Willy Nilly Friday Five and Feline Friday

Yikes!  Summer is going by so quickly and I've not posted much about it.  Seems like I'm so busy trying to keep up with yard work, housework, taking care of my mom etc..that I barely have time to breath much less blog.  I miss it,  so every now & then I manage to do a post just to let you all know I'm still alive.

Joining Tom (The Backroads Traveller) for WILLY NILLY FRIDAY FIVE
and Sandee (Comedy Plus) for FELINE FRIDAY

1. June was a nice cool month and we had a nice surprise on June 29th with a tiny rainshower and a rainbow.  This is the best shot I could manage of the rainbow....

Others were much luckier.  You can view their shots HERE and HERE

That same evening the sunset was just wonderful and I snapped this shot of it:

 

2. Drove up to Bennington Lake one evening and spotted these colorful kayaks out on the lake.

 

 

3.  I also found some Queen Anne's lace to photograph.

Here is an "artsy" edit of the same photo.

 



 

4.  On the way out of the lake I spotted a Quail sitting on a fence post.  I quickly pulled into a nearby turnout and quietly got out of the car and got as close as I could without spooking the quail.  I've always wanted to get a shot of a quail like this.  Sadly I didn't quite get the quail in good focus but it's not a bad shot and I'll keep working on getting just the perfect shot of a quail.

 



 

5.  We didn't go out of town over the 4th of July but we did manage a picnic at one of the local parks.  Below are shots of us having a good time.

 



 

 

6.  Bonus shot of one of the many hanging baskets in our down town.

 



 

Now for FELINE FRIDAY....

 

 



A shot of Bandit watching one of the other cats.  He has such gorgeous eyes.

 

 

It's a HOT one here this week.  The high today is expected to be 102 so I'm leaving you with this musical selection.

 

 



 

Have a great weekend.  For those of you in the "Heat Wave" areas stay cool and safe.

Book Review - In Peppermint Peril by Joy Avon

In Peppermint Peril is the debut book in Joy Avon new series: A Book Tea Shop Mystery.

The book takes place in a charming little town in Maine called, Hearts Harbor. The main character of the story, Calliope (Callie) returns to Hearts Harbor to spend Christmas with her Great Aunt Iphigenia, (affectionately referred to as Aunt Iphy).  Aunt Iphy runs a Book Tea Shop that serves up loads of yummy treats all with a "book clue" in them.

As you get into the book you discover that a special Tea Party has been set up at Haywood Hall where Callie spent many happy times as a child.  Callie is now a Travel Tour Guide but is spending the Christmas Holiday with her Great Aunt.

As the town all gathers at Haywood Hall for what they believe to be the reading of the owner's new will a murder takes place.

Callie takes it upon herself to help solve this crime because it involves people she cares about.  She meets up with the town Deputy Sheriff Falk , whom at first she isn't even sure he's qualified to solve a murder.  As the story unfolds they end up more or less working together to put the pieces of puzzle together to solve the murder.

There are a couple of "subplots" in the story that tie into the story line without distracting the reader from the main plot.

After the inital confusion of trying to figure out what a Book Tea Shop actually was I started to really get into the story.  The characters were easy to follow and relatable.  There seemed to be a hint of a "romance" to possibly follow between Callie and the Deputy in future books in this series.

It's an, easy to read book free from foul language and explicit sexual situations.  If you are looking for a charming read with a bit of mystery I would recommend trying this new series.  Available here on Amazon for Pre-Order.

Thank you to Net Galley and Joy Avon for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.  -  I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out.  I give this book a 4 Star Rating.

Wordless Wednesday - June 27, 2018

Welcome! Joining WORDLESS WEDNESDAY today.

                                           CONTEMPLATION

        Okay so it's not totally "wordless" but it works.

Tuesday Fun

Joining in on TUESDAY FUN over on Comedy Plus

First at SOOC (Straight Out of Camera) shot:

Spotted a hubcap in the up against the street curb the other night while on a short walk.  Took this shot - Can you see me?

Let's have some fun with this photo...

Not to different, just a little boost in color. - Continuing on....

Playing around on PicMonkey with the levels and such.  Sort of Black/White abstract look to this one.

 Took it over to BeFunky for a different look.

Finally edited both on BeFunky and PicMonkey...I added a butterfly and saying to the shot.

 My how that hubcap has changed!!!

Hope you had as much fun looking at my art as I did creating it.

Enjoy your day.

Book Review - More Than Meets The Eye

Today I'm reviewing the book:  More Than Meets The Eye by Karen Witemeyer. 

Description of the book off Net Galley:

 

Many consider Evangeline Hamilton cursed. Orphaned at a young age and possessing a pair of mismatched eyes--one bright blue, the other dark brown--Eva has fought to find her way in a world that constantly rejects her. Yet the support of even one person can help overcome the world's judgments, and Eva has two--Seth and Zach, two former orphans she now counts as brothers.

Seeking justice against the man who stole his birthright and destroyed his family, Logan Fowler arrives in 1880s Pecan Gap, Texas, to confront Zach Hamilton, the hardened criminal responsible for his father's death. Only instead of finding a solitary ruthless gambler, he discovers a man not much older than himself with an unusual family. When Zach's sister, Evangeline, insists on dousing Logan with sunshine every time their paths cross, Logan finds his quest completely derailed. Who is truly responsible for his lost legacy, and will restoring the past satisfy if it means forfeiting a future with Evangeline?

 

My thoughts:  First off normally I'm not a huge fan of Historical Fiction but I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  The author had a wonderful way of drawing you into the story.  The main characters in the book were: Evangeline, Logan, Seth and Zach.

 

Evangeline has an unusual facial feature (two different colored eyes) that have caused her some problems from a very young age from people who misjudged her and even feared her to be from the devil because of this.

 

Orphaned at a young age she becomes adopted by two other orphans, Seth and Zach during a tragedy in their young lives. The story jumps ahead to find them as young adults.  From here she meets, Logan, the main male character in the book.  A Cardsharp bound and determined to get justice for his father's death and for losing his family home. - He meets "Evie" and soon discovers that he's met his match and that he may just be seeking for revenge rather than justice and that his heart may also be leading him in another direction.

 

Evie has strong Christian values and soon teaches Logan that he needs to search his own heart to find peace and happiness rather than revenge.  Along the way there is another "subplot" involving a young woman that Evie and her brothers take into their home after she is rescued by Logan and Evie from a near drowning. - I rather enjoyed having the subplot in the story as it helped to draw all the characters together and added to the story.

 

The book held my interest and I thoroughly enjoyed finding out how it all ended.  I was hoping at the end of the story though that the author would do a follow-up book on one of Evie's adopted brothers as I just felt the story sort of left you dangling as far as his character was concerned.

The book is easy to read and one that will hold your attention till the very end of the story.

 

I was not paid in any way for my review other than receiving an, e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.