Tamela Quijas's Blog, page 9

My Review of Between Worlds by Bob Stidham

I finished reading author Bob Stidham's Between Worlds this weekend and have to say I loved every word of it!

First of all, let me give you a bit of insight on this fabulous author and his novel:

Born in Central Oklahoma, this prolific author moved to the Silicon Valley of California. From San Jose City College he began working the electrical trade. He began writing as a hobby and it grew on him

Between Worlds is an adventure novel that finds scientist Jerry Burson in grave danger. Jerry was working on a project to transport material from one place to another instantly. His Government contract draws the attention of the wrong elements and they want his project, or kill him in trying to find it.  By happenstance he finds what he was looking for in the hills of Oklahoma and finds himself alone in a strange new world where Old Cherokee Indians have lived as they have done for thousands of years. Lost and alone he finds his way home by use of a mysterious blue vapor.He also finds love and redemption while trying to escape from assassins.  

Pick up your copy at:

Barnes & Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/between-worlds-bob-stidham/1032035912

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Between-Worlds-Bob-G-Stidham/dp/146363112X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2

Excerpt from "Between Worlds".

"He's somewhere around here, Carl. I trailed him from the apartment to the bus and on into this building. We'll find him, just be alert."

"We won't fool around with this bird anymore, the boss said to kill him on sight."

"He may not be right, but he's the boss," the voice said. "You take him out, Carl. The boss didn't tell me to do him."

l'll do it from this spot, if you'll drive him toward me. Start at the far end and work this way. His cubicle is up there and there's a couch just off the men's room area. Be sure to check behind it, just in case he heard us come in. I can see the only other exit from here. He can't escape from us. Don't talk anymore unless you see him. I'll hunker down here by the door and wait."

These men sounded like professionals in their line of work. Jerry's spine suddenly had become fingerlike, bones of ice that stiffened his body. In a matter of only minutes, he would be removed from the cooler and shot. There was no apparent sign of hesitation in their voice. They were here to kill him.

He would die and never know the reason for his execution. It had not seemed stupid at the time, to leave his cell phone on his desk. If he had it, there might be time for security to save him. There was no way he could reach the fire alarm before being shot. This was it then; after examining his options there was nothing he could do. It was impossible to disappear into thin air.

Sadly he tried to prepare himself for the inevitable and then a flash of inspiration entered his mind. He could disappear; he had the ability to leave this place and avoid being shot, but he still would face an unknown fate that could also be fatal. They seemed to have all the time they needed to find and assassinate him, while he had five minutes or less to escape them.

As he looked at his watch, he made a mental note of the time. It was exactly eleven thirty, only thirty more minutes until midnight. With trembling fingers he withdrew one of the vials, caught his last breath of cool fresh air and mentally said his goodbyes to the world that he had known. He inhaled deeply of the bluish vapor before resting and then inhaled once again. Since some of the vapor remained, he corked the vial and slipped it back inside his pocket. There was nothing left but the wait and soon he heard the man approaching the cooler. Jerry backed as deeply into the compartment as his height allowed and watched for the arrival of the killer. He threw a quick glance at his watch and saw that three minutes had passed. Suddenly he was no longer afraid of the men.

He could take these guys, he would grab the one who entered and use him as a shield. If he had a gun, Jerry was sure he could take it from him. The vapor was taking effect, making him feel powerful and unafraid. The intruder entered the cooler, saw Jerry and called to Carl.

"We've got him, Carl. He's here in the walk-in unit."

Jerry chose this moment to make his move. With a bold effort he charged the intruder and instantly passed out. I can take this guy, was the last thought in his mind.

MY REVIEW:

Jerry Burson is a creature of habit, brilliant to the point that he is overworked,  overstressed, and on a downward spiral of apathy.  The only thing is, Jerry doesn't realize how neurotic he's become, or how overworked.  He does know that someone, or something, is threatening him and his work. 

Jerry's spent his entire career working on a top-secret Federal project transforming solid mass into a gaseous form.  Stress is on the top of his list, considering he hasn't much luck in the scientific aspect of the experience.  When he hears the whispers of an ancient Cherokee legend about a strange blue mist, he dashes off to Oklahoma to investigate.

I've had this book in my TBR pile for a LONG time, and I wish I would have picked it up sooner.  I was blown away by Mr. Stidham's imaginative account of adventure, suspense, as well as a bit of a sci-fi genre.  His descriptive writing sets the reader into a world of mystery that leads one to wonder about the facts that exist behind so-called legends, and the lengths that some will go to obtaining it. I haven't been to Oklahoma for nearly 30 years, but his description of the places, the landscape, and the people, is well worded and magnificent.  Between Worlds kept me on the edge of my seat and the suspense was riveting.

5 stars!

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Memories

Image via Wikipedia

Scientists say certain scents can trigger memories of special moments and times in your past.

I know this to be true, I can smell certain aromas and remember exactly where I was the first time I smelled a  certain item.  Some memories are poignant and other are just brief flashes that pull up a forgotten fragment from my past, one that I believed lost over the years.

But, there is one item that far outweighs the sense of smell.

Music.

How often have  you heard a song and remember exactly what you were doing when you first heard the tune?

Today was one of those days.

In 1980, I was finishing my last year of high school.  I was new to the United States, and my first American school on American soil was a culture shock.  Having been raised overseas, my formative years were spent in DODDs schools where the teachers were stricter, and the fear of God ran along the lines of my father's commander.  If you've never been raised in a military environment, you wouldn't understand.  Life was different back then, perhaps slower, and we lacked the technology that currently invades our day-to-day lives.

I had music, though.  Sleek, shiny LPs and cassettes  filled my room and I couldn't wait to have the latest and greatest.  Among those was one that I would listen to nonstop, the latest by former Beatle, John Lennon.

On this day in 1980, I stood outside my PE class, humming along to the words of his latest song Grow Old With Me. The day was cold, and it was early in the morning.  I shivered as I stood with my classmates, waiting for the class to start.  Soon, sounds of disbelief began to rumble through the line, just before the girl in front of me turned around with startling news.  As word reached the last class member, silence shrouded the line, and tears filled the eyes of more than one student.

John Lennon, the music icon of my era, had just lost his life to an obssessed fan.  He was only 40-years-old when Mark David Chapman shot him four times at close range with a .38-caliber revolver. Lennon, bleeding profusely, was rushed to the hospital but died en route. Chapman had received an autograph from Lennon earlier in the day and voluntarily remained at the scene of the shooting until he was arrested by police.

Never having the chance to grow old, his final refrain of God Bless Us All will linger forever…

Grow Old With Me

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Honoring the men and women that give so much

Image by U.S. Pacific Fleet via Flickr

Today is Pearl Harbor Day, and the celebration marks the 70th anniversary of an event that will live in infamy.

I cry every time I see the photos of the celebration, and the surviving, dedicated men and women that make it a point to travel to Pearl Harbor every year.  My heart goes out to each one of them, and I remember the dedication and love that they still so obviously show for their county.  Due to copyright infringement, I can't post the pictures, but please visit http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2071247/Pearl-Harbor-Day-2011-Veterans-gather-mark-70th-anniversary-Japanese-attack.html

The once brave soldiers are frail and disabled by age now.  Their jaunty walk has been replaced with walkers and canes.  Still, every year, they travel to that distance port to give their respects to their fallen comrades.

When I traveled to Hawaii in the early 1990s, I left the site with my heart aching.  My sons and nephews are now stationed in bases around the area, and I always stress how important it is to pay their respects to our fallen men.

The announcement came through today that this will be the last time the survivors will gather in remembrance…they become far too old, too frail, and some are too sick for the travel.

Rest assured, they will never be forgotten. 

For those of you that come across any service man and woman, please remember to stop and thank them for their service.  A moment of your time is nothing compared to the life they will give for their country.

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What's on my reading list this week? Between Worlds by Bob Stidham

Bob Stidham's Between Worlds is on my weekly reading pile and I can't wait to sink my teeth into this riveting novel.

Born in Central Oklahoma, this prolific author moved to the Silicon Valley of California. From San Jose City College he began working the electrical trade. He began writing as a hobby and it grew on him

Between Worlds is an adventure novel that finds scientist Jerry Burson in grave danger. Jerry was working on a project to transport material from one place to another instantly. His Government contract draws the attention of the wrong elements and they want his project, or kill him in trying to find it.By happenstance he finds what he was looking for in the hills of Oklahoma and finds himself alone in a strange new world where Old Cherokee Indians have lived as they have done for thousands of years. Lost and alone he finds his way home by use of a mysterious blue vapor.He also finds love and redemption while trying to escape from assassins.  

Pick up your copy at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Between-Worlds-...

My review of Love Through Time by Lucy Felthouse

I've been busy placing the finishing touches on essays this week and waiting for my finals. Yes, finally, finals!  After this week, I'll return to being a human being and I won't be bogged down with homework!

In between all the school work, I've managed to squeeze in Lucy Felthouse's novel, Love through Time.  My review is posted right after the tease of her novel

Just a little peek into Lucy's life:

During Lucy's first year studying Creative Writing at the University of Derby, she was dared to write an erotic story. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk.

 Love Through Time:
 
Westbury Manor is a stately homewith a fascinating past, and when book conservator Emily Stone starts uncovering it, she's startled by what she finds . . . .Emily arrives at Westbury Manor with a job to do. She's to clean and conserve all of the books in their impressive library, preserving them for future generations. Not long into her stay at the house, she bumps into the night guard, George. She'd expected an old, balding guy with a comb over, so the hunky chap she actually meets is a very pleasant surprise. The introductions complete, George leaves Emily in peace to get on with her job. But when a falling photograph sets off a chain reaction of ghostly events, Emily and George are thrown together in order to find out who—or what—is causing them. Their investigation uncovers a tragic past, a lost love, and a stunning secret.
 
Stay tuned for my review!
 
Pick up your copy at:
 
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Through-Time-ebook/dp/B0063KZ9ZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321366154&sr=8-1

Noble Romance: https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/348/Love-Through-Time

MY REVIEW:

Emily has the job I would love—she's hired on to catalog and clean the massive library at Westbury Manor.  Locked in overnight, with only a sexy night guard (George) to keep her company, she becomes spooked by the strange occurrences happening around her.  Like I said, a dream job when one is surrounded by wonderful old books, a creepy but gorgeously designed manor house, and tons of mystery!

George lets her in on the history of the manor and former owner and, with Emily's help, ghosts are finally laid to rest.

This was a fun and short read, filled with the perfect mix of history and star-crossed lovers trapped between worlds.   

I loved the concept of the story, the amount of history, and the gentle essence of dedicated love that flows from the pages.  Ms. Felthouse has written a wonderful novella filled with suspense, undying love, and drama.

4 stars!

 

My thanks to wonderful friends and Publishers!

Whew!

I'm in the middle of finishing up homework, answering emails, writing reviews, and planning my Christmas menu.  My work is never done and it seems that the more I do, the more there is to do! LOL  I'm certain there's a few of you out there that feel the same and can understand the dreaded Type A personality!

In between all that work, though, I have fantastic publishers and friends that make life so wonderful, especially during this holiday season!  I can't thank them enough for their encouragement, their kind words, and their thoughts.  They've been just as busy as me, and have still managed to go the extra mile!

Today, fellow author April Alisa Marquette was kind enough to host me on her wonderful site, Bella Online. 

I've been a follower of the site ever since it was formed, and I can't tell you how happy I am to be visiting with her!  Join us at http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art174173.asp  and become a member!

Wild Horse Press, the wonderful publishing company that printed Angel's Fire, Demon's Blood, announced that Lucien's story is now available at more sites!  Stay tuned and Lucien D'Angel will be visiting with paranormal romance author Jessica Coulter Smith in the near future!

Pick up your copy at Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/angels-fire-demons-blood and other fine  Internet   retailers!

 

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And the winner is…

First of all, I hope each and every one of you had a marvelous holiday weekend with your friends and family.

I also wanted to thank every participant in the wonderful Gratitude Giveaways Blog Hop that I posted on my site last week.  Tonight, after some difficult deciding, I've picked the 6 winners of the FREE PDF copy of My Lord Raven. 

The winners are:

Judy, BJ, Ronda Tutt, Renee B, LadyVampire, and Laurie Carlson

Since there were so many wonderful participants, and the choices were so hard, I added 1 more winner!

Laura H!

The winner of the $50 Amazon Gift Card was DJs Mom!

Please check your email for my email and, again, Thank You!

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Join Me in the Gratitude Giveaways Blog Hop

I love my fans!  I adore the fact that you drop on in to read my blog, laugh along with me, or ponder the ideas I have.  Without you, my books would sit on the shelves, unloved, and my heroes would waste away with sadness.

To show my gratitude during this holiday season, I've joined up with I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and All Consuming Books (http://tigersallconsumingbooks.blogspot.com/) in their fantastic Gratitude Giveaways Blog Hop!

This Blog hop will run fromNovember 17th until November 27th!  Please remember to stop by http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/ and join up with one of my favorite blog sites, as well as discovering all the other wonderful sites participating in this Blog Hop! :)

Just to let you know, this blog hop is a wee bit different from those  in the past and the rules are a breeze!

 All you have to do is post a comment!

From those comments, I'll pick six (6) lucky winners to receive a FREE PDF copy of my contemporary romance, My Lord Raven. 

One (1) Lucky Winner will receive a $50 gift card from

My review of The Man of My Dreams by Gladys Quintal

Last week, I took a look at a book by an amazing new author from New Zealand, The Man of My Dreams by Gladys Quintal!

Gladys says she's a "Stay at home mum of 4 who loves to write Paranormal/Romance when I get the chance! It is hard to fit in writing around the children and other distractions and I tend to do it late at night when the house is finally quiet.

Born in NZ but moved to sunny Perth, Australia in 2007 and never looked back.

Only started writing again a few years ago and finished my first novel at the beginning of this year."

Find out more about Gladys at http://www.wix.com/gladysquintal/gladys-quintal

I'll be reviewing The Man  of My Dreams soon, so stay tuned!
 
Book Blurb:
 
Ever since the death of her parents at the age of 17, Cassie has been dreaming about a dark haired man. He always comes to her in times of trouble to comfort her and help her through the toughest of days. But now after the devastating break up with her boyfriend, Cassie struggles with separating reality from her dreams.During a trip to her family beach house, her dream man becomes her lover and Cassie finds herself longing for this man to be in her life. But trying to find out the truth about him leaves her questioning her very existence and sanity.She is convinced her dream man is real and connected to a string of macabre murders over the last 20 years. Fearing for her life, Cassie prays she is right about him and that he can save her before it is too late.
If you can't wait for the review–find your copy at:
 
AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Man-my-Dreams-ebook/dp/B005P2DQJ0
SMASHWORDS: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/91580
ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-themanofmydreams-607690-139.html
 
MY REVIEW:
 

What I really loved about this story is Cassie isn't some dewy-eyed, fresh-faced darling that can't be any more than 18 years old.  She's more mature (33) and has had her time in the world, falling in love with the wrong men, struggling through her relationships, and wondering why she can't find happiness. 

Her present beau, Paul, gives her the shell shocker of her life.  After 6 years of living together, he's decided he's not too sure if he really wants to get married and have kids after all.

All I can say about Paul is he's a jerk!

Understandably devastated–especially after wasting 6 years of her life, Cassie decides a night's sleep (with the aid of sleeping pills) will make her feel better.

Boy, does it!

Very swiftly, the reader realizes why Cassie has withheld her entire heart from every man she's ever met.  Her past is tormented, filled with experiences that young women should never suffer, and she's kept herself distant.

Although, there is a man filling her dreams…

For a first time work by the author, this book holds definite potential and displays some true talent.  Ms. Quintal has written a wonderful tale that is thrilling and heart wrenching, filled with the drama that invades every woman's life.  My only complaint is I wish the story would have been longer.

3 1/2 stars

 
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What's on my reading list this week? Love Through Time by Lucy Felthouse

I've a few special announcements to make this week:

Mark your calendar and don't forget to drop in AT YOUR FINGERTIPS on Thursday!  I've a special surprise for all my readers and fans, one that I can't wait to share

I'm reviewing Gladys Quintal's wonder, The Man of My Dreams, which I'm loving so far!

I've a new book on my list this week–Love Through Time by Lucy Felthouse!  You'll be seeing a lot of Lucy's wonderful work in the next few months, since she captured me at the beginning of the year!

Just a little peek into Lucy's life:

During Lucy's first year studying Creative Writing at the University of Derby, she was dared to write an erotic story. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk.

 Love Through Time:
 
Westbury Manor is a stately homewith a fascinating past, and when book conservator Emily Stone starts uncovering it, she's startled by what she finds . . . .Emily arrives at Westbury Manor with a job to do. She's to clean and conserve all of the books in their impressive library, preserving them for future generations. Not long into her stay at the house, she bumps into the night guard, George. She'd expected an old, balding guy with a comb over, so the hunky chap she actually meets is a very pleasant surprise. The introductions complete, George leaves Emily in peace to get on with her job. But when a falling photograph sets off a chain reaction of ghostly events, Emily and George are thrown together in order to find out who—or what—is causing them. Their investigation uncovers a tragic past, a lost love, and a stunning secret.

 
Stay tuned for my review!
 
Pick up your copy at:
 
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Through-Time-ebook/dp/B0063KZ9ZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321366154&sr=8-1

Noble Romance: https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/348/Love-Through-Time

 
 
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