Order of Swans by Jude Deveraux

 

Order of Swans is insanely good and there had darn well better be at least one sequel!! 

Kaley is a young woman from Earth who ends up on the planet Bellis. She believes that she is on some islands on earth for a three month stay. Her goal is to collect local folklore and fairy tales to transcribe into a dissertation so she can teach in a university.

Instead she is in a place where fairy tales actually take place including Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella's prince, and the local version of Robin Hood. She comes face to face with a fairy, a swanman, witches and wizards, mythical animals of all sorts.

The story telling is incredible and I'm sorry I haven't picked up a Jude Deveraux book before this. I mean to remedy that immediately.

If you follow the link to this Amazon page, I will get a few cents as it is an affiliate link: Order of Swans

Thank you for visiting with me. Happy reading.

Kathi

The Marriage Pact by Kathleen Fuller

 

When Daisy sets her heart on Maynard, her parents are concerned that he isn't right for her. Honestly, they are correct, but Daisy can't see it their way.

Her parents tell her she is needed at her cousin's house to help plan her November wedding, but it's only May. Daisy reluctantly makes the trip to Marigold where her cousin lives. When no one is home (because they were away on vacation, she finds herself at their neighbor's house, a single Amish man whose parents are worried that he is the only one of his brothers who isn't married yet.

Perry believes he is one of the few people on earth who is meant to stay single all his life. So when he meets Daisy, who is persuaded that she is destined to marry Maynard, and Perry is sure he's meant to be alone, their meeting is odd at best.

It's only when Ferman, an old man with a bad hip, needs constant care for a time, that Daisy volunteers to take care of him while he stays at Perry's house. Of course, she and Perry must spend time with each other.

This is one of Kathleen Fuller's Amish stories, all of which I love. You know from the beginning that the two will find their way, but Fuller always throws in a few twists to keep the story interesting.

If you follow this link to Amazon, I will make a few cents as this is an affiliate link: The Marriage Pact

Thank you for visiting with me. Happy reading.

Kathi

Historical Mysteries by Greg Bowe

 

I actually purchased this book by Greg Bowe. I listened to an interview with him on L.A. Marzulli's website and found his research very interesting. He talked about the mathemetics and geometry associated with the mounds in Ohio and how the native people there say they did not build them. The mounds were already there when they arrived.

The mounds show precise numerical dimensions and follow the same types of positioning and angles used in megalithic structures in other parts of the world. 

So I decided to purchase the book and read more about his discoveries.

I was only a few pages into the book when I put it away. I was bothered by the anti-Bible stance I found written into the text. He has lines like, "When Moses supposedly left Egypt..." or the Ab-RA-ham and Is-RA-el are named after the Egyptian god Ra. Never mind that Abraham was born - and named - in Ur of the Chaldees which is currently Kuwait. And Jacob was named Israel after a wrestling match with either an angel or a pre-incarnation of Jesus near the northern end of the Jordan River.

Having begun with these errors, I determined that I didn't need to read any more of this book. I'm sad about that because I thought his interview was truly interesting.

If this doesn't bother you as much as it does me, then go for it. If you follow this link to the book, I will get a few pennies, because it is an affiliate link. Historical Mysteries

Thank you for visiting with me. Happy reading.

Kathi

When We meet Again by Kristen Harmel

 

For those of you who enjoy reading about World War II, this story comes from a different angle than the usual fare. Most World War II novels take place in Europe or possibly with a view of Japan. This story has its historical core near the Florida Everglades.

Wikipedia tells us there were over 500 P.O.W. camps inside the United States containing 425,000 prisoners, mostly German. They were mostly located in rural areas and in the South. 

Kristen Harmel's story tells how the descendant of one of these prisoners has never heard the family history, never knew who her grandfather was, never met her father's side of the family. Emily had never considered searching out her truth until she reseives a painting of a woman standing by a sugar cane fild until a violet sky. The note with the painting declares "He never stopped loving her."

With that intriguing clue to tempt her to do the research, Emily and her father tackle the question of what happened to her grandmother and why the story was kept such a secret. The trail leads to Munich, Germany and back to the Everglades as, bit by bit, the pieces come together in one fascinating plot.

I very much enjoyed this book, especially because it told me more about the prisoners of war held in the United States. It's not something you read about in most history books.

If you follow the link here provided to Amazon.com, I will receive a few pennies as this is an affiliate link. When We Meet Again

Thank you for visiting with me. Happy reading.

Kathi

Nightfall by Isaac Asimov

When I was somewhat younger, I was an avid science fiction reader. I read Anne McCaffrey, Robert Heinlein, Orson Scott Card, Madeleine L'Engle, Ursula Le Guin and numerous others. I mostly ignored Isaac Asimov and Larry Niven. 

During a recent webinar, I ran across the "short story" called Nightfall, which sounded interesting, so I looked it up.

Nightfall by Isaac Asimov is supposedly a short story, but at 339 pages, I would consider it to be a whole book. 

The premise is that there is this planet lit by six suns. With the rotation of the planet, no part of the world is ever in darkness. As an experiment, the amusement park constructed a ride during which the participants would be in darkness for fifteen minutes. Everyone who took the ride became mentally or emotionally damaged, some to the point of permanent insanity. The park had to shut down that ride.

A strange religious group started declaring that night would fall and the stars would rain fire on the land. The government tried to squelch the prophecies, but they examined the veracity and the societal effects - just in case.

On the day predicted, five suns had set and the last one was eclipsed for a short period of time. It was the first time in 2000 years that the planet had been able to see the stars that filled the night sky.

To get the full effect of the story, please read it and enjoy the amazing story spun by a master storyteller.

If you follow the link to the book, I will earn a few pennies as this is an affiliate link.

Nightfall

Thank you for visiting with me. Happy Reading.

Kathi

Killashandra and Crystal Line by Anne McCaffrey

                                      

In a previous post, I talked about Killashandra's training and early adventures in singing crystal, a dangerous and highly profitable profession. 

Killashandra and Crystal Line are the second and third books in the series. 

In Killashandra, she is sent to another planet to install 44 crystals in the premier instrument on the planet. Only those whose compositions are approved by the seven planetary leaders are allowed to play this organ. But Killa has a secondary assignment. No one ever leaves the planet, which is odd in a universe with many inhabitable worlds. She is to find out if this is popularly accepted or if there is some kind of compulsion involved.

Killashandra is kidnapped and abandoned on a distant island. Her captors did not understand the tenacity and ingenuity of a crystal singer. 

May I mention subliminal coercion? Am I giving away too much?

During the Crystal Line story, Killashandra is sent on a mission to analyze a new type of crystal, flowing metal, jewel. No one knew what it was exactly, but it reacted to stimuli and grew, especially when they fed it metal pieces.

One of the hazards of singing crystal is that your memory turns to Swiss cheese. Killa remembers some things, but struggles to remember other, even things that are truly important. 

These two plot lines come together in a remarkable way. 

The series ends in a soul-satisfying twist that left me feeling like ice cream after a really good meal. I thought about beginning another book right away, but decided that I wanted to wallow in the emotion of Crystal Line for the rest of the evening.

If you like science fiction, this series will not disappoint you.

If you follow these links, I will make a few pennies, as they are affiliate links.

Killashandra

Crystal Line

Thanks for visiting with me. Happy reading.

Kathi

Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey

 Okay, I admit I love almost every book Anne McCaffrey wrote. I'm sad she is gone, because I would still be reading her new books. Instead, I go back and read my favorites.

This week, I have reread the first two books in her Crystal Singer series and am most of the way through the third one.

Crystal Singer is about Killashandra, a young woman ten years trained in a music university. She had perfect pitch, but was rejected from being a high ranking singer. On leaving the college, she meets a crystal singer who takes her on a whirlwind vacation. He is brain damaged by an accident at the spaceport, and Killashandra elects to accompany him back to his home on the planet Ballybran where he will be cared for.

Ballybran is a planet under restricted entry, considered a dangerous planet. Once you breathe the air of the planet, you will be infiltrated by a spore which changes every cell in your body. It extends your lifespan, gives you almost immediate healing of any injury and increases your eyesight and hearing. On the other hand, you can't leave the planet for extended periods of time since the spore needs to be rejuvenated on its native home.

Those who opt to live there can become crystal singers. They cut crystal from the mountain ranges. The crystal is used for communication networks. In the second book, it is used for a musical device much like an organ. 

Book one describes Killashandra's training as a crystal singer and how she was sent on a trip to install some of the crystal she had cut. 

Doesn't sound like much of a story? Well, I'm not Anne McCaffrey. Check out the book and see what a master storyteller can do with a really good yarn.

If you follow the link to the book, I will make a few pennies as this is an affiliate link. Crystal Singer

Thank you for visiting with me. Happy reading.

Beachside Murder by Maisy Marple

 

Beachside Murder: A Small Town Beach Cozy Mystery Series with A Private Investigator and Her Dog (Sharpe & Steele Mystery Series Book by Maisy Marple

This series includes seven books. Maisy Marple wrote several series, but this is the one I like best.

The first book pits Lucinda Sharpe and her dog, Steele, against the local (Casper Cove, Florida) police. Even at the beginning of the series, Lucinda seems to have bested the local police chief in solving crimes, mysteries, and missing things. She's embarrassed him enough that he hesitates to call for her help - even though he knows she is the best.

On the fourth of July, a young woman is murdered. Lucinda races to find clues and reach the answer before the chief gets it.

Each of the books in this series - and in each of the other Maisy Marple series - is a quick read. Beachside Murder is only 142 pages long. It is available for free on Kindle Unlimited.

I will list the links to the books in this series in case you think this might be your next read.

If you choose to follow any of these links, I will make a few pennies as they are Affiliate links.

Thank you for visiting with me. Happy reading.

Kathi

Beachside Murder

Sand Dune Slaying

Boardwalk Vibes

Fun in the Sun

Out to Sea

Alone on the Beach

Washed Up