Winter is Definitely Here

Well here I am being tardy again with my posting. Time goes way too fast for me. It's very hard to write, edit, do all the holiday thing, etc. Sorry about that.

Now I'm turning my attention to the ABNA contest of 2011. Getting my entry ready. More on this later. I'm afraid the power will go out here since it always does quite frequently when it storms.

Winter has definitely arrived here. We've had nothing but rain and lots of it. It rained 7 days straight here in the desert, which is very unusual. We got two years worth! Now the weather has turned cold today and we had rain all day long, but it is turning into the "s" word now. The dreaded "s" word. I hate that because it is too cold for my blood. I dream of those tropical islands or the 100 degree summer days. The howling north wind has found us again too. It has hardly blown at all for a few months now.

I have read more indie books too, so have those reviews to post later.

Hope everyone's holiday was great and you all have a healthy and happy New Year. And hopefully the economy will get better and 2011 will be more prosperous for us all.

Blessings,
Sunni

BOOK REVIEW - Marigold: Book One of the Elven Chronicles

I finished this book about a week ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's the debut novel of a new indie author, Marya Ashworth, and although this book is for young readers (8-12), I think it could be enjoyed by any age group. The book is full of adventures and activities that young teens could relate to; horseback riding, skating, and listening to music, dances, relationships, shopping and homework. And of course there are adventures with good and evil and bits of magick scattered throughout the pages.

I liked all the characters in this book. They are well drawn and we get a sense of what everyone is like. There's also good description throughout the book, so the reader can easily picture all the places and events in the story.

Our main character Marigold (or Maggie as she likes to be called) is a half human and half elf child and because of this she's always felt different and is very lonely, especially after moving from Ireland to Washington state, so her workaholic dad could start his new job. The kids at her new school make fun of her and she generally doesn't fit in. Maggie is self-conscious of her pointed ears and keeps them covered with her long hair. She hates the school and takes solace in her best friend, a horse named Biscuit.

Marigold's life begins to change after she rescues a boy and is able to follow him to the kingdom of ElvenHome, which is home to the elves. It isn't long and she finds herself enrolled in ElvenAcademy. Here she makes new friends that she shares things in common with, plus she gets to sharpen her magick skills.

Maggie is full of courage as she battles the banshees and rescues her new schoolmates. She is always up to a challenge and tries to do the right thing as events unfold. The conclusion leaves you wondering what will happen next.