Wildflowers In Winter by Naomi Wark is the often-overlooked story of an elderly woman named Edna that suffers from Alzheimer's and her sense of self and family are questioned before her time runs out. This sometimes heartbreaking but always touching tale takes a deep dive into family dynamics confronting secrets and bias as the family is forced together once again.

This book hit some deeply familiar topics I have experienced in my own family. It was interesting to me that I could identify with Edna and the family members at the same time even during points of conflict. Dealing with the difficulties of life rather than shoving them away is the main theme throughout and is a lesson that many could benefit from and learn from these days.

I recommend this book for people with tough family dynamics. Older women will be familiar with Edna's views and attitudes while the younger generations will be drawn toward Edna's family easily. This book might surprise you in the things you will recognizee yourself and inspire you to keep your family close to your heart.

It starts with an explosion in the vicinity of the outer layer of Earth's atmosphere. A meeting is called with the four friendly extraterrestrial races that make up the Galactic Alliance. In 2028 a manned mission to Mars had uncovered evidence of an ancient civilization. Now an odd couple, an archeologist and a mathematician are called on a journey to unearth ancient discoveries to reveal the secret history of mankind.
This action-packed sci-fi adventure by Esteban Corio will capture you from page one and doesn’t let go until the end. I was drawn to the ancient civilization aspect of the story but was quickly captivated by the brilliant cast of characters Mars: The Mother Country has to offer. This book is story-driven and thought-provoking. An easy read even for those that aren’t accustomed to sci-fi regularly. The chapters are short and easy to follow for readers on the go.
I would recommend this book for fans of Ancient Aliens and Erich von Daniken. You will be fully emerged into the world created by Esteban Corio and find yourself pondering the what-ifs of our universe. Ancient mysteries, extraterrestrials, science, and math are manifested into this plot of heroes and heroines set out to prevent and protect. I would suggest finding a nice window to read this book at night so you can gaze out from time to time and wonder if there is possibly something else out there beyond the stars that could change our planet forever.

Tango of Water and Flame
Book Review
Oct 25
1

This is the story of Helga, a martial healer that is a professional in her field at the hospital. For 13 years she has dreamed of working with the same top secret creatures as her grandfather that only martial healers can work with. On the anniversary of her history of working with the hospital and the handsome Professor Dunn in the main maternity hospital for women to correct any problems that arise, the Professor reveals to her she will soon be transferred to another job because of the need of martial healers with the creatures called Grenons that her grandfather worked with.
Helga must choose to be transferred or not. Her family would not like the night job and she must not tell them about what she is doing. The Department usually marries off martial healers to keep the operations secret and the Professor has offered to play the role of both finance and husband. She also must undergo a trail period of 3 months with extensive training dealing with Genons, Clevres, and Lonquies - magical creatures with dangerous features, as well as exams and tests to prove loyalty and knowledge.
When Helga and the Professor get called out to help with a bomb threatening the Lonquies population they become aware that the martial healers could be under attack. The bomber's identity is unknown and the rumors about experiments on newborns is growing. Could it be the father of the newborn that could not be saved by the Professor that had vowed to seek his revenge?
This story is compelling and interesting. The magical world that Helga works in is enchanting as well as scary in this paranormal romance. I enjoyed the working romance of Helga and the Professor and her friendships with her colleagues Inga and Paul. Anna Molman weaves a tale of sci-fi, paranormal, romance, and crime that women have been wishing for. You will identify with Helga's delimas of balancing work, family, friends, and romance as well as her working with the magical creatures.
I recommend this book especially for women who enjoy sci-fi and the paranormal. There is magical and martial art elements to the novel that will appeal to the female warriors in all of us. I suggest reading this book as a nightcap after dinner when the darkness falls and your imagination can run wild as you are submerged into Helga's world of wonderous things.

When I first heard about a group of 4th grade elementary students and their reading teacher single-handedly started their own animal shelter I had two reactions: “That's crazy!” and “Give me that book!” Having worked for Petsmart Petshotel and salon for 10 years I already knew the labor of love it takes to be the type of person taking on such a task. What I didn’t count on was getting so much more than a puff piece story on how Mrs. Trull and her reading class saw a problem with the community and did something about it. DAWGS by Diane Trull with Meredith Wargo is full of touching success stories, a personal photo of a dog or cat that has been adopted from the shelter starts each chapter and is followed by accounts and experiences Diane Trull has had in starting and running the shelter for nearly 20 years.

I really like how this book balances out the negative and positive experiences that the shelter has had over the years. From facing city council numerous times, being honored at a Hollywood gala, numerous break-ins resulting in theft and death, reuniting lost dogs with their owners, relocation by a city ordered deadline, and phone calls from actress Burnedette Peters, this book has every emotion combined.

More importantly, this book is informative and brings forth the urgent need to be aware in every community of the tax payers costs for their city to euthanize healthy adoptable domesticated animals and the benefits of having pets spay and neutered. This is an ongoing problem not just in Dalhart, Texas, but in every city in the United States.

I recommend this book for any and every person that has ever loved an animal. With that being said, I would strongly encourage people that have never owned a pet, are scared of or have limited experience with animals, to take a long hard look at this book. The information in this book may make you sit up and pay attention to the animal control process in your own city. I know that there were many times when I was reading this book it really hit home because I am in Texas, too, and I am aware of the attitudes of certain individuals and groups when it comes to animal rights and animal control procedures.

I recommend reading this book with your favorite pet, whether it be dog, cat, hamster, or goldfish. I read this book with my reading companion, Uncle Roadie, a standard poodle that is so old he was begging for table scraps at The Last Supper. I dedicate this review to him, for without which I would not have my family.

The Breedline species - humans that can shift into wolves - have conquered the Chiang-shih demon releasing the evil half brother of Jace and Jem Chamberlain named Sebastian. Jace is forced to seek revenge on Sebastion and protect Tessa who is pregnant with his twins. Meanwhile, a mysterious guest arrives at Jem and Mia's wedding with a healing gift and past of running from scientists who have discovered and are interested in his abilities and possibly threatening Breedline's existence forever.

This was my first shape-shifting novel and I listened to the audiobook simultaneously while reading it on kindle. I found the narrator's voice to add to the story and fit the ambiance of my entire experience. The skinwalker aspect appealed to my Native American heritage and I found the wolf side to be very authentic from my 10 years of experience of working with dogs. The story has some strong male characters that are well developed with an otherworldly quality that is specific to Breedline. The story was well written and easy to follow for newcomers to the genre like me.

I would recommend this book for people interested in the paranormal as well as shapeshifters and biology. Animals lovers will be attracted to the wolf side of the Breedline. I have become a fan of this series and am looking forward to seeing what is in store in the next books ahead.