Lucille's Thought's

LAKE CHARLES REVIEW

2012-01-01T12:37:02Z

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Author:
Ed Lynskey

Brendan
Fishback, his twin sister Edna, and his friend Cobb Kuzawa hitched up their bass boats and took off for Lake Charles for bass fishing. It turned out to be one fishing trip Brendan wanted never to repeat.

Danger stalked them every step they made on and around Lake Charles. Kill or be killed became the order of the day. Brendan, just a good ol' boy who only wanted to work during the day, smoke pot and have sex most of the night, was faced with choices he did not want to make. Having already suffered through being convicted of one murder he did not relish the idea of another killing on his record, but he had no choice. Kill or be killed...Sometimes bad situations turn out to be good for the person who must face them. Sometimes they don't.

The beginning set the atmosphere of a regular fishing trip: spend the day on the water reeling in large bass, peace and quiet while doing so, with a little sparring between husband and wife. Then all hell breaks loose. Nerves tense: flight or fight? I hope all readers decide to stay and read to the end of this story. The things Brendan faces on this fishing trip are so prevalent in today's world, I doubt that the reader will be shocked, but the story should give readers pause for thought. Take the many flashbacks as intended. This is how the back story is fed in and they are interesting in their own right. They fit the description of a story running simultaneously with the main plot line and they give us necessary information on the horror of being accused of murder and how it leads up to the fishing trip. The first, and maybe the second, flashback will have the reader saying, â€œWhat do I need these for? It's a waste of time.â€ However, bear with them a short time and I promise you they will do their job well.

Brendan, his sister Edna, and her husband Cobb Kuzawa are all memorable characters. I like Brendan because he is such a gentle man and he's suffering torment in a situation that perhaps could have been avoidable, but like all humans, he made poor choices before this fishing trip. We will always suffer the consequences of our choices whether they be good or bad. Edna wants a good marriage like most women do. She just has trouble putting up with Cobb's drinking and
raises a lot of ruckus over it which in turn threatens to tear her
marriage apart. Cobb is just a 'good ole boy' who wants only to drink
and to fish. He can't understand why Edna must fight against his
drinking.

The
story belongs to Brendan despite the fact that many readers will
enjoy Edna and Cobb more. It's a writer's pitfall in which the author
has given too much of the story to the supporting characters and his
main character isn't strong enough to dominate the tale. I truly like
the snappy way this story is told and I believe both young adult
readers and older readers will enjoy the tale.

THE GOLD EAGLE MYSTERY

2012-01-01T12:28:55Z

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Author: John Russo

Genre: Cozy Mystery

The Gold Eagle Mystery is a short story set in the 1800s in America.
Ethan Edwards, a Pinkerton Detective, investigates his first big
case: Every Wells Fargo office along the Union Pacific railroad is
robbed. All the robberies have the same aspects: each Wells Fargo
office had a Gold Eagle Model 31B safe, the safe door was found open
without damage, no forced entry through door or window. The
investigation led him out west which was his first trip into the new
territory. His investigation led him back to Cincinnati where he
talked to the people who made the safe. Then back to the last town on
the list where he found himself in danger the closer he got to the
truth.

An ordinary tale of mystery, but one set apart by the unexpected. Ethan
Edwards attacks the problem at hand with all the tricks he has
learned thus far as a Pinkerton Detective. Training is one thing,
but, he finds out, that putting that training into practice isn't as
easy as it seems. I like the story very much and believe that any
lover of mysteries would also. It is a story patterned after the
greatest mystery writers and the one that comes to my mind first is
Agatha Christie. Ms. Christie was an expert at planting clues, having
her detectives ask the right questions, and finally bringing the
reader to a satisfying closure. This is such a tale. Be prepared to
be surprised.

Simply God--A Great Testimony

2012-01-01T11:18:57Z

Simply God is a good testimony to what God has done for Rick Richards. The Lord has brought a man from the depths of sin and set him on the paths of righteousness. This is terribly important. The angels in heaven rejoice when a person gives him/her self to God and begins to live a life that will show others the love of God. It is good that we testify to the goodness of God in our lives.

The message of the author covers pages 13 to 146. Appendices begin on page 163 and is a list of Scriptures from the Modern King James Bible referred to in Chapter 13. Scripture references for Chapter 21 begin on 186 and come from the Modern King James Bible. Resources begin on page 189 and it is simply a list of 8 Bibles. Contents are listed on page 190 and the list is confusing because there are numbers at the end of the section/chapter titles that don't match the page numbers the item is found on.

I did get a few good bits out of Mr. Richards book. For instance, another way to view sin and I quote: “The consequences of sinning are self-inflicted, because sin results in our destruction. It first destroys our souls and then our bodies. God never punishes us. He may reprimand us, but sin itself will do the punishing.” The author has that right. Sin does destroy the sinner and will ultimately send a soul to hell. Going on to the subject of why a person don't believe God is real, Mr. Richards says God told him, “If you didn't fear me, I don't exist in your thoughts, but if you fear me, I exist and I am real.” Quote: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Stubborn fools despise wisdom and discipline.” [Proverbs 1:7; NKJ] Wow, now this is true. The author did right in studying the Scriptures because it is the Scriptures, the Word of God, that brings enlightenment to him to the point where he can fear God. One must learn of God and believe he is real then he can fear God.

Mr. Richards says on page 87 [I have the e-pub edition], concerning The Book of God that, “No words were added, and no words were taken away.” He is wrong. The best example I see in this book is Chapter 13. Nine pages complete this chapter and most of the writing seems to be all the Scriptures listed in the appendix on page 163 through 185. The author tells the Scriptures like they were a story. I have no doubt the Scriptures tell a story, but I do have doubts when man begins to put them in his own words. One must search the Scriptures to know whether a person is telling the truth or not. I say before reading the first word in a work of this nature, one must ask the Lord to reveal what is true and what is not so that the reader will not be led astray. Another point I had a problem with is the way he kept saying things like, “God and Jesus will...” “God and Jesus did...” The Bible says that “all the fullness of the Godhead is in Jesus” meaning Jesus is God. Jesus is the body God put on so that he could come to earth and offer the sinless body on the cross. The Father is the Spirit that filled Jesus. The Holy Ghost is the same spirit that is in Jesus. You know how an egg in the shell is one egg? That is a great example of God. The egg is a yolk and the white gel part inside a shell. God is the Father and the Holy Spirit inside Jesus.

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON? Review

2011-11-30T20:58:25Z

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WHAT
IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON? Is a book about the end of this world and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This book outlines the various signs that the Bible lists as having to happen before the Rapture of the Church and the actual end of the world, such as: natural disasters, Israel becoming a nation, the oil controversy, Armageddon and others. Dr. Jeremiah explains the image Daniel describes in the Bible in the book of Daniel and its connection to
today's world. He talks about the one world leader that will arrive and govern the world for a season to be followed by the Battle of Armageddon.

I thoroughly agree with just about everything Dr. Jeremiah says. As for the oil, I don't completely understand it simply because the Bible doesn't actually say the world will fight over oil. However, oil will not be the only commodity that will decrease in the last days. One
other point I am reminded of as I read this book and other reviews dealing with this book is that the carnal mind which involves most of the world's population will not understand the spiritual messages these signs proclaim. The Bible itself states clearly that the carnal
mind cannot understand spiritual things. In this case, those who do not understand the message this book is proclaiming should talk to a man of God who does understand and especially one whom the person has faith in. Dr. Jeremiah is not a stranger to the Lord, the Bible or a
life dedicated to obeying the Lord.

RING OF DESIRE Review

2011-08-23T20:12:16Z

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Author: Ryshia Kennie

Love never changes, only the characters involved, the
environment, the ages change.

In the medieval land of Hafne, Giles and Vala must join together to fight evil and remove a curse that has made the land desolate and taken the lives of many male babes. Love, magic, and evil in all its blackness, flow around Giles and Vala even as their hearts open to each
other and their love builds to a white hot frequency they cannot deny.

Great plot, great writing, great love between the hero and heroine. Action filled pages that keep the heart pounding sometimes with fear for the characters when evil stalks their shadows and sometimes with excitement as love develops.

Not being an avid romance reader did not stop this story from grabbing my attention with the first few paragraphs, and I'm still caught. I love all the action starting at the beginning, the mysteries, the magic, the sense of danger that the villain brings with him. Ryshia Kennie has done a superb job keeping my attention from beginning to end. When life forced me to stop reading, I couldn't stop thinking about the story until I had the opportunity to return to
reading it. Read the book. You'll be happy if you do.

A CANTERBURY CRIME Review

2011-08-23T19:50:17Z

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A CANTERBURY CRIME Review

Belinda and Hazel goes to Professor de Gray's home to inventory and evaluate
the furnishings after his death. During the first day, they learn of several
suspicions surrounding the Professor's death. Immediately, they begin
investigating to learn the truth of the matter. As the investigation unfolds,
Belinda is faced with an entirely different problem; a personal problem. Will
she marry Mark or will she marry Brad, an old boyfriend from Australia?

Belinda is a woman after my own heart.
Courageously she faces suspects of several calibers; a couple could even
be considered less than right in their minds. Yet, she trudges on until the
truth comes out. Brian Kavanagh does a fine job planning and writing out the
Belinda Lawrence Mysteries. He would make a good investigator.

THE LEGEND OF AEZUBAH Review

2011-08-23T19:39:31Z

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Title: The Legend of Aezubah: The Crimson General
Author: Slawomir Rapala

Aezubah and his mercenaries carry out the orders of their king.They go to Oyan to destroy the Temple of Sonya, the priest Drohen and Drohen's followers. After the temple is destroyed and the followers raped and murdered,the mercenaries throw Drohen, the mage and priest, out of town into the surrounding desert.

The next morning Aezubah enjoys much wine and merry making, and when he and his friend finally arrive at Aezubah's home, they find Aezubah's wife and three sons abused and killed: the sons hanging on the single tree and the wife laying at the feet of her five killers. A fire breathing sand demon arrives coming forth from the sands to feed on the bodies. In short order, all but one are dead, the demon is dead and Aezubah sends his friend away while he takes care of the last killer. This destruction was ordered by Drohen when he paid the killers two hundred pieces of gold soon after he had been thrown from the town.

As a result, Aezubah vows, "I will seek out my enemy, the wicked and proud mage, and I will exact my vengeance. After years of following his nemesis and facing death too many times to keep count, Aezubah meets him in the icy,snowy wastelands of Arynos. With Drohen's death, Aezubah expected a sense of satisfaction, a feeling of vengeance served, a peace filling his entire being,but there was nothing. No feeling whatsoever and he realized he had wasted his life in pursuit of this man. Yet, he continued to live, to fight, to kill. To show proof that the things we do remain with us forever; our actions, as small as they are, can change the world; certain things are inevitable, ergo there is fate and certain things are beyond our control; to err is human; all people have the capability to be both villains and heroes, it just depends on the circumstances; all people, all the world is interconnected and the actions of one affect the others. Love him or hate him, Aezubah."

The Legend of Aezubah: Crimson General is a moving story. The reader will both love and hate Aezubah as he/she reads the account of Aezubah's life of vengeance and hatred. The whole novel resembles a series of short stories held together by transition made up of accounts taken from Aezubah's Chronicles. Aezubah is a hero to many, but an avenger to others and such a complex individual that readers will find him the greatest of heroes. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading others written by Slawomir Rapala. Check out the websites listed above where a reader can find short stories written by Rapala.

MOON CALLED Review

2011-05-11T19:33:00Z

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MOON CALLED REVIEW
Author: Patricia Briggs

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Mercy Thompson is a 'walker', a 'term derived from "skinwalker, a witch of the Southwest Indian tribes who uses a skin to turn into a coyote or some other animal and goes around causing disease and death." Mercy doesn't use an animal skin to shift into the coyote form and she doesn't run about causing death and disease, although she sometimes leaves death behind. She's an auto mechanic in Kennewick in eastern Washington in a place called The Tri-Cities.

In her condition, she should not be living in the midst of vampires, fae, witches, and werewolves, especially with the werewolf being her greatest enemy, but she is. So when the Alpha wolf's daughter is kidnapped and the Alpha is near death, Mercy, as her name implies, gives merciful care to the Alpha and sets about trying to find the daughter. From here on, the story is much like any other crime story, only the characters are different.

Patricia Briggs explores the problems incurred when magical beings live amongst humans. Discrimination is always at the top of the list for humans have difficulty living around anyone who is different from themselves. Everyone who has studied slavery in the south knows about discrimination. Briggs shows that shape shifters go through the same thing.

As for the magical abilities: Yes, Briggs says, many shape shifters do have magical abilities. Mercy's abilities include sensing whether a person is a shape shifter or human. Mercy can 'feel' a magic spell in the air and can intercept one meant for another. She's also a good mechanic and a martial arts expert. Her knowledge of werewolves, witches, vampires, and the fae people allow her to live amicably with all. 'Moon Called' is a story I found very hard to put down and when I had to close the book, I rushed through my duties as a wife and mother and housekeeper to get back to it. I recommend it to all readers. Young adults will also enjoy it and perhaps the teenager as well. The story has no sex scenes or obscene language that I can remember.

Patricia Briggs is already a well-known author and published by the big house, 'The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.' 'Moon Called' has been published for a while, but now [when I searched Amazon.com on this Sunday in July 2010] Amazon.com is offering it under IDW Publishing as a hardcover and a Kindle edition. Check it out and while you're there look for the other books in the Mercy Thompson Series. Check out Patricia's website, www.patriciabriggs.com, to see all the books she's written to date.

Author Bio:
Patricia Briggs is the author of the New York Times bestselling Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series. She lives in Washington state with her husband, children, and a small herd of horses.

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GETTING CLEAR REVIEW

2011-05-11T19:23:00Z

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GETTING CLEAR Review
Author: Clayton Clifford Bye

"Clear: Free from anything that dims or darkens; bright; unclouded."

Clayton Bye shares how he learned to free himself of unwanted and negative emotions. We are creatures of habit leading our lives more from an emotional standpoint than a logical one. As a result our thoughts sometimes bury us under guilt and other negative feelings brought upon us by the idea that we have either failed in what we want to accomplish or we don't measure up to someone else's expectations. As with others urging us to take control of our emotions, Clayton Bye gives us four steps we should work through: (1)become aware of the emotions you experience and determine which you want to feel all the time, (2)get into action that will allow you to feel those you desire, (3)analyze where you've been, where you are, and where you're going, and (4)learn to change your approach if your original plan doesn't work. But Clayton Bye doesn't just give the four steps and turn you loose to find your own way. He follows with guidance through explanations of what is involved in each step and offers encouragement through examples in his own struggles to get clear.

A lot of people have taken up the mantra that we are in control of our own emotions and therefore should order them the way we need to and gain happiness, success, and so forth. Change of this sort isn't easy and no matter what approach is adopted we can expect to work hard to accomplish what we set out to do in the area concerning our emotions as in the other areas in our lives. What I especially like about Clayton Bye's approach is that he explains and gives good examples which not only shows us how we can make these changes but also encourages us in the process. This is a book well worth having in your library.

Author Bio:
Clayton Bye, under the imprint Chase Enterprises, has been writing and publishing since 1994. The author of several books, as well as internet short stories, poems, articles and reviews, he's also an editor and small business management consultant.

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DREAMWEEK REVIEW

2011-05-11T19:18:00Z

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DREAMWEEK Review
Author: Viviane Brentanos

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Isabella Stevens, in her job as representative of Dream Villas -- a place for the rich and famous to vacation without being exposed to the vagaries of their fans -- must be available around the clock to take care of the whims and desires of the vacationers. This is not a job for the weak back and loose lips. Isabella can put up with all the demands of the clients simply because her love of the island of Kuros is greater than her discomfort in serving ungrateful complainers. Or so it had been this way until the advent of David Wells, a renown musician/singer of great merit. Once these two met, both filled with doubts and insecurities of their relationship. If it wasn't for her life long friend, Paul, whom Isabella felt more like a mother to than a fiance, she would not have had any problems giving in to David Wells's magnetic personality and a well built body that drew the look of every woman no matter what her age.

Dreamweek is a fairly common romance story and really don't hold any surprises although I found Isabella Stevens just a mite young for David Wells. As with all romances, the setting placed in Kuros, which Viviane admits is an imaginary place, holds promises of romantic dreams for all female readers. A great entertaining story for the young at heart.

Author Bio:
Viviane Brentanos was born in Reading UK in 1958. She was educated at various schools before completing Sixth Form College at St Peter's Huntingdon. She grew tired of the academic life and decided to visit the Ionian island of Corfu to celebrate her new freedom. It proved to be a life-changing decision. Sheâ€™s married to a Greek, Alexander {not the Great}, and has two teenage children, 2 dogs and 4 cats and absolutely loves the life-style here. Writing has become her passion. She likes to call her work Romance with a quirky, humorous Brit twist and is always striving to make her characters real, characters all readers can all relate to. The imaginary island of Kuros, featured in DreamWeek, was inspired by her beloved Corfu.

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