Sunday, July 31, 2011

A Wedding to Die For by Heather Haven



There's More to Being Maid of Honor Than Just Planning a Shower...





A Note from Acey to Tugger:

Hey Tugger, how ya doin’?  Dusty’s family moved.  Ah, well—more mice for me.  I hear you don’t get out much.  Yeah, Rochelle tries to keep me in when the weather’s bad, but I’ve got my safe spots out back at the auto museum.  I tried everything the other night, even the eyes, they predicted storms and she would not budge.  Good thing, too.  Had a BIG lightning bolt.  I jumped up in her lap and she cuddled me.  I think it scared her, too.  There was a high-pitched wail even louder than the storm.  Hurt my ears.  I think Tink was hiding under the bed.  She’s Rochelle’s other cat.

Well, Tugger.  Keep lettin’ Lee and Tio Mateo pamper ya.  That’s what bein’ a cat’s all about.  Watch this.
“Mew…”
“Oh, Acey, what is it?”
“Mew…”
“You have foodies.”
“Mew…”
“You want a treat?  Let’s see…  Oh!  We have cat nip!  There you go.  Tink!  You want some too? Now where was I?  Oh, yes—reviewing Heather Haven’s book.”


A wedding without a groom leaves a lot to be desired. So when the wedding of Lee’s best friend is threatened by the arrest of the groom for murder, thirty-four-year old Lee Alvarez—a combination of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovitch’s Stephanie Plum - heads south of the border in search of the real killer. Not only is this half Latina, half WASP, and 100% detective thrown into the well-organized world of plundered Mesoamerican relics, but she finds herself eating the best tasting tamales ever.

With the help of the rest of the Alvarez Family, Never-Had-A-Bad-Hair-Day blueblood mother, Lila Hamilton Alvarez, brother and computer genius, Richard; favorite uncle, “Tío” Mateo; and Tugger, her energetic orange and white cat, Lee stumbles across the man of her dreams. But is he too good to be true? Probably. She tries to follow her own sage advice, ‘when Cupid’s wings start flapping, take cover.’ Good luck to her.

A Wedding To Die For is the second novel in a series of humorous murder mysteries involving the Alvarez Family, owners of Silicon Valley’s successful Discretionary Inquiries.


There’s more to being maid of honor than just planning the bridal shower.  First you have to prove the groom is innocent of murder.  Somehow, nothing is ever normal or easy for Lee Alvarez.

After reading Murder is a Family Business, I couldn’t wait to read A Wedding to Die For, and I was not disappointed.  Ms. Haven has created a wonderful ensemble cast in the Alvarez Family Murder mysteries.  Liana (Lee) Alvarez is smart and funny.  The book is well-paced, building the tension from the first page to the last, as she and her family stalk the killer and almost become the next victims.  If you have not read either of Ms. Haven’s books, please do so.  I highly recommend both.  Below is the buy link for A Wedding to Die For.

Price:  $5.95

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Soul Guardian by Tara Mandarino




Lucien Marquess never liked being a vampire. His one wish, to regain mortality seems a possibility if he can obtain the secrets found in an ancient book. When Lucien’s search leads him to a small antiques store, he meets Althea Brynne, a psychic mortal to whom he’s attracted. Lucien believes the book’s secrets are within his grasp, at least until Adrian DiBartholomew, a much older, more powerful vampire, gets to the book first. When Adrian starts playing psychic cat and mouse games with Althea, games that risk her life, Lucien’s no longer sure the book’s worth the price. Too bad Althea doesn’t agree with him, and is determined to beat Adrian at his own game.


Ms. Mandarino was brilliant when she combined two paranormal genres—a psychic heroine with a vampire hero—lending an extra punch to Soul Guardian.  The story is engaging and had me on the edge of my seat, rooting for the plucky mortal heroine who risks her life when she goes up against the old and powerful vampire villain.  This book was difficult to put down, and I missed the characters when I finished it.

It was marred for me, however, by the bane of the self-published—it needed at least one more pass by a copy editor.  I empathize with my fellow indie authors on this point.  Self-publishing is an expensive proposition, even when one does not use a vanity press.  Cover art and editing services are not cheap, and even the best editor cannot and should not try to edit his or her own work.  I confess my sister found one or two typos in my own current indie release.  But the editor (read grammar Nazi) in me wanted to offer my services to Ms. Manderino, as I found comma splices and other errors rather distracting.  Other readers may not even notice them.  Some readers may not even know what a comma splice is.  If it’s any consolation, I’ve had to stop reading Danielle Steele for that very reason.  I’ve dubbed her the Queen of Comma Splices.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

The Enchanted Bathroom by Liam Stalls



Sandy Warner finds more than she bargained for in the Three Lillies bathroom. Overcome by the moans and groans from the couple in the next stall, she begins to fantasize a hunk obeying her every wish.

Richard Leere didn’t expect to find the woman of his dreams flustered in his restaurant. After a surprise grab to his groin, he smiles.

Sandy, unsure if the man before her is real or her imaginary hunk, steps back. After an embarrassing moment, she now must decide if she should make a move while the smile is plastered on his face, or apologize and walk out with her dignity.

Excerpt:
Having finished the pukes and cussing I took out my handy mouthwash and rinsed several times at the mirror and sink area. The door opened and I heard footsteps approaching. When I looked up I had to take a double take...

“Miss, are you all right? I heard...well...someone being sick and just wanted to make sure no one needed my help.”

I stared at him from the mirror. My hunk! My imaginary hunk stood behind me. In a daze I turned around and grabbed his crotch.

“Hey!” He stepped back.

I must have turned all shades of red because I felt the embarrassed heat flaring my cheeks and neck.

“I’m...so...sorry.” I just grabbed this guy’s crotch. What am I? Nuts? “I just wanted to make sure you were real and not a part of my fantasy. Oh my God, you must think I’m nuts.”

Totally surprised, he didn’t run out like a mad man. He actually approached me and...




I don’t normally read erotica, but between the blurb and the excerpt I just had to read Enchanted Bathroom.  There were so many questions.  How did Sandy go from being turned on to being sick?  Or if she went into the bathroom because she was sick, how did she get turned on while being sick?  And what did Richard do when he approached her and… ?

The only way to answer those questions is to read the story.  It’s only sixteen pages long.  However, I have two warnings for you when you read it.  First, there is graphic sex in the story.  And second—be sure you’re in a chair you can’t roll out of when you laugh, because you’ll be laughing hysterically.  Even if you normally aren’t fond of graphic sex, it’s worth reading this book for the humor.  You might even find yourself wishing there was an Enchanted Bathroom near you.  I mean, really—for ninety nine cents, who can’t afford a good roll… um, belly-rolling laugh?

Price:  $0.99

Buy Link:

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Twilight Comes by Lin Holmes



It's a typical day in Mick's life. A successful stockbroker, he battles the morning traffic, the zip of numbers across the exchange banner while making fortunes grow for his clients, and the pounding after-images continue to haunt his brain as he drives home. This is his well ordered work life.

His home life? Secrets percolate behind closed doors...dangerous secrets...secrets that are about to tip over.

Will Mick survive the explosion about to blow the lid off his private, seemingly perfect world? Will any of them outlast the approaching turmoil and the world finally looking in and seeing the truth behind their closed doors? Or will death and destruction be the ultimate penalty for their secrets revealed?


Excerpt:
 
And lastly is the oops member of the family. Diana is only six. She was not supposed to be. Mother had religiously taken her birth control, but Diana happened.—Mother only marginally adheres to the preaching of the Church.—A first grader, she is truly the apple of all of our eyes. In some ways, Diana represented my Mother’s greatest accomplishment. None of her friends had managed to conceive a child that close to menopause, and while taking The Pill. Diana raised Mother to the status of one upon whom a miracle was created. That’s heady stuff, dontcha know?


This is a serious story, not for the faint of heart.  As Mick says, “This family puts the ‘dis’ in dysfunction.”  Only nineteen pages long, it is a blessedly short read.  If you’re looking for a happy, feel-good story, this is not for you.  If you’re looking for a powerful story that will leave you stunned and gasping for air, then by all means, here you are.  If you’re a fan of programs that profile criminals and explain how they got that way, you will enjoy this read.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Grounds for Reading





Someone tainted the sugar at the newly opened Café Caffé coffeehouse in the village of Eastport. A dozen locals got seriously ill and one died. Nora Huggins- mother, wife, mystery buff and want-to-be sleuth-couldn’t help but to get involved. Her delving into the crime led her to believe that it had been a nasty youthful prank. Two of the village’s old spinster sisters, Winnie and Ginnie Miller, were among those who fell victim to the tainted sugar. However, when Winnie suddenly died, surviving Ginnie chose not to hold the coffeehouse responsible. Because of the Miller sisters’ reputation for being uncharitable, Nora became suspicious and probed deeper into their affairs ultimately discovering that Winnie may have in fact been murdered. Proving it became a delicate matter for Nora and the local police chief.



E-publishing has opened up the world of short fiction and John Russo is another author who has mastered the short mystery genre by writing a short, taut, fully rounded story that kept me reading straight through its forty-two pages.  It has everything—a crime with multiple victims, red-herrings and who done it disguised well enough to keep you guessing until the very end.  I highly recommend this book to mystery buffs and cozy mystery fans alike. 

Grounds for Murder was a Top Ten finisher in the Preditors and Editors Reader’s Poll.

Price:  $2.50

Buy Link: