Stephanie Faris's Blog, page 31
April 7, 2016
F Is for Frederick Valentich
This month I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge. My theme this year is Unsolved Mysteries. Today's letter is:
There are few disappearances more fascinating than vanishing aircraft. How does a plane simply disappear? Where does it go? The fact that it happens so often is the most disturbing part of all.
Frederick Valentich didn't just disappear. He disappeared after saying something very mysterious. And that makes his case the most interesting of all.
On October 21, 1978, Frederick Valentich contacted Melbourne Air Flight Service from his aircraft, a single-engine Cessna 182L. He was flying over Bass Strait, headed for King Island. He asked if there was any known traffic. When the air traffic controller said no, he said he could see a large aircraft with four bright lights that looked like landing lights. The aircraft was at least 1,000 feet above his.
The aircraft was flying at high speeds, passing over him multiple times. Then he said it seemed to stop. "It's a long shape... It’s got a green light and sort of metallic. It’s all shiny on the outside."
The mysterious aircraft vanished and then Valentich reported engine problems. The last words Valentich said before communication cut off were perhaps the most haunting. "It is hovering, and it’s not an aircraft." The transcript then reports an unidentified staccato noise.
Neither Valentich nor his aircraft were ever seen again. The disappearance led many to speculate that the unidentified flying object hovering above Valentich was of the extraterrestrial kind.
There have been other theories over the years, including that he might have been flying upside down, with the lights being his own lights, reflected on the water. Others have said it was suicide or a staged disappearance. Not as interesting, but perhaps more acceptable to some people than this...
What do you think happened to Frederick Valentich and his airplane?
⬅️ E Is for Elisa Lam
There are few disappearances more fascinating than vanishing aircraft. How does a plane simply disappear? Where does it go? The fact that it happens so often is the most disturbing part of all.
Frederick Valentich didn't just disappear. He disappeared after saying something very mysterious. And that makes his case the most interesting of all.
On October 21, 1978, Frederick Valentich contacted Melbourne Air Flight Service from his aircraft, a single-engine Cessna 182L. He was flying over Bass Strait, headed for King Island. He asked if there was any known traffic. When the air traffic controller said no, he said he could see a large aircraft with four bright lights that looked like landing lights. The aircraft was at least 1,000 feet above his.
The aircraft was flying at high speeds, passing over him multiple times. Then he said it seemed to stop. "It's a long shape... It’s got a green light and sort of metallic. It’s all shiny on the outside."
The mysterious aircraft vanished and then Valentich reported engine problems. The last words Valentich said before communication cut off were perhaps the most haunting. "It is hovering, and it’s not an aircraft." The transcript then reports an unidentified staccato noise.
Neither Valentich nor his aircraft were ever seen again. The disappearance led many to speculate that the unidentified flying object hovering above Valentich was of the extraterrestrial kind.
There have been other theories over the years, including that he might have been flying upside down, with the lights being his own lights, reflected on the water. Others have said it was suicide or a staged disappearance. Not as interesting, but perhaps more acceptable to some people than this...
What do you think happened to Frederick Valentich and his airplane?
⬅️ E Is for Elisa Lam
April 6, 2016
E Is for Elisa Lam
This month I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge. My theme this year is Unsolved Mysteries. Today's letter is:
21-year-old Elisa Lam was a college student on a "west coast tour" when she vacationed at a seedy hotel in L.A. in January 2015.
She bought some books at a nearby bookstore, returned to the hotel, and disappeared. A search team tried to find her with no luck...until February 13th, when police released this video from just before she disappeared. It was taken in the elevator of her hotel:
She steps in the elevator, steps out of the elevator, looks around, and ducks back in, seeming to hide from someone...or something.
It's the stuff Internet legend is made of. People had a field day wondering what might have been in the hallway. Was someone chasing her? Or was she suffering from some sort of mental breakdown?
Five days after the video was released, hotel guests began complaining about the water pressure in their rooms. The water also had a "funny taste." Hotel employees traced the problem to the water tank on the roof, where they found Elisa's body.
Had she fallen in? Or had someone put her there? Theories seemed to continue to emerge. Two filmmakers demonstrated how she could have easily climbed to the roof through a ladder near an open window, climbed inside the tank, and drowned. Police seem to believe that is what happened.
Why? Apparently Elisa was on medications for mood disorders, and experts believe she had a manic episode. But the murder theories continue to circulate, mostly because they're much more interesting than the truth. Here's the elevator video...decide for yourself.
What do you think happened to Elisa Lam?
⬅️ D Is for D.B. Cooper
21-year-old Elisa Lam was a college student on a "west coast tour" when she vacationed at a seedy hotel in L.A. in January 2015.
She bought some books at a nearby bookstore, returned to the hotel, and disappeared. A search team tried to find her with no luck...until February 13th, when police released this video from just before she disappeared. It was taken in the elevator of her hotel:
She steps in the elevator, steps out of the elevator, looks around, and ducks back in, seeming to hide from someone...or something.
It's the stuff Internet legend is made of. People had a field day wondering what might have been in the hallway. Was someone chasing her? Or was she suffering from some sort of mental breakdown?
Five days after the video was released, hotel guests began complaining about the water pressure in their rooms. The water also had a "funny taste." Hotel employees traced the problem to the water tank on the roof, where they found Elisa's body.
Had she fallen in? Or had someone put her there? Theories seemed to continue to emerge. Two filmmakers demonstrated how she could have easily climbed to the roof through a ladder near an open window, climbed inside the tank, and drowned. Police seem to believe that is what happened.
Why? Apparently Elisa was on medications for mood disorders, and experts believe she had a manic episode. But the murder theories continue to circulate, mostly because they're much more interesting than the truth. Here's the elevator video...decide for yourself.
What do you think happened to Elisa Lam?
⬅️ D Is for D.B. Cooper
April 5, 2016
D Is for D.B. Cooper
This month I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge. My theme this year is Unsolved Mysteries. Today's letter is:
On the day before Thanksgiving in 1971, a man boarded an airplane in Portland, Oregon under the name "Dan Cooper."
He took a seat in the rear of the plane and lit a cigarette. He ordered a bourbon and soda and waited as the plane took off. Soon after takeoff, he handed a note to flight attendant Florence Schaffner.
The note demanded $200,000 in $20 bills and four parachutes. He opened his briefcase and showed the flight attendant what she believed was a bomb. She gave his instructions to the cockpit and when she returned, the passenger was wearing dark sunglasses.
The FBI gathered the money in unmarked bills but made copies of each of them. The plane landed, the passengers disembarked, the money and parachutes were passed to the crew, and the refueled plane took off with only the hijacker and the crew aboard.
The hijacker had very specific instructions for takeoff, including demanding that the rear exit door remain open with the stairs extended. Twenty minutes after takeoff, he ordered all of the flight crew to lock themselves inside the cockpit.
At 8:11 p.m., the crew felt a sudden change in the pressure in the plane. Despite the fact that there were planes following the hijacked aircraft, no one witnessed his exit. The area where he might have landed was thoroughly searched and he was never seen again.
Did he get away with it? The FBI published the serial numbers multiple times, offering a reward for any information. The serial numbers never resurfaced...until 1980. That was when an eight-year-old boy discovered three bundles of the ransom cash on the Columbia River.
The discovery brought more questions than it answered. Had someone else discovered the ransom cash and buried it there? If D.B. Cooper survived the landing, why didn't he use the money? Did he escape to another country and exchange the American dollars for foreign currency, losing only part of the money?
What do you think happened to D.B. Cooper?
⬅️ C Is for Combustion
On the day before Thanksgiving in 1971, a man boarded an airplane in Portland, Oregon under the name "Dan Cooper."
He took a seat in the rear of the plane and lit a cigarette. He ordered a bourbon and soda and waited as the plane took off. Soon after takeoff, he handed a note to flight attendant Florence Schaffner.
The note demanded $200,000 in $20 bills and four parachutes. He opened his briefcase and showed the flight attendant what she believed was a bomb. She gave his instructions to the cockpit and when she returned, the passenger was wearing dark sunglasses.
The FBI gathered the money in unmarked bills but made copies of each of them. The plane landed, the passengers disembarked, the money and parachutes were passed to the crew, and the refueled plane took off with only the hijacker and the crew aboard.
The hijacker had very specific instructions for takeoff, including demanding that the rear exit door remain open with the stairs extended. Twenty minutes after takeoff, he ordered all of the flight crew to lock themselves inside the cockpit.
At 8:11 p.m., the crew felt a sudden change in the pressure in the plane. Despite the fact that there were planes following the hijacked aircraft, no one witnessed his exit. The area where he might have landed was thoroughly searched and he was never seen again.
Did he get away with it? The FBI published the serial numbers multiple times, offering a reward for any information. The serial numbers never resurfaced...until 1980. That was when an eight-year-old boy discovered three bundles of the ransom cash on the Columbia River.
The discovery brought more questions than it answered. Had someone else discovered the ransom cash and buried it there? If D.B. Cooper survived the landing, why didn't he use the money? Did he escape to another country and exchange the American dollars for foreign currency, losing only part of the money?
What do you think happened to D.B. Cooper?
⬅️ C Is for Combustion
April 4, 2016
C Is for Combustion
This month I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge. My theme this year is Unsolved Mysteries. Today's letter is:
In December of 2010, an Irish man was awoken by the sound of a smoke alarm in the house next door. When the fire brigade arrived, they found 76-year-old Michael Flaherty's body, partly burned, with no visible accelerant nearby.
Michael Flaherty's homeAfter exhausting all possible other causes, the coroner ruled his death spontaneous combustion.
A similar case happened in 1957. Anna Martin was found in her bedroom, burned except for a small portion of her torso and her shoes. The medical examiner concluded that temperatures of at least 1,700 degrees would have been necessary to do that type of damage. Newspapers only two feet away weren't even scorched.
Spontaneous human combustion is a phenomenon that held more weight in previous centuries. Today's scientific minds refuse to believe someone could simply burst into flames. However, here are a few things that have historically been present with spontaneous combustion cases:
Victims are elderly or not very mobile.The fire damage is primarily confined to the victim.Feet and hands are sometimes unaffected by the fire.The damage to the body is far worse than it would be in a normal fire.
Of course, in a science-driven society, experts have worked hard to find an explanation for historical cases of spontaneous human combustion. They've come up with one moderately plausible explanation, called "the wick effect."
With the wick effect, it is believed that the clothing of an immobile human is ignited. When the fire comes into contact with the subcutaneous fat found in the human body, it combines with the clothing to act like the wick of a candle.
This creates the fuel necessary to catch the person on fire. However, in the case of Michael Flaherty, no ignition source was found. He died near a fireplace...but they couldn't find any evidence of a fire in it.
Do you think people can burst into flames without an external source?
⬅️ B Is for Brianna Maitland
In December of 2010, an Irish man was awoken by the sound of a smoke alarm in the house next door. When the fire brigade arrived, they found 76-year-old Michael Flaherty's body, partly burned, with no visible accelerant nearby.
Michael Flaherty's homeAfter exhausting all possible other causes, the coroner ruled his death spontaneous combustion.
A similar case happened in 1957. Anna Martin was found in her bedroom, burned except for a small portion of her torso and her shoes. The medical examiner concluded that temperatures of at least 1,700 degrees would have been necessary to do that type of damage. Newspapers only two feet away weren't even scorched.
Spontaneous human combustion is a phenomenon that held more weight in previous centuries. Today's scientific minds refuse to believe someone could simply burst into flames. However, here are a few things that have historically been present with spontaneous combustion cases:
Victims are elderly or not very mobile.The fire damage is primarily confined to the victim.Feet and hands are sometimes unaffected by the fire.The damage to the body is far worse than it would be in a normal fire.
Of course, in a science-driven society, experts have worked hard to find an explanation for historical cases of spontaneous human combustion. They've come up with one moderately plausible explanation, called "the wick effect."
With the wick effect, it is believed that the clothing of an immobile human is ignited. When the fire comes into contact with the subcutaneous fat found in the human body, it combines with the clothing to act like the wick of a candle.
This creates the fuel necessary to catch the person on fire. However, in the case of Michael Flaherty, no ignition source was found. He died near a fireplace...but they couldn't find any evidence of a fire in it.
Do you think people can burst into flames without an external source?
⬅️ B Is for Brianna Maitland
April 2, 2016
B Is for Brianna Maitland
This month I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge. Today's letter is:
At 11:20 p.m. on March 19, 2004, Brianna Maitland left her job as a dishwasher at the Black Lantern Inn and drove out of the parking lot. She was never seen again.
The next morning, this was where her car was found:
There was nothing unusual about Brianna's life. She was a hard-working teenager with friends and family who loved her. This was her the day before she disappeared:
Police gathered all evidence, but one photographer who saw the car before police discovered it reported seeing loose change, a water bottle, and some jewelry near the car. There were no signs of a struggle. Police have said that evidence taken from the car could lead to a suspect, but details of that evidence were never released.
Her disappearance is often linked with another missing girl I've written about, Maura Murray. Initially the FBI connected the two but after an investigation, they stated that the cases aren't linked. They both went missing in early 2004...both in the same area of the country...both leaving wrecked cars behind. Some have speculated the two may have fallen victim to an as-yet-undiscovered serial killer in the area at the time. Or perhaps the Connecticut River Valley Killer?
Brianna Maitland
Maura MurrayWhat do you think happened to Brianna Maitland?
⬅️ A Is for Amy Lynn Bradley
At 11:20 p.m. on March 19, 2004, Brianna Maitland left her job as a dishwasher at the Black Lantern Inn and drove out of the parking lot. She was never seen again.
The next morning, this was where her car was found:
There was nothing unusual about Brianna's life. She was a hard-working teenager with friends and family who loved her. This was her the day before she disappeared:
Police gathered all evidence, but one photographer who saw the car before police discovered it reported seeing loose change, a water bottle, and some jewelry near the car. There were no signs of a struggle. Police have said that evidence taken from the car could lead to a suspect, but details of that evidence were never released.
Her disappearance is often linked with another missing girl I've written about, Maura Murray. Initially the FBI connected the two but after an investigation, they stated that the cases aren't linked. They both went missing in early 2004...both in the same area of the country...both leaving wrecked cars behind. Some have speculated the two may have fallen victim to an as-yet-undiscovered serial killer in the area at the time. Or perhaps the Connecticut River Valley Killer?
Brianna Maitland
Maura MurrayWhat do you think happened to Brianna Maitland?⬅️ A Is for Amy Lynn Bradley
April 1, 2016
A Is for Amy Lynn Bradley
It's officially A to Z Challenge time!!! All month, a ridiculously large group of us will be posting six days a week on a theme, starting at A and ending with Z. My theme for this year?
Today's letter is:
Each year, there are dozens of deaths on cruise ships. Many fall overboard. A small number are murdered. Some die of natural causes. But the number of people who simply disappear without a trace while on a big cruise ship in the middle of the ocean?
Very, very low.
Amy Lynn Bradley was a 23-year-old woman from Chesterfield, Virginia.
In 1998, when she was 23, she was invited on a seven-day Caribbean vacation with her parents. Surprisingly, despite the fact that she was a swim team coach and a strong swimmer, she was apprehensive about being in the middle of the ocean. She went anyway.
This is a family photo of the Bradleys on the ship:
On the night of the 23rd, Amy's parents went to bed early while Amy and her brother stayed up late at the ship's disco. Brad last saw his sister on the balcony around 4:30 a.m. He went to bed and she stayed up.
A Royal Caribbean balcony
Around 5:30 a.m., as the ship arrived at the Caribbean island of Curacao, Amy's father woke. He saw Amy relaxing on the balcony and left her there while he went back to sleep.
20 minutes later, he woke up, looked out on the balcony...and she was gone.
Over the years, there have been several Amy sightings. At this point, every single sign seems to point to human trafficking.
in 2005, an anonymous email was sent to the parents with pictures of an "escort" on an adult website based in the Caribbean:
A forensic expert said the facial structure, hairline, and ear piercings made the woman in the photo a perfect match for Amy.
Alister "Yellow" Douglas, was a band member some say she was seen with around 5:45 a.m., heading back to the disco. Her brother confirmed he'd seen her dancing with him the night before.
There was never enough evidence to charge him with anything.
What do you think happened to Amy Lynn Bradley?
Today's letter is:
Each year, there are dozens of deaths on cruise ships. Many fall overboard. A small number are murdered. Some die of natural causes. But the number of people who simply disappear without a trace while on a big cruise ship in the middle of the ocean?
Very, very low.
Amy Lynn Bradley was a 23-year-old woman from Chesterfield, Virginia.
In 1998, when she was 23, she was invited on a seven-day Caribbean vacation with her parents. Surprisingly, despite the fact that she was a swim team coach and a strong swimmer, she was apprehensive about being in the middle of the ocean. She went anyway.
This is a family photo of the Bradleys on the ship:
On the night of the 23rd, Amy's parents went to bed early while Amy and her brother stayed up late at the ship's disco. Brad last saw his sister on the balcony around 4:30 a.m. He went to bed and she stayed up.
A Royal Caribbean balconyAround 5:30 a.m., as the ship arrived at the Caribbean island of Curacao, Amy's father woke. He saw Amy relaxing on the balcony and left her there while he went back to sleep.
20 minutes later, he woke up, looked out on the balcony...and she was gone.
Over the years, there have been several Amy sightings. At this point, every single sign seems to point to human trafficking.
in 2005, an anonymous email was sent to the parents with pictures of an "escort" on an adult website based in the Caribbean:
A forensic expert said the facial structure, hairline, and ear piercings made the woman in the photo a perfect match for Amy.
Alister "Yellow" Douglas, was a band member some say she was seen with around 5:45 a.m., heading back to the disco. Her brother confirmed he'd seen her dancing with him the night before.
There was never enough evidence to charge him with anything.
What do you think happened to Amy Lynn Bradley?
March 30, 2016
A Gmail Feature That Just Might Save Your Life
People today communicate by texting, emailing, and social media updates. Instead of calling up a friend, we all type out a message and hit send, then wait for a response.
Unfortunately, humans haven't changed much. Despite our best efforts, we still discuss others when they aren't around. We're just doing our gossiping in writing, which is...
One person could easily show another the mean texts you sent. Since we're all (I assume) over the age of 20, that probably isn't an issue, though. The biggest issue once you grow up and start working is the runaway email.
You know what I'm talking about. You type a long rant about something one of your coworkers did and hit "send." Only to realize, too late, that you cc'd the person you were gossiping about on the email you just sent.
If you work in an office, you may be able to retract the email...if the person hasn't read it yet. People are fast on that "open" button.
Friendships, relationships, and careers can be destroyed with one email. At the very least, things will be very awkward with the person you were writing about for the rest of time. But for those who use Gmail, there is an option. It's called Undo Send.
Once enabled, it gives you up to 30 seconds to pull that email back. That means every email you send will be held for 30 seconds, giving you ample time to realize what you've done and undo it.
Have you ever sent an email or text you wanted to take back?
Unfortunately, humans haven't changed much. Despite our best efforts, we still discuss others when they aren't around. We're just doing our gossiping in writing, which is...
One person could easily show another the mean texts you sent. Since we're all (I assume) over the age of 20, that probably isn't an issue, though. The biggest issue once you grow up and start working is the runaway email.
You know what I'm talking about. You type a long rant about something one of your coworkers did and hit "send." Only to realize, too late, that you cc'd the person you were gossiping about on the email you just sent.
If you work in an office, you may be able to retract the email...if the person hasn't read it yet. People are fast on that "open" button.
Friendships, relationships, and careers can be destroyed with one email. At the very least, things will be very awkward with the person you were writing about for the rest of time. But for those who use Gmail, there is an option. It's called Undo Send.
Once enabled, it gives you up to 30 seconds to pull that email back. That means every email you send will be held for 30 seconds, giving you ample time to realize what you've done and undo it.
Have you ever sent an email or text you wanted to take back?
March 28, 2016
The IWSG: Bringing Me New Friends Since 2014
It can be tough to find readers in the general blogosphere. There's no list of categories that will take you directly to the blogs most likely to interest you.
There's no guarantee that when you comment a blog, the person will comment back.
There is, however, a place you can go. A large community of bloggers where you can find your own clique. Like high school.
The day I found the IWSG was only the beginning. The members of IWSG support each other, cheer each other on, and celebrate each other's accomplishments. I'm talking all about it over on Christine Rains' blog. Head on over and check it out...
There's no guarantee that when you comment a blog, the person will comment back.
There is, however, a place you can go. A large community of bloggers where you can find your own clique. Like high school.
The day I found the IWSG was only the beginning. The members of IWSG support each other, cheer each other on, and celebrate each other's accomplishments. I'm talking all about it over on Christine Rains' blog. Head on over and check it out...
March 25, 2016
Best Books of March
It's time once again to tell you about the best books I read this month. Here are the month's best!
If you've read my blog before, you know I love Kristina Springer's books. So, of course, I was excited to learn she has a new book coming out. And I was even more excited to get an advanced copy of it from the publisher. That means I get to tell you about it before it comes out in the hopes you'll pre-order it and boost her first-day sales! This is her book:
As with every Kristina Springer book, I found myself wondering why I didn't come up with this fantabulous idea. I think my forehead is bruised from hitting myself in the head over it! Cici Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker is a modern-day twist on the Cyrano de Bergerac story. Only instead of passing letters to the guy her friend is too shy to talk to, Cici sets up a fake Twitter account and communicates with him on there. I know...brilliant, right? And, as always, she throws tons of tension in there and keeps you turning each page, eager to see that happy ending that had better be coming!
How can you see the cover of this next book and not want to open it up and see what's inside?
The Eighth Day is the first in Dianne K. Salerni's Eighth Day series and it starts off with a bang. A 13-year-old boy wakes up one day to find he's the only person around. Cars are parked on the road, just as they were when he went to bed the night before. What he soon finds out is that he's stumbled upon the eighth day--a day of the week only a small group of people are around to enjoy. But there is a dark side to the eighth day...and that dark side is what brings the action that will keep you reading the next book and the next and the next.
I love this blogging community because it introduces me to books I wouldn't have read otherwise. Books like Travelers by Meradeth Houston, a time travel that is awesomesauce. Seriously!
One of the most complicated things about writing a time travel book is making the travel vehicle believable. In Travelers, the author gets that out of the way by creating characters who are travelers. It's just how they were born. Their way of life comes with very strict rules, including that they can never travel outside of their lifetime. When something happens that breaks all the rules, the main character is forced to try to make things right again. This book combines time travel with action and a little romance...once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down.
Just after finishing Travelers, I dove into a more serious book. Jumping from time travel to the real world was an interesting experience, especially since I went from one book to the other in the same sitting! The real-world book I chose was Beverly Stowe McClure's Under a Purple Moon.
We like to close our eyes and pretend that bad parents don't exist, but they do. As the author illustrates in Under a Purple Moon, there are lost children out there, abandoned by their parents but afraid to find out what happens if they turn their neglectful parents in. Eden and her friend Murphy have created a home for themselves in an abandoned house. When two new friends join them, they create a family of their own. But nothing lasts forever. I wanted to adopt Eden by the end of the book. A compelling, dramatic read that is both heartbreaking and uplifting.
My next book is something different. I haven't read a book of poetry in a long, long time. But Lidy Wilks is such a talented blogger and great friend, I had to check it out. Plus, look at this colorful cover:
Can You Catch My Flow? is a compilation of poetry that covers different phases of a person's life. After reading, I noticed that these poems were written starting when the author was young, progressing to today. It feels as though we're maturing with Lidy as we read, but the poetry is beautifully written from the first page. The book is a statement about youth, maturity, and parenthood, as well as the deeper meaning of life.
Did you read any good books this month?
If you've read my blog before, you know I love Kristina Springer's books. So, of course, I was excited to learn she has a new book coming out. And I was even more excited to get an advanced copy of it from the publisher. That means I get to tell you about it before it comes out in the hopes you'll pre-order it and boost her first-day sales! This is her book:
As with every Kristina Springer book, I found myself wondering why I didn't come up with this fantabulous idea. I think my forehead is bruised from hitting myself in the head over it! Cici Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker is a modern-day twist on the Cyrano de Bergerac story. Only instead of passing letters to the guy her friend is too shy to talk to, Cici sets up a fake Twitter account and communicates with him on there. I know...brilliant, right? And, as always, she throws tons of tension in there and keeps you turning each page, eager to see that happy ending that had better be coming!
How can you see the cover of this next book and not want to open it up and see what's inside?
The Eighth Day is the first in Dianne K. Salerni's Eighth Day series and it starts off with a bang. A 13-year-old boy wakes up one day to find he's the only person around. Cars are parked on the road, just as they were when he went to bed the night before. What he soon finds out is that he's stumbled upon the eighth day--a day of the week only a small group of people are around to enjoy. But there is a dark side to the eighth day...and that dark side is what brings the action that will keep you reading the next book and the next and the next.
I love this blogging community because it introduces me to books I wouldn't have read otherwise. Books like Travelers by Meradeth Houston, a time travel that is awesomesauce. Seriously!
One of the most complicated things about writing a time travel book is making the travel vehicle believable. In Travelers, the author gets that out of the way by creating characters who are travelers. It's just how they were born. Their way of life comes with very strict rules, including that they can never travel outside of their lifetime. When something happens that breaks all the rules, the main character is forced to try to make things right again. This book combines time travel with action and a little romance...once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down.
Just after finishing Travelers, I dove into a more serious book. Jumping from time travel to the real world was an interesting experience, especially since I went from one book to the other in the same sitting! The real-world book I chose was Beverly Stowe McClure's Under a Purple Moon.
We like to close our eyes and pretend that bad parents don't exist, but they do. As the author illustrates in Under a Purple Moon, there are lost children out there, abandoned by their parents but afraid to find out what happens if they turn their neglectful parents in. Eden and her friend Murphy have created a home for themselves in an abandoned house. When two new friends join them, they create a family of their own. But nothing lasts forever. I wanted to adopt Eden by the end of the book. A compelling, dramatic read that is both heartbreaking and uplifting.
My next book is something different. I haven't read a book of poetry in a long, long time. But Lidy Wilks is such a talented blogger and great friend, I had to check it out. Plus, look at this colorful cover:
Can You Catch My Flow? is a compilation of poetry that covers different phases of a person's life. After reading, I noticed that these poems were written starting when the author was young, progressing to today. It feels as though we're maturing with Lidy as we read, but the poetry is beautifully written from the first page. The book is a statement about youth, maturity, and parenthood, as well as the deeper meaning of life.
Did you read any good books this month?
March 24, 2016
Introducing Out of the Ashes by Kelly Hashway
Kelly Hashway has been a busy writer lately. Earlier this year, she released Into the Fire, the first in a series. Now she's releasing the second book in the series, Out of the Ashes. Check out the cover...and scroll down to read all about it.
Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s worst nightmare has come true…
She’s been reborn as a Phoenix and has forgotten everything from her first life—including Logan Schmidt. He’s handsome and protective, but with no recollection, he can’t be trusted.
Accused of being a Hunter, Logan’s mortality is put to the test…
Logan isn’t willing to admit he and Cara are over—not even after he watches her rise from her own ashes.
While the other Phoenixes are convinced Logan is a sworn enemy, a group of deadly Hunters are sure he is a Phoenix. Only being guilty of loving Cara, he must prove them all wrong—and convince Cara she loves him.
However, a magical link may be the demise of Logan’s devotion…
With the Hunters hot on their heels, it’s up to Logan to save Cara. But when the dagger calls out, Logan is drawn to its power.
Cara’s missing memories may not be the only obstacle standing between her and Logan. Their relationship isn’t just complicated—it’s deadly. And when Cara finds herself at a crossroad, she is forced to choose…
She can plunge into the darkness of her treacherous fate, or use her Phoenix instincts to once again rise Out of The Ashes.
Bio:
Kelly Hashway fully admits to being one of the most accident-prone people on the planet, but that didn’t stop her from jumping out of an airplane at ten thousand feet one Halloween. Maybe it was growing up reading R.L. Stine’s Fear Street books that instilled a love of all things scary and a desire to live in a world filled with supernatural creatures, but she spends her days writing speculative fiction for young adults, middle graders, and young children. Kelly’s also a sucker for first love, which is why she writes YA and NA romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she’s not writing, Kelly works as an editor and also as Mom, which she believes is a job title that deserves to be capitalized. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.
Links:
Amazon| Blog| Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s worst nightmare has come true…
She’s been reborn as a Phoenix and has forgotten everything from her first life—including Logan Schmidt. He’s handsome and protective, but with no recollection, he can’t be trusted.
Accused of being a Hunter, Logan’s mortality is put to the test…
Logan isn’t willing to admit he and Cara are over—not even after he watches her rise from her own ashes.
While the other Phoenixes are convinced Logan is a sworn enemy, a group of deadly Hunters are sure he is a Phoenix. Only being guilty of loving Cara, he must prove them all wrong—and convince Cara she loves him.
However, a magical link may be the demise of Logan’s devotion…
With the Hunters hot on their heels, it’s up to Logan to save Cara. But when the dagger calls out, Logan is drawn to its power.
Cara’s missing memories may not be the only obstacle standing between her and Logan. Their relationship isn’t just complicated—it’s deadly. And when Cara finds herself at a crossroad, she is forced to choose…
She can plunge into the darkness of her treacherous fate, or use her Phoenix instincts to once again rise Out of The Ashes.
Bio:
Kelly Hashway fully admits to being one of the most accident-prone people on the planet, but that didn’t stop her from jumping out of an airplane at ten thousand feet one Halloween. Maybe it was growing up reading R.L. Stine’s Fear Street books that instilled a love of all things scary and a desire to live in a world filled with supernatural creatures, but she spends her days writing speculative fiction for young adults, middle graders, and young children. Kelly’s also a sucker for first love, which is why she writes YA and NA romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she’s not writing, Kelly works as an editor and also as Mom, which she believes is a job title that deserves to be capitalized. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency. Links:
Amazon| Blog| Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
