Just Because It Is Cool

and I like it......

Via Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Free for Kindle For a Limited Time

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Free for Kindle For a Limited Time: Amazon.com: The Doomsday Bag (Ed Noon Mystery) eBook: Michael Avallone: Kindle Store : “The Bagman disappeared at approximately 1:30, and ha...

Via The Education of a Pulp Writer: Longmire Season 3

 Sounds cool.....

The Education of a Pulp Writer: Longmire Season 3: Longmire returns June 2nd on A&E and I will be reviewing (under my pen name Edward A. Grainger) the new season for Criminal Element . I...

Via Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Att...

 I splurged and added this and a couple of other things to the TBR pile the other day....

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Att...: Amazon.com: Wide Spot in the Road (The Drifter Detective #4) eBook: Wayne D. Dundee: Kindle Store : Vagabond P.I. Jack Laramie stops in the ...

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: John D. MacDonald: A Writer’s Writer

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: John D. MacDonald: A Writer’s Writer: John D. MacDonald: A Writer’s Writer

KRL Update-- Terri Nolan, Laura Morrigan, Coming Attractions, short story, giveaways & more in KRL

As posted elsewhere earlier today......

Up this morning in Kings River Life Magazine a review & giveaway of the latest mystery from Laura Morrigan, "A Tiger's Tale", and a fun guest post by her about writing about exotic animals in her books http://kingsriverlife.com/05/31/a-tigers-tale-by-laura-morrigan/

We also have a never before published mystery short story by John Clark http://kingsriverlife.com/05/31/past-due-mystery-short-story/

There is also a review & giveaway of "Glass Houses", a mystery by Terri Nolan http://kingsriverlife.com/05/31/glass-houses-by-terri-nolan/

Check out this article by Sharon Tucker about some international mysteries- Harry Bingham’s "Love Story, With Murders", Anne Zouroudi’s "The Messenger", and Pierre Lemaitre’s "Alex" http://kingsriverlife.com/05/31/tour-wales-greece-and-france-with-mysteries

We also have the latest Coming Attractions by Sunny Frazier-this one is the Beach Edition sharing some great books to take out to the beach with you. We have coming attractions by Nancy J. Parra & more, along with a giveaway of books by LJ Sellers & Cathy Perkins http://kingsriverlife.com/05/31/coming-attractions-beach-edition/

Lastly, for those who also enjoy fantasy, we have a review & giveaway of "Shadowbound" by Dianne Sylvan http://kingsriverlife.com/05/31/shadowbound-by-dianne-sylvan/

As always, all of this and more can also be found by going to our home page and scrolling down http://KingsRiverLife.com

Happy reading,

Lorie

--

KRL is now selling advertising & we have special discounts for
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
Mystery section in Kings River Life http://KingsRiverLife.com

Check out my own blog at http://mysteryratscloset.blogspot.com/

Review: "The Splintered Paddle: An Ava Rome Mystery" by Mark Troy

Private Investigator Ava Rome has no idea in the beginning that she is being hunted. She has no idea at all a man from her distant past is in the islands watching her every move. Fantasizing over and over again what he is going to do to her once he finally gets her alone. His name is Norman Traxler and he is coming for her--- after he eliminates whatever she cares about a chess piece at a time.

Ava's latest client, sent by Moon Ito, is a young woman named Jenny Mordan. Battered an assaulted by a corrupt cop named Ron Nevez she wants and needs Ava's help. The fact that Jenny is a freelancer in the world's oldest profession is not a factor for Ava Rome. Jenny is defenseless and Ava's business is to protect the defenseless as it was under Kamehameha the Great before the annexation of the islands by the United States in 1898.  That first law of King Kamehameha, the law of the splintered paddle, is still ingrained in the islands and its people and serves as the very personal mandate of what Ava Rome does each and every day. The defenseless will be guaranteed from harm--period.  Using your badge as a weapon is considered official suppression and Ava's isn't about to put up with that.

That issue isn't the only thing she isn't about to put up with in this complicated mystery featuring multiple story lines. Written by Texas author Mark Troy who spent a number of years in Hawaii before moving to Texas, this new series features an intense take no prisoners heroine committed to solving mysteries from the past and present despite the many complications involved with both. Ethical and principled, willing to go it alone if and when she has to, Ava Rome always advances and never retreats. That might be something that comes from her family and the way she was raised.

Featuring a strong and interesting cast of supporting characters, this complex read features four separate and distinct story lines that gradually interweave as readers are slowly filled in on Ava's often difficult past. A past that has driven many of her choices through her life. Choices that have created at least some of the increasingly dangerous situations she now finds herself in today.

Second place finisher at the 2012 Claymore Awards at Killer Nashville, The Splintered Paddle: An Ava Rome Mystery is one of those rare books that pulls you deep inside a world far from home right from the beginning. It isn't all sundrenched beaches, cool waters, and happy days in paradise. Ava, also seen in the very good novella The Rules, knows something about the dark undercurrents at work in the 50^th state in the union and is more than ready to protect the defenseless.

The Splintered Paddle

Mark Troy

http://marktroymysterywriter.com/

Five Star Publishing (division of Cengage)

http://www.cengage.com

June 18, 2014

ISBN# 978-1-4328-2859-2

Hardback

304 Pages

$25.95

ARC supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014

Via SleuthSayers: How Not to Be the Guy Biting the Heads Off of Chic...

Where the CITY CRIMES, COUNTRY CRIMES anthology that I was cut from on the final cut and later the anthology was cut by the publisher is mentioned...

SleuthSayers: How Not to Be the Guy Biting the Heads Off of Chic...: by Brian Thornton Friend and colleague Hilary Davidson is guest editing this week over at The National Post , and she's got something...

FFB Review: "The Dream Walker" by Charlotte Armstrong --- Guest Reviewer Patrick Ohl

Friday means Friday’s Forgotten Books hosted by Patti Abbott here. For this final Friday of the month of May, Patrick Ohl of the comprehensive blog “At The Scene Of The Crime” is back. Today he reviews The Dream Walker by Charlotte Armstrong. Lots more books over at Patti’s blog so make sure you check out the list after reading Patrick’s review.

The Dream Walker is about a young woman named Olivia Hudson, a teacher at a fashionable girls’ school, aged 34. She is narrating her story into a tape recorder as a break from looking at a Portugal-shaped crack in her ceiling. And the tale she tells is a fantastic one: it is the story of a plot to bring down a well-regarded man. But how do you do that? According to Armstrong, you need a crazy plan, one so insane that even when it is exposed it is hard to believe that someone would go to all that trouble to fool people. Such a plot apparently took place.

The target of this plot was John Paul Marcus, a highly respected man whose advice led to Raymond Pankerman’s illegal activities being discovered. Now, Pankerman desires revenge, and right on cue he met Kent Shaw, who devised a brilliant and completely mad plan to bring about Marcus’ downfall. Four people were in on the plot, and Ollie tells us all about it. For although the truth is now known, the damage to Marcus’ reputation has been done, and this is Ollie’s attempt to undo it. But it’s hard work: “Respect is a kind of Humpty Dumpty. All the King’s horses can’t put it all the way up, again.”

The story of The Dream Walker is a fascinating one. Charlotte Armstrong shows some plotting brilliance. From the very first chapter, you know who is in on the plot. The plot involves an apparently-supernatural element, as a young woman claims to walk around in places thousands of miles away in her dreams, and it really happens. Very few variations on this impossible trick are possible, and Armstrong wisely decides to give you the full story from the get-go. The fascination with The Dream Walker lies in how the plan is slowly executed: the noose around Marcus’ neck slowly tightens, and I spent the first part of the novel practically cheering on the conspiracy, eagerly waiting to see how they would solve their difficulties. But after a certain point in the novel, my allegiance was switched over to the other side, as I eagerly read on to see how the plot could be defeated.

In The Virtue of Suspense, a biography of Charlotte Armstrong by Rick Cypert, it is observed that the novel was one of Armstrong’s responses to Joseph McCarthy’s Communist witch-hunt. Armstrong observes that nothing is proved against Marcus—indeed, it never could be proved because Marcus is innocent of any wrongdoing. But all it takes is the seed of doubt for a man’s reputation to be blown apart. A life’s work is destroyed in a matter of minutes, and the public relishes the destruction of an idol, but doesn’t care much for its restoration. At one point, Ollie tells the reader:

Please, if I am making this clear at all, please do read the fine print and the follow-up and all the hard, dry parts in the news. Don’t let your mind jump on to the next sensational headline. Oh, it’s more fun to float along, enjoying the high spots. The new murder. The latest scandal. Today’s clash. But afterwards, people have to live. And if all you remember is a vague impression of some nasty mess, and the thing that remains is only your notion that this person once fell away from the clear and unquestioned way—and to know what truly did happen is a task too dry, too hard—ah, please. It isn’t fair.

I found this the most powerful message of the book, possibly due to the fact that I myself have had a personal experience along these lines—though of course nothing as fantastical as Armstrong’s tale. She conveys it so well that I don’t know where to start describing her brilliance. Maybe I shouldn’t even try—this is something you just have to experience for yourself.

The plot moves smoothly along and is a terrific novel of suspense, quite possibly the finest I’ve read all year long. In particular the final act is brilliant, as everything falls apart. Mistakes occur left and right, throwing off the conspirators’ plans, and after several misunderstandings the climax of the novel is an extremely suspenseful and chilling confrontation.

The Dream Walker was enthusiastically received by critics like James Sandoe (The New York Herald Tribune) and Anthony Boucher (The New York Times). Sandoe is quoted as having called it “a most uncommon thriller, quite the best Mrs. Armstrong has given us since the shattering ‘Mischief.’” I’m genuinely embarrassed that I hadn’t gotten around to Charlotte Armstrong sooner in my reading career. I had Armstrong vaguely pegged as a writer in the Had-I-But-Known school of Mary Roberts Rinehart. But I ask you, can you seriously blame me for this mistake when one of Armstrong’s books is entitled The Chocolate Cobweb?

Charlotte Armstrong has proven once again that she could write. In my previous read, The Case of the Weird Sisters, Armstrong came up with a unique impossible crime and infused it with an eerie, surreal atmosphere that fuelled my interest right up until the end. The Dream Walker contains another impossible crime, but one to which you know the solution from the start. It is a terrific novel of suspense and an excellent novel overall. It’s an excellent rebuttal to McCarthyism and a fascinating look at how mere doubt can poison a man’s reputation beyond repair. The Dream Walker is a wonderful novel that has unequivocally placed Charlotte Armstrong among my favourite female writers, right up there with the likes of Margaret Millar and Agatha Christie. If you’ve never encountered Armstrong before, this makes for one hell of an introduction.

Patrick Ohl ©2014

http://at-scene-of-crime.blogspot.com/

Via Randy Johnson-- FFB: Caprock Rebel – Will C. Brown

Over on Randy's "Not The Baseball Pitcher Blog" -- FFB: Caprock Rebel – Will C. Brown

Via Chicago Tribune-- Woman 'laughed' when she got citation for Facebook post

Woman 'laughed' when she got citation for Facebook post

I can Eat

and so could  MEGALODON ... http://store.tapirback.com/megalodon-extinct-giant-shark-replica-f3632/

Via Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Free for Kindle For a Limited Time

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Free for Kindle For a Limited Time: Amazon.com: DARK THRILLERS-A Box Set of Suspense Novels eBook: BILLIE SUE MOSIMAN: Kindle Store : DARK THRILLERS is a boxed set of two suspe...

Via David Gaughran-- Why Is The Media Ignoring Author Exploitation By Publishers?

I have been wondering the same thing. A very interesting piece and one well worth your time:

Why Is The Media Ignoring Author Exploitation By Publishers?

Review: "The 200 Skills Every Cook Must Have: The Step-by-Step Methods That Will Turn a Good Cook Into a Great Cook" by Clara Paul and Eric Treuille

Along with the title the subtitle The Step-by-Step Methods That Will Turn a Good Cook Into a Great Cook makes intent of this cookbook by Clara Paul and Eric Treuille very clear. Published by Firefly Books, the book stresses the importance of basic skills and how to build upon them to become a whiz in the kitchen. That is done through text and pictures across twelve chapters that each address a needed skill.

After a multipage introduction and multi-page lists of essential kitchen equipment, the book gets going with “Sauce Skills.” After a brief intro that explains, among other things, how you will now learn to make perfect gravy and hollandaise, it begins with “Tomato Sauce” on pages 18-19. Instead of using such sauce from a jar or can, this tells you how to make your own by way of a list of ingredients and directions. Along with tomato sauce, vinaigrette, and gravy, one can learn how to make “White Sauce” (page 28), “Sugar Syrup” (page 32) and “Chocolate Sauce” (page 33) among others.

While there is not any nutritional information on the recipes, most have pictures of the finished items as well as a color coded “expert tips” section with additional good advice. This same format is followed throughout the hardback cookbook. Each recipe is skill numbered to reflect the title. Therefore, the aforementioned “Chocolate Sauce” of page 33 is skill number 18.

“Vegetable Skills” comes next so that you can learn to do more than bring a pot of water to boil and throw something in. Along with teaching you how to slice as well as dice an onion, peeling tomato and shallots, there is information on how to handle herbs correctly. Also included here is how to go about “Blanching” (page 52), “Caramelizing Onions” (page 58), and “Bouquet Garnii” (page 62) among others.

After dealing with vegies it is time to move on to “Fruit And Nut Skills.” Starting on page 64, the authors take you through “Coring Fruit” (page 67), “Preparing Pomegranate” (page 71), “Toasting And Skinning Nuts” (page 82) and “Dry-Or Pan-Toasting Nuts” (page 83), among others.

After an introduction that also explains the different cuts of beef, tip number 70 on “Cutting Beef” (pages 88-89) leads off “Meat Skills.” Learn how to go about “Cooking Streak” (page 90), “Preparing A Rack Of Lamb” (page 101) and “Roasting Pork With Stuffing” (page 104) among others. While often a chart of beef cuts is included on a chapter on meats, a nice touch in this book are the two charts reflecting cuts of lamb and pork.

You can do a lot with chicken and they are the subject of next chapter section titled “Poultry Skills.” Along with different ways to prepare various types of chicken, there is also information on “Scoring A Duck Breast” (page 120) and “Searing a Duck Breast” (page 121).

We go from the land to the sea next with “Seafood Skills.” After a two page deal on “Identifying And Choosing Fish (tip number 100 on pages 124-125), various ways of preparing a fish of different types from cleaning to cooking are covered. Also included here is tip number 116 “Identifying And Choosing Shellfish” (pages 140-141), how to peel as well as devein your shrimp (pages 142-143), “Cooking Crab (pages 144-145) among other items. If you ever wanted to know how to go about “Preparing Squid” the information is here at the end of the section on pages 154-155.

The highly versatile and common in a lot of dishes, the egg comes next with “Egg Skills.” Along with how to crack one properly and how to separate yolk from the white, one can learn to make a “Soufflé” on pages 166-167 among other skills. This chapter section is one of the shortest in the book.

“Pastry and Baking Skills” come next with an introduction on page 168. Then we are led through “Making Basic Pie Crust” (pages 170-171), how to go about “Beating Butter and Sugar” (page 178) the right way and making “Phyllo Pastry” (page 194), among other topics.

We move a bit backwards with the next chapter “Pasta, Grain, Legume and Bread Skills.” Along with teaching you how to go about “Making Fresh Pasta” (pages 200-201) and “Cooking Pasta” (page 203) correctly there is information here on making your own “Ravioli” (pages 204-205), a “Basic Risotto” (pages 212-213), “Making Bread Crumbs” (page 219) and making “Melba Toast” (page 222) among other ideas are here.

“Broth Skills” come next and start on page 224. The recipes here include making a “Brown Broth” (pages 228-229), a “Vegetable Broth” (page 230) along with other information such as “Skimming Broths” (page 232) and “Clarifying Broth” on page 234-235.

The very short chapter “Spice Skills” is the twelfth and final section. Toasting and grinding spices are explained as is how to go about “Soaking Saffron” (page 290) and tip 200 “Using a Vanilla Bean” (page 291).

A four page glossary of ingredients comes next followed by a three page dictionary of terms. That leads readers into the usual one page of resources and two pages of conversion charts. That is followed by a five page index.

Despite the obvious lack of nutritional information of any type throughout the book, The 200 Skills Every Cook Must Have: The Step-by-Step Methods That Will Turn a Good Cook Into a Great Cook is a good cookbook. The pictures are colorful and illustrative of what is being taught and the text is simple and straight forward. The color coded tabs for each section are a nice touch and can make finding the section one is looking for quicker. Another nice touch is the color coded “expert tips” section in each chapter that highlight information that will help the user turn out quality food. A solidly good book that shows users how to build on the skills they have or learn new ones The 200 Skills Every Cook Must Have: The Step-by-Step Methods That Will Turn a Good Cook Into a Great Cook is a good hardback reference material for your kitchen endeavors.

The 200 Skills Every Cook Must Have: The Step-by-Step Methods That Will Turn a Good Cook Into a Great Cook

Clara Paul and Eric Treuille

http://www.booksforcooks.com

Firefly Books

http://www.fireflybooks.com

2013

ISBN# 978-1-77085-210-5

Hardback

260 Pages

$29.95

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014

As Hump Day Fades For Another Week

There is no "hump-day" on the desert planet Arrakis of the Dune series, because there are no camels and you must ride the giant worms instead. You can learn more about camels here on earth in this short intro piece of mine here.... http://store.tapirback.com/camels/

Via Ed Gorman's blog: ALONE WITH THE DEAD PW STARRED REVIEW; RIDERS ON THE STORM

Ed Gorman's blog: ALONE WITH THE DEAD PW STARRED REVIEW; RIDERS ON THE STORM

Via Blood-Red Pencil: Guidelines for Requesting Reviews

Also helps if you make sure the blogger reviews the type of book you write.....

Blood-Red Pencil: Guidelines for Requesting Reviews: Back in June 2013 here on The Blood Red Pencil , I offered some suggestions on taking a professional approach to being a book reviewer, so t...

Via Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Maya Angelou, R. I. P.

 Unfortunately, given her age and the recent reports of health issues, the loss today is not surprising. We have all lost something that can not be put into words...

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Maya Angelou, R. I. P.: WGHP Fox 8 Television : WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Award-winning author, renowned poet and civil rights activist Dr. Maya Angelou has died. She w...

WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Glenn shares some spoilers in here so if you are like me and have yet to see the movie you may wish to skim much of this....

WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: X-Men: Days of Future Past: X-Men: Days of Future Past ~ I'm an Avengers guy. I have been aware of the X-Men for decades, but very rarely have I sampled those...

Review: "Overcoming Obstacles In Cooking" by Mathew W. Miller

Published earlier this year by Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Overcoming Obstacles In Cooking is designed for those who either have no cooking experience or are disabled. The author has mild cerebral palsy and overcame that obstacle and others to attain college degrees as well as learning to cook. Some of the recipes are Mathew’s and others were submitted by his friends at Culpepper County High School in Culpeper, Virginia.

After an acknowledgment page there are six short chapters and 10 appendices designed primarily for special education students.

The first chapter “Main Dishes” opens with “Quick and Easy Banana Smoothies.” Mathew's mom first taught him to cook by making smoothies. Then it is on to “Mushroom Meat Puffs” (page 3), “Steak in a Sack” (page 10) and “Manicotti Miners Delight” (page 11) among others. There are no pictures of the dishes nor is there any nutritional information. Each recipe features an ingredient list and directions with some recipes a bit more complicated than others. Same format follows for all the recipe chapters.

“Broccoli Bread” (page 14) starts off the second chapter “Breads” which ends in page 18 with “Zucchini Bread.” In between are “Dough Knots” (page 15), “Turtles” (page 16) which are a type of skillet biscuit, and “Delicious Corn Bread” (page 17).

Throughout the book the pages are color coded for ease of use. It is a nice touch and works well especially in the green chapter also known as “Vegetables.” This third chapter opens with “Cheryle's Vegetable Salsa” (page 20) before moving on to “Broccoli Casserole” (page 23) among others.

Purple is the background color for the next chapter titled “Soups And Salads.” Along with “Taco salad” (page 27) and “Layered Salad” (page 33) among others this is where you find out how to make “Red Wine-Thyme Vinaigrette” (page 27).

Desserts come next and open with “Fruit Pizza Cookies” (page 36) before moving on to “Frozen Lemon Dessert” (page 39), “Chocolate Balls” (page 41) and “Chocolate Butterscotch Pudding Cake” (page 52) among others.

“Recipes And Tips From Friends” is next. Primarily made up of recipes submitted from the  Culpeper County High School class of 2000, one can find “Brown Sugar Pork Chops” (page 55), “Winter Black Bean Salsa” (page 57) and “Autumn’s Famous Enchiladas” (page 58) among others

After several pages of uncaptioned pictures of the author and friends/family, it is on to the appendices. There a number of these and are primarily aimed towards working with special needs children.

Appendix A it is primarily a poem about what it is to be different than the mainstream.

Appendix B is a page on home crafts and cooking activities that can be used as teaching activities to involve your child.

Appendix C “Using Food in the Classroom” is all about how food can be used to teach the various concepts in Science, Math and English. Found on pages 67 + 68 these pages would also be of interest to those, like myself, who have worked or do work with special education as well as mainstream students. The information here can allow you to see something new in the everyday.

Appendix D is a list of reading cook book related material for various situations.

Appendix E titled “Alphabet Soup” is a two page list of the abbreviations commonly used in special education as well as general education.

Appendix F is all about designing a supplies list for items in the kitchen geared towards a person with disabilities.

Appendix G is a list of bullet points from the author on how to cope with Cerebral Palsy in the kitchen as well as in the world. Much of the advice applies in general to folks regardless of their disability.

Appendix H is all about “Teaching People with Disabilities How to Cook” and various techniques to employ.

Appendix I is a contact info list of eight companies that provide resources and supplies for folks with disabilities. Appendix I is a hodge-podge list of food items, DVD's, household items and store recommendations for folks with disabilities.

This 90 page book is well done despite the fact it does not contain any nutritional information or pictures at any stage of the recipes. One does not really expect that kind of detailed information in a book of this type. The color coded sections are a nice touch us as are the illustrations appropriate to each section at the beginning as well as alongside the page numbers for that section.

An inspiring book, Overcoming Obstacles In Cooking is designed for those with obstacles and as well as all others to get in the kitchen and get to work. The recipes included showcase a variety rich flavors and offer lots of cooking possibilities.

Overcoming Obstacles In Cooking

Mathew W. Miller

Balboa Press (division of Hay House)

http://www.balboapress.com

2014

ISBN# 978-1-4525-7067-9

Softcover Paperback (also e-book available)

90 Pages

$35.99

Material was supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014

For the first time in a very long, long time I have turned in some critique work for the Critters Workshop at http://critters.org/index.php One western, one fantasy, one science fiction and one mystery. Four in two days. So, not only am I doing freelance stuff for Tapir and Friends Animal Store I am back doing critters stuff. Which means my reading of books has slowed way down--again. lol

The Critters Workshop welcomes donations so if you can make one please do and help keep the site going.

Help out or you will see more of this......

Via Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers--- How to Make a Damn Good Living as a Writer

I'm certainly in the 85 percent and it is depressing.....

How to Make a Damn Good Living as a Writer

VIa---Smashwords: Amazon's Hachette Dispute Foreshadows What's Next ...

Which is another reason why I deliberately chose to put my collection Mind Slices everywhere I could. Good for readers and for myself if things go sideways with one vendor....

Smashwords: Amazon's Hachette Dispute Foreshadows What's Next ...: Amazon and Hachette Book Group are locked in an epic battle over the future of ebook publishing. The outcome of this dispute will have p...

Via Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: New from Perfect Crime Books

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: New from Perfect Crime Books: Perfect Crime Books : New editions of Robert J. Randisi's Joe Keough series.  In a starred review [of Alone with the Dead] Publisher&...

Lucy and her Skull

Before Lucy was in the sky with diamonds, she was on the ground and had a skull. .... .http://store.tapirback.com/australopithecus-fossil-skull-plastic-replica-f3524/

Yes, I am weird with a wide and strange sense of humor. They let me write some things there anyway. Go to the site and put my name in the search box and you can find more of my efforts.

Via CriminalElement.com---Fresh Meat: The Bones Beneath by Mark Billingham

Fresh Meat: The Bones Beneath by Mark Billingham

Senior News Book Review Column---May 2014

Those who follow the blog on a regular basis know that I have a running column in the Senior News Newspaper covering books written by Texans, set in Texas, or of interest to the newspaper’s Texas demographic of over fifty readers. Below was/is my May column with the addition here of the relevant book covers….

Outrage at Blanco (Ellie Taine)

Bill Crider

Self Published

ASIN: B00DHM0B2U

E-Book

240 Pages

Originally published in 1998 by Dell Books, Outrage at Blanco is now available as an e-book from talented Texas author Bill Crider. A trip to town and back for Ellie Taine has gone very wrong as this western from author Bill Crider begins. Just outside of the small Texas town of Blanco she had made the mistake of stopping for the two men who seemed friendly. As it became clear they had something else on their minds, she thought they only meant to rob her.  Unfortunately for Ellie, robbery wasn’t what they wanted. Ben Atticks and Jink Howard wanted something much more personal to Ellie than the few items she had purchased in town at Roger's Mercantile.

When they were done with her they left her alive. That was another mistake in a long line of mistakes in their criminal careers. What happened to Ellie is just part of a complicated tale of vengeance and redemption for several characters results in a book that moves forward at a rapid pace despite the many players and almost as many agendas.

Marcia DeCoster’s Beads In Motion: 24 Jewelry Projects That Spin, Sway, Swing, And Slide

Marcia Decoster

Lark Jewelry & Beading (Imprint of Sterling Publishing)

ISBN# 978-1-4547-0335-8

Workbook

128 Pages

As the subtitle of 24 Jewelry Projects That Spin, Sway, Swing, and Slide makes clear Marcia DeCoster’s Beads In Motion is a beading book that is all about the motion. According to the introduction by the author, in addition to the motion present in each piece there are designed to make sure the pieces complement each other.

Covering everything from the tools and materials you will need to the stiches and knots you will use to the projects themselves this is a book that encourages creativity and exploration. The heavily illustrated pages take the crafter through various necessary skills as a refresher for experienced pros or as a how to do guide for new crafter while also providing colorful inspiration.

Projects for necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and more are found in this nearly 130 page book from “Lark Jewelry & Beading Bead Inspirations.” The projects and styles in Marcia DeCoster’s Beads In Motion: 24 Jewelry Projects That Spin, Sway, Swing And Slide are colorful and varied and are ones that over time a reader can learn to do. The projects here will provide hours of inspiration that can be used for one’s own wardrobe or to create personal gifts for others.

Kevin R Tipple ©2014

Via Lady Sandra: Memorial Day Thanks!!!

Lady Sandra: Memorial Day Thanks!!!: Thank you to all the Military Branches for their service present and past for serving!!! My Dad (Lawrence Reid) was a ...

Via WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: Voluted Tales: Nerdful Things

 My man writing elsewhere......

WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: Voluted Tales: Nerdful Things: I just wanted to let folks know about one of my latest projects. I am currently writing a scifi genre pop culture column for the online ...

Via Bill Cridir's Pop Culture Magazine: The Best Texas Rangers Photos, Ever

 Thought this was very cool.....

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: The Best Texas Rangers Photos, Ever: The Best Texas Rangers Photos, Ever

Via Do Some Damage: Biting the Hand that Feeds You

Do Some Damage: Biting the Hand that Feeds You: For years, my dream has been to publish a book and have an author event at my amazing local mystery bookstore, Once Upon a Crime. Now, th...

Via Davy Crockett's Almanack of Mystery, Adventure and The Wild West: Cap Gun Monday: Hubley DEPUTY

 One heck of a gun from way back when...

Davy Crockett's Almanack of Mystery, Adventure and The Wild West: Cap Gun Monday: Hubley DEPUTY: Here's another of those not-too-usual guns with metal grips. These grips are particularly unusual in that they feature all this fan...

Memorial Day

Today is not a day for sales, barbecues, nor is it a day to celebrate or to be happy. The reason for the day is to honor those who never made it home. As various veterans have shared across social media....

Please take a moment today to honor and appreciate their sacrifice.

Via Mystery Fanfare: Memorial Day Mysteries// Memorial Day Crime Fictio...

Mystery Fanfare: Memorial Day Mysteries// Memorial Day Crime Fictio...: Memorial Day aka Decoration Day is a day of remembrance of those men and women who who fell protecting us, of those who didn't com...

RTE Update--- New Crime Fiction Reviews and a New Interview on RTE

As posted elsewhere earlier today.....

 New crime fiction reviews this week at RTE:

http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com

Plus

R.T. Raichev  in the 'Sixty seconds with . . .' interview hot seat:

http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com/interviews.html?id=182

Reviews this week:

TITLE                    AUTHOR                REVIEWER

BRED IN THE BONE    Christopher Brookmyre        Yvonne Klein       
In this third in the series starring Jasmine Sharp and Catherine McCleod, events going back to before Jasmine's birth resurface and affect both women.

RUIN FALLS    Jenny Milchman    Lourdes Venard   
When Liz Daniels' children are kidnapped, she goes on a hunt for her children, uncovering secrets about her own family

CAN ANYBODY HELP ME?   Sinéad Crowley    Barbara Fister     
As Dublin police begin to investigate a woman's murder, they don't realize that an online community of mothers is wondering about a missing member

BONE DUST WHITE    Karin Salvalaggio    Sharon Mensing   
A teenager witnesses the murder of her estranged mother, and the pregnant detective assigned to the case finds ties to a decade-old case of human trafficking in rural, northern Montana.

THE STRANGER YOU KNOW    Jane Casey    Paris Abell       
Maeve Kerrigan is investigating the brutal murders of three women when she discovers a connection to her partner that might mean he's the killer.

PRAYER    Philip Kerr    Yvonne Klein       
FBI Special Agent Gil Martins, is fast losing his religious faith and seeks some evidence that God exists. He is not comforted by the response.

AN EMBARRASSMENT OF CORPSES   Alan Beechey    Meredith Frazier   
A serial murderer is loose in London, and children's book author Oliver Swithin has been enlisted by his uncle, Detective Superintendent Tim Mallard of Scotland Yard, to help solve the case.

MURDERING MINISTERS    Alan Beechey        Meredith Frazier   
Children's book author Oliver Swithin and his girlfriend Detective Sergeant Effie Strongitharm investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a would-be cult leader.

UNDER COLD STONE    Vicki Delany    Jim Napier           
Trafalgar BC police chief Paul Keller and Lucky Smith have come to Banff Springs, Alberta, to relax for a few days and get to know one another better.  But when Keller's estranged son Matt disappears, leaving his roommate dead on the floor, Lucky asks her daughter, Constable Molly Smith, to help with the ensuing investigation, which reveals that the apparently quiet resort town harbours its own share of intrigue and corruption.

THE ALPINE YEOMAN    Mary Daheim    PJ Coldren       
As Emma Lord adjusts to married life with Sheriff Milo Dodge, people in Alpine are disappearing and a stranger shows up - dead.

DANTE'S POISON    Lynne Raimondo    Sharon Mensing       
Angelotti is called upon to serve as an expert witness in a murder trial and, in pre-trial investigation, uncovers a major drug company plot.

SIEGE OF BITTERNS    Steve Burrows        Donna Allard Halford       
After a murder in a salt-marsh, new man on the job, DCI Dominic Jejeune, latches onto an improbable theory related to his off-the-job passion: birding.  His new associates seem less than enthusiastic about his birding theory and his apparent notoriety from a previous case in Canada.

GRAVEYARD OF MEMORIES    Barry Eisler    PJ Coldren   
John Rain goes from a soldier to a bagman to assassin in a complicated tale of trust and betrayal

We post more than 900 new reviews a year -- all of them are archived on the site -- as well as a new interview with a top author every issue.

Yvonne Klein
Editor: ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com

Publishers, please contact Yvonne Klein
514-489-6790

Sample Sunday---Memorial Day Weekend Recap Edition

Since I have not done a recap edition in quite awhile, I thought I would do one for today in honor of the weekend. So, take a look below and make sure you check out the links on these good reads. In no particular  order:


THE GIRL WHO WANTED TO BE SHERLOCK HOLMES by Bill Crider can be read here.

RESCUE by Earl Staggs can be read here.

BOWLING WITH THE BIG DOGS by Tim Matson can be read here. 

SIBYL DISOBEDIENCE by Barry Ergang can be read here.

MURDER MOST FOWL by Bill Crider can be read here.

BURIED UNDER CLUTTER by Jan Christensen can be read here.

THE SPLINTERED PADDLE by Mark Troy on his website here.

THE PLAY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW by Barry Ergang. The first excerpt is here and the second one from later in the story is here.

Hope you take a look.

Kevin

Via Lady Sandra: Cat toys and cat blankets for the Plano Animal She...

 Sandi keeping busy......

Lady Sandra: Cat toys and cat blankets for the Plano Animal She...: Since we went to the Plano Animal Shelter and got Kayla her shots and registration for this year registration. We looked around and dis...

She also updated her craft store with some new products:  http://www.ioffer.com/users/sanditipple

KRL UPDATE---

As posted elsewhere earlier today.....
 

Up this morning in Kings River Life Magazine a review and giveaway of "Muzzled"--a debut mystery novel by Eileen Brady, along with a guest post by Eileen about how she used her experiences as a veterinarian in her book http://kingsriverlife.com/05/24/muzzled-a-kate-turner-dvm-mystery-by-eileen-brady/

Also up, a review & giveaway of "The Goodbye Witch" by Heather Blake and a fun guest post from Heather about the magical world of her mysteries http://kingsriverlife.com/05/24/the-goodbye-witch-by-heather-blake/

We also have a fun mystery TV Flashback- "Banacek" http://kingsriverlife.com/05/24/tv-flashback-banacek/

And we have a review and giveaway of the latest mystery from Laura Levine, "Killing Cupid," and an interesting interview with Laura http://kingsriverlife.com/05/24/killing-cupid-by-laura-levine/

You can also enjoy a never before published mystery short story by Frederick Ramsay http://kingsriverlife.com/05/24/mcardle-a-mystery-short-story/

And we have a review & giveaway of "Bad Blood", a mystery by E.E. Smith http://kingsriverlife.com/05/24/bad-blood-by-e-e-smith/

Lastly for those who enjoy fantasy with their mystery, we have a review and giveaway of "Witches In Red" by fantasy author Barb Hendee http://kingsriverlife.com/05/24/witches-in-red-by-barb-hendee/

And as always you can find these and much more by going to our home page and scrolling down http://KingsRiverLife.com

Happy reading,
Lorie

--

KRL is now selling advertising & we have special discounts for
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
Mystery section in Kings River Life http://KingsRiverLife.com

Check out my own blog at http://mysteryratscloset.blogspot.com/

Via Bookblog of the Bristol Library: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich: Reviewed by Kristin Going back to the classics—well, the  Janet Evanovich classics anyway—is quite entertaining.   I rarely bu...

Via CriminalElement.com-- "Kickin’ Ass Like It’s 1880: Ten Modern Cowboys" by Edward A. Grainger

Kickin’ Ass Like It’s 1880: Ten Modern Cowboys

Via The Passive Voice--- Amazon Robots

Did Will Smith teach us nothing about the dangers of robots?

Amazon Robots

 

Via Mystery Fanfare: Cartoon of the Day: Punctuation

Mystery Fanfare: Cartoon of the Day: Punctuation

Review: "When Your life Is Touched By Cancer: Practical Advice and Insights for Patients, Professionals and Those Who Care" by Bob Riter

Around here we know something about cancer and its impact. More than we ever wanted to know. So does Bob Riter, cancer survivor. He is also the executive director of Cancer Resource center of the Finger Lakes in Ithaca, New York. He is also the author of When Your life Is Touched By Cancer: Practical Advice and Insights for Patients, Professionals and Those Who Care.

The nine chapters of this book are made up of various columns author Bob Riter wrote for the Ithaca Journal newspaper about his cancer as well as cancer in general. At age 40 Bob had breast cancer, had a mastectomy, and treatment. He wrote about, not only his experience, but the various cancer questions he has heard from patients or their loved ones over the years. This is book that is not meant to be read in one sitting. The short chapters are designed to be read here and there as the mood or need strikes. This is especially true in the beginning because the patient and loved ones are over whelmed.

The first chapter addresses that stunning “Just Diagnosed” time in those first few days after the doctor or, in our case here, five doctors tell you the news. Along with the aftermath and dealing with that, the chapter explains some questions that are really okay to ask, whether a second opinion is warranted and how to go about it, and the power of positive thinking and hope.

Starting on page 16 with “Chapter 2: Talking About Your Cancer” the author gives some advice on how to tell the kids. Just as hard can be telling your parents and the in-laws. How does one deal with telling others at work and in one’s social circle? Their expectations and their concerns? How does one deal with that well-meaning look of pity that cancer patients get all the time. These are just some of the common topics dealt with in this chapter.

“Chapter 3: Treatment Choices” opens with some words on alternative cancer therapies and alternative practitioners. Clinical trials are covered here as is a little bit about various treatment options and quality of life.

Communicating with your health care providers is hugely important and that is the subject of “Chapter 4: Your Health-Care Team.” Beginning on page 39, the author has advice for patients and medical providers on how to communicate effectively. Communication both ways between the patient and the team is incredibly important and that thought is reinforced repeatedly through this chapter.

“Chapter 5: Caring for Yourself During Treatment” is possibly the most important chapter in the book--- in my opinion. Dealing with the depression, the anxiety, the stress, and all the rest of it is just part of this chapter. Also included are explanations of some of the treatment side effects such as “chemo brain” as well as the various physiological transitions of the disease.

Relationships are an element of the entire book, but get special consideration in “Chapter 6: Cancer and Relationships.” Starting on page 65 the chapter addresses being single with cancer followed by addressing what it is like to be a relationship. What that means for the patient as well as the spouse. Specifically addressed in the chapter is how men often want to “fix it” for their spouse and the fact that is not possible brings its own burden and frustration. It certainly has been an issue for me.

You finished your treatment. Your cancer is gone and yet you are still tired and the mind is still very muddled. You should feel better, you think, and yet things seem weird and you miss your treatment team. You may have a case of the post treatment blahs and that is covered in “Chapter 7: After Treatment.” Dealing with survivor's guilt is covered here. Also covered is how to cope if or when the cancer returns as well as dealing with cancer as a chronic disease.

“Chapter Eight: Reflections on the Cancer Experience” begins on page 83 and covers how folks responded to the diagnosis of cancer in others. There are a lot of good people out there doing wonderful things that one never hears about in the daily diet of politics, wars, and crime in the nation’s media. Also covered here is the power of support from others and how much it means for patients and their families. As noted in earlier chapters, the power of hope is part of this chapter as is relishing the moment of now.

Often one does not know really what to say when a person they love or know has cancer. It isn’t easy. “Chapter Nine: Supporting Others with Cancer” is all about that in every aspect. The difficulties of being a caretaker and trying to help someone from a long distance are just some of the areas covered here in the final chapter of the book.

A two page resource list comes next followed by a five page index.

The subtitle of this short book, Practical Advice and Insights for Patients, Professionals and Those Who Care makes it very clear what the book is designed to do. The book delivers across the board in all aspects and is very much a supportive and caring read. I truly wish something like this had been around on Thanksgiving Day 2011 when Sandi was diagnosed with cancer the first time. It would have helped.

Reading this book now months after her cancer came back with a vicious vengeance in late 2012 and everything we have been through since was an incredibly emotional experience. Our lives weren't just touched by cancer; they were run over by a 50 ton cancer bulldozer. A bulldozer that has made repeated passes over us and continues to loudly snarl and spins its treads in preparation to roll over us again. So, it is impossible for me to be remotely objective about cancer or this book. Cancer isn’t something I can look at dispassionately and be objective about as I such rage about the diease and what t has done to us. nor is the book. While the author may be unsettled by equating the terms of war and military combat with having cancer, for us, it is a war. It is a flat out physically and emotionally grueling day by day war where we measure everything by various test results and how she feels.

All I can say is When Your life Is Touched By Cancer: Practical Advice and Insights for Patients, Professionals and Those Who Care by Bob Riter is an incredible book. I hope and pray you will never need it, but if you ever do, it’s good to know it is out there and can help ease everything just a little bit.

When Your life Is Touched By Cancer: Practical Advice and Insights for Patients, Professionals and Those Who Care

Bob Riter

http://www.crcfl.net/content/category/bob-riter-s-cancer-columns.html

Hunter House Publishing

http://www.hunterhouse.com

February 2014

ISBN# 978-0-89793-679-8

Paperback                    

145 Pages

$14.95

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014

The Freelance Gig at Tapir And Friends Animal Store

You may remember my mentioning the other day the new freelance writing I am doing for the Tapir and Friends Animal Store.  I am writing short non bylined intro pieces to various categories as well as longer pieces with byline on specific animals. The list of the longer pieces has been updated and can be found here.

Unlike a lot of freelance gigs I have done in the past, I am allowed to have a sense of humor and can use it in the pieces. An example of that can be found in the piece on the green parrot here.

I'm having a lot of fun doing this. Been a long time since I have done any freelancing at all and it feels good and a little strange to be back doing some again. Not only because I am writing--and that is important---but also because, in a way, I am back teaching again. This time I'm doing it through the written word on a website aiming to do good things in the world instead of standing in a classroom. I am also learning a few things along the way.

Hope you stop by and take a look.


Kevin

Via Ed Gorman's blog: what dead men say AVAILABLE AGAIN ON AMAZON

Ed Gorman's blog: what dead men say AVAILABLE AGAIN ON AMAZON

Home

Just got here as after a rough start things got going quicker than normal. Sandi is going to bed after her IVIG infusion. She is doing okay.

FFB Review: "The Last Horseman" by Frank Zafiro and the "Thrilling Thirteen" collection

I thought of this title recently when I was notified by Frank Zafiro that his book was a part of a new collection titled THRILLING THIRTEEN. 13 thrillers from various authors with the entire collection currently on sale for 99 cents. From a royalty point of view, I am not sure that is a great deal for authors, but the collection is one heck of a deal for readers. You can snag it here. And make sure you head over to Patti Abbott's blog here for more books to consider today.

The project was simple and yet complex at the same time. Those involved would right the failures of the justices system. Those criminals, often released on technicalities, whose actions were so egregious that they should have been permanently removed from the planet by the system, would be removed by the group known as The Four Horsemen. These ex-police offices would do what the court system had failed to do---dispense justice.

Over time the project has become unstable and is collapsing due to a variety of factors. Now, Sandy Banks is The Last Horseman and he too has finally had enough. He will finish the assignment that he just received and then he is out.

At least that is his plan. Others have a different agenda for Sandy Banks. While they might like to arrest him they would be okay with killing him in the process as then he couldn’t talk about what he knows. 

Nobody and nothing is what it seems in this complex mystery thriller from talented author Frank Zafiro known for his River City Crime Novel series that began with Under A Raging Moon the moral implications of police work have been a hallmark of his books. Written by a police officer familiar firsthand with the toll that police work takes, there is realism always present in Mr. Zafiro's books that one does not get from many such novels. That realism along with a heavy duty dose of the always present moral consequences for actions on the job and off is combined here where a former cop is questioning more and more his role in trying to right the wrongs of a failed court system. A system that too many times seems stacked against the good guys.

That moral quandary--upholding the law and yet executing bad guys in the name of justice-- is at the heart of this novel. A novel that contains numerous twists and turns as no one is telling the truth about themselves or others for most of the book. The result is a complex mystery full of nuance and meaning and yet another good book from talented author Frank Zafiro.

The Last Horseman: A Sandy Banks Novel

Frank Zafiro

http://www.frankzafiro.com

CreateSpace

January 2011

ISBN# 978-1456516260

Paperback (also available as an e-book)

268 Pages

$12.99

Material was supplied by the author a very long time ago in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2013, 2014