Claire Mundy, a 24 year old college student and adventurer, suddenly receives information that could lead to her missing mother. While she hunts down the clues, she must race against a secret society, who are after the same clues, and are searching for her mother as well. With the help of her friends, she will embark on the adventure of a lifetime! This book contains the first arc of the adventure, plus two additional tales in the life of Claire Mundy.

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We all know the saying about judging a book by its cover, but it's the cover that drew me in to this book. Who doesn't want to read about a girl who is clearly pretty awesome? Not this girl.

The Good:
Claire is a strong, independent woman who tackles everything she meets head on and I love that about her. The author keeps each story moving and throws in pop culture references from perhaps his childhood which made the read a lot of fun for me.

The Bad:
The stories in the book don't really feel as if they tie together. I expected that the stories following the introduction to Claire's mom being missing to have some aspect of that. Instead, they were stand alones which while fun left me feeling a bit disjointed.

The Summary:
If you're looking for a great book for your middle-reader, I can absolutely recommend Claire Mundy. It's fun, full of adventure, and personally, I can't wait to find out what happens next with her, her mother, and the secret society!






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Sometimes you just need to kick your coffee up a notch. Let me help you with a yummy way to do that!

Ingredients:
3 cups strong black coffee
1/4 cup Irish Cream Liqueur
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
4 Tablespoons whipped cream

Directions:
Combine the coffee and Irish cream in your crockpot. Stir in the whipping cream and cocoa powder. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or until the liquid is as hot as you like your coffee to be. Serve in mugs with a dollop of whipped cream.
I can't wait to make my next batch!

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In a dystopian future, mankind has become nothing more than cattle for bloodthirsty overlords, the vampires Von Calistein's. They live in undeath, crushing all within their iron grip, until a rebel named Wendell escapes one of their prison camps under mysterious circumstances. Now Wendell is on a run, cast out by his compatriots, hunted by his enemies and desperate for answers, and revenge against those who've made him. He is possessed a terrible power, a dark secret, haunting dreams of the life he once had, and a forgotten Goddess that wants to claim him for her own...

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I know what you're thinking...this doesn't sound like her usual book choice and you're right! I tend to veer away from this kind of book but for some reason, I said I'd go for it! Am I glad I did? Keep reading to find out.

The Good: This book is nicely paced with what I felt were well rounded characters. The prologue pulled me in and the story itself kept me reading, sometimes past my bedtime.

The Bad: If I had to get nitpicky, I would say that the author could have used the help of an editor/proofreader but that's me getting picky because as both, things jump out at me. I can't help it. It's how my brain is programmed. For others, you may not even notice a displaced comma.

The Summary:
All in all, a well written book that has me curious about the other books in this series. I would warn readers though that if they don't like gore, they need to steer clear of this one. It's not my thing and I had some odd dreams on more than one night. However, if that sort of thing doesn't phase you, pick this one up. Indie authors need love and readers need good stories. It's a match made in heaven...or a tower fortress...






I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments, and opinions are my own.

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P. Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.   Follow Pauline Creeden: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter




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Last week, I posted a Christmas recipe and this week, I'm posting on that most people would think of for Halloween. I can't help myself, holidays make me happy and I believe that good drinks are good drinks whenever you make them. Ready for this week's yum?

Ingredients:
2 quarts apple juice
2 quarts pineapple juice
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 box (6 ounces) lime jello powder
5-6 whole star anise
orange sherbet (to add before serving)

Directions:

You will need a large crockpot.

Pour in the juices, and add the allspice. Stir in the jello powder, and float the star anise on top. Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours, or on high for about 3. Serve with a scoop of orange sherbet.

This recipe is perfect for Halloween, but don't let that stop you from trying it now!

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"Fascinating--and it is all true!"-- FREDERICK FORSYTH, author The Day of the Jackal

Washington Post: "A fascinating and complex picture of the interplay between politics and media in the Cold War era."

Hailed by The New York Times Book Review, Alan Furst, Bill Moyers, Alex Kershaw, Kai Bird, and more.

A thrilling Cold War narrative exploring two harrowing attempts to rescue East Germans by tunneling beneath the Berlin Wall, the U.S. television networks who financed and filmed them, and the Kennedy administration's unprecedented attempt to suppress both films.

In the summer of 1962, one year after East German Communists built the Berlin Wall, a group of daring young West Germans came up with a plan. They would risk prison, Stasi torture, even death to liberate friends, lovers, and strangers in East Berlin by digging tunnels under the Wall. Among the tunnelers and escape helpers were a legendary cyclist, an American student from Stanford, and an engineer who would later help build the tunnel under the English Channel. 
         
Then two U.S. television networks, NBC and CBS, heard about the secret projects, and raced to be first to air a spectacular "inside tunnel" special on the human will for freedom. The networks funded two separate tunnels in return for exclusive rights to film the escapes. In response, President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Dean Rusk, wary of anything that might raise tensions and force a military confrontation with the Soviets, maneuvered to quash both documentaries.
       
Unfolding week by week, sometimes hour by hour, Greg Mitchell's riveting narrative deftly cuts back and forth from one extraordinary character to another.  There's the tunneler who had already served four years in the East German gulag; the Stasi informer who betrays the "CBS tunnel"; the young East Berliner who escapes with her baby, then marries one of the tunnelers; and broadcast legend Daniel Schorr, who battled unsuccessfully to save his film from White House interference and remained bitter about it to the end of his life. Looming over all is John F. Kennedy, who was ambivalent about--even hostile toward-- the escape operations.  Kennedy confessed to Dean Rusk:  "We don't care about East Berlin."
   
Based on extensive access to the Stasi archives, long-secret U.S. documents, and new interviews with tunnelers and refugees, The Tunnels provides both rich history and high suspense.  Award-winning journalist Mitchell captures the hopes and fears of everyday Berliners; the chilling reach of the Stasi secret police; U.S. networks prepared to "pay for play" yet willing to cave to official pressure; and a White House and State Department eager to suppress historic coverage. The result is "breaking history," a propulsive read whose themes reverberate even today.

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Every so often I feel the need to dip my toes into the nonfiction world and that's how I ended up with this book. I'm glad that I did. It took me a while to get through this book because the subject matter could be heart wrenching at times and I just had to sit it down and walk away. That being said, some books on history are so dry that you need a glass of something to get through them. This isn't that book. It reads more like a novel than a dry history book. If you're interested in Berlin, the Cold War, or anything of that nature, I highly recommend that you pick up this book.






I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments, and opinions are my own.




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According to Wikipedia, wassail is a beverage of hot mulled cider, drunk traditionally as an integral part of wassailing, a Medieval Christmastide English drinking ritual intended to ensure a good cider apple harvest the following year.

I know that it's no longer Christmas, but I think we can hope for a good apple harvest no matter what time of year! Okay, that's stretching for a reason to post this recipe. That's okay! Yummy drinks are yummy no matter when you make them.

Ingredients:
2 quarts apple cider
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup honey
3 sticks cinnamon
2 whole cloves
1 whole orange, cut in rings
Brandy (Optional)

Directions:

Use a large crockpot.

Put all of the ingredients into the crockpot, except for the brandy and orange. Wash your orange well, and cut off each end. Slice the remaining orange into rings, and float the pieces on the top of the juice.

Cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for about 4.

Ladle into mugs. If you are going to add the brandy, put a shot into each mug, then top with the hot cider.

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