"All the best stories in the world are but one story in reality -- the story of escape. It is the only thing which interests us all and at all times, how to escape."
--Author Christopher Benson

WE HAVE MOVED!!!! PLEASE COME TO THE NEW ESCAPE WITH DOLLYCAS INTO A NEW BOOK!!!!!

YOU WILL LOVE THE NEW BLOG!!!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

October Book Giveaway Winners!!

Yes I know it is Halloween Season, but our October books
are WINTER BOOKS so I thought is was only proper
that a Snowman help me reveal the 
WINNERS!!

THE WINNER OF 
CALL ME MRS. MIRACLE 
BY DEBBIE MACOMBER 
IS:
MICHELLE M.

THE WINNER OF 
SNOW DAY BY BILLY COFFEY 
IS:
NATALIE W.

Thank you to all that entered.
Winners were chosen by Random.org.
I hope you will all come back soon for more 
Book Reviews, Recommendations, 
Random Thoughts and Giveaways.

 

Friday, October 29, 2010

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY!!!


Welcome to 
Feel Good Friday! 
Erika had found that a lot of her bloggy friends reading posts about being positive, so she thought she might try her very own meme.  She just wanted everyone to feel good and have some happy thoughts as you begin the weekend.  


It is never too late to join!!! 
 I have posted the prompts here to give you 
some idea of what this meme is about:
Pick one of these prompts and 
write about it on your blog!  
You can: 
  • Just make a list. List 5 things that made you really happy this week. No matter how bad or boring you think your week was, I bet you can find 5 things.  
  • Write about something that happened to you this week that really made you smile.  Was it your child, husband, or maybe a complete stranger did to you?
  • Write about something that YOU did for someone else that really made them happy or laugh.
  • Is there something you treasure so much that every single time you look at it, it brings you happiness?  Post a pic and tell everyone about it.
  • Having a hard week and can’t find one good thing about it?  Well then, what is your happy place?  What do you think of that makes you happy? A past vacation?  A childhood memory?  We want to know!
Then head over to 
and link your blog so everyone can visit 
and see all about what made you 
Feel Good!!!
Here's what made me feel good this week!!
It was a nice normal week, no drama!! With the exception of husband Jeff having a terrible cold and grandson Kaden trying our patience regularly, but the terrible two's will end soon, yeah right, it was a pretty good week.

1. The leaky toilet is finally fixed, yes we finally called a plumber, he was here about 5 minutes and because he was changing the water meters for the village to digital there was no charge!

2.  I made time for reading this week and spent less time and this computer.  I am going to try to do that more often.

3. I wrote a post this week that was a lot of fun and brought back some good memories.  "What Made You The Reader You Are Today?"  Scroll down from this post and check it out to see who I credit for my reading habit.

4.  We are starting to look for cars to replace Jayme's and one for Betsy.  She retakes her test on Monday.  Prayers appreciated.  Fingers and tossed crossed wouldn't hurt.


5.  We had a wonderful family get together last Sunday as our great niece Brooklynn was baptized.  Just have to share one picture, ok two.  She is just so cute and her baptism dress was gorgeous.

Jeremy, Heidi & Brooklynn















What made YOU feel good this week?!!
Have A Great Weekend!!

Watch out for ghosts and goblins!!!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

ENQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW - Week 9

 
  
No, I am not a new Tabloid Reporter, but it is a feature so 
that we can all get to know each other better.  
Last week I asked questions about keeping or dumping this feature and after all your wonderful comments and suggestions I am thrilled to continue "Enquiring" to help us get to know each other better. 

The one BIG change is that this feature will be open from Thursday at 12:01 A.M. and close on Monday at 11:59 P.M. to allow those that want to participate over the weekend the opportunity to do so when they have more time.  So you may want to check back on Tuesday or check the previous week's link on Thursday to view everyone's answers.

I will also add the links to all previous weeks at the bottom of the post for those who missed a week or two and want to catch up on everyone's answers.  To do that please link up using the actual post link  instead of the link to your entire blog so people can find your "Enquiring" posts easier. 

If you are a follower without a blog please continue to posts your answers in the comment portion of your favorite blog.  The comments will show up with the blogs weekly posts so it is possible to catch up on your answers too.

If you are just joining this feature 
WELCOME!!!!! 
We all become friends/followers but most of us will never meet in person, this feature is to help us all get to know each other better.


Each Thursday I will post 3 questions for you to answer that you can copy and post on your blog with your answers. 

You don’t have to be a blogger to participate either. I will be using a Linky List for the blogs to use to participate and follow each other around to get to know each other, but if you are not a blogger just answer the questions in the comment section following the post on your favorite blog. Please feel free to click on the links and visit other blogs too. 

This way we not only get to know other bloggers, 
we get to know our followers too.
I am really excited about this meme 
and hope many more people will join the fun.

Are you interested?
WEEK 9 QUESTIONS
  1.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY?
  2.  ARE YOU DRESSING UP FOR HALLOWEEN? IF YES, AS WHAT?
  3.  IF YOU HAVE KIDS ARE THEY DRESSING UP? AGAIN IF YES, WHAT ARE THEY DRESSING UP AS?
 Now be sure to copy and paste the information and your answers into your blog, then come back to link up, so we can come to your blog and read your answers.

I hope you will come back to this meme every week and tell your friends so we can all get to know each other better and get the answers to all the questions 
Enquiring Minds Want To Know!!  

MY ANSWERS:
1. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY?

My favorite holiday is the 4th of July because the fun usually stretches from by birthday on July 1 through the 4th depending on what day of the week the 4th actually falls on.  The parade, the many fireworks shows and a family cookout at my mother-in-law's highlight this whole entire time.

2. ARE YOU DRESSING UP FOR HALLOWEEN? IF YES, AS WHAT?
Nope, just wearing my usual gray haired old lady costume I wear everyday to pass out candy to all the kids dropping by.  I love seeing their costumes. 

3. IF YOU HAVE KIDS ARE THEY DRESSING UP? AGAIN IF YES WHAT ARE THEY DRESSING UP AS?
My grandson is dressing up as Optimist Prime from Transformers, my 17 year old has purchased a scary Jester's costume for work and school, my 19 year old daughter is going shopping today, but it is sure to be something girly like a princess, my oldest daughter has purchased a neon pink and neon green wig for her work party and to wear as she takes Kaden trick or treating, not exactly sure what she has planned.  It should be an interesting week and weekend.
These are not my actual kids just pictures from the internet :)


Now it's your turn! 
Let's get to know YOU!!
This Enquiring Mind Wants To Know!
WEEK 8
WEEK 7
WEEK 6
WEEK 5
WEEK 4
WEEK 2
WEEK 1





 

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

An Uplifting Murder by Elaine Viets

Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Series
An Obsidian Mystery

Release Date: November 2, 2010
6th Book in the Series

In this edition Josie is mystery shopping at a high end lingerie store.  Very pricey undergarments.  She is more than surprised to find her old high school gym teacher Mrs. Hayes as manager and "self appointed C-cup counselor".  To make things even more uncomfortable (Josie was very nervous about undressing in front of a stranger.) an extremely snotty high school classmate bounds into the store while Josie is there slinging accusations and insults like bullets from a gun.

Josie is shocked  but not totally surprised to find the classmate later, dead in the handicapped stall in the woman's bathroom.  The real bombshell drops when her former teacher is arrested for the murder.  As secrets are revealed Josie finds the victim has many more enemies than friends, she just has to uncover which enemy had the most to lose and the most to gain and she sets out to "bust" the real killer.

This series is so much fun.  Josie, her family and friends are such wonderful characters you are sure to love, and the author always colors the victim as someone you just love to hate.  She always blends friendship, family, mystery, humor and romance perfectly.  When you finish one story you can't wait to start the next. Pumped For Murder will be out in May 2011. I can't wait!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free Obsidian, .a division of Penguin Publishing.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Who Made You The Reader You Are Today?

LueAnn & Lori ~1999
My sister and I were recently discussing how we each became such voracious readers and ended up both working with books.  She manages a book store and I am here everyday, reading, reviewing and recommending books on this blog.

My sister is twelve years older than I and my brother is 10 years older, so I basically grew up as an only child.  My sister moved back to the area several years ago and we became very close and even closer after my accident.  The one thing we both remember is that we never saw either of our parents reading a book.  Newspapers yes, but never a book. We don't remember them reading to us as children but they may have. It really gave us something to think about.

As for me, I remember my parents were always working and I spent a lot of time at our public library.  I can remember a day so clearly, it could have been yesterday.  As I was returning some books to that high desk, the librarian said to me, "I think you are ready to move up to more adult reading" or something like that.  It was goodbye Nancy Drew, hello to what she called the "Jalna Books".  They were in fact a series of 16 novels written by Mazo de la Roche.  The series tells the story of one hundred years of the Whiteoak family covering from 1854 to 1954. The novels were not written in sequential order, however, and each can be read as an independent story.  I remember reading the series at least twice. I should probably read it again.

I can not remember a day in my life since then that I did not have a book on my nightstand, even in addition to the required reading in high school and college.  Of course, I didn't read as much then as I do now. A couple chapters a night before bed each night.  During my high school and adult life I had a passion for crafts and sewing. At that time Home Economics was still offered prominently in school and I took every class I could.  Sewing, knitting, crochet, macrame.  I did an independent study in macrame and made a huge hanging table holder that held a huge piece of glass.  (Wonder where that ended up.) But I still had time to read for fun almost everyday.

Kris, Katy, Betsy, Jayme ~1993
After I was married and had children I made most of their clothes, mine too and most of Jeff's shirts. I saved all the scraps to use for quilts. My husband bought me my dream sewing machine and an overlock machine (serger) and they paid for themselves quickly by all the money we saved by me making clothes. We used to make a yearly trip to Minnesota to a fabric warehouse and would come home with the trunk full of fabric.  I had a dedicated sewing room with a huge window so I could watch the kids playing outside and still sew.  I did all this while still working full time. Still finding time to read, mostly to my children, but also some really good mysteries. Where is all the energy today. :)

By 1999, the kids were older and didn't want too many home made clothes, so my passion turned to quilting.  I attended classes, bought tons of books and fabric and made quilts for my family and charities. It was an addiction.  I would even come home from work on my lunch hours to sew. I had and still have enough fabric to stock my own store.  My last project was for my son, who was seven at the time, a beautiful pinwheel rainbow colored quilt.  I finished the top, it is almost full bed size, and decided I would try to machine quilt it. All my previous quilts were hand quilted or had  been made reversible quilt-as-you-go designs. I had taken a class and believed I was ready.  Was I wrong.  I remember spending a lot of time un-stitching (ripping out stitches) for a few days and then my life was turned upside down by my accident.  It takes 2 hands to rip stitches and the quilt is waiting for me all folded nicely in a plastic comforter bag, hoping some day I will be able to complete it.  It has his name JAYMESON spelled out in constructed blocks across the top.  I can't believe he will be 18 next month and the quilt is still unfinished.  It will be finished someday, I promise. Then I will share a picture.

Anyway, all of my previous hobbies required 2 hands.  I am still hoping to be able to make quilts again, they keep coming out with new gadgets everyday.  But until that day, my heart has gone back to my first hobby that I loved, READING!!  Now instead of a chapter or two before bed, it is sometimes a book a day, about 5 books a week.  


I then was introduced to and found a bunch of Book Blogs on the internet. After a about a year of reading other people's blogs I thought, I can do that!!! Which brings us here today.

I have discovered that my love of reading came, not from my parents, not from my sister, not from my teachers, but from a wonderful LIBRARIAN named Mrs. Lee. She was the librarian for the Columbus Public Library for 17 years. Mrs Lee passed away in 2009 at the age of 97, but I met with her back in 2007 and was able to thank her for giving me the gift of truly enjoying reading and she of course was very humble and said I  had it within myself, she just brought it out.  It was amazing that she even remembered me, but she said she would never forget that girl, curled up in that chair reading or sitting at that table doing her homework. I was there almost everyday and in the summer waiting on the steps for her to open the door.

My husband and I truly love to read and have passed that love on to our children. Early in our marriage we lived right down the street from the Columbus Library.  The first thing we did was renew our cards and get cards for the children when they were old enough.  Our youngest daughter still makes weekly trips, sometimes with our grandson (her nephew) to that very same library and they both come home with their arms full of books. Our oldest daughter buys and trades books with her co-workers.  Our sons are more into movies and video games, but I think in time they will find the love for reading too, but it will probably be e-books and that's a whole different subject and post for the future.

Who influenced your reading habit and how have you paid it forward?  I would love to hear your stories.

Monday, October 25, 2010

It's Monday!! What Are You Reading???

This great meme is hosted by Sheila at "Book Journey".

 It's a great way to start the week and 
find out what other bloggers are reading.  
My To-Be-Read pile has grown to an 
unbelievable number thanks to this meme.

FINISHED

Blood Over Badge
Blood Over Badge
by Wayne Farquhar 
 Check out the review and enter the giveaway 
by clicking on the picture in the left sidebar.

The Fashion Hound Murders
by Elaine Viets

An Uplifting Murder: Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper (Josie, Marcus Mystery Shopper)
An Uplifting Murder
by Elaine Viets
Release Date November 2, 2010
Review coming soon.

CURRENTLY READING
Homicide in Hardcover: A Bibliophile Mystery 
Homicide in Hardcover
by Kate Carlisle

ON DECK 
If Books Could Kill: A Bibliophile Mystery 
If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle


The Lies That Bind: A Bibliophile Mystery 
The Lies That Bind by Kate Carlisle


Silent Kill
 Silent Kill by David Fingerman
REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY 
November 3 

It's getting close to New Release Tuesday, 
my favorite day each month.
Even more exciting is that John Betcher returns to 
Dollycas's Thoughts on November 1 to kick off his 
PUMP YOUR BOOK TOUR for his book 
The 19th Element!! 

The days here in Wisconsin are getting cooler, today it is also raining, and I feel the best way to spend a rainy day is curled up with a good book, which is what I am going to to do today after a little blog visiting.  

Be sure to enter the giveaways in the left sidebar and if you would please click on the picket fence picture in the right sidebar.  The more votes I get moves me up the list and let's more people know about my blog and promote my giveaways. You may also want to enter your blog. 

I hope you will also come back on Thursday 
for my Enquiring Minds Want To Know feature. 

HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!!
 

Friday, October 22, 2010

Follow Friday 40 and Over!!!

Are you a blogger over 40? Yeah, welcome to the club!
Please join in the fun and get to know your fellow bloggers!!





Sponsored by: Java at Never Growing Old

This is the 22nd week for this group and I have missed a few weeks because my non-blog life was just a little crazy!!

The RULES to join in are very simple!

1. Grab the button

2. Add your link to the list at Never Growing Old 
3. Visit as many other blogs as you can
4. Follow the ones you like (and comment on their blog to say that you are following)

NOTE:  PLEASE leave your blog address when you leave a comment!!  Java have had several people wanting to follow back but the blogger can't always be found through the Google info page!!


This list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up  each week for new participants to find your blogs. It will be visible all week to visit  the blogs listed.



While you are here, make sure you check out the
Over 40 Blogger List!!


Be sure to join if you haven't already!




HAVE FUN!


FEEL GOOD FRIDAY!!!


Welcome to 

Feel Good Friday! 

Erika had found that a lot of her bloggy friends reading posts about being positive, so she thought she might try her very own meme.  She just wanted everyone to feel good and have some happy thoughts as you begin the weekend.  


It is never too late to join!!! 
 I have posted the prompts here to give you some idea of what this meme is about:
Pick one of these prompts and write about it on your blog!  You can: 
  • Just make a list. List 5 things that made you really happy this week. No matter how bad or boring you think your week was, I bet you can find 5 things.  
  • Write about something that happened to you this week that really made you smile.  Was it your child, husband, or maybe a complete stranger did to you?
  • Write about something that YOU did for someone else that really made them happy or laugh.
  • Is there something you treasure so much that every single time you look at it, it brings you happiness?  Post a pic and tell everyone about it.
  • Having a hard week and can’t find one good thing about it?  Well then, what is your happy place?  What do you think of that makes you happy? A past vacation?  A childhood memory?  We want to know!
Then head over to 
and link your blog so everyone can visit and see all about what made you 

Feel Good!!!

Here's what made me feel good this week!!

After all the drama of the past couple of weeks I have decided to go with a simple list this week :) 

1.  Jayme is recovering well from his accident.  I didn't realize how much pain he was in or that he was taking ibuprofen every few hours to help the pain.  He went to the chiropractor on Wednesday, who explained to him what happens to backs and necks when you are struck from behind at high rate of speed (she was believed to be going between 45-50 miles per hour and he was sitting still).  Jayme said as soon as the doctor cracked one place in his back he felt immediate relief.  He has exercises to do to stretch his back and goes back again on Monday. He may be 6"6" when this is over or more. :) 

2.  Jayme is on the honor roll again and because he is a Senior he get to come home an hour earlier everyday instead of sitting in study hall.  Of course then he goes back after school to work out and prepare for basketball that will be starting very soon.  Yesterday was his first workout since the accident so it was slow and easy but it was a start.

3.  Betsy/Liz/Elizabeth (She will always be Betsy to me.) is loving college.  She is doing very well in her classes, making new friends and some of her friends from high school are there too.  Now all she needs is a driver's license.  Retest is November 1, prayers and fingers crossed appreciated.  She does well with us but gets so nervous during the tests she just freezes up and makes mistakes.

4.  We are working to transition Kaden to his own bed.  We have been bad grandparents.  His mom works second shift so we have been letting him fall asleep with us and moving him later or lying down with him until he falls asleep.  In all fairness his other grandparents, his dad and his mom do the same thing, so we all are bad.  Now we are going through a lot of crying and screaming at bedtime and many trips to tuck him back in.  Heck, I raised 4 kids and we never let them sleep with us, they went from the crib to the toddler bed to the twin bed, etc.  Do grandparents lose their minds when it comes to grandchildren?

5.  Thank you to all my bloggy friends.  I have been running a feature for about 8 weeks on my blog that has not been as successful as I thought it would be and was questioning whether to keep it going or dump it.  I received lots of great advice and encouragement and will be continuing the feature.

I know that was not a simple list, but if you knew me in real life I always talk too much and things with me are rarely simple.  Have a great week and I can't wait to see and hear about all the things the made you feel good this week!!

 


Thursday, October 21, 2010

Blood Over Badge by Wayne Farquhar Review & Giveaway

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:
Wayne Farquhar is a 28-year veteran working with the San Jose Police Department in California. He has worked through the ranks from officer to lieutenant with detective assignments in Sexual Assaults, Homicide and Internal Affairs. He has also worked undercover assignments in Child Exploitation, Child Pornography and Vice. He spent 10 years as a street cop and hostage negotiator. Wayne has worked on Federal Task Forces with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). He has appeared on the national television show, America’s Most Wanted, on a murder investigation. BLOOD OVER BADGE is his first effort in crime-thriller fiction, and he hopes to write more books and speak to larger audiences about his experiences in law enforcement. Wayne lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area.

THE BOOK: 
TWO SEEMINGLY UNRELATED CRIMES –
TWO SEEMINGLY UNRELATED KILLERS –
AND TWO MYSTERIES WAITING TO BE SOLVED …

The murder of the Mayor of San Francisco’s daughter in the first Homicide case for new detective Casey Ford.  He is partnered with veteran detective Jack Paige.  Another murder in Texas seems to connect to the one in San Francisco, same type of killing. This criminal is a ruthless, evil murderer and rapist. The unrelated mysteries of two murderers seem to come together and make little sense.  How does a man locked up Louisiana for life know the details of these murders?    What is the relationship to the killing of the Mayor’s daughter?

THE REVIEW:
This is a gritty, intriguing, realistic, crime thriller.  The author lets us read both sides.  We get to see things from the murderer's point of view and the police as they are  trying to solve the case.  We get to walk in everyone shoes.  The story is extremely fast paced and the reader gets wrapped up in the drama. There are twists and turns and the author intertwines so much information that as you get close to the end things start to almost come together but it is just beyond our grasp.  It scares me to think the writer is able to write such gruesome details because he is drawing on his real life law enforcement experience.  This is an extremely good debut to what could be a very successful career as a writer.  He has set the bar very high for himself when it comes his next writing venture.  

*Note the dialog is probably very true to life so if you are offended by "blue language" this is not a book for you.

THE GIVEAWAY:
  • I have my one gently read copy to use for this giveaway.
  • You do not need to be a follower to enter, but followers will be given an extra entry.
  • Click on the PICKET FENCE in the right sidebar to VOTE for Dollycas's Thoughts and receive an additional entry.
  • U.S. and Canada Residents Only
  • Contest will end on November 4, 2010 at 11:59 P.M.
  • Fill out the form below to enter.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author through Virtual Book Tour Cafe. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

ENQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW OR DO THEY? Week 8 --- If You Have Ever Participated In This MEME, Please Read!

 
I really had high hopes for this meme.  After getting it going turning it into more of a game and offering prizes, voting on the craziest answers each week, finding out what we had in common, what made each of us different.  But it never truly developed.  People participated one week and never returned, others participated occasionally, yet other just started and I don't want to scare them away. So the questions this week are more relating to this actual feature to help me reach a decision as to if I should continue or should cast it aside as a bad idea.

You may remember the idea came from my kids going back to school, one in college and one as a Senior in high school, making new friends and renewing friendships in different ways, and how I have made many new friends here in the computer world, but don't really know you at all.  I also wanted to use it to get to know my followers, not just fellow bloggers.

So here are the Week 8 Questions

1.  Do you ever feel like no one is reading your blog?

2.  Would this meme work better for you if it was offered on a different day?

3. Do you think there are already too many similar memes out in the blogisphere and I should stop this one?

Sorry extra question this week.
4.  If I were to continue with Enquiring Minds do you have any advice or changes you would like to see.

Thanks for your input.  If you choose not to post this week on your blog that is fine, you can leave your answers in the comment section to help me decide how to proceed.