Too Much Thinking

My brain is on overload, and it never stops. I have no "off" or "nighty-nite" switch. It is a freight train running at full speed 24 hours/7 days a week. I am an insomniac....my brain doesn't stop at night to let me sleep. I use sleep meds, a breathing machine, and an iPod to get some sleep. Some nights, some weeks, it just does not work. Like this week......

Of course, there are plenty of thinking items -- Benghazi, Gosnell, Santangelo, leaving babies to die or drowning them in toilets, immigration, Obamacare, Boston bombing, the religious crisis in the military - actually, all the constitutional rights and treatment of our military personnel - soldiers being killed in Afghanistan, politics, cancer, public schools, homeschooling, Algebra, t-e-e-n-a-g-e-r-s, Viagra and vasectomies, sundresses, prayer, puppies, presents, rescue dogs, Mother's Day, fixing my glasses, washing the roof, that big swooping hawk in the backyard, what's for dinner, missing friends, walking, jogging, blogging -- I have read many, many books that I have not written book reviews about because I'm iffy about the novels. They were okay.....not a positive, not a negative, just there. Do I write about such books or do I wait until I have a definite opinion? The list goes on and on and on and on and.... Well, you get the idea. You probably have a long list too.

I have even reached the point that I cannot decide what to put on the grocery list. And, would someone tell me why the dish detergent is in the bathroom? Wait! Maybe I don't want to know..... I've had too much thinking this week. I need the earth to stop rotating on its axis just for a couple of hours so the chaos in my brain will turn off and I can nap.

Book Review: Love is Murder by Sandra Brown

This is a fantastic book! Love is Murder is a compilation of 29 stories selected by Sandra Brown in the "romance suspense" genre, romantic stories with a terror twist or vice versa. Some of these authors were very familiar - like Lee Child - while others were new. Of the 29, 20 were my favorites. I know, I know!

The most brilliant story of them all is Diamond Drop by Roxanne St. Claire. It is a short story about her series Bullet Catchers, an elite protection organization. The main character in Diamond Drop is Donovan Rush. He is a courier for diamonds from Antwerp, Belgium to Paris, France. He must deliver diamonds for a new client, Boisvert Jewelers. The story is smart and fast-paced with a twist at the end.

Oh, there is the Hot Note by Patricia Rosemoor. In Love is Murder, Patricia writes a short story regarding her series about Shelley Caldwell, a homicide detective in Chicago, Illinois. Caldwell must solve supernatural mysteries, along with her half-vampire/half-human boyfriend.

And, definitely do not miss the Black Ops, Inc. series by Cindy Gerard!  Black Ops, Inc. is a private security and espionage firm. Her short story is Dying to Score about a reconnaissance mission in Central Guatemala by Crystal Debrowski Reed a/k/a "Tinkerbelle" and her husband Johnny Duane Reed, along with Luke Colter a/k/a "Doc Holliday" and Gabe Jones a/k/a "The Archangel." Johnny is seriously wounded in the shoulder, and Tink and her companions must extract Johnny before they are overrun by mercenaries of a Mexican drug cartel.

I am usually not a fan of compilation books. This one, however, is the exception. I really hope you read Love is Murder. Two thumbs' up!

P.S. I cannot wait to give my list of "new" authors to my sister Julie. She feeds my library addiction. (Thank goodness!)

Troops to Teachers

Placing veterans in the nation's classrooms to serve again is the goal for the Troops to Teachers program. The purpose of the Department of Defense program is to help eligible current and former military personnel begin new careers as teachers in public schools where their skills, knowledge and experience are most needed.

In addition to counseling and referral, state Troops to Teachers representatives help applicants identify teacher certification requirements for the state they wish to teach, programs leading to certification and employment opportunities in their state. Other state representatives will reach out to servicemembers earlier while they are still on active-duty and identify education requirements so that interested servicemembers may begin working toward their teaching certifications before leaving the service, enabling a smoother transition into teaching.

Servicemembers can learn more about Troops to Teachers and locate a state representative at www.proudtoserveagain.com. www.military.com