I have a book review blog entitled Can't Put It Down that I do in my free time. I own and operate a licensed home daycare. In addition to reading I enjoy swimming in our pool, camping, bike riding with my husband and step daughters, and watching the St. Louis Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys play. I am addicted to Facebook and fountain soda.

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• The Frankincense Trail on July 17, 2011
  (no rating)
  I was privileged enough to have helped this author out by reading the first couple of chapters for her so I was really excited to read this when it was released. I have Jody's other books on my to-read list but this was the first one I've read to far. Set in 200 B.C. Middle East this was different from anything I have read, ever. You can tell much research went into this book and the descriptions were so colorful I could see everything play out in my mind as I read. A few extras in this book, like a map of the trail, glossary of words, and a well written afterwards were just an added bonus. I highly recommend this book! This is a story about a teenage princess, still dealing with the grief of the death of her mother, recovering from a illness that had swept through the town she lives in, feeling like she has not seen anything in her young life, and a desire for adventure. Not the oldest child and not the youngest, she feel stuck in a lavish life being in the middle, knowing soon she will be married off.All she wants is be heard and help get her father's kingdom thriving again. When no one will listen to her or her ideas and seeing a small caravan of traders stop in her town she decides her wanted adventure time is now. With the help of her best friend/servant she disguises herself as a boy, as the traders will not take a young unmarried woman with them, no less a princess! Alia gets more than she bargains for as the desert and it's harsh elements show her trust, friendship, life and death. As she starts to find herself and her purpose in life, she realizes she has a lot to learn, as life outside of the palace walls is not always fair. She wears her heart on her sleeve and stands up for what she believes is right, although the caravan leaders are not so sympathetic to anyone. I would LOVE to see a sequel to this book! *wink wink*
  
• Fall on Aug. 14, 2011
  (no rating)
  What a great, short read! Having been abandoned by her mother as a baby and raised by her Grandfather, who owns a construction company, JD knows the business inside and out. At 21, she is finally granted the opportunity to be project manager of a schoolhouse to bed and breakfast renovation in the sleepy town of Torrey, Utah. A little nervous she dives right in and takes charge. Enter Matthew, the tan, muscular, charming cowboy placing a bid for the demolition part of the job. As Matthew works his way into JD heart, she of course starts to fall for him. Having never been in love, yet along ever have a boyfriend or a first kiss, it doesn't take much for her to fall quick and fall hard. After discovering a strange box hidden in one of the walls of the schoolhouse, strange things being to happen. As JD soon realizes people are not what they seem and she struggles to put the pieces together of what is really going on and why. Little does JD know she is involved more than she could ever imagine. The story moved at a perfect pace and was full of excitement. There were plenty of twists and surprises from beginning to end that had my jaw dropping as they took me by surprise. The characters were very well developed and the way they connected was well done. About 50 pages from the end I thought how great it would be for a sequel to this story and after the way it ended I really hope so. There are so many places the author could take this story line and the characters. I really wanted to give this read 5 stars on Goodreads I did notice quite a few grammatical errors in the second half of the book, which surprised me because the first half didn't have but maybe a couple, if that. These errors in no way distracted me from the story and I was able to just move past them. Based on this book, I firmly believe this author has a lot of potential and cannot wait to see if this story line continues! I would definitely recommend this read!
  
• Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave on Sep. 04, 2011
  
  Heart wrenching and well written, Sibel Hodge's novella is a eye opener to a hush hush problem plaguing our world. My heart was breaking for Elena, and also for her mother and daughter. Kidnapped and then sold into the sex trade business was not the life Elena had wanted for herself but she knew she had to be strong for her mother and daughter, who had no idea this had happened to her. With the threat that these "monsters" would kill her family is she didn't do as she was told, Elena must succumb to being raped and beaten. Dreams of her daughter seem to be the only thing getting her past each day and night. Day by day Elena keeps hoping that this nightmare will end and she can hold her daughter in her arms again until a recently widowed client only looking for someone to hold becomes Elena's savior and rescuer. Although this novella is fiction, it is happening right now somewhere. Quite frankly, as the step-mother to three girls, it scares the crap out of me. What is more frightening is the fact that some of the brothel's clients, men in 'power' positions, turn a blind eye to what is happening. A wonderfully written short story that will grip your heart and make you hug your daughter's just a little tighter.
  
• Bone Dressing on Sep. 07, 2011
  
  First off, I absolutly loved the character Syd. I loved her snarky, sarcastic, tough-girl attitude. A few times I thought 'Oh wow, she sounds like me!" I felt bad for her in that she lost her parents at a young age and feels like she doesn't really belong, especially since she is still a teenager and is trying to find herself. No one seems to understand her, including her teachers, her foster parents, and most of the other students in her school, except for her longtime BF Patricia. Trouble seems to find Syd where ever she goes. Having never let herself really mourn the loss of her parents, she finds comfort in the local cemetery where they are buried. There she unexpectantly meets Beau, Sarah, and TJ, who will spin her life even more out of control and add more confusion to her already crazy life. There seems to be so much going on in this story, a couple times I had a bit of trouble keeping track of where Syd was, or should I say who Syd was. There also seemed to be a lot of detail about what Syd was thinking. I would of loved more dialog between the characters. As I read further into the story, I was completely caught off guard with the story line. It is so much more than the book description. I really, really, really like this story line and the plot. I feel that there is a great potential with the next six books. I am hoping more information comes out about certain characters, including Beau, Sarah, and especially TJ, as I have a lot of unanswered questions and how they all fit into Syd and her past lives. Overall, I am anxious to read book two and would definitely recommend this read!
  
• White Witch Pond on Sep. 10, 2011
  
  I was hoping with a title like White Witch Pond, there would be enough creepy factor for this 33 year old horror lover to really enjoy this story. Not that I was doubting it would be enjoyable, because Jody is an amazing writer, just that it would at least give me a few chills being as it is a YA book. I was not disappointed! Right from the first chapter, reading in the almost dark living room, the hair on my arms stood up a little. Short and easy to read this is a perfect read for a dark, stormy night. I loved Shaya's character.I liked her confidence for being so young (I think she is around 12) and she seemed so grown up with her thoughts and actions. I felt bad for her though because it seemed like her mother did not understand her at all and was constantly putting her off and would never listen to anything she had to say. Determined to get to the bottom of the bracelet mystery and what is making her brother Dev sick, Shaya never backs down from the challenge and every step closer she gets, the more she needs to know. With just enough creep factor to keep you from looking out the window in the dark, White Witch Pond will keep you reading until you reach the perfect ending!
  
• Falling (Fallen Idols #1 - paranormal chick lit romance novella) on Nov. 19, 2011
  (no rating)
  Falling was a short, fun read. Each chapter starts off in the tone of Myha, the greedy, power hungry twin sister of Greek mythologies Euro then transfers to Alexis in present day. Dubbed the World's Bravest Woman, having graced the cover of Sport's Illustrated-twice and never in a bikini, Alexis has never been one to back down from anyone, having taken risks her whole life. After having her engagement broken off with Doc, Alexis is unwillingly drug out to the hottest new club in town by her twin Laurie. But when they get to the club, Laurie is the only one who is granted admittance. While Alexis is trying to climb a fire escape to get into the club from the back of the building she meets Jason and his brother Marcus, the club owners. All the while she is being asked to leave, she just can't seem to break away from Jason. Little do the twin girls know that the club is for witches, with neither one of them knowing Laurie is a witch. But to make matters worse, Jason and Marcus make a deal with Myha in the 1800's that grants them immortality but not love. The clock is ticking for the twins to come to terms with this new reality, but at what price will they have to pay? I enjoyed the characters, especially Laurie and her sassy confidence. There was a lot of book packed into this less than 100 page read. Falling is well written and will have you captivated from beginning to end with a mix of romance, suspense, paranormal, and soul searching. If you are looking for a smooth, quick, light read to keep you hooked then Falling is the novella for you! I look forward to book two, Fading!
  
• Where Thy Dark Eye Glances on Nov. 30, 2011
  (no rating)
  First let me say that I really, really, REALLY wanted to give this book four if not five stars. Anyone familiar with my reviews knows that I am a stickler for grammatical errors and include that as part of my overall review. There were a lot, not enough to draw me away from the story but I'm the kind of reader that once I spot one I am constantly looking for the next. Everyone makes errors, even I sometimes go back and re-read a review and spot one, I get that, so that is one reason why I didn't give this read more than 3 stars. The second reason is that I was kind of wanting a little more background. The story just kind of picks up out of nowhere with these teens that are totally cool with the fact that they lived 300+ years ago in some far away land and their spirit has been reborn into who they are now and they are being chased by bad guys who want Lily, who is kind of like the leader of the other three. What about BEFORE they realized who they were? Did they freak out when they began to notice they had witch powers? How is that all four of them were re-born at the same time and all have found each other again in just a few short years (they are less than 18 years old). Lily has flashbacks to her life 300 years ago but I would of loved to have known more about the last 17 years and what brought the four of them together. The plot is enjoyable, as are the characters. I really enjoyed Lily's character as she is self-confident, bold, and brave. There is plenty of suspense and a little bit of romance thrown in. The bond between the four friends is strong. Overall, I did enjoy Where Thy Dark Eye Glances and do look forward to book two and where it will take them on their journey to defeat Ronan and save their old world. Decent start to the series with lots of room to grow.
  
• Scars on the Face of God: The Devil's Bible on Feb. 08, 2012
  
  C.G. Bauer has written a tale that is a little bit horror, a little bit mystery, a little bit surprise, a little bit history lesson. That is the simplest way I can think to describe 'Scars'. It took me a bit to get past the first 5 chapters but then after that I couldn't stop reading! I was sucked in. The story is written in Wump's point of view, which I loved. I felt like I knew him and couldn't help but feel bad for the hard knocks he had endured through his life. Being abandoned and having to live in an orphanage, taking the wrong path as a young man and doing prison time, loosing his 24 year old son to leukemia, the things he had seen over the course of his life, just to name a few (hey, I don't want to give everything away, right?). Set in the 60's, with glimpses of past times via Wump's recollections, in a small town where families with money influence just about everything equals skeleton's in almost every closet. And skeleton's in closets means a great story for the reader!! The cast of characters all work together very well, from orphaned best buddies Leo and Raymond, to a nun Leo calls Sister Dimples, a priest who was a former MLB player, a priest with all the wrong intentions to old Mrs. V. whose husband went missing many many years ago. When one of the Sister's dies strange things start happening and a mysterious book appears, The Devil's Bible, with a prophecy that has been passed on from generation to generation. A deep dark secret has been kept and as Wump, with the help of Father Duncan, puts the pieces together he is in for the shock of his life. With Good Friday approaching, the prophecy is about to come true and it's a fight for their souls...literally. One thing I love about a good book is the element of realization. Bauer gave that to me on a silver platter. I did not see the ending coming and a perfect ending it was. Only one complaint, and it is a personal one but nothing that would affect my love of this novel. The book is centered around the Catholic church. I grew up Baptist so many of the terms were unknown to me. Scars on the Face of God: The Devil's Bible is a must read...just with the lights on ;)
  
• A Kiss for Emily on March 09, 2012
  
  Best friends, first loves, crushes, ghosts...ghosts??? Yep this read has it all. Emily is a junior in high school, doing normal HS girl things, looking forward to prom, wondering when her crush Alex is going to ask her...when BAM! her dad just decides to up and move the family to the country. This move means switching schools and every girl knows that is NOT cool. What Emily doesn't expect to find, while out exploring the woods (because really what else is there to do in the country?) is a hottie farm boy who talks like he is straight out of the 1930's. Of course things aren't always what they seem. Is Emily loosing her mind? Is it possible Sam and the farm are all just a product of her imagination?? Too wrapped up in her new "love" Emily has been ignoring Alex's calls. But Alex is in trouble. With ghosts of his own to battle on a daily basis, he needs Emily more than ever right now. Enter Dr. Evil (well, that is what I call him)who is trying to diagnose Emily with all sorts of disorders but really wants her as his claim to fame. After escaping the hospital, Emily must find Sam and come to terms with what really is and what really isn't. The read ends with a smile but also a cliff hanger. I enjoyed this read. The characters seemed very "normal" and every day. I think this would be a great read some anyone wanting something light and easy and would also recommend it for teens and YA lovers. A Kiss For Emily proves that a good book can be written with no major curse words, just a couple hints at sex, and the worse that happens is simple kissing. In one word - Clean! Although I gave this read three stars, I really enjoyed it and look forward to the next book in the series. I am dying to find out more about Alex and what is going to happen when he and Emily come face to face. There were a few places with words missing and the fact that it seems Alex is a big part of the story but didn't get much attention would of made this a four star review. Hopefully it won't be long until book two is out! *UPDATE! 3/9/12 after chatting with the author, it seems that the formatting from where I downloaded the EPUB was the issue for the missing words so I am changing my reviews to 4 stars! Enjoy!
  
• Witch Hunt (Book Two-Hayle Coven Novels) on March 18, 2012
  
  When an author writes a series, and the second book takes me on such a ride that I can't wait to jump right into the next book, I know I have a new series to add to my favorites list. In Witch Hunt, six months have passed since the ending of book one, Family Magic. Syd has still has new new group of friends, things have been pretty calm, and she is actually getting along with her mother. After being drug to a field party, where everyone from school will be partying it up, an ancient evil is released. People start going missing, coven members are taken, and an unexpected alliance with the DeWinter vampire clan is formed. As the evil entity becomes stronger, it's a race against time to search it out, find it's origins, and destroy it. And Syd must face the fact that she needs help from her inner demon now, more than ever. Even worse, she has love sick, football playing Brad wanting to be her boyfriend, a possessed cheerleader to deal with, and of course Quaid, who is struggling with his own issues. Can she handle anything else? Oh yeah, how about the strange Demetrius Strong, of the Chosen of Life, who is trying to get her to join them and leave her evil witchy ways of life. I think I enjoyed Witch Hunt even more than Family Magic because Patti Larsen just has a way of bringing her characters to life. You feel like in some ways you know them and can relate, they are a part of you. Enough back story is given so that Witch Hunt could be a stand alone read, but you are really missing out if you don't read Family Magic first. With non-stop action, suspense, laughter, and a bit of chill factor thrown in I had a hard time walking away from this story when "real life" called! Five stars all the way around!
  
• Demon Child (Book Three-Hayle Coven Novels) on March 19, 2012
  
  I am seriously not even going to ask if this series can get any better! I enjoy each book in the series even more than the last. Patti Larsen definitely has a great thing going with this Hayle Coven set. *I don't want to give any of the goodness away so I apologize right now for a cryptic review!* Demon Child jumps right into the action with Syd and her friends out on a camping trip, which of course goes horribly wrong, for Syd at least. When is anything ever easy for her? Demon Child also brings back the dreadful Chosen of Light, along with a few new characters. Syd's demon starts finding her own voice and wanting some control, leaving Syd waking up in odd places and at war with herself. A huge betrayal takes place in Demon Child, which completely caught me off guard. Syd and Quaid, Quaid and Syd...I loved how they finally seem to come together, but was cussing him at the end. Can't this guy just stop being a jerk??? *pulling my hair out* Syd finds herself alone, once again, when her friends turn their backs on her in favor of another. The new guy rubs Syd the wrong way and she knows there is something off about him but no one seems to want to believe her. When it comes time for the showdown, Syd finally gets her dream come true, or so she thought. This book found me breathless at times, heart pounding. Larsen was able to do what few authors can do... bring tears to my eyes. Actually, they were rolling down my cheeks. I felt so heart wrenching sad for Syd. If you haven't started reading this series you need to NOW! Another wonderfully written chapter in the Hayle Coven story!
  
• The Wild (Book Four The Hayle Coven Novels) on March 22, 2012
  
  Bittersweet, that's what The Wild was. I zoomed right through the four books in this series that have been published. When I began this one, I was excited to continue into the story but also sad because book five is not out for me to read yet :( I am really in love with this series and will be chomping at the bit to get my hands on book five! The Wild picks up right from where Demon Child ended. Syd is still minus her demon, and it seems that everyone hates her or is mad at her now. Way for everyone to be supportive, while they still have their magic in tact, right? Even the coven is giving her the cold shoulder and she has been banned from attending the meetings. Not only is Syd feeling abandoned, but her now-mortal father and her mother are so wrapped up in coven business, what with The Wild riders coming to destroy earth as they know it and rebuild. Now that Syd has the freedom she always longed for, something doesn't feel right. There is still some sort of magic lurking inside of her, the same magic that was causing Syd and her demon to never mesh in the first place. Now it is a race against time, with Quaid and Sunny by her side, to track down The Chosen of the Light and reclaim what rightfully belongs to her, not to mention save the world! There wasn't as much action in The Wild as in the previous books but I still enjoyed every single word of it. I had an idea on where Syd's "other" magic came from but wasn't 100% sure until Patti chose to revealed it. As with each book prior, I still wanted to slap Celeste silly. That woman! Patti Larsen has a way of writing that will easily make her one of your favorite authors. The Hayle Coven novels are fast paced and full of suspense that are enjoyable for all ages of readers, from teens to adults. Grab your copy of Family Magic (book one) and you will be surprised how fast you devour each book in this series! Now, if only I culd get my hands on book five *tapping my nails in "patience"*