Have you ever seen Billingham at a convention? He's cute and very funny as well. Riveting writing to boot, what's not to like?

Just finished Maiden Rock by Mary Logue. An excellent book. Look for it in November, 2007.

Started Safe and Sound by J. D. Rhoades yesterday afternoon and finished it this morning. Really a great book.

HappyRuby

Hi HappyRuby,

We rescued Garth -- a basset/beagle mix (about 3 yrs old), and Destiny -- a beagle mix (about 2 yrs old). Destiny had been left over night at a vet clinic, tied up to the door. She had heartworms and another disease I can't spell - but it's like lyme disease. She was almost dead. Garth had been left at a shelter that euthanized pets, and East Lake Veterinary Clinic rescued him.

Pete, the little mini beagle, we got from a silent auction to benefit adult literacy. It's the LAST TIME the little boy has been silent!

Best wishes, and good books!
Cindy Daniel

I very much enjoyed reading and reviewing your book Newt. I hear you may have more books on the way.

Best wishes,
HappyRuby

Thank you for being one of the first to review my debut novel. There were five reviews posted on Amazon's "buy" page. Yours marks the first officially published review. Thank you for being part of my start as a novelist. My goal is to be one of the best that ever wrote. Time will tell whether I reach that goal or not. Thank you for your review!
newt

Woohoo!
So glad to hear it! You've made my day.

Just finished Newt's book and I can highly recommend it.

Here is my review:

HOW THE STRONG SURVIVE-4 Paws
Newton Love
Rockway Press, 2007, 312 pps.
ISBN No. 0-9776634-5-0

Four girls, all different personalities and different occupations band together with one goal in mind. That goal is to find someone to kill the serial rapist that attacked them. Kelly Larson runs a daycare. Rita Cade owns a beauty salon. Maria Vacarro is a pediatrician. Lisa Towers works for Nifty Maids. The girls know who raped them and even got him into court but John Keagy is a serial rapist from a very wealthy family with a lot of influence and the lawyers his family obtained got him off. The four girls are not the only ones who have been raped by John Keagy. One girl even committed suicide.

A friend had directed the girls to Ben Pace, a Lakhota Priest. Ben does not work in conventional ways. His nature friends assist him along the way. Nor does he live in a conventional way. When the girls are invited into his home they step into a one of three geodesic domes which make up Ben’s home. The first one they enter is hide covered tipi. Ben believes that living in one helped his warrior-priest training.

After Ben hears their stories he agrees to help the girls but insists that they must be part of the whole thing in order to gain back what they lost when Keagy raped them.

Ben comes up with an elaborate plan and it seems that every detail has been worked out to perfection but the plan falls through. John Keagy’s family step in and intervene. But before the family intervened the girls got the opportunity to humiliate John in unbelievable ways.

Ben is not one to give up once he has made a promise and soon he has everything in motion to strike again. I was fascinated by the Lakhota beliefs and ways described in How The Strong Survive. I hope that there will be a follow-up book so I can read more about Ben.

I'll have it finished by a little later today and I'll do a review and send you the links Newt.

I don't miss Arthur Bryant's - when I was a little girl my dad always took me there and the dogs roamed all over the place and stole my french fries.

Smokestack is great and we have the Smokehouse in North Kansas City - just across the bridge from me - Iate there last Saturday and it was great.

Gates and Sons is just a few blocks away and they still yell "May I Help You?" before you get the door closed. I went in one night when I was on a ride-along with a policeman for Neighborhood Crime Prevention Patrol - they really piled the food on him - he paid but I think he got double portions.

I am thrilled that you pinged to let me know that you're reading How the Strong Survive. Wow! Page 181... that is the start of the sequence where Ben Pace interrupts a rape in progress. I hope you enjoy my debut novel enough to tell your friends. Let me know what you think about it!

Glad to know someone in KC. I miss Arthur Bryant's, the Smokestack (on south side), and all the Gates & Sons. When I lived in St. Louis, we would carpool road trip for "the real thing." Enjoy!
newt

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July.

I won the International Thrillers drawing for June so am looking forward to a lot of good books to read.

Thanks Paula,

I do enjoy reviewing but it tends to make me buy more and more books. The website Reviewed by Liz is spotlighting an author a day for every day this summer. So many good suggestions.

Hi HappyRuby,

Just stopping by to return the favor for commenting on my page. Always good to see a reviewer on here.

I'm almost thru with a new book - Bone Rattler - very good.

Happy Ruby

I hope every Mother has a wonderful day. I have been very busy the last ten days. My sister is in the hospital and still is but is out of ICU. Haven't gotten anything done at home but have four books ready to write reviews on - sitting in a waiting room gives you lots of time to read.

Everyone have a wonderful day.

Thanks for dropping by Ruby. Glad you like the title of the book -- just be ready for a roller coaster ride... :)

I liked the Departed. I haven't been watching too many movies but made up my mind to start watching a few. Any suggestions?

I just finished two really different books. RG Willems Targets of Affection and Circle of Assassins by Steven Rigolosi. Targets of Affection is about a vet clinic in Canada. Circle of Assassins is a real winner.

What a nice thing to say!

I would like to think you are right.

HappyRuby