Sister Scribe

Today I’m departing from my typical Fun Friday entry, because I realized I never gave a review of J.R. Ward’s latest release when I finished reading it. Her new book, Covet, is the beginning of a new series for the paranormal author.

When I discovered Ward two years ago, I had never read a paranormal romance and had a real aversion to the idea of vampire stories. By the time I finished Dark Lover, the lead book in her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, I had discovered my new favorite author.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel as strongly about Covet. Perhaps it was because I had seriously fallen for the brothers and their fascinating stories. Or maybe it was due to the fact that the characters in this story don’t have the detailed history with unique customs and language. I’m not sure.

At first I wasn’t sure if I would read this one simply because, as a Christian who knows the Word of God, I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of a book about “fallen” angels, but my curiosity got the best of me.

Of course, Ms. Ward’s idea of what constitutes a fallen angel isn’t biblical. First of all, I never understood where people get this crazy idea that angels are dead people. The Bible tells us the angels are heavenly beings created to minister to humans. It also tells us those angels that fell from Heaven with Satan became the demons who serve him. They are the enemies of God’s people.

J.R.’s fallen angels are merely people who died and were sent back to earth with an assignment to “save people’s souls.” Okaaay, I can go with that for 500 pages. At least they are the good guys and they are fighting the demons.

I loved Vin DiPietro, one of the heroes. He’s a real Alpha hero – sexy, tough, and rich. Jim, the angel, wasn’t as strong a character as I would have liked.

Another thing I liked about Covet was how J.R. incorporated characters from her previous books that readers will recognize. In fact, the heroine, Marie-Therese, worked in the nightclub owned by Rhevenge, the sympath vampire. She brings in other characters for “cameos”. Only her fans will recognize them.

Normally I don't give ratings on this blog, but I will this time just for the sake of comparison. Whereas I would have given each of her first six books an A+, A- or A, I have to give Covet a B-. I am thoroughly convinced that Ward can't write a "bad" book. Covet was good enough for me to read the next installment in the series, but I’m really waiting for vampire John Matthew’s story which comes out in February 2010.

Since it was another perfect, sunny 70 degree day in Atlanta, I decided to find a new place to hang out and read my research material for Someday at Christmas.

Thanks to a very nice man at the Fayette County Recreation Department, I discovered a beautiful spot called Starr's Mill right on Highway 85. Here's where I spent a couple of hours today:

Here's a little history on this scenic spot from http://www.times-herald.com/Local/Starrs-Mill-a-popular-attraction-643159

"Starr's Mill, just a few miles north of Senoia, is probably one of the most famous -- or at least the most-photographed -- sites on the old McIntosh Trail, featured in numerous magazines and even in the Reese Witherspoon film "Sweet Home Alabama."

But even though a mill was located at the site from a very early period, when Creek and Cherokee Indians were still living in west Georgia, the current structure isn't nearly so old.

The mill changed hands three more times in the 20th century. This mill -- the building which still exists today, built on the foundation of the original burned mill -- operated until 1959, using a water-powered turbine, instead of a wheel, to grind corn and operate a sawmill.

The Starr's Mill site also included a cotton gin and a dynamo that produced electricity for nearby Senoia.

The Fayette County Water Department has owned the site since Feb. 1991. The county has used the millpond as a drinking water source since 1994 and has repaired the building's foundation and painted and fixed the roof."

Great day ...

GOD CREATED CHILDREN (AND IN THE PROCESS GRANDCHILDREN)

To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students, here is something to make you chuckle.

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And one of the first things He said was, "DON'T!"

"Don 't what?" Adam replied.

"Don't eat the forbidden fruit," God said.

"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve, we have forbidden fruit! "

" No Way! "

"Yes way! "

"Do NOT eat the fruit! " said God.

"Why? "

"Because I am your Father and I said so! " God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants

A few minutes later, God saw His children having an fruit break and He was ticked! "Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked.

"Uh huh," Adam replied.

"Then why did you?" said The Father.

"I don't know," said Eve.

"She started it! " Adam said.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"DID NOT! "

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you? THINGS TO THINK ABOUT!

1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.

2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own children.

3. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.

4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said

5 The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own

6. We childproofed our homes, but they are still getting in.

ADVICE FOR THE DAY: Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home one day.

This is a continuation of my entry from last Friday. 

If you've ever had an evil voice whisper in your ear, "You look terrible today," I want you to bookmark this page. Now, go look in the mirror and smile ...

Busy day on tap today. Hopefully I'll get some writing done while I'm sitting and waiting at my various errands.

A friend sent this to me, and I thought the ideas expressed the hearts of many women ...

This weekend is supposed to be rainy in Atlanta again ...

All I have planned is the combined birthday party for my grandsons on Sunday. One is six the other is nine. That's so hard to believe. It seems like they were just born yesterday.

Today I just want to encourage you. We all have those days when we wake up feeling ugly. Bookmark this page and refer to it whenever that happens to you.

Now, don't you feel beautiful?

This isn't funny, but it sure is interesting ...

Michael Fuller, author of Chronicles of a Nappy Head, told me about this workshop. So that's what I'll  be doing tomorrow.

I finally finished my line edits and just sent the manuscript to the agent. Now I'm praying that she will be able to sell it ...

Here's some food for thought:

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2009 when...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7 Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12 You're reading this and nodding and laughing ...

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list

AND NOW YOU ARE LAUGHING at yourself.

*****

Aging Aunt Mildred was a 93-year-old woman who was particularly despondent over the recent death of her husband. She decided that she would just kill herself and join him in death.

Thinking that it would be best to get it over with quickly, she took out his old Army pistol and made the decision to shoot herself in the heart, since it was badly broken in the first place.

Not wanting to miss the vital organ and become a vegetable and a burden to someone, she called her doctor's office to inquire as to just exactly where the heart would be on a woman. The doctor said, 'Your heart would be just below your left breast'.

Later that night........ Mildred was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to her knee.

*****

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This week people shared some crazy stuff with me, so I thought I'd pass it on ...

Kanye and Obama

Patrick Swayze's Chippendale's Audition (Click on the YouTube Link to view.)

Rapping Flight attendant (you may have seen this one already, but it's great!)

Tee for Joe Wilson

I'm looking forward to a great weekend. The weather people say the ATL should be warm and dry for the DragonCon parade on Saturday

and the Decatur Book Festival all weekend. You know I have to be there to watch Eric Jerome Dickey work the crowd ...

With all things literary in mind, I have to share author Carleen Brice's wish:

"If I ruled the literary world, the African-American fiction section of bookstores would smell like cookies. Every time someone entered the section, confetti would fall, angels would sing and champagne punch would flow like a river. And everybody who bought a novel by a black author would get a kiss on the cheek or a handshake from Barack Obama himself."