  Stand-up comic Dave Feener has a great rapport with his audience, so when his body is found maliciously stabbed a short distance away from The Laff Attak where he's just performed, there seems to be no real motive for the brutal murder. A serial killer who does not think local comics are funny has just begun his rampage. Constables Mike Borneo and Lissa Cassway along with detective Vince Vetters are racing to find the killer before he claims another victim. Was Feener just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Left with his wedding ring and his wallet, Feener's body isn't even cold when the killer strikes again-this time stabbing Phil Vetters, a comic known for his redneck shtick and the brother of detective Vince Vetters. Just as Vince vows revenge, the killer makes a fateful mistake when he stabs another comic and does not ensure his victim is dead before he leaves the crime scene. The killer is a sicko, but not an idiot. He's right under everyone's noses and the anticipation of a righteous kill is all just part of the fun. Only time will tell if the killer will have the last laugh.  On THE BOOK REPORT: Dead Comic Standing by Karen Vaughan Image result for Dead Comic Standing by Karen Vaughan Dead Comic Standing With a chance at success quelling their fears, a slew of new comics are eager to have a chance, even with a psychotic serial killer out to get them all, to step on stage following each seasoned comic murder in Karen Vaughan's, Dead Comic Standing. It's a humorous whodunit full of hilarious comedy relief by many of the future victims in this tightly written book. You get the benefit of a cozy mystery, a sizzling romance and laughs all in one  As I came to the startling and completely unexpected end of Dead Comic Standing, I realized what a marvelous and stunning work of fiction Karen Vaughan had written. I have read most of her Laura and Gerry Mysteries and know the depth Ms. Vaughan is capable of, in her writing, the sarcastic slant she puts into her books, as well as the fact that there is always something that will shock and surprise you to the core of your being at the end of each of her books. I was not fully prepared for the brilliance in Dead Comic Standing. If I could ask Ms. Vaughan anything, it would be where in the heck did; she come up with the idea for this book. I do not like spoilers, so I will not give you many details about the book, other than to say the comedy routines done by the Comedians are a hoot, and if you are not shocked when you discover who the killer is, I would be more than a bit surprised. Kudos to Karen Vaughan for the delightful, suspense-filled, thrilling-murder mystery. If I could give 50 stars I would. 
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 Story of a young man's escape from Russian ruled Poland in 1913. This is a well told piece of private family history of a grandfathers escape in the early part of the twentieth century. Not a lot has changed in the past 100 years in Russia it seems. The names have changed but the autocratic rule continues and threatens it's neighbors. In nineteen-thirteen, when Lucjen finds out that he will be drafted into the Russian military, and forced to fight his friends and neighbors for the Russian Czar. He and his friend Franciszek, join twenty other people in an harrowing escape to the Americas. Ms. Drewa's short story of her grandfather's escape holds all the fear, terror, and hardship one would expect if they themself were living through it. I hope that Ms. Drewa turns this suspense filled story into a novella. This brief glimpse into the times leaves one begging for more. Kudos to Viv Drewa for taking on the telling of her grandfather's journey. A must read for both history buffs and those who love adventure, and suspense.  Algernon is an anteater, but he is a very ingenious one...He not only loves ants but especially chocolate covered ones. So, to find a supply of his new favorite food, he not only learns to read and to stand up tall, and to consequently join the circus! This children's book is delightful, with a refreshing commentary describing Algernon's thoughts and his precocious stream-of-consciousness asides... Meet Algernon the Anteater...you'll love him! I was hesitant about what could be gained by reading about an anteater. They aren’t such pleasant-looking creatures, and I hate ants. But it was recommended to me, and I fell in love with Algernon on the first page. It has turned into the book most requested by my children at bedtime. BY AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR VIV DREWA - A TALE OF SURVIVAL ON THE AMAZON RIVER THE ANGLER AND THE OWL1/18/2020  For 25 years France Hunter has been studying owls, and has discovered five new species around the world. Her work has kept her busy and she never had time for a relationship. She travels with Jason “Doc” Bradley, a former paramedic, and his cousins Tony and Andy Bradley. Now, on her last outing she is joined by a magazine writer, Cathy Birch, and a world famous angler, John Sinclair, who has also dedicated his life to his field. As the small caravan travels to the Amazon river France falls and severely injures her left arm. Against Doc's recommendation to turn back, she pushes on. This is her last trip and she wants to go to the place where she found her first new owl. While fishing a blue-ringed owl lands on John's canoe and looks down the river to where France's group is, and then looks back at him. This alerts John. He gets the satellite phone and tries to reach her to no avail. He decides the fishing can wait and, with Mark in another canoe, begin the journey back to France. At France's camp two jaguars attack one of the boatmen severing his left leg. The other two boatmen, they all have rifles, shoot at the jaguars killing one. The other escapes with the boatman's leg. Doc and the others wake to the noise and he and Tony go to where the boatmen are camping. In the ruckus the canoes become untied and go eastward down the shore and the sat phone is destroyed. Now they have no way to get help and will have to wait for John's team to come back, which could take three or four more days. Will help get there in enough time? France Hunter was excited about her first trip to the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee. Her family planned camping trips here in the past and she just loved it. Now that she graduated from the University of Michigan, with a degree in ornithology, she was more than ready to study her favorite bird: owls. That is until the black bear decided to show up making her trip short in the wilderness and a bit longer in the hospital. 27 years later she finds herself in the Amazon where she is in search of her first new species of owl - the blue-ringed owl. What she didn't expect were the feelings she soon started to feel after meeting John Sinclair who was the host of the television show 'Sinclair's Adventures'. Rounding out the group was Cathy Birch who was gathering information for her latest magazine article. Author Viv Drewa brings the search for the blue-ringed owl, the dangers of the Amazon and two people who have just met and their feelings for each other. This was a page turner which I actually finished in 2 nights. Very enjoyable.  Natalie Fisher committed suicide after an author stole her work and published it as her own. Two years later, her best friend Terri is found dead in her hotel room. Are the two deaths connected? Laura Fitz and Detective Gibbons are on the case to trap a ruthless author trying to get away with murder! Whether you have been following the Laura & Gerry Mystery series, or you are jumping into book seven in the series like myself, you will enjoy the read. Sit back in your favorite beach chair, relax with lemonade in hand, and follow Laura Fitz and Detective Gibbons as they try to unravel the mystery of why Terri Carter is the second author to die. Best not to drink wine and eat dark chocolate while reading this very active, short, easy to read, suspenseful mystery. Keep reading and you will learn why…. Chapter one opens in November 2015 with Natalie Fisher frantically searching for her flash drive which holds her finished manuscript. If data has ever gone missing on your PC, you can relate to her dilemma. For an author who has just invested their life into a manuscript, traumatic is an understatement. This is the beginning of more than one mystery that will keep you turning the page. Question remains, is theft of a manuscript worth committing suicide over? With a full cast of well-developed characters that could live in a home town near you, each with their part to play in this believable story line that could end up on the TV show ID Discovery. Laura’s eccentric neighbor Myrna might hold an important key in the case. Human emotions run deep surrounding envy, thief, suicide, sabotage, revenge and possible plausible deniability. I invite you to join Detective Gibbons at the Convention Centre for the Writers' Symposium. He is there to talk to the authors and follow through on some alibis. This will be a challenge as the authors are still in shock over “Such a brilliant candle in the literary world snuffed way too soon!” I, Theodocia Mclean, endorse Dead To Writes (Laura & Gerry Mystery Book 7) by Karen Vaughan. I invite you the pick up the whole Laura & Gerry Mystery series for you reading enjoyment. I purchased this book in Kindle. This review was completed on June 23, 2018.   A rock star’s murder leaves Emlyn Goode questioning everything she knows about herself. Amanda Stone, a rock and roll icon who vanished at the peak of her career in 1986, has returned to her hometown of Niagara Falls. She brings with her a message that causes Emlyn Goode to question everything she knows about herself. When Stone is murdered, Emlyn must use the craft her ancient relative wrote of in a Book of Shadows to solve the crime. If she fails, she’ll never know if what Stone told her is true. I can only think of one word. One word that best describes this book, its characters, and this story. Charming. This entire book struck me as so charming, I couldn't help but think of my late mother as I read it. Why? Because she loved a mystery. She was always watching shows like Murder She Wrote, Cagney and Lacey, and the like. This Emlyn Goode mystery would have fit right in. The meddlesome citizen, friends with the police, and seemingly better at solving murders than the pro's are. It's such a great read. It grabbed me on the first page, and made me curious about the other books in this series that I haven't read. This novelette is well worth the read, and I highly recommend it if you like a good mystery. Hell, even if you don't, pick it up. I'd bet that you would still enjoy this book.  Have you ever loved, been loved, been confused about love, or suffered from loss of love? All these feelings have been captured and shared in the word of heartfelt poems, compiled over many years by a retired teacher and award-winning author. Sherrill S. Cannon now shares her thoughts in this book of feelings. “As a teacher, I used poetry to help counsel many troubled teens and friends, and have continued this pattern throughout the years.” There are three sections in her book: Heads, Spinning, and Tails . . . (Love & Loss: Coin Toss?). The variety of lyrical poetry forms includes free verse, blank verse, haiku, and sonnets. Some poems are simply plays on words. Award-winning children’s author, Sherrill S. Cannon, released her new endeavor about life and love in her debut poetry book, “A Penny For Your Thoughts,” which received a five-star review from Reader’s Favorite. This thoughtful book of one-hundred fifty-four poems is simply the most beautiful presentation describing the heart and anguish exploring love and friendship. Thoughts of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her sensitive sonnets of love and deeply felt emotions are shadows in Cannon’s poems. The lovely style of blending and weaving words evoke the range of sentiments. The poetry touches on topics of age, youth, nature, and love with deep encounters with oneself such as “My Tree” and the following excerpt from the “Frozen Wasteland.” “I was living in a wasteland⸺ Where nothing new would grow, Except to just grow older Underneath the freezing snow” In years past, poetry was written and enjoyed by many, today there is the idea, including among some professors, (who I have heard say, they don’t understand poetry.) That insinuates that a good or great poem is something that is indecipherable to most. I am not one of them, as with great poets, such as Maya Angelou, Robert Stevenson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, there is a story in the poems, a sense of place and emotion flowing through the verses. ‘A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS,’ by Sherrill S. Cannon is one such book. It is rich in emotion, stories flow through the verses, and tales of love and loss are ripe within its pages. It is a glorious book that should be savored from start to finish and this reader feels that one would have to be devoid of life experience not to find many in this book that do not strike a cord deep inside of them. Ms. Cannon’s poetry takes on the issues of grief, dying, being the object of idolatry, as, in her poem Pedestal, love, loss, and letting go. A magnificent journey through life. A few of those that struck a deep chord in me was ‘Pedestals,’ That tells us the tale of someone who is stuck upon a pedestal and cannot become truly human for fear of losing their love. ‘The Real Me,’ that speaks of the little part of oneself that is seldom if ever shown to anyone. ‘To See The Future,’ shows us all that we might lose if we could see the future. For we would no longer be living in the present, the joy, sorrow, love, grief, beauty, and glory of life would be forever shaded with the knowledge of what’s to come. ‘Does Memory Last,’ a question each of us may ponder, when we lose a loved one or are facing death. ‘Old Woman,’ is a poignant look at the young woman that exists in all, under the veil of wrinkles and aging. There were so many poems in this book that touched cords deeply within me, as to bring smiles to my lips, joy to my heart, thoughtfulness to my mind and grief inside of me. A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS is an astoundingly, wonderous trip through the thoughts, life, and emotions we all go through in life. In the pages of this book, everyone will find something that will help them grow or understand themselves better. I highly recommend it.  Fourteen year-old Jordan Jensen always considered himself a team player on and off the field, until the second Timekeeper mission lands him in Amsterdam during World War Two. Pulled into the world of espionage, torture, and intolerance, Jordan and the rest of the Timekeepers have no choice but to stay one step ahead of the Nazis in order to find and protect a mysterious book. With the help of the Dutch Resistance, an eccentric baron, Nordic runes, and an ancient volume originating from Atlantis, Jordan must learn that it takes true teamwork, trust, and sacrifice to keep time safe from the evils of fascism. Can Jordan find the hero within to conquer the darkness surrounding the Timekeepers? If he doesn’t, then the terrible truth of what the Nazis did might never see the light of day. I loved this new addition to the Timekeepers series. It wasn't all fairytale driven, but touched on a critical, yet disturbing part of our history - WW2 and the Nazis. Again, the traveling group were a great cast of characters and interesting. I think Sharon has done an excellent job in building her characters. The scenes were action packed and you actually were afraid for the kids. I also liked the fact that there was some darkness to the story, not all "happyland". And she touched on other subjects that a lot of middle and young authors are afraid to. I believe the youth of today will benefit from stories that outline our jaded past and teach them that not all is roses and whip cream. How else do we learn if we don't learn from our past? I did enjoy it from beginning to end and would recommend this book for middle grade kids, and a few big kids as well! The history is welcomed and the story, however a reminder for is, is wonderful.  Mr. & Mrs. Masters blessed with a baby boy naming him Sebastian. His sister Ashley, puts on a show letting her parents know she is happy to have a little brother. Meanwhile, even in the hospital, Ashley Masters despises her little brother in every way possible, thinking he is a nuisance. While Sebastian grows up under his parents’ roof, loved by his parents Rachel and Michael, he looks towards his sister for help and is in awe of what she does. Sebastian Masters regards his older sister as an icon in the medical field just like his mother. Now Sebastian has a strong notion of what he wants to become, but soon Sebastian realizes that following in his sister’s footsteps comes with a higher cost. BLOODY HEARTS PAUL NOSACH This is a story of a man with ambitions and who has been torn apart by loss. He vows never to love again but values his friendships. Sebastian Masters has lost a lot but perseveres in his career. Bloody Hearts is a touching story and the author really makes you feel for his characters. There is also a spooky paranormal factor in the story that might have been inspired by Dean Koontz. I highly recommend Bloody Hearts as it is a slow steady read that is hard to put down. I give it five stars with pleasure!  When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis. Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, history itself may be turned upside down. Everyone is fascinated with the mystery of Atlantis and the people who lived there. The Last Timekeepers is an interesting take on what happened to the Atlantians. I enjoy reading YA books. They are not so complicated plotwise, and the stories are very entertaining. The author of this book writes in a style where the reader can visualize the action. The characters who are transported to the past are ordinary kids who wind up doing the job assigned to them even though they had no idea what to do at the beginning of their quest. I truly enjoyed the book and think anyone who loves YA fantasy will enjoy it as well. |
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