The Sibyl Reborn

The Sibyl Reborn by J. Perry Kelly

Saving humans from themselves can be hazardous to your health...

This is the story of one woman's quest to save the planet against all odds. Cassandra Shavano loves to go hiking, meditating, and taking care of her husband Greg, a cat named Caesar, and a dog named Homer. She is on a mission to end global warming, pollution, animal cruelty, and to create a better world for our future. Casandra, “believes that she'll uncover the key to saving the Earth without paying a horrific price", and after a botched protest at a gold mining company she soon discovers that people don't share her views and would rather see her quiet, dead, or worst. Once Cassandra gets started - mankind will never be the same again! This book is funny, entertaining, and enlightening.

About a month ago someone in one of my reading groups asked if anyone read a book with a protagonist that was similar to themselves and at the time my answered was no. Then came Cassandra. We are similar in many ways, we both meditate and share similar views about pollution and the future of our planet. I liked her straight forward no wavering attitude when she wants to get something done – yeah, that's me too. Cassandra is awesome! There is another character that I like in this story named Margot, she is that evil beyotch neighbor who only cares about personal gain but I like that she also has a soft side too. Then there's Sylvia, a struggling reporter, who wants to move up to a better position at her newspaper but has a conscious – it sucks to be her but I like the way she developed along the way. She had me laughing out loud with her research strategy for her interviews. And finally, there is a cat named Caesar the Wise and Fur-filled... very – very funny. Caesar believes all humans are unworthy two legged creatures, just wait until you read his dialog! There are plots and sub plots with several characters running simultaneously which kept me turning the pages! What a book. It seemed as if every time I sat down to read this book something came up to make me put it down such as work, house cleaning or even sleep – who needs these distractions while reading a good book? Really!

This book was easy to read and very informative. And I want to read it again because there is more to this story then meets the eye. I loved the metaphysical aspects of the story too, those parts were nicely done. I highly recommend this book not only for the entertainment value (which is high) but for the information on relevant issues concerning the future of Mother Earth, even the parts that related to Quantum Theory, which were presented in a way that anyone would understand - were well done. Anyone would like this book, environmentalists, animal activists, conspiracy theorists, the holistic community, and anyone else who is looking for a good read. I would definitely read this one again and the next if Mr. Kelly writes one. Get ready to laugh, maybe cry, and possibly learn something new.

The overview...

When a cursed sibyl turns to metaphysics...

Cassandra Shavano--newlywed, environmentalist, reincarnated prophetess--makes a fatal mistake when she petitions the universe to break a curse while desperately longing for something else: the power to stop global warming. The spell creates a labyrinth fraught with ambition, seduction, murder, and guilt, ensnaring eight people, a teenage ghost, the CIA and our parent species. Trapped in a nightmare of her own invention and stalked by relentless foes, the activist must survive the maze and solve an impossible puzzle, or she'll pay with her life and all she loves for failing mankind in its final hour.

...hidden agendas entangle and crash.




Buy it today at amazon

Paths Less Traveled

Paths Less Traveled by Nancy DiMauro

Paths Less Traveled contains two short stories. The first story, Flashes of Life, is an urban fantasy and the second story, Lightening Strikes, is an alternate world detective story.

Flashes of Life takes us to a, post World War IV, world where paranormals, psychics and humans are learning how to live together. The main character, Vonna, takes us with her on her first day of work assisting with a homicide investigation. She has to prove that she can handle the job or be forced into a life that she wants no part of. She has many abilities that has not manifest yet and the Company that oversees the paranormal community hopes that she fails to show her psychic powers while on the job. Well, she not only uses her skills she brings a very powerful and useful psychic power to her job.

I liked interactions between the characters Vonna and her new boss because even though she feels alone and confused her boss try's to help her to feel at ease with her new job. The story is written in the first person which helped to pull me into the story and closer to each character. The plot was predictable but I still enjoyed the story and would read a full novel based on it.

Lightening Strikes places us in an alternate world where Falcon, the main character, must find a special War Horse that belongs to the King. We travel with her over a couple of days while looking for clues and searching for Lightening in order to save the life of her friend. The story is written in the third person and I really couldn't connect with the characters. I do like Falcon because she is strong, and brave. Lightening Strikes would make a good novel and I would read it to see how Falcon develops as the assistant to the King.

I felt as if I was reading a draft of the first chapter of two books. Each story would make a good stand alone novel and if Ms. DiMauro decides to write them I would give them a chance.

Now, there were sections that just didn't flow easily for me and I do not like re-reading. I also didn't connect with the characters and the plots were a bit too predictable. I feel neutral about this one because it is certainly not a bad read, however, I cannot say that it is a good read either - I didn't get excited about reading it. When I finished reading, I closed the book and waited a few days for a feeling to come to me - like it or don't like it - and it didn't, I remain neutral. The redeeming factors in both stories were that they are good clean stories that anyone can read and both stories were quick, easy reads.



Overview...

Some women walk their own paths through the ages, even when mayhem follows. Follow two of these women as they each walk the Paths Less Traveled. In “Lightning Strikes”, Falcon, a disinherited princess, wants to be the king’s spy. The theft of a prize stallion is her chance. But when her best friend stands accused, far more than her dreams are at risk. Falcon races to catch a thief before fatal vengeance falls on an innocent man.Worlds away, Psyonics Corporation controls all paranormals and psychics in “Flashes of Life.” Its highest-testing but still latent psychic, Vonna accepts an assignment with the D.C. police to avoid the company’s breeding program. The company works to ensure failure in her first case – a homicide. If she can’t unlock her talents, a murderer will go free and she’ll be consigned to slavery.The Paths Less Traveled. Strange universes. Kick-butt heroines.

DVR Wednesday

DVR Wednesday

So it's been a while since I watched TV and my DVR is loaded with unwatched shows. At the moment I have 49% free space, hmm should I see what happens when it fills up? Maybe, but for now I really need to watch something to stop the backlog!

The list looks like this:

1. Once Upon A Time - 4 shows
2. Cowboy Bebop - 4 shows
3. Bleach - 6 shows
4. Haven - 4 shows
5. New Girl - 4 shows

I also see 24 watched Lost Girl shows and 20 watched True Blood shows... maybe I should delete them? Oh! I forgot my Hulu queue! I don't want to think about what's waiting for me there, haha. I better start deleting them soon.

Tonight I'll start with Bleach - Ichigo and Ulquiorra are still fighting and Ulquiorra wants to see Ichigo's hollow-fication. This is going to be a battle because Ulquiorra is a better fighter then Ichigo or is he?

Enough talk for now I'll be back soon!

Checkout this sweet Bleach vid on YouTube

Bitter Night

Bitter Night by Diana Pharaoh Francis

This is book #1 of the Horngate Witches series.

And it is a best book ever!

I couldn't put it down because I didn't want it to end! I didn't want to go to sleep and miss something even though I had to get up in five hours to go to work. I wanted to read more, yeah this one hit me like that. My love told me to put the book away and go to bed - ouch! All I could say to him was, "But it's... so good" yeah, I know, whine, whine, whine, it was a surprise to me too because I didn't expect this book to be that good.

When I started reading this book and saw "Shadowblade" and "Sunspear" I thought to myself that this was going to be a book with all sorts of words that were made up by the author. I really did not have the patience for a book like that and most times I try hard to stay away from them. I do not like searching through guides to understand who or what a particular character, or word is. A Shadowblade and a Sunspear are trained assassins who protect the witch and coven. They are altered with magic to be stronger and faster so add a weapon to the mix and they are virtually unstoppable.

Max is a Shadowblade Prime, the leader of the Shadowblades. She is a kick butt, strong women who hates her witch. And the only thing keeping her going is her strong desire to find a way to kill her witch named Giselle. Now I cannot speak for anyone else but I have had jobs along the way where I wanted to yell at my boss - but I cannot imagine how much hatred Max must feel to want to kill her boss. Okay, Max is compelled to protect Giselle with her life and she can never do anything against Giselle or she will experience pain. And Giselle is a master of torture and Max will never be free - okay that will make someone want to kill their boss.

Max is sent into another witches territory to investigate a potential crime when she gets caught by the rival witche's Shadowblade Prime. She eventually escapes only to meet the Shadowblade and his witch again at a meeting. The story took off from there and never wavered - it was good until the last page.

I liked the characters and the way they interacted. Ms. Francis created believable and lovable assassins. The teams worked well together and the story is very good. I started reading this book and never intended to get hooked from the first page until the last. I downloaded the next book in the series before I finished this one and I am looking forward to reading it.

Overview...

SOMETIMES YOU CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES. AND SOMETIMES, THEY CHOOSE YOU...
Once, Max dreamed of a career, a home, a loving family. Now all she wants is freedom...and revenge. A witch named Giselle transformed Max into a warrior with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance. Bound by spellcraft, Max has no choice but to fight as Giselle's personal magic weapon -- a Shadowblade -- and she's lethally good at it. But her skills are about to be put to the test as they never have before....

The ancient Guardians of the earth are preparing to unleash widespread destruction on the mortal world, and they want the witches to help them. If the witches refuse, their covens will be destroyed, including Horngate, the place Max has grudgingly come to think of as home. Max thinks she can find a way to help Horngate stand against the Guardians, but doing so will mean forging dangerous alliances -- including one with a rival witch's Shadowblade, who is as drawn to Max as she is to him -- and standing with the witch she despises. Max will have to choose between the old life she still dreams of and the warrior she has become, and take her place on the side of right -- if she survives long enough to figure out which side that is....

Hard Magic

Hard Magic by Laura Anne Gilman

This was a good read...

I really liked Bonita Torres and her teammates as Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigators, so geeky and inquisitive. PUPI is the paranormal equivalent of a CSI unit for the paranormal community. Anyone who has ever been involved in a start-up company, a new department, or even a newly created position at an existing company will identify with what this group of people are going through. Learning as you go - sometimes on the job training really sucks but they make it work. 

 There were a few places in the story where I was lost and did not fully understand what Gilman was writing about but I am sure that it was because of the massive world building and character development she was undertaking. 

I picked up this read because I was stuck on romance novels and needed a change.  And I'm glad I did because It was refreshing.  There are no vampires, werewolves or romance. I will definitely give the next book in the series a try because I like the CSI concept and I think Gilman can do better. For now this was a good read that is worth a mention.

Overview...

Welcome to P.U.P.I.—Private, Unaffiliated, Paranormal Investigations. A handpicked team trained to solve crimes the regular police can't touch—crimes of magic.

My name's Bonnie Torres. Recent college grad, magic user and severely unemployed. Until I got a call out of nowhere to interview for a job I hadn't applied for. It smelled fishy, but the brutal truth was I needed the work—so off I went.

Two days later I'm a PUPI—me and Nick, Sharon, Nifty and Pietr. Five twentysomethings, thrown into an entirely new career in forensic magic.

The first job we get is a doozy: proving that the deaths of two Talents were murder, not suicide. Worse, there are high-profile people who want us to close up shop and go away. We're sniffing out things they'd rather keep buried.

Looks as if this job is gonna get interesting. The only problem is, we're making it up as we go along…. 

Magia Rising

Magia Rising by Monique O'Connor James

Imagine being sixteen years old and your parents die in a fire leaving you alone to live in shelters over the next two years. A sad, lonely, and rotten way to live right? Now imagine on your eighteenth birthday you begin to experience something that can be classified as an psychotic event? Yeah, more rot on top of the rotten. This is the life of Nixon Trudeau.

Some writers pull you into their story with a jerk, others pull you in by dropping you at a turn or an event, Ms. James pulls you in slowly. Before I know it I was in New Orleans with Nixon seeing everything he sees and I was cheering for him to beat the odds. I love books like this, I don't want to be able to say here is the point where I became interested in the story. I was interested in this story from the first page to the last.

The story is filled with deception, danger, secrets, and romance. I was completely shocked at the end because I didn't see it coming – well done Ms. James. What I liked most about this story other than the shocking ending was that Nixon wasn't an airhead and he didn't get into non-stop trouble with his new powers. He is a regular guy who is learning to live with himself and others and not be alone -but the witches and ghosts wont let him. He also has powers to learn, covens to fight, and the truth is out there too. Nixon is going to be a kick-butt super witch once he learns how to use all of his powers and this book could be the start of a good series.

Follow the author on Twitter: @mjames13

Overview...

New Orleans is teeming with warring witch clans. Their world goes unnoticed by the people of the city,unseen by the masses. Nixon was one of those people, oblivious to the battles brewing around him. That is, until his eighteenth birthday.

Abandoned and on his own after the deaths of his parents...he'd grown used to being alone. Now he's discovering strange powers, learning secrets about his ancestors, and falling for the wrong girl--or is she the right one? In this new world he can trust no one...even the dead tell lies. Friends are enemies, and enemies hide the truth. Who can he trust? What's real and what's illusion?

Buy the book: Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Zombies in Asbury Park

It's here! The 5th anniversary of the apocalypse!

I'll be there too so come join me! 

Saturday October 6, 2012 on the Asbury Park Boardwalk - the 5th Annual Zombie Walk

Every year the horde of Zombies grows bigger and bigger and it's totally FREE! 

The Zombie website says that the Undead Festival is an all day event starting at 10:00am

Come on down dressed in your zombie gear and makeup to take over the city. The Zombie Walk will begin at 5:00pm. Everyone dressed in full zombie gear and makeup walk the boardwalk then shamble towards downtown Asbury park while staying in zombie character! 

When you come to Asbury Park for the apocalypse you will be able to join in the fun of professional artists giving zombie makeovers or the DIY makeup area. The boardwalk is transformed into a zombie world. 

Come on down and join the zombie costume contests, screenings and sneak peeks of the latest zombie movies, shows and video games. There is also zombie dance performances, and so much more - it's all about the zombie!

This is a fun day for all zombie fans alive or undead. for more information visit njzombiewalk.com follow the zombies on twitter @NJZombiewalk

OmniFocus

OmniFocus is an awesome app for your iPad and it can be installed on your MAC and iPhone too. I have always multitasked but could never find the perfect app for me until now. I got tired of buying calendars that I used half the year, color coding tasks, loosing sticky notes, and just plain forgetting to place things on my calendar period. To-do lists are another nightmare because I could have 10 lists running simultaneously. OmniFocus took away my nightmares because it handles all of my tasks, projects, and calendars, all in one nice, neat, and easy to use format. And most important... I can back up my data so there is no fear of loosing it - yay!

Here's one example of how I use it:

I have been looking for a new treadmill for most of this year and narrowed my search to two models but they are sold by competing manufacturers. I brought up one of the treadmills in a safari window and clicked my bookmark to send it to OmniFocus and a task window opened up in the app with the link to the treadmill embedded for me ready to use. I then have the option to add notes, times and dates, and assign the task to my project  "My Home Gym", or link more sites and pics. I can even go to the store to see the treadmill in person and take a pic of the price tag, display, and even record the conversation that I have with the sales rep and attach them to the task. Can you see how powerful this app is?

It takes some getting used to if you are not used to using a personal task manager take a  few short minutes to read the instructions. The instructions are set up as tasks to give you hands on experience as you get started. I also recommend watching the videos because this app is powerful and I believe that no two people will use it exactly alike.

The app can be purchased in the app store and priced at: a well spent $20.00