GIRL GONE NOVA
by Pauline Baird Jones
L&L Dreamspell
Friendsville, TX
ISBN: 9781603182041
Delilah Oliver Clementyne (Doc) is a genius whose expertise is making the impossible possible. Doc’s secret name is the Chameleon and she fits this moniker well, being able to change herself at will to blend in with whatever situation she finds herself. Doc’s aboard the Doolittle, in the Garradian Galaxy, waiting for instructions from her superior, when she meets Helfron Giddioni, leader of the Gadi. Doc is shocked at her attraction for him but there is strife between the Earth ship and the Gadi and war seems imminent. When Doc heads toward the small planet Kikk in order to try to access their weaponry, she is kidnapped by a band of aliens trolling the galaxy, collecting wives for the men on their planet. Doc manages to get away, only to find herself time-traveling with the Gadi leader, trying to avert a war that will destroy her ship and its people while dodging the leader of the wife-stealers, who is intent on having her as his own.
Jones is adept at creating kick-butt women characters who can give as good as they get. Doc is mentally quick and physically lethal. She’s a woman who has never felt like she fit in until she meets Giddioni, whom she is instantly attracted to. But that doesn’t stop her from doing her job, even if it means battling the Gadi leader and his minions. The action is nonstop, the suspense gut-wrenching, and the plot rollicking fun.
Friday, July 2, 2010
STORM SHADOWS
STORM SHADOWS
by Caitlyn Hunter
L&L Dreamspell
Friendsville, TX
www.lldreamspell.com
ISBN: 978-1603182065
Long ago, four Cherokee cousins were cursed by the Shamans to eternal life after violating the laws of their tribe. Matt, Luke, Marc and Jon Tassel also possess psychic abilities and each can shift into the form of the animal they are destined to watch over. For years, Marc, a cougar shape-shifter, has had visions of a woman with storm-colored eyes tending to him at his death, but sometimes, in these dreams, the woman dies instead. Betty Sue Corn grew up under the shadow of a beautiful sister and considers herself merely ordinary, with a tendency toward awkwardness to the point of constantly having bruises and cuts from her stumbles. When Jon inadvertently causes Betty Sue’s suspension from her job, he offers her his cabin on Eternity Mountain, where Betty Sue hopes to chase a dream or two. When Betty Sue meets Marc by accident, the chemistry between them is intense. Marc, however, realizing Betty Sue is the woman in his dreams, tries to keep his distance from her due to his fear he may cause her death but finds this near-impossible. Betty Sue, tired of her prior timid existence, is not frightened by Marc’s ability to shift or his vision of death, and is willing to risk her life to prove this.
The genteel cadence of Hunter’s poetic prose draws the reader into a lovely story steeped in Cherokee legend, filled with romance sweet and heady and tantalizing. The plot excels, along with characters strong and vivid and intriguing. Betty Sue is fresh and fun, and many women will identify with and root for her. The four Cherokee cousins are not only endowed with pulchritude but each has an appealing persona readers will love. This well-written paranormal romance, book 2 in the Eternal Shadows series, rises above others of its genre due to the author’s unique voice as well as her prolific skill with characterization, dialogue and narration. Highly recommended.
by Caitlyn Hunter
L&L Dreamspell
Friendsville, TX
www.lldreamspell.com
ISBN: 978-1603182065
Long ago, four Cherokee cousins were cursed by the Shamans to eternal life after violating the laws of their tribe. Matt, Luke, Marc and Jon Tassel also possess psychic abilities and each can shift into the form of the animal they are destined to watch over. For years, Marc, a cougar shape-shifter, has had visions of a woman with storm-colored eyes tending to him at his death, but sometimes, in these dreams, the woman dies instead. Betty Sue Corn grew up under the shadow of a beautiful sister and considers herself merely ordinary, with a tendency toward awkwardness to the point of constantly having bruises and cuts from her stumbles. When Jon inadvertently causes Betty Sue’s suspension from her job, he offers her his cabin on Eternity Mountain, where Betty Sue hopes to chase a dream or two. When Betty Sue meets Marc by accident, the chemistry between them is intense. Marc, however, realizing Betty Sue is the woman in his dreams, tries to keep his distance from her due to his fear he may cause her death but finds this near-impossible. Betty Sue, tired of her prior timid existence, is not frightened by Marc’s ability to shift or his vision of death, and is willing to risk her life to prove this.
The genteel cadence of Hunter’s poetic prose draws the reader into a lovely story steeped in Cherokee legend, filled with romance sweet and heady and tantalizing. The plot excels, along with characters strong and vivid and intriguing. Betty Sue is fresh and fun, and many women will identify with and root for her. The four Cherokee cousins are not only endowed with pulchritude but each has an appealing persona readers will love. This well-written paranormal romance, book 2 in the Eternal Shadows series, rises above others of its genre due to the author’s unique voice as well as her prolific skill with characterization, dialogue and narration. Highly recommended.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
BROKEN
BROKEN
by Karin Slaughter
Random House/Bantam Dell
New York, New York
www.bantamdell.com
ISBN 9780385341974
Former coroner Sara Linton hasn’t visited her hometown in Grant County, Georgia since the death of her husband, Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver. Almost four years later, she returns, planning to spend Thanksgiving with her family. Shortly thereafter, Tommy Braham, a mentally disabled young man, is arrested for the murder of Allison Spooner and asks that Sara, his former pediatrician, visit him. When Sara arrives at the jail, it appears Tommy has committed suicide. Sara, who blames the arresting officer, Lena Adams, for her husband’s death, immediately suspects Lena mishandled the interrogation and provided the young man the means to kill himself. After she calls in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent Will Trent arrives in Grant County, where he is met with stubborn resistance from the police department. Sara is asked to perform autopsies on Tommy and Allison as Trent investigates both murders while trying to unravel the complexities of Lena’s involvement in Tommy’s murder, as well as that of Chief Tolliver.
Slaughter once more provides a tense thriller centered around Sara Linton. Although the character Jeffrey Tolliver is certainly missed, this book proves the series can move forward without his presence. Slaughter is adept at providing dark, complex characters and does not disappoint with this outing. Her revelations concerning the desperate measures hardworking, indigent people will resort to is insightful and empathetic.
by Karin Slaughter
Random House/Bantam Dell
New York, New York
www.bantamdell.com
ISBN 9780385341974
Former coroner Sara Linton hasn’t visited her hometown in Grant County, Georgia since the death of her husband, Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver. Almost four years later, she returns, planning to spend Thanksgiving with her family. Shortly thereafter, Tommy Braham, a mentally disabled young man, is arrested for the murder of Allison Spooner and asks that Sara, his former pediatrician, visit him. When Sara arrives at the jail, it appears Tommy has committed suicide. Sara, who blames the arresting officer, Lena Adams, for her husband’s death, immediately suspects Lena mishandled the interrogation and provided the young man the means to kill himself. After she calls in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent Will Trent arrives in Grant County, where he is met with stubborn resistance from the police department. Sara is asked to perform autopsies on Tommy and Allison as Trent investigates both murders while trying to unravel the complexities of Lena’s involvement in Tommy’s murder, as well as that of Chief Tolliver.
Slaughter once more provides a tense thriller centered around Sara Linton. Although the character Jeffrey Tolliver is certainly missed, this book proves the series can move forward without his presence. Slaughter is adept at providing dark, complex characters and does not disappoint with this outing. Her revelations concerning the desperate measures hardworking, indigent people will resort to is insightful and empathetic.
THE COLD ROOM
THE COLD ROOM
by J.T. Ellison
MIRA Books
225 Duncan Mill Road
Don Mills, Ontario M3B3K9
Canada
www.mirabooks.com
ISBN: 9780778327141
Due to restructuring of the Nashville Metro Police Department, homicide detective Taylor Jackson’s been demoted from her prior position of lieutenant. If that isn’t bad enough, she’s being pursued by a serial killer called the Pretender. Now another serial killer’s in Nashville, one who abducts young black women, starves them to death and, after performing necrophilia, poses them per scenes from famous paintings. It isn’t long before Jackson’s fiancé, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, connects Jackson’s serial killer to one he’s been investigating in Europe named the Conductor. Jackson and Baldwin team up with Scotland Yard detective James “Memphis” Highsmythe, and the chase is on as the three try to determine if they’re dealing with only one killer or perhaps two. As the investigation proceeds, Jackson’s trying not to be distracted by the chemistry between her and Highsmythe, which is unexpected and confusing, and her superior’s strange actions, which are hampering her efforts to investigate her case.
This fourth installment of the Taylor Jackson series is as suspenseful and intriguing as the first. This psychological thriller is gritty and realistic and filled with intense action. The chemistry between Jackson and Highsmythe, although not expected, is nicely delivered. Jackson’s a great character, a woman who’s tough mentally and physically but a real softy on the inside. The colorful backdrop of Nashville is a bonus to readers, as is Ellison’s intelligent writing.
by J.T. Ellison
MIRA Books
225 Duncan Mill Road
Don Mills, Ontario M3B3K9
Canada
www.mirabooks.com
ISBN: 9780778327141
Due to restructuring of the Nashville Metro Police Department, homicide detective Taylor Jackson’s been demoted from her prior position of lieutenant. If that isn’t bad enough, she’s being pursued by a serial killer called the Pretender. Now another serial killer’s in Nashville, one who abducts young black women, starves them to death and, after performing necrophilia, poses them per scenes from famous paintings. It isn’t long before Jackson’s fiancé, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, connects Jackson’s serial killer to one he’s been investigating in Europe named the Conductor. Jackson and Baldwin team up with Scotland Yard detective James “Memphis” Highsmythe, and the chase is on as the three try to determine if they’re dealing with only one killer or perhaps two. As the investigation proceeds, Jackson’s trying not to be distracted by the chemistry between her and Highsmythe, which is unexpected and confusing, and her superior’s strange actions, which are hampering her efforts to investigate her case.
This fourth installment of the Taylor Jackson series is as suspenseful and intriguing as the first. This psychological thriller is gritty and realistic and filled with intense action. The chemistry between Jackson and Highsmythe, although not expected, is nicely delivered. Jackson’s a great character, a woman who’s tough mentally and physically but a real softy on the inside. The colorful backdrop of Nashville is a bonus to readers, as is Ellison’s intelligent writing.
NOTHING TO LOSE
NOTHING TO LOSE
by Lee Child
Batam Dell/Random House
New York, NY
www.randomhouse.com
ISBN: 9780385340564
Drifter Jack Reacher travels the country with the clothes on his back and a fold-up toothbrush and ATM card in his pocket. Reacher’s goal is to cross America diagonally, beginning in Calais, Maine and ending in San Diego, California. Taking buses and hitching when he has to, the trip proves uneventful until he leaves the small town of Hope, Colorado and walks to Despair, the next town over. Stopping in a diner for a cup of coffee, Reacher is refused service and ordered out of town by the cops. This gets Reacher’s back up and when he refuses to leave, he’s arrested as a vagrant, escorted out of town and told never to come back. On the way back to Hope, he stumbles over the body of a dead man and the ex military cop in Reacher suspects the man’s death has something to do with Despair. So, over the next few days, Reacher, with the aid of a female cop in Hope, investigates why Despair has a no-visitors policy, what’s going on with the town’s metal recycling plant with an impregnable fence, and why young men are disappearing.
In this 12th installment of the Jack Reacher series, there’s plenty of action as Reacher kicks butt in Despair, diligently and persistently trying to find out what the metal recycling plant is actually doing inside its secret compound and why a military base is guarding it. Reacher is absolutely one of the coolest characters written. He’s tough mentally and physically, a vigilante seeking justice for those who deserve it while doling out his own kind of two-fisted justice for those who need it.
by Lee Child
Batam Dell/Random House
New York, NY
www.randomhouse.com
ISBN: 9780385340564
Drifter Jack Reacher travels the country with the clothes on his back and a fold-up toothbrush and ATM card in his pocket. Reacher’s goal is to cross America diagonally, beginning in Calais, Maine and ending in San Diego, California. Taking buses and hitching when he has to, the trip proves uneventful until he leaves the small town of Hope, Colorado and walks to Despair, the next town over. Stopping in a diner for a cup of coffee, Reacher is refused service and ordered out of town by the cops. This gets Reacher’s back up and when he refuses to leave, he’s arrested as a vagrant, escorted out of town and told never to come back. On the way back to Hope, he stumbles over the body of a dead man and the ex military cop in Reacher suspects the man’s death has something to do with Despair. So, over the next few days, Reacher, with the aid of a female cop in Hope, investigates why Despair has a no-visitors policy, what’s going on with the town’s metal recycling plant with an impregnable fence, and why young men are disappearing.
In this 12th installment of the Jack Reacher series, there’s plenty of action as Reacher kicks butt in Despair, diligently and persistently trying to find out what the metal recycling plant is actually doing inside its secret compound and why a military base is guarding it. Reacher is absolutely one of the coolest characters written. He’s tough mentally and physically, a vigilante seeking justice for those who deserve it while doling out his own kind of two-fisted justice for those who need it.
THE FRIDAY NIGHT CLUB
THE FRIDAY NIGHT CLUB
by Jacob Nelson Lurie
BookSurge
http://thefridaynightclub.com
ISBN: 9781439262474
Although Davis Robertson’s getting married in a few days, he finds his mind dwelling on past loves and friendships. As he hangs out with his best friends and groomsmen, Davis relives past experiences with these men, former college mates who formed The Friday Night Club, which was nothing more than a party club. Although Davis loves his fiancée, his thoughts keep turning to the one woman he never really had, a woman he’s always held in high regard but never pursued. He fears committing, fears an uncertain future, but tells himself it’s time to grow up and move forward. While partying with his friends, Davis vacillates from being certain he wants to marry to doubting his commitment to his fiancée.
This quasi-autobiography isn’t your typical bachelor’s last fling, although there are the quintessential drunken parties, humorous scenarios, assaults and ultimate arrest. Although couched as a coming-of-age story, The Friday Night Club goes beyond that, delivering poignant, profound insights into the struggling mindset of a young man as he passes into adulthood. Lurie skillfully pulls his reader into Davis’s angst, his at-times conflictual relationships with his Friday Night Club partners, his earnest yearning for something he thinks is unattainable. This intriguing book doesn’t limit itself to men; women will enjoy the read as much, if not more.
by Jacob Nelson Lurie
BookSurge
http://thefridaynightclub.com
ISBN: 9781439262474
Although Davis Robertson’s getting married in a few days, he finds his mind dwelling on past loves and friendships. As he hangs out with his best friends and groomsmen, Davis relives past experiences with these men, former college mates who formed The Friday Night Club, which was nothing more than a party club. Although Davis loves his fiancée, his thoughts keep turning to the one woman he never really had, a woman he’s always held in high regard but never pursued. He fears committing, fears an uncertain future, but tells himself it’s time to grow up and move forward. While partying with his friends, Davis vacillates from being certain he wants to marry to doubting his commitment to his fiancée.
This quasi-autobiography isn’t your typical bachelor’s last fling, although there are the quintessential drunken parties, humorous scenarios, assaults and ultimate arrest. Although couched as a coming-of-age story, The Friday Night Club goes beyond that, delivering poignant, profound insights into the struggling mindset of a young man as he passes into adulthood. Lurie skillfully pulls his reader into Davis’s angst, his at-times conflictual relationships with his Friday Night Club partners, his earnest yearning for something he thinks is unattainable. This intriguing book doesn’t limit itself to men; women will enjoy the read as much, if not more.
TELL ME ABOUT ORCHARD HOLLOW
TELL ME ABOUT ORCHARD HOLLOW
by Lin Stepp
Canterbury House Publishing Ltd.
225 Ira Harmn Rd.
Vilas, NC 28692
www.canterburyhousepublishing.com
ISBN: 9780982539613
Jenna Howell grew up under the dominion of a controlling mother only to marry a man of the same mindset. Both her mother and husband are verbally abusive and make light of Jenna’s artistic talent, whittling away at Jenna’s self-confidence and enjoyment of life. Reality hits hard when Jenna catches her husband in the arms of another woman. Jenna decides to take a break from her marriage at the mountain cabin of a friend in the picturesque town of Townsend, TN. There, Jenna meets local artist Boyce Hart. Although the two are attracted to one another, Jenna is still married and feels she is too vulnerable to begin a relationship. Boyce becomes a good friend to Jenna and through his kindness, respect and deep faith shows her there can be a better life for her, if she is strong enough to leave her past behind.
Book two in Lin Stepp’s Smoky Mountain series is a sweet love story filled with engaging characters set against the beautiful background of the Smoky Mountains. Although the plot is not a new one, this inspiring story focuses on family values, deep faith and a woman’s journey of self-discovery as she begins to believe in her own worth while seeking to become a stronger person.
by Lin Stepp
Canterbury House Publishing Ltd.
225 Ira Harmn Rd.
Vilas, NC 28692
www.canterburyhousepublishing.com
ISBN: 9780982539613
Jenna Howell grew up under the dominion of a controlling mother only to marry a man of the same mindset. Both her mother and husband are verbally abusive and make light of Jenna’s artistic talent, whittling away at Jenna’s self-confidence and enjoyment of life. Reality hits hard when Jenna catches her husband in the arms of another woman. Jenna decides to take a break from her marriage at the mountain cabin of a friend in the picturesque town of Townsend, TN. There, Jenna meets local artist Boyce Hart. Although the two are attracted to one another, Jenna is still married and feels she is too vulnerable to begin a relationship. Boyce becomes a good friend to Jenna and through his kindness, respect and deep faith shows her there can be a better life for her, if she is strong enough to leave her past behind.
Book two in Lin Stepp’s Smoky Mountain series is a sweet love story filled with engaging characters set against the beautiful background of the Smoky Mountains. Although the plot is not a new one, this inspiring story focuses on family values, deep faith and a woman’s journey of self-discovery as she begins to believe in her own worth while seeking to become a stronger person.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
