Category Archives: Reviews

Dark Dealings Review

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Dark Dealings by Karen-Victoria Smith

.Dark Dealings

Micaela was driving to Bridewell to visit her Una when she saw Reece, the son of Chief Deerfield of Pokanoket, on the side of the road. He appeared bloody and beaten, maybe dead. She stopped and went back to check, but there was nothing there. Had her visions returned? Samhain was approaching and was the time of year when Spirits and people could move between worlds. Was Reece a spirit?

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Peggy, Reece’s wife was Yankee. She was at the house when Micaela arrived  and told her Reece was missing. Because of her “gift” , Micalela had been treated as a pariah but now that they needed her help, they wanted her to use her “gift” to find Reece.  She had buried it deep when she left Bridewell and wasn’t sure if she could pull it out at will. As she held Adam’s hands, she found her way to Reece. It was if she was really with him, not sitting on the porch with Adam. The horror was more than the mind could imagine and she told Reece to hold on, Peggy was pregnant and they were coming to save him.

Micaela returned to New York just in time for the party at the Metropolitan Museum. While she was there she met Francois Leveque, who tried to get her alone. She could tell he was afraid, but they were interrupted by Baron Vasilievich before they could talk. She arranged to meet him in a couple of days at his hotel.

She had a recurring nightmare for the past four years. She was fleeing something and ran into a clearing. Her Una and mother were there and told her they were glad she had come to take her rightful place, but there had never been a beast before.

Micaela was meeting Francois in his hotel room, but there was no answer at the door. As she knocked again, the door opened on its own. The living room was in a shambles. The bedroom was covered in blood, it was everywhere. Even though she didn’t want to, she went to the bathroom thinking he could still be alive. When she saw him in the tub, his throat and chest had been ripped out. As she fought the scream, she fumbled with her cell phone trying to dial 911.

Thank God her friend responded with the others. Nikki was a cop and her friend, there to help. She had accumulated time and said she was taking it. Micaela was determined to find out what happened and Nikki was going to help.

At first she was surprised when she looked across the room and saw Francois. They were having his wake at the Salmon Run Inn. What was he trying to tell her?

She headed back to Bridewell for some leisure time. She needed to regroup. She stopped at a diner for a quick bite. When she felt a tingle, she looked around to see why. Lately she had been having more and more psychic events and tried her best to control them. She spotted a Hummer she thought was following her. When he rammed into the back of her car, she thought of Francois. The road was abandoned and the police were too busy to respond to her call for help. When she gunned the Porsche to outrun the Hummer, two motorcycles took over the chase. She managed to lose them. The only thing watching her now was a large bird, black as night, as she headed to Bridewell and Una hoping she wasn’t bringing the bad to her.

When she arrived and was leaving the car, she saw a black feather on the dashboard and took it with her. It felt like it was humming to her and she looked up to see the Raven above her parents bedroom.

Everyone was there, Nikki, Liam, Una, Reece, the Pokanoket Ethan Lowell, Sons of Danu, Sean Murphy… What was going on? Whoever had been after Francois was now after her.

Liam and Micaela walked to the creek to talk, he told her she should come to the gathering in the Grove, that plans for Beltaine were set. She said no, she never came to the Grove but she would be at the Ceili.

She felt her gift was out of control, she had to talk to Una before she left again. Micaela told her about seeing the entire Grove when Reece was missing, seeing Francois beat up and dead, and how at the dance she was there, yet somewhere else. Una told her to remember what her father used to tell here while they were out sailing. “Don’t fight the currents or the wind, use them.” Una assured her the Grove was there to help her.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos    3 STARS – Would Recommend to Others

I won this in a Goodreads First Read Giveaway. Karen was gracious enough to sign my copy for me. Thank you Karen.

I liked the cover and the title. I always like a simple, clean look, with a little mystery. I like it when they make me think what the book might be about before I read the book blurb. I thought the cover and title both were relevant to the book.

Events start happening at the very beginning of the book. The suspense and mystery continue through the book, keeping you on your toes while you try to figure out what is going on. Karen doles the story out in small pieces so you can’t quite be sure of what will happen next.

Characters were interesting. Really had me wondering about Lowell and Ivan. Couldn’t quite figure out who was good or bad. Even when I thought I had them figured out, it kept twisting and turning making me unsure again.

“When she thinks the spirit world is a much a part of her childhood as the NE Patriots and the Boston Red Sox”, it made me smile. My husband is an avid Red Sox fan and his brother is a Patriots fan. It makes the story feel more real when I can relate to it in  a personal way.

Other than a few editing errors, nothing that interfered with the flow of the story in any way, I thought it was well written and easy reading.

  To order this book, simply click on the cover.

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/KarenVictoriaSmith

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Twitter Username: kvictoriasmith
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Thomas Magnum meet Casey Holden

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Falling Immortality  by Robert Downs.Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator

Casey Holden was a Private Investigator. His office was located in a warehouse in Norfolk, Virginia. His parents had died and left him wealthy, so money was never an object for him. He played as hard as he worked and took jobs by referral only.

Casey was sitting in his office when Felicity, the femme fatale, walked in. She said her husband died two years ago and the police had never found the murderer. She told me it was a freak thing, of course it was. Artis Farren, her husband, was at his local hangout when a guy walked in, shot him and walked back out. No one had seen anything. I could tell she was hiding something, but that usually goes without saying. She was chain smoking while she was telling me this, but all of sudden she abruptly got up and walked out without saying anything.

It had been two years and the police had gotten nowhere. I love cases that aren’t supposed to be solved, so I picked up the phone and called Ian Jackard, my best friend who is a cop. As always, he’s happy to hear  from me. I had to smile to myself as I said that.

Ian called back and said it had been Greg Gilman’s case, but I could come down and see the file. Me and Greg didn’t get along so well. I punched him out once and he wouldn’t forgive me for making him look like the fool that he is.

When Ian said I had more lives than a Siamese cat, I thought it was true, it had been the same for my parents.

I was in my office going over the file, what little there was. The autopsy report was missing which immediately raised questions in my mind.

I jumped in my car and headed over to the Hotspot to see if I could find out anything about Artis’ murder. I struck out, but when I left someone was waiting to follow me. I figured Tiny Watson, who was the bar owner, had put them up to it. I knew he was doing more than just running the bar. There had been an incident 3 years ago when 2 college kids ended up in the hospital and 2 bouncers in jail. That doesn’t sound like the type of place someone like Artis would hang out at.

I was going to check out the other witnesses, shake them up and see what happens. I had a pretty loose way of running an investigation. An investigation was like a puzzle, you put it together one piece at a time. I came up with zilch. I asked Ian to do a background check on Tiny Watson.

I had run into Gilman at the station when I went to pick up the file. I just couldn’t leave well enough alone and had to pick at him. I should have known Gilman wouldn’t take our run in at the station lying down. I was pretty sure the cop had been following me around for a while  before he pulled me over and took me straight to Gilman’s office. When I told him to hand over the autopsy report and I’d be gone, he told me I was messing with the wrong dead guy.

Felicity had called and wanted to meet for dinner. Maybe she was ready to give me some necessary information. She proceeded to tell me her husband was a greedy criminal in love with the almighty dollar. Even if he was a criminal, his murderer still needed to to pay. When she went to the restroom, she never came back.

I was awakened at 4am to a threatening phone call, telling me to back off or else. Or else what, was my question.

After my coffee and run, I showered and grabbed my gun on my way out the door. Best to be prepared. Something was wrong about this whole mess and I wasn’t giving up until I had the answers.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos     3 STARS – Would recommend to Others

Won on Goodreads First Read Giveaway.  I would like to thank Robert who was gracious enough to autograph my copy. I was first attracted to the cover, red always seems to catch my eye. Then the title, Falling Immortality, how could you not want to look a little further to find out what the book is about? The blurb made me immediately think of Tom Selleck as Magnum P.I. and Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade. The femme fatale genre. Light airy. Whimsical.

I love this kind of light mystery mixed with humor. Makes me laugh all the way through. I can just picture him as he walks into a world of hurt. The characters were what I expected and I was happy to visit with them.

I liked when he talked about internet surfing and Cox cable, I thought cool. I could really relate because I also surf the internet on Cox cable. How small a world is it?

2005 Dodge Viper SRT-10. Made me think of Magnum P.I. with his lackadaisical way of running his investigations and the juggling of all the luscious women all the while tooling around in a way hot car. I love cars with lots of power, who doesn’t?

About this author

Robert aspired to be a writer before he realized how difficult the writing process was. Fortunately, he’d already fallen in love with the craft, otherwise Casey might never have seen print. Originally from West Virginia, he has lived in Virginia, Massachusetts, and now resides in New Mexico. To learn more about the author or Casey, visit the author’s website: http://www.RobertDowns.net Look for Casey’s next adventure.

To order this book, simply click on the cover below.

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/RobertDownsBooks

Facebook:    http://www.facebook.com/RobertDownsBooks

Website:      http://www.RobertDowns.net

Email:          robert@robertdowns.net

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Murder in Provence by Susan Kiernan-Lewis – Review

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Murder in Provence (Maggie Newberry Mysteries, #3)

Maggie has decided to write a cookbook because she is bored and her husband, Laurent, is a chef. She doesn’t know anything about cooking, but she figures she can get all she needs from him. It is driving him crazy. He seems to spend more time in the vineyard and with his friends at the bar than her.

Everyone had heard of the murder of the nurse who worked at the same hospital as Yves. It had been two weeks and there was no arrest or suspect in sight.

Maggie was losing her best friend, Grace, who was returning to the United States, but she had met Brigitte and they seemed to hit it off right away. Maggie’s life took an immediate turn for the worse when Brigitte, Marie’s daughter was murdered. Grace came for Maggie so they could go to Marie and help in any way possible.

Maggie hadn’t been told that Brigitte had been raped and beaten as she was killed. Rene, Marie’s husband hated Yves, Brigitte’s husband and told the police he knew it was him.

Maggie looked at Marie and she could feel her anguish. How do you handle losing your child? We’re supposed to go first.  Maggie went to the kitchen thinking of coffee, just something she could do to help Marie. Detective Inspector Roger Bedard intercepted her, suggesting she come back at another time. That so wasn’t happening. She was not leaving her friend.

Maggie was surprised by her sudden feelings of attraction to the detective. She couldn’t help thinking, what’s this. She loved her husband, Laurent. Did the detective feel it too?

Maggie and Laurent were having dinner, when Maggie blurted out that she wanted to help find the killer. She had helped solve a murder a year earlier and cleared her friend of suspicion at the same time.

La Canard was the meeting place of the village. Maggie made an appointment to meet Detective Bedard at the cafe. He wouldn’t give her any information, but that wouldn’t stop Maggie.

When she returned home, Pijou, Brigitte’s, sister was there, drunk and flirting with Laurent. She told Maggie, not only was Brigitte’s best friend sleeping with Yves, so was she.

Maggie realized she was on her own, and she was surprised to find that it wasn’t so bad in Provence. It had finally started to feel like home.

She was sitting in a cafe when she noticed Madeline entering a house across the street. She decided to visit her to see what she could find out and was glad she did. They hit it off right away and Madeline proceeded to tell her who killed Brigitte. And made a point of telling her that the police hadn’t even questioned him yet.

I was offered this book in return for a fair, honest and unbiased review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos   3 STARS –  Would Recommend to Others

A nice cover with eye-catching colors. Title tells the story.

A light murder mystery for great summer reading on the beach or around the pool.

The descriptions of the area were so detailed that you could visualize the countryside.

Characters were  real. It was interesting to watch Maggie as she grew and changed through the story. Friendship. Amazing how someone can influence you without you realizing it until long after.

There were some editing errors, but I find this a common occurrence in almost every book I read, even from the best sellers of the large publishing houses.

About the Author

Susan Kiernan-Lewis is an Air Force Brat who has traveled the world and racked up over 40 addresses in her life (and she’s not finished yet.) Presently living in Atlanta, Georgia she writes in several genres including mystery, romance and women’s lit. Professionally, Susan is a freelance advertising copywriter and video editor. Connect with her at suekier27@me.com and follow her at her website: susankiernanlewis.wordpress.com.

Susan Kiernan-Lewis has many other books available, these are just a few of them. If you wish to order one, simply click on the cover to take you to Amazon.com.

http://www.goodreads.com/SusanK-L

http://susankiernanlewis.wordpress.com

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Have you been “Chosen” ? Review and Giveaway

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Dark Passage: Chosen by M. L. Woolley

Dark Passage ( Chosen (Book 1)

Bill had come to Olalla about a year ago, after seeing a TV program about a paranormal investigation. He thought he might find an idea for his new book. He had noticed the large Victorian house and saw there was an estate sale being held, so he went in to look around. He found an old Bible that he wanted to buy and approached the sales lady. As she gave him a receipt, she also handed him a real estate brochure. He arranged for a full tour of the house and bought it.

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Jen was remembering when her and her dad used to visit Olalla. She had great memories of the times they had spent there. Her attorney, Peter, told her about the need for his client to have someone to house-sit and Ivy thought it would be the perfect opportunity for her to get away from John. She would be able to live in the house for free, so she could get out of debt and finish nursing school. The cat liked Jen and Ivy told her that was a good sign. She felt the house was welcoming her.

John was angry she had been out with Ivy. When he punched her, he was afraid he killed her. He knew Jen was moving on and leaving him behind, but he just couldn’t let her go. Like any abusive husband, he told her it was her own fault. She made him hit her. He had threatened to kill her. Jen was going to file a restraining and divorce papers against John.

With John’s increased violence and her mother’s death, she was so miserable she created an alternate world for herself in her dreams. She had an imaginary friend and the dreams she had of him seemed so very real to her.

Dr. Winter was Jen’s boss. She told him she needed a week off to move away from John.  What could he say, except yes. He really didn’t want to hear about her personal problems. While Jen was going through procedures for filing the restraining order, she saw Lisa and Dr. Winter at the courthouse. The thought went through her mind, what are they doing here, together?

Dr. Winter and Lisa are plotting, trying to pull the plug on Bill, who is in a coma. Lisa would do anything to get her hands on Bill’s house. Her life is on the line. As they stand over Bill’s bed talking, they never stop to think that Bill can hear everything they say. He knows his fate is out of his hands, and their plans for him are not good.

Ivy helped Jen pack up her belongings from the house she shared with John and took them to the house she would be looking after. Ivy stayed for dinner and as she got ready to leave Jen to her first night at the house, John called ranting and raving. She asked if Jen wanted her to stay, but she told her John didn’t know where she was, so it would be OK.

For Bill, Jen’s dreams were his reality. When he kissed her, he felt the passion. On the beach with her, he could hear the waves crashing on the shore and smell the salt in the air. How long would he be allowed to meet with her like this?

In Jen’s dream she had found a watch with the initials J P on the beach and in the morning found it wrapped and lying outside the front door. Had he delivered it to her and if he did, how? He was only in her dreams.

The house had been left as if the owner just walked away. She knew something had to have happened quickly, with no time to prepare, and felt the house wanted her to find out why. As she went through the photo albums she had found, she was stunned to realize – it was the man in her dreams, Bill Nichols. She found a key and knew it was meant for her to find it. Since her mother had died she felt a supernatural connection to things. Jen doesn’t realize that all the spirits around her are not good. Some have an agenda of their own.

John found Jen, but something had found him – a woman, the Angel of Death. When he tried to approach the house, he saw an apparition in the window that terrified him. As he ran he found the woman, who told him – “It’s begun”.

Jen: She was outgoing and fun to be with, until John started having problems and taking it out on her. After her mother died, she felt lost. She was unsure of herself. She created an alternate world with an invisible lover.

Lisa – The cat didn’t like Lisa, why? She was so beautiful, that people would stop and stare when they saw her. She was a very good liar and could usually get people to give her whatever she wanted from them. She thought she was the center of the world.

Ivy: Ivy was Jen’s best friend since childhood. They were like sisters. She was always there for Jen. She always looked impeccable, her hair and makeup perfect.  Since her family died, she had felt such survivor’s guilt that it was hard to carry on in the land of the living. She took risks that could have ended very badly, maybe ending her life. Did she care? She always had a special affinity with horses, they made her feel free.

Bill: As he lies in a coma, he appears in Jen’s dreams, not sure how it is happening or why. He knows his love for her is forbidden and doesn’t know what will happen because of it. He hears and knows what is going on around him, but is unable to do anything about it.

Peter:  He is Bill’s childhood friend. Since Bill has been in his coma, he has become his guardian. When he receives emails from Bill, he wonders how that could possibly happen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos   4 Stars – Would highly recommend to Others

Won on Laura,s (fuonlyknew) blog giveaway back in June. I love the misty cover. Created an aura of mystery and intrigue as I delved further into the picture trying to see all there was to see hidden in the mist. The book blurb made the cover and title seem an appropriate fit. Now, lets see if it all comes together as I read the book.

Prologue hooked me. It fit everything that the cover and title inveighed. It made me think that the story to come would take me through an adventure of reality and magic, good and evil, revenge and redemption. The title fits the story as the characters pass through the door from reality to the supernatural. I expected a good read and got one. The characters were well-developed and made me feel a wide range of emotions as I read through the book.  I finished it in one sitting. Even though it is not a quick read, I found myself unable to put it down.

A few editing errors but did not affect or change the flow of the story or alter my rating. While there is a Book II, this book ties up the story nicely and gives you a quick peek into the future.

   Giveaway: M. L. Woolley has been gracious enough to offer as a giveaway 5ebooks and one Paperback. As always the entry is easy.  Contest ends September 3, 2012 so be sure and enter soon. Simply comment below.

It is always appreciated if you follow me on my blog and twitter, but it is never required.

Please feel free to tweet this out and share it with your friends.

To order the book, simply click on the cover below.

Blog:   http://mlwoolley.blogspot.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5767871.M_L_Woolley

twitter:  mlwoolley1
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Children’s Coming of Age Story

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Flickering Hope by Naomi Kinsman
Flickering Hope

Sadie sets off to check on Patch. She knows Frankie’s dad, Jim, wants to get rid of Patch, so she has to be careful and cover her tracks. Jim thinks Patch is a problem to be taken care of, but Sadie thinks of her as a pet.

While she is out there, she runs into a young girl. Her family is living in a shack in the woods. The girl swears her to secrecy or she will expose Patch. Secrets have a way of coming out.

She loves visiting Helen and Andrew. Helen studies the bears. Sadie likes Andrew, she has a crush on him.

Secrets. Andrew’s secret. Frankie’s secret. Frankie is her enemy or is she? Does she want to be friends?

The girl in the woods says everything will be great if they find the bear. My bear?
Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos    3 Stars – Would Recommend to Others
Won in a Goodreads First Read Giveaway. A children’s book. Picked it up to read because the cover and title made it look like a fun, easy read. A short book to just relax with and enjoy a fun romp through Sadie’s mind. I could just imagine what the gravy looked like with all the different food colors added –  olives on their fingertips, playing as if they were finger puppets. A nice story about a girl questioning life’s reasons, God, friendship, faith. Fighting for what she believes in and never giving up.

I could feel empathy with the characters and thought the story covered the problems and confusion that all kids go through. It was well written and the story is something that kids can relate to.

All the wonderful things that involve the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Does it bring back memories? The gift of giving, friendship and loyalty.

About the author

Naomi Kinsman is the author of Spilled Ink (winner of the 2009 Moonbeam Gold Medal for Educational/Activity book) as well as the From Sadie’s Sketchbook series (Zondervan). She has written and directed over 50 plays for young audiences, and has written for Highlights, Spider and Devozine magazines.

As founder of the Society of Young Inklings, Naomi shares her passion for writing and creativity with young people across the country. Society of Young Inklings offers game-based classes, unique resources, national club membership and publishing opportunities for young writers. Naomi has a BA in Theatre Arts from Seattle Pacific University, has studied theatre with the Piven Theatre Workshop and ACT, and has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University.

She is the Assistant Regional Advisor for the San Francisco South chapter of SCBWI. Naomi lives in Northern California with her husband, and identically colored pets: a tuxedo cat and a Portuguese Water Dog.

To get a copy of the book, just click on the link below.

Goodreads:   http://www.goodreads.com/Naomikinsman

website:  http://www.naomikinsman.com

twitter username:  naomikinsman

Review – Life Descending

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by John Hennessey

Life Descending (The Cry of Havoc, #1)
After killing his boss, Tom Navo found himself on the roof. One voice told him to jump, the other said no, don’t do it. Before he knew it, he stepped off, all the while listening to the voices in his head argue. He grabbed for a railing, but couldn’t hold on. When he felt all was lost, just waiting for the splat on the pavement, he found himself on a lounge chair, bruised and broken, but alive. He left the building and to avoid a passing cop, slid into a market.

As he sat at a table, eating and drinking, a robber came in. In all the confusion, Tom and the robber made a break for it at the same time. The voices spoke to him and he saw a vision of a man with a crown wearing a robe covered in gold and jewels telling him he will rescue him as he runs for the door, gets shot and then run down by an SUV.

A girl came by and said, “Welcome to the Waiting Room, take a number please”. A man sitting next to him told him the waiting time was so he had time to decide what room he would enter and what he wanted to become. When he realized he felt no pain, he knew he was dead and the doors would lead to his afterlife. When he asked how Ferrick knew all this, he said it was in the book. But Tom didn’t have a book. Everyone else there did, so Ferrick handed his book to Tom. Tom glanced at it and handed it back, only to have a book magically appear in his hands.

When he rifled through the pages, he read, “I have saved you from the fool”. He dropped the book and puked all over it. He felt better after he dropped it, but it was gone when he looked back for it. Something wasn’t right.

When his number was called, Tom opened the door and began going down, down, down, down …. and fell asleep. When he awoke, he was in the Stained Lands of Hell – the land of the dead. Is he dead? Is he dreaming? Magic? Insanity?

Disclaimer: I received this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 Stars – Would Recommend to Others

I also read, At The End, by John Hennessy. I like his books and find them entertaining. The cover was OK and the title was appropriate. I always like when they pertain to the story. It took me about a quarter of the way through to really get into the book. So don’t give up too early. It is worth getting to the end. I like this author and will be on the lookout for more of his books to read.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5306669.John_Hennessy

To order any of the books below, simply click on the cover.

Review of Bigger Than Jesus

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by Robert Chazz Chute

Bigger Than Jesus
Jesus, a hit man for the Machine, found himself on the roof, remembering what started it all – 911, the World Trade Center attack. Because he felt the need to make them pay, he had joined the military to earn his citizenship, kill Osama bin Laden, collect the 10 million dollar reward and live happily ever after with Lily. Until he was given a dishonorable discharge for clocking the sergeant.

Now he’s waiting to take out Panama Bob for ripping off his own brother. Panama Bob showed him a key to a storage locker and said it held enough money to take care of Jesus forever. He would give it to him, if he would just let him go. When Panama Bob made a move towards him, they struggled and Jesus threw him off the roof. He went back to Panama Bob’s office and began searching for the name of the storage business.

Jimmy, Panama Bob’s brother, was the one to put out the hit. He was a hothead and had told Jesus to hit him at his office, that he would be alone, but he wasn’t. What if Jimmy was setting him up to be the fall guy? Jimmy’s father, Vince, could take an exception to the hit. The trick for Jesus, would be keeping the key to the storage locker for himself.

He created a ruse for Denny, his friend and partner in the hit. He had told him Barbara, Jimmy’s wife, was cheating on him, not knowing it was actually Denny that was having the affair with her. He told Denny that the storage locker held the proof of the affair, now Denny needed that proof. It had backfired on Jesus and Denny ended up beating the crap out of him.

When Lily, his lovely Lily, sees him, he concocts another lie telling her the Irish mob, who were really cops, were after him. Now he’s being questioned by her, because Jimmy had went to Pete, her father who is a bookie working for Jimmy, and asked her what was going on. He couldn’t tell her the truth. Without her, there’s not much point to the money.

Jesus knew he loved Lily more than she loved him. He would follow her anywhere and he just so happens to follow her into a world of hurt.

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos   3 Stars – Would Recommend to Others

Right off the bat, I loved the cover. Simple and hot. The title fits the story. For a murder book, the way it was written had me smiling through it, the scene on the roof had me laughing. It was a light and enjoyable mob mystery. I thought the writing flowed well and the characters were ?, I’m not sure if I liked any of them. To me that means “Chazz” did his job well. I look forward to reading more about Jesus.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5300106.Robert_Chazz_Chute

http://www.allthatchazz.com

twitter username expartepress

To order any of the books below, simply click on the cover.

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Review – Shadow of Doubt

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by Melissa Gaye Perez
Shadow of Doubt

After the race, NASCAR driver, Jordan went home to his Daytona beach house. He took a shower and hit the sack, only to be woken by Myron, his pooch, crying because he was afraid of the crashing of thunder. Jordan checked the house and returned to bed.

In the morning, he was checking out the beach and noticed something out-of-place. He went to check it out. As the wind blew the woman’s hair from her face, Jordan realized it wasn’t seaweed and ran to her side. She was alive, but wouldn’t wake up. He looked around and saw he was alone on the beach, there was no one around to help him. He picked her up and took her back to his house.

As she slowly came to, she thought of how handsome he was. When he asked her who she was and why she was on the beach, she couldn’t remember. He called his friend, Martin, maybe he would know what to do. She didn’t want to call the police, said she was afraid of them.

As Jordan and Martin argued about what to do, she got up to leave and promptly fainted. They loaded her in the truck and headed to the hospital. As the police officer and the women’s shelter worker began to plan what to do with “Jane Doe”, Jordan saw how afraid she was and decided to take her home with him.

As he thought of a name to call her, he said she looked like a Barbie doll, so he was going to call her Dolly. Martin busted out laughing. Here was the free-wheeling, no commitment guy he knew, protecting and defending, even shopping for Dolly. Jordan thought it was funny too.

Only once before had he felt like this about a woman. Dolly was waking up all the feelings he thought he had buried.

Jordan had made her think she was imposing, in the way, so when he went to town for supplies, she packed up and left. She went to the police station and they called the women’s shelter.

When Jordan came home, he found a note. He was relieved and then surprised to find how much he missed her. He was going to get her and bring her back, then he found he was missing some money and a valuable ring. He knew it had to be her, because no one else had been in the house. He went to confront her. The police told him they had found the ring and it wasn’t her that had taken it. He knew he had to have her back.

When she tried to seduce him, he said, “if only I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, I’d take you now”. He didn’t want to mess her up by having sex with her, only to find she was married with children.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 Stars – Would Recommend to Others

As soon as I saw the cover, I stopped to read the title. Sounded good to me. I love the beach and the water. I am not a huge romance fan, but between the cover, title and a “fun romance”, I thought it was worth giving it a shot. Looked like a quick, beachy read. Love NASCAR and number 24, Jeff Gordon is my favorite – go Jeff. Made it easy to root for Jordan. A few editing errors, but it didn’t matter.

It was fast paced and I found myself hurriedly turning the pages, kindle pages that is. Even though I knew they would end up together, I had to hurry and find out. LO

http://www.melissagayeperez.com

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5818196.Melissa_Gaye_Perez

twitter username  MelissaMPerez

To order either book, just click on the cover.

International Giveaway – Catch a Tiger by its Tail

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Tiger Paw Review and Giveaway
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Once you’ve finished with the awesome trailer, please continue reading for the review and giveaway.
Tiger Paw

by Charles A. Cornell

Billionaire Matthew Colton was the fifth victim. He was found in his bathtub filled with red wine and an indecipherable script of symbols and lines ending with a bloody paw print. It was the same symbol left at all the crime scenes. His wine collection was worth over 13 million dollars. He had to watch as the killer dumped it down the drain, then filled the bathtub to drown him in it. Fits in with what’s going on today, people’s resentment of the rich and their flaunting of their wealth.

Dominic Sant’Angello looked out the window of his fancy 87th floor office of the John Hancock Center in Chicago, Illinois. He was CEO and principal shareholder of Sigma Venture Capital. He thought of two of their clients, Deuce Meredith, CEO at Razorback Software and Liang Wong, founder of Silicon Pathways, having been murdered. Now Matthew. Two deaths a coincidence? Not three. He was about to lose everything.  Bankruptcy was just a matter of days away.  He was finished.

FBI Profiler, Scott Forester had spent six months chasing a killer in Denver. He worked at the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime in Quantico, Virginia and had been called back to help when Matthew was killed.The first murder had been done in Florida, then two victims in Wyoming and now the Hampton’s.

The killer used the wine to torture Matthew and make him suffer. Was it a part of the killer’s ritual? Why? There had to be a pattern to all the murders. What was it? Deuce Meredith had been wounded and left alive, yet his guide had died instantly. Each victim had a specific torture attached to it. Was it a test? A contest? Payback? Was the killer making a statement?

I like when Scott places his order at the diner and the waitress reads it off the ticket  to Archie in the kitchen:

“One hungry man’s, over cooked eggs, foreign toast and a bottle of red wine!”

“Red wine? Are you sure? With eggs?”

“Okay, make it white.”

Made me chuckle when Scott described it as Archie’s floor show.

Doctor Rajeev Chandra was sitting with the case notes, drinking a cup of tea, in the Garden Cafe at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and waiting for Scott and Special Agent Van Cleyburne. The Doctor had received the information and autopsy reports of the murders to examine. He told them they were meeting some people who would tell them about the killer. If they knew the motive, it would explain a lot, but if Doctor Chandra could tell them about the writing it may give them more clues. The writing was Sanskrit and the symbols were Hindu.

Doctor Chandra rose from the bench he had been resting on and they resumed their walk to the Freer Gallery, the gallery of Asian art. He wanted to show them three paintings, all different yet all the same, the God – Vishnu, Shiva and Brama. The whole exercise was designed to make them think differently. The final painting was the showpiece – The Revenge of Dvaipa. Could the killer be bringing his victims to Judgment Day?  She is the daughter of Kali, Goddess of Death and Destruction. Dvaipa in Hindi means ‘from a tiger’ half human and half tiger. The Indian government had considered the sect that worshiped Dvaipa so dangerous they closed all their temples and scattered their sacred objects. She had been exiled to America. Satanists worshiped her. She was revenge Incarnate, the unholy scythe she wields – the Tiger Paw. Below the seated Demon Goddess the letters spelled out, “I am the energy of her divine anger”. The  Signature – the incision in victims left earlobe to be able to use the victims own blood to write the message.

Miami –  De Andre Antoin had been killed by a sniper bullet on his yacht. It was the same rifle that was used in Wyoming. California – Lian Wong had been strangled by a noose made from the hot air balloon’s guy rope. It was the first murder to use the signature. Now the Hamptons. What did the victims have in common? Why was each victim killed in such a manner that they died slowly? Channels Dvaipa’s anger and becomes her instrument of revenge –  the Tigers Paw. Covers it all -Tiger Paw killer – motive – revenge.

Scott’s at the diner again:

“Heart attack on a plate with fries coming up. And a crushed dead fish salad.”

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos    5 STARS – Would buy for Them (lol)

I worked as a waitress and bartender for years, so maybe that’s why these funny tidbits stand out to me.

The cover is awesome. I love the vibrant colors and the photo draws you in, trying to see further into it. Good, catchy title, made me want to know what the story was about. Both the cover and the title lead into the story and with me that is always a good thing. It’s not a quick read and from the very beginning it will draw you in. You will not want to put it down.

Full of intrigue. Complex mixture of plots. Wall Street bigwigs. Greed. House of cards. Scams. Reading along thinking I know were all this is going, all of a sudden there’s another story angle intertwines with the others. Jamie was pathetic. Your typical “it’s not my fault” loser. But what would you do to protect the only family you have? The characters were well-developed and you will love them or hate them. All I kept thinking was, they got what they deserved, ignoring the 99% and thinking the world was theirs for the fleecing.

Should 401Ks, IRAs…be invested in Wall Street, which we all know is full of corruption? What doesn’t change? If you have the money, you have the power and control. Everyone’s rules are different. Things done in the name of religion, fanaticism. When I thought the fight would be over, something would happen and it would continue making me wish it would be done before something worse happened and my hero lost. .

This book had my juices flowing-my heart pounding, blood boiling, anger, rage, PISSED OFF. It had me thinking of all kinds of things. So applicable to what  is going on today. Believable. For a debut novel, I was really impressed.

I thought it was ironic that while I was reading this, Shiva was mentioned on the new TV show, Perception.

The ending had me shocked and bummed. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. It has a “killer ” ending. It left me asking ????????????????????? I had to pose the question to the author who responded  ?????????????????????????????????????? No peeking. It is definitely worth waiting til you arrive at the last sentence, the last word. You will deprive yourself of an awesome ending, so once again, NO PEEKING!!!!

Amur-Tiger-Eye

Giveaway – Charles has been kind enough to offer three ebooks of his debut novel, Tiger Paw. As always, entry is easy. Just leave your email address along with a comment to Charles telling him what you like about tigers. Giveaway ends August 31, 2012 so be sure to enter soon.

Please feel free to like this post and tweet it out to your friends.

It is not required. but following my blog and twitter are always appreciated.

BONUS: For an additional chance to win go to Laura’s blog: http://wp.me/p27ipo-k0

BONUS PLUS: Tigers can swim. The Jaguar is the only other big cat that likes to do this. But, there is something that tigers don’t do that other big cats can do. What is it? The first correct answer gets a copy of Tiger Paw!

THIS JUST IN. We have our three winners to the mini-giveaway- the Bonus Plus. The answer was climbing trees! The three lucky winners are: Janna –  D.H. Nevins – Jill

To see what happens when Tigers climb trees, check out this video below:

There are still three ebooks up for grabs.

I am curious to see Laura’s review. Even though we are sitting here together, I won’t be able to see her review until we push that publish button. One, two, threeeeeeeee!

Visit Charles blog to find out more about his mission to save the tiger.

About the author

Charles A Cornell was born in England, raised in Canada and now divides his time between Michigan and Florida. After 35 years of global business experience on three continents, Charles A Cornell brings a diverse and unique perspective to his fiction. His novels are mystery thrillers carved from today’s headlines, blended with action and intrigue, and cloaked in psychological suspense.

Tiger Paw, his debut thriller has been nominated for two national Best Thriller awards (from the Kindle Book Reviews & from the Royal Palm Literary Awards).

Website:  http://www.CharlesACornell.com

Tiger Paw is available now in paperback and ebook. Click the cover below to order.

Stop by Archie’s Diner for dinner.

yum yum yum Pictures, Images and Photos

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Awesome in “BLACK” – Interview and Review

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Black

by Charles Colyott
The old priest arose to do his duty to the Great Mother. He would not neglect her. The villagers demanded a sacrifice. No matter how much he tried to teach them of The Great Mother’s love, they would not give up their barbaric practices. When he reached the temple, he thought vandals had desecrated it, only to find it was worse than that – a sacrifice, it was his granddaughter. The Mother anointed him with his granddaughters ashes and told him it was time and proceeded to destroy the temple.

When he awoke, it was to find the villagers gone, only blood left behind. It was a new day, a prophet was born he thought as he walked away from the village.

Tommy’s girlfriend had dumped him and hooked up with Eric, a ghoul with ragged hair, greasy skin and clothes that looked like they were from Goodwill. Tommy and Eric had a couple of run-ins, but Tommy told him he really didn’t want Alyson back so he didn’t need to be jealous. Eric wouldn’t let it go.

Tommy and his friends went to the movies and when they came out, Eric and some skin head friends of his were waiting for them. As Bruce and Tommy managed to overpower the skinheads, Eric just stood and watched. When he heard the police sirens coming, he took off.

Tommy had taken the brunt of the fight. He had grabbed the knife being held on Coda with his bare hand. As the doctor was stitching it up, Coda had come in asked why he would do something like that for someone he didn’t even know. His response had been, there wasn’t anything else he could do. Tommy told Coda about his grandfather, a Taoist monk, who taught him martial arts and how he taught Bruce and some others and she was more than welcome to join them.

Alyson came to Tommy after Eric had given her a box to keep for him. She had opened it and what she had seen inside frightened her. She told them about Eric’s dark side and how he was into magic. She thought the book was a grimoire and it gave her the creeps. Tommy thought they should go see an old friend of theirs, Mike Ferguson, who might be able to help them figure out what the book was all about. They warned him not to let Eric find out he had it.

When Tommy and Alyson went back to Mike to see what he found out, Mike had a crazy look on his face. Mike was asking Alyson if Eric had any odd cuts or wounds, when they heard pounding at the doors. They exploded inward. The group was around the table which was surrounded by a blue line, a ward of protection. Eric appeared looking like a monster, with shapes carved all over his face,  even his teeth. He broke through the barrier and grabbed Mike demanding the book. When Eric grabbed Tommy, it was all he could do to remain conscious until something hit Eric and dropped him to the floor. Bruce stood there with a piece of railing in his hand. Alyson threw the book to Eric. As Eric said to tell them he was coming, he slit his own throat.

Mike, along with his goth girls were at Eric’s grave. When Tommy saw Mike, he told him to  enjoy what time he had left. What did he mean by that? The book Eric had was the worst, it dealt with calling the Nephilim. The prophecies had said Eric would return as the Prince of Nephilim. One of the rituals involved eating a fetus cut from the womb.

As Mike began telling them about his delve into magic, he had to show them examples and do a lot of explaining. Will Eric return as the Prince of Nephilim? What will he do it he does return? Would he destroy them or the whole world?

As the Peris, Mike’s goth girls, told the history of the First of the Host and the Great Creation, it made me think of the Charmed Ones, a TV program currently in re-runs. They mention the grimoire, the hollow, demons, vampires, ghouls………..

The characters:

Bruce and Tommy were good fighters, but they only used violence when necessary. Bruce was more of a goof off and Tommy was more serious, mystical even. Tommy was such a good guy. He knew he could take violence to a new level, but he tried really hard to control it. Bruce could go from a foul-mouthed, trash talking screw up to a sweet big-hearted teddy bear with Kung-fu. He did a great job of hiding his most intimate feelings.

Coda was a beautiful, loving, “good girl”. It was hard for her to go after what was right for her because she was always trying to do the right thing by others.

Eric was a rotten person even before he turned himself evil. He thought all humanity was shit.

Alyson didn’t care about anyone but herself. She had given Tommy his first kiss, she was Tommy’s first sexual experience, his first love and she betrayed him.

Dan was a spineless, rich boy who didn’t have many deep feelings. He had that rich way of assuming certain things would happen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos    5 STARS – Would Buy it for Them (lol)

Dude – I am speechless – WOW – awesome. Amazing doesn’t even cover it. Knocked my f___ing socks off. I’m pissed at having to wait for the next one. I gotta have it and I want it now. I wrote those words as soon as I passed the last period of the book. I was very surprised that I liked it so much. I like reading this type of book, but I’m not usually so engrossed and excited by the story. After I was about halfway through I began to eat it up, as if I had been starving and the food was the words. Ate the words like M & M’s, my favorite candy. Even when the book was at it’s darkest, it could raise a chuckle out of me. The writing was great and it was hard for me to put it down. It surpassed a five-star review. I thought the cover was very interesting and the color combination caught my eye. The cover and title are things that influence me and I like when they pertain to the story. The story was definitely black and dark. The blood and gore I like usually comes in the form of a murder mystery, but the carnage in this book had me unable to put it down until I found a spot in the story where the action slowed down a little bit and I could take a breath. This is a must read on your list.

Interview – I am very excited to have Charles Black here as my first interview.

1.  Where did the idea for Black come from?

I wrote and drew a goofy comic book (featuring some of the characters) as an assignment for an art class in high school. I was a pretty weird kid, and I wanted to do something that would incorporate all of my geeky interests in comics, horror, music, martial arts, girls (heh) … at the same time, I’d heard the old adage ‘write what you know,’ so I started to sort of draw on my own limited experiences to flesh out certain aspects of the story. While none of the characters are based on real people, an awful lot of the story (minus the horror and kung fu, maybe) is based on actual stuff that happened to me or my friends.

2.  Who is your favorite character in Black and why?

I love them all, really. They’ve been with me for so long now that they’re like family. Most readers really love Bruce, and I do to… but I guess if I had to just pick one character I’d pick Tommy. He’s just stuck in a really crappy situation and does his best to do the right thing, whatever that is. There’s a very old fashioned sort of chivalry thing going on with him. And, c’mon, he’s a badass. He’s the guy I wish I’d been friends with in high school.

3.  How did you choose the cover and title? I personally feel these are key elements to making me pause when I see them and further checking out the book.

It wasn’t easy.

Early on, I tried to plot out how the whole series would work. I kept coming back to Black because there’s so much in the first book – whether it’s goth music, black magic, Alyson’s hair, etc. – that has that black-ish connotation to it. Ultimately, I settled on it when I realized that the final book could be White – which could be a kind of purity… or the Chinese color of mourning… – and make a Yin/Yang sort of thing.

The first printing of the book had a photo of an enormous sculpture that a friend of mine made specifically for the book. The sculpture was awesome… but it didn’t translate well as a cover image. For the ebook release I contacted Kealan Patrick Burke, an awesome writer who just happens to also be a great cover artist. It was tough… I mean, how exactly do you even begin to market an epic dark fantasy/martial arts/horror/romance/comedy without making it seem goofy?

4.  From idea to publication, how long did it take you to write it?

Phew… Well… Starting with the idea, in high school… I guess something like 14 years. There were several bumps in the road, though. For a short-ish time, I dated a girl who was totally not supportive of my writing. Then I had a roommate who accidentally deleted my original manuscript (that was probably a blessing, though it sure didn’t feel like it at the time). Then it was going to be a comic, but that sort of fell through. By the time I decided to just sit down and write it, it only took about nine months. I actually wrote the first draft on lunch breaks from a hellish cubicle job that I hated.

5.  What are you working on now? Would you like to share anything with us?

Lots of stuff!

I’m finishing up the final touches on Pressure Point, which is the second book in my Randall Lee Mysteries series. If you like the humor and martial arts stuff in Black, I think you’ll like Randall. He’s an American acupuncturist and Tai Chi practitioner who gets caught up in bizarre mysteries.

I’m also working on finishing up a book called I’m The One, which is an homage to teen romantic comedies, John Hughes, and alternative music.

Then I’ll be working on Down, which is the second book in the Nephilim Codex series.

All three of those should be available before the end of the year.

I’m also working on Attrition, a horror collaboration with Glen Krisch. If you haven’t read any of his books, I highly recommend checking him out.
6.  Do you have a favorite place to write or any ritual you go through in preparation for writing? Do you listen to music, use the computer or pen and paper?

In terms of place? Not really. I used to be fairly particular, but I got over it. I think a lot of writers tend to ritualize things. That’s not necessarily bad, but it can be if you use it as an excuse not to write!

I do need music, though. I tend to plot out little “soundtracks” to my projects as I’m writing, for inspiration (many of these are actually on Spotify, if anybody cares to hear them).

7. Who is your favorite author? What is you favorite book? What are you reading now?

That’s tough. I have too many to name, probably. Stephen King, of course. Neil Gaiman is a huge inspiration to me.

Right now I am juggling Super Gods by Grant Morrison and Draculas by Blake Crouch, Jack Kilborn, Jeff Strand, and F. Paul Wilson.

8.  What do you like to do in your free time?

I don’t have a whole lot of free time. I write, work in a book store, teach English, and raise alpacas (and now, apparently, sheep… which was news to me).

When I’m NOT doing those things, I like spending time with my wife and two daughters. I like watching movies (especially – shocker – horror and Hong Kong action movies), being an obsessive music snob, and practicing a little Tai Chi.

9.  Can you tell us something personal about you, the person?

I actually like lima beans…

10. Is there anything else you would like to share with your fans?

Having fans is a little strange. I prefer to have friends, so feel free to look me up on twitter or facebook. I love hearing from my readers.

Fun Facts:

Margarita or martini – Throw in a mojito, and it’s a deal. 😉

M & Ms or Skittles – Depends on my mood, I think.

Dog or cat – I like both, but I’ve never NOT had a cat.

Football or Baseball – Soccer?

Rock and Roll or Country – Rock and Roll

Summer or Winter – I live in Southern Illinois, so either one is miserable. You either get hot and crappy or cold and crappy. If we were talking San Diego or something, I’d pick summer.
About the author

Charles Colyott lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere (Illinois) with his wife, 2 daughters, cats, and a herd of llamas and alpacas. He is surrounded by so much cuteness it’s very difficult for him to develop any street cred as a dark and gritty writer. Nevertheless, he has appeared in Read by Dawn II, Dark Recesses Press, Withersin magazine, Horror Library Volumes III & IV, Terrible Beauty, Fearful Symmetry, and Zippered Flesh, among other places. He also teaches a beginner level Tai Chi Ch’uan class in which no one has died (yet) of the death touch.

You can get in touch with him on Facebook, or email him at charlescolyott@gmail.com.
Unlike his llamas, he does not spit.

@charlescolyott
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charle…
http://charlescolyott.wordpress.com/
charlescolyott@gmail.com

      

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