Cinnamon Biscuit Bake

I recently tried a quick and simple recipe I found in Pinterest: Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring. It was tasty and my kids loved it. However, I couldn't help but think it would be even better with homemade biscuits.

So, this evening I decided to try my on the recipe. Of course, what I didn't think about before was that I started with a baking powder biscuit recipe, the Breakfast Ring calls for buttermilk biscuits. A minor difference perhaps, but it likely explains the considerable difference in taste and texture. Maybe next time I will try it with a buttermilk recipe. But as we all know, sometimes the mistakes are the best inventions.

This was no exception. My cinnamon biscuits were a HUGE success!  The result was light fluffy cinnamon goodness that didn't last long enough for a complete picture.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbs sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbs cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup


Preheat oven 425

Combine first six ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Blend on low, only until a soft dough forms. Form small balls of dough, rolling in a light dusting of brown sugar.

lace balls in a buttered bread pan. Sprinkle balls with the cinnamon sugar mixture, then cover the top with the remaining brown sugar. Drizzle syrup over the top.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes.

An hour later it's pretty much all gone...

This would be a simple recipe for breakfast, for company, and for holidays. Hot from the oven it would be fabulous à la mode!

Murder Mystery Birthday Party: Developing the Theme

I began with searching the internet, and really it was mostly Pinterest, for murder mystery birthday ideas. There are quite a few ideas bouncing around out there, but I consistently ran into one of two problems: everything was too young (for my about to be fifteen year old) or everything was too old, mature, and racy (for my about to be fifteen year old.)

I backed off my searches, and focused on the "mystery" part. This helped some, but there was still a lot to be desired in most of the posts I found. But alas, this was about gathering ideas, and that is what I did. Once I finally had some ideas, I had work to do.

My son played an integral role in putting everything together and he helped with everything from clues to set up to playing a role in the party. The first thing was planning, so we started with a list:

Need--
1. A mystery to solve.
2. A way to reveal clues.
3. A victim
4. A perpetrator.

Want--
5. to serve food.
6. give fun and theme related gifts
7. make sure the girls had fun! (This meant games or activities...)
8. Make it Memorable

That's a lot to ask in one week.

We needed details and fast. We were still thinking murder mystery dinner party, so we wanted to give each girl an identity. Following the format of the Parker's Brothers game Clue we decided on colorful names, and why not combine those colors with famous detectives? Our hope was to match girls with favorite colors, but that was too difficult. It would have been fun to have the girls dress the part, learn about there character and in some way use those traits to solve the mystery, but again the time crunch did not allow for this.

My son and I came up with the following cast:

 And my right hand little-man:

I played the part of Cinnamon, from Mission Impossible...My son thought that was terribly nerdy, and his reasoning was that I was "way too pretty" to be Cinnamon. Whatever! But I gotta love the guy for trying.

Now just for the decorations, food, clues, invitations, and party games...No Problem!




 

Murder Mystery Birthday Party: How it Came About

When the kids were little I picked their birthday themes, but now it is up to them to give me an idea of what they want. This normally works well. I limit them to a theme or an idea and then I run with it.

This year, girl hemmed and hawed for the longest. She thought about talking animals--maybe a little Geronimo Stilton--or fantastical fairy land. But she didn't seem too sure. Then she hit on it, a week before her birthday: A Murder Mystery!

I thought. Easy. We have several of those dinner party events stashed away in the closet, hoping to be used one day. I will just switch it up with my amazing powers and it will work. Who needs three boys and three girls to put on a party?

Well, evidently all the murder mystery party boxes do. They also need a lot of extra-marital affairs, and lies to cook up a good murder. So, that wasn't for us.

Time for a new plan. Well, part of the reason she decided on this theme is that she and I have been watching Murder She Wrote and Agatha Christie together (and occasionally Columbo). I know what you're thinking--what a great way to bond! But really, it has been great to see her powers of observation improve. She now enjoys the puzzle and the game of working it out before the detective.

Now I had a theme I could really make happen.

EASY Breakfast Bake

Years ago my friends and I stayed in a fabulous bed and breakfast, The Iris Inn, in Ashland, Oregon. Our breakfast treat was a decadent shirred egg with cream and spinach. I loved it!

I tried to recreate it a number of times, and I often came close, and more often under cooked or over cooked the egg. Recently I saw something similar on Pinterest and set to work creating my own variation. What I loved about the idea on Pinterest was that it used a muffin tin and did not require an aluminum foil covering.

I have made this several times since, and have found that a variety of cheeses work. When we ran out of spinach I used finely chopped zucchini in it's place.

Recipe:
1 pkg Thin sliced black forest ham
4-6 eggs
Fresh spinach

The completed serving looks like a rose.

Fresh Parmesan
Favorite cheese (Havarti, Coastal or other)
Heavy cream/Whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 Chives

For each individual cup layer ingredients as follows:

2-3 slices meat, creating a "bowl" for the other ingredients
3 spinach leaves, nest these in the bottom of the bowl
Sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/3 of a slice of Havarti nestled between the ham and egg
1 1/2 tsp heavy cream/whipping cream drizzled on top
Pepper to taste
Sprinkle of chives

Bake in 350° oven for 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven and your egg preference. Time and heat is based on a dark muffin pan in a gas oven, and an over easy/medium egg. Serves 4.

Microwave variation: Use a ramekin instead of a muffin pan. Heat for 1 1/2- 2 minutes. Again, time may vary and you may want your egg to cook more fully.

What other veggies might you add to make this a healthful breakfast bake?

The Summer of Ramen

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is not my friend. In fact, I have cursed this additive on more than one occasion. For the fact is, I discovered--wow, nearly ten years ago--that this amazingly common preservative and flavoring is a headache trigger for me. About a year ago I learned that it did unhappy things to my son as well.

Because my son and I have this "sensitivity" we as a family avoid MSG like the plague. At home this isn't a problem, potlucks can be rough. However, there were two things that we missed. For me, it was mushroom soup--that stuff was a staple in so many recipes!--but I created my own recipe quite easily. For my son, he had to give up Ramen noodles.

Ramen is a quick easy meal, and it was his "go to" lunch for school. He would crunch noodles into a thermos, add the seasoning packet, and some water. By lunch he had a perfect meal--in his definition if not mine. But in all those nifty little packages of cheap Ramen, we found MSG.

So no more Ramen for us.

Until we visited World Market. They have a wonderful product by Nongshim USA: Shin Ramyun: Gourmet Spicy. We tried it, we loved the flavor, but hot diggity it was HOT! And it is quite spendy in comparison to the other stuff. Please note: there is No MSG added, this is a bit tricky, because there is naturally occurring MSG in many products, however, for us small quantities of this type of MSG creates little to no effect.

We loved the Ramen, but had to dilute it to use it. After some experimenting we have found a way to enjoy Ramen again, and we all enjoy it, because this isn't your average poor-college-kid-one-pot-dinner. In case you would like to try it here's what we've done:

Find and buy the Shin Ramyun: Gourmet Spicy. We can buy it in a six pack bundle--this gives us six lunches/dinner. Buy an inexpensive package of ramen and throw out the prepackaged spices, or find ramen noodles in the Asian department of your favorite store.

The following makes about 6-8 servings or approximately 10 cups of noodle soup. *I have listed the veggies we use, but I am sure you can substitute many others--especially fresh from the garden produce you may have.

1 pkg Shin Ramyun: Gourmet Spicy, spice and veggie packet
1 pkg Ramen--no spice packet
1 can chicken broth
1 can chicken
1 cup finely chopped carrots*
1 cup finely chopped celery*
1 cup finely chopped onion*
1-2 chopped green onions*
1 cup finely chopped mushrooms*
1 tbs Better than Boullion Vegetable base

Add the chicken broth to a sauce pan. Rinse the can, adding two full cans of water to the pan. Add the chicken, including any broth to the pan. Drop in Gourmet spicy packet, and veggie packet contents. Add veggies. Bring to a boil. Add noodles and stir. Noodles are usually done within 1-2 minutes. Serve.

PLEASE NOTE: This is still a spicy version!

I learned two things from our search for MSG free Ramen: 1. Chicken broth and or the vegetable base  are great alternatives to the included spice packets. 2. The addition of chicken and veggies makes ramen a wonderful and easy meal.

We have made up for lost time with a summer of ramen....

What is your favorite way to eat ramen?

Presumptuous: Fourth Fisherman

From November 2005 to November 2006, my family was distracted by an overseas deployment and a self-imposed moratorium on news. We were perhaps one of the few families in the US who had never heard of "Los Tres Pescadores" (The Three Fishermen) until we read this book. I had never heard of these men who had been lost at sea. I had never heard of people surviving for 9 months on raw sea animals and rainwater, much less drifting 5000 miles across the Pacific. The men were tempted by despair, and two of the original five men succumbed to despair and died. However, the remaining three were sustained by faith in God and His Providence for them during their ordeal. Their story is inspirational, and I am glad that they survived to tell it and that Joe Kissack wrote about it.

In his telling of the fishermen's story, Kissack draws parallels with these men's story and his own spiritual journey as he faced a complete paradigm shift in his life. In the end, the three fishermen came home to their families, and Kissack found his way back to God through a sea of worldly temptations. Kissack's story is inspirational in itself. 

However, I was disappointed that Kissack took his own rather protected struggle of faith and made close parallels with these men whose very physical being depended directly on God's grace and their faith in Him. He even goes so far as to figuratively put himself in the boat with the fishermen as the titular "Fourth Fisherman."

Truthfully, as I read the book, I was expecting God Himself to be occupying this position as the unseen yet present Captain and Navigator...the "Fourth Fisherman." By supplanting this position and inserting himself (albeit figuratively) into these men's ordeal, he sullies what was otherwise a decent book.

This book is two inspirational stories in one. If you can look past the artificial importance Kissack gives himself, you will be edified by both spiritual journeys. 

Note: Please be aware that due to the nature of the fishermen's ordeal, many parts of the book are not for the young and the squeamish. I strongly recommend that it be read by High School students and older. 

This book was provided by Waterbrook/Multnomah for in exchange for review.

Review - "Beloved Enemy" by Al Lacy

I have to say, I wanted to like this book. I REALLY wanted to like this book.

I like the Al Lacy books I've read in the past. In addition, I am a fan of historical fiction, I am intrigued by the events involved with the costliest war in American history and I like a good "cloak and dagger" spy story.

However, this is not what I found in Beloved Enemy, written by acclaimed writer Al Lacy, cover art by the accomplished artist Phil Boatwright, a fellow Texan from Dallas. 

The first thing that struck me was the cover art. I hate to speak ill of a fellow Texan, especially one from my neck of the woods, but the cover art appears far below the abilities of an artist such as Mr. Boatwright. I have seen examples of Mr. Boatwright's work, and he has the skill and ability to make a painted portrait come alive and look real. In contrast, the cover to this book seems as though it was hastily done, as if it were concept art rather than a polished final product. Additionally (and this is mostly my desire for detail, continuity and accuracy in fiction here), the portrait of Jenny Jordan on the cover does not match the description of her in the story.

Then we get into the story. I did not do exhaustive research as I'm sure Mr. Lacy did, so I must trust his facts, dates and historical accuracy. It is also reasonable to assume that there were Confederate spies in the government of the time, perhaps even as far up as President Lincoln's war cabinet.

However, despite the framework for a good story, the characters appear forced into the historical framework. The story reads as though Mr. Lacy were pressed for time and was fighting a deadline.

Have you ever pulled an all-nighter on a report, turned it in and then re-read it later only to realize that it was not your best work? That is the impression that this book gave me.

I enjoy Mr. Lacy's stories, but this one will not make my list of favorites.

- Displaced Texan

Protecting Our Children

God gave us children for a reason. With this gift comes tremendous responsibility and unending watchfulness. No one wants to find that their child is being harmed in any way, but how do you move forward once you do?

The Bible instructs believers in the proper submission to authority. This type of submission speaks first and foremost of respectful and honoring behavior toward those in authority, even those who are evil. Romans 13:1 states that "there is no authority except by God's appointment." (NET) The next verse cautions that to resist such authority is tantamount to "resisting the ordinance of God." (NET Rom 13:2)

This in no way means that you do nothing. Scripture does contend that a believer may act contrary to authority if the authority is commanding evil. And if the authority is allowing the perpetration of evil?

Children are a gift entrusted to us by God.

What would you do if you found out your child was being bullied by a trusted adult?

What if someone in authority instructed you to do nothing?

Book Review: God Gave Us Love

God Gave Us Love by Lisa Tawn Bergren

This is a sweet little story about God's love.  My kids, although older than the recommended 0-3, still enjoy Little Bear. This particular story shares, in easy to understand terms, the different ways we love. Most importantly, the Truth of God's gift of love is at the center.

I like the fact that the story ends with a prayer that little ones could emulate.

However, the text on each page seems overwhelming for the recommended age group. The story is disjointed with more emphasis on the theology of God's love than following a storyline.

The pictures are fun and add to the story. But I wonder how often a toddler would choose this book.

The only issue we had with the story was that you don't know Little Bear is a girl until the end. My son was a tad upset by this.

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the 2012 Christy award winning author of Waterfall. She is the author of more than thirty books, including children's literature, YA, historical and Contemporary Women's fiction. She is married, with three children and makes her home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.




This book was provided by Multnomah publishing for review.

Review: Cleaning House

This month's book review is of the Non-Fiction title by Kay Wills Wyma:
Cleaning House: A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement


I picked this book because I know Youth Entitlement is a HUGE issue in today's society. I also wanted to find out if I was doing enough to prevent my own kids from acting entitled.

The book is written from the first person perspective, in which Mrs. Wyma walks us through a year in her home after she realizes her children take her and the household procedures for granted. The reader feels like she is listening to a friend share her challenges and successes in figuring out how to train up her children. The narrative flows with charming anecdotes and humor that keeps the reader interested.

The structure of the book is easy to follow, with a new challenge for the home each month. I found the chapters on Beds and Clutter, The Entertainers, Team Players and Roll Tide the most useful.  However, I would caution any reader that the methods found effective by the author/Mom may not work in your household. Also, remember that reading the book my only take a few hours, the trials set forth within lasted a whole year...and that is really only the beginning.

As a teacher, I see Youth Entitlement first-hand every day. I know seniors who have never made their own lunch. I know of parents who call the teacher, or more likely the administration, every time their child fails a test (this is also known as the teacher's fault, and not the fault of the child who spent their study time facebooking). For other students it is electronic overkill, it is not unusual to have students with web enabled phones, tables, and laptops on their person at any one time.


Recommendation: if you know a child that has never made their own lunch, washed their own laundry, made their bed, nor washed a toilet...this book is for you! For the rest of us, and we may be few and far between, there may be a few helpful hints to keep your kids moving (new incentives? a varied method) but all in all, this is a book about getting started, not moving to the next level.



This book was provided by Water Brook publishing, free of charge, in exchange for my honest review.

School Bully: Your Child's Teacher?

Students are all too familiar with the school yard bully: the stories of the big guy stealing lunch money, or the catty group of girls that work to destroy another girl's self-esteem. But bullies come in all shapes and sizes. What if one of those bullies happens to be your child's teacher?

According to an article on WebMD, psychiatrist Stuart Twemlow, MD completed an anonymous survey of teachers in which 45% admitted to having bullied a student.* If that statistic is applied across the board, it means that nearly one half of all students are being bullied by a teacher! Perhaps it is more common than people think.

Prevention may not be possible, but identifying the problem could be the first step to a solution.

Listen to what he says, and listen to what he doesn't say.

What he says:

• A bullied student may make excuses to stay home from school or leave school.
•  A child may complain that his teacher has called the class names; names such as "geeks" and "nerds." 
• The comments may became more personal. Things like: "Maybe the doctor can fix what's wrong with your head." or "Maybe he'll (the doctor) take a look at your face." or "You should be able to take that like a man."
•  Repeated phrases may begin to show up that imply more than they say: things like "toughen up" and "man up." The words may be "toughen up" but what the child may hear is that he is not strong enough, and the young man who is told to "man up" hears that he is being a wimp.

What isn't said:

• Tears. Tiredness. Depression. Anger. Drop in grades. 
• Subtle, yet dangerous control over a student. This may be exhibited in proximity--a tool often used by a teacher--but if done incorrectly becomes threatening. In some schools, where it is still allowed, a "hug" that is designed to control the student more than reassure or encourage, may be a form of bullying. Especially if the "hug" is painful! No adult should ever leave finger imprints on your child!

Listening involves more than just hearing words.

Pay Attention. How does the teacher interact with your child--at conferences, in the classroom, after school? Get involved in your child's school. How does the teacher interact with you? Does his words and actions match.


Ask Questions! Make sure your child knows you are willing to listen. Do not dismiss concerns out of hand. Look for patterns, and ask more questions.


Have you heard of a teacher who bullies? Or a student who has been bullied by a teacher?






*Read the entire WebMD article here: "The problem of teachers bullying students is more common than you think. Learn how to prevent your child from becoming a victim." by Katherine Kam

Review: Sir Quinlan

The fifth book in the Knights of Arrethtrae Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor continues the adventure for fans of the series.The story explores the meaning of living out your faith through an allegorical story of knights serving the Prince, son of the one true King.

In this installment, Sir Quinlan wrestles with what it means to be a knight and serve the Prince as he has been called to do. He finds there are many distractions from what he is supposed to be doing.

One of my son's favorite creatures was the paytha; an excellent representation of potentially harmless pursuits or interests that become too big. If you feed them a little, they stay little. Also, the cost of a paytha seemed high, as you can not buy a paytha, but you trade a piece of your "armor." In essence giving away a part of your preparedness for battle with the enemy.

My son truly enjoys these stories. He said he liked "this book because it shows that God sees good in everybody and can use them for all things."

Themes: Christianity, valor, courage, humor

Plot: Sir Quinlan finds purpose fighting in a unit known as the Swords of Valor, but tragedy follows and Quinlan is blamed. Lost and uncertain, he begins to wander the kingdom, avoiding his past. During these dark times Quinlan meets Taras, a Silent Warrior who may be able to teach him about redemption and  the ways of the secret warriors.

When it is time, the Prince challenges Quinlan to meet his true purpose. Will he be able to reunite the Swords of Valor? Will he allow the Prince to use him as He sees fit?

Style: A character driven novel, with enough adventure thrown in to keep readers reading. Narrative interspersed with dialogue; although some sections seem slow or wordy rather than enticing adventure.

Setting: Indeterminate time of knights and kingdoms ruled by Kings. Unusual creatures and uncommon places will entice younger readers.


Age Recommendation: 12 and Up seems appropriate. Some themes (young romance and violence) are addressed in a way that may not be appropriate for the youngest readers. Examples: The young boys Tav and Twitch go on what amounts to a date/blind date. Violence: the Dark Knight deals harshly with his subjects as described in one instance when the Knight cuts one of his servants under the eye and down the face.

This review is made possible through a
Free review copy acquired from Multnomah Publishing. 

Insert Post Here

Read: Another Man's Moccasins.

Maybe it's the time of year.

Maybe it's the lack of appreciation.

Or maybe it's just because they keep adding more stuff, and more stuff...and one day the camel may just break.

The Classics

Perhaps, high school English teacher is not the job for me. During a lecture today on Charles Dickens--introducing A Tale of Two Cities--I commented that I did not like Great Expectations. One of my students remarked, "For an English teacher, you don't seem to like many of the classics."

This is no surprise to me, but maybe my students shouldn't verbalize this fact.

In my defense there are classics I do enjoy. I love A Tale of Two Cities. I've learned to recognize the value of The Scarlet Letter, Beowulf and the Canterbury Tales. Shakespeare is a blast to teach. But for every fine point in these stories there are many literary avenues to critique. As a teacher, I think the critique is a major part of the fun.

Therefore, when I express my opinion of a book--oh, wait? I'm not supposed to unduly influence my students regarding my personal opinions. There's the problem! I shouldn't have an opinion in the first place. A classic is a classic. On the other hand, I believe it is healthy that my students know and understand that they are not crazy if they do not enjoy a particular "classic."

The key is learning to identify quality literature. Figuring out what is worth reading and why.

Few books, if any, demonstrate all the elements of a great book. If one author truly and completely met all the standards in one book it would be perfection. Ah, but that honor has already been taken, and no one on this Earth can compare.

Worth Reading: Encyclopedia Brown

My son was given a gift card to Barnes and Noble for Christmas. Without delay we went online and began the search. Like many other websites, Barnes and Noble has a multitude of search options. Of course there are the obvious title, author, keyword, ISBN searches, but then there is a nifty selection by age, reading level, area of interest, and price.

But after trying all of the above, we found nothing appropriate for a voracious ten-year old reader.

We tried again a couple of days later. This time, I noticed a title that I recognized, but had never read: Encyclopedia Brown. My husband had read the books as a child and remembered them as some of his favorites. We ordered two: Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective and Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch.

The evening they arrived, we (husband, boy and I) read both books!

A few things to note about Encyclopedia Brown. The story is not a straight-forward beginning, middle and end fictional tale. Each book is divided into a series of short stories, always with a continuing thread, but not always directly connected to the story before. At the end of each story is a question basically asking: How did Encyclopedia know? You check your answer at the back of the book.

A few things remain the same in each story: Encyclopedia Brown is the ten-year old son of Chief Brown, Idaville's local police detective. One of his best friend's is Sally, a tough young lady with an eye for clues. Bugs Meany, as his name suggests, is not the nicest of boys.

Best of all, the stories contain a mystery. A mystery in which you the reader have been provided with all the clues to solve. The key is learning to read closely, use deductive reasoning and apply prior knowledge to situations to solve the crime. Most of the stories may be read in two to five minutes.

Donald J. Sobol is the author of more than twenty-five Encyclopedia Brown books. His concise, witty, writing style captivates the reader from the first page. Variety in the stories and solutions keep you reading.

Discover Central Christian

Before I started working at Central Christian School, I had no idea there was a Christian school in Redmond. I couldn't even find the building when I attempted to deliver my application! When I did find the school, I hesitated to even go in. After all, what kind of school would be in a building like that.

Typically, first impressions are not far from the truth. Central Christian needs a new building. The current facility limits the number of students and staff, the classrooms are not state of the art spacious venues for learning, and the lack of a gym and locker room is sorely felt throughout the year.

However, for Central Christian, the building does not tell the whole truth. What an individual can not see from a precursory drive through our parking lot or a quick stroll through the building is the heart of the school. The heart is found in the victories, challenges and spirit of everyone involved in our school.

If you've never visited Central Christian School, consider participating in a Discovery Tour. Each program is an hour long: provides an in-depth tour of the school, information about the history and future of the school, and allows students and staff to share inspirational stories.

This is not your typical sight-seeing tour. This is an opportunity for you to discover what Central Christian School offers.

I for one am quite pleased that God gave me that extra little push and I ventured through the doors that first time. It's not the building that makes the school: it is the people; it is the heart; it is the Lord.

Good Books

Each year, I guide students through a selection of approximately 16 titles. These books are considered classics and the majority are on a list of "must reads" for high school students. Although I have found that the must read lists vary greatly. Students do not really understand how a classic to one person, may not even make the list of someone else.

It is a matter of opinion.

But the best critical readers base that opinion on certain factors. Not arbitrary or contrived factors, but measurable, or at least provable, characteristics. Good stories will include elements of character, setting, plot, dialogue, and theme worthy of notice. Great stories will stretch and twine those elements into a pattern worthy of discussion.

Good stories are meant to be read.

Great stories are meant to be pondered.

Good stories are read.

Great stories are read, reread and shared.

But how do you find a great story? Do they still exist?

Greetings and Salutations

Let's give this another try. A new look and a new purpose. Watch for new information coming soon!

A Time For Change

The time has come for a re-evaluation of the blogosphere, or at least my part in it. I began this blog three years ago, while my husband was serving overseas and I devoted a part of everyday to writing. My child was in kindergarten and gone half a day, but that's another story.

My love of words and writing has not diminished. But for the time being my focus, by necessity, is teaching young people to read critically and write better than the average teen. For the foreseeable future, and considering the posts of the last few months--or year as the case may be--it is time to say adieu.

My hope is that this will be a short hiatus and I will return with better and bigger ideas in the not too distant future.

Review: Forget Me Not

Ever wonder what it would be like to forget your whole life? It doesn't seem possible. But what happens if you forget AND someone is trying to kill you? To make matters worse, the person you appear to be, is already dead.

Vicki Hinze's new novel Forget Me Not begins en media res for not one woman, but two. Or does it? The opening chapters drops us in the middle of the story, observing the brutal murder of Susan Brandt. Then three years later, the horrifying kidnapping of...Susan Brandt? How can this be? The two women look uncannily alike. Everyone "Susan" meets is shocked and confused by the similarities. Not to mention put completely out of sorts when "Susan" turns out to be wearing the dead woman's necklace.

This is not your typical suspense novel. The reader is kept guessing and events pile up quickly--adding to the confusion. It is a page turner. It is a quick and entertaining read.

This is not a character driven novel. Events, dangerous events at that, keep the novel moving. And a spirit of knowing God is with us, no matter what.

If you are interested in an evening of suspense, this novel delivers.

Vicki Hinze is an award-winning author of twenty-three novels, three nonfiction books, and hundreds of articles. Selected for Who’s Who in America in 2004 as a writer and educator, Hinze is active in Romance Writers of America and serves as a Vice President on the International Thriller Writers Board of Directors. Vicki lives in Florida with her artist husband, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. Visit www.vickihinze.com to learn more about Vicki’s books, blogs, and writing programs.

This book was provided for review by Multnomah Publishing.