DOMINATION: The C.H.A.O.S. Trilogy, Book 3

I got this book free through Booksneeze, in return for writing a blog about it and a review of my opinion.
In no way have I been compinsated for writing a GOOD review. An honest opinion is all that was asked for. So here it is......

I have enjoyed this trilogy very much. Naturally it is slightly 'childish' because it is written for youth, but in no way does that detract from the enjoyment I got from it. It was full of action and adventure and its clean (no swearing etc.) and well written.

I found the final book in the C.H.A.O.S. trilogy to be very interesting. The main character is Colt McAlister. He is a teenager who has been 'altered' by alien DNA to try to create a human that that is powerful enough to conquer the Thule, an alien race that is determined to kill all humans and take over Earth.

His grandfather used to by 'The Phantom Flyer' during WWII. His job was to bring hope to the people. Now that we are in a war with the Thule and people are losing hope that we will be able to win this war, The Phantom Flyer is brought back...only this time its Colt, continuing his grandfather's legacy. He isn't thrilled at first to be required to travel around putting on a 'show' to boost peoples moral, when he thinks he would be better off training and fighting Thule, but he soon finds out that he can fight Thule AND put on moral-boosting shows.

Not only does he get to fight the Thule here, he also gets taken to another planet and he fights them there also! And in the end, he 'gets the girl'.What better way is there to end the last book in this trilogy?

I have gotten attached to these characters, so I hope there are more books about them. This book ends in a way that makes it seem like Jon S. Lewis may write another 'trilogy' with these same characters, but he may also have just left it that way so your imagination can fill in their future with a lot more adventure.

I have read Heaven Is For Real and now this book. I enjoyed them both and they both have their good points but I enjoyed Heaven Is For Real more than this one. Maybe because Heaven Is For Real came at a crucial point in my life, shortly after my Dad had passed away, and I could imagine him with Jesus. 

This book, Heaven Changes Everything, is a nice read and encouraging. It is an inspiration. It tells of the lessons that Colton's parents learned along their journey and gives a deeper understanding to how their son's experience effected them. How they grew through it. It is an enjoyable read and very uplifting. I would recommend it.

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I have gotten nothing in return for writing this review except this book for free. The opinion expressed here is mine. I am not required to give a 'good' review if my opinion of the book isn't good. 

I read this book several months ago, then loaned it out to several friends. I have gotten it back and am reading it again. I LOVE this book. John MacArthur writes like he is having a conversation with you. Very easy to read. He breaks down how to truly surrender to the lordship of Christ and become the best possible servant to our Savior. I found myself admiring the truths in this book. So many ministers sugar coat the Word, and while John isn't harsh or offensive, he does tell it like it is! We can't continue to live our lives as we did before Christ came into it, and expect to reap the full benefit of Him being our Savior. We must surrender to Christ's leadership. John leads the reader through the scriptures on a journey of self discipline and submission the the will of Jesus. He tells HOW to grow closer to Christ, on a daily basis, and backs it up with scriptures. I will be getting more of his books. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.

Blog Merge

I have been having the worst time logging into my craft blog so I have decided to merge the two blogs and only have to keep up with one. I hope this works out okay and I don't mess things up too badly. Lol. So from now on this will be my craft AND book blog. I will be making changes along the way to try to make it the best that I can.

A Triple Threat novel

The Triple Threat is made up of Cassidy the crime reporter, Nicole the FBI agent, and Allison the federal prosecutor. Together they help stop criminals and bring justice when laws are broken.

I had never heard of them before this book, but I so enjoyed this novel and I WILL be reading more of this series.

In this story, the Triple Threat is broken and reshaped, The crimes becomes personal. Murder and terror follow them wherever they go.They have to figure out who is behind it before it is too late.

They find a true friend in a P.I. by the name of Ophelia. Ophelia is a bit on the eccentric side, but she is very smart and she is an awesome investigator. They enlist her help because they aren't "officially" allowed on the case, but they HAVE to find the criminal.

There is great loss but also growth in this story. They learn that losing someone they love doesn't mean that there is no more good in life. It just means that life has changed. The writing is fairly graphic (but not terribly bad). I found it disturbing in a few places but I think it was mostly because I lost my Dad recently and the details brought back some unwelcome memories. But, really, what do you expect from a murder mystery? There are going to be descriptions of dead bodies! Lol.

I found this book to be very enjoyable to read and it has re-awakened my like of mysteries. I haven't read a good mystery in a long time, but I will be seeking them out after this novel.

I only have one complaint and it is not about the story but about the format. I get books for free from Book Sneeze in exchange for writing a review. I normally get the printed books but this time they didn't have one I found interesting. When I saw this one as an ebook, I decided it was worth trying. I don't have an ereader but I do have Kindle for PC so I can read ebooks on my laptop. I MUCH prefer a print book. I found it uncomfortable to have to read this on my computer. I couldn't take it with me anywhere. So I have decided I will either have to get an ereader, or just print books from Book Sneeze (which seems to be becoming more and more rare!) or just suck it up and keep reading them on my laptop. Lol. (I do wish Book Sneeze had more books in print, though.)

If you like murder mysteries then this is the book (series) for you!

Heart of Gold

   Here is the latest and, in my opinion, probably the best romance I have ever read. This one is set back in 1864, during the Civil War Era. A pastor from Virginia moves to "rough-and-tumble" Grand Coeur, Idaho to open a church there and to try to keep his daughter, Shannon, safe from the war. She, naturally, hates it there and only wants to move back to the more "civilized" land that she calls home.
   The stage coach driver that brings them to Grand Coeur is temporarily retiring from driving stage coaches for Well Fargo and is taking a "desk job" so that he can care for his ailing sister and her 10 year old son. He figures he will start driving again once his sister is back in good health.
   Enter the suave Southern gentleman that Shannon feels she has something in common with (after all, he is the only other Southerner in that primitive town), and he understands her feelings about the "Yankees" and how she misses her home.
   This is a story of how God's plans are not always what we have planned for our lives. But His plans ARE always the best thing for us.
   This isn't just a typical falling in love story. There is a story of growth, and of how life changes us and how we look at things. There is also a mystery to be solved...who is robbing the stage and how to stop them before someone gets killed. The romance takes place in the midst of the story of friendships grown, loss of loved ones, and trying to find out who the "bad guys" are. It has a real feel to it that most "romances" are sadly lacking.
   I will be on the lookout for more books by Robin Lee Hatcher. She is a brilliant novelist and I would recommend her books to everyone. (Now I have to make a trip to the library to look for more books by her, so see you all next time and God bless you all.)

Busy little bee

I've been working on the doggie bed for my brother's puppy, but it is taking longer than I had hoped. I have had to patch my roof and work on my car and have been "babysitting" a friend that just had knee replacement surgery (there were complications and he had to have a second surgery.) I have the top layer of the bottom almost finished and the sides have been done for a while. Once I get the crocheted part done, I only have to cut out the memory foam and the fabric for the bottom layer of the bottom. (The memory foam will be sandwiched between the crocheted "top" and the fabric "bottom".)
I just wanted to ask you all to not give up on me yet. I AM still alive and "creating".
:-)
I'll be back soon. (I am having a bit of trouble signing in lately, but as long as I am able to get back here I will!)

Max on Life

 

 

 Here is the last of the books I reviewed on Spark People. Again you can't click on this photo to see inside.

Monday, April 18, 2011

I just read a good book by Max Lucado, named Max on Life. The format is a question/answer layout...he prints the question someone has asked him, then he prints his reply to the question.

I have never read any of his books before, although I am very familiar with his name. I decided to finally venture into "Max realm" when I saw that this book was on BookSneeze.

I have to admit that when I first started reading it I wasn't very impressed. His answers seemed rushed and not very in depth. The first chapter was a nice read, but not that impressive. Then I started the second chapter and I was hooked! I even came across a passage that helped me do something that I have been struggling with for a while and couldn't bring myself to do it because I knew it would hurt someone I love. He said "Love does whatever is in the best interest of a person" and I realized that no matter how it hurts either of us NOW, I HAD to do what was best for them in the long run! That one sentence had a huge impact on me at this point in my life.
So I have to admit that after the first chapter, I LOVED this book. Max's answers seemed to get deeper and I got more out of the book. He may not have answered the questions about life the same way I may have, but he did answer them in a way that shows love and compassion, and the Spirit of Christ.

Even if you aren't facing something in your life that brings questions, or makes you struggle, (but, really...who ISN'T?) this is a good read just for the insight. I found it very pleasant to read and the way it is laid out it is a quick read. There is a question at the top of the page, then his answer on the rest of the page (sometimes "bleeding over" to the next page. Each chapter is a different category. "Hope", "Hurt", "Help", etc.

I really enjoyed reading this.

The Quotable Chesterton By Kevin Belmonte

 

 

Another book I posted on Spark People. I got the picture off of Amazon; you can't click on it to see inside!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

I got the book "The quotable Chesterton" by Kevin Belmonte free from Book Sneeze and have agreed to write a blog "review".
I personally found it interesting for the most part. I am not familiar with Chesterton's work, but the bits that are in this book give me the impression that he spoke his mind. There were some "Quotes" that I thought were dry and not a tasty read, but others I found enlightening, and still other just plain entertaining.The quotes are arranged under "subject" and are alphabetically entered in the book. For example: "Academia", "Accommodation", "Accountability", "Adventure"...etc. Some of the quotes are just a few sentences, while others are several paragraphs. Out of five stars I would give it a three star rating, mainly because I'm not familiar with his work. I think it would help to have read some of the books that these quotes were taken from. I like reading to learn something or to just be entertained, and this book just didn't draw me in like I like to be drawn in. (I guess I'm saying it was too easy to put down.) But, again, in defense of the book, I think it would help if a person was familiar with Chesterton's work, which I am not.

 

 

Oh, THIS is the first book I got from Book Sneeze. It is an AMAZING little book! I originally posted this on Spark People.

Monday, January 25, 2010

I just read "I Wish You Enough" by Bob Perks and found it to be an amazing book. It is filled with stories he has personally experienced or that others have told him about their lives. All of the stories are inspiring and uplifting, even the ones that made me cry. (I lost count of how many that was! LOL) It is written from a Christian point of view, but he doesn't cram Christ down your throat so it would be a good book for even non-Christians to read. (I personally agree with everything the man says in the book) There is a lot of good insight in this book and if you want to get the most out of life, I recommend reading this book. I give it 5 stars. It is an easy book to read. I read it in the dentist office while waiting for my Mom to have a tooth pulled. (Yes, I got weepy eyed in public! Not ashamed to admit it either. [chuckle]) My favorite stories are (this may change each time I read it): They Ran Through the Rain Believing (page 21); If You Only Knew (page 42); She Didn't Have to Say a Word (page 48); All She Had Was a Broken Heart (page 55); A Change Of Heart (page 107); The Orchid Girl (page 111). I hope this book touches many lives and blesses many hearts. God bless Bob Perks and his family! I give this book 5 stars.

Beautiful things happen when a Woman Trusts God

 

 

 

I think this was my first book (and blog) from BookSneeze. I posted it on Spark People also.

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

I read this book recently and just wanted to share how wonderful it is. It took me a while to read it, but it was worth every minute I spent on it. This is a book I will be keeping to read again.
Sheila takes you along on her journey to trusting the Lord, no matter what things LOOK like. She opens up about her trip down the lane of depression and her insecurities, and she takes you with her on her journey to trusting in the love that God has for His children. She is a wonderful writer and, reading this book was like listening to a best friend talk. It is a very uplifting and inspiring book, one that I think we should all read. We CAN overcome ANY trial if we learn to trust God and believe that He will not ask anything of us that is beyond His power to fulfill in us, if we will just TRUST HIM!

Eat Your Peas for Mom

 

 

 

This is a blog I posted on Spark People in April.  

Sunday, April 17, 2011

I got another free book from BookSneeze, and I just had to share it. I'm giving it to my Mom for Mother's Day. It is truly beautiful.
Okay, the name of this wonderful little book is "Eat your peas...for Mom" The words are written by Cheryl Karpen and the art work is by Sandy Fougner. (The artwork alone is worth getting this book for!)
I almost didn't get this book because of the title...I HATE peas! (They are evil little creatures!!!) But I realized that was pretty childish, that I didn't have to eat my peas just because some book told me to, so I went ahead and requested it. Am I ever glad that I did!!!
This is a beautiful book. It has a powerful impact for being so little. Each page is illustrated with beautiful graphics, and each page has a quick heart warming sentiment from a child to a mother.
Examples: "I am truly blessed because you are my mother." "You: tender, loving, smart, beautiful, forgiving, strong, patient, and kind. Me: fortunate." And, simply, "I love you."
I cannot say enough how beautiful the graphics are in this book. This will be a treasure for years to come (and may even make a great gift to be passed from generation to generation!)

Alienation

I finished another free book from Booksneeze and it is time to write the blog for it. Alienation is the second book in the C.H.A.O.S. novel series. I haven't read the first book in the series yet (Invasion), but it is now on my "to-read" list.
Alienation is about a teenage boy living with his grandfather after his parents were killed (I guess that happened in Invasion). He goes off to the C.H.A.O.S. Academy with his best friends Oz and Danielle to train to be the next generation of C.H.A.O.S. agents. They will be the LAST generation of agents unless they can stop the alien race, the shape-shifting Thule, from invading the Earth and destroying all humans. There is one major problem for Colt, though. One of the Thule, an assassin, is after him. He has been hired to kill Colt so that he can't become the future leader of C.H.A.O.S. Colt has had alien blood injected into him when he was very young (unbeknownst to him), so he has some of the abilities of the Thule. There is a prophecy that one of their own will defeat them, and they are afraid that it is Colt so he must be destroyed at any cost so that he cannot fulfill the prophecy.There is never a dull moment throughout this book and there are a few surprises. I liked the cool gadgets and weapons they have. Wouldn't mind having a few of them myself! Hahaha. I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to reading the first one and any others that follow. I loaned it to my brother and he enjoyed the story also.


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Crocheted Baby Elephant

I'M BAAAAACCCKKKK!!!

Okay, here is the promised crocheted elephant, finally finished. I have learned that one has to actually WORK a project if one wants to ever see it FINISHED! (hahahaha)
This is very easy, but I was just lazy about crocheting. I'd crochet about once a week, and for only a little while at a time. I made up my mind last night that I was going to finish it today, so set out to do just that. I was tired of waiting to see the end result. And, boy oh boy, am I glad I did...

   ...isn't this little guy just the cutest thing???

 This is a close up of where the "arm" attaches to the "neck".

 And this is where the leg is sewn onto the bottom of the elephant.

For anyone that may want to make one of their own crocheted baby elephants, I got the pattern off of red heart yarn website. It is free, downloads in pdf format so it is easy to print, and they have LOTS more free patterns also. Here is a link to the elephant pattern:

http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/babys-elephant
 
 I hope it works for you. I'm still new at this blogging stuff and sharing links, etc. Thanks for bearing with me while I learn. :-)

Well, I hope you all have enjoyed seeing my latest finished project. My Mom and I are thinking about crocheting and knitting my brother a little jacket and a bed for his new puppy. If we decide to do them, I will be putting them on here. I want to put some soap here also, but am waiting to get a good camera so the pictures look better.

Thanks for visiting and hope you come back again.

Crocheted Bangle Bracelet

Hello again blog world. I have been away too long. I'll get right onto the bracelet now.

I finally finished the crocheted bracelet that I have been promising you all. It isn't bad for my first attempt, but I am a bit disappointed in the size. I have very small wrists and the "bangle" made from the glass is a bit big on me...but the granny squares turned out great and I am very happy with them. I will be making another bracelet WITHOUT the plastic bangle insert. That is another blog, though.

Here are all the supplies I used for the crocheted part (the only other item used is the plastic "bangle" made from the glass-see previous blog:. Four different colors of size 10 crochet thread, and a size 5 hook.

I have a few granny squares started (sitting on top of the pink thread). I made a total of six granny squares for this bracelet, but you can make as many or as few as you choose to. Only one would look quite striking on a solid background.

Here they are after the second round has been crocheted. (Aren't they such cute little things?)

And this is after the third round has been added. Looks like a granny square now. (I just love these colors!)


Once the granny squares were completed, I started joining them with a sc (single crochet). I held two squares together with the wrong sides together, and I worked sc in each stitch from one corner to the other. Once I reached the corner, I opened the two joined squares and continued to sc along the edge of ONE square. When I reached the next corner, I placed another square wrong side to the wrong side of the square I just stitched and I worked sc in each stitch of BOTH squares from that corner to the next. I then opened those squares up and proceeded to sc along up the remaining "raw" edge of the middle square and then continued along the raw edge of the other "original" (the first two squares) middle square. Once I reached the far corner of the second original beginning square, I placed a fourth square wrong side to the wrong side of second original square and worked sc through them both from corner to corner. I opened those squares up and worked sc back down the last raw edge of the second original square. I now have four squares joined, with sc worked completely around the center two. I tied off and cut thread.

Now I attached the thread at the corner where I joined the first and third squares. I worked sc along the edge until I got to the corner, then I joined the fifth square to the third from corner to corner. Then I worked sc on the third square back to the opposite corner where I joined the first square to the third square. I now have squares one, two and three completely surrounded. I tied and cut thread. I repeated this step to add the sixth square to the fourth square on the opposite end.

After all the squares are joined, I have to finish the edging on the fifth and sixth squares. So I attached the thread at the corner where the third and fifth squares are joined and worked sc around the fifth square, tying off and cutting thread at the opposite corner where the third and fifth squares join. I attached thread again at the corner where the fourth and sixth squares are joined and worked sc around as I did before.

Whooooo...Now the hard part is over! From here on out, I just worked sc back and forth on one end until the bracelet was long enough to go around the plastic bangle. (If leaving the plastic out, make it long enough to fit comfortably around your wrist...remembering to take into consideration the method you will use as a fastener.) * Do NOT cut thread.*

Once it was long enough, I started working sc down the long edge of one side to make the bracelet wide enough to wrap around the inside of the bangle. I worked sc back and forth until it was wide enough, then tied off and cut thread, leaving a tail long enough to lace or stitch the crocheted piece around the plastic piece.

So now I whip stitched the ends together, slid the plastic bracelet into the crocheted sleeve and proceeded to whip stitch the edge together around the plastic. Tie off and weave in loose ends.
NOTE: some of the loose ends can be hidden under other sc stitches as you crochet and/or hidden when you sew the crochet onto the plastic.

And FINALLY here is the finished product!

As I said, it's a bit big for my wrist but it fit my Mom perfect. :-)

I am now working on a crocheted stuffed baby elephant for my oldest niece's baby boy. He will be here in April (her birth month also!) so I have a bit of time to finish it. It is REALLY easy though, so I will be done with it WAY before then. I got the pattern from redheart.com. Instead of using boring ole gray yarn like they did, I'm using some pretty variegated blue/white/mauve yarn. I think Cole will love it. (Babies do like colors!) I will post pictures when it is finished. I will be writing a blog with pictures of all the stuff I made for baby Cole!

Wire jewelry

Hello again Blog World.

I have been busy crocheting the "wrapping" for my bangle bracelet, going to doctors appointments and trying to stay WARM. (My desert blood isn't used to this chill!) It's been raining for several days now and will be for several more days. Higher elevations are getting LOTS of snow, so the skiing should be good this year.

I am just going to share some rather lousy pictures of my first few attempts at wire wrapping.
I LOVE the look of wire wrap jewelry, but have been intimidated by it so have never tried it. I just love it though, so I finally broke down and am starting to try to learn how to do it. I started off just looking at others work on the Internet and then I started getting books out of my local library. (They only just started buying them so there are only a few.)
As you can see from the following pictures, I still need LOTS of practice!!! But it is really fun so I will keep doing it. They say "practice makes perfect"...I better get back to practicing right after I type this blog, cause I have a LONG way to go!
I apologize before hand for the horrible quality of the pictures. I took them on my cell phone camera and it isn't good for closeups. I am working on getting a good camera, but I'm not sure exactly when I will have it in my hands and can start using it. I hope soon because I think the photos in a blog are what make the blog. They tell a story that words can't. (I think the story mine are telling must be horror stories!)   ;-)


Okay, here goes...are you ready?


My very first attempt at wire wrapping...a delicate little ring. It's called a knot but I think mine looks almost like a rose. What do you think? (Besides that the photo is seriously yucky? Lol.)

Here is another shot of it.

Okay, on to the second project I made. Another ring, made the same day as the previous one. Not quite so delicate, this one. (Picture are still horrid though. Sorry.)

And another one...

Hang in there...there is just one more project...then I promise you can go rinse your eyes out so they may be able to recover from this horrible photography. 


Here is my first attempt at adding beads to the wire. And its my first bracelet.

And one more photo of the bracelet...

I promise, I will keep practicing (although I can't promise that it will make me better.) I do have faith in this mysterious "they" that says "Practice make Perfect", so maybe there is hope for me yet. (And None will be as glad as I when I finally get my camera and can start showing you all half way decent photos!)

Thanks for hanging out with me once more. Remember, I'm working on the crocheted bracelet and will be posting it (hopefully soon!)

See you again next time.

Beginnings of a few bangles

I was reading this blog http://www.michlinla.com/2010/12/lime-green-bangle.html the other day and thought "This is a good idea for making bangles to cover with other stuff instead of buying them", so I went to my local dollar store and got a three pack of plastic glasses (cost $1.50 for the three) and cut one up today. This post is about that; a future one will be about the finished bangles that I make with them.


BEFORE:

AFTER:

First I ran a length of masking tape around the glass at the width I wanted the bangle. Then I started cutting it.
I had quite a time finding a way to cut the glass up without breaking it but after trying scissors (as suggested in Mich. L. in L.A.'s blog), an Exacto knife, and a saw, I finally thought of the thing that I found worked best for me...

...a soldering/wood burning iron!

It leaves a wider "cut", 

but it worked wonders for cutting the plastic into slices without breaking it.

In the photo above you can see where I tried using scotch tape when I was using the saw and Exacto knife. I don't recommend it if you are using the iron. It melts too! If you are using scissors to cut your glass, it will work just fine to define the "cut line", but NOT if you melting it like I did.

I kept a rag handy to wipe the hot tip on when it got goopy with melted plastic.

 It's actually the toe of a sock that has long ago lost it's partner. (I knew it would come in handy for something if I kept it!)

Okay, now comes the time consuming part. The iron melts the plastic, which leaves a ridge of melted plastic on the edges of the bangles. I used an Exacto knife to CAREFULLY cut away that melted ridge. I couldn't get photos because I had to use both hands to handle the bangle, but if you hold it at the right angle and kinda "pop" the plastic off, it works rather well. Just be VERY CAREFUL to not cut yourself. There is no fun in creating pretty things when you end up minus a thumb!!! I held the blade flat against the bangle and slid it along under the melted ridge and kinda lifted once in awhile to pop the ridge away from the bangle.
Then I took the scissors and trimmed up the edges and made them a bit more uniform in width. (I wasn't very careful and got mine really uneven when I melted them.) If needed you can use an emery board or file to smooth out any rough spots. I didn't worry too much about getting mine perfect as they will be covered soon anyway.

Once the glass is cut up into bangles and smoothed out (if desired), they are ready to be covered with your choice of "pretty".

I found instructions on Red Heart yarns website for crocheted and knitted bangles and am going to try that on these bangles. Maybe try some ribbon wrapped around them or even glue a bit of batting on them and then wrap them with fabric to make a pretty, "puffy" bangle.

I will be making another post once I have a few made, with pictures to show you all what they end up looking like.   (Wish me luck!!!)   :-)

*I will be getting a better camera soon, so hopefully after I learn to use it, the photos in my posts will be better. Right now I'm using the camera on my phone! :-/

Thank you for once again joining me, and I hope you have fun coming up with all sorts of ways to decorate your own bangles. Good day my fellow crafters....