"Thanks to Everyone Who Participated and Made "Blog Jog Day!" Such a Huge Success!"

Hi, Everyone!

Thanks for everything you did to make this year's "Blog Jog Day!" such a success for my blog and all of the other blogs participating in that fabulous event. We should all give a round of applause to Carol Denbow (a.k.a. Author 101) who started it, organized it, and did the majority of the work, from what I've heard (and she did a beautiful job, too!)

I gained an amazing:
48 New

Followers!

That's pretty good for my humble little blog, and I'm going to do my best to my every one of my followers, old and new, glad that they "follow" me. So thanks again, everybody.





My next order of business is going to be a review of "Rose: A True Lady" written by Diane L. Wood, plus a "Guest Author" interview as well. I guarantee you: they will be interesting!

I think Diane L. Wood is going to give away an autographed copy of her book, "Rose: A True Lady" for my upcoming:

"Followers'

Contest"

How cool is that? Be on the lookout...I'll be posting something about it within the next three or four days.



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde


Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Cynde's "Terrific-Tuesday" Book Review!"

"Cynthia's Attic: The Magic Medallion" is the second in a four book "Cynthia's Attic Series", written by Mary Cunningham, that I am going to review for you here on my blog today.

The first book in the series, entitled "Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket"was already reviewed for you on my blog here.
Before I go any further, let me say that you could read each of the books without reading the others, and still get a lot of enjoyment out of them. However, I highly recommend that you read all four of the books in this series! If you don't, you would be missing out on loads of fun and adventure, plus I think you would really regret it.



The Synopsis:

"Sinister clowns, stalkers on horseback, mystical forests, and the creepy, crawling curse.

A magic trunk sweeps Cynthia, and best friend, Augusta Lee (Gus), back to 1914 where an ill-fated trip to the circus leads to Blackie, a sinister hobo clown. Before they can be forced by Blackie to become permanent clown troupe performers, the girls are rescued by Gabriella, a Gypsy fortune-teller, and are entangled in the theft of her family's treasure. Much to their dismay, Cynthia and Gus appear to be the family's only hope of recovering a precious magic medallion.

Traveling unexpectedly forward to 1934, they meet a 'very familiar-looking' cave guide, and are stalked by a stranger on a black horse. Dangers escalate, as they're swept into an underground river, and later, barely avoid becoming 'campfire marshmallows' in a raging forest fire.

Friendship, loyalty, and an undeniable sense of adventure keep this twosome on a never-ending path of danger, suspense, and merriment."



My Review:

This is the second book in a series of four (so far) exciting books in the "Cynthia's Attic Series". Needless to say, Gus (Augusta Lee), the tomboyish half of the dual 12-year-old lead protagonists, and her best friend and sidekick, a girlie-girl character named Cynthia (the series' namesake), are reunited in this adventure and they are whisked back in time to 1914 where they end up in the circus at the mercy of a mean, hobo-type clown named Blackie who is forcing them to perform as clowns.

When they are rescued by the Gypsy fortune-teller, Gabriella, there is a catch: they need to travel in time to find a lost medallion or they may never be able to return to the present time where they belong. Of course they have to accept, and when they do, they meet some really interesting people along the way.

With each new adventure, Ms. Cunningham packs loads more excitement and action into each one of the episodes! The adventures that arise from the trunk that was found in Cynthia's attic are centered around Cynthia's ancestors and it's fun to meet them and see how everything ties so neatly into the present. Ms. Cunningham has done a masterful job of spinning these tales and I think I like this one even better than the first!



My Rating: (poor, fair, good, great, or excellent)



This book was fast-paced, the action was non-stop, the characters were engaging and interesting, plus the story was intriguing. I would recommend this book for anyone between the ages of 9 to 13, plus anyone older who wants to read a fun book that is full of joy and adventure. I'm 50+ and I enjoyed it immensely! Excellent job, Mary!

I can't wait to read book three in the series, which is entitled "Cynthia's Attic: Curse of the Bayou".

Anyone wishing to learn more about the author, Mary Cunningham, please visit her website by clicking here.

Also, don't forget: as soon as I have completed reviewing the entire "Cynthia's Attic Series" here on my blog, Mary Cunningham will be coming here for a "Guest Author Interview!" So...keep watching!




Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde


Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Cynde's "What's-Up-Wednesday" Book Review!"

The book that I have chosen to review for you this time is "THE HATE LIST" written by Jennifer Brown.

The synopsis reads:

"Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life."

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jennifer was able to get into the inside of each of her characters' heads and present what I thought were authentic reactions to a very tragic situation.

Each of her characters were well-rounded, believable, likeable or sometimes hateable characters that you would definitely want to learn more about. I found myself getting very wrapped up in the story, remembering how it was when I was in high school and I watched some of the very same things happening around me. There are always bullies and snots that seem to be mean for no reason, and Jennifer was able to put herself in the shoes of everyone, no matter what side they were coming from.

Be prepared for a gripping and sensitive look at how people would react to a senseless act of violence in a school full of teenagers. This is a thoughtful ficticious account of the reactions of the children that were there, the friends left behind, the widow of a teacher that was killed, the parents of the dead and many more.

The book travels from the present, then back to the day of the shooting, then back again, several times, so that it can keep a running account of each person's reaction. Trust me...the story is done tastefully and the ending is a pleasant surprise. I highly recommend that you read this book.








Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde



Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Upcoming Events at Cynde's "Write Stuff" Blog!"

For those of you that aren't aware of the fact that I've been having trouble with my laptop for quite some time now, you may be interested to know that it's now out for repair. And...it's seriously overdue! I feel totally lost without it, too.

I wanted to let you know that I'm doing great with my Holly Lisle writing course. It's amazing. Also, the following is just a brief list of what you can expect in the weeks to come on my blog. (I'm on my way to the doctor this morning, so I can't spend too much time on this):

• A book review of "Wake" written by Lisa McMann.


• A book review of "Fade" written by Lisa McMann.


• A book review of "One Wish" written by Leigh Brescia.


• A book review of "Hate List" written by Jessica Brown.


• An update of how my brother, John S. Bond's book, "BLOOD KIN", is doing.


• An interview with guest author, Allan Mayer, who wrote the amazing book, "TASTING THE WIND".

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"What's-Up-Wednesday Book Review!"

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of reading one of the best books that I have read in quite some time. It was engaging; the characters were believable, complex, and likable; the story was very poignant; and there was an even an exciting murder mystery hidden inside this compelling story that puts a very real face on the problem of the abuse of helpless patients in mental institutions by their caregivers.

The book is "Tasting The Wind" written by Allan Mayer.


On the evening of Christmas Eve, in a Victorian Mental Institution, two patients (Eddie and Andrew) with severe learning disabilities watched as another patient helplessly died, choking to death on his own vomit, after having his hands tied to his bed crucifixion style by a nasty, abusive nurse (Della Cahill) in a fit of rage.

When the nurse came back later and realized what had happened as a result of what she had done, she cleaned up the mess and locked Eddie, the only witness that she thought was capable of uttering a word against her, in what was called "The Punishment Room." Then, after a short investigation, the whole thing was written off as an accident, even though they suspected (with no proof) that the nurse may have been responsible for the incident.

Ten years later, when a man named Martin Peach (the protagonist of the story) comes to take a job at the mental institution where Eddie and Andrew are still living, things finally start to happen.


As coincidence would have it, the nurse who left under the cloud of suspicion all those years ago has now returned to fill the position of Manager and Martin's boss at the newly-formed institution.

Immerse yourselves in the intrigue as Martin and his co-workers try to fit together the clues they uncover and solve the mystery of "Tasting The Wind" before Eddie and/or Andrew become one of Della's next victims. TRUST ME...you won't want to miss this awesome book!





Here's a video of the Prologue for this book—it's really great!

For more information on "Tasting The Wind" and its author, visit Mr. Mayer's official website here and his blog here. His website contains author interviews, publishing tips and other goodies that are very useful—you'll really enjoy it there.




Until next time...stay safe, stay well and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:

Cynde's Daybook ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!