Book Tour--Turning the Paige

Turning the Paige

When I saw this title in the upcoming blog tour list, I took a second look because I have a character named Paige in one of my works-in-progress. Then I noticed that Laura Jensen Walker's character is a divorced woman of 35 who moves back in with her aging high-maintenance (read: passive-aggressive manipulating) mother, and I thought that I might enjoy the tale.

Turning the Paige is a great read in many ways. I got sucked straight in with this opening:

My mother killed my marriage. Stomped all over it with her Pepto-Bismol pink pumps and ground it to divorce dust.

Okay, maybe that's not entirely fair. Mom wasn't solely responsible for the destruction of my marriage. Like many couple, Eric and I had some problems. But the biggest one was my mother. I turned the page in our wedding album on what would have been our five-year anniversary to a close-up of the two of us--happy, bright, shining, and in love. So in love. But that was then and this is now.

My fingers moved up the glossy page to the cleft in Eric's jaw. I loved that Kirk Douglas cleft and had spent many happy hours kissing it. And the delicious lips above it. Now someone else was kissing them.

I slammed the album shut. And as I shoved it back into the closet, the phone rang. I walked over to the nightstand to check the caller ID. Probably a telemarketer.

As the phone continued to ring, I squinted at the name. Now where'd I put my reading glasses? By the time I finally found them, the answering machine had clicked on.

"Paige?" My mother's querulous voice filled the air. "Are you there? Or are you out again? Seems like you're never home anymore." She released a loud sigh. "I was hoping you could come over for just a minute and pull down my other quilt from the top of the linen closet. This one's getting too hot and heavy." She lobbed one of her famous guilt grenades. "Oh well, guess I'll just have to make do. Talk to you soon."

My turn to expel a loud sigh.

Paige also has a sister, Isobel; though she lives many miles away she plays an important role in the novel. I enjoyed the story up until the last few chapters. They seemed to be a travel guide to Scotland that, while interesting, didn't keep the plot moving. Something else in the very end came as a bolt out of the blue to me, totally unforeshadowed. Even so, the ending was satisfying and I'd read another book by this author.

This novel is part of a women's fiction series called Getaway Girls, in which Paige and her friends have a book club and often plan adventures that echo those in the books they're reading. I can really see this kind of series working in women's fiction, because you get to know the various characters but focus on different ones in each book. I was also amused that one of the other women in the series was named Chloe. I've got a Chloe and a Paige in the same novel, too!

Book Tour--Love Finds You...in Humble, Texas

Summerside Press is publishing a series called Love Finds You:

Want a peek into local American life--past and present? The Love Finds You^TM series published by Summerside Press features real towns and combines travel, romance, and faith in one irresistible package!

How does it work? Well, (Love Finds You) in Humble Texas is the only book in the series that I've read.

I mentioned recently that I don't read a lot of romances--not because I don't love love as much as the next gal, but because it seems a bit of a stretch to invent so many ways to keep a couple apart realistically for the sake of the story. And yet, the convention of a novel requires that there be true conflict. Preferably something that isn't obviously too manufactured. (Well, that's kind of funny, being as of course the author is manipulating it all, but you know what I mean...don't you?) Being as I'm rewriting a romance novel of my own these days, I'm constantly watching out for what is *realistic* and what isn't.

So the set-up for this story is that two sisters--one an image consultant and very *together*, and the other a retail worker who lacks self-confidence--both fall in love with the same man. Miss Priss saw him first, decided he wasn't the guy for her, sets him up with her sister, then decides she loves him after all and wants him back. The humble, introspective sister is very kind and allows this to happen...if the guy is willing. But of course they don't tell him what's up.

To me this arrangement took a bit to get off the ground. When Trudie, the heroine, allowed her younger sister Lane to get another chance at the gorgeous Mason, I wasn't invested in her character enough yet to see this as believable. Once the story got rolling, it mostly worked, but the introduction to the issue felt awkward to me.

Here's the opening paragraph:

Trudie Abernathy always wondered about two things. First, how was it that some people could live charmed lives while others accumulated troubles like those beetles that spent their time rolling up balls of dung? And secondly, how could one person fall in love as effortlessly as a sneeze, while another hobbled along on love as if it were a twisted ankle?

One of the premises of the entire series is that the interesting name of the featured town be a significant part of the story. Thus Trudie of Humble, Texas, is the *humble* sister, but in the end things work out well for everyone. I read the novel in a couple of evenings and found much to enjoy. Enough to make me wonder what cool town names haven't been written about yet in this series!

Anita Higman is the author of over 20 books ranging from romances to mysteries to devotionals to plays to children's books. Wow, busy gal with a diverse set of interests! She lives in Texas. But not, I believe, in Humble.

Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus

I don't read a lot of straight-up contemporary romance novels. Not because I don't believe in romance--I certainly do!--but because it seems many stories are awkward at finding the right balance. I mean, we all know the plot pattern, right? Boy meets girl, there's some almost insurmountable bumps in the road, it all comes out fine, and the ending is HEA (happily ever after). Because we know that they'll get each other in the end, the wrap-up is never in doubt. We don't read romance for the ending but for the path.

My personal opinion is that it's hard to find believable conflicts to put in the path of these two characters who are obviously going to end up together. Conflicts that are significant enough that it's not some silly misunderstanding that could've been cleared up on page ten and saved us all from thinking "If they only talked to each other!!!" Because I'm a writer myself and have penned one contemporary romance (alongside a pile of fantasy novels), I've brainstormed a lot of conflicts in search of ones that are realistic and workable. It's not as easy as writers like Kaye Dacus make it look. I'd say she nailed the conflict department. The premise of Stand-In Groom?

When professional wedding planner Anne Hawthorne first meets the handsome Englishman George Laurence, she wonders if God has finally answered her prayers for a husband. But when the "best man" for her turns out to be a client--and someone else's to-have-and-to-hold--Anne quickly realizes that planning his wedding will be no honeymoon. Can she remain professional while falling for the groom?

A personal assistant for a wealthy man who wishes to keep his identity--and his engagement--a secret, George Laurence has come to Louisiana to plan his employer's wedding and pose as the groom. Not only is this a challenge to the tenets of his Christian faith, but he can't stand the fact that he's deceiving Anne, the first woman who ever made his heart really sing. Will George ultimately risk his career to keep the woman he loves?

And what will happen when Anne finds out the groom's true identity? Can Anne and George find a way to a happy ending, or will this "I do" ruse destroy their chance at love?

Having an evening with no real plans and no real energy this past week, I read this novel published by Barbour Books in one sitting. And I quite enjoyed it. I'll be happy to read subsequent books in this series.

If you're interested in reading the first chapter, click here.

A Constant Heart by Siri Mitchell

I used to accept more books for review on the blog, but I've become somewhat pickier about the ones I choose. I don't have a lot of time to read--sadly, when it seems I could get a free book every week or so, should I want them! Most contemporary novels don't appeal to me a whole lot.

However, back in the day I reviewed The Cubicle Next Door by Siri Mitchell and quite enjoyed it, so when I saw one of her new books on the list, I decided to ask for it.

As is so often the case, A Constant Heart has not yet arrived and it is time for the book tour. However, I read the first chapter here and discovered that it isn't a contemporary novel at all, but a historical romance from Elizabethan England. (You'd think the cover would have told me that, but our list doesn't come with covers!) It sounds quite amusing and I think I'll quite enjoy reading it once it finally arrives.

The young lady is the daughter of a knight, and the young man an earl in need of a fortune. As you might guess, and typical for the period, this marriage is not at all about love. In fact, they haven't met yet. But what caught my funny bone, he writes sonnets and cannot figure out what might rhyme with carriage.

Merciless by Robin Parrish

Merciless is the culmination of the Dominion Trilogy by Robin Parrish. The Christian Science Fiction Fantasy blog tour reviewed book one, Relentless and book two, Fearless. I took part here and here and here.

All that to say that while I've read the first two books and enjoyed them, especially the first one, I haven't read Merciless yet. I've had it on my TBR for over a week and somehow got the dates mixed up with another book I was reading for review. Sadly, I should have read them in reverse order as it turns out the other book isn't due until next week. Sigh. That is SO like my life this week.

So, what's the series about, in a nutshell? Random people who discover they have superpowers, then find each other, and then find out where their powers came from--and why they have them. The world as we know it pretty much came to an end as Fearless closed. Merciless looks to be post-apocalyptic in nature. And the first few pages, which I've read, look to put this novel in the category of reading that is not suitable for bedtime. At least not for wimpy Vals!

You can read the first chapter here.

DragonKeeper Chronicles Day 4

Day 4, you say? Why yes. Last week the Christian Science Fiction Fantasy Blog Tour also toured DragonLight. I hadn't finished reading it yet then, so I talked about some of the earlier books in the series. But Sunday afternoon I got finished with DragonLight, and therefore the entire series of five books.

Donita K. Paul has written a great fantasy series for young adults, and I've read three of the books in the last ten days, so they're the ones most clear in my mind. (I read the first two a couple of years back.)

I have to share with you the opening paragraphs of this novel. They show quite well the light humor that Paul sprinkles throughout the tales.

Kale wrinkled her nose at the dank air drifting up from the stone staircase. Below, utter darkness created a formidable barrier.

Toopka stood close to her knee. Sparks skittered across the doneel child's furry hand where she clasped the flowing, soft material of Kale's wizard robe. Kale frowned down at her ward. The little doneel spent too much time attached to her skirts to be captivated by the light show. Instead, Toopka glowered into the forbidding corridor. "What's down there?"

Kale sighed. "I'm not sure."

"Is it the dungeon?"

"I don't think we have a dungeon."

Toopka furrowed her brow in confusion. "Don't you know? It's your castle."

"A castle built by committee." Kale's face grimaced at the memory of weeks of creative chaos. She put her hand on Toopka's soft head.

The doneel dragged her gaze away from the stairway, tilted her head back, and frowned at her guardian. "What's 'by committee'?"

"You remember, don't you? It was just five years ago."

"I remember the wizards coming and the pretty tents in the meadow." Toopka pursed her lips. "And shouting. I remember shouting."

"They were shouting because no one was listening. Twenty-one wizards came for the castle raising. Each had their own idea about what we needed. So they each constructed their fragment of the castle structure according to their whims."

Toopka giggled.

"I don't think it's funny. The chunks of castle were erected, juxtaposed with the others, but not as a whole unit. I thank Wulder that at least my parents had some sense. My mother and father connected the tads, bits, and smidgens together with steps and short halls. When nothing else would work, they formed gateways from one portion to another."

Can't you just imagine a castle built by a committee of wizards? It makes me laugh.

Thinking about the fact that this is the fifth book and that it's unlikely that anyone will read it that hasn't gone through the other four (except, perhaps, for book tours like this!), I think it's easy to see who the characters are and the current situation, and even a glimpse of how it ties to the past. We know Kale and Toopka clear from book one, but we haven't met the castle before this. We see that it's been at least five years since the end of the fourth book. And we're reminded that Toopka is from a species that is short and furry...and apparently has a bad memory!

The best part of the story for me was seeing the development of Toopka's storyline. She's wafted in and out of the previous stories, but this novel brought her to the forefront. And ironically, one of the negatives for me was the same thing--Toopka's story. Though the viewpoint characters were Kale and Bardon (as throughout the series)--primarily Kale--they had little to do in the story's climax but watch Toopka pull it all together.

Another negative for me was Gilda's story line. Gilda is a meech dragon--a superior humanoid type of dragon, and very rare. (Donita, if you're reading this--what DOES a meech dragon look like?) And whereas in DragonFire (the fourth book), I got tired of Kale whining, I found that Gilda's attitude really got on my nerves throughout DragonLight. To give credit where credit is due, Gilda learns the error of her ways and gets pulled down a peg or two, so the inclusion of this character development was purposeful.

Still, I think that the series has more positives than negatives, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend all five novels to young adult readers of either gender.

Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione by Chuck Black

Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione is the first book in a new children’s fantasy series by Chuck Black. I’d never heard of him before this tour, but it appears that he’s had six books, The Kingdom Series, published before this. The series is an allegory that encompasses the main story of the Bible and the history (and future history) of mankind in a setting of knights, castles, dragons, and lords.

The new series, The Knights of Arrethrae, is planned to be a companion series to the original in a similar setting, teaching solid values for kids age eight and up. The first novel, Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione, was an enjoyable (quick) read following the story of two knights: experienced Sir Kendrick and the novice, Sir Duncan, whose impetuousness got them into trouble and yet saved the day. While the themes of the story are quite obvious, at least to the adult eye, they aren’t belabored.

Any parent (grandparent, aunt or uncle, teacher…) who wants to provide wholesome reading for growing kids and young teens will want to look into these allegorical novels by Chuck Black.

Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist

If I remember correctly, the very first book tour I was involved with was for A Bride Most Begrudging by debut author Deeanne Gist. If you’ve been reading here for very long, you know that my first love is fantasy, not historical romance. However, I enjoy Deeanne’s writing so much that I’ve made it a point to watch for any new releases.

Deep in the Heart of Trouble is her fourth novel, and it continues the story of Essie Sprecklemeyer of Corsicana, Texas, that was begun in Courting Trouble. While getting to know Essie in the previous novel would certainly bring a richer appreciation for this tale, I truly believe that it wouldn’t be required. Essie herself fills in just enough of her previous story as the reader needs, as she needs it.

When the book list for June came out several months ago, I knew without a second thought which books I wanted to order from it. Later that day I was working in the yard when my mother-in-law came over (they live on the same property) and asked if I’d seen the list yet. I said yes, and I’d ordered the book. She said, okay, she’d just read mine then, rather than have the publisher send two copies. I said that would be fine. Later on I realized we’d never confirmed which book--there were 8-10 selections for the month--because it hadn’t seemed necessary. I knew which book she meant!

My daughter is another avid fan. When Deep in the Heart of Trouble arrived the other day, Hanna smiled sweetly at me and said, "I’ll have that finished before you even have time to start!" And she was right. And now it is over at my sister-in-law’s house.

What is it about Deeanne’s novels that appeal to (at least) three generations of women? While her stories are historicals, they’re not the typical wagon train romances. From tobacco brides (in Virginia) to sunbonnet girls (in the San Francisco gold rush--The Measure of a Lady) to an oil baron’s daughter in Texas, Deeanne seeks out eras and locations that are not over-used in the genre. But the true appeal is in her spunky characters and her own voice.

The characters are bigger than life, full-blown on the page, not precisely typical for their era, yet believable. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each novel thus far and expect that to continue as I watch for more novels by Deeanne Gist in the future.

Deeanne's blog link has lived on my sidebar for several years. Recently she shared with her readers how the very cool cover for Deep in the Heart of Trouble came to be. Check it out!

Book Tour--Amber Morn by Brandilyn Collins

Amber Morn is the fourth--and I believe final--novel in the Kanner Lake series by Brandilyn Collins. As you know, I'm normally not much for suspense--which Brandilyn does well. Her trademark is Seatbelt Suspense, if that's any indication. Still, I've read the first three books and found much to enjoy (so long as I didn't read late into the night!) I've barely started Amber Morn yet. Life has just tipped from crazy to absolutely nuts in the past couple weeks (and even more since yesterday--more on that later or tomorrow), so today it will have to suffice that I'm posting up the links and that I'll be reading the book when I have some daylight hours free!

Book Tour--Betrayed!

Once upon a time a very long time ago now, I attended Prairie Bible College in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada. And in my class was a girl named Jeanette Archer, a missionary kid from Colombia, South America. At the time, she was dating a fellow by the name of Marty Windle, and I later heard that they married and went to Bolivia as missionaries in their own right.

Fast forward a whole bunch of years. My mother-in-law handed me Crossfire, a novel about a naive American girl caught up in the cocaine trade in Bolivia, and I noticed the author's name was Jeanette Windle. "Hey, I used to know this gal!" And being as I'd visited Bolivia for several months in 1980, I also 'knew' the country a little.

Jeanette writes a very tight novel. She's well acquainted with Latin America and did such a good job of writing about the Drug Enforcement Agency's work in the southern hemisphere that she's been questioned about who leaked sensitive information to her (not true). When her most recent novel, Betrayed, this time listed as by J. M. Windle, became available to the book tour, I jumped at the chance to be transported back to the jungle.

Betrayed takes place in Guatemala and deals with the coverup of the American funding of the revolution there since the second world war. Vicki Andrews' parents, photographers and journalists, were massacred along with a Guatemalan village when Vicki was just a young child. Now an adult working with children at risk, Vicki finds her way back to Guatemala just in time to meet her sister before Holly is found dead in the middle of the refuse dump. Trying to determine if Holly's death was an accident leads Vicki down the path towards her own childhood and the memories that had been buried all these years by trauma. Can she figure out what happened? And is her future linked to the country of her birth?

If you like a fast-paced suspense novel about foreign lands, you'll enjoy Jeanette Windle's deep love for Latin America and her sharp writing style.

Book Tour next week

I've been cutting way back on the books I've been accepting to tour, but next week we'll be having a brief look at a middle-grade fantasy novel, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness.

Meanwhile, I've been keeping busy with helping judge a contest, participating in a Submission Package Workshop at Forward Motion. I'm running Quest to Be Queen through the process there, and actually making progress in finishing off the last task in the story. A few more solid days and I'll be back into revising the wrap-up. (If you remember, I had to completely rewrite one of the seven tasks in the novel).

In other news, while I have a four-day weekend coming up for Easter, it will be rather busy. Hanna and Craig will be home and there will be a family wedding and therefore lots of out-of-province relatives. Monday it looks like it would be a good time to go visit my mom, being as hubby is back to work that day. Also because the sister that leaves near my mom is in Vancouver, and Mom is getting lonely. So it won't be precisely relaxing.

Joel and Jen called last night from El Bolson, Argentina, and we talked for about an hour. What a treat! They'll be back in BC in about a month and hopefully we'll get to see them a bit before they're back into the swing of their regular life in Victoria the beginning of May.

Book Tour--Christian Writers' Market Guide 2008

I'm happy to have a copy of Christian Writers' Market Guide 2008. Last year when I got the previous one I was just starting to get my toes wet in the whole agent pond and so I didn't actually use the book to full advantage (though I sure thought I would in January, BEFORE I started the revision that took most of the year!)


Now, however, I'm actively making lists. More than one kind. Not only are there publisher lists for nonfic, novels, shorts, etc--the bulk of the book, obviously--but a good bit in the resources section. A bunch of pages with agent info, more with contests, conferences, writers' clubs and workshops. Pretty much anything you might want to know. Except I thought I saw in the introduction or somewhere that they had a list of industry blogs in there somewhere and now I can't find it. Anyone tell me the page? Or is my wishful thinking too grand?! I do see that the book's author (compiler?) Sally Stuart has started a blog that I'll have to add to my sidebar. She's been doing this market guide thing for more than twenty years so she must have a clue or two what she's doing!

She calls it The Essential Reference Tool for the Christian Writer and that looks valid. It even has a cd included. I only wish the book was printed in a larger font as I find it a bit difficult to read. Course it's pretty fat so bigger print would make it unwieldy. And not everybody has my cranky eyeballs!

At any rate, if you're looking at the CBA markets, this book will give you a good idea of the playing field.

Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet

This debut novel by Jeffrey Overstreet is a stunning blend of a unique fantasy world, evocative descriptions, and quirky characters. What's not to love?

In many ways Auralia's Colors reads like a literary novel. Here's the opening sequence:

Auralia lay still as death, like a discarded doll, in a burgundy tangle of rushes and spineweed on the bank of a bend in the River Throanscall, when she was discovered by an old man who did not know her name.

She bore no scars, no broken bones, just the stain of inkblack soil. Contentedly, she cooed, whispered, and babbled, learning the river's language, and focused her gaze on the stormy dance of evening sky--roiling purple clouds edged with blood red. The old man surmised she was waiting and listening for whoever, or whatever, had forsaken her there.

Those fevered moments of his discovery burnt into the old man's memory. In the years that followed, he would hold and turn them in his mind the way an explorer ponders relics he has found in the midst of ruin. But the mystery remained stubbornly opaque. No matter how often he exaggerated the story to impress his fireside listeners--"I dove into that ragin' river and caught her by the toe!" "I fought off that hungry river wyrm with my picker-staff just in time!"-- he found no clue to her origins, no answers to questions of why or how.

The Gatherers, House Abascar, the Expanse--the whole world might have been different had he left her there with riverwater running from her hair. "The River Girl"--that was what the Gatherers came to call her until she grew old enough to set them straight. Without the River Girl, the four houses of the Expanse might have perished in their troubles. But then again, some say that without the River Girl those troubles might never have come at all.

Notice the colors in the description. Overstreet describes many vivid hues throughout the novel. They're particularly memorable because the former queen of House Abascar declared that color was only for royalty, and the common folk had to do without. Auralia does more than reject this commonly held system. Colors are created in her very hands. Where did she come from? Who left her in the river as a baby? And what will happen when the king discovers that she is flaunting his rules? (Hint: quite a lot, and it isn't nice.)

Auralia's Colors is a poetic story of generosity in the face of greed. I highly recommend this novel. You'll be hearing more about it--greater detail--in January, but for now, if you have anyone on your gift list that you would like to introduce to the fantasy genre, consider this novel.

Book Tour - Illuminated by Matt Bronleewe

When the blog tour book list for October came out way back a few months ago, I said to my husband, "Here, this sounds like your kind of book." So I read him the little blurb thingy and he agreed. I told him I'd get it for him if he promised to read it and review it for the tour this week.

What's the book about? Well, Illuminated sounds like some sort of cross between National Treasure, the Da Vinci Code, Indiana Jones, the Knights Templar...and a bunch of stuff out of Matt Bronleewe's head.

From the back cover:

August Adams has failed his family before. He's sacrificed relationships in pursuit of adventure, fame, and money. Now the very lives of those he loves depends on his ability to decipher a centuries-old puzzle encrypted in the colorful hand-pained illuminations that adorn three rare Gutenberg Bibles.

It's a secret that could yield unimaginable wealth, undermine two major religions, and change the course of Western civilization. Two ruthless, ancient organizations are willing to do anything to get their hands on it. And August has the span of one transatlantic flight to figure it out.

If he fails, those he holds most dear will die. If he succeeds, he'll destroy a national treasure.

The clock ticks, the suspense mounts, and the body count rises as August pits his knowledge and his love for his family against the clock, secret societies, and even Johannes Gutenberg himself

So we've had the novel for about a week now, but hubby (DH) has been working out of town quite a bit of that time. I've noticed him reading it though, so it's time to interview him for this report.

VRC: How far into the novel are you?

DH: Three quarters or so...and I read the last chapter!

VRC: Are you going to read the pages in between?

DH: Yep.

VRC: What do you think of it so far?

DH: I enjoyed it; it's a tight book with lots of twists and turns.

VRC: What have you liked best?

DH: The characters and the initial premise, how he gets trapped and figures out what is going on, with two opposing sides working against each other. And he's caught in the middle.

VRC: What would you say is the book's weakness?

DH: Nothing, I've enjoyed the book so far.

VRC: Who would you recommend this novel to?

DH: Anyone who likes thinking books with a twist, action adventure books, suspense.

Crimson Eve by Brandilyn Collins

Even though Brandilyn Collins writes suspenseful books (and we all know how I feel about being scared!), I seem to have gotten into the habit of reading a lot of her books, at least her Kanner Lake series. So when book three Crimson Eve came out recently, I decided to get a copy to talk about here.

Let's talk about the opening paragraphs, shall we? (You knew that was coming!) Here's the excerpt:

"Really, is a heinous murder any reason to devalue such a glorious piece of real estate?"

The words rolled off the man's tongue in a luscious British accent and with a hint of tease, lending him a cocky James Bond air. He was dashingly handsome (a good British description, what?). Dark hair, rich brown eyes, a jaw cut just so--not too square, but firm. Carla Radling glanced at his left hand. No ring. But then he'd already intimated he was single. A real-estate developer, he'd said over the phone yesterday. And apparently rich, although no proper English gentleman would say so. He was "seeking a beautiful and private piece of property near water as a second home," and the half-page ad in Dream Homes had caught his eye. If he liked the place, he'd pay cash.

To think she'd complained about the high cost of the ad.

Behind them, the heavy wrought-iron gates of the estate that once belonged to the late actress Edna San closed with a muted clang. Carla steered her white Toyota Camry down the impressive driveway curving through the forest. Her client, David Thornby--although James Bond fit so much better--dignified her front seat. His legs, in impeccable beige trousers, were confidently apart, his left arm draped over the console, fingers casually drumming. His navy sport jacket boasted a thousand-dollar weave.

So what can we learn from these paragraphs? We figure out that Carla, the MC, is in real estate and that she is very hopeful of clinching a large deal today...and maybe more. We see a clear picture of the man--David--and a sense of the location. And knowing Brandilyn Collins, the hint that all is not as it seems is not far in coming.

Have a look at that very first line again, will you? Once you've read further, you get a feel for the irony of that statement, coming from David Thornby. Indeed. The twist is just ahead.

While many of the characters in this story have appeared in the earlier books in this series, Violet Dawn and Coral Moon, you really wouldn't have to have read them to enjoy Crimson Eve. You *do* have to be ready for a roller coaster ride, though. As Brandilyn Collins' tag line says: Don't forget to b r e a t h e...

(Oh, hey! I just heard about a special offer from Brandilyn herself: A giveaway of signed copies of Crimson Eve! To qualify, you must be able to state you've never read one of her books (tell me in comments, and leave your email addy in a format that a spam-bot can't pick up). The first FIFTY names she receives (from the continental USA) will receive a complimentary novel! I'll forward any comments in to her as soon as I see them, so don't delay! GOGOGO!)

Nobody by Creston Mapes

I'm trying to remember how I first met Creston Mapes. *Met* being one of those words we use for folks we kinda know on the internet. I know I've mentioned his books a time or two on this blog, and we've corresponded on and off via email.

Nobody is his third book, and the first one I've had in my hands and read. Yeah I know I just said I've known him for awhile. His other two books, Dark Star and Full Tilt are books about a rock star and are aimed at young male readers. And while I've wanted to support Creston's work, apparently that didn't go so far as to buy novels for young men (sorry to the young guys in my life...). When Nobody became available to me as part of the book tours, I jumped at the chance to read one of his books for myself.

The book arrived and I opened the package with delight. A great looking cover--too bad it doesn't match the story! The dead body isn't discovered out in the middle of the street at all. I flipped the book over to read the back:

When reporter Hudson Ambrose hears an early morning call on his police scanner about an injured person at a bus stop on Las Vegas Boulevard, he rushes to the scene to get the scoop.

His world is blown off its axis when he discovers a murdered homeless man with a bankbook in his pocket showing a balance of almost one million dollars. Should he wait for the police, knowing the case will get lost in reams of red tape, or swipe the bankbook and take the investigation--and perhaps a chunk of the money--into his own hands?

With sirens bearing down on the scene, Hudson makes an impulse decision that whisks him on a frantic search for answers, not only about the mysterious dead man, but about the lost soul lurking within himself.

Uncovering bizarre links between a plane crash, a Las Vegas pit boss, a dirty cop, and a widowed Atlanta business mogul, Hudson is forced to find out: who was Chester Holte, what was he doing on the streets, and why are his homeless friends convinced he was an angel in disguise?

Fantasy or science fiction this is not, but it sounds interesting nonetheless. Besides, Creston is an almost friend of mine. I settle in to read the first couple chapters. Here are the opening paragraphs, because I know you expect to see them by now:

I'd seen stiffs at crime scenes before, one flat on his back in the middle of his garage with a twelve-inch meat cleaver sticking straight up out of his rib cage like a Halloween prank; self-inflicted, to boot.

But this one beat all.

I got there before the cops. Saw the guy from my Mustang GT. It was 5:54 a.m.

He was positioned upright at one of the dozens of covered bus stops along the Strop. Beneath flickering fluorescents, it looked as if he was just sleeping, like a thousand other bums scattered like garbage across the sand-blown outskirts of "fabulous Las Vegas." I rolled down my passenger window and leaned closer. Blood, dark like burgundy wine, but thicker--a pool of it, absorbed into the seat of his pants and ran shiny down the concrete block he was perched on, forming another smaller puddle beneath his black Converse high tops.

Creston's got great voice, and it only gets better. Most of the novel is from the first-person viewpoint of the reporter, Hudson Ambrose. Quite a few chapters are from the first-person viewpoint of Holly Queens. And several chapters are from the first-person viewpoints of random other people in the story. Well I guess not random! What I found interesting about this technique is that there is no warning of whose head we're in now, and yet it only takes a few sentences to figure it out. So it's odd, but it definitely works.

Something else I found intriguing is that this novel is unabashedly Christian and it really works. I've read a few where the *Christian* part really felt tacked on. Not the case with Nobody. If you're interested in a novel that challenges you to think about homeless people in a new light, to see corruption and greed fight for supremacy, and are curious at all about the Christian faith, I'd highly recommend this book.

Life, Libby, and the Pursuit of Happiness by Hope Lyda

I read Life, Libby, and the Pursuit of Happiness right on the heels of One Little Secret which I reviewed a couple weeks back. They both have a hot young rock star as the main male character but that is where the similarities end. Still, that was enough to make me think about why I enjoyed one so much more than the other. Maybe because chick-lit (such as Libby) is meant to be fluffy with a kernel or two in there somewhere to sink your teeth into, while I never got the feeling that One Little Secret was supposed to be anything other than serious. The cover certainly spells out what one should expect from this novel.

Libby is the story of a young woman approaching 30 in pursuit of figuring out who she really is, whether defined by her career (which takes a serious nose-dive early in the novel), her romantic situation (ditto), or her place in her nuclear family (can I ditto again?). Libby gets into a crazy predicament with an off-the-wall supervisor in the name of saving her job when so many co-workers receive their pink slip. She meets the man of her dreams, harbors a fugitive, and learns to avoid the paparazzi. Not necessarily in that order! I found the story laugh-out-loud funny in places and, in general, a light, humorous read.

From the back cover:

How do you know if your life is falling apart...or finally coming together?

Libby Hawthorne lives with good intentions. She believes that everything important--love and faith and life--will come together as soon as she receives the promotion she was promised years ago at a Seattle public relations firm. However, a corporate merger changes everything, and when the big prize of advancement turns into a demotion to administrative assistant, Libby realizes it's time to trade good intentions for intentional living.

But just as she reaches for authenticity, Libby is offered a chance to redeem her career if only she will keep an enormous secret. At the same time, her friends and family start acting strange, and her crazy boss goes missing in action. In the aftermath of these colliding events, Libby must make her biggest decision yet--will she climb up the corporate ladder or take the leap of faith that will finally lead her to purpose and happiness?

Life, Libby, and the Pursuit of Happiness is the third novel by author Hope Lyda.

Hope has always wanted to write. Ever since she was a young tyke with a spiral notebook in hand, she had the urge to fill it. Sadly, Peggy Meets the Midgets did not cause Hope to be deemed a child prodigy, so she continued her path of education. She was grade-obsessed but also truly enjoyed sharing laughs with her circle of creative friends.

Hope attended the University of Oregon and graduated with a double major in Journalism: Advertising and Telecommunications and Film. With aspirations to write screenplays or teleplays, she of course ended up doing public relations for non-profits until she entered the publishing field in which she has worked for 10 years.

Her passions are quiet ones—she loves a good read, an afternoon of free thinking time, writing, journaling, road trips, travel, and pondering life from her back yard pergola. She loiters in bookstores frequently, though has never been arrested for such. Her big hope is to encourage others to embrace their dreams and understand their faith journeys through the practice of journaling and the art of creative living. She hopes to also inspire such things through the themes in her fiction including Hip to Be Square and Altar Call. (There are also visions of a nice Casita with a hammock in Mexico—but one thing at a time.)

When not living in her head, she resides with her husband, Marc, in the Pacific Northwest.

Sushi for One? by Camy Tang

Okay, now that things are sort of under control on the Forward Motion stuff (the site has been successfully moved but you may not be able to access it for a day or two--I know I can't yet), I can focus on other things that need doing this week.

**Blinks**

How did it get to be Thursday?

So I'm about half done reading Sushi for One? in the bits of spare time I've had this week. Camy Tang takes the reader on a wild romp with an Asian American heroine with a meddlesome grandmother. Extremely meddlesome! With Lex Sakai's cousin's wedding on the horizon, Lex becomes the oldest unmarried grandchild--and on her grandmother's radar.

Lex is a sports crazy (volleyball, specifically) engineer who, in this segment, has just gotten what may be her dream job. Here she is meeting the guys (page 137):

They entered a large area crammed with cubicles. Lots of male voices. It reminded her of those movies about Wall Street traders, except apparently not all of them were on the phone.

"Lex, this is Dan and Jordan." A Caucasian and an African American man cut off their conversation when they saw her. Speculative gazes pinned her to the floor.

An iron rod slammed down Lex's spine. She returned a gimlet stare.

"Welcome to the team." Dan's voice had a menacing thread.

"Lots of work." Jordan's hard eyes flickered over her masculine work suit. A thin hand scratched the scruff on his narrow chin.

Lex crossed her arms. "I'm used to hard work." Watch out, bucko, I'll arm-wrestle you under the table, too.

He flexed a scrawny bicep.

She cracked her knuckles.

Grey interrupted the testosterone-estrogen duel. "This way's your office."

I get an office? Luckily, Lex's teeth still ground together from her circling with Jordan, so she didn't blurt it out and advertise her ignorance. These boys reminded her of her male cousins. She had rolled with enough punches and knew how to hit their soft spots.

This segment is representative of Tang's writing style. If you liked it, check out her novel! Want more info on the author? Novel Journey has a two part interview up.

Procrastination

So I'm pretty good at procrastinating, altogether. I'm still playing with my shoot-from-the-hip novel, Connect the Dot, on the Palm most mornings at work. Poor girl. She's in over her head. And I've made progress on Marks also.

But in the spirit of many hands making light work, I've been working hard with Maripat in fine-tuning her synopsis and query letter for a novel I critted for her last year. I know she'll do the same for me...in fact, I'm counting on it. Those things are just plain hard work. After all, if you could tell the story in 3-5 pages, what are the other 450-500 pages for? You see? It makes sense.

And I see this week I'm supposed to post about Sushi for One? by Camy Tang. My copy hasn't come yet but I've found one to read. Just got it tonight and haven't started yet. Sounds good, though. Who wouldn't like *romance with a kick of wasabi*?

Book Tour - Snitch - Day 2

Or Day Three, by the math of people who started blogging on Wednesday about Snitch.

I finished reading this last night. Rene, you have a new fan.

I tried to find just a short snippet to post. I tried for a couple hours AFTER I'd read the book. I kept getting sucked back into the story. The really cool snippets were too long (like the whole novel?) but here's a little one. It's the introduction to the main character, Ron Yeager, on page 10.

Ron Yeager opened his eyes at the sound of his wife's voice.

"Your coffee's ready," Nan said. She was smiling, but Ron knew it wasn't a happy smile. In the thirty years they had been married, Nan was never happy before ten in the morning.

He felt the weight of a coffee mug balanced on his chest. He rubbed his eyes with one hand, the other hand holding onto the mug, then pushed himself to a sitting position. Nan had come up with this morning ritual of putting the mug on his chest ten years into their marriage when she'd finally tired of spending thirty minutes each morning trying to wake him up. If he rolled over to try to go back to sleep, hot coffee would spill all over him. She hadn't done this in years, mostly because these days he kept a regular bedtime schedule.

After setting the mug on the bedside table, he watched Nan open the drapes. Squinting, he groaned and lay back down. "I thought we agreed to stop doing this."

"Doing what?"

"You know what."

"Serving your coffee to you in bed?"

Ron chuckled. Right, such innocence. After all these years, she was still feisty. "Yes, that."

"We did. But that was before you agreed to back on the streets."

Ron stretched. "I'm not going back on the streets. Your stubbornness is clogging your ears."

"You're two years from retirement. Why in the world would you want to go back on the streets?"

Ron sighed, rolled out of bed, and shuffled to his bathroom sink. "First of all, this isn't a big deal. There's a task force, and they want to talk to me this morning. That's all."

Nan and Ron's relationship is a backbone to the entire book, but she certainly isn't the only feisty person in it. Ron has a lot of feist himself. The task force includes two experienced cops with minds of their own (well, one has a mind and the other borrows his partner's...), one cop looking for the easy way, and one eager but inexperienced cop. The fifth member is Ron's young pastor who is awed by Ron's dangerous job in undercover and begs to catch a glimpse. The glimpse becomes more as the naive star-struck man blunderingly and unwittingly makes first contact with the baddies and is required to stay through to the finish line.

A lot of it is funny, but it's a believable funny because the characters are so well drawn and diverse. One of my favorites is the woman who lives across the street from the undercover house, Ruth. Oh man, I can't tell you any more. Go get the book already. You know you want to.