The Reluctant Detective by Martha Ockley

Link to purchase The Reluctant Detective 

The Reluctant Detective by Martha Ockley is the first in a new faith-based cozy series.  Faith Morgan is a former law enforcement officer and now an Anglican priest.  While visiting a church in Little Worthy, another priest drops dead during communion, obviously of poisoning. Faith becomes involved in the investigation lead by Detective Ben Shorter, her former lover.

The Reluctant Detective was easier to read than some other English books, but there were still a few terms that I left me wondering.  I enjoyed the characters of Faith and Ben, but I thought that all of the characters could have used some extra and gradual development. 

Although described as a cozy, I found at least one crime scene explicitly described more so than most cozies I have read.  I thought the mystery was a little too scattered, but then I enjoy reading mysteries that are solved more methodically.  I still enjoyed the book and would definitely read the next in this series.

While this is a faith-based book that contains scripture, it is by no means preachy or overly religious.  Short scriptures come to Faith’s remembrance such as “Sin shall not have dominion over you” and help her to make decisions.

Sometimes I find one line or quote in a book that stands out to me and in The Reluctant Detective it was on P. 221: “People can go mad looking for God too hard, she’d thought.”  I would add the sentences before, but that would be a spoiler!

Blogfest 2011

The three winners have been chosen - #1 J.M. from MO, #2 P.S. from AL, and #3 R.P. from VA. All have responded back, so their prizes will go out this week.

I hope you had fun with  BlogFest 2011!

#3                                                                 #1

#2 

BlogFest 2011

Knitted Finger Puppets by Meg Leach

Martingale link to purchase Knitted Finger Puppets by Meg Leach  

Knitted Finger Puppets by Meg Leach contains 34 quick projects for finger puppets. This is a good way to use up leftover yarns, and these wonderful portable toys can provide hours of play in public places when you have to wait. Whether your child is in church, in a doctors office, or going for a car ride these will provide fun, imaginative, and quiet playtime. 

The instructions are clear and there are good photographs of each puppet. All skill levels are represented here, with most being easy. 

There are basic knitting instructions, instructions for using DPNs (double pointed needles), and increasing/decreasing.  Using DPNs takes practice , but once you catch on, they are fun to use. There are also instructions for very basic crochet stitches. You can make individual animals and characters or make a complete themed group.  The themes are a North Pole Christmas, circus, and fairy tales.  This is a nice book to make some quick toys for family or charities.  These are popular in some charities, especially for children in hospitals or dialysis. 

Pennies From Heaven revisited

In May I posted a review of the Pennies From Heaven Quilt book.  I was so taken with the quilt that I decided to make it.  I have posted a few quick pictures of my progress on the quilt.  The blocks I have made are not pressed, trimmed or embellished yet. (yes, one of the blocks was photographed upside down!)  I simplified some too. Here is the post.  Scroll down to see the pictures.

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

 Amazon link to The Final Summit to check out some other reviews

This book is the sequel to The Traveler’s Gift, which I did not read.  In The Final Summit, the Archangel Gabriel brings a message from God to David Ponder.  Gather all of the Travelers together and they must answer the following question with a two-word answer:  “What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?”

I was very disappointed in this book.  It seems that it is part spiritual fantasy, part new age self-help.  I didn't find this book particularly interesting or intriguing, and it was definitely not spiritually sound. It seems in this book God tells man “save yourself”!

The beginning felt creepily like an infomercial for the get-rich-quick with real estate shown on late night TV.  I also found it odd when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to David and told him that he was considered by the other travelers as “The greatest of them all”. In another scene David meets Winston Churchill (another traveler) and has a cigar with him.

While the main point of the story (the end) is not a bad idea, it certainly is not a Christian view of what our focus in life should be. There is also a good lesson for living debt-free.

I have read good Christian fantasy and have even read secular fantasy that had more Christian delineation of good and evil than did this book.  I can't recommend this book.

A copy of The Final Summit was provided free of charge by Thomas Nelson Publishing for review with the understanding that the review will be my honest opinion.

The Last of the Good Guys by Ernesto Patino

Amazon link to purchase The Last of the Good Guys  
The Last of the Good Guys is another interesting story by Ernesto Patino. Alec Santana, ex-cop and now an Insurance Claims adjuster, tries to help his best friend's wife find out why her husband killed himself. When more suicides occur and all connect back to an incident many years before, Alec knows he is being pulled deeply into a complicated mystery.

I really like the character of Alec Santana and his fledgling P.I. business. There were just enough characters involved to keep me guessing, but not too many to overcomplicate things. Secrets and lies always add up to a good mystery, and this author knows how to come up with some good secrets.


This is the second book by this author that I have read. I enjoyed Web of Secrets and The Last of the Good Guys both very much. The first, Web of Secrets, is reviewed here.  

Baking With Cookie Molds by Anne L. Watson

Link to purchase Baking With Cookie Molds on Amazon.com

I am so happy to find this how-to book on cookie molds with detailed step-by-step instructions.  The author, Anne Watson, guides the reader through the proper types of ingredients to use, mold preparation, mixing the ingredients, and removing the cookie from the mold.  The purpose of the book is to enable even a novice baker to be successful at baking with cookie molds and enjoy this wonderful hobby.

Baking With Cookie Molds starts with a history and use of cookie molds.  There is an important section on the types of molds and which type of mold to use.  As soon as I received the book I ordered a Brown Bag Cookie Mold and gave her method a try.  

Here is the first mold I purchased:

Her secret for removing the cookie from the mold worked perfectly, and my first attempt was quite successful.  My skill at photographing cookies is a little lacking, but here is one of my cookies:

I can’t wait to try some of the many other recipes in the book. I have even purchased another mold.

The author’s love for sharing her knowledge about these types of cookies is obvious throughout her book, and I highly recommend it.


Also be sure to visit her website, Anne L. Watson  to read her monthly Cookie Mold magazine.  You will find more information on molds, photographs, and even more recipes. 

Fancy to Frugal by Kay Connors and Karen Earlywine

Link to Purchase Fancy To Frugal at Martingale & Company 

There are always new and modern quilt design books that stir our imagination, but there is nothing that says comfort to me more than the old fashioned traditional quilts.  Fancy to Frugal, Authentic Quilt Patterns from the ‘30s by Kay Connors and Karen Earlywine brings us those old fashioned designs.

Years ago local newspapers would print quilt blocks in series form.   The block patterns in this book are authentic quilt patterns from the 1930s and include actual pictures of the newspaper articles. Not only are there full sized patterns, but also included are the quilting motifs for the quilts and borders.  The instructions and diagrams are very clear and helpful.  There is a section at the end of the book with general quilting instructions. 

I especially like the Sunflower and Butterflies block.  Although the Sunflower block is an original old pattern, I have not seen one like it before and found it interesting. This is a great book for those who like traditional quilting and especially the quilts from the 1930s.  There are patterns appropriate for all quilt skill levels.

Thank you to Martingale and Company for providing a review copy.

The Social Media Survival Guide by Deltina Hay

Link to purchase The Social Media Survival Guide by Deltina Hay  

This is an updated edition of this book released with a different publisher and has many additions and changes.  Social media is the present and future of the Internet.  The Social Media Survival Guide is textbook style instruction for businesses and professionals on how to build a strong presence in the social media. 

Beginning with a brief explanation of terms and concepts, the book walks the reader through creating a strategy and preparation for creating a blog or website.  There is a good primer on using WordPress and for creating podcasts. 

Social Networking sites are cited and explained, as well as social bookmarking and media sharing sites.  I especially appreciated the chapter on using and creating Widgets and badges.  Even more important is the author’s look into the future of web presence with an explanation of The Semantic Web and Web 3.0. 

Included with the book is a resource CD with templates and forms. I highly recommend this book. Casual web users, bloggers, self-published authors, and self-promoting entrepreneurs would benefit from this wealth of information.  

Who Will Care When You’re Not There? by Robert E. Kass and Elizabeth A. Carrie

Link to purchase Who Will Care When You’re Not There?

The most powerful statement in the book is the simple question, “What would happen to your pets if you didn’t make it home from work today?”  It is our responsibility to make sure our pets are well taken care of, but we need to know what plans are appropriate for both short term and long term care. 

The book charts the length of life of different types of common pets and describes the need for young and old alike to prepare for emergency care and long term care of those who trust us most. There are lovely, and what I can only describe as peaceful, illustrations included in the book. 

Some of the important topics included are durable power of attorney for your pets and the scope of authority you wish to give and tax issues with trusts and how to set them up. There is also a nice section on pet grief with human loss and human grief with pet loss, with a list of resources for pet loss grief support. Quotes about animals and pets scattered throughout the book.

Who Will Care When You’re Not There? has very detailed information on the continuing care needs of pets and the best way to provide for those needs.  Multiple appendices provide additional information on state statutes for pet trusts, an emergency pet card and sign, and a pet trust drafting checklist.  I highly recommend this book for all pet owners.

The authors are estate planning attorneys practicing law as members of the Detroit law firm of Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker PLLC.

In the Belly of Jonah: A Liv Bergen Mystery by Sandra Brannan

Link to purchase In the Belly of Jonah

What an interesting story! Although the book started out a little more gruesome than I like, the creepy feeling as the story moves through the gory details creates the necessary feeling of the evil from the serial killer.

When Liv Bergen's former schoolmate and FBI profiler turns her home into a command post for the investigation of the murder of Liv's employee, she has no choice but to get involved.  This is a very suspenseful story that does well to introduce each character and develop the relationships throughout.  The character of Liv is a strong, smart, independent and likeable female character.

I loved that there were hints of a possible romance and enjoyed watching for the early developments between the two characters.  I can't wait for the next book in this series.

501 Quilting Motifs from the Editors of Quiltmaker Magazine

Link to purchase 501 Quilting Motifs from the Editors of Quiltmaker Magazine

501 Quilting Motifs begins with some basic information on motifs and how to select, adapt, and transfer them. After the short intro, it is packed with quilting designs.  Choose from cute quilt designs for children’s quilts, or from the feathers, flowers, foods (including a cup and teapot), geometric shapes, hearts, seasonal/holiday, and vines and leaves – 501 in all!

The book is a heavy-duty spiral bound, and the covers fold back flat for easy tracing or copying. 

Along with the quilt motifs on each page are design ideas to show placement of the motifs in different ways.  There are designs for all skill levels, too.  I have other quilt design books, but I think this one has unique patterns that give it an edge.  Such a wide variety makes this a must-have for quilters.  Whether quilting by hand or by machine, there is something for every quilt here.

A review copy was provided by Martingale and Company

Murder One by Robert Dugoni

Due for release in June, link to preorder Murder One by Robert Dugoni
Main characters David Sloane and Barclay Reid have a chance meeting and a definite connection, but then the drug kingpin who sold the drugs that killed Reid's daughter ends up dead. Main suspect - Barclay Reid! Is Barclay an innocent grieving mother or a cold calculating killer? David puts his legal skills to work to prove her innocence.

This legal thriller has many twists in the story and leaves the reader guessing until the end. Although I was sure that I had it all figured out, more twists left even me surprised.  I enjoyed and cared about Sloane's character.

This was my first Robert Dugoni book and I enjoyed it enough to order two of his previous books.

Thank you to Simon &Schuster’s eGalley program for the e-copy of this book.

Pennies from Heaven by Gretchen Gibbons

Scroll down to see my progress on this quilt!!!!!

To Purchase Pennies from Heaven by Gretchen Gibbon

Also available as a digital download!!! Pennies from Heaven Digital

Pennies from Heaven is a quilt designed with antique penny rugs in mind, and I love the simple folk art look of penny rugs.  This 50” X 63” quilt is a combination of cotton and wool designs of birds and flowers with each block containing “pennies”.

The book has some general instructions on working with wool, felting wool, wool appliqué and a wool color guide.  Also, there are basic embroidery stitches and quilting information.  The “working with wool” section gives the advantages of using wool with fabric.  The beautiful designs and patterns are the main focus of this outstanding book. 

Although the entire Pennies from Heaven quilt is stunning, the patterns in the book can be used as individual blocks for other designs.  There are pillows, wall hangings, table mats, a table runner, and even window treatments. The book contains full-color patterns and the mixture of mediums of wool and cotton makes these designs really interesting.  

Neither machine washing nor dry cleaning is advised, so making the whole quilt is with the understanding that you are making a work of art and not a quilt for everyday use. This is a book that has definitely earned a space on my permanent bookshelves.

Martingale & Company has provided this copy for review, but my reviews are always my honest opinion.

Here are a few photos of my progress on this quilt.  These blocks are not pressed, trimmed, or embellished yet.

(This one is upside down:)

Pub Speak – A Writer’s Dictionary of Publishing Terms by Tracy Marchini

Link to purchase Pub Speak (also available for Kindle)
Link for nookbook on barnesandnoble.com
Pub Speak is the perfect handbook for those who need to navigate the publishing business.  Whether you are a new author or just someone who wants to understand publishing, this dictionary is a great source for terms used in the industry.  A-Z - So much is covered that it is difficult to describe. There are agency terms, contract and royalty terms, e-book information, book publishers and sellers, publishing terms, websites and social networking, abbreviations, and character terms.

Although I would highly recommend Pub Speak for authors, I also think this book is of interest for book reviewers, bloggers, and readers.  There is information on voice, characters and fiction terms that will help reviewers.  Many authors now are self-publishing and Pub Speaks is a great resource for learning the essentials.