The fantastic cover for On The Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel made me think of twins or multiple personalities. It made me read the blurb and grab a copy. You can judge this book by the cover, because it tells of what is to come, psychological chills that made many emotions rise to the surface. Sorrow, disgust, happiness, wonder.
In the beginning, and throughout the book, we smell the stink of the papermill. Arcade and Daffodil, along with their mother and aunt, live on the wrong side of town and when it snows, it snows ash from the papermill. I worked at one in Alabama, so I know exactly what she is talking about, the indescribable stench and the car being covered in ash. It creates its own ecosystem.
I was confused, and I believe that was a good thing. It meant I wasn’t able to figure out what the hell was going on half the time. Getting lost in the mind of drug addicts I find unable to describe.
The family are drug addicts, and I think you can guess what everyone thought of them…disposable. When the first girl was found in the river, they rolled right by it. Add another, and another, and another….Who will find out what happens to the lost and the forgotten. Everyone deserves a life, for someone to care about them.
Arcade and Daffodil broke my heart. They pretty much raised themselves, with the help of a loving grandmother who painted a future full of dreams and imagination. Their father had died when they were six years old. Their mother and aunt were sex workers and drug addicts, so that doesn’t bode well for them and their friends. That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve being acknowledged as human beings.
Tiffany McDaniel paints pictures, some pretty and some ugly, but she does it with such panache the characters come to life. The evil oozes off the page as much as the sweetness of the girls and the love of their grandmother, who is the most positive person in their life.
Tiffany draws me in deeper and deeper. The more I read, the more involved I get. I cannot say enough about the writing, getting lost in the words. I am having difficulty describing all my thoughts and feelings. It’s wondrous and awful, disturbing and inspirational.
The sketches gave me the creepy crawlies, and that sure fits the story. Six young girls, living a horrible life but finding moments of brightness and love, breaking my heart and for those who preyed on them there is nothing bad enough. Sometimes I saw those spiders moving…my skin crawling and tears in my eyes.
Tiffany McDaniel had me surfing the internet, not only for The Chillicothe Six, but references to other things that made me curious.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel.
4 stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Six women—mothers, daughters, sisters–gone missing. When the first is found floating dead in the river, it reveals the disturbing truth of a small Ohio town. Inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, this harrowing and haunting novel tells the story of two sisters, both of whom could be the next victims, from the internationally-bestselling author of Betty.
Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters born one minute apart. With their fiery red hair and thirst for an escape, they forge an unbreakable bond nurtured by both their grandmother’s stories and their imaginations. Together, they create a world where a patch of grass reveals an archaeologist’s dig, the smoke emerging from the local paper mill becomes the dust rising from wild horses galloping on the ground, and an abandoned 1950s convertible transforms into a time machine that can take them anywhere.
But the two sisters can’t escape the generational chaos that grips their family. Growing up in the shadow of the town, the sisters cling tight to one another. As an adult, Arcade wrestles with these memories of her life, just as a local woman is discovered drowned in the river. Soon, more bodies are found. While her friends disappear around her, Arcade is forced to reckon with the past while the killer circles ever closer. Arcade’s promise to keep herself and her sister safe becomes increasingly desperate while the powerful riptide of the savage side becomes more difficult to resist.
Drawing from the true story of women killed in her native Ohio, acclaimed novelist and poet Tiffany McDaniel has written a powerful literary testament and fearless elegy for missing women everywhere.
ABOUT TIFFANY MCDANIEL
TIFFANY MCDANIEL is an Ohio native whose writing is inspired by the rolling hills and woods of the land she knows. Drawing from her Cherokee heritage, she is a poet, a novelist, and a visual artist. Her debut novel, THE SUMMER THAT MELTED EVERYTHING, won the Guardian’s Not the Booker award and the Ohioana Reader’s Choice Award. She is the author of BETTY, an international bestseller and a Friends of American Writers Chicago, the Society of Midland Authors, Nautilus Book Award, and Ohioana Library Readers’ Choice Award winner. She lives with six cats and a dog surrounded by the trees and wildlife that she loves. When not writing, she may be found in the garden or walking in the woods.
Her third novel, ON THE SAVAGE SIDE, is forthcoming 2023.
I LOVE THE COVER! After reading the first book, River Of Ashes by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor, there was no way I was going to let the chance to read River Of Wrath go by. I enjoyed the illustrations inside too.
After the first few chapters, it all came back to me. That is a sign of a good book to me, that the author includes a recap to refresh our minds of what has happened in the past.
“Come not within the measure of my wrath.” William Shakespeare
Louisiana Sheriff Kent Davis…I can see him in his Stetson. Kent had moved to Tammany Parrish to get away from all the murders he had to deal with in New Orleans. Looks like they followed him. I am bracing myself for more horrific events, after what happened in River Of Ashes and I wasn’t disappointed. We start with receding flood waters and a dead body. There were already three unsolved murders.The deaths have all taken place around the river and St Benedict, a burned out abbey where the kids used to hang out.
A legend surrounds St Benedict of a lady in white and her wild dogs.
‘When the dogs appear, death is near.’
Leslie Moore’s sister, Dawn, had been murdered. A deal was struck…to make the murderer pay. But, be careful. When you make a deal with the devil, it can come with a very high cost. Would the cost be too much? Would the secrets come out regardless of those involved wanting them to stay hidden? Leslie can’t let it go. Her regrets and guilt haunt her. The murdered are gone, it’s the families that are left trying to cope, unable to move on with their lives, needing answers.
We meet a new character, Luke Cross. What’s up with him? I love when my spidey senses tingle, telling me to beware, to keep my eye on him. Sometimes they are good people, sometimes not. New people rarely come to town, so anyone that does deserves a look see.
One family, more or less, runs the town. The Devereauxs. Their history is cloudy and the entire town is affected by their past, present and future.
Does Leslie have some paranormal ability? Her dreams/nightmares show her the truth. Are they premonitions, or is it her intuition putting the pieces together. Leslie had always been the strong one. Now, she stumbles. She was lost when her other half, her twin Dawn, was murdered. She is growing stronger, preparing herself to face what is to come.
I almost need a playbook to track the players and their motivations.
River of Wrath has plenty of intrigue and suspense, with a gothic feel. Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Aster have some twists and turns to keep us on our toes. At times, my mind was spinning, trying to figure out who did what to who. If you are looking for ONE villain, you will have to look again.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of River Of Wrath by Alexandrea Weis.
4 Stars
Synopsis:
More secrets are about to be uncovered, beginning with the arrival of a handsome stranger, and the discovery of bones long buried beneath the river …
Leslie Moore is struggling to get through her last semester at St. Benedict High. Even her relationship with her boyfriend Derek is falling apart. But after receding floodwaters from the Bogue Falaya River expose the bones of a woman, Leslie becomes obsessed with tracking down the killer.
Sightings of an apparition haunting The Abbey send Leslie and her friends back to the scene of the horrors from last Halloween, but no one is prepared for what they find.
After a stranger—the handsome Luke Cross—arrives in town, another girl goes missing, and the sheriff suspects the newcomer is hiding something. Leslie believes the Devereaux family is connected to everything going wrong in St. Benedict. And she means to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.
Not all secrets can be kept silent. Some eventually find their way home.
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Horror Published by: Vesuvian Books Publication Date: January 2023 Number of Pages: 270 ISBN: 9781645480174 Series: St. Benedict series, Book 2 Book Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Vesuvian Media Group
Read an excerpt:
“Come not within the measure of my wrath.”
~William Shakespeare
CHAPTER ONE
Sweat gathered under the brim of Kent Davis’s Stetson as he walked the sandy beach along the Bogue Falaya River. He didn’t feel the brisk January breeze or pay attention to the mutterings of the forensic team. The unease burning in his gut shut out all distractions. He rested his hand on his belt, brushing against his Louisiana sheriff’s badge. The rub of metal reminded him of the oath he’d sworn to protect and serve, but on days like this, he hated his job.
Dispatch had initially deemed the early morning call from a frantic jogger a hoax. After an officer confirmed there was a body, Kent arrived at the scene to confront his worst nightmare—another murder. He already had three unsolved deaths weighing heavily on his department. Two high school students and a woman from out of town had died there in a matter of months. City leaders had been breathing down his neck for answers.
Kent studied the black body bag the technicians carried. This was only going to make his job harder.
His crew combed the beach, where receding floodwaters had exposed a young woman’s grave. From the looks of her bleached bones, partially covered in the remnants of a red dress, she’d been there for quite some time. He doubted they’d find anything admissible. There would be trace evidence, but no footprints, no debris, no blood, and no signs of struggle.
He climbed the steep hill from the beach to the parking area, scanning for any clues. Everywhere was a potential crime scene. After years of being in law enforcement, he doubted he could see the world in any other way.
“I don’t like this one bit, Bill,” Kent said, approaching the heavyset coroner waiting by the open doors of his van.
“What’s there to like. We got a dead girl who’s been buried here a long time.” Dr. Bill Broussard removed a pair of black-framed glasses from his egg-shaped head. “You might find a lead in old missing persons reports.”
“I’ll access the St. Tammany Parish database when I get to the station. Until then, she’s a Jane Doe.” Kent eyed the coroner’s van. “How long will it take to know something?”
Bill cleaned his glasses and moved out of the way while a technician slammed the doors closed. He waited until the man climbed into the driver’s side before responding. “You realize workin’ with old bones makes it harder to identify the cause of death. Let me get her to the lab, then we’ll see.”
“I got enough going on with Beau Devereaux, Dawn Moore, and Andrea Harrison.” Kent tipped back his hat. “This makes four bodies and no leads.”
“As soon as people catch wind of this, the gossip mill will run wild.” Bill motioned to the van. “We already got enough rumors flying around about serial killers and rapists on the loose.”
“But at least we know this isn’t a serial killer.”
“Do we?” Bill flipped through a few pictures on his phone and showed Kent the screen.
Kent looked at the bloody mess that had comprised the remains of Beau Devereaux. The golden boy of St. Benedict had been a football star and heir to the Devereaux fortune. The day Kent found his mutilated body along the river had been one of the worst of his career. Beau’s death, on the heels of the rape and grisly murder of Dawn Moore, had shattered his faith in their small town.
He squinted at the picture. “What am I missing?”
Bill pointed at Beau’s bruised and bloody neck. “Trachea isn’t midline. It’s in two pieces. In the autopsy, I discovered his neck had been broken.”
Kent thought of the murder cases that cluttered his desk. “Same as the Harrison girl. Her neck was broken. Any chance wild dogs could have done this?”
Bill’s meaty lips thinned into a line. “Harrison had no bite marks. Only Beau suffered extensive puncture wounds. For a dog to snap someone’s neck, it would have to be big and have impressive jaw strength. Until your men find me an animal like that, I’m leaving Beau’s death a homicide.” He wiped his damp brow. “What worries me is this woman’s bones show there might be a break in her neck, too. If that’s the case, someone around here could have a long history of murder.”
Kent grew irate. He’d left the turmoil of working for the New Orleans Police Department to get away from the steady dose of homicides. Ten years ago, St. Benedict had been the answer to a prayer for him, his wife, and their two boys. He didn’t want to think such horror could have remained hidden for so long in the idyllic town.
“Send me the preliminary results of the autopsy as soon as you get them.” Kent pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting off a headache. “I want it in my hand when I tell Gage Devereaux what we found. He might recall someone who went missing. He’s lived here all his life and is bound to have heard something.”
Bill swatted at a passing fly. “He won’t be happy to hear about another body. You know how protective he is of St. Benedict.”
“Yep. I expect this will piss him off.”
The patriarch and owner of the biggest employer, Benedict Brewery, Gage oversaw everything in the town. Some called him a control freak—a trait many had seen in his son, Beau—but to Kent, Gage was thorough, detail-oriented, and would have made a great detective if he hadn’t taken over the family business.
“He’s gonna ask you if this has anything to do with the investigation into Beau’s death.” Bill frowned. “What’re you gonna tell him?”
Kent clenched his jaw. “We don’t know if any of these deaths are related.”
“Yet,” Bill added. “Seems like an awfully big coincidence to me.”
Kent pulled keys from the front pocket of his jeans. “There’re too many coincidences going on around here, and they all seem to center on this damned river. When can you get me a DNA report?”
“Might take a while.” Bill scratched his head. “Budget constraints and the backlog of cases clogging the system have slowed everything down.”
“How long are we talking? A week?”
Bill snorted. “More like weeks. A long-dead Jane Doe isn’t exactly a priority. Otherwise, we could get a rush on it.”
“Then we’ll just have to wait and see what we get back,” Kent grumbled.
Bill went to the driver’s side of the van and spoke to the technician. He then waved at Kent before walking away.
The sheriff waited as the van slowly eased onto the main road, with Bill’s black SUV following close behind.
Alone, Kent removed his hat and gazed up at the tall pines rimming the parking lot. Cresting above the tallest of the trees was The Abbey’s single charred limestone spire—its twin lost in the fire.
The serene place had witnessed so many atrocities—suicide, fire, and Dawn Moore’s murder. Kent would never understand what the Benedictine monks who founded the seminary ever saw in that cursed land. Legends about the abandoned abbey and its wild dogs had floated around the community for as long as anyone could remember.
When the dogs appear, death is near.
He’d never believed any of the stories until now. Kent feared there might be some truth to the legend, after all.
And the worst was yet to come.
***
Excerpt from River of Wrath by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor. Copyright 2023 by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor. Reproduced with permission from Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor. All rights reserved.
Author Bios:
Alexandrea Weis:
Author Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is an award-winning author, advanced practice registered nurse, and wildlife rehabber who was born and raised in the French Quarter. She has taught at major universities and worked with victims of sexual assault, abuse, and mental illness in a clinical setting at many New Orleans area hospitals. She is a member of the International Thriller Writers Organization and Horror Writers Association.
Co-author Lucas Astor is an award-winning author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but next door behind a smiling face. Astor currently lives outside of Nashville, TN.
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Alllllll right, another science fiction adventure with Carmen Webster Buxton and a meet and greet with Darius in The North Edge Of Nowhere. The cover tells a story of its own and makes me eager to find out about the who and the what of it.
We find Darius ‘not’ sailing the seas on his disabled ship, drinking brackish water and a piece of bread that is hard as a rock. They had been drifting for ten days, when land was sighted. Darius was raised as a prince, so what was in store for him will be life changing in every way.
In the beginning, Darius tries to hide his identity, with bright red hair and a face such as his, the secret won’t be kept for long, Brian, Lord of Castle Muir, easily recognizes him. The Oath demanded from Darius and the ‘cost’ of the repair to the boat are his first introduction of the new culture he will have to learn to live in.
Daniel the Wanderer is a fabulous character, so richly developed and vital to the story, as are several others. The details Carmen painted of the world make pictures in my head, seeing the ocean, woodlands and creatures we will see and interact with.
Sometimes, when I crack open one of Carmen Webster Buxton’s books, they seem to start out slow, but really, I think they are laying a foundation, introducing the characters, for what is to come. Her study of human actions and interactions are fascinating. We watch characters grow, learn, mature…a psychological, indepth study of humanity. The more I read, the more involved I become.
Now that I have finished The Northedge Of Nowhere, I am moving on to Oaths And Promises, The Nameless World, Book II, by Carmen Webster Buxton.
4 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
On the nameless world settled long ago by human colonists, humanity has spread out. Darius is seventeen and was born and lived all his life in a warm southern climate. Raised as a prince, he conceives the desire to see his maternal relations, who live in and rule a city-state a good distance north of his home. But when disaster strikes on the journey, Darius is forced to travel even farther north, where he discovers his very existence is a kind of riddle to which only a few people know the answer. As he struggles to cope with a new way of living, a man named Daniel the Wanderer befriends him, and a cousin he didn’t know he had teaches him that women are not always meek and well-behaved. All in all, life is very different in the North.
ABOUT CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON
Carmen Webster Buxton spent her youth reading every book published by Ursula LeGuin, Robert Heinlein and Georgette Heyer. This combination of far-future worlds, alien cultures, and old-fashioned courting customs influenced her writing, especially in her ThreeCon series.
Carmen was born in Hawaii and experienced a peripatetic childhood, as her father was in the US Navy. Having raised two wonderful children, she now lives in Maryland with her husband Charlie, and a beagle named Cosmo. She writes science fiction (often including a romance, and mostly set in the far future), and the occasional fantasy.
Carmen has published many books:
WAKANREO SERIES Alien Bonds Alien Vows Alien Skies
HAVEN SERIES The Sixth Discipline No Safe Haven
THREECON SERIES (can be read in any order) The Nostalgia Gambit Saronna’s Gift Shades of Empire Tribes Worlds Apart
ALTERNATE HISTORY King of Trees
YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION Turnabout Drifters
FANTASY Where Magic Rules Bag of Tricks Hidden Magic
THE NAMELESS WORLD SAGA (coming in 2021) The North Edge of Nowhere Oaths and Promises
Carmen often blogs about ereaders, digital publishing, writing, and speculative fiction. Visit her blog to see what’s coming out next! To ask questions or to provide feedback on her books, send email to carmen.webster.buxton (at) gmail.com.
I LOVE this creepalicious cover that hints at the darkness inside of The Broken Darkness by Theresa Braun, a collection of thirteen short stories that dive into the deepest depths of the human soul. Come on, join along. Maybe YOU have something you would like to share. LOL
A couple of my favorites, Dead Over Heels and Collecting Empties. Collecting Empties was super short and packed with fatal goodies. Doesn’t say anything about me…does it? LOL Lost Time had my brow crinkling, hmmmm.
Besides ghosts, demons and mythical monsters, we have pinatas, birthday cakes, mirrors, vigilante justice, and so much more.
I highlighted a lot of notes in my ereader, but I think its too much to share. After all, these are short stories. I do love it when I can read a story while standing in line somewhere, or just want to finish a story in…a moment. I love looking into the hearts and minds of characters, finding what drives people to do what they do. I want to hear about their terrors, their darkness, their fantasies, their wants and desires. I want to be looking over my shoulder. I want to be quaking in my shoes at every bump or creak in the night. I want goosebumps rising up and down my spine.
I feel there is something for everyone to in The Broken Darkness by Theresa Braun.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Broken Darkness by Theresa Braun.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In her debut collection, Theresa Braun explores the inner workings of the human heart and what it is we most desire—forgiveness, acceptance, love, fame, or merely to escape who we really are. Whether we are battling ghosts, demons, mythical monsters, the past, or other dimensions, we are really facing the deepest parts of ourselves. These thirteen tales of horror and dark fantasy may appear to be a matter of good versus evil, but they are all a reflection of the hidden corners of the soul that are often shades of broken darkness. The characters in these stories must face their inner and outer terrors, or else suffer the consequences.
ABOUT THERESA BRAUN
Hmmm. What’s this? Looks like Ms. Braun left her computer on and her Goodreads bio open.
This should be fun.
What can we say about Theresa? I mean other than the fact that she’s weirdly obsessed with smiley faces :-). Like, seriously obsessed >:-*. It’s kinda scary :-O.
I think she thinks she’s from Renaissance England or Venice or something. I never could figure out which one it was. (She’s really bad at doing accents.)
She likes romance novels and crime TV, which are pretty much the same thing when you think about it. Ha! Am I right?
She has a hell of a singing voice. Seriously. It’s, like, seventh circle of hell bad.
She likes editing. A lot. Just wait till she get’s aload a this.
Cats. Shoes. Chips and salsa. In that order.
Yeah, that last part didn’t make sense to me either.
Book Title: Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: October, 2022 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF ) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance https://www.youtube.com/embed/PjDimoA2yQc
Book Description:
Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.
But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.
Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.
Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?
Book Title: Stolen Obsession (Annalisse Series Book 1) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: March 2018 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG. Subtle romantic interludes. No profanity. https://www.youtube.com/embed/EfPsyRPdIwI
New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury’s best friend was murdered. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.
Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act. Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.
Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his parents, feared kidnapped or even dead. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?
Book Title: Spent Identity (Annalisse Series Book 2) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Nov 2019 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG-13+M. Main Character is accosted and fights an assailant in one chapter. Mild profanity. https://www.youtube.com/embed/bqwn2d2qBQU
Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury drives to her family farm in upstate New York to consult with Aunt Kate about her troubled relationship with Greek tycoon, Alec Zavos. When Annalisse arrives, she learns the beloved farm she expects to inherit is for sale.
That same morning, they find a stranger’s body decaying in the barn. Then her aunt vanishes.
In Spent Identity, Annalisse and Alec join forces for the second time. They must find the mastermind behind her aunt’s abduction before Kate’s health issues worsen. Was the corpse in the barn a coincidence or a warning? The clock ticks for Annalisse to find her aunt and repair what she has left with the man she loves.
Book Title: Scattered Legacy (Annalisse Series Book 3) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 352 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Oct 2021 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG+M. Brief kissing/romance. mild use of profanity like “damn.” No F Bombs. Some violence and talk of an attack by villain that doesn’t materialize.
MY REVIEW
It’s wonderful to be back with Annalise, on another adventure. I went right from Spent Identity, Book II, to Scattered Legacy, Book III, in the Annalise series, eager to go to Italy and face a new danger, since Trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes.
I love the cover. Those slashes, and those eyes, what the heck?
Annalise has the ability to visualize who may have held a jewel or sat for a portrait. She sometimes sees others and their motives for acquiring or stealing oils and jewels. She is a partner with Generosa Zavos, her lovers mother, in the Sazos Gallery, specializing in antiquities.
Annalise receives an envelope and hesitates to open it. I think it may take us on our next murder mystery adventure…and I say…open it Annalise.
Before Alex and Annalise head to Bari, Italy, his mother’s birthplace, Generosa gives her a rosary, a very special rosary. The visit will be a working vacation. They reach a bump in the road in the sale of his sports car company. Since mystery and murder follow them wherever they go, I am waiting for a dead body to make an appearance.
Zavos’ father had went to prison for his part in dealing with the Mafia, but there is so much more to the story that will be revealed.
In Spent Identity, we learned Annalise’s family history. In Scattered Legacy, it is Alec’s turn, with the help of his chauffeur and bodyguard Brad, and his friend and private investigator, Bill. What’s so important about Stella the cat? I sure didn’t see that coming.
Marlene M Bell’s vivid descriptions make me taste the salt air and feel the sand between my toes. I can smell the aroma of garlic and broccoli rabo, tasting the deliciousness of the pasta.
She reacts as a sleek thoroughbred would react, ready to belt at the starting gate, unsure when to run how far the finish line is.
Delicious trouble (with a capital T) seems to follow her…
Now, on to Copper Waters and a trip to New Zealand. Grab a book and follow along. You won’t regret it.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Scattered Legacy by Marlene M Bell.
4 Stars
Book Description:
To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.
When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.
Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.
Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.
The Annalisse series has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romance are found at marlenembell.com. She also offers the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.
Seeing I am not Sandra Sluberski’s target audience for Taking Myths To The Mat: Integrating Yoga Mythology Into Your Asana Teaching with fabulous and colorful illustrations by Cecilia Engvall, I was very surprised how much I got out of it. I have loved myths and legends, it seems forever, and have read numerous fiction and nonfiction books about god and godesses.
Taking Myths is a companion novel to the YACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Program. I found it fascinating, even though I am no teacher. Sandra Sluberski fills the book with many resources and insights that she is very happy to share with everyone.
I find Sandra Sluberski’s bio fascinating and urge you to check it out. Even though Taking Myths is not aimed at me, I found so many fascinating and useful thoughts that will stick with me. Such as:
Keep in mind that yoga mythology is really all about one concept: all beings and all things are part of a great universal one-ness
I’m sure many of us remember The Beatles, John Lennon and Maharishi Maresh Yogi. John Lennon wrote the lyrics for I Am A Walrus and incorporated a mantra: Jai guru deva om, which means Hail to the divine teacher or Gory to God the divine. How about The Little Engine That Could: I think I can I think I can. A football slogan can be a mantra: Go Blue Wolverines, Roll Tide Roll…Even our calendar has a connection to mythology. I highly recommend checking that out for yourself. I also found the fun fact below awesome:
The logo of The Rolling Stones is based on Kali’s tongue. See, fascinating information in an unexpected source. That is why I try to keep an open mind when reading books. I never know where those hidden gems will come from and every book, to me, has something to offer.
I based my rating on how easy it was to follow the book, though it is aimed at teachers of the craft, how Sandra shared so many resources that can lead us to gods and goddesses, myths and legends, nature and nurture, music and form…and so much more that may have us using those resources to learn more about life and what is waiting to be explored.
4 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
Bring your yoga class sequencing to a new level with the inclusion of yoga mythology! This book gives you the methodology for creating single-asana inclusions, longer partial-class sequences, and and entire one-hour YM themed vinyasas, utilizing ancient yogic myths and fascinating stories. Three different approaches to YM presentations are discussed, along with samples of sequence planning notes. Commonly-asked questions regarding YM and spirituality are also addressed, and a practice guide is given for seven essential mantras which any instructor can easily include to enhance the YM experience for their students. This book is also the companion to the YACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Program) course of the same name, available at the Online Yoga School (www.courses.onlineyoga.school).
ABOUT SANDRA SLUBERSKI
Dr. SANDRA BOYSEN SLUBERSKI is an RYT-500 and E-RYT 200 yoga instructor through Yoga Alliance, as well as a YACEP (Yoga Alliance Contiuing Education Provider), teaching at both the Online Yoga School through the Yoga & Ayurveda Center, and at The Hochstein School in Rochester, NY, in addition to her own business at SBS Yogaworx (www.sbsyogaworx.com). Introduced to yoga in 2010, she completed teacher training in 2021 through the Yoga & Ayurveda Center under the guidance of Steph Bal-Mitchell, earning additional certification in Yin, Restorative and Chair Yoga, as well as in Ayurveda studies. She offers themed yoga workshops, with currently over a dozen available, and more than 60 Yoga Mythology 1-hour sessions, all available on the OYS Virtual Studio site (https://courses.onlineyoga.school). She’s the creator and lead trainer of OYS’s YACEP course, “Taking Myths to the Mat: Integrating Yoga Mythology into Your Asana Training,” released in August 2022, and released the companion book by the same title as a paperback on Amazon and an eBook on Amazon Kindle.
She’s also a Kirtan leader who trained with Mike Cohen through the Kirtan Leadership Institute in Boulder, CO. She records monthly 1-hour Kirtan satsang/sessions, teaching mantras and bhajans (meditative devotional chants), using harmonium, singing bowls and cajon percussion. She’s also a Brand Ambassador for The Ohm Store (www.theohmstore.co), a fair-trade global supplier of singing bowls.
Sandra holds the D.M. and M.M. degrees in voice performance from Florida State University’s College of Music, and is currently in her 23rd year on the voice faculty at The Hochstein School, which honored her with the Faculty Service Award in 2013 and the Faculty Excellence Grant in 2019. She provides voiceover talent for commercial and media venues through SBS Vocalworx (www.sbsvocalworx.com) and West Rush Media LLC (www.davesluberski.com), and is listed for booking on Backstage (https://www.backstage.com/u/sandra-sluberski/). Her audiobook narration of “Stories of Food and Life” by Mariuccia Milla is available through Amazon.
She’s married to Dave Sluberski, professor of audio recording for film/animation/gaming at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Film & Animation/MAGIC Spell Studios, and broadcast audio recording engineer for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. When not on the mat or behind a mic, Sandra enjoys her pet Silkie hens, or works on cars in the garage with Dave, who enjoys being married to a yogini.
Oh man…Never King’s is the finale of the King series by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and I am sad to see it end. But, there will be a spinoff and Mimi gives that away at the end of Never King’s. I have missed a book or two, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment.
As I was reading, I highlighted numerous spots on my ereader, but I don’t think that is the way to go with Book 8, Never King’s, of the King series. I feel that may spoil the story. I will, however, try and entice you with snippets and my thoughts and feelings.
Never King’s by Mimi Jean Pamfilof was a total surprise. Every time I thought I had a grasp on what was happening, Mimi spun me in a different direction. Her ability to create such imaginative stories amazes me. Her characters have me loving and hating them, occasionally, at the same time.
King is dead and now Ansin is the baddest of the bad. He was the one that killed King, so Jeni fought against him every step of the way. He had killed the father of her baby. The only leverage she had, when dealing with Ansin, was that she was the last Seer in the world.and he needed her bloodline to revive his.
Good and bad? Well, there is definitely a lot of bad…and secrets. When Draco, her son, goes missing, Jeni is frantic and will do anything, work with anyone, to find him.
If I was going to find Draco, it wasn’t going to happen with these two…supernatural dickheads who claimed to be dying and would rather hold all the cards close to their chests than lay them out so we might help each other.
That had me laughing out loud. Did it tease you, wondering how the two dickheads are?
As all the secrets are exposed, I am stunned. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff twisted and turned me inside out as I rapidly devoured the words, wanting to reach the end, but not. I have been with the characters for a long time and I will miss them, and the darkness they brought to light. I never could have anticipated how Mimi would wrap up the King series, but she did it a in a incredible way, with wit and creativity. They will be missed.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Never King’s by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a Paranormal Suspense, Never King’s, the finale of the USA Today bestselling King Series.
KING IS DEAD, AND NOW THE CHILD HE LEFT BEHIND ISN’T SAFE …
ANSIN
Ding-dong, people. The wicked king is dead. And, yes, I take full credit. King had it coming.
So now that I’m the most ancient, deadly badass on the planet, I can finally get on with my plan. Step one: resurrecting my bloodline.
But to do it, I must win over Jeni, the one woman who can give me powerful children. If only she’d stop holding a grudge. So what if I killed the father of her baby?
Sooner or later she’ll have to forgive me because there are bad, bad things coming her way, and I’m the only one who can protect her.
But will she come around before it’s too late?
JENI
My love for King never made sense, but now that he’s gone, I’m holding it together (barely) for our newborn son. I must be vigilant because my enemies think he belongs to them.
Unfortunately, the only one who can help is dangerous, evil, and a constant reminder of what I’ve lost. Then my worst nightmare happens, and he steps in. No demands. No bartering. Just help.
Has he finally changed his evil ways, or is this a trick to get what he wants? Because without Ansin, my baby and I won’t get through this.
ABOUT MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.
Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.
She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
Book Title: Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: October, 2022 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF ) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance
Book Description:
Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.
But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.
Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.
Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?
Book Title: Stolen Obsession (Annalisse Series Book 1) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: March 2018 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG. Subtle romantic interludes. No profanity.
New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury’s best friend was murdered. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.
Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act. Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.
Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his parents, feared kidnapped or even dead. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?
Book Title: Spent Identity (Annalisse Series Book 2) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Nov 2019 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG-13+M. Main Character is accosted and fights an assailant in one chapter. Mild profanity.
MY REVIEW
I love the Prologue. Ethan Fawdry, the farmhand is walking along, engrossed in a myrder mystery he is reading, and stumbles across something pink…with teeth.
Annalise needed a break from her Manhattan life and her relationship with Alex Zavos. Coming home to Goshen and the Walker Farm to get advice from her Aunt Kate.
A letter arrives from Kate’s son Jeremy, telling her he is selling the farm out from under her, leaving her with nothing. But, that is only the beginning of her troubles.
One thing after another is thrown at Annalise. It should have had her head spinning, and sometimes it does, but she approaches each situation methodically. She has people she trusts, looking out for her. Though she has her doubts by Alec, he is by her side. Can they work out their issues? We shall see.
Communication was definitely an issue with the characters, but isn’t that how real life is. People keep silent to protect themselves.
We have plenty of suspects and I was unable to eliminate any of them, feeling I was missing something…until Marlene M Bell spelled it out for me. She was able to keep me guessing. Even though I had an inkling who may be behind it all, I didn’t see it unraveling the way it did. I love when I can’t figure things out. Great job, Marlene.
From the Prologue, to the end of the book, I didn’t want to put it down. Annalise is no damsel in distress, and I loved following her through all her trials and tribulations. It never hurts to have a happy ever after and it feels just right.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Spent Identity by Marlene M Bell.
4 Stars
Book Description:
Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury drives to her family farm in upstate New York to consult with Aunt Kate about her troubled relationship with Greek tycoon, Alec Zavos. When Annalisse arrives, she learns the beloved farm she expects to inherit is for sale.
That same morning, they find a stranger’s body decaying in the barn. Then her aunt vanishes.
In Spent Identity, Annalisse and Alec join forces for the second time. They must find the mastermind behind her aunt’s abduction before Kate’s health issues worsen. Was the corpse in the barn a coincidence or a warning? The clock ticks for Annalisse to find her aunt and repair what she has left with the man she loves.
Book Title: Scattered Legacy (Annalisse Series Book 3) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 352 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Oct 2021 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG+M. Brief kissing/romance. mild use of profanity like “damn.” No F Bombs. Some violence and talk of an attack by villain that doesn’t materialize.
Book Description:
To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.
When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.
Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.
Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.
The Annalisse series has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romance are found at marlenembell.com. She also offers the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.
I grabbed Creators by Nicole Ciacchella on 6.9.14. Don’t ask me why I waited so long to get to Creators and Contributors (which is free on Amazon, but be sure and check). Books seem to get lost as I download and download and download…
Scrolling through my books, looking for something to read, I came across Creators by Nicole Ciacchella, a ninety page novella in the Contributor series. I find the cover and title interesting, making me curious, and I do love apocalyptic and dystopian fiction. When I saw it was about the food system being threatened, I thought….could this be a portent about what is to come for us?
With all the ecological damage being done to the planet, the overpopulation, what happens when there isn’t enough left for everyone to survive? Who makes the choice of who to save and who to leave to their own devices? Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
Well, we shall see. Even good people have to make hard choices. Would you choose to stay behind and let someone else have your spot?
A lot of my emotions rose to the surface. I felt disgust for those who had no thought for anyone but themselves, empathy for those knowing what is going on and having to make difficult choices, despair for those who figure things out and know they are being left to fend for themselves, almost no food, no water, the planet a barren landscape.
What would I do? What would you do? Does throwing ourselves to the wolves benefit anyone? How do we live with ourselves?
Glad I have Contributor, Book I, by Nicole Ciacchella to see what happens next.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When the imminent collapse of the world’s food system threatens to all but eradicate the human race, it’s up to nineteen-year-old Liang Zhang to determine which of his company’s employees will live and which will die.
Liang and the other Job Creators have only weeks to choose which of their staff and families to move into the domes, the last refuges on the barren planet. Despite their best efforts, the Job Creators are unable to keep their selection project under wraps, spurring violent protests against the privileged few.
Now, Liang must race: against starvation, against insurrection, and against his own conscience.
ABOUT NICOLE CIACCHELLA
Nicole has never met a genre she doesn’t like. She dabbles in everything from science fiction to contemporary rom-coms to fantasy fiction.
Nicole has previously published under the pen names Elizabeth Darcy and Anne Wentworth, but is no longer using those names.
Nicole has had a lifelong passion for the written word. As a child, one of her most treasured Christmas gifts was an electric typewriter, which enabled her to crank out her stories even more quickly than she could with a pen. Naturally, the personal computer is one of her favorite inventions. When she isn’t writing, Nicole can usually be found curled up in a chair, whiling away the hours with a good book.
One of Nicole’s other great passions is travel, and she has visited Europe, as well as traveling to many of the fifty states. Her favorite trips include visits to Paris, Maui, and various parts of Belgium. She feels fortunate that she is married to a native Belgian, as it gives her plenty of reasons to visit Europe as often as possible. Also, it gives her an excuse to eat Belgian waffles regularly.
Born and raised in Michigan, Nicole lives there still with her husband and two beautiful children. She thinks Michigan is the greatest state in the country, and Michigan State University is the greatest university in the world.
I was scrolling through my books to be read and came across The Last Track by Sam Hilliard. The cover and title made me curious and when I saw that we had a mystery with a paranormal twist and a young man with asthma, alone, lost in the woods, running for his life, I had to know more.
Mike Brody is a former Special Forces operative and a master tracker, with psychic abilities that enhance his tracking talents. When he learns an asthmatic, young boy is lost in the woods, maybe being chased by those who he saw commit a murder, he knew he had to find him.
Mike has his own demons, nightmares from his past that haunt him. And it is a horrid past that no child should have to go through. That is what motivates him.
A murder, sure, but a mystery that goes so far much farther than the loss of one life. I had my sites on several as the villain, but Sam Hilliard does not make it easy to commit to one or eliminate another. Danger surrounds Mike Brody and his family. Threatening phone calls, people creeping in their rooms, makes ME nervous, so why doesn’t Jessica hold her cards closer to her vest. They have traveled together, even though Jessica and Mike are separated. They still have a good relationship and a child that they love. She is an investigative reporter, with resources that will come into play, but I worry that she isn’t more careful about her person, her room, her child.
As we track the boy, the murder starts to take a backseat to the complex mystery of what is really going on in the town and who is behind it. I love that I had the villain(s) in site, but could never make up my mind if it was them or not. There are so many of them and some others that could be and could not be ruled out..until Sam made it official. I love when I say yeah, its him, no, it’s not…..
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Mike Brody, the man you want when the one you love is missing.
After an asthmatic boy witnesses a murder and goes missing in the Montana wilderness, police turn to Mike Brody, a former Special Forces operative and master tracker with psychic abilities. But as Mike and a local officer follow their elusive quarry deeper into the woods, the killer begins a hunt of his own…
Some say his gift is supernatural, others consider it a curse. To Mike Brody, it’s a penance.
From the back cover: “A good mix of mystery and adventure, The Last Track will appeal to any thriller reader. A good yarn, not to be missed . . . highly entertaining and extremely difficult to put down.” ~John A. Dunay, Police Lieutenant (Ret. ‘06) ~Police Advisor to Department of Justice, Dinwanyah and Kurdistan, Iraq ‘08
“The Last Track, by Sam Hilliard, is full of mystery and suspense to intrigue the mind. The story captures the thrill of the chase and the fear of the unknown. What kept my interest was the struggle for that we desire most in the form of love, success, money, and complete control. This book will keep your reading lamp on in the wee hours of the night!” ~Spc Amanda Daigle, Jan-Dec 09, Kirkuk, Iraq. ~Purple Heart, Feb 09
“The Last Track is one of the best thrillers our book club has ever read. Chock full of unexpected twists and turns, this well-crafted mystery kept us guessing up until the very last page. A natural storyteller, Hilliard knows how to build suspense and create compelling characters. We can’t wait to go on another adventure with Mike Brody!” ~Revolution Reading Club
ABOUT SAM HILLIARD
For seven years Sam Hilliard served as the IT Director at an all-girls boarding school, where he learned world class drama first hand, as well as the proper role of martial arts in secondary education and the need for a very strong deadbolt on his office door.
Currently he lives at an undisclosed location in New Jersey with his wife and Cat Army. On the long dark nights, he works on the sequel to The Last Track, which despite allowing the manuscript sufficient breathing space at times, is not, in fact, writing itself. He also works at Princeton University.
