Ancient Memories - Terry L. White, Author

 

Red Bean Succotash

(A Terry L. White favorite)

Two ears fresh sweet corn cut from the cob or

1 can whole kernel corn, or 2 cups of frozen corn

1 can dark red kidney beans

¼ cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Cook corn and cut kernels from cob and combine with kidney

Beans, milk, sugar and butter. Simmer about 15 minutes until

sauce is thickened. Serve hot.

 

Ancient Memories – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of A Book and A Dish; Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

 

What do you do with yourself when your life is over?  I don’t know about everyone else, but when my mother passed away and I no longer had to be at her beck and call every minute of the livelong day, I started signing up for things.  I took telephone calls at the local bottle museum… passed out juice and cookies for the semi-annual blood drive… joined single groups one week and un-joined the next.  Mother had left me well, off, I can’t complain about that at all… After she was gone, I didn’t need to work unless I wanted to, but I had remained home most of my adult life, to cater to her endless needs and petty complaints.  I was ready for some excitement.  If not excitement, then perhaps, the next best thing – a little mental stimulation.  “Creative Writing class offered by Adult Education.”   I had been planning to begin the Great American Novel for the past forty-five years… Now that I had time I figured it couldn’t hurt to learn a little bit about the art of writing before I began.

 

Nancy Hunter signed up for the writing class that was being taught by Harriet Blake, newspaper reporter, prize winning author and aspiring novelist.  The one point that Harriet pressed to install in her students was to write about something that you know something about.  This just might put a damper in Nancy’s idea of writing romance novels since she had spent most of her life taking care of a mother who spent most of her life making Nancy’s life miserable with her demands and derogatory remarks.  Love was something Nancy had never really known.  Or had she? 

 

To Nancy’s surprise and delight, Peter Allen decided to take the seat next to her.  His lovely deep blue eyes, handsomely tanned face and a pair of wide shoulders were just what she needed.  Maybe the class would turn out to work for her yet.  Over after-class coffee with Peter, Nancy couldn’t help but feel that she knew him from somewhere.  She believed in reincarnation, could he have been someone from another life?  That thought was apparently all she needed to begin her novel of Ancient Memories.

 

As I read Ancient Memories I wasn’t sure that what I was reading was Nancy’s imagination novel or if she was remembering past lives.  As Nancy inspires to become an author she takes you back in time to Ancient Egypt, then into the 1400s and on into 1800 Canada.  The history within her stories are amazing, as well as savage.  But how does Peter fit into the picture?  Could he be someone from her past lives?  Nancy seems to think so.  Take a journey into Ancient Memories and see what you think.  I know I really enjoyed my journey through time with Nancy’s and Author Terry L. White’s novel Ancient Memories.

 

An Opulent Tableau of Essence - Compilation by Sharon Hays

  

Tuna, Noodle, Cheese Casserole

(Compliments of Sharon Hays)

½ box wheat bowtie or other kind pasta

Cook al dente’ since it will be baked later. Rinse, Set aside and prepare other ingredients.

2 cans drained white albacore tuna

1 C frozen peas (You may choose to leave out).

 

Make roux of ½ stick butter, 3 tbsp. flour, and mix med low heat until mixed well and flour is cooked.  Add 1.5 C skim milk slowly and let mix into the roux until it thickens and whisk so it won’t be lumpy. Add 1 ½ C of mild cheddar, and mix into sauce until cheese melts. Add 2 cans of tuna and mix into sauce. Add peas, (if you choose) and then add the noodles and pepper, etc to taste. ( you can add other seasonings to your own taste) Heat oven to 350 and bake with breadcrumbs on top or crushed potato chips (Really good) for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.

ZELDA'S CRAZY GOOD BARS

(Also compliments of Sharon Hays)

 

Mix in bowl, 1 box any type cake mix,

1 stick butter (soft)

1 egg.

Press into bottom of 13x9x2 pan.

 

Blend together 2 eggs,

1 stick butter (soft)

1 brick cream cheese (8 oz.soft)

1tsp vanilla

 

Add 1 box of powdered sugar. Pour over crust layer and cook at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until top is golden/brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle w/powdered sugar, cool and cut. These are very rich, so cut small.

An Opulent Tableau of Essence - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir,

Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

Reflections

(Sharon Hays, 2010)

 

Reflections from an antique mirror

A face I do not know

When I leaned closer in to see

It was not me, oh no

I examined the stranger closely

She stared right back at me

I gazed into the antique mirror

Our eyes locked decidedly

Could this be the face of a long-lost friend

So familiar, the face in the mirror

This cannot be the face of me

A face that I am not aware

I tried to imagine how time could steal

A face that was once my own, oh my

But when I leaned much closer in

I knew the face was I

"I have to say that I've done this myself more times than I want to admit.  I've looked into the mirror and see not myself as I see myself in my mind's eye, but instead I see a face looking back at me that has developed lines and sags that simply can't be.  I look at that face and  see so many others.  My mother's face is there, my dad's face is there and even my daughter's face.  That just simply can't be me looking back at me. But of course it is.

Author Sharon Hays is known for her mystery books Mysteerie Manor and Mysteerie Manor II as well as her children books The Tumbleweed Family and Adventures of Sadie Ladybug.   Hays has now ventured into the world of art and poetry.

 

The poem above is one of her own and one of my favorites within her book An Opulent Tableau of Essence.  Her poem A Homage to Veterans Lost and Forgotten is simply beautiful as is Time of Change.  And the art work that she's paired with her poetry is just as beautiful.  A couple of my favorites being Clouded Sunset by Dana Gage and Pale Rider by Kerri Pestana.  But in honesty, I love them all and would love to have them hanging in my own home so I could just sit and stare.

 

And Hays doesn't stop there.  She actually gives a bio of each  artists included within the book.  Some local within the US  and some as far away as India, Australia and even Uzbekistan.  This is one book that when placed on the coffee table, will be picked up and not just thumbed through but read and enjoyed, time and time again.

 

The Undertaker - William F. Brown, Author

"Brown Family Pumpkin Bread"

3 1/2 cups of flour

2 1/2 cups of sugar

2 tsp of baking soda

2 tsp of cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp of salt

1 tsp of nutmeg

1 cup of vegetable oil

4 eggs

2/3 cup of water

2 cups of canned pumpkin

Nuts (optional)

Sift the dry ingredients together.  Mix the pumpkin,water, oil, and eggs together.  Pour into dry mixture and mix well.  Pour into 2 greased, medium loaf pans.  Bake in 350 degree oven (preheated) for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Cool completely before removing from pans.  It's great for the holidays!

The Undertaker – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds Dessert

TALBOTT, PETER EMERSON, AGE 33, OF Columbus, died Sunday at Varner Clinic following a tragic automobile accident.  President and founder of Center Financial Advisors of Columbus.  Formerly of Los Angeles, a 1999 graduate of UCLA and a lieutenant, US Army Transportation Corps.  By authority of Ralph Tinkerton, Executor (See also TALBOTT, THERESA JUNE, wife, accompanying).  Funeral services for both at 2:00 PM tomorrow, Greene Funeral Home, 255 E. Larkin, Peterborough, Ohio.  Internment, Oak Hill Cemetery, following.

‘That was me.  I was Talbott, Peterson Emerson, 33 years old, and formerly from Los Angeles.  I had graduated from UCLA and I had been a lieutenant in the Army.  Coincidence?  I didn’t think so.  There was only one of me and I didn’t die in the Varner Clinic or anywhere else last Sunday.  I was an aeronautical software engineer and I had never been to Columbus or heard of Center Financial Advisors much less been its President.  Still, when you’re looking into a set of hard, dark eyes and a .45 automatic, it’s hard to argue the fine points.’

According to the papers, Pete Talbott was dead.  He and his wife had both died in a car accident.  But…Pete was very much alive and living in Boston.  His death wouldn’t have bothered him that much if whoever was responsible for this notice hadn’t brought his wife Terri into the picture.  Terri had died of cancer and this funeral notice was nothing but a lack of respect to her making him determined to get to the bottom of both notices.  He would also have never learned of his own death had it not been for the big, burly man named Gino sitting next to him with a gun pointed at his head.  He would also have never met Sandy whose husband had died a year before but apparently had just died again.  Confusing?  Imagine what they felt as they uncovered several deaths that had taken place at least twice. 

Racing around the states, being chased by the very people who are supposed to protect them, Pete and Sandy find themselves being blamed for not only murders of innocent people but also those committed by the mob.  As the puzzle starts to become clear, Pete and Sandy begin to understand why people are ‘dying’ twice.  They also begin to understand who is behind this and why as they discover how high up the ladder the arm of ‘un’justice really reaches.

Have you ever read a book that keeps going and going and you see yourself running out of pages with no possibility of a ‘happy ever after’ ending?  That is what I was facing with The Undertaker.  As the pages ran out I could see no possible way for Pete and Sandy to escape cliff-hanger after cliffhanger.  Could this be one of those books that simply don’t end with a smile.  You'll have to read The Undertaker and find out for yourself.  I truly enjoyed sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the ending.

Bullets + Bandages - Robert Saniscalchi, Author

Grilled Salmon Steaks 
(A Saniscalchi Favorite)

1) Take fresh stakes and marinate in Italian Dressing over nite in the fridge.

2) Place on Grill Medium heat.

3) Turn steaks after cooked for five minutes.

4) Grill until steaks until they flake off easily with a fork.

5) Serve with fresh salad and bread of your choice.

6( A white wine is highly recommended.

Bullets and Bandages – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

 

“Where have you guys been?”  I said.  “We ran out of time!  My buddy here needed help, but now he’s dead!”  They tried to calm me down.  The flight medic replied, “We’re sorry about your man.  We left the base as soon as we had word.  I’ve seen this snake before.  It’s one of the most poisonous in the world.  No one can survive the venom unless they’re right outside a hospital when they are bitten.”  He was right.  It wasn’t their fault.  The choppers lifted off and banked over trees, but I just stared at the body bag, feeling so very tired.  I would never forget him.  He saved a lot of lives and lost his to a tiny snake.  I prayed for him.  I prayed for his family and for his lost soul; I prayed it wasn’t my turn next.

 

Sergeant Jakes had already survived one tour in Viet Nam. He knew the VC as well as the jungle.  He knew what to watch for and what to listen for. Now he was now successfully taking his team through yet another tour.  He had been through just about everything the VC could toss at him and lived through it.  The one thing he didn’t live through was the bite of one of the most poisonous snakes in the world.  One that made his home in the jungles of Viet Nam. 

 

That was just one of many deaths that Rob Doc Marrino would have to face while serving as a Medic in Viet Nam.  He would experience the horrors of war that only someone who lives through it can truly claim talking rights.  Those of us who have never experienced this act of greed called war can never completely understand what these men and women went through.  Some will tell us about their experiences, some just want to forget what they saw, heard and felt during their days in hell. 

 

Being a baby boomer, I knew many boys who quickly became men due to the Viet Nam War.  Most came back, some in the bowel of the plane, some in the passenger seats.  A lot came back physically damaged while others came back mentally damaged.  I have a friend who was there and luckily returned whole, at least in body.  Now 40 years later, he, as well as many others like him still have nightmares that wake the house with his screams as he re-lives the horrors that took place right before his eyes.    

 

As I read Bullets and Bandages I realized that the war horrors produced by Hollywood is nothing compared to the real experiences these men and women actually went through.  Author Saniscalchi has captured on paper the events and stories that his own brother experienced as he served in the military in Viet Nam.  He allows you to feel the bond of friendship that forms between yourself and your buddies.  You experience the strength of their will to survive and the strength of true fear.  But most importantly, their understanding of the importance of God in their survival. 

 

I can’t say that I loved Bullets and Bandages but I can say that I didn’t want to put it down, that it made me hurt as well as cry and that I was so glad when the book ended.  In the past I’ve heard men talking about their experiences in Viet Nam and actually blocked it out.  Now I listen because these men and women need to be heard.  They need to get their memories out in the open instead of allowing it to fester like a cancer until it consumes their whole body and life.  And we need to be the ones listening.

 

ISBN# 978-1-58982-247-4

Unsavory Delicacies - Russell Brooks, Author

Crème Brulee

(A Brooks' Favorite)

Things You'll Need

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• powdered sugar for the crusts
• Groceries
• Baking Pans
• Cooking Pan
• Mixing Bowls
• Ramekins
• Wire Whisks
• Propane Torches
• Mixing bowls
•  
• 1. To make creme brulee, heat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• 2. Scald the cream and vanilla extract by heating them in a nonreactive pan over low heat until steaming.
• 3. When the cream is hot, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well blended.
• 4. When cream starts to steam, shut off the heat.
• 5. Pour some cream (maybe 1/2 cup) into the egg yolks while whisking quickly. This will slowly heat the yolks, reducing the chance of curdling them.
• 6. Remove the whisk from the eggs, start whisking the cream, and steadily pour the yolks into the cream while whisking quickly.
• 7. When thoroughly mixed, divide mixture into oven-safe individual ramekins.
• 8. For best results, an optional step is to chill the filled ramekins overnight before cooking.
• 9. Place ramekins in a tall-sided baking pan. Pour simmering water into the pan about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• 10. Bake for about 35-45 minutes. See tips for how to check for doneness.
• 11. Cover and chill at least two hours.
• 12. When ready to serve, sprinkle the top of each serving with a thin, even layer of sugar.
• 13. If you have a propane kitchen torch, heat the sugar with the flame until it begins to brown. Stop when it reaches a golden color. It should not get too dark.
• 14. Without a torch, use the oven's broiler setting to caramelize the sugar. Broil for 20 to 30 seconds within at least an inch of the flame or heating element.

Unsavory Delicacies – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds 

Unsavory Delicacies is made up of three short stories that will give you a taste of tantalizing suspense. 

Crème Brulee – Monique Beauvais an agent for Ares.  She has no qualms about double crossing those who supply her with the information she has been assigned to acquire.  Curtis White is truly a nerd that has no qualms about drooling like a dog when he meets the beautiful Monique.  But this story has a moral…Never underestimate a Nerd.

To the Last Bite – Dennis Kirby is a food critic who has a tendency of “killing” a restaurant due to the comments he posts in his column To the Last Bite.  After eating one of the most delicious meals of veal and liver he puts in a request to meet the Chef hoping to find out his cooking secret.  Of course the Chef declines to give out his secret recipe.  Kirby has nothing but praise for this superb meal and reflects his delight in his next column.  But what was really in such a spectacular dish?  Kirby will soon find out.

Shashlyk and Morozhenoe – Ridley Fox is a CIA operative.  He has been assigned to take possession of some nationally important documents that are in the possession of Maksim Antanov.  Antonov is known to be linked to the Arms of Ares and is next in line to take over after his father retires.  But the secrets discovered by Ridley will have Antonov in his pocket for as long as he wants.


Watch for my review for Russell Brooks' next upcoming thriller Chill Run which will be available on December 1, 2011. Follow him on his website as a reminder www.russellparkway.com.

Because We Care - Fran Lewis, Author

 

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

(One of Fran's sister Marcia's favorite)

• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle chile sauce
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 9 ounces grape jelly
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 large onion, grated
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Whisk together the chili sauce, lemon juice and grape jelly. Pour into slow cooker and simmer over low heat until warm.
2. Combine ground beef, egg, onion and salt. Mix well and form into 1 inch balls. Add to sauce and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Because We Care – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

 

‘As the primary and only caregiver for my mom who has Alzheimer’s I have had to develop different ways to keep myself active and my mind stimulated.  All too often as a caregiver you become so immersed in taking care of the needs of the person who is ill that we forget about our own.  When you make the decision to care for a family member at home you are really taking on a challenge of herculean proportion.  Every day is different and every challenge unique and must be handled differently but with kindness and care.  When a person has Alzheimer’s the hardest thing to deal with is their changing and erratic behaviors.  They can be calm one minute and out of control or violent the next.  These behaviors tend to put a lot of stress and strain on the caregiver.’

 

Through her trial and error learning Author Fran Lewis discovered some of the most basic yet important things that the caregiver will be confronted with when caring, not only for those with Alzheimer’s but other diseases and incapacitating illnesses.  Through her book Because We Care she brings to light the warning signs of Alzheimer’s as well as the importance of discussing your fears with the patient’s doctor.  She explains why it’s so important to follow a routine with the patient to keep some of their confusion down.  This includes things as simple as when to go to the bathroom, when to eat and even bed time.    She stresses the importance of security with Alzheimer’s patients.  They do have a tendency to wander off so items such as ID bracelets or necklaces are exceptionally important as well as keeping a current picture handy in case the police are brought in to help with the find. 

 

Lewis discusses the choices you might face as to keeping the patient at their own home, having round the clock nurses, moving them into your own home or placing them in a facility.  She brings to light the pros and cons, not just for the patient but also for the caregiver.  How to find a suitable facility and even what questions to ask of not only a facility but of nurses for in-home-care. And truly just as important, how to spot patient abuse and what to do if you suspect or know this is happening to your loved one.

 

Lewis also speaks, through first hand knowledge, about Traumatic Brain Injuries, which caused the death of her sister. And I must mention too that the proceeds for this book go to Montefiore Hospital to the fund they set up in memory of Fran Lewis' mom and sister.

 

But one thing Lewis puts heavy stress on is the importance of the caregiver’s own health and well being.  She impresses the fact that the caregiver’s whole normal way of life will change when taking over their patient.  The stress that goes along with being a caregiver is so much more than you can ever imagine.  And to help with this stress, Lewis offers suggestions throughout the book that will help when dealing with this phase of the care. 

 

I’ve only had short bouts with being a caregiver and never for an Alzheimer’s patient.  My Dad and I were both blessed with his being alert until the last couple days of his life.  But I still know the stress that just watching him deteriorate in a short 5 month period put on me.  I can’t imagine watching someone with Alzheimer’s change into a person who I no longer know nor knows me.  For any of you out there that are going through this situation, I suggest you read this book.  I really feel it just might help.  For those of you who aren’t currently acting as a caregiver, this is still a book I recommend you read.  You never know when you too might have to make the choices and deal with the stress that Lewis and people like her have dealt with and are still dealing with.

 

The Knowledge of Good and Evil - Glenn Kleier, Author

 

Vodka Sauce

(A Glenn Kleier specialty)

Ingredients

1 stick butter

1 jumbo yellow onion, quartered

1 lrg clove garlic or 2 small ones

3-28 oz cans Dell’Aple crushed tomatoes

2-29 oz cans Hunts tomato sauce

12-oz prosciutto

½ c vodka

¼ t. crushed red pepper flakes

1—7 oz container heavy cream

4-oz grated Asiago Cheese

Directions

·         Put onion, garlic in Cuisinart and pulse until finely chopped. 

·         Melt butter in lrg heavy pot and add onion/garlic.  Heat stirring occasionally until sweating.

·         Put prosciutto into Cuisinart & pulse until extremely finely chopped.

·         Add red pepper flakes to onions/garlic.  Then add prosciutto over medium heat about 7 minutes stirring occasionally.

·         Add ½ C Vodka, mix and reduce heat slightly and let cook another 7 minutes stirring every minute

·         Simmer for 45 min, then add cream, stir and turn off heat immediately. Add Asiago Cheese

Notes

Serve with penne pasta.  Sauce freezes great.  Helps to open all cans first.

The Knowledge of Good & Evil - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

‘He stared into his empty glass, unsure where to begin or how much to reveal.  He didn’t want to frighten them into paralysis, but he couldn’t mislead them.  The sad part was, despite his best efforts to
hide and protect them, their odds of survival were next to none… Meeting their anxious eyes, he began, “I don’t know if what you do is sinful or not, these experiments of yours with Death and Hell.  I’m a
soldier, not a theologian, I leave the moral calls to God.  But there are some who see such things as grave violations of God’s Will.  And unfortunately, they take it upon themselves to intervene.”  Ian
nodded.  “The man with the tattoo was a religious extremist.  Do you know who he was?”  “Not who.  What… I must ask your oath not to repeat what I tell you.”  They gave their words.  “This tattoo, it’s the
symbol of a very old sect.  A brotherhood of militants cast off from the Church centuries ago, known as Ordo Arma Christi.”  Ian translated, “The Order of the Weapon of Christ.”  “Yes.  Christ’s Weapon.  Ordo Arma Christi dates to medieval times.  There’s virtually no history of it outside the Bibliotheca Secreta –“ he clarified for Angela, “-the Vatican Secret Archives.  And once you hear its checkered past, you’ll see why the Church keeps silent.”


Dr. Angela Weber and former priest Ian Baringer make up the team for L.A.’s #1 Late-Nite Talk Show Probing the Paranormal.  If there appears a mystery, they investigate and solve it.  Angela and Ian have
been lovers since he left the priesthood, but due to information acquired regarding the death of his parents, Ian has decided he must go back and set his mind and heart straight regarding his beliefs.  He proposes to Angela and promises that when he returns he will be a completely new and level headed man.  Nothing could make Angela happier, but her dreams are put on hold after receiving information as to what Ian is really doing.  It appears that Ian has tracked information regarding Near Death Experiences (NDEs) which will allow him to step into the depths of hell to rescue his parents.  Their sin? Ian can only surmise that when they wrapped themselves around his 9 year old body to prevent him from burning in the wreck that took their lives, God judged it suicide . . .


Following Ian as he proceeds with his self-inflicted NDEs will bring a few questions to your mind, at least it did mine.  Are these events real or is it the mind playing tricks on the mind?  Science will give us one answer, but religion may have another.  Is there one TRUE religion or do all of them hold truth?  The answers to these questions and many more are answered with double answers.  One answer is the way Ian sees it through his NDEs.  The other answer is the way Angela sees it through science.  You be the judge of what is true.

The Attitude Girl - Mila Bernadkin

Chocolate Salami

Here is a recipe for a very reach and scrumptious dessert – chocolate salami. 

      You will need:

• 2 packs (7 oz. each) of Petite Beurre biscuits
• 20 oz. of finely chopped walnuts
• 4 eggs
• 2 ½ cups of sugar
• 6 tbsp of Hershey’s cocoa
• 1 lb of unsalted butter
• 1 large saucepan
• 5 sheets of aluminum foil (12 X 15 each).

Note: this recipe makes 5 salami rolls and is good as it is (no substitutes, please).

     Directions:

     1.    Break biscuits into ¼-inch squares.

     2.    Add walnuts and set aside.

3.       Beat eggs with sugar in a saucepan.

4.       Add butter.

5.       Put the saucepan on the stove and cook over medium-low heat.

6.       When the butter is almost melted, add cocoa, stirring constantly until thick.

7.       Remove from heat just before it starts boiling.

8.       Cool slightly.

9.       Add walnuts and biscuit squares and mix well all together.

10.   Divide the mixture into 5 equal piles.

11.   Put each pile on the aluminum foil sheet.

12.   Roll it tightly in a salami shape.

13.   Freeze immediately.

When it’s time to serve your dessert, unwrap the chocolate salami and cut it into pieces.  Take a nice plate, oval rather than round, cover it with a pretty napkin and put the slices of your chocolate salami on it, trying to keep the shape of a salami roll.

      Tips:

-          Take your chocolate salami out of the freezer an hour before serving and put it in the

refrigerator so it won’t be too hard to cut.

-          Make sure not to slice the roll too thin—it may break or crumble.

Enjoy!

The Attitude Girl – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

 

“Watch where you’re going, you dork,”  I hear suddenly from the right side.  It’s pretty-blond-but-really-dumb-and-mean Heather Stone, insulting a quiet, brilliant nerd, Norman Fixx, for accidently touching her shoulder with a food tray he’s carrying to his table.  “I’m sorry,” mumbles the always-so-polite Norman, “I didn’t mean it, honestly.  I’m so sorry.”  His apology apparently isn’t enough for Heather.  She’s out for blood.  “Listen, Bates, you psycho!” she continues to torture the poor guy.  “His name is Norman Fixx, not Norman Bates,” I yell from my seat.  “Leave him alone.  Didn’t he apologize?  Didn’t he say he was sorry?  What else do you want from him, his blood?”  “You shut up!  Who asked you?”  Heather shouts back and then narrows her eyes and asks, “Who are you, his mother?”  “Norman Fix-me-up, come here.  I want to talk to you,”  calls Ted “The Jaws” McAlly, Heather’s “bodyguard.”  “No, Norman Put-me-down sounds much better,” Heather declares and starts giggling.  Does she actually believe she’s being funny?  They all laugh.  All except for Nick and Brianna, that is.  Brianna Gold is the only one from that group I can tolerate.  And Nick…I look at him appreciatively.  He smiles at me and sends butterflies down my spine.  He’s so sexy, I feel a warm wave all over my body.  God, he’s gorgeous!  If looks could kill, I’d be a corpse right this moment.

 

‘I, Victoria Benson, a seventeen-year old high school senior, have an attitude problem.  Actually, I don’t have a problem with my attitude, but other people apparently do.’  Does it mean you have an attitude just because you want to defend one of the most nerdy boys in school?  Does it mean that you have an attitude just because you are mad at your mother after she loses her job and decides to take a sabbatical before even looking for another?  After all, what will I use for money when my 4 best friends and I decide to go on our weekly shopping spree?  Does it mean that you have an attitude when you find that your mother has found a ‘lump’ and things could get even worse than they already are?  Or when your OWN father left you when you were little and never came back?  Or when your OWN grandmother offers you money and your mother feels you shouldn’t take it?  Now tell me, why would these problems plus cause anyone to have an attitude?

 

While reading The Attitude Girl, I found myself wanting to agree with Vicky’s decisions as she tried to deal with her problems and disagreeing with the attitudes her best friends seemed to have toward her.  But then it hit me.  We are talking about 17 year old girls not an adults.  Their logic is totally different from mine.  Some of the pressures that were put on Vicky are some of the same pressures I can remember seeing and/or hearing about when I myself was a teenager showing me that some things never change. 

 

The Attitude Girl is a book that would be a beneficial read for all adults with pre-teen to teen age children as well as a beneficial read for the children themselves.  We can all learn a lot from this book.

The Attitude Girl is an 8 time award-winning book and after reading it I can see why.

 

2009

321 pages

Five Star Publications

ISBN# 978-1-58985-155-9