Rochelle's Reviews

Happiness Guaranteed by Wendy Laharnar

2012-02-26T00:01:00.008-06:00

Back Cover:

Bianca, a beautiful Epicurean Supremo from a privileged futuristic society has a flaw which, if discovered and reported to the Rulers, will threaten her life and that of the man she loves. Unable to pinpoint the cause she tries to hide her anxiety until an ingenious birthday present from her husband provides a respite. Now, on her thirty-third birthday, her primitive behaviour and thought patterns return; stronger and more dangerous.

Excerpt:

Bianca’s bed swayed in gentle rhythm with her floating condominium. Smiling, she opened her eyes and reached across the white expanse for Derek. He wasn’t there. Damn. She’d overslept; very out of character. What if he noticed? No. He’ll return soon and find me on the balcony exactly where he expects me to be, especially today.

She rolled onto her back, stealing a few extra minutes in bed and glanced up at the domed ceiling high above her: Derek’s masterpiece. The wide, stained glass panels let shafts of coloured light sprinkle life into her sterile world. She watched the lazy sunbeams paint murals on the milky walls. They tinselled the buckles on the two pairs of shoes and spotlighted the confusion of clothes on a moulded chair.

Flinging back the covers, she stretched, letting the sun energize her skin. “What a glorious morning,” she murmured. Only Penthouse Dwellers, like Derek and herself attained this privilege. According to Derek, sunlight symbolized their status. For a moment she revelled in true contentment.

An image of her grandfather snuck into her mind. He’d told her of a time when sunlight shone on everyone, but he’d been a storyteller, a bad influence. On her seventh birthday her parents forbade her to visit him any more, and placed him out-of-bounds. Years later she heard he’d died.

Her happiness shrivelled. “Unimportant.” She scowled, jumped out of bed and slipped into clear, tensile slippers. A filigree tunic lay on the floor where she let it fall the night before. She picked it up, grabbed yesterday’s clothes off the chair, hurried to the primping room and dropped them all down the trash-chute. “There!” She stabbed her finger on the Restyle button.

With her fingertips, she massaged her cheeks and studied herself in the mirror. Thirty-three, today. No obvious flaws, not yet, apart from that one little glitch Derek inadvertently fixed last birthday.

Review:

Bianca lives in a society in which happiness is required and unhappiness is considered a flaw. If the Rulers ever knew she experienced even the most fleeting feelings of unhappiness, they would scrap her and start over. And they would probably scrap her husband, Derek as well, not believing she could hide such feelings from him, despite the fact that she takes great pains to do so. After all, they’re genetically perfect Epicurean Supremos. They live in a penthouse with a stained-glass skylight and a balcony where they can bask in the sun and watch the cars whiz by on the accident-free highway.

But her grandfather told her of a time when the sun shone on everyone, and people lived on the ground amongst trees, and had babies just because they wanted to, and not because the geneticists said they could have a child designed in a test-tube… And she dreamed of a woman with a baby. Could it be her? Why would she want to live among trees and carry a baby on her back when she already had the ideal life? Why couldn’t she suppress these dreams? And how could she keep Derek from finding out?

I highly recommend this thought-provoking, yet very entertaining short story.

Length: 25 Pages

Price: $2.50

Buy Link: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=264&category_id=7&keyword=Happiness+Guaranteed&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

You’ll notice I always include the publisher’s buy link. That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher. Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%. When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left. So, if this book costs $2.50 at Secret Cravings and you buy from there, the author will receive about $1.00. If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.30.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive. Plug the USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory. I actually download my books using “Save As” to a “Books” file on my computer that’s sorted by my publisher, friends, and books “to review,” and then transfer them to my Kindle from there. That way, if there’s a glitch with my Kindle, the books are on my computer. Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

Lady in Waiting by Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz

2012-02-19T05:09:00.000-06:00

Mabriona is cousin to the beautiful and spoiled Princess Alana. When Alana is forced to marry a man she despises, Mabriona is torn between her loyalty to her cousin and her attraction to the handsome Prince Blayne.

Tragedy befalls the cousins on the way to Prince Blayne’s castle. Servants, believing Mabriona to be Alana, refuse to listen when she tries to explain.

While she waits for Blayne to recover, Mabriona meets his equally handsome younger brother, Madoc, a bard.

When Blayne awakes, will Mabriona choose life with a future king, will she be sent home in disgrace because of her inadvertent lies, or will Madoc win her love with his poetry?

I dread reviewing historical romances. So many authors don’t do their homework and fill their books with anachronisms and modern language that doesn’t belong there. Not so Ms. Ehrenkranz. There is not a blip in the entire thirty-seven pages.

Even though they’re first cousins, Princess Alana treats Mabriona as a servant; not a friend or relative. But then, there’s really no love lost between the two girls. The Princess is selfish and self-centered and Mabriona wishes Alana would get over herself. It doesn’t help when she falls for Alana’s betrothed, and the feeling appears to be mutual, and it gets even more complicated when Alana is killed during an accident en-route to the Prince’s kingdom and his family mistakes Mabriona for her.

And it gets even worse when his brother falls for her. He’s just as handsome. Used to living in her cousin’s shadow, Mabriona is enjoying the attention. But the other shoe has to drop eventually. Will she fess up before she gets caught? And what will be the consequences when it does? I guess you’ll just have to read the story to find out. I definitely recommend it.

Length: 37 Pages

Price: $2.50

Buy Link: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=263&category_id=8&keyword=Lady+in+Waiting&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

The King’s Daughter by Miriam Newman

2012-02-12T00:01:00.007-06:00

Tia is the daughter of the King of Alcinia. He is about to marry her off to a neighboring king, despite the fact that she is the heir to his throne and has always expected to marry her cousin—so much so that she throws a temper tantrum in the midst of what was to be her wedding banquet. Her tantrum is cut short, however, by an attack by their enemies, the Tumagi using weapons and ships supplied by Alcini’s ally, the Omani. Alcinia is a small kingdom and not very wealthy or populous. High Born women (including Tia) are trained for combat, but Tia is unarmed in her wedding gown. She is captured, almost raped by the enemy king (saved only by his impotence), and sold into slavery.

Tia is transported along with the other High Born women to Omana, where she is bought by Sergius Magistri, a general whom all of her people fear, as his reputation is one of ruthlessness on the battlefield. At home, however, he is a gentle man who frees her and treats her with the accord due her rank and station. They fall in love, marry, and start a family.

The Omana Empire is in trouble, however. The Emperator is clearly insane and the Emperatum is rife with corruption and debauchery. Think Caligula. It was he who supplied the Tumagi with ships and weapons for their invasion of Alcinia, despite their treaty with Omana, signed during his father’s reign. The Emerator sends Sergius to capture Alcinia, but Sergius has his own plans for the kingdom and they include returning Tia to her throne.

“Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur.”

“All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgians inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called Celts, in our Gauls, the third.”

I’ve forgotten most of the Latin I took in high school and college and confess I had to look up this quote—the opening line of Caesar’s Gallic Wars, the text that consumes every Latin student’s second year. However, I’ve included it here because Ms. Newman has really done her homework (something I didn’t do very well my second year or I might not have had to look this up). Her descriptions of life in a Roman villa, battle tactics, and conditions aboard Roman slave ships are incredibly authentic. Alcinia could well be Britania but without a description of the building of Hadrian’s Wall, and Tia could be a Celtic Princess in that she worships The Goddess, had a scrying bowl back home, and honed her religious/spiritual powers among an order of wise women she refers to as The Sisters.

This book is also told in first person, a very difficult thing to do well. Even Dostoyevsky couldn’t manage it when he started Crime and Punishment in first person. Five hundred pages into the book he had to go back and re-write it in third person. In longhand, since the typewriter had not yet been invented. Ms. Newman has carried off her first-person narration flawlessly.

This book has incredible attention to historic detail, flawless first-person narration, but most importantly, it has multi-faceted characters who will engage you. While Tia starts out as a spoiled brat, you can tell from her narration that there is a redeemable person in there and you will get to watch her grow. Sergius is fierce, but you feel his gentility from the moment you meet him, and you fall in love with him alongside Tia.

This is one incredible book. Have Kleenex close by.

Length: 331 Pages

Price: $3.99

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Daughter-Chronicles-Alcinia-ebook/dp/B0079JHX28/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329346037&sr=1-1

Ten Years by James Hartley

2012-02-05T00:01:00.003-06:00

Blurb:

Peter Ingraham invented a time machine, and traveled into the future. Ten years too far into the future. But he soon found that the future didn't match the past, and when he returned to where he started, the present didn't match either of them...

Excerpt:

When Peter pressed the switch, everything went dark. Then, as his eyes became adjusted to the darkness, he realized he could see a few things, like the luminous dial on his watch, and, if he twisted his neck a bit, the pilot light on the time machine itself.

As suddenly as it had appeared, the blackness vanished again, and Peter was standing in the lab, but a totally changed lab. It was deserted and looked like it had been for a long time. There was dust all over everything, what little equipment remained was rusting and broken. Most of the window panes had been shattered. Peter looked around, a cold sick feeling arising in the pit of his stomach. This was not just a single day later.

A quick check of the lab didn't turn up anything useful. The office outside had a faded 2015 calendar on the wall. 2015, he thought, that shows I moved at least two years, and that calendar is anything but new. The office, and several others down the hall, were all deserted, abandoned. He reached the front door and looked out. In front of the building, where Mr. Carlson's prized lawn had been, was a jungle of weeds.

Peter pushed the door open, and there was the sudden clangor of an alarm. Great, he thought, only one thing is still working, and it has to be the alarm. He continued out the door and down the path to the parking lot, only to discover that he was fenced in by a tall cyclone fence that had not been there when he started his trip. There was a gate, and he tugged at it, but it was firmly locked. It looked like it wasn't going to matter, several police cars were screaming into view, lights flashing. He stood by the gate and waited.

The first cop to arrive at the gate looked him over then asked, "Okay, buddy, how the hell did you get in there?"

"I work here, officer. I was running an experiment in the lab, and I seem to have stayed a little longer than expected. Could you please let me out?"

"You work there? Come off it. Nobody has worked there for years, not since the place went bankrupt. Yeah, we'll let you out, and then we'll give you a nice little ride. Straight to the station house."

Another cop came hurrying up with a set of keys and soon had the gate open. True to his word, the first cop hustled Peter over to a squad car after a quick frisk and shoved him in the back. "You behave yourself, and we won't have to handcuff you," he said. "But if you give us any trouble, well, you ain't gonna like it. By the way," he said as he slid behind the wheel and started up, "what's in the backpack?"

Uh- oh, said Peter to himself, I have a feeling that telling him it's a time machine might not be the best idea. He thought quickly then said, "It's some experimental scientific equipment, officer, a, er, a temporal displacement generator. The, ah, calibration was off, that's how I got in there."

"Oh. Yeah. A temporary thingie. If it got you in there, how come you couldn't get out?"

"Once I saw the calibration was off, I was afraid to try it again. Who knows where I would have ended up?"

"Sounds sensible. You just explain all that to the lieutenant, and you're maybe not in too much trouble." He lapsed into silence for the rest of the drive.

Does anyone ever get the calibration right on their time machines? Would it be a good story if they did? Even Robert Heinlein’s time travelers end up in the wrong place dodging the cops. This short story reminds me a bit of The Old Man’s style. Greater praise I cannot give. This is definitely a five-star read.

Back to wayward time machines. The DeLorean in Back to the Future almost went where it was supposed to go, but it was carrying the wrong passenger. At least it came back to the right time and date. And now it’s in the Volo Auto Museum in our back yard, complete with flux capacitor. Now, where’s Marty McFly’s hood? Last time I saw it, my granddaughter Beth had it.

My daughter Christine with my granddaughters Presley and Beth holding the hood.

Price: $2.50

Buy Link: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=220&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

The Good Neighbors by J. Q. Rose

2012-01-29T00:01:00.003-06:00

Jim and Gloria Hart, snowbirds from Michigan, always help out the neighbors in their Florida retirement community when asked. Who knew being good could turn out to be so bad?

I wish I could be a snowbird and have Jim and Gloria Hart for neighbors. They’re so helpful and they sound like fun people to have around even if you don’t play golf. Between solving the mystery of last year’s deaths at their Florida winter retirement community, helping a neighbor who fell in her bathtub and plant-sitting for a neighbors who surprised his wife with a Christmas cruise, they’re all round good people. Besides, who ever got into trouble just plant sitting?

I disturbed the peace at Wendy’s because I was laughing so hard reading this while I had lunch. It’s another great waiting room read—the kind of short-story you can devour along with a quick burger or while waiting to see the doctor. But try not to laugh too loudly unless you want to tell people what you’re reading. On second thought, go ahead. Laugh out loud. Don’t be afraid to let people know how much you’re enjoying Ms. Rose’s writing. Isn’t a good hearty laugh in the middle of Wendy’s a great recommendation for a book? Just try not to choke on your food or snort pop through your nose.

Price: $0.99

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+Good+Neighbors+J.+Q.+Rose&x=13&y=17

Pop next door to my regular blog and see why I’m in the doghouse. http://rochelleweber.blogspot.com

The Antique Toy Con by John Russo

2012-01-22T00:01:00.003-06:00

Jason Chapman recently retired from the Merchant Marines decides to follow in his parents’ footsteps by traveling the antique road show circuit as he did with them as a child. Having left him a fair collection of dolls and toys to start with, he soon discovers the value of one in particular. He also recalled how his father was once duped by an unsavoury collector and vowed to not let any of them get the better of him. In fact he had a plan to retaliate. Like all plans however the unforeseen can happen.

This is a very short story by John Russo. Mornings when I just missed my bus on the way to work, I probably could have read it before the next one came.

Bent on revenge, Jason Chapman travels the antique show circuit selling fake toy cars. He inserts old pennies into them to “authenticate” their ages. He will, after all, be selling them to antique dealers who know a thing or two about such things. His fakes have to pass inspection. I found the story fascinating since I don’t know very much about antiques, even though revenge isn’t my cup of tea. Jason’s painstaking forgeries are almost flawless and his sales technique—I wish I had him selling my books. I do recommend this short story.

Price: $0.99

Buy Link: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=184&category_id=60&keyword=The+Antique+Toy+Con&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

The Forget-Me-Nots by Ginger Simpson

2012-01-15T00:01:00.003-06:00

Blurb:

Sarah Palmer’s mother has passed, and desperate for something familiar to hold onto, Sarah goes through her mother’s jewelry box. Inside she finds three bars joined together with a black ribbon. The metal’s tarnished condition hides the words engraved on each and sends Sarah in search of someone who can explain their meaning and why her mother never shared them with her.

Excerpt:

Sarah fidgeted while the jeweler used a special polish to clean the tarnished surface of the first sterling bar. He finished and handed it to her.

“Looks like this one says Clara.”

“That was my mother’s name.” Sarah looked at the now-visible letters and nodded.

The glasses balancing on the man’s nose made his pores look huge. Sarah wanted to push the frame up where it belonged, but instead gazed through the glass cases at wristwatches until he finished with the next charm.

“Here’s number two.”

She took the charm. The day was crystal clear, along with month and year. April 14, 1941. She closed her eyes and searched her memory for some association with the date. Mom had never mentioned anything about her life previous to Dad. Maybe the clue was on the final charm. Sarah chewed her bottom lip and waited.

“Number three. Do you know someone named Leon?” The man dangled the charm in the air.

Sarah shook her head and accepted the third piece from him. “Never heard of anyone by that name.”

The jeweler stood with a blank expression, as if waiting for something. Sarah’s cheeks warmed. She clasped the charms tight in one hand and reached for her wallet with the other. “I’m sorry. How much do I owe you?”

He held up a hand. “No charge. Can I do anything else for you today?”

“You’ve been very helpful already, but I wonder if you’ve ever seen anything like these before—know what they’re called?” She opened her palm and spread the charms apart.

He smiled. “As a matter of fact I have.” He took one and placed it on the counter. “I’ve seen them in my ‘collectibles’ book.” Pulling a magnifying glass from a shelf behind him, he held it over the sterling piece. “See those little flowers on the end? They’re called Forget-Me-Nots, and also the name given to this particular type of keepsake.”

Sarah bent and viewed the small blossoms intricately placed on the bar’s end, then glanced up. “What significance do they hold, if any?”

“The charms were very popular during World War II. They were given in friendship and collected until one had enough to create an entire bracelet. I don’t know much more about them, but I’m sure you can research the Internet for more information.”

“I will.” Sarah’s heart raced. She wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or the anxiety of not knowing who Leon was. She couldn’t wait to tell Melinda.

This is another wonderful “waiting room” read. Just seventeen pages of cozy mystery. Who was Leon and why did he give Sarah’s mother a keepsake? Why did her mother never mention him and where is he now? Accompany Sarah on her search into her mother’s past. You’ll enjoy it. I did.

Price: $0.99

Buy Link: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=132&category_id=8&keyword=The+Forget+Me+Nots&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

No Ordinary Love by Kate Lynd

2012-01-08T00:01:00.002-06:00

A human rebel against the Capturian Forces, Caliope was enslaved for five years and tortured. She never expected to meet James, a half-breed too human for his own good.

Their connection is electric.

Their love is forbidden.

Their daughter may be Earth’s only hope.

Excerpt:

When I woke I was in a small room, naked except for the salves on my skin and a warm blanket wrapped around my body. I looked around. James was sleeping in a chair next to the bed with a shotgun at his side. I tried to sit up and his eyes flickered open.

“Keep still. They’ll sense you.”

His nearness was enough to make me yearn for his touch. Relationships between Capturians and humans were taboo by their very nature. But James himself was an anomaly. He was the offspring of a Capturian Master and his female human slave. He never talked about it, but I knew it left him with a bitterness and heaviness that not even the oldest of human survivors had.

He’d been a guard on the slave ship I’d originally been sent to, early on in the fighting. The ‘experiments’ had been torturous. During my first six months there, they tried to break me. Every night I was in tears. Angry, bitter, terrified tears. When I slept there was no relief, either, as I was haunted in my dreams by the things they had done to me in the day time. Eventually I lost all sense of time or place. I was about to fall on my sword when James was assigned to watch me and make sure I didn’t rally the other human slaves. Instead of plunging me into utter darkness and suspending me in air, he’d come to me, that first night, and held me through it.

I was greatly enjoying this story, and then…it stopped. I felt as though I’d left a book on the El. I had to check with the author before I wrote this review, to see whether there was more coming. Fortunately, there is. No Ordinary Love is the first in a series and I fervently hope Ms. Lynd gets busy and writes more of it, because her characters really engaged me and the ending left me yearning for the rest of the story. Hurry up, Ms. Lynd!

Price: $2.50

Buy Link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=234&category_id=9&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Dangerous Voice by Kat Holmes

2012-01-01T13:30:00.000-06:00

Back Cover:

Forty-seven year old Phaia Mykos is a meek and mild librarian by day, but to put her daughter through college she turns into the sexy and alluring Sasha by night. Using her voice, she teases and titillates men on the phone.

But when women in her line of work suddenly find themselves under attack, it’s only a matter of time until the madman turns his eye on the one called Sasha.

To trap the stalker, the police send hunky and much younger detective Derek Hoffman to her door. Long has she desired the man and circumstances provide her the perfect opportunity to get what she wants, hopefully before her obsessed fan silences her for good.

Excerpt:

“So we can explain how this is going to work.” He spoke to her as though she was a simpleton and Phaia decided then and there she didn’t like Derek’s partner. “I must admit, I’m surprised you let your daughter conduct such business in your home. Morals aren’t what they used to be.”

“Archie, that’s enough!” Derek hissed at his partner. “We’re not here to judge.”

Phaia burst out laughing. Oh, this is too much. They think her daughter is Sasha. Archie Gibson seemed like such a stiff shirt she could only imagine what his reaction would be when he found out the truth. Both men looked at her as though she’d taken leave of her senses and that just made Phaia laugh even harder. This might just end up being fun after all.

“I hate to burst your bubble, but Noelle is away at college. Anyway, she isn’t the one you want to talk to. Noelle isn’t Sasha.” Pausing for effect, Phaia grinned wide as she looked directly into Archie’s eyes. “I’m Sasha.”

Phaia is a bit of a cougar who has been drooling over her hunky, younger next-door neighbor, Derek Hoffman ever since he moved in. But she allowed her discomfort about their age difference to keep her from acting on her feelings. After all—she’s pushing fifty and why would he be interested in the prim, proper middle-aged librarian next door? And she’s not about to confess she moonlights as Sasha, phone-sex goddess to keep her daughter at Princeton. So when someone hacks into her boss’ server and starts assaulting her colleagues, imagine her surprise that one of the two cops who show up to provide protection is none other than Derreck. She can definitely live without his condescending partner, but she has plans for him.

I highly recommend this great short read.

Price: $2.50

Buy Link: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=268&category_id=9&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Lavender Dreams Cancer Anthology

2011-12-26T12:22:00.001-06:00

Ten short stories in this anthology to entertain you. More importantly, the authors and cover artist have generously donated these stories and their royalties to help raise funds for cancer research each year.

Authors:

Barbara Ehrentreu, Gloria Oren, Lisa J. Lickel, Nan D Arnold, Nathaniel Tower, Rosemary Gemmell, Suzannah Safi, Tanja Cilia, Vicki Batman

Back Cover:

MuseItUp Authors dedicate this book to all who have been affected in one way or the other by cancer. All royalties from the sales of this book will be donated each year to a cancer research organization, or hospice in order to further combat and find a cure.

The book is divided into three sections: non-fiction, fiction based on true stories, and fictional stories—ten stories generously donated by the authors to help raise funds for cancer.

This book is dedicated to the memory of one of our dear editors who passed away in 2011 from cancer, Karen McGrath.

You will always be remembered.

Contents:

Tributes and Dedications

NONFICTION

A Blessing in Disguise by Gloria Oren

FICTION BASED ON TRUE STORIES

Cancer Didn’t Get Him by Barbara Ehrentreu

Taking Flight by Vicki Batman

Camp Chemo: The Last Laugh by Nan D Arnold

Waiting by Rosemary Gemmell

FICTION

Stories from the War by Nathaniel Tower

Testing…by Lisa J Lickel

The Cancer Tree by Nathaniel Tower

Behind A Closed Heart by Suzannah Safi

The Book by Tanja Cilia

I suppose I should review each story individually, but I am not going to do so. I will, however, caution you to read the stories one at a time, as they can become overwhelming if you try to read too many at once. Each piece holds to the high standards of MuseItUp Publishing, Inc. Each piece will move you—make you laugh, cry…think. I highly recommend this book, not just because the proceeds will hopefully help to wipe out this horrible disease, but because it’s a darned good read.

Price: $1.99

Buy Link: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=246&category_id=127&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Tales of a Texas Boy by Marva Dasef

2011-12-18T00:01:00.004-06:00

How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer." A great bit of nostalgia for seniors, too.

West Texas during the Great Depression comes alive in this collection of short stories told from the point of view of a boy growing up there. Chores come first, but there’s time to play and be a boy, as well. There are also special times like when the carnival comes to town with the fighting bear, or when he gets to visit relatives over by the New Mexico border and collect bones with a real archeologist. There’s danger like when he and his sister try to ford a flooding river on the way to school because there’s no cutting when an education is a precious thing. I was immersed in Eddie’s life, and if the book had been much longer, I suspect I’d have picked up his idoms. Thnak you, Ms. Dasef, for introducing us to your father in such a wonderful way.

Prices:

E-Book: $0.99

Print: $6.49

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Texas-Boy-Marva-Dasef/dp/0615148964/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1323892632&sr=8-14

A Scuffle for a Wrinkle by Luke Evans

2011-12-11T14:22:00.000-06:00

Vonnel offers a proposition to his skilled team of thieves: make off with the most technologically advanced gadget on the planet, and earn more money than they can imagine. The gadget known as "the wrinkler" lines up the rifts in space-time and thrusts you through it, but there's a catch. They're not the only ones after it.

They set up a sting in a skyscraper hotel on the edge of The City. Vonnel's right-hand man is dressed as a woman, his techie can't get the volume right on his communications, and his bumbling diversion is doing things better left unknown. Vonnel intercepts the target in his hotel room. Problem is, the wrinkler is not inside, and the man who stole it, his old nemesis, has already used it to disappear.

Now Vonnel must use all his wits to determine where his nemesis has gone, and how to procure the wrinkler for his client. It's a race up skyscrapers and through space-time for the ultimate gadget, and only one person can stop him: a man he has never before bested.

When I read “A Scuffle for a Wrinkle,” I forgot it was a short story. For some reason I thought it was novel length. Maybe that was because I’m not used to world-building complete with an alternate language (at least for cuss words) in a short story. Maybe this story takes place on Earth; maybe not. But it wasn’t an Earth I recognized. Buildings were hundreds of stories tall and the land outside the city was a desert. People mostly flew—in carts, luxury vehicles or harnesses. I wasn’t sure I liked Vonnel, but if this were a movie, I could see George Clooney playing him and winning women’s hearts while making men want to be him. Yeah…he kinda grows on you. And major kudos to Luke Evans for a top-notch job of world-building in thirty-four pages.

Price: $2.50

Buy Link:

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=78&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Lurkers by Lindsay Below

2011-12-04T00:20:00.001-06:00

Blurb:

To say Kayla is bad at science would be a colossal understatement. So why does she carry the responsibility to figure out what went wrong? In the blink of an eye, everything she knows has changed. Her parents -- along with the rest of the adults in Toronto -- have disappeared, leaving her saddled with her whiny little brother. Luckily, she meets Jackson Sullivan, a fifteen-year-old scientific genius bent on finding out what happened. But he wants her help. How is she supposed to help sort out all this science stuff when she can barely pass her tenth grade science class?

As Jackson’s sidekick? Not in a million years.

Excerpt:

“What are we going to do?” she whispered.

She figured he knew what she was talking about—their parents. “I need more information,” he muttered. “We should go out into the city and find more people like us.”

“More people?” she gaped. “You think there are still people out there, besides us?”

He laughed. It was quick, and he covered his mouth with his hand, but she heard it. “You thought we were the only people left in the city,” he mumbled through his fingers.

She scowled. He made it sound like she was an idiot. “I didn’t see anybody else,” she snapped. It wasn’t so far-fetched to think that she, Josh, and Jackson were the only people left.

“I’ve had three separate calls today,” he informed her. “All from kids. None could find their parents. Not everybody is gone, only the adults. How many other kids do you think there are in the city?”

“You think this is happening to everybody?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Of course.” He lifted his hand, listing the points on his fingers. “No buses. No cars. No television. No radio.” He leaned back. “I’m almost surprised we have electricity. Although, depending on how many people use it, we should have enough stored up for a while.”

Kayla frowned to herself, thinking. “But why would all the adults leave? Why wouldn’t they take us with them? They’re our parents.”

“I don’t know yet,” Jackson admitted. “That’s what we need to find out.”

All of the adults have gone, but where? Jackson thinks he can find out with Kayla’s help. But it’s all she can do to keep herself together and ride herd on her eight-year-old brother—who happens to have diabetes, and need insulin. Not an easy job. Especially after she burns down the house the first night. I never have liked electric stoves. You can’t tell whether the burners are on or off.

This is another Young Adult book from MuseItUp Publishing, Inc., and it was written by a very young author. I guess it takes what it takes to get us where we are, but I’m a smidge jealous that Ms. Below (pronounced Bay-low) has gotten there already at the tender age of twenty-one. How wonderful to be getting paid to do what you love at such a young age, and to do it so well! You can fill the bottom of your children’s Christmas tree with or stockings with copies of Lurkers. But since it’s rather gauche to give away books that have already been read, I suggest you wait until after Christmas to borrow your child’s copy, or better yet, buy one for yourself! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did.

Price: $5.50

Buy Link: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&product_id=117&category_id=2&keyword=Lurkers&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor by Barbara Ehrentreu

2011-11-28T13:22:00.001-06:00

Carolyn Samuels is obsessed with the idea of being popular. She is convinced that the only thing keeping her from happiness is her too heavy for fashion body and not being a cheerleader. Hyperventilating when she gets nervous doesn’t help. When she is paired for a math project with the girl who tormented her in middle school, Jennifer Taylor, she is sure it is going to be another year of pain. With Carolyn’s crush on Jennifer’s hunky junior quarterback, Brad, her freshman year in high school looks like a rerun of middle school. When Jennifer is the only student who knows why she fell in gym class, Carolyn is blackmailed into doing her math homework in return for Jennifer’s silence. Jennifer takes on Carolyn as a pity project since she can’t be seen with someone who dresses in jeans and sweatshirts. When Jennifer invites Carolyn to spend the night to make her over and teach her to tumble, Carolyn learns Jennifer’s secret and lies to her own friends to cover it up. Will Carolyn become a cheerleader and popular? Does she continue to keep Jennifer’s secret? Or will she be a target of this mean girl again?

I was Carolyn Samuels in high school, although my grades weren’t high enough to tutor anyone or for anyone else to ask me to do their homework. Fortunately, I grew up in Chicago and the high school I attended was large enough that the kids who bullied me in grammar school went their own way and I made new friends. Cheerleading? Tumbling? My favorite sports were reading and writing fiction. I was terrified of falling and of balls flying at me. But I digress. I identified with Carolyn, even forty-some-odd years later.

Whether you’re seventeen or seventy, you’ll identify with someone in this book. It was written for young adults, but it’s a great read for everyone. However—it is a MUST READ for teenage girls. Jennifer’s secret is one shared by girls everywhere and Carolyn’s dilemma whether or not to keep that secret is probably shared by just as many other kids. If you have a daughter, granddaughter, niece or any teenage girl in your life, by all means, give her a copy of “If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor” for Christmas. Reading this book could save a girl’s life, or help a young girl save her friend’s life.

Price: $5.95

Buy Link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=203&category_id=120&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

“Remain in Light” Harkens Back to the Work of Hemingway and Fitzgerald

2011-11-23T14:12:00.000-06:00

In 1968, Irène Laureux's husband was murdered during the Paris student and worker riots. Thirty years later, she is still on the hunt for the man who knows how and why Jean-Louis died – his secret lover, Frederick Dubois.

Aiding in her search is American expat Martin Paige, a writer still reeling from a love affair gone wrong with a student, David McLaren. Martin meets a young poet, Christian, and the two fall in love, but their happiness is shaken when Martin's friend, Diane Jacobs, arrives in Paris with news that David has gone missing.

Diane discovers that David's disappearance is more than just a missing person case with connections to drugs, stolen identities, long-hidden government secrets and a shocking connection to Irène's past. This literary mystery takes readers from America to London and into the dark underworld of the fabled City of Light.

Remain in Light is a complex book with very real characters. It harkens back to the work of Hemingway and Fitzgerald, leaving the Champs Elysee and prowling the back streets of Paris. It starts with Martin Paige stuck in traffic because of an accident in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in the wee hours of August 31, 1997 and getting home late. Being stuck in traffic because of Princess Diana's accident, however, is not the point--it's his restlessness, his disenchantment since the loss of his lover, David. Diane Jacobs arrives that day, as well.

The plot is full of twists and turns, dark corners and alleyways of both Paris and the human psyche. If you're looking for a light, fluffy read, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a book you can sink your teeth into, re-read and find things you missed the first time, then I highly recommend Remain in Light.

Price: $4.99

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Remain-in-Light-ebook/dp/B005Q133EI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322077939&sr=8-1

Shadows Steal the Light by Christine London

2011-11-13T00:01:00.003-06:00

Blurb:

It’s love at first sight for rock star Colin Dunlow when he runs into sultry jazz singer, Jenna Lindstrom, with a few complications. The woman of his dreams hates rockers and there’s someone who wants him dead.

Excerpt:

He heard the pop of a gun. Diving behind the mailbox bolted to the edge of the curb, heart racing in his throat, he rolled back into a crouch. The silver coupe had turned and was now coming at him along the sidewalk. He bolted across the street and ran, full tilt into a side street bordered by old twenties houses interspersed with more modern apartment complexes. Craning his neck for a brief backward glance, he spilled over the tire of a bicycle and into a row of similarly parked bikes outside the entrance to an apartment building. Tumbling onto the grass easement between sidewalk and street, he scrambled to his feet, looking for the coupe. It was turning the corner from 32nd Street parallel to the Shrine, onto his side street. Searching frantically for some way, something to slow the vehicle down, he picked up one of the bicycles, now flattened in a domino effect against the others and flung it into the street.

He looked back toward the approaching coupe: a maelstrom of jacaranda blossoms swirled in its wake as it accelerated toward him. He took off down the sidewalk again, this time not looking back. The centrifugal force behind the speed of his flight projected him out into 30th Street as he flew around the corner toward Figueroa. At an all out sprint, he dashed across the major artery, dodging the still clogged traffic exiting the Shrine toward the freeway. Running past Carl’s Junior, he headed for the overpass just the other side of Flower Street.

Shite. Who the hell? His mind raced on ahead of him as he pumped his arms in Olympic exertion. Having the green chain link mesh of the overpass fencing in clear view, he risked a glance back. The coupe was weaving around the cross traffic of Figueroa in perfunctory fashion, nearly clipping the bumper of a black SUV. Only one way out; he bolted toward the fence, leaping in upward propulsion, reaching for the top crossbar, propelling himself over with raw strength, determination and adrenaline.

His body slammed against the freeway overpass sign, dangling like the condemned from the gallows. Hands clamped tightly to the crossbar, teeth gritted, he lowered his chin to look below him. A catwalk of sorts, supporting lights for the sign, was but a few meter drop. He stole one more glance toward the street, just catching a blur of silver going north around the corner on Flower, toward downtown, the freeway flyover and against traffic. The metallic clunk and reverberation up his legs as his feet landed on the catwalk jarred him into a contracted crouch. Looking behind and down, he saw the rooftops of lethargic traffic scooting forward in preemptory battle to get ahead.

The unmistakable sound of large masses of metal being compacted came from the direction of Flower Street. An ivy cover fence screened any view of what had occurred. It wasn’t thirty seconds later, as Colin assessed the distance to the pavement, that he saw the form of a man catapulting over the ivy clad fence, leaping onto the overpass.

Head and face covered with a black ski mask, the identity of his pursuer was impossible to detect. Judging from the agility and muscularity of the man, Colin was in for some serious trouble. Damn! He timed his descent to coincide with the eighteen-wheeler passing under him. Pulling in a resolute lungful of air, he leapt.

The roof of the truck gave slightly with the impact of his weight. Its forward movement was slow enough, that it jolted him from his feet onto his knees, but did not propel him head over heels. Palms flat, he braced himself in anticipation of greater force. Shooting a glance at the receding over pass, he saw the darkly clothed athletic figure of the man in the ski mask land on a truck with a short red trailer, not two lengths behind him. Colin searched three hundred sixty degrees, twisting his crouched body to obtain the widest possible panorama of the rapidly degrading situation. His options were narrowing.

As the red truck moved forward, its driver signaled a lane change toward the left. Traffic was beginning to pick up speed as the effects of the merging onramp were diminishing. Wind now played a factor in not only his stability, but his ability to see as his long hair whipped about his cheeks and eyes. He moved along the roof toward the cab, remaining crouched to preserve what advantage a lower center of gravity might afford.

He felt, rather than saw, his assailant landing on the cold reflective grey of the truck’s roof; vibrating shockwaves caused by the weight of his body striking the rear of the trailer telegraphed through the metal like a seismic shock. Colin turned to see the man leaping across the long surface of the roof. Who is this…f***ing Spiderman? Colin’s racing thoughts jumbled in an upset of twisted incomprehension as he tried to force his mind to cooperate through the surge of adrenaline-laced resolve coursing through him.

Christine London does a fabulous job of taking us from Los Angeles to London and back, and keeping us on the edge of our seats the whole time in this wonderful page burner. Jenna doesn’t seem like the kind of snob who would dislike a man just because he performs music in a genre that’s different from hers. So why is she so averse to dating rockers? Who is trying to kill Colin and why? How is it that Jenna seems to get caught in the crossfire so much? Or are they after her too? If so, what did she do to anger someone that much? She’s just starting her career. There are plenty of red herrings along the way to keep the reader guessing until Ms. London is good and ready to answer the questions. Speaking of careers just getting started, Christine London is an author to watch.

Price: $5.95

Buy Link: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=40&category_id=9&keyword=Shadows+Steal+the+Light&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

My blog tour ends Monday at Long and Short Reviews. The link is in the list at the left side of the site. And stay tuned for the announcement of the winner of the giveaway! Thanks for following me and for making Rock Crazy a best-seller at the MuseItUp Publishing, Inc. bookstore!

A View to a Kilt by Chris Redding

2011-11-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

Waking up next to a dead guy can ruin your whole day.

When a wise-cracking interior decorator wants to put her past behind her, the dead body of the mayor’s son makes it pretty clear that won’t happen too easily.

A conservative former computer geek for the FBI is holding on too tightly to his past. His wife died under suspicious circumstances and he believes the decorator has the information to solve the case. Unfortunately for him, she isn’t talking… until a series of events convinces her she needs protection especially when her biggest secret threatens to destroy both their lives.

Miriam Stokes is feisty, funny, and independent. Okay, she’s downright stubborn and she nearly gets herself killed because of it. Angus “Gus” Macpherson is now a PI and he’s only supposed to protect her; not fall in love with her. But with a closet still full of his late wife’s clothing a year after her death, it’s difficult to convince Mim he’s ready to move on. And they don’t have much time to talk while they’re dodging bullets.

There’s a dark secret in Mim’s past that overshadows everything. She was married to a crooked cop with ties to the mafia. Some anonymous man is paying for Gus’ services, but who is he? What kind of connections does her family have? Is Mim really a mafia princess? Is that why Gus could never get near her for a statement when he was working the case that got him kicked out of the FBI? The investigation of her ex-husband? And why did she wake up next to the Mayor’s dead son? Was not killing her a mistake? Those questions haunted me until the very surprising end.

It’s a great read.

Price: $2.99

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/View-Kilt-ebook/dp/B005KBQE0O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320514373&sr=8-1

Don’t forget that my blog tour is still going on. Leave a comment here, and then hop on over to Rochelle Weber, Author. Meet Chris Redding and learn about her next book, Blonde Demolition, coming later this month!

Here’s the link. http://rochelleweber.blogspot.com

The Halloween Dino Trip by Lea Hovris Shizas

2011-10-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

10-31-11 The Halloween Dino Trip by Lea Hovris Shizas

Jillian is planning her first big Halloween party and hopes the weather holds out
Well, the weather does...but after Jillian, in her witch's outfit playfully chants the following from a prop witch's spell book:
“Changes are due…
Not many but a few
To meet your history
And see it’s not misery
Ghosts will abound
Trekking all around
For you will now travel
In a land full of marvel”
Everyone is in for the surprise of their life. Her backyard is gone. In its place greenery filled with tall trees, a variety of bushes, and...DINOSAURS?

Jillian’s birthday party takes quite a turn in the land of the Dinosaurs in this delightful middle-grade story. I ordered this book for my granddaughter when she was visiting, but she did not get all the way through it. She did enjoy what she read of it, stopping to say, “Grandma, guess what’s happening!” Ms. Shizas did a wonderful job of re-creating the classroom at the beginning. My granddaughter said the teacher reminded her of one of her teachers. I picked up the Kindle when the kids left and read the story myself and found it charmingly scary. I didn’t figure whether the kids would get home until the very end, either! The book was very informative, as well—but don’t tell your children that. If you have middle grade children or grandchildren, they will definitely enjoy The Halloween Dino Trip.

Price: $2.50

Buy Link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=48&category_id=10&keyword=Halloween+Dino+Trip&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Don’t forget that my blog tour is still going on. Leave a comment here, and then hop on over to Rochelle Weber, Author. I’ve won a Bloggy Love Award!

Here’s the link. http://rochelleweber.blogspot.com

Missing, Assumed Dead by Marva Dasef

2011-10-23T00:01:00.001-05:00

When Kameron McBride receives notice she’s the last living relative of a missing man she’s never even heard of, the last thing she wants to do is head to some half-baked Oregon town to settle his affairs. But since she’s the only one available, she grudgingly agrees.

En route, she and her rental car run afoul of a couple of hillbillies and their pickup in an accident that doesn’t seem…accidental. Especially when they keep showing up wherever she goes. Lucky for her, gorgeous Deputy Mitch Caldwell lends her a hand, among other things. Her suspicions increase when she meets the probate judge, and he tries just a little too hard to buy the dead man’s worthless property.

Kam probes deeper into the town’s secrets and finds almost no one she can trust. With Mitch’s help, she peels away the layers of prejudice, suicide, murder, and insanity. Kam must find out what really happened to her dead relative before someone in this backward little town sends her to join him.

And she thought Oregon was going to be boring.

Ms. Dasef gives us a wonderful feeling for the side of Oregon we rarely see—the high desert East of the Cascades—while keeping us on our seats trying to guess what happened to Kam’s distant relative. It becomes clear that his death was not an accident. I wondered what made his property so special that someone would kill for it. My mind wandered all over that desert trying to figure it out, but Ms. Dasef never gave it away, and I pride myself on being able to figure out the endings of books half-way through. Not this one. I had to read the whole thing! I was about to type I had no clue but that’s not true. I had plenty of clues, but no conclusions. The supposedly empty high desert of Eastern Oregon was anything but.

Missing Assumed Dead is as compelling as its cover suggests. It edged out my own Rock Bound cover in the Ya Gotta Read July 2011 cover contest. In fact, it caught my eye and made me read the book, and that’s what covers are for, isn’t it?

Price: $5.50

Buy Link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=142&category_id=8&keyword=Missing+Assumed+Dead&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Don’t forget that my blog tour is still going on. Leave a comment here, and then hop on over to Rochelle Weber, Author and meet Killarney Sheffield, author of Guilty Kisses and Stand and Deliver Your Heart.

Here’s the link. http://rochelleweber.blogspot.com

My next blog stop is tomorrow, Monday October 24, 2011 at Killarney Sheffield’s blog. http://killarneysheffield.blogspot.com

May I Have This Dance by Roseanne Dowell

2011-10-16T00:01:00.002-05:00

Returning to a summer resort in 1997, Elizabeth Ashley sits in the gazebo watching her granddaughter and a young man who reminds her so much of her first love. She fell in love with a boy her stern father didn’t approve of. One who didn’t come from the “right stock” as he put it. Her memory takes her back to 1955. Back to a time when life was fun and she was full of life.

I know I sound like a broken record, but I absolutely love the fact that e-books have brought back the world of short fiction. I’m incapable of writing it. I’m incapable of even telling a short story. When I start to say something my kids usually interrupt and say, “To make a short story long, Mom…” See? I’m doing it now. Not so Roseanne Dowell. She is another of MuseItUp Publishing’s master short storytellers. May I Have this Dance is a forty-two page reminiscence of sweet young love. It begins innocent and whimsical, and then turns heartbreaking when the young man abruptly writes a her a “Dear Elizabeth” letter. Now forty years later after a loveless marriage, several years of acceptance and solitude in her divorce, she’s back watching her granddaughter cavort on the beach where she met the one who got away; the one she never got over. But then, hadn’t he refused to elope when she begged him? She supposed she’d be sitting here divorced and alone even if he had agreed. Ah, youth… If we could go back—knowing what we know now, would it change anything? I guess you’ll have to read this wonderful tale to find out. It’s definitely worth it.

Price: $2.50

Buy Link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=123&category_id=8&keyword=May+I+Have+This+Dance&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

My book, Rock Crazy just came out and I’m going on a blog tour. My author blog this week is the first official stop, but Rochelle’s Reviews is also on the tour. Follow me through the tour and you could win a prize. One lucky commenter can choose a signed copy of Rock Bound, or a Rock Crazy tee shirt or mug. The full schedule is on the left-hand column and the next links are at the bottom of this post.

So, be sure to leave a comment here, and then go over to Rochelle Weber, Author and meet Katie McGowan of Rock Crazy. Leave a comment there and I’ll see you on Thursday, October 20, 2011 over at Decadent Decisions, Lynn Chantale’s blog.

I’ll draw a name from among those who comment on all of the stops between now and The Long & the Short of It Reviews on November 14, 2011 and I’ll announce it here on November 15 2011.

Unalive by Cyrus Keith

2011-10-09T00:01:00.003-05:00

In the second installment of The NADIA Project, the potential stakes are raised even higher. The lab where Nadia was built is no more. But when The Pinnacle strikes back at the government agencies trying to crack its secrets, a horrible truth emerges: The evil cabal of kingmakers is still building living weapons of mass destruction somewhere on the globe.

Jon Daniels and Nadia Velasquez must find the lab and stop it before a new wave of terror erupts across the world. In order to succeed, though, they must get through The Pinnacle's most deadly weapon: Jenna Paine.

All who stand between evil and the innocent are two ancient warriors, a misfit genius, a rogue FBI agent, and a living antimatter bomb named NADIA.

I’m a member of Mensa, so I’m used to hanging out with geniuses. My favorite authors are people like Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Tom Clancy when he was still writing his own books. I am truly honored to call Cyrus Keith a colleague. His writing is as gripping, as complex, and reads as true as the masters of science fiction and Clancy’s early work.

Unalive is Book Two in the NADIA Project trilogy. I loved Becoming NADIA and waited anxiously for Unalive and was not disappointed. Nadia Velasquez is an artificial person with the memories and feelings of an FBI agent who died in a car accident. More than that—she’s an anti-matter bomb.

Unalive starts with the Secretary of State returning from a trip overseas during which she came down with the flu and was treated in a local hospital. Still feeling a bit funky, she stops at the West Wing of the White House to give the Vice President her reports, and explodes. The Pinnacle is back.

Jon heads to Europe with an Air Force officer who has been investigating the NADIA project, knowing that antimatter is involved, but not realizing she has met “the device.” Their small, rogue group feels that Nadia is too precious to risk on this mission. After all, if she dies, she’ll explode and kill millions. But Nadia disguises herself and goes anyway. And what they find there left me anxious for Book Three! C’mon Cyrus! Write faster!

Mr. Keith’s characters are so well-drawn and complex, by the end of the book, I began to have sympathy for Nadia’s arch-rival, Jenna Paine. He said in an interview recently that Jenna is a “damaged” person, and indeed she is. It takes a master to write a sympathetic villain.

If you haven’t read Becoming NADIA, buy it now, along with Unalive. If you have read it, then I probably don’t have to prompt you to buy Unalive, other than to tell you that it’s just as good! Oh, Unalive can stand on its own, but why miss out on Becoming NADIA? I gave that one five stars, too.

Price: $5.95

Buy Link:

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=70&category_id=25&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

NOTE: Cyrus Keith is a guest on my other blog, Rochelle Weber Author. Hop on over and meet him. http://rochelleweber.blogspot.com/2011/10/chapter-forty-two-by-cyrus-keith-author.html

Hurricane Warning by Ginger Simpson

2011-10-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

A hurricane! Just what Linda Morrison needs to welcome her to her new home in Florida. Fearing her recent purchase may end up a bundle of sticks, she’s relieved when a hero swoops in wearing a yellow slicker and offering help. Carlos Mejia is eye candy for sure, but she needs those muscles to help board up the window. Together they ride out the storm raging outside, but inside there’s more than a little electricity in the air.

Excerpt:

A face materialized from beneath the slicker. Masculine eyes, as dark as onyx peered at her. “I was wondering the same.”

He swept back his hood, allowing his ebony hair to dance in the blustery current. His square jaw and tanned face softened with a smile. “I’m your neighbor from down the street. I thought perhaps you might need some assistance. My sister, Marcie, tells me you live alone. If this storm notches itself up a bit, we’re in for a turbulent night.”

Against warning bells about strangers, she sought escape from the elements. She knew his sister…maybe, the name rang vaguely familiar. “Please, come in.” Linda gestured, but kept a tight grip on the door to keep it from slamming into the wall. Her heart thudded. Would her murder top the evening news? She could just see the headline now, “Stupid woman opens door to stranger during storm.”

Just sixteen little pages to keep you company and warm your heart during your lunch break, or by candle light during a storm of your own if you aren’t lucky enough to have a neighbor like Carlos. I highly recommend this cute little short-short.

Price: $0.99

Buy Link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=36&Itemid=1

Masked Love by Ginger Simpson

2011-09-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

At forty-two and facing middle age, Olivia Wilson gets shocking news from her physician. The extra fifty pounds she’s gained since her divorce has brought on sleep apnea, and now she needs to wear some ugly apparatus at night to help her breathe. The clerk at the medical supply store takes her breath completely away, but why in the world would someone as handsome as Austin Reed date a fat, lonely woman who looks like Jacques Cousteau at night?

One of our authors has dubbed Ginger Simpson the Goddess of Humor at MuseItUp Publishing, Inc., because she keeps all of us laughing both on the loops and in her books. And Ginger has not failed in this short story. At twenty-four pages, she will have you chuckling and sympathizing with Olivia whether or not you look like Jacque Cousteau at night as so many of us do.

Yes, like Olivia, I wear a CPAP and it’s darned hard to kiss a man good night when he can’t reach your lips because your mask is in the way! I’ve lost 122 pounds (as of September 1!) so I’m hoping to get rid of it when I reach my goal. At three-hundred pounds I was lucky I could breathe at all. ;-)

Back to the review. I highly recommend this delightful read.

Price: $2.50

Buy Link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=122&category_id=64&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Her Last Kiss by Jenna Storm

2011-09-18T00:01:00.001-05:00

Geneva Phillips life changes forever when she embarks on a weekend in the Arizona White Mountains to soothe her broken heart. Geneva never realized offering an injured man refuge from a raging storm would plunge her into a dangerous and sensual world. When a bloodthirsty daemon targets Geneva as his next kill, she must rely on the mysterious stranger to keep her alive.

Alek Savakis is an Enforcer for the Brethren of Stone Daggers. His mission is to destroy a rabid daemon loose in the area. His one intent is to kill the daemon and move on, the last thing he needs, or wants, is to find himself stranded with a woman who drives him mad with the need to possess her. As their dark enemy continues to feed on the innocent ones Geneva fears Alek will go to any length to protect mortals even if it means sacrificing her to the daemon.

Her Last Kiss is a terrific story about daemons who have vampire characteristics. The story is gripping and exciting, with emotion and it’s erotica, so again—those of who like lots of sex will enjoy that aspect. I reached a point of saturation, but that’s just me. Jenna Storm is a talented writer, and I look forward to more books by her, but hopefully her future books will be edited better. There were major editing issues in this novella. It is a shame when an author has to suffer because of problems at the publisher.

Price: $6.00

Buy Link: http://www.wickedinkpress.com/product_info.php?products_id=37

Stolen Destiny by Gabrielle Bisset

2011-09-11T00:01:00.002-05:00

On this anniversary of unspeakable tragedy, my family and I would like to let the survivors and the families and friends of those who died ten years ago that you are, and have been in our thoughts and prayers.

Released from prison to find a murderer, a prison-hardened Varek Leale is convinced no woman deserves the man he’s become, but his Aeveren destiny makes him succumb to sweet and sexy Callia Reynolds. To catch a murderer, he and Callia must find an Aeveren with the power to control time. But Amon Kalins isn’t a man to trifle with, and when he wants something, he’ll use his powers, devastating charm, and good looks to get it.

When Amon manipulates time and seduces her away, Varek must turn to the people who set him free for help to get her back. But the Council doesn’t do anything without requiring something in return, and what they want is Amon Kalins, one of the most powerful Aeveren ever. Varek will do what he must to capture Amon and find Callia. If he doesn’t, she’ll be lost to him for untold lifetimes.

This is a gripping story, and I’d like to recommend it. Stolen Destiny is about another species of humanoids who live side-by-side with homo sapiens. Humans don’t realize the Aeveren are different from us, even though we interact with them daily. We do not realize that they reincarnate and remember their previous lives, or that when they die their bodies just disappear and they immediately return in their next life—which is why our police are so baffled by the murderer Varek is sent to apprehend. They find crime scenes, but no bodies, and none of the victims’ relatives seem concerned about the lack of their loved ones’ remains. We do not know that some of them can see the future, read minds or manipulate time.

The problem I had with this story was that it had major point of view “head-hopping” issues. I thought that reflected poor editing and at first blamed the publisher, but this is a case of “Nora Roberts does it and I like this more dynamic style of writing.” Just because Nora Roberts does it, doesn’t make it right. Danielle Steel uses a lot of comma splices in her books. She would still fail English Composition 101 at the College of Charleston (SC) where I took it. I don’t find head-hopping dynamic; I find it confusing and it detracts from the book for me. I edited an author once who wanted to leave her head-hops in. I did not want my name on that book as editor. In this industry, and yes—I’m including the romance genre—head-hopping is considered unprofessional. As I said, the story is good. But the head-hopping ruined it for me.

Price: $5.99

Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/stolen-destiny

Buried in Trouble: "Buried in Briny Bay" by Bobbye Terry

2011-09-04T01:46:00.001-05:00

Roxie Turner finds herself up to her neck in trouble when her lifelong nemesis, Georgia Collins, is discovered buried in the town’s landfill. To make matters worse, with her characteristic Southern sass, Roxie has been saying she’d kill Georgia for more than twenty years. In fact, she listed the ways to do the woman in, constantly reminding prominent citizens of her intent. It was all a joke, or so she thought. But the joke turns on her as, suddenly, other dead bodies begin to pile up, all murdered with a technique from Roxie’s list.

Enlisting the assistance of handsome hunk, Greg Norris, Roxie’s sister, Trixie Frye, comes to her aid, bent on uncovering the killer and the truth. Can they find out both before Roxie goes to the big house?

Roxie and Trixie are the kind of amateur detectives who would make Miss Marple and Mrs. Fletcher shudder. In their quest to clear Roxie’s name, they can’t seem to stay out trouble. They can’t even go out to dinner without another dead body turning up, killed by one of the methods on Roxie’s list. It’s a good thing Trixie’s husband is willing to drive a hundred miles or so and bail them out. But then, Greg told them to order in!

I loved Roxie’s sassy attitude, Trixie’s sibling loyalty, her husband’s endless patience, people’s attempts to push Greg and Roxie together, and the twists and turns of this cozy, funny who-dunnit. According to Ms. Terry, this is the beginning of a series. I say, bring it on! I’m hooked!

Price: $2.99

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Buried-Briny-Bay-Mystery-ebook/dp/B004QZ9S1C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315118809&sr=8-1

Guilty Kisses by Killarney Sheffield or Not Proper Etiquette for a Barbeque Guest

2011-08-27T23:59:00.001-05:00

When Lady Cassandra is visited by a thief in the dark of night, she finds her body awakened in a way that her husband's touch has never stirred her desires.

However there are consequences for even a brief stolen night of passion that leave Cassie in dire straights. She turns to the only one she thinks can help her...but will he come before it is too late?

Comte Cohen Ashton's mission is to retrieve a priceless artifact and return it to its former country of origin. He doesn't expect to have his heart stolen by his sworn enemy's lovely young wife or to discover a treasure of his own making that is more valuable than any other.

In the midst of a war between England and France, Cohen must save them both from their folly and Cassie must forgive herself her own sins. Can they prevail or will their fates be sealed by guilty kisses?

Killarney Sheffield it’s all your fault! I was only going to read for an hour until we left for the barbecue. But because of you I did not spend the evening hanging out with my daughter, Elizabeth and her boyfriend offering advice on how to put together the grill she and the kids bought him for Father's Day.

Because of you, I did not tell them how to cook the steaks.

Because of you, I did not hang out with the teenagers.

Because of you I sat on the couch and read Guilty Kisses!

Between Cohen (who somehow I forgave for having his way with her), and Cassie (who kept going when I would have just…) Read the book!

I couldn't put the darned thing down. Especially not after the thing with the ship to France. You should put a warning not to start the book on a holiday. I just HAD to finish it!

I highly recommend this page-burning read. And have tissues ready. This is not only a five rose book, it’s a five tissues book. No—it’s a whole box of tissues book.

Price: $5.95

Buy link

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=136&category_id=8&keyword=guilty+kisses&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Working Under Covers by Kat Holmes

2011-08-21T00:01:00.003-05:00

Due to the economy, the Gods of Olympus are now forced to work among mortals. Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty decides to open her own Internet dating service in Los Angeles. Taking on the name Ariel Schell to hide her true identity, she opens Venus Connections.

Jordan Cade is a retired cop turned PI. But when several women go missing, his former boss drags him back for one last assignment. The only thing the women have in common is a dating service.

All Aphrodite wants is to earn a living. All Jordan wants is to find the missing women. But Fate has other plans and a little under covers work may be needed.

This is a difficult review to write because Kat Holmes is a good friend of mine. If you like erotica, you will probably greatly enjoy this book. Unfortunately, I’m not fond of it. This story is only thirty-five pages long and there are three(?) four(?) sex scenes in it. Just as Aphrodite and Jordan were about to discover who the culprit was, they stopped to make love. At that point, I skimmed over the sex to see who did it. I’m sorry, Kat, but for me that last session got in the way of the plot. If you like erotica and lots of hot sex, this is the story for you.

Price: $2.50

Buy Link:

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=171&category_id=9&keyword=working+under+covers&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Whodunit and Another Twin?!

2011-08-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

Kate Wesley left Twinsburg, Ohio five years ago after her fiancé jilted her. Now she’s back, happy and content with her single life. She doesn’t need men to fulfill her dreams, she has her florist shop. At least she didn’t until Mark Westfield showed up looking for his sister. Kate didn’t much care for the attraction she felt toward him. To make matters worse, her ex showed up, now one of Twinsburg’s finest and her heart about dropped to her feet. What was wrong with her all of a sudden attracted to two men?

Widower, Mark Westfield wasn’t interested in women. He had twin five year olds to raise and they took all his time and energy. But Kate sparked something in him he hadn’t expected to feel again.

Adam Shaffer left Kate two days before the wedding. Left a note and took off to LasVegas. Biggest mistake of his life. But now they were both back and he aimed to get Kate back. They’d both been too young before, too immature. At least he had been. Kate always had her head on straight. But he had a dream, and he needed to see it through before he settled down. Now part of that dream came true, if he could just make Kate see he had changed.

Roseanne Dowell does it again, this time adding mystery to the romance—from the kidnapping of a bride on the eve of her wedding to stumbling across a body under a bush in the local cemetery, Kate Wesley has more than just two love interests distracting her. Not to mention, the victim’s identical twin. Ms. Dowell kept me guessing throughout the book both whodunit and who was gonna “do it” with Kate.

As to whodunit —was it the kidnapper? A stranger passing through town? Someone the victim knew from college? The mailman? The suddenly absent pizza/flower delivery guy? An Alzheimer victim witnessed the murder from her window in the nursing home, but no one believed her. She said the killer wore a University of Ohio jacket, but everyone in Twinsburg, Ohio wears them.

And, yeah—who will Kate end up with? Adam who jilted her, or Mark and his ready-made family of identical twin girls. Do I see a pattern here? Or am I focusing on the line of my bifocals and seeing double everywhere again? You’ll have to read the book to find out. ;-) I highly recommend it.

Price: $5.50

Buy Link:

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=60&category_id=8&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

The Space Station Murders by A. M. Roelke

2011-08-07T03:56:00.000-05:00

An ex-cop on a space station struggles to overcome alcoholism and the death of his partner. Against his better judgment, he befriends a station newbie, and the two begin to investigate the murder of their fellow homeless space station residents.

Excerpt:

Ahead, a fight.

A long, loping run took Herbert to the fracas. Three thugs—the Jensen brothers—wailing on a smaller guy, curly hair. He was giving as good as he got, but with three to one, the odds were obvious.

Herb slammed a fist into the eldest Jensen’s ribs, hooked a leg around his, and pulled him down. Trod over him and tackled the next guy in the pack, the biggest Jensen, leaving Curly with only one opponent. Curly, breathing hard, trying not to double over, blew on his fists, rocked side to side, and clocked his opponent a left hook.

Herb smashed the giant’s face a few times, dodged the return blows; he was too fast for the giant’s fists, so the giant lunged forward to tackle him. He sidestepped and caught the guy from behind, jumping on his back. They both toppled to the floor. By the time he’d gotten loose, the oldest Jensen was getting up, the one Curly had been fighting was down, and both Curly and his opponent had a busted lip.

“Molloy,” growled the biggest Jensen, picking up a pipe hidden beneath the park bench and smacking it into his palm. He advanced on Herb, murder in his eyes.

“Time to go, kid,” said Herb Molloy, voice rising. “Street fight looking to turn into a homicide fest.”

The kid kicked the approaching thug in the back of his knees and took off running, scuffed sneaker soles flashing behind him. He ran all out, the way he’d fought; Herb was behind him the whole way, even when he put on a burst of speed.

They stopped three streets down, leaned against a shop wall (Spaceship Repairs), and panted. “Thanks,” said the kid, doubled over, holding his side. He spat phlegm in the alley, stood up, and offered his hand.

Herb looked at it a second, took it. Most street folks didn’t offer to shake hands.

“Zack Ives,” said the kid.

“Herb Molloy.”

My Review:

It was the writing style in the excerpt that caught my eye. It reminded me of my favorite science fiction author, Robert A. Heinlein. After reading it, I just had to buy the book and I was not disappointed. Herb Molloy, the burned-out, alcoholic cop who befriends newbie Zack Ives and shows him the ropes among the homeless on the space station reminded me of a few of the men in some of Heinlein’s shorter works—down and out curmudgeons who claim it only pays to watch your own back, but they still have a core of ethics that won’t let them ignore a situation of three against one, or allow people to go hungry or let themselves live on charity when they can work at something, anything. They are, to quote Heinlein, “too stinkin’ proud.” Ives is cut from the same cloth and somehow, Molloy recognizes that in him. Nor is either man willing to allow their fellow homeless to continue to be killed while they’re breathing and able to do something about it. Their investigation will keep you guessing until the very end of the book.

It is sixty-nine pages of good sci-fi mystery and I think the Old Man would be proud.

Price: $3.50

Buy Link:

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=108&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1