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Hi Everyone. We have been having the battle of the juice. Our hummingbirds don’t like to share. Hummingbirds are quiet vocal and for such a small bird, they have a loud voice.We had some Mississippi Kites hanging around, but they may have moved on. They also are very vocal and have a sharp voice.
I have become a super fan of books with crows in them. The cover and title for A River Of Crows by Shanesa Gluhm are fabulous and fit the book perfectly. The mother is an ornithologist and her son, Ridge, picks up her passion.
Shanessa Gluhm set me up from the beginning and led me on a wild goose chase through the entire story. I twisted and I turned, and I twisted again. I was very lackadaisical, thinking I knew what was happening. By the mid mark of the book, I knew that I knew nothing.
Sloan. Bad things happened to her, time and time again. Her brother vanished. After her father’s conviction for the murder of Ridge, her mother goes into a downward spiral. When Sloan is given an opportunity to leave town and go to college, she takes it. She returns when her mother comes home after being in a private facility. Sloan takes it on herself to take care of her mother. With the help of friends, she makes ends meet.
Now dad is being released from prison and the secrets begin to leech out from the rocks they had been kept hidden under. Blow after blow comes to Sloan, and I am right there with her. We, pretty much, find out together and I never saw the convoluted tale that Shanessa Gluhm created.
Easthead River was known as Crow’s Head Creek because they had one of the biggest colony of crows. They were everyone, covering fence posts, telephone wires and trees. I have grown a fascination with crows and will grab any book that makes them a character in their story.
I love damaged, complex characters with secrets and we have our share. The psychological damage done to Sloan makes me wonder how she will piece her life back together. Betrayal, murder, kidnapping, lies, lies, and more lies.
I’m trying to figure out how to say how much A River Of Crows by Shanessa Gluhm surprise me, stunned me, and led me down a torturous path that filled me with surprise and satisfaction for a job well done. I want to share so much, but I would rather you find out for yourself. This may be my first book by Shanessa Gluhm, but I doubt it will be my last.
4 Stars
Synopsis:
In 1988, Sloan Hadfield’s brother Ridge went fishing with their father and never came home. Their father, a good-natured Vietnam veteran prone to violent outbursts, was arrested and charged with murder. Ridge’s body was never recovered, and Sloan’s mother— a brilliant ornithologist— slowly descended into madness, insisting her son was still alive.
Now twenty years later, Sloan’s life is unraveling. In the middle of a bitter divorce, she’s forced to return to her rural Texas hometown when her mother is discharged from a mental health facility.
Overwhelmed by memories and unanswered questions, Sloan returns to the last place her brother was seen all those years ago: Crow’s Nest Creek. There, she is shocked to hear a crow murmuring the same syllable over and over: Ridge, Ridge, Ridge.
When the body of another boy is found, Sloan begins to question what really happened to her brother all those years ago. What she discovers will shock her small community and turn her family upside down.
Praise for A River of Crows:
“In A River of Crows, Shanessa Gluhm spins a complex web of murder and family revelation that propels the reader forward at a breakneck pace. Just when you think you know where the story is headed, she reveals another thread. If you haven’t yet read Shanessa Gluhm, you need to put her on your to-be-read list.” ~ Allen Eskens, USA Today bestselling author of The Life We Bury
“A twisted family dynamic and complex personal history combine with a touch of romance in Shanessa Gluhm’s knockout second novel. A River of Crows grabs on with the opening pages and holds a reader tight to the very end.” ~ Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell, author of All We Buried and the Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet) series
“A River of Crows is a superb second novel that shows Shanessa Gluhm is a naturally gifted storyteller and writer, on a par with all the greats.” ~ Rob Samborn, author of The Prisoner of Paradise and Painter of the Damned
“Shanessa Gluhm crafts a thought-provoking story of revelation, family ties, discovery, and murder… Readers who choose A River of Crows for its mystery will find an unexpected draw and value in the emotional components which keep the plot action-packed and charged with transformation.” ~ D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“Gluhm peels away layers of family secrets in this dual timeline narrative, right up until the climactic final reveal, a twist that truly surprised me. Well done!” ~ Laura Kemp, award-winning author of the Lantern Creek Series
A River of Crows Trailer:
Book Details:
Genre: Thriller Published by: TouchPoint Press Publication Date: April 2023 Number of Pages: 427 ISBN: 978-1956851588 Book Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Mud squished under Sloan’s brown Doc Martens as she climbed the steep ridge. She had run up this incline ten thousand times but wasn’t as surefooted now.
Sloan’s shirt clung to her back and her hair was already frizzing. “We’re in for another hot summer,” the friendly postal worker told her yesterday. As if there was a different kind of summer here in East Texas.
The water moved slowly today, trickling around massive boulders in the middle of the wide river. It was the kind of sound that soothed people, the peaceful noises they played when getting a massage or trying to fall asleep. In a few more months it would be difficult to even hear the water over the sound of the crows. That was a sound nobody could fall asleep to.
Not much about the river had changed. Sloan’s favorite climbing tree still stood; its limbs just as gnarled as she remembered them. If she closed her eyes, she could still see a pink glittery Easter egg in the crook of a branch, the last one she’d found the year they hunted eggs here.
A moss-covered fallen tree trunk she remembered was still here too. How many times had she, Ridge, and Noah balanced on it? The same trail still cut through the tall, pinecone-littered grass— the one made by animals visiting the water’s edge. Bits of tinfoil and leftover plastic baggies from picnics still littered the bank.
Sloan peered into the creek. Minnows flashed beneath the surface and brought back a memory. She was a toddler wading in the ford of the river, holding hands with both her parents, splashing and singing “Ring Around the Rosie.” They were laughing. They were happy.
Hard to believe this peaceful place was the site of her brother’s death. Of course, the water hadn’t been peaceful that day. It had rained for weeks and the creek raged. But it hadn’t been the creek that took Ridge’s life. It was their father.
Sloan closed her eyes to stop her tears. She inhaled, breathing in wet earth and rotting bark. Now was no time for a panic attack.
She sat down and touched the water. They’d never found her brother’s body, just a shoe, a piece of his torn t-shirt, and the god-awful green beanie he loved so much. And, of course, his blood. “Where did you go, Ridge?” Sloan asked her reflection.
A crow cawed loudly from a tree. Sloan wondered if her mom had been out here yet to look for nests, wondered if she even cared to anymore. Sloan stood. Only one way to find out, and she couldn’t put it off any longer.
***
Excerpt from A River of Crows by Shanessa Gluhm. Copyright 2023 by Shanessa Gluhm. Reproduced with permission from Shanessa Gluhm. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Shanessa Gluhm works as a librarian at an elementary school in New Mexico where she lives with her husband and children. It was during her own elementary days when a teacher encouraged Shanessa to share a story she wrote called, “Piggy the Kid” with the class. They asked for a sequel and she hasn’t stopped writing since.
Her debut novel, Enemies of Doves was an IAN Book of the Year Finalist in the category of first novel, an NIEA Finalist for cross-genre fiction, and first place winner in the Chanticleer Clue Awards for mystery, suspense, and thriller fiction.
When Shanessa is not writing she enjoys bird-watching, reading, and watching true crime documentaries. Shanessa loves to hear from her readers and the best way to connect is via e-mail or her Facebook page.
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Hi Everyone. I had a good week. We did some yardwork and I am happy the way it turned out. We’ll get a few more bags at our next hardware store stop. I plan on going further to the left, but, for now, my goal was getting rid of the prickly vines and plants around the faucet and electrical outlet.
It took us three days and some pool time to do the yardwork. It’s still pretty hot and we don’t overwork ourselves any more. That is one of the benefits of being retired. We have all day every day…But things are so much harder to do. Thank goodness for an easy cool down.
We made a trip to the beach for the Blue Angels practice.
All these days outside have set my allergies off, so today will be all about football.
Shell McMillan and her feline friends must unravel a mystery where everyone’s a suspect and no one’s to blame . . .
With the grand re-opening of her Urban
Tails Pet Shop just days away, Shell McMillan has her hands full
planning entertainment for the festive event, including a
fortune-telling parrot. But her jubilant mood is soon threatened by
ominous rumors of the return of Johnny Draco, a former investment guru
who swindled money from most of the residents of Fox Hollow and then
vanished without a trace. And when the parrot predicts a dire future for
Draco and his dead body is found just hours later, no one can say
they’re surprised—but no one will say who did it.
With virtually everyone in town a
suspect, the police turn their focus on a good friend of Shell’s who was
seen arguing with the victim shortly before his death. Determined to
clear her friend’s name, Shell begins investigating Draco’s past, his
former employer, and everyone who lost money to him. And when the trail
of clues suggests there may have been a completely different motive for
the murder, Shell suddenly realizes she’s uncovered a secret someone
would kill to keep hidden—and that if she’s not careful, the parrot may
be predicting she has no future at all . . .
About T.C. LoTempio
T. C. LoTempio
is the award-winning, nationally bestselling author of the Nick and
Nora Mysteries, the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries, and the Cat Rescue
Mysteries. For more information, check out her and her cat Rocco’s blog
at www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com and visit her website at www.tclotempio.net.
The Omen of Crows Nest Cathrina Constantine Publication date: May 4th 2022 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
No blood. No body. No murder.
That’s what the police found after Penelope spun her bizarre tale. In a hysterical state, she said her father was butchered and eaten by a mob of birds ~ in her bedroom.
They claim she’s crazy.
That she suffers from delusions.
Penelope is dead set on proving them wrong.
After being institutionalized for eight months, Penelope is out and more determined than ever to find answers to her so-called hallucinations. With her father’s untimely disappearance, she’s convinced her family is hiding something sinister.
THE OMEN OF CROWS NEST is the latest masterpiece by the award-winning author Cathrina Constantine, and is sure to leave fans of fantasy gasping!
The electrodes in my brain were like a loop recorder, continuously dredging up the past. And problematic for the psychiatrist at Green Fields Sanitarium, who was in the process of rewiring me.
Bear with me as I digress: I witnessed the gruesome death of my father by a mob of birds. I know what you’re picturing: A scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s horror movie The Birds. Not exactly like the movie, it happened in my bedroom. An aberration that my brain conjured, so they say.
Gramma had reinforced Dad’s untimely disappearance to the police. After the thunderstorm he’d raced to catch a late flight. An overseas business trip. Lacking evidence of any misdeeds, no mutilations as I’d described, the police had nothing to go on besides a batshit crazy kid. I experienced a daymare, a delusion, and it hadn’t been the first time, so said Gramma.
Afterward, Mom spent a week in bed, purporting she had a bug. She couldn’t keep anything down and stopped eating. I noticed her yellowy sick skin and hair matted as if a brush hadn’t made contact in weeks.
Thirteen days passed at a snail’s pace since that night. I was in the library’s alcove, my daily vigil, half-expecting Dad to come strolling up the cobbled walkway. My fretfulness heightening because I’d spilled my guts to my best friend, Hillary, telling her everything. If she repeated it to anyone, the repercussions would come back to bite me.
Author Bio:
I am blessed with a loving family and forever friends. My world revolves around them.
I grew up in the small village of Lancaster, NY, where I married my sweetheart. I’m devoted to raising 5 cherished children, and now my grandchildren.
I love to immerse myself in great books of every kind of genre, which helps me to write purely for entertainment, and hopefully to inspire readers. When not stationed at my computer you can find me in the woods taking long walks with my dog.
Join Us for This Tour from November 17 to November 30, 2021
Book Details:
Book Title: MIA AND THE HUMMINGBIRD by Nancy Carlisle Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 4-9), 34 pages Genre: Juvenile fiction/social themes or animals/birds Publisher: Sage Green Press Release date: March, 2021 Tour dates: November 17 to November 30, 2021 Content Rating: G. There is nothing that even comes close to PG.
Book Description:
“An inspirational story! The juxtaposition of the hummingbird’s struggle with Mia’s struggles is unique and I feel that kids will be able to relate to it.” – Reader in a 5-Star Review
Mia and the Hummingbird is the story of a young girl who immigrates to a new country and learns to accept a new life.She sees the hummingbird building her nest for her babies and thinks that she and the bird are similar as they learn to adapt to their new homes. Mia and the Hummingbird includes information about environmental and social reasons for immigration, the struggle to adapt to a new home and information about hummingbirds.
Included is a glossary about these issues, a bibliography, and references.
Nancy Carlisle is an author, illustrator and retired architect and manager. She writes hopeful books for kids that interweave facts and fiction about the environment and global responsibility.
During her 38 year career, as an architect and researcher, her focus was on the environment. She led work nationally and internationally on sustainable and energy efficient buildings and communities and won awards for collaboratively designing award-winning sustainable buildings, a laboratory campus, and as part of a team to develop a program to improve the energy efficiency of laboratories in the U.S.
Hope the new year has started out with a bang for you too. We could see the fireworks show happening at the parks from our hotel, the Rosen Inn in Orlando, Florida.
The Rosen Inn was a great place to stay. Close to all kinds of good things, including the parks.The view from our room
If there is a Hooters around, you will find us there. LOL
MMMMM…chicken tenders. My favorite Hooters treat.Mr Wonderful lots his wings smokin’ hot.
We started out December with a couple quickie road trips and a family visit to Birmingham, Alabama. BUT the highlight was Orlando and the Citrus Bowl. It’s not very often Michigan plays Alabama and it has been since 1997, the Outback Bowl in Tampa, that we have battled. Alabama edged us out, 17 -14. We never made it to the Orange Bowl in 2000, where Michigan beat Alabama, 35 – 34, in an overtime showdown or their first meeting was in 1987, where we won 28 – 24. So, 2 out of 4 games ain’t bad. 🙂
BUT…before the game, we had some things to do.
This is a fabulous shot by Mr Wonderful, in the mini golf parking lot.
What color is your ball?
Blue for me and Michigan, Red for Mr Wonderful and AlabamaEnter…if you dare.Mr Wonderful is always such a happy guy and lives life 110%.
THEN, it’s off to see some birds and gators…at Gatorland.
I was looking for photo ops and never saw it.
There were lots of other birds, but we only saw one of theses, a Roseate Spoonbill.
This is the bit guy…and because he doesn’t play well with others he has his own place.
Tourists….not my favorite part of Gatorland, but was fun.MMMMMMMM…yummyA jump and a missThe nursery
Dinner time and if it’s good enough for Elvish, it’s good enough for us. LOL
A Bloody Mary for him…
A margarita for me….
Mr Wonderful hunted down the pic from the Outback Bowl in Tampa in 1997. Nice comparisons. We haven’t aged a bit, have we? LOL
Partying in Tampa in 199!!!!!!!!!!!
And here we are at the Citrus Bowl in 2020.
We stayed at the Rosen Inn and were in walking distance to the pep rally’s and all kinds of eateries and entertainment. Jim Harbaugh was supposed to show….but we all know how that goes. 🙁
Mr Wonderful is a babe magnet. LOL
Even the dogs came out for Michigan.
We did a little tailgating before the game. A guy was going through the parking lot selling these baby yoda T shirts and I had to have one.
It has become hard to carry my SLR cameras around, so we shot with our phones. Not too shabby. We left for home right after the game. We had a great time and I’LL BE BACK WITH MORE ADVENTURES, SO STAY TUNED. Until then, happy journeys to you.
A little bird told me, as I was searching for the elusive creature n the sky, that a mystery was brewing and I am eager for another adventure with Fred and Watson. I am having such a good time with Mildred Abbott’s cozy corgi series. If you are a dog lover you may enjoy Watson, an incorrigible treat eater. I believe each book can stand alone and can be read in any order, but always best to begin at the beginning. Each is its own mystery, but the characters do grown and develop along the way.
Even though Fred has a romantic interest with the local cop, she has to get involved. Is it because she doesn’t trust the cops to get the job done? Her and Watson put a lot of miles on their feet, which her feet sometimes end up in her mouth, but she always gets her man…or woman and everyone know its.including the bad guys.
Watson is special in his own right, seeming to sense wha is necessary and taking the appropriate action.
Plenty of suspects that kept me guessing. A sometimes humorous and lightly written cozy with wonderfully unique and quirky characters. Another great edition to the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Bickering Birds by Mildred Abbott.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Rocky Mountain National Park has it all: rugged peaks, pine-scented forests, enchanting bird-watching locations, and… murder. The
Cozy Corgi bookshop finally opens, and Winifred Page and her headstrong
corgi, Watson, are ready to welcome their first patrons. With her new
best friend, Katie, creating heavenly pastries in the bakery on the top
floor of the store, Fred’s dreams are all coming together in delicious
and unexpected ways. When Katie caters a meeting of the Feathered
Friends Brigade and drags Fred along, they expect nothing more than
loquacious chatter about birds as they endeavor to build a professional
relationship with the owner of the wild bird shop. Fred and Katie are
quickly roped into a moonlight snowshoeing hike in hopes of spotting a
rare owl. While the endangered bird proves elusive… the murdered man in
the snow is hard to miss. Fred’s growing relationship with
Sergeant Wexler hits a snag when he forbids her from donning her sleuth
hat yet again. But Fred is a lot like her corgi—she doesn’t like being
told what to do, even if it puts an end to a possible romance. As
Fred and Watson delve into the lives of the ornithological club members,
the tangled birds’ nest of an investigation makes Fred wonder if she
should have left this one to the police. But when feathers begin to fly,
Fred has no choice but to flush out a killer…
(This culinary cozy mystery includes a recipe for delectable ham and cheese croissants.)
ABOUT MILDRED ABBOTT
Reading the Cozy Corgi series is pretty much all you need to know
about Mildred. In real life, she’s obsessed with everything she writes
about: Corgis, Books, Cozy Mountain Towns, and Baked Goods. She’s not
obsessed with murder, however. At least not at her own hands (nor paid
for… no contract killing here). But since childhood, starting with
Nancy Drew, trying to figure out who-dun-it has played a formative role
in her personality. Having Fred and Watson stroll into her mind was a
touch of kismet.
