Books
May Day = Bobbie Fay Day!!
I’d like to give a shout out to fellow debut novelist, Toni McGee Causey, whose novel, BOBBIE FAYE’S VERY (very, very, very) BAD DAY was released today!!
I was privileged to be able to read an early version of BOBBIE FAYE but now that I have the real thing in my hands, I cannot wait to read it again.
This time I’ll be better prepared—no drinking (since it tends to snort out my nose when I collapse in hysterical bouts of laughter), no eating (ditto), go to the rest room first (it’s either that or take the book in there with me because I will not be able to put it down), turn off the phone and computer, and put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door.
Seriously folks, it’s that good of a read—even better, it’s that funny of a read! And I don’t know about you but these days I can use all the humor I can get.
If you enjoy a funny, smart, kick-ass heroine with two to-die for hunky guys, a race against the clock, explosions, wild-life, wild rides, murder and mayhem with a touch of Cajun spice thrown in, then run don’t walk to your nearest store and buy this book.
For more about Bobbie Faye and the equally hysterical life of her creator, Toni Causey, check out her at www.bobbiefaye.com
Enjoy!
CJ
PS: don’t just trust my judgment! Both Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal gave BOBBIE FAYE a Starred review!
Books
Okay the official title of last night’s GA episode was Desire. I think Penis Fish would have been more catchy, but since all the GA eps are named after songs, that might be why the producers didn’t call it that.
And, yes, they did get that right—there is an Amazonian Penis Fish. Really. We learned about it in med school, don’t ask me why, I think the male textbook writers are just morbidly fascinated with the idea of a fish that swims up their urine stream, crawls inside and starts to eat them from the inside out.
You know how guys are about peeing in the woods, something they always hold over us womenfolk’s heads as proof of their natural superiority. Guess maybe they’ll think twice about doing that anywhere near the Amazon now.
For me, other than the penis fish laughs, this episode was a bit rocky. Mainly because the good parts were all muffled by that damn wedding cake. I kept turning the volume up, but no, Burke’s sweet dialogue about his love for Cristina—buried by cake. George and Izzy, trying hard to be “just friends” and failing—buried by cake.
Also, I was disappointed to see Alex and Addi finally do it. I loved the sexual tension between them and she was the last attending (other than the Chief) to actually not sacrifice every ounce of integrity she had and sleep with an intern she is supervising.
I know, I know, GA exists in a world with no sexual harassment laws, no Resident Review Committee, no Medical Board with ethical standards of practice, etc, etc. And of course all the attendings look so damn young that a regular viewer forgets the fact that they are all old enough to be the fathers and mothers of the interns they are sleeping with—a big yuck factor for me to over come.
Yes, all the interns at Seattle Grace have mommy and daddy complexes. And yes, all the attendings act like children. Whiny and pouty, even when they get what they want. Like Derrick confessing to Mer that she’s just wearing him out, his needing to breathe for her…and then he lets her walk away!! This is his idea of communicating?
I’ve had better conversations with toddlers in the midst of throwing a tantrum.
Anyway, I totally understand why the writers need a show like last nights, they have to move all the characters from Point A to Point B before the season ends. Okay, okay.
But could we please have some real character development and a little less cake?
Books
When I first heard this morning that Kenneth Hinson was acquitted of kidnapping, rape and attempted murder charges, I was shocked.
This was the so-called South Carolina “dungeon” rapist—he allegedly kidnapped two teenaged girls who were sleeping together in one bed, took them one at a time to a secret “bunker”, really a big hole in the ground covered by a concrete slab, tied them up and raped them over the course of several days.
He left them to die (according to prosecutors) but the girls escaped, trekked through the woods and managed to contact 911.
Seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? Two traumatized victims, wrists still swollen from being tied up, Hinson with a record of raping a 12 year old girl in the past, drugs, guns, a secret dungeon….the stuff of movies and a slam dunk conviction, one would think.
Apparently, according to the foreman of the jury who acquitted Hinson, it wasn’t quite that simple.
Here are a few of the discrepancies the jury found in the evidence presented as reported by The State:
~ Sleeping through a kidnapping. The girls testified they both were asleep in a small bed when Hinson entered their trailer and grabbed one of them, threatening to kill her if she made a noise. The other girl said she did not wake up until Hinson returned for her.
~ Not noticing the bunker. The girls testified they had not seen the chamber before Hinson raised the table hiding the entrance hole. Hinson said the girls knew of it, but his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s teenage son did not; the jurors thought everyone would have known about the bunker.
~ Drugs. One of the girls testified she bought “drugs” last summer from someone a defense witness said sold crack. “We all know people who smoke crack will do just about anything to smoke crack again,” Williams said.
~ Socks. A pair worn by one of the girls was dirty but had no wear marks, pine-needle fragments or tears some jurors expected to see from running about a mile through the woods after escaping the bunker.
~ Feet. The other girl said she ran barefoot. “But the pictures showed no scratches, no abrasions,” Lewis said.
~ Duct tape. The girls said one bit through the other’s tape binding her wrists. “We went over all of the duct tape and couldn’t find any chew marks,” Lewis said. And Hinson’s fingerprints were not on the tape.
~ An odd comment. A logbook kept by the 911 dispatcher shows one of the girls noted in her 911 call that Hinson was on a sexual offender registry, which Williams said was an “odd” comment for someone who had just been raped.
But the bottom line was that the jury felt they couldn’t believe any of the stories presented in court: neither the victims’ or the defendant’s.
“Every one of these little things adds up to reasonable doubt,” the jury foreman said. “We couldn’t believe him. We couldn’t believe them.
“We wanted to convict, but the evidence was just not there.”
Sigh…one of the lessons learned from my years in the ER is that everyone lies.
It’s worrisome to think that these two girls could be lying, even more frightening to imagine the consequences if they were telling the truth and Hinson was mistakenly set free.
He is now in federal custody facing weapons charges and may still face life in prison if convicted. But I can’t help but wonder what about those two girls?
What do you think? Would you have ruled differently if you had been on the jury?
Books
I’m not Elaine Viets, but…
I’d like you all to consider buying her book. No this isn’t some viral campaign or pyramid scheme.
It’s about giving back to a generous author. For those of you who haven’t heard, the tremendously talented and vivacious Elaine suffered a stroke earlier this month. She’s recovering, but won’t be able to tour for her upcoming release, MURDER WITH RESERVATIONS.
I’ve met Elaine several times. She’s an elegant, witty, and generous person—in fact the last time I saw her, at Sleuthfest, she appointed herself my chauffeur and drove me to several places, all the while offering invaluable advice for this newcomer to the publishing world.
That’s one of the best things about the writing community. Generosity abounds here, whether it’s helping someone with advice, an endorsement, or in Elaine’s case, helping her sell her books when she can’t do it herself.
Even if you don’t buy Elaine’s book, consider mentioning it to friends. You can learn more about it at her website: http://www.elaineviets.com
And please keep Elaine and her family in your thoughts. There aren’t enough good people in this world that we can afford to lose Elaine.
Thanks for reading!
CJ
Books
In light of the events here and elsewhere this week, this seemed appropriate:
Grief is the price we pay for love.
~Queen Elizabeth II
Books
I just learned that I actually knew one of the VT victims. Not just him, but his family.
It’s been awhile, and I knew them professionally, but of course my first reaction was pure emotion. My heart goes out to them all—putting faces and voices to the tragedy makes it all the more painful.
My first response was, I should send them something. Then I turned on the TV and saw the morning shows all featuring tributes to the fallen. Interviews with their friends, family, loved ones, acquaintances, neighbors…
And I shuddered. See, I’ve been caught up in a high profile case once, years ago. I know what it’s like to be forced to mourn in public, to share your grief with total strangers.
With our culture’s obsession of right here, right now, instant communication I think we’ve forgotten that some things aren’t just meant to be private, they need to be private.
Yes, one could argue that grief is lightened by sharing. But that is only if the person in mourning chooses to share. Isn’t forced to standing blinking in the spotlight, recounting memories of their loved ones.
Worse, having their way of mourning judged alongside others. As if grief knew rules, had an expiration date, or carefully choreographed steps that we all follow leading us to a defined end where we grieve no more.
Sorry, Dr. Kubler-Ross, but it just ain’t so. Yes, we all share similar emotions, but how we act on those feelings is an individual process that can’t be forced into a checklist: Denial—done, Anger—got it, Bargaining….
We all like to feel part of the story—connected to events that are the center of a media storm. We all like to feel lucky, whew, missed that one. We all like to dissect and play Monday morning quarterback.
Let’s just make sure that our desire to see more of this story, to hear all the little details, isn’t overshadowing the needs of the people who will be living it for the rest of their lives.
A little prayer, kindness and understanding wouldn’t hurt either.
