Meet Devynn Marie by Bebes Cheris Nursery...

Can't help myself have to share my latest creation with all of my faithful followers. One of my favorite hobbies besides reading is the Art of Reborning which simply means making dolls that look like real babies. I have been doing this for 2 years now and have sold dolls to new mommies all over the world now. This Devynn Marie which is now listed on ebay click picture to take you to the auction.

Teaser Tuesday...

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B~Should be Reading

The rules are as follows:

*Grab your current read
*Open to a random page
*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
*Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers

Here's mine:

This was disquieting news which set Henry trembling; Anne's defiance of Rome, her lack of superstitious dread, angered him against her, for he did not care that she should show more courage than he; although his conscience explained that hi felling was not fear but eagerness to assure himself that he had acted with the will of God.
pg. 223 Murder Most Royal by Jean Plaidy

Another awesome book Ms. Plaidy!!!

Book Review: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe:

Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin is working on her doctoral dissertation when she is asked by her goofy mother to clean out her late grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, Mass. Connie agrees to do this odious job for her mother even though she has time constraints and doesn't want to. She reluctantly drives up there and moves in for the summer with her little dog, Arlo. She can't even find the place on Milk St. because the front is so over grown with foliage from years of neglect. She finds the house as bad as the yard, with no phone, no electricity, but at least a flush toilet. From the beginning she realizes that she is sharing her new abode with rats, spiders, snakes and strange supernatural phenomenons. The first night she is rummaging around in the dark for something to read by the oil lamp and comes across an old bible with a strange, mysterious key inside. Upon investigating the key she discovers the name Deliverance Dane written on a small piece of parchment tucked away inside the key. This is of course where the story takes off and the quest for information on who Deliverance Dane is begins. Connie will travel back and forth between Marblehead, Salem and Cambridge Massachusetts in her pursuit for answers. Along the way she will pick up a new friend, Sam, who will eventually become her romantic interest and provide keen assistance in discovering who Deliverance Dane is and where is her Physikc Book, and how does Connie fit into this equation.

The author will take the reader back to the Salem witch hunt and trials where you will learn about Deliverance and her place in history. The story moves back and forth between the late 18th and 20th centuries. I was so excited to get this book. I simply loved the premise of the story. Early New England history is very fascinating to me, especially the Salem witch trials.

When the book came I dropped my current read and settled in with a cup tea for a long evening read. It kept my interest along the way, but that was about it. The characters were not developed well. The author would take the reader just so far and then drop the subject, especially at the beginning of chapters. I hate that. I kept expecting more development of what happened. The readers can figure out the whole plot long before the characters. It wasn't a puzzle to figure out. I knew how Connie was related to Deliverance, but I'm not sure she ever really figured it out in the story or it just wasn't that important to the author to develop the answer. This was not a complex story. There just wasn't any "ah ha" moments. I found myself saying out loud "well duh" to Connie~the protagonist several times. I came away from the book rewriting the story in my mind, wondering why the author didn't include this or that, and really wanting to know more of the story.

The premise of the story is excellent and in the right hands it could have been a block buster!! I give the author two thumbs up for her original and creative idea. This is Ms. Howe's debut novel. I'm sure many readers will find entertaining. For me, I found it disappointing, I expected so much more. Ms. Howe does have talent and with a little development and maturity I believe she will go far.

I give this 3 royal crowns out of 5:

1 crown for originality

1 crown for time period

1 crown for subject matter

Wordless Wedensday...

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Hermione pups growing now 2 weeks old!

Wordless Wedensday...

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Hermione and her 7 babies

born 29 Oct 2009

A New Award Received and Pass On to...

I would like to thank Virginie at Virginie Says for sending me this lovely award!!

Here are the rules :

■ Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

■ Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.

■ Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

■ Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

■ Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

I would like to pass this award to the following people/blogs:

Gigi at Gigi Loves Paris

The Cross of Laeken

Amy at Passages of the Past

Marie at The Burton Review

Monday Royal Review; Hammer of the Scots by Jean Plaidy

Hammer of the Scots by Jean Plaidy:

First off prior to reading this book my only reference for Edward I was his portrayal by Patrick Mcgoohan in the 1995 film Brave Heart. The movie portrayed him as a one dimensional character, a ruthless tyrant, widowed with only one child, a disappointing son. I love the movie Brave Heart and I was very apt to believe that Edward I was indeed nothing more than a Medieval dictator.

I really had no desire to pursue further research until this year when I discovered two very important things, one Jean Plaidy and two that Edward I was my 19th great grandfather. With these two things in mind it was a delight to discover that Ms. Plaidy had written a book about Edward I. The title alone Hammer of the Scots I found intriguing. The best part was finding this book at Waterstone's in Bath, England.

After reading this book I can say What I didn't know about Edward I was a lot.

What I didn't know was;

• He came from a large family of brothers and sisters


• He was dearly loved and adored by his parents Henry III and Eleanore of Provence


• He was considered a very handsome youth favoring his Viking ancestors


• He was named Longshanks because of his height and long legs


• He was devoted to his parents. He loved his father dearly


• He married Eleanor of Castile and remained faithful to her their entire marriage. He was devoted to her and she him. She accompanied him on the ninth Crusade to the Holy Land where he was nearly killed and she nursed him back to health. It was there at Acre that she delivered a daughter one of 16 children they would have. The baby died and is buried at Acre in the Holy Land.


• Of the 16 children only 6 would live to adulthood and of the 6 there was only one son the youngest child Edward II.


• He was devoted to his family, he loved his wife and children.


• He would conquer Wales and create the Prince of Wales


• He would expel the Jews from England. 16 -20,000 Jews would be ordered to leave by Edward I.


• He would design the special torture of being drawn and quartered for traitors


• He was just and generous to his family, servants, and citizens, but woe to those who were his enemies. He valued loyalty and loathed insincerity.


• He was determined to make England a great, respected kingdom with an invincible army.


• He placed a shrine to his wife Elenore every where her funeral procession would stop between Winchester and Westminster.


• He requested on his death bed to have his bones carried before the troops while engaged in battle against Scotland so he could be part of the victory.


• His heart would be taken and buried in the Holy Land as an act of penance before God for his sins.

These are just a few of the highlights of this great story. Ms. Plaidy has not left William Wallace out of the story at all. In fact the last few chapters of the book are devoted entirely to him. Very interesting and not so much the Brave Heart version, in fact I liked it better.

I love the way Ms. Plaidy writes. She gets to point and doesn't waste time with loads of description. She doesn't hesitate to tell you just how it was. Sometimes you love the character and sometimes you truly can't stand them.

I highly recommend this book for Jean Plaidy fans as well as Medieval History buffs. Believe me Edward I was far from being a one dimensional character, there was many facets to this man. I would have to say he was a great king, one that was needed to unify England. He took his calling in life very seriously and honestly did try to do the best he could. He had regrets to be sure.

I give the book 4.5 royal crowns!