Wonderful illustrations bring us back up to Grandpa's mountain farmhouse
for a Thanksgiving homecoming. Pip will soon have a Thanksgiving surprise,
but what exactly will it be? Will it have to do with the treats in the oven?
Pecan pie with oatmeal? Cornbread? Dutch apple pie? Mmmmm, they all smell so
good!
Will it have to do with a new park for all of the children to play in,
being built at a neighbor's farm? Wow! A brand new park where everyone, and
I mean everyone, is working very hard. Will it have to do with little Barney
who is the littlest goat ever and who is really working hard and chomp chomp
chomping away to make the park soft and free of brush?
Or finally, will it have to do with Pip's best friend ever, Maggie? Read
along, and let's find out together. We don't have that long. Thanksgiving is
coming very soon!
About the Author
Julia Russo spent many winters in the mountains along with her little dog,
Chloe, and her sweet husband, Kent. She continues to live in Atlanta but her
heart is really in those woods.
One of her favorite things ever was hearing her first graders read aloud.
She sometimes wrote for the government and companies, and later wrote
descriptions of homes. She even spent time as what is called a
roustabout!
After her debut book, Maggie the Cat Who Came Home for Christmas, released
in 2023, Julia is excited to continue the series. She visits her
mountainside cabin often. One of these days, she’s hoping to get a
little goat.
Available anywhere books are sold, as well as digital library services.
How I Went from Failed Writer to Drug Mule, and Back, Without Really Trying
Blurb
After a shocking event on Halloween night, Charlie Barnes is back in the news for all the wrong reasons. On the bright side, he meets handsome cop Luke. Luke of the blue eyes, perfect nose, beautiful butt cheeks, and, unbeknownst to Charlie, ulterior motives.
Even bad publicity can be good for book sales, according to Charlie's publisher, who promptly moves up the deadline for his next book. A book he hasn't started due to a crushing case of writer's block. Or perhaps he's just lazy, it’s hard to tell with Charlie.
He's got a month to write his next book, decide if Luke is for real, and figure out what to do about the suitcase full of drugs he abandoned at the airport. The pressure is on and the ride is about to get bumpy.
Excerpt
Lying on a beach, soaking in warm summer sun and cool ocean breezes. It’s heaven, until a wave rolls in and crashes on top of me. Next thing you know, I’m gasping for air and choking on my own bath water. Not dreaming anymore.
Or am I? Is Detective-Too-Good-To-Be-True in my kitchen? Did he draw this bath, light these candles, and leave me in peace long enough for me to drown in my tub? A gentle knock on the door. He must have heard me doing the breaststroke. Before I say come in, he comes in. Not dreaming, not this part.
“You doin’ okay in here?” He asks with such sweetness I feel guilty for thinking it’s too much. But it is. We’ll work on this later.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Seeing how much water I can get on the floor before the tub falls through it.”
“Might not sit well with the neighbor.”
“He’s a bitch. Always complaining about how loud I walk. Fuck him.”
I toss my hands in the air and give him my best ‘who gives damn’ face and end this part of the conversation with “If he wanted quiet, he should have bought the penthouse.”
“Since when is the fifth floor of anything the penthouse?”
Not sweet. This is better.
“If it’s on the top, it’s the penthouse. Prove me wrong.”
“I’d rather feed you.” He hands me a towel. He doesn’t leave. A dare.
I take the dare. I stand up, hang the towel over a hook, and grab my shower handle thing, what is it called? Shower handle, maybe? Whatever it is, I spray myself down, sending water everywhere. He gets wet and starts laughing. As God is my witness, his buttons will be pushed. He can’t take everything in stride.
When I step out of the tub the room spins. He grabs me by the shoulders and guides my butt onto the toilet, which, thankfully is closed and does not have a candle on it.
“Sit still,” he commands.
What? He takes the towel and starts drying me off. I know where this is going, at least for me. I have to stop this. I don’t want to stop this. But I have to. We can’t have sex, there’s lasagna to be eaten. Lasagna is better than sex. But if you’re going to have sex, having it before eating lasagna is better than after.
We are not having sex. Not tonight. And when we do, I won’t talk about and I certainly won’t write about it. I might mention it, I might even brag, but there won’t be any details. This is neither porn nor erotica. Some things have to be private.
“I can handle it from here.”
Disappointment flashes across his face. It didn’t last long, but it was there. Good. He puts a hand on my cheek. His hand is warm, and soft, and big. He kisses me on my damp forehead and says “Then hurry up, I’m hungry.”
Laughing hurts my ribs and makes me stop. Then he laughs at me, which makes me laugh again. It’s a hot mess of pain and happiness and arousal, and all sorts of other things running around inside my body and banging around my brain. Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes. This is the man for me.
“Get out before you kill me.”
He pulls the towel over my head and walks out, still laughing. Quick as I can, I get dry, get dressed, and meet him at the table. There’s a salad, the aforementioned lasagna, a bottle of wine, flowers, and candles. He must have gone shopping because none of this stuff came from my pantry. I’m not even sure I have a pantry. He pours the wine, lifts his glass, waits for me to lift mine and says, “Welcome home Charlie.”
I pull my glass back “You said that already. Come up with something new.”
“Geez, Charlie,” he pretends to be annoyed. He’s not annoyed. He’s challenged and he likes it.
“Here’s to not dying in a Dorothy costume in the parking lot of a seasonally gay nightclub.”
That’s more like it.
Free Use Image from Open Clipart Vectors
Ornery Owl's Rating:
Five out of Five Stars
This wonderfully irreverent story hits hard from the first line when the protagonist, Charlie Barnes, regains consciousness bruised and battered while dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Charlie pulls the reader along on his wild journey leading to the discovery of how and why he ended up in this state.
Charlie's tale is hilarious and outrageous, and Charlie is a self-serving, morally ambiguous protagonist. He doesn't mean any harm, he simply doesn't have a filter and he has a knack for finding trouble. He is by no means a model of appropriate, healthy, or admirable behavior, but the reader can't help but want to be part of Charlie's world.
While I normally knock a star off a story that engages in any kind of appearance shaming, there is an exception to every rule. Everyone is fair game for Charlie's razor wit, and he tends to judge character far more harshly than looks. While he does refer to drug dealer Harvey's muscle as Gerry the Pig Face, his dislike of Gerry stems from the goon's actions far more than his appearance. His thoughts about the full-figured Mizz Jamie are complimentary.
If you're looking for a serious story about the ill effects of illicit drugs on society, this isn't it. This story is wacky, wild, and crass. Although it doesn't contain any graphic descriptions of sex or drug use, this book is only appropriate for readers 18+ because sex, drugs, and copious amounts of profanity are present throughout. However, if you want to vicariously live out a few crazy days alongside a protagonist who lives life on his own terms and has a knack for getting into sticky situations, strap in and join Charlie on the craziest, funniest literary ride you'll find anywhere.
To sum things up, I loved it and hope to see more of Charlie's antics in the future.
About the Author
C.R. "Charlie" Barnes studied literature and journalism in college and went to work for a global news organization immediately after graduation. During his time there, the team won a pile of awards and Charlie was on his way to a low-paying, high-stress career in a business he didn’t love. He now spends his time writing fiction because the news was never good, and one thing Charlie likes is a good time. Or at least not a bad time.
Join Dara the Panda on an adventurous pirate quest where the true riches
are the bonds of friendship and fun!
Ahoy, little adventurers! Meet Dara, the imaginative panda who dreams of
being a pirate. Wearing her striped shirt, pink bow, and red skirt, Dara
sets sail with her friends—Mike the monkey, Tao the tiger, and Lulu
the colorful bird—on a thrilling treasure hunt. As they explore leafy
forests and rocky rivers, they encounter exciting surprises and new friends
along the way.
As Dara and her crew brave storms and meet a friendly pirate crew, they
discover that the real treasure isn’t gold or jewels but the joy of
friendship and the fun they share. With bravery and camaraderie, Dara and
her friends overcome the storm's fury and find that the greatest rewards
come from the friendships they build and the adventures they share.
Adventure awaits in every treasure hunt. Get your copy today and follow
Dara the Panda on an imaginative adventure as she sets sail on a pirate
quest in her latest tale!
About the Author
As a child with a vast imagination, Xiao spent countless hours creating new
worlds and playful adventures in her backyard. Now, she channels those
experiences and her creative spirit into writing engaging stories for young
children. With a happy smile and a pen dancing across the pages, Xiao brings
new characters to life, hoping to encourage children to use their own
imaginations and creativity while learning about friendship, determination,
and kindness.
When Xiao isn’t dreaming up new adventures for her characters, she
happily tends her flowers, learns to sew, or plays outside with her own
little bundles of joy. Join Xiao on many journeys through the wonder of
words and spark children’s imaginations everywhere!
