Bedtime Story: We're Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger

 

Synopsis: "Join three friends on a fun leaf-finding adventure! This bouncy new version of the popular song begs to be read out loud.

There are lots of beautiful fall leaves to find! Three friends have a big adventure hiking over a mountain and through a forest to collect leaves of all kinds and colors. What will they do with all their leaves at the end of the story? Jump and play in them, of course!

With easy rhyming text and fun sound effects, children will delight in this rollicking autumn story."

My Review: I ordered this from scholastic for Munchkin thinking it would be a fun fall book to act out. It is definitely a little advanced for him, more appropriate for K - 1st graders. I would have preferred that it listed both the color and type of leaf so that it could be for a broader age range. The illustrations were nice but did not captured Munchkin's attention at all. It took us 4 sittings to get through this book.

 

My Rating: This wasn't a great choice for us, but I have hopes that in another couple of years we will be able to enjoy the book and then go on our own little leaf hunt.  I give it a rating of Two Paws.

 

 

 

 

Good Night! Sweet Dreams!

Review of Confessions of a Scary Mommy by Jill Smokler

 

Synopsis: "As Jill says,We like to paint motherhood as picture perfect. A newborn peacefully resting on his mothers chest. A toddler taking tentative first steps into his mothers loving arms. A mother fluffing her daughters prom dress. These moments are indeed miraculous and joyful; they can also be few and far between Of course you adore your kids. Of course you would lay down your life for them. But be honest now: Have you ever wondered what possessed you to sign up for the job of motherhood?

STOP! DO NOT OPEN THIS BOOK UNTIL YOU RECITE THESE VOWS!

I shall remember that no mother is perfect and my children will thrive because, and sometimes even in spite, of me.

I shall not preach to a fellow mother who has not asked my opinion. Its none of my damn business.

I shall maintain a sense of humor about all things motherhood."

My Review: I have been an avid follower of the Scary Mommy blog for some time now and am always looking for some kind of comedic relief to mommyhood, because lets face it, sometimes your choices boil down to laughing like a lunatic or having a complete breakdown. I was expecting to laugh my butt off with this book and while there were several very funny lines, it didn't keep the humor going as much as I expected. Of course the Mommy Confessions at each chapter were comical and totally relatable. It was a fun and at times funny book but just not to the extent that I was expecting.  

 

My Rating: This was a funny book just not as much as I had expected after reading posts on the blog.  It was still fun though and did get me laughing at times just not the

whole time like expected.  I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

Wednesday Writing

So Wednesday is my official writing update day. I have so many story projects going on and I need a push to get some done. So I will be trying to post each Wednesday about how my writing adventures are going (and I may need a swift kick in the pants by you guys sometimes).

Current Active Project:

Here's The Truth (and you don't get a spoonful of sugar) - 10,016 words
the honest to goodness truth about creating the little tyrants that will run your lives. No sugar coating here!
 

Princess Bs - 34,317 words

A story about a woman, recently divorced and returned to her home town to figure out what is next. She encounters an old friend and spends a weekend with him and his daughters. Feelings that are long since buried are rising up again, but are her recent loss and his current life going to stand in the way of their happily ever after?

Other Works in Progress:

The New Old Home - 17,193 words

Everyone dreams of winning the lottery, but what would you do with that money? That is the question presented to Natalie, when she is at the lowest point in her life, she is presented with an opportunity to make any normal person's dreams come true, but all those winnings can't give her what she wants most.

Night Rider - 17,229

Alice is a recent high school graduate who is a very accomplished competitive rider in Hunter/Jumper, Dressage, and Western/Rodeo. Her parents had arranged for her to attend a private college on the east coast geared specifically to equine professions. However, Alice wants to focus on her studies in English Literature. When she arrives at the college she hides her riding abilities, but can she keep her talent and love of horses hidden?

The Last Mountains - 13,468 (handwritten) = 15,766 (typed)

A equine shapeshifting family is being hunted to near extinction and the young new leader must go against all her lessons and approach the elite council for aide. Will they help her? How will she keep her family's traditions and values alive, let alone her herd?

 

 

Olivia's Mountain Tale - 3,607 words

Olivia is left in the mountains by her uncle to guard the sheep grazing in the summer pastures.  This summer could change the course of her life.

 

 

Tamlyn Marie's Grace - 5,811

Think Cinderella only with a matchmaker ;)

Other Ideas Plotting:

Bloodsoar's Story

A pegasus struggles through life, ejected from the herd, near capture by humans.

The Assassin's Assassin

A student learns what the school is really teaching and sets out to destroy those who support the program.

Angel Story

Angels battle out an age old feud in a parallel world

All in the Company
A business that keeps to itself, employees marry employees and live on company property. Lissandra is ordered to marry Cody but both are always on business and don't know one another.

Little Wind Guides
Little Wind must lead her clan to new territory as the gods of the Fire Forest are cleansing their home with wrath.  Will they follow her while she holds so many secrets.




Draft Complete:

The Story of Things (previously titled Each Item a Story) - 50,052 words
A journal a woman keeps as she sorts through antique items and documents left in a home she purchased.

 

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After being so excited for Nanowrimo this year, I don't think I am going to be able to make it :(  After a great start, everything just got crazy busy.  I do most of my writing at the office because there is just no time at home. Now after the election on the 4th, my boss has become very politically involved (he always was before but this is way more) and now I barely have time to get this post typed let alone a novel.  I will continue to plug away at it but there will be now 50K this month for me.

I do hope you all continue to be awesome and write those novels as fast as possible!

Review of Behind You by Carly M. Duncan

 

Synopsis: "When a mysterious attack lands Heather in the hospital on the brink of death, her family rushes to her side. Through an inconvenient maze of shadowed memory and family secrets, Heather can trust only herself to discover if her husband, parents, sister or aunt tried to kill her. During the course of their own narratives, each character confesses to their various crimes of passion, envy and ignorance, weaving Heather's mystery into an untraditional tale about seizing the opportunity to start over."

My Review:   I do not normally read mysteries but having read and enjoyed a book by Duncan I was up for it. I found it very interesting and really enjoyed all the various viewpoints of the characters. There are a lot of underlying story lines and characters but you aren't left feeling overwhelmed or confused, instead you are drawn into the story and can't help but pick away at details to draw your own conclusions. It is a captivating read, so much so that you don't realize how long you have been sitting in one spot reading.  

 

My Rating: This was an interesting change up of my normal reading preferences and it kept me involved.  I give it a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag.

 

 

Behind You was sent to me by the author for an honest review.

 

You can find out more about Carly Duncan and her work on her Goodreads Page or Website.

 

You can also obtain your own copy of Behind You in digital or print format on Amazon and in print format from Barnes & Noble.

 

What's for Dinner? (29)

What's for Dinner is a little insight into my life for you every Monday night. I carefully plan out meals for the week ahead of time and do my shopping over the weekend.  So I wanted to start sharing with you one of the recipes or dinners I am most looking forward to each week.

 

 

So I have been sticking with the simple theme and just trying to use recipes that take no time and have ingredients I already have on hand. I came across a simple pizza recipe on Pinterest that was perfect for our Friday Night Movie & Pizza.

 

I have a love hate relationship with pizza dough, I love the taste but hate rolling and stretching it out, so this recipe is perfect since the dough is biscuits! Munchkin doesn't like pepperoni so I substituted with mushrooms (of course).

 

 

It isn't pretty but it was tasty!

 

You can find the recipe on Laugh with Us Blog.

 

 



Monday Reading List

Its Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey. Share what books you have finished in the last week, are currently reading and what might be coming up next!

Reviews Posted Last Week:

Links will take you to my review

Enchanted No More by Robin D. Owens
Giving Chase by Hannah Hooton
Elmo's Monster Mash by Christopher Moroney (Bedtime Story)
Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen (Graphic Novel)
 

Books Finished Last Week:
Reviews will be posted at a later date

Elmo's Alphabet Soup
A Snow Day for Jingle
Children's Christmas Dreams
Full Exposure
Maddie O'Brien's Christmas Donkeys
Five Little Monkeys Reading In a Bed
I want My Mommy
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
1588 The Beginnings
A Cowboy for Christmas
 

Currently Reading:

Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill - Audio - switched to HC - on page 68 of 496
Elixir by Ted Galdi - Kindle - 12%



 Books to be Read Soon:

Silent Night: The Remarkable Christmas Truce of 1914 by Stanley Weintraub
Holidays on Ice by Daniel Sedaris
Enfold Me by Steven Greenberg (Requested Review)
Winter Horses by Philip Kerr

Interesting Tidbits from the Web:




 



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Obviously my focus has been shifted from reading to writing this month, while I am in this first rush of Nano it feels good but I can already tell it is wearing off and I am feeling the disappointment of not getting to read as much as I would like.  At least I still did get some reading done and I got a few more posts scheduled, working hard on the Advent Reads events for you!!

I also had a book event on Saturday that was so fun.  It was the Rhode Island Author's Expo and it was great to finally start to break into the book events in my area.  I will have lots more for you on a post on Saturday but I will tell you there may possibly come a Rhode Island author month next year here on the blog.

I hope you are all having a great start to your November and either having fun reading or writing!