Everything's Coming Up Rosie

Hi, it's me,Chari-Dee, I know I have been very quiet lately, but I haven't had a chance to do as much reading this summer as I would like. And now that school has started back up - although PTO is keeping me very busy - I should start to have more frequent posts. In fact, I have 6 books scheduled to be in my mail box today, so the reviews may start flying for the next week. Dee and I have both made it clear that we love to read. We love to talk about the books we read - especially the books we love. So, after finishing this book, I struggled with myself for a while about whether or not I should review it. But as I have said before, we will be honest but never cruel, after all, the point of a book review is to let other readers know what you thought about a book. That way, if it turns out they have similar tastes to you, they can use your thoughts on the book as a guide. So in the end, it was my own words that talked me into doing this review.




Everything's Coming Up Rosie by Kasey Michaels
(Back Cover Copy)
What's a dedicated bachelor doing at a week-long society wedding celebration? Doug Llewellyn is being bored out of his skull......until a beautiful, unkown woman calls him "darling,"then plants a big wet kiss on him. Suddenly boredom is no longer Doug's problem.

Rosie Kilgannon, she of the big wet kiss, is also a guest at the wedding, and although she's used Doug as a way to escape an amorous admirer, that kiss was really something else! Why not enjoy each other for the week, no strings attached?

Which might have worked, if not for the weeping bride, the suspiciously shifty groom, the neurotic wedding planner...and the fact that True Love often sneaks up on the unwary and belts them right in the chops!

A ROSIE BY ANY OTHER NAME....
WOULD STILL BE IRRESISTIBLE.

Isn't that an adorable cover? The back cover copy sounds interesting, too (which for me to say is high praise, I know). Add those two things with the fact that HQN (Harlequin's single title line) had not let me down yet, and you have the reasons I picked up this book. I wish I could say that the third reason still stands, but unfortunately, Rosie was a very big disappointment for me.

I've mentioned before my penchant for reading everything between the covers of a book, and this was no exception. In my reading I found out that Michaels is a USA TODAY bestselling author, has won many awards including the RITA and not only writes contemporary, but historical romances as well. And while I haven't read anything else that Michaels has penned, I would lay money down that her historicals are top notch. In fact, there were several times while reading this book that I got that historical feel. But Rosie is a contemporary romance and I found myself greatly turned off by the writing.

For instance, she has her main character Rosie actually call someone a cad! And while I could almost believe that if she had said something like, "21st century cad," but just out and out cad didn't flow well with the current times. Now granted, the characters in this book are all from money, and I'm not exactly versed in the conversational nuances of the rich, I still couldn't picture any one in this era calling some one a cad. Maybe it's just me.

I've also found the more I work on my own writing, the more I look more critically at the writing of others, especially published authors. I like to take note of the POV (point of view) they use, and the pacing. Rosie was written in 3rd person omnisicient (Om), and I find, that for a romance, I prefer to read a book written in 3rd Limited. You can really connect with a character in Limited as you are seeing things as they do and can really get into their head. While in Om it is as if some one is simply telling you what is going on as they see it. You just aren't really privy to the characters thoughts and feelings, and therefore, I felt disconnected through out the whole book. And I'll be the first to admit, I love me a good steamy sex scene (ahem, I mean sweet love making scene), and with the writing in Om, the scenes that could have been made very juicy, felt more like forced filler.

The premise, as you can see from the BCC, is that Doug is going to a week long wedding party, with the wedding being the big finale. After 5 full chapters, the start of Chapter 6 brings us to day 2. That is 140 pages devoted soley to day 1. That made for very slow pacing. The first paragraph hinted to me that there would be pacing problems, as it is only one sentence. One very long sentence. Also, in that first day, you could have made quite the drinking game out of how many times the characters say each others names. The conversations between characters didn't seem very natural to me, as they kept using each others name when they ended a sentence. Once again, I'm not versed in the speak of the rich, but it just seemed excessive. I felt like yelling, "I get it already! Her name is Rosie Kilgannon and his is Doug Llewellyn, can we get on with it now?"

When Doug finally gets to the house where the party is supposed to take place, he meets Rosie almost immediately and gets the wet kiss mentioned above. With in those 12 chapters that take up 2 days, they both realize they love each other. They have sex and make out, in those 2 days. And while I am a big fan of the HEA, I need to have my Romance be a bit more believable.

All in all, I'm not too sorry I read the book. I think I may have found an author to look up when I 'm in the mood for a Historical. And if you like Kasey Michaels work, then I'm sure you'll like this one. I just know for me, it will not be a re-read.

If you have read this book (which maybe not, I just saw on her website that it isn't supposed to be out until October) I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Do you think I am completely off base? If you have read some of Ms. Michaels historical books I would love to hear your thoughts on those as well.

As always.....


Take Care

You Could Do Better, by Stephanie Lehmann

Of course, I didn't just head into the Barnes & Noble at 11th&E in downtown DC and find this book. I was on a mission. I happened to be in town to meet some CherryBomb friends, and I knew that I had some hours to wait, and can you honestly think of a place that I like better than a bookstore? NOPE. So there I was... yeah, yeah, yeah, all alone in the middle of DC, in a bookstore, with NO KIDS, and three hours to kill. Heaven, I tell ya. If they could bottle that feeling, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

I searched for this book, because I read an author interview over on...wait for it... Joshilyn Jackson's blog, Faster Than Kudzu. I liked the sound of the book. I was intrigued with the idea of a woman that escaped into tv-land instead of really living her life. That sounds like me, except I use books as my escape. TV doesn't really have a hold on me like books do, but I do understand using something else as a way to get out of whatever situation you may be in at any given moment.

Our heroine, Daphne Wells, is a curator at the Museum of Television and Radio. It's the perfect job for her, because she is obsessed with television. When I say "obsessed", I mean she's really into it. She would rather be watching "Supermodels" than having sex with her boyfriend. That would be sad, but then you find out how mediocre her boyfriend is in bed, and you understand. Sort of. No, I guess it's just sad. But then again, there have been books that have had the same effect on me. I won't mention any author names here, but there are a few that make Shane cringe, because he knows we won't do anything until I reach the last page, and have time to *absorb* the story. Yeah, I guess I'm pretty sad too, and I have an outstanding sex life, thankyouverymuch. Not that you really needed to know that...

Daphne's boyfriend, Charlie, proposes, she accepts, and then the trouble starts. Daphne has to tell her sister, Billie, that she's engaged. We see Billie as an aging model, whose one claim to fame is a taxi-cab commercial that still runs all the time. Daphne seems to think that Billie will flip out at the news, so she comes up with reasons not to tell her. This annoys Charlie to no end. He seems to want Daphne to stick up for herself, and for their relationship, but she seems afraid of Billie's reactions. Then Daphne meets another man, a big tv man, and she starts wondering if maybe she could do better than Charlie. I won't tell you anymore, because that would be *spoilers* and I think it's only fair for you to read this one yourself and find out what happens.

The plot wasn't twisted or convoluted, which was fine. The characters weren't campy or surreal, which was good. The situations weren't overblown or far-fetched, which was nice. I did NOT hate this book. I didn't even not like it. I think the problem, if you can call it that, was that I felt like it ended too soon. I got to the next to the last chapter and started worrying, because I just knew that it couldn't end the way I needed it to end in that short of a time. It was disconcerting.

I like books that take you on a journey. I like to be able to look back at the beginning and recognize the character, then flip to the middle and see her blossom, then re-read the end, and see her in full bloom. I need that transformation. I need an arc, I really do. I never realized it before, but it is something that I've grown so used to that I can recognize when it doesn't happen.

I'm NOT saying that it doesn't happen here, because it does. Daphne recognizes that she uses tv to escape reality, specifically her emotional relationships. She unplugs her tv, and there is silence, and she listens to herself in that silence. I really liked that part.

I think that for me though, there was more of her journey that needed to be shown for me to be totally satisfied. I felt like she started on her journey, but we only got through the takeoff. I wanted to know how she landed, too.

PLEASE don't think I didn't like this book. I did. Really, I did. I am actually going to get Stephanie's other books and read them as well. I enjoyed this one. I didn't LOVELOVELOVE it, but I enjoyed it. If you're a tv addict, like Daphne, then you will appreciate a LOT about this book. Daphne actually takes the reader through each decade of television, and you learn how tv impacted family life, as well as how family life impacted tv. You learn about ads, why they are important, how they came to be, and how they now drive programming. It made me think of tv in a whole new way. It was a good read, and I don't regret a single second I spent reading it. I will recommend it, and loan it, and be happy upon it's return. I will even read it again. So you should read it too, and tell me what you think.

And on that note...back to your regularly scheduled programming...uh, I mean - blog...

And The Winner Is.......

Entry #1 !!! We want to say Congratulations to Rebecca for winning the signed copy of R.L. LaFevers' newest release Werewolf Rising . Rebecca is 14 years old and a HUGE fan of R.L. LaFevers books. After reading her entry, it looks like Rebecca may have quite the career in writing herself!

We want to say a BIG Thank You to every one who entered our very first contest here on Dee & Dee Dish. We are hoping to get to do many more of these in the future, so please keep checking back!

It is the end of the summer and things should return to your regularly scheduled blog entries soon. Just as soon as I get this 6 year old in school I can start reading again. I may go ahead and do an entry on a book I've already read and title it Oldies But Goodies!!! Until Then.....


Take Care

We need some judges...

Yeah, I know that I said Char and I would judge, but I was just being silly. I mean, how are WE supposed to decide which one of those is better?

So, we're putting it on you guys. YOU be the judge. In the comments section of THIS post, tell us which entry you liked the best. You have a little over 24 hours. Tomorrow at noon, I will come in and count the votes. Then, the winner will be posted. Once the winner is announced, we'll get you in touch with Robin so you can claim your prize.

On your mark...get set...JUDGE!!

And The Entrants ARE (Drum Roll, Please!)

The contest is now closed and the 4 entries are as follows (I will state again, I sure wish I could enter but will be buying the book to read to Bear-Bear any way) (Oh, and these are in no particular order except the easiest way for me to post them - I'm lazy sometimes) all are exactly as they were received:

Entry #1:

My mom’s a cherry on the forums and saw your contest and since I’m a fan of Robin (and have read several of her books and manuscripts,) I just had to enter the contest. I got a bit carried away and it’s kind of long but I’m happy with it.


Here’s a fact about werewolves I bet you didn’t know; Wolves hate werewolves.

It’s true, believe me. Werewolves have been giving plain wolves a bad name for centuries. Not only do they use us as scapegoats when their situation get out of hand but they use up valuable hunting space too.

That’s right, I said us.

I’m a wolf, well mostly. I bet you’ve heard tons of stories about what happens when a human is bitten by a werewolf. You know they turn into a wolf in the moonlight. Well, have you ever wondered what happens when a wolf is bitten by a werewolf? Let me tell you, wolves get the short end of the stick. Humans get all the benefits of being wolves, sharp teeth, claws, killer instinct, and awesome senses of smell and hearing, while when a wolf turns into a werewolf we get nothing, zip, nada. At least during the day we get nothing, at night, here comes the best part; we turn into a weak, naked human. Do you know how humiliating that is?

By now you’ve figured out that I’m one of these unfortunate wolf were-wolfs. I was bitten in a little tussle with a werewolf. Back then I hated them remember? Well, I very well couldn’t go back to my pack, since they hated werewolves, so in my new, werewolf crazed, mind I decided to go live in a human city.

I now live in a small apartment at night, seeing as when I’m a human I can’t seem to get comfortable enough to go to sleep on the cold ground. I also work the night shift at a pizza place (how humiliating,) to pay for the rent. No one seems to care that I only show up at night and how all the dogs on the block have disappeared except for one. He’s a nice stray Irish setter (I can’t resist a guy with long fur) I’ve been scavenging with during the day. He recently asked me if I wanted to howl at the moon with him but I had to decline, seeing as I’m human then.

I even get relationship problems like human werewolves, how sad is that?

I guess what I'm saying is that being a werewolf is not all frolic and play, especially if you're a wolf. So, don't go around bugging stray wolves you find at night so you can get bitten. Don't bug stray wolves during the day either, especially if they're with an Irish setter.
Now if you’ll excuse me, my paws are sore from typing and I have to go get some clothes on before the moon rises.

Entry #2:

Werewolves, huh? My step-father's part werewolf! Well, sort of. The hairy part he's got down and, yeah, sure, he likes himself some meat every now and then. He just has a very sweet temperament. You could pull out some chest hair and all he'll do is walk away, wounded, hand to chest with worried eyes looking back at you. A pussycat, really, or more a barrel-like dog. No werewolf blood in me, though my preference for steak any night of the week may suggest otherwise. I do enjoy some great werewolf tales, and even have one of my own started. Their stories need to be printed, told, and paraded--at least so I find amusement in other things besides randomly hair-pulling the beasts as I pass by.

(p.s. -- How did I not realize your book was out?)-

Entry #3:

Ever since my Michael J. Fox crush was forever warped by "Teen Wolf", I've had secret were fantasies... made worse by the appearance of another schoolgirl crush, Jason Bateman, in "Teen Wolf Too". (campy teen pseudo-horror comedy? sign me up!)I'm loving the were-romance trend, for sure. And every full moon, I like to go to a country meadow and dance, dreaming about my one true love (who hopefully can appreciate the white-girl-no-rhythm groove I've got going on...);)

Entry #4:

To me werewolves are a frequent used species in supernatural writing, movies, etc. Although I have no story of my own, I have to say I'm one of those "if only it were possible" type of people who wish werewolves were real. They're an intimate species who can be sly and coniving, funny, and sexy. Werewolves' ability to shapeshift teases my senses; being able to roam under a star filled sky in secret, racing the winds, being a part of something just so grand is exhilirating. At least in my opinion. Well I guess that's about it for me. =]



Thank You to every one that entered! I am so excited. We are a fledgeling blog so to get any entries is amazing. I think the fact that R.L. LaFevers books are so great played a big part in that. Good Luck to the entrants.

Take Care

Note from "the Other Dee"... I removed all the names from the entries above. Yeah, it seemed only fair...

Look Here!!! Contest!!!! WIN WIN WIN!!!!!

I hope my title wasn't too subtle, cause I really want ya'll to enter this here contest we have going on. In case you are just joining us there are only 5 days left to enter for a chance to win R.L. LaFevers' newest book WEREWOLF RISING. All you have to do is leave us a comment telling us a little bit about werewolves and what they mean to you. It can be funny, sad (you know, like The Day The Werewolf Ate My Homework), fake, a favorite moment in a book you have read that includes werewolves, ANYTHING GOES, but you have to enter to win, so leave us a comment and let us know.

And, since I realize this isn't the easiest contest -I'm posting my entry (although I can't win) here and Dee has already done hers. I was actually going to post mine a couple of days ago, but, and I swear this is true, right as I was getting ready to post, my husband came walking (loping) out of the bedroom on all fours licking himself. No joke.

After the initial shock wore off, and my husband was walking on two legs again, we did a little research into his family tree. It appears that his chest is hairy because his great-great-great-grandfather, was in fact a werewolf. I know, "inconceivable!" But, as it turns out, when the males in my husbands families are born they are put on this very special diet. They have learned that if you never feed the growing boys meat, especially red meat, it can (and usually does) suppress the "changing gene". Unfortunately, my hubby married a carnivor, and since I love me a big, fat, juicy, dripping steak, and I make them often, the urge to change has resurfaced in my husband.

This is a new adventure we are embarking on. Usually, a werewolf will undergo their first transformation around puberty, my hubby is well past this age (just don't tell him I said he isn't as spry as he once was) so it makes things a bit difficult. For one, he truly makes a terrible werewolf. He spent the whole of the last couple of days, curled up at my feet whimpering. It's worse than when he is sick. There just are no killer instincts in my man.

He has never been the type to deer hunt. So this is gonna really put a crimp in my food budget for the coming months. He has found, that while in wolf form, he has a hankering for T-Bone steak. And while he usually enjoys his with a side of baked potato, he now wants them with a side of Rib-Eye. When I suggested that he try to hunt for his food ( I am all about encouraging my man to tame his inner beast) he looked at me and said, "I cannot believe you! I thought you were a nice person! And now I find out you want me to kill Bambi's mamma!" I thought about that and told him that I would actually prefer it if he would kill Bambi's daddy, lots more meat and I could use what was left for jerky.

The upside to this is 2-fold. After a whole 2 days with a cry baby wolf that looked a bit like daddy in the house, Miss Beautiful is no longer afraid of dogs. The other is this great new game my hubby likes to play - Little Red Riding Hood. And in our version, the wolf really does get to eat Red.

Well, there was my entry. I'm off to get my red parka cleaned.

Take Care

DRUM ROLL, Please...

...for our latest announcement!

There is a new book coming out by a FABULOUS author, and we are thrilled to be able to share it with you. The totally amazingly talented Robin LaFevers, writing as R. L. LaFevers, has written a book called Werewolf Rising. It is going to be released on August 17th. I am so excited for this book and I'm going to tell you why. Sit back and enjoy this little tale...

I'm a Cherry, as you all know. This past spring, a call went out on the Cherry site for someone that knew e-bay. Since e-bay and I are as good as related, seeing as I spend so much time there and all, I sent off an e-mail and said I'd help. Robin was in charge of organizing a fundraising auction for another Cherry, so we worked together on that project. It was an incredible effort, and one of the things that I am truly thankful to have been a part of this year. In the process, I got to know Robin as a person, and she really impressed me. She has such a great attitude about things, and she also has a wonderful sense of humor. As a thank-you, she sent me her four books, in hardcover. These books were just so beautiful that I really didn't even want to read them. I wanted them to stay on a shelf and be pretty forever. But you know how I am with books, and they were cracked open the same day they arrived.

Her first published book, The Falconmaster, kept me up late that first day. It's the story of a young boy that just doesn't fit into the life he lives. He's different than everyone around him, and they make sure he doesn't ever forget those differences. Because of circumstances, he leaves his village and hides in the forest. He meets a stranger, rescues some birds, and discovers an inner strength that he never knew he had. (Yeah, I know, that's really a horrible synopsis, but hey, I'm running on 4 hours of sleep over 3 days, so cut me some slack already!) If you want a decent review, please click the link in the title to go to the Amazon page.

Robin's Lowthar's Blade trilogy was riveting. We read them together as a family, and that was a HUGE mistake. I say "mistake" because I grew hoarse reading those books. My kids simply would not let me stop reading. If that didn't spell "BOOK LOVE" clear enough for me, here's something else. (I already shared this with Robin on her blog, so you can skip ahead if you read it.) My younger son, Mathew (age 9), can not put Robin's books down. I've caught him up way past bedtime...reading. I've caught him sitting outside...reading. He's been reading instead of doing his chores. He's been reading instead of playing the Playstation or watching tv. He's just been...reading...Robin's books. He is thoroughly enchanted with the Blade trilogy. He's never been interested in books before we got that box from Robin. Yes, he'd read if I made him, but I really don't like the forced-reading thing. After we got those books and I read them aloud, he's been hooked. He can't get enough of them. I can't thank her enough for writing books that turned my son into a READER!

So here's the deal. Robin has very generously agreed to sponsor the prize for one of you loyal readers. She is going to send you a personally signed copy of her newest book, Werewolf Rising (this link goes to the Amazon site for the book!). All you have to do to win this new book is tell us, in the COMMENTS, your most interesting werewolf experience. It can be a real story, or something you make up. It can be about how you've always been scared of werewolves, or how you ARE a werewolf. You can tell us why the movies scare you, or how you can't get enough of them. But TELL US!! You can write it all out here, or you can blog it on your own blog and link back to it. All entries have to be posted by no later than August 15 at 11:59 blogger time. Charity and I will read through the entries and will announce a winner on the 17th, the same day as Werewolf Rising hits the streets.

I promise you a much longer review of all 4 of Robin's books very soon. However, I'm too tired to do them justice right now. Yet still, I am so excited for this new book that I just couldn't go to bed until I blogged about this contest to you guys. Seriously, it is after 4am, and I am sitting here thinking about Robin's book, and how Mathew is counting the days until it is released. I have a feeling I will be making a special trip to Borders that day, and it's a trip that I will gladly make!!

If you've read any of Robin's books, feel free to leave a comment and tell me how much you loved them, or how much your children adored them. I say "love" and "adore" because, really, there are simply no other emotions that are applicable to her books. If you've read them already, I know you agree. If you haven't read them yet, why the heck are you still here instead of over at Amazon ordering everything this woman has written? Be gone with you already and go buy some LaFevers books!!

Between, Georgia - More Than A Town

It is official, yes, official! I just filled out my paperwork and mailed me my check to the Joshilyn Jackson CDSSF(Crazy, Drooling, Screaming, Stalker Fans). And no, that link will not take you to the CDSSF web-site. Joss doesn't know about us and we want to keep it that way. If, like me, you totally adore this woman, send your check or money order for $75 to Dee c/o Dee & Dee Dish and I'll sign you up! Notice, I said mail the check to me, that's cause I'm the first member - notice the "mailed me my check" that wasn't bad grammar, that was the truth. I'm sorry, but at this time I cannot accept Credit Cards, but should membership grow at the rate I am expecting, I will be able to rectify that.

What has turned me into such an intense fan? The answer my friends is her novel Between, Georgia . I just finished reading this last night, and I fell so hard and fast for this book, I had to shout from the roof-tops about it. See the bad scanned in picture up there? How cool is it that she signed the book for me - even though I wasn't even there?! That is right, not only did Dee get me a signed copy of gods in Alabama , but she got me the signed hardcover of Between as well. How awesome is she? But Joss, it is me that should be thanking you - for writing something that is such a pleasure to read!

I know, this is a book review blog, so without further ado - on with the review (well, my version of one any way). And just like last time, read Dee's review last , because no matter what she may tell you, she does write the reviews way better than I.

Between, Georgia, population 90, is the setting for this tale of life, love, and self discovery. But, Between is not just a town, it is the constant state of Nonny Frett's life. In First Person narrative, Nonny takes us through her life, filled with ups and downs and twists and turns that easily rival any roller coaster and start right out of the gate. The book grabs you from line one and does not let go. I'm a sucker for an excellent opening line and this book definitely delivers, "The war began thirty years, nine months, and seven days ago, when I was deaf and blind, floating silent and serene inside Hazel Crabtree." Even if I would have wanted to, after reading that line, it would have been impossible for me to put this book down. She doesn't stop there with the memorable lines. The last line of Chapter 1 reads, ".....I know, but pull some pants on and hurry down. Stacia needs us to help her steal Ona Crabtree's grandbaby." I know, great huh?

Nonny Frett was born to a Crabtree. Birthed in the front room of the Frett's, Nonny enters the world from a child that doesn't want her and slides right into the loving arms of her true mamma, who does everything she can to have her. The Frett's and Crabtrees are mortal enemies. They are the epitome of the haves and have not's. When Nonny's biological grandmother finds out who Nonny really is, she wants her, in her sick and twisted way she loves her, and the way she sees it, she was wronged and she cannot forgive that. So, the hate between the two families escalates to an even bigger presence.

Nonny is raised by a deaf and soon to be blind mamma and her twin sister, Genny, who has nerves as strong as, well as strong as something the polar opposite of steel. The cast of characters that make up Nonny's life are as endearing as they are infuriating. Her pushy Aunt Bernese, her baby cousin Fisher, her soon-to-be ex-husband, and her best friend Henry Crabtree, and even her drunken natural grandmother Ona Crabtree are central to her life. The good and the bad.

In Between, Nonny struggles with who she is and what she truly wants. I could identify with Nonny. 30 years old and still not sure how to just get things done. One of my most favorite moments in the book is when Nonny goes into her mammas room one night to talk. She has had a very confusing day, she has made lots of promises to people and to keep one of them means she would have to break the rest. She is wanting guidance, some one to tell her what she should do. Her mamma asks her how she felt about something that had happened that day, and they start to talk about seeing things through. "You do not have this thing that's in me. The thing inside Bernese. I am not sure what to call it. Will or evil, or maybe it is only that we see things through." And then when Nonny tells her mamma that she can see things through her mamma says, "You never have before....... I couldn't trust that this would be the moment that you would pick to grow into yourself. I know you will. But there have been things you knew you needed to do before, hard things, and you folded in and waited and hoped either until something outside came along to make you or until it was too late." I identified so intensely with this part of Nonny, I just didn't know it. Not until I read that. But now that Joss has so eloquently pointed this hidden part of my soul out to me, I intend to fix it.

One of the other things I got from this book was that seeing things through doesn't necessarily mean you do it alone. The thing about seeing things through is you have to know what you want, know that you will do anything to get it, and then figure out how to do it and who to have help you. Towards the end of the book, after the war escalates and comes to an explosive climax, Nonny realizes exactly what it is she wants, and she tells her mamma, "......I know it. I don't know how to do it...........But you do."

This book has changed me. Changed me at a cellular level, and it is a change that is for the better. There are no words to express the true beauty that is Joshilyn Jackson's writing, you just have to experience it and live it for yourself.

Take Care

P.S. In the near future, we will be running a contest! Make sure to leave comments and let us know what you think. Also, keep checking back over the next couple of weeks for your chance to win the loot.

gods In Alabama

Since Joshilyn Jackson is here and there and everywhere this month, I thought I'd post about her here as well. Okay, not true, before she started popping up all of the world wide web, I had plans to post a review on this book for you. It just worked out that it would be at the same time she is prancing all over cyber space wearing her Ms. Popularity crown. But let me tell you, this chick deserves that crown. She is funny. Not ha ha funny, but, hold my side for me so I can wipe the tears out of my eyes, funny. Flippin' hilarious.

My dear friend, the other Dee, has already reviewed this book and there is no way my review will be near as good as hers was, so read hers last. I shudder to think about following her. Dee is also the reason I can even review this book. See that image to the left? The one that looks terrible because I had to scan it in and the book is thicker than a single sheet of paper, and much more valuable, so it looks like it does, but anyway. ISN'T THAT THE COOLEST THING EVAH??? Dee also got me Joss' book Between, Georgia and it is signed as well. SK -AH- WEEEEEEEEE! Dee is the best. Okay, I'm done bragging, I'll get on with it.

If I were to simply say this book was good, it would be a gross understatement, akin to saying Dolly Parton has larger than average boobs. And while both statements are true, if you are a person that is unfamiliar with Dolly's twins or Joss' books, the statements just don't quite cover it. Making any sense?

I utterly enjoyed this book. And if you read Dee's review you'll get a very clear picture of the book. Can we say 'Cop Out'? BUT, now that I have firmly (I hope) expressed how much I enjoyed turning the pages, I have a few gripes with the publisher. (I can hear the collective sigh of our reading audience as they think is she ever satisfied with they way a publisher does things? The answer to that as a reader is - no. The answer to that as an aspiring writer is - absolutely! You publishers are the most beautiful people to ever walk the planet and if you'll look at my work and publish me I will tell the world daily of your pretty-ness.)

Not only am I a spoiler slut, I'm also the type of person that reads everything that comes before the first word of chapter one. And since this book is so great, and every one loves it, there were a lot things to read. Like two pages (four really, counting front and back) of praise for this book. Quote after quote of people, important people, gushing about the work. They are right of course, but my complaint centers around the front cover quote:

"Fresh...Unpredictable...Satisfying...the kind of book you hate to finish but can't wait to pass on to friends." - Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Fresh? Absolutely. Satisfying? Thoroughly. The kind of book you hate to finish.....? So very true. Unpredictable? After reading this quote? Not so much. Can't wait to pass on to friends? No way Josie. I'm keeping this baby all to myself. It was the "unpredictable" that got to me though. Because whenever I hear that, I'm guaranteed to be able to predict the way of it. There are some mighty twists and turns of this plot (which she crafts so outstandingly) but I was looking for them because of that quote. Maybe I shouldn't complain though, cause I was double satisfied at the end. With Joss for her great writing, and with myself for figuring it out.

Then, when the book is all over, Joss has a few pages where she describes the book and gives some of her thoughts on it. She starts by talking about how people were asking what kind of book she was writing and that when she absolutely must come up with an answer she says, "It's Southern fiction seasoned with a dash of literary murder mystery." I can only agree with that statement to an extent. I didn't get the whole southern feel. I knew through out that Lena was from the south and that her secrets are all buried in the south, but that is about it. And I think by putting a "Southern" label on it, some people will never pick it up and know the true beauty that is Joshilyn Jackson's writing.

And for crying out loud, quit reading this review (or something I'm trying to pass as one) and GO READ THE DAMN BOOK! It is absolutely endearing!

Take Care