strange and random happenstance

The Haunting of Andrew Sharpai by Jerome Peterson
Published by: Eloquent
Book Provided by the Author
Publication Date: February 21st, 2010
Format: Paperback, 310 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy
Andrew Sharpai is haunted by the life he lost. Tormented by the lose of his love LaRae and his glamorous lifestyle in Vegas he flees to Idaho. There he spends his time either lost in a bottle or cooking at Denny's in a monotonous routine. Eventually Andrew realizes something has to give and he decides that perhaps a hobby to take him out of himself would be a good idea. Remembering a story LaRae had told him about Jesus being a gardener, he decides to sink his hands into mother earth and perhaps grow something. The winter is long and cold, but come spring he sees evidence of the new life he helped to bring forth and he is now bitten by the proverbial bug all thanks to Harry and his nursery. Racing back to tell Harry the good news he is drawn to a young woman working at the nursery, Iris Winkle. With her pentagram necklace and her freckled though shockingly scarred face, Andrew sees someone worth living for. His courtship of Iris soon starts, undeterred by her visible scars and her young daughter, Lily. But soon Andrew hears the rumors about Iris and her witchy ways. While most say that Iris is evil and her ex Devon even more so, Andrew just can't see Iris as anything but a good witch. Soon things start to get weird though and Andrew can't help but listen to the townsfolk and think maybe they were right. Could a woman with a pet crow named Elijah Corbu and an ex capable of bringing horrifying sounds on the wind really be the answer Andrew has been looking for since LaRae's death? Embracing Iris and her life they decide to flee Devon and his influences and desires, one of which is Iris's daughter Lily. Moving to Colorado they think that they have moved beyond Devon's grasp. But Devon's might is stronger than they ever thought and this time he isn't playing games. Death follows and Andrew has to make many choices, hoping that he chooses the right ones.

Jerome Peterson's characters are on a journey of discovery. They are constantly trying to evolve into better people. But he has a knack of showing how hard these choices are. You can't choose who you fall in love with, but you can question it. To have lost a love it is even harder to embrace new love when it comes. Andrew never stops loving LaRae because of Iris and Lily, he is constantly struggling with it. He is haunted by all that LaRae was. But with the added element of witchcraft, we not only have a haunting of the heart, we have a physical and psychological haunting as well. The way that Jerome writes his environments and characters they have a way of leaping off the page, wherein  you end up fully inhabiting their world. You believe in the magic and mystery of this world, whether or not you believe in magic in your day to day life. The struggle of the trio daily fighting with the unknown forces propels you through the book, making you detest the idea of placing it aside till you know the outcome. With the nebulous forces against them and Devon's designs on Lily, as well as the aspects of The Black Mass, I was strongly reminded of Rosemary's Baby and other fare of the sixties and seventies. This book has that iconic feel of good versus evil played out on a small scale with the same suspense that keeps you rushing to the end. Fans of the ongoing search and struggle of man as well as those who need a little mystery should pick this book up today, though it will be harder to put it down.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andrew Sharpai, Black Mass, Devon, Elijah Corbu, Iris Winkle, Jerome Peterson, LaRae, Lily, Rosemary's Baby, The Haunting of Andrew Sharpai, Witchcraft

Ok, so, I think I've done pretty well for myself. How have you done? This past week I've been participating in Kristen's Huge TBR Readathon over at Bookworming in the 21st Century, and I'm quite pleased with my results. Plus it was a lot of fun, I totally hope Kristen does it again in July, it's a wonderful excuse to just live in the land of the written word.

So what have I read you ask?
The Haunting of Andrew Sharpaiby Jerome Peterson (review to come, but thanks Jerome for the awesome book!)
First Escape, The Dopple Ganger Chroniclesby G.P. Taylor (so much better than Shadowmancer, man I hated that book!)
Death at Wentwater Courtby Carola Dunn (fun times between the wars at an English estate, so picking up the next one.)
Angel After the Fall Volume OneAngel After the Fall Volume Two: First NightAngel After the Fall Volume ThreeAngel After the Fall Volume FourSpike After the FallAngel Volume Five: AftermathAngel Volume Six: Last Angel in HellAngel: Smile Time
11 Books! Woot! Woot! Yes, some were comics, but I've been dreaming of emersing myself back into Joss' universe for awhile and season six of Angel doesn't disappoint nearly as much as season eight of Buffy does. I miss my Angel.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:01 AM 4 comments  

Labels: Angel After the Fall, BookWorming in the 21st Century, Carola Dunn, Death at Wentwater Court, G.P. Taylor, Jerome Peterson, Joss Whedon, The Haunting of Andrew Sharpai, The Huge TBR Readathon

Well, it's a week to give thanks and presents! So who was the winner of the lovely signed edition of Thumb Flagging? Drum-roll please! They'd love to go to 7-11 on the concrete diva.... so let's hear it for.... Callie!

Thank you all for entering, and even if you didn't win, I hope you pick up this great read for the holidays, or any time really! Have a wonderful week and a Merry Christmas!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:12 AM 1 comments  

Labels: 7-11, Callie, Hitchhiking, Jerome Peterson, Thumb Flagging

I'd like to thank Jerome Peterson for stopping by this week, as well as kindly donating a book for one lucky reader... don't forget to enter to win it, because it could very well be you! Also be sure to visit Jerome over on his blog or on goodreads as he sets up a greater web presence in light of his burgeoning writing career. Well, I'm sure you're at the point where you've had enough of me and are ready for Jerome and his answers to some very interesting questions indeed. So without further ado...

Question: How autobiographical is Thumb Flagging?

Answer: Maybe ten percent; maybe.


Question: For the cliched question, what made you decide to become a writer?

Answer: As a kid I was fascinated with the written word. As I grew older I realized those words came out of someone's brain. I tried my hand at it by writing poems and song lyrics and I like it. As far as writing novels, that happened after a binge of reading books that impressed me with inspiration. I said to myself, "I can do that".

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:07 AM 1 comments  

Labels: 70s, Bob Dylan, Chloe, Hitchhiking, Jerome Peterson, Oliver Twist, Petrie Sykes, Sikes, The Man, Thumb Flagging, Wanderlust, Willy Jacobs

Thumb Flagging by Jerome Peterson
Published by: Eloquent Books
Book Provided by the Author
Publication Date: March 31st, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 410 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Jay Patterson has issues. The only boy and the youngest of a brood of five sisters he suffers from spoiled brat syndrome. This shadow occasionally rears it's selfish head now and again but he wants to control it. Willy is Jaybirdy's friend and he thinks he has the cure... hitchhiking. A way of life where you are at the mercy of those who pick you up and all you can do is have the proper presentation while hitching on the side of the road to achieve the more desirable rides, because one bad ride is all it takes. Willy convinces his crackerjack friend that the time is right for him to learn the ways of the concrete diva. "Afoot and lighthearted, I take to the open road" to live the American Mythology of freedom. The next day, slightly hungover, they take to the Arizona highway and byways to visit Jay's sister in Durango, Colorado. While waiting to be chosen by one of the multitude of cars that pass them, Willy imparts his knowledge and experience to Jay. How it's all about the attitude, posture and letting go, as Willy likes to cry out: "Me is free of identity!" Jay also observes that the way Willy sticks his thumb out with a little jaunty move it looks like a flag blowing in the breeze... and Thumb Flagging is born.

On their way to Durango they encounter many an interesting fellow. From a cowboy who holds more sadness in his heart then Jay can bear, to a preacher's wife who wants to know if Jay believes in love at first sight, to the scariest knife wielding crazy you could imagine, Petrie Sykes, to monument obsessed Native Americans, they meet every facet of humanity on the concrete diva. But between the good rides and the bad they arrive at Jay's sister's house unannounced. While she isn't pleased they have a fun night out and Willy and Jay hook up with some girls and they head back to Arizona in the morning flush with victory. On their return they plan to head back to work but they've been suspended because they didn't show up due to thumb flagging. Their solution is to take to the open road once more to while away their three day suspension.

Jay gets the crazy idea from seeing Bob Dylan's house in the newspaper that they should head to Malibu and see if they could meet his idol. There would be no greater homage to the man then thumb flagging to meet him. This leg of the journey is predominately peopled with a pro golfer, Trent Love, a psychic, Celeste, and a mentally handicapped man, Raymond, who has issues with some seagulls. The ominous Sykes also makes an appearance with a mysterious woman now by his side. Celeste rattles their cages and makes them come to some harsh conclusions about themselves. Jay decides that he must keep his spoiled brat child of a shadow under control or he will take those he cares for down with him. While Willy becomes reckless and decides they should be true hobos and illegally ride the rails before he confesses he has a son and a girl back in Maine and he thinks the time has come to return to them. Before he leaves Arizona they learn of Trent Love's horrible murder and they know it's Sykes. Willy's parting advice is to not tell the cops because Sykes would know it's them. Jay breaks this promise.

Summer comes and Jay has decided it's time to thumb flag his way to Maine to visit Willy and his son Hudson. With his trusty huskote, Nanook, he takes to the road. From preachers to servicemen he makes it across the Mississippi no longer being the pupil but the preacher himself. Jay has more confidence and Willy's knowledge to impart. Once in his home state of Illinois he finds himself perfectly paired with another thumb flagger, Chloe, who joins him on his journey. Chloe has a much more energetic and dance happy attitude to flagging with her trusty tape recorder blaring out Christmas Carols in July, which masks her emotional baggage. But there's a shadow, not his own demons, but Sykes and Mona are following them, knowing it was Jay who ratted them out to the police. Are they safe? Is Willy and his family safe? Is Chloe the answer to all Jay's questions? Can Jay just live with how things turn out and embrace the acceptance and detachment that Willy taught while they traveled this great land?

Broken into three sections this book slowly builds, creating a portrait of America and the humanity that dwells within. The first section is dominated by Willy as he imparts his wisdom to Jay and teaches him the ways of the concrete diva. The second section is more a journey of equals, where Willy is more a trusty companion then the driving force of their first journey. The third section is strictly Jay's journey and his acceptance of the life he finds. While I enjoyed the first two sections with Willy, who is a very humorous belief spouting traveler, it wasn't until Jay's journey that I became invested in the characters. Willy's humor and rhetoric act as a shield, so while you appreciate him, you don't really empathize or relate, unlike Jay. Jaybirdy is vulnerable and more relatable. Plus, I'll put this right out there, I'm a sucker for Nanook, who's such a sweet, smart dog. Also, as I've always said, look to how people treat their animals, and the bond that exists between Nanook and Jay shows the quality of person he is.

The two aspects of the book that thoroughly engrossed me in the third part was the Sykes mystery and Chloe. The first two sections were just as much about the journey as the destination, in fact the destination did not really matter in the end. Whereas in this final section, while the journey is just as important as the previous sections, the destination is even more so because of the Sykes/Mona factor and the Chloe factor. Can Jay stop this devious couple and protect his friend he is going to see while also winning the hand of the fair maiden before journey's end? It made me veritably fly through the final 200 pages.

As a final rumination I will say that I have many similarities to Jay's issues he has which he uses the highway as therapy for. I would never think of taking the action he did but I can see the benefit of taking him out of his comfort zone and how this forces him to grow up. This is a true American coming of age story where Jay's inhibitions are overcome up the siren call of the road. I have never felt an urge to just head to the nearest embankment and stick out my hand, but I have friends who have and who valued this experience as part of their lives. For those who would never or those who have this book is a great read. It has a little bit of everything and just might make you want to take out your map and see where the road might lead as passenger or driver.

Remember you can enter to win a signed copy of this book until December 20th!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 3:58 AM 1 comments  

Labels: America, Arizona, Bob Dylan, Book Review, Hitchhiking, Hudson, Jay Patterson, Jaybirdy, Jerome Peterson, Maine, Mona, Nanook, Raymond, Thumb Flagging, Trent Love, Willy Jacobs. Petrie Sykes

This week I'm profiling the author Jerome Peterson. Jerome has a great book out, Thumb Flagging, that maybe you might find yourselves tempted to buy for others this holidays season... I'd recommend it. Jerome will be stopping by this week to answer a few questions. I will also be posting my review and of course, what would an author profile week be without a giveaway!?! That's right, Jerome has kindly sent me a signed copy for one lucky reader of my blog. So stop in throughout the week, learn a little but about Thumb Flagging and perhaps get yourself your next great read!

Here's the books official patter to whet your appetites:
"The lure of the open road and the undeniable wanderlust of the heart have overtaken the life of young, kindhearted Jay Patterson. When he meets confident, free-spirited Willy Jacobs, Jay hesitantly becomes a bohemian of the highway in this tale set in the late seventies. Their unforgettable cross-country journeys by hitchhiking and riding the rails lead them to extraordinary situations beyond their imaginations.

Willy is a friendly street-smart drifter who applies his zany roadside therapies to help Jay overcome his crisis of confidence. As the unlikely pair travel, Willy philosophizes and uses his strong personality and energy persuading Jay into becoming a hitchhiking junkie. The vagabonds meet with unexpected encounters and come face-to-face with themselves and the harsh realities of the open highway.

They stumble upon many others who are traveling and tending to their own physical, psychological and emotional wounds. Paranoia strikes at the heart of their journey as they cross the path a number of times with a mysterious psychopathic couple.

While traveling alone from Arizona to Maine, Jay meets a female drifter. The decisions they make could result in a magical relationship or a tragic goodbye. Jerome Peterson lives in Sonora, California, and works for a park and recreation district. He has hitchhiked across country, which included riding the rails. His next book is Jesus Is a Gardener, and he is preparing a poetry manuscript and a book of short stories."

Now onto the giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

The Prize:
Thumb Flagging, Signed by the Author Himself!!!

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE, just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter.
2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s).
3. Contest ends December 20th 11:59PM CST
4. How to enter:

Answer me this: If you could hitchhike anywhere, where would you go?

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question above
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +5 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @MzLizard), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:17 AM 12 comments  

Labels: Arizona, Hitchhiking, Jay Patterson, Jerome Peterson, Jesus Is a Gardener, Maine, Thumb Flagging, Willy Jacobs

I'd like to thank you all for stopping by and participating in the Random Magic Blog Tour. But a special thanks goes out to my fellow bloggers who worked hard to keep this tour going and to Sasha Soren for bringing us all together! But enough of my jibber-jabber... onto something else random, the number generated and the winner of the lovely signed edition of Sasha Soren's Random Magic is... ninefly!

Congratulations. I hope you enjoy the book and please keep coming by the blog, it's lovely to see you all, really it is. Also December has some wonderful surprises in store, a giveaway of Lauren Willig's ARC of The Betrayal of the Blood Lily is underway, the author Jerome Peterson is stopping by and giving away a copy of his book Thumb Flagging, as well as an interview with Jasper Fforde (confirmed just hours ago). It's going to be a busy month ahead, with all the excitement and the holidays. But don't forget to take a few minutes for yourself and stop by my blog for a few laughs and perhaps a few prizes!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 5 comments  

Labels: Blog Tour, Christmas, December, Jasper Fforde, Jerome Peterson, Lauren Willig, Random Magic, Sasha Soren, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, Thumb Flagging