Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 320

Review: LOVE IN THE ELEVATOR (Anthology)

After a harrowing day of smelling like fajitas, an assistant editor gets stuck in an elevator with a hot, British guy and is rooked into playing a game of “2 Truths and 1 Lie.” (“Hold the Lift” by Aven Ellis)


A woman gets stuck in the elevator with her ex, leading to the two spending the night in Vegas as she reminisces back to her college drinking days and how she lost the bestest friend she ever had. (“Down, then Up” by Beth Labonte)


“Going Up” by Whitney Dineen was also a great story of a struggling masseuse in the Big Apple and how she ends up being a ploy for the FBI.


Fun, witty, and charming stories!

My rating; 4 stars

Review: LOVE TO ME by Elizabeth Doherty

The child of successful actors, Lena Mays has one goal: to prove to her family she can be a star. After years of being compared to her talented sisters, she finally has a chance to prove herself when she’s cast in her first Broadway show. It’s the perfect part in the perfect show with the perfect cast… Well, perfect except for one thing. The minute she meets goofy Toby, she can tell they won’t get along. He’s not serious and not nearly focused enough. How is she supposed to focus on a Broadway career when Toby is always messing around?

Toby Pritchard is the luckiest guy alive. He’s got great friends, supportive parents, and he has finally been cast in his first Broadway show, after years of chasing his dream. His life couldn’t be better, until one day, he literally stumbles into the most beautiful woman in the world, and he realizes what he’s been missing. Lena is gorgeous and passionate. He can’t get enough of her, even though she can’t stand him. He needs to find a way to make her see him.

After a near accident, sparks begin to fly between Lena and Toby. But could Lena’s ambition and Toby’s quest for the perfect life ruin everything? Can love survive the cutthroat behind-the-scenes world of Broadway?




My review: Lena Mays has finally gotten a chance to prove herself on Broadway. Toby has also always wanted a role. Now the two are cast in a big musical. It's the World of Broadway!
Life in a musical certainly was rigorous and daunting at times. I mean, all the hours and rehearsal time and again. Of course, the main characters are cast as co-stars, and, at first, they didn't really get along, but they eventually grow on one another.
Story was simple and easy-to-read. While working on the show, the characters relive some of their past hope and angst concerning stardom. Readers get a gander of what sparked their love of performance and how they got here. Drama is all around in this aspiring, little tale―both on stage and off. Love and emotion work side-by-side. Although the story was a bit lagging at times, the characters do have a certain chemistry and their hard work certainly leaps off the page.
Good if you like love and musicals.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: A DREAM FOR TWO by Kate Goldman

Elise Roberts dreams of being a pop star but has been stuck in her hometown since she graduated from high school. Her life seems achingly dull and mapped out when she’s suddenly laid off from the offices where she works as a secretary. With her faithful guitar Elise moves to New York where she takes up waitressing but sings at open mic nights. One night she meets the charismatic Dylan, who is the lead singer for his up-and-coming band. Dylan oozes charm but also arrogance and Elise initially dislikes him. As they vie for attention each night on the same open mic circuit, they come into conflict with one another, but beneath this conflict they harbor more intense feelings for one another. Just as Elise and Dylan have fallen head-over-heels in love, their dreams come true and each of them strikes a deal with a famous record label. Now they are being torn apart by their careers and begin to question whether their success is worth anything if they are not together. Can Dylan and Elise’s new love survive the strain of their burgeoning careers and is either of them willing to sacrifice their dream for the sake of their relationship?






My thoughts: Elise is a wanna-be star who's just been laid off.


The story had the pretext of a country music rags-to-riches tale. You have a girl from a small town trying to make it in a big city and be a star. Yeah, because being a star is so easy, right? It reminded me of that sweet drama movie, "Pure Country 2" or even
"Coyote Ugly." Let's face it, they were all sweet, innocent, naive girls who thought they possessed a great talent unlike no other. The truth is: the world is tough and not everyone is a star.
A simple story of determination and finding your passion,  A DREAM FOR TWO felt like a rehash of a  typical "Big Dreamer" movie.  Not that I don't believe in chasing dreams (no matter how far-stretched some are,) it's just that I've heard it before and I know how it ends.
This was an okay story about a girl and her dreams with love in the mix. Typical.
The interesting spin, however, was the complicated stress of the music industry affecting the new "high" of the couple's love. If you ask me, everything--the love, the stardom--
was just happening so fast. How can one be in love and be a star? Apparently, you can't have both. Additionally, there was little empathy with these characters, which made me not really care whether they were together or not, which made it that much more dull.
My rating: 2.5 stars  

Review: ANIMATE ME by Ruth Clampett

First off, love the animated doodle on the cover! I studied animation in college, so, naturally, I have an interest.
So we have an artist in love with a doodle girl, whom he draws with big breasts. Of course, his skill lever has improved since he stopped watching online porn, which there's nothing wrong with. Nathan is a sky, akward guy working in an animation studio. His real obsession lies in a girl named Brooke, whom he's loved and adored from afar. He finally gets his chance when she notices him and realizes that she's a geek too! Two geeks who love cartoons. What could be more perfect?
So then the coffees begin--he starts bringing her coffee with one of his doodles of her. Cute, right?
This book had some wit and I thought I would enjoy it from start to end, but, sadly, that wasn't the case. The story started off strong, but then it REALLY tapers off about a quarter of the way with lengthy scenes and useless plot lines. I thought Nathan was a sweet, quirky, and lovable geek. Even though Brooke was involved, Nathan was determined to win her over with his fanatic ways. Funny how she ended up being his dating coach, teaching him to woo her without her even knowing it. But, honestly, I thought Brooke was much too complicated for my liking. I mean, why else would she stick with her boyfriend and still be sexual with Nathan. This then leads to Nathan's increasing obsession with her. Suddenly, he can't get enough of her. Seriously, these two need therapy.
I thought this book would be good, but it was just ok.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: THE CONTRACT by Elizabeth Kelly

Every few months, the PA’s would be shifted among the lawyers at a high-end New York law firm, and it was Mae’s turn to PA for the ruthless Liam Knight. Still, no matter how much of a jackass he was known to be, Mae still harbored this lustful crush on the hot bastard. Even though she figured she was not his type with her cellulite thighs, fat stomach, and big boobs, there was no harm in fantasizing.

A slip causing a twisted ankle was all it to make her realize the Alpha in Liam Knight, making her want him even more if that’s at all possible. He just took charge of her care by driving her home, taking her car into the mechanic, stocking her fridge with food, wrapping her ankle, and carrying her to bed. It was kind of nice and annoying how Liam was fussing over her. Of course, one would wonder why complain when a rich, gorgeous millionaire is doting on your every move. Yes, that part is nice, but it’s annoying how he just takes over. So domineering, so alpha, so…BOSSY. Well, he is her boss after all. Still, Mae is known to be bossy too, especially when it comes to the boudoir. Soon, she realized what a submissive Alpha male he is with his begging and pleading to touch her and do things to her. Mae is bossy and he seems to like it.


In the midst of this constant foreplay and her “no touch-no masturbating” rule, the two contend with a gossiping columnist, who blatantly calls her fat and him a chubby chaser. It kinda makes you wonder exactly how fat she really was. I mean, yes, she’s snarky, witty, and rough around the edges, but I couldn’t stand how bossy she got.


I mean, was this it? Was this story nothing but sexual and domineering foreplay? Not only that, but I thought the two characters weren’t good together at all. And where does the contract come in? I mean, that was the title of the book. Shouldn’t there be some type of “arrangement?”


I just got tired with this book.

My rating: 2 stars

Review: MALEVOLENT by S. Peter-Davis

Kendra Spark, suspense-mystery writer and communicator with the dead, signs on to the next FBI Special Task Force case, trafficked girls that are marked to lose their souls.

Jenna Powers, ghostified criminal analyst, sticks close to the case as she and Kendra are also marked by the same malevolent supernatural force.

Derek Knight, lead FBI Agent on this case, learns of the malevolent entity and the deeper paranormal realm of danger.

Kendra’s unfiltered feelings for Derek struggle to take a backseat, and as the menacing threat grows more intense, so does her passion for Derek.

Derek faces uncertainties he’s never dealt with in his past, like malicious entities and the loss of his heart to love. How can he protect Kendra against forces he can’t see?

As boundless supernatural danger intertwines with the future reality of the trafficked teens, Kendra and Jenna realize only they can shoulder the rescue by calling in a voodoo priestess… 




My review: A homicide. An angry spirit.
For Kendra Spark, there was one question: Which path should she follow—the romance-suspense novel writing or FBI consulting? Still with the ability to connect with the spirit world, her world is in more chaos than before now that she’s caught in a love tango with Derek of the FBI.  But now there’s a new case. Two Hispanic girls have been murdered, but could a malevolent spirit be possessing them? The worst part was that the spirit was a prostitute that was sexually abusing the host body.
Story is told in the POV of Kendra and Derek as they navigate a tough homicide of angry spirits while contemplating their passionate feelings for each other.
Of course, her old spirit friend, Jenna, still lingers, helping her out on the case and making life more interesting.
Love the spunky, psychic novelist! Murder, spiritual intuition, and romance bound this captivating, little tale. This was definitely an interesting case of a soul-stealing, malevolent force trafficking children. Still, it was a little slow at times and there were a few more characters that were complicating the case. But it was still a pretty good read.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: THE VAMPIRE HUNTER’S DAUGHTER by Jennifer Malone Wright (Pt 1-6)

Chloe has just discovered that her mom was a vampire hunter after seeing her murdered right before her eyes. That night, she was rescued by her grandfather, another hunter and explains her bloodline. She learns that her mother conceived her with a vampire. Vampire and Vampire Hunter? Oh, this is too good!


From that point forward, Chloe vows to get strong, learn her abilities, and avenge her mother’s death. Apparently, she had some big shoes to fill, because her mother was probably the best vampire slayer in a town full of hunters. The story begins with Chloe’s promise to kill the thing that claimed to be her father: a vampire.


Throughout the series, Chloe struggles with her training and, eventually, discovers that she can start fires with a flick of her wrist, making her a powerful weapon against her enemies. The reader is guided through the history and legends of the slayers as Chloe becomes more attuned to her abilities.


Series was enjoyable and addicting. It’s best to get the complete bundle rather than the individual parts, because each one ends in sort of a cliffhanger, which can be annoying.


Even though the end battle with Trevor was probably the most climactic scene in the series, it felt sort downplayed to me. I wished Chloe would’ve been more of a fighter like Buffy. Then the whole thing just sort of tapered off in the end.


My rating: 4 stars

Review: THE GHOST AND THE GRAVEYARD by Genevieve Jack

Grateful (yeah, that’s her name) has just moved into an old house with a backyard…of tombstones. Her new neighbor lives up the road and happens to be the caretaker. Oh, and he also happens to be drop-dead gorgeous. So, living next to a hottie and dead people? Eh, not so bad.


Strange things keep happening in that house though. Was it haunted?


A call asking Grateful if she’s the sorter. A what? Sorter?


Soon, she starts talking to the ghost of the house and realizes that he seems harmless. Dare I say that she was even falling for the ghost? But who could she trust: the ghost or the caretaker? And what does her birth and mother have to do with any of it? And why was the caretaker feeding her sexual subliminal messages?


This was an interesting mystery, and the reader savors each tantalizing truth. She was the Monk Hills Witch—sorter of the dead and fighter against the unholy. Cool!


I liked how relatable Grateful was and that she wasn’t so quick to believe all this mumbo-jumbo. She was fast and witty.
My rating: 3.5 stars

Excerpt Post - Chapter 2 - The Wizard of Dinia

When the time of the feast finally arrived, Princess Gabriella entered the Great Hall of Dining without stopping to look up at the vastly high ceiling far above her. In previous years, she would not have been able to help but to turn her eyes upward each time she entered this cavernous ancient hall, and admire all the ten-foot-long royal banners displaying the names and crests of all the great kings, queens, lords, and nobles who had eaten there during ages gone by. She used to think that she would always be intimidated by a feeling that all the ghosts of all the great Kings and High Queens of Astadia still feasted there. But in recent weeks, she had no time for such thoughts. She walked straight to the elongated table, crafted long ago from a great red oak that had grown for a thousand years in the Forest of Giants, and scanned the table all the way to its end, seeking the wizard. Tonight, just as on all other nights, she was met with disappointment.  The only people seated were the usual allotment of generals and lords of Castle Blackrock and the same few guests who had been there for the last several days. 

She took her proper seat, the third from the king’s right hand. Duke Arwin of Chamberlin, High General Martok, and Lt. General Garron, being high ranking military or castle officials, all got to sit closer to the king than she, a mere Second Princess. Cassandra, as First Princess, normally sat one seat closer to the king, to Gabriella’s left. But her empty chair stood this night as a reminder that she was too sick to join them. Directly across from Gabriella was another empty seat, designated for the feast’s honored guest, where she was convinced the wizard would sit.  For many nights, she had sat and stared at the empty oak chair, imagining it filled with the man with the great red beard.

The seating of the king’s guests began just to Gabriella’s right.  The current guests were a group of wealthy entrepreneurs who had been staying in the castle for some conference with her father.  From what little she knew, it seemed as though the gathering involved a bunch of squabbling businessmen who came to beg the crown give its backing to whatever pointless project they were developing.  They spent every evening boasting and talking over one another about the greatness of their businesses. Not a one of them listened to any of the others, but Gabriella could not fault them. She did not want to listen to any of them either.

Tonight, however, they avoided the usual pattern. One of the entrepreneurs, a man named Lord Tawson of Dunderlin, turned to Gabriella’s end of the table, looking past her to the man sitting two seats to her left, Duke Arwin of Chamberlin, Head of the Royal Guard. “So, Duke Arwin,” he announced in a shout, “I understand you invited a wizard to the table tonight.”Gabriella instantly jerked her neck sharply to her right and looked at Tawson in astonishment.

The duke meanwhile grumbled under his breath and refused to make eye contact, as if he could ignore the question. But it was hard to miss the silence that overtook the room, as the guests awaited the duke’s response.

“He is most certainly not a wizard,” the duke was finally forced to reply.  “And I had nothing to do with inviting him.”

Duke Arwin was not liked by many, least of all Gabriella. His hairless head and old shriveled face with oversized ears and a silly little mustache should have made him appear harmless, if not downright goofy, and yet, one could not ignore the constant scowl he wore upon it.“Oh, come now, Duke Arwin,” Tawson continued. “Do you deny that there’s an easterner here in this castle who’s come to save the King’s daughter? My steward tells me he’s a man of great power and wisdom.” Tawson chuckled as if he found the very idea of the man amusing, and this annoyed Gabriella to the core. 

“Oh there is undeniably an easterner here,” the duke replied. “An Afran peasant my guardsmen found wandering around the castle aimlessly.”  Gabriella scratched her chin, attempting to hide the look of astonishment she surely wore upon her face. An Afran peasant?  Afrans were the darker skinned people of the Southlands who produced most of the agriculture for Astadia. Gabriella had learned that the term ‘Afran’ had been derived from the Afranian Isles in the East, though in truth many Afrans had come from many other islands besides just the Afranian Isles. She couldn’t believe it hadn’t occurred to her before that the wizard, if he were from the distant east, would resemble the Afrans she had seen in the Southlands.

Duke Arwin continued: “There’s no telling how the man got in. I wanted to arrest him for unauthorized intrusion upon the King’s grounds.  But General Martok foolishly counseled the king to take this peasant and his claims of magic seriously,” the duke scoffed. High General Martok, who sat across the table from the duke, acted as though he had not heard the comments and continued his private conversation with Lieutenant General Garron, seated beside him.  But Martok could not avoid the fact that all eyes at the front of the table, including Garron’s, were looking to him for a rebuttal.

General Martok was less outwardly cruel and nasty than Duke Arwin, but not much more likable in Gabriella’s estimation. When he said nice things, it somehow seemed that he meant the opposite.  He looked old enough to be Gabriella’s grandfather, though his stout, muscular build and curt demeanor made one forget the balding wrinkled head and bushy grey beard.

“I see no reason to answer to you, Arwin,” Martok remarked in his usual deep, throaty voice.“Oh come now, General,” replied the duke.  “Half the King’s table is waiting on your retort. You wouldn’t want to disappoint them.”

“First of all,” said Martok appearing to acquiesce to the demand.  “I never said he was a wizard, nor did the man himself.  He made no claim to be anything other than a great eastern healer. And since we have no renowned physicians left from our own land who have not already failed, how can we refuse his generous offer of help? What harm can he possibly bring? Kill the girl? She is all but dead already.”

Martok turned back toward General Garron, as if he had done his duty to the guests and could now resume his previous conversation. The guests however, did not take their eyes from him, as if unsatisfied.

“Have you all forgotten the importance of the Princess’s survival?” he demanded.  “Surely you all know that the Princess must carry on with her scheduled marriage to Lord Maron.  For the first time in ten centuries we would have Halthrop’s Army at our disposal. What kind of threat would the Succreans be to us then?  As leader of the Astadian Military, I must ensure that this happens no matter the cost.”

The general’s description of Gabriella’s sister as just a pawn in his silly war games made Gabriella glad she had not begun to eat, for she would probably be close to spewing her food right back onto the table.

“With due respect, Sir,” said Lieutenant General Garron, Martok’s second in command though many years his junior. “As you and I have discussed many times, the Succreans have not attacked us in over three hundred years. I’m not entirely certain that they’re even a threat.”  Garron was by far more pleasant company for Gabriella than either Martok or Arwin. Being a younger man with deep brown eyes, long, well groomed dark hair, and a perfectly groomed thin beard upon his chin, did not hurt his case. But his appeal went beyond looks.  He was the only adult who ever treated Gabriella and her sister as if they were capable and intelligent. She had always appreciated that.

“Yes, we have debated this before, General Garron,” Martok replied. “And I continue to insist that we can never let our guard down against the Succreans. That is exactly what they want us to do, so that they may cross south over the Border Mountains and invade us once again. With Halthrop’s Army on our side, I’d like to see them try.”

“Even if that were the case,” Garron replied, “if all the greatest physicians in Astadia could not cure the princess, what makes you think that this savage, one who comes from a backwards island nation with not nearly the medical knowledge of Astadia, can do any better?”  Garron’s subtle smile indicated to Gabriella that he might have been describing the healer in opposite terms to what he actually believed.

“Perhaps,” replied Martok, who seemed calm once again.  “But he comes to us highly regarded by his queen. And truly, you know nothing of the medical knowledge of Dinia, my dear General Garron. I, myself, have heard tell of great healers from the eastern isles.”His calm demeanor did not change as he shifted his eyes toward Duke Arwin, and continued to espouse to all the guests seated at the table. “And besides, the king has charged Duke Arwin and his Royal Guard with hawking the stranger while he works. Surely they would not let a mere foreign peasant cause any harm.”

Though Duke Arwin sat as still as a boulder, Gabriella could tell by the particular scowl on his face that he wanted to lunge across the table and stab General Martok with his fork.  “We most certainly will not.  But it is a task we should not have to undertake, were the king to ever receive sensible advise from his military leaders.”  Martok began to tie his napkin around his neck, in preparation for the feast, apparently ignoring Duke’s Arwin’s jab.In the next moment, the blaring sound of brazen trumpets echoed throughout the Great Hall.  Two trumpeters marched through Rutherford’s entranceway near the head of the table.  They stopped in front of the doors, and then behind them came four servants, each carrying a large covered silver platter containing a side dish, followed by two more servants, carrying between them the largest silver plate of all: the night’s main course. Next entered young Benson, the King’s personal page, who stopped and stood between the trumpeters to make his announcement.  “Lords and Ladies, tonight’s main course, the great royal stag of the Forest of Giants, hunted and killed so valiantly by King Rutherford himself, is served with Chef Barducci’s finest apple-pepper sauce, such a perfectly delicate balance of the sweet and the spicy.”

Stag and apple-pepper sauce were both rarely served, but Gabriella could not be excited for them, because she was too busy lamenting that Benson’s presence did not bode well for the wizard. No guests were permitted to enter the Great Hall after the king, no matter how honored they might have been. One guest was actually jailed for the offense. Gabriella clinched her fists and closed her eyes.  Oh Mesis, Great One of the Heavens, ruler of all the Living, please let the wizard eat with us tonight, Please!

To her great dismay, the sound of the trumpets once again filled the hall.  Her father’s page made the announcement: “Now Lords and Ladies, please stand and honor the Son of His Late Majesty King Rutherford II, great grandson of the founder of his line, King Rutherford I. Please honor the Noble, the Powerful, the Wise, the Ruler and Father of all the great citizens of Astadia, His Royal Majesty and Grace, King Rutherford III!”  As the trumpets began to blow once again, Gabriella watched her father slowly march into the hall.  He looked just as majestic and awe inspiring as ever. His golden crown of sparkling red rubies complimented the large, octagonal emeralds that lined the seams of his fuzzy, golden robe. His premature gray hair made him look distinguished, and gave him the appearance of someone with wisdom beyond his years —as did his fluffy yet well treated beard, which hid most of his face but could not disguise the grace and confidence that always exuded from his towering body. He commanded such incredible power that his subjects could not help but bow and admire him.

 In that brief instant, Gabriella felt deeply disappointed that the wizard was too late to enter the hall.  She imagined Duke Arwin would soon be convincing the king to throw the wizard into the dungeon simply for being late.  But just as she thought this, she looked across the table and, to her amazement; she saw that a short, skinny, elderly man with brown skin was sitting right where the wizard should have been. She would have sworn on her life that he had not been there when her father first entered the room, and he could not have possibly passed by without being seen.  Yet, there he was, right before her eyes.  She wanted to get a better look at him, but that would have to wait, for all those seated at the king’s table were required to keep their eyes on the king until permission was given for them to eat.

King Rutherford took his place on a jewel-covered golden chair.  As was tradition, all others at the table remained standing until he gave them permission to sit.  Two servants rushed over and tied either end of his large royal napkin around his neck.  He squirmed around in his chair, finding just the perfect spot, for what felt like several minutes until he eventually motioned for everyone else to sit.  He still had not given the servants permission to serve anyone else. He would typically make an announcement or two before doing so.

Rutherford cleared his throat and began to speak.  “Friends, Family, Honored Guests. You are all well aware of the horrendous tragedy that has struck our great kingdom several weeks ago.  My dear, sweet daughter, Princess Cassandra....” He paused as if unable to find the words, then continued. “But now myself, my second daughter Gabriella, and all of our countrymen, do have one last hope that Astadia’s first daughter will survive.  His name is Ja-Ded, and he is a member of a highly important organization the Dinians call the Jaal-Alik.  He has been sent to us across the great Areon Ocean by Her Majesty Queen Roja-Lij of Dinia, and he is renowned in his country for his healing abilities.”  He motioned to the man across from Gabriella.  The man bowed his head elegantly to the people at the table, who seemed to pay no respect to his gesture at all. 

“Now before we begin the serving.  I feel that it is my duty as your king to make a few things clear. First and foremost, I must clear up the confusion on this ‘wizard’ business. You see, when Cassandra had first taken ill, one of my royal sea traders returned from the Distant East with news that a man with mystical powers of healing was to be coming from Dinia to aid Astadia.  Of course, we civilized men in Astadia know that no such powers exist, so I as king could not take this news seriously. This is why I had not informed Duke Arwin of Ja-Ded’s impending arrival, thus causing great confusion, for which I must once again apologize to Ja-Ded.” The king looked toward Ja-Ded, seeking his acceptance of this apology, which the foreign man happily gave with a nod and a smile.

“Then of course word of this man with mystical powers made its way to the servant folk, and as they are wont for exaggeration, it was not long until this man was spoken of as if he were a storybook wizard.

“But in truth, this man has denounced all links to wizardry and admitted himself to be a legitimate healer.  He has sworn to it under the name of my great grandfather, the Great and Wise King Rutherford I.  And so my friends, regardless of what you might have heard, and regardless of his looks or his dress, I ask that you treat him with as much respect as you would any of my guests.  And now, my friends, family, guests — the serving may begin!”Unlike most of the King’s pre-feasting speeches, there was no applause or cheering.  Instead, the speech transitioned into the immediate sound of clanging of spoons and plates as the servants began to serve the dinner patrons, beginning with General Martok and the Duke of Chamberlin. 

At long last, Gabriella had the perfect opportunity to get a good look at the man across the table.  She had been greatly disappointed to hear her father say that he had officially denounced his wizardry.  Looking over him, she could see why. This man could not possibly be the man of magic that she and Barton had anticipated.   She saw no golden robe, tall pointy hat, or staff of jewels.

Instead, here was an extremely short, painfully thin, elderly man.  What little hair he had left on his head was white, and his ribcage as well as many of his other bones were visible through the opening of his old dusty cloak; he wore no shirt underneath. Worst of all: he had no white beard, nor red beard, nor even a black beard. He had no beard at all. How much magic could a beardless man possibly wield?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Princess Gabriella of Astadia enjoys nothing more than talking to the stars. They have voices but they do not use words, or at least not in any conventional sense. She never understood how or why this was possible, until one day she receives a visit from Ja-Ded, an unusual wizard from the mysterious distant eastern island of Dinia. His only possessions are a dirty old cloak and a crooked staff with an unremarkable brown rock dangling at its end. He tells her of a mysterious force from the heavens known as Ra, from which one can create something called Light Magic. He promises to teacher her all this, as well as the secrets of the stars themselves. But before he can complete his lessons, he vanishes in a flash of light.

Available on Amazon

Review: TIMMY ON THE TOILET by Peta Lemon

If you had one wish, what would it be?
A barrel of gold? As many toys as his house could hold? The biggest party with fireworks galore? His very own castle for him to explore?
The possibilities were endless for little Timmy.
But, one day, his mind wandered while sitting on the toilet. He looked out the window, watching the birds flying, and suddenly wished that he could fly. Big mistake!
This is the quirky story of Timmy and his flying toilet. I liked that the wish was not one that he wanted to make. I mean, who’d want to be flying with your drawers down? How embarrassingly funny! Illustrations were colorful and humorous. I thought this was a pretty good children’s tale.
My rating: 4 stars