There's an Angel in my Closet by Louise Aveni

As the mother of 4 and 3 year old girls, I read quite a few children’s books. Most of the reading I do with my girls is at bedtime, so I look for a few specific qualities in the books we read. "There's an Angel in My Closet" meets all of them for me.

1. Length of story. Since I read 2-3 books an evening, stories that aren't too long to hold my girls interest are a must.

2. The quality of the story. Even though a book may be only a few pages long, I still look for stories that capture my girls attention. "There's an Angel in My Closet" is a delightfully charming tale.

3. Illustrations. My girls (and myself included) love pictures. The illustrations in this book are first rate. They are vividly colored and very engaging.

This is a wonderful children’s book that I would highly recommend to anyone.

Questions to the author:

What inspired you to write a children's book?
When my grandson, Scott was a baby I would read stories to him and thought to myself “I can do better than these” So it was that I began writing stories with him in mind. Scott is now sixteen, but the stories keep coming.

Can we look forward to more children's books in the future?
Yes, actually I’ve written eight children’s stories thus far and will get them all out as soon as I locate the perfect illustrators for them. I have been blessed as I’ve found one that has captured the essence of a mischievous little angel bear who is the lead character in one of my story series titled “The Adventures of Little Bear Blue” which has an accompanying song that I wrote called “If You Believe in You”. I hope to get this released in 2008.

Just as an aside, all my children’s stories were “given” to me. By that I mean that I’ve never sat down and thought about the story – they simply came to me in one felt swoop and I’ve not changed one single word. Some people call it channeling, or a muse - I call it a gift…

For the older children, I am writing a story for the TWEENS called “The Prophecies of Jake Little Feather” which should find its way into the marketplace by the end of 2008.

What other hobbies do you enjoy?

I write music and love doing outdoor activities. Anything that puts me out in nature nourishes my soul.

What is your favorite book? TV Show? Movie?

I have several favorites:

Movies- E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Lake House, just to name a few.

For TV shows – I love good comedy series such as Gilmore Girls, Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters.

My favorite books, besides my own (I write novels – LUPO-Conversations with an E.T. which is the first of a trilogy sequel with HYBRID-The Conversation Continues and KRYSTAL-The Final Saga), I enjoy self-help and metaphysical writers by a variety of authors. Some of my favorites are Sheldon Nilde, Jim Sparks, Esther Hicks (Abraham ) and of course Dr. Wayne Dyer

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale

Reviewed by Misty Guffey

"I'm going to destroy you." The words of a vengeful...winner? Aspen Brooks is completely floored. She just knew she was a shoo-in for homecoming queen. Only she just lost to her arch rival, Angel Ives. Not only that but the dorkiest guy in the whole school has just been crowned king. Now Angel seems to think that Aspen is somehow behind the whole thing. Aspen knows she's innocent just as she knows that someone has to be pulling some kind of twisted prank. It's either that or she's entered into some sort of parallel universe. But when even more bizarre events occur, such as; unusual kidnappings, theft, threatening notes, and Aspen discovering that the people closest to her are more than they once appeared to be, she finds herself leaning more towards the parallel universe belief.

Aspen Brooks is a great protagonist and by far my favorite character in this book. In the beginning she's so wrapped up in herself that she can't see beyond high fashion and popularity. She seems to be one of those girls we all love to hate, but as the story progresses and her eyes are opened to the fact that true beauty is more than tiaras and Dooney bags, you find yourself not only falling in love with her character but also wanting to be more like her. I myself have been guilty on occasion, as I'm sure we all have, of judging someone by their outward appearance alone. We sometimes forget that true beauty comes from within and that we can sometimes find a diamond in the rough. Stephanie Hale has done a fantastic job of reminding us of that fact with this story.

Stephanie Hale is such a unique talent. I don't think I've ever read a better first novel. She hooks her readers with her clever writing skills and her funny, witty banter. "Revenge of the Homecoming Queen" is packed with laughter, a bit of romance, friendship, and the oh so familiar teenage girl rivalry. Hale has done a fantastic job at capturing the life of a teenager. Although this is a young adult book readers of all ages will love it. It brought back so many of my own high-school memories that I couldn't stop laughing and comparing the characters to people I knew in school. It is such a delightful read and so easy to relate to. I loved it and can't wait to see what Hale cooks up in her next novel.

Questions for the author:

What made you decide to write a book for young adults?
I actually started out writing for adults then decided to try my hand at young adult. For some reason it comes really easily to me. Hmmm...maybe I haven't grown up yet!

Are there any plans for your next book?
Yes, my next book comes out on April 1st. The title is Twisted Sisters and it is a sequel to Revenge of the Homecoming Queen. Aspen and her Comfort High peeps are back only this time they are going to college!

When developing your characters did you create them using people you actually know?
I suppose they are all a little bit of me, but no, I didn't create any of them with specific people in mind. Thanks so much for all the kind words about Revenge of the Homecoming Queen!

The Tea House by Paul Elwork

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave..." The first part of that quote seems quite an appropriate place to start the review of "The Tea House" by Paul Elwork.

The story concerns a set of twins, Emily and Michael Stewart. While their family is well-to-do, their home life is a bit mysterious and at times I sensed a bit of sadness. Emily discovers she has a unique "talent" one day, and initially has some fun with it. But once her twin, Michael, discovers her secret, he convinces Emily to expand their performances to include friends of theirs. Eventually, word of Emily's talent gets out, and Emily and Michael are drawn into the adult world, where their audiences are more than curious. And when adult curiosity about Emily's talent is mixed with genuine desperation/grief, the ending is unpredictable and shocking.

This book is extremely well written. Mr. Elwork does an excellent job of developing the story and bringing together characters in the story and the story itself in equal portions, so that the farther along the book goes, the more characters and circumstances fit together, giving the reader a more detailed understanding of the story.

The characters of Emily, Michael, and Mr. Dunne are extremely well developed. The detail given to these characters made it quite easy to conjure a picture in my mind as to what they might actually have looked like.

This book held my interest from beginning to end. I liked the story line and the author's writing style makes this a very easy read.

And here are answers to the author questions:

Who are you influenced by as an author?

The list is long, as I guess it is for everyone. I love the works of Kurt Vonnegut, James Salter, Alice Munro, John Irving, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Raymond Carver, Jhumpa Lahiri, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Flannery O'Connor, Charles Dickens... and on and on. And like any writer, my debt to them is immeasurable.

Do you plan on writing a sequel to this book, or do you have something else in the works?

I don't have any plans for a sequel to The Tea House, but I do have another novel in the works, this one set during the early days of the Holocaust in Germany. I'd say more, but that would be telling.

This book was published by Casperian Books, a small, independent company that publishes fiction. It is a single-member limited liability company that publishes fiction and operates out of a chaotic home office with some help from the other occupants of the house and a few hearty volunteers. To view their other books, please click on the link above.

Sleeping with Ward Cleaver by Jennifer Gardiner

When I saw the title of this book I thought this was sure to put a smile on my face. And, although I would still classify this as a comedy, it appealed to all of my emotions and hit close to home many times.

Claire Doolittle is a wife and mother of 5 who has NO time to herself. Between raising kids, working part-time, running numerous errands, and keeping up the house, she struggles to fine some me time. And, being married to Ward...I mean Jack doesn't help.

Jack Doolittle is an accomplished architect who suffers from control issues. Throughout their marriage he has slowly lost his sense of adventure and fun and has slipped easily into the shoes of TV icon Ward Cleaver. His ideal is when Claire completes all of the items in HIS to-do-list and the kids are perfectly behaved - this way he can come home and relax with no interruptions. So much for being a parent.

Claire wonders what has happened to her spontaneous, romantic, and attentive husband. She feels as if her marriage is going downhill fast and isn't sure if she even feels bad about this. She blames Jack for the majority of the problems that they are having. So, when Todd walks back (or emails as the case may be) into her life, she is ready for some sweet talk, even if it is from the man who ripped out her heart years earlier, and made her question the woman she was and what she did to make him treat her that way. She strikes up an online friendship with him, and somewhat of a flirtation. I believe the author summed up the emotion of love (past or present) when she wrote "I think that an emotion as intense as love shape-shifts into some other passion that encompasses love but then can be tainted by hatred, anger, or bitterness".

But, even though Claire is flirting with an old flame, when she goes to a dinner party for Jack's architecture firm and sees Jack's new associate Julia hanging on his every word she just about explodes. Julia is young, beautiful, has a perfect body, and is somehow able to bring out the "old" Jack - someone she hasn't seen in a long time. And he seems totally enamored by her.

I don't want to reveal any more of the plot, but let me say that any wife or mother should easily be able to relate to Claire in one way or another. There are days where I too wonder what has happened to the husband I knew years ago. Changing over time is not necessarily good or bad, as long as you are able to keep the fires of love burning and continue to work as a team. Just don't give up on each other too quickly - look deep inside and see if there are things you both could change to bring back the relationship that once was...and maybe never left.

Questions for the author:

I see that not only are you an author, but a photographer as well? Do you prefer writing to photography, or are they equal passions for you?

Alas, photography sort of lapsed into oblivion once I became a mother. Long ago, before kids, I schlepped vast amounts of photography equipment wherever we went. We traveled "light" to Africa, and honestly, one of the many lenses I brought along was about two-feet long.
So once I had babies to tote with me and the ancillary accoutrements one needs for small children, I sort of lost my enthusiasm for hauling all that equipment (and didn't often have a chance to use it, although some portraits I did of my children when they were young are priceless in their hilarity!).

Plus, I was a freelance photographer, which often translated into very last-minute shoots: "I need you at a press conference in an hour!" Which doesn't work so readily with children.
So long story short, that was the end of my photography career! I am now a point-and-shoot digital girl and I've relegated myself to that. However, I do get a little camera-envy when I'm around professional photographers with amazing state-of-the-art digital equipment. So I suppose my photography gene is currently latent ;-) .

Did you enjoy working for a newspaper - do you miss it?

I worked for our college paper, Penn State's Daily Collegian, which was (and still is) one of the top-ranked college dailies in the country. It was a lot of fun and I learned so much. But I was studying broadcast journalism so soon found myself instead in radio/tv stations, which was also a lot of fun.

I currently have a column for our city paper, but believe it or not, I've never stepped foot in the office, as I simply send my column in by email.

But my recollection at both newspapers and tv/radio stations is there is a certain camaraderie there that you don't necessarily find in other jobs. Perhaps it has to do with working weird hours and covering all sorts of crazy things, but I always had fun there!

What hobbies do you enjoy pursuing when you aren't writing?

I LOVE to travel. And I love all things Italian and study Italian (though I am regressing, I fear!). For a long time I was really into cooking, but don't find I have the time for that much any more, and honestly, my family could have cared less about what I was feeding them so I've taken the hint and simplified on that end of things! I also quilted a lot up until the past couple of years, and when I am idle, at my kids' sporting events, I'll usually bring along some quilting or needlework to keep me occupied while I watch their games.

Don't Die Dragonfly by Linda Joy Singleton

I have always been drawn to anything involving the mind and have always been fascinated by psychics. Having been born in the caul, and having a Great-Grandmother that read tarot cards, I was ready to jump on board and read a book that dealt with the powers of the psyche. And I was not disappointed.

Don't Die Dragonfly is the first book in The Seer series. Sabine Rose is sent to live with her maternal Grandmother, Nona, after a boy dies at her school. Plagued with visions, she feels as if she let this boy down, and could have done more to prevent his death. Add a not so cooperative spirit guide and she feels totally lost. Her mother has never been able to accept the "gift" that she was born with, and seeing as how Nona has similar abilities, she feels that she is better suited to help raise her. Sabine has misled Nona into believing that her powers are gone and that she is just a regular teenager, a desception that could lead to some problems in her future (to bad she couldn't see things about herself).

Sabine was looking forward to starting a new school, and actually was leading a pretty good life for a teenager. She was on the school newspaper and was best friends with one of the cheerleaders, she figured that things would be great as long as no one found out that she was a psychic. Unfortunately, shortly after she comes to live with her Grandmother she starts having visions...terrifying visions of a girl with a dragonfly tattoo. As much as she would like to turn a blind eye, she knows that she needs to try and do better than she did at her previous school, and vows to help save this girl. She encounters many obstacles along the way, will it be too many to stop a tragedy, a tragedy only she knows about?

This is one of the most fantastic books that I have read, and was a real page turner. I don't want to go into too much detail, but if you are looking for a book to grab you and make you question what abilities might be lurking in your head, this is it.

Questions for the author:

Are there any psychics in your family?

Not that I'm aware of -- but I strongly believe in listening to my intuition and think it has saved me many times, like when I had a strong feeling not to go back to my car alone or when I was jogging down a deserted street. I've learned to trust my feelings always.

Do you believe in tarot readings, mediums, etc...or was it just something that was fun to write about?

I believe that it's more likely amazing things are possible for the simple fact that humans are more than just the bodies we wear. I love to go to psychic fairs and I've read many books on psychics. Although I've had no solid proof in my personal life that it's all real, I feel strongly that more things are possible than are not. I even suspect that my character Sabine came to me in dreams as a gift for my writing.

What hobbies do you enjoy besides writing?

I collect girl series books, love reading (of course!), taking walks, going to movies, boating, playing cards, camping, square dancing and bowling. I also love to blog and spend lots of time online.

Can we look forward to more books with Sabine et all?

There are five books in the series. #4 SWORD PLAY goes back to Sabine's previous life and reveals secrets about a student's death. At the moment FATAL CHARM is the last book and I'm working on the DEAD GIRL series, the first book DEAD GIRL WALKING comes out September 2008. If my Llewellyn publisher ever wants more THE SEER books, I'd love to write them. To stay updated with my latest book news, check out www.myspace.com/LindaJoySingleton . I hope to share my next book cover soon!