Starting today and until March 29, the Kindle version of my novel Seal of Secrets will be free on Amazon. If it’s already in your library, consider gifting a copy to a friend. I thought it would be fun to offer it during spring break week, when people may be traveling and enjoying some well-earned vacation time. Just click on the title to go to the book’s page on Amazon.

That said, let’s talk about Beauty and the Beast. I confess it wasn’t really on my “must-see” list, but my eight-year-old granddaughter was home from school yesterday, and I thought she might enjoy it. As we left the theater, the first words out of her mouth were, “That was awesome!” And it truly was. I haven’t seen the animated version in many years, so I can’t contrast the two, but I was surprised by how BIG this movie is. It is truly a spectacle of epic proportions, well worth seeing in the theater before it’s available on disc. The music and choreography are exciting, and the CGI in the “Be Our Guest” sequence is breathtaking. Emma Watson (of Harry Potter fame among other films) and Dan Stevens (of Downton Abbey and, more recently, Legion on FX) lead the stellar cast, while Luke Evans (remember him killing Smaug in The Hobbit?) is a wonderfully over-the-top Gaston. Humor, action, heartbreak–the film has it all in spades. There are far worse ways to spend a rainy spring afternoon!