yeah, me neither.

Colors is a well-written and timely story. The main characters – Neil, Melissa, Zane, and Aunt Jenny – come across as people you’d want to know and have in your life. Unfortunately, the decision that Neil has to make to right a wrong concerns something that happens far too often and stays hidden, sometimes for a lifetime. Ultimately, it is this struggle that also makes the novel worth reading. There are no easy answers to Neil’s dilemma, and everything isn’t wrapped up neatly like a package at the end, though it comes dangerously close.

If there is a fault with Colors it is that it almost slips into afternoon special/Saturday morning TV mode near the end. The author gets back on track quickly and ends with me wanting to read more about Neil, his aunt Jenny, Zane, and Zane’s friend Cara (who is only heard from when she and Zane text each other).

Rating 4.5 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harmony Ink Press (through NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis by Max Shulman

If the TV show starring Dwayne Hickman and Bob Denver is what comes to mind when The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis is mentioned, perhaps you’ll be surprised to learn, as I was, that the show was actually based on a series of short stories published in Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Saturday Evening Post, Today’s Woman, and American Magazine. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I requested a copy of this book for reviewing purposes. Part of me was expecting more along the lines of the TV show that debuted in 1959 or even, perhaps, a book along the lines of Kathryn Forbes’ Mama’s Bank Account.

The stories, like the TV show, focus on Dobie’s interest in the fairer sex and juggling life, college, and women. The eleven stories in this collection, originally published between 1945 and 1951, are full of humor that everyone can relate to. I found myself laughing often as Dobie found himself getting into screwball situations in order to get closer to the women in each story.

And what women they are! There’s Clothilde Ellingboe, who has a shortcut for Dobie when it comes to his college coursework so he can spend more time with her. And Fannie Jordan, who manages to snatch Dobie away from Thalia Menninger so he can go to the prom with her instead. And “Mary Brown,” the girl whose name Dobie never learned. Then there’s Pansy Hammer, the girl whose father made her transfer to an out-of-state college so she couldn’t see Dobie anymore. The girls majoring in home economics and journalism and political science. And Bonnie Willet, who decided to make changes in her life on the same day Dobie needs to take his Egyptology final. Every one of them somehow gets Dobie to start thinking with his hormones instead of his brain. Ain’t love grand! (And aren’t the readers lucky?)

Author Max Shulman was a humorist who, it is said, influenced the comedy of Woody Allen and Bob Newhart. Open Road Integrated Media is representing the writings of Max Shulman as eBooks. Along with The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, a follow-up Dobie Gillis collection – I Was a Teenage Dwarf – and seven novels are now available for readers to enjoy.

Rating: 5 (very enthusiastically given) Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Open Road Integrated Media (through NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Kaptara, Volume 1: Fear Not, Tiny Alien (Image Comics)

Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Kagan McLeod
Collects: Issues 1-5

While I’d heard good things of Chip Zdarsky’s work on Kaptara, Sex Criminals (as artist), and Howard the Duck, I recently became a fan of his because of his work on Archie Comics’ relaunch of Jughead. When an opportunity to review the first collection of Kaptara was given to me I leaped at the chance.

Zdarsky and artist Kagan McLeod are clearly having fun with this. In this volume, collecting the first five issues of the ongoing series, we meet the crew of the Kanga (hey, it's the name on the outside of the spacecraft; the fact it is also the last name of our hero is purely coincidental . . . or is it?) who are on a mission to Mars and get sidetracked -- okay, sucked into -- an anomaly and end up on a planet in a galaxy far, far away.

Oops! Sorry, wrong story!

Anyway . . . the hero of our story -- if he lives, that is -- is Keith Kanga, a bio-engineer who, with the aid of a quirky cast or characters including Manton, Dartor, She-La, and Melvon, find his way back to Earth before it is destroyed by Skullthor. The writing has all the humor that Chip Zdarsky is known for.

The art by Kagan McLeod has the look and feel reminiscent of Mike Ploog and Joe Staton yet is stylistically his own at the same time. His art straddles a fine line between having the appearance of a painting and looking like traditional pen/ink/color comic art. My favorite of his characters is Dartor, whose '70s-era shag haircut makes me want to laugh every time I see it.

The only quibble I have with the story as a whole is with the repeated use of the dreaded F-bomb, mainly in the first half of the book. I am a proud member in good standing of the American Society Secretly Working to Invalidate Profanity and Expletives. (We were given that name by the American Acronym Association at the suggestion of another group and were told it fit our members perfectly -- personally, I don't get it. ;) ) I mean, really, if I were running away from an alien like Keith does, I wouldn't be wasting my breath saying the F-bomb repeatedly. Just sayin'!

Seriously -- a little bit more seriously? -- Kaptara Volume 1: Fear Not, Tiny Alien is a great way to be introduced to the series, and I look forward to reading more of Zdarsky and McLeod's adventure.

I want to give this book only 4 Stars because of the excessive F-bomb dropping and not having the sixth issue of the book ready to be published to meet the demand generated by this book, but I'm feeling generous at the moment and I'm going to give the trade a full 5 Stars.

 I received a complimentary copy of this book from Image Comics (through NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Comic of the Week: Superman: American Alien #3 (DC Comics)

Superman: American Alien #3 was chosen as this week’s Comic of the Week simply because of what the series how the series was promoted. “This is not a Superman comic. This is Clark Kent, like you’ve never seen him before.” That was a bold promise I had to check out.

When I was a kid in the ‘70s there was a feature, “The Private Life of Clark Kent,” that focused on Clark’s non-superhero life. Told in five- to- nine-page installments, you got a view into what made Clark Kent tick and what made the Kent persona every bit as important as Superman. I can’t think of a single “Private Life of Clark Kent” story that I didn’t enjoy.

And I am enjoying this seven-issue, out-of-continuity* miniseries written by Max Landis. Whether it is Clark learning he can fly or trying to keep Smallville residents being held hostage from being killed or, in this issue, having fun as Bruce Wayne on a party boat in the Caribbean, Landis’s focus on Clark Kent is as different from the recent “Truth” storyline** in the Superman titles as night is from day.

This is a Clark Kent who has not yet taken on the responsibility of being Superman. He still learned morals and compassion and everything else by Jonathan and Martha Kent. He’s had to learn that there are consequences to actions, that he may not be able to help everybody, and that he needs to embrace life and have a little fun along the way. He is probably the most “real” Clark Kent I’ve read in a long time. He gets mad and frustrated and laughs and cries, and he’s a good kid/teenager/young adult but not a goody-two-shoes or a pushover.

This issue, having been mistaken for Bruce Wayne after a single-engine plane he was in crashes into the Caribbean Sea, Clark finds himself on board a party boat with Oliver Queen, Sue Dibny, Vic Zsasz (not to be confused with Vic Szazs, aka The Question) and his wife, and Barbara Minerva, among others. He finds himself spending a lot of time with Barbara, who reveals that she knows he isn’t Bruce Wayne. Clark thinks he’s going to be busted, but Barbara encourages him to be Bruce and have fun. She says, “You can be yourself, even while being someone else. Hell, it might even be easier.” The line is a little heavy-handed, but you can see how this will come into play later on when Clark takes on the Superman identity.

Oh, and he fights Deathstroke, who also thinks he’s Bruce Wayne.

Max Landis has my attention with his version of Clark Kent: he’s perfectly normal except for the fact he has superpowers. This issue’s artist, Joëlle Jones, did a fantastic job as well. I’ve only read two or three stories with her as artist; I need to seek out some of her other work.

All in all, I’m gonna give the third issue of Superman: American Alien 4 Stars (out of a possible 5) and promise to do a review of the collected edition when it’s released later this year.


*I stand by my claim that this is an out-of-continuity miniseries, if only by virtue of the fact that it appears that most of Smallville knows Clark has powers. Okay, “most of” may be a stretch, but it appears that in addition to the Kents, Lana, and Pete, the doctor, Kenny, Farmer Ben, and the sheriff all know as well as those attending the movie in the first issue. They also appear to know how to keep a secret. Shhh! Loose lips sink ships!


**I recently caught up on the Superman titles. While I don't believe the "Truth" storyline is going to go down in history as one of the greatest Superman stories ever told, there were some things worth noting that came out of it before leading into the "Savage Dawn" storyline. These include (1) Perry White turning against Clark Kent -- can't see it myself; Perry knows Clark and knows Clark would do anything to protect them. Cat, on the other hand . . .? (2) Clark Kent as a fighter in a fight club -- not what you'd ever expect! and (3) further cementing in my mind that Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder's Action Comics is the best of the Superman titles currently being published, if only because they use Lana Lang and have fun.

Review: A Muddied Murder by Wendy Tyson

I can’t tell you the last time I read into the middle of the night to finish a mystery, but at 3:38 a.m. today I finished A Muddied Murder, the first book in Wendy Tyson’s Greenhouse Mysteries series. This is the first novel by Tyson that I’ve read but it won’t be the last.

Megan Sawyer leaves her Chicago law firm and returns home to Winsome, Pennsylvania, to be closer to her grandmother and to turn the family farm into an organic enterprise that includes a retail store for her fresh produce and a cafe. She doesn’t expect it to be one delay after another as the needed permits keep being denied for one thing or another. But then the body of Simon Duvall, the man withholding the permits, is found dead in Megan’s barn and Megan finds herself trying to answer questions surrounding the murder.

Megan is smart, inquisitive and daring (but not necessarily reckless) -- a thirty-something-year-old Nancy Drew or, perhaps more fitting because of the farm setting, Trixie Belden. She, like the famous teen detectives, also has a great circle of friends, including Clover and Clay Hand, siblings who are store and farm manager, respectively, and who listen and offer insight throughout the case; Dr. Daniel “Denver” Finn, the local veterinarian who finds himself making a lot of house calls – and not just for the animals; Bobby King, the town’s police chief; and Bonnie “Bibi” Birch, Megan’s grandmother and confidant. I have the feeling that Brian Porter, a veteran who served in Afghanistan and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, will also become a trusted friend.

I figured out whodunit and why – or so I thought, because, while I was right for the most part, Tyson managed to throw in a surprise or two before the end – about the time Megan starts putting the pieces together. And, for me, that’s the charm of a cozy mystery over a police procedural or thriller where the perpetrator of the crime and the reason are often known early in the story.

A second Greenhouse Mystery, Bitter Harvest, is already planned for a spring 2017 release. I know I’ll be looking for it – and hopefully several more.

Rating: 5 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Henery Press (through NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Powerball Fever

You'll notice that I'm writing about the January 13, 2016, Powerball drawing, with its estimated $1,586,400,000 jackpot, the day after, when it was announced that three tickets -- one each from California, Florida, and Tennessee -- matched the randomly selected white and red balls.

Did I buy a ticket? Well, duh . . . of course, I did! Did I dream of how I would use the money? You betcha! Am I sad that I didn't win a third of the largest U.S. lottery jackpot in history? Not a bit!!!

I realized before I bought a ticket on Wednesday afternoon that God would continue to provide my needs -- and I have a list of "needs" a mile or two long -- and even some of my wants. (Okay, some of my wants are on that list of needs. Doesn't everyone need a pristine mint copy of the first Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books -- with the dust jackets -- or Action Comics #1? No? Oh, well . . .)

The truth of the matter is that I don't need to be responsible for that kind of money. One-third of that jackpot is $528,800,000. I have the best of intentions to give my tithe to God and invest in His work around the world, but there's a part of me that knows I would blow a lot of the money unwisely, living large and feeding the ego, giving to family and friends without considering the consequences of those gifts. I'm kind of impulsive that way.

Now, the Powerball jackpot has reset to the $40,000,000 base prize. Dividing that by 30 years would give me $1.333 million each year. I could probably still get in trouble with that, but not nearly as much. Let's see, if I buy that Toyota Highlander Hybrid I've been looking at, I wonder if they could modify the left side to put in a sliding door . . .?

Review: Mennonite on the Edge by Cynthia Yoder

Rating: 3.75 Stars

"Mennonite on the Edge" is an interesting book. The book is described by the publisher as a novel exploring "themes of love and marriage, belonging and culture." To me, however, the book reads more like a self-help book disguised as a novel.

Adam and MaryJo are a likable couple in their mid-20s. They are deeply in love, and readers will feel it. They have good friends and family. However, the events that cause MaryJo distress -- wanting to get back to the country, memories of an emotionally abusive boyfriend, her feelings about the Mennonite church and church teaching of the rapture, etc. -- come off as contrived, a way to create some tension between her and Adam. Their relationship is strong enough for those to be things they could have talked about easily between them, as they seem very comfortable sharing most things in their lives.

I would have liked to have given this book more than 3.75 stars. It is well-written and, when mentioned, captures the late '80s/early '90s period with descriptions of music and fashion trends of the period as well as the feel of living in New York.

Despite the average rating, I would love to read more novels by Cynthia Yoder to see how she develops as a novelist. She shows tremendous promise, and I applaud the author's effort in not trying to be a clone of Beverly Lewis, Wanda E. Brunstetter, Marta Perry, Emma Miller or others who write Amish and/or Mennonite fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ragged Sky Press (through NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Library – a play by Scott Z. Burns; directed by Bridget Lindsey Morris

The Library

Cast of Characters

Caitlin Gabriel . . . Allie Novell

Nolan Gabriel . . . Anthony Marando

Elizabeth Gabriel . . . Tara Rewis

Dawn Sheridan . . . Peri Dunefsky

Ryan Mayes . . . BeeJay Aubertin Clinton

Marshall Bauer . . . Alex Bridgeman

Father Dunston . . . Kevin Hudson

Detective Washburn . . . Jordan Sanders

Nurse . . . Tatiana Mendez

Surgeon/Special Master Thornton . . . Todd Latoski

Publisher . . . Molly Wuerz

Written by Scott Z. Burns

Staged at Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park

Directed by Bridget Lindsey Morris

In the aftermath of a Columbine-like school shooting, the lives of school students, their family, and the community are forever changed as the media report from the scene and sides are taken. At the center of controversy is 16-year-old Caitlin Gabriel, who is accused of directing the killer, Marshall Bauer, to an A/V closet near the library at Golden Valley High School, where he killed several students and a faculty member.

Much could be written about the play itself – whether the media, in its hurry to report the news, uses less caution in what makes it into print or on air; whether the only truth to the story is what was first reported or the final result of an ongoing investigation; whether it is okay to exploit the victims of a tragedy to make a buck; – but it is the cast and the staging that are the true stars of Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park’s production of The Library.

To say that the theatre itself is “intimate” is an understatement. The stage is small and the cast often moves on- and off-stage, sometimes with props, in front of those seated in the front row. However, what could be a limitation allows for the audience to feel as though they are more than just onlookers to the action on stage – they are truly participants in the drama, unseen members of the community.

Director Morris begins the play with a set full of props and then made the bold decision to strip them from the stage little by little until there is a bare minimum and the cast performs in the style of reader’s theatre. As the play moves toward an ending that is as explosive as the beginning, the props find their way back on stage.

The play was cast well, with Allie Novell and Alex Bridgeman in lead roles. Novell portrays Caitlin Gabriel as a young woman who is often certain of the truth of the events on the day of the calamity to protest the coverage but also with enough doubt that the vulnerability of her situation is evident. Whether he is confronting Caitlin in a flashback scene or he is creating mayhem in the Golden Valley High School library, Bridgeman’s Marshall Bauer is appropriately intense and angry at the world for its perceived injustices.

The rest of the cast is no different. After Novell and Bridgeman, the roles played by Peri Dunefsky and BeeJay Aubertin Clinton are captured most in the web of drama. Dunefsky portrays Dawn Sheridan, mother of one of the students who was killed. She makes her daughter into a martyr in an effort to have her daughter leave a legacy and refuses to entertain any other thoughts that would lessen her image of her daughter. Ryan Mayes, as portrayed by Clinton, is a senior at the high school who is struggling with the fact that he lost a younger brother in addition to friends. It is a statement he makes early in the play that provides the impetus for what follows in Caitlin’s life.

Anthony Marando and Tara Rewis give strong performances as Caitlin’s parents, who have their own relationship struggles to deal with while helping Caitlin adjust to her life’s new status quo and quest for the truth. Todd Latoski’s and Tatiana Mendez’s characters provide a Greek Chorus in the form of the surgeon and nurse who, while providing the commentary (and changing opinion) needed to move the play through jumps in time, treat Caitlin after the initial shooting and needed follow-up surgeries.

Jordan Sanders, Kevin Hudson, and Molly Wuerz have small but necessary roles as the detective in charge of the investigation, the smarmy pastor at the Gabriels’ church, and the publisher of a book written about Joy Sheridan and the tragedy. They each provide an outsider viewpoint to the tragedy that aptly mirrors society – the one searching for the truth, the one who wants to leave things as they are and move on, and the one seeking to make a profit from what happened.

The play will end its run with five performances beginning Thursday, January 14, and ending Monday, January 18. Ticket and play information can be found on-line at Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park or on Facebook. If an evening of thought-provoking drama is what you're looking for, this is the place to find it in Winter Park, Florida.


Rating:

All the leaves are brown . . .

" . . . and the sky is grey . . ."

Today marks the 50^th anniversary of The Mamas and the Papas hitting the charts for the first time with "California Dreamin'." (Fifty years ago! Where has the time gone?) I wasn’t quite two years old when this event happened and, in fact, only really got into the music of The Mamas and the Papas after the death of (Mama) Cass Elliot in 1974.

As I recall, after Cass passed away on July 29, 1974, radio stations paid tribute to her by playing the songs she’d sung with The Mamas and the Papas and as a solo artist. I imagine I probably heard it on WLS out of Chicago, because that was the station my brothers and I listened to most at that time. That tribute led to the discovery that my brothers and I had a two-album collection of the songs of The Mamas and the Papas – 20 Golden Hits, released on ABC/Dunhill in 1973. A fan was born.

Appearing in that collection were: "California Dreamin'," "Dedicated to the One I Love," "I Call Your Name," "Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)," "Creeque Alley," "Dancing in the Street," "For the Love of Ivy," "Go Where You Wanna Go," "My Girl," "Look Through My Window," "Monday, Monday," "Words of Love," "Twist and Shout," "I Saw Her Again Last Night," "Dream a Little Dream of Me," "People Like Us," "You Baby," "Got a Feelin'," "Trip, Stumble & Fall," and "Straight Shooter."

Even today, it’s a pretty definitive collection, lacking only "Glad to Be Unhappy," "Safe in My Garden," "Spanish Harlem," "Sing for Your Supper," "Midnight Voyage," and "Once Was a Time I Thought" to be the ultimate collection for me – not that I’d NOT listen to any of their other recordings . . .. And Cass Elliot released several solo albums before her death, albums that had songs such as "Move in a Little Closer, Baby," "Easy Come, Easy Go," "Baby, I'm Yours," and my favorite version of "I'll Be Seeing You."

Sadly, John Phillips, Denny Doherty, and Cass Elliot are no longer with us, and Mama Michele Phillips is known today more for her acting than for her music. But if you listen to the classic rock stations, you can still hear "California Dreamin'," "Monday, Monday," and "Dream a Little Dream of Me."

It's a rainy, dreary day today . . . I think I'll do some "California Dreamin'."

Review: Merchant of Alyss by Thomas Locke

This is a spoiler-free review.

It is rare that I pick up a fantasy title off the shelf and find myself transported into the realm and its surroundings as easily as I have with Thomas Locke’s “Legends of the Realm” series. For me, only C. S. Lewis’s “Chronicles of Narnia” has come anywhere this close.

Locke’s second novel in the series, Merchant of Alyss begins with Hyam still mourning the loss of his abilities as a mage. However, the loss of those abilities does not keep him from answering the call when amphorae containing ancient scrolls are found that lead him on a quest to prevent a war that could destroy the lands. Joining him on this adventure are his wife/lover, Joelle; Meda, captain of the guard who was knighted following the Battle of Emporis. In addition, Locke introduces several new characters, including Corporal Alembord of the guard; Shona, daughter of a scribe and distant cousin to the Earl of Oberon; Fareed, a mage; and Selim, who acts as caravan master and whose past hints at more mystery.

Merchant of Alyss shows Locke’s skill as an author as he weaves action, adventure, and characterization into a fine-tuned narrative that zips along. The author’s gift for story-telling is such that readers will have no trouble feeling the depths of Hyam’s grief in not having his magical ability, nor will they feel like they are on the sidelines when the battle rages.

Once again, Thomas Locke has me eagerly waiting for the next novel in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Procrastination

pro·cras·ti·na·tion \prə-ˈkras-tə-ˈnā-shən\ noun : the act of intentionally putting off the doing of something that should be done

I confess that when it comes to procrastination I am king. You open the dictionary and it should be my face that you see as the poster boy for the word. Even if it it something I enjoy doing I find ways to put it off. Things like a project I help with every other month or writing a review for a book that releases tomorrow (Tuesday, January 5, 2016). But it all manages to get done when it needs to be done.

If you were to ask my family and friends they would likely tell you that I've always been this way. "Hurry up, slowpoke!" "Aren't you done yet?" "We're waiting!!!" It's not that I am intentionally slow, I choose to think I am pacing myself.

Even as I write this I find myself thinking of things I could be doing. Like reading the news on the Internet or searching iTunes for new music to listen to or seeing if Hulu has any new TV shows or movies I want to watch. Or maybe shooting an e-mail off to a friend I haven't talked to for a while, or maybe even calling them.

But, no, I'm going to be good. I'm going to close this blog out and actually do what I'm supposed to do. Unless . . .

Comfort food it's not

When I was a kid I remember getting to eat pot pies that were bought at the grocery store. You know the ones I'm talking about. Lots of gravy, some mystery meat (I'm only calling it a mystery because it didn't matter if you got the beef, chicken, or turkey pot pie because the meat always looked the same) and vegetables, and surrounded by a flaky pie crust.

Recently, two things happened. First, I saw a friend "cooking" a pot pie in the microwave (who knew?). Second, I read a blog written by a favorite author of mine about being a "half-assed vegan." The first made me think fondly of the pot pies of my youth. The second made me think about my health.

If you want to read the blog post first, go here. You can read from my comment that I love food that isn't necessarily good for me. Bacon, sausage, ham, etc. You can add pizza, cheeseburgers, and more to that list. But I made the mistake of buying a couple pot pies (let's be honest, one pot pie isn't very much), and what I found was really kind of disturbing. And it leads to the reason for blogging today.

We all know that sodium in excessive amounts isn't good for us. But as I was reading the ingredients list AFTER eating the pot pies, I found that salt or sodium is mentioned SEVEN DIFFERENT TIMES -- three times as salt (sodium chloride); three times as sodium tripolyphosphate, a chemical that has many uses in industry, ranging from an ingredient in cleaning products to a food preservative; and once as sodium stearoyl-lactylate, a versatile, FDA approved food additive used to improve the mix tolerance and volume of processed foods. Those seven incidents of sodium provide 33% of a person's recommended daily allowance of sodium. That isn't all that comforting.

What's bad about telling this story is that I have a friend who gave me a recipe for homemade chicken pot pie that is the ABSOLUTE BEST pot pie I've ever had. I dislike making it, however, because I'm cooking for just me. It would probably freeze well, but, when it tastes as good as this recipe does, why chance it?

Anyway, I'm beginning to think very seriously about making some changes with my eating habits. I'm probably not going to switch to a plant-based diet, though I commend those who can make that change and stick with it, but I would like to see more fruit and vegetables pass through my lips and less German chocolate cake, Coca-Cola and root beer (three of my most favorite things).

 And that may lead to one of the most comforting things of all -- better health!

About me

When I created this blog, I wrote the following to be read when visitors to this site clicked on "About Me." Trouble is, when I went back and re-read what I'd written, the paragraphs disappeared and it read as one long introduction to me.

Here, as I intended it to be read, is all "About Me" . . . well, at least as much as I'm going to reveal for now. I believe you'll find out way more about me as I continue posting.

Smiles . . . smiles, everyone! And welcome to . . .

Well, it's obvious that this isn't Fantasy Island, but welcome to my blog. I am your host . . .

Okay, I need to stop with the Fantasy Island stuff.

The official "opening" of this blog isn't until January 1, 2016, when I hope to post my first book review.

Yeah, that's what I do. I read, I listen to music, I watch movies. Some days I may post on one of those topics, others I may just post something random about my life (boring!!!) or something I heard. You'll find I'm very opinionated -- except when I'm not.

One thing you need to understand, though, is that I try to post reviews of books/movies/music that don't contain spoilers. If you feel the need to comment on a post, please try to observe that courtesy as well.

Well, I guess we learned that I didn't post my first review on January 1 . . . or today . . . and maybe not tomorrow. But soon . . . real soon . . . <cue sinister laugh> Bwahahahahaha . . . !!!

Happy new year!!!

Well, 2016 is just 18 hours in where I live and I have already procrastinated in getting the first post to my blog written and uploaded. I wish I could say it's because I was finishing reading a new book to review, or listening to music, or watching something cool and interesting. But, no, I've been reading a comic strip online.

I read between 50 and 70 comic strips on a daily basis. Everything from Adam@Home to Zack Hill. My current favorites are Girth by Steve Powell and Red and Rover by Brian Basset. Oh, and Frazz, and Bloom County 2015 and . . . well, you get the point. I like comic strips.

The folks at GoComics.com make it easy for folks like me to read a lot of strips each day. This week, a large banner at the top of their home page lets visitors know about Not Invented Here by Bill Barnes and Friends. The strip is about software coders and is okay for a chuckle or two. GoComics.com is presenting the strip from the beginning on September 21, 2009. Because I couldn't wait, I found the strip online and have read nearly three years' worth of the strip. I'm currently on May 1, 2012.

And that is why I am posting to this blog at nearly 7:00 p.m. on New Year's Day.

I am also reading two novels which will have reviews published in the next few days. I rarely start more than one book at a time, but these are two totally different genres that I feel safe in knowing I'm not going to transport characters from one book into the other. No promises, though.

Anyway, check back daily to see what else I blog about. Who knows what each day will bring? Well, I do . . . in a kinda sorta way. Still, life has a way of surprising you so expect the usual but be prepared for the unexpected.

Happy new year, everybody!