Friday, November 20, 2009

Book Review: LEGEND HUNTER by Jennifer McKenzie



Sitting at your computer, reading this review, it's fairly easy to dismiss the legend of Bigfoot, but when you're deep in the forest with civilization miles away, the possibility that Bigfoot exists is not so easy to disallow.

Jennifer McKenzie takes you deep into Humboldt County and the world of the legend hunter with skill and finesse. Her vivid descriptions had me longing to experience the vast expanse of the forest in person. So much so that I actually googled how much houses in Humboldt cost. In case you're interested: too much for me!

The characters are complex and you'll be rooting for a happy ever after long before you know if it's possible. Jennifer weaves a mystery into the plot with deft hands. I didn't guess who did it until shortly before the characters did and, for me, that's always a big plus.

Legend Hunter is available at Amazon or Fictionwise.

or visit Jennifer's website.

Here's a blurb to entice you.

Bigfoot is a fraud and the people who hunt for him are either fools or liars. Or so Kiera McConnel believes, and she should know since she caught her father fabricating evidence. So, when Ben Harmon, an experienced paranormal investigator shows up, she greets him with the business end of her shotgun. No matter how famous or attractive the man may be, Kiera is not going to help him.

Ben Harmon is sure the new sightings of Bigfoot will lead to a scientific breakthrough and no gun-toting skeptic, even a sexy one, is going to stop him. He manages to convince Kiera to lead him on his quest, but she won’t reveal the secrets he knows she keeps.

Murder intrudes and suddenly, the hunt for Bigfoot becomes the hunt for a killer. Ben and Kiera must discover the truth before the murderer strikes again.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Witty Wednesday

The Darwins are out!!!!


Yes, it's that magical time of year again when the Darwin Awards are bestowed, honoring the least evolved among us.




Here is the glorious winner:

1. When his 38 caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Provo, Utah would-be robber Jason Ellison did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.
And now, the honorable mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine and after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a finger. The chef's claim was approved.

3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped... Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies.. The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.

5.. A teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer... $15. [If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?]

7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly.. He decided that he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape.

8. As a female shopper exited a South Carolina convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."

9.. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti , Michigan at 5 A.M., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away. [*A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER]

10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on an Atlanta street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline, but he plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Monday's Pick-me-up

Not sure if you've all noticed, but I've been a little hit and miss lately on this blog. My inconsistency is due to some pretty big life changes and I'm thankful I usually schedule posts a month in advance or you would have heard crickets from this site for most of the last month. Not only that, I've neglected all of your blogs too. It's my goal to jump back on the bandwagon starting today.

So without further ado, and because we could all use a Monday pick up, (and let me tell you, I'm not in to cowboys but I wouldn't turn this one down) here's your hunk.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Book Review: HIS SHIP, HER FANTASY by Emma Lai



The concept of this book intrigued me long before I had the opportunity to read it. I wasn't disappointed.

His Ship Her Fantasy is the first book in the Mates of the Guardian series. Emma Lai writes well and I was immediately drawn to Elle, her heroine and a junior engineer on board a space craft.

It's difficult to review a short story without giving too much away so let me say His Ship Her Fantasy is a sweet book and will leave you smiling.

Here is a Blurb:

Ellie Woods is in love…with a ship. When an argument with the ship results in a bump on the head, she finds herself in the strong arms of Alastair. But, who is he, and where did he come from?

Alastair has loved Ellie from afar for years, but duty has kept him from revealing himself to her. When a grave threat reveals his true identity, he hopes that Ellie will choose reality over fantasy.

Emma Lai's second book in this series, His Hope Her Salvation will be released on Dec 16th of this year from Wild Rose Press.


His Ship Her Fantasy is available at the Wild Rose Press. Find out more about Emma and her work here!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Witty Wednesday