Monday, May 30, 2011

Review: Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook: Desserts

Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: DayMaker (July 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616262923
ISBN-13: 978-1616262921

Book Description

This superb collection of dessert recipes—from bestselling author of Amish fiction Wanda E. Brunstetter—will transport taste buds to the slow lane, where life is meant to be savored and appreciated. More than 125 recipes for authentic Amish cookery, including homemade cakes, candies, cookies, pies, and cobblers, are complemented by full-color photographs and inspiring thoughts celebrating the simple life.

About the Author

Award-winning, bestselling author, Wanda E. Brunstetter became fascinated with the Amish way of life when she first visited her husband's Mennonite relatives living in Pennsylvania. Wanda and her husband, Richard, live in Washington State but take every opportunity to visit Amish settlements throughout the States, where they have several Amish friends.

My Review

What a delightful accompaniment to Wanda Brunstetter's wonderful books about the Amish...Wunderbar Gut Desserts From The Heart of Amish Country! This cookbook is beautifully illustrated with photographs of the Amish life as well as mouthwatering pictures of the desserts. Mmmm...Shoofly Pie, Apple Pandowdy, Magic Cobbler, Strawberry Divinity...the list of delicious Amish desserts goes on and on.

The book contains the following chapters:

Cakes
Candy
Cookies and Bars
Ice Cream, Toppings and Frozen Desserts
Pies
Puddings and Cobblers
Other Desserts

What a wonderful cookbook to add to your collection. The recipes are all very straightforward and sound absolutely delicious!

Review: 40 Days To Better Living - Optimal Health

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Barbour Books (July 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616262648
ISBN-13: 978-1616262648

Product Description

You want to feel better—and 40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health provides clear, manageable steps to get you there, through life-changing attitudes and actions. If you’re ready to really live better, select one or more elements of the 7-step Model for Health Living—Faith, Medical, Movement, Work, Emotional, Family and Friends, and Nutrition—and follow the 40-day plan to improve your life, just a bit, day by day. With plenty of practical advice, biblical encouragement, and stories of real people who’ve taken the same journey, this book—from the Church Health Center in Memphis, the largest faith-based clinic of its type in the U.S.—may be the most important book you read this year!

(20110328)

Book Description

Many people want to feel better—and this book provides clear, manageable steps to get them there, through life-changing attitudes and actions. Readers choose the areas of life they want to improve—Faith, Medical, Movement, Work, Emotional, Family and Friends, and Nutrition—and follow the 40-day plan to better living.

My Review

If you really devoted yourself to following this book for the 40 days, you really could change your life. There is a six week plan that has you following along with a different person's story of how they've changed their life each week. Dr. Morris takes you on a 40 day journey to improving your life following these steps: begin with a morning reflection as your faith life is essential to the entire process. Follow different steps such as medical - make a list of your medical concerns and movement - take a walk! Evaluate the following things in your life: work, emotional, family and friends and your nutrition. It is a workbook and places to write notes on your progress.

Great book to get you up and moving, watching your weight and your health with faith as your base. Great motivation!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Review: The Ranger by Ace Atkins

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult (June 9, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399157484
ISBN-13: 978-0399157486

Product Description

From the acclaimed, award-winning author comes an extraordinary new series about a real hero, and the real Deep South.

Bestselling author John Sandford says:

“The Ranger is a tough, violent thriller set in contemporary Mississippi, with the feel of classic westerns like Shane and High Noon. Quinn Colson, an Army Ranger and the veteran of numerous missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, rides into town (in a pickup, of course) to find a Tibbehah County corrupted by methamphetamine peddlers and out-of-control greed, and his uncle, the sheriff, shot dead in a questionable suicide. Allied with a tomboy deputy—this is going to be an interesting relationship—Colson starts cleaning the place up… with explosive consequences. With terrific, inflected characters, and a dark, subtle sense of place and history, The Ranger is an exceptional novel.”

Michael Connelly says:

“I have always been impressed with (and jealous of) how easy Ace Atkins makes it look. The Ranger is by far his best work, a tough and fully gripping story about reconciliation and determination. I hope Quinn Colson and Lillie Virgil stick around for a good long time.”

Ace Atkins returns with an extraordinary new series. Northeast Mississippi, hill country, rugged and notorious for outlaws since the Civil War, where killings are as commonplace as in the Old West. To Quinn Colson, it's home-but not the home he left when he went to Afghanistan.

Now an Army Ranger, he returns to a place overrun by corruption, and finds his uncle, the county sheriff, dead-a suicide, he's told, but others whisper murder. In the days that follow, it will be up to Colson to discover the truth, not only about his uncle, but about his family, his friends, his town, and not least about himself. And once the truth is discovered, there is no turning back.

About the Author

Ace Atkins is the author of White Shadow, Wicked City, Devil's Garden, Infamous, and four Nick Travers novels. He lives on a farm outside Oxford, Mississippi.

My Review

I am so thrilled to discover another amazing author. Ace Atkins is brilliant in portraying the corruption in modern day northeast Mississippi. The Ranger, Quinn Colson, a career army soldier returns home for the first time in six years to attend his beloved uncle's funeral. He immediately senses the changes in his hometown of Jericho not just with the newcomers but with people he has known all his life. But then how well do we really know those around us.

Quinn Colson acts quickly to stabilize and eliminate the corruption that has overtaken Jericho in the years since he has been gone. It is action packed and full of twists and turns. It was hard to put this book down. This poverty-stricken area of the south which provided the dark, gritty background filled with contemptuous characters made for an amazing combination perfect for our hero, The Ranger.

I highly recommend this exciting crime thriller and am looking forward to more of my new hero, Quinn Colson's adventures in Jericho, Mississippi.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Review: Live Loved: Live Loved: Experiencing God's Presence in Everyday Life by Max Lucado

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Gift edition (May 3, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1404190066
ISBN-13: 978-1404190061

Product Description

Imagine how your life would change if you were sure God loves you! Using the same popular format as Grace for the Moment, Live Loved brings fresh, new devotionals based on the writings of Max Lucado. Included is a broad range of topics such as facing your fears, accepting His grace, and truly knowing God's omnipresent love. Each devotional is accompanied by an ending prayer to nurture a stronger prayer life for new believers, as well as long-standing Christ followers. It's a new devotional from one of America's leading Christian writers that will help men and women experience life from a whole new perspective.

About Max Lucado

Max Lucado loves words – written, spoken – it does not matter. He loves to craft sentences that are memorable, inspiring and hopefully life-changing. In almost 25 years of writing, more than 100 million products—80 million books—filled with his words have been sold.

Max is the only author to have won three Christian Book of the Year* awards—in 1999 for Just Like Jesus, in 1997 for In the Grip of Grace, and in 1995 for When God Whispers Your Name. In 2005, Reader’s Digest magazine dubbed him “America’s Best Preacher” and in 2004, Christianity Today magazine called him “America’s Pastor.” The product line for 3:16—The Numbers of Hope sold more than four million units worldwide, including one million units of the cornerstone trade book of the same title (released in September 2007), making it the fastest selling Lucado product in his career. His latest, Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference (September 2010) hit both the Publishers Weekly and New York Times bestseller lists and has been featured on “Fox & Friends” and “CNN American Morning.” He has participated on the “Good Morning America” Christmas Day panel in 2009 and 2010.

His works have appeared on every major national bestseller list including Publishers Weekly, USA Today, The New York Times, Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and Christian Booksellers Association. He has been featured in countless media outlets and national broadcasts.

Max’s writings have been published in a wide array of formats including adult books, gift books, children’s titles, Bibles, commentaries, calendars and devotionals. He is also the author/creator of “Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends” brand family, one of the most popular animated DVD series in the marketplace, with more than 5 million units sold to date. His words have also inspired a branded line of greeting cards and gift books for Hallmark/Dayspring that has sold more than 15 million copies since its 2001 debut. He is currently serving as a contributing editor for Leadership Journal magazine.

Max Lucado is a Minister of Preaching at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, where he has served since 1988. He has been married to Denalyn Preston Lucado since 1981, and they have three grown daughters—Jenna, Andrea and Sara—and one son-in-law, Brett.

Click Here To Visit His Website

Click Here To Visit The Live Loved Website

My Review

Love is what it is all about and in this inspiring devotional, Max Lucado explores different kinds of love. This book is divided into the following sections:

Loved with a Steadfast Love
Loved with a Perfect Love
Loved with a Wise Love
Loved with a Merciful Love
Loved to Love Others

Within each of the five sections listed above, Max Lucado explores each type of love in several devotionals. Each devotional begins with a scripture verse then provides a devotion from one of his previous books. He then provides a prayer as well as additional verses of scripture.

I have always been a huge fan of the writings of Max Lucado and highly recommend this devotional as a gift or for yourself.

Review: Shared Blessings (A Place to Belong): Inspiration for a Woman's Heart by Circle of Friends Ministries

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Barbour Books (August 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602609861
ISBN-13: 978-1602609860

Product Description

Looking for “a place to belong”? Find it in God’s love! Shared Blessings provides 90 devotional readings from female writers, guaranteed to provide a spiritual boost. This new compilation focuses on God’s kindness and all the good things He provides. Entries from writers past and present provide encouragement to see God at work in daily life, jobs, friendships, and family. With well-known contributors like Sheila Walsh, Thelma Wells, Wanda E. Brunstetter, Hannah Whitall Smith, and Frances Ridley Havergal, Shared Blessings also includes heartfelt entries from women of the Circle of Friends Ministry based in Ohio’s Amish country.

(20100913)

Book Description

Every woman needs “a place to belong”—and that’s the underlying theme of Shared Blessings, a new devotional compilation focusing on God’s love and all the good things He provides. These 90 readings, from female Christian writers past and present, provide encouragement to see God at work in daily life, jobs, friendships, and family.

From the Back Cover

Open your heart and find a place to belong. . .

Shared Blessings features inspiring devotionals from female Christian authors past and present-- including Hannah Whitall Smith, Amy Carmichael, Corrie ten Boom, Beth Moore, and Sheila Walsh.

The writings, especially chosen by the Circle of Friends organization, will encourage your heart and strengthen your faith through stories, insights, biblical applications, and refreshing honesty.

Circle of Friends Ministries is a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging women to find and follow Christ.

Click here to go to their website.

My Review

This beautiful volume is a wonderful devotional for women. It is a very encouraging book and would be a lovely gift for any woman that you know. There is a Scripture Index at the end of the book as well as short biographies on each of the contributors.

Highly recommend this devotional as a gift for any woman in your life.

Review: How to Squeeze a Lemon: 1,023 Kitchen Tips, Food Fixes, and Handy Techniques by Fine Cooking Magazine

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Taunton Press (November 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781600853265
ISBN-13: 978-1600853265

Product Description

Ever wonder how to cut lemon wedges so they won’t squirt you in the eye? Or what to do with those overgrown zucchinis from the garden? How to save that bread that just won’t rise? In How to Squeeze a Lemon, home cooks and chefs alike will find a delightful and nearly endless source of cooking information reference. The follow-up to the IACP-award winning, How to Break an Egg, the wonderfully informative and entertaining How to Squeeze a Lemon is chock full of more than 1,000 fresh tips, kitchen-tested techniques, and smart substitutions that bedevil cooks every day, and all from the readers, contributors, and editors of Fine Cooking, one of America’s favorite cooking magazines.

About the Author

Filled with pages of inspiration and information for cooks of all skill levels, Fine Cooking Magazine features hands-on, how-to advice and recipes from America’s culinary experts. Visit the magazine Web site at www.FineCooking.com

My Review

How To Squeeze A Lemon is a great reference books for cooks that contains a multitude of tips and techniques. The book is divided into seven chapters:

Equipment
Produce
Meat, Fish & Poultry
Pantry
Techniques
Wine & Beer
When Things Go Wrong

It is a great book to keep with your cookbooks for quick and easy reference when needed. The only thing I found lacking was the lack of illustrations. I find illustrations to be extremely helpful most of the time.

Highly recommend this book for cooks as a helpful addition to the kitchen.

Review: Beach Lane by Sherryl Woods

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Mira; Original edition (May 31, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778329895
ISBN-13: 978-0778329893

Product Description

In the close-knit community of Chesapeake Shores, Maryland, Susie O'Brien and Mack Franklin's "not dating" claim befuddles everyone, especially since the two spend every spare minute together. Susie's thrilled when their friendship finally heats up. Then, just when happily-ever-after seems within reach, Mack loses the job he loves and Susie faces a devastating diagnosis.

But O'Briens always unite in a crisis. Even her cousin Jess, Susie's rival for most of their lives, becomes her staunchest supporter—especially when Mack's former lover comes to town. The stakes are higher than ever before, but Susie's definitely up to the challenge…as long as Mack's right there by her side.

About the Author

With her roots firmly planted in the South, Sherryl Woods has written many of her more than 100 books in that distinctive setting, whether her home state of Virginia, her adopted state, Florida, or her much-adored South Carolina. She's also especially partial to small towns, wherever they may be. A member of Novelists Inc., Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America, Sherryl divides her time between her childhood summer home overlooking the Potomac River in Colonial Beach, Virginia, and her oceanfront home, with its lighthouse view, in Key Biscayne, Florida.

My Review

This delightful novel, which is the seventh in Sherryl Wood's Chesapeake Shores series, will be released on May 31, 2011. Beach Lane features the story of Mack Franklin and Susie O'Brien who we have met in the earlier Chesapeake Shores books. Mack and Susie are "just friends" who have been spending time together for years. Everyone seems to know that they are in love and perfect for each other except them. As you can guess, this book follows their love story.

Their lives are thrown into turmoil from the beginning of the book. Mack loses a newspaper sports columnist job that he loves due to the economic downswing and lack of newspaper readership due to the internet. He takes it badly and decides against moving forward with a romance with Susie due to his changed circumstances. At the same time, Susie is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which is of course devastating to her. They decide to move ahead with their lives despite the uncertain future.

This is a beautiful love story between two mature adults. They overcome all the roadblocks thrown in their paths as they work through these obstacles together. It is not necessary to have read the previous books in the Chesapeake Shores to enjoy this novel however I believe that you will enjoy the book more if you have.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Review: The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Dutton Adult (June 9, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 052595211X
ISBN-13: 978-0525952114

Product Description

Marcus Sakey returns with his most ambitious novel, a captivating story of love and memory, where the only thing more frightening than the questions are the answers.

A man wakes up naked and cold, half-drowned on an abandoned beach. The only sign of life for miles is an empty BMW. Inside the expensive car he finds clothes that fit perfectly, shoes for his tattered feet, a Rolex, and a bank envelope stuffed with cash and an auto registration in the name of Daniel Hayes, resident of Malibu, California.

None of it is familiar.

What is he doing here? How did he get into the ocean? Is he Daniel Hayes, and if so, why doesn't he remember? While he searches for answers, the world searches for him-beginning with the police that kick in the door of his dingy motel, with guns drawn. Lost, alone, and on the run, the man who might be Daniel Hayes flees into the night.

All he remembers is a woman's face, so he sets off for the only place he might find her. The fantasy of her becomes his home, his world, his hope. And maybe, just maybe, the way back to himself.

But that raises the most chilling question of all: What will he find when he gets there?

CLICK HERE TO READ AN EXCERPT

Lee Child Reviews The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes

A native of England and a former television director, Lee Child lives in New York City, where he is at work on his next thriller, The Affair.

Like any reader, I love my old favorites…but I love new voices too, and I especially love it when a new voice starts to become an old favorite. It doesn’t happen often, but right now it’s happening with Marcus Sakey.
I read his first book pre-publication, and his next four confirmed what I sensed at the start, which was that this guy is the real deal and the complete package. He’s got it all. He writes likes a dream (or a nightmare), he creates characters exactly like people you know (or don’t want to know), he scares you (or makes you laugh), and above all keeps you turning the pages.

But most of all, he does the “what if” thing better than anyone in the business. What if you’ve gone straight for years, and then an old buddy gets out of prison and tries to drag you back? What if you get back from Iraq and find home is worse than the desert? What if you buy a house and find a bag of cash hidden in the floor? Would you keep it? What if you saw a way to steal a bad guy’s money - no harm, no foul? Would you do it?
“What if” questions power a lot of plots, but Sakey is special. He doesn’t just check a box or construct a neat twist for the sake of it. Reading him between the lines, I guarantee he really lives this stuff…he thinks it through and sweats it out, probably for weeks at a time. I can see him, looking around at the things he loves, looking at his house, turning and looking at his wife, asking himself, “What if? What is I had to put all this at risk? Would I? Could I? How would it feel? What would be the effect on me?”

It’s that kind of depth and intelligence and passion and emotion that sets Sakey apart.These are not just clever plots. These are real people with night sweats and wide eyes and everything to lose.

The new book The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes takes “what if” in a new direction and to new heights. Every writer muses, “What if the reader isn’t sure whether the husband killed his wife, or not? That’s a basic whodunit. But Sakey asks, ‘What if the husband isn’t sure whether he killed his wife, or not? That’s a terrific premise, and it boosts an already–terrific thriller plot into the stratosphere. Add in LA’s easy glitz and glamour, and coast-to-coast chase tension, and a bad guy to die for (or be killed by, and shocks and surprises galore, and you’ve got the kind of story you’ve never read before.

Or, to sum it up in one line, a what-if question of my own: what if Dennis Lehane wrote a Harlan Coben story?

--Lee Child

About the Author

Marcus Sakey is the award-winning author of The Amateurs, Good People, At the City's Edge, and The Blade Itself. He lives in Chicago. Click Here To Go To His Website.

My Review

This novel had my full attention from the first page and never lost it. It is one of the best crime drama/thrillers I've read this year so far. The book opens with Daniel Hayes struggling for life in the ocean off Maine. He has no idea where he is or who he is...he has amnesia.

I don't want to give too much away or just rehash the plot line here. Since Daniel has amnesia, the reader discovers things when Daniel does. There are so many twists and turns and surprises that the reader becomes completely immersed in the story and you really cannot stop reading...you have to know what is going to happen next. The characters, the plot, the settings...everything works perfectly to move the narrative along at a breakneck pace that does not detract from the story telling. I love the introspection where Daniel explores himself and his world throughout the novel. Who are we really? Do others really know us? Do we really know other people? The amnesia prompts Daniel to really delve into himself and to ponder those who have been around him. Does he really know his wife? Issues of trust and issues of identity flow through this wonderful tale.

I highly recommend this entertaining, intriguing, fast-paced crime drama/thriller. So thrilled to have discovered this amazing new-to-me author. If you are like me you won't be able to put it down. 5 Stars

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Holiday Monday Ride

After many weeks of rain we decided to take a ride around Vancouver on a sort of sunny Victoria Day.

Main and Hastings

BC Place roof replacement project

English Bay

Vancouver Skyline From Stanley Park

Cruise Ship Terminal in the Background

Lions Gate Bridge From Stanley Park

English Bay is looking very quiet!

Not Hawaii...Vancouver

Granville Island looking toward the Burrard Street Bridge

Amazing Bakery on Granville Island

Out of Focus but you get the idea.

Raspberry Macarons...amazing.

I could have eaten one of everything...

Kits (Kitsilano Beach)

Martini's on Broadway

Best Pizza Ever!

Great ride...the roads were not too crowded as it was a holiday.

Book Review and Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour: Murder on the Interstate by Jean Henry Mead

Perfect Paperback: 220 pages
Publisher: Oak Tree Press (April 29, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1610090144
ISBN-13: 978-1610090148

Product Description

While traveling a northern Arizona highway, Senior Sleuths Dana Logan and Sarah Cafferty watch in horror as a pick up truck chases a Mercedes convertible past their motorhome, ultimately forcing the car off the roadway and into a ravine. Dana applies the brakes and pulls over to offer aid. She discovers the body of a beautiful young woman in the Mercedes when gunshots ring out. Stunned, she and Sarah realize they're the targets! The bullets disable their motorhome and a long-haul driver comes to their rescue, giving them a lift into Flagstaff, where they can arrange for repairs to their RV. The idea of resuming their trip home is back-burnered, however, when the first person they spot at the truckstop is their shooter. Coincidence? Dana thinks not. Quickly, the women scheme to turn the tables on the woman's killer, and the chase is on… Sometimes hunters, sometimes the hunted, Dana and Sarah delve into the shooter’s identity and activities. They find more than a few surprises, and soon realize they have stumbled into a plot that not only endangers them, but puts national security in the crosshairs.

About The Author

Jean Henry Mead is a mystery/suspense and western historical novelist. She's also an award-winning photojournalist. One of her fortes is interviewing writers, actors, politicians, artists and ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things. She began her writing career as a California news reporter/editor/photographer, first in Central California and later in San Diego. Mead then transferred to Casper, Wyoming, to serve as a staff writer for the statewide newspaper. While there she served as editor of In Wyoming Magazine and two small presses. She also freelanced for other magazines, both domestically and abroad, among them the Denver Post's Empire Magazine. Her first book was published in 1981. She's since published thirteen novels and nonfiction books.

She currently writes the Hamilton Kids children’s mystery series as well as the Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense series. Her latest release in the Logan & Cafferty series is Murder on the Interstate.

Visit Jean online at www.jeanhenrymead.com. She also blogs at:

http://mysteriouspeople.blogspot.com/

http://writersofthewest.blogspot.com/

http://murderousmusings.blogspot.com/

http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/

View The Book Trailer Here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V92sNBH-TE

My Review:

This is the third book in the Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense series written by Jean Henry Mead. It is the first book that I've read in the series and I found it was not essential to have read the first two. The first thing about this book that caught my interest was the setting of Arizona which is an area that I love to travel in. The two ladies, Dana Logan and Sarah Cafferty, are originally traveling on Interstate 40 in their motor home when they come upon the accident site where a young woman has been killed and most likely murdered. Shots are fired at them at the scene and the story is off to a roaring start.

I love that the book focuses on the friendship between the two women instead of the usual focus of books which is typically on a romantic relationship between two people. Actually there is a lovesick sheriff, a character from a previous adventure, who is chasing after Dana but she would rather he stays back home! Dana's daughter Kerrie, who is a magazine writer in Denver does come to assist with the investigation. Never do you see these "older" women being frail. In fact, Dana rolls the recreational vehicle purposely at one point. They are technologically resourceful which is refreshing to see. And, it is wonderful to see these older women being portrayed as active adults. Life is not over at 60! I enjoyed the plot and the characters. What a great tale of real friendship between women. And I found the ending to be very fulfilling.

I did find this novel to be very fast paced, not only in the story but also in the writing style. So you'll need to hang on tight for the ride!

Great story...great characters...great settings...what more can you ask for!

Leave a comment at any of the tour stops during Jean Henry Mead's Murder on the Interstate VBT to be entered for your chance to win one of three free copies of the book. One of the winners will be a character in her next book.

Deadline to enter is May 27, 2011.

Read the excerpt!

Lulled by a lack of traffic and the steady beat of rain, Dana was in danger of nodding off when a convertible roared past, followed by a late model pickup. The heavy downpour obscured her view, but they appeared to be coupled like boxcars. Why were they driving that dangerously close, and why so fast in the rain?
An I-40 highway sign signaled an approaching curve so she clicked off the cruise control and slowed to forty-five. Taillights had vanished and she glanced in both side mirrors. The earlier truck traffic had also disappeared and no headlights were visible in either direction. Darkness was closing in on her.
Sarah groaned from the passenger seat, apparently still asleep. Must be the anchovies. Her friend had insisted on stopping for pizza at a Kingman roadside cafe. Dana groped for the Tums. As she rounded the curve, she noticed two sets of brake lights not far ahead. The motorhome swayed as she stepped into her own brakes and skidded on the pavement. Road signs had warned of animal crossings. The convertible might have swerved to avoid hitting a deer and gone off the mountain road. Dana pulled onto the shoulder as the pickup following the convertible screeched back on the pavement. Why hadn’t the driver stopped to help?
Bolting upright in the passenger seat, Sarah said, “What’s happening?” Her voice was thick with sleep.
“We’re about to find out.”
Headlights angled upward from somewhere off the road, illuminating a huge digger pine. It had to be the convertible. Dana opened her door and climbed down. The steps were slick with rain and she nearly lost her balance. She heard the passenger door slam as she started down the embankment. Chilled and miserably wet, she slipped and landed in a bed of pine needles. Why hadn’t she grabbed the flashlight? Dana glanced up at her friend, who stood shivering on the shoulder. “Sarah,” she yelled, “Call 911 and hurry.”
The smell of gasoline was strong, despite the heavy rain. The convertible had missed several pine trees but a boulder had stopped its forward motion. Both doors were locked. Peering through the driver’s window, she could see nothing more than shattered glass, a dime-sized hole centering the web design. She then heard several backfires and a ping of metal as though the convertible had been struck by a rock. Realizing it was a gunshot, she dropped to her knees in the mud.
Sarah!
Slipping and clawing her way up the slope, she crawled onto the shoulder. A pickup was parked behind the RV. The driver had a nervous foot. A moment later another set of headlights emerged from the curve down the road. Tires squealed as the pickup roared off. As it passed, the RV’s headlights caught a dark red truck, which appeared to be a newer model. When Dana glanced in the passenger window, Sarah was crouched between the seats, the cell phone clutched in her hand. She took her time unlocking the passenger door.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m not sure.” Sarah patted her chest, breathing heavily.
“What happened?”
“He shot up the motorhome.”
“Did he shoot at you?”
“I don’t think he saw me. He only seemed interested in wounding Matilda.”
Dana hated the name Sarah had christened the RV, but that was the least of her worries. Grabbing a flashlight, she climbed back down the steps. A quick inspection revealed inside tires still inflated but the outer ones in the back were flat. She heard an engine shift down and was caught in the glare of headlights. Signaling with her flashlight, she was relieved when the big truck slowed and pulled in behind the motorhome. The driver seemed to be endlessly checking gauges before descending from the cab. Once on the ground, a warm, plump hand gripped hers in greeting.
“The name’s McCurdy,” the husky voice said. ”Everybody calls me Big Ruby.”
At nearly six feet, she was Dana’s height although nearly twice her girth.