Charline Ratcliff's Blog, page 7
July 28, 2010
Make sure the power is actually OFF!
I didn't write this… A good friend of mine from Vegas was kind enough to share it with me and now I'm sharing it with you… Enjoy…
If you have ever used an electric fence or know someone who has one, you should read this.
The language used is a bit salty but he tells it like it is without cursing. Stop reading if salty words offend thee.
If you don't laugh hysterically at this….CHECK YOUR PULSE…this is funny….and true.
The following was sent by a retired dentist:
We have the standard six foot fence in the backyard, and a few months ago, I heard about burglaries increasing dramatically in the entire city. To make sure this never happened to me I got an electric fence and ran a single wire along the top of the fence.
Actually, I got the biggest cattle charger Tractor Supply had made for twenty-six miles of fence. I then used an eight foot long ground rod and drove it seven and a half feet into the ground. The ground rod is the key. The more you have in the ground the better the fence works.
One day I'm mowing the back yard with my cheapo Wal-Mart six horsepower big wheel push mower. The hot wire is broken and laying out in the yard. I knew for a fact that I unplugged the charger. I pushed the mower around the wire and reached down to grab it; to throw it out of the way.
It seems as though I hadn't remembered to unplug it after all.
Now I'm standing there; I've got the running lawnmower in my right hand and the 1.7 giga-volt fence wire in the other hand. Keep in mind the charger is about the size of a marine battery and has a picture of an upside down cow on fire on the cover.
Time stood still.
The first thing I notice is my pecker trying to climb up the front side of my body. My ears curled downwards and I could feel the lawnmower ignition firing in the backside of my brain. Every time that Briggs & Stratton rolled over I could feel the spark in my head. I was literally at one with the engine.
It seems as though the fence charger and the piece of shit lawnmower were fighting over who would control my electrical impulses.
Science says you cannot crap, pee, and vomit at the same time. I beg to differ. Not only did I do all three at once, but my bowels emptied three different times in less than half a second. It was a Matrix kind of bowel movement; where time is creeping along and you're all leaned back and BAM! BAM! BAM! you just crap your pants three times. It seemed like there were minutes in between but in reality it was so close together it was like exhaust pulses from a big block Chevy turning eight grand.
At this point I'm about thirty minutes (maybe two seconds) into holding onto the fence wire. My hand is wrapped around the wire palm down so I can't let go. I grew up on a farm so I know all about electric fences … but Dad always had those piece of shit chargers made by International or whoever that were like nine volts and just kinda tickled.
This one I could not let go of. The eight foot long ground rod is now accepting signals from me through the permadamp Ark-La-Tex river bottom soil. At this point I'm thinking I'm going to have to just man up and take it until the lawnmower runs out of gas.
Damn! I think as I remember I just filled the tank! Now the lawnmower is starting to run rough. It has settled into a loping run pattern as if it had some kind of big lawnmower race cam in it. Covered in poop, pee, and with my vomit on my chest I think Oh God please let me die …. Pleeeeaze. But nooooo, it settles into the rough lumpy cam idle nicely and remains there like a big bore roller cam EFI motor waiting for the go command from its owner's right foot.
So here I am in the middle of July, it's one hundred and four degrees, there's eighty percent humidity, and I'm standing in my own backyard, begging God to kill me. God did not take me that day …. he left me there covered in my own fluids to writhe in the misery my own stupidity had created.
I honestly don't know how I got loose from the wire…
I woke up laying on the ground hours later. The lawnmower was beside me; out of gas. It was later on in the day and I was sunburned.
There were two large dead grass spots where I had been standing, and then another long skinny dead spot where the wire had laid while I was on the ground still holding on to it. I assume I finally had a seizure and in the resulting thrashing had somehow let go of the wire.
Upon waking from my electrically induced sleep I realized a few things:
1 – Three of my teeth seem to have melted.
2 – I now have cramps in the bottoms of my feet and my right butt cheek. (Not the left, just the right.)
3 – Poop, pee, and vomit when all mixed together, do not smell as bad as you might think.
4 – My left eye will not open.
5 – My right eye will not close.
6 – The lawnmower runs like a sumbitch now. Seriously! I think our little session cleared out some carbon fouling or something because it was better than new after that.
7 – My nuts are still smaller than average yet they are almost a foot long.
8 – I can turn on the television in the game room by farting while thinking of the number four. (Still don't understand this???)
That day changed my life. I now have a new-found respect for things. I appreciate the little things more, and now I always triple check to make sure the fence is unplugged before I mow.
The good news is that if a burglar does try to come over the fence I can clearly visualize what my security system will do to him. THAT gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling all over which also reminds me to triple check before I mow.
July 22, 2010
Marilyn's House For Sale…
I was visiting my yahoo home page when the bolded caption "Marilyn Monroe's final home for sale" caught my eye. My eyes scanned the small blurb below it and I saw a link labeled "photo tour."
I think most of us are aware of the tragic and too early passing of Miss Monroe. I'm also sure there are many who wonder what really transpired on the night of August 4th, 1962. While I'm quite familiar with the legend that is Marilyn Monroe I've never felt compelled to study her life in great detail. However, this doesn't mean I'm not saddened by how early it ended.
I clicked the hyper-link and it opened up a short article; included were eight photographs of her house. Her last house. In fact her first and only house. I sat transfixed for a moment just staring at that first picture. It showed the exterior of the house, the pool and some of the landscaping. I don't know what I was expecting to see but it certainly wasn't this. The house is absolutely beautiful. And small. And tasteful. I felt as if I was being allowed to see another side of Marilyn and perhaps I was. Here is the home of the girl next door. The home of Norma Jean…
I finally tore my gaze away from the picture long enough to read the accompanying article. Marilyn purchased the house in 1962 for $90,000.00. She had a fifteen year mortgage and the payments were $320.00. Wow. Now it's on the market for $3.6 million. I don't even want to contemplate what a monthly payment could be for a loan that size.
Marilyn loved this house. It was "her" house. She was extremely proud of the fact that she had purchased it all by herself. She took a trip to Mexico just to find fabrics and furnishings to decorate it. She loved the gardens. She loved the pool. Sadly she was gone before ever having the chance to go for a swim.
I sat and looked through the photographs a few more times. I enjoyed seeing the peacefulness of the house; it was comforting and I can see why she loved it. I doubt much has changed since she originally bought it. It saddened me to realize she had only occupied it for a few short months before her death. I sincerely hope they were happy months for her…
July 17, 2010
Are you freaking kidding me?!?
A few nights ago I received a spur of the moment invitation to the Oakland A's versus the New York Yankees.
Ooo, what fun!
Of course my answer was an immediate and emphatic "YES!"
My friend and I arrived early. We sat outside and nursed a couple beers until game time. Well, okay, I nursed my way through two and he actually drank his… In a timely manner no less…
The beer was gone; it was almost game time so we made our way to the stadium entrance and through security. We presented our tickets to be scanned and then we were off to find our seats. It was also "dollar night" at the stadium which meant we decided to each get a "dollar dog" AND a bratwurst. Wow, talk about a lot of food! I almost couldn't eat breakfast the following morning.
Anyway, our seats were located in the fifth row behind and to the right of home plate. Great location right?
The game had started; the late-comers were trickling in and filling up the remaining empty seats. It was the bottom of the first when an older gentleman and his somewhat younger female counterpart took the two empty chairs in front of and slightly to my left. They both sat down and then, from under his jacket, he whipped out… Binoculars…
Uh huh… Mm hmm… (Minds out of the gutter please!) 
Just for the record, I'm talking about BINOCULARS! These weren't the run-of-the-mill, compact yet powerful ones. These were the humungous, bulky, ancient, and probably the very first pair off the factory assembly-line. This pair is to binoculars what the original cell phones are to today's cell phones. In other words they are pre-historic dinosaurs…
Dude… The sixties just called… They want their binoculars back!!
Okay, Okay…
So at this point I was sitting there in horrified silence. I was wondering how I was supposed to see around, or better yet, through those monstrosities! I could no longer see home plate. I could no longer see the batters AT the plate and I had just lost sight of a third of the first-base line.
Did I mention he was in the FOURTH row?
Really?!? A person needs binoculars to watch a game from that distance?
The first couple of innings were quiet which meant I was sort of watching the guy, his date, And. His. Binoculars. In my defense I really had no choice with regards to the binoculars. They kept swinging through my line of sight with a timeliness that would have made "Old Faithful" jealous.
I also took this time to make a few scathing comments about the man, the woman, and the binoculars to my companion. Judging by the way the woman kept asking questions while still looking completely mystified when she received the answers I decided they were on a first or second date. The real reason the guy needed binoculars was because he didn't want to wear glasses… Personally I would have just sucked it up and worn contact lenses…
Of course at this point my sarcastic side reared its ugly head. I started giggling uncontrollably at my thoughts. I leaned over and softly whispered in my friend's ear…
"If he has to use binoculars from this distance do you think he uses a magnifying glass in the bathroom?"
Returning to the game…
The stadium was packed. The game itself was great, as long as you were a Yankees fan…
Another woman sitting directly to my left was an A's fan. She wasn't happy but how upset could she really be? She arrived. She sat down. She then proceeded to discuss someone's new baby, how great so-and-so looked, someone else's high school graduation, some trip she went on and in her downtime from talking she texted, facebooked AND played scrabble on her new 4G. I contemplated asking her if she actually knew she was coming to a baseball game or if her husband just showed up at the stadium with her in tow… Something like: Surprise!! Happy Anniversary honey!!
Meanwhile, sometime during the sixth inning, my binocular toting nemesis decided he no longer had any interest in watching the game. From that point forward he proceeded to use those hideous things to scan the stands.
Mm HMMMM!!!
You know, I can sort of accept the fact that this guy felt he needed to bring, and use, his binoculars. Maybe he didn't understand where his seat was. Maybe he figured since he brought them he should use them. However, when a person repeatedly covers up my view of the ENTIRE baseball field so he can check out people in the stands I kind of have an issue with that.
I successfully made it to the bottom of the eighth before I could take no more!! Those binoculars were moving side to side and up and down faster than a professional dancer performing the "Jump and Jive." Smoke was beginning to waft from my ears!
I leaned forward and tapped him gently on the shoulder. I explained in a very nice manner (Really! I did!) that I was having difficulty seeing around his binoculars since he was moving them all over to look at the stands.
His immediate response was a dirty look. He kind of shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth in an attempt to reply but nothing came out. I leaned back in my seat. Frankly I wasn't interested in what he had to say. I just wanted the madness to end!
Oh my goodness!
He stood up! And then? He did an incredible thing! He moved to the empty seat on the left of his female companion and sat down!!
I heard the "angels in the outfield" singing "Hallelujah!"
His date leaned toward him and with her mystified expression still firmly in place she asked him a question. He answered and at this point she turned in her chair to give me the "look of death" as my friend so succinctly put it.
I knew it was coming. I ignored it, and her, and just kept watching the game. That was all I had wanted to do from the first inning.
The moral of this story?
If you're sitting in the fourth row ANYWHERE close to home plate you really can leave your binoculars at home… Right next to the antique Alexander Bell telephone…
However, if you really can't see, at least do the rest of us baseball lovers a favor and bring a more compact pair…
Thank you…
April 29, 2010
I'm Back…
For those of you who missed me, my blog was down hence the reason for my brief hiatus.
Granted I COULD have emailed Gary at any time; explained the situation and he would have fixed it immediately. However, if you look out your window you will notice that large mountain off in the distance? That's the one I'm currently buried under so I never actually emailed him about the problem. Besides the non-working blog gave me a "valid" reason to have one less thing on my "to do" list…
As luck would have it Gary discovered my blog wasn't operational on Saturday and you can imagine his surprise when he called to tell me about it and my response was "I know…" versus a shocked "Oh my God, REALLY?!?"
What can I say… I needed a break and McDonald's just wasn't doing it for me…
In other news, I have recently re-discovered the joys of baking. My family and close friends are now leaning forward and squinting at their computer screens; their mouths agape with shock. Don't forget to breathe people… I DON'T know CPR!
Banana bread seems to be the only thing I'm interested in baking and I know that now my family and close friends are going to be emailing me wondering where THEIR loaf is.
For those of you who don't know me that well… I get on these baking or cooking… um… kicks every now and then. When I'm on one of these "kicks" it will generally only last three or four months and then I'm done with baking or cooking for about another five years.
You guys better hope you get some bread because five years from now will be 2015 and everybody knows the world will supposedly end on December 21, 2012. Bottom-line if you don't receive a loaf during my current baking phase you're screwed!
And finally, my mother is graduating from college on May 13th. I'm very, very proud of her. She will now hold two degrees which will allow her to become… drum roll please… a school teacher!
Mm Hmm… Apparently mom forgot what a handful small children are or else time really does make one forgetful… For the record "I" was an angel… My two brothers were not! *snicker*
Anyway, I'm very proud of her and yes mom, you WILL be receiving a loaf of my Banana bread!
Until next time…
April 2, 2010
My Latest – Part Une…
So I was sitting here a few nights ago attempting to write this blog but I kept getting distracted by a soft scraping noise emanating from my kitchen. You can imagine my surprise? Yes, let's just call it "surprise" when I entered the kitchen and saw a pair of round eyes staring in at me through one of the windows. Apparently a stray feline thought my house looked like a great place to call home. I can see the headlines now…
"Neighborhood stray cat breaks into author's house. Causes fatal heart attack! Story at eleven…"
On a more serious note… The past few weeks I've been trying to find the time to sit and write about what's been going on in my life. As you can see that didn't work out too well for me and now I'm receiving emails asking things like "WHERE ARE YOUR BLOGS?!?" Wow! I figured I better get to it and apparently I better make it snappy! However, it's been about a month since I last posted; a lot has happened during that time so I will break this up into several postings over the next few days.
I guess I should start with the reason behind my brief sabbatical. Some of you are already aware of this but many of you are not. I lost my grandmother on February 27th and I didn't take the news very well. I knew it was coming. I'm very thankful her passing was peaceful but it still didn't ease the pain of her loss. I was actually out doing some notary work when I received the multiple calls to let me know she was gone and thankfully I was able to hold myself together until I was done and made it home. Then the waterworks started and I cried for four hours straight. Hellooo migraine!
I attempted to do some writing as a sort of release for my emotions but obviously that didn't work out too well for me either. *sigh* Writer's block sucks and so the only thing I actually managed to get written and only because I HAD to were a few book reviews and one posting for the state capitals blog I write up every few weeks.
On the bright side though… Spring is here. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. The flowers are blooming. The words are beginning to flow from the proverbial pen again but even better than that; my desire to write has finally returned.
March 17, 2010
The Vaulted Sky by R. P. Moffa
Just for the record, I was unsure exactly what to expect when I started reading "The Vaulted Sky" by R. P. Moffa. Yes, I did request this book. Yes, I do love airplanes. Yes, I also love historical fiction but in looking the book over before I cracked it open I briefly wondered what I had gotten myself into. Not to worry though, I was immediately swept into Moffa's well written story and the pages had a way of almost turning themselves for me.
My journey through time began in nineteen twenty-four where I met a younger Patrick Montalto, the book's main character. I was present for his initial encounter with a biplane which sparked the love affair he had with airplanes from that day forward. After this we fast forward to his teenage years, his first ride in a nineteen twenty-eight Waco and we follow along as he juggles his schooling, his responsibilities to his family and learning to fly. The years progress and he is not unaware of the turmoil erupting in the world outside the borders of the United States. In following his inner sense of what is right he finds himself in Canada training to become a fighter pilot in order to defend a country not his own.
Moffa effortlessly takes us through one of the more horrendous periods of world history, World War II, and more often than not I was amazed by the accuracy of his portrayal both prior to and during the war. His tale came across as a believable accounting and even though "The Vaulted Sky" is a work of fiction it seemed as if the author had lived and experienced it firsthand.
Moffa paints a realistic picture of what it was like to live as a fighter pilot; where every day could be one's last. He shows us the daily struggles, the pain, the loss, and yet he also shows us honor, integrity and pride. He recreates a different time; which encompassed a different set of values; when even your "downed" enemy was generally treated with respect. His words remind us that the only thing which really separates friend from foe is merely where one is born and that insight still rings true today.
I have given "The Vaulted Sky" a five star rating. I highly recommend it as a "must read" and I look forward to the continuation of Montalto's story in the upcoming sequel "The Sky Suspended."
Find this book on Amazon:
March 9, 2010
Say what??
So I'm checking my email this afternoon. Generally I just quickly skim the subject lines to ascertain which ones I need to keep and which ones I can trash without opening. Suddenly I read: "Your Bra Has Met Its Match!"
Mm Hmm… Really…
My brain immediately went into overdrive trying to figure out what (or who) my bra has met its match with. I'm sure most of the women reading this are now wondering the same thing. In fact I'm sure some of you may even be giggling heartily or even snorting vinaigrette dressing through your nose (Kathy) as you can probably guess some of the thoughts I had!
I was also trying to figure out WHY my bra is apparently in some type of competition but more importantly I was also wondering WHEN this "match" was actually happening?!? Does this occur when they are innocently hanging up to dry or does this covertly happen at night when they are in their drawer and I am sleeping??
All this runs through my mind right before my eyes come to rest on the sender's name. Victoria's Secret. Ahh… That definitely explains the subject line and I have to give credit to their marketing department. Of course now that my interest has been piqued and my work flow has been disrupted I figured I might as well read the email and see what all the fuss was about.
To sum up: "There's a panty for every body."
Sorry ladies, I know that was rather anti-climactic. I too was disappointed…
March 1, 2010
Aksandar by Judith Montgomery
The story told to us on the pages of "Aksandar" by Judith Montgomery is truly an amazing and captivating tale. As stated on the back cover, Ms. Montgomery has traveled extensively throughout Afghanistan. Her obvious love of that country and its people definitely comes across in her writing.
As I read through her book, Montgomery's words showed me a candid and often eye-opening view of a country being torn apart from the inside out due to political corruption and religious extremists. Two separate warring parties terrorize Afghanistan. Death is an almost daily occurrence for both citizens and foreigners alike whose only "crime" is being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet even as I write this I know it is not that simple for there is much more at work behind the scenes. Aziz Rashani, the main character in this tangled web of deceit and lies, is a man of principle, honor and integrity. He is a devoted countryman who loves Afghanistan. As such, his idealistic path revolves around seeing her become an independent country rather than remaining stuck in the grasp of the leadership she currently suffers under.
Montgomery takes us on a journey into a land battered beyond belief, where each and every day is a fight for survival by the proud people who call Afghanistan home. She gives us an almost firsthand view of a life that many live on a regular basis. Yet her descriptions, while honest, are not so graphic as to make it uncomfortable for her readers to stomach.
Judith Montgomery's book "Aksandar" reminds us how lucky we are to live in a country that values its citizen's freedoms. However, it is nice to contemplate that even in a war torn environment there are some out there who truly value humanity over bloodshed.
From the moment I picked this book up I was hooked. Never mind the fact that I was in bed fighting off the worst cold of my life or that I could barely keep my eyes open due to sheer exhaustion. As each chapter ended I found Montgomery's gripping tale impossible to put down and I hurried to start the next one while guiltily telling myself as soon as I finished THAT chapter I would get the sleep I desperately needed! In summary, a powerful story which I highly recommend as a "must read!"
Find this book on Amazon:
February 26, 2010
Good for a laugh… Or two…
I was teasing a really good friend of mine several days ago about the benefits of twitter versus texts. My facebook post to him started with strains of "anything you can do I can do better" and ended with me reminding him I was Valedictorian in my graduating class of "one-up-manship!"
In all honesty I rarely do the "one-up" thing. I have a brother who "one-ups" so frequently that I'm sure our entire family, including the next three generations, will be completely exempt from it. However, with this particular friend of mine "one-up-manship" is an actual sport and is almost always required else we forfeit a point to the other. *snicker*
Anyway, until this past Tuesday I was unaware that a person could actually "one-up" themselves! Wow… Who knew?
Some of you may remember my infamous room "incident" in Vegas (not to be confused with my infamous "plane" incident) this past December. For those of you who aren't familiar with it; allow me to share. It started on a Saturday morning. I was tired from being up too early and my feet were killing me from walking around in six inch heels for over twelve hours the day before. In future I will remember to wear comfy clothes AND shoes on days when I'm flying… You never know when you will actually make it to the room after landing.
So, I hurried downstairs to meet with Brian Rouff, fellow author and Managing Partner at Imagine Marketing. I was very excited to pick his brain and hear his suggestions. I was ecstatic when he gave me two of his books.
Fast forward a couple hours and I'm standing in the elevator waiting for the doors to close when a rather inebriated guy comes rushing in. Gee, six elevators and he HAD to get in mine right?!? I'm flipping through one of my new books but I will state for the record I DID look to see what button he had pressed on the panel. The only light I saw lit was the "30" so I went back to reading. I finally heard a ding, the doors opened and the drunk guy rushed out as if the hounds of hell were chasing him.
Have I mentioned yet that I was reading? Or that I love peripheral vision? I can read AND walk at the same time!
I make the long trek down the hallway to the room I'm sharing with the same friend I was teasing in my facebook post. I reach the door and manage to turn the book's page with my right hand while simultaneously sliding the card into the slot with my left. I don't hear the click the door should make and I look at the card reader. I see the light is still red. I sigh. We were having issues with the card reader last night too. I try it again. Nothing. I ring the doorbell. No answer. I dial my friend's cell and the following is our conversation:
Hey, are you still in the room?
Yeah…
Can you open the door please? The freaking card isn't working again!
Okay…
I hear movement…
There is a long silent pause…
Are you still there?
Yes… I'm right outside!
There is another even longer silent pause…
Are you sure you're on the right floor?
My eyes fly to the room number on the wall to the left of the door.
Fuuuuucck! (Sorry)
I start laughing uncontrollably…
I'm on the 29th floor!
Moral of this story is you should never read AND walk at the same time. However, if you DO, make sure to check the floor number before exiting the elevator. I think I laughed the entire way to the correct room!
Anyway, I never thought I could top that but wouldn't you know it; I did. As my friend Stephen told me once in a totally unrelated topic "only you Charline, only YOU!"
Tuesday I had an appointment at noon to discuss social media, etc. The meeting was set over a week ago and while I didn't know exactly where the location was I knew I could Google it and get a physical address.
Most of you know I'm incredibly busy but did you also know I'm the queen of multi-tasking? Who else but me mops the floor with my right hand while talking on the phone with my left? Yes, I can chew gum at the same time too…
I should state I also read / review books for RebeccasReads. In fact I was reading a book I needed to review while looking up the restaurant's address. It's really quite easy. You read the book and whenever you turn the page you type whatever you need on the computer. Click enter, let the computer do it's thing and by the time you flip the next page whatever you're searching for will be there. Finding this particular location was a little more in-depth because first I had to find the website, then I had to find locations, narrow it down to Arizona, to Scottsdale, etc. I did mention I was READING right??
To make an incredibly long story somewhat shorter…
I arrived at the restaurant ten minutes early. I ran inside, grabbed a caramel frap and sat down outside. I was using my Blackberry to read emails. (Is anyone sensing a theme here?) I also noticed it was after twelve and still no sign of him. Hmmm… I wonder if we missed each other when I was getting my drink. My phone rings about five minutes later.
Hello?
Hi, I just wanted to let you know I'm inside, kind of in a room in the back.
Ok. I'm here. I'm outside.
You are?
Yeah…
A little more conversation about where I am outside.
I hear movement…
I hear silence…
All of a sudden I'm having flashbacks to a similar conversation…
I don't see you.
I walk around the side where there are more tables and I don't see him either. I didn't swear this time. At least not verbally!
We figure out I'm at the wrong location. I apologize profusely and then ask him to tell me where he's at so I can drive there. He starts to but then he stops. I can almost hear the wheels in his mind turning. He's thought better of it and has decided HE will drive to where I'm at. I know he thinks I'll get lost; he's just too polite to actually say it.
He arrives ten minutes later and I apologize again. I tried really hard not to dissolve into laughter but I failed miserably.
Like I told him… He will definitely never be able to forget me!
For the record, I'm not usually this ditzy. However, the good news is that at least when I am I can laugh about it.
Oh right… I should pull my nose out of whatever book I'm reading more often! And no… I wasn't reading when I wrote this…
February 22, 2010
Dark Fire by Claudia Newcorn
I just recently finished reading "Dark Fire" by author Claudia Newcorn. "Dark Fire" is an entertaining story which takes two separate prophecies, two separate dimensions and weaves them seamlessly together into one book which is difficult to set down. The crux of this tale is that when the inhabitants of each dimension believe so strongly in their own prophecy which one of them is to be believed? More importantly, when all is not what it appears to be, who then is to be trusted?
In this second book of the Krisalys Chronicles of Feyree trilogy readers will also witness the coming of age of some of the younger Feyree sprytes. I am sure they will empathize with the young Feyree's trials and tribulations. They will no doubt mourn with the sprytes over the loss of their friends, their loved ones and even more importantly the loss of their innocent views of their world. Unfortunately these are all hard lessons which must be learned quickly and quite often they find those they trust implicitly are actually traitors hiding within their midst. One can only hope that the players in Newcorn's final book of the trilogy will have the strength to deal with that which is still to come.
All in all I found "Dark Fire" to be a wonderful and entertaining read. I can honestly say that I am also anxiously awaiting the publication of Newcorn's final book in this series. I found her storyline to be compelling and I felt the characters were well thought out and easy to relate to. Newcorn writes with sincere attention to detail but not so much so as to cause boredom by over description. I believe anyone who enjoys reading fantasy or who just enjoys an afternoon or evening spent on the couch with a good book will not be disappointed should they pick this one up to read. I feel that "The Krisalys Chronicles of Feyree" trilogy would make a great addition to anyone's library and that they belong there right next to other great series like "Lord of The Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien or "Inheritance" by Christopher Paolini.
To find this book on Amazon:
