STORIES IN UNIFORM

STORIES IN UNIFORM                           READER'S DIGEST
Posted:  April 10, 2014                   

Stories in Uniform: A Look at the Heroics, Sacrifices, and Triumphs of our Soldiers  Stories in Uniform is a chronological retrospective of the best military pieces Reader's Digest has run; pieces that will make you weep, make your heart sing, inspire you, enrage you, and make you laugh. Beginning in World War I and continuing though to the war in Iraq, readers will follow soldiers into the trenches, peer in on emergency surgery taking place in the depths of the ocean, watch heroes carry the bodies of fallen brethren, trail Eisenhower for the three days leading up to  D-Day, and be inspired as men and women rise above and beyond normal human limits to preserve our rights and save  their friends.
Stories include:
• A moving memorial to D-Day
• A tribute to one of the first African-Americans to serve as a Naval Officer
• A pilot rescued after his F-16 is shot down
• A soldier returns to the front after losing his foot in action
• An American soldier who takes a big risk to save a dying Afghan girl
This book gives a complete perspective on the hell that is war, the love that grows from camaraderie, the pride from accomplishing the impossible, the humor that springs from the military bureaucracy, and more.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This book remembers the forgotten stories or the stories we have never heard about. The first story is about Eddie Rickenbacker, who most people either don’t know or don’t remember. A World War ace and after the war. Became a race car driver an owner and lived by a code that when his business failed he paid everyone back including the people who worked for him. Started over and was successful in his next business. The stories follow not only Generals like Eisenhower, before D-day, but also the men and also the women who have fought for our Country. There are stories all the way up to the current war and it gives the reader a true look at the brave men and women that serve. A very good book. I got this book from net galley.

VIGILANTE SEASON

VIGILANTE SEASON                             PETER KIRBY
Posted:  April 10, 2014

Vigilante Season  Inspector Luc Vanier is back, and Montreal's Hochelaga district is in the throes of gentrification. Its drug dealers and prostitutes are disappearing, and Vanier, investigating the brutal death of one, suspects the neighbourhood cleanup may involve murdering the unwanted. The local Police Commander sees only declining crime rates and his improving career prospects, and is willing to go easy on a local militia group that’s expanding its influence. When Vanier is suspended for brutality, he’s on his own. He continues to probe the dark side of progress, while struggling to help his son, just back from Afghanistan and crippled by PTSD. As the threats against him mount, Vanier fights to prove his innocence and discover who really controls the streets. Have the government and police stepped back to allow the militia to impose order? Is the militia the price of order when governments run out of money?

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
A story about two police officers. One Inspector Luc Vanier and his partner Sgt. Sylvie Saint- James. They are called out for a murder that was discovered during a car accident. They cannot find the people driving one of the cars, which the body was actually in and was already in a body bag. The next day sends them on trails of drug dealers, a so called local citizens group that is actually hindering their investigation. To the point where both of them are finally suspended and are looking like they are going to be fired. The ones that come to their defense are a surprise and this book had a few surprises as well. A good story and I liked the fact that it was not drawn out. Made for a fast read. I got this book from net galley.

EYES ON TARGET

EYES ON TARGET                    SCOTT MC EWEN & RICHARD MINITER
Posted:  April 10, 2014

Eyes on Target: Inside Stories from the Brotherhood of the U.S. Navy SEALs  Told through the eyes of current and former Navy SEALs, EYES ON TARGET is an inside account of some of the most harrowing missions in American history-including the mission to kill Osama bin Laden and the mission that wasn't, the deadly attack on the US diplomatic outpost in Benghazi where a retired SEAL sniper with a small team held off one hundred terrorists while his repeated radio calls for help went unheeded. 
The book contains incredible accounts of major SEAL operations-from the violent birth of SEAL Team Six and the aborted Operation Eagle Claw meant to save the hostages in Iran, to key missions in Iraq and Afganistan where the SEALs suffered their worst losses in their fifty year history-and every chapter illustrates why this elite military special operations unit remains the most feared anti-terrorist force in the world.
We hear reports on the record from retired SEAL officers including Lt. Cmdr. Richard Marcinko, the founder of SEAL Team Six, and a former Commander at SEAL team Six, Ryan Zinke, and we come away understanding the deep commitment of these military men who put themselves in danger to protect our country and save American lives. In the face of insurmountable odds and the imminent threat of death, they give all to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
No matter the situation, on duty or at ease, SEALs never, ever give up. One powerful chapter in the book tells the story of how one Medal of Honor winner saved another, the only time this has been done in US military history. 
EYES ON TARGET includes these special features: 
A detailed timeline of events during the Benghazi attack Sample rescue scenarios from a military expert who believes that help could have reached the Benghazi compound in time The US House Republican Conference Interim Progress Report on the events surrounding the September 11, 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi Through their many interviews and unique access, Scott McEwen and Richard Miniter pull back the veil that has so often concealed the heroism of these patriots. They live by a stringent and demanding code of their own creation, keeping them ready to ignore politics, bureaucracy and-if necessary-direct orders. They share a unique combination of character, intelligence, courage, love of country and what can only be called true grit.
They are the Navy SEALs, and they keep their Eyes on Target.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This is more than a military book. I described this book as part history of the Navy Seals and part failure of our government to protect men they send to foreign countries, more later. The first part of this book goes into some of the history of the Navy Seals, UDT, and Frogmen. The last two were what I had heard stories about. Growing up with a father who served in WWII and then growing up in a military town I would hear stories of these men who would actually had been on the beach before the soldiers or dealing with mines in the harbors. These stories were always exciting but as I got older none of it sounded exiting, who would do those things as a volunteer? Well my father would say I jumped out of planes, they needed other men for other things. Everyone has a job they are good at. This book goes into some of the history and the men that has made the Navy Seals who they are. Starting from when President Kennedy signed the order through Vietnam and then the down time now war. The botch rescue mission in Iran that lead to the formation of seal team six. This was done by Lt. Commander Richard Marcinko. Not too many books written about the Seals actually talk about his contribution and I am glad that the authors gave him some credit for he was important to the formation of Seal team six and some of the first missions they did were just to test the security of Naval Bases. They would find a spot along the fence line for example covered by brush and find a hole in the fence and walk in. after taking over the base they would show the Commander the problem so it could be fix. He would do the same by taking over ships as well. Of course this pissed off the higher ups but it served a purpose. When they got out of control he was gone and a new man replaced him described in the book. Again it was time for growth in the Seals and it is explained and how it was carried out. Some of the men did not like it so they retired others stayed for a short period then left. A very honest out come when you change something that men are used to doing for any length of time. He talks about operation Red Wings, people now know it as” The Lone Survivor.” The part that he really goes into is the Benghazi attack. He gives a time line from when Stevens enters the country up to the attack. He arrives April 5 2011, and the attack happens Sep 12, 2012. That’s right it is an anniversary and by this date the British have already left, (June 17, 2012). The Tunisian consulate was stormed and burned visas were no longer approved for U.S. and back on Jan 12, 2012, Azza Ali Orfi was beaten as she left the hotel she was stating at. She was pro-democracy and pro- American. There were many other signs but nothing happened. Just like that night when 4 men put out a call saying the Embassy was under attack. Former Navy Seal Tyrone Woods, (served 20 yrs. Bronze star V) was at a CIA global response team site not too far away when the call came in. his supervisor knowing he was going even if he told him no told to put a team together. When they arrived they went in shooting, is made up of former Seals, and Special Forces, shots were few but effective but it an intense battle. They made it to the building getting three men but not Stevens. Going back to their compound they were going in hot. Woods went to the roof and started firing from there. Meanwhile in a different location Glen Doherty, was bribing a man for his plane and flew into Libya. Doherty is also a former Seal, sniper, (he also co-authored Navy Seal Sniper, with Brandon Webb.) He gets to the location asks for Woods goes to the roof after a few minutes Woods is killed by a mortar round and by his training Doherty reaches for the rifle and after a short is also killed by a mortar round. It would be a few days before the body of Stevens is retrieved and then the news of the attack. The funerals for these to brave men were attended by Navy men, Admirals, enlisted Navy Seals, took their tridents and pounded them into the top of the casket with their fist a tradition. These men had fought for eight hours not knowing if help was coming or not. The answer was not. They were warriors in every definition of the word. The author gives scenarios based on military assets that we have already in place around Benghazi. They range from a simple close fly by F-16CG, to drones. There are more but too many to discuss. The last part of the book is a total failure and a lack of disregard for human life. This was a very good book. I got this book from net galley.

DEBBIE DOESN'T DO IT ANYMORE

DEBBIE DOESN'T DO IT ANYMORE    WALTER MOSLEY
Posted:  April 10, 2014

Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore: A Novel  In this scorching, mournful, often explicit, and never less than moving literary novel by the famed creator of the Easy Rawlins series, Debbie Dare, a black porn queen, has to come to terms with her sordid life in the adult entertainment industry after her tomcatting husband dies in a hot tub. Electrocuted. With another woman in there with him. Debbie decides she just isn't going to "do it anymore." But executing her exit strategy from the porn world is a wrenching and far from simple process.

Millions of men (and no doubt many women) have watched famed black porn queen Debbie Dare—she of the blond wig and blue contacts-"do it" on television and computer screens every which way with every combination of partners the mind of man can imagine. But one day an unexpected and thunderous on-set orgasm catches Debbie unawares, and when she returns to the mansion she shares with her husband, insatiable former porn star and "film producer" Theon Pinkney, she discovers that he's died in a case of hot tub electrocution, "auditioning" an aspiring "starlet." Burdened with massive debts that her husband incurred, and which various L.A. heavies want to collect on, Debbie must reckon with a life spent in the peculiar subculture of the pornography industry and her estrangement from her family and the child she had to give up. She's done with porn, but her options for what might come next include the possibility of suicide. Debbie . . . is a portrait of a ransacked but resilient soul in search of salvation and a cure for grief.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
I have read many of Mr. Mosley, books which has the character Easy Rawlins. This book is about another side of L.A. the porn business and the main character Debbie Dare comes home from a shoot only to discover the police their and her husband dead with a young women. Over the next few days she finds out that her husband was in debt and for the most part she was broke. She felt that this was a good time for her to look at herself and to maybe start over. She did that first by going back to see her mother in south central and even went to church the following weekend and she was reintroduced to the child that she gave up when she was younger. Her sister was raising the child. After her husband’s funeral she decides to make changes in her live and to change the people that she put in front of her life. This is a good story and like most of mister Mosley stories a true and honest look at the way some one is treated not only in society but also by some members of their family and how some other people don’t judge or look down on or at people at all. That is why I like reading his books. They are honest. I got this book from net galley.

TELL NO LIES

TELL NO LIES                                            TANYA ANNE CROSBY
Posted:  April 10, 2014

Tell No Lies "Crosby serves up suspense, secrets and Southern scandal like no one else!" -Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

New York Times bestselling author Tanya Anne Crosby returns to the teeming marshes and crumbling plantations of Charleston, where a gruesome murder and kidnapping reawaken fears of a serial killer on the loose. . .

Augusta Aldridge believes in Ian Patterson's innocence, even after he was arrested for killing two young women and mutilating their corpses. Because she was with him the night one of the crimes occurred, hidden in the shadows beneath a beachside pier, locked in a wild, unthinking embrace with the man whose dangerous fascination may have fatally lured the other victims. Now that another body has been found, the police suspect a copycat killer, but Augusta is sure they have the wrong man behind bars. She's going to risk her reputation, and her life, to prove it. . .

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This is a good story because there are many different story lines going on. First is murder and after another body turns up the local police arrest Ian Patterson. Everyone in town believes he is guilty except for Augusta Aldridge. She does come forward with any information but does bail him out. She is one of three sisters who have been made to come home because of the will of her mothers. They each have a year to do a task and then they would inherit the money, over 300 million dollars. Her task is to fix the family home that she ran away from. After she bails out Ian most people turn on her except for her sisters and then that leads to a whole other set of problems for the police and for Augusta who decides to investigate what is going in when they put Ian back in jail once again. Like I said there are many story lines in this book but by the time you get to the end there are so many mysteries that get solved that even I was surprised by the ending and who the killer actually was and how many people had been killed for so long and who had helped. This was a fantastic who done it and I was fascinated by the way she was able to make the story work the way it did. Very believable. A great read. I got this book from net galley.

THEY CALLED ME GOD: The Best Umpire Who Ever Lived

THEY CALLED ME GOD                         DOUG HARVEY & PETER GOLENBOCK
Posted:  April 10, 2014

They Called Me God: The Best Umpire Who Ever Lived In the pageantry of baseball, one select group is virtually unknown in the outside world, derided by fans, faced with split-second choices that spell victory or defeat. These men are up-close observers of the action, privy to inside jokes, blood feuds, benches-clearing brawls, and managers’ expletive-filled tirades. In this wonderful memoir, Hall of Fame umpire Doug Harvey takes us within baseball as you’ve never seen it, with unforgettable inside stories of baseball greats such as Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, and Whitey Herzog.

Doug Harvey was a California farm boy, a high school athlete who nevertheless knew that what he really wanted was to become an unsung hero—a major league umpire. Working his way through the minor leagues, earning three hundred dollars a month, he survived just about everything, even riots in stadiums in Puerto Rico. And while players and other umps hit the bars at night, Harvey memorized the rule book. In 1962, he broke into the bigs and was soon listening to rookie Pete Rose worrying that he would be cut by the Reds and laying down the law with managers such as Tommy Lasorda and Joe Torre.
This colorful memoir takes the reader behind the plate for some of baseball’s most memorable moments, including: 
· Roberto Clemente’s three thousandth and final hit
· The “I don’t believe what I just saw” heroic three-and-two pinch-hit home run by Kirk Gibson in the ’88 World Series
· The nail-biting excitement of the close-fought ’68 World Series, when Doug called St. Louis Cardinal Lou Brock out at home plate and turned the trajectory of the series
But beyond the drama, Harvey turned umpiring into an art. He was a man so respected, whose calls were so feared and infallible, that the players called him God. And through it all, he lived by three rules: never take anything from a player, never back down from a call, and never carry a grudge.
A book for anyone who loves baseball, They Called Me God is a funny and fascinating tale of on- and off-the-field action, peopled by unforgettable characters from Bob Gibson to Nolan Ryan, and a treatise on good umpiring techniques. In a memoir that transcends sport, Doug Harvey tells a gripping story of responsibility, fairness, and honesty.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This book is about Doug Harvey and him becoming a major league umpire. The first part of the book is about his early life growing up in the San Diego area and Los Angles, and the sports he played through high school and shortly in college until he broke his leg. He then goes into how he got into umpiring and the men who helped him along the way. You get a look at his life as a minor league umpire and all of the travel he had to do. All of it at his own expense and that was not easy during the late 50's and early 60's. Once he gets to the major leagues he talks about how even for him the speed of the game and how he had to look at the game. He talks about the run ins he had in the minor and major leagues and how he handled each and how there were certain mangers that no matter what you did they were going to argue with you. He also tells about some of the games players and moments that he was able to be part of. Like Gibson hitting that home run in the ninth inning for the Dodgers. That is just one they were so many others in the book. A good book from a different side I am always reading about the player or manger. This is the first time I read anything by or about an umpire and it was a good book. I got this book from net galley.

WHERE THE HEART IS

WHERE THE HEART IS                           DARCY BURKE
Posted:  April 10, 2014

Where The Heart Is (Ribbon Ridge)  Home is more than a place . . .
Breaking free from her structured life, Chloe English quits her high-powered job and moves across the country to work as an art teacher. The simple life is all she hoped it would be until her house burns down, leaving her homeless. When a handsome firefighter swoops in to save the day, she can’t believe her luck. He’s laid-back and unassuming, everything she’s looking for in a man—or so he seems. It turns out he’s as ambitious as her ex, comes with a family who could be more stifling than hers, and harbors dark secrets he may never be able to share.

Orphaned as a teenager, Derek Sumner has found a place in his best friend’s family. However, the love and support of his surrogate parents and siblings can’t erase the grief and loss he struggles every Christmas to banish. But this year he meets the fun and sexy Chloe, whose optimism and sense of joy are incredibly contagious. Can she help him face his bleak past so they can forge a happy future?

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
A story of two people trying to find themselves and they fall in love each other. Chloe moves across country away from family to be an art teacher when after a few weeks go by her place caches on fire. That night she meets Derek who is one of the firefighters and he likes that she does not get down right away but starts thinking about finding a place to stay. There is an attraction there for both of them and though once you get into the story each one has their own set of fears that they must overcome in order for the relationship to go any further. With the help of friends and the people around them they are able to work through their problems and come out the other side. There is also another family that is part of this story that also makes for an interesting tale and keeps the story alive with many different characters. A nice love story. I got this book from net galley.

HOUSE OF JAGUAR

HOUSE OF JAGUAR                                 MIKE BOND
Posted:  April 10, 2014

House of Jaguar Shot down over the jungle with a planeload of marijuana, Vietnam War hero Joe Murphy gets caught up in the brutal Guatemalan Civil War when he witnesses an attack on a Mayan village by the Guatemalan Army and its CIA "advisors." Badly injured, he esxapes on a nightmare trek through the jungle, haunted by the Army, the CIA and death squads.

Healed by guerrilla doctor Dona Villalobos, he falls in love with her and tries to save her from the War's widerning horror of insanity, tragedy and death. Caught in the curcible of violence and love, he learns the peaks and depths the human heart can reach, and what humans will do for, and to, each other.

Based on the author's own experiences as one of the last foreign correspondents left alive in Guatemala after over 100 journalists had been killed by Army death squads.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This is an interesting story about a pilot who is flying drugs from Columbia to the US. When he flies into Columbia for a pick-up he is shot down and from there the story is pretty much none stop action until the end. with him trying to make it out of the country being chased when he gets back to the states and deciding to go back because he is in love with a women how saved his live. But just about everyone he comes in contact with is killed and he does not know who is chasing him until you get towards the end of the book. A lot of action and fast paced well written and a lot of characters he did a good job of description and you felt like you were in the action. I did not like the ending but that was just me. overall a good story. I got this book from net galley.

BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES

BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES                   DEBBIE MACOMBER
Posted:  April 10, 2014

Blossom Street Brides: A Blossom Street Novel  #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber has won the hearts of millions of readers with her moving and inspiring stories. Now wedding bells are ringing in the tight-knit community that gathers around A Good Yarn, a store in a pretty Seattle neighborhood. Knitters come to the store to buy yarn and patterns but somehow they leave richer in friendship and love.

Lauren Elliott has waited years for her long-term boyfriend, Todd, to propose, yet he seems more focused on his career than their relationship. When Lauren learns that her younger sister is pregnant before she herself even has an engagement ring, she feels overjoyed yet disheartened. Knowing she can’t put her future on hold, Lauren prepares to make a bold choice—one that leads her to a man she never dreamed she’d meet.

Newly married to her second husband, Max, Bethanne Scranton is blissfully in love. But with Max’s job in California and Bethanne’s in Seattle, their long-distance marriage is becoming difficult to maintain. To complicate matters, Bethanne’s cunning ex will do anything to win her back.

Lydia Goetz, too, is wonderfully happy with her husband, Brad, though lately she worries about the future of A Good Yarn. As she considers how to bring in business, she discovers that someone has beaten her to the punch. Baskets of yarn are mysteriously popping up all over town, with instructions to knit a scarf for charity and bring it into Lydia’s store. Never before has her shop received so much attention, but who hatched this brilliant plan?

As three women’s lives intersect in unexpected ways, Lydia, Lauren, and Bethanne realize that love heals every heart, and the best surprises still lay ahead.

MY REVIEW:
     Debbie does it again She captures your heart with her “yarn” telling stories, of love, longing, pain, fear, regrets, anticipation, and hopes.
     A lot of the old characters are there still on Blossom Street that we all remember. Just a little older and wiser doling out advice in hopes of helping those walking in their paths.  Lydia from A Good Yarn, is there still helping her family and the community, yet still feeling like she can’t help enough.  That she just can’t find the control that she needs to help those that she loves.
     There Bethanne who is struggling to keep her past life with her ex-husband from interfering with her future.  Max wants her to move to California out of fear that Grant is trying to weasel his way into her life and using Annie and Andrew to get there. 
     The love story that has so much going on is Rooster (John) Wayne, Max’s business partner & half owner of their winery and friend and Lauren Elliott a woman who has worked 5 years in a jewelry store.  She dated Todd a TV anchorman for 3 ½ years and he always promised that they would marry someday but he never ever asked her to marry him, never took her to meet his family, or his friend or really co-workers.
Rooster has had one failed marriage at a very young age and has no family for they both passed.
     Lauren and Rooster felt an instant connection and went out to dinner and Todd showed up and there was a confrontation.  When it was over, Rooster felt he was used by Lauren to make Todd jealous.  Todd had put that idea in Roosters head and he fell for it, was not the case and Lauren takes action to make it right.

     Debbie has mega stuff going on.  Come to Blossom Street to see old friends and check out what happens.  You won’t want to miss it that is for sure.  There was so much more I can’t even begin to tell you.  5 stars.  Provided by Netgalley.

1914 THE YEAR THE WORLD ENDED

1914 THE YEAR THE WORLD ENDED    PAUL HAM
Posted:  April 10, 2014

1914: The Year the World Ended  Few years can justly be said to have transformed the earth: 1914 did.

In July that year, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Britain and France were poised to plunge the world into a war that would kill or wound 37 million people, tear down the fabric of society, uproot ancient political systems and set the course for the bloodiest century in human history.

In the longer run, the events of 1914 set the world on the path toward the Russian Revolution, the Treaty of Versailles, the rise of Nazism and the Cold War.

In 1914: The Year the World Ended, award-winning historian Paul Ham tells the story of the outbreak of the Great War from German, British, French, Austria-Hungarian, Russian and Serbian perspectives.Along the way, he debunks several stubborn myths.

European leaders, for example, did not stumble or ‘sleepwalk' into war, as many suppose. They fully understood that a small conflict in the Balkans – the tinderbox at the heart of the continent – could spark a European war. They well knew what their weapons could do.

Yet they carried on. They accepted – and, in some cases, even seemed to relish – what they saw as an inevitable clash of arms. They planned and mapped every station on the path to oblivion. These pied pipers of the apocalypse chose war in the full knowledge that millions would follow, and die, on their orders.

1914: The Year the World Ended seeks to answer the most vexing question of the 20th century: Why did European governments decide to condemn the best part of a generation of young men to the trenches and four years of slaughter, during which 8.5 million would die?

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
It is hard to believe that in August it will be 100 years since the beginning of the First World War. This book 1914 takes a look at all of the causes or so called causes of the war. The author starts back 100 years and works forward with all of the different wars that had taken place. But I did notice he always came back to a treaty after a war in 1870-1871, where some prime land was taken from Germany and made French. Over the course of years this became just one of the items that upset German leadership. They also felt that they were always being pushed aside when other countries got together for a conference or would sign a treaty. In 1900 France and Russia signed a treaty and they both bordered Germany. Feeling pressure at this time Bismarck started to build up his army and his Navy. Surprisingly none of the other countries were paying any attention. From that moment things just got worse because he died and a younger Bismarck came into power and Russia had a change in power. Now France made an agreement with Britain about territory in North Africa and once again Germany was left out. Though the Queen of England was the Grandmother to the new leader in Germany she had no say over what the country did the Parliament along with the Prime Minister really controlled the political landscape and no one was really listen to what Germany had to say. There was in 1908 some talk between two diplomats, Count Alois Lexa Von Aehrenthal the Austrian foreign minister and his Russian counterpart Alexander Izvoisky. They were getting together because of an agreement was to expire on what to do with Bosnia. These talks went on for years with no solution other than the Austrians’ and Germans, feeling like they were being taken advantage of and no agreement was done in the end. During this time there was one time when the Russians sank a German vessel which actually could have led to war but was worked out. By the time Prince and his wife were assassinated there was no more time for talk. France and Russia had increased the railroads along the borders of Germany and with everything happening Germany attacked France. One thing I will say is that medical science from back then was that. The men who were in the trenches with sustained artillery attack. (Mostly affects the brain and central nervous system). Men who broke down were sent back to the front lines this was sane thinking. Today this we know is post-traumatic stress disorder. To abnormal events and shelling, mass slaughter is not normal but was deemed normal then. Many men after the war who spent a lot of time in the trenches had headaches, nightmares, and bouts of depression. This also does not include the men who served from mustard gas. The author also points out that that really he thinks both wars are really together for nothing was learned from the first. I would have say I agreed since my father fought on some of the very same land as the first war when he fought in WWII. This is a very in depth look into the begging’s of the first war. Not any battles but the history and politics and not just saying that the death of a Prince and his wife can start everything into motion. He takes you back into all of the changes of Europe leading up to that event and how each time when they could have talked they did not. I thought this was a very through book and was well written about an important part of history. I got this book from net galley.

TALKIN' SPORTS WITH PAT LIVE NOW!!!

Talkin’ Sports
With Pat

1.)  Monday, UCONN won the NCAA Championship over Kentucky.  UCONN really showed experience I believed, Napier won one ASA Freshman and now ASA Senior.  I think it was difficult for Kentucky’s starting 5 freshmen to overcome the pressure of the final game even though they were close at times.


2.)  Tuesday, was the 40th Anniversary of Hank Aaron’s
 record-breaking 715th home run.  I remember being in my room watching the game.  Because the Dodgers were playing (that’s all we got back then there was no cable lol) in Atlanta and Al Downing was pitching for the Dodgers.  At the time I really didn’t know how important or all of the extra things he was going through.  But, I remember it was kind of cool seeing it and hearing Vin Scully making the call.  Before ESPN and all of the other networks.  That was April of 1974.


3.)  The Masters started today and though Tiger Woods is not playing it will be interesting what storyline comes out this week.  Adam Scott becomes only the fourth golfer to repeat or can someone who no one knows about like Bubba Watson a few years ago win?  We will have to wait and see.

SWEET RENEGADE

SWEET RENEGADE                                 ANDRIA LARGE
Posted:  April 10, 2014

Sweet Renegade (Renegade, #1)  What do you mean you’ve never heard of Renegade? They are only the biggest boy band in the world! 


Beau Kennedy
At twenty-three, I never thought that I would be where I am today. I live in a world of chaos, screaming fans, and temptations everywhere. There is only one thing that I truly want, but she’s constantly rejecting me. She thinks I’m too young and too immature; however, I will prove her wrong. I will show her that I can be everything she needs and wants in a man. If she will just give me a chance, I can show her how much she means to me. She has no idea how determined I can be or how hard I will fight to make her mine. 
Lizette Parrish
I’m presented with an offer that is just too good to refuse. Beau Kennedy wants one month. One month of being his girlfriend so that he can prove to me that he can be what I need. If at the end of the month, I don’t feel like he is the right guy for me, then we end things, and he will never ask me out again. One month? I can do that, especially if it means he will leave me alone when it’s over. What I didn’t expect, though, is all of the things that he brought to the table and all of the things that we end up going through during our month together, inevitably brings us closer together. 
Can I still leave him when the month is up? My mind says yes, but I’m not so sure my heart agrees.

Warning: For mature audiences only. Contains seriously hot sex scenes that will leave you wanting to fulfill your very own boy band fantasy. Please keep in mind that this is a work of fiction and I made it up from my own imagination.

MY REVIEW:
     Talk about chemistry this is one hot steaming romance that was in 30 days was supposed to tank this is it.  Those darn hearts like always just like to get in the way.
     We get to meet a whole cast of characters in this fast pace erotic really funny romance.  You see Beau Kennedy is one of the members of a boy band The Renegades.  They actually made it after the guy who started it along with a few other famous one hit wonders didn’t make it.  He along with Roland (28), Dean (26), Ace (26), Everett (24) and him (23) and the youngest they worked hard, for the past ten years. 
     Thanks in part to their manager Lizette Parrish (30) for the past 5 years.  She is a hustler and doesn’t have a life to show for it.  She is also the one person in the whole world that Beau has been crushing over for that whole 5 years since the day she started he that she was beautiful.  She shoots him down every time he ask her out but it does stop him from trying.
     Lizette tells him he is a man-boy always joking around at her meetings, never listening like today’s meeting, that he is always with a different girl/fan and that she knows what he really wants from her.  So, to go find another little groupie to f**k because he wouldn’t be getting it from her.  He walks away from her moving to the door turns back and says, basically, if that was all he wanted from her he would have given up on asking her out a long time ago.
     Before the two weeks really begins Lizette finds out the boys have to cut their vacation short.  A promotional tour has been scheduled so Beau only has 4 more days left of his first week but out of the 5 guys he is the only one that they can’t reach.  Knowing Beau went to see his family in West Virginia, she has her secretary book a flight to get her there ASAP.  This is N.Y. girl who is scared of all things country including sexy as hell Beau is going to West Virginia to tell him.
     She drives herself to the ranch once there, meets up with Kaden his younger brother his mini-me (sexy too.)  He takes her to find Beau, he comes in from riding looking a little cautious.  She lets him know what’s going on turns to leave when his mama, Regina, greets her which she loves.  Meanwhile, Beau is still standing there stunned to find her there.  She is the mom she always wanted, not what she was dealt.  Regina engulfs her in a hug and talks her into staying for lunch which has Lizette changing her flight to tomorrow morning.
     That evening she and Beau take a ride after he explains riding safety.  Lizette gets thrown from her horse and has to ride with Beau the exchange their first kisses.  Man does their world tilt for both of them.  This scares Lizette beyond words.  When she gets back she scurries to her room.  They have another late night encounter in the hallway and get walk-in on.
     The next morning she leaves town as fast as she can leaving him with only the view of him in her rearview mirror.  Once Beau returns he eventually corners her and gets her to agree to one month of being his girlfriend with at the end her making the decision on whether the remain a couple or not.
     This is one sexually and emotionally intense book.  Not only do you have the story of Lizette and Beau but you have their dynamic charge and the band members.  You also see what some of them feel about this relationship.  Also you have this other issue going on with Dennis, Lizette’s brother, who is suffering PTSD.  Wow, that alone is one intense event in the storyline.
     You will enjoy this fast pace storyline for sure.  It is not dull at all that is for sure.  I hope the next story of Ace is just as good but I think what made this one so special was that endearing innocence Beau still had and he wasn’t afraid to ask his friends in the band for help.  Also, that the age difference between him and Lizette really didn’t matter.  Loved it.  5 stars.  Provided by author for a honest review.  

Coming Tomorrow Lisa Eugene Interview 7pm PST: Excerpt From: Surrender My Love

Coming Tomorrow

Lisa Eugene
Interview
7 pm PST
Author of

Surrender My Love

Patients are dying at Washington Memorial Hospital and no one knows why….
Nurse Chloe Bennett is a dedicated healer. Her job means everything to her, and she needs it to support her family. When she finds herself in the middle of yet another Code Blue, she questions the unexplained deaths.
Doctor Brad Markson is a world renowned cardiac surgeon. Brilliant, powerful, and sinfully sexy! He does not tolerate losing patients. When his patient mysteriously dies, he looks for answer.
The two work together to unravel the sinister events surrounding the deaths at Washington Memorial Hospital, and soon find themselves fighting for their lives in this fast paced, erotic thriller. When Chloe becomes the center of suspicion, she is surprised to find she has an ally in the gorgeous Dr. Markson.
Shy, sweet Chloe is unable to resist him with his sultry blue eyes and wickedly sexy smile. His passionate kisses ignite her body, and his mere touch induces shivering pleasure. She doesn't know if she’s ready to give away her heart after her traumatic past, and Brad is battling career demons of his own.
Can the two learn to trust each other? Will they live long enough to find love and happiness…or will there be two more deaths? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:

“Maybe I’m tired of being me. Maybe for once I want to be someone else.”
The words were muffled against his neck as she bathed his skin with her tongue, sending coils of raw lust circling through him. Her hand found the front of his pants again, her fingers eagerly groping him. Her touch was awkward, uncertain with her stroke and grip, but he found her inexperience strangely provocative. His body tensed, his muscles trembling from the struggle of restraint. Moisture popped out on his forehead with the strained effort. As she stroked him, she latched on to a patch of skin on his neck and suckled greedily. His cock twitched, growing harder behind the fabric as it begged for a more intimate touch. He lost it. Groaning roughly, he shoved her back against the wall.
“Fuck, Chloe. You’re making me crazy!”
“I want you...Brad.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking!” He grated roughly near her temple. His hips were already thrusting against her, trapping her hand between their bodies.
She turned her head, and he caught the dark amber of her gaze.
“I want you to…fuck me, Brad.”
“Oh, God…” he grunted, fighting for control and miserably losing the battle. Her bold words arrowed straight to his cock and it became a demanding throb throughout his body. He held up his head. “Chloe, I don’t do relationships.”
She stared, wide-eyed, and he saw her throat work down a swallow. She nodded and relief washed over him.
“Let’s go to my apartment,” he whispered, taking her hand in his. But she didn’t budge; her feet stayed firmly rooted in place.
“No. I want you now.” There was a hitch in her voice he couldn’t quite decipher. Was she afraid he’d change his mind?
“Please…”
The look on her face ignited him. Gritting his teeth, he flipped her around and pushed her flat against the wall. A shocked breath whooshed from her lungs, but she stayed still, her head turned to the side with her cheek crushed against the smooth concrete. His body crowded behind her, his hips grinding against the curve of her ass, rubbing his aching cock into her. He was losing his mind, a slave to his aggressive needs. He ignored all the reasons he shouldn’t be doing this.
“Is this what you want, Chloe?” His hoarse voice pelted her ear and he bit her lobe. “Is this the reason you came to my office the other morning—to get fucked?”
As he spilled the words, his fingers gathered up the folds of her skirt, hiking the material to her waist. He was annoyed when he saw her plain, white cotton panties, a fleeting reminder of her innocence. Angry at himself and his inability to resist her, he fisted the thin material and violently ripped it away, discarding it somewhere behind him. He wedged a knee between her legs and forced her to widen her stance. 




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