Something's Coming: Friday Fictioneer

This week we get this unbelievably cool picture from Stacy Plowright and this time I'm not sure what to make of my story. You be the judge and don't forget to visit some others participating on this week's Friday Fictioneers.

Clouds in Toronto by Stacy Plowright

“Look outside for me. I can feel the air. Something is coming Martha.” 

“Oh don’t be silly Cheryl. If anything it’s just a storm.” Martha was tired, she’d been at work all day, she just wanted to relax. She did not want to be anyone’s eyes. Not even Cheryl’s.

“But I can feel it, Martha, something is coming.” Cheryl pleaded.

Martha huffed. She cracked and popped as she left the couch, achey bones dragging themselves to the window. 

“Oh my God, the clouds...” she gasped. They rolled in waves toward their home, heavy and dark.

“Martha? Mar-tha? MARTHA....”

For more of the Blog Hop of the Friday Fictioneers you can head over the Facebook and check out the page. On Twitter #FridayFictioners. Or you can go to Madison Woods for the rules and see a list of Fictioneer contributors and click on them at random. Happy Reading

What Am I Reading Thursday: The Withes Hand by Wendy Joseph

This book begins with a brief history of the Fourth Crusade, which sets the tone along with some religious dissension. The story is full of references to long forgotten members of the Catholic Church as well as beautiful descriptions of France in the Middle ages. Under the reign on Pope Innocent III the search for witches is made main stream in order to bring the people back under the Church’s thumb. 

We are first introduced to Malaxia, a witch of some serious power, approaching a home in dead of night and setting it ablaze. She burns it down to the ground for one person the main character Liana. She tells Liana that she’s been chosen as her successor.

Liana being a peasant of the middle ages does the whole silly uneducated peasant thing and runs for the nearest church where she is met by an equally uneducated Bishop, labeled a witch for showing up half naked and chased out of how own town by the church guards.

Enter the next main character Jettaret a former Crusader on his way home to marry. Liana and Jettaret travel together under his protection to Lyon, where he lives. He sees her first as weak and troubled and unquestioningly continues to protecter her from Malaxia even though his faith in anything seems to be a little on the faulty side

When Liana begins using her new found powers he grows wary of her but still believes the best place for her is with him at Lyon.

I love all the beautiful descriptions of the terrain the travelers take. A picture is clearly made and appreciated, but when it comes to the characters I wanted more depth. I get that Jettaret is an honest man and that he’s disillusioned with the Church. For the first half of the book he is half angry or confused about both Liana and his faith. It does not help that she is confused as well. I just didn’t see his motivations for staying with her, spelled out. It was not until Jettaret teams up with an old crusader friend that we see the many more facets of his character.

Malaxia however was given that opportunity. While truly a malevolent woman she had a purpose, goals and was steadfast to her desires for Liana until the bitter end of the book. She is a character of great depth and full of mercurial mood swings executed superbly with minimal words to clog the story.

I found Liana to be a weak confused little girl even if the people in the story did not find her to be so. She has a stubborn streak that is recognized and used by both Malaxia and Jettaret, but that does not make her a strong person. A mule could be stubborn for all Liana was worth.

I found the richest parts of the book were moments between Malaxia and Liana after Liana’s training began and between Jettaret and his crusader friend Alberge. The interactions during these times were the best. Yet the time when Liana and Jettaret were alone in the woods traveling just seems long confusing and dry.

Maybe it is my lack of familiarity with the behavior between men and women during the middle ages that leaves me wanting more. Maybe it is the difference in classes between the two of them Jettaret being of the nobility and Liana a peasant that leaves me wondering what’s not being said. Whatever it is, I don’t know. Somehow a bond is formed between Jettaret and Liana, that spurs him to search for her after they are separated. This bond is the reason the story continues and does make for a nice ending  even if the end came as a surprise to me.

For the ending alone I give it one thumb, for the colorfully painted picture the journey was, I give this another thumb. I guess that makes two. But overall, I can honestly not  stay with that vote. Some places in the story were too sparse, some places so rich in detail, and a few places met a perfect balance of detail and interaction without wasting any words. So my final vote on this is 1.8 thumbs if that is such a thing.

I encourage everyone to read this book though if you like stories about boys coming home from war, women with knowledge being persecuted, and like thinking about how far we've come since the middle ages. You might even see a few parallels to the type of ignorance you see in this book and what you see now in the news.

You can get your copy of The Witch's Hand by Wendy Joseph  here on Amazon.com 

The Bean Counter

From a friend back home in New England I see a link that quizzes you on your political stance. Then it tallies your answers and tells you who you're most likely to vote for. Check that out here. +20

I apparently seem to favor two political parties one of which surprised the living heckness out of me.     -10 I'm not a fan of these kinds of surprises.

Behind on a book review -5

Took the dog to the beach today so I can finish said book for the review. +10

Enjoyed myself immensely AND got through a considerable portion of the book. + 12

Even managed to take this picture:
+15 such a good boy.

Then the silly dog ran away. -11 which resulted in me my buddy and some stranger corralling the furry mess in hopes of putting him back on the leash. Another -11because my book got sandy.

Still reeling over the whole legitimate rape thing from that Akin guy, here comes the freak of nature from TN saying with conviction that AIDS came from homosexual men having sex with monkeys. -5

After I call my mother in absolute outrage I realize the article was almost 8 months old. -7 a little delayed reaction on my part.

I decided I want a little more income (who doesn't) so I've been job hunting again (not that I ever stopped) in hopes of finding some that will hold me over until school starts. + 12 for the initiative.

Realized that I had a job that I wasn't getting paid for already and now I feel rather stupid. -9

Went to Karaoke the other night and once again sang completely off key. Have I lost my voice? -5

But at least I looked nice...+15

Meanwhile elsewhere in the US Hurricane Isaac touched down and the few people I know of still in the Gulf area were fairly constant on Facebook until a few hours ago.  -9

But the LA Times seems to be keeping up on things so at least something is coming out of the area. They have a photo gallery. +/- 0 Not really sure if I should be grading that...

Really NASA? Really?

Curiosity is still roving Mars and now it's playing music. Seriously it's playing music. + 20

Then I found out that the song it's transmitting is by will.i.am. Really guys? Really? -12

What WILL the Martians think?
Back on Earth...

Over the weekend Southern California experienced a series of Earthquakes that made me feel pretty nostalgic for Japan. +7 Some how that's good????

Sadly there was some damage even though the quakes weren't too too strong. Once again I'm linking you to LA Times to see what that was all about. -14

This week's Tally: +3
Hey it's better than nothing.

Tune in later for the Photo Prompt for Friday and the book review of The Witches Hand by Wendy Joseph.

                     

The Heads Up What Am I Reading Thursday???

The Witch's Hand by Wendy Joseph

I've got several books lined up for the following weeks. Sadly I'm behind on the first one. This one is by someone in my weekly group the Author's Oven. I was really over the moon the find out that one of the ladies in the group actually published her book and had copies in her car to give away.  On the condition that I do a review, she gave me one. I like the book a lot and I would nothing more than to get the book out to you all on time. 

Sadly I have to do some serous job hunting at the same time so I'm going to get this out on Thursday instead of Wednesday. Sad Face. I'm really excited to tell you about it though.

The book for next two weeks are here and ready to go as well as the one E-Book I've received.

I really wish I had more but You can't win them all.

So look back on Thursday for my latest book review and check later tonight for the Photo Prompt for this Friday's Fictioneeer Blog Hop.

Have a great Tuesday.

Friday Fictioneer: The Living Mist

This week's Fictioneer Photo Prompt comes from Maggie Duncan. A member of e-Fiction and the woman who first introduced Friday Flash Fiction to me.

This picture brings back the Tia we all know and love. No sugary sweet love stories here. 

By Maggie Duncan

The Living Mist

It rolled in last week covering the shores, then it made its way past the buildings that pretended to be the port. By the time it covered the fields, forests and meadows, the country was in full scale panic. It circled the city and all the land around it, every mossy covered rock and stream.

The mist thickened just like the little girl asked. She was such a sweet girl and it would do anything to please her. She just wanted to get away from the mean people in town. Pretty soon, the mist would take it all away. 

For more of the Blog Hop of the Friday Fictioneers you can head over the Facebook and check out the page. On Twitter #FridayFictioners. Or you can go to Madison Woods for the rules and see a list of Fictioneer contributors and click on them at random. Happy Reading

E-Book Review Ex Fumo Gaudiam by Nobilis Reed

You may remember my buddy Nobilis from my very first Pod Cast. (That link is to the latest in case you're interested.) Well I've got a surprise kiddies, he's got a novella out for the Kindle and has let me review it.


First off I'm not very familiar with Steam Punk but I can surely recognize it when I read it. And this qualifies to my untrained eye as such.

But wait it's Latin, you can see it in the title. I know, I know, threw me off too, but roll with it.

Our story is set in something that vaguely resembles ancient Rome on crack. There are steam powered machines and boats and technologies that should not have been anywhere near Rome when they spoke old school latin. These folk traded furs and had titles like Legate and Procurator. Our main character, Marcus, is the second most powerful man in the city, engaged to a higher ranking man's daughter. He falls in love with a native woman and is faced with the dilemma of having to find a way to be with the one he loves and please the Legate at the same time.

The novella unfolds like a history lesson and love story all rolled into one. I think the steam engines keep it interesting while the references to long since dead gods bind each character to the story. Marcus is a clever man and eventually finds a way to succeed in this goal only to be thwarted by the native woman's husband.

Because there are several languages mentioned and discussed I got a little confused. The Roman's speak Latin but Marcus switches to a trade language to deal with the people with whom he trades, then plays translator later on when he's forced to deal with a certain unsavory person near the end of the story. Because your's truly is a particularly special individual, I got a little stuck when the writing became broken to emphasize who was talking. Trust me it kicked in later and I figured it out.

Overall I found this story very engaging, even a little heart breaking when Marcus' betrothed came to her senses and broke off the engagement.  What nailed this novella, was the depth of growth displayed in each of the main characters. I rarely see that in the novellas I come across.

The Dog Log gives this two thumbs. Keep up the good work Bro.
You can find your copy of this awesome e-book at Amazon see here.


Stay Tuned for Friday Fictioneers Blog Hop Tomorrow.

The New Craze: Dog Shaming

Thanks to my friend on Facebook (my go to girl for all things dating like the Lame Gazelle thing or the Masochist Tango) I've been initiated into the viral world of Dog Shaming.

What is Dog Shaming? Well Like breading your cat it's basically where you subject your pet some thing mildly humiliating and then send it all over the world just because it's funny. Does that clarify? No? Well how about I attache this article and then you can take it from here.

Still not getting it? Okay how about this picture?

Googled. Check out the blog.

Or how about...

So I guess this started on Tumblr some how and everyone + their mom jumped on board. Yahoo even picked up on the trend and did something on it a few days ago.

The Main question is do you think the dog feels shame for what it did? Of course not. You know why, because the human that loves it took a freaking picture.

How many dogs get their picture taken when they are being punished? Not mine. Most dogs I know are photographed when they do something heinously awesome like wag their tail. It's not effective, unless you call millions of dog lovers getting a good laugh, effective.

So of course my house guest and I decided in a moment of shear boredom to Shame Chewy. He's not that bright though so he's got no clue what's going on when the camera flashes. Heck he even tried to eat the card we made. But never the less, we shamed him. 

For your viewing pleasure, Chewy the shamed.

 No shame since he's  still licking my thigh.

 Barks every time I get a package

Actually he chews on dirty socks too. Anything thats remotely used. Gross man, just gross.

So do you feel like you've been let out of the loop? Do you have a dog that's misbehaving? Maybe you just like sharing slightly embarrassing pictures of your four legged friend with people you don't know. Who cares, join the fun.

Bean Counter: Returning Sporadically

Ready for some serious ups and downs? Yeah well this ain't the place for that.

Wrote a book review for All The Time In The World on Amazon.com and it was rejected.  -10

I was pretty pissed about this because Amazon always deletes my negative feedback I found this article about Amazon deleting negative feedback.  -5

That it was found on Amazon.com.  +25

Then disgruntaled United Airline workers took matter into their own hands at the Dulles Airport a few weeks ago. As if canceling flights weren't enough to mess with Veterans suffering from PTSD, they started kicking service dogs too.  -45

As if the horrible Airline food wasn't abuse enough.

Speaking of bad airline food. Delta seems to be stickin it to EVERYONE by putting sewing needles in the turkey sandwiches. -19 I hate turkey but I'll eat it if I have to.

No one seems to know if this is a Terror Threat or an very well executed hoax. -50 Just for not having figured that out yet.

But that's on a terrestrial level (somewhat). In a Galaxy far far away a picture that should have never happened resurfaced thanks to a friend over on Facebook and a little help from No Hope For The Human Race:
+150

While everyone is watching the Olympics, the USA put another rover on Mars, or somethign like it. Pretty cool if you ask me. +35 for Team 'Merica!!!

That's like what, the fourth or fifth one since 1997? +25

And now that the Olympics are well and over Grindr will finally calm down. See all about that here  +10

Found an article that's roughly a year old about a Tibetan Red Mastiff being sold for 1.5 Million bucks. Seriously would you pay for this guy? -60 I'm sure starving kiddies everywhere could have used that money.

Read Here

Books for the next three weeks actually made here in time so I'm about to be ahead of myself again. +15

The Dog Log is now doing E-books so send me your published fiction. +5

I only have two E-Books so far.  -10

Got the worlds greatest nasty gram from the Vet: I'm a bad pet owner because I forgot Chewy's Flea and tick medication.  -10 Sad Face

Prior to the nasty email I went not once but twice to the vet to pick up said medication only to have them tell me twice that they were out. FAIL Animal Hospital, FAIL. -15 for the stupid factor.


On Okcupid I listed my pet peeves at the top my profile which specifically state ages 30-40. Makes sense to me since no one reads the bottom of profiles where it's normally listed. I now get messages from 50 year old men claiming I'm age discriminating. +24 pissing off geriatrics everywhere.

You can't win with dating I swear.

Tally this issue of the Bean Counter: 70

Tune in again for the Vlog on my latest review Fifty Shades Freed, the Famous Fictioneer Blog Hop on Friday and a whole lot more.

What Am I Reading Wednesday - Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James

What do we know about Trilogies? Well Screams Randy says all bets are off for everyone including the main character. So I kept that in mind when I tucked into the last book in the Fifty Shades. Randy also said: There will be unexpected back story, villains that need to be decapitated and cryogenically frozen to kill, and past that comes up and bite you in the ass.

Well lookie here this book fits all that in some way shape or form. 

E.L. picks up several weeks into freshly married Grey’s honeymoon around Europe. The honey moon serves no point in this book but to put both of them as far away from danger as humanly possible while some freak of nature sets fire to something inside Grey Enterprises. Also to have more “kinky fuckery” her words not mine.

From the get go this book is unbelievably sloppy. There were inconsistencies in language, more and more I can not overlook the amount of Britishness these American characters seem to posses. My personal pet peeve is yar. What the fuck is a yar? Are we pirates?

Granted I used yargh this past Friday in my Flash Fictioneer submission, but there really were pirates in it. Yar and it’s unknown meaning was used at least twice. This slip of local UK colloquial into and American book is unacceptable. Regular natives don’t talk like that. Nor do we call each other arse.

The story itself hmm what can I say to salvage this? Well Ana is still trying to get on solid ground with Christian the soulless ginger. He’s still his usual overbearing self, making bad decisions that end up making him regret not being open with Ana. I think I died a little every time Ana said please don’t be mad at me. By the time she grows a back bone, I stopped caring if either of them were mad.

So back to Randy and his rules for Trilogies. It does tie up all loose ends when the source of some of the new couples issues is caught not once but twice because the first time wasn’t good enough. We see the brief and satisfying return of Elena for all of five minutes right after a crazy pivotal moment. And the Soulless Ginger kindly decided to open up enough and give Ana a bone by delving into his past. And we even get to return to the beginning when the couple stays at the same hotel where they combed over the contract in book one.

What I do like about this last book and there isn’t much, is the time warp she has going on. She jumps back to recall certain things and at the end she even jumps forward. Of course the future is so sugary sweet I wanted to gag, but the romantic in me wanted to sigh. That is until Ms. James ruined it with an image of a very pregnant Ana trussed up on a rack and being pleasured. I know it happens James, but did you have to  go there? I don’t think so.  I’m screaming vivid mental picture and not in a happy way. That part actually made me cringe a little. It lacked taste some how by sullying the sappy goodness of the future Grey family.

I also liked that there is an over site built right into the story leading up a rather explosive scene in the book where Christian walks out. It was so subtle that I think E.L. James might not have seen it if she wasn’t paying attention herself. It was there just waiting to be notice and good for her to have caught it and capitalized on it at the end.

I give this book Fifty Shades Freed one thumb only because it does what it’s supposed to do by ending the story. It is not executed well at all and frankly I can no longer say that this is a good read. 

I’m glad it’s over it was a nice story if you remove all the extra fluff but really not meant to be enjoyed by someone over the age of 20 even if the content is racey.

I congratulate you Ms. James on making such a sensational book how ever I hope that until you learn to write better, don’t type anything else.

That was pretty harsh wasn’t it. Oh well.

What Am I Reading: Lothaire by Kresley Cole

First and foremost I bow to the superior commercial rightness of Kresley Cole. I have been reading her Immortals After Dark Series since the beginning. I’m sort of a geekified fan when it comes to her books. In fact she gets her own row in my book shelf.  

So when I got a hold of her latest book regarding the Enemy of Old, I was, well let’s just say that I already knew it was going to be good. Remember kiddies I’m a fan first.

I absolutely love the richness of the back story. It makes understanding Lothaire’s motives so much clearer.  I’d been dying to know what this “Endgame” was. The rather abrupt expulsion of he and his mother then her subsequent death would pretty much make any man a little mad. Very dramatic.

There was something I noticed here that I never really saw in all Ms. Cole’s other books. Seeing as we geekified fans are all familiar with Lothaire in all his nasty neutral but not by much naughty, you kind of just think of him as surly dialed up to fifty.  Was that ever a run on? I just figured he thought everyone but his own race was less. Not true apparently he has a special place in his heart for humans, the bottom, of his bottom.

What a mind fuck he got when his bride turns out to be human. Poor guy. You almost feel bad for him. I’m pretty sure someone in the Lore felt bad for him, that is if they all didn’t want to kill him. Fabulous set up Kresley, fucking fabulous.

Now follows the adjustment period of accepting the fact that not only is he saddled with this weak human as his bride, she a damn hillbilly. Picture Ellie May Clampet give her brown hair and then stick her in a room with sex on legs. Shit I felt bad for him. Lothaire like every Vampire in the series, becomes the most overbearing tyrant in the world towards his bride.

I’d love to say that the way vampires in her stories treat their new brides is tired and formulaic, but it’s not. In every story the men try very hard to dominate their brides, not just vampires, the whole freaking Lore does it. And yet it never gets tired. I don’t understand how that keeps working but I’m not going to knock it.

Not that Elizabeth didn’t deserve it sometimes. Ellie (ironically named) didn’t come completely with out assets. She’s got an evil deity sleeping in her that seems at serious odds with every one’s plans. I like how she was written, you aren’t supposed to like her and well I didn’t.

We also finally get to full story about La Dorada a powerful creature that was released by the Skiathi Archer in another story and her part was done rather masterfully as well. 

Lets be honest kiddies I am way too much of a fan to do this particular review objectively. I just can’t. I enjoyed Lothaire immensely and if I had three thumbs Kresley Cole would get them all.

But because I’m not objective I can say this. Kresley, sweetie you turned and immortal badass in to a powder puff. Lothair goes trick or treating? Seriously? Trick or treating was not part of the Endgame.

You still get three thumbs though.

Niggling Self Doubt: When AA is your little voice

I was at Karaoke last night and I was drinking. Now me being the person I am, completely denies I have a problem with alcohol. And normally I don't feel any guilt. I go out once a week and I drink which isn't really a bad thing no matter how you look at it.

What bother's me about last night is that when the bar ran out of what I normally drink (Cider) I went for something I never drink (Tequila Sunrise). I drank two. Ask me if I felt it this morning. The answer is not really. 

What made me choose that drink? I hate tequila. Why did I drink two? Is it because I feel safe at karaoke surrounded by good friends? Is it because I was upset? I know how fast that shite works on me and yet I bull dozed my way through the china shop anyway. I didn't think.

Now me being technically a rehab failure already I have to wonder one if I ever had a problem with alcohol or am I starting to have a problem right now? Do I need to go back to AA over my choice of poison? I don't know. The shrink who helped me through my mental melt down last year suggested rehab because of the amount of intensive therapy it would offer. He said I could get better there and learn some thing about myself. It worked. Probably a little too well. By the time I left I couldn't even pass through the cold remedy isle when I got sick. All the time wondering if I ever had a moment in my life when I NEEDED booze to get through my day. Seriously no, never had that moment in my life.

Somewhere in the AA Big Book there is a part where they talk about telling someone everything they need to know and then leaving them to decide for themselves. That is the worst. It's like teaching someone how to use a gun and then telling them only in an dire emergencies can you fire this weapon. How dire does the emergency have to be?

I woke up this morning with a little cotton mouth and a tingly jaw. I didn't fall on anything so it must be residual booze still in my system. I'm not suffering, no pressing need to praise the porcelain deity in my bathroom or any unexplainable stickiness in my undies. I'm pretty good actually, miraculously good.

Knowing that Karaoke night is my one night out each week did I switch to tequila because I wanted that good buzz, or was that really the first thing on my mind? I could have choose something else. Normally I do. Now that I think about it, last week I had two shots of whiskey. I hate whiskey too.

I just have that niggling feeling of self-doubt. 

Do I have a problem? 

Friday Fictioneers: Childhood Memories

Madison has another guest Photo Prompt this week. And boy does it bring back some good times. But I'm not looking towards the past I'm moving forward. So are these folks sort of. 

Excuse me if I gag a little. How I pulled this off with out vomiting in my mouth at it's sugary sweetness is a freaking miracle. Sadly it was my best offering. 

Photo by Lura Helms

Childhood Memories

The child inside her stretched and shifted. She framed her belly and smiled up. When she younger, this tree was the tallest peak. It was surrounded by volcanoes, and ice floats. It was a tower above a thick forest.

“I remember our first kiss.” She said. Jarred peered down the tree at his best friend. He fell in love with her, in this tree.

“Yeah, me too. I was a pirate and you were my wench.” She yawned, he climbed down.

“Well, I’m still your wench and she needs a nap.” Great another chance to hold her.

"Yaargh" 

For more of the Blog Hop of the Friday Fictioneers you can head over the Facebook and check out the page. On Twitter #FridayFictioners. Or you can go to Madison Woods for the rules and see a list of Fictioneer contributors and click on them at random. Happy Reading

Weekly E-Book: Disbelief By Peter Smalley

See Mr. Smalley's bio here

Alright as this is my first ever E-Book review, I’m not really sure how to offer you pictures since I can’t hold it. Let me just tell you about it. And then give as many links as I can find about it.

This Paranormal Romance is a little on the odd side. I think it’s because it’s written by a guy. You immediately can tell, but that’s not a handicap here, just a different take. And not because the author’s name is Peter. 

Meet Julia a debunker of things paranormal. It appears that her business is to separate the wolves from the sheep. In other words she keeps people from taking advantage of each other.

Kind of interesting as I had to get about halfway through the book to realize that she has actual powers. The author calls it “pushing” and I guess with this power she can use it to break down a charlatan’s illusion. I found this “pushing” notion a little vague but I ran with it. Oh course this is a family business which she inherited from her deceased father. He was the one who taught how to use her gift.

Julie bird our heroine of course is trying to stay afloat due to the fact that her dead papa was for lack of a better word useless where business was concerned. The debt he’s left behind forces her to “push” the wrong person, releasing a demon into the world. And now everyone is off to save the world. Brilliant.

I found this story interesting in some parts, seriously awesome in others and sadly lacking in a few places. 

I loved the interactions with the creatures she meets in the story that move her closer to the climax. While these moments in the story aren’t really important they seem to be the richest sections. They are detailed entertaining and really give insight into the potential strength Julie Knox has. 

Her libido is another point of interest in this story. She pretty much lusts after most of the able bodied males that cross her path. When it (the libido) interferes she’s focused enough to chastise herself and return to the task at hand. Clever and funny, thats all I can say about that.

Here’s what I found lacking, the love scenes. I enjoyed how the mood is set leading up to the act, but the execution is almost non-existent. Maybe because it’s hard to understand what a female main character feels being a male writer. Maybe since the source of affection isn’t really there? (I do believe that was a blatant hint, go read the book silly) Or maybe it’s just something I’m not seeing. Either way I thought the love scenes needed more bang. Bang. Get it... Har Har Har...

I give this, on my scale 1.5 thumbs, but since Peter has this book on Amazon and he’s very nicely requested I post there as well I’m going with 3.5 stars. The beginning was a little stunted, but once you got past that first few chapters it picks up and you find the author’s rhythm. I think the next book will be better and totally worth reading.  Oh yeah kiddies it’s another series. And if Peter Smalley would be so kind and give us a heads up we can all find it on Amazon when it’s out.

Here's where you can pick this up: Amazon