Hounding the Pavement

Hounding the Pavement by Judi McCoy is a Dog Walker Mystery which makes it a good fit for this challenge.  Dogs are on the cover and are a major part of the book.  Ellen Elizabeth Engleman better known as Ellie is newly divorced and goes to the ASPCA to celebrate.  She gets a psychic message from a dog saying it was the "her dead dog Rudy" and "it was time from them to get together again". Adopting the dog, led her to a job as a dog walker.

Ellie talks to the doorman at the Davenport where her clients lived and finds out everyone left but Professor Albright.  She picks up a new dog, Sweetie Pie, first and then two more dogs before stopping for Professor Albright's Bichon, Buddy.  Since, she was told the Prof had not left yet, she knocks on the door before using her key.  She tries to go in but the door is blocked.  She uses her body weight to push the door open more.  She squeezes in and finds the professor's body and finding no pulse or breath she calls the doorman and asks him to call 911.  She calls the dogs name and he does not come.  She has the doorman hold the dogs and looks for Buddy in the apartment.  She does not find the dog there and does not know what happened to him.  The police are more concerned about what happened to the professor than to worry about a lost dog.  A good looking policeman named Sam Ryder is sent to investigate.  Ellie is questioned and Detective Ryder does not think she could kill anyone.  Rudy does not like the detective.  Ellie, however, is determined to find Buddy.

I loved this book.  Though the connection between Ellie and the dogs seems strange, there are some people who seem to know what dogs want.  Ellie and Sam have mothers who want them to see them more often and who are concerned about them.  I feel that I would trust Ellie to walk my dog if I had one.  The human and animal characters are well described and I will look for Heir of the Dog which is the next book.

Eggsecutive Orders

The July Challenge is to read a book with a celebration.  Eggsecutive Orders by Julie Hyzy has one of the oldest celebrations at the White House, the Easter Egg Roll.  The book is about the death of a NEA agent after a White House Dinner.  Ollie and her staff are banned from the White House kitchen just before preparations for the Easter Egg Roll are to begin.  Because, Ollie is detained at the White House for questioning her boyfriend, Tom picks up her Nana and mother at the airport.  At least, because of the involuntary vacation Ollie gets to spend time with her family.

There are times in this story, when you don't know who are the good guys and who are not.  I must admit that I was surprised by the ending.  I very much enjoyed reading this book.

Week Four

Chapters 21-27

1.  Grizelmore the Goblin has some really weird cravings and eating habits. Tell us about some of your weird eating habits. Bonus point if you can show me a picure!
I like to eat ketchup on eggs which some people may consider weird.

Picture is ketchup on eggs.

2.  In chapter 22 Aiode and her friends try to go and get their instruments replaced at the factory. There are a ton of different instruments there being made for the fairies, but man are they a fortune. Do any of you play any instruments? Have you ever played an instrument? If not, what would you play if you could?
I have a cord organ which I did play but have not for awhile.  I did have piano and organ lessons in school so I can read basic notes.  I did not learn to play cords on the piano, which I wish I could do.  Mine is a less expensive model.

3.  Jason and the band are finally discovered by the elf (with the crazy long name) and Buttercake the freaking adorable unicorn who turns into something not so adorable. If you were a detective who would you choose for your magical accomplice?
Harry Potter would be nice to have as a magical accomplice.

4.  The book ends on a happy but painful note. What do you think of the ending? Were you happy with the turn of events? 

I hate to see any animals harmed, even fictional ones.

5. Tell us your favorite quote(s)/part(s) from the book!
I like the part where Jason takes his sister to the zoo, even though it was a cover for him to get there, she had a good time.

Fairy Metal Thunder

I attained Fairy Metal Thunder (Songs of Magic, #1) by J.L. Bryan for Kindle from Amazon in connection with the Read-Along/Scavenger Hunt.  It has been interesting to participate in this Hunt.  It gave me the opportunity to tell the Almost Famous Wellsboro Town Band that I loved them but they did not have a t-shirt.  It also gave me the incentive to read this interesting story.  I am much older than the ages it was intended for but still enjoyed it.  It is a book I would recommend for young adults to read and I fully intend to do so. 

Week Three

1. In the beginning of chapter 14, poor Jason is having a tough time at work. Its busy, people are rude, there are hot girls talking to him, big lady's are about to starve, all in all bad work day. So tell us about a time when you had to deal with a pushy customer or rude behavior, did you freak, keep it together, throw a slawburger?

I did a lot of work on the telephone, some of it was market research, if we really had a tough person on the phone we could get a supervisor to deal with them.  Most of the time, people were nice.  Sometimes, doctors got testy.

2. In chapter 16 Jason is getting ready to shoot his rocking music video and perform for a crowd. Have you ever made a rock video, been in a play or anything that shows you doing something with musical talent? Extra points if you want to show us.
I had sung when younger with All City Choir.  At either Hebrew School,  we did a version of Gilbert Sullivan for Purim.  I don't have anything I could show you.

3. Speaking of videos, the boys have a little chat about Steven Spielberg in chapter 17, what is your favorite Spielberg movie? Can't think of one...well then tell us about one of your favorite Sci-fi movies.
Has to be ET, as I just named a kitten Reese and the movie uses Reese's pieces.  Though I do also like Indiana Jones movies but they are not science fiction.

4. At the end of Chapter 17 the guys say bye to Dred who is getting ready to move, did you ever have to start over in a new school or new place when you were in highschool? Was it good, bad...horrible?
I did not have to in highschool, I did in Elementary School and I don't think it was that bad but I do not have a good memory before age 8 and I was younger when we moved.

5. If you had a pet Unicorn what would you name it?
Wintergreen (in keeping with my candy theme of naming animals)

And just for fun: Would you rather be pecked to death by a vulture or eat a Goblins toenails???
Since I would not like to be pecked by anything, I guess I would have to try toenails of a Goblin.

Week Two

Questions for Chapters 7-13 of Fairy Metal Thunder:

1. Unfairly grounded by his parents, Jason decides to lie to them so he can go to the audition in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, not only does the audition end poorly but his parents discover his lie and things go downhill from there. Tell us the most outrageous lie you've ever been caught in. Bonus points if you can provide pictorial proof. Reenactments eagerly accepted.

When I was in school couples were common and I lied and said I had a boyfriend.  I really was not dating and had to read a lot to keep up with the language others were using. It was hard to keep up the lie.  I did not believe in sex before marriage and if I had a bundling board like shown in the picture, I would have used it when I visited my husband before we got married.

2. In Faerie, Aoide is summoned to see the Faerie Queen. Have you ever met someone important like the Faerie Queen? Someone famous? Tell us the story behind how it happened. Once again, pictures are a plus!  

Clayton Moore played the Lone Ranger for many years.  When a movie was made without him as the star, he was not allowed to wear his mask.  Corning provided sunglasses for him to wear.  They invited him to Corning, NY.  We went there to see him and after the parade we got to meet him up close.  He never got out of character as the ranger, he was polite and did not use any "bad language".  I wish I had a picture of us with him on the computer, but this is the only one I had digitized.  He might not have been the most famous person, I have met but he is one of the few, my husband or I have captured in a picture.  It is a shame that the youth of today do not have such a good role model.

3. Caught lying to his father about his non-existent job at the car wash, Jason has now found gainful employment at Buddy McSlawburger's - where he's forced to wear "the funny hat" as part of his uniform. What's the worst job you've ever had? Did it involve a particularly noxious uniform? Tell us about it - in riveting, full-color detail!

The worst job that I had was doing inventory of nuts, screws and bolts at EJ Korvettes.  Though this picture names what is in it, I could not have told you one kind from another and we had to count each one and sometimes get on ladders and I hate heights.  We did not have to wear uniforms.  But, this part of the job was the worst, taken inventory of small items.


4. In an effort to regain their stolen instruments, Aoide and Rhodia travel to the sugar swamp to hire a hunter. Wouldn't you love to live somewhere where the water is sweet and the grass is made of sugar cane? Show us a picture of you enjoying your favorite sweet treat. Or, rewrite history and tell us how your version of the sugar swamp would differ from the one in the book.

I am going to have teeth implants and do not have bottom teeth at this time.  My favorite sweet treat is a Snickers bar.  I can am unable to show you a picture of me enjoying one, however, I do have a cat whose name is Snickers and can show you one of me with my Snickers when he was a kitten and a picture of a Snickers bar. 

Wicked Weaves

Wicked Weaves is the first of Joyce and Jim Lavene's Renaisance Faire Mysteries.  I read Ghastly Glass first only because it was bought first.


The Renaisance Faire is buit on an old Air Force Base.  Jessie Morton is studying for her Ph. D.  She is apprenticing with crafters at the Faire.  She has been working there in some capacity since she graduated college.  Mary Shift is the master basket weaver that Jessie is working with in this book.  

A man is found dead in the village.  He turns out to be Mary's husband from whom she has been separated from.  Her brother-in-law also shows up at the village as does Mary's son who she believed had died.

Jessie and the village's baliff, Chase try to find out who the killer was.  Their adventures in searching for the murderer and with each other are described.

I love how the village is described as well as the various costumes of the characters.  The authors make me want to actually visit the place they have created.  It would be an interesting place to visit.

First Chapters

Question 1.  I have never gone to any famous band concerts.  The Almost Famous Wellsboro Town Band does not have a t-shirt so I picked one from the Monkees as I loved the tv show and would have loved to have seen them in person.  This is my tribute to the late Davy Jones.

Question 2.  The worst chore you where told to do.  The worst thing I can think of was having to put clothes through a wringer.  I hated going down to the basement anyway and hated putting things through the wringer.  Too long ago to have any pictures.  Probably, mother would have had me do that.

Question 3.

LOST

Toshiba Satelite Computer and

Hard drive

In Mansfield PA

SPECIAL REWARD IF FOUND

Copy of Hobo Finds A Home

Autographed by Hobo and his ghost writer

Question 4.

Rachelle \r(a)-

chelle, rach(el)-le\ as a girl's name is a variant of Rachel (Hebrew), and the meaning of Rachelle is "ewe, female sheep". See also Richelle.

The baby name Rachelle sounds like Rashelle, Raychelle, Rachell, Rachele and Rochelle. Other similar baby names are Lachelle, Machelle and Rachelce.
I use the Raychelle pronunciation.  My nickname growing up was Shelly which comes from the chelle part of my name.  Now, I use Rae or Ray which is the way I like my name said.

Question 5. I was never grounded for anything I did or did not do by my parents.  My high school had a problem with stolen silverware from a lunch and sent everyone home to get what they had and bring them back.  I went to a friends house as I had not taken anything.

Trumpet

Trumpet by Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes is set in the Regency Period.  William Trumpet was an actor and his daughter wishes she could follow in his footsteps.  Unfortunately, Mrs. Trumpet does not want her daughter to do so.  When Mrs. Trumpet dies of diphtheria, Mr. Trumpet goes into a state in which he no longer speaks.  Until, one day, he starts speaking as if he were acting again.

In order to bring in some money and pay her father's debts, Elizabeth eventually gets a job at Sadler's Wells Theatre.  She sings and learns to dance.  As time goes by, she winds up showing her skills with a sword.  She marries a fellow actor but keeps her own name.  Soon, she becomes a better actress than her husband and a very good singer.  He becomes very jealous of her.  One day, after she was singing, he beats and rapes her, she winds up leaving the country with some friends.

When Elizabeth returns, she is debuting as Ophelia and her husband sets fire to her dress.  Unfortunately, no one saw him.  They have a duel and she cuts him where it hurts the most and leaves the country again.  She winds up meeting an old friend and helping him in Egypt.  

The whole book centers of Elizabeth and her family and friends.  I do not wish to tell more as it would give away too much.  It almost seemed to me that the Hayes left things open enough that they could do another book about her further adventures.  The authors do include some people who did live in the period that Elizabeth if she really existed would have met.  They did extensive research and use it in the book.

I very much enjoyed Elizabeth's story and the background in which it is set.  The settings are described as are the costumes and artifacts.  I would recommend this book to everyone.