If you followed yesterday mornings post you would have read that I was UBER excited for my doctor’s appointment for the “6 weeks and get your cast off” appointment. Summer has been slightly WARMER when it feels like you are constantly wearing a sweater over your left arm.
Yet – after the removal of the cast and the x-rays that followed, my doctor was not liking the lack of cartilage around the break. Apparently, the cartilage is what protects the bones and with out that building up like it should I am overly susceptible to break my finger again.
Not cool for this girl who wants her life back.
My doctor said he wanted to have an orthopedic surgeon (henceforth known as: O.S. as this is two long words and I am typing completely with my right hand) look at it so that is my next step coming up on Monday afternoon. I am told one of two things will happen:
1. O.S. will say that I just need to keep the cast on a while longer to fully heal.
2. O.S. says this is not working, I go in for surgery, they re-break my finger and put pins in it so it will be stronger.
PLEASE help me pray for door #1.
I came home pretty distraught yesterday afternoon. I actually cried for the first time during this whole accident. But… going into late afternoon, after reading on my deck for a while, doing a little shopping, and an iced coffee… I have come to terms with what will be… will be.
So… that said…
where does that leave me with today’s previously scheduled Warrior dash event that I have been signed up for since January?
Well…. I am back and forth. I am going and I am at least cheering my friend on. However, looking at the route, I think I can still do most of it, as long as I can go around the things that require me to use my hand. I will be talking to the registration people when I get there today. I am still undecided.
Have a great Saturday – whatever I do I should have some pretty interesting pictures for tomorrow mornings post.
Denise MacGregor knows all to well about the things that go bump in the night. Her husband has been killed by a demon. So have several of her other relatives as the demon is in search of one man… and he is using Denise as bait.
Denise in a frenzy wonders who she can turn too. She makes a call to her best friend Cat who is half vampire, half human, but instead of Cat, it is Spade who answers her call for help. Spade is a not too painful on the eyes vampire. He is kind and generous and agrees to help Denise with hardly any questions asked.
Yet Denise is unsure what her dept to Spade may become. He has paid for people to get out of her way. He has protected her… and he has discovered that her blood has been possessed by the demon making it as hard to refuse as a drug to other vampires. As Spade works to hide the truth about Denise’s blood… he also works to control himself around this grieving girl who makes his once beating heart… feel alive again.
Ok... this really has nothing to do with anything except that this is Timothy Hutton and I think the dude in the cover shot looks like him. 🙂
O.K.
I listened to this on audio.
Note: I am more willing to stretch my genre tastes with audio…. 1. because I can listen to an audio that is not always captivating much longer that I can tolerate a book that does not grab me and 2. I thirst (ha ha… vampire humor!) for good audio
So yeah, First Drop Of Crimson is more than likely a book I would have never picked up. Just not my thing… even the cover is not to my tastes. HOWEVER, this one of the audio offered at the Blackstone Audio booth at BEA this year and I wanted to give it a try.
I can’t say I disliked the audio. It was interesting. I found it to be a cross between the Sookie Stackhouse series (which annoyed me to no end) and the Twilight series, which I enjoyed. The “Twilight” side of this audio saved it. Denise reminded me a little too much of Sookie, mainly the narrator’s voice gave off a simpleton southern twang that had me thinking… oh no… it can’t be…. Sookie reincarnated… BUT as the read went on, I discovered that Denise was smarter than Sookie. Not always… but occasionally.
There are some pretty steamy and graphic sex scenes in this audio – fair warning for young readers. It was a little too hot for me, and that’s not saying much as I do not like that in books anyway.
I did not learn until after I finished this read that this series – while being book one, is actually a spin-off from another series of Jeaniene Frost, and the characters in this audio, have already been developed well in another series – which is great for those who have read the series, but for a newcomer like me… confusing. Knowing this now explains a lot about the beginning of the book when cat is mentioned but does not actually show up until the middle and Spade seems to have a familiarity with Denise prior to this book.
I will not continue on with this series, it is not what I am drawn too, however I do think many YA readers will enjoy this and find it fits in well with the paranormal reads that are in huge demand today.
Good morning. My sleep patterns are crazy these days… I went to bed at midnight…. up at 5:30, read a little, fell back asleep… up at 8:30 a.m. GAH. That has to stop. luckily, it is not a work day so I have no commitments until…
10:40 a.m.
At 10:40 this morning is my doctor’s appointment where the doctor will check my left hand and see if I can be …. cast free. Oh – I want to be cast free. I have had the cast on since June 11th, so yeah basically all of SUMMER. And I really want to be cast free for many reasons…. but one in particular that is happening on Saturday:
Click here to see actual route I will be on and the obstacles
OK! OK! Before you hit your head on the keyboard again …. let me EXPLAIN!!!!
I signed up with this with Amy in January. It looked like a lot of fun and it is the first time it is in Minnesota. You have to admit… it looks cool….
There are only three concerns I have on the route….
1. The rappelling. I took classes in High School for Outdoor Adventures and have done rock climbing and rappelling. However, currently I do not have the best grip in either hand.
2. The cargo nets – climbing. Again – the wrist and grip strength.
3. Great Wall Warrior – another climb with the help of a rope. Wrist thing again.
SO before you tell me I am crazy to even attempt it. Here is the plan. I am going to let them know at registration that I have just (hopefully) been released of a cast and may need to bypass these sections. I will not do anything I feel I am unable to do.
If I still have a cast – well, in that case I am cheering from the sidelines as I can not get it wet in the water part, or muddy in the mud part. 😦
So off to get ready for my appointment…
Gas in vehicle? check!
directions to clinic? check!
dollar bills to bribe doctor? check! (Oops! Just kidding!) 😛
Laurie Hertzel started out with what I would have once called my dream job. She worked in a library. Later, when offered a chance to work at a Duluth Minnesota newspaper, she jumped at the chance – jumped… before even realizing what the job entailed. Laurie found herself running copy, writing obits, answering phones, and making coffee (which is something she dis not drink and had to fill the large carafe in the only sink deep enough… the ones in the men’s room).
Despite Laurie’s start in newspaper with little previous experience, she watched and learned, moving horizontally and then eventually up the ladder to reporter, and then journalist. The times that Laurie describes in this book of her journey… well… times… they were a changing, and Laurie was right in the middle of it.
The story of her career was a chance to accompany a group of “Duluthians” (I know right? This is what she refers to people of Duluth as) to the USSR in 1986 to build a relationship with a potential sister city. The result of this trip not only leads to a great newspaper story, but also relationships between a USSR city and the city of Duluth Minnesota that stand strong even today. This trip eventually led to a second trip where she wrote a book, They Took My Father, based on a true story.
Laurie’s book is lighthearted and funny as she shares the happenings with co workers, and all that is shared in a newsroom.
Laurie with her book, "News To Me"
I listened to Laurie at an event at my local Library this week. I went in knowing chances are I was getting the book… what I wasn’t expecting was after Laurie shared with the 44 people in the room exerts from her book, how much I wanted the book. To the point that I was eyeballing how many books she brought with her, vs… the people in the room and concerned she would run out before I got my hands on one! 😛
Laurie in the early 1980's interviewing a llama farmer.
Laurie’s book kept me up late into the night. I could not put it down. Her delightful retelling of her time in newspaper when women were not really valued as anything more than wives. The papers even still referred to women as Mrs. John Doe – using the husband’s name to identify them… or describing them in the papers as a petite blond, or other now controversial titles.
The antics of the newsroom in the 70’s was pretty interesting. The guys smoked at their desks… and the women were expected to just do their job. In one instance, Laurie describes a female coworker becoming impatient when the single women’s bathroom was occupied and she marched herself into the men’s room. Afterwards, one of the men asked if she was having her monthly since she was so crabby (yes, you read that right)…the woman along with another female offered to make a “flow chart” so the guys could document if they were truly upset…or just hormonal. 😛 Happily, it did not come to this.
There are many other great stories, both funny and amazing that Laurie discusses in her years leading up to where she
Duluth News tribune 1978
is now, the Senior books editor of the Minneapolis Star and Tribune. Yes, that’s right… I am reviewing the book of a senior book editor. 😯
When Laurie talks about the Congdon Murders taking place while she was working for the newspapers, that blew me away. The murders that took place in Duluth in 1977 were later on trial in my home town Brainerd Mn. This is long before I knew anything about the Congdon’s, but in my adult life I have toured the Congdon Mansion many times.
When Laurie writes about her time in the USSR with a camera person and the other delegates from Duluth I thought maybe the book would take a turn to the less passionate for me. Boy was I wrong… what I thought may be heavy information about the trip and Russia was still handled with Laurie Hertzel’s flare for getting to the story. I found myself just as engrossed in this section as all the others of the book.
I loved this read. As a lover of words, writing, and crazy opportunities, Laurie seemed like an adventurous person after my own heart. She inspired me. She will inspire you.
When Laurie was speaking here is what she said when asked about the future of newspapers: “Newspapers should always have a place in the world. People like to hold them, they like the feel of them. On line newspapers are great if you know what you are looking for, but difficult to maneuver when you are just reading. Love on your newspapers.”
I am giving you something today that I wrote… wasn’t sure I would post… saved it… thought about it (song now stuck in my head) AND today I overslept leaving little time for anything new so here it is:
*whew – run on sentence!*
You will need the words to the real song to follow the beat to the one I made up as I tried the instrumental and it is really a hard one to follow….
Goodbye Harry Potter Though your parents died too early You had to hold your head up high While living with the Dursley’s They locked you in a cupboard And they whispered into your brain They set you up for failure And they told you nothing of your fame
chorus
And it seems to me you lived your life Like a wand without a spell Never knowing who to cling to When Voldermort crawled out of **** And I would have liked to have known you but I was just a muggle Your scar burned brightly long before Your life became a struggle
Loneliness was tough The toughest role you ever played Hogwarts created a superstar And pain was the price you paid Even when you followed rules Oh Snape still hounded you All the students had to say Was that Gryffindor deserved you
[repeat chorus]
Goodbye Harry Potter Though I loved your movies and books You fought the battle until the end While Ron and Hermione exchanged looks Goodbye Harry Potter From the young mom who read with her kids Who sees you as something more than magical More than just our Harry Potter
[repeat chorus]
Ok…hee hee. That’s me getting my crazy on a little early today 😀 I need to go see the movie again.
Update to this post: Since my lovely friend Reagan at Miss Remmers Reviews mentioned a VLOG for this song, and then Shirley from My Book Shelf seconded that motion…. an idea grew. 😛 If anyone would care to do a VLOG of this song I created here – yup…. sing it… use the music, create a skit…. whatever, I will put up a $25 Amazon Gift Card. If there is more than one entry – I will use Random.org to choose the winner. Anyone who has access to Amazon may enter as I will email the gift card. We will keep this short and sweet. Create your VLOG, email me a link at journeythroughbooks@gmail.com by Saturday July 23 at midnight central time and a winner will be announced on Sunday. I will link all VLOGS as well. *The only mandatory criteria is that you must use the song I wrote here. The rest – is up to you 😀
UPDATE 7/24: We have A WINNER!!! Winner will be announced and video shown on Tuesday morning the 26th!
There you go… if I have to pay up…. is really up to you. 😛
It is the winter of 1990 and Helen Hansen has a secret. It is one that rips her apart from the inside out to keep… but along with her husband Elliott, they decide at least for now… this is the way it will be.
Within a year the Hansens’s are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary, and they do so a luxury hotel in New Hampshire, going all out by inviting friends and neighbors who have been there along the way. Meanwhile, 18-year-old daughter Abby has also been kept in the dark. Little does she know , she is not the only one. Abbie knows something is up and is resentful that she has not been in the know. Seeking solace, she finds it in a cute waiter named Alex, and the rest of the summer staff .
While the champagne flows, guests dance around the elephant in the room…
The hard copy cover - I personally like the paperback cover of the book I own... I think its softer and speaks to the story more
Whoa. *Deep breath here*
Emily Chenoweth comes out of the shoot with this debut novel with a whirlwind of activity, at times heart wrenching, at times sweet, but always breath-taking.
The topic of this book is a hard one. We are dealing with a family and an illness. And at times, you can even wonder if the family itself is part of the illness by not necessarily making healthy decisions. At the same time, you come to realize that the decisions that are made, are made out of love – and that really becomes the heartbeat of the book.
If I seem like I am talking in code here… I am. This is a book that is easy to give away key plots in the excitement of the review and I am walking a fine line trying not to do that, instead leaving the beauty and the mystery of this book unravel itself to each reader.
Abbie really captivates me as you can imagine how an 18-year-old girl would struggle with what is going on with her family, as well as where she stands in the midst of life. When the storyline shifts her way, I could almost feel that struggle, even in the story shift.
While this book could easily have tipped the scale by being considered heavy – it never does. Handled with a well written prose, instead it is graceful, and real… as you watch a family enjoy the last dances of life together.
I was hanging out on Twitter last night and seen that all over the weather has kind of exploded into this sort of “hot fest”. I really try hard not to complain about the heat as I am soooooo not a fan of winter that I just take whatever summer has to offer.
Wed
92° | 63°
Thu
82° | 62°
Fri
85° | 62°
Sat
80° | 60°
While our current temps do not look bad (Ryan from Wordsmithonia said they are on their 25th day of over 100 degree weather!), the humidity makes it feel like you are breathing in sauna air. I go out on my deck with a book… last for about 5 minutes and come back in to the central air. Only to try again and repeat later.
I would love to go hang out at the lake, and should probably connect with friends and/or relatives who do live by the water. I wont go to the beach as that is mainly families with kids – and 1) no kids at home, and 2) I wouldn’t get much reading done with the noises of the beach. 😛
What do you do to keep cool in the hot months of summer?
On Monday, July 18th, our local library hosted author Laurie Hertzel to discuss her latest book, News To Me, Adventures Of An Accidental Journalist. *you can see more details about this event on the Morning Meandering post*
Laurie Hertzel always knew she wanted to be a writer. She grew up knowing books, and knowing they were important and valued. With nine siblings, Laurie had said, her dad would occasionally take whoever was around at the time and load them all into the van and they would go into the book store and each be able to pick out whatever book they wanted.
Laurie who is the Senior Book Editor for the Minneapolis Star and Tribune says she receives around 1,000 books a month for review. They arrive in shopping cart loads and it is up to her to sort through them. She says on a good week she can get 6 reviews in the paper – one on Monday, occasionally one on Wednesday and four in the Sunday paper. It is not easy to choose she says but what she says this is what she looks for:
Obviously the big read – like Freedom by Johnathon Franzen (she says people expect these to be reviewed)
Regional Reads
Human Interest
Non Fiction or a poetry read
Small Presses
Her job is not sitting at a desk reading. During office hours she is writing reviews, answering calls and emails. Her reading comes after hours. She loves her job and says it is really more like a 24 hours a day job.
For anyone who has an interest in journalism this is Laurie’s advice:
Keep practicing your craft… in other words write whenever and wherever you can
Dont become political as in choosing sides, you need to stay responsible and neutral
Be nimble… learn to use pics, video, twitter, Facebook… report across platform
As far as Laurie’s book goes… she is hilarious. She read aloud the chapter about making coffee being part of her job at a newspaper office. She was told that the pot was never to be empty. Laurie doesn’t drink coffee and the only faucet that had enough space to put the coffee carafe under it to fill with water, was the one in the mens bathroom. She learned quickly that by making really bad tasting coffee, and then responding, “What? Oh does it not taste good? I don’t know what it should take like as I do not drink coffee”, soon caused that task to be removed from her list of duties.
The book itself takes us through Laurie’s careers from the library to the news room… and um… back to the library. She speaks well, she is fun and funny to listen too. She also has some amazing chapters in the book such as when in the mid 80’s she went as a reporter to Russia with a group of people from Duluth Minnesota who wanted to make one of the Russian towns their sister city, and when letters requesting such were ignored, they decided to go in person. Laurie pretty much sold out of her books at this event.
I am currently reading News To Me and I will have a review of this book up in the next couple of days.
Yesterday was kind of fun for me. It was my first real act as a Friend Of The Library. When I went to my first meeting a couple of months ago they passed around a sign up sheet for the summer author “Brown Bag” events. This program is that every Monday they would have a Minnesota author come into the library and share the story of his/her book with those who came to listen. It is called “Brown Bag” because it is noon to one, over the lunch hour and people are offered to bring their lunch in during the discussion. (*note for the record – only a few women brought lunch)
If you signed up to help host you showed up around 11 am and helped set the room up with chairs, make coffee, have cookies or some other treat as well and be available as people come in to fill things etc…
Yesterday was my debut as a host helper.
The author was Laurie Hertzel, and not only is she an author(who won a 2011 Minnesota book award), she is also the book editor for the Minneapolis Star And Tribune. I knew I wanted to help host this one. 😛
And this is where my post title comes in…
after Laurie comes in and starts talking about her book, about her journey to journalism, about the places she worked, places I knew… read a few exerts out of the book….
So yeah… I waited in line after her talk, purchased a book and came home and started reading.
Yes… I have other books going.
Yes… I have a book tour this week.
Yes when I posted what I was reading this week I had a full book load already…
but…
the heart wants what the heart wants… 😛
I will share more later today about Laurie’s talk which to me as a hopeful writer, was inspiring. I had hoped to have the book done so I could review it today but I am going to need at least one more day to finish. Instead I will give you this little taste:
In other news, I completed the 50 mile bike ride on Sunday in St Joseph Minnesota. I was still wearing my cast and I did it anyway. I had a great time with my friend Amy who rode this extremely humid/hot ride with no complaint. I feel ready again.
I have a doctor’s appointment Friday morning and if everything has gone well… I will be cast free by Friday noon. 😛
Book Journey 