Sunday, December 29, 2019

#STARTONYOURSHELFATHON Challenge - Read Your Unread Books and Collect Stars


What is #StartOnYourShelfathon?

#StartOnYourShelfathon is a 2020 star-themed readathon hosted and run by CW from The Quiet Pond. The aim of #StartOnYourShelfathon is to read as many unread books on your bookshelf as you can between December 13th 2019 and December 31st 2020.


 


#StartOnYourShelfathon isn't an ordinary readathon too! The mascot of #StartOnYourShelfathon is Castor the Star Collector who is also a sloth friend of The Quiet Pond, who has lost all the stars he has collected over the years and needs your help to find them again. For every book that you read as part of #StartOnYourShelfathon, you collect a star that you can add the star to your 'star map'. Read books, collect stars, give yourself an amateur star-collector name, and create constellations! You can read Castor's story and find information about and resources for the readathon here.

Information about Joining #StartOnYourShelfathon

  1. Join the StartOnYourShelfathon anytime between Dec 13th 2019 to Dec 31st 2020!
  2. To join #StartOnYourShelfathon, create a blog post, bookstagram post, booktube video, Twitter thread, or whatever medium you wish, with ‘#StartOnYourShelfathon' in the title or your tweet.
  3. In your post/video/thread, announce that you will be participating in the readathon. List your readathon goals and the books you plan to read! (Post templates and readathon banners can be found in the readathon resources below!)
  4. Link back to this post so that others can find this readathon and join in.
Share your updates on your blog/bookstagram/booktube and social media. You are more than welcome to tag @thequietpond on Twitter in all your updates! We would love to see your progress and your star maps – in-progress and completed!

My #StartOnYourShelfathon Goals

  1. My #StartOnYourShelfathon goal is to read two-three books a month during 2020 that I have on my bookshelf.



My #StartOnYourShelfathon TBR

I have a large list of books and will keep updating as I add more, but here is a start

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones 
The most twisty, addictive and gripping debut thriller you'll read this year. 
I got this book on Sora and it just spoke to me. I just finished it and absolutely loved it.

[Book cover image] Book Name by Author [What is this book about? When did you acquire this book? Why do you want to read it? Are you looking forward to reading it? What are some thoughts you want to share about the book?]

[Book cover image] Book Name by Author [What is this book about? When did you acquire this book? Why do you want to read it? Are you looking forward to reading it? What are some thoughts you want to share about the book?]

1. The Zookeeper's Wife
2. Red Queen
3. A Man Called Ove
4. Six of Crows
5. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
6. Girl with a Pearl Earring
7. Mockingbird
8. Rebecca
9. House of Sand and Fog
10. Julius Winsome
11. All the Light We Cannot See
12. House of Leaves
13. A Million Little Pieces
14. A is for Alibi
15. Water for Elephants
16. These Things Hidden
17. The Girl on the Train
18. Mr. Mercedes
19. 77 Shadow Street
20. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
21. Winterspell
22. Homework
23. Love in the Time of Cholera
24. The Road
25. Atonement
26. Cinder
27. Big Little Lies
28. Beloved
29. Dewey
30. The Time Traveler's Wife
31. Delirium
32. Handle with Care
33. Mother
34. Morrigan's Cross
35. Dance of the Gods
36. Valley of Silence
37. Lucky
38. The Bronze Horseman
39. Number One Ladies Detective Agency
40. Presumed Innocent
41. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
42. The Testaments (Sora)
43. The Water Dancer (Sora)
44. Daisy Jones and the Six (Sora)
45. The Silent Patient (don't own)
46. Ninth House (don't own)
47. Red, White and Royal Blue (don't own)
48. Recursion (Sora)
49. The Insitute
50.. Dear Girls  (don't own)
51. Girl, Stop Apologizing (Sora)
52. Over the Top (dont own)
53. The Five (Sora)
54. The Wicked King (Sora)
55. Still Me (Sora)
56. The Outsider
57. The Great Alone (audio Sora)
58. Circe (Sora)
59. The Hate U Give (Sora)
60. Vengeful (don't Own)
61. Elevation
62. I'll Be Gone in the Dark (Don't own)
63. Children of Blood and Bone (Sora)

Join #StartOnYourShelfathon!

If you want to join #StartOnYourShelfathon, you can read more information in the readathon information post at The Quiet Pond.
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Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2020

I have a huge amount of books here and so many that I would love to read. But, seeing as how I have other challenges I want to participate in and have to have some kind of life I am only going to commit to Mt. Vancouver which is 36 books. The books I plan to read are below. I hope you will join me in tackling our TBR piles - thanks to My Reader's Block for hosting this challenge!

1. The Zookeeper's Wife
2. Red Queen
3. A Man Called Ove
4. Six of Crows
5. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
6. Girl with a Pearl Earring
7. Mockingbird
8. Rebecca
9. House of Sand and Fog
10. Julius Winsome
11. All the Light We Cannot See
12. House of Leaves
13. A Million Little Pieces
14. A is for Alibi
15. Water for Elephants
16. These Things Hidden
17. The Girl on the Train
18. Mr. Mercedes
19. 77 Shadow Street
20. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
21. Winterspell
22. Homework
23. Love in the Time of Cholera
24. The Road
25. Atonement
26. Cinder
27. Big Little Lies
28. Beloved
29. Dewey
30. The Time Traveler's Wife
31. Delirium
32. Handle with Care
33. Mother
34. Morrigan's Cross
35. Dance of the Gods
36. Valley of Silence
37. Lucky
38. The Bronze Horseman
39. Number One Ladies Detective Agency
40. Presumed Innocent
41. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
42. The Testaments (Sora)
43. The Water Dancer (Sora)
44. Daisy Jones and the Six (Sora)
45. The Silent Patient (don't own)
46. Ninth House (don't own)
47. Red, White and Royal Blue (don't own)
48. Recursion (Sora)
49. The Insitute
50.. Dear Girls  (don't own)
51. Girl, Stop Apologizing (Sora)
52. Over the Top (dont own)
53. The Five (Sora)
54. The Wicked King (Sora)
55. Still Me (Sora)
56. The Outsider
57. The Great Alone (audio Sora)
58. Circe (Sora)
59. The Hate U Give (Sora)
60. Vengeful (don't Own)
61. Elevation
62. I'll Be Gone in the Dark (Don't own)
63. Children of Blood and Bone (Sora)
Read More »

Beat the Backlist Challenge 2020


Who doesn't have a giant TBR pile? I know I do, so I was happy to sign up for Beat the Backlist by NovelKnight.

I think for this one I am going to start with 50 books - especially considering I have some other challenges I am going to be participating in. The 50 books I am choosing to read for this challenge are:

1. The Zookeeper's Wife
2. Red Queen
3. A Man Called Ove
4. Six of Crows
5. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
6. Girl with a Pearl Earring
7. Mockingbird
8. Rebecca
9. House of Sand and Fog
10. Julius Winsome
11. All the Light We Cannot See
12. House of Leaves
13. A Million Little Pieces
14. A is for Alibi
15. Water for Elephants
16. These Things Hidden
17. The Girl on the Train
18. Mr. Mercedes
19. 77 Shadow Street
20. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
21. Winterspell
22. Homework
23. Love in the Time of Cholera
24. The Road
25. Atonement
26. Cinder
27. Big Little Lies
28. Beloved
29. Dewey
30. The Time Traveler's Wife
31. Delirium
32. Handle with Care
33. Mother
34. Morrigan's Cross
35. Dance of the Gods
36. Valley of Silence
37. Lucky
38. The Bronze Horseman
39. Number One Ladies Detective Agency
40. Presumed Innocent
41. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
42. The Testaments (Sora)
43. The Water Dancer (Sora)
44. Daisy Jones and the Six (Sora)
45. The Silent Patient (don't own)
46. Ninth House (don't own)
47. Red, White and Royal Blue (don't own)
48. Recursion (Sora)
49. The Insitute
50.. Dear Girls  (don't own)
51. Girl, Stop Apologizing (Sora)
52. Over the Top (dont own)
53. The Five (Sora)
54. The Wicked King (Sora)
55. Still Me (Sora)
56. The Outsider
57. The Great Alone (audio Sora)
58. Circe (Sora)
59. The Hate U Give (Sora)
60. Vengeful (don't Own)
61. Elevation
62. I'll Be Gone in the Dark (Don't own)
63. Children of Blood and Bone (Sora)
Read More »

The 2020 Reading Challenge

So, it's that time of year again - time to decide which reading challenges I am going to participate in. I am going to try my best to complete most, if not all that I sign up for. This is the first one that popped up that I thought was doable.



Linz the Bookworm is hosting The 2020 Reading Challenge. I am going to take it easy and start with Level 1. Here is the list of prompts for that level and potential books that might work for me:

1.) Read a book with a title that starts with a "W"

2.) A book you got for under $3

The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck

3.) A book with a blue cover

4.) Read a book by your favorite author

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

5.) A book with the word "Light" in the title

All the Light We Cannot See

6.) A book that is set in the future

1984

7.) A book from Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/)

The Count of Monte Cristo

8.) Read a book of short stories or a novella

9.) Read a book you've had on your "to be read" shelf for more than a year

Six of Crows

The House of Sand and Fog

10.) Read a book that takes place in winter

The Snow Child

11.) Reread a book you have recommended to a friend

The Color Purple

12.) Free Space- Pick any book!

Beloved




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Monday, December 23, 2019

Blog Tour Interview: PANICLES by Richard Robbins @pumpupyourbook @evolvedpub


Richard’s first novel, the award winning Love, Loss, and Lagniappe was inspired by actual events in his life, and utilizes his Medical and Business School background to explore the journey of self-discovery after heartbreaking loss, while revealing the scientific basis for the meaning of life (You’ll have to read it to find out!)

Panicles, explores the price of fame and fortune through the eyes of two families, one wealthy and powerful, the other blue collar, from a chance meeting at a Florida poolside, to the highest levels of politics and power. This sweeping saga of love, war, money, and power leaves each family weighing their duty to their family versus service to their country.It all leads to a fateful choice—a sacrifice—which could change the course of history. 

Richard lives in New York City and New Orleans with his love and inspiration, Lisa, my wife of thirty years (and counting), near their beloved grown children.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS

Website → www.Robbinsbooks.com

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/richard.robbins.7737


BOOK BLURB:
Is it better to take the risk and pursue the glory of fame and fortune, or to live a simpler, more grounded life?

“Richard Robbins has presented a cast of interesting characters, and each one is fully explored. The plot engages the reader from the first page to the last. The writing style is fast-paced and flows smoothly. Author Richard Robbins has penned a captivating novel in Panicles. A fascinating read!” ~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Deborah Lloyd (5 STARS)

Follow the fates of two families, one wealthy and powerful, the other blue collar, from a chance meeting at a Florida poolside, to the highest levels of politics and power. This sweeping saga of love, war, money, and power leaves each family weighing their duty to their family versus service to their country.

It all leads to a fateful choice—a sacrifice—which could change the course of history.
EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS a contemporary literary exploration of two very different families, with their ties to politics, power and influence, and to each other. [DRM-Free]

Panicles will make you think, make you cry, make you laugh and smile and keep you reading until the very end.” ~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Trudi LoPreto (5 STARS)

Panicles is a novel that invites reflection with its subtle and significant meaning... Connections, effects, and a great storyline make Panicles a remarkable novel from many points of view.” ~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Astrid Iustulin (5 STARS)

Books by Richard Robbins:

  • Love, Loss, and Lagniappe
  • Panicles
  • The Tormenting Beauty of Empathy (Coming 2020)

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/37wyWjR

 Barnes & Noble https://bit.ly/2qGgPax



Thank you for this interview!  I’d like to know more about you as a person first.  What do you do when you’re not writing?  

 I like to read, ride my bicycle, and most importantly, spend as much time as I can with people I love and care about, including family and friends. Of all the things I do, I find that most rewarding.

When did you start writing? 

I wrote in High School, and was encouraged to become a writer by a wonderful teacher, Ms. Barbara Goleman. However, that wouldn’t fly in my family, so I went to medical school, started a business, and did not begin writing until much later in life, a short time after my youngest son left for college.

As a published author, what would you say was the most pivotal point of your writing life? 

There are two very clear milestones. The first was when I decided to write my first novel. It was a major commitment, and a real leap of faith. I had no promise of it being published, or ever really amounting to anything, nor would I have considered it a failure or waste of time if it were not published. People who enjoy painting do not consider it a waste of time if their paintings are not sold or hung in museums, but sometimes writers judge themselves too harshly. The second was when my publisher agreed to publish my book. It was a very exciting and rewarding time.

If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing your next book, where would that be and why? 

It’s nice to be able to say it, but right now, I’m exactly where I want to be. Right by my wife’s side, in our new home in New Orleans.

If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you do? 

Netflix? No, just kidding. Since moving from full time work to writing, I have been blessed with the gift of time. I am able to write as much or as little as I want, so time management has been easier than when I worked long hours and raised children at home. But any extra time I had, I would like to spend with people I love and care about, including family and friends.

Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet? 

I would love to set a story in a mysterious Central European capital, such as Prague, or perhaps the hills outside one of the Baltics, maybe Lithuania or Estonia. For a kid growing up in Florida, they seemed particularly mysterious. But the closest I can come to that in the US is New Orleans.

Back to your present book, Panicles, how did you publish it? 

I was blessed when I found my publisher, Evolved Publishing. Dave Lane had been supportive and encouraging, and is also a great editor. I found them by brute force. I found a list of publishers, and submitted to a number of them, and received a no, no, no, no, and then a yes, and the yes was from just the right one. Turns out, the harder you work at something, the more likely you are to succeed at it. Who’da thought?

In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for research? 

My first novel, Love, Loss, and Lagniappe, was set in New Orleans and New York City, both places with which I am very familiar. My second novel, Panicles, takes place mostly in Washington DC. I had some familiarity with The District, but did travel there to increase my knowledge. I find that a detailed and accurate sense of location adds greatly to the reading experience.

Why was writing Panicles so important to you? 

My first novel was relatively autobiographical, and the story had been floating around in my mind for years. So, while it was emotionally more challenging, it was technically easier. Writing Panicles required creating all new characters and an entire story from thin air. It is also a more complicated story involving many more characters. I was hoping to avoid the ‘sophomore slump’ which affects many creatives, and hopefully I have. I am very happy with the end result, and that is enough for me. And since it has received such excellent reviews, it is encouraging that others seem to feel the same way.

Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think that is? 

In my experience, most of the best drama and humor comes from family interactions. Anyone with a siblings or children – or in laws – can relate. Most of my inspiration comes from observation of these interactions.

Any final words? 

For me, the process of writing is its own reward. If anyone gets a moment of pleasure or escape from my work, that is a bonus, and is very gratifying. Go ahead and give it a try, and good luck to all the new authors out there.

Read More »

Book Spotlight: Her Last Whisper by Jennifer Chase @jchasenovelist @bookouture @pumpupyourbook


Title: HER LAST WHISPER
Author: Jennifer Chase
Publisher: Bookouture
Pages: 320
Genre: Crime Thriller

Katie focuses her mind, trying to keep another anxiety attack at bay. The victim’s long brown hair is slick and wet, her body rigid in the grass. She looks more like a mannequin than the woman Katie had spoken with only yesterday, the woman she had promised to protect…

When a cold, naked body is discovered by a couple on a jog through the lush woodlands of Pine Valley, California, new recruit Detective Katie Scott is stunned to discover the victim is Amanda Payton – a much-loved local nurse and the woman at the heart of an unsolved case she’s been investigating whilst getting a grip on her crippling PTSD.

Weeks earlier, Amanda had run, battered and bruised, out into the headlights of a passing patrol car. She claimed to have just escaped a kidnapping, but with no strong evidence, the case went cold. The Pine Valley police made a fatal mistake…

Katie is certain the marks on Amanda’s wrists complete a pattern of women being taken, held captive and then showing up dead in remote locations around Pine Valley – and she won’t let someone die on her watch again.

But then a beautiful office worker with a link to the hospital where Amanda worked goes missing. With only days before the next body is due to show up, can Katie make amends for her past by saving this innocent life?

Totally gripping crime fiction for fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh. Nothing will prepare you for this nail-biting roller-coaster ride…

Readers adore Jennifer Chase!

THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS PUTTING THIS BOOK DOWN!!!!!... I was literally holding my breathI HAD TO KNOW!!!!! As for the explosive ending WOW definitely not what or who I was expecting.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

I was really wowed by itI couldn’t put the book down and was trying to read as fast as I could so I could find out who the killer was. The ending took me by surpriseI was literally gasping for air… I would definitely recommend.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

Wow what an absolutely amazing fantastic read. I was hooked almost as soon as I started this book. I am still trying to pick my chin off the floor. I loved it from page one and couldn’t read the pages quick enough. I did not see the end coming…Awesome.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

If you read one police thriller this year make sure that it is this one… it will grip you from the start and will drag you into the story trying desperately to work out who the killer is but I promise you that you will not be able to figure it out.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘A great way to start a new series! It's a wonderfully written roller-coaster ride. A must read!Book Obsessed Introverts, 5 stars

Wow!... The hairs on my head stood up with this one!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://tinyurl.com/yxdmmftw


Book Excerpt:

A heavy evening mist clung to the windshield of the police car, obscuring the view of the forgotten neighborhood. In the few occupied houses curtains were drawn tightly leaving only thin cracks of light seeping around the edges. Some homes even had bars across the windows. This small rural community had been ignored by the rest of the lively, growing town around it for too long. It was in desperate need of attention and restoration.
Deputy Stan Miller flipped on the wipers to clear his view, only to smear streaks of dirt across the windshield. He let out an annoyed sigh and turned the wipers to a higher speed—making it worse—and then off again.
“Now you’ve done it,” said Deputy Karl Windham beside him, and Miller laughed in spite of himself after a long and uneventful night shift.
“You’re going to criticize me?” Miller joked. “Me? The guy who has your back?” He sat up straighter, sucking in his waist and adjusting his seatbelt; it was no use pretending he hadn’t put on a few extra pounds recently.
“It’s the kiss of death out here tonight,” complained Windham watching out the side window as the mist turned to light rain.
“I bet it was Sheriff Scott’s idea to double us up, with all those recent ambushes on cops around the state.”
“It probably has something to do with the mayor’s office. Who knows? You know how they don’t tell us anything, even though we’re the ones putting our asses on the line every shift.” Still gazing out of the window, he watched a dark figure dart around a garbage can and disappear into the darkness, then he turned his attention to a skinny cat scurrying along the sidewalk, nose close to the ground tracking something.
The rain got heavier as they drove deeper into the Basin Woods Development. There were no other vehicles on the road. No lights in the distance. Only darkness.
“You hungry?” asked Miller.
“I wouldn’t turn down a cup of coffee,” replied Windham.
“Me neither.”
Deputy Miller took his eyes off the road for a moment to check the time and looked back just in time to see a slender woman stagger into the road ahead of them. She stopped still in the headlights. Her long hair, wet from the rain, was plastered against her head and around her face. She wore only a pair of panties and a tattered tank top. She looked terrified, dark eyes pleading in the glare of the lights, her mouth forming words they could not hear.
“Hey!” yelled Windham to his partner. “Stop!”
Miller jammed on the brakes, making the patrol car bounce to a stop inches before hitting the young woman. Weak and unbalanced, she fell to her knees. In the glare of the headlights, both men could clearly see the dirt embedded on her face and neck, the blood seeping from wounds on her hands, elbows, legs, and feet.
Deputy Miller turned to his partner with wide eyes. “What the…?” Jamming the vehicle into park he picked up the radio. “Dispatch, this is 3741, we have a possible 10-16 at Lincoln and Travis. Will keep you updated. Copy.”
“Copy that,” replied Dispatch.
He nodded to Windham who swung open the car door and ran to kneel beside the woman. “Miss…” he spoke gently. “Are you alright?”
She shook uncontrollably. Her head and shoulders drooped as her mouth tried to form around a word.
“Can you tell us what happened?” Windham said.
He gently touched her shoulder and she flinched away from him. “It’s okay. You’re okay now,” he reassured.
“Truth… truth… the truth… you don’t understand… otherwise…” she finally managed between gasps for breath. “I told the truth…” she muttered.
“What truth?” asked Deputy Miller who had retrieved a blanket from the trunk and now stood a few feet away.
She stopped speaking and slowly looked up at the deputy, her eyes filled with fear. Then she whispered, “I told the truth… I told the truth… told… the truth.”
Both deputies carefully helped the woman up and gently wrapped the blanket around her.
“What’s your name?” asked Windham.
“A… Aman… Amanda,” she said slowly.
“Okay, Amanda. We want to help you. Can you tell us what happened?”
“I tried…” she whispered. “It was…” Her voice trailed off.
Deputy Miller opened the back door to the patrol car as his partner gently guided her to sit down in the backseat. Miller handed her a small bottle of water and, after a few moments, her eyes focused on the officers and her breath began to steady.
Deputy Windham kneeled down to her eye level and asked, “Amanda, can you tell us what happened to you? Do you remember what happened? Anything?”
She shook her head as more tears welled up in her eyes.
“It’s okay.”
“A blue door with white trim,” she said quietly. “A big box…”
“What else, Amanda? Can you remember anything else?”
“There was a fantasy tree…”
Confused by the description, the deputy tried to make sense of it, pushing gently to pry out any more details from her. “Can you tell us what happened?”
Taking a couple of deep breaths, she finally spoke: “I was k-kidnapped.”

Book Trailer:


About the Author


Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and best-selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master’s degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling.  She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers.

website & Social links

Website → https://authorjenniferchase.com/

Twitter → https://twitter.com/JChaseNovelist

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferChase/




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Monday, December 16, 2019

New Holiday Book! Christmas in Newfoundland by Mike Martin @mike54martin


CHRISTMAS IN NEWFOUNDLAND
Mike Martin
* Mystery/Memoir *



Title: CHRISTMAS IN NEWFOUNDLAND: MEMORIES AND MYSTERIES
Author: Mike Martin
Publisher: Ottawa Press and Publishing
Pages: 113
Genre: Mystery/Memoir




From the author of the award-winning Sgt. Windflower Mysteries comes “Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries,” a welcome addition to the Sgt. Windflower family of books.

Christmas in Newfoundland is a special time. In the depths of long winter nights memories are made and stories are told. Of Christmas by candlelight and horse and buggy rides to church. Of shopping on Water Street in St. John’s before malls and the Internet.

In later years, Sgt. Windflower came to work and then to stay in the quiet town of Grand Bank by the Atlantic Ocean where the salt air froze in the wind and the Mounties were welcomed to warm themselves by every fire.

Come and warm yourself by the fire and hear their stories. Some memories and some mysteries. Enjoy some holiday time with Sgt. Windflower and all the familiar characters that you’d come to know and love. Good food, good friends and always another chair at the table.

★★★★★ ORDER YOUR COPY ★★★★★

Amazon → https://tinyurl.com/y39fby3r

______________________



______________________


A Windflower Christmas

It was just days before Christmas, and Sergeant Winston Windflower only had one big problem. That was what to get his girlfriend, Sheila Hillier, for Christmas. Other than that, life was good for the RCMP officer in Grand Bank, Newfoundland. Crime was low, if not non-existent, and spirits were running high as the holiday neared its peak in this little seaside town.

Of course, being the holiday season, the Mountie was concerned about impaired driving. But Windflower and his team had been out on the roads for the past two weekends with the R.I.D.E. program. He figured that meant everyone would be on their best behaviour for the next couple of weeks. That was especially true since one town resident had been charged with impaired driving and two others had received suspended licences because they were just over the legal limit of alcohol.

Fortunately, even the weather was cooperating. They hadn’t had any snow in Grand Bank for almost two weeks. That was a relief to not only the snow shovellers catching a break after a series of early winter storms but also to the RCMP officers, as they had already worked several overnight shifts because of storms. The best news was that there wasn’t even any snow in the short-term forecast.

All of this meant the town could be festive and safe during the holiday season already well underway.

The old Town of Grand Bank went all out to pretty itself up for Christmas. Almost every house had some form of decoration, and Christmas lights were aplenty all over town. Some people went old-fashioned and just had a wreath on their front door and a couple of strings of lights hanging from their eaves. Others decided to splurge on nativity scenes and blow-up Santas, as they held nothing back in their gaudy and joyous celebration of the season.

Old Saint Nick had already made one visit. That was last weekend during the Santa Claus parade led by the antique pumper truck from the volunteer fire department. Local RCMP vehicles were decked out in flashing lights and ribbons as the Mounties collected toys and gifts along the parade route for the Salvation Army. Sheila had rounded up a few extra dollars from local businesses to ensure that even the abandoned buildings near the wharf were gaily festooned with ribbons, bows and the essential Christmas lights in time for the parade. Now, Saint Nick’s return engagement on December 25th was eagerly anticipated.

All





 

______________________









Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune and A Long Ways from Home, which was shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year. A Tangled Web was released in 2017 and the newest book in the series.is Darkest Before the Dawn which won the Bony Blithe Award in 2019. A new book in the series, Fire, Fog and Water is being released in October.
Mike is currently Chair of the Board of Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization promoting Canadian crime and mystery writers.

★ WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS: ★

Website → www.sgtwindflowermysteries.com

Twitter Link: → http://ww.twitter.com/mike54martin

Facebook→https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/






http://www.pumpupyourbook.com
 
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Thursday, December 12, 2019

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

There is a group on Goodreads devoted to this and I thought I had signed up years ago but just re-signed up. This looks like a fun one and I like perpetual challenges. I have highlighted all I have already read. Hope you join me!


1. 1984 by George Orwell
2. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
3. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
5. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
6. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
7. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
9. The Archidamian War by Donald Kagan
10. The Art of Fiction by Henry James
11. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
12. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
13. Atonement by Ian McEwan
14. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
15. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
16. Babe by Dick King-Smith
17. Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi
18. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
19. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
20. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
21. Beloved by Toni Morrison
22. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney
23. The Bhagava Gita
24. The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and Saved 1,200 Jews by Peter Duffy
25. Bitch in Praise of Difficult Women by Elizabeth Wurtzel
26. A Bolt from the Blue and Other Essays by Mary McCarth

27. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

28. Brick Lane by Monica Ali

29. Bridgadoon by Alan Jay Lerner
30. Candide by Voltaire
31. The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
32. Carrie by Stephen King
33. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
34. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
35. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
36. The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman
37. Christine by Stephen King
38. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
39. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
40. The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
41. The Collected Stories by Eudora Welty
42. A Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
43. Complete Novels by Dawn Powell
44. The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton
45. Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker
46. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
47. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
48. Cousin Bette by Honore de Balzac
49. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
50. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
51. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
52. Cujo by Stephen King
53. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
54. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
55. David and Lisa by Dr Theodore Issac Rubin M.D
56. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
57. The Da Vinci -Code by Dan Brown
58. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
59. Demons by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
60. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
61. Deenie by Judy Blume
62. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
63. The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band by Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx
64. The Divine Comedy by Dante
65. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
66. Don Quixote by Cervantes
67. Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhrv
68. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
69. Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales & Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
70. Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Wiesen Cook
71. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
72. Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn
73. Eloise by Kay Thompson
74. Emily the Strange by Roger Reger
75. Emma by Jane Austen
76. Empire Falls by Richard Russo
77. Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol
78. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
79. Ethics by Spinoza
80. Europe through the Back Door, 2003 by Rick Steves


81. Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
82. Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
83. Extravagance by Gary Krist
84. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
85. Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore
86. The Fall of the Athenian Empire by Donald Kagan
87. Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World by Greg Critser
88. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
89. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
90. Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein
91. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
92. Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce
93. Fletch by Gregory McDonald
94. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
95. The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
96. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
97. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
98. Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger
99. Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
100. Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut
101. Gender Trouble by Judith Butler
102. George W. Bushism: The Slate Book of the Accidental Wit and Wisdom of our 43rd President by Jacob Weisberg
103. Gidget by Fredrick Kohner
104. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
105. The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels
106. The Godfather: Book 1 by Mario Puzo
107. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
108. Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Alvin Granowsky
109. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
110. The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford
111. The Gospel According to Judy Bloom
112. The Graduate by Charles Webb
113. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
114. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
115. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
116. The Group by Mary McCarthy
117. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
118. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
119. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
120. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
121. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
122. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry
123. Henry IV, part I by William Shakespeare
124. Henry IV, part II by William Shakespeare
125. Henry V by William Shakespeare
126. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
127. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
128. Holidays on Ice: Stories by David Sedaris
129. The Holy Barbarians by Lawrence Lipton
130. House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
131. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
132. How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer

133. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
134. How the Light Gets In by M. J. Hyland
135. Howl by Allen Ginsberg
136. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
137. The Iliad by Homer
138. I'm With the Band by Pamela des Barres
139. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
140. Inferno by Dante
141. Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
142. Iron Weed by William J. Kennedy
143. It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton
144. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
145. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
146. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
147. The Jumping Frog by Mark Twain
148. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
149. Just a Couple of Days by Tony Vigorito
150. The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander
151. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
152. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
153. Lady Chatterleys' Lover by D. H. Lawrence
154. The Last Empire: Essays 1992-2000 by Gore Vidal
155. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
156. The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield
157. Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
158. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
159. Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken
160. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
161. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
162. The Little Locksmith by Katharine Butler Hathaway
163. The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen
164. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
165. Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
166. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
167. The Lottery: And Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
168. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
169. The Love Story by Erich Segal
170. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
171. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
172. The Manticore by Robertson Davies
173. Marathon Man by William Goldman
174. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
175. Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir
176. Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman by William Tecumseh Sherman
177. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
178. The Meaning of Consuelo by Judith Ortiz Cofer
179. Mencken's Chrestomathy by H. R. Mencken
180. The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
181. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
182. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
183. The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
184. Moby Dick by Herman Melville


185. The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion by Jim Irvin
186. Moliere: A Biography by Hobart Chatfield Taylor
187. A Monetary History of the United States by Milton Friedman
188. Monsieur Proust by Celeste Albaret
189. A Month Of Sundays: Searching For The Spirit And My Sister by Julie Mars
190. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
191. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
192. Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
193. My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and It's Aftermath by Seymour M. Hersh
194. My Life as Author and Editor by H. R. Mencken
195. My Life in Orange: Growing Up with the Guru by Tim Guest
196. Myra Waldo's Travel and Motoring Guide to Europe, 1978 by Myra Waldo
197. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
198. The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
199. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
200. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
201. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
202. Nervous System: Or, Losing My Mind in Literature by Jan Lars Jensen
203. New Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson
204. The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay
205. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
206. Night by Elie Wiesel
207. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
208. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism by William E. Cain, Laurie A. Finke, Barbara E. Johnson, John P. McGowan
209. Novels 1930-1942: Dance Night/Come Back to Sorrento, Turn, Magic Wheel/Angels on Toast/A Time to be Born by Dawn Powell
210. Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski
211. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
212. Old School by Tobias Wolff
213. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
214. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
215. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
216. The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life by Amy Tan
217. Oracle Night by Paul Auster
218. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
219. Othello by Shakespeare
220. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
221. The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan
222. Out of Africa by Isac Dineson
223. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
224. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
225. The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition by Donald Kagan
226. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
227. Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
228. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
229. Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffington
230. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
231. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain
232. The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
233. The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
234. The Portable Nietzche by Fredrich Nietzche
235. The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill by Ron Suskind
236. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
237. Property by Valerie Martin

238. Pushkin: A Biography by T. J. Binyon
239. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
240. Quattrocento by James Mckean
241. A Quiet Storm by Rachel Howzell Hall
242. Rapunzel by Grimm Brothers
243. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
244. The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
245. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
246. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
247. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
248. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
249. Rescuing Patty Hearst: Memories From a Decade Gone Mad by Virginia Holman
250. The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien
251. R Is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton
252. Rita Hayworth by Stephen King
253. Robert's Rules of Order by Henry Robert
254. Roman Holiday by Edith Wharton
255. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
256. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
257. A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
258. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
259. The Rough Guide to Europe, 2003 Edition
260. Sacred Time by Ursula Hegi
261. Sanctuary by William Faulkner
262. Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford
263. Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller by Henry James
264. The Scarecrow of Oz by Frank L. Baum
265. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
266. Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
267. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
268. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
269. Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman
270. Selected Hotels of Europe
271. Selected Letters of Dawn Powell: 1913-1965 by Dawn Powell
272. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
273. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
274. Several Biographies of Winston Churchill
275. Sexus by Henry Miller
276. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
277. Shane by Jack Shaefer
278. The Shining by Stephen King
279. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
280. S Is for Silence by Sue Grafton
281. Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut
282. Small Island by Andrea Levy
283. Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway
284. Snow White and Rose Red by Grimm Brothers
285. Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World by Barrington Moore
286. The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht
287. Song of the Simple Truth: The Complete Poems of Julia de Burgos by Julia de Burgos
288. The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker
289. Songbook by Nick Hornby
290. The Sonnets by William Shakespeare
291. Sonnets from the Portuegese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

292. Sophie's Choice by William Styron
293. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
294. Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
295. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
296. The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
297. A Streetcar Named Desiree by Tennessee Williams
298. Stuart Little by E. B. White
299. Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
300. Swann's Way by Marcel Proust
301. Swimming with Giants: My Encounters with Whales, Dolphins and Seals by Anne Collett
302. Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber
303. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
304. Tender Is The Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
305. Term of Endearment by Larry McMurtry
306. Time and Again by Jack Finney
307. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
308. To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway
309. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
310. The Tragedy of Richard III by William Shakespeare
311. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
312. The Trial by Franz Kafka
313. The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson
314. Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett
315. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
316. Ulysses by James Joyce
317. The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962 by Sylvia Plath
318. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

319. Unless by Carol Shields
320. Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
321. The Vanishing Newspaper by Philip Meyers
322. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
323. Velvet Underground's The Velvet Underground and Nico (Thirty Three and a Third series) by Joe Harvard
324. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
325. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
326. Walden by Henry David Thoreau
327. Walt Disney's Bambi by Felix Salten
328. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
329. We Owe You Nothing – Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews edited by Daniel Sinker
330. What Colour is Your Parachute? 2005 by Richard Nelson Bolles
331. What Happened to Baby Jane by Henry Farrell
332. When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
333. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
334. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee
335. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
336. The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum
337. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
338. The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
339. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
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