B.D. Lawrence's Blog, page 7

Guest Blog: Using Fiction for Social Justice

Guest Blog: Using Fiction for Social Justice

 

In honor of Human Trafficking Awareness Month, I’ve updated this article about my works and my fight against human trafficking.

As part of a new group called Brave Authors, we’ll be featuring each other’s work as well as posting articles and reviews.

Here’s my update of this article posted on Aubrey Taylor’s blog.

Using Fiction for Social Justice: A Guest Blog by Author B.D. Lawrence

 

Book Review of The Girl From Silent Lake by Leslie Wolfe

The Girl from Silent Lake  by Leslie Wolfe

 

According to the subtitle this is a “totally gripping and heart-pounding crime thriller”. It’s a story that features justice and vengeance. No real redemption, but it’s also book one of a series, so hopefully, the main character will grow in that direction. The story features FBI profiler Dr. Kay Sharp who either quit the FBI or is on an extended leave of absence. This detail is confusing and oscillates throughout the book. She has come back to her hometown because her brother was given a six-month prison sentence for a bar fight. Kay has returned to watch over the family house and fight for her brother, who she feels was given way too harsh of a sentence for a first-time offence.

Oh, and there’s a serial killer on the loose in Mount Chester, Kay’s hometown. And of course, since Kay is an FBI profiler, she has to get involved in the case. It turns out she’d been monitoring the case from San Francisco, where she lived, and had been sending in anonymous letters to the sheriff’s department in Mount Chester. Kay works herself into the case and along with a tall, handsome deputy from Texas, tries to find the serial killer.

I found the story compelling. Not sure I’d go as far as “totally gripping” or “heart-pounding”, though the ending was suspenseful and kept me reading until it was over. Some minor inconsistencies, though, between chapters forty-five and forty-six.

There are three main point of view categories. First, the main characters, Kay and Elliot, the handsome deputy. Then there’s the killer’s victims. Finally, the killer himself. Not really a spoiler saying “himself”, as ninety-plus percent of all serial killers are male. I could have done without the killer’s point of view. This is a personal preference, but in general, I’m not a fan of this approach. This book was not categorized as a mystery, which is good, because I figured out who the killer was thirty-six percent into the book. He wasn’t revealed until eighty percent. And it’s mostly because of the killer’s point of view I figured it out. That and one flashback scene to Kay’s childhood.

The writing is good. The pace is good. The details are at an appropriate level. The characters are sufficiently deep. Both Kay and Elliot harbor deep, dark secrets, and since this is book one, neither learns what the other’s is, but both know there’s something unsaid by the other. And of course, there’s an attraction between the two. Overall, an interesting and entertaining read. The serial killer profiling and information is deep and fascinating.

But…many would say this book is written to market. I call it cliché. Woman FBI profile. Cliché. (By the way, only 23.5% of all special agents in the FBI are female). Suspended or leaves her job and returns to hometown and gets involved in high-profile case. Cliché. Handsome deputy detective who isn’t quite as smart as the FBI agent. Cliché. I reviewed another book this year by Kate Bold with an almost identical story line, only New Mexico rather than California. Bold’s came out after Wolfe’s and Wolfe’s was much better than Bold’s, no argument there. I’ve seen other books by other authors with similar storylines. Quick Amazon search, at least five other authors with the same basic character going after serial killers. I’m done with reading books about female FBI profilers chasing serial killers in their hometowns. I’m going to try and find different crime fiction. Tired of the clichés.

As for content. There is profanity throughout, though not too much. No sex, but there are triggers. Child abuse. Spouse abuse. Implications of rape, torture, kidnapping. And violence against women. Not sure I’ll read another Kay Sharp book, but I might read another Leslie Wolfe. We’ll see. But, on to something more original. The final ranking for 2023. And this one comes in at number thirteen.

 

Rooms by James L. RubartThe First Lady by Ed GormanEvery Dead Thing by John ConnollyI’ll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins ClarkIn Darkness Cast by Jonathan ShuergerSeveral Deaths Later by Ed GormanCitadel (Palladium Wars Book 3) by Marko KloosBlazing China by R.F. WhongRedemption by Deborah J. LedfordDeath of a Messenger by Robert McCawThe Little Grave by Carolyn ArnoldShadow Games by Ed GormanThe Girl from Silent Lake by Leslie WolfeNavajo Autumn by R. Allen ChappellBarrier Island by John D. MacDonaldSerial Killer by Perry MartinJake of All Trades by A.T. MahonFireplay by Steve P. VincentWrong Place Wrong Time by David P. PerlmutterNowhere Safe by Kate BoldThe Bone Key Curse by Mike ScantleburyRun for Your Life by C.M. Sutter

Commission earned

Book Review of Navajo Autumn by R. Allen Chappell

Navajo Autumn  by R. Allen Chappell

 

This is the first book in the series by R. Allen Chappell. It’s really a novella, as it’s only around one-hundred and twenty pages. The series is currently at thirteen books. I was hoping for insight into Navajo life in northern Arizona and I did get that. However, the author himself says the way of life depicted is the old ways. The book was written ten years ago, as well, so some of the lifestyle may have changed. However, that was the best aspect of this story, the life of the people depicted.

The story is about a drunken Navajo (yes, a stereotype, but it’s done well) named Thomas Begay who wakes up under a bridge, which he often did. In this case, there’s a dead woman (not Navajo) in the river close to him. He is accused of the murder of this woman, who is from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He runs and hides. His friend Charlie Yazzie doesn’t believe he’s guilty, so tries to solve the murder to prove his friend innocent.

The story is told from several points of view, including a heavy-handed narrator at some times. In general, I’m not a fan of omniscient point of view and in this case, it wasn’t needed. Third person multiple point of view would have been sufficient and preferred. The story starts with the narrator. Personally, I would have preferred to see it start with the main character, Thomas, waking up and discovering the dead body. We also see the story told from Charlie Yazzie’s point of view. He’s a special investigator for legal services on Navajo Nation. These are the two main characters from which the story unfolds and upon which the series is built. We get into the heads of several other characters as well.

Overall, the writing was okay. I think the story suffered from not enough feedback from other writers or editors. The mystery is over about halfway through. We find out who the killer is. A little later, I figured out who was behind the person that did the killing.

As mentioned above, the setting is rich. The description of the lifestyle of the Diné people and the culture is deep and interesting. This is what kept me reading. The characterization is okay, but since it’s a series, I didn’t expect to get too deep into the main characters.

It’s a short read and if you’re interested in the series or in modern Navajo life, I recommend you start at the beginning to get to know Thomas and Charlie.

For the most part, this is a clean read. There is some mild profanity. No sex and no graphic violence. The series will be on my list to circle back to in the hopes the author’s writing improves. I’ll rank this one thirteenth out of the twenty-one I’ve read this year.

Rooms by James L. RubartThe First Lady by Ed GormanEvery Dead Thing by John ConnollyI’ll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins ClarkIn Darkness Cast by Jonathan ShuergerSeveral Deaths Later by Ed GormanCitadel (Palladium Wars Book 3) by Marko KloosBlazing China by R.F. WhongRedemption by Deborah J. LedfordDeath of a Messenger by Robert McCawThe Little Grave by Carolyn ArnoldShadow Games by Ed GormanNavajo Autumn by R. Allen ChappellBarrier Island by John D. MacDonaldSerial Killer by Perry MartinJake of All Trades by A.T. MahonFireplay by Steve P. VincentWrong Place Wrong Time by David P. PerlmutterNowhere Safe by Kate BoldThe Bone Key Curse by Mike ScantleburyRun for Your Life by C.M. Sutter

Commission earned

Book Review of Blazing China by R.F. Whong

Blazing China  by R.F. Whong

 

This is a deviation from the types of books I normally read. Not crime fiction. However, it is a story of redemption for several of the characters. This book is a stand-alone book, but there is also a follow up book with some of the same characters called Detour to Agape.

The book is set in China and Hong Kong in the mid 1960’s through late 1970’s. The story is a fascinating look at the uprise of Chinese communism and the impact it has on the citizens of China, especially Christians. The story follows Leesan, who is the mother of twin girls, May May and Ann Ann. Though they are identical twins, their journeys are nearly polar opposites. There are a lot of characters and there are a lot of points of view.

Two aspects of the writing to be aware of. First, there are some interesting phrases used that threw me off. However, not enough to detract from the story, but enough to make me pause and consider. I attribute this to the author possibly not having English as her first language. Second is the time jumps that are only separated at times by paragraphs rather than sections. The reader needs to pay attention to when things are happening because from one paragraph to the next a day, a week, a month, and sometimes several months can elapse. I would have preferred the author use section breaks for time jumps. Again, not enough to detract, but enough to pull the reader out to think about the time movement.

Another important aspect of this story is the explanations of Christianity throughout. I encourage you, if you are not Christian, to read this anyway. The story does a great job of showing true Christian faith and showing people in times of tribulation but getting through those times because of their faith. It also portrays what can happen when that faith is not embraced or abandoned.

The characters are fleshed out well. I did run into some confusion occasionally due to the names and not always remembering the relation to the point of view character of another character that sometimes was referred to by their name and sometimes by that relationship.

I recommend this book to both Christians and non-Christians especially on the merit of the setting and the view into how communism impacted China and the devastation it caused and continues to cause.

There are some sexual situations in this book. The author gives a warning on her Amazon page. However, they are relevant to the story and add to the realism as well as emotion the story conveys. No profanity and no over-the-top violence.

I’ll rank this one number eight so far, again on the merits of the historical setting and the excellent characterization to show the impact. However, it’s a bit of an orange in a list of apples, so take the ranking with a grain of salt.

 

Rooms by James L. RubartThe First Lady by Ed GormanEvery Dead Thing by John ConnollyI’ll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins ClarkIn Darkness Cast by Jonathan ShuergerSeveral Deaths Later by Ed GormanCitadel (Palladium Wars Book 3) by Marko KloosBlazing China by R.F. WhongRedemption by Deborah J. LedfordDeath of a Messenger by Robert McCawThe Little Grave by Carolyn ArnoldShadow Games by Ed GormanBarrier Island by John D. MacDonaldSerial Killer by Perry MartinJake of All Trades by A.T. MahonFireplay by Steve P. VincentWrong Place Wrong Time by David P. PerlmutterNowhere Safe by Kate BoldThe Bone Key Curse by Mike ScantleburyRun for Your Life by C.M. Sutter

Commission earned

Book Review of Shadow Games by Ed Gorman

Shadow Games  by Ed Gorman 

The predominant theme in this book is vengeance. Ed Gorman’s writing is brilliant, as always. But this book is a raw, gritty exposé of Hollywood, especially focused on child actors. In Gorman’s introduction (make sure you read it) he talks about his experience in Hollywood and that this book was on his mind for many years. While it is a crime story, it’s not a happy ever after, bad guy comes to justice story. It’s a modern tragedy. If you like happy endings, this is not a book for you.

Cobey Daniels is a former child television star who continually gets into trouble. He drinks. He does drugs. He’s a womanizer. And the relationship he has with his agent is disgusting. The mystery of the story surrounds a woman who is murdered in her apartment. All evidence points to Cobey. The first part of the book reveals Cobey’s background after falling from stardom, as well as introducing all the other demented characters orbiting Cobey’s tragic life.

There is only one redeeming character in this entire book. The former secret service agent, now private detective, William James Puckett. He’s not Hollywood, though he lives in Los Angeles and often works for stars as a bodyguard and other odd jobs. He comes into the story when he is hired to escort Cobey home from an institution and gets sucked into trying to solve the murder. The rest of the characters are depraved, immoral, and often nasty.

This was not my favorite Gorman. Not even close. It’s a story, though, Mr. Gorman had to tell. The mystery in it is well done. I didn’t have it figured out until Puckett had it figured out. I missed a key clue, though. Still trying to figure out where I missed it.

This is far from a clean read. It contains copious profanity and on page sex, often pornographic in description. Gorman uses alcohol, sex, and backstabbing people to portray the corruption, greed, and immorality of Hollywood.

There isn’t that much more I can say about it. If you don’t like any of the above, don’t read it.

I’ll rank this one eleventh so far this year, only on strength of Ed Gorman’s writing.

Rooms by James L. RubartThe First Lady by Ed GormanEvery Dead Thing by John ConnollyI’ll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins ClarkIn Darkness Cast by Jonathan ShuergerSeveral Deaths Later by Ed GormanCitadel (Palladium Wars Book 3) by Marko KloosRedemption by Deborah J. LedfordDeath of a Messenger by Robert McCawThe Little Grave by Carolyn ArnoldShadow Games by Ed GormanBarrier Island by John D. MacDonaldSerial Killer by Perry MartinJake of All Trades by A.T. MahonFireplay by Steve P. VincentWrong Place Wrong Time by David P. PerlmutterNowhere Safe by Kate BoldThe Bone Key Curse by Mike ScantleburyRun for Your Life by C.M. Sutter

Commission earned

Book Review of Serial Killer by Perry Martin

Serial Killer  by Perry Martin

 

I had high hopes going into this book. The story had its ups and downs. Overall, it was an okay read, a little disappointing given the premise and my hopes for it. The underlying themes are vengeance and justice. There is also a smidgen of redemption thrown in for two of the characters.

The story starts slowly. Mainly because the author employs telling rather than showing. A rookie mistake. Overall, the novel suffered from a lack of developmental editing. We get an info dump on all the main characters in the first fifty or so pages. I would have preferred, especially with the serial killer, learning about the characters as the story went on. About halfway through, Mr. Martin gets more in the showing groove and the story moves along well. There’s an occasional info dump, some more telling where showing would have been better, and several point of view violations, but not enough to stop me from reading.

The story is about Los Angeles detective Tommy Brigham. When he was a child a serial killer dubbed The Bodybuilder killed his father. Tommy becomes a cop in the hopes of tracking down his father’s killer. Eighteen years after his father’s death, The Bodybuilder reemerges, and the hunt is on.

About page one-fifty, this story takes an odd turn. One that almost puts the book into the speculative realm for me. I don’t believe in the stuff this book ends up relying on to catch The Bodybuilder. It definitely was not expected and made for an interesting story.

The ending is exciting, but predictable. That’s okay, because it’s the ending I was rooting for.

The book is long for an unknown writer writing what is supposed to be a suspense novel. And because of the serial killer’s point of view, and the serial killer telling us what he’s going to do and then doing it, the suspense is drained from the book. The book could have been much tighter and more suspenseful if The Bodybuilder had remained a mysterious entity. His point of view added nothing to the story.

There is a lot of profanity. Some sexual scenes, but not overly graphic. The violence is muted. Nothing technically wrong jumped out at me.

My rating for this is three stars and I’ll rank it 12th for this year so far.

Rooms by James L. RubartThe First Lady by Ed GormanEvery Dead Thing by John ConnollyI’ll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins ClarkIn Darkness Cast by Jonathan ShuergerSeveral Deaths Later by Ed GormanCitadel (Palladium Wars Book 3) by Marko KloosRedemption by Deborah J. LedfordDeath of a Messenger by Robert McCawThe Little Grave by Carolyn ArnoldBarrier Island by John D. MacDonaldSerial Killer by Perry MartinJake of All Trades by A.T. MahonFireplay by Steve P. VincentWrong Place Wrong Time by David P. PerlmutterNowhere Safe by Kate BoldThe Bone Key Curse by Mike ScantleburyRun for Your Life by C.M. Sutter

Commission earned

Book Review of In Darkness Cast by Jonathan Shuerger

In Darkness Cast  by Jonathan Shuerger

 

I diverged into a dark fantasy book this time and it was worth the divergence. A book about justice and vengeance, as most good dark fantasies are. This book is in the vein of Lord of the Rings, in that it’s a Christian themed book. Although, unlike LOTR, this one refers to the Christian God. The setting is not completely clear, as there are two worlds involved. One called Avalon, where the dark lord comes from, and one that I believe is earth but not earth as we know it. It’s clear who God is in the book. He’s God. It’s not so clear who the devil is. I think the evil characters are demons devoted to Satan. I don’t think the chief demon himself makes an appearance in this one.

The reader will have to get past the first hundred pages or so. I feel Mr. Shuerger took a little too long with the training of the apprentice, Gideon. The hero of the book is Gideon, an adopted orphan trained by a soldier and cared for by the soldier’s wife when the soldier dies. After an attack on his village that leaves him alone, he’s taken under the wing of a mysterious dark lord from another world, Ashkelon. The Christian parallel of Ashkelon was not apparent to me. Maybe other readers will come to a better conclusion.

Once the story gets started, it kept me wanting to read and I always read longer than I hand planned to until I finished. It’s only around four-hundred and thirty pages, which is short for a dark fantasy. Compared to Game of Thrones, it’s a short story. But I appreciated the shorter length. However, like I mentioned, it could have been shorter had the first hundred pages been cut to about fifty.

If the reader likes battle scenes and plenty of them, they will like this book. There isn’t much down time between fights or battles. And the battle scenes are graphic, yet not gratuitously so.

The characterization is fascinating. Another parallel to LOTR is the reluctant hero, though it’s different in that Gideon, unlike Frodo, has always dreamed of being a hero. But like Frodo, he spurns the spotlight and only wants to help people, not taking credit for his accomplishments. The character of Askelon, the dark lord is also interesting. As I mentioned, I’m not sure allegorically what he symbolizes. Much of the book is the uncovering of why Ashkelon has taken Gideon on as an apprentice and why he’s so invested in the young knight wannabe. Gideon parallels many Biblical heroes, including his namesake. However, Gideon’s physical prowess is quite noted.

This book is a clean book. No profanity. No sex. And the violence is necessary but not overstated nor purposely gross. For those into dark fantasy series, this is definitely one to try out. I’ll rank it number four of books read this year.

Rooms by James L. RubartThe First Lady by Ed GormanEvery Dead Thing by John ConnollyI’ll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins ClarkIn Darkness Cast by Jonathan ShuergerSeveral Deaths Later by Ed GormanCitadel (Palladium Wars Book 3) by Marko KloosRedemption by Deborah J. LedfordDeath of a Messenger by Robert McCawThe Little Grave by Carolyn ArnoldBarrier Island by John D. MacDonaldJake of All Trades by A.T. MahonFireplay by Steve P. VincentWrong Place Wrong Time by David P. PerlmutterNowhere Safe by Kate BoldThe Bone Key Curse by Mike ScantleburyRun for Your Life by C.M. Sutter

 

Commission earned

Book Review of Redemption by Deborah J. Ledford

Redemption  by Deborah J. Ledford

 

Given the title is Redemption, the story had to contain the theme of redemption. It did, as well as justice. This is an interesting story. It’s not a mystery. We know who the antagonist is from very early on and we know why she is doing what she’s doing. It’s a police procedural set in the Tao Pueblo reservation. Another interesting nugget is that the protagonist is a Taos Pueblo native but is currently working for the Taos County Sheriff’s department. This adds tension to the story and allows the author to explore cultural attitudes and feelings.

The story is centered around four friends who are heroin addicts. They are also native Taos Pueblo and have disappeared. Like I said above, we know where they are. The story’s main protagonist is Eva Duran, a sheriff’s deputy, and best friend of one of the missing women. Kai is the son of Eva’s best friend. And Cruz, a detective with the Taos Pueblo police, is also a close friend of Eva and her best friend. These three try to find the missing women from their community.

Two fascinating aspects jumped out at me. First is the cultural milieu of the Taos Pueblo. Not being overly familiar I can only assume Ms. Ledford is accurate in her depiction.  It’s a great glimpse into a different culture and that alone kept me reading.

The second fascinating aspect is the antagonist. The story is third person multiple point of view. And one of those points of view is the antagonist, Alice. She’s a nurse from Texas with an obsession for everything Taos Pueblo. She feels justified in all she is doing. From her point of view, she is trying to help the four heroin addicts. Even when things go terribly wrong, she justifies her actions. Ms. Ledford does a great job with this unreliable narrator.

The writing is strong and flows well. Nothing jumped out at me as technically inaccurate. Nothing made me stop and pause. The book is more psychological suspense, but there is also suspense built up by the circumstances. A time element that Eva, Kai, and Cruz are not aware of, but the reader is. I can’t say more without giving away too much.

There is some profanity, but not over the top. One sexual scene, again not over the top. Some violence that is necessary for the story and for the characterization.

This is book one of the Eva “Lightning Dance” Duran series. The second in the series will be released  August, 2024. I look forward to reading more. Ms. Ledford also has another series called The Smoky Mountain Inquest Series with four books.

I’ll rank this one seventh of fiction books read this year.

Rooms by James L. RubartThe First Lady by Ed GormanEvery Dead Thing by John ConnollyI’ll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins ClarkSeveral Deaths Later by Ed GormanCitadel (Palladium Wars Book 3) by Marko KloosRedemption by Deborah J. LedfordDeath of a Messenger by Robert McCawThe Little Grave by Carolyn ArnoldBarrier Island by John D. MacDonaldJake of All Trades by A.T. MahonFireplay by Steve P. VincentWrong Place Wrong Time by David P. PerlmutterNowhere Safe by Kate BoldThe Bone Key Curse by Mike ScantleburyRun for Your Life by C.M. Sutter

 

Commission earned

Book Review of I’ll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins Clark

I’ll Be Seeing You  by Mary Higgins Clark

 

This is a complex mystery that features justice. I’m not sure if this is my first Mary Higgins Clark, but it won’t be my last. This mystery kept me enthralled from beginning to end. And I did not figure it out until Ms. Clark wanted me to.

I’m not a fan of amateur sleuths, but this does not really fall into that sub-genre even though the person that solves the case isn’t a private detective or law enforcement officer. Meghan Collins is a news reporter for a local television station in the New York City area. Several months prior a massive accident occurred on a local bridge. Her father was on that bridge at that time and disappeared, presumed dead, forced over the bridge into the river below. Meghan and her mother have been dealing with his death. However, since there is not yet a body, the insurance will not pay off due to no death certificate. This may force Meghan’s mother to sell the Connecticut Inn that’s been in her family for three generations.

Meghan covers another death at a Manhattan Hospital. A young girl, about Meghan’s age, is brought in who had been stabbed. She dies before she can be treated. This death is the straw in the proverbial camel that launches the mystery.

Another straw involves an invitro fertilization clinic. This book was written thirty years ago, so invitro fertilization was still a recent process. Meghan covers the story of a woman who has been impregnated with her son’s twin fertilized egg over three years after her son was born.

Things come to light at this clinic that put more straws into this mystery. Another woman is murdered. Someone starts calling Megahn and her mother claiming to be her dad. And Meghan has a stalker.

All these threads are woven together into an exciting, thrilling mystery. Because this was thirty years ago, there are no smart phones or even cell phones. Though there are car phones. When’s the last time you heard that term?

One warning. There are a lot of characters and there are a lot of points of view. Ms. Clark even changes point of view within a scene. Supposedly a writing faux pas, but she pulls it off. Just pay attention, though, to who is who and who is doing what.

Ms. Clark paints fascinating characters caught up in difficult circumstances. There are several twists, the biggest being at the end.

To top it off, the book is clean. No profanity. No sex. And no graphic violence. I’ll rank this one fourth of the books I’ve read this year.

Rooms by James L. RubartThe First Lady by Ed GormanEvery Dead Thing by John ConnollyI’ll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins ClarkSeveral Deaths Later by Ed GormanCitadel (Palladium Wars Book 3) by Marko KloosDeath of a Messenger by Robert McCawThe Little Grave by Carolyn ArnoldBarrier Island by John D. MacDonaldJake of All Trades by A.T. MahonFireplay by Steve P. VincentWrong Place Wrong Time by David P. PerlmutterNowhere Safe by Kate BoldThe Bone Key Curse by Mike ScantleburyRun for Your Life by C.M. Sutter

Commission earned

Use Those Negative Reviews

Use Those Negative Reviews

 

For writers, readers, and wannabe writers. This is my guest blog post for ACFW – American Christian Fiction Writers.

This blog will give you insight into how important reviews are for writers, even negative reviews.

Click the link below to read.

 

Use Those Negative Reviews