Halloween Fearfest

I haven’t written much here lately. I’ve been focused on novel writing. But I feel the need to reconnect with my blogger friends and let you know that I’m alive and well, living the dream. Or living in a dream…

The other night I woke up from a horrible dream…a nightmare really. I dreamed that the hairs in my nose were growing longer and longer, sticking out like whiskers on a cat. I was trying to cut them before anyone noticed, but wasn’t really succeeding. They were very tough hairs. I guess the fear of turning 50 has taken over my nights as well as my days. Scary stuff. Much scarier than goblins, witches and vampires.

One of my greatest fears is knowing that as a fifty year old woman, if I actually had a two inch hair growing out the side of my face, no one would tell me. Young people would just shrug or snicker and think, “Who cares? She’s not supposed to be attractive anymore. She’s half a century old!” Anyone older than me wouldn’t even see it cause they’re already half blind. And friends my own age would pretend they don't notice because they secretly fear they also have two inch hairs growing out of their faces that no one has bothered to tell them about, and they don’t want to be the only one. Sort of like keeping up with the Jones' -  except backwards.

Do you have a secret hideous fear to share? It's Halloween after all. Spill your guts!

Pre-Halloween Horror

My hair hurts!

Vice President Joe Biden tried to teach (indoctrinate) a group of 4th graders in New York, Pennsylvania about the president’s new jobs bill the other day. I don’t know if he was just practicing his rhetoric before he was going to speak to citizens old enough to vote, or he figured it will take until nine-year-olds are adults before this jobs bill actually starts working. Either way, I think his hair plugs are pressing into his scalp a bit too far. He already said that if this bill doesn’t pass we can all expect to have a much higher chance of getting raped or murdered. I’m not sure if that was a Chicago politics type threat or he really believes that third-world bribery tactics are the way to go. If we pay off the thugs, maybe they won’t hurt us.

Believe it or not, that story didn't even make the News of the Weird!

This guy got arrested just because he had red hair!

But this one did! A woman in Atlanta called the police to report her truck stolen and instead of taking a report, the police arrested her because her first name was Teresa! Apparently another woman named Teresa had assaulted someone somewhere in the city and instead of looking for her, they decided to take the first Teresa they happened upon and keep the poor woman in jail for over two months before her lawyer managed to get her out. What?! 

I sure hope someone named Barbara doesn’t commit murder in Minneapolis. I could go to jail for life!

What do these two stories have in common? They are both scary and weird, and it is almost Halloween.

A Mother's Love, a sister's sacrifice

Book Review: "Reclaiming Lily" by Patti Lacy

“Reclaiming Lily” is a gut wrenching tale of two families who love and claim the same little girl as their daughter.

A Texas Pastor and his wife adopt a young Chinese girl, believing their family will finally be complete. They name her Joy–the thing that has been missing in their lives.

Joy, whose name is actually Lily, already has a family, but due to horrible circumstances, was left at the orphanage. Lily’s older sister, Kai, has vowed to someday bring her home. When she witnesses the Powells taking her from the orphanage, she knows it will be many years before they will meet again.


Patti Lacy has once again written a story with real fleshed-out characters struggling with life’s tough questions. If God is a good God, why does he allow bad things to happen? Infertility, abandonment, prejudice, tornadoes, starvation, sickness, death. Why do miracles happen sometimes, but not all the time? How does God use bad things to further his perfect plan?

The sweet little girl from China that the Powells adopted seven years earlier is now an angry and rebellious teenager, and they are at their wits end in dealing with her. Into their lives walks Dr. Kai Chang, a Boston specialist and Lily’s (Joy’s) sister. She has worked hard her entire life with the sole purpose of finding and reclaiming Lily, to let her know that she was not forgotten. She has something very important to discuss with them.

Gloria is fearful that this Chinese sister will take her daughter from her, but Kai has no intention of that. She is fulfilling a promise she made to her mother that she would find Lily (Joy) and let her know that she was wanted and loved.

Dr. Kai Chang is a renal specialist dealing with PKD. A disease that destroys the kidneys and leads to death. Their mother died of PKD and it is passed through the genes. She is fearful that Lily might already be carrying the disease in her body.

I truly enjoyed “Reclaiming Lily.” The author did a wonderful job of getting into the mind of this Chinese doctor as well as showing the American mother’s desperate need for her adopted daughter’s acceptance and love. It was definitely an East meets West story and how we often perceive those we don’t understand out of mindless fear. 

(I was given a free copy of Reclaiming Lily in exchange for writing an honest review.)

About Patti:

Patti Lacy graduated from Baylor University with a BS in education and completed master's-level courses in English at Indiana State University. She taught at Heartland Community College until May 2006, when she resigned to pursue her passion of writing. The author of three previous novels, Patti is the mother of two grown children and lives with her husband in Normal, Illinois.

For more about Patti and her other books, visit her website at www.pattilacy.com <http://www.pattilacy.com/> .
 

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0764209418/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=sprightly-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0764209418&adid=1MB65JFDXDHGZD977R7D

Win a KindleTouch from Patti Lacy! 

Patti Lacy is celebrating the release of her latest book, Reclaiming Lily,  with a KindleTouch Giveaway, blog tour and FB Book Chat Party!

Follow the blog tour and read the reviews!

Patti and her publisher, Bethany House, are giving away a Reclaiming Lily prize package worth over $150 to one lucky winner!!!!

Enter the Reclaiming Lily Giveaway and you could win:

• A brand new just released KindleTouch with Wi-Fi
• $25 gift cetificate to Amazon.com

But, wait there’s more!

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. Giveaway ends on 10/19! Patti will be announcing the winner of the Reclaiming Lily Giveaway at her Party on Facebook October 20th! She’ll be hosting a book club chat of Reclaiming Lily (it's okay if you haven't read it - you could win a copy!) and giving away other fun prizes! (signed copies of her books and gift certificates to Amazon.com, Starbucks, & iTunes!). Don’t miss the fun at Patti’s FB Author Page on 10/20/11 at 5pm PST ( 6 pm MST, 7 pm CST, & 8 pm EST)! RSVP today!