Book Reviews Offered on This Blog

Recently I decided to open this site to non-mystery books related book reviews, mostly in the contemporary or romance area. Still fiction, but just not the mystery/murder/police procedural/cozy mysteries I have been doing as Mystery Books Editor on BellaOnline and the reviews I post on Amazon.

If anyone is interest in having a book reviewed on this site, with a similar review on Amazon, please let me know. I enjoying reading and writing, and writing a book review helps me do just that.

In the meantime, I'll also write about writing and anything to do with how to write, when, where, etc. Basically, whatever ideas come to mind that have to do with the craft of writing. I know there is a ton of information on the web, so I hope that I can offer something unique in some way.

I feel like this blog keeps changing gears every once in a while, but ultimately, it will end up where it is supposed to go.

Take care, everyone. Hope to hear from you soon.

Becoming a Better Blogger and Writer Through the Creation Process

As I travel around my Blogger blogs today, I see I have failed to update the sites with posts and images. Part of the reason is the numerous niche sites I have been working on such as How to Throw a Party. With Halloween coming up this weekend, I have added a number of posts about Halloween, costumes, party ideas, and much more.

On the sidebar you will find a link to The Niche Blogger. Also, a post not to long ago gives a more detailed explanation of this great learning tool. Amy Bass has done a great job in leading us, day by day, through the challenge of setting up our own niche website and quickly beginning to earn money from that site.

Besides my main website, Elder Care Cafe.net, I now have four niche sites and will link them on the sidebar as they are ready for public viewing. Hopefully, by this time next year I will have more.

Through this whole process, I find I enjoy creating new websites. What a blast to start from scratch and watch something grow into a beautiful creation that hopefully helps others in some way. All of my niche sites are geared toward helping others and that seems to be part of the fun for me.

Hopefully, I will return here often as I would like to write more about writing, blogging, reviewing books, and other areas of writing that I am involved with.

I really hope, if you are reading this, that I can encourage you to step out and try something new. Looking at the past two years reminds me how far I have come as a writer, and certainly how much farther I need to go and can go to become ever better. As much as I love blogging, I seem to love the process of learning how to be a better blogger even more.

That's it for now. My hope is that I can come back often to update this blog and let everyone know what is happening. If you get the chance, you can visit:

How to Throw a Party

I will add more as they become viewer-friendly. All are in various stages of growth.


If you are interested in creating your own niche website, don't hesitate to check out Amy Bass and The Niche Blogger by clicking on the ad on the sidebar. You will be glad you did when you see what you can create in just days and weeks. I had my first niche blog up and running within a week or two - no kidding. I just started The Niche Blogger course in June of this year and already have four sites.

I am also still writing with BellaOnline Mystery Books and you are welcome to join me there as well. We have a growing number of book reviews in all mystery book categories. Sign up for the newsletter and join us in the forum while you are at it.

Please leave a comment and let us know what you are working on, and hopefully we will see you again very soon.

The Second Savior

Just as Kinks, a Crip drug kingpin, exits a local convenience store, he is apprehended by LAPD homicide detectives Rick Dover and Falcon. Suddenly, a drive-by staged by a rival gang, the Bloods, leaves one dead and several wounded. Dover's life is saved by one of the carpenters who took three bullets in the back.

Before the detectives can figure out who the carpenter is, he walks out of the hospital and disappears. As Kinks lies near death, Dover and Falcon continue their search for those responsible for the shootings.

When their key witness, Kinks, is boldly assassinated in his hospital room before they can interview him, the detectives are stunned.

Eventually they locate the missing witness and he agrees to help them out and the pieces start to fall in place. However, before they can put the case to rest everything goes awry during a climatic shoot-out. The witness again mysteriously disappears leaving behind two surprised detectives.

Author Mark Bouton is a former FBI agent whose years of experience bring much to the story. The Second Savior is a true page-turner that stays on pace throughout. The well-developed rapport between Dover and Falcon shows Bouton’s love towards his characters.

He allows the reader to understand the motives of those on both sides of the law, no matter how vile the characters may be. It is obvious the author took the time to get to know his characters and understand their motives. Even the bad guys have a depth not usually seen in this type of novel.

Because the story is set in LA, Bouton takes the opportunity to insert a touch of humor by allowing the detectives to drop the names of the rich and famous with abandon throughout the book.

The Second Savior is a worthy follow-up to Cracks in the Rainbow. Here’s hoping for more stories starring the homicide detective duo, Dover and Falcon.

You can purchase The Second Savior at Amazon.com.

Blogging Money - Full Time Passive Income Is Easier Than You Think

Earning blogging money is a lot easier than you think. Your first, and most important, step is to create a solid plan of action if you truly desire to make a good income from your blogs.

Many people think it's enough to just place a blog on the internet and the money will start flowing into their bank account! Not so.

So, how do you go about finding a plan of action so that you, too, can earn as much money as possible?

The fact is, one of the best sources I've found is called "The Niche Blogger!" This is a unique and complete program that was created to help people new to blogging to get their start.

This easy to follow course will cut down on your learning time and help make sure you don't make mistakes that will prevent you from making money.

When you join The Niche Blogger, you will need to dedicate your time and energy to complete the course, but when you do, the results are well worth it!

One of the problems people have when trying to earn money by blogging is that there are so many different methods available. Do yourself a favor and don't fall for the get rich quick schemes.

If you choose a good blogging model right up front, you will save yourself hours of frustrating and fruitless time and energy. It will be easy to dedicate yourself to the model because you know you will be able to succeed.

You should also realize that even though you can start earning money very quickly, you won't become rich overnight.

Blogging money will no doubt start trickling in and then will build upon itself over time. Before you know it, you will be earning a great part or full-time income from your blogs.

The great thing about blogging is that once you get your blog set up, it is a realitively pass income stream.

Every once in a while you may need to tweak your blog site and add posts along the way, but for the most part, your blogs will be your 24 hours a day, seven days a week "salespeople."

Earning money from blogs can literally change your life for the better. In fact, you might find you can quit your day job and become a full-time blogger.

All you need to do is to make sure you follow The Niche Blogger instructions, and that you dedicate yourself to it until you are successful. You will be glad you took the first step.

Here is a link so that you can get started today. You really will be glad you gave it a try.

The Niche Blogger - Make Money Blogging

Paper Butterfly Review

Paper Butterfly is the second novel in the Mei Wang series written by Diane Wei Liang. Liang was born in Beijing of parents who were consigned to a remote labor camp during part of her childhood. In 1989, she was involved in the protest in Tiananmen Square. Those two experiences provided her with insider knowledge put to good use in Paper Butterfly.

The story begins with Lin, sentenced to eight years in a work camp in Gansu Province at the age of twenty due to betrayal by a childhood friend. His time at the camp cost him his youth, his sweetheart, and almost cost him his life. He served his time and was released with very little: the clothes on his back, a brand new Mao jacket, and a small amount of money. The reader follows his trail as he slowly makes his way back, physically and emotionally, to civilization.

When Mei Wang suddenly resigned from the Ministry for Public Security, she decided to open a detective agency. Although private detectives were banned in China, her title “information consultant” brought her great success with a nice apartment and new car. At thirty-one, she was still not married, a situation she heard much about due to the oft- vocal disappointment of her mother and highly successful, and very married, sister, a TV talk show host.

The president of a record company hired Mei to find a rising pop star who has gone missing. Kaili had disappeared for several days when Mei agreed to a discreet search into the troubled singer’s life. Although the police think her disappearance was related to robbery, Mei began to search into Kaili’s past. As she searched Kaili’s apartment, she found a stack of love letters tucked away years ago signed only by “L” and a homemade paper butterfly. She had no idea they might hold the key to the case.

After Kaili was found dead, Mei was dismissed from the case. Unable to let go of Kaili’s life, Mei decided to continue on her own. She soon found herself receiving threats and her life at risk. As Mei traveled throughout the city, the reader was drawn into her world, a world of promise and of danger.

Paper Butterfly was written by Diane Wei Liang, a woman who has strong insider knowledge of Beijing, its history and politics. A woman who brings her past and present into the story by deftly weaving personal experience into the narrative providing a heartbreaking tale of love lost due to the political strife of the times. The author shows how once one’s course is set, it is almost impossible to return to the old way of life.

Liang writes with poignancy, drawing on the sights, sounds, and smell of a city teeming with life. She has created a modern day female detective struggling with a mix of the new ways and the old traditions of her family. This unique mixture together with Liang’s life experiences combine genuine mystery and mystique into one thoroughly enjoyable story.

You can buy Paper Butterfly at Amazon.com.

Wife of the Gods Review

When the body of a popular young woman was found in the forest near Ketanu in the Volta Region of Ghana, local police quickly realized the sensitivity of the situation and called for regional help. Little did they know their request would be kicked up to Headquarters in the capital city of Accra. Maverick Detective Inspector Darko Dawson was assigned the case because he could speak the local Ewe language.

Treated as an accidental death by the locals, when Dawson realized the beautiful young volunteer for the Ghana Health Service AIDS outreach program was murdered, local authorities quickly arrested a young man for her murder. Although Samuel adamantly denied having anything to do with her death, he was jailed and repeatedly beaten until he was willing to confess.

The assignment brought Dawson in contact with family members who still lived in the area where his mother had disappeared twenty-five years before. Her body was never found. Dawson often found himself struggling with dreams that she was trying to reach him.

Dealing with anger issues, and the mishandling of the case by local authorities, Dawson doggedly probed into the murder. Frequently clashing with the locals and their superstitious ways, the local fetish priest, and the outdated religious customs of the region, Dawson found support in surprising places as he struggled with unexpected challenges.

Dawson is admittedly a flawed man who has a penchant for marijuana. He also has a strong wife and a sickly son who love and support him no matter what the circumstances.

Wife of the Gods probes the horrifying practice of families offering their young daughters to fetish priests as trokosi, or Wives of the Gods, essentially becoming slaves to the priests for the rest of their lives.

Wife of the Gods author Kwei Quartey takes an intriguing look at the life of a man who lives in a large urban area, and who struggles with the belief systems and centuries-old rituals found in the rural Ghana. It quickly becomes apparent to the reader that Quartey has firsthand knowledge of the area.

Using the scenic beauty of Ghana as a backdrop, Quartey brings his characters to life. The plot sizzles and the pace never slows providing a surprising finish. Hopefully, we will see more of the intriguing and likeable Detective Inspector Darko Dawson.

You can order Wife of the Gods from Amazon.com.

Last Passage to Santiago

Last Passage to Santiago opens with a daring kidnapping, and continues with a tantalizing tale through the historic streets of Buenos Aires and beyond.

Stephanie Ably-Ranier and her husband Ben are on a three week vacation. After spending a week at a beautiful hotel in Argentina, they are booked for a two-week luxury cruise heading around South America visiting Uruguay, the Falklands, and ending up in Santiago.

Stephie is excited to walk the vibrant streets of Buenos Aires, visiting the many historic sites, feasting on the local restaurant fare, and immersing herself in the enticing beat of the tango-loving city. Ben, however, has other ideas. Unbeknownst to his wife, he has brought his mistress along, daringly ensconcing her in the same hotel and later on the cruise ship so that he can visit her anytime he wishes.

As Stephie finds that she is increasingly alone, she begins to realize someone is following her on her daily walks. She senses the movements of a dwarf who seems to appear where ever she goes. Due to her position with the ultra-secret National Security Agency, she begins to wonder if the apparent stalker is job-related.

During their visit in the South American city, they run into an eclectic group of fellow passengers headed for the same cruise. As they prepare to board the ocean liner for the next portion of their trip, Ben realizes his passions now rest elsewhere as Stephie senses the breakdown of their marriage.

On the cruise ship, Stephie attends a talk given by the ship’s naturalist, Mike Lambert, and finds herself increasingly drawn to the region’s penguin rookeries. While unexpectedly stranded in the Falkland Islands while her husband and the rest of the passengers continue their journey, she finds herself spending time getting to know the handsome Lambert. It does not take her long to realize what is missing from her life.

Last Passage to Santiago is a riveting story of love and betrayal, trust and deceit. Stephanie and Ben never expected their three-week vacation would threaten their very existence and change their lives forever.

John F. Rooney has created vivid characters and beautiful scenic locales bringing the story to life with ever increasing speed. Last Passage to Santiago simmers with passion and lust, and proves difficult to put down as it heads toward an ending the reader suspects, but is still surprised by the unexpected.

This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys passionate love stories intertwined with international intrigue, seductive secrets, and gripping hot, tropical romance.


You can buy Last Passage to Santiago at Amazon.com.

A Breed Apart Review

Every once in a while a book comes along that is so much fun to read that I have to share it here. A Breed Apart is an emotional romp that I did not want to end. I would love to see what happens to Holt, Kira and Zoe further on in their lives. Here is the review I wrote for Night Owl Romance:

When Kira McGovern graduated from veterinarian school, she knew her life was about to change forever. Due to the recent death of her sister and brother-in-law, Kira became sole provider for her infant niece. Unfortunately, if she did not find a permanent job and a place to live within three months, her niece would go into foster care.

Arriving at the ranch where she was to work, she was quickly fired by the son of the man who hired her. Desperate, she stood her ground and kept the job.

Holt Crockett took one look at the tall blond and tried to brush her off, thinking she was there to visit his womanizing brother, Treat. When he found out his father had hired Kira as ranch veterinarian to solve the puzzle of the sick cattle, Holt was furious.

As ranch manager, he was in charge of hiring and firing. Instead, his father had not only gone behind his back, but also hired a woman no less. He was particularly upset with the incentives his father had promised her if she found a cure, including a percentage of his ranch, and Holt did everything he could to drive her away.

Tension mounted as Kira raced to find a cure, and Holt had to destroy a growing number of his diseased herd. Time was of the essence or Holt would soon lose all his cattle and the ranch.

A Breed Apart begins with high emotion and never lets the reader down throughout this fast-paced and captivating story. Two people are struggling with unexpected life situations, unable to trust their feelings and unable to trust one another, yet both needing to work together for the greater good of both. Emotions are raw and tension is high. Several unexpected events fail to diminish the growing emotional powder keg between the two antagonists.

Charlotte Raby has written a powerful novel with strong characters that are facing life-changing situations. A strong supporting cast adds depth to a story whereby the only disappointment is that it comes to its inevitable conclusion. The reader will certainly hope more stories are forthcoming from this insightful writer.

What book have you read lately that has made a strong impression on you?

Winter in Madrid Review

C. J. Sansom’s Winter in Madrid is a period novel set in the later years of 1930s to 1947 in Franco’s Spain. Three men, who had attended prestigious Rookwood School in Great Britain and had become childhood friends, proceeded along divergent roads as adults.

Bernie Piper became a Communist and fought in the Spanish Civil War that broke out in 1936. During the war, he was reported missing and presumed dead. At the request of his parents, his friend Harry Brett traveled to Spain seeking information. The Russians, then in control, thought he was a spy and gave Harry 24 hours to leave the country. The Civil War ended in 1939.

Shortly thereafter, Harry, with great reluctance, was recruited by the Secret Service and sent to the British Embassy in Spain as a translator to spy on a third Rookwood alumni Sandy Forsyth. Forsyth had become a Madrid businessman who was under intense scrutiny by the British for his shady practices and association with Franco.

Add to the mix Sandy’s girlfriend, Barbara Clare. She had fallen in love with Bernie when she was a Red Cross nurse during the civil war, but now lived with Sandy. She was intent on finding out whether or not Bernie was still alive and if so, where he was held.

After an intriguing prologue, Winter in Madrid seemed to lag until about mid-way through the novel when the story picks back up again. The novel finishes with a stunning and unexpected ending.

The story is told from varying points of view that at times can be a little distracting. However, the main characters have the necessary depth to support their motivations and carry the story forward. All characters are provided ample opportunities to play their respective role in history.

The author ably paints a vivid portrait of post-civil war Spain; the grit, the devastation, the muddled politics.

Mr. Sansom seems well prepared in the necessary historical detail of the time in order to write such a strong, sweeping, political thriller. History buffs are sure to appreciate his intensive research. Part historical novel, part romance, part thriller, Winter in Madrid provides a thought-provoking look at a troubled time in Spain’s history.

You can buy Winter in Madrid at Amazon.com.

A World I Never Made - Review

Pat Nolan flies to Paris to identify the body of his estranged daughter, Megan. She seemed fine when he spoke to her on Christmas Day, and her suicide several days later does not make sense.

When Pat arrives in Paris, he discovers it is not his daughter’s body. Believing she is in danger and the suicide note holds important clues to her whereabouts, he identifies the body as Megan and has it cremated the same day as requested in the note. He then begins a search for his missing daughter that takes him farther, physically and emotionally, than he ever thought possible.

With very few clues, and the help of beautiful French detective Catherine Laurence, Pat travels across France to such places as Marrakech, Casablanca, Tangiers, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Along the way, he becomes a target of the French police and a band of international terrorists.

While the reader follows Pat and Catherine on their increasingly dangerous journey, the author tells Megan’s story beginning a year before her alleged suicide. She spent the previous ten years traveling throughout Europe as a writer while meeting men willing to pay for her companionship. Along the way, she meets Abdel Lahani, a Saudi businessman. Lahani, it turns out, is not the typical mark and Megan becomes involved in a game far more dangerous and widespread than she could ever imagine.

A World I Never Made includes an interesting and diverse cast of characters. Besides those already mentioned, others include French Deputy Chief Inspector Genevieve LeGrand; Marie Sancerre, a 14 year-old street flower vendor who keeps popping up in strange places; Daniel Pelletier, Catherine’s beloved uncle and retired French gendarme (police officer); Annabella Jeritza, a Gypsy fortuneteller who befriended Megan; Annabella’s grandson Doro; Abdullah al-Azim, a Syrian pharmacist who helps Megan when she needs him most; and Max French, an American FBI agent.

James LePore has written a fascinating suspense story of power and treachery, broken relationships and redemption. Interweaving the two story lines throughout the book can sometimes cause the reader to lose track of the relationship between characters if one is not paying close attention. However, telling Pat and Megan’s stories at the same time adds impact as they head towards a stunning and unexpected conclusion.

An attorney for over twenty years, LePore’s first novel is an impressive start to a great second career. I highly recommend the compelling suspense story of vivid characters and haunting storyline that will stay with the reader long after the final page.

You can buy the Kindle edition of A World I Never Made at Amazon.com.

Starvation Lake - Review

Jack Blackburn, Starvation Lake’s legendary junior hockey coach, disappeared when his snowmobile fell through the ice on Starvation Lake; his body never found. Ten years later, pieces of his snowmobile surfaced on another lake five miles away.

Gus Carpenter was the team’s star goalie until he left town in shame after blowing the one opportunity the team had to win the state hockey championship. He recently returned to Starvation Lake after a failed attempt at a career with a major Detroit, MI newspaper to become the editor of the Pilot.

Determined to solve the mysterious disappearance of his longtime hockey coach, Gus uses his investigative skills to sort through the myriad rumors, false leads, and taunts by those in town who have secrets of their own. The deeper he digs into the past the more obvious it is someone does not want him to succeed.

At the same time, he finds himself embroiled in a possible lawsuit and prison time when he will not reveal his source in a series of investigative stories he wrote while at the Detroit paper.

Bryan Gruley, award-winning Chicago bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, has written a highly entertaining first novel. His insider knowledge into the world of journalism is apparent in the vivid descriptions and attention to detail.

Starvation Lake is a violent novel of betrayal and pain, and an example of how far some people will go to bring a dying town back to life. Frequent flashbacks to hockey scenes of the past may bother some people, but they contain important information into the motives and behavior of the players and town people years later.

Starvation Lake is a haunting story of harsh reality in a small town. The well-developed characters make it easy for the reader to become embroiled in their lives. What becomes of the small town and its people in the aftermath of the scandal? Not only does one hope that there will be another Gus Carpenter tale, but that this is only the first of many fine Bryan Gruley novels.

You can buy Starvation Lake at Amazon.com.

The Ingredients of a Good Thriller

In The Ingredients of a Good Thriller, Chris Wood has written a guide for anyone interested in writing books or screenplays in the thriller genre. Especially aimed at new mystery writers, directors, or actors, this companion piece is not meant to be complete, but a resource to draw from for anyone who would like to be a successful writer.

Filled with insights and anecdotes, Wood’s subtitle reads, “A simple guide to noir, cops, gangsters, heists, and badasses in book and film, and how to make that genre work for you as a writer.” A long subtitle, but an apt description for what the author admits is a quick and easy read.

Subdivided into five areas, the book begins with basic starting points that include different types of thrillers, plots, settings, crime scenes, and a good start. The second section describes various character types such as the sleuth, the sidekick, the villain, the victim, the anti-hero, the red herring, and the enabler.

Wood also has sections on showing and shaping characters, and approaches and details. The later section includes discussion regarding atmosphere, how to make the reader flinch, how to make a kill a crowd pleaser, and how to use suspense, humor, and reality.

How to give your writing a real feel with research, details, and facts will enlighten the beginning writer. There are times in a story when too much detail is given; for example, Wood suggests knowing the precise location of the vending machines at FBI Headquarters may be more detail than the reader needs. Such detail can slow the narrative flow and cause the reader to lose interest.

A recommended list of crime films and crime books, many of them British, will provide the budding thriller writer with plenty of examples of how to write to impress an audience. By no means a definitive list, there are numerous quality and historic movies and books to study and emulate.

The closing chapter of The Ingredients of a Good Thriller provides an essential outline of what is necessary to write a thriller, book, or movie that will drive readers and viewers to long for more from the author.

Throughout the book, Wood uses examples from well-known books, feature films, and television series to make his point. The chapters are short and to the point, and would make an excellent outline for those who want to delve deeper into any one area.

You can purchase Ingredients of a Good Thriller at Amazon.com.

Noir Fiction

Recently on BellaOnline's Mystery Books site, I posted a couple of articles about noir fiction. Although noir fiction began in the late 1920's and early 1930's, it reached its heyday during the 1950's.

Barry Gifford founded Black Lizard Books in 1984, and was instrumental in the resurgence of the noir genre. In the 1990's and into the 21st century, the writings of Ray Ring, Ed Gorman, Lawrence Block, Elmore Leonard, James Ellroy, and Patricia Highsmith continue the tradition.

Click on the links to the articles for further information:

Noir Fiction
Modern Noir

If you are a fan of noir fiction, who is your favorite author? What time period do you enjoy the most?

Better yet, have you ever written in the noir genre?

What Happens When a Series Runs Too Long

My local library comes in handy as my reading list grows. So does my stint as a book reviewer at Night Owl Romance (NOR). The trouble is I find more and more books and authors I would love to read. And, please don't get me started reading a series. I have a tendency, when I find a good series, to read every book in order even when there are 15 to 20 books in that series.

Actually, I tend to prefer to follow a good series. Debbie Macomber has two series that I have followed: the Cedar Cove series and the series about the yarn shop, A Good Yarn. Although Debbie has written several other series, I have so far avoided getting hooked on them.

Writing a series of stories with engaging characters and good plot lines is a smart move on the part of writers. Once someone gets hooked on a series, the writer has a ready made audience breathlessly awaiting the next novel. The longer the series can play out without getting stale, the better for the writer.

Unfortunately, too many times the author should have quit while they were ahead. I've recently read complaints from readers about series that are no longer up to the same standard as the earlier books. Alas, I read the reviews on Amazon.com - not the place an author wants to see their latest book trashed.

Therefore, dear author, if you are writing a series of books that become popular with readers, take care not to start writing later books by rote or rush them out because the publisher wants the next installment. Take care that you can keep the same or better quality going, or end the series and start another. Your readers will reward you by continuing to follow you - not publicly trashing your novel.

Cozy Mysteries Make Great Reading

The cozy mystery genre has grown by leaps and bounds during the past couple of decades. Born in the 1920's during the Golden Age of detective mysteries, Agatha Christie is hailed as the forerunner of the genre. But was she really?

Read this brief history of the beloved "cozies" for the answer. Located on the BellaOnline Mystery Books site, when you finish the article click on forum on the right sidebar to join us for lively discussion on any mystery book topic.

What is your favorite cozy theme? Your favorite cozy author?

Living a Double Life

Living a double life is never easy. Or do I have a split personality? Either way, sometimes my life gets rather confusing when I forget who I am and try to cross over. Let me explain.

My normal everyday life is lived as Edie Dykeman. Not the name I was born with, but have lived with since my marriage many eons ago. But, in my fiction writing life, I am known as Gail Monroe, also part of my birth name.

Earlier today, I received an email message letting me know someone had put in a friend request on a site. Therefore, I clicked on the link, accepted the friend, then started to make a couple of thematic changes. Then it got a little weird. I realized I was confusing my persona. Who was I? What information should I include?

What surprised me is, that experience has not happened sooner. The double life just started about two years ago when I began writing fiction.

Now the real question is, who am I for this blog? Am I the blogger, article writer, website owner that is a caregiver to my father, or am I the fiction writer who has her own life?

I changed the theme and look of this blog today, because I think Gail would like the softer look. Edie isn't that soft. In fact, at times she can be tough. She used to be a tomboy, you know. Gail is more girly and likes the softer colors.

Now that I know, kinda, who I am, I am going to give readers a couple of links which will give an insight into who Gail really is as a person. These are two of the sites she is involved in, although more may come to mind.

Romance Book Junction is a site that I haven't spent nearly enough time on, but I'm hoping that I can mingle more than I do now. There is a large group of romance readers and writers that are a part of this site, and I would like to get to know them.

Night Owl Romance is a fantastic site that readers and writers will find invaluable. I have written book reviews for NOR since September 2007, and have enjoyed every minute. I've met some very good writers, and read books I probably never would have read otherwise.

There you go - two sites that Gail is involved with and that you might want to take a look at. Gail will have more to say about what she has been involved with at a later date.

If you are living a double life, you are welcome to share your experience in the comment section.

BellaOnline Mystery Books Editor - Yeah!

Just found out early this a.m. that I "graduated" from the BellaOnline Mystery Books Editor training. Now I have a three-month launch period, then I will be off and running...that is reading and writing.

I am very excited about the future as I funnel down my focus. I have blogs and websites all over the place, but I am narrowing my vision for 2009. The Mystery Books site and the Elder Care Cafe dot net site will take priority at this time.

That said, next week is the first Book-in-a-week session for 2009. Moe and company are putting the finishing touches on our new web home. If you would like to join us, here is the link.

Here is a blurb from Moe, our illustrious, dedicated and hard-working moderator:

It is an honor to be listed in the Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers for 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Our motto continues to be BIC HOK TAM, which means butt in chair, hands on keyboard, typing away madly. This is the best way we know of to get any writing done.

We hope you will join us in meeting our writing goals.

There you have it - two great websites - one geared toward reading and the other focused on writing. Hope you have the opportunity to visit both.

Take care and see you soon!