Denied by Mary Keliikoa

This is a Kelly Pruett mystery.   It is the first one I’ve read.  Kelly’s friend Stephanie is in a high-risk pregnancy and her father has disappeared.   Stephanie asks Kelly, a private eye, to find him.   Vince, the father, has many secrets which Kelly finds out painfully.

My biggest criticism of the book is that Kelly takes far more risks than I could handle.  It is entirely possible that as much as I think I am a liberated man and can accept and see women in all roles, I cringed when Kelly did some things.   I’m not sure I would have cringed if Jack Reacher did the same things.  I suspect that is a factor of my age which is just shy of ancient.  Kudos to Kyle, the boyfriend, for his unswerving support of his risk-prone girlfriend.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Spotlight on The Grumpy Frumpy Croissant by Mona K

ABOUT THE BOOK

Croissant isn’t happy, and he’s taking it out on the breakfast plate! Toast, Scone, and Milk think he’s being mean, but Croissant thinks they’re being mean to him. A sip of Milk and ten deep breaths help everyone calm down and talk to each other.

The Grumpy Frumpy Croissant is a children’s picture book with fun and colorful hand-drawn illustrations that teach a lesson about misunderstandings any child can grasp. Croissant learns how to let anger pass, and that yelling hurts others’ feelings. It’s a simple story for parents to introduce ideas of managing feelings to children, illustrated by Korey Scott. 

The book also features a delicious croissant recipe that parents can make with their children, and full-page coloring activities featuring the characters in the book (kindle and e-reader compatible too!).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mona K is a statistician by training and loves to weave stories with numbers in her day job as a health services researcher. She is also a children’s book author who believes that picture books are a source of both wisdom and silliness. Mona loves to bake in her free time, and her love for croissants and meditation inspired her to write this debut children’s picture book. She lives in New Jersey with her seven-year-old son and husband. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Spotlight on Primordial by David Sobel #Primordial

The First Sentence…

By David Sobel

“She always liked the color blue.”

These were actually the first words that I wrote when I started my novel PRIMORDIAL.  It was late at night and I figured that I had to start at some time, somewhere.

 I had a sense of the plot, most characters and certainly the ending.  However, I had not written an outline and I had only done a smattering of research.   I am also embarrassed to say that what I had figured out about the story was stored in the flawed and forgetful file cabinet in my head.  What I knew, though, was that the first chapter would be the first murder and that the murder was all about the victim. 

 So, why the color blue? 

 I sat in my office – it was late at night again and I was just starting to write -- and I thought about the hospitals that I have worked in.  In my mind I walked through the halls, registering the sights as I imagined the smells and sounds.  I was looking for the birthplace of fear; for the seed of anxiety.  So, I drifted to the surgery suites. 

 In an operating room, blue is the color of sterility.  We use blue drapes to frame the flesh that becomes the operative field.  We shout at the med-students not to touch anything that is blue for fear that they will contaminate that sterile bubble.  We look for that bluish hue of veins as we place an IV.  I stood on the threshold of that OR feeling the cold air and seeing all that crisp blueness.

 I then thought about the victim.  She was old and frail and cold.  I thought about her prepped and draped, waiting for the incision.  I thought about her awake, shivering slightly.  Her skin, papery thin, clung tightly to her face and loosely to her arm.  She was desperate for a familiar touch.  She wanted to go home.

 And, then, it came to me.

“She always liked the color blue.”

Read the novel Primordial

Buy at Amazon

or B&N

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This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Spotlight on The Teensy Weensy Virus by Sherri L. Rose

COVID-19 is a big deal—but with all that adults have to worry about, it’s easy to overlook the pandemic’s impact on children. The Teensy Weensy Virus Book and Song for Preschoolers provides a way for parents and caregivers to reinforce the importance of safety measures (like wearing masks, washing hands, and social distancing) to children, while giving kids the opportunity to ask questions and share their feelings. Embracing the latest science and backed by medical professionals, The Teensy Weensy Virus pairs simple, kid-friendly explanations with bright, colorful illustrations, while offering additional resources for adults and an informative song (sung to the tune of The Itsy Bitsy Spider) to help lighten the mood as families engage with this serious topic.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherri L. Rose is a retired pediatric and family nurse practitioner, as well as a hospice and palliative care nurse, who recognizes the critical importance of helping children understand what is happening during this pandemic. COVID-19 has created so much stress, anxiety, grief, and loss for adults—imagine what children must think but are unable to express!

Inspired by her concerns for the smallest among us, Sherri wrote this book to help preschoolers understand what is going on and why all of us must follow new rules. To spread the importance of these basic safety guidelines, The Teensy Weensy Virus is being translated into multiple languages (including Spanish, Hindi, French, Portuguese and more). Sherri lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Illustrations are by Megan E. Brawand and the song on the audiobook is arranged by Evan Gregory and performed by Sarah Fullen Gregory and their children. Evan and Sarah are with The Gregory Brothers of Brooklyn, NY

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Bloodless by Douglas Preston; Lincoln Child

Pendergast is at his cryptic finest with a reluctant partner in Coldmoon.  The two FBI agents along with Constance, Pendergast’s ward, are sent to Savanah to solve a murder.  As is normal with Pendergast, there is much more than murder to discover.

This author team always presents the inexplicable in a believable manner.  In this book, they tie in a real unsolved FBI case and solve it, fictionally of course.

The crassness of the politician is sadly accurate in today’s political world. 

The plot was intricate and fast moving.

I enjoyed it and recommend it. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned