The Golf Miracle Trilogy by James Patterson – Book Reviews

Featuring Travis McKinley

American author James Patterson has written almost 50 books in his best-selling writing career, many in series starring continuing characters who have become favorites of readers everywhere.

About a dozen years ago I picked up a small, quick-read book about a character who liked to play golf. I can't really say why I chose this book because I am not a golfer; in fact, have never even been on a golf course in my life.  But I like most of James Patterson's books and this was one I had not read. And I have golfers in my family and once lived in Augusta, Georgia (home of the Masters Golf Tournament), so a golf story wasn't that far away from the subjects I usually read.  

The book was “Miracle on the 17th Green”. Reading it, I became absolutely entranced, liking the story and the character (Travis McKinley) very much. It is a 'feel-good' type of story that leaves you with a sense of wonder. 

Shortly after finishing the book, my brother-in-law was visiting our home. George is about as close as you can come to a non-reader ~ someone who seldom reads anything more than an occasional magazine. But he is a golfer, so I gave him this book to read, thinking he might enjoy it.  Well, he couldn't stop reading and finished the book in a single afternoon. Even if you don't enjoy reading books, this one will capture your attention and give you pleasure. 

The feeling that book gave me stayed with me over the years and I was delighted to discover that James Patterson went on to write two more books in the 'Miracle' golf series.  I have now read all three and the synopses of this trilogy follow:

Miracle on the 17th Green

Miracle on the 17th Green

Travis McKinley is a middle-aged man whose life has reached a strange point. His job is about to be down-sized, leaving him out of work, plus he has been feeling an uncomfortable and distant disconnect with his wife and children. 

On Christmas Day Travis decides to play a round of golf while he thinks about the direction of his life. Something amazing happens that day on the course. He suddenly finds himself “in the zone”, playing like a pro for the first time ever. This becomes the beginning of an incredible adventure where Travis tries out for and is selected to play golf as an amateur on the Senior Tour.  As the tour continues, he finds himself qualified for and playing in the Senior Open at Pebble Beach where he advances to the final round. The miracle that takes place changes Travis and his family forever.

Miracle at Augusta

Miracle at Augusta

A year ago, Travis was an unknown golfing amateur. After winning the PGA Senior Open at Pebble Beach, he is now famous and makes his living playing the game he loves.  Everything should be perfect, but Travis wonders if he is an impostor who doesn't deserve his success, especially after a series of disappointments. 

Travis gets a shot at redemption in an unexpected way, in the form of a troubled teenage outcast with a natural golf swing. This unlikely duo set out to achieve the impossible at the famous Augusta National, home of the Masters Golf Tournament. They are about to learn that sometimes the greatest miracles take place when no one is watching. 

Miracle at St. Andrews

Miracle at St. Andrews

Travis McKinley has immensely enjoyed being a professional golfer on the Senior Tour. But there is a complication. To retain your playing privileges, a golfer has to finish in the top thirty-one on the money list.

Finishing the tour with a thirty-three, Travis is now off the tour and feels he is an amateur at golf and at the rest of his life. Therefore, he and his family decide to make a pilgrimage to Scotland to visit his Scottish McKinley roots and to see the mythical greens at St. Andrews, known worldwide as the home of golf. What happens next is as much a miracle as the first “eagle” Travis ever scored. 

“On the course where golf was born, sacred ground to every golfer, even an ordinary man, an ordinary player, can achieve a higher plane.”

Summary

Author James Patterson quoted to the New York Times about his Golf Miracle series:

“There is no other sport where somebody who's average at best can hit absolutely magical shots on occasion.”

Stated on the jacket of Miracle at St. Andrews:

“If golf novels had a leaderboard, Miracle at St. Andrews would be at the top.”

Golfer or non-golfer, the James Patterson Miracle Golf Trilogy will delight readers.

James Patterson's Miracle Golf Series

(c) Written by Wednesday Elf - 9/28/2019

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Rainbrella Golf Umbrella and Grabber Hand Warmers Review

Source: Pixabay

It was a quite chilly and very rainy Saturday with the youth baseball tournament games in full swing. With no time for make-up games, the games had to be played. This resulted in wet & chilly ball players and even wetter parents in the stands and on the sidelines.

I was working at Ace Hardware in our small Iowa community that day. As the wet morning wore on, we were inundated with parents coming in to purchase umbrellas and hand warmers.  Before noon, we had completely sold out of the Rainbrella Golf umbrellas and the Grabber Hand Warmers. 

Rainbrella Golf Umbrella

Rainbrella Golf Umbrella

These large umbrellas by Rainbrella (available in 42 inch and 60 inch diameter) are perfect for golf outings and any other sporting event (such as our local youth baseball tournament). The umbrellas are multi-colored and collapsible. 

Large umbrellas can definitely save the day and these Rainbrella umbrellas were much appreciated by the kids and parents alike at the ball park on this particular day. 

Grabber Hand Warmers

Grabber Hand Warmers

An assistant coach to one baseball team came in to Ace and bought dozens of 2-pair packages of the Grabber Hand Warmers for the kids sitting in the dugouts waiting for their turn at bat and on the field.  He told me the boys' hands were freezing and he needed to keep them warm so they could play.

These portable heat in the palm of your hand Air-activated Grabber Hand Warmers keep hands and fingers toasty for over 7 hours. No shaking or kneading required; just open the package and put the Warmers in your glove or pocket for a few minutes to start the process. All Grabber Warmers are designed for one-time, disposable use. 

Summary

While the umbrellas and hand warmers worked out well for our youth baseball games, they are also very handy for other outdoor sporting events such as football games. Plus, they are perfect for hunters and fishermen on similar cold and wet days. So best to stock up ahead of time and not wait until bad weather forces a run on them.  Since we were the only store in our small town carrying these umbrellas and hand warmers, we sold out quickly. 

These products are available in a number of places, such as Ace Hardware, Walmart and online at Amazon.

Quick Links:

• Ace Hardware
• Amazon
• Walmart

(c) Wednesday Elf Review 9/14/2019

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Field of Dreams Travel Review

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Thirty years ago, the Universal Studios movie Field of Dreams was released. It was a film about baseball, but, more than that, it was a magical fairy tale for anyone who has a dream they wish would come true. 

The movie makers used the century-old Lansing Family Farm location in Dyersville, Iowa, located 30 minutes west of Dubuque and two and a half hours from Des Moines. 

After the movie was done, the baseball field the main character (Kevin Costner) creates in his corn field (because of a message he receives “If you build it, he will come”) was kept by the property owners and turned into a tourist attraction. 

To this day, you can visit the Field of Dreams for free, bring your ball, bat & glove and play baseball on the field or watch a pick-up game from the stands. 

August is the best time to visit because the corn field behind the baseball diamond is at it's tallest and fullest prior to the Fall harvest. 

Our Visit to Field of Dreams

The year after the movie was released in 1989, we visited Dyersville, Iowa and saw the Field of Dreams. This past week August 2019) we returned for another visit. It was just as enchanting as it was the first time. Especially for this baseball fan who loves the movie. 

A few changes have been made over the years. The original owners sold out to another owner who later sold the rights to the area to 'Go the Distance' Baseball, which has owned and preserved the site since December 2012.   A gift shop has been added (I bought a T-Shirt that says “Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa” (another iconic line from the movie), which brings in operating revenue for maintaining the site. The original house, in which several scenes were filmed, is now available to rent for the night. Plus, Go the Distance has hosted several events, such as the “Ghost Players game”, and have more events planned. Under this new ownership, attendance has nearly doubled to over 100,000 visitors a year. 

Our Day at Field of Dreams in Photos

Field of Dreams Outfield

Visitors  playing pick-up baseball
on the Field of Dreams

Wednesday Elf on the Pitcher's Mound

Field of Dreams view from the Cornfield

The cornfield from where (just like in the  movie)
Shoeless Joe & the White Sox Players
enter the field.

Farm House at the Field of Dreams

MLB at Field of Dreams

Just recently it was announced that in August, 2020, MLB will play a major league game (the first ever held in Iowa) at a temporary field being built for the event. Since the movie is based on the book Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella about Shoeless Joe Jackson of the 1919 White Sox coming to play (as a ghost) at this Iowa baseball field with his teammates, this MLB game will be between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees. 

A new stadium, with seating for 8,000 fans, began construction right after our visit and will be ready next August for what is being billed as “MLB at Field of Dreams”. 

Don Lansing, owner of the Lansing Farm, was recently interviewed by Phil Roberts for The North Scott Press in Eldridge, Iowa. Lansing was quoted as saying he thinks the MLB venture will be a huge success.

Like Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones) said in the movie to Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella:

"This field, this game, it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and that could be again. Oh people will come, Ray, People will most definitely come."

 

Field of Dreams baseball field is here to stay!* 

*Update Note:  The 2020 MLB at Field of Dreams game was postponed due to the panendemic. It was finally held, and was a huge success, last night (8/12/2021). The teams were the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees, with the White Sox winning in a wild and exciting walk-off home run finish. Final score 9-8.

Because this special game, the first time a Major League Baseball game has ever been played in Iowa, was so well received, what was to have been a 'one-time-only' event is already sparking rumors that it will become an annual event. A baseball game in the cornfields of Iowa, just like the iconic movie starring Kevin Costner, is special and deserves to be repeated ~ it reflects a 'dream come true'. 

My Favorite Field of Dreams Gifts

(c) Wednesday Elf  8/31/2019. Updated 8/13/2021

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Stellar Resume Writing by Gregory Austin – Book Review

Source: Pixabay Image enhanced by Fotojet

Secrets from a Corporate Recruiter on How to Land Interviews

Have you been sending out your resume in search of a job and never hear anything back? Have you wondered why, even though you feel you are qualified for the position, you seldom get a call for an interview or even that initial phone interview? Perhaps it is not your skill set or your experience, but your resume giving off the wrong impression. 

You may have all the  'right stuff' a recruiter is looking for in a particular job, but your resume does not impress them. Why is that? If it is not your qualifications that are lacking, then what about your resume doesn't say what hiring managers are really looking for and what they really want to see?

If you are a beginner at writing a resume, getting back into the job market after a long career, or a seasoned resume writer looking for some higher-level tips, you can find value in this book. 

Stellar Resume Writing

Available on Amazon

In Stellar Resume Writing, Secrets from a Corporate Recruiter: How to Land Interviews, Gregory Austin covers some very good 'best practices' and some things you absolutely must do. He explains what a personal brand is and how your resume can represent this and who you are. Even if you are applying for an entry-level position, making a good impression immediately with an outstanding resume can mark the beginning of what could become a wonderful career. 

Shotgun vs. Targeted Job Search

Source: Pixabay

Gregory explains the two ways to go about a job search. Each has its pros and cons and the author explains the differences. 

1. The Shotgun Method is quicker and may be fine for just “any” job. 
2. The Targeted Job Search Method is the best approach if you are seeking a job in a more specialized field that will utilize your skills and experience and give you job satisfaction in the long run. 

Each of these methods requires a particular type of resume, and this book will go into the details you need to write a resume that gets the attention of the recruiter or hiring manager.

Recruiters and hiring managers read hundreds of resumes looking for quality candidates for their companies. They 'key in' on particular points. For instance, some resumes may be from a well qualified candidate, but lack any contact information. This may seem unbelievable, but it happens more often than you would think. There is a circular file near the desk of these recruiters for such resumes, as you can imagine.  A recruiter spends hours upon hours reading resumes. Therefore, when writing your resume you need to be aware of a few “Must Do” points to include.

Author Gregory Austin

Gregory Austin

Gregory has been a recruiter for over 10 years, starting as an agency recruiter finding candidates who would be an excellent fit for a variety of organizations. 

Today he is a corporate recruiter finding quality candidates for the company he works for. After reading thousands of resumes over the years, he has nailed it down to the essential elements you need in your resume to really get noticed. 

During his career he has always found the most pleasure in helping candidates. Even if he cannot hire them at a particular time, he recognizes their potential and is passionate about helping them gain more confidence in their own job search and in giving them more tools to be successful. Thus, he wrote this book for that purpose, and is in the process of writing other helpful books aimed toward how to handle yourself in an interview and on counseling the job seeker.  

Summary

If you are looking for some excellent tips on how to create a resume from scratch or a needed tune-up to sharpen your resume, Stellar Resume Writing is for you. It is a short book that reads more like a workbook or a how-to document to give you some tangible and tactical knowledge to include in your resume and help you get noticed by a desirable employer. This edition also contains two valuable bonuses ~ a complimentary resume template and a social platform networking boost!

Discover How To Write Your Resume 

So Recruiters And Hiring Managers Will Call You!

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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(c) Wednesday Elf. 8/17/2019

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Watermelon Day Review

Source: Pixabay

Watermelon Day is celebrated each year on August 3rd to enjoy that juicy summertime staple, the watermelon. It is an ancient berry feast dating back to Ancient Egypt. Others say it originated in tropical Africa.  Whichever is true, watermelon cultivation is at least 4,000 years old. 

It is so refreshing because it is 92% water. This makes the watermelon a good thirst quencher, something definitely needed in the hot days of August and throughout the summer. 

Some call it a fruit; others think it is a vegetable.  In fact, it is the official vegetable of the state of Oklahoma. 

Fun Watermelon Holiday Treats

Watermelon Pizza. Source: Google Search

Watermelon can be a tasty food as seen in recipes found doing a Google Search. Simply made with watermelon slices, other favorite fruits (like strawberries and blueberries) and yogurt, giving you a tasty dessert or a fun appetizer for a summertime picnic.

Crafty Watermelons

The watermelon is popular with crafters.  Here are a few fun ones.


Watermelon Fabric Beverage Coasters

These cute beverage coasters are made with 2 different cotton fabrics so it is reversible. One side has watermelon wedges and slices on a black background and the other side has large black ants on a red and white checkered background. Perfect for your summer time decorating.

Beverage Coasters are an easy way to decorate your table for any holiday or home decor, plus being a practical item to protect your furniture. They are made with 100% cotton fabric and there is a layer of cotton batting for extra protection for your furniture. They are approximately 5" x 5" square.

These watermelon coasters and many other themes are available in Kathie's Etsy Shop she calls CutePurseNalities.

Watermelon Kitchen Decor

Watermelon Potholder Crochet Pattern

This is a pattern to crochet a potholder that looks like a watermelon for your kitchen. 

This cheery, double-sided watermelon potholder is perfect for summer! The front is as shown in the photo and the backside is a solid green. This pattern is perfect for seasonal summer-time use and will impress family and friends at the next BBQ.

The pattern can be found in the Etsy Shop of The Driftless Designer, who is Reina of Minneapolis. 

Summary

National Watermelon Day is an unofficial holiday with no known origin. It may have been begun by watermelon farmers, or by the National Watermelons Day. No matter who came up with the idea to celebrate the watermelon on August 3rd, it remains a refreshing summer snack that is naturally healthy.

National Watermelon Day

August 3

See more fun Holiday Reviews on 

ReviewThisReviews: Holidays

(c) Wednesday Elf 8/3/2019

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Ace Hardware Color of the Year Review

Ace Hardware is known for it's multiple paint products and their paint mixers which are able to give the customers the exact paint colors they desire. In mid-2018, in conjunction with Clark and Kensington Paint, Ace decided to run a consumer-led color contest to select a new batch of colors for 2019. 

Ace held a Neighborhood Paint Party in March, 2018 where consumers were encouraged to hand mix, create and name their own paint color for a chance to be entered into Ace's Color of the Year Contest.

The Winning Color of the Year

Twenty-five finalists were selected from the entries by a panel of Ace color experts and over 35,000 fans voted for their favorite color via social media channels. 

The winning Clark+Kensington color was created by a New Jersey woman who states she was daydreaming about enjoying a delicious dessert while on a relaxing vacation.

“The color is soothing and yet bright; sweet with just a bit of tartness.” 

She named her mellow yellow winning color “Pineapple Cream Granita”. As the winner, she also received a $1,000 Ace Gift Card. 

Runner-Up Winners

Six runners-up were also selected and these colors are now all available at your local Ace Hardware store.  The six other colors are:

• Jack Come Back! (a burgundy red) 
• Shake Your Flipper (a sea blue) 
• Leroy the Rooster (an orange shade) 
• Warm Llama (a gray tone) 
• Tina's Patina (an aqua blue shade)
• Miracles in D'skies (a deep blue with a turquoise tint). 

The six runner-up winners each received a $250 Ace Gift Card. 

Ace is the Place

For more than 90 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the place with the helpful hardware folks. The paint contest has now made their paint department even more helpful. 

If you need paint, especially a unique color, for any of your household projects, visit the Paint Studio at an Ace Hardware near you and enjoy choosing the one that suits you best. All seven of these new customer-created colors are exclusive to Ace Hardware. 

Visit ACE online or 
your local neighborhood store and choose your favorite paint color

*Ace Hardware paint color contest article written by (c) Wednesday Elf on 7/20/2019

**Images scanned from a free paint chip flyer obtained at my local Ace Hardware ~ Jerry's Ace in Eldridge, Iowa. 

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Book Review of The 9th Girl and the sequel, Cold Cold Heart

Author Tami Hoag has written over 40 books. first in the Romance genre and then in the crime/mystery/suspense/thriller genres. She has written several series, my favorite being the Kovac & Liska series. 

I have been currently re-reading my collection of Tami Hoag mysteries, beginning with my favorite series with characters Sam Kovac and his partner, the wisecracking Nikki Liska whom Sam calls 'Tink' (for Tinkerbell) because she's petite, though tough and determined. They are homicide detectives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

After finishing the fourth book in the series (The 9th Girl), I happened to pick up one of Tami Hoag's standalone books to read next (Cold Cold Heart) and realized it was a sequel to The 9th Girl. Therefore, I will review both of these books for you today. 

The 9th Girl

Available on Amazon

It is a frigid New Year's Eve in Minneapolis when a body falls from the trunk of a car into the path of oncoming traffic. Detectives Kovak & Liska are called to the scene. Unidentified, she is the ninth nameless female victim of the year. The detectives need to find out not only who she is, but who wanted her dead. 

Not only is she the ninth Jane Doe of the year, but she may be the ninth victim of a vicious, transient serial killer the police call Doc Holiday. Doc Holiday chooses his victims at random, snatching them in one city and leaving them in another, always on a holiday.

When another young woman disappears, the case heats up while the detectives try to find the promising young TV reporter, Dana Nolan before she becomes another victim.

Cold Cold Heart

Available on Amazon

The 9th Girl novel ends with Dana Nolan becoming the only one of Doc Holiday's victims to survive. Cold Cold Heart is her struggle to recover from the physical, emotional and psychological trauma she endured.  After months in the hospital and a rehab center, Dana returns to the small Indiana town she left to work in Minneapolis.  

Cold Cold Heart begins with Dana still in the hospital and Kovak & Liska making a brief appearance in the first 2 chapters (a continuation from The 9th Girl) where they try to learn the details of what happened. The problem is, Dana doesn't remember much due to suffering a brain injury at the hands of the killer. 

As Dana continues to recover and returns to her family home, media interest brings up the unsolved case of Dana's childhood best friend who disappeared without a trace 7 years ago, the summer after their high school graduation. Viewing life differently because of her injuries and needing something to focus on other than the flashbacks and nightmares and the torment of post-traumatic stress disorder she suffers, Dana begins to look into her past. But the truth of her friend's disappearance may prove to be too terrible to be believed. 

Notes from the Author:

Author Tami Hoag

Tami Hoag suffered a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) as a child which went undiagnosed for many years. Luckily, her only side effects are occasional severe headaches. She also has a friend whose husband suffered a TBI in the military. Combine the consequences with PTSD and the problems worsen.  PTSD is not a condition exclusive to the war-injured military, but also experienced by victims of crimes and other tragedies.

Ms. Hoag believes that many people are not aware of how these injuries affect the people suffering from them and their loved ones. The post-brain injury person is often not ever again the pre-brain injury person remembered by friends and family and this becomes difficult to deal with and understand. 

Tami thought perhaps having her character in Cold Cold Heart suffering from TBI and PTSD would help readers understand both people who are afflicted and those who live with them.

A well-written story ~ with a message.  

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(c) Written by Wednesday Elf 7/6/2019

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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