Its not the new Vampire...Nothing is.

Im so tired of the "werewolves are the new vampire" thing. Because be honest, its not. As awesome as were-things are vampires always have been and will be top of the paranormal 'sexy' list. I mean they are mysterious, usually broody and dark and sensuous and well they will never need you to give them a flea dip or get that wet dog smell. I mean yes they are known most because they suck blood. OkayYes, that is icky but I'd rather date a blood sucker than date my dog. I have nothing against werewolvies! I love animals...just not like that. They aren't sexy. And the shape shifting seems so painful! Big Ouch. Vampires are the same ol Vampires so who needs new ones?

That said Werewolves are werewolves so why would they want to be the new Vampires? Say that to them and I'm sure they'd eat your butt alive. I am reading a wolf book so awesome, its like the first draft but it wil be out next year the author is on twitter follow her @shannon_delany, let me just say I read Twilight when it first came out years ago before it became "twilight" and I get the same tingly awesome oh my gosh this book is good feeling I got when I read this book. First draft or not! I cant wait to get the final project and see how it comes out. Its going to be a huge thing guys! If the world is ready for werewolves. I mean I pride myself on knowing the next huge thing. Not that I am Miss Cleo- at work I say that and the people look at me like I Am Crazy. Too young I Guess. I'm getting old I Need To Remember That. But I Dream To Be An Editor. so I Like To Think I Am Good At Spotting The Next "Big Book." 13 to Life by Shannon Delany
She may be able write a novel on a cell phone but I Find Writing A Blog On Mine Tedious! Cheers! Casse

About me...well sort of. Idea I'm working on.

Since I have had time on my hands with no reliable internet connection I have had more time for work. I was doing research for ALL my books. Which all include angel research. Angels are my 'thing'. Its my schtik I guess and I'm not jewish. Well during this research I came across a bound rough draft of a novella I wrote to introduce my Desecration Series that I want to write. Its called Born Through Desecration. Its short think Alpha Omega Novella in On The Prowl by Patricia Briggs that's sorta what I did way back in 2003 when I wrote this. I have a bound copy with handwritten edits and a pdf copy no edits. I am going to post the prologues in the next couple days. If you read it and think its something you are interested in reading. You are welcome to the bound (very) rough draft or the pdf file. Just keep in mind that, though I already started the next one in the series, Daughter of Desecration it may never be finished. Since its a dead project and only write it for me. But if you really like it and it is torturing you not knowing I would consider trying to finish DOD to give to limited people. Thats just an idea I'm working with. Death Knows My Name's Hero appears in Daughter of Desecration. I fell for him and thus had to give him his own story. Actually he hijacked the story from another guy.

A little differently this week

Okay, since I am having minor well okay major internet problems. The problem being my u-verse internet connection isn't working I am stuck updating my blog with my cellphone. It's a drag. I can't upload pictures for my reviews, mail call (and I got awesome books too), I can't do about me or Zoey's pick (She picked a good one too!) Ice by Sarah Beth Durst. Sadly I can't even link to her page. But she is fabulous and I know yall will love her! The cover of her book looks so frosty. I love the book too. Hopefully I get this internet problem fixed by the weekend. Oo one more thing- I forgot to tell yall I joined Textnovel.com and I am posting my novel Death Knows My Name there. It's under my pen name Casse NaRome, the first 3 chapters are up. I am also looking for help naming the chapters so you can go join the site as a reader or a writer. Cheers! Casse.

Skin Game by Ava Gray

SKIN GAME

Berkley Sensation (November 3, 2009)

A beautiful fugitive—wanted dead or alive.

Kyra is a con woman and a particular kind of thief. She steals with a touch, but she only takes one thing: her target’s strongest skill. Which means she can be a fighter, an athlete, a musician, an artist—anything she wants… for a limited time. Heartbroken, she turns her gift toward avenging her father’s murder; with deadly patience, Kyra works her way into casino owner Gerard Serrano’s inner circle. After pulling off the ultimate con, she flees with his money and his pride.

A hit man who never misses the mark.

Reyes has nothing but his work. Pity for Kyra, he’s the best and mercy never sways him once he takes a job. He’s been hired to find out where Kyra hid the cash—and bring her back to face Serrano’s “justice.” Dead will do, if he can’t locate the loot. He’s never failed to complete a contract, but Kyra tempts him with her fierce heat and her outlaw heart. So Reyes has a hell of a choice: forsake his word or kill the woman he might love.

Read an Excerpt from SKIN GAME  and as always click the picture to pre-order and/or order this book.  Click here for author's site.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare Review

If you follow me on twitter, you probably saw me do a huge gigantic face palm earlier in the week while reading this book.


Clary, the City of Bones' protag was totally annoying me to the point of burning the book! I was so annoyed By Cassandra Clare's book I considered demanding she change her name this instant from Cassandra. I found this book very hard to get into despite all the good things I have been hearing for years.  I found Clary Fray an annoying twit, Simon came off ass gay, Jace was arrogant but likeable and Alec was just my type lol. Clary's mom was just as unlikable as Her daughter and I wished they both got sucked into an inescapable portal to hell!

I mean really I was not sure what all the hype was over Immortal Instruments series. Clary was the kind of heroine I hate. Hard-headed, annoying, never listened, with people claiming she was smart but really she borders on too stupid to live and doesn't know how beautiful she really is blah blah. *shakes head* I was going to quit but fellow twitter-ers as, @darkartist (http://aworldofmakebelieve.blogspot.com/) said it got better, I doubted it. But, I am always willing to admit when I am wrong. SO I was wrong She was Right. Boooy did it get better! I read this book everywhere even at work. I do customer service at a grocery store so do you think I was attentive to my customers that day? I’m guessing no.

Jace is what every girl dreams of taming. He is hott and bad ass. He has a deep rooted seed of loyalty, honor and training almost rooted as deeply as his pain. I think I heard a collective YUM. He is tall, blond and sarcastic and here enters Clary, a mundane who can see him and his friends, bro and sis: Alec and Isabel (both equally hot).

Of course they buttheads with Clary. Adventure, jealousy and lurve ensue. Along with a plot twist that will have you going oh UH-UH EWL. Even though I saw the twist come a mile away I am not buying it. I know it is supposed to be the drive to make you keep reading the series but since I am not believing thus not buying what she is selling I am finding it hard to start the next book.

I guess I could read it to see how Ms Clare plans to un-do what she has done. I say read this book only if you are into twisty plots that keep on going.





Cheers,
Casse

Mail Call! Books I received...

These are the books I bought in the past week: 

Those girls by Sara Lawrence

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (review coming!)

Renagade Hunter by Lynsay Sands

I won this Galley book of The Primitive by Mark Nykanen during BBAW from Bell Bridge Books.

I also won an ebook copy of Soul Catcher by Leigh Bridger also from Bell Bridge Cooks.

These are the books I received from Swaptree.com

Unholy Empire by Brian Shafer

City of Ash by Cassandra Clare

The Undead Nest Door by Kerreyln Sparks (cover dude is HOT! In fact the hottest I've seen! lol)

The Immortal Hunter by Lynsay Sands (again hot cover dude!)

Witch Fire by Anya Bast

Dark Lover, Lover Awakened, Lover Unbound by J.R Ward

Dream Chaser, Dream Warrior by Sherrilyn Kenyon

About Me...Hi I'm Casse and I write creepy books. (Phobias)

  Hi again, it's me Casse.  A little bit more about me.  I am often described as the weirdest chick you'll ever know.  I like it.  *grins*  I am catholic.  In fact I am the only Catholic in my family and I have been since I was 14.  So for 12 years.
 I am an introverted person, reading and writing allow me to express myself the way I NEVER will be able to in "real life."  I am extremely shy.  Actually technically its "Social Anxiety Disorder."  But why be technical?  I hate talking on the phone but I LOVE texting and you will NEVER see me without my cellphone in hand, much to my bosses' chagrin.  Twitter is like texting the world so I love it!
  I graduated high school a year early because I was a huge nerd.   
  For a long time I was afraid to wear glasses because my oldest brother told me, okay don't laugh...,that if I fell they would break and stab me in the eye!  So you can imagine I would rather walk around blurry than get glasses!  Aren't older siblings awesome?  Lucky me, I have three.  My dad finally made me get glasses when I was 17 years old, after My mom and he, forced me to get my driver's permit and I wasn't able to because...I couldn't pass the eye test!  I was kind of relieved.  (I didn't want to learn to drive.)  I fail the eye test horrible.  I convinced them it was broke because all I saw was boxes of light and no writing at all because it was so blurry, they believed me until they made my dad look and see (he has better than 20/20 vision *rolls eyes*) He took one look in the headset, and dragged me down to the America's Best eye doctor THAT DAY!  But trust me I got shatter proof lenses!
  Also I am very short 4'11 and I never felt self-conscious about height, which surprises people.  Most the time I forget how short I am until my neck starts hurting from looking up all the time. lol.
  I love being outside in the rain, but hate sunny days because I oddly get sad when I see the sun.  I love animals but hate bugs.  I am not afraid of lizards, amphibians or reptiles...I guess lizards ARE reptiles huh?  But I have a lot of phobias-including heights (good thing I am so short lol) the dark and small spaces.  And I have a real fear of going blind because I am nosey and hate the thought of being unable to see, which explains my fear of the dark.

Okay thanks for caring to know my craziness.  See ya next week.
Casse

A Glimpse of Grace by Mary Forsythe

Last year I had the pleasure of hearing Mary Forsythe speak at a girls night at my church.  And I bought her book A Glimpse of Grace it is her story of her salvation.

  A Glimpse of Grace is the gripping tale of Mary Forsythe's spiral to life's rock bottom and the amazing account of her journey to triumph. It is a story of dreams and disappointments, of heartache and hope, of tragedy and tenderness, of loss and love.


Walk with her through an innocent childhood in small-town America to a glamorous life in the capital of ritz, through successful business and investment endeavors to a grueling government investigation and a federal indictment that landed her in prison.

Join her as she learned to live in the last place she thought she would ever be, as her life was completely re-directed. Discover with her the strength to survive and the grace to overcome. Find, as she did, secrets of victory and treasures in darkness.

And realize that the glory of this modern-day miracle is that it can happen to you.
[via Kingdom Living]
  My cover doesn't look like the picture I posted.  My cover has jail cell bars...it is powerful.

Rediscovering Catholicism by Matthew Kelly

It's no secret that I am a Catholic.  I mean I go by the name Catholic Kittie.  Well last year I went through a big stuggle that really had me struggling with my faith.  I was really trying to find myself and going to give up on having faith completely, when this book really helped.  Rediscovering Catholicism by Matthew Kelly  I went to Catholics Come Home and requested the book absolutely FREE! 

I must admit I was WANTING to be convinced to have faith.  It worked.  I know that everyone who reads my blog is not a catholic book reader but my best friends aren't either and I shared this book with them via my personal blog, and they found some of it very inspirational.  So I am going to post a blurb/excerpt from the book and hope you like it enough to check it out.

Imagine this...



You're driving home from work next Monday after a long day. You tune in your radio. You hear a blurb about a little village in India where some villagers have died suddenly, strangely, of a flu that has never been seen before. It's not influenza, but three or four people are dead, and it's kind of interesting, and they are sending some doctors over there to investigate it. You don't think much about it, but coming home from church on Sunday you hear another radio spot. Only they say it's, not three villagers, it's 30,000 villagers in the back hills of this particular area of India, and it's on TV that night. CNN runs a little blurb: people are heading there from the disease center in Atlanta because this disease strain has never been seen before.



By Monday morning when you get up, it's the lead story. It's not just India; it's Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and before you know it, you're hearing this story everywhere, and they have now coined it as "the mystery flu." The President has made some comment that he and his family are praying and hoping that all will go well over there. But everyone is wondering, "How are we going to contain it?"



That's when the President of France makes an announcement that shocks Europe. He is closing their borders. No flights from India, Pakistan, or any of the countries where this thing has been seen. And that's why that night you are watching a little bit of CNN before going to bed. Your jaw hits your chest when a weeping woman is translated in English from a French news program. There's a man lying in a hospital in Paris, dying of the mystery flu. It has come to Europe.



Panic strikes. As best they can tell, after contracting the disease, you have it for a week before you even know it. Then you have four days of unbelievable symptoms. And then you die. Britain closes its borders, but it's too late. South Hampton, Liverpool, North Hampton, and it's Tuesday morning when the President of the United States makes the following announcement: "Due to a national-security risk, all flights to and from Europe and Asia have been canceled. If your loved ones are overseas, I'm sorry. They cannot come back until we find a cure for this thing."



Within four days, our nation has been plunged into an unbelievable fear. People are wondering, "What if it comes to this country?" And preachers on Tuesday are saying it's the scourge of God. It's Wednesday night, and you are at a church prayer meeting when somebody runs in from the parking lot and yells, "Turn on a radio, turn on a radio!" And while everyone in church listens to a little transistor radio with a microphone stuck up to it, the announcement is made. Two women are lying, in a Long Island hospital, dying from the mystery flu. Within hours it seems, the disease envelopes the country.



People are working around the clock, trying to find an antidote. Nothing is working. California, Oregon, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts. It's as though it's just sweeping in from the borders.



And then all of a sudden the news comes out. The code has been broken. A cure can be found. A vaccine can be made. It's going to take the blood of somebody who hasn't been infected, and so, sure enough, all through the Midwest, through all those channels of emergency broadcasting, everyone is asked to do one simple thing: Go to your downtown hospital and have your blood analyzed. That's all we ask of you. When you hear the sirens go off' in your neighborhood, please make your way quickly, quietly, and safely to the hospitals.



Sure enough, when you and your family get down there late on that Friday night, there is a long line, and they've got nurses and doctors coming out and pricking fingers and taking blood and putting labels on it. Your spouse and your kids are out there, and they take your blood and say, "Wait here in the parking lot, and if we call your name, you can be dismissed and go home." You stand around, scared, with your neighbors, wondering what on earth is going on, and if this is the end of the world.



Suddenly, a young man comes running out of the hospital screaming. He's yelling a name and waving a clipboard. What? He yells it again! And your son tugs on your jacket and says, "Daddy, that's me." Before you know it, they have grabbed your boy. "Wait a minute. Hold on!" And they say, "It's okay, his blood is clean. His blood is pure. We want to make sure he doesn't have the disease. We think he has the right blood type."

Five tense minutes later, out come the doctors and nurses crying and hugging one another-some are even laughing. It's the first time you have seen anybody laugh in a week, and an old doctor walks up to you and says, "Thank you, sir. Your son's blood is perfect. It's clean, it is pure, and we can make the vaccine."



As the word begins to spread all across that parking lot full of folks, people are screaming and praying and laughing and crying. But then the gray-haired doctor pulls you and your wife aside and says, "May we see you for a moment? We didn't realize that the donor would be a minor and we...we need you to sign a consent form."



You begin to sign, and then you see that the box for the number of pints of blood to be taken is empty. "H-h-h-how many pints?" And that is when the old doctor's smile fades, and he says, "We had no idea it would be a little child. We weren't prepared. We need it all! .... But...but...I don't understand. He's my only son! .... We are talking about the whole world here. Please sign. We...we...need to hurry!"



"But can't you give him a transfusion? If we had clean blood we would. Please, will you please sign?" In numb silence you do. Then they say, "Would you like to have a moment with him before we begin?"



Could you walk back? Could you walk back to that room where he sits on a table saying, "Daddy? Mommy? What's going on?" Could you take his hands and say, "Son, your mommy and I love you, and we would never, ever let anything happen to you that didn't just have to be! Do you understand that?" And when that old doctor comes back in and says, "I'm sorry, we've got to get started. People all over the world are dying," could you leave? Could you walk out while he is saying, "Dad? Mom? Dad? Why...why have you abandoned me?"



And then next week, when they have the ceremony to honor your son, and some folks sleep through it, and some folks don't even bother to come because they have better things to do, and some folks come with a pretentious smile and just pretend to care, would you want to jump up and say, "EXCUSE ME! MY SON DIED FOR YOU! DON'T YOU EVEN CARE? DOES IT MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?"



I wonder, is that what God wants to say? "MY SON DIED FOR YOU! DOES IT MEAN NOTHING? DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARE?"


Chapter 3

It also should come as no surprise to us that, in this modern environment, the relevance of Jesus is being seriously questioned. The reason is simple. The philosophy of Christ is very different from the prevailing philosophies of our modern culture. In fact, they are completely opposed to each other. And yet, the teachings of Christ and these modern philosophies both claim to be the key to the fulfillment of a yearning that is common to us all.




Our Quest for Happiness



The human heart is on a quest for happiness. Every human heart yearns for happiness like the desert yearns for rain. You have a desire for happiness, I have a desire for happiness. This desire is universal, common to every member of the human family. We simply desire to be happy, and we act from this desire.



We often do things that we think will make us happy, but which in fact end up making us miserable. Under the influence of philosophies such as Individualism, Hedonism, and Minimalism, we often seek the happiness we desire through pleasure, possessions, power, and the path of least resistance. Each of these may offer moments of happiness, but they end too soon, having lasted ever so briefly, and our quest for a lasting happiness continues. These moments of happiness are of course real, but only as real as a shadow. The shadow of a person is real, but it is nothing compared to the actual person. So many of us spend a large portion of our lives chasing shadows.



The modern search for happiness is governed by Individualism, Hedonism, Minimalism and their fruits: greed, lust, laziness, gluttony, selfishness, exploitation, and deception. And yet, as these philosophies become more and more the focus of modern lifestyles, people seem to be filled with a greater discontent and unhappiness with each passing day.



Is it possible that these philosophies cannot deliver what they promise? Is it possible that there is something lacking in these philosophies that makes it impossible for the human person to find happiness through them?



God and Happiness



I believe God wants us to be happy. I believe God gave us the yearning for happiness that constantly preoccupies our human hearts. It is as if God placed this yearning within each human heart as a spiritual navigational instrument designed to reunite us with our destiny. As a Father who takes a sincere and active interest in the lives of his children, God sent his only Son to respond to humanity's yearning for happiness, and to offer direction in satisfying that yearning. After all, God himself is the author of our yearning for happiness.



The philosophy of Christ is the ultimate philosophy of human happiness. At the same time, the philosophy of Christ is one of self-donation. This is the great paradox of God's teaching. In our misguided adventures, we may catch glimpses of happiness living outside of the philosophy of Christ. You may even taste happiness for a moment living a life contrary to the philosophy of Christ, but these are stolen moments. They may seem real, but they are just shadows of something infinitely greater.



The Attitude of Christ



Jesus never asked, "What's in it for me?" He was not motivated by the Individualist creed; he was motivated by a spirit of service. Far from advocating a Hedonistic deification of pleasure, Jesus gently proclaimed a life of self-denial, saying, "Whoever wishes to follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross" (Matthew 16:24). He certainly didn't ask himself, "What is the least I can do and still bring salvation to humanity?" No, he asked, "What is the most I can do?" For this is the question of the lover. The attitude of Christ forms a stark contrast to the philosophies of Individualism, Hedonism, and Minimalism.



The life that Jesus invites us to live is very different than the lifestyle our modern culture invites us to live. Individualism, Hedonism, Minimalism - and their various sundry ally philosophies such as Relativism and Materialism - encourage us to do whatever we want, wherever we want, whenever we want. On the other hand, Jesus invites us to a life of discipline.



Having appeared to Mary Magdalene after his Resurrection, Jesus summoned the disciples to Galilee. When the eleven were gathered together on the mountain, Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of every nation" (Matthew 28:19). Jesus did not say, "Go and make followers of every nation."



It is easy to be a follower, but to be a disciple requires discipline. Christ invites us to a life of discipline not for his sake, but for our sake; not to help him, but to help us; not to make him happy, but to allow us to share in his happiness.



The Role of Discipline



Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life and have it to the fullest" (John 10:10). The path that leads to "fullness of life" is discipline. There are four major aspects of the human person - physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. When we eat well, exercise often, and sleep regularly, we feel more fully alive physically. When we love, when we give priority to the significant relationships of our lives, when we give of ourselves to help others in their journey, we feel more fully alive emotionally. When we study, we feel more fully alive intellectually. When we come before God in prayer, openly and honestly, we experience life more fully spiritually. All of these life-giving endeavors require discipline. When are we most fully alive? When we embrace a life of discipline. The human person thrives on discipline.



Are you thriving? Or are you just surviving?



Discipline awakens us from our philosophical stupor and refines every aspect of the human person. Discipline doesn't enslave or stifle the human person; rather, it sets us free to soar to unimagined heights. Discipline sharpens the human senses, allowing us to savor the subtler tastes of life's experiences. Whether those experiences are physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual, discipline elevates them to their ultimate reality. Discipline heightens every human experience and increases every human ability. The life and teachings of Jesus Christ invite us to embrace this life-giving discipline.



Many people consider Jesus irrelevant today because he proposes a life of discipline. Is discipline then to be considered the core of Jesus' philosophy? No. Christ proposes a life of discipline not for its own sake, and certainly not to stifle or control us; rather, he proposes discipline as the key to freedom.



In the midst of the complexities of this modern era, we find ourselves enslaved and imprisoned by a thousand different whims, cravings, addictions, and attachments. We have subscribed to the adolescent notion that freedom is the ability to do whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want, without interference from any authority. Could the insanity of our modern philosophy be any more apparent? Freedom is not the ability to do whatever you want. Freedom is the strength of character to do what is good, true, noble, and right. Freedom without discipline is impossible.



Is freedom then to be considered the core of Jesus' philosophy? No. What then, is the core of his philosophy? Well, as it turns out, the people of his own time were curious for an answer to this very question.



One day, while Jesus was teaching a large group of people in the synagogue, a man asked Our Lord a question from his position in the multitude. He was a learned man, one of those doctors of the law who were no longer able to understand the teaching revealed to Moses because it had become so twisted and entangled in the ways of men. He questioned Our Lord, saying, "Teacher, which is the greatest of the Commandments?"



Jesus opened his divine lips slowly, with the calm assurance of somebody who knows what he is talking about and replied, "You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole mind, and your whole soul. This is the first and the greatest of the Commandments. And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Upon these two rest the whole law and all the prophets" (Matthew 22:34-40). (Continued on page 5)



Love is the core of Jesus' philosophy. But, in order to love you must be free. For to love is to give your self freely and without reservation.



Yet, to give your self - to another person, to an endeavor, or to God - you must first possess your self. This possession of self is freedom. It is a prerequisite for love, and is attained only through discipline.



Jesus in History



Before Christmas last year, I saw a Jewish scholar interviewed on television. The topic of discussion was the influence Jesus has exerted on human history. In summary, the scholar concluded, "The impact this man has had on human history is undeniable. Because of this man we call Jesus, the world will never again be the same. Because of Jesus, men and women will never think the same. Regardless of whether or not we believe he was the Son of God, because of this man who walked the earth two thousand years ago, men and women will never live the same, will never be the same."



Sometimes, in this turbulent cultural environment, which can be particularly anti-Christian, we can lose sight of the impact Christ has had on history. Caught up in the day-to-day challenges of our busy lives, it is sometimes easy to forget the unfathomable influence this one man has had.



There are a great many people today who think that Jesus is irrelevant in the modern context. I suspect these people are suffering from a modern madness caused by an ignorance of self and history. As we get to know ourselves, our deepest needs, and the history of humanity, the relevance of Jesus Christ to modern man becomes startlingly clear.



Is Jesus still relevant?



Gather all the books that have been written about the life and teachings of Jesus. Add to them all the artwork Christian life has inspired. Now consider all the music inspired by Christ. Not to be forgotten is the fact that the Church nurtured and nourished the development of the arts for centuries. Christianity was the moral foundation upon which America and many other nations built themselves. Now con-sider the fact that prior to Christ walking the earth, there was never any such thing as a hospital. Where were the sick when Jesus walked the earth? They were on the side of the road, left there to rot and die by relatives who feared for their own health. How is it that we have also collectively forgotten that until the Church introduced education for the masses, there was never any such thing as an education for the common man? Education was only for the elite until the Church recognized and proclaimed the dignity of every human person and introduced education for the masses.



All of these represent aspects of the measurable impact Christ has had on human history. And yet, these are all just dim reflections of the person who was and is Jesus Christ. Adding all of these together is still nothing compared to the impact Christ can have on your life, on my life. All the worldly success of Christ and the Church are insignificant compared to the change Christ can effect in your heart, in my heart.



The life of Jesus Christ is indelibly engraved upon history, neither the erosion of time nor the devastating and compounding effects of evil have been able to erase his influence. Some people thought he was crazy, others considered him a misfit, a troublemaker, a rebel. He was condemned as a criminal, and yet, his life and teachings echo and reverberate throughout history. He saw things differently, and he had no respect for the status quo. You can praise him, disagree with him, quote him, disbelieve him, glorify him, or vilify him. About the only thing you cannot do is ignore him, and that is a lesson that every age learns in its own way.



You can't ignore Jesus because he changed things. He is the single greatest agent of change in human history. He made the lame walk, taught the simple, set captives free, gave sight to the blind, fed the (Continued on page 6) hungry, healed the sick, comforted the afflicted, afflicted the comfortable, and in all of these, captured the imaginations of every generation. His teachings are not complex or exclusive, but simple and applicable to everyone, everywhere, in every time in history, regardless of age, color, or state in life. Beyond life's complexities, there is simplicity. Beneath life's confusion, there is understanding. It is the Gospel, the Good News. Within it, through it, we find salvation. And I believe that part of that salvation is happiness - not the foolish, empty happiness that this modern age associates with getting what you want. It is a happiness deeper and higher than any happiness we could imagine or design for ourselves.



Christ came to reconcile us with the Father, and in doing so, offered the satisfaction of this craving for happiness that preoccupies our human hearts. Love is our origin and our destiny. Our yearning for happiness is a yearning for love. Created to love and be loved, we seek out the fulfillment of our purpose. "God is love" (1 John 4:8), and our yearning for happiness is ultimately a yearning for God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church wastes no time in addressing this truth. The opening point of Chapter One, Section One, reads, "The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will man find the truth and happiness he never stops yearning for."



Our desire for happiness is not going to go away. It is part of the human condition. Our quest for happiness is a quest for God. This is the genius of God. Our yearning for happiness is the ultimate and eternal homing device, designed to draw us gently toward our eternal home. Our yearning for happiness is a yearning for union with our Creator. As Augustine pointed out so simply and eloquently, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, Lord." Wherever men and women yearn for happiness, Christ will be relevant. He alone is the fulfillment and satisfaction of this yearning, and so for every person in every place and time he remains, "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6).

Teaser Tuesdays (Oct. 20th)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

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  Grab your current read
  
  
  
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  Open to a random page
  
  
  
• 
  
  Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  
  
  
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  BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  
  
  
• 
  
  Share the title; author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  
  
  

My Teasers:

"Haven't you ever heard that modesty is an attractive trait?"  "Only from ugly people," Jace confided.  "The meek may inherit the earth but at the moment it belongs to the conceited.  Like me."  He winked at the girls...

Page 86 City of Bones by Cassandra Clare 

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake (Review)

Ok this is hard to say because my personal policy of not giving reviews of books I didn't like. I always say I just won't review it if it is bad or don't like it.  And I find it hard to like anything other than Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy.  But I promised I would read and review. That said,


I didn't like the Postmistress by the awesome Sarah Blake right away and if not for my book club giving me the ARC with the promise I would read it, I wouldn't have finished.  Blake is so talented that it oozes from every page so it was easy to fight through the stuggling to get past the boredom. The book is beautifully written.  And though a lot of people had a problem with the jumpy, choppy flow of the book as well as found it confusing.  Even though it took me about 5 chapters to get into the book  I understood what she was doing.  She was demonstrating the feel of wartime the only way she possibly could in a book, that would do it more justice than just saying it blandly.  War is unpredictable, its not straight forward and it has a way of effecting different people, different ways for one event a thousand different rays go in a billion directions. That gets choppy a little less than chaotic.  The holocaust is a big dirty inhumane stain on humanity's history and how we ignored it for so long is a even bigger atrocity to our history.  This book is a snap shot of how it effected different people, of different types.  It was candid and honest as well as true to life.

I just like my books wrapped up in a happy little bow and neatly handed to me at the end. Not the case with this book. No happy all is well bow. No neatly and no bow at all. This was complex. Realistically so. I started reading this book feeling like I was on the cuspate of a book so great the world was going to fall in love with it. I still believe it to be so.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake is so real it almost doesn't feel like fiction.  It plays out like a movie in my head.  Or a story being told to me by a grandmother.  People who like this type of stuff will eat this book up.  They will laugh. They will cry.  They will find themselves stuck with this book inside of them for times to come.  It makes you feel, it makes you hurt.  These people are closer to you than most anyone else it seems and their pain, joys and relationships are real.  And your emotions will be raw when finished.  So no, I did not like this book.  I lived it.  I recommend you live it with me.

Casse

Thank to Barnes and Noble for the First Look.

Zoey's Pick...

My new feature which is going to be weekly. My niece with her favorite (hehe) book. This week its Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick Okay so it's my pick.  But I won't review it since EVERY BOOK BLOG already has, what more is there to say?  Yeah right! I will so review this book a little later.  xoxo.

Cheers!
Casse

Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm Contest...

Okay so I like free stuff, I like to enter contest and cross my fingers hoping I win.  I have entered Billions and only won twice.  A BBAW Bell Bridge ARC and Sarah Beth Durst's ICE via blogtoberfest (THANKS JERI SMITH-READY!)  But there is this insanely huge...I mean MASSIVE contest giving away YA books! so click the pic and go enter...eventhough you may win and not me!  But enter anyway!  And who ever wins just know I will be eternally jealous. 

Cheers!
Casse

Iron Kissed- Patricia Briggs Review

Iron kissed - Patricia Briggs


After completely devouring the first two in the series, I was worried. Could P. Briggs, (my all new nickname Briggs.) But could she keep her streak of awesome-ness up?

The answer, Hell yeah! She did not disappoint!

This adventure leads Mercy, deep into the fae‘s, out in the open/or is it? world. When her former boss and mentor Zee, a goblin- which we learn is a made up term, is accused of a crime; Mercy takes it on herself to prove his innocence...even if it kills her. And it just might or even worse. The Fae aren’t some cute tinkerbells who live with Peter Pan in Neverland. They are scary, powerful, ruthless and straight up BAD-ASS. But we should always remember, humans can be just as bad. Iron Kiss shows that element too.

I am trying not to spoil anything because it unfolds, so perfectly. The characters continue to develop nicely and roundly. In this installment some of the minor players become major and some majors become HUGE.

I love the boys, Adam and Sam. And Mercy is forced to make a choice between the two, once and for all because her indecision was endangering the pack. I didn't 100% like that spin, but it worked, as well as pushed the storyline forward. I liked how it resolved itself and the guy she choice was good too. I have to admit I was pulling for them both so I would be happy and sad for whoever she picked. But the way it was done I was more happy than sad. But still someone needs a spin-off series to heal his heart in my opinion.

Adam’s pack, mainly Ben won my heart. He comes through for Mercy and helps her in his weird, rude way. But we come to understand him better. And frankly I love him now.

This book is also more heartbreaking and devastating as a woman. As I was forced to sit and watch, Mercy experience something meant to destroy. Not many books in this genre can touch me the way Iron Kissed did. I admit, I cried. Sounds silly now, but wait until you read it.  Mercy is always so bad ass most of the time it is interesting to see her most vulnerable side.

It was wonderfully done. It wasn't done just to be dramatic and be forced drama and tension like a lot of writers mistakenly do. This book pushed Briggs above all those who are in her genre.



I was tingling to get my hands on Bone Crossed, even enough to shell out a hardcover price.

And I agree with Mercy, To Wong Foo WAS a great movie.



Cheers,
Casse



As always click on the COVER to order your copy. Or click Here for Patricia Briggs’ site.  I feel obligated to say Book Depository has it for a good price $3.99 and free shipping.

About Me...Hi I'm Casse and I write creepy books.

  Okay, I am back for a little more sharing.  So we know I go by Casse, I am 26 and I love reading and writing creepy books that involve lurve.  So on to what we don't know yet...
  I am the youngest of 4 kids.  I have two older brothers and one older sister.  I am an Air Force Brat and have lived all over the place including Japan and Alaska.  I love Edmonton Alberta Canada!

  I am a bit of a sexist when it comes to reading, I don't know how this happened but I have a hard time reading male Authors, which is probably why I gravitate to romance novels.  It is a mostly female dominated genre.  It's weird.  I don't know how this happened truly.

  More random facts...I cannot drive.  I mean it.  I never learned how, or wanted to learn.  I still don't.  I am allergic to most fruit but I love it and will suffer for this love of it. 
  I have an irrational fear that the world is going to run out of good books, so every store I go into I must head to the book section, find a book I think sounds great (which is sometimes harder than one would think.)  And buy it, like I am stock piling.  If I can't find one, I get terrified.

  I had more interesting things to say, but the little monter, who I call my niece won't allow me to take my attention away from her for more than 6 seconds, I counted lol.  So this is what you get.  See you next Thursday.  I promise more interesting things.

Cheers!
Casse

My wish list-YA version...

Awesome books I can't wait to read...once I buy them lol.

Once a Witch- Carolyn MacCullough
Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search--and the stranger--will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant. [Book Depository]

Give up the Ghost- Megan Crewe

Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over "breathers." Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody...and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school. But when the vice president of the student council discovers "her" secret, Cass's whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees. As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim's life, she's surprised to realize he's not so bad--and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it's time to give the living another chance....[Book Depository]

Time of the Witches- Anna Myers

An orphan named Drucilla has finally has a place to call home with the Putnam family in Salem. Although her adopted mother is strange--haunted by a troubled past--Dru feels drawn to her as the mother she never had. When a new reverend and his family move into town with their servant Tituba, life takes a strange turn as young girls begin to fall ill and accusations of witchcraft begin to swirl. Reluctant to turn her back on the Putnams or her peers and overwhelmed by the power of groupthink among the other girls in town, Dru becomes one of the accusers herself. But when her best friend Gabe is accused, she must find a way to end the hysteria, or risk losing him forever. [Book Depository]

Devoured- Amanda Marrone

Inspired by the tale of Snow White, the author of "Uninvited" and "Revealers" pens a sexy, paranormal teen novel about a love triangle that's positively possessed. [Book Depository]

Sphinx's Princess- Esther Friesner

"Nefertiti was far more than just a pretty face." Nefertiti may be the dutiful daughter of a commoner, but her inquisitive mind often gets her into situations that are far from ordinary, like receiving secret lessons from a scribe. And she's the kind of girl who acts first, and apologizes later whenever she witnesses injustice or cruelty. But she is also extraordinarily beautiful. And news of her striking beauty and impulsive behavior attracts the attention of her aunt, the manipulative Queen Tiye, who sees Nefertiti as an ideal pawn in her desire for power. Even though Nefertiti is taken from her beloved family and forced into a life filled with courtly intrigue and danger, her spirit and mind will not rest. She continues to challenge herself and the boundaries of ancient Egyptian society. Esther Friesner offers readers another fresh new look at an iconic figure--blending historical fiction and mythology in a thrilling concoction. [Book Depository]

Click on the picture to go to AMAZON or click on the link after summary for Book Depository.

Amazon has great used book variety while BD has free shipping world wide, HELLO that is AWESOME!!!

This will also be a weekly feature on my blog. YA version and Rated R version.

Cheers,

Casse

HarperTEEN A quarter of The Summoning and The Awakening - Kelley Armstrong FREE

They are also offering a lot of other HarperTEEN books too at HarperTEEN including Wicked Lovely By Melissa Marr, The Luxe By Anna Godbersen and Evernight By Claudia Gray; to name just a few.

Cheers!
Casse

About Me...Hi I'm Casse and I write creepy books.

I will try and share a little about myself each week.  Just random things.  So here I go. 

  My Name is Casse atleast that's what I go by.  I am a 26 year old writer.  I love books.  I am an Aunt to 2 nieces and 4 nephews (2 of them are named Derrick after my oldest brother Derrick) It's odd I know!  They call me Aunnie.
  I am the human of a cat named Marques.  He calls me "Meeeow".  Which means slave in kittenese.
  I am single with no kids.  Yes I am aware I sound like I will end up, the cat lady who all my nieces and nephews will hate to come visit because she has books and spiral notebooks filled with stories laying around with a house that is full of fur balls and smells of cat pee...but that doesn't sound so bad of fate to me, sans the pee smell.  Oh also I have an odd sense of humor.

  Okay enough sharing.  See ya next week!
Cheers,
Casse

Mail Call! Books I received...

These are the books I am currently in the process of reading. (L to R; T to B)

Nights Edge (HQN) Anthology Charlaine Harris, Maggie Shayne, Barbara Hambly

Dark and Deadly Jeanne Adams

Beyond Heaving Bosoms The Smart Bitches  Candy Tan and Sarah Wendell

Those Girls Sara Lawrence

The PostMistress Sarah Blake (ARC)

Intimacy with the Almighty Charles R. Swindoll

(Ignore the similac and Tea in the background lol)

This is my book loot for the week!

Stange Angel Lili St Crow

The Rogue Hunter Lynsay Sands

Hunting Ground Patricia Briggs

Storm of Vision Christina Dodd

Covet J.R Ward

Mark Your Calenders 13 to Life by Shannon Reinbold-Gee

  Ok YA lovers, this summer, June 2010 a book that has me soooo psyched is coming out and I cannot wait! 13 to Life by Shannon Reinbold-Gee 
  I truly cannot say enough about this.  I read a sneak peak over at Jeri Smith-Ready's Blogtoberfest Day 2
I have never been so thankful for insomnia in my life.  I have been in sort of a book rut and bad mood reading.  (ie. previous review of Impetuous by Lori Foster)  But this perked me right up, well this and my writer's block going away.  But anyway, go to Shannon's page, and Jeri's blogtoberfest and read all the cool YA books.  There are giveaways and all of that.  Jeri @jsmithready and Shannon @SReinboldGee are both on twitter so you can also follow them. (you can follow me if you want to as well.  I tweet a lot.  There is your only warning lol @catholickittie)

  I also added a 13 to Life trailer to my "My Oh-Em-Gee cannot WAIT books..." section at the bottom of my page so you can check it out.

Cheers!
Casse

Impetuous By Lori Foster Review

I am only a chapter into these book and this chick has only one word to describe her, A NINNY! One why is she lying? This bothers me. One guess how this is going to turn out. Is he going to be pissed that his luuurve is a liar? Why didn't she just say, yes I know who you are. And speaking of that, the Clark Kent-slash-superman has been, is and always will be dumb. I don't care what cheap wig and colored contacts anyone puts on I will recognize you. That’s just the fact. If you are hott in hoe clothes disguise, you are hott in regular clothes! Come on its lame to write a romance and say otherwise! Do you love her for her hott ass or for her?
Which brings me to Two. Is this chick Carlie, nice spelling of the name btw I like it., blind? In what world is the given description of her NOT damn hott? I don't care what man dogged her! Tell that jerk "forget you honey, I AM dang hott!" And leave it as his loss. To have her floundering confusedly around like "oh my my. Why oh why is he starin at meh? lil oh meh?" Uh could it be your shapely Amazon’s body maybe? With those legs that won't quit? hmmm maybe that’s it? To have her act clueless is just far fetched and hard to believe.
Which leads to Three. Uh who has sex with someone who you don't know their name, who they are and is wearing a mask? Then claim it to be more than a nookie- one nighter? And no point in the sexin did he not think to take the mask off her? Can you imagine, Her: say my name. Him: err what is it? or vis-a-vers-a. Lets be realistic who wanders away from the party in the rain, gets stalked to the guest house by a strange man who for all you know is clearly a stalker and then gives it up?
That’s just my first chapter first impression. I will reconvene after I am done.

Chapter 2 what the hell is she a skittish colt err mere or a grown damn woman? If its the later she needs to act like one.

Chapter 3 I would say you would THINK he'd recognize her voice being so taken with her and all. But then again they didn’t do much talking last night besides. "Me Tarzan me want pretty wo-MON. Pretty wo-MON stay with me?" Her reply "Me docile dummy, me want mon too, docile dummy scare of men. Me was married but me no want mon now. But me wont Tarzan" they basically said this but in less word. I think it was 6 for him and 4 then 2 then 3. my take is she must be so scared she. must. Talk. In. Clipped. Sentences...Just like this.
Still I carry on.

Chapter 4 Well ho-ly Cow. By the end of chapter 3 I am starting to like and get into the book. Its a typical romance. I want to scream at these people. Get out your damn head and say what you mean! But they won't. They never do. It won’t clear up until the end when they epiphanize. It will all make ‘Tah-Dah’ sense to them and they will profess their love. I will sit back and enjoy this predictable plotline ride as best I can.

Ok I need to back this review up and say I started this book in a bad mood. I am being honest here. But I do not take back anything, I was being honest. That said I will finish the rest of the review.

Once the mood past I enjoyed this book even though it involved the plot I hate the most...Stupid pointless secret. I seriously didn’t see the point of this secret and once it got to a certain point anyone would say “hey man here is the deal and here is why.” But of course it snow balled out of control and she kept doing crazy things and blatant lies to cover. It got to the point were I could understand where he was coming from when it blew up.
Still he blew up to the extreme and I was like uh he has issues nobody would do this, angry or not. Period.
I also felt after the ‘big mis’ the story went on a little too long and I was like "when will it end." I had to endure the both of them experience the ‘flip-flop‘. And the things he did to re-woo her, I found it hard to believe and the way he then just flipped, ah-gain. Then it was her turn to flop. Oy Vey!

Not that this book was totally a lose. The middle of the story was very good and entertaining, so much so, that I finished it in one late night reading. I couldn't put it down. So I have to say any big mis fan would loooove it. The Characters are great. They were endearing and made complete since together.
All in all I consider this a good book and a good review if not an honest one.


[Click cover to go to author's page w/ links to places to buy it.]

My weekend plans- include Lori Foster

This weekend I plan to live on starbucks coffee and NOT work on my book like there is not a deadline that is looming over me.  To do this I will be reading a book I have been seeing everywhere and decided to read.  Impetuous by Lori Foster.