Once Upon A Time

I remembered something today. I'm a writer! You know? That thing you do when you sit at a computer and let your fingers dance over the keyboard? I mean, sure I do that blogging. But ever since the big CANCER word entered my life, it seems that's the only thing I use my flying fingers for.

So...with a huge apology for the delay, I have some reviews to write! Because Shadow Mountain sent me these books with the full intention of seeing a review out of them. In fact, in cyberspace right now there's a new blog (almost) ready to be launched, dedicated to nothing but books and reviews and writing and such. But I can't quite get the header right, and in the meantime these great books don't have my review. So with all that adieu, I'm going to post them right here, on this blog. They don't have anything to do with cancer, and if that's why you come visit, I promise I'll get back to that dreary subject soon enough. But for now, grab a cup of hot chocolate and curl up with one of these books.

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Rachel Nunes took on a difficult and ugly topic in her latest novel ‘Saving Madeline’, showing the possible heartbreaking results of the combination of meth labs and children. Her characters are likeable and sympathetic—especially the precocious child Madeline and the mentally handicapped Amy. Even the drug-addicted mother Dakota is portrayed in a complex light that makes it difficult to judge too harshly. The story is fast-paced and intriguing throughout. Nunes deserves high praise for her handling of a topic that needs wide-spread attention. You won't be able to put it down until you find out what happens to poor Madeline.

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My favorite thing about G.G. Vandagriff's 'The Hidden Branch' is that it doesn't try to take itself too seriously. The character of Briggie is as fun as her name sounds. She's a senior lady who lands in jail more than once, yet none of her friends seem nonplussed by the news. And even though the story is whimsical at times, there is some serious action and intrigue. There are plenty of characters, which means plenty of suspects and plenty of reasons to keep turning pages. If you read my review of 'Last Waltz' you know that I think Vandagriff is one of the best authors around. 'The Hidden Branch' shows that she's able to adapt to multiple genres with amazing skill.