I'm stepping slightly away from the Christmas overload at the Dregs.
Today I'm posting a link to my new and improved book trailer for Gallimore.
I'm also suggesting that you check out author Michelle Griep's website and the Gallimore page at Amazon.
Seriously, this book, Gallimore, cemented our friendship. We discovered, way back when, while ripping each others' words to shreds via our on-line writing critique group that Michelle and I... a) consider our love language to be mutual...one that involves pratfalls and/or physical noises/pain. b) that GOOD coffee is a major weakness and pretty much necessary for sustaining life. c) that as imperfect as we are as moms, we aren't completely insane nor all bad. d) that a friend has nothing to do with miles between but the hearts involved. e) you can meet great people on the internet, though it it advisable to be pretty sure the person is "great" before dragging innocent children along for a visit. f) sisters don't always have to come from the same genetic pool or set of parents.
That said. Here's a little piece about Christmas that Michelle wrote up for our reading pleasure (he,he so I kind of departed from the Christmas theme.)
Dieting is for Sissies by Michelle Griep
Have you wakened from your Thanksgiving tryptophan coma yet? Seriously, it's December, people.
Frankly, we have become a bunch of food wienies. We snarf back a plateful or two of a little turkey then moan our way to the sofa, forced to sit and rest a spell while the game is on. How dare we blame our couch potato status on an innocent amino acid?
If we lived in Europe about 600 years ago, we wouldn't dream of whining about the serious after effects of turkey gluttony. Not at all. For starters we'd probably need to be alert and on our toes. Though the twelve days of Christmas was an implicit time of peace, one could never be certain that the peace wouldn't come after a brutal attack and the loss of a few heads.
We'd also have to make sure we didn't offend the neighborhood wassailers. The savvy Dark Age dweller would make certain to have food, drink and maybe a bit of pocket change for the needy should the singers bearing spiced cider show up at the door. Those most generous received blessings for a fruitful new year. As for the stingy, well, let’s just say they might want to watch their back until the next holiday season.
Finally, people today don't have a clue what a feast truly is. I’m talking massive boar head complete with a rosemary/bay garnish and a mouth stuffed with an apple or festive orange. Think someone possessing a cooked goose is some sort of joke about big trouble? Not during the Middle Ages. It’s more like a slam implying that you had to settle for an ugly fowl while your neighbors served swan or peacock.
Interestingly, the pie we think of over the holidays is pumpkin. Child’s play compared to a knight’s appetite. They didn't mess around with something trivial like a slice a la mode. One keeping up with the Knight Jones’ party featured the Queen Mother of all pies. I wonder if it was called the 12 Days of Christmas Pie as it must have taken nearly that long to eat the 165 pound monstrosity. It also included several reminiscent ingredients like geese, blackbirds and partridges.
Which brings me to my final thought… a few extra pounds around the middle was certainly not cause to sign-up for a lifetime membership at the local Y. If you were fortunate enough to eat well and have the belly to show for it, you were a success.
That being said, I think I’ll have me a few more Christmas cookies.
I'm not going to get to all my favorite Christmas stuff.
But I'm going to try.
Today I present two of my favorite Christmas books.
We are a book loving family and this has, in part, been fostered by aunts who love books, too. Each year, Aunt Kathy bought a beautiful book for the kids. And each year we poured over the always vibrant and unique drawings and savored the words that wove fascinating stories.
I don't remember if Aunt Kathy gave us these books, or if we got them through another source, but I do remember that they enveloped us with warmth and memories and a sense of awe from one Christmas to the next Christmas and beyond. These simple stories still reside with us and are opened but every once in awhile, always with smiles and a sliver of wonder.
My Review of Hancock: Viewer warning -- Language, violence, alcohol use. Complete bad boy behavior earning a PG-13 rating. (There is an unrated version which I'm sure is even more over the top.) But...keep reading for my review.
I knew nothing about the storyline in Hancock other than he was a superhero with a seriously bad attitude. I rented it just because we are compelled to watch all the superhero movies.
What I knew was definitely true. Everyone hates him. His first heroic act in the movie began with a little boy shaking him out of his drunken stupor. He then flew off and created millions of dollars in damage.
In spite of the cursing, which there is quite a bit, and a few scenes of unpleasant violence, and lots of drinking, this movie delivers a great couple of messages. Hancock lets an image consultant help him through the steps of becoming a better superhero and in the process a better man. Ray, Justin Bateman, is a terrific father/family man and friend to Hancock. There are scenes that are downright touching.
A plot twist completely caught me by surprise. (I could've read the box and not been completely surprised, though.)
Hancock is one of the more entertaining and creative superhero movies I've seen. We will be purchasing it for our family DVD library.
Dark Pursuit—A twisting story of murder, betrayal, and eternal choices
Novelist Darell Brooke lived for his title as King of Suspense—until an auto accident left him unable to concentrate. Two years later, reclusive and bitter, he wants one thing: to plot a new novel and regain his reputation.
Kaitlan Sering, his twenty-two-year-old granddaughter, once lived for drugs. After she stole from Darell, he cut her off. Now she’s rebuilding her life. But in Kaitlan’s town two women have been murdered, and she’s about to discover a third. She’s even more shocked to realize the culprit—her boyfriend, Craig, the police chief’s son.
Desperate, Kaitlan flees to her estranged grandfather. For over forty years, Darell Brooke has lived suspense. Surely he’ll devise a plan to trap the cunning Craig.
But can Darell’s muddled mind do it? And—if he tries—with what motivation? For Kaitlan’s plight may be the stunning answer to the elusive plot he seeks...
My Review:
Brandilyn Collins continues to produce multi-dimensional characters and some seriously amped up plots. Every one of her books ends up being my newest favorite Collin's title. Dark Pursuit is no exception.
Her protagonist is a broken man with a broken brain. His granddaughter desperately needs his help. But will he stay awake long enough, will he stay coherent enough to help save her life, or will he hasten her death?
Enough twists and turns will keep readers flipping pages late into the night. Sympathetic characters pull at reader emotions. Fear and horror will keep the Big Honken Chickens's feathers ruffled. Murder, mystery, intertwining stories, power, control and the unknown -- sound intriguing? Oh yeah. Great read from a masterful story teller.
ren't completely insane nor all bad. 
