BOOK REVIEW: "Discretion" by Allison Leotta

Allison Leotta's second novel does not disappoint. It's every bit as thrilling as her first book, "Law of Attraction."

Her work is so descriptive and contemporary and well-written and plausible.

First rate - once you pick it up, you won't want to put it down - literally. I almost missed my stop on the train a couple of mornings.


From Amazon.com:


"When a beautiful young woman plummets to her death from the balcony of the U.S. Capitol, Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Curtis is summoned to the scene. The evidence points to a sexual assault and murder. The victim is one of the city’s highest-paid escorts. And the balcony belongs to Washington, D.C.’s sole representative to Congress, the most powerful figure in city politics.

The Congressman proclaims his innocence, but he’s in the middle of a tough primary fight, and the scandal could cost him the election. For Anna, the high-profile case is an opportunity. But as the political stakes rise, she realizes that a single mistake could end her career.

At the same time, her budding romance with Jack Bailey, the chief homicide prosecutor, is at a crossroads. Determined to gain respect in the office, Anna wants to keep their relationship under wraps. But the mounting pressure and media attention that come with the office’s most important case will inevitably expose their relationship—if it doesn’t destroy it first."


www.allisonleotta.com

Summer Reading: "Creole Belle" by JAMES LEE BURKE - On Sale July 17, 2012

Call me crazy but there is nothing that relaxes me like a good mystery.

Super excited about the latest in the "Dave Robicheaux Series" by James Lee Burke.

"Creole Belle" is set for release on Tuesday, July 17, 2012.

From Amazon:

"Languishing in a recovery unit on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, Dave Robicheaux is fighting an enemy more insidious than the one who put a bullet in his back a month earlier in a shootout on Bayou Teche. The morphine meant to dull his pain is steadily gnawing away at his resolve, playing tricks on his mind, and luring him back into the addict mentality that once threatened to destroy his life and family.
With the soporific Indian summer air wafting through the louvered shutters of his hospital room, and the demons fighting for space in his head, Dave can’t be sure whether his latest visitor is flesh and blood or a spectral reminder of his Louisiana youth. Tee Jolie Melton, a young woman with a troubled past, glides to his bedside and leaves him with an iPod that plays the old country blues song “My Creole Belle.”

What Dave doesn’t know is that Tee Jolie disappeared weeks ago, and no one believes she reappeared to comfort an old man with a bullet wound. Dave becomes obsessed with the song and the vivid memory of Tee Jolie, and when he learns that her sister has turned up dead inside a block of ice floating in the Gulf, he believes that putting the evils of the past to rest is more urgent than ever before.

Meanwhile, an oil spill in the Gulf brings back intense feelings for Dave of losing his father to a rig explosion years ago. As the oil companies continue to risk human lives in pursuit of wealth and power, Dave begins to see links to the Melton sisters, even when no one else shares his suspicions. Dave’s expartner Clete Purcel helps him search for Tee Jolie, though Clete fears for his friend’s mental health and safety. But Clete has his own troubles, too; he’s discovered an illegitimate daughter who may be working as a contract killer—and may have set her sights on someone he loves.

Creole Belle is a resurrection story for the ages, with James Lee Burke at the peak of his masterful career and Dave Robicheaux facing his most intense and personal battle yet, against the known and unknown forces that corrupt and destroy even the best of men."


If you're not hip to James Lee Burke, all I can say is - you've got some reading to catch up on!!!

(Can't wait to read this one and review it for you!)

They're BACK! Balance Bar ORIGINAL Recipe Caramel Nut Blast!!

Some days at the office are "nuttier" than others. Which is why I was so excited to see that Balance Bar has brought back their ORIGINAL Recipe Caramel Nut Blast Bar.

Pick up two or three or four and keep them in your desk drawer. BREAK open in case of emergency (when you need a blast of nutrition and energy).

These are so much tastier than most nutrition bars.

You'll feel like you're getting away with something, but you're not. They're an excellent source of Antioxidants and 23 other vitamins and minerals.

Take a Balance Bar Break. You deserve it.

www.balancebar.com




*(Balance Bar provided me with free samples of the Caramel Nut Blast for purposes of preparing this review)

"Binder Girl" - Could This Be You?

Talk about the ever-changing role of the legal secretary.

Did you ever make so many binders in your life? What's up with that.

In 1999, the "word on the street" was that in five years, the law office would be paperless. Would somebody mind telling my attorneys?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining - well, sort of. I like knowing the documents and the cases, but what happened to the days when binders and document management was part of the paralegal role? I guess clients don't want to be billed for such tasks these days.

So, add one more thing to my laundry list of things to do.

Yes, yes, yes, I'm very glad to have a job. And I do enjoy my work. Most of the time.

But binders make me paranoid. And what about when you have those tabs going the wrong way. That always gets my boss ticked off. Then next thing you know, there's your review with the word "BINDERS" written all over it.

And what about those binder covers? I mean, is there really a right or a wrong way? And don't you just hate the secretaries who swear that the attorneys like their covers the best? I mean, really - a cover? Isn't it what's inside that counts?

This binder world is constantly evolving and has morphed into a classification all its own.

Can't I just "take a letter?"

"Swimming in the Steno Pool" by Lynn Peril

After reading Lynn Peril's book (author of "Pink Think" and "College Girls"), you will probably never look at yourself or your fellow secretaries the same way. The illustrations and retro ads alone will either make you laugh or spike your boss's coffee (just kidding - don't do that).

Her humorous, yet incredibly factual, "Swimming in the Steno Pool" (A Retro Guide to Making It In The Office) might make you want to actually give your boss a present on "Boss's Day."

To quote the old cigarette ad, "We've come a long way, baby."

I've always considered being a secretary an honest living and a good way to support one's self. It takes more than just a pretty face. Lucky for me. Unfortunately, it hasn't always been that way.

Lynn Peril starts from the beginning and brings you all the way to where we are now -which is a darn sight farther from where we've been.

"Yours truly" learned to type on an IBM Selectric (TM). Yes, I was a baby typist :)

(Did you even know there is a retirement home for secretaries?)

Available at amazon.com

Book Review: "Wallflower In Bloom" by Claire Cook

Deirdre Griffin lives her life in the shadow of her famous brother. She works for him, works with her family, and even lives on her brother’s property; her life is not her own. In a moment of unexpected bravery, she becomes a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. She enters seeking her own moment in the spotlight, but instead finds herself along the way. has given her main character many of the self-doubts and confusions many of us have felt in our lives. Deirdre’s leap of faith proves not only to change her outlook on her life, but gives her the power and confidence she needs to finally go from being the family’s “wallflower” to a Wallflower in Bloom. I found this book to be thoroughly enjoyable, with laugh out loud scenarios and warm, tender moments.

(Reviewed by Pamela N.)

Are Notaries More Valuable At Work?

A friend contacted me and asked me whether or not I knew if notaries received extra compensation from law firms.

Good question. No clue. I'm not a notary.

When I was interested in becoming a notary, it was very early in my career, I was not working in the legal field, and I was eager to add more skills to my resume.

It's always a smart idea to make yourself more marketable, right? But, does having a notary public license make you more marketable or valuable to your firm?

I've heard "rumors" that some firms offer an annual "stipend" shall we say for the secretaries who perform notary work in the office. I'm also told that some firms offer no additional compensation.

I know that the office notaries do tend to provide services for work that is not firm-related. Perhaps the individual pays them out of their own pocket for their service?

I'd love to know. If you're a notary, in a law firm, does your company provide additional compensation? Leave an "anonymous" comment.

Inquiring minds want to know.

And, if you're interested in becoming a notary, here's a link that will point you in the right direction.


www.nationalnotary.org