Happy Halloween to all my readers.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
and the book:
Zondervan; 1 edition (October 1, 2009)
***Special thanks to Lindsey Rodarmer of ZONDERKIDZ for sending me a review copy.***
Brandilyn and Amberly Collins are a mother/daughter team from northern California. Brandilyn is a bestselling novelist, known for her trademarked “Seatbelt Suspense”. Amberly is a college student in southern California. She and her mom love attending concerts together.
Visit the author’s website.
Here’s a video about the first book in the Rayne Series:
Product Details:
List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Zondervan; 1 edition (October 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310715407
ISBN-13: 978-0310715405
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
The last words of a dying man, whispered in my ear.
Were they true? What did they mean?
Your father sent me. The stunning claim drilled through my head, louder than the crowd’s screams.
Guitars blasted the last chord of Rayne’s hit song, Ever Alone, as Mom’s voice echoed through the Pepsi Center in Denver. The heavy drum beat thumped in my chest. With a final smash of cymbals the rock song ended. Multicolored laser lights swept the stadium, signaling the thirty-minute intermission.
Wild shrieks from thousands of fans rang in my ears.
I rose from my chair backstage. Tiredly, I smiled at the famous Rayne O’Connor as she strode toward me on high red heels. In the lights her sequined top shimmered and her blonde hair shone. She walked with confidence and grace, the picture of a rock star—until she stepped from her fans’ sight. Then her posture slumped, weariness creasing her beautiful face. Mom’s intense blue eyes usually glimmered with the excitement of performing, but now I saw only the wash of grief and exhaustion. How she’d managed to perform tonight, I’d never know. Except that she’s strong. A real fighter.
Me? I had to keep fighting too, even if my legs still trembled and I’d probably have nightmares for weeks.
Your father sent me.
I had to find out what those words meant.
“You’re a very brave young lady,” a Denver detective had told me just a few hours ago. I didn’t feel brave then or now.
“You okay, Shaley?” Mom had to shout over the screams as she hugged me.
I nodded against her shoulder, hanging on tightly until she pulled back.
The crowd’s applause died down. A heavy hum of voices and footsteps filtered from the stadium as thousands of people headed for concessions and bathrooms during the break.
Kim, the band’s keyboard player and alto to my mom’s lead vocals, stopped to lay a darkly tanned hand on my head. A strand of her bleached white-blonde hair was stuck to the gloss on her pink lips. She brushed it away. “You’re an amazing sixteen-year-old.”
I shrugged, embarrassed. “Thanks.”
Mick and Wendell, Mom’s two remaining bodyguards, approached without a word. I gave a self-conscious smile to Wendell, and he nodded back, sadness flicking across his face. His deep-set eyes were clouded, and the long scar across his chin seemed harder, more shiny. At five-eleven, Wendell is short for a bodyguard but every bit as muscled. Tonight his two-inch black hair, usually gelled straight up, stuck out in various directions. He hadn’t bothered to fix it since the life and death chase he was involved in just a few hours ago. Seeing that messed-up hair sent a stab through me. Wendell was usually so finicky about it.
Mick, Mom’s main personal bodyguard, folded his huge arms and stood back, waiting. Mick is in his forties, ex-military and tall, with a thick neck and block-shaped head. I’ve rarely seen emotion on his face, but I saw glimpses of it now. He and Wendell had been good friends with Bruce, Mom’s third bodyguard.
Bruce had been killed hours ago. Shot.
And he’d been trying to guard me.
My vision blurred. I blinked hard and looked at the floor.
“Come on.” Mom nudged my arm. “We’re all meeting in my dressing room.”
Mick and Bruce flanked her as she walked away.
Usually we don’t have to be so careful backstage. It’s a heavily guarded area anyway. But tonight nothing was the same.
Kim and I followed Mom down a long hall to her dressing room. Morrey, Kim’s boyfriend and Rayne’s drummer, caught up with us. He put a tattoo-covered arm around Kim, her head only reaching his shoulders. Morrey looked at me and winked, but I saw no happiness in it.
Ross Blanke, the band’s tour production manager, hustled up alongside us, trailed by Stan, lead guitarist, and Rich, Rayne’s bass player. “Hey.” Ross put a pudgy hand on Mom’s shoulder. “You’re doing great.” He waved an arm, indicating everyone. “All of you, you’re just doing great.”
“You do what you have to,” Stan said grimly. His black face shone with sweat.
Narrowing single file, we trudged into the dressing room. Mick and Wendell took up places on each side of the door.
Marshall, the makeup and hair stylist, started handing out water bottles. In his thirties, Marshall has buggy eyes and curly dark hair. His fingers are long and narrow, deft with his makeup tools. But until two days ago, he’d been second to Mom’s main stylist, Tom.
“Thanks.” I took a bottle from Marshall and tried to smile. Didn’t work. Just looking at him sent pangs of grief through me, because his presence reminded me of Tom’s absence.
Tom, my closest friend on tour, had been murdered two days ago.
Mom, Ross, Rich and I sank down on the blue couch—one of the furniture pieces Mom requested in every dressing room. Denver’s version was extra large, with a high back and overstuffed arms. To our left stood a table with plenty of catered food, but no one was hungry. I’d hardly eaten in the last day and a half and knew I should have something. But no way, not now.
Maybe after the concert.
Stan, Morrey and Kim drew up chairs to form a haphazard circle.
“All right.” Ross sat with his short, fat legs apart, hands on his jeaned thighs. The huge diamond ring on his right hand was skewed to one side. He straightened it with his pinky finger. “I’ve checked outside past the guarded area. The zoo’s double what it usually is. The news has already hit and every reporter and his brother are waiting for us. Some paparazzi are already there, and others have probably hopped planes and will show up by the time we leave.”
Is Cat here? I shuddered at the thought of the slinky, effeminate photographer who’d bothered us so much in the last two days. He’d even pulled a fire alarm in our San Jose hotel the night before just to force us out of our rooms. Now by police order he wasn’t supposed to get within five hundred feet of us. I doubted he’d care.
My eyes burned, and my muscles felt like water. Little food, no sleep, and plenty of shock. Bad combination. I slumped down in the couch and laid my head back.
Ross ran a hand through his scraggly brown hair. “Now at intermission folks out there”—he jabbed a thumb toward the arena—“are gonna start hearing things. Rayne, you might want to say a little something when you get back on stage.”
Mom sighed, as if wondering where she’d find the energy to do the second half of the concert. “Yeah.”
I squeezed her knee. If only the two of us could hide from the world for a week or two.
Make that a whole year.
Rich frowned as he moved his shaved head from one side to the other, stretching his neck muscles. His piercing gray eyes landed on me, and his face softened. I looked away.
Everyone was so caring and concerned about me. I was grateful for that. Really, I was. But it’s a little hard to know you’ve been the cause of three deaths. Under all their smiles, did the band members blame me?
Ross scratched his hanging jowl. “We got extra coverage from Denver police at the hotel tonight. Tomorrow we’re supposed to head out for Albuquerque. It’s close enough for Vance to drive the main bus without a switch-off driver, and the next two venues are close enough as well. But that’s just logistics. We’ve all been through a lot. Question is—can you all keep performing?” He looked around, eyebrows raised.
“Man.” Morrey shook back his shoulder-length black hair. “If three deaths in two days isn’t enough to make us quit …” His full lips pressed.
I glanced hopefully at Mom. Yeah, let’s go home! I could sleep in my own bed, hide from the paparazzi and reporters, hang out with Brittany, my best friend—who was supposed to be here with me right now.
But canceling concerts would mean losing a lot of money. The Rayne tour was supposed to continue another four weeks.
Mom hunched forward, elbows on her knees and one hand to her cheek. Her long red fingernails matched the color of her lips. “I almost lost my daughter tonight.” Her voice was tight. “I don’t care if I never tour again—Shaley’s got to be protected, that’s the number one thing.”
I want you protected too, Mom.
“I agree with that a hundred percent,” Morrey said, “but at least the threat to Shaley is gone now that Jerry’s dead.
Jerry, one of our bus drivers—and a man I’d thought was my friend—killed Tom and Bruce, and then came after me earlier that night. A cop ended up shooting him.
Kim spread her hands. “I don’t know what to say. I’m still reeling. We’ve barely had time to talk about any of this tonight before getting on stage. I feel like my mind’s gonna explode. And Tom …”
She teared up, and that made me cry. Kim had been like a mother to Tom. Crazy, funny Tom. It was just so hard to believe he was gone.
I wiped my eyes and looked at my lap.
“Anyway.” Kim steadied her voice. “It’s so much to deal with. I don’t know how we’re going to keep up this pace for another month.”
Mom looked at Ross. “We can’t keep going very long with only Vance to drive the main bus.”
Ross nodded. “Until Thursday. I’d have to replace him by then.”
“With who?” Mom’s voice edged.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to jump on it.”
“You can’t just ‘jump on it.’ We need time to thoroughly check the new driver out.”
“Rayne.” Ross threw her a look. “I did check Jerry out. Completely. He had a false ID, remember? That’s what the police said. I couldn’t have known that.”
“You might have known if you’d checked harder.”
Ross’s face flushed. “I did—”
“No you didn’t! Or if you did it wasn’t good enough!” Mom pushed to her feet and paced a few steps. “Something’s mighty wrong if we can’t even find out a guy’s a convicted felon!”
What? I stiffened. “How do you know that?”
Mom waved a hand in the air. “The police told me just before we left the hotel.”
We’d huddled in the manager’s office after the policeman killed Jerry.
I stared at Mom. “When was he in jail?”
Mom threw a hard look at Ross. “He’d barely gotten out when we hired him.”
Heat flushed through my veins. I snapped my gaze toward the floor, Jerry’s last words ringing in my head.
Your father sent me.
How could my father have sent Jerry if he was in jail?
“Rayne,” Ross snapped, “I’ve told you I’m sorry a dozen times—”
“Sorry isn’t enough!” Mom whirled on him. “My daughter was taken hostage. She could have been killed!”
Rich jumped up and put his arms around her. “Come on, Rayne, it’s okay now.”
She leaned against him, eyes closed. The anger on her face melted into exhaustion. “It’s not okay.” Mom shook her head. “Tom’s dead, Bruce is dead. And Shaley—”
Her words broke off. Mom pulled away from Rich and hurried back to the couch. She sank down next to me, a hand on my knee. “Shaley, you’re the one who’s been through the most. What do you want to do?”
My throat nearly swelled shut. Go home! I wanted to yell. But I couldn’t. It wouldn’t be fair. This wasn’t my tour. I didn’t have to pay the bills.
I glanced around at all the band members. Morrey was holding Kim’s hand. Stan and Rich watched me, waiting. A canceled tour wouldn’t just affect them. Rayne had three back-up singers, one of them Carly, who’d been such a help to me. Plus all the techs and roadies. They’d all lose money.
Wait—maybe Mom would let me go home and stay with Brittany. Now that Tom’s and Bruce’s killer was dead …
“Shaley?” Mom tapped my leg.
“I don’t … I can’t stop the tour.”
Ross exhaled. “Rayne?”
Mom looked at the wall clock and pushed to her feet. “We can’t decide this now. It’s only fifteen minutes before we have to be back on stage. I still need to change.”
Stan stood. “I say we figure on doing Albuquerque, and then we can decide about the rest.”
“Yeah, me too.” Rich got up, along with everyone else. I could see the business-like attitude settle on all their faces, including Mom’s. Soon they had to perform again. Every other concern must be pushed aside. In the entertainment world the saying was true: the show must go on.
Within a minute everyone had left except Mom, Marshall and me. Mom threw herself into a chair by the bright mirrors so Marshall could adjust her makeup. When he left she changed into a steel blue top and skinny-legged black pants.
I sat numbly on the couch, four words running through my mind. Words, I sensed, that would change my life.
Your father sent me.
Mom didn’t know what Jerry had whispered to me as he died. I needed to tell her.
But how? Like me, she was running on empty. It would be one more shock, another scare. I wasn’t sure she could take anymore and still perform.
Had Jerry told me the truth? Had the father I’d never known—the man my mother refused to talk about—purposely sent a killer to join our tour?
I needed to know. I needed to find out. Because if it was true—the danger was far from over.
PLEASE NOTE MY REVIEW IS TO COME.
Every year the week or two before Halloween there is this one house in my area that decorates for Halloween.
We actually got to know them over the years from the time Michael was very little. They are a great family and Michael got to know their youngest daughter really well. Although she is double Michael’s age he really likes her. She is a great friend to Michael.
These pictures were taken in the day time as you can see only because I haven’t been able to go over in the evening. Hoping to do another post on Halloween night with the night pictures.
The funny part is that Michael knows whats in the yard because he has helped them out and he knows who everyone is.
Well its a Wednesday night and that means another night out with Donna. This is something that we have been anxiously awaiting for since September when the schedule of library events was announced.
Tonight we got to listen to Bill Haugland the author of his debut novel Mobile 9. Bill spoke about all his years working as a news anchorman with a local tv station here in Montreal. At the time it was CFCF but now its CTV Montreal. Bill was very entertaining and had us laughing at some of h
is stories. He read a passage from his book and then he did a Q&A.
He was exactly like he was on tv. It was a pleasure to meet him after watching him for so long doing the news.
As for another book there might be one in the works but nothing he could confirm tonight.
ABOUT BILL:
Bill Haugland was a television news anchorman for CFCF-TV in Montreal, Quebec.
A native of Montreal, Haugland studied at Ryerson University and Concordia University. He joined CFCF-TV in 1961, when that station signed on for the first time.
As a reporter, Haugland covered many key events in Montreal and Quebec, including Expo 67 and the October Crisis in 1970.
Haugland became an anchor for CFCF’s nightly newscast, Pulse, in 1977 (later renamed CFCF News and later, CTV News). After becoming an anchor for Pulse, Haugland relocated from Montreal to Vermont; he commuted back and forth across the international border to anchor CFCF’s newscast.[1] He was also a host of CFCF’s public affairs program, As It Is, for sixteen years, along with a similar program, On Assignment.
Haugland retired on November 30, 2006 after being associated with CFCF-TV for 45 years.
ABOUT MOBILE 9:
A page-turning mystery set in Montreal of the 60s.
In 1969, a call for revolution and an explosion at the home of Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau draws Ty Davis, a young television reporter, into the realm of underworld chaos and violence. A colleague is accused of a crime he did not commit. What follows exposes a city’s dark side and ensnares Davis, his family and friends in a web of drug smuggling and murder. Lives and livelihoods hang in the balance.
Advance praise for Mobile 9:
“Mobile 9 is a TV reporter’s compelling snapshot of a city’s mean streets. The late sixties clash of cultures in Quebec! The battle for underworld dominance in Montreal! It was a time when Montreal TV viewers were on the edge of their seats, faced with exploding bombs, the city’s police strike and escalating political turmoil. This novel covers it all. Mobile 9 still has time for romance, corporate intrigue and evolving careers, in an industry I know and love. It is gritty and jam-packed with plot twists and turns.” –Mike Duffy
“It’s a page-turner that transports the reader back in time, to the seedier side of a big city many of us remember only from the news.” –Mutsumi Takahashi
PUB DATE: Canadian date was May 2009 and September 2009 US.
Check back here next Wednesday when I will talk about our next evening out with Scott Westerfeld, Cassandra Clare and Holly Black. I am hoping to get a ton of pictures and video for that post.
This might be our last author evening out for awhile as I haven’t heard about anyone else coming as of yet.
Title: Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
AUTHOR: Jane Doiron
PUB DATE: September 2009
Thanks to Pump Up Your Book Promotion for allowing me to take part in this virtual tour of this great cookbook.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms Cookbook consists of 140 family-favorite make-ahead recipes, which are recipes that can be frozen ahead, assembled ahead, or cooked ahead and reheated. The cookbook’s recipes are a combination of all three.
The Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms cookbook includes recipes for freezable meals like Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs, Sloppy Joe’s, Chicken Noodle Soup and Hearty Chili. Recipes for frozen marinated meats such as Teriyaki Chicken, Thai Chicken and Taco Meat allow for quick meals on busy nights. The make-ahead strategy assures that with a freezer stocked with make-ahead meals, busy moms will spend less time at the grocery store and less money on unhealthy prepared or take-out food.
Jane Doiron’s goal was to seek out main dish, family-favorite recipes that could be modified into make ahead meals without sacrificing the food’s taste and texture by freezing. After years of home-testing recipes, Jane has compiled this must-have cookbook with specific make-ahead directions. In addition, Jane includes her best recipes for clever side dishes, flavorful appetizers and luscious desserts. Imagine opening your freezer to pick out a family-favorite appetizer, main dish, or dessert, and all you have to do is thaw and heat it!
By making meals in advance, when time does permit, busy moms will be rewarded with quick home-cooked meals, appetizers, or desserts, when they really need them.
MY THOUGHTS:
I am going to go on record and say I love reviewing cookbooks. I usually don’t buy cookbooks because they are expensive but when given the chance to review them I am all over it and can’t wait to get them.
I was so excited to get this one because this one says I could save time, money, effort and still have delicious meals. I love trying new recipes because it takes something ordinary like chicken, pork etc and turn it into something new and exciting.
Honestly if you are like me you get tired of the same foods and are looking for something new well this is the cookbook for you or even to give as a gift.
Not only does this book offer 140 recipes but also there are some helpful tips and measurement equivalents. Jane also breaks the recipes down into what you can make ahead of time and how you can freeze it.
Another great thing about the cookbook is the ingredients are all easy to find and if your store doesn’t have that extact brand or type you can easily substitute for something similiar.
The only down side of the cookbook was there was no pictures to accompany the recipes apart from the front and back covers. With that being said just reading the recipes you could picture them in your mind.
Jane as included recipes for appetizers, breakfast & brunch, desserts, soups, side and main dishes. I have tried several recipes and looking forward to the holidays when we have company over to try some of the appetizers.
To date from the cookbook I have made:
– Bruschetta (we loved this recipe)
– Banana Bread, Bran Muffins,
– Hawaiian Bread (for this I ended up substituting macadamia nuts for walnuts as I had everything on had apart from the macadamia nuts, it was still very good)
-Mini Banana Chocolate chip Muffins (although I made these in regular muffin tins)
-Strawberry bread, Chocolate Fudge (this recipe is very similar to the one I make every Christmas)
-Oatmeal Cookies,
-Chicken Parmesan,
-Meat Pies,
-Mini Meatloaves,
-Sloppy Joes (this was great to see in the book as we love Sloppy Joes and I can only find the cans in NB and in Ontario so I usually stock up when I got but now I can make it from scratch)
I am looking forward to trying many more recipes from this great cookbook.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jane Doiron is a busy working mom of two boys. She is an Elementary School teacher with a passion for cooking and experimenting with recipes. With her busy schedule, Jane has found that make-ahead meals (meals prepared in advance) are time-savers, money-savers and are the best alternatives to eating “take-out”, which is not usually a healthy meal choice. Jane’s cookbook is the result of her years of seeking out new recipes, experimenting with family-favorite recipes, and turning them into make-ahead meals.
For more information visit: www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com
This book was provided for review by OUTSKIRTS PRESS .
Today I had an unplanned outing with Donna. When I say unplanned I mean unplanned. I only saw this yesterday in our local paper. I mentioned it to Donna at lunch yesterday about Geronimo Stilton coming to Babar bookstore in the Pointe Claire Village and that I was thinking of going and bringing Michael.
It was only when we were at La Book-tique and found book 1 Lost Treasure of The Emerald Eye (in perfect condition) that I think we said okay sure lets meet up and go.
Yesterday after school I asked Michael if he would like to go and he was super excited and wanted to go. We started to read the book and he was enjoying it. Then this morning Michael decided that he didn’t want to go because his cousin is in this weekend visiting from Chicago and he got presented what aparently was a better offer of going bowling. Needless to say Michael went bowling and I went to get his book signed.
I dropped them off at bowling and went to Donna’s store to meet up with her. The store is so cute. They have quite a selection of books and I can honestly say that I walked out without buying anything.
We had no clue who or what was going to be at Babar. Would it be the character or the real writer? This is what we found when we walked into Babar.
This guy (mouse) was a hoot. Donna and I did not stop laughing the whole time we were there. He was very polite and when he would sign the book he would always end with “Ton Ami Geronimo Stilton”. It was so funny and he did this every time he signed a book.
The above is a clip where he says at the end Ton Ami, Geronimo Stilton. Hope it will work.
I got an autograph cheese card, I got two signed books for Michael and I even got a cheese card signed for my nephew.
Sorry Donna I got your hand in the above picture.
This is me with Geronimo Stilton.
Geronimo if you are reading this it was great meeting you today. Really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.
Geronimo also told us his sister Thea Stilton has started to write and has a couple of books out.
Books Bought is a meme that I am hosting here on Cindy’s Love of Books. As my readers already know I am a huge book buyer and more so since I have begun to review books.
Books Bought is a meme where you share with your readers the books you have bought. It can be weekly, monthly etc just as long as they are books that bought for whatever source. (online, store, sales etc)
If you would like to take part in the Books Bought Meme all you have to do is snag the logo and post about it on your blog and link back letting me know you have done so and I will stop by and check what goodies you bought.
Please note that Books Bought might lead to more books on your next visit to a bookstore.
This is what I bought this week past week, even though I said I wouldn’t but I couldn’t resist.
-Good Neighbors Book 1 & 2 by Holly Black (graphic novels)
-Tithe by Holly Black
I ended up buying these because Holly Black is coming to Chapters in Pointe Claire on Nov 4th along with Cassandra Clare and Scott Westerfeld.
-Magic Tree House 1 & 2 by Mary Pope Osborne
These are for Michael because he is starting to enjoy chapter books and our friend at Chapters recommended these for him.
This is another book for Michael that I bought him. With all the is going on in my area with two attempted kidnappings I really wanted Michael to know what was going on. We have borrowed this several times from the library and I figured we should own our own copy.
Another thing I bought at chapters which isn’t shown is Ready, Set, Go: Travel Set. It was on the bargain table and it consists of two passport wallets, and four coordinated luggage tags. The are beige plaid with brown trim and blue plaid with brown trim. I thought this would be great for when I go to NY.
Friday after having lunch with Donna we decided to head to La Book-tique to look around well needless to say some books managed to fall into my hands. Here is what I picked up there:
-Making Your Mind Up by Jill Mansell
-Iggie’s house by Judy Blume (never heard of this before.)
-Then again maybe I won’t by Judy Blume (never heard of this one either)
-BK 1 Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton (I bought this one because he was at a children’s bookstore today.)
-The Spiderwick Chronicles BK 1: The Field Guide by Holly Black (This one I spotted on the counter and picked it up because she is coming to town.)
Then today at Babar Books for the Geronimo Stilton signing I bought Book #2 The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid.
This is what I bought, what did you buy?
