Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Windspear 

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Reecaspieces



Overview

 


Jacqueline Winspear’s marvelous debut, Maisie Dobbs, won her fans from coast to coast and raised her intuitive, intelligent, and resourceful heroine to the ranks of literature’s favorite sleuths. Birds of a Feather, its follow-up, finds psychologist and private investigator Maisie Dobbs on another dangerously intriguing adventure in London “between the wars.” 

It is the spring of 1930, and Maisie has been hired to find a runaway heiress. But what seems a simple case at the outset soon becomes increasingly complicated when three of the heiress’s old friends are found dead. Is there a connection between the woman’s mysterious disappearance and the murders? Who would want to kill three seemingly respectable young women? As Maisie investigates, she discovers that the answers lie in the unforgettable agony of the Great War.

 Review


When I was asked to review this novel I was already listening to the book. I agreed to review it even though I do not review books I listen too. Just a standard of mine. So much of the book depends on the narrator. Also, I feel like I miss some thing when I listen because I get distracted and never rewind to hear what I miss. That being said….here goes!!

This book is number 2 in the series. As a reader, it is always a challenge on the second book. Will it hold up to the standard of the first? This one did. I enjoy Maisie and her side kick Billy, the setting, and the time period. Maisie drives a MG and I can just picture her zipping around town solving the mystery. 

Maisie is a strong, smart female character. She approaches the mystery with charm and intellect. She also has empathy. Sometimes authors miss that in characters. The story moves quickly and keeps you guessing! 

This series is a comfortable read. Keeps you entertained and wanting more! 





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Unlocking the Mystery of You by D.L. Anderson 

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Reecaspieces



This is a Book Spotlight at request of the author!!! I love being a book blogger 

Overview

“Without purpose there can be no fulfillment—and although we can surely live without fulfillment, we will scarcely feel alive. 

Every one of us has a purpose in life and an array of life offices which we were destined to fulfill. Fulfillment, then, must come via the realization of our purpose and our designated offices. Therefore, seeing as we can not find fulfillment following any other course, D.L. Anderson has dedicated this leading composition within his “Pinnacles of Life” book series to analyzing the ins and outs of purpose, and revealing how living a life of purpose is the first step in securing fulfillment and ultimately fulfilling our destiny. 

To assist each purpose seeker in this crucial endeavor, D.L. Anderson has formulated a progressive roadmap which he has labeled as, “The Pinnacle of Purpose,” a series of 7 unique steps which have the power to progressively transform each purpose seeker into the man or a woman they were destined to be while living the life they’ve always imagined. Thus conclusively, if you are ready to walk the path dedicated to your purpose, you should know that this book was written with you in mind. As such, the pages within this composition will lead you to the place where you will find the fulfillment you seek.” 

About the Author (from Authorhouse)

D.L. Anderson is a professional speaker, writer, business consultant, and life trainer whose goals are centered on helping others live a life of purpose while achieving excellence and balance in their various life offices. Drawing on 15+ years of experience in numerous fields including information technology, finance, business management, and, literature, and serving as a proud member of the nonprofit community, D.L. Anderson is very excited to be able to share with others the same principles which have made his life both fulfilling and successful.

Excerpt ( sent to me by the author)

The Answer is You

Do you know what the world’s greatest mystery is? No; it’s not the Pyramids, Stonehenge, Area 51, or cafeteria meatloaf. The world’s greatest mystery is you. That’s right – you. Regardless of what anyone says or thinks, you are the world’s best kept secret. The answer is you.

 

Now it is worth mentioning that you didn’t start out this way. That is to say, you were not always a mystery. At birth you inherited a clean slate which clearly identified your destiny in life. Twas a perfect blend of dreams, desires, and purpose at the forefront of your soul all waiting to be expressed.

 

Nevertheless, as straightforward as this progression is, many of us will never see this evolutionary expression; for whether it is in our own life or in the life of one of the many individuals we know, this authentic manifestation of the soul will never transpire. Thus regardless of the obvious nature of our destiny, many of us will never find it. Be it disenchantment, chronic cynicism, or excess distractions, many diverse factors will cause for our clear conduit to fulfillment to morph into a complex network of conflicting purposes and broken paths. To put it quite plainly – in time things changed. They always do.

 

Certainly there is a great deal I could say regarding this untimely change. Yet to sum it up in 2 words, I would simply state that you changed; specifically when you began the figurative yet inaccurate process of growing up.

 

Believe you me, growing up is not what it’s all cooked up to be. Why not? Quite simply it’s because growing up has unfortunately relapsed into a defective process in which many of us are actually growing away from our destiny. This ill-fated departure transpires as we are adversely influenced by family members, so-called friends, and the world at large.

 

It’s a tragic disappearing act to say the least; the end results of which are always devastating, for the combination of these adverse influences causes for our initial blend of dreams and purpose to be buried beneath conflicting factors such as expectations, individuality, and control. Inopportunely these opposing factors work to perpetuate immense personal disillusionment; hence the great mystery of you.

 

Not convinced yet? How many times have you asked yourself, “Why did I do that?” Or how many times have you looked back on a poor decision you made and shook your head as you wondered, “What was I thinking?”

 

If you’re like me, you’ve asked these questions more times than you can easily count. See our realities are sure. We only know ourselves in part for a good portion of our early lives. Due to a steady inundation of contradictory influences, we will find ourselves investing a great deal of energy and time in sifting through a great many ambitions, intentions, and the like.

 

The problem is many of these motivations are not in line with our destiny. Consequently our decisions in life will be heavily influenced by factors which do not reflect who we really are, factors which will fail to transform us into the person we were originally designed to be.

 

Now you are not just a mystery. You are no longer you. You, my friend, are an imposter. Many of us are or have been.

 

2 PATHS TO TAKE

 

Have I gotten your attention? If so, you are probably asking yourself questions like “what should I do” and “where should I go from here?” Classically there are only 2 paths to be taken at this juncture (which in my estimation is the most crucial crossroad in life).

 

Now the first path is an unfruitful attempt to go through life in the afore-described model of the self-impostor. Chances are you may very well find your destiny in the end and after all. However, in the off-chance this does occur, the path you take will be filled with missed opportunities, meager levels of contentment, and several regrets.

 

Moreover, these several disappointments may cause you to deviate from all worthwhile pursuits altogether and settle for an existence void of self-actualization (self-actualization being the activation of your full potential).

 

As for the second path, it is the good path. I know because I’ve followed this path as well as others who I’ve personally mentored, and yet others all over the world who are just like us. On this path you will embark upon an internal quest to sift through your personal minutia to differentiate your truest purposes in life from your secondary goals.

 

You will also address all those ambitions which you’ve somehow acquired yet do not correspond to your destiny whatsoever. We generally refer to these unfulfilling ends as “baggage” or “dead weight.” Customarily they are some of the greatest deterrents to finding fulfillment. Hence they are factors you must deal with in your quest and you will.

 

Not only these; but you must eventually overcome all things to fulfill your destiny. All you have to do is follow the guidelines associated with the Pinnacle of Purpose, a combination of 7 unique steps which will not only unlock the “mystery of you.” In dedicated fashion, the 7 levels of purpose will progressively transform you into the person you were originally destined to be from your beginning.


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Asylum by Jeannette de Beauvoir 

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Reecaspieces



Overview

Martine LeDuc is the director of PR for the mayor’s office in Montreal. When four women are found brutally murdered and shockingly posed on park benches throughout the city over several months, Martine’s boss fears a PR disaster for the still busy tourist season, and Martine is now also tasked with acting as liaison between the mayor and the police department. The women were of varying ages, backgrounds and bodytypes and seemed to have nothing in common. Yet the macabre presentation of their bodies hints at a connection. Martine is paired with a young detective, Julian Fletcher, and together they dig deep into the city’s and the country’s past, only to uncover a dark secret dating back to the 1950s, when orphanages in Montreal and elsewhere were converted to asylums in order to gain more funding. The children were subjected to horrific experiments such as lobotomies, electroshock therapy, and psychotropic medication, and many of them died in the process. The survivors were supposedly compensated for their trauma by the government and the cases seem to have been settled. So who is bearing a grudge now, and why did these four women have to die?


Not until Martine finds herself imprisoned in the terrifying steam tunnels underneath the old asylum does she put the pieces together. And it is almost too late for her…in Jeannette de Beauvoir’s Asylum.

Review

OH MY GOSH WHAT A BOOK!!! 

I love a book the keeps me researching as I am reading! 

This story opened my eyes to the plight of the Duplessis orphans. These are orphans who were in orphanages one day and woke up in asylums the next day. Canadian social services and the Catholic Church were responsible for the orphans at the time. The reason for the reclassification, of course, was money. These orphans suffered tremendous abuse. You can read more about this here. Some of the abuse was from the good ole CIA. Yes…in Canada. This was at the height of the Cold War. The CIA was testing mind control drugs on these orphans.  The project was called Project MKUltra. You can read more about it here.

Although this novel covers the orphans’ plight, it keeps you in the edge of your seat wondering who the murderer is and who will be killed next. I confess…I know very little about Canada. How the government works and general knowledge about the country and history are not in my repoitoire. This book expanded my knowledge in many areas. It kept me turning pages and gasping for breath on almost every page!! 

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review. 



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Absinthe Doesn’t Make the Heart Grow Fonder by Holly Kerr 

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Reecaspieces



Overview

Josie sets off with Lana, Poppy and Meredith for an evening celebrating her birthday with the best intentions. Dinner, dancing and a little drinking.

A little more drinking, in a few questionable locations. It’s good to catch up with the girls. But then…

Josie realizes her husband isn’t cheating on her, but Poppy won’t talk about the fact that her husband is. Lana won’t talk about her ex, Ted and Meredith is trying to hide something.

The secrets start to come out.

Review

What happens when four best friends get together to celebrate a birthday?  In this tale… A lot of drama and secrets. The author did an excellent job of incorporating humor with the serious issues that are portrayed in this novel. 

These are not your normal group of ladies and these are not your normal secrets you expect to hear. There are many twists and turns. And this story does not turn out as you would expect. All I have to say…read it to find out!

There are some conversations that are stilted and need a little work but the plot keeps you intrigued. Expect the unexpected!! 

About the Author (from Amazon)

Holly Kerr writes contemporary women’s fiction/chick-lit/romance and doesn’t particularly enjoy talking about herself in third person. Her books include Coming Home and Unexpecting. Look for Absinthe Doesn’t Make the Heart Grow Fonder coming soon. (Feb 17) If you require more information about Holly and her books (and she really hope you do because that was her whole reason for setting up this page!) feel free to visit her website or follow her Blog. At times she discusses the craft of writing but usually she muses about her life and what’s she reading, writing or watching. Following her blog would be a great way to make Holly happy. Holly hopes you enjoy her books and she welcomes a chance to interact with her fans, but not in any creepy way. A simple comment “Hey, I really like/don’t like…” would be a lovely way to begin a conversation. Happy Reading!

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Grace Revealed: a memoir by Greg Archer 

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Reecaspieces



Overview

Seventy-five years after Joseph Stalin’s reign of terror across Eastern Europe, entertainment journalist Greg Archer takes a step back from Hollywood and examines his Polish family’s mind-bending odyssey of the 1940s. In the process, he exposes one of the most under-reported events of the 20th Century: Stalin’s mass deportation of nearly two million Polish citizens to the Siberian gulags and the life-shattering events that followed.

But the author’s quest takes a dramatic turn. As he walks an emotional tightrope between the past and the present, can a serendipitous global adventure become a saving grace, heal the ancestral soul and bring justice to his family and their forgotten Polish comrades?


Review

I have said this before and I will say it again…the period around WWII is when the world went nuts!!  I have not read a book about the mass deportation of the Poles.  I have only read bits and pieces about this atrocity in a few novels. I cannot fathom the cruelty experienced by the many people of all ethnicity during this time period.

This book is packed with history.  Traumatic as it is, everyone needs to read and remember this horror.  I learned a lot in this recollection. I never knew what a role the Middle East and India played in the saving of the Poles.  

The narrator is a little whiney and tends to get on my nerves but, this is a minor irritation. This is a very well written memoir and it will not leave my thoughts for a long time. It has definitely made an impression. 

“History has proven that there are people who revel in their attempt to crush the human spirit, but inevitably you cannot exterminate that which you cannot see.  Try as one might, there is no way to extract what resides in the human heart-love, honor, devotion.  All of that is present in Kraków.” 

I received this book from the author for an honest review. 



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Three Days to Forever by Lauren Carr 

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Reecaspieces



Overview

In this latest Mac Faraday Mystery from best-selling mystery author Lauren Carr, readers will embark on a rollercoaster adventure with old friends (including the Lovers in Crime team of Prosecutor Joshua Thornton and Homicide Detective Cameron Gates), but also meet new ones as Mac Faraday’s daughter Jessica Faraday and Joshua Thornton’s son Murphy Thornton join the team in the race to get the love birds to the altar! 

With three days left to the year, Deep Creek Lake is hopping with holiday vacationers and wedding guests pouring into the Spencer Inn for Mac Faraday and Archie Monday’s huge wedding ceremony which is being touted as the social event of the year. 

But droopy flowers and guests who failed to RSVP are the least of Mac’s and Archie’s problems when a professional hit squad hits Spencer Manor to send the groom, Joshua Thornton, Archie’s mother, and Gnarly running for their lives. 

With time running out to the big day, Mac Faraday and Spencer’s small police force have to sort through the clues to figure out not only who has been targeted for assassination, but also who is determined to stop everything … FOREVER! 

Review

I have never read this author or this series. I cannot wait to go back and read the other Mac Faraday Mysteries.  

This novel is packed full of action and the settings are wonderful. I was on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what would happen next.

 However, there were a myriad of characters that can get a little confusing. But, if you refer back to the beginning list, it is very helpful. 

Get your copy today!!!

I received this novel from the author for an honest review 

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Admit to Mayhem by D.J. Adamson GUEST POST 

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Reecaspieces





Overview

With a contrary attitude and an addiction for independence, Lillian Dove admits she has not been a success in life. In fact, she considers failing as one of her addictions. Yet, when she comes across a suspicious house fire with a history of arson and murder, she instinctively attempts to help someone trapped. Lillian becomes the only possible eyewitness to criminal arson, and her life begins to spiral out of control. 

 

Lillian Dove is an endearing “everywoman” struggling with life issues, emotional complexities and a habit of doing just the opposite of what she’s told to do. These qualities in a heroine give the reader an ability to vicariously struggle along with the protagonist in this intriguing Midwest Noir mystery. 



Guest Post

Sent to me by D.J. Adamson

      I use a cat named Bacardi  in my novel Admit to Mayhem, a Lillian Dove Mystery, to say something about my protagonist: 

Bacardi’s my cat, named for his brown and yellow coloring and my first drinking preference of rum and Coke.  At the age of twelve, if you add enough cola, you forget all about the sweet tang of rum. Plus, Bacardi’s hair frizzed out from his body as if he’d stuck his claw in a light socket. When my hair was shorter, I’d woken up many a morning with that same look.  

     My protagonist Lillian Dove is a recovered alcoholic with a 5 year sobriety; however, sobriety is not a dominate theme in the book. This is not another novel about a protagonist that cannot keep sober (be it alcohol or drugs). Instead, Lillian’s objective in the novel and series is to take on life anew with all its emotional, behavioral, and mystery challenges. With the description and affinity to her pet, I wanted the reader to get a feel for Lillian’s troubling past without doing a lot of backstory. 

          The overall plot of the novel begins when Lillian discovers a house fire and becomes an eyewitness to arson. Arson leads to murder. The plot is paced with events to create Lillian’s angst, but again, I wanted to offer my reader the vicarious ability to feel her anxiety and fear. So, I put Bacardi in jeopardy: 

       It came to me then what was missing. “Where’s Bacardi?”

      I got down on my hands and knees and looked under the couch. Dust bunnies but no Bacardi. “Bacardi, where are you?” …I got in my car and drove one block after another, up one street and then the next, calling his name out into the night… “Bacardi?” 

     

      My novel is an amateur-sleuth novel which I classify as a soft-edged Midwest Noir. But no matter whether a writer is developing a conventional mystery, cozy, thriller or horror novel, the use of animals can help offer themes and provide movement of plot.

About the Author (from Amazon)

D. J. Adamson is an award-winning author. Her family roots grow deep in the Midwest and it is here she sets much of her work. Admit to Mayhem is the first novel in her Lillian Dove Mystery Series. Diann  juggles her time between her own desk and teaching writing to others at two Los Angeles area colleges. Along with her husband and two Welsh Terriers, she makes her home in Southern California.

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HAPPY SAINT PATRICKS DAY!!! Thanks for stopping by!! 

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The Whispers by Lisa Unger 

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Reecaspieces



Overview 

Eloise Montgomery discovers her amazing gift in the wake of tragedy in this first of three captivating e-shorts from award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger.

It’s a day like any other for Eloise Montgomery—until tragedy strikes. While she is recovering from a horrible accident that takes the lives of her husband and oldest daughter, and as she works to help her younger daughter move forward, Eloise experiences her first psychic vision. Though she struggles to understand her newfound gifts, Eloise finds a way use them to save lost women and girls—for whom her help may be the only way out…

From an author whose “gripping narrative and evocative, muscular prose” (Associated Press) have won her critical acclaim comes The Whispers: a story that delves deep into the human psyche and the mind of one unforgettable heroine.

Review

This is a short read, only 35 pages. But, it is packed full of valuable insight. 

Eloise looses her daughter and her husband in a tragic accident. As she and her youngest daughter work through their grief and learn to survive, Eloise experiences a psychic vision. 

Through these visions, Eloise extends a helping hand to people in need. This helps Eloise learn to cope with her own grief and the grief of her daughter. 

This is a story about overcoming tragedy, helping each other and family. 

I have not read this author in a long time.  I have no idea why I quit…I will pick her back up. This is a an impressive read in more ways than one. 

“And that is how life worked.  We were all connected, no one is separate.  Things like this are everyone’s problem.”

I received this book as a member of the XOXperts, XOXO After Dark’s official street team, in exchange for an honest review.



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Fur Babies part II 

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Reecaspieces



This is the completed album I did for a friend. The first part you can find here.

This is a very easy album and looks nice to sit around the house

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!! 

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Things Half in Shadow by Alan Finn 

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Reecaspieces



Overview 

Postbellum America makes for a haunting backdrop in this historical and supernatural tale of moonlit cemeteries, masked balls, cunning mediums, and terrifying secrets waiting to be unearthed by an intrepid crime reporter.

Edward Clark is a successful young crime reporter in comfortable circumstances with a lovely, well-connected fiancée. Then an assignment to write a series of exposés on the city’s mediums places all that in jeopardy.

In the Philadelphia of 1869, photographs of Civil War dead adorn dim sitting rooms, and grieving families attempt to contact their lost loved ones. Edward’s investigation of the beautiful young medium Lucy Collins has unintended consequences, however. He uncovers her tricks, but realizes to his dismay that Lucy is more talented at blackmail than she is at a medium’s sleights of hand. And since Edward has a hidden past, he reluctantly agrees that they should collaborate in exposing only her rivals.

The mysterious murder of noted medium Lenora Grimes Pastor as Lucy and Edward attend her séance results in a plum story for Edward—and a great deal more. The pair want to clear themselves from suspicion, but a search spanning the houses of the wealthy to the underside of nineteenth-century Philadelphia unearths a buzzing beehive of past murder, current danger, and supernatural occurrences that cannot be explained…


Review

This is about as close as I get to paranormal.  Ghosts, seances, and psychics really fascinate me. This book has all of that and more. With carriage chases, real ghosts and bees (yes! I said bees!), it is a real page turner.  

This book is set right after the Civil War and has a lot of history folded into the story. Edward is a reporter with a strange assignment.  He needs to write an exposé about Philadelphia’s mediums. This leads him to Lucy Collins. Needless to say, these two have an adventure like no other. 

This book is mesmerizing! All the mediums and magic keep the reader engrossed and Edward’s history is a huge plus to the story.  There are a few areas in the tale that are a little much. The lives of bees(at least it’s not snakes) tends to go on a little longer than necessary. But, this is a minor issue!

This would make a great movie.  As I was reading, I could picture a lot of the scenes on the big screen.  Very realistic for a ghost, medium, magic book! 

I received a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.





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