Book Review, Movie Review, Music, and One of the Last Excerpts!

Sorry that I've missed doing my blog the past two days. Tuesday I was quite sick with a stomach bug and didn't get on the computer to do anything really. I tried to sit and write, but couldn't concentrate with the horrible stomach pain I was experiencing. Yesterday was the first day of Fall Break for the kids so the day was a little crazy and then yesterday evening my husband and I went out to celebrate our ninth anniversary.

While I was sick I was finally able to finish The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong and am anxious to read the sequel book The Awakening. The story was a bit slow to get going and the hook was difficult to get hooked on at first, leaving me to understand why my daughter Scarlett had given up on the book early on and never finished it. However, if you give it a chance and keep reading it, it gets very interesting and eventually you can't hardly stop reading.

The Summoning is the story of Chloe Saunders, a fifteen year old girl who begins seeing ghosts and is hospitalized in a group home for mentally ill teens. She's diagnosed as being schizophrenic, but begins to realize through the help of some of the other kids in the home that she's not crazy, she really does see and hear ghosts. Chloe discovers she's a necromancer, a person who can communicate with and raise the dead. The plot thickens as she finds that she's not alone as a "supernatural" in the group home. This discovery leads to deeper and darker secrets about the group home she's been placed in. I recommend, if you like paranormal YA lit, that you check out this book at your local library!

Last night we went to the movies and saw "The Ugly Truth" with Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler in it. This was a terrific romantic comedy that was absolutely hilarious and made even better by the sight of Gerard Butler. We laughed ourselves silly at this movie and enjoyed every minute of it. Katherine Heigl plays a producer of a morning show who finds herself dealing with the crass character of Gerard Butler who gets hired to do a segment about relationships between men and women called "The Ugly Truth". Of course, it's no surprise to any moviegoers that they end up falling for each other, but the process of how they get from hating each other to falling in love is so full of laughs that you just have to watch it. There's enough crass and sexual humor for guys to love this movie as well. It's a great date movie and may still be out at your local dollar saver cinema like where we found it last night. Otherwise, wait till it comes out on DVD and catch this hilarious movie while curled up on the couch.

The music of the moment is found on a CD I borrowed from the library by Josh Kelley called "Almost Honest" and the particular song on right now is called "Lover Come Up". It's something new, something I haven't heard before and thought I'd try. So far I really like it and would recommend others to take a listen to Josh Kelley.

The excerpt of the day is nearing the last to be be posted from Awakening of a Guardian. If you have not yet purchased your copy, purchase it now. I will not post any excerpts from the final chapter!

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I insisted that we stick together through the night, regardless of where the guys were. As the night progressed, I was getting chillier and remembered the hoodie I had left in Evander’s car. “Hey Amie, do you mind walking to the parking lot with me? I left my hoodie in Evander’s car and want to get it. I’m getting cold.”

“Sure. I left my jacket in Nate’s car too and wouldn’t mind getting that out either.”

Just then, I realized that I could sense my parents in the crowd somewhere, although I couldn’t see them anywhere. I tried sending Dad a message through my thought projection skill.

Dad, where are you? I can sense you here at the bonfire. What are you doing here?

I waited a minute, pushing my mind out to hear his response. Finally, I heard his thoughts. We could not wait at home worrying that something would happen to you. I wanted to be here in case things go badly and you needed a doctor. Thomas and Gloria are here with us. They did not want to be away either. Where are you?

Amie and I are heading to grab our jackets. We’ll meet you by the refreshment stand when we get back in a few minutes.

Alright, just be safe and watch out for Amie.

“My parents are here along with Evander’s. Apparently, they just couldn’t stay away worrying about us. I told them we’d meet them at the refreshment stand after we grab our jackets quickly,” I explained to Amie.

“Okay. That sounds fine. Let’s hurry up. I’m freezing.”

We fought our way out of the crowd of students and walked to the parking lot. I looked around carefully, but saw no one in the lot. Evander’s car was parked farther away from the field than Nate’s car was, but Nate’s was in the back row.

As we neared the cars in the lot, Amie said, “I’m just going to run over to Nate’s car and get my jacket really quick. I’ll meet back up with you here.”

Against my better judgment, I agreed to go along with that plan. “Okay. I don’t see anyone out here, and most everyone is still involved with the celebration at the bonfire. I didn’t see Jackson or his father leave before we did, although I was having trouble seeing through the throngs of people.”

Cautiously, I kept walking towards Evander’s car, looking back trying to spot Amie in the growing distance between us. It was dark in the lot, making it more difficult to see her as I walked further and further from where we had split up.

Finally, I reached Evander’s car. My hoodie was tossed in the back seat, so I opened the back door and leaned in. Suddenly, out of nowhere I felt someone grab me by my hair with one hand covering my mouth with the other and yank me out of the car, busting my head against the doorframe as they did this. They said nothing and as much as I fought, I couldn’t turn to face my attacker. I could tell by the brute force that it was a man or at least someone male. He pulled me towards the back of the car and smacked my face down hard onto the trunk. I could feel the snap of my nose breaking and the gush of warm blood before he leaned his body closely against mine and whispered into my ear.

“Well, my love. It seems we’re in quite a fix here. You don’t want to be with me, and I just can’t have that. One way or another we’re going to work this out. Now, I’m going to let go of your mouth, and you’re not going to scream. Do you understand me?” I nodded my head as much as his tight grip would let me. “If you make a single peep and my father hears it, he will kill Amie immediately. You understand that?” I nodded again and he slowly released his hand from my mouth. With his newly freed hand, he reached his arm around me wrapping my arms and waist up in his grip so I could barely move. Half-dragging, half-carrying me, he headed towards the school building.