jbronderbookreviews

Camp 80 by Lee DuCote

Fiction Humor

Date Published: 8/22/2016

Publisher: Grave Distractions Publication

What do you get when six retirees attend an orientation trip before moving into Cedar Branch Retirement Community?  A week of outlandish fiasco’s, hilarious revenge, memorable tears, and most important . . . laughter.  Derrick St. Clair, a social worker for CBC, has led many trips for the eccentric community but never experienced a trip like this.  One thing, of many, that Derrick didn’t expect was to fall in love with co-worker Katlyn Rose and while his mind is occupied the six seniors plan their own trip from stealing the van to seeking revenge on three disrespectful young men.

With a lady’s man from Manhattan, two kooky sisters from Arkansas, a grumpy husband from Alabama, and a quiet little man from Atlanta this week is one for the books.  So take a trip with Cedar Branch and fall in love with the characters that now reside in the number one retirement community in the south.  Who knows, you just might make plans to move in.

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Author’s Bio

After graduating from high school in 1989 and attending one year at NLU I decided (actually my parents did) I wasn’t ready for college, so I did what every 19 year old kid does….I moved to the Marshal Islands in the mid pacific.  After a few years I came home, meet my wife and settle down for a short bit.  I worked construction, opening my own sporting goods store, became a full-time fireman, opened a candle manufacturing company, and even rodeo for a short term.  Just not at the same time.  In 2003 we moved to Franklin TN were I sold fire trucks until 2010 and moved to Arkansas.  Since here in the Ozark Mountains I have written eight novels and currently working on my ninth, a new adult novel.  So that’s me in a quick whirl wind.  And yes, if you check out my web site or social media you will see me with our pet raccoons, Tucker and Otter.

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My Review

5 stars

Cedar Branch Retirement community is facing some problems, they are about to close because of bankruptcy. But it will take three weeks to find out for sure. Since there are a couple new residence on the way Derrick, Kat and Simon are given the job to keep them entertained. They create the Camp 80 for the future residence and a plan.

The beginning of the story is a bit heartbreaking as you read about several people leaving their lives and getting ready to move into this assisted living home. My heart especial broke for Gerald who lost his wife Doris a year earlier. But as the Camp 80 proceeds, you learn that these old people have a lot more going than most people give them credit for. They get into all kinds of antics as they are taken to museums, flat tires, swamps and much more. It’s also quite funny to watch Derrick and Kat start having feelings for each other and how the rest of the crew start “helping” to get them together.

I have to say my favorite characters were June and Violet, the twin, crazy sisters. Violet has this thing about weight distribution in vehicles that will make you laugh and I loved what happened to their lawyer. I can see me becoming a combination of the sisters.

If you are looking for a great, laugh out loud story, look no further. This book will lighten up your worst day.

I received Camp 80 from Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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The Skeleton Code: A Satirical Guide to Secret Keeping

by Ken Massey and Alla Campanella

Early in life, we learn to exaggerate our positive personal qualities and hide or deny our failures and weaknesses. The Skeleton Code is a satirical and humorous look at the many ways we protect our public personas by closeting our personal secrets, an ultimately self-deluding way of life. As a parody of the self-help success genre, the book presents facetious strategies about how to cover up our silly and scandalous secrets before turning to The Skeleton Cure.”

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Author’s Bios

Ken Massey is a public speaker, author, humorist and minister enjoying the second and truer half of life. He holds two graduate theological degrees and is trained as a life coach, conflict manager and transition specialist. He enjoys golf, and traveling, but finds his greatest fulfillment helping other people discover their true worth as human beings. Ken, a native Texan, loves the beauty and the people of North Carolina, where he and Alla reside.

Alla Campanella, after traveling throughout the world, has lived in the US since 1992. A longtime student of the arts and humanities, she enjoys her work as an artist and photographer. Alla was inspired to write this book because she heard so many personal and painful secrets from her clients about their failures and foibles and wanted them to face these realities rather than hide from them.

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My Review

5 Stars

Everyone has secrets or skeletons in the closet, some are little and some are quite big. But the thing to remember about skeletons is that everyone loves to hear about them except their own skeletons. So how do we keep those skeletons from creeping out? This book goes into different methods that one could use. With titles such as Dress for Diversion, Take the Offensive, Plausible Deniability, and others you will find the best way to keep your own skeletons locked up tight.

We all have secrets, little or big, that we don’t want getting out. This book talks about different people and things that they have hidden, which I have to say make my little secrets look petty, but I can understand some of them. I had to laugh at all the instructions. I swear this is more what people do in real life to ignore things rattling around in their heads. Some of them are sad but others I had to laugh about.

The first one got me. A husband and wife have been together for 5 years and have come to hate each other. One recommendation was to go to many events together that way you can evade with your other half. Ridiculous right?!

But the last portion of the book is the best. It’s easier to keep secrets when you don’t have any. Kinds of like how my mom used to tell me about shutting the barn door after the horses have escaped. Take care of things from the start and you won’t have to worry about your skeletons creeping out.

This is a good laugh for those that can laugh about the silly things people do.

I received The Skeleton Code from iRead Book Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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