Friday, February 28, 2020

Books I’ve read in 2019



Quiet Neighbors by Catriona McPherson. A woman on the run uncovers a series of deadly secrets
Jude found the rambling old bookshop when she visited last summer, the high point of a miserable vacation. Now, in the depths of winter, Lowell's store is a warm, safe place.
Jude needs a bolt-hole, Lowell needs an assistant, and when an affordable rental is thrown in, life begins to look up. The gravedigger's cottage isn't perfect for a woman alone, but at least she has quiet neighbors.
Quiet, but not silent. The long dead and the books they left behind have tales to tell, and the bookshop is not the haven it seems to be. Lowell's past and Jude's present are a dangerous blend of secrets and lies, and someone is coming to light the taper that could destroy everything.
A Child’s Garden by Catriona McPherson. Eden was it’s name. “An alternative school for happy children”. But it closed in disgrace after the suicide of one of its children.
When Breathe Becomes Air by Paul Kalanith. 2/16 This was Joe’s Christmas Book exchange to me this year. Quick read, beautifully written. Lots of literary references which I love. At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, the author was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer.
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale 2/25 reread of a favorite.
Firebirds An anthology of original Fantasy and Science Fiction edited by Sharyn November authors include Delia Sherman, Megan Whalen Turner, Sherwood Smith, Nancy Springer, Lloyd Alexander, Meredith Ann Pierce, Michael Cadnum, Emma Bull and Charles Vess (illustrations), Patricia A McKillip, Kara Dalkey, Garth Nix, Elizabeth E Wein, Diana Wynn Jones, Nancy Farmer, Nina Kiritimati Hoffman, Laurel Winter.
The Crucible of Doubt (Reflections on the Quest for Faith) by Terryl Givens and Fiona Givens. 4/12 A careful, intelligent look at doubt-at some of its common sources, the challenges it presents, and the opportunity it may open up in a person’s quest for faith. Whether you struggle with your own doubts or mostly want to understand loved ones who question, you will appreciate this candid discussion. You’ll come away more certain than ever of the Lord’s love for all his children.
Dust and Shadow An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson by Lyndsay Faye. Sherlock Holmes tackles the Jack the Ripper murders. Wonderful for a Holmes enthusiast.
How We Got to Now (Six Innovations That Made the Modern World) by Steven Johnson 4/24 Christmas exchange from Joe.
David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell 5/5
East of the Sun and West of the Moon 5/7
The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer 6/5 Great YA fantasy based in Norse gods. Jack apprentices to the local Bard and when Northman invade their village his adventure begins. Trolls, dragons, giant spiders, a spoiled sister and a young Valkyrie bent on a worthy death to take her to Valhalla. Bought this trilogy hoping Jacob would love it and he will.
The Land of the Silver Apples by Nancy Farmer 6/8 Jack heads off to find out what happened to his sister Lucy. She’s been kidnapped again. He encounters unruly monks, earthquakes, hobgoblins, kelpies and elves, the fallen angels of legend. Jack is joined by Pega a slave girl from their village and discovers Thorgil in a close encounter with burial by moss.
The Island of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer 6/11 The amazing conclusion to this wonderful trilogy. Three thumbs way up.
The Underneath by Kathy Appelt 7/6 A calico cat left on the side of the road about to have kittens hears the howl of a chained-up hound dog. Together this unlikely pair must keep these precocious kittens in the underneath of the house or Gar Face will use them as gator bait. Fairly brutal story.
A Brazen Curiosity, A Scandalous Deception, An Infamous Betrayal, A Nefarious Engagement by Lynn Messina 7/21 Quiet, unassuming, biddable Beatrice Hyde-Clare poor relation discovers she has a mind for solving murder when she finds a Duke standing over a body in the library late at night. Working together they solve three murders and find they work very well together. The last murders she solves are the death of her own parents while navigating the waters of being engaged to a Duke. Fum.
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert 7/24 Alice and her mom have lived a life on the run as they try to avoid the bad luck that seems to follow them. Then her mom gets kidnapped and her last message is don’t go to the Hazel Wood. Dark Fairy Tale. The Grim brothers at their grimmest.
Peter Pan by J M Barrie 7/26 It’s one of those books you think you have read because you have seen the movies and plays. Darker than I expected.
The Lion and the Lamb by Packer 9/15 Story of Willard and Rebecca Bean. Sent on a three-year mission to live in the old Smith home in Palmyra, NY. They were to try to acquire the land of the Hill Cumorah. They ended up staying 25 years. Wonderful story.
Fermat’s Enigma by Simon Singh 9/22 The mathematical journey to the solving of Fermat’s Theorem a 350 year-old challenge that captivated the mathematical world😊.
Legion by Brandon Sanderson 10/1 Audible. Stephen Leeds has multiple personalities residing in his head. They each keep a piece of the massive amounts of information he owns compartmentalized. But when one of them dies??? I always enjoy a good Brandon Sanderson story. This one was no exception.
world. He has a micro power. He can tell who lost anything that is just laying around, ie hair scrunches, toys, bicycles. Beth his friend things he can be used for good and so does a FBI agent when he thinks Ezekiel can help find a lost child😊.
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrick Backman 10/8 From the author who gave us A Man Called Ove, Elsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years-old and crazy—as in standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-strangers crazy. She is also Elsa’s best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother’s stories, in the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal. When Elsa’s grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa’s greatest adventure begins. He grandmother’s instructions lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and old crones but also to the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other😊.
The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley 10/18 From the author of ‘Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie’. Flavia de Luce, a dangerously smart eleven-year-old with a passion for chemistry and a genius for solving murders, thinks that her days of crim-solving in the bucolic English hamlet of Bishop’s Lacey are over—until beloved puppeteer Rupert Porson has his own strings sizzled in an unfortunate rendezvous with electricity. But who’d do such a thing, and why? Does the madwoman who lives in Gibbet Wood know more than she’s letting on? What about Porson’s charming but erratic assistant? All clues point toward a suspicious death years earlier and a case the local constables can’t solve—without Flavia’s help. But in getting so close to who’s secretly pull the strings of this dance of death, has our precocious heroine finally gotten in way over her head.
The Kingdom of Auschwitz by Otto Friedrich 11/19 Quick read of the story of Auschwitz. The major players; Hoess and Himmler. The Final Solution, death camps, brutality, starvation, cruelty.
Night by Ellie Wiesel 11/19 Harrowing tale of a 13 year-old boy’s survival of the Holocaust and internment in Auschwitz.
A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear 11/20 Maisie Dobbs in Gibraltar coming to terms with the tragic death of her husband and the loss of her unborn daughter. She literally stumbles across a dead body. While her family is sending agents to keep her safe and convince her to come home, she goes about trying to unravel the death of this young photographer. Ammunition smuggling and battles waging in Spain are all wrapped up in this.
From the Two Rivers by Robert Jordan 12/12 First half of the Eye of the World
Book of Mormon 12/27

Books I have read 2018



Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn 1/31 reread :)
Christmas Quilt by Sandra Dallas 2/21 :) Civil War era in Kansas. ancestors of Persian Pickle Club
The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain 3/2 :) French bibliophiles’ love story
Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen & Bahija Lovejoy 3/4 :) Iraq folk tale
The Best Man by Richard Peck 3/7 :) Robin gave this to me for Christmas
The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange 4/6 Post WW1 story of loss and mental illness; recommended by Baboon Bookstore clerk
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline d’engle 5/2 Auburn Hills Book Club
The Teacher’s Funeral by Richard Peck 5/3
The Lost Letter by MiMi Matthews 5/7 Period Romance
The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter by Mimi Matthews 5/8 Period Romance
Bad Girl’s Don’t Die by Katie Alender 5/10 Possessed doll YA borrowed from Elena Yee
Stolen Magic by Gail Carson Levine 5/18 Second in Elodie series
Lucia’s Long Journey Home by Lucy Lipiner 8/1 Auburn Hills Book Club book recommended by Melody Bruce. Polish Jews outrunning the Nazis WWII
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 9/26 From the author who brought you ‘The Lottery’ and ‘The Haunting of Hill House’. Reclusiveness to the extreme.
More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon 10/13 Winner of the International Fantasy Award, Copyright 1953 The latest step in human evolution. Separately they are extraordinary together they are superhuman.
The Christ Who Heals by Fiona and Terryl Givens 11/2
A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman 11/23
The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It’s the depression and Robin Williams and her family have strapped everything they own on to their model T. Robin wants to find a place she belongs.
The Lake House by Kate Morton 12/29 Family mystery. What happened to baby Theo on the night of the Midsummer’s Party at Loeanneth? audible

Books I’ve Read 2017



Adventures with Dean until March 5th.
Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson. Not my favorite writing style. I’m not a fan of silly asides and this has plenty of them.
The Last Midwife by Sandra Dallas – Gracey Brooken is accused of killing a baby. But she is the only midwife in the area. So she goes about her job as the trial moves forward. Midwives keep lots of secrets. Absolutely wonderful book. Sandra Dallas is one of my favorites.
Hobby, Hawk, Merlin by Jane Yolen – The youth of Merlin Trilogy. I love anything to do with the Arthurian legend. I wanted these books and they did not disappoint. Three quick studies of Merlin’s youth.
Age of Myth by Michael Sullivan – Raithe inadvertently becomes the god killer when he slays a fallen elf. His adventures with escaped slave Malcolm send him to a village where trouble follows. I only gave it 3 out of 5 stars.
Castle Barebane by Joan Aiken – Val Montgomery set for a society wedding she feels completely out of place for welcomes an opportunity to flee the social inequality she is destined for to care for her niece and nephew in England. A perilous journey that takes them to a Castle in Scotland.
The God Who Weeps by Terry and Fiona Givens – Sister Leah Beggs mentioned that she reads this book every year along with The Miracle of Forgiveness and the Book of Mormon. The Givens give a beautiful lyrical account of the Mormon beliefs in God. From our premortal experience with him, his hopes for our mortal trial and his plan to redeem us. It is beautiful and well worth reading again and again.
The Stranger by Albert Camas (Nobel Peace Prize for Literature 1957) – To me this was a study in apathy. The main character was only interested in satisfying his immediate appetites. Commits a heinous act because he is hot, the sun is bright and the flash of the sun on a knife blade. Then displays no emotion during his trial.
Agatha Raisin: The Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton (Marion Chesney) – This is the first of Agatha’s Murder Mysteries. She is retiring into the English countryside and cheats to win a quiche contest and get into the good graces with the locals. It goes terribly wrong when her quiche kills the judge. Fun, more modern Agatha Christie type mystery.
Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C Wrede – Fairytale retelling set in the 1580’s using John Dee and Edward Kelly as the dwarfs. A time when England was steeped in the mystical and occult. John Dee was the Queen’s Astrologer at this time and studied ways to summon and commune with angels.
The Killing Floor by Lee Child – This is the first Jack Reacher novel. Jack is rambling and ends up in a small town in Georgia where co-incidentally his brother’s body id found, murdered. Something deadly is going on in this strange little town. I like the Jack Reacher Movies. The book was a little more violent than I can handle anymore.
I am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Well (LDS Author) – John Wayne Cleaver works at his mom’s mortuary. He is fascinated by the dead and is constantly reining in his urges to become a seriel killer. He is fascinated by serial killers and lives by a very rigid set of rules to keep hi urges in check. That is working until a body is brought in that John can see what the police may have missed that points to this being the work of a serial killer. His first novel. I enjoyed the story but the subject matter…I won’t read the follow up books.
The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher – Rhea a miller’s daughter receives a marriage proposal from a nobleman.  This is a retelling of Blackbeard. Nicely done.
Byrony and Roses by T. Kingfisher – Byrony gets caught in a snow (freakish) storm on her way home from the market. Retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Jackalope Wives and Other Stories by T. Kingfisher – Darkly humorous, quirky short stories and poems
How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn – I loved listening to this with someone reading who had that beautiful Welsh brogue and could pronounce those names that looked like alphabet soup. This is the book I gave out for Christmas this past year. Beautiful story of young Huw Morgan growing up in a coal mining town. Richard Llewellyn’s gift of description is unparalleled. The language is beautiful and the story made me laugh, cheer and cry. Excellent it was.
The Wedding Bargain by Agnes Sligh Turnbill – A lovely old book I found at a garage sale. Liz Harding is the Private secretary to Daniel Morgan. She goes into resign after eight years of service because she is hopelessly in love with her boss. Without knowing her feelings or intentions he proposes a Marriage Bargain. She agrees in hopes that he will eventually fall in love with her. But his heart has been hardened by a previous trauma. When his past comes up to threaten their small happiness and his life, she must stand by him. Darling romance/mystery. A delightful find.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill – The witch of the woods requires an infant sacrifice each year. But the witch can’t understand why the village keeps leaving babies out in the woods. She rescues them each year and takes them to families in other towns who desperately want babies. Along the way if she runs out of milk, she feeds them on star light. One year she makes a mistake and feed the baby lots of moonlight. Delightful story.
The Innkeeper’s Song by Peter Beagle – A search for a lost lover brought back to life and three sorceresses trying to save the world’s most powerful wizard.
All the Truth That’s in Me by Julie Berry – Judith has had a horrifying experience but survived but she came back mutilated. She lives on the edge of society and writes in her diary to boy who doesn’t know she has always loved him. A story of cruelty and redemption.
100 Little Malicious Mysteries Anthology – Short mysteries by some famous authors and some unknowns. It was a bathroom book.
Atlantia by Ally Condie – From the author that gave us the Matched Trilogy. They live in a city under the ocean because the world above has died. But their city is also falling apart.
Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carringer – Alexia Tarrabotti is a spinster in Victoria England. She also doesn’t have a soul.  A vampire attack ends with the vampire ending up dead. Now vampires are going missing and Alexia is being blamed. Enter Lord Maccon, big burley handsome werewolf detective.
The Magician’s Apprentice by Kate Banks and Peter Sis – A boy’s journey from a cruel master to a kind master. He learns to view the world in a whole way as they travel.

Books I read in 2016



Blind Side by Michael Lewis – This is the story of Michael Oher and intercity black kid who was adopted by the affluent Toehy family of Memphis. And about the evolution of football from the sixties until 2007. They made a movie about Michael’s story that starred Sandra Bullock (who won an academy award for her performance), Tim McGraw and Quintin Aaron. The movie was wonderful but the book was fabulous. This is the book Ryan gave me for our Christmas book exchange. Highly recommended.
Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys – We are all familiar with the events surrounding the Holocaust. This story is about what Stalin did to the Lithuanians and two other nations before WWII broke out as he annexed those countries into Russia. He sent all educators, political leaders, police etc. Anyone who had the capacity to oppose him in reality or in theory and sent them in cattle cars to work farms in Siberia or the Arctic Circle. The men he threw in prison and millions died. Told through the eyes of a 14-16 yr old girl Lina. Very heart wrenching.
Doll Bones by Holly Black – Polly, Zach and Alice have been friends forever. They are now entering middle school. They all love playing with action figures but Zach’s dad decides it’s time for Zach to grow up. The friends go on one last adventure or is it a ghost story?
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks – A book recommended by my daughter Kaitlin. This book recounts the case histories of patients lost in bizarre, apparently inescapable world of neurological disorders, perceptual & intellectual aberrations. Patients who have lost their memories and their past, turrets, autism. Dr. Sacks does a wonderful job of humanizing these people. Some of the technical stuff was over my head but by in large an enjoyable read.
Counting by 7’s by Holly Goldberg Sloan – Willow Chance has lost her parents and is taken in by a quirky set of characters. Her guidance counselor who is faking his way through his job, some of the other children he counsels and their mother. Willow is a genius and calms herself by counting by 7’s. Wonderful characters and touching story.
The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman – The Sparrow women have lived in Cakehouse for Generations. When they turn 13 a magical power is manifest. Rebecca Sparrow the first couldn’t feel pain. Elinor could smell a lie and Jenny could see other people’s dreams. Jenny and Elinor are estranged. Now Jenny’s daughter has turned 13, her gift is to see how some people will die. Which gets her worthless father in trouble when he tries to report a murder that hasn’t happened yet.  No bad language, Yay! Nice Read.
Stars in Your Eyes by Lynn Kurland – I have read all of Lynn’s time travel novels. Loved most of them but this one was pretty weak sauce. Imogen Maxwell is on the hunt for odd medieval antiques to dress the set of a movie. A sword sends her back to 1252 AD to Phillip de Piaget who is trying to get his betrothed to the alter. But his betrothed, Heather, will have none of it.
The Emerald Mile, The Epic story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedorko – This was 10 years in the making. Beautifully told. We get the history of the Grand Canyon and the damming of the Colorado. And the events that led up to this momentous ride. This was Joe’s book for me this Christmas. Wonderful!
Lady with a Black Umbrella & Red Rose by Mary Balogh – Early Mary Balogh so clean Regency. Enjoyable light reads.
The Mage and the Magpie: Magemother Book 1 by Austin J Bailey -Daniel told me a friend of his had written a book so I downloaded it onto my Kindle and was pleasantly surprised. An invisible girl. A missing mage. A world in need. Brindley is left on a church doorstep and her father hears a bell which draws him to her. Now Brinley is hearing the same bell which draws her across time and space. Liked this a lot.
Wings by Aprilynne Pike – Wings was on a list of NY Times bestseller list of LDS authors. Highly recommended by Stephanie Meyers. Much the same format as Twilight only with Faeries. Laurel was found on her parent’s doorstep. She knows she’s not like other kids but doesn’t realize how different till she grows a flower blossom on her back. It was okay not great. But Aprilynne has written more than a dozen books. In fact, at least two more in the Wings series. Not running out to buy them.
Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas – Hazel finds an old diary in a trunk and gives it to her neighbor. It’s the secret diary of Mattie Spenser. Pioneer woman and settler with her husband Luke in the Colorado Territory. It’s her story and its charming and also heart breaking. LOVED IT!!!
Enchanted Inc. by Shanna Swendson – Kate Chandler is a small town Texas girl who has moved to the Big Apple with a few friends. Katie was worried that New York was very different but she is seeing people dressed up with Fairy wings and elf ears and gargoyles who don’t stay put. Her boss is a monster but then Katie gets approached by a company who wants to hire her away from her loser job because of her special talents. Cute but no substance.
The Rent Collector by Cameron Wright – For someone who loves to read this was a wonderful book. Based on the real story of a family living in the Stung Meanchey Dump, the largest municipal dump in Cambodia. They eek out a living scavenging while the wife tries to find ways to heal her chronically ill son. Then one day Sang Ly discovers that the drunken, bitter old rend collector can read and Sang Ly begs her to teach her. A beautiful story of hope and redemption. Loved this book.
Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer – I have read all Ms Heyer’s Regency Romances. They are delightful. She also wrote a handful of Historical Novels and Mysteries. They are also period pieces. This one is set in post WWI. A set of siblings inherit a mansion from an uncle. It is rumored to be haunted by a monk because the mansion used to be a monastery. The longer they stay the more they are convinced something else is going on. Very enjoyable. Not fast paced by satisfying.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer – Fairy tale told in the Science Fiction genre. It was an enjoyable read. It is set in post WWIV. In the New Bejing Cinder is a cyborg orphan. Who is the best mechanic in New Bejing. The Prince brings his android to be repaired. Great action and conflict. There are three more books in the series. Scarlett, Cress and Winter.
On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck – On the home front during WWII, through the eyes of a young boy. Wonder as always. One of my favorite Youth Authors.
Dragon Trials by Ava Richardson – Showed up on my Facebook feed. It was kinda mediocre but not bad enough for me not to read to the end.
The Curse of Chalion by Louis McMaster Bujold – Caitlin Penny from my Novel Critique group recommended this as a good example of building Religion into a fantasy. (Actually, she recommended Paladin of Souls the second in the series) Bujold is wonderful writer and I loved the world she created. Her protagonist, Lupe de Cazaril, is very flawed and mostly stumbles through being a hero. Wonderful.
Paladin of Souls by Louis McMaster Bujold – Again a very flawed protagonist, Ista, dragged kicking and screaming through her heroism. The Five Gods aspect was so well developed. Caitlin was right to recommend it.
Instructions & Fortunately the Milk & The Sleeper and the Spindle &Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman – Instructions is lessons we learn from stories, fairytales and nursery rhymes. Fortunately the Milk is a fun book to read aloud about a dad going to the corner to pick up milk when it takes him along time he tells a story that is very entertaining but somewhat unbelievable. The sleeper and the Spindle is a new twist to the Sleeping Beauty story. Lovely graphic novel. Blueberry Girl is a picture book he wrote for his wife and daughter when his daughter was only a bump. All of these are completely delightful.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling and John Tiffany and John Thorne – I was forward that this was a play and so was not disturbed by its format. Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy are misfits at Hogwarts and trying to down play their famous and infamous fathers. Trying to find his own place in the world Albus gets into one scrape after another and drags Scorpious with him. They almost undo all the good Harry and his friends have done. I enjoyed it.
2,000 to 10,00, How to write faster, write better and write more of what you love by Rachel Aaron – Rachel is the author of over a dozen Fantasy and SciFi novels. She tells her secret of putting out 10,000 words a day. I will reread this because it was pretty short and had some great pointers.
Fishers of Men, The Kingdom of the Crown book 1 by Gerald Lund – Set during the ministry of Christ it is two families living through that time and those events. I listened to it on Audible. It is wonderful. I love the notes at the end of each chapter that give us more on the details discussed during that Chapter. Ie How much exactly is a talent?
An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear – Another Maisy Dobbs story. Her mentor Lady ? and son commission her to do a seemingly straight forward investigation of a small town that is getting ready to buy a brickworks in. But all is not as it seems. I love these stories and the main character is revealed a little more with each adventure.
Paperboy by Vince Vawter – An 11-year-old boy living in Memphis in 1959 throws the meanest fast ball in town but he can’t even say his own name because he stutters so bad. He takes one of his friend’s paper route and make an odd collection of friends. It was wonderful.
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz – Six months after Stormy’s death. Odd’s friend Danny is kidnapped and his stepdad killed. Now it’s a raced against time and evil to get Danny safely home.
The Archivist by Martha Cooley – Adult themes of guilt, insanity and suicide were wrapped up in a novel heavily referencing the letters of T>S> Elliot. Matthias Lane is a 60-year-old archivist in a library that has the letters not meant to be seen until 2020 of TS Elliot. But a beautiful, persistent student wants to read them.
Agatha Raisin: The Wizard of Evesham by M.C. Beaton (Marion Chesney) – Found the book at Casa Esperanza or the Mother’s Special Care common’s room while we were doing hospital bed rest trying to keep Dean from coming too early. I have read a lot of MC Beaton or Marion Chesney Regency novels and like her style. Her Agatha Raisin Mystery did not disappoint.

Still Writing in this Craziness I Call Life

We will have moved 3 times across the county in 13 months. Apartment dwellers for two of those moves with the majority of our stuff in storage. (oh how I missed my books) I stretch my self with creative outlets in reading, writing and quilting/crafting. I finished Sephina's book and the idea of trying to edit it overwhelmed me and writing went by the wayside. I love that outlet so I joined back up with '12 Short Stories in 12 Months' now called https://deadlinesforwriters.com/. I did not get January's story written but here is my offering for February. The prompt was 'For Hire' and the word count was 1000. Extra kudos if you can get it exactly.  Ustes he is a minor character in "The Temporary Crown" and I did another story for him called "Accidental Magic". If you'd like to hear more about Ustes let me know and I'll post them.




Last Straw by Julie Blankenship


The wizard grabbed Ustes by the ear and quick stepped him out the door. A box came clattering across the threshold and landed at his feet. Ustes thought his time would be better served in trying to catch some of the imps he had let loose in their rooms. He moved to enter the house and felt his shoulder bruising from the wizard’s grasp. A placard hung from his master’s other fist.
“You will sit on this box until someone comes to take you off my hands.” The wizard swung the chord of the placard over Ustes’ head and let the board bounce against the boy’s chest.
Ustes lifted the board enough to read the words and groaned as the wizard disappeared back into the house. Now he had truly done it, apparently this was the last straw for his master. He had fallen from apprentice, to drudge and now to hireling. He pushed the box with his foot up against the wall of the house and slumped down onto it.
This street was not a thoroughfare but still plenty of pedestrians passed Ustes on their way to parts unknown. He could tell the literate from the illiterate by their reaction to him and his sign. The illiterate assumed that the sign was some kind of hex from the wizard and hugged the opposite side of the street to keep from getting tainted; a flurry of hand motions to ward off evil. The literate either looked at the sign and quickly looked away or if they knew him and the wizard, they smirked.
A dirt clod hit the wall above Ustes head and rained dirt onto his head and down his collar.
“What’s it say? Is that your name, Useless?” Drigs, the tanner’s apprentice, taunted from across the street. A second dirt clod pelted Ustes in the arm as he was brushing dirt out of his hair.
“It’s a hex on anyone who does me harm,” Ustes bellowed as he stood to shake the dirt from his shirt. A small cry and the patter of running feet was all Ustes heard as the wizard’s shadow fell across him.
“It is small minded to torment the unlearned,” the wizard said.
“Sorry, sir,” Ustes hung his head and slid back down onto the box.
The door closed behind his master and Ustes glanced up at the window to see the vixen, that ran tame in their rooms, staring at him from the window sill. He grimaced and looked away as he saw the still wriggling leg of an imp dangling from her mouth and the pile of tiny broken bodies between her feet. At least she was proving useful to the Wizard.
He knew he had magic. That was the reason the wizard took him on in the first place. ‘Dripping with it’, was the term his master used. It was a problem to have untamed magic and it seemed to constantly get him in trouble.
The edge of the board dug into his ribs as he bent over to put his head in his hands. The cloying scent of day lilies made him go still. The pulse in his neck beat up into his head. He could make out the smell of unwashed body beneath the sickly-sweet scent. Racha looked down at him with coal black eyes in a painted face, her wild black hair threatening to drop down across her brow. Her garish dress accentuated her over abundant curves.
“You have displeased your master again, I see little one,” she hissed.
“Yes.” Ustes cringed away from the witch. He knew the wizard had dealings with her but she made his skin crawl with the look of naked hunger she reserved for only him.
“We will away then. I would hire you.” She reached down to take his hand in her gnarled claw.
“I will let my master know.” He jumped up and stepped to the door.
“No need, he will not miss you, will he?” She snatched for his hand again.
The vixen nosed her way through the door baring her teeth at the witch. A growl rumbled in her chest. The witch moved back at the threat.
“You surprise me, little one, I did not know you had a familiar.” She circled to get around the brisling fox.
“She is not my familiar, only a bit of accidental magic.” Ustes admitted.
The witch’s eyes widened as she looked from Ustes to the little fox. The look of hunger was back in full force.
“You created your own familiar?” She panted. “Come, the wizard does not appreciate what he has in you. The untapped power. I can make good use of you.”
The vixen gave three yips and moved again between Ustes and the witch.
The door of the house flew open and the wizard towered in the opening. He had taken the time to don his robes and hat and held his staff in his hand.
“Racha, what is your business here?” he commanded.
“You are hiring out the boy and I would have him.” She did not seem intimidated by the wizard but still veered away from the fox.
“I am not giving him up as a sacrificial lamb, woman.” He seemed to grow in stature as he looked down at her.
“I would not drain him, but the magic is fairly seeping out of him and you put him out on your stoop with that sign around his neck. I want him.” She cajoled.
“It was a lesson gone awry, now take your lechery and go.” The wizard fairly ripped the offending sign from Ustes neck and used his staff to herd him back into their rooms.
Ustes stared up at his master as he closed the door in the witch’s face.
“Lessons start again tomorrow, my young apprentice. Now get this house cleaned up from all the mischief your imps have caused.”
Ustes wanted to dance but wisely he got a broom and got to work.

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Happy New Year!

My goal this year is to get Sephina's story through a thorough edit. I have the comments from my Wichita Writing Group and some helps from author's writing tips on things to look for when editing. Jerry Jenkins author of the Left Behind series has a booklet on self editing I am using. I also am going to try to do the '12 Short Stories' in 12 months challenge again. I only got 6 stories written last year but it was a fun exercise. Moving in the next few weeks will add to the challenge. But we have averaged a move every 3-4 years over the last 38 so I am an old hat or should be.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Uninvited

Missed the dead line so I thought I would post here:

12 Stories in 12 months
March Prompt
Prompt: The Celebration | Word Count: 2500 words |Genre: YA Fiction
Uninvited
by Julie Blankenship
It was never good to catch their eyes. The contempt was palpable but the 1000-yard stare as they look right through you was disconcerting. I kept my eyes focused on the pavement directly in front of my feet with only an occasional glance up to check for obstacles.  Darcy Watson and her groupies gathered off to the left at the base of the steps.  The backpack bounced against my hips as I made the slight course correction to give the Wilson High School elite a wide berth. The group tittered at some shared witticism. Though to quote a tried and true axiom, ‘they hath more hair than wit.’ The head shake was stifled as the survival instinct kicked in. I knew better than to do anything to bring attention to myself. I approached the five short steps up to the doors of the school.
Spring break had been a little slice of heaven. My dad had taken most of the week off from his practice to take the family camping up by Pueblo Colorado. Meals cooked over a fire, exploring the cliff dwellings, hiking and of course the constant quizzing about emergency scenarios and how to respond. My father had been a ER doctor for ten years before he decided to buy into the local General Practice Group. Medical school was my future, I had the grades and drive to make it happen. It was also in my genes. My great grandfather had been a Chiropodist and a Masseur in Belgium in the late 1800’s, my grandfather an Obstetrician and my dad a GP.
The ornamental pears were in bloom in the school courtyard and the air buzzed with the spring weather. Literal buzzing. I flapped my arms and took a step back as an enormous bumble bee dive bombed my head and circled back around. I forgot I had already stepped up on the first stair and my arms wind milled as the weight of my back pack pulled me back and down. I felt the air rush out of my lungs as I landed. I gasped for air like a fish out of water. As the pain began to register I heard the raucous laughter.
“Did anyone get that?”
“Please say someone caught that.”
“Text me if you did.”
“It’ll go viral.”
“That totally made my day.”
The laughing crowd flowed and eddied around me. A hand reached down to me.
“Are you okay?”
I looked up to see Matt Haycock looking down at me. He was one of the popular kids. Tall handsome basketball player type but he didn’t run with social elite. He flowed easily between the athletes and the academics.
“I’m still assessing.” I wiggled my feet and bent my knees.
“Well, I’ll sit right here until you finish your diagnosis.” Matt sat on the steps. His smile showed off his dimple and perfect blinding white teeth.
It only took me a minute to know I was not seriously injured.
“I think I’m just a little bruised.” I started to push myself up but he reached out, took my hand and helped me to my feet. I looked up at him. He must be over six feet tall cause I only came up to his nose.
“More than your ego then,” He chuckled.
“My ego has taken a terminal hit. If I’m lucky I’ll only get a million ‘likes’ by the end of the day.” I shifted my backpack into place and started back up the stairs.
“It happened too fast. I doubt anyone got a good angle,” he said falling in step beside me.
“Really I’m not worried it will be a one-day wonder. Tomorrow someone else will get their 15 seconds of fame.”
“You’re a good sport.” He held the door open for me.
“I try to stay under their radar.”
“Why is that?”
“Oh, you know…if they think you are chum the sharks circle.”
The tardy bell rang and I gasped.
“I’m never late for class,” I exclaimed.
“Punctual, that’s nice to know.”
I looked at him a little confused. “What?”
“Off to class… you’re already late.”
“Hey, thanks,” I said over my shoulder as I hurried down the hall.
“My pleasure,” he quipped back.

Mr. Beasley looked up at me in surprise as I entered the biology class.
“You are never late,” he said as he peered over his glasses.
“Sorry a little prat-fall on the way into school.” I explained.
“You okay?” He glared out at the classroom to dampen the scattered giggles and chortles.
“I’m fine. Although if you have a pillow I could sit on? No, I thought not.”
I decided to embrace my notoriety and did the royal wave as I walked down the aisle. I made the mistake of looking around as I made my way to my seat. Darcy was looking daggers at me. I wasn’t sure what had caused the animosity until class was over. Darcy was at my seat before I had a chance to gather my things.
An envelope lay on the center of my desk. Darcy’s finger pressed on it hard enough to turn her nailbed white.
“You will find some excuse not to come, do I make myself clear, nerd?” Darcy glared down at me.
“I’m sure it will be clear once I open the envelope.  Note that I am duly warned as always.”
I watched Darcy head out into the hall before I picked up my backpack and the envelope.
Maybe if I tossed it in the trash, I could claim I lost the invitation to what ever this was I wasn’t supposed to attend but still got invited to. There was a garbage can out in the hall. I stepped up to it.
“Hey Ann, you got an invitation to Darcy’s party.”
Matt stood beside me, alternately looking at me, the envelope and the trash can.
“Looks can be deceiving.” With a flick of the wrist I tossed the envelope.
“Wait, why did you do that?” He fell into step with me as we entered the sea of humanity making its way between classes.
“It’s a little game Darcy and I play.”
“Sounds intriguing,” he said.
Someone greeted Matt and he knuckle bumped them.
“Did your schedule change?” I asked.
“No,” he answered, “why do you ask?”
“I’ve never seen you in this hall after my biology class before.”
“Just thought I’d check on you. Make sure you are okay.”
“Well, thanks.” I looked up at him with a half-smile. “Mr. Beasley let me down, no seat cushion.”
Matt laughed as we stepped up to my English Lit. class.
“You didn’t tell me about the invitation.”
“She invites me and I’m supposed to find an excuse not to go. Simple as that. Thanks again.”
I found my seat and was surprised to see Matt standing at the door looking at me. I felt the blush rise up my cheeks as I watched the other members of the class ping pong between looking at me and then him.
“Later,” he mouthed.
My blushed deepened as I felt the eyes of my class on me.
Matt was popular, social, he fit in with almost any crowd but also wasn’t one to go along because everyone else was doing something. I knew of him but until today I didn’t think he had ever given me a second thought. My focus was on the future and checking all the boxes to have a good foundation for the schooling I knew was ahead for me. The social whirl around me was almost a blur which had suddenly come into focus.
I never went to any of the things that Darcy invited me to. Mr. Watson was a Real Estate magnet. They had a big beautiful home up in the hills. A two-acre yard with tennis court, swimming pool and a patio with a sunken fire pit. A cliff over looked the property with a winding road to the top. They were constantly throwing parties. The connection was through Darcy’s mom who was the Business Manager at the General Practice Group my dad was partners in. Therefore, the invites kept coming and I had to invent reasons I couldn’t attend. Everyone was happy.
My last class of the day was Physical Education and today we were playing soft ball. Academics were fine but my father expected me to have some physical skills. He always felt it was important to be well rounded. Thus, the hiking, mountain biking, one-on-one basketball games and periodic game of catch. My gaggle of male cousins and I played our share of sandlot baseball.
I stood on the pitcher’s mound and looked at the sweet girl I was getting ready to pitch to. She could barely hold the bat on her shoulder. I moved off the pitcher’s mound toward home base to toss an easy lob to the hitter. The girl shook her head.
“Too close,” the girl shouted at me.
“Its okay it will be an easy pitch,” I shouted back.
“You’re too close.”
“It will be okay.”
My first pitch went wide. The second pitch was met with a loud crack.
                                                                           ##
“She’s awake. I think she’s okay.”
I looked up into Matt’s face. Where did he come from and why am I laying on the ground?
“I told her, you heard me tell her she was too close.”
The girl was dancing around the periphery of my vision. The teacher was blowing the whistle to try to get everyone to calm down.
“Any blurry vision?” He leaned forward till he was just inches away and stared into my eyes.
“Of course, you’re blurry if you’re that close.” I pushed against his chest.
“How many fingers am I holding up?” He waved two fingers in my face.
“Stop that, I’m okay. Let me sit up.”
He grabbed my hand and gave a little pull.
“Are you always this accident prone?”
“What are you doing at a girls’ softball class?”
“It’s my study hall. I snuck out to watch you play.”
“Watch me?” The heat rising in my face set my head pounding.
He helped me stand up and then poked me in the forehead.
“Ouch, why did you do that?” I batted his hand away.
“That ball hit you dead in the center of your forehead. I think I better make sure you get home okay.”
The teacher excused us to head in to see the nurse.
                                                                           ##
The groan escaped me as I saw Darcy making a beeline toward me across her family lawn. I glanced back over my shoulder to see my Dad and Darcy’s mom deep in conversation on the driveway beside our car.
“Hey Darcy, Happy Birthday.” I handed her a small gift-wrapped box. “It’s a gift card.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” Darcy seethed, we both had false smiles pasted on our faces as we glanced over at our parents.
“Your mother was so kind to check the school calendar for activities and with my father about my schedule. She made him promise to bring me personally.”
“You suck,” Darcy’s smile broke.
“Not to worry, I’m only here until my father’s leaves and I can sneak away without being seen by your mother.”
Darcy looked like she would like to let a few more expletives fly but her mother walked up.
“Hey, mom. I was going to take a few friends for a ride in my new car.”
“That’s nice. Are you taking Ann?” Her mom put her arm around my shoulders.
“No, Ann was just looking for her boyfriend. I think I saw him over there.” She pointed vaguely across the yard at a group of people.
“Boyfriend?” Mrs. Watson and I asked in unison.
My face flamed as Matt separated himself from the crowd and headed in our direction. He had been insinuating himself into my schedule all week. He greeted Mrs. Watson as Darcy ran off with her friends to take a ride in her birthday present from her dad.
Matt took my elbow and was steering me toward the group of people. “I want you to meet some of my friends.”
We both turned our heads as Darcy screeched out of the driveway and swung onto the road.
“Just for a minute,” I said. “I need to be gone before Darcy gets back.”
“Seriously?” he asked.
“Its her birthday and it’s what she wants. Her mom works for my Dad so she has to invite me but I can usually get out of it.”
“I’ll drive you,” he volunteered.
 I saw Darcy’s car taking the switch back up the cliff and knew she was going too fast.
One minute, Matt was introducing me to his basketball buddies and the next we all turned when we heard the car smash through the guard rail. The car was still air born as I yelled, “Call 9-1-1, somebody call 9-1-1.”
My reflexes kicked in as I ran toward the cliff. The sound of the impact as the car crashed into the bottom of the cliff stunned me for a second. I knew time was critical. I scooped up a pile of towels as I passed the pool.
“Ann what are you doing?” Matt yelled in my ear as he ran beside me.
I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and handed it to Matt on the run.
“Call my dad, my passcode is 362-266 he is under ICE.”
All the emergency quizzing fell away as I looked at the car laying on its side. Darcy, Max and Vicki hanging from their seat belts surrounded by billowing airbags streaked with red. Then I heard a groan and dropped the towels. I hoped help was on its way but in the mean time I had to stop any major bleeding and make them as comfortable as I could without moving them. I could hear Matt filling in my dad on the situation and giving him a blow by blow of what I was doing. Then my dad was by my side helping me until the paramedics arrived and pulled me away.
I watched as my dad helped the paramedics get Max and Vicki into ambulances. Mrs. Watson was standing beside Darcy’s gurney holding her hand brushing hair out of her eyes. She shot me a grateful look.
“They are all going to be okay, kiddo.” My dad gave me a quick tight hug. “You did great.”
All I could do was nod my head.
“I’m going to run to the hospital with the Watsons,” Dad said.
“I’ll see her home sir.” Matt chimed in.
I forgot Matt was standing there.
The ambulances trailed away.
“Ann, that was the most incredible thing I have ever seen. I thought you were crazy. Everyone else bolted for the house and you ran straight toward the crash.”
“I didn’t even think,” I said.
He pulled me into his arms and kissed me on the forehead.
“I think I’m going to enjoy being your boyfriend.”