The Kult by Shaun Jeffrey

Book Description
People are predictable. That's what makes them easy to kill.

Acting out of misguided loyalty to his friends, police officer Prosper Snow is goaded into helping them perform a copycat killing, but when the real killer comes after him, it's not only his life on the line, but his family's too. Now if he goes to his colleagues for help, he risks being arrested for murder. If he doesn't, he risks being killed.

My thoughts
The Oracle is mutilating random people and Detective Prosper Snow has been assigned the case of located the Oracle before he kills again. Snow is also called upon to a secret meeting of former school buddies who had formed a group called the Kult. He and his friends were bullied in school and this secret group would take revenge on the abuser. As adults, they rarely met, and it is to Snow’s surprise that his friend doesn’t want to just beat up an accused rapist but kill the guy. Things go awry and it soon seems like the Oracle is framing Snow for his killings. Can Snow keep one step ahead of his partner and clear his name?

Shaun Jeffrey has written a thrilling gore-fest that kept me wondering and switching my thoughts (although I was on the right track). This was an interesting piece of suspense and I enjoyed the British dialogue.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the author. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

The Civilized World by Susi Wyss

Book Description
A glorious literary debut set in Africa about five unforgettable women—two of them haunted by a shared tragedy—whose lives intersect in unexpected and sometimes explosive ways

When Adjoa leaves Ghana to find work in the Ivory Coast, she hopes that one day she'll return home to open a beauty parlor. Her dream comes true, though not before she suffers a devastating loss—one that will haunt her for years, and one that also deeply affects Janice, an American aid worker who no longer feels she has a place to call home. But the bustling Precious Brother Salon is not just the "cleanest, friendliest, and most welcoming in the city." It's also where locals catch up on their gossip; where Comfort, an imperious busybody, can complain about her American daughter-in-law, Linda; and where Adjoa can get a fresh start on life—or so she thinks, until Janice moves to Ghana and unexpectedly stumbles upon the salon.

At once deeply moving and utterly charming, The Civilized World follows five women as they face meddling mothers-in-law, unfaithful partners, and the lingering aftereffects of racism, only to learn that their cultural differences are outweighed by their common bond as women. With vibrant prose, Susi Wyss explores what it means to need forgiveness—and what it means to forgive.

My thoughts
The Civilized World is a collection of short stories about African women and women in Africa with a common theme to make up a novel. As complex as that may seem this is a pretty easy read, but I felt the characters and the cohesiveness could have been stronger. It didn’t leave me with any emotional feelings when I finished.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Blood for My Brother by James LePore BLOG TOUR

Product Description
When Jay Cassio's best friend is murdered in a job clearly done by professionals, the walls that he has built to protect himself from the world of others begin to shatter. Dan Del Colliano had been his confidante and protector since the men were children on the savage streets of Newark, New Jersey. When Dan supports and revives Jay after Jay's parents die in a plane crash, their bond deepens to something beyond brotherhood, beyond blood. Now Jay, a successful lawyer, must find out why Dan died and find a way to seek justice for his murder. Isabel Perez has lived a life both tainted and charmed since she was a teenager in Mexico. She holds powerful sway over men and has even more powerful alliances with people no one should ever try to cross. She desperately wants her freedom from the chains these people have placed on her. When Jay catapults into her world, their connection is electric, their alliance is lethal, and their future is anything but certain. Once again, James LePore has given us a novel of passions, intense moral complexities, and irresistible thrills. Filled with characters you will embrace and characters you will fear, Blood of My Brother is a story about a quest for revenge and redemption you won't soon forget.

My thoughts
Jay Casio’s childhood friend Dan Del Colliano is murdered execution style. Since Dan is Jay’s best friend he vows vengeance. In another part of the world, Isabel Perez is trained to be a prostitute for Mexico’s’ elite. Somehow these two chacaters are connected and as we read the story we found out why. Told in flashbacks and present tense, we learn about the individuals and what makes them who there are. This suspenseful novel has corruption, some action and some character development; a little slow at first but picks up.

Paradise Dogs by Man Martin

This book will be released June 7, 2011

Book Description
Adam Newman once had it all. But then he lost it.

Now Adam yearns to reunite with his estranged wife, Evelyn, and recapture the Edenic life they once had running Paradise Dogs, the roadside hot-dog restaurant now legendary throughout central Florida.
He has a few obstacles along the way. For starters, there’s his impending marriage to Lily. There’s also the matter of a quarter million dollars’ worth of diamonds that he mislaid, along with what appears to be a shadowy conspiracy that is buying up land around the Cross-Florida Canal (and which may or may not be a product of Adam’s alcohol-infused imagination).

Despite his own troubles---and a brief stay in Chattahoochee---Adam looks to mentor his son, Addison, in the ways of love. Awkward, unsure, and employed as the world’s least accurate obituary writer, Addison pines for a beautiful and painfully earnest linguistic student but must compete for her attention with his older and more sophisticated half brother from Evelyn’s first marriage.

But if anybody can set these worlds in order, it is Adam, who has an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time and allowing others to believe he’s someone he’s not. Whether it’s delivering a baby, rescuing a marriage, or exposing a Communist conspiracy, our protagonist is up for the job. Paradise Dogs, from Georgia Author of the Year Award winner Man Martin, is a farcical tale of paradise lost, the American Dream, and the true measures of love.

My thoughts
Adam Newman wants to reunite with his ex-wife and will do anything to get the girl. This slapstick comedy of errors is set in 1960s Florida and has so much ridiculous situations you don’t know whether to laugh or cry for the hero of this story. Don’t try to understand the plot (missing diamonds, land speculation, Communists and Walt Disney?); just enjoy the comedy of errors!

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

The Book Giveaways Continue

This week I am giving away my ARC copies of the following books:

Funeral For A Dog by Thomas Pletzinger
Paradise Dogs by Man Martin
The Social Climber's Handbook by Molly Jong-Fast

One winner will win all three books. All you have to do is answer the following question and leave an e-mail address and you are entered.

How many books do you read in one month?

This contest is open to US residents only.
Ends: Friday, April 29, 2011

The winner is Icedream!

So Close The Hand of Death by J.T. Ellison

Book Description

It's a hideous echo of a violent past. Across America, murders are being committed with all the twisted hallmarks of the Boston Strangler, the Zodiac Killer and Son of Sam. The media frenzy explodes and Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson knows instantly that The Pretender is back…and he's got helpers.

As The Pretender's disciples perpetrate their sick homages—stretching police and the FBI dangerously thin—Taylor tries desperately to prepare for their inevitable showdown. And she must do it alone. To be close to her is to be in mortal danger, and she won't risk losing anyone she loves. But the isolation, the self-doubt and the rising body count are taking their toll—she's beside herself and ready to snap.
The brilliant psychopath who both adores and despises her is drawing close. Close enough to touch….

My thoughts
People are being murdered all across the country in similar manners of previous serial killers. Are they connected? You bet. It’s all part of a game that The Pretender is playing with Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson, one cop that he despises. This thriller is just that a thriller and a cat and mouse game as Jackson tries to learn who the Pretender is and catch him before he kills again (especially if it is her he wants next).

Since this is the sixth in a series of novels that these and other characters appear in, it may be confusing to the new reader (such as myself), but overall it is still a first-rate book with interesting characters and plot.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Pub 199, Mt. Arlington, NJ

Our neighbors invited us out with their friends last weekend to Pub 199; a local restaurant that I hadn’t experienced. He told me that it was cash only and they made the best clams and crab legs around. It seems that they own their own clam beds.

When we got there it was packed, and we had to wait a half hour for a table. They don’t take reservation and they don’t take credit cards, so that says a lot for their food.

When we sat down, I checked the menu and although it stated they didn’t take credit cards, it also stated that there was a one drink minimum per person and that nothing was free including the condiments. Again, I have to stress the place was packed so they must be doing something right!

But guess what I am not a seafood person and the other six ordered their clams and the crab legs and I ordered veal. It was good. My wife finally broke down and ate some clams (especially when she found out it was zero points on the Weight Watchers system). A few more beer sin me and I might have tried them.

What I really liked about the place were all the animals on the walls. I felt like I was in a museum. Not that the owner was a hunter. I was told he bought most of them. Looking up from our table, I saw this elephant head!

Interesting place, I guess I will have to tray the clams and crab legs next time to find out what the fuss is all about.

Mystery by Jonathan Kellerman

Book Description
Few know the city of Los Angeles the way #1 bestselling author and acclaimed suspense master Jonathan Kellerman does. His thrilling novels of psychological drama and criminal detection make the capital of dreams a living, breathing character in all its glamour and infamy. That storied history of fame, seduction, scandal, and murder looms large in Mystery, as Alex Delaware finds himself drawn into a twisting, shadowy whodunit that’s pure L.A. noir—and vintage Kellerman.

The closing of their favorite romantic rendezvous, the Fauborg Hotel in Beverly Hills, is a sad occasion for longtime patrons Alex Delaware and Robin Castagna. And gathering one last time with their fellow faithful habitués for cocktails in the gracious old venue makes for a bittersweet evening. But even more poignant is a striking young woman—alone and enigmatic among the revelers—waiting in vain in elegant attire and dark glasses that do nothing to conceal her melancholy. Alex can’t help wondering what her story is, and whether she’s connected to the silent, black-suited bodyguard lingering outside the hotel.

Two days later, Alex has even more to contemplate when police detective Milo Sturgis comes seeking his psychologist comrade’s insights about a grisly homicide. To Alex’s shock, the brutalized victim is the same beautiful woman whose lonely hours sipping champagne at the Fauborg may have been her last.

But with a mutilated body and no DNA match, she remains as mysterious in death as she seemed in life. And even when a tipster’s sordid revelation finally cracks the case open, the dark secrets that spill out could make Alex and Milo’s best efforts to close this horrific crime not just impossible but fatal.

My thoughts
Alex Delaware and his girlfriend Robin are having a drink in the soon to be demolished Faubourg Hotel when they notice a beautiful woman and her bodyguard. The next day they her that she has been killed and Alex offers his assistance to his cop pal Milo Sturgis. Alex has been on the LAPD payroll as a consultant for a long time now. He was and is a child psychologist and takes the case of the child of a former patient to add to this story.

I have read most if not all of the Alex Delaware novels as the character is a favorite of mine. Although, sometimes I think the character has been played out, this is not the case with this novel. It’s nice to see that secondary characters such as Robin and Milo’s doctor boyfriend, Rick are active in this one. The mystery itself was nothing out of the ordinary.

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library.

A Relic From The Past

I took this photo on one of my many walks, this time alongside abandoned railroad tracks (which rumor has it may be restored to relieve traffic off of Route 80 from Pennsylvania to New York). It’s an old train signal just lying there. I apologize for the graffiti; I am not advanced enough in Photoshop to erase it.

Funeral For A Dog by Thomas Pletzinger

Book Description
Journalist Daniel Mandelkern leaves Hamburg on assignment to interview Dirk Svensson, a reclusive children's book author who lives alone on the Italian side of Lake Lugano with his three-legged dog. Mandelkern has been quarreling with his wife (who is also his editor); he suspects she has other reasons for sending him away.After stumbling on a manuscript of Svensson's about a complicated ménage à trois, Mandelkern is plunged into mysteries past and present. Rich with anthropological and literary allusion, this prize-winning debut set in Europe, Brazil, and New York, tells the parallel stories of two writers struggling with the burden of the past and the uncertainties of the future. Funeral for a Dog won the prestigious Uwe-Johnson Prize, and critics raved: "Pletzinger's debut is a real smash hit. It's been a long time since a young German writer has thrown himself into the hurly-burly of life and literature with so much intelligence and bravado" (Wolfgang Hobel, Der Spiegel).

My thoughts
It is hard for me to describe Funeral For A Dog since I haven’t never read something like this. A journalist is sent out to interview a reclusive children’s book author. Daniel (the journalist) tells his story as though they are journal entries and sometimes goes off on tangents. The author’s story is told as though he is writing a book. And somehow these two meet and write about the same things differently. Does that make sense? It was not an easy read and certainly not for everyone, including myself.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the Goodreads First Reads program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Twice A Spy by Keith Thomson Book Giveaway

Thanks to Liz at Doubleday, I am giving away 2 copies of Twice A Spy by Keith Thomson.

Entry is easy; just leave a comment with your email address (no questions to answer this time).

Ends Saturday April 30, 2010
Open to US and Canadian residents
No PO Boxes

Eve by Iris Johanen

This book will be released on April 19, 2011

Book Description
Eve Duncan’s mission in life is to bring closure to the families who have experienced the agony of a missing child. As a forensic sculptor, she is able to piece together bones, create a face, and bring an identity to a child who would have otherwise gone unidentified…maybe forever. Eve is brilliant, and driven, and tormented--because her own daughter, Bonnie, was taken from her years ago. And Eve has never discovered what happened to her. But now a name from the past resurfaces, thanks to CIA agent Catherine Ling who knows all too well what it’s like to lose a child.

After teaming up with Agent Ling to find her missing son, Eve and Catherine share a bond forged by their mutual pain. Now, Catherine challenges Eve with a name: John Gallo. A man from Eve’s past. A man, seemingly raised from the dead, whose whereabouts are unknown. Could Gallo be the missing piece to the puzzle that has haunted Eve for years? Why was he in Atlanta just before Bonnie’s disappearance? With a brilliant narrative that goes back to Eve Duncan’s early life, exploring her history and motivations like no other novel before, Eve reveals long-guarded secrets and is guaranteed to leave Johansen fans panting for more—soon to come in Quinn (October 2011).

My thoughts
Eve is the first in a trilogy of stories by Iris Johansen that delves into the characters that she has created. This one digs deep into the life of Eve Duncan, the Forensic sculptor that is obsessed by the disappearance of her daughter Bonnie and trying to find her murdered and bring her daughter home. I thought that after all this time, that the character would have been played out, but Ms. Johansen has added another level and we go back to Eve’s life and learn what makes her tick, her love for her child, the relationship with the father and the explosive climax that makes this thriller exciting. I can’t wait for the second book in this trilogy!

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the Amazon.com Vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

And yet another three book ARC Giveaway

This week I am giving away my ARC copies of the following books:

Iron House by John Hart
Lake Charles by Ed Lynskey
Eve by Iris Johansen

One winner will win all three books. All you have to do is answer the following question and leave an e-mail address and you are entered.

Since it’s tax time, my question this week is do you owe or will you get a refund?

This contest is open to US residents only.
Ends: Friday, April 22, 2011

Palm Trees On The Hudson by Elliot Tiber

Book Description
Palm Trees on the Hudson is the hilarious prequel to Elliot Tiber's bestseller Taking Woodstock. Before Elliot found financial success by bringing Woodstock Ventures to his upstate motel, he was one of Manhattan's leading interior designers. Then Elliot's career came to a halt due to a floating society party, Judy Garland, and the Mob.

In April 1968, Elliot was hired to throw an elegant dinner party aboard a luxury yacht on the Hudson River. Included on the guest list were New York's rich and famous--politicians, financiers, and even Elliot's icon, Judy Garland. The big night arrived. But when a fight broke out, resulting in the destruction of everything including the rented palms, Elliot's event turned into a financial disaster. Things couldn't get any worse--or so it seemed, until the Mob paid him a visit.

By turns comic and tragic, Palm Trees on the Hudson is the take-no-prisoners memoir that gives readers a more intimate look at the man who went on to fight back at Stonewall and who helped give birth to the Woodstock Nation.

My thoughts
Elliot Tiber tells of his life growing up in Brooklyn with a domineering mother and a submissive father in this quirky memoir. It also explains how he survived his upbringing to escape to the go to college and become a decorator and also a motel owner. The funny (not laugh out loud) vignettes of life in Manhattan, the people he meets, especially Judy Garland and situations he gets himself into makes this a entertaining book. Its quick read into the eccentric mind of this author.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Redemption by Laurel Dewey BLOG TOUR

Welcome to the virtual book tour for Redemption by Laurel Dewey. Sit back, read some and enjoy.

Book Description
After a series of life-changing events, detective Jane Perry has resigned from the Denver Police Department. Trying to make a living as a private investigator, she finds her past haunting her at every turn and old demons rising up to torment her.

Then Jane meets Kit Clark, a woman who wants Jane to drive with her from Colorado to Northern California in search of a man who matches the description of the killer who murdered her granddaughter many years before. Kit’s convinced that the man has started to kill again and she wants to stop him. Jane thinks the woman is crazy – especially when she discovers that she’s a New Age devotee – but Jane is desperate for work. They head on the road, gathering critical information about the killer, and themselves, along the way. Jane has recently experienced several events in her life that seem to border on the paranormal, though she is a complete skeptic in that regard. Now, those experiences come with greater frequency. And when the trail of the killer leads to a fundamentalist church, the consequences of belief and faith propel her toward a deadly confrontation.

Once again, Laurel Dewey has created a novel as rich in character as it is in suspense. Juxtaposing spirituality and religion, mission and manipulation, revenge and redemption, this powerful, taut mystery confirms the author as a top-flight storyteller and promises to resonate in your soul.

My thoughts
Jane Perry quit the police force and is now working as a private detective. But she has to deal with her personal demons which have led her to drink. Outside an AA meeting she meets Kit Clark who is convinced that a man named Lou Peters killed her grandchild and may be involved in the disappearance of another child. Off to California from Denver, Jane has to deal with a crazy cast of characters and a much more in hopes of located and saving this missing girl. This is the second Jane Perry novel in a series and although I have not tread the first (Protector), this one hold its own as it is a suspenseful and character driven story that leads to a powerful climax.

A World I Never Made by James LePore BLOG TOUR

Book Description
Pat Nolan, an American man, is summoned to Paris to claim the body of his estranged daughter Megan, who has committed suicide. The body, however, is not Megan’s and it becomes instantly clear to Pat that Megan staged this, that she is in serious trouble, and that she is calling to him for help.

This sends Pat on an odyssey that stretches across France and into the Czech Republic and that makes him the target of both the French police and a band of international terrorists. Juxtaposed against this story is Megan’s story. A freelance journalist, Megan is in Morocco to do research when she meets Abdel Lahani, a Saudi businessman. They begin a torrid affair, a game Megan has played often and well in her adult life. But what she discovers about Lahani puts her in the center of a different kind of game, one with rules she can barely comprehend. Because of her relationship with Lahani, Megan has made some considerable enemies. And she has put the lives of many—maybe even millions—at risk.

A World I Never Made is an atmospheric novel of suspense with brilliantly drawn characters and back-stories as compelling as the plot itself.

My thoughts
This is a remarkable thriller about a father and daughter and the hunt for terrorists. Pat Nolan comes to France to identify the body of his estranged daughter who had committed suicide. Although, he tells the authorities that it is her, he knows it is not and starts a search for her. Chapters alternate between the father and daughter and the reason why his daughter faked her death. Is she a terrorist as the authorities believe or is it something else as Pat searches for answers. This reader gotten taken in with the storyline, the locations and the characters. A good book from this attorney turned author.

Ritz Crackerful Multigrain Crackers, Sharp Cheddar

Product Description
RITZ Crackerfuls! Made with real cheese and 6 grams of whole grain per serving, it's the snack that will help keep you satisfied until your next meal.

My thoughts
Ritz’s new cracker treat are the Crackerfuls – a cheese and cracker combination. I wanted to try this because I have always enjoyed Ritz crackers and I love cheddar cheese. While the cracker is a strong wheat flavored cracker that I enjoyed, I was disappointed by the cheese filling. It was not the cheddar I was expecting, but more like the spray can cheese you can squirt on (which certainly not a favorite of mine). I probably would not purchase these for myself or my family. By the way, one cracker sandwich is 3 points on the new Weight watchers point plus program. Can you tell I am trying to lose weight?

Disclosure: I recevied this product for review from the Amazon Vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Little Princes by Conor Grennan

Book Description

In search of adventure, 29-year-old Conor Grennan traded his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Children’s Home, an orphanage in war-torn Nepal.

Conor was initially reluctant to volunteer, unsure whether he had the proper skill, or enough passion, to get involved in a developing country in the middle of a civil war. But he was soon overcome by the herd of rambunctious, resilient children who would challenge and reward him in a way that he had never imagined. When Conor learned the unthinkable truth about their situation, he was stunned: The children were not orphans at all. Child traffickers were promising families in remote villages to protect their children from the civil war—for a huge fee—by taking them to safety. They would then abandon the children far from home, in the chaos of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.

For Conor, what began as a footloose adventure becomes a commitment to reunite the children he had grown to love with their families, but this would be no small task. He would risk his life on a journey through the legendary mountains of Nepal, facing the dangers of a bloody civil war and a debilitating injury. Waiting for Conor back in Kathmandu, and hopeful he would make it out before being trapped in by snow, was the woman who would eventually become his wife and share his life’s work.

Little Princes is a true story of families and children, and what one person is capable of when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. At turns tragic, joyful, and hilarious, Little Princes is a testament to the power of faith and the ability of love to carry us beyond our wildest expectations.

My thoughts
This memoir is the story of one man’s journey into Nepal and making a difference. Conor Grenan is not a man of wealth, but a regular guy affected by the trafficking of children in this country. From a stint of volunteering, to creating a nonprofit organization to helping children find their parents, this is one remarkable and emotional story. It just shows you that one person can make a difference in this world!

Disclosure: I won this book from a giveaway at booksonthehouse.com

Three Book Giveaway

Have you noticed that I am giving away three books every Friday?

This week I am giving away my copies of the following books:
Tyler by C.H. Admirand (ARC copy)
Alice In Zombieland by Lewis Carroll and Nickolas Cook (ARC copy)
The Redemption of Holly Dobson by C. Lynn Barton

One winner will win all three books. All you have to do is answer the following question and leave an e-mail address and you are entered.

Earlier this week I posted pictures from an ostrich farm. My question is – What is the most exotic food you have ever tried?

This contest is open to US residents only.
Ends: Friday, April 15, 2011 - THe winner is Lisa!

Learning to Swim by Sara J. Henry

Book Description
When she witnesses a small child tumbling from a ferry into Lake Champlain, Troy Chance dives in without thinking. Harrowing moments later, she bobs to the surface, pulling a terrified little boy with her. As the ferry disappears into the distance, she begins a bone-chilling swim nearly a mile to shore with a tiny passenger on her back.

Surprisingly, he speaks only French. He’ll acknowledge that his name is Paul; otherwise, he’s resolutely mute.

Troy assumes that Paul’s frantic parents will be in touch with the police or the press. But what follows is a shocking and deafening silence. And Troy, a freelance writer, finds herself as fiercely determined to protect Paul as she is to find out what happened to him. What she uncovers will take her into a world of wealth and privilege and heedless self-indulgence—a world in which the murder of a child is not unthinkable. She’ll need skill and courage to survive and protect her charge and herself.

Sara J. Henry’s powerful and compelling Learning to Swim will move and disturb readers right up to its shattering conclusion.

My thoughts
While on a ferry, Troy Chance thinks she sees a small child fall off another ferry. Quickly, se dives into the water and heads towards the fallen object (which is a six-year-old boy). Since no one from either ferry saw the boy or her jump in the water, she swims to safety. On shore, she finds out the boy only speaks French.

Thus, beings the tale in Learning to Swim. From the onset, this mystery kept my spellbound from the moment of the rescue until the finale. Why Troy doesn’t go to the police and tries on her own to find the truth of who may have tossed the boy overboard is a few of the questions that popped into this reader’s head. There are twists and turns that keeps the story exciting. A very exciting debut from Ms. Henry.

Disclosure: I won this book through a giveaway on the nomoregrumpybookseller blog site. Thanks Becky!

Jeannie out of the Bottle by Barbara Eden and Wendy Leigh

As a fan of nostalgia, I wanted to share book (being released today) with my readers!

Product Description
A magical, heartwarming memoir from one of Hollywood’s most beloved icons

Over the past four decades, the landmark NBC hit television series I Dream of Jeannie has delighted generations of audiences and inspired untold numbers of teenage crushes on its beautiful blond star, Barbara Eden. Part pristine Hollywood princess and part classic bombshell, with innocence, strength, and comedic talent to spare, Barbara finally lets Jeannie out of her bottle to tell her whole story.

Jeannie Out of the Bottle takes us behind the scenes of I Dream of Jeannie as well as Barbara’s dozens of other stage, movie, television, and live concert performances. We follow her from the hungry years when she was a struggling studio contract player at 20th Century Fox through difficult weeks trying to survive as a chorus girl at Ciro’s Sunset Strip supper club, from a stint as Johnny Carson’s sidekick on live TV to tangling on-screen and off with some of Hollywood’s most desirable leading men, including Elvis Presley, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, and Warren Beatty. From the ups and downs of her relationship with her Jeannie co-star Larry Hagman to a touching meeting with an exquisite and vulnerable Marilyn Monroe at the twilight of her career, readers join Barbara on a thrilling journey through her five decades in Hollywood.

But Barbara’s story is also an intimate and honest memoir of personal tragedy: a stillborn child with her first husband, Michael Ansara; a verbally abusive, drug-addicted second husband; the loss of her beloved mother; and the accidental heroin-induced death of her adult son, just months before his wedding. With candor and poignancy, Barbara reflects on the challenges she has faced, as well as the joys she has experienced and how she has maintained her humor, optimism, and inimitable Jeannie magic throughout the roller-coaster ride of a truly memorable life.

Illustrated with sixteen pages of photographs, including candid family pictures and rare publicity stills, Jeannie Out of the Bottle is a must-have for every fan, old and new.

About the Authors
BARBARA EDEN has been a television, film, and stage actress, and a Las Vegas headliner, for more than five decades. She is best known for her title role in the hit TV series I Dream of Jeannie. She grew up in San Francisco and currently lives in Beverly Hills with her husband, Jon Eicholtz, and their Labradoodle, Djin Djin.

WENDY LEIGH is the New York Times bestselling author of thirteen books, including Life with My Sister Madonna (as co-author) and True Grace: The Life and Times of an American Princess.

A Walk to the Ostrich Farm

I took a two mile walk to an ostrich farm near my house. I don’t know if I ever ate ostrich, but there is a restaurant by us Rattlesnake Ranch Café that offers it, along with some other exotic meats. I have had alligator, buffalo and caribou, but can’t for the life of me remember if I had ostrich. Have you tried any exotic meats?

Zero Day by Mark Russinovich

Book Description
An airliner’s controls abruptly fail mid-flight over the Atlantic. An oil tanker runs aground in Japan when its navigational system suddenly stops dead. Hospitals everywhere have to abandon their computer databases when patients die after being administered incorrect dosages of their medicine. In the Midwest, a nuclear power plant nearly becomes the next Chernobyl when its cooling systems malfunction.

At first, these random computer failures seem like unrelated events. But Jeff Aiken, a former government analyst who quit in disgust after witnessing the gross errors that led up to 9/11, thinks otherwise. Jeff fears a more serious attack targeting the United States computer infrastructure is already under way. And as other menacing computer malfunctions pop up around the world, some with deadly results, he realizes that there isn’t much time if he hopes to prevent an international catastrophe.

Written by a global authority on cyber security, Zero Day presents a chilling “what if” scenario that, in a world completely reliant on technology, is more than possible today---it’s a cataclysmic disaster just waiting to happen.

My thoughts
Imagine that a virus infects all computers in the world which leads to catastrophic chaos. This novel begins with such events as airplane losing control of his navigational abilities. This grabbed my attention, but as the book continues, it slowly waned. Cyber terrorists attack the world by compromising our computers and using our dependency on the Internet to terrorize the world. Nice premise but it didn’t carry throughout the novel. Although very technical, I found the characters week and the situations predictable.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Jamba Juice Energy Drink, Strawberry Banana

Product Description
All Natural Nestle Jamba Energy Drinks deliver great benefits. All Natural (No artificial ingredients, no taurine, no glucuronolactone). Great Taste (made with 70% Fruit Juice). Sustained Energy (80mg of natural caffeine per can). Lower calories and sugar per serving than Red Bull.

My thoughts
I am not a big energy drink person but have tried a few before and the strawberry banana flavor of Jamba Juice’s new energy drink enticed me to give it a whirl. I was expecting a strong fruity flavor but didn’t really taste it. It tasted similar to other energy drinks. Although, I appreciate the opportunity to try this drink, I wouldn’t go out to buy it. My wife thought it was okay. I prefer a fruitier flavor over the 80mg of caffeine. On another note, it is only 2 points in the Weight Watchers diet program.

Disclosure: I received this product for review from the Amazon.com Vine Program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Another Three Book ARC Giveaway

I am giving away ARC copies of the following books:

Hell's Horizon by Darren Shan
The Terror of Living by Urban Waite
The Sentry by Robert Crais

One winner will win all three books. All you have to do is answer the following question and leave an e-mail address and you are entered.

Are you planning on playing any practical jokes today? The winner will be picked at random and your answer will have no effect on your entry, but not answering the question will disqualify you.

This contest is open to US residents only.
Ends: Friday, April 8, 2011 - The Winner is Carol!

Alice in Zombieland by Lewis Carroll and Nickolas Cook

Book Description
They were indeed a queer-looking party that assembled on the bank-the birds with draggled feathers, the animals with their fur clinging close to them, and all dripping wet, cross, and uncomfortable. All of them were covered in Alice's now cold and congealed blood, which made them even tastier looking to poor hungry Alice.

When little Alice follows the Black Rat down into the gaping darkness of an open grave, she falls and falls. And soon finds herself in an undead nightmare of rotting flesh and insanity. Venturing further into this land of zombies and monsters, she encounters characters both creepy and madcap along the way. But there's something else troubling poor Alice: her skin is rotting and her hair is falling out. She's cold. And she has the haunting feeling that if she remains in Zombieland any longer, she might never leave.

Can Alice escape Zombieland before the Dead Red Queen catches up to her

My thoughts
A lot of classic novels are being retold with a horrific theme, and Alice in Wonderland is one of them. This retelling has Alice following a black rat and falling down an open grave and into Zombieland. Although written with a humorous bent and following the original somewhat, I did not find this to be as exciting or interesting as I first hoped.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.