I signed up to participate in Erica and Susan‘s Debut a Debut contest before hopping on a plane to India, so I had to find a book that met the criteria fast. Luckily for me, Susan recommended a debut book by a friend and fellow author – Rebecca Drake.

The inside cover blurbs appearing on Don’t Be Afraid promise page turning chills and thrills, and like any decent roller coaster ride, this book doesn’t let you down. If you’re not into crime thrillers, you’re probably not going to want to pick this book up – but you should.

It’s hard to write a review without giving away too much of the plot – and I really don’t want to spoil the book for anyone. It’s something to be discovered and savoured on your own.

Ms. Drake’s characters are far more than the traditional one-dimensional card board cutouts traditionally found in a good whodunnit crime novel. Painted with exquisite detail, it’s easy to become attached to Amy and her daughter Emma.

The sense of panic only increases as Amy addresses her fears for her child’s welfare, stumbles around her anger at her (soon to be ex) husband’s cheating nature, and grieves for her murdered friend Sheila. When she stumbles across some disturbing photographs of the murder victim (the bodies just keep piling up), it certainly doesn’t help any when it’s discovered that she’s a professional photographer who’s just selling real estate to make ends meet.

The side characters are nearly as interesting. There’s a lot of love, denial and dysfunction in her relationship with her mother – most of the denial is on mom’s part – and a cop with a one track mind who’s convinced Amy must be the murderer. After all, if the shoe fits…

Throw in a conflicted big city cop who’s returned home to Connecticut, running away from bad memories and a relationship he’s afraid of ,in order to help nurse an ill parent and you’ve got an excellent mix that keeps the ball rolling. In fact, one of the most interesting and satisfying segments of the novel is moving through the torment, love, and growth of Det. Juarez.

Don’t Be Afraid makes for great bed-time reading and I’ll be keeping my eyes out for Ms. Drake’s next book.

Technorati Tags: Debut a Debut, Rebecca Drake, Don’t Be Afraid, books

In December when trip planning began, I was supposed to head to India for a little over four weeks and Manila for two. After arriving in India, plans got changed and the trip was shorted to three weeks and I began my whirlwind tour of Delhi (Gurgaon too), Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore. This change in the India schedule meant that my trip to the Philippines was being lengthened to three weeks.

Last night, my Manila trip was shorted to a week and I was supposed to be heading home.

This morning I woke up to discover that Manila is still a shorter trip (in Sunday, out Friday), but now I’m returning to B’lore for a week before catching a flight back to Canada.

Working 14 hours days and trying to do as much touring of the cities I visit (I still need to post the B’lore stuff, I know) means that I barely know what day it is – here or back home. What’s running through my head right now you ask? Why, it’s that old Spirit of the West song “Home for a Rest”.

You’ll have to excuse me,
I’m not at my best
I’ve been gone for a month
I’ve been drunk since I left
These so called vacations will soon be my death
I’m so sick from the drink I need home for a rest

Ok, I haven’t been drunk at all since I got here, but a breakfast of beer at Dencios is really sounding good right now.

Technorati Tags: India, Philippines, Dencios, travel, Spirit of the West

Feast Number One Hundred & Thirty One

Appetizer: What sound, other than the normal ringing, would you like your telephone to make?

• I’m assuming this is my regular phone instead of my cell phone – since my cell has been programmed with people specific ring tones so I not only know who’s calling, but can associate a memory or melody with them…So, what sound would I like my non-cell phone phone to make? I want it to do the “Yup Yup Yup Yup Yup Yup…Unhuh Unhuh Briiiinnnnng Briiiinnnng” sound the blue aliens made when around a phone on Sesame Street.

Soup: Describe your usual disposition in meteorological terms (partly cloudy, sunny, stormy, etc.).

• What’s normal? I think it depends on the people I’m with. I can be pretty hazy at times, partly cloudy when it comes to working, stormy if work isn’t going as planned, sunny when I’m home with the hubby. All these are usual and often occur in a single day. I don’t think it’s possible for me not be be my own meteorological event.

Salad: What specific subject do you feel you know better than any other subjects?

• Wow, the questions are deep this week. Five years ago I would have put computer networking, software, and programming in this category. Since leaving that world to work in the field of adult learning, I’ve discovered that I know next to nothing about anything. What do I think I know better than anything else? Possibly needs analysis, possibly human motivation factors, most likely, how to write an eclectic blog.

Main Course: Imagine you were given the ability to remember everything you read for one entire day. Which books/magazines/newspapers would you choose to read?

• I think I’d spend the day savouring Fred Cogswell’s work. I don’t go back to it often enough and it’s a shame because I learned so much from our short acquaintance.

Dessert: If a popular candy maker contacted you to create their next confection, what would it be like and what would you name it?

• The candy I’d want to create already exists – I just can’t get them in Canada. Please, someone take pity on me and send bags of Tic Tac Silvers north! I do think the product name should be changed to crack, cause I’m pretty sure it’s got a similar level of addictive qualities.

h/t to Caylynn’s Contemplations for the FF graphic. I shamelessly swiped it from her site.

Technorati Tags: Friday’s Feast

A real, honest to goodness, in an envelop and not a card, snail mail letter!

Woohoo!

I have no idea what it says because I’m in India and the letter is in Edmonton, but it’s still cool to know that people still write and send letters. I’m still debating whether or not to let the hubby open it and read it to me, or if I want to wait until I get home and savour the whole experience of opening it and reading it myself.

Technorati Tags: letter, snail mail

There are benefits to being 1/2 way across the earth today. For me, it’s Thursday while for most people back in North America, it’s still Wednesday for a number of hours. So, I get to kill two birds with one stone. I can post my T13 on time (here) and still make it Valentine’s day centric to fit the time zone back home.

Welcome to the 16th edition of the screaming pages Thursday Thirteen.

I never say it enough…

Thirteen reasons I love my hubby. He’s the son my parents never had, loved and was loved by my dad. He didn’t mind when I brought a new “puppy” home while he was away. He knows what I look like first thing in the morning and is still willing to kiss me before leaving for work. He looks damn good in uniform. He’s happy to let me roam the earth in the name of “work” and never complains about how long I’m away or how far I go. We don’t have a phone in the bedroom, but he brings a cordless one into bed with him so he can answer the phone at 3am if I forget the time difference and call him randomly when I’m away. He cooks and does laundry, which makes up for never paying the bills (that’s my job). He never made fun of my fear of heights or of driving, and let me decide when I was ready to learn to drive. The new pickup truck is mine, while he drives my old beater car. He lets me read the book we’re both dying to read first – even if it’s his Christmas present. He tries to make friends with my cat, who’s been in my life longer than he has and never lets him forget it. He understands that sometimes I just need to be alone with a book and isn’t threatened by it. He’s my best friend. He understands my moods, my ups and downs, my crazed ranting, and need for peace. He’s sweet, intelligent, sensitive, and a far better man than I deserve most days. Best of all, he loves me no matter my faults. Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Technorati Tags: thursday thirteen, t13, meme, marriage, love