The Ideas of March - Barry Lyga - A Short Story

The Ideas of March:
A Short Story
Barry Lyga
B & Z Publishing 
ASIN B06XCJ3C43

Barry Lyga has a plan for what he can do. With the current political situation he wanted to know what he can do. So he decided to publish short stories, each available for a month, and all the proceeds going to the ACLU. You can read about that more here. This third story in the short stories of 2017 series is the best to date. 

Lyga’s description of this book is: 
“A girl receives the most disturbing Valentines present ever. While everyone is talking about that, a famous actress adopts her latest child overseas, to the camera flashes of the paparazzi. And while sanctions in the Middle East cause chaos and controversy, ten teenagers are dumped from their sailboats into frigid water…even as another group of teens plans to rocket a giant mirror into space to protect us from global warming. 

What connects these stories? How are they related? 

Maybe they’re not. 

But maybe, just maybe, they are.”

The main premise of this book is that every day is a story. And for this story Lyga pulled a number of headlines from the news and wrote short pieces about them. A second theme is that of what is news, and maybe even what should be news or shouldn’t. And for those of us over a certain age, all of the 12 News events will bring back memories, some stories we will recall completely, and some will just be a blip on the edge of our memory. And the final section in the story has us look back at March 15th in other years, 1916, 1917, 1952 and 1965.

“The world changes too fast and the world changes not fast enough, but the world does change.”

Now I do not live in the US, and am not American, so the fact that proceeds of this book go to the ACLU does not directly impact me. But as I have said in other reviews any chance to read more short stories by Lyga is a win in my books. I have been a fan of Lyga's work since first discovering his writings in the anthology Geektastic back in 2009. And this story is one of the best of his shorter works I have read. Lyga’s pride and appreciation for this story are well founded. And the back story about this piece is inspiring; especially Lyga’s acceptance that sometimes things do not work out even with the best of intentions.

This is a great short story and even ten years after it was written it has an intense impact! So go get it while you can and see what impact The Ideas of March has in store for you.

Books by Barry Lyga:
I Hunt Killers:
I Hunt Killers (2012)
Game - I Hunt Killers #2 (2013)
Blood of My Blood - I Hunt Killers # 3 (2014)

Every Hunter is Hunter (2026)

…

I Hunt Killers Short Stories:
Down Time (2018)
Lucky Day (2014)
Career Day (2012)
Neutral Mask (2013)
Blood Boy (2014)

…

Before the Hunt (2025)

…

Brookdale High:
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (2006)
Boy Toy (2007)
Hero Type (2008)
Goth Girl Rising (2009)
Bang (2017)

...

Archvillian:
Archvillain #1 (2010)
The Mad Mask - Archvillian #2 (2011)
Yesterday Again - Archvillian #3 (2013)

...

The Flash Series:
Hocus Pocus (2017)
Johnny Quick (2018)
Tornado Twins (2018)

…

Crossover Crisis Series:

Green Arrow's Perfect Shot (2019)

Supergirl's Sacrifice (2020)

The Legends of Forever (2021)

…

Other Books By Barry Lyga:
Graphic Novels in Your Media Center: A definitive Guide (with Alison A.W. Lyga - 2004)
Wolverine: Worst Day Ever (2009)
MangaMan (with Colleen Dorren 2011)
Unsoul'd (2013)
After The Red Rain (2015)
The Secret Sea (2016)
Thanos Titan Consumed (2018)
The Hive (2019)

...

Short Story Project 2017
The Ghosts at 95
Loving The University
The Ideas of March
Four Minutes
Pulse vs. the Killing Fiend
Her Decade
The Life Cycle of Stars (Ignition)
Bobby
Trading Worlds
When I Die
The Autopsying of Michael Edward Morgan
Meet Me Tonight
...

Contributed to:
Geektastic (2009)
Who Done It? (2013)

Author Profile and Interview with Barry Lyga
Author Profile and Interview with Randall Banner

1001 Reasons Why It's Great to be Catholic! - Robert M. Haddad

1001 Reasons Why It's Great to be Catholic!
Robert M. Haddad
Wellspring Publishing
formerly
Beacon Publishing for
Dynamic Catholic
ISBN 9781942611066
eISBN 9781942611127
ASIN B00V5GAKYY


As I was reading this book I was fascinated and could hardly put it down. It is sort of a mash up of different styles of books. Like a cross between the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley's Believe it Or Not? Or sort of like an Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, but specifically for Catholics.  Some alternate titles for this book could be:

The Catholic Bathroom Reader
1001 Things I Never Knew About the Catholic Church
Catholic Faith and Tradition Believe It Or Not

But whatever you call it this is an amazing book. I typically only read eBooks. But with the design and format of this book, I have already ordered a physical copy to leave on my bedside table so I can reread it, or just randomly flip it open and be inspired, awed, and encouraged.

This book is comprised of 10 chapters:
Chapter 1: Great Church!
Chapter 2: Great Popes!
Chapter 3: Great Councils!
Chapter 4: Great Teachings
Chapter 5: Great Prayer!
Chapter 6: Great Sacraments!
Chapter 7: Great Miracles!
Chapter 8: Great Saints!
Chapter 9: Great Beauty!
Chapter 10: Great History!
And each chapter had an overview or introduction and then it has a number of points on that specific topic.  The chapters have between 43 points - Great Church, and 171 Great Miracles.

I have a religious studies degree with a specialization in Roman Catholic Thought, and there were numerous points, in fact many points in this book that I did not know. Reading this book has sparked research and study into a dozen topics. And Likely more will come from future readings of the book. I wanted to share some of the points with you and just could not decide, so I will share the 7th point in each chapter:

7. Being the church founded by Christ, the Catholic Church is the 'body of Christ', with Christ as its head: "Christ is the head of the church, his body" (Eph. 5:23).

50. St Pontian was Pope from 230-235. Under the persecuting Emperor Maximinus Thrax he was arrested and exiled to the salt mines of Sardinia. As a result, he resigned the pontificate to allow a successor to be elected as soon as possible. Also sent to the salt mines was the anti-Pope, St Hippolytus, who on encountering St Pontian's humility, renounced his claim to the pontificate and died in full communion with the Church.

99. The First Council of Constantinople (381) re-approved the Nicene Creed and the words "consubstantial with the Father." The Council Fathers also formulated additional words to define the divinity of the Holy Spirit against the heretic Macedonius: "… the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified." In addition, the Council Fathers re-affirmed that Christ possessed a human soul (against Apollinaris) and the primacy of the See of Rome over all others. The creed emanating from this Council is the same creed recited by the faithful today.

152. In affirming belief in Adam and Eve the Catholic Church echoes St Paul who said: "For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:21-22).

302. The Catholic Church's feast days remind us that we always have someone or something to celebrate: Christmas; Easter; Pentecost; All Saints; All Souls; the Marian feasts; St Joseph; Sts Peter and Paul, etc. The list goes on and on.

428. Catholics are baptized "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit", according to Christ's command to the Apostles (Matt. 28:19).

499. Therese Neumann was a German mystic favored with visions and the stigmata, which bled on Fridays and during the final two weeks of Lent. She also received miraculous interventions on the beatification and canonization days of St Therese of the Child Jesus, curing her respectively of blindness and paralysis in 1923 and 1925. From 1927 she ate no food at all, surviving solely on daily Holy Communion until her death in 1962. No official Church statement has yet to be released concerning her.

671. Catholics recognize Mary as the "woman" whose seed shall "bruise" the "head" of the serpent (Gen. 3:15).

771. Advent Wreaths originated in Germany and comprise of a circle of evergreen foliage with four candles (three purple, one pink) lit successively over the four weeks of the season of Advent. They are meant to symbolize the coming of Christ, the "Light of the World" born in Bethlehem.

885. The Catacombs beneath Rome and elsewhere contain many tombs of early Popes, the first examples of Christian art, evidence of prayers for the dead, petitions asking deceased Christians for their prayers, and altars for the celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy - all proofs that the early pre-Constantinian church was in essence Catholic.

I hope those few samples will entice you. As mentioned this was an amazing read. It is filled with so much information. But is it also a fun and interesting read. Some of the medical miracles blew me out of the water. Some of the history I had not encountered before. I was inspired, motivated, driven to prayer, and encouraged by this collection of facts, and I believe you will be as well.

Overall just an incredible little book!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Robert M. Haddad:
1001 Reasons Why It's Great to be Catholic!
Lord of History Series
Defend the Faith!
Christ the Teacher Series, Vol. 1-4
Syrian Christians In Muslim Society: An Interpretation
The Case for Christianity: St. Justin Martyr's Arguments for Religious Liberty and Judicial Justice

Ash Wednesday Reflection - Amy Welborn from Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Lent and Easter

Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Lent and Easter 

Amy Welborn 

Liguori Publications

ISBN 9780764826870

ASIN B01N4QF53K

Note: This is the Ash Wednesday devotion from this book, posted with permission. If you like it pick up the book and journey through lent with it! I have also posted the last reflection from this book The Second Sunday of Easter. 

ASH WEDNESDAY 

Years ago— years— friends cajoled me into attending an Eagles concert in Tampa.

As the date approached, I realized when it would be happening: Ash Wednesday.

Predictably, I was seized with guilt. Me, a long-standing and— dare I say— prideful Lenten rigorist, a firm critic, for example, of my mother’s habits of serving expensive cuts of fish or dining out on Fridays while I humbly dished out beans or macaroni and cheese to my own family, here I was at a pop concert. 

Guilt mixed with something else that night— judgment— while I waited around outside the venue and watched a parade of lithe, tall, gorgeous young women climb out of limos. A surprising number of them had crosses smudged on their foreheads. Did those models realize how lucky they were to be on the receiving end of double judgment? They were evidently doing Ash Wednesday with even more panache and high style than I was but also without an ounce of shame, parading the dichotomy in front of the whole world, with me, on my high horse, remembering the Gospel: 

“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them . . .” Matthew 6: 1 

Lent seems fairly straightforward, but Ash Wednesday’s Scripture readings reflect a tension. Joel calls God’s people to a fast. It’s a loud, urgent public call for the entire people to embark on a public penitential walk. 

But then Jesus seems to tell us something different. That fast? Do it in secret. Wash your face. Smile. Pray in private. Don’t let anyone know what you’re doing. God knows. That’s enough. 

It’s a dilemma we face when we pause at the church door after Mass on Ash Wednesday. We have that cross smudged on our foreheads. Our ashes witness to our sinfulness and our trust in God’s mercy. It’s good for us to publicly admit it, good for the world to see. 

But Jesus says what he says, and so my hand reaches up to my forehead, tissue in hand. Do I wipe it off? Should it stay? 

Wherever I find myself at Lent’s beginning these days, my first step is to accept that tension. I live in the world. The world needs Jesus. We are his witnesses. But Jesus tells me, repent, witness, pray, and give while fasting from the most deadly thing of all: pride. 

"Yet even now— oracle of the LORD— return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God." Joel 2: 12– 13

Books by Amy Welborn:

Reconciled to God Daily Lenten Devotions
Wish You Were Here: Travels Through Loss and Hope
A Catholic Woman's Book of Days
de-Coding Da Vinci: The Facts Behind the Fiction of the Da Vinci Code
Loyola Kids Book of Saints
Loyola Kids Book of Heroes: Stories of Catholic Heroes and Saints throughout History
Here. Now. a Catholic Guide to the Good Life
The Words We Pray
Praying the Rosary: With the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries
Decoding Mary Magdalene: Truth, Legend, and Lies
Come Meet Jesus: An Invitation from Pope Benedict XVI
Be Saints! An Invitation from Pope Benedict XVI
Friendship with Jesus: Pope Benedict XVI talks to Children on Their First Holy Communion
Mary and the Christian Life: Scriptural Reflections on the First Disciple
Adventures in Assisi: On the Path with St. Francis: On the Path with St. Francis
Prepare Him Room: Advent Family Devotions
Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Lent and Easter 

Parables: Stories of the Kingdom
The Absence of War

Relatable and Authentic, Transparent, So Real

All Will Be Well

Nothing Else Occurs To Me

A Reason for Everything

Hope: An Anchor for the Soul 30 Daily Devotions 

Wonders of His Love: Family Devotions and Activities for Advent 

With Your Whole Heart: Family Devotions and Activities for Lent 

No Greater Love Stations of the Cross for Young People

John Paul II's Biblical Way of the Cross 

The Biblical Way of the Cross 

The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ to Your Life (Editor)

...

Prove It Series:
Prove It! God
Prove It! Church
Prove It! Jesus
Prove It! Prayer
Prove It! You
Prove It! The Catholic Teen Bible

...

Exodus 90 Take 2 - Prayer, Asceticism, and Brotherhood

Exodus 90

A 90 Day program for Christian men with a focus on Prayer, Asceticism, and Brotherhood. From Those Catholic Men.

This is a time to refocus, a time to make gains in the spiritual disciplines and the physical disciplines. For me that means 90 days of:

No television.
No sugar and sweets.
No alcohol.
No meat on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Daily Rosary.
Daily exercise.

From the Exodus 90 website:

"Exodus 90: The Purpose

The goal of Exodus is to achieve the freedom necessary to fully engage the love of God and the love of neighbor. Exodus is based on a challenging 90-day period of purification, a dying to self, which is supported by a fraternity of like-minded men for greater interior freedom and, eventually, a more purified and selfless love.

Most importantly Exodus is for men who have difficulty finding God and desire to radically unite himself to his Heavenly Father. Exodus is not a program of penance and self-abasement. It is a program for men who seek, together, to strive for more-perfect FREEDOM. This is the cornerstone of the exercise and much will be lost if that is forgotten."

When you register for the Exodus 90 program you get a 30-page manual and 90 days of emails direct to your inbox. Each email has a scripture passage, a meditation, an action list and links to supporting articles.

An special thanks to Dr. Taylor Marshall and Jared Zimmerer who mentioned this program on The Maccabee Society Podcast a number of months back, and who made it through their 90 day journey.

This is my commitment for the next 90 days, discipline and working out for the body, the mind and the spirit!

This is also my second attempt at the Exodus 90 Program. One of the goals of the program is to start together and finish together. Each time a member of the fraternity falls, the whole group restarts at Day 1. The first time I tried to do this by the 6th time we had to restart in under 6 weeks everyone had quite. So I am starting again on Ash Wednesday with a new crew! The 4 of us have each others backs and will see this through to the end.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

Exodus 90 Articles:
Exodus 90 My Commitment
Exodus 90 My Commitment - Take 2
Exodus 90 at Day 30
Exercise Update
Exodus 90 at Day 60
Exodus 90 at Day 90
What's Next After Exodus 90

Lenten Reading 2017

Lenten Reading 2017

This year I am changing it up a bit. I am not doing any devotions that are year specific for 2017. I have chosen 3 daily reading books, one for morning, one for afternoon and one for evening. I have also chosen 1 audio resource and my last selection this year for lent if the Catholic Answers 20 Book Challenge.

In Conversation With God Volume #2 Lent and Eastertide

Francis Fernandez
ISBN 0906138205
Scepter Press
ISBN 0906138191

In Conversation with God Volume 2 Part 1 Lent and Holy Week
ASIN B006GHNB66
In Conversation with God Volume 2 Part 2 Eastertide
ASIN B006IGQL0I

This volume spans the time from Ash Wednesday to Pentecost Sunday. Therefore this book will lead you through Lent, Easter and the 5 weeks of Easter leading up to Pentecost. If you cannot afford the whole set, start with this volume and the Advent and Christmastide volume, then add the others over time. It is usually cheaper to buy the boxed set but sometimes that amount of money is not available up front. You can read my full review of this book here. And these are now available in ebooks. The eBook edition is split into 2 volumes.

Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Lent and Easter 

Amy Welborn 

Liguori Publications

ISBN 9780764826870

ASIN B01N4QF53K

I have read Amy's Reconciled to God Daily Lenten Devotions, and her contributions in other devotionls. I am looking forward to reading this new offering from her. The Description of this volume is "This Lent and Easter season, author Amy Welborn shares her own struggles and triumphs of trying to live Lent and Easter spirituality year-round. She shares how small moments of frustration can turn into small lessons of grace. We carry our own crosses alongside Jesus this season. But as we drop worldly concerns to pick up our cross, we may realize our burden has actually been lightened."

40 Days to Mercy:

A Jubilee Year Lenten Devotion

Michael Gaitley

Marian Press

ISBN 9781596143364

This devotion was written for a specific year, last year in fact. But I did not really get into Father Gaitley's writings until after that point. I will be doing book the book and audio version of this devotion.

Catholic Answers 20 Book Challenge

This series comprises 20 Books, 20 Topics, and 20 Questions on different aspects of Catholicism or Catholic answers to other religions. I recently read a challenge to read all 20 books in this series over lent. I was originally planning on reading them over a year, but after reading this volume I am up for the challenge. To read them all over lent would be about 25 pages of reading a day. Here is the list of books in this series.

So As you can see between doing the Exodus 90 and the above reading it might be a pretty good thing that I gave up TV as part of the Exodus 90. Looking forward to growing through discipline this lent. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

Related Articles:
Advent Reading 2012
Thinking About Lent 2015
Advent 2015 Reading Plan

Other Article or Books on Lent:
Lent 2014 Some Reflections
Reconciled to God Daily Lenten Devotions - Amy Welborn
Magnificat Lenten Companion 2012
Lenten Preparation 2007
Holy Week Reflections 2007
Lent Readings 2006
The Way of the Cross Part II - Reviews of 5 more version
The Way of the Cross Part I - Reviews of 5 different versions

40 Days, 40 Ways: A New Look at Lent - Marcellino D'Ambrosios

Rediscover Lent - Matthew Kelly

Welcome Risen Jesus - Sarah A. Reinhard

Lenten Meditations with Fulton J. Sheen - Fulton J. Sheen

Catholic Answers the 20 Book Challenge - Lent 2017

20 Book Challenge

20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers 

I started this year with 19 books left from my 2016 Catholic Reading Plan, over the year I had added another 35, and since the beginning of this year I added another 15. So before I even started looking at these books I had 69 Catholic books in my 2017 Reading Plan to be read pile! But after seeing a post about this 20 book challenge and reading the first one, I am hooked.

This is an amazing series of books being offered at a 50% discount through the end of Lent 2017. But the challenge is to read the 20 books in the 20 Answers series over Lent. That is right you can get all 20 physical books or all 20 ebooks for just $34.95! 

This series comprises 20 Books, 20 Topics, and 20 Questions on different aspects of Catholicism or Catholic answers to other religions. I recently read a challenge to read all 20 books in this series over lent. I was originally planning on reading them over a year, but after reading this volume I am up for the challenge. To read them all over lent would be about 25 pages of reading a day. Here is the list of books in this series.

20 Answers Series:
20 Answers Abortion - Trent Horn
20 Answers Angels & Demons - Fr. Mike Driscoll
20 Answers Atheism - Matt Fradd
20 Answers Death & Judgement - Trent Horn
20 Answers Divorce & Remarriage - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers End of Life - Jason Negri
20 Answers Faith & Science - Trent Horn
20 Answers God - Trent Horn
20 Answers Islam - Andrew Blezad
20 Answers Jehovah's Witnesses - Trent Horn
20 Answers Mary - Tim Staples
20 Answers Miracles - Karlo Broussard
20 Answers Mormonism - Trent Horn
20 Answers Salvation - Jimmy Akin
20 Answers Scripture and Tradition - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers The Bible - Trent Horn
20 Answers The Eucharist - Trent Horn
20 Answers The Papacy - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers The Real Jesus - Trent Horn
20 Answers The Church - Trent Horn
20 Answers Witchcraft & the Occult - Michelle Arnold
20 Answers Apparitions & Revelations - Michael O'Neill
20 Answers Bible Prophecy - Jimmy Akin
20 Answers Homosexuality - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers The Reformation - Steve Weidenkopf
20 Answers The Sacraments - Fr. Mike Driscoll
20 Answers Bioethics - Stacy A. Trasancos
20 Answers Conversion - Shaun McAfee
20 Answers Faith and Works - Jimmy Akin

20 Answers: Relics & Sacramentals - Shaun McAfee

20 Answers: The Communion of Saints - Karlo Broussard

20 Answers Eastern Catholicism - Father Daniel Dozier 

20 Answers Anti-Catholic Myths - Jimmy Akin

20 Answers The End Times - Jimmy Akin

20 Answers The Rosary - Tom Nash

20 Answers Seasons & Feasts – Michelle Arnold

20 Answers New Age -  Michelle Arnold

20 Answers Catholic Social Teaching – Mark Brumley

20 Answers Prayer – Hugh Barbour O. Praem and Sebastian Walshe O. Praem

20 Answers Faith & Reason – Christopher Kaczor

20 Answers The New Testament – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Protestantism – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Marriage & Sex – Todd Aglialoro

20 Answers The Early Church – Jim Blackburn

20 Answers The Old Testament – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Judaism – Michelle Arnold

20 Answers The Sacraments – Father Mike Driscoll

20 Answers St Thomas Aquinas - Dr. Kevin Vost

... 

I really look forward to reading the rest of the 20 Answers series! And I challenge you to take the challenge this lent!

Are You Ready To Take The 20 Answers Challenge?

Here's How It Works:

Here’s how the challenge works – When you purchase the Sampler of all 20 books in the 20 Answers Series, we’re going to knock the price in half – And we’re challenging YOU to finish them all this Lent and Easter season.

Then we’re going to take $10 from each set purchased and provide materials to our friends at St. Paul Street Evangelization so they can do what they do best – Hit the streets and share the Catholic Faith – That’s $10 from every set you purchase – Going to help our fellow workers in the vineyard.

You win – St. Paul Street Evangelization wins – the Catholic Church wins – That’s a win-win-win – Together we can be part of something great!

Take the Challenge - Order your set today!

Note: This is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

Update 2017-04-11: I finished the #20AnswersChallenge with a few days to spare.

Other Books from Catholic Answers:
Hard Sayings: A Catholic Approach to Answering Bible Difficulties - Trent Horn
A Daily Defense: Apologetics Lessons for Every Day - Jimmy Akin
The Apostasy That Wasn't: The Extraordinary Story of the Unbreakable Early Church - Rod Bennett
Answering Atheism - How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity - Trent Horn
Persuasive Pro Life: How to Talk About Our Culture's Toughest Issue - Trent Horn and Fr Frank Pavone
The Protestant's Dilemma: How the Reformation's Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism - Devin Rose
Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines - Tim Staples
Handed Down: The Catholic Faith of the Early Christians - James L. Papandrea
Demons, Deliverance, Discernment: Separating Fact from Fiction about the Spirit World - Fr. Mike Driscoll
Navigating the Tiber: How to Help Your Friends and Family Journey Toward the Catholic Faith - Devin Rose
100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura - Dave Armstrong
The Drama of Salvation: How God Rescues You from Your Sins and Brings You to Eternal Life - Jimmy Akin
The Truth is Out There (Brendan and Erc in Exile Book 1 - Brother Amadeus and Amadeus
Memorize the Reasons! Defending the Faith with the Catholic Art of Memory - Kevin Vost
Marching Orders: A Tactical Plan for Converting the World to Christ - Dan McGuire
The Fathers Know Best - Jimmy Akin

Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love - Trent Horn
The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did - Eric Sammons
What the Saints Never Said - Trent Horn
...

Diadem of Death - B.R. Myers - The Nefertari Hughes Mystery Series #2

Diadem of Death
The Nefertari Hughes Mystery Series #2
B.R. Myers
Blue Moon Publishers
ISBN 9781988279497
eISBN 9781988279503


Sometimes it is a little strange reading books before they are in print. And it get's a little stranger when there are two books in a series and neither have been released yet. When I opted to get these books to review them I was intrigued by the covers and the write ups about the books. The first book starts with Terry's rule for keeping a low profile at school. This book starts with action and the intrigue just build's from there.

The description of the book is: "Nefertari "Terry" Hughes is looking forward to spending the school break with her boyfriend, but when her archaeologist father announces he's working on a project that will take him to Egypt, all hopes of having a romantic summer are buried.

Terry accompanies her father to Alexandria where she's reunited with her first crush, Awad-all grown up and an expert in translating hieroglyphics. He confides that the team is in a race to find Cleopatra's lost tomb before a secret band of rebels steals Egypt's last Pharaoh and her diadem.

But sabotage and a deadly accident put everyone on high alert, and Terry isn't sure whom to trust. As the line between ally and enemy begins to blur, Terry has to keep her wits about her and figure out who wants the diadem badly enough to kill."

But that does not do the action, intrigue and mystery in this book justice. This book is action packed from the get go. Terry - Nefertari Hughes has super powers, they were given when she accepted the role of protector. So in the opening sequence when she is at a convenience store and there is a robbery she decides to end it. But she doesn't know there is a second assailant. So the book begins with a big bang and the excitement heats up from there.

With the trip back to Egypt, a place she never expected to go after the accident that killed her mother and damaged her leg. Terry's separation from and break up with Zach because of being apart for 6 months and he will be in college when she returns. But from the get go things in Egypt are complicated. There are rumours that the dig is cursed. There have been a number of incidents and they seem to really start escalating after Terry, her father and her friends arrive. And suddenly her powers disappear. And it could not be at a worse time. 

But to find out if Terry can figure out the clues to unlock Cleopatra's tomb, and if she can get out of all the trouble she finds herself in you will need to read the book!

This book was a great read. The development of the characters really progresses. The plot moves at a pretty quick pace. And I hope we will see Terry and gang again soon. For the meddling of her and her friends have spoiled the plans of two bad guys so far, how many more mysteries they will solve.

Books by B.R. Myers:
Butterflies Don't Lie
Girl on the Run
Cursed
…

Nefertari Hughes Mystery Series:
ASP of Ascension
Diadem of Death
Medallion of Murder
Relic of Revenge
…

Night Shift Series:
Night Shift
Black Firday

…