Sharon C. Pennington's Blog, page 4

SUMMER ROMANCE FESTIVAL

The oh so reader-friendly website fReado is hosting a Summer Romance Festival starting June 25 and running through July 31 in celebration of sizzling romance books penned by 120+ authors from around the world. I’m thrilled to have my novels, HOODOO MONEY and MANGROVES AND MONSTERS, included as prizes during the festivities. To participate in fReado’s Summer Romance Festival go to http://www.freado.com/romancefestival/ Looks like a loads of fun and exciting reading…see you there!

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A Question of Judgment...

I feel the need for a vent. My husband and I live in Deer Park, Texas. Near the Houston Ship Channel and in the heart of the petrochemical industry. We’ve lived here about 35 years, since our children began school in the seventies. Deer Park is a lovely city of 32,010 citizens (according to the 2010 census). A nice place to visit. A nicer place to live. The neighborhoods are quiet and safe, and boast the sense of community and camaraderie found in small towns all over our great country. Deer Park is often touted as the “birthplace of Texas” because of its location near where the Battle of San Jacinto was fought on April 21, 1836, and Texas won its independence from Mexico.

 

This past Monday, early voting for city elections began. That same afternoon we received a postcard in the mail from the mayor in which he endorsed one of the council candidates. He even went so far as to announce that he and his wife would be casting their votes for this candidate, and would “certainly encourage” others to do the same.

 

I do not know this candidate, nor his opponent, personally. But I found the mayor’s action an appalling abuse of power and an unethical attempt to sway voters. My humble opinion, of course. Frankly, the mayor’s action reeked of cronyism and immediately turned me off to that particular candidate. It made my husband and me wonder how effective the man would be as a council member or whether he would be “in the mayor’s back pocket,” so to speak?

 

It disturbed me enough to sit and write this blog. With “Big Time” politics presently front and center across the United States, with televised presidential debates and political ads a constant, with John Edwards on trial for misuse of contributions during his political campaign, I’m curious as to what others might think. Is this an over-reaction on my part—or a lapse in judgment by our mayor? Another politican gone awry? Thanks for listening. I’d love to hear from you.

REVIEW: Lowcountry Bribe by C. Hope Clark

Rules were absolute; that's the way she was raised. If she followed the rules, she'd be just fine…

 

Uh-uh, honey. Not this time. Not for Carolina Slade, County Manager, United States Department of Agriculture. Slade's professional life has blitzed from the structured normalcy of bailing out farmers with federal loans to head-spinning chaos faster than a filibustering politician can shout "pork barrel spending." From the splatter of employee Lucas Sherwood's O-positive blood on his office wall—an apparent suicide—to pig farmer Jesse Rawlings with his unabashed bribe to gain possession of an adjacent farm, author C. Hope Clark will have readers fretting over and cheering for her gutsy protagonist in LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE.

 

Doesn't sound like enough conflict for you die-hard mystery devotees yet? Turn another page. With the deftness of an all-star hitter, Ms. Clark brings in the bickering, grudge-holding, soon-to-be-ex husband and a couple of gotta love' em kids inching their way into puberty.

 

Oh, and let's not discount Senior Special Agent Wayne Largo, who arrives in his white Impala toting a big Smith and Wesson .357 and even bigger government credentials. Did I say white Impala? Dark hair, broad shoulders, trim waist? A drawl that has Georgia peaches dropping from the trees?

 

Yep. That's him. Sigh.

 

Murder, kidnapping, edge-of-your-seat mayhem and sizzling romance done Southern style, C. Hope Clark's debut novel packs it all into 272 pages. And then some. This author drops readers straight into the story's heart with her wonderfully painted visuals of the South Carolina coast, her smart and snappy dialogue, in-depth characterizations, and infinite plot twists and turns. Protagonist Slade loses ground and gains it back again and again in LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE, but she never stops trying—and she never loses the stranglehold on integrity that's helped her succeed in a man's world. In a word, she's likeable. (I guess that's two words.)

 

This is a good one, folks. I'd tout LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE as a page-turner, but readers will recognize this after the first chapter. I'm giving Ms. Clark's effort five sterling stars, and you can bet I'll be watching eagerly for the second installment in her Carolina Slade mystery series. Maybe a third installment, a fourth?

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The granddaughter of a Mississippi cotton farmer, C. Hope Clark holds a B.S. in Agriculture with honors from Clemson University and 25 years experience with the U. S. Department of Agriculture. She currently manages FundsforWriters.com, her weekly newsletter that reaches almost 50,000 writers to include university professors, professional journalists and published mystery authors. Hope is a long-term member of SC Writers Workshop Association, Sisters in Crime and MENSA. To learn more about this talented author and her future endeavors visit www.chopeclark.com.

REVIEW: Revenge - A Travis Mays Novel by Mark Young

Building his cabin near the Clearwater River in Idaho, Travis Mays hoped for solitude, peace…renewal. A cleansing of his soul. Yeah, right. And just how does an ex-cop wash the darkness from his past when he holds himself responsible for the brutal death of the woman he loved?

 

He doesn't.

 

Not immersing himself in the criminology classes he teaches at Washington State University. Or plunging headlong into the bracing white water rafting he's enlisted guide Jessie White Eagle to help him conquer. Certainly not getting himself caught up in another homicide investigation.

 

Travis Mays bade good riddance to police work five years ago. He lives the simple life now. No worries, no attachments. Other than his dog, Sam. Part wolf, part mutt. Part crazy.

 

But here he is—and there's sweet, tough Jessie. Grieving the death of her brother, Tommy, a lawyer whose clients ran the gamut from members of the Nez Perce tribe with their troubles over water rights to the glitzy Whitewater Casino.

 

Tommy White Eagle's body, feet together, arms outstretched as if crucified, was discovered on a boulder-strewn slope. Three bullet wounds, one to the head. Why? He was one of the good guys, or so it seems. Talented attorney, loving brother, reliable son.

 

Where does an ex-cop who counted on a permanent detour from his "old" life begin to help Jessie and her father, Frank, the Nez Perce police chief?

 

In Revenge: A Travis Mays Novel, author Mark Young invites the reader to accompany Travis on his journey of newfound love, cold-blooded murder, baffling clues, vengeance and resolution…with enough probable baddies to fill a clubhouse—or a casino.

 

Is the killer Joseph Baptiste, the hot-headed Nez Perce deputy and Jessie's former lover? Could it be Special Agent Clay Lafata, FBI? Or maybe McPeters at the University? (Hey, there are no spoilers in this review. You have to read the book.)

 

MarkYoung deftly flexes his writing muscles as he moves Travis Mays from one clue, one possible and dangerous suspect, to the next. The author's background in law enforcement adds credence to his protagonist. His vivid descriptions place readers in the moment, while believable dialogue and the depth of his main characters hold them there.

 

As with all good mysteries, Revenge: A Travis Mays Novel provides the readers ample twists and turns, and doesn't ease up until the surprise ending. My one complaint with this novel is that there seems, at times, too many characters. I found myself trying to place them, to remember who was who and who did what. But that in no way, diminishes how well-crafted this novel is. I give Revenge: A Travis Mays Novel four stars and predict it is the start of a riveting series with a well-earned following. I look forward to the next installment.

 

Revenge: A Travis Mays Novel is available through Amazon (in both paperback and Kindle) and other fine booksellers. Author Mark Young was a police officer with the Santa Rosa Police Department in California for twenty-six years. He's an award-winning journalist and a Vietnam combat veteran. Readers can learn more about him and his future projects at www.MarkYoungBooks.com

REVIEW: Mikolay and Julia Meet the Fairies by Magda M. Olchawska

What do you do if you're transported to a mystical room brimming with colorful animals, curious plants and flying books? And what if you hear voices coming from inside an ancient wardrobe in this peculiar and puzzling place?

 

Should you run? Hide?

 

Absolutely, positively not!

 

If you are Mikolay and his dear friend, Julia, and several weekends a month you attend the Magical Weekend School for Children of Magical Creatures, you repeat the words "Eis Izras" three times and bravely open that wardrobe door! And this is exactly what they do.

 

In Mikolay and Julia Meet the Fairies, author Magda Olchawska invites readers (and those being read to) on an charming adventure with her two young wizards-in-training and their new friends, the "wardrobe fairies." The fairy queen, Farina—a gentle creature who sings like a mermaid—tells Mikolay and Julia that her forest homeland has been invaded by a huge monster with gnashing teeth and belching smoke. The noisy beast and his cohorts are destroying everything in their path: trees, animals, flowers…dwarves. (Hmmm. Does this sound like some humans we know?)

 

Oh my! What is a wizard-in-training to do upon hearing such distressing news?

 

Help solve the problem, of course! And what should they use to conquer such a fiend? Perhaps Julia will use her crystal ball for transporting, or Mikolay another chant like "Eis Roto Onac" or "Eis Nasem Mocurcium." These spells have been known to produce positive results.

 

Will the answer be found in a charm, a hex…advanced magic?

 

While escorting young readers on this magical journey to a solution, Magda Olchawska also teaches a lesson in environmental conservation on a child's level, and offers prompts and suggestions for parents to follow-up. Having read many fine books to my own grandchildren, I would suggest this one for children ages 4 to 9 and give it 4.5 stars. The child-friendly illustrations in Mikolay and Julia Meet the Fairies are done by Joanna Gniady with simplicity and a striking use of color that will surely spur any child's imagination.

 

You can learn more about writer-filmmaker Magda Olchawska and her creative works, which include indie shorts like "The Man With The Spying Glass" and "9 mm," at http://www.magdaolchawska.com and http://www.bulletfilm.com

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With love . . .

Phone, instant messaging and email, Facebook or Twitter. Best of all, in person…I'm able to interact with my kids and grandkids (and I do mean GRAND!) any day of the week. We laugh, commiserate, share funny stories and photographs. We share life—and love.

 

Birthdays, Christmas. My grandkids put in gift requests with shining eyes and hopeful hearts and giggles. I've got a well-earned reputation as a pretty cool Santa, you know.

 

They call me Moe, and I revel in it. I feel blessed in these moments but also grateful and humbled, for I realize how fleeing life is. How lucky I am.

 

During this weekend of contemplation on the lives so brutally cut short on September 11th 2001, let us also remember the children. Asia, Rodney, Bernard, Zoe and Dana (ages 3 to 11) lost on American Airlines Flight 77. Juliana, David and Christine (ages 2 to 4) lost on United Airlines Flight 175. Children on their way to visit friends and family, to explore the magic of Disneyland, to check out a new home in Australia. Innocent angels all of them. May they rest in the arms of God.

 

If we come away from this senseless brutality with nothing else, let it be a desire to hug our spouses and children and grandchildren. To listen, really listen, when they talk about their days—no matter how busy we think we are. To tell them we love them often, and loud.

 

Until next time, wave to your neighbor as you pull out of your driveway, tell the grocery clerk she has a great smile, say thanks to your postal worker. Take that moment to be a little kinder. To connect.

 

Chances are pretty good those seeds of faith in humanity will come back to you.

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REVIEW: THE ROSE AND THE LILY by Susan Ross

Finding a suitable match for his spoiled daughter, Princess Rose, proves quite the challenge for King William in Susan Ross' THE ROSE AND THE LILY (ISBN 10: 0981063462, ISBN 13 978-0981063461, 36 pages).

 

Knights are too tall or too short. Lords too plump or thin. Too old fashioned. Not rich enough.

 

King William's pampered princess cannot be pleased!

 

Even the incredibly handsome Prince Sterling is too handsome.

 

"I want everyone to look at me," wails Rose. "Not you."

 

What's a gorgeous prince on a fine white steed to do? Is there a smidgeon of hope for some peace and quiet for King William?

 

Rose will only agree to Prince Sterling's marriage proposal if he brings her the finest hairpin in all the land. But the prince is not swayed. For certainly he has undertaken more difficult tasks and triumphed.

 

The perfect hairpin? Consider it done. Smitten by Rose's beauty, the prince sets out on his quest with enthusiasm.

 

Should this flawless hairpin be made of dazzling diamonds - or a peacock's plumes? Perhaps a seashell shaped from dragon scales will do.

 

Aided by Lily, an ordinary village girl, for water and food and rest the handsome prince finds and carries each treasure back to Rose. And each time the princess rejects his gift, she becomes less and less appealing. For what depth is Rose's beauty if she does not treat others with warmth and kindness?

 

With story-telling elegance, Susan Ross weaves a surprise twist into THE ROSE AND THE LILY and a lesson for young readers. The book is illustrated beautifully and in great detail by Megan Stiver. As with Ross' prior books, the author tops off her tale by offering parents (and teachers) a step-by-step, interactive craft "Make a Crown" to do with their children.

 

I've reviewed three of Ross' books now and this is my favorite. THE ROSE AND THE LILY is fanciful and fun, and sure to capture the hearts and imaginations of children ages 6 through 12. I give this one five stars and as a grandmother of five, a hearty recommendation.

 

Susan Ross has also authored The Kit Kat Caper, The Great Bellybutton Cover-up and Say Please to the Honey Bees. You can learn more about Ms. Ross and her future projects at http://www.susanross.ca. THE ROSE AND THE LILY is available through Amazon and other fine booksellers.

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REVIEW: Say Please to the Honeybees by Susan Ross

In reviewing Say Please to the Honeybees (ISBN-10: 0981063438 ISBN-13: 978-0981063430, 32 pages) I find myself delighted to once again visit the antics of Violet, the affable "trouble magnet" in Farmer Shepherd's flock.

 

Trouble magnet, you say? Violet . . . that dear little sheep?

 

By no fault of her own, I'm sure.

 

Through the clever story-telling of Susan Ross and engaging illustrations by Megan Stiver young readers are enticed to follow this woolly heroine on an adventurous romp through Pioneer Village that begins with a gooey honey-tasting — without permission, of course — and a distressing pursuit by angry bees.

 

Alas, Farmer Shepherd comes to Violet's rescue using a smoke machine to chase away the bees. Unfortunately, her mass of sticky and matted wool leads to yet another shearing.

 

Fresh-mown ay, daisies? Children must read on to discover the creative ways this beauty queen utilizes to cover her wool-less self, and how she shares her ultimate triumph with her barnyard friends.

 

As with Ross' The Great Bellybutton Cover-up, the first book in this charming series, Say Please to the Honeybees could easily become a story-time standard.

 

Say Please to the Honeybees is sure to spark children's imaginations to come up with even more creative solutions for Violet and her self-imposed problems, as well as spurring a dialogue on manners. Ross tops off her tale by offering parents (and teachers) a step-by-step, interactive craft "Make a Busy Bee" to do with their children.

 

Yep, Susan Ross delivers another total package in riveting style. And I'm pleased to recommend Say Please to the Honeybees to teachers, parents and grandparents of children ages 3 to 9. (The older children will love reading this book themselves.) I'm giving this amusing tale five stars for originality, charm, lessons taught and creativity.

 

Susan Ross has also authored The Kit Kat Caper, The Great Bellybutton Cover-up and The Rose and the Lily. You can learn more about Ms. Ross and her future projects at http://www.susanross.ca. Say Please to the Honeybees is available through Amazon and other fine booksellers.

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REVIEW: The Great Bellybutton Cover-Up by Susan Ross

Over the years I've read a lot of children's books to our grandchildren, now ages 6 to 13, but it isn't often I get the opportunity to review such a book. I'd say The Great Bellybutton Cover-up by Susan Ross (ISBN-10: 9780981063409, ISBN-13: 978-0981063409, 32 pages) could easily become a favorite.

 

The Great Bellybutton Cover-up was first created for a sheep-shearing event at the Fanshawe Pioneer Village in London, Ontario. The story opens with our heroine, Violet, winning the County Fair Sheep Beauty Contest. But Violet's celebration is short-lived when Farmer Shepherd's sheep shearing takes place.

 

Shorn? Oh my! What's a beauty queen to do when her award-winning fluffy white wool is gone and her bellybutton exposed for all the fair-going public to gawk at?

 

Well, this beauty queen gets inventive. Cotton candy, feathers, balloons? There's no stopping her. Violet's attempts to resolve her predicament in a ladylike manner are creative, colorful and full of humor!

 

The illustrations in The Great Bellybutton Cover-up are simple yet beautifully done by Megan Stiver and will surely spur children's imaginations to come up with even more creative ways for Violet to find solutions to her problem. I can only imagine the conversations that will follow this clever read. Ross then tops off her tale by offering parents (and teachers) a step-by-step, interactive craft "How to Make Your Very Own Violet" to do with their children.

 

Yep, The Great Bellybutton Cover-up is the total package — and it's a delight I would highly recommend to teachers, parents and grandparents of children ages 3 to 9. (The older children will love reading this book themselves.) Nothing but five stars for this book will do.

 

Susan Ross has also authored The Kit Kat Caper, Say Please to the Honeybees and The Rose and the Lily. You can learn more about Ms. Ross and her future projects at www.susanross.ca. The Great Bellybutton Cover-up is available through Amazon.

 

REVIEW: PERFECT SCORE by Susan Roebuck

It's hard to review Perfect Score without giving away spoilers, but I'll do my best. Alex Finch's first recollection of Sam Barrowdale is a chance meeting in 1963 when a grubby thirteen year old Sam pushes a rickety, overloaded cart down a windy sidewalk and Alex gawks at him from the rear seat of his uncle's shiny black Fleetwood.

 

This is a time when dyslexia is unknown to the parenting public. To the public period. Sam's disability manifests itself in stuttering and a false mask of illiteracy that causes others to misjudge his intelligence and strength. While fighting stigma he endures the perilous squalor of homelessness with courage, grueling ranch work with grit and a surprising well of knowledge, and he charges himself with the care of his ailing sister. Alex, on the other hand, handsome and naturally talented, chooses to nurture an affinity toward music and composition, while appearing to take for granted the shelter and privilege of wealth.

 

The youths couldn't have been more different, their worlds further apart. Or so it seems.

 

But fate has a way of intertwining lives, of intervening when love seems all but forbidden, and fate had much in store for Alex Finch and Sam Barrowdale. Their lives cross time and again in Perfect Score, and the attraction between them grows with each encounter.

 

Using an engaging and pliable mix of first and third person, Susan Roebuck weaves a tale that runs the gamut from tender experimentation to the hardships of ranching to the greed and flagrant abuse of a corrupt pharmaceutical giant. But the constant and underlying theme in Perfect Score is universal, whether male to male or male to female: a tender and uncertain love.

 

I'm giving Perfect Score 4 stars. There's a genuine, down-to-earth quality in Roebuck's writing that draws the reader into a complex story made all the more compelling by the author's daring and keen ability to tell it. As far as weaknesses, I would've appreciated seeing the characters fleshed out a little more, the plot tweaked an additional bit, and the transition in the Epilogue smoother. I won't say more for fear of spoiling the read for others.

 

Born and educated in the UK, Susan Roebuck now resides in Portugal with her husband where I hope she's working diligently on her next project in that wonderful office overlooking the Atlantic. To read more about this author and her writing visit http://lauracea.blogspot.com/2011/03/lets-hear-it-for-boys-and-girls.html.

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