Women of Faith!!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
A Mom's Life..
I wanted to share this with everyone. I think it is just sooooo funny. This is exactly what my house sounds like! Enjoy and I hope you all have a Wonderful Halloween.
I have 3 little ones running fever and coughing their heads off, so I will probably not be online.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Stretch Marks by Kimberly Stuart
Book Info:
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0781448921
ISBN-13: 978-0781448925
Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0781448921
ISBN-13: 978-0781448925
Synopsis:
Mia is a granola-eating, sensible shoe–wearing, carbon footprint–conscious twenty-something living in a multicultural neighborhood in Chicago. Her mother, Babs, is a stiletto-wearing Zsa Zsa Gabor type who works as an activities hostess on a Caribbean cruise line … and if you guessed there’s some tension there, you’d be right. Factor in an unexpected pregnancy and Mia’s idealistic boyfriend—Lars is such a visionary he doesn’t believe in the institution of marriage—and the mother-daughter relationship is, well, stretched very thin. As is Mia’s sanity when Babs shows up to … help.
Actually, Mia has a whole neighborhood of quirky characters who want to help, including her BFF Frankie, a magenta-haired librarian; Silas, the courtly gentleman of indeterminate age who lives downstairs; and Adam, proprietor of the corner grocery store where Mia shops. But it’s Adam—endearing, kind, possessed of a perfect smile and impeccable Persian manners—who ultimately charms Babs and rescues Mia from more than one mother-induced meltdown. Could it be that Mia and Babs might actually be able to get along?
With Kimberly Stuart’s trademark irreverent humor and a surprising and satisfying take on romance, Stretch Marks is an authentic but tender story about family, grace, and the importance of a good grocer.
My Opinion:
Stretch Marks is an endearing journey of a lovable woman back into family, faith, and love. I found myself enthralled with Mia's journey while experiencing her many emotions. I was so mad at Lars for being such a loser (been there). I was constantly telling Mia to leave him alone verbally! What a jerk! I wanted to hug her when she cried and yell at her to eat a steak when she ate tofu! You would be hard pressed to find a character to experience the joy and pain pregnancy can cause.
Mia's mother brought a great element of understanding, humility, and forgivness into the story and taught the reader that it is never to late to make things right. She was very outspoken and out landish. Bab's really reminded of the grannies that try to be to hip! I really enjoyed reading the repair in their long-strained relationship. I also loved how Stuart used Babs to introduce Mia back into her faith.
Another character I just LOVED was Flor.... a pregnant teen left scared and alone to fend for herself (been there too). She was so bold on the outside, yet seemed so timid and fragile. Hers was a great story that teaches us that the "right" decisions are most often the hardest.
This was overall a great book. So many wonderful characters add their own lesson and love to the story. It was very difficult to put down. It was also very funny! I loved it!
4 Stars! This is one I would not regret buying.
You can check it out here to read an exerpt or buy the book. Also glance at a few of her other books! They look great.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
One of those Whiney posts...
Everyone has their moment of poor me...blah blah blah... Well this is mine.... You absolutely do not have to read this. You can absolutely check out a different site... This is just to make me feel better. I don't want pity at all... I just really want to rant. So, I shall!
I am so sick of A.D. Frickin' D. I am sick of my daughter crying and throwing a fit because she has to take 2 different meds three times a day just so she can pay attention at school. I am sick of her teacher complaining that she is falling asleep in class. Yeah, she goes to bed at 8:30 p.m... IT'S HER MEDS! They both make her drowsy. It's a double whammy 3 times a day! You think it's aggravating?! Try being her!
I am tired of her teacher saying she isn't trying hard enough to pay attention. ARE YOU STUPID?!!!? REALLY?!!?? SHE HAS INATTENTIVE AD/HD! She doesn't have the capacity!?! FRICK!
I am sick of begging you to put her in a remedial math class because she makes a 40% on every paper because she doesn't understand the concept. Of course it doesn't help that she is dyslexic and see everything backwards! Pay attention to her IEP! WE have already been through this! Stop Ignoring me because you "think " you know what the problem is. I have spent months in waiting rooms while she has been poked prodded and tested to the point of exhaustion. I think I have a little more insight into her than you do. You have known her for 8 weeks... I have for 9 years Give me some credit.
I am sick of trying different medications! We have to do a new one every month because one doesn't work, one makes her violent, one gives her hives.... give me a break.
I am SO tired of Dr. and therapist visits... I have at least 2 a week. I just want to stay home in my pajama's all day, and catch up on these books that I am behind on. I want my daughter to get the perfect attendance award at the end of the 6 weeks.
I am sick of getting called to school because my 6 year old is in ISS, Dhall, the Principal's office, against the fence at recess, in the hall way on the wall, where ever you have put her for being in trouble.... I have begged you to evaluate her for A.D.D 2 times already this year! It is Hereditary! I have it... one of my daughters has it.. and this one exhibits the same symptoms except 10 times worse... she kicked out a window a home! Just evaluate her! Please! So I can get er an appointment at the Dr. office.
Why do most (not all) teachers think that parents are stupid and know nothing about their own kids! Why do they not listen... every year it is the same. I try to warn them and they ignore me and think that I am overreacting... I'm not. I was at the school 182 times last year because of 1 child... really.. They counted and almost kicked her out. Sometimes her teacher would call 3 times a day....
Okay,... I am done now. I don't really feel better. I am just really frustrated with the school and their terrible listening skills.
I am so sick of A.D. Frickin' D. I am sick of my daughter crying and throwing a fit because she has to take 2 different meds three times a day just so she can pay attention at school. I am sick of her teacher complaining that she is falling asleep in class. Yeah, she goes to bed at 8:30 p.m... IT'S HER MEDS! They both make her drowsy. It's a double whammy 3 times a day! You think it's aggravating?! Try being her!
I am tired of her teacher saying she isn't trying hard enough to pay attention. ARE YOU STUPID?!!!? REALLY?!!?? SHE HAS INATTENTIVE AD/HD! She doesn't have the capacity!?! FRICK!
I am sick of begging you to put her in a remedial math class because she makes a 40% on every paper because she doesn't understand the concept. Of course it doesn't help that she is dyslexic and see everything backwards! Pay attention to her IEP! WE have already been through this! Stop Ignoring me because you "think " you know what the problem is. I have spent months in waiting rooms while she has been poked prodded and tested to the point of exhaustion. I think I have a little more insight into her than you do. You have known her for 8 weeks... I have for 9 years Give me some credit.
I am sick of trying different medications! We have to do a new one every month because one doesn't work, one makes her violent, one gives her hives.... give me a break.
I am SO tired of Dr. and therapist visits... I have at least 2 a week. I just want to stay home in my pajama's all day, and catch up on these books that I am behind on. I want my daughter to get the perfect attendance award at the end of the 6 weeks.
I am sick of getting called to school because my 6 year old is in ISS, Dhall, the Principal's office, against the fence at recess, in the hall way on the wall, where ever you have put her for being in trouble.... I have begged you to evaluate her for A.D.D 2 times already this year! It is Hereditary! I have it... one of my daughters has it.. and this one exhibits the same symptoms except 10 times worse... she kicked out a window a home! Just evaluate her! Please! So I can get er an appointment at the Dr. office.
Why do most (not all) teachers think that parents are stupid and know nothing about their own kids! Why do they not listen... every year it is the same. I try to warn them and they ignore me and think that I am overreacting... I'm not. I was at the school 182 times last year because of 1 child... really.. They counted and almost kicked her out. Sometimes her teacher would call 3 times a day....
Okay,... I am done now. I don't really feel better. I am just really frustrated with the school and their terrible listening skills.
Giveaway! and Review: Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms by Jane Doiron
Book Info:
Pub. Date: August 2009
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.
Format: Paperback, 232pp
ISBN-13: 9781432720865
ISBN: 1432720864
On The Back Cover:
Make Ahead meals are not just for
Moms who work outside of the home. It's a way of cooking that helps all families, big and small. It all comes down to a little planning. Make a meal or two in advance when you have some extra time. Then you'll be rewarded with quick, delicious home-cooked meals when you really need them!
Moms who work outside of the home. It's a way of cooking that helps all families, big and small. It all comes down to a little planning. Make a meal or two in advance when you have some extra time. Then you'll be rewarded with quick, delicious home-cooked meals when you really need them!
My Opinion:
I am a busy mom. I have 5 amazing children that compete in all types of activities including Kajukembo every Mon and Thurs. It can get hectic when you add in church and family time. There are many days that we are eating sandwiches and tomato soup! There just isn't time for anything else.
Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms was a great cookbook for me. You know if I review a cookbook I test out 90% of the recipes before I post a review. Jane did a great job.
The recipes are very traditional. From bread to the main course and dessert, everything came out beautifully and so delicious. I think I was most impressed with the fact that I had almost everything on hand! I didn't have to wait for a grocery shopping day to get half the Items I needed. It was very simple.
In one hour's time, I found that I could prepare 6 meals to freeze. That is almost a weeks worth of food... The best part is, since it is a more traditional cookbook, my kids weren't afraid to try anything. Sometimes when you try out a new recipe it can be a fight over who takes the first bite. I did not have that problem here. They loved everything. I think our family fave was the Chicken Cannelloni! It was so great!
Sound Good? You can win a copy!
Jane has graciously offered an extra copy for giveaway.... Here is what you need to do.
Visit her website and browse through the table of contents. Leave a message here with what you would like to try. Please include email addy.
For extra entries (after you do the one above)
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I will choose a winner on Nov.9, 2009 at 6 pm by using random org. I will then contact the winner. U S residents only No PO boxes please
A Change in Altitude (Audio Book) by Anita Shreve
Synopsis:Margaret and Patrick have been married just a few months when they set off on what they hope will be a great adventure-a year living in Kenya. Margaret quickly realizes there is a great deal she doesn't know about the complex mores of her new home, and about her own husband. A British couple invites the newlyweds to join on a climbing expedition to Mount Kenya, and they eagerly agree. But during their harrowing ascent, a horrific accident occurs. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Margaret struggles to understand what happened on the mountain and how these events have transformed her and her marriage, perhaps forever.A Change in Altitude illuminates the inner landscape of a couple, the irrevocable impact of tragedy, and the elusive nature of forgiveness. With stunning language and striking emotional intensity, Anita Shreve transports us to the exotic panoramas of Africa and into the core of our most intimate relationships.
Want to Win it?
Hachette Book Group has done it again. Anna has offered up more great titles. What would we do with out her?
Hachette Book Group has done it again. Anna has offered up more great titles. What would we do with out her?
You know the rules..
I have 3 copies available thanks to the wonderful Anna from Hachette. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win. NO P.O. BOXES! Giveaway will end November 5th at 6 p.m. Please leave an email address in your comment or I can not contact you and will choose another winner. Winners will be chosen by random.org. Books will be shipped to the winners directly from
Hachette Book Group.
To enter: Leave a comment.
Extra entries: please leave a new comment for all extra entries.
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Giveaway! A Separate Country (Audio Book) by Robert Hicks
Synopsis:
Set in New Orleans in the years after the Civil War, A Separate Country is based on the incredible life of John Bell Hood, arguably one of the most controversial generals of the Confederate Army--and one of its most tragic figures. Robert E. Lee promoted him to major general after the Battle of Antietam. But the Civil War would mark him forever. At Gettysburg, he lost the use of his left arm. At the Battle of Chickamauga, his right leg was amputated. Starting fresh after the war, he married Anna Marie Hennen and fathered 11 children with her, including three sets of twins. But fate had other plans. Crippled by his war wounds and defeat, ravaged by financial misfortune, Hood had one last foe to battle: Yellow Fever. A Separate Country is the heartrending story of a decent and good man who struggled with his inability to admit his failures-and the story of those who taught him to love, and to be loved, and transformed him.
Want to Win it?
Hachette Book Group has done it again. Anna has offered up more great titles. What would we do with out her?
You know the rules.
.
.
I have 3 copies available thanks to the wonderful Anna from Hachette. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win. NO P.O. BOXES! Giveaway will end November 5th at 6 p.m. Please leave an email address in your comment or I can not contact you and will choose another winner. Winners will be chosen by random.org. Books will be shipped to the winners directly from Hachette Book Group.
To enter: Leave a comment.
Extra entries: please leave a new comment for all extra entries.
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follow me on twitter and tweet it @abookishmom
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Giveaway! The Love Revolution ( Audio Book) by Joyce Meyer
Synopsis:
Joyce Meyer is not satisfied with the status quo. She believes that we each need to become a revolutionary and practice love every day. And if Joyce has her way, the revolution will spread - person by person, house by house, town by town, until the old culture of selfishness and greed gives way to a new culture of concern for others. The book is a revolutionaries' manual, a hands-on primer for bringing the Golden Rule to life in the twenty-first century. Meyer starts out by giving some stunning statistics.
Right now...210,000 children will die this week because of poverty; 640 million children do not have adequate shelter; every day, 3,000 children are abducted into the sex-trafficking industry; every day, 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes. She goes on to say that although crisis is global, the solution is local. We can't solve the world's problems, but that isn't a reason to remain idle.
LOVE REVOLUTION focuses on personal behavior on the local scale. It's not just a call to action; it is a call to being: being the person who goes out of your way to encourage someone who's out of hope; being the one who smiles at a stranger; being the one who is willing to do something for nothing. The paradox: when we do something for nothing, what we often get is something far greater.
Want to Win it?
Hachette Book Group has done it again. Anna has offered up more great titles. What would we do with out her?
You know the rules.
I have 3 copies available thanks to the wonderful Anna from Hachette. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win. NO P.O. BOXES! Giveaway will end November 5th at 6 p.m. Please leave an email address in your comment or I can not contact you and will choose another winner. Winners will be chosen by random.org. Books will be shipped to the winners directly from Hachette Book Group
.
.
To enter: Leave a comment.
Extra entries: please leave a new comment for all extra entries.
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Giveaway! The Last Song (Audio Book) by Nicholas Sparks
Synopsis:
Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alientated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.
The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.
Want to Win it?
Hachette Book Group has done it again. Anna has offered up more great titles. What would we do with out her?
You know the rules.
I have 3 copies available thanks to the wonderful Anna from Hachette. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win. NO P.O. BOXES! Giveaway will end November 5th at 6 p.m. Please leave an email address in your comment or I can not contact you and will choose another winner. Winners will be chosen by random.org. Books will be shipped to the winners directly from Hachette Book Group
To enter: Leave a comment.
Extra entries: please leave a new comment for all extra entries.
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follow me on twitter and tweet it @abookishmom
follow me on twitter and tweet it @abookishmom
Giveaway: Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson and Richard Dilallo
Synopsis:The year is 1906, and America is segregated. Hatred and discrimination plague the streets, the classroom, and the courts. But in Washington D.C., Ben Corbett, a smart and courageous lawyer, makes it his mission to confront injustice at every turn. He represents those who nobody else dares defend, merely because of the color of their skin. When President Roosevelt, under whom Ben served in the Spanish-American war, asks Ben to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in his home town in Mississippi, he cannot refuse. The details of Ben's harrowing story--and his experiences with a remarkable man named Abraham Cross--were passed from generation to generation, until they were finally recounted to Alex Cross by his grandmother, Nana Mama. From the first time hear heard the story, Alex was unable to forget the unimaginable events Ben witnessed in Eudora and pledged to tell it to the world. Alex Cross's Trial is unlike any story Patterson has ever told, but offers the astounding action and breakneck speed of any Alex Cross novel.
Want to Win it?
Hachette Book Group has done it again. Anna has offered up more great titles. What would we do with out her?
You know the rules.
I have 3 copies available thanks to the wonderful Anna from Hachette. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win. NO P.O. BOXES! Giveaway will end November 5th at 6 p.m. Please leave an email address in your comment or I can not contact you and will choose another winner. Winners will be chosen by random.org. Books will be shipped to the winners directly from Hachette Book Group.
To enter: Leave a comment.
Extra entries: please leave a new comment for all extra entries.
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Giveaway: I Can See You by Karen Rose
Synopsis:
Evie Wilson was the victim of the villain in DON'T TELL, an assault which resulted in paralysis on one side of her face. After her injury, Evie retreated into the virtual realm, seeking refuge from the public eye by interacting with online friends. Now, with the help of a surgeon, Evie's face is restored and she is ready to return to the real world. However, she remains connected to the internet for her graduate thesis on using the virtual world as therapy to improve self-esteem. She has become an online shopkeeper who sells faces and bodies to users interested in building a new avatar on a website called "Another World."
In her new role, Evie maintains "surveillance" over her test subjects to ensure they don't become too caught up in the intoxicating virtual realm.Meanwhile, homicide detective John Grace has been investigating a string of suspicious suicides that he believes are connected murders. John's investigation leads him to Evie when one of her online test subjects is found dead of apparent suicide, but Evie believes otherwise.Evie is shocked to find herself drawn to someone for the first time in over three years and she's reluctant to trust John. However, he's the only one who believes her story about the suspicious death of her test subject, and he soon discovers that many of the apparent suicides in his case had avatars in "Another World."
As murder victims connected to the website begin to appear more frequently, John asks Evie to be his virtual guide in the investigation. However, they don't realize that the killer is closer than they think--and that he holds a special grudge against Evie.
Listen to an Excerpt
I Can See You - Extended TV Spot
I Can See You - TV Spot
You can win 1 of 3 copies!
Hachette Book Group has done it again. Anna has offered up more great titles. What would we do with out her?
You know the rules.
I have 3 copies available thanks to the wonderful Anna from Hachette. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win. NO P.O. BOXES! Giveaway will end November 5th at 6 p.m. Please leave an email address in your comment or I can not contact you and will choose another winner. Winners will be chosen by random.org. Books will be shipped to the winners directly from Hachette Book Group
To enter: Leave a comment.
Extra entries: please leave a new comment for all extra entries.
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Giveaway! The Murder of King Tut (Audio Book) by James Patterson
Synopsis:
Since 1922, when Howard Carter discovered Tut's 3,000-year-old tomb, most Egyptologists have presumed that the young king died of disease, or perhaps an accident, such as a chariot fall.But what if his fate was actually much more sinister?Now, in THE MURDER OF TUT, James Patterson and Martin Dugard chronicle their epic quest to find out what happened to the boy-king. They comb through the evidence--X-rays, Carter's files, forensic clues--and scavenge for overlooked data to piece together the details of his life and death. The result is a true crime tale of intrigue, betrayal, and usurpation that presents a compelling case that King Tut's death was anything but natural.
Want to Win it?
Hachette Book Group has done it again. Anna has offered up more great titles. What would we do with out her?
You know the rules.
I have 3 copies available thanks to the wonderful Anna from Hachette. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win. NO P.O. BOXES! Giveaway will end November 5th at 6 p.m. Please leave an email address in your comment or I can not contact you and will choose another winner. Winners will be chosen by random.org. Books will be shipped to the winners directly from Hachette Book Group
To enter: Leave a comment.
Extra entries: please leave a new comment for all extra entries.
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New Giveaways up!
Hey guys... Don't forget New Giveaways are up! I a personally looking forward to Permission Slips by Sherri Shepherd, and 9 Dragons by Michael Connelly.
I can't wait for the Lovely Bones... It comes out on video in December and stars Susan Sarandon! Among a few of my other favorites. Get your entries in...
I can't wait for the Lovely Bones... It comes out on video in December and stars Susan Sarandon! Among a few of my other favorites. Get your entries in...
Arch Enemy: The Looking Glass Wars Book 3 by Frank Beddor
Synopsis:
The war for Wonderland has become a war for Imagination!
King Arch has declared himself King of Wonderland as Alyss searches wildly for the solution to the metaphysical disaster that has engulfed her Queendom. The power of Imagination has been lost!
King Arch has declared himself King of Wonderland as Alyss searches wildly for the solution to the metaphysical disaster that has engulfed her Queendom. The power of Imagination has been lost!
Alyss's search for answers takes her to London where Arch's assassins threaten Alice Liddell and her family. But after coming to her adopted family's assistance, Alyss discovers herself trapped in a conundrum of evaporating puddles. The shimmering portals that exist to transport her home through the Pool of Tears are disappearing! What is happening in Wonderland? Deep within the Valley of Mushrooms the Caterpillar Oracles issue this prophecy: "Action shall be taken to ensure the safety of the Heart Crystal. For Everqueen." But who is Everqueen?
My Opinion:
As many of you know, I am obsessed with anything Alice in wonderland. I was so excited When I found out about the Looking Glass Wars series! The first two books are absolutely amazing. I was astounded by the creativity and imagination. Hatter M. Volume 1 (graphic novel) is a great look into the search for Alyss.
I was disappointed by the final book. Arch Enemy had the potential to be a "rock your socks" battle between good and bad. I had such high hopes. The book was in great detail until the end, where, I feel it was rushed. The Battle between Red and Arch was very anticlimax. After reading the wars in the first 2 books, I was left very disappointed and bored with this one. The same could be said about the final battle between Redd and her niece Alyss. They had battled so magnificently over the crown in the previous books, but with this, there was no confrontation... Unfortunately, I am sad to say that Arch Enemy could have been a lot better than it was. Maybe my expectations were just too high.
2.5 Stars
Buy it if you must, but honestly, It would just be better to borrow a copy.
You can get a copy of the book here... I got a copy of each that are Autographed for about $17 ea.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Quote Me..
Stretch Marks by Kimberly Stuart~
page 149
Babs raised her eyebrows in preemptive reproach. " The poor man (speaking of an ob/gyn) has his nose in foo-foos all day. I hope yours would represent our family well."
How Funny! That totally sounds like my mom! This book is great so far, by the way. Be expecting a review soon!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Giveaway! Permission Slips (Audio Book) by Sherri Shepherd
Book Info:
Category: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Format: AUDIO BOOK
Subformat: CD (AUDIO)
Edition: Unabridged
Publish Date: 10/5/2009
ISBN: 9781600247507
Synopsis:
Covering topics such as "It's Jesus or Jail," "Marriage, the Hard Way," "Children: The Gift You Can't Give Back," and "All the Things I Don't Know...And All the Things I Definitely Do," stand-up comedienne, actress, and ABC's The View co-host Sherri Shepherd comically chronicles her struggles to keep up with the many roles-professional, wife, mother, daughter, and friend-that women must play in today's world. Sherri urges women to pursue their most important dreams and to never give up, but also lets listeners know that it's okay to give themselves "permission slips" when things don't always work out the way they want them to.
The Giveaway Rules:
I have 3 copies available thanks to the wonderful Anna from Hachette. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win NO P.O. BOXES giveaway will end November 5th at 6 p.m.
Please leave an email address in your comment or I can not contact you and will choose another winner. Winners will be chosen by random.org. Books will be shipped to the winners directly from Hachette Book Group
To enter:
View the Video and Leave a comment on what you think.
Extra entries: please leave a new comment for all extra entries.
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Giveaway! 9 Dragons (Audio Book) by Michael Connelly
Book Info:
Category: FICTION, SUSPENSE & THRILLERS
Format: AUDIO BOOK
Subformat: CD (AUDIO)
Edition: Unabridged
Publish Date: 10/13/2009
ISBN: 9781600247439
Synopsis:
LAPD Detective Harry Bosch is off the chain in the fastest, fiercest, and highest-stakes case of his life.
Fortune Liquors is a small shop in a tough South L.A. neighborhood, a store Bosch has known for years. The murder of John Li, the store's owner, hits Bosch hard, and he promises Li's family that he'll find the killer.
The world Bosch steps into next is unknown territory. He brings in a detective from the Asian Gang Unit for help with translation--not just of languages but also of the cultural norms and expectations that guided Li's life. He uncovers a link to a Hong Kong triad, a lethal and far-reaching crime ring that follows many immigrants to their new lives in the U.S.
And instantly his world explodes. The one good thing in Bosch's life, the person he holds most dear, is taken from him and Bosch travels to Hong Kong in an all-or-nothing bid to regain what he's lost. In a place known as Nine Dragons, as the city's Hungry Ghosts festival burns around him, Bosch puts aside everything he knows and risks everything he has in a desperate bid to outmatch the triad's ferocity.
The Giveaway Rules:
I have 3 copies available thanks to the wonderful Anna from Hachette. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win NO P.O. BOXES giveaway will end November 5th at 6 p.m.
Please leave an email address in your comment or I can not contact you and will choose another winner. Winners will be chosen by random.org. Books will be shipped to the winners directly from Hachette Book Group
To enter:
View the Video and Leave a comment on what you think.
Extra entries: please leave a new comment for all extra entries.
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Giveaway! Say Your One of Them (Audio Book) by Uwem Akpan
Book Info:Category: FICTION
Format: AUDIO BOOK
Subformat: CD (AUDIO)
Edition: Unabridged Selections
Publish Date: 10/13/2009
ISBN: 9781607883418
Synopsis:
Uwem Akpan's stunning stories humanize the perils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel they've ever encountered Africa so immediately. The eight-year-old narrator of "An Ex-Mas Feast" needs only enough money to buy books and pay fees in order to attend school. Even when his twelve-year-old sister takes to the streets to raise these meager funds, his dream can't be granted.
Food comes first. His family lives in a street shanty in Nairobi, Kenya, but their way of both loving and taking advantage of each other strikes a universal chord. In the second of his stories published in a New Yorker special fiction issue, Akpan takes us far beyond what we thought we knew about the tribal conflict in Rwanda.
The story is told by a young girl, who, with her little brother, witnesses the worst possible scenario between parents. They are asked to do the previously unimaginable in order to protect their children. This singular collection will also take the reader inside Nigeria, Benin, and Ethiopia, revealing in beautiful prose the harsh consequences for children of life in Africa.Akpan's voice is a literary miracle, rendering lives of almost unimaginable deprivation and terror into stories that are nothing short of transcendent.
The Giveaway:
I have 3 copies available thanks to the wonderful Anna from Hachette. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win NO P.O. BOXES giveaway will end November 5th at 6 p.m.
Please leave an email address in your comment or I can not contact you and will choose another winner. Winners will be chosen by random.org. books will be shipped to the winners directly from Hachette Book Group
To enter:
Visit the author's website and Leave a comment on what you think.
for extra entries: please leave a new comment for all extra entries.
Follow me or Subscribe to my feed
follow me on twitter and tweet it @abookishmom
blog it and link back
Giveaway! The Lovely Bones (Audio Book) by Alice Sebold
Book Info:Category: FICTION
Format: AUDIO BOOK
Subformat: CD (AUDIO)
Edition: Unabridged
Publish Date: 9/30/2009
ISBN: 9781600248429
Format: AUDIO BOOK
Subformat: CD (AUDIO)
Edition: Unabridged
Publish Date: 9/30/2009
ISBN: 9781600248429
Synopsis:
Once in a generation a novel comes along that taps a vein of universal human experience, resonating with readers of all ages. THE LOVELY BONES is such a book -- a #1 bestseller celebrated at once for its artistry, for its luminous clarity of emotion, and for its astonishing power to lay claim to the hearts of millions of readers around the world. Now in an audiobook edition read by the author, with movie tie-in art.
"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."
So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, THE LOVELY BONES succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.
The major motion picture version of THE LOVELY BONES, directed by Peter Jackson and starring Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, and Saoirse Ronan is scheduled for release on December 11, 2009.
The Giveaway Rules:
I have 3 copies available thanks to the wonderful Anna from Hachette. Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win NO P.O. BOXES giveaway will end November 5th at 6 p.m.
Please leave an email address in your comment or I can not contact you and will choose another winner. Winners will be chosen by random.org. books will be shipped to the winners directly from Hachette Book Group
To enter:
Watch the movie trailer and Leave a comment on what you think.
for extra entries: please leave a new comment for all extra entries.
Follow me or Subscribe to my feed
follow me on twitter and tweet it @abookishmom
blog it and link back
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Mrs. Trimble's Trapdoor Book 1 by Lori Jordan-Rice
Book Info:
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Synergy Books (October 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982160143
ISBN-13: 978-0982160145
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Synergy Books (October 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982160143
ISBN-13: 978-0982160145
Synopsis:
Tyler Thompson hates that he never knows the answers to any of Miss Trimble's questions in class. But one day, Tyler accidentally unlocks a secret trapdoor beneath his school desk! He discovers a dark, mysterious basement filled with old books guarded by a magical talking dog named Barnabas Bailey. Now, with the help of the books and Barnabas, Tyler can travel to any time in the past to learn about history up close.
My Opinioin:
Poor Tyler can't catch a break. He can't remember any of his history lessons and the school bully picks on him. All Tyler wants is a friend.. and maybe to talk to that girl..
Lori Jordan-Rice took an amazing idea and gave it life through loveable characters.
Concerned with the fact that children weren't retaining information in history classes, she has gives us a series of book that children can love and have fun with. That is how we remember things.
Book 1 intoduces us to all of the characters and gives us a feel for who they are. It builds up the situation so that in the next book, which I look forward too, we are right in the story ready to jump in the trapdoor and let the learning begin.
Will Tyler learn his history and pass the class? Will he be able to make friends? We'll see....
This is a great series that a child will walk awawy with more than just a story. They will take with themsome of the fundamentals of history.
5 stars.
My anniversary Surprise pt.2 (pics)
I can not tell you what a great time I had last night. My husband is awesome. It was a great surprise and I was clueless (which means he didn't tell the kids). you have to reserve the cabins at least 6 months in advanced so he planned it!
It was absolutely beautiful at the lake. Our cabin as right on the water! We had to bring our own linens and such, but it was totally worth it. The kids had a blast last night. we took a bunch of candy and snacks and vegged out in front of the tv after the kids had gone to the playground and fishing with dad. The played on the deck and ran around... Then they finally fell asleep. ahhh.. Peace and Quiet.... NOT! They woke up at 3:30 am and decided to wake mom up... so we stayed up until 5:30 am.
This Morning we were blessed by the most beautiful view. The sun was amazing off the lake, and There were Ducks and Canadian Geese outside of our deck. I opened up the french doors and we went out to feed them some bread! It was so fun. There were also 3 really fat squirrles in the trees, but I counldn't get pic of them.. They were moving too fast.
This is my kinda camping! And Lets not fo get my awesomely awesome garage sale piano that I have been playing since I got home! It is in tune and all of the keys work, which is awesome since it is so old! 
Saturday, October 24, 2009
My anniversary Surprise...
Four Years ago today, My dear hubby and I were married. Yes, it is my anniversary. My dear husband had the best surprise for me. On a whim, this morning, he passed a garage sale. Someone had donated an upright piano.... he bought it for me. It only cost $260 and It is reall old, but I love the piano. I have always wanted one of my own... Wait, that's not all....
He reserved a cabin at the lake for us! He is so sweet! Now we can relax and enjoy some peace and quiet... Just kidding.. we have no babysitter and have to take the kids, but at least we can spend some time at the lake with them! NICE! He is awesome.
He reserved a cabin at the lake for us! He is so sweet! Now we can relax and enjoy some peace and quiet... Just kidding.. we have no babysitter and have to take the kids, but at least we can spend some time at the lake with them! NICE! He is awesome.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
I am sad to report..
You will not see the $50 Challenge for the next few weeks. I have no room. My freezer and deep freeze are full to the brim... I actually had to put the ribs in the fridge until I can do something... like eat em! lol. We will, of course, buy mile and eggs and such. As for the rest.. I have plenty. I don't know if I am sad or happy about it.
The $50 Challenge! I am fairly happy...
Albertsons had their crazy 8's sale this week... The had some really great deals on meat as well... Target had very few that I wanted. Here is what I snagged: Target:
2 Totally fruit four packs 1.57 ea. (-2 $1/1 q's)
3 Skippy Peanut Butter Jars clearenced 1.25 (-3 $1/1 target q's)
2 Boxes Franken Berry Cereal 1.99 ea. (-2 $1/2 q's)
Total: $6.17 Used Target gift cards = Free
Total: $6.17 Used Target gift cards = Free
Albertson's
4 whole fryer chickens 57 cents/lb
3 packs Beef ribs 97 cents/lb
4 Betty Crocker potato pouches 88 cents ea. -4 $.40/1 q's doubled) They were 8 cents ea!
4 Green Giant Boxed Veggies in Sauce .88 cents ea.
oodles of bushes and hunts canned veggies with various coupons
Tomatoes 99 cents/lb
Apples 79 cents/lb
1 Bagged salad (-1 $.50 q doubles)
10 Steam fresh rice packets 88 cents ea. (these are great for the hubs to take to work with some type of meat and veg. He loves em)
3 musselman's cinnamon applesauce 6 packs 99 cents ea.
1 head cabbage 29 cents.
7 packs hot dogs 89 cents ea.
9 totinos pizzas 88 cents ea. (-2 $1/4 q's)
2 free 2 lt. 7 up (for buying 8 totinos) ( I forgot them. I gotta go get em while the kids are at Karate I already called the store.)
Total: $58.17
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Missing.... Have you seen me?
I think I will take most of the day off.. It is Wed. and as you all know that means that the sale ad's have come out today. If you live in my neck of the woods (TX) Albertson's is having their Crazy 8's sale! My heart beat just quickened.... The have some GREAT DEALS! amd I have a lot of coupons to clip... ie:)
Bettycrocker pouch potatoes 88 cents ea.. I have 40 cents off q's!
Big G Cereals 1.88/box Tons of Q's out there! I am excited. Be looking forward to a $50 challenge post in the next few days!
Bettycrocker pouch potatoes 88 cents ea.. I have 40 cents off q's!
Big G Cereals 1.88/box Tons of Q's out there! I am excited. Be looking forward to a $50 challenge post in the next few days!
Children's Place 50% off sale...
The Children's Place has their clothes 50% off.
If you shop through ebates you can get an extra 3% back. If you spend $80 Use this code to get $20 off PDA99. Not looking to spend that much? Use this code to get 15% off your order, and as always shipping is $5.
Now those are great christmas presents at a cheap price!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Movie Warning and Petition
After watching Coraline with my kids.. I learned to check out movie reviews first. Here is a warning about an upcoming movie that will be released this month. It is a Horror... which I love, but I wont be watching this one.. it even surpasses my level of psychotic and I hold high standards.
I am not saying don't see it... to each his own. I am saying don't be fooled by the Rating, and make sure you know what your kids are watching...
Here is an email I received today:
AntiChrist starrting William Defoe
We're grieved to tell you about one of the most vile movies of all time which is set to hit theaters next week. Read details below. If we even put the poster in this e-mail, you would be disgusted. Your help we can make a significant difference in stopping its impact.
Please sign the petition by clicking here to get this movie rated NC-17, which will limit it's distribution.
Here's why a NC-17 rating is so critical:
An R rated movie easily makes its way to the cinema in your local neighborhood. Thankfully, many local cinemas still won't show the movie if it's NC-17.
An R rated movie stands a chance to make more money than NC-17 and this will only encourage some producers in Hollywood to make more vile movies like this.
And most importantly, children under 17 cannot get into movies with an NC-17 rating, unlike R rated movies, which admit them.
Currently the movie has elected to be "Not Rated" which will allow ANYONE OF ANY AGE TO VIEW MOVIE.
THE MOVIE not only includes deliberately explicit and pornographic sex scenes, it also contains graphic close-ups of sexual mutilation and murderous, accidental violence, including the death of a baby.
A woman is portrayed as the antichrist in this film. The main female character in the movie takes a two by four to her husband's private parts. And then drills his leg to a millstone while doing other acts of mutilation. This is not the kind of thing we want our children to observe.
The movie is designed not only to shock and titillate the audience. It is also designed to contain symbols, metaphors and other content referring to Christian, biblical themes.
We must act now, today since the movie is coming out next week. Please stand with us and others who care about how movies affect our kids. Click here and sign the petition.
Please forward this petition to everyone in your address book who cares about protecting the eyes and minds of children (as well as adults!).
Click here to sign the petition
Click here to read the review of ANTICHRIST
I am not saying don't see it... to each his own. I am saying don't be fooled by the Rating, and make sure you know what your kids are watching...
Here is an email I received today:
AntiChrist starrting William Defoe
We're grieved to tell you about one of the most vile movies of all time which is set to hit theaters next week. Read details below. If we even put the poster in this e-mail, you would be disgusted. Your help we can make a significant difference in stopping its impact.
Please sign the petition by clicking here to get this movie rated NC-17, which will limit it's distribution.
Here's why a NC-17 rating is so critical:
An R rated movie easily makes its way to the cinema in your local neighborhood. Thankfully, many local cinemas still won't show the movie if it's NC-17.
An R rated movie stands a chance to make more money than NC-17 and this will only encourage some producers in Hollywood to make more vile movies like this.
And most importantly, children under 17 cannot get into movies with an NC-17 rating, unlike R rated movies, which admit them.
Currently the movie has elected to be "Not Rated" which will allow ANYONE OF ANY AGE TO VIEW MOVIE.
THE MOVIE not only includes deliberately explicit and pornographic sex scenes, it also contains graphic close-ups of sexual mutilation and murderous, accidental violence, including the death of a baby.
A woman is portrayed as the antichrist in this film. The main female character in the movie takes a two by four to her husband's private parts. And then drills his leg to a millstone while doing other acts of mutilation. This is not the kind of thing we want our children to observe.
The movie is designed not only to shock and titillate the audience. It is also designed to contain symbols, metaphors and other content referring to Christian, biblical themes.
We must act now, today since the movie is coming out next week. Please stand with us and others who care about how movies affect our kids. Click here and sign the petition.
Please forward this petition to everyone in your address book who cares about protecting the eyes and minds of children (as well as adults!).
Click here to sign the petition
Click here to read the review of ANTICHRIST
The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love...
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (June 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400073952
ISBN-13: 978-1400073955
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (June 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400073952
ISBN-13: 978-1400073955
SYNOPSIS:
Once a month, the six women of the Sweet gum Knit Lit Society gather to discuss books and share their knitting projects. Inspired by her recently-wedded bliss, group leader Eugenie chooses “Great Love Stories in Literature” as the theme for the year’s reading list–a risky selection for a group whose members span the spectrum of age and relationship status.
As the Knit Lit ladies read and discus classic romances like Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, and Pride and Prejudice, each member is confronted with her own perception about love. Camille’s unexpected reunion with an old crush forces her to confront conflicting desires. Newly widowed Esther finds her role in Sweetgum changing and is surprised by two unlikely friends. Hannah isn’t sure she’s ready for the trials of first love.
Newcomer Maria finds her life turned upside-down by increasing family obligations and a handsome, arrogant lawyer, and Eugenie and Merry are both asked to make sacrifices for their husbands that challenge their principles.Even in a sleepy, southern town like Sweetgum, Tennesee, love isn’t easy.
The Knit Lit ladies learn they can find strength and guidance in the novels they read, the love of their family, their community–and especially in each other.
My Opinion:
Honestly, and you all know I am honest to a fault, I didn't want to read this one AT FIRST. It seemed "grandmotherly" to me, a little old for me. That is, until I read the first chapter. I was hooked! I absolutely love the characters. I think Camille's story broke my heart the most. Even though in the end she got what she wanted... was the price she had to pay too big?
This one really warms the heart after it makes you want to beat down a couple of guys, and yell at a few of the Ladies for doing stupid things... The personal struggles are very relate able, from the widow and lost love revisited, to the first broken heart of a teen... We have all been there.
4.5 stars.... Definitely one to buy... I am really interested in getting the previous book, The Sweetgum Ladies Knit Lit Club. I wish we had clubs like that around here.... I don't know how to knit, but I could learn.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Winners!
For Spice up your life:
Rose Red said...
Subscribing by email! and
Nicole said...
Carrot Phirni sounds really easy and yummy
And for my personal fave: I B W Interactive Books!
{ L } said...
I'm a happy follower too! :)Also, I'm doing my first giveaway on my blog right now if you're interested:http://www.mooreminutes.com/2009/09/pleated-poppy-giveaway.html
L will get to chose one of the 2 packages.
If you won you can email me at abookishmom at yahoo.com or wait for me to email you.
Rose Red said...
Subscribing by email! and
Nicole said...
Carrot Phirni sounds really easy and yummy
And for my personal fave: I B W Interactive Books!
{ L } said...
I'm a happy follower too! :)Also, I'm doing my first giveaway on my blog right now if you're interested:http://www.mooreminutes.com/2009/09/pleated-poppy-giveaway.html
L will get to chose one of the 2 packages.
If you won you can email me at abookishmom at yahoo.com or wait for me to email you.
Giveaways Ending at noon central standard time.
I will be choosing winnes for both giveaways at Noon today! I was waiting to see if I got a few last minute entries in... Plus I have been super sick... I hate fall weather..
So this is the last call.... get your entries in!
So this is the last call.... get your entries in!
Menu Plan monday....
Yesterday.... even though I am so sick, I got my big ol' lazy butt up and prepped dinner for all week. I am just too fat and have started weight watchers online. I am also blogging about it here. I lost 3 lbs last week YAY!
Everything is prepped so I can just dump it all in out of a bowl and cook. It took me about an hour to prep all weeks worth!
Jessica at pudget had some great links to slow cooker foods, and I found a site on my own that has some great WW recipes! and they are so yummy.
Monday: Country Chicken with Leeks and veggies
Tuesday: Crock Pot Pizza
Wednesday: Crock pot cabbage roll soup
Thursday: Crock pot Chicken Parmesan
Friday: Bacon and Potato Chowder
Tuesday: Crock Pot Pizza
Wednesday: Crock pot cabbage roll soup
Thursday: Crock pot Chicken Parmesan
Friday: Bacon and Potato Chowder
Sunday, October 18, 2009
$5 or $10 Coupon for the movie The Proposal
You know the movie 'The Proposal' with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds...(I heart him).. Well, you can go here to print a $10 coupon for the Bluray combo pack or $5 for the regular old Dvd... Yay! It looks so funny!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Pray for my Dear hubs
Please pray for Mr. Bookish Mom....
The hubs is heart broken. Almost a year ago his daughter(13) left to g live with her mom. Let's just say that she didn't leave on good terms. She left a big wake of destruction, hurt, and pain. His heart is hurting, but he hides it well. I did not realize how badly he was hurting until today. He loves her so much, but she hurt him so badly.
She is at that age... where kids only want what they want when they want it. She is very manipulative and does what ever it takes to get what she wants.. no matter how gets hurt.
I remember being at that age. I never dreamed of taking it as far as she did, but... her lies have caught up to her and she has seen that the grass isn't greener on the other side.
We miss her so much, but are very skittish about having her close by. She lives only 2 hrs away now instead of 4 days....
Please pray that God will draw him close and heal his heart. Let him understand that she is just a kid and it is not a reflection of his parenting skills.. Please pray that God will be with Brittany and open her eyes to how she has hurt her dad.
The hubs is heart broken. Almost a year ago his daughter(13) left to g live with her mom. Let's just say that she didn't leave on good terms. She left a big wake of destruction, hurt, and pain. His heart is hurting, but he hides it well. I did not realize how badly he was hurting until today. He loves her so much, but she hurt him so badly.
She is at that age... where kids only want what they want when they want it. She is very manipulative and does what ever it takes to get what she wants.. no matter how gets hurt.
I remember being at that age. I never dreamed of taking it as far as she did, but... her lies have caught up to her and she has seen that the grass isn't greener on the other side.
We miss her so much, but are very skittish about having her close by. She lives only 2 hrs away now instead of 4 days....
Please pray that God will draw him close and heal his heart. Let him understand that she is just a kid and it is not a reflection of his parenting skills.. Please pray that God will be with Brittany and open her eyes to how she has hurt her dad.
The $50 Challenge.. I might have gone over again...
Okay, I usually go over.. I should rename this! This week I spent $68.75.
I don't have time to go through it all like I usually do, but I will quickly highlight the best deals.
4 Pork Roast $.99/lb
2 Chicken leg quarters $.59/lb
2 bags Baking potatoes $.29/lb
2 -3lb bags yellow onions $1.25 ea.
That big stack of something back there is pizza crust (16 in.) We bought a case from Sams Club.
16 Knorr pasta/rice sides $.66 ea.
4 Ragu pasta sauce $1 ea buy 2 get free barilla spaghetti (all free after q's)
Rotel 4/$3
2 24ct cases of water for $5
Aw rootbeer 12 pk 2.99
Campbells soup $.50 ea. free after q's
2 gal milk
2 enchirrito meals
foam plates 99 cents
5 coolaid bursts 75 cents ea after q's
hormel complete meal free after q.
2 bags grapes 99cents ea.
1 kraft ranch 79 cents. ea.
2 evaporated milk 79 cents ea.
I'm happy with it!
June Bug by Chris Fabry
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
Today's Wild Card author is:
and the book:
Tyndale House Publishers (July 9, 2009)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Chris Fabry is a native of West Virginia who hosts the daily program Chris Fabry Live! on Moody Radio. He and his wife, Andrea, are the parents of nine children. Chris is the author of Dogwood, his first novel for adults, and co-author of Jim Tressel’s New York Times best-selling The Winners Manual. Chris has also published more than sixty other books, including many novels for children and young adults.Visit the author's website.
Product Details:
List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (July 9, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414319568
ISBN-13: 978-1414319568
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Some people know every little thing about themselves, like how much they weighed when they were born and how long they were from head to toe and which hospital their mama gave birth to them in and stuff like that. I’ve heard that some people even have a black footprint on a pink sheet of paper they keep in a baby box. The only box I have is a small suitcase that snaps shut where I keep my underwear in so only I can see it.
My dad says there’s a lot of things people don’t need and that their houses get cluttered with it and they store it in basements that flood and get ruined, so it’s better to live simple and do what you want rather than get tied down to a mortgage—whatever that is. I guess that’s why we live in an RV. Some people say “live out of,” but I don’t see how you can live out of something when you’re living inside it and that’s what we do. Daddy sleeps on the bed by the big window in the back, and I sleep in the one over the driver’s seat. You have to remember not to sit up real quick in the morning or you’ll have a headache all day, but it’s nice having your own room.
I believed everything my daddy told me until I walked into Walmart and saw my picture on a poster over by the place where the guy with the blue vest stands. He had clear tubes going into his nose, and a hiss of air came out every time he said, “Welcome to Walmart.”
My eyes were glued to that picture. I didn’t hear much of anything except the lady arguing with the woman at the first register over a return of some blanket the lady swore she bought there. The Walmart lady’s voice was getting all trembly. She said there was nothing she could do about it, which made the customer woman so mad she started cussing and calling the woman behind the counter names that probably made people blush.
The old saying is that the customer is always right, but I think it’s more like the customer is as mean as a snake sometimes. I’ve seen them come through the line and stuff a bunch of things under their carts where the cashier won’t see it and leave without paying. Big old juice boxes and those frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Those look good but Daddy says if you have to freeze your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, then something has gone wrong with the world, and I think he’s right. He says it’s a sin to be mean to workers at Walmart because they let us use their parking lot. He also says that when they start putting vitamins and minerals in Diet Coke the Apocalypse is not far behind. I don’t know what the Apocalypse is, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was right about that too.
You can’t know the feeling of seeing your picture on a wall inside a store unless it has happened to you, and I have to believe I am in a small group of people on the planet. It was all I could do to just suck in a little air and keep my heart beating because I swear I could feel it slow down to almost nothing. Daddy says a hummingbird’s heart beats something like a million times a minute. I was the opposite of a hummingbird, standing there with my eyes glued to that picture. Some people going outside had to walk around me to the Exit doors, but I couldn’t move. I probably looked strange—just a girl staring at the Picture Them Home shots with an ache or emptiness down deep that I can’t tell anybody about. It’s like trying to tell people what it feels like to have your finger smashed in a grocery cart outside when it’s cold. It doesn’t do any good to tell things like that. Nobody would listen anyway because they’re in a hurry to get back to their houses with all the stuff in them and the mortgage to pay, I guess.
The photo wasn’t exactly me. It was “like” me, almost like I was looking in a mirror. On the left was a real picture of me from when I was little. I’d never seen a picture like that because my dad says he doesn’t have any of them. I’ve gone through his stuff, and unless he’s got a really good hiding place, he’s telling the truth. On the right side was the picture of what I would look like now, which was pretty close to the real me. The computer makes your face fuzzy around the nose and the eyes, but there was no mistake in my mind that I was looking at the same face I see every morning in the rearview.
The girl’s name was Natalie Anne Edwards, and I rolled it around in my head as the people wheeled their carts past me to get to the Raisin Bran that was two for four dollars in the first aisle by the pharmacy. I’d seen it for less, so I couldn’t see the big deal.
Natalie Anne Edwards
DOB: June 20, 2000 Age Now: 9
Missing Date: June 16, 2002 Sex: Female
Estimated Height: 4'3" (130 cm) Estimated Weight: 80 lbs (36 kg)
Eyes: Blue Hair: Red
Race: White
Missing From: Dogwood, WV
United States
Natalie’s photo is shown age progressed to 9 years. She is missing from Dogwood, West Virginia. She has a dark birthmark on her left cheek. She was taken on June 16, 2002, by an unknown abductor.
I felt my left cheek and the birthmark there. Daddy says it looks a little like some guy named Nixon who was president before he was born, but I try not to look at it except when I’m in the bathroom or when I have my mirror out in bed and I’m using my flashlight. I’ve always wondered if the mark was the one thing my mother gave me or if there was anything she cared to give me at all. Daddy doesn’t talk much about her unless I get to nagging him, and then he’ll say something like, “She was a good woman,” and leave it at that. I’ll poke around a little more until he tells me to stop it. He says not to pick at things or they’ll never get better, but some scabs call out to you every day.
I kept staring at the picture and my name, the door opening and closing behind me and a train whistle sounding in the distance, which I think is one of the loneliest sounds in the world, especially at night with the crickets chirping. My dad says he loves to go to sleep to the sound of a train whistle because it reminds him of his childhood.
The guy with the tubes in his nose came up behind me. “You all right, little girl?”
It kind of scared me—not as much as having to go over a bridge but pretty close. I don’t know what it is about bridges. Maybe it’s that I’m afraid the thing is going to collapse. I’m not really scared of the water because my dad taught me to swim early on. There’s just something about bridges that makes me quiver inside, and that’s why Daddy told me to always crawl up in my bed and sing “I’ll Fly Away,” which is probably my favorite song. He tries to warn me in advance of big rivers like the Mississippi when we’re about to cross them or he’ll get an earful of screams.
I nodded to the man with the tubes and left, but I couldn’t help glancing back at myself. I walked into the bathroom and sat in the stall awhile and listened to the speakers and the tinny music. Then I thought, The paper says my birthday is June 20, but Daddy says it’s April 9. Maybe it’s not really me.
When I went back out and looked again, there was no doubt in my mind. That was me up there behind the glass. And I couldn’t figure out a good way to ask Daddy why he had lied to me or why he called me June Bug instead of Natalie Anne. In the books I read and the movies I’ve seen on DVD—back when we had a player that worked—there’s always somebody at the end who comes out and says, “I love you” and makes everything all right. I wonder if that’ll ever happen to me. I guess there’s a lot of people who want somebody to tell them, “I love you.”
I wandered to electronics and the last aisle where they have stereos and headsets and stuff. I wasn’t searching for anything in particular, just piddling around, trying to get that picture out of my head.
Three girls ran back to the same aisle and pawed through the flip-flops.
“This is going to be so much fun!” a girl with two gold rings on her fingers said. “I think Mom will let me sleep over at your house tonight.”
“Can’t,” the one with long brown hair said. “I’ve got swim practice early in the morning.”
“You can sleep over at my house,” the third one said almost in a whine, like she was pleading for something she knew she wouldn’t get. She wore glasses and weighed about as much as a postage stamp. “I don’t have to do anything tomorrow.”
Gold Rings ignored her and pulled out a pair of pink shoes with green and yellow circles. The price said $13.96. “These will be perfect—don’t you think?”
“Mom said to find ones that are cheap and plain so we can decorate them,” Brown Hair said.
“What about tomorrow night?” Gold Rings said. “We could rent a movie and sleep over at my house. You don’t have swim practice Thursday, do you?”
They talked and giggled and moved on down the aisle, and I wondered what it would be like to have a friend ask you to sleep over. Or just to have a friend. Living on the road in a rolling bedroom has its advantages, but it also has its drawbacks, like never knowing where you’re going to be from one day to the next. Except when your RV breaks down and you can’t find the right part for it, which is why we’ve been at this same Walmart a long time.
“You still here, girl?” someone said behind me.
I turned to see the lady with the blue vest and a badge that said Assistant Manager. The three girls must have picked up their flip-flops and ran because when I looked back around they were gone. The lady’s hair was blonde, a little too blonde, but she had a pretty face that made me think she might have won some beauty contest in high school. Her khaki pants were a little tight, and she wore white shoes that didn’t make any noise at all when she walked across the waxed floor, which was perfect when she wanted to sneak up on three girls messing with the flip-flops.
“Did your dad get that part he was looking for?” she said, bending down.
“No, ma’am, not yet.” There was almost something kind in her eyes, like I could trust her with some deep, dark secret if I had one. Then I remembered I did have one, but I wasn’t about to tell the first person I talked to about my picture.
“It must be hard being away from your family. Where’s your mama?”
“I don’t have one.”
She turned her head a little. “You mean she passed?”
I shrugged. “I just don’t have one.”
“Everyone has a mama. It’s a fact of life.” She sat on a stool used when you try on the shoes and I saw myself in the mirror at the bottom. I couldn’t help thinking about the picture at the front of the store and that the face belonged to someone named Natalie Anne.
“Are you two on a trip? Must be exciting traveling in that RV. I’ve always wanted to take off and leave my troubles behind.”
When I didn’t say anything, she looked at the floor and I could see the dark roots. She smelled pretty, like a field of flowers in spring. And her fingernails were long and the tips white.
She touched a finger to an eye and tried to get at something that seemed to be bothering her. “My manager is a good man, but he can get cranky about things. He mentioned your RV and said it would need to be moved soon.”
“But Daddy said you’d let us park as long as we needed.”
She nodded. “Now don’t worry. This is all going to work out. Just tell your dad to come in and talk with me, okay? The corporate policy is to let people . . .”
I didn’t know what a corporate policy was, and I was already torn up about finding out my new name, so I didn’t pay much attention to the rest of what she had to say. Then she looked at me with big brown eyes that I thought would be nice to say good night to, and I noticed she didn’t wear a wedding ring. I didn’t used to notice things like that, but life can change you.
“Maybe you could come out and talk to him,” I said.
She smiled and then looked away. “What did you have for supper tonight?”
“We didn’t really have anything. He gave me a few dollars to get Subway, but I’m tired of those.”
She touched my arm. “It’ll be all right. Don’t you worry. My name’s Sheila. What’s yours?”
“June Bug,” I said. For the first time in my life I knew I was lying about my name.
***
Johnson stared at the sun through the rear window. Pollen from the pine trees and dirt from a morning rain streaked it yellow and brown in a haphazard design. Three Mexicans climbed out of a Ford. Tools piled in the back of the truck and compost and some black tarp. One slapped another on the back and dust flew up. Another knocked the guy’s hat off and they laughed.
The sun was at the trees on the top of the nearby mountain, then in them, and going down fast. An orange glow settled in and Johnson’s stomach growled. He glanced across the parking lot at the neon liquor store sign next to the Checker Auto Parts, and his throat parched.
A newer RV, a Monaco Camelot, had parked at the end of the lot, and the owner pulled a shade at the front windshield for privacy. He wondered what driving one of those would be like. How much mileage it would get per gallon. The smooth ride on the road. Almost looked like a rolling hotel.
He sat up and looked out the front of the RV. The way they were parked gave him a good view of the store’s entrance. An old guy with an oxygen tank pushed two carts inside. The man smiled and greeted a mom and her children.
Johnson hit the down arrow on his laptop. One green light on the wireless network from the coffee shop. He wished he had parked closer to the end of the lot, but he hadn’t planned on getting stuck here.
A loud knock at the door, like he’d just run over someone’s dog and it was under the back tire yelping. Johnson moved slowly, but he was agile in his bare feet. He caught a glimpse of the guy in the right mirror. Blue vest. Portly. Maybe thirty but not much older. Probably got the job through someone he knew. Johnson opened the door and nodded at the man.
“Just wondering how long you’re thinking of staying,” the man said. There was an edge to his voice, like he was nervous about something.
Johnson stepped down onto the asphalt that was still warm from the sun but not unbearable. “Like I said, I’m waiting on a part. If I could get out of here, believe me I’d be long gone.”
The man looked at the ground. “Well, you’ll have to move on. It’s been—”
“Three weeks.”
“—three weeks and it could be three more before whatever part you’re looking for comes, so I think it’s best you move on.”
“And how do you want me to move it? Push it to the interstate?”
“I can call a tow truck.”
Johnson looked away. Boy Scouts at the Entrance sign were selling lightbulbs. Pink and orange clouds had turned blue, like something was roiling on the other side of the mountain. A black-and-white police car pulled into the parking lot and passed them. The man in the vest waved and the officer returned it.
“I’ll give you one more night,” the manager said. “If you’re not out of here by morning, I’m calling the towing company.”
Johnson wanted to say something more, but he just pursed his lips and nodded and watched the man waddle, pigeon-toed, back to the store.
The girl came out and passed the manager, smiling and swinging a blue bag. She had a new spiral notebook inside. She’d filled more of those things than he could count, and it didn’t look like she was slowing down.
“Did you get your work done?” she said as she bounded in and tossed the bag on her bed.
Johnson opened the fridge and took out a warm can of Dr Pepper. “Enough.”
“What did the manager guy want?”
“He said we’d won a shopping spree.”
“He did not.”
Johnson took a long pull from the can and belched. “He was just wondering how long we’d be here.”
“I met a friend,” the girl said, her face shining. “She’s really nice. And pretty. And I don’t think she’s married. And she has the most beautiful eyes.”
“June Bug, the last thing we need is somebody with her eyes on this treasure.” He spread his arms out in the RV. “What woman could resist this castle?”
“She’s not after your treasure. She just cares about us. She said the manager guy was getting upset that we’ve been here so long. Is that what he told you?”
“Nah, this is a big parking lot. We’re gonna be fine. Did you get something to eat?”
June Bug shook her head and climbed up to her bed. “Almost finished with my last journal. I want to start a new one tonight.”
“What do you put in those things? What kind of stuff do you write down?”
“I don’t know. Just things that seem important. Places we’ve been. It’s sort of like talking to a friend who won’t tell your secrets.”
“What kind of secrets?”
She slipped off her plastic shoes and let them fall to the floor, then opened the bag and took out a dark green notebook. “When you tell me what you’re writing about on that computer, I’ll tell you what’s in my notebooks.”
Johnson smiled and took another drink from the can, then tossed it in the trash.
At the storefront, the police car had stopped and the manager leaned over the open window.
Excerpted from June Bug by Chris Fabry. Copyright © 2009 by Chris Fabry. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
My dad says there’s a lot of things people don’t need and that their houses get cluttered with it and they store it in basements that flood and get ruined, so it’s better to live simple and do what you want rather than get tied down to a mortgage—whatever that is. I guess that’s why we live in an RV. Some people say “live out of,” but I don’t see how you can live out of something when you’re living inside it and that’s what we do. Daddy sleeps on the bed by the big window in the back, and I sleep in the one over the driver’s seat. You have to remember not to sit up real quick in the morning or you’ll have a headache all day, but it’s nice having your own room.
I believed everything my daddy told me until I walked into Walmart and saw my picture on a poster over by the place where the guy with the blue vest stands. He had clear tubes going into his nose, and a hiss of air came out every time he said, “Welcome to Walmart.”
My eyes were glued to that picture. I didn’t hear much of anything except the lady arguing with the woman at the first register over a return of some blanket the lady swore she bought there. The Walmart lady’s voice was getting all trembly. She said there was nothing she could do about it, which made the customer woman so mad she started cussing and calling the woman behind the counter names that probably made people blush.
The old saying is that the customer is always right, but I think it’s more like the customer is as mean as a snake sometimes. I’ve seen them come through the line and stuff a bunch of things under their carts where the cashier won’t see it and leave without paying. Big old juice boxes and those frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Those look good but Daddy says if you have to freeze your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, then something has gone wrong with the world, and I think he’s right. He says it’s a sin to be mean to workers at Walmart because they let us use their parking lot. He also says that when they start putting vitamins and minerals in Diet Coke the Apocalypse is not far behind. I don’t know what the Apocalypse is, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was right about that too.
You can’t know the feeling of seeing your picture on a wall inside a store unless it has happened to you, and I have to believe I am in a small group of people on the planet. It was all I could do to just suck in a little air and keep my heart beating because I swear I could feel it slow down to almost nothing. Daddy says a hummingbird’s heart beats something like a million times a minute. I was the opposite of a hummingbird, standing there with my eyes glued to that picture. Some people going outside had to walk around me to the Exit doors, but I couldn’t move. I probably looked strange—just a girl staring at the Picture Them Home shots with an ache or emptiness down deep that I can’t tell anybody about. It’s like trying to tell people what it feels like to have your finger smashed in a grocery cart outside when it’s cold. It doesn’t do any good to tell things like that. Nobody would listen anyway because they’re in a hurry to get back to their houses with all the stuff in them and the mortgage to pay, I guess.
The photo wasn’t exactly me. It was “like” me, almost like I was looking in a mirror. On the left was a real picture of me from when I was little. I’d never seen a picture like that because my dad says he doesn’t have any of them. I’ve gone through his stuff, and unless he’s got a really good hiding place, he’s telling the truth. On the right side was the picture of what I would look like now, which was pretty close to the real me. The computer makes your face fuzzy around the nose and the eyes, but there was no mistake in my mind that I was looking at the same face I see every morning in the rearview.
The girl’s name was Natalie Anne Edwards, and I rolled it around in my head as the people wheeled their carts past me to get to the Raisin Bran that was two for four dollars in the first aisle by the pharmacy. I’d seen it for less, so I couldn’t see the big deal.
Natalie Anne Edwards
DOB: June 20, 2000 Age Now: 9
Missing Date: June 16, 2002 Sex: Female
Estimated Height: 4'3" (130 cm) Estimated Weight: 80 lbs (36 kg)
Eyes: Blue Hair: Red
Race: White
Missing From: Dogwood, WV
United States
Natalie’s photo is shown age progressed to 9 years. She is missing from Dogwood, West Virginia. She has a dark birthmark on her left cheek. She was taken on June 16, 2002, by an unknown abductor.
I felt my left cheek and the birthmark there. Daddy says it looks a little like some guy named Nixon who was president before he was born, but I try not to look at it except when I’m in the bathroom or when I have my mirror out in bed and I’m using my flashlight. I’ve always wondered if the mark was the one thing my mother gave me or if there was anything she cared to give me at all. Daddy doesn’t talk much about her unless I get to nagging him, and then he’ll say something like, “She was a good woman,” and leave it at that. I’ll poke around a little more until he tells me to stop it. He says not to pick at things or they’ll never get better, but some scabs call out to you every day.
I kept staring at the picture and my name, the door opening and closing behind me and a train whistle sounding in the distance, which I think is one of the loneliest sounds in the world, especially at night with the crickets chirping. My dad says he loves to go to sleep to the sound of a train whistle because it reminds him of his childhood.
The guy with the tubes in his nose came up behind me. “You all right, little girl?”
It kind of scared me—not as much as having to go over a bridge but pretty close. I don’t know what it is about bridges. Maybe it’s that I’m afraid the thing is going to collapse. I’m not really scared of the water because my dad taught me to swim early on. There’s just something about bridges that makes me quiver inside, and that’s why Daddy told me to always crawl up in my bed and sing “I’ll Fly Away,” which is probably my favorite song. He tries to warn me in advance of big rivers like the Mississippi when we’re about to cross them or he’ll get an earful of screams.
I nodded to the man with the tubes and left, but I couldn’t help glancing back at myself. I walked into the bathroom and sat in the stall awhile and listened to the speakers and the tinny music. Then I thought, The paper says my birthday is June 20, but Daddy says it’s April 9. Maybe it’s not really me.
When I went back out and looked again, there was no doubt in my mind. That was me up there behind the glass. And I couldn’t figure out a good way to ask Daddy why he had lied to me or why he called me June Bug instead of Natalie Anne. In the books I read and the movies I’ve seen on DVD—back when we had a player that worked—there’s always somebody at the end who comes out and says, “I love you” and makes everything all right. I wonder if that’ll ever happen to me. I guess there’s a lot of people who want somebody to tell them, “I love you.”
I wandered to electronics and the last aisle where they have stereos and headsets and stuff. I wasn’t searching for anything in particular, just piddling around, trying to get that picture out of my head.
Three girls ran back to the same aisle and pawed through the flip-flops.
“This is going to be so much fun!” a girl with two gold rings on her fingers said. “I think Mom will let me sleep over at your house tonight.”
“Can’t,” the one with long brown hair said. “I’ve got swim practice early in the morning.”
“You can sleep over at my house,” the third one said almost in a whine, like she was pleading for something she knew she wouldn’t get. She wore glasses and weighed about as much as a postage stamp. “I don’t have to do anything tomorrow.”
Gold Rings ignored her and pulled out a pair of pink shoes with green and yellow circles. The price said $13.96. “These will be perfect—don’t you think?”
“Mom said to find ones that are cheap and plain so we can decorate them,” Brown Hair said.
“What about tomorrow night?” Gold Rings said. “We could rent a movie and sleep over at my house. You don’t have swim practice Thursday, do you?”
They talked and giggled and moved on down the aisle, and I wondered what it would be like to have a friend ask you to sleep over. Or just to have a friend. Living on the road in a rolling bedroom has its advantages, but it also has its drawbacks, like never knowing where you’re going to be from one day to the next. Except when your RV breaks down and you can’t find the right part for it, which is why we’ve been at this same Walmart a long time.
“You still here, girl?” someone said behind me.
I turned to see the lady with the blue vest and a badge that said Assistant Manager. The three girls must have picked up their flip-flops and ran because when I looked back around they were gone. The lady’s hair was blonde, a little too blonde, but she had a pretty face that made me think she might have won some beauty contest in high school. Her khaki pants were a little tight, and she wore white shoes that didn’t make any noise at all when she walked across the waxed floor, which was perfect when she wanted to sneak up on three girls messing with the flip-flops.
“Did your dad get that part he was looking for?” she said, bending down.
“No, ma’am, not yet.” There was almost something kind in her eyes, like I could trust her with some deep, dark secret if I had one. Then I remembered I did have one, but I wasn’t about to tell the first person I talked to about my picture.
“It must be hard being away from your family. Where’s your mama?”
“I don’t have one.”
She turned her head a little. “You mean she passed?”
I shrugged. “I just don’t have one.”
“Everyone has a mama. It’s a fact of life.” She sat on a stool used when you try on the shoes and I saw myself in the mirror at the bottom. I couldn’t help thinking about the picture at the front of the store and that the face belonged to someone named Natalie Anne.
“Are you two on a trip? Must be exciting traveling in that RV. I’ve always wanted to take off and leave my troubles behind.”
When I didn’t say anything, she looked at the floor and I could see the dark roots. She smelled pretty, like a field of flowers in spring. And her fingernails were long and the tips white.
She touched a finger to an eye and tried to get at something that seemed to be bothering her. “My manager is a good man, but he can get cranky about things. He mentioned your RV and said it would need to be moved soon.”
“But Daddy said you’d let us park as long as we needed.”
She nodded. “Now don’t worry. This is all going to work out. Just tell your dad to come in and talk with me, okay? The corporate policy is to let people . . .”
I didn’t know what a corporate policy was, and I was already torn up about finding out my new name, so I didn’t pay much attention to the rest of what she had to say. Then she looked at me with big brown eyes that I thought would be nice to say good night to, and I noticed she didn’t wear a wedding ring. I didn’t used to notice things like that, but life can change you.
“Maybe you could come out and talk to him,” I said.
She smiled and then looked away. “What did you have for supper tonight?”
“We didn’t really have anything. He gave me a few dollars to get Subway, but I’m tired of those.”
She touched my arm. “It’ll be all right. Don’t you worry. My name’s Sheila. What’s yours?”
“June Bug,” I said. For the first time in my life I knew I was lying about my name.
***
Johnson stared at the sun through the rear window. Pollen from the pine trees and dirt from a morning rain streaked it yellow and brown in a haphazard design. Three Mexicans climbed out of a Ford. Tools piled in the back of the truck and compost and some black tarp. One slapped another on the back and dust flew up. Another knocked the guy’s hat off and they laughed.
The sun was at the trees on the top of the nearby mountain, then in them, and going down fast. An orange glow settled in and Johnson’s stomach growled. He glanced across the parking lot at the neon liquor store sign next to the Checker Auto Parts, and his throat parched.
A newer RV, a Monaco Camelot, had parked at the end of the lot, and the owner pulled a shade at the front windshield for privacy. He wondered what driving one of those would be like. How much mileage it would get per gallon. The smooth ride on the road. Almost looked like a rolling hotel.
He sat up and looked out the front of the RV. The way they were parked gave him a good view of the store’s entrance. An old guy with an oxygen tank pushed two carts inside. The man smiled and greeted a mom and her children.
Johnson hit the down arrow on his laptop. One green light on the wireless network from the coffee shop. He wished he had parked closer to the end of the lot, but he hadn’t planned on getting stuck here.
A loud knock at the door, like he’d just run over someone’s dog and it was under the back tire yelping. Johnson moved slowly, but he was agile in his bare feet. He caught a glimpse of the guy in the right mirror. Blue vest. Portly. Maybe thirty but not much older. Probably got the job through someone he knew. Johnson opened the door and nodded at the man.
“Just wondering how long you’re thinking of staying,” the man said. There was an edge to his voice, like he was nervous about something.
Johnson stepped down onto the asphalt that was still warm from the sun but not unbearable. “Like I said, I’m waiting on a part. If I could get out of here, believe me I’d be long gone.”
The man looked at the ground. “Well, you’ll have to move on. It’s been—”
“Three weeks.”
“—three weeks and it could be three more before whatever part you’re looking for comes, so I think it’s best you move on.”
“And how do you want me to move it? Push it to the interstate?”
“I can call a tow truck.”
Johnson looked away. Boy Scouts at the Entrance sign were selling lightbulbs. Pink and orange clouds had turned blue, like something was roiling on the other side of the mountain. A black-and-white police car pulled into the parking lot and passed them. The man in the vest waved and the officer returned it.
“I’ll give you one more night,” the manager said. “If you’re not out of here by morning, I’m calling the towing company.”
Johnson wanted to say something more, but he just pursed his lips and nodded and watched the man waddle, pigeon-toed, back to the store.
The girl came out and passed the manager, smiling and swinging a blue bag. She had a new spiral notebook inside. She’d filled more of those things than he could count, and it didn’t look like she was slowing down.
“Did you get your work done?” she said as she bounded in and tossed the bag on her bed.
Johnson opened the fridge and took out a warm can of Dr Pepper. “Enough.”
“What did the manager guy want?”
“He said we’d won a shopping spree.”
“He did not.”
Johnson took a long pull from the can and belched. “He was just wondering how long we’d be here.”
“I met a friend,” the girl said, her face shining. “She’s really nice. And pretty. And I don’t think she’s married. And she has the most beautiful eyes.”
“June Bug, the last thing we need is somebody with her eyes on this treasure.” He spread his arms out in the RV. “What woman could resist this castle?”
“She’s not after your treasure. She just cares about us. She said the manager guy was getting upset that we’ve been here so long. Is that what he told you?”
“Nah, this is a big parking lot. We’re gonna be fine. Did you get something to eat?”
June Bug shook her head and climbed up to her bed. “Almost finished with my last journal. I want to start a new one tonight.”
“What do you put in those things? What kind of stuff do you write down?”
“I don’t know. Just things that seem important. Places we’ve been. It’s sort of like talking to a friend who won’t tell your secrets.”
“What kind of secrets?”
She slipped off her plastic shoes and let them fall to the floor, then opened the bag and took out a dark green notebook. “When you tell me what you’re writing about on that computer, I’ll tell you what’s in my notebooks.”
Johnson smiled and took another drink from the can, then tossed it in the trash.
At the storefront, the police car had stopped and the manager leaned over the open window.
Excerpted from June Bug by Chris Fabry. Copyright © 2009 by Chris Fabry. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
My Opinion:
Wow. I can't think of a more moving story. It was wonderful. I could feel every emotion june bug was feeling as she saw her own face on that missing child poste. I could feel the Grandmother's desperation and fading hope for the past 7 years of searching for her daughgter.
From all the guilt and suffering to love and care, June bug is an amazing story of loss, hope, and faith. It is a beautiful story.
5 stars...I will let my kids read this book.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Pinecone research is open for signups.
PineCone Research is offering select members the opportunity to recommend membership to a friend or relative who is NOT a member of their household.
Are you a households that would like to join the PineCone Research Panel? If so, please complete the registration form themselves and submit it. REMEMBER THAT ONLY ONE PERSON PER HOUSEHOLD MAY REGISTER. Multiple registrations of the same Household will void all registrations.
Here is the link to the registration:
http://www.pineconeresearch.com/signup/RR570DS1.asp
I love pinecone research. I have gotten to participate in studies for great products. They also have screening surveys. Everytime you complete a survey, they send you a $3 check for your time. You can even get your moneythrough paypal now!
Sign up today! It is a great way to get great products to test... a little side cash, and influence some great programs!
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Are you a households that would like to join the PineCone Research Panel? If so, please complete the registration form themselves and submit it. REMEMBER THAT ONLY ONE PERSON PER HOUSEHOLD MAY REGISTER. Multiple registrations of the same Household will void all registrations.
Here is the link to the registration:
http://www.pineconeresearch.com/signup/RR570DS1.asp
I love pinecone research. I have gotten to participate in studies for great products. They also have screening surveys. Everytime you complete a survey, they send you a $3 check for your time. You can even get your moneythrough paypal now!
Sign up today! It is a great way to get great products to test... a little side cash, and influence some great programs!
Sign up fast... this won't last long.
Review: The Knight by Steven James
*This is book 3 in the Bowers Files Series.Book Info:
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 432
Vendor: Revell
Publication Date: 2009
ISBN: 0800732707
ISBN-13: 9780800732707
Synopsis:
Agent Bowers is used to tracking the country's most dangerous killers, but now it looks like a killer is tracking him. When he realizes the murderer is using clues from an ancient manuscript as a blueprint for his crimes, Bowers faces a race against time to decipher who the next victim will be and to stop the final shocking murder--which he's beginning to believe might be his own.
My Opinion:
First off, I have read both of the preceeding books! I love them! I can not more highly recommend a Christian Murder/Suspense series.
I love the way James writes these books. They are Christian books, but the influence isn't heavy.. yet. With each book Patrick is discovering more about himself and what he does or does not believe.
I love the relationship between Patrick and his step- daughter, Tessa. I have watched a child that hated everyone grow into a loving and concerned young woman longing to know more about herself.
Be aware, you will read tons of gore and general horribleness in this book.. It's a murder mystery... that what they have. That's what I love! This book was just great.. I truly had to keep guessing until the end on who the killer was... I was sure I knew, but it was like a slap in the face... I was like NO! WAY! Usually books are so predictable and easy to guess, but this one kept me on my toes. It is action packed. There is hardly any down time, which is what I love... I didn't' skip pages...
It really reminds me of the Pendergast Novels by Lincoln and Child with out the sophistication of Agent Pendergast.
I love the Bowers Files Series and Can Not wait for the next book!
5 Stars...
It's True
