Pages

Saturday, February 28, 2015

The Bone Orchard by Paul Doiron

by:  Paul Doiron
published by: Minotaur Books
publish date:  July 15, 2014

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, Mike Bowditch has left the Maine Warden Service and is working as a fishing guide in the North Woods. But when his mentor Sgt. Kathy Frost is forced to kill a troubled war veteran in an apparent case of "suicide by cop," he begins having second thoughts about his decision. 

Now Kathy finds herself the target of a government inquiry and outrage from the dead soldier's platoon mates. Soon she finds herself in the sights of a sniper, as well. When the sergeant is shot outside her farmhouse, Mike joins the hunt to find the mysterious man responsible. To do so, the ex-warden must plunge into his friend's secret past—even as a beautiful woman from Mike's own past returns, throwing into jeopardy his tentative romance with wildlife biologist Stacey Stevens

I tried listening to this audiobook once and I put it away.  I don't know what was going on with me that day.  This is the fifth book in the Mike Bowditch series and I had been really enjoying it so far.  But for some reason when I started this one I just wasn't into it.  However, I gave it another try and I'm really glad I did because I ended up really liking this story.

In this book Mike has left the warden service and he's working as a fishing guide.  Kathy, is having a hard time because of a suicide by cop.  When he goes to visit her, Kathy is shot and Mike is there when it happens.  He gets involved in the investigation as to who exactly shot her and why.  When everyone is assuming, it's friends of the man she shot, Mike has other ideas.  He doesn't give up until he gets his man.  

I was glad that this book kind of went back to the roots of the series.  I think it needed it.  The last book I felt like was starting to wander too far out there.  Again, I recommend this series.  It's really very good.  The audiobooks are well done, I like the reader even with his over the top Maine accents.  Definitely check them out!

Friday, February 27, 2015

Blog Tour: Accept This Dandelion by Brooke Williams

Author: Brooke Williams
Publisher:  Self
Date of publication: February 2015

Renee Lockhart has her eye on a lofty goal…to fill the open position of morning radio show host on a nearby secular station. When her co-workers sign her up for a local TV version of “the Bachelor,” Renee goes along with it in order to raise her profile. Ben McConnell, one of the most eligible bachelors in town, insists that Renee be placed on the show, despite her bumbling audition. Ben gets much more than he expected in Renee. He gets a girl who doesn’t bow to his every whim…and a girl who opens his eyes to true, unexpected love. Enjoy a local version of the popular "Bachelor" TV show...where nothing can go right for Renee!

Are you ever in the mood for a super sweet clean romance?  Then this book could be the one you are looking for.  In Accept This Dandelion, Renee finds herself accepted as a contestant on a dating show.  Initially, she is in it to make a name for herself in order to get noticed for the AM slot at her radio station.  No one with Ben's reputation would ever go for a woman like her.  But, she quickly finds that the heart doesn't always have the same plan the mind does.

 I have never watched the Bachelor on TV, but I have heard about how backstabbing and brutal it can be.  If the show was more like the one in the story, I think I might actually watch it.  I thought his was a really cute romance. Ben and Renee are both using the show for ulterior motives. She wants a new job and he wants to change his playboy reputation in the press. They instead end up finding something that they didn't expect. I thought they were cute together.  I also liked how they both stayed true to themselves throughout the book.  

This is the first book I have read by this author.  I definitely recommend giving it a shot.  I know I'll be seeking out her other books!




About Author

There are plenty of days when I feel like I am “just a mom,” but I fully believe there is NO such thing as “just a mom.”  Moms are so important and there is so much to each and every one of us.  Writing is a huge part of my life and I hope that it brings as much enjoyment to others as it has brought to me.  Thank you for stopping by the page and reading a little bit about me and my passion for writing.  I hope to hear from you and I hope, more than anything, that you enjoy what my girls have allowed me time to write.




 Goodreads: 
Buy links:

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Throwback Thursday: Silent Warrior by Donna Kaufman


Author: Donna Kaufman
First published in 1997 by  Loveswept

Her note read, "I'm in trouble," and John McShane sensed the desperation in Cali Ellis's plea for help. He'd flown to the Caribbean on a rescue mission, but the woman whose defiant beauty still heated his blood refused to leave without answers. Unable to deny her desire for this fierce warrior, Cali longed to taste the fire of his possession. She'd always trusted him with her life, but was she sure enough to dare surrender?


Silent Warrior is the second in the Delgado Dozen series.   John McShane showed up briefly in the first book, Santerra's Sins.  This time around, McShane receives a note from an old friend saying she is in trouble.  He has loved her forever, but she was married to his partner.  After 10 years, he can't resist lending a helping hand. Cali is in trouble, but she isn't exactly sure who is after her or why.  She just knows that is has to do with something her long dead husband was working on before his death 10 years earlier.  She is hoping her old  John will be able to help.

This one was just kind of OK for me.  Throughout the book, I kept feeling like I was missing a key piece of the plot.  So, the mystery was just kind of meh.  The romance was too rushed.  I know that John had wanted Cali for a long time.  So his fall was understandable, but for Cali, it should have been slower.  She had no idea he felt that way about her.  The whole thing seemed too rushed and force.  The next one is Light My Fire and it's T.J.'s story.  I'll be giving it a shot soon.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Book Excerpt: One Night in Close Exposure by Ashley C. Harris


One Night in Close Exposure by Ashley C. Harris
The highly awaited follow up (and final book in the series) to Ashley C. Harris’ ONE NIGHT IN HEATED SNAPSHOTS.

Series: Snapshots #2
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: February 23, 2015
Publisher: Self-Published
Print Length: 89 pages
Format: Digital
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Synopsis: Beth, in another life, was a top student and had nothing but visions of a successful career in her head. That was until one night with Sterling Johnson, the sexy and deceitful swim champion next door, who changed her entire future. Now, because of that night from her past, Beth’s path as a photographer is forever changed. Gone is the young women she used to be as she struggles to keep a secret hidden.

Sterling Johnson, on the other hand, has quickly become America’s favorite Olympic athlete. Constantly followed and stalked by the press and the father he has turned his back on, Sterling craves someone who isn’t interested in his celebrity.

When a publicity stunt takes him back to a wild college campus and Beth, who turns out to be the media photographer assigned to his story, the flame he thought was dead rekindles. Will Beth prove to be the only girl not interested in his celebrity status? Or are her own twisted secrets and lies about to bring both their worlds down?

Enjoy this excerpt!

·       “So,” his voice cracked with a fraction of compassion, “you want me to help your friend, is that what you’re making a spectacle about right now?” he asked as she felt her face getting more and more red. A spectacle?
She took another deep breath as she stared at part of her team approaching the ropes and security asked Sterling if they should be let in too. He said no, as he and Beth stood close in the smoldering sun.
            “I want you to not punish a decent guy. Do you still have it in you to be decent, Sterling?” He paused, and they shared a long look as he finally breathed. “Fine.” “Fine?” she asked, wondering more and more if he had sent those pictures to her. God, who are you really? she wanted to ask.
            “I’ll make the phone call to get Ari reinstated on one condition.”
            “What’s that?” she asked as he took another step closer and made the inside of her pulse want to explode.
            “I want the slate wiped clean between us.”
            “Wiped clean?”
            “Clearly you’re still holding a grudge. I’m asking you to forget our past so we can work well together the rest of the day.” That was a little hard to do considering what he didn’t know, but if he was asking this, then was it possible that maybe he wasn’t the one sending those photos? Maybe he really didn’t want this experience to be awkward or terrible. The question is, if not Sterling, then who? Beth wondered as she tried to play investigator instead of photographer.
            “Fine.”
            Then, as he raised his phone to call his lawyer, she saw it, theSiren app was loading, and her heart shattered. This was all some kind of sick game celebrities must play on normal people. This was why his father had told her to keep Sterling away until his swimming career was done. Until this hyper version of him was over. He was sending the pictures!
            “What the hell is wrong with you?” And then she saw their picture flash on his phone as he gave her a questioning look.
            “What’s this?” He looked confused as he noticed the picture on his phone, and just as she was about to go absolutely ballistic on him, there was the piercing sound of a gunshot, stopping her heart.
            Everything was suddenly a slow moving blur as Sterling, who was rigid and guarded before, was diving around Beth now. All the animosity and weird energy between them was gone as their bodies collided and he was shielding and taking her down. His skin was warm, strong, and protective. Nothing was making sense.
His security team was diving around them too—well, around Sterling, whose arms were around Beth as they hit the ground. People were screaming and students beyond the ropes were
going crazy as they still managed to snap phone pics. Unbelievable ... yet, in a sick way, if Beth had been a bystander she would have been just as bad.
            So many bodies were pushing Beth and Sterling hard to the floor, her heart was racing like it was about to stop. Oh my God! A gun went off! Has someone been shot? Has Sterling? As he held her tight and she felt all his weight on her, their eyes locked on each other and they became so close that for a moment there was no celebrity, or Olympics, or media photography ambitions, or regretful feelings between them from the past, just a recognizing of something deeper. That truly, for whatever reason, they did care about each other.

            Then the world around them sped back up as an alarm on campus was blasting and Sterling was pulling Beth up the next instant as he shielded her body so only his back was exposed as he half lifted and half pushed her into his limo. Then the vehicle was talking off.


To celebrate the release of ONE NIGHT IN CLOSE EXPOSURE, Ashley’s giving away a gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) worth $10! Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


ONE NIGHT IN HEATED SNAPSHOTS, Book One in the Heated Snapshots series, is currently free on Amazon! Grab your copy now!

About Ashley C. Harris:


Author and film director Ashley C. Harris resides in Florida. Ashley was first recognized for her edgy writing and unique film work when she wrote and directed the teenage film Lines. Lines was the first feature film in the world captured using only Mac Laptops.

In 2013 Ashley teamed up with Barclay Publicity to release the first title in a new young adult series Shock Me. Ashley then went on to release the first of a new NA series, One Night in Heated Snapshots, that quickly reached Amazon's Best Selling top ten list for sports romances.

When she is not dreaming up new books and working on film sets, she loves to spend time with her friends and family.

Keep a close watch for Ashley's newest young adult books releases!

Connect with Ashley at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Tumblr | Instagram


Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Haunted by Lynn Carthage

Author: Lynn Carthage
Publisher: Kensington
Date of publication: February 24,2015

Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Irving has traded life in San Francisco for her stepfather’s ancestral mansion in rural England. It’s supposed to be the new start her family needs. But from the moment she crosses the threshold into the ancient estate, Phoebe senses something ominous. Then again, she's a little sensitive lately—not surprising when her parents are oblivious to her, her old life is six thousand miles away, and the only guy around is completely gorgeous but giving her mixed messages.

But at least Miles doesn't laugh at Phoebe’s growing fears. And she can trust him…maybe. The locals whisper about the manor’s infamous original owner, Madame Arnaud, and tell grim stories of missing children and vengeful spirits. Phoebe is determined to protect her loved ones—especially her little sister, Tabby. But even amidst the manor’s dark shadows, the deepest mysteries may involve Phoebe herself…


I thought Haunted was an enjoyable read.  The story is about Phoebe and her family as the move to England to start over.  Phoebe did something so horrible that they had to move to start over in a new life.  The problem is that she can't remember what she did.  Her parents are distant and don't seem to pay attention to her.  She is also seeing ghosts.  There is a mysterious boy in the neighborhood who may hold some answers.

I was pleasantly surprised by this debut novel.  I thought it was well written and definitely a spooky read.  I won't give away too much of the plot, but I liked the twist in the end.  Phoebe was a likable character.  She wants to make amends for what she did.  She also wants to do whatever she can to protect her baby sister from the evil in the house.

This is a great debut and I recommend it for any lover of YA ghost stories!  I look forward to the next book in the series.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Gone Missing by Linda Castillo

by:  Linda Castillo
published by:  Minotaur Books
publish date:  June 2012  

Rumspringa is the time when Amish teens are allowed to experience life without the rules. It’s an exciting time of personal discovery and growth before committing to the church. But when a young teen disappears without a trace, the carefree fun comes to an abrupt and sinister end, and fear spreads through the community like a contagion.

I read the first 3 books in this series back to back but I got a little burnt out on them, so I had to take a little break.  However, I found myself missing Kate Burkholder and John Thomasetti.  I felt like the series took a little nosedive in book 3.  The book didn't feel well edited and the story just didn't feel right.  Gone Missing put the series back on track.  

Instead of John Thomasetti consulting on the case, Kate Burkeholder was called in to consult on one of his cases for a little different twist.  The pair were able to link one missing Amish teen to a series of missing Amish teens spanning over several years.  The case takes a lot of crazy twist and turns as expected.  The ending to this book was a really good one.  Also, Kate and John finally seem to decide to officially commit to each other.  

I have to wait for the next book from the library so it'll be a little while before I get to it.  I've been really enjoying this series.  Linda Castillo has done a great job with the characters and bringing Painters Mill to life.  I definitely recommend this series to all the mystery readers out there.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

Author: Grady Hendrix
Publisher: Quirk Books
Date of publication: September 2014

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

This was a random download from my library.  Sometimes I have great luck and other times I don't.  In this case I didn't .  To be honest I'm not even sure why I finished listening to the book.  It wasn't a long book, so maybe I was hoping it would get better.  It never did.

The premise is a store much like  IKEA called ORSK where weird things begin to happen.  The executives decide to have 3 employees stay overnight to see if they can catch the culprit.  It quickly turns into a nightmare as they realize the store was built on top of a prison.  Sounds like it would make for a great ghost story, right?  Wrong.  It was really kind of boring.  It reminded me of a really bad indie movie with no name bad actors.  You know the type I mean. 

None of the characters were likable and I really wasn't rooting for any of them to survive. The other thing about the book that got old was the descriptions of furniture that began each chapter.  The names of the furniture were weird and very distracting.  There really isn't much I can say other then this book was so bad.  I can't recommend it.  It's 6 hours I won't get back!


Saturday, February 21, 2015

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Author: Robin LaFevers
Publisher: HMH Books for Young readers
Date of publication: November 2014

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...


Mortal Heart is the final story in the "His Fair Assassins" trilogy.  This is Annith's story.  She feels stifled in the convent and longs for her chance to serve St. Mortain.  The Reverend Mother has other plans and wants to keep her as the new Seeress.  Annith decides to take matters in her own hands and sets out on her own to find her own way.  She also hopes she can help save her beloved homeland.

I know for a lot of people, this was their favorite out of the three books.  I'm sorry to say that is wasn't for me.  I think it was my least favorite.  Not that I didn't enjoy it, it just wasn't all I was hoping it would be.  First it was really long.  Not a lot happened in the first half of the book.  I felt like it really dragged.  The last half of the book was the better of the two and moved a lot faster.   I also was a bit underwhelmed by the relationship between Balthazaar  and Annith.  I just didn't feel it as much as I did with the other two couples. 

There are a couple of twists.  One I guessed very early on.  The other one was a bit of a surprise.    I did like the ending and how it was wrapped up nicely.  Even the Reverend Mother got what she deserved!  Overall, I do recommend this series.  I would keep it to over 16 as there are some more mature situations in the book.  





Friday, February 20, 2015

Excerpt Tour: The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery


We are excited to be the 16th and final stop on Susan Mallery's The Girls of Mischief Bay Excerpt tour. You can find the rest of the tour stops by clicking on the banner above!  Make sure to come back on March 12 for my thoughts on the book!  

We also have an exciting giveaway for you.  Enter  and you could win a California Dreamin' Prize pack.  It contains: 


A Pacific blue beach towel
Pure Paradise body cream
Luxury moisturizing bath bar from the San Francisco soap company
An autographed copy of EVENING STARS by Susan Mallery (the first book with a character from Mischief Bay)
Flip-flop tea candle holder
Map of Mischief Bay
THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY Post-It book
THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY bookmark
Handy bath mini-tote
Susan Mallery lip gloss
Susan Mallery 3D luggage tag
Susan Mallery pen

Just fill out the Rafflecotper below to enter.  US and Canada only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Publisher: Mira (Harlequin)
Date of publication: February 24, 2015

Excerpt # 16:

“How’s Rob doing?” she asked.
Rob, Hayley’s husband, worked two jobs to help pay for the various fertility treatments Hayley wanted them to try. He was a good guy and Pam knew he worried about his wife.
“Good,” Hayley said brightly. “Excited I’m pregnant again.”
Pam nodded without speaking. She would bet Rob was a whole lot more worried than excited. She knew he wanted Hayley to stop trying. To give her body a rest. Not that Hayley listened.
Pam poured boiling water into two mugs and passed one to Hayley, along with the tea bag and spoon. She dropped a bag of Earl Grey into her mug just as John strolled into the kitchen.
“Hey,” he said as he walked around to Hayley and gave her a quick hug. “How’s my favorite secretary?”
“Good.”
“I see you brought cookies. I’ve always liked you. Remind me to give you a raise on Monday.”
Hayley grinned. “I will.”
John winked at Pam, took a couple of cookies from the plate and headed for the garage. Lulu, sensing the possibility of a snack, followed her dad.
“John is about the nicest man I know,” Hayley said when the door had closed. “Everybody at work loves him.”
“I was lucky to find him,” Pam said, knowing that nice was more important than exciting and after thirty years anyone—even George Clooney—could seem less thrilling. It was simply how life worked.
Hayley mentioned something about the hotel project the company was working on. Pam mostly listened. The light had shifted and she noticed a subtle glow to her friend’s skin.
Hayley was what? Thirty? Thirty-one. She had a firm jaw and no wrinkles at all. Her hands and arms were so smooth. Pam drew in a breath as she realized that except for John, she was nearly always the oldest person in the room. And while she should probably be happy that so many young people wanted to hang out with her, she would rather it was because she was young, too.
She mentally gave herself a firm shake. She had to stop thinking about herself all the time. She was becoming obsessed and tedious.
She tuned back in to Hayley’s conversation and laughed over a comment about a client.
“I should head home,” Hayley said, coming to her feet. “Thanks for the tea and the company.”
“When does Rob come back?” One of Rob’s two jobs involved business travel.
“In a few days.”
“If you need anything or get scared, just grab your pillow and come over,” Pam told her. “You’re always welcome. We have that guestroom sitting empty.”
Hayley nodded, then hugged her. “Thanks. It helps to know you’re right across the street.”
“And down two houses. You go across the street, you’ll find yourself at the Logans’ and they have those really mean cats.”
Hayley laughed. “Good point.”
Pam walked her out. When she turned to go back to the kitchen, she saw John and Lulu walking toward her.
“Everything okay with her?” he asked.
“So far.” She drew in a breath. “I don’t want to send a message to the universe or anything, but I have a bad feeling about this. Why can’t the doctors figure out the problem? And when are they going to tell her that all these miscarriages are a bad idea?”
She’d bled a lot with the last one and Pam had ended up insisting she go to emergency.
John put his arm around her. “She really wants a baby.”
“And I want her to have one. Just not like this.”
Her husband squeezed, then released her. “Jen texted me. She and Kirk are coming over an hour early. They want to talk.”
Pam pressed her lips together. “Why didn’t she text me?”
“Probably because she knew you would ask questions.”
“Didn’t you? Is something wrong?” A thousand possibilities, all of them horrible, flashed through her mind. “You don’t think one of them is sick, do you? Or maybe Kirk shot someone and is going to be indicted for murder.” She pressed a hand to her chest as her breathing hitched. “Oh, God. What if they’re getting a divorce?”
Her husband chuckled. “I have to admire your ability to see disaster in every situation. You think they’d tell us that together, before Sunday dinner?”
“Probably not.”
“Then maybe stay calm until we hear what it’s about. For all we know, they want to move in with us to save money.”
Pam rolled her eyes. “Don’t even joke about that.” Her mind stopped swirling with disastrous possibilities and she tried to think of good ones. “I wonder if they’re getting that puppy they’ve been talking about. Jen called me last week to ask about how long it took to house train Lulu. A puppy would be nice.”
“I’m sure they’re getting a puppy.”
“I don’t know if that’s a great idea. They both work, so they’re gone all day.”
John kissed the top of her head. “You are the queen of finding the cloud in every silver lining.”
She smiled. “Okay. Point taken. I’m going to get the roast ready.”
“Need any help?”
“No, thanks.”
She returned to the kitchen, Lulu walking beside her. The dog curled up in her kitchen bed while Pam set the roast on the counter. She would let it warm up for about an hour before popping it in the oven. In the meantime she could peel the four hundred pounds of potatoes they would be eating tonight. Unlike a lot of their friends, she and John saw their grown kids a lot. They’d stayed close geographically and seemed to like hanging out with their parents.
So far they’d been blessed with their children. Jen, their oldest, had been sweet and funny. Steven had been a typical boy—always getting into trouble. But he had a good heart and lots of friends. Brandon, their youngest, had been more difficult. He’d been moody and attracted to trouble. High school had been hell. He’d skipped class, hung out with horrible kids and discovered he liked to party. The summer he turned seventeen, he’d wrapped his car around a tree.
Angels had been with him, Pam thought, as she peeled her potatoes. The crash should have killed him, yet he’d walked away with nothing more than some bruises and a broken arm.
She and John hadn’t known what to do, so they’d erred on the side of tough love. They’d sent him to rehab for six weeks. Not one of those touchy-feely kinds with meetings where you shared and did crafts, but one with a boot-camp philosophy and lots of lectures from people in recovery. Brandon had quickly realized he was far from the biggest, baddest dog in the pack. He’d come home older, wiser and most importantly sober.
He’d completed his senior year with a 4.0 GPA and had made what had seemed like the impossible decision to be a doctor. But he’d stuck with it and was now in his second year of medical school.
“My son, the doctor,” Pam murmured.
They were all in a good place right now. She would be grateful and not borrow trouble. Although she did think that Jen and Kirk might not be ready for a puppy.

Text Copyright © 2015 by Susan Macias Redmond


Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A.

About the author:



New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery has won the hearts of millions of readers around the world with books described as “immensely entertaining, intensely emotional” (RT Book Reviews), “hilarious” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram), and “heartwarming” (Publishers Weekly). One major retailer recently described her as “the queen of romantic fiction.” While she deeply appreciates the accolades of critics and booksellers, Mallery is even more honored by the enthusiasm of her readers and the word-of-mouth that catapults her toward the top of the bestsellers lists time and again.

Mallery lives in not-so-sunny Seattle with her husband and a toy poodle who makes her laugh every day and who’s not even a little bit impressed by her growing fame.

Connect with Susan




Thursday, February 19, 2015

Blog Tour: The Forgetting Place by John Burley

Author: John Burley
Publisher: Willam Morrow
Date of publication:  February 2015

Menaker State Hospital is a curse, a refuge, a prison, a necessity, a nightmare, a salvation.

When Dr. Lise Shields arrived at the correctional psychiatric facility five years ago, she was warned that many of its patients—committed by Maryland’s judicial system for perpetrating heinous crimes—would never leave.

But what happens when a place like Menaker is corrupted, when it becomes a tool to silence the innocent, conceal injustice, contain secrets? Why is it that the newest patient does not seem to belong there, that the hospital administrator has fallen silent, and that Lise is being watched by two men with seemingly lethal intent? The answers are closer than she realizes and could cost her everything she holds dear.

In this chilling follow-up to The Absence of Mercy, author John Burley—a master of medical and psychological detail—showcases the many ways in which the dangers of the outside world pale in comparison to the horrors of the human mind.

Last year I read The Absence of Mercy and enjoyed the mystery.  So, I was looking forward to reading The Forgetting Place.  For the most part, I enjoyed the book.  It definitely drew me into the story right away.  Lise Shields is a doctor at Menaker State Hospital and receives a new patient who has no back up information about him.  His story is intriguing and ends up with her on the run trying to save his life.

This is a kind of hard  book to review because I don't want to give away the major twist.  It would ruin it.  I did figure out what was going on about halfway through the book and if you pay attention you will too.  But that didn't take away from my enjoyment of watching Lise figure things out.  I just got there ahead of her.  That being said, I was a little disappointed in the ultimate result because I feel like I have read this plot and seen the movie before.  I'm not saying it was bad, I just was hoping for something a little more original.

I would recommend giving this one a shot.  If you like psychological thrillers, you will like this one. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

About John Burley


John Burley is the award-winning author of The Absence of Mercy, which won the National Black Ribbon Award recognizing a new voice in suspense writing. He attended medical school in Chicago and completed his emergency medicine residency at University of Maryland Medical Center and R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. He continues to serve as an emergency medicine physician in Northern California, where he lives with his wife, daughter, and Great Dane.

Find out more about John at his website, and connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.

Purchase Links

John’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, February 10th: A Bookworm’s World
Wednesday, February 11th: Ms. Nose in a Book
Thursday, February 12th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Friday, February 13th: The Reader’s Hollow
Tuesday, February 17th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Wednesday, February 18th: Booksie’s Blog
Thursday, February 19th: From the TBR Pile
Monday, February 23rd: Kritters Ramblings
Tuesday, February 24th: BoundbyWords
Wednesday, February 25th: A Book Geek


Throwback Thursday: Charm City by Laura Lippman


Author: Laura Lippman
First published in 1997 by Avon

As a practiced reporter until her newspaper went to that great pressroom in the sky, P.I. Tess Monaghan knows and loves every inch of her native Baltimore, even the parts being slobbered on by the sad-sack greyhound she's minding for her uncle. It's a quirky city where baseball reigns, but lately homicide seems to be the second most popular local sport. Business tycoon "Wink" Wynkowski is trying to change all that by bringing pro basketball back to town, and everybody's rooting for him; until a devastating, muckraking expose of his lurid past appears on the front page of the Baltimore Beacon-Light. It's a surprise even to theBlight's editors, who thought they'd killed the piece. Instead, the piece killed Wink, who's found in his garage with the car running.

Now the Blight wants to nail the unknown computer hacker who planted the lethal story, and the assignment is right up the alley of a former newshound like Tess. But it doesn't take long for her to discover deeper, darker secrets, and to realize that this situation is really more about whacking than hacking. It's just murder in Baltimore these days, and Tess Monaghan herself might be next on the list

Charm City is the second on the Tess Monaghan series.  This time around, Tess is working for her lawyer friend as an investigator.  She is hired by the Baltimore Beacon Light to investigate who ran a story that was not supposed to run.  When the subject of that story dies, the investigation gets more dangerous.

I can't say that I liked this one better than the first.  In fact, I thought it was a little slow.  I was surprised at the solution to the whole thing, so there is that.  I started like Tess a bit more.  I think she is smart and her reporter skills definitely give her an edge.  On a personal level though, I can't say I like her any more than in the last book.  I felt really bad for Crow!  I'll probably give the third book a shot to see if I want to continue with the series.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Blog Tour: The Thing About Great White Sharks by Rebecca Adams Wright

Author: Rebecca Adams Wright
Publisher: Little A 
Date of publication: February 10, 2015

In this collection’s richly imagined title story, our brutal and resourceful protagonist is determined to protect her family from a murderous, shark-ridden world—at any cost. Elsewhere, an old woman uncovers a sinister plot while looking after a friend’s plants (“Orchids”), and a girl in the war-torn countryside befriends an unlikely creature (“Keeper of the Glass”). In “Barnstormers,” a futuristic flying circus tries to forestall bankruptcy with one last memorable show. At the heart of “Sheila” is the terrible choice a retired judge must make when faced with the destruction of his beloved robotic dog, and “Yuri, in a Blue Dress” follows one of the last survivors of an alien invasion as she seeks help.
Extending from World War II to the far future, these fifteen stories offer a gorgeously observed perspective on our desire for connection and what it means to have compassion—for ourselves, for one another, for our past…and for whatever lies beyond.

The Thing About Great White Sharks is a quick read with a mix  of odd short stories. The stories range from sci-fi/ futuristic to mysteries with a paranormal twist.  I'll start by saying that I definitely think there is an audience out there for this type of anthology.  There is something for every reader in the book.

Having said that, I'm not sure I was the right audience for this book.  Starting off with the first story, "Sheila" (which was really sad), I found the tone of the book to be dark and kind of depressing.  Normally, when I read an anthology I can find at least one story that I would call my favorite.  I'm not sure I can really say that with this set.  If I had to pick the one I liked the most, it would have to be "Orchids".  I thought that was an interesting mystery.  A few of the stories were a little confusing and I'm not sure I "got" them.  And a couple, especially the story that the book is titled after and "The Space We Share"  felt unfinished.  I wanted more out of them.  

I would recommend giving the book a shot.  It wasn't for me, but it might be for you.

About Rebecca Adams Wright

Rebecca Adams Wright is a 2011 graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ University of Michigan Zell Writing Fellow. She has an MFA in fiction from the University of Michigan and has won the Leonard and Eileen Newman Writing Prize. Rebecca lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with her husband and daughter.
Workshop and a former
.
Connect with Rebecca

Purchase Links

Rebecca Adams Wright’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Friday, February 13th: Book Snob – author guest post
Monday, February 16th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Monday, February 16th: Bibliophilia, Please
Tuesday, February 17th: Bound by Words
Wednesday, February 18th: From the TBR Pile
Thursday, February 19th: 5 Minutes for Books
Thursday, February 19th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Friday, February 20th: Life is Story
Monday, February 23rd: Conceptual Reception
Tuesday, February 24th: Bibliotica review and author guest post
Tuesday, February 24th: Savvy Verse and Wit - author guest post
Wednesday, February 25th: Bibliophiliac
Thursday, February 26th: The Relentless Reader
Monday, March 2nd: A Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall
Tuesday, March 3rd: Patricia’s Wisdom
Thursday, March 5th: Guiltless Reading
Monday, March 9th: Kahakai Kitchen
Thursday, March 12th: The Book Binder’s Daughter – author guest post