This week May 23, 2016 we lost another truly rare, gifted and well respected author. Ms. Jo Beverley, née Mary Josephine Dunn had written many books in her career and won many awards, but I never really cared if an author was popular or sellable. I just cared if I liked the stories they told us in their books. Jo Beverley succeeded as far as I'm concerned. I have many of her books and have recommended her books to others, some of whom have gone on to recommend them to other friends. This in my estimation is the mark of a great author, not the awards (although I am sure they are nice), but if someone reads what you wrote and encourages others to do likewise. Jo Beverley had that in spades; even other authors enjoyed her works before they made it to the bestsellers list. So here is my suggestion to all those historical romance readers out there, pick up one of Jo Beverley books (wherever library, bookstore, or online) and read it. In my many years of reading there have been a lot of author's who have passed (H. Beam Piper, Andre Norton, Anne McCaffrey, Robert Jordan, just to name a few). And although I never personally met them I miss them, for the enjoyment, entertainment, relaxation, and just a general sense of happiness they gave us. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Jo Beverley: Jo Beverley, née Mary Josephine Dunn (22 September 1947 – 23 May 2016) was a prolific English-Canadian writer of historical and contemporary romance novels from 1988 to 2016. Her works are regarded as well researched, filled with historical details, and peopled by communities of interlinked characters, stretching the boundaries of the historical romantic fiction genre. They have been translated into several languages, and she has received multiple awards. Uberreader's thoughts on Laurell K. Hamilton's Shutdown I have read this many times and still enjoy the glimpse into Anita's life. The interaction between the four characters is totally believable and true to life. I also want the thank Laurell and her editor for getting this out at a time when so many needed something to lift their spirits. If you are an Anita Blake fan and have not read this you really need to get a hold of a copy of this. Do Not Read Until You Finish DEAD ICE Ms. Hamilton recently wrote another glimpse into Anita's life in the short story WOUNDED. She put this in the back of the paperback version of DEAD ICE if you have the original e-book or hardback you are out of luck at the moment, unless like me you went to the local book store and read it. I was thoroughly engrossed and could not put it down until I finished. If you like Anita you will definitely want to read this, but heads up it contains spoilers, if you have not read DEAD ICE do not read WOUNDED until you have. Margaret Daley Recipe - Cucumber, Avocado, and Feta Salad This is from Two Peas & Their Pod website. Great recipes there. My husband and I had it this week and really enjoyed it. Perfect for summer. Easy to make. INGREDIENTS: 1 large seedless cucumber, chopped 3 large avocados, pit removed and chopped Juice of 1 lemon 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill Salt and black pepper, to taste (Next time I'm going to add sunflower seeds in it. I think this is a recipe you can play with and change up.) Directions: In a large bowl, combine cucumber, avocado, lemon juice, feta, and dill. Gently stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Uberreader's review of Cross the Stars (Crossing Stars Duet, Book 1) May 29, 2016 By Heather Danielle I really hate to say this to anyone but three chapters do not make a book, it could be that I was sent a sneak peek version and not informed of that. The copy I received is only 51 pages long and Amazon says this book is 312 pages. It does make a good opening to a book even if it is slow going in the first chapter. This would have been a good foundation to a longer novel which it possibly is or if Ms. Kimball was serializing the book it would be fine but as a standalone it needs more, much more. The characters are well thought out and thoroughly understandable. You can relate to Ella's struggle for a life of her own. Ragaa's conflicted feelings are perfectly understandable. There is just not enough narrative to call this a book. This is not worth the price asked for it, or it conceivably could be if the book is truly 312 pages long. I received a free copy of this book (or sneak peek) in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
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AuthorI am an avid reader and just became a semi-professional reviewer. I am in the process of starting my own blog site with links to my Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads reviews. I have encouraged reading in people of all ages for decades now, but we will not discuss my age as I am a lady. ArchivesCategories |