Wednesday, December 29, 2010

WoW Weekly 100 Words 12.29.2010

WoW! This will be the last week of 2010 posting. 2011 is soon to arrive. Happy New Year! WOW WEEKLY 100 WORDS

Hop along on the WoW WEEKLY 100 WORDS with me! Once you've created your post on your own blog, return here to ADD your WoW 100 post URL to the Linky list for this week and I'll be reading you!





I'm happy to say that this week I have finished reading two books:

Write Ways to Win Writing Contests by John Howard Reid
Son of My Soul: The Adoption of Christopher by Debra Shiveley Welch





So, later this week I'll be posting my reviews of both books. Lord willing and the creek don't rise. (As my Grandma used to say whenever someone said they were going to do something.)
 
Today, for WoW Weekly 100 Words, using The Word Count Tool, I'll share with you 100 words from the book I've just begun reading--The Capablance Variation, a novel by Douglas Quinn. From page 3:
 
"Maybe she should have told her dad about it, but after Mark had first confronted her about her brother, she'd tracked down Theo on her own. She hadn't wanted to bring her dad into it. He'd almost been arrested once, himself, after shucking-and-jiving the U.S. State Department and, as they called it, interfering in government national security business. National Security! The catchall excuse for whatever the government wanted to get away with. Jennie laughed at her own thought. She had become as cynical as her father. But public opinion and the news-show talking heads had kept the government off..."
 
 

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

WoW Weekly 100 Words 12/22/2010

Again, this past week hasn't allowed for much reading time, so I've concentrated on only one book and I'm almost finished with this book of life and love.

Today, for WoW WEEKLY 100 WORDS, I'll share from Son of My Soul: The Adoption of Christopher by author Debra Shiveley Welch, from Chapter 18:

     "Now," he said, "is the time to get Christopher into a pre-school for language-delayed children. I have a few places for you to look in to, but he must get in as quickly as possible. We have to keep those synapses firing and get him involved in language immediately. "They will teach him sign language, which will help with his communication skills until he begins to talk again."

     "Pre-school?" I mumbled. I wasn't ready for you to go to school. I had counted on at least four years with you alone before you had to go to school. Nevertheless, remembering..."



NOTES: I was offered this book title by the author through Reviews4Reviews.com, where I am a registered book Reviewer. Also, I have been graced with meeting this author and her son face-to-face! I'll soon finish this reading and post my official review.

And there you have it, my WoW reading share for this week! I can't wait to discover what words you have to share from the book(s) you're reading!

WOW WEEKLY 100 WORDS

Hop along on the WoW WEEKLY 100 WORDS with me! Once you've created your post on your own blog, return here to ADD your WoW 100 post URL to the Linky list for this week and I'll be reading you!

Monday, December 20, 2010

B-Y-G-B January Linky List

Good grief, this is a post for the new year which is soon to be here--yipes!

Welcome to B-Y-G-B!

Book-Your-Giveaway-Book

JANUARY linky list at

Ruthi Reads!

Authors, gain exposure for your own book giveaways! Bloggers, gain exposure to your book giveaways! Readers and book reviewers are always looking for new books. I know I am always looking for new books to read and review. And I'm delighted to say that I won SIX books this past month, TWO of them from book giveaways on December's B-Y-G-B linky list!

This list is for BOOK GIVEAWAYS ONLY! If you are hosting a book giveaway on your blog or website, feel free to submit to this list. Please submit the BOOK TITLE, BOOK GIVEAWAY POST LINK/URL, and END DATE of the book giveaway.

Please remember: This list is for book giveaways that END in JANUARY. There is a separate post for book giveaways for each month.

Please add the B-Y-G-B badge code to your site ... thank you! This enables all authors, book bloggers, readers, and book giveaway enthusiasts to find the current B-Y-G-B list to link up and enter, too!


B-Y-G-B



Friday, December 17, 2010

Book Blogger Hop 6

The Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy-for-Books.com, connects book bloggers and readers together, linking blogs with a Linky list. It's a great way to meet and greet fellow book bloggers. Each week there's a member-provided question to answer and post to your blog. Here is this week's Book Blogger Hop question, provided by Alex and my answer:



"What do you consider the most important in a story: the plot or the characters?"

For me, it is the combination of both plot and character that is important to the story I'm reading. The characters need to be believable--or unbelievable--whichever the plot requires them need be! There's nothing ruins what could be a great story than characters who seem to just plod along or well-defined characters to a poorly played-out plot. One should clearly enhance the other in order to eliminate ennui with the book in hand.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

WoW Weekly 100 Words 12/15/2010

The hustle and bustle of this past week's ToDo's hasn't allowed for much reading time, so I've concentrated on only one book this week.

Today, for WoW WEEKLY 100 WORDS, I'll share from Son of My Soul: The Adoption of Christopher by Debra Shiveley Welch, from Chapter 6:

     "I recalled those halcyon days on the farm and the long stretches of time when I was happy. That is how it should be. A child should be allowed to be a child and to be free to learn, to play, to dream!

     I decided then, that night, that I would never give birth! I did not want the blood of my tormentors flowing through the veins of my child! My father was more of a mystery than a true father. He had visited only a few times, and had usually shown up drunk. Obviously, drink was more important to..."


NOTES: I was offered this book title by the author through Reviews4Reviews.com, where I am a registered book Reviewer. I'll soon finish this reading and post my official review.

And there you have it, my WoW reading share for this week! I can't wait to discover what words you have to share from the book(s) you're reading!

WOW WEEKLY 100 WORDS

Hop along on the WoW WEEKLY 100 WORDS with me! Once you've created your post on your own blog, return here to ADD your WoW 100 post URL to the Linky list for this week and I'll be reading you!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

WoW Winner of Forever Becoming Book Giveaway...

WoW! We have a Winner!

I'm delighted to announce the winner of my first WoW Words of Writers Book Giveaway! WoW winner of a signed copy of Forever Becoming by literary author Kasey Klein is...


I'll be notifying you via personal email, also. Please be sure to contact the author, Kasey Klein, with your mailing address to receive your signed copy of Forever Becoming. I've no doubt you will enJOY this beauty of a book...


Renda, I thank you for your participation in this WoW Words of Writers book giveaway!

And Kasey, I thank you for your generousity and participation, too! And I certainly hope we pair up again with another WoW book giveaway soon!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Book Blogger Hop 5

The Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy-for-Books.com, connects book bloggers and readers together, linking blogs with a Linky list. It's a great way to meet and greet fellow book bloggers. The Hop runs each week from Friday to Monday, although it isn't mandatory to participate each week. To encourage participation, there's a weekly member-provided question to answer and post to your blog. Here is this week's Book Blogger Hop question, provided by Angela and my answer:


"What is the thing you like most about reading book blogs? Is it the reviews, author guest posts, articles, giveaways, or something else entirely?"


Being one with an eclectic mindset, I like everything on the book blogs! Especially the Book Blogger Hop!

The book reviews and author interviews would be my favorites. But, of course, I do enJOY the book giveaways, too; love new reading material on my bookshelf. I enJOY the articles also, especially those that pertain to publishing issues, especially self-publishing.

I find it interesting to mingle with others who share their thoughts on what they're reading and why. It's like mingling at a party held at a library ...smiles...

***Now, for a bit of shameless self-promotion hopping your way***

I'd like to take this opportunity to plug my own newly-created wednesday hop and hope all of you book bloggers and readers will join the fun and help spread the word:
WoW Weekly 100 Words

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

WoW Wednesday! Weekly 100 Words 12/08/2010

WOW WEEKLY 100 WORDS
It's time for my WoW WEEKLY 100 WORDS! On Wednesdays, I hope you'll be hopping along with me!

Today, I'll be sharing with you exactly 100 words from books I'm currently reading!




Book 1: Son of My Soul: The Adoption of Christopher by Debra Shiveley Welch, from Chapter 3:

     "I could hardly breathe. The ache within me was so profound, so all consuming, that there was no room for air, no room for hope, no room fo anything but this increible pain. I wanted my mother! I wanted her so badly that the weight of it almost crushed me. I sat there, cradled in the crotch of the tree, and cried. I wept until I could weep no more, until there was nothing left inside of me to release.
     Why would I long for someone who neglected me so horribly? What was it within me that made me crave.."


Book 2: ChristmaSin' by Ed Williams, 100 words from page 34:

     "We both laugh, and I take the opportunity to lean over and give Jenny a little smooch. She has to be the greatest kisser of all time, so anytime I can slip one away from her it's a true blessing. I even tell her after the smooch how thankful I am to get it, and Jenny laughs and says that I am in the perfect place to be giving thanks. I have to agree with her on that one, which starts me to thinking and then talking to her about a Christmas Eve experience we had at our house a..."


Book 3: Write Ways to WIN WRITING CONTESTS by John Howard Reid, 100 words from page 73:

     "Frankly, I'm a firm believer that mystery or detective stories should be written in the first person, in order to play fair with the reader. But otherwise your choice of a narrative point of view depends on what you think is the best way to tell the story with maximum impact.
     I'm often asked at writers' conferences and so-called "manuscript clinicx", how many characters are ideal for a short story? The conventional wisdom holds that you need only as many characters as the story demands. This doesn't tell us much. But obviously one hundred characters is far too many for..."


Notes: I won ChristmasSin' in a gather.com author chat and will soon be writing a review for this delightful book.

As for Son of My Soul and Write Ways, I was offered these book titles by the authors through Reviews4Reviews.com, where I am a registered book Reviewer.

Well, there you have it, my WoW reading share for this week! I can't wait to discover what words you have to share from the book(s) you're reading!

So, hop along on the WoW WEEKLY 100 WORDS with me. Once you've created your post on your own blog, return here to ADD your post URL to the Linky list for this week and I'll be reading you!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Book Blogger Hop 4

Hoppin' right along for another week of the Book Blogger Hop challenge, hosted by Crazy-for-Books.com. I hope you hop on over there for all the Hop details and if you're a book blogger, hop along with us!

The Book Blogger Hop connects book bloggers and readers together, linking blogs with a Linky list. It's a great way to meet and greet fellow book bloggers. The Hop runs each week from Friday to Monday, although it isn't mandatory to participate each week. To encourage participation, there's a weekly member-provided question to answer and post to your blog. Here is this week's Book Blogger Hop question, provided by Marce and my answer:

"What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?"

I rarely succumb to hype or popularity in any category and especially not with books; my choice of reading material is my own and I don't mind at all sharing what I think of a book within my book review; I write honest, though sensitive reviews. Only occasionally have I mentioned something negative in a book review and even then it was done in a creative manner or because it was something I wanted the author to know, as well as the reader.

My book reviews tend to be creative writing of my own, written as to the mood or feeling the author created in me while reading the book. I rarely give a personal commentary with my book reviews, other than in my telling of the book's story. I guess this means that most of my book reviews make the books sound wonderfully written--a fact which I believe to be true of most books.


***Now, for a bit of shameless self-promotion hopping your way***

I'd like to take this opportunity to plug my own newly-created hop and hope all you book bloggers and readers will join the fun and help spread the word: WoW Weekly 100 Words

Thursday, December 2, 2010

WoW Weekly 100 Words 12/02/2010

WOW WEEKLY 100 WORDSHere I am with my first post to launch my book hop:

WoW WEEKLY 100 WORDS

Today, I'll be sharing with you exactly 100 words from books I'm currently reading!


Book 1: ChristmaSin' by Ed Williams, 100 words from page 34:

     "Christmas can be special wherever you are, whether you're at home or at some other place, even if that place is somewhere far, far away from Juliette. Like a foreign country. And that's what I'm gonna tell ya'all about, a Christmas that I spent over in a foreign land..."
     I already figure from that alone that this would have something to do with Korea. You see, Ed Jr. served in the Korean War for about fifteen months in 1951-1952, and it's the only time he's ever departed from the United States. Hell, from what I can tell, it's one of...


Book 2: Write Ways to WIN WRITING CONTESTS by John Howard Reid, 100 words from page 61:

     The theme must appeal to the judge. It must be on his/her wavelength. If the judge is a lady, don't bother sending in your great story about professional wrestling or the annual re-union of Vietnam Vets.
     If there is even a slight suggestion that winning entries will be considered for publication, steer clear of Adults Only themes. Remember, all publishers like their books to be displayed and sold by book retailers far and wide. They don't like them to be hidden under the counter or lost from sight in the darkest corner of the store. They prefer them to...

Book 3: Mexican Autumn by John Howard Reid, page 47:

     Esmerelda Quinones had but one burning ambition in life--to leave Bahia de los Angeles as fast as possible. Her popular elder brother, Daniel, had already made the break and was now living frugally in San Felipe. But he intended to come back. Carefully saving up the pesos he earned from a multitude of odd jobs, Daniel's every desire revolved around returning to los Angeles and marrying his childhood sweetheart, Luisa Sanchez.
     For Esmerelda, however, that sort of life most definitely held no appeal. Once she made the break, she would never return--she'd make sure of that. She'd have money to...

Notes: I won ChristmasSin' in a gather.com author chat! I will soon be writing a review for this delightful book. You can learn a bit more about this book on my post: Summer Reading

As for Books 2 and 3, both by John Howard Reid, I was offered these book titles by the author through Reviews4Reviews.com, where I am a registered book Reviewer.

Well, there you have it, my first WoW reading share! I can't wait to discover what words you have to share from the book(s) you're reading!

So, hop along on the WoW WEEKLY 100 WORDS with me. Once you've created your post on your own blog, return here to comment and add your post URL to the Linky list for this week and I'll be reading you!

Submitted 12/05/2010
iWriteiBlogiWin


Saturday, November 27, 2010

Book Review: All Our Fictional Dreams by Kushal Poddar

All Our Fictional Dreams
by Kushal Poddar
Lulu, 2010, US
Poetry, 24 pages
Paperback, $10.00
ISBN: 5-800043-522768
Review by Ruth Cox
 
By the light of the sun or by the light of the moonbeam, as author Kushal Poddar would say, Live amid life to dream about a perfect world. In All Our Fictional Dreams, Poddar leads the way to do just that as we follow his poetic pathway. As a prelude, imagine hailing a taxi and the driver asks, Whereto? And, You ask the driver to bring your home closer so you can see who is living in it. Imagine!

Nothing is haphazard, neither creative thought nor versed word, as the ink flows from Poddar's pen to the colorless paper. Just as does the artist Van Gogh -- he colors pages all. From "The Box Kite" where his clouds conspire to where the sun will turn liquid by the stairs of "Hesitant Lighthouse," Poddar colors our world with our dreams as we meander along as brothers of the living.

In Poddar's verse, "Story of Two Brothers," you will kneel by the river; the stream of death and of life, slowly living forever. And in "The Conflict of Season" green is the color springing to life as the author tells us, ignore the age, time, and season. As Poddar would say, We are brothers beyond blood, time, or space.

Kushal Poddar's exquisite use of metaphorical imagery allows us to experience the exact place he has led us to: the scene of our dreams and our mind's ponderings. We're meant to follow his lead line from "Imagine" -- Imagination is where truths begin.

The author Kushal Poddar lives by the light he shares in All Our Fictional Dreams. By the light of day, he adheres to what is right, practices living and practices law; by the light of night, poetry and prose he writes, words life-giving and words without flaw.

-----

I once asked the author: Kushal, not only are you a man of law and a poet of fame headed for fortune in same, you are a teacher, to me, as I have learned more by your use of imagery and metaphors hidden within your verse than any and all I've read. Where, when, did you first begin this abundant collection you've stored in your mind?

His response: Ruthi, I began writing as a challenge...can I write like the poets I read...I ask way back as a kid of six years old who only knew Bengali. I pick inspirations from everywhere, from the blind alley to the lofty sky…I used to get hold of the lines from railway stations, from the conversation with the friends, newspaper headings…nowadays I have made it a habit of writing two poems at least a day. Sometimes by writing a random word and waiting for the muse to revolve around the word.

-----

This review is written and ©Ruth Cox. Reviews written by Ruth Cox are the sole property of said reviewer. This book review is written for and first posted to: Ruthi Reads! No monetary compensation is received in exchange for the writing of this review.

-----

Since I had purchased All Our Fictional Dreams directly through Lulu.com (via Dawn D. Kilby) I'd asked Kushal to send me a postcard to place with the book. Along with the two beautiful postcards I received and share with you below, I also had the pleasure of Kushal penning a postcard poem to me, which you may read here: The Postcard To The Hill Road


"Ruthi, This is a watercolor done by a famous artist. You can get a glimpse of my city."


"To me, Sunshine means Ruthi."

Friday, November 26, 2010

Book Blogger Hop 4

I'm feelin' a bit like a slow-cooked turkey today, so a bit late in getting my post up for this week for the Book Blogger Hop challenge, hosted by Crazy-for-Books.com. I hope you hop on over there for all the Hop details and if you're a book blogger, hop along with us!

The Book Blogger Hop connects book bloggers and readers together, linking blogs. It's a great way to meet and greet fellow book bloggers. The Hop runs each week from Friday to Monday, although it isn't mandatory to participate each week. (Though my thought is, Why join if I don't intend to commit to participate?)

It's quite easy to hop along! Only three things to do: 1) Enter your book blog link in the weekly linky list at Crazy-for-Books.com; 2) Post about the Book Blogger Hop on your blog; and 3) Reciprocate by visiting other blogs on the weekly linky list!

Also, to encourage participation, there's a weekly question to answer and post to your blog. You can even suggest a question! Here is this week's Book Blogger Hop question and my answer:

"What is your favorite book cover?"

My first thought when I read this question, Great question, but I love them all! However, I'll try to pick just one; well, maybe two or three!  

I cannot help but fall in love with any book whose cover shares a bit o' sunshine! Here's a recently purchased example: Restored Hope by Brenda Youngerman. And a book I recently read and reviewed: The Ghost of Useppa Island by Kimberly Ripley. 
Then there are the books that bedazzle your every sense the moment you lay eyes upon the cover, promising an abundance of amazement to be experienced while reading the words between the covers. Forever Becoming by Kasey Klein had such an effect on me. And, you could be holding this beauty in your hands as the winner of my current WoW Book Giveaway!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

WoW: Kasey Klein and Book Giveaway

WoW
Ruthi Reads the
Words of Writer
Kasey Klein
Author of
Forever Becoming

"Checking Out" and "Kilroy", supermarket tales of 200 words each, by author Kasey Klein, are must reads if you would like to get to know the kind of person Kasey is in his day-to-day life.

One of my favorite short stories by Kasey Klein is "Helena"--a love story; bittersweet; and the telling, told in a beloved voice of its own kind. It is a story of love, loss, and sadness--the sadness in loving and the sadness in being unloved.

I recently purchased and received in my snailmail box a signed copy of Forever Becoming by Kasey Klein. I think only a true book lover can understand my reaction when I removed the book from its bubble-wrap envelope, "Oh my god, it's beautiful!" Seriously, holding Klein's book in my hands with the cover design staring up at me, the perused pages bold and bountiful ... 'Twas a thing of pure beauty.

Eventually, I will post my review of this book, but for now I share with you a portion of Klein's own review of Forever Becoming:

"Forever Becoming is my sophomore effort, the rough draft coming off the keyboard in 2000. I’d read much about the sophomore jinx. Obvious was people tried to recreate or duplicate the first success/effort. To avoid this, I stepped out in a completely new direction. I wanted to create a universe. I wanted to tell a big story in a huge way. I started with the idea of primitive dualism, the idea that the universe exists in balanced opposites. The Bible and its religions sidestep this by having God apart from His creation.

I imaged a god existing in pure light. Let me confuse you: any words applied to this being or this place would fall short of the reality. We cannot know this being or this place. She exists in a time not a time, in a place not a place. Again, the words don’t fit, but they’re all I have: she doesn’t like the darkness surrounding the light. In an attempt to push the darkness away, her light melds with the darkness, manifesting the temporal, a place that’s a place in a time that’s a time.
That’s the backstory.

To understand her creation, God manifests her sister (again, I use temporal terms that don’t apply) into flesh, her sister, Makaila, unaware of who and what she is so as not to affect her observations. Though a product of sperm and egg, Makaila is also divine. At age eleven, Makaila is deemed a danger to herself and others, and promptly illegally institutionalized for life by a shadowy pseudo-government agency. Eighteen months later, Makaila gets released. The pseudo-government agency wants Makaila back in the institution or dead.

Here is where we enter the story. Makaila, determined to keep her freedom, faces off with people who have something much different in mind."
 
As if being a literary author isn't enough, Kasey Klein also stands in place as a talented artist. Visit Klein's online store, browse through his artwork, and purchase your favorite piece of Fine Art and/or a one-of-a-kind Creative Tee with 'Tude!

 


WoW Book Giveaway:

Forever Becoming by Kasey Klein




This WoW Book Giveaway is open only to those with a USA mailing address. Please leave a comment for each entry you qualify for with your email address in each comment, including the mandatory entry.

***MANDATORY REQUIREMENT ENTRY***

This is mandatory to be entered to win a signed copy of Forever Becoming by author Kasey Klein:
 
Visit the website of author Kasey Klein. From the literature page select a story, tale, poem, essay, or parable to read. You must then email the author letting him know your thoughts on the writing you chose. (In your email subject line to Klein, please put "Book Giveaway".) You must also leave a comment here as to the title of your selection and your email address.

***Extra Entry Requirements***

Extra ways to gain entries into this book giveaway.

1...Publicly Follow Ruthi Reads! via Google Friend Connect
(GFC is in the top left panel of my main page)
2...Follow Ruthi aka abitosunshine on Twitter,
(leave your twitter name for verification)
3...Become a Facebook Fan of Kasey Klein,
(leave your FB link for verification)
4...Become a Facebook Friend of Ruthi aka abitosunshine,
(leave your FB link for verification)

I hope you've enJOYed the first of many forthcoming WoW posts at Ruthi Reads!

This WoW book giveaway ends at noon EST on December 14th. Get your entries in!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

B-Y-G-B December

Welcome to the
Book-Your-Giveaway-Book
DECEMBER linky list at
Ruthi Reads!

Authors, gain exposure for your own book giveaways! Bloggers, gain exposure to your book giveaways! Readers and book reviewers are always looking for new books. I know I am always looking for new books to read and review.

This list is for BOOK GIVEAWAYS ONLY! If you are hosting a book giveaway on your blog or website, feel free to submit to this list. Please submit the BOOK TITLE, BOOK GIVEAWAY POST LINK/URL, and END DATE of the book giveaway.

Please remember: This list is for book giveaways that END in DECEMBER. There is a separate post for book giveaways for each month.

Please add the B-Y-G-B badge code to your site ... thank you ... you'll find the badge code in the left panel of this blog. This enables all authors, book bloggers, readers, and book giveaway enthusiasts to find the B-Y-G-B list to link up and enter!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Book Your Giveaway Book

Welcome to the
Book-Your-Giveaway-Book
linky list at
Ruthi Reads!

Authors, gain exposure for your own book giveaways! Bloggers, gain exposure to your book giveaways! Readers and book reviewers are always looking for new books.

Each month I'll post a fresh linky list for that month's book giveaway linky list.

This list is for BOOK GIVEAWAYS ONLY! If you are hosting a book giveaway on your blog or website, feel free to submit to this list. Please submit the BOOK TITLE, BOOK GIVEAWAY POST LINK/URL, and END DATE of the book giveaway. (The end date must be in the month of November.)

Please add the B-Y-G-B badge code to your site ... thank you! This enables all authors, book bloggers, readers, and book giveaway enthusiasts to find the B-Y-G-B list to link up and enter!


B-Y-G-B


Please remember: This list is for book giveaways that END in NOVEMBER. There is a separate post for book giveaways for each month.

Add your giveaway to the list and/or leave a comment, please and thank you!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Book Blogger Hop 3

Hoppin' right along for another week of the Book Blogger Hop challenge, hosted by Crazy-for-Books.com. I hope you hop on over there for all the Hop details and if you're a book blogger, hop along with us!

Book Blogger Hop
The Book Blogger Hop connects book bloggers and readers together, linking blogs. It's a great way to meet and greet fellow book bloggers. The Hop runs each week from Friday to Monday, although it isn't mandatory to participate each week.

To encourage participation, there's a weekly question to answer and post to your blog. Here is this week's Book Blogger Hop question and my answer:

"Since Thanksgiving is coming up next week, let's use this week's Hop to share what we are most thankful for and what our holiday traditions are!"

What am I most thankful for is a tough question for me, as I've so many people, places, and things in my life that are on my gratitude list. I would have to say, at this moment in time I am most thankful for a warm roof over my head, warm food in my belly when hungry, and a warm pillow to lay my head upon each night -- all things which warm my spirit, all made possible by the giving spirit of a friend. Next on my gratitude list at the moment would be the pleasure of my canine companion, Tidbit. And last, but surely not least, would be the pleasure of recent time being spent with my son, Billy, and his first son, Liam, a gift of a bundle of joy -- I'm a grandmom!

Sad to say, I don't really have holiday traditions, currently. I guess between divorces, moves, aging, and many life changes, well, I just had the holiday winds taken out of my spirit sails. I now seem to drift along on heartfelt things and daily gratitude as opposed to Thanksgiving traditions. Although, this year I'm participating in the Giving Thanks Challenge throughout the month of November. And I'm thinking I need to create some new holiday traditions for myself in 2011.

Happy Thanksgiving blessings & a bit o' sunshine!

Reading Time

I don't know about you, but I just can't seem to find, or make, enough time to get caught up with reading the books on my bookshelf for reading and for review. I generally head to bed with a book to read for an hour or so before I fall asleep. However, this just doesn't seem to be enough time to get through my reading list. The books are shelfing up faster than I'm able to read them. How do you stay caught up with your reading? Or, are you behind, as I am?

Speaking of my bookshelf. I've added a few this past month or two, oh my! I've won a couple in blog and Gather.com member giveaways, and I've purchased a few from author friends.

In snailmail today, I received my copy of Forever Becoming by Kasey Klein. I purchased this book title, as I've great respect for this author's literary style and have read numerous essays and stories written by Kasey that enticed me into wanting to read more.

I also received an email this morning from Rick of rhodesreview.com that I won his giveaway of Silent Kill by David Fingerman. I met David at Gather.com, so I'm truly looking forward to this book's arrival.

These and many more enticing titles await, on my list - Ruthi Reads in 2010. Please, help me figure out how to create more reading and reviewing time!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Book Blogger Hop 2

Wow, this week flew by; it's time for week two of the Book Blogger Hop! This past week I visited and have been visited by several new book bloggers, I discovered and entered some great book giveaways, and I read quite a few good book reviews. I thoroughly enJOYed the answers to the week's question and look forward to this week, too.

The Book Blogger Hop challenge is hosted by Crazy-for-Books.com, so head on over there for all the Hop details and if you're a book blogger, hop along with us!

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop connects book bloggers and readers together, linking blogs. It's a great way to meet and greet fellow book bloggers. The Hop runs each week from Friday to Monday, although it isn't mandatory to participate each week.

To encourage participation, there's a weekly question to answer and post to your blog. Here is this week's Book Blogger Hop question and my answer:

"If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?"

Fortunately, I've only come across this issue once and the author was nice enough to send both in the series. I think I'd prefer to begin with the first book title of a series, even when each book stands well on its own. I guess it's a decision I'll be faced with eventually, but not one I'll spend much time fretting over. Most definitely, if I am purchasing a series title, I begin with the first in the series.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Book Blogger Hop

This is my first blog hop ever, one I couldn't resist when I ran across it over at Crazy-for-Books.com. If you are a book blogger, hop along!

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop connects book bloggers and readers together, linking blogs. It's a great way to meet and greet fellow book bloggers. The Hop runs each week from Friday to Monday, although it isn't mandatory to participate each week.

To encourage participation, there's a weekly question to answer and post to your blog. Here is this week's Book Blogger Hop question and my answer:

"What are your feelings on losing followers? Have you ever stopped following a blog?"

I have found that we cannot please all of the people all of the time, so if someone decides for whatever reason to discontinue following my blog, so be it. However, I would hope if they did that they would let me know why so if it is something about my blog or myself I could and would change, I'd gladly do so. If not, as I say, so be it.

I have not stopped following a blog, yet. I follow blogs I am interested in or persons who are friends and see no reason, so far, to discontinue doing so. My problem is having the time to keep up with all the blogs I follow and all the new blogs that I add to the list each day ... Speaking of which, it's time for me to hop on over to Crazy-for-Books.com and hop through the book blogger linky list!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Book Review: Public Lies

Public Lies
by Brenda Youngerman
Outskirts Press, Inc., 2007, US
Fiction/Family, 300 pages
Paperback, $15.95
ISBN: 976-1-4327-1296-9
Review by Ruth Cox

Philosophers of old, as well as modern pundits, stand divided as to the forbiddance of telling lies. Some believe no lies should ever be told for any reason. Plato believed that "noble lies" might sometimes be needed to maintain a sense of law and order or safety, especially within the structure of a society. In the telling of Public Lies, author Brenda Youngerman has adapted the noble lie as one of necessity to bring a mother and her two children out of the throes of family violence into a place of safety and harmony.

When society failed to protect Nancy and her children from husband and father Vince Cooper, Nancy knew the only means available for them to live out of harm's way would be to flee the arms of the man she loved and the imminence of danger now felt in his presence. For this runaway life to work, Nancy must change her name and the names of her children and there could be no contact with people nor places of the past, including the family of their previous life. (The idea fashioned much like a witness protection program.) This, then, would be their protection, the noble lies that would be told; the public lies that would be lived.


These lies represented freedom for Nancy and her children. But freedom came with its sacrificial price tag. And it was a game of hide-and-go-seek with Vince Cooper that Nancy would continuously play. For a few years she seemed free of danger from her husband, publicly; privately, fear of being followed and found always existed. And all the while, Vince hunted for her with a vengeance. As each year passed, Vince's rage and desire for revenge grew as the price of freedom weighed heavier upon Nancy. Vince was closing in on his prey at the same time the prey had decided to come out of hiding from behind the public lies. Hence, the truth was uncovered and with disclosure discord was imminent.

In the bittersweet end of Public Lies, the lives of the Cooper family would be altered -- forever. Youngerman uses the element of surprise in a twist ending written with the sensitivity of one who is aware of the reality of the family violence environment.

Public Lies is the second chapter of Nancy Cooper's life; Private Scars being the first. Though both of these publications stand well on their own, together they are the telling of the many forms of abuse that fall under the term Domestic Violence. Youngerman beseeches us to be cognizant of the fact that all forms of abuse - verbal, emotional, financial, sexual, or physical - culminate in the power and control over another person or persons.

On the last printed page of Public Lies is the reminder to all that [in the United States of America] "October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month." Brenda Youngerman believes, "Every Day should be Domestic Awareness Day."

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This review is written and ©Ruth Cox. Reviews written by Ruth Cox are the sole property of said reviewer. This book review is written for and first posted to: Reviews4Reviews.com. No monetary compensation is received in exchange for the writing of this review. A complimentary copy of the book was presented to said reviewer for review purposes. This fact has no bearing on the written result of the review.

For your convenience a link to purchase this book through Amazon is included. If purchase is made via this link, said reviewer will receive a referral commission: Public Lies

Related Links:
Read my book review of Private Scars by Brenda Youngerman
Read my interview with author Brenda Youngerman

Entered 11/07/2010
 

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Book Review: The Ghost of Useppa Island

The Ghost of Useppa Island
by Kimberly Ripley
Publish America, 2003, US
Mystery/SciFi/Young Adult, 46 pages
Paperback, $12.95
ISBN: 978-141370-219-4
Review by Ruth Cox
 
The legendary tale of The Ghost of Useppa Island, as told by author Kimberly Ripley, is storytelling in a ficticious setting; fiction, based on historical artifacts, that brings honor to the inhabitants, present and past, of imaginary Fort Euclid Beach, as well as to the real island string found along the Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida (Fort Myers Beach region). It is a tale of the life of the Calusa Indian Tribe and their descendants, including the mysterious findings of all who search for the truth of the ghostly smoke curls that linger in the night sky over the island reef, emanating from the uninhabited island of Useppa.

Ripley introduces us to twelve-year old Carrie, vacationing at Fort Euclid Beach for the summer with her parents. Carrie meets the elderly author and historian, Jonah Myers, who gives her signed copies of his publications, both about the Calusa Indians. Honored to have been befriended by a real live author, Carrie prepares to dive right in to helping Jonah unearth the mystery of the smoke signals in The Ghost of Useppa Island.

Ripley entwines the reader amid the descendants living in the here and now with those that are dead and gone. Through each step of the journey, the author succeeds in breathing life to all who walk within the pages. Woven into the unraveling of fact from folklore about The Ghost of Useppa Island, the characters of the book share love, loss, respect, and friendship; mysteries of life to be enjoyed by the young reader as well as the aged.

Kimberly Ripley shows diligence and commitment to historical integrity by including in The Ghost of Useppa Island a list of references and points of interest in the Fort Myers Beach, Florida region. Readers are encouraged to utilize these resources to unearth some history and mystery of the area on their own, in person or online.

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This review is written and ©Ruth Cox. Reviews written by Ruth Cox are the sole property of said reviewer. This book review is written for and first posted to: Ruthi Reads! No monetary compensation is received in exchange for the writing of this review. A complimentary copy of the book was presented to said reviewer via a random drawing for the book giveaway at an Author Chat with Connie C. on Gather.com. This fact has no bearing on the written result of the review.

For your convenience a link to purchase this book through Amazon is included. If purchase is made via this link, said reviewer will receive a referral commission: The Ghost of Useppa

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Book Review: Malachi's Cove

Malachi's Cove
by Chris Brockman
Marigold Press, 1978, US
Hardcover, Literary Fiction, 48 pages
Review by Ruth Cox

The tale of Malachi's Cove, as told by author Chris Brockman, is of a Cornish girl, a young woman who possessed the height of stature in strength and fortitude. She was unstoppable in her plight to protect that which she felt she had earned to be hers. And now she felt this was her little cove, this place called Malachi's Cove by the people of the beach. For Malachi Trenglos had built his hut above and he and she had blazed the trail from the cliff to the sea.

Malachai, now called old Glos, had grown old and bent working the water for the gift of the sea and could do it no more. But fate had seen fit to grace him with a gem of a granddaughter who would toil the treacherous cove by day and by night to bring in the weed. Mahala, known to all along the coast simply as Mally, was a force to be reckoned with. The old ones respected her for caring for her grandfather and continuing his seaweed business; the young ones taunted her for her unkempt appearance and unladylike behavior. One lad, Bartholemew, found in her great pleasure. Barty insisted he and Mally would one day be friends.

Would Mally one day be Barty's treasure? Or, would she bring him to his early demise? There would be lessons to be learned by young and by old before the answers to these queries could be heard.

Barty scoffed at Mally's insistence the weed of the cove belonged solely to her. She considered him nothing but an interloper. A storm brewed between them as fierce as that which one day seized the overhead sky and the waves churning below. Both Mally and Barty fought feverishly to gather the seaweed, fiercely jabbing and jeering at one another all the while. Then there was a great Splash! and Barty was engulfed by waves cresting into the endless whirlpool inside the rock-lined hole.

Mally fetched old Glos, then ran to fetch Barty's family, and then she hid near the hut. As Barty's family carried their accusations and his broken body past her, she turned her head away, until a sound beckoned her back.

"Mally!" The lad whom she had been accused of killing called unto her ... proof she was not to be blamed.

Malachi's Cove by Anthony Trollope, was originally published in Good Words, 1864, and again in a collection of Trollope's short stories, Lotta Schmidt and Other Stories, 1867. Author Chris Brockman has edited this classic "to retain the flavor of the period in which it was written" while modernizing it for the reader's pleasure. Brockman adds and subtracts from the original version just enough to portray his own literary style. The beauty of Brockman's publication of Malachi's Cove is complimented by his chosen illustrator, Ken Green, whose graphic artistry enhances the text of the storyteller.


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This review is written and ©Ruth Cox. Reviews written by Ruth Cox are the sole property of said reviewer. This book review is written for and first posted to: Ruthi Reads! No monetary compensation is received in exchange for the writing of this review. A complimentary copy of the book was presented to said reviewer for personal reading and review purposes. This fact has no bearing on the written result of the review.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Book Signing Events: Author Brenda Youngerman

My friend, author Brenda Youngerman, has just released her latest novel, Restored Hope. If you happen to be in the area, do drop by one of her August book signings to get your signed copy of this beauty of a book!

Book Signing:
August 5, 2010 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Williams Bookstore
443 W. 6th Street
San Pedro, CA 90731

and

Book Signing -
August 29 - 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Martha's Bookstore
308-1/2 Marine Avenue
Balboa, Island
92662


Restored Hope, is the latest in a series of Fiction With A Purpose. Brenda writes her novels based on the human condition. I've just ordered my signed copy direct from Brenda and you can too! Just visit BrendaYoungerman.com to place your order and be sure to visit her blog Brenda Youngerman - Fiction With A Purpose and comment to let her know you've just placed your order for a signed copy!


Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Author Q 'n' A: Sandi Perry

Author of the book, Love Doesn't Play by the Rules

Tell us a bit about your debut publication, Love Doesn't Play by the Rules:

This is a romance that takes place mostly in New York City. It's the classic good girl meets bad boy, complete with witty repartee and a, well-drawn cast of characters.

What message, if any, did you intend for your readers of Love Doesn't Play by the Rules?

Love is easy; but relationships take work.

What inspired the topic or theme to Love Doesn't Play by the Rules?

I think it's fun to watch a character's world get turned upside down and watch how they scramble to right it.

Sandi, when and why did you decide to become a romance novelist?

I guess I had these characters rolling around in my head for a while and then one day I just sat down and started. I stayed with it every day until it turned into a book.

Do you plan to publish in other genres?

That's a possibility.

How soon can your readers expect another book title on the bookshelf from you? And, of course, tell us all about it!

I am putting the finishing touches on my next book, Come Fly with Me, as we speak. This book also features a strong female lead. She deals with a sudden death of a close family member which sets off a chain of events. The book follows her as she comes to grips with a new reality. Naturally, she meets an interesting male sparring partner along the way.

Tell us a bit about Sandi, beyond writing -- family, friends, interests:

Sandi is married with four grown children. She enjoys creativity of all types and is an interior designer by trade.

What did Sandi, as a child, dream of being, becoming?

I wanted to be Samantha from Bewitched, and I guess that healthy dose of fantasy has carried through to romance novel writing.

What does Sandi, as an adult, dream of being, becoming?

A fulfilled and happy person.

What are your thoughts in regards to Traditional vs Self publishing?

I think self-publishing affords an author an outlet, but it lacks in the marketing and follow through needed for a successful outcome.

Are you a member of any writing organizations, online and offline, and, if so, please tell us about them?

I am part of Authors' Den, you can find me at http://www.authorsden.com/sandiperry.

Who is your favorite author(s) and why?

I like Harper Lee and Ayn Rand.

What is Sandi currently reading?

A mystery thriller by Harlan Coben.

What are your suggestions for authors aspiring to see their work in print?

Just sit down and do it one day at a time. Looking at it as a big picture project is daunting.

Anything in particular you would like to say to your readers?

Allow yourself the time to get lost in the fantasy a good book provides.

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As a Reviewer for Reviews4Reviews.com I recently had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Sandi Perry's book. I've also posted the review here on my blog:

Book Review: Love Doesn't Play by the Rules

Book Review: Love Doesn't Play by the Rules

Love Doesn't Play by the Rules
In Love Doesn't Play by the Rules, author Sandi Perry parades Jonny and Cassie down the runway of the rich and famous.

Jonny Duponi, current bad boy of filmdom tabloids, felt it was time to make some changes in his life. To do so, he did what many of us often do: he moved back home, from West Coast to East amid a mid-winter chill; a journey of self-discovery culminating in romancing possibility when he found himself in the presence of Cassie Owens; rather, New York's high-society heiress, Cassandra Owens-Whitney.

Cassie had her own agenda where life and love were concerned. She was determined to stay the course at the top of the music industry as head of Avatar Records, which Grandfather Whitney had dropped in her lap on her 21st birthday. And she was focused on becoming a wife and mother long before her womanly time clock began ticking. Cassie was not about to be side-tracked by the alluring charms of Jonny the playboy movie star. She held Jonny at bay by laying the ground rules into play immediately -- Friendship is the name of her game.

Jonny seemed to be content with the rules set forth by Cassie. However, Perry leads her characters into what Renaissance English poet, John Lyly, knew long ago proven true: The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war. A battle is waged within as Cassie deals with her conflicting emotions in response to Jonny's never-ending enticements to draw her in to his grasp. Jonny is faced with the daunting task of proving himself a changed man, worthy of Cassie's affections on a higher plane -- Love is the name of his game.

Love Doesn't Play by the Rules follows the rules of the comtemporary romance genre in that Sandi Perry convincingly dates the theme of her novel to a time when current interest seems pointed to the hype and popularity of the status of stardom. On the runway of romance writing, Perry holds true to plot, developing her main characters from behind the scenes as they carry on in the waging war of love.


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For your convenience a link to purchase this book through Amazon is included. If purchase is made via this link, said reviewer will receive a referral commission.

Love Doesn't Play by the Rules

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Summer Reading

Here I sit roasting away on another hot day! The weatherman promises 98 degrees for tomorrow and I'm wishing I could grab a good book and head for the ocean.

I envision myself taking a walk along the cool sea foam on a sandy shore in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, USA. Then I see myself settling into a comfy lounge chair with a book to while away the heat of the summer day.

My choice of books would be one that's been sitting here on my bookshelf for a few weeks, just calling out to me with a "Darlin', I've got plenty inside these pages that'll cool your body off." And by the cover of author Ed Williams' book, ChristmaSin': A Juliette Christmas Epistle, I think it just might be right! Then again, that title sounds pretty hot, so I may just have to take a dip in the sea between the chapters.

So, come along with me, and as we make the drive, tell me what beach you're headed to and what book you'll be bringing along with you to help you through yet another sweltering summer day.





Thursday, June 24, 2010

Live Author Chat: Ruth Cox (Messenger Bag Winner..:-)

This is your invitation to join me at my Live Author Chat, hosted by Connie C. at Gather!

The chat will be held tonight, June 24th, at 9pm EST.

Here is the link to the chat: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978323632

You must be a member of Gather.com to comment in the chat. Also, the chat link is available as a transcript, if you missed chat night, so do stop by!

One lucky participant in the chat will be drawn to win my Once Upon A Time Messenger Bag! Connie has recently posted a product review of my Messenger Bag, which you can see and comment on here: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978323501

KAREN R. -- WINNER!


Saturday, May 29, 2010

Reading, Writing, Reviewing -- Blog Special to Share


Author Brenda Youngerman is the owner of Reviews4Reviews.com, a gathering place for Authors and their Book Titles and Book Reviews. I just happen to be the Web Designer for her site, as well as a Member Reviewer.

I'm posting to tell you about a fantastic opportunity in June -- Blog & Book Titles! During the month of June, Brenda is running a 2 for 1 special wherein Member Authors can submit 2 Book Titles for the price of 1! Please visit the blog -- Reviews4Reviews -- for further details, read the post entitled, "Blog & Book Titles" and be sure to Google Friend Connect to follow the blog while you're there..:-)