They Disappeared by Rick Mofina

This novel told me all I needed to know about how not to vacation in New York City.  First, ensure that you pick-up your own bag at the airport.  Second, don't accidentally keep anything that isn't yours from that wrong bag and third, well, don't read this book just after your teen daughter returns from a trip to New York City.

I was captured by this book by the end of the first short chapter.  I barely put it down till I finished it the next day, carrying it around the house with me as I attended to chores.

The father, Jeff Griffin, decides to investigate the abduction of his family on his own, which I find a bit far fetched.  Not that a father would search for his missing family, but that he would have any idea how to go about that search and that he would have any more success than the police.  I was able to suspend my disbelief as the story was quick paced and didn't leave time for pondering, I just had to quickly trail along behind Jeff lest I miss out a detail.

I look forward to reading more by Rick Mofina.

Rick Mofina is a Canadian born author with more than a dozen titles to his name, both in series and stand-alone.  During his thirty year journalism career, he has written his way around the world and covered murders, an armoured car heist and every thing in between.

Thanks to Rick Mofina for use of the cover image.

Needlework Tuesday - Chenille is Awesome

Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share the progress of my various needlework projects over the past week. I enjoy the encouragement that I receive from my readers and in return visit their blogs and cheer them on with theirs. You are welcome to grab the cute little mouse and create your own Needlework Tuesday post. Leave a comment with a link and I'll be sure to visit with you.

 

I am making good progress on my Aiming For Accuracy Quilt Along.  A new pattern is released each week, so it is important to keep up to date.  My block size is getting closer to the stated one.  This week, one measurement was actually a wee bit large and the other, right one.  This week, was two units side by each.  It really helped to lay out the finished blocks to help determine colour placement.  I will need to do this each time now to ensure a good balance between the yellow-oranges and the re-oranges.  Couldn't resist putting in that spider web fabric.

 

 Just one sashing strip between the two units this week.  I will admit that I had to re-stitch a few seams to get better match at the intersections.  Those stubborn ones I secured with one pin and the second time, they came out so much better.  Even if you are like me and rarely pin a seam, don't be afraid to do it when you need.

 

I have had this dress for years.  it is made from rayon and is showing some wear.  There are more than a few tiny holes where the threads have frayed.  Problem is that I still love it, and it's still so bright and cheerful.  What to do?  I'm taking a lesson from Deanna at Wedding Dress Blue, and re-making it.  Mind you, she often renovates them to 'new' clothing.  I decided to go for some chenille and make a pillow.

 I determined the best use of the fabric, avoiding seams, was to cut 8 1/2 by 22 inch pieces.  I got 5 of those.  They were layered on top of a piece of black cotton.  Rayon shifts around a lot, and required a fair bit of pinning.  To make this type of fabric, you need to cut across the bias.  Once I had the layers, I used a piece of thin soap and drew the lines.  The diagonals are for sewing and the straight ones are my pivot points.

 

Sewing done, about 1/2 inch apart and set at my normal stitch length.

Back view

very carefully, cut between the rows of stitching, but not through the backing. 
You can make repairs is you cut through, just add a patch behind and re-stitch in the affected area.

Into the washing machine with a load of towels and then to the drier.
 I used 5 layers of rayon and one layer of cotton backing.  This makes quite the firm chenille.

 

Add some borders and backing, and a pillow to hug. I made a pillow form from some really thick quilt batting, (I think it was a comforter batt that I was sold by accident).  It is very fluffy and it was sitting in the house, so I didn't have to purchase any thing to make this project.
 

I'm back to crochet this week.  Got the first two rows complete and then weighed them to ensure I have enough yarn.  No worries.  I bought 5 - 400 gram balls, should be ample.  Made 5 of the little squares in short order.  Need to make 19 more of them.  They go quite quickly and are fairly easy to do.  I really do need to find my self one of those large handle crochet hooks.  I find it more difficult to work with the chunky yarn than the thin ones.

We're off to a friend's cottage this weekend, so don't know that I'll get much needlework done.  I usually take my crochet as I'm less likely to lose pieces.  The weather might not behave, cold, so perhaps, I will get much accomplished.  I'm curious whether you take your needlework when you go on vacation?

Sarah at Lit and Laundry has Halloween on her mind. This week she finished stitching the cutest little ghost girl and last week it was lovely spider web afghan.

In Running Colour - a fun new roadrace

There's a new running race coming to Waterloo, Ontario in just four weeks: In Running Colour.  It's a brand new fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters.  Today, my children got a trial run through of what this race is going to be like.  At five stations along the course, the runners will be subject to a cascade of coloured powder (very safe corn starch).  by the end of the race, their previously white shirts will be much more interesting.

 

The following video features a short demonstration, though only one colour will be used at each station in the actual race.

 

 

 

In Running Colour is an all ages event with 4km or 1km distances for runners and walkers.  Would be a terrific outing with your family.  August 24, 2013 at Columbia Lake (Brubaker House) on the grounds of the University of Waterloo.  Visit the RunWaterloo website for further details and to register.  From the same site you can click to sponsor any of the runners.  Should you wish to sponsor my daughter, follow this link.

 



Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster

A compelling story set in an alternative late 19th century London, England.

In this version of history, much of the male aristocracy is infected with a 'craving' virus that makes them yearn for blood.  They are not vampires as they still retain some of their human morals, or at least as many morals as these titled gentlemen ever had.  Upon the death of her father, Honoria Todd and her siblings have been forced to flee the city for the comparative safety of Whitechapel.  She is being sought by Lord Vickers, who has placed a huge bounty on her. 

He's not the only one searching for her.  Blade, the man known as The Devil of Whitechapel has also been keeping his eye on her.  He is also afflicted with the craving virus, though he uses his increased strength to help protect those in his neighbourhood.

I liked the character of Honoria.  During that time period, there were limitations to womens jobs and she has strived to maintain suitable employment for a middle class.  Blade is a much more complex character.  He has experienced horrors at the hands of the aristocracy, yet he still cares for and protects the people of Whitechapel.  Yes, he wants Honoria for his own devious purposes, but he tries so hard not to take unfair advantage of her.

In classic steampunk style, steam machines, mechanical devices and other technology play a role in the story , but they don't take over.  They continue to play a supporting role that allows for far-fetched feats of strength  and firepower to fit into that time.

I totally enjoyed this book and the developing relationship between Honoria and Blade. Note, there are  detailed sexual scenes  in this book, though they are not the main focus.

Additional books in this series:
2 Heart of Iron
3 My Lady Quicksilver  - due out October 1, 2013

Thanks to Sourcebooks for use of the cover image.

Week 9 of free SYNC Audio Books

July 25 – July 31, 2013

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, read by Charlie McWade (Scholastic Audiobooks)

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, read by Steve West (Blackstone Audio)

Giveaway: Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan

The Meet Me at the Cupcake Café Sugary Sweet Spotlight!

 

It is no wonder that the flirty and frothy food-themed novel, Meet Me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan is an international success: with relatable characters and scrumptious recipes at the start of each chapter, Meet Me at the Cupcake Café is pure delight to women’s fiction readers everywhere. This summer, Colgan is bringing her hilarious and heartfelt stories—with a dash of deliciousness—to the United States! To celebrate, Sourcebooks is giving away copies of this book ALL MONTH LONG!

Each day this month, look for opportunities to win a print copy of Meet Me at the Cupcake Café with bloggers all over the book blogging community. Additionally, there will be a few guest blogs and interviews with Jenny sprinkled throughout—a great way to get to know a new author!

 

Follow along all month long for a chance to win a copy of this highly-anticipated and deliciously delightful new novel!

7/1         Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

7/2         Celtic Lady’sReviews

7/3         Books-N-Kisses

7/3         Chick Lit Central INTERVIEW

7/4         A Bookworm'sWorld

7/5         Delighted Reader

7/8         Beth Fish Reads

7/9         Booking Mama

7/10       The Book Binge

7/11       Simply Ali

7/12       Debbie's Book Bag

7/15       The BookishBabe

7/16       The ReadingCafé

7/17       Book Hounds

7/17       Cocktails and Books INTERVIEW

7/18       Peeking Betweenthe Pages

7/18       Fresh Fiction GUEST BLOG

7/19       Jenny Loves toRead

7/19       Satisfactionfor Insatiable Readers

7/22       Anna's Book Blog

7/23       Ramblings fromThis Chick

7/24       Books and Quilts

7/24       A Bookish Affair

7/25       Broken TeePee

7/26       Thoughts in Progress

7/29       Books and Needlepoint

7/30       The Reading Reviewer

7/31       Reading Between the Wines

BONUS GIVEAWAYS IN AUGUST!!!

8/1         Book of Secrets

8/2         Luxury Reading

8/5         Radiant Light

8/6         Ruby’s Reads

8/7         Caffeinated Book Review

8/8         The Romance Dish

8/9         My Book Addiction and More

What could be better than a wonderful story interspersed with mouth watering recipes.  Meet Me at the Cupcake Café is a winner on both these points. Issy Randall grew up in her grandfather's bakery learning to bake from an early age. After she is laid off from her job at a local real estate firm, she decides to open a bakery/café, after all, everyone keeps telling her she is a natural in the kitchen.

 

Things don't go exactly as planned, but that doesn't stop Issy.  She keeps trying new recipes and baking more.  Along the way, she makes good friends with the women she hired to help run the café and with the banker who arranged her business loan.  If only she could get beyond her ex-boyfriend, who was also the boss who fired her, then life would be perfect.

 

Issy is the kind of person that I would include as a personal friend.  She cares for her elderly grandfather as well as the welfare of her staff.  She has a good grip on what it takes to run a business and turn it into not just a money making venture, but a fixture in the community. 

 

I'll admit, that while I was reading this book, I experience severe cupcake cravings.  In fact, it was so bad that I resorted to a boxed mix, the white cake with coloured sprinkles.  Oh, they were so good, but I'm sure they were nothing compared to the ones that Issy would have made.  Included in the book are numerous recipes from Issy's grandfather.  Most of them I found very appealing and would enjoy re-creating in my kitchen.

Now for the contest to win a copy of Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe: Leave a comment below  telling me your favourite food to bake (a link to the recipe would be appreciated but not required).  Be sure that I  have a way to contact you should you be chosen as the winner.  (Random drawing, open to Canada and USA)  For more chances to win, visit the blogs listed above for their contest.  Closes August 5, 2013.  **if you have difficulty in leaving a comment, send your entry via private email and I'll enter a comment for you.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jenny Colgan was a fussy eater as a child and didn’t even begin to learn to cook until she was 21, when her then boyfriend tried to teach her a few basics purely out of exasperation. While she is now able to make a variety of good, wholesome food for her family, she still can’t make scones. A former columnist for The Guardian, Jenny contributes regularly to national BBC radio and is the bestselling author of more than eleven novels, including The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris (coming out in the US in early 2014). She is married with three children and lives in London and France. For more information, please visit http://www.jennycolgan.com/ and follow her on Twitter, @JennyColgan.

Thank-you to Sourcebooks for sponsoring this blog tour and contest and for use of various book materials including my ebook copy.

 

Needlework Tuesday - Accuracy Counts

Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share the progress of my various needlework projects over the past week. I enjoy the encouragement that I receive from my readers and in return visit their blogs and cheer them on with theirs. You are welcome to grab the cute little mouse and create your own Needlework Tuesday post. Leave a comment with a link and I'll be sure to visit with you.

 

My regular readers should be familiar with the Aiming for Accuracy Quilt Along that I have been working on.  Block 4 is now complete.  It was another big one, finishing at 20 inches before the sashing strips.  I am trying to pay very close attention to my seam allowances and am coming quite close to the actual size, though still a wee bit small.  I'm sticking with my orange theme, though this week closer to a true orange, where as last week it was red-oranges.

 

I cut most of the fabrics as directed, except for that striped one on top.  That one I cut on the bias so that I could control the direction of the strip.  at first I thought that I would have it run parallel to the centre seam of the block, but a mistake in pinning and sewing had me re-evaluate.  I think that this direction might be more effective.  Those lines do stand out, but they don't detract from the action in the middle of the block, which is where the focus should be.

 

And that's it for stitching this week.  I did get to quilt class on Saturday morning, but haven't started my home work. (my kids love it when I tell them I have homework).

 

Last week was a travel week, small day trips, but they do cut into what gets done at home.  best part of the week was visiting with my grandmother.  She going to be 97 in September and I don't get enough chances to see her.  I had another errand that day which took me to her town, so I dropped in as  a surprise. 

 

It was music day.   A local entertainer comes once a month and does a sort of karaoke with the residents in her retirement home.  The music ranged from the 1920's till early 80's.  Some of the residents of the nursing home came as well.  What a pleasure to see every one enjoying themselves so much.  I'm told that musical memory is special, even when your other memories fade, music can pull back long lost feelings and such.  it was truly evident that day. 

 

You might wonder why I am telling you about my grandmother in a Needlework post,  well, my grandmother was my first and only quilting influence.  From the earlier times, there was always applique sitting on the table beside her comfy chair.  She quilted with the ladies at our church for decades and most of the family have quilts from her.  She finally learned to hand quilt when she was in her 80's.  Before that , she used to make tea for everyone while they were stitching.  Just goes to show, that you are never too old to learn.  She doesn't quilt any longer, but she does enjoy when mom and I bring our latest projects with us for a mini show and tell.  I'll be seeing her in September and am planning to take some photos of my current projects.

 

Who is/was your needlework influence?

 

Marie, at Daisy's Book Journal is stitching away as various projects.  If you 're wondering  about the style of scarf to knit this summer, check her new project.  Also some unique weaving and several Zentangle inspired drawings.