B.D. Lawrence's Blog, page 6

Robbed of Love – Brave Authors Rewrite

Robbed of Love – Brave Authors Blog 

I rewrote this blog for the Brave Authors Blog and website.

 

You can read it at this link:

Robbed of Love

Besides my commentary on sex-trafficking, I’ve listed some of the books I’ve reviewed that do a great job of handling this subject.

I encourage you to read the blog and leave some comments.

 

Deadly Pursuit by Elle Gray

Deadly Pursuit  by Elle Gray

 

The second novella of the year for me. This one features justice and sets up vengeance. The redemption has already occurred for Pax Arrington. This novella is a prequel to the Pax Arrington series, of which I’ve read book one. You can read that review here. I enjoyed that novel and recommend it.

I find Pax Arrington a fascinating character. He’s from a wealthy family but has given that up, as well as the heir to the family business, because of his wife. Instead, he’s become a Seattle police officer wanting to help make things right in the world.

This novella shows us the background of Pax, his days with the Seattle police department. In the novels, he’s a private detective.

Unfortunately, I feel Ms. Gray rushed through this novella. It could have been a novel. It could have been number one in the series. The case that Pax finds himself involved in revolves around corruption in the police force. Plenty of material to work with. I feel Ms. Gray did an info dump of who Pax is, why he’s a cop, his relationship with his wife, and other background material. In writer’s parlance, there was a lot of “tell” and not a lot of “show”.

The tension in the story for me is that I know what’s going to happen eventually, having read the first book, so I’m waiting for that shoe to drop. For the reader coming to this first, what I’d say is breeze through this to get the background, then pick up I See You, the first Pax Arrington book. It’s much better written than this novella.

A few instances of mild profanity, but none of the big words. No on page sex and no gratuitous violence. Overall, I’d call it a clean read.

Important background of Pax Arrington to set up the novel series. But disappointing in its presentation. Too rushed. Too much telling. I’ll rank this number seven of those read this year. Even this one gets a three-star rating, so not a complete dud.

The Record Keeper by Charles MartinThe Samaritan’s Patient by Chevron RossThe Maid by Nita ProseThe Dark Wind by Tony HillermanA Vanishing Act by Edwina KiernanCali’s Hope by John Matthew WalkerDeadly Pursuit by Elle Gray

Commission earned

Book Review of The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman

The Dark Wind  by Tony Hillerman

 

Number five in the Leaphorn and Chee series by Hillerman, this book features vengeance and of course, justice. Almost frontier justice. Only Jim Chee is in this story. No Joe Leaphorn. And Chee’s been transferred to the Tuba City subagency office of the Navajo Tribal Police, which is in Arizona.

Chee is working three supposedly unrelated cases. Someone is sabotaging a windmill. An unidentified body was found, his face, fingers and toes sliced off. And a burglary of a trading post. To top it off, drug smugglers bring the feds into Chee’s land and Chee gets involved in another case he’s repeatedly warned to stay away from.

This is a good mystery. It wasn’t easily figured out. I had my suspicions, but Hillerman did a good job of introducing other red herrings keeping me guessing. Multiple threads are weaved together throughout this story. Some suspense. A thrilling ending. A plethora of fascinating Navajo culture. And pages and pages of weather, which is an important part of the culture.

Missing, though, from what I remember of the Leaphorn / Chee series, is the clever banter and strong friendship between Chee and Leaphorn. There are some other quirky characters introduced to try and fill that void.

Another interesting thing about reading this book was no cell phones and no social media. This book was written in 1982. Honestly, I didn’t miss any of the modern stuff at all. The story kept me engaged.

Some mild profanity. No f-bombs and only one s-bomb. No on page sex. And the violence is muted.

Overall, a fun read with well-rounded characters, deep setting, and an engaging story. I’ll rank it number four of the books I’ve read so far this year. And it makes six good reads. No duds yet.

The Record Keeper by Charles MartinThe Samaritan’s Patient by Chevron RossThe Maid by Nita ProseThe Dark Wind by Tony HillermanA Vanishing Act by Edwina KiernanCali’s Hope by John Matthew Walker

Commission earned

Book Review of Cali’s Hope by John Matthew Walker

Cali’s Hope  by John Matthew Walker

 

This is a short book. Only fifty pages. This story has no justice, no vengeance, and no redemption. So, why read it? If you’ve read Moonlight Awakens, it’s the prequel to that book in which we learn about Cali, a character introduced about half-way through Moonlight Awakens. If you haven’t read Moonlight Awakens, then after reading this story, you have to read it, otherwise, you’re left without the hope of the title for poor Cali.

Cali is an orphaned girl living in India who has been sold into a life of sexual slavery by her father after her mother dies. This story is a realistic view of sex trafficking in countries outside of the United States. Walker dives into the mind of this young girl, who is somewhere between nine and fourteen, though looks closer to nine. Though her life is a hellish nightmare, she clings to hope that someday things will be better for her. But through the course of this story, we wonder how and why she clings to this hope.

Cali is taken to places she never dreamed of. The hope she clings to rises and falls. It’s difficult to read if we have any compassion at all, but it’s important to read so we understand the devastation that sex trafficking causes around the world.

Again, if you’ve read Moonlight Awakens, then this story will give you some background into this wonderful little girl. If not, then I recommend you read this novella first, then immediately read Moonlight Awakens, which was the third ranked book I read in 2021. You can read the full review of that book here.

One thing I wonder about is why Walker didn’t make the last scene of this story match more closely to the scene in Moonlight Awakens where Michael first encounters Cali. The scene of them locking eyes would have been a more powerful ending to Cali’s Hope.

You can get this story for free by signing up for John Matthew Walker’s mailing list here. Or you can purchase it on Amazon for $0.99 for the ebook. Paperback is also available.

Though dark and gritty, this is a clean read. No profanity, no on page sex, and no gratuitous violence. The ranking below is mostly indicative of the length. Another good read this year. Keeping the streak alive.

The Record Keeper by Charles MartinThe Samaritan’s Patient by Chevron RossThe Maid by Nita ProseA Vanishing Act by Edwina KiernanCali’s Hope by John Matthew Walker

Commission earned

Book Review of The Maid: A Novel by Nita Prose

The Maid: A Novel  by Nita Prose

 

I’m four for four this year. Four great books. This book features justice and redemption. It’s a fabulous book and a fun read. Molly Gray or Molly the Maid is a wonderful character. She is as literal as they come. Sheltered. Cannot pick up on nuance. The world outside her little niche of the Regency Grand Hotel completely confuses and befuddles her. As if that’s not hard enough, she finds herself embroiled in some nefarious criminal activity, completely unaware at the beginning of what is going on.

The most fun part about this book is seeing the world through Molly’s eyes through the first-person point of view. The reader gets what’s going on, but Molly doesn’t. As the book goes on, she grows in her understanding and watching her journey is fascinating.

I’m sure we all know people somewhat like Molly. Many reading this may like her in many ways. But Molly is an extreme example and that’s what makes her so enjoyable. She’s intelligent, has a large vocabulary and precocious memory, but just doesn’t get people. The world should be black and white in her mind.

There is a mystery embedded in this story as well. Most of it the reader will see way before Molly does. But the epilogue throws in a surprise. I didn’t see it coming. I had a different idea of what Molly wasn’t telling anyone. There are several other surprises throughout the book.

The challenge I have with this book is that this is book number one of a series. For me, the best part was where Molly started and then her getting to where she does. I’m not sure I want to read another book with her starting where she ends. Just not as interesting to me.

The book was a huge bestseller last year and I can see why. What surprises me is the average rating is under four stars. This is a five-star book in my opinion. It kept me engaged. I didn’t want to put it down and as I mentioned earlier, there were many times I laughed out loud (softly, though).

The book is fairly clean. Some profanity, but not much. No sex. No violence. A wonderful character and a delightful read.

The top three books are so close together, it’s hard to separate them. I’m going to put this as number three only because the message isn’t quite as strong as The Samaritan’s Patient. But I highly recommend all four I’ve read so far this year.

The Record Keeper by Charles MartinThe Samaritan’s Patient by Chevron RossThe Maid by Nita ProseA Vanishing Act by Edwina Kiernan

Commission earned

Book Review of A Vanishing Act by Edwina Kiernan

A Vanishing Act  by Edwina Kiernan

 

This is a book about redemption. The ultimate redemption of salvation. It’s a clean, Christian mystery set in 1940’s Hollywood. It’s about two people from different social strata who’ve been around each other for a long time but in this book finally find each other.

Selwood and Sanders are the big screen’s hottest acting pair. Kent Selwood is an arrogant, angry, lost soul. Stella Sanders is his leading lady. And they’re making great movies together. The problem is, Selwood can’t stand Sanders and doesn’t feel she deserves the success she’s getting.

Stella Sanders disappears, and all evidence points to Kent Selwood as the person responsible. The entire studio turns against him, except for a seamstress named Bonnie Roseland. These two team up and hunt for Stella Sanders.

This is an entertaining and fast read, as well as being inspirational. It’s only around two-hundred Kindle pages. There’s strong characterization with the main characters and several of the minor characters. Elements of the mystery kept me guessing. About two-thirds through I had an idea of who was behind the disappearance, but that idea turned out to be only partially correct. There were several surprises, some red-herrings, and a few twists and turns. The romance during the story is heavy, but on an emotional, internal scale. The reader gets a lot of internal dialog from the two main characters about each other. There’s also a good amount of humor, especially in the two character’s thoughts.

For the non-Christian reader, there is a long presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Bonnie is a strong Christian woman with a high moral standard. But don’t let that stop you from reading the book. I think you’ll find the story inspirational as well.

The story is fashioned after a fairytale, so of course, it has to end happily ever after. The sub-title for this book is “A 1940’s Fairytale-Inspired Mystery”.

My only complaint is the lack of setting to put the story in the 1940’s. Without being told when the story is set in the subtitle, I would not have known. There’s no cell phones or social media, so I would have guessed twenty to thirty years before present. However, the 1940’s has unique details that could have been brought out as well as strong historical elements, like, for example, World War II. Depending on when in the 40’s, either during the war or just after the war. I would have liked a stronger milieu. This would have made the story come alive even more.

The book is a clean read. No profanity. No sex. And no graphic violence.

It’s a four out of five-star read. But given the other two I’ve read this year it falls to number three.

The Record Keeper by Charles MartinThe Samaritan’s Patient by Chevron RossA Vanishing Act by Edwina Kiernan

Commission earned

Book Review of The Record Keeper by Charles Martin

The Record Keeper  by Charles Martin

 

Another fabulous book in the Murphy Shepherd series. I read this book about as fast as I read any book. Did not want to put it down. As in the rest of the series, it deals with justice. This one also hits redemption and vengeance. In it we meet the head honcho who is behind the massive sex trafficking ring, the bombing of Freetown, the shooting of Murphy, and the burning down of Murphy’s island.

This book gives us a long backstory of the life of Bones. Who he is. How he became who he is. And his relationship to the evil man behind the sex trafficking. Some may find Martin’s technique of dropping these long expositions of Bones’ life in the middle of or just before heavy action annoying. It didn’t bother me and was fascinating enough to keep me going.

The action is typical of the series. Big boats, big guns, lots of bad people. And of course, Murphy, Bones and, team rescuing both boys and girls who have been stolen and are being trafficked. The story is another glimpse into the abhorrent evil that is sex trafficking. But in Martin’s usual tasteful style, as tasteful as a subject like this can be.

And like the other two books of the series, Martin has broad details about geography, boats, and guns. Maybe because it’s recent, but I also feel there was a lot more introspection from Murphy in this book. Heavy emotion.

Is this the last Murphy Shepherd? Not sure. Without giving away too much, the door has been left open. Martin is working on other projects, so we’ll have to see.

And like the other two, this is a clean read about a nasty subject. No profanity. No on page sex. No graphic or over the top violence.

A short review, but there isn’t anything to pick apart. It’s a fantastic book and it brings all the pieces together within the series.

Two for two this year. I’m going to put this as number one, so hopefully Mr. Ross won’t take that too hard.

 

The Record Keeper by Charles MartinThe Samaritan’s Patient by Chevron Ross

Commission earned

My 3 Favorite Reads of 2023

My Favorite Reads in 2023

 

A man named Ben Fox has created a webiste where writers can go and post their favorite books read over the last twelve months. 

Here is a link to my three favorite reads:

https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/f/bd-lawrence

 

And here is a link to the entire collection of favorite reads. This page is cool because it’s ranked by how many times each book was selected. Interestingly enough, none of my three made this list (minimum 3 authors picked it). In my defense, I’m not necessarily current on my reading.

https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023

 

I hope you’ll check out what Mr. Fox has put together. Very cool.

 

Guest Blog by Chevron Ross: The Samaritan’s Patient Behind the Scenes

Guest Blog: The Samaritan’s Patient – Behind the Scenes by Chevron Ross

 

I recently posted a book review of a incredible and important novel called The Samaritan’s Patient by Chevron Ross. He has honored us with a look at behind the scenes of this intense novel. Please check out his blog and then check out his book.

 

The Samaritan’s Patient

Behind the Scenes

This novel might never have been born had I not seen a PBS interview with two New York Times writers, Megan Twohey and Gabriel Dance, on December 16, 2021.

These reporters did an extensive investigation into a website on which subscribers discussed committing suicide and shared methods for doing so. Most visitors to the site were thirty or younger. There were 1.2 million messages. At least forty-five suicides in multiple countries were linked to the site.

At the time of this broadcast, I had just completed my second novel, The Seven-Day Resurrection, and was wondering what to do next. The PBS interview was so shocking that I could not stop thinking about it. What motive could a person have for encouraging strangers to kill themselves? What could one possibly gain from such an endeavor? And what could provoke someone to throw away the gift of life at such a youthful age?

The Samaritan’s Patient is a blend of two stories: the famous parable of Jesus in the Bible, and a young person with good intentions who gets caught up in a social media nightmare.

God did all the work on this book. He created the character of Paige Abernathy and told me how to build the novel around the circumstances of her personal life—her parents, her friends, and most of all, her Christian faith. He also created the crisis that launches her on a journey of new experiences and personal growth.

I am amazed and grateful that God would choose someone so ordinary and unaccomplished as myself to do this work. Each novel God has written through me has been a great personal gift, and a reaffirmation that God has a plan for each of us. I pray that The Samaritan’s Patient will be as great a blessing to its readers as it has been to me.

Click Here to read a sample chapter and early reviews of The Samaritan’s Patient.

The Samaritan’s Patient

A Chevron Ross Novel

Teenager Paige Abernathy awakens after a severe beating to find that she suffers from amnesia, and that everyone seems to hate her.

She has only flashes of memory until the night a grieving parent attacks her in her hospital room. Paige then remembers her role as creator of an online group where members talk about ways to commit suicide.

After recovering from the beating, Paige embarks on a journey of penance to atone for a disaster born of good intentions. Her odyssey launches her on a mission of mercy and into new danger.

The Samaritan’s Patient is a thought-provoking novel about navigating the treacherous waters of social media.

Book Review of The Samaritan’s Patient by Chevron Ross

The Samaritan’s Patient  by Chevron Ross

 

If you read my review at the end of 2023, I said “on to something more original.” And I found that something and more in the first book I read for 2024. This book is amazing. It’s about redemption. It had justice and vengeance themes running throughout. It’s not crime fiction, though there are crimes committed in it. This is a must read for just about everyone, especially teenagers, parents of teenagers, and grandparents of teenagers.

This book deals with several current and important topics. Teenage suicide. The out-of-control social media and people’s overreaction to it as well as ignorance of what is actually being posted. Teenage romance. Homelessness and the people caught up in it. It deals with following God’s prompting even in the face of hopelessness. And it deals with hope.

Paige Abernathy is the main character. She’s a seventeen-year-old who started a website / social media platform to try and help other teenagers who were feeling hopeless. Unfortunately, many of the visitors are teenagers contemplating suicide. The platform gets out of control and Paige shuts it down, but not before some very bad things happen. I don’t want to spoil it, so you can read it to find out what. This leaves Paige devastated and unsure what to do or where to go. She starts out on a journey of self-discovery and along the way grows tremendously in faith, maturity, and hope.

The cast of characters is fascinating. There are very few “normal” people. But then, in real life, there are very few normal people as well. We all want to think we’re normal, but we’re not. Everyone has their idiosyncrasies, their oddities, their uniqueness. And Mr. Ross has put together a wonderful collection of people that Paige encounters on her journey. Some help, some hinder. These characters range from a group of people in a homeless shelter, hospital staff, lawyers, parents, computer nerds, chefs, and more. Paige’s father is a world-renown chef and Paige is a chip off her father’s block. Be prepared to be hungry while reading this. Many dishes are described in detail.

The setting is a small town in Texas and some of the surrounding area. The attention to detail is at a good level. Enough to get a picture, but not enough to slow it down.

My only complaint is the denouement drags on a bit too long. But it was good to know what happened to all the characters I grew to love.

The pace of the story moves well. I didn’t want to put it down and usually read much larger chunks than I had originally planned. Mr. Ross has created a page-turner without needing suspense or thrills. I wanted to know what would happen next with and to Paige. She is a remarkable character who endures an incredible amount of pain and suffering, yet in the end comes out the better for it.

This is a Christian centered book. It’s clean. No profanity. No on page sex. And no unnecessary violence. It does deal with difficult subjects and Mr. Ross portrays these subjects tastefully yet drives home the issues.

It’s the first book of 2024, so of course, it sits at #1. I anticipate, though, it will stay in the top three all year. I am reading a Charles Martin book next, so it might not stay #1. We’ll see.

 

The Samaritan’s Patient by Chevron Ross

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