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Finding Home by Diana DeRicci My rating: 5 of 5 stars Sometimes, I like a feel good story. Diana DeRicci's story, Finding Home, starts out rough for our main character, Parker. He's gotten the crap kicked out of him by life. Sometimes, pride is all a person has left but Parker takes the ride and the $20 offered to him by a well-meaning older man. Even more amazingly... just a short time later, he takes the help offered by a local gay couple, one of which is a local cop, to stick around for a while. People pop up to help Parker settle in to Jasper. No one offers him a handout after the initial effort of the ride and a bit of money for food, but they certainly offer him a hand up. I loved the realism of the struggles Parker faces as he begins to stand on his own two feet once more. Diana could've given us a pat romance device of uniting Parker with his first love, and the reason for his journey on the road, but she's a better writer than that. I loved the interweaving of Parker's past life and people from it with the connections he was making in the present with Ian and Caleb's families. I adored Summer, as we were meant to, of course. Okay, so the plot moves a bit fast for all the changes and the emotional leaps for the characters. I'd have enjoyed more story and getting to know Parker and his romantic interest more as a couple. That, however, is exactly what every really good story I read leaves me wanting. I know as an author that isn't always the way it works, but as a reader, I WANT! lol All in all, I definitely recommend reading this story! Oh, and I read this outside of the series, having never read the first or second, and had no troubles keeping up with the story as a stand alone. I'm sure I might have been more familiar with a few of the other characters had I read it after them, but it wasn't necessary. View all my reviews

Well the blog title asks the question, so it too early to talk about Christmas? I hope not, but then this isn't necessarily what you think it's about. This isn't about my Christmas, well may be it is in a way, or even your Christmas, It's about what I and many other people have been doing lately and how it affects Christmas for others. Some of you may know that I volunteer with a local organisation that supports homeless people, as I'm currently not face to face with our clients I carry out many of the admin duties. The last few days have been taken up with end of month admin which is a pain, but for the last few weeks I've doing the rounds with the begging bowl approaching businesses that support us on a regular basis and others that I hope will support us. It's been a hard slog, the financial crisis that we are affected by has also affected many businesses, some of our support has been cut back and a few businesses that did support us have gone out of business, I'm hoping that some of the other businesses will come on board. You are no doubt wondering why I am posting this, well the answer is simple really, I'm rattling the begging bowl. No I'm not asking anyone to send me anything, so let's get that clear. Like I have already said I know that the current financial crisis has affected most of us and that is not good. But the same financial crisis has affected others far more seriously, the truth is many are now living below the poverty line, some have lost their jobs and others have lost their homes. It's not just adults that have been affected by this, there are many children suffering too. What I'm asking is can you help? If you can in whatever small way it is please look within your own community and/or look up local charities that help those in need in your area and contribute whatever you can. Even if it's only a few pounds/dollars it will help, if your local supermarket has a collection point for food for a local food bank any extra tins or packets of food will help them to help those that need it. All charitable organisations are struggling those in need so any donations will be gratefully accepted. Even all you can give is some of your time that's more than okay, volunteers are just as valuable. If you cannot afford to do so please don't feel bad, just do your best to get by, there is help out there if you need it. Thank you for reading this and if are in a position to help one of your local charities, on their behalf I thank you in advance.