Crystal Book Reviews

Bright Arrow Burning by Isabo Kelly

2012-01-25T16:46:00.000-08:00

Bright Arrow Burning. Isabo Kelly. Samhain Publishing, , Ltd. October 24, 2011. eBook. 82 pages. ISBN #: 9781609285340.

It's been many years since this reviewer read an Isabo Kelly story - my word, what a difference! Here we have two main and some minor characters, the former two very strong-willed, focused individuals. Layla Brightarrow lives in a world invaded by a species called Sorcerers who know how to use pain and joy to transform humans into their own kind. They have a destructive goal and are well on the way to accomplishing it!

However, they have a very different power over the elven kingdom (no spoilers here), one which the reader could not guess in a lifetime. All this is finally shared by one of the elves, Ulric of Glengowyn, who is passionate about Layla but has a hard time convincing her he is not an enemy. One of his family members just might complicate the situation for Ulric, but he's a brainy and brawny guy who might be able to handle any adversity that comes his way.

What Layla and Ulric come to acknowledge is that their fierce, steamy attraction and union is irresistible and ultimately so very, very satisfying - more than that!

Yes, this is hot, steamy romance - hotter than most romance fiction depictions for sure! The brevity is powerful in the immediate focus on the need to save Layla's country from traitors, but so is the flame that gets lit early in the lives of Layla and Ulric!

Lovers of the romance genre, you won't forget this power-packed story for quite some time! Nicely done, Isabo Kelly!

But This is Different by Mary Walker Baron

2012-01-19T05:11:00.000-08:00

But This is Different. Mary Walker Baron. Steel Cut Press. January 2011. 279 pages. ISBN #: 9781936380008.

Imagine waiting forty years on an isolated Pacific island, waiting for a special someone to fulfill her part of an agreement made so long ago it's almost beyond memory. Such is the life Mere, our main character, is living. It's an existence filled with constant pain and mourning that hasn't lessened with the years. Mere's only comforts are an old, crippled man and watchful woman who cherish Mere as the "Star of the Sea" of this New Guinea island! Others serve Mere and gladly run at her beck and call as if she were the treasure she is perceived to be! The woman who brought her here is revered as a goddess, even in her strange mournful absence!

Every year a mysterious box of gifts arrives on the last day of the year. It's a ritual celebrated on Mere's island almost as a religious rite but one that increases the mystical point of view of the islanders who have guarded Mere's pact for secrecy all these years. They teach her that the highest appreciation of life is to simply and lovingly "be!"

But that other woman now sends a letter in which she states she is dying and wishes Mere to return to New York to be with her beloved in her last days. Here is the journey of an older, dedicated friend who is not always mentally fit but endears all whom she meets on the journey. Inadvertently, she will wind up living as a homeless person who is briefly committed to a mental institution before ending up with her former lover.

But This Is Different is a literate, uniquely crafted novel that is absolutely mesmerizing. Secrets abound and aren't quickly revealed until the reader absorbs the complete personality of the main character which is intellectual, spiritual, and most of all deeply and lovingly emotional. Inner pain is an aching world unto itself. Committment and promises carry a depth far beyond the original words spoken and literally change one's world! The revelation of these two characters is quite stunning!

What else can one say about this beautiful, exquisite novel? Buy it, read it, and love it as much as this reviewer is sure you will! Absolutely outstanding!!!

The Hunter by John Lescroart

2012-01-18T16:18:00.000-08:00

The Hunter. John Lescroart. Penguin Group (USA). January 2012. 400 pages. ISBN #: 9780525952565.

Wyatt Hunt is a private investigator who suddenly receives an enigmatic text: "How did your mother die?" Up to now, Wyatt knows he was adopted but has no idea who his parents were, let alone that his mother died by some mysterious event. So begins a journey of discovery, anxiety and trauma beyond one's wildest imaginations, with connections to the infamous Jim Jones, the cultist leader responsible for the deaths of thousands back in the late 20th century.

Wyatt has a bunch of great people working for him, all of whom want to be part of figuring out how Wyatt's mother died, a hunt that will turn even more desperate after one of their own group is murdered while investigating what at first seems a very vague clue. In the process, Wyatt will be seeking who is the unrevealed texter and wanting to know why someone higher up in the Police Department has ordered him to stop fishing around in police business, even though this case has been cold for forty years.

What's Wyatt to do about a letter supposedly written by his real father, a message which declares his own innocence in the demise of his wife? Little by little, the people Wyatt and his staff are interviewing remember a little more and a little more, just enough each time to make the story even more complex and more traumatic for Wyatt. One of the hallmarks of this novel is the authenticity by which Wyatt, normally a very together, orderly guy, suffers increasing mental, emotional, and physical distress and illness. However, a relationship with a significant other improves, even through the test of dire stress to which Wyatt succumbs at one point in the story. A lifetime of coping with the unknown surfaces with horrific effects that it seems may or may not be healed with a solution to the multiple questions reached at many near dead-end points.

The Hunter is a taut, thrilling, complex and fascinating mystery about origins, cold case crime, and relationships gone awry because of hidden motives and secrets! Well done, John Lescroart!

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M. J. Rose

2012-01-11T17:37:00.000-08:00

The Book of Lost Fragrances. M. J. Rose. Atria Books. March 2012. 384 pages. ISBN #: 9781451621303.

Rob and Jac L'Etoile are brother and sister inheritors of the famous House of L'Etoile perfume manufacturers and sellers. But their interest lies far beyond just selling appealing perfumes and colognes. For the family has many secrets, all going back centuries when it was believed that a perfume existed that could lead one into past life regression. This, however, is not always such an appealing experience, as Jac experiences, one she and others believe is a touch of psychotic episodes that are seen as an illness and not a special talent.

For that reason, Jac has turned to the world of mythology, producing credible and magical stories for television audiences and Robby, a dedicated Buddhist, has returned to his great love of the spiritual world. The House of Etoile, however, is in dire financial condition, and Robby's involvement with some discovered pottery shards filled with a strange scent and hieroglyphic writings plunges the reader into a thriller plot laced with the Dalai Llama, the Mafia, governments, and others greedy for control of the mind.

No spoilers here; there is so much more in this thriller story that will rivet the reader's attention. Sometimes there's a bit of excessive repetition but just when one thinks that, a startling turn of events makes the reader amazed and unwilling to put the book (or e-book) down. There is some factual truth behind this story which is even more intriguing!

M. J. Rose has written a terrific adventure/thriller/mystery account that in many ways is also excellent historical fiction! Well done, indeed, M. J. Rose!!!

Perfume - The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

2012-01-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

Perfume - The Story of a Murderer. Patrick Suskind. Vintage Press. February 2001. 255 pages. ISBN #: 9780671749606.

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born in late 19th Century France to parents who is rejected by his parents and all who would otherwise want a little baby to nourish and cherish. The few who do encounter him as a baby note that he smells "evil," like an abomination, whatever that means; it turns out he literally has no smell to him, unlike other sweet babies. But Grenouille survives the rejection of a woman, priest and others to discover that his total way of appreciating the world is through the unique sense of smell that HE has. For he can recognize any object or person by smell, and this is what feeds his soul and sets his identity - that is until the day he encounters a wholly new intoxicating smell. What he will do upon reaching the source of that lovely odor will shock the reader to the core of his or her mind and heart!

Grenouille is now a changed man and seeks to create perfumes that will entrance other as he has been enraptured. But how he will do it is both mesmerizing and shocking, again and again. For creating the perfect perfume makes him even more of a misogynist than previously and his hate will lead to numerous victims as he seeks to rid the world of malodorous men, women, and children.

This is not your average horror or serial killer story. For the author depicts this psychotic individual with such neutrality and writes in such a literate style that the reader is compelled to keep rapidly turning the pages until the last shocking event! The story also gives a nice historical touch to the story, depicting the poverty, wealth, degradation and depravity of the times in a France that may be post-Revolution but is none the better for the overwhelming changes.

One word only perfectly describes this novel - amazing!

The Other Guy's Bride by Connie Brockway

2012-01-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

The Other Guy's Bride. Connie Brockway. Published by Montlake Romance. December 2011. 386 pages. ISBN #: 9781612181448.

Ginesse Braxton is trouble waiting to happen! She's an intelligent girl, curious about everything, and mocked by all because her adventurous spirit has led her into several broken bones, some temper-filled conversations, and even the destruction of a very valuable ancient papyrus document. Now she's on her way to Egypt to find the lost city of Zerzura, but what she will do on her own there defies the imagination since this is 1897 when women are not expected to "do" but to "be" for their male partners/husbands. Trust Ginesse to come up with a very clever idea, to take the place of Ms. Whimpelhall, who is traveling to meet and wed her fiance, a British officer. Ms. Whimpelhall is quite seasick and says she cannot abide another trip at sea, so she asks Ginesse to take a letter to her fiance stating that she will make the rest of the journey by train. Everything seems to be falling into place so very nicely for Ginesse, that is until she actually arrives in Egypt and meets the man who will be accompanying her across the formidable Sahara desert.

Jim Owen is not whom he seems. Ginesse thinks he is the proverbial cowboy and a rather smelly, rude, and crude one at that. Yet despite their constant clashes, they are drawn to each other, which stands them both in good stead as both are avoiding people they know. If they were to meet these significant other people, disaster would strike for sure, wouldn't it? Or perhaps the two of them together are enough to invite troubles galore! Yes, these troubles are both hilarious, annoying, and very dangerous.

In the process of their travels, Ginesse and Jim get to know each other - that is, in their false identities. But little by little, revelations will unfold, and love will blossom but not until they both have to surmount more secrets and revelations that only the exotic Egyptian past can reveal to those who seek without fear. Jim is quite an unusual and special guy when all is said and done! Passion galore will flow and end in a lovely but surprising end for this stormy, feisty couple!

Nicely plotted story, Ms. Brockway - there's enough complexity and turns of the story to keep any reader avidly turning the pages. Fine romantic fiction!

Amongst My Enemies by William F. Brown

2012-01-04T16:42:00.000-08:00

Amongst My Enemies. William F. Brown. Publisher - William F. Brown as E-Book. 348 Pages. ISBN #: 9781617506710.

Mike Randall is an American pilot shot down during World War II over Northern Germany, treated mercilessly as a German POW to do labor in conditions where one wondered whether one would freeze or starve to death first. While there, his buddy is dying and Mike makes a choice that will haunt him for the rest of his days. As if that were not enough, he is taken on a job and stows away on a ship carrying valuables stolen by the Germans from the captured and murdered Jews. A German officer allows Mike to go free but what follows literally minutes after he is placed in a boat to go ashore is a burden that causes Mike to have a physical and mental breakdown! War is indeed hell for Mike Randall!

After being cared for by a kind Swedish family, Mike years later sees a news story that he knows he must follow-up on - the identification of a German officer who is not who he says he is. Not to spoil the story, a journey begins in New York and continues in Germany that involves an American detective, former German military who are hidden but ever-plotting, Russians who are looking to guarantee the spread of Communism, and numerous other sharks who will maim and kill just like all the others to guarantee their own wealth and power.

No, this is not just another war story! William Brown takes the reader to the heights and dregs of the human condition, giving glimpses to the motives and relationships that are ruled by head and heart, sometimes but not always balanced or whole. On the other hand, there are many characters who understand what Mike has endured and why he must bring some type of closure to the past and perhaps redeem the ghosts that haunt him on a daily basis. He surprisingly is drawn into a relationship with a spunky female whom he fears because of his secret that she doesn't know, but even there the author credibly leads them into a compassionate and passionate place.

This is a story that speeds along like a Ken Follett or Eric Ludlum novel of old. For those who love adventure, thrills, and mystery with a tinge of romance, this novel will leave you breathless and wanting more from this skillful writer. Splendidly written!

Legacy of the Highlands by Harriet Schultz

2011-12-31T06:22:00.000-08:00

Legacy of the Highlands. Harriet Schultz. Kindle Edition. Cottage Park Press. 443 KB. ISBN #: B0062LPAO2.

After a passionate, sexy evening, Will Cameron goes out to buy some ice cream. He's worried and has something to tell his wife, Alexandra or Alex, but decides not to mar a perfect evening. Four hours later Alex awakens to find two policemen at her door, announcing Will is dead. She's obviously overcome and her friend Francie helps her make it through the funeral and luncheon held thereafter. Alex blames herself for mentioning the alley that was a quicker way home but also the place where her beloved was killed!

She's also annoyed that Will's former best but now estranged friend has shown up for the funeral but is so overcome with grief and inability to handle Will's family and friends that she allows Diego Navarro to take over. She tells him she has to get to Logan Airport and get out of Boston and soon thereafter she is comfortably resting and recovering in Diego's Florida home, a luxurious retreat where rest and food prepared by a caring maid allows Alex to begin the healing process. But Diego has something to confess to Alex as well as his overwhelming feelings for her that are beginning to slip out. More and more, she is also responding to him, a rather incredible response given the depth of her love for Will and the short passage of time since his death. Whatever is happening here?

The plot thickens as a family secret and an ultimate betrayal connected with Scotland begins to emerge. Scotland has small segments of its population who want separation from England and have signed a certain document in which members of an elite group vow to do everything possible to further the cause of separation from England - and not peaceful. Yes, financial and other agreements leading to Scottish independence are not enough for this group, and Will becomes the means to punish the one who chose other priorities. How will they do it? The story moves from Boston to Florida to Boston to Scotland and back home to Boston. Will's family is guarding some devastating facts that prove to be unforgiveable. Punish the family before the betrayer. But they don't realize that Diego and his bodyguard, a former Massad agent, have different plans and they are not peaceful either? How much will Alex play along?

Harriet Schultz has written a fascinating mystery/thriller novel. There's a bit too much of waiting for the story to evolve but it's worth the wait as events begin to spin out of control both on the personal front between Diego and Alex and on the international front for those seeking revenge. Will there be a satisfactory finale? Read it and discover what possibilities follow for all involved in this lethal story! Nicely done, Ms. Schultz!

The First Rule of Ten - A Tenzing Norbu Mystery by Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay

2011-12-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

The First Rule of Ten: A Tenzing Norbu Mystery. Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay. Hay House, Inc. January 2012. 312 pages. ISBN #: 9781401937768.

We meet Tenzing Norbu on a very bad day! He has been grazed by a bullet and he knows if he keeps it up, he'll be dead and definitely off the road to enlightenment that he has been following for years since he was a Tibetan monk. His life is turned even more upside down when a woman shows up in front of his home. She's a former druggie and cult follower now looking for an old friend, Zimmy. Ten, as he's called, puts her off and she sadly leaves, followed the next day by a messenger who announces she's been murdered. Ten's overwhelmed, to say the least and wonders why he's so off-track in being attuned to the whole person in front of him that he missed something wrong or chose to ignore the faint glimmer that might have saved her life - or might not have!

The rest of the novel is a complex journey and mystery in which Ten explores quite a few obnoxious and shady characters associated with the cult, some very prosperous businessmen who seem to have a rather unique interest in the land owned by the cult and that owned by its neighbors, some innocent neighbors who seem to be falling prey to some lethal diseases and medical problems, and of course those who are assisting Ten with his research and technological needs.

Add to that a soulful cat, Tank, and a pretty new girlfriend who begins to care but is put off very quickly by Ten's brusque occasional responses - but still hangs around...

Change happens and how does one flow with the ups and downs of those vicissitudes without losing one's cool or as Ten would put it, flowing with the connections, dealing with the paradoxes, caring without getting in the way?

To say more would be unfair, but this is a grand read that is fun, wise, thrilling, and quite different from the stereotypical mystery novel. This reviewer absolutely loved it and can't wait to read the next book in the series!!! Great story!

Hidden Summit - A Virgin River Novel by Robyn Carr

2011-12-23T19:36:00.000-08:00

Hidden Summit - A Virgin River Novel. Robyn Carr. An MIRA book from Harlequin. 352 pages. ISBN #: 9780778313007.

Leslie Petruso and Conner Danson are some duo! Both are loaded with pain and look forward to a life unencumbered with a member of the opposite sex. Leslie was married to a man who wound up cheating on her and now, even though they are divorced, just won't leave her alone. So she leaves to take a job as far away as she can get from him as she knows her old friends and neighbors either pity her or wonder what she did to push Greg into the arms of another woman who is now carrying a baby he swore he never wanted when married to Leslie. Off she goes to a job where her former skills are respected and people seem more than kind and welcoming!

Conner Danson is divorced as well from a woman who slept with anyone available, almost to the point of an illness. Add to that he was unfortunate enough to witness a murder. While he is waiting to testify against the successful businessman killer, his business is burned to the ground and he receives threats of worse to come in the future if he dares to go to court. So he has been placed under protection with an alias and arrives in the same town as Leslie. But he's not so comfortable with that for many reasons the reader will learn.

When Leslie and Conner meet, both are very careful not to get connected even though the sparks are very clear to each one. As time goes by, both begin to talk, date, and then on to a hot, steamy closeness that belies their original intentions. However, things become complicated on both sides when Greg appears on the scene and Conner wants to share the truth with Leslie.

The pages fly by in this quick-paced, tense, emotional, and passionate story that will thrill every reader who loves romance fiction. Robyn Carr knows how to craft a great story within the romance that keeps the reader flying through the pages, wanting to have the mystery elements come to a satisfying closure but totally unsure until the very end how that will be accomplished. Great story, Robyn Carr!

Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard

2011-12-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

Voices of the Dead. Peter Leonard. Introduction by Elmore Leonard. The Story Plant. January 2012. 320 pages. ISBN #: 9781611880328.

Harry Levin, is a scrap metal dealer who has become successful businessman. His life is turned upside down when his daughter is killed in a car crash. He travels to Washington D.C. and then Germany to find the man who callously killed his daughter and received no penalty for this horrific murder. But when he finally figures out who the man actually is, he tries to approach him and is attacked by the man's bodyguard. Fortunately, Harry has no problem handling the attacker but he is horrified by the callous treatment of the man who killed his daughter, a casual offer to pay for the funeral. This simple, poignant tale, in which Harry himself barely displays any emotion other than anger and some mention of tears, becomes even more terrible when Harry discovers that this man is the notorious Ernst Hess, now a German diplomat still carrying out unbelievably awful deeds!

The reader learns that Harry Levin is a Holocaust survivor who escaped being shot to death by playing dead and then crawling out of a hole filled with other dead bodies during World War II. After following Hess, he discovers Hess is still doing something to Jews that absolutely must stop. The story of the chase between the two, with Hess realizing who Harry is and determined to stop him from pursuing his course and Harry looking for proof to finally get some justice on many levels, is tautly plotted and gripping on every page.

This is a story that must be told, even if it is in fiction form, for it is still occurring in some parts of the world today. No spoilers here - there is so much more that will hold the reader in awe and horror, but one can't stop reading...and hoping that justice must be accomplished. What a story - fine, fine writing Peter Leonard!

Poor Richard's Lament: A Most Timely Tale by Tom Fitzgerald

2011-12-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

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Poor Richard's Lament: A Most Timely Tale. Tom Fitzgerald. Hobblebush Books. 2012. 640 pages. ISBN #: 9780984592135.

Expediency is the heart of Tom Fitzgerald's foray into the imaginary life of Benjamin Franklin. For two hundred years have passed since the death of this notable American hero, years that Ben has had to pen the story of his life and include all of his wrongdoings. But Ben has left out quite a bit, and now he stands before his colleagues, now Judges, Alexander Wedderburn, John Adams and the Reverend William Smith. In multiple scenes that almost seem like Scrooge being judged in the well-known A Christmas Carol, heavenly swirls of colors, smoke, and lightning flashes accompany each new revelation that surprisingly damns this historical giant!

For as we proceed, we come to learn that while Ben lived by the virtues of Industry, Frugality, Resolution, Order, Cleanliness, Silence, Chastity, Sincerity, Temperance, Justice, Moderation, and Humility, Expediency was forefront in the way he treated his family. A fine balance of humor and tragedy fill each story as we learn of Ben's abandonment of his wife for years at a time, a sickly woman whose greatest yearning was for the return of her beloved husband. When Ben turned from loyalty to King George III of England, he unfortunately demanded his son William do the same and disowned him as a son after he refused to do so. He who taught his son to always be loyal betrayed both King and progeny forever!

Fitzgerald is ruthless the way he has the Judges present scenes of Ben and other citizen's slaves being ordered around, beaten, and even tortured to death for amusement. He who spoke about the equality of all denies both the equality of women and slaves. While this sounds severe, Fitzgerald does manage to combine irony, some funny scenes, and a buffoon-like characterization of the Judges that keeps the reader intrigued and flipping the pages.

Finally, Ben is allowed to visit contemporary Philadelphia and other American cities he formerly knew and make a difference. But history repeats itself not for Ben but for others who supposedly admire him but certainly live lives that are bound by the same sense of expediency and hypocrisy, some almost ridiculous and some with horrific results. They include a President and his aide who will do anything to guarantee winning the next election, a drug-free man trying to forge a new life clean of the killer crack and helping others to live instead from a life of dignity and self-respect.

Poor Richard's Lament is certainly not light reading, however this description hardly covers the amazing breadth of Ben's life and influence that is covered herein. Ben is a sympathetic Petitioner and it is the potent scenes that speak most loudly, much more than anyone else's pompous words. This novel is so cleverly constructed and so informative of what the reader probably doesn't know about Ben Franklin's life that the reader is riveted to every page and more so as one progresses. Yes, Ben, "make one's self acceptable in one's own eyes firstly...in the eyes of others foremostly." Great literate historical fiction - one of the most cleverly crafted novels this reviewer has read in years!!!

No Story to Tell: A Novel by K. J. Steele

2011-12-15T17:54:00.001-08:00

No Story to Tell: A Novel. K. J. Steele. Fiction Studio Books. 2011. 388 pages. ISBN #: 9781936558209.

Victoria Lackey is a fighting survivor, beginning on the day of her birthday when her twin died and she lived. Her family weren't too thrilled with her and wished her brother had lived. One doesn't need too much of an imagination to know how she grew up; her abusive father and cowering mother die young, followed by an Aunt; and Victoria falls where she will. It's amazing as we progress and meet Bobby her husband who treats her more like a child and possession than a wife. Then we meet her friend, Rose, who seems to be the only one who is sensitive to Victoria's inner world - a world no one in this small town of Hinkley really knows about - oh what a surprise is waiting to burst out of its shell!

Then we meet Elliot Spencer, the man who thinks and feels so widely that he speaks to Victoria's dreams in a way that mirrors so much within any reader's life as well. For Victoria wanted to be a dancer but the people around her, except for her mother who once fought for her to be in a dance recital, thwart her every attempt. Now she decides to give in to the fancy to start a dance school. Where will it go?

How will Bobby react to his new woman who most of the time reacts with fear and submission to him, while he in turn demeans and commands her. What choices does she have. The plot evolves with some strange phone calls and messages that Victoria believes are coming from Elliot and which encourage her more. Again, what a surprise is coming that will shock readers to the core!

One can dream about the "road not taken," but Victoria is a well-developed character who begins to observe her world and dream about possibilities, something almost every reader can relate to in some way.

No Story To Tell is about recreating one's world - something to tell one's self more than other dreamers and idlers! Fascinating read, Ms. Steele!

Fool's Mate by Laura Pedersen

2011-12-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

Fool's Mate. Laura Pedersen. CreateSpace Publisher. 2011. 452 pages. ISBN #: 9781463652883.

Josie Kincaid is a cable news network journalist who wants to be reporter who makes a momentous, award-winning contribution to her job. But Josie's a definite out-of-the-box character who is funny, sloppy, and tough lady who is often her own worst enemy. She courts disaster on the job, has cost the company a heap of money by getting into dangerous situations and leaving behind costly wrecks. Her excessive drinking and reputation as the gal who sleeps around with anyone certainly don't help her public persona.

Now she's royally ticked that her company is chipping away with budget cuts and a newbie has been placed in her cubicle, a posh, upscale Yale graduate lawyer who is smart, preppy, and serious, everything that Josie isn't. About all they have in common is having famous parents. That's all about to change, and the journey is the exciting concern of this very funny novel. It all begins when Calvin, the newbie, marries a "society" gal, and Calvin and Josie are thrown together in a journey to Africa, a trip that will change everything and require Josie to grow up fast. Is she up to the task?

Rambunctious and still attracted to Calvin, Josie finally faces the seriousness of a threatening election situation in North Africa that could change all of Europe. Now she has to begin learning to listen to her head and heart about the news and Calvin! What a trip!

It's been quite a while since this reviewer read a Pedersen novel; her skill has evolved in a grand way that I found so pleasing! Fool's Mate bounces along and then proceeds at a taut, riveting pace as the cast of characters in this cleverly-crafted novel live, learn, and grow in a way that gives new meaning to folly and wisdom!!! Delightful!!!

You're Not the One by Alexandra Potter

2011-12-11T18:28:00.000-08:00

You're Not the One. Alexandra Potter. Penguin Group, USA. 2011. 384 pp. ISBN #: 9780452296909.

Lucy Hemingway and Nat Kennedy believed they were bound together ever since they visited Venice, Italy and hear a message about those couples who kiss on a gondola traveling under a certain bridge. They each have a memento of that experience and are totally elated with knowing how deep and solid their love is and will endure!!!

But things crash when Nat meets someone else and tells Lucy he is sorry but he will be getting married. It's now ten years later and Lucy pretends it is "water under the bridge" as the saying go. But deep down, she has never stopped loving Nat and wondering what happened to their guaranteed dream life together. Meanwhile, she's an assistant at an art gallery with an owner, Magda, who wants to be Lucy's matchmaker. What follows is as much of a mystery as a romance as Lucy on an assignment to deliver art pieces to a buyer discovers that the purchaser is Nat. As the days go by, they discover their new love but also discover some irritating quirks about each other that are both funny and yet puzzling. How is the promise of eternal love and never being unconnected to happen when they cannot tolerate each other for more than a few minutes?

And what about Adam whom Lucy meets and could really love getting to know and date were it not for Nat who keeps popping up in Lucy's world too often for it to be coincidence? Must Lucy and Nat do something to break what now feels like a curse? How many misunderstandings can Adam endure? What about Lucy's sister who was formerly so cold and uncaring and now reveals a devastating secret that changes Lucy's perspective on all the aspects of her crazy bohemian life?

You're Not the One is a funny, romantic, mysterious, intriguing read you won't forget for a long time. It certainly makes one think about who is "the One!"

The Other Life: A Novel by Ellen Meister

2011-12-06T17:25:00.000-08:00

The Other Life: A Novel. Ellen Meister. Penguin Group USA. 320 pages. ISBN #: 9780425243374. SEE SPECIAL OFFER AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE!

So many readers have pondered Robert Frost's poem where one wonders what life would have been like on "The Road Not Taken." But what if one had the opportunity to do just that, to see what life would yield if one had made a different decision about one's lover or spouse, one's job or anything else one considers of ultimate importance?

Quinn Braverman lives two lives. As a child, she learned that there were portals she could enter that would take her to another world. Her mother knows about these entrances into another world existing at the same time as the present one but full of different places and "other" people. Quinn isn't a very secure person and at one time ditched her needy ex-boyfriend, Eugene, to marry Lewis, the man who is caring, observant, and totally in tune with pleasing Quinn rather than himself! Sounds like a dream, right?

But Quinn's life is suddenly turned upside down when she discovers her pregnancy is in danger and the baby she is carrying has a huge medical problem. So is suburban life with this new devastating problem one to continue or should she see what it would be like if she had actually stayed with Eugene in his musical, citified life?Where would she be and more important, who would she be in that other world?

It's a terrifying journey yet one Quinn cannot stop pursuing. There's a mystery connected with her deceased, artistic mother to which Quinn seeks an answer, hoping to achieve peace with her presently questionable life. She seems to sense that the answers will not only determine what her marriage will be like in the future but also help her make the very important decision about this as yet unborn child.

The Other Life is riveting reading and finely written. It deserves a wide audience for its tense, complex, and yes, painful but beautiful world! Finely done, Ms. Meister!!!

Ellen Meister, author of THE OTHER LIFE is doing something really fun for Book Clubs! She just launched a program to thank book club members by name in the acknowledgments section of her next book. She has a Book Club Guestbook on her site now and anyone in a book group that read or plans to read THE OTHER LIFE is free to sign up. All they need to do is visit her site at http://www.websitetoolbox.com/guestbook/ellenmeister and fill out the form. That's it!

Event Horizon Conspiracy by Robert E. Bonson

2011-11-17T13:31:00.001-08:00

Event Horizon Conspiracy. Robert E. Bonson. Xlibris Corporation. 2011. 208 pp. pbk. ISBN #: 9781465376183.

A man walks toward a limousine driver who nods and opens the door for him. The doors close and locks are in place. For an unspecified reason, the passenger panics and panics and panics; he then tries to get out of the car, fails, and succumbs to a mind-boggling, claustrophobic, fearsome pain that spreads and spreads!

So begins this story of two researchers who have disappeared and the attempt to find them by a relative and Russell, our hero with past experience in aeronautics, criminal investigations and mystery writing. As the story progresses, it seems that this rather secretive research about rDNA is tied to the 2012 Mayan Calendar feverish public commentary about the end of the world or some other scenarios just as shocking and ultimately ending with the same demise of Earth.

What is happening at a funeral home where dead people are buried but no families are involved in the final days of the deceased? Why are there two murders that follow rapidly upon the sharing of secretive information that just might lead the investigators closer to finding one dead researcher and one who still might be alive? If the research isn't connected to the Mayan calendar predictions but instead a diabolical plot to eliminate all but a select few, what can and can't be done to prevent such a horrific possibility from coming to pass?

Robert Bonson's novels have always been intriguing, but this mystery specifically exceeds all of his earlier stories. The complexity of the plot is credible, fear-filled to the point of producing anxiety, and obviously well-researched. The information behind the incredible schemes is depicted in layperson's terms, with enough theoretical possibilities to make the reader believe he or she is right there and that this will indeed all come to pass!

Congratulations Robert E. Bonson on a fascinating, gripping mystery and adventure tale sure to engage many future readers!!! Very nicely done!

At The Mercy of the Queen - A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Anne Clinard Barnhill

2011-11-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

At The Mercy of The Queen: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. St. Martin's Press. January 2012. 448 pp. pbk. ISBN #: 9780312662134.

Lady Margaret Shelton, or Madge as she is known throughout the novel, arrives at the Court of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Madge is 15, close in age to Anne, who is soon to wed Henry. For Henry's late Queen has been put aside, Henry has formed his own Church of England after splitting with Rome over his soon-to-be-Queen Anne. It's a dangerous time for all but the King, who revels only in a reign that gathers more and more wealth from the old Church, delightful food and drink, and of course his voracious sexual appetite now focused solely on Anne. But this novel is as much about Madge as it is Anne Boleyn. For Madge's fortune is explicitly tied to the ups and downs of Henry and Anne's relationship. And all too soon, there are more "down" moments!

Anne and Madge are enigmas, one minute displaying piety and virtue and the next speaking about the most outrageous forms of lovemaking, etc. For neither, quite obviously, is sure of how to gain and keep love. Both are slow to realize how a word spoken impetuously can cascade into dramatic scenes that could cause banishment or even death. Madge is betrothed to a loathsome Sir Norris while she madly falls in love with another man of no real consequence in Henry's Court, Arthur. Anne urges Madge on, as her own romance with the King waxes and wanes, decreasing as she gives birth to a girl and then proceeds to miscarry other babes, including one who would have been the long-sought-after Prince or heir to Henry.

At one point, the Queen will sacrifice the virtue of Madge in order to regain her husband's fancy, a plan that quickly falls apart as Henry suspects the "French" techniques of love as beyond debauchery and obscene. Ironically, the other members of the Court, outside of Cromwell and Jane Seymour, have little place in this tale, even Anne's brother, George.

Having read many, many accounts of Queen Anne Boleyn, this reviewer didn't expect to be so enthralled with another account of same, but Anne Barnhill has managed to craft a thrilling, human, and inspiring portrait of two characters who really did so little to deserve admiration, beyond their obvious physical beauty and charm, but who manage to have readers rooting for their success, even when one knows the end of the story for Anne.

Well-done, Anne Clinard Barnhill! Anne Boleyn is much more likable and probable in your depiction. This is a graceful, spicy, terrible, and totally engaging novel!

Because of You by Cathy Maxwell

2011-11-06T05:35:00.001-08:00

Because of You. Cathy Maxwell. Avon Romance Publishers. October 2011. 384 pp. ISBN #: 9780380797103.

"It's not right to hold onto the past once it is done and over." These are words that Yale Carderock thinks and feels on a daily basis. Being a rake is often depicted as fun, adventurous, and far above the mundane thoughts and actions of the majority of people. Yale would have agreed years ago when he was in the throes of his own hedonistic lifestyle, but he's paid dearly for those years, not so much in money as in wrecked relationships. First, he's come back to find his father, with whom he'd hoped to have a stormy but ultimately successful reconciliation, is dead. Second, his reputation is so besmirched that it seems almost hopeless for him to resume living in that village within Northumberland, England in 1806. But he's in for some unanticipated challenges, the chief one being a very spunky female.

Samantha Northrup is living alone and on the verge of being evicted from the vicarage home where she's lived her entire life, the home where her father the Vicar earned the respect and reverence of his parish, that is until he died and they had grander ideas for new residents. It's not easy being treated like an old shoe and Samantha doesn't know what to do next. How shocked she is when an unknown man appears and insists on her giving him the keys to the secret Ayleborough vault.

After their initially charged conversation and reaction to each other, Marvin Browne as he calls himself becomes deathly ill and Samantha will be the one who fights for his life and nurses him back to health. From there on the plot spins wildly with the neighbors forcing the two to marry because "Marvin" has been naked in front of Samantha, then remarried because she was first married to a man with a stolen name. If one doesn't read this as an obvious tongue-in-cheek satire, one would fail to appreciate this as being downright silly.

Not wanting to provide a spoiler, suffice to say that now the larger conflict follows with Yale's brother, the Duke, wanting Yale to assume his rightful place in the family and village and then a devastating loss to his personal business. Through it all, the passion between Yale and Samantha increases, with each vowing no attachment to the other person. It's a rather futile goal in the face of the steamy sex and connection that's being solidly forged in more ways than one.

Romance fiction lovers will love this novel which adds interesting local and foreign elements to an exciting and endearing story of seduction out of conformity in so many ways.

Wendy Wax Giveaway Opportunity!

2011-11-04T10:57:00.001-07:00

WENDY WAX BOOK GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!!!

Starting this week, Ten Beach Road author Wendy Wax is offering a book a week for each of six weeks, all women’s fiction.

This week is week one and the winner will receive a copy of Carly Phillips’ new bestseller SERENDIPITY. This Saturday morning week two starts and highlights Jill Shalvis’s latest.

In the following weeks, one reader a week will be randomly selected to receive a book. Coming weeks will offer the latest novels from first novelist K.J. Steele, Carol Snow, Marie Skinner and Wendy.

To enter, readers just go to http://www.authorwendywax.com, click on Contest News: Enter Wendy’s Latest Giveaway Now, and enter their email address as directed and they are in the running. Each Saturday begins a new giveaway and offers another chance to enter.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL READERS WHO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Charles Dickens: A Life by Jane Smiley

2011-10-30T06:21:00.001-07:00

Charles Dickens: A Life. Jane Smiley. Penguin Group (USA). November 2011. 224 pp. pbk. ISBN #: 9780143119920.

Charles Dickens is famous for depicting the lower class to the middle and upper classes of England and eventually the world, an existence most would prefer to acknowledge. But few realize how driven Dickens was to produce social results that would put an end to the evil and devastating consequences of poverty and ill-treatment far too many poor people endured in that revolutionary time. Jane Smiley, a scholarly and best-selling author, presents the entire life of Charles Dickens in a way that enhances our admiration and respect for this prodigious author.

He is revered for the way he combined artistic vision with social action in a new world of capitalism rapidly expanding. Thus he presents new ideas: "care and respect are owed to the weakest and meekest in society, rather than to the strongest; that the ways in which class and money divide humans from one another are artificial and dangerous; that pleasure and physical comfort are positive goods; that the spiritual lives of the powerful have social and economic ramifications."

Smiley then proceeds to depict the familial and authorial characteristics of this man who penned novels, short stories, and plays, often in serial form. We learn how his style evolved as he developed an uncanny sense of what people responded to, a sort of early understanding of the power of advertising. By placing the humorous with the tragic, he forced readers to face social inequalities and the consequent suffering therein. Smiley sees his weakness in providing a connective understanding of this world rather than providing a collective solution that is more political in nature. We also realize something heretofore unknown, that it was Dickens' own background that he was forced to dig into and expose, with the revelation of past experiences in social context. It led him to greater awareness of the power of important individuals that often expressed itself in what were truly moments of weakness rather than strength.

Dickens believed that mental attitude was to prevail over whatever challenging and daunting experiences life throws one's way. When it came to family, however, Dickens was unable to apply this recognized philosophical truth. He had a relatively content relationship with his wife and multiple children yet at times was guilty of not only negligence but perhaps of infidelity, amply described in these pages. Smiley then takes us through the plot and characterizations of each novel, describing what worked and failed to work; we note how Dickens learned from his mistakes and lack of connection, always driven by the financial elements driven by his increasing or dwindling sales. His love of the theater is recorded, a fact few know about this creative writer, a love that was actually a preference that remained relatively unfulfilled except for some short-lived projects in that genre.

All in all, Jane Smiley has given the world a comprehensive, fascinating portrait of a writer who was known as England's first novelist and whose novels continue to be read and dramatized in movie and play form throughout the world. Excellent biography, Ms. Smiley!

James Joyce: A Life by Edna O'Brien

2011-10-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

James Joyce: A Life. Edna O'Brien. Penguin Lives - Penguin Books, USA. November 2011. 192 pp. pbk. ISBN #: 9780143119937.

Emotionally bereft, haunted by poverty, cynical of religion and politics, James Joyce spends his whole life determined to grasp every experience to its dregs. Edna O'Brien masterfully conveys how these attitudes and consequent behaviors both attracted and repulsed professional and consumer readers throughout Joyce's stressful, conflict-ridden life. In the beginning of his life, he moves from being an ardent Catholic to one who projects his hatred of his own lusts upon the priests who formerly inspired him. A fluctuating love-hate relationship exists between him and the predominant political leaders of his time as well. Yet O'Brien doesn't allow the reader to forget that he passionately loved the land he was to reject for most of his tortured life, condemning them as he wrote, "Poets were the keepers of spirituality and priests the destroyers and usurpers."

Ibsen is Joyce's first love, sharing with him a hatred of hypocrisy and falsity. Joyce read voraciously throughout his whole life, and it is that knowledge as well as every facet of his own world that will fill the pages of Ulysses, the work he is most famous for crafting. Support and rejection fluctuate from Joyce's family, including his closest brother Stanislaus. O'Brien calls the relationship with Joyce's mother, as with all brilliant writers, "the uncharted deep." For Joyce it was an association of the Host of Catholicism, the prostitutes and his mother's tenderness," hardly associations yielding a good connection to family, romance, and religion. He will wed Nora Barnacle and their marriage will be full of attraction and repulsion as life becomes more ordinary when the writer can revel only in the extraordinary, unique, and almost frenetic moments that give purpose to his understanding and writing.

Memory and exile are the elements fueling the pages of his novels and stories, to which one must add knowledge. O'Brien takes us through each work Joyce constructed, the reactions of individuals and Ireland and the difficulties in publishing Joyce knew, chiefly because of what was perceived to be criticism highlighted with the most obscene language and images. Sexual passion continues to fuel his life with Nora, a woman who pleased him in this one way but could never even come close to understanding his mind. His family life is even more stressed later on with the mental instability of his daughter, Lucia, a woman who finally is committed yet who remarkably resembles her father in so many of her ramblings and associations.

While many know the highlights of James Joyce's life, Edna O'Brien presents her knowledge and analysis with aplomb, implying with depth the undercurrents of Joyce's mind and soul, while stating the obvious; interpreting and making connections that the average reader might miss while again implying that so few truly understood what drove Joyce's scurrilous and debasing depiction of life's grand and sordid aspects. Brief but potent, O'Brien's biography of James Joyce is a phenomenal read about an unfathomable writer - both are brilliant, indeed!!!

The Strangers on Montagu Street by Karen White

2011-10-30T04:50:00.001-07:00

The Strangers on Montagu Street. Karen White. Penguin Group (USA). November 2011. 352 pp. pbk. ISBN #: 9780451235268.

It's 5:15 a.m. and the phone and doorbell are ringing in Melanie's home. While she's used to seeing and hearing voices of dead spirits at all times of the day, she doesn't like the messages she's hearing about listening to her heart. So far she's been guarding her heart quite fiercely, thank you very much. So how surprised is she when Jack, her ex-boyfriend and whom she secretly yearns, is at the door, asking her to house his daughter who has trekked her way to his door after her mother died. Jack never even knew until now that he has a daughter, a surly, angry gal at that!

Several plot elements are happening here which basically involve voices and things violently moving by unknown hands, voices haunting Melanie with incessant messages involving Jack's daughter, Nola, and the mystery behind a Gothic dollhouse temporarily being held at Melanie's mother's house.

Nola's tough exterior doesn't frighten Melanie as they share the experience of abandonment and both search for healing. Their lack of trust frequently complicates the story, a hesitation and cynicism that is quite understandable and can truly only be understood by those who have known the same. As Nola slowly and not without clashes adapts to her father's presence and insistence on his love, she becomes the connection with some very sad and other very angry spirits. She and Melanie's Mom, as well as best friend Sophie and Jack, prompt Melanie to investigate further. Replete with mysterious, dark, and many terror-filled pages, this novel has enough multiple threads to keep the reader riveted and furiously flipping the pages to read faster.

The journey Melanie and Jack shares has a consistent pattern to it. Banter together with a constant edge, followed by a resisted tender moment, followed by a thoughtless or accusatory comment, flight in anger or frustration, and then an appearance where neither acknowledges the previous altercation. Each deeply yearns for and needs the other, but both are battle-shy and ultra-hesitant to go where their heart is indeed directing and suggesting. Passion is frequently waylaid until...

Karen White is a skilled writer deftly crafting a mysterious and fascinating ghost story with romance and a touch of Southern history threaded into its engrossing pages. Well done, Ms. White - I absolutely loved this novel!!!

A Winter Discovery by Michael Baron

2011-10-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

A Winter Discovery. Michael Baron. The Story Plant. November 2011. 60 pp. pbk. ISBN #: 9781611880274.

Reese Rubato and his family are characters returning from Michael Baron's earlier work, When You Went Away. Reese doesn't miss much and has a million questions as every 5 year-old boy does. For now, it's winter and Christmas is approaching. He misses his Mom or one should more correctly say he misses not knowing her. But all of a sudden something happens that makes him realize she's not far away at all. Yes, it's a gooey feeling it creates inside him but one he loves and cherishes every time it happens.

This is a very brief story that is unusually free of tense conflict but is no less charming and thrilling for that absence. Reese's Dad and step-Mom are very patient and loving with Reese, and the family enjoys the preparations for the big holiday with humor, seriousness, and obvious care.

Reese is going to have the most memorable Christmas possible but until then enjoy reading about snowflakes, living snowmen, and so much more. Michael Baron knows how to touch every emotion a reader could experience and the feeling one gets is after having a satisfying and delicious meal!!! Exquisite story, Michael Baron!

Against the Storm by Kat Martin

2011-10-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Against the Storm: The Raines of Wind Canyon. Kat Martin. MIRA book from Harlequin. October 2011. 400 pp. pbk. ISBN #: 9780778312925.

Maggie O'Connell is sitting in a bar when she sees a wild conflict break out between a young famous rock singer and his wife and her lawyer, the spark being the fact his wife wants a divorce. A young, sexy-looking, powerful guy breaks in and manages to take out the singer and his companions. Maggie tries to take pictures but the guy takes away her camera and erases the photos. She's annoyed but drawn to this guy who brooks no disagreement. Her friend reminds Maggie of her own present problem and how she might want to connect with this guy after getting his card and phone number. It's not too long before she receives a frightening message on her phone machine that makes her quickly decide to try to engage his help.

Nothing is simple in this multi-layered-plotted story. Trace quickly decides to help Maggie, although his stronger instincts tell him he should walk away and stay uninvolved. He learns she's got a secret that is obviously an obstacle in her inability to get police help and protection for an obvious stalker. Add to that he finds her ultra-sexy, having a penchant for attractive red-headed women. At a certain point, he's sure he's had enough when he learns she's lying to him, plus his ex-girlfriend keeps showing up at the wrong times and always begging for more of what he's left in the past.

Meanwhile the phone messages and written messages inside her apartment heighten the suspense and Maggie's fear. It seems strange that her half-sister and baby appears in the middle of all this chaos and Trace learns one of his former clients has met an untimely and very suspicious end. The pace quickens as does Trace's decision to forgive Maggie; the passion quickly develops along with the threats. Trace is no dummy and while sharing his love of the ocean and ranches manages to solve the prevailing two mysteries of the novel, with a most satisfactory ending that is both surprising and thrilling.

Kat Martin's writing gets better and better. She writes a great mystery and adds just enough romance to entice and endear every reader. Great, haunting, and sizzling story, Ms. Martin!!!

Red Bird's Song by Beth Trissel

2011-10-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

Red Bird's Song. Beth Trissel. The Wild Rose Press. August 2010. 334 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9781601548122.

Charity Edmonson is furious that her mother is insisting she marry someone she considers dull and boring. She would marry for love, but in Revolutionary America such is rarely the custom. However, this beautiful woman's life is about to dramatically change when a Shawnee war party attacks Charity's village, murdering her father and brother. Charity doesn't have much time to mourn her losses, as a Shawnee native named Wicomechee, or Meechee as she comes to call him, falls in love with Charity's beauty and spunky nature immediately.

Another native, Chaka, would have Charity for a wife, but his methods are cruel because he believes he can possess her by force and brutality. He is in for some very strong rebuffs in some very undignified scenes that increases the reader's empathy and support for Charity and Meechee's future together. Charity is not an easy catch however, and her humor and rebellious nature are amusing and anxiety-producing depending on the scene. She's one very modern woman!

But the romance is slow to spark, although the physical attraction between the two is immediate, for Charity observes over time the merciless nature of these warriors whose anger is fueled by the death and injustice they have repeatedly endured at the hands of the white men. So scalping and brutal attacks are a reality that strikes Charity as bestial and beyond the pale. For now, Charity is helping her friend, Emily, who was also kidnapped and is pregnant. Even that part of the plot is complex, when Emily meets a former lover, Colin, who escaped from a perilous situation to become a Shawnee warrior.

The story escalates when George III's red coats catch up with the natives, and all are forced to face their prejudice and hatred. Beth Trissel knows how to craft a simple but engaging story that produces mixed emotions and thoughts in the reader, with a surprising ending that the reader never suspects is coming. Very nicely done, Beth Trissel!

Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey

2011-10-07T05:28:00.000-07:00

Becoming Marie Antoinette. Juliet Grey. Random House Publishing Group. August 2011. 480 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9780345523860.

Marie Antoinette's life began as the youngest archduchess of Austria, her mother, Maria Teresa, the Empress of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria. Madam Antonia, as she is known until her marriage, is expected to excel in all academic subjects as well as social skills. For her mother is planning to unite the fortunes of Austria and France by wedding her daughter to the Dauphin, the son of King Louis XV. But Madame Antonia is just beginning her teen years when she discovers how she is to be remade in her mother's image of what a French Queen should be! Juliet Grey does a fine, fine job of conveying the stark and boring quality of this life by combining it with Marie's vivacious and humorous nature. If she keeps her spunk, a fine Queen she will be!

The novel proceeds with the reader receiving descriptions of wondrous clothing, meals, and landscapes in Marie's childhood world, broken by the devastating death of one sibling and departure of another to be Queen in another land. Slowly but surely, Marie realizes her role in life is to obey her mother and satisfy every demand for the sake of Austria. It's a heavy burden and one that prevents rebellion, given the alternative destiny of a break with France and more wars that accomplish nothing but death and destruction.

An amazing ceremony occurs when Marie is finally wed by proxy and travels through Austria into France. There she discovers a dauphin who is phenomenally shy and totally uninterested in touching Marie, let alone consummating their marriage. In the light of the King's flagrant flaunting of his mistress and other "loose" behavior occurring in the King's court, this quandary is irksome but then soon changes to sympathy and actual liking of the Dauphin. For he is a "man of the people" in his heart and mind and totally uninterested in the boring, garish world of the elite, a fascinating characterization given what was the norm of royal behavior at the time, completely and elaborately described in these pages. Lovers of fashion and style can immerse themselves in pages of haute French couture and cuisine of the 18th Century French court.

Marie and her husband evolve into sympathetic characters but not without their detractors, as Marie begins to spurn court etiquette, threatening a way of luxury and splendor for the entire French court but endearing the young couple to the reader and common people.

The novel ends on a hopeful note, where the Dauphin becomes King Louis XVI and Marie becomes the Queen of France. Each has a vision full of charity and benefit for the French people, the fulfillment of which will be presented in two forthcoming novels about their life. Juliet Grey's initial novel about the cursed Queen is quite innocent yet revealing. A young girl is forced to grow up fast and become the perfect "Queen," a sacrifice to politics as her mother would admit frequently. Her training is her childhood, one that terrorizes her more with fearful anticipation of failure than actual events that will someday be her nemesis. Etiquette is all and impression is everything! The machinations of a French court full of fawning and deception creates an atmosphere of distrust that is the norm rather than the exception, one that Marie herself sometimes exacerbates.

Congratulations, Ms. Grey, on your fine fictional account of this very real, audacious world and the transformation of a naive, unsure girl into a formidable worldly leader! Superbly done!

Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam

2011-10-07T04:38:00.001-07:00

Lamb. Bonnie Nadzam. Other Press, LLC. September 2011. 288 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9781590514375.

David Lamb is a middle-aged man disappointed in life, having recently been asked to take a long break from his job, suffered the death of his father, and having failed in a romantic relationship. So he's got a lot of pent-up hurt and anger inside; at least that's how it feels to the reader. It's not too long before the reader realizes he or she is not breathing often with fear and puzzlement. For David Lamb initially decides to teach 11 year-old Tommie a lesson when she, while her friends are watching, sashays up to him and asks for a cigarette. How he does it is shocking and mind-numbing, eliciting from the reader frantically passing questions about his sanity and her audacity. This is the pace and tone that unremittingly flows in the following pages.

Nadzam has presented what would be a character study of an innocent man trying to simply respond to life as it appears, to find some sense of normalcy in life. Giving something of that nature to Tommie is how David sees something valuable he has to offer. However, kidnapping an 11 year-old girl and rationalizing his way into her life as providing some love and stability, given the lack of some in her own background and present family life, is debatable and never quite convincing as the reader's mind keeps thinking this is all wrong and rather perverse, albeit not overtly so sexually.

Off they travel to the West where David seeks to introduce Tommie to the wild and free wilderness or camp life that turns out to be quite different from what both expect! His girlfriend even manages to show up and become a temporary part of this "family." David says it best, "There is a small person inside of him wishing to tell Tommie all about it and then another person inside of him crushing the wishes like empty beer cans against a cinder-block wall." But still he tries, knowing he will return Tommie to her mother. As their journey proceeds, other memories keep interfering with his plan and make him say things wise, foolish and confusing to Tommie's young ears. At the same time, this is more attention and care than Tammy's parents have given her in her entire life. Perhaps a glimpse inside this complex man or would-be Daddy (and more?) will touch this young girl's life in a positive way forever? Will she ultimately love or hate David long after she returns home? Read and decide!

Lamb is not a novel to like or dislike. It is a thriller that is more about inner thoughts and feelings, about communicating same to another hungry to hear and feel worthy of attention. It makes the reader begin to fully ponder the depth of character in humanity, not easily definable and yet more worthy because of the effort to understand and let the complexity lie as it is without judgment. Lamb is a risky but gripping read for sure!

Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick

2011-10-01T17:34:00.001-07:00

Lady of the English. Elizabeth Chadwick. Sourcebooks, Incorporated. September 2011. 544 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9781402250927.

Two women desire to be the Queen of 12th Century England. One, Adeliza, wife of Henry I, sees her role as an actual Queen to be that of peacemaker in a realm where loyalties are based on ambition and the acquisition of power through land and riches. Such loyalties are bound to fluctuate as the tides of power fluctuate over the years.

Another woman, Matilda, the daughter of Henry I, has been promised she will be Queen upon the King's passing. Henry believes he has guaranteed this in having his counselors and liege lords pledge their loyalty on bended knee to Matilda. This is Matilda's story, a journey of yearning and suffering as Stephen of Blois usurps the throne after Henry's death. Matilda is married to Geoffrey of Anjou, a brutal man who almost destroys his wife. Scathingly sarcastic, Geoffrey, however, is a superb military strategist and supports Matilda's quest for the crown only because he believes it will benefit his own dreams of power.

The plot is not as simple as described so far. There are moments of temporary victory, moments of intense sorrow, and ultimately moments when the realization strikes that the timing is all wrong for Matilda's ascension to Queen of England. Thus a brutal civil war begins that tears apart a country undeserving of the shifting spheres of loyalty and success that follow.

Adeliza, believing Matilda should rightly fulfill her queenly destiny, and the men who surround Matilda are complex characters as portrayed in this engaging novel. Matilda is remarkably unable to truly control her strategy and even disregards the advise of those more knowledgeable about how to win over the lords who begin to see Stephen's weaknesses. Adeliza risks much in her loyalty to Matilda, shown in some heartrending scenes that remain potent long after they are read. Indeed, Adeliza is frequently the more sympathetic character than Matilda, a tough woman who hides her heart because she fears it may be deemed weakness.

The Lady of the English is an interesting story about this little-known slice of history and the woman who spent so much of her life in truth preparing another and those around her for the role of ruling the formidable Kingdom of England. Fascinating Middle Ages historical fiction!

Anything by Michael Baron

2011-09-25T18:46:00.001-07:00

Anything. Michael Baron. The Story Plant. October 2011. 290 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9781611880212.

Ken and Melissa are two lawyers who have discovered each other and are about to be married. Melissa has dramatically changed Ken’s life without trying to, and Ken knows his life is fulfilled in a way it could never have been with all the stereotypical women he previously dated. One evening, however, when they are visiting her parents, a few days before their wedding, Ken realizes there is something from her past that has taken the joy out of her life, a loss clearly evident in the way she avoids looking at pictures from her teenage years. Up to now, Ken has been buying her gifts from a strange man who runs a unique jewelry shop. Everything from there is always different and always delights Melissa.

Ken returns to the shop and makes an agreement with Stephon, the owner. Ken is warned he may not like the outcome or consequences of the action he is about to take but refuses to heed the warning. During the magical trip he takes after that visit, he discovers the joyful childhood of his future bride until one fateful evening. He is devastated and on returning to the present, Melissa is appalled at his discovery as well. Ken, however, refuses to let go and returns to Stephon for one more trip to the past. To say more would be a definite spoiler but the story is far from over as Ken tries to change the past, which changes the present as well. Nothing, for sure, is solely as it appears.

The remainder of the story is a quest for recovery, one Ken will not release even though an old acquaintance advises him of its futility. The power of enduring love moves beyond our wildest dreams as the novel ends with a most unlikely ending, one that is not just a happily ever after story, but one that touches the heart with its true essence, a miracle indeed.

Michael Baron knows how to pull every string of a reader’s heart. The plot may seem implausible but there is enough mystery, magic, and deep abiding love to make this novel a pleasing story that would make a lovely movie as well. Charming and well-plotted for sure, Anything is a beautiful romance novel that will engage every reader who loves this genre!

To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries

2011-09-25T18:30:00.001-07:00

To Wed a Wild Lord. Sabrina Jeffries. Pocket Star Publishing. November 2011. 384 pages paperback. ISBN #: 9781451642407.

Lord Gabriel Sharpe’s heart has been broken twice already in his very young life. The first time came with the mysterious death of his parents and then with the untimely death of his friend, Roger Waverly. In between all of this mind-numbing grief comes a challenge from Roger’s sister to race “the needle’s thread,” a hair-raising course which turns into a single lane between boulders. Why would Gabe want to woo her but refuse her challenge? And what does his grandmother’s meddling ultimatum have to do with her anger over who he chooses to marry?

Gabe tells his grandmother he can’t die, in a race or otherwise, because he is “the Angel of Death.” She, of course, doesn’t have a clue what that means and only ascribes it to his impetuous nature. He truly believes he was the one who should have died in place of his parents, something to do with a mysterious stranger who arrived at his home and took one of the family horses out the same day his parents died. He believes that insults and a coincidence of events led to his losses and that he is cheating death over and over and over.

It is Virginia Waverly who throws all of Gabe’s rational explanations to the wind little by little, that is until she hears a rumor that he is wooing her only for purposes of an inheritance he can only have upon being married. Another character, General Waverly, calls him out on his guilt about Roger’s death. The provocative banter, wildly sexy scenes, and funny moments increase in various stages until one can feel the tension in more ways than one with every turned page!

By now the passion between Gabe and Virginia is searing in intensity, attracting these two volatile characters to the point where Gabe realizes he must abandon all the machinations and woo for real! He must enter a race to win a great, passionate love beyond what words can convey! As always, Sabrina Jeffries titillates and thrills the reader with both a mystery about to be solved and hot, steamy, sexy connection that must be fulfilled in order to finally cheat death for one last time! This fourth story is even better than Ms. Jeffries’ previous novels in the Hellions of Halstead Hall series.

So Near - A Novel by Liza Gyllenhaal

2011-09-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

So Near: A Novel. Liza Gyllenhaal. New American Library. September 2011. 336 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9780451234575.

One minute, a father is worry about his father’s business turning sour in a changing economy. Then the same father is enjoying a baseball game, having a few beers, and thinking how great life is, while his wife is preparing for a large barbecue party. Half an hour later, their lives are turned upside down with a terrible, terrible loss, and the horrific future seems to be an impossible reality to get through. Everyone tries to ensure that there is no guilt to be carried but each parent believes he or she is to blame for this nightmare they are now living second by second, minute by minute…

How does one cope with the most devastating death one would not want to imagine? Cal’s brother says a lawsuit is the answer, yet Cal suspects his brother Edwin’s motives are questionable. They are and the further shock that eventually is disclosed is expected because of certain moments when the reader is expecting something financially crushing is about to happen, so aptly does the author foreshadow each phase of this world-shaking event.

Little by little, Cal and Jenny Horigan mourn in different ways and learn not to speak in order not to expose blame or self-recrimination. It reaches a point where each turns elsewhere for desperate communication. Before the Horigan marriage totally sinks into a hole beyond redemption, a stranger comes into their world in a way that could put the finishing touches on a doomed relationship or perhaps provide something else of a more miraculous nature.

So Near is a heart-rending, honest, pragmatic, searing look at love that is called to endure far more than any person should ever have to bear but a love that is so deep that a spark remains to be kindled by a series of miraculous mistakes and interactions. Read it and weep! Read it, smile, and celebrate the gift of life! Tender, compelling novel, Liza Gyllenhaal – you so obviously know of what you write!!!

Justifiable: Oregon by Pamela Wright

2011-09-25T14:22:00.001-07:00

Justifiable: Oregon. Pamela Wright. Reaction Press. July 2011. 298 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9780983580935.

Tilamook Rock Lighthouse in Seaside, Oregon is a scary place all by itself, but what goes on inside this fortress is even more frightening than anyone could contemplate. For whoever is brought here in a drugged state is first subjected to tortured interrogation followed by death and cremation, with no traces left that anyone ever existed here. The cause is “justifiable” as the title of the series suggests, get the details of the crime and eliminate the criminals who would normally never be caught. The plot thickens as we learn that a current investigation has to do with a drug cartel who are pumping already superstar athletes with performance-enhancing chemical drugs that guarantee success. But there’s a huge problem when athletes start dropping dead and it’s discovered that what killed them is far from what was suspected by those testing for addicted champions.

The Doctor who is handing out these drugs has no idea of their real content and so is so stunned upon discovering what could not expose his guilt but prove to be his total undoing as an athlete physician caring for men and women expected to be “winners.” The threat of unexpected death looms in many quarters beyond what the reader can imagine at the beginning of this tautly plotted, nerve-wracking novel.

Dan Morrison knows this is way over his specialized skills and seeks help from others known as the Special Forces team, at the same time knowing that his progression deeper into this mystery could put his friend Sarah into a serious position of jeopardy. But even Dan realizes he doesn't know Sarah or her past so well, especially what she has sacrificed in the name of past missions as well as the present case. Traffickers and pedophiles are the subject at hand and the cartel doesn’t stop there. One team will search the world if necessary to find the lost and taken, eliminating the scum that preys on the weak and helpless.

Pamela Wright has penned a deftly plotted, well-written action novel in which all characters rivet the reader’s attention, up to the last shocking scene in a devastating war of in which the members of a righteous team forge through tense conflicts and scenarios and have no problem justifying their final solution! Gripping, plausible read! The scales of justice are balanced with a unique method of saving the innocent. Nicely done!

Citizen Out - A Novel by Marie Crist

2011-09-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

The Citizen Chronicles: Citizen Out: A Novel. Marie Crist. Reaction Press. July 2011. 276 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9780983580904.

Citizen Out opens with a ghastly scene, a predator spying a group of little girls, picturing what he could possibly do with one of them, and then choosing who will be his willing, in his sick mind, partner. The plan is to enjoy her even up to the moments of her death. It's a breath-stopping scene and makes the reader disgusted and then horrified - that is until the mind-jolting second when the perpetrator is hit in the neck with a death-dealing knife. A sigh of relief pervades the reader's being, for this death is preferable to the suffering an otherwise innocent young girl would have endured prior to her death and her family's devastating reaction.

Sound implausible? Not. For in spite of Amber alerts and vigilant neighbor watches, etc., little girls and boys are being abducted, abused, tortured and sometimes murdered, leaving behind scars and grieving beyond description. This is a fictional story that could become reality, a group of citizens who are highly trained, globally connected, and motivated to stop each "mark" as the perps are called before each devastating crime begins, not after.

Kevin and Celeste are one team of this team of citizens with a lovely family and a good marriage. In fact, it's the one point in this book that was rather annoying, not that they were happy but the way the author expresses dialogue is very stilted and almost artificial, plainly unnatural. The point is obviously this juxtaposition of happy family versus the sickos destroying families but it needs to be more relaxed and normal. Anyway, several plot lines now begin to follow.

The first is Kevin and Celeste managing their schedule as they work for this company behind the citizens, the second the method of seeking and gaining new recruits in the characters of Seth and Veronica, and the third is some rather public figures and hoods involved in the marketing of children.

The message is very clear, the scenes in part are riveting. Finally, there is one unplanned event that changes everything at the end of the novel, which leaves the reader assured of another tale in these chronicles. In spite of many construction flaws, this is a novel that leaves readers with a multitude of disturbing but vital thoughts, feelings, and questions, with possible acceptable and perhaps not so welcome answers flitting through the former. Unique and significant issue presented in novel form for sure!

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy

2011-09-13T16:00:00.001-07:00

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore. Stella Duffy. Penguin Group (USA). September 2011. 352 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9780143119876.

Theodora of Constantinople is smart and sassy as a very young woman. She is not so pretty but what she lacks in beauty she more than makes up for with her decent singing voice, comedic acting abilities, and the ability to improvise when the show is going awry or some facet produces an unexpected audience effect. She has a fierce ability to put up with much discipline in her art, forceful teaching that at times seems almost abusive.

Her talents are acknowledged after one particular evening's performance, but unfortunately a selfish act on her part forces her destiny elsewhere, to a monastic community where she undergoes physical and spiritual training that transforms her life in a realistic, moving direction. No, this isn't a sudden conversion but a series of meditative moments that enable her to know who she really is. She is now ready to take on a more serious mission, in the middle of the Chalcedonian schism where authorities war over Christ's divine and/or human nature. Her sharp, intuitive nature however becomes even stronger until she succeeds in getting the position of assistant to Justinian who will soon become Emperor of Constantinople.

To tell more would spoil the magic of this well-written, adventurous, poignant, comedic, sexy, dramatic, and intelligent novel that reads like an in-depth biography, one sure to appeal to many types of readers with diverse interests. The descriptions of the people, food, architecture, theater performances, and more are so vivid that it seems that the reader is there taking it all in. Stella Duffy is a talented writer who carries the reader to many points where one is laughing, crying, thinking and rapidly reading with such eagerness that one doesn't want the story to end.

Theodora...is a must read and sure to be a best seller! Just wonderful!!!

The Little Bride - A Novel by Anna Solomon

2011-09-04T19:38:00.001-07:00

The Little Bride: A Novel. Anna Solomon. Penguin Group (USA). September 2011. 320 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9781594485350.

Minna Losk has experienced much suffering by the time she's 16 years old. Her mother abandoned her father and her, and her father lives a tortured life between forgetting and memories that affect Minna until she lives her entire life surviving loss. Things are not much better after her father dies and she is shipped off to relatives and then a family who present as haunting, dysfunctional, and even mentally ill people. Her job is to be a serving girl. But lest one judge too quickly, these are Jewish people who live through the late 1800s pogroms in Odessa and other Russian towns. Waiting to be brutally attacked day after day after day could stretch any one's sanity to the limit!

Then Minna has the opportunity to become an American bride to an unknown man South Dakota. The journey overseas to her new home is fraught with watching people die from seasickness and starvation, with additional violent scenes to scar even the toughest character. It turns out she is about to marry into a home where the first wife has also abandoned the family, finding the wild West far too much for her grand ideas of living in America. Max's two sons, Sam and Jacob, believe Minna can never understand their past life. Their relationship is odd as they are closer in age to Minna and Max is twice her age and a religious Jew whose family believed he was going to become a famous Rabbi someday!

Minna typifies the harsh brutal life of a farmer's wife meant to help eke out a living on unyielding land, with no money to put into bettering a farm that is really not a farm. Suddenly a relationship develops between Minna and one of the sons, and secrets begin to be revealed.

While the plot seems fairly straight and even simplistic or stereotypical, there is nothing of that because of the way in which Anna Solomon takes the reader into Minna's mind, spinning stark and literate reflections with a tortured reality that defies one's idea of how much can be endurable. The Little Bride is a highly literate, uniquely lyrical account about the Jewish immigrant experience in a harsh American frontier that respects no gender, culture, or class. Remarkable novel!

Fallen by Traci L. Slatton

2011-09-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

Fallen. Traci L. Slatton. Telemachus Press, LLC. July 2011. 240 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9781935670896.

The world is coming to an end from the mists, phenomena that eat through metals and flesh, leaving behind a sand-like, formless substance. One woman, however, has survived and with her daughter now travels with seven children. They arrive at a camp led by a mysterious, tough guy named Arthur who has created a safe camp and community where the mists cannot attack, but that does not mean they are safe by any means!

For Arthur possesses the ability to sense when the mists are approaching and is able to raise his arms and make the mists disperse permanently. So why is he is so hard and what secrets does he possess about the mists that he will share with no one. Emma makes a very quick agreement with Arthur in order to ensure the safety of her young charges, but she's clear that means no commitment. Arthur wants that contract to mean she will obey him no matter what, and therein the sparks begin to fly.

Emma lives to love her kids, several of whom have very specific and unusual psychic powers, a reality that seems to be tied to the presence of the devastating mists but one that saves their lives more than once. Arthur and the community members have other known and unknown enemies who can be just as lethal as the power bent on eradicating humanity and even the earth. Another female community has several members with their own gifts and they know something about Arthur that they keep telling her to ask him about; this part of the novel occurs with some annoying frequency but does add to the mystery of it all.

The remainder of the novel concerns the ultimate confrontation between rogue riders, Arthur's former friend and now enemy, Alexei, and some conflicts based on so-called Tesla technology. Science can be a very dangerous subject! Ultimately, a surprising conclusion leaves the reader breathless and yet anticipating a return to the core personal and communal conflicts and chaos in another follow-up novel.

The reader is forced to consider previously stable definitions of time, obedience, psychic powers, science, and most importantly, love. Powers exist, perhaps, that enhance long-ignored mental skills but is the power of memory too strong to allow for new ways of relating and the freedom to explore same without guilt and ignoring the instinctive inclinations of the heart?

Many, many questions arise as one reads this story that defies what can be falsely read as a simplistic story/plot. Traci L. Slatton is a writer to watch closely, including in whatever sequels follow this unique, well-written sci-fi novel!

Promissory Payback by Laurel Dewey

2011-09-04T11:38:00.001-07:00

Promissory Payback. Laurel Dewey. The Story Plant. August 2011. 80 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9781611880076.

Detective Jane Perry is a no-nonsense, gritty investigator who believes a loaded gun is what keeps you both flexible and safe. However, the victim she is about to witness will make her come close to losing her latest meal. Carolyn Handel is a 62 year-old woman found with the word "karma is a b--ch" across her back and her mouth stuffed with a strip of paper in her mouth with the words "Promissory Note" on it, along with a chair clearly placed to be facing the unfortunate but obviously fearful victim. Not pretty at all!

It seems that Carolyn was in the habit of losing people's money, in the recent past several well-meaning friends who had no idea they were being taken in by a scam. But who could it be among the people Detective Perry begins and continues to interrogate as potential perpetrators of this horrific murder? Usually one can predict "who done it" within a relatively short period of time, but this is not the case at all.

Laurel Dewey has spun a short but potent mystery thriller that gradually reveals startling and unsuspected clues evolving into quite a surprising solution that will amaze readers. The perfect crime rarely exists. Here, however, it comes close only because of the links missed behind the planned end of Ms. Handel but quickly ascertained by the sharp, quick-thinking detective.

Very nicely and cleverly done, Ms. Dewey!!!

Velva Jean Learns to Fly by Jennifer Niven

2011-08-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

Velva Jean Learns to Fly. Jennifer Niven. Penguin Group (USA). August 2011. 432 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9780452297401.

Velva Jean Hart is tired of small town living, including a husband who is part preacher and part moonshiner. She'd been told she had a wonderful voice and a record producer actually made a record of one of her "Yellow Truck..." songs, telling her to look him up if she ever got to Nashville, Tennessee from rural Appalachia in Alluvia, North Carolina. So she sang every song she knew as she left her home all the way to the point in Tennessee where she got a flat tire. But Velva Jean is a spunky gal and managed to conquer this problem, find a place to live, and make a friend who would help until Velva Jean finally found a job. Even after those difficult challenges, in which she bore rejection after rejection, she still managed to find a place where people could enjoy her voice and zesty personality! But a record contract did not loom, especially after she was told she needed years of music experience before she'd be ready for recording. She didn't care - she just kept writing song after song after song!

Life, however, changed dramatically with the breakout of WWII, and Velva Jean's brother, Johny Clay, introduces her to a flying lesson that changes her passion forever. She goes on to become a female pilot and joins a select group of women flyers carrying out secret but no less dangerous missions within America. Here the story mixes her increasing love of flying, desire to do more for the war effort, and the horror she experiences as tragedy after tragedy happen to those she loves and others she doesn't know. Some die by attack but some are killed because of human mistakes; the latter are just as devastating and Velva Jean is responsible for bringing it to the attention of those who should be doing something about it.

There is much more day-by-day description of what an amazing woman Velva Jean and other women flyers like her become. It's a quick, shocking way to grow up but this plot is filled with humor and persistent dedication, the essence of Velva Jean's personality.

This novel has some very slow parts but does evolve into a funny, interesting and wonderful historical fiction piece that elevates the place of women in a time when they were expected to stay home and sew for the war effort. It includes as well the respect these women flyers known as the WAFS or Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. Jennifer has depicted a slice of life in the war that few Americans know about, and Velva Jean Hart is an unforgettable, spunky gal who stands for the best women contributing to the war effort at that time! Nicely done, Ms. Niven!

The Eden Prescription by Ethan Evers

2011-08-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

The Eden Prescription. Ethan Evers. Createspace Publisher. October 2010. pb. 326 pages, ISBN #:9781439276556.

An unanswered question looms large in the minds and hearts of both cancer patients and those without but fearing this killer disease. Dr. Elliot Lindell is a scientist operating outside of the normal medical community. He's spent years coming up with a cocktail of unusual ingredients that include an acceptable cancer drug combined with Vitamin D, ginger, gingko, pomegranate, and other hard-to-access natural products. He's also a computer whiz who has invented a computer model that simulates the growth, division, and destruction of cancer cells upon reception of this new and successful cancer cocktail. Annika Guthrie is his brilliant assistant, a woman highly and idealistically motivated by the possibilities inherent behind a cure for this devastating disease.

This thriller story has drug companies vying for possession of the most effective drug and the formula for the most potent combination to do the job of destroying cancer cells. The money is their motive for obtaining what will finally constitutes a wonder drug for cancer patients. The plot thickens when bits of information leak to the right and wrong parties, and an international hunt ensues that includes attempts at theft and murder, actual murders, and faked murders. It turns out The Eden Project is an international finance group with powers and funding to accomplish anything from wars to blatant collapses of key financial countries, always geared to their own recovery and the surpassing of their own wealth and power wherever they operate.

The reader will be riveted to this tale in which victory begins to seem impossible and a confusing war of individuals and groups clash with increasing intensity to the point where the reader is unsure who is friend and who is foe. However, knowing that the bad guys lose doesn't stop one from furiously reading ahead to the striking end. Somehow in the midst of all the chaos or mayhem, one gently learns a lot about not only drugs and plants but also how cancer cells supposedly operate under varying conditions, what works at destroying parts of the cells, and what might be a more powerful, less destructive cure for those suffering from the actual disease.

Speculation is rife on what could possibly happen to the medical community if a cure for cancer were ever found, of the making and unmaking of fortunes, of those who use science in a faithful, humanitarian, professional way and those who do the severe opposite. The Eden Prescription is a sometimes too repetitive but constantly thrilling read about what perhaps lies ahead in the future for anyone and everyone involved with finding a prescription cure for all, with implications larger than longer life for all.

Avery Flynn Q&A - Interview - Part Two

2011-08-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

THE NOT-SO-SECRET LIFE OF AVERY FLYNN…

(apparently all we had to do was ask…)

ABOUT AVERY FLYNN…The name Avery Flynn is a pseudonym for the author who, at least for now, prefers to remain behind the scenes. She believes having Avery for her alter ego is a very good thing because, as she says, “Pen Name Avery is way cooler than me. Her favorite color is hot pink. She drinks single malt scotch on the rocks. She loves the Argentinean tango and stays at Iceland’s Ice Hotel.” She recently celebrated the publication of her first novel, UP A DRY CREEK, the first novel in her Dry Creek series. Having conceived the Dry Creek books as a digital first series, Flynn plans a minimum of three more novels, including A Dry Creek Bed, which she has just completed.

Welcome, Avery!

We already know that you spent part of your childhood in a small town in western Nebraska since you’ve shared that it inspired Dry Creek, Nebraska, the setting for you first novel, Up a Dry Creek. What are some of the other places you’ve lived? How long?

Itchy feet are what we call the urge to move in our family. Growing up we moved nearly every year and not always far away. Example: We lived in five houses on the same street. Crazy, I know, but here’s the big moving breakdown: Born in Washington, moved to Kansas, moved to California, moved to Nebraska, moved to Missouri, moved to Texas, moved to Georgia, moved to Florida and, finally, moved to Virginia. We live in the Washington D.C. Metro area and I love it.

To this day, I get itchy feet after about a year in one spot. Instead of moving houses, now my husband comes home from work every few months to find the living room, kitchen or bedroom furniture rearranged.

What sort of jobs have you held?

Fast food, waitress, cashier, certified nurse’s aide, reporter, magazine editor, communications director, small business owner and writer. Unless it involves major physical coordination (of which I’m sorely lacking) I’ll give it a go.

Any touching or amusing anecdotes from time spent holding various jobs?

I’ve had a ton of jobs in my life. One of the most amusing was working as a cashier in the Walmart in my small hometown. You never realize the beautiful strangeness of people until you see all of the crazy things they buy at Walmart. In college, I worked with mentally handicapped adults. I have an aunt who is mentally challenged and as a child, I was scared of her and avoided her wet kisses like the plague. Taking on that job was a way for me to confront how uncomfortable I felt around those with intellectual disabilities. The residents taught me far more than I was ever able to share with them. After college, I worked as a police reporter for a decade. I’ve interviewed death row inmates, stood outside during hostage standoffs and held hands with a woman who’d just lost her son to a murderer’s bullet. The bravery and strength of those I met have stayed with me. I still feel honored that they were willing to let me help them share their stories with the world.

Motherhood—you have a job plus your writing and you’re raising a family. How do you do it all?

Some days quite badly, but luckily those days are few and far between. I have three rambunctious kids (eight, five and two), two arthritic dogs and an amazing husband. I couldn’t do it without their support. My husband was deployed for a year to Iraq. During that time we bought a house and moved. (I believe I mentioned crazy runs in the family.) My friends thought I’d finally taken on too much, but I’m a firm believer that you do what needs to be done. Don’t whine (well, only to good friends). Don’t hedge. Just do what needs to be done. I look around and see women doing it all the time. Time’s short, money’s tight and patience is thin, but we women always manage to get the job done.

The family you grew up with—brothers, sisters?

I have one older sister, who is an amazing artist, mean rummy player and has a brilliant sense of humor.

Will you tell us a bit about your family background?

I come from a long line of stubborn women toughened by the prairie winds and the constant demands of rural life. Where some may have seen hardship, the women of my family pushed to make their own ways. One grandmother traveled from Kansas to Washington DC during World War II to aide in the war effort. There she fell in love and married a dashing pilot who never came home from the war. Pregnant, the new widow moved home to raise her son. But she never gave up on life. She went on to fall in love again, become the county treasurer and didn’t stop mowing her own lawn until she was nearly ninety. It’s this kind of flinty reserve that defines my family.

Who are some of the authors you most enjoy reading?

All of them. :) No really. I read everything from romance to mystery to science fiction to children’s to non-fiction to cook books (hey, I’m trying). If you got a peek at my book buying records you’d think I was buying for thirty very different people.

Who are some of the authors whose work has influenced your writing style?

I once spoke to an amazing, intelligent man who could easily say he knew everything about everything and had nothing left to learn. Instead, he said he took knowledge from every experience, every encounter and every class he took. I feel the same way when I read. When I think I can’t learn something from nearly every person I read, then it’s time to hang up the keyboard.

What living writer you would most like to meet?

Harper Lee. The woman is a mystery and doesn’t give interviews. How fascinating to be such an amazing writer and to walk away from it knowing you’ve written the book you were meant to write.

What writer from the past you would most like to meet?

Margret Mitchell. I love Scarlett O’Hara—the ultimate anti-heroine who did what needed to be done.

What are you favorite types of books? Historicals? Contemporaries? Biography?

I need passion, humor and adventure in my books, whether that comes dressed in Regency clothing or in alien skin doesn’t matter.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Oh, can I cheat and say everyone? No? Well, if you look at my bookshelves you'll find lots of Charlene Harris, Lori Foster, Laurell K. Hamilton, Lora Leigh, Tana French and a ton of others. Did I mention I'm doing my best to single-handedly keep Borders in business?

What compels you to write?

A perverse work ethic and being a glutton for punishment? Just kidding. My dad gave me a baby blue Brother typewriter before I could even read. I wrote gibberish stories about my stuffed animals and haven't stopped since. However, I will say my spelling has gotten much better.

When did you first start reading romance?

Way before I probably should have. I remember getting busted in sixth grade with a copy of The Thorn Birds.

What are your favorite sports and teams?

Do you here that sound? It's my husband laughing. I come to my sports affiliations through marriage and am contractually obligated to root for the New Jersey Devils, New York Giants and the Evil Empire AKA the Yankees.

Who are some of the people you most admire?

Those who aren't afraid to try something new be it food, a job, an adventure or a place.

Who are some of the people who have most influenced you?

My mom was and is a huge influence. Also my husband who, despite a tendency to say the most boneheaded things, is my number one supporter.

Which living person would you most like to meet?

Hillary Rodham Clinton. Love her or hate her, you can't deny she is fascinating.

Which person no longer alive would you most like to meet?

My dad died when I was in first grade. I've always wanted to have a grown up conversation with him.

What are some of your favorite charities and causes?

Girl Scouts, my local food pantry, the USO, the Human Rights Campaign

What are some of the national organizations to which you belong?

I belong to RWA, the Washington Romance Writers and RWA's romantic suspense/mystery chapter, Kiss of Death.

Can you give us a look at what is on your professional schedule moving forward?

I’ve just finish the second installment of the Dry Creek series with two more to follow. Also, I have another heroine whispering in my ear for a new series.

Please recommend a few books to put on summer reading lists?

Besides Up a Dry Creek? (Sorry. Just can’t help myself.) There is a ton of great stuff out there. I just finished Lori Foster's latest, When You Dare (totally awesome) and Janet Evanovich has a new book this month that I can’t wait to get my hands on. For a little something different, I'd recommend Anthony Bourdain's Medium Raw and my all time favorite true crime novel, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Also give your new e-reader a workout and try someone new from an independent e-publisher like Evernight Publishing.

Up a Dry Creek is available at these online retailers…

1PlaceforRomance

http://1placeforromance.com/

Amazon Kindle

http://www.amazon.com

AllRomanceEbooks

http://www.allromanceebooks.com

Barnes & Noble

http://www.bn.com

BookStrand

http://www.bookstrand.com/

Diesel Books

http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/

Digibook Café

http://www.digibookscafe.com/

iBookstore (Apple)

http://www.apple.com/ipad/built-in-apps/ibooks.html

Kobo

http://www.kobobooks.com

ReaderStore (Sony)

http://ebookstore.sony.com/

… and, of course, at

Evernight Publishing

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/

Heiress by Susan May Warren

2011-07-27T15:40:00.001-07:00

Heiress - Book One of Daughters of Fortune Series. Susan May Warren. Summerside Press. August 2011. 380 pp. paperback. ISBN #: 9781609362188.

Who am I? When one has been raised in the wealthy society of the Gilded Age in the late 1800s, one has a book of rules, Godey's Lady's Book, to scrupulously follow if one would be successful as a debutante and respected society female. Esme and Jinx Price have opposite dreams, the former to become a famous journalist and the latter to be the envy of her social class after making a prize marriage with a wealthy gentleman. Indeed, Jinx little by little is falling in love with the man Esme is supposed to marry, Foster Worth, a genuine cad for sure!

Esme, however, has a secret, a butler's son who loves her and wants to marry her; he even nurtures her passion for journalism by having her stories submitted as "Anonymous Writer" to Esme's father's newspaper, The New York Chronicle. Jinx and her mother are responsible for the most outrageous machination, designed to save the family's fortune but that truly seems to bring ruin to all involved.

Esme will lose one love and escape to Silver City, Montana where she will start her own small newspaper, fight for the causes she believes in, and meet a man who will briefly love her in the truest sense of the word but not until she suffers a great deal of poverty and prejudice because she is a woman working in a man's trade. Jinx, on the other hand, gets her man but the relationship turns out to be a dark nightmare, exacerbated by the presence of one family member she shares a very dark secret with, as well as a passionate love!

Heiress is full of dreams, adventures, disappointments, passion, secrets, battles, bloodshed, fistfights, murder, and more that make the pages fly. Words of faith begin to resonate in all of these characters, offering a peace that passes the understanding of most people restlessly pursuing their devastating and chaotic goals, conforming without thinking or feeling about a larger purpose for living.

Susan May Warren's first novel in this Daughters of Fortune series is guaranteed to leave you wanting to read the next book in the series soon. She knows how to spin a multilevel plot with varied characters, together with constant changes that surprise the reader as well as the characters. Heiress is peaceful, frantic, passionate, and inspiring - a superb combination, Ms. Warren!

The Battle Won: A Novel by S. Thomas Russell

2011-07-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

A Battle Won: A Novel. S. Thomas Russell. Berkley Trade Paperback: Penguin Group USA Inc. August 2011. 464 pp. ISBN #: 9780425241325.

Charles Hayden is an officer in the English Navy, a man whose father was honored for his naval service but who himself has been misunderstood and scorned because of a mutiny that resulted in the hanging of all who participated. It's as if The Themis is cursed because no one wishes to board let alone serve on it. But Charles Hayden who dreamed of commanding his own ship is appointed Master Commander of The Themis and commanded to serve as a convoy to other ships traveling to a volatile area in Gibraltar. The reputation of the ship is the least of his problems!

In the thrilling tradition of Patrick O'Brian, Bernard Cornwall and other writers depicting the highs and lows of military warfare, S. Thomas Russell joins their eminent world as a well-deserving writer whose hero faces every possible trial one could endure at sea. How is one to deal with a clergyman who challenges Hayden as a traitor because his parents were from both England and France? How does one get respect for a crew boy who is part Jewish, anathema to these Anglican believers? What about the character whose sole intent is not to serve but to incite rebellion and dissension among the crew when total unity is absolutely necessary to survive the storms and battles lying ahead that threaten to wipe out both crew and ship?

Like the men under his command, Hayden earns the reader's respect as he bravely handles every command to survive a storm or an attack from the French and even risks his own life to save every man forced to abandon a fellow, sinking ship. More and more action fills these pages with fear and courage that continuously fluctuates like the swaying ship. Arriving in Gibraltar after influenza has taken its toll on his crew, Hayden is again misunderstood but told to proceed to Corsica, where the Spanish and French are vying for control and revolution!

While many conspire to wreck his career and The Themis, Hayden proves himself to be the noble warrior of integrity and limitless courage who will delight every reader who loves a good military and nautical tale. What a thrilling work that has given this reviewer a desire to read more books like this! Best seller material for sure!

The Undertaker by William F. Brown

2011-07-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

The Undertaker. William F. Brown. Published by William F. Brown as e-book. January 2011. ISBN #9781617505119.

Peter Talbott is mourning the death of his wife and hardly beginning to move forward as so many things remind him of the loss of his love and best friend. Imagine his shock when he finds himself facing a mobster, Gino Parini's gun and the hood's insistence that he read his own obituary. So begins the race toward the truth when he decides to find out who has killed him off and why!

Peter's quest takes him first to a small town where he attends what is his own funeral, a sad affair attended by no one other than the town sheriff. More investigation amazes him as not only he and his wife's obituary are there but also other couples and a few individuals. As he enters this weird arena, he discovers a group of select people are behind something shady and even sick. Those people, the sheriff, the owner of a prestigious law firm connected to the government, a mortician, a senator, and others who are trying to stop Peter from finding out the truth and when that doesn't work they will try to kill him.

"Zero Defects" is a strong clue to the machinations of these sleezy characters whom even the Mob want to see disappear. But why? To tell more would be a spoiler, but be assured the nerve-wracking tension of this espionage novel is full of surprises, attacks, revelations, and a feisty, feminine gal unafraid to not only discover the truth but seek justice, no matter what the cost. You'll travel from Ohio to Chicago to Washington and more places all tied together in this sinister world of death after death. No one is innocent - not even the FBI!

No, you won't be able to guess the end of this tale until well toward the end - one that will startle you and leave you wanting more from this writer who knows how to spin a great, action-packed, crime-driven, thrilling story!

Well done, indeed, William F. Brown!!!

The Fund by H. T. Narea

2011-07-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Fund. H. T. Narea. Tom Doherty Associates, LLC. May 2011. 264 pages, hb. ISBN #: 9780765328908.

Fadiyah, a Berber Muslim from North Africa, runs after her older brother, Sajid, and he realizes there is no more time. He then proceeds to blow himself up in the middle of Madrid-Barajas Airport. So begins a cycle of planning and implementation of terrorist activities that is all too familiar but is shown in its precise financial planning within this novel that defies the reader's stereotypical predictions!

The central characters are Katerina Molares, part of the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. and Nebibi Hashem a Milanese-born Egyptian Muslim. Nebibi's priority is sharia-based finances that will further the jihad terrorist activities to spread the sword and word of Allah. He is brilliant and ruthless as we see in th opening chapters where a colleague who has stolen a fortune has both his arms severed by a sword. Sharia law believers are serious and intolerant of the slightest deviation. Now he begins to oversee the movement of funds to legitimate but hidden spots that appear as innocent businesses in the Cayman Islands, Venezuela, and Gibraltar, as well as other smaller locations. Those taking part have huge political and financial aspirations but fail to appreciate or know about the larger mission being forged, called Operation Andalus. Courage-enhancing serum drugs, a disease-producing viral shot, and more add to the tension of this mad scheme to destruction!

Kate is about to be unwittingly compromised which may indirectly aid the enemy. She has been assigned to find out the source of some of these moving funds from a Zurich bank to a Cuban account to a Swiss account. The DIA suspects it is related to Al Qaeda's terrorist activities but so far the trail is cold. The Madrid bombing gives all the senses that the time to find the source is rapidly losing ground. The reader will be gripped by pages and pages of international intelligence, counterintelligence, and journeys spanning the globe to race toward a satisfactory solution to the financial dilemma leading to critical chaos.

From here you must read, so that this review won't be a spoiler. But beware if you think there's a "good guys get bad guys" final scenario. The actual ending chapters of this novel will horrify one and yet draw one to keep reading because of its all too real plausible and devastating events. The Fund is a large novel about the peaceful and violent world of fighting the war on terrorism that one wants to put down but cannot because of its gripping, dominoes-like progression. Gripping, intelligent, fear-filled, courageous, devious and honorable characters push this story to its startling end! Nicely done, H. T. Narea!

The Blossoming of the World: Essays and Images by Brian H. Peterson

2011-07-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Blossoming of the World: Essays and Images. Brian H. Peterson. Tell Me Press, LLC. July 2011. 256 pp. with photographs. ISBN #: 9780981983585.

Brian H. Peterson has a definite, creative way with words and photographs! Add to that this is a unique look at life, with emphasis that life is just as much about contradictions as it is about the every day observations and experiences we all encounter in our life's journey. Take for example a meditation on September 23, 1987 in which the author describes nature's effects, "a certain, inexplicable warmth...from the center of my being and I begin to feel whole, complete" and a paragraph later, "Sometimes when I sit in the woods as I am now, I feel empty. Not void or dark, but more like a house whose doors and windows stand wide open while the wind blows through."

Perhaps the reader will find the comments about Oprah quite different from the public's normally empathic reaction to her problems with weight loss and popularity. Either way one sees it, honesty is what one finds in these pages. Yet at the same time, we are told that "empathy and compassion and 'do unto others' have become part of my wiring, my DNA." Numerous comments like these are not only refreshing but deeply inspiring for their lack of triteness and their frankness without any ego-enhancement. It is what it is!

Or perhaps the reader will be intrigued by the thoughts and feelings the author experiences about The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, a tale that excites the imagination because it binds the soul, remakes the author in its image, includng the dark voices within it elicits. Some wonderful pages describe the faith in each other, in the "simple necessity to love and be loved" that his parents knew in their elder years.

Nature is gorgeously, wildly, and enigmaticlaly presented in numerous photographs mixed throughout these short essays.

The Blossoming of the World... defies a neat, tidy summary. It's a tough and tender book to slowly relish, ponder, revisit, and share with others who hunger for embracing the finest and richest values and aspects of a life truly lived well! Put this on your gift list not only for everyone you love - and don't love - but especially for your own true self!

Arms Wide Open: A Midwife's Journey by Patricia Harman

2011-07-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

Arms Wide Open: A Midwife's Journey. Patricia Harman. Beacon Press. April 2011. 324 pp. ISBN #: 9780807001387.

Patricia Harman's second memoir tells the story of her hippie years and later her years as a married woman developing and practicing the science and art of midwifery. For those old enough to remember, we recognize in her character a true hippie who protests the Vietnam war, rejects everything about living a wealthy lifestyle that destroys the environment, and protests any forum that would be considered traditional or conservative. It's a time when draft-dodgers are running to Canada or sticking around to protest not only war but the development of nuclear arms or projects. Yes, the lifestyle is free and the possibilities seem endless!

Patricia Harman performs a wonderful balancing act within this well-crafted memoir! Pages fly by in which the reader seems to be right there with Patricia, Stacy, and her son, Mica, in the wilds of a Minnesota farm, hating and loving the vicious cold and snow in one moment and treasuring the rich colors, flowers, and animals seen in a place far from civilization. Or one is there singing community songs while sharing work and play in good and bad times. It's risky business, however, and the onset of illness and running out of money can turn one's Utopia into a fearful nightmare!

As time passes, the causes' force seems to lose potency, and their commune friends are leaving for other livelier places. But after a painful break with Stacy, Patricia meets Tom, a man who seems more level-headed and whose passion for medicine is equally shared. They both study in their respective fields, with financial help, get married, and begin careers in ob/gyn and midwifery often fraught with problems that could destroy them in the blink of an eye. It's the early days of wanting natural childbirth and many aspiring mothers lack the medical care or intelligence to know both the risks and the benefits of giving birth in such a way. Add to that the obvious opposition of the accepted medical world!

Arms Wide Open...is a well-written, wonderful read that deserves a large audience both for its excellent writing style and for the historical development of an unknown medical phenomenon depicted so intelligently, scientifically, and naturally! Truly Superb, Ms. Harman!

A Cure to Die For by Stephen G. Mitchell

2011-07-08T16:17:00.001-07:00

A Cure to Die For. Stephen G. Mitchell. Creative Artists Publishing. July 2011. 360 pp. pb. ISBN #: 9780983206002.

The premise of this novel is quite simple, but don't underestimate it at all! Alex Farmer, Maury Bernstein and Joe Angolia grew up and cherished a deep friendship that only sharing childhood in New Jersey could bond and deepen. Maury was the scientific nerd, Alex a wanderer until he turned to medicine, and Joe was the less intelligent one who found shady ways of making a fortune in a hedge fund career. Parting ways to a certain degree as they grew older, Alex receives a mysterious message warning him to stay away but implying he should come to help Maury in every possible way. Alex responds but too late, as Maury has just been shot in the back at the top of a wintry Montana mountain!

After talking to Cyd, Betty, and Otis, friends of Maury, Alex learns that Maury had found two plants, marijuana and a plant called Death Star, that when combined held the key to a cure for cancer, pain, leukemia, and numerous other death-dealing diseases! The problem is that Sam Seeley, the owner of a major drug company, Rxon, knows about the discovery and is determined to destroy every vestige of the drug and its parts. He won't stop at anything, including murder!

The story seems pat, but now the author shows his creativity in how, after facing numerous threats and attacks that keep the reader reeling with tension, they manage to share the drug and eventually indirectly bypass their enemies. The story seems unreal but is all too plausible about how such a discovery would threaten the business of drugs and medicine. There have been comments over the years that such a discovery has actually been made but has been squelched.

A Cure to Die For is an amazing, adventurous, conflict-driven, and miraculous tale that will appeal to anyone with a compassionate heart and trouble those who thrive on a monopoly of care that accepts disease and death for the sake of great wealth! Stephen G. Mitchell's novel leaves the reader thinking and watching the news regarding the state of health care with a wider perspective than one had before the reading! Wonderful - may its outcome become reality! Well-done, Stephen G. Mitchell!

Crude Deception: A Novel by Gordon Zuckerman

2011-07-08T15:49:00.001-07:00

Crude Deception: A Novel. Gordon Zuckerman. Greenleaf Book Group Press. June 2011. 288 pp. pb. ISBN #: 9781608321438.

Crude Deception is the second book in The Sentinels series. The Sentinels are a group of well-connected people who perform various missions that protect American interests on a global basis. They discover that the major oil companies in America have formed a monopoly that will ever prevent anyone from entering the market in any part of the world. The difference to take note is that this takes place in the 1950s, and the story seems to really be about the formation of OPEC, an irony indeed considering its power and sphere of influence today.

However, to take one back to the time of this novel, the Sentinels come to experience the same government officials, lobbyists, business CEOs, etc. who are in the pockets of the major oil companies. The President and other officials have a better idea, to create an agency that will open up the market to the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. It takes considerable risk for Jacques and Claudia Roth, as well as Mike Stone and Cecilia Chang, to begin the intelligence, form a plan, travel to places yielding financial support, and so on in order for their plan to develop.

As they inch forward each step, the threats change to life and death attacks. For the "Oil Club," as it is known, is more powerful than ordinary citizens realize and just as immoral and illegal in many of its actions guaranteeing its continued monopoly.

To say more would be a spoiler. Suffice to say, Crude Deception is an action-packed, intelligent adventure into the world of big business with some espionage, intelligence and counter-intelligence to exhilarate readers galore. Finely crafted story that reads more like reality than fiction!

Avery Flynn QandA - Interview - Part One

2011-07-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Avery Flynn

UP A DRY CREEK (The Dry Creek Series)
June 2011
Evernight Publishing/E-Book/Original/$5.99
/978-1-926950-51-8

IT’S AVERY FLYNN’S FIRST TIME—
AND SHE’S TELLING EVERYONE

Up a Dry Creek is the first of your novels to be published [An Evernight Publishing E-Book /www.evernightpublishing.com/Fiction Original/June 2011/ /$5.99]. Had you completed other manuscripts before this? If so, what’s going on with them?
No, Up a Dry Creek is my first novel. I’d been writing it in my head for years before I finally put my fingers to the keyboard.

How does it feel to have your very first novel published?
Better than sipping a Mai Tai on a private beach - or at least better than I imagine that feeling. I’ve lived with Claire and Jake and all the crazy inhabitants of Dry Creek, Nebraska for so long that I can’t wait to introduce them to the world.

Up a Dry Creek is set in Nebraska. What part? Why this setting? Does the area have special meaning for you?
Up a Dry Creek is set in Western Nebraska, which just happens to be where I grew up. I won’t lie, being a teenager in fly over country is not exciting. When I graduated from high school, I couldn’t cross the state line fast enough. I went all the way to Missouri. Hey, baby steps, baby steps. Of course, the older I got and the farther I moved away, the more I realized what an amazing place Nebraska had been to live. Also, I had to spend a lot of time convincing the big city types that we had indoor plumbing and other modern amenities. Frankly, I got sick of Nebraska being the butt of all the hick jokes and I swore I’d set a novel in Nebraska to give people a look into the amazing folks who live in my home state.

Are there advantages to having a small town setting? Was a small town intrinsic to the story you wanted to tell or do you think it could have taken place in a big city setting?
There’s just no way Up a Dry Creek would have worked in a big city. The small town vibe was intrinsic to the plot and Claire just wouldn’t have been Claire in a big city. She’s a small town girl with big dreams and enough stubbornness to make them come true in her home town. I think small towns are a kind of real estate underdog. I just naturally root for small town residents in other authors’ books, such as Debbie Macomber’s and Toni Blake’s.

What attributes do you share with Claire and Jake? Dexterity? Able to run long distances even in bare feet? Impetuous?
Oh, I wish it was the running or dexterity. Instead I share Claire’s lack of cooking skills and Jake’s inability to stop himself from saying the first thing that comes to mind. Some would say I share their stubbornness, but they would be wrong. Of course.

How did you learn so much about guns and other weapons? Have you ever learned to shoot?
I don’t know how to shoot, but it is on my list of things to learn. Most of my firearms information from not being afraid to ask the stupid questions and I have many friends in law enforcement who are kind enough to answer all of them.

Jake and Claire are both alphas—did you plan them that way or did they surprise you?
There is nothing better in the world than two alphas facing off against each other. I love a strong woman and a tough man. When Claire appeared in my head one day as I drove down the road, I knew she was my girl. Same with Jake. They’re just right for each other. They’d mow over anyone who wasn’t an alpha.

Who are some real-life alphas you admire?
I admire anyone who is passionate, intelligent and willing to stand up for what they believe. In today’s world it’s easy to become cynical and believe only the worst of people, but every once in a while you read a story in the newspaper or see something on the TV news and it restores your faith in humanity. Stories like the off-duty firefighter who rushes into a burning building; the stranger who stops a kidnapping in progress; or the anonymous donation that keeps a food pantry running. Those are the real life alphas I admire.

You write really wonderful and sexy scenes between Jake and Claire. But you manage to keep the sexual tension high throughout Up a Dry Creek. Why is that important to your story? Any tips for other writers on how to maintain such a strong level of attraction?
Thank you! I think sex is a major part of any romantic relationship in real life and so it should also be a main player in books. Sexual tension is what keeps the characters moving toward each other, even when their past history is pushing them to run away. Sometimes, the body and heart know the reality of a situation long before our brains.

What advice would I offer other writers? Wow, I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer that but I'll muck through it as best I can. Passion and attraction don't just happen when the characters are getting busy. Show it in the way she holds his hand, the feeling he gets when he smells her perfume, a look across the room and many more. Keep that tension pulled tight and when you do get to the actual sex, the release is amazing - for the characters and the reader.

What do you most want readers to take away from Up a Dry Creek?
You know that feeling you get when you step off a roller coaster? You're breathing a little funny? Your heart is pounding faster than normal? And you can’t wipe the grin off your face if you tried? That's how I hope readers feel after they finish Up a Dry Creek. As to the take away, well I hope, like Claire and Jake, readers find the courage to make their own happy endings come true.

Will we see Jake and Claire again? Are you working on your next book? Do you have anything else being published this year?
Oh yes, you'll see Claire and Jake again, along with the Layton brothers and, Glenda, the family matriarch. The next book in the Dry Creek series follows Claire's best friend Beth who may just find her own way to happy with one of the Layton brothers. Or does she? And, no, I won't tell which one. But I will say he's met his match in Beth. It’s called In a Dry Creek Bed and I’m hoping it will come out as soon as the end of the year.

What are some of the advantages you see to being e-published?
There are a ton of advantages. It opens up more mixing of genres. Up a Dry Creek is sexy, a little bit over-the-top action-packed romantic suspense. This sense of freedom extends to book lengths and story types. It’s an exciting time to be an author.

Why do so many people consider this to be ideal timing for e-book originals?
Because if it’s a good time to be an author, it’s an amazing time to be a reader. The number of choices out there, the ease of buying and the price difference. Wow. As a reader, I’m loving it right now.

Up a Dry Creek is available at these online retailers…

1PlaceforRomance
http://1placeforromance.com/

Amazon Kindle
http://www.amazon.com

AllRomanceEbooks
http://www.allromanceebooks.com

Barnes & Noble
http://www.bn.com

BookStrand
http://www.bookstrand.com/

Diesel Books
http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/

Digibook Café
http://www.digibookscafe.com/

iBookstore (Apple)
http://www.apple.com/ipad/built-in-apps/ibooks.html

Kobo
http://www.kobobooks.com

ReaderStore (Sony)
http://ebookstore.sony.com/

… and, of course, at

Evernight Publishing
http://www.evernightpublishing.com/

Summer 2011 Round-Up - Great Reading!

2011-07-04T12:52:00.001-07:00

SUMMER 2011 ROUND-UP - GREAT READING!

It's time for vacationing and just plain relaxing at the beach, with beautiful breezes and temperatures, a time to relax with a great read to relish while enjoying the surrounding summertime scenery! So here are some recommendations of the best reads to enjoy!

My favorite is Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax. It's a story about a family broken by the all too well-known Ponzi schemes that drove all too many families into bankruptcy and destitution. But it's so much more than that, with an account of rebuilding a neglected classic home and numerous family relationships, with just enough spark of romance to depict hope, rivalry, betrayal, and deep abiding love! Absolutely delightful!!!

Next is Threading the Needle by Marie Bostwick. It's a tale about a trophy whose husband is facing jail time and for whom she will no longer lie. Instead she returns to her hometown to rebuild a life in which she proves her intelligence, competency, and feistiness while receiving the support of a quilting community who accept one at face value. Add a little romantic caring and you've got the perfect recipe for creating a love tapestry that will endear every reader! Such a caring, adventurous, and loving read!

Now we turn to more of a mystery story with a most unusual double-plotted story, Missing Persons: A Kate Conway Mystery. Kate's husband has died and his mistress wants to mourn with her, while investigation continues regardless of the so-called natural death. At the same time, Kate is producing a TV show about Theresa Moretti who is a young woman in her twenties who has disappeared, leaving behind plenty of suspects to eyeball. It's fascinating the way these stories interweave to provide clues about obvious and surprising clues about each mystery. Fascinating story which is crafted quite cleverly!

Next we turn to some steamier romances for those who love the genre, beginning with Lori Foster's Savor The Danger. Here's a return of the mercenary characters who are trying to totally disband the sex traffickers ruining young girls and women's lives. Jackson Savor is the protagonist of this story who radiates sexual energy on almost every pages, while being a savvy and protective sleuth determined to put an end to threats, attacks, and the crimes devastating so many young lives. Hot, hot, hot read!

Up The Dry Creek is the next romance by Avery Flynn which highlights the murder of a young girl outside of a local popular Bistro and the investigator who is hired to make sure the police do their job right. Jake Warrick is sassy, smart and sexy who becomes more than a royal pain in the butt to Claire, with plenty of other suspicious and caring characters to spark a quick and feisty read!

Missing Persons: A Kate Conway Mystery by Clare O'Donohue

2011-07-04T11:44:00.001-07:00

Missing Persons: A Kate Conway Mystery. Clare O'Donohue. Plume Book/Penguin. May 2011. 288 pages. ISBN #: 9780452297067.

This is a most unusual novel, two parallel mysteries interwoven with some clues and conversations not only providing enlightening material for one but also the other mystery being followed!

Kate Conway is a TV producer who's job is to gain the trust of her interviewees and present them to a jury in a pleasant but factual way. She has produced one show called "Caught" and is now beginning to work on one called "Missing Persons." But this job becomes complex when her own ex-husband is found dead, his new girlfriend attempts to befriend Kate, and investigators are questioning everyone who knew him, with the suggestion that his natural death was not so innocent!

Theresa Moretti is the missing young woman whose case reveals Kate Conway's very skilled performance not only as a producer but a crime solver. It seems Kate had two boyfriends who may know of her whereabouts, but a control-freak mother, suspicious best friend, and suavely repulsive local politician all claim to know more than they do. Kate's cameramen also contribute to the theories behind this disappearance, but these change every few minutes, increasing the tension the reader is experiencing as he or she attempts to figure it all out even before Kate might do so!

Missing Persons is an excellent mystery that is totally unpredictable regarding both stories. There's also an additional tender and endearing quality, a deeply caring spark, that threads throughout the whole story without diminishing the crime or mystery aspects of what should be a well-deserved best seller!!! Superbly done, Clare O'Donohue!

Savor the Danger by Lori Foster

2011-07-04T11:16:00.001-07:00

Savor the Danger. Lori Foster. Harlequin. 416 pages.
ISBN #: 9780373775828.

Alani Rivers is shocked when the unbelievably hot lover of the night before, Jackson Savor, wakes up and tells her he remembers nothing of the night before. He believes he's been drugged but has virtually no memory of the entire previous day. Still the way he looks at her tells her his reacting body remembers, even if his mind doesn't.

Alani had been kidnapped years before, a familiar story to readers who read the first book in this series, When You Dare. But obviously, her guard has been down to get so intimate with Jackson. While trying to initially work out any glimpse of connection, we learn that Jackson is also a mercenary whose job has involved freeing women sold into sex through professional sex traffickers. What neither Jackson and Alani, as well as Dare and Trace, also mercenaries from the previous two books, can figure out is what merited this attack. Add to that the fact that someone attempts to swipe their car and even returns to try again, obviously an effort to make a kill!

As the story unfolds, another character Marc Tobin seems to be involved with Alani in a way that defies his excuse of wanting to get closer to her. The plot deepens when an unexpected female appears to claim her "property." Who is at risk? Why wouldn't it be better for former enemies to leave all alone instead of returning withe incredible risk guaranteed as well as the formidable minds and protective skills of the three male protagonists? What is Alani not saying or doesn't know? Why is another female character, Arizona, promising to expose any threat but keeping silence at a pivotal point?

Savor the Danger is a more complex mystery than the previous two novels in this mystery/ romance series and definitely hot, hot, hot with sexual bantering and action. Fear and passion spiral side by side until the last tension-ridden moments of resolution, leading to who knows what with the spark-filled relationship that gets deeper from start to finish! Good job, Lori Foster!/span>

Love Finds You in Amana Iowa by Melanie Dobson

2011-07-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

Love Finds You in Amana Iowa. Melanie Dobson. Summerside Press. June 2011. 320 pages. ISBN #: 9781609361358.

Friedrich Vinzenz is a construction worker in the new Kolinie of Amana, Iowa. It’s 1863; and while Friedrich’s fiancé, Amalie, is traveling from the East to Iowa, the North and South are battling over slavery. They belong to the Inspirationist religious sect that prays for peace but refuses to fight; instead upon notice of conscription, their Elders pay for another to be a substitute in their place within the Union Army. During the journey, Friedrich meets Joseph, a slave whose body bears the scars of horrific beatings but whose spirit looms large and free. His story haunts Friedrich to the point that he feels led by God to fight for those still held in inhuman bondage in the South. It’s a huge move, taken after much pondering and knowing his pacifist community will never condone his leaving!

Amalie arrives to find Friedrich gone. For three years, she has been faithful to their upcoming marriage and now she is devastated to find him gone. Friedrich’s best friend, really raised as a brother to him, Matthias is also shattered that his friend has abandoned him without saying goodbye. His anger at Amalie is a problem that others notice, but he buries himself in work and is downright rude to her each time she appears. Finally, he tells her to stay away from him. Given his background, Matthias is having an awful time, filled with unspeakable thoughts he can share with no one.

Devastation visits Amalie, Matthias and Friedrich’s family and the reader is unsure whether any of them will ever know peace again. At a certain point, Matthias realizes he may not be called to fight in the Civil War, where over 600,000 will eventually die, but can play a peaceful and very useful role which the Elders in his community approve. While all of this occurs, love quietly bonds certain couples in a way this author presents with humor, shyness, doubts, fears, and approval that comes with a deep sense of serenity.

Resolution arrives after a secret mission is attempted, and all characters have learned to live with their positive and negative memories of the war’s effect. Love Finds You in Amana Iowa is a lovely story that is both very real and very ideal – a graceful story of struggle and redemption, a potent and charming read!

The Ambition by Lee Strobel

2011-06-29T16:22:00.001-07:00

The Ambition. Lee Strobel. Zondervan Publishing. May 2011. 320 pp. ISBN #: 9780310292678.

A bookie meets his end at the hands of the no-nonsense Mafia mobster, Nick Moretti. That event will foster a series of conversations and illegal actions that focus on how not to get caught and have one's future ruined. A typical scenario? Well, this one's got a bit of a different twist to it.

An Illinois Senator has been criminally convicted and is forced to resign. It's up to the Governor to appoint an interim Senator. His choices are a Chicago Judge, Reese McKelvie, or an evangelistic preacher, Eric Snow. The former engages in some manipulation in order to free the murderer, Nick Moretti; and the plot unwinds with him telling the Bugatti family. As the violent consequences follow, it seems there's no way to pull back the forces aiming to eliminate all threats to the Judge's senatorial selection!

At the same time, Eric Snow and his legal adviser are doing everything possible to secure the position as well. Meanwhile, miracles are happening in his former church, and he only wants to distance himself from acknowledging the special answers to faith-filled prayer. His once faith-filled life becomes divided until inspired words break through the hard veneer he's been developing.

Ambition has different meaning to those reaping its different consequences. The Ambition is a novel about examining choices and looking around at the lives one affects on all levels of life and death! Lee Strobel has crafted a realistic, conscious-raising story that every reader will long remember and ponder! Outstanding!

Up A Dry Creek by Avery Flynn

2011-06-29T15:29:00.001-07:00

Up A Dry Creek. Avery Flynn. Evernight Publishing. June 2011. 168 pp. PB and E-Book. ISBN #: 9781926950518.

Claire Layton owns Harvest Bistro in Dry Creek, Nebraska. Her restaurant is highly popular because of evenings like the Full Moon Special which includes a 7-course dinner. But her tension-filled evening is about to ramp up quite a bit on her nerves. For at the end of the evening, as she is carrying the putrid garbage out to the dumpster bin, she sees a single arm sticking up from the garbage. Yes, she discovers a dead young woman who has been viciously murdered.

Within minutes, she's got the local police, really her brother Hank, and a hunk of a guy named Jake Warrick, who says he's an investigator there to make the police do their job correctly. He's a sight to behold to Claire; and while she's put off by his sassy attitude, that same demeanor and his gorgeous body are hitting her like an electric current!

But her hope of it all coming to a peaceful conclusion comes to an end with a threatening phone call and a demand for her silence. Jake and Claire hit it off in one way but there's quite a bit of verbal sparring happening that's right on the line between sexual teasing and mocking. Who is the murderer and can Jake and Claire get past their mistrust to solve the crime committed against this rich young woman? Why is the murdered woman's father such an angry, demanding man and what is the real reason he is so adamant that Jake find certain items connected to the dead gal?

Secrets thread through the past of Claire, Jake, the murdered girl, and her family. The steamy sex happening fairly quickly and the gradually revealed motives behind this crime rivet the reader to the pages, reading and flipping at an outrageous rate, just as the outrageous relationship titillates and wavers in a consistent cycle of unremitting passion.

Up A Dry Creek is hot romantic fiction with a mystery to solve that keeps one solidly engaged to the very last page. Nicely done, Avery Flynn!

Threading the Needle by Marie Bostwick

2011-06-26T15:22:00.001-07:00

Threading the Needle. Marie Bostwick. Kensington Publishing Corporation. June 2011. 352 pages. ISBN #: 9780758232175

Madelyn Beecher has been giving the good life for many years, spending willy-nilly and never wondering where a penny is coming from. Hers is a marriage of convenience, as she is the trophy wife, beautiful and able to make her way through upper society without a blip. She lacked knowledge and so was thought beautiful but dumb at one time but quickly remedied that by slowly reading through the dozen books her husband, Sterling Baron, insisted she read. All in all, Madelyn has overcome the horrible rejection she suffered as a young girl who was rejected by her best friend and the chaos she created through some unwise choices as a young woman before her wedding. But Madelyn's world has now, in the present, hit rock bottom, her husband indicted on fraud charges from the Ponzi scheme rip-offs he conducted that robbed hundreds of whatever money they had. In plain English, she's a pariah again but this time because of being the wife of a criminal hated by the many he duped!

Having hocked her jewelry and everything else, Madelyn discovers an inheritance that she must redo, the home where she grew up and now hers with her grandmother's death. She is pretty useless in the beginning but quickly develops a set of skills she never realized she had. Her support in these endeavors is the loveliest part of this story.

In town are Tessa and Lee Woodruff, Tessa being the gal who years ago crushed Madelyn with unexpected shunning. But now she's got her own problems. Tessa and Lee's world is crumbling financially as his business isn't enough to get by and Tessa's small store where she sells home-made herbals is failing. Stressed out, they begin arguing which grows worse when Madelyn returns to town and decides to set up a small bed and breakfast inn.

To tell more would be a spoiler, but this reviewer assures every potential reader that this novel is one of the most touching stories read in a long time. It's so real it's almost tangible, showing the evolution from spiteful, small-mindedness to the compassionate, giving nature of fierce and caring characters. There are great segments on quilting that are the heart of this tale, piecing together appropriate old segments that yield a tapestry of love sure to warm the hardest of hearts!

Absolutely delightful, Ms. Bostwick!

Lie for Me by Karen Young

2011-06-26T11:48:00.001-07:00

Lie for Me. Karen Young. Simon Schuster Adult Publishing Group. August 2011. 368 pages. ISBN #: 9781416587644.

Tucker Kane, a successful builder, is about to get the shock of his wife. Approaching his house in order to collect some rare wood before the house is demolished, Tucker notices his dog is very excited in a nervous, upset way. Entering the home, he has his first shock, that a woman is lying on the floor murdered, and his second, that it’s his ex-wife, Margot. Immediately after calling the police, he calls his fiancé, Lauren, and is interrogated by the local police. We then discover the real killer waiting near the home and allowing us into his or her thoughts, that evidence is going to be planted to make sure that Tucker takes all the blame!

As the plot continues, we learn that Tucker has some secrets he’s kept from Lauren that indicate he just might have violent tendencies. It seems a family member might have been hurt by Tucker, Margot may have lost a fetus because of him, and the murder weapon finally found links him to the killing. Margot’s mother is sure he is the murderer but her father believes Tucker is innocent. Lauren won’t lie to protect Tucker and the fact she is asked to provides a huge leap into doubt about his innocence, as well as other hints that are slowly revealed. Lauren’s job may be in jeopardy because of her association with Tucker and Tucker can’t prove the threatening phone call he’s received!

Eventually, Tucker runs away for quite some time, and Lauren as well as the entire town now believes his fugitive status proves his guilt. But the plot is far from over and there are no spoilers here. Lauren begins to take a more active role, despite her doubts, in finding information that would lead to discovering who really murdered Margot, and the rest of this novel moves like lightning until the reader finally learns the astonishing identity of the killer and the motives behind this death as well as another shooting before it’s all over!

Fast-paced, well-plotted, and tense, Lie For Me is a great story sure to engage every reader who loves a riveting crime thriller/mystery! Superb!
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When the Lights Go Out by Max Elliot Anderson

2011-06-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

When the Lights Go Out. Max Elliot Anderson. Comfort Publishing. August 2011. YA Ages 8-13. 172 pages. ISBN #: 9781936695478.

Set to be published near the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Max Elliot Anderson's book is meant to convey to young boys (and I think girls, as well as readers of any age) the seriousness of that catastrophic day when 3,000 people died because of a terrorist attack!

Peyton's Dad is a Colonel in the Army. What he does Peyton doesn't know, but he thinks it's something like being a Ranger. So Peyton and his friends decide they will begin their training so that they can become actual Rangers who conduct special missions. One morning while they are hiding, Peyton overhears a telephone conversation between his Dad and someone else about a secret "package" being delivered which must be guarded because of its dangerous contents.

In a second overheard conversation, Peyton and his friends learn that other people are aware of this delivery and are determined to steal it, somehow distracting the soldiers by another means. The plot quickens as the Rangers-in-training try to figure out how to stop this theft from happening without letting Peyton's Dad know about the overheard phone call. The author does a great job in creating the tension, fear, and seriousness of this new and very real mission these boys take on.

The end will surprise you and at the same time make you realize the threat is constant and one's alertness and preparation must be just as vigilant. Great job, Mr. Anderson!!!

Frostbound:The Dark Forgotten by Sharon Ashwood

2011-06-24T16:07:00.001-07:00

Frostbound: The Dark Forgotten. Sharon Ashwood. A Signet Eclipse Publication. June 2011. 384 pp. ISBN #: 9780451231956.

Lore, the alpha hellhound, is serving as deputy sheriff in a town brimming with excitement and trouble! For an upcoming election in which a supernatural being is running is pitting not only humans against supernaturals but also a mysterious killer against a vampire. This enemy has necromancy or magical powers that starts a huge fire that can burn right through concrete and steel. Immediately after that conflagration begins, a human, Michelle, is slaughtered, and her vampire cousin, Talia is overcome by grief and then rage. But in her initial confusion, she is caught by Lore, who thinks she may be the murderer and yet is totally besotted by her, leading to an unyielding need to kiss her and make her his, a very dangerous connection!

At the same time, it seems like Lore's status as Alpha or leader of the pack is under question unless he soon finds a mate of his own kind, a fact that his wild desire for Talia could lead to the loss of his leadership. Talia never wanted to become a vampire, and the reader is gradually introduced to her family, her background of terror and freedom achieved at a devastating cost. To Lore's pack, however, Talia is the enemy whom he must forsake.

Gradually the mystery unfolds into terrible battles to the death, as well as a menacing threat that looms large over the city. Lore enlists the aid of a radio journalist with special connections and powers of her own, Errata Jones. After a while, her words about love between the hunter and prey are replayed in multiple nail-biting scenes that depict the ravenous nature of all in both love and war!

Finely plotted, sensitive, fierce, tender, and complex, Frostbound is the fourth book in the Dark Forgotten series that is a must read for those who love the supernatural fantasy genre. Karen Ashwood knows how to craft an eerie, old-fashioned, terrorizing tale!

On Hummingbird Wings: A Novel by Lauraine Snelling

2011-06-22T16:13:00.001-07:00

On Hummingbird Wings: A Novel. Lauraine Snelling. Faith Words: Hachette Book Group. April 2011. 288 pp. ISBN #: 9780446582117.

Gillian Ormsby is a powerful business executive whose world is about to come to a shrieking halt, with massive changes forcing her to review her entire life. She's used to the tension of her consuming job but is now about to undergo a true test of stamina. For her mother, Dorothy, has decided she is dying; and to make sure she gets the message across, she's not eating or talking. All she does is sleep. Gillian's sister, Allie, calls for desperately needed help because she just can't cope. At the same time, Gillian discovers on the news that her company has been bought out and she's out of a job, albeit with a severance package. So Gillian moves from Manhattan in New York to California to take care of her mother and to eventually plan for her very vague future. Huge stressors!

But Gillian's life is about to be blessed through the friendship of Adam, a neighbor who shares her love of gardening, and Enzio who is a friend to Dorothy, even when he's not wanted. No one can figure out at first how to find out what's really wrong with Dorothy and how to get her living again.

Little by little, without me providing a spoiler, Gillian learns to relax even though she's doing lots of physical things. Allie finally tells her, after pages and pages of snide remarks and alternative silence, what's really bugging her. A plan begins to emerge, but even Gillian isn't prepared for the shocking revelations she receives in a series of emails and is pleased to bits about the relationship with Adam that seems to be evolving in a wonderful way.

On Hummingbird Wings is a novel about what's first and foremost, the blessings of family and friends, exactly as they are. These conflicts bring Gillian into a world of practical faith that stands the daily tests, simple or gigantic! People rather than work become the priority in her new world. This is a novel about growing, changing, and loving in a creative, accepting, inspiring, and real way. Very nicely done, Ms. Snelling!

Death By China: Confronting the Dragon - A Global Call to Action by Peter Navarro and Greg Autry

2011-06-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

Death by China: Confronting the Dragon - A Global Call to Action. Peter Navarro and Greg Autry. Pearson Education Corp. publishing as Prentice-Hall. June 2011. ISBN #: 9780132180238.

The United States to any astute observer has become a nation dealing with the after-effects of multiple disasters, some natural and some very man-made in nature. What is sorely lacking is a large dose of preventative measures meant to restore our economic, military, social, psychological, cultural, educational, etc. leadership throughout the world. That usually means preventing a problem from beginning; but in this well-researched, critical novel, the call is for individuals and the government of the United States to prevent China from destroying America. That sounds like a tall order, and yet these two passionate authors lay out past behavior, intentions and effects on many policies active between China and America that seem designed to enrich China and bring the United States to its knees!

Each chapter herein specifically covers how China is poisoning America. First, the authors describe how lethal fillers, additives, chemicals, and more are inserted into our food, furniture and drugs. Notice the emphasis on multiple specific examples. The specificity of these facts as one reads makes it all the more frightening. Who hasn't heard about poisoned drugs or wood for baby cribs?

Navarro and Autry next canvas China's increasing economic domination, a fact many have heard but fail to appreciate just how widespread this takeover has spanned the American economy. Consider, as the authors advise, the elaborate web of illegal subsidies, the undervalued currency, piracy and theft of our intellectual property, massive environmental damage, lax health and safety standards, unlawful tariffs and more, protectionism, and more. Very often, our business and political leaders are aware this is happening but claim to be helpless to stop it. As one reads more and more, one questions and wonders how we have reached this point.

Then one might be more horrified after reading about China's theft of our technology, including manufacturing, space programs, financial systems, and national secrets. If one hasn't previously believed this was a deliberate conspiracy, by now one cannot with a level amount of thinking believe otherwise. On and on it goes. Finally, however, the authors offer a chapter with multiple suggestions for American individuals to take in demanding our government respond to these nightmarish scenarios, as well as offering leaders a path to restore our country's economy, intellectual, military, and political future to a position of strength rather than victimized weakness that spells out the potential for America's total demise.

Death in China is a moving, passionate, and gripping wake-up call to American citizens and leaders. According to the authors of this book about the decline of America, it is not too late to change our American journey from its present complacency to a vigorous stance leading to success and prosperity.

Very nicely done and sure to be debated everywhere and by anyone who reads Death At China.

Keys to the Kingdom: A Novel of Suspense by Senator Bob Graham

2011-06-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

Keys to the Kingdom: A Novel of Suspense. Senator Bob Graham. Vanguard Press. June 2011. ISBN #: 9781593156602.

Ex-Special Forces government operative, Tony Ramos, an African-American Cuban skilled investigator is an expert on Afghanistan. Senator Billington and he believe that the Iraq war is a mission that is draining badly needed funds and on-the-ground military forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They see the latter as a powder keg waiting to blow, as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda have a huge amounts of funds and support to carry out terrorist attacks that will make 911 look like nursery play. In fact, they believe Saudi Arabia is supplying the bulk of finances and there are many suggestions that the U. S. Government is aware of the connection but choosing to do nothing because of the imminent election. Things begin to rapidly fall apart when Senator Billington is murdered, after receiving a threat of two bullets and neglecting to change his ordinary schedule of activities. The above is not a spoiler in any way, as the mission Billington leaves Tony begins to proceed in a careful, methodical, and deadly way where everyone connected to Tony all of a sudden become at risk potential targets!

Three women will prove to be pivotal in discovering the source of funding and former double agents hired by the U. S. Government and then spurned by the same will lead Tony to discover the source of the funding and the actual connections of the plot behind 911. But that is the goal that quickly becomes superceded by the revelation of the terrorists' larger plans. For they are planning three attacks, each of which will be larger than the former and will definitely result in world-wide chaos, fear and financial disaster. Tony is given the job of stopping the third attack and the sacrifices for achieving success will be huge!

Senator Graham has crafted a novel that poses as much questions as it does answers. There are as many missing as revealed connections, providing descriptions of betrayal that explain just why our Arab neighbors in the U.S.A. and the Middle East hate Americans fiercely. Governments' efforts to stop terrorism are portrayed as flimsy and downright obstructive, at best. Tony is a bit of a fickle character, claiming love and having hot sex with one woman, only to quickly flit to another and then another woman, albeit with some hesitation at first. The plot is tightly spun; and at the end of the novel, readers will be wondering how much is fact and how much is fiction. For this nightmare journey is all too plausible in a world still reeling from 911 and other devastating terrorist events. For those coping with the aftermath of war and terrorism, reading this novel will be memorable and fearfully fascinating - a timely tale sure to be read by those on all sides!

Open Wounds by Joseph Lunievicz

2011-06-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

Open Wounds. Joseph Lunievicz. WestSide Books. May 2011. 352 pp. ISBN #: 9781934813515.

Cid Wymann's mother died during his birth, and his presence reminds his drunken father of that loss on a daily basis. This fact earns Cid frequent beatings, which his grandmother can do little to stop. But two things are his salvation. He makes two friends, Siggy and Tomik Kopecky, who help him battle the neighborhood bullies. He discovers his grandmother is not attending church services but really is going to the movies, a world Cid comes to revere as he is weekly thrilled by scenes in Captain Blood and other Erroll Flynn movies about swordplay duels. Cid yearns to learn to be a fencer and an actor but does'nt believe those dreams lie in the realm of possiblities. He is to be quite surprised!

Abandoned by his father and losing his grandmother eventually by death, Cid is now a homeless child with no known relatives. Siggy's mom and dad take him in for a while but are forced to find a relative as they have to move themselves during this period of economic decline and loss of jobs in early 20th Century New York. So begins an amazing adventure as Cid lives with Lefty, a distant cousin who was gassed in WWI and lost his left arm and leg as well. His passion was honoring the secret love he held for Cid's mother and acting. Cid now becomes the student of that latter passion, reading all of Shakespeare's plays and imagining the duels therein each play. Lefty teaches Cid to fight and his fencing lessons then begin with Lefty's friend, Nikolai Varvarinski, who is teaching him to fight for fighting's sake and not just for acting. The scenes of this very tough training are exhilarating, and the readers senses a huge battle coming!

Finally, the old bullies reappear surprisingly in an older, more sophisticated venue, and they are out for Cid, this time with death-dealing intentions. The remainder of the novel leads up to a climax in which victory, honor, and integrity fill the pages of this story for all involved, with some head-splitting, hair-raising battles added to spice the mix!

Open Wounds is well-written, plot-driven, with cultural additions about movies, plays, and The Great War, elements that combine to make this a phenomenal piece of historical fiction! Superbly done!

Loyalty Binds Me by Joan Szechtman

2011-06-02T14:22:00.001-07:00

Loyalty Binds Me. Joan Szechtman. Star Publish LLC. May 2011. 212 pp. Pb. ISBN #: 9781935188254.

In the novel, This Time by Joan Szechtman, Richard III and his son, Edward, were brought into the 21st Century by scientists who invented a time machine financed by a wealthy businessman who yearns to be accepted as a Ricardian scholar. Richard marries the scientist who originally created the undeveloped time machine and her daughters come to cherish Richard as the solid, caring father they never had.

As this new story begins, the family has traveled to England to pay their respects as a family to Richard’s first wife and Edward’s mother, Anne, at Westminster Abbey. It’s a journey complicated by the fact that Edward is trying to cope with a new family and living in a totally different world, and Sarah and the girls are still moving through their own family adjustments. These insecurities lurking below the surface are about to be stretched to the limit!

On their arrival in London, Richard is accosted by British authorities who tell him he is about to be charged with the murder of Edward IV’s “missing Princes,” as they have come to be called throughout history. The accusation initially strikes the reader as ludicrous, until British and American agents, a dynamic British journalist, a Ricardian lawyer, and other characters become intimately connected with this family who just want to be left alone to grow as the loving family they are becoming.

When the allegations change to something even more drastic, the unfolding scenario becomes intricately complex because of the mixed motives emerging that tell a totally different story, one packed with suspense, intrigue, and even violence.

Loyalty Binds Me is a credible, finely plotted historical mystery that encompasses all possible theories about Richard III’s motives and acts in the 15th Century. It also challenges the traditionally accepted Shakespearean depiction of this “distorted” King and provokes readers to challenge historical interpretation in an intelligent, dynamic, and adventurous way. Well-researched and well-written, Loyalty Binds Me is an exciting, surprising, yet sensitive novel that will delight every reader appreciative of excellent historical and time-travel fiction.

Queen of Kings by Maria Dahvana Headley

2011-05-21T17:36:00.001-07:00

Queen of Kings: The Immortal Story of Cleopatra. Maria Dahvana Headley. May 2011. Dutton: A Member of Penguin Group U.S.A. Inc. 416 pp. hb. ISBN #: 9780525952176.

"Everything is true. Once a story is told, it becomes true. Every unlikely tale, every tale of wonders, has something real at its core." This quote in the "Historical Note" section after the novel serves to properly introduce an amazing, wondrous tale. For when one begins this novel about the famous Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, one is not expecting this story of love and war conducted on human, mythological, and supernatural multi-levels. The love of Antony and Cleopatra is well-known, but the devastation that follows Rome's defeat of Egypt sets loose days and nights of terror that will make the reader shiver many, many times in the following pages.

For Octavius, the Roman leader, sends a messenger to Cleopatra, telling her that Antony has committed suicide. Cleopatra does not discover the truth until much later, as she is busy creating an incomplete spell in which she attempts to invoke the powers of Sekhmet. Her goal is to defeat Roman power but what she unleashes are the powers of death, destruction, chaos, plague, and every form of evil one could possibly conceive. It's as if Pandora's box has opened to unleash the fury of darkness and chaos upon every corner of the world.

Cleopatra becomes Sekhmet's furious tool of evil, fueled by the blood of her hapless victims of both high and low birth. But the neatness of this story becomes even more complex when the powers of the mythological underworld,a priestess, sorceress, historian, serpents, gods, and goddesses take sides in a war between Cleopatra and those who support Octavius. Plague, war, thefts, battles, vicious murders, and ritual sacrifices fill these pages with a story that defies imagination yet seems all too real and horrific!

Maria Dahvana Headley has written a timeless, literate, and wonder-filled story that is an absolute must read. The list of sources and historical references after the story are quite impressive and provide a long list of material to be read for those who are as gripped by this story as this reviewer was and is. Superb story that was obviously fueled by the creative Muses - don't miss this gem!

Interview with Daphna Ziman - Author of The Gray Zone

2011-05-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW WITH DAPHNA EDWARDS ZIMAN, AUTHOR OF THE GRAY ZONE!

1. Q: Daphna, can you tell readers what provoked and continues to feed your passion for the cause of foster children and child abuse? What do you want readers to do with the awareness created by reading this novel?
A: I wrote this novel to create awareness of the resilience of foster kids who will either turn to crime or be reeducated and receive therapy to become useful, productive, whole members of society. I also want the readers to become aware of the problem of trafficking of children for abusive reasons that is still occurring through America. Money fuels the mistreatment, neglect, and abuse of children. Money, on the other hand, can fuel legislation, therapy, treatment, and mentoring to turn these children’s worlds around in many ways, with so many positive results. That is why all of the proceeds from this novel are going to the organization of Children Uniting Nations. (http://www.childrenunitingnations.org/)
This organization creates group and mentoring centers for foster children. It begins with providing backpacks, school supplies, and clothing for foster children. One thing that happens with neglected foster children is the fact that they are looked down on by other kids. When they receive these supplies that other children may take for granted, these foster children begin to have a sense that they are on the same playing field as other children, which begins to create a sense of self-esteem with peers. The next and most important work of this organization is education. I helped to push forward legislation that school must be a constant for foster children. Concerned adults and college students can become mentors – academic or otherwise. A university student could serve in this role while in college, after being trained in neurobiology. Change in thinking changes how the brain acts and reacts of life’s ups and downs. This training teaches how neglect and abuse creates cognitive issues and causes emotional, problematic issues; but it also teaches mentors how their therapeutic work retrains the brain. After consistent mentoring, these children begin to feel supported – someone is now there, a protective shield against more mistreatment and a forceful space to explore different opportunities that are life-giving in the sense of emotional, mental, and physical wholeness. Second, these children learn they can communicate with mentors and teachers, moving through fear of failure to ask questions and share their worlds so that they don’t eventually drop out of school for the wrong reasons.

2. Q: While we admire the intelligence and steeliness of Kelly, there is also a criminal element in the working out of her payback plan. Can you talk about how you see those skills Kelly portrays, which could be turned either way, to survival or crime?
A: Kelly’s character is the personification of many peoples’ characteristics. The lack of education, as well as the physical and emotional abuse, causes trauma to the vortex of the brain which actually suppresses cognitive abilities. Unknown to teachers, such children learn by auditory means – they listen for signals – and are initially unable to process visual learning. Without educational skills, they cannot excel in the world, so they develop street smarts for survival. If you think they have alternatives, they really don’t. Yet they do have a sense of morality, so bringing down the perpetrators doesn’t strike them as wrong due to the horrific wrong that has been done to them in the midst of a supposedly moral society that denies them a moral justice, the right of every single child. That is why Kelly, representative of single mothers who have evolved from an abusive world, uses her innate, incredible brain abilities in the “gray zone,” the foster child’s sense of true morality and justice.

3. Q: You talk about how a young mother can fight the entire justice system for the sake of her children? What kind of reform do you see happening which is mandatory in the American justice system to guarantee the safeguarding of our young children and teens?
A: 126 legislations have so far been passed for these children and issues, initiated, supported and followed by well-known politicians who share my passion for practically addressing these problems. They include Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Congresswoman Karen Bass of Los Angeles, Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Congressman Joseph Crowley of NY, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senator Diane Feinstein of California. An example of this legislation includes serving breakfast to these children in the first period of a school day because foster children frequently come late to school. If they don’t eat, they don’t learn well. Legislation has also been passed lowering the emancipation age so these children can be removed or leave these potentially devastating situations earlier. Legislation has also involved forgiving academic tuition for students who agree to mentor abused children. On July 28, 2011 a panel entitled “Keeping the Promise to our Children,” will address the issues in this novel about human trafficking and rape.
The public needs to support this legislation - call your local, state, and national politicians. Don’t wait for someone else to do it; be proactive and know you have made a substantial difference to specific children living in this world on a day-to-day basis. These issues are important to our country because 78.8% of criminals come out of the child welfare system; we need to change this statistic. Crime is committed on us. Make people aware of legislation so people can actively take part – get others to buy this book. This money will fund an educational therapist in one school; we are presently in 13 schools and going into 21 schools in the fall of this year. 99% of most American students stay in school; only 5% of those who don’t get help will go to college. Education, therapy and other significant help give these precious children a chance.

4. Q Can private foster-mentoring programs like Children Uniting Nations affect typical foster children agencies and institutions?
A: Yes, absolutely. We have created a coalition – ICAN – to create best practices guidelines. This is a policy committee where the head of every foster and orphanage institution has contact with ICAN. Every child has the right to a family – we also promote adoption and will shortly be holding an Adoption Day in LA.
I recently was speaking with an 8 year old foster child who had been returned to an orphanage. After a while, she asked me, “Will you always be my caregiver?” As my heart broke while listening, I responded, “I’m not your caregiver. I’m your friend.” She responded, “They’re not paying you to be with me?” What child should have to speak such words?

5. Q: Tell the readers, please, more about your mentoring foster children work.
A: Mentoring occurs on so many levels. It may involve academic tutoring, taking a child out to do something pleasurable. I once asked a group of foster children, “Who has never had a birthday party?” Every hand in the room went up. Hard to believe, isn’t it? It is for me, yet this is reality. So we might get some birthday gifts and have some celebrities give them to the children at a party. This isn’t public pandering; this is a “special” moment for these children, changing patterns of neglect and diminished sense of identity with one small but oh so special day. It might be chatting about nothing or upon establishment of trust sharing painful realities in each child’s world. The possibilities are limitless.

6. Q: What are Kelly and Jake’s weakest and strongest personality characteristics? Which are pivotal to you in portraying the “real life” aspects of their situation that would help a reader’s awareness of the issues depicted in this novel?
A: The question first must be addressed by considering situations, not personality characteristics. For example: What are the most important five aspects of life you treasure?
Q: Family, health, education, faith, and shelter.
A: Okay, give up one.
Q: All right. Education.
A: Well, a foster child who has no education must live by street smarts, and so it goes with the other four. They have to give up all five they day they are given as foster children to a family. The cumulative result is impulsive anger without training – we give them emotional training, teaching, and treatment, so they don’t do horrific things. That’s why we hired Dr. Vicky Stevens, a renowned expert in neurobiology, who has worked with 60 former foster kids who are now interns because of this program. Solid, real results!

7. Q: Since 1940s stars are part of the protagonist’s performances, disguises, and methods of being what she needs to be, how can we educate our children about the difference between fact and fiction – acting versus reality, admiring sexiness while realizing the appropriate and inappropriate use of such skills - after all, these actors and actresses are whom our children look to as models. The average reader may not have a problem with sex at all, but this is a problem that leads to so much abuse of children and teens. Could you please share your thoughts and feelings regarding this subject?
A: I recognized that if I used modern-day stars, I was actually condoning some of the things that are right now impacting our children. Romantic impact back then lacked today’s sensationalism causing present problems. We don’t really fully understand the development of the brain, and so what shapes our children’s minds should be in the forefront of our awareness. The Gray Zone is the world behind closed doors. We get kids adrenaline shot up, stimulate them, and then say their reactions are wrong. Consciousness here needs to transfer to parental responsibility out of this awareness.

8. Q: Since your protagonist lives a plot where all turns out well, what do you know about the all too many situations of abuse that remain undetected? And what is being done in a preventative way? I mean no offense here, but Social Services Agencies in most cities and suburban towns really are only partially effective for far too many of our young children and teens? How can the public be more proactive in this area?
A: The confidentiality part of the law, FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, protects and yet harms all our kids in protective custody. This is why abuse is not exposed; but now after fighting for seven years, Assemblyman Mike Feuer of California, may see this law changed so that those files will be open and we will be able to check on these kids in protective custody. Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA), as well as Former California Governor Grey Davis and First Lady Davis, have been instrumental in support for this necessary change.

Q: You've hit a home run with this debut novel. Anything else in the works we can look forward to reading or seeing?
A: I am writing my next book right now. It’s called The Final Punch.

Visit the author’s website at http://www.daphnaedwardsziman.com

Visit the reviewer’s website at: http:crystalbookreviews.blogspot.com

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The King's Witch by Cecelia Holland

2011-05-20T10:41:00.001-07:00

The King’s Witch. Cecelia Holland. Berkley Penguin Group Books. June 2011. 320 pp. ISBN #: 9780425241301.

Picture a female doctor whose identity is unknown and therefore mysterious to all in this year of 1191. Spanning various cities between Europe and Jerusalem, this novel depicts the various Kings vying for control and power in the Crusade to defeat Arabs presently holding Jerusalem. Edythe is a secret Jew by birth but has no connection to that religion as Jews are anathema in Christian circles during this part of the 12th Century. She is known as the King’s witch because of her effective medical skills, displaying amazingly in various descriptions such as actually doing some head surgery, no mean feat in this time and place. Most notably, she manages to keep King Richard the Lionhearted alive throughout his bouts of a life-threatening illness. That is the only background to the respect she receives, and for that reason alone she remains free to come and go at her own pleasure and is not subject to the bawdy acts of men away from home on a brutal campaign journey.

Meet King Richard, a man who makes a vow to capture Jerusalem but cannot force his peers to stand with him to finish the job after Acre and Jaffa are successfully taken in formidable battles. Then we encounter Rouquin, a sidekick officer of Richard’s army, who possesses a secret about his own background that binds Richard to him beyond that of a King and servant. The plot thickens with the introduction of various characters all connected to Joanna, Richard’s sister, but using her to achieve their own military and religious designs. These characters the King of Jerusalem who lost his kingdom, as well as the representatives of France, Germany, etc. The notorious Knights of the Templare are also present in a rather vibrant but devious way. One character Richard particularly yearns to meet for a physical reason that is totally anathema in that day and age. Church and State are no friends in this race for power and victory!

Those who know history know Richard was unsuccessful in his Crusade quest, but Cecelia Holland tells such a riveting story that we forget what we know and find ourselves rooting for this dedicated leader striving to accomplish what he perceives as a holy war free of rivalry and defeat. Edythe and Rouquin finally dare to rebel and come to a peace about who they are – a process and subplot just as complex and fascinating as the story about the King.

Although the names and places appear initially complex, the reader will quickly be entranced by this totally beguiling, historical though general, and passionate story that does this author credit. The King's Witch is a fine beginning to the Heirs of Eleanor of Aquitaine series. Nicely done, Ms. Holland!

Fire on Dark Water by Wendy K. Perriman

2011-05-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Fire on Dark Water. Wendy K. Perriman. Berkley Trade Paperback Original. June 2011. 326 pp. ISBN #: 9780425241012.

Blackbeard the Pirate’s notorious deeds are famously portrayed in books and movies. Here, however, we learn about this adventurer through the voice of his thirteenth wife, known as Lolamura, Lola, London Lola, The Gypsy, or just plain Doxy. Deflowered at the age of ten in 1702, Lola spends the next ten years learning the art of begging, pick-pocketing, etc. in London, England because she cannot return to her gypsy family in her impure state. After being caught stealing, Lola is sentenced to being transported to America for seven years.

Lola’s journey to the New World is dangerous, tempestuous, and exhilarating. Then her adventures with her employers in the South range educate her about social status, medicine, and a slew of outrageous conflicts life-threatening for all involved. Lola inadvertently winds up abetting horrific events from which she must escape, next to the West India island of Nassau, this time with a hooker friend, Violet.

Here the action noticeably picks up as they meet with a surprising former acquaintance, all eventually vying for men with means. “Perhaps it’s the raw excitement of loving so close to the edge, that point where the dare fires the blood with thrill…Anyhow – the higher the rank the better the plunder – as all potential queens are well aware.”

And finally Lola meets Captain Edward Teach, the notorious Blackbeard, “the charmer (charismatic, seductive, learned and cultured…” and Blackbeard the pirate (cruel, brittle rapacious, and evil…”. Lola weds him, and the following pages recount in detail his various victories and his eventual downfall. Fire on Dark Water is a fascinating, riveting, cruel and sometimes kind tale of a notorious thief and his multi-talented, lustful, and savvy but temporary, thirteenth wife.

Trace of Fever by Lori Foster

2011-05-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

Trace of Fever. Lori Foster. Harlequin Books. June 2011. 400 pp.; pb. ISBN #: 9780373775750.

Trace Rivers is playing the role of bodyguard and messenger for the slimy criminal, Murray Coburn. Murray’s wife wants to play with Trace but she’s got some very twisted ideas of how she wants to accomplish that meeting. However, her plans are stalled with the arrival of Priscilla or Priss Patterson, who claims to be Murray’s daughter. No one believes her at all, and even Trace isn’t sure why she’s finally shown up at 24 years of age, a nondescript owner of an adult store selling movies and toys.

Trace has totally fallen for Priss faster than one could imagine, but his feelings are accentuated by his growing sense that Murray is planning something deadly for her and perhaps even for him. Why, for instance, does he sense someone following them by car in more than one place? Priss is expecting everything, but feelings get complicated when she meets Trace’s friends, Dare, Molly, and Chris, a group that feels like a very real family. For this close group is breaking her hard core defenses forged by her own natural and dysfunctional family!

And then the big boys arrive. What is their goal? Can Trace hold them off or discover their extremely aggressive agenda? What about Murray who is taking Trace on a secret mission while his girlfriend is heading off to discover Priss’s real story. By this time, hot, steamy sex scenes are flying every which way among all parties, albeit with and without love flaming the hormones!

Needles, threats, revealed secrets, kidnapping and more fill the tension-riddled pages for the remainder of this part-horrific and part-healing story! Lori Foster has upped the ante on this second novel in the “Men Who Walk With Honor” series. Trace of Fever is an impressive work of romance fiction!

Interview with Lori Foster

2011-05-15T05:20:00.001-07:00

A Q&A WITH LORI FOSTER…

When You Dare, May 2011 (Now on sale!)
Trace of Fever, June 2011 ● Savor the Danger, July 2011

Much of WHEN YOU DARE is set in Kentucky. What part? Why this setting? Does the area have special meaning for you? For your family?
I rarely specify a “real” area when writing books, because I find that too limiting. However, when I set stories in Kentucky, I’m usually thinking of Williamstown because that’s where I spent most of my summers growing up. Being on the lake, boating, skiing, swimming, sunning myself and just plain having a great time, are some of my best memories. My parents had a fishing cabin there—one bedroom, small but open space for eating and sitting—and I loved it. No air conditioning, no heat, but who cared? I learned to ski when I was six, and our routine was to put on our jammies for bed, and in the morning we changed back into bathing suits. Not much else was needed.
Being on a lake makes everything better—especially coffee in the morning. You stand on the deck and watch the fog rise off the lake, and peace just settles around you. It’s perfect.

Where have you lived? How long?
I’ve lived in Ohio all my life. My husband and I grew up here, went to school here, got jobs here, and now we’ve raised our sons here. Actually, though hubby and I didn’t meet until the 3rd day of our sophomore year of high school, we always lived near each other. I love Ohio, especially the suburbs with the small town vibe. I can’t imagine ever moving away from my family. We’re all pretty close—and I like it that way!

Did you enjoy school?
I was not a great student. That is, I got good grades, but never, ever enjoyed school. As an energetic daydreamer, it was an almost painful thing to have to sit still during class. When I hit high school and could pick most of my own classes, I had several writing courses like horror fiction, humor literature, and composition. And I went nuts on art class. Every study hall or free period was spent in the art room. I had an amazing art teacher– a wonderful artist and an eclectic teacher, which was perfect for me.

Have you had other jobs in addition to your writing?
I’ve worked as a cashier at Kroger where one of my jobs was also to clean the break room and bring in carts from the lot—through rain and snow and blistering heat. I worked on an assembly line at Procter & Gamble. I’ve also been a babysitter and house cleaner. In comparison, writing is a dream come true! Sure it’s difficult at times, and it really soaks up the hours, but always, with past jobs as a comparison, I feel so blessed to be able to do what I love, to share it with others, and to be compensated too!

Motherhood—you were able to stay home with your children. How important was it to be able to do that?
I’m one of those women who would have gone stark raving mad if I’d had to turn my kids over to someone else. I’m the supreme mother hen and a world-class worrier. When I think of what other mothers have gone through—many who didn’t have the same opportunity to stay home with their children—it breaks my heart and again, makes me feel so fortunate and blessed. When the kids were younger—before I’d ever published—my husband and I lived on a very tight budget to make it possible for me to be home, but I’ve never regretted that.

Do you ever “steal” attributes from your boys or your husband and give them to your characters? What, if anything, have your learned from living in a houseful of men that has helped you develop your male protagonists?
My kids are hilarious—they get that from their dad. They’re also very physical guys, athletic and protective and outspoken. Alphas for sure. So yes, I’ve often stolen lines, actions, or attitudes from them to use in books.
Living with all guys...well, our house drips testosterone, but it’s so fun! They’re forever amusing, and give me the perfect opportunity to witness “guyness” and to appreciate male traits for how they differ from mine.

The family you grew up with—do you have brothers, sisters? If so, are you close? Do they live nearby?
I have an assorted family—which maybe helps explain the less-typical families I write about. I have a sister, step-sister, and a half brother, but none of us thinks in those terms. My stepfather—who passed away recently—was my Dad in every sense of the word. I miss him terribly.
Hubby and I are all about keeping family together and close, so most of the family gatherings happen at our house. We get both sides of the family together as often as we can, which is usually four or five times a year. Depending on nieces and nephews, who has a date and who doesn’t, we can get upwards of 60 people at a time. And we love it! You can never have too much family.

What attributes do you share with Dare and Molly? Of course, Molly is a successful writer, so you have that in common. Anything else?
Molly actually came about because of some reader mail I’d gotten—threatening me. I know readers get very invested in stories, and I’m thrilled that they care so much. Occasionally they write me with their frustrations over something that didn’t go quite how they wanted it to, or because they want a character to have a book, but I don’t have a book for that character. That’s fine—I enjoy hearing from them. But threats? Well, I’ve had a few that crossed the line. That’s not the typical reader, and it can be worrisome.
After one particular threat, the idea for Molly and the elements of the storyline dealing with one of her readers as a suspect took shape in my mind.
I love hearing from readers, whether they liked a book or not. But, just like Molly, I think my privacy is important, too.

How did the first Reader & Author Get Together come about?
Dianne Castell and I wanted to do a “thank you” to the community of readers and writers, and we envisioned it as being very small. We thought if we got a dozen people, we’d be happy—but our first year, we got around 100 attendees.
From there, it’s grown like crazy! We love to visit with other readers and authors, and we know they enjoy it too, so we’ve worked hard to keep the laid-back, easy atmosphere of the event so that lots of chit chat is possible, while at the same time doing something really worthwhile—like donating our raffle money to great local charities and bringing in agents and editors so newer authors can pitch their work to them in person, and longtime readers can get questions answered.
By dipping into our own pockets, and thanks to donations from publishers and agencies, we’ve kept the price a very affordable $50. This year is our seventh Get Together here in the Cincinnati and Dayton metro area and it will benefit One Way Farm’s Children’s Home. Information is on my site and registration ends May 19th. If you’re reading this in time and want to attend, hurry! And Saturday’s big book signing is open to the public. Come by and see us! http://www.lorifoster.com/community/readergettogether.php

What is your professional schedule moving forward?
Currently I’m hard at work on another single title, but ask me in a week or so and that answer could be different. 2011 has been wonderful so far with an anthology in March titled, The Guy Next Door, and then a new single title series out May, June and July—When Your Dare, Trace of Fever, and Savor the Danger, with some part of the hero’s name in each title. (P.S. There’s a bit of a link between The Guy Next Door and my three new novels. Although the books tie together by characters, each can be read alone.)
Also in June is another “benefit anthology,” which is a pet project of mine where proceeds from the anthology go to a local charity. In 2011 the anthology is The Promise of Love and, as do the proceeds from the Seventh Annual Reader & Author Get Together, it will benefit One Way Farm, a home for abused and abandoned children.

When You Dare by Lori Foster

2011-05-15T04:36:00.001-07:00

When You Dare. Lori Foster. Harlequin Books. May 2011. 448 pp. pb. ISBN #: 978037377571.

Molly Alexander is in very, very bad shape. Kidnapped from her modest apartment in California, Molly has been drugged and tortured for nine agonizing days before she is rescued by Dare Macintosh. Something, he gradually realizes, is wrong as the other women in the room with Molly were mistreated but not physically manhandled on a regular basis. For now, Molly's constant reiteration of "I'm fine" belies the short and long-term effects of the horrific trauma she's endured.

As Dare and Molly begin to speak about her background and possible suspects, Dare's heart begins to quickly enfold this classy, intelligent lady on so many levels. She as well is struck with the physically hot presence of this man whose surprising tenderness and sensitivity only increase Molly attraction toward him. The tension is building and it's getting more than hot!

Much of the story is about the healing process to return Molly to some kind of daily functioning capability, although she clearly displays a formidably feisty spirit even after this terrorizing event. Who might have done it? Family? Ex-lover? Readers? For Molly is a romance writer who has ticked off her family as well as a host of faithful readers with her latest story focused on the subject of forgiveness.

The raw brutality of her living nightmare is more poignant as the mystery slowly begins to be emerge of the motives and intentions of the guilty, totally unexpected, incredible party. Appearances are not always what they seem for sure!

When You Dare is a passionate, exhilarating, intense, intelligent, and endearing novel that romance fiction lovers will relish. A sequel will shortly follow very soon - stay tuned to this blog for more!

The Gray Zone: A Novel by Daphna Edwards Ziman

2011-05-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

The Gray Zone: A Novel. Daphna Edwards Ziman. Greenleaf Book Group Press. June 2011. 324 pp. hb. ISBN #: 9781608321100.

Kelly Jensen is one tough cookie, hiding her childhood and young adult abusive background and pain. She's fleeing with her two children but the reader won't know for sure precisely what she's attempting to escape for quite some time. It's well worth the wait!

At the same time, an aspiring State Senator, Congressman Porter Garrett has been found dead. It doesn't take very long for the police, FBI, and attorney, Jake Brooks, to link Kelly and another young woman to the grisly death. But now that evidence and private investigator activities are revealing even deeper connections among politicians, bankers, foster parents, and birth parents, Kelly disappears off the radar. It seems she has a much larger plan that will free her, if she can carry it out. However, luck isn't with her and the Court orders her placed under the supervision of Jake. Should she trust him with some or everything of what she knows? Is he truly trying to do the right thing by her or is he just pursuing something he can't have, a pattern he always followed in his younger years as a peer of the murdered congressman?

Kelly is an amazingly intriguing character. She elicits profuse sympathy, but that just as quickly turns to admiration and wonder about her intelligence and nerves of steel! The reader remains totally enthralled as Kelly carries out the ultimate plan to convict the guilty, remove the final chains blocking a free future, and embrace a different way of life that promises hope and perhaps even joy!

Daphna Edwards Ziman has penned an amazingly gripping, mysterious, and superb crime thriller that is a must read for anyone loving this genre!!!

The Guardian Angel's Journal: A Novel by Carolyn Jess-Cooke

2011-04-27T05:05:00.000-07:00

The Guardian Angel's Journal: A Novel. Carolyn Jess-Cooke. Guideposts. April 2011. 304 pp. ISBN #: 9780824948795.

Margaret Delacroix has died. In a highly unusual and ironic twist, she has been assigned to be a guardian angel to herself but with the new name, Ruth. This, however, is no easy task as her job has four rules that must be followed in her mission. She must be a witness to everything Margot does, feels, and experiences. She must protect Margot from the forces attempting to interfering with the choices Margot makes. Third, she must keep a record, a journal, of all that happens; and fourth, she must "love Margot." The latter doesn't appear to be too daunting a task until the reader gets deeper into the story.

Margot has been born into a childhood of heart-rending suffering, abandonment, cruelty, and abominable experiences that make the reader cringe and sadly cause the divine light she was born with to gradually wane and almost disappear. Another way of saying this is that life's knocks have made Margot into a tough cookie who is extremely needy but who guards against any intrusion into the minute fragment of vulnerability left. So begins a life of alcohol, drugs, destructive relationships, and lack of vision that has been surrendered to the stronger elements around her.

What is particularly intriguing in this story is what one would call the proverbial battle between "good and evil," a stereotypical phrase this reviewer dislikes; but that is exactly what is transpiring between the guardian angels and demon angels surrounding most of the characters. This battle, for example, is depicted in the pattern of paralysis in a person's self-esteem that blocks freedom in any shape or form. Or perhaps it is an illness that takes hold and will not let go until death. These challenges form the fascinating part of this story, with some very frightening and very tender moments sure to touch every reader.

The Guardian Angel's Journal: A Novel is not light reading but is a tale that will remain with the reader, ultimately affecting the way he or she makes choices, connects to or disconnects from the divine, and loves or rejects love of all shades and variations appearing in one's day-to-day life. Thoughtful, provocative, horrific, and endearing - what a combination! Nice job, Ms. Jess-Cooke!

Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax

2011-04-26T04:03:00.000-07:00

Ten Beach Road. Wendy Wax. Berkley Books/Trade Paperback. May 2011. ISNB #: 9780425240861. Includes Reader's Guide.

Three families' lives are shattered upon discovering that the money they thought was wisely invested is gone via Matthew Dyer's Ponzi scam. Maddie Singer's husband, Steve, loses his job because he has invested his client's money in Dyer's scam, and Steve simply quits mentally and spends his days wielding the remote control on the living room couch. Maggie is determined to find out if the mysterious "mansion" in Florida on the Gulf side has any potential as their last hope for financial survival.

Avery Lawford is a co-host on the popular TV home and garden show, "Hammer and Nails." Little by little, her role in that show is reduced to smiling and looking pretty, until the day comes when she is sacked and without any help from her ex-husband host, Trent. She also is absolutely stunned on realizing that what she thought was her nestegg is gone into Matthew Dyer's illegal financial dealings. All she has left, as well, is a share of ownership in this Florida "mansion."

Nikki Grant, a professional matchmaker, discovers that the brother she herself raised has turned out to be the man who has duped not only individuals but also charities and other needy institutions out of their principal funds as well as interest. In fact, he has even left his own sister nothing to grasp for living on a day to day basis except for a third of a share this unknown Florida residence, Bella Flora.

These three woman, plus Avery's mother and Maddie's daughter, slowly arrive to discover their seaside Florida home is nowhere near sellable status. The story begins as they begin the grind of restoring this architectural masterpiece, disguised as a broken-down shack, with the hopes of thus recouping at least a small portion for their financial survival.

The story evolves with wonderful descriptions of restoring and decorating this beautiful home, with the assistance of many unexpected sources and experts. We share the strengths and weaknesses of these women, who carry unique stories of betrayals and secrets but manage to transcend them to complete the task at hand and forge friendships that are both priceless and eternal.

The Chinese call every challenge an opportunity, refusing to be daunted by the ferocity or formidable quality of any problem. That attitude becomes the lodestone guiding these women, as well as a sense of thankfulness. When the task is finally very near total completion, more dark revelations and storms threaten it all. That is when we see and come to love the feisty, caring characters of these women forging new lives and refusing to surrender to anything or anyone.

Funny, heart-breaking, romantic, and so much more, Ten Beach Road is a superb read that depicts all facets of women in distress and woman who exponentially grow as they learn to trust one another and reinvent the rest of their lives. This story about recovery and restoration on so many levels is just delightful!

Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet by Stephanie Cowell

2011-04-24T05:21:00.000-07:00

Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet. Stephanie Cowell. Crown Publishing Group (pb). April 2011. 352 pp. ISBN #: 9780307463210.

Claude Monet, an early 19th Century artist, refuses to take over his father's business and suffers from his passionate compulsion to become a renowned artist. Initially a mentor indicates to him that he lacks discipline, a fact to which he responds with openness. Forced to earn money because his family will not support him and lacking a patron, Monet moves to Paris where he forms a strong bond with other emerging artists such as Renoir, Cezanne, Pissarro, and Manet. Each artist's work is characterized by unique qualities such as Renoir's portrauts, but Monet is riveted by a desire to accurately depict the different variations of light and shadow he observes in city and suburban landscapes. He and his friends live, dine, and work together, inspiring and arguing with each other about the new forms of art they are trying to create and which they hope the public will acclaim.

It is only when Claude meets Camille that his painting begins to manifest the passion, mystery, and beauty she represents to him. Yet he is slow to realize that Camille has dreams and secrets of her own, although little by little she claims that he is all she desires. As they begin to live together and have children, Camille sacrifices her dreams of becoming a famous author, singer, and actress so that Claude will be free to immerse himself deeper in his art. Living in destitute conditions, they struggle to maintain that dignity and hope that for too long seems elusive. Misunderstandings with colleagues and secrets about clandestine relationships threaten to destroy what they have, beginning with the Great War which drives their colleagues to different parts of Europe for different reasons.

Finally, the public begins to accept the "Impressionists," as these artists label their group. It's a bittersweet victory as the years of loneliness and struggle take their toll on all, yet the deep love between Claude and Camille survives the vicissitudes of their own weakness and world affairs, revealing a momentous love story that remains for sure the greatest force behind Claude's creations.

If you're looking for a story that goes beyond the proverbial "struggling artist" stereotype, this is a superb novel. Claude and Camille evokes the powers of observation and emotional sensitivity vital to the creation of magnificent art. Stephanie Cowell is a master at slowly revealing the essence of central characters, depicting artistic pieces in a way that mekes one want to run to see the actual works and presenting the day-to-day ups and downs of endearing yet stormy relationships that totally engage readers. This novel is one more example of this author's immersion in great art and music that so easily emerges as a literate love story of a renowned artist and his muse. Wonderful!!!

Always the Vampire by Nancy Haddock

2011-04-23T11:03:00.001-07:00

Always the Vampire. Nancy Haddock. A Berkley Trade Paperback: Penguin Books. May 2011. 342 pp. ISBN #: 9780425240885.

Francesca Melisenda Alejandra Marinelli, St. Augustine, Florida's only vampire, is a competent woman who gives ghost tours and presently is sharpening her skills as her best friend, Maggie O'Halloran's maid of honor and organizer for an absolutely perfect wedding. Some initial challenges arise with an increased number of unexpected guests and other matters, but suddenly a more formidable threat to the peace and well-being of all appears.

A disease is spreading among vampires which seems in essence to be sucking the life out of them a little at a time, altering their physical condition in a most sickening manner that is only the precursor to a horrific death. The disease is known as the Void, explained to "Cesca," as she is known, as a nonphysical thought form, "a magical construct, likley created in a ritual that focused willpower, visualization, and life force energy," one that is directed by its Creator. Who is the Creator and what is the intent of such a destructive entity? Therein lies the challenge behind this paranormal romance that is also a well-developed mystery with just enough clues to keep the reader flipping the pages to reach the unexpected conclusion.

Along the way, the reader meets a bevy of characters with unique personalities that are funny, fearsome, and possessed of magical powers well-needed as the complex plot unfurls and eventually ties together somewhat confusing loose ends. Passion in relationships abounds, with some remnants from the past resolved with some testy but funny banter.

Cesca's life is threatened frequently, although she seems to the only vamp immune to the encroaching power. Powers pass through various time and space patterns known as the Veil. Cesca, as well as the other characters, must be trained to tackle the devastating, new, and increasingly dangerous events that are kiling human beings as well.

Sometimes difficult to follow but ultimately a light, funny story, Always the Vampire is the third novel in this series that will delight all who love vampire stories, mysteries, the paranormal, and good romance tales. Cesca is a sassy, modern, and feisty vampire character for sure! Very cool story!

Sons and Princes: A Novel of Suspense by James LePore

2011-03-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Sons and Princes: A Novel of Suspense. James LePore. The Story Plant. April 2011. 352 pp. ISBN #: 9780984190522.

Chris Massi is the son of a father who was absent and far from a true role model to Chris, at least that's what Chris thinks. But involvement in the Mafia and the acts that flow from there have ramifications that spread wide and far, beyond in fact one's very limited imagination. After making a life for himself in the so-called normal world as a lawyer on the side of justice, Chris finds that his father was responsible for the death of a friend's father, that man, now a dire enemy, who has spent his whole life trying to destroy Joe Black Massi's family.

Now, Chris is disbarred from practicing law, divorced, and watching one son acting like a wanna-be Mafia man and the other one drugging and womanizing himself to death. Not a happy family scenario for sure! Readers now enter the completely sordid world wherein secrets are revealed of who killed whom, of who was responsible for destroying Chris's career, and of the origins of a loss that completely spins Chris Massi's life in a different direction that will leave the reader flipping pages to find out what happens next.

The plot thickens with the introduction of a drug addict, Michele Mathias, who has lost her daughter to her addiction but who has a glimmer of hope that rises strongly when she meets Chris Massi. Ironically, it turns out that the bosses behind the drugs, porn, etc. have more to do with the Mafia Chris knows so well.

Who can be trusted? Is Chris being tested for a new crime career as he is offered the opportunity for revenge? What is it about Joe Black Massi, the father, and Joseph, Chris's brother, that Chris discovers and wishes he knew long before this cycle of confusion turns into a vortex of death and disaster leading only to prison or the grave?

To say more would spoil the suspense flying through so many pages of this crime drama that, given more public exposure, is sure to become a best seller.

James LePore, as in previous books, knows his subject well, including the gray rather than black and white world of the Mafia. Trust is the issue of honor that is the essence of Sons and Princes, a trust the redeems when one realizes that things are not what they truly appear to be! Thrilling read for all crime and mystery lovers!

To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Christy English

2011-03-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Christy English. New American Library. April 2011. 400 pp. ISBN #: 9780451232304.

"As I sat alone in my tent, with only Amaria to attend me, I wondered. Perhaps it was time to build a new dream for myself." What is it like to be raised by a loving father who instilled a sense of equality and dignity in a daughter that would enable her to rule the Province of Aquitaine one day? How does one maintain that dream in a world of marriage to King Louis VII, the boy King who loves the Catholic Church more than his kingdom or wife, for the most part, who considers sexual relations to be a grievous sin for which he must constantly repent?

This is the story of Eleanor's early years when she is clinging to her independence in a world that sees woman as worthy of dalliance, piety, and childbirth. Correction - most woman are allowed dalliance, but the Queen of France is expected to be the model Christian Queen. At first she believes she can bring Louis around to be a close husband in all ways but gradually she knows it's a losing battle against Louis' confessors, one of whom will later reveal grievous crimes beyond one's comprehension.

Travel with Eleanor and Louis on their way to the Crusades in Jerusalem, experiencing the architecture, interior design, food, and styles of the citizens of Constantinople, Antioch, and more European cities that greet this royal couple with joy while their leaders reveal scintillating and devious motivations and acts that continue to shock and alarm the reader.

Know the brief joy that Eleanor finds with two men throughout these years and finally one,Henry of Normandy, to whom she will give her heart, mind and soul forever. Christy English has written a well-researched but quite realistic picture of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who "became" the renowned fiery, powerful leader during these younger years when life seemed fragile and yet glorious enough to grasp, live in fully, and celebrate with those who shared her dreams.

Ever provocative, unpredictable, humorous, and free in spirit, Eleanor will delight you through every page of this very, very enjoyable novel. Delightful, Christy English!

The Map Across Time: A Fairy Tale by C. S. Lakin

2011-03-23T15:59:00.001-07:00

The Map Across Time: A Fairy Tale. C. S. Lakin. (The Gates of Heaven Series). AMG Publishers. March 2011. 288 pages. ISBN #: 9780899578897.

Aletha and Adin are Princess and Prince in the Kingdom of Sherbourne, where they mourn the death of their mother whom they are not sure is really dead after all. In addition to that heartache, their father the King seems to be possessed, manifesting a growing paranoia and obsession with finding a Firebird with heavenly qualities. Aletha appears to be the strong one, watching over her brother who was born with a physical weakness and at times evidencing a resultant fearful and weak mind and emotions. But things are definitely not what they appear to be, for it is Adin who will assume the strongest mission in this first novel of The Gates of Heaven series planned by this promising author.

Ancient writings foretell the hand of God touching a land cursed to slowly disintegrate until it totally disappears. Adin first and later Aletha heed the words of some very wise, holy, and fierce guides after they time travel to the years before the curse spell was bound on the land.

Sage words convey a spiritual reality meant to guide rulers and citizens of the land of Sherbourne in a meaningful and blessed existence. That is worth all the difficulties these characters face in attaining their solitary yet divinely inspired quest to change the tides of time to something intended to be far, far better than what is now known.

Telling this much will not in any way spoil the reading, for there are constant surprises and revelations, as well as grand adventures, filling every page of this fairy tale that will move the heart as well as the head of every reader who loves a good adventure or time-travel story. Fairy tales about good and evil can deeply touch a reader's life, this one being a marvelous example.

Very nicely done, Ms. Lakin!

Stop Looking for a Husband: Find the Love of Your Life by Marina Sbrochi

2011-03-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Stop Looking For A Husband: Find the Love of Your Life. Marina Sbrochi. Brown Books. March 2011. 117 pp. ISBN #: 9781934812907.

Are you looking for the perfect mate? The question alone, according to this author, sets one up for all sorts of mind-game playing and eventual disappointment, even heartbreak. The advice offered in this latest book on dating and seeking a "soulmate" is actually common sense, one would think, right? Not so, for too many single people looking for Mr. Right, carrying out conversations and behavioral shenanigans that belie one's sincerity certainly produce the opposite of one's original intentions. Perhaps the motivation is the problem, more than whether interests are held in common or not.

The simplest advice offered by Ms. Sbrochi is to "be yourself," followed by chapters on how words expose the essence of who you are, how words often show how shallow or practical your aspirations are, and how actions borne out of honesty and integrity increase rather than decrease one's appearance of integrity in a relationship.

This book is not only full of advice for single woman but also overlowing with advice about how being yourself solves the problem and then everything else follows. Mixed into each segment of wise counsel are very funny stories of how presenting who you are turns either downright silly or potentially disastrous when you try to fake it, when you dress a certain way and get exactly the opposite of what you wanted, and so many more scenarios that will have the readers chuckling or guffawing with glee.

The author is also quite frank if the reader is looking for that "dreamboat" guy - don't bother reading further as you will be sorely disappointed. This also includes immediate talk about weddings, family (unless asked), other earlier relationships, and so much more.

Stop Looking for a Husband is a down-to-earth, practical, guide that just might help a lady find a "real" husband, if that female reader is set on following some great advice and manages to keep a sense of humor and level head about her all the time!

Interesting and revealing romp through the land of dating and finding "Mr. Right Guy!"

This Time: A Novel about Richard III by Joan Szechtman

2011-03-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

This Time: A Novel About Richard III. Joan Szechtman. Basset Books. December 2009. Pb. 343 pp. ISBN #: 9780982449301.

Five hundred years have passed. Just as Richard III is struck down at the infamous Battle of Bosworth, a time machine invented by scientists in the 20th Century transports Richard to Portland, Oregon in August of 2004. Hosgrove, the man who wants academic renown displays such an aggressive attitude to Richard that Richard is overwhelmed by the need to defend himself, a stress he certainly doesn't need as he attempts to adapt to a world that seems magical, perhaps even one step above evil. Katarina, a scholarly linguist, is the compassionate one who manages to gently nurture Richard in this startling new environment. They want information from Richard, proof of the "two missing Princes" being alive and more, evidence Richard is unclear about no matter the time or place.

The more Richard ponders the past and the present, the more he is riddled with guilt over his part in attempting to hide the Princes and his responsibility for the death of so many peers and soldiers at that final battle whose outcome he has managed to escape.

Joan Szechtman has written a novel that immediately draws the reader into Richard's adjustments to technology, clothing, food, and more. After an astonishing act of Hosgrove, Richard disappears until it is safe to return to work together with a team that is actually going to try to restore the life of a family member in Richard's original world. At the same time, the reader is thrilled to see a romance develop in his life, one that is full of formidable challenges but one that is all the more endearing for the way it evolves.

While parts of this story are obviously contrived, those events don't detract from a finely imagined story that will interest Ricardian fans and other readers who love a good historical novel.

Quite a different take, a redeeming look at King Richard III, "Dick," or "Dickon," a man and leader who continues to intrigue old and new readers! Nicely done, indeed, Joan Szechtman!

Wild Man Creek: A Virgin River Novel by Robyn Carr

2011-03-09T15:47:00.001-08:00

Wild Man Creek: A Virgin River Novel. Robyn Carr. MIRA Books. January 2011. 368 pp. Pb. ISBN #: 9780778329312.

Public relations expert, Jillian Matlock, travels to Virgin River in Northern California, forced to leave her job because of a sexual harrassment charge. Nothing could be further from the truth, but Jillian decides this is the time to follow a new dream, one that is slowly evolving and with which she is becoming more and more excited. She's smart, sassy, and unafraid to try anything. At least she is until she meets Colin Riordan.

Colin is a wounded warrior, a former pilot blown out of the sky in a Black Hawk helicopter who has been through the mill physically, mentally, and emotionally. But all of a sudden, he's initially intrigued first and then slowly attracted toward this go-getter lady who begins to move him beyond his hobby of painting natural wildlife scenes for his own peace. The story doesn't stay in a stereotypical pattern at all and continues to thrill the reader with subplots that are offbeat, original, and engaging on every page.

Gardening, fine food, new discoveries, traveling abroad, and so much more endear and challenge Jillian, Colin, families and others!!

Love is complicated yet really simple, when all is said and done.

Very nicely done novel, Robyn Carr!

Spinning by Michael Baron

2011-03-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

Spinning. Michael Baron. The Story Plant. April 2011. 304 pp. Pb. ISBN #: 9781611880052.

Dylan Hunter is living the yuppie American dream with a challenging but successful dream. Outside of that world, he lives for bar hopping, meeting pretty girls, and basically doing exactly what he wants when he wants. He has no familial responsibilities and even quakes at the thought of ever assuming that role, albeit acknowledging that such demands might come into the picture as he approaches middle age.

Dylan is in for a profound surprise. A brief lover appears on his doorstep one evening with her three year-old daughter, and Dylan accepts her request to stay as a temporary distraction. Little by little, however, Dylan's heart is melted by this cute, intelligent and sensitive little girl, Spring. A traumatic event will shake her world as well, and Dylan is unable to connect with those who would know best how to handle what has brutally shaken Spring's world. Other female friends of Dylan drop into the picture and slowly Dylan begins to understand the shallow nature of his former world, with the additional comments by a new boss who does have his priorities very straight indeed!

Sharing more about this extraordinary story would be a spoiler that deserves to await the reader's attention and eventual enchanted reading. Michael Baron has crafted a tale that is anything but mundane, full of unexpected surprises and resonant with realizations that are presented in a touching and practical manner that isn't saccharine or stereotypical.

Keep writing, Michael Baron! Spinning is fine writing indeed!

The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy

2011-03-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

The Promises She Keeps. Erin Healy. Thomas Nelson, Inc. February 2011. 344 pp. ISBN #: 9781595547514. $14.99

Promise is a dying woman with a vivid dream, to become such a great singer that her name will achieve immortality. Porta Cerreto is a witch who seeks the One who will bring immortality to all. She has traveled across America, stopping in each place to present art in various galleries and telling customers that certain pictures speak truth to the viewer that will have everlasting resonance. Is she for real or is she just a quack scheming with peoples' lives in a way that brings as much destruction and death as it does life?

Chase is an extraordinary, talented artist whose gifts are more often ignored because his autism repels rather than connects those with whom he attempts to interact. His paintings are based on the identity of the one being drawn - in a rather abstract yet natural manner - and the Biblical inspiration he is inspired to incorporate into his "white on black" drawings. Chelsea, Chase's twin sister, has sacrificed much to support Chase and Wes, Chase's helper, is inching her forward to realize a new world awaits her attention and hold.

Porta's son, Zach, is a drug addict and scorner of all that is beautiful thanks to his mother's machinations which he perceives to be pure evil.

Promise's experiences with regaining health and surviving death begin to unite every character in this tautly plotted story, leading to a climax that is devastating in literal and figurative implications for all involved.

Erin Healy's latest novel is a page-flipping foray into what we so often glibly label "good" and "evil," an examination of the consequences of so-called "love," and a journey through the layers of magic and dreams that will leave the reader thrilled, questioning, and celebrating what is!

Delightful, Erin Healy!