The Black Sheep

The Black Sheep
by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
ISBN: 978-1-4231-0156-7
YA, Fiction: Ages 12 and up
Hyperion Books for Children

The Black Sheep is a funny and entertaining read. The setting is New York and then off to California. It begins as Kendra Bishop a fifteen year old who has had enough of her parents and all their rules; they even keep a binder filled with these rules. There is a reality TV show that offers teens a chance to swap families, so Kendra decides to write to the show for her chance to get away from it all. The winner is chosen on the basis of the most pathetic letter written, Kendra is excited to find she has actually won.

Kendra is taken from her apartment in Manhattan to California to live with the Mulligan family. They are so different, the parents are both hippies, have five children and a pet ferret. Kendra learns quickly the chaos of sharing a bathroom with so many, having to watch her belongings, and living with a ferret that wants to sleep in her bed. But her biggest problem is the pushy producer who will do anything to get higher ratings. And to top all of this Kendra falls for one of the Mulligan’s, Mitch who is seventeen and despises everything this show stands for. Will Kendra win Mitch over or will things continue to decline for her?

Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout bring us a cast of characters who are engaging and winsome. The story is well crafted and pulls the reader into the conflicted feelings and reasoning of Kendra so well.

Wish Club by Kim Strickland

Wish Club
by Kim Strickland
Three Rivers Press
Crown Publishing Group
ISBN: 978-0-307-35282-8 (0-307-35282-X)
May 2007 | $ 13.95 Fiction


Wish Club is a zany and witty story that you are sure to love. It involves five women, Claudia, Lindsay, Gail, Mara and Jill who are members of a book club. Their book club seems just like any other book club, five women sitting around talking, drinking wine, and even discussing the book they have been reading. Things in their book club had been going rather well until one of the women in the group introduces a book on witchcraft. Being out of the norm, the women are intrigued and decide to go ahead and try their luck at casting a few spells. They start out with a small spell that is to chant and the rain will stop, so they begin chanting and the rain does indeed stop. So they then decide to cast a spell on a cat that is diabetic and the cat heals, its a miracle. So now they decide to embrace their new found powers, so they begin to pursue their new powers further. The women decide to just make wishes to help out themselves in their daily lives, they wish for money, creativity, a baby, time to themselves and a perfect man. This all should be harmless as they are only focusing in on positive thinking and making wishes right?

So now instead of being called the book club they are the wish club. Claudia is a school teacher and wishes to have a baby of her own as soon as possible, she also wants to write a novel; Gail is a housewife and a mother of three and she wishes to have peace and quite time and to get her life back; Lindsay is a socialite and has a trust fund, she wishes to lose weight and wants to be in the Women’s Foundation spring fashion show; while Mara, a former singer wishes for money and to resume her singing career once again; and Jill, an artist wishes for creativity and inspiration, and a perfect man in her life.

Now as the Wish Club members get all too consumed with casting spells in order to improve the various areas of their lives they find themselves in a web of wishes that have gone haywire. What started as an innocent and fun set of small spells has now turned their lives inside out, and everything is out of control. Now they turn to the only person they can think of who might be able to help them get their lives back under control and regain some normalcy, a real witch, someone who can undo what they have done, undo their spells, and finally return their lives back to normal.

Kim Strickland is a pilot for a major airline flying 767s. Kim Strickland lives in Chicago with her husband, her twin boys, two cats and a dog.

Kim Strickland has developed her characters so well and they are so believable and charming and funny. The story line is great, and I can find no faults with this novel. It has been very well written, (cleverly written) and is highly entertaining. Wish Club is an enchanting read, I am recommending it for our reading group. The story is funny, smart and so intriguing. This is a perfect book club read. It is a magical, intriguing, humorous story and give it an astounding 5 stars.

Anatomy of Fear by Jonathan Santlofer

Anatomy of Fear
By Jonathan Santlofer
ISBN: 978-0-06-088197-9 $24.95
William Morrow
An Imprint of Harper Collins
10 East 53rd St., New York, NY 10022
www.HarperCollins.com


As an added bonus be sure to check out the video trailer starring the author Jonathan Santlofer and his artwork:
http://www.jonathansantlofer.com/anatomyvideo.html
(also on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaL97PkP1hs)
Also check out the HarperCollins sweepstakes where the winner gets their portrait sketched by Jonathan Santlofer:
http://www.harpercollins.com/features/anatomyoffear/

The setting is New York and Terri Russo a detective for the NYPD is called to the scene of a murder where she discovers a sketch of the victim alongside the body. Russo is aided in her investigation by Nate Rodriguez, the police sketch artist.

Nate’s father was an undercover narc for the NYPD, Nate still very much disturbed by his fathers death, has managed to avoid doing any on the scene police work. All this is about to change as Nate is drawn into the case, and maybe even further than he could have imagined. Nate begins piecing together the face of the killer and he himself then becomes a target.

The killer also sketches people, his victims, and he uses his abilities to turn the investigation in a different direction. You will find this story erupts with some explosive twists, so hold on for a heart pounding ride.

Jonathan Santlofer is also an artist and has his works displayed in several locations including museums. He received his Masters of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute. Santlofer began writing in 1989 after a gallery fire claimed five years of his works. Anatomy of Fear contains both of his talents; his artwork enhances the strong compelling and intriguing plot, each complementing the other.

Santlofer has a steady flow of action and suspense with enough twists and turns to leave you with anticipation. The characters are distinctive and interesting with qualities that make them believable. The scenes are written with such a compelling impact that is gripping and makes this a genuine page turner to the end.

A guaranteed 5 star read.

Pattern of Vengeance A Maria Sanchez Thriller by C. Hyytinen

Pattern of Vengeance

A Maria Sanchez Thriller

By C. Hyytinen

Echelon Press Publishing

9735 Country Meadows Lane 1-DLaurel, MD 20723

www.echelonpress.com

ISBN: 978-1-59080-520-6 $12.99

April 2007 286 pages

The setting begins in Minneapolis and then moves between LA, Minneapolis, as well as some scenes set in Florida. Agent Stan Bauer has been murdered and believed to have been a Mafia hit. Detective Maria Sanchez is on the case. Her partner is Tom Powders who is nearing retirement and he has been acting very odd lately, Maria is not sure what he is up too, but begins to speculate as the story continues. They believe there is a leak in the department and no one can be trusted. Special Investigator Joe Morgan is Maria’s husband of ten wonderful years.
Chief Sandra LaSalle is the new chief having moved from New York only a year ago, she is a petite redhead in her fifties and is not very well liked and has earned some names since arriving as the new Chief in Minneapolis. Due to the nature of the crimes being committed, the possibility of a leak within the department LaSalle has made the decision to assign the case to Sanchez and partners her with Morgan.

Maria was once married to Jack Sanchez known as The River Rat and was the father to her daughter Tess. He was also father to a boy named Tony, whose mother died and Maria and Joe adopted him, after all he and Tess are brother and sister. Tess is in college and is twenty years old, Tony is a teenager about sixteen. It is nearly Christmas and Tess has finished with finals and comes home to stay for a month, which is just in time as the case heats up for her parents. Will they finally be able to put an end to all the mafia’s crimes? Will anyone else die as a result of this investigation? Will the person responsible for leaking the information to Marco be discovered in time?

LaSalle brings in Etina Altmark a Russian from New York to go undercover as a runaway, she is twenty eight but looks as if she is only fifteen. Hyytinen has a way of leaving you on the edge of your seat, she has incorporated vivid details and accounts throughout the story, making this one that you have to read from front to back non-stop. The chapters are short and each chapter leaves an inevitable hook at the end leaving you with the desire to read one more and then another. The author has superbly written scenes with impact, with a steady flow of action and suspense. This story is so relentless, gripping and intriguing and a genuine page turner. The characters are so finely tuned, believable and real, you find yourself cheering them on, hoping for the best, and feel these are people you have known for quite some time. You will find yourself thinking of the characters long after finishing the book. The story erupts with explosive twists and delivers a powerful ending that will leave you breathless. This is a must read, I will warn there is mature themes including language, but I have no hesitation in saying I highly recommend reading The Maria Sanchez Thrillers. If looking for an explosive read you will not want to miss this one.

It has been a great pleasure to read and review Pattern of Vengeance and I truly cannot wait to read the first in the Maria Sanchez Thrillers, and look forward to all her new releases.

The Strangeling by Saskia Walker

The Strangeling

by Saskia Walker

Juno Books

ISBN: 978-0-8095-5793-6 $9.95

Fantasy

ww.saskiawalker.co.uk/

http://ideaboutique.blogspot.com/2007/02/strangeling-by-saskia-walker.html

http://www.saskiawalker.blogspot.com/

The setting is Edren a fantasy world created by the author who has a magical imaginative spark in storytelling.

The Strangeling is an erotic fantasy novel that revolves around Maerose, a beautiful young woman with magical powers. Maerose is the heroine and Bron is her hero. Bron is an elder and goes on the quest of rescuing Maerose from her captor, Veldor who is a former elder himself. Veldor’s intentions are malicious as he seeks to mate with Maerose in order to master the demons and rule the lands.Veldor is knowledgeable on the prophecy made around 100 years ago; the prophecy is one of a chilling nature where the undead armies of Crondor and Yaxlan rise up from the underworld with great power. As the prophecy has foretold of a maiden that can save the forest and the elders all believe this to be Maerose due to the revelations revealed about the prophecy. Will good conquer evil or will evil prevail in this fascinating fantasy?

The Strangeling is a short fantasy novel that is packed with vivid details and a precise amount of action. Walker writes the story with impact and the story is a superbly crafted erotic fantasy. The characters are well developed with detail and the author manages to tie the characters together well.

This is the first of the author’s works I have had the pleasure of reviewing and have to admit I am hooked. I look forward to her new release next month which is also a fantasy entitled “Unveiling The Sorceress”.

Saskia Walker is a British author of erotic romance, fantasy and erotica. Her idea for this novel began at a tender age of between 8 and 9 when she first became interested in paganism and her parents took her to visit Stonehenge.Saskia Walker earned her BA with honors from the University of Sussex, and has a MA in Literature and Visual Arts from theUniversity of Reading. She currently resides north of London with her true love Mark.

A Magical 5 stars for The Strangeling!

Gun Shy by Ben Rehder

Gun Shy

by Ben Rehder

www.benrehder.com

St. Martin’s

ISBN: 0-312-35752-4

Gun Shy is the fifth novel in this mystery series featuring game warden John Marlin. The setting is Blanco County, Texas and it begins as the National Weapons alliance and director Dale Stubbs gear up for the big rally. The rally is supporting Americans with the right to carry concealed weapons. This is a controversial subject to say the least, but the author has brought humor into the mix and makes light of both sides, remember this is a work of fiction. This rally is expected to be on a grand scale and the NWA’s spokesman is none other than Mitch Campbell.

Mitch is hosting the rally at his Blanco County ranch and will be performing the NWA’s anthem and his number one hit single “My Cold Dead Hands”, but he is no real cowboy, in fact he is an impostor; his agent thought the persona would boost his record sales, deceitful yes. This deceit could end up in a disaster or could make Mitch a big hit. Mitch’s true identity is that of Norman Klienschmidt from Middlebury, Vermont so he is not even from Texas. Will Mitch be able to keep up his hidden identity or will he falter and make a huge mistake?

Due to Mitch’s devious actions and all too fake persona, he has turned to drugs to cope and the drugs are clouding his thinking. He soon becomes paranoid, believing his life is in danger and ends up shooting his gardener. But when the dead Mexican turns up, game warden John Marlin and law enforcement officials are on the case. As Marlin begins checking into the murder a new series of events begin taking place, these events may bring Mitch down as well as the NWA.
Rehder has well developed characters, a strong story line with a very good plot as well as sub-plots. He has created some unexpected twists that will keep you guessing. Rehder does not take an extreme position on questions of gun control and he pokes fun at both sides equally in the book. He presents a comical crime fiction series, that is humorous and entertaining.

It was a great pleasure to review such a witty crime fiction series. I now need to get the other four books in this series. This was the first title I have reviewed from this author and now am hooked. If your looking for a humorous and entertaining read I highly recommend picking up a copy of Gun Shy as it is an enjoyable read.

I believe this deserves a big star with 5 points, (here I am trying to be humorous). A definite 5 stars!

The Bone Whistle by Eva Swan

The Bone Whistle

by Eva Swan

Juno Books

ISBN 10: 0-8095-5792-4

ISBN 13: 978-0-8095-5792-9

208 pages, $12.95

Fantasy - Romance

The setting is Lakota reservation in Greenview, South Dakota. Darly is a twenty year old and lives with her mother just outside of Denver. Every summer she accompanies her mother to an isolated cabin on the edge of Lakota reservation in South Dakota. This is no way for a college student to spend her summer vacation.

Darly is bored and has made the decision that this will be the last year she will accompany her mother to the reservation. Darly likes seeing Grandpa Jack and this year he gives her a bone whistle that has two blue feathers attached, he tells Darly when she gets good and bored to blow the whistle. She waits all of two weeks before blowing the whistle and learns the truth about her family and her father. She had believed her father was dead, but he is not dead nor human, but is wanaghi. Wanaghi are a shape changing people who left their tribes centuries before and now live in a magical land beneath the hill.

On the search for her father she is accompanied by Osni, but what she finds is a conflict among the wanaghi. Now she must choose her heart and feelings she has developed for Osni or her family. Will Darly be able to resolve the conflict between them? Before anything else she must discover own powers which puts her on a path of self-discovery.

Eva Swan combines both Native American and Celtic legends into a romantic fantasy. The author takes us through the story by different character perspectives. Her characters are believable and she maintains a good plot. This is Eva Swans debut fantasy novel, the only problem I found was that as a reader you need to pay attention as the author has point of view changes into different characters perspective which can cause some confusion while reading. I truly enjoyed the both the Native American and Celtic concepts she has incorporated into the story.

Eva Swan is the pseudonym for the author, editor, and artist, who is of Native American descent, who currently reside inEngland. I was unable to locate a website for the author to include with the review.

Lost Echoes by Joe R. Lansdale

Lost Echoes
By Joe R. Lansdale
Crime thriller
ISBN: 978-0-307-27544-8 $13.95
Vintage Books
A Division of Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.RandomHouse.com

Lost Echoes is a story about a man named Harry Wilkes, who at the tender age of six came down with the mumps and developed a severe ear infection which affected his brain. Harry’s mind would fill with images of past crimes and he could see the events taking place as well as see the faces of the people involved in the crimes. Harry eventually develops a taste for alcohol as it helps him to suppress the images as well as the sounds contained within his mind.

Harry is in a bar one evening when he notices three men taking a drunk out through the back. Harry knows what is getting ready to happen and decides to step in. The drunk is Tad Peters and immediately he and Harry become friends. Soon after Kayla, Harry’s first love comes back into his life, now a police officer she is determined to find her fathers’ killers. With Harry’s ability he soon figures out that the men responsible for Kayla’s fathers’ death are connected to other unsolved murders.

Joe R. Lansdale has penned several novels in the genres of suspense, horror and westerns. He has won many awards throughout his career. He currently resides in Texas with his wife and children.

Lansdale writes scenes with high impact and vivid details and accounts. He incorporates the correct intrusive amount of twists and turns that leave you breathless and drawing you into the heart of the story. The characters are so believable and you feel as if you have known them for quite some time, he is descriptive and adds that human touch to his characters.

An indubious 5 star read.

Toaster Pond by Peter de Witt

Toaster Pond

By Peter de Witt

Fantasy/Adventure

ISBN: 1-933255-21-8

www.toasterpond.com

DNA Press

PO Box 572 Eagleville, PA 19408

www.dnapress.com

Toaster Pond is a wondrous adventure for children. The setting is a place called Waterville. In Waterville during the summer the teens are ready for their championship game of Hide and Seek. But this is not your normal regular game.
The story will captivate your child’s imagination. You can discover within the pages six toed fairies, as well as a wealth of different characters. The stories main characters include Doug, Skip, and Pierce, and they are on the Hide and Seek team termed the best team. Peter de Witt transports the game to a magical place of Sangerfiled, here the main characters must put their expert skills into action. Will they be able to save Sanger Castle? To find out you will need to pick up a copy of this great adventurous tale, you will not be disappointed.

Toaster Pond is a quick compact read, once your child has started they will not be able to put this one down. This is Peter de Witt’s debut and is an excellent creation and there will be a high demand for more. This is one enchanting and magical read that the entire family will want to read. This title will win the parents approval, and will be captivating families for generations to come.

Peter de Witt is an author, a adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY., and he is also has been teaching elementary school for eleven years. He currently resides in New York.

The Chronicles of the Virago by Michael K. Bialys

The Chronicles of the Virago
By Michael K. Bialys
PublishAmerica
ISBN: 1424133653

The stories main character is Makenna, who is your typical 12 year old girl. The setting isPasadena, California.
It all begins when Makenna is approached one evening by three fairies who tell her she is to protect her twin siblings from evil forces. The fairies arm her with an Armasword which is a powerful mystical weapon. Upon their visit they also tell her that she is the chosen one, the protector which they call the Virago. Her twin brother and sister are born with a gift of goodness and Makenna must protect them from evil, this is her quest and so the journey begins.

In this fantasy an earthworm reveals the evil force by name and that name is Sir Seaton. It is he who will be on his own quest to locate and destroy the twins preventing them from defeating pure evil in the future. Will Makenna discover Sir Seaton among the many disguises? Will she fail or prevail?

This is contemporary fantasy at its finest. A rich captivating story between good and evil with a picturesque ending where good prevails. It is both enchanting and a stimulating read for young readers, and offers vivid accounts and memorable characters. The story will excite your children and spark their imaginations, all while teaching family values. Your daughters will be cheering for Makenna, and your sons will be captivated and thrilled with the story filled within the pages.

This is a must for children, and highly recommended. It was a delightful pleasure reviewing this title and look forward to the next in the series.

The Story of Kitten Cuckoo by Ed Baker

The Story of Kitten Cuckoo
Written and illustrated by Ed Baker
www.kittencuckoo.com
ISBN: 1-933572-04-3
Centro Books
200 E. 90th St ., New York, NY 10128
www.centrobooks.com

The Story of Kitten Cuckoo, written and illustrated by Ed Baker is an endearing picture book with cartoonish characters that are simple yet adorable.

The story is for children of all ages, teaching children the concept of friendship. Ed Baker has developed a loosely rhyming poem to enrich this tale of an unlikely friendship. Kitten Cuckoo and a baby elephant named Paquile E. Derm are best friends, despite their obvious differences. The animals at the zoo would stare, giggle and make fun of the unlikely pair.

Paquile escapes from the zoo with Cuckoo and ends up being captured and sent to Africa. Cuckoo returns home to find Harrison Cruz has moved; now homeless he decides to do what any friend would do, travel to Africa to find his best friend. In the end he finds not only Paquile but Harrison Cruz too.

The story delivers the perfect idea of true friendship and will engage young children while teaching them not to give up on friendships formed.

You will find games, wall paper, art and other goodies located on their website at http://www.kittencuckoo.com/

The game located on their website is addicting to both children and adults alike.

Vrolok by Nolene-Patricia Dougan

Vrolok

by Nolene-Patricia Dougan

Author House

1163 Liberty Dr., Ste. 200, Bloomington, IN 47403

9/28/06

www.authorhouse.com

ISBN: 1-4208-8163-9

Do you love a good vampire story? Do you find yourself sucked into the tale? Love adventure of the dark side?
The setting takes place in historic Eastern Europe Transylvania.

The story begins as Vlad Dracula having fought a battle with his enemies, and a young girl’s curiosity ignites her. A historic vampire tale, occurring over a time span of five hundred years. The story follows the protagonist, Isabella, as a young vampire. Isabella is rebelling as her father rejects her; he is unable to overcome the loss of his wife while giving birth to their daughter Isabella. Isabella travels to the castle of Vlad Dracula, where Vlad develops strong feelings, and falls in love with her. What else would a vampire who is in love do? Vlad turns Isabella into a vampire, his mate for life. Do not be fooled this is not a loving match, it is the opposite, they have a long love-hate relationship, spending more time apart than together. Over time Isabella can no longer deny her love for Vlad and upon his demise she vows revenge and to bring his killers down with the help of Nicolae. Isabella and Nicolae leave America and travel back to England to bring down the English Vampire hunters and avenge Vlad’s death.

Isabella struggles with her guilt and makes a vow to only kill those who deserve to die. She never allows anyone to hinder her revenge against those who have wronged her throughout time. Over the centuries of her existence she meets many famous historical figures. She encounters such historical figures as Napoleon, Bram Stroker, to the western figures of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, as well as many other figures throughout the selected eras. She travels throughout Europe and America. Nolene-Patricia Dougan has performed vast research and the historical figures mentioned in her book are remarkable.

Vrolok is a compelling and gripping tale of a young beautiful vampire’s dark journey through the centuries. Vrolok has a strong plot throughout, and the characters are so well developed and intensely interesting. This is no traditional vampire story; you may think well the story involves Vlad Dracula, it is like all the other stories, it is so very different, do not be fooled. This is a superior spine tingling dark fantasy written be a very imaginative author, her work embraces hundreds of years of history and maintains vivid descriptions of various people, places and events.

This book will hold your attention to the very end, and you will find it is very difficult to put down, a definite page turner well until the late night. I could find no fault in this tale. I highly recommend this story, it is unlike any other vampire story I have ever read. So if you are looking for a different twist from the norm, are seeking a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable read, look no further. All vampire enthusiasts as well as all Anne Rice fans will not want to miss this one, you will get lost in this adventure, and you will not be disappointed. I am looking forward to Dougan’s new release with anticipation.

A definite 5 star read!

The Blue Zone by Andrew Gross

The Blue Zone
by Andrew Gross
Fiction 352 pages
William Morrow an Imprint of Harper Collins
www.harpercollins.com
ISBN: 978-0-06-114340-3 $25.95
www.andrewgrossbooks.com


Would you want to know your family secrets, and what skeletons lie hidden in the closet? Would you really want to know the truth if it would destroy everything you believed? What would you do if you learned your life had been a lie?

Kate Raab receives a devastating phone call from her mom, now the questions of family secrets and skeletons in the closet, and the truth enter her mind like a whirlwind. The words she heard “your father has been arrested, come quickly” made no sense to her at all. There must be some mistake, her father had no connections to the Mercado family and he didn’t know anyone from Columbia, or did he? What lies ahead for Kate when the family secrets begin to unravel?

Kate soon discovers that her life has been a lie. Her family is placed into protective custody, but Kate refuses, and her contact with her family is limited as a result. Kate marries a year later and is working on regaining some normalcy to her life. She feels as if she is being watched, and is consumed by paranoia after her best friend is shot while they are leaving work. After all Kate is certain that she was the intended target, not her best friend. Kate’s world is beginning to come apart.

Kate learns that her father has disappeared from the Witness Protection Program. Agents begin questioning her about her father, now she begins to think and is determined to find her family and learn the truth once and for all. Kate is surrounded by agents and wonders if they can even be trusted. Can she trust anyone? Her mind is consumed with possibilities that no one including her father and even her husband can be trusted. She decides to find out the truth and finds herself entangled in a deadly web, and is confronted with a truth that is more painful than she could ever imagined possible.

The Blue Zone is the term that the agents use when people in the Witness Protection Program come up missing. Kate has her own definition of the Blue Zone and believes that we all live within our own Blue Zone. Andrew Gross is the co-author of five bestselling thrillers with James Patterson. The Blue Zone is Gross’s solo debut. I look forward to reading all his novels to come in the future.

Andrew Gross delivers an ingenious and intricately layered plot, while still creating convincing personal journeys for his characters. The Blue Zone delivers a tantalizing and intriguing story packed with shocking twists that will keep you guessing and begging for more.

The Blue Zone is a definite 5 stars and is highly recommended!

For A Few Demons More by Kim Harrison

For A Few Demons More
by Kim Harrison
www.kimharrison.net
Harper Collins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Fiction 456 pages
ISBN: 978-0-06-078838-4 $21.95


For A Few Demons More is the fifth installment in the Hollows series by Kim Harrison.

Rachel Morgan is a witch and freelance bounty hunter that is woken from her sleep to find a powerful demon wrecking her home and claiming she posses something of hers. Rachel resides in a sanctified church and in disbelief and being scarred that the demon can enter the church.

Rachel is an interspecies consultant for the police force which is run by humans; she is called down to the morgue to look at the bodies of murdered werewolves. Rachel starts piecing it all together and realizes the reason the women werewolves can not be traced is because they are not registered in the were registry. What does this mean, the conclusion must be they were not born as werewolves; they must have been humans that had been changed into weres.

Rachel recognizes that the Focus, which is a demon artifact she has been hiding, has been turning humans into weres spontaneously. If the artifact were to fall into the wrong hands it would start a new interspecies war between the vampires and the weres which would be disastrous for the entire world.

For A Few Demons More is an action packed fantasy delivering a mix of action, horror and imagination. And some of her characters from the series are back in this edition. Kim Harrison has introduced us to some intriguing and interesting new characters that hopefully will make appearances in future Hallows series. I will have to give praise to the author for taking risks with her characters, and with the killing of one of her main characters.

Harrison has intriguing plot twists and incorporates taking her characters in such amazing directions to leave you with much anticipation of the next in the series.

Readers will not be disappointed. I look forward to reading all her novels for years to come. Reviewing this title was a delightful pleasure. I recommend it without hesitation and give it two thumbs way up. A definite 5 stars! I do highly recommend if you have not read the others in the Hallows series that you pick those up and start with the first in the series.

13 Bullets A Vampire Tale by David Wellington

13 Bullets
A Vampire Tale
by David Wellington
Fiction 323 pages
Three Rivers Press an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
A division of Random House, Inc.,New York
www.crownpublishing.com
ISBN: 978-0-307-38143-9 $13.95
www.davidwellington.net


Do you really believe in vampires? Would you be willing to seek out their lair knowing that you were a sensitive? Such questions had never entered Laura Claxton’s mind. Until she met US Marshall Jameson Arkeley, that would devastate her life as she knows it, her thinking and beliefs are all about to change.

The story begins in 1983; Special Deputy Jameson Arkeley and his partner Webster are on a stake out outside a diner where Piter Byron Lares is inside talking with the waitress. What happens next is rich with moments of terror and the horrifying events that follow will leave you breathless. Lares takes everyone in the diner out in a matter of seconds, Arkeley is in for a terrifying ride of his life. Lares takes Arkeley after killing most of the SWAT team, when Arkeley comes to he finds he is in a ships hold and focuses in on five coffins, only one is empty. The other four coffins contain decaying remains, Arkeley fight for his life, and removes Lares heart and as the sun comes up he burns the boat, believing he had killed them all.

But one single survivor remained, Justinia Malvern, who now has been kept alive at a sanitarium in Pennsylvania. Arkeley believed all the terror was over, he was dead wrong.

Now 20 years later, Arkeley travels to Pennsylvania as a US Marshall and meets with State Trooper Laura Caxton. Arkeley partners up with Caxton to exterminate all the vampires once believed to be extinct. Malvern is being kept alive by minimal life support, the sanitarium has installed special blue lights as she is sensitive to regular lighting, she is being fed fresh blood by her caretaker who has inserted a shunt into his arm to feed her. Why has Malvern been kept alive all these years? There are bizarre laws preventing her extermination, and she seems to be of no threat, until now.

Arkeley and Caxton are on a mission to find the vampires lair and exterminate them before they can get the blood Malverne needs. Then Arkeley is kidnapped in order to use his blood to replenish Malvern’s powers, Caxton must now forge ahead and destroy them before they can unleash unspeakable horrors upon everyone.

David Wellington is the author of the Monster Island trilogy, and is no stranger to this genre.

13 Bullets is the first book in the trilogy by David Wellington, and is a tantalizing wild high octane ride. Wellington weaves his plot line together and has developed some very intriguing characters. This vampire tale is relentless, gripping, powerful and a genuine page-turner, that is horrifying and rich with moments of terror.

The reader is thrust into a state of uncertainty filled with nervous anticipation as the conclusion nears to find that we must wait for the next edition to this trilogy to tie up the loose ends.

13 Bullets is a blood curdling tale to sink your teeth into. I look forward to reading his novels for years to come. Reviewing this title was a frightening pleasure. I highly recommend it to the horror fans everywhere.

The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber

The Book of Air and Shadows
By Michael Gruber
Fiction 464 pages
ISBN: 978-0-06-087446-9
William Morrow
An imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
www.HarperCollins.com
www.michaelgruberbooks.com

What would you do if you discovered a 17th century letter and a coded message? Would the quest for answering the coded message be plausible if not risky? It all starts with a fire at a used book store and a set of valuable books become damaged, two of the employees decide to take them home to see if they can be saved. Both Albert and Carolyn squabble over some manuscript pages which Albert finds and decides that the manuscript is a letter referring to an unknown Shakespeare play.

Carolyn and Albert take the manuscript to a Shakespearean scholar by the name of Andrew Bulstrode and he offers them a small price for the pages dismissing them as being credible. Later Bulstrode meets with Jake Mishkin, an attorney to inquire to copy write only to be found dead the next day. Now in fear of his own life Mishkin is on the run from the killers. Will Mishkin be next? Where will all the clues in this thriller lead?

Michael Gruber was born in New York City and attended Columbia, earning a BA in English Literature. Gruber now resides in Seattle, Washington with his wife and his very large dog.
This read combines suspense, thrills, humor, and mystery that provides twists and turns that engages you on the search to answering the clues. Gruber has developed a unique writing style that draws you into the heart of the story, which is engaging and surprisingly humorous at times; and contains vivid accounts and detail, and is a genuinely great read. His characters are well developed, compelling and memorable.

Reviewing this title was a great pleasure and is a highly recommended read.

The Naming Of The Dead by Ian Rankin

The Naming Of The Dead
By Ian Rankin
Crime fiction 452 pages
ISBN: 978-0-316-05757-8
Little, Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Ave., New York, NY 10169
www.HachetteBookGroupUSA.com
www.ianrankin.net

The setting is Edinburg, Scotland, the year is 2005. And the story begins as everyone is watching for the upcoming G8 summit. Reinforcements are called in from all over the country as a few hundred thousand demonstrators have come to protest poverty aimed at the World leaders. Detective Inspector John Rebus is originally to stay on the sidelines away from the scene, but as luck would have it a routine murder investigation turns up with a clue that throws him right in the middle of things.

Rebus and his partner Clarke are on the case and due to the clues they are turning up believe they may have a serial killer. All the while tensions are running high between Rebus and Special Branch Commander Steelforth. The investigation leads to many questions of suicide or murder. Crime fiction enthusiasts will not want to miss this one.

This is an astounding 5 stars!

Ian Rankin was born in the Kingdom of Fife and graduated from the University of Edinburg. The first of his Rebus novels, “Knots & Crosses” was published in 1987. Rankin is the UK’s number one best-selling crime writer and lives in Edinburg with his wife and their two sons.
Naming of The Dead won the Worldbooks Crime Thriller of the Year Award. Ian Rankin has developed an intriguing plot that is loaded with twists and turns, and has created some very witty and memorable characters. Looking for a great read that holds your attention through to the end, that is difficult to put down and is a real page turner, then this is a must read, especially for the crime fiction enthusiasts every where.

Ladykiller by Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony

Ladykiller
By Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony
ISBN: 1-933515-05-8 $23.95
Suspense/Thriller 240 pages
Oceanview Publishing

Ladykiller is the debut suspense novel by Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony, the husband and wife writing team, and what a unique writing team. They have penned a novel that is a must for crime enthusiast.

The setting is the streets of New York, and the year is 1991. Four women have been murdered from all different walks of life, including a cheerleader, stockbroker, a housewife and a prostitute. Homicide detective Dave Dillion of the NYPD is on the case and must solve these murders or risk losing his job. Dave encounters a beautiful social worker by the name of Megan Morrison, the two join forces in search for the serial killer, and romance ensues.

The press is calling the serial killer “Ladykiller”. The killer has left no clues and no trail behind to follow. The murders always take place in some out of the way place where no witnesses can be found. There are never any signs of the victim being taken against her will and no signs of a struggle with their attacker, and the murders all appear to be personal in nature. Will Dave find the killer before its too late?

Lawrence Light is an award-winning journalist and is currently the Wall Street Editor for Forbes magazine. He graduated from Columbia School of Journalism and is the author of the Karen Glick novels. He currently resides in Manhattan with his wife and co-author Meredith Anthony.
Meredith Anthony has written for a variety of sources including film, television, print and the web. She graduated from St. John’s College and also received a MA from The Johns Hopkins University.

Ladykiller is an intriguing, compelling and suspenseful crime novel packed with enticing twists and turns to keep you on the edge. The authors have created a powerful thriller that tantalizes with a sense of suspense and a steady flow of action. The characters are believable, finely developed and engaging. Ladykiller is superbly crafted with vivid detail that draws you into the story.

An astounding 5 stars!

Soul Medicine by Norman Shealy, MD, PhD, & Dawson Church, PhD

Soul Medicine, Awakening Your Inner Blueprint for Abundant Health and Energy
By Norman Shealy, M. D. PH. D. & Dawson Church, PH. D.
ISBN: 0-9710888-8-8 $24.95
Elite Books, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Both intelligent and intriguing
5 stars

Soul Medicine conveys that a vibrant spiritual connection is essential to wellness. The author’s contend that there is a spiritual connection which is established in the consciousness and through intention which they state can alter the bodies’ energy field. You will find these principles described in the book as well as many scientific studies that demonstrate the power of consciousness to heal.

Norman Shealy, M.D., PH. D. is a neurosurgeon and is the founding president of the American Holistic Medical Association. And Dawson Church, PH. D., is currently researching Quantum Medicine, which is the exploration of the newest studies on the effects of the consciousness on DNA.

The entire book is so intriguing and engaging, but I will have to say that my favorite chapter is Chapter 10 entitled “Your Personal Soul Connection Inventory”. The author’s state that “a healthy relationship with your soul, and using soul medicine as primary care, is the best thing you can do for your body”. In this chapter they list characteristics which they have found to be common to people with a vibrant soul connection. The characteristics include all the following: forgiveness, tolerance, serenity, faith, reason, hope, motivation, consistency, community, joy, gratitude, and love, all of which are explained in detail. You will also find within this chapter that they include a soul connection inventory of 50 items in which you add up your own personalized score and interpret your own results.

Being a nurse, I know that stress affects the body, the more stress a person endures and has in their life, they eventually begin to adapt, thereby reducing our threshold for new stress is lowered which eventually causes a cascading effect on us. Stress plays a major role in disease, all of which is explained within Soul Medicine. The holistic approach to medicine is on the rise in our nation and Soul Medicine brings to our attention the issues of consciousness and intention.
The authors explain that your consciousness holds the key to our own well being, and that even small shifts in energy and awareness can produce major shifts in our health. They continue on and include a look at the history of faith healers, and trace the factors that were and are common to healings they term as “miraculous healings”.

Soul Medicine is intelligent and engaging, and I found it difficult to put down. A very highly recommended read for anyone who is interested in their health and well-being.

Virgin River by Robyn Carr

Virgin River

By Robyn Carr

MIRA Books

Melinda Monroe is a nurse and midwife, her husband Mark Monroe was murdered during a convenience store robbery. Melinda reads a want ad wanting a Midwife/Nurse Practioner in Virgin River with a population of only six hundred and includes a rent free cabin. She decides this might just be the perfect place for her to heal her heartache and also might be just the place for her nursing career. She accepts the job as the Doctors assistant in this small town. When she arrives nothing was as she expected or as advertised, the cabin is dilapidated and a wreck, and the old Doc Mullins does not even want her. She did receive a warm welcoming from Jack, the restaurant owner, but she still decides this was a mistake and makes the decision to leave, but her plans quickly change when she discovers the newborn left on the Doc’s front porch steps. Has she found the escape she was looking for, or has she discovered her home?

The main characters are Melinda, Doc Mullins, and Jack, whom is in love with Melinda, but he is being patient as he recognizes that her heart still belongs to another man.

The story line is solid; the characters are likeable as well as believable. Virgin River is a fabulous book that is addictive reading. There is so much packed into this book including Melinda’s adventure, great characters, and passion. I highly recommend curling up with this book.