Okay, just when you thought that there was NO WAY Mason and I could see any more new license plates we spotted two new ones today: Saskatchewan (Canada) and Mississippi (USA). (Mississippi, btw, was parked on OUR block. How weird is that???) Now we are only missing West Virginia, Alabama and Hawaii. I am still astounded that within a matter of weeks, Mason has conjured nearly all 50 states and some Canadian provences (like Manitoba!) -- not to meantion several tribal plates.
Two pieces of news. Frist, I finished my novel (Book III of the Garnet Lacey series) last night. Before you send in congratulations, I should note that this book is still seriously flawed and needs several more weeks of revision before I can truly claim to be finished with it. However, I have the important bits committed to paper and all the plot is officially (if not yet neatly) wrapped up. The even better news is that I'm right on schedule. My writers' group volunteers will now have plenty of time to read through the rough draft, comment, and get back to me before the May 1 deadline. HOORAY!
Second.... Mason's magic prevails. Yesterday, we saw MAINE.
Of course, given our astounding success so far, you'd think we'd stop seeing NEW license plates. However, while driving back from taking Mama in to work, Mason and I spotted three new ones: Connecticut, Tennessee, and Red Lake Band of Ojibwe (Tribal.) [Cool wikipedia note: according to them Red Lake Indian reservation was the first in the nation to issue its own license plates.]
What could be next? Hawaii????!!
While out at Como Zoo, Mason and I spotted a few more new plates!
There we saw Kentucky and Nevada. But, the biggest score of all came on our usual drive back from Minnesota Historical Society where Shawn works. RHODE ISLAND. I couldn't even believe it. I mean, for crying out loud. It's the smallest state in the union -- how did a license plate from there end up on Summit Avenue? (Well, obviously, Tate, it drove.) Still, this is getting almost spooky, especially given the we may have had a spotting of the elusive Maine today as well. (It zipped past in on-coming traffic so I couldn't be sure, and I promised Mason I wouldn't put it on our "list" until he had a chance to see it as well.)
Written in the first person, book two of this terrific series by the genuinely talented Hallaway continues to build a likable, if somewhat overwhelmed, heroine who struggles to escape the past and face the future. This is first- rate paranormal reading.
Summary: Powerful witch Garnet Lacey thought she had buried the truth about what happened when six members of a Vatican paramilitary organization murdered the other 11 members of her coven. Besides arriving late, the only other reason Garnet wasn't killed was because she instinctively drew on the power of the goddess Lilith. Possessing Garnet's body, Lilith made short work of the murderous Vatican agents, but Garnet and her then boyfriend, vampire Parrish, had to get rid of the evidence.Unfortunately, the bodies have surfaced, and an FBI agent is looking at Garnet as a suspect. Current boyfriend, vampire Sebastian, is not thrilled with Garnet's need for Parrish's assistance, and this puts their romance on rocky ground.
Adding to her problems is the large number of zombies suddenly roaming around. Apparently there's a new voodoo queen in town, and when she starts messing with Garnet's friends, it means war.
(BERKLEY, May, 294 pp., $14.00) MILD—Jill M. Smith
