Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 306
June 4, 2019
Review: MAKING A MEDIUM by Erin Huss
At 23, Zoe Lane was ready to “enter the work force, gain independence, and maybe even move out.” Unfortunately, jobs were hard to come by, especially in a small town like Fernn Valley. Then it hits her—the car. While nursing a mild concussion in the doctor’s office, she gets harassed by a cranky—albeit handsome—guy in a hat. It would seem that this guy was stalking her as he was appearing everywhere she went. Turns out he was more than a stalker—he was a ghost! A ghost that, apparently, only she could see. Of course, she thinks she must be going crazy. But rather than being sent to the loony bit, she decides to play it cool and pretend she doesn’t see him.
The guy apparently won’t leave her alone until the job gets done, and the job is to find out how he died. Even though he was really old at the time of death, the guy can’t shake the feeling that he was murdered.
So now only was Zoe living under the strict rules of her parents, but she was also being bossed around by Casper, the cranky ghost.
Witty and crafty, Making a Medium is a quirky and fun mystery. Zoe can see the dead, hear thoughts, and get into some funny trouble. She never wanted to be a medium, but she learns to accept it, not really having a choice. Little by little, she learns how to harness hew new psychic abilities in naïve and blundering attempts. It’s quite a kick. Not only does she learn how to be a medium and solve mysteries, but she also learns how to be an adult from a ghost. As she stated, she’s not particularly good with people—dead or alive.
It’s simple: Willie wants solve his murder and Zoe wants to get rid of his pushy ghost. And the two are getting on each other’s nerves.
I enjoyed the snarky banter between Zoe and Willie as they disagreed about a lot of things (i.e. her clothes, her sheltered life, the fact that she can’t drive a car.) I especially liked how they commiserated on how life is now and how life was back then. Example: [Willie]: “When I was your age, a woman was called a woman. People are too easily offended these days.” [Zoe]: When you were my age, Nazis occupied Germany.” Such biting wit! I could seriously see this as one of those slap-stick comedy movies.
Full of mystery, quips, and zany twists. A hilarious read!
My rating: 5 stars
Review: AMANDA LESTER AND THE PINK SUGAR CONSPIRACY by Paula Berinstein
Amanda Lester is tired of hearing about the great Sherlock Holmes. Even though it ran in her family, she had no desire to be a detective like her father and grandfather. At 12, she wanted to be a filmmaker. With the deadline for the film festival awards, she had no idea what kind of movie to make. With a great knowledge of movies, Amanda was a smart, inquisitive kid. But she could be bossy at times, which made it harder to find people to work with. She also had a sweet tooth and was considered a “good eater.” (Basically, she was fat.)
At her parents’ request, she is enrolled in detective school. What? She doesn’t want to go to some filthy school in London; she wants to make movies. Her parents were just trying to squeeze the creativity out of her.
The special school had strict rules. No snacking? Amanda was going to die.
Story was youthful and quirky, but I thought it was a bit weird. School was basically a Hogwartz for detective Harry Potters. The writing was smart, but it was also too smart at times—almost condescending and annoying. An okay YA read though.
My rating: 3 stars
Review: THE MEDIUM PLACE by Erin Huss
Zoe Lane, the girl who sees dead people, is back! Still being new to the medium gig hasn't stopped her from working her dream job at the The Fernn Valley Gazette. But when a ghost appears (literally) right in front of her, she has no choice but to help. The ghost's name is Penelope, and while the last ghost was restored to the age of his prime, this one carried a wound in her abdomen. A wounded ghost?
As quickly as this story begins, Zoe starts to wonder if the ghost is not actually dead, but rather close to death. Mmm, interesting. But, of course, this would have to be an attempted murder. And Zoe must find her before she dies.
In an effort to help, Zoe somehow manages to make herself the prime suspect. But it seems nobody will take her word on account that she's Looney Lane.
A good, light-hearted mystery. Although the quips did not come as often and the case was a little more complicated than the last, Zoe still delivers with warmth and wit. I definitely liked the first book better.
My rating: 3.5 stars
June 3, 2019
Excerpt Post: JUSTICE GONE by N. Lombardi Jr.
WINNER NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARD
Best Legal Thriller 2019
Chapter 7
The funeralservices, particularly the burial, had been announced asprivate and that sympathizers should remain at a discreet distance; and in a demonstration of exemplary respect, the hundreds of supporters complied with the request.
Family and comrades,especially those from the New Hope Clinic, were designated to be at the gravesite. An uninvited guest, surprisingly, was also among them: John Garson, Police Chief of Bruntfield Township.
After the lowering of the coffin, and the slow deliberate departure of the mourners, Garson slipped away, in the opposite direction that everyone else would follow toward their cars and hired limos: crossing fields of gravestones until he reached the coppices of oak trees, in order to escape the press.
Everyone else present merged into the group of activistswho assembled at the gate of the plot, all intent upon making known the measure of their sorrow to the public.
The crowd that participated was moderatein numbers, but in no way insignificant—about seven hundred were reportedto have shown up. They marched,waving their signs andchanting slogans, from the centralcommercial district to the Bruntfield Veterans MemorialPark, where a makeshift stage had been set up for the guest speakers. The local TV stations from Newark and Trenton, including the network affiliates, were present covering the march.
The whole thing was fairly orderly, despite the loud chants of“Justice for Jay” and the cardboard signs that said: WE DON’T WANT KILLER COPS, SHAME ONYOU, PROTECT NOT KILL, PUTTHE ANIMALS BEHIND BARS. Police presence was minimal and subdued.
Once they arrived at the previouslysetup podium in the park, representatives of the various groups got their chance to express their views with the conditionof keeping it short, and asper Marshal Felson’s request, focused on the incident. The factthat Jay Felson was approachedby police when he was not in the act of committingany crime was stressedon more than one occasion. The TV crews covered the speeches with utmost diligence, as this was one of the highlightsto be expected. Finally, for the emotionaltouch, the organizers called on the young man’s father.
“We are here today to let the city authorities know that we will be following very closely the grand jury proceedings!” Marshal Felson shouted. “That we, as a community, will not just brush this aside. I am grateful to all of you who have shown concern and have voiced their support for my son.” He gave up the mike andwalked off the stage amid cheers and applause.
A rather frail-looking young man with glasses took control of theaudience to announce that Dr. Tessa Thorpe from the New HopeTrauma Recovery Clinic was to be the next speaker.
Tessa had given much thought as to how she should dress for theoccasion. Her first instinct was her Karen Kane pants suit, butdismissed that idea to wear her copper-brown print kaftan in its stead.
Now, with its folds caught in the vigorousSeptember breeze, giving the illusionof a multitudeof miniature flags fluttering around her, her thick locks of hair dancing around her head, she spoke to the crowd, slowly, deliberately taking her time. “Hello, my fellow citizens.”She stopped to survey the mass of people standing in front of her. Dramatic pauses replete with eye contact, if not overdone, were quite effective in getting one’s message across. Not surprisingly, Tessa knew how to get her message across, a specialart in the realm of behavioral scientists. Public relationsfirms, advertising companies, political campaigns, all hired an army of psychologists to sell a product. And Tessa Thorpe, as someone who had thirty years’ experience as a criminal psychiatrist, could sell as well as any of them. “We are here today for two reasons, two very important reasons that are essential to our well-beingin a modern society. Freedom is one, and justice is the other.”
Enthusiastic cheers.
“When the call for war came, we were told that our enemies hated our freedoms. We were told that the citizensof Iraq had beenheld hostage by a ruthlessdictator who denied his own people these freedoms.Our invasion of that country was sold to us as OperationIraqi Freedom. And so we sent our young men andwomen off to war, the most traumaticexperience a human being could ever gothrough, with thebelief that they were fighting for liberty and freedom. And yet, one of those whom we had sent…hadcome back to us only to have his own freedom denied. His single offence at the time he was approachedby law enforcement officers was that he was exercising his freedom to stand on a streetcorner.”
Thiselicited a roar from the crowd.
“This is not merely tragic,it is an act of deplorable fraud, being denied the very thing he fought for!”
More heartfeltcheering.
“When I was young, we were made to pledge allegiance, an oath thatended with the phrase, ‘with liberty and justice for all.’ Well, Jay Felson was denied liberty…let us make sure he is NOT DENIED JUSTICE!”
Anear-shattering reverberationof concurrence.
Having descendedfrom the little platform with the crowd still shouting in endorsement, Tessa was serially embraced by her coworkers: Casey, Ed, Penny…all with praise about her wonderful speech, culminating in Marshal Felson’s hug, whispering into her ear, “Amazing.”
The next event on the program was to go together to the site where Jay was killed at the bus depot in order to lay memorial flowers and gifts. The TV teams followed, instinctively knowing that this was indeed another newsworthy item. In fact, as ahuman interest story, it tugged at the heart to see the gift bearers laying their offers down. And what made it even more poignant was the huge bloodstainthat had yet to be cleaned off the pavement, a crimson smear that drew numerous zoomed-in shots by the camera crews.
Best Legal Thriller 2019
Chapter 7
The funeralservices, particularly the burial, had been announced asprivate and that sympathizers should remain at a discreet distance; and in a demonstration of exemplary respect, the hundreds of supporters complied with the request.
Family and comrades,especially those from the New Hope Clinic, were designated to be at the gravesite. An uninvited guest, surprisingly, was also among them: John Garson, Police Chief of Bruntfield Township.
After the lowering of the coffin, and the slow deliberate departure of the mourners, Garson slipped away, in the opposite direction that everyone else would follow toward their cars and hired limos: crossing fields of gravestones until he reached the coppices of oak trees, in order to escape the press.
Everyone else present merged into the group of activistswho assembled at the gate of the plot, all intent upon making known the measure of their sorrow to the public.
The crowd that participated was moderatein numbers, but in no way insignificant—about seven hundred were reportedto have shown up. They marched,waving their signs andchanting slogans, from the centralcommercial district to the Bruntfield Veterans MemorialPark, where a makeshift stage had been set up for the guest speakers. The local TV stations from Newark and Trenton, including the network affiliates, were present covering the march.
The whole thing was fairly orderly, despite the loud chants of“Justice for Jay” and the cardboard signs that said: WE DON’T WANT KILLER COPS, SHAME ONYOU, PROTECT NOT KILL, PUTTHE ANIMALS BEHIND BARS. Police presence was minimal and subdued.
Once they arrived at the previouslysetup podium in the park, representatives of the various groups got their chance to express their views with the conditionof keeping it short, and asper Marshal Felson’s request, focused on the incident. The factthat Jay Felson was approachedby police when he was not in the act of committingany crime was stressedon more than one occasion. The TV crews covered the speeches with utmost diligence, as this was one of the highlightsto be expected. Finally, for the emotionaltouch, the organizers called on the young man’s father.
“We are here today to let the city authorities know that we will be following very closely the grand jury proceedings!” Marshal Felson shouted. “That we, as a community, will not just brush this aside. I am grateful to all of you who have shown concern and have voiced their support for my son.” He gave up the mike andwalked off the stage amid cheers and applause.
A rather frail-looking young man with glasses took control of theaudience to announce that Dr. Tessa Thorpe from the New HopeTrauma Recovery Clinic was to be the next speaker.
Tessa had given much thought as to how she should dress for theoccasion. Her first instinct was her Karen Kane pants suit, butdismissed that idea to wear her copper-brown print kaftan in its stead.
Now, with its folds caught in the vigorousSeptember breeze, giving the illusionof a multitudeof miniature flags fluttering around her, her thick locks of hair dancing around her head, she spoke to the crowd, slowly, deliberately taking her time. “Hello, my fellow citizens.”She stopped to survey the mass of people standing in front of her. Dramatic pauses replete with eye contact, if not overdone, were quite effective in getting one’s message across. Not surprisingly, Tessa knew how to get her message across, a specialart in the realm of behavioral scientists. Public relationsfirms, advertising companies, political campaigns, all hired an army of psychologists to sell a product. And Tessa Thorpe, as someone who had thirty years’ experience as a criminal psychiatrist, could sell as well as any of them. “We are here today for two reasons, two very important reasons that are essential to our well-beingin a modern society. Freedom is one, and justice is the other.”
Enthusiastic cheers.
“When the call for war came, we were told that our enemies hated our freedoms. We were told that the citizensof Iraq had beenheld hostage by a ruthlessdictator who denied his own people these freedoms.Our invasion of that country was sold to us as OperationIraqi Freedom. And so we sent our young men andwomen off to war, the most traumaticexperience a human being could ever gothrough, with thebelief that they were fighting for liberty and freedom. And yet, one of those whom we had sent…hadcome back to us only to have his own freedom denied. His single offence at the time he was approachedby law enforcement officers was that he was exercising his freedom to stand on a streetcorner.”
Thiselicited a roar from the crowd.
“This is not merely tragic,it is an act of deplorable fraud, being denied the very thing he fought for!”
More heartfeltcheering.
“When I was young, we were made to pledge allegiance, an oath thatended with the phrase, ‘with liberty and justice for all.’ Well, Jay Felson was denied liberty…let us make sure he is NOT DENIED JUSTICE!”
Anear-shattering reverberationof concurrence.
Having descendedfrom the little platform with the crowd still shouting in endorsement, Tessa was serially embraced by her coworkers: Casey, Ed, Penny…all with praise about her wonderful speech, culminating in Marshal Felson’s hug, whispering into her ear, “Amazing.”
The next event on the program was to go together to the site where Jay was killed at the bus depot in order to lay memorial flowers and gifts. The TV teams followed, instinctively knowing that this was indeed another newsworthy item. In fact, as ahuman interest story, it tugged at the heart to see the gift bearers laying their offers down. And what made it even more poignant was the huge bloodstainthat had yet to be cleaned off the pavement, a crimson smear that drew numerous zoomed-in shots by the camera crews.
May 29, 2019
Review: HAPPY EVER AFTER by Seb Earl
Image Graphic designed by Sandra Lopez
When Emily wakes up in the middle of her bed, shaking and sweating from yet another nightmare, she knows it will not stop easily. The sexual assault she suffered eight years ago has left an enduring mark on her mind.In the immediate aftermath, she moved back to live with her parents and, since then, they have happily provided sanctuary. But at what price? Emily is not free, and her inner doubt and anger are increasing their stronghold over her life.
Thrust into action by her best friend, Sarah, Emily finally finds the courage to move out and start a new life on her own. She soon meets Olivier, a charming French man.
As she realises how her future happiness depends on her ability to face the past, Emily begins the slow, and at times painful, journey to finding inner peace.
But can she truly put her ordeal behind her? And is everything exactly as it appears?
Available on Amazon
My review: After a sexual assault, Emily returned home to live with her parents. "Night curfews, set times for meals, and endless questions about her love life would result in growing anger." (3)
"Her 'monster' was a wild beast that lived insider her head, feeding on her doubt and pain." (3)
At 30, memories and nightmares of that night still plague Emily. "She let her body be invaded. Her whole being had been contaminated, polluted by unwanted touch." (21)
"What does a woman gain from becoming a man's property?" (22)
Words held a violent force that was deep and impactful. Story was of a damaged woman battling the black holes of trauma and despair. That, along with society's archaic views, fueled her anger. This was a woman trying to survive a mad world.
Dark thoughts were taking her over. Who knew what she could if she couldn't control her temper? Why couldn't she just forget? Why, instead, was she living under the scrutiny and control of her overbearing parents?
Her friend's solution: move out.
Although frightened to be on her own for the first time since the attack, Emily bravely ventures to start her life over again. Soon, she becomes romantically involved with a Frenchman.
At first, I thought this would end up being like a psychological thriller with Emily's "dark thoughts" taking over somehow. I thought that's where it would naturally lead, because, after all, there was some psychological trauma after Emily's sexual assault. Instead, this was more about a woman getting her life back together again, which was fine. I honestly didn't understand why Emily would get involved so soon or get involved at all what with her strict and cynical views on marriage. The whole thing kind of slowed dramatically for me about 1/3 way in (right after she gets involved with the Frenchman.) It started off well, but then it came to a stalemate. It was much more drama than suspense, and I honestly would've preferred it the other way around.
My rating: 3 stars
Review: CIVIL HEARTS by Claire Gem
Olivia Larson, recently widowed after the death of her husband, was looking for a fresh start in a new town, which prompted her to purchase a 2-story mansion that dated back to the Civil War. “It was actually one of the details about the place that appealed to me. A project, I thought. A blank canvas I could redesign to suit me. The new me. Whoever the hell that was.” (7)
But still what could a Manhattan career woman do in a small Alabama country town?
After befriending a local business owner named Heath, Liv quickly adjusts to small-town living.
Soon she starts hearing noises from the house called The Belle Bride. Images of a strange man in a military uniform appear before her. Mystery gets more involved as historical details of the mansion begin to surface.
Colored in somber tones, this lyrical and well-written story carried a haunting atmosphere, which correlated with the ghostly apparition that traipses through the historical mansion. Like the Southern setting, it moved at a drawling and leisurely pace. The story was a little slow at times, but the good writing overrides the overall lag. Rich in detail and historical significance, story really makes you weed through the cobwebs to follow along. Obviously, the most interesting facet was the ghost and the mansion’s dark past, which would entice history buffs and mystery readers. It’s a pretty good story.
My rating: 3 stars
Review: MY NOW AND FOREVER by H.J. Bellus
Amelia A.K.A. Milly never had a normal childhood or loving parents, but she did get a cheating bastard for a husband, and the only good thing about him was his mother. She was the best mother-in-law ever, and she was the only thing that made this whole marriage thing tolerable. Suddenly Milly was about to lose the only mother that never belonged to her to an illness. The mother was her “now and forever.” Now Milly is worth 5.6 million dollars because the mother left everything to her. WHAT!? The mother wanted Milly to splurge and live. She creates a bucket list and sets off to do just that.
Character is candid and crude. Story was sappy but light in some areas. Story also lags, but the basic point comes across: to live your life and GO!
It’s basically about a hoochie girl living it up in a redneck town out in the middle of nowhere.
My rating: 2.5 stars
Review: THE OTHER SIDE OF SOMEDAY by T.K. Leigh
Bayle is a divorced woman now living in L.A. and looking to start a new life. One day, she meets Mystery Man at the dog park and ended up having coffee with him. If only she had gotten his name afterward… In this time, she reminisces over the marriage she had and what she could’ve done different. Resentment holds strong over not following her dreams. Then she finds her mother’s journal and sets out to finish her bucket list of things she never got to do. Cool and inspirational!
Maybe this journey will finally provoke her to write that book she’s always wanted. A writer looking for her story.
“I’ll be Burger King and you be McDonalds. I’ll have it my way and you’ll be loving it.” =D
This book revolves around the mantra of “someday I will” and takes it to “someday begins today.” Story was witty and refreshing.
My rating: 3.5 stars
May 22, 2019
Review: DOOMED BY DESSERT by CeCe Osgood
Abby Little has always wanted to be normal, to fit in. But it all changed when she turned 35… Now a grown woman with a teenage daughter, Abby loses her boyfriend and her father’s pastry show in one flaming night. How could her ex forget to mail in the insurance payment? Left with no income, Abby was at a loss and full of anger, so she goes to confront that old boyfriend only to find him dead on the kitchen table. The worst part was that the cops think she had something to do with it because one of her pastry boxes was found near the body. In order to prove her innocence, she must find the killer. On top of it all, a strange sense is coming over. But what was it? And how did her daughter know about the fire that night? How could she smell the smoke? This then prompts Abby to realize that she had a similar experience as a child. What was going on here?
One would obviously come to the conclusion that both Abby and her daughter come from a long line of witches. I mean, there’s a witch on the cover for god sakes. But it just seems to take a long time before the book proclaims them as witches (if it ever does that is.) Although quirky at times, story was pretty slow. Not really quite what I expected.
An ok mystery.
My rating: 3 stars
Review: PLATEFUL OF MURDER by Carole Fowkes
As a girl, rather than play with dolls, Claire played “get the crook,” always believing that justice should prevail and the good guys should win. That’s why she became a detective. What started off as merely taking incriminating shots of sleazebag cheats soon becomes too much to bear when murder gets involved. But the desire for justice and desperate need for money provokes her to pursue the case, even though she has no idea what she’s doing. No question that Claire was scared, which is why this book is part of the Terrified Detective series. She has fears—fear of going blind with too much hair spray, fear of not paying her debts, fear of getting big hips like her aunt, fear of getting killed on an investigation she has no business in.
I liked Claire’s witty side, especially with her metaphors. For example, “the case was like a puzzle, where you had the border pieces only but none of the inside ones, which made it impossible to make out the picture.”
Story was simple and witty, but it lagged sometimes and there were too many characters. What could be so interesting about investigating a pharmaceutical company? And the worst part was that even though Claire was an expert at crime shows and has wanted to catch the criminals since she was a kid, she was not a good sleuth. She had no experience, no clue, and no way to protect herself. Still, the book had charm, but the case wasn’t what I thought it would be. It just wasn’t what I was expecting.
My rating: 2.5 star
