Book Review: Hobbit Lessons

hobbit

Hobbit Lessons could also be titled “Everything I Need To Know About Life, I Learned From The Hobbit”.  The author Devin Brown talks a bit about how The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books changed his life on a family vacation that he thought was going to be boring.  Instead he took a trip with Bilbo and friends. And learned a lot.  He breaks down some great life lessons that he learned from the books and explains how they relate to the books.  The end of each chapter kind of breaks down things one more time.

I’ve never read The Hobbit – I faked it in high school when we were supposed to read it for class – but I have seen all the Lord of the Rings movies and was familiar with what he was talking about.  But if you’ve never read the books or seen the movie or know anything about the series at all and are just looking for some great life lessons – I think that the book has enough information in it for you to follow along and not be confused and at the end of the day it’s the lessons that are the most important anyway.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

 

Hobbit Lessons

About the Book
For generations, The Hobbit has been loved and shared by readers who thrilled to the challenges faced by the band of fourteen. Most didn’t realize, however, that some of life’s greatest lessons could be learned by going along on that journey. Discover these and other exiting truths from Bilbo Baggins journey—without the danger of being eaten by a dragon:

· When adventure comes knocking, let it in (even if it makes you late for dinner)

· Have Your Friends’ Back (someone has yours)

· Be Fond of Waistcoats, Pocket Handkerchiefs and Even Arkenstones (Just Don’t Let Them Become Too Precious)

Tolkien scholar Devin Brown teases out the lessons Tolkien has woven into his timeless story in a way that becomes a story in itself. For those new to The Hobbit or long-time fans, this will bring the book and movies alive in a new way and provide life lessons about loyalty, selflessness, friendship, and dedication—lessons as precious as a golden ring.

The Sing Off Tour – Live at Mohegan Sun Wolf Den

Saturday night The Sing Off Tour made its way to the Wolf’s Den at Mohegan Sun. I wasn’t sure what to expect or how popular it would be – but was glad to have won reserved seats from Kiss 95.7 so I didn’t have to wait in whatever line I might be faced with upon arriving.  And I guess that was a good thing – since upon arriving my usual parking garage was completely FULL.  I had to back track to get in to the other lot where I typically never park (and then make sure to remember I had parked there.)  Turns out I should have paid more attention to the Women’s Basketball Tournament that was going on in the arena – UCONN was playing.

I managed to find a relatively close spot, made my way inside and then got stepped on by some lady and I couldn’t catch my balance and totally fell over.  Fortunately the lady and her friend helped me up but I was worried that was going to set the tone for the whole evening. And it kind of did.  I headed over to Bobby Flay’s – I was dying to have a burger and milkshake before the show – but the line was absolutely ridiculous! So I ended up going to Krispy Kreme which had no line (which is rare, usually that is the place with the ridiculous line!) and tried their new coffee donut. (I’ll post a review on that eventually!)  Then I just took a seat and watched people file in for The Sing Off in the Wolf’s Den.

If you haven’t read my posts before or know what The Wolf’s Den is – it is a very small venue in the middle of the casino that is first come, first serve (unless you somehow manage to win reserved seats) so the line starts early and is often longer than capacity.  I knew that this line was too long – it was the longest I had EVER seen.  When I heard them say seating was full, I snuck up to the front and got in and to my seat.  Everyone else was waiting on the off chance that someone who had a reserved seat didn’t end up showing up.  A lot of the seats inside were reserved – much more than I had ever seen before. But it filled in nicely by the time the show started.

The show started with all 3 groups – The Filharmonic, Voice Play and Home Free coming out in Letterman jackets to sing a fun. medley including Some Nights, We Are Young and Carry On.  I tried to keep track of a setlist as best I could, and I can’t seem to find one online to compare it to so you’ll have to excuse any mistakes and that will be at the end of this post.  (There were several medleys and it was sometimes hard to keep track of all of them!)

Up first was The Filharmonic who did a set of 5 songs – including *NSYNC’s It’s Gonna Be Me.  Most of the songs done were from the show.  I felt like the audience was half dead during The Filharmonic’s set and I was very concerned that this was going to continue on for the whole show – but it seemed like by the time Home Free hit the stage everyone had woken up, or maybe everyone came from Home Free and didn’t care about the other two acts. (I was the opposite and was not a fan of Home Free going in to the night, even though they won.)

Next up was Voice Play – they had Imani from the group Ten performing with them as well – they did a couple songs with Imani and then let her take a break while they took us on a roadtrip.  They all got in to their car and then let the music tell the story of their roadtrip. (I know I didn’t catch all the songs they did during this – but I was a little bit too preoccupied with laughing to keep track of everything.  Then they did another medley which was basically made up of I guess you could say non-words in songs? Na Na Nas and stuff like that – including MMMBop!  They ended their set with one more song joined by Imani – Play That Funky Music.

Then we got to see a battle round between The Filharmonic and Voice Play.  They said “We need a Nick Lachey!” and everyone gasped – I had thought maybe he’d show up since he is in NYC doing his new show – but no such luck!  Tim from Home Free came out to introduce the round and do his best Nick impression – complete with… hair flips?  The two battled it out to *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye”

Then all of the percussionists from each of the groups came out and did a bit of a beat box battle – which was really neat to see.

Then it was time for the winners of the season – Home Free – to take the stage.  They got a bit longer set than the other two acts, of course.  On the show I was not a fan of Home Free at all.  However, they had me laughing so hard throughout their set and put on such a show – they have completely changed my mind.  They did 3 songs before doing a battle round with Voice Play of Destiny’s Child “Survivor” – Voice Play did the song as Zombies and Home Free did the song as Hillbillies.  Then it was time for Home Free’s Guilty Pleasure medley – this was what was hilarious and each guy got to pick their guilty pleasure song (which turned out to be a bad pop song  – which was probably why I liked it so much) and the other guys had to learn it – NO MATTER WHAT.  The songs were: Justin Bieber’s Baby (where Tim teased the choreography should be changed to touching your nose like a sobriety test), Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe, Rebecca Black’s Friday, LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem and finally, Psy’s Gangnam Style.  (I really wish I could better put in to words how hilarious this part of the show was – but I’m not even going to try you are just going to have to check out the show to see for yourself)

They finished their set and then The Filharmonics came out to do a battle round with Home Free of “I’m All Right” complete with gopher! (If you watched the show – you know what I am talking about!)

The finale of the show was all 3 groups taking the stage once again for Don’t Stop The Music / Wanna Be Starting Something and they had us sing the “Mamma-say mama-sah ma-ma-coo-sah” in 3 part harmony. (And I’m pretty sure I heard someone singing “Imma say it one more time im not gon stop” nearby… and it wasn’t me…)

The show was a lot more fun than I had anticipated and while there were a couple times that I was tempted to turn around and go back home after arriving at the casino, I was very glad that I stuck it out!

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Book Review: Does This Plug into That?

plug“Does This Plug into That?” I’m sure you’ve asked yourself that a few times.  I know I have.  I have so many plugs at my desk that look similar – they all go in to USB but then are they for my camera? my nook? my GPS? my external hard drive? I have to try it and see if it’ll plug in.  Usually the answer is “nope”.  Technology is supposed to make things easier – but does it really?

As a tech savvy person (or so I like to think) this book kind of repeated a lot of information that I already knew. But if you are looking to be kept up to date on the greatest new gadgets and if you should get a Windows PC or a Mac (I have one of each), this book will probably help you out. It does list some information on storing files on the Cloud though, which is something that I am definitely thinking of looking in to in the near future.

In addition to information on computers there is also a chapter on printers, HDTVs, DVRs, and even a cheat sheet for hooking up your TV and all the components – which probably would have come in handy when we moved and couldn’t remember how any of our TVs were supposed to be hooked up to the cable boxes and DVDs players. (Trial and error worked out in the end)

Certainly an interesting read and I did learn a few things or better my understanding on them by reading this book.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

The first really easy-to-use consumer guide to buying, installing, and using electronic gadgetry including HDTVs and home networks, tablets, smart phones, MP3 players, GPS systems, car electronics and more, for you and me, not geeks!

Smartphone, router,  Blu-ray,  LED—America’s use of electronics has gotten increasingly more challenging since the invention of the light bulb. If you don’t know how many pixels your HDTV should contain for maximum viewing pleasure, or if you are ready to throw your hands up when you hear that you have to configure your Internet router using the WPA-PSK (TKIP) or WPA-PSK (TKIP) + WPA2-PSK (AES) security protocols, then  you need Eric Taub’s Does This Plug Into That?

 

Taub ignores the jargon and demystifies the technology that can make our lives easier, but usually leaves us bewildered, flummoxed, and defeated—especially after consulting the manufacturer’s installation and usage instructions.  Does This Plug into That? cracks the geek code and offers practical advice and directions for everything from purchasing a new TV, to setting up a Web connection, installing a home network, and more. Does This Plug Into That? is the all-inclusive resource that will make you smarter than your smartphone while enhancing your gadgetry and electronic prowess.

Does This Plug into That? is every consumer’s Rosetta Stone, distilling down all the extraneous technical information into simple actions without the gobbledygook. Now you can join the technophile generation without panicking in the process.

Book Review: Self Confidence

selfconfidenceDisclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
Self Confidence: How to Overcome Shyness, Worry and Boost Your Self Esteem is a short book to help you become more confident.  This is something that I definitely need help with so I was very interested in what the author of this book had to say.

Chapter 1 is all about how to overcome shyness by changing your appearance.  I’m really not sure that this is the issue with me.  Not that I am always dressed to impressed, but I really don’t care what others think about my outfit.  I’m not sure that’s the root of my shyness.  But for some, I guess changing your look can help.

Chapter 2 is about how to be confident by using positive affirmations.  This I feel is more of a probably for me and I found this chapter to be helpful.

Chapter 3 is how to overcome insecurity once and for all.  It has a list of things that may cause you to be insecure (Trust issues, Self-guilt, poor feeling of self-acceptance, fear of being overshadowed, poor appearance) and then it goes in to each of these causes and lists ways to try and improve these and overcome each of these.

Chapter 4 is how to stop worrying using the power of positive thinking.  This chapter is also all me.  I worry about EVERYTHING.  Things that I shouldn’t even care about.  Things that happened in the past that I can’t change I still worry about.  This chapter talks about how it is hard to stop worrying in some people and how to stay happy and stop worrying. I will definitely be putting this chapter in to use in my life and hopefully if it doesn’t get rid of all my worrying it will get things down to a manageable amount. (I actually am causing myself health problems due to my worrying stressing me out so I definitely need to work on this!)

Chapter 5 is How to improve low self-esteem and have healthy relationships.  I think this chapter is good for almost anyone – relationships are hard and there are some great tips here on how to help with them and what to do- like taking some time out for yourself!

About the Book

You are about to discover how to stop worrying once and for all, how to improve your low self esteem and how to become extremely confident.

In Self Confidence – How To Overcome Shyness, Worry And Boost Your Self-Esteem you will find out proven steps and strategies you can start applying instantly, in order to build up your confidence as well as your self esteem. You will learn about the importance of external appearance, little known tips you can implement and some mistakes you have to avoid. You will learn about positive affirmations, how and when to properly use them and of course why you should even bother. You will be able to determine whether you are suffering from insecurity and how to overcome it. Furthermore, you will find out how to stop worrying and start living and how to harness the power of positive thinking. Finally, you will learn ways you can instantly apply to improve your self esteem and how it can affect the quality of your relationships.

Here Is A Preview Of What You Will Learn…

# How To Overcome Shyness By Changing Your Appearance
# How To Be Confident By Using Positive Affirmations
# How To Overcome Insecurity Once And For All
# How To Stop Worrying Using The Power Of Positive Thinking
# How To Improve Low Self-Esteem And Have Healthy Relationships

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Book Review: Lost New York

lostny

Lost New York is an amazing book with some great photographs and information about beautiful New York buildings that are no longer. It’s kind of a shame because they really are spectacular and I’d love to photograph many of them if they still existed. (2 I had been to before they were demolished – Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium!) I’ve never been to Coney Island, but it looks like I missed out on a bunch of cool stuff (though most of it was already gone by the time I was born).  And some gorgeous mansions were demolished in the city as well. Wow. Definitely a great book for fans of New York, Architecture, History, Photography… This book covers it all.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Like a parallel universe, an entire city could be formed with the lost buildings of New York City’s past. Lost New York is a walk through this virtual metropolis. More than an architectural tour, it is a fascinating view of the city’s ever-changing landscape and way of life, from magnificent buildings like Penn Station and the glorious mansions of the Gilded Age to trolleys, diners, racetracks and baseball parks that now exist only in photographs.

Filled with intriguing photographs on every page, the book illustrates both the city’s distant and recent past, from the mid-nineteenth century through the first decade of the twenty-first. It follows a chronology of constant change, charting the years when the major features of the city were destroyed, altered or abandoned. Forests of tall-masted ships, horse-drawn carriages and massive train terminals gave way to cars and trucks. Dazzling amusement parks and luxurious resorts in Coney Island, the great World’s Fair of 1939, rock ’n’ roll palaces, and many romantic features of Central Park are now only memories. Buildings that have become icons of the New York cityscape hide an earlier history, like that of the first Waldorf-Astoria, the world’s largest and most opulent hotel that once stood on the site of the Empire State Building.These lost places are interwoven with engrossing stories of the multi-millionaires, robber barons, artists, engineers and entrepreneurs who shaped New York. They are a record of historic events, of disasters like the sinking of the Normandie at a Manhattan pier, and the world-shaking tragedy of the World Trade Center. The dynamic forces that created New York left a trail of memorable yet neglected history as amazing as the city today. Rediscover it in Lost New York.

Author Information
Marcia Reiss is the author of seven books about New York history and architecture including the best-selling New York Then and Now. Her most recent works include New York City at Night and Central Park Then and Now, as well as a series of guides to historic Brooklyn neighbourhoods. She was Policy Director of the Parks Council, now New Yorkers for Parks, and previousy Public Affairs Director for the New York City Department of Ports and Trade. She also taught at Columbia University and Hunter College, and was a reporter for the Brooklyn Phoenix and the Seafarer’s Log. She and her husband have lived in several buildings in Manhattan and Brooklyn as old as the ones in Lost New York. Fortunately, non are lost. They now live in an 1840s farmhouse in upstate New York.

Book Review: Outsider Baseball

outsider

Outsider Baseball has been very well researched by author Scott Simkus.  It goes in to the history and early days of professional baseball and tells you a bit about the key players and more detail about the history.  Lots of information, told in an entertaining way.  If you think that you are a baseball history buff, you might want to think again and then check out this book.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

With new research and revelations that will surprise even the most ardent baseball history buffs, this engaging account tells the story of the mostly forgotten world of the mercenaries, scalawags, and outcasts who made up the independent professional ball clubs. Combining meticulous research with modern analytics, the book provides a deeper understanding of how vast and eclectic the world of professional baseball was during the first half of the 20th century. It illuminates an alternate baseball universe where Babe Ruth, Rube Waddell, and John McGraw crossed bats with the Cuban Stars, Tokyo Giants, Brooklyn Bushwicks, dozens of famous Negro league teams, and novelty acts such as the House of David and Bloomer Girls. Written in a gritty prose style, this entertaining book shares the stories of these unsung players and uses a critical lens to separate fact from fiction.

Product Review: Jewelry in Candles Love Potion Fragrance

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with this classic love spell. A luscious infusion of cherry blossom, citrus, hydrangea, apple and peach. What better way to say I love you this Valentine’s Day!

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Book Review: Cozy Classics: Oliver Twist

oliverAh, my favorite Cozy Classics series!  The books tells the story of classic novels in just 12 words and are accompanied by cozy characters made out of felt. Every time I read these books I want to make some cozy friends for myself, though I’m not sure I’m that talented.

Introduce your child to the story of Oliver Twist in only 12 words! Or, don’t bother reading the entire classic book and find out everything you need to know in this cozy classic book!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Give a kid a classic! Cozy Classics is the popular board book series that presents well-loved stories to children aged 0+ through twelve child-friendly words and twelve needle-felted illustrations. Oliver Twist is Charles Dickens’ high-spirited adventure about one boy’s journey through the underworld of London, and is one of Dickens’ best-loved tales. Now you can share this classic with children of any age. www.mycozyclassics.com

After years of hardship in an orphanage, Oliver runs away to London, where he joins a gang of pickpockets. Will he escape a life of crime?

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Book Blast: Chasing Prophecy

Title: Chasing Prophecy

Author: James Moser

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Thriller

Ebook available at: Kindle | Smashwords  




Book Description:

Mo is a shy teen who is just trying to survive high school. He has secretly fallen in love with a girl named Prophecy who lives with a group that some call a commune and others call a cult. When she disappears, Mo must find the courage to face the monster that her family has become. Chasing Prophecy is a contemporary coming of age story that is heartwarming, suspenseful, and beautifully written. This book chronicles the adolescence of one boy who must transform himself to save the girl of his dreams.

Kirkus Reviews:

“A stellar read for teens and adults, full of hilarious growing pains, tenderness and a few surprises. Moser’s debut is an unflinching young-adult novel that sees a group of friends tested by bigotry and the illegal machinations of a religious cult. The author serves up an irresistibly wisecracking narrator in Mo Kirkland. Every page ripples with a controlled cleverness. There’s also a rawness to this tale similar to that which many teens face in the real world. Moser can wax rhapsodic about young love, but he shows that he knows how to raise the tension in the second half of the novel.”


Excerpt:

Max leaned over and whispered, “They don’t have any gear.”I looked at their packs. He was right. No rolled-up tents, sleeping bags or cookware dangled from any of the straps or hooks. Just bulging backpacks. Their empty sports-drink bottles were the only clue that they’d known they were about to hike straight up a mountain.

I remember thinking how weird it was that they carried so much weight uphill and none of that weight was soap, clean clothes, or sleeping bags.

Max peeked inside one of their packs. He undid the top pull-cord and pulled out a giant freezer-bag of red crystals. I undid the top drawstring of one of the other backpacks. More bags of the same stuff. I held one up. A bright flash startled us, made us step back. After blinking away the spots, I saw Clean with one arm extended, centering us in another picture he was taking on his phone.

“What’s this?” I asked, holding up a bag of what looked like raspberry Sno-Kone.

“Drugs,” Max said softly.

“It is not ‘drugs,’” said Clean. “It is the salvation of our family. It is the sword we will use to fight off Big Brother, to beat him back from our land, to cut off his hand as it reaches for what is ours. Now put those bags of salvation back, please. I’m sending word of our salvation to my father.” He held the Blackberry closer to his face and I knew he was forwarding the picture to Able back at the ranch.

Big buckets of reality crashed down on me head. Huge bags of drugs brought in from Canada. Hiked over the border in the dense woodsy areas where the Mount Baker National Forest drops to the Canadian Border.

These guys are criminals, I thought.

Clean waved at our tents, sleeping bags, and the rest of the food. He said, “You guys should just chill for a day, catch your breath, eat, drink, and sleep. No fires. We’re way off the trail and we’re nowhere near the spot where people hang-glide, base-jump or wall-climb. I put all the dehydrated food pouches in the blue backpack—soups and chili and fruit. A whole bottle of water purifying tablets. It’s not tons but it’ll keep you fueled til you’re back home. Thanks to you, the hard work is done.”

“Thanks, bruh,” said the leader of the other team. The three of them were leaning into the rock and leaning into each other. They must have done that on the way up, at night, to stay warm.

Clean motioned us to the other end of the rock. He said, “We leave in half an hour. Drink all the water you can, then fill up one small water bottle each. Remember to add an iodine tablet. No one can get sick on the way down. And,” he said, pausing to reach into his pack. “We wear these on the way down.” He pulled out green and tan camouflage floppy hats and t-shirts that matched the backpacks our visitors had carried.

“What about . . .” I started to say.

Max took a deep breath, dropped his chin and stared at the ground. He understood before I did that the Vision-Quest was over. We’d come to exactly this spot because this was the mission Able and Clean had planned for us all along.

Clean said, “We’re carrying it back down to the trailhead. We’re taking no food. We ate less than 24 hours ago and will be able to eat again before we go to sleep, after we get home. We have water. It’s downhill for us so we should make the car before dark. I have a small thing of sunscreen. Other than that, all we need is some guts.”

Max’s face was angry. I was just plain numb. There was nothing else to say.

Half an hour later, Clean hugged his three companions goodbye. We stayed on the southern end of the ledge, teetering under the heavy packs, just nodding politely to the other crew. We started down and did not talk. The backpacks carried the same weight but since I’m smaller than Clean and Max, I struggled more. I panted and stumbled a few times. We reached the tree-line in a couple hours.

Max and I kept trading WTF looks.

I thought, What is Kazzy doing right now? Does she have backpack of drugs, too? Did she know about this? Of course she didn’t know. The day before she looked so lost and confused. As lost and confused as anyone in the dining hall. If she had drugs on her back, she was as surprised as we were.

God, I wanted to hold her and I wanted her to hold me back. I’ve never wanted to hold someone so much. I thought of the squeeze she’d given me as she left the school bus.

The school bus. Right. They’d chosen a special ed. school bus to bring us in and out because it would hide in plain sight. No cop would pull us over for a small reason.

Max suddenly said, “Shit.” He kicked a tree, nearly fell from being off-balance under the heavy pack, steadied himself, unstrapped, and dropped his pack on the ground. He looked at me, then at Clean. “This is illegal. It’s not what you said we’d be doing.”

Clean moved quickly toward Max. I dropped my pack to the ground and took a long step toward them–to break up the fight before it got started. Clean’s eyes darted to mine. He put his finger to his lips.

Max put up his fists but Clean was already past him.

Clean took two long steps down the path, to the bend in the next switchback. He looked back at us—eyes on fire. He pointed sharply at us and then up into the woods.

We pulled on our packs and labored up the rocky hillside, grabbing at pine trees and brush. Glancing to our right, I saw Clean doing the same. We reached a spot thirty feet off the trail, level and dense with ferns. From the trail we heard a rustling and the unmistakable clip-clopping of horseshoes. We dropped down in the ferns, shimmied out of our backpacks and kneeled down in the dense mossy soil.

A forest ranger on horseback came into view. As he brought the horse to a stop, it sniffed at the air, looked our way and froze. I knew it had smelled us. We turned to Clean. He put one finger to his lips and stared daggers at us.

The ranger wore an olive green, short-sleeved shirt and cargo shorts. He had a walkie talkie clipped to his belt and a satellite phone in his hand. The saddle held a canteen, knapsack, and a long leather sleeve with a shotgun handle sticking out. As he turned around, I saw a handgun holstered at his side. The guy looked straight ahead, spoke into his satellite phone, dismounted, whispered softly to the horse, and stroked its mane.

I looked back at Clean and what I saw told me that the Bethlehem family had changed forever. The fingers of one hand were spread toward us, commanding we remain still and silent. His other hand held a gun. The lines on his face were calm. He was not afraid.

The ranger turned his back to us, lowered his hands, undid his belt buckle, moved his legs apart, looked to the sky, began to whistle. Clean gently clicked off the safety. The horse heard it, darting its eyes in our direction, snuffled, pawed at the ground restlessly. The man turned back to the horse, whispered, went back to whistling.

After the ranger and horse were safely out of earshot, we stepped over to Clean.

Max said, “What are you doing with a GUN???”

I added, “Yeah, and what were you gonna do if he saw us?”

Clean looked calmly at me, snapped the safety back on, and returned the gun to the waist-band against his lower back. He clicked on his walkie talkie, adjusted the volume and channel, and said, “Redemption Team One to Redemption Team Two. Redemption Team One to Redemption Team Two. Anyone out there chillin’? Over.”

A long pause, and then the crackling response, “Chillin’ like Bob Dylan. Thought you guys were gone. Over.”

Clean said, “We just ran into Steve’s Big Brother. You remember Rick, right? Over.”

A longer, crackling pause.

“Copy that. Long time since we’ve seen Rick. He by himself? Over”

“Affirmative. Over.”

And the longest, crackling pause yet.

“How long til Rick arrives for dinner? Over.”

“He’s probably not coming to your house, but if he does go that way, it’ll be at least an hour. No more than two. Over.”

“Copy that. If you seen him again, tell him sorry we missed him and we’ll catch him next time. We’re running late and we’ll be gone in ten minutes. Over.”

“Sounds like a plan. Sorry about the fast turnaround. I know you guys are tired from the trip. From the long drive all the way from California, I mean. Over.”

“Copy that. Catch you guys next time. Over and out.”

“Copy that. Over and out.”

Clean switched off his walkie talkie and clipped it onto his belt.

“Look at me,” he said. “Everyone take a drink of water and pee if you have to. We are not stopping for a few hours, until we get to the parking lot. I will walk on point. That means I’ll be by myself about fifty feet ahead. There will be NO talking, so I can hear what’s ahead. You watch where you’re walking and you watch me. I put my hand up, that means stop. I point, and that means you have five seconds to go wherever I’m pointing.

“We run into someone and can’t hide in time, you just do exactly what I do. We’ll say hello all friendly-like, but you keep your heads down and you do not slow down no matter what. I will go first. I’ll pause, I’ll make some small talk for ten seconds while you pass me, and then I’ll bring up the rear after the two of you are down the trail a bit. I will catch up on my own so don’t look back. We don’t look back and we don’t stop no matter what.”

We nodded.

“Say it so I know you understand,” he said.

“Don’t look back,” Max said.

“Don’t stop, no matter what,” I said.

About the Author:
James Moser has always loved stories in all forms. He is in his fourteenth year of working with high school students. The author’s goal was to write a book that would inspire even his most reluctant readers. Young adults have always inspired him. As such, he wanted to show teenagers transforming themselves to overcome obstacles, which is what he watches them do, every day.

Moser has a B.A. in English and a Master’s degree in Secondary English Education. He lives in Seattle with his beautiful wife and eight year old son. When he’s not reading and writing, or thinking about reading and writing, he’s watching way too much television while snacking on frozen treats from Trader Joe’s. Man, those things are good.

Where to find James Moser:


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